Writer Interview with Peggy Bechko

By sparklyscotty on 7/7/10 9:50am
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 This week, author Peggy Bechko take time out from her busy writing life to spill the beans on what it means to be a writer.

 

Our series of writer interviews is intended to show the wide variety of work involved in being a writer, as well as the highs and lows of the writing life.  I also hope that these interviews will help to dispel many of the preconceptions and myths that some new writers hold, only to have lead to disappointment later when reality hits home.

 

What is your primary type of writing (e.g. sci fi novels, articles, legal papers, poetry)

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Advice to Bloggers: Increase Your Hit Count by Linking

By becksta on 7/6/10 11:16am
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Links are ImportantLinks are ImportantA few years ago, a friend and I were each writing on our own blogs as religiously as we possibly could. And, everyday, when we checked out our Google Analytics, we were sorely disappointed in the hit counts. The comments we were received were equally disappointing- we would write each other comments pretty often, but unless I count my mysterious Chinese fan who would occasionally send me comments in either Mandarin or Cantonese (I don’t know the difference), neither one of us got very many other comments.

The reason was obvious- we weren’t taking the time to link to our articles. For whatever reason, we each thought that our small following of friends and acquaintances who would realistically check our blogs about once a month was enough to get us more hits. It wasn’t even close to enough.


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Quotations: Writers on Writing, iii

By becksta on 7/2/10 9:38am
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Tom ClancyTom Clancy

This is yet another installment in the Writer's Remorse series on quotes from famous writers. Check out the quotes from everyone from Stephen King to Shakespeare to see what these authors have to say about the art of writing.

 

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Retro Writing

By sparklyscotty on 7/1/10 9:10am
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The method of writing has evolved faster than Madonna’s image over the past few decades.  From pen and paper, to typewriters, then electric typewriters and word processors until finally, the PC and laptop.  (Will we all be typing on virtual keyboards or tablet PCs in the future?)



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Authors Behaving Badly: The Amazon Review

By lisala on 6/30/10 10:38pm
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You've heard about it, you even seen it from authors like Anne Rice and Candace Sams. It's the "writer's worst mistake." It's a case of authors behaving badly in response to reviews, especially online. Now, here it is, in video from Writing Life Films: "Amazon Reader Reviews."

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Wise Writing Words from Mel Menzies

By sparklyscotty on 6/30/10 9:55am
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Our interview subject this week was Mel Menzies.  Here are some more wise words from her...

Do you have a favourite writing quote?

Two:  I write when I feel like it, and I make sure I feel like it at 9 o’clock every morning which I think was George Bernard Shaw.  And: Writing is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration which is a misquote of Thomas Edison’s, Genius is 1% . . .

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

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Writers Interview with Mel Menzies

By sparklyscotty on 6/29/10 10:49am
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This week's interview is with the inspirational Mel Menzies.

Our series of writer interviews is intended to show the wide variety of work involved in being a writer, as well as the highs and lows of the writing life.  I also hope that these interviews will help to dispel many of the preconceptions and myths that some new writers hold, only to have lead to disappointment later when reality hits home. 


What is your primary type of writing (e.g. sci fi novels, articles, legal papers, poetry)

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Communication: Splicing together the arts (Part Two)

By cobwebsandstrange on 6/27/10 9:04am
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Film and music have been inextricably linked since silent films were originally accompanied by bands and orchestras during their displays. This relationship moved forward as Jean Renoir, using in-camera effects, sought to push his medium forward much in the same way Lou Reed and Andy Warhol married disparate elements of art culture. The later discovered that entertainment seekers were able to digest more than one mode of expression during a single instant. The concept behind the merger of Reed’s music and the short films of Warhol are in many ways directly applicable to the way that people now seek to integrate variegated technologies within a web-based environment.

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Quotations: Writers on Writing, II

By becksta on 6/25/10 2:08pm
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Ray Bradbury: You Must Stay Drunk on Writing So Reality Cannot Destroy YouRay Bradbury: You Must Stay Drunk on Writing So Reality Cannot Destroy YouWriters love nothing more than to talk about writing, which is why there are so many interesting quotes about the art of writing. Here are some more of my favorite quotes from a variety of writers on writing.


Ray Bradbury:  You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. 

James Michener:  I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter. 

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Short Writing and Brainstorming Exercises to Fight Writer's Block

By becksta on 6/24/10 8:34pm
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Forgotten TypewriterForgotten TypewriterWriter’s block is the single worst thing that can happen to a writer. Recently, while in a cafe, I had to confront my own writer’s block- what was I going to write about? Why was I three-tenths as creative as I usually was? What could I do to get the creative brain juices flowing a little more smoothly?

To combat the situation, I decided to brainstorm some of my own writer’s exercises. I am not claiming that they are 100% effective or guaranteeing that your imagination will return in full tilt, but in my humble opinion, these original writing exercises are definitely worth a try. Thinking of the exercises is a great way to alleviate Writer's Block in and of itself and I recommend trying to brainstorm a few of your own exercises.


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