After working with five editors in the course of publishing my last five books, I have learned the essential elements of establishing a good relationship between my editor and me. Like most lessons, many have been learned through mistakes, some very costly. Since I doubt that my experience is unique, I ‘ll detail the lessons […]
About Lin Wilder
It’s Done! Now What?
Finally, your first or maybe fifth book is done. All that work, concentration and discipline over, done! For a time we feel exhilaration, relief and pride. But only for a while. Maybe it will be weeks, days or merely hours but inevitably, we’ll hear that voice, “Now what?” Recently I completed a non-fiction book I […]
What is the Single Most Critical Attribute for a Writer?
The most important attribute for a writer? If we were to ask this question to those who have never written a word but claim they will write a book one day, I’d wager they’d answer that the most important thing writers must have is that innate skill of how to write—good writers are born knowing how to write, right? Some may claim creativity as the most […]
Research: Bane or Boon of Novelists?
Research. Does the word send you into spasms of frustration, dread or anxiety? Or conjure up images of formulas that you could never remember for the test? Or does the adventure of learning fire you up, get your juices flowing fast and hard? When I asked Suzanne for suggestions, she came up with this one. […]
Writing for Fun or Profit? 5 Reasons To Be Clear
Are you writing for fun or profit, is it a business or is it a hobby? Without evidence of published works and records of profits and losses, it is a hobby, so says the IRS. Why even ask the question? Why does it matter? All too often, in my experience anyway, we women deny the importance […]
Marketing – Wise Investment or Money Pit?
My husband loves to watch a TV reality show called The Curse of Oak Island. Apparently people have been searching the tiny island in Nova Scotia for centuries in hopes of unearthing either buried treasure or the ark of the covenant. Rick and Marty Lagina are twenty-first-century explorers and hosts who frequently refer to their […]
The Rules of Writing – There Are No Rules
“John, I know you were a Marine, therefore you love rules. The rule you need to remember here is that there are no rules.” My husband is a psychologist and told me about this simple piece of advice from the head nurse of an inpatient psychiatric unit where he was working as an intern. That […]