The Learning Curve

I recently discovered an awesome new Wordpress plugin. More than that. It's like a plugin on steroids since it's really a pack of plugins are in one and all created by those smart guys that created Wordpress itself. It's called Jetpack and if you haven't heard of it, you really need to check it out. I'll be reviewing and showcasing it in depth later, but don't wait, Google it now and take a look. I'm even [...]

If you've been following this blog for any length of time it's probably not a surprise to learn that I'm a BIG, as in HUGE, fan of Scrivener writing software. As with any new software program there's a bit of a learning curve though the folks at Literature and Latte who designed Scrivener has kept that curve quite shallow with some very simple to follow instructional videos and a 30-day trial period...plenty of time to get [...]

I had a most successful NaNoWriMo this year. Not only did I surpass the 50,000 word count goal completing most of a rough draft of my book, Babble, but perhaps even more valuable were the many lessons learned from my participation including: How to track character's POVs using Scrivener's color coding feature. (More detailed post forthcoming.) Combining Outlining with Discovery Writing (More detailed post forthcoming.) Use the Support Features on NaNoWriMo  to stay inspired. Write Early [...]

I recently started reading Jonathan Gunson's free PDF book, The Bestsellers Lab Guide for Authors. (It's free -- you 'pay' with just you name and email address so why not zip over and pick up your own copy? Then we can discuss other points here as well.) I'm finding it both affirming (that I'm doing a lot of the things he recommends) and gap creating (there's more ground to take in developing my author career and [...]

Several years ago I decided while living in Massachusetts I decided to take some art classes. While my original plan was to take oil painting classes, after meeting with one of the art instructors and viewing samples of his pastel paintings, I knew it was time to learn a whole new medium. I remember watching my instructor painting a still life prior to my first class. I began to think I'd made a mistake. Maybe the [...]

Have you finally finished writing that book that's been trying to be birthed, perhaps like the small creature in the Alien movie?  And perhaps you have decided to publish it yourself through Kindle and Nook, even Create Space.  So, you're finished, right? Now, all you need to do is wait for the money to start flowing in. Well, I'd like to suggest one other possibility for your book that might just expand that flow of money [...]