Author Patrick Jones (The Linden Chronicles) advises – you better tune in to these 6 sites!

6 Social Media Sites, Essential for Writers | The Linden Chronicles.

Repost: Anyone who has suffered doubt about their ability as a writer needs to read this…

Click on the image to get “On Writing“

All of us have had them – moments when we say to ourselves:

“What am I doing?”

“Do I know?”

“Can I write?”

“Or am I fooling myself?”

What many of you might not know is the guy pictured above had quite a long period of his life in which he asked himself the same questions. Yeah, The Master of the Horror Novel had a lot of problems getting it done in his early years. 

His book “On Writing” teached about writing techniques – and you also get to learn a great deal about Stephen King, his family, the struggles he has endured, both pre-fame and post-fame, and what makes him tick as a popular horror novelist that has sold hundreds of millions of books worldwide.

There are essentially 3 parts to this book.  Part I is all about King’s life, and is autobiographical in a sense.  Part II is all about the craft of writing from King’s personal perspective.  Part III talks about King’s life after his tragic car accident that almost ended his life and writing career.  All 3 parts are equally instructive and compelling.

It’s a must-read for anyone interested in improving their technique, and it’s a fascinating read. Enjoy

Okay. I don’t get it…could someone please explain something to me?

So, I started to do these author interviews. And the response was sensational. Really. I’ve done 14 of them, have a list to do, and haven’t really halfway tried publicizing the fact that I’m doing them.

But this ain’t about me – or my blog. I get my hits every day. This was – is – about everyone getting to know each other, and get a little insight into the paths each of us has travelled to get where we are in our writing.

But something is really troubling me. Even though many people have asked for an interview – not very many of those same people come by to check out anyone else’s. That’s strange. And it saddens me. I have come to realize that writers are, by and large, giving, compassionate, unselfish, and what I’m seeing now completely goes against that profile. 

We ALL want to get our names out there. Like I said – and I don’t mean to sound boorish – but I can post other stuff and get visits to my site. I WANT to post interviews. And I want you to come by and get to know a little something about the folks you talk with every day…and support them.

‘Nuf said. 

Anyone who has suffered doubt about their ability as a writer needs to read this…

Click on the image to get “On Writing“

All of us have had them – moments when we say to ourselves:

“What am I doing?”

“Do I know?”

“Can I write?”

“Or am I fooling myself?”

What many of you might not know is the guy pictured above had quite a long period of his life in which he asked himself the same questions. Yeah, The Master of the Horror Novel had a lot of problems getting it done in his early years. 

His book “On Writing” teached about writing techniques – and you also get to learn a great deal about Stephen King, his family, the struggles he has endured, both pre-fame and post-fame, and what makes him tick as a popular horror novelist that has sold hundreds of millions of books worldwide.

There are essentially 3 parts to this book.  Part I is all about King’s life, and is autobiographical in a sense.  Part II is all about the craft of writing from King’s personal perspective.  Part III talks about King’s life after his tragic car accident that almost ended his life and writing career.  All 3 parts are equally instructive and compelling.

It’s a must-read for anyone interested in improving their technique, and it’s a fascinating read. Enjoy

Good morning, all! My “Chatting with the Authors” interview today is with Gay Ingram, author of the inspirational book “Some Write Thoughts”

Click on the cover to get it on Amazon!

About the author:

In 2000, Gay Ingram published her first novel “’Til Death Do Us Part. This was followed by a second novel, Troubled Times and a history of her hometown, Tracks on the Sand. In 2007, Tate Publishing produced Living With a Depressed Spouse, a personal account offering hopes for others. She has also published, A Stirred Pot, a collection of short stories. Her latest novel, Twist of Fate,was released
in 2010. Past publishing credits include both fiction and nonfiction. Herb Quarterly, Texas Gardener, and Backwoods Home have all carried her work. Her articles on writing have appeared in Writers’ Journal, Fellowscript and other publications.

TR: Good morning, Gay, and welcome!

GI: Good morning, Thomas, and thanks for having me.

TR: So, I read that you first published in 2001. How old were you when you wrote your first piece?

GI: I did not start what I recognized as writing as an activity other than correspondence until I was close to fifty years old. Previous to that, I wrote copious letters to family and friends.

TR: What was it, and in what genre?

GI: My first writings was a collection of essays/devotionals based on what God was doing in my life at the time. A friend generously printed numerous copies, a few of which I actually sold, many have been given away over the years, and I still have a bundle in storage.

TR: What made you write it?

GI: I wanted to share with others the workings of God in my life and the spiritual lessons He was teaching me.

TR: That sounds well worth reading. What have you written since then?

GI: The next phase of my writing career came about as a result of my consuming interest in herbs. I began putting together little booklets about the history of, the growing, and the usage of herbs. This led to producing a bi-monthly newsletter sold by subscription and several articles in national magazines.

A creative writing course at a local college opened up fiction writing for me. I have since published three novels, a history of my home town, a memoir of the years of my husband’s depression, a collection of short stories (now out of print), a collection of essays regarding my father’s experiences with Alzheimer’s and four Shorts available only on Kindle.

TR: What was the inspiration for your current book?

GI: Currently I’ve been fighting for several years with a novel about two women with diverse personalities who were life-long friends and how their lives intertwine. Its inspired by a personal friendship I still have with a high school classmate.

TR: Tell us a little about it, and where it’s available.

GI: All of my novels and Shorts are available on Amazon.com and through my website: www.pineywoodsbooks.com

TR: Very good. Is there a particular place or setting where you get your writing ideas?

GI: I’m an incurable people-watcher and my stories revolve around ordinary people experiencing extraordinary circumstances.

TR: What made you choose either traditional or independent publishing?

GI: I’ve used a variety of publishing venues—from vanity to POD. The only goal I haven’t achieved is to be offered a contract from a traditional publishing house.

TR: If you had to choose the most important element in an author’s platform, what would it be?

GI: Learn the craft. Don’t hesitate to allow someone else to read and evaluate your work. And don’t rush a novel into print.

TR: Great advice! What mistakes have you made in regards to publishing and marketing your work, and what will you do differently in the future?

GI: My biggest mistake is cause by a personality that is not aggressive enough and I don’t think there is a cure for that.

TR: Do you have an idea for your next book?

GI: I have two manuscripts awaiting publication (will probably go with a small press run by a fellow author) and the WIP. Other than that, I stay quite busy blogging three times a week.Everyone can find me at:

(www.venturegalleries.com & www.gayingram.blogspot.com )

There you have it, friends. A little insight into Gay Ingram. I hope you take the time to visit her on her blog, and check out her book on Amazon. My next interview, on Tuesday the 23rd, will be with my friend, Tina Gayle, author of the romance novel “Breath”. Be there!

Good morning, all! My “Chatting with the Authors” interview today is with T.W. Dittmer, author of “The Valley Walker”, a mystical adventure…:)

Click on the cover to get the book at Amazon!

TR: Good morning, Tim…thanks for dropping by.

TW: Good morning, Thomas. Thanks so much for offering to interview me. I appreciate your blog and am happy to be part of it.

TR: So, let’s get this rolling. How old were you when you wrote your first piece?

TW: I was seventeen, a senior in high school that knew everything there was to know about nothing.

TR: What was it, and in what genre?

TW: Actually it was music, a folk-rock piece titled My Fortress.

TR: What made you write it?

TW: My family was very musical, and some of it must have rubbed off on me. I think I was inspired by songwriters of the time, and poets that I studied in school. Coleridge’s Kubla Khan impressed me so much that I imitated him.

TR: What have you written since then?

TW: I majored in music after I got out of the army, and wrote songs for years. The music career never panned out, and I quit writing altogether for decades. For some strange reason I started writing again, began working on a novel. It took about four years to finish, but The Valley Walker was published in April of this year.

TR: What was the inspiration for your current book?

TW: Life in general is an inspiration, I think. Places I’ve been and things I’ve seen, people I’ve met and worked with, books and movies and music. It all works together.

TR: Tell us a little about it, and where it’s available.

TW: Well, The Valley Walker is a mystical tale about a Vietnam veteran’s quest for redemption and justice. That story line is interlaced with the efforts of a special task force to stop the sale of heroin to American college students. It’s available right now as an EBook for the Kindle at Amazon.

TR: Is there a particular place or setting where you get your writing ideas?

TW: Not really. The raw kernel of an idea can come from just about anything. It just comes, and I jot it down. I dig into it, doing some research and chewing on it and thinking about how it could work in a story. Then comes the fun part, just running with it.

TR: What made you choose either traditional or independent publishing?

TW: I don’t know if anyone ever read the query letters I sent out, but nobody asked to read the book… or even part of it. I was pretty much dead in the water when a few people started doing well at self-publishing and it made the news. I heard about it, looked into how it was done, and decided to give it a try.

TR: If you had to choose the most important element in an author’s platform, what would it be?

TW: To me, it’s a good story and good writing that gains you readers, and the best place to showcase that is in a blog. But please don’t make any major decisions based on that statement. I’m such a noob at this that I’m still trying to figure out where the bathrooms are.

TR: What mistakes have you made in regards to publishing and marketing your work, and what will you do differently in the future?

TW: I don’t know that I would classify anything I’ve done as a mistake, or even a missed step. I’m still learning, bumping into things and knocking them over, but I’m meeting a lot of great people and having a pretty good time doing it. I do think that it’s a good idea for an author wanting to enter the literary world to learn as much as they can about the craft and the business before they jump in.

TR: Do you have an idea for your next book?

TW: I’ve just about completed the first draft on the next one, but have stepped back to learn as much as I can about the writing craft before I continue.

TR: Thank you, Tim. And there you have it folks. If you would like to follow Tim’s blog, you can find it here:

http://twdittmer.wordpress.com/

Drop by tomorrow, when I interview Patsy Collins with her new book, “Escape to the Country“!