Riley Adams's Blog, page 114

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.

Why Is Your Character’s Emotional Wound So Important?  http://ow.ly/RjznI @angelaackerman

Living in the White Space:  http://ow.ly/RjzIJ @MichalskiLiz

Don’t Be Afraid of Said:  http://ow.ly/RjyVF @ava_jae

The heartfelt potential novel:  http://ow.ly/RjzfE @TomBentleyNow

7 Ways Blogging Improves Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/Rjzt0  @MiaJouBotha    

Tangents and Subplots: When Do They Work?  http://ow.ly/RlzJl @jamigold

Protagonist and Main Character: Same Person? The Answer May Transform Your Story:  http://ow.ly/RlzeW @KMWeiland

How to Keep Track of Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/RlzXy  @sarahsundin

Truths and Lies about Self-Publishing : http://ow.ly/RlBA2 @AnneLParrish

10 Exceptionally Well-Written Horror Films: http://ow.ly/RlzCO @chris_shultz81

How to Create Workable Scene Outlines for Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/RlA9g @JodieRennerEd

How To Describe A Voice:  http://ow.ly/RjzL7 @JillWilliamson

Writing About Avoidant Personality Disorder:  http://ow.ly/Rjz9Q @Writerology

8 Tips for Interactive Storytelling:  http://ow.ly/Rjz7E @robinrwrites

Agents: 5 tips on your next face-to-face:  http://ow.ly/RjzCa by Sue Bradford Edwards

On book pricing: http://ow.ly/Rjzx9 @kseniaanske

The Pros and Cons of Writing Groups:  http://ow.ly/RjyZv @lilyionamac

8 Regrets to Avoid When Self-Publishing Your First Novel:  http://ow.ly/Rh7th by James A. Rose

A look at outlining:  http://ow.ly/Rh7c3 from The Writers’ Helpers

What Should Authors Expect From An Editor?  http://ow.ly/Rh6Rg  @Savage_Woman

Academia vs. Imagination: The Problem of Intellectualism in the Works of Stephen King:  http://ow.ly/Rh7mF @BartLBishop

Harness the Power of the Subplot:  http://ow.ly/Rh6P3 @artofstoriesAB

5 Things that make a Blockbuster Work:  http://ow.ly/Rh6VC @seanbhood

Walking To Write: http://ow.ly/Rh6IE @rsmollisonread

Suspending Disbelief: 3 Tips to Keep Your Reader Hooked: http://ow.ly/Rh75B @DonnaRadley

10 Bad Writing Habits to Break:  http://ow.ly/Rh7z0 @WritersCoach

Creating a tutorial:  http://ow.ly/Rh7Dm  @nicholesevern

How Should Chapter One End? http://ow.ly/Rh7gX  @stephmorrill

Overused Words + Dangling Modifiers:  http://ow.ly/Rh72j @emaginette

Music For Writers: @AnnaThorvalds’ Light Air Of Restraint: http://ow.ly/Rtl6q @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

Handing digital publishing another option: Booktrack’s Paul Cameron: http://ow.ly/Rtluk @Porter_Anderson @pccameron

How Titles Can Shape Our Story:  http://ow.ly/RfkMe @ShanDitty

8 Steps To Revising Our Novel:  http://ow.ly/RfkQR  @bookrangerkath

Revisiting series settings and characters from previous books in a series:  http://ow.ly/RrnQk @mkinberg

How Reading (and Writing) Obituaries Can Improve Our Fiction:  http://ow.ly/RfkHa @KAMcCleary

A Writer’s Resource: Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community: http://ow.ly/RfkPw @ShelleySturgeon

On speech tags and writing rules: http://ow.ly/RfkHW @calebpirtle

Backstory matters:  http://ow.ly/RfkzU @kcraftwriter

7 Ingredients of an Amazing Story Climax:  http://ow.ly/RfkCx by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Diversity in Our Writing: Cultural differences and Immigration:  http://ow.ly/RfkU4 @JSkutelsky

7 day author business cleanse: http://ow.ly/RfkNv @nicholesevern

Common genres explained:  http://ow.ly/RfkKN @ava_jae

Learning from a bad review:  http://ow.ly/RfkB9 @shalvatzis

When to Keep Secrets and When to Tell Truths:  http://ow.ly/RfkEM @bstarknemon @womenwriters

Don’t Let Reviewers Hold You Hostage:  http://ow.ly/Re6bL @LevRaphael

Movie Analysis: “Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation”: Takeaways:  http://ow.ly/Re6ea @gointothestory

When rights go wrong: A #FutureChat recap:  http://ow.ly/RnYKl @Porter_Anderson @JAKonrath

Innovating Convention:  http://ow.ly/Re6mJ by Shawn Coyne

Poetry Writing Exercises: Shifting Perspectives:  http://ow.ly/Re6lQ @writingforward

Are you willing to look for your imagination when it leaves? http://ow.ly/Re6wr @CalebPirtle

5 Tips To Becoming A More Conversational Writer: http://ow.ly/Re5Wh @RogerDColby

3 Steps to Selling Products & Services Through Your Website:  http://ow.ly/Re6xY @JaneFriedman

Participial Phrases:  http://ow.ly/Re68Q @noveleditor

Twitter Mind Map for Freelance Writers:  http://ow.ly/Re6uW @wherewriterswin

Change Your Story to Get Your Writing Done:  http://ow.ly/Re5XX @timgrahl

What 1 Writer Learned As A Self Published Author:  http://ow.ly/Re6gY @10MinuteNovelists

Should You Start a Newsletter? http://ow.ly/Re67c  @C_Herringshaw

Grammar Rules: Who vs. Whom:  http://ow.ly/R8APM  @WritingForward

Go from Wanting to Write to Actually Writing:  http://ow.ly/R8BlG  @finallywriting

How A Believable Theme Builds A Believable Plot:  http://ow.ly/R8ACj @AnthonyEhlers

5 SFF Novels with Perfect Opening Lines:  http://ow.ly/R8Bgv @SomanChainani

5 Negative Voices and How to Shush Them:  http://ow.ly/R8BoW  @kimkorson

The Art of Transparency:  http://ow.ly/R8AVi by Dave King @writerunboxed

How Small, Independent Publishing Saved a Novel:  http://ow.ly/R8AGO @KourHei

How To Describe People:  http://ow.ly/R8ByE @JillWilliamson

5 Nonfiction Writing Techniques To Keep Readers Turning Pages:  http://ow.ly/R8B2s @ridethepen

When you don’t know where to go next with your story:  http://ow.ly/R8B6a from The Writing Realm

From Writing Books to TV Shows – Making the Adjustment: http://ow.ly/R8BB7 @tjenkinsreid

Choosing The Right Name:  http://ow.ly/R8BtL @angelaackerman

6 Points To Consider When Crafting An Awkward Character:  http://ow.ly/R8ANA @Annecdotist

With booksellers’ pressure: DRM is now soft in Germany: http://ow.ly/RhqNF @Porter_Anderson @doctorow

Writing a Blog Post Series:  http://ow.ly/R76bF @Jenn_Mattern

10 Ways to Kick Writer’s’ Guilt to the Curb:  http://ow.ly/R76FC @colleen_m_story

Raising Questions in Our Stories:  http://ow.ly/Rhfw5

8 Steps to Visiting Your Novel’s Setting Without Leaving Home:  http://ow.ly/RhlOz @cluculzwriter

When characters do something unexpected keep their motivation credible:  http://ow.ly/Rhp00 @mkinberg

Do Writers Really Need to Know Theory? http://ow.ly/R77CX by John Wong

Pitching via Email:  http://ow.ly/R76UU @bookgal

6 Ways To Think Like a Publicist and Sell More Books:  http://ow.ly/R76A3 @bookgal

How to Create a 5,000-View SlideShare in 10 Minutes:  http://ow.ly/R77f3 @kevanlee

Evaluating a Writing Career When Life is Busy, Complex, or Hard:  http://ow.ly/R76Js  @RachelPhifer1

6 tips to sell your book:  http://ow.ly/R75sO @thewritermag  @cjlyonswriter

Self-Editing for Continuity:  http://ow.ly/R76Rh  @authorjsmorin

Why broken sleep is a golden time for creativity: http://ow.ly/R76wo @DamnRebelBitch @aeonmag

5 Books Featuring Unreliable Narrators:  http://ow.ly/R75UX @AveryEHastings

Keep Your Book Marketing as Creative as Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/R7630 @jenn_mattern

Music For Writers: Philip Glass’ ‘Not-Ninth’ Symphony:  http://ow.ly/Re5QX @Porter_Anderson

Got a Pen Name? Here’s How to Market Your Books:  http://ow.ly/R4to8 @CaballoFrances

The Cost of Self Publishing? Don’t Focus on the Wrong Thing:  http://ow.ly/R4t4C @Nick_Stephenson

100 Writing Practice Lessons & Exercises:  http://ow.ly/R4tU8 @joebunting

What Traditional Publishing Says It Does Best:  http://ow.ly/R4tc6 @kristinerusch

What Makes A Reader Download & Finish Your Book? http://ow.ly/R4tCC by Kathy Perow

3 Tools for Plotting As You Write:  http://ow.ly/R4tZs @artofstoriesAB

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Blogging and Facebook Tips and Other Updates

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Sometimes I spend so much time thinking about really big ideas that I forget about some of the small things we can do to either gently promote ourselves/get our names out there, or just make life easier online.  Here are a few of those things…and a sort of interesting note at the end of the post on something Wattpad is doing.

Gravitars.  Gravitars, Globally Recognized Avatars, are basically avatars that are used to identify us online (primarily blogs and web forums).  I was having coffee with my author friend Lauren de Lanier and she mentioned that she would likely spend more time commenting on blogs if she had a more personal way of appearing on sites, particularly WordPress sites.  This is one of those things that we can quickly take care of through

WordPress (you’ll have to sign up for WordPress in the process, but you’re not setting up a blog, only a profile).  This WikiHow will lead you through the process if you’re not sure how to do it.

Pen names and Facebook…when we have too many profiles.  As someone with more than one name,  my advice is that it’s tough enough to update social media platforms with only one name.  I couldn’t keep up with updating a Twitter and Facebook account under my pen name, too.  If you have a pen name as a profile on Facebook and a profile under your real name and would like to link them, you can do so without much trouble.  Here Facebook shows us how.  When you select the type of name, choose ‘other’ and be sure to check the box that states ‘show at top of profile’ to ensure that the pen name shows alongside your real name.

Have you looked at your Amazon Author page recently? Are all of your books on your page?  Is your author photo there?  Are you making full use of all the elements on the page (blog stream, events calendar)?  Can you record a short video about your series on your phone and upload it to the page?

Periscope: This is a new app that’s currently getting a lot of buzz.  It’s live video where followers can ask questions via chat.  It’s not going to appeal to everyone (I’m not sure it appeals to me). But the idea is that it doesn’t have to be as polished as YouTube.  It won’t be as polished as YouTube since it’s live and unedited.  It’s also ephemeral and disappears in 24 hours on the site (or earlier, if you delete it).  Periscope is owned by Twitter and has some cool tie-ins with Twitter. You can tweet your live video, for one.  And your followers on Twitter will receive a follow suggestion on Periscope on the People Tab (under “people you’re following on Twitter) if they’re on the app. Because of this set-up, if you have a large profile on Twitter, you may do very well on Periscope.

There are also not many authors on the site since it’s brand new—and since writers can be too introverted to go for this kind of thing.  Anyway…it’s something to check out.

Wattpad: I’ve been doing Wattpad updates a good deal lately, but that’s because they’re doing some interesting things. I’d read that they were rolling out some monetization using native advertising (see this article by Edward Nawotka on the Publishing Perspectives blog).  Wattpad CEO and co-founder Allen Lau stated that one effort included  working with 20th Century Fox to commission three stories about “extraordinary love” to tie-in with the film adaptation of John Green’s The Fault in our Stars.  “In that case, the promotion of the movie is subtle, but also explicit and it was super successful: we reached close to a million people reading it and had 60,000 comments.”

I was contacted by a Wattpad representative earlier this week, not for a paid commission, but for exposure.  There is a cross-promo effort between Universal Horror’s upcoming movie release The Visit and Wattpad mysteries, thrillers, and stories about “vacations gone wrong.”  My book Body in the Backyard has a digitally imposed promo sticker on it and it’s listed on the movie’s official profile on the site and their sponsored reading list.  I’d never have thought Myrtle would hang out with M. Night Shyamalan.  I’ve already got quite a few reads from the promo…amazing that my gentle mystery could cross-promote with horror.  Am I reaching a different audience?  Without a doubt!

Any small tips to pass along (Facebook, blogging, etc.)?  Have you thought of using cross-promotion to expand your audience (and I can’t take credit for my cross-promo, since I didn’t instigate it).

Gravitars,pen name linking on FB, and Wattpad Updates:

The post Blogging and Facebook Tips and Other Updates appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Raising Questions in Our Stories

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One thing that can trip up even experienced writers is giving everything away in the story too quickly.

It’s always a temptation for me.  I tend to want to reveal things too quickly in my story.  I want to explain everything as it happens so that readers won’t be confused.

But when I reveal too much, I end up halfway through the story without enough material to make a full-length novel.

Areas where it may help to raise questions:

Questions about character behavior. Sometimes character motivation isn’t clear.  But as long as that character  is behaving consistently, readers will want to learn why the character is acting that way.

Backstory is another important story element to release in bits and pieces.  For one thing, no one likes a backstory dump–it’s boring and can seem irrelevant to readers who don’t know the story’s big picture like the author does.  Backstory can be character motivation or history or anything else in the past that plays into the plot or character development.

Particularly in a mystery, we want characters with secrets.  No one is going to want to be completely upfront with investigators.  There’s information that suspects will want to withhold.  They won’t want to immediately confess to the affair or the spotty criminal record in another town or the fact that the murder victim had been blackmailing them about some past indiscretion.

It’s also important in a mystery to keep little details/information out of the hands of the sleuths.  Where were the suspects really when the crime was committed?  Why doesn’t Annie like Jim? These details will vary, depending on genre.

Benefits of raising questions to be answered later:

These questions act as teasers for our readers and can prompt them to keep turning pages to find out more.

Raising questions instead of providing all the answers as we write can help with story pacing.

Unanswered questions, if the questions are big enough, can also serve as subplots through our main story.   Will Mark be fired from his new job?  Are Katie’s parents moving in with her?  Is Tom going to be able to fight his addiction to alcohol or will he succumb to it?

An important note: when we’re raising questions, we need to keep track of all of them. That way we don’t leave any loose ends at the story’s end.  We want to make sure that there is a payoff when the readers have been patient to wait for the answers.

Unanswered questions in our stories help with pace and keep reader interest:
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Image: MorgueFile: Seemann

The post Raising Questions in Our Stories appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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.

How to Write a Fantasy Series:  http://ow.ly/QZpXq @nownovel

Who’s Afraid of Reader Analytics? Data on where readers stop reading:  http://ow.ly/Re5B4 @Porter_Anderson

Tricks for Writing in Public:  http://ow.ly/QZqKf by Tina Jens

Different POVs for Part 1 and Part 2?  http://ow.ly/QZqz7 @glencstrathy

A Simple Landing Page Strategy for Increased Newsletter Subscribers:  http://ow.ly/QZqlm @HennekeD

Money matters for writers:  http://ow.ly/QZrxR @mikemartinez72           

The Problem With Flash Forwards as an Opening Scene http://ow.ly/QZq2B @Janice_Hardy

Mega-Wattpad Stardom: The Before And After Of Anna Todd:  http://ow.ly/Re5G8 @Porter_Anderson @imaginator1dx

Calibre: Adding a blurb to the front of a book: http://ow.ly/QZqCE @dearauthor

Writing urban fantasy in a secondary world:  http://ow.ly/QZr8a  @maxgladstone

How To Liven Up Your Story:  http://ow.ly/QZrH0 by Aaron Miles

Keyboard Shortcuts for Novelists (cartoon by @tomgauld)  http://ow.ly/QZrQQ @newyorker

Where to send your SFF book:  http://ow.ly/QZr1K by Steve Fahnestalk

After The Hype And Drama: Balancing Trad And Indie Interests:  http://ow.ly/R4teN @Porter_Anderson @ThoughtCatalog

Revision Techniques:  http://ow.ly/R4thO  @janetsfox

How to Look Good on Your Webcam: http://ow.ly/R4tkD @rachellegardner

How to Tell a Story: Script Writing vs. Novel Writing: http://ow.ly/R4tWb @whisperproject

Got a Pen Name? Here’s How to Market Your Books:  http://ow.ly/R4to8 @CaballoFrances

Writers as Project Managers:  http://ow.ly/R4twt @PascalInard

Why We Need to Appoint a Social Media Executor Now: http://ow.ly/QZq6C @annerallen

Saving Our Youngest Characters: Neonatal Information for Writers: http://ow.ly/QYf0N by Meredith Pritchard

Tips for promoting diverse novels:  http://ow.ly/QYf37 from Writing With Color

Mindmapping: a pantser’s path to the perfect story:  http://ow.ly/QYeOI @OrlyKonigLopez

5 Ways To Boost Your Productivity:  http://ow.ly/QYeYM @MariahEWilson

Writing With Confidence:  http://ow.ly/QYeXz by A. Howitt

5 Ways to Make Sure Your Ending Has No Payoff: http://ow.ly/QYf4b by Oren Ashkenazi

Kicking Great Dialogue up to Killer Dialogue (with Interstellar):  http://ow.ly/QYeRd  @SeptCFawkes

Simple and Easy Strategies to Stay Organized: http://ow.ly/QYeTh  @ArtistThink

Avoid Getting Tenses in a Tangle:  http://ow.ly/QYeVz @AJHumpage

4 Things Dexter Taught About Writing Antiheroes:  http://ow.ly/QYeJX @EmilyWenstrom

3 Keys To A Successful Story Opening:  http://ow.ly/QYeMT  @stephmorrill

Write Great Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/QY90N @angee

How to Use the Passive Voice Correctly:  http://ow.ly/QY9mS  @grammarly

4 Ways to Jump-Start a Slow Beginning:  http://ow.ly/QY93e @mythcreants by Chris Winkle

The Second Draft:  http://ow.ly/QY651  @mbtinsley

Great Character: Howard Beale (“Network”):  http://ow.ly/QY9kb @gointothestory

How to Start a Blog: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers:  http://ow.ly/QY98b @Susan_Shain

Improve Your Writing Through the Power of Observation:  http://ow.ly/QY9ej by Barbara Baig

5 Tips for Turning Word Docs into Blog Posts Fast:  http://ow.ly/QY9FU @ShelleySturgeon

Profile of a killer:  http://ow.ly/QY8Qx by John Katzenbach

How To Build Your Own Self-Hosted Author Website In Under 30 Minutes:  http://ow.ly/QY61i @thecreativepenn

Season 2 of “True Detective” went wrong. Cautionary Lessons for Writers:  http://ow.ly/QY62k @kristenlambtx

Script Analysis: “Flight”: Psychological Journey:  http://ow.ly/QY8Wi @gointothestory

How to Write Your Characters’ Thoughts:  http://ow.ly/QSV03 @cherylrwrites

Research Mode vs. Writing Mode:  http://ow.ly/QSVz3 @tamsinsilver

Kill Your Darlings: 5 Writers on the Cutting Room Floor:  http://ow.ly/QSVvb @chloekbenjamin

5 Tips for Making Scenes in Your Novel More Tense and Interesting: http://ow.ly/QSVlz @MartinaABoone

5 tips for introverted writers:  http://ow.ly/QSV20  @MenwithPens

Pleasures of the Literary Meal:  http://ow.ly/QSVDo @KitchenBee @newyorker

What Readers Want:  Series vs. Standalone Books:  http://ow.ly/QSVsK by Big Al

Creating an Author Business Plan: Our Marketing Plan:  http://ow.ly/QSVGv @MarcyKennedy

Unsticking Yourself  From Writer’s Block:  http://ow.ly/QSUVV @karamb75

Your LOOK INSIDE! Book Preview: Will it Turn Readers Away or Close the Sale? http://ow.ly/QSVps @annerallen

Why Attend Writer’s’ Conferences:  http://ow.ly/QSUS9  @DeeWhiteAuthor

Lies, Denial, and Buried Secrets:  How to Create Dimensional Characters:  http://ow.ly/QSVBA @kristenlambtx

Fictional World-Building: 5 Types of Societies:  http://ow.ly/QQSbv  @betternovelproj

Do Your Best, Make Adjustments, Move On:  http://ow.ly/QQS0K  @finallywriting

The 12 Tools To Use Before Self-Publishing A Book:  http://ow.ly/QQRcj @LynnUsrey

3 Surprises We Need In A Story: http://ow.ly/QQRy0 @MiaJouBotha

The Case For Blurring the Lines Between Good and Evil:  http://ow.ly/QQSfb @betternovelproj

5 Writing Challenges All Writers Face (and How to Deal With Them):  http://ow.ly/QQRsG @cherilynnveland

8 Tips for Writing a Synopsis:  http://ow.ly/QQR9d @ceciliaedits

6 Ways To Achieve The Perfect Ending To Our Story: http://ow.ly/QQRNn @DeanElphick

How to Get Early Feedback on Your Book Idea or Manuscript:  http://ow.ly/QQS7Y @NinaAmir

Characters: Tormenting them for the sake of plot:  http://ow.ly/QQRjh  by Sue Bradford Edwards

The Book Launch Checklist:  http://ow.ly/QQREO @10MinNovelists

4 Real-Life Starting Points for Story Ideas:  http://ow.ly/QQRoQ @WanderfulWorld1

How Serials Can Gain You Fans: http://ow.ly/QNYr0  @willvanstonejr

On interior book design:  http://ow.ly/QNYYg @lansi26

Writing Mystery and Suspense Fiction: Can You Ever Really Know a Person? http://ow.ly/QNYez  @ShelleySturgeon

How Actions Determine Character & Arc:  http://ow.ly/QNZUF @hookedonnoir

Authors’ New, Free Entry into Libraries: SELF-e:  http://ow.ly/QNZkI @Porter_Anderson @libraryself_e

Creative Constraints In Writing:  http://ow.ly/QNXTY @rsmollisonread

6 Reasons to Read Indie Books http://ow.ly/QNZ4L  @HollyACave

How and Where to Obtain Book Reviews:  http://ow.ly/QNZSe by James Rose

Screenwriting: 3 Traps to Avoid in Love Stories:  http://ow.ly/QO07T @dougeboch

Self Publishing:on …Instagram?  http://ow.ly/QNYNe  @etmarketsbooks

Hacking Your Reader’s Brain:  http://ow.ly/QNZIa @JeffGerke

Pitch Don’ts for the Fledgling Conference Goer:  http://ow.ly/QO047  @agentsaba

Why That Ebook May Cost More Than The Hardcover:  http://ow.ly/QY8sY @Porter_Anderson @kristinerusch

How to build an email list the easy way: http://ow.ly/QLOTB  @ActivePatience_

How to Choose the Right Price for Your Book: http://ow.ly/QLNur from Fix My Story

Book Endorsements and Why We Need Them:  http://ow.ly/QLO35  @MSaintGermain

How to Write a Book From Outline to Finish Line:  http://ow.ly/QLPeo  @shelleyhitz

5 Ideas for Author Newsletter Content: http://ow.ly/QLOev  @sarahforgrave

10 Things to Know About Working With Twitter:  http://ow.ly/QLMRH  @ellisshuman

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Demographics on Wattpad

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve had a profile and books available on Wattpad for over a year.  Wattpad is an online reading platform.  It’s a social way to share stories, with readers commenting on chapters as we release them.  I’ve written about getting on Wattpad and my thoughts on the platform.

Wattpad is free for readers.  I have enough books available for sale that offering something for free for exposure isn’t a concern.  And it is all about exposure: there are over 40 million users.

To access this feature, you’d go to your book page and click on the graph icon right next to “edit story.”

It’s interesting to see when people were reading and when they were most likely to vote or comment on a chapter.  We could use this data to figure out what days of the week might be best for us to post updates on.

Here we can see which parts generated more engagement.  This could give us real data on where our writing is resonating with readers.

We can also get interesting data on our readers–their ages and gender.  I will say that this site skews female and young.  But this is the only publishing platform where a key part of my readership is 13-18 years old.

And, below, the map is pretty cool.  Wattpad has great global reach, getting my stories into the hands of people who may not access it otherwise.

For me, this provides an interesting glimpse into my readers on the site.  It helps reinforce that I’m doing the right thing by uploading to Wattpad. I’m reaching a younger demographic than my usual reader base, and I’m also reaching readers from around the world.

Anyone else on Wattpad?  Any other ideas for reaching new demographics with our stories?

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Marketing and Publishing Updates

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A few odds and ends and updates: 

Draft2Digital:  I’ve used Smashwords since I started self-publishing.  It’s been convenient for me to upload one file there for distribution to multiple retailers.  But I’ve experimented lately with Draft2Digital, a similar distributor (these distributors are paid a percentage of our book sales for our convenience).  I really like its user interface: it’s a nice, clean look and the site is fairly easy to navigate.

I’ve found I especially like the email updates they send that let me know when my book has gone live on the different retailers or when my price changes go through on the various sites.  It’s also nice that I can make my book free on Nook through Draft2Digital…that seemed to make Amazon move very quickly to price match when my book was free on the Barnes & Noble site.

I’m also paid more frequently with Draft2Digital than I am with Smashwords (payment is quarterly at Smashwords). 

Pen name tidbit: Apparently, my readers got an email from Amazon about Race to Refuge, which I wrote as Liz Craig.  I did list myself as the publisher, but didn’t put myself as a contributor in the author section on the KDP dashboard.  I’m thinking the reason readers received emails is because I linked to the book on my Amazon Author Central.  I guess, since Liz is a nickname, there was no trouble claiming it.  I never had such luck with my Riley Adams series for Penguin, which has a different Amazon Author Central page. 

Penguin Random House reaching out: I was blinking in amazement on August 12th.  After writing a post on the 3rd pointing out ways that my publisher, Penguin-Random House, and other traditional publishers could improve, I was surprised to see something new in my email inbox: an author newsletter.  This was the first author newsletter I’ve received and I’ve written for Penguin since 2010.

“Welcome to this month’s Penguin Random House Author News! This monthly newsletter offers Penguin Random House highlights, tips to help you connect with readers, publishing industry news, and more. It also includes information on updates to the Author Portal.”

There were links to three stories on writing, promoting, and fair use.   And even a webinar signup on learning about the role of networking in promoting.

There were 7 links to industry articles (from everything from The New Yorker to The Bookseller and GalleyCat).

Followed by…a request for feedback.  (!)

On Friday, even more astoundingly,  I got a check.  Out of the blue.   A check I was expecting in October.  According to the letter that accompanied it, however, this is likely due to the merger between Penguin and Random House and not the publishing world as we know it radically changing.

But the newsletter is a step in the right direction.  I definitely enjoy getting more information from my publisher.  It’s a good thing.

Got any updates of your own?  What are you trying out?  Thoughts on pen names and making them work better for us?

Draft2Digital, pen names, and slow publishing changes:

 

 

The post Marketing and Publishing Updates appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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.

MacGuffins in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/QUB0m @mkinberg

5 tips for handling amnesia and back story:  http://ow.ly/QKI91 @Roz_Morris

Dialog Writing 101: Conversational Mechanics:  http://ow.ly/QKIIp @CSLakin

4 Tips For Finding Beta Readers:  http://ow.ly/QKJ1g @woodwardkaren

Tips for adding to a too-short draft:  http://ow.ly/QKItF @Roz_Morris

Sharing Your Space: Where we Write:  http://ow.ly/QKHSf @KeithCronin     

Why Do I Suddenly Need to Vacuum Every Time I Sit Down to Write? http://ow.ly/QKHNk  @AnneGreenawalt

Should You Write For Yourself Or Your Audience?  http://ow.ly/QKI3T  @DonnaRadley

How Setting Affects Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/QKIT2 @writers_write

How to Rekindle Your Writing When You’ve Lost Touch: http://ow.ly/QKHFY @aliventures

Screenwriting: Movie Analysis: Jurassic World:  http://ow.ly/QKHu5 @gointothestory

Sex and Science Fiction:  http://ow.ly/QKHDC  @hangingfire

Front and Back Matter in Books:  http://ow.ly/QLOr7 @msbessiebell

Book promo: joint events with non-indie authors:  http://ow.ly/QLNg9 @alison_morton

Why Authors Must Be Genuine on Social Media:  http://ow.ly/QLNFe @K8Tilton

2 Questions to Book Marketing Success or Failure:  http://ow.ly/QLN6j  @janvbear

Why Writers Conferences Are Worth It:  http://ow.ly/QLNOq @K8Tilton

4 Don’ts (Plus 1 Do) for Authors on Facebook:  http://ow.ly/QLOxQ from Fix My Story

Quick Writing Fix: Improving Story Endings:  http://ow.ly/QKIC6 @lindasclare

How to Create a Website as a Writer at Low Cost:  http://ow.ly/QHXg8 @Book_Arch

How to Write Internal Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/QHWPc @marcykennedy

5 Free “Must Use” Tech Tools for eBook Authors: http://ow.ly/QHX1E @TracyRAtkins

3 Components to Writing a Successful Collaborative Novel:  http://ow.ly/QHWir @KLHCreateWorks

The Real Price of Traditional Publishing:  http://ow.ly/QHXAt @deanwesleysmith

How to offer signed books at low cost:  http://ow.ly/QHXGx  @DebbieYoungBN

The Key to Writing Good Action Scenes (Hint: It’s Not Just the Action):  http://ow.ly/QHWV3 @KMWeiland

3rd Level Emotions:  http://ow.ly/QHX8V  @DonMaass

Tips For Being a Writer from a Journalist and Novelist:  http://ow.ly/QUlPP by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont,  @LeFrenchBook

3D Cover Generators:  http://ow.ly/QHWwU  @joleene_naylor

Want to self-publish, but can’t get your rights back?  #FutureChat: 4pBST/11aET (now) @Porter_Anderson

5 Key Ways To Entice Readers with Imagery:  http://ow.ly/QHXrb @JordanDane

How Dead-End Dialogue Kills Pacing:  http://ow.ly/QHW4H  @amyknichols

The Midpoint Reversal:  http://ow.ly/QHWpK @Janice_Hardy

Music For Writers: @MattHaimovitz’s Cello Solos Go Into ‘Orbit’:  http://ow.ly/QSRvy @Porter_Anderson

4 types of writers…that will thrive” in the enriched books era:  thhttp://ow.ly/QSRPy  @Porter_Anderson @petermeyers”

Print Vs. Ebooks: Does It Pay To Do Print? http://ow.ly/QHukF @mollygreene

How to Describe a Place:  http://ow.ly/QHuoC  @JillWilliamson @GoTeenWriters

How to Win a Twitter Pitch Contest:  http://ow.ly/QHuhn @BillFerris

100 Random Storytelling Thoughts And Tips:  http://ow.ly/QHtWl @ChuckWendig  {lang.}

The Difference Between Setup and Setup http://ow.ly/QHuI1 @Janice_Hardy

How to Craft a Page-Turning Plot:  http://ow.ly/QHtKC @cathyyardley

How Novelists Can Make “Unbelievable” Stories Feel Real:  http://ow.ly/QHuEj @michael_hauge

Words are Cheap:  http://ow.ly/QHtz9 @rachel_aaron

Could Morning Pages Help You Balance Personal and Paid Writing Work?  http://ow.ly/QHtvn  @MarianSchembari

If You’ve Only Got 15 Minutes, Is It Even Worth Writing? http://ow.ly/QHtsh @aliventures

The only way to succeed is to keep showing up:  http://ow.ly/QHtGG @kseniaanske

Want to self-publish but can’t get your rights back? http://ow.ly/QUeiS @Porter_Anderson @HarryOnTheBrink

The Power of What’s Left Unsaid When Crafting Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/QHutI by Bonnie Randall

The Perks of Writing Micro Fiction:  http://ow.ly/QFGtn @AnneGreenawalt

3 Questions for a Teachable Writer:  http://ow.ly/QFGgM @angiedicken

Finding the rhythmic beat to your writing:  http://ow.ly/QFGkw @SueColetta1

Writing Physical Challenges:  http://ow.ly/QFGnG  @FionaQuinnBooks @KatieMettner

Why Your Characters Are Boring: http://ow.ly/QFGhB  by BD Schmitt

Beyond Google: a Search Engine Just for Writers:  http://ow.ly/QPm7q @amzoltai @hiveword

How to Create a Convincing Good Guy:  http://ow.ly/QFGu9  @AJHumpage

“Speechtags are of the Devil,” He Said: http://ow.ly/QDx1d @JamesTuckwriter

10 Reasons for Authors to Blog:  http://ow.ly/QFGvH @RobinHoughton

6 Terror Tactics For Scary Villains:  http://ow.ly/QFGg1 @sacha_black

How to get our book noticed:  http://ow.ly/QFGlZ @rxena77

The 5 Absolute Dimensions of Character Personality:  http://ow.ly/QFGre @writingeekery

100+ Places to Market a YA Book:  http://ow.ly/QFGjK  @booklaunchdemon

Misspelled and Misused Foreign Phrases: http://ow.ly/QFGeR  @Jen_328

Writing for Others, Writing for Yourself: http://ow.ly/QFeZk @nevalalee

Finding the rhythmic beat to our writing: http://ow.ly/QFfc0 @SueColetta1

500 Great Words for Writing Love Scenes:  http://ow.ly/QFfbe @BrynDonovan

Creative Barriers and Self-Perception:  http://ow.ly/QFf7c @CreativeKatrina

On Prologues:  http://ow.ly/QFeWO  by Marina Montenegro

A Fiction Plotting Essentials Checklist:  http://ow.ly/QFeUC @angee

The difference between Act One midpoint and Act One end:  http://ow.ly/QFf9N @gointothestory

Why Beta Readers Can Revolutionize Our Writing:  http://ow.ly/QFf69 @MudpieWriting

Writing Emotional Scenes:  http://ow.ly/QFfcV  @enderawiggin

How to Use Platform to Sell Your Books:  http://ow.ly/QFf8P  @maria_ribas

5 Ways To Describe Characters:  http://ow.ly/QFf7T @writers_write

Keeping grief-stricken characters from becoming monotonous:  http://ow.ly/QKIe2 @Roz_Morris

3 Questions to Ask After a Rough Critique:  http://ow.ly/QFf54 @artofstoriesAB

6 Self-Editing Tips:  http://ow.ly/QDxvM @ProWritingAid

10 Most Disgusting Words:  http://ow.ly/QILjT  @CultVultures

3 Crucial Editing Phases We Need to Sell More Books:  http://ow.ly/QDxrK @CSLakin  @BookBubPartners

10 Tweets to Never Send:  http://ow.ly/QDx5T @mollygreene

4 Steps for Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel:  http://ow.ly/QDxor @jodyhedlund

How to Craft a Page-Turning Plot:  http://ow.ly/QDyFR @cathyyardley

Why Social Media is Still Your Best Path to Book Visibility:  http://ow.ly/QHu5G @annerallen

Pre-Orders, Sticking on Amazon, and Hitting Best Seller Lists: http://ow.ly/QDy0v @goblinwriter

Business Musings: The Crappy Parts of the Job:  http://ow.ly/QDwNg @kristinerusch

7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/QDxLL @jamesscottbell

Enhanced ebooks: do books need innovating? http://ow.ly/QHqEG @Porter_Anderson @camillelaguire

Why Podcasting Interviews Are Essential:  http://ow.ly/QDxeu @AudioMktgExpert

11 Author Website Must Have Elements:  http://ow.ly/QDxgJ @writerplatform

7 Tips For Starting Your Story With a Bang:  http://ow.ly/QDwSX @bryanjcollins

Witness confusion over passage of time in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/QHqmJ @mkinberg

How to Improve Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/Qzir4 @writingforward

Common Story Problems with Simple Fixes:  http://ow.ly/Qzi5t @enderawiggin

Daily Practices to Overcome a Creative Block:  http://ow.ly/QzhUh @TaraHornor

Why We Shouldn’t Be A Writer:  http://ow.ly/QziyZ @kristaphillips

Why Is This Day Different? Knowing When To Start Your Story: http://ow.ly/Qzib7 @AnthonyEhlers

The Surprisingly Best Multipurpose Tool for Self-Publishing:  http://ow.ly/QziP6 @CKmacleodwriter

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Tips For Being a Writer

by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont,  @LeFrenchBook

I just wanted to write. How I dreamed of that when I had nothing but a day job. Yet, if I hadn’t had that job, how could I give my stories the same realism? What I do know is that writing means I lead a double life. It’s a job, it’s a craft, it demands do it regularly and alone. Here are some tips I have picked up from my life as both a reporter and a fiction writer.



– There is no writing without passion. If your drive comes from anywhere else—wanting to make a living or be recognized and admired—you had best do something else.

– Find the time—take it from your sleep, your vacation, your time with others, your family life. I recommend at least three hours a day.

– Writing is also reading, particularly at the beginning when you still have all the techniques to learn.

– Read to understand how dialogue works.

– Read to understand how protagonists evolve, experiencing some for of transformation or even initiation.

– Read to understand how stories are cut into chapters.

– Read some more to understand that everything has a meaning and nothing is innocent—a description of landscape or a décor is only interesting if it plays a role in the story and interacts with the characters.

– It is not writing that counts the most, but building.

– Take your time. Let the text sit for a week or a month or more. Get some distance from it and even start over again.

– Never get discouraged. Perseverance is part of a writer’s DNA.

An art reporter and trained gem specialist based in Marseille, France, Anne-Laure Thiéblemont is known for her investigations into stolen art and gem trafficking. Her art world mystery novel, The Collector, just came out in English, published by Le French Book. 

The Collector: 

Some people collect art, others collect trouble. Marion Spicer spends her days examining auction catalogues and searching for stolen works of art. She is a top-notch investigator when it comes to eighteenth-century art. But for her it’s just a job and her life is well ordered. All this changes when she inherits a prestigious collection of pre-Columbian art from a father she never knew. There are conditions attached: she must first find three priceless statues. Her father’s death sparked much greed, and Marion finds herself facing the merciless microcosm of Paris art auctions and galleries, with its sharks, schemes, fences, traps, scams, and attacks. Her quest draws her into a world where people will kill for a love of beauty.

 

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Reader Expectations for Genre

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I just finished  reading Woman With a Secret  (released as The Telling Error in the UK) by Sophie Hannah.  I’ve read a fair number of unreliable narrator books lately.  This one definitely caught my attention and sustained my interest.

One thing bothered me, as a reader and a writer.  There were several points at the end where different police investigators of the murder (and it was a murder mystery, although it could also be called a psychological thriller…more on that later), clearly knew who the killer was.  They stated they knew who the killer was, but didn’t let the reader in on it.  It’s a quibble.  But I’m a mystery writer.

This technique is still, technically, fair play in a mystery.  The great Agatha Christie kept her readers on pins and needles as Poirot gathered everyone together in a room to disclose the killer’s identity.

But many modern mysteries allow readers to solve cases alongside the sleuth, letting us in on their thought processes.  Since this novel had alternating POVs, readers weren’t always with the sleuth solving the case.  We were also in the head of one of the suspects.  Readers did have access to the same information that the police did, especially one very clever clue, I thought. The teasers, to me, were frustrating.  One of the suspects said that they’d (trying to obscure plot points with a vague pronoun, sorry) figured out why the victim had perished the way he had.  Then a detective said the same.  Then another detective knew who the killer was.

It was just a little too much teasing for me.  I might have been able to overlook one tease, but not several. Because, ultimately, the book was a whodunit.  Or was it?

That’s what made me think.  If this had been set up as more of a psychological thriller (which some reviews label the book as), then I think I might not have had the expectation that I could solve the case alongside the detective.  If we’d had some short bits from the killer’s POV, maybe.  But it was set up enough like a traditional mystery/whodunit that I was frustrated by a declaration of the case being figured out—and then a break to an alternating POV.

But the thing is…Ms. Hannah could very well be genre-blending.  With thrillers, readers aren’t necessarily trying to solve the crime—frequently we know who the killer is at the beginning of the story.  This book had elements of a psychological thriller and elements of a whodunit.  Was the author trying to take on too much? Or are mystery readers’ expectations (and mine) too rigid?

As a writer, I strictly follow the tenets of my subgenre, cozy mysteries.  The books, honestly, could be read by children because aside from the gore-free murders, there is nothing particularly disturbing about them.  No profanity (well, none in all but the first couple of books), no sex, no descriptions of violence. Nothing very dark. The murders occur off-stage. The puzzles are (hopefully) clever and my use of deep-POV is intended to make the readers feel they’re solving the cases alongside the sleuth. My readers have certain expectations associated with the genre and I deliver what they’re looking for.   This pleases me too, since I like being especially creative while writing within the limits, within the parameters, of my subgenre’s “rules.”

But I’ve enjoyed books in the past that have done a bit of genre-blending.  Paranormal mysteries are fun.  Mysteries with a bit of romance offer something a little different.  So…is it just a problem when an author dispenses with such a large reader expectation—the almost interactive mystery experience?

I did enjoy the book.  It certainly made me think as a mystery writer.  My question is this: each genre has its own set of standards or conventions.  Should we always pander to reader expectations?  Obviously, from an artistic sense, we’re completely free to deviate from the framework. But when is it okay, from a commercial sense, to blur the lines a little with category fiction?  How far can we/should we go?  Any examples of bestselling books that have really colored outside the lines?

Should we always follow our readers' genre expectations?
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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.

3 Steps To Developing A Solid Author Brand: http://ow.ly/Qx1aA @NikkiWoods

Create a Plot in 3 Easy Questions:  http://ow.ly/QwZlP  by Rebekah Lee

What YouTube Can Do for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Qx1pM by Teymour Shahabi @pubperspectives

11 Steps to Turn Your Plot Bunny into a Full-Fledged Novel: http://ow.ly/Qzj7i @shesnovel

The Passion to Teach, the Courage to Write:  http://ow.ly/QzhNB @LindsayDetwiler @womenwriters               

3 Rules on Writing About Your Family:  http://ow.ly/QziVG @hollyedexter

Envision Your Author Success with a Vision Board:  http://ow.ly/QziIj @wherewriterswin

Completing a Novel: A Look At Various Writing Methods:  http://ow.ly/QzhZ4 @Margo_L_Dill

Dear writer with countless half-finished stories:  http://ow.ly/Qzint by Jim Woods

Be Well, Write Well: Do A Character Study on Yourself:  http://ow.ly/QwYHJ @sowulwords @DIYMFA

How to be a Better Writer: Get a Running Partner:  http://ow.ly/QwZep @ErinMFeldman

Amazon’s top 10 best-selling Kindle authors: http://ow.ly/Qx1hW @Telegraph

Who Is Your Audience in Writing?  http://ow.ly/QwZ7o @McgannKellie

7 Writing Rules For Fiction:  http://ow.ly/QwYtj  @winellroad

How to Use Subplots:  http://ow.ly/QwYQM @Savage_Woman

Misspelled and Misused Foreign Phrases:  http://ow.ly/QwZ2b  @Jen_328

Can a Virtuous Character Be Interesting?  http://ow.ly/Qx0Hr @nytimesbooks by Thomas Mallon and @alicegregory

How to Find Your Novel’s Path: http://ow.ly/QwYXu @kelsieengen

10 Tips for Writing Fight Scenes:  http://ow.ly/Quba2 @robinrwrites

4 Tips to Craft a Killer Novella:  http://ow.ly/Qu9Yi by E. M. Denning

5 Tips To Deal With Internet Trolls and Bullies:  http://ow.ly/Qufo1  @_LexiScott

4 Ways to Fail as a Writer (And One Way to Succeed):  http://ow.ly/Qu8D7 @hodgeswriter

Quick Writing Fix: Improving the Flow:  http://ow.ly/Quas9 @lindasclare

From the Notebook of a Spying Writer:  http://ow.ly/Qu8yA @wordsxo

The Practice of Success:  http://ow.ly/QudGg @sarahrcallender

The Terrifying Benefits of Public Speaking for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Qudn5 @MaryVeeWriter

Can digital community support writing, really? #FutureChat 11a ET/4p BST (now) @Porter_Anderson

Keeping Informed Through Podcasts:  http://ow.ly/QC5Kj

How to Go Viral on Tumblr: 5 Steps:  http://ow.ly/Qu8Ms @BookshelfOfDoom

Can digital community support writing, really?   http://ow.ly/QC5TG @Porter_Anderson @LASbauer

How To Avoid “Episodic” Writing:  http://ow.ly/QuaBi @patverducci

Tighten Your Scenes: http://ow.ly/QuaKm  @patverducci

Avoid implementing our culture on our historical/fantasy novel:  http://ow.ly/Qua8V from You’re All Write” tumblr”

Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Making a Very Public Mistake:  http://ow.ly/QrkXP @beccapuglisi

Platform Building for Beginners: Where to Start? http://ow.ly/QrlVi @ava_jae

Using Scrivener Collections to Organize Your Novel Project:  http://ow.ly/QrlFh @shesnovel

‘The Elements’ Of Good Book Apps:  http://ow.ly/Qzfs4 @Porter_Anderson @TheodoreGray

How to Avoid the Novel Slump:  http://ow.ly/Qrlsj @AJHumpage

You Can’t Please All Readers:  http://ow.ly/QrcZ5 @noveleditor

5 Ways In Which Sketching Inspires Writing:  http://ow.ly/Qrm8K @rsmollisonread

How To Write A Great First Scene:  http://ow.ly/QrlZL @StephMorrill

“Wasting Time” on a Practice Novel:  http://ow.ly/Qrd24 @noveleditor

Online Anger Among Crusading Writers: “Why Wasn’t I Consulted?”:  http://ow.ly/Qzfgd @Porter_Anderson @ThoughtCatalog

Getting Your Book Ready For Discovery: http://ow.ly/Qrm5h  @amcbooks

How to Nail Your Novel Pacing: http://ow.ly/Qrly1 @shesnovel

Cover Design: Book Covers Need to Grab Your Reader’s Interest:  http://ow.ly/Qrd6R by Sue Bradford Edwards

What is Your Character’s Fatal Flaw?  http://ow.ly/Qrl3U @KelsieEngen

5 Step Recipe to Create Your Protagonist’s Inner Circle: http://ow.ly/QrlJB @sacha_black

How to Punctuate Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/QqUnu @noveleditor

Do readers fall in love with your voice?  http://ow.ly/QqTRH @CalebPirtle

10 Things Best Sellers Don’t Do:  http://ow.ly/QqUVF @AmyMilesBooks

The Writer’s Delusion and Telling it Slant:  http://ow.ly/QqTAw by  Charity Singleton Craig @EDayPoems

What 1 Writer Learned Sending Her Novel Out Under a Male Name:  http://ow.ly/QwZMM @passivevoiceblg @clnichols6

What is Your Character’s Internal Struggle? http://ow.ly/QqUae  @Margo_L_Dill

Hiring a Freelance Editor:  http://ow.ly/QqU32 @c_vandenhende

Ebooks and the ‘2nd Disruptive Wave’ of Publishing:  http://ow.ly/QqUH7 @Porter_Anderson @PhilipDSJones

Balancing Dialogue and Description in Your Story:  http://ow.ly/QqUhg @RidethePen @JaneFriedman

7 Reasons Why a Writer Needs Heroes:  http://ow.ly/QqT5y @colleen_m_story

9 Ways To Ensure An Unforgettable Read:  http://ow.ly/QqUwJ @writers_write

21 Proofreading and Editing Tips for Writers:  http://ow.ly/QqSZx @WritingForward

5 Ways to Improve Your Writing’s Flow: http://ow.ly/QqSS0 @mrJRPatterson @thePenleak

Pros and Cons of Using a Pen Name:  http://ow.ly/QotHm @mariamurnane

Making Monsters:  http://ow.ly/QotPC by Naomi Richards @GothImagination

Using lists when writing:  http://ow.ly/Qotny @rodriguez_linda

The Pronoun Predicament:  http://ow.ly/QotEW by Annie Tucker @shewritesdotcom

What to Do When You Start Doubting You’ll Finish:  http://ow.ly/QuaUF @patverducci

When Friends and Family Read Your Book: Survival Tips:  http://ow.ly/QotyI @KateBrauning

Tips for Expressing Thoughts:  http://ow.ly/Qu99X  @RMNSediting

Character Development & Movement In Fiction:  http://ow.ly/QotqY  @tennessee_love

Mysteries Don’t Need Murders:  http://ow.ly/Qou2f @GerrieFerris

Give Wattpad Another Try:  http://ow.ly/QotV8 @RonEstrada

Contractions List: When To Use and When To Avoid:  http://ow.ly/QotpO @joebunting

Pros & Cons of Collaboration:  http://ow.ly/Qotww @ChristaDesir

Conferences: Advancing Your #Writing Career:  http://ow.ly/QotZj  @robincaroll

Diversity in Children’s Books Is Hard to Find —But Important:  http://ow.ly/Qotku @whet

Powerful Dialogue: Shorter Is Often Sweeter:  http://ow.ly/QnWGd @AnnetteLyon

7 ways to promote your book while watching TV:  http://ow.ly/QnX1h @sandrabeckwith

The Importance of Crediting Book Illustrators’ Work: http://ow.ly/QqNxf  @Jabberworks @Porter_Anderson

How to Personify the 7 Deadly Sins:  http://ow.ly/QnWKn by David Mesick @mythcreants

Why Your Non-Disclosure Agreement Is Probably a Bad Idea:  http://ow.ly/QnWTZ @JaneFriedman

5 Ways to Improve Your Email Newsletter Performance:  http://ow.ly/QnWUR @JaneFriedman

Multiple Points of View: Good or Bad? http://ow.ly/QnWMu by Melinda Brasher

Do you write to write? Or write to sell?  http://ow.ly/QnWW6 @OrlyKonigLopez

Authors Guild Calls For Time-Limited Contracts:  http://ow.ly/QqNgV @Porter_Anderson @ThoughtCatalog

Writing a Short Story vs a Novel:  http://ow.ly/QnWIW by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

4 ways to revive a stale book:  http://ow.ly/QnX0n @bookgal

Writing in the First Person: Pros and Cons:  http://ow.ly/QnX4L @DebbieYoungBN

How to Blog to Readers:  http://ow.ly/QnX3e @AtulyaKBingham

Interesting but apathetic characters in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/Qq4Ic @mkinberg

5 Tips To Becoming A More Conversational Writer:  http://ow.ly/QnWYi @RogerDColby

3 Step Method to Finding and Fixing Plot Holes: http://ow.ly/QnWZf @RogerDColby

How trials are more like plot-driven movies than character-driven novels:  http://ow.ly/QnhcJ by Philip N. Meyer

6 Magic Phrases to Sell More Books:  http://ow.ly/QngLP @WhereWritersWin @sandrabeckwith

Thrillerfest: Industry Experts on Platforming:  http://ow.ly/QngEP @EmilyWenstrom @DIYMFA

What a Synopsis is Not:  http://ow.ly/QnhfG by Michael Kim

Kill Characters with Purpose:  http://ow.ly/QngH9 @artofstoriesAB

Top writing links from last week:
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