• 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 27

    Updated: 2011-11-27 10:00:47
    For today’s prompt, write a tribute poem. Write your tribute poem for anyone or anything you like–Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Harry Potter, etc. Have fun! Here’s my attempt: “Poets” For those about … Read more

  • Windhammer competition review part 3 - A Strange week for King Melchion the Despicable by Kieran Coghlan

    Updated: 2011-11-27 00:01:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Sunday , November 27, 2011 Windhammer competition review part 3 A Strange week for King Melchion the Despicable by Kieran Coghlan Fairness of dice N A Champion appeal There are a few endings beside victory or death . nbsp You could carry on living your life as a wizard or you could replace Melchion or you could win or there are many ways that you could die . nbsp The route to victory is not too difficult or too . easy Explorer appeal I had completed the game twice but I had still not explored all of the available pathways . nbsp You have a lot of choices on how to go about solving King Melchion’s . predicament Puzzle solver appeal The book involves a puzzle where you

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 26

    Updated: 2011-11-26 10:00:36
    For today’s prompt, write a good old days poem. Sometimes the good old days were actually good or not, everyone has a good old days poem in them (even if it’s someone … Read more

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 25

    Updated: 2011-11-25 10:00:30
    For today’s prompt, please write a consumption poem. There are any number of things we consume as people, and even more if you think outside the human experience. Some are good, some … Read more

  • Happy Thanksgiving!!

    Updated: 2011-11-24 16:43:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Thank you!

    Updated: 2011-11-24 11:00:10
    I just wanted to post a quick note this Thanksgiving thanking my wonderful readers for their support, comments, and e-mails. I appreciate that with so little time and so many options, you choose to read The Renegade Writer. Thanks also to everyone who has taken my e-course, signed up for phone mentoring or query critiquing, and bought my e-books. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 24

    Updated: 2011-11-24 10:00:27
    Happy Thanksgiving (for all people who celebrate Thanksgiving)! For all people who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, happy fourth Thursday of the month of November. Unfortunately, we had to call off the Thanksgiving trip … Read more

  • New Agent Alert: Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency

    Updated: 2011-11-23 15:43:13
    : WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home Writing Articles By Writing Genre Literary Fiction Young Adult Childrens Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story Essay Articles Freelance Memoir Nonfiction Mystery Thriller Romance Horror Spiritual Humor Poetry Script Writing By Writing Goal Get Published Sell Your Work Write 1st Chapter Get Started Complete 1st Draft Build a Platform Start Blogging Improve My Writing Write An Article Beat Writer’s Block Business Legal Matters By Writing Level Haven’t Written Anything Yet At Work on First Draft Completed Multiple Manuscripts Published Author Community Forum About StoryFriday Daily Writing Prompts The WD Community Writing Groups Peer Critique Studio Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides Competitions

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 23

    Updated: 2011-11-23 10:00:29
    If all goes well this morning, I’ll be on the road by 5 a.m. Atlanta time. If you’re able to participate today, please help spread the word about this prompt on Facebook, … Read more

  • What You’re Most Thankful For

    Updated: 2011-11-22 15:44:57
    Not including people or pets, what's the one thing that you're most thankful for? Write a one-paragraph note that starts "I'm thankful for (fill in the blank) because ... " Read more

  • “The How of Where” — The Importance of Setting in Your Fiction

    Updated: 2011-11-22 15:11:39
    In some books, you scarcely recall where the narrative took place. Others could have unfolded anywhere, at any time. Perhaps this was a purposeful decision by the author – universality, timelessness. But if the story is intended to be a product of its setting, how to render that setting in a living way? How do you take it from backdrop to character? GIVEAWAY: David is excited to give away a free copy of his novel to 10 random commenters. Comment within one week; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the print book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more

  • How Long Should Novel Chapters Be?

    Updated: 2011-11-22 13:47:48
    When dividing a manuscript into chapters, how long should each chapter be? Are there any requirements on length? Find out here. Read more

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 22

    Updated: 2011-11-22 00:41:50
    Good morning, everyone! I have a favor to ask of you beginning with tomorrow morning’s prompt. Could you help spread the word that the prompt is up each morning from November 23 … Read more

  • Why We’re Thankful to Be Writers

    Updated: 2011-11-21 18:48:45
    Around Thanksgiving I'm always reminded of how thankful I am for my wife, my kids, my family and my friends. One thing that I often overlook is how thankful I am that I am a writer. It's a challenging profession, one that causes a lot of rejection, heartbreak and unintentionally condescending looks from others ("So you're a writer? That's nice, but what's your real job?"). But the payoff is this: Read more

  • Test Your Grammar Skills!

    Updated: 2011-11-21 18:23:18
    Around Thanksgiving I'm always reminded of how thankful I am for my wife, my kids, my family and my friends. One thing that I often overlook is how thankful I am that I am a writer. It's a challenging profession, one that causes a lot of rejection, heartbreak and unintentionally condescending looks from others ("So you're a writer? That's nice, but what's your real job?"). But the payoff is this: Read more

  • WD Poetic Form Challenge Hub

    Updated: 2011-11-21 16:47:19
    This is a place to post poems for the poetic form challenges mentioned in the Writer’s Digest magazines–not for active challenges. I’ll share more information in the near future. This post is … Read more

  • Do You Suffer From One of These Writing Maladies? (Part II)

    Updated: 2011-11-21 15:35:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Writing Christian/Inspirational? Let an Agent Help You Get Published

    Updated: 2011-11-21 15:12:49
    Are you writing a book that's considered Christian or inspirational? If so, get an agent's eyes on your work. Literary agent Sandra Bishop (MacGregor Literary) is teaching an all-new webinar called "Get Your Christian Fiction and Nonfiction Published" on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. All webinar registrants are invited to submit a bio and platform statement. All submissions are guaranteed a critique by the instructor. Sandra Bishop will request more materials from authors who have an excellent book idea or who possess quality writing. Read more

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 21

    Updated: 2011-11-21 13:07:34
    We’re three weeks into this challenge already. I don’t know how it is for you, but for me, it feels like we just started November a day or two ago. It’s like … Read more

  • 5 Ways to Sell More Articles By Being Yourself

    Updated: 2011-11-21 11:00:40
    The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Freelance Writer’s Blast Off Thanks for Buying My E-Books Tweet Jump to Comments 5 Ways to Sell More Articles By Being Yourself A lot of the query first drafts my Write for Magazines students write , and Letters of Introduction I see from my mentoring clients , are well-written and boast great content . They offer up impressive credentials , contain stellar ideas , and include everything a query letter or LOI . needs Except . personality What I see a lot is writing that’s dry and business-like . This is especially common among newer writers , as they overcompensate for their lack of experience by using big words where small ones would suffice ,

  • Selling Books through Independent Bookstores vs. Selling through Major Online Se

    Updated: 2011-11-20 20:05:52
    . Home Humanities Culture Literature Selling Books through Independent Bookstores vs . Selling through Major Online Sellers By Blogging Authors 50 minutes ago Read more : selling books how to sell a book Publicity Writing Writing Publishing independent bookstore Guest Post by Irene Watson I received an email from an angry independent bookstore owner : saying I have unscubscibed as I resent your sending buyers to Amazon instead of independent book sellers and then have the nerve to send it to us to support . I had assumed you were independent as well . What a . scam Ouch . My response : was Your email was sent to me for attention and I'd like to respond . First of all , I appreciate your concern and know how frustrating it is to compete against sellers like Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com

  • Agent Advice: Jessica Alvarez of BookEnds, LLC

    Updated: 2011-11-20 18:49:00
    : , WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home Writing Articles By Writing Genre Literary Fiction Young Adult Childrens Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story Essay Articles Freelance Memoir Nonfiction Mystery Thriller Romance Horror Spiritual Humor Poetry Script Writing By Writing Goal Get Published Sell Your Work Write 1st Chapter Get Started Complete 1st Draft Build a Platform Start Blogging Improve My Writing Write An Article Beat Writer’s Block Business Legal Matters By Writing Level Haven’t Written Anything Yet At Work on First Draft Completed Multiple Manuscripts Published Author Community Forum About StoryFriday Daily Writing Prompts The WD Community Writing Groups Peer Critique Studio Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides Competitions

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 20

    Updated: 2011-11-20 07:07:25
    Well, I still haven’t slept since my Day 19 prompt. That will be remedied soon enough, but I wanted to get today’s prompt and poem up before sleeping in. I started yesterday … Read more

  • Windhammer review part 2 - Peledgathol, the Last Fortress by Ashton Saylor

    Updated: 2011-11-20 00:47:00
    : , Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Sunday , November 20, 2011 Windhammer review part 2 Peledgathol , the Last Fortress by Ashton Saylor Here is my feedback for Peledgathol , the Last Fortress by Ashton Saylor who won a merit award in this year's Windhammer competition Fariness of dice If you make the right choices then all combats you fight would involve enemies having a skill 2 higher than yours , making it easy to defeat them with a 1d6. The exceptions are a giant spider with a skill 4 higher than yours but only 1 strength , meaning that you have 3 chances to roll a 5-6 on 1 die and a giant goblin that you don’t have to . fight When determining the success of a military mission or the number of

  • Wiki Culture, Reader/Writer Distinctions, and Divergence from Structured Authoring

    Updated: 2011-11-19 21:37:06
    In my last post on wikis, Mark Baker added an astute comment: I’m not a wiki fan myself — I’m a structured text guy bred in the bone — but I am fascinated by the trend, and by the variety reactions to it. Wikis started more as a cultural statement than a technology. They were a tool for the democratization of content, the intent being ... more »

  • Should Technical Writing Be Taught in High School? (Collaborative Post)

    Updated: 2011-11-19 20:30:59
    I received the following question from a graduate student doing research in technical writing: Right now I am working on some research with some other students, trying to determine whether technical writing should begin to be integrated more in high school level English classes so that when students reach college they have experience with writing professionally, and not solely with creative writing. As an expert in the field, ... more »

  • More Than 70 Agents Will Be Taking Pitches at the 2012 Writer’s Digest Conference (Jan. 20-22, 2012)

    Updated: 2011-11-19 16:22:27
    . WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home Writing Articles By Writing Genre Literary Fiction Young Adult Childrens Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story Essay Articles Freelance Memoir Nonfiction Mystery Thriller Romance Horror Spiritual Humor Poetry Script Writing By Writing Goal Get Published Sell Your Work Write 1st Chapter Get Started Complete 1st Draft Build a Platform Start Blogging Improve My Writing Write An Article Beat Writer’s Block Business Legal Matters By Writing Level Haven’t Written Anything Yet At Work on First Draft Completed Multiple Manuscripts Published Author Community Forum About StoryFriday Daily Writing Prompts The WD Community Writing Groups Peer Critique Studio Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides Competitions

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 19

    Updated: 2011-11-19 10:47:31
    I’m officially on vacation for the week, which means this morning, I’ll be hitting the road to pick up my Ohio boys and bring them down to Georgia for the beginning of … Read more

  • Break the Rules to Build a Bestseller

    Updated: 2011-11-18 22:46:12
    Guest post by Rob Eagar. The publishing industry is going through an incredible amount of chaos and transformation. Some of this change is good, such as new technology, lower prices, and easier … Read more

  • This Week in Books 11/18/11

    Updated: 2011-11-18 15:12:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 18

    Updated: 2011-11-18 13:06:54
    OMG! We’re already 60% of the way through November? C’est impossible! Even if you’re just now learning about this challenge, it’s not too late to jump in, but time is definitely running … Read more

  • Do You Plan to Bypass the Traditional Publishing Industry Entirely?

    Updated: 2011-11-17 15:01:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • What Pisses One Editor Off

    Updated: 2011-11-17 11:00:21
    The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Freelance Writer’s Blast Off Thanks for Buying My E-Books Tweet Jump to Comments What Pisses One Editor Off This is an excerpt from my e-book Editors Unleashed : Editors Growl About Their Writer Peeves Enjoy The Editor : Editor of a magazine for sports . enthusiasts The Peeve : Writers who half-ass . interviews What’s your biggest grammar style peeve and why Disregarding basic conventions—not knowing how to use commas , etc . I don’t care what side of the serial comma debate you stand on , I’d just like you to know there is one . Style : I get stuff written in a sort of pompous , grandiose style that I guess I’m supposed to take more seriously than a

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 17

    Updated: 2011-11-17 00:52:22
    Good morning, all! Before I get to the prompt today, I just wanted to send a note about my recent limited edition chapbook ESCAPE (click here for more details). I’m down to … Read more

  • 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 16

    Updated: 2011-11-16 00:31:04
    For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Once Upon a (Blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. … Read more

  • Your Job Is To Write, Not Worry

    Updated: 2011-11-15 18:16:15
    , WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home Writing Articles By Writing Genre Literary Fiction Young Adult Childrens Science Fiction Fantasy Short Story Essay Articles Freelance Memoir Nonfiction Mystery Thriller Romance Horror Spiritual Humor Poetry Script Writing By Writing Goal Get Published Sell Your Work Write 1st Chapter Get Started Complete 1st Draft Build a Platform Start Blogging Improve My Writing Write An Article Beat Writer’s Block Business Legal Matters By Writing Level Haven’t Written Anything Yet At Work on First Draft Completed Multiple Manuscripts Published Author Community Forum About StoryFriday Daily Writing Prompts The WD Community Writing Groups Peer Critique Studio Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides Competitions

  • 5 Steps to Transform Meals into Writing Experiences

    Updated: 2011-11-15 18:07:45
    Use these 5 steps to transform any meal or day in the kitchen into a written experience that will leave readers hungry for more. Read more

  • Shatter Me Release Day!

    Updated: 2011-11-15 14:59:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Book review: Something Different – S. A. Reid

    Updated: 2011-11-15 05:38:10
    : . . Home Humanities Culture Literature Book review : Something Different S . A . Reid By davidmbrown 12 hours ago Read more : book review Book Reviews Erotica gay erotica gay romance m m erotica m m romance Blu : rb Tired of his life's endless grind , family man Michael Maguire allows himself one night of deviation . Desperate for something different , he seeks a prostitute in notorious Brixton Park . But Michael , searching for a girl out of PRETTY WOMAN , instead finds blue-eyed , beautiful James Campbell . Tempted and stirred in ways he never imagined , Michael embarks on a sexual adventure with a rent boy from London's infamous Bethnal Green . And what begins as a purely sexual exchange gradually transforms into something else , as James finds himself in desperate circumstances and

  • 5 reasons to vote for Doodling in the Goodreads Choice awards

    Updated: 2011-11-15 05:35:23
    Home Humanities Culture Literature 5 reasons to vote for Doodling in the Goodreads Choice awards By davidmbrown 12 hours ago Read more : Humor humour authors doodling Jonathan Gould goodreads goodreads choice awards A short while ago I reviewed Doodling on the blog so imagine how excited I was to see it had made it through to the semi-final of the Goodreads Choice Awards . I had voted for it when the poll opened , just as I had voted for other books I loved this year Before I Go to Sleep Fezariu's Epiphany The Toonopolis Files : Gemini but let's face it , books are big business and it's a tough world out there . I hold my hands up and say I kind of forget about it . Thankfully , though , Doodling did make it through to the semi-finals for Best Humor' and now needs your votes to proceed

  • Why I Returned to Wikis for Help Authoring

    Updated: 2011-11-15 03:39:28
    Last week I was feeling a bit stretched out about not having enough time to accomplish everything I needed to do. Granted, I gave several webinars to a total of 2,000 people, which was somewhat stressful, but I was more stressed about the fact that the help material I’d created could have been much better if I had only more time to focus on it. ... more »

  • Are You an Overwhelmed Freelancer? Marla Beck Tells You How to Beat the Overwhelm & Kick Butt

    Updated: 2011-11-14 11:00:36
    The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Freelance Writer’s Blast Off Thanks for Buying My E-Books Tweet Jump to Comments Are You an Overwhelmed Freelancer Marla Beck Tells You How to Beat the Overwhelm Kick Butt Marla Beck is a certified Life Coach for writers who has an MFA in creative writing . She’s been mentoring me as I work towards my wellness coaching certification and I can’t say enough good things about her You can connect virtually with Marla in December through her Two Days to Write group coaching program two fun , focused and productive days of writing no matter how scared , busy or overwhelmed you are . That’s my affiliate link if you decide to check out or join the program , I

  • Book Advances: What Are They Really For?

    Updated: 2011-11-13 21:09:14
    : Home Humanities Culture Literature Book Advances : What Are They Really For By Blogging Authors 3 hours ago Read more : Publicity Writing Writing Publishing book advance how to get a book advance using a book advance Guest Post by Irene Watson Hearing about an author getting a book advance from a traditional publisher , especially from a major one , often stirs up wishful thinking in first time or unknown writers . As authors , our ultimate goal would be to land a contract with one of these publishers and get a substantial . advance But , there are misconceptions that revolve around an advance . Basically , an advance is just that it's an advance on something to happen . Many authors don’t understand that the word advance” means advance against royalties . This means royalties for the

  • Author interview: Elaine Raco Chase

    Updated: 2011-11-13 02:07:32
    : Home Humanities Culture Literature Author interview : Elaine Raco Chase By davidmbrown 9 hours ago Read more : romance author fiction Author Interviews authors author interview romantic fiction elaine raco chase Each week I'll be sharing my Author Interviews so it's an excellent opportunity to discover authors and find out about great books . Thank you to Elaine Raco Chase for joining me this week to share some insights into her life and her book , Dare the . Devil Where were you born Schenectady , NY What did you want to be when you grew up A lawyer Other than author , what jobs have you had I started working at age 14 as a lifeguard at a kiddie pool , worked at F.W . Woolworth in stock , cashier , pet dept . jewelry keys , and a 3 hour stint at the lunch . counter After high school I

  • Windhammer Competition review part 1 - Rulers of the NOW

    Updated: 2011-11-13 00:01:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Sunday , November 13, 2011 Windhammer Competition review part 1 Rulers of the NOW Hi all . I'm copying Andrew Wright by talking about my entry to the Windhammer competition In my case , I have made two vlogs with my opinions about my entry , Rulers of the NOW . The first one was made before I knew the results of the Windhammer competition and the second one was made after I knew the results and I had received the feedback from various . readers Once again , I would like to congratulate Andrew Wright Zachary Carango and Ashton Saylor for receiving their rewards . I have learnt a lot from the Windhammer process . I think the main lesson that I have learnt from the

  • Conversion Conference 2011 Takeaways

    Updated: 2011-11-11 21:52:48
    Below is a summary of what I learned at Conversion Conference 2011 in New York. The slide deck has my major takeaways from the presentations I attended, all of which were excellent. Conversion Conference 2011 Takeaways View more presentations from Jimmy Smith Conversion Conference 2011 Takeaways is a post from: Now Media MarketingConversion Conference 2011 Takeaways is a post from: Now Media Marketing

  • CNET Gotham!

    Updated: 2011-11-11 17:38:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Messages from My Tech Comm Sponsors — November 2011

    Updated: 2011-11-11 14:46:00
    Each technical communication conference I attend, one of the activities that attendees look forward to is strolling through the exhibit hall, perusing the various tech comm booths, picking up freebies and fliers, listening to vendor pitches, and generally taking in the tech comm world of products. With that in mind, and as an opportunity to give more visibility to my sponsors, I offer a regular ... more »

  • Survey about Technical Writers and Blogging Activities

    Updated: 2011-11-11 13:38:30
    A graduate student is collecting information about technical writers and blogging. For more information, see her explanation below and then take the survey (it’s short): My name is Michelle, and I am a first-year Master’s student studying Technical Communication. Currently, I am working on a research project looking at the use of blogs within the job of a technical communicator. I am looking for participants that work ... more »

  • My Dirty Little Secret — And 5 Ways to Beat Your Fear of Interviewing Sources

    Updated: 2011-11-10 11:00:28
    The Renegade Writer About Us Free Query Packet E-Courses E-Books Phone Mentoring Query Critiques Free Teleclasses Guest Posting Contact Us Freelance Writer’s Blast Off Thanks for Buying My E-Books Tweet Jump to Comments My Dirty Little Secret And 5 Ways to Beat Your Fear of Interviewing Sources A couple of students in my current Write for Magazines class next one starts Jan . 9 have told me that they’re dreading the interview portion of the class , where they find and interview experts to add credibility to their . queries Here’s where I reveal my dirty little secret : I don’t like interviews , either . By my very rough estimate I’ve done more than 2,000 interviews since 1997, and I still get a little bit of stage fright before each . one I don’t share this to discourage you , but to let

  • Senior Technical Writer Job Opening at the LDS Church

    Updated: 2011-11-08 18:04:29
    We have a sweet job opening for a senior technical writer at the LDS Church in Riverton, Utah. Here’s the short description: This position will join the User Education team in creating excellent user documentation, help files, and training materials for a diverse group of users across many departments throughout the Church. Types of deliverables include online help and printed manuals for software applications; one- to two-page quick reference ... more »

  • What Genre Is Your Work in Progress?

    Updated: 2011-11-08 16:40:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Roth's Compaint (Short Story)

    Updated: 2011-11-08 08:00:05
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Roth's Compaint Short Story By Blogging Authors 13 hours ago Read more : science college Short Story Common Sense Short stories death stick Guest Post by Bill Pojo Chuck and Kat sat in the teacher’s lounge chatting away . Summer class time allows for some leisure moments in the Science building at the College . Kat didn’t smoke but she tolerated Chuck’s inhaling and exhaling of tobacco and other chemicals . Common Sense told her that smoking is not beneficial to her health but Common Sense also told her that people were not all dying or ill from either first or second or third hand smoke . Billions of death sticks get smoked each year why aren’t billions of people keeling over if everything is so deadly Besides , the stale odor that periodically emanated

  • Windhammer Prize results announced

    Updated: 2011-11-08 06:57:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Tuesday , November 8, 2011 Windhammer Prize results announced Wayne Densley has announced the winners of the 2011 Windhammer prize . Congratulations to Andrew Wright who won the competition with his mythological adventure , Sea of Madness and to Aston Saylor and Zachary Carango who won merit awards with their entries Peledgathol The Last Fortress and Above the Waves . I loved all of the entries to the Windhammer competition and I would also like to thank Wayne for hosting it . I'm already looking forward to next year You can find the 2011 page announcing the results here You can find all of the entries from the last four years here To look at the core Windhammer

  • Moving Towards the “Dark Side”: From Technical Writing to Content Marketing

    Updated: 2011-11-07 14:19:13
    In some of the previous tech comm circles I’ve been in, I’ve heard some people refer to marketing as “the dark side.” I think this term is used to suggest that marketers are involved in thinly stretched promises, flashy features material, and other manipulative, fluffy materials for customers. In contrast, technical writers are writing truth, creating content that is helpful, informative, grounded in reality, and ... more »

  • Managing 60 + Volunteer Writers

    Updated: 2011-11-07 04:14:54
    About four months ago, I posted a call for volunteer writers who might be interested in helping out with the LDSTech blog. Since that time, about 60 volunteers have joined the project. Some are more enthusiastic than others, and some have more writing talent than others. It’s not easy to determine talent and motivation based on signups alone. Some jump in eagerly right from the ... more »

  • Top 25 tweeters

    Updated: 2011-11-06 00:01:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Sunday , November 6, 2011 Top 25 tweeters I am flattering Scott Malthouse here by imitating his 25 Twitter accounts that you need to follow post by providing you with my own list of Twitter accounts . So , in no particular order . Tw33t_RPG This account has bought gamebooks to twitter . Follow this account to take part in the latest epic online . gamebook MirabilisDave The Twitter feed for Dave Morris who has written or co written Fabled Lands , Dragon Warriors , the Knightmare gamebooks , the Heroquest gamebooks and several Virtual Reality gamebooks . choiceofgames Choice of Games are a series of gamebooks in app form that range from you playing a dragon to a sailor

  • Author interview: Katie Stephens

    Updated: 2011-11-05 21:21:26
    : Home Humanities Culture Literature Author interview : Katie Stephens By davidmbrown 3 hours ago Read more : romance author fiction Author Interviews authors author interview katie stephens romantic fiction top 100 kindle romance Each week I'll be sharing my Author Interviews so it's an excellent opportunity to discover authors and find out about great books . Thank you to Katie Stephens for joining me this week to share some insights into her life and her book , Candles on the . Sand Where were you born Surrey , United Kingdom What did you want to be when you grew up Actress Other than author , what jobs have you had I've worked in PR for the last 18 years for a variety of businesses including music , fashion , housebuilders , car manufacturers and I currently work for the AA cars not

  • NaNoWriMo Interview

    Updated: 2011-11-04 19:32:11
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing NaNoWriMo interview With Sarah Mackey What is NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month . The very first NaNoWriMo took place in July , 1999, in the San Francisco Bay Area . That first year there were 21 novelists that participated . NaNoWriMo has grown exponentially over the years and in 2010 had 200,500 participants . I'm excited to introduce you to Sarah Mackey today who will share with us more about NaNoWriMo . 1. Hello , Sarah , thank you so much for agreeing to interview with us today . I'm not sure if our readers know much about NaNoWriMo , I know there is a full explanation on your website , but would you mind sharing a brief summary about it here National Novel Writing Month , or

  • This Week in Books 11/4/11

    Updated: 2011-11-04 14:23:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Success and Motivation

    Updated: 2011-11-03 14:11:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Cutting the fat from the process doesn’t mean abandoning what works

    Updated: 2011-11-03 06:28:48
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Cutting the fat from the process doesn’t mean abandoning what works By Blogging Authors 15 hours ago Read more : how to edit a book writing a book Publicity Writing Writing Publishing Guest Post by Chris Hoole It’s a new dawn for writers we Indies are reshaping the writing world” one girl boldly proclaimed on a Facebook group I’m involved in recently . She then went on to say that publishing the traditional’ way was not only antiquated but holding everyone back and we needed to throw out every single thing that traditional publishing did and make our own . rules Hang on a minute Two weeks later , she was back talking about how her creative writing endeavours had gone over badly that she was receiving one star review after one star review her book was

  • Using Treejack as a Method for Evaluating Your Help’s Navigation

    Updated: 2011-11-03 05:32:09
    Recently, at my request, one of my user research colleagues did some usability testing on a webhelp file. He did what’s called a “treejack,” which is a method that asks users to identify the place in a navigation system they would go to find a topic. For example, if you were trying to figure out how to schedule a projector on a calendar (to use ... more »

  • Author interview: Anastasia V. Pergakis

    Updated: 2011-11-03 04:01:17
    : . Home Humanities Culture Literature Author interview : Anastasia V . Pergakis By davidmbrown 47 minutes ago Read more : author fiction Author Interviews authors author interview fantasy fiction a v pergakis anastasia pergakis anastasia v pergakis cleanse fire Each week I'll be sharing my Author Interviews so it's an excellent opportunity to discover authors and find out about great books . Thank you to Anastasia Perkagis for joining me this week to share some insights into her life and her book , Cleanse Fire : The Kinir Elite Chronicles Where were you born West Berlin , Germany At this point I get very excited because I love Germany and the idea of living there is too much to take in . I go and have a cup of tea and then come back , . calmer What did you want to be when you grew up

  • Five Ways to Stay Motivated While Writing a Novel

    Updated: 2011-11-02 14:01:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • The Importance of a Personal Face — On Halloween

    Updated: 2011-11-02 02:07:26
    In taking my kids out trick or treating last night, I paraded them past many lavishly decorated homes with “cute spooky” arrangements, outdoor music, and other scary yard setups. One guy’s display definitely outperformed everyone else’s on the block. It looked like he dropped $500 on Halloween gear and other decorations — lights flashed with thunder sounds, revealing a ghost and other ghastly figures overlooking ... more »

  • How to Start Writing a Novel

    Updated: 2011-11-01 14:38:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Are You Participating in NaNoWriMo?

    Updated: 2011-10-31 14:00:00
    , home Blog About Forums Nathan Bransford San Francisco , CA United States Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW , a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space , break the universe , and have to find their way back home , which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd . but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry . He lives in San Francisco . View my Complete Profile Contact Me Blog Directory Directory of All Posts Publishing Essentials How to Write a Novel How the Publishing Process Works What Do Literary Agents Do How to Find a Literary Agent How to Write a Query Letter The Basic Query Letter Formula Examples of Good Queries How to Format

  • Bad or Late Review? No Problem!

    Updated: 2011-10-30 20:43:39
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Bad or Late Review No Problem By Blogging Authors 11 hours ago Read more : Negative reviews Publicity Writing Writing Publishing getting a bad review positive review Guest Post by Jacqueline Church Simonds It’s not easy to be a self-publisher , or an unknown author . Sometimes it seems as if the whole book industry is deliberately against you . It’s hard to get reviews—and then someone gives you a negative review What do you do Sit down , take a deep breath , and examine what’s happening without your old pal , . ego I am an editor and book packager . About 2 years ago , I did a book for a client , called Wanted : Gentleman Bank Robber : The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge , One of the FBI's Most Elusive Criminals It’s about his bank robber uncle who

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