No Resolutions or Goals: One Word for 2016

This week online, I've been reading about my colleagues' and friends' goals and resolutions for 2016. Since I'm a writer (shocker!), many of my friends are also writers, and a large percentage of these posted goals deal with writing. One of the best posts I saw was from YA, MG, and adult novelist Jennifer Brown (The Hate List), who had a list of about six things-personal and professional-listed...

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13 comments goals, Margo L. Dill, New Years Resolutions, one word, writing career

Thanking Those Who Inspire Me

As I wrote my thank you notes for Texas pecans, coffee/cinnamon scrub and a gourmet cheese basket, I glanced longingly at my new book. Confession: I, who hate romance novels, am a sucker for Suzanne Brockmann and Sarah Addison Allen, but it is Brockmann who is waiting for me. If I start reading before I get everything else done, thank you notes and everything else just won’t get done. I forced...

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3 comments Inspiration, writer inspiration, writing inspiration

What You Need to Be a Writer

My daughter after meeting one of my favorite authors. Back in November, the main children’s library in the city of Charlotte, ImaginOn, put together a free literary festival for families, children and teens. One of the highlights of the festival was an impressive lineup of visiting children’s authors from a variety of genres. When I saw that Lauren Oliver was scheduled to appear, I slyly asked...

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3 comments EpicFest literary festival, Lauren Oliver, Renee Roberson, traits of writers, writing inspiration

Late December Questions

Ahhhhh, December 26th. Finally, I have a moment—I have days of moments—where nothing pressing has to be done. No big production meals to coordinate, no last-minute holiday tasks calling my name. Just me and my cozy, overstuffed chair. And maybe a book. It’s the late December Lull, the perfect time to slow my roll, as my kids say. And though I’ve probably shared all this before, it bears...

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10 comments Cathy C. Hall, Neil Gaiman, reading, setting goals, thinking about writing

BELIEF

This morning a friend sent me a hilarious video of the SNL Sketch “Santa Baby” to put me in the holiday spirit. She knows how much I love Ryan Gosling! In it, Ryan and his wife attend a holiday party and the host mentions to his son that Santa is upstairs and may make an appearance later. Ryan, an adult man who somehow still believes in Santa, gets a little crazy when the host says that they aren’t...

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8 comments belief, goals, motivation, routine, schedule, self-doubt

Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge

Each year Goodreads, a social networking site for book lovers, allows you to challenge yourself to read more books. It has a widget on its page called the Reading Challenge. For the Reading Challenge, you select how many books you’d like to read in the coming year, and then each time you read a book, you share it on Goodreads and the Reading Challenge widget tracks it for you. At the end of the...

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2 comments Anne Greenawalt, Donna Tartt, goodreads, Margaret Atwood, reading challenge

Beware of Destination Addiction in Your Writing Career

I posted this photo on WOW!'s Facebook wall the other day, and we received more responses than usual! I know it hit a nerve with some of you. Since others might not have seen it, I thought I would take the opportunity on my blog post day to tell you why I chose to put it on a Facebook page about writing. It's not really about writing. . .or is it? Of course, "destination addiction" is mostly about...

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3 comments writing motivation

COG Page To Screen

Daniel Handler a.k.a. Lemony Snicket Are you a student, professor or inexplicably involved in some way with Cogswell Polytechnical College? If not, I have good news for you! They're holding a contest (students, professors and others involved with the school ineligible) called COG Page to Screen Awards. Admit it, you've played that game where you plan which Hollywood A-listers would play your characters...

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1 comment Cogswell Polytechnical College, Creative Nonfiction, Daniel Handler, Lemony Snicket, short stories, writing contest

Resolutions: Read to Fuel Your Writing

I have something of a love-hate relationship with writing resolutions. Part of the problem is that I’m fortunate enough to make my living writing. This means that meeting paying deadlines is going to take precedence over a resolution every time. Because of this, I’ve decided against your typical writing resolution in 2016. Instead, I’m going to fuel my writing with a reading challenge. I found...

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4 comments New Years Resolutions, reading resolutions, resolutions, writing resolutions

Blog Tour Preview for Jennifer-Lynn Keniston’s Novel Afta-U

Sometimes decisions made in an instant can echo throughout a lifetime. In the pages of her new novel, Afta-U, Author Jennifer-Lynn Keniston, takes us into the heart of Jean Cartwright Rhodes, a woman who is struggling to come to grips with the heartbreaking and senseless death of her childhood best friend, Hope. Twenty-nine years after the fact, Jean fights for her very sanity as she confronts...

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2 comments Afta-U, book trailer, Jennifer-Lynn Keniston, Tate Publishing, WOW! Blog Tours

Honor Your Writing: what I’ve learned practicing yoga

In September, I started going to yoga. I expected it to help with my back, and it has.  The surprise for me was how many of the principals also apply to writing. Chief among these is “Honor Your Body.” When you think “yoga,” you no doubt picture someone doing one of those contortionist poses. Those are all well and good if you can do them, but even with the simplest poses, our instructor...

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3 comments writing life, writing practice

A Giving Kind of Writing Challenge

I woke up this morning thinking about a few people on my shopping list and wondering what I would give them. I had a couple writing projects still to finish as well, and so before I even completely opened my eyes, my brain was pinging with all these challenges. And that, my friends, is an inside look into a writer’s brain and how lounging about in bed can sometimes lead to a splendiferous idea....

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14 comments Cathy C. Hall, writing challenge

Crash! Crunch! Cabang! Where have all the Literary Devices Gone?

by Gila Green Writers are forever hearing they need to improve their writing skills. No matter what we produce and how frequently, there’s always some well-meaning editor, fellow writer or classmate hinting that you can never learn enough about writing. Interpret that as you wish. Perhaps, you see great writing as an exercise bike you need to ride forever, or like a sink in which dishes grow...

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2 comments Gila Green, literary devices, online class, WOW class, WOW instructor, writer inspiration, writing tips

Proper Spelling Is Arbitrary...Or Is It?

I am young enough to have grown up with a spellchecker on my word processors, and I depend on it more often than I should. I hold my breath and wait for the red squiggles to appear under a word, or, even better, Word automatically changes words for me and I don’t even notice it. Sometimes I write so fast that I can’t remember to use affect vs. effect. Or I accidentally type “its” instead of “it’s.”...

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5 comments Anne Greenawalt, Anne Trubek, spelling mistakes

Keeping the Happy in the Holidays

I admin a local parenting group and recently asked members of the group to share tips, tricks, and ideas for helping parents get through the holidays with a smile. I’m happy to say, the group came up with some great ideas to help parents, writers, and anyone who finds themselves stressing out during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I wish I could tell you firsthand how I smile and laugh...

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3 comments happiness holiday, happiness tips, happy holiday, happy tips, holiday, holiday stress, holiday tips, nothingness, seasonal stress, seasonal writing, take a break, time for nothing

Why We Love Wicked and What We Can Learn From It

Today, I'm taking my daughter to see the musical, Wicked, for the first time. We are both super excited and have been listening to the CD in the car, singing the songs, and discussing the plot for a week. But since this is a blog about writing, I won't bore you with our favorite songs or quotes or characters. Instead, I thought I'd discuss what I feel makes this such a "Popular" show and maybe...

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2 comments lyrics, Margo L. Dill, musicals, plays, screenplays, universal themes, Wicked

Adding Depth to Your Writing: Creating Three-Dimensional Characters

Recently a writing buddy ran a new chapter through our critique group. “I’m having troubles making my characters feel three-dimensional. I’d love suggestions.” As I read through her work, I noticed that she had plenty of details. We know her character’s hobbies, her favorite class and the things that she regrets. In a sense, it feels like it should be enough but somehow it isn’t. As much detail...

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3 comments character depth, character emotion, depth

Social Media Marketing - 5 Must-Know Tips to Getting Started

by Karen Cioffi Most business owners have some kind of social media marketing in place. This is true for big business, small business, and home businesses. But, if you haven’t really gotten your foot in the door, below are five steps to get an audience going. 1. Open an account in social networks you think will work well with your business. There are lots of networks to choose from. A couple...

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4 comments Karen Cioffi, marketing tips for authors, online class, social media, social media marketing, WOW instructor, WOW online classes

Why You Should Connect with Other Writers

I’m an introvert, plain and simple. Sure, I enjoy conversing with other people well enough, but stick me in a crowd of people I don’t know very well and I clam up pretty easily. Writing conferences intimidate me and I right now don’t belong to any critique groups. So when I was first asked to participate in panel discussion on how to make money freelance writing, I hesitated. I knew the organizer,...

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4 comments connecting with writers, public speaking, Renee Roberson, Writing for magazines, writing groups

What To Give a Writer

It’s time for my annual holiday what-to-give-a-writer words of wisdom. At first, I was a little stumped. I mean, I covered a lot of good stuff last year in “A Wish List for the Nice Writer.” And maybe you remember them all, but just in case you need a refresher: · Permission to take time to write · A writing class (like the ones we have here at WOW!) · A professional critique · Membership in...

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6 comments art, book reviews, Cathy C. Hall, critiques, Editors, gifts for writers, literary gifts, mentorship, professional writing organizations

Why We Need More Stories

If you are reading The Muffin, I assume you are a person who loves stories – to read and to write them. You read and write stories because you know no other way of being. You read and write because you have to. But have you ever thought more deeply about why you need to consume and create stories? I have spent most of my life believing that reading and writing were frivolous leisure-time activities. But stories provide much more than simple enjoyment and entertainment. Stories...

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2 comments Anne Greenawalt, interpretation, meaning making, sharing stories

There Are NO Hopeless Manuscripts

I had an interesting email exchange with one of my online novel writing students the other day. She has taken WOW!'s Writing a Novel With a Writing Coach: One-on-One Instruction a few times to work on a wonderful paranormal romance (think ghosts who have not solved their issues and are messing up life for a bright, young new house owner), and she wrote something like this in a recent email: You...

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3 comments Margo L. Dill, novel writing, writing inspiration, writing success