Rebecca Talley | February 28, 2010
Some people believe there are secrets to getting a book published and if you know those secrets, you’ll soon become a published author. Is that true?
Unfortunately, there are no “secrets” to getting published. Those who’ve found publication success have done so through hard work, dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to continue learning.
Hard Work
Writing a novel [...]
Rebecca Talley | February 21, 2010
Many new writers complain that using “said” is too boring. They want to liven up their writing with new and different tags. The problem with using tags other than “said” is that 1) they call attention to themselves and draw the reader out of the story, and 2) they tell instead of show.
For example:
“You can’t [...]
Rebecca Talley | February 15, 2010
What exactly is purple prose and why should you avoid it?
Purple prose can be defined as overwriting, using flowery language, and making the writing so complicated it’s hard to even understand it. Purple prose calls attention to the writing instead of the story.
Have you ever read any? It’s easy to spot. Here’s an example, “The [...]
Rebecca Talley | February 8, 2010
You’ve written your book and you have a publisher interested in it. The next thing you know, you have a contract in the mail.
If you’ve never signed a publishing contract before, you’ll want to research the language specific to this type of contract.
Your contract may include:
Rights Granted to the Publisher. This assigns the copyright [...]
Rebecca Talley | February 1, 2010
“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” – James Michener
That’s editing in a nutshell.
Some writers prefer writing the rough draft and feeling the creativity as it flows through their fingers. Other writers enjoy the editing stage and believe that’s where the real magic lies. Which do you prefer?
Writing the first draft [...]
Rebecca Talley
