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We Need to Talk About COVID

Author: Laura Resnick

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We Need to Talk About COVID

As we enter our third year of the pandemic, writers of contemporary fiction face a dilemma: to write about the coronavirus or not.* In the past, diseases have formed a backbone for artistic storytelling—tuberculosis in La Bohème, for example, or AIDS in Angels in America—written while the maladies they discuss continued to spread uncontrolled. But are contemporary audiences ready to face stories about COVID? And if they are, what potential pitfalls await authors of those tales? Taking the market’s...

craft, market research, Publishing, society, Writing

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Social Media Mistakes

Marketing via social media can be an author’s full-time, unpaid job. Our publishers expect that we’ll do it well, consistently, in our author voice, making readers feel such a bond with us that of course they’ll buy our books, preferably by preorder or within the first week it’s out. A good portion of any marketing plan is based on the author doing more and more, and it can be exhausting. To have a consistent, popular online presence takes a keen sense of what resonates with readers. We’re constantly...

branding, habits, PR, professionalism, promotion, social media, Tools

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Selecting a Plot Structure that Works for You

Plot structures are not new. Everything from Greek tragedies to Shakespearean plays have been written in three- or four-act structures and their timing measured in beats. There are a ton of books and videos on the topic. Vonnegut shared his now famous “Shape of Stories” lecture. Bradbury, Harlan, Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, and many others willingly share their own favorites and advice. Think of a few books that may come to mind immediately: Save the Cat by Blake Snyder and Save the Cat...

craft, plot, self-editing, tutorials, Writing

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Laws of Attraction ~ Writing Sexual Tension

Oh, sexual tension. What is it? Why do we need it? Is it that important? I’m going to explain it. I’ll explain that, too. And bite your tongue, yes it is! Encyclopedia.com gives us a clear and accurate definition, especially as pertaining to romance as “… often hidden or suppressed feelings of anticipation, excitement, attraction, and desire that may occur in relation to another person … a necessary part of the sexual flirtations, courtships, and sexual foreplay. In the context of the sexual,...

craft, self-editing, tutorials, Writing

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Mastering Your Mindset ~ Taking Positive Steps Forward in a Negative World

Focus. Discipline. Choice. Manifesting. Positivity. As 2021 gave way to 2022, authors picked these and other powerful single words to use as their theme and guide this year after deciding enough was enough. Because, let’s face it, the past couple of years have been…a lot. We’ve faced a global pandemic, social unrest, and a level of ugliness that has made it difficult to focus on anything other than binge watching Bridgerton or Squid Game. Many of us have languished, if not felt downright depressed....

creativity, habits, mental road blocks, productivity, rituals, writer psychology, writer's block, Writing

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Growing Newsletter Engagement ~ A Case Study

Newsletters remain one of the most valuable tools authors have to promote our work. Our newsletters can be created without filters on content. We aren’t restricted by anyone else’s ideas about whether an image or a word is offensive. We manage the frequency of communication without being forced to bid for the privilege of reaching our audience, as we must for cost-per-click advertisements. And we can turn our newsletters into conversations, deepening our bonds with our readers. Newsletters, though,...

brand, Discovery, Marketing, newsletter, promotion, Publishing, Tools

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