Dianne McCartney

Five reasons to stay firmly rooted in your writer’s chair when temptation beckons. 1. You have story ideas that keep you up at night. 2. Your book won’t writ...

The difference between wanting to write and wanting to be a writer. Everyone thinks they can write. After all, we all went to school and learned those painfu...

Five mistakes to avoid while finding your way as a writer. 1. Don’t talk only about your projects. It’s one thing to be excited about your current manuscript...

Five things that threaten a successful manuscript. 1. Be merciless about repetition. The worst offenders are: was, were, just, that and said. It helps if you...

Five easy ways to get yourself back on track when you’re straying from your goal: 1. Get some fresh air and exercise. A change of view is a miraculous thing....

Blog # 8 Pitching your writing project can be one of the most intimidating moments in a writer's life. With some preparation, you can go into the appointment...

Five encouraging things to bring away from any writers' conference: 1. A great pitch appointment that yields a request for a few chapters or even a whole man...

How to make your characters come to life. 1. Don’t make the good guys too pure. They won’t be believable. Feel free to give your protagonist a bad habit. It ...

Take your manuscript to the next level. Try these tips to get it into shape fast! 1. Kill every passive you can find. The most common passives are: was, were...

Here are five things you might not know about a writer's life. 1. We frequently spend too many hours in our pajamas, talking to ourselves. 2. Housekeeping is...

Minimize your obstacles and win a writing competition with a little extra preparation: 1. Read the category descriptions with care. You’d be surprised about ...

Here are five things to avoid at your writer's conference: 1. Telling total strangers all about your book. You might be giving away an innovative idea. Save ...

Writers Conference are essential to your growth as an author. Here's how to make it worth your time and money. 1. Doing so allows you to meet dozens of peopl...

If you’re a writer and you haven’t been to the Oklahoma Writers Federation Conference in Oklahoma City, OK during the first week in May, start saving your pe...