25 Pieces of Advice from Famous Writers That Are Actually Useful!
by Marie Lavender
Some beginning writers feel that taking advice from
dead or even current, famous authors is silly. “Just write; it’s simple.”
Hannah Olinger, Unsplash
Well…yes, we should simplify everything, and get
back to basics. Are we overloaded with writing tips from the internet? It’s
possible. There’s no rule that says a writer should accept every crumb offered.
But dismissing good advice will help no one. Today,
you can ignore me – hell, what do I know, anyway – and discover tips from
authors we’ve all heard of! :)
To be fair, they will also be from vastly different
genres. I’ll list each one, and briefly discuss how their advice could help a
writer at any stage of his or her process. Without further ado, let’s get into
it, shall we?
“Observe
strangers. Let your own version of their life story shoot through your head —
how they got where they are now, where they might be going — and fill in the
blanks for yourself.”
“Eavesdrop.
Listen to the way people speak, but pay special attention to their silence.”
Adelin
Preda, Unsplash
Glad I’m not the only one who does
this! People-watching is a big resource in learning how to make characters
realistic.
Be creative! Once I witnessed a
couple having a serious discussion in a parking lot. The woman was crying, and
it was tough to watch, yet impossible to look away. I couldn’t tell what they
were saying…it could’ve been anything from a tough break-up to the man
comforting her over something she was dealing with. I just know it affected me,
and I yearned to tell their story.
“Describe
your characters beautifully if possible, and truthfully at any rate. Any
captivating protagonist should be someone you can imagine in the center of all
sorts of scenes.”
Your character’s description should
be thorough. Don’t forget to cover their flaws as well. Readers will identify
with people who are REAL.
Oladimeji Odunsi, Unsplash
Who is your main
character/protagonist? Make sure you’ve selected the one who can best tell the
story.
“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s
work. Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle
in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything. Or a
broken billboard. Or weeds growing in the cracks of a library’s steps. Of
course, none of this means a lot without characters the reader cares about (and
sometimes characters—‘bad guys’—the reader is rooting against).”
The key is ‘suspension of
disbelief’. Even when you’re covering a fantastical world, the tale and
characters should be relatable.
Jeff Finley, Unsplash
“The writer must have a good imagination to begin with, but
the imagination has to be muscular, which means it must be exercised in a
disciplined way, day in and day out, by writing, failing, succeeding and
revising.”
Keep writing. Don’t give up!
“Writers are often the worst judges of what they have
written.”
Nothing will paralyze you more as a
writer than your own opinion of a manuscript. We are our own worst critics.
Tim Gouw, Unsplash
Diversely, we sometimes reach that
point when we fall in love with our work. That’s what editors are for! They
help to cut through some of that chaos.
No, it’s not. Writing is about joy,
and finding a direct path to the story. Nothing else matters.
“There is nothing to writing. All you
do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
This is probably one of Hemingway’s
most famous quotes about writing. Still, it’s true. Writing is both a simple
and complex process. While you’re in the midst of a scene, you can tap into
great emotions, and in a way, it is almost like nicking a vein.
“Don’t worry.
You’ve written before and you will write again.”
Suffering
from a case of writer’s block? He’s right. Give it time. Relax and enjoy your
life. The writing bug will revisit you.
“Once writing
has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it.”
It
is hard for readers to accept a writer’s retirement. For myself, I’m not sure
how I could actually turn off the need to write. You can’t flip it on and off
the way you would a light switch. Being a writer is just a part of you.
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how
to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
Created by yanalya - www.freepik.com
I couldn’t have said it better
myself. The key is to make it look as natural as possible, so that when the
reader steps away, they realize they’ve escaped into another world for a time.
As writers, we are accountable to ourselves alone. We must
carve time out for writing. No one else will do it for us.
Once you have a publisher, then you’ll have deadlines. But in
the meantime, you have to take charge of your own writing journey. In any case,
it’s a good habit to adopt regardless of whether you pursue indie or
traditional publishing.
“Never use abstract nouns when concrete
ones will do. If you mean ‘More people died’, don’t say ‘Mortality rose’.”
Never try to impress your reader with big words or
flowery descriptions. At the same time, don’t assume your audience is stupid
either. Readers are intelligent professionals who are often looking for a
literary escape. Be sincere and direct.
“Don’t use
adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are
describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was ‘terrible’, describe it
so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make us say ‘delightful’
when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying,
wonderful, hideous, and exquisite) are only like saying to your readers,
“Please, will you do my job for me?”
If
you’ve been writing for a while, you’ve probably come across this advice, but
it was housed in the phrase ‘show, don’t tell’.
When you describe a scene or the actions of a character, ask yourself
instead:
What about the
image was horrific or scary?
How can I
describe Robert’s fear?
Readers
should be able to feel what the character is experiencing.
schlappohr, Pixabay
“Nonsense wakes up the brain cells.
And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day
and age. Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just
a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how
things can be in whack.”
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Laugh at your mistakes.
rawpixel, Pixabay
Watch a funny movie, or read a silly story. Try your
hand at writing comedy.
Hey, why not? The experience may be a lot smoother that way.
“You have to do tricks with pacing, alternate long sentences
with short, to keep it alive and vital. Virtually every page is a
cliff-hanger—you’ve got to force them to turn it.”
Everything that is happening in the
book should be imperative to the story. Cut out the unnecessary stuff.
Charles 🇵ðŸ‡, Unsplash
Write
short sentences. Or medium length. Even go for longer ones, if that works with
the plot. But break up the flow so it becomes a true reading experience, and
the audience doesn’t get hung up on how you went into too much detail with one
sentence.
And here’s a Seuss poem with advice
too…
It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.
So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.
That’s why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader’s relief is.
“Be your own
editor/critic. Sympathetic but merciless!”
Go
easy on yourself, but not so much that you can’t find room for improvement in
your work.
“Unless you are
writing something very post-modernist – self-conscious, self-reflexive and ‘provocative’
– be alert for possibilities of using plain familiar words in place of
polysyllabic ‘big’ words.”
Pretty much
what C.S. Lewis said. ;)
Kurt Vonnegut
“Give the reader at least one character he or she can root
for.”
The protagonist should be relatable
– complete with flaws – someone the reader can easily follow during the story.
Same thing goes for an anti-hero. He
needs to have a few redeeming qualities, even if we just love to hate him. To go a step further, villains are also people too, and they have certain motivations that drive them - most believe they are the heroes of their own stories. Now and then, I write from the perspective of the villain during a scene in the story. It challenges me as a writer, and helps me flip into a different mindset.
Pawel Janiak, Unsplash
“Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading
characters, make awful things happen to them - in order that the reader may see
what they are made of.”
Don’t be afraid to torture your
characters a little. I always find myself doing this, and it usually turns out
well.
Just keep in mind that readers can
further identify with a character if they find out how they handle certain
situations.
dylan nolte, Unsplash
“Write something every day, even if
it means getting just a few sentences on the screen.”
Just
write, no matter how brief it is. All you can do is try.
One
technique I used in the past while focused on a project was to write a
paragraph, scene or chapter each day, but if I couldn’t do that, I would at least choose an aspect
of the research. I’d look up the detail I needed, and then add it to the story somehow. That way, I felt like I was accomplishing something.
Neil Gaiman
“Write ideas down. If they are going to
be stories, try and tell the stories you would like to read. Finish the things
you start to write. Do it a lot and you will be a writer. The only way to do it
is to do it.”
Same thing goes. Just write.
Write what moves you alone, what
you’d love to pick up in a bookstore or on Amazon if you could.
Amanda Jones, Unsplash
And if you’re
lucky, you won’t be the only one who wanted to read a story like that.
J.RR. Tolkien
“Let your interests drive your writing.”
DON’T ‘write
what you know’. Instead write what inspires you, what you need to learn about
to tell the story. Write what thrills you, what you can't wait to talk about on the page.
Steven Houston, Unsplash
“Dreams give us inspiration.”
If you can
remember your dreams, write them down. A lot of successful authors have used
their dreams as story ideas.
Johannes Plenio, Unsplash
Ray
Bradbury
“You
must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
With the outside world comes the
chaos of bills, appointments, getting your kid to and from school or
extracurricular activities, and figuring out what’s for dinner.
The point here is that you should
try to find an escape from those distractions while you’re writing. Stay in the
zone.
Enjoy the creative process, and when you finally step away from it,
you’ll be ready to face reality again.
One of Natalie’s books, Writing Down the Bones, has become a quintessential resource on the
craft of writing.
https://books2read.com/u/meo1Gl
I can’t in good conscience have an article about advice from
writers without including this one tidbit, which has saved me time and time
again.
“Write what disturbs you, what you fear,
what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”
Brave
the storms of writing with your dark truths. Dig deep into your wealth of
experience, and make what you have lived real in your story. Authenticity will
always ring truer with your audience.
Well…I hope you’ll consider this
advice from all these well-known authors. I know they’ve given me something to
think about!
Tell me. What is your favorite crumb
of writing advice from an author? Let’s start a discussion in the comments…
Blogger Bio
Multi-genre
author of Victorian romance, UPON YOUR RETURN, and 23 other books. Reached the Top
10 Authors list on AuthorsDB.com for the last 4 years. Featured interview in
the January 2018 issue of Womelle Magazine. The Heiresses in Love Trilogy made
the TOP 10 on the Anthology category on the 2018 P&E Readers' Poll, and
BLOOD INSTINCTS reached TOP 10 status in the Romance category. The Heiresses in
Love Trilogy and DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART both reached the semi-finalist round
in the 2018 AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest. Voted TOP BLOGGER for 2018 on the
Romance Lives Forever Blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2018 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews
blog. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated and made it past the first round in
the 2018 Author Academy Awards. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in
the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers' Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was
nominated for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a
finalist in StartDating DK's Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on
Feedspot’s 2017-2018 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF
THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog.
TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award
for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the
Universe title - winner of the "Broken Heart" themed contest and the "I
Love You" themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A
LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Nominated
in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015
PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in
the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014
MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January
2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013
and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Winner of the Great
One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie
Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been
writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress
than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in
the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense,
paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction,
mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for
children, and has recently started some young adult fiction. She has also contributed to
several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love
Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar
Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
Links:
Website: http://marielavender.com/
Blogs: http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marielavender1
Instagram:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SMRcRD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
All Author: http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
Manic Readers: http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
Authors Database:
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
Sign up
for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13
Follow her on BookBub for new release
updates: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-lavender
Marie's Books:
Some beginning writers feel that taking advice from
dead or even current, famous authors is silly. “Just write; it’s simple.”
 |
|
Hannah Olinger, Unsplash
|
Well…yes, we should simplify everything, and get
back to basics. Are we overloaded with writing tips from the internet? It’s
possible. There’s no rule that says a writer should accept every crumb offered.
But dismissing good advice will help no one. Today,
you can ignore me – hell, what do I know, anyway – and discover tips from
authors we’ve all heard of! :)
To be fair, they will also be from vastly different
genres. I’ll list each one, and briefly discuss how their advice could help a
writer at any stage of his or her process. Without further ado, let’s get into
it, shall we?
“Observe
strangers. Let your own version of their life story shoot through your head —
how they got where they are now, where they might be going — and fill in the
blanks for yourself.”
“Eavesdrop.
Listen to the way people speak, but pay special attention to their silence.”
 |
| Adelin Preda, Unsplash |
Glad I’m not the only one who does
this! People-watching is a big resource in learning how to make characters
realistic.
Be creative! Once I witnessed a
couple having a serious discussion in a parking lot. The woman was crying, and
it was tough to watch, yet impossible to look away. I couldn’t tell what they
were saying…it could’ve been anything from a tough break-up to the man
comforting her over something she was dealing with. I just know it affected me,
and I yearned to tell their story.
“Describe
your characters beautifully if possible, and truthfully at any rate. Any
captivating protagonist should be someone you can imagine in the center of all
sorts of scenes.”
Your character’s description should
be thorough. Don’t forget to cover their flaws as well. Readers will identify
with people who are REAL.
 |
|
Oladimeji Odunsi, Unsplash
|
Who is your main
character/protagonist? Make sure you’ve selected the one who can best tell the
story.
“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s
work. Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle
in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything. Or a
broken billboard. Or weeds growing in the cracks of a library’s steps. Of
course, none of this means a lot without characters the reader cares about (and
sometimes characters—‘bad guys’—the reader is rooting against).”
The key is ‘suspension of
disbelief’. Even when you’re covering a fantastical world, the tale and
characters should be relatable.
 |
|
Jeff Finley, Unsplash
|
“The writer must have a good imagination to begin with, but
the imagination has to be muscular, which means it must be exercised in a
disciplined way, day in and day out, by writing, failing, succeeding and
revising.”
Keep writing. Don’t give up!
“Writers are often the worst judges of what they have
written.”
Nothing will paralyze you more as a
writer than your own opinion of a manuscript. We are our own worst critics.
 |
|
Tim Gouw, Unsplash
|
Diversely, we sometimes reach that
point when we fall in love with our work. That’s what editors are for! They
help to cut through some of that chaos.
No, it’s not. Writing is about joy,
and finding a direct path to the story. Nothing else matters.
“There is nothing to writing. All you
do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
This is probably one of Hemingway’s
most famous quotes about writing. Still, it’s true. Writing is both a simple
and complex process. While you’re in the midst of a scene, you can tap into
great emotions, and in a way, it is almost like nicking a vein.
“Don’t worry.
You’ve written before and you will write again.”
Suffering
from a case of writer’s block? He’s right. Give it time. Relax and enjoy your
life. The writing bug will revisit you.
“Once writing
has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it.”
It
is hard for readers to accept a writer’s retirement. For myself, I’m not sure
how I could actually turn off the need to write. You can’t flip it on and off
the way you would a light switch. Being a writer is just a part of you.
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how
to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
 |
| Created by yanalya - www.freepik.com |
I couldn’t have said it better
myself. The key is to make it look as natural as possible, so that when the
reader steps away, they realize they’ve escaped into another world for a time.
As writers, we are accountable to ourselves alone. We must
carve time out for writing. No one else will do it for us.
Once you have a publisher, then you’ll have deadlines. But in
the meantime, you have to take charge of your own writing journey. In any case,
it’s a good habit to adopt regardless of whether you pursue indie or
traditional publishing.
“Never use abstract nouns when concrete
ones will do. If you mean ‘More people died’, don’t say ‘Mortality rose’.”
Never try to impress your reader with big words or flowery descriptions. At the same time, don’t assume your audience is stupid either. Readers are intelligent professionals who are often looking for a literary escape. Be sincere and direct.
“Don’t use
adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are
describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was ‘terrible’, describe it
so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make us say ‘delightful’
when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying,
wonderful, hideous, and exquisite) are only like saying to your readers,
“Please, will you do my job for me?”
If
you’ve been writing for a while, you’ve probably come across this advice, but
it was housed in the phrase ‘show, don’t tell’.
When you describe a scene or the actions of a character, ask yourself
instead:
What about the
image was horrific or scary?
How can I
describe Robert’s fear?
Readers
should be able to feel what the character is experiencing.
 |
| schlappohr, Pixabay |
“Nonsense wakes up the brain cells.
And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day
and age. Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just
a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how
things can be in whack.”
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Laugh at your mistakes.
 |
| rawpixel, Pixabay |
Watch a funny movie, or read a silly story. Try your
hand at writing comedy.
Hey, why not? The experience may be a lot smoother that way.
“You have to do tricks with pacing, alternate long sentences
with short, to keep it alive and vital. Virtually every page is a
cliff-hanger—you’ve got to force them to turn it.”
Everything that is happening in the
book should be imperative to the story. Cut out the unnecessary stuff.
 |
|
Charles 🇵ðŸ‡, Unsplash
|
Write
short sentences. Or medium length. Even go for longer ones, if that works with
the plot. But break up the flow so it becomes a true reading experience, and
the audience doesn’t get hung up on how you went into too much detail with one
sentence.
And here’s a Seuss poem with advice
too…
It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.
So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.
That’s why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader’s relief is.
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader’s relief is.
“Be your own
editor/critic. Sympathetic but merciless!”
Go
easy on yourself, but not so much that you can’t find room for improvement in
your work.
“Unless you are
writing something very post-modernist – self-conscious, self-reflexive and ‘provocative’
– be alert for possibilities of using plain familiar words in place of
polysyllabic ‘big’ words.”
Pretty much what C.S. Lewis said. ;)
Kurt Vonnegut
“Give the reader at least one character he or she can root
for.”
The protagonist should be relatable
– complete with flaws – someone the reader can easily follow during the story.
Same thing goes for an anti-hero. He
needs to have a few redeeming qualities, even if we just love to hate him. To go a step further, villains are also people too, and they have certain motivations that drive them - most believe they are the heroes of their own stories. Now and then, I write from the perspective of the villain during a scene in the story. It challenges me as a writer, and helps me flip into a different mindset.
 |
|
Pawel Janiak, Unsplash
|
“Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading
characters, make awful things happen to them - in order that the reader may see
what they are made of.”
Don’t be afraid to torture your
characters a little. I always find myself doing this, and it usually turns out
well.
Just keep in mind that readers can
further identify with a character if they find out how they handle certain
situations.
 |
|
dylan nolte, Unsplash
|
“Write something every day, even if
it means getting just a few sentences on the screen.”
Just write, no matter how brief it is. All you can do is try.
One technique I used in the past while focused on a project was to write a paragraph, scene or chapter each day, but if I couldn’t do that, I would at least choose an aspect of the research. I’d look up the detail I needed, and then add it to the story somehow. That way, I felt like I was accomplishing something.
Neil Gaiman
“Write ideas down. If they are going to
be stories, try and tell the stories you would like to read. Finish the things
you start to write. Do it a lot and you will be a writer. The only way to do it
is to do it.”
Same thing goes. Just write.
Write what moves you alone, what
you’d love to pick up in a bookstore or on Amazon if you could.
 |
| Amanda Jones, Unsplash |
And if you’re
lucky, you won’t be the only one who wanted to read a story like that.
J.RR. Tolkien
“Let your interests drive your writing.”
DON’T ‘write what you know’. Instead write what inspires you, what you need to learn about to tell the story. Write what thrills you, what you can't wait to talk about on the page.
 |
| Steven Houston, Unsplash |
“Dreams give us inspiration.”
If you can remember your dreams, write them down. A lot of successful authors have used their dreams as story ideas.
 |
|
Johannes Plenio, Unsplash
|
Ray Bradbury
“You
must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
With the outside world comes the
chaos of bills, appointments, getting your kid to and from school or
extracurricular activities, and figuring out what’s for dinner.
The point here is that you should
try to find an escape from those distractions while you’re writing. Stay in the
zone.
Enjoy the creative process, and when you finally step away from it,
you’ll be ready to face reality again.
One of Natalie’s books, Writing Down the Bones, has become a quintessential resource on the
craft of writing.
|
| https://books2read.com/u/meo1Gl |
I can’t in good conscience have an article about advice from
writers without including this one tidbit, which has saved me time and time
again.
“Write what disturbs you, what you fear,
what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”
Brave
the storms of writing with your dark truths. Dig deep into your wealth of
experience, and make what you have lived real in your story. Authenticity will
always ring truer with your audience.
Well…I hope you’ll consider this
advice from all these well-known authors. I know they’ve given me something to
think about!
Tell me. What is your favorite crumb
of writing advice from an author? Let’s start a discussion in the comments…
Blogger Bio
Multi-genre
author of Victorian romance, UPON YOUR RETURN, and 23 other books. Reached the Top
10 Authors list on AuthorsDB.com for the last 4 years. Featured interview in
the January 2018 issue of Womelle Magazine. The Heiresses in Love Trilogy made
the TOP 10 on the Anthology category on the 2018 P&E Readers' Poll, and
BLOOD INSTINCTS reached TOP 10 status in the Romance category. The Heiresses in
Love Trilogy and DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART both reached the semi-finalist round
in the 2018 AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest. Voted TOP BLOGGER for 2018 on the
Romance Lives Forever Blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2018 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews
blog. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated and made it past the first round in
the 2018 Author Academy Awards. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in
the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers' Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was
nominated for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a
finalist in StartDating DK's Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on
Feedspot’s 2017-2018 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF
THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog.
TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award
for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the
Universe title - winner of the "Broken Heart" themed contest and the "I
Love You" themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A
LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Nominated
in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015
PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in
the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014
MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January
2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013
and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Winner of the Great
One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie
Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been
writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress
than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in
the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense,
paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction,
mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for
children, and has recently started some young adult fiction. She has also contributed to
several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love
Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar
Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
Links:
Website: http://marielavender.com/
Blogs: http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marielavender1
Instagram:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SMRcRD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
All Author: http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
Manic Readers: http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
Authors Database:
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
Sign up
for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13
Follow her on BookBub for new release
updates: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-lavender
Marie's Books:
Blogger Bio
Blogger Bio
Blogger Bio
Multi-genre
author of Victorian romance, UPON YOUR RETURN, and 23 other books. Reached the Top
10 Authors list on AuthorsDB.com for the last 4 years. Featured interview in
the January 2018 issue of Womelle Magazine. The Heiresses in Love Trilogy made
the TOP 10 on the Anthology category on the 2018 P&E Readers' Poll, and
BLOOD INSTINCTS reached TOP 10 status in the Romance category. The Heiresses in
Love Trilogy and DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART both reached the semi-finalist round
in the 2018 AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest. Voted TOP BLOGGER for 2018 on the
Romance Lives Forever Blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2018 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews
blog. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated and made it past the first round in
the 2018 Author Academy Awards. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in
the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers' Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was
nominated for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a
finalist in StartDating DK's Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on
Feedspot’s 2017-2018 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF
THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog.
TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award
for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the
Universe title - winner of the "Broken Heart" themed contest and the "I
Love You" themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A
LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Nominated
in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015
PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in
the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014
MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January
2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013
and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Winner of the Great
One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie
Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been
writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress
than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in
the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense,
paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction,
mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for
children, and has recently started some young adult fiction. She has also contributed to
several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love
Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar
Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
Links:
Website: http://marielavender.com/
Blogs: http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marielavender1
Instagram:
Links:
Website: http://marielavender.com/
Links:
Website: http://marielavender.com/
Blogs: http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
Blogs: http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marielavender1
Instagram:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marielavender1
Instagram:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SMRcRD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
All Author: http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
Manic Readers: http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
Authors Database:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SMRcRD
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SMRcRD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
All Author: http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
All Author: http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
Manic Readers: http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
Manic Readers: http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
Authors Database:
Authors Database:
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
Sign up
for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13
Follow her on BookBub for new release
updates: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-lavender
Marie's Books:
Marie's Books:
Wise words from authors who use words wisely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda!
DeleteExcellent compilation of great writing advice! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Darlene!
Delete