Women on Writing - WOW and WOW!
Women On Writing is an online magazine and community for women writers. Among major topics are novel writing, indie publishing, author platform, blogging, screenwriting, and more. Lots of contests and general jocularity sans frittering on the part of Earth's most powerful humans.
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We are excited to announce the WOW! Women on Writing book blog tour with author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo and her book The House on Linden Way. The book is a ghost story with elements of horror and Gothic suspense. A perfect fall season read! Here's a bit more about The House on Linden Way: While passing through her hometown a decade after she left, Amber Blake impulsively revisits her old house on Linden Way. She only means to stay a moment, to show her three-year-old daughter Bee the place where she grew up. But when the kindly new owners invite them inside, Amber cannot resist. Soon Bee is missing, the owners have disappeared, and Amber finds herself in a houseful of gh…
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My eagerness to earn more extra income these days can be blinding. Many times, it's led me to say "yes" to projects when I was already stretched thin. I've also fought the temptation to "try out" a project when I knew deep down I wasn't suitable for it. But lately, that terrible habit of mine has changed, and I'm thankful to God for it. I only came to realize that part of me has changed when I talked to an editor about a possible writing job. It was well-paying and not outside of the kind of topics I'm interested in writing about. Then I googled the company. And it turns out, it didn't have the greatest reputation but was not a company that fell in the "scam" category. I…
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We are excited to announce a unique blog tour featuring the film The Invisible Vegan, an eye-opening documentary that we are so honored to share with you. About the Film The documentary begins with the personal story of Jasmine Leyva, a 30-year-old Black actress and filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. Over the past seven years, Leyva has committed herself to veganism, both in lifestyle and research. Taking Leyva’s unhealthy childhood growing up in Washington, DC as a point of departure, the film interweaves her narrative with the professional and personal experiences of a prominent group of vegan activists. The film integrates interviews with popular culture lumina…
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A few weeks ago, I had an AMAZING time at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, watching Ain’T Too Proud, the Life and Times of the Temptations. The music, the choreography, the cast, the story—it was fantastic and I enjoyed every minute of the show! I always enjoy going to the Fox, of course; it’s a gorgeous theater and worth every penny (and it’s a pretty penny). Last weekend, I had an AMAZING time at the Colleen O. Williams Community Theater near Athens, GA, watching The Addams Family, A New Musical. The music, the choreography, the cast, the story—it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of the show! I’d never been to this theater before but since my daughter was Mortic…
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Photo by Pexels April 25 is National Telephone Day. As a child of the late 1980s and early 1990s, oh how I loved the telephone. I was talking to someone the other day about how many phone numbers I had memorized when I was a teenager, and now I can barely remember my own kids’ phone numbers because they are automatically programmed into my phone. I'm an only child, and once my parents let me have my own phone extension in my room, I thought I had struck gold. Looking back, it was probably because they were tired of hearing me yakking with my friends out in the living room all the time. I would spend hours on that phone, calling anyone and everyone I could think of, inc…
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Filled with tiny bursts of insight to nourish your heart, warm your soul, and help you to remember your true self. If you find yourself asking big, deep life questions like, "What's my purpose?" and "Why am I here?" then you'll want to curl up with The Little Book of Big Knowing. Three reasons why you’ll love this book: It includes gentle reminders of why you are here, who you are at your core, and why your dreams matter to more than just you. This book will help you to look at life in a light-hearted, joyful way. Consider it spirituality with a playful twist! And the best part is, the book is written in short bursts you can read in any order. So you can pick it up, rea…
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I’ve got a writing predicament over here and I don’t know quite how to fix it. It’s not the usual problem, like a muddled middle, a runaway plot, or a flat character. It’s a bit more complicated and a lot more embarrassing. On the other hand, I feel like my writing friends will understand. Because I need a little validation, a smidgen of compassion. But then again, I might get a swift kick in the laptop instead. Anyway, here goes: I can only write under certain circumstances and that’s about to change! Whew. It’s a relief to finally say it out loud. Except I sense you might be confused, struggling as it were to get on board the Cathy C. Hall Support Train. So let me e…
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The other night, I walked outside with Libs for her last business meeting. It’s around 11:00 and there is a distinct chill in the air. Though the moon is peeking through the tree canopy and a light shines from my screened-in porch, it’s dark and my eyes have not yet adjusted to the shapes in my yard. Suddenly, Libs takes off across the shadowed ground and barks her “Leave my yard, intruder!” bark. It’s not yippy; it’s a lower, guttural attack bark and I come down the stairs from the porch, yelling. I can’t see anything in the dark, and there is no counter to her bark, no shuffling on the ground, no hiss, no noise at all, and just as suddenly, Libs comes trotting over to…
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I’ve been thinking about resistance a lot lately. (And not just because Chris Hemsworth used those resistance bands to get ripped for Thor: Love and Thunder.) I’m like that petulant kindergartener, fighting the first day back to school after a delightful summer vacation. I’m digging in my heels, whining to…well, in my case, Libs the poor dog. “I don’t want to,” I moan as I tackle the latest obstacle. Not that Libs cares. She doesn’t understand that I resist because things change, and my lazier self gets tired of learning the new way, even though while I’m in the midst of learning, I’m also often thinking, “Oh! This is much better!” Take a query, for example. It wasn’t …
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Photo by Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels.com I sit down to work on my to-to list. As a freelance writer, this looks different each day. I try to be mindful of my various production deadlines by using the free project management tool, Asana, which I’ve written about before. I make my list. -Write a 400 to 450-word blog post for a client. -Meet the members of a local community choir for coffee so they can tell me about their organization for a local lifestyle magazine. -Research the next podcast episode. -Write 500-1,000 words on next podcast script. At first glance, this list looks manageable, right? It's only four items--shouldn't take that long to knock those out. Ha! Not when th…
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Bracelets used to be super popular that said WWJD (What would Jesus Do?). I'm more prone to looking for a WWSD bracelet--What would Sioux do?... and then advising everyone to do the opposite. You name the wrong fork in the road, and I've not only taken it, I've dilly-dallied along the way, I've backtracked to go along the wrong fork several times, I've bought houses situated on the wrong fork, I've set out a lunch on a blanket on the ground and gazed at the sights along the wrong fork in the road, I've... well, you get the picture. image by Pixabay Don't get me wrong. I've fallen into some i…
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If you’re a writer who wants to one day attract the interest of an agent or publishing house, or create products to sell on your own, creating a platform for yourself is a must. In essence, this platform is your visibility as an author. There are several different ways you can work on building your platform if you haven’t already. You can: Create a website or blog. Build an e-mail list where you can alert subscribers to upcoming projects, books for sale, and provide free content. Write guest blog posts or articles for online publications. Grow a social media following through sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Become a public speaker on topics you w…
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2022 started with a bang. Or maybe it was more of a thud. It was around three in the morning, pitch black outside, winds howling. And I know us writer types love to use that expression for colorful imagery but in this case, the winds were actually howling. Broken branches were knocking against my house and roof and now wide awake, I began to read (and pray), waiting for the worst of the storm to pass through. An hour or so later, I heard a thud and LOUD cracking. There is nothing quite as terrifying as that cracking sound when you live with ginormous trees all around you. But Libs was quiet, the house was intact, and I figured that a tree had fallen in the woods. I fig…
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Last week, I arrived for my dentist appointment at the top of the 10:00 AM hour and so I joined five or six people waiting. I looked around and almost laughed out loud. Every person—young and old—sat with head down, reading or watching the screens on their phones. I sat there, pondering. Questions like, “When was the last time I saw anyone reading magazines in a doctor or dentist waiting room?” Or “What in the world are these people reading/watching so intently in this few minutes of waiting?” And finally, “Do people—and by people, I mean people other than me—ever just sit and wait anymore? Have we lost the art of wool-gathering?” Honestly, are there many of us left wh…
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Very few writers enjoy reading articles and blog posts about the technical aspects of writing. It's much more fun to read the inspiring posts and Cinderella stories--or even how-tos about building better characters or writing an attention-grabbing beginning. However, I recently finished judging some contest entries, and falling down in the technical area can actually be the difference between your piece going to the final round of judging--or not. You can have the best story idea. You can create amazing characters whom readers want for best friends. You might include sensory details and perfect dialogue. But none of that matters if you put too many ellipses, write run-on …
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Photo by cottonbro from Pexels As my day job, I work as a freelance magazine editor for a regional lifestyle magazine. When I chat with my non-writer friends about the responsibilities of the job, they are usually surprised to learn that I do more than write articles, compile calendar events, and edit the other articles writers turn in. For any writers out there who are considering applying or accepting jobs in this realm, I thought I’d share a few tidbits about the other aspects of this type of writing/editing job. Website and magazine editors do more than edit. For our monthly publication, I brainstorm most of the editorial content for the magazine. I’m in charge of c…
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I enjoy writing thriller/suspense and true crime, so it stands to reason those are the programs I’m drawn to when I’m in the mood for a good binge. Netflix presented me with a show suggestion called “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window,” and once I saw Kristen Bell was the star, I decided to check it out. Here’s the synopsis: When a handsome neighbor moves in across the street, Anna, a heartbroken woman for whom every day is the same, starts to see a light at the end of the tunnel; that is, until she witnesses a gruesome murder. Or did she? Satirical in nature, watching the series also gave me some revision ideas for my own thriller I’ve…
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Fresh squeeze? Fresh start! Have you ever needed a fresh start? As I see the end of the year drawing closer, I usually have a habit of looking back at the goals that I had at the start of the year and the intentions that I set for myself. I realized most of these goals have changed. At first, things changed when I started a new job in January, and they changed again when I lost that very job over the summer. Now that we're in October, I'm eager for a fresh start. The question is: how can I do that? Seasons changing always lead me to a stage of transition, and as the summer ends and cooler weather begins, I'm kind of in a slump. I thought I'd share some of the ways I…
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Now announcing our next blog tour with author Karen Brown Tyson. Her book is perfect for anyone who wants to reset their life and faith walk with God. About the Book Has your life been interrupted? Do you want to know how to move forward? It's time to stop running in circles. When we experience setbacks and disappointments in life, God is ready to not only offer refuge but is prepared to provide redirection. In Time to Reset: A 21-Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Sidelined, Disappointed or Knocked Off Course, Karen Brown Tyson helps us: learn how to surrender to God's plan,become the best version of ourselves, God created us to be; andrefresh our faith. How …
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A conversation with a historian in my area netted an article about an unsolved murder. As a magazine editor, I’m responsible for planning the content each month that fits in well with our departments and themes. While I accept pitches from writers and columnists, the job of scouting out timely story ideas mostly falls on me. So where do I find these ideas that we turn into content for our magazine? I use press releases if they feature a local person, place, or angle, but I also find a lot of ideas on social media. I’ve pulled numerous ideas for our food and dining section from a Facebook group called Lake Norman Eats, and this past month, we profiled the Facebook grou…
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As the summer started to roll in, my momentum to write began to fade. It's not uncommon for me to lose interest in writing new stories in the warmer months. Yet, it can feel a little defeating too, because I had such strong motivation and pull to write these past several months. Unfortunately, I've accepted that until the rainy season returns, I'm likely not going to be at the top of my writing game. If you tend to write by the seasons, I have a few tips for you to make the most of your changing writing motivation: Focus on a new stage in the writing process. Even though I've been inspired these last few months to write new stories, I haven't done any revising. So, even t…
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Recently I was talking to a brand new writer. She had joined an international writers’ organization and was struggling to remember all of the information she had received. “I feel like I’m not taking it all in!” There were several of us long-timers in the meeting and we assured her that she wasn’t going to be able to and that was okay. The reality is that even those of us who had been working for the organization for 20+ years remember only a portion of the information available. Want to know about writing nonfiction? Talk to me or Chris. Picture books? Ann and Toni are the queens. None of us can remember everything there is to know about writing. So what do you d…
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Each writer walks her own path. I loved hearing about how Chelsey works – knitting her way into an essay. She’s found that it works best for her to think it through before she starts actually writing. And there’s Cathy with all of her prewriting, getting to know her characters before she sets words on paper. She knows her world intimately before she gets to work. Me? I have my own way of coming into a piece. I very often start with a situation. What would happen if . . . ? Who would find themselves in X situation? What is the story behind . . . ? I don’t know much more than the situation that starts it all when I start writing and so I begin with this situation. …
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I admit to holding on to the ridiculous belief that engaging in playful, no-destination creative activities are “wasting time.” But when I do let myself work on creative projects, it ends up feeling like time well spent. There is always a payoff, whether it’s inspiration to create more things, a therapeutic benefit or just having fun. I’ve recently been revisiting Austin Kleon's books, and decided to try some newspaper blackout poetry. If you’re not familiar with this, you choose a section of a newspaper article (though I tend to prefer a magazine piece), and use a marker to cover everything except the words you want to remain shown. It’s an enjoyable creative exercise …
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If at first you don't succeed... When I read Crystal’s post, “You’re Never Told Old,” I decided I had to write about my recent creative pursuits. I’ve already posted about the graphic novel class that I took with Melanie Faith. It was so inspirational! I’m not just talking about writing comics or graphic novels. Right now, I’m working on a pitch for a 3rd grade nonfiction series. Unlike some publishers, this one wants a complete manuscript along with ideas for the rest of the series. I knew I had to make my series unique so I’m pitching a new-to-them topic and each chapter will have a graphic sidebar. “No worries,” I tell myself. “You’re good at graphics.” I put my…
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