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A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that fiction reading is on the rise, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds.
–Newsweek
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Do you have self-doubt? Guess what? You’re probably a writer. No, I take that back; you’re probably human. Yes, we all struggle with self-doubt at one time or another. If we didn’t, I daresay we’d have wooden blocks in our heads instead of brains. I believe any thoughtful, contemplative, and — especially — creative person suffers from self-doubt, be it a momentary pause or a lifelong battle. The big question is: how do we deal with it?
Recently I watched one of my favorite movies, Shadows in the Sun. It’s about writers, one young, one older. The older one (Harvey Keitel as Weldon Parish) has not written in twenty years, not since he had a best-seller and then lost his wife. He’s paralyzed by the fear that, along with his wife, he’s lost the world-acclaimed talent he used to have. He sits at his typewriter, fingers poised over the keys, and tears stream down his face. He can’t type even a single stroke.
https://indiesunlimited.com/2021/01/12/writing-with-self-doubt
So why do hashtags play such an important part in literary growth?
Here are two reasons I love using hashtags:
1) Free advertising.
Hashtags are a great way to get your literary product or service in front of people seeking exactly what you offer. Many people follow hashtags all day long to find new inspiration, products, to check reviews and so many other things. With the right hashtags you are placed in front of those people whether it’s hair styles, branding products, new shoes, or restaurant reviews you can be seen for free.
2) Consistency and User Generated Content
Posting on social media on a daily basis can be a daunting task. We know being visible on a regular basis is important but what about those days you just can’t come up with anything?
#️⃣Hashtags to the rescue again! Creating your own custom tags that your audience can use to post their own related content will grow your influence and provide credibility to your brand. Customer endorsements build your business faster than most advertising strategies will due to them being genuine and organic. The bonus is you get content that you can also share on your page and your community will grow.
Win-win.🏆
4 Facts You Should Know About Hashtags.
1. You can only use 30 hashtags on a post. The tags you use in the caption and in the comments count towards the 30 max.
2. Hashtags on private pages will not show up, of course your business page should not be on private anyways so in case you needed another reason why, here you go.
3. You should review/update your hashtags every 60-90 days. Sites like Instagram grows quickly so you want to stay on top of which tags work for your page and use them consistently.
4. Hashtags that you add in other pages comments don’t work, you can only tag your own posts.
Would you like more literary clarity?
Book a clarity session with me! http://sylviahubbard.com/needclarity
And if you haven’t already, grab some literary planning sheets to help you better organize your literary life and reach your goals!
📚Your ✍🏿Literary Consultant, Sylvia Hubbard
sylviahubbard.com | motownwriters
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Hello there !
A librarian of Grosse Pointe Library is seeking the names and titles of Michigan/Detroit Metro Area authors (adult) to be considered for programing.
Interested? Please leave your author name, book name, genre, website, email and phone number in the form. This information will go to the librarian and only used for research and contact purposes.
UPDATE: 8/2/21
This form is no longer available. Please subscribe for more updates like this. Thank you
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A cliché is a phrase that has been beaten to death (that’s a cliché). Because it’s been so overused, any significant meaning it may have had has been lost. Instead of adding color and interest to your writing, you often wind up sounding corny.
If you’re writing about how scrappy entrepreneurs are achieving success, that message was lost the minute you wrote “survival of the fittest.” Charles Darwin sounded original in his theory of evolution; you just sound clichéd.
read more https://www.wordgenius.com/15-cliches-to-avoid-like-the-plague/Xr0yWBPAJQAG8w-5
Authors, publishers and readers love series – authors because it’s easier to write each new book in the same world as the first one, publishers because it’s much easier and more profitable to market and sell a sequel to a successful book than a standalone, and readers because if they discover a series they like, they will read them all. Each new book feels like a homecoming. But as an indie author, how do you know when to call a halt to a successful series and move on? Debbie Young, who has just completed her seven-book Sophie Sayers Village Mystery series, gleans top tips on finishing a series from ALLi author members.
Author Debbie Young
Debbie Young is the author of two series of cozy mystery novels, each with a book shortlisted for The UK Selfies Awards. She also writes short stories, guidebooks for authors. articles for writing magazines and blogs, and humorous columns for magazines that serve the local community in the Cotswolds, where she founded and directs the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. Find out more about Debbie on her website www.authordebbieyoung.com and Twitter @DebbieYoungBN.
“If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes, then I will have considered my life a failure.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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Feedburner a subscription service we used at Motown Writers Network is shutting down in July and we have to move 800 people there manually or organically.
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Authors Mark and Connor Sullivan are no strangers to utilizing suspense in their novels. Here, they share their top 8 tips for writers to do the same.GUEST COLUMNMAY 5, 2021
As storytellers, we believe it is the writer’s responsibility to keep the reader glued to the story and turning the page. Writers who can do this have long careers. We also believe that writing can be looked at as a trade, a craft that can be taught, practiced, and improved. Like all trades, there are specific tools and strategies in the craft of writing taut novels, including these eight that will add suspense to any piece of writing.
Writing compelling conflict is a crucial tool to add urgency to your novel. Analyze the conflict through the lens of stakes and goals at the scene, chapter, or even full story level, looking for those situations where the characters do not seem vital or active. One thing I like to always ask myself is, “What is the most painful thing that could possibly happen to my character at this point in time?” These burdens can be physical, emotional, or psychological. Then think of what the character needs to achieve or to change about themselves in order to alleviate that pain. This approach forces your characters into a crucible where action is the only choice. The action will reveal the character’s true self and so propel the story forward, which leads to my dad’s first tip.
Examining and tweaking the voice through which you tell a story can radically increase its suspense. James Patterson taught me the value of writing as if you were in a bar telling the story to the person on the adjoining stool and focusing on the highlights. Stephen King says he knows if a writer is in control of a narrative within a couple of pages because he can hear the voice in his head driving the story and his interest forward.
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/8-ways-to-add-suspense-to-your-novel
 |
| Featuring: Doug Aitken, El Anatsui, Hernan Bas, Sanford Biggers, Andrea Marie Breiling, Yoan Capote, Allana Clarke, Dominique Fung, Charles McGee, Allie McGhee, Jason REVOK, Jamea Richmond-Edwards, and Nari Ward. |
| Library Street Collective is excited to announce the third iteration of SITE: Art and Architecture in the Digital Space, launching on August 4th, 2021 and set against the historic and transient Michigan Central Station. It is within this space that we present works by Doug Aitken, El Anatsui, Hernan Bas, Sanford Biggers, Andrea Marie Breiling, Yoan Capote, Allana Clarke, Dominique Fung, Charles McGee, Allie McGhee, Jason REVOK, Jamea Richmond-Edwards, and Nari Ward, exploring ideas around the journey between here and there, migration from home, and the things discovered and kept along the way. Once a location buzzing with arrivals and departures, reunions and farewells, Michigan Central has become one of the premier examples of Detroit’s ascent and decline, containing shadows of adventure, transformation, and relocation. |
 |
| Travel was the locus around which Michigan Central Station was built, and became the central idea guiding the curation of the third iteration of SITE—not only physical travel from city to city, but the pull of the memory place, and nostalgia for the geography and experiences that have shaped us. We keep moving for so many reasons, but there is a chasm between those who travel to escape from the everyday and those who leave to escape persecution, violence, and poverty. We may travel through the same ports and passages, but our journeys are not the same. These vastly different experiences contrast hope and loss, excitement and fear, opportunity and necessity. In its many phases over a century, Detroit’s Michigan Central Station seems to embody this disparity. |
 El Anatsui, Delta, 2014 |
“The materials I use in my work are reminders of what we discard in both our lives and imaginations. Yet the richness of our environment constantly reminds us of numerous alternatives that challenge us to see rather than look, to think instead of presume.” — EL ANATSUI |
 Hernan Bas, The Day’s Catch, 2021. |
| Daniel Arsham’s solo exhibition Turning Wrenches is on view at Library Street Collective through August 7th, 2021. For the show, Arsham has produced intensely detailed 1:3 scale replicas of cars and other automotive artifacts as a nod to the Detroit automotive industry and global car culture as a whole. Arsham’s fascination with cars began as a youth and his admiration for Porsches from an early age ultimately led to him purchasing and restoring a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo in adulthood. A replica of the restored Porsche, which was re-interpreted as a 930A, is featured in the exhibition connecting the work to Arsham’s personal story and engaging concepts of memory. Turning Wrenches speaks to the mechanic’s complex and laborious trade and pays homage to a profession that Arsham deeply admires. This tribute exists within a presentation of the artist’s own craft and the legacies of the technician and the maker, always challenging viewers to consider the future beyond our own existence. The gallery is open regularly for visits Wednesdays through Saturdays from 12-6 pm. Click here to take a virtual tour of the exhibition. |
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Library Street Collective is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Blame The Man #2 by Jammie Holmes to the collection of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Holmes simultaneously references Christianity and condemns governmental institutions with his 2021 work, Blame the Man #2. It is a self-portrait of a baptism, a Christian religious rite that is often performed during youth. Holmes is encouraging the performance of the ritual in adults, referencing his own recent movement toward a belief in God. The piece also examines Black life in America, specifically concerning a lack of resources and racist systems. With the painting, Holmes sheds light on the complicated history of America, especially that of Thibodaux—the artist’s hometown—and the significant role that institutions and governmental bodies play in the crime and death rates within cities. The title references a symbolic figure, the man, as a cause of much of the turmoil within the Black community. Yet, visual references to religion, and roses that praise his transformation despite a difficult past, honor the tenacity and resilience of Blackness. Blame the Man #2 speaks to the idea that, regardless of previous sins, people can be purified and their minds can be freed of the unrest past decisions caused.⠀ |
| Image Captions Michigan Central Station, Photos by Quinn Evans. Portraits Doug Aitken, Photo by Graeme Mitchell. El Anatsui, Photo by Eric Sander. Hernan Bas, Photo by Silvia Ros. Sanford Biggers, Photo by Lexie Moreland. Andrea Marie Breiling, Photo by Cassie Hunter. Yoan Capote, Courtesy of the Artist. Allana Clarke, Photo by Jackie Furtado. Dominique Fung, Photo by Mary Kang. Charles McGee, Photo by Sal Rodriguez. Allie McGhee, Photo by Kate Gowman. Jason REVOK, Photo by Bre’Ann White. Jamea Richmond-Edwards, Courtesy of the Artist. Nari Ward, Courtesy of the Artist and Lehmann Maupin. Image Captions El Anatsui, Delta, 2014. Found aluminum and copper wire. 111 x 115 inches. Hernan Bas, The Day’s Catch, 2021. Six panel folding screen, acrylic and silver leaf on linen mounted in a birch-wood frame with fabric backing. 72 x 108 inches. Installation views of Daniel Arsham, Turning Wrenches, Photos by PD Rearick. Jammie Holmes, Blame The Man #2, 2021. Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas. 69 7/8h x 78 1/4w x 1 1/4d inches. |
Tales2Inspire® “Authors Helping Authors” project. There are no fees involved and it’s both a great learning experience for talented newbies and an impressive branding opportunity for winners (those whose stories are selected for publication in the next Tales2Inspire® book).
THERE’S ONLY ONE CATCH: Although the current theme is TURNING THE PAGE, the goal of Tales2Inspire® is to uplift/inspire its readers. I have already received a number of beautifully crafted stories that mostly address a crisis or obstacle in that author’s life, and that will not work.The stories must be uplifting/inspiring.
Finally and perhaps best of all, stories that pass through the first round of the competition get critique feedback from three other authors. Nothing to lose. Remember it’s FREE.
All details are carefully spelled out here, the “go-to” page to answer all questions. I’d also like to encourage interested members to download a Free Sampler of some Tales2Inspire® stories published in previous years to capture their flavor.
Thanks for sharing.
Lois W. Stern
Click for: Free Tales2Inspire® samplerContest GuidelinesTales2Inspire® books
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Posted on 05/11/2021 at 09:41 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
The hero’s journey is a concept most writers and students of literature are familiar with.
But they perhaps haven’t heard of the heroine’s journey, though they’ve certainly absorbed stories that include it.
What sets the two apart is not the gender of the protagonist, but rather the way in which they approach the obstacles — solo for a hero; with a network for a heroine — and what kind of conclusion they seek (victory for a hero, unity or compromise for a heroine).
Think the recent Wonder Woman movie for a contemporary hero’s journey and the Harry Potter books for a contemporary heroine’s journey.
So, unsurprisingly, writers have different considerations to take as they draft their protagonist’s journey.
Author Gail Carriger appeared on Joanna Penn’s podcast to discuss the key features of a heroine’s journey and the writing/revising strategies an author might take for it.
A transcript of their conversation about writing the heroine’s journey — as well as a link to the audio of it — is available at The Creative Penn.
Our guest speaker would be Kimberberly BatchelorDavis
Website | Amazon Books | RSVP for this event
About this author
Kimberly Batchelor Davis has been in love with books since she was a child. Who would’ve known that
God would bless her with the gift of writing; however he did, and she was reminded of that on September
11, 2001 after the devastating attacks on America. Kimberly’s desire to write was renewed. Kimberly
fervently believes that “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7.) It reminds us to continue to
put our faith in God instead of ourselves. She realized that something was missing from her life; it was
writing. She says: “I had to have a purpose and it wasn’t just about making money, I had to give back
in some way—I just didn’t know how.” Since then, she has not looked back. She lives by this in creating
stories that have shared experiences and which inspire or cause people to think about situations in a
different way. Recently, she released two children’s books “Rose and the Enchanted Seven” and “Look,
Daddy! There’s a Bunny. Kimberly released “Escape to Paradise: Book 1, 2 and 3”, the exciting, fictional
romantic trilogy book series.
Kimberly is a contributing writer for Date Night Magazine and Pandem Magazine. She has been featured
on the Brand-New Mommy and the Bougie Black Girl blogs where she discusses her bout of depression,
motherhood and writing. She has published articles with Saved magazine and Mi Estilo, an online
Hispanic magazine. Kimberly speaks professionally on issues that she’s passionate about, which include
motherhood, literacy, community civic engagement and writing. Presently, she is the host of the Kim B.
Davis Show which is featured on YouTube.com, Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and she is the Lifestyle
Editor for the Michael Van Tull Show and Community Highlights with Missionary Hattie Humphrey on
Detroit Praise Network and BlogTalk Radio. Kimberly has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science
from Wayne State University.
Website: www.KimBDavis.com
The link for books is https://www.kimbdavis.com/books-products or check out her Amazon store at https://amzn.to/3dX11FR
Subscribe to the The Kim B. Davis Show
Shows drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Her show is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Stitcher
Lifestyle Editor on The Michael Van Tull Show and Community Highlights with Missionary Hattie Humphrey
(Every Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)
To contact Kimberly Batchelor Davis, BatchelorDavis Group, please visit www.kimbdavis.com, www.twitter.com/batchelordavis and
www.facebook.com/batchelordavis .
Tuesday, March 05, 2019 by IngramSpark Staff (@ingramspark)
Marketing plays a huge role in any book’s success, but this is especially true for self-published books. Before you publish a book (or before you even start writing it!), it’s important to think about who you’ll be selling your book to—and how. Digital marketing is constantly changing, and it can be tough for authors to keep up with the top trends. We’ve rounded up the top digital marketing strategies to help both new and savvy indie authors understand how to market self-published books.
https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/how-to-market-self-published-books-in-the-digital-world
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Feedburner a subscription service we used at Motown Writers Network is shutting down in July and we have to move 800 people there manually or organically.
I’d prefer organically which means YOU need to subscribe to our blog list RIGHT NOW. (I’m not shouting, but it’s very important.) I don’t want to lose any of you and I want to make sure continue to get exclusive updates, news and notifications of upcoming events.
Leave your email below!
Over the last few years, fiction podcasters have brought audio storytelling into the 21st century, with experimental sound design, sharp writing, and compelling plots that leave listeners wanting more.
If you want to dive into the deep end and make a scripted fiction podcast of your own, where do you even start? What mics are best for capturing dialog? What about casting? And what exactly does a sound designer do?
Luckily, Multitude created a free in-depth guide on how to make fiction podcasts! In celebration of our new audio sitcom, NEXT STOP, we’ve written a guide to help you get your fiction podcast off the ground and into the ears of your audience.
MEDIA CONTACT: Patricia A. Ellis, 313-410-3417 | https://www.gpt.org/
Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Playwriting Workshops will teach the art of storytelling
Workshops prepare authors for the upcoming ten-minute play festival competition.
GROSSE POINTE, MI – All playwrights and those interested in becoming one are invited to participate in
Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Take Ten Playwriting Workshops, which will be held virtually July – October 2021,
from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month. Registration for the workshop series is
now open. The cost for the four-workshop series is $25. However, the workshops are complimentary for
Grosse Pointe Theatre members, so all participants are welcome to become a GPT member. Membership
information is provided on the registration page. The workshops will teach skills in storytelling through
playwriting, specifically the ten-minute play format. This year’s playwriting theme is, “While You Were Out,”
similar to the message slips used in offices and the twists and turns that can happen communicating the
message. The virtual workshop format will make it easy for playwrights from around the state to participate.
By the end of the workshop series, participants should have a finished ten-minute play that they can submit
to Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Take Ten, Ten-Minute Play Festival competition. The competition is open to all
playwrights. The workshop series will be a worthwhile educational exercise for newcomers, as well as those
who have experience in playwriting. Play submissions to GPT’s playwriting competition will be accepted
through Dec. 31, 2021, and the winning submissions will be performed next spring.
Grosse Pointe Theatre’s ten-minute play festival, now in its eighth year, is the brainchild of longtime GPT
member Mary Lou Britton who has been leading this program as its executive producer since it began.
After assuming many technical and administrative responsibilities at GPT through the years, Britton honed-
in on her writing skills creating ten-minute plays. She has written several short plays since. Having spent her
career as an executive communicator and editor, and now playwright, Britton is excited to share her skills
and enthusiasm for playwriting with other playwrights and newcomers. Britton will team-teach the
workshops with Stella Woitulewicz, an actor and theatre buff who got hooked on comedy writing at Second
City Detroit. She has written and co-directed numerous short plays since.
“Playwriting has grown in popularity through the years and it’s exciting to see someone take a story idea
and create a plot, characters and a setting that audiences can relate too,” said Britton. “Playwriting opens
up another dimension to storytelling, connecting each character’s experiences in a believable and
entertaining way – in this case, all in ten minutes! We look forward to working with this year’s participants
and seeing their creative process develop into a finished ten-minute play.”
For more information on Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Take Ten Playwriting Workshops and Ten-Minute Play
Festival, visit http://www.gpt.org. Additional questions can be addressed by emailing playfestival@gpt.org or by
calling 586-779-8974.
About Grosse Pointe Theatre
Grosse Pointe Theatre, a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is honored to celebrate more
than 72 years of entertaining audiences in southeast Michigan – connecting, creating and inspiring
communities through theatre. For information on virtual and live performances, youth and educational
programs, membership and other ways to get involved or show support, visit http://www.gpt.org or call 313-881- All donations are tax deductible and appreciated.
Michigan Literary News & Events
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Agents, Editors and You: The Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published (Writers Market Library)
Alan M. Schlein: Find it Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research, Third Edition
Jack Neff: Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (Writer's Market Library Series)
Kathy, Henderson: Market Guide for Young Writers: Where and How to Sell What You Write
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2007 (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
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