Writing Business Basics
New writers often ask me about the business of writing, and they’re curious about what writers earn, which reminds me that the process can be rather opaque. This is partly because individual writers are reluctant to reveal publicly what they earn and partly because the range of earnings varies so much that it’s hard for a new writer to be able to predict what a project might be worth. Now with the potential for independent publishing (as opposed to traditional publishing with an established, royalty-paying publisher), writers have more publishing… Continue reading
A Quiet Milestone
When I work on a manuscript for months, and half the time it seems to be going backward, it can be tricky to tell if the work is adding up to anything, but yesterday I reached the end of another draft. It feels important, like real progress, even though I immediately turned around and went back in to keep working and changing things.
The draft has problems. It’s still too short, for instance, and I haven’t accounted for characters I’ve cut or figured out how to fill certain plot holes,… Continue reading
Book Promotion for the Long Haul
I was talking to a writer friend yesterday about art, our writing careers, book promotion, and how they’re related. Of these, promotion remains the wildest mystery. My first thought was that I don’t do much promotion because I don’t understand how it works. My feeling is that my publicist at Macmillan is the expert, and the success of my books is largely in her hands.
Then I realized I actually do quite a bit of promotion in my own, laid-back way. I just don’t much notice my efforts because… Continue reading
Happy Solstice
Kaaterskill Falls
It’s the longest day of the year, and we’re having a full moon, too. Take a moment to find east and feel the way our earth is rolling in that direction, looping through space. The sun, at noon, is as high overhead as it can be, sending us light from 8 minutes ago, and tugging us constantly with its gravity. As planets go, Earth is a nice one to be on.
Q. How Do I Finish My Novel?
Q. I’ve started a novel, (more than one, actually), but I can’t seem to get to the end. How do I finish my novel?
Badwater Basin
A. I find myself in this situation more often than I’d like to admit. Starting a novel is hard. So is writing the middle. It makes sense that the ending would be equally difficult to write, if not more so. We know that an ending is supposed to wrap up everything, or almost everything, and that it’s supposed to leave the reader both satisfied… Continue reading
We Care
We care about each other. That’s why it troubles us to learn of senseless violence. We want to believe we’re safe, and that innocent people can go out for a night of clubbing without risking their lives. We want to stop the cruelty and we don’t know how. It’s a helpless feeling, once again.
If you find you’re heartsick, you’re not alone. The feelings are real, even if you don’t personally know someone who has suffered the latest tragedy first hand. It’s okay to do what you need to… Continue reading
Ari & Milo, my serial novel, is now up on Wattpad! I drew illustrations to go with each chapter, and best of all, it’s free! Because of problematic themes, this novel is for mature readers age 17+.
Book Trailer for Promised