writing

Litopians! Arise and network! I realize many of you aren't US residents, but if you are there are plenty of opportunities to schmooze with your fellow writers in February. Conferences not only offer opportunities to network with other writers, they are the best way to find an agent. (If you live...

Litopians! Arise! There are nearly three dozen free writing contests in January. They cover the full range of genres, from debut mystery novels to poetry. In addition to the prestige of winning a contest, a few of the monetary prizes this month are substantial. Publishing ... and Other Forms of...

Litopians! Tell your life story! Here is a list of 230 agents looking for memoirs. These agents are, in most cases, also interested in representing other non-fiction. Read their submission requirements carefully. In the case of memoirs, agents frequently want a writing sample, just as they would...

"It was a dark and stormy night." That pretty much sums up November. It's cold, it's damp, it's dreary ... what better time to attend a writing conference? Fortunately, there are 17 of them this month. Remember: If you miss your ideal conference this year, there is always next year. To find a...

Litopians! Arise and publish! There are a dozen calls for submissions in October. As always, there are calls for a wide variety of genres and styles. Short stories, essays, interviews, poems, and flash fiction are all welcome. All of these markets pay writers. I will be posting more markets on...

Litopians! Get out there and schmooze! There are nearly two dozen writing conferences this October to keep you warm and inspired. Writing conferences are a wonderful experience. Nothing motivates writers more than a meeting of the minds. And if you are ready to publish, attending a conference is...

I am an Apple fan, and have been for many years. I therefore own a Macbook and use Pages as my default word processor software. I can export/convert files to Word, but I dislike Windows Office software intently. Can anyone recommend Scrivener, or an alternative to Pages? I am reasonably...

Hello, everyone! My name is Cos and it's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm an aspiring writer and if you'd have me, I'd love to occasionally ask for your advice on this or that little piece of thought and dream. In my professional life I'm also a software developer, and since I have started...

Most of us have problems fitting a writing conference into our schedules. But, if you have a completed novel it is definitely worth going to a conference with pitch sessions. Agents who would otherwise turn you down will not only listen to a pitch but may sign you on. In some cases, agents who...

My W.I.P is set in 16th Century Tudor England and I find myself not only seeking out appropriate language for my characters but also writing with words that have existed since the 1500s. It feels right to do so, but I wonder if I am making more work for myself, or perhaps even dating the tale...

I've started a blog and have been slowly developing it into a hub where I can showcase who I am as a writer. So far, I've only posted general information about what I'm writing (past the regular posts I'm making on the blog), but I plan on expanding some of the stuff I'm putting on the site to...

I joined Litopia with a firm grasp on what I perceived my preferred genre to be - Science Fiction. Now that I'm part of a community that is helping me to grow and develop, I'm finding myself branching out into other genres and writing styles (thanks daily flash fiction!). This year, I decided...

I came up with this idea just a second ago thanks to @Nicole Wilson and @Jason Byrne. You can learn a lot about someone just by finding out a few tidbits of information you didn't know before. There are a ton of new people on the Litopia forums (myself included) and I figured it would be great...

When working at editing and reworking your writing, does anyone else become overwhelmed with doubts that it is all tripe, balderdash and piffle, unreadable fluff?

For lunch today, I went to a Chinese Buffet. When the check came, so did this fortune: You will make many changes before settling satisfactorily. How fitting is that? (Totally happened...I promise...no, really...I attached a picture and everything...)