by Mike Martin Note from Elizabeth: Mike Martin is a regular contributor here and a wonderful mystery writer. He’s back today with news of an anthology that sounds like a perfect end-of-summer read. [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com It seems counterintuitive, but unlimited creative freedom often leads to making us freeze up, not making us innovate. Those genre guidelines that feel restrictive might actually be keeping [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com It’s easy sometimes to feel like time away from writing is wasted time. But pushing yourself leads to diminishing returns, and eventually burnout. Resting isn’t laziness. It’s [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com When you see other writers posting about their daily word counts or announcing their latest book deals, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind some invisible timeline. [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com When something feels overwhelming or intimidating, our natural response is often to avoid it entirely. But that just makes the task loom larger in our minds. The antidote [...]
by Jessica (J.R.) Lancaster and Jessica Thompson Writing a book with a friend sounds great until you think about all the time one spends in the publishing trenches, effort spent making [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com When people ask what I’m currently working on, I’ve learned to give vague answers until the first draft is done. It’s almost like telling someone what you’re planning [...]
By Nina Amir It would be easy to claim that most books written with the intention of creating change fall into nonfiction genres. However, every fiction book has the potential to move [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com I’ve been a list-maker for years, but I’ve learned that effective lists require more strategy than just jotting down tasks. With the new year, it’s a perfect time [...]
by Mike Martin, @mike54martin “Something about Christmastime… makes me wish it was Christmas every day”. So spoke the great Canadian balladeer, Brian Adams. It also kinda captures how I feel about Christmas. And [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com I’ve learned stepping away from writing can be just as important as showing up at the keyboard. But it’s been a tough lesson and something I still really [...]
by Hank Quense, @hanque99 If you’re learning to write fictional stories, no matter what genre, one of the worst things you can do is use AI to help write the stories or to develop [...]
By Rue Matthiessen My novel, Woman with Eyes Closed, was inspired by a theft at the Kunsthal museum in 2012. Seven masterworks were stolen. Among them was a painting by Lucian Freud called [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig Writers hear it all the time: establish a consistent routine. Write at the same time every day. Create a dedicated workspace. And I totally agree. My routine has helped [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com It’s a scenario every writer dreads: you’ve sent your manuscript to several beta readers, and their feedback arrives with contradictions that leave you more confused than before. One [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com It’s not the most glamorous writing topic, but having a system for organizing my book materials has been an absolute game-changer. After much trial and error (mostly error), [...]
by Nick Bailey @ReedsyHQ Every writer has that moment when they wonder: what would happen if I tried something completely different? Whether it’s Stephen King’s pivot to alternate history with 11/22/63, or Cormac [...]
I think drafting is one of those processes we have to make our own, often through trial and error. There are a few of those when you’re a writer: whether to outline [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig Today I thought I’d share just a few things that help me make my writing life just a little easier. Maybe some of them will work for you, [...]
by Elizabeth Spann Craig At some point in 2024, I hit 60 books. That’s 60 original books that I’ve penned. The only reason I noticed this is because my family kept asking me [...]
When I’ve given talks, I’ve frequently mentioned that I grew up in a library. This is pretty much the case. My dad was a high school English teacher, and we were often at [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig Happy New Year! I hope you have a great 2025. I’m still trying to get beyond the feeling that “2025” is squarely in the Jetson’s category. If you’re [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig I’ve read a lot from writers who liken releasing a book to birthing a child. I totally get where they’re coming from; there are plenty of similarities. But [...]
by Mike Martin, @mike54martin.bsky.social Some people believe that Christmas can only be the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus. Others who are more secular think that it is a time to gather [...]
Sharing the Books I Wrote in the Past Brings Me as Much Meaning and Purpose as Writing Them Did. Here’s Why. By Norman Shabel A fundamental question people grapple with at all stages [...]
Sharing the Books I Wrote in the Past Brings Me as Much Meaning and Purpose as Writing Them Did. Here’s Why. By Norman Shabel A fundamental question people grapple with at all stages [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig Okay, it’s more like 19 years. My first book, a Myrtle Clover, came out in 2005. But I really count my breakthrough as being in 2009 with the [...]
by Mike Martin, @mike54martin Where do stories come from? That’s a question I get asked a lot. So do other writers. The simple answer is that we get our stories from everywhere. Sometimes [...]
by Don Butler, @ButlerDon I once had a newspaper assignment to go to Canada’s west coast with a group searching for the rare white “spirit bear.” I never dreamed that decades later, that [...]
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig Feedback can be an important component of the writing process. Sometimes writers can get so wrapped-up in their stories that they can lose focus on the big picture. [...]
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