Dear Indie Annie, I love my characters. I love seeing them live out their lives, and making wonderful things happen to them. But my critique partner says my story is boring as nothing bad ever happens. How can I make my story more interesting without being mean to my characters? Help! Nice in Newcastle DEAR […]
On April 13th, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) announced a new program: Kindle Vella, a home for serial stories. Like Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Worlds before it, indie authors around the world have shown enormous interest in the upcoming program, which is due to launch this summer. But like all Amazon programs, we authors are […]
When writing your novel, you want a program that can contain all the amazing ideas that are swirling around in your brain in one place. Literature & Latte’s Scrivener is designed to do just that. More than just a word processor, it provides a place to plot your novel, write it, hold all your research, […]
Done is better than perfect. Just finish the thing. You can’t edit a blank page. All great advice for writers when they’re in the middle of the first draft slog. Keep going. But what happens when the words literally won’t come? When the muse won’t show up? Common advice for when you’ve got writer’s block […]
We’ve all read that publishing fast can be one of the drivers for a successful indie publishing career. In fact, there are writers who consistently produce a book a month. But how do they do that? What single factor enables these people to write 80,000 words in four weeks? Apart from an outline, the consensus […]
A logo is an asset that every author should consider having in their marketing repertoire. Your logo will be one of the key indicators of your brand. It will be one of the first things readers see when visiting your website or your social media profiles. When deciding on your logo, ask yourself whether it […]
Alfred Hitchcock famously said, “I think everyone enjoys a nice murder, provided he is not the victim.” In reality, there is no such thing as a nice murder or a perfect murder but, in writing, there can be the “right” murder. The death that best suits the victim’s or killer’s character, situation, motives, and place […]
What makes a book an urban fantasy and not merely contemporary fantasy? It comes down to genre tropes. Every genre has its specific set of tropes that define it from others. Readers may not be able to name the tropes or be consciously aware of them; however, their subconscious mind will recognize them and determine […]
Does your creativity wane when you need it to wax? Are you staring at a blank page with no inspiration and a deadline? Do you feel frustrated, cranky, and tired? No need to despair—you have not been abandoned by your muse; you are probably just dehydrated! Multiple studies have shown even mild dehydration results in […]
In this issue, we’re continuing to follow the basic process of creating a book. Outlining last time, First Drafts this. It seems like a fairly straightforward topic. However, our writers and editors have crafted some fascinating articles we expect will provide you with some new strategies to incorporate into your drafting workflow. Planning to use […]
When the shine of a new story idea fades and the muddy middle beckons, it is easy to lose interest, especially with a shaky or problematic plot. Giving up would be easy to do, so how do we keep going? The actions in the middle often depend on the story’s outcome. When the two cannot […]
After the excitement of Outlining, that first glimmer of the idea that’s going to be the most amazing story ever, we come to First Drafts. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work. One of the hardest parts of writing a novel is finding time to write. Time is our most […]
What is collaboration? When two authors love each other very much… Okay, they don’t have to love each other but the best collaborations do emerge from professional relationships based on trust, respect, and reliability. Author collaboration has many faces. Whichever method of collaboration you are considering, the important thing to remember is that this is […]
Before I get to this month’s topic, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us in our launch. Seeing how the indie author community embraced the magazine reassures us that this is something we need. So thank you to each of you who came to our launch party, bought a subscription, […]
Hosted by Sacha Black A motivational show for all the creatives out there with an inner rebel. Listen for interviews, industry news, tips, tricks and tools to help you take your creative business to the next level. https://sachablack.co.uk/the-rebel-author-podcast/
Hosted by Mark Desvaux and Mark Stay Could you write and publish a Bestseller in one year? That’s exactly what our two crash-test authors did. Now it’s your turn! Join the two Marks in their weekly podcast as they talk with leading lights from the publishing industry, million-selling, chart-topping authors who collectively have sold over […]
Hosted by Dan Blank Interviews with writers and artists who have doubled-down on their creative vision. The focus is on deeper questions such as how we make decisions, deal with anxiety, the habits and routines that matter, and the reality of what it looks like to be a full-time creative professional. https://wegrowmedia.com/thepodcast/
Clubhouse is the latest social media platform. It’s an audio-only platform where people engage in conversation in groups called “rooms.” Some rooms invite everyone to participate, whereas in others you’re only a listener. You can select your interests to help Clubhouse identify the content you want to see in your Hallway (the main page), but […]
How Hard-won Words Launched Her Career, and What She’s Learned Since We’ve all heard the expression “blood, sweat, and tears.” I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into this project. This month we will meet an author who did exactly that. Let me introduce Jami Albright. Every week, authors around the world can catch an […]
Drafting is how we get books. Books are our business. This means drafting is our business. Finishing our drafts is our top priority. No finished draft, no book. No book, no readers. The perfect first draft, that great inspired work that flows from the divine muse through us onto the page is a myth. Perfection […]
You have committed to writing a book, worked out the characters, what’s going to happen to them. The world is verdant and fleshed out in your head and you’re ready to write. But fifty thousand words feels like too much. You have a fulltime job, kids to feed and nurture so they don’t go feral, […]
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