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This Week's Headlines - 04/15/2011
This week enjoy two features themed around colors and writing. The Color of Inspiration - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about How to Use Colors in Writing by Brittnee Alford and Seven Colors In An Acid Wash by Colin Conway.
"Sunday: It’s the beginning of the week. The sun comes up through the blinds. The clock reads 6:30 AM. You always wake up at 6:30 AM. Why? Because that’s the time you wake up to start writing. You sit behind your desk. Pull out your worn notebook."
The Sherlockian By Graham Moore
By Carlotta Holton
As an avid fan of Arthur Conan Doyle, I found that the game was definitely afoot in this delightfully ripping mystery-within-a-mystery. Author Graham Moore’s debut novel adeptly alternates the action between two time frames, two continents and two heroes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and contemporary Baker Street Irregular, Harold White with the underlying theme of man’s “need to know.”
Book Scout: Tips for Survival By Colin Conway
I used to be a boy scout. I learned things like how to weave a basket, carve a horse out wood and punch holes in leather. I also learned how to survive in the wilderness, at least for a week-end, and I have the badge to prove it. Now, in an effort to earn my "You are a Published Author" Merit Badge I've come up with BOOK SCOUT: Tips for Survival which is based upon my experience as a scout.
This Week's Headlines - 04/08/2011
Literary Jedi by Colin Conway
Writing isn’t easy, especially good writing. The writer has all kinds of distractions to contend with and I’m not an exception to that rule. My “distraction”, Darkfor (yeah, I named him) is a sinister “dark force” that hovers just inches above my computer and causes me to stick my fingers in a potato chip bag instead of placing them on the keyboard... Read More
The Case of the Silent Witness by W. Robert Wallis and Patrick M. Wallis.
By Colin Conway
I needed a good book to distract me. Distract me from what? I had three boxes of Thin Mints, and the way I was going through them they weren’t surviving the week. To distract me from my cookie binge I turned to The Case of: The Silent Witness by W. Robert Wallis and Patrick M. Wallis.
Hit The Road By L.L. McKinney
One of the many questions that rise for new writers after they’ve completed their first manuscript deals with conferences. Well, more than one question actually, it’s almost like playing Twenty Questions with yourself. Should I go? Are they worth it? Do I go alone? When am I ready? Which one(s) do I go to? How do I decide with so many options and not so much money?
This Week's Headlines - 03/18/2011
The Last Bookstore by Colin Conway
In a world where literature was all but dead I was on a quest... Read More
By Carlotta Holton
In the years after World War II many immigrants came to America. As a result ethnic neighborhoods sprung up across the country. One such area was Brooklyn, New York. Enter book keeper Eilis Lacey a young woman who cannot find work in Ireland and who leaves her mother and sister behind in Enniscorthy – the author’s native land - to pursue a new life in America.
The Stickiness of Extensions By Jessica Quillin
Do you ever feel guilty for asking an editor or client for more time with a project? How do you reconcile that sensation of being overwhelmed about being unable to finish something within an assigned time frame with the sheer necessity of wanting to present professional, polished work that is worthy of having your name attached to it?
Hit The Road By L.L. McKinney
One of the many questions that rise for new writers after they’ve completed their first manuscript deals with conferences. Well, more than one question actually, it’s almost like playing Twenty Questions with yourself. Should I go? Are they worth it? Do I go alone? When am I ready? Which one(s) do I go to? How do I decide with so many options and not so much money?
This Week's Headlines - 03/04/2011
It’s okay. You can stop stockpiling supplies and trying to convert your neighbor’s pool into a fallout shelter. Everything is going to be fine. After a brief hiatus WritersNewsWeekly has returned with new editions.
First, a special thanks to our staff: Sara Halleman, Chris Stokum, Sarah Schiavoni, Meghan Morrow and Elizabeth Milo all who helped to create an informative, top-notch and thoroughly enjoyable publication. They are all busy with new ventures but we hope to hear from them from time to time.
Now, for a warm welcome to our new staff: Colin Conway, Brittnee Alford and Danielle Bissert. Colin is the Editor-In-Chief and has his own column: Colin’s Corner. You can contact him at editor@writersnewsweekly.com. Brittnee is our editor and our book reviewer. She’s tough but fair. Danielle is the assistant to the Publisher and also conducts author interviews. If you are looking to have your book reviewed or to be interviewed contact them at submissions@writersnewsweekly.com.
Thanks for your continued support.
Here’s to good writing, good reading and a good life.
Enjoy!
Oh Brother! The Life & Times of Jeff Fazzolari by Cliff Fazzolari By Britnee Alford
Cliff Fazzolari had me from beginning to end, simple as that. I literally laughed out loud, teared up, and felt everything that was happening to Jeff and the Fazzolari family. The prankster’s tricks never got old, and all I could do was laugh at the reality of having a guy like Jeff in the family. Fazzolari did a great job with constructing the story, intertwining funny anecdotal stories, flashbacks, and memories throughout the experience of pain and suffering.
The Stickiness of Extensions By Jessica Quillin
Do you ever feel guilty for asking an editor or client for more time with a project? How do you reconcile that sensation of being overwhelmed about being unable to finish something within an assigned time frame with the sheer necessity of wanting to present professional, polished work that is worthy of having your name attached to it?
Get Back Up By L.L. McKinney
Rejection is something every writer has to deal with, point blank period. It’s an intimate part of what we’re trying to do—get our work published in some form or fashion—and it rears its ugly head in more than one way. We face rejection from other writers, from BETA readers, from editors, from agents and especially from ourselves.
This Week's Headlines - 02/25/2011
It’s okay. You can stop stockpiling supplies and trying to convert your neighbor’s pool into a fallout shelter. Everything is going to be fine. After a brief hiatus WritersNewsWeekly has returned with new editions.
First, a special thanks to our staff: Sara Halleman, Chris Stokum, Sarah Schiavoni, Meghan Morrow and Elizabeth Milo all who helped to create an informative, top-notch and thoroughly enjoyable publication. They are all busy with new ventures but we hope to hear from them from time to time.
Now, for a warm welcome to our new staff: Colin Conway, Brittnee Alford and Danielle Bissert. Colin is the Editor-In-Chief and has his own column: Colin’s Corner. You can contact him at editor@writersnewsweekly.com. Brittnee is our editor and our book reviewer. She’s tough but fair. Danielle is the assistant to the Publisher and also conducts author interviews. If you are looking to have your book reviewed or to be interviewed contact them at submissions@writersnewsweekly.com.
Thanks for your continued support.
Here’s to good writing, good reading and a good life.
Enjoy!
The Apocalypse Chronicles by Steven Craig Barrett By Colin Conway
As I began to read Steven Craig Barrett’s new book The Apocalypse Chronicles I was pleased with the interesting form it took. The story is an epistolary novel in which we find the narrator reflecting on his past and the state of the world by way of his journal. As the story opens Barrett’s narrator and main character, Jonathan, immediately establishes an ominous tone which foreshadows the dark events which he is about to unfold. From the first few pages I was eager to know what dark mysteries were in store for me.
The Stickiness of Extensions By Jessica Quillin
Do you ever feel guilty for asking an editor or client for more time with a project? How do you reconcile that sensation of being overwhelmed about being unable to finish something within an assigned time frame with the sheer necessity of wanting to present professional, polished work that is worthy of having your name attached to it?
Been a While! By L.L. McKinney
So, it’s been a while since the last time we spoke! If articles can count as conversation. I think they can, depending on the subjects breeched. While things were being handled here at Writer’s News Weekly I kept right on writing. A lot of what I covered hovered around NaNoWriMo—since the last post was during the first part of November—and managing to write during one of the busiest times of the year. Busy times equal distractions and all and I wrote about how to remain motivated in between family get-togethers and holiday parties. None of those pieces saw the light of day unless it was reflected off of my laptop screen.
This Week's Headlines - 02/08/2011
The Meyers Method by C. A. Meyers By Danielle Bissert
If you’re looking for a book that will really hit you in the gut, that will shock and astound you, then this one is for you. The heartbreaking and inspiring tale of a woman’s recovery from alcoholism, it will force you to reexamine your life and what you think is really important. Alcohol destroyed everything Meyers cared about, and she was able to recover and start her life over. She shares with readers her method for healthy living that can help anyone who is willing to make an effort to change.
Intelligent Social Networks By Sara Halleman
This week I would like to celebrate what I call “intelligent social networking.” I have recently had a falling out with the network site Facebook. Basically I quit the addictive site cold turkey just to prove I could. Well as the 3 week itch is coming around the bend I have reached out to find other websites that might officially cure this addiction. Here is a list of a few that I find refreshing.
The Stickiness of Extensions By Jessica Quillin
Do you ever feel guilty for asking an editor or client for more time with a project? How do you reconcile that sensation of being overwhelmed about being unable to finish something within an assigned time frame with the sheer necessity of wanting to present professional, polished work that is worthy of having your name attached to it?
Get Out of the Way! By L.L. McKinney
Week two for NaNoWriMo is well underway, and I hope everyone is having a good time! Not to mention meeting those daily word counts. As of right now, I’m about one day behind. Actually, a little less than that, but I’m going to use the next stretch of significant free time that crops up to get back on track. It’s not easy, trying to get down 1,667 words a day. And I’m a newbie! This is my first year participating. I’m fairly certain I’ve said that before, but it warrants repeating because it is my newbishness that inspired this week’s blurb.
This Week's Headlines - 11/10/2010
NaNoWriMo By Sara Halleman
As I am sure you already know it is NaNoWriMo, or for you nerds out there who do not know what that means it is National Novel Writing Month. November is the month that is dedicated to your writing! Participants, known as Wrimos, are taking the bet to write a 175 page novel throughout the month.
Why We Write By Jessica Quillin
Metaphors and analogies are profuse whenever a writer is asked to describe his or her inspiration and purpose for writing. For Wordsworth, it was a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” Other writers throughout history have taken different points of view on the passive/active nature of what stirs us to communicate our thoughts in words and sentences. Writing about writing seems to invite prosaic philosophizing inasmuch as it does sarcastic self-deprecation.
Get Out of the Way! By L.L. McKinney
Week two for NaNoWriMo is well underway, and I hope everyone is having a good time! Not to mention meeting those daily word counts. As of right now, I’m about one day behind. Actually, a little less than that, but I’m going to use the next stretch of significant free time that crops up to get back on track. It’s not easy, trying to get down 1,667 words a day. And I’m a newbie! This is my first year participating. I’m fairly certain I’ve said that before, but it warrants repeating because it is my newbishness that inspired this week’s blurb.
This Week's Headlines - 11/03/2010
WritersNewsWeekly is proud to announce the winner of this year’s Tommy Awards: Ben Lieberman for his novel Odd Jobs. Honorable mentions for the Tommy Awards go to authors Dennis McKay, Catie Donnelly, Dennis Webster, Carl Brookins, and Paul M.Schofield. Thank you to everyone who submitted to this year’s award committee. We are now accepting new submissions for next year’s award. We look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
Tommy Awards Winner: Ben Lieberman By Sara Halleman
Each year WritersNewsWeekly sponsors the Tommy Award for Excellence in Writing. We look for talent in the unpublished world in hopes that they will gain the positive attention that they deserve. This year’s winner is author Ben Lieberman of Chappaqua, NY. His novel, Odd Jobs was among hundreds of entries sent for consideration. Read More
"The sun is coming up, and somewhere someone is thinking how beautiful this is and what a great day it’s going to be. That’s not me..." Click here to read an excerpt from Odd Jobs.
A Month of Writing By Jessica Quillin
November begins an onslaught of major project deadlines for my small writing business. It is kind of funny to me that this month is Crunch Month for me because it is also National Novel Writing Month (better known as NaNoWriMo). For years when I dreamed of my life as a professional writer, I envisioned that I would have plenty of time to sit down and to calmly write 50,000 words of a novel from scratch by 30 November. Read More
Combating Negativity By L.L. McKinney
To all my fellow writers out there who are undertaking the wacky challenge of writing 50,000 words in just thirty days, I’m right there with you. I’m looking forward to this undertaking, it’ll be my first year and I’m ready for it. I’ve done my research, I’ve made my plot outline—for the most part—and I’m fired up. I’m expecting fantastic days when the story just flows and the words come flying out, but I’m looking for the days I know will come when I just want to give up. No, I’m not being pessimistic, I’m taking preemptive measures. Read More
This Week's Headlines - 10/27/2010
Attention: WritersNewsWeekly is now accepting books to be submitted for review.
Click here for our submission guidelines.
Monsters Are Taking Over Literature
By Sara Halleman
We did the mash! We did the literary-monster mash up... and it was a literary smash! Its the publishing fad that has been taking our beloved classics and turning them into monster parodies. It all started in 2009 with Seth Grahame-Smith’s monster mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The book follows along the same general plot with just a few slight changes. The most obvious being that zombies, or ‘unmentionables,’ roam the English countryside.
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WritersNewsWeekly had the pleasure of speaking with horror fiction author Robert Freese this week. We discuss his two releases this month and why he is so drawn to the genre.
"I’ve been writing since I was a kid, putting together my little stories like books with tape and staples. I used to draw my own comics too. It seems like I’ve always been writing something."
Surviving the Creative Wasteland By Jessica Quillin
Most, if not all, writers know the exasperating feeling of rewriting a sentence or paragraph a million times yet being unable to achieve quite the right tone or phrasing. Most of us eventually either give up or move on in this situation. Yet, I’ve always wondered if it is possible to write through these moments of frustration, even though you may feel as if your brain is zapped and your creativity nil.
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Change is a Good Thing By L.L. McKinney
As October slowly draws to a close, autumn kicked into full force. The leaves are turning and the air now has a delightful bite to it. Halloween (my absolute favorite holiday) approaches, bringing with it costumes, candy and harmless tricks. The days grow shorter, the nights grow longer, and the times are changing, quite literally. Soon we’ll all have to set out clocks back by an hour. Change is a good thing, both in life and in literature. I know how horrifying it is at first, but once we embrace it as writers, it can be one of the most powerful tools in that toolbox we discussed last week.
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This Week's Headlines - 10/20/2010
Attention: WritersNewsWeekly is now accepting books to be submitted for review.
Click here for our submission guidelines.
WNW Reviews The Passage
By Sara Halleman
To get into the Halloween spirit I have decided to read a book that is toping horror’s book list since its publication earlier this year. The book, The Passage by Justin Cronin, extends to a hefty 784 pages but reads at the pace of half of that. At first glance Cronin’s novel can be mistaken for another vampire fantasy story. However, once you commit yourself to the tale you will see there is much more to it. Cronin adds in government conspiracies and a viral epidemic to give the vampire tales a unique twist. Read More
WNW speaks with Howard Hopkins
WritersNewsWeekly had the pleasure of chatting with Fictionwise #1 Best-Selling and Eppie nominated author, Howard Hopkins. Based in Maine, Hopkins writes horror fiction, westerns, pulp fiction, comic books and graphic novels. Read more to learn about why horror intrigues Hopkins. Read More
Ready, Set, ... Write By Jessica Quillin
This week I have so much to research and write about that I scarcely know where to start, never mind actually have time to breathe. I’m trying to take things one step at a time. But, as an intrinsic multi-tasker, I am finding myself impatiently working on one project for an hour, jumping to the next one, and then back to the first project. Read More
Tools of the Trade By L.L. McKinney
I hope everything is going well with the editing and revising of those works in progress. I’m so deep into my own rewrites that I’m up to my eyeballs in red ink. I’m incredibly busy in concerns to my writing, which is a wonderful place to be, and I’m glad we could be there together. Read More
