Don't Be Afraid to Reinvent Yourself When Necessary

As a writer or author, perfecting the ability to reinvent yourself is priceless. I’m an old veteran of the technique, having done that so many times I’ve lost track.

Morgan as herself and as Arliss Adams

People who know me personally know that I’ve had several professions and several “looks” through the years. We’ll talk a little about why this is so valuable to writers, but in this era of economic upheaval and uncertainty, it applies to many other walks of life besides writing. Flexibility takes on new importance.
As for me, at an age when many people feel they have to slow down, I seem to be speeding up. When you write fiction, it’s extremely beneficial to be able to wear many hats and even add to your attributes and experiment with different personality styles.
Hey, Spiderman has the Spider Sense, why shouldn’t WriterPerson have the Chameleon Sense? READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

FINDING THE RIGHT NICHE

 Writers' Tricks of the Trade: Finding your niche

Morgan St. James

Las Vegas Writing Examiner

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There is nothing sweeter to a writer than when “the great idea” hits.
The problem is, sometimes the great idea is a hard one to convert to a complete novel because it’s too limited or difficult to rein in. Maybe there is too much to include for a single novel.
Have you ever heard someone describe their work in progress as being a romantic, sci-fi mystery with historical roots, humor, steamy sex and—oh yes, they’ve thought about introducing some vampires, need to figure out how to still use the sex but qualify it for the young adult market as well as appealing to the adult market and last, but not least, they’re toying with the idea of bringing in a psychic and a few rock stars. Wow. All of that in one novel? This might sound exaggerated, but I’ve heard descriptions strangely like that.
And, of course, this author knows it will be a best seller because it is bound to hit readers in just about every genre, isn’t it? READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Spotlight: The Digital Author Conference

Morgan St. James

LA Writing Examiner  + Subscribe

The Digital Author Conference is offered by West Coast Writers Conferences (WC2). With a commitment to provide writers of all genres and levels with information, education and consultation relative to the craft and business of writing, all of their events feature educators, industry professionals, agents, publishers and experts in one or more disciplines.

A little about the speaker/instructors
The speaker/instructors are industry professionals, presidents of companies, educators and a respected literary agent, all experienced in one or more aspects of digital publishing. They will be traveling from around the country for this event.

How can it be so affordable? READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Pardon my cliche!

Cliches are everywhere. On TV, in movies, on the web, in our daily conversation, in the classroom...you name it and you will find it. However, writers are constantly cautioned not to use them. Diehards say don't use them EVER. Is it necessary to take such a hard line? A path never to be deviated from? What is it about these tired, overused phrases that are all around us?

Morgan St. James, LA Writing Examiner

January 6, 2012 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.

Cliche: A phrase or expression that is so overused it becomes annoying.
How ironic that many clichés start out as very clever expressions—a funny way to convey a distinct message. In the beginning they sound so clever and engaging, people repeat them...and repeat them...and repeat them ad infinitum until they become corny or annoying.
As they evolve, cliches are perceived as a lazy way to convey something people already know. Perhaps effective, but devoid of imagination.
See if you recognize these:
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Would you like to write for examiner.com?

I've been writing columns for www.examiner.com for over two years now. I started with the Las Vegas edition and later added Los Angeles. The exposure has been great and my following has grown steadily.

 "Examiner" is their term for reporters all over the country in--big cities and small--who report local happenings in a very broad range of topics. Styles vary greatly from the news oriented to the personal angles. Then there are those like me who concentrate on evergreen columns. What is an evergreen column? It is one that does not go out of date.

After trying to do a local calendar of writers' events in Las Vegas, I realized that people were not coming to me with their announcements as I'd anticipated. I spent hours upon hours looking for events and at last decided that my time would be better spent creating content that would almost always be of interest or helpful to my readers---content that didn't have an expiration date.

Occasionally I update my Spotlight columns if something significant has happened in the life or career of one of the people I've interviewed or there are new features for events or organizations I've profiled, but for the most part these columns introduce my readers to someone or something they will find interesting. As for the personal angle, I always try to show something about the authors and people in the industry that isn't necessarily common knowledge...like when reviewer Jackie Houchin discussed her love of horses.

The Writers' Tricks of the Trade column which was the inspiration for this blog, the newsletter and my recently released Writers' Tricks of the Trade book, is my way of sharing what I've learned through the years with my readers. The newsletter is a sharing of ideas, tips and techniques from guest contributors from all over the country with some add-ins by yours truly, and the book is an easy-to-read handy reference to keep on the bookshelf, computer or electronic reader for quick information or inspiration.

If you have a topic or hobby you are passionate about, think about writing news or a column for examiner. You can find the application as well as a list of cities and available topics at http://exm.nr/iyeW7c. I would appreciate it if you  list me as the one who referred you.

Happy writing.