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Decide How You’ll Write About Your Life

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 1d

Want to write about a life experience, but not sure whether you should write memoir or fiction? Here are some good pointers: writerunboxed.com/2025/10/09/d...

We here at WU believe in fiction’s power, and work every day to improve how we wield it. But many of life’s real events can be spun into equally engrossing stories. This raises a quandary for…

Knit One, Revise Two: What Being a Knitter Taught Me About Writing | Jane Friedman

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 1d

"Creative work loops back on itself, gets all tangled up, and sometimes requires you to undo hours of effort before you can move forward again." Do you relate to this? Then you'll enjoy reading: janefriedman.com/knit-one-rev...

Knitting and writing both teach us that mistakes can be instructive. Every dropped stitch, every tangled subplot is an invitation to learn.

Where did all our third places go?

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normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 1d

What has happened to community? Here's an excellent post: careerpunks.substack.com/p/where-did-...

How the quiet erosion of connection left us starved for belonging — and what might grow next.

careerpunks.substack.com

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normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 1d

Wonder if it's worth taking time to write short stories, flash fiction, etc., when you're usually a book-length writer? Here are some good pointers! writerunboxed.com/2025/10/13/c...

Creativity in Brevity

It’s very difficult to tell a story in just a few hundred words, to fit in all the elements that go into a good, rounded tale, to develop a plot with a setting, character development and a theme, f…

If you have been following my series that describes my self-publishing adventures related to my book, A Summerland Stories Scrapbook: Memories & Memorabilia, you will know that I’ve been …

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 6d

Starting to blog again! (This time NOT about my book, LOL!) normajhill.com/2025/10/08/o...

On to Retirement!

normajhill.com

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 7d

Useful guide for developing a table of contents for your book: blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-...

How to Write a Book Table of Contents

Your book's table of content should address a reader's questions and provide a roadmap. Learn how to format and write a table of contents for a book.

Using the Three-Act Structure in Your Story

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 7d

Good overview of the Three-Act-Structure: blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-write...

What is the three-act structure in storytelling? Learn essential components and tips for how to incorporate this approach into your writing.

Can Set Up and Backstory Actually Work in Chapter One?

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 8d

What is the purpose of chapter 1 in your novel? Should you include both set-up and backstory? Useful post: writerunboxed.com/2025/10/01/c...

Short answer: no. At least, those oh-so-necessary-feeling dumps of information do not work in 99.9% of manuscripts. But anything is possible if done right. Let’s start with some definitions. Set up…

The Uses, and Abuses, of Ambition

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normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 8d

What are your writing goals/ambitions? How much $$ are you willing to spend on conferences, retreats, etc.? Interesting post: writerunboxed.com/2025/10/03/t...

Though I’ve largely stopped using social media, when I do go on Facebook or Instagram these days, my feeds are liberally seasoned with posts that advertise writing-advice books, writing workshops, …

All about the audiobook listener — BookNet Canada

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 13d

Wondering what Canadians are using audiobooks? Check this out: www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/researc...

A look at audiobook listeners, who they are, and their listening preferences.

www.booknetcanada.ca

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 15d

Ideas on how human creativity in writing can overcome AI slop: janefriedman.com/how-creativi...

How Creativity Survives in an AI Monoculture | Jane Friedman

One writer suggests that the antidote to ‘AI Slop’ is to bring our endlessly eccentric selves, resulting in idiosyncratic, unique outputs.

How First Drafts Are Like Cauliflower

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 15d

Some tricks to help you with your first draft: writerunboxed.com/2025/09/26/h...

For me, revising a rough draft for the first time is akin to eating cauliflower: I get that it’s a good thing, but it’s not appealing on any level. It’s bland, it’s boring, and sometimes it’s just …

A Guide to Book Typesetting Services

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 15d

Wondering about the difference between self-publishing where you handle everything on your own, or full-service self-publishing platforms where they do all that publishing stuff for you? Here's useful post: Wondering about various typesetting services? Check this: blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-...

Learn what professional book typesetting involves, font selection, layout, spacing, and justification to ensure polished, readable interior design.

A Guide to Book Typesetting Services

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normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 15d

Wondering about various typesetting services? Here is a useful guide: blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-...

Learn what professional book typesetting involves, font selection, layout, spacing, and justification to ensure polished, readable interior design.

How to Reconnect with a Draft You No Longer Want to Write | Jane Friedman

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Do you have a manuscript that you've shelved/given up on? Wondering what to do with it? Pondering if it's worth taking another go at it? Good article: janefriedman.com/how-to-recon...

If the manuscript you once felt passionate about has fallen silent, here’s why this may be happening and how to gently find your way back.

Publishing in Creative Ways

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Have you wondered if Kickstarter might be a useful tool for your book marketing? Here's an interesting post: writerunboxed.com/2025/09/15/p...

As the publishing industry continues to shift and evolve alongside technology, opportunity, and the ways in which readers want to engage with stories, so, too, must authors. This is nothing new. Au…

Buy Canadian: What it means for the book market — BookNet Canada

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Wonder about what "Buy Canadian" means in terms of books? Interesting post: www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/researc...

What can the Canadian book market do to support the Buy Canadian movement?

www.booknetcanada.ca

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Do you use Goodreads? Have you promoted your book(s) on it? Here are some good tips: blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-...

How to Promote A Book on Goodreads

One way to get attention for your title is to promote your book on Goodreads and engage with an audience of avid readers.

Next week, I’m being interviewed by Teddy Smith of The Publishing Performance Show. In the pre-interview interview, he and I talked about what writers most need to know before self-publishing. Th…

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Sadly, all us writers have blind spots ... which is why we need help from editors and others. Good article about how to deal with our blind spots: writerunboxed.com/2025/09/16/a...

Author Blindness

Desmond’s Drops: The Reverse Outline

normajhill.bsky.social @normajhill.bsky.social · 23d

Have you heard of reverse outlining ... done after your first draft ... ? Here is a good set of 3 posts that explain the process: writerunboxed.com/2025/09/17/d...

Welcome to a new edition of Desmond’s Drops! This month, enjoy three drops focused on one topic–“the reverse outline” or an outline you can create after you have a finished …