Archive | October 2011
You are browsing the site archives by date.
Countdown to NaNoWriMo: Go with the Flow
The most important thing to remember when writing under pressure, whether it’s during NaNoWriMo, or a deadline for an editor, is to keep the words flowing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, You cannot edit a blank page. You have to write the crappy words first, then go back and fix them. […]
Weekend Assignment: Countdown to NaNoWriMo – Making a Scene
Welcome to another weekend! As the days leading up to National Novel Writing Month (November) dwindle, it’s time for another NaNo-related writing exercise. This week, your mission (whether you are participating in NaNo or not) is to write scenes. Not scenes for your NaNo project, because that would be against the rules, but 300 word […]
Countdown to NaNoWriMo: The Word War Warm-up
All around the writing world, the cry has gone up: “NaNo is coming! NaNo is coming!” The same thing happens every year as thousands of writers gear up for the novel-writing challenge that takes place every November. For those of you sitting there with puzzled looks on your faces, wander over to the official National Novel […]
Submit, Submit, Submit: Writing Markets October 2011
It’s that time again. Time for a few more links to contributor’s guidelines that I’ve amassed in my recent marketing quest. Posting them here serves two purposes. One, I know where they are if I need them again. And two, it lets me share them with you. Maybe you’ll find something useful. Disclaimer: Bear in […]
Weekend Assignment: Write to Win
It’s time to gear up for a weekend of writing again. Lately, I’m seeing a trend in the magazine world. The personal essay is making a comeback. Not only are magazines publishing more essays, they are hosting contests to seek them out. With that tidbit of information, it seemed only natural to have a weekend […]
DIY Clips – Showcase Your Writing Ability
Writing samples are the bait we use to fish for new writing gigs. Unfortunately, sometimes the samples you have don’t match up with the assignments you want to get. What do you do for clips then? One tried and true way to tackle the problem is to use existing clips to create stepping stones to new writing […]
CONTEST: Mystery Times Ten 2012
Young Adult mystery writers, this one’s for you. Currently in it’s second year, the Buddhapuss Ink Young Adult Mystery Short Story Competition is now underway. All types of mysteries are welcome from the hard-boiled detective story, to paranormal cases and everything between. There is no fee to enter. Deadline: December 31, 2011 Length: 3000-7000 words […]
Weekend Assignment: Verbing the Noun
Thou shalt not verb nouns. It’s a writing commandment, right? Except… Language lives. It’s a writhing, breathing, shape-shifting thing. In fact, playing with language, molding it, manipulating it, puts the creative into creative writing. When writers use a word in a new and unexpected way, it adds freshness to a piece. Through creative evolution, many nouns […]
When Writing for Free Is a GOOD Thing
Long-time followers of B&B know I am a big fan of making money. I think writers should be paid and paid fairly for the work they do. Yet, this week I took on a free gig and I’m donating some of my writing time to a local organization. Confused? Let me explain. I may not be […]
Get Real: Five Fiction-Writing Lessons from Reality TV
Once upon a time, a long time ago, my best friend enthused about a new television show she’d just found. It was fascinating. It was real. It was Survivor. I remember I scoffed at the time. After all, how entertaining could a bunch of people thrown together in the wilds be? Who knew? Eleven years later, Survivor […]
Brainstorms & Bylines 