Monthly Archives: August 2011
Motivation…. write your book. What’s holding you back?
I just had my shot of motivation. It’ll last me a long time, I think. From time to time, I make excuses for not working on my books. Maybe that changes today and forever. A friend sent me the link … Continue reading
Writing…. getting started.
So you want to write but don’t know where to start. My advice is to start with writing… Write something everyday. It doesn’t matter what you write, just write something: your thoughts, your grocery list, a simple story, or a … Continue reading
Is it a blog if no one reads it?
My schedule has been so full lately. Yesterday, I stayed home all day. I hid in my office and I wrote during most of that time. It’s always such a dilemma whether to spend time marketing my book or writing … Continue reading
Preparing to write…
Charlie 2004 At the beginning of the week, they predicted that Hurricane Irene was going to blow right through here. Yikes! At the time, I thought about running to the store to get some supplies — canned goods, batteries, candles, … Continue reading
Fiction genres
Before you begin writing fiction, you should determine which genre best fits your story idea. The quickest way to determine this is to check the upper, left-hand corner of the back cover of one of your favorite books that is … Continue reading
Books similar to yours…
Some authors don’t like to read books similar to theirs. I feel it’s important to read and study everything out there that might be considered your competition before you write. Don’t be afraid to compare your book to others. When … Continue reading
Publishing: Books aren’t just for bookstores anymore.
The first book I published for the general public was a walking guide to Virginia. I co-authored it with Donna Fischl and we soon learned that there were many more places to sell it than in book stores. Think creatively … Continue reading
Marketing: Parking a link to your URL is not a bad idea.
I remember my first invitation to a social media site. It was for artists and I was thrilled. At last, I thought, I’ve found a place where a group of like-minded folks will land a couple times per day and … Continue reading
Ten common mistakes people make on Twitter.
Once you set up your page on Twitter, it’s relatively easy to use. Effective use of it is an entirely different matter. Here are the most common mistakes people make on Twitter: 1. Before setting up a page on Twitter, … Continue reading