Amanda LaPera

100,000 poets for change, a worldwide event

Poetry readings begin at 11am.

Tomorrow @ Beyond Baroque Literary/ Arts Center

681 Venice Blvd., Venice, California 90291

Can't attend? You can watch live streaming video by clicking the link below.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-poet-s-soapbox

Review of Ingrid Ricks’ Hippie Boy

By Amanda LaPera

I’m into true stories and well-written memoirs that give me a glimpse into a life unlike my own. Hippie Boy by Ingrid Ricks is a gripping story that pulled me in from page one. Her adventures with her father are anything but carefree, as much as her character initially beli...

I know I've been MIA for awhile. As it turns out, I never hit the "publish" button on a few of my recent blog posts. Ooops. Well, my mind's been entrenched in the endless editing and revising that's necessary to create a great finished product. Yes, It's hard work, but I'm more than willing to do it.

I came across this blog post today by Lynn Behler, of Behler Publishing. For those writers out there who ...

Join us for Writers' Row!

Time: Wednesday, September 14 · 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Location: The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St. (across from Alexandria Hotel at 5th...

Have you ever had the opportunity to be a guest character in a short story, or to choose the topic of a short story?

 If not, here's your chance! If you'd like yourself or someone you know to be featured as a character in a short story, this contest is for you. It's free to enter this contest and honestly, how many people can brag tha...

Many bloggers struggle to get an audience to read their postings. Even if bloggers do manage to get visitors, many are at a loss as to how to encourage repeated traffic. I've read a lot of different advice on this topic, ranging from blog an a regular schedule and to keep it interesting. Beyond that though, what else can you do?

.

I think Writer's Digest has this one nailed with their recent art...

If you are in or around Los Angeles and available on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 from 7:30 - 10 PM, please come by to enjoy free readings from talented locals. At this tribute to women w...

Deep Thoughts

I just realized that in my pain medicine induced stupor, I never made the webpage "Deep Thoughts" visible. It was here all along, in spirit, but now it is actually accessible.

Please enjoy these deep thoughts of wisdom which I am g...

On Wednesday, I'm going to do some hands-on research at the hospital. Perhaps I can incorporate my surgery experience into a future book.

My body better not react the same way to anesthesia as my father's did, or my posts in the future will be markedly different.

This is notice that I'm suspending updates ...

Writing and revising are two totally different processes that deal with the same piece of work.

To be efficient as a writer, it is best to spend time learning your craft. The more you learn now, the less revision you will need later. Don't be a lazy writer. Touch up on the rules of grammar. Study point of view (POV). Understand story elements and what an arc is. No, I...