Category: Uncategorized

Writers and Failure

Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

Do you sometimes feel like a failure as a writer?

Okay, wait. I probably shouldn’t have phrased that as a question, because every writer has, from time to time, had to deal with feelings of failure. In fact, it’s pretty much like the crazy uncle who keeps showing up to family dinners, whether you’ve invited him or not.

I hear often enough from writers who are struggling to get published say they feel like a failure when they get rejection letter after rejection letter. And that’s to be expected. But I’m also talking about published writers, superstar writers who make six figures, as well as writers who don’t necessarily care if they get published. Read more

Romance vs Thriller — Are They So Different?

Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

You might say the antithesis to the romance genre is suspense/thriller. You know, people getting killed versus people falling in love. What could be more polar than that?

I suggest they’re not as different as they may seem, which is why, as a romance writer, I make sure I read a few thrillers and suspense novels each year. They help me to remember how important pacing is, that plot matters, that getting the reader eagerly turning the page matters, that good dialogue is vital.

Character development often takes a back seat in thrillers and suspense novels because plot is king. This is usually the reverse in romance novels. But a really good thriller writer will find a way to develop their characters without bogging down their novel. And good romance writers figure out how to keep the plot interesting, how to pepper believable and heart thumping conflict throughout the story while maintaining character development. Read more

Summertime And The Livin’ Is…Easy?

Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

I hear constantly from fellow writers that they have trouble carving out time to write. Or they have the time, but they’re often swamped by writer’s block.

I seem to be the opposite. I have lots of time (in theory at least) to write and I rarely have writer’s block (too many years of being a writer, both as a newspaper journalist and as a published author, have mostly inoculated me against this).

At the moment, I’m trying to give myself a writing break, mostly because the timing is perfect. I handed in my latest manuscript to my publisher in late May and there’s no rush to start another novel. I busied myself this spring with a sizable freelance writing project and other paid work. Summer is here now and, well, that’s the perfect time to kick back and enjoy, right? Read more

15 Minutes. No Excuses.

Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

Upon returning from the writing retreat at Rice Lake, I committed to writing every day. I had approximately sixty scenes to edit in my latest project. So I calculated that if I edited one scene every day, estimating to take about one hour each, I would need sixty days or two months.

Since the writing retreat was in late April, this meant that I should be finished by the end of June.

Easy, right?

To meet my goal, I needed to find about one hour each day to write. At first, I tried to do this in the evening which was a complete fail. I do not have enough brain power and energy to write after a long day of work. Besides, I am a morning writer. After one month of total failure, I decided to needed to add one hour in the morning to accomplish my goal.

I started getting up earlier. This was made easier by the longer days and I tend to get up earlier in the summer months. Still no writing was done. Instead I only managed to get to work earlier. Not exactly the result I was aiming for!

A week ago, I realized that it was almost half way through June and I had managed to do only one scene. A dismal failure.

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Goodbye, little bird!

Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially to something you’ve spent more than a year with, and almost every day. If not physically every day, certainly mentally and emotionally.

I’m saying goodbye this week to my work-in-progress. Meaning, I’m ready to hand my manuscript off to my publisher, where it will eventually make its way through the editing, typesetting and proofreading process for a late 2018 publication date. My little bird has wings, and now it’s flying away.

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How to make the most out of a Writing Retreat

Seana Moorhead 1 Comment

 

I spent the previous weekend at the Writescape’s “Spring Thaw Writing Retreat” on Rice Lake. When I came home, I was asked what makes a great writing retreat. Choosing a well-organized retreat with inspiring instructors is part of the secret but part of the responsibility also rests with us. There’s a magic that can happen at writing retreats.

Our Writing Cabin at Rice Lake

There’s something special that  happens when you surround yourself with other writers and your creativity blooms like a flower in sunshine.  I have been to several writing retreats and here’s my list on how to make the most out of the experience.

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