Riley Adams's Blog, page 129

Readers and Self-Pub

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

As a writer who is both traditionally-published and self-published, I have an admission to make.  I work very hard on my traditionally published books.  But I work even harder on my self-published stories.

I’m not saying my self-published stories are better.

But I want to make sure that each element of every book is as good as I can make it.  I don’t have a huge team behind me for my self-pub…I have a small one.  And I don’t want to let the readers down. I feel more accountable. I feel determined to make sure the quality is as good and that my readers won’t notice a difference between series.

But what’s been amazing to me is that I haven’t gotten any feedback from readers regarding the fact that some of my books are trad-pubbed and some are self.  I’ve seen no indication that they’re aware I am a hybrid writer.

I’ve never had a reader complain that they couldn’t find my Myrtle (the self-pubbed series) books at their local Barnes and Noble.

I’ve never had a reader specifically mention that the quality of my self-pubbed books is poorer than my trad-pubbed books, and if they’ve mentioned it in a review, I haven’t seen it.

The only times I’ve gotten feedback from readers are small complaints –and they were asking me to pass it on to the publisher.  A few readers have asked why my Myrtle books aren’t available in large print (one of my trad-series is available in large print in libraries) and a few readers have asked why my quilting series and Memphis series aren’t available in audio like my Myrtle series are.

The couple of times I’ve emailed back to explain that I don’t own the rights to the quilting series or the Memphis series, it’s just frustrated/aggravated the readers.  They don’t want the details and they don’t care about the details.  They just want to vent and, ultimately, to get the format they’re looking for.

But here is my main thought, and I’ve been mulling this over a bit, recently.  So…one of the main reasons I see from writers why they’re pursuing trad-pub is the distribution to bookstores.  And I get great distribution and shelf placement with Penguin-Random House…on a tower near the café for the first month after release.

So…why don’t I get complaint emails from readers that they can’t find my Myrtle books in the Barnes and Noble?  Because I do have a healthy number of readers for that series.  Strong sales.

Is it because the readers who shop at physical stores only buy what’s in front of them at the store?  They don’t check out my website?  Penguin doesn’t list my Myrtle books in my bio, so they wouldn’t know about them from reading the trad-published books.  This would mean I’m missing potential sales from dedicated bookstore shopper readers who simply aren’t aware that my Myrtle series exists (or, possibly, that the Memphis one does, since it’s under another name).

I would say that I don’t have any crossover readers from my trad-pub to my self-pub, but I know that’s not true.  In my Amazon reviews for the Myrtle series, readers frequently mention my other series.  So…are the majority of Amazon readers not shopping in the bookstores? Ever?  Even though they clearly love books and reading?

Or are there just fewer bookstore shoppers altogether?  And it doesn’t matter that my Myrtle books aren’t there?

I suspect that the lack of print distribution for my self-pubbed series at the Barnes and Noble doesn’t matter.  The books are available in print—from Amazon.  And I do get checks from CreateSpace each month…there are still readers wanting print.

But are they just getting most of their print books from Amazon now?

I used to go to the B&N all the time, but I haven’t been for a long while.  However, I buy at least two or three books a week.  Online.

How do you buy your books?  How do you discover them?  Thoughts on why I don’t hear from readers wondering why my self-pubbed books aren’t in the B&N?

 

 

The post Readers and Self-Pub appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Your Novel’s Language: How Can You Beat the Blah?

Guest Post by Jack Smith

You have an interesting and compelling premise for your novel.  Your logline is snappy and fetching.  Your characters are complex with complex relationships between them.  Your plot is lock-step, every thread tied up.  Your setting is interesting.

Yet the writing itself isn’t working—it seems drab.  A sample of ten to fifty pages will most likely not get past the agent or editor.  Great idea, but needs considerable work.  Give this thing some flair.

And so now is the time to do some major fine-tuning on the language itself.

What can you do?  There are probably fifty things, but consider two general areas:

Look at the pacing of your novel.  I wouldn’t call pacing “flow” exactly because sometimes you don’t want the language to flow smoothly—and it’s possible to think of flow in this restricted sense—but don’t.  After all, you might go for intense at times: bang, bang, bang, with a strong beat to it.  Even monotonous at times (though watch this) if it’s in keeping with the character, who is decidedly monotonous.  Still other times, it needs to be jerky, reflecting the mood or feeling of a character who’s about to lose it.  The pacing needs to reflect the mood of the passage, whether it’s character thought or action.  And it needs to move readers, keeping them gripped.  How do you manage this? Here are a few possible techniques:

o   Try varying your sentences.  Choose long sentences for one effect, short ones for a different effect.  In a scene, characters might answer each other in abbreviated replies or in long-winded replies (not easily managed unless you’re going for irony of some kind).  Either choice will affect the pacing to create the kind of mood and tone you’re after.  Varying your sentences will also create interesting variety for your reader.

o   Use repetition of words, phrases, and sounds.  This knits the language together and works nicely if the words or phrases are interesting.  The risk, of course, is phrases that just create dull repetition.  For repetition of sounds, make use of assonance and alliteration.  I especially find that alliteration goes a long way in creating the texture of the prose.

Look at the language itself.  Does it have any flair, anything special about it, any interesting similes, metaphors, or analogies?  Find ways to transform the writing so that it is colorful (anything but purple…)  If the language is utterly quotidian, everything will be because this is the medium of the novel—language.  I’ll back off on the figurative language suggestion and say that language which is highly specific and concrete—however the latter is achieved—goes a long way.  It’s true that compelling imagery is often achieved by figurative comparison, yet well-chosen sharp detail can accomplish the same thing.   Expository writing is particularly subject to dull language.  Even if it’s character meditation, thought, and feelings of a sympathetic character, then the risk of mundane prose is ripe.  To dress up internal “talk,” go for those concrete images as much as possible.

A novel with all the requisite ingredients—plot, character, setting—is only halfway there if the language itself gets in the way.  The novel’s language needs to move readers.  I’ve suggested only a few ways to fine-tune the novel’s language, but there are, of course, numerous things you can do.  You can try stylistic elements like italics or capitalization; you can be creative with conventions such as quotation marks around dialogue; you can be elliptical in your narrative prose—as well as in your scenes.  Do everything possible—that works, of course, with your particular novel—to charm your reader.  Language is the medium.

Jack Smith is author of the novel Hog to Hog, which won the George Garrett FictionPrize (Texas Review Press. 2008), and is also the author of Write and Revise for Publication: A 6-Month Plan for Crafting an Exceptional Novel and Other Works of Fiction, published earlier this year by Writer’s Digest. His novel ICON will be published in June by Serving House Books.

Over the years, Smith’s short stories have appeared in North American Review, Night Train, Texas Review, and Southern Review, to name a few. He has also written some 20 articles for Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, as well as a dozen or so pieces for The Writer. He has published reviews in numerous literary journals, including Ploughshares, Georgia Review, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, American Review, Mid-American Review, and the Iowa Review.

The post Your Novel’s Language: How Can You Beat the Blah? appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Tropes: combine them for more originality:  http://ow.ly/AKmhp

Pitching Tips:  http://ow.ly/AKjDi @Eric_Haywood @scriptmag

‘Retail stonewalling’ and Amazon sightings in bookstores:  http://ow.ly/ASeoa @Porter_Anderson  @TheFutureBook

Why Creative Side Projects Are Good for You:  http://ow.ly/ASzNo @kevanlee

What Writers Can Learn from Illustrators:  http://ow.ly/ASAFO @stephens_helen   

Making Time to Write: 4 Tips From a Writing Superstar:  http://ow.ly/ASA9l @writers_write

Playtime with Amazon’s Search Engine:  http://ow.ly/ASAjr @JFBookman

The Importance of a Writing Group:  http://ow.ly/ASAbx @DanaLeipold

What Went Wrong? Story Conflict and How to Make it Stronger:  http://ow.ly/ASAIa @fictionnotes

How to Write Scary:  http://ow.ly/ASAmf  @GretchenMcNeil

If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?  http://ow.ly/ASzWI @JFGibsonWriter

Does Your Series Tell a “Bigger Story”? http://ow.ly/ASA6X @susanspann

What Makes a Southern Gothic:  http://ow.ly/ASA4T @MartinaABoone

6 Vital Questions to ask your First Readers:  http://ow.ly/ASApx  @karenschrav

Self-Publishing And The Bookstrapper’s Guide To Book Marketing:  http://ow.ly/ASzHz @thecreativepenn

Tips for Releasing Your Inner Poe:  http://ow.ly/ASCm4  @robinrwrites

4 Methods for Outlining Your Book:  http://ow.ly/ASCuD @DIYMFA

31 Benefits of Free-Writing:  http://ow.ly/ASD1F  @originalimpulse

A cautionary comic for aspiring authors and illustrators via @inkyelbows http://ow.ly/ASCTO

Ramp up your writing speed:  http://ow.ly/ASCD9  @nicolapittam

What Do Acquisition Editors Really Want?   http://ow.ly/ASCfJ  @shay_goodman

6 Side Effects Only Writers Experience:  http://ow.ly/AKkO3 @mangotrinity

My Critique Partner, Myself:  http://ow.ly/AKkyp @JustBethanne

Top 5 Paid Indie Book Review Services Compared:  http://ow.ly/AKkXL @selfpubreview

Create an Ensemble Book Cast:  http://ow.ly/AKlh7 @robinrwrites

How Important Is Solitude to a Writer?  http://ow.ly/AKm2q @navaatlas2

Questions for indies paired with questions for Amazon: http://ow.ly/ASehR @Porter_Anderson @HughHowey

A Memoir Is Not a Status Update:  http://ow.ly/AKmDC @newyorker @danijshapiro

8 Screenwriting Tips That Will Help You in the Long Run:  http://ow.ly/AKjpt @nofilmschool

Writer envy:  http://ow.ly/AKl7G  @chuckwendig

7 Habits of Highly Effective Writers:  http://ow.ly/AKjcY @writers_write

Great Writing Moments From ‘The Simpsons’:  http://ow.ly/AKko8

Procrastinating on a Writing Project? Use the 300 Words Trick:  http://ow.ly/AKkca @charliegilkey

Living With A Writer: What You Need To Know:  http://ow.ly/AKllB  @madeinlowell

Speech accommodation in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AQYg3 @mkinberg

On What Disturbs, Then Nourishes:  http://ow.ly/AKneS @danijshapiro

Cautionary comic for writers (and illustrators) @inkyelbows http://ow.ly/AKjYm

10 Ways Your Novel Will Kill You http://ow.ly/AHvN8 @thepraguerevue

17 Tips for Successful Book Giveaways:  http://ow.ly/AHqUe @111publishing

How to write a bio about yourself or someone else:  http://ow.ly/AHsZu  @bettymliu

How to Make Time to Write:  http://ow.ly/AHvmJ @BlotsandPlots

10 Obsolete Beliefs that Can Block Self-Publishing Success:  http://ow.ly/AHuiK @annerallen

Deepen Conflict By Forcing Your Hero To Embrace The Gray of Morality: http://ow.ly/AHrSa @angelaackerman

Writing Dialogue: Lose the Said?  http://ow.ly/AHtwG @lindasclare

Fitting a Prequel into Your Series:  http://ow.ly/AHrmh @RJCrayton

6 Reasons to Self-Publish: http://ow.ly/AHsC9  @tianawarner

Word Count or Time Goal? Which Gets More Writing Done? http://ow.ly/AHvXQ  @writewithwarnie

Write Your Way to More:  http://ow.ly/AHrgh  @JordanRosenfeld

Are Pre-Orders Right For You?  http://ow.ly/AHu1Y @authornordin

7 Writing Tips We Learned From Our Dogs:  http://ow.ly/AHr3W @WritingSisters

Goodreads Giveaways: Don’t Do What You’re Told:  http://ow.ly/AHtiq @cathryanhoward

Nailing Your Novel’s Genre in Your Opening Scene:  http://ow.ly/AHtGY @CSLakin

The I-Don’t-Have-Any-Time Hour-a-Day Book Marketing Plan: http://ow.ly/AHtRZ @JohnKremer

Five Dont’s for Indie Writers:  http://ow.ly/AFfEL @kimberlyShursen @BookUnderground

The Importance of Comps:  http://ow.ly/AFey2 @cathychall

Outlining Might Not Be The Only Way To Begin Your Writing Process:  http://ow.ly/AFfIG @moranchaim

Selling Your Poetry Book: http://ow.ly/AFeA8 @QuincyRLehr {lang.}

Hooking Your Reader:  http://ow.ly/AFfx4  @CarolAnneMalone

5 Tips for Submitting Your Work: Help From an Editor:  http://ow.ly/AFelv  @Margo_L_Dill

General Advice for New Writers:  http://ow.ly/AFet8  @KatZhang

10 Self Published Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors Speak Out On Indie Publishing:  http://ow.ly/AFeuT @psyphi

10 Notes from the Trenches of Development Hell Exposed by Working Writers: http://ow.ly/AFex5 @TheElf26

Copy Editing Wizardry Tricks:  http://ow.ly/AFfed  @HelenBozz @PenandMuse

Why Spec Scripts Fail:  Failure To Do Your Homework:  http://ow.ly/AFf6l @stewartfarquhar

On Finding Success as a Writer:  http://ow.ly/AFerB @DanBlank @writerunboxed

Gifts of the Journey : Writing about Family History:  http://ow.ly/AFeWs @UNTILtheROBIN

The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags:  http://ow.ly/AFeqy @TheRyanLanz

Author and micro-publisher Joanna Penn on living a creative entrepreneurial life:  http://ow.ly/AFf0f @thecreativepenn @trevoryoung

Dead Authors’ Homes:  http://ow.ly/AFeFy @DanPiepenbring @parisreview

8 Important Promo Questions to Ask Before You Publish Your Book:  http://ow.ly/AEPuv @ticewrites

5 qualities published authors share:  http://ow.ly/AEPri @writers_write

Descriptivism and Word Lists:  http://ow.ly/AEPHq @woodwardkaren

5 Guidelines for Approaching Book Review Bloggers:  http://ow.ly/AEPGE  @MarcyKennedy

Self-Publishing Confession: I have no idea why this book is selling.  http://ow.ly/AEQrx @passivevoiceblg

Hearing voices allowed Charles Dickens to create extraordinary fictional worlds:  http://ow.ly/AEPKt @guardianbooks

How to Get Reviews for Your FIRST Book:  http://ow.ly/AEQVw @goblinwriter

Freelancers: How to Write an Opening Sentence:  http://ow.ly/AEQ1I

Writing Basics: The Inciting Event:  http://ow.ly/AEQPa @Janice_Hardy

To Achieve Diversity In Publishing, A Difficult Dialogue Beats Silence: http://ow.ly/AEQEN @NPR

Whatever happened to writing for love, not money? (sparking some animated comments) http://ow.ly/AEPP0 @TelegraphBooks @sameerahim

Literary experimentation gains popularity:  http://ow.ly/AEPxB @thomas_mac

Networking for Writers: Dos and Dont’s:  http://ow.ly/AER2V  @mdilloway

We Regret to Inform You | Literary Rejections http://ow.ly/AEQej @LitRejections

Who Can Effectively Challenge Amazon in the Book Business? [Smart Set] : http://ow.ly/AEPF7 @Janefriedman

3 Tips for Self-Publishing Success:  http://ow.ly/AEPIY @JulieMusil

Fear of beginnings, and fear of sequels:  http://ow.ly/AD8al @juliettewade

On Writing Practice Novels:  http://ow.ly/AD9PT @ava_jae

The Secret to Writing:  http://ow.ly/ADa2x  @JLArmentroutFan

Build a Story, but Leave the Door Open http://ow.ly/AD86p @mooderino

Characters who make believable choices:  http://ow.ly/AD8db

Prologue and Epilogue:  http://ow.ly/ADb8U  @Diana_Hurwitz

Amazon Forum Discussions:  http://ow.ly/AD9Zs  @YHERTZBE

How To Diversify on Social Media:  http://ow.ly/ADb6M @KateBrauning

How to write a character’s inner dialogue: http://ow.ly/AD7Y0 @heathermackey

Little Things That Make World Building Work:  http://ow.ly/AD9Ss @RC_Lewis

Character Voice:  http://ow.ly/AD9Ln  @Savage_Woman

Use, Usage, and Utilize http://ow.ly/ADbgA  @ErinMFeldman

How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading:  http://ow.ly/AGkZh @KMWeiland

Common Writer Advice Revised:  http://ow.ly/AD9UO @HeatherJacksonW

How Not to Start a Novel: Four Things to Avoid on Page One:  http://ow.ly/ADa86 @Janice_Hardy @annerallen

Planning a Writing Retreat http://ow.ly/ADbek @RedWillowDesign

4 Lessons from ’24′: http://ow.ly/AD7RY @NMusch

6 Tips to Champion Your Story:  http://ow.ly/Awoxw  @LyndaRYoung

Concerning Subplots:  http://ow.ly/Awp2T @Novelicious

Deep POV is Not the Only POV:  http://ow.ly/AwoXx @Janice_Hardy

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

Keeping Our Books Current

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

My thirteen year old daughter uses an iPod device for most of her communications (which only works when on wi-fi) but also has a basic phone for when she’s away from wi-fi or needs to make calls. But she rarely uses the phone.

She discovered recently that she had voice mails on it.  But she was having a hard time accessing them.

Sadly, I was doing something else every single time she brought this up over a period of several days.  This is something I try hard to avoid as a parent.  My goal is to be 100% focused on my children as they are speaking with me.  But on these occasions I was either driving on an interstate highway in heavy traffic,  cooking something rather complicated, or doing some sort of multitasking (poorly, I’m sure) during these conversations.

Finally, on the fourth or fifth occasion of her mentioning that she couldn’t access her voice mails, I sat down with her.

“Show me exactly what you’re doing,” I said.

“So, the voice mailbox asks me to enter my password and then hit ‘pound’,” she said.  “And I’m positive I’m putting in the right password, but it keeps telling me I’m wrong.”

“Show me,” I said.

She then proceeded to hit the asterisk on her keyboard.”

“Whoa, whoa!” I said, “That’s not the pound key!”

She frowned at me.  “It’s not? Which one is pound?”

I pointed to it.

“That one? But that’s the hashtag.”

I stared at her.  So…this generation doesn’t even know what a pound symbol is?

“It is a hashtag.  But it used to be called ‘pound,” I explained. “It’s also called a number sign.”

“Well, why wouldn’t they call it a hashtag?  That’s what it is!” she said in complete frustration.

It reminded me again about the huge gulf between generations.  It feels like it’s constantly widening with the quickly changing technology. And there are only 30 years between my daughter and myself.

This made me think…again…about my books and keeping them current.

Although my strategy may eventually change, I’m now making very few references in my books that could potentially date them.

The times when I do make references (usually to technology, but now I’m even leery about mentioning Saturday mail delivery, etc.) I make note of them in a separate document.

There will be a time when I won’t mind that my books are charmingly dated.  But that time might honestly be after I’m dead.  Right now, I’m finding the appeal in making my Myrtle stories as timeless as I possibly can.

One thing about digital publishing is that we can always go back in and tinker with it. I guess that’s a blessing and a curse.

This is not to say that I don’t read books that act as period pieces because I do and I love them.  I’m just not at the point that I want my books to be that way.  If I know I’m reading a book first published in the 70s, a reference to a pay phone or a rotary phone isn’t a bit jarring. But it could be distracting to a reader who wasn’t immediately aware they were reading an older book….and digital books don’t yellow like mass market paperbacks.

Right now, I wouldn’t want a reader to hit a wall with my story the way my daughter did with the pound symbol.

At some point I suppose I’ll let go of this, although I’m not sure when that will be. Heck, maybe I won’t….maybe I’ll include eccentric provisions in my will instructing my poor executor to make regular updates to my books.  Complete with a list of all questionable references that might require updating.

Technology is so integrated into our daily lives that we can’t not talk about it.  But my references are fairly general.  How do you feel about dated books?  Do you deliberately avoid mentioning Twitter or LinkedIn in your stories?  Would you ever consider updating your books…or are you already updating them?

 

The post Keeping Our Books Current appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading

by K.M. Weiland, @KMWeiland

Backstory is a weapon. And just like any weapon, it can end up doing more harm than good to those who wield it without proper experience and care. But in the hands of a writer who knows exactly what it’s capable of and how to wield it to advantage, backstory can take even ordinary stories to extraordinary places.

Arguably, the most important function of backstory is its ability to hook readers’ curiosity. Forget explaining the protagonist’s past and what motivates him. Try not explaining it. When we let readers know there’s something delicious and dark in a character’s past, without telling them what that something is, we’ll hook their curiosity so deeply they’ll keep reading just to solve the mystery.

Charlotte Brontë understood how to wield the weapon of backstory as well any author. In her beloved Gothic romance Jane Eyre (which I analyze in-depth in my book Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic), she creates almost her entire plot out of the tantalizing hunt for the backstory. What can you learn from her and how can you apply it to your own novel? Start by answering the following questions.

What Is Your Backstory?

Before you can use backstory to hook readers, you first have to have a backstory. When creating your characters’ histories, look beyond just the obvious necessities of birthplace and parents. Look for secrets. Look for tragedy and shame. Look for hidden motivations. You don’t want to bore readers with tedious home videos. You want to thrill them with tabloid-worthy escapades.

Protagonist Jane Eyre’s tragic backstory is shared straight-up (for the most part). However, the story is powered by her need to uncover the shocking history of her mysterious employer Mr. Rochester. Something strange and possibly supernatural is afoot in the tower of Mr. Rochester’s Thornfield Hall, and he hints to Jane, again and again, that the mystery is all tied up in the sins of his youth. What better incentive for readers to keep reading?

How Does Your Backstory Power the Plot?

Even relatively mundane backstories can capture readers’ attention, but only if they matter to the story as a whole. An outrageous skeleton in the family closet only becomes interesting if it affects the outcome of the central conflict. Why does the discovery of the backstory matter to the protagonist? How will it help or hinder him in obtaining his main story goal?

Mr. Rochester’s history isn’t important just because Jane happens to be curious about him. As it turns out, its revelation—in one of the most enduringly and delightfully shocking moments in literature—affects Jane’s every hope of happiness and love. Readers are more than just curious about Brontë’s backstory; they care about the backstory because of how sharply it will turn the plot and affect all the characters.

What Is Your Backstory’s Hook?

Once you’ve come up with a great backstory and figured out why it is an integral piece within your main plot, you then have to artfully plant its hook. You must let readers know there is a great backstory without giving too much away. One or two solid details will often be enough to get the ball rolling, especially if you solidify their importance by making some of the characters adamant about hiding the past, just as other characters are adamant about uncovering it.

Brontë builds her hook into the very walls of Thornfield Hall. From the moment Jane arrives in the symbolically dark and dusty manor, readers sense something is afoot. The housekeeper warns Jane to stay away from the tower, Rochester himself speaks of the great mistakes of his youth, and creepy laughter wafts through the halls at night. With minimum effort, Brontë hooks her readers for the long haul.

How Can You Tantalize Readers With Clues?

After that first hook, keep the clues coming. To some extent, you can repeat some of those clues, since all you’re needing to do is keep reminding readers of their curiosity. But eventually, you’re going to have to add new information. The trick, of course, is to provide new clues to whet the readers’ appetite without giving away the whole mystery.

A good rule of thumb on backstory is to avoid sharing information until it becomes vital to the story. Clues need to be more than just breadcrumbs of information; they need to each be catalysts that drive the plot.

Brontë is one of the best at scattering her clues. She deftly adds new information, leading readers right up to the brink of the truth, only to cleverly misdirect them into believing what they think is the truth can’t possibly be right.

Why Will Your Backstory’s Payoff Matter to the Story?

Readers wait throughout your entire story to reach the truth about the backstory. You can’t afford to disappoint them. This is why it’s so important to come up with a humdinger of a backstory in the beginning. If you tantalize readers with promises of shocking discoveries only to back off in the end and say, “Surprise! The butler did it!”—they’ll probably chuck your book across the room.

Brontë perfectly times the revelation of Mr. Rochester’s backstory. The revelation arrives at the crucial Third Plot Point (at the end of the Second Act), which allows it to be the catalyst that powers Jane’s decisions and actions throughout the climactic Third Act. Every bit as important as the timing, Rochester’s backstory is just as powerful and moving as Brontë promised her readers it would be. Anything less, and we would have been disappointed. Instead, we were transported.

Powerful backstory can elevate otherwise commonplace stories to astonishing heights. Without Rochester’s backstory, Jane Eyre is just another nice tale of a poor orphaned governess falling in love with her wealthy employer. With that backstory, it has become a timeless classic that has thrilled and moved centuries’ of readers. With the right backstory, your story could do the same!

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

The post How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Screenwriting Lessons: ‘The Social Network’: Handling Exposition: http://ow.ly/ApZcW @gointothestory

Don’t forget your name. That’s what sells books.  http://ow.ly/ApZLL @venturegalleries

5 Things Learned While Writing a Novella:  http://ow.ly/Aq009  @YAMisfits

Scare Quotes Are Not All That Scary:  http://ow.ly/Aq02e @CSLakin

Uses for Helping Verbs: http://ow.ly/ApZoN @writing_tips               

Things to Think About When Writing Strong Women:  http://ow.ly/AtSBW @AdamDreece

8 ways to encourage inspiration: http://ow.ly/AtStG @hjwilliams5

The Secret to Writing:  http://ow.ly/ADa2x  @JLArmentroutFan

Don’t Be Boring: Hints for Better Bookstore Events & Other Presentations: http://ow.ly/AtSLg @randysusanmeyer

4 Steps to the Ultimate Compelling Villain: http://ow.ly/AtSWP  @melissagmcphail

Writers Who Published Great Books Before Age 25:  http://ow.ly/AtSmz @flavorwire

Why we should give up our publishing dream (and self-publish instead): http://ow.ly/AtRu4 @creativindie

Why You Should Be Mercilessly Hacking Apart Your Favorite Stories:  http://ow.ly/ApZP2 @KMWeiland

Getting genetics right in fiction:  http://ow.ly/ApZFd @DanKoboldt

How To Write a Fight Scene:  http://ow.ly/ApZTN @doc_awesomeo

Character Skills and Talents: Promotion:  http://ow.ly/ApZNl @angelaackerman

Join today’s #FutureChat live chat on digital publishing topics:: 4 p.m. London time, 11 a.m. EST , 3 p.m. GMT (now)  with @Porter_Anderson

5 Silver Linings of Having A Day Job:  http://ow.ly/ApZQH @chris_shultz81

Twitter for Writers: 7 Quick Tips:  http://ow.ly/ApZgh @Belinda_Pollard

10 Reasons We’re Not Succeeding as Writers:  http://ow.ly/ApZo5

7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story:  http://ow.ly/ApzaG @kmweiland

Leading into a flashback:  http://ow.ly/ApzS3

Getting to a New Adult State of Mind:  http://ow.ly/ApzzX @ChanelCleeton

Choosing a Book Excerpt:  http://ow.ly/Apzrp @StephenHise

Fixing prepositional phrases:  http://ow.ly/ApAk9  @JordanMcCollum

Is Sitting Too Much Killing You? http://ow.ly/Apzo8 @lifehackorg

Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Subplots:  http://ow.ly/Apze6 @gointothestory

5 Things to Know about Working with Beta Readers:  http://ow.ly/Apzvk @CKMacleodwriter @CarlaJDouglas

The Importance of Journaling: http://ow.ly/Apz73 @chrstnejschmdt

Self-Publishing for Academics:  http://ow.ly/Apzcr @henrybaum

How a Writing Challenge Can Help You:  http://ow.ly/ApzEJ @diymfa

21 Writing Tips from a Fledgling Writer:  http://ow.ly/Apzip

Why You Need to Own Your Blog Site:  http://ow.ly/AoBsR @ninaamir

The Only Perfect Novel There Is:  http://ow.ly/AoBA8 @juliettefay

Organize Your Writing Project(s) via a Spreadsheet:  http://ow.ly/AoDhV  @RomanceUniv

Before You Hit Send… http://ow.ly/AoBpf @writerashley

Things to Consider When Considering Self -Publishing:  http://ow.ly/AoBxu @srjohannes

Important items to beware in a publishing contract: http://ow.ly/AoCGa @SusanSpann

Digital publishing and children:  http://ow.ly/Awnby @Porter_Anderson @camillelaguire

3 Reasons to Consider Writing a Novella Right Now:  http://ow.ly/AoD96 @kmweiland

9 Misconceptions About Space Travel:  http://ow.ly/AoCRx  @DanKoboldt

5 Tips for Titles: http://ow.ly/AqTHl @authorterryo

Lists for Life and Writing:  5 Lessons Learned:  http://ow.ly/AwtYM  @freshfiction

How to Digitally Organize Your Writing Files: http://ow.ly/AoBCK @amshofner

Know When to Act Out (A Scene):  http://ow.ly/AoD5A @lindasclare

Guide to The Snowflake Method:  http://ow.ly/AoDmf @SnowflakeGuy

Writing as Therapy:  http://ow.ly/AoBn3 @fictorians

Writers’ Conference Tips:  http://ow.ly/AoB0M @ForewordLit

From Distraction to Inspiration in 4 Easy Steps:  http://ow.ly/AoB4c @AnthonyEhlers

A Crash Course in Horror Subgenres:  http://ow.ly/AoB5y @MarcyKennedy

Building Suspense in Captivity:  http://ow.ly/AoB8F  @RayneHall

Talking About Conflict: Harmony vs Discipline:  http://ow.ly/AoAYT @woodwardkaren

How To Write A Screenplay You Can Sell:  http://ow.ly/AoAPN @goodinaroom

14 Book Covers Before And After They Were Turned Into Movies:  http://ow.ly/AoAID @IsaacFitzgerald

Picking the perfect name for your character:  http://ow.ly/AoAxm @JordanMcCollum

Writers Who Didn’t Study Writing: http://ow.ly/AoAMv @BookishHQ

Why telling is as important as showing:  http://ow.ly/AoACE @standoutbooks

Script To Screen: “The Cider House Rules”:  http://ow.ly/AoAKz @gointothestory

Worried You Won’t Follow Through? Bet Your Friends.  http://ow.ly/AoAVw @99u

Coping rituals in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AqU2Y @mkinberg

4 Things NOT To Do When Writing Mysteries:  http://ow.ly/AqTNb @clarissadraper

‘If Only I Could Find the Time to Write’:  http://ow.ly/AoMI8  @brandigranett

5 Creative Writing Projects You Can Do Today:  http://ow.ly/AoMGl @makeuseof

The 6 Habits of Highly Tormented Writers:  http://ow.ly/AoN5S @gripemaster

Build Your Writing Practice:  http://ow.ly/AoMVt @diymfa

Lev Grossman: My depression helped inspire the Magicians trilogy: http://ow.ly/AoIsr @salon @magiciansbook

High Concept Defined:  http://ow.ly/AqTpT @SusanKelley

Robert McKee And Characterization vs Character:  http://ow.ly/AoMyh @woodwardkaren

Prose & Conversation: Death of the Short Story:  http://ow.ly/AoMsr @cathinnorway

Plotting For Pantsers:  http://ow.ly/AoMwN @edenbaylee

Novel Stuck? 3 Ways to Get Unstuck:  http://ow.ly/AnHl8 @fictionnotes

Romance 101: Marriages of Convenience:  http://ow.ly/AnHzA  @_ImAnAdult

Keeping track of small details in our story:  http://ow.ly/AnHql @JodyBaileyDay

Mystery Writing–Familial DNA:  http://ow.ly/AqSyz @djswykert

How to write a terrible novel:  http://ow.ly/AnH44 @karenschrav

Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Narrative Framework: http://ow.ly/AnFNv @gointothestory

Writing Hacks During the Revision Process:  http://ow.ly/AnGn3  @SeanGrigsby

How To Stop Twitter AutoDMs: http://ow.ly/AnG3R @loriculwell

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/AnGwH @CSLakin

6 Branding Tips for Writers and Authors: http://ow.ly/AnG6j @ninaamir

Tips For Gaining New Followers on Your Blog:  http://ow.ly/AnFRO @RamiUngarWriter

Visual Writing Prompt: A Harmless Vice:  http://ow.ly/AnF1Z @megwolfewrites

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

Plot and Character Motivation

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Sometimes I wonder why I outline at all.  I never seem to stick to them.

In the book that I’m currently writing (already covered, right, since it’s so tricky to reserve cover designers closer to release), I decided a few days ago to change the killer.  If I’d continued on the path I was going with my outline, I thought there would be a good percentage of people who would figure out the murderer before the end of the book.  The suspect that I decided to use instead would be a real surprise and would get me that twisty ending that I wanted.

The problem was…there was no motive at all for this person to have murdered the victim—that’s why the reader was going to be so surprised.

This was an easy enough problem for me to fix. I’d have the killer’s motive trickle in during the story—but not in an obvious way.  There would be clues to the motive…clues that I would have to hastily distract from as soon as I planted them.

But fixing this problem reminded me that believable plots really do all come down to motive.  Even in other genres.

If our characters act out of character to force a particular storyline, the plot is weaker.

We can enrich our stories by asking what drives each character—what they want most.  That’s what motivates them to do all sorts of things: keep secrets, avoid other characters, argue,  flirt, save money, spend money.  Character driven stories sometimes feel as if they write themselves.

So if we find we’re manipulating a character to serve the plot, that’s when we need to sit down and figure out how to make the character’s motive in line with where we want the plot to go. Or be open to considering a plot change.

Often, it’s not a tough edit to make.  I think it took only about thirty minutes to think up and then slip in the clues to the character’s motive and true nature to the plot. That’s not long to fix something that big.

How do you keep on track with character motivation?  Have you ever had to alter a book to make a story align with motive?

The post Plot and Character Motivation appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Mystery Writing–Familial DNA

by D.J. Swykert, @djswykert

The Death of Anyone (Melange Books; February 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) is a fictional story in which a Familial DNA search is a key investigative component. This is a unique DNA search technique not in common use, only two states even have a written policy. With forensic evidence increasingly important in solving current real-life cases and now being introduced into trials I thought it would make an interesting plot for a story.

I first heard about the use of Familial DNA working as a 911 operator in 2006. It came up in a conversation with officers working a case. I thought at the time it would make an interesting premise for a book. I began writing The Death of Anyone three years after leaving the department. I had just finished editing a first draft in the summer 2010 when news of The Grim Sleeper’s capture in Los Angeles using a Familial DNA search was released. I read with interest all the information pouring out of L.A. regarding the investigation and the constitutional admissibility issues confronting prosecutors.

The trial of alleged serial killer Lonnie David Franklin, known in the media as The Grim Sleeper, is scheduled to begin in 2015. Franklin will be the first person brought to trial on the basis of Familial DNA evidence in the U.S. Pretrial motions regarding Fourth Amendment civil rights violations have been ongoing for over four years.

The Grim Sleeper was caught because his son’s DNA was the closest match to DNA samples collected at the crime scenes in the database. Investigating Franklin’s son led them to investigate Lonnie David Franklin. But there was no direct DNA linking him to the crime scene until a matching DNA sample was obtained after his arrest. The admissibility issues are being thoroughly tested by defense attorneys.

Many legal analysts believe Familial DNA searches violate Fourth Amendment rights which guard against unreasonable searches and seizures. The courts may ultimately rule that searching among Familial DNA databases for partial matches would constitutionally be the same as the use of a generalized warrant to search someone’s house when there is no prior reason to suspect the person of wrongdoing, which citizens are constitutionally protected from.

Even Thomas Callaghan, the former head of the F.B.I.’s national DNA database, feared that Familial Searches might be legally vulnerable, since courts might view the searches as an attempt to use samples collected for one purpose for a very different purpose.

Just as we would consider it unreasonable to cast a wide net of suspicion without probable cause in general due to concerns of privacy, personal dignity, and unwanted intrusion in the lives of innocent citizens, we should be similarly concerned the identification of a suspect through partial DNA searches will contribute to further loss of freedoms as DNA databases grow and lead to ever more invasive investigative techniques. These are all constitutional issues that will come into play as the use of DNA science continues to progress towards solving criminal investigations and determining the guilt of suspects. Decisions will be made by the courts that will regulate just how invasive of civil rights law enforcement can proceed in the investigation of serious crimes.

I first heard about the use of Familial DNA working as a 911 operator in 2006. It came up in a conversation with officers working a case. I thought at the time it would make an interesting premise for a book. I began writing The Death of Anyone three years after leaving the department. I had just finished editing a first draft in the summer 2010 when news of The Grim Sleeper’s capture in Los Angeles was released. I read with interest all the information pouring out of L.A. regarding the investigation and the problems confronting prosecutors.

These are the same issues confronting Detroit Homicide Detective Bonnie Benham in The Death of Anyone. Bonnie has been transferred from narcotics for using more than arresting and is working the case of a killer of adolescent girls. CSI collects DNA evidence from the scene of the latest victim, which had not been detected on the other victims. But no suspect turns up in the FBI database. Due to the notoriety of the crimes a task force is put together with Bonnie as the lead detective, and she implores the D.A. to use an as yet unapproved type of a DNA Search in an effort to identify the killer. Homicide Detective Neil Jensen, with his own history of drug and alcohol problems, understands Bonnie’s frailty and the two detectives become inseparable as they track this serial killer.

DJ Swykert is a former 911 operator. His work has appeared in The Tampa Review, Detroit News, Monarch Review, Lunch Ticket, Zodiac Review, Barbaric Yawp and Bull.

His books include Children of the Enemy, Maggie Elizabeth Harrington, Alpha Wolves, The Death of Anyone and The Pool Boy’s Beatitude. You can find him at: www.magicmasterminds.com/djswykert. He is a wolf expert.

 

The post Mystery Writing–Familial DNA appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Why joining a writing group may be the best thing you do:  http://ow.ly/AhPc4 @standoutbooks

Hugh Howey weighs in on the Hachette and Amazon contretemps:  http://ow.ly/AnFKb @HughHowey

The Crash: Braving Your Second Draft:  http://ow.ly/AkI2Q @KMWeiland

How to Write Faster and Get Organized with Scrivener:  http://ow.ly/AkG8e @writetodone               

5 Tips for a Do-it Yourself Retreat:  http://ow.ly/AkMbv @OrlyKonigLopez

Rumination Frustration:  http://ow.ly/AkGVP  @sarahrcallender

How Not to Seek a Literary Agent: The Perils of ‘Middleman’ Services:  http://ow.ly/AkGHc @victoriastrauss

Libraries Dominate eBook Subscription Market | LitReactor http://ow.ly/AkGo4 @litreactor

45 Ways To Sabotage Your Social Media Success:  http://ow.ly/AkMrP @mollygreene

4 Ways To Write Every Day:  http://ow.ly/AkMid @woodwardkaren

Star Trek Writer’s Defense of Diversity in Sci-Fi:  http://ow.ly/AkFZC @io9

The Invisible Writer:  http://ow.ly/AkH9S @PhilipBoyle3 @writing_ie

Back cover copy that bores and blares:  http://ow.ly/AkKpU @mbcollings

13 Great Facebook Pages for Writers:  http://ow.ly/AkIaO @DanaStaves

The art of fan fiction:  http://ow.ly/AkKNS @Chantegski

C.S. Lewis’s Ideal Daily Routine:  http://ow.ly/AkFV7 @brainpicker

5 Weak Words That Are Sabotaging Your Writing http://ow.ly/AkIQv  @missafayres

Titles that sing:  http://ow.ly/AkG3E @nownovel

Soul-Crushing Things About Writing in 2014:  http://ow.ly/AkHfR @philjourdan

The importance of good book cover design: http://ow.ly/AnFYY  @ThomasEMcGee

3 Reasons to use CommentLuv on a Blog:  http://ow.ly/AnFVP @trainingauthors

The Novelist as Ethnographer:  http://ow.ly/AnG86 @IdeologyofLove

Tips for handling multiple plot lines:  http://ow.ly/AnGDS

Establish the Nature of the Story’s Jeopardy: http://ow.ly/AnG1n @cockeyedcaravan

Has modern technology killed the spy thriller?  http://ow.ly/AnGeP @CharlesCumming

Building Suspense In Your Novel — #WDC14 Tips from Mystery Author Jane K. Cleland http://ow.ly/AnF5G @sarawhitford

Promote Yourself And Your Books On Social Media Without Feeling Like A Soul-Selling Slime-Glob:  http://ow.ly/AhRO5 @chuckwendig {lang}

The Staying Power of Some Books:  http://ow.ly/AhO6q  @rachelnseigel

The importance of keeping it professional on social media:  http://ow.ly/AnFFC @Porter_Anderson @writerunboxed

Why Should Anyone Help Your Protagonist? http://ow.ly/AhQTw @Janice_Hardy

David Foster Wallace on Writing, Self-Improvement, and How We Become Who We Are:  http://ow.ly/AhNX4 @brainpicker

What to do When Your Characters Rise Up Against You : http://ow.ly/AhOHo @drewchial

Ebook Pricing: Why 99 Cents Might Be a Mistake: http://ow.ly/AhPLr @GoblinWriter

How to Figure Out WHAT Your Character’s Arc Should Be:  http://ow.ly/Ahs39 @kmweiland

The Art of Writing Back Copy: Boiling Your Book to its Essence http://ow.ly/AhR2l

Why Some Self-Published Authors Care How Hachette Prices Its Books: http://ow.ly/AhOpH @passivevoiceblg

What Shouldn’t be Included in a Novel:  http://ow.ly/AhQLw @noveleditor

4 Effective Ways to Beat Writer’s Burnout:  http://ow.ly/AhOhb @Write_Tomorrow

12 Publishing Shakers to Follow: http://ow.ly/AhPjz @MickRooney7777

7 reasons to make a list of scenes:  http://ow.ly/AhPuT @writers_write

How to Market Your Fiction Writing Through the Brilliance of Other Authors:  http://ow.ly/AhPF7 @storyrally

10 Writing Tips from J.R.R. Tolkien:  http://ow.ly/AhPXp  @JennyHansenCA

Women writers–be more assertive about the value of your work: http://ow.ly/AgcLl @AndiLit

Using Role-Playing to Rein in Your WIP http://ow.ly/AgdrW @mythicscribes

How To Find The Right Editor For Your Book:  http://ow.ly/Agdgb  @jenblood for @thecreativepenn

Critiques of paragraphs submitted for editing:  http://ow.ly/AgcPY @GayleTowell

18 Essential Parts to a Successful Start-Up Indie Publisher’s Business Plan:  http://ow.ly/Agdmb @ninaamir

On the Other Side of Failure:  http://ow.ly/AgdvJ @JordanRosenfeld

17 Reasons to Write Something NOW http://ow.ly/Ag6lU @JoeBunting

Dangerous Tropes: The Deformed Villain:  http://ow.ly/Ag6pQ @enderawiggin

Pushing Past Political Correctness: Writing Solutions for the Socially Conscious:  http://ow.ly/Agd17 @btmargins

5 Reasons You Procrastinate Getting Your Book Done:  http://ow.ly/Ag6gi @KristenEckstein

The 7 Deadly Sins of Prologues:  http://ow.ly/AgcEr @kristenlambtx

12 Tips for Writing Blog Posts That Get Noticed:  http://ow.ly/AgdkI @JodieRennerEd

Redefining Success in Order to Stay Sane:  http://ow.ly/Agdph @CSLakin

Formatting a Mid-Scene Break:  http://ow.ly/AgcUM @Dear_Editor

An author’s struggles with story timelines: http://ow.ly/Agd5D @JeffCohenwriter

How to Tackle Character Consistency:  http://ow.ly/AgddD @MsBessieBell

Screenwriter Tips for Novelists: 3 Things that Keep Your Story on the Road (not the Goat Path):  http://ow.ly/Ag6uA  @HeatherJacksonW

4 Newsletter Basics for Authors:  http://ow.ly/Ac7zL @a_crezo

29 Reasons to Do a Writing Challenge:  http://ow.ly/Ac9mU @beccaquibbles

5 Things Every Screenwriter Should Know About Writing A Novel:  http://ow.ly/Ac6tT @Abdaddy

5 Essential Brain Hacks for Fiction:  http://ow.ly/Ac7HP @litreactor

From Inspiration to Publication:  http://ow.ly/Ac6X2 @TDMcKinnon2012

7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / World Building In Your Screenplay Or Novel:  http://ow.ly/Ac5JF @bang2write

5 Examples of Unauthentic Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/Ac8Kf @justinmclachlan

Writing Doesn’t Make You a Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Rp @jamesscottbell

3 Top Tips for Writing for Social Media:  http://ow.ly/Ac7UL @writers_write

4 Rules of Using Fake Words:  http://ow.ly/Ac87j @mythcreants

When You Don’t Agree With Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/Ac9gq @amiekaufman

How to fix a plot hole:  http://ow.ly/Ac79U @Roz_Morris

DIY: Turn Your Manuscript Into A Physical Book:  http://ow.ly/Ac7pz @woodwardkaren

Pros and Cons of the Learn by Doing Method:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Y6 @mythcreants

Quick, Basic Tips for Writing a Riveting Short Story:  http://ow.ly/Ac5Ah @Jodie RennerEd

How to Build a Scene: Leave the Hero and/or Audience with a Growing Hope and/or Fear http://ow.ly/Ac7ft @cockeyedcaravan

Reader Pet Peeves:  http://ow.ly/A9ZLH @jodyhedlund

101 Writing Resources to Take You from Stuck to Unstoppable:  http://ow.ly/A9Z2S @cynthialindeman

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a book…) http://ow.ly/Aa17s @kristaphillips

Tips for pitching work:  http://ow.ly/Aa1iV @KarenDuvall @RMFWriters

Back In 1909, They Were Already Trying To Define Science Fiction:  http://ow.ly/A9Ywh @io9

5 Key Tips for Reaching Out for a Review:  http://ow.ly/A9Zpb @nookBN

Royalty rates and earning out–an agent explains: http://ow.ly/A9Ysa @Janet_Reid

Writing by hand, or typing: when are you most creative? http://ow.ly/Aa1gJ @chrisrobley

Want More Conflict in Your Novel? Using D&D for Inspiration:  http://ow.ly/Aa19d @kristenlambtx

7 Black Women Science Fiction Writers to Know: http://ow.ly/A9YYL @forharriet

8 Writer Tips To Keep Your Butt in the Chair:  http://ow.ly/A9Yod @JordanDane

25 Word Lists for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Aa1cz @CKmacleodwriter

10 Library Fellowships for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Aa0y9  @A_WritersStudio

Invasion of privacy in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/Acp4q @mkinberg

Be Gone, Sanctimonious Defenders of the Supposed Literary Canon:  http://ow.ly/A9ZL0 @NewDorkReview

5 Reasons to Write Every Day:  http://ow.ly/A9YT7  @NikkiWoods

Self-Publishers Aren’t Killing The Industry, They’re Saving It: http://ow.ly/A9Ym1 @DavidGaughran

Sleep deprived sleuths in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AcnPf @mkinberg

Wattpad: 14 Tips for Authors:  http://ow.ly/A8cvp  @outaprintwriter

How 1 writer got an agent’s attention:  http://ow.ly/A8ddS @SDWriters

POV–Find the perspective you’re naturally good at: http://ow.ly/A8cIf @TherinKnite

The Hidden Dangers in Short-Form Contracts:  http://ow.ly/A8cb8 @SusanSpann

With @EoinPurcell ‘s hiring at Amazon UK, we lose insightful commentary on publishing: http://ow.ly/AdhDl @Porter_Anderson

Why Book Review Blogs Should Embrace Self-Pubbed Books:  http://ow.ly/A8c56 @Wiseink

7 Signs You Have a Creative Brain:  http://ow.ly/Acl0L @PatrickRwrites

Should More Authors Take Advantage of Kindle Unlimited?  http://ow.ly/A8cSV @HelloTheFuture

5 Troubleshooting Tips for Problem Plots:  http://ow.ly/A8cZ3 @cathyyardley

Help for Slow Writers:  http://ow.ly/A8bVm  @jamigold

Ditch the Plot Map–Write What You DON’T Know:  http://ow.ly/AcAwU @selkiemoonbooks

Great Writers on Writing: Roger Hobbs:  http://ow.ly/AccqA  @rogerjhobbs @SeeleyJamesAuth

Self-Publish or Perish: Why 1 Writer Made the Leap:  http://ow.ly/A8bOM @eileengoudge @Janefriedman

Listen to Your Readers:  http://ow.ly/A8d0Y  @birgitte_rasine

Dealing With Submitter’s Block:  http://ow.ly/A8bL3 @HoarderComesCln

Dramatica describes 3 ways characters can interact:  http://ow.ly/A8bJ0 @glencstrathy

4 Lessons From Writing on an Emerging Mobile Platform:  http://ow.ly/A8c9i @kathrynstanley_

Tips for connecting with reviewers and better use of social media for promo:  http://ow.ly/A8d5w  @sarahalderson

10 Things You Don’t Need (To Be A Writer):  http://ow.ly/A8cP4  @DelilahSDawson

How to Find Your Character’s Breaking Point:  http://ow.ly/A8cEY @KMWeiland

Don’t Let Publishing Intimidate You: You Are Your Own Best Advocate: http://ow.ly/A9Zf4 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

Periodization for Writers:  http://ow.ly/A3FCX @sandrawickham

Metadata: Can better data management make good work stand out?  http://ow.ly/AaFPK @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

5 Simple Words to Start a Conversation Today:  http://ow.ly/A3Ghu @M_Richmond21

A Character Must Feel Compelled to Let People Know About His or Her Unique Perspective:  http://ow.ly/A3FYT @cockeyedcaravan

Why We Should Bring a Business Card to a Writers Conference:  http://ow.ly/A3FvB @LynnetteLabelle

Why You Should Ignore Most of the Advice from your Critique Groups…but They Can Help You Anyway:  http://ow.ly/AacR4 @annerallen

3 Questions to Prepare Your Perfect Author Message: http://ow.ly/A3JOd @BrenMcClain

Control Your Online Image: http://ow.ly/A3JeD  @MaryL_MarissaC

Top 10 eBook Cover Design Sites:  http://ow.ly/Aa1w4 @gpstberg

Becoming a better writer: find a critique group:  http://ow.ly/A3Kdn @JordanMcCollum

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

More Thoughts on Wattpad

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I blogged in May that I was giving the publishing platform Wattpad a go.  I was somewhat worried about this decision at the time, wondering if my octogenarian protagonist and I would fit in among the youthful readers on the site.

From May to August, I went from several reads to steadily increasing reads.  Nothing I’d call spectacular.  But each day or couple of days I’d get a notification that I had someone else following (I think of them more as subscribers of) my story.  The number of reads (not readers, reads of each chapter) grew and with them grew more visibility.  That’s how it works at Wattpad.

Now, suddenly, I have over 18,000 reads.  I’ve done absolutely nothing to get these.  I’ve not been actively networking, not been joining groups.  I’ve been pretty darn introverted on the site except for my pleasant exchanges with readers who have commented on each chapter.

What helped tremendously was that I was recently placed on the Featured List on Wattpad.  Someone from Wattpad emailed me and asked to feature my book.  The only thing required on my end was that I keep the book up on Wattpad (once completed, since it’s being released on Wattpad serially) for six months.  Featured stories get 1-2 weeks on the front couple of pages before joining the rest of the works on the main list.

We could say that it’s because the content specialist knew I was a published author and that he felt safe featuring my selection.  But during our email exchange, it became clear to me that he had no knowledge of my other books or even of the fact that I’d finished writing the book I was posting to Wattpad.  He seemed not to know that the book had been published in its entirety for several years.  That’s a bit worrying, considering that I posted that information at the end of every uploaded chapter.  It’s the “call to action” that’s recommended for authors on Wattpad.

So this is what I’m thinking helps us get featured (like it helps us find readers, in general):

Cover quality

Quality of the writing/lack of typos

Consistency in terms of publishing (this is clearly specific to Wattpad and its serial release culture)

Decent formatting/understanding of the platform

Slow but steady increase in reads (site visibility)

Other discoveries:

There are older readers there, too.  Not tons, but some.

Younger readers were surprisingly willing to give the book a go and surprisingly gracious about its content.

I haven’t run into trolls there.  This doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s been very friendly there.

I haven’t run into the time suck that I worried I’d face with Wattpad.  Interactions have (mainly) been short and very pleasant.

Yes, being “featured” on Wattpad makes a huge difference.  My “reads” (again, these are “reads”, not “readers”—so each chapter garners reads from readers who’ve already read previous chapters.  If that makes sense…) went from the hundreds to the thousands.

How has this affected my sales?  I have absolutely no idea.  I know that sales in general took a summer dip in July, before picking up again.  I think this is increasing awareness of my books.  That’s what I believe my online presence, in general, does–give me a bit of visibility.  I think I’m gaining younger readers—something I think is important for series longevity.

When might a Wattpad experiment work well for you?

It’s probably not for everybody.  You’re putting something up for free. Wattpad is probably not as friendly to some genres (non-commercial fiction comes to mind).  I’ve had a writer on Google Plus to recently remind me that it’s a “content silo” profiting from writers.

All of that is true(ish).  For me, though, it’s worth it.  I already have at least one book at bargain basement prices for sale online.  Free isn’t a big deal to me.  And I don’t see any other opportunity to actively court young readers in an arena that large.  If they’re using me, I’m using them right back.

If you had several books out, wrote YA or other commercial genres, and didn’t mind having a book available for free…Wattpad could provide you with added exposure.  And if the book is already written, the serial thing won’t give you any deadline stress–you’d just submit a chapter from your old Word file each week.

So….curious.  Have y’all checked out Wattpad for your stories?  Visited there at all?  What are your thoughts on the platform?

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