I am an aspiring young adult author who has a literary agent. My agent has represented me since 2008 and in that time has tried to sell two different novels that I wrote. My second book has been out with editors since June, and there still have not been any takers. I just finished the first draft of my third novel and am starting to wonder if I should start looking for a different agent to represent me.
[more inside]
posted by Palmfrond
on Mar 22, 2012 -
13 answers
MPA or M.S. Writing? More useful, or more engaging? I'm at a point where I am thinking about my advanced degree choices, and would love some input and advice.
[more inside]
posted by thatbrunette
on Mar 21, 2012 -
8 answers
Can you recommend a good book/guide to writing scientific research papers (for publication)?
[more inside]
posted by bluefly
on Mar 19, 2012 -
7 answers
What should I be paid? My job is essentially a combination of marketing and web content creation. I write blog and page content for the website of a retail company.
My writing requires an in-depth and technical knowledge about the general field as well as an intimate knowledge about how to convey this information in an attractive way to the consumer base. I constantly update my own knowledge in order to provide this content.
I write consumer friendly technical info for the individual products as well as more elaborate landing pages to bring google ad traffic to. I add in-depth daily blog posts. I am also expected to manage the email marketing and as well as the online Google ads. Since I have begun this work, the readership and web sales have shot up and I expect it to continue to climb.
[more inside]
posted by KoiPond
on Mar 17, 2012 -
10 answers
The way I research (academic or otherwise) is increasingly incompatible with the tools I have. Reams of handwritten notebooks, and hundreds of word docs vs a highly tagged website only add to my self-created confusion.
I'm drawn to Tinderbox software as a possible solution, but as an adamant PC user I'm locked out.
How do you order your research? / How to write-up my PhD now my brain is fried?
[more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Mar 16, 2012 -
10 answers
Do you have a friend who seems to have it all -- financial stability, always the center of attention, people jumping into bed with them at the drop of a hat, to the point that it seems just plain unfair? Do you get jealous? If so, how do you maintain the friendship? If not, why do you think you don't feel any jealousy? (Particularly interested in answers from the early-twenties age range.)
[more inside]
posted by scaryblackdeath
on Mar 13, 2012 -
24 answers
Does anyone know the history of mining towns and/or horse ranching in the Rocky Mountains, or where to go to research it?
[more inside]
posted by trollnystan
on Mar 11, 2012 -
17 answers
iPod Touch for writing/editing? What wireless keyboard and holder set-up works for you?
[more inside]
posted by caveatz
on Mar 9, 2012 -
5 answers
Habitually editing while I write, want to try free-writing and getting it all out, having difficulty: can I temporarily disable my backspace key in Microsoft Word?
[more inside]
posted by NikitaNikita
on Mar 8, 2012 -
22 answers
To writers: how do you consider questions of which form in which to express your ideas - short story, essay, novel, poem, even unconventional forms like very short fiction or experimental plotless fiction or aphorism collection or blog posts (to the extent they're their own thing)? Are there any good articles or books that wrestle with this dilemma?
posted by shivohum
on Mar 8, 2012 -
8 answers
My fiction writing group is wondering if there's a better way to critique each others' pieces. How does your writing group do it?
[more inside]
posted by ShooBoo
on Mar 6, 2012 -
10 answers
I wrote just short of 50,000 words of a novel... But now I'm not sure where to go from here. Help me come up with a game plan to finish it. Details inside.
[more inside]
posted by deathpanels
on Mar 5, 2012 -
16 answers
E.B. White and George Orwell both suggest that short, lively Saxon words are often better than long Latin ones. This rule has helped my own writing, but my thesaurus is still full of Greek and Latin. Is there a thesaurus that includes only Anglo-Saxon synonyms? Even better, is there one sortable by origin?
posted by ecmendenhall
on Mar 3, 2012 -
2 answers
Calling all academics and graduate students: Tell me about your workflow for turning a piles of notes and ideas into something that resembles a thesis or research arcticle!
[more inside]
posted by snowysoul
on Mar 1, 2012 -
14 answers
What are some movies that portray a career or job or professional really well and accurately? Movies that made you sit up and go " Yep that's what being a lawyer/doctor/actor/food additive executive" is like.
posted by The Whelk
on Mar 1, 2012 -
40 answers
What are the best books, articles, or websites that act as a kind of "writing coach" for fiction, which walk you through, like an encouraging but demanding mentor, the psychological, technical, and purely logistical issues of writing and then publishing short stories or novels?
posted by shivohum
on Feb 22, 2012 -
14 answers
Who are good candidates for reasonably being labelled "The Brazilian Shakespeare"?
[more inside]
posted by Bwithh
on Feb 21, 2012 -
5 answers
How do you prepare yourself for failure before it comes? What do you read or watch to allow yourself to let go when a labor of love has failed?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 20, 2012 -
12 answers
Recommendations for a clean, simple, functional writing app that will sync documents between a desktop Mac, ipad, and iphone/ipod touch.
[more inside]
posted by The ____ of Justice
on Feb 18, 2012 -
8 answers
I am in the last two weeks of writing my master's thesis and I was wondering what herbs or supplements others have found useful for writing. Focus is part of it, but I also need to
produce and get in the flow, so to speak. It comes sometimes, but I can never force those really productive moments. I have a cupboard full of various herbs, but no time to experiment. Wondering what has worked for other, including combinations.
[more inside]
posted by cejl
on Feb 17, 2012 -
17 answers
I am the IT Manager for a small public access tv station and I've been roped into doing a segment on our weekly news show and I have absolutely no idea what to do.
[more inside]
posted by Cat Pie Hurts
on Feb 17, 2012 -
29 answers
What does 'dieselpunk' mean to you in a story? With our without 'AU historical elements'. I'm just looking for wild ideas and scenarios that may fit into this oeuvre, especially a set-up that sounds blindingly awesome rather than simply appropriate for the fantasy subgenre.
[more inside]
posted by reenka
on Feb 16, 2012 -
5 answers
In the post-printed-book era, how has distribution to bookstores changed? Indie author seeks distribution across the world!
[more inside]
posted by chrisinseoul
on Feb 13, 2012 -
3 answers
What is the best online venue to advertise for other writers who want to engage in mutual criticism / editing /support?
[more inside]
posted by crazylegs
on Feb 12, 2012 -
3 answers
What are your suggestions for
writing anywhere, as opposed to using a dedicated writing space?
[more inside]
posted by mecran01
on Feb 12, 2012 -
19 answers
I seem to have completely forgotten how to write and edit scientific papers. Please hope me!
[more inside]
posted by Gneisskate
on Feb 12, 2012 -
14 answers
Is it passible to write a story/novel/book backwards starting with the ending and ending with the beginning yet keeping the whole thing in in forward chronological order? The readers would never know it was written this way. What would be the writing logistics of doing this?
[more inside]
posted by Xurando
on Feb 11, 2012 -
22 answers
I have an interesting and challenging topic thought out for an essay, and I'm trying to find sources, but I'm stumped on how to word my search for reading material and sources on the topic. Help me find sources on how the internet changes the way we read!
[more inside]
posted by Conspire
on Feb 10, 2012 -
5 answers
Is there an online platform that will let me post status updates (like on Facebook or Twitter) that AREN'T public--as in, it's for me and me only?
[more inside]
posted by lovableiago
on Feb 3, 2012 -
16 answers
Is there a script or service to automatically cross-link posts by different bloggers across different platforms besides Blog Carnival?
[more inside]
posted by medea42
on Jan 31, 2012 -
0 answers
Need recommendations for a good literary short story (or two) on which to write a 1200-1500ish word paper.
[more inside]
posted by Gymnopedist
on Jan 28, 2012 -
24 answers
Is there a word processing program that can spell-check multiple languages in one document?
[more inside]
posted by besonders
on Jan 26, 2012 -
7 answers
Know of any country-specific (Dutch, for example) websites out there that publish translated non-fiction articles of interest, and linked to or displaying the original content?
[more inside]
posted by Ellie Higginbottom
on Jan 17, 2012 -
0 answers
What's a good venue to publish an essay on the notions of meaning and explanation in psychology (broadly defined)? I'd like to find a venue that would address both scholars in various fields as well as writers, artists, and the intelligent laymen who might be interested in these issues.
[more inside]
posted by shivohum
on Jan 16, 2012 -
3 answers
I know, a good problem to have: How can I become a more
descriptive writer?
[more inside]
posted by adverb
on Jan 10, 2012 -
12 answers
