Writing Wisdom
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Friday, September 15th, 2017Swoon Author Nikki Katz's Editing Update: Hard Work and Careful Planning
Nikki KatzOnce I was done with my copyedits I could look back on The Midnight Dance and say... that was a lot of work. Hard work. Excruciating work. I love drafting a novel. The writing is the creative process for me, the fun part, the playing with characters and watching their story unfold. Editing is work. Editing is killing my babies and questioning every single decision, word, plot point, motivation. And ... Read More -
Thursday, September 7th, 2017From the Swoon Squad: Don't Give Up
Swoon Reads StaffHey there, Swooners,We are so excited to welcome three new authors into the Swoon family! There were SO many great manuscripts to choose from this season, and we want to thank all of you again for your awesome ratings and comments that pointed us toward these new books.We truly wish we could select every last manuscript on site. Every single one of them has something special going for ... Read More -
Thursday, August 31st, 2017Swoon Author Maggie Ann Martin: Writing Character Quirks (Plus a Quiz!)
Maggie Ann MartinOne of my favorite parts about starting a new project is finding out what makes a character tick, the things they are passionate about, the way they talk—all of the things that make them unique and interesting. I love adding weirdly specific detail in unexpected spots that make the reader laugh, whether that’s in dialogue or in descriptions. One of my favorite scenes to explore this concept in ... Read More -
Thursday, August 24th, 2017Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough: 5 Tips for Writing an Interesting Love Story
Val O.Whether you are writing a love story or a story with a romantic subplot, it’s crucial that your readers be as invested in your characters’ romance as you are—because let’s face it, the minute a reader starts rolling their eyes is the minute your story is condemned to DNF (Did Not Finish) status. As a reader who’s left my fair share of books in the DNF ... Read More -
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017
Swoon Author Maggie Ann Martin: Choose Your Own Editing Adventure
Maggie Ann MartinThroughout my editing process for The Big F I tried many different techniques and hit different roadblocks along the way until I made it triumphantly out the other side of edits. Let’s see if you can make it through my editing process by playing along “choose your own adventure” style below! A. You get your edit letter back from your editor. Do you:1. Read it immediately (scroll to ... Read More -
Thursday, August 17th, 2017Swoon Author Tiffany Pitcock: The Writing Process and Hands-On Editing
Tiffany PitcockAs I’ve mentioned in the past, I’ve never been a big fan of editing. One reason is that it feels like getting scolded (though I understand that’s not what is happening). Seriously, give me a first draft any day. The other reason is that I’m a hands-on person. I can’t read a word document (or an ebook for that matter). I have to hold a ... Read More -
Wednesday, August 16th, 2017
Swoon Author Lydia Albano's Editing Update: A Great Big Learning Experience
Lydia AlbanoI know it's somehow hip and cool to admit to being a procrastinator, and I know that I genuinely do work better under pressure (specifically the kind that comes from watching a deadline approach while twiddling my thumbs and then knowing I have three or four days to do a month's worth of work), but I can no longer pretend that my methods are healthy.When Holly West ... Read More -
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017
Swoon Author Tiffany Pitcock: Publishing Confessional – Promotion and Anxiety
Tiffany PitcockI’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. I still remember being in Mrs. Ireland’s third-grade class, writing stories in my notebook instead of learning my multiplication tables. I remember promising my best friend Kasey I’d dedicate my first book to her (which sixteen years later I did). I was prepared. I knew what I was going to do and nothing was going ... Read More -
Tuesday, July 25th, 20175 Lessons Writers Can Learn from Television
Holly WestLike most of us, I watch a LOT of television. It’s a lot faster to watch a 40-minute episode of TV than it is to read a whole novel. And you can get your story fix while also multitasking. (i.e. Eating dinner, knitting, etc.) There was a time when I felt a little bit guilty for watching TV instead of working my way through my giant To-Read list ... Read More -
Thursday, July 20th, 2017Swoon Author Jennifer Honeybourn: Not as Strange as Fiction
Jennifer HoneybournSomeone asked me recently if Wesley James Ruined My Life is at all based in reality—like, do I write from my real life or do I base characters on people I know. While no one I know appears in the pages of this book—the characters are all a product of my imagination—I do sometimes use my feelings about things that have happened to me in the past ... Read More
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