Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing

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September 19, 2012

WriterStrong: A New Writing Series About YOU

Photo by PaulNasca on Wikimedia Commons - Let's focus on really strong writing!

Writers In The Storm is starting a new series this month that we think y’all will love. In addition to our regular contributing bloggers like Kara Lennox, Shannon Donnelly and Susan Spann, we’ll be opening the door to a whole new you with this series of posts.

Many of you have expressed interest in our name.

We chose Writers in the Storm because every writer must weather the storm within –  self doubt, rejection, deadlines, and balancing our writing passion with everyday life.  Not to mention the storm raging outside - the paradigm shift in the publishing industry. It takes a lot of courage and a lot of tools to survive in this business and we want to do our part to help you be strong.

What do we mean by “strong?” 

Think about those New York Times Bestsellers on your auto-buy list. Their writing leaps off the page in technicolor. They’re almost always full of all-around awesome but usually, there’s ONE area where they particularly excel. (We took a quick poll so we could give you examples. 🙂 )

    • Linda Howard – Sex
    • Janet Evanovich – Humor
    • Stephen King – Horror
    • Dean Koontz – Evil
    • Christine Feehan – Otherworldly
    • Suzanne Collins – Tension
    • Karen White – Setting
    • Barbara Samuel - Characterization

Strong writing equals strong sales and there’s a ton of good habits, work and kismet that go toward the making of the strong writer. Writers In The Storm will present blogs over the next few months that target one particular facet of strong writing and really explore it, using writing examples (in the tradition of Margie Lawson) to bring the point home.

There’s a multitude of ways to be strong:

Business Strong

Perseverance Strong

Creativity Strong

Craft Strong

WriterStrong!

We’re brimming with ideas and are excited to get this party started. Our first WriterStrong guest is none other than August McLaughlin, an amazing nutritionist and health writer at LIVESTRONG.com. August will be giving us pointers on how to stay BrainStrong.

Note: Please let us know if you have a recommendation for the WriterStrong series – your feedback is always invaluable!

On Monday, we talked about your innate strengths. Please share them with us in the comments, if you didn't get the chance to do so before. We'd also love to know the areas where you'd like to be even stronger? Who are the authors on your auto-buy list? What makes them so strong??

Fae * Jenny * Laura * Sharla
Writers In The Storm Bloggers

0 comments on “WriterStrong: A New Writing Series About YOU”

  1. I'm reading "Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake" by Anna Quindlen. This is the first book I am reading of hers and I really love the way she just bares her soul in it. She goes down deep, takes chances, and lets it all hang out.
    My absolute favorite author is Anne Lamott, again for her ability to say, many times in a funny way, how she doesn't have a perfect life but she finds Grace in it everyday. She falls down, gets up, prays, and on most days, loves life.
    Maybe that's a good subject....Loving Life; swimming in it, getting your fingers all pruny in it, and then writing about it! Joanne

    1. Joanne, I adore Anne Lamott for the very same reason. The last book I read by Anna Quindlen was Black and Blue - that was a while back, but she's such an extraordinary writer. Thanks for recommending some good reads!

    1. Sneaking back to say August's daydreaming post rocks with motivation. I'm daydreaming about what to wear for the launch party.

      That requires action today to get to the party.

      No. The action is not shopping. Unless I exceed my writing goals. Then? Can't hurt to have that dress hanging in my closet, can it?

  2. I'm not sure I can stand too much of the positive, life enhancing enthusiasm but everyone needs to get tuned up, occasionally. For myself despair, death, dishonesty, obscene sex, the gross irregularity of life follow me across the pages I write and I'm positive it will never sell. Unlike many, I write because I enjoy it - not for sales. But it is comforting to know that some who may read what I've written have found something in it they enjoy. I'll be standing at the back of the room watching this unfold with a grim look on my face.

  3. If you're brimming with excitement I must be an explosive enthusiasm volcano. 😉 I'm so stoked about this series, ladies. Contributing a post is frosting on a super-healthy cake. Thanks for having me.

    Strong authors, IMO, have unique voices and thrilling, suspenseful tales. They also feature strong characters (male and female) and inspire me. A few names that pop to mind: Gavin de Becker (The Gift of Fear), Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and our very own Roni Loren (Crash/Melt Into You).

  4. I'm so excited about this series and plan to spread the word. This is a must for beginners and a must for pros and pubs who want to learn what makes an author's writing touch our hearts. I know how the "greats" dig deep and touch hearts.

  5. For me, the must-reads are James Rollins, Lee Child, Richard Doetsch and half a dozen others - but the things that keep me coming back to those three in particular are things I try to do in my own writing - fast pacing, spare but effective prose, and heroes you WANT to have an adventure with!

    This sounds like a fantastic series. Can't wait to read it!

    1. Thanks Susan. This was Laura's brain child and at first I didn't know what she was going after and when I finally got, I was so on board! I think we'll all learn a lot from some great authors.

  6. I think y'all have hit on a really great idea. I've always enjoyed WITS, and this direction only makes the blog "stronger." I'm fortunate to have just finished a Margie Immersion Class and testify to the value of looking at the words of great writers. I've read 2 un-put-down-able books recently. One is FIRST DO NO HARM by Carey Baldwin. The other is THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Diana Layne. Both had my heart rate up and my Nook open longer than it needed to be. You've already mentioned Linda Howard, I'd add Elizabeth Lowell for the same thing. I'd add Carla Neggars for super descriptions--New England comes alive through her computer. Kay Hooper for paranormal. More than my two cents, I know. I'm always working for brevity. Sometimes less successfully than others. 🙂

  7. This is the reason I love WITS ... the great series you bring to your readers ... the amazing guest posts and the chance to connect with women who have been there and are doing that ... that which I love. Not to mention, I always pick up new books to add to my TBR pile 🙂

    I see "daydreaming" or what is called visualization as an integral part of the craft ... and a crucial part of our lives. As it is said ... "you got to have a dream. If you don't have a dream. How you gonna make a dream come true?" (Bloody Mary, South Pacific). I saw a picture of a cottage in my aunt's House and Garden magazine. I was seven. With my husband, I drove upstate NY and saw a small cottage near a lake. It followed me. Found another one in 1996 and walked away. She followed me again. After Hur. Wilma I read a small article on module cottages. I printed a copy and taped it to the side of my computer. I looked at it every day since.

    Last month I drove into a beautifully landscaped private park, through the gates and along the road and turned the corner and there was my little cottage. It's almost like the one I saw when I was seven. LIke the module homes a man named Levitz built post WWII ... like the little houses you could buy from the Sears Robuck cataglogue. This little baby is brand new. I'm the first person to occupy it ... to make it my own. It's my little Colony Bungalow and two days ago, it became my new home. "A room of her own," circulates in my brain. Ah yes, dreams do come true 🙂

    Thanks ... Laura, Jenny, Sharla and Fae ... I can't wait for more !!

  8. And here I thought your name was just a prompt for me to sing The Doors song in my head every time I pop over here. Looking forward to the series! August will be a welcome guest.

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