What World Is This as reviewed by Kassie Ritman May 2014 for Catholic Writer’s Guild **** (4 stars) When What World Is This was initially released I purchased it as an ebook the first day. I found that I loved reading the stories. The CWG held a random drawing […]
Catholic Writers Conference, July 29-August 1, 2014
Headed for Catholic Writers Conference next week? Are you excited? You should be! Take a look at this photo to get a sense of the energy and opportunities that await! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put names and personalities to folks you’ve met online, to […]
The End: Sweet Words for an Author, Sweet Experience for a Reader
The end. Two of the most satisfying words a writer can tap onto a keyboard. We’ve all dreamed of typing those six letters, and many of us have been fortunate enough to have achieved that particular success. In my past few posts, we’ve discussed beginnings and middles. Let’s talk about […]
Books, and Toned Middles
Last month, I talked about beginnings and how important they are to drawing the reader in to your book. It seems appropriate to continue on to story middles today. Middles ought to be pretty simple. After all, it’s the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end. Many authors, however, struggle […]
In the Beginning…
The most important part of your novel, short story, or even nonfiction piece is the beginning. What compels the reader to keep reading? How do you craft a beginning that doesn’t bog down, one that keeps the reader engaged? There are several schools of thought regarding beginnings. Depending on the […]
Giving Thanks
Last month, I attended CWG’s Your Word is My Delight: A Catholic Writers’ Retreat in Dewitt, Michigan. As is so often the case, it took me a few days post-retreat to recognize the gifts poured out by the Holy Spirit through the event. Opportunities to pray abounded. Daily Rosary, daily […]
NaNoWriMo Approacheth!
What is NaNoWriMo? For the uninitiated, this acronym is short for National Novel Writing Month, and it has taken place every November since its inception in 1999. The idea is to crank out 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30—which works out to be 1667 words per day. Every […]
On writing…better!
What do you view as the most important element of your writing, or your writing life? Passion? Yes, we all need that, especially when faced with rejection or obstacles in our quest for publication. But if passion were the most critical element in the making of a successful author, the […]
Which way???
Did you go to Catholic Writers Conference Live? Or perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to attend another writers’ conference in the past few months. You’ve come home with a mind spinning with possibilities. Suddenly you have options, and choices to make. You’ve pitched a book (or two, or three), and […]
Dismantling Writer’s Block
Writer’s block. I don’t believe in it. Okay, I’ll hedge that a bit. All writers have moments when the words don’t come, or they have to be pried out of our brains like candy out of a three-year-old’s grasp. I do acknowledge that fact. Those moments are not fun. Those […]