Friday Speak Out!: Hot Flash: Sketches

by Jane Hertenstein Historically in journalism columns and thought-pieces were the domain of men. Women were sometimes able to back-door their way into the papers. Often they had to use non de plumes or adopt initials to disguise their sex. Later they were given domestic assignments, what might be considered “light” writing. Sketches were one way women could bring their world into the broader purview....

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2 comments flash memoir, Friday Speak Out, Jane Hertenstein, Memories, sketches

Get Smart!

I resisted getting a smart phone for years. I had excellent reasons. Like, I didn’t use a cell phone much. I didn’t want to be like so many people, paying more attention to a phone than family and friends in the flesh. It was a waste of money, right? And then I broke down and got a smart phone because of my step counter. Yeah, technology begets more technology. It was the smartest thing I’ve...

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5 comments a writing career, Cathy C. Hall, changes, resistance, technology

Meet Megan Waters Winter 2017 Flash Fiction Runner Up

Megan is an avid reader and writer who hails from Long Island, New York. The former cytotechnologist now spends her time reading all the material she can get her hands on to continuously improve her craft. When writer’s block sets in, Megan likes to dabble on theprose.com where she enters writing contests and plays with poetry. She is enamored with flash fiction and short stories, and...

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1 comment 2017 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, Megan Waters, Runner up, Sue Bradford Edwards

Summer Reading

Summer reading...I love to think of the stack of books that would steadily shrink as the days got longer. Then I had kids. Of course, it wasn't too bad in the beginning. I snuck in a few books while waiting poolside at swimming lessons, while the kids were at day camp, while dad was constructing a bonfire for the marshmallows they would burn to a crisp and I would end up eating. Then came summer...

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2 comments

Side-Kicks: Making Supporting Characters Memorable

Whenever I ask someone about their book or their work in progress, their face lights up. They give me a strong snap-shot of the world they created, the major conflicts and, of course, a detailed description of the protagonist. It isn’t until I read their book that I discover their often-delightful, supporting characters. I’ve always felt bad for supporting characters. They don’t get the love...

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2 comments author, Characters, developing characters, foil, novel, protagonists, side-kicks, story, supporting characters, work in progress, writing

A WAHM Guide to Not Being Productive During Summer

A post shared by rlroberson (@rlroberson) on Apr 26, 2017 at 9:21am PDT I say it every single year. Won’t you join me? “This summer I am going to be SO productive with my writing! I’m going to make reprint sales. I’m going to finally make progress on my manuscript!” Yeah. So how’s your summer going so far as we approach the end of June? Right now mine is pretty much par for the course....

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3 comments freelance life, freelance writing, Renee Roberson, travel writing, writing advice

Friday Speak Out!: The Writer's Voice

by Lauren Garner We breathe every moment of the day, and often times, we speak with that same breath. As human beings, we never notice the sound of our voice or how it carries into another persons' ear. It just does. However, when we are sitting at our desks, laptops are open, eyes glued to the screen with our eyebrows furrowed because nothing is coming out. No words are written and no inspiration...

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3 comments Friday Speak Out, Lauren Garner, writer tips, writer's voice

Camp NaNoWriMo

I have something of a love/hate relationship with summer.  I love that my son has time off.  But I hate trying to get things (my writing) done around his busy schedule.  I'm writing this on Tuesday and he has this day off.  So do several of the friends that he works with.  That means my dining room is wall to wall life guards.  I don't think they have indoor voices!...

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5 comments Camp NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo, writing challenges

Book Review: Lilli De Jong by Janet Benton

Lilli De Jong by Janet Benton is a well-written, touching and often heartbreaking historical fiction novel set in 1883 Philadelphia. It tells the story of Lilli, a twenty-two-year-old woman, brought up in a Quaker home, whose mother has recently died. She is miserable in the house with her father and his female cousin, and finds comfort in Johan, who is her father's  assistant. Johan...

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2 comments book review, historical fiction, Lilli De Jong, Margo L. Dill, The Handmaid's Tale

Meet Cheryl Fines, Winter 2017 Third Place Flash Fiction Winner

Cheryl Fines is a secondary school teacher in a small city on the Canadian prairies. She gets the greatest satisfaction from teaching English literature, particularly when she can introduce a reluctant student to a genre or format that makes him embrace the English language arts. Sharing her love of literature—and her love of writing, of course—makes teaching the perfect fit for Cheryl. Cheryl...

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2 comments 2017 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, 3rd Place Winner, Anne Greenawalt, Cheryl Fines

Branching Out with a WOW! Women on Writing 'On Air Tour'

Did you know you can market your book with a WOW! Book Blog Tour? We've also recently branched out our marketing efforts and we offer a little different twist with our latest offering of a: WOW! Authors on the Air Tour: - Written pitch highlighting your book with interview topics sent to radio show hosts - 4 or 5 podcast/radio spots - Promotion of events on WOW's Twitter for each spot You can...

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Leave a Comment book blog, book marketing, book promotion, promoting books, promoting your book, radio marketing, radio tour

Father's Day

Father's Day is a holiday I celebrate with my husband, Randy, because my own father died 40 years ago last month. Randy is a great father to our kids, but I can't remember the last Father's Day card I bought for my dad, and am sad that my own children never got to meet him. There are two stories about the origins of Father's Day, ironically, both featuring women who wanted to honor their fathers....

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3 comments Father's Day, Grace Golden Clayton, James Whitcomb Riley, Little Orphant Annie, Out to Old Aunt Mary's, Sonora Dodd, The Raggedy Man

Friday Speak Out!: How to Know If a Writing Class Is Worth Your Time

by Joanne M. Lozar Glenn You can move closer to your goal of getting published by taking a writing class to develop your writing skills. But how do you know if the class is worth your time? Writing classes are a great way to give yourself deadlines for your writing project, become a more skillful storyteller, and move closer to your goal of publishing your work. But if you’ve never taken a writing...

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3 comments deciding which writing class to take, Friday Speak Out, Joanne M. Lozar Glenn, tips for writers, writing classes

Keep the Reader Hungry... Or, Staple Their Eyes to the Page

I've been struggling with the ending of my WIP. I already know my beginning needs to be completely overhauled (it's boring and doesn't engage and certainly doesn't hook the reader)... and now I'm thinking that if I can fix my lead, it'll result in my final pages getting polished to a high sheen. I need to make sure my reader's hungry. Recently I read this article by Lee Child on creating suspense/tension....

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6 comments creating tension in stories, Lee Child, Ralph Fletcher, What a Writer Needs

Summer Reading

Ever seen a grown woman squeal with delight when she learned her new public library has a summer program for adults? I can assure you that the librarians at my public library have. I thought I’d make a plug for public libraries, given that it’s the summer, and there is nothing finer than sitting on the beach and reading a great book (under an umbrella for those who are sun-shy, of course). I...

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4 comments author, books, comparison titles, crafting text, Harar, libraries, library, reading, summer reading, writing

Meet Winter 2017 Contest 2nd Place Winner Monica Cox

Monica Cox is an aspiring novelist who enjoys writing stories about and for women having found being one a fascinating, frustrating and fabulous experience. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel. Monica spent most of her career spinning stories of a different variety while working in public and media relations in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. She also blogs at High Heels and High...

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1 comment 2017 Winter Flash Fiction Contest 2nd Place Winner, Contestant interview, flash fiction, High Heels and High Chairs, Monica Cox, productivity, writing tips

Make Your Feature Articles Stand Out

Pexels.com I’m lucky that one of my regular writing clients is a local monthly lifestyle magazine. Over the past nine years (is that right?!) I’ve had the opportunity to work on so many different stories and meet a number of interesting residents and business owners. While some assignments go smoothly, others do not. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years to make your freelance assignments...

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6 comments freelance writing, interviewing sources, magazine assignments, relationships with editors, Renee Roberson, writing advance

How to Complete a Requested Rewrite: Sometimes You Have to Muscle Through

Last Monday I felt pretty good about where I was in terms of meeting deadlines. Then I checked my e-mail. The rewrite request that I’ve been waiting for since April had finally arrived. It is a book for teens. It touches on politics, oil, green energy, Native American history, chemistry and economics. I knew there were going to be things I needed to change. I quickly popped down to the end of...

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5 comments editorial feedback, requested rewrite, rewriting