December 7, 2021
Better on Paper
by Samantha Hoffman
Why do we write?
Joan Didion said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means."
Stephen King said that in the end all writing is about “enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
Gloria Steinem said, “Writing is the only thing that, when I…
November 30, 2021
Let’s Retire Writer’s Block
by Samantha Hoffman
What do you say we retire the term writer’s block? It sounds like an incurable disease when, really, it’s not a disease and it’s not incurable, it’s just a break or a lull; a slowdown. A block is something you can’t get around or go through, and you can’t see…
November 23, 2021
DIY Book Promo: One Author’s Journey
by Dan Klefstad
Recently, fellow authors asked me for details about the now 19-month promo campaign for my vampire novel Fiona's Guardians. They saw me reading while masked at author events, they saw photos of my book in the hands of various booksellers, and there was something about a theater company adapting…
November 16, 2021
We’re Ready for an IN-PERSON Conference!
by Samantha Hoffman
We’re ready for an in-person writers conference. Are you?
NOTE: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the first day of the conference will be required from all attendees, volunteers, presenters and book sellers. Masks optional.
Remember how fun Let’s Just Write!…
November 9, 2021
The Greener Grass
by Samantha Hoffman
I think we writers often look ahead and think _______________________ (fill in the blank from Column A below) when I _______________________ (fill in the blank Column B below).
COLUMN A COLUMN B My life will be perfect Finish my (great American) novel My goals will be met…
November 2, 2021
How to Outline a Nonfiction Book in 5 Steps
by Jerry Jenkins
Published with permission from Jerry Jenkins.
There’s no way around it. You need a book outline if you’re writing nonfiction.
For a novel, if you’re a Pantser (one who writes by the seat of your pants—like I do) as opposed to an Outliner, you can get away with having…
October 26, 2021
Try NaNoWriMo This Year
By Maggie Smith
Before 2020, I’d always scoffed at folks who diligently signed up every November to pound out a new novel. I mean, I was a writer. It wasn’t a hard job, not like piloting a plane or curing cancer. All it required was putting my butt in the chair, turning on…
October 19, 2021
10 Fun Writerly Things
by Samantha Hoffman
What's more motivating than being in the company of other writers? Make that happen with these 10 writerly things:
1. Let's Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference brought to you by Chicago Writers Association
A two-day, in-person conference in the heart of Chicago's Mag Mile. Twenty-plus presenters, workshops,…
October 12, 2021
Edit as You Go? That is the Question
by Samantha Hoffman
There are two camps on editing as you go, no middle ground. The "don't" camp is way bigger, and more adamant than the "do" camp. I wonder, do we have control over that impulse?
I've done it both ways. When I wrote my first book I edited as I wrote,…
October 5, 2021
How It Feels To Finish The First Draft Of Your First Novel
by Joanna Penn
Reprinted with permission from The Creative Penn.
I have stumbled through to the end of my story, and now I sit at the end of the first draft of the first novel. So how does it feel?
I'm proud to have over 70,000 words of a coherent story…
