Book Talk

HFAAC: Introducing Anita Kushwaha and SECRET LIVES OF MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

March 31, 2020 By Writer Unboxed 3 Comments

Welcome to the latest video in our “Helping Fellow Authors in the Age of COVID-19″ (HFAAC) series! Today we’re profiling Anita Kushwaha and her new release, SECRET LIVES OF MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS. Much thanks to Anita for taking the time to share her epigraph and the meaning behind it — useful for writers considering epigraphs for the own work.

Please help spread the word for Anita’s new release by directing folks to this video, to her website, or to any book online book retailer.

Comments are open for questions and a show of community support! And though we have included a longer book preview below [Read more…]

HFAAC: Introducing Jennifer Rosner and THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS

March 27, 2020 By Writer Unboxed 2 Comments

Welcome to the latest video in our “Helping Fellow Authors in the Age of COVID-19” (HFAAC) series! Today we’re profiling Jennifer Rosner and her new release, THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS. In Poland, as World War II rages, a mother hides with her young daughter, a musical prodigy whose slightest sound may cost them their lives… […]

Flog a Pro: Would You Pay to Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?

March 19, 2020 By Ray Rhamey 17 Comments

Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book manuscript with chapters starting about 1/3 of the way down the page (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point type), there are 16 or 17 lines on the first page. Here’s the question: Would you […]

Thirty-Six Authors Tell It Like It Is: The Highs, Lows, and Surprises of Being a Debut Author

March 18, 2020 By Barbara Linn Probst 27 Comments

Special Note: The piece below was written before COVID-19 began to affect our lives as it now has. I wrote it, sent it off to WU, and turned to other tasks. However, as my fellow debut authors began to post about the cancellation of their launch events—and as the online community began to respond—it became […]

Flog a Pro: Would You Pay to Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?

February 20, 2020 By Ray Rhamey 20 Comments

7 Ways to Overcome Story Implausibility

February 13, 2020 By Kathryn Craft 26 Comments

While preparing last month’s post with examples from Cutting for Stone, I was once again awed by author Abraham Verghese’s ability to help readers suspend disbelief. I mean seriously, the story’s opening 131 pages are devoted to the main character, Marion, sharing the circumstances of his own birth in amazing detail. Can you recall yours…at all? […]

On Getting It and Showing Up

January 24, 2020 By Keith Cronin 49 Comments

There’s a popular quote floating around on the interwebs, stating that “comparison is the thief of joy.” I’ve never found a rock-solid origin for that quote, although it is most frequently attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Frankly, I think it sounds a little too touchy-feely to have come from the uber-manly 26th US president, who likely […]

Flog a Pro: Would You Pay to Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?

January 16, 2020 By Ray Rhamey 20 Comments

Bridging Temporal Story Gaps

January 9, 2020 By Kathryn Craft 22 Comments

Slowing and speeding up time can effectively enhance our stories, as my last post showed. It seems apt that this January post should discuss the mechanics of such manipulation. Just nine days ago felt like last year! First, a confession. When I attempted my first novel, I wrote down everything my protagonist did, every hour […]

Take 5 Interview with Jennie Nash

January 5, 2020 By Writer Unboxed 6 Comments

One of our newest contributors, author and book coach Jennie Nash, has a book out this month! It’s the perfect opportunity not only to learn about that offering, but to learn more about Jennie herself. And so without further ado, a Take Five interview with Jennie on her new book, Read Books All Day and Get […]