C.C. Yager's Blog, page 20

Writers: How do you think of your readers?

Writers need readers.  We want to share our stories with other people, and it’s a bonus if those people respond to what they read and let us know what they think.  We already know that our first relationship with a … Continue reading →

Prince and Beethoven

The last few days, I’ve seen a lot of purple.  I live in Minnesota, and everywhere I’ve been, purple has appeared — purple clothing, purple light, purple banners, purple flowers, purple everywhere.  Purple is my favorite color, but it’s still … Continue reading →

Do You Know Inspiration?

The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You’re there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing. Everything is useful to a writer, you see – every scrap, even the longest … Continue reading →

Accepting Feedback

I used to dread receiving feedback about my writing. Being in a writing workshop stressed me out, and there were times when I dissociated and missed what was said or asked about my writing. Some writers react defensively to feedback. … Continue reading →

Ideas are Overrated

Today, I stumbled on this short blog post by YA author A. B. Westrick.  She writes about the notion that ideas are what drive stories when, in fact, it is what’s behind them that truly propel a story and connect … Continue reading →

President Obama Agrees With Me

In the April 2016 issue of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg writes about the interviews and conversations he’s had over the last ten years with President Obama, and his reportage on Obama, in his article, “The Obama Doctrine.”  Goldberg provides glimpses … Continue reading →

Promotion and Marketing

Back in the spring of 2014, just after I’d published Perceval’s Secret, I spent over $3000 on marketing with AuthorBuzz but saw no return on that investment in terms of sales. As a result, I’m now carrying that marketing cost … Continue reading →

Do You Make Money Writing?

Recently, I read this short article in E. Hope Clark’s newsletter Funds for Writers (from her Funds for Writers website where you can sign up for it) and it really resonated with me.  I thought I’d share it here. DO … Continue reading →

Have you tried an online writing forum?

When I began working on pre-production to publish Perceval’s Secret, I also thought about what to do with a couple short stories I had finished.  At the time, I wasn’t a member of a writing group, i.e. a group of … Continue reading →

Finding the Perfect Title

Titles often elude me.  For Perceval’s Secret, I had a working title of Shadow Lovers for a long time. Just couldn’t think of anything else. I liked this title because of “shadow” and two of its meanings, i.e. in surveillance … Continue reading →