Every writer can benefit from stretching and strengthening their creative muscles. Just as athletes use certain exercises to pinpoint and develop a specific muscle group, writers can use creative exercise to focus on a particular skill or technique that needs polishing. …
Right now, literary journal editors are eagerly reading through the submissions they receive to find strong, well-written poems — so it’s a great time for your poetry to be in their hands! …
There are many writing challenges available to help you break through writer’s block or to write a certain number of words within a given time frame. But what if these writing challenges are too general and don’t meet your specific needs? Maybe you don’t want to write 50,000 words in…
After all the work you put into writing and perfecting your manuscript, you want the cover of your self-published book to be unique and memorable. And the experts agree: Your book cover is your best point-of-purchase marketing tool, so it should make a great impression. However, while your book cover…
You’ve polished your poetry, short story, or personal essay, carefully researched to find the best literary journals, and sent out your submissions. Now you’ll wait weeks or even months to hear whether your submission is accepted or rejected. Rather than sit there twiddling your thumbs, submission strategists advise that you…
The world is filled with many diverse cultures and languages. When you’re attempting to write believable characters and settings, it’s helpful to reflect this diversity in your short stories or novel. Adding layers to your characters and worldbuilding helps create a believable narrative. …
Okay, it’s time to fight! Of course, we’re talking about writing a fight scene in your short story or novel (why were you putting on boxing gloves?). Creating a realistic fight scene that also moves the story forward isn’t easy. Fortunately, here have some tips that really pack a punch…
In a world where “Google” is now a verb, knowing how to write effective SEO is more important than ever for authors who are trying to grow their audience. But most creative writers are unfamiliar with the concept of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Having the right SEO will increase traffic…
You’ve set aside time to write, but when you roll up your sleeves and get ready to get to work, nothing happens. Instead, you’re left staring at a blank page or computer screen. If you’re experiencing the writer equivalent of the dreaded computer blue screen, the tech-savvy computer mavens at…
Congratulations! You’ve finished writing your manuscript, and now you’re eager to start the production process for your self-published book. But before you start formatting your book, you still have some important decisions to make. Will you dedicate your book to someone? Compile a list of acknowledgments? Should you include a…
