• Caravan to Kaad - an AFF2 solo.

    Updated: 2011-12-30 18:44:00
    : . Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Friday , December 30, 2011 Caravan to Kaad an AFF2 solo . I'm going to slip in a cheeky little post before 2012 hits us . I am a Tunnels and Trolls fan and I enjoy the way that it produces lots of solo adventures for the system basically , they are gamebooks , but the rules are in a separate book If you want to see a good example of a short Tunnels and Trolls solo , try Depths of the Devilmancer by Scott Malthouse Well , I decided to turn my hand to writing an Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2nd edition solo for a non magic user.The problem with writing gamebooks for a system designed for an RPG is that it is difficult to prepare your gamebook for all of the skills ,

  • Defining character archetypes

    Updated: 2011-12-29 14:57:29
    For a character’s actions to seem believable they must reflect the personality of that character. Character archetypes are a great way to help understand what motivates your heroes and villains – the … Read more

  • Epic Strategies to Access Your Inner Writing Diva

    Updated: 2011-12-29 11:00:45
    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 Tweet Jump to Comments Epic Strategies to Access Your Inner Writing Diva This is a guest post by Ruth . Zive Let’s face it writing can be drudgery . Day in and day out , staring at a screen , scrounging for new ideas and creative inspiration it’s a . grind Some days , writers need to find motivation in unconventional and dramatic ways . We need to tap into a sense of bravado that puts a snap in our step and arouses the confidence to power through our work with . attitude We need to learn how to access our inner . diva According to Merriam-Webster , a diva is , quite simply , a famous opera singer a prima donna . In fact ,

  • Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 159

    Updated: 2011-12-29 02:39:12
    I apologize for the extremely late Wednesday Poetry Prompt. In fact, it’s probably Thursday for most folks. I’ve been on vacation this week, which means I’ve been playing with my five kids … Read more

  • New Agent Alert: Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch Literary

    Updated: 2011-12-28 21:41:34
    : Left Ad Right Ad WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home 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 Marketing Your Work 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 Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides

  • What I Learned About Tech Comm During 2011

    Updated: 2011-12-28 15:31:48
    This past year I learned a few things. As I approach 2012, I’d like to note what 2011 taught me: Writing documentation in a wiki suits me for the same reasons I enjoy interacting on the web. The web is interactive, alive, dynamic, collaborative, fresh, and unlimited in potential. A wiki, being online, allows me to partake in the same game-like, community-rich environment that I ... more »

  • The Lone tigers

    Updated: 2011-12-27 20:51:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Tuesday , December 27, 2011 The Lone tigers Good morrow to you all I hope that you all had a good Christmas and that Santa , the Riddling Reaver or Banedon brought you some good presents in their flying vehicles . I enjoy the days between Christmas and New Year . It is a quiet time where you can catch up and relax , look back and prepare for the coming of a new year . A new start . Maybe the start of a new blog . A blog about gamebooks . A blog where we hunt down the best amateur and obscure gamebooks , chew them up , savour their flavour and then tell the interweb what we thought of them . So that is why Andrew Wright and myself have started the Lone Tiger gamebook

  • The Urge to Correct: Frustrations with Language Translation and Misuse

    Updated: 2011-12-27 16:04:33
    The following is a guest post by Hezy Asher, a technical writer at Quest Software Israel. VITO CORLEONE: I want you to use all your powers. And all your skills. I don’t want his mother to see him this way. [Removes blanket revealing Sonny's mangled face.] VITO CORLEONE: Look how they massacred my boy. I was barely 14 years old when I saw Godfather I ... more »

  • Unexpected Christmas Chatter

    Updated: 2011-12-27 08:00:38
    It's a few days after Christmas and you received everything you wanted, especially (fill in the blank). But things take an interesting turn when, in the middle of the night, the thing that you wanted, which had been sitting in the corner, starts talking to you. Read more

  • Using Tags to Increase Findability

    Updated: 2011-12-26 17:32:21
    I recently read Tagging: People-Powered Metadata for the Social Web (2008), by Gene Smith. Smith dives into tagging as a method for adding metadata to resources, which in turn increases the organization and findability of the resources. Traditional help authoring tools categorize resources through folders (a carryover from Windows folders), whereas web platforms typically use tags. Tags are actually a quick and easy way to attach metadata ... more »

  • The Ultimate Guide to Succeeding as a Freelancer in 2012

    Updated: 2011-12-26 11:00:49
    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 Tweet Jump to Comments The Ultimate Guide to Succeeding as a Freelancer in 2012 Okay , this is it the year you really make it as a freelance writer . Really , really . This time you mean . it I think you can do it , and I’m going to tell you . how Make a Resolution Resolve in 2012 to STOP pitching the content mills and anything that pays well under your hourly rate more on setting your hourly rate in a second or , worse , that pays in exposure . 8221 You can’t pay the bills with exposure . You can’t make a living writing for 15 per . article Well , maybe you can for a while , but it’s likely you’ll burn out pretty soon

  • Christmas Inspired Gamebooks

    Updated: 2011-12-25 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 , December 25, 2011 Christmas Inspired Gamebooks The tourist trade for the pyramids has gone down There are many gamebooks that hold the spirit of Christmas for various reasons . Snowy gamebooks Heart of Ice In this gamebook , a computer program that once controlled the weather has been driven insane by a virus and now most of the world is covered in snow and ice . Even Egypt is beset by . blizzards It has cool skiing . barbarians The Caverns of Kalte Lone Wolf 3 In this gamebook , Lone Wolf is sent to the frozen north to track down Vonotor the traitor . There's a lot of hardship to be had on your travels . She wears red , but she's no . Santa Caverns of the

  • Still Time to Leave Comments for Heifer International

    Updated: 2011-12-24 20:39:00
    , 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

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    Updated: 2011-12-24 18:02:16

  • Your Favorite Products from 2011

    Updated: 2011-12-24 17:10:45
    It's also one of the best deals of the year! With the "Your Favorite Products of 2011" Premium Collection, you will get 10 best-selling products from 2011, including Writer's Market 2012 Deluxe Edition, Story Engineering, 2 OnDemand Webinars and more. It's just $79 through December 31. You won't find another deal like this! Read more

  • Happy Holidays from the Writer’s Digest Team

    Updated: 2011-12-24 08:00:29
    Every year we have a small holiday party, generally held at our art director's house (she likes hosting, plus she lives minutes from our office). We eat lunch, chat about the worst Christmas presents we've ever received, play games and close things down with a White Elephant gift exchange. But the one thing that dominates the conversation throughout the entire event is how lucky we are to be a part of the wonderful writing community, doing something we love that (hopefully) helps others find success. Read more

  • Do You Need a Publisher Anymore? Hachette and J.A. Konrath Duke It Out

    Updated: 2011-12-22 03:42:55
    In his obituary to the year-long Domino Project, Seth Godin wrote that publishing companies and other traditional players that do not adapt to new modes of doing business will go extinct. Others have suggested the same. Meanwhile, some authors like J.A. Konrath and David Gaughran have eschewed traditional relationships with publishers to create and distribute their work on their own. In the aftermath to the Book Country self-publishing tool launch from Penguin, some outspoken critics took the announcement as an opportunity to question publishers’ relevance. Read more

  • What Makes Word-of-Mouth Work? Part 2

    Updated: 2011-12-21 23:05:14
    Guest Post by Rob Eagar In my previous blog post, I explained how word-of-mouth spreads faster when authors help people start a conversation around their book. However, creating a conversation is only … Read more

  • Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 158

    Updated: 2011-12-21 16:11:14
    For this week’s prompt, write a box poem. This poem is either about a box or includes a box somewhere in the poem (or title). Don’t be afraid to poem outside the … Read more

  • 3rd Annual Heifer International Fundraiser!

    Updated: 2011-12-21 15:19:00
    , 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

  • New Edition of The Renegade Writer Coming Out in 2012–And We Need Your Stories!

    Updated: 2011-12-21 11:00:37
    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 Tweet Jump to Comments New Edition of The Renegade Writer Coming Out in 2012–And We Need Your Stories Are you a fan of our book , The Renegade Writer : A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success If so , you’ll be excited to know that in 2012 Diana and I will be coming out with a special , newly revised , totally updated 9th Anniversary . Edition Why 9th Anniversary Why didn’t we wait until 10 Because we’re . renegades Through communicating with hundreds of writers through our e-courses and mentoring , and thousands of writers through this blog , Diana and I have learned a ton more about what writers need and

  • Warehouse Sale of the Season

    Updated: 2011-12-20 21:41:47
    Looking for some last minute deals for the holiday season? Be sure to shop the Writer's Digest Warehouse Sale of the Season through December 23. You'll save up to 80% on select books and collections. Supplies are limited, so if you see something you want - don't wait! Read more

  • The Persistence of the Author Brand

    Updated: 2011-12-20 18:59:04
    There was a time, in the pulp-era of publishing, when authors put out a new book on a monthly basis. Many of these books were written under “house names” that belonged to the publisher … Read more

  • 2011 Inspirational Writing Winners

    Updated: 2011-12-20 15:31:15
    Writer's Digest would like to congratulate the 100 Inspirational Writing winners of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Read more

  • The 18 Most Popular Articles on Writing of 2011

    Updated: 2011-12-20 04:40:05
    We posted more than 1,300 articles to WritersDigest.com this year and, quite frankly, that's a lot. It's hard to sift through all of that, so I've gatherd the 18 most popular articles to share with you—a mix of fiction, nonfiction, writer's rights, agenting, publishing and a bit of humor. Bookmark these links and reference them as much as you need. There's something for everyone here, so read on. Your manuscript and writing career will thank you. Read more

  • Giving Back: How to Expand Your Platform Through Generosity

    Updated: 2011-12-20 04:19:34
    : Left Ad Right Ad WritersDigest.com Skip to content Home 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 Marketing Your Work 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 Editor Blogs Guide to Literary Agents There Are No Rules Questions Quandaries Poetic Asides

  • Christmas Ghost

    Updated: 2011-12-19 22:00:39
    While hanging up your Christmas lights, you are flagged down by a neighborhood kid who offers to help. As he helps you, he tells you about the Christmas ghost that haunts his house. What's odd is that you've noticed the same things happening around your house. Write this scene. Read more

  • Publishing non-fiction

    Updated: 2011-12-19 20:53:31
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing Publishing non-fiction by Scott Great site Still need to explore it all and sign up for your newsletter , which I will do . Here is my question as I get ready to work on my first . book The book will be a how-to and the main approach will be to sell it as a download e-product on my website . But offering it as a POD and for an e-reader would be a nice bonus for those who want it . It seems , however , that there would be some obstacles to doing this . One would be the inclusion of color illustrations and charts , etc . These enhance a downloaded product easily , but I assume that is not possible to do in a POD or Kindle product In the POD perhaps the images could be grayscale , but I assume that in the

  • Strategize to sell yourself

    Updated: 2011-12-19 20:51:19
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing Strategize to sell yourself by Ian Miller New Zealand Strategy involves a number of aspects , but the first one is to have a clear goal . At first sight , this is simple : sell your book(s but is it so simple The problem is , there are millions of other books out there , so why is someone going to pick on yours Yes , there will be kindly friends and relatives , and you can always sell some of anything , but to be a real success you want people with no attachments at all to purchase . Why are they going to do that Because they have heard of you , the author , and think that you will have something worth reading . The next aspect of strategy is not to have too many objectives . If you dart all over the place

  • Marketing Tip: Choose A Publisher That Delivers

    Updated: 2011-12-19 20:50:10
    : Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing Marketing Tip : Choose A Publisher That Delivers by Gare Greater Detroit area This is a warning based on my extensive experience . I have published two books . The first went as promised by the self-publisher . They did the marketing as they said they would do . The second , however , was a complete bust . The self-publisher , Xlibris , made many assurances and with virtually not one delivered . When questioned by phone or email , there was no response to either the call or email . They were , however , more than willing to sell me marketing services for an additional fee . Many of those services were services that were supposed to be a part of the package that I purchased initially . I further can no

  • Table of Relationship Building

    Updated: 2011-12-19 20:49:04
    Home FREE Templates Get Published My 1 Recommendation 200+ Free Tools Book Marketing Table of Relationship Building by John Rakestraw Oregon This is From My Master Writing Class Series Today I want to talk to you about relationship . building The Relationship Life Cycle The Tools of Relationship Marketing The Relationship Marketing Plan Construct a Relationship Marketing Plan , the Structure and the . Content Video content goes here , to view click on the link : http : www.youtube.com embed ryNM3EzlSeU Writers are wonderful at writing , putting all those words on the page . They put all their energy into creating those fictional worlds , developing how-to’s , what ifs and just getting it done . That in itself is a major task . I know you want a relationship with your . readers How do we do

  • What Tools Do Technical Writers Use

    Updated: 2011-12-19 16:33:14
    Students and others trying to break into technical writing are always wondering what tools they should use. The latest tools survey from WritersUA seems helpful in answering this question. The survey concludes that some of the most popular tools for technical writers are Adobe Acrobat, Camtasia Studio, Adobe Captivate, Dreamweaver, Madcap Flare, Framemaker, Photoshop, Robohelp, Snagit, and Visio. Of these tools, Flare scores highest as ... more »

  • How Art Changes With Us

    Updated: 2011-12-19 15:22:00
    , 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

  • How to Impress an Editor with Your Credentials

    Updated: 2011-12-19 11:00:11
    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 Tweet Jump to Comments How to Impress an Editor with Your Credentials A key part of a successful query letter is the paragraph or two where you tell the editor who you are and why you’re the perfect person to write the idea you’re pitching . If you’re lucky , it will be , I’ve written for The New Yorker , The Atlantic , Rolling Stone and GQ As for my experience in the topic of heart disease , I’m a practicing heart surgeon and have authored a bestselling book on heart health as well as numerous journal articles . 8221 But most of us aren’t so . lucky Many new writers freak out over this step , because they have few or no

  • Kanban and Limiting the Scope of Work

    Updated: 2011-12-18 20:19:26
    In Scrum and the Single Writer, Kathee Kuvinka mentions Kanban as a technique implemented in her agile-based company to keep the workload under control. Kathee writes, Kanban is a lean, or just-in-time methodology which is often used in manufacturing for inventory control and, like many good methodologies (including Scrum), originated in Japan. The philosophy is that you should only take on as much work as ... more »

  • Evolution of an Ebook cover - Rulers of the NOW

    Updated: 2011-12-18 08:00:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good . gamebook Sunday , December 18, 2011 Evolution of an Ebook cover Rulers of the NOW From Cute Cat Pics on Twitter Rulers of the NOW was the idea that just wouldn't leave me alone , so I decided that I would do this idea properly . I would make it into a real book and everything . That everything included a book cover . Cue Twitter Twitter is a great place to meet literally everybody . At the time of writing this post mid November I have 505 followers on Twitter and I follow 1243 accounts I don't say people because I know that some of them are groups and some of them are cats who have more followers than me The Graphicz x Designs logo I can't remember if Graphicz x Designs

  • Recording of “The Secrets to High-Energy Living” Now Available

    Updated: 2011-12-18 02:45:06

  • This Week in Books 12/17/11

    Updated: 2011-12-17 21:13:00
    , 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 Mainstream Fiction Writing Winners

    Updated: 2011-12-16 21:32:07
    Writer's Digest would like to congratulate the 100 Mainstream Fiction Writing winners of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Read more

  • 2011 Magazine Writing Winners

    Updated: 2011-12-16 21:19:52
    Writer's Digest would like to congratulate the 100 Magazine Writing winners of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Read more

  • WD Poetic Form Challenge: The Haiku Winner

    Updated: 2011-12-16 14:36:34
    I’m glad I limited the haiku challenge to three days, because I don’t know if I could’ve made it through three weeks worth of submissions. I didn’t count, but I wouldn’t be … Read more

  • Amazon vs. the Indies

    Updated: 2011-12-15 15:22:00
    . , 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

  • Matrix Foretells Future of Learning

    Updated: 2011-12-15 14:12:05
    Apparently the Matrix was somewhat prophetic in showing us the future of learning. The idea that you can download knowledge is becoming more of a reality. According to Fox News: Scientists from Boston University and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, have used a functional magnetic resonance machine (fMRI) to decode the process of learning. The procedure – known as Decoded Neurofeedback or “DecNef” – stimulates ... more »

  • What Makes Word-of-Mouth Work?

    Updated: 2011-12-14 22:17:56
    Guest Post by Rob Eagar I recently switched my TV provider service from a cable company to DirecTV. I’m absolutely thrilled with the change for several reasons:  DirecTV has a free app … Read more

  • 2011 Genre Writing Winners

    Updated: 2011-12-14 17:48:13
    Writer's Digest would like to congratulate the 100 Genre Writing winners of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Read more

  • 2011 Children’s/Young Adult Writing Winners

    Updated: 2011-12-14 16:49:14
    Writer's Digest would like to congratulate the 100 Children's/Young Adult Writing winners of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition! Read more

  • What Hobbies Have You Given Up for Your Writing?

    Updated: 2011-12-14 15:28:00
    , 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

  • Misleading Documentation Metrics

    Updated: 2011-12-14 13:51:50
    Mark Baker’s post, Why documentation analytics may misread, presents an appealing argument about why it doesn’t matter if just a few people read the manual. In his post, Mark argues that a small number of key influencers who read the manual can share the knowledge with a much larger group who do not read the manual. The effect of the manual, therefore, disseminates out to ... more »

  • Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 157

    Updated: 2011-12-14 00:42:08
    For those who participated in the haiku challenge over the weekend, I just want you to know the results are still coming. I’ll make a post as soon as I’m able. For … Read more

  • New Agent Alert: Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates

    Updated: 2011-12-13 17:38:41
    Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they’re likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and postage. Hannah specializes in: commercial fiction, especially science fiction and fantasy, women's fiction, cozy mysteries, romance and young adult. Hannah is also interested in nonfiction, particularly in the areas of mathematics, science and religion (for the general market). Read more

  • 7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Miranda Kenneally

    Updated: 2011-12-13 16:08:21
    This is a recurring column I’m calling “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,” where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from YA writer Miranda Kenneally. GIVEAWAY: Miranda is excited to give away a free copy of her book to a random commenter. Comment within one week; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more

  • Writing My Last Chapter

    Updated: 2011-12-13 13:47:35
    I was talking with my wife’s uncle last week about writing strategies for fiction, and whether it’s better to outline everything ahead of time, or figure it out as you go. The former is apparently called a “plotter” method and the latter a “pantser” method (called pantser because you fly by the seat of your pants). He said there’s no right way, but if you’re ... more »

  • A Church-Mandated Penance

    Updated: 2011-12-13 08:00:50
    Needing to get something off your chest, you head to the confessional at church. After laying out your misdeed to the priest, you are given an unusual task to perform as penance—not creepy, just unusual. Write this scene. Read more

  • Book Giveaway: Try Not to Breathe

    Updated: 2011-12-12 15:22:00
    : , 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

  • Checking Out the Fine Print - Amazon's KDP Select Program

    Updated: 2011-12-11 21:12:46
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Checking Out the Fine Print Amazon's KDP Select Program By Blogging Authors 38 hours ago Read more : amazon Fine print Publicity Writing Writing Publishing Select KDP Guest Post by Irene Watson You may have heard already that Amazon just unveiled their KDP Select and is inviting KDP self-publishers to participate . It may all seem wonderful but not all is as what it may seem it is . Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware recently posted this and I want to share it with : you The Fine Print of Amazon's New KDP Select Program Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware Almost since Amazon's controversial Kindle Owners' Lending Library which allows Amazon Prime members to borrow selected ebooks for free--debuted , there have been rumors that Amazon was inviting

  • The birth of a gamebook or: The NOW is coming.

    Updated: 2011-12-11 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 , December 11, 2011 The birth of a gamebook or : The NOW is coming . Rulers of the NOW has been a long time coming . It grew from what could have been one of the tiniest ideas what would a gamebook with 666 paragraphs be like I have not read a gamebook where the writing in the paragraph reflected some significance of the number and this is something that I wanted to do . So I started with 666. It seemed like a good number of paragraphs for a gamebook and had obvious connotations Then I thought to myself what other numbers could I use and how could I get them into a theme . This is where my obsessive podcast listening comes in . I listen to loads of

  • Some Thoughts on Technical Writing in the Cloud

    Updated: 2011-12-09 16:55:34
    Cherryleaf has an informative article about technical writing in the cloud. Ellis Pratt writes, There are a number of reasons why a Technical Author might want to use a cloud-based application. The first reason is cost. Instead of purchasing an application, cloud-based applications are typically offered on a monthly fee basis. If you’re looking to move to a DITA authoring environment, this spreading of costs ... more »

  • This Week in Books 12/9/11

    Updated: 2011-12-09 15:24:00
    , 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 You Need to Know About SEO

    Updated: 2011-12-08 15:15:00
    , 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

  • Do You Work Better On a Deadline?

    Updated: 2011-12-07 05:39:00
    , 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

  • How to Network Without Networking

    Updated: 2011-12-05 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

  • Slides from STC Webinar on Organizing Content (Findability)

    Updated: 2011-12-05 07:44:55
    Here are my slides from the STC webinar I presented on organizing content (findability). The official title of the webinar was “Organizing Content: Breaking Out of Topic-Based Hierarchies.”  I added detailed notes for each slide. This should make the presentation understandable even without the audio recording. You can download the presentation in two formats: PDF format PowerPoint format Blog Sponsors Help Generator help authoring software Clarify ... more »

  • Simply because they runs by having over whatever

    Updated: 2011-12-04 23:02:29
    Home Humanities Culture Literature Simply because they runs by having over whatever By hexiaoya 8 days ago Considering the baseball time of year approaching , Football goods will be a must absolutely . With regards to different options are the time seeking out any existing Footballing garment shop , web you can find a healthier fix for locating the perfect motifs for a popular company . Most people consider the top solutions from a number of differerent Nfl staff feasible . For the Bets , within the Dallas , texas Cowboys and the Az Cardinals , there is an most excellent good Nfl clothes for the most suitable price.Frequently you see 1 of 2 important things scouting around by Basketball . garment It happens to be both at all times sold-out , and the Playing golf retailer you might in the

  • Windhammer Review part 4 - Above the Waves by Zachary Carango

    Updated: 2011-12-04 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 , December 4, 2011 Windhammer Review part 4 Above the Waves by Zachary Carango Fariness of dice N A Champion appeal The path to victory is not too easy the trick is finding the correct path that matches your skills . nbsp As is the case with Virtual Reality books , you can challenge yourself by having fewer skills . nbsp There is also the challenge with dealing with the problems that your background . produces Explorer appeal The system is very similar to the virtual reality game system which means that you can start the book with a different set of skills and a different background and then try to find a new route which is optimal for your character choice .

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