Archive for 'Writing Advice'
Friday, October 25th, 2019
I recently gave workshops on Research for Writers, (at Women Writing the West and Surrey International Writers Conference) and rather than do printed handouts, I am posting all the information here so it is readily available and clickable.
Library Love
Librarians to follow on Twitter: @surlyspice
, @superwendy
Bowling Green State University Pop Culture Library @BGSU_PopCultLib
BGUS also has an “Ask Us” feature on their website.
New York Public Library: @nypl and @askNYP
This hashtag on Twitter can be a great way to find answers to really obscure research questions: #AskALibrarian
Finding Research Books:… Read more »
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Posted in Around the Web ♦ Writing
Tagged: Elizabeth Boyle ♦ Research ♦ research for writers ♦ workshop ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing craft ♦ writing fiction ♦ writing novels ♦ Writing Tips
Monday, April 8th, 2019
A few years ago, I wrote this post and was looking it over recently as I found myself searching for a spot in my busy life to GET AWAY and just WRITE. The advice here is still relevant and if you can find a way to take time with friends and spend a weekend writing, I promise you will walk away with so much more than just pages…
Your Writing Retreat
I’ve listened to friends go on and on about writing retreats for years. Holing up in a hotel for a weekend to escape family demands and meet a deadline. … Read more »
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Posted in Adventures & Travel ♦ Friends ♦ Writing
Tagged: Monday Blogs ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing craft ♦ writing retreat ♦ Writing Tips
Friday, November 16th, 2018
If not, no worries. Believe me, the second half of a book is always quicker to write, especially with that shining light of “The End” glowing ever closer.
And if you have absolutely no clue what I am talking about then you aren’t neck deep in NaNoWriMo
, or National Novel Writing Month. I’ve been dabbling in it this year, but only from the sidelines as a coach and teacher. No offense, but it is a lot more fun to watch from the sidelines like some NFL coach.
Here’s me:
“Yeah, Writer, I know that hit … Read more »
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Posted in Writing
Tagged: Conflict ♦ NaNoWriMo ♦ writers ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing fiction ♦ writing novels
Friday, October 26th, 2018
Are you ready to be off and writing? NaNoWriMo–National Novel Writing Month–which challenges a writer to draft a book in a month–begins next week and so before you begin furiously writing your story, I have three tips to ensure your story keeps moving forward for NaNoWriMo success.
1. Before You Start
Prewrite. Over this weekend, consider jotting down an outline for your story. It can be as simple as setting up your Scrivener files and filling your Corkboard with all the ideas you have brimming around inside of you! You’ll find as you fill out your story, more ideas … Read more »
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Posted in Writing
Tagged: creating characters ♦ Elizabeth Boyle ♦ NaNoWriMo ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing fiction ♦ Writing Habits ♦ Writing Tips
Friday, October 12th, 2018
Why are you going to a conference?
If the first thought that pops into your head is “to sell my book” then you are going for the wrong reason.
At least IMHO. I think I’m the only person I know who has ever sold a book at conference. Oh, and Gerri Russell with the American Title contest. And even then, the decision to buy those two books had been made weeks earlier–not at conference.
Believe me, editors do not wake up in a strange hotel, surrounded by hordes of ready-to-be-published authors and think, “wow, I could buy all the books … Read more »
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Posted in Adventures & Travel ♦ Writing
Tagged: craft ♦ writers ♦ Writers Conference ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing craft ♦ writing fiction ♦ writing novels
Thursday, September 27th, 2018
When going to a writers conference, you need to pack more than comfortable shoes. You need to pack your best pitch.
Because when you get that face to face with an editor, you want to rock your pitch.
Here’s how to put your pitch together with all the right elements, and get it polished and packed for a writing conference.
Don’t Fret
A good pitch will convey your enthusiasm for your project, reveal the mood of the story and create enough excitement and curiosity in the editor to entice them to request a proposal. What pitching doesn’t need to be … Read more »
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Posted in Writing
Tagged: Pitches ♦ Pitching ♦ Writers Conference ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing fiction
Saturday, January 23rd, 2016
Counting Down to 20
So when I got to this point in my writing, I decided I wanted to write about a collection of spinsters from a small village who had no hope of ever getting married. They weren’t great beauties, they weren’t fabulously rich, or well-connected. Just ordinary girls from a village.
I could see this trio of friends so clearly: Tabitha-smart, kind and hard-working, Daphne–all full of opinions and grand aspirations, and finally, Harriet–loyal to a fault, utterly sensible and a secret romantic. Okay, maybe not so secret–but don’t tell her brothers, they would tease her to the … Read more »
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Posted in Elizabeth's Books ♦ Elizabeth's Favorites ♦ Rhymes with Love ♦ TV, Movies, & Good Reads ♦ Writing
Tagged: 20thAvonRomance ♦ Along Came a Duke ♦ And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake ♦ avon ♦ avon romance ♦ characters ♦ creating characters ♦ Elizabeth Boyle ♦ friends ♦ heroines ♦ historical romance ♦ If Wishes Were Earls ♦ reading ♦ Regency ♦ Regency Romance ♦ Rhymes with Love ♦ Romance novels ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing fiction ♦ writing novels
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015
Today Heather McCollum, author of sweeping, magical Scottish historical romances, is visiting the blog. The answers to her “Five Questions” are fantastic! Welcome, Heather…
Thank you so much for having me here today! What a fun way to learn about those of us behind the melt-your-heart pages of romance books.
1) Since romance authors always write about falling in love, when and how did you discover you were in love? I was a Virginian girl and he (Braden) was an Army kid, his father stationed in Hawaii. We met at college in Maine. I had already kissed too many frogs … Read more »
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Posted in Around the Web ♦ Friends ♦ TV, Movies, & Good Reads ♦ Uncategorized ♦ Writing
Tagged: 5 things ♦ Authors ♦ characters ♦ creating characters ♦ Elizabeth Boyle ♦ friends ♦ Heroes in Kilts ♦ Highlands Romance ♦ historical romance ♦ Kilts ♦ Laird Heroes ♦ Lairds ♦ Love ♦ novella ♦ Paranormal Historical Romance ♦ Paranormal Historical Scottish Romance ♦ reading ♦ Romance novels ♦ Scottish Historical Romance ♦ Scottish Romance ♦ Story Ideas ♦ writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ writing fiction ♦ Writing Habits ♦ writing novels
Friday, January 16th, 2015
When I use the app MapMyWalk for my daily walk, I love it because it says I climbed stairs rather than walked my 2 miles. The reason being I live in a very steep neighborhood. And my daily haul is nearly all uphill. So, stair climbing it is.
And I realized as I was huffing and puffing up the first hill, that my walk was a lot like writing a book. One step at a time, one page at a time. Some days the writing is level and I churn right along. Other days it is like trying to hike … Read more »
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Posted in Adventures & Travel ♦ Writing
Tagged: writing ♦ Writing Advice ♦ Writing Habits
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