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I’m off to teach at a writers’ conference, so I thought I’d leave you with some inspiration for the weekend. If this whole “getting published” thing doesn’t work out, you could always get a job writing instructions on the packages of commonly used products. Just think, you could be responsible for gems like this! On…

Guest Blogger: Monica Lee In celebration of the release of Erin MacPherson’s The Christian Mama’s Guide to Having a Baby, we’re doing something totally different! Monica Lee is the illustrator who created the images for the cover and the interior of the book, and I  thought it would be fun to hear about the process. Here’s Monica… As a professional illustrator,…

Yesterday I began by giving you some basics on how books start their journey towards a Hollywood movie option. Today let’s talk about how this might (or might not) apply to YOU. Will my agent shop MY book to Hollywood agents? Here’s the hard part. Because the odds are against us selling the film rights…

Let’s just start with this assumption: if you’ve written a novel or memoir, chances are you’ve dreamed of it becoming a movie. Admit it! It’s so visual, you think. So dramatic! It’s even better than [insert name of box office hit]. Hey, I agree with you! Plenty of books could make great movies, if only…

I do not understand why so many writers have websites and/or blogs, but do not have their email address or a “contact me” link easily visible. It’s a frequent source of frustration for me. Why would you even bother putting yourself out there without giving people a way to contact you? There are two circumstances in…

Congrats to Wendy Paine Miller! You’ve won a copy of Mary DeMuth’s 150 Quick Questions to Get Your Kids Talking. Thanks to everyone for commenting on Mary’s guest post Thursday.

Next Friday I’m teaching “Breaking Through Publishing Myths” at the Northern Colorado Writers Conference. What myths about publishing did you believe until somebody set you straight? What are some things you’ve heard about publishing that you think might be a myth? I want to address real concerns of writers out there today. And as a…

More mail! Dear Rachelle, an agent I’m interested in querying requires “a brief bio or résumé.” For published authors, this has got to be a leg-up, and I completely understand why an agent would want this, but for those of us with no prior publishing experience it’s a nightmare. How do we stay professional and…

A writer emailed me:The novel is finished, the query letter is drafted, the synopsis is as tight as I can get it, and I still can’t bring myself to hit that damned “send” button. I’m sure you see the work of many writers who query too eagerly and make bone-head mistakes… I’m trying to avoid…

A writer asked:If there are two or more agents interested in representing me, how do I make my decision? I’ve heard it can be better in some cases for a less established author to go with a younger or newer agent — is this true? What other factors would you consider? If there are two or…

We’ve spent this week going over a few Hollywood truisms that can help writers. So now it’s your turn. As a writer, what have you learned from watching movies and television? Share your best tips… and have a great weekend! © 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Advice from Hollywood, part 4 Since it’s Hollywood Week, it’s only fitting that we have a lesson from American Idol’s Hollywood auditions. Just last night, Idol’s field was down to 61 performers and by the end of the show it was going to be cut to 24. The contestants’ biggest worry wasn’t their own performance…

Advice from Hollywood, part 3 In real life, it’s not what a person says that shows us who they are. It’s what they do. The content of a person’s character is revealed in action and behavior. Who a person says they are, or thinks they are, doesn’t necessarily reflect their true character. In screenwriting, the…

Advice from Hollywood, part 2 Here’s another little tidbit from my former Hollywood life. I used to be a part-time “reader” meaning I read screenplays and wrote “coverage” for the production company to help them make decisions about which scripts to pursue. You have to audition to become a reader for a production company, and I was looking…