Author of lush, romantic fantasy novels.
This is Part Two of my critique series. (Part one on Giving Negative Feedback is here). So you've done a beta swap with a new reader and gotten your critique feedback. But it's bad. It's really bad. Not only is it negative, it's hurtful or accusatory. It feels vicious or personal, like the reader is… Continue reading Handling Harsh Critique
This is part one of a two-part blog series on critique swaps. Keep an eye out next week for part two: Receiving Tough Feedback! So, after you've finished a draft, you've looked around in writer's groups, social media, or forums, and found a potential critique swap partner. Hooray! First off, swap sample pages to see… Continue reading Critique Etiquette: Giving Tough Feedback
Oh, the great Writer's Block Debate. You may have heard the phrase "Writer's Block doesn't exist" and wanted to flip a table. Or maybe you truly believe there's no such thing. I fall in the middle. I do believe writers can experience mental blocks or an inability to move forward sometimes, but I think just… Continue reading On Defeating Writer’s Block
It's the eternal battlefield in writing. Indie publishing versus traditional publishing. So which path is best for you and your book? And can you have the best of both worlds? First off, we'll compare the short-and-sweet primary pros/cons of each, then go into a bit more detail. Self-publishing Pros: Independence and full creative control Higher… Continue reading Trad-pub vs Self-pub: Pros, Cons, and Why Not Both?
Today we're going to talk about another frequent writing issue, usually appearing in early drafts. I think it's more common in newer writers, but it's easy for this problem to sneak up on even experienced writers. So what's the problem? Everyone is too nice. In the story, I mean. Secondary characters provide unflinching moral support… Continue reading The Problem with Nice
Amy Avery / Avery Ames 