Riley Adams's Blog, page 112
October 17, 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.
Sell More Books with Better Descriptions: http://ow.ly/TrDD4 @SarahBolme
Storytelling Strategies: Sicario’s Vanishing Main Character: http://ow.ly/TrzCN by Paul Joseph Gulino @scriptmag
Remember our bios are also marketing devices: http://ow.ly/TrDqf @stapilus @BookWorksNYC
How to Start Your Author Newsletter in 8 Easy Steps: http://ow.ly/TrKPt @AuthorRx
2015 #NaNoWriMo Resources: Character: http://ow.ly/TrF1l from Writersaurus
Writing Dual Narratives: http://ow.ly/TrNuz @clairefuller2
11 Ideas for Revising a Novel: http://ow.ly/TrNlO @clairefuller2
How to Get Started on Blab – Getting Ready for Your First Blab.im Broadcast: http://ow.ly/TrJyN @shelleyhitz
10 Tips From a 4-Time #NaNoWriMo Winner: http://ow.ly/Trz3s @JamieSheff
How to Price Kindle Books to Free without Exclusivity: http://ow.ly/TqKAs @markcoker
Checklist for “Passive” Book Marketing: http://ow.ly/TrAPo @111publishing
How to Publish Ebooks – An Ebook Publishing Intensive: http://ow.ly/TrB5p @markcoker
Make “Unbelievable” Stories Feel Real: http://ow.ly/TrBFb @michael_hauge
Common book marketing misconceptions: http://ow.ly/TrAWm @thecadencegrp
5 Questions Before You Write the First Draft: http://ow.ly/TrA97 @UlaWrites
A Free EIN Simplifies the Business of Self-Publishing: http://ow.ly/TrBoS @BookWorksNYC @MissAdventuring
How to make the most of a group critique at a conference: http://ow.ly/Trz9J @Janet_Reid
Creating Your Own Blog Tour: Signing up Bloggers: http://ow.ly/TrAC6 @WriteJoMichaels
Finding And Managing Content to Beef Up Your Social Media Presence: http://ow.ly/TtWmf @crystallyn
5 Exercises From Comics Creators That Will Save Your Prose: http://ow.ly/TlEKR @helpfulsnowman
4 Branding Tips for Authors: http://ow.ly/TlF0q @NinaAmir
Today’s #FutureChat: Can books generate excitement for the next gen? 4pBST / 5pCEST / 11aET (now) @Porter_Anderson
Fandom: can books generate excitement for the next gen? http://ow.ly/TtBjm #FutureChat @Porter_Anderson
100 Free or Low-Cost Ways to Promote Your Ebook: http://ow.ly/TtrcG @AndrewMayne
Do Free Book Promotions Work? http://ow.ly/TlFZF @Adversego @passivevoiceblg
Writing the Unknown Setting: 8 Tips: http://ow.ly/TlETu @melissafolson
Writing case study: the flawed chick-lit heroine: http://ow.ly/TlEEi @bwilliamsbooks
Become a Hybrid Blog-to-Book Author: http://ow.ly/TlGnE @NinaAmir
Creating strong characters: 5 checkpoints: http://ow.ly/TlFdP @TennysonEStead
What’s the Deal With Book Deals? http://ow.ly/TlGjy @johnpdavid
The Most Common Reasons Why Scripts Are Rejected: http://ow.ly/TlGcj @coreymandell @filmindependent
5 Steps to Original Character Creation : http://ow.ly/TlFry @krgpryal @womenwriters
How to Write a Big Middle Scene: http://ow.ly/TlF7B @stephmorrill
5 Situations Horror Characters Get Themselves Into (and What Would Happen in Real Life): http://ow.ly/TlEOg @raine_winters
Amazon to Spend $10,000,000 on Translation: http://ow.ly/TrHlX @translationista
Amazon scandal could mean resurgence in print? http://ow.ly/TrEwW @philipdsjones @thememo
Interested in writing cozy mysteries? Read one of the best (video review): http://ow.ly/Tryf6 @richarddenneyyy
Frame of reference–to illuminate or irritate? http://ow.ly/TqYuP by JohnMcPhee @NewYorker
Frame of reference–to illuminate or irritate? http://ow.ly/Tg2XO by JohnMcPhee @NewYorker
How to Write Your First Author Bio: http://ow.ly/Ti4V8 @cameronfilas
Find an Extra Hour Every Day With a 5-Minute List: http://ow.ly/Ti5rt @jenn_mattern
7 Tricks To Differentiating Dialogue: http://ow.ly/Ti5AW @geofflepard
The Math and Music of Multiple Characters: http://ow.ly/Ti58u by Dave King
6 Tricks to Mastering the Art of Imagery: http://ow.ly/Ti55R @HartzlerBarbara
Public Speaking for Introverts: Tip #1 (courtesy of @Gladwell): http://ow.ly/Ti5i4 @livequiet
How to Juggle Writing & School (video): http://ow.ly/Ti5aV @ava_jae
Doodle Your Way Out Of Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/Ti4Hx @hodgeswriter
Is There Any Room in Epic Fantasy for the Small Story? http://ow.ly/Ti4O1 @tordotcom by Chris Lough
The Macro Story: http://ow.ly/Ti51E by Shawn Coyne
How To Recycle Writing Ideas: http://ow.ly/Tg30o @bethswriting
A closer look: Screenwriting: Classic 40’s Movie: “Casablanca”: http://ow.ly/Tg32A @gointothestory
Tips for Writing Nonfiction Articles: http://ow.ly/Tg2Fx @WritersCoach
How to Be Funny Without Hurting Yourself: http://ow.ly/Tg36H @cbramkamp
Make Your Scenes Count: http://ow.ly/Tg35Y @lindasclare
Self-Education for Writers: http://ow.ly/Tg2N0 @artofstoriesAB
7 Crucial Mistakes Authors Makes with Their Email Lists: http://ow.ly/Tg34l @Creativindie
4 Common Short Story Mistakes: http://ow.ly/Tg2Zs @EmilyWenstrom
Creating an Author Bio With Flash Fiction: http://ow.ly/Tg2Hz @_AliciaAudrey @DIYMFA
Good and bad writing advice: http://ow.ly/Tg2IQ @rsmollisonread
The One Page Book Proposal: http://ow.ly/Tg2DK @jennienash
Writing by Omission: http://ow.ly/Tg2Vz by JohnMcPhee @NewYorker
Why we should be excited about Periscope: http://ow.ly/Tg2Ob @emily_tjaden
The Darknet: Info for Writers: http://ow.ly/TdxoD @WrittenByBrian @fionaquinnbooks
Does Your Book and/or Author Website Include Book Club Questions? http://ow.ly/Tdx1v @wherewriterswin
The non-linear plot: http://ow.ly/Tdy8T from Plot Line Hotline
How to Build Your Strengths as a Writer: http://ow.ly/Tdxgr @ajhumpage
Are Your Characters Too Passive? http://ow.ly/Tdyir @ava_jae
The Plot Hole That May Not Be A Plot Hole: http://ow.ly/Tdx70 @vgrefer
How to Manage Your Expectations as an Author: http://ow.ly/Tdy1R @HelenScheuerer
5 Hacks to Create a Good Writing Habit: http://ow.ly/TdwR8 @joebunting
How to Write LGBT+ Characters: http://ow.ly/TdwXY @HannahEGivens
Letter to 1 Writer’s Pre-publication Self : http://ow.ly/TdxGW @VanessaLafaye @womenwriters
How to Research Your Novel without Annoying Readers: http://ow.ly/TdxbK @hollyrob1
The Perfect Book Sales Page : http://ow.ly/TdxPG @daveBricker
Music For Writers: Jodie Landau In Iceland, Romancing ‘You’ : http://ow.ly/TgONa @JodieLandau @Porter_Anderson
Flashbacks: 4 Commandments for Writing Them: http://ow.ly/Ta9UF @PeggyBechko
As @Pubslush goes under, vision for the future (industry-related manifestos): http://ow.ly/TgPgJ @Porter_Anderson
Dying words, in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/ThSCK @mkinberg
How much slack will you cut a character? http://ow.ly/ThS96 via @authorterryo
The Ultimate List of Books About Writing: http://ow.ly/Ta8Xi by Gary Smailes
Fixing These 3 Mistakes Could Transform Our Manuscript: http://ow.ly/Ta9Ni agentkristinNLA
Work & Sleep Habits of Famous Writers: http://ow.ly/Ta92q @sstodola
Using Dreams in Literature: http://ow.ly/Ta9JD @KelsieEngen
Synopsis writing tips: http://ow.ly/Ta9E3 @ink_and_quills
Writing Horror: Lessons: http://ow.ly/Ta9g6 @kirabutler
3 Ways to Break the 4th Wall: http://ow.ly/Ta9nK @johnkbucher
Better Dialogue: 10 Tips http://ow.ly/Ta9RU @TYCWriting
Supporting characters: http://ow.ly/Ta98i and http://ow.ly/Ta9cw @Jackson_D_Chase
3 tools for more productive writing: http://ow.ly/Ta9rT @nicholesevern
Pitching at Cons: 5 Things to Remember: http://ow.ly/Taa0v @BreatheConf @SusieFinkbeiner
An author newsletter is our key to sales without selling (by @SomedayBox ) : http://ow.ly/ThYMb
Why don’t the kids read digital? http://ow.ly/TgOGY @Porter_Anderson @sarahmedway
Style Sheets, Style Guides, and Why Audrey Hepburn Style is a Writer’s Best Friend: http://ow.ly/Ta1DG @RuthHarrisBooks
Nobody Said YA Books Aren’t For Teens: http://ow.ly/TgOvc @Porter_Anderson @molly_wetta
How to Write Anti-Heroes and Villains: http://ow.ly/Ta2YR @Jackson_D_Chase
A Writing Notebook: The One Tool Every Writer Needs: http://ow.ly/Ta2PM @MaryleeMacD
How to Co-Write a Story in Google Docs: http://ow.ly/Ta32f @alyssa__holly
The Job of Protagonists & Antagonists: http://ow.ly/Ta2U3 @hookedonnoir
The top writing links of the week on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
October 15, 2015
Writing the Cozy Mystery–Points to Consider
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
This is the last post in my series on cozy writing. (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6.) Today I thought I’d wrap up a few things that are, mostly, specific to cozies (where some of the earlier posts could have been applied to other subgenres of mysteries.)
Murder method. If the method is gory, the state of the victim’s body isn’t explained in great detail. There isn’t a focus on forensics in cozies. If you’re using guns, be accurate but move away from a lot of forensic detail…keeping it simple. In a cozy, the focus is on the puzzle itself.
There tends to be a lot of blunt force trauma, suffocation, strangulation, stabbing, poisoning, and victims being pushed down staircases.
When should the body be found? If you’re writing for a trade press, your cozy should be a murder mystery instead of a robbery, etc. My editors wanted to have a body before page thirty, if at all possible. I think that’s because they were worried about pace, but also because mystery readers are always looking out for who the possible victim is and they can get frustrated if that victim doesn’t surface. They want to start figuring out the puzzle.
Profanity. Although some cozies do have profanity, many don’t. There are even reader lists online of profanity-free cozies. Authors are, naturally, free to write what they want—but I will say that I responded to readers (and you wouldn’t believe how many messages I got on my use of profanity in early books) and cut it out completely. I didn’t really care one way or another about it and there were readers who really cared a lot. I thought the profanity I used was very minor, but I stopped using it after 2011 or so.
Puzzles. One of the most important elements of the book. It needs to be complex enough for experienced mystery readers to be surprised by the ending, but it must be completely fair. Distractions must follow clues, there needs to be enough diversity in motive, and it helps if suspects obfuscate.
Series. If you’re writing a cozy, be prepared to write a series. Readers expect it, and some mystery readers won’t even start reading a series until there are at least several books in it. I think they feel that if they’re going to invest their time in learning the characters and the story world, they want to make sure the author isn’t going to give up on the series.
It used to be that trad pubs would offer 3-book deals. Then it became 3 books for the first contract, 2 each for following contracts. They’re in a state of flux now with the digital disruption, but the publishers are still buying/pushing series. And, if we’re publishing the cozies independently, it’s a good idea for us to follow their lead there.
Humor. Strongly suggested. The book doesn’t have to be filled with it, but the general tone of a cozy shouldn’t be too heavy. If the focus is mainly on crime, we should try to lighten it up in spots when things get too serious. The books tend to be more of an escape for readers.
Adult content. The author should close the door on the couple…there is no explicit sex in cozies.
Title Selection. Obviously, again, authors can choose what they want. But I will say that the punning title is specific to cozies and can help readers to quickly identify the type of mystery that you write.
Hope this series has helped for anyone who is working on a cozy mystery. I know there have also been some questions from writers who thought they were writing a cozy mystery and now aren’t so sure. There is definitely some crossover with mysteries. But, in general, if you were to pull up “cozy mysteries” on Amazon, you’ll see a lot of common ground in the choice of title, cover design, book description, and series hook. Series published by the Big 5 will have recipes and craft tips in the back of the books. That’s the commercial cozy.
If you have some similarities to cozies in your mystery…lack of gore, lack of profanity, amateur sleuth, crime takes place offstage, focus on the puzzle…but you don’t have a series hook (crafts, cuisine, pet lovers) or a lot of humor, you may want to independently publish your book. You could also query a book with a slightly more complex, heavier feel as a “dark cozy” or “edgy cozy.” (I think Sheila Connolly’s popular series are a good example.)
If you’re self-publishing it, you could choose to call it a cozy (you’d want to indicate it’s a cozy with your cover design, your title, and your book description), or you could think of it more as a traditional mystery or a soft-boiled (somewhere between a hard-boiled mystery and a cozy…maybe Janet Evanovich or Sue Grafton. I would include M.C. Beaton’s books, too ). Some call these contemporary mysteries, but I think that’s a little too vague. Definitions vary with a traditional mystery, but you have a little more leeway. The sleuth can be an amateur or a professional. They can be light or darker. The stories can address more controversial subjects. The reader expectations aren’t quite as rigid as they are for the cozy mystery.
Hopefully this all makes sense. Any questions from anyone? And thanks for reading this blog series.
Points to consider when writing the cozy mystery:
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Image: MorgueFile: schurch
The post Writing the Cozy Mystery–Points to Consider appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
October 11, 2015
The Secret to Sales Without Selling: Your Author Newsletter
by Joel D Canfield, @SomedayBox
I once surveyed all the authors I knew about what they wanted most for their writing.
The universal response was “Someone to do my marketing for me.”
I considered setting up an affordable and effective marketing service and then trying to sell it to all those people, but that’d be like Henry Ford giving us faster horses.
What authors really want is a way to spend more time writing and less time marketing, but still sell books. And if possible, to do it without hating themselves in the morning. Or being hated by everyone around them.
I’ll state my premise up front: the way to do that is follow these two steps:
Write more top-quality books, and
have a great email/newsletter list.
Authors who write more good books sell more books.
Authors with a newsletter email list full of fans sell more books.
And they do it with less marketing, more writing.
Here’s how.
The Magic Formula
Everybody loves a step-by-step to get reliable repeatable results. A checklist for success.
The thinking is, if only we could find exactly the right time of day to tweet, the precise number of blog posts to write each week, the perfect balance of Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo and just the right book launch strategy, everything would fall into place.
There’s good news, and there’s bad news.
The Good News
Marketing is easy: tell people who love books like yours that you’ve written one.
The Bad News
I don’t know who those people are. Neither do you.
Back to the Good News
You can find out who those people are by watching them sign up for your newsletter. A newsletter list of people who signed up because they care is the Golden Ticket, the brass ring, the Holy Grail.
So here’s the one-step magical formula for marketing your books: tell your newsletter list about it.
If you wish you didn’t have to spend so much time marketing, you hate marketing, why do you have to sell yourself for pity’s sake what’s with all the marketing I just want to write, here’s some more good news: building your newsletter is the organic result of making personal connections with people.
It’s slow. It’s not guaranteed. It involves interacting with other human beings, something many authors are unaccustomed to.
But it’s relatively easy, it won’t interfere with your writing, or anything else in your life, and it doesn’t require skills beyond what you already have. You’re probably already spending more time on social media than it requires.
Here’s how it works (wherein we finally get that list you’ve been looking for.)
The Step-by-Step List
Everything you do to market yourself (yourself, not your books) leads folks to your newsletter. Here’s how it works:
They sign up for your newsletter because
they like what they read at your blog because
you answered their question generously after
they liked your Facebook page because
they read your Twitter feed about
your comment at someone else’s blog.
Swap in any social media platforms (Pinterest, LinkedIn, Ello) because mostly, it doesn’t matter. Go where your people are. Or, be where you already are, and connect with your people who are also there. 7 billion people on the planet. Finding people is not hard. Narrowing your focus is hard.
Go forth and be generous and patient. People will follow you home. Slowly. But they will.
And when they fall in love with your writing, the hard part is done and the marketing becomes dead simple: tell them you’ve written another book.
Should I Give Something Away?
Another ubiquitous question. For your author newsletter, I say yes, yes, a thousand times yes. The best way to let visitors become fans, to fall in love with your writing, is to give them some of it, like a sample in the grocery store will have you scrambling to the aisle where you can pick up some of that coconut cherry almond fudge you just sampled.
Generosity is your greatest marketing tool. Don’t use it sparingly; spread it around like manure (or, perhaps, coconut cherry almond fudge) and watch things grow.
Generosity and free aren’t the same thing. Generous can include over-delivering on what you were paid to do. I’ve had generous helpings of fish at our favorite chippy in St. Paul. Paid for, but still generous. When you hire me to help with your writing and publishing, generosity will be ladled over you like gravy. Good white gravy like we make in Texas for your sausage and biscuits; that kind of generous.
A newsletter is your inner circle, the folks who’ve said the blog and other social media isn’t enough; I want more.
What smart marketing person could miss the fact that these are the folks most likely to spend real live money on other things you offer?
It’s about context. A free sample doesn’t lead anyone to believe the product is free as well. If I give away my first mystery in a series to get folks hooked, they don’t believe they can have all the others free.
Quality Leads to Quantity
While this form of list-growing is slow, it’s oak-strong. Most of the folks on my list are people I interacted with personally before they signed up. I taught them something, and explicitly or not, let them know I had a newsletter.
My personal approach gives me open rates 3X more than the average. My small list engages.
We are not the Persians with an army of millions, coming to take Greece. We are the Spartans, defending the pass. Small, focused, changing the world so it won’t change us.
Want to spend your time writing instead of marketing?
It’s a one-item list:
Make good use of a newsletter.
Joel D Canfield teaches authors how to 
write and selfpublish without losing their mind — or their shirt.
Read more at http://SomedayBox.com and find out about his mystery-writing at http://JoelDCanfield.com .
Our author newsletter is the key to sales without selling (by @SomedayBox):
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The post The Secret to Sales Without Selling: Your Author Newsletter appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
October 10, 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.
Stop sweating the synopsis and write it: http://ow.ly/T7oW8 @hollyrob1
The Evolving Literary Agent: What Savvy Writers Need to Know: http://ow.ly/T7oQS @JaneFriedman
5 Books About Imaginary Religions: http://ow.ly/T7pyy @tordotcom by Michael W. Clune
Weaving a Tapestry of Page-Turning Story: http://ow.ly/T7oXH @Saboviec
On Trying Something New: http://ow.ly/T7pje @ava_jae
The Legal Side of Writing for Anthologies: http://ow.ly/T7ohM @susanspann
Hanging in the Back Matter: Indents Are the Rule: http://ow.ly/Ta2O7 @JFBookman
A 12-Month Strategic Plan for Marketing Your Book before Release: http://ow.ly/Ta2xQ @instntpublisher
The Secret to a Powerful Author Brand: http://ow.ly/Ta1u8 @kristenlambtx
Pay-What-You-Want Pricing: Does it work for books? http://ow.ly/Ta1oW @payhip
Promo efforts that worked best for one bestselling author: http://ow.ly/Ta2Bq @VirginiaGraybks
Toy Story Shows the Key to Subtle Character Development: http://ow.ly/T7omg @KMWeiland
Manuscript to Ebook: A Cleaning Guide: http://ow.ly/T7owE @dkudler
6 Tips for Finding a Cover Artist: http://ow.ly/T7oBP @jamigold
Literary Style: 15 Writers and Their Bedrooms: http://ow.ly/T7pp6 @writers_write
5 Reasons Writers Should be on Social Media Networks: http://ow.ly/T7pCw @garyjmclaren
How to Write About Anything: 5 Steps for Researching a New Topic: http://ow.ly/T7odC @chanawrites
Establishing Your Writing Fallback Point: http://ow.ly/T7pdK @SuzanneBrazil
BookBub Interview, Pt 1: http://ow.ly/T7oG1 and part 2: http://ow.ly/T7oGo @ThereseWalsh
7 Fatal Flaws That Told 1 Writer Her Novel Wasn’t Ready to Pitch: http://ow.ly/T4XQp @StephofLegends
Writing and the Creative Life: The Creative Personality: http://ow.ly/T4Y4E @gointothestory
4 Essential Tips On Writing Young Adult Fiction: http://ow.ly/T4XC4 @RuthanneReid
Simple Tips for Smarter Self Promotion: http://ow.ly/T4Yaf @artofstoriesAB
Rewrite: Revisit the Story: http://ow.ly/T4YNn @seanbhood
What is the 1st Act? http://ow.ly/T4YEX @seanbhood
So You Want to Write YA Thrillers? http://ow.ly/T4Xhe @ava_jae
8 Things to Cut When You Kill Your Darlings: http://ow.ly/T4XZ9 @shesnovel
Deep editing: http://ow.ly/T4Xmx @MargieLawson @erniewords
A 4-draft writing process: http://ow.ly/T4XGt @kseniaanske
8 Ways the Military Deals With Magical Powers: http://ow.ly/T4YmI @tordotcom by Chris Lough
Should We Keep Writing the Same Characters for Years? http://ow.ly/T4X1k @RobinGunn
Post Conference To Do List: http://ow.ly/T2eKR @SLeesmithAuthor
A great question to ask about your protagonist: http://ow.ly/T2eef @gointothestory
Simple Instagram Tips For Authors: http://ow.ly/T2ewG @shelleyhitz
Are Major, Traumatic Events Off Limits? http://ow.ly/T2dMW @sarahrcallender
Hide your story’s structure with emotion: http://ow.ly/T2dA6 @shalvatzis
5 Steps to Creating Your Writing Ritual: http://ow.ly/T2dDS @Cara_Putman
Blog Your Book to Build Author Platform: http://ow.ly/T2eqZ @NinaAmir
Writing Mental Illness in Your Novel: http://ow.ly/T2emK @AmberSkyeF
6 P’s to Success in Your Writing Life: http://ow.ly/T2dIH @OrlyKonigLopez
Following Through After a Conference: http://ow.ly/T2eTQ @bethany_house
5 Books About Inconvenient (Unlikable) Women: http://ow.ly/T2e44 @zenaldehyde
5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models: http://ow.ly/T9bVg @JaneFriedman
4 Puzzle Pieces to Hook Your Readers: http://ow.ly/SYu1B @jeancogdell
Script Analysis: “Looper”: Scene By Scene Breakdown: http://ow.ly/SYu8t @gointothestory
Pitching on Twitter: How to Circumvent the Slush: http://ow.ly/SYu5V @s_lovett @DIYMFA
A Case Study on Family as a Literary Theme: http://ow.ly/SYu74 @SaraL_Writer @DIYMFA
Taking the Standing Desk to the Next Level: http://ow.ly/SYtRn @KeithCronin
Picking the Right Viewpoint Character for Your Scene: http://ow.ly/SYuaw @septcfawkes
10 Poses To Show Character Development Through Body Language: http://ow.ly/SYtVC @MiaJouBotha
What to Expect from Editors: http://ow.ly/SYu9E @lindasclare
Confidence. If You Don’t Have This, You Might As Well Forget It: http://ow.ly/SYtyC @10minnovelist
Is It Okay To End A Sentence With A Preposition? http://ow.ly/SYu4j @epbure
Podcasts for Authors: 5 author marketing podcasts: http://ow.ly/SYtT7 @wherewriterswin
The Fundamentals of Writing a Scene: http://ow.ly/SYtNu @plotwhisperer
Tracking dysfunctional sleuths in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/T1nl6 @mkinberg
Stephen King: Can a Novelist Be Too Productive? http://ow.ly/SVRlD @StephenKing
How Authors and Editors Can Work Better Together: http://ow.ly/SVREu @andylowe99 @ReedsyHQ
Quit Your Day Job: http://ow.ly/SVRBo @jaelmchenry
On the Lack of Chronic Illness Rep in YA: http://ow.ly/SVRq7 @ava_jae
Beta-Readers and Editors: Diversity is Strength : http://ow.ly/SVReb by Diane Fraser @womenwriters
Create characters with the Enneagram Personalisty model: http://ow.ly/SVRHt @nicholesevern
How to Let Your Characters Move The Story Forward: http://ow.ly/SVRu4 @stephmorrill
2 Stammer Verbs to Avoid in Your Fiction: http://ow.ly/SVR9o @JRHwords
What should you do when you don’t want to write anymore? http://ow.ly/SVRiV @calebpirtle
Voice recognition Software: http://ow.ly/SVRxy @PBRWriter
How Setting Affects Our Characters: http://ow.ly/SVR38 @writers_write
Strengthen Your Story Concept with Story Generators: http://ow.ly/SVRNb @artofstoriesAB
Query Boot Camp: Unsuccessful Query Letters are Analyzed: http://ow.ly/T1o1n @ReedsyHQ and @RFaithEditorial
Inspiration for Indie Authors Going Global: #NINC15 Conference Report: http://ow.ly/T2juI @OrnaRoss
Will I ever feel like a Real Writer? http://ow.ly/T1yqO by @Alison_Stone
Takeaways from the #NINC15 conference: http://ow.ly/T1e66
Quests in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/T1dBn @mkinberg
Focusing On The Premise: http://ow.ly/SSXGO @RachelHauck
When to give up on a story: http://ow.ly/SSXwF from Writing Questions Answered
Don’t hide being a writer: http://ow.ly/SSXaB @angiedicken
Make the Thing That Scares You: http://ow.ly/SSWHz @artistthink
Where to market or publish your poetry and resources for poets: http://ow.ly/SSXhL @booklaunchdemon
Trope Spotlight: The MacGuffin: http://ow.ly/SSX0Y @enderawiggin
Ebook Covers: Create Cover Images Which Sell: http://ow.ly/SSWSo @angee
Obsession, Delusion, and Writing: http://ow.ly/SSXPX @kristinerusch
5 Excuses to Protect Your Writing Time: http://ow.ly/SSX7F @HeatherJacksonW
7 Ways Self-Publishing Can Save Your Career: http://ow.ly/SSWWk @courtneyromano
Tips for Character Development: http://ow.ly/SSXMJ
The Obsessive Worldbuilder Quiz: http://ow.ly/SSXtv @Philip_Overby
How a Character’s Choice of Clothing Benefits the Story: http://ow.ly/SMQdc
3 Things Learned About Writing from Analyzing Stephen King’s IT: http://ow.ly/SMPZH @hannah_haney
Searching for Tim Cook’s Energy Bar: http://ow.ly/SLpCr @DanBlank @99u
When to start physically describing characters? http://ow.ly/SMQQ1 from FYCD
6 Tips for Switching Genres: http://ow.ly/SMRK8 @JulietBlackwell
Track Changes: The Essential Tool for Writers and Editors: http://ow.ly/SMQ8P @daveBricker
The Pros and Cons of Audiobook Publishing: http://ow.ly/SMRGE @RogerDColby
How to Overcome the Fear of Putting Yourself Out There: http://ow.ly/SMQVS @susancain
12 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Magic System: http://ow.ly/SMQxD @metteharrison
Emotional Wound Thesaurus: Being in the Shadow of a Successful Sibling: http://ow.ly/SMQo2 @beccapuglisi
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October 8, 2015
Writing the Cozy Mystery–Common Pitfalls
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
If you’re just joining us, I’ve been running a series on writing cozy mysteries. (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Today I thought I’d cover a few problem areas that we might run into when writing a cozy mystery.
Slow pace, story seems weighed down. Is the story too basic and formulaic? What’s going on with your sleuth in her personal life? What background can we discover about the suspects? Is there a subplot we can develop that sheds light on one of the recurring story characters? Are there recurring story characters (they are common in cozies). Can we tie in the subplot with the mystery somehow?
The issue could be mechanical, too. Try for shorter sentences, more dialogue, and shorter chapters. Try changing the sentence structure around a little.
The story is confusing. Review the number of suspects and supporting characters. Eliminate any that don’t contribute or at least offer a brief reintroduction of the character if he’s been offstage for a while.
Is the mystery too complex? Sometimes too much complexity can make the story unbelievable. We can still make a simple mystery with very basic motives (this is better for a cozy mystery, anyway) and surprise the reader at the end. Remember, the sleuth is also learning more about each suspect and how they related to the victim—it’s not all about clues to the killer. It’s about clues to the suspects’ character, too.
Our beta readers figure out whodunit…way too early. Or, they’re not surprised at the killer at the end of the story.
If readers are figuring out clues to the killer too early in the story, we need to distract from the clues with very noisy red herrings. An argument, another body, something that appears to be an important clue. An alibi that’s disproven. Anything that we can input to make it look as though the red herring is more important than the actual clue.
If readers aren’t surprised when the killer is revealed, we need to redirect them better. I like to pick a suspect who seems very likely to have done it and throw a last minute red herring out there in a very subtle way. So the reader thinks they’re picking up on a hidden clue. Instead, we close down the story quickly after that and unveil the actual murderer. In the wrap-up, we can address any loose ends.
Series hook seems clunky when inserted in the text instead of woven in more seamlessly.
If the series hook is quilting, for instance, we could create the murder around a quilting event…a guild meeting or a quilt show, etc. Or we could stage it at the local quilt shop. Or the quilt shop could function as a sort of town hub or hangout for characters to facilitate suspect questioning.
In my culinary series, I’ve had murders take place at barbeque festivals and functions the barbeque restaurant was catering.
Editors have stressed to me time and time again that readers of mysteries with craft hooks like a good deal of detail on fabric, texture, etc., in addition to quilting activity. This also goes for culinary mysteries and other crafting mysteries. If we’re looking to query a trade press, then that’s the direction we’re going to want to go in. It doesn’t come naturally to me so I have to work it in (usually in a pass during draft two).
Are there any other trouble areas you can think of in a cozy mystery? What have I missed? The saggy middle is easy for mysteries…insert another body. :)
Tips for overcoming common pitfalls in writing the cozy mystery:
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Image: MorgueFile: Earl53
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October 5, 2015
The NINC Conference—Interesting Points
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
The Novelists, Inc. or NINC, conference in St. Pete Beach, Florida, was chock-full of interesting speakers and takeaways. Looking around the conference rooms, nearly everyone was jotting down notes on paper or their laptops. And…the weather was wonderful there. I was happy to escape the dismal weather North Carolina has had lately.
A few takeaways I wanted to share (these are from sessions I attended, but you can hear from others if you go to @Porter_Anderson or @JaneFriedman’s #NINC15 tweets on Twitter:
International markets:
In the interesting First Word session of the conference (a day-long session of industry thinkers), I was interested to hear that Germany is the third largest ebook market after the US and the UK (this from Matthias Matting, who is a German author and publisher).
However, interesting point, Amazon can’t compete on price in Germany because price-fixing laws. Books must cost the same whether they’re for sale in a store or online.
But Amazon is still popular there. Amazon and the German Tolino dominate the market there. If you go solely through Amazon, though, you will miss 40% of the market.
Scott Beatty and Jim Bryant, co-founders of Trajectory, spoke on their work in the Chinese market. Self-publishing there is called “online literature” and is driven, similarly to Wattpad here, by mobilization and story serialization. Writers there have their work licensed as video games, film, and television.
There are 294 million readers there and 1.4 billion consumers. It’s the second largest publishing market with a 16 billion dollar valuation.
And…according to Scott, the size of the English-speaking market in China is the same as the US population.
Unfortunately, the books Trajectory submits to the Chinese book market has to be approved by government censors. This includes each format of every book, even if one format (print) has already been approved by censors. They’re particularly looking for what Scott called “the three Ts”: Tibet, Tiananmen, Taiwan.
Digital publishing analyst Thad McIlroy emphasized the size of the English market…enormous. It’s not just the native speakers or second-language speakers, it’s also those learning English. One in five people, worldwide, speak English as a native, second, or foreign language.
Pricing and Selling tips:
Gareth Cuddy, CEO of Vearsa recommended averaging together the top 20 or top 100 titles in your genre/subgenre and then check in on and change prices frequently.
He also recommends selling ebooks directly using Gumroad, Aerbook, and Payhip.
Draft2Digital‘s Dan Wood and Joshua Unruh provided data indicating that series with the first book free generated over three times the revenue of those that didn’t.
Draft2Digital can set-up pre-orders (even without a manuscript) for books at retailers Tolino, Nook, Apple, and Kobo. They recommend Apple as having the most profitable results from pre-orders. You can set them up there even a year in advance and they will boost a book’s ranking during both the pre-order and the release day.
At #NINC: Also-boughts are social-driven, @trajectory recommends books by content. @InfoJedi
— Elizabeth S Craig (@elizabethscraig) October 2, 2015
Innovation:
The audience also heard about Trajectory’s work in mapping books. Book recommendations are getting smarter. Trajectory’s Scott Beatty and Jim Bryant use algorithms that map books to show patterns of intensity and sentiment . Where Also-boughts are social-driven, Trajectory recommends books by content.
Draft2Digital uses a tool that will generate back-matter buy links for our ebooks and automatically changes them when we have new releases.
Author Asst. @AuthorRx : Time-saving tip: create a file with interview Qs and As. Tweak answers for new interview requests. #ninc15
— Elizabeth S Craig (@elizabethscraig) October 3, 2015
Metadata:
I am geeky enough to have really gotten into this informative session from Lori Bennett who is the digital liaison for Nelson Literary Agency. Her tips:
Make sure your book description includes elements from your bio (“bestselling author” is a good one) as well as a quote from a blurb.
Consistency is very important, especially with series metadata. We want readers to be able to find the other books in our series. The title of our series needs to be exactly the same from book to book and retailer to retailer. (Is it The My YA Series, or is it just My YA Series?)
If a retailer or distributor doesn’t give us a tags or keywords field, we can fake it by adding these keywords into our book descriptions.
Another best practice Lori mentioned is to use the most specific BISAC codes we can. We should avoid the throwaway category of Fiction/our genre/general. Enter as many codes as possible: three is good, five is better.
Metadata:Lori Bennett of NLA Digital:Synchronize series titles:Is it "*The* My YA Series" or "My YA Series?"Consistency is key. #NINC15
— Elizabeth S Craig (@elizabethscraig) October 3, 2015
I’m a member of ALLi (the Alliance of Independent Authors) and am sometimes asked if it makes sense for US writers to join or if it’s more UK centric. Founder Orna Ross stressed that they’re committed to being an international organization and are now working toward offering MeetUps for members.
ALLi is a "bridge between good services and members," providing info for writers around the globe. #ninc15 @OrnaRoss http://t.co/0jHZDoXfpV
— Elizabeth S Craig (@elizabethscraig) October 4, 2015
Information:
Since publishing news changes rapidly, Porter Anderson and Jane Friedman have developed The Hot Sheet: a subscription newsletter to keep writers and industry observers informed.
Those are the notes that I took. As I mentioned, it was a great conference and full of very useful information. Any questions on anything here (if I can’t answer them, I can always try to find the answers)?
Takeaways from the #NINC15 conference:
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October 3, 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.
7 Of The Worst Tropes About Creativity: http://ow.ly/SAvlH @Jonwestenberg
13 Ways to Be a Successful Guest Post Author: http://ow.ly/SAvDy @ShelleySturgeon
Script To Screen: “Alien”: http://ow.ly/SAven @gointothestory
Is New York publishing: a dream or the big lie? http://ow.ly/SAv5M @calebpirtle
Word Count: How Many Words In a Novel? http://ow.ly/SAvI2 @joebunting
Active Practice vs. Passive Learning: http://ow.ly/SAvPZ @CarolAnneMalone
How to Become a Bestselling, Full-Time Novelist: It’s SO Easy! http://ow.ly/SAv7S @DanBlank
10 Tips for Coming Up With Story Ideas: http://ow.ly/SAvLJ @ink_and_quills
Struggling to Get Published? You’re Not Alone. http://ow.ly/SAvuC @readjennymartin
Writing Better Characters: http://ow.ly/SAvbD @PBRWriter
7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story: http://ow.ly/SAvhT @KMWeiland
What is Theme? Deconstructing an Elusive Concept: http://ow.ly/SAvyD @ink_and_quills
What Makes a Good Ending? http://ow.ly/SEBaH from Not so Classically Trained Writer
How to Write About Your Pets: http://ow.ly/SEAKe by Anne Kaier @writersdigest
6 tips on writing characters: http://ow.ly/SEB0j @DinahJefferies
Writing the YA Contemporary: http://ow.ly/SEAXJ @ava_jae
Quick Fix Revision: Plugging Plot Holes: http://ow.ly/SEBcA @lindasclare
3 Literary Devices to Use in Our Writing: http://ow.ly/SEAF9 @EmilyWenstrom
10 Ways To Stand Out With A Unique Writing Style: http://ow.ly/SEB4N @bookrangerkath
Using Short Stories to Promote Our Novels: http://ow.ly/SEB2i @raynehall
Writing In a Foreign Language: Like English: http://ow.ly/SEB8c by Nils Ödlund
Rewrite: Revisit The Story: http://ow.ly/SEARG @seanbhood
Pushing the Boundaries of Literature: http://ow.ly/SEAWR @artofstoriesAB
5 Things Every Antagonist Needs: http://ow.ly/SEAU2 @larin20 @writedivas
5 Publishing Tips Learned From Working at Amazon: http://ow.ly/SHElg @Lexirad
100+ Places to Market Your Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian Book: http://ow.ly/SHEFs @booklaunchdemon
Getting Over the Hump of the Blank Page: http://ow.ly/SHE7e @kristanhoffman
How 1 Writer Revises in Passes (video): http://ow.ly/SHEKO @ava_jae
What Makes Good Creative Non-Fiction? http://ow.ly/SHEgZ @lawz_m
How to Typeset a Novel in Microsoft Word: http://ow.ly/SHEaZ @JillWilliamson @Goteenwriters
The Art of Making It: Rekindling Your Motivation: http://ow.ly/SHEAe @VaughnRoycroft
On Repetition in Writing: http://ow.ly/SHE5L @ava_jae
Avoiding Distractions: http://ow.ly/SHEnc @MaryVeeWriter
Characters of Color, Constant Abuse, and Racism as a Theme: http://ow.ly/SHEec from Writing With Color
7 Tips for Negotiating Your Mystery Movie Deal: http://ow.ly/SHE55 @CarmenConnects
Screenwriting: Creative Career Failures (And Why You Will Succeed): http://ow.ly/SHECf @ozzywood
Understanding Screenwriting (With Films as Examples): http://ow.ly/SHEwh by Tom Stempel
4 Reasons to Never Write Alone: http://ow.ly/SIist @McgannKellie
It’s Not A Story Until Something Goes Wrong: http://ow.ly/SIisT @AnthonyEhlers
Why 1 Writer Hates Wattpad (And Then: Why She Doesn’t): http://ow.ly/SIio0 @EmilyFRussell
8 Ways to Take Control of Social Media: http://ow.ly/SIiDa @timgrahl
3 Ways To Make Your Stories Credible: http://ow.ly/SIiLH @authorterryo
The 4 Steps to Sustained Creativity: http://ow.ly/SIiv1 @gingermoran
Scientific Tips to Improve Our Writing: http://ow.ly/SIiND @passivevoiceblg @FuturityNews
Self Publishing a Book? Advice we shouldn’t follow: http://ow.ly/SIiVR @Nick_Stephenson
The Overwhelmed Writer: http://ow.ly/SIiT1 @kristinerusch
4 Women-in-Fantasy Tropes That Are Getting Old: http://ow.ly/SIiaa @EmilyFRussell
1st Person Or 3rd? How To Choose What’s Right For Our Story: http://ow.ly/SIiJI @CathyStucker
Sell More Books at the Back of the Room: http://ow.ly/SIiEM @CathyStucker
Story Glue: 3 Examples: http://ow.ly/SJWcr @anna_elliott
Getting an Author Domain Name When YourName.com Is Taken: http://ow.ly/SJULd @michaelkeshen @wherewriterswin
When love causes conflict in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/SJVTC @mkinberg
Time Management for Writers: http://ow.ly/SJWVl @jenroland @FinishedPages
A Writing Life and Motherhood: http://ow.ly/SJWIP @Nina_Schuyler @FinishedPages
The Evolving Literary Agent: What Savvy Writers Need to Know: http://ow.ly/SJVjh @JaneFriedman @writersdigest
How Not to Miss Your Editor’s Suggestions: http://ow.ly/SJUQM @ckmacleodwriter
Self-Publishing for Author-Illustrators: http://ow.ly/SJXuX @Skipper_Bay
5 Overlooked Marketing Channels to Promote Your Books: http://ow.ly/SJWwr by Kevin J. Wood
New ways to murder your characters: http://ow.ly/SJW0T @SueColetta1
Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors: Adjectives and Commas: http://ow.ly/SJXc0 by Melinda Brasher
How to Edit Like a Pro: http://ow.ly/SJVpu @RuthanneReid
When to start physically describing characters? http://ow.ly/SMQQ1 from FYCD
From Setting to Inciting Incident: http://ow.ly/SMQJ8 @ShanDitty
Searching for Tim Cook’s Energy Bar: http://ow.ly/SLpCr @DanBlank @99u
3 Things Learned About Writing from Analyzing Stephen King’s IT: http://ow.ly/SMPZH @hannah_haney
How a Character’s Choice of Clothing Benefits the Story: http://ow.ly/SMQdc
Are you guilty of taking shortcuts with your writing? http://ow.ly/SMQsR @stephenwoodfin
Emotional Wound Thesaurus: Being in the Shadow of a Successful Sibling: http://ow.ly/SMQo2 @beccapuglisi
12 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Magic System: http://ow.ly/SMQxD @metteharrison
How to Overcome the Fear of Putting Yourself Out There: http://ow.ly/SMQVS @susancain
The Pros and Cons of Audiobook Publishing: http://ow.ly/SMRGE @RogerDColby
Track Changes: The Essential Tool for Writers and Editors: http://ow.ly/SMQ8P @daveBricker
6 Tips for Switching Genres: http://ow.ly/SMRK8 @JulietBlackwell
4 Steps to Querying a Small Press: http://ow.ly/SJP1E @KarenGowen
You Haven’t Failed Until You’ve Quit Trying: http://ow.ly/SyXpH from the Writer’s Society
Field trips featured in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/SJJ9b @mkinberg
A Characterization Study on Little Women: http://ow.ly/SyXej @JillWilliamson
5 Things 1 Writer Wishes She’d Have Known Before Self-Publishing: http://ow.ly/SyX2o @dela_52
New Writers: Balancing Personal Life and Writing Career: http://ow.ly/SyXD7 by Kathleen Moulton
Preparing the Perfect Pitch: http://ow.ly/SyXyq @writerashley
10 Rules of Writing a Novel: http://ow.ly/SyWRc @BettyDraper
9 Famous Anti-Social Fictional Characters: http://ow.ly/SyXnh @writers_write
Avoid Common Ebook Marketing Mistakes in 6 Steps: http://ow.ly/SyWY5 by Edward Warner
How to Switch Gears from Writing to Editing: http://ow.ly/SyWTD @MudpieWriting
10 Tricks to Cut Your Word Count: http://ow.ly/SyXLV @karenmarston
How to be a Better Writer: Be Precise: http://ow.ly/SyXjV @ErinMFeldman
Pulling Your Hero Into the Magical Realm: http://ow.ly/SyX84 @mythcreants by Chris Winkle
7 Ways to Build a Business Around Our Nonfiction Book: http://ow.ly/Swmcn @NinaAmir
How to Be a Successful Writer: Stop Comparing Ourselves to Others: http://ow.ly/Swl02 @sara_crawford
Should We Delete That Conflict Scene? A 3-Question Quiz: http://ow.ly/SwkWJ @Write_Tomorrow
15 Tips for Achieving Our Creative Goals Every Day: http://ow.ly/Swmgu @WriterJoMalby
7 Things to Do Before We Get Published: http://ow.ly/SwlrC @MadelineMMartin
30 Marketing Questions that Self-Published Authors Must Answer: http://ow.ly/Swm5H by Jason Walberg
3 mistakes we’re making on Goodreads: http://ow.ly/SwlyU @sandrabeckwith
3 Ways to Explore Your Own Imagination: http://ow.ly/SwlQJ @PerigeeBooks
State by state list of libraries and their contact info: http://ow.ly/SwlFA @wherewriterswin
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October 1, 2015
Writing the Cozy Mystery–Whodunit?
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of the most important aspects of the cozy mystery is the puzzle itself. Aside from character development, the puzzle is the most important part of the mystery. Mystery readers tend to be avid readers who are practiced at looking for clues to the killer. Here are some thoughts about how to make sure the readers don’t solve our puzzle before we want them to.
Red herrings: To keep readers guessing, we need to provide some false leads for our sleuth. These leads frequently come from other suspects, but they can come from some of the physical (usually not forensic in a cozy) evidence surrounding the crime (something out of place, something missing, something there that shouldn’t be there).
To make it more difficult for our sleuth and readers, the sleuth can try to sort through suspects’ information and find out what’s true, what’s a lie, and what’s just someone being an unreliable witness.
I think it’s less frustrating when there’s a limit for each red herring—when they don’t last the entire length of the book. If we’ve led our readers to believe that it’s all about an inheritance for the whole story and then we change the motive at the very end, if we don’t handle that well and lay a couple of clues for that motive somewhere earlier in the story, readers may feel cheated.
Clues can point to motive and suspects. To be very fair to the reader, it’s probably best to have a few subtle clues scattered throughout the story. Clues can be verbal—something that contradicts a suspect’s alibi or that points to a possible motive for murder. Clues can be physical—a suitcase in the back room. Clues can even result from insights our sleuth gets into the suspects’ characters. That’s one reason why our investigation isn’t just about the crime—it’s about the people who might be involved.
It’s very tricky to use our sleight of hand with mystery readers. They’re extremely savvy readers who usually read a lot of mysteries each month. They’ll frequently believe any extraneous detail must be a clue (which is why we need to be careful about wrapping up anything that seems like a loose end or a Chekhov’s gun at the end of the book).
I’ve found the best ways to slip clues under the radar are to lay them near the beginning of the story and then introduce things that seem more interesting (the victim’s body, perhaps), and then continue laying them out throughout the book but being very careful to distract from them (maybe with an argument between two suspects, etc.). It also helps to have an especially well-thought-out red herring near the end of the story to lead the sleuth and reader in an entirely different direction.
This probably goes without saying, but the puzzle has to be fair. Modern mystery readers won’t be happy if the killer is someone who was introduced at the very end of our story, etc. The modern mystery reader expects to be able to solve the mystery alongside the sleuth—it’s an almost interactive experience, or it needs to be.
The murderer: Occasionally, I’ve come to the end of my book and realized that I didn’t care for my choice of killer. Occasionally, I’ve come to the end of my book, sent it off to my trad pub editor, and she didn’t like my choice of killer. The good news is that this is relatively easy to change. Even better, because we set the story to point to one particular suspect, a change (if we leave in the original clues, which are now red herrings) can mean the mystery is harder for readers to solve.
Any tips that I’ve missed for making a good puzzle in our cozy mystery?
Tips for creating a good puzzle for our cozy mystery:
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September 27, 2015
Overcoming Snags and Blocks. And a Few Updates
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A favorite blog topic among writers is writer’s block. I can’t im
agine how many articles I’ve seen on the topic…from the debate over whether it actually exists, to how to combat it if it does.
I believe that sometimes I’m experiencing more of writer’s hesitation than a writer’s block. My hesitation usually results from one of a couple of reasons.
One common reason for my hesitation is that my story has hit a snag of some kind. I’m reluctant to work on the story because there’s something wrong with it. Since I don’t allow myself to avoid writing, it means I have to immediately diagnose what’s wrong. Usually I’m finding the scene boring or redundant in some way, or else I realize something is off with my character motivations. During first drafts, I don’t fix problems. So I flag the part in the story where I’ve realized things were going wrong, make a note of the change(s) that I’m making going forward, and pick up with the story as if the problem had been fixed in the previous pages.
The other common reason for my hesitation is that I need to hit the reset button with my writing life. I’m very routine driven…I wake up, get ready, go downstairs, and start writing at about 5 a.m. If any part of this equation changes in the slightest (if it’s summer and no one is getting up early for school and I sleep a little later, if we have houseguests staying with us and I need to be quiet and write somewhere else, if someone is sick, if the school bells schedule changes), it has the ability to mess me up. I know that makes the whole routine (and me?) appear very fragile, but it really can make a difference. If the change is creating a problem, the sooner I figure out a workaround, the better I am. Should I go back to waking up at 4:30? Should I work on paper for a while? Should I just outline in the morning and then leave the house altogether to write at the library or a coffeehouse later on? The solution has been each of these things before. Unless I stop the cycle, figure out what’s wrong, and brainstorm solutions, I either don’t hit my goals, I write sluggishly, or else the story comes out all wrong.
A few updates:
There are a few interesting things that I’ve noticed from my sales reports lately. For one, sales are slightly down on all my platforms—this is pretty normal for me in late-summer, early-fall. I think part of this is that sales are down for most of us. Part of it is due to the fact that it’s a busy time of the year for me and I’m paying less attention to my sales. Whenever I pay less attention, sales fall because I don’t run any freebies or discounts since I’m not aware of the problem. I should know this by now. I’ve rectified the issue (once again).
Nook sales are way down. Wow. By at least 25%.
What’s gone way up, though? Bizarrely enough, my Amazon India sales. I went from having no sales from India on Amazon to having about $180 from them in the last 30 days. This stunned me at first, but once I thought it through, it made more sense. I’ve done a couple of different things. For one, I’m on Wattpad and my demographics map shows me that 11% of my readers on Wattpad are from India. I put calls to action to buy the rest of my series at the end of each chapter. The other thing I did was to take Joanna Penn’s advice: I went into my KDP bookshelf, unchecked the box that said “Set IN price automatically based on US price” and instead put in 150 rupees, which is roughly the same as $2.27 US dollars. When I had it based on my US price of $3.99 or $4.99, my books weren’t competitive in the Indian market.
Joanna also recommended unchecking the automatic pricing for other markets, Mexico and Brazil among them. If we Google “Indian currency exchange rate,” (or Mexico, Brazil, etc.) a handy calculator comes up to help us out.
So…that’s got to be it. Wattpad and my pricing. I’ve done nothing else.
In other news, I’m going to be at the NINC conference this Wednesday through Sunday in St. Petersburg, FL. I’ll be talking about Wattpad for writers and also cozy mysteries and how to introduce them to a broader audience. I’m also looking forward to Florida weather after an uncharacteristically gloomy last week in NC.
That’s what’s going on here with me. What are you working on? Do you ever hit writer’s block or writer’s hesitation? :)
Dealing with writer's block and Amazon India surprises:
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September 26, 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.
Searching for a Better Way to Write The End: http://ow.ly/Srig6 @calebpirtle
Explore the Layers of Conflict in Your Story: http://ow.ly/SrikI @piperbayard
Is print triumphing over the “digital threat”?: http://ow.ly/SEtcg @philipdsjones @Porter_Anderson
TV Series Binge Watching: A Study in Character Development: http://ow.ly/Srilr @SurfCityJames
100+ Places to Market Your Children’s Fiction: http://ow.ly/Srih0 @booklaunchdemon
On Conjunctions: http://ow.ly/Sriol @Jen_328 @writedivas
Tips for cozy mystery settings and sidekicks: http://ow.ly/SEtGv
Counter Perfection’s 7 Most Common Lies: http://ow.ly/SrieI @cherylrwrites
Crime fiction: investigating the victim’s identity: http://ow.ly/SFVWh @mkinberg
7 Tricks To Differentiating Dialogue: http://ow.ly/Sriem @geofflepard
Writing the Middle of Your Book: http://ow.ly/Sriil @stephmorrill
3 Reasons Novel Writing is Like Building a Start Up: http://ow.ly/SripK @monicamclark
Want to Be a Writer? It’s Time to Act Like a Writer: http://ow.ly/SriqG by Noelle Sterne
Why There’s So Much Conflicting Advice About Social Media: http://ow.ly/Sriju @JaneFriedman
Quick Fix: Make Your Scenes Count: http://ow.ly/St1fH @lindasclare
Writers on the craft: Theme: http://ow.ly/St0ZO @gointothestory
Don’t Go Exclusive. Build A Long Term Career As An Author On Multiple Platforms: http://ow.ly/St1Lt @thecreativepenn @Liliana_Hart
The Importance of Psychological Development in Character Growth: http://ow.ly/St0Yd @beccapuglisi
Ebook Pricing: 3 Tips For Today: http://ow.ly/St0OD @angee
Why Writers Need to Fail on a Regular Basis: http://ow.ly/St0Bz @colleen_m_story
How to Self-Publish Your Book: http://ow.ly/St1iJ , http://ow.ly/St1l9 , http://ow.ly/St1ms @MsBessieBell
Indie author bookstore success: http://ow.ly/St1TE @ChrisLongmuir
3 Important Things To Remember About The Dramatic Question: http://ow.ly/St1cn @writers_write
Hollywood or Bust: Tips for Pitch-Ready Loglines: http://ow.ly/St0Mj @aBookPublicist
How To Write Your Book Sales Description: http://ow.ly/St1ry @thecreativepenn @bryancohenbooks
On Descriptive Writing: http://ow.ly/St0Q1 @writingforward
First Draft Checklist: http://ow.ly/Swl5i @MiaJouBotha
7 Things to Do Before We Get Published: http://ow.ly/SwlrC @MadelineMMartin
15 Tips for Achieving Our Creative Goals Every Day: http://ow.ly/Swmgu @WriterJoMalby
Writing Hands-Free: http://ow.ly/SwlZZ @robinrwrites
Publishing Industry Etiquette: http://ow.ly/Swlh5 @hmacgierhart
Should We Delete That Conflict Scene? A 3-Question Quiz: http://ow.ly/SwkWJ @Write_Tomorrow
Creative Fatigue? Don’t Worry. It’s Not About You: http://ow.ly/Srinj @ozzywood
A prison term inspired one writer: http://ow.ly/SqDHu @Peggy_Riley
10 Ways To Turn Your Real Life Experiences Into Science Fiction http://ow.ly/SqEik @charliejane
Coffeehouses and Concentration: http://ow.ly/SqDoX @WriterDiaries
Creating sympathy for the bad guy in our story: http://ow.ly/SqEgJ from Writing Questions Answered
Character Likability and Subtext: http://ow.ly/SqDU2 @jamigold
3 1/2 Tips for Fixing an Unlikable Character: http://ow.ly/SqDVf @jamigold
Great Character: Bree Daniels (“Klute”): http://ow.ly/SqDlY @gointothestory
5 Reasons to Track Questions and Answers in Your Novel: http://ow.ly/SqDXl @HeatherJacksonW
How to Write Vivid Descriptions: http://ow.ly/SqDvv @dice_carver
5 Bestselling Fiction Tips: Start With Heart http://ow.ly/SqDuH @angee
The Best Email Service Providers for Writers: http://ow.ly/SqDte @GaryJMcLaren
Writing tip: men and women characters should have different POVs: http://ow.ly/SqDxp @raynehall
A closer look at the success of A.A. Milne’s Pooh tales: http://ow.ly/Sz2AB @tordotcom @mari_ness
Essentials of a Pitch: http://ow.ly/SosBL @ava_jae
How to Find and Fix Your Novel’s Plot Holes: http://ow.ly/SosnU @shesnovel
How To Become a Better Writer Faster: http://ow.ly/SotBf @joebunting
Crowd-funding for self-publishing authors: http://ow.ly/Sosf5 @novelexperienc3
Cut Down on Wrist Pain with a Vertical Mouse: http://ow.ly/SoueY @jenn_mattern
Crime Writing: Exceptions to Search Warrants: http://ow.ly/Sou73 @SueColetta1
6 Reasons to Push Yourself Outside a Comfort Zone With Creative Side Projects: http://ow.ly/SotEV @DanBlank
Pseudonyms for indie authors: http://ow.ly/Soump @denisebarnesuk
Does Paid Marketing Work for Authors? http://ow.ly/Sour3 @OrnaRoss
Police and Fed Terminology for Crime Writers: http://ow.ly/Soubk @SueColetta1
10 Common Writing Errors: http://ow.ly/SosIc @JHUSarah
The 10 Secrets Of Resilient Characters: http://ow.ly/SosxO @writers_write
How to Become a Columnist: The Importance of Persistence and Practice: http://ow.ly/Soss4 @LuukKoelman
One Secret to Write a Classic Children’s Book: http://ow.ly/Skly7 @hodgeswriter
Why we shouldn’t dismiss adverbs: http://ow.ly/Sklds by Barbara Baig
How to Use Your Research Without Annoying Readers: http://ow.ly/SknEQ @hollyrob1
Beware Groupthink: 10 Red Flags When Choosing a Crit Group: http://ow.ly/SklLX @annerallen
The Magic Number: Why Witches Come in Threes: http://ow.ly/SkoJb @Paul_Cornell
Don’t Be Afraid To Break Our Story: http://ow.ly/Skls0 @_JennyMoyer
Deadlines: Helpful or Harmful? http://ow.ly/Skm24 @HeatherJacksonW
When our publisher declares bankruptcy: http://ow.ly/SklPB @Janet_Reid
How should you credit your editor? Advice from a former publisher: http://ow.ly/Skm3o @Roz_Morris
4 Ways Being a Writer Teaches You to be a Better Person: http://ow.ly/SkmeN @booktrib @KMWeiland
Writers, stay true to your standards: http://ow.ly/SklIm @Roz_Morris
2 writers, 1 voice: writing partners: http://ow.ly/SkliU @thewordmavens
Communicating Indirectly With Readers: http://ow.ly/StWk4
The State of the Publishing Industry in 5 Charts: http://ow.ly/SsZr4 @JaneFriedman
Age, Surveys, And Income: The Authors Guild€™s View: http://ow.ly/SsSjZ @Porter_Anderson @mariraz
Riddles in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/SsRzZ @mkinberg
Got a Pen Name? Here’s How to Market Your Books: http://ow.ly/Sh4Zu @CaballoFrances
Tips for Picking Up the Pace: http://ow.ly/SsNpR @SusanKelley
5 Tips for Success as a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/Sh55r @susankayequinn
5 Out-of-the-Box Writing Prompt Sources: http://ow.ly/Sh4Fp @EmilyWenstrom
The Problem of Advice: http://ow.ly/Sh4RO @CarrieMesrobian
Outlining using a 6 stage plot structure: http://ow.ly/Sh4L3 from Nova Zero Writing
On creating characters: http://ow.ly/Sh4AY @gointothestory
Take Your Writing Outdoors: 9 Tips for Successfully Working Outside: http://ow.ly/Sh52R @Kristen_E_Pope
5 Things We Can Do To Improve Our Writing: http://ow.ly/Sh4vs @Savage_Woman
Quick Fix: Tips for Self-editing: http://ow.ly/Sh4Im @lindasclare
Writing for Kids: The Low-Down on Lexile Levels: http://ow.ly/Sh4lb @AmyBearce
Screenwriting Basics: Story’s Holy Trinity: http://ow.ly/Sh4oQ @ozzywood
How to Break the Rules: Never Start With Backstory: http://ow.ly/Sh4O4 @notjustanyboggs
Worldbuilding: Using Taboos in a Culture: http://ow.ly/Se8nW @cinehead
How Authors Can Use Listopia to Promote Their Book: http://ow.ly/Sea77 @aBookPublicist
When to Keep Secrets and When to Tell Truths : http://ow.ly/Se7wZ @bstarknemon
Deconstructing Back Cover Copy: http://ow.ly/Se7YY @betternovelproj
How to use Google analytics as an author: http://ow.ly/Se83F @nicholesevern
Using Dreams in Literature: http://ow.ly/Se7FE @kelsieengen
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