Saddle up and shine.

Author: Malena Putnam

  • Keep Calm and Write On or Drama Begets Drama?

    Is it possible to be at your best creatively when your life is at its worst? So much has happened lately that disrupts life as we know it. Hurricane Sandy on the east coast, with many writer friends without power, which meant not only no wi-fi or computer to write on, but you could be…

  • Happy Birthday to SOMETHING NEW and My Grams Who Raised Me

    I know something BIG is happening this week and it’s a different kind of “something new.” Election for POTUS is 11/6 and Tuesdays are also typically the launch day for books, which is why I’m declaring Nov. 5th the official birthday of my fourth novel, SOMETHING NEW. It’s available in trade paperback and ebook. It…

  • NaNoWriMo CraZyYo…But This is How I Do It

    Quick refresher: I’ve been published since 2006 with three publishers – the latter one I started myself after I got my rights back on my first novel, The Stork Reality. Second novel, Dating da Vinci, is still with my second publisher (though thankfully I retained movie rights because it would make an adorable movie –don’t…

  • The Dark Side of Being a Writer

    I’m not sure one “chooses to be a writer.” It seems more often that writing chooses the writer. Would a child who later becomes a vet tell people, “I can’t help myself! I couldn’t stop fixing all the wounded animals.” They may have been fond of animals. But were they obsessed with it? Would the…

  • Something Wicked Short Stories and Video

    At Halloween, we all get to play make-believe. Last year my tween daughter and her best friend were zombie pageant girls. My eldest son was a werewolf for two years in a row so he could hide and scare trick or treaters. In stories, we get to experience those things “for real.” And as a…

  • The Swinging Vine Brand Theory

    With five back-to-back and two simultaneous releases at Buzz Books this fall and a busy caseload on the branding front, I’ve been thinking about Discoverability and Action. You can’t have one without the other, but what surprises companies and authors the most is just how MUCH action is takes to get traction. I got an…

  • The difference in persona and brand

    per·so·na/pərˈsōnə/ Noun: The aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others. A role or character adopted by an author or an actor. Source: Dictionary.com As a brand strategist and creative director for both businesses and books, and socially-driven for both, I’m fascinated with the interplay between persona and brand. Likely I…

  • Is it time to crack yourself open?

    If happiness is life’s greatest reward, then for the creative soul, it requires giving ourselves permission to fully create. Think about it: Often we live from our base self, ego speaking to other egos, superficial, small talk, and busy work. We’re hopefully acting civil, moving through our days with tasks both menial and major, but…

  • Improving Your Web Appeal

    The hardest part about writing a weekly blog is deciding on one thing to talk about. In one week so much happens that I decided to add a Cool Stuff section at the end to include the things I feel are noteworthy but might not go along with the theme of the week. I also…

  • Should you respond to criticism online?

    In the last two weeks, I’ve witnessed two New York Times bestselling authors caught up in online drama related to book reviews. As a writer myself who has my work out there for others to judge, I feel their pain. Even though we’re supposed to have a “thick skin,” no one wants to see our…