Critique Groups, Reading Groups, First Readers… whatever you want to call them, they are worth their weight in gold. I’m coming to the whole “Crit Group” thing a bit late.  I’ve already written four books of various lengths and genres without ever partaking in any organized reader/feedback/critique group.  So why am I doing it now?  Well, despite having the books written, they remain unpublished.  Is that because they aren’t good or is it because I simply haven’t found the right combination of Publisher + timing + luck? Maybe it’s a bit of both. Whenever I find myself asking questions like that I know I have to find the answer and fast.  I can ask my family and friends what they […]

November is fast approaching and with it, NanoWriMo.  For those of you who have no idea what NanoWriMo is, allow me to offer this brief description.  NanoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in a month.  Sound impossible?  For some it is the ultimate challenge. Last year over 100,000 people participated in NanoWriMo with more than 15,000 hitting the 50,000 word mark.  Were the 15,000+ novels publishable?  Unlikely.  In fact few will ever be published but that isn’t the point. “So what is the point?” you might ask.  NanoWriMo certainly has its share of detractors who feel that it is a waste of time.  They don’t believe that it creates a writing habit; it’s just a frenzy of writing […]