Writing is just putting words on paper, isn’t it? No, not really. Just like verbal communication, how you say it is often as important as what you say. And, how you say it is more than just a word choice. As writers and publishers, we have to put thought into how we represent ourselves andContinue reading “Style guides”
Tag Archives: learning
Queries and pitches (part 1)
“I’m thinking about just self-publishing. Finding a publisher is too hard!” I’ve heard that more than once. I’ve thought that more than once. But self-publishing isn’t always the best idea. Actually, it can be one of the worst ideas if you want to succeed as an author. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes self-publishing is theContinue reading “Queries and pitches (part 1)”
It’s coming!
I was going to write about interviewing skills this week, but the interviewer (me) and the interviewee (also me) are having a scheduling challenge and we’re going to have to come back to that post later. One reason for the interruption… Registration for the 2023 LDSPMA writers’ conference is now open! Writers’ conferences are interestingContinue reading “It’s coming!”
“Gamification”
How do you teach statistics? How to you make history more interesting for students? Is there a better way to teach chemistry? Someone, somewhere, got the idea to teach them through games. Games can be an excellent teaching tool. If you use them properly. They can also be gold medal winners in the lame categoryContinue reading ““Gamification””
Growth through volunteerism…
Whether we’re non-fiction writers, fiction writers, editors, publishers, publishing marketers, artists involved in publishing, or anyone else who turns ideas into a book, we have to start somewhere. A lot of us dream of making it big. But, there’s a lot to learn before we get there. A few have made it big. They hadContinue reading “Growth through volunteerism…”
Stories of faith
Successful stories are about something. They don’t always have lots of action, but they’re about something. Good stories have good (as in well written and engaging) characters. Those characters can’t just be two-dimensional cutouts. They need thoughts and emotions. They need to believe something. When that belief comes with trust and confidence (and it should)Continue reading “Stories of faith”
Fanfic and creating story
I was going to title today’s post Creating Story, Fanfic, and Other ‘Stuff’. I was tempted to rant about certain recent series or attempted series. But I’m not going there. Yes, there are people ‘borrowing’ popular IP and creating ‘new versions’ that are basically their own thing using the old IP’s name. There are alsoContinue reading “Fanfic and creating story”
Taking note
Making notes on drafts and research is important. It can also be a pain in the butt. Actually, note taking is a “two problem” problem. It’s two sided. There’s the taking notes part and also the organizing and using your notes part. The best solution depends on how you work and what you’re using theContinue reading “Taking note”
Know your biases
No, dear reader, this will not be a “men are evil”, “straights are evil”, “white people are evil,” “group x is evil”, or any other sort of rant post. Some people in those groups probably are problematic, but so are people of other groups. I’m also not ranting against those positions (actually I’m not rantingContinue reading “Know your biases”
Show ‘em! (Part 2)
Last week I reposted a 2018 Words Mean Stuff post. This week I present an updated version with (hopefully) better writing and some things I’ve learned in the intervening years. So, let’s get going: As writers, we often face questions from non-writers. “Are you still writing books?” “Do you self-publish?” “What do you really doContinue reading “Show ‘em! (Part 2)”
Forever Mountain Publishing 