Novelists, Inc. Blog

Who You Know

Barbara Meyers — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:33 +0000

My father used to tell me “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” He was a wise man able to offer a pithy remark for just about any circumstance and his words of wisdom stuck with me because they are true. On the morning of my thirty-second wedding anniversary (apropos of nothing except [...]

Earthly Charms founder Su Kopil

Dara Girard — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:02:29 +0000

Tell us a little about yourself and your company Earthly Charms. What’s the story behind the name? I’m a lifelong avid reader. I grew up in libraries. My first job was in a library. And I’ve been writing almost as long as I’ve been reading. Photography and graphic design both came later but also morphed [...]

Gimme a V

Charlotte Hubbard — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:01 +0000

What? Me giving up meat, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, refined carbs, and dairy products? Never figured on that. Vegan cuisine wasn’t on my radar screen at all—until Dr. Hunt came into the exam room saying, “We’ll talk about that ankle in a moment, Charlotte. What’s with your blood pressure? We’re taking you off the Premarin. [...]

What to Look for in a Writing Workshop

Elaine Isaak — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:33:01 +0000

It seems that new writing workshops crop up every day–at least every week! There are bootcamps, retreats, on-line seminars, master’s degrees and certificates, summer-long sessions, and local weekly events run by the only person in town who has tried to sell a book. A google search on writing workshops brings back over eleven million results. [...]

Texting Dead Possums

Dianne Drake — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:20:25 +0000

Years ago, when I began writing for Harlequin, I started out in the romantic comedy lines, particularly the imprint that required its couple to get together through some strange form of communication. The guidelines for that were changed pretty quickly, and the line went belly-up pretty quickly, as well. I don’t think the editors could [...]

Researching the Amish

Charlotte Hubbard — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:00:45 +0000

While I had written a series of faith-and-family stories before I wrote ABBY FINDS HER CALLING, taking on a whole new genre about a culture who prefers to remain removed from worldly things (such as fiction!) requires fresh research, different methods—and, most definitely, on-site, hands-on experience among Amish folks. While, yes, the Internet provides a [...]

Getting By on a Writer’s Income

Dara Girard — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:37:53 +0000

Feature Article by Lawrence Block This article first appeared in the 1981 Writer’s Yearbook. Yes, there are some dated references, but information is still relevant. I was honored that Mr. Block allowed me to reprint it here. It’s also included in the The Liar’s Bible. Enjoy! A writer, James Michener has said, can make a [...]

By The Seat of My Pants?

Barbara Meyers — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:00:43 +0000

Lots of authors write without plotting first, which is what I do. I’ve survived so far, but it’s a lot of work, especially if you decide to start writing in a genre you’ve never written in before and you have no idea what you’re doing. Such was the case when I began writing The Forbidden [...]

Teaching to Learn

Elaine Isaak — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:29:01 +0000

Tomorrow, I’ll be at the New Hampshire Writers’ Project Writers Day, teaching World-building 101. This conference is a fun one-day event that attracts writers from around New England to teach and to learn. And one of the things I’ve learned is that those two activities are intimately connected. One measure of how well you understand [...]

Us Versus Them

Dianne Drake — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:49:25 +0000

A couple weeks ago, a friend called and told me he’d just downloaded a “must read” book for 99 cents, and that I had to get it and read it immediately. He promised me I’d be amazed by what my penny-shy-of-a-dollar would buy me. So I bought it, and he was right. I was amazed. [...]