This part of the update covers topics ranging from writing retreats, to plotting your novel, to writing contests, to book advertising and distribution. Hope you find something useful for you here. My friend Kristin Leonard runs writing retreats in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the next one takes place from April 14-18. If you’re looking…
What the…? Why did my friend Carla Damron (author of The Orchid Tattoo) let me use this photo of her inimitable cat Dickens? If you’d like to find out, download this bonus short story about a feline character in my novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over: Hemingway Comes to Stay… The cat in the…
We had an excellent meeting on Wednesday, and lots to talk about. Among other things, there are two author events and two contests for Microfiction (variously defined as 500 words or less, or 100 words or less. Read on to find out more. Here’s a chance to meet three bestselling authors of historical fiction. On March…
Here’s the second part of the writers’ update for February – it includes workshops, contests, advice on how to write more, and an award you can apply for. In addition to providing weekly newsletters with lists of places to publish, Authors Publish runs regular online workshops. Their next one is a five-week course beginning February…
Seventeen of us showed up for the February meeting yesterday, and we covered a lot of ground. Read on to find out about events for writers, a number of them free. So let’s get going! The APSS (Association of Publishers for Special Sales) is offering a free webinar this Saturday, February 18, from 10:30–11:30am ET, on…
I thought you might enjoy this Valentine’s Day extract from A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over… Luke (Molly’s employee at the bookstore) took a bite of the home-baked, heart-shaped cookie Molly had just offered him. She’d brought a plateful of them into work that morning. “Hmm. Not bad. I think I’ll save one for later,…
Today’s author is Annie Cathryn, whose debut novel, The Friendship Breakup, will be published on February 7, by Alcove Press. A story about the importance of female friendship, the dynamics that can leave someone out in the cold, and the effort it takes to re-establish relationships, this book has both humor and some tears. A…
Welcome to the second part of the January update for writers. It includes some workshops and contests, with the deadlines for entering. Westport Writers Workshop continues to offer several onetime workshops, including many free options. For screenwriters, they have added a handful of new opportunities, from a free table read on January 28 with one of…
