Writing & Translation

Looking for a freelance marketing script to turn prospects into clients? For example, at the conclusion of When Harry Met Sally, there’s this memorable scene: Wouldn’t it be nice if your freelance marketing efforts worked the same way? Just send a...

If you’ve ever thought of publishing a book, you might have heard the term “beta readers.” But what are beta readers? Do you really need them? Are they just free editing, or something different? A couple hints: yes, if you’re going to publish a...

Until the pandemic hit, writing conferences served as a smart place for writers to learn new skills and network with authors, agents and publishers for almost 100 years. Now what? Some writing conferences have simply vanished, while others have...

There are so many editing tools out there these days, it’s hard to keep track of the best ones. Two editing software solutions you may have heard of are WhiteSmoke and Grammarly. In this article, we’ll compare the two options and see which is the...

Have you ever faced this kind of issue? You have a scene goal in mind, you know the characters involved, where they are and what they want, but HOW does the scene play out? What exactly happens to bring the characters from Point A to Point B in the...

Most days as a writer, I wake up excited to tackle everything on my to-do list. My big plans always include ROCKING my daily writing session. I’m always like, “Today is the day I’m going to write 5,000 words in one sitting! Rawr!” Then writing time...

Reading books from different authors. With all that’s happening in America regarding race relations, I’ve been reading from a more diverse set of authors, because I’m embarrassed to say that my bookshelf has not typically consisted of many...

If you’re trying to land freelance writing clients, especially copywriting clients with ongoing content needs, LinkedIn can be a game changer. When you’re actively marketing for freelance writing clients, do you feel like you’re shouting into a...

I’ve been writing consistently since I was twelve, which means I’ve now been writing for the (amazingly long very short?) period of twenty-two years. In that time, almost as much about my writing has changed as has remained the same. This is...

You know…your new freelance client gives you a brief. You chat a few minutes about the project, ask questions, and get to work. And then you have more questions, self doubt, maybe even writer’s block… So many questions, your head starts to spin....

Quinlan’s Secret started out as a different book that refused to go anywhere until I tied it to my first book, Shepherd’s Warning. Once I saw the path to a sequel, the book virtually wrote itself. The blurb for the book describes it best: After...

Is past trauma making you earn less as a freelance writer? If you have toxic writing clients, but find it super-hard to send that goodbye email to clients and move on, new research may explain why. Recently, I was sitting in one of my...

If you’re looking for a surefire way to improve your story, you’ll be happy to know there’s a fast-acting method at your disposal. According to writing expert James Scott Bell, it’s “the fastest way to improve any manuscript.” But here’s the...

My heart is so full as I write this. So many things going on in the world right now—both good and bad. It makes me reflect, not for the first time, on the tremendous gift given to writers in the simple fact that we have a place to put not just our...

When George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, it shined a light on racial issues and inequalities, justice for all, and basic human rights for everyone…including freelance writers. But if you’re not a black writer, you don’t...

And the process to land an assignment is pretty universal. Take a look at the popular articles and blog posts on these sites. Study the guidelines. And pitch the editor with an original idea. Check out these 14 markets that pay for writing jobs...

I have a pair of POV characters, 1 in the early and 2nd in the middle part of the book – partly to introduce them and partly to show sides of the main character. I was reluctant to add them for the very reasons you describe above, but was assured...

Publish your own book. That ever cross your mind? If you’re a freelance writer, chances are pretty good you’ve thought about it. Maybe you’ve got a compelling story to tell. Or you’ve got some useful skills to share with others. Maybe you want to...