Riley Adams's Blog, page 144

Twitterific

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.




Friend and fellow
mystery writer Margot
Kinberg has compiled a crime fiction anthology: In
a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails
for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess
Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend
to the crime writing community.  One of
my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction.
:) 









I'm also included in
a newly-launched resource for self-publishing authors:

Wordpreneur
Peeps: 107 Successful Indie Publishers.
Eldon Sarte from the Wordpreneur
blog has collected advice from 107 self-published authors and compiled them in
this attractively-priced  November
release (currently at $.99).  His blog is also a helpful resource for
independent authors.




Have a great week!




7 Tips to Help you
Write More: http://dld.bz/cUmdu @RinelleGrey







3 Steps to Get Past Creative Speed Bumps:
http://dld.bz/cUmdx @emilywenstrom

4 Ways For Authors To Reach The Right
Audience For Their Book: http://dld.bz/cTqVD
@ebooksandkids

Crime fiction--finding ties between
seemingly unrelated cases: http://dld.bz/cUuWG
@mkinberg

Marketing Your Independently-Published
Novel: http://dld.bz/cUvds @juliemusil

Self-Publishing and Pricing: Rewarding
Loyal Readers vs. Luring New Ones: http://dld.bz/cUvrt
@CamilleLaGuire

Challenging Assumptions: Pricing
Frontlist Like Backlist and Backlist Like Frontlist: http://dld.bz/cUwYx

The Tension Between Startups and Trad.
Publishers: http://dld.bz/cUzBc
@Porter_Anderson @arthurattwell @MikeShatzkin

Examining PI/Police relations in crime
fiction: http://dld.bz/cU4CF @mkinberg

Keeping a Cozy Series Moving: http://dld.bz/cU4TT @ElaineOrr55 @authorterryo

Characterization 101: Anti-Heroes: http://dld.bz/cU84c @DefyingBlog @JulieMusil

“The Trap (for Many) of Self-Publishing”:
http://dld.bz/cU9et @DonMaass
@Porter_Anderson

Handling Continuity Markers Across
Chapter Transitions: http://dld.bz/cUmep
@JulietteWade

How to Use Mind Mapping in Writing
Memoir: http://dld.bz/cUmeG @Sherrey_Meyer

How to Create a Promotion Plan That Helps
Your Book Succeed: http://dld.bz/cUmeJ
@ninaamir

Writing and the Balancing Act: http://dld.bz/cUmeP

Freelancers--writing for free in a
strategic way: http://dld.bz/cUmeU

Writing A Scene That Works: http://dld.bz/cSM7R @woodwardkaren

Becoming a Freelance Editor: Corrections
and Egos: http://dld.bz/cUvuS @indie_jane

Creating a Protagonist Readers Will Love:
http://dld.bz/cUvvf @kristenlambtx

5 Reasons Authors Need to Use Social
Media for Book Marketing: http://dld.bz/cUvvy
@janvbear

Timeline: A Brief History of Publishing: http://dld.bz/cUvv5 @galleycat

The New, Old Way to Tell Stories: With
Input From the Audience: http://dld.bz/cUvvD
@lovelifelitgod @TheAtlantic

How To Write A Murder Mystery: http://dld.bz/cUvvN @susanspann @woodwardkaren

Write your character's passion: http://dld.bz/cUvvT @lindasclare

Planning a book--Scene-Level Planning: http://dld.bz/cUvvX @stdennard

How to Be Creative: It's All in the
Process (video): http://dld.bz/cUvwd @99u
@pbs

The 10 most dramatic deaths in fiction: http://dld.bz/cUxTG @TelegraphBooks

The figure of the chaotic champion--order
and chaos: http://dld.bz/cUxTK
@fantasy_faction

Horror in literature needn't be about
monsters: http://dld.bz/cUxTV @louise_wise

Why You Should Think Differently When
Formatting Your Next Ebook: http://dld.bz/cUxTY
@thewritelife

10 Tips for Writing Good Prose: http://dld.bz/cUxUk @Writers_Write

When is it Good to Self Publish? http://dld.bz/cUxUu @JordynRedwood

Screenwriting Advice, in Six Seconds or
Less: http://dld.bz/cUxU4

To "Self"-Publish, You Need a
Team: http://dld.bz/cUxUK @Bob_Mayer

Neil Gaiman: "I don't think there is
such a thing as a bad book for children http://dld.bz/cUzdj
@lucycoats

Screenwriters: Why Having Multiple
Projects Is Killing You and Your Career: http://dld.bz/cUzez
@indiewire

15 Tips From The Writers Of
"Adventure Time": http://dld.bz/cUzeJ
@andnowtothemoon @BuzzFeedGeeky

Question it All: Things to Ask in Any
Scene: http://dld.bz/cUzeV @janice_hardy

A common mistake for writers when trying
to focus on a task: http://dld.bz/cUzfh
@lifehackorg

Why Listening Must Come Before Writing: http://dld.bz/cUzfp @KeithFerrin @jeffgoins

Mixing Real People And Imaginary
Characters In Historical Novels: http://dld.bz/cUzft
@mwhiteauthor

Finding your writer's voice: http://dld.bz/cU23Z @Shirl_Corder

Remember You're Writing A Selling Script:
http://dld.bz/cU24d @raindance

What does branding mean to an author? http://dld.bz/cU24p @ventgalleries @

How Much Can Indie Authors Realistically
Make? http://dld.bz/cU24t @BadRedheadMedia

How to Pre-Plot a Series: http://dld.bz/cSWvM @plotwhisperer

How To Make Your Own Free Book Cover In
MS Word: http://dld.bz/cU24H @thecreativepenn

How To Fix A Plot That Feels Lightweight
Or Predictable: http://dld.bz/cU24U
@raindance

Emotional Elements of Plot: http://dld.bz/cU25a @scriptmag

How To Write A Murder Mystery: http://dld.bz/cU3rF @woodwardkaren

Why writers should use Google +...and how
to use it effectively: http://dld.bz/cU3rK
@annerallen @seowebdesignric

Interviewing Characters to Get to Know
Them: http://dld.bz/cU4Mq

Using Online Writing Workshops to
Skyrocket Your Creativity: http://dld.bz/cU4My
@livewritethrive @LesAnglesey

Crossing the (Invisible) Line Between
Poetry and Prose Poetry: http://dld.bz/cU4MH

Freelancers: Why Your Query Letter Gets
No Response: The Painful Truth: http://dld.bz/cU4MR
@ticewrites

Why agents say no to your project: http://dld.bz/cU4Nd @JanetKGrant

How to Write a Good Book in 30 Days: http://dld.bz/cU4Nm @ninaamir

5 Ways to Make Your Novel Inescapable: http://dld.bz/cU4Nv @victoriamixon

4 Key Book Publishing Paths: http://dld.bz/cU564 @janefriedman

Answers to writers' questions on Point of
View: http://dld.bz/cU56E @janice_hardy

An agent on re-querying after rejection: http://dld.bz/cU56N @Janet_Reid

Writing is Design: Eliminate 'That' Fat
From Your Writing: http://dld.bz/cU56Y

What Charlotte Brontë Taught 1 Writer: http://dld.bz/cU57z @BenisonAnne

7 Reasons You Should Write A Sports
Movie: http://dld.bz/cU57B @Bang2write

Dear Young Writer: http://dld.bz/cU57Z @susankayequinn

Business of Screenwriting: I Don't
Believe in Fate: http://dld.bz/cU58m
@scriptmag

4 Questions to Ask About Your Cozy
Mystery Character's Job: http://dld.bz/cU58s
@ChrystleFiedler

10 tips for better headlines: http://dld.bz/cU58G

Helpful books on revising: http://dld.bz/cU58W @Fictiffous

When to kill a character: http://dld.bz/cU58Z @lindasclare

Creating Perfect Solitude for Creative
Focus: http://dld.bz/cUCnB @99u

Saying goodbye to promo postcards: http://dld.bz/cUCrE @nicolamorgan

Reality doesn't have to make sense, but
fiction needs to: http://dld.bz/cUCrS
@janelebak

An essential question to keep asking your
character: http://dld.bz/cUCsb @LaurelGarver

Dos and Don'ts For Selling Your Book
Online: http://dld.bz/cUCsv @ZiggyKinsella

Not Ready for Publication? Not Even Ready
for Editing: http://dld.bz/cUCs3
@Porter_Anderson @tanyaegangibson

8 Habits of Highly Successful YA Authors:
http://dld.bz/cUCtK @theatlantic @nolanfeeney

7 Ways to Prevent Your Blog from Failing:
http://dld.bz/cUCtT @ninaamir

Claiming Your Book to Your Author Central
Page: http://dld.bz/cUCup

Avoiding the "Saggy Middle": http://dld.bz/cUCuD

Dos and Don'ts For Selling Your Book
Online: http://dld.bz/cUCsv @ZiggyKinsella

To "Self"-Publish, You Need a
Team: http://dld.bz/cUxUK @Bob_Mayer

When is it Good to Self Publish? http://dld.bz/cUxUu @JordynRedwood

3 Steps to Get Past Creative Speed Bumps:
http://dld.bz/cUmdx @emilywenstrom

The query letter: Your manuscript's most
important page: http://dld.bz/cUd7U
@darlawrites

Novel Middles: From Sag to Super: http://dld.bz/cUE3q @lindasclare

Academic writing--scholarship in the
fantastic: http://dld.bz/cUE5n
@amazingstories0

5 Ways To Share Your Book Research With
Your Readers: http://dld.bz/cUE9P
@thecreativepenn

5 tips for better fiction: http://dld.bz/cUE9U @lindasclare

The Ultimate Story Checklist: Iron Man: http://dld.bz/cUE9W @cockeyedcaravan

Tips for writing locked-room mysteries: http://dld.bz/cUEA5 @MarkCN

Why Your Book Pitch Matters (Even If
You're Self-Published): http://dld.bz/cTqVy
@JFBookman

Top 10 writing fallacies: http://dld.bz/cUFgk @States50

Use Camera Angles to Supercharge Your
Novel: http://dld.bz/cUFgn @livewritethrive

5 Ways To Share Your Book Research With
Your Readers: http://dld.bz/cUE9P
@thecreativepenn

Passive vs Active Heroes: http://dld.bz/cUFtb @AlexBledsoe

The Ultimate Guide to Evil Cats in SF/F: http://dld.bz/cUFth @io9 @Krellitlikeitis

Ray Bradbury's unknown universe of
realist fiction: http://dld.bz/cUFtk
@guardianbooks

Thoughts on beginning a novel: http://dld.bz/cUFtq @sharonksouza

The Writing Life: Re-entry and Changing
Gears: http://dld.bz/cUFts @DeborahJRoss

Top Five Highs and Lows of Publishing: http://dld.bz/cUFtv @mpax1

Preparing for a Productive Writing Day: http://dld.bz/cUFtz

Developing characters organically: http://dld.bz/cUFt4 @BrianYansky

How To Summon Creative Presence: http://dld.bz/cUFt8 @OrnaRoss

2 Steps to Connecting with your
Characters: http://dld.bz/cUFtA
@AnthonyEhlers

Preparing for a Productive Writing Day

By
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig







I’ve always been a big believer in being
prepared (yes, I was a Girl Scout all
those years ago).  I don’t like hectic
mornings, so everything is organized the night before to make sure the mornings
go smoothly.  My kids know that in the evenings
before bed, they have to have all their homework done,  essays printed out, homework collected in
their backpacks downstairs,  and have a
handle on what they want to wear the following day.  Lunches are made the night before.  The more time we invest at night, the better
and more stress-free our mornings are.




The Lifehack blog recently ran a post by
Timo Kiander: “Do
You Do This Common Mistake When You Start Working on Your Tasks?”  In it, the
writer gives tips for people who open up a document, daily goals firmly
in mind, and then basically waste their writing time through lack of
preparation.

I’ve never wanted to mess around in the
mornings.  I get up before five a.m. to
write, and I sure don’t want to waste that time…otherwise I might just as well
get more sleep.

At this point in my writing career, I’ve
got an outline to follow for each project. 
But that’s only been in the last year or so and only out of total
necessity.  Although I never fully
outlined with my previous books, I always
knew what I was going to write the next day. 
That way I could hit the ground running in the morning.  Get my coffee, open up my laptop, see my
little three sentence note to myself regarding what I wanted to write that day,
and knock out a good part of my goal.  I
used mini-outlines to keep myself on track.

For me, a good mini-outline should be
very concise, but very explicit.  I also
include a short summary of where I left off the day before.  That way I don’t have to read what I wrote
the previous day (which always makes me want to edit). Then I’ve got an
extremely brief sentence or two that explains the point of the scene.  If the scene doesn’t have a point that can be
summed up in about a sentence…that’s just not a great scene. Our whole book should have enough of a point that we can
sum it up in a sentence.

I also get into a writing mode by
thinking about the story before I even make it over to my laptop.  So, as soon as I wake up (gosh, this sounds
compulsive, as I’m typing it down), I start thinking about where I left off and
where I want to go with the story today. 
While I’m pulling on a robe and pouring the coffee, and letting the dog
out, I’m thinking about dialogue and plot points.  By the time, minutes later, that I’m finally
opening my computer, I’ve got a very clear picture of where I’m going next.

What happens when you sit down to write
each day?  How do you get into that
writing mode and keep your writing time productive? 

Image: MorgueFile: cohdra

The Ability to Single-Task

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig







The past few days haven’t been terrific
and the fault for this lies squarely with me.

So…I dropped my phone in water.  Apparently, this is not a good thing to do to
smart phones.  Not only did I drop it in
water, I didn’t even realize I’d dropped
it into water.  There was no quick
rescue, so the phone was submerged for quite a while.  Once I discovered it, I tried sticking it
into a bag of quick-rice, but boy, that thing was dead.

I have also broken a plastic container
that was full of leftovers (yes, this is
hard to do! But somehow…), chipped a bowl, ran into a doorjamb, and burned two
things I was cooking.  Even for me, this
is a long list of issues.

The interesting thing is that after my
phone was destroyed (it was actually the last in the series of unfortunate
events), I immediately stopped having these calamities.  I’m not going to blame my phone 100%, but it apparently
was a significant contributing factor.




A mom-oriented blog that I frequently
read recently warned
against the hazards of distracted living 
in a post by a mother whose child could have drowned in a tub while she
was distracted…the kind of cautionary tale to strike fear in a parent’s heart.

I do multi-task some things very
well.  If one of the things is completely
mindless…ordinarily housework of some kind or exercise…then I can do it and
write the next scene of my book in my head or plan a blog post or do any other
thoughtful task.

But if something requires
attention—whether it’s a conversation with someone or measuring ingredients for
supper—then I should just focus 100% on what I’m doing.  Plus, it’s just really starting to stress me
out to do too much at one time. I get a sort of a frantic feeling.

Not only that, I’ve noticed a distinct
problem with single-tasking.  I’ve gotten so capable at multi-tasking, that
my single-tasking abilities have taken a nosedive.

The phone’s accessibility and bright,
shiny icons mean that I check email and social media more than I intend
to.  And, when I check them, I’m usually
doing something else at the same time.

What also feeds into this is a general
restlessness that I have. It’s also present when I write. 

My top tip for combatting restlessness
for writing time is to:

 1)
Either close all the windows I have open, turn off email/Twitter/Facebook/other
notifications, unplug the modem, or go somewhere with no WiFi (increasingly
hard to do)

 2)
Then set a timer for myself for writing. 
Either use Online Stopwatch
or I’ll Google “set timer for ___minutes” and let Google count it down.

3) Get done what I need to get done in
the space before that restlessness strikes –for me, that will usually be about
twenty minutes— and then do something else for twenty minutes…ordinarily for
me, that’s going to be something active (if, obviously, I haven’t left the
house to write). 

4) Then write for another twenty minutes,
especially if I’m on deadline.  Repeat
until I hit whatever my goal is.

Now I just need to apply that approach to
the rest of my day and I should be golden. :) 
I get more done when I’m single-tasking, I feel less-stressed, and
whatever I’m focusing on is better-completed.

This is, for those of you who want to
adapt it for yourself, basically the Pomodoro
technique and I’ve been using it off and on since I heard about it. Michael Hyatt explained it well in
this post: How
to Use Batching to Become More Productive. 
It works well for me for task-completion.

When I single-task, I get more done,
faster. When I get more done, I have more time to stare into space and
brainstorm and form ideas.  I always know
I haven’t had enough quiet time in my day when I start getting tons of ideas
right before I fall asleep…it’s sometimes the only moment of the day when I’m
not juggling several things at once. 

How is your multi-tasking?  How does it affect your writing, if it
does?  If you multi-task well, how well
can you single-task?   

Image: MorgueFile: Seemann

Developing Characters—Getting Started

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





My daughter has been horseback riding on
the weekends for years now. I love that she loves it, I love the way she excels
at it.  I love that it’s an outdoor
activity in a digital, indoor age.  The
barns are interesting places and the people who hang out in barns are very
different from the people I’m ordinarily around, so that’s very
stimulating.  And, of course, the horses
are gorgeous.

But I really just didn’t get the whole horse thing.  My daughter would talk about the horses while
we were at the barn and continue talking about them during the week.  There was lots of personification going
on...in my mind, anyway.  “Dusty worries
about the jumps when they’re in different locations than usual.  That’s why he kept trying to look at them as
we were cantering around the ring. I had to really make sure he was looking
straight ahead,” she’d say.  And I’d nod
and ask more about Dusty’s proclivities and his outlook on the world, and
think, “What a creative child I have!” 
Because I’d look at Dusty, the largest horse in the barn, and all I got
out of it was… “My Lord, what a massive animal that is.”  And hope she always stayed on the horse.



I’m perfectly capable of telling people
what’s on my dog’s mind and my cats’ minds, but I couldn’t get into the horses’
heads at all.  Until my daughter started
riding Sweet Pea a month or so ago.  That
was when I started getting into horses.

Sweet Pea was curious.  My daughter would be trying to tack her up
and the horse would hear someone coming and crane her head to peer around and
see who was there with this intelligent, interested, curious look on her
face.  She attentively watches  the pasture, when she has a view to it, to
spy on her horse buddies.  Actually, I
guess Sweet Pea is more nosy than
curious.  

With characters, we’re doing the same
thing.  We’re trying to find some way for
readers to connect with them.  How can we
bring them to life, especially if they only have a minor role in a book
(protagonists, hopefully, we’ve got nailed). 
How do we keep our book’s characters from becoming just another horse in
the stable?

I like to start out simple and then build
from there…maybe even in the edits if I don’t have the character
fully-developed as I’m writing him. 
Having something small to build around…like Sweet Pea’s nosiness…is helpful
when you’re starting out on a new book.

At this point and after over a dozen
books, I look for ways to keep characters and plots fresh.  I know writers who’ve written upwards of
sixty or eighty books and I marvel at their ability to keep their books from getting
stale or exploring the same types of characters or subject matter.  Sometimes when I’m brainstorming, it’s almost
as though my brain is trying to follow on the same course…I’ll immediately come
up with something I’ve done before (even if it’s a few books ago) and dig
deeper.

Sometimes, I need a prompt.   Get me started with a direction that’s
different from the well-worn track I’m trying to steer down again.  At that point, going to a site like the Inspiration for Writers site,
can help to just jumpstart your own process. 
There are lists
of character traits there that can just help get your imagination in
gear.  The site Read, Write, Think , a resource for
teachers, also has a
nice sample list.

Sometimes I’ll go on sites like Pinterest…and be careful there, because that place is a major time-suck. Set a
timer.  But you can see so many pictures
of different types of people there that it can help break you out of any
particular pattern that your brain is bent on repeating. People's appearances
in the pictures suggest different types of personalities.

My standby is ‘collecting people’ out in
public.  Just being at the library gives
you the opportunity to see many different types of people—and attitude and
personality tends to show itself easily, even to casual observers (especially
after you do this kind of collecting through the years).

Most of us have written amalgams of
different people we know—family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances.  After a while, though, unless we get out and
meet more people, we’ll have run through
all the folks we know.  At least…I have.
:)  I didn’t know that many people, even
starting out. But making amalgams can be helpful for a while.

You can also twist it around and build a
character from what they want most. 
Because sometimes, what someone wants most suggests certain traits about
them.  If what someone wants most is
money, for instance…it's easy to dream up particular traits for them.  What if it’s respect, power, love,
friendship, shelter, faith?

What if you dump a bunch of
challenges/problems on some of these characters?  How they react to that and deal with it will
indicate some of their traits…traits that can also be shown in other parts of
their life and relationships with others in the story.

So…lots of different ways of doing
this.  And this is just getting us
started…the next drafts we can add to the skeleton first draft and fill them
out even more.  The whole point is just
to make the characters stand out from each other to readers and make it more
likely that readers will foster connections with them and relate to them and
just plain get them like I finally got
Sweet Pea.

How do you set your characters apart from
each other and provide them with unique traits and personalities? 

Twitterific

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.




Check out the new
resource for writers.  It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure
Writer’s Support Group website.  There you’ll find pages of links to
resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing,
marketing, contests, and publications for writers.




Friend and fellow
mystery writer Margot
Kinberg has put together a crime fiction anthology: In
a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails
for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess
Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend
to the crime writing community.  One of
my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction.
:) 




Have a great week!




6 Tools That Stop
Computer Distractions and Help You Stay on Task: http://dld.bz/cTK5m
@Trekity

How we present ourselves plays into our
brand: http://dld.bz/cTK55 @fictorians




Why Getting Some Negative Reviews Can Be
Positive: http://dld.bz/cTK58 @jodyhedlund

Romantic, Thinker, Skeptic: Using
Personality Types to Flesh out Your Character: http://dld.bz/cTK5D

Power Up Your Prose With Poetic Devices: http://dld.bz/cTK5R @martinaaboone

It's better not to imagine ourselves as
successful: http://dld.bz/cTK5W @sharww

How Not to Fire an Agent: http://dld.bz/cTDhN @byDougRich @scriptmag

3 tricks to sharpen your proofreading
eye: http://dld.bz/cT9tw @LaurelGarver

NaNoWriMo Dialogues: "I Think I Suck
And I'm Not A Real Writer" {lang}: http://dld.bz/cTK6j
@chuckwendig

Becoming prolific: http://dld.bz/cTKKa @onewildword

Rejections have nothing to do with your
merits as a novelist: http://dld.bz/cTKKT
@Lisa_Alber @DebutanteBall

5 Reasons A Good Writing Group Can Save
You: http://dld.bz/cTKMk @79SemiFinalist

7 Practices of the Prolific and
Prosperous Writer: http://dld.bz/cTKMq
@Wordstrumpet

Reality check for new writers: http://dld.bz/cTKMA @kristinerusch

At some point you've got to be a writer: http://dld.bz/cTKMT @KenLevine

Small Press, Traditional, and
Self-Publishing: Let's Stop Judging: http://dld.bz/cTKMY
@KateBrauning

On Letter Writing as Genre: http://dld.bz/cTKNk @publisherswkly

10 tips for screenwriters: http://dld.bz/cTKNp @AdelScreenWri

5 things 1 debut writer has learned about
the business: http://dld.bz/cTKNr
@msheatherwebb @DebutanteBall

7 Years of NaNoWriMo...7 Lessons: http://dld.bz/cTMxt @herebemagic

If You Wrote Well Once You Will Write
Well Again: http://dld.bz/cTMxu
@WriterlyTweets @JenniferLesher

How to be a writer--exercises in misery: http://dld.bz/cTMxw @matthaig1

8 writers should ask themselves: http://dld.bz/cTMxB @rgay @awpwriter

Is Privacy for Writers a Thing of the
Past? http://dld.bz/cTMxW @rachellegardner

Teachers on stretching gifted student
writers: http://dld.bz/cTMyj @tara_smith5

PD James' top 10 tips for writing a
novel: http://dld.bz/cTRvs

Think You Know Social Media for Writers?
Here's What You're Missing: http://dld.bz/cTRvx
@losapala

How-to for Submitting your Book to NOOK
Press: http://dld.bz/cTRv4 @bibliocrunch

How To Use Your Day Job To Get Freelance
Writing Gigs: http://dld.bz/cTRv6
@LFormichelli

Ranking Books by Their Total Number of
Amazon Stars: http://dld.bz/cTRv8
@johannthors

Resources for Mystery/Suspense Writers: http://dld.bz/cTRvF @EditorJamieC
@RamonaRichards

Creating Your Story Bible–Getting Your
Characters into S.H.A.P.E: http://dld.bz/cTRvH
@kayedacus

Brainstorming your story--what to plan
out in advance: http://dld.bz/cTRvN @JamiGold

Let the Characters Tell the Story: http://dld.bz/cTRvQ @JodieRennerEd

7 Ways to Finish Difficult Writing
Projects: http://dld.bz/cTRvT @workawesome

Crafting Lively and Believable Dialogue: http://dld.bz/cSrtw @writeabook

How Not to Be a Writer: 15 Signs You're
Doing It Wrong: http://dld.bz/cTRws
@KMWeiland

How To Brainstorm New Writing Ideas: http://dld.bz/cTRwv

6 reasons a workshop jolts your writing: http://dld.bz/cSrtp @thewritermag

Setting the Scene in Your Story Bible: http://dld.bz/cTXxs @kayedacus

Pacing Tip: Contrast in Plot: http://dld.bz/cTXx3 @ava_jae

Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing:
Selling to a Big Publisher Insures Quality: http://dld.bz/cTXxC
@deanwesleysmith

Overwhelmed by Advice? http://dld.bz/cTXxP @LynnHobbsAuthor
@SouthrnWritrMag

5 Dead Giveaways that your Cover is an
Amateur Job: http://dld.bz/cTXyb @patinagle

Screenwriting Advice, in Six Seconds or
Less: http://dld.bz/cTXyk @rachsyme
@NewYorker

Publishing's Leap of Faith: http://dld.bz/cTXyA @pubperspectives

How Book Covers Have to Evolve in the
Digital Age: http://dld.bz/cTXyN @Goodereader

The Hierarchy of Needs: http://dld.bz/cTYQZ @SPressfield

How to Find Clarity & Confidence as a
Writer: http://dld.bz/cTYRb @jeffgoins

Willpower--5 ways to overcome decision
fatigue: http://dld.bz/cTYRg @james_clear

Indie books--100% DIY? http://dld.bz/cTYSB @amazingstories0

Watch out for predatory publishers: http://dld.bz/cTYSJ @AwfullyBigBlog

Should you quit your job to write full
time? http://dld.bz/cTYUK @writersdigest

The Decline and Fall of the Book Cover: http://dld.bz/cTYUP @newyorker

Advice and best practices for writers
gleaned from a Writer's Digest con: http://dld.bz/cTYVe
@Wiseink

Are You Writing in the POV You Think
You're Writing In? http://dld.bz/cTYWz
@MarcyKennedy

The Index Card Method and Story Structure
Grid: http://dld.bz/cTYW4 @AlexSokoloff

Why You Should Use Symbolism In Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cTYXT @write_practice

How to use Pinterest to Promote Your
Book: http://dld.bz/cTZjp @JFBookman

10 Exceptionally Well-Written Horror
Films: http://dld.bz/cTZj2 @chris_shultz81

Dark days: The fascinating history of the
dystopian novel: http://dld.bz/cTZjG
@InkTanked

Own Your Business As You Own Your Book: http://dld.bz/cTZjK @susanspann

Writing Guidelines? Pick Your Own! http://dld.bz/cTZjR @volewriter @womenwriters

When Funny Just Won't Come: http://dld.bz/cTZkb @wordsxo @writerunboxed

An agent advises that author sites should
be active and posts or updates shouldn't be sloppy: http://dld.bz/cTZkr @Janet_Reid

Designing Your Own Book Cover from
Scratch: http://dld.bz/cTZku @wiseink

What new technology means for
storytelling: http://dld.bz/cTZs6&
@nytimesbooks

How To Create A Story With An Interesting
Hero & A Satisfying Ending: http://dld.bz/cUc6F  @woodwardkaren

2 Quick Character Tips to Improve Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cUc6P @jeanoram

How Not to Spam: http://dld.bz/cUc6R @annerallen

3 Query Don'ts: http://dld.bz/cUc7b @jemifraser

The Good And Bad In Chaotic eBook
Pricing: http://dld.bz/cUc8T @techdirt

How to Avoid the Self-Published Look: http://dld.bz/cUc9y @PaulaatAME

Looking for a place to send your 1st
attempt at a screenplay? Perfect your craft first: http://dld.bz/cUc9E
@Bambookiller

The Self-publishing Conversation is
Changing: http://dld.bz/cUc9V @thefuturebook
@agnieszkasshoes

What Font Should You Use In Your
Self-Published Book? http://dld.bz/cUcAa

Does self-publishing need awards,
gatekeepers, and vetting? http://dld.bz/cTZrR   @IndieAuthorALLI @agnieszkasshoes
@Porter_Anderson

For plot inspiration--a story game for
crime fiction writers: http://dld.bz/cTZGR
@camillelaguire

A conference to help business-savvy
authors & small pubs connect and network: http://dld.bz/cUhQJ
@PubSmartCon @katmeis @Porter_Anderson

The theme of loyalty in crime fiction: http://dld.bz/cUkMS @mkinberg

9 Ways To Write Great Characters: http://dld.bz/cUdrD @Bang2write

Story Checklist: http://dld.bz/cUdrF @shalvatzis

Writing an inside-out novel: http://dld.bz/cUdrU @kathytemean

Why email newsletters still work — and
how you can make yours better: http://dld.bz/cUd7K
@sheinbaum

The query letter: Your manuscript's most
important page: http://dld.bz/cUd7U
@darlawrites

Urban Fantasy versus Paranormal Romance: http://dld.bz/cUd7Z @MarshaAMoore

Freelance writers: Why you May Not Want
to be FaceBook Friends With Clients: http://dld.bz/cUd8q
@Jenpens2

5 Nobel Prize Acceptance Speeches From
Some Literary Giants: http://dld.bz/cUd8w
@CassandraNeace

Books Don't Want to Be Free How
publishing escaped the cruel fate of other culture industries: http://dld.bz/cUd8E @tnr

Handling the To-Do List: Daily
Organization: http://dld.bz/cUd8U

In Defense of the Amateur Review: http://dld.bz/cUd9g @heidenkind

Doublet and Triplet Adjectives: http://dld.bz/cUd9m

Creating 'sliding doors' for our
characters: http://dld.bz/cUgmW @pshares

Choosing a title for a nonfiction book: http://dld.bz/cUgne @ogiogas

Tips for effective cover copy: http://dld.bz/cUgnp and different cover copy
styles: http://dld.bz/cUgnq @sarahannjuckes

Why does creativity seem to come and go? http://dld.bz/cUgn6 @tannerc

4 steps for writing emotion effectively: http://dld.bz/cUgnE @ava_jae

99 Ways to Market Your Art: http://dld.bz/cUgpq @LeRegalla

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate
Nonfiction eBook Ideas: http://dld.bz/cUgpF
@ninaamir

A Short Story from the Slush to the
Cover: http://dld.bz/cUgpR @diymfa

How to Enjoy Marketing Your Fiction (Even
If You Hate Selling): http://dld.bz/cUkYK
@storyrally

2 Quick Character Tips to Improve Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cUc6P @jeanoram

Is comfort inherently problematic for
fiction? http://dld.bz/cUmcJ @jdiddyesquire

Dealing with our critical inner voice: http://dld.bz/cUmcN @DouglasEby

Can Fonts Make or Break Your Author
Branding? http://dld.bz/cUmcS @JFBookman

Free Promotional Tools For Authors: http://dld.bz/cUmcV @loriculwell

Pros and cons of outlining: http://dld.bz/cUmdb @randysusanmeyer

How Novelists Can Create Image Systems
for their Story: http://dld.bz/cUmdm
@livewritethrive

Writing to a Theme

By
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





A few years ago, I got an email from a
middle school student.  What was the
theme of my book?

At first I was just a little startled
that students just wrote authors about this kind of thing.  It would never have occurred to me to do
that…but then, I guess the internet wasn’t around at that point, either (at least,
not to the general public).

And then
I was startled when I realized that…hey, the book in question didn’t really
have much of a theme.  Maybe that’s why
the kid was having such a hard time. :) 
I mean, you could go with a ‘good will triumph over evil’ type of
thing.  It was basically general crime
fiction. 



Now my Myrtle Clover series does have a regular theme throughout all the
books and aside from any other thematic elements in each separate book.  Don’t discount the elderly.   If you do, Myrtle might be walloping you
with her cane.  Or revealing you as the
book’s murderer.

After that moment and that email, I
started paying a bit more attention to theme in my books.  For one thing…heaven forbid I have another
student asking me about it. :)  For another…it
was fun incorporating it in a subtle way.

I do think that subtle is key with
themes.  Hitting a reader over the head
with a theme is almost like author intrusion.

I’ve made interesting discoveries along
the way in my efforts to add this literary element to my books.  Let’s take my current project…the one that
I’ve felt I was behind on since it started a couple of months ago.  The one where the teaser was due before the
outline.  (Ugh.)  Now the book has, believe it or not, a cover
and back cover copy.   And I’m not done
with the book yet, although I plan to be basically done in the next 3
weeks…it’s due January 1.

My editor, after reviewing my outline,
included some special requests in her feedback. 
In particular, she wanted me to incorporate some subplots involving some
recurring supporting characters that she felt readers were especially fond of.

So I brainstormed updates, conflicts in
their lives, growth, some ways that their issues might also intersect with the
main plot and the protagonist’s own arc. 


And I’m wondering if, with theme, it’s
just that the author tends to have something on the brain and it starts coming
out in various ways in a book.

For me, it was the question of whether
people can change…really change.  What
chance do we have to really change our personality, our habits, and our
tendencies for the better?  This is a fun
theme to explore because change is such an important element in every
story.  Every time the protagonist or
secondary characters can grow or change in some way, it’s going to add to the
story.

So I approached change in a lot of
different ways in the book.  I have
characters question whether the victim in the book had really changed his
stripes before he was murdered (as he swore he had). I have a character who
fears change and struggles as she tries to adapt to a new relationship.  I’ve got a character who feels as if she should change, although she’s comfortable with
herself the way she is. What are the reactions of characters to other
characters’ changes…do they recognize them for what they are?  Are they threatened by them?  Are they disbelieving that change can be
genuine and successful?

Obviously, writing to a theme is more
effective if the theme is integrated into the main plot and impacts the
protagonist, too.

Have you ever used exploration of theme
as story development or character development? 
How did it go? 

Preparing for a Panel

By Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig






Tomorrow, November 14, I’m on a panel for
the Get Read online conference—a
conference that’s all about helping writers learn more about effective
marketing.

My panel is “Publishing Your Way To
Success.” The description:

The core
thing that connects writers to readers is the stories you craft – be it
fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry or any form of writing. In this session, we
explore how releasing new work can grow and more deeply engage your audience.


It panel runs for about 40 minutes and
starts at 1:45 p.m. ET.

I tend to enjoy panels, although
as a rule, I’m not fond of public speaking. 
Panels are easier for me and I get a lot from listening to the other
speakers…occasionally to the point where I forget what the original question
was and have to ask for it to be repeated when it’s my turn.

A good panel is the result of good
moderation.  I’ve been on panels before
where the moderator lost control of the panel—we veered wildly
off-subject, ran out of time for audience questions, and once didn’t even have a chance for
everyone on the panel to talk. 

I remember one panel I was on, years
ago.  I felt good about it.  I sold my books at the end of the panel and
one of the audience members came up to me and said confidentially, “I felt so,
so sorry for you.”  She patted me on the hand.

I gaped at her in horror.  Had I had some sort of horrid wardrobe
malfunction?  Why on earth did no one let
me know?  Then she said, “You know.  Because that one person went on and on and
you didn’t get a chance to speak.”

Oh. 
Well, even though I assured her that the panel hog hadn’t bothered me at all and I never care if I don’t get
as much of an opportunity to speak…it had certainly bothered her.  And since then I’ve noticed that folks in the
audience do look uncomfortable when one person is speaking at the expense of
the other panelists.  A good moderator reins in a chatty speaker.

I’ve done online interviews quite a few times before, but
this online panel will be a first for
me.  Dan
Blank, the conference organizer, is using an application called BigMarker to run the conference. I tried
it out a couple of times and found it very easy to use the
interface.  You can listen in as an
audience member without video or audio, or turn it on as a panelist.   There’s even a button you can press to
‘raise your hand’ to indicate to the moderator that you have a question.  And a chat box on the side of the screen.

I did warn Dan that I likely wouldn’t be
able to chat, listen to the other panelists, and recognize when it was my turn to talk. :)  My
multi-tasking has limits.

Here are
my tips for being on in-person panels:

Find out the book selling protocol at the conference. Are we allowed to sell our books at the
event, after the panel?  Is the
conference buying the books through a bookseller or are we responsible for
bringing our own books? If we bring our own books, we need to know that crucial fact in enough time to order some copies.

Be conscious of over-promoting while on
panels.  It tends to stand out if we
bring up our book title every time we answer a question or have all of our
titles on the table in front of us during the panel.  I usually have one or two books, tops, on the
table (if the conference even allows them).

Ask how they handle book selling.  Sometimes you sell
books right after your panel in the same room, sometimes you go to a commons
area outside of the room, sometimes you have a special area to report to at a
specific time.

It’s also important to know if someone
else handles the purchases while you sign, or if you’re signing and ringing up customers. (Which is a nightmare for me…I tend to get
flustered.)  If you’re not sure, best to
come with a calculator and with extra dollars to make change with.

I’ve watched panels, as an audience
member, where panelists were thinking so hard about how they were going to
answer the question that they didn’t appear to be listening to the other
panelists as they spoke.  Definitely
doesn’t look good.

Sometimes,
the conference forgets to supply water. I like to have a small water bottle
with me, just in case.

Online
conferences/panels:

Well, your guess is as good as mine.  But I do have general tips for doing Skype
and other interviews, and you can find
the post here.  Mainly, I make sure
the lighting is good (artificial lighting is usually better than sunlight),
that the audio and the camera are working, 
that I put the animals away so they won’t jump into view of the camera
or bark, and find/wear my makeup...which
is, as I recall, in the children’s bathroom since it was last used to help with
special effects for their Halloween costumes.

Any tips for panels?  Things I missed?

Thoughts On a 99 Cent Sale

by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





It’s been a very long time since I’ve
sold anything at 99 cents.  I’d read
some blog posts that advised against it. 
I’d heard readers say that it was tough finding anything good at 99
cents.

Then I started reading those same
things…but it was now arguing against a $1.99 price point.  The best, most recent
examination I’ve got on the subject is this post by writer Molly Greene: “Ebook Pricing: What’s The
Perfect Number?”  

The entire post is
worth a read.  Here is an excerpt where
Molly quotes Smashwords CEO and
founder Mark Coker on
various price points:






Per Coker, “I see untapped opportunity [at the $3.99
price point], where indies may be able to raise prices but not suffer unit
decline.” He concludes “some authors are underpricing.” Smashwords data also
reveals …

$.99
remains popular, but shows a big drop compared to their 2012 study.


$.99 to
$1.99 underperforms in terms of earnings. (Per Coker, $1.99 is “a black
hole.”)
$2.99 is
the most common price point with indies.
$2.99 to
$6.99 is the sweet spot for maximum earnings.
Indies
have virtually abandoned the $9.99 price point compared to 2012’s study.


I totally agree about the problems
surrounding the $1.99 pricing.  I may
have listed a book at that price once, briefly, but I yanked it out of there
quickly.

Personally, I’ve found that keeping one
of my books free is helpful.  I
currently have the two most recently self-published books at $3.99, where they
tend to still sell well, and an older title at $2.99.  (And yes, one of my books is currently free,
as usual.)

I can’t really even remember the last
time I ran a book at $.99, which must mean it was a couple of years ago.  Since I have a book for free, I didn’t
really see the point of running another book so low.

But I decided I’d run a very, very short
99 cent experiment.  It was, actually,
fewer than 24 hours long. I figured January was always a nice time to have a
small spike of income (January being the month I’d receive income from
November sales).  If there was a spike.  Sales have been steady for me this fall and
I’ve not really seen that slump I’ve been hearing about, so I decided to give
it a go and run it for my latest title.

The nice
thing, though, about running a 99 cent sale is that you have a degree of
control over the start and end of the sale. 
When I make a book free, for instance, I’m listing it as free on
Smashwords, then allowing Amazon to price match that price.  Sometimes, it takes days for Amazon to catch
on.  Then, when I’m ready to shift the
free sale to another book, I raise the price on Smashwords.  Sometimes it takes the various retailers
days to get the message to raise the price (Sony, I’m looking at you).  So Amazon continues to match the free price
while it’s still getting the message that some retailer out there continues to
list it at $0.  I don’t have complete
control over the start and stop of that promotion.

For a $.99 sale, I just click over
to my book’s Kindle Direct Publishing bookshelf and adjust the price to
$.99.  Amazon has a pop-up window with a
disclaimer that it may take as many as twelve hours for the change to take
effect.  It only took a couple of
hours. 

I ran the sale on a newer title and
watched as it cracked the top 2,000 of the Amazon bestseller list—before the
sale, it was bouncing between the top 8,000—12,000.  Then I went back into the bookshelf and
raised the price to $3.99 again.

“Bait and switch?” asked my husband,
eyebrows raised and trying to figure out what I'd done, when I told him that the books were selling like hotcakes at
$3.99.

“Not a bit.  I didn’t falsely advertise one
price and make the reader pay a higher one. I just paid for brief visibility.”


And that’s what it feels like to me—that
I’ve sacrificed income for visibility. 
And the sales for the other titles also increased. 

This sale occurred on Friday night
through Saturday afternoon.  Writing
this on Sunday afternoon, the book is still in the top 4,000.  This type of thing is clearly good for a spike in sales instead of a long-term
strategy.  Regardless, I’m sure I’ll be
glad to get the proceeds when the Christmas bills arrive in January. :)

Now, of course, this won’t work out as well for everyone.  And not everyone
will want to list a book that they’ve invested a lot of time and energy in at
$.99, even temporarily.  But for someone
who might have several self-published books out (I have four right now) and
who wants the ability to control the dates of a sale—this might be a good
experiment to try.

Have you experimented with the price
points for your books?  What is your
comfort zone, in terms of pricing? 

Image: MorgueFile: imelenchon

Twitterific

  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.




This
week-- November 13-14:  Get
Read – Marketing Strategies for Writers:
Dan
Blank’s We Grow
Media is a  two-day online conference for
authors looking for promotion strategies--and, ultimately, readers.  Speakers include Porter Anderson,
Chuck
Wendig, Dan Blank, Jane Friedman,
Therese
Walsh, and many others.  (I'm one of the scheduled speakers and am
also am serving on the advisory board.) 
More information about the conference and registration information can
be found here.







If you use the
discount code elizabeth, you receive $20
off the conference price.




Check out the new
resource for writers.  It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure
Writer’s Support Group website.  There you’ll find pages of links to
resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing,
marketing, contests, and publications for writers.




Friend and fellow
mystery writer Margot
Kinberg has put together a crime fiction anthology: In
a Word--Murder.  The ebook retails
for $2.99 and proceeds from its sales benefit Princess
Alice Hospice, in memory of Maxine Clarke, a supporter of and good friend
to the crime writing community.  One of
my stories is in the collection, too...my first attempt at short fiction.
:) 




The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search

How to nail NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/cT3Ej @nailyournovel

Ways of approaching setting in your
novel: http://dld.bz/cT3En @Diana_Hurwitz

Why Writing Alternate History is Both
Awesome and Soul Crushing: http://dld.bz/cT3Er
@corsetscutlass @_ElizabethMay

5 Signs You Are Reading Too Much YA: http://dld.bz/cTzU3 @mittenstrings

Writers and the Optimal-Child-Count
Spectrum: http://dld.bz/cTzUF
@Rebeccamead_NYC @pageturner

Don't let your story stall: http://dld.bz/cT4QB @lindasclare

Crime fiction--learning about suspects by
looking at their living space: http://dld.bz/cT65F
@mkinberg

Self-publishing--breaking into the solid
German book market: http://dld.bz/cTAFj
@porter_anderson  @thecreativepenn
@mmatting

Lessons learned from launching book two
in a series: http://dld.bz/cTJDw @PAShortt

A co-publishing effort in Italy and its
results: http://dld.bz/cTCwS @Porter_Anderson
@marcellovena @MikeShatzkin

3 signs you should give up on a story: http://dld.bz/cTDbt @KMWeiland @Porter_Anderson

A closer look at ebook subscription
services'  business model (Oyster,
Scribd): http://dld.bz/cTGwm @MarkCoker
@Porter_Anderson

30 Inspiring Quotes on Writing and
Creativity: http://dld.bz/cTzUP @ADDerWORLD

Creative Mind Mapping for Novelists: http://dld.bz/cTzUY @livewritethrive

Self-Publishing: The Business License: http://dld.bz/cTzUZ @nataliewhipple

5 ways to overcome the limitations of 1st
person POV: http://dld.bz/cTzWb @yeomanis

Tips For Writing A Better First Scene: http://dld.bz/cT4Ta @lindasclare

The Lee Strasberg Method School of
Writing: http://dld.bz/cT4TR @hilarydavidson

Customizing Genre: http://dld.bz/cT4TU @publisherswkly

Lecture series on YouTube offers tips for
better writing from author @BrandSanderson: http://dld.bz/cT4Uf

Six Ways To Describe A Character In First
Person: http://dld.bz/cT4Ux @Writers_Write

Write something crummy today: http://dld.bz/cT4Uy @lindasclare

Tips for keeping your character in
character: http://dld.bz/cT4U3

Inside Inner Conflict: http://dld.bz/cT4U7 @mooderino

The Art of Paragraphs: When to Hit Enter:
http://dld.bz/cT4UT @LaurieBoris

Describing a Character's Physical
Appearance: http://dld.bz/cT4Vb
@angelaackerman

Tips for managing more writing time: http://dld.bz/cT4Vm

What Writing the Second Novel Is Really
Like: http://dld.bz/cT4V3 @JulieWuAuthor

Tips for keeping readers reading: http://dld.bz/cT4VK @susanmeier1

10 Social Media Apps that Save Writers
Time: http://dld.bz/cT4Y2 @ninaamir

5 editing tips: http://dld.bz/cT4YA @JackieKessler

On Diversity and Character Depth: http://dld.bz/cT4YC @literaticat

Know when to show, not tell: http://dld.bz/cT4YD @lindasclare

Twitter Tips for Writers That Will Help
You Get the Most Out of the Network: http://dld.bz/cT4YZ
@thewritelife

Where to Find Free Premium WordPress
Themes: http://dld.bz/cT4Zb @blogherald
@wonderwall7

Quick Manuscript Editing Tips: http://dld.bz/cT4Zn @iulienel @fantasyscroll

The One Thing You Must Do Before Taking
Writing Advice: http://dld.bz/cT4ZA
@storyaday

Will publishers accept a previously
self-published novel? http://dld.bz/cT4ZN
@nicolamorgan

Parting Ways with Your Agent: http://dld.bz/cScNP @ElisabethWeed

Plot twists keep readers guessing: http://dld.bz/cT6N2 @lindasclare

Success and Writing—What Keeps Us Going: http://dld.bz/cT6N7

Quality trumps quantity when it comes to
connecting with readers: http://dld.bz/cT6QP
@danblank

What makes NaNo good for writers? http://dld.bz/cT6Rd @ava_jae

How to Overcome RSI While Building Your
Dream Writing Career: http://dld.bz/cT6YM
@anca1268

7 People Who Will Help You Fire Up Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cT6Zh

How To Reduce Reader Fatigue: http://dld.bz/cT6Zk @ashkrafton

Ins and outs of pen names: http://dld.bz/cT6Zp @kristinerusch

Deepen your protagonist by giving him a
world view: http://dld.bz/cT7aF @DonMaass
@writerunboxed

A writer's experience with BookBub: http://dld.bz/cT7bR @ChesterCampbell

Common typos to avoid: http://dld.bz/cT7ca @MiladyDewinter

Start a New Novel in 22 Easy Steps: http://dld.bz/cT7cj @donnagambale

How to write a 5-minute Story: http://dld.bz/cT7cn @sheiladeeth

Tips for giving your story originality: http://dld.bz/cT7cx @Saumya35

Unclear Transitions: http://dld.bz/cT7c7 @Ross_B_Lampert

Dialogue as "character
communication": http://dld.bz/cT7cC
@gointothestory

Tips for busting writer's block: http://dld.bz/cT7cH

3 Ways To Build a Healthy Writing
Routine: http://dld.bz/cT7cP @galleycat

Playing with Story Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7da

Scene Pacing: Balancing the
"Beats": http://dld.bz/cT7dd-
@lindasclare

7 Tips for Amazon Keywords and Best
Selling Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vg
@passivevoiceblg

What scriptwriters should know: http://dld.bz/cSbyq @scriptmag @LeeZJessup

The Three-Act, Eight Sequence Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7v2 @AlexSokoloff

Why Writing is a Partnership: http://dld.bz/cT7v5 @Woollz

The current state of self-publishing: http://dld.bz/cT7vB @jamesscottbell

Seven Tips for Writing How-to Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vD @Writers_Write

What To Do If Your Plot Doesn't Hang
Together: http://dld.bz/cT7vP @raindance

7 Twitter tips for writers: http://dld.bz/cT7vU @wherewriterswin

Supplementing Your Blog With Expert
Guests: http://dld.bz/cT7vY @BloggingTipsCom

Balancing Inner/Outer Conflicts: http://dld.bz/cT7wd @lindasclare

Count Your Rejection Letters Proudly: http://dld.bz/cT7wk @galleycat

When you're a fiction writing professor: http://dld.bz/cT7wt @glimmertrain

5 Tips for New Authors: http://dld.bz/cT8hx @StacyClaflin

How the world's most creative people get
their ideas: http://dld.bz/cT8hD

5 Ways to Untangle Plot: http://dld.bz/cT8hH @awesome_dawn

Why Writerly Words Are Not Your Friend: http://dld.bz/cT8hM

Adding magic to the real world: http://dld.bz/cT9rN @JCareyAuthor @lytherus

Categorizing your book into a genre: http://dld.bz/cT9rP @passivevoiceblg

The popularity of Black Science Fiction
is rising: http://dld.bz/cT9rS
@StaffordBattle

Tips for avoiding the self-pubbed look: http://dld.bz/cT9rU @PaulaatAME

Publicists aren't wizards: "I can
get it there but I can't make them love it": http://dld.bz/cT9sh
@PJNunn

How Silence About the Realities of
Publishing Hurts Authors: http://dld.bz/cT9st
@KameronHurley @locusmag

11 types of plots: http://dld.bz/cT9s3 @shalvatzis

4 Tips to Solve 99% of Your Writing
Problems: http://dld.bz/cT9tq @Janice_Hardy

3 tricks to sharpen your proofreading
eye: http://dld.bz/cT9tw @LaurelGarver

The Novelist's Guide to Writing (Only)
What you Know: http://dld.bz/cT9t4
@cdivakaruni

5 Ways to Make Your Novel Unforgettable: http://dld.bz/cT9tA @victoriamixon

Thoughts on Social Reading and Other
Intrusions: http://dld.bz/cTDgJ

Hashtags for writers: http://dld.bz/cTDgP @AdriennedeWolfe

How to Use Scrivener's Cork Board: http://dld.bz/cTDgU @ava_jae

5 1/2 Reasons You Should Kill a Draft
Blog Post: http://dld.bz/cTDgX @copyblogger
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5 Reasons You Should Take Questions From
Your Audience: http://dld.bz/cTDgZ
@RobBiesenbach

How to Create Your First Invoice as a
Freelancer: http://dld.bz/cTDhq @carefulcents

3 objectives of a proposal (and how they
can motivate you after a writing break): http://dld.bz/cTDhx
@AngieDicken

3 Easy Tips For Better Email Interviews: http://dld.bz/cTDhz @ticewrites

Which eBook Publishing Platform is Best? http://dld.bz/cTDh8 @KristenEckstein

How Not to Fire an Agent: http://dld.bz/cTDhN @byDougRich @scriptmag

12 Things That Will Happen in Your 1st 3
Months of Blogging: http://dld.bz/cTDjc
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Simple is the Key to Telling a Story: http://dld.bz/cTDj3 @SouthrnWritrMag

Setting Up a Blog Tour: http://dld.bz/cTDj6 @DavidBCoe

Considerations when setting up a website:
http://dld.bz/cTDjH @fictorians

4 Tips for Dealing with Plot Holes: http://dld.bz/cTD5e @RinelleGrey

10 Tips For Utilizing WordPress To Start
Your Website: http://dld.bz/cTD5h @Firmology

Scene Arcs: http://dld.bz/cTD5r

The Request to Revise and Resubmit: http://dld.bz/cTD5V @JulieEshbaugh

How To Conduct a Live Facebook Author
Interview: http://dld.bz/cTD6r @MsBessieBell

When Fear Is a Good Thing for Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cTD6E @Christi_Craig

How to Plot With the Three-Act Structure:
http://dld.bz/cTD6H @janice_hardy

Deep POV Basics: http://dld.bz/cTD9v

It's Hard to Trust the Process: http://dld.bz/cTD9K @fictionnotes

Good advice 1 writer finds hard to
follow: http://dld.bz/cTD9R @tmAlexander

Fight for unabridged audio rights: http://dld.bz/cTDAh @thebookseller

3 Ways To Build a Healthy Writing
Routine: http://dld.bz/cT7cP @galleycat

Scene Pacing: Balancing the
"Beats": http://dld.bz/cT7dd -
@lindasclare

What scriptwriters should know: http://dld.bz/cSbyq @scriptmag @LeeZJessup

The Three-Act, Eight Sequence Structure: http://dld.bz/cT7v2 @AlexSokoloff

The current state of self-publishing: http://dld.bz/cT7vB @jamesscottbell

Seven Tips for Writing How-to Books: http://dld.bz/cT7vD @Writers_Write

The popularity of Black Science Fiction
is rising: http://dld.bz/cT9rS
@StaffordBattle

How risk averse publishers kill trends: http://dld.bz/cTGCd @JanetKGrant

Ways Novelists Can Brainstorm Plot and
Scenes: http://dld.bz/cTGCk @livewritethrive

How to switch point of view without
confusing the reader: http://dld.bz/cTGCq
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Team: http://dld.bz/cTGC2 @anitahigman

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Stories: http://dld.bz/cTGC9 @amandaonwriting

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18 Months of Social Media: One Writer's
Progress Report: http://dld.bz/cTGGh

25 Questions To Ask As You Write: http://dld.bz/cTGGn @chuckwendig {lang}

How Literary Agents' Responsibilities and
Compensation are Changing: http://dld.bz/cTGG4
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Authors: http://dld.bz/cSbvW @PublishersWkly

3 Ways to Use Dialogue to NAIL Great
Characters: http://dld.bz/cTGG7 @niniehammon

Conscious writing: http://dld.bz/cTGJX

Overcoming Writing Road Blocks: http://dld.bz/cTGKe

Science Fiction Romance vs Romantic
Suspense: http://dld.bz/cTK4P @dmburton72

The better way to self-publish: http://dld.bz/cTK4U @author_sullivan

Why Facebook Contests Really Do Work: http://dld.bz/cTK5e @lizstrauss

6 Tools That Stop Computer Distractions
and Help You Stay on Task: http://dld.bz/cTK5m
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brand: http://dld.bz/cTK55 @fictorians

Why Getting Some Negative Reviews Can Be
Positive: http://dld.bz/cTK58 @jodyhedlund

Romantic, Thinker, Skeptic: Using
Personality Types to Flesh out Your Character: http://dld.bz/cTK5D

Power Up Your Prose With Poetic Devices: http://dld.bz/cTK5R @martinaaboone

It's better not to imagine ourselves as
successful: http://dld.bz/cTK5W @sharww

Completing Your Novel Plot

Guest Post by Jack Smith



At some point in drafting a novel, you
will probably see the need to add more actions or events to complete the
plot.  You know the story isn’t
complete.  You may need to rethink where
your story is going.  Try this process:

Write a
brief summary of each chapter.  This is
time-consuming, but once you have concise summaries, you will be able to
see your novel’s overall direction more easily.  Sure, you can read and reread your novel
itself, but sometimes you can forget what happened first, second,
etc. 


Brainstorm
more conflicts to complete the plot.  I do say
“brainstorm” because you can’t be sure these conflicts will work until you
get back to the writing itself.  
Will they work once you dig back into your characters?  Would your character do this, do
that?  Hard to say.  Don’t force it.  But try it out, and maybe your character
will end up doing something even more interesting and compelling. 


Decide where
these conflicts go.  Here again, this is tentative.  You might decide to include a given
conflict in Chapter Three, but really it will work out better in Chapter
Six or Seven, or Ten.   But for now,
write down where the conflict might go.  
Choose a colored type (red maybe?) so it’s easy to spot these
tentative places to include tentative new conflicts.
Add your new
conflicts to your novel manuscript.  It might be
best to re-read your novel up to the point where you intend to add new
material—to get back in the swing of the work.  To get a sense for the mood and tone at
this point.   Once you’re ready to
include new conflict material, let your imagination take over.  Get back into your characters.  See them, hear them speak, let it
happen.


Plot usually doesn’t fall out of the sky
and arrive fully intact.  It takes doing
and redoing.  This is only one process
you might follow.  You might need to go
through this process one or more times. 
Once you’ve done so, re-read your entire novel and see if it’s
complete.  Don’t depend entirely on
logic.  Does it sound and feel complete?



Jack Smith is author of the novel Hog to Hog , which won the George Garrett Fiction Prize (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

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.


Smith taught full-time at North Central Missouri College for some 24 years, and  has also served as Fiction Editor for The Green Hills Literary Lantern, an online literary journal published by Truman State University, for over two decades. Learn more about Jack and his work in the November 1 edition of PIF magazine.