The Renegade Writer Blog

Full disclosure: The editor is my husband!
Wanted — boardgame-related articles
FunandBoardgames.com is a new website that features daily reviews of board and card games. While most people are familiar with Scrabble, Monopoly, Stratego, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Jenga, and other mass-market titles, the world of boardgames expands far beyond the shelves of Toys [...]

Sandy writes: “Do you have a checklist that you use when you are offered an assignment, to make sure you get all of the information you need? It seems there are a lot of things that should be covered in that first conversation.”
I do have a checklist, though I’m embarrassed to say that I sometimes [...]

Karen asks: “Do you have any questions that you always ask in a pre-interview with a source before a story? I’m thinking of pitching a profile piece on an outstanding human being I’ve come across who is willing to talk to me for an interview. I’m looking for the right open-ended written question that I [...]

Author extraordinaire Jennifer Lawler is introducing a 6-week course on writing a winning book proposal. In Jennifer’s course, which starts on November 13, you’ll learn how to:

Identify a salable book idea
Hook an editor with your book description
Develop an irresistible outline
Create the kind of platform agents and editors want to see
Develop promotion and marketing ideas for [...]

The Renegade lines are open and ready for your questions about writing, the freelance business, and where you can buy ten copies of our new book. If you have a question you’d like answered on the blog, please send it to questions [at] therenegadewriter [dot] com. We can’t promise we’ll answer every question, but we’ll [...]

I’m back from vacation and in full-on nag-mode.
Don’t try to hide it: I know you have a query letter (or three) that’s been languishing in some editor’s office, possibly way up at the top of a spam-filled inbox or even more likely under a stress ball and several half-empty Starbucks frappuccinos. If it’s been more [...]

Hi there! I’m Jennifer Applin, the 1st RW Makeover candidate. Who knew that something so neat could happen to little ol’ me? Of course in the process of literally jumping for joy when I found out they selected my entry, I called all of my friends and family. But it’s kind of funny how information [...]

We’re introducing a new feature to The Renegade Writer Blog today, called Sourcery Central.
We’ve all been in that position where an editor asks you to find a real person anecdote for your story. You think it’ll be a cinch to find a woman between the ages of 25-40 who experienced early menopause, but after a [...]

Have you ever meet a freelance writer who, in just a few words, can make you feel like an utter failure? Do you find yourself doubting your writing abilities when you’re around this person? Then head over to freelance writer and author Allison Winn Scotch’s blog to read her post about sizing up the competition.
Allison’s [...]

Our first makeover candidate, Jennifer Applin, just got her first assignment from the Renegades. While she did a fantastic job convincing us she’s in dire need of a work-life makeover, we needed to her to give us a list of specific, tangible changes she’d like to make or see. For example, “I’d like to get [...]