#AuthorToolboxBlogHop -

13Nov 2017 by Dianna Gunn

Strategies for pushing through when you hate your novel

Watch these tips instead! Hello folks! As I'm writing this, it's about to become November ninth. That means we're almost a full third of the way through Nanowrimo. And at some point--in either the past few days or the next few days--you're going to hit what us veterans call the second week slump. You hate, or are going to hate, your novel. I am here to help! In my thirteen years of writing books I've hated all of them at some point, but I've (almost) always pushed through and finished the damn manuscript. I might have metaphorically burned the manuscripts afterwards (actually printing and burning it would be a waste of paper), but the things always got written. Today I'm going to share some of the strategies I used to…

14Aug 2017 by Dianna Gunn

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Evening Pages

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Hi folks! Today I'm once again participating in the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, a blog hop for writers who want to learn from each other and build a community. In the past few months I've focused mostly on the community-building aspect of the writing life, discussing things like Twitter chats and beta readers. This month I'm switching gears to focus more on the internal processes of writing, starting with something I've come to call evening pages. (more…)

17Jul 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Using Twitter chats to connect with other writers

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Hi folks! Today I'm once again participating in the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, a blog hop for writers who want to learn from each other and build a community. This month I'm going to write about one of my favourite ways to connect with other authors: Twitter chats! Of all the things I've tried, I've found Twitter chats the most effective way of building my professional network and social media prowess. With any luck today's advice will inspire you to harness this wonderful opportunity to propel your own career forward. (more…)

19Jun 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: How to be a good beta reader or critique partner

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop

This week I'm participating in the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, a blog hop for writers who want to learn from each other and build a community. I've participated in this excellent blog hop since its creation a couple months ago, and last month I discussed how to find beta readers & critique partners online. Often some or all of these people will also be writers, and they'll ask you to read their work as well. Almost all of my betas/critique partners have also been writers, and I've beta read several novels and dozens of short stories. Every time I beta read or critique someone else's work, I learn more about giving feedback--and more about the writing craft itself. Today I'd like to share some of what I've learned. (more…)