Greetings!
[Issue 38 was guest edited by Margo L.
Dill]
I confess--I love young adult
literature. Maybe I've never grown up,
and that's the reason why I read YA books and
write for teens. Maybe I still remember what
it's like to be full of angst over the pimple
on your chin before you see your crush in
first period, or decide whether or not you
should go to the party your parents forbid
you to attend. Maybe I fell in love with this
genre when I coached high school cheerleading
and basketball and discovered that teens are
refreshingly honest, full of love and
enthusiasm, and surviving every day in a
teen-eat-teen world.
When Angela approached me and asked if I
would like to guest edit this issue, I had to
re-read her e-mail a few times to make sure
that she really wanted me. (See...teen
angst, anyone?) Then, I sent her an e-mail
that said I would love to, and I'm sure it
was filled with a thousand exclamation marks.
I'm so thrilled to share this genre with
WOW! readers and present these
articles and interviews about books that are
hot and edgy and authors who work hard to
keep teens reading.
And what an issue we have for you! We have
interviews with authors who cover everything
from the history of X-rays to a crystal meth
addiction. We have articles from writers who
have explored the much-debated topic of YA
censorship, how to use social networking with
your teen audience, and when or why to put
references to Facebook or MP3 players in your
YA fiction.
But most importantly, you'll find that all of
the advice points to how crucial it is to be
real and true when writing for teens. They're
an audience that will be the first to inform
you that you didn't work hard enough to
create an engaging and real story; but teens
will also be the first ones to dedicate their
lives to promoting your books and buying your
sequels if you touch their hearts and
minds.
WOW! has dedicated issues to
children's writing in the past. If you want
more information on children's writing, or
you write for a different age group, then
check out: Picture
Perfect Children's Books (February
2009), and Once
Upon a Writer (October 2007).
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Putting together an issue is a lot of fun,
but it also takes a lot of teamwork, time,
and funds to pay freelancers. Our
sponsors make this possible. We hand pick
sponsors that we think would be of interest
to writers like you! All of the sites contain
useful information for writers. Please
take a moment
to visit our sponsors' sites:
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A big, warm, thank you goes out to our
freelancers & staff:
We welcome back freelancer Allena
Tapia and thank her for her insightful
article into the issue of censorship
of YA novels. Allena shows us through
interviews with authors, teachers, students,
parents, and librarians why some novels are
challenged and removed from shelves, why many
people don't agree with these practices, and
what people are doing to fight censorship.
But best of all, she includes advice on what
to do if you're worried about censorship of
your YA work and what to do if you find
yourself facing parents who are challenging
your books. She talks to us about how to
"speak your truth!"
Interested in the nonfiction YA market? We
welcome back and thank freelancer and
workshop leader, Darcy Pattison, for
providing us an interview
with author Carla McClafferty, who has
three YA nonfiction books on X-rays, Marie
Curie and radium, and the American journalist
Varian Fry, who helped over 2,000 refugees
escape Nazi-occupied France. Carla helps us
understand how to take a nonfiction idea and
turn it into a high-concept idea that will
sell. She discusses book proposals, loglines,
and agents. This is an interview not to miss,
even if you've never considered nonfiction
writing--Darcy and Carla might just change
your mind.
We welcome Kathy Higgs-Coulthard to
the WOW! family and thank her for her
interview
with YA author Ellen Hopkins. I was so
excited when Kathy queried us, offering an
interview with Ellen, who is one of the most
gracious authors I know. Ellen writes her YA
novels about controversial subjects such as
drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and mental
illness in verse. Yes--you read that
correctly--in verse! If you haven't
read an Ellen Hopkins novel, I urge you to
rush out and find one. Kathy talks with Ellen
about building real teenage characters,
finding an authentic YA voice, and her
writing process as well as so much more about
her books and teen fans. I won't be surprised
if you find yourself bookmarking this article
and coming back again and again to learn from
Ellen's expert advice.
In the Summer
2009 Flash Fiction Contest, Bridgid
Gallagher won an honorable mention; and
now we welcome her to the WOW! family,
and thank her for her article on connecting
with readers through social media. She
answers many of the questions and concerns
I've heard YA authors discuss and have seen
debated on Twitter. Bridgid interviews YA
authors Bree Despain, Melissa
Marr, and Lisa Schroeder to
discover how they use social networking
sites, blogs, and websites to reach their
teen readers. She also talks with industry
experts Alice Pope and Greg
Pincus, who are both regular users on
Twitter and full of advice for YA authors.
You'll gain many great tips and ideas for
your own blog, website, and social media
use.
Allena Tapia also gives us a sensational 20
Questions interview with Pam Muñoz Ryan; and
we thank Allena for contacting Pam, who is an
extremely busy author writing across several
genres. Pam is well-known for her
award-winning YA books, Esperanza
Rising and
Riding Freedom. Pam discusses writing
everything from board books to YA novels,
universal teenage themes, her writing
process, and some of her inspiration. If you
want to read how a seasoned pro writes her
books and even organizes her office, don't
miss this interview.
We welcome freelancer Trina Sotira to
WOW!
and thank her for her contribution to this
month's Freelancer's
Corner. Trina confesses
to us that she's a pack rat; but luckily,
she's found ways to use those teenage photos
and mementos she's saved in her YA novels.
Trina shows us how to take your obsessions
from your teenage years and turn these into
unique and memorable character traits. Her
humor and enthusiasm will get you in front of
a computer and working on your YA
characters.
Freelancer BJ Marshall joins
WOW! for the
first time with a How 2 column about using
technology references in YA novels. We thank
BJ for figuring out whether or not we should
mention our character's iPod or call it an
MP3 player, or whether characters should
write on their friend's Facebook wall or send
a text message instead. Many contemporary
fiction writers worry about dating their
stories, and BJ provides good tips on how to
avoid making this mistake.
Everybody needs a bit of inspiration!
Returning freelancer and WOW! blog tour
manager, Jodi Webb, gives us some writing
inspiration in her interview
with author Liz Rosenberg. Liz is another
one of those
talented authors who has written and
published everything from poetry books to YA
novels; and during the interview, she was
also busy moving to London! We want to thank
Jodi and Liz for providing this interview in
spite of moving boxes cluttering up a new
household. Liz is a teacher, too; and this is
easy to tell since her answers to Jodi's
questions are full of advice and support for
writers. Liz inspires us with stories of why
she writes for teens as well as discussing
how encouraging it is to know her books touch
her young readers and keep them reading!
Most of all, I'd like to thank Angela
Mackintosh, WOW!'s
editor-in-chief, who is a
constant and gracious supporter of women
writers around the world. Angela's expert
advice, guidance, and creativity have helped
me put this issue together, and I hope it's
one of your favorites!
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Spring 2010 Flash Fiction Contest
DEADLINE: May 31, 2010 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Jenny
Bent
About Jenny: In a career spanning 15
years, I have made a practice of making
bestsellers--either by spotting new talent or
developing careers for multi-published
authors. My list is varied and includes
commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary
fiction and memoir. All the books I represent
speak to the heart in some way: they are
linked by genuine emotion, inspiration and
great writing and story-telling.
I was born in New York City but grew up in
Harrisonburg Virginia in a house full of
books where I spent many lazy afternoons
reading in a sunny window seat. I went on to
England to get a BA/MA with first class
honors from Cambridge University. After
graduation I worked in magazines, bookselling
and agenting, most recently at Trident Media
Group, before founding THE BENT AGENCY in
2009. I now live in Brooklyn in an apartment
full of books and while there are not quite
so many lazy reading afternoons, I manage to
fit one in now and then.
Find out more about Jenny by reading her
interview on WOW! Women On Writing: Jenny
Bent Tells Us What Agents Want.
Visit The Bent Agency's website: www.thebentagency.com
PROMPT: Open Prompt
WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min
LIMIT: 300 Entries
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter
Today. Visit our Contest
Page and download our terms &
conditions ebook. Good luck!
----------------
Call for Submissions
WOW! is seeking submissions for their
upcoming themes:
Fiction Mechanics/Novelist's Tool Kit:
(Deadline for
queries/subs: April 15, 2010)
In January, when I was putting together the
links at the bottom of Beth Cato's fabulous
article Beginning
After NaNoWriMo, I noticed that we
were short on articles that covered the
mechanics of fiction. I'd love to see
comprehensive articles on all the tools
novelists need to have in their toolbox for
working on their novels. Here are some basic
topics: (Note: this is an all "how to" issue,
no interviews.)
- Plot & Structure
- Scenes
- Description & Setting
- Pacing
- Voice
(Note: we already have articles on: dialogue
tags, self-editing for fiction writers, and
beginnings/middles/ends.)
Creativity:
(Deadline for
queries/subs: May 15, 2010)
This issue is open to interpretation. Get
creative and send us your queries/subs!
The Freelance Union 3:
(Deadline for
queries/subs: June 15, 2010)
This issue covers all topics related to
freelance writing. This will be our third
issue on the subject, so we are looking for
article topics we haven't covered before.
Please visit our previous issues:
The
Freelance Union 2
The
Freelance Union 1
Some other issues that cover freelance
writing:
Breaking
Out of Your Cube
Money
Matters for Writers
Writing
the Web
You can also do a search of our site with the
Google Search box that is located on the
left-hand sidebar of every page of our site
to make sure we don't already have an article
covering the topic you are proposing. Note:
this is an all how-to issue. The only
sections that are open to interviews are the
20 questions column and the
Inspiration column.
Submission Guidelines:Also, please
review our submission guidelines on
our Contact
Page (scroll to the bottom under
"Submissions") for pay rates
and how to submit. We look forward to hearing
from you!
Some of the slots have already been filled
above because we announce first calls for
submissions in our Premium-Green Markets
newsletter. To find out about first calls from
WOW! please subscribe to our Premium-Green
Writer's Markets. We share detailed
descriptions of specific articles we need
right now. Land one gig and it more than pays
for a year's subscription! We currently have
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pages of markets--available for immediate
download with the purchase of your
subscription. Join the community that gives
back! And write-on!
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On to the issue, enjoy!
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Speak Your Truth: YA Novels & Censorship
By Allena Tapia
Novels like Speak, Whale Talk,
and Boy Toy have moved past the
subject of blossoming into womanhood, which
censored young adult novelist Judy Blume
explored through her 13 plus YA and
middle-grade novels, and into new territory
such as homosexual relationships, rape, drug
and alcohol addiction, racial ugliness, and
graphic violence. The times they are
a-changin', but are young adult authors being
forced to remain in the past? Allena
Tapia explores this subject through
interviews with authors, teachers, students,
parents, and librarians.
MORE >>
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Rising, Riding: 20 Questions Answered by Pam Muñoz Ryan
By Allena Tapia
Pam Muñoz Ryan's credit list is prolific, to
say the least. With twenty-five published
books to her name, Ryan has touched on
several fiction genres, including young
adult, middle grade, and children's picture
books. However, it's often her YA novels,
Esperanza Rising and Riding
Freedom, that garner the most
attention--mainly due to several prestigious
awards the books have won. Esperanza
Rising checks in with the Pura Belpré
Award among others, while Riding
Freedom was awarded the National Willa
Cather Award for Best Young Adult Novel in
1999. Allena Tapia interviews Ryan, who was
so kind to share her insights into writing
for young adults during a busy time--at the
cusp of the release of her new YA book,
The Dreamer, which follows the life of
a young Neftali Reyes of Chile, otherwise
known as the poet Pablo Neruda.
MORE>>
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Together, we can do it!
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WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes
invest in yourself, write now
Whether you are looking to boost your income
or work on your craft, we know that education
is an important part of a writer's career.
That's why WOW! handpicks qualified
instructors and targeted classes that women
writers will benefit from. The instructors
are women we've worked with on a professional
level, and these ladies offer high quality
courses on various topics.
How the courses work: All of the
courses operate online--whether through
email, website, chat room, or listserv,
depending on the instructor's
preferences--and are taught one-on-one with
the instructor. The flexibility of the
platform allows students to complete
assignments on their own time and work at
their own pace in the comfort of their own
home. It's a wonderful experience and an
excellent way to further develop your skills,
or to try your hand at something completely new!
Featured e-Courses (By Date):
FOOD WRITING: THE BASICS by
Mary MacRae Warren
START DATE: March 22, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through lectures,
writing exercises, and instructor feedback we
will cover the basics of food writing (in
print and online formats). Students should
complete the class with at least one work
suitable for publication. We will explore
food writing essentials including: food
reporting and research, techniques for
developing sources in the food world,
resources for covering food news, and
conventional forms of food writing.
Course objectives:
1. To complete at least one work that is
publishable.
2. To encourage you to read published food
writing to better understand the genre.
3. To increase your confidence and skills as
a writer.
4. To develop a foundation for the skills of
crafting, editing, and revising.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
PUBLISH THAT BOOK: HOW TO WRITE A
NONFICTION BOOK PROPOSAL THAT SELLS by
Andrea Campbell
START DATE: April 5, 2010
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Let me show you
through my intense, 8-week-long workshop how
to get a nonfiction book proposal ready for
publishers. This is your opportunity to gain
a serious business advantage over other
writers who will try to wing it. And even if
your first book doesn't sell, you will have
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ideas and other projects. You may even come
up with more ideas for more books as you work
through this course.
And my workshop is different. I keep the
classes small so you receive a lot of
individual attention; class size is
limited to 10 students. In addition, you
will have e-mail feedback on all assignments.
Another thing I do in my workshops is to have
weekly chat sessions. Yes, every Thursday
night, we will meet online to ask questions,
discuss the lesson plans, and talk about
additional information or details that you
might have missed. Chats are an important
tool for learning (and camaraderie) and why
shouldn't we work together to leverage our
knowledge? And to make it worth your while,
you will also receive additional materials to
help illustrate important points from the
lesson plans or that you can use to aid you
in staying abreast of what is happening in
the publishing industry.
This course is for intermediate level
students. Try to clear your plate of other
things that may distract you and be prepared
to work hard. If you want results, you will
get them but this class involves work and
preparation week after week. In this class,
you can expect to learn:
- If your idea is a good one
- The essential ingredients of a book
proposal
- What the format and overall look of the
actual proposal should be
- How to write your proposal letters and the
best markets for your book
- Why you must exploit your "intellectual
capital"
- The nuts and bolts of the nonfiction book
publishing industry
By the end of class, students will have a
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ready to send out to agents, including a
query letter, along with the confidence to
market his/her product.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE CRAFT OF SCREENWRITING by
Christina Hamlett
START DATE: April 5, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This 6-week class
provides an overview of the techniques and
formatting requirements to develop an
original screenplay. The lectures and
assignments cover character development,
dialogue, genre, structure, pacing, budget,
and marketability. All materials submitted
are critiqued by a professional screenplay
consultant and learners are free to ask as
many questions as they'd like about how to
turn a story idea into a commercial,
pitch-ready script.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE: AN INTRODUCTION
TO PLAYWRITING by
Christina Hamlett
START DATE: April 5, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Since the time of
the Ancient Greeks, the live theater
experience has satisfied an audience's need
for entertainment that is immediate, intimate
and accessible to all ages and levels of
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mores that were once held as truth.
In this class, you'll be learning what makes
a play successful...and how to write one
yourself! Each module consists of a lecture
and writing assignment, as well as
interviews, websites and anecdotes. Ideally,
it should only take one week to complete each
exercise. The final assignment will be the
writing and submission of an original
15-minute one-act play, which will be
professionally critiqued for its adherence to
all of the principles addressed in class.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
PERSONAL BRANDING 101 by
Mary MacRae Warren
START DATE: April 5, 2010
DURATION: 4 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will
explore the importance of branding to authors
and help you pull together your
brand--whether you're established or just
starting out in your writing career. At the
end of the class you will have a portfolio
and campaign to market your writing.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
SHORT FICTION WRITING by
Gila Green
START DATE: April 6, 2010
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through writing
exercises and classmate and instructor
feedback we will delve into the fundamentals
of short fiction with a view to publishable
work. We will explore a variety of craft
elements including: character, plot, point of
view, description, dialogue, setting, pacing,
voice and theme.
Course objectives:
1. To complete at least one work that is
publishable.
2. To encourage you to read published short
fiction including, short stories, personal
essays and flash fiction (Fiction under 800
words).
3. To increase your confidence and skills as
a writer.
4. To develop a foundation for the skills of
crafting, editing, and revising.
Limit: 8-10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You
Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles,
and Fillers by
Margo L. Dill
START DATE: April 21, 2010
DURATION: 7 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will
teach the basics of writing for children's
magazines, crafting short stories, nonfiction
articles, poetry, and fillers. The student
will come away with a short story and cover
letter, nonfiction query letter, and a filler
or poem. She will also have a list of
potential markets, fitting her manuscripts.
The instructor will also share an
organizational tool for submissions and
information on finding other children's
writers and networking.
Limit: 15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE
WRITER! by
Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: May 17, 2010
DURATION: 10 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is for
beginning freelance writers or for those who
are interested in becoming freelance writers.
It includes all of the basics of freelance
writing: overviews of the different fields in
freelance writing, what is needed to begin,
how to store ideas, where to get ideas, how
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In this class, I am your writing mentor
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Everything in this writing class is done via
e-mail. This class will provide you with the
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to write.
Limit: 15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR AUTHORS: Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, and more! by
Margo L. Dill
START DATE: May 24, 2010
DURATION: 4 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will
teach writers how to use Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, and other social networking sites
such as Shelfari or JacketFlap (students'
choice) to network; to build a loyal
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Limit: 20 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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BLOGGING 101 AND MORE: Start a Blog,
Make it Unique, and Keep it Going by
Margo L. Dill
START DATE: July 12, 2010
DURATION: 5 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Blogging is one of
the best and cheapest ways to achieve an
Internet presence. This class will help
students start a blog. If you already have a
blog, it will help you target the readers you
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This course is for beginning and intermediate
bloggers or for people who are looking to
spice up their blogs! **Please note: you do
not have to be technologically savvy to start
a blog and keep up with it!
Limit: 20 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
I hope
you are as excited about our classes
as we are. WOW! Women On Writing
ensures that our instructors will work with
you one-on-one. In most cases you will
receive emailed course materials and
assignments, or for those with groups, you
will be able to download course materials.
Your instructor will give you assignments and
personal feedback, and guide you through a
charted course of learning. Our instructors
are wonderful ladies who go above and beyond
to help you achieve your writing goals.
MORE>>
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WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you on the daily Muffin? We've stirred
together some traditional ingredients with
new ones to deliver more interviews,
enlightenment, thought provoking ideas, and
inspirational messages to help you through
those gray writing days.
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Never Stale! Here's the Latest:
Tuesdays are contest interview
days!
If you are interested in
writing for our contests, check out the
interviews with previous Top 10 winners to
find out how they crafted their stories.
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Contest First Place Winner:
Leigha Butler
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Contest Second Place
Winner: Arlene L. Walker
Interview by Jill Earl
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Blog Posts of Interest:
Linda
Joy Myers, Ph.D., Author of The Power of
Memoir,
Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Join us for Linda Joy Myers' first blog tour
stop for The Power of Memoir: How to Write
Your Healing Story. Linda tackles a lot
of questions we all think about. How do we
decide what facet of our life experience to
focus on? She shares some great tips to help
get you started. How much should we reveal
about the people in our lives? Linda has a
very detailed answer to this question of
telling "secrets" that is a must read. 33
comments! There are more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Bonnie
Hearn Hill, Author of Aries Rising,
Launches her
Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
An interest in astrology along with her close
friendship with Cosmo Magazine Astrologer
Hazel Dixon-Cooper inspired Bonnie Hearn
Hill's Star Crossed series: Aries
Rising, Taurus Eyes, and Gemini
Night. Join us for her first blog tour
stop, where youll find out how she managed
to have all three books coming out in one
year! Bonnie also shares her thoughts about
critique groups: both the damage that the
wrong writing group can do to a writer, and
tips on how to create your own, wonderful
critique group. There are more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Straight
Talk About Self Publishing: An Interview with
Miles Nelson of Dog Ear Publishing
Interview by Jodi Webb
With traditional publishers publishing fewer
titles per year because of dwindling profits
and the growth of digital media, many authors
are considering their publishing options,
including self publishing. So to help you
navigate these tough choices and to give you
a better understanding of your options, we've
invited Miles Nelson of Dog Ear Publishing to
answer some of our questions on the
subject.
Silencing
the Negativity
By Elizabeth King Humphrey
After receiving some negative comments on her
writing, Elizabeth turned to a writer/editor
friend with a wicked sense of humor. Soon,
she was laughing again and regained her sense
of balance. What do you do to return balance
to your writing after feeling the pinch of an
inner or external critic?
Can
Plagiarism Be Creative?
By Elizabeth King Humphrey
Some argue that there are no original
stories, just a re-hash of stories that have
come before. But sometimes, that line blurs.
Join in on the discussion about how reading
other works influences us, and how to give
credit where credit is due.
Need
Writing Inspiration? Think Celebration!
By LuAnn Schindler
Monthly holidays and celebrations are the
perfect fodder for a researchable and
marketable idea. Sometimes, they allow you to
write something for fun...and still get
paid!
The
Ten Things that Must Happen in Your
Writing
By Jill Earl
Reached an impasse in your writing? Work
through those "ten things that must happen"
technique and bust through that block in no
time!
Social
Networking for Authors: Tips from Margo L.
Dill
Interview by Angela Mackintosh
Don't miss this fun and helpful interview
about social networking with WOW! Classroom
instructor Margo Dill. Learn more about
Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn--and why it's
important to use all three platforms. Find
out the quickest way to build a following
when you're just starting out. Lots of great
tips!
To
Write a Newsletter...Yes or No?
By Chynna Laird
Have you ever considered writing a
newsletter? Chynna shares her experiences,
including lessons learned and a list of
reasons to go for it.
JUST
WRITE!
By Carrie Hulce
If you're experiencing writer's block, try
picking a word or phrase, then come up with a
sentence using the word. Build from there.
And if family is a distraction, consider
Carrie's tip of scheduling writing time into
an appointment calendar and share it with
your family! They will know not to bother
you, and you will have more time to
write.
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Want to contribute to The Muffin?
Friday's are "Speak Out!" days. We allow
posts from contributors for promotion. If
you'd like to submit a post, please make sure
that it's about women and writing.
Your post
can be about: writing inspiration, balancing
family life/parenting with writing, craft of
writing fiction/nonfiction, how-tos, tips for
author promotion/marketing/social media, book
reviews, writing prompts, special
opportunities (paying markets for writers),
publishing industry news/gossip, and anything
you think our readers will love.
Please make
sure that there is take-away value to our
readers. No press releases please. We're more
interested in hearing from our core
audience--personal essays and humorous
anecdotes are encouraged as well, as long as
they provide
something useful to our audience--including a
good laugh! ;)
How To Submit: Submit your 250 - 500
word post in the
body of your email to
our blog editor Marcia Peterson: [email protected].
Please put "Friday Speak Out! Submission" in
your subject line. Upon acceptance, we will
ask for your bio,
links, bio photo, and any other pics to
illustrate the article. We look forward to
hearing from you!
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In Closing:
We hope this issue has provided you with some
great tips on the craft of writing for young
adults and the YA marketplace. Even if you
don't write for this particular age group,
there is still a lot of takeaway for any
writer. The articles on connecting with
readers through social media and how to use
technology references in fiction can
certainly be applied to any genre you write
for. I'm really happy with the way this issue
came out and want to thank Margo L. Dill for
putting it all together. She did such a great
job! I hope you'll love it just as much as we
do.
Be True, Be Real, and Happy Writing!
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