A Writer’s Confession

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Bob Hostetler here, offering another prayer for writers: Lord God Almighty, I confess that I have sinned against you through my own fault, in thought and word and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone. I confess that I have too often trusted my own strength instead of relying on yours; I have let my puny ability suffice when I could have and should have laid hold of your ready power. I confess that I have chased after mammon, and written for mere money, instead of seeking first your kingdom and your glory, and…

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Editing Tips #56

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Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about tips for writers based on the manuscripts I edit.

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Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Writers Make

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  by Sarah Hamaker, reluctant marketer Marketing takes time, and for us writers, that’s usually time away from our writing. With marketing a necessary part of our writing business, we need to ensure we are marketing smart and not spinning our wheels on things that don’t generate results. Here are the top 5 marketing mistakes that can waste our time and drain our creativity.

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Five Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Avoid Dementia

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“Nutty with a Dash of Meat” Jeanette Levellie here, with five ways to keep your brain healthy and circumvent future trouble. No matter your age or current mental state, you can avoid and fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease The Alzheimer’s Association recommends four simple ways to circumvent these demonic maladies, and I have added one of my own: 

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Slush Pile Stories

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Hello from Crystal Bowman! I’ve been writing for children for more than 20 years and am still learning the process because there is always more to know. I enjoy teaching and mentoring writers and prefer a positive instructional approach. I’d rather tell writers what to do rather than what not to do. But sometimes we can learn from our mistakes and even the mistakes of others. So this post is going to focus more on what not to do in order to keep your children’s story from landing in the slush pile.

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Ten More Tips on Writing for Children

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Hello from Crystal Bowman! In my twenty-plus years of writing for children, I have met many writers who want to write for children because they think it would be fun. Yes–it is fun, but far from easy. It’s a craft that needs to be mastered just like anything else. The more you know about writing for children, the harder it gets. It is very difficult to break into publishing with a children’s book, so the more you know, the more you increase your chances. In January I posted seven tips on writing for children. Today I am offering ten more….

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Who Me? A Perfectionist?

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Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the desert of Southern California If I were to ask you whether you’re a perfectionist, you’d most likely say “no.” The explanation for saying that? “Well, I don’t get anything perfect! After all, perfectionists reach perfection.” Would you be shocked if I told you that’s not accurate? Not only is it not accurate but I would almost predict that some perfectionist tendencies are blocking your efficiency and joy in your writing.  Because one definition of a perfectionist is: “A person who takes great pains and passes them on to others.” Want to know if you have…

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What Kind of Children’s Book — Part 2

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In my last post titled What Kind of Children’s Book? I explained that it’s important for writers of children’s literature to know what subgenre they want to write for. When presenting a proposal to an agent or editor, writers need to know where their book will fit in the market. I discussed three of the primary subgenres: boardbook, preschool picture book, and the standard 32-page picture book.

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Examining Tone To Enhance Your Writing – Part 2

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Good morning from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com In Part 1  Understanding Tone In Fiction from January 10, the meaning of tone was defined and how it is important to your fiction. The post made it clear that authors want to work on this quality in their writing which helps to grab readers into the story and make them want to read more of the author’s books. This is a goal that you and I want as we write our novels. This post will cover dissecting tone step by step, and examining problematic areas in tone.

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