Category Archives: Writing Advice
Top Ten Ways to get Luck on your Side
TOP TEN BEHAVIORS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LUCKY Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Today is one of those holidays where you see shamrocks and pots of gold, little leprechauns and people dressed in green for a spot o’ good luck. You may also hear or have heard at some point in time, the old adage, “the luck o’ the Irish”. It comes as no surprise that Irish history is riddled with superstitious beliefs involving cats and mirrors and ghosts, so why not have a special day where a bunch of luck shines down on those sporting their clovers of green with rainbows and pots of gold? While …
Modern Ink Society
FEATURING GUEST Veronica Rossi Working Through Writer’s Block Welcome to the ninth session of THE MODERN INK SOCIETY! “What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’” — Maya Angelou Introducing Veronica Rossi! “First of all, thank you Colleen for inviting me to the blog …
A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent
Out there lies talent, it just has to be found! “The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” – Émile Zola Hi Everyone, I’d talked with Alex a few months ago about writing a blog post for my website and he not only agreed but wrote an outstanding and informative piece. I hope you enjoy! (Can you see the Tiger’s Curse books on his shelf?) Colleen Introducing. . . Alex Glass A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent “Most literary agents—most people who work in book publishing, for that matter—got …
Writing Process Blog Hop
Writing Process Blog Hop Before I begin let me say that I have no idea who started this blog hop or how far back it goes. I only know that my good friend Tera Lynn Childs asked me to do it and whatever she asks, I do. Like most people I have days when my writing process goes awry but to make it as a full time author you have to get past that and rededicate yourself to your craft pretty much daily. So here’s my process when it works. 1) What Am I Working On Right Now? My current WIP …
80 + Barriers to Love: A List of Ideas to Keep Romantic Tension High
Keeping Romantic Tension Alive One thing that every romance writer faces especially when writing a series, is how to keep a couple apart. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish and readers hate it, but it’s a necessary thing. Otherwise the tension is gone and your readers walk away disappointed. I am a huge fan of a television show called Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheperd. I loved, loved, loved watching every week to see if they were finally going to be together. For years they dangled the relationship and tantalized viewers until we finally got what we wanted and the couple got married. …
THE MODERN INK SOCIETY
GUEST POST: BREE DESPAIN- ON THE SUBJECT OF 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW ABOUT BEING AN AUTHOR THAT I DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE As many of you already know, Colleen recently started her very own Houck Book Club, a place where we could virtually meet to read a featured book each month and then discuss it together on Goodreads. Since then, Colleen has decided to offer her fans something more! She recently started a writer’s club last month called THE MODERN INK SOCIETY! This is the second edition of THE MODERN INK SOCIETY and we couldn’t be more excited! Here’s …
Alternatives for Said
Alternatives for Said Acknowledged Added Admitted Admonished Advised Advocated Affirmed Agreed Alleged Announced Answered Argued Asked Assented Asserted Assured Attested Avowed Babbled Bantered Bargained Began Begged Bellowed Beseeched Boasted Bragged Called Cautioned Charged Chided Cited Claimed Commanded Commented Complained Conceded Concluded Confessed Confided Contended Contradicted Counseled Countered Cracked Cried Cursed Choked Debated Decided Declared Demanded Demurred Denied Denounced Described Dictated Directed Disclosed Divulged Drawled Droned Elaborated Emphasized Enjoined Entreated Enunciated Estimated Exclaimed Explained Exposed Expressed Faltered Feared Foretold Fumed Giggled Granted Grinned Groaned Growled Grumbled Grunted Haggled Hedged Hinted Howled Implied Implored Indicated Inferred Informed Inquired Insinuated Insisted Instructed Interjected …
Thoughts on Publishing
Thoughts on Publishing By Colleen Houck There is no feeling in the world like typing the last sentence of your first book. It’s a surprised delight that, interestingly enough, is almost unexpected. I remember thinking, ‘I did it! I actually did it! I didn’t think I could, but I did!’ It was a milestone for me. It opened a new chapter for me and pushed my career and my life in a new direction. Not being able to have my own children, I’ve often wondered what my contribution to world would be. Who would I share my life experiences …
Putting the Horse Before the Cart
Putting the Horse Before the Cart By Colleen Houck Anyone who has the determination to write a novel and is dedicated enough to actually accomplish that goal will have a natural desire to move their book into the next step of the writing process—publication. Of the many roads that lead to Rome why would an author pick the most rugged, undeveloped, pot-hole filled path? To put it simply, that often scoffed at byway is open to all comers brave enough to test its hazards. I’ve always loved books but I never felt the itch to put pen to paper …
If You Build It, He Will Come
If You Build It, He Will Come By Colleen Houck For a new writer, finding an agent sometimes feels like you’ve been sent on a snipe hunt. Other writers insist they are out there, tout the glories of bagging one, and share their wild adventure stories about when they got theirs. But are agents really out there? If so, how do you get one? I searched for an agent in the same way most people do—through trial and error querying. My queries improved over time. My book summaries got better. I learned more about how to get published as …
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