Riley Adams's Blog, page 110
January 2, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine
(developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Thanks to all who entered mystery writer Sue Coletta’s giveaway! And congratulations to winners Carol Sue, Mark, and Rosemary.
Happy New Year! Hope everyone has a great 2016. Here are the links I shared in the last couple of weeks.
5 Ways To Think Differently About Motivation When Setting 2016 Goals: http://ow.ly/Ww0kZ @mazlocoach
“Did my agent fire me and I just don’t know it?” http://ow.ly/VYdwg @Janet_Reid #TopTweets2015
On the Rise and Fall of the New Creative Class: http://ow.ly/VYdwh @IreneKeliher #TopTweets2015
Boost Your Writing: 3 Things To Do Now To Start 2016 Off Right: http://ow.ly/Ww0Sw @angelaackerman
5 Things To Do Before Hiring a Freelance Editor: http://ow.ly/VYdwi @RachelleGardner #TopTweets2015
10 Habits of Highly Effective Writers: http://ow.ly/Ww0ny @RBWhitehill
NaNoWriMo, Or How 1 Writer Cheated Her Way to Finishing Her Novel: http://ow.ly/VYdwl @j_s_brown @DebutanteBall #TopTweets2015
5 Apps for Writers: http://ow.ly/Ww0r2 @FinishedPages
What Every Writer Should Know About Their Novel’s Pre-Middle: http://ow.ly/Ww0Cz @BetterNovelProj
How to Build the Writing Habit (in 2016): http://ow.ly/Ww0zR from Authority Self-Pub
Comic: New Year’s Resolutions (or not): http://ow.ly/Ww0sY @inkyelbows
Tips for Writing Your Author Acknowledgements: http://ow.ly/W9whX @juliemusil
Author-Editor Collaboration: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: http://ow.ly/W9wjq @byondpapr
Should You Let Others Read Your Work Before It’s Finished? http://ow.ly/W9w4l @WritingBusy
An agent on using italics: http://ow.ly/W9w92 @Janet_Reid
Is Backstory Killing Your Book’s Plot? Here’s How to Fix It: http://ow.ly/W9w2B @CSLakin
5 Things Authors On Facebook Should Know: http://ow.ly/W9vYv @AnthonyEhlers
Working Collaboratively: Checking Our Ego at the Door: http://ow.ly/W9wlk @MartinaABoone
8 Tips for Punctuating Dialogue Tags: http://ow.ly/W9w5T from My Book Cave
Resources for Television Writers: http://ow.ly/W9vZa @beccapuglisi
4 ways to write faster: http://ow.ly/W9weN @Brianna_daSilva
7 YA clichés: http://ow.ly/W9wb5 @Brianna_daSilva
Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses: http://ow.ly/W9w7x @JamesJMurray1
When writer’s block is real: http://ow.ly/We1IO @MelSzymanik
What You Really Want to Know About Self Pub: http://ow.ly/We2wk @Janice_Hardy
10 practices publishers can use to tamp down Amazon’s impact: http://ow.ly/We2gK by Stephen Blake Mettee
Jobs That Leave Us Time to Write: http://ow.ly/WdXj8 @stevegillman
Why We Should Do Bad Things to Our Characters: http://ow.ly/We2tL @Janice_Hardy
11 Top Articles on Writing Characters: http://ow.ly/We2oB by Hiten Vyas
On keeping a logbook: http://ow.ly/WdXso @austinkleon
Questions to Help You Create Conflict in Your Story: http://ow.ly/Ww2sn @kylieday0
New Year’s resolutions and embracing mediocrity: http://ow.ly/Ww0hG @tobywneal
A 4-draft writing process: http://ow.ly/VYdwc @kseniaanske #TopTweets2015
7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story: http://ow.ly/VYdwa @KMWeiland #TopTweets2015
How to Write Vivid Descriptions: http://ow.ly/VYdw9 @dice_carver #TopTweets2015
20 Characters You Need to Start A Novel: http://ow.ly/WvAFb @BetterNovelProj
Deconstructing Back Cover Copy: http://ow.ly/VYbZq @betternovelproj #TopTweets2015
6 More Character Archetypes to Ditch: http://ow.ly/VYbZn by Oren Ashkenazi #TopTweets2015
The growing “business demands on an author’s time”: http://ow.ly/Wvl0l @Porter_Anderson @kristinerusch
10 Things Best Sellers Don’t Do: http://ow.ly/VYbZa @AmyMilesBooks #TopTweets2015
How to Develop an Outline for Our Novel: http://ow.ly/VYbZ7 @farrtom #TopTweets2015
It’s Fat Season For Diet Books: http://ow.ly/Wux7b @Porter_Anderson
Why query letters should focus on plot not theme #querytip http://ow.ly/VYbZ1 @carlywatters #TopTweets2015
With booksellers’ pressure: DRM is now soft in Germany: http://ow.ly/VYbZk @Porter_Anderson @doctorow #TopTweets2015
How to Write a Fantasy Series: http://ow.ly/VYbZh @nownovel #TopTweets2015
The Real Price of Traditional Publishing: http://ow.ly/VYbZe @deanwesleysmith #TopTweets2015
Why you should put your book on Wattpad ASAP: http://ow.ly/VYbhP @kseniaanske #TopTweets2015
The Plotting Grid: a Tool for Plotters and Pantsers: http://ow.ly/VYbZ5 @ChrisMandeville @KoboWritingLife #TopTweets2015
17 Things Learned About Writing From Structuring a Novel In 7 Days: http://ow.ly/VYbYX @BenSchmitt5 #TopTweets2015
Why Authors Should Never Buy Amazon Reader Reviews: http://ow.ly/VYbJ6 @annerallen #TopTweets2015
What Literary Agents Want to See Before Signing With a Writer: http://ow.ly/VYbYN @Writers_Circle #TopTweets2015
Rowling’s Revisions for ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ : http://ow.ly/VYbi8 @RiteLikeRowling #TopTweets2015
Is my agent an idiot? Yes, yes he is. http://ow.ly/VYbi4 @Janet_Reid #TopTweets2015
10 tips from a self-publishing survivor: http://ow.ly/VYbhL @digiogi #TopTweets2015
What Do Your Readers Know and When Do They Know It? http://ow.ly/VYbhJ by Dave King #TopTweets2015
The Hot Sheet: industry newsletter for authors (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/Ws8K0
How 1 writer improved her writing productivity by 100%: http://ow.ly/VYbhH @novelexperienc3 #TopTweets2015
Be a More Productive & Balanced Writer: http://ow.ly/VYbi0 @JordanRosenfeld #TopTweets2015
A Writer’s Cheatsheet to Plot and Structure: http://ow.ly/VYbhX @mgherron #TopTweets2015
You’re Not Alone: —10 Perfectly Normal Struggles when #Writing a Novel: http://ow.ly/VYbhS @WarrenAdler #TopTweets2015
7 Ways End Your Novel: http://ow.ly/VYbhB @enderawiggin #TopTweets2015
10 Links That Demonstrate Your Self-Published Book Looks Cheap & Amateurish: http://ow.ly/VYbhy @10MinuteNovelists #TopTweets2015
Cliches to avoid when writing love triangles: http://ow.ly/VYbhu @EimhWrite #TopTweets2015
What’s the Biggest Lie You Tell Yourself as a Writer? http://ow.ly/VYaHo @jamigold #TopTweets2015
Who cares whodunit? Part One: http://ow.ly/Wq5xo and Two: http://ow.ly/Wq5Bf @TimHallinan
Don’t get Scammed on Self-publishing: What are Reasonable Costs? http://ow.ly/VYaHp @silas_payton #TopTweets2015
The Character Most Writers Get Wrong (And How to Fix It) http://ow.ly/VYaHm @MandyCorine #TopTweets2015
7 Reasons Why Most Authors Fail: http://ow.ly/VYamp @johnnybtruant #TopTweets2015
4 Ways to Make Readers Instantly Loathe Your Character Descriptions: http://ow.ly/VYaGP @KMWeiland #TopTweets2015
Most authors break through in middle-age: http://ow.ly/VYaGM @alice_emily @Telegraph #TopTweets2015
How 1 Writer Became a Morning Person: http://ow.ly/VYaGr @ava_jae #TopTweets2015
An agent on introducing characters in a query: http://ow.ly/VYaGn @Janet_Reid #TopTweets2015
How 1 writer outlines using a 6-stage plot structure: http://ow.ly/VYaGj from Nova Zero Writing #TopTweets2015
15 Tips for Aspiring Writers from 5 Successful Authors: http://ow.ly/VYaGe @SimoneHCollins #TopTweets2015
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Describing Character Movements: http://ow.ly/VYaGb @KMWeiland #TopTweets2015
If Strangers Talked to Everybody like They Talk to Writers: http://ow.ly/VYaG9 @ElectricLit @TheLincoln #TopTweets2015
2016 Book Ind. Predictions: Opportunities amid Slow Growth: http://ow.ly/Wo77m @markcoker
28 Tips for Writing Stories from Poe, Faulkner, Hemingway and Fitzgerald: http://ow.ly/W5Bc8 by Josh Jones @openculture
Can we discover narrative through auditory practices? http://ow.ly/Wo7fB @swtomp @thewritermag
Writing Tense Scenes: http://ow.ly/W5BCI @NatePhilbrick
When Writing Becomes Misery: http://ow.ly/W5Bxn @AuthorAthenaM
4 Special Features For Your Blog or Website: http://ow.ly/W5B9w @IndiePlotTwist
Poe, Short Story Structure and Narrative Technique: http://ow.ly/W5Br3 @FlynnGrayWriter
How 1 writer perfected his cover copy: http://ow.ly/W5AWY @JMNeyGrimm
Daily Discipline for Writers: Keep After It: http://ow.ly/W5B4Q @IndiePlotTwist
Power Your Fiction: Using Weather To Create Mood, Not Clichés: http://ow.ly/W5Cmj @angelaackerman
Caring For Your Writer 101: http://ow.ly/W5BEX @NatePhilbrick
Things to Know When Working With a Printer: http://ow.ly/W5AA9 @beccapuglisi
Top 8 Screenwriting Books: http://ow.ly/W5C8u @ScriptReaderPro
15 Things to Consider When Writing Description: http://ow.ly/W5BOp @kathytemean
End of Year Tips: Update Your Online Presence: http://ow.ly/VTFYO @AskATechTeacher
4 Ways to Reignite the “Wonder” in Your Writing: http://ow.ly/W4FU3 @KMWeiland
Crafting a Strong Opening: http://ow.ly/W4Fuq @jodyhedlund
Cover Design on a Budget: http://ow.ly/W4FmN @MarcyKennedy
The 5 Incredible Benefits of Unplugging: http://ow.ly/W4Fem @emily_tjaden
Tension: Setting the Clock: http://ow.ly/W4FqA @JamesTuckwriter
Writing is Hard: http://ow.ly/W4FIp by Dave King @writerunboxed
25 things to keep in mind if you want to write a book: http://ow.ly/W4FAs @AuthorAthenaM
When Writing is Like An Arranged Marriage: http://ow.ly/W4FMM @jamesscottbell
How to Know Your Book’s Cover Needs a Redesign http://ow.ly/W4FgZ @dianaurban
Why writers need to keep a notebook: http://ow.ly/W4G0t @NatePhilbrick
Things To Do On Your Holiday Writing Break: http://ow.ly/W4FQP @storyfix
Stash, Trash or Refresh: Dealing with Boring In-Between Story Parts: http://ow.ly/W1j53 @RidethePen
The Simplest Story Structure: http://ow.ly/W1jHh @larathelark
5 Books That Give Women Their Apocalyptic Due: http://ow.ly/W1iY9 @tordotcom @jackiehattton
A Collection of Creative Writing Worksheets: http://ow.ly/W1jpz @evadeverell
Where to Find Ideas for Writing a Story: http://ow.ly/W1jlZ @writingforward
10 Ways To Kick Start Your Writing : http://ow.ly/W1iFO @Joannechocolat @womenwriters
Genre Mindmaps: http://ow.ly/W1jvd @evadeverell
#AmNotWriting : What holds one writer back: http://ow.ly/W1gJb @MsTamarCohen @womenwriters
Tips and resources for plotting: http://ow.ly/W1jyJ @larathelark
Why one writer is enjoying Wattpad: http://ow.ly/W1iIg @amzoltai
7 Steps to Overcome Writing Procrastination: http://ow.ly/W1jaV @CoachRenate
3 Ways To Build Your Own Genre: http://ow.ly/W1jhn @AnthonyEhlers
The Skinny On Blurbs: http://ow.ly/W9wxj @sharonbially
2 Tricks for Portraying Relatable Heroes: http://ow.ly/W9x46 @Brianna_daSilva
13 Things Learned About Writing Faster: http://ow.ly/VTzX4 @VeronicaSicoe
10 Top Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Book Publicist: http://ow.ly/VTASc @dianaurban
The Power of Narrative Writing: http://ow.ly/VTANP @writingforward
Pros And Cons Of Writing In 1st Person: http://ow.ly/VTzP6 @MiaJouBotha
Why We Should Read Our Novel Out Loud: http://ow.ly/VTAPH @blotsandplots
Exploring different writing styles: including writing by hand: http://ow.ly/VTAmC @NadineBrandes
How To Format Your Short Story For Publications: A Step By Step Guide: http://ow.ly/VTAHY @DeanElphick
15 Tips for Promoting Nonfiction Books Successfully: http://ow.ly/VTzSq @NinaAmir @CaballoFrances
Why writers MUST emerge: http://ow.ly/VTAe3 @kimberlydbrock
5 Reasons Why Writers Need Friends Who Write: http://ow.ly/VTAyX @EM_Denning
The Complete Guide To Creating Backstory In Spec Fiction: http://ow.ly/VTAEC @paperbackbird
1-dimensional vs. 2-dimensional characters: http://ow.ly/VTAuA from Writers’ Helpers
How to Decide How Many POV Characters Our Book Needs: http://ow.ly/VTA3J @marcykennedy
Storytelling flaws in the Insurgent movie: http://ow.ly/W9wY1 @Brianna_daSilva
How Are You? Good vs. Well: http://ow.ly/VTAsB @epbure
37 Ways To Write About Anger: http://ow.ly/VTAL3 @writers_write
The Truth About Querying Your NaNoWriMo Novel: http://ow.ly/WiqS4 @breecrowder
A History of the Christmas Story: Not Altogether Christmas but Christmas All Together: http://ow.ly/Wg7ER @@katewebb_uk
Should authors use other authors as their critics? @Porter_Anderson @WriterUnboxed http://ow.ly/Wivx7
Writing Mechanics: Avoiding the “I” Trap and Other Irritants: http://ow.ly/VQIH3 @lindasclare
This year’s publishing trend: the remarkably lengthy novel: http://ow.ly/VQIyA @juliafly
Catherine Ryan Hyde on Rejection: Does Your Rejected Work Need a Rewrite? http://ow.ly/VQGPj @cryanhyde @annerallen
2015 Smashwords Survey Reveals Insights to Help Authors Reach More Readers: http://ow.ly/VQEE6 @markcoker
A social media mid-life crisis: http://ow.ly/VQHcg @DanBlank
Is social media effective for selling books? http://ow.ly/VQHOw by Chip MacGregor
Pinterest is Changing The Social Media Game: http://ow.ly/VQHuf @CaballoFrances
Attaining Success as an Indie Author with BookBub: http://ow.ly/VQHnc @CaballoFrances
Cultivating your creativity during the holi-daze : http://ow.ly/VQHg9 @laurelgarver
Getting Your Book Translated and Published in Other Countries: http://ow.ly/VQEIf @lauracallisen
5 Scams that Target New Writers and How to Spot Them: http://ow.ly/VQGFj @annerallen
Engaging Audiences through Twitter in 15 Minutes a Day: http://ow.ly/VQHCc @kikimojo
Flash Fiction as Holiday Therapy: http://ow.ly/Wg7sf @_AliciaAudrey
World-building with Holidays: http://ow.ly/VTHoQ @GailZMartin
Need escape from holiday stress? A giveaway for crime fiction fans: http://ow.ly/Wg4zQ @SueColetta1
Vow of silence: how much do you talk about your novel in progress? http://ow.ly/VQF5J @Roz_Morris
Social pressure to marry in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/Wg4hw @mkinberg
Why writing your query like a dust jacket isn’t always sound advice: http://ow.ly/VQF3u @Janet_Reid
16 Ways to De-stress This Holiday Season: http://ow.ly/VTE3y @emily_tjaden
6 Scams That Target New Writers: http://ow.ly/VQFde @annerallen
How to Protect Your Blog from Hackers: http://ow.ly/VQFPX @NinaAmir
Pages requested at a conference: how long do I have to send? http://ow.ly/VQF1L @Janet_Reid
Going Global: Self Publishing Tips From Dan Wood From Draft2Digital : http://ow.ly/VQEWq @danwoodok @thecreativepenn
The Future of Publishing: http://ow.ly/VQEZF @jamesscottbell
5 things that established authors would tell new writers: http://ow.ly/VQFb0 @Roz_Morris
Editor’s Tips on How to Write a YA Novel: http://ow.ly/VQFpd @kateangelella @ReedsyHQ
Why Mysteries Matter: http://ow.ly/VQFIP @ClareLangleyH
Blogging with Facebook “Notes” to Improve Visibility: http://ow.ly/VQERO @LynneCantwell
Finding a Narrator on ACX: http://ow.ly/VQEMa @RamiUngarWriter
Why Writers Need to Motivate All of Their Characters: http://ow.ly/VQyZy @drewchial
International sales: Both in translated works and ESL: http://ow.ly/WfwTG @Porter_Anderson @ThadMcIlroy
Top 6 Ways Writers Spend the Holidays: http://ow.ly/VTEeX @HeatherJacksonW
Words or Numbers? What’s the Best Way to Label Your Chapters? http://ow.ly/VQz2m @Janice_Hardy
10 Reasons Why Being a Writer Is Like Being Santa Claus: http://ow.ly/We371 @TaraSparling
The Problem with Backstory and the Star Wars Franchise: Lessons for Writers: http://ow.ly/VPjys @cathinnorway
When You Need to Rewrite Your Rewrite: http://ow.ly/VPjFd @kristinaaurelia
Working With a Freelance Editor: The Process: http://ow.ly/VQzsn @MarloWordyBird
Creating lean but descriptive prose : http://ow.ly/VQzfF @cjjasp
Being Trendy: Should You Write What’s Hot? http://ow.ly/VQz4y @Janice_Hardy
All You Need (as a writer): http://ow.ly/VQzko by Ken Hughes
How Writers can Create Their Own Galaxies Far Far Away: http://ow.ly/VQyWA @drewchial
Creative Exhaustion: http://ow.ly/VQz7r @shay_goodman
Why Books Are the Best Gifts: http://ow.ly/VQzFI @mybookshepherd
11 Plot Pitfalls: http://ow.ly/VPkiB by Laura Whitcomb @writersdigest
5 Ways to Answer the Worst Question Ever For Writers During the Holidays: http://ow.ly/VTFcI @besscozby
Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Pricing Plan? http://ow.ly/VQwcq @jamigold
Successful Blogging Tips, Authenticity And Longevity: http://ow.ly/VQwww @yarostarak @thecreativepenn
Tips for Facebook Cover Photos: http://ow.ly/VQwCg @sosandrine
3 Tips to Launch a New Instagram Account (video): http://ow.ly/VQxPs @SavvySexySocial
A Must-Read for Storytellers: Save the Cat: http://ow.ly/VQwOn @writingforward
Actions vs Choices: Crafting Better Plots: http://ow.ly/VQwgo @Janice_Hardy
On Keeping Track of (Fictional) Time: http://ow.ly/VQwMa @ava_jae
Turn a #NaNoWriMo Story Into a Real Novel: http://ow.ly/VQwkn @taniastrauss @thecreativepenn
Writing Fiction? 10 Overwriting Traps to Avoid: http://ow.ly/VQxL9 @danielamcvick
Why More Practice Can Make You A Worse Writer: http://ow.ly/VQwQV @bnonn @writetodone
Rough Draft to Final Draft: Tips: http://ow.ly/VQwJQ @fictionnotes
Self-Publishing Your NaNoWriMo Book? Don’t Miss These Steps: http://ow.ly/VQw8N @dianaurban
Do Book Reviewers Charge Too Much? What Do You Get for Your Review? http://ow.ly/VPk5e by Mike Norton
Flattery is More Common Than Truth When Writers Offer Feedback: http://ow.ly/W9wAp @Porter_Anderson
When Sidekicks Get the Fan Mail: http://ow.ly/VPkfx @julieczerneda @tordotcom
10 Horror Podcasts: http://ow.ly/VPjRS @G9Burkart @blumhouse
3 Tricks to Motivated Writing Sessions: http://ow.ly/VPjX8 @rachellerea
The top writing links from the last 2 weeks on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
December 19, 2015
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Hope everyone enjoys their holidays! I’m going to return two weeks from today with an exceptionally long Twitterific, my first for 2016. :)
4 Ways for Writers to Make Money in Marketing: http://ow.ly/VOdkQ @LindaUKmasters
3 Tips to Unleash Your Creativity: http://ow.ly/VOdMr @ADDerWORLD
How to Storyboard in Scrivener: http://ow.ly/VOdnn @mgherron
What Grabs Readers: The Inside Story: http://ow.ly/VOdx2 @lisacron
19 Ways to Write Better Dialogue: http://ow.ly/VOdgJ @shesnovel
4 Ways to Improve Your Visual Content For Social Media: http://ow.ly/VOdvK @piktochart
Writing Psychological Suspense with Elizabeth George: http://ow.ly/VOdU6 @DIYMFA
When Writing Every Day Isn’t Producing the Results You Want: http://ow.ly/VOdiW @colleen_m_story
A Writer’s Holiday Survival Guide: Part One: http://ow.ly/VTDTf and Part Two: http://ow.ly/VTDVs @besscozby @DIYMFA
Character Voice Consistency: http://ow.ly/VOdP8 @AmberSkyeF
Royalties in Anthology Contracts: http://ow.ly/VOdhL @susanspann
Commenting On Blogs And Social Media: 6 Tips: http://ow.ly/VPkbW @writers_write
Night Shyamalan on Screenwriting: http://ow.ly/VOdTy by Daniel Argent
10 Online Writing Tools: http://ow.ly/VOdDn @anttooley
7 Deadly Sins of Writers: http://ow.ly/VPjH6 by Carol Goodman
Structuring a Novel: 7 Vital Elements: http://ow.ly/VPk2R @nownovel
The Dreaded Synopsis and How to Learn to Love It: http://ow.ly/VPkvj @kiersi
Game Writing: The Evolution Of Modern First-Person Horror: http://ow.ly/VPjTK @ParkerLemke
2 Tricks for Powerful Description: http://ow.ly/VOdz2 @artofstoriesAB
Creating an Emotionally Engaging Character: http://ow.ly/VOdql @authornordin
What’s the Best Holiday Gift You Can Give? Fanfiction! http://ow.ly/VTDvO @nataliezutter
Tips for thriller writers: http://ow.ly/VKPQb @shadowteams
Inexpensive Marketing Venues for Our Books: http://ow.ly/W5DCt @BE_Sanderson
5 Ways an Author is a Bookstore’s Best Friend: http://ow.ly/VKQ47 @JulieSchoerke @sfbookreview
Retro-#FutureChat: The biggest publishing story of 2015? 11aET /4pGMT (now) http://ow.ly/W4zQa @Porter_Anderson
Amateur theatrics in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/W4ywC @mkinberg
How to Handsell Self-published Books: http://ow.ly/VKPnC @CelebratingGran
How to decide what to include in your synopsis: http://ow.ly/VKPIY @standoutbooks
Book Description Mistakes Indie Authors Make: http://ow.ly/VKPF2 @Bookbaby
What to do when your readership hits a plateau: http://ow.ly/VKQqa @standoutbooks
Slow down during editing: http://ow.ly/VKSFC @JensPenDen
How To Add a Time Jump To Your Story: http://ow.ly/VKPAm @MegDowell
Study screenwriting for better fiction: http://ow.ly/VKPTY by Douglas Schofield
8 Secrets To Writing Strong Character Relationships: http://ow.ly/VKSyZ @bookrangerkath @writersedit
Why Every Author Should Self-Publish (At Least Once): http://ow.ly/VKPx8 @OrnaRoss
Raising the Novel’s Stakes: http://ow.ly/VIMVm @lindasclare
Composing a Logline: http://ow.ly/VIKmq @WritingForward
7 Top #Instagram Tips for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/W2kwJ @Lorna Sixsmith
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Is a Superhero: http://ow.ly/VTDiI @megangarber
What We’ve Been Taught About Backstory is Wrong: http://ow.ly/VIKAe @LisaCron
The Business of Blurbing: http://ow.ly/VIJpJ @penguinrandom
7 Steps to Becoming a Daily Writer: http://ow.ly/VILj7 @KeithGShafer
Free Your Mind To Fulfill Your Writing Goals: http://ow.ly/VILRG @MCSimonWrites
A writer’s clutter: http://ow.ly/VILwH @MCSimonWrites
How To Resuscitate A Lifeless Scene: http://ow.ly/VIKaW @writers_write
An agent gives a glimpse into her day: http://ow.ly/VIJZF @ShannonHassan
10 Unique Gifts for Writers & Book Worms: http://ow.ly/VIM6H @ashleelcowles
Criticism and the Impostor Syndrome: http://ow.ly/VIKXy @HYoungwriter
Discovering Our Writing Processes: http://ow.ly/VIL5U @jamigold
Aer.io’s acquisition by Ingram: ‘We’re very lucky’ says @ronmartinez : http://ow.ly/VXR2M @Porter_Anderson
6 Writing Lessons From Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: http://ow.ly/VXQis @PAShortt
Minimalism and the Writing Life: http://ow.ly/VXPZW @megwolfewrites
Make Holiday Gifts of Your Creative Writing: http://ow.ly/VTCSX @amowriting
What authors want from publishing: values, communication, feedback, trust: http://ow.ly/VY9eK @Porter_Anderson
Evoking Memories : A Writer’s Must: http://ow.ly/VEUvC @sacha_black
Need Writing Inspiration? 5 Unexpected Places to Find It: http://ow.ly/VEUKX @HughesAuthor
Are you sure you don’t have any plot holes? http://ow.ly/VEUCB by Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
The Consequences of Being too Careful With Our Writing: http://ow.ly/VEUgY @emily_tjaden
5 Places Ideas Come From: http://ow.ly/VEU47 @AngelaRStrong
Self-Care During the Holiday Season: http://ow.ly/VEUsN @ChristaDesir
How 5 minutes a day can revitalize your writing: http://ow.ly/VEUNV @pubcoach
Process and Productivity: http://ow.ly/VEUns @J_ToddScott
Selling Books Sells Books: http://ow.ly/VEUd8 @Rachel_Aaron
Signing Away Your Rights: Arbitration Clauses in Book Contracts: http://ow.ly/VEURm @victoriastrauss
When Writing Takes Over Your Life: http://ow.ly/VEUjo @LindaKSienkwicz
Deus ex Machina is Not a Dating Site for Ex-Robots: http://ow.ly/VEV1P @Savage_Woman
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Christmas Books That Are Naughty and Nice: http://ow.ly/VTD4J by Chris Lough and @nataliezutter @tordotcom
What To Give The Non-Writer In Your Life For Christmas: http://ow.ly/VTCCy @jameslrubart
Holiday Hacks for Writers: http://ow.ly/VTEyz @leslielehr1
Teaching Writing: Using a Writer’s Notebook To Grow Ideas: http://ow.ly/VCkL0 @tara_smith5
Can successful art be joyful? http://ow.ly/VCkoz @ArtistThink
The Ultimate Pilot Story Checklist: Weeds: http://ow.ly/VCjMZ @cockeyedcaravan
Agents & Editors on Titles and Rejections: http://ow.ly/VCk8d @wherewriterswin
Building Romantic Tension: http://ow.ly/VCkkr by PromptsBlog
Tips for creating a sales strategy: http://ow.ly/VCkdr @lansi26
Prepping the Alleged Perp: Info for Writers: http://ow.ly/VCjBT @FionaQuinnBooks @TinaGlasneck
11 things to avoid on our blogs: http://ow.ly/VCky0 @writers_write
10 Scenes for the Mentor Character in your Novel: http://ow.ly/VCkI3 @betternovelproj
How to Use Lovecraftian Horrors in Your Stories: http://ow.ly/VCjWL @mythcreants by David Mesick
Drawing from a Side Holster: Info for Writers http://ow.ly/VCjuO @FionaQuinnBooks
4 Functions of Amazing Opening Lines: http://ow.ly/VCjRZ by Chris Winkle
25 Gift Ideas For The Writer In Your Life: http://ow.ly/VQH6P @RuthHarrisBooks
The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers: http://ow.ly/VQA56 @jamigold
Book Giveaway Options: What’s Best for Indie Authors? http://ow.ly/VyURw @BookWorksNYC @stapilus
Print Book Formatting Programs: Different Options: http://ow.ly/VQonX @SpunkOnAStick
Checklist for Creating a Publishing Team: http://ow.ly/VyUOI @miralsattar
Reader Influence in Our Stories: http://ow.ly/VQmxs
Environmental issues brought up in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VQoTU @mkinberg
12 Tips That Help Writers Enhance Memory: http://ow.ly/VyVjH @anttooley
39 Thriller Authors: Best Writing Tips and Tools: http://ow.ly/VyVOG @chriswellwriter
Engaging Audiences through Twitter in 15 Minutes a Day: http://ow.ly/VyVF6 @kikimojo
Enter the Inbox: Newsletter Marketing: http://ow.ly/VyUBT @West1Jess
Across the Board: Running a collective giveaway: http://ow.ly/VyUGG by Kimberly G. Giarratano
10 Lessons Learned From Writing a First Book: http://ow.ly/VyVLc @MariaLauraIancu
An author experiments with Booktrack: http://ow.ly/VyV8P @worderella
Use the Hemingway App as a First-Pass Copy Editor: http://ow.ly/VyUYy @worderella
Writing: methodology and camaraderie: http://ow.ly/VyVvz @MelBishopWriter @JaneFriedman
Words to eliminate in our writing: http://ow.ly/VyVTp by M.L. Gardner
Author Earnings: reporting on UK indie ebooks: http://ow.ly/VPI0L @Porter_Anderson
Writing Characters Readers Trust But Shouldn’t: http://ow.ly/VwYgt @angelaackerman
Writing for Love or Money: http://ow.ly/VwSMq @BrunoniaBarry
Ideas for Getting Reviews: http://ow.ly/VwYsf @JackieWeger
How To Write A Screenplay Using Amazon Storywriter: http://ow.ly/VwYeE @McgannKellie
On creating book titles: http://ow.ly/VwYyo @RobinStorey1
How to Write a Query Letter: http://ow.ly/VwSYP @rachellegardner
The top writing links from last week on Twitterific:
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December 17, 2015
Writers and Social Media
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I recently read an interesting post, “My Social Media Mid-Life Crisis” from writer and publishing consultant Dan Blank. In it, Dan talks about how he went from being an early-adopter of social media, to becoming somewhat disenchanted with it, to finding a good solution to help him enjoy using it again.
I’ve experienced similar transitions in my relationship with social media. I started out much more gung-ho and on quite a few channels. I expanded into more channels, more group blogs, more exposure. Then, after several years I started trimming down my activity on sites and blogs. At one point I had social media platforms under my name and a pen name, was forcing myself to be active on sites I didn’t enjoy, and was part of four or five group blogs. I was overextended to the point where the overwhelm spilled over into everything I was doing.
If you’re new to building an author platform, a few tips:
Find a social media network that resonates with you. Something that won’t be a chore to keep up with. Each platform has its own personality. “Social Media Demographics to Inform a Better Segmentation Strategy” (don’t let the title scare you off–it’s very readable) by Michael Patterson on SproutSocial offers a nice overview of the different demographics on each site. Take a little time to see what might work well for you and help you connect to your audience.
Consider using one name (not your real name and a pen name) for each platform you use. At the very least, tie the names together on your sites–I mention on both my website and my Facebook page that I write both as Elizabeth Craig and Riley Adams. I mention this primarily because it’s exhausting to keep up with social media for pen names (I’ve tried).
Think long-term. Don’t use your book as the name of your social media account or as your avatar. If you have a lengthy writing career, you need to be the brand, not a single book.
If you’re trying to put yourself on a social media diet (you can’t keep up with all the different platforms):
Evaluate. I think it’s best to consider your platform as Dan did—what will I lose if I delete my profile on this site?
Schedule. Try using a scheduling program to help free up time. Be sure to check in with the platform to respond to any comments. I like using Hootsuite. I’ve also used SocialOomph.
Time yourself. Once again, I’ll stress my addiction to a timer to keep track of my time. Social media is an infamous time-suck.
Streamline. If one of the platforms isn’t working for you but you do want to maintain a presence there, is there a way for you to tweak your approach on the site? For instance, you can frequently create lists or groups on social media sites so that you see updates from people you care about or people with helpful posts.
Where are you with social media? Overwhelmed? Haven’t yet started platform building? Or is your involvement in social media just right for you?
Writers and Social Media:
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And, in other news, crime fiction readers here may be interested in entering this cool giveaway that mystery writer Sue Coletta put together. Some of my favorite mystery writers are part of the giveaway and I have a book included, too. Information below. :)
Click here for a link to the giveaway.
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December 13, 2015
Reader Influence in Our Stories
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve always been interested in what readers thought and allowed it to influence my writing. That’s because my goal was to be as commercially successful as I could be within my genre constraints. Before I even started writing a couple of my series, I read the reader reviews on Amazon for similar series to get a feel what readers liked and didn’t like in the hopes that I could deliver it.
My Myrtle Clover series was slow to adapt to this method because I started it first and then kept on the track it had already started down. I wrote it as I wanted and luckily readers responded well to it.
Reading reader reviews and tweaking storylines. At some point, however, I was aware that my readers had a much greater role in the production of my Myrtle series. I started carefully considering their criticism (probably five books ago…series will have its 10th release next year). They’ve mentioned concerns regarding characters, things they disliked specific to the series, omissions that I made regarding recurring characters, etc. I’ve noted them and incorporated changes based on their feedback.
For another thing, as I mentioned in a recent post, I started paying attention to series-specific tropes (or ‘rituals’, as Camille LaGuire called them). Readers were upset when I left out elements of stories that they’d come to enjoy (people, situations, even objects). I made a list to remind myself what they saw as important things to include.
I’m also trying to think what they would specifically enjoy on upcoming books. Since this series is now approaching ten books, I’m recalling what I like as a reader in series I’ve followed for a while. I definitely enjoy trickled-in extra information on recurring characters to be able to see them in a new light or to be able to understand them better. I’ve made a list of things that I haven’t explained about my main characters or extra detail about recurring settings and plan on dribbling this information into future stories.
Considering readers in the outlining phase: I’ve also been a bit nervous about the next project in the series, where I take my characters on the road (or, technically, on the sea. It’s a cruise ship mystery). I’m remembering that my editor at Penguin had many reservations about this type of story…although I ended up writing one for her (Quilt Trip), and it did really well. My editor advised me to load as many of my recurring characters as possible into the story because they’d be missed by readers otherwise. Since this is set on a cruise, it would create a ridiculous suspension of disbelief for readers if I took all my characters along. Quilt Trip was different from this story in another way—it was another subgenre…a manor house mystery or English country house mystery (except mine was set in the American South). I’ve always wanted to write one. The cruise book won’t be following the tenets of the manor house mystery as a guideline.
I’m currently creating the outline for this cruise book, although I won’t write it until May. I’ve gotten in the habit of outlining the next book in a series immediately after writing a book in the same series and before leaping over to a different series. It’s best if my head is still in the series world when I outline.
I started trying to think like a reader. What can this change of setting add to my story? Instead of just a change of scenery, what will help make it a great story? For the readers?
I looked up the Road Trip trope on TV Tropes (this site should come with a warning label that it can become an addictive time suck). It stated that the main purpose of this trope was to teach the characters something about themselves. But this is decidedly what I don’t like about those types of stories.
I decided that, for me as a viewer/reader, when I saw a special episode of my favorite show or read a book where my favorite characters went on a road trip, what made it especially interesting is when the characters maintained their own particular quirks and traits even in the new location. Or, even better, when the new location created conflict because of their own particular/peculiar traits. And I don’t like it when the setting overpowers the plot and characters.
Writing this, it seems as if it should have been a no-brainer for me, but deliberately planning a novel based on what I think my readers will find most interesting is somewhat new for me. I feel like usually I wrote things that I enjoyed and hoped everyone would come along for the ride. Sometimes this worked well for me and sometimes it didn’t.
Using reader ideas. I know that sometimes writers have said this is an area that can get tricky, but I’m also willing in doing a certain amount of crowdsourcing for story ideas. I don’t solicit them, but I’m lucky to be at the point where some readers are invested enough in the series and characters to ping me on social media and via email with suggestions. Most recently, a reader suggested that Myrtle help recurring character (and destitute psychic) Wanda find a job. It worked well with a story I was writing and so I worked it into the storyline.
This is completely different from the way books used to be written. Writers in the garret, removed from the world, crafting their stories. And I’m not saying I’m 100% a proponent of this semi-collaborative approach, but as I’m reporting what I’m doing, it certainly seems as if I’m coming a lot closer to a crowdsourcing method. It makes me wonder…what if I did a project…a just-for-fun project…on Wattpad? I’d write it serially (which I just told someone in an interview I’d never do because I don’t like to edit as I go and this would force me to edit as the story progressed) and write to purposefully solicit and incorporate reader feedback as I went…would it be a crazy story? Like a weird, senseless round-robin thing? Or would I be able to corral it into something that made sense? Part of me thinks that would be a cool creative challenge and part of me thinks that perhaps I’ve suffered a mild stroke. At any rate, I don’t have time for it right now, but it’s an intriguing future possibility.
How closely do you work with your readers? Where do you see reading and writing heading in the future? Concerns about collaborative writing?
Reader influence in our stories:
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Image: MorgueFile: xololounge
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December 12, 2015
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
CS Lewis with writing tips for new authors: http://ow.ly/Vtp7o @Goodereader
#FutureChat 11aET, 4pGMT (now): Creating apps from books–does the writing still matter? http://ow.ly/VKW5l @Porter_Anderson
4 author bio mistakes: http://ow.ly/VtpXJ @sandrabeckwith
How to Give a Presentation People Will Remember: http://ow.ly/VtpQF @anthonyfrasier
Submissions Insanity: The Homer Simpson Guide: http://ow.ly/Vtq5R @bang2write
The Secret Screenwriting Themes Behind All Pixar Movies: http://ow.ly/VtplB @screencrafting
Screenplay Review: I Am Legend (the famous Logan draft): http://ow.ly/VtoRh @scriptshadow
8 Writing Steps a Writer is Taking To Get Out Of Her Own Way: http://ow.ly/VtpJr @Blondewritemore
Bringing hope into our writing: http://ow.ly/Vtqks @DonMaass
Take a Staff Meeting With Yourself: http://ow.ly/Vtp2E @sowulwords @DIYMFA
11 Authors Who Became Famous After They Died: http://ow.ly/Vtpre @endovert
Old books can help us understand our genre: http://ow.ly/VwSPz @lanceschaubert
How to Leverage Keywords on Pinterest as an Author: http://ow.ly/VwSVb @JayArtale
Spinning Hope From Rejection: http://ow.ly/VwWZ8 @storyfix
Sometimes Writer’s Block is really Depression: http://ow.ly/VwX1b @maryrobinette
Life After NaNoWriMo: Punch Up Narrative Arc and Character Development: http://ow.ly/VwSzJ @ProWritingAid
Self-Publishers: Are you a Book Planner or a Free Spirit? http://ow.ly/VwSRl @JFBookman
Take a Virtual Book Tour: http://ow.ly/VwWUb @marketingwizard
How to Bring Characters in From the Cold: http://ow.ly/VwX9g @jamesscottbell
4 Questions Agents Ask Writers at Pitch Sessions: http://ow.ly/VwSZX @FictionCity
DIY Cover Design: http://ow.ly/VwXbJ @jenniferlellis
The Power Of Point Of View: http://ow.ly/VwSKs @mbtinsley
Actions vs Choices: Crafting Better Plots: http://ow.ly/VwX67 @Janice_Hardy
Turning Out Words: Productivity: http://ow.ly/VwYao @fictionnotes
Writing Characters Readers Trust But Shouldn’t: http://ow.ly/VwYgt @angelaackerman
7 Ways to Jump Start Your Book Cover Design: http://ow.ly/VwSXK @carlaking
Using Pinterest as a writer: http://ow.ly/VwYCW @carriebeckort
How to Finally Finish Your Novel: http://ow.ly/VwSFZ @prowritingaid
How To Launch A Book: For New Authors or New Series: http://ow.ly/VwYiq @susankayequinn
7 Tips On Emotional Storytelling, Pixar-Style: http://ow.ly/VtpDk @ joeberkowitz
Dealing With Square One: http://ow.ly/Vtqcr @TrueFactBarFact
Chipping Away at Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/VqfYU @robinrwrites
How to edit your novel: pic.twitter.com/ZB1GPN8BdA http://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-revise-a-novel-step-by-step-guide via @ReedsyHQ #NaNoWriMo
10 Common Grammar Mistakes Writers Make (Infographic) http://ow.ly/VHHCm @TheExpertEditor
An Open Letter to the Impatient Novelist: http://ow.ly/VqfWa @Write_Tomorrow
Tips for Experimenting on Wattpad: http://ow.ly/VqipX @amzoltai
7 First Draft Dilemmas: http://ow.ly/Vqg4O @AnthonyEhlers
Story Alchemy: Lessons from Breaking Bad: http://ow.ly/Vqf0u @ThereseWalsh
How a Reader Turns Into a Writer: http://ow.ly/Vqfpp by Daniel A. Roberts
How to keep writing despite fear, doubt, and self-criticism: http://ow.ly/VqfLy @rxena77
Polishing a Novel: http://ow.ly/Vqf6D @clairfuller2
How to ‘Fix’ Unlikable Characters: http://ow.ly/Vqg2d @RuthanneReid
A toolbox to build character: http://ow.ly/Vqflu @thewritermag
Writing Tips and Advice From @andyweirauthor, author of ‘The Martian’: http://ow.ly/Vqfec @brianklems
How to Beat Writer’s Block and Get Back to Work: http://ow.ly/Vnc2w @BrynDonovan
9 Productivity Hacks to Help Us Meet Our Deadline: http://ow.ly/VncME @emily_tjaden
6 Writing Lessons From Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: http://ow.ly/VF1kQ @PAShortt
Surprises inside luggage in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VF2jt @mkinberg
How Fanfic Can Help Transition Us to Original Fiction: http://ow.ly/VncT9 @msmariavicente
When to Start Sending Query Letters: http://ow.ly/Vnd44 @msmariavicente
6 Tips To Hook A Reader on Page One: http://ow.ly/VnbEe @carlywatters
Why Don’t We Just Call Them Micro-Bestsellers? http://ow.ly/VnbLI @stephenwoodfin
Character Archetypes Masterlist: http://ow.ly/VncG7 from Bella Writes
Polishing a Novel: http://ow.ly/VnbTC @clairefuller2
3 Reasons to Love a Day Job: http://ow.ly/VmRBe @jt3_gill
Let the critics choke on literary fiction: http://ow.ly/Vnc8W @calebpirtle
How to Take a Critique: http://ow.ly/Vncgp @AnnetteLyon
Creating a Vision for Your Writing Career: http://ow.ly/Vnbsj @RachelPhifer1
How To Handle Feedback: 6 Dos & Don’ts: http://ow.ly/VjDVf @HeatherJacksonW
When we should —and shouldn’t— use a hyphen: http://ow.ly/VjEyc @lhbrockway @PRDaily
Pinterest for Authors: Generate Traffic & Gain Readers: http://ow.ly/VCje0 @SueColetta1
#NaNoWriMo: Finishing Your Novel: http://ow.ly/VjE7f @kimberlypurcell
Top 10 Things Writers Should Ask Their Characters: http://ow.ly/VjCUN @HeatherJacksonW
7 Rules for Writing Dialogue: http://ow.ly/VjDJY @nownovel
Is it time to divorce the returns system: http://ow.ly/VjEQa @jasminkirkbride @BookMachine
6 Bad Writing Habits to Drop Right Now: http://ow.ly/VjDcc @worddreams
10 Tips for Writing Thriller Screenplays: http://ow.ly/VjDYW @bang2write
Evaluate Where You Are with Zig Ziglar: http://ow.ly/VjEjj @karencv
5 Secrets to Writing With Suspense: http://ow.ly/VjDQJ @katemoretti1
Chapter or Scene Break? How and when to use them: http://ow.ly/VjDGK @AJHumpage
Matriarchies, Patriarchies, and Beyond: http://ow.ly/VjDpC by Mike Hernandez
Feel Like A Fraud? Imposter Syndrome: http://ow.ly/VjD16 @sacha_black
Looking for trust: Author Day to FutureBook 2015: http://ow.ly/Vzl7m @Porter_Anderson
How to Start a Blog: the Free Guide (+ PDF & Audiobook): http://ow.ly/VzuwZ @firstsiteguide
5 Surprising Things About A Writer’s Conference: http://ow.ly/VfTqG @DIYMFA @kaylamacneille
Control and the Self-Published Writer: http://ow.ly/VzxZS
Tips for Our Second Draft: http://ow.ly/VyZEH @JessicaPMorrell
Criminals who try to ‘go straight’ in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VyZS0 @mkinberg
Pressure Points That Reveal Character: http://ow.ly/VfSVH @angelaackerman
Fixing the First Page: http://ow.ly/VfSQU @ava_jae
Simple 30 Minute Yoga Routine for Writers (No Flexibility Required): http://ow.ly/VfTCs @ink_and_quills
On Rejection: http://ow.ly/VfT5l @Paul_Genesse
Personal Branding and Writing: http://ow.ly/VfTxL @edeckers
How To Read Like A Writer: http://ow.ly/VfTJZ from Write Wild
Who’s telling the story anyway? (POV): http://ow.ly/VfSab @JaniceErnest
How to Write a Nonfiction Book in a Month: http://ow.ly/VfTmB @NinaAmir
The Writing Cave: http://ow.ly/VfT0h @ShanDitty
How to Identify and Cut Your Story’s Filler Content: http://ow.ly/VfTaz @shesnovel
To do great work: embrace your limits: http://ow.ly/VfTfM @DanBlank
10 Tools to Keep Writers Out of the Doctor’s Office: http://ow.ly/Ve2MZ @colleen_m_story
Tips for author newsletters that will be opened: http://ow.ly/Ve27c @johnkrone_com
29 Plot Templates: http://ow.ly/Ve3hL @fictionnotes
5 Ways to Use Instagram as an Author: http://ow.ly/Ve25L @TeeMonster @PhillipaJane
5 Tips for Writing a Book Sequel That is Superior to the First: http://ow.ly/Ve2Ub by Georgina Roy
Tips for selling books at conventions: http://ow.ly/Ve327 @pattyjansen
How to Connect with Readers: http://ow.ly/Ve3en @hopeclark
50 Ways To Kickstart Publicity: http://ow.ly/Ve30i @LindaWonder
Top writing links from last week on Twitterific:
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December 10, 2015
Scheduling Our Upcoming Year
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’m not so much of a fan of New Year resolutions. They seem too ephemeral for me…like a bucket list or something. There’s no meat to them. It’s a wish list. Instead I take what I want to accomplish, create a production plan, and put dates and ‘to dos’ on my calendar.
Although this makes me sound like a wonderful planner, I’m only a halfway decent planner. The truth is that I need to get on the calendars for my production team—in particular my cover designer.
Next year’s releases: At this point, I’ve also announced upcoming titles to my readers in both the backs of 2015 releases and on my website. This holds me accountable to my schedule and keeps me on track as well as ensures that readers are looking out for more launches in the series they’re reading.
I also like the idea of end of the year reflections, or at least would like to take a thoughtful look at the past year to see where I can continue successful practices and either discontinue what isn’t working for me or tweak it to make it work better. I think these reflections accomplish a couple of things. For one, they help us acknowledge our successes, which are too frequently overlooked in the haste to get on to the next thing on our to-do list (for me: books published, technology learned, an email inbox that’s under control. Even the personal examples—I was able to sustain a modest exercise routine for the entire year which prevented a recurrence of my Unfortunate Writer’s Back issue from 2014). These reflections also help us make a more conscious effort to improve strategies (I need to create some canned responses on Gmail for things like guest post requests from content creation companies, etc.)
In the same vein is my search for time savers. For instance, I had a reminder every month this year on my calendar to print out the KDP reports. I was keeping them in a binder where I could look at them altogether and see the peaks and troughs of sales. I don’t think I’m going to do this in 2016, although it’s not a bad thing to do. I think I can just pull up the reports I’m interested in, online, instead. This is a small example for me…for you it might be cutting back on blogging one day a week, cutting the cord on a social media platform that you’re not able to check in on enough, dropping out of a group blog, etc.
On top of that is a long-term to-do list. This is publishing-related, but not limited to writing. There are things that I would like to experiment with (ads, in particular) or things I’d like to learn how to do for the upcoming year (website related items, experiments with new forms of social media).
Then there are maintenance items that I schedule reminders on my calendar for. Some are tax-related—periodic reminders to me to include business-related expenses on a list for my CPA. Some are related to website maintenance…have I updated my site lately? Is all the information current? Am I still calling a title an “upcoming release” when it actually launched weeks ago?
I’m also, for 2016, trying to schedule in more downtime. Because, apparently, I don’t take downtime unless I see it on a to-do list (classic trait of type-A , maybe). Since I did so great with exercising this year (which must be my all-time unfavorite activity), I’m now trying the same with other things that keep me from getting too stressed. My husband and I enjoy watching plays and we have a favorite local theater in Charlotte that provides low-key entertainment. I’m looking ahead on their calendar and adding possible events onto mine.
And then I’ve got the reality check portion of my scheduling. The school calendar is released for the following school year and I’m putting that in. On Gmail, I subscribe to a US Holidays calendar that automatically adds in dates I need to remember (especially Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, which have a habit of somehow sneaking up on me). You can do the same (or put in other calendars that automatically populate) on Gmail: go to the drop down arrow in the left margin next to ‘other calendars’ and click ‘browse interesting calendars.’ I also sync my calendar with the JV cheer calendar for the high school, etc…anything that I can do to keep from 1. dropping the ball and 2. having to input everything myself. The reality check portion is to keep me from setting myself up for failure by expecting too much of myself during a busy time.
What kinds of tasks are you putting on your schedule for 2016?
Tips for writers for scheduling the upcoming year:
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Image: MorgueFile: bkornprobst
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December 6, 2015
Control and the Self-Published Writer
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Much has been written about the control that a self-published writer has over their career and their books. It’s usually portrayed as a good thing. We can choose when our book comes out, when its sequel comes out, what vibe our cover is sending out, when to run sales, how much our book should retail for.
Sometimes we’ll hear about the flip side of having this control—the overwhelming nature of it, the high learning curve in handling it, the realization that when our book seems to flop on release that it was related to something we did. Because no one else was in the driver’s seat.
What I have recently discovered is that the control…the good, the bad, and the ugly of it…is completely addictive. Until we feel, I think, a lot more ownership and responsibility for a book, even when we don’t have any control over it.
I’ve come a long way with how much control I’ve wanted to have. I remember when my editor at Penguin told me that a sequel for a book in my Memphis series was approved for release in 2013. That was two years after the previous book in the series launched. I had serious reservations about this and I didn’t understand it. I can write a book in three months, easy. If you push me, I can, technically, write a book in about 5 weeks. I’ll be stressed out and snapping at family members, but sure, I can write it. So why the delay? Or, really, why not ask me to write a book sooner? Why not ask me in 2011 to write the book, then decide if you want to publish it or not later? It could have started its year-long production process a lot sooner. If they didn’t want it, I could probably have reworked it to fit a different series.
Did I say anything? No. Because I realized I was dealing with a process—one that was out of my editor’s hands. I just dealt with it. It was the last book of the series.
As I’ve continued on my self-publishing path, though, I’ve felt more frustration with what happens with my trad-pubbed books. I’m frustrated from a career standpoint. I want those books to continue doing well and I’m limited.
One Example: oddly, and out of the blue, an ebook that released in 2010 and had been retailing at about $10 for the life of the book (I know…) had its price dropped in half. That part was great news. I’ve been fielding emails for years from readers asking why that book was priced so high when the rest of the books in the series (this is the series that started out in trad pub and that is now self pub) ranged from free to about $4.99.
The problem with this is now there suddenly is something wrong with the Kindle file. I’m getting dinged on reviews because there are apparently two chapter sixteens and no chapter seventeen. And the reviews are, for the most part, directed right at me.
I called the publisher on Friday. I haven’t dealt with Midnight Ink for years. I hit zero for the switchboard and gave them my editor’s name. Oh, she said, my editor had retired years ago. So I told switchboard my problem and she figured out someone for me to talk to. It wasn’t the right person, but he knew who in production would handle the issue. And all the while I’m talking about the problem, I’m hearing the stress in my voice and telling myself to chill out. I know that the stress is from lack of control. The problem would already have been fixed if it were a self-pubbed title. And I can’t control when or if they’ll fix it. In the meantime, the emails and negative reviews will continue.
Another example. I got a publishing report from Penguin last week (this is new—an online dashboard that authors can sign into. It’s actually pretty cool and a step in the right direction). My report stated that, for my June release, my sales so far were “58% physical, 42% ebook.”
All of my books from Penguin report this type of ratio. You can see the little pie graphs on the image file here for a handful of my books. And I’m not alone in the trad pubbed writing community in saying that we find it…strange. For my self-published books, it’s more like 90% digital sales, 10% physical. So…are these figures what Penguin has to work with? Only BookScan reports, only certain retailers, only Ingram? Do they not include Amazon reporting (and I know Amazon is fairly closemouthed about ebook sales, but not to publishers, right?)
If these reports are accurate (and I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here…but it sure would help if they told me where they’re pulling these numbers or what’s being reported to them), then why are they so skewed to physical sales? Are there that many readers still buying print from retailers? Somehow only for trad pubbed books and not the same series for my self-pubbed titles? Could this be because of the fact that publisher pricing frequently favors physical books? If it’s that readers really are, for trade published books, favoring print, I’d like an idea why it’s that way—is it because of their product placement in bookstores? Are these actually printed copies from Amazon and online purchases? I’m curious.
And I have no control over learning more about their data. My editor for that series was, sadly, laid off a few months ago.
And returning to my control issues regarding the pricing. I’d really love to run some sales to bump up reviews and visibility for the series starters. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do. I got my rights back for the series that was trad pubbed until June and plan on releasing a new title next spring. I’ll probably go fairly low with it, in terms of pricing, to see if I can stimulate some interest in the series as a whole. Then I can add a few more books to the series and play around with pricing. But I’ll never be able to make the first book perma-free. The first book in my Myrtle series is the same. I had to make box sets for the Myrtle series without the first book included.
I’m reading this post over and I’m thinking…blehhh. Sorry y’all. Not that the problems I raise aren’t legitimate (and I’m intending this to be a cautionary tale to anyone who is toying with taking a series to trad pub…thinking they can always self-pub it later if needed), but I hate my frustration behind it. This is what it is and there’s nothing that I can do about it. I’ve just gotten addicted to the control.
On the positive side (ending on a positive note for a Monday!), my excellent editors taught me a lot with their global/developmental editing and I got a nice bump in visibility in 2010 when it was still mostly a physical book landscape.
If you’re a self-published writer or a hybrid writer, how have you reacted to the control you get? Is it overwhelming? Addictive? A little of both?
Control and the self-published writer:
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December 5, 2015
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
The Risks of Offering a Freebie: http://ow.ly/Vvx0q @jamigold
How to Trust Your Writing: 3 Tips from Renowned Novelists: http://ow.ly/V6Xeh @MandyCorine
10 Lessons from #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter http://ow.ly/Vvx6V @Andrea_Dunlop
4 Tips for People Who Want to Write for Children: http://ow.ly/V6Wng by Sue Bradford Edwards
4 Critical Edits to Make to Your Book’s Description Copy: http://ow.ly/V6Xpo @dianaurban
7 Ways Author Websites Irritate Readers: http://ow.ly/V6YfE @authormedia
Why Agents and Editors Often Stop Reading: http://ow.ly/V9GdN @PaulaSMunier
7 Tips to Make the Most of Working with a Cover Designer: http://ow.ly/V9GJt @MarcyKennedy
The Power of a Fiction Writer’s Pen: http://ow.ly/V9F8E @THahnBurkett
Ebook Conversion Tools: http://ow.ly/V9GVo @dkudler
How to Write Multiple Antagonists: http://ow.ly/V9Fy1 @KMWeiland
The Writer and The Market Should Be Friends: http://ow.ly/V9Gsz @jamesscottbell
Scrivener Fundamentals: http://ow.ly/V9FZm @Gwen_Hernandez
3 Simple Tricks to Create a Character Different From You: http://ow.ly/V9FKK @RidethePen
Using Grammar to Strengthen Our Voice: http://ow.ly/V9Frl @julie_glover
How A Pantser Outlines: http://ow.ly/V9FV9 @mollygreene
When An Author Dies: Estate Planning With @KathrynGoldman: http://ow.ly/V9Hlv @thecreativepenn
Signing Away Your Rights: Arbitration Clauses in Book Contracts: http://ow.ly/V9H49 @victoriastrauss
Tips for author newsletters that will be opened: http://ow.ly/Ve27c @johnkrone_com
10 Tools to Keep Writers Out of the Doctor’s Office: http://ow.ly/Ve2MZ @colleen_m_story
7 Rules to be Successful as an Author: http://ow.ly/Ve3br @JudithBriles
How to Optimize Your Amazon Search Keywords: http://ow.ly/Ve2Lx from Fix My Story
The problem with writer negativity: http://ow.ly/Ve3fW @rachellegardner
What to Avoid in Your Cover Copy: http://ow.ly/Ve3jf @ceciliaedits
Boosting Sales For a Book: http://ow.ly/Vtlf4
8 Obstacles to Completing Your First Novel: http://ow.ly/V6XvX @mrJRPatterson @thePenleak
Zero Draft Thirty: The Despair of the Blank Page : http://ow.ly/V6XMm @gointothestory
Writers Discuss Prologue, Recaps, and Backstories: http://ow.ly/V6XWL @SKathAnthony
Publishing an E-Book: Resources for Authors: http://ow.ly/V6Wid @JaneFriedman
Tackling New Writing Challenges: http://ow.ly/V6Ww7 @MarinThomas @womenwriters
5 Writing Secrets From Ian Fleming: http://ow.ly/V6WIG @AnthonyEhlers
Deliberate Practice and the Writer: http://ow.ly/V6Y4a by Kathleen Moulton
Do You Know Your Genre? http://ow.ly/V6X6d @patverducci
Is it time to drop the #selfpublishing tag? http://ow.ly/VsfQQ @DebbieYoungBN
Meals and other ordinary events as tension-filled backdrops in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VqjFb @mkinberg
The Crave app for “new readers”: http://ow.ly/VqjcB @Porter_Anderson @CraveRomanceApp @JudithCurr
Good Writers, Bad Books: A NaNoWriMo Debrief: http://ow.ly/Vq7xJ @RFaithEditorial
How to Write 10,000 Words in a Day: http://ow.ly/V4LIV @infobarrel @writerology
5 Ways To Keep Up Your NaNoWriMo Momentum All Year: http://ow.ly/V4M1A @sydney_writer
The Ugly Work of Writing: http://ow.ly/V4LAb @artofstoriesAB
31 Women Writers On The Advice They’d Give Their Younger Selves: http://ow.ly/V4Lu8 @myfakeyelashes
The Business Model of Literary Journals (or Lack Thereof): http://ow.ly/V4MFT @JaneFriedman
Writing Effective Queries: http://ow.ly/V4Lof @Janet_Reid
Charater sheets: http://ow.ly/V4Mv3 from That French Helper
What We Can Learn By Reading 1 Star Reviews of Our Favorite Books: http://ow.ly/V4MXZ @AmberSkyeF
Elevator Pitches: http://ow.ly/V4LDQ @wendylawton
The 1st Act: How to Write Beginnings: http://ow.ly/V4Lhz @sim_ted
4 Painless Steps To Making The Most Of Networking: http://ow.ly/V4Mpl @kj_bags
Amazon’s New Storywriter App for Screenwriters: http://ow.ly/V0Z90 by Writer’s Circle
6 Tips for Finding a Cover Artist: http://ow.ly/V0XLb @jamigold
4 tips for struggling writers: http://ow.ly/V0XWE @readjennymartin
5 Lessons for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/V0XRY @WriteOnTrack_L
Black Speculative Fiction is Protest Work: http://ow.ly/V0XvQ @TroyLWiggins
The Risks of Offering a Freebie: http://ow.ly/V0YfH @jamigold
How To Twitter: Tips For Newbies: http://ow.ly/V0XOe @mollygreene
5 Tips for Writing a Book Sequel That is Superior to the First: http://ow.ly/V0Y3t by Georgina Roy
Setting the Stage: Hook Readers From Page One: http://ow.ly/V0XxC @stefaniegaither
10 Lessons from #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter http://ow.ly/V0ZDd @Andrea_Dunlop
Tips for Writing Better Characters: http://ow.ly/V0Yce @PBRWriter
4 Puzzle Pieces to Hook Your Readers: http://ow.ly/V0XB7 @jeancogdell
After #NaNoWriMo: A Writer’s Checklist: http://ow.ly/VjvBv @amyfstuart
Lab coats, uniforms, and name badges in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VfQUT @mkinberg
The Time It Takes: http://ow.ly/UXPeg @deanwesleysmith
When Setting Trumps Character: http://ow.ly/UXPM7 @TobiasCarroll
Is There Enough Death In Your Stories? http://ow.ly/UXOCf @DBlakeAuthor
How TV And Movies Can Make You A Better Writer: http://ow.ly/UXOsl @DBlakeAuthor
How Professional Readers Read for Pleasure: http://ow.ly/UXPA7 @thelithub @JessicaAFerri
What Book Tours Are Like in the 21st Century: http://ow.ly/UXPqo @NoahCharney @theatlantic
3 Ways to Write Good Beginnings: http://ow.ly/UXP2w @Magic_Violinist
The Negative Character Arc: Devolving Into A Killer: http://ow.ly/UXORf @DBlakeAuthor
Translation For Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/UXPlG @thecreativepenn
Writing to Market: http://ow.ly/UXO3l @kristinerusch
4 Common Dialogue-Writing Mistakes: http://ow.ly/UXOnH @RidethePen
6 Ideas for Getting Your Book More International Exposure: http://ow.ly/UXPja @DianaUrban
Christmas Indie Author Event Idea: http://ow.ly/Vg02r @LornaSixsmith
Book Critique ABCs: a How-To for Authors: http://ow.ly/UW4PM @West1Jess
7 Mistakes Authors Make with Email Lists: http://ow.ly/UW4WO @Creativindie
Every job in publishing depends on authors: http://ow.ly/VfQwg @Porter_Anderson @RebecSmart
Train stations, markets, and other crowded places in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/VfP1u @mkinberg
How To Get Your Books Into Global Markets: http://ow.ly/UW4Qo @JenMinkman
Tips for Creating Media Kits: http://ow.ly/UW4UX @srjohannes
Brainstorming the Hero Before You Start Writing: http://ow.ly/UW4OZ @angelaackerman
Bad writing habits: backing off on the money shot: http://ow.ly/UW4Sm @SPressfield
The Query, the Synopsis, and the First Page: Tips: http://ow.ly/UW4Oi @mara_fortune
What is Good Writing? http://ow.ly/UW4Nx @nownovel
10 Techniques for Getting Tension on Every Page: http://ow.ly/UW4Mv @jodyhedlund
Plot Your Novel With Mini Arcs: http://ow.ly/UW4Uf @Janice_Hardy
Crafting a Compelling Novel Concept: http://ow.ly/UW4KW @storyfix
Should you write under a pseudonym? Pros, cons and practicalities in a digital world: http://ow.ly/Vf5TF @Roz_Morris
Publishing a Sequel: 8 Book Marketing Tips You Need to Know: http://ow.ly/UV3GB @dianaurban
Character Development: The Interaction Chart: http://ow.ly/UV3sT @HeatherJacksonW
7 Ways Your Characters Can Screw up Their Decisions: http://ow.ly/UV3BA @Janice_Hardy
What Neil Gaiman Does When He Doesn’t Know What To Write: http://ow.ly/UV3fK @r_buxton
Trad-Pubbed Writers: What Not to Share Online: http://ow.ly/UV3Iq @wendylawton
Building a Great First Chapter: http://ow.ly/UV3Ps @bethrevis
The top writing links from the week on Twitterific:
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December 3, 2015
Boosting Sales For a Book
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Writers sometimes ask me, usually anxiously, what they can do to help boost sales. Inevitably, they have only one book published.
I know when I was just traditionally-published I had that underlying feeling that I should be doing more for my book. That I was leaning too much on Penguin and they weren’t, actually, even doing all that much for sales.
As a self-published author, I think this feeling is magnified. After all, we’re 100% responsible for sales.
And I hate that anyone giving advice about sales sounds like a broken record, but…I think the standard advice is sound.
Things we can do to try and improve sales:
Write and publish more and better books.
If sales is the primary focus of our writing (and that’s nothing to be ashamed of), then are we writing in a commercially successful genre? Should we consider a change?
Can our first book be extended into a series? Series are generally more popular with readers than standalones…and they can be easier to quickly write (setting and characters are already in place).
If our standalone seems solid and has enjoyed a positive response from readers, but just doesn’t seem to be able to get traction, we should consider a free promo first. We do this by listing our book as free on a site like Smashwords or Draft2Digital and then allowing Amazon to price match it. This only costs us lost sales and can lead to more visibility and reviews.
If, again, the book seems solid and reviews are good, we could look at doing a cover change. Since this costs money, this, to me, is something of a last resort.
Evaluate our web presence for our title. But be careful here because this can be a huge time suck. We should at least have a basic website. Nearly as important is our book’s listing on Amazon. Have we got blurbs or reviews that we can list on the Editorial Reviews section of our book page? Is our book’s description well-written? Is our Author Central page completed? What keywords have we listed for our title? Is the book listed in the correct category?
These are the best suggestions I’ve got. But the most important, to me, is writing more books and evaluating where we should go from here. If we spend too much time and energy on the one book then we’re never going to get book two out there.
Any other suggestions for help with slow sales?
Tips for boosting sales for our book:
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November 29, 2015
Tracking Our Recurring Storylines
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of the things I forgot to mention in my “Time Savers for Writers” post was storyline-tracking for series writers. This is different from a series bible. My series bible has lists that include detailed character descriptions (down to birthdays, favorite foods, aversion to cats, and addresses) and setting information. This is more of tracking recurring motifs/elements/conventions in our stories. Our own tropes for our books.
I almost hesitate to mention this because tropes are sort of an odd area for series writers. But I’ve been surprised to find how much readers care about them. I’ve accidentally—and occasionally purposefully—left out recurring storylines/conventions/gags from stories. And I’ve gotten dinged in reader reviews and sometimes via direct emails from readers for doing so.
And these are for books that function as standalones in my series. For writers who have series arcs…I can only imagine you’re tracking those to pieces. This is just for the types of story elements that pop up in each book in a series.
I made a list of all the bits and pieces that I include in each series and was amazed at the number of items. There were seventeen elements for just one series. The list includes everything from my protagonist suffering epicurean disasters of epic proportions, to the hypochondriac sidekick, to the slothful housekeeper whose back is conveniently thrown when faced with challenging cleaning, to the garden gnomes that my sleuth pulls out into her front yard when she’s angry with her son.
I never really felt comfortable with my homegrown tropes. Part of me felt, maybe, that I was leaning on these recurring elements as a crutch. It’s so easy to include them. I tried to be fresh and original in each book.
The problem is that readers don’t necessarily want us to be fresh and original with each book. There’s a comfort, maybe, in the series trope. Almost an inside joke?
I started thinking about all the recurring storylines and conventions that I loved in various book series and television. I expected Hercule Poirot to be insulted when someone called him French. M.C. Beaton’s Hamish MacBeth would always desperately try to escape promotion and credit his successes to other policemen. I knew to expect elaborate scheming when watching I Love Lucy and Ricky’s unintelligible English. Jerry would always have a ridiculous reason for breaking up a relationship in Seinfeld. In some ways, if there had been a break with series tropes in these shows, it wouldn’t have made sense or been faithful to the series. What if an I Love Lucy episode showed Lucy performing in one of Ricky’s shows with no machinations behind the performance whatsoever? How bizarre would that be?
I’ve found listing these recurring subjects/gags/motifs very helpful. For one, they help me determine important elements in the stories. And if I’m considering taking my series characters on a road trip (like I did in Quilt Trip or in a book I’m planning on for next year for Myrtle), the list helps me incorporate elements as best I can while the characters are on the road.
I think there can be a danger in pandering too much to our homegrown tropes. One danger is straying too far from the main plot or in bloating a book to include all the recurring bits. Elizabeth George is one of my favorite writers, but I do see that she sometimes bloats a book to stuff in all the fun elements surrounding various secondary characters. There does need to be a balance there.
As a reader or TV viewer, what do you think of recurring elements in a book or show? Do you see a pattern in yours? How many do you include in each book?
Using and tracking recurring elements in our books:
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