Riley Adams's Blog, page 133

June 21, 2014

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.

Facebook Ads: Should Indie Authors Buy Them? http://ow.ly/xV9PZ @CaballoFrances

Must Publishing Always Take Sides? http://ow.ly/yhjBE @Porter_Anderson @RLLafevers @thoughtcatalog

How to Build A Contact List To Grow A Relationship With Your Readers: http://ow.ly/xV8T3 @ebooksandkids

Exploring Story Worlds – How to get the most out of your research: http://ow.ly/xV98J @writers_write

If your family hates it when you write: http://ow.ly/xV9gd @kristaphillips

8 Things Not to Do When Pitching to an Agent: http://ow.ly/xSfdQ @LynnetteLabelle

10 Tips for Writing with Babies at Home: http://ow.ly/xSich @PatheosPagan

6 Subtle Ways to Increase Tension in Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xShi4 @RachelPhifer1

Bait-and-Switch for Self-Published Authors: http://ow.ly/xSh9e @victoriastrauss

How to Write Female and Male Characters: http://ow.ly/xShcA @LissyWrites

Book launch checklist: http://ow.ly/xSh1Y @Kelsye

Will I ever feel like a “Real” Writer? http://ow.ly/xSfhS @Alison_Stone

Why Living Hard Is Way Easier Than Writing Hard: http://ow.ly/xSinq @Authorlaura

Summer Writing for You, the Teacher: http://ow.ly/xSi78 @BethMooreTCRWP

Getting an Agent by Self-Publishing Your Manuscript: What Some Agents Think: http://ow.ly/xShyx @lindaepstein

How to write characters who are different than you: http://ow.ly/xSheI @sarahselecky

33 Unusual Tips to Being a Better Writer: http://ow.ly/xShoe @jaltucher

From White Page and Dark Space, Miracles Occur: http://ow.ly/xSflI @CLRozelle

6 Types of Character Flaws: http://ow.ly/xShr7 @mythcreants

Character Generators: http://ow.ly/xSh89

What are English Light Novels? A Stop For All To Learn About LN: http://ow.ly/xSh5e @OrganizationASG

Pan Macmillan’s Lloyd at FutureBook Hack: Ask what you can do for readers: http://ow.ly/yaJ0j @TheFutureBook @Porter_Anderson

Thematic Significance Statement Defines Every Story Decision: http://ow.ly/xSeJU @plotwhisperer

Quick Tips: Adverbial Dialogue Tags: http://ow.ly/xSePW @Savage_Woman

Query Question: more bad info, this time on self-pub and series: http://ow.ly/xSeV2 @Janet_Reid

Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing: I Have To Sell Books Quickly: http://ow.ly/xSeGC @deanwesleysmith

Differentiation: A Book Marketing Must: http://ow.ly/xSeco @hanque99

Fast-Growing Independent Publishers, 2014: http://ow.ly/xSeSH @PublishersWkly

The Art of Writing for Games – Serving the Masters: http://ow.ly/yaGHD @timsbrannan

Quick Look: Writer Pro for iPad: http://ow.ly/xSegu @iPadInsightBlog

A Trick for Keeping Your Plot (and Story) on Target: http://ow.ly/xSekl @Janice_Hardy

Fiction Craft– Focusing the Camera: http://ow.ly/xSeF0 @wendylawton

Embracing the Digital Revolution: http://ow.ly/y2TzM @KristiBelcamino

In Defense of Typos: http://ow.ly/xSenO @io9

Yawn No More: Americans and the Market for Foreign Fiction: http://ow.ly/xSe6c @pubperspectives

Your Character is Lying: http://ow.ly/xSexX @JulieEshbaugh

The Emotion of Changing Your Mind: http://ow.ly/xSeN2 @mooderino

You Wrote a Book. Now What? http://ow.ly/xSeuT @jodyhedlund

How to Tell if Your Story is On Target: What’s —Your Book About in ONE Sentence? http://ow.ly/xSeAF @kristenlambtx

Writer’s Block? Use a Random Generator: http://ow.ly/xSerV @jamigold

Challenges that modern crime writers face in keeping stories credible: http://ow.ly/y7Z3h @mkinberg

When You Start Writing (Again) Only for You: http://ow.ly/xQnCF @novaren

Dissecting Your Characters: http://ow.ly/xQon6 @TerriLAustin

Novel Avoidance Syndrome: http://ow.ly/xQnlt @VictoriaLamb1

So You Want to Write a Love Triangle: http://ow.ly/xQm9g @shay_goodman

5 Ways to Create Conflict in Your Story: http://ow.ly/xQpyY @screencrafting

So You’ve Decided to Hire a Freelance Editor: http://ow.ly/xQpt1 @WritingRefinery

The Top 9 Writing Mistakes And How To Fix Them: http://ow.ly/xQpp6 @FutureofInk

How to Critique Others’ Writing: http://ow.ly/xQpO8 @writerdiaries

Writing Fiction: Facts v. Feeling: http://ow.ly/xQodx @lindasclare

15 questions for your beta readers — and to focus your own revisions: http://ow.ly/y7ITy @JodieRennerEd

5 Mistakes on the Way to Publishing Success: http://ow.ly/xQo2Q @CarmenConnects

7 things the most-highlighted Kindle passages tell us about American readers: http://ow.ly/xQnXh @voxdotcom

Best Books on Songwriting: http://ow.ly/xQn9f @natefancher

Written to Death: http://ow.ly/xQmU1 @VaughnRoycroft @writerunboxed

3 Ways to Pitch Your Novel (but not in the trash): http://ow.ly/xQo8E @lindasclare

Good Writing: No Matter Your Genre: http://ow.ly/xQnxA @JordanRosenfeld

The False Divide Between Book Promo and Author Promo: http://ow.ly/xQnsn @SharonBially @writerunboxed

Are you in danger of losing your readers’ suspension of disbelief? http://ow.ly/xQpBT @standoutbooks

Write Out Loud: How to Start Podcasting: http://ow.ly/xOui3 @cbramkamp @ninaamir

Scenes, Sequels, Sequences and Acts: http://ow.ly/xOvmp @woodwardkaren

When to Hire an Editor : http://ow.ly/xOuer @Savage_Woman

Scene: Fast or Fast-Paced? http://ow.ly/xOtOv @fictionnotes

3 Things to Know About Exposition & Telling: http://ow.ly/xOuKE @victoriamixon

How to prepare for the call: http://ow.ly/xOura @writerdiaries @ava_jae

Is Instagram Effective for Writers? http://ow.ly/xOwNR @carolewyer

How Can Your Characters Make Others Believe Them? http://ow.ly/xOtMF @skyefairwin

Should Secondary Characters Change? http://ow.ly/xOuz1 @mooderino

Location, Location, Location: http://ow.ly/xOuoo @janet_gover @womenwriters

4 story openings that put people off (and how to avoid them): http://ow.ly/xOuE3 @standoutbooks

Your Creativity Is like Any Other Muscle: http://ow.ly/xOv0n @99u

Do publishers see the value in audio? Listen for the consumer. http://ow.ly/y2T0A @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook @editoratfaber”

When you need a sidekick in your novel: http://ow.ly/xOu1G @writers_write

Choosing a look (Theme) for your WordPress site: http://ow.ly/xOu7S

Concocting Fiction from Fact: Using Research to Tell Better Stories: http://ow.ly/xOwLd @KeithCronin

5 Tips to Set a Better Scene: http://ow.ly/xOtV4 @novelrocket

Husband and wife sleuths in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/y3Fh9 @mkinberg

8 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/xMsq3 @NatRusso

30 Famous Authors On Writing in Plain Language : http://ow.ly/xMqc4 @writers_write

Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing: Put The Book Up and Leave It. | http://ow.ly/xMpQn @deanwesleysmith

FutureBook Hackers at work: Did we tell them enough? http://ow.ly/y2Tki @TheFutureBook @Porter_Anderson

11 Terrible Book Covers to Scare You Off Reading: http://ow.ly/xMqaj @MaxKnoblauch

How Audiobook Narration And Production Works (podcast): http://ow.ly/xMpTq @thecreativepenn

‘A Letter to Aspiring-Writer-Me from Debut-Novelist-Me’: http://ow.ly/xMuCu @nataliasylv @writerunboxed

10 Quick Ways to Feel Better With Fiction: http://ow.ly/xMpYy @tolstoytherapy

How to Vary Your Characters’ Voices: http://ow.ly/xVajS @LitCentralOC

7 tools of dialogue: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-7-tools-of-dialogue @jamesscottbell

The Worse Advice You Can Take About Writing: http://ow.ly/xV8HO @DanaLeipold

Writers: Track Your Analytics and Measure Your Success: http://ow.ly/xV9XQ @CaballoFrances

5 Key Ways to Create a Character’s Distinct Voice: http://ow.ly/xV9cb @JordanDane

2 Dialogue Death Sentences & How to Get a Stay-of-Execution: http://ow.ly/xV9xx @MarcyKennedy

How To Be A Writer 101: http://ow.ly/xVatQ @davalynnspencer @SouthrnWritrMag

Semi-Professonally Pairing Books With Wine: http://ow.ly/xV9Jz @susangilmore

7 Reasons The Stuff You Post On Social Media Should Also Be On Your Website: http://ow.ly/xV93b @jspector

How to Know If You’re Editing Too Soon: http://ow.ly/xV8MI @losapala

Finding Motivation to Write: http://ow.ly/xV8PJ @maziebones

Scene Break vs. Chapter Break: How Do You Know? http://ow.ly/xVbs5 @ava_jae

3 Reasons You Need a Pen Name: http://ow.ly/xVbw5 @robinrwrites

How Do You Make a Good Story Worthy of Getting Past the Gatekeeper? http://ow.ly/xVb9n @karencv

3 tips for better scenes: http://ow.ly/xVcjw @lindasclare

Narrative Arc: Shaping Your Story: http://ow.ly/xVbX7 @fcmalby

How to Start Writing When You Won’t Start Writing: http://ow.ly/xVbCV @M_Richmond21

Themes That Develop Organically in Your Novel: http://ow.ly/xVc9U @CSLakin

Narrative Voice: http://ow.ly/xVaMZ @JoeMoore_writer

Story Structure… for Television: http://ow.ly/xVbZP @storyfix

The 5 best incentives authors can use to build an email list: http://ow.ly/xVbKu @alexhemus @standoutbooks

Unforgettable Writing: Use all 5 Senses to Add Emotion: http://ow.ly/xVbeY @OrlyKonigLopez

The Author Monthly Planner: A Freebie to Organize Your Writing and Marketing Life: http://ow.ly/xVc4V @duolit

Do You Need to Rethink Your Author Website’s Key Elements? http://ow.ly/xVaUH @Janefriedman

Why the Where Matters: http://ow.ly/xVbkI @sarahrcallender @writerunboxed

When You Write In Multiple Points of View: http://ow.ly/xVaZ0 @Margo_L_Dill

An Easy Exercise for Coming Up With Novel Ideas: http://ow.ly/xVbRu @Janice_Hardy @nownovel

4 Common Non-Fiction Title Cliches: http://ow.ly/y0Ugm @stevebenjamins

Self-Publishing Offers Hope for Diverse Authors Shut Out by Traditional Publishers: http://ow.ly/y0UMa @miralsattar

‘Every hour a glass of wine’ ––the female writers who drank: http://ow.ly/y0Uwq @olivialanguage @guardianbooks

Reunions in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/yhk2j @mkinberg

How To Conduct An Author Interview: http://ow.ly/y0Ue2 @write_practice

Will The Success Of Ebook Subscription Services Be Good For Publishers, Authors And Readers? http://ow.ly/y0Uke @jdgsaid

What 1 writer learned about landing an agent: http://ow.ly/y0TYw @MartinaABoone

Tips for creating a great villain: http://ow.ly/y0U2x @nownovel

Not all books and not all subscription services are created equal: http://ow.ly/y0UXZ @MikeShatzkin

Fine-Tuning a Manuscript–Comma Usage: http://ow.ly/yi727

Marketing Your Book Abroad? How About A Buddy System?Matchmaking for Writers: http://ow.ly/yhjpz @Porter_Anderson @mmatting

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Published on June 21, 2014 21:02

June 20, 2014

Fine-Tuning a Manuscript–Comma Usage

Guest Post by Jack Smith

In fiction what is “correct” is what works—what creates strong characters, drives the story, and creates the appropriate tone. This applies to grammar and mechanics as well. I’ll have to admit, I do tend to be a bit schoolmarmy about the conventions of grammar and mechanics, but I also recognize when it’s important to depart from the standard handbook. A bullet train of comma splices might be desirable if you’re attempting to capture run-on thought. No punctuation at all might also be. When I’m editing my own work, as well as the work of others in my role as Fiction Editor for The Green Hills Literary Lantern, I tend to notice the following kinds of grammatical issues: subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, misplaced modifiers, and, of course, matters of punctuation, which includes commas, semi-colons, colons, apostrophes, parenthesis—and more.

I’ll limit my comments here to commas. According to strict handbook rules and conventions, where should you use commas?

Before coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet) between main clauses
After long phrases (generally 5 words or more) introducing main clauses
After subordinate clauses beginning with because, if, after, whereas, etc.

(Not before subordinate clauses that come after main clauses)

Between coordinate adjectives that modify a noun (e.g., tall, lanky man)
With appositives (e.g., James, a smart and ambitious man, has some serious goals.)
With direct address (e.g., All right, James, let’s discuss this.)

There are more comma issues to consider (non-restrictive and restrictive, for instance), but I won’t go into those. Let’s stop here.

Now, let’s say that you break handbook rules and conventions governing comma usage. Let’s say that your narrator states:

When James a man with a desire to obtain an education went to the city he usually went to a museum attended a concert or saw a play maybe it was Shakespeare maybe it was contemporary but he was let us say a great pursuer of the arts of all kinds.

Certainly from a strict schoolmarm perspective, this passage is loaded with comma “errors”—F work, for sure. Let’s look just at the comma usage—please ignore wording and anything else that might bother you. Stick to the comma question, and note where the standard handbook would call for comma insertions:

“When James, a man with a desire to obtain an education, went to the city, he usually went to a museum, attended a concert (,) or saw a play; maybe it was Shakespeare—maybe it was contemporary—but he was, let us say, a great pursuer of the arts of all kinds.

Notice that I placed parentheses around one comma since here it is optional. I used dashes to set off “maybe it was contemporary,” but I could have used commas. As to the rest, note commas around the appositive, the comma after the introductory subordinate clause, and the comma after the first item in the series. If I had used a comma before “maybe,” I would have a comma splice—a mechanical error by strict handbook rules. A comma is called for in the parenthetical phrase “let us say.”

Notice that not a single word is changed is this “corrected” version, and yet there’s a different feel achieved by supplying the commas, isn’t there? The first version is more loose and informal, the second more structured and formal. If your narrator is uneducated, perhaps the first version is better. Of course, these are two extreme versions; perhaps you leave out only few commas. Leaving out the comma after the introductory subordinate clause probably wouldn’t affect the tone very much. (And one could argue, even by strict handbook standards, it’s not that much of an “error” as long as the sentence is clear. On the other hand, if you leave out one of the commas in the appositive, that would certainly be a handbook error—and even appear to be a mistake to one who isn’t a handbook nut.) The comma splice wouldn’t have that much of an effect either. But here’s the point: The more you abide by, or bend, the rules and conventions, the greater the effect on style and tone—and the voice of your narrator. And keep in mind that the numerous rhythms and beats of words, phrases, and clauses, and even the appearance of the language itself on the page, the way passages are measured out, comma by comma, semi-colon by semi-colon, period by period—all this has a cumulative effect on your reader. Sometimes it’s hard to say exactly what that is, but as a reader you feel it.

There is no absolute right and wrong in fiction writing. It’s what works. When fine-tuning, use the handbook when it helps you create strong language; put it aside when it doesn’t.

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.

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Published on June 20, 2014 11:33

June 17, 2014

Embracing the Digital Revolution

By Kristi Belcamino, @KristiBelcamino

Writers dream of the day when they walk into a bookstore, see a book they wrote on the shelf, and then hold that book in their own two hands!

But what if a debut author is offered a digital-only book deal? Even if it is with one of the Big Five? No print book. What then? What does she do about that offer?

Well, she takes it!

At least I did.

I was beside myself, thrilled that an editor at one of the “big houses” liked my book. loved it even. At the same time, I had to let go of my dreams— holding my book in my hands, signing a physical book, and going cross-country on a grassroots book tour.

Instead, I had to think pragmatically and long-term, viewing every step I made as another one toward building a career as a writer instead of a flash-in-the-pan moment of ego-gratifying glory. I also realized that mystery readers—my readers—are huge into reading eBooks. All this meant taking the eBook deal.

But I must admit I clung to one tiny glimmer of hope within the fine print of my contract— some authors on the mystery imprint I was with would see a print version of their book. My contract explicitly stated, however, that there were no guarantees of a print version.

However, being the optimist that I am, I read that and thought, as Jim Carrey said in Dumb & Dumber, “So, you’re telling me I got a chance?”

Meanwhile, I wholeheartedly embraced this opportunity to get my book out into the world and began brainstorming ways to market it.

I’d heard of eBook authors giving author talks and then passing around an iPad so people could buy the book since there wouldn’t be a physical book to sell at the event, so I headed straight for the library and bookstores.

My favorite librarian told me that without a physical book, I could not do an author reading.

When I contacted bookstores, I heard the same thing:

No book. No author event.

I wondered if there was anything I could do to increase the chances of my book going to print, but suspected it all had to do with how sales of my book went. I understood that. It made sense. But I also know that I’m terrible at selling anything. At garage sales I usually give half of our things away (much to my husband’s chagrin).

I wondered how could I encourage people to buy my book without being a jerk? I’m still not sure. My answer was to tell people about my book on social media, trying to follow that 80/20 rule (80 percent NOT you or your book and 20 percent blatant self promo).

Meanwhile, as thrilled as I was to be working with one of the big five publishers, I still mourned letting go of my writerly dreams. For instance, when I visited my favorite bookstores, my stomach would sink a little realizing that even though my book was being published, it would not be on those shelves.

There were more discouraging moments:

My brother-in-law said he wouldn’t read my book unless it was in print.

A book editor at a daily newspaper said she only read printed books.

The editor of a mystery magazine said the same.

The resistance was disheartening.

Unlike people who self publish, there wasn’t even an option for me to have a print on demand book. It was up to the publisher whether to print copies of my book. Or not.

There was nothing I could do about it.

One day, I decided to ask once my publisher, once again, what needed to happen for me to see my book come out in print. This time, the answer was “There will be a print run.”

Say what?

How many?

Well, in the business, they call it a SPR, a small print run. I will have a book to hold in my hand. I will have books to sign. I may not be taking that grassroots book tour. I may not see my book in the big box bookstores.

But I will be able to have a book launch party at my favorite mystery bookstore, which has ordered the print book already!

I will be able to hold my book in my hands! I will be able to give author talks at the library! People, like my brother-in-law, will now read my book.

I will be able to—gasp—sign my book!

I had to adjust my dreams a little, but don’t we all. In the long run, I still count the way things worked out as a dream come true.

Kristi Belcamino is a writer, artist and crime reporter who also bakes a tasty biscotti. Her first novel, “Blessed are the Dead,” (HarperCollins June 2014) is inspired by her dealings with a serial killer during her life as a Bay Area crime reporter. As an award-winning crime reporter at newspapers in California, she flew over Big Sur in an FA-18 jet with the Blue Angels, raced a Dodge Viper at Laguna Seca, and watched autopsies. Find out more at www.kristibelcamino.com or on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/kristibelcaminowriter.

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Published on June 17, 2014 21:03

June 15, 2014

Reassessing Goals at Mid-Year

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I dislike resolutions, but I do like setting goals. I know that June isn’t the popular month for setting goals that January is, but it’s a great time to do a mid-year checkup on our goals.

If we’re not where we want to be, my advice is to scrap the January goals completely and start fresh. Feeling forced to play catch-up is really unpleasant.

The most important thing, I think, for writing goals is to make them no-brainers. Something so easy that we can pile up a bunch of successes in our goal-meeting. I’ll reiterate my advice for goal setting that I posted in January.

Three tips for making mid-year goals reachable:

Set goals for the rest of the year—and make them very easy to meet. See how modest you can make those goals and still reach your end-goal.

Break those goals down into small parts—small enough to be items on a to-do list or calendar. Instead of “finish my book,” I’ve found it’s more effective to break it down into smaller deadlines: “finish chapter ten by July 1,” (maybe accompanied with a note on the calendar) or list 10 ways to approach _____scene (a difficult scene we might be facing). Or even “write 15 minutes each day for 5 of the next 7 days.”

Track and post accomplishments. To me, this is key for keeping motivated. I keep ticked off items on my to-do list and print out online calendars that show past days’ completed items. Or we can post our progress on our blogs or websites.

To help with setting new goals, I’m linking to a free writing goals worksheet created by Gabriela Pereira at DIY MFA.

Have you ever done a mid-year goal check-in? What tips have you got for making goals manageable and sticking with it?

Image: MorgueFile: Dhester

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Published on June 15, 2014 21:02

June 14, 2014

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Romance Writing: Description: Choosing the Right Words: http://ow.ly/xKUfJ @taliaqui

How to Keep Your Writing in Your Over-the-Top Busy Life: http://ow.ly/xKTBQ @writeabook

16 go-to sources for copyright-cleared images: http://ow.ly/xKTWl @KatelynPiontek

Tips for better-using MS Word: http://ow.ly/xKTDO @byondpapr

Should I Sit, Stand, Run, or Recline at My Desk? http://ow.ly/xKTnv @melaniepinola

Get the Scoop on Fair Image Usage: http://ow.ly/xKTRv @douglangille @beccapuglisi

Stretch Your Author Creative Capital a la Spanx: http://ow.ly/xKTwn @wherewriterswin

Choosing a pen name and connecting to one on Amazon: http://ow.ly/xKU6J @loislewauthor

Why Eimear McBride’s Prize-Winning ‘Girl’ Is Not On Sale In The US: http://ow.ly/xXKhD @Coffee_House_ @Porter_Anderson

Gearing up for #FutureBookHack: 5 Challenges: http://ow.ly/xXKzX @TheFutureBook @Porter_Anderson

What Is the Value of Traditional Publishers? http://ow.ly/xXL4T @Janefriedman

Frogs, Hot Water, and the 7 Deadly Sins: Making Trouble for Characters: http://ow.ly/xXLvM @manmartin1

Turning points in screen narratives: http://ow.ly/xKTHr @medkno

The Importance of Killer Sidekicks: http://ow.ly/xKTln @susanspann

How to Find Your Hidden Creative Genius: http://ow.ly/xKUbL @james_clear

Writing Historical Fiction for Dyslexic Readers: http://ow.ly/xKU1E @CarolineLawrenc

How To Succeed At Screenwriting: Set Goals: http://ow.ly/xKTYQ @gointothestory

12 Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking: http://ow.ly/xKTJ2 @gointothestory

A Writer’s Block Breaker: 30 Songs For 30 Chapters: http://ow.ly/xKTKE @roniloren

Redefining Teen Romance: On Writing Sex, Love and Emotions: http://ow.ly/xKTNj @diymfa @wendyluwrites

Writing A Publishable Novel: What “Finally Getting It” Really Means: http://ow.ly/xKUid @storyfix

Narrative, Plot, and Story: http://ow.ly/xL3IO @writing_tips

Writing Your Memoirs: 3 Places to Find Two Days: http://ow.ly/xL3R0 @alainsworth

How to create tension in your writing: http://ow.ly/xL3ku @nownovel

Why Words Matter in Fiction and Story: http://ow.ly/xL3na @noveleditor

A complete guide to minimalist writing: http://ow.ly/xL3m8 @minimalstudent

Rejection letters publishers sent to 11 great authors: http://ow.ly/xL3Fa @IndoEnts

Instagram Gets Literary: http://ow.ly/xL3OZ @therivetermag

The Evolution Of Storytelling In Video Games: http://ow.ly/xL3tC @ParadeMagazine @willydubz

Dialogue Writing Tips from Bartleby Snopes: http://ow.ly/xL3Hu @A_WritersStudio

12 Things Every Indie Author Needs to Know: http://ow.ly/xL3yS @TherinKnite

Writing Hated Characters: A Study in Snape: http://ow.ly/xL3w5 @emilyekmurdoch

The 4 Worst Places for Freelance Writers to Start: http://ow.ly/xL3Gv @ticewrites

7 Lessons for Writers from The Fault in Our Stars: http://ow.ly/xL3qC @jeffgoins

Presence on the Page: What It Is, and What It Isn’t : http://ow.ly/xL3B5 @manzanitafire

Can You Describe Your Book Market? http://ow.ly/xL3pe @ninaamir

5 Reasons to Write a Short Book Fast: http://ow.ly/xMlpI @ninaamir

Author Website Design 101: http://ow.ly/xMlV6 @MKAlexander1

The Serious Novel isn’t Dead, It Won: http://ow.ly/xMl5s @mharoldpage

Writing in Plain Language – How to remove meaningless phrases: http://ow.ly/xMlex @writers_write

How To See If A Domain Name, or URL, Is Available: http://ow.ly/xMl1C @travisnward

8 Most Common Editing Errors In Self-Published Books: http://ow.ly/xMlwy @selfpubreview

How a Good TV Show Can Help You Write (and Edit) Your Novel : http://ow.ly/xMlsg @chicklitgurrl

The Dangerous Trap of Forced Writing: http://ow.ly/xMlB5 @Awesome_Dawn

Talents and Skills Thesaurus Entry: Basic First Aid: http://ow.ly/xMkLf @beccapuglisi

What Poets Know That Most Writers Don’t: http://ow.ly/xMl91 @schwamb

How to Buy an ISBN: http://ow.ly/xMkTA @travisnward

How to Pitch Yourself: Young Eudora Welty’s Charming Job Application to The New Yorker | http://ow.ly/xMlkx @brainpicker

5 Tips for Effective Author Marketing: Small is the New Big: http://ow.ly/xMlJv

An Agent Answers Questions: http://ow.ly/xMlDG @agentmilburn

Turning your poetry dabbling into a marketing tool: http://ow.ly/xMkX3 @magdalenaball

Will One Bad Book Ruin Your Career? http://ow.ly/xMlaA @jamesscottbell

5 Must Know Websites for the Independent Filmmaker: http://ow.ly/xMr7j @talenthouse

How Millennials Use Technology in Writing: http://ow.ly/xMszW @MSaintGermain

5 Experiences Writing Fiction Gives You (That Other Things Can’t): http://ow.ly/xMuLs @vgrefer

Screenwriting: Here’s Why Women-Driven Films Are Important: http://ow.ly/xMv11 @aokorycinski

Case Study: When Your Concept is Also a Paradox: http://ow.ly/xMq4w @storyfix

9 self-pub podcasts to listen to: http://ow.ly/xMqjs @AnthonyVenutolo

Finishing the Novel: Daily Task of “Getting it Done”: http://ow.ly/xMq1Z @elissafield

Is Writing Hard? 7 Ways to Make it Easier: http://ow.ly/xMsc7 @DeniseDrespling

7 Signs You Should Cut Your Prologue: http://ow.ly/xJeya @ava_jae

Writing: Find time or make time in 22 quick tips: http://ow.ly/xJdWc @rchazzchute

How to Put Together an Anthology: http://ow.ly/xJe9m @wickerkat

Character Flaws: http://ow.ly/xJe4m @ritahenuber

6 Things to Keep in Mind When Gathering Testimonials/Book Blurbs: http://ow.ly/xJdKs @writersdigest

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Are You the Writer’s Block? http://ow.ly/xJehD @BookEmDonna

Chekhov’s gun and the mental inventory: http://ow.ly/xJe0q @PhilAthans

Trust your Readers: http://ow.ly/xJez5 @karencv

The Secret Sauce for Indie Publishers: Attitude: http://ow.ly/xJe5P @ninaamir

Genres Promise Certain Emotions: Are you Keeping Your Promise? http://ow.ly/xJe1Z @fictionnotes

Working theme into novels: http://ow.ly/xJe6Y @CSLakin

3 Critical Steps to Writing Success: http://ow.ly/xJecB @jeffgoins

5 Motives For Animals in Fiction: http://ow.ly/xJdZf @pyrosama

These Writing Myths Will Keep You From Getting Published: http://ow.ly/xJeeS @jffelkins

Growing Readership By ‘Lighting Up Your Writing’: http://ow.ly/xJenf @Claudsy1

Humourous Quotes About Writing: http://ow.ly/xJe8j @blogher

5 Challenges for this weekend’s #FutureBookHack: http://ow.ly/xQqrA @RickJoyce @Porter_Anderson

Write a killer climax that leaves readers breathless: http://ow.ly/xHp6V @standoutbooks

Writing the Bittersweet Ending: http://ow.ly/xHnxA @mkhutchins

Manuscript Formatting and the Nuclear Option: http://ow.ly/xHptX @AuthorMelindaC

How to finally make it as a writer: http://ow.ly/xHp3V @jennaavery

3 Reasons Why Letters and Diaries Are Essential to Your Story: http://ow.ly/xHpwX @epbure

3 Cautions For Adding Research Into Stories: http://ow.ly/xHnv1 @jodyhedlund

Self Publishing Blog: http://ow.ly/xHppZ @bibliocrunch

What’s wrong with Your Story? On narrating a tale: http://ow.ly/xHoVR @davidfarland

How to Raise the Stakes in Our Story: http://ow.ly/xHoxd @jamigold

Burying the Hachette: http://ow.ly/xQq20 @writerunboxed @KeithCronin

5 Lessons from the Self-Publishing Front Lines: http://ow.ly/xHoBB @KerryGans

Control Your Life/Get Out of Yourself: http://ow.ly/xHnJW @katweyer

Giving Your Characters A Little Umph: http://ow.ly/xHplZ @larin20

Things Change and Yet Some Publishing Truths Remain the Same: http://ow.ly/xHpdh @author_sullivan

Contracts: One Little “s” Can Change Everything – Nelson Literary Agency: http://ow.ly/xHnsr

Superheroes conquer the literary novel: http://ow.ly/xHnBa @guardianbooks

Embrace Constraints: http://ow.ly/xHoHi @99u

A Screenwriter Answers Students: What’s the best way to break into the business? http://ow.ly/xHoqY @KenLevine

13 Essential Summer Reads According to Book Critics in 1852: http://ow.ly/xGxIj @nickgreene

Judging Short Fiction: http://ow.ly/xGxN6 @writerunboxed

Utilizing Deep POV: http://ow.ly/xMhc1 @cluculzwriter

The Amazon/Hachette Battle and Why It’s Great to Be a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/xGxDK @miralsattar

10 Reasons You Should Be Writing Memoir Right Now: http://ow.ly/xGxzR @manzanitafire

What Your Proposal Says about You: http://ow.ly/xGxuE @marygkeeley

How To Format Your Query in 5 Easy Steps: http://ow.ly/xB1fC @carlywatters

Lessons From Jane Eyre: 5 Ways to Bring Minor Characters to Life: http://ow.ly/xGxxO @KMWeiland

How to make our story more accessible: http://ow.ly/xMh2u @JacksBlackPen

8 Tips for Writers Using Pinterest: http://ow.ly/xB0T6 @CaballoFrances

Simon & Schuster Offers New Author Tools: http://ow.ly/xMvhz @lorcadamon

12 Dead Authors to Follow On Twitter: http://ow.ly/xB10f @parchmentgirl37

Fast and Easy Edits: http://ow.ly/xB1jR @DianeBohannan

8 Steps For Getting Started on a Writing Career: http://ow.ly/xGxSR @jodyhedlund

Advice From Seth Godin Every Writer Needs to Know: http://ow.ly/xGy1s @Adderworld

How To Upload & Sell Ebooks On Google Play: http://ow.ly/xGy87 @mollygreene

9 Books About Authors: http://ow.ly/xGy3Q @flavorwire

Why You Don’’t Need to Escape for Inspiration: http://ow.ly/xB1lp @monicamclark

How Do Publishers Decide What Books to Turn Into Audiobooks? http://ow.ly/xGxWA @voicesdotcom

4 Questions to Ask to Make Your Scenes Pop: http://ow.ly/xB1i5 @Janice_Hardy

How to Achieve Writing Goals: http://ow.ly/xB14S @carol_brill

Villages in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/xLgXL @mkinberg

The Green-Eyed Conference Monster: http://ow.ly/xB0FQ @jaelmchenry @writerunboxed

Tips for Loosening up Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xB0nK @jodierennered

5 Steps to a New Adult Sex Scene: http://ow.ly/xB03a @AuthorTiffany

Pros and cons of including profanity in a novel: http://ow.ly/xB0AK from Clever Girl Helps

How Should I Publish? http://ow.ly/xAZTi @AuthorU

How to finally make it as a writer: http://ow.ly/xB0hA @jennaavery

4 Pieces of Facebook Advice You Can Ignore: http://ow.ly/xB0Ob @lisahallwilson

14 Common Mistakes With Prepositions: http://ow.ly/xz58o @Writers_Write

When the character doesn’’t know he’’s going to arc: http://ow.ly/xB0je @JordanMcCollum

Go Ahead—–Ignore Your Novel! http://ow.ly/xB0uL @cbramkamp

Writing ‘Rules’: Start in the Middle of Action: http://ow.ly/xz5hl @HGComan

Can authors get smarter with Amazon keywords and categories? Start here: http://ow.ly/xz4JI @roz_morris

Know Why You’’re Submitting Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xz4MK @NathanielTower

Medium admits pay-per-click isn’’t the best way to pay writers: http://ow.ly/xz5OY @mathewi

How to write an interesting prologue: http://ow.ly/xz5Zs from Clever Girl Helps

Agents vs editors: http://ow.ly/xz5nl @thebookseller

The Best Way to Deal With Emotional Conflict When Writing: http://ow.ly/xz3rZ @gemmaleehawdon

Put More Strings in Your Writing Bow: http://ow.ly/xz4xt @jamesscottbell

3 Reasons Why Writers Should Keep A Sentence-A-Day Journal: http://ow.ly/xxUH2 @clarissadraper

Avoid “Zero Days” to Form Better Habits: http://ow.ly/xz3Dd @calldrdave @lifehacker

How Do Different Characters Express Emotion? http://ow.ly/xxUTQ @skyefairwin

4 Writing Tips for Better Writing: http://ow.ly/xxUq4 @StratusInteract

10 writer’s tools that got 1 writer writing again: http://ow.ly/xxUO6 @writingmytruth

Be a better writer in 15 minutes: 4 TED-Ed lessons on grammar and word choice http://ow.ly/xxUe5 @TED_ED

7 Tips on Getting Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/xxUxH @travisnward

How To Hook Your Audience: http://ow.ly/xz4gv @PretenderSteve @CraigVanSickle1

How to handle character change slowly through the story’s course: http://ow.ly/xz4uc from Clever Girl Helps

Facing The Ying-Yang of Publishing Fears: http://ow.ly/xz3Oz @JulieeJohnsonn

Plotting, Pacing, and Crossing Over: http://ow.ly/xz4Bv @AnneGBrown

A quick test to determine if your protagonist is too static or unrealistic: http://ow.ly/xz3TO from Clever Girl Helps

How To Write For the 21st Century Reader: 6 Tips to Modernize Your Prose: http://ow.ly/xz4HW @annerallen

The Secret To Pixar’s Success: Failure: http://ow.ly/xz4cg @buzzfeed

Pick up the Pace for a Real Page-Turner: http://ow.ly/xxV9f @jodierennered

How Can Your Characters Make Others Believe Them? http://ow.ly/xxV47 @skyefairwin

When book sales are slow…: how to keep motivated: http://ow.ly/xx7jw @Roz_Morris

Creativity and Chaos: 3 ways organization gets your passion project off the ground: http://ow.ly/xx5GU @blinkist

Creating Matriarchies: http://ow.ly/xxbKI @mythcreants

The War Between ‘Authors’ and Writers: http://ow.ly/xx4FG @BV @vpostrel

Why 1 Writer Isn’t Publishing Paperbacks: http://ow.ly/xxakH @MikeWellsAuthor

Self-published authors: where you live doesn’t matter: http://ow.ly/xxbzr @chrisrobley

Tips for writing villains–villain theory: http://ow.ly/xxa5H from Clever Girl Helps

Editor’s Eyes: Writing Advice from Don Draper: http://ow.ly/xx9OK @KateBrauning

Dani Shapiro on Vulnerability, the Creative Impulse, the Writing Life, and How to Live with Presence: http://ow.ly/xx4SY @brainpicker

The Best Sounds for Getting Work Done http://ow.ly/xx9UL @kevinpurdy

Publishing’s southerly migration at BEA (and gnashing of teeth): http://ow.ly/xHfxP @Porter_Anderson

Gay Characters in Comics: The Bumpy Road of Marvel Comics in the Mid-2000s: http://ow.ly/xv4yV @GeeksOUT

Becoming Your Own Book Editor: 4 Tips For Better Book Editing: http://ow.ly/xv4tO @ebooksreloaded

Tips for writing a genius/prodigy: http://ow.ly/xx9kf from Clever Girl Helps

The Independence of Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/xx5hu @JFBookman

Google Yo’ Bad Self – The Importance of Online Branding in Comic Book Marketing (and Other Genres): http://ow.ly/xv6A2 @niftymat

The wonderful world of villains: http://ow.ly/xuYN4 @momentumbooks @hildebrandburke

Scriptwriting–Sequence Breakdowns–The Wizard of Oz (1939) http://ow.ly/xuYFJ @TheScriptLab

The power of your writing: http://ow.ly/xv1pD @wynlim

Most Common Writing Mistakes: Describing Character Movements: http://ow.ly/xuZ3N @KMWeiland

How to Launch a Comic Book Series: An Introduction: http://ow.ly/xuYBm @niftymat

Experimental Fiction and Independent Publishing: http://ow.ly/xv4ke @SaraWielenberg

Don’t throw in the towel if your books aren’t selling: | Book Marketing Professionals: http://ow.ly/xusHG

Narrative Voice: http://ow.ly/xut23 @JoeMoore_writer

3 Patterns To Find In (or Write Into) Fiction: http://ow.ly/xusOx @vgrefer

Indie Authors Quitting Their Day Jobs: http://ow.ly/xusll @passivevoiceblg

3 Tips How to Reduce You Editing Costs: http://ow.ly/xuYTV @111publishing

Top 5 Elements of a Great Slasher Film: http://ow.ly/xv1ta @HorrorFreakNews

Why is my book not selling? Here are some reasons and how to fix them: http://ow.ly/xuYVJ @standoutbooks

10 steps to surviving being a writer: http://ow.ly/xusoM

Winning at Monopoly: http://ow.ly/xuscy @HughHowey

5 Things Rocky Taught a Writer About Knockout Main Characters: http://ow.ly/xusRx @Write_Tomorrow

Shakespeare Invented 1,700 Of Our Everyday Words: http://ow.ly/xusVx

8 Tips For Perfect Pitches & Super Selling Documents: http://ow.ly/xusdy @bang2write

7 Item To-Do List for Amazon Author Central Profile: http://ow.ly/xushA @Jason_Matthews

BEA’s Author Hub for Self-Publishers: Upbeat and Positive: http://ow.ly/xDMAT @Porter_Anderson

How Diverse are Comics and Graphic Novels? http://ow.ly/xtBfw @BrigidAlverson @SLJournal

A new initiative to encourage women writers to pitch their writing: http://ow.ly/xtAV0 @waouwwaouw

Hatred of Publishing: A Conversation Between Industry Dropouts: http://ow.ly/xtB6F @therejectionist @jenpanic

Twitter Trumps Facebook For Driving Book Sales: http://ow.ly/xtAHs @jeffbercovici @forbes

Why Free Is Your Best Marketing Tool (And How to Harness It): http://ow.ly/xtB9s @bookgal

James Patterson BEA Fail: http://ow.ly/xtAoW @jakonrath

How to build a successful mystery series: http://ow.ly/xtA2d @cbcbooks

Don’t look back on your writing journey & regret the choices you made, pay attention now: http://ow.ly/xtAMS @ediemelson

Michael Crichton’s Method for Plotting Out a Story: http://ow.ly/xtBjF

Author’s Eye-view of a book conference: http://ow.ly/xtBdk @andimarquette

5 Ways To Succeed in the German Market: http://ow.ly/xtAdt @wordswithjam

Anti-Heroes: Why Devious is so Delectable, and Where are all the Women? http://ow.ly/xtAaU @msheatherwebb @writerunboxed

Is Publishing is the New Blogging? http://ow.ly/xtAyT @selfpubreview

6 Reasons to Write a Short Story: http://ow.ly/xtjuD @Julie_Glover

Beginning a Story: What Has to Be There: http://ow.ly/xtAsT @Margo_L_Dill

When Should You Self-Publish Your Book? http://ow.ly/xt5nl @CriticalMargins

Why Too Many Flashbacks Might Be a Warning of Deeper Story Problems: http://ow.ly/xt5ko @kristenlambtx

5 Ways to Fuel your Imagination: http://ow.ly/xt5he @M_Richmond21

Are Video Games the New Novel? http://ow.ly/xt5ud @johnmichaelbell

Which Drawers to Open: A Writer’s Boundaries: http://ow.ly/xt5HS @AndiLit

Top 10 novels inspired by Shakespeare: http://ow.ly/xt5KQ @sallyoreilly

How to Create Twitter-sized Bites http://ow.ly/xt5yv @ava_jae

#Twitter #hashtags for novices: http://ow.ly/xt5zV @carolewyer

Narcissism: Is Your Villain in Love With Himself? http://ow.ly/xt5OB @FionaQuinnBooks

Barnes and Noble Will Stop Selling Audiobooks July 1st: http://ow.ly/xz708 @Goodereader

10 Things to Consider When Revising Your Novel: http://ow.ly/xt5pS @AlienNextDoor

5 Ways to Create Likable Characters: http://ow.ly/xt5j7 @janice_hardy

Script To Screen: “Flight”: http://ow.ly/xt5lk @gointothestory

Developing Multiple Income Streams: http://ow.ly/xt5xl @FinishedPages

2 Things to Get Right: Categories and Keywords: http://ow.ly/xt5mi @niniehammon

Openly Gay in YA: 4 Characters to Know Now: http://ow.ly/xt5p0 @missriki

Trademark Tips for Writers: http://ow.ly/xt5FV @robinrwrites

Publishers Weekly to Integrate Self-Published Reviews in Book Reviews Section: http://ow.ly/xx6jF @galleycat

Adjusting to a Summer Writing Schedule: http://ow.ly/xxdUM

Publishers’ Deal with the Devil (on DRM): http://ow.ly/xsDZU @stratechery

Questions to ask to determine if an idea can be developed into a book: http://ow.ly/xsCN5 @aswinn @writerunboxed

The Talk Of BEA: Amazon Blogs About Hachette: http://ow.ly/xxhg7 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

3 Ways to Get More Honest Reviews for Your Book: http://ow.ly/xsERe @Self_Publish

Come Up With a Killer Story Concept–Before You Start Writing: http://ow.ly/xsEDP @kmweiland

The Art of Neil Gaiman: http://ow.ly/xsCPG @brainpicker @neilhimself

Using Your eBook Writing Folders Effectively: http://ow.ly/xx9A1 @gpstberg

8 Essentials Tips for a Successful Book Reading by a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/xsCR5 @judy_croome

If it comes easy, it’s probably a cliché: http://ow.ly/xsCSf @JoeMoore_writer

Focus on ‘an Audience of One’ to Avoid Creative Fear: http://ow.ly/xsDlp @WhitsonGordon

Crowdsourcing Your Way To What Customers Really Want–Courtesy Of Teen Romance Novelists: http://ow.ly/xsCUr @lvanderkam @fastcompany

Character Talents and Skills: Fishing: http://ow.ly/xxdFw @angelaackerman

10 Observations on Book Expo America from the Author Hub: http://ow.ly/xx60g @bob_mayer

Story Writing From Start To Finish: Don’t Get Lost In The Middle: http://ow.ly/xsEP7

The New Literary Fiction Superstars Are Essentially Memoirists: http://ow.ly/xsDHf @michelledean

The Publishing Timeline: http://ow.ly/xsCWc @RachelLKent

4 Ways to Sift Through Writing Advice: http://ow.ly/xvOHf @LyndaRYoung

How Do You Make Ideas Into A Book? http://ow.ly/xsEGu @nataliewhipple

3 Tips for Your Marketing Campaign: http://ow.ly/xsEmL @marygkeeley

Author Interviews: Why We Hate Them: http://ow.ly/xsDen @DianthaJones

Crime fiction involving art theft and forgery: http://ow.ly/xvOT3 @mkinberg

How 1 Writer Started Another Novel to Help Write His Current Novel : http://ow.ly/xsEj9 @BTMargins

Subscription services for ebooks progress to becoming a real experiment: http://ow.ly/xsEqV @MikeShatzkin

What a Freelance Editor Can (and Can’t) Do for You: http://ow.ly/xsEXU @jenichappelle

7 Surprises On The Hero’s Path: http://ow.ly/xnO2C @ibelieveinstory

5 Steps Toward Your Truest Contribution: http://ow.ly/xnNPP @kcraftwriter

Why Quieter Stakes Are Easier to Plot With: http://ow.ly/xnNpl @Janice_Hardy

Be a Collector of Ideas: http://ow.ly/xnNdd @Awesome_Dawn

‘Zero-Based Thinking’ for Writers: http://ow.ly/xnN4F @MattEEaton

5 Marketing Strategies for Writers Who Hate Promoting Their Own Work: http://ow.ly/xnNm2 @hughosmith

Choosing a Point of View Character: http://ow.ly/xnND2 @Janice_Hardy

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Published on June 14, 2014 21:02

June 12, 2014

Frogs, Hot Water, and the Seven Deadly Sins: Making Trouble for Characters

by Man Mart in, @manmartin1

I’ve been reading students’ unpublished novels for a summer class I’m teaching alongside Nancy Zafris at Kenyon College in Ohio. Again and again, I see the same fundamental flaw: the characters refuse to get into trouble. This is understandable. Most of us – except for the hopelessly neurotic – are very good at avoiding trouble. This isn’t to say we run from challenges, but trouble itself we stay out of. If there are difficult people with whom we can’t get along, we either stay out of their way entirely or deal with them on a superficial level, being as outwardly courteous as we can stand. We do not take deliberate actions to sabotage our love lives or our careers. For the most part, we obey the law. We don’t embezzle funds or commit murder.

No one should get into trouble if there’s any way to avoid it. Trouble makes everyone unhappy. Trouble prevents us from self-fulfillment. Trouble causes stress and migraines. Trouble is just too much trouble.

The trouble is, trouble is precisely what your characters have to get into. Ahab can’t say, “Whew! That durn whale chawed off my leg! I’m staying on shore from here on!” Romeo can’t say, “Juliet’s the daughter of my enemy? Uh-oh, better steer clear of her!” Humbert Humbert can’t say… Well, ahem, you get the idea.

I remember as a child, when someone in a book or tv show pulled some especially bone-headed maneuver, asking my mother, “Why did So-and-So do that?” What I was really asking was, why would anyone do something that was only guaranteed to get them deeper into trouble? My mother’s wise response was, “Well, if they didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have a story.”

That’s the key to the whole thing. Characters can’t just be in trouble – they have to get into it by their own wilful actions. No trouble, no story. That’s the genius of Huck Finn; Jim is escaping slavery on the Mississippi which heads south; the longer they’re on the river, the deeper into trouble they go.

The story of our lives is largely one of how we stayed out of trouble, or managed to get out of trouble with a minimum of pain once we got into it. In fiction, it’s just the opposite: it’s characters getting into trouble in the first place, and making it as bad as possible for themselves before they get out, if they ever do. So how does a writer, who like any healthy human being, is a gifted trouble-avoider, create a character who gets into trouble?

When it comes to getting characters in trouble, writers have an external knob they can twist and an internal one. The external knob is the outside circumstances. If a character is marooned in a lifeboat with nothing but another shipmate and a book called, 101 Tasty Recipes for Shipmate, you know he’s going to get into trouble and you have a pretty clear idea of what kind of trouble. The internal Knob is your character’s propensities. The Seven Deadly Sins are a virtual how-to list for making people get into trouble. Envy, Greed, Wrath, and Lust are perennial favorites, and, of course, Pride was the go-to among the Ancient Greeks. For some reason, not many writers use Gluttony or Sloth, but even those have been done.

There’s a saying that if you put a frog in a pot of water and turn the heat up slowly, the frog will boil to death, never realizing the temperature is changing. As a writer, you don’t want to do it that way. Get the water as hot as you can as quickly as you can, and stoke your frog with sufficient Wrath, Pride, Envy or whatever to make him jump.

And that’s where your story begins.

Man Martin is two-time winner of Georgia Author of the Year for Days of the Endless Corvette, and Paradise Dogs. He blogs daily at manmartin.blogspot.com

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Published on June 12, 2014 21:03

June 8, 2014

Tips for Attacking Any Big Project

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I don’t know if y’all operate the same way, but I will allow large projects that I know will be time-sucks slide for a while…years, usually…until I finally end up squaring my shoulders and attacking them with gusto.

So…I decided to start out my summer (it’s summer here in North Carolina, anyway) with a photo and scrapbook organizing project. This is the sort of project where there are drawers of loose photos from the 1960s, 1970s, and even unarchived family pictures from the early part of the 20th century. There are tremendous stacks of still-framed photos from many decades ago and from various branches of the family tree. And many, many pre-digital photos of my children in no order. Oh, and school papers of varying degrees of appeal and sentimental importance dating back to preschool (and my elder child is entering his senior year of high school this August).

Yes, there are lots of stacks of things in my den right now. I’m tossing, keeping, digitizing non digital, making reference notes about people and situations in some photos, and uploading to clouds.

Similar to any writing-related project, there usually comes a point in these organizing projects where I wonder what the heck I was thinking. The temptation to put it aside and return to something easier (laundry, vacuuming, unloading-reloading endless loads of dishes into the dishwasher) is incredibly appealing because small-scale housework rewards us with an immediate improvement. An immediate feeling of accomplishment and ticking something off a list. With a photo or scrapbook organizing project, things look worse before they start looking better. A lot worse. The same thing goes with a first draft—it can look a lot worse than the pristine, unwritten story in our heads.

But I keep on plugging, just like I do with the book projects. I apply the same structure to both. It’s a pretty basic approach:

Devise a strategy. Deadlines help. I like to keep these goals really manageable, but make sure that the goal is hit every day. And I like to have an end date on my calendar for completion. I don’t want to feel like my house is going to be Photo Central for months. Same idea applies to a book.

Set a timer. It helps with focus to know that we’re clocked in only for a certain amount of time.

Show up. Religiously. It’s the only way to get through a project.

Avoid perfectionism. Okay, when I’m digitizing photos by taking pictures of pictures? It’s not perfect. But it’s a whole lot better than the photo being buried in a guest room drawer for decades. First drafts aren’t perfect either. But aren’t they better than the blank page?

Eliminate distractions. Put that smart phone in another room. Don’t have the internet up on the laptop.

Make lists of things to do. For my photo project, it looks like: make 3 stacks…toss, keep, digitize/upload. For my writing, it might be: Finish chapter two. List 5 possible suspects who would want to get rid of my mystery’s victim. List 3 red herrings to point away from the real killer. Describe the story’s central setting in 3 different ways.

Avoid going off on tangents. Because once I emptied out that big drawer in the guest room, it looked like a good spot to organize my gift wrap in. Don’t go there. Wait until the project itself is done. For me, it works best for writing, too–I don’t edit/fix stuff until the first draft is completely done.

Fight the overwhelm. Remember how far we’ve come since the start of our project. If this is a home improvement or organizing project, it helps to take a picture of the “before”, just to remind us. If its writing–remember that blank page and the first words we wrote down.

Celebrate successes. It’s easy to feel like the project or book will never be finished. If we’re always looking ahead of us, we head right back into that overwhelm that I just mentioned. Keeping goals small and celebrating successes can help us stay motivated.

Structure is key to keeping me on track. But others do better with less structure. How do you attack big projects—home or writing-related? And…any photo project organizing tips or software you can recommend? :)

Image: MorgueFile: Alvimann

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Published on June 08, 2014 21:03

June 7, 2014

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig