Today’s guest is quite the rebel (and we wouldn’t have it any other way). Caeli Widger is the author of the debut novel, REAL HAPPY FAMILY, which published in March and has been described in reviews as a “page-turner that strikes the balance between humor and heart”; a member of the “Tolstoyan literary tradition, offer[ing] both…
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Raise your hands if one of the first writing rules you learned was “write what you know.” I know many of us write about what is near and dear to our hearts, but what kind of novels would we have if we only wrote what we knew? For me, writing what I know would be…
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As a novice writer, especially one in search of an agent, we swallow every writing and industry rule hook, line, and sinker. It’s understandable when we’re dying to get our foot in the door. And sure, most of those standards exist for a reason, but those books that BREAK OUT, often break the laws of…
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This post is not about dropping acid, though it may look that way from the title. It’s about another kind of “illegal” behavior–breaking a writing rule. There are a lot of “don’ts” when it comes to writing– certain newbie-writer mistakes that will automatically flag your work as that of a first-timer. These include starting a scene with…
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In no particular order: 1. Write every day. (Not every day is a writing day. Some days are recharge and reflect days. Others are step-away-from-the-ms-before-you-revise days. Others are go live your life days.) 2. Butt in chair. (Or couch. Or bed. Or blanket on the grass on a breezy spring day.) 3. Write what you…
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This post has nothing to do with Pee Wee Herman or his Big Adventure, but I just really like to say that line. This week we’re talking about writing rebels. The rules, Dottie—and how we broke ’em. This is excellent timing for me, since I proposed a panel for an upcoming book fair on the…
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Congrats to Morgan, who won a signed copy of THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME from Hazel Gaynor! From the 2014 Debs… Natalia Sylvester confirmed two readings/signings for the launch week of CHASING THE SUN! She’ll be reading at Austin-based indie, The Book Spot, on Thursday, June 5 and at Books & Books in Miami on…
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Today we have mystery author Lynne Raimondo as our guest, and this is a real treat: She’s going to tell us a story! Yes, yes, it has implications for writing what’s “believable,” and it’s a writing lesson–but also A STORY. Lynne is the author of the mystery DANTE’S WOOD, called “taut, compelling, and very moving”…
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I’m excited to introduce you to agent extraordinaire Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates. I met Liz at the Book Passage Mystery Conference three years ago. She’s the kind of agent you want for a 1-on-1 pitch session because she’s approachable and easy going and fun. She’s also the kind of agent you want…
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Today at The Debutante Ball, I’m thrilled to welcome my agent, Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management. Michelle and I met at a conference about two years ago in New York in a query session. A group of a dozen writers read aloud their queries and the two agents in our group (including Michelle) would…
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