I am a self-proclaimed craft geek. I love craft books, craft classes, online or when possible, in person. I have traveled as far as Maui to take a workshop and have purchased audiotapes and videotapes and bid on private craft lessons with superstar instructors at online auctions. Sounds a bit like an addiction, I’ll admit it. But for nearly two decades, writing workshops fell under my idea of a great…
My fellow Debs and I are blogging this week about our favorite types of scenes to write, and it made me think of something George Saunders said once about how you should always write into your strengths. Saunders claims he’s not great at plot (methinks he’s being a touch humble), and so when he writes, he emphasizes his characters, or setting, or whatever, in order to make up for the…
Good morning! First, I’m writing this post at 5:30 AM. That’s about the time I rise this time of year…I’m a seasonal creature, so my sleep pattern shifts. I am an early riser in the fall and winter and am down for the count around eleven o’clock. But my sleep habits aren’t the topic today. The question before me is how do I deal with distractions and such. Well, here…
Thank you to Simone st. James for talking to us about her new novel, THE SUN DOWN MOTEL. If you missed Denny’s interview with Stacie Murphy about her forthcoming novel, A DEADLY FORTUNE, you can still watch it now at our Instagram page. Tune in to @thedebball tomorrow, 10/19, when J.S. Dewes, author of THE LAST WATCH, takes over our Instagram account for the day, finishing with an interview with…
It’s finally here! Lyn Liao Butler’s cover for THE TIGER MOM’S TALE was released this week and it’s gorgeous! And make sure you sign up for Lyn’s newsletter so you don’t miss any updates. Elizabeth Gonzalez James’ cover for MONA AT SEA was also revealed this week at Vol.1 Brooklyn. Way to go Lyn and Elizabeth! Denny S. Bryce is interviewing Stacie Murphy, author of A DEADLY FORTUNE…
When writers talk about “world building” they mean more than just setting. Setting is where a story takes place. But a fictional world is setting, history, the special rules of that particular place, the people who inhabit that world, as well as the general tone or atmosphere that sort of floats over every page. The setting of the Harry Potter books is England, but in order to build her fictional…
Thank you so much to Diane Zinna for joining us to speak about her debut novel, THE ALL-NIGHT SUN. And thank you to Laya Vivian Smith for her interview about her new book, THE LUMBERMILL. So many good books to read, and so little time! Way to go Denny! Wild Women and the Blues was included in NetGalley’s list of 21 Highly-Anticipated Books Hitting Shelves in 2021. Ehsaneh Sadr…
Diane Zinna was our guest author this week, talking about her novel, THE ALL-NIGHT SUN, available now. Tune in to our Instagram account this Wednesday, September 30 at 2pm ET when Elizabeth Gonzalez James will interview Zinna about her novel, Ari Aster’s Midsommar, and her path to publication! Early reviews are coming in for Greta Kelly’s THE FROZEN CROWN and they are glowing: Ehsaneh Sadr has two great events…
It is my pleasure to introduce Elizabeth Gonzalez James, who will be taking on the the role of News Flash Organizer and Topic Whisperer which I have managed for the past Debutante season. Elizabeth is the author of the forthcoming MONA AT SEA, a sharp and witty debut launching in the Summer of 2021 that asks, When we find what gives our life meaning, will we be ready for it?…
We can discuss pitching and pitch letters till the sky turns green, but what would probably be more helpful is if I show you my book pitch. Unlike fiction and possibly memoir (the debate is out there on memoir) non-fiction, which needs a lot of research to complete the book, is sold on proposal. (I’ll talk proposals another time). But you still need a pitch letter. So here’s mine. Dear…
