I recently attended a Martina McBride concert at the Palace Theater in Stamford, CT. For those who are not familiar with the name, Martina is a country singer who has been making hit records since 1992. She's known all over the world. She's one of my all-time favorite singers and I have seen her in concert now three times.
And in one of her songs, one I was not familiar with and unfortunately can't name, she sang the line, "Dream Big Anyway." I immediately felt a connection with the line and realized how important it was to pass along that piece of advice to other writers.
So here's what I want you to know:
You may not make the New York Times Best Seller List, or the Amazon Best Seller List, or any best seller list, but write anyway. Write for yourself and write what you want to write.
You may not have the best, fanciest computer and the most modern equipment, but don't wait until you have the means to get those things. Start writing anyway. Write on a cocktail napkin if you have to. Some of the world's best songs were written on cocktail napkins. And don't forget that Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of a paper bag. The conditions don't have to be great. They just have to work. So just write.
You may not have all the time in the world to devote to writing. But write anyway. Maybe you work two jobs. Or you're a single mom or dad raising a child. Write anyway, even if you can only devote one hour a week. One hour a month. Yes, everyone will tell you to try to set aside some time every single day for writing. I agree. But I'm telling you to start. Just start. Because if you start out by saying that a single hour is not enough and you wait until you have enough time, not only will you never finish, but you'll never start. So no matter how much or how little time you have, write anyway.
And finally, the last thing I want to say, is try anyway. Maybe you're not sure you have the talent. Maybe you aren't sure you have what it takes to be a songwriter or a novel writer or a children's book writer or what ever it is that your dream is. Try anyway. Because the you that you know today is not the whole you. The you of tomorrow is full of all the experiences and the lessons and mistakes and the ideas you picked up along the way. So try anyway, because you'll never know what you could have become if you don't. Just by trying, you're already a winner.
My thanks to Martina McBride for this wonderful song that sparked this advice.
Happy writing!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
4 Things I Learned from a Literary Agent
Last night, I had the pleasure of hearing a guest speaker at the Norwalk Library. Her name was Jan Kardys, and she was amazing. She talked for 30 minutes, and if I didn't have to leave at that point, I could have easily listened to her for another hour.
She is president of Unicorn for Writers, an organization that helps writers get their books published; she also produces the annual Unicorn Writers Conference; and she has been a literary agent for about 20 years. She knows everything you need to know about polishing your book to make it saleable.
I will share with you now 4 critical things she taught us in those 30 minutes:
1) Reach out to 25 writers and ask them to reach 25 pages of your book and give you their honest feedback. In exchange, tell them you'll write them a glowing recommendation.
2) Copyright your book with the Library of Congress. Having an ISBN number assigned to your book does not automatically copyright your material. Go to to the Library of Congress website, download the TX form, write a check for $35 and follow the instructions for mailing your material to the LoB. In the case of an already published book, they request 2 copies.
3) You must get a review in three places: Publishers Weekly magazine, Kirkus and Library Journal.
4) And finally, you must be on social media. Join groups online, follow other writers, get to know other writers, and then go back to point #1.
I soaked up this information like a sponge. I think everyone there did. I was grateful to learn that I am doing some things right. I also was not surprised to learn that I have a long way to go.
For instance, to get your book represented by an agent, you need to have a marketing plan. So I suggest, if you are looking for an agent, you research book marketing plans online.
Also, there are specific dos and don't about how to write a query letter as well, so research query letters online before you sit down to write one.
I recommend that you take some time to check out the website for Unicorn for Writers. Review every service they offer, how much it costs, and consider attending their conference. There are a lot of opportunities available to us writers if we can find them. and Unicorn for Writers is one of them.
Good luck!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
She is president of Unicorn for Writers, an organization that helps writers get their books published; she also produces the annual Unicorn Writers Conference; and she has been a literary agent for about 20 years. She knows everything you need to know about polishing your book to make it saleable.
I will share with you now 4 critical things she taught us in those 30 minutes:
1) Reach out to 25 writers and ask them to reach 25 pages of your book and give you their honest feedback. In exchange, tell them you'll write them a glowing recommendation.
2) Copyright your book with the Library of Congress. Having an ISBN number assigned to your book does not automatically copyright your material. Go to to the Library of Congress website, download the TX form, write a check for $35 and follow the instructions for mailing your material to the LoB. In the case of an already published book, they request 2 copies.
3) You must get a review in three places: Publishers Weekly magazine, Kirkus and Library Journal.
4) And finally, you must be on social media. Join groups online, follow other writers, get to know other writers, and then go back to point #1.
I soaked up this information like a sponge. I think everyone there did. I was grateful to learn that I am doing some things right. I also was not surprised to learn that I have a long way to go.
For instance, to get your book represented by an agent, you need to have a marketing plan. So I suggest, if you are looking for an agent, you research book marketing plans online.
Also, there are specific dos and don't about how to write a query letter as well, so research query letters online before you sit down to write one.
I recommend that you take some time to check out the website for Unicorn for Writers. Review every service they offer, how much it costs, and consider attending their conference. There are a lot of opportunities available to us writers if we can find them. and Unicorn for Writers is one of them.
Good luck!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Have You Considered Self Publishing? It's Easier Than You Think
When I first considered self-publishing, I immediately went to Amazon.com. As I was scrolling down the home page, I came across a site menu—a black bar about 4 inches long filled with links that made it easy to find the departments you might be looking for on Amazon.
The second column is titled "Make Money With Us". That caught my attention, and as I scanned down the list, the 7th item down says "Self Publish With Us." So I clicked on it. It took me to a division of Amazon called CreateSpace.com.
From there, my whole life changed. CreateSpace was literally the doorway to my future. Once arriving at CreateSpace, I was asked to register. Registration is free. I registered, and from there on out, I no longer went to Amazon, I only went to CreateSpace.
Once on CreateSpace, I saw my very own dashboard. From here, I could design my book, get it approved by CreateSpace, post it to Amazon, and track sales every day.
If you are interested in self-publishing a book you've written, check it out. You can follow the steps I did, or you can go directly to createspace.com. If you should find that you have a few questions during the setup process, there is a customer service phone number available and very visible on the dashboard page.
Good luck!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Would You Like to Contribute to the 2017 AP Style Book?
The AP Style Book staff are asking for everyone's suggestions on new words to add to the 2017 edition, as well as for updates and corrections.
If you have a word that you think belongs in the AP Style Book, or if you would like to vote on a word that has been suggested, go to:
http://www.apstylebook.com/?do=suggestions
The editors promise to read every submission.
In other AP news, the staff of AP Style Book is having a Twitter chat on holiday terms Nov. 15 at 2:30 eastern time. Use the hashtag #APStyleChat to ask questions of the guest expert Julie Rubin.
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
If you have a word that you think belongs in the AP Style Book, or if you would like to vote on a word that has been suggested, go to:
http://www.apstylebook.com/?do=suggestions
The editors promise to read every submission.
In other AP news, the staff of AP Style Book is having a Twitter chat on holiday terms Nov. 15 at 2:30 eastern time. Use the hashtag #APStyleChat to ask questions of the guest expert Julie Rubin.
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Friday, October 28, 2016
The Day I Found Out I Wasn't the Only Writer in My Family
My Aunt Maymee died in 2003 at the ripe old age of 93. My mother and I were tasked with cleaning out her small apartment, which was filled with lots of clothes, as well as boxes, catalogs, nick nacks, toys and more. We had to go through every catalog payment envelope and every piece of clothing to make sure she didn't leave any money in there. It took us three months to sort through everything.
Toward the end of our efforts, I was cleaning out a dresser drawer when I came across a notebook. I opened it up and was very surprised to see that Aunt Maymee had written on every page. It took me a few minutes of flipping through pages before I realized it was a novel. She even had a pen name -- Mae Bow.
It was a story of two girls, about their childhood. I think she had modeled the characters after herself and my grandmother -- they were Irish twins.
But I found myself wondering, why didn't she tell me she had written it? She knew I was a writer. She knew I was interested in writing. We could have really bonded over this. We could have had so many great conversations. Why would she choose to keep it a secret?
Maybe she was afraid her work wasn't good. I haven't read it, to be honest. I tried typing it once, with the expectation that I would type the whole thing and make copies for the whole family. But I quickly abandoned that idea. The first few pages are full of long, run-on sentences. She doesn't break up her words into easy-to-read paragraphs.
How fun, though, would it have been to be able to exchange stories with each other and talk 'shop' with her? I suppose it was so personal that she was afraid that whoever she shared it with might not like it. Did she even share it with my grandmother, with whom she lived most of her senior years?
Unfortunately, I will never know why she kept it to herself. All I can do is be thankful that I found it and cherish it until I see her again. But knowing that writing blood runs in my family is kind of comforting. It makes me feel like that much stronger of a writer.
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Toward the end of our efforts, I was cleaning out a dresser drawer when I came across a notebook. I opened it up and was very surprised to see that Aunt Maymee had written on every page. It took me a few minutes of flipping through pages before I realized it was a novel. She even had a pen name -- Mae Bow.
It was a story of two girls, about their childhood. I think she had modeled the characters after herself and my grandmother -- they were Irish twins.
But I found myself wondering, why didn't she tell me she had written it? She knew I was a writer. She knew I was interested in writing. We could have really bonded over this. We could have had so many great conversations. Why would she choose to keep it a secret?
Maybe she was afraid her work wasn't good. I haven't read it, to be honest. I tried typing it once, with the expectation that I would type the whole thing and make copies for the whole family. But I quickly abandoned that idea. The first few pages are full of long, run-on sentences. She doesn't break up her words into easy-to-read paragraphs.
How fun, though, would it have been to be able to exchange stories with each other and talk 'shop' with her? I suppose it was so personal that she was afraid that whoever she shared it with might not like it. Did she even share it with my grandmother, with whom she lived most of her senior years?
Unfortunately, I will never know why she kept it to herself. All I can do is be thankful that I found it and cherish it until I see her again. But knowing that writing blood runs in my family is kind of comforting. It makes me feel like that much stronger of a writer.
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Get Ready for NaNoWriMo!
The first time someone said to me, "Are you participating in NaNoWriMo"? I thought they were speaking a foreign language. "Huh? NaNo what"?
NaNoWriMo, for those not in the know, stands for "National Novel Writing Month," which is November every year.
The phenomenon was conceived in 1999, and in 2005, National Novel Writing Month officially became a nonprofit.
The global organization, self-described as a "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing," attracted more than 450,000 people around the world in 2015. Today, it includes a Young Writers program and a camp, and has 18 corporate sponsors.
Libraries and other organizations open their doors to writers who want to get together with other writers during NaNoWriMo month to make it a fun, group event.
To participate:
1) Sign up at nanowrimo.org
2) Fill out a profile
3) Find a region to join
4) On Nov. 1 start writing a fiction novel consisting of at least 50,000 words
5) Update your daily word count on NaNoWriMo.org throughout the entire month of November
6) On November 30 at 11:59 p.m., stop writing.
If you're not a writer but you want to support writers, or if you are a writer but are unable to write a novel in November, there are other ways you can participate. You can donate, you can buy NaNoWriMo merchandise, you can volunteer, you can even sponsor a writing group of your own!
For lots ore information, go to NaNoWriMo.org. Good luck and have fun!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
NaNoWriMo, for those not in the know, stands for "National Novel Writing Month," which is November every year.
The phenomenon was conceived in 1999, and in 2005, National Novel Writing Month officially became a nonprofit.
The global organization, self-described as a "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing," attracted more than 450,000 people around the world in 2015. Today, it includes a Young Writers program and a camp, and has 18 corporate sponsors.
Libraries and other organizations open their doors to writers who want to get together with other writers during NaNoWriMo month to make it a fun, group event.
To participate:
1) Sign up at nanowrimo.org
2) Fill out a profile
3) Find a region to join
4) On Nov. 1 start writing a fiction novel consisting of at least 50,000 words
5) Update your daily word count on NaNoWriMo.org throughout the entire month of November
6) On November 30 at 11:59 p.m., stop writing.
If you're not a writer but you want to support writers, or if you are a writer but are unable to write a novel in November, there are other ways you can participate. You can donate, you can buy NaNoWriMo merchandise, you can volunteer, you can even sponsor a writing group of your own!
For lots ore information, go to NaNoWriMo.org. Good luck and have fun!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Join a Writing Group
There's nothing more motivating to help writers write than having other writers around you who are doing the same thing and can help you focus.
That is a key reason why libraries offer writing groups.
These groups are free (at least where I live), and encourage writers to engage each other when they're stuck, when they want someone's opinion about a scene they've just written, or when just simply need to get serious about writing, and there are too many distractions at home.
If you're a writer and would like to mingle with other writers, or you need a light kick in the behind to get you started, or to maintain a consistent schedule, consider joining your library's local writing group.
The ones I'm familiar with usually meet every other Thursday night.
Next time you're in your local library, why not ask? If you haven't been to your local library in a millennia, you can check their website for meetings or pick up the phone and call. You may not even have to have a library card, although I highly recommend you have one.
Don't procrastinate. Starting mingling and getting motivated today!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
That is a key reason why libraries offer writing groups.
These groups are free (at least where I live), and encourage writers to engage each other when they're stuck, when they want someone's opinion about a scene they've just written, or when just simply need to get serious about writing, and there are too many distractions at home.
If you're a writer and would like to mingle with other writers, or you need a light kick in the behind to get you started, or to maintain a consistent schedule, consider joining your library's local writing group.
The ones I'm familiar with usually meet every other Thursday night.
Next time you're in your local library, why not ask? If you haven't been to your local library in a millennia, you can check their website for meetings or pick up the phone and call. You may not even have to have a library card, although I highly recommend you have one.
Don't procrastinate. Starting mingling and getting motivated today!
Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.
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