best writing advice – The Debutante Ball

Writing Advice from Three Fictional White Guys

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Want to succeed in writing? Look for help from the older fictional white guys you see in movies. Advice #1 arrives from Albus Dumbledore of Harry Potter fame. Dumbledore has zillions of inspirational one-liners, but my favorite comes from The Chamber of Secrets: “It is our choices, Harry,” he says, “that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” The writing connection? In my experience, writing books…

Tips for new writers

Friday, November 22, 2019

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“What’ so special about your life that you want to write about it,” one date said to me when I was in my early twenties. I guess it was his way of flirting – that negation thing that men do that’s supposed to be sexy — but as I looked down at him (I think I was sitting on a washing machine in what must have been a prelude to…

Don’t Be a Delicate Flower: Advice to a Younger Kathleen

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

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This week, we’re sharing what we’d wished we’d known when we started writing. It’s a hard question. While I tell people I didn’t start writing seriously until about age 36, I’m realizing that’s not really true. The first story I remember writing, all the way from start to finish, was a pirate adventure. I wrote it when I was nine, I think. I can’t remember the details, but there was…

Attacus Atlas & Other Inventions: Remains of the Day

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

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Aloha I no longer have my computer or the bulk of my writing before May 2010, but I since I started anew in 2011 I have amassed quite a stash of words that will never be published. Since I am a proud workshop junkie, I’ve had the opportunity in the past eight years to generate stacks of bad poems and two manuscript-length works of prose…

Thinking of writing a book? Here’s what you need

Before I decided to write my first novel, I never thought average people from average places doing average things could write a WHOLE BOOK. I thought that was reserved for–oh, I don’t know–people who were smarter, more interesting, older, wealthier, less female, more educated, whiter… the list goes on. So despite always writing, I spent a lot of time not sharing my work, even in my college years, because I…

Thursday, November 29, 2018

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Attacus Atlas & Other Inventions: Ode to the First Draft

I really want to write a rant to all the devastations of the day: the Kavanaugh vote in the Senate, the FBI’s incomplete investigation, the senator from Maine’s weak speech justifying her vote against women, the Senate’s dismissal and nullification of Dr. Ford’s courage. But I have to write for the Debs, it’s that time of the week where the Debs must cull their thoughts for the topic at hand….

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

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Things Need Not Have Happened To Be True

Monday, December 11, 2017

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I have long been a hoarder of quotes. I keep files and files full of them, some organized by theme, some separated by source. I genuinely miss the days when I could show them off and use them to express my current mood in AIM away messages or in LiveJournal subject lines. This week, the Debs are sharing some of our favorite quotes about writing, books, stories, all of that….

Jenni L. Walsh’s Three Tips for Book Two

Thursday, August 10, 2017

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This week the Debs are talking about their second books. I feel very blessed to continue my career as an author. It’s a dream come true and a profession I highly enjoy. That, of course, doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with challenges. So I’ve cobbled together three quick-ish (they got longer than I expected…) tips for tackling a sophomore book and beyond, based on my own publishing journey. Results may…

News Flash: Seeking Debs for the Class of 2018!

Sunday, July 16, 2017

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Calling All Debut Authors! Want to be part of a lovely, tight-knit group of writers? Want to go through your debut year as a member of The Debutante Ball? We are currently accepting applications for the 2018 class! Information on who is eligible and how to apply can be found right here! Congratulations to Marilyn Grable, winner of our #DebBallGiveaway of THE THIRD NERO by Lindsey Davis. We were so excited…

Following Natalie Down The Rabbit Hole to Agentland

Friday, March 10, 2017

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I followed my agent’s blog, Adventures in Agentland, long before I knew she’d be the one! Natalie Lakosil’s awesome site, named one of the best sites for writers by Writer’s Digest, is chuck full of helpful tips on querying, manuscript revisions, character development, and marketing. One of the main sites I revisited to understand how agents “think,” improving my chances for my book to be sold. I particularly enjoy when she…

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