Linda Barnett-Johnson

  I'm Aline Soules, writer, singer, and librarian.  As a writer, I choose subjects that move me and I choose my genre according to my subject matter.  My latest chapbook, Evening Sun: A Widow's Journey , emerged from my many years of widowhood and I sought, through poetry, to honor my late husband and speak about the inner journey of widowhood.  Poetry is not my only genre, however.  Currently, I'm working on a novel and I also write academic articles and reports as part of my work as a librarian.  Regardless of my writing genre, I benefit t he principles of poetry to improve my end result and you can, too.  In part 1 of this blog post, I offer general ideas to polish your work and discuss grammar, usage, and word play.  Check back later for part 2. General Ideas ·          Show, don't tell.  Whenever you can explain your point through a concrete, specific example, the more...

To Pseudonym or Not to Pseudonym By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the newly released second edition  of The Frugal Editor ( http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor  in paperback Nora Roberts, the author of more than 150 romance novels, was asked why she writes romantic suspense novels under a pen name. Here is her answer: "It's marketing." She says that writing quickly makes it difficult for her publisher to publish all of her work with an appropriate amount of time between each of them. So she writes works which are "edgier" than her romance novels under the pseudonym J. D. Robb. She says. "Putting it under a pseudonym helps brand it for the reader." Children's writers often separate their real names or their "other" writing names from their children's work to keep work intended for children untainted. All these reasons are absolutely valid. And there are ...

Hello,   I'm Aline Soules, writer, singer, and librarian.  As a writer, I choose subjects that move me and I choose my genre according to my subject matter.  My latest chapbook, Evening Sun: A Widow's Journey , emerged from my many years of widowhood and I sought, through poetry, to honor my late husband and speak about the inner journey of widowhood.  After reading numerous books about the practicalities of coping with widowhood, I wanted to explore the emotional journey.  Poetry enabled me to do that.   Generating New Work:  Tupelo Press' 30/30 Project By Aline Soules (guest blogger)   There's a saying that writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.  My experience confirms that because there are times when writers wonder if the revision process will ever end.  There's always something to re-think, tweak, or improve.  Yet, without original material, there's nothing to revise, making th...

  HI!  I'm Cathie MacDonald, former school teacher, small business owner, and novelist. Life always presents interesting topics and people, and I am a very good observer, which helps in my work. I am a metaphysical student and Reiki Master, and I always implement a thread of that in my novels. I spend a great deal of time researching, and in Romancing the Vines I traveled to many vineyards and sampled a few glasses of wine. (Okay, more than a few!) Francesca, the main character, becomes the owner and operator of Serrano Family Vineyards, which is known for its zinfandel.  Her mission is to become a top vintner, put their wine on the map, and win the wine competition, no matter what the cost. Francesca, Enrico, and their son, Roberto, spend hours toiling in the vineyard. But the tension that has plagued them for lifetimes returns. They fight, the vineyard struggles, money is extremely tight, and the wine is flat. Something is missing in the ingredients. Wine comes from th...

      The Season for Planning Year Round Promotion for Your Book is NOW Or How to Jazz Up a Writing Career with Seasonal Promotions By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter now in its second edition Have you heard of The Christmas Box b y Richard Paul Evans? It was originally self-published. Evans believed in himself (and his book) when big publishers didn't. When it did well, "lo and behold," as they say in the Christmas stories, someone saw the light. The motto here, for writers, is seasonal material can be used effectively no matter what kind of writer you are. It attracts readers to blogs and as we all know from Nina Amir's book, blog posts can become a book—either a promotional book or a book to sell. Books are especially good for holidays that call for gifts because even the most expensive among them are reasonably priced at $15 dollars or less. They lend themselves to the inspirat...