writing

Fifty Shades of Grey: A Timeline

Posted on 08. Aug, 2012 by suz in category of Books, 50 shades, Jordan Alexis, writing

Fifty Shades of Grey fever is undeniably sweeping the nation right now. The erotic novel (so-called “mommy porn”) is breaking e-reader records while turning on women everywhere with spanking and light bondage. It seemed to me like this book just popped up overnight and became insanely popular, but the novel actually debuted over a year ago.

So here’s the lowdown on how this phenomenon has evolved:Read More »

Sharing Inspiration

Posted on 20. Jul, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Lifestyle, Abby Lee Hood, ideas, writing

I don’t know about you, but I’m a blog junkie! I love to read posts by travelers, beauty experts, style connoisseurs, and other interesting people. It means a lot to me to hear about others’ lives and to learn from them, and it also inspires me to be the best I can be! Keeping me inspired is a big job, especially because I get burned out so easily, but reading blogs seems to help me out quite a bit.Read More »

Stepping Out of Your Literary Comfort Zone

Posted on 06. Jul, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Books, Abby Lee Hood, books, reading, writing

Sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone. My boyfriend and I are both avid readers. We are always recommending new reads to each other and discussing our favorite authors. While we both love to read, our tastes in literature could not be further apart. I like the classics; his tastes are a bit more...well, nerdy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I certainly embrace my inner nerd. I love Harry Potter and Transformers and Pokemon, etc. But even I have my limits. Let's just say Star Wars is not my forte.Read More »

An Interview with K.A. Krisko

Posted on 29. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Aria Quinn, writing

Creativity has always fascinated me. I’ve spent hours wandering through author blogs, reading articles and entries about how writers craft their worlds, their characters, and their plots. Part of this is to help me improve my own skills – applying what I learn from my readings to my own craft – but part of it is just plain curiosity. There’s so many incredible stories out there. How do people come up with them?

My managing editor agreed with me, and thus the idea of author interviews came up.Read More »

New Article Series at SQ

Posted on 22. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Abby Lee Hood, writing

I’ve got a fun new idea to try out at SQ, and I hope you’ll join in with me! Recently, I wrote an article about the benefits of writing in a journal and jotting your thoughts down. In light of that, I’m going to be coming up with a new journal topic every week for you to write about. I’ll also be posting my own entry on the subject so you can compare thoughts. Some topics will be deep, some more playful, but the ultimate goal of this project is to help you discover yourself a little more.Read More »

E-Publishing: The Update

Posted on 22. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Aria Quinn, writing

I’m 25,000 words into the first draft of my romantic comedy. I can see some of you raising your eyebrows, but remember, I’ve been writing for a living for quite some time. I can write pretty fast when the time calls for it. The draft needs a lot of work afterward, but that’s the point of the first draft: you get the story down on paper. Or on the computer screen, I guess.Read More »

The Shuffle

Posted on 15. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Aria Quinn, writing

I just realized I haven’t written anything for myself, just because I felt like it, for a very long time.

I’ve paid the bills via writing assignments of one type or another, be they articles like this or novels ghostwritten for various clients. I’ve found ghostwriting to be the easiest thing to slip into; maybe it’s because everything is set – I have an outline, the client has signed off on it, and my only job is to write the story. I can scratch out a ghost assignment fairly quickly, without a lot of false starts.

Not so with this little gem.Read More »

Putting Your Pencil on the Paper

Posted on 12. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Abby Lee Hood, writing

 

Lots of us love to write; some of us love to write but don’t have anything to write about. Well, guess what? That isn’t true! There’s a story to be told in all of us, you only have to find a way to get it down on paper. People will tell you to “write about what you know,” and that’s completely true. Don’t try to be something you’re not, or try to fool people. People may do crazy things, but they’re inherently smart…sometimes. They will know if you don’t know what you’re talking about.Read More »

E-Publishing: Off to the Races

Posted on 08. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Aria Quinn, writing

 

Last week, at my managing editor’s urging, I decided to chronicle my efforts in self-publishing something under this particular pseudonym. I’m not a newbie to the process, but I learned some things my last time around, and I’m going to apply them in this case.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the creative process, which I’d like to talk about today.Read More »

E-Publishing: Let’s Try It

Posted on 01. Jun, 2012 by Dana Linn in category of Opinions, Aria Quinn, self-publishing, writing

Our managing editor, Suz Baldwin, asked me to help cover some of the writing-related stories we’re getting into here at Style Quirk. E-publishing has been gaining traction for the last two years, and seems poised to grow even more. I mentioned that I was gearing up to release some work under a new pseudonym (this one), and she suggested I document it for our readers.Read More »