Rachel Santino I am a new member of Women Writing the West. Having joined in the middle of 2021, very few of you reading this blog know who the heck I am. I thought it would be nice to introduce myself and share a little bit about how I ended up here as the currentContinue reading “Meet the 2023 Conference Chair”
Category Archives: Guest Blogs
New Release
Captured Secrets by Carmen Peone At some point, we have to release the secrets that hold us captive. After her parents die in a horrific car accident, Sydney Moomaw is thrust into running their popular guest ranch in eastern Washington. She discovers that her parents were keeping secrets. Why is the ranch in serious debt?Continue reading “New Release”
Do You Annoy Your Readers?
When you write, do you ever think that your work might annoy people? John W. Howell says the inspiration for this post was a series of tweets that people found annoying in books they have read. Hello SEers, It’s John again. Happy Hump Day. Today I want to talk about things that annoy readers. InContinue reading “Do You Annoy Your Readers?”
Find Your Best Ideas
Could you use six ways to find your best ideas before you start writing? K. M. Welland may have some answers for you. For writers, ideas are the primal matter. No ideas, no stories. But sometimes trying to figure out how to find your best ideas is like catching butterflies. They flit in; they flitContinue reading “Find Your Best Ideas”
Making Your Fiction A Place You Want To Be
Author Janet Key shares the feeling of not wanting to revisit the world she was creating and the tools she used to help make her fiction a place she wanted to be. Last fall, I decided with great determination that it was finally time to finish that literary novel of mine. At that point, IContinue reading “Making Your Fiction A Place You Want To Be”
Wandering Mind
Daphne Gray-Grant asks, “Are you ever accused of being a “daydreamer”? Don’t despair! It’s actually a very good sign that you’re allowing your mind to wander…“ A majestic cypress tree grew outside my grade 11 classroom window, eons ago. I remember spending hours staring at it, exploring its velvety green branches and reflecting on the boredom of myContinue reading “Wandering Mind”
ISBNs
Being forwarned is forearmed if have published, or are are moving in the direction of publishing a book. In Darcy Pattison’s article, she compares Y2K with ISBN numbers. Do you remember Y2K? When the century turned from 1900 to 2000, computer programs were in trouble. For many programs, the date had been programmed as 19__Continue reading “ISBNs”
It’s Time to Give Yourself a Break
“You’ve got one life to live, it’s time to get intentional with your wellbeing, beliefs & possibilities to create a life and business you are thriving in and passionate about!” ~Meagan Saum “Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is to relax.” If you run a business and roll your eyes at taking timeContinue reading “It’s Time to Give Yourself a Break”
Learning Dog Tricks Made Me a Calmer Person
Writer, Cindy Zikmund talks about the words, “leave it”, and how they can be of benefit in our life. While practicing the dog trick, Leave It, with my five-year old pup, I unexpectedly learned to regulate my own impulsive reactions and it couldn’t have come at a better time. During a live internet broadcast aboutContinue reading “Learning Dog Tricks Made Me a Calmer Person”
Nail That First Line!
Laura Drake talks about why the first line of a book is important. Stephen King reflected on the magnitude of a novel’s introductory sentence. “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story,” he said. “It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” Preach it, Steve. I’m notContinue reading “Nail That First Line!”
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