Welcome to the second year of the Writers' Forum! Each month there is no shortage of important publishing news and helpful writing information to share with other authors, particularly those independently publishing their books. Once a month in 2018, I'll continue to bring you "the best of" the news you need to know along with a preview of the upcoming book events in southern Wisconsin. I am incredibly thankful for the assistance and advice given to me from writing and publishing professionals and am happy pay that forward. On a professional level, I also use my publicity and editorial skills to aid other authors through my company Lost Lake Press. I'd love to use my skills to guide you through the steps of... Continue Reading
The Three Rs: Reading, wRiting, and Roaming
January 22, 2018
One of the best parts of writing fiction is the ability to name your cast of characters. I know when I wrote my first stories I didn’t approach this in a scientific or logical way. I just picked names I liked that fit the idea of the character in my head. It was only much later that I learned that there truly is a method to the madness of naming these fictional souls, and when done right, you can add another layer of magic to your story.
J.K. Rowling provides us with what I consider to be the most epic example of naming skill. What did she do? Her moniker methodology includes an unsurpassed attention to detail that includes Latin and historical roots that fit her characters details.
For example, Harry is a Middle... Continue Reading
January 16, 2018
I met Bonniejean Alford at one of my favorite writing conferences, the University of Wisconsin Writers' Institute. She's a creative communication strategist, word artist, and speaker, and yet, like so many of us, she's experienced something that is a stumbling block in any profession. In a piece written in the style of her memoir, she boldly takes you on a journey to overcome one of the greatest threats to productivity – the fear of success.
The Death of Productivity - Success... I mean Fear
by Bonniejean Alford
I am a famous author.
Don’t believe me? That’s okay, the world doesn’t know it yet, for my own fear has kept me from the... Continue Reading
January 9, 2018
Today I welcome author Larry Scheckel. Larry is an award-winning science teacher who turned his love for science into books that teach us how things work. The recently released, I Always Wondered About That: 101 Questions and Answers About Science and Other Stuff and Ask a Science Teacher address our quirky, hypothetical, and somtimes irreverent questions that we never asked in class. In addition, he has written a memoir of growing up in the hill country of southwestern Wisconsin, Seneca Seasons: A Farm Boy Remembers.
Larry, thank you so much for visiting today. I’ve enjoyed your books so much and know that you never stop writing. I Always Wondered About That: 101 Questions and Answers About Science and Other Stuff released just... Continue Reading
January 1, 2018
We all crave connections--real, meaningful person-to-person connections. It doesn't matter if we work in a solitary profession like writing or if we're in an occupation that just feels solitary. So when I saw Amanda Zieba's year-end post about her Word of the Year, CONNECTIONS, I immediately set aside time to read.
I loved her post so much, I am sharing the whole thing below with you (with Amanda's permission). But first, let me tell you a story (because that's what I do). Before I met Amanda, before I knew her word of the year was Connections, she reached out to me in May. She had heard about the Columbus Books & Beer book club (which I moderate) from... Continue Reading
December 26, 2017
In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and completing a successful agent search, I’ve come across some excellent information, tips, tools, and shortcuts that I think would be beneficial to any writer. Once a month, I’ll share the “best of” information and news from the publishing industry as well as feature other authors and writing instructors with tips to share. I am incredibly thankful for the assistance and advice given to me from writing and publishing professionals and am happy pay that forward. On a professional level, I also use my publicity and editorial skills to aid other authors through my company Lost Lake Press.
January Book Events... Continue Reading
December 14, 2017
We all sing about the Twelve Days of Christmas, but you might not have realized that the pagan celebration of Yule is twelve days long, starting (this year) with the eve of the winter solstice on December 20 and ending on December 31.
Back when people followed a lunar calendar there were twelve days “leftover” at the end of the year. These twelve nights thus became a special time where the veil between the worlds was thin and celebrations abounded. In ancient Rome, the Festival of Saturnalia (honoring Saturn—the god of agricultural bounty) lasted about a week at this time of year. (Christmastide is also twelve days long from December 25 through January... Continue Reading
December 13, 2017
A Combination as Good as Santa’s Cookies and Milk:
Incorporating holidays into writing
Holidays are special for writers. In addition to being fantastic in themselves, holidays can serve as writing inspiration. For example, Halloween is a natural fit for a mystery, but other times of year could serve, as well. Christmas or New Year’s—counter-programming against a scary season—could be a great backdrop for a whodunnit. Yes, holidays can serve as excellent resources for writing. The methods of incorporating holidays include using time with family and friends as both a writing break and a way to investigate and contemplate characters; using the heightened senses surrounding holidays to improve writing craft; and finally,... Continue Reading
December 10, 2017
Today I welcome author Brea Behn! I’m a big fan of the dystopian genre, so I was excited to get to know Brea and read her stories. And today is a big day! She is celebrating the release of the fourth (and final) novel in her Wolves series: Wolves in the World. The series begins with Wolves in the Woods, which follows the disintegration of society after a devastating virus hits the world in 2056 with subsequent novels Wolves in the City and Wolves in School.
ABOUT BOOK ONE: When the C47 virus hit in 2056, no one was prepared for the devastation that followed. Even fewer of the survivors were equipped to provide for themselves without technology. Now an orphan, a young girl named Braelin is forced to... Continue Reading
December 6, 2017
Has it really been three months since I’ve told you about the great books I’ve been reading??
Apparently, but I know what happened. Instead of reviewing multiple books, I’ve been sharing new releases and interviews of Wisconsin authors.
If you missed those, here are some great ideas for Christmas gifts. (AND READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A GIFT FROM ME!!)
Barbara Britton’s Jerusalem Rising: Adah’s Journey. Read her guest post and my book review here.
Purchase... Continue Reading
