Riley Adams's Blog, page 161
January 19, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It's the search engine
for writers.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Making Money From indie Publishing: A
Guide For the Hopeful, the Optimistic and the Doomed: http://bit.ly/12GlIKO @sarahahoyt
How to Cut the Filler and Tighten Your
Book: http://bit.ly/XYvJxy @kmweiland
Goal-Keeping from the Greats: http://bit.ly/X6oYuN @diymfa
Marketing Your E-Book: Making The Most Of
Your Time: http://bit.ly/TBpt0j
The New World of Publishing: Goals and
Dreams: http://bit.ly/X6p8m1
@deanwesleysmith
Resort settings featured in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/100VtPG
@mkinberg
Grammar: Know the Rules Before You Break Them: http://bit.ly/UYHPYj
@suspense_writer
Cautious and adventurous personality types in crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/13CNfMN @mkinberg
A preview of today's DBW conference: http://bit.ly/13CPMXk
. Twitter updates: #DBW13 @Porter_Anderson
Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Media
Marketing: http://bit.ly/13DePcB @colbymarshall
The DBW con: kid lit goes digital, issues for trad. pubs,
piracy, more: http://bit.ly/10hxkVc @porter_anderson .Follow con #DBW13
Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’ http://bit.ly/W9lRRg
@Porter_Anderson @MykeCole @TeresaFrohock
A "Dear Abby" Writing Exercise: http://bit.ly/VvjiLP
@LAMysteryWriter
Whoever Told You Editing Was Easy is
Nuts: http://bit.ly/TBpy45 @behlerpublish
Writing Horror: What Makes A Story Scary?
http://bit.ly/UjgGjq @woodwardkaren
The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling
a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains: http://bit.ly/10aEVEE @LeoWid
Writing a better climactic scene: http://bit.ly/10aEDOb @Lindasclare
When to shut down a creative life: http://bit.ly/10aE9HT @emergentpublish
Starting a New chapter: Defeating the
Blank Page: http://bit.ly/WAfqIn
@fictionnotes
Why we don't write: http://bit.ly/TBNVi8 @write_practice
Great Scene: "Casablanca": http://bit.ly/X70nGh @gointothestory
Great Character: Buddy ("Elf"):
http://bit.ly/TBO1Gs @gointothestory
Freelancing--the writer's portfolio: http://bit.ly/X70ul3
Real Life Diagnostics: Using the Journal
Format in a YA Novel: http://bit.ly/TBO9Ge
@janice_hardy
The Structure Of Short Stories: The
Elevator Pitch Version: http://bit.ly/X70Rfv
@woodwardkaren
Writing Religion in Fantasy: http://bit.ly/TBOoAY
Create Your Own Storybook App: http://bit.ly/X7142l @JulieFHedlund
Should you re-query an agency? http://bit.ly/VHqG4A @rachellegardner
Tips for writing a book proposal: http://bit.ly/XyukTJ @GillianMarchenk
Managing Story Conflict: http://bit.ly/VHqVfY @SHalvatzis
Tips for authors for getting their books
into local bookstores: http://bit.ly/XyuI4G
@bizauthor
The Three Building Blocks of the Scene: http://bit.ly/VHr8jc @kmweiland
How Do Authors Reach *Readers*? http://bit.ly/Xyv3UV @annerallen
How to add jeopardy to your story before
the main conflict starts: http://bit.ly/VHrciW
@dirtywhitecandy
Writing Goals Versus Writing Dreams: How
To Get From One To The Other: http://bit.ly/XyvnTJ
@woodwardkaren
How much do ebooks cost to create? http://bit.ly/VHruGH
Trying to place more of your stories in
anthologies and ezines? Use a lower word count: http://bit.ly/XyvKNS
@BryanThomasS
Using the Real World in Fantasy Fiction: http://bit.ly/VHrGWg @fantasyfaction
1 writer reports on a KDP Select
experiment: http://bit.ly/XyvVZx
Lessons From 'The Godfather' On Sticking
To Your Creative Vision: http://bit.ly/Ut6nKB
@danblank
e Business of Screenwriting: Withdrawing
screen credit and pseudonyms: http://bit.ly/VZuqNq
@gointothestory
Editing & Critiquing: http://bit.ly/V4uo8r @woodwardkaren
How Writing Helps Us Heal: http://bit.ly/VNSP9w @write_practice
Toothless Writing Goals? Try These Tools:
http://bit.ly/VNSZh3 @Jan_Ohara
Clothes in books: "A black dress,
and a jewel the size of a trouser-button": http://bit.ly/117SaGF
@clothesinbooks
7 Elements of an Effective Landing Page
Designed to Increase Your Mailing List: http://bit.ly/117RMIb
@karencv
The Psychology of Rejection &
Criticism: http://bit.ly/VNTjwq
@markmcguinness
9 Tips For Finishing That Novel: http://bit.ly/117SN37 @annastanisz
How to Edit Your Own Writing: http://bit.ly/117T2Lq @cbmcmillan
Writing Worldbuilding Into Our Books: http://bit.ly/119bgMG @davidbcoe
Why we need beta readers: http://bit.ly/VOGNN4
Dealing with Rejection: http://bit.ly/119bALt @avajae
Effects Of Stress On Creativity: http://bit.ly/119bPpM @TheArtofMind
A writer reports on using CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/VOH42u
Male Authors, Discover Your Feminine
Side: http://bit.ly/119pjSq
@turndog_million
Problems for writers as readers: http://bit.ly/VOP83o @suzanne_writer
When Your Schedule Changes And Writing
Suffers: http://bit.ly/VOPbMw @yahighway
Fight your censor: http://bit.ly/119qt0b
Keeping track of your characters: http://bit.ly/119ra9E
How you should treat edits on page
proofs/pass pages: http://bit.ly/VOQ4Vt
Mistakes with metaphors: http://bit.ly/U0vEtV @robdyoungwrites
Character Development: What Do They Want?
http://bit.ly/XHWJ9M @ava_jae
Blending Sex and Suspense: http://bit.ly/U0vPFD
How to Choose a Creative Writing Course: http://bit.ly/XHX3Fy
The InfoDump Scene: http://bit.ly/U0warJ
Tips for using dashes: http://bit.ly/U0whDN
Promotional Techniques for Authors: http://bit.ly/U0wxCK @ashkrafton
Finding the Balance Between Action and
Character: http://bit.ly/XHXFLq
@janice_hardy
Stupid Characters vs. Stupid Decisions:
They're Not the Same: http://bit.ly/UWYegU
@ava_jae
16 villain archetypes: http://bit.ly/UWYoF2 @tamicowden
Know the Dramatic Question of Your Story:
http://bit.ly/ZsqAi5 @cockeyed_caravan
What's the Most Important Moment in Your
Character's Arc? http://bit.ly/UWZ512
@KMWeiland
Writing bloopers to avoid: http://bit.ly/ZsrLy8 @Lindasclare
3 Reasons Why You Need a Mailing List as
an Author: http://bit.ly/Zss3oM @fcmalby
The Business of Screenwriting: Anatomy of
a Deal: http://bit.ly/UWZnoN @gointothestory
6 Effective Ways to Inspire Yourself: http://bit.ly/UWZqkh @write_practice
9 ways to shatter genre boxes: http://bit.ly/13ltLfp @io9
Learn to Use Keyboard Shortcuts Like a
Ninja: http://bit.ly/VndFA1 @kingthor
5 things to remember about writing: http://bit.ly/13lurBu @theresastevens
Scene-stealing Antagonists: http://bit.ly/Vneede
Art first, commerce later: http://bit.ly/13luEVh @kristinerusch
Write badly: http://bit.ly/VnfXiH @selfpubreview
Dialogue Tags Are Annoying: http://bit.ly/13lvdhH @mooderino
7 Great Book Dedications: http://bit.ly/Vngml2 @johannthors
An agent on the year of self-pub: http://bit.ly/13lvuBs @sarahlapolla
Romance novels that read more like
categories: http://bit.ly/WFQWLo
@heroesnhearts
Finding Your Audience and Branching Out: http://bit.ly/WFR8tT @booklifenow
*Is* Writing Creative? http://bit.ly/TNwMSR @lilylefevre
Attracting Reader Responses on Your Blog:
http://bit.ly/WFRtwB) @auntyamo
Semicolons: http://bit.ly/WFRNM4
@WriteJoMichaels
Striving to Be a Better Writer by Writing
More: http://bit.ly/TNx4sU @karencv
10 Elements of Reality Not Allowed in
Fiction: http://bit.ly/WFS5T1
Should novelists be bloggers? http://bit.ly/TNxmQq @jfbookman
Fantasy: Manipulating the Mythos: http://bit.ly/WFSKnr @rmriegel
Blogs For Writers: http://bit.ly/13kAlDX @woodwardkaren
Dramatic Situation Vs. Dramatic Scene:
Win the Fight Against Poor Form: http://bit.ly/XojFal
@cdrosales
WIP feedback: When, How Often, How: http://bit.ly/13kAx63 @fictionnotes
How Music Affects the Writing Process: http://bit.ly/XojVGn @KMWeiland
Kobo Becoming a Player for Self-Published
Ebook Authors: http://bit.ly/13kAY0h
@goblinwriter
YA--beyond wizards and vampires, to sex: http://nyti.ms/13kBj33 @nytimes @leslieNYT
5 Ways to Optimise Your Facebook Author
Page: http://bit.ly/XokM9V @fcmalby
Starting a Podcast: What You Need to Know
to Succeed: http://bit.ly/13kBwTH
@smexaminer
3 steps to hosting a giveaway: http://bit.ly/Xol6p6 @TweetTheBook
Why Do We Bother?: The Quest for
Accuracy: http://bit.ly/13kBRFW @davidbcoe
7 Ways Twitter is a Writer's Endless
Holiday Party: http://bit.ly/WHGbus
@NinaBadzin
All about book trailers (and resources
for making your own): http://bit.ly/10ygukI
@PBRWriter
Whys & Hows of Co-Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/UxZFSJ @LauraHoward78
Ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/ZOPXR0 @goblinwriter
8 Books for Writers: http://bit.ly/WfHKxI @raimalarter
"People forget years and remember
moments." http://bit.ly/12YXJGS
@gointothestory
Smooth Out Your Novel's Scene Writing: http://bit.ly/10pUvhd @Lindasclare
Designing character interviews that
really matter: http://bit.ly/VUGgu6
@juliettewade
The benefits of long-writing: http://bit.ly/10pULfU @woodwardkaren
3 Cheap Promo Ideas for Self-Published
Authors: http://bit.ly/10pVa1W
Exploring Tortured Heroines in Romance
Novels: http://bit.ly/VUHeq1 @heroesnhearts
How 1 writer used Kickstarter to reboot a
series: http://bit.ly/10pVAoY
@tobiasbuckell
Turning Passive Plots into Active Plots: http://bit.ly/VUHsgT @susanjmorris
7 Ways to Add Subplots to Your Novel: http://bit.ly/10pW7rh @BrianKlems
Different Characters, Different Beliefs: http://bit.ly/VUHYvA @mooderino
Stephen King Gives Screenwriting Advice: http://bit.ly/10pWkdN @galleycat
Writing across the media: http://bit.ly/VUIcCX @tordotcom
"Platform" Doesn't Have to Be a
Four-Letter Word: http://bit.ly/10pWHVN
@AuthorTedFox
5 Famous Authors Who Became Infamous: http://bit.ly/VUIxFJ @jtjarzemsky
Why 1 writer decided not to self-pub his
stories: http://bit.ly/10pXmXd @jamietr
Do You Follow Yourself Around The Web? http://bit.ly/VUMo5x @novelrocket
13 Types of Writers' Blogs – Pros and
Cons: http://bit.ly/10q182S @VeronicaSicoe
Unleashing the Internal Editor: A
Self-Editing Checklist: http://bit.ly/VUMytG
@jodyhedlund
An index of helpful writing guides for
writers: http://bit.ly/10q1eaV
How To Measure Your Writing Success: http://bit.ly/VUMIkF @originalimpulse
Some questions for interviewing your
characters: http://bit.ly/10q1qaa
Successful Query Letters for Literary
Agents: http://bit.ly/VUMVEB @galleycat
Protect Your Wrists: Exercises for
Writers: http://bit.ly/10q1wOR @jamigold
Tips for breathing life into your
fiction: http://bit.ly/UHCC5t @JanalynVoigt
The Universality Is in the Details: http://bit.ly/10qj51l @livewritethrive
4 Simple Ways to Track Your Book
Marketing Progress: http://bit.ly/UHCHWZ
@duolit
How To Give Your Story a Better Middle: http://bit.ly/10qjctT @storyfix
Fun With Foreshadowing: http://bit.ly/UHCSl9 @cockeyed_caravan
TED Presentations from Writers: http://bit.ly/10qjmBh @galleycat
The Value of Google+ As A Writer's
Platform: http://bit.ly/UHCVgI
@woodwardkaren
The Intersection of YA and Dystopian: http://bit.ly/10qjwZs @lkhillbooks
How to Embed a Twitter Tweet Into Your
Blog Post: http://bit.ly/UHD3g1 @jfbookman
Your Optimal Creativity Time May Be the
Opposite of Your Optimal Cognitive Time: http://bit.ly/TJN91k
@lifehackorg
Assume Reader Resistance: http://bit.ly/TJN7qo @mooderino
The Cure For Perfectionism: http://bit.ly/10qkZik @woodwardkaren
Don't Hide Your Harlequins: In Defense Of
Romance: http://n.pr/X5gwtQ @howtowriteshop
@npr
The Importance of Knowing Your Ending: http://bit.ly/V4MYyX @yahighway
Retellings vs. fanfiction -- where do you
draw the line? http://bit.ly/X5gGl6
@wordforteens
5 Ways Writers Should Approach Criticism:
http://bit.ly/V4Nr4c @cerebralgrump
Tips for running a blog tour: http://bit.ly/X5gYIz @beth_barany
January 18, 2013
Considerations When Choosing Our Author Name
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I read an interesting post recently by Chris Gerwel:
A Question of Identity
.
Chris stated that his last name was actually Modzelewski. He explains why he chose to write under his middle name:
Other reasons I’ve seen authors use a pen name:
Their names are already famous…because of a different author. (If your name was Stephen King, for example.)
They write material that might anger or upset their family or close friends.
They write books to appeal to the other gender (J.K. Rowling for the Harry Potter books, for example.) Porter Anderson, in his most recent Writing on the Ether, covered a very interesting experiment that writer Teresa Frohock made in his post Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’
Their publisher asks them to. This would be why I have one series written as Riley Adams. As a side note, the publisher did allow me to choose my pen name and I went with family names. When I asked the publisher if they had a preference among several family names I offered, they immediately chose Adams for shelf-placement. I think shelf-placement is rapidly becoming less-important, however.
How big of a deal are author names? I think they’re very important for getting readers to find us for the first time. But after they’ve bought one of our books, online retailers like Amazon make it very easy for readers to find more books—they’ll pop up as recommended reads whenever they log in to the bookseller.
Writing under more than one name:
It can be tough writing under more than one name. Readers may find it difficult to keep up with the books that you write under other names, although sites like Goodreads can lessen the impact.
Technically, I’m writing under three different names: Riley Adams, Elizabeth Craig (the quilting mysteries), and Elizabeth Spann Craig. Goodreads allows me to add Elizabeth Spann Craig as a second author to the other two series so that all of my books are listed on the same page.
Amazon works a little differently. There I’ve got two separate author pages: one for Riley Adams and one for Elizabeth Spann Craig. Thank heavens they don’t make me have a third one for Elizabeth Craig. Oddly enough, if you search for my full name on Amazon, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries do pop up.
Have you had any author name challenges? Multiple genres? Difficult last name? Do you write under several names?
I read an interesting post recently by Chris Gerwel:
A Question of Identity
. Chris stated that his last name was actually Modzelewski. He explains why he chose to write under his middle name:
How will a difficult-to-pronounce name affect word-of-mouth recommendations? How will a hard-to-spell name affect search-driven sales on Amazon? How will a tough name affect the likelihood of bloggers and online reviewers writing up my books? Will a tough name diminish booksellers’ propensity to hand-sell my titles? Will signing my super-long name on stock give me carpal tunnel syndrome?
A difficult name is not, of course, a deal-breaker for any of these concerns... But there’s a way to forestall any and all of these concerns, and that is to adopt a pen name.
Other reasons I’ve seen authors use a pen name:
Their names are already famous…because of a different author. (If your name was Stephen King, for example.)
They write material that might anger or upset their family or close friends.
They write books to appeal to the other gender (J.K. Rowling for the Harry Potter books, for example.) Porter Anderson, in his most recent Writing on the Ether, covered a very interesting experiment that writer Teresa Frohock made in his post Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’
Their publisher asks them to. This would be why I have one series written as Riley Adams. As a side note, the publisher did allow me to choose my pen name and I went with family names. When I asked the publisher if they had a preference among several family names I offered, they immediately chose Adams for shelf-placement. I think shelf-placement is rapidly becoming less-important, however.
How big of a deal are author names? I think they’re very important for getting readers to find us for the first time. But after they’ve bought one of our books, online retailers like Amazon make it very easy for readers to find more books—they’ll pop up as recommended reads whenever they log in to the bookseller.
Writing under more than one name:
It can be tough writing under more than one name. Readers may find it difficult to keep up with the books that you write under other names, although sites like Goodreads can lessen the impact.
Technically, I’m writing under three different names: Riley Adams, Elizabeth Craig (the quilting mysteries), and Elizabeth Spann Craig. Goodreads allows me to add Elizabeth Spann Craig as a second author to the other two series so that all of my books are listed on the same page.
Amazon works a little differently. There I’ve got two separate author pages: one for Riley Adams and one for Elizabeth Spann Craig. Thank heavens they don’t make me have a third one for Elizabeth Craig. Oddly enough, if you search for my full name on Amazon, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries do pop up.
Have you had any author name challenges? Multiple genres? Difficult last name? Do you write under several names?
January 15, 2013
Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Media Marketing
Guest Post by Colby Marshall, @ColbyMarshall
In my (very brief) career as a writer, I’ve learned a few things about self-promotion on social media sites and in the blogosphere. I’m not an expert by far, but marketing is a work in progress. Just like writing, it’s something I’ve tried to learn and grow in, and like writing, I’m constantly revising what I know based on what I see that works…and what doesn’t seem to work. So far, these are the top ten things I’ve learned about social media in book marketing:
1. Social media doesn't create a fan base--it keeps one. The people who come to your twitter or facebook pages have most likely already bought, plan to buy, or are at least interested in buying your book. Therefore, they don’t want to be told to buy your book every ten seconds. They want to interact with YOU.
2. When it comes to interacting with you, the key word is WITH. One thing I’ve noticed over and over again about authors with rabid fan bases is that they don’t just post on their social media pages and leave. They talk back. If someone replies to a tweet, replying back is important. If someone comments on your facebook page or blog post, respond. While it might seem “cool” to play it cool, the bond of being able to talk to an author of a book you like will keep you interested in your favorite authors’ books far longer than if they feel distant.
3. Speaking of getting close, on your social media pages, blog, and website, fans dig content they can’t get in the book. It's why J.K. Rowling has done something so unique in Pottermore—readers can get even more of their favorite characters, stories, and the writers behind them.
4. While personal and book-related posts are great, content that is fun, informative, or relevant will always be enjoyed, too. Links to articles you enjoyed, websites you like, or even a fun fact you learned during research will keep posts fresh.
5. And on the subject of fresh posts…followers are far more likely to keep following if you spend most of your time posting about things other than your book. My rule of thumb: nine out of ten posts shouldn’t be directly related to self-promotion. Something you learned while researching doesn’t count, but that link to your newest review on Amazon or details about your next personal appearance? Yep. It’s your 1/10.
6. When you first release a book, you get to cut some slack on the 9/10 rule. Maybe 1/5. But don’t abuse it. No one likes a hog. (Unless it’s tame and wants to be my steed. Then I love a hog.)
7. Don’t hog the attention. If you want some love from fellow writers or even artists in other mediums, don’t spend all of your time posting about yourself and none sharing others’ work. Karma counts for something, but so do people’s memories. Don’t expect a favor if you don’t do any.
8. Another don’t: don’t get angry. If someone doesn’t like your book, don’t argue with them. Thank them for reading, and move on. Arguing with someone who says your book isn’t their cup of tea won’t make them suddenly fall in love with it, and it won’t make you look so classy, either.
9. Don’t go off half-cocked. You know what they say: the internet is forever. As I’m sure Mitt Romney and his binders full of women will tell you, even if it’s easy to put a sound bite out in the amount of time it takes to type 140 characters, it doesn’t mean you should. Think before you post about something controversial, when you’re angry, or after a couple glasses of wine. Tact is always better than throwing words around. As writers, we should know words are powerful. Use them as such.
10. Above all, be yourself. If you try too hard to find a “voice,” it’ll always come across as stilted, and you’ll think too hard about what to post. Keep the tact from the previous statement, but real is relatable. Keep it real.
These are just a few things I’ve discovered on my journey as an author so far, and I’ve still got loads to learn. My debut novel, Chain of Command, is a thriller about the simultaneous assassinations of both the President and Vice President that rocket the very first woman—the Speaker of the House—into the presidency.
What about you—what gets your attention on social media in a good way? What types of posts drive you nuts?
Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby is a contributing columnist for a local magazine and a proud member of International Thriller Writers. She's active in local theatres as an actress and choreographer.
She lives in Georgia with her family where she is hard at work on her new thriller.
**********
Chain of Command: The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood...the simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins. Young journalist McKenzie McClendon must unravel a dangerous web of lies in a search for the truth.
Purchase:
Amazon
Nook
In my (very brief) career as a writer, I’ve learned a few things about self-promotion on social media sites and in the blogosphere. I’m not an expert by far, but marketing is a work in progress. Just like writing, it’s something I’ve tried to learn and grow in, and like writing, I’m constantly revising what I know based on what I see that works…and what doesn’t seem to work. So far, these are the top ten things I’ve learned about social media in book marketing:1. Social media doesn't create a fan base--it keeps one. The people who come to your twitter or facebook pages have most likely already bought, plan to buy, or are at least interested in buying your book. Therefore, they don’t want to be told to buy your book every ten seconds. They want to interact with YOU.
2. When it comes to interacting with you, the key word is WITH. One thing I’ve noticed over and over again about authors with rabid fan bases is that they don’t just post on their social media pages and leave. They talk back. If someone replies to a tweet, replying back is important. If someone comments on your facebook page or blog post, respond. While it might seem “cool” to play it cool, the bond of being able to talk to an author of a book you like will keep you interested in your favorite authors’ books far longer than if they feel distant.
3. Speaking of getting close, on your social media pages, blog, and website, fans dig content they can’t get in the book. It's why J.K. Rowling has done something so unique in Pottermore—readers can get even more of their favorite characters, stories, and the writers behind them.
4. While personal and book-related posts are great, content that is fun, informative, or relevant will always be enjoyed, too. Links to articles you enjoyed, websites you like, or even a fun fact you learned during research will keep posts fresh.
5. And on the subject of fresh posts…followers are far more likely to keep following if you spend most of your time posting about things other than your book. My rule of thumb: nine out of ten posts shouldn’t be directly related to self-promotion. Something you learned while researching doesn’t count, but that link to your newest review on Amazon or details about your next personal appearance? Yep. It’s your 1/10.
6. When you first release a book, you get to cut some slack on the 9/10 rule. Maybe 1/5. But don’t abuse it. No one likes a hog. (Unless it’s tame and wants to be my steed. Then I love a hog.)
7. Don’t hog the attention. If you want some love from fellow writers or even artists in other mediums, don’t spend all of your time posting about yourself and none sharing others’ work. Karma counts for something, but so do people’s memories. Don’t expect a favor if you don’t do any.
8. Another don’t: don’t get angry. If someone doesn’t like your book, don’t argue with them. Thank them for reading, and move on. Arguing with someone who says your book isn’t their cup of tea won’t make them suddenly fall in love with it, and it won’t make you look so classy, either.
9. Don’t go off half-cocked. You know what they say: the internet is forever. As I’m sure Mitt Romney and his binders full of women will tell you, even if it’s easy to put a sound bite out in the amount of time it takes to type 140 characters, it doesn’t mean you should. Think before you post about something controversial, when you’re angry, or after a couple glasses of wine. Tact is always better than throwing words around. As writers, we should know words are powerful. Use them as such.
10. Above all, be yourself. If you try too hard to find a “voice,” it’ll always come across as stilted, and you’ll think too hard about what to post. Keep the tact from the previous statement, but real is relatable. Keep it real.
These are just a few things I’ve discovered on my journey as an author so far, and I’ve still got loads to learn. My debut novel, Chain of Command, is a thriller about the simultaneous assassinations of both the President and Vice President that rocket the very first woman—the Speaker of the House—into the presidency.
What about you—what gets your attention on social media in a good way? What types of posts drive you nuts?
Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby is a contributing columnist for a local magazine and a proud member of International Thriller Writers. She's active in local theatres as an actress and choreographer.
She lives in Georgia with her family where she is hard at work on her new thriller.
**********
Chain of Command: The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood...the simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins. Young journalist McKenzie McClendon must unravel a dangerous web of lies in a search for the truth.
Purchase:
Amazon
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January 14, 2013
Character Development Tips
Guest Post by Victoria King-Voreadi, @VAKingVoreadi
There wasn’t much cloak & dagger mystery involved in researching our tale Interrogation Tango. Our anti-hero Georg Elser did it; there was never any doubt about that. He didn’t do it in the parlor with the candlestick – he did it at the Burger Braü Keller with a primitive yet nonetheless effective explosive device.
The GESTAPO blew a gasket because it was totally unacceptable for an Aryan German Lutheran worker to want to kill Hitler – the champion of the German working class. The second blow to any semblance of reason was that this nobody, with no specialized military training and no formal higher education, very nearly succeeded in assassinating Adolph Hitler just as he was reaching the apex of his national popularity.
Two specific questions intrigued Donald Schwarz and I about this story:
1) What was the personal motive and impetus that drove Elser, at great personal sacrifice and discomfort, to conceive of and execute his plan with no regard whatsoever for his personal safety or future?
2) Why was such effort invested by the powers that be to ensure that very few ever learned about this man’s quite successful failure?
Those questions made Elser and the men who spent a great deal of time interrogating him fascinating characters, to us at least.
Ideas for stories are everywhere and as writers we tend to observe those around us a bit more intently than many others. People watching had always been an absorbing past time for me but it took on new meaning when I began my studies in Dramatic Arts. Every social and professional group has its own code of conduct, its own unique patois, and each member adapts to and applies those elements in their own unique way within the group.
Some characters have internal or external conflicts with that social assimilation process which may stem from their ethical or moral canons, from mixed loyalties, or from their own uncertainties. Others may rebel against the “law of the jungle” thus creating a catalyst for conflict around them – this is often the crux of great love stories. The only certainty is that the more conflicted an individual is the more interesting and realistic their appeal as a character is to the reader.
Spectacular events may get our attention, but what keeps us turning pages is the human factor. The way characters react to situations, how they deal with the emotional impact of events are the elements that engage us deeply in any story. A factual account of any historic event alone has an encyclopedic interest at best. But when we are allowed to experience the event through the eyes of a well rounded character the story stays with us and instills within us a new found respect for those notable and unknown individuals that actually lived it!
Even “bad guys” have human motives for their choices and their actions on some level. Members of the NAZI hierarchy were passionately convinced that they were serving the best interests of their fatherland. It is essential that you allow your characters opportunities to show their depth. Even seemingly “easy” decisions are wrought with potential pit falls. Megalomaniacs are not aware of their self obsession but see themselves as the great protector. Our man Elser is considered a terrorist by some, a people’s hero by others, his action killed and injured many yet he had no sense of the potential “collateral damage”.
Whatever your genre great characters are what can elevate a piece of solid writing into the realm of master storytelling. Sometimes the keys to unlocking your character’s potential can be found in unassuming details, quirks that foreshadow other aspects and dimensions. Allowing your characters to reveal themselves to you is a mind-blowing experience!
Victoria King-Voreadi is the co-author of Interrogation Tango, a film noir anti-detective tale recently released by Iguana Books.
******
Victoria lives in the city of Herákleionon the island of Crete, Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. A freelance writer and translator in Greece since 1992 she has received two screenwriting grants from the EEU Media Programme for both original and commissioned feature scripts, has worked on local and foreign productions. Victoria met her co-author Donald E. Schwarz in 1994 while visiting New York and the two instantly struck up a creative partnership.
Connect with Victoria here:
LinkedIN
Twitter -@VAKingVoreadi
Facebook -
There wasn’t much cloak & dagger mystery involved in researching our tale Interrogation Tango. Our anti-hero Georg Elser did it; there was never any doubt about that. He didn’t do it in the parlor with the candlestick – he did it at the Burger Braü Keller with a primitive yet nonetheless effective explosive device.The GESTAPO blew a gasket because it was totally unacceptable for an Aryan German Lutheran worker to want to kill Hitler – the champion of the German working class. The second blow to any semblance of reason was that this nobody, with no specialized military training and no formal higher education, very nearly succeeded in assassinating Adolph Hitler just as he was reaching the apex of his national popularity.
Two specific questions intrigued Donald Schwarz and I about this story:
1) What was the personal motive and impetus that drove Elser, at great personal sacrifice and discomfort, to conceive of and execute his plan with no regard whatsoever for his personal safety or future?
2) Why was such effort invested by the powers that be to ensure that very few ever learned about this man’s quite successful failure?
Those questions made Elser and the men who spent a great deal of time interrogating him fascinating characters, to us at least.
Ideas for stories are everywhere and as writers we tend to observe those around us a bit more intently than many others. People watching had always been an absorbing past time for me but it took on new meaning when I began my studies in Dramatic Arts. Every social and professional group has its own code of conduct, its own unique patois, and each member adapts to and applies those elements in their own unique way within the group.
Some characters have internal or external conflicts with that social assimilation process which may stem from their ethical or moral canons, from mixed loyalties, or from their own uncertainties. Others may rebel against the “law of the jungle” thus creating a catalyst for conflict around them – this is often the crux of great love stories. The only certainty is that the more conflicted an individual is the more interesting and realistic their appeal as a character is to the reader.
Spectacular events may get our attention, but what keeps us turning pages is the human factor. The way characters react to situations, how they deal with the emotional impact of events are the elements that engage us deeply in any story. A factual account of any historic event alone has an encyclopedic interest at best. But when we are allowed to experience the event through the eyes of a well rounded character the story stays with us and instills within us a new found respect for those notable and unknown individuals that actually lived it!
Even “bad guys” have human motives for their choices and their actions on some level. Members of the NAZI hierarchy were passionately convinced that they were serving the best interests of their fatherland. It is essential that you allow your characters opportunities to show their depth. Even seemingly “easy” decisions are wrought with potential pit falls. Megalomaniacs are not aware of their self obsession but see themselves as the great protector. Our man Elser is considered a terrorist by some, a people’s hero by others, his action killed and injured many yet he had no sense of the potential “collateral damage”.
Whatever your genre great characters are what can elevate a piece of solid writing into the realm of master storytelling. Sometimes the keys to unlocking your character’s potential can be found in unassuming details, quirks that foreshadow other aspects and dimensions. Allowing your characters to reveal themselves to you is a mind-blowing experience!
Victoria King-Voreadi is the co-author of Interrogation Tango, a film noir anti-detective tale recently released by Iguana Books.******
Victoria lives in the city of Herákleionon the island of Crete, Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. A freelance writer and translator in Greece since 1992 she has received two screenwriting grants from the EEU Media Programme for both original and commissioned feature scripts, has worked on local and foreign productions. Victoria met her co-author Donald E. Schwarz in 1994 while visiting New York and the two instantly struck up a creative partnership.
Connect with Victoria here:
Twitter -
Facebook -
January 13, 2013
Grammar: Know the Rules Before You Break Them
Guest Post by Terry Ambrose, @suspense_writer
Purchase Book Here
I admit it; I do get some sort of perverse satisfaction from driving the Grammar Cops (GCs) crazy. It’s not that I’m a rebel by nature, but more that, as Polonius said to Hamlet, there’s a method in my madness.
Know the situation
Before I go any further, I want to point out that I am definitely not advocating throwing out the grammar books completely. In fact, I’ll probably stop reading a book with frequent typos, spelling errors, and bad grammar. However, I like writers who are flexible enough to break the rules when the situation demands it. The GCs in my critique group are fond of reminding me about the importance of proper grammar every time I stray from the righteous path. And I’ll be the first to admit that once in a while they catch me in a mistake. However, often the grammar they’re criticizing is in dialog. My response in those cases is that people don’t necessarily speak in grammatically correct sentences and my primary concern when writing dialog is first, last, and always, character voice.
Differentiating characters with voice
In my current WIP, I have two characters who are at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a staid Englishwoman striving to maintain appearances, the other, a 12-year-old street kid. Obviously, Mrs. Montgomery, with her perfect grammar and diction, never has a problem with the GCs. The street kid, whose name is Lily, is always in trouble because she says “duh” and “like” far too often, uses street slang, and doesn’t take grammar seriously. The point is that no matter which of these characters are speaking, their voice always comes through.
Using voice to cut attribution
As writers, we have a variety of tools available to help readers easily identify our characters. How will word choices reflect the character’s background and culture? How will their grammar distinguish them? For me, breaking the rules is another tool in my writing tool belt; it’s definitely not akin to cutting off an appendage. And as a reader, if I can easily distinguish between characters based on voice alone, I’ll need less attribution and will enjoy the story more.
Voice makes dialog interesting
When I read a novel where all of the characters begin to sound alike, I get bored very quickly. I find myself starting to skim not only the unimportant descriptions and backstory, but also the dialog. At that point, I start wondering why I’m bothering to read that particular book. The real problem is that if I give up on the book, I may also be giving up on that author. Like many writers, I get very little time to read. When I do, it will either be a new author I haven’t read before or one I know will deliver. Part of that delivery is a good plot, but much revolves around the characters and their dialog. Make those character conversations sharp and snappy and I’ll be hooked and turning the pages to see what happens next.
About the author
Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed.
In Terry’s new release, License to Lie , a criminologist and a con artist learn that with $5 million and their lives on the line, you can never trust a soul…even your own. T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Jaguar and The Border Lords called License to Lie “fast and well written, almost sure to satisfy discerning readers of thrillers.”
Learn more about Terry on his website at terryambrose.com or on his Facebook author page at facebook.com/suspense.writer.
Purchase Book Here
I admit it; I do get some sort of perverse satisfaction from driving the Grammar Cops (GCs) crazy. It’s not that I’m a rebel by nature, but more that, as Polonius said to Hamlet, there’s a method in my madness.
Know the situation
Before I go any further, I want to point out that I am definitely not advocating throwing out the grammar books completely. In fact, I’ll probably stop reading a book with frequent typos, spelling errors, and bad grammar. However, I like writers who are flexible enough to break the rules when the situation demands it. The GCs in my critique group are fond of reminding me about the importance of proper grammar every time I stray from the righteous path. And I’ll be the first to admit that once in a while they catch me in a mistake. However, often the grammar they’re criticizing is in dialog. My response in those cases is that people don’t necessarily speak in grammatically correct sentences and my primary concern when writing dialog is first, last, and always, character voice.
Differentiating characters with voice
In my current WIP, I have two characters who are at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a staid Englishwoman striving to maintain appearances, the other, a 12-year-old street kid. Obviously, Mrs. Montgomery, with her perfect grammar and diction, never has a problem with the GCs. The street kid, whose name is Lily, is always in trouble because she says “duh” and “like” far too often, uses street slang, and doesn’t take grammar seriously. The point is that no matter which of these characters are speaking, their voice always comes through.
Using voice to cut attribution
As writers, we have a variety of tools available to help readers easily identify our characters. How will word choices reflect the character’s background and culture? How will their grammar distinguish them? For me, breaking the rules is another tool in my writing tool belt; it’s definitely not akin to cutting off an appendage. And as a reader, if I can easily distinguish between characters based on voice alone, I’ll need less attribution and will enjoy the story more.
Voice makes dialog interesting
When I read a novel where all of the characters begin to sound alike, I get bored very quickly. I find myself starting to skim not only the unimportant descriptions and backstory, but also the dialog. At that point, I start wondering why I’m bothering to read that particular book. The real problem is that if I give up on the book, I may also be giving up on that author. Like many writers, I get very little time to read. When I do, it will either be a new author I haven’t read before or one I know will deliver. Part of that delivery is a good plot, but much revolves around the characters and their dialog. Make those character conversations sharp and snappy and I’ll be hooked and turning the pages to see what happens next.
About the author
Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed. In Terry’s new release, License to Lie , a criminologist and a con artist learn that with $5 million and their lives on the line, you can never trust a soul…even your own. T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Jaguar and The Border Lords called License to Lie “fast and well written, almost sure to satisfy discerning readers of thrillers.”
Learn more about Terry on his website at terryambrose.com or on his Facebook author page at facebook.com/suspense.writer.
January 12, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It's the search engine
for writers.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Making Money From indie Publishing: A
Guide For the Hopeful, the Optimistic and the Doomed: http://bit.ly/12GlIKO @sarahahoyt
Self-Pub or Traditional Pub? Which is the
Right First Step for You? http://bit.ly/WHFHoc
@annerallen
Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before
You Write a Scene: http://bit.ly/12GlQtG
@storyfix
Smashwords & Libraries: Precedent & Product: http://bit.ly/TNxYW8
@Porter_Anderson @markcoker @naypinya
How to ignore an editor's suggestions and
still fix your novel: http://bit.ly/WHFP7c
@dirtywhitecandy
3 things which are NOT signs you should
give up on your messy first draft: http://bit.ly/12Gml7c
@YAHighway
Making a Quiet Opening Work: http://bit.ly/WHG81D @janice_hardy
The Dark Art Of Critiquing: What Makes A
Story Good? http://bit.ly/12Gmrvu
@woodwardkaren
7 Ways Twitter is a Writer's Endless
Holiday Party: http://bit.ly/WHGbus
@NinaBadzin
Bring Out the Emotion in Your Characters:
http://bit.ly/12GmM1c
Reference Books for Writers &
Editors: http://bit.ly/WHGpl6 @noveleditor
What to Do When You Fall Back Into Your
Old, Less Productive Ways: http://bit.ly/WHNceC
@RealLifeE
The Likable Unlikable Character: http://bit.ly/12GuOqM @noveleditor
Story Crisis and Climax: http://bit.ly/RKOMPk @SHalvatzis
Copywriting And Making Money As A Writer:
http://bit.ly/WHNoux @MindyMcHorse
How to Create Foundation Posts for Your
Blog: http://bit.ly/12Gva0N @jfbookman
Tips for finding an agent: http://bit.ly/WHNtyf @rachellegardner
Self pub tips from @GuyKawasaki: http://bit.ly/12GvvjQ @LauraPepWu
Freelance Editing: How to Hire an Editor
for Your Book or Query Letter: http://bit.ly/12Gw6SK
@ChuckSambuchino
3 Ways to Support Your Fiction Habit
While Working Towards That Big Contract: http://bit.ly/WHOeaI
@novelrocket
Formulating a Clear Vision for Your
Writing Career: http://bit.ly/WHOfLM
@livewritethrive
How Readers Discovered a Debut Novel: A
Case Study: http://bit.ly/VRI1Xb
Why Your Story Shouldn't Be Too Tidy: http://bit.ly/VgLgbD @yeomanis
All about book trailers (and resources
for making your own): http://bit.ly/10ygukI
@PBRWriter
3 Steps For Creative Writers to Tell it
Slant: http://bit.ly/10ygxwR
@PatrickRwrites
8 Signs That You Were Meant to Be a
Writer: http://bit.ly/VgLG1S
3 Great Scenes, and No Weak Ones, Make a
Successful Story: http://bit.ly/10ygPUo
Back Up Your Work Twice: http://bit.ly/VgLQX9 @amiekaufman
Governments and Politics Enter Scientific
Publishing: http://bit.ly/10yhbuf
@scholarlykitchn
Is it Possible to Have Too Many Twitter
Followers? http://bit.ly/VgMcgj
@janice_hardy
101 Social Media Marketing Resources: http://bit.ly/10yhoOb @HeidiCohen
Tuning Out Your Inner Editor: http://bit.ly/UxX0bJ @kaneville
Marketing New Adult: http://bit.ly/UdH5hM @NaAlleyBlog
5 WordPress Mistakes Even Experts Can
Miss: http://bit.ly/UxXcrj @copyblogger
Are We Settling For Less Than We Intend
To? http://bit.ly/UxXXRa @VeronicaSicoe
The Myth of Simple: http://bit.ly/UdIsgk @cherylrwrites
Making a Bad Thing Look Like a Good
Thing: The Truth About Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/UxYXF3
@Fictorians
Opening a Novel with Life or Death: http://bit.ly/UxZqqQ @4YALit
Creativity-oriented sites that inspire: http://bit.ly/UdKSvn @PaulBiedermann
Whys & Hows of Co-Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/UxZFSJ @LauraHoward78
Ask the Agent: Options For Novellas and
More Advice on Query Etiquette: http://bit.ly/UdLeCc
@breeogden
The Theology of Screenwriting: Faith: http://bit.ly/UxZOpm @gointothestory
Writers--plan your estate. Have you
willed your intellectual property? Estate planning: http://bit.ly/UdLJw2 @passivevoiceblg
@kristinerusch
The Dark Art of Critiquing: Formulating A
Critique: http://bit.ly/UdQbLo
@woodwardkaren
The Most Common Grammar Gaffes Writers
Make (and How To Avoid Them): http://bit.ly/Uy36ZN
@GuyKawasaki
5 Dos and Don'ts for Picking an Editor: http://bit.ly/UdRGsY @susanjmorris
How Do We Handle Rejection and Keep on
Pressing? http://bit.ly/UdShuL @kristenlamb
Writing Villains: http://bit.ly/UdSnCy @curiosityquills
7 Norse Myths We Wouldn't Have Without
Snorri: http://bit.ly/Uy4awy @tordotcom
Say Cheese! 12 Terrible Photos of
Bestselling Authors: http://bit.ly/UdSL41
@thejamminjabber
The commodity publishing model ("faster authors,
faster!"): http://bit.ly/13l4GkQ @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman
10 Must Read Australian Horror Writers: http://bit.ly/Uy4pru @thisishorror
Do writers need agents? http://bit.ly/ZNwDno @deanwesleysmith
Six scientists on the most accurate
science fiction in their fields: http://bit.ly/WfDApw
@Annaleen
A roundup of posts that will help your
blog in 2013: http://bit.ly/ZOLM7X @WritingH
INDIE-ReCon – a free online conference
for self publishing: http://bit.ly/WfDYEl
@laurapauling
Villains and the Weakness of Beauty in
Romance: http://bit.ly/ZOMPoe @heroesnhearts
Does Quiet = Boring? http://bit.ly/WfEqm8 @juliemusil
Morally Murky Characters: http://bit.ly/ZON2YH @storydepth
Can Writers Reuse Their Own Work? http://bit.ly/WfEFNZ @jamigold
Ten Tips on Getting Book Blog Reviews: http://bit.ly/ZONeqQ @KarenGowen
How To Disappear From The Internet: http://bit.ly/WfEPEY @lifehackorg
Happy Little Trees: The Bob Ross Guide To
Getting Your Creative Groove On: http://bit.ly/ZOOom2
@KristinNador
Don't Be Afraid of Theme: http://bit.ly/WfG86X @KALongshore
What it takes to be a die-hard writer: http://bit.ly/ZOOz0H @jodyhedlund
Writing male point of view: http://bit.ly/ZOOBWA @juliettewade
Ways to promote your book on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/WfGoCX @ninaamir
10 things for writers to do in 2013: http://bit.ly/ZOOSbP @KeithCronin
How to Use the Element of Surprise to
Improve Your Writing: http://bit.ly/ZOPNJp
@lkhillbooks
Smashwords & Libraries: Precedent & Product: http://bit.ly/TNxYW8
@Porter_Anderson @markcoker @naypinya
The Theology of Screenwriting: Despair: http://bit.ly/WfHrD3 @gointothestory
Ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/ZOPXR0 @goblinwriter
8 Books for Writers: http://bit.ly/WfHKxI @raimalarter
Attracting Reader Responses on Your Blog:
http://bit.ly/TCzfy7 @auntyamo
Survey shows many authors weighing the
pros and cons of self-pub: http://bit.ly/Z5ooSd
@thefuturebook @samatlounge
How to Manage Expectations: Set the Mood:
http://bit.ly/TCzw3W @cockeyed_caravan
Why are novelists turning to co-authors? http://bit.ly/Z5oRnp @passivevoiceblg
What to avoid when querying: http://bit.ly/TCzFVl @lynnettelabelle
Turning Off Your Inner Editor: http://bit.ly/Z5pKfJ @woodwardkaren
What Writers Need to Know About
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/TCAdKG @galleycat
7 Strategies Villains Use to Trick Their
Victims: http://bit.ly/S3caYu @marcykennedy
Publishing Personalities Advise on
Designing the Bookshop of the Future: http://bit.ly/Vq1O11
@pubperspectives
How to Create an Endless Stream of Blog
Post Ideas: http://bit.ly/S3csP0 @jfbookman
6 Marketing Tips for Authors: http://bit.ly/Vq2bJ9 @msheatherwebb
Why you should pitch a single book: http://bit.ly/S3cLJr @rachellegardner
The Real Lowdown on Selling with an
Agent: http://bit.ly/S3cNRB @SaraMegibow
The Power of Theme: http://bit.ly/VtTHmB @TaliaVance
Wasting Your Time Until You Sell a Book? http://bit.ly/U5U6xw
E-readers reading your reading: A serious
invasion of privacy? http://bit.ly/Wd2mpY
@alisonflood
Script To Screen: "The
Shining": http://bit.ly/U5UX1h
@gointothestory
Why Stupid Characters Make for Stupid
Stories: http://bit.ly/Wd2JRn @kmweiland
Dealing with Online Offense–When is It OK
to Lecture Others? http://bit.ly/U5VOPu
@kristenlambtx
Tips for a 2000 word a day writing habit:
http://bit.ly/UPfFhm @lifehackorg
'Emotive music explains the terror of the
people' – Undercover Soundtrack: http://bit.ly/Wd32f0
@byrozmorris @lizfisherfrank
Sensual phrase list for romance writers
and writers of romantic scenes: http://bit.ly/U5WxQC
@SharlaWrites
10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how
to fix it): http://bit.ly/UdiAD7 @medkno
A 3-point revision checklist: http://bit.ly/T9Pa7Z @annastanisz
Writing A Story? Make Sure You Have A
Concept Not Just An Idea: http://bit.ly/T9QDeC
@woodwardkaren
10 E-Newsletter Tips For Authors &
Bloggers: http://bit.ly/R8Jhs3 @mollygreene
International Writing Scams and How to
Protect Yourself: http://bit.ly/12YW2cr
@victoriastrauss
Scholastic Editors Forecast Top 10 Trends
in Children's Books for 2013: http://bit.ly/WlnZEV
@passivevoiceblg
Writing Goals Sheet: http://bit.ly/12YWlUD @diymfa
How to Manage Viewer/Reader Expectations:
Plant the Right Questions: http://bit.ly/Wlo8rT
@cockeyed_caravan
Querying Agents: Why isn't it Working? http://bit.ly/12YWEPk @AmericanEditing
Tips for Writing Micro-tension: http://bit.ly/Wlolvd @donaldmaass
Want Professional Ebook Covers On A
Budget? Try Ready-To-Go Options: http://bit.ly/WlowGW
@thecreativepenn
Writing Like It's 2009: http://bit.ly/12YXfQQ @kristinerusch
How Writers Can Use Pinterest: http://bit.ly/WloL4H
Why Your Story Should Have A Theme: http://bit.ly/WloP4A @woodwardkaren
Self-care for writers: http://bit.ly/12YXvj1
Attracting
opposite-gender readers..."And What If a Man Writes Romance?": http://bit.ly/TRcub0
@Porter_Anderson @turndog_million
Some well-known authors' responses to the
film adaptations of their work: http://bit.ly/Wlp3sd
@flavorpill
"People forget years and remember
moments." http://bit.ly/12YXJGS
@gointothestory
5 Ways to Deal with Failure: http://bit.ly/TyoNsC @rachellegardner
Should you Always Show-Don't-Tell? http://bit.ly/TJLzN7 @fictionnotes
The Hero's Journey through the Double
Helix series: http://bit.ly/Typ12Z
@JadeKerrion
The Devil's in the Details: http://bit.ly/Typ7rp
9 Ways to Generate Your Best Ideas: http://bit.ly/TypkLc @andyjmllr
Fan Fiction to Published Book: A Case
Study: http://bit.ly/TypSAK @stacygreen26
@jamigold
5 Tips To Determine If Your Manuscript Is
Ready To Send Out: http://bit.ly/TJN3H1
@wherewriterswin
Assume Reader Resistance: http://bit.ly/TJN7qo @mooderino
Your Optimal Creativity Time May Be the
Opposite of Your Optimal Cognitive Time: http://bit.ly/TJN91k
@lifehackorg
How To Write A Twitter Story: http://bit.ly/TJNfpY @woodwardkaren
Identifying Your Story Theme: http://bit.ly/TJNu4k @V_Rossibooks
10 Techniques for Getting Tension on
Every Page: http://bit.ly/TyqI0f
@jodyhedlund
How To Keep Your Story On Track: Chart
"Who Knows What, When": http://bit.ly/TyqK8C
@LisaCron
The Theology of Screenwriting: Evil: http://bit.ly/TyqPcd @gointothestory
How to Manage Reader/Viewer
Expectations...And Evade the Wrong Questions: http://bit.ly/X5AJSj
@cockeyed_caravan
5 Podcasts for Writers: http://bit.ly/TAMIYo @jeanoram
Choosing a Story Idea: 4 Questions Every
Romance Writer Should Ask Themselves: http://bit.ly/X5AQ0h
@writersdigest
To be more creative, mix up your work: http://bit.ly/TAMPmV @tannerc
Manuscript Critiques—A Help or a
Hindrance? http://bit.ly/X5B5It @jfbookman
@livewritethrive
What You Write About Doesn't Matter as
Much as You Think: http://bit.ly/TAMYGU
@jeffgoins
How to be an organized writer: http://bit.ly/X5BieT
Dialogue tips: http://bit.ly/TAN5SW
Getting Started With Dictation Software: http://bit.ly/X5BvP7 @Wizardgold
5 Tips For Building Buzz For Your Book: http://bit.ly/TANfK2 @susankayequinn
Twitter For Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/TBpbqj
Self-Publishing: It's Not a Backup Plan: http://bit.ly/X6oODP @ava_jae
January 10, 2013
A Writing Exercise to Help Your Story Ring With Authenticity
by Khanh Ho, @LAMysteryWriter
I’ve taken dozens of writing seminars—some good, some bad. Over time, I’ve done hundreds of exercises. And in my capacity as a college level Creative Writing professor, I’ve had the chance to assign writing exercises, too. So, I know: the best exercises get you into the groove. This one—the one I’m about to share with you--is by far my absolute favorite. This one is a keeper.
I did it in my first writing seminar with this really cool writer—let’s call him David—who gave off the aura that every professional writer of high class art fiction should emit: denim shirts; denim jeans; old leather belt with real silver accents; longish unkempt hair, never parted; scuffed, leather attaché case with a discreet imprint from a luxurious maker; cowboy boots; crows feet around the eyes. Kinda cool to a college freshman.
David had us bring in one object and tell two stories about it: one true and one false. We could not reveal the true one. We could not even give clues by creating deliberately crazy stories that would indicate falsehood. We were just supposed to tell two variations of one story. One girl brought in a brick that she supposedly rescued from a lava flow in Hawaii. Me: I brought in a stuffed animal and spun a totally false story of shoplifting at Arnie’s Toyland.
After each story was told, the class voted and discussed why we thought one story was true or false. This made for a fun class. You got to know a lot about your classmates by listening to how their minds work. You also began to realize that certain elements are important to the feeling of truth: detail, character, setting. These are the elements that make a story ring with authenticity, even if it is a bald-faced lie.
To do this exercise at home, without the audience participation element, pick an object and try to write a scene around it. If you’re working on a story, go ahead: use the object in the scene. You don’t have to write two variations. You just have to decide that the object is going to have a life of its own—that it will reveal all sorts of connections about the world it occupies.
This exercise is perfect for the mystery writer, because it is essentially a realist exercise. Mysteries live in the world of realism; they deal with the everyday world. No Hobbits or Space Creatures or Wizards inhabit this world of pulp. No zombies or vampires or barbarian warlords. Mysteries exist in the plausible world of our mind. And all mysteries—all--are locked in the objects that we hold, like flies trapped in the spider web of our own making.
Khanh Ho spent many years living in a small town in rural Iowa, teaching Creative Writing at Grinnell College—a small liberal arts college, nestled in a windswept prairie whose distinguishing feature is the presence of a Super Walmart. But then he had a light bulb epiphany: he’ll never produce writing if he persists in teaching it. So, now he is happily pounding away at the keyboard, knocking out not only his first mystery novel but, also, the first mystery novel featuring the first Vietnamese American detective. Why? Because, yes, he’ll be the first; yes, it’ll be a power trip; and yes, because he can! Follow him on his great adventure at
www.losangelesmystery.com
Image: Patuska from MorgueFile
I’ve taken dozens of writing seminars—some good, some bad. Over time, I’ve done hundreds of exercises. And in my capacity as a college level Creative Writing professor, I’ve had the chance to assign writing exercises, too. So, I know: the best exercises get you into the groove. This one—the one I’m about to share with you--is by far my absolute favorite. This one is a keeper.I did it in my first writing seminar with this really cool writer—let’s call him David—who gave off the aura that every professional writer of high class art fiction should emit: denim shirts; denim jeans; old leather belt with real silver accents; longish unkempt hair, never parted; scuffed, leather attaché case with a discreet imprint from a luxurious maker; cowboy boots; crows feet around the eyes. Kinda cool to a college freshman.
David had us bring in one object and tell two stories about it: one true and one false. We could not reveal the true one. We could not even give clues by creating deliberately crazy stories that would indicate falsehood. We were just supposed to tell two variations of one story. One girl brought in a brick that she supposedly rescued from a lava flow in Hawaii. Me: I brought in a stuffed animal and spun a totally false story of shoplifting at Arnie’s Toyland.
After each story was told, the class voted and discussed why we thought one story was true or false. This made for a fun class. You got to know a lot about your classmates by listening to how their minds work. You also began to realize that certain elements are important to the feeling of truth: detail, character, setting. These are the elements that make a story ring with authenticity, even if it is a bald-faced lie.
To do this exercise at home, without the audience participation element, pick an object and try to write a scene around it. If you’re working on a story, go ahead: use the object in the scene. You don’t have to write two variations. You just have to decide that the object is going to have a life of its own—that it will reveal all sorts of connections about the world it occupies.
This exercise is perfect for the mystery writer, because it is essentially a realist exercise. Mysteries live in the world of realism; they deal with the everyday world. No Hobbits or Space Creatures or Wizards inhabit this world of pulp. No zombies or vampires or barbarian warlords. Mysteries exist in the plausible world of our mind. And all mysteries—all--are locked in the objects that we hold, like flies trapped in the spider web of our own making.
Khanh Ho spent many years living in a small town in rural Iowa, teaching Creative Writing at Grinnell College—a small liberal arts college, nestled in a windswept prairie whose distinguishing feature is the presence of a Super Walmart. But then he had a light bulb epiphany: he’ll never produce writing if he persists in teaching it. So, now he is happily pounding away at the keyboard, knocking out not only his first mystery novel but, also, the first mystery novel featuring the first Vietnamese American detective. Why? Because, yes, he’ll be the first; yes, it’ll be a power trip; and yes, because he can! Follow him on his great adventure at
www.losangelesmystery.com
Image: Patuska from MorgueFile
January 8, 2013
More on Promo and Approaching Promo in 2013
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Recently, there’s been a real change in attitude among some high-profile writers regarding promo.
And I’ll admit that it makes me a little nervous.
I was especially uncomfortable reading a post by J.A. Konrath last month: Konrath's Resolutions For Writers. You’ll have to scroll down to the section entitled 2013 to get to it, but he says:
He goes on to say:
Writer Dean Wesley Smith stated in a post in October called The New World of Publishing: Promotion:
As much as I’d like to think that I think we can completely back off on promo, it just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe if I were as well-known as Joe, and had as many titles as Dean, I’d feel the same way. It’s very tempting to say we just won’t promote—that there’s no need. There’s just that little issue of discoverability.
When I have thirty books or more available for sale as ebooks, I might feel a bit more tempted to back off on promo because it would just be so darn hard to avoid coming across me on Amazon in the mystery section. But with a dozen books written (a couple of them not even out for a few months), I don’t think forgoing marketing is the answer.
I’d also love to stop doing other things I dislike—housework, yard work, and paying taxes…but I have a feeling it would bite me back later.
And ditching promo—even my own anemic, indirect form of marketing—would bite me back later, too.
I do think that these writers have a point. Dean Wesley Smith put provisos on his ban on promo…he says that publishers promote (you should promote when you have your publisher hat on, as a self-published author) and writers write. So promote like a publisher—not like a writer. He has ideas for doing this in his post.
I think we still, currently, have a responsibility to ourselves and our pocketbooks to do the bare minimum of promo.
What I think the bare-minimum is:
A website. You can probably stop right there as long as the site is updated fairly frequently, has your contact info/email address on it, buy-links, books, etc.
And…
One additional way to find you. This could be (not all of these…just pick what appeals):
A blog that you update at least twice a month (abandoned blogs look kind of bad. At least have a goodbye post and disable comments.)
A Facebook page
A Goodreads presence (Goodreads can be a sort of scary, dark-alley kind of place for writers, so just go in remembering that you may not want to poke around much.)
And…I do think an email address is an absolute necessity for writers. The readers should be able to reach us via email. We can even set up an email address solely for reader contact. Have it be a professional address (like your full name) and use a free email service like gmail.com, etc.
This being said…I’m not as uptight as I used to be about making sure my bases are covered on all the different platforms. If I don’t like a platform (Facebook comes to mind), I’m not going to force myself to post there a couple of times a week. But I will leave it up so that I can be be contacted there by readers or anyone else (very occasionally print media will contact me on Facebook for an interview.)
What are your thoughts on promo for 2013? Are you backing off a little? Or just being more forgiving with yourself for limiting your platforms (like me)? Or are you still going full steam ahead?
Image: PinkLadyBug from MorgueFile
Recently, there’s been a real change in attitude among some high-profile writers regarding promo.And I’ll admit that it makes me a little nervous.
I was especially uncomfortable reading a post by J.A. Konrath last month: Konrath's Resolutions For Writers. You’ll have to scroll down to the section entitled 2013 to get to it, but he says:
I have 10,000 followers on Twitter, but I only use it occasionally Facebook? Haven't been on there in eight months. I witnessed the rise and fall of MySpace. I've opted out of Google+ because I saw no benefits. LinkedIn? I can't even remember my password.
He goes on to say:
I haven't blogged or Tweeted in months. I've been busy doing what writers should be doing: writing.
And guess what? My sales have remained constant.
Writer Dean Wesley Smith stated in a post in October called The New World of Publishing: Promotion:
Author promotion is worthless (except for selling to magazines or major publishers). Period. Best thing an author can do is write the next story and book.
As much as I’d like to think that I think we can completely back off on promo, it just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe if I were as well-known as Joe, and had as many titles as Dean, I’d feel the same way. It’s very tempting to say we just won’t promote—that there’s no need. There’s just that little issue of discoverability.
When I have thirty books or more available for sale as ebooks, I might feel a bit more tempted to back off on promo because it would just be so darn hard to avoid coming across me on Amazon in the mystery section. But with a dozen books written (a couple of them not even out for a few months), I don’t think forgoing marketing is the answer.
I’d also love to stop doing other things I dislike—housework, yard work, and paying taxes…but I have a feeling it would bite me back later.
And ditching promo—even my own anemic, indirect form of marketing—would bite me back later, too.
I do think that these writers have a point. Dean Wesley Smith put provisos on his ban on promo…he says that publishers promote (you should promote when you have your publisher hat on, as a self-published author) and writers write. So promote like a publisher—not like a writer. He has ideas for doing this in his post.
I think we still, currently, have a responsibility to ourselves and our pocketbooks to do the bare minimum of promo.
What I think the bare-minimum is:
A website. You can probably stop right there as long as the site is updated fairly frequently, has your contact info/email address on it, buy-links, books, etc.
And…
One additional way to find you. This could be (not all of these…just pick what appeals):
A blog that you update at least twice a month (abandoned blogs look kind of bad. At least have a goodbye post and disable comments.)
A Facebook page
A Goodreads presence (Goodreads can be a sort of scary, dark-alley kind of place for writers, so just go in remembering that you may not want to poke around much.)
And…I do think an email address is an absolute necessity for writers. The readers should be able to reach us via email. We can even set up an email address solely for reader contact. Have it be a professional address (like your full name) and use a free email service like gmail.com, etc.
This being said…I’m not as uptight as I used to be about making sure my bases are covered on all the different platforms. If I don’t like a platform (Facebook comes to mind), I’m not going to force myself to post there a couple of times a week. But I will leave it up so that I can be be contacted there by readers or anyone else (very occasionally print media will contact me on Facebook for an interview.)
What are your thoughts on promo for 2013? Are you backing off a little? Or just being more forgiving with yourself for limiting your platforms (like me)? Or are you still going full steam ahead?
Image: PinkLadyBug from MorgueFile
January 6, 2013
More Time to Write in 2013
Guest Post
by Elizabeth Grace Saunders @RealLifeE
Purchase Book Here
New Year’s
Resolution #1: Write More in 2013.
If you’re
like most writers, you really want to find more time to practice your art in
2013. But the distance between your resolution and your reality often seems
like a span too far to cross and full of detours like writers groups and
writers blogs where you talk and read a great deal about writing but rarely put
words to the page…
I
understand, as a time coach and the author of the newly released book The 3 Secrets to Effective TimeInvestment: How to Achieve More Success With Less Stress , I’ve lead many a writer through the
process of finding more time to write.
The BIGGEST secret to your success is
strengthening simple routines that make investing time in writing automatic.
Let me tell you a little story about a writer I helped unlock the power of this
secret…
Breaking Through Creative Blocks
A few
winters ago, I worked with a successful, well-published writer who also taught
in a university graduate school Masters of Fine Arts program. She was stuck.
“I am scattered and making erratic
progress with this or that. I want to make solid steps forward. I want to
reclaim my life and place in the literary firmament, get healthy and in shape,
and have fun!”
She also
had just been diagnosed with ADHD and was wondering how much of an impact ADHD
had on her life-long frustrations with writing and other areas of her life. One
of her most important goals was to move forward on her next big creative
project–a collection of linked short stories. It had been a long time since her
first book had been published, and she needed to regain professional momentum…
“My friends are mostly writers and
successful. I have lots of ink in the New York Times that I have written and
that has been written about me. So I have talent. I also need to know what I
need to do, like a solid schedule? work impulsively? Okay I know the answer to
that.”
She did
know the answer, but turning the answer into practical action took time
coaching… We came up with an initial
plan of how she could get in a good, solid, writing time in the morning. Then
each week, we worked on assessing the results and evaluating how to move
forward based on what happened.
The first
writing routine involved: drinking coffee, eating breakfast, taking the dog
out, meditating, getting dressed, and then starting to write. The second
involved just getting coffee and starting to write. The end result was a fusion
of the two with pouring a cup of coffee, meditating a bit, taking out the dog
and then writing.
The end
goal wasn’t to have this creative writer crammed into a rigid schedule but to have something that turned
writing (her top professional priority) from a dreaded activity to a peaceful
part of her daily schedule.
Over the
course of our work together, she found that if she followed her morning routine
and put herself in her writing space for two hours (with a timer set), the
inspiration came and the writing moved forward.
Writing didn’t need to be something that she dreaded.
Writing didn’t need to be something that took over her
life.
Writing could be something she choose to move forward
on each day.
At last!
Freedom to do quality work without losing herself, her relationships or her
sanity was possible!
“I’ve found that the actual schedule
that I longed for would absolutely drive me around the bend so I have a
flexitarian schedule and am getting things done.”
“Having and sticking with a schedule is
the single most important thing I can do for myself as an artist, as a woman
living a rather complex and exciting life, and as someone newly aware that many
of my problems stem from having ADHD. Nothing, nothing, nothing will move me
forward like following my schedule will. Period.”
A Few Key Points
The same creative
freedom could be possible for you. Here are a few key takeaways to get you
started:
Even if you consider yourself a spontaneous person,
some writing rituals can dramatically increase your productivity and
decrease your stress. If you loathe this idea, you can find out how to
overcome your inner routine rebel in my book.
Look at developing custom routines as
a process that includes editing. As you saw above, this writer didn’t just
have one routine and stick with it. She needed to try out a few iterations
until she found one that was exactly the right fit.
It’s OK to have a “flexitarian”
schedule, meaning that not everything needs to happen with clockwork
precision. For instance, this could mean picking a start trigger, such as
“after I eat breakfast,” instead of a start time, such as “8 a.m.,” to
begin your writing.
Focus on consistently following your
schedule instead of worrying about constantly being on it. No matter how
hard you try, there will be some days when following your writing routine
just isn’t possible. Instead of beating yourself up over it, you can
simply acknowledge the deviance, forgive yourself if it was due to some
fault of your own, and then move on in the realization that the only thing
you can control is your decision of the present moment.
For a
comprehensive step-by-step guide to creating your own custom routines, flip to
Chapter 7 in The 3 Secrets toEffective Time Investment.
May you
enjoy writing more in 2013 by developing, practicing and adjusting your custom
routines.
What
routines do you have in place to help make investing time in writing as
effortless as possible?
Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management life coach and the author of the newly released The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success
With Less Stress available on Amazon in hardcover and kindle .
You can find Elizabeth Grace Saunders on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/RealLifeE
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/timecoaching
Website www.ScheduleMakeover.com
January 5, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It's the search engine
for writers.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
A 3-point revision checklist: http://bit.ly/T9Pa7Z @annastanisz
Point of View in Science-Fiction: http://bit.ly/XP9U3q @VeronicaSicoe
The Final Battle (Elements of Act Three):
http://bit.ly/XPai21 @AlexSokoloff
Tips for hooking readers: http://bit.ly/T9PtzS @write_practice
Visual Editing: Color Coding Your Way to
a Cleaner Manuscript: http://bit.ly/XPaBtO
@danyelleleafty
How Unnecessary Creating Changes
Everything: http://bit.ly/T9PAeH
@beAccidental
A site with daily, succinct ,
screenwriting tips: http://bit.ly/T9QpnI
@XanderBennett
Writing A Story? Make Sure You Have A
Concept Not Just An Idea: http://bit.ly/T9QDeC
@woodwardkaren
Top Ten Rules of Space Opera: http://bit.ly/XPe2kd @io9
The Muppets and Mahna, Mahna – the Untold
Story: http://bit.ly/T9QIyN @thisishorror
3 Quiet Fears that Stop Writers from
Writing: http://bit.ly/R8Iszy @writersdigest
Most Common British/American English
Spelling Mistakes: http://bit.ly/R8Ix6h
@thecreativepenn
Promoting Science Through Science
Fiction: http://bit.ly/UUvimL
Even the Underground Needs Editors: http://bit.ly/R8IHdV
Profanity in fantasy: http://bit.ly/R8IUgZ @nkjemisin
So you wrote a novel. Now what? http://bit.ly/UUwl6m @p2p_editor
10 Colloquial Terms and Their Meanings: http://bit.ly/R8IZ4v @writing_tips
Change is not the enemy: http://bit.ly/R8J0Fs @pbr_writer
Learning to See the Good in Bad Writing: http://bit.ly/UUwOWc @Christi_Craig
Actions and Reactions: The End-All-Be-All
of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/U4sbv4
@jamigold
Misconceptions About Writing Careers: http://bit.ly/UUwWoG @cockeyed_caravan
10 E-Newsletter Tips For Authors &
Bloggers: http://bit.ly/R8Jhs3 @mollygreene
How to Cut the Filler and Tighten Your
Book: http://bit.ly/XYvJxy @KMWeiland
10 Best Writing Workbooks: http://bit.ly/RKNVOk @charmaineclancy
Tips for Getting Published in Literary
Magazines and Journals: http://bit.ly/XYwhDR
@melissadonovan
Tips for avoiding writing bloopers: http://bit.ly/RKO4RV
Tips for working through writer's block: http://bit.ly/XYwUNN
Story Crisis & Climax: http://bit.ly/RKOMPk @shalvatzis
Using Beats To Strengthen Characters And
Setting: http://bit.ly/Ul6SmL @rlbelliston
Moral Causes in Fantasy Worlds: http://bit.ly/RKOWpC @mythicscribes
The 19 Most Popular Articles on Writing
of 2012 for Writer's Digest: http://bit.ly/Y0fK2g
@writersdigest
Get Your Novel Moving: Cure for Stagnant
Openings: http://bit.ly/ZrpuZG @Lindasclare
Literary Journal Submission Tip: Avoid
Clichés, or Twist them into Treasure: http://bit.ly/Y0giVM
@MsBessieBell
The Daily Routines of Famous Writers: http://bit.ly/ZrpQPQ @brainpicker
Tips for satisfying story payoffs: http://bit.ly/Y0hfxd
Too much characterization? Too little?
Prioritize: http://bit.ly/ZrqaOz
@laurelgarver
Psychoanalyzing your villain: http://bit.ly/Ul6AMM @theheraldryang
Creating Memorable Supporting Characters:
http://bit.ly/VCsw5j @woodwardkaren
Creating tension: http://bit.ly/ZbnWBx @Christina_Lee04
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
Four Levels of Showing and Telling: http://bit.ly/Y0i1KK @pyrosama
3 quick self-editing tips: http://bit.ly/ZrqLQm @Lindasclare
Where Do Successful Authors Get Their
Most Brilliant Writing Ideas? http://bit.ly/Y0ixsj
@melissadonovan
Dean Wesley Smith's Advice To Indie
Authors For 2013: How To Sell Fiction: http://bit.ly/WAcQ56
@woodwardkaren
The Multifunctional Life of Dialogue
Tags: http://bit.ly/UhDRdO @behlerpublish
Perfecting the Query Letter--tips: http://bit.ly/WAdsrq @lynnettelabelle
How to Write a Page Turner: http://bit.ly/UhDTTa @juliemusil
Writer's Block: 5 Top Tips for Finding
Inspiration: http://bit.ly/WAdvn7 @fcmalby
How to Write a Reader-Friendly Essay: http://bit.ly/WAdzmP @writersdigest
Measuring Creative Success: http://bit.ly/UhE3ty @diymfa
Post NaNo Revisions: The Agents'
Perspective: http://bit.ly/WAdEad @yahighway
How Blogging a Book Provides You with a
Continuous Flow of Blog Posts: http://bit.ly/UhEJiL
@ninaamir
Creating a homelike, appealing setting: http://bit.ly/UhETGP @donaldmaass
5 blog tour tips: http://bit.ly/UhEZOB @BwitchedBkworms
Taking On Insecurity And Kicking It To
The Ground: http://bit.ly/WAeJi3
@VeronicaSicoe
I'm Not a Real Writer If… : http://bit.ly/WAeSCe @LyndaRYoung
Your Author Brand – How to Make the Most
of It: http://bit.ly/UhFk3Q @ollyrhodes
Test Your Characters: Are They Strong
Enough? http://bit.ly/UhFnN3 @woodwardkaren
10 Lessons From a Completed Novel: http://bit.ly/WAfdEQ @kmweiland
Writerly Uses For Excel – Part 2: http://bit.ly/UhFvw1 @JennyHansenCA
Starting a New chapter: Defeating the
Blank Page: http://bit.ly/WAfqIn
@fictionnotes
Settings in Your Novel That Work As
Triggers: http://bit.ly/UhFGYg
@livewritethrive
How to Survive a Critique: http://bit.ly/WAfwzJ @MarcyKennedy
How to Manage Expectations, Prologue:
Every Criticism is the Product of an Unmet Expectation: http://bit.ly/UhFN64 @cockeyed_caravan
Craft: Revision: http://bit.ly/WAfFDj @fantasyfaction
How To Storyboard a Book for Marketing
Purposes: http://bit.ly/TRbO3S @bob_mayer
The Theology of Screenwriting:
Congregation: http://bit.ly/TRc3Mf
@gointothestory
22 rules of successful storytelling: http://bit.ly/10aCFNI @lawnrocket
@pbjpublishing
Working with reader assumptions as a
writer: http://bit.ly/10aCUbD @bluemaven
10 Ways to Kill Your Book Club: http://bit.ly/10aD0zZ @WallaceYovetich
Bragging without killing our online
credibility: http://bit.ly/TRcSoh
@kristenlambtx
How to Research an Ancient Society for
Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRcZjP
@laurapauling @hp4writers
The Difference Between Conflict and
Tension: http://bit.ly/10aDt52 @kmweiland
Reconnecting with Your Lost Love of
Writing: http://bit.ly/10aDwOl
@CKKellyMartin
'You Are All Alone': The Best And Worst
Things About Freelancing: http://bit.ly/TRddaE
@passivevoiceblg
30 minutes daily to building a platform: http://bit.ly/TRdme7+|+Duolit%29
@duolit
When to shut down a creative life: http://bit.ly/10aE9HT @emergentpublish
Writing a better climactic scene: http://bit.ly/10aEDOb @Lindasclare
Forging Your Own Independence as a
Writer: http://bit.ly/10aEQAR @philjourdan
The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling
a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains: http://bit.ly/10aEVEE @LeoWid
Ghosts of Writers Future: http://bit.ly/Ujg9hs @kristinerusch
Write Smart, Not Fast: http://bit.ly/VZtlVH @DannyIny
Spicing Up a Story With Similes &
Metaphors: http://bit.ly/UjgiBD @jodyhedlund
What The Hobbit Taught 1 Writer About
Writing: http://bit.ly/VZtsk7 @joebunting
Developmental editing tips: http://bit.ly/Ujgwsh @rebeccaberto
How To Write An eBook: Pulling Your Team
Together: http://bit.ly/VZtyIw @inkybites
Every writer should learn to
self-publish: http://bit.ly/UjgBw5 @namenick
How to de-risk book publishing: http://oreil.ly/VZtA3f @Magnify
Writing Horror: What Makes A Story Scary?
http://bit.ly/UjgGjq @woodwardkaren
4 Tips For Understanding KDP Select: http://bit.ly/VZtHvw @BadRedheadMedia
Writing fiction with animal protagonists:
http://bit.ly/UjgPDp
How to Write a Book Review: http://bit.ly/VZtLLK @writing_tips
Losing the (Historical) Plot: http://bit.ly/Ujh0P8
How Do You Know If Your Work is Any Good?
http://bit.ly/VZtV5V @rachellegardner
Patriarchal societies and historically
accurate sexism in fantasy? http://bit.ly/UjhqoG
and http://bit.ly/UjhqoH @TheMarySue
@tansyrr
Writing, Rejections, and Going for that
Overhead Smash: http://bit.ly/VZuhJW
The Anatomy and Value of Fictional
Violence: http://bit.ly/UjhG79
@KgElfland2ndCuz
Use non-fiction angles to promote your
novel: http://bit.ly/VZumNM @LauraPepWu
Need to Get in the Head of Your
Character? Try a Mask Poem: http://bit.ly/UjhLI0
@artsyletters
The Business of Screenwriting:
Withdrawing screen credit and pseudonyms: http://bit.ly/VZuqNq
@gointothestory
Writing Sex: Kaleidoscope, or, How
paranormal helps when you're tired of tab A and slot B: http://bit.ly/UjhTHD
How to Write Dynamic Dialogue: http://bit.ly/VZuuww
Tips for tackling revisions: http://bit.ly/Ujih8T @stdennard
Writing A Book: What Happens After The
First Draft? http://bit.ly/UjirNq
@thecreativepenn
What Dialogue Can Do for Your
Stories--And What It Should Never Try to Do: http://bit.ly/UjisRz
How to Manage Expectations, Step 1:
Choose a Genre: http://bit.ly/VZuMUi
@cockeyed_caravan
Use only 1 coincidence in a book: http://bit.ly/UjiA3s @karalennox
Debut Author vs. Career Author: http://bit.ly/VZuVa7 @susankayequinn
How to Write When You Don't Want To: http://bit.ly/VZuVH6 @ava_jae
Beat sheet of the movie "The
Flight": http://bit.ly/Ut58uR
Is some popular YA really fan fiction? http://bit.ly/V4tPLI @BooksAreMyBFs
Print and eBooks cannot co-exist after
all: http://bit.ly/Ut5u4L @thefuturebook
10 Unlikely Things That Were Influenced
by J.R.R. Tolkien: http://bit.ly/Ut5WQr @io9
How and why 1 writer chose to self-pub: http://natpo.st/V4ugpq @lisleong
Free Sites to Promote Your eBook: http://bit.ly/N1E5D6 @galleycat
Writing--goals and rewards: http://bit.ly/V4ulJG @diymfa
Why 1 writer paid for a book review and
why he won't again: http://bit.ly/Ut6fea
@erikwecks
Editing & Critiquing: http://bit.ly/V4uo8r @woodwardkaren
Lessons From 'The Godfather' On Sticking
To Your Creative Vision: http://bit.ly/Ut6nKB
@danblank
How to Structure a Killer Novel Ending: http://bit.ly/V4uvRf @writersdigest
Why Netflix Makes You a Better Writer: http://bit.ly/Ut6t56 @robdyoungwrites
The Theology of Screenwriting: Grace: http://bit.ly/V4uAVe @gointothestory
What Writers, Editors, and Publishers
Should Worry About: http://bit.ly/Ut6FBa
@robertleebrewer
5 Ways to Find an Agent for Your Book: http://bit.ly/UOSRhG @galleycat
Why Women Writers Still Take Men's Names:
http://on.wsj.com/V4vBfY @wsj
A Simple Approach to Revisions: http://bit.ly/Ut7VEq @cathyyardley
What are your scene's goals? 5 questions
to ask: http://bit.ly/Uy2cfB @Porter_Anderson
@KMWeiland
Flawed characters add depth to crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/ZTUn9b @mkinberg
The problem with writers reviewing their
own books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/UJllLS
@Porter_Anderson @andrew_hough @jeremyduns
Adult sibling relationships in crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/Wkgvlt @mkinberg
Thinking Commercially: http://bit.ly/V4vGAd @fictionnotes
Quick recap of literary elements we could
consider using in our writing: http://bit.ly/Ut94vO
4 Songwriting Tips For Scoring Film and
TV Placements: http://bit.ly/RQGMus @usasong
You ought to be in pages (or should
you?): http://bit.ly/V4wOUq @bufocalvin
Getting Readers Onboard Without
Infodumping: http://bit.ly/Ut9wdl
@janice_hardy
7 Ways Writing a Screenplay is Different
Than Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/U2ULNg
@writersdigest
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
10 Television Cliffhangers That Make
Great Series Finales: http://bit.ly/Y9zhBY
@io9
Tightening your plot by layering: http://bit.ly/Y9BJbN @juliettewade
12 Tips On How To Write Antagonists Your
Readers Will Love To Hate: http://bit.ly/WHFBgd
@woodwardkaren
