Inspired by National Fountain Pen day, we’ve created a new forum at the Absolute Write Water Cooler. Analog Tools is about those non-digital, non-computer tools we writers love to use, including fountain pen, other pens, pencils, paper, and typewriters. Today is the sixth annual Fountain Pen Day, celebrated every year on the first Friday of … Read more
Marko Kloos is the author of the Frontlines series of military Science Fiction and a member of George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards consortium. Born and raised in Germany, Marko now lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children. Their compound, Castle Frostbite, is patrolled by a roving pack of dachshunds. Marko Kloos has a website. … Read more
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] I still like writing by hand. Normally I do a first draft using pen and paper, and then do my first edit when I type it onto my computer. For some reason, I much prefer writing with a black pen than a blue one, and in a perfect … Read more
By C.S. Paquin Success as a freelance writer has come from the dishwasher— no, not via a lucrative commercial-copy gig bubbling with the attributes of a kitchen appliance, but from the old dishwasher installed in our new apartment. The state of my kitchen defines my professional success and pre-dishwasher, chaos reigned! Last night’s dishes piled … Read more
Guest post by Francesca Nicasio When I first started out, there were some things that I tried to avoid as much as possible because they were uncomfortable scared the crap out of me. It didn’t take long though before I realized that my avoidance was getting me nowhere and if I really wanted to succeed … Read more
By Apryl Duncan You stare at the blank page. The white of the page embeds itself in your brain, resulting in your mind going blank. Breaking out of the block doesn’t have to be a mind-boggling challenge, though. Explore the causes and the cure and you’ll be writing again in no time. Common Causes Unrealistic … Read more
By Marilyn Henderson You have finished your novel and are attending a writers’ conference hoping to get an agent or editor to read your manuscript. You work your way through the crowd with your gaze focused at name-tag level. Suddenly you spot a gold-bordered tag reserved for editors. Heart pounding, you approach and introduce yourself … Read more
Guest Post by Francesca StaAna Wondering why your articles aren’t getting a lot of views or clicks? Stressing about the fact that you’re not getting enough repeat clients? You might be committing these deadly freelance writing mistakes: Silence (Not following up) Contrary to what some might think, just because a prospect doesn’t immediately respond to … Read more
By Ami Hendrickson Whether you are a beginning writer or an established byline, it behooves you to construct a biography as a means of introducing yourself to those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading your work. Bios are more important than you might think. They give the reader a quick overview of your … Read more
By Vicki M. Taylor If you noticed, I didn’t title this article “Overcoming YOUR Fear of Writing a Synopsis.” I don’t think you own the fear anymore than I do or any other writer. We all share a common emotion, one that can be summed up in one word: Formidable. What is it about this … Read more
