Riley Adams's Blog, page 147

Twitterific

By
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





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My tips for handling
writing and life: http://dld.bz/cQncA @DIYMFA

What’s Important in the Man
Booker Debate? http://dld.bz/cQn3H
/@Porter_Anderson @nicksidwell @meandmybigmouth


Tips for Creating an Online
Community: http://dld.bz/cQde4  @annerallen @AlexJCavanaugh



Making Your Book Promotable
– Before It's Published: http://dld.bz/cQnYB
@theprexpert

Jonathan Franzen takes on
ebooks and Amazon: http://dld.bz/cQrUx
@jenniferweiner @DennisAbrams2 @Porter_Anderson

4 Motivations of Traitors: http://dld.bz/cP6bT @mishaburnett

A poisons resource for crime fiction
writers: http://dld.bz/cP6d3 @clarissadraper

5 Tips for Writing and Marketing YA: http://dld.bz/cP9pc @NatalieWright_

Tips for describing characters: http://dld.bz/cP9pf @glencstrathy

Getting Rid of the Parts Readers Skip: http://dld.bz/cP9pn @SouthrnWritrMag
@DanWalshAuthor

Sell More on Amazon.com:Understanding
Keywords, Categories, and Amazon's Algorithm: http://dld.bz/cP9pt
@bookgal

Down the Rabbit Hole of Research: http://dld.bz/cP9py @JustBethanne @BTMargins

Creativity in pregnancy: http://dld.bz/cP9p6 @womenwriters @EleanorFitz

Keeping your Characters Consistent: http://dld.bz/cP9pC @patbertram

5 Examples of How Hyphens Help: http://dld.bz/cP9pH @writing_tips

13 Surprising Ways to Add Depth to a
Story: http://dld.bz/cP9pR @victoriamixon

Where 1 writer finds ideas for her
stories: http://dld.bz/cP9pX @melissadonovan

5 Common Problems in Your YA Manuscript: http://dld.bz/cP9pZ @howtowriteshop

Musicality and Reader Emotions: http://dld.bz/cP9qg @ingridsundberg

5 Issues That Affect How You Should Price
Your Book: http://dld.bz/cP9qw @tonyeldridge

A writing instructor on story arcs: http://dld.bz/cP9q7 @EdanL

Hugh Howey, Liliana Hart and Matthew
Mather: How To Write And Sell Books: http://dld.bz/cP9qN
@woodwardkaren

The Writing Wasteland: http://dld.bz/cP9re

What works and what doesn't with some
recent ebook covers: http://dld.bz/cP9rh
@JFBookman

Don't Split Infinitives – Fact or Myth? http://dld.bz/cP9rp @BrianKlems

Useful Writing Apps for Authors: http://dld.bz/cP9ry @wherewriterswin

What deals will publishers offer in five
years' time? http://dld.bz/cP9r9
@nailyournovel

Using Multiple Texts to Develop Your
Story World: http://dld.bz/cP9rP
@lisawengland

4 ways to Keep Your Story Interesting: http://dld.bz/cP9sA

Writing Fantasy Battles – A Look At
Strategy: http://dld.bz/cP9tc @fantasyfaction

Tips for reaching the teen market: http://dld.bz/cP9wf @InkSlingerPR

Recording things: Emotions and thoughts: http://dld.bz/cP9xG @Le_Shack

Screenwriting by Numbers: http://dld.bz/cP9xR @scottwsmith_com

How to Have a "Productive" Blog
Break: http://dld.bz/cP9yd

Creative Longevity: Always Come Out of
Another Hole: http://dld.bz/cP9yn
@SPressfield

15 of the most overused tropes in YA: http://dld.bz/cP9yu

Writing with Dyslexia: http://dld.bz/cPebJ @womenwriters
@Dandeliongirl01

You're Not a Real Writer Unless…:  http://dld.bz/cP9ZS
@julie_glover

1 writer's pre-writing process: http://dld.bz/cP9ZY @roniloren

Anatomy of a book proposal: http://dld.bz/cPAad @lisajjackson

What's the Difference Between an In-Depth
Edit and the Over-Enthusiasm of an Editor? http://dld.bz/cPAaw
@ChilaWoychik

How to Hone in on Memory When Writing
Memoir: http://dld.bz/cPAaX @LilaQWeaver
@mroachsmith

Top Ten Tropes in YA: http://dld.bz/cPAb9 @StrangeChem

Neil Gaiman's Advice to Aspiring Writers:
http://dld.bz/cPAbS @brainpicker

7 simple rules for good writing: http://dld.bz/cPA3U  @MsLianneLaroya

10 Bizarre Work Habits of Famous Authors:
http://dld.bz/cPA4c @JennyHansenCA

5 tips for being a better writer: http://dld.bz/cPA4m @storyfix

The Sounds of Writing – Why Some Pieces
Work & Some Don't: http://dld.bz/cPA4x
@ChilaWoychik

De-rotica – the Sad New Literary Genre: http://dld.bz/cPA4y @gregmischio

Tips for First-Time Horror Writers: http://dld.bz/cPA42 @WriterlyTweets @kculpepper1

7 Ways to Write to the Future: http://dld.bz/cPA4G @Orion_Magazine

Twitter's effect on writers and writing: http://dld.bz/cPPnM @walkthelinesldn @lucyinglis

Tips for approaching authors for guest
posts or interviews: http://dld.bz/cPPpn
@jodimeadows

Summer Lessons from an Unpublished Essay:
http://dld.bz/cPPp4 @BTMargins @andrealvolpe

Why Fan Fiction? http://dld.bz/cPPp8 @CarrieMesrobian

Becoming Shakespeare: http://dld.bz/cPPpC @TheEconomist

"Why I'm Not Writing YA (though I
often wish I was)": http://dld.bz/cPPqd
@KameronHurley

Gothic Intersections: Between the
Creative and the Critical: http://dld.bz/cPPqq
@GothImagination

You don't write books alone: http://dld.bz/cPPqy @AlissaLukara

Productivity for Writers: http://dld.bz/cPPq2 @KOMcLaughlin

How to win a Pulitzer Prize: http://dld.bz/cPPq9 @TheWriterMag

Tools to Organize Your Book Manuscript: http://dld.bz/cPPqE @grubwriters

10 Things 1 Writer Has Learned about
Crowdfunding (and why writers should try it): http://dld.bz/cPPqP
@MaryDeMuth

The Hidden World of the Typewriter: http://dld.bz/cPYVx @jjamesjoiner

The 5 Rookie Mistakes Writers Make When
Negotiating A Contract: http://dld.bz/cPYV6
@WritersRelief

5 Steps To Develop A Terrific Writing
Style: http://dld.bz/cPYWa

How Not To Treat Your Editor: http://dld.bz/cPYW4 @edsikov

Pet words: http://dld.bz/cPYWA
@pageturner @newyorker

2 tips for finding your writing voice: http://dld.bz/cPYWK @KatieAxelson

Freelancers: What to Put On Your Writer
Website if You're a Newbie: http://dld.bz/cPYWZ
@ticewrites

A Genealogy of Speculative Fiction: http://dld.bz/cPYXh @kaath09

6 ways to be more like Hemingway: http://dld.bz/cPYXs @fastcompany

1 writer's journey to publication and her
advice for writers: http://dld.bz/cPYXE
@KatZhang

Even if you don't live great stories, you
can write them: http://dld.bz/cPYXT
@ventgalleries

9 Epic Literary Burns: http://dld.bz/cPYYb @mental_floss

'Think About Characters Like a Sphere': http://dld.bz/cPYYg @joefassler

Poetry Isn't as Useless as a Lot of Poets
Say It Is: http://dld.bz/cPYYh @theatlantic

4 Ways To Create A Strong Antagonist: http://dld.bz/cPnaw @woodwardkaren

4 Ways to Improve Your Writing: http://dld.bz/cPz2m @ava_jae

What you should work on now: http://dld.bz/cPz8q @tannerc

7 Craft Lessons Every Writer Must Learn: http://dld.bz/cQdrH @Readwritestory

Steps to deal with writer's block: http://dld.bz/cQdsa @LeahMcClellan

5 Reasons Every Writer Should Journal: http://dld.bz/cQd6z @shewritesdotcom

The Power of Understatement in Fiction
Writing: http://dld.bz/cQd6D @JaneFriedman
@carmelbird

Do you need an agent to sell your book? http://dld.bz/cQd6M @deanwesleysmith

How Not to Be a Writer: 15 Signs You're
Doing It Wrong: http://dld.bz/cQd6V
@KMWeiland

An analysis of Agatha Christie's appeal: http://dld.bz/cQd7e @Writers_Write

The magic of the new idea: http://dld.bz/cQd8e @altait

17 writers' quotes on writing: http://dld.bz/cQd8t

The Grief Writer: http://dld.bz/cQd8K @elephantjournal

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly: http://dld.bz/cQd9p @chronicle

23 Writers Who Were Famous by Age 23: http://dld.bz/cQd9Q @FrugalAndrea

The 6 Habits of Highly Tormented Writers:
http://dld.bz/cQdAp @gripemaster @BTMargins

On Being a Writer of Genre Fiction: http://dld.bz/cQdA3 @herebemagic

"Illegal downloading is moral
squalor" (and commenters weigh in): http://dld.bz/cQgVx
@passivevoiceblg

12 Famous Authors on Writer's Block: http://dld.bz/cQgV5 @A_WritersStudio

Scene Description Spotlight: "Saving
Private Ryan": http://dld.bz/cQgV6
@gointothestory

Secrets of writing short: http://dld.bz/cQgVD @katysteinmetz @time

Two More Ways for Writers to Milk the
Cash Cow: http://dld.bz/cQgVP @jamesscottbell

Vague settings: http://dld.bz/cQgVY @Ross_B_Lampert

Literary Architecture: http://dld.bz/cQgWX @parisreview @SadieStein

7 Advantages of a Verbal Pitch: http://dld.bz/cQgXd @rachellegardner

3 lessons for great storytelling: http://dld.bz/cQgXt @DrNickMorgan @Forbes

How to Create a Three-Phase Writing
Ritual: http://dld.bz/cQgX2 @DebraEve
@writeitsideways

Life and Death: Proofreading Your Novel: http://dld.bz/cQgXB @evmysterywriter

The Importance of Knowing Why You Write: http://dld.bz/cQnZy @LyndaRYoung'

Face It: You Wrote a Bad Book: http://dld.bz/cQpa9

Talking the Story: http://dld.bz/cQpaA @shalvatzis @TrishaNicholson

Using a graph to revise: http://dld.bz/cQpba

What Your Shelves Say About You: http://dld.bz/cQpbd @BTMargins @nicholebernier

How to Avoid Twitter-Fritter and
Facebook-Fail: http://dld.bz/cQpbf
@annerallen

Double trouble: two authors in the house:
http://dld.bz/cQpbh @nailyournovel

A Straightforward Technique to Make Your
Writing More Immediate and Effective: http://dld.bz/cQpd4  @chavelaque

How to Use KDP's Cover Creator: http://dld.bz/cQpdM @joleene_naylor

Quick Guide: Becoming a Power User on
Goodreads: http://dld.bz/cQpdU @Bookgal

Freelancing---Being a "Kept"
Writer: http://dld.bz/cQpeB @Jenpens2

What Should an Author Blog About? http://dld.bz/cQpeJ @annerallen

How to Build Engagement With Story,
Strategy, and Structure: http://dld.bz/cQs6u
@JFBookman

42 Fiction Writing Tips for Novelists: http://dld.bz/cQs6y @melissadonovan

15 Places to Promote Your Book for Free: http://dld.bz/cQs65 @jasonboog @galleycat

Should writers branch into print instead
of offering only ebooks? http://dld.bz/cQs7j
@JanetKGrant

Top Six Agent Pet Peeves: http://dld.bz/cQs7n @LynnetteLabelle

The $55 Wooden Pencil: http://dld.bz/cQs7s @ChandlerWrites

4 Reasons You Procrastinate and How to
Break the Cycle: http://dld.bz/cQs8c
@MenwithPens

The Alphabet in Crime Fiction:
Technology: http://dld.bz/cQs8g @mkinberg

How Filmmakers Build Twitter Authority On
15 Minutes A Day: http://dld.bz/cQs8m
@raindance

Savvy Writing Advice from Famous Authors:
http://dld.bz/cQs8t @livewritethrive

8 Places to Look for Your Characters: http://dld.bz/cQs8x @victoriamixon

7 Ways You're Sabotaging Your Book Sales
Without Even Realizing It: http://dld.bz/cQs8M
@JonathanGunson

5 Reasons Why Perseverance is the Most
Important Quality for a Writer: http://dld.bz/cNf35
@Woollz

Using Multiple Texts to Develop Your
Story World: http://dld.bz/cP9rP
@lisawengland

Neil Gaiman's Advice to Aspiring Writers:
http://dld.bz/cPAbS @brainpicker

What you should work on now: http://dld.bz/cPz8q @tannerc

7 Craft Lessons Every Writer Must Learn: http://dld.bz/cQdrH @Readwritestory

Do you need an agent to sell your book? http://dld.bz/cQd6M @deanwesleysmith

Gothic Intersections: Between the
Creative and the Critical: http://dld.bz/cPPqq
@GothImagination

Writing About Shock and Trauma: http://dld.bz/cP5XR by @cateartios

More Thoughts on Being a Hybrid Writer and My Self-Publishing Discoveries

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig












On Monday’s post, I received a comment
from Colleen…she was interested in hearing more about balancing or approaching
life as a hybrid writer—someone who is both traditionally published and
self-published.

She mentioned (and she’s right) that many
self-pubbed/indie authors aren’t at all interested in being traditionally
published.  She was curious about how I
handle both worlds.

And…it’s interesting sometimes.  But for me, a job is a job. I have
traditionally published series with readers who want more books, so I’m
providing them more books.  I recently
signed a contract with Penguin for more mysteries in the Southern Quilting
series.



How I
manage the two parts of my writing life:

Since I was traditionally published
before I was self-pubbed, I don’t have expectations about my having much input
into the production side for traditional publishing.  I work well with my editors, I hit my
deadlines, I promote in a quiet way. 
I’ve got readers who enjoy these series and I’m not planning on walking
away from the series or those readers while I’m still being asked to write
books for them.

That being said—my bread and butter is
the self-pub—the Myrtle Clover series. While I put self-pubbed projects on hold
to finish traditionally published ones (they’re higher priority because I’m
paid in advance and because I have a deadline in my contract), I always return
to the self-pubbed projects as soon as I can. 


I’m not one of those who enjoys the
control I get with self-pub.  I enjoy the
royalties I get there, but the
production process always carries a little residual stress for me.  But once it’s done, I do feel a sense of
pride with the project—maybe more than I get from my traditionally published
ones…simply because I was responsible for the entire package.

What I’ve
noticed in the past couple of years:

Readers frequently don’t seem to notice
or care which books are self-pubbed and which are my traditionally pubbed—at
least, from what I can tell from Facebook messages and emails. But they will
fuss that my traditional pubs aren’t on audio and will ask me how one series is
and the others aren’t.  I’ve never,
oddly, had a reader ask me why they couldn’t find a Myrtle Clover book when
they went to Barnes & Noble.

I’ve noticed that my print sales are
definitely slipping in comparison to my digital sales. But there are still
readers who contact me about the lack of availability of particular print
titles (and they don’t want to read a digital book). 

And, if something isn’t available on
Nook, I hear about it.  Unfortunately,
one of my traditionally published titles isn’t on Nook—I had no idea until I
heard from a reader a couple of weeks ago. 
I contacted Midnight Ink about it and haven’t heard back yet. I sent the
reader an old print copy of the book that I had at home—she’d read all my other
books but that one.  I don’t think of
Nook as sending too many sales my way, but there are obviously readers who have
invested in that platform and aren’t going to read on other types of devices.

International sales take a while to start
up, but once they do, they add up quickly. 
My international sales were dead until the last 8 or 9 months, and now
books are selling briskly there.  I
suppose it works the same way as it does here with online retailers—once a few
sales are generated, your title gets more visibility.

I somehow feel compelled to tell family and friends who ask about my books that
I’m doing both traditional and self-pub. 
I have no idea why I feel this is important to disclose.  My disclosure is usually met with complete
confusion, which leads me to think that many non-writers aren’t really
following the self-pub revolution.  They
always recognize that ebooks are less-expensive—I do hear that all the time.  But they seem surprised that I’m choosing
this path.  Surprised…and usually
concerned.  Have my series been
discontinued?  I’ve found that a brief
explanation doesn’t seem to exist.

The more avenues you can open up for
already-published content, the better.  I
didn’t learn this until this year.  So
you’ve got some published ebooks.  If
they’re in demand, go ahead and offer them in print and audio.  Make your content work harder for you.  I’ve been so focused on creating new content
that I didn’t think about branching out. 


Are you a hybrid writer?  Do you have any insights about publishing or
self-publishing to share here?

A note:
Congratulations to my friend Alex
J. Cavanaugh for his new release, CassaStorm!  Alex not only has a successful series, but he
also has a terrific blog and a wonderful community for writers, the IWSG. You
can find my interview with Alex in this month’s newsletter for the Writer’s Knowledge
Base and here.

Past Imperfect

Guest Post by James Mullen

I’ve started to sketch out the plot for
my second book.  The book is a police
procedural based in Boston, and although I visit the area frequently, I haven’t
lived there in over 20 years. Computer research and phone interviews are
invaluable, you can’t beat putting your eyes on places – even if it’s just a
validation of what’s perfectly remembered. 
To be honest though, I went with the idea of visiting not the actual
places I image as crime scenes, because I know them so well, but want to
re-acquaint myself with the more peripheral areas of those scenes that could
serve as description. 

I plan to have the opening crime scene
take place at a downtown subway stop, or as we like to say in Boston, a “T”
stop.  I’ve found most subway stations
very linear and shaped like, well, the letter “T”;  ascending or descending stairs that pour out
to a waiting horizontal platform in front of the rails.  Pretty straight forward, pretty simple.  Since I was planning a murder, I needed a
place with more complication, more corners. 
I need malevolence.

I remember a stop I used back in the
mid-70s when I commuted from the Back Bay to downtown Boston.  The station always struck me as up to no
good, and on nights I worked late, felt like I was descending into a film noir
movie set.  Mack the Knife or Philip
Marlowe could pop out of the shadows and stick a shiv or a gat in my back
without warning.  The place defined grimy
and dark.  The layout was more like the
letter “Y”, but with intricate and shadowy angles.  Perfect!






So I had my hopes up when I went to
re-visit the street-level environment surrounding the stop two weeks ago. I
almost didn’t enter the stop itself since I knew the details were firmly
embedded in my memory – even 40 years later.

Boston, back then, covered both sides of
the social contract with its ridership. 
The city wanted efficient use of its system, so made the environment
extremely unpleasant; searing heat in any season; zero air exchange; squealing
breaks on subways at all times; crowd movements resembling schools of fish in a
Dixie cup; most overhead light bulbs broken – illumination being supplied by
any natural light able to crawl on its hands and knees down the stairs and make
it to the platform area on the first level. 
Yes, the city made good on its promise that no matter what slings and
arrows were suffered during a given workday by its citizens, they would take
place in an environment much more pleasant than the station.

But look what I walked into?  As you can see from the recent photo; white
tiles on the wall!  A wall, recently
cleaned!  Posters, and get this, a mural
on the back wall behind the escalators. 
Art appreciation!  And the
lights!  More than adequate ceiling
fluorescents throughout. People holding hands! 
I fully expected to see folks alight from arriving subway cars singing
show tunes and then lining up for a dance routine.  How could my memory do this to me?  Or is it the city’s fault?

The second day I took a boat trip to
another crime scene, Spectacle Island, in Boston Harbor.  Although I have never set foot on the island,
it is one of many in Boston Harbor located on a well-used flight path to and
from Logan Airport that I’ve flown numerous times.  If you look out a plane’s window enough, you
get to know the landmarks and the approach well. As a precaution, I also
checked maps on the internet prior to my trip and could see that the island’s
view of the Boston skyline would be blocked by several others in the harbor;
that fact being germane to an intended plot point of my story.  I give you Spectacle Island:

 









Lesser men would suffer boredom from
being right all the time.  Me, I just
take it in stride.












James
Mullen currently lives in North Carolina. 
His first novel, Ketchum and Cobb, can be purchased on Amazon.   

Website:  Grumpy Gets Better (jimamullen.blogspot.com)
– things literary and not so much.

Also on
Facebook and Goodreads. 

When Your Work in Progress Needs Early Revisions

By
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





As I mentioned last week, I recently
turned in a teaser chapter and an outline to one of my Penguin editors.  This particular editor likes to see an
outline before a book is written.

The deadline for the outline was actually
Sept. 1.  The deadline for the book
itself is January 1.  I have a self-pub
project that I stopped working on to write this book, so I decided to go ahead
and start writing the Penguin book while I waited for feedback on the outline.  There’s a bit of risk in doing so, since it
means that I might need to make big changes on a work-in-progress.

And…I did end up needing to make those
changes.  The editor liked the concept
for the book, but thought the set-up in the first chapter was a bit too similar
to the one in Knot What it Seams, which
came out in February. 


My editor’s memory is flawless and mine
is faulty.  Although that book came out
in February, I’d written it in early 2012 and had written 4.5 books since then
(including the quickly deserted self-pub I dropped to
work on this project). I re-read the start of the story in question and did
notice similarities.

My editor asked for two more suspects, or
at least one more.  She also asked for me to include subplots
involving 3 characters she really enjoys and feels that readers also enjoy.

While these weren’t radical changes, they
were fairly substantial and would definitely require a rewrite of the teaser
chapter I’d just turned in.

I was also already 38 pages into the
book.

I started out by making a list. This
keeps me from being completely overwhelmed by the task ahead.

Brainstorm
new direction:  Who might work as
additional suspects? I came up with as many scenarios as I could, and then
picked the strongest.  How could I
connect the requested subplots in with the mystery?  With the other subplot?  How could I make those characters grow or
change in the process?  What was another
way to start out the book…could I skip the set-up altogether and go right into
the action? I picked the best ideas and dumped the rest.

Revise
teaser chapter:  This had to be
revised first, since it was technically overdue.

Revise
outline:  Incorporate the
additions in the outline (the additional suspects, the additional subplots).

Delete portions of the outline that no
longer fit in with the revisions.

Make notes
on manuscript:  Obviously, I was
going to immediately rewrite chapter one because of the teaser chapter
issue.  Then I needed to replace the
original chapter one with the new one.

Make a note to myself on Word in Track
Changes that page 12ish—38 were unedited.

Keep
moving forward with story: For me, I do major revisions after the first
draft is finished.  So I picked up on
page 38 with the changes from that point forward, following the revised outline
and the point that I was in with the story. 
Others, I know, want to fix those other pages in between, but that’s
what my second draft is for.

So I quickly revised the first chapter
and sent it back to my editor, since she needed it for the end of the December
book.  I finished the other tasks and am
now picking up with the story as if the beginning of the book were already
fixed.

So…yeah, it can be a little unnerving to
get requests from changes from an editor in midstream.  It might not even be an editor—it could be a
first reader or a critique group.  But by
breaking it down into small tasks and prioritizing them, it does make the job a
lot easier.

Have you ever made large revisions in the
early stages of a project?  How did you
organize the process?

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig









Twitterific
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A free directory of cover designers,
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26 Minority Screenwriters to Inspire You:
http://dld.bz/cPeaz @amandapendo

20 Tips for Writing Picture Books: http://dld.bz/cPea3




Wine as a murder weapon in crime fiction:
http://dld.bz/cPzqy @mkinberg

Hybrid Author @HughHowey on Self vs.
Traditional Publishing: http://dld.bz/cP2ve
@Porter_Anderson

Is indie publishing for you? Things to
consider: http://dld.bz/cPzwM @authorterryo

10 Counterintuitive Tips for
Self-Publishers: http://dld.bz/cPz5s
@HughHowey @Porter_Anderson

Goodreads reviews are for readers, not
authors: http://dld.bz/cP24R @Mike_Mullin

Problems to Look for Before You Pitch or
Publish Your Thriller: http://dld.bz/cP6cJ
@DPLyleMD @JodieRennerEd

A poisons resource for crime fiction
writers: http://clarissadraper.blogspot.com/search/label/Poisons
@clarissadraper

5 things about publishing 1 writer wishes
she'd known then: http://dld.bz/cP92P

Is"Oyster" a Netflix for Books?
http://dld.bz/cPAbq @arhomberg
@PatrickRwrites @Porter_Anderson

Too Old to Write? Proof the Answer is
“No": http://dld.bz/cPPpG @Sherrey_Meyer


The industry and readers weigh in on
Amazon's new MatchBook program: http://bit.ly/18g6ktC
@Porter_Anderson @katepullinger @laurahazardowen

How 6 Pieces of Self-Publishing Advice
Led to Averaging $1,250 a Month in Book Sales: http://dld.bz/cPeaC
@richdenoncourt

What to look for in a writer's group: http://dld.bz/cPeaK @fantasyfaction

The Importance of Flash Fiction: http://dld.bz/cPebc @NatRusso

6 Tips for Managing Multi-Author Blogs
Without Losing Your Mind: http://dld.bz/cPebj
@problogger

Cover to Cover: From Inception to
Publication: http://dld.bz/cPebk
@Philip_Overby

Stephen King On What Makes An Opening
Line Great: http://dld.bz/cPebm
@woodwardkaren

Fight Club's 8 Rules for Writing that
Creates a Ruckus: http://dld.bz/cPebv
@JonMorrow

Keeping Action Scenes Clear and
Interesting: http://dld.bz/cPebx
@janice_hardy

Writing Biographies for Children: http://dld.bz/cPeb2

The Kindle has turned a rare book dealer
off of paper books: http://dld.bz/cPebA
@guardianbooks

Writing with Dyslexia: http://dld.bz/cPebJ @womenwriters
@Dandeliongirl01

Interview with agent @SaraMegibow: http://dld.bz/cPeeD @fantasyfaction

3 Lessons 1 Editor Has Learned from Her
First Year as Publisher: http://dld.bz/cPegc
@shewrites

Writing to heal--1 writer's journey: http://dld.bz/cPeRd @AnneWainscott

How to Tell People You're a Writer
(Without Telling Them Anything): http://dld.bz/cPeSg
@shermanave1

The Fine Art of Saying No: http://dld.bz/cPfbh @pshares

Motivational Tools for the Freelance
Writer: http://dld.bz/cPfbv @B2Community

10 rules of writing fiction: http://dld.bz/cPfb8 @BlackmanAndrew

Writing is all about trust: http://dld.bz/cPffJ @altait

On writing and dating: http://dld.bz/cPfgd @duchessofrock @salon

Fan Fiction Writers are Gryffindors: http://dld.bz/cPfgn @lucyhallowell

'Also, the Drink Helps': Famous Writers'
Daily Writing Routines: http://dld.bz/cPfgq
@TheAtlantic @brainpicker

Setting Details—Mastering Technology: http://dld.bz/cPfrM @noveleditor

3 blogging mistakes to avoid: http://dld.bz/cPfsm @JFBookman

Tips for building strong characters: http://dld.bz/cPfsv @write_practice

4 Tips on Using Theme in Science-Fiction:
http://dld.bz/cPfs8 @cairnswrites
@@VeronicaSicoe

Fiction Writing Exercises for Creating
Characters: http://dld.bz/cPfsR
@melissadonovan

Grid Lets You Organize Your Ideas
Visually: http://dld.bz/cNTX3 @mediabistro

What sucks and what's great about letting
go of the novel you've been working on for 2.5 years: http://dld.bz/cNTbC @lucas_klauss

This Is Your Writing On Drugs: http://dld.bz/cNReK @kenyonreview

A community for screenwriters offering
resources for screenwriters and fiction writers in other media: http://dld.bz/cPjwJ @theBlackBoard

Bare-Knuckle Writing: http://dld.bz/cPjym @katiekitamura

21 Ways to Not Finish a First Draft: http://dld.bz/cPjy4 @MADaboutWords

5 Writing Quotes that are Wall Worthy: http://dld.bz/cPjyM @SherlockedSarah

Backstory - What It Is And Why We Use It:
http://dld.bz/cPjzn @pyrosama

Great Openings Grab the Reader by the
Throat: http://dld.bz/cPjzY @Eve_Silver
@martinaaboone

Bad reasons to blog and how to know you
shouldn't do it: http://dld.bz/cPj2e
@TiceWrites

Using a Chapter Framework to Manage Plots
and Subplots: http://dld.bz/cPj2F
@querytracker

7 tips for open and honest communication
in a writers group: http://dld.bz/cPj2U
@WriterlyTweets

Tips for building strong characters: http://dld.bz/cPfsv @write_practice

5 Quick Fixes for a Story that Goes
Wrong: http://dld.bz/cPjCt @yeomanis
@writeitsideways

Healthy Eating Tips for Writers: http://dld.bz/cPjCR

Writer's Spreadsheets: http://dld.bz/cPjDr @janlewis77 @lisagailgreen

A look at epic fantasy: http://dld.bz/cPjHf @TeresaFrohock

Lessons Learned While Preparing for a
Writer's Workshop: http://dld.bz/cPjHg
@davidbcoe

What to Do When a Possessive Blocks
Punctuation: http://dld.bz/cPjHs
@writing_tips

21 Things Writers Know that Non-Writers
Don't: http://dld.bz/cPjHv @victoriamixon

The Fine Art of Saying No: http://dld.bz/cPfbh @pshares

The Many Layers of Structure and Design: http://dld.bz/cPjHC @ingridsundberg

Why All Self-Publishers Should Sell
Direct: http://dld.bz/cPjJd @TheWritPlatform

Stephen King's 20 Quotes on Writing: http://dld.bz/cPjJw @LuisAFAzevedo

Selling Your Novel in a Digital World: http://dld.bz/cPjJ6 @NAAlleyBlog

How to Handle Rejection: Don't Give Up: http://dld.bz/cPjJH @wherewriterswin

Refresher on pronoun usage: http://dld.bz/cPjJZ

Valuing Complexity in Entertainment: http://dld.bz/cPjKm @okalrelsrv @ClarionUCSD

How To Format A Perfect Novel: http://dld.bz/cPjKA @gbr0binson

Getting Your Rights Back From the
Publisher: http://dld.bz/cPjTW
@rachellegardner

A Quick Tip for Getting to Know Your
Characters--And Your Plot: http://dld.bz/cPm2W
@Janice_Hardy

Best time of year to submit to an agent? http://dld.bz/cPm3a @carlywatters

The New Explosion in Audio Books: http://dld.bz/cPm3d @passivevoiceblg

Unleashing the Writer in You: http://dld.bz/cPm3j

Storytelling is getting formulaic. This
is an opportunity: http://dld.bz/cPm3r
@nathanbransford

5 reasons to embrace the 21st century: http://dld.bz/cPm3s @rachellegardner

The Art of Anthology: http://dld.bz/cPm3u @ErinUnderwood

A Blogging Technique That Will Cut Your
Writing Time in Half: http://dld.bz/cPm32
@ticewrites

Writers and Self-Promotion: Stop
bleating, start writing: http://dld.bz/cPm36
@pstjmack

5 Moments of Horror in Unexpected Places:
http://dld.bz/cPm3D @AnnieNeugebauer

Restless for Writing, or How Writing
Ruins Everything: http://dld.bz/cPm4f
@LetaBlake

Leveraging Anxiety as a Creative: http://dld.bz/cPm4m @RealLifeE

Six lessons we can learn from a family of
writers: http://dld.bz/cPm4v

Find a Fun Hobby to Boost Your Writing: http://dld.bz/cPm4x @PhilosBooks

How To Turn Complicated Books Into
Movies: http://dld.bz/cPm42

Why it's difficult to get into the
manga/comic business: http://dld.bz/cNZAs
@DavidCampitiGHG

For coffee-addicted writers: What
Caffeine Really Does to Your Brain: http://dld.bz/cNZAy
@PsyBlog

Ambiguity, Fiction, and TV? http://dld.bz/cPmHd @PsychCentral

How your morning pages may become a
sacred space: http://dld.bz/cPmH9
@emilypfreeman

Tips for getting more reviews: http://dld.bz/cPmJa @gbr0binson

Priming The Pump: Selling Your eBook On
Amazon Isn't As Easy As It Seems: http://dld.bz/cPnap
@erikwecks

4 Ways To Create A Strong Antagonist: http://dld.bz/cPnaw @woodwardkaren

Getting Your Start as an Indie Author in
2013: http://dld.bz/cPna8

How Doing Nothing Makes You More
Creative: http://dld.bz/cPnaC @beaccidental

Conjuring a fright: what makes a great
horror movie? http://dld.bz/cPnaG
@guardianfilm @Tom_Shone

How To Let Yourself Be Imperfect And Win
Big: http://dld.bz/cPnaK @ollinmorales

Mental Illness and Writing: http://dld.bz/cPnaQ @GKBCinc

Crap someone should have told you writers
by now: http://dld.bz/cPnbs @rebeccatdickson

Ghostwriting: Have Pen. Will Write. (For
Pay): http://dld.bz/cPnby

10 Triumphs Of Low Budget Horror Film
Making: http://dld.bz/cPnb6

4 Reasons to Buy Books in Print: http://dld.bz/cPyxg @SylviaNey

Editing issues in trad published books: http://dld.bz/cPyxu @passivevoiceblg

An Agent Answers Questions on Querying,
Graphic Novels, and Books for Children: http://dld.bz/cPyx2
@ginger_clark

12 Ways to Americanize Your Dialogue: http://dld.bz/cPyxD @WriteDivas

Getting Your Start as an Indie Author:
Don't Wait: http://dld.bz/cPyxQ

Standard Pages for A Non-Fiction Website:
http://dld.bz/cPyxU @authormedia

Don't Be an All-or-Nothing Writer: http://dld.bz/cPyxZ @grubwriters

How the Talent of Productive Loafing Aids
Creativity: http://dld.bz/cPyym
@JeffreyDavis108

3 Ways Writers Can Compete Well in
Today's Crowded Market: http://dld.bz/cPyyn
@jodyhedlund

2 Ways to Manage a Large Cast of
Characters in Your Novel: http://dld.bz/cPyyr
@write_practice

5 Ways Mindful Breathing can Stimulate
Your Creativity: http://dld.bz/cPyy6

How to write discussion questions for
your novel: http://dld.bz/cPzzp
@JordanMcCollum

An interview with Audible: http://dld.bz/cPzzH @LorenKleinman

Editing pet peeves: http://dld.bz/cPz2j @WriteDivas @larin20

4 Ways to Improve Your Writing: http://dld.bz/cPz2m @ava_jae

7 Tips on Writing a Series: http://dld.bz/cPz2q @janice_hardy

12 Reasons to Include Video As Part of
Your Online Strategy: http://dld.bz/cPz7R
@12most @mistygirlph

What you should work on now: http://dld.bz/cPz8q @tannerc

Great Character: Miles Monroe
("Sleeper"): http://dld.bz/cPz8s
@gointothestory

Why Writers Should Read: http://dld.bz/cPzA8 @howtowriteshop

The Character Therapist: Teen v. Adult
Reactions and Guilt Trips: http://dld.bz/cPzAB
@jeanniecampbell

Top 10 joy stealers for writers: http://dld.bz/cPzAS @wendypmiller

The Seven Deadly Sins of Writing: http://dld.bz/cPzAZ @BrendaMoguez

5 Social Media Branding Lessons From The
Grateful Dead: http://dld.bz/cPzBk
@heidicohen

Producer's POV: Dos and Don't's of
Reality Show Pitch Proposals: http://dld.bz/cPzB3
@scriptmag @HeatherJHale

10 things 1 self-pubbed writer has
discovered: http://dld.bz/cPzBB

Creative Author Marketing: Beyond the
Bookstore: http://dld.bz/cPzBE
@wherewriterswin

Does A Writer Need An Office? http://dld.bz/cP4Je

Lessons on Storytelling and Being a
Writer: http://dld.bz/cP4J5 @lydia_sharp

Interview with agent @SaraMegibow: http://dld.bz/cPeeD @fantasyfaction

5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your
Editing Experience: http://dld.bz/cPbFm
@BookAnalyst

7 Reasons Why Social Media Isn't Growing
Your Fiction Readership: http://dld.bz/cP4K2
@storyrally

Healthcare for the Self-Employed Writer: http://dld.bz/cP4KJ @VistaHealth

Encouraging your Readers to Suspend
Disbelief: http://dld.bz/cP4KZ @laurapauling

The roots of anger and how they help us
understand our characters: http://dld.bz/cP4Mk
@catie_rhodes

The issue of novel length: http://dld.bz/cPbGU @lawrence_wray

Writing About Shock and Trauma: http://dld.bz/cP5XR  by @cateartios

Yes, Virginia, You Can Totally Force Art:
http://dld.bz/cP5Yn @chuckwendig (lang)

The real secret of productive writers: http://dld.bz/cP5Yv @nickthacker

Stories Are About Change: http://dld.bz/cP5Y6 @SPressfield

Great scene--The Natural: http://dld.bz/cP6az (watch scene here: http://dld.bz/cP6a2 ) @gointothestory

Writer Beware: American Book Publ /
Alexis Press / All Classic Books / Atlantic National Books: http://dld.bz/cP6bs @victoriastrauss

On travel writing: http://dld.bz/cP6bD @bob_brooke

4 Tips to Reach Your Writing and
Publishing Goals: http://dld.bz/cP6bM
@jfbookman

Writing Authentic Dialog That Hooks a
Reader: http://dld.bz/cP6bQ @janice_hardy

Writing Setting and Other Description—Getting Past the “Who Cares?” Aspect

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





I dislike writing setting and
description, but I used to absolutely despise it.  I’ve got plenty of now-published manuscripts
in my Word archives with helpful editorial direction on them: “Elizabeth, could
you share with us what this car looks like? 
I can’t really picture it.”

Each time, of course, I added the
description in for my editor.  There are readers who
really enjoy description, I know.  I’ve
just never been one of them. 



There was also the side of me that mutters, “Who cares?” when asked about the car’s description.  Really, did it matter?  It wasn’t a clue to the mystery.  The character didn’t care much about cars.
Why include it?

But as I went on, I started making my
peace with it.  All right,
so the character doesn’t care about cars. 
Maybe that’s something I should be showing with my description.  Maybe the car shouldn’t be the latest
model.  Maybe the car desperately needs a
trip through an automatic carwash.  Or
maybe the car simply functions as a mobile billboard for the character’s
beliefs and causes—in the form of bumper stickers.  How could I take a humdrum assignment (adding
description) and make it something I could get interested in?

So 
that was one thing that helped—have the
description help show a bit about the character.

Another tip that I picked up along my
blog reading way was that verbs were much more
fun than adjectives when describing something.  A blog post by David Jacobsen on the Book
Talk blog, “Writing
Tip: Describing With Verbs”, does a nice job explaining the process. He
changed Kari was a beautiful toddler. She had
long, black, curly hair and shining, green eyes. to: As Kari toddled across the room, her black hair
curled and bounced around her shoulders, and her green eyes shone. 

Although his examples are dealing with
describing a character, you can use it with settings, too.  Something like this: The mountains rolled off as far as she could see, rising gently to the
sky until they faded into the horizon.  
The closer hills were draped with trees, like moss on stones.

Discover
how the character feels about the setting.  Literary agent and writer resource Donald Maass recommends
that we consider how our character feels about the setting, suggesting that we brainstorm emotions tied to particular events, incorporating those details
in our setting.  Again, this exercise
helps us, and our reader, understand the character a bit better…and helps make
our task a little more interesting.

Make the
setting enjoyable for you to write.  For one of my recently-written books, I chose
a setting with secret passageways, trapdoors, and a spooky attic.  Beats writing about lunch in a restaurant.  If there’s a place you especially enjoy,
think about writing a similar location into your book.

Have you got any tips for writing
description and describing setting?  Is
it something you enjoy as a reader or writer? 

Image: MorgueFile: calebunseth

5 Things About Book Publishing I Wish I Knew Then

  Guest Post by Deborah Sharp









First, I must
recognize Mystery Writing is Murder as the fantastic resource it is for me, and
for countless others. Much thanks to Elizabeth for her fantastic blog, and for
inviting me to guest post today.  




This month marks the
publication of the
fifth book in my Mace Bauer Mystery Series. It seems a good time to pause
to look back at what I didn't know when I started out.  Here are 5 Things About Book Publishing I Wish I Knew Then:
 




1. Writing your first book isn't the hard part.

The other stuff --
getting it published, promoting it, learning the ins and outs of marketing when
your entire experience in sales was peddling Girl Scout cookies in the fifth
grade --- that's the hard part. And if you're doing a series, like me, you'll also
be writing another book during the learning curve. Start learning about the
business side of being a writer before you get published. 




2. Your readers are not only drawn TO your setting,
they're drawn FROM your setting. 

Give this some
thought. Had I done so at the beginning, I might not have set my first book,
and hence my series, in a region of Florida that has more cattle than people.
Cows, in case you didn't know, do not buy books.  




3. Publishers
want what they want when they want it. 

When I began working
on my switch from journalism to fiction-writing in 2004, ebooks weren't even a
gleam in Amazon's eye. I went the traditional publishing route. If you do the
same, you'll probably wait months to hear from a publisher you've pitched. You
may not ever hear back at all. But if you do, and turn in the finished version
of your manuscript, months may pass without a word. Then, suddenly, they'll get
back to you with a cover design, or a request for changes, and it'll be, SNAP
TO IT!  As a former news reporter, I viewed that distant deadline as a
long, luxurious stretch of time. Now I know how time accelerates quickly toward
the end of the process. Understand that publishers do not like to be kept
waiting. 




4. When you
decide to don something "fun" or "quirky" because it's
something your character might wear, readers will expect to see you in it. ALL
THE TIME. 




''Where's Mama's
veil?'' 




I still hear that
question, three years after I dressed in hideously tacky wedding attire to
promote Book No. 3, ''Mama Gets Hitched.''  Not only did I get a permanent
neck crick from plopping five pounds of pearls, ribbons, and tulle on my head,
the wedding hat became a hard act to follow. Sure, a feather boa and diva
sunglasses worked for the movie theme of No. 4, ''Mama Sees Stars.'' But what
am I supposed to do for No. 5,  ''Mama
Gets Trashed?'' That book opens in the city dump. Must I dress in a Hefty
bag, and dip up punch from a trash can?  Be careful with costumes!




5. The quality
of your first book is key to the success of your series. Fortunately, I
had lots of time -- and a fantastic critique group -- to polish and improve my
first title.  I only realized later most series readers start at No. 1, no
matter which book the author may be promoting. That one establishes the characters
and the foundation for everything that follows. If No. 1 is a sloppy rush job,
readers won't pick up No. 2.  All aspiring writers hear this advice.
Listen, because it's absolutely true: Write the best book you can, right out of
the gate.




One lesson I'm
struggling with now is how real life can intrude on our writing lives. 

I write a funny
mystery series. When sad things happen, it's hard to be funny. Within the span
of a year, my mother's failing health and dementia forced me to place her in
assisted living. I had to sell the house where Mom -- my muse! -- lived for 65
years; the house where I was raised. Meanwhile, my husband's mother was dying
of cancer. We were at her bedside when she passed away. Nothing funny about any
of that.




I decided to take a
break from writing the series. My editor at Midnight Ink has been kind enough
to leave the door open should Mace, Mama, and the gang from Himmarshee, Fla., want to
come back. I've had some time lately to slow down, so I've been thinking of
things I wish I knew back when.  




How about you? What
lessons have you learned along the way that you wish you'd known at the start?






Florida native Deborah Sharp
is the author of the funny, southern-flavored Mace Bauer Mysteries, featuring Mace's wacky mama. She
lives with husband Kerry Sanders in Fort Lauderdale, where she spends her time chasing
the iguanas out of her hibiscus.

Primary Sources

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig







Last December I was at a Christmas
drop-in and was hanging out near the back of the room…my favorite haunt at
social events.  This spot is even better
if there is wine near the back of the room, which was the case for this party.

I’m sure I’m the despair of many a poor
hostess, but this one was doing a great job trying to engage me.  “Let me introduce you
to my friend," she said.  She brought me over to a
gentleman who was also standing in the back of a room, this one the
kitchen.  “Elizabeth is a mystery
writer,” she said with a smile.  Of
course I winced at being outed as a writer—you just never know how that’s going
to go. And the hostess continued, “Elizabeth, my friend is a botanist.”

I lit up. 
The party flew by and I wasn’t the first person to leave this
time—perhaps not even the fourth or fifth person. I’d immediately gasped as if
I’d met a rock star and said, “So you must know all about poisons!”   He did. 
The poor man.

It was a good thing that no one else
found the botanist as fascinating as I did. 
I completely monopolized him as I avidly picked his brain on North
Carolina poisons, emailing myself the information on my phone.  My husband gave up trying to be part of our
conversation as I recorded poison after poison in complete delight. It was my
most favorite party ever. And—I got lots of information on Destroying Angel, a
type of mushroom that I’m using in my next book.

This made me realize that, introverted as
I am and as fond of computer research as I am—sometimes nothing beats primary
sources.  The botanist loved talking about poisons and had ideas for
many different types.  I could
immediately learn if they’d work for my story by asking how long before they
took effect, if they had a bitter taste that would prevent the victim from
continuing to eat/drink the item, etc.

I’ve also used primary sources to fill in
bits of research that would take forever for me to research online.  Last year, I asked a successful barbeque
competitor how teams were set up for the Memphis in May barbeque competition
and what it took to win.  I’ve asked cops
police procedural questions, particularly how they relate to small towns.  And I’ve asked a former participant in beauty
contests exactly how one contestant could take revenge on another and ruin
their chances…and if these contests got that competitive (they can and do,
apparently).

Aside from the botanist, I’m usually
fairly organized when I contact a primary source.  If I’m calling, I immediately explain that
I’m a writer (especially when I ask police officers murder-related questions!),
ask if there’s a good time to call them back or if they’re currently available,
and always make sure I have my list of questions in front of me.  Email sometimes is a better way to
communicate with sources because then you’ve got it all in writing.  I’m not fond of the phone, but sometimes
that’s preferred by the person I’m interviewing.  And, as much as I dislike it, I probably do
get the information faster because I can ask follow-up questions right then
instead of having to email them back.

Something else I’ve found on these
occasions when I’ve talked with a primary source—I get ideas and information to
work with on other projects.  Plus, it gives me extra inspiration to talk
with someone who really knows the topic I’m asking them about and who’s excited
about it.

I credit my source in my acknowledgments
and send them a signed book when it releases.

Have you ever used primary sources for
researching a book? 

Image: Destroying Angel, Wikimedia Commons, Calvero

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.

Sign up for our free newsletter for bimonthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook. 

Mike Fleming and writing coach James Scott Bell are
offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel
great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it
at Knockout Novel.com. 




A writer's
experiences with audiobooks (ACX) for her self-pubbed works: http://dld.bz/cPcjq and http://dld.bz/cPcjr @authorterryo




Conflicting story goals: http://dld.bz/cPcrB @JulieMusil




How to Write a Self-Help Book: http://dld.bz/cPdd8 @CormackCarr

Is the Dust-Up Over Kobo’s Devices Fair? http://dld.bz/cPeNJ @Porter_Anderson @JDGsaid
@DennisAbrams2

Authors who were able to successfully
cross over to writing mysteries: http://dld.bz/cPhvN
@mkinberg

Agatha Christie sleuth Poirot to return
in new novel: http://dld.bz/cPhM3 @timesmarts

A community for screenwriters offering
resources for screenwriters and fiction writers in other media: http://dld.bz/cPjwJ @theBlackBoard

A free directory of cover designers,
formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq

7 Habits of Highly Successful Writers: http://dld.bz/cNTnx @paperblanks

How to Become a Novelist in Your Second
Career: http://dld.bz/cNTp3 @NancyCollamer
@RLTVLive

How to Finish Your Novel (While Life Goes
On): http://dld.bz/cNTtf @aliventures

Clothing Your Characters: http://dld.bz/cNTtn @writerunboxed

The Hidden Psychological Benefits of a
Standing Desk: http://dld.bz/cNTty
@lifehacker

An Important Technique for Adding
Momentum to a Slow Plot: http://dld.bz/cNTt3
@jodyhedlund

Failure and Writing: http://dld.bz/cNTtB @mabelsblog

Top 5 Misunderstood Monsters in
Literature: http://dld.bz/cNTtC @paperblanks

7 Reasons Every Writer Needs to Be on
Twitter: http://dld.bz/cNTtJ @KristenLambTX

Writing in Bed: The Peculiar Perks of
Being Ill: http://dld.bz/cNT4X @maryawasmuth

Brain Power: What Makes A Superhero? http://dld.bz/cNT5e @tordotcom

One Book, One Year: In Praise of Reading
Slowly: http://dld.bz/cNT5m @WallaceYovetich

Flash Memoir: http://dld.bz/cNT5x

The New Face of Book Pirates:
Plagiarists: http://dld.bz/cNT55 @jamigold

3 Threats to Effective Time Blocking and
How To Solve Them: http://dld.bz/cNT5G
@ProductiveSd

Standard Pages for A Fiction Website: http://dld.bz/cNTWZ @authormedia

4 simple tips to know before you write
your first book: http://dld.bz/cNTXp
@emilypfreeman

Grid Lets You Organize Your Ideas
Visually: http://dld.bz/cNTX3 @mediabistro

10 Ways to Know You've Found Your Voice: http://dld.bz/cNTX9

Using your craft to enact revenge: http://dld.bz/cNTXU @AKellyAnderson @pshares

5 Things You Shouldn't Say to Authors: http://dld.bz/cNTY4 @brandontietz

About "multiple" or
"simultaneous" submissions: http://dld.bz/cNTYD
@DaphneUn

Positives & Negatives of Getting an
MFA (or BFA): http://dld.bz/cNV9V
@jchenwriter

7 Ways to Build Your Writing Confidence: http://dld.bz/cNVAA @KMWeiland

Journalists declare war…on ellipses: http://dld.bz/cNVAH @Poynter

Thoughts On Travel Writing: http://dld.bz/cNVAS @jones_alden @cogwbur

Taking A Break From Your Platform: http://dld.bz/cNVAV @danblank

The e.e. cummings Poem That Turned a
Surly Teenager Into a Grown-Up Author:  http://dld.bz/cNVBh @AlexanderMaksik

"The bullies of
Goodreads": http://dld.bz/cPmMC
@NathanBransford @Porter_Anderson




A writer hears from residents of a town
she thought she'd made up: http://dld.bz/cNVB4
@nailyournovel

10 Techniques for Greater Creativity in
Writing: http://dld.bz/cNVJP @inspiredmag

Will Self's rules for writers: http://dld.bz/cNVKe @guardianbooks @wself

Lost for words: The curse of writer's
block: http://dld.bz/cNVKG

Is theater elitist? Theater blogs debate
whether 'experimental' theatre turns off 'regular' people: http://dld.bz/cNVMc

You're Where You Are Because of Who You
Are (but that ain't necessarily a bad thing): http://dld.bz/cNVMw

The Mother of All Query Letters: http://dld.bz/cNVMR @speechwriterguy

Rewrite Your Way to Greatness: http://dld.bz/cNXVE @alering

The Tao of the three drafts: http://dld.bz/cNXVK

Romance, gender, and the measure of a
'real book': http://dld.bz/cNXVM @RomanceSoc

"My WiP is Making Me Fat"
(& Other Writerly Truths): http://dld.bz/cNXVN
@katyupperman

Series--do they help an author sell more
books? http://dld.bz/cNXVR @rebeccaberto

How not to be eaten by sharks as a
writer: http://dld.bz/cNXWh @SusanKayeQuinn

When Not to Give an Interesting Character
a POV: http://dld.bz/cNXWn @kmweiland

How to Write Description Through
Character: http://dld.bz/cNXWp @ava_jae

The Reading Checklist for Authors: http://dld.bz/cNXWy @YAmuses

Top 7 Reasons You Should Give Your Book
Away For Free: http://dld.bz/cNXWB
@ADDerWORLD @joebunting

For The Writers: It's Just Books: http://dld.bz/cNXWC @LASbauer

Writing for today's ADD Audience: http://dld.bz/cNXWJ

On overusing exclamation points: http://dld.bz/cNXWM @GraemeIng

Tips for keeping your reader awake: http://dld.bz/cNXWP @KarenKellyBoyce

9 Reasons to Keep A Reading Journal: http://dld.bz/cN5FU @DollyGarland

8 Practical Tips for a Better
Relationship with a Writer: http://dld.bz/cN7ZM
@_mohul

This Is Your Writing On Drugs: http://dld.bz/cNReK @kenyonreview

A Revision Check List: http://dld.bz/cNYEW @WriterlyTweets

A Study in Sherlock--Finding a Character
Through Deduction: http://dld.bz/cNYFa
@YAmuses @KALongshore

Screenwriting: 7 Ways Film Training Can
Ruin Your Career: http://dld.bz/cNYFk
@Raindance @fredericabyron

How Not To Begin A Story: http://dld.bz/cNYFC @woodwardkaren

Building a better Batcave (comfortable
writing environment): http://dld.bz/cNYFQ
@eThrillerWriter

30 Things to Tell A Book Snob: http://dld.bz/cNYFU @matthaig1

Character building tips: http://dld.bz/cNYFV @eThrillerWriter

Three Dimensional Characters: http://dld.bz/cNYFW @TaliaVance @YAmuses

10 Dead Simple Ways To Make Readers Love
Your Characters: http://dld.bz/cNYGf
@ScreenwritingST @scriptgods

The Shy Writer's Cocktail Party Survival
Guide: http://dld.bz/cNZ8Z @AnneGBrown

"750 Words" Helps You Meet
Daily Writing Goals: http://dld.bz/cNZ9q
@jasonboog

Top Free & Paid Services to Promote
Your Kindle Books: http://dld.bz/cNZ9w

Inspiration is a Fickle Mistress: How to
write sustainably: http://dld.bz/cNZ9W
@ReadDanLevinson

The 7 Personalities Every Successful Film
Crowdfunder Has: http://dld.bz/cNZAg
@elliot_grove @raindance

Searching for Your Character's Root Need:
http://dld.bz/cNZAm @YAMuses @rossibooks

Why it's difficult to get into the
manga/comic business: http://dld.bz/cNZAs
@DavidCampitiGHG

Editing tips: http://dld.bz/cNZAv

For coffee-addicted writers: What
Caffeine Really Does to Your Brain: http://dld.bz/cNZAy
@PsyBlog

Use Google as a Timer with a Simple
Search Command: http://dld.bz/cNZAD @kingthor

3 Rules to Write World-Changing Memoir: http://dld.bz/cNZAH @jeffgoins

3 conversations about writing: http://dld.bz/cNZAX @afesmith

Authors on the Importance of Writing the
Final Chapter First: http://dld.bz/cParP
@flavorwire

Why We Hate & Love The Cheaters Who
Lie: http://dld.bz/cParT

1 simple secret for success for a writer:
http://dld.bz/cPase @ChadRAllen

6 reasons why you need to write more
books: http://dld.bz/cPash @Brooklyn__Ann

Writers and the
advice culture: http://dld.bz/cPnCs
@jaelmchenry @Porter_Anderson @hughhowey




How to Get Your Screenplay Read Without
Asking: http://dld.bz/cPasv @jeannevb
@scriptmag

Letting your characters go: http://dld.bz/cPas8 @writerunboxed

What is means when you hear your
"tone is wrong": http://dld.bz/cPasM
@io9

10 Traits of a Strong Antagonist: http://dld.bz/cPasR @janice_hardy

Promoting a Poetry Collection: http://dld.bz/cPatm @robertleebrewer

10 OneNote Features that Will Rock Your
Writing World: http://dld.bz/cPatt
@JennyHansenCA

Is Perfectionism Killing Your Career? http://dld.bz/cPa2V @KristenLambTX

50 Productivity Tricks: http://dld.bz/cPa2Z @lifehackorg

Gender and the Gothic Space: http://dld.bz/cPa3E @GothImagination

The Millennial Method Of Publishing?
Do-It-Yourself: http://dld.bz/cPa3F
@ShereneJoseph @Forbes

Want to Make Your Writing Life Joyful?
Stop Counting: http://dld.bz/cPa3G

Dreams and Bestsellers: http://dld.bz/cPa3K @kristinerusch

Contrasting personality traits: http://dld.bz/cPbDn @glencstrathy

Recording things: Snippets of dialogue: http://dld.bz/cPbDq @Le_Shack

MYTH #1--There is only 1 right way to do
anything in publishing: http://dld.bz/cPbD2
@deanwesleysmith

Regulating Our Emotions To Be More
Creative: http://dld.bz/cPbDD @DouglasEby
@PsychCentral

Commonly Confused Words: http://dld.bz/cPbDG @janetboyer

Physical Attributes Entry: Underweight: http://dld.bz/cPbDK @beccapuglisi

Best Online Backup Services: http://dld.bz/cPbDZ @lifehacker

Audience Development for Writers: Your
Life-Long Career Investment: http://dld.bz/cPbEd
@janefriedman

3 Ways Marketing Fiction Differs from
Marketing Nonfiction: http://dld.bz/cPbEe
@thecreativepenn

Authors and Reading Communities: http://dld.bz/cPbEn @author_sullivan

"Everything I Know About Writing Sci
Fi I Learned from Star Trek": http://dld.bz/cPbEH
@PiperBayard

5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your
Editing Experience: http://dld.bz/cPbFm
@BookAnalyst

The Writer's Toolbox: Must-Haves for
Today's Author, with Links to Free Downloads: http://dld.bz/cPbFw
@ruthharrisbooks

The 5-Step Mission Statement (An Author
Essential): http://dld.bz/cPbFz @duolit

A Full-time Indie Author Answers Your
Questions: http://dld.bz/cPbF4 @goblinwriter

Is it ever too late to write an outline? http://dld.bz/cPbGc @nailyournovel

Is Your Prose Too Complex? http://dld.bz/cPbGe @KMWeiland

The issue of novel length: http://dld.bz/cPbGU @lawrence_wray

How to Edit Your Own Book: Tips from
Authors on the Revision Process: http://dld.bz/cPbHc
@chrisrobley

How A Great Twitter Bio Can Net You More
Followers…and Sales: http://dld.bz/cPbHj
@badredheadmedia

Paying to promote your book? Read this: http://dld.bz/cPbRb

The Art of Writing Simply: http://dld.bz/cPbRh @Uberflip

7 Rules for Writing Short Films: http://dld.bz/cPbSc @raindance

The fine art of writing small: http://dld.bz/cPbSv

On ebook price points: http://dld.bz/cPbS3 @dearauthor

Slate Gets It Wrong – The Real Reason
Hollywood Makes Bad Movies: http://dld.bz/cPbS9
@goodinaroom

3 steps to selling more of your
nonfiction books: http://dld.bz/cPbSH
@MrBuzzFactor

71 Ways to Promote and Market Your Book: http://dld.bz/cPbSQ @writerplatform

Character Motivation and Desire Lines: http://dld.bz/cPbSX

40 Inspiring Workspaces Of The Famously
Creative: http://dld.bz/cPbTv @BuzzFeedDIY

Book Marketing: The Long Term Launch: http://dld.bz/cPbTz @CormackCarr

ISBN Essentials: An FAQ for eBook
Publishers: http://dld.bz/cPbT9 @Wogahn

Be Smart not Taken: Red Flags to Heed
When Seeking Self-Publishing Providers: http://dld.bz/cPbTQ
@shewritesdotcom

The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers
(And How They Can Help You Succeed): http://dld.bz/cPbUm
@james_clear

7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding: http://dld.bz/cPbUs @io9

Spanish Gothic Horror: http://dld.bz/cPbU4 @GothImagination

"Wait, Video Games Have
Writers?" http://dld.bz/cPbUC
@HiJayPosey

What if video games didn't exist... and
we all read books instead: http://dld.bz/cPbUK
@CatGoneCrazy

Your Music Publishing Cheat Sheet: http://dld.bz/cPea8 @eshac

Tips for approaching an editor: http://dld.bz/cPeaR

Writer's Block: On The Persistence of
Demons: http://dld.bz/cPeaZ @BTMargins

Must We Like the Characters? http://dld.bz/cPeba @junglereds

Top 12 Quotes On Writing Memoirs: http://dld.bz/cPeRt @Writers_Write

10 tips to help you avoid telling
writing: http://dld.bz/cPeR8 @Scribendi_Inc

Writing People of Color in NA Fiction: http://dld.bz/cPeSX @NAAlleyBlog

How to Develop Good Writing Habits: http://dld.bz/cPeTj @cloutpower

Helpful Links for Writers

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





I wanted to share some sites that I’ve
found really helpful lately.  I’m always
looking for ways to save time using apps and, so frequently, I seem to end up
with exactly the opposite—sites that take too long to set up, are unwieldy, or
that are total time sucks.

But these sites get special recognition
from me today because they’ve helped me out. I’m in favor of anything that
saves me even a few minutes of time. These sites are all free.



For
marketing: http://authormarketingclub.com/ 

I realize I might be the last kid on the
block to find out about this site. But I somehow stumbled into it recently and
it’s been very useful. Useful, as in “I’ve made more money in sales from
something that’s free.”  I’m not doing
the premium membership (yes, I’m cheap), but the free membership has had
several cool features that I’ve found helpful.



One is a link that links to a
ton of places to list your free book promo on Kindle.  I’ve never, ever used these. I hear about
Pixel of Ink and these types of sites and I nod that it’s a terrific idea. I
never use them.  This time, I pulled up
my book’s Amazon link, pulled up my website link, pasted my ISBN/ASIN onto a
Notepad doc (this is handy to have around since several sites wanted them), and
I started listing my free book on various sites.  I spent 15 minutes.  I noticed a significant increase in sales in
a short period of time, so I’m assuming these sites had something to do with
it.

There’s also a handy book widget creation
tool. I was pretty impressed.

For
organizing information: I’ve mentioned
before that I use the free version of Evernote
to organize information.  It’s sort of
like an online file cabinet with different notebooks inside. You can use it to
store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app. You can also sync
it to your phone if you want access to your files on the go (which I do.
Particularly at the grocery store when I can’t remember the ingredients for the
supper I’m planning.  All my favorite
recipes are on Evernote.

But somehow, I never got the hang of the Evernote web clipper.  I’d installed it once, then forgot it was
there and never used it.  Then I read
this Lifehacker article by Whitson Gordon recently on Evernote (I've Been Using Evernote All Wrong. Here's Why It's
Actually Amazing) and how to get better use out of it.  It mentioned the web clipper.  Let’s just say that I’m a fan.  If there’s a writing-related post that’s
helpful, for instance, I just click on the little web clipper icon that’s in my
toolbar and it clips the body of the article, skipping the header, footer,
margins, etc. I can even add notes to the clipping in the pop-up window.  It’s handy and easy.  I’ve got many notebooks in my
Evernote—everything from recipes to settings to writing tips.  What I like most is the way I can search
Evernote easily for exactly what I need.

Curation:
All right, I know this won’t apply to everyone. 
But I think that Prismatic is a very cool site.  If you’re not a content curator, you could
use Prismatic to discover new blogs to follow.

I discovered the site while reading an
article by Steve Young for Social Media Examiner: How
to Find Great Content to Share on Twitter. 


I’m actually in the position of having tons of content to share on Twitter.  I’m currently following over 2700 blogs in my
Feedly reader. 
But I’ve found that sometimes either I feel like the material I’m seeing
is a little stale—or maybe it’s just that I’m
a little stale after reading through so much content.  When SME recommended Prismatic, I decided to
give it a go.  Through them, I’ve
discovered new blogs to follow…blogs with different points of view and
different types of writing-related content. 
It’s made me a bit more interested in posting links, simply because I’m
looking at new material. This can be a
time suck because there are so many cool blogs to discover…you might want to
set yourself a timer if you head over there.

Time
Management: And one last word…on the subject of timers,
actually.  I’ve used Online
Stopwatch for years (free, of
course), but recently saw an article on Lifehacker (yes, Lifehacker once again)
by Thorin Klosowski: Use Google as a Timer with a Simple
Search Command.  Yes, that’s all it takes.  Type in “set timer for 30 minutes”—or however
many minutes—and you’ve got an instant timer. 
Obviously handy for a phone, too.

That’s all for me today.  Have you got any cool sites or apps to share?