Each day this week, I’m sharing a query letter that resulted in a request for more material, or a sale. In some cases — like today — I’ll share multiple queries. Today’s queries are for my first novel, Hell Comes with Wood Paneled Doors (HCWWPD). While HCWWPD didn’t sell, the queries I’m sharing did work, […]
Dealing in Change
Are you a nurse? If you are, I have a great job lead for you—it pays $2,500 a year! Project manager? Great gig at a place I know for $3,000 a year! I don’t know a nurse or a project manager who would work 6 or 7 days a week for that kind of money. […]
Make Them Laugh
People love to laugh. It doesn’t matter if what you write is serious or humorous, making people laugh is giving them what they want. Here are 5 tips for writing funny, even if you aren’t: 1. Be Universal If you don’t think you have it in you to be funny, you’re not paying enough attention […]
Mimic Me
In my writing group, I’m known for writing odd little stories with heart. My friend, Mark, is known for writing gritty stories straddling several genres. My friend, Deacon, is known for writing hip little stories with heart. This isn’t to say that Mark has never written touching stories, or that I’ve never written something gritty. […]
Jackhammers and the Pizza Friday Distraction
Earlier this week, I had been writing for 45 minutes before I realized that the landscapers at the apartment where I live were working right below the window where I sat. When I stopped to get some water, I heard the construction crew across the street with the jackhammer. I knew they were there, but […]
Knocking on Windows
When writing, I like making things up. While you’d be hard pressed to find any lengthy autobiographic passages in my fiction, I do love taking a small, real thing and running with it until it’s nothing like what it was based on. Here’s an example: I had a friend who never knocked on my front […]
Deliberately Bad Writing
One evening at the writing group I belong to, my friend, Deacon, shared a story with me and the other member of the group. It was made very clear to us that he meant the story to be deliberately bad, full of cliches, purple prose, and stock plotting. The story was called, “Butterfly, My Queen,” […]
Person, Place, Thing Challenge
2010 has arrived, and many have begun working on their resolutions for the new year. If one of your resolutions this year is to write more, but you have a hard time kick starting the creative flow, I hope this week’s writing prompts help you. Each day this week, I’ll post a new writing challenge. […]
Top 10 Writing Posts of 2009
I started The Juggling Writer in September, so I only have a few months of blog posts to pull from. Here are my 10 favorite posts of 2009: 10. The Gift of Reading: One of the best gifts an adult can give a child is a love of reading. Here are 10 reasons why. 9. […]
Backing it Up
Yesterday, I wrote about how a layoff can be good for a part time writer. I said I would show readers that I follow my own advice. Here it is… Seven years ago I was laid off. I didn’t mope or panic about my situation; instead, I pitched a local travel article to the Dallas […]
Layoffs, a Blessing in Disguise
We let out a sigh of relief when “the other guys” are shown the door instead of us. We hope the proverbial pink slip never comes our way, especially in a time when the unemployment rate is over 10% and when many of the 90% working are underemployed. It’s not a good time for a […]
5 Writing Lessons in Last Night in Twisted River
I recently finished John Irving’s Last Night in Twisted River. Irving has been one of my favorite writers since I was a kid. I will never write like him; I have no desire to write like him. But I love reading his books. Even if you’re not an Irving fan, here are five lessons from […]
Speak Up! (4 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking)
Novelists have a reputation of being reclusive. Non-fiction writers have a reputation of being salesmen. There’s nothing wrong with being reclusive (although it may take longer to make it—if you make it), and there’s nothing wrong with working hard to sell books. The average book (fiction or non-fiction) doesn’t receive the publicity most authors would […]