Tip O'Day for Authors #147

Guest blogger Bill Gauthier thinks obsession isn’t all bad.

Write the story that grabs you, that becomes your obsession, that just won't get out of your mind no matter how much you try not to think or write about it. When you finally sit down and write it, do so honestly. Don't be afraid of what your friends, lovers, employers, children or neighbors think.

I recently wrote something so dark, someone close to me hated it but I still intend to tweak it and submit it for publication. The story stuck around in my head for almost 3 years and needed writing. As Harlan Ellison has said, "You must never be afraid to go there." I have that taped near my computer and, dammit, I try to live by those words.

Bill’s website is www.billgauthier.com and he currently has two novellas out, Alice on the Shelf (Bad Moon Books) and Shadowed (Delirium Books).

Tip O'Day for Authors #146

Guest blogger Dellani Oakes offers a couple writing tips.

First, write often, even if it's only 100 words a day.

Second, don't sweat so over the details that it keeps you from writing. Take a deep breath and plunge in. Errors can be corrected later; the important thing is to get the idea down before it goes away.

Dellani’s book, INDIAN SUMMER, is available at www.secondwindpublishing.com as well as Amazon and Smashwords. Some of her short stories are available free at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dellanioakes
She blogs at dellanioakes.wordpress.com/ and writersanctuary.blogspot.com

Tip O'Day for Writers #82

Guest blogger Rick Hautala has some thoughts on how to persevere in today's shifting publishing paradigm.

To paraphrase Harlan Ellison: Becoming a writer is easy; it's staying a writer that's the hard part.

The marketplace is changing so fast, a lot of traditional prose even by seasoned pros is falling by the wayside.

Writing to publish successfully requires a thick skin and a sense of humor along with hard work, talent and inspiration. You have to work against all odds. You must face rejection and adversity by pushing and pushing to become a better writer. If you do so, eventually editors, publishers and readers can't possibly ignore or avoid your work.