An article by Elan Barnehama

I wrote a novel whose two main characters are lesbians.  This confuses some people because I am not a lesbian.  Because I am also not a woman.  And because I am not gay.

When I set out to write my novel, Finding Bluefield, I did not expect my main character to be a woman, much less for that woman to fall in love with another woman. But there I was, a straight man hooked by these two characters, Nicky and Barbara, and their voices, and the story they wanted me to tell.  As I ventured into unfamiliar-for-me- situations, my characters, Nicky and Barbara, found themselves in 1960’s Virginia navigating unknown territory during a time when relationships like theirs were mostly hidden and often dangerous.

I couldn’t be more different than Nicky.  Nicky was a seventh generation Virginian whose family had farmed the same land for over 200 years.  For my part, I am a first generation US, born and raised in New York City by parents who spoke with thick accents and gave me a name other kids found impossible to pronounce.  Add to that a vision condition that alienated others, and I was a poster child for “the outsider”.  But my character Nicky went abruptly from insider to outsider, harshly felt the rejection of her community, the unexpected exclusion from her family, and there we found common ground.  But, while both Nicky and I were angry, a bit surprises, and understandably frightened, she was never ashamed of who she was.  As a child, I was.  But if I had given any weight to specific details of what happened to me as a child I would never have let Nicky have the correct response for her and for the novel.

I’m not sure who started encouraging writers to “write about what you know”.  At first glance it seems...

Click on the link to read more.

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-you-should-write-about-what-you-dont-know#comments

Elan Barnehama

An article by Jessica Strawser

Why “Show, Don’t Tell” Is the Great Lie of Writing Workshops. OK, let’s dispense with the obvious—namely, that there is a kernel of truth to the old saw “Show, don’t tell.” Fiction is a dramatic art, and you need to dramatize, not simply state things. The sentence “John was a handsome man” is not a handsome sentence, and though a writer is welcome to use it, she shouldn’t think it will do much work for her. Similarly, in the first workshop I ever took as a student of writing, when someone wrote “An incredible feeling of happiness washed over her,” the teacher said, “First of all, get rid of the ‘washed over’ cliché, and second of all, if in the course of an entire novel you can evoke an incredible feeling of happiness, then that’s a major accomplishment.” 

Click on the link to read more
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/why-show-dont-tell-is-the-great-lie-of-writing-workshops?et_mid=563087&rid=233051465 

An article by Steven James

In fiction, story matters more than anything else.

Yet too often authors forget this and, in their zeal to impress readers or wow editors, pepper their writing with distracting devices that only end up undermining the story itself.

Never let anything get between your story and your readers. Here are five of the most common ways even the best writers veer off-course—and simple strategies for avoiding them.

1. Overdoing Symbolism/Themes
2. Trying Too Hard
3. Failing to Anticipate the Readers’ Response
4. Using a Hook as a Gimmick
5. Leaving Readers Hanging

Click on the link below to read more
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/5-story-mistakes-even-good-writers-make 

An article by Jim Harrington

Competition is tough for the limited spaces in elite journals–online or print–and authors need to pay attention to the details of writing in order to be successful. Do you have a dream journal you’d like to be published in? Instead of reading a few full stories, read just the first paragraphs and write down everything you learn in that brief span. Now take a new look at the openings of stories you’re having difficulty placing. Do they yank the reader into the story? Or do they limp along with too much description, burdensome backstory, or a lack of focus? If so, rewrite them to give them some spark. Heck, it’s even possible that you’ve started in the wrong place. Maybe your story really begins with the second or third paragraph. Whatever you decide is the best way to start your story, keep in mind the importance of grabbing editors by the throat (or heart) and not letting go until they read The End. 

Click on the link to continue reading.
http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/the-craft-in-the-beginning/ 

An article by Mark Nichol

Formatting quotations can be tricky, especially when the words between the quotation marks do not constitute a complete sentence. How would you revise these clumsily formatted partial quotations? For each example, compare your corrections to mine in the paragraphs following each one.

1. “These days, says Smith, ‘The market does the valuation work for you.’”

To clarify the context, the writer has provided...

Click on the link to read more
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wed-a-short-quiz-about-partial-quotations/ 

An article by keithogorek

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with the leadership of one of the largest traditional publishers in the world. When I asked them, “What are some of your greatest challenges as a business?”, they mentioned authors and royalties.

I was floored. I could not believe that even though they were working with some of the most well-known authors in the world, these authors were still confused by royalties. Upon further investigation, what I discovered is the same issues...

Click on the link to read morehttp://indiebookwriters.com/2012/06/07/what-every-author-needs-to-know-about-royalties-part-1/

An article by  Jason Andrew Bond

I’ve been training in martial arts since I was eighteen years old. That’s twenty years of cracked shins, pulled tendons, and bruised forearms. I’ve trained under the former U.S. Taekwondo Olympic Head Coach, a Muay Thai heavyweight champion, and a U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Famer. Believe me when I tell you, it all hurt.

Click on the link to read morehttp://www.bookdaily.com/authorresource/blog/post/1154143 

An article by James Scott Bell 

There are a lot of ways not to do something. 

You can be just as creative in finding ways not to write your novel. With a little thought and not much effort, you can easily devise methods to prevent yourself from actually finishing a book—or finishing a book that has a chance to sell.

So if not finishing or not selling are your goals, I’m here to help you with the following seven tips:

Click on the link to read more 
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/7-things-that-will-doom-your-novel-how-to-avoid-them?et_mid=560336&rid=233051465 

Ask children’s and YA writers about problems in their work and you’ll get a variety of responses:

“The adults keep taking my story over.”

“I don’t want my characters to suffer.”

“I have problems creating enough tension in my plot.”

“I don’t want to write edgy stories, even though that’s what sells.”

If you have one or more of these problems, then I’m issuing you a challenge: Stop parenting your characters. There are a lot of ways that writers parent their characters, but no matter how you do it the end result is the same—a story that just doesn’t work and ultimately won’t sell.

Fortunately, it’s a habit you can break.

Click on the link to read more
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-avoid-parenting-your-characters?et_mid=524425&rid=233051465 

Article by Robert Lee Brewer

FROM THE EDITOR
I'm excited to announce that WritersMarket.com finally has a blog! Click here to check it out. Right now, there are a few article excerpts, writing videos, and a welcome post. However, I have created an editorial calendar, which means the content will be exploding over the next few weeks.

In addition to market profiles, interviews, and helpful advice, I'd love to get WritersMarket.com newsletter readers involved through the act of guest posting. If you think you have a great idea or two for a WritersMarket.com guest post, please send it my way to robert.brewer@fwmedia.com with the subject line: WM Blog Guest Post.

If you're not ready to guest post but would like to see certain subjects covered, then please send me an e-mail as well. I'm looking forward to making the WritersMarket.com blog the go-to resource for writers wanting to get published and paid for their writing.

(NOTE: If you're unable to access, it means you either need to log in or sign up.) Click link to read more.  (Quite of bit of great info on the blog, check it out.) 

http://blog.writersmarket.com/?et_mid=559558&rid=233051465