"Raymond has a gift for dispensing gentle, intelligent advice that even the most harried and overworked will find inspiring…Everyday Writing gives us permission to call ourselves writers, and found time to practice our craft." —The Writer magazine "Raymond writes in a way that gives the reader real hope that a writing life is possible…Everyday Writing is a book worth owning and pocketing for those who struggle to make time for writing." —Portland Book Review "Everyday Writing is just what writers need…Raymond’s writing style is as engaging as her advice, and the writing prompts can be used for any project." —Savvy Verse & Wit How to be a writer even when you can't write every day... Writers are often told that in order to succeed, they must write every day—yet this isn’t realistic or feasible for writers with families, day jobs, and other responsibilities that preclude a daily writing practice. Everyday Writing is about how to be a writer every day, even if you’re unable to sit down to write every day. This book provides dozens of tips for busy writers, including how to create your ideal writing space, how to develop habits that work for you, and how to keep your projects moving forward even when you’re short on time. Everyday Writing also offers more than 150 prompts to fit into any writer’s life, from five-minute prompts you can do in a grocery store line to lengthy prompts that are perfect for a writing retreat. Whether you’d like to generate new material, free yourself from writer’s block, or start a revision, these writing exercises provide a way to engage immediately with your work.

Book publication is just the beginning. Everyday Book Marketing is for the published author who is not only a writer but who also may have another career, a family, and any number of other obligations that require fitting book promotion into a budget where both hours and dollars may be hard to find. This book will guide you on the journey from Writer to Marketing Pro, offering essential marketing tools along the way--including such book promotion basics as how to schedule a book tour and how to make the most of social media to how to keep the buzz going long after your launch date. Everyday Book Marketing is divided into easily accessible sections that cover not only what you'll need to handle before publication, such as establishing a blog and website, but what you can do during your book launch and beyond. It also offers tips and advice for how to keep the never-ending tasks of book promotion manageable, whether you have ten minutes a day or two hours a day. Also included are Q&As with a range of authors and industry experts--from fiction authors and poets to librarians and event managers--who provide such invaluable tips as how to present yourself as an author, how to reach out to event coordinators, and how to find new readers both within your community and beyond.

First published a decade ago, A Writer's Book of Days has become the ideal writing coach for thousands of writers. Newly revised, with new prompts, up-to-date Web resources, and more useful information than ever, this invaluable guide offers something for everyone looking to put pen to paper — a treasure trove of practical suggestions, expert advice, and powerful inspiration. Judy Reeves meets you wherever you may be on a given day with: • get-going prompts and exercises • insight into writing blocks • tips and techniques for finding time and creating space • ways to find images and inspiration • advice on working in writing groups • suggestions, quips, and trivia from accomplished practitioners Reeves's holistic approach addresses every aspect of what makes creativity possible (and joyful) — the physical, emotional, and spiritual. And like a smart, empathetic inner mentor, she will help you make every day a writing day.

Winner of the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction In this new, expanded edition of her prize-winning collection, which includes a reading group guide, Midge Raymond stretches the boundaries of place as she explores the indelible imprint of home upon the self and the ways in which new frontiers both defy and confirm who we are. The characters who inhabit these stories travel for business or for pleasure, sometimes out of duty and sometimes in search of freedom, and each encounters the unexpected. From a biologist navigating the stark, icy moonscape of Antarctica to a businesswoman seeking refuge in the lonely islands of the South Pacific, the characters in these stories abandon their native landscapes—only to find that, once separated from the ordinary, they must confront new interpretations of whom they really are, and who they’re meant to be.

Featuring writing prompts and tips from one of the “great [writing] teachers of NYC,” this guide to memoir writing will help you discover the power and pleasure of bringing your memories to life (New York Magazine) Sometimes all it takes is a single word to spark a strong memory. Bicycle. Snowstorm. Washing machine. By presenting one-word prompts and simple phrases, author and writing teacher Patty Dann gives us the keys to unlock our life stories. Organized around her ten rules for writing memoir, Dann’s lyrical vignettes offer glimpses into her own life while, surprisingly, opening us up to our own. This book is a small but powerful guide and companion for anyone wanting to get their own story on the page. We all have stories to tell, and Patty Dann can help you bring them forth.

Don’t let the daily grind drain your creative energy! You can work full time and still have a productive writing life. Many writers waste time waiting for the day they can finally quit their day jobs and live the so-called writing dream. Don’t wait. You can do both â€" and your writing will be the better for it. Balancing a full-time job and a productive writing life is no easy feat! This book offers writers advice, skill-building techniques, prompts, and exercises in every chapter, and strategies on how to get and keep writing while also working the 9 to 5 grind. Readers will discover tips and exercises for: • Setting and protecting personal writing goals • Creating a schedule that complements their stamina • Getting creative before and after work - and on their lunch hour • Finding inspiration in the most unlikely of spots and at the most impromptu of times • Writing proficiently in multiple forms (long and short) so that they don't get bogged down writing one long project • Becoming an active participant in writing communities so they have a solid support system at the ready • Figuring out how (if at all) to share their writing life with co-workers, friends, and family members You’ll also get quick, practical tutorials to help you master scenes, point of view, characters, settings, dialogue, and more. Writer With a Day Job gives you the strategies and motivation you need to work 40 hours a week (or more!) and achieve writing success.

Chris Baty, motivator extraordinaire and instigator of a wildly successful writing revolution, spells out the secrets of writing—and finishing—a novel. Every fall, thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which Baty founded, determined to (a) write that novel or (b) finish that novel in—kid you not—30 days. Now Baty puts pen to paper himself to share the secrets of success. With week-specific overviews, pep "talks," and essential survival tips for today's word warriors, this results-oriented, quick-fix strategy is perfect for people who want to nurture their inner artist and then hit print! Anecdotes and success stories from NaNoWriMo winners will inspire writers from the heralding you-can-do-it trumpet blasts of day one to the champagne toasts of day thirty. Whether it's a resource for those taking part in the official NaNo WriMo event, or a stand-alone handbook for writing to come, No Plot? No Problem! is the ultimate guide for would-be writers (or those with writer's block) to cultivate their creative selves.