Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder & CEO of global marketing and digital branding firm Mavens & Moguls based in Cambridge, MA. Her clients include Microsoft, Virgin, The New York Times Company, Colgate, venture-backed startups as well as nonprofit organizations. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School. …

Passion. This is the starting point of any artistic pursuit, and it’s crucial, because with art being subjective, it will always be impossible to satisfy everyone (and frequently, you won’t succeed in satisfying the masses). Some writers and authors have a knack for using language that can really move people…

Have a great story — I will start by talking about the music industry. I went to a seminar that addressed the art of songwriting. The moderator said, if you have a great song, that was produced and performed poorly, it is still a great song. As part of my…

Characters are the cornerstone of every story. Even a story with a fantastic plot and a beautiful setting is nothing without its characters. Science Fiction and Fantasy are hugely popular genres. What does it take for a writer today, to write compelling and successful Science Fiction and Fantasy stories? Authority…

Perseverance: You can get through anything with fortitude, and friends — no matter how unexpected they may be. Survival: You can survive the worst possible thing to ever happen to you. Dogma: You can grow your OWN garden of beliefs about life and faith, about love and death. …

One word of advice: seek out a good editor and be open to criticism. Ask your friends, by all means, but remember that they’ll want to encourage you, not criticize you. As part of my interview series on the five things you need to know to become a great author…

Second, read books you love; not books people tell you to love. — The first mistake was trying to write my first book in the third person. I found that when I switched to first person and told the story from the point of view of my main character, Alice Garcia, that made the entire process much easier. Some writers and authors have…

Believe in yourself. You must believe you can write the best poetry, you can write better than anyone. The more you trust in yourself, the more of “You” will be in your poetry. Then you will have your own unique style. Poetry is growing in popularity and millions of people…

Every experience is an opportunity. If you like to write, and you’d like to write a book, be watchful, Be mindful. Be intentional. That thing you’ll be most dedicated to writing a book about is something that ignites those passions. It’s the passion that will sustain you as you research. …