Riley Adams's Blog, page 12

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

I’ll be taking a break from blogging tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day. See you back here next Sunday.

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Published on May 25, 2024 21:01

When a Book Doesn’t Work

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A little over a year ago, I started work on a new project. Three weeks later, I abandoned it.

It’s the first time since the 1990s that I’ve quit a project. The thing was, I was excited about the premise for the book. I carved out time, while writing another book and outlining a third, to work on it.

But I found it was getting increasingly difficult to work on the outline. I went to the library in order to focus solely on the book and made some good progress that way. Still, I was getting cold feet. And I don’t ever get cold feet with my books.

Since I had two other books to work on, I decided to put the manuscript aside for a while. The decision disappointed me, though. I already had a cover designed, back cover copy, characters, a developed setting, and the first chapter. Despite my disappointment, I dove with some relief into the other books I was writing. It was good to be surefooted and on familiar territory again.

Months went by, more books were written. I was still thinking about the abandoned project, knowing I needed to get back to it. But every time I steeled myself to return to the document, I remembered my dissatisfaction with the book and stopped, returning again to the familiarity of the established series I was working on.

I’m definitely a finisher though, and the project kept talking to me. I’d think about it before I went to sleep and when I woke up in the morning. I’d read other books and think about my own during quiet moments during the day.

I got ahead with my regular writing schedule, stuck a book up for pre-order, and then delved into the abandoned book.

I started by asking myself what was making me unhappy about the story. I narrowed it down to these things:

I’d decided it was a solo project instead of part of a series.

I’d decided it was not a cozy mystery, but something akin to women’s fiction.

I didn’t like the fact that I’d used first person POV.

I didn’t like the meager outline I’d developed for the project. Usually, my outlines run about 35 pages or more.

So I started all over again. I didn’t even open the old document, nor the previous, scanty outline. I changed all the things I disliked about the project and started over. The book came out in April.

So here’s my advice if you run across a similar issue:

Don’t be afraid to shelve the project temporarily. It might give you perspective.Try to pin down what’s keeping you from moving ahead with the story.Consider starting completely from scratch instead of trying to fix a story that’s gone off-track.

Have you ever reached an impasse with a book? How did you approach it?

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Published on May 19, 2024 21:01

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

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Published on May 18, 2024 21:01

Series: Stayin’ Alive and Fresh

by Mike Martin, @mike54martin

It seems like I have been writing the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series forever. Well, it has been a long time. The Walker on the Cape came out in 2012 and with the publication of Better Safe Than Sorry in 2024 there are now14 books in the series. Yes, that’s a lot of books and a lot of writing. But I have to admit that I still really enjoy writing these books and as long as readers want to buy or borrow them, I’ll keep writing.

But how do you keep a long-running series like this one going? Great question and there are many different answers.

First of all, I don’t think about the series when I write a Sgt. Windflower mystery. I focus on the story that I am telling. I try and make each story and each storyline unique so that a reader can pick up Better Safe Than Sorry and not feel like they are stepping completely in the middle of something. Of course, I have some back story to explain the setting and introduce the main characters. But I try and keep that as brief as possible so that me and the readers can get right into this story.

Secondly, I have come to understand the importance of secondary characters. They aren’t just there as foils or counterpoints to the main protagonist. They all have their own unique traits and voices that demand to be recognized. That’s great for me as the writer because over time they can all play more of a starring role in the stories that unfold. Eddie Tizzard, Sgt. Windflower’s friend and long-time sidekick ends up being Windflower’s boss for a while and that was very interesting to write and hopefully read about.

Sometimes those characters get so strong, and their voice is so loud that they warrant their own main stage. Think about all the TV sit-com spinoffs over the years. Now, I’m really going to date myself. Like Maude from the Golden Girls or Rhoda from Mary Tyler Moore. Yes, I really am that old. I have even had what look like minor characters come back for more of a starring role in future books. One such character, a recovering addict may even have more than one return performances.

The other thing that helps me stay fresh with the Sgt. Windflower series is that it is based in today, or close to it. Maybe a year or so after finishing a book it will actually appear on bookshelves. But that’s pretty close. Writing in today means that I have to stay in touch with the times. I remember one book I was writing had a character listening to music in a car wearing headphones. That could happen, but more likely they were wearing ear buds, my kind editor pointed out.

Writing in modern times also allows me to talk about current events. Like the opioid crisis in Better Safe Than Sorry. I don’t go into the nitty gritty because this is a light, cozy-like mystery series that is designed to entertain rather than provoke reaction or outrage. But it gives a place to start the story from and lets me build a web of shady characters who cause problems that have to be resolved by the good guys like Sgt. Windflower and Eddie Tizzard.

Finally, finding enough bodies to kill off in a small town is a challenge for my kind of mystery series. But I figured if Jessica Fletcher can do it for 12 years in Murder, She Wrote, I could pull it off, too. The secret, at least to me, is to find people, almost always bad guys, who come from out of town to be the unfortunate victims. Tourists, people travelling through, and any bad apples are all potential targets of murders waiting to happen. Be careful if you ever visit Grand Bank!

Finally, finally, like I said earlier, as long as readers want and like the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, I will continue to write. And my commitment is that I will always keep the standard high and make each book better than the last one. Maybe that is the best way to keep a story alive and fresh.

Mike Martin is the author of the Award-Winning Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. The latest book in the series is Better Safe Than Sorry. You can find that book and all other books in the series on Amazon all over the world.

You can follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

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Published on May 12, 2024 21:01

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. :)

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Published on May 11, 2024 21:01

Spring Cleaning Your Online Life

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There’s something very satisfying about spring cleaning. I focus on looking at my house with a fresh eye, seeing the stuff that needs deep cleaning and that goes unnoticed unless I’m really searching for it. I got a good deal of spiffing up done before I twisted oddly, pulled something in my back, and decided to move on to quieter pursuits for the next week. Aging is definitely not for sissies.

Then I found some digital spring cleaning that needed to be done. I keep the back matter for my books (my bio, acknowledgements, backlist) in a OneNote document and copy-paste it into the end of each of my books. I have one document that’s hyperlinked (for ebooks) and one that’s plain text for printed books.

I do a great job of keeping my backlist updated for each of my series. But I noticed my bio at the top of the back matter was out-of-date. Badly. I think I’d had two other bios since then. I’d updated my bio on my website and other places, but had forgotten to do it for my back matter.

With that in mind, I did a quick check online to see if there was anything else that needed updating. I found a few forgotten odds and ends to take care of.

Here is where I took a look:

Website:
Is your “about me” page updated?
Is your contact info still current?
Do your links go to the correct social media pages?
If you’ve left a social media platform, have you deleted that link from your site?
If you have a “news” page or an “appearances” page, have you updated those recently?
Is there anything in your sidebar that’s no longer relevant? Any professional organizations you no longer belong to?

Social Media:
Does your profile picture or background need updating?
Is your bio updated?

Back Matter:
Last but not least, take a look at what you’re copy-pasting and make sure it’s exactly what you think it is.

Have you updated your online presence recently? What other areas have I missed?

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Published on May 05, 2024 21:01

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

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Published on May 04, 2024 21:01

Writing Multi-Generational Family Dynamics

by Anna A Armstrong

Everything in life and books comes down to character. There are few more enjoyable ways to while away a morning than spending time in a café with a really good cup of coffee, getting to know who someone is. I love using different ‘character questionnaires’ which are all over the internet and interviewing my characters. I have exercise books fall of these character analyses.

Once you know who a person really is and what motivates them, it is far easier to know how they will react in every situation. This knowledge means that when I move on to plotting, I have a pretty good idea of how they are going to behave when faced with troublesome murders and life’s many joys and woes. As in life, there will be times when I am surprised.

I adore being part of this multi-generational world. I am extremely fortunate in being the mother of three adult daughters and also to be blessed with being a part of a village and church community which means I have lots of opportunities to enjoy and observe every age and how they interact. As writers, I know you will all be keen observers of people and I think that it is that ability to notice every tiny detail that gives authenticity to a work.

There is a wonderful energy between the generations, often marked by affectionate exasperation, which I hope to capture. Each generation has so much to offer the other age groups. Young people’s exuberance in infectious (also it is so useful to have people in ones life who actually know how the latest tech works). The in-between lady is usually rather overstretched, juggling work and family, but they have determination. The older generation often have an abundance of time, warmth and wisdom.

As a final comment, which is not so much ‘how’ I incorporate multi-generational family dynamics into the FitzMorris Family Mysteries but ‘why’, it is fun for me personally. While all my characters are fictional, I have to admit that when I am writing the student granddaughter, Amelia, I do indulge in re-living my youth as I would have liked to have been. Amelia is an extremely confident criminal psychology student who wears corsets, short skirts and Doc Marten boots, while being a fantasy Goth. I feel my student days were wasted being a spotty, jeans clad, ball of neurosis, rather than an outrageous Goth who can’t wait to confront any murderer.

Anna A ArmstrongAuthor of the FitzMorris Family Mysteries

Anna A. Armstrong writes uplifting, cosy mysteries. Set in rural villages, they overflow with friendship, warm family relationships, delicious food, beautiful gardens and romance as well as the odd murder to spice things up. At the heart of her stories are her colourful characters who have their own varied foibles. There is nothing like a spot of murder for revealing who people are and what makes them tick.

Growing up in home counties England, Anna was surrounded with dogs and horses as well as the wide variety of people who make up village life. Her observation skills were further honed by studying Anthropology at university. Much to her family’s embarrassment, she often can’t resist pulling out a pad and sketching random strangers in a restaurant.

When not indulging her love of traveling, Anna divides her time between the quintessentially English village of Burford in the Cotswolds and the rugged Isle of Man, the jewel of the Irish Sea. She is passionate about food, her garden, her three dachshunds, family and latterly trick riding, just in case running off to the circus becomes an option!

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Published on April 28, 2024 21:01

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On LitLinks:
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Published on April 27, 2024 21:01

Book Business Concept Map

by Hank Quense, @hanque99

In the evolving landscape of the publishing industry, understanding the intricacies of the book business can be as complex as it is critical for authors, publishers, and marketers alike. A Concept Map of the Book Business offers a visual and interconnected overview of the key components that drive the creation, distribution, and consumption of books. This article delves into the creation and utility of such a concept map, exploring how it serves as an invaluable tool for navigating the multifaceted world of publishing.

What is a Book Business Concept Map?

A Book Business Concept Map is a visual representation that outlines the major elements and processes involved in the book industry. It highlights the relationships between various stakeholders, including authors, publishers, agents, retailers, and readers. The map encompasses several critical areas such as content creation, publishing, marketing, distribution, and sales, illustrating how these components interact to bring a book from idea to reader.

Concept maps are quite different from ordinary mind maps in that there is no implied structural hierarchy. Rather than the usual parent nodes and child nodes, with concept maps each idea is an independent box on the screen. Instead of hierarchical relationships, the lines between nodes represent direction, aggregation and flow.

Book Business Nodes

Creating a book involves a complex project that unfolds over a lengthy period of time and involves writing, publishing and marketing besides a critical element of planning. Sooner or later, inexperienced authors realize that their book is a business and this has a number of implications for the authors. These include business types, tax identification numbers, tracking income and expenses and more.

Book Business Creation

The ideal time to start a book business is before the first book is published. This can be before or after the manuscript is completed. Starting the business involves a number of decisions that will require research and thinking.

In order to provide a measure of understanding how all the book project elements fit together, I created a concept map. The map shows the relationship between the book (manuscript) and the publishing, marketing and business aspects of the book project.

To examine this whiteboard, go to: https://atlas.mindmup.com/hanque/book_business_concept_map/index.html

I created this map using a software program I just discovered called Mindmup. I love it.

The first two paragraphs of this article were written by a AI program.

And check out my new website: hankquense.online