Month: May 2019

7 Tips to Writing an Ending Whether You Want To or Not

Legends of Windemere

That’s a heavy quote . . . Let’s lighten the mood with a humorous list of ways an author can end a story.

  1. Don’t do it!  You might never have another idea and people already like this one.  Even if you have another idea, it might pale in comparison to what you’re working on at this moment.  You can never stop!  Squeeze every bit of lore out of this story and then give it an open-ended finale to allow yourself to come back later.  Eternity is the only way to survive!
  2. Aim for some level of closure.  Sure, you can leave things open for another tale, but bring this story to a true end.  That way, if you don’t come back, the series has an actual ending.  Keep in mind that closure is something you should probably ease into instead of one sudden ‘bad guy dies and everyone goes home…

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Writers blocked: Even fantasy fiction is now offensive – The Spectator Online…

This topic is . . . complicated. Once upon a time (two years ago to be exact) I wrote a story centering on a bi-ethnic girl (half-Black and half-Japanese). I was told that because I wasn’t Japanese I would receive criticism (as an appetizer to the vitriolic shaming a la meat-tenderizing) to follow. I learned from the wonderful author, Linda Sue Park (A LONG WALK TO WATER) that writing outside of your ethnic group is okay so long as you do it intelligently, sensitively, and knowledgeable. There’s more to it than that and I will most likely write more about my experience and this new trend (yes, please oh please, let this be a passing trend) where even when writers are sincere, passionate, compassionate, and accurate in their story-telling are bullied and shamed into writing self-centered memoirs. Write what you know has taken on a sinister, new meaning. :*(

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Persecution is endemic in the vicious world of Young Adult publishing

It was Lionel Shriver who saw the writing on the wall.

Giving a keynote speech at the Brisbane Writers Festival three years ago in which she decried the scourge of modern identity politics, Shriver observed that the dogma of ‘cultural appropriation’ —which demands no less than complete racial segregation in the arts — had not yet wrapped its osseous fingers around the publishing industry.

But, she warned: ‘This same sensibility is coming to a bookstore near you.’

Reader, it has come.

Continue reading HERE

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How to Market Your Self-Published Book to Independent Bookstores

How To Ebook

How to Market Your Self-Published Book to Independent Bookstores

by Penny Sansevieri

Reading Time: 5 minutesNot everyone may say it, but it’s in everybody’s dreams to see their published books on a shelf in an independent bookstore.

This desire is justified: obviously, every one of us wants to go down in history as a person who wrote a bestseller or even a masterpiece that future generations will gladly read.

This seems like a wonderful dream that just comes true when you finish writing your book. Yet, in reality, not everything is as easy as it may seem. It’s likely that a publishing house will refuse to work with you or the editor won’t like your book. Besides, the added expense of working with a publishing house can strip you of the money that you can put into really smart book promotion strategies.

Because if you’re an author and…

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News: Tupac’s Estate Creates Poetry Contest In Honor Of The Slain Rapper

Ipromote Muziq

News: Tupac's Estate Creates Poetry Contest In Honor Of The Slain Rapper News: Tupac’s Estate Creates Poetry Contest In Honor Of The Slain Rapper

The month of April is celebrated as National Poetry Month, and the arbiters of the Tupac Shakur’s estateare calling for all poets to submit their work for a contest. While the lyricism, style, and wit of the slain rapper has beenadmired since he was gunned down on the streets of Las Vegas in 1996, at the heart of his artistry, Shakur was a poet.

Pac was often criticized forhis “Thug Life” exteriorand vulgarity expressed in his songs, but he was multi-layered as he was misunderstood. His cultural and social-consciousness made him an activist and voice for marginalized communities, and aside from the chart-topping hits that he is remembered for, the creators of this contest hope to continue his legacy through an art form that he loved so dearly.

https://www.instagram.com/_u/2pac/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_mid=XKxTHwABAAH7-NiJzNYa-BomiSzL

Those interested in the contest must write a piece…

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