Riley Adams's Blog, page 162
January 3, 2013
Help With Character Development
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of my favorite ways to learn more about a new character (I always have plenty of new characters since each book has new suspects), is to think about what they’re reading.
Or…if they’re not reading…that says a lot about the characters, too.
What’s the book title? Why is he reading it? For work? Because someone pressured him to read it? Because he thinks he should be reading it? For pleasure? What’s the book’s genre? Is it nonfiction? Is he reading on an e-reader or a print copy?
There are tons of these types of questions that we can ask ourselves about our characters. Many times, we just take that bit of insight into the character and don’t need to share our findings with our readers.
But sometimes we will want to share. Because readers like picking up on these small clues to a character’s personality, too. Readers, upon discovering a character casually reading The Visual Guide To Extra Dimensions : Visualizing The Fourth Dimension, Higher-Dimensional Polytopes, And Curved Hypersurfaces will assume that Ralph is smart. Being told that Ralph is smart is less interesting.
Sometimes characters just pop into our heads, fully-formed. Sometimes they’re amalgams of different people we know.
And sometimes we have to work on our characters a little bit.
There have been resources over the years that I’ve found particularly helpful for thinking outside the box when creating characters. I’ve listed these in various past posts, but thought I’d compile a bunch of them here.
Author Stina Lindenblatt in her post “Creating the Non-Stereotypical Character” shared an exercise from author Mary Buckham for character development. It involved listing stereotypical traits for the main characters’ careers…and mixing the traits from the lists up.
Writer Cheryl Reif talks about character quirks in her post: Tuesday Ten: Character Quirks . An old role-playing system by Steve Jackson inspired her approach.
The folks at Inspiration for Writers came up with a useful page to help develop characters…personality components can be particularly useful (toward the bottom of the page.)
I’m not always a worksheet-oriented writer, but they always help when I do use them.
These worksheets are excellent and are from our friends at the Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog (but are useful for all genres):
Character Worksheet Part 1
Character Worksheet Part 2
Character Worksheet Part 3
Character Worksheet Part 4
Janice Hardy in her post “She's Such a Character: Creating Characters,” lists things she wants to know about her characters before she starts writing…and things she looks for as she writes, too.
Writer Kaye Dacus’ series on Creating Credible Characters covers everything from character name creation to character culture, to casting characters.
Hope these links will help. You can find many more tips on character development at the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
What methods do you use to develop your characters?
Image: Brian Hogg, MorgueFile
One of my favorite ways to learn more about a new character (I always have plenty of new characters since each book has new suspects), is to think about what they’re reading. Or…if they’re not reading…that says a lot about the characters, too.
What’s the book title? Why is he reading it? For work? Because someone pressured him to read it? Because he thinks he should be reading it? For pleasure? What’s the book’s genre? Is it nonfiction? Is he reading on an e-reader or a print copy?
There are tons of these types of questions that we can ask ourselves about our characters. Many times, we just take that bit of insight into the character and don’t need to share our findings with our readers.
But sometimes we will want to share. Because readers like picking up on these small clues to a character’s personality, too. Readers, upon discovering a character casually reading The Visual Guide To Extra Dimensions : Visualizing The Fourth Dimension, Higher-Dimensional Polytopes, And Curved Hypersurfaces will assume that Ralph is smart. Being told that Ralph is smart is less interesting.
Sometimes characters just pop into our heads, fully-formed. Sometimes they’re amalgams of different people we know.
And sometimes we have to work on our characters a little bit.
There have been resources over the years that I’ve found particularly helpful for thinking outside the box when creating characters. I’ve listed these in various past posts, but thought I’d compile a bunch of them here.
Author Stina Lindenblatt in her post “Creating the Non-Stereotypical Character” shared an exercise from author Mary Buckham for character development. It involved listing stereotypical traits for the main characters’ careers…and mixing the traits from the lists up.
Writer Cheryl Reif talks about character quirks in her post: Tuesday Ten: Character Quirks . An old role-playing system by Steve Jackson inspired her approach.
The folks at Inspiration for Writers came up with a useful page to help develop characters…personality components can be particularly useful (toward the bottom of the page.)
I’m not always a worksheet-oriented writer, but they always help when I do use them.
These worksheets are excellent and are from our friends at the Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog (but are useful for all genres):
Character Worksheet Part 1
Character Worksheet Part 2
Character Worksheet Part 3
Character Worksheet Part 4
Janice Hardy in her post “She's Such a Character: Creating Characters,” lists things she wants to know about her characters before she starts writing…and things she looks for as she writes, too.
Writer Kaye Dacus’ series on Creating Credible Characters covers everything from character name creation to character culture, to casting characters.
Hope these links will help. You can find many more tips on character development at the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
What methods do you use to develop your characters?
Image: Brian Hogg, MorgueFile
January 1, 2013
Traditionally Published and Nearing the End of Your Contract? Don't Sweat It.
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a healthy, happy year.
Writing-wise, 2013 will be a different type of year for me. I’d halfway forgotten this until I was speaking with my family over the Christmas holiday.
“What are you working on for 2013?” they asked.
“After my deadline on February 1, I’m on my own,” I told them. I said this with complete equanimity, but each time I said this (different groups of family), the other person was startled and appeared a little worried.
“You don’t have another contracted book after that?” they asked.
I don’t.
So I have a book coming out in 2014 with Penguin that I’m turning in at the end of this month and then I wait to see if one of my series will be extended.
My family also asked if I had ideas that I could pitch to my publisher. And I do. I actually even have an outline…or what passes for an outline for me—where I give the book premise, suspects, motives, victim, and killer. I think it’s a pretty viable outline and will make for a good series. I like my other concept, too.
But….I think I might keep those pitches to myself. I’m thinking about writing one of them later this year and putting it out, myself.
If I’m contacted about extending my two series with Penguin, I’ll be delighted to write them. I love the characters and have enjoyed writing the series so far.
If I’m contacted about writing some new series, one that my publisher would like to have written, I’d be happy to write that, too.
But I think I’m keeping my current ideas to myself.
It will be an interesting year. Last year, I wrote Knot as it Seams, Quilt Trip, and Rubbed Out for Penguin (Knot and Rubbed will come out this year, Quilt Trip next year) and one Myrtle Clover book, Body in the Backyard, for myself.
This year, I'm polishing up Quilt Trip before turning it in Feb. 1...and then I'm on my own.
My plan is to write just as many books this year, but they’ll all be self-published, unless I get a contract extension or a new project from my publisher. One of my self-pub. projects will be a short non-fiction how-to on cozy mystery writing…good to try something new.
I’ve definitely got a different mindset than I did in 2009. At the time, I wondered what would happen after I finished writing book 3 of the Memphis Barbeque series. I felt a tremendous sense of relief when my agent contacted me about writing a new series for Penguin.
Now I’m a lot more relaxed. I know that I can do well self-publishing. I know I’ve got a team of people to help me make sure my stories are ready to publish and look professional. I know I don’t have to have a contract with a publisher…I can have a contract directly with a retailer like Amazon or Smashwords or Barnes and Noble.
I'm not usually Little Miss Que Será, Será. I'm usually a basket of nerves. Which goes to show how radical this publishing shift has been over the last few years.
I’m enjoying this sense of freedom and lack of urgency. Realizing things will work out either way…and simply keeping abreast to any industry changes or any new ideas about taking our writing into the future.
I remember thinking that getting a traditional publishing contract was like a politician winning an election—you celebrate for a day, then you start worrying about and working on the next campaign. It’s wonderful that this is no longer the case in publishing.
But being relaxed doesn’t mean we don’t push ourselves. We push ourselves to reach our goals, to tweak our stories, to learn about self-publishing, to decide how much promotion to do, to keep up with industry news and developments. We push ourselves to stay creative and consider writing new and different stories or even new and different genres.
What are your writing plans for the year? Have they changed at all in the last few years?
Photo by nasirkhan from MorgueFile
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a healthy, happy year.Writing-wise, 2013 will be a different type of year for me. I’d halfway forgotten this until I was speaking with my family over the Christmas holiday.
“What are you working on for 2013?” they asked.
“After my deadline on February 1, I’m on my own,” I told them. I said this with complete equanimity, but each time I said this (different groups of family), the other person was startled and appeared a little worried.
“You don’t have another contracted book after that?” they asked.
I don’t.
So I have a book coming out in 2014 with Penguin that I’m turning in at the end of this month and then I wait to see if one of my series will be extended.
My family also asked if I had ideas that I could pitch to my publisher. And I do. I actually even have an outline…or what passes for an outline for me—where I give the book premise, suspects, motives, victim, and killer. I think it’s a pretty viable outline and will make for a good series. I like my other concept, too.
But….I think I might keep those pitches to myself. I’m thinking about writing one of them later this year and putting it out, myself.
If I’m contacted about extending my two series with Penguin, I’ll be delighted to write them. I love the characters and have enjoyed writing the series so far.
If I’m contacted about writing some new series, one that my publisher would like to have written, I’d be happy to write that, too.
But I think I’m keeping my current ideas to myself.
It will be an interesting year. Last year, I wrote Knot as it Seams, Quilt Trip, and Rubbed Out for Penguin (Knot and Rubbed will come out this year, Quilt Trip next year) and one Myrtle Clover book, Body in the Backyard, for myself.
This year, I'm polishing up Quilt Trip before turning it in Feb. 1...and then I'm on my own.
My plan is to write just as many books this year, but they’ll all be self-published, unless I get a contract extension or a new project from my publisher. One of my self-pub. projects will be a short non-fiction how-to on cozy mystery writing…good to try something new.
I’ve definitely got a different mindset than I did in 2009. At the time, I wondered what would happen after I finished writing book 3 of the Memphis Barbeque series. I felt a tremendous sense of relief when my agent contacted me about writing a new series for Penguin.
Now I’m a lot more relaxed. I know that I can do well self-publishing. I know I’ve got a team of people to help me make sure my stories are ready to publish and look professional. I know I don’t have to have a contract with a publisher…I can have a contract directly with a retailer like Amazon or Smashwords or Barnes and Noble.
I'm not usually Little Miss Que Será, Será. I'm usually a basket of nerves. Which goes to show how radical this publishing shift has been over the last few years.
I’m enjoying this sense of freedom and lack of urgency. Realizing things will work out either way…and simply keeping abreast to any industry changes or any new ideas about taking our writing into the future.
I remember thinking that getting a traditional publishing contract was like a politician winning an election—you celebrate for a day, then you start worrying about and working on the next campaign. It’s wonderful that this is no longer the case in publishing.
But being relaxed doesn’t mean we don’t push ourselves. We push ourselves to reach our goals, to tweak our stories, to learn about self-publishing, to decide how much promotion to do, to keep up with industry news and developments. We push ourselves to stay creative and consider writing new and different stories or even new and different genres.
What are your writing plans for the year? Have they changed at all in the last few years?
Photo by nasirkhan from MorgueFile
December 29, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Happy New Year (almost)! I'll be back on Wednesday with my first post for 2013. Now for some writing links.
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 20,000 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.
Researching Your Story – A 4-Step
Strategy: http://bit.ly/12toC4D
@JulieEshbaugh
Theme and Intent: Do you know yours? http://bit.ly/WdEFUf @bob_mayer
How to Market your Book if You're Not a
Marketer: http://bit.ly/12toT7s
@LauraHoward78 @NancyStraight
Adapting Story Structure for Any Project:
http://bit.ly/12tpFkP @beccapuglisi
@lydia_sharp
1 writer's worldbuilding to-do list: http://bit.ly/12tpPZy @davidbcoe
Tips for improving Amazon Author Rank: http://bit.ly/WdGCjL @dcdenison
A children's writer with helpful hashtags
(and prime times for usage): http://bit.ly/12tq5HS
@fictionnotes
Where To Continue Your Story: http://bit.ly/WdH0yJ @ollinmorales
Grammar and the Dangling Participle: http://bit.ly/12tqj1N @howtowriteshop
4 Songwriting Tips For Scoring Film and
TV Placements: http://bit.ly/RQGMus @usasong
Writing an Outline of Your Novel: http://bit.ly/U2Tk1v @glencstrathy
Editing: Make Sure Your Story's Bones Are
Strong: http://bit.ly/U2Tm9v @woodwardkaren
Knowledge Is Power But Story Is King: http://bit.ly/UzVnHG @mooderino
How Writers & Publishing
Professionals Can Network on Twitter: http://bit.ly/U2TpSO
@galleycat
Getting Unstuck: http://bit.ly/U2Tu8Y @Julie_Gray
"25 Tips to Punch Up Your
Writing": http://bit.ly/UzVDGA
@BrooklynWeaver @gointothestory
How to Tell if the First Draft of Your
Novel Just Isn't Worth Salvaging: http://bit.ly/U2TJkx
@io9 @charliejane
Writing Beyond the Good/Bad Character
Dichotomy: http://bit.ly/UzWfvO @litreactor
The First 7 Steps to a Successful Social
Media Plan for Writers: http://bit.ly/U2Upq6
Making Twitter more manageable with
Twitter Lists: http://bit.ly/UzYaAL
@LauraPepWu
10 Ways to Build Long-Lasting Traffic to
Your Author Website or Blog: http://bit.ly/U2Uwli
@janefriedman
5 Tips for Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/UzYI9E @jodyhedlund
7 Ways Writing a Screenplay is Different
Than Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/U2ULNg
@writersdigest
11 Steps To Edit Your Manuscript: http://bit.ly/UzZfbQ @woodwardkaren
5 Ways an Introvert Can Build a Thriving
Online Audience: http://bit.ly/U2V0YL
@copyblogger
Wield Your Words Carefully: http://bit.ly/UzZBPI @sjaejones
Tips for including a theme in your story:
http://bit.ly/U2VbDh @WyattGBessing
@beth_barany
Writing lessons learned from "Along
for the Ride": http://bit.ly/UA0fwy
@juliemusil
Screenwriting--can you break the rules? http://bit.ly/U2Vyhl @thatScriptChick
Can books endure in a 140-character
world? http://bit.ly/UAhhKR @salon
7 steps to becoming a trend spotting ace:
http://bit.ly/Y9y4KU @michellerafter
Making Time To Write: http://bit.ly/UAhuhc @woodwardkaren
Misconceptions About Dialogue: http://bit.ly/Y9ytND @cockeyed_caravan
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy: http://bit.ly/Y9yRLZ via @passivevoiceblg
Word Count Spreadsheet: track word counts for up to 5 projects: http://bit.ly/VdqDwY @jamieraintree
3 stages of author marketing: http://bit.ly/UAiMZw @susanspann
10 Television Cliffhangers That Make
Great Series Finales: http://bit.ly/Y9zhBY
@io9
7 Deadly Sins of Screenwriting: http://on.wsj.com/UAj5DQ @wsj
Tightening your plot by layering: http://bit.ly/Y9BJbN @juliettewade
Structure: The Rhythm of the Dance: http://bit.ly/UAm4ff @Julie_Gray
4 Keys to Awesome Conflict: http://bit.ly/Y9BQEe
Tax Deductions for Authors--Updated: http://bit.ly/UAmsKR
Writing The First Draft Of A Novel Using
Questions And Modelling: http://bit.ly/UAmAtL
@thecreativepenn
Finding Free Fonts for Your
Self-Published Book: http://bit.ly/Y9Cdyt
@jfbookman
Setting Your Characters in the Proper
Setting: http://bit.ly/UAmL8B
@livewritethrive
Unreliable Narrators in Film and
Literature: http://bit.ly/Y9Cod3
@write_practice
How not to open a short story: http://bit.ly/UAnir9
Getting Back Into the Habit of Writing: http://bit.ly/Y9CJg0 @JulieBMack
Tempted to Give up on Your Story? Don't! http://bit.ly/U4bH6d @KMWeiland
How (Not) to Finish Writing a First
Draft: http://bit.ly/UX9oOL @ava_jae
Platform building--creating a home base: http://bit.ly/U4bIXP @nickthacker
The First-Person Query Letter: http://bit.ly/UX9Gow @janelebak
4 steps to create a good reader
experience on your author website: http://bit.ly/UXahH2
Where Should An Ebook Start? http://bit.ly/U4c6pa @PYOEbooks
5 Usage Errors: http://bit.ly/UXazxE @writing_tips
Getting Rid of the Middle Man: http://bit.ly/U4cggb @kristinerusch
How to Create a Truly Frightening
Villain: http://bit.ly/U4chkk @marcykennedy
How to Escalate Conflict in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/UXb8au @cjredwine
Character Goals: Why they are Essential
to any Good Book: http://bit.ly/U4cns5
@AmericanEditing
Tips for writing a synopsis: http://bit.ly/U4rVvU
Building a Plot of Variable Depth: http://bit.ly/U4s2rB
6 Tips for Beating the Blank Page: http://bit.ly/U4s4zy @copyblogger
Why Crowded Coffee Shops Fire Up Your
Creativity: http://bit.ly/UXLO4g
@hansvillarica
Actions and Reactions: The End-All-Be-All
of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/U4sbv4
@jamigold
The Skill List Project: Theme: http://bit.ly/U4shTk
Where Is Fantasy Headed? http://bit.ly/U4siXr @fantasyfaction
Do you have imposter syndrome? http://bit.ly/UXMbf8 @rachellegardner
How to Edit Your Novel in 3 Steps: http://bit.ly/UXMlmW @beth_barany
How Chuck Wendig Writes A Novel: http://bit.ly/UXMtm9
What's the future for lit fic? How far should we go to sustain it? http://bit.ly/Vdt9Dz @Porter_Anderson @timoreilly
Writers Create Fiction, They Don't Prove
Facts: http://bit.ly/UXMA13 @VeronicaSicoe
Well-known mystery writers on writing
clues into their stories: http://bit.ly/U4sxBL
@junglereds
The 7-Step Method to Find Focus for
Writing: http://bit.ly/Wnykpu @LeoBabauta
How to Write a Book Marketing Plan: Begin
with the End in Mind: http://bit.ly/UOSELH
When A Scene Isn't Working: http://bit.ly/WnyuwW @mooderino
The art of the epigraph: http://natpo.st/UOSIef @itsmarkmedley
The cost of self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/WnyGfJ @goblinwriter
5 Ways to Find an Agent for Your Book: http://bit.ly/UOSRhG @galleycat
Crowdfunding: Cutting Out The Middleman: http://bit.ly/WnyPQf @woodwardkaren
How to Clean Up Your Online Presence and
Make a Great First Impression: http://bit.ly/UOSZxH
@lifehacker
Pegging Yourself as an Author: The
Attitude: http://bit.ly/UOTbgv
The Rise of the Backdoor Fantasy Story: http://bit.ly/Wnzlhl @io9
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
How To Use Permanently Free Books To
Increase Sales: http://bit.ly/TLZdNR
@woodwardkaren
Author and publisher relationships: http://oreil.ly/WnzCkp @jwikert
The Business of Screenwriting: Writing
credits: http://bit.ly/UOTyb2
@gointothestory
A Common Writing Syndrome--Dirty House: http://bit.ly/WnzMYW @CreepyQueryGirl
Hollywood's 25 Most Powerful Authors: http://bit.ly/ZgDeq3
7 Reference Resources for Writers and
Editors: http://bit.ly/UPc4jx @writing_tips
A Writer's Perspective on Writers: http://bit.ly/ZgDqp9 @emergentpublish
Thoughts on what's next in YA publishing:
http://bit.ly/UPc9U9 @pubperspectives
How to Stress Less in a Video Interview: http://bit.ly/ZgDBRB @sparkhire
Writing a Strong Opening Chapter: http://bit.ly/UPch66
Tips for improving focus and increasing
productivity while writing at home: http://bit.ly/ZgDJAr
@nickdaws
Tips for Writing a Strong Female
Character: http://bit.ly/UPcnuI @LizCLong
A Tip for Creating Suspense: http://bit.ly/ZgDW6C @ollinmorales
Endings and Beginnings--Finding the
Reader-Satisfying "Loops" in Your Story: http://bit.ly/UPcwhw
A New (Free) Way to Sell Books from your
Sidebar: http://bit.ly/ZgEhGk @jfbookman
The Slow Blog Manifesto and 8 Reasons for
New Authors to Slow Blog: http://bit.ly/UPcN4i
@annerallen
Strong Details for Strong Reader
Emotions: http://bit.ly/UPfq5S @sherrythomas
Creating a Scene: Three Part Harmony: http://bit.ly/ZgHTs6 @behlerpublish
Tips for a 2000 word a day writing habit:
http://bit.ly/UPfFhm @lifehackorg
What's Wrong Here? Figuring Out Why a
Scene Doesn't Work: http://bit.ly/UPgN4F
@janice_hardy
What Working Out Taught 2 Writers about
Writing: http://bit.ly/ZgJFcB @wordsxo
The grammar of a folktale plot: http://bit.ly/UPimj1
7 Writers Who Died Young: http://bit.ly/UPjTFK @PWxyz
Making Tension Tense: http://bit.ly/ZgO6nQ @victoriamixon
Role of the Literary Agent in a Changing
Marketplace: http://bit.ly/UPk6ZJ
@howtowriteshop
Writing Prompts: Defeat Writer's Block
And Generate Ideas: http://bit.ly/ZgOeUc
@woodwardkaren
Tips for Editing Your Work: http://bit.ly/UdhPtQ
How Readers Discovered a Debut Novel: A
Case Study: http://bit.ly/VRI1Xb
When Writers Think About Adapting Their
Novel for TV: http://bit.ly/Udi87Z
@UWwriters
Using DRM to Enable ebook Resales? http://bit.ly/UdicV5
Character Development - Getting Real: http://bit.ly/VRImt3 @aimeelsalter
Writing Rules and Fantasy: Adverbs: http://bit.ly/UdiknI @VickyThinks
What Writers Can Learn From Downton
Abbey: http://bit.ly/VRItov @jamesscottbell
The Secret To a Successful Concept: http://bit.ly/Uditrb @storyfix
Indie Publishing in 2013: Why We Can't
Party Like It's 2009: http://bit.ly/VRIAAp
@annerallen
10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how
to fix it): http://bit.ly/UdiAD7 @medkno
4 Ways Writers Sabotage Themselves On
Facebook: http://bit.ly/T9AZzM @authormedia
7 Tips for Making Life Work as a Mom and
a Writer: http://bit.ly/UTcx40
@michellerafter
Writing what you know--it's about
character development: http://bit.ly/T9Bb1W
Avant-garde novelist Mark Z. Danielewski
is changing the way we read e-books: http://slate.me/UTcGo4
@slate
Worldbuilding--how much is enough? http://bit.ly/T9BhXv @davidbcoe
Tips for what to do after finishing a
first draft: http://bit.ly/UTcV2u
@janice_hardy
Understanding Screenwriting: Argo, The
Sessions, Cloud Atlas: http://bit.ly/T9BBp6
A Community Means Getting a Response: http://bit.ly/UTd0Dm @jfbookman
A character's mental voice is like all
the goofy (or not) quotes they've ever memorized: http://bit.ly/T9BFVY
@juliettewade
Dramatic Action Is More Than Doing Stuff:
http://bit.ly/UTd5qH @mooderino
The Neuroscience of Creativity: http://tinyurl.com/bnah5lc
@creativitypost
Character Development: Make Them Angry: http://bit.ly/T9BV7w @ava_jae
10 Things Writers Should Expect From Literary Agents: http://bit.ly/10k7e3G @RoganBarbara
December 23, 2012
Happy Holidays
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I’m taking a full week off from the blog—although I’ll have my Twitterific round-up this Sunday—to finish getting ready for Christmas and enjoy the holiday with my family. :)
See you all on Sunday, then in 2013.
Image: Morgue File: Hummingbird
December 22, 2012
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’s Knowledge 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.
As more books become digital, the concept of book ownership changes: http://bit.ly/UzUAqb @jwikert @brianoleary @Porter_Anderson
8 Steps for Setting the Story Into
Motion: http://bit.ly/TMtdcp @gointothestory
Slow writer reformed--it can be done: http://bit.ly/TMtn3m @roniloren
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
The Secret to Creating Conflict: http://bit.ly/TMtw70 @joebunting
Amazon's Jeff Bezos: The ultimate
disrupter: http://bit.ly/TRqGjN
@passivevoiceblg
6 Ways to Find Time to Write During the Holidays: http://bit.ly/UPfOBC
@emilywenstrom
Tips for Building a Sense of Place into Your Writing: http://bit.ly/VRTZjR
@fcmalby
E-publishing is resulting in an abundance of schlock: http://bit.ly/V6BQlv
@Porter_Anderson @fakebaldur
10 reasons to build your fan base with
Mailchimp: http://bit.ly/TMu0u0 @tobywneal
Freelance Your Way to a Better Platform: http://bit.ly/T2qU67 @writersdigest
The New World of Publishing: Some
Perspective On 2012: http://bit.ly/QSVgd3
@deanwesleysmith
A critique of a novel's opening: http://bit.ly/T2rels @janice_hardy
Songwriting--tips for writing with your
bandmates: http://bit.ly/QSVml7
@RobbieGennet
Reasons to write longhand: http://bit.ly/T2rxN8 @galleycat
Freelancers--multiple submissions: http://bit.ly/QSVu3P @bob_brooke
The Nature of Creativity: Science And
Writing: Don't Edit Yourself: http://bit.ly/T2sODP
@woodwardkaren
A literary agent's thoughts on what's
next in publishing: http://bit.ly/WmGxJK
@agentsavant @annerallen
Don't Let The Holidays Cost You Your
Mojo: http://bit.ly/VAkxFD @thewritermama
Tips for loglines, building conflict,
plotting, and more: http://bit.ly/VAkHNf
@AlexSokoloff
Why Non-Writers Give the Best Critiques: http://bit.ly/Z9EObY @kmweiland
Are You Too Busy Being a Writer to Write?
http://bit.ly/VAkJVq @LyndaRYoung
Writing the Heart of Your Story: http://bit.ly/Z9EWs0 @livewritethrive
@thecreativepenn
Same Book, Different Title: http://bit.ly/VAkRnQ
13 Types of Writers' Blogs – Pros and
Cons: http://bit.ly/Z9F9LR @VeronicaSicoe
Secrets to Turn a Character from
Cardboard to 3-D: http://bit.ly/VAkYzP
From Writer to Author to Publisher to
Marketer: http://bit.ly/VAR12y
@livewritethrive
5 Thoughts on Inspired Openings and 5
Brilliant Opening Pages: http://bit.ly/ZbjJhe
@4YALit
Improve Your Writing By Knowing Your
Archetypes: Are you a Queen? http://bit.ly/VAR5PL
@TheArtsCoach
Looking for a great self-published book?
Here's where to find it: http://bit.ly/VARjGA
@guardianbooks
How Rejection Breeds Creativity: http://bit.ly/ZbkTtj @99u
Common Traits of the Successful Writer: http://bit.ly/VARtxM @bob_mayer
Stop feeling like an author wishbone: http://bit.ly/VARXnx @Jan_Ohara
When Writing the Stories of Your Life,
Don't Let Anyone Else Hold the Pen or the Eraser: http://bit.ly/VAS02R
@ScribblingTaryn
3 Ways To Improve Your Critique Using
Conflict Communication: http://bit.ly/ZbnnI7
@AmieKaufman
RWA's new bylaws cause 1 chapter to pull out of the organization: http://bit.ly/V8t8U1 @Porter_Anderson @PBRWriter
The Compelling Question in Our Story: http://bit.ly/VASbLC @Julie_Gray
What Episodic TV Teaches Novelists: http://bit.ly/VASdmJ @mooderino
Creating tension: http://bit.ly/ZbnWBx @Christina_Lee04
Technology for Writers: http://bit.ly/RCqmXD
Character Relationships: http://bit.ly/VAYKOa
Romance series--choosing to write one,
number of books in a series, reader expectations: http://bit.ly/ZbKd2h
@redrobinreader
Outlining--using a character grid: http://bit.ly/VAZd2Z @woodwardkaren
5 Key Steps To Building Your
Self-Publishing Career: http://bit.ly/ZbLg27
@mollygreene
4 Steps to a Winning Query: http://bit.ly/VAZjaL @diymfa
The Value of Interesting Support
Characters: http://bit.ly/VAZovb
4 Ways to Tap into Your Creative Genius: http://bit.ly/ZbLI0m @emilywenstrom
An avid reader looks at how the Kindle
changed his world (5 years ago): http://bit.ly/ZbMbzG
@bufocalvin
Litotes: Understatement at Its Finest: http://bit.ly/Uild2K @write_practice
The Point of a Scene: Thinking in
Concepts: http://bit.ly/RoM2qF @jamigold
What we can learn from the top 10
playwrights: http://bit.ly/UilpPs
@fuelyourwriting
Tim Ferriss: On The Creative Process And
Getting Your Work Noticed: http://bit.ly/RoMe9i
@Aristonian
Women's fic" & whether women should use their initials to try to gain male readers: http://bit.ly/XQCoKk @ monicabyrne13 @ Porter_Anderson
8 Ways To Make Your Blog Posts More
Shareable: http://bit.ly/RoMh53
What an editor means when she asks
"please clarify": http://bit.ly/UilToO
The Metaphor That Harms Creatives &
Entrepreneurs: http://bit.ly/Uim4Ax
@JeffreyDavis108
Using the delete button in editing: http://bit.ly/RoMu88
The Only Way You'll Ever Make Time for
Writing: http://bit.ly/Uimgjm @krissybrady
Using the Ticking Clock to Add Suspense: http://bit.ly/RoMAww @4YALit
Why 1 writer unpublished her self-pubbed
novel: http://bit.ly/UimruV @cathryanhoward
Writer Under Deadline: Add Speed to Your
Writing: http://bit.ly/RoMGV8 @diymfa
How TV and Movies Get Publishing So, So
Wrong: http://bit.ly/UimF5a @YAHighway
Tips for writing fight scenes: http://bit.ly/Uin6MM @dboorman
Vanquishing Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/Uin8Eu @woodwardkaren
Query writing tips: http://bit.ly/RoN7P4 @lynnettelabelle
Do You Have To Suffer For Your Art? Or
Can Happy Writers Be Successful? http://bit.ly/RoNcSM
@kimber_regator
Momentum: Getting Your Story up and
Running: http://bit.ly/RoOT2S
@AmericanEditing @beccapuglisi
"Why are these characters in this
scene?": http://bit.ly/UiqsQb
@gointothestory
Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry:
Arms: http://bit.ly/RoP3qR @beccapuglisi
21 Pictures that Sum Up the Whole History
of Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/VXg5XN
@io9
Why You Should Wait to Edit Your Work: http://bit.ly/12lR2NL @Sarafurlong
7 reasons to care about branding: http://bit.ly/VXgr0q
Evil For A Reason: Morgana and Mordred
(and how we can learn from them when creating our own antagonists): http://bit.ly/VXgUjb @genelempp
10 Quick Tips to Get Your Writing Back on
Track: http://bit.ly/12lRnjw
@howtowriteshop
Clarification: The Edit that is
Overlooked and Under-Stressed: http://bit.ly/VXhcXr
@AmericanEditing
Rejection Enhances Creativity: http://bit.ly/12lRzzk @woodwardkaren
The Secret to a Stress-Free Novel
Journey: http://bit.ly/VXhCwV
@livewritethrive
Reusing Freelance Writing Online: the
Pros and Pitfalls: http://bit.ly/UVuZeM
@30dollardate
Structure and Perspective in Children's
Stories and Films: http://bit.ly/VCrSVz
@KgElfland2ndCuz
Misconceptions About Character: http://bit.ly/UVv5Tq @cockeyedcaravan
Writing Retreats: The Writer's Secret
Weapon: http://bit.ly/VCs7Qv @AnnetteLyon
How Often Should A Writer Blog? Answer:
It Depends On Your Goals: http://bit.ly/VCsbzG
@woodwardkaren
8 Signs It's Time to Scrap Your Writing
Project: http://bit.ly/UVvghQ
@robdyoungwrites
5 Tips for Getting More Likes and
Participation on Your Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/VCskmC
@goblinwriter
5 Areas of Publishing Every Indie Should
Adopt: http://bit.ly/VCso5W @thelitcoach
Preparation Is Worth a Pound of
Proofreading: http://bit.ly/UVvpS8
@kmweiland
The strange case of the drowning editor: http://bit.ly/VCsvi3 @thefuturebook
Penguin's settlement with the DoJ: http://bit.ly/XQA5H9 @Porter_Anderson @sarahw @laurahazardowen
Creating Memorable Supporting Characters:
http://bit.ly/VCsw5j @woodwardkaren
A 3-Step Way to Become a Celebrity
Author: http://bit.ly/VBMbrU @yeomanis
@janice_hardy
Failing Versus Quitting (Or, "Your
Lack Of Confidence Is Neither Interesting Nor Unique"): http://bit.ly/UW636I {lang.}
Why You Need an Email List and a
Subscriber List for Your Blogged Book: http://bit.ly/UW6hej
@ninaamir
"When should I enter / exit the
scene?": http://bit.ly/UkUvqS
@gointothestory
1 Writer's Thoughts on Self-Publishing,
Traditional Publishing, and Pricing: http://bit.ly/U0CpfZ
Tips: character sheets aren't enough and
ask the 5 Ws during a scene: http://bit.ly/UkV4Rq
@LindsayHarrel
Do You Cringe When Authors Market Their
Books? http://bit.ly/UkYXpI @danblank
3 tips for better pacing: http://bit.ly/UkZgAQ @jenn_rush
Tips for writing humor: http://bit.ly/U0Efxa @franklybooks
Allow readers to feel your book instead
of showing it: http://bit.ly/UkZzeO
@AimeeLSalter
Psychoanalyzing your villain: http://bit.ly/Ul6AMM @theheraldryang
A DIY Writing Retreat: http://bit.ly/U0HkgK
Using Beats To Strengthen Characters And
Setting: http://bit.ly/Ul6SmL @rlbelliston
3 things to think about when using
indirect characterization: http://bit.ly/U0Hox3
@fcmalby
Tips for formatting synopses: http://bit.ly/YE87EH @lynnettelabelle
How to Gain Quality Feedback from Your
Critique Partners: http://bit.ly/WP5ol9
@LyndaRYoung
Marketing Begins Before Your Book
Releases: http://bit.ly/VEH6v6 @novelrocket
Defending Your Writing to Scientists,
Physicists… And Your Parents: http://bit.ly/RBlXnV
@beinglizbreen
Macmillan not settling with DoJ--but making changes: http://bit.ly/R8GpeF @Porter_Anderson
1 writer's experience advertising with
BookBub: http://bit.ly/RBl5zQ @goblinwriter
4 Compelling Reasons to Make Guest
Blogging a Priority: http://bit.ly/Xnxw3D
@alexisgrant
Getting your book in front of readers: http://bit.ly/SJ4G98 @LauraHoward78
12 tips for overcoming procrastination: http://bit.ly/SYVfms
"What is the beginning, middle and
end of the scene?" http://bit.ly/V02ZGX
@gointothestory
4 ways to promote yourself as a writer: http://bit.ly/SYVn5x
Using Pinterest To Help Build Your
Fictional Worlds: http://bit.ly/V0365d
@woodwardkaren
Improv for Plotting: http://bit.ly/SYVrlL @fictionnotes
10 lessons from a completed novel: http://bit.ly/V03b94 @KMWeiland @angelaackerman
Why it's time for more transparency in
publishing: http://bit.ly/SYVyOi
@thecreativepenn @thefuturebook
10 Signs That You're Not Ready To
Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/V03dxE @jckunzjr
6 Types of Courageous Characters: http://bit.ly/V03AIr @KMWeiland
If you hate writing a character… don't
write them: http://bit.ly/SYVZYL
@dirtywhitecandy
Will Immersive Reading Save Publishing
and Kill the Traditional Novel? http://bit.ly/V03EYJ
@jamesscottbell
What Fantasy Writers Can Learn From
Horror: http://bit.ly/SYW6DA @mythicscribes
What "True Lies" taught 1
writer about beginnings: http://bit.ly/V03NeS
@ChuckSambuchino
Misconceptions About Structure: http://bit.ly/SYWfqR @cockeyed_caravan
On writing Victorian fiction: http://bit.ly/V041T9 @essiefox
30 Words for Small Amounts: http://bit.ly/SYWnX6 @writing_tips
How To Become More Creative: Nurturing
Your Muse: http://bit.ly/SYWqSZ
@woodwardkaren
Top 10 Tasks to Get Your Blog Ready for
Prime Time: http://bit.ly/V04aWM @jfbookman
Marketing Tips for Freelancers: http://bit.ly/SYWvpE
3 Problems of Parallel Syntax: http://bit.ly/V04chg @writing_tips
How to Know It's Time to Shelve Your
Novel: http://bit.ly/WdDvbi @ava_jae
10 tips for choosing a title: http://bit.ly/WdDLXP @duolit @wiseink
6 Moneysaving Tips for Writers: http://bit.ly/12tolhQ @krissybrady
How to Write a Great Climactic Scene: http://bit.ly/WdE2dB @sierragodfrey
Interpreting A Character Via Reader
Comments: http://bit.ly/12tox0M
@emergentpublish
Publishers should shift from title-centric marketing: http://bit.ly/12BbnPn @Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
December 20, 2012
Traditional Marketing in the Digital Age of Publishing
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Image: Xandert
As a traditionally published writer, I’ve felt guilty for years for my approach toward promo.
I’m extremely uncomfortable with direct sales, so I never fully embraced it. I’ve done only a handful of book signings, gone to just a few conferences, and stopped sending promo postcards out after the first batch. I haven’t purchased business cards or bookmarks in ages. With the advent of e-readers…I just wasn’t sure if readers needed bookmarks.
Besides being uncomfortable with direct sales, I also have a tough time fitting travel into a schedule that’s jam-packed—and leaving my children to pursue marketing.
My third problem with traditional marketing is that it’s expensive. You can reduce your costs using low-budget printers, sharing costs with other book-touring authors, etc., but it’s still going to be high. If you attend conferences and travel for signings, you’re talking about gasoline costs, airfare, hotel bills…the works.
I feel like my sales with traditional publishing are too modest to justify that kind of expense.
I was vastly relieved on a number of levels when the book promotion trend favored social media. That was the perfect way for me to promote—it’s worldwide, it’s basically free with your internet connection, and you can do it from home.
What’s more, social media was immediately embraced by the publishing industry as a great way to promote. This helped me feel less-guilty about turning down invitations from my publisher for dinners they were hosting at conferences. Now this doesn’t mean the publishers were embracing social media—they just wanted the writers to. I think the publishers are now still playing catch-up a little.
Are we reaching readers with our efforts? I think so. What’s more important, though, is that our readers are able to reach us. I hear from readers with astonishing regularity—primarily through Facebook and email. They know how to find me and they do. This is something that’s harder to accomplish if we’re focused solely on traditional marketing….it means readers have to hang onto our business card or bookmark. But if we’re on social media…if we have a website, or a blog, or we’re on various platforms…they can find us when they feel they need to.
One thing that worries me about the authors I know on my various email loops (all traditionally published) is that the ones who continue to focus on old-fashioned marketing techniques are missing out on the global market.
It is a global economy as Apple and Amazon have both reminded us lately as they’ve opened up markets/online bookstores in many new countries. Increasing our reach online is likely a sounder approach than filling up with expensive gas and driving as far as we can to visit bookstores and conferences. Maybe we should schedule tweets and updates during off-hours to engage people in other time zones.
But what is online promotion? I know what gives it a bad rap--all the folks who beg us to buy their books or talk about their books ad nauseum online.
Although I was happy with the advent of social media, I was still unhappy about doing direct promo. So my efforts at making a name for myself as a writer were completely focused on platform-building. How indirect could I go? I settled on blogging (which I enjoy and consider a great way to network with other writers...and I could just stick book info discretely in the sidebar), a website (which I offer information on purchasing my books...if someone is looking for that type of information), a Twitter account where I share writing links (and frequently forget to tweet my own blog posts), and various Facebook pages, which rarely get updated.
When I graduated from college in the early 90s, there was a recession going on. I held my nose and ended up with a sales job--where I constantly got in trouble for not asking for the sale. I figured that if someone wanted the thing, they'd buy it. Why ask for the sale? Asking for the sale only agitated me and distressed the customer.
Yes, I made a lousy salesperson and stayed in the job for mere months. I quit before I was fired and I never tried to find a job in sales again. But really, I have that same mentality now. If the reader wants the book, by golly, they'll buy the book. My begging them to buy the book will likely just run them off.
So I decided that a presence was a good way to promote myself. Not a book. Me. It was a way to put myself out there, a way for me to rise in the Google rankings of other Elizabeth Craigs and Riley Adamses so that readers could find me, contact me, and be tempted by my book covers.
I saw a post by author Dean Wesley Smith recently that I truly enjoyed. He said that writers shouldn't promote. Now, if they were self-publishing, then they could put their publisher hat on and very carefully promote in a business-oriented way. But they shouldn't just hawk their wares as a writer. As Dean puts it in an October 9th post titled The New World of Publishing: Promotion :
"Write the next book. That is the best thing you can do for your last book. Turn around, face the future, become a writer, and write the next book, and then the next, and then the next… get it to a publisher or your own publishing company and then go back to writing."
Ultimately, this is the best way to promote our writing. Write, improve, publish more books, have a bigger footprint in those online bookstores. It means discoverability.
How do you feel about promotion? How do you approach it?
Image: Xandert
As a traditionally published writer, I’ve felt guilty for years for my approach toward promo.
I’m extremely uncomfortable with direct sales, so I never fully embraced it. I’ve done only a handful of book signings, gone to just a few conferences, and stopped sending promo postcards out after the first batch. I haven’t purchased business cards or bookmarks in ages. With the advent of e-readers…I just wasn’t sure if readers needed bookmarks.
Besides being uncomfortable with direct sales, I also have a tough time fitting travel into a schedule that’s jam-packed—and leaving my children to pursue marketing.
My third problem with traditional marketing is that it’s expensive. You can reduce your costs using low-budget printers, sharing costs with other book-touring authors, etc., but it’s still going to be high. If you attend conferences and travel for signings, you’re talking about gasoline costs, airfare, hotel bills…the works.
I feel like my sales with traditional publishing are too modest to justify that kind of expense.
I was vastly relieved on a number of levels when the book promotion trend favored social media. That was the perfect way for me to promote—it’s worldwide, it’s basically free with your internet connection, and you can do it from home.
What’s more, social media was immediately embraced by the publishing industry as a great way to promote. This helped me feel less-guilty about turning down invitations from my publisher for dinners they were hosting at conferences. Now this doesn’t mean the publishers were embracing social media—they just wanted the writers to. I think the publishers are now still playing catch-up a little.
Are we reaching readers with our efforts? I think so. What’s more important, though, is that our readers are able to reach us. I hear from readers with astonishing regularity—primarily through Facebook and email. They know how to find me and they do. This is something that’s harder to accomplish if we’re focused solely on traditional marketing….it means readers have to hang onto our business card or bookmark. But if we’re on social media…if we have a website, or a blog, or we’re on various platforms…they can find us when they feel they need to.
One thing that worries me about the authors I know on my various email loops (all traditionally published) is that the ones who continue to focus on old-fashioned marketing techniques are missing out on the global market.
It is a global economy as Apple and Amazon have both reminded us lately as they’ve opened up markets/online bookstores in many new countries. Increasing our reach online is likely a sounder approach than filling up with expensive gas and driving as far as we can to visit bookstores and conferences. Maybe we should schedule tweets and updates during off-hours to engage people in other time zones.
But what is online promotion? I know what gives it a bad rap--all the folks who beg us to buy their books or talk about their books ad nauseum online.
Although I was happy with the advent of social media, I was still unhappy about doing direct promo. So my efforts at making a name for myself as a writer were completely focused on platform-building. How indirect could I go? I settled on blogging (which I enjoy and consider a great way to network with other writers...and I could just stick book info discretely in the sidebar), a website (which I offer information on purchasing my books...if someone is looking for that type of information), a Twitter account where I share writing links (and frequently forget to tweet my own blog posts), and various Facebook pages, which rarely get updated.
When I graduated from college in the early 90s, there was a recession going on. I held my nose and ended up with a sales job--where I constantly got in trouble for not asking for the sale. I figured that if someone wanted the thing, they'd buy it. Why ask for the sale? Asking for the sale only agitated me and distressed the customer.
Yes, I made a lousy salesperson and stayed in the job for mere months. I quit before I was fired and I never tried to find a job in sales again. But really, I have that same mentality now. If the reader wants the book, by golly, they'll buy the book. My begging them to buy the book will likely just run them off.
So I decided that a presence was a good way to promote myself. Not a book. Me. It was a way to put myself out there, a way for me to rise in the Google rankings of other Elizabeth Craigs and Riley Adamses so that readers could find me, contact me, and be tempted by my book covers.
I saw a post by author Dean Wesley Smith recently that I truly enjoyed. He said that writers shouldn't promote. Now, if they were self-publishing, then they could put their publisher hat on and very carefully promote in a business-oriented way. But they shouldn't just hawk their wares as a writer. As Dean puts it in an October 9th post titled The New World of Publishing: Promotion :
"Write the next book. That is the best thing you can do for your last book. Turn around, face the future, become a writer, and write the next book, and then the next, and then the next… get it to a publisher or your own publishing company and then go back to writing."
Ultimately, this is the best way to promote our writing. Write, improve, publish more books, have a bigger footprint in those online bookstores. It means discoverability.
How do you feel about promotion? How do you approach it?
December 18, 2012
Building a Sense of Place into Your Writing--Guest Post by F.C. Malby
By F.C. Malby @fcmalby
Purchase here
Sociologist, geographers,
historians, writers, artists, and anthropologists have all been interested in
the idea of ‘A Sense of Place’ for a long time. Why? Because this gives a place
it’s character and identity, it gives people a sense of belonging in a place
and an affinity with the locality. Some places can also feel uncomfortable.
So why does this matter with
our writing? A good book can often give the reader a strong sense of why the
characters feel attached to a place or a dislike of a location. When you can
understand a person’s connection to a place, it is easier to understand how
they respond and behave.
Wordsworth described places
in his poetry in a way that was almost magical. I am reading Orpan Pamuk’s
‘Istanbul – Memories of a City.’ He received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature
for ‘Snow,’ and his descriptions are vivid and inspirational. I love to travel
and this fuels a need to write about a particular setting and get ‘under the
skin’ of a place, to think about what makes a location so appealing.
A few tips on building a Sense of Place into you
Writing:
Description
- describe the buildings, the feel of the air, what you see on the streets.
Detail
- use images to add detail into your scenes – from photographs, online images,
or go there and make some notes.
Geography
– find maps and use Google Earth to look at the area. Is it wooded, on a cliff,
on a river, compacted or isolated.
Character
– think about why your character might feel an attachment to a place – do they
have family there or did they spend a childhood in a particular place? To find
out what makes your character tick, it is important to look at how they react
in a particular setting.
Identity
– The connection a child has with a place has been described as a ‘primal
landscape,’ and psychologists say that this affects the decisions a person will
make later in life. If you feed this into your characters it will add kick to
your story.
How have you created a Sense
of Place with you writing?
F.C. Malby
F.C. Malby is a short story
author and a novelist. Her debut novel, ‘Take Me to the Castle,’ is released
this week on Amazon in paperback and on kindle. The book is set in Prague and
Letovice, in the Czech Republic, during the fall of communism.
You can find F.C.Malby on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/fcmalby
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/FC-Malby/118284434987675
Wordpress http://fcmalby.wordpress.com/
Website www.fcmalby.com
Purchase here
Sociologist, geographers,
historians, writers, artists, and anthropologists have all been interested in
the idea of ‘A Sense of Place’ for a long time. Why? Because this gives a place
it’s character and identity, it gives people a sense of belonging in a place
and an affinity with the locality. Some places can also feel uncomfortable.
So why does this matter with
our writing? A good book can often give the reader a strong sense of why the
characters feel attached to a place or a dislike of a location. When you can
understand a person’s connection to a place, it is easier to understand how
they respond and behave.
Wordsworth described places
in his poetry in a way that was almost magical. I am reading Orpan Pamuk’s
‘Istanbul – Memories of a City.’ He received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature
for ‘Snow,’ and his descriptions are vivid and inspirational. I love to travel
and this fuels a need to write about a particular setting and get ‘under the
skin’ of a place, to think about what makes a location so appealing.
A few tips on building a Sense of Place into you
Writing:
Description
- describe the buildings, the feel of the air, what you see on the streets.
Detail
- use images to add detail into your scenes – from photographs, online images,
or go there and make some notes.
Geography
– find maps and use Google Earth to look at the area. Is it wooded, on a cliff,
on a river, compacted or isolated.
Character
– think about why your character might feel an attachment to a place – do they
have family there or did they spend a childhood in a particular place? To find
out what makes your character tick, it is important to look at how they react
in a particular setting.
Identity
– The connection a child has with a place has been described as a ‘primal
landscape,’ and psychologists say that this affects the decisions a person will
make later in life. If you feed this into your characters it will add kick to
your story.
How have you created a Sense
of Place with you writing?
F.C. Malby
F.C. Malby is a short story
author and a novelist. Her debut novel, ‘Take Me to the Castle,’ is released
this week on Amazon in paperback and on kindle. The book is set in Prague and
Letovice, in the Czech Republic, during the fall of communism.
You can find F.C.Malby on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/fcmalby
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/FC-Malby/118284434987675
Wordpress http://fcmalby.wordpress.com/
Website www.fcmalby.com
December 16, 2012
Cover Conferences
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
My editor emailed me a week ago and said she was going to fit in a cover conference before the staff at Penguin left for Christmas break.
This was a little earlier than I expected for a book that’s coming out in 2014…but I’d much rather do it earlier than later, and I always appreciate this editor’s organization.
I quickly put together some ideas for her to present at the conference and emailed them to her. She and I discussed the ideas during a phone call.
At the end of the call, she said, “Great! Now, Elizabeth, if you get any great visions for the cover, just call me back anytime.”
I said dryly, “If I get any great visions for the cover, we’ll know I’ve had a small stroke.” I’ve mentioned to her before how difficult it is for me to come up with these kinds of ideas, since I’m not a visual thinker—although I’ve gotten better over the years.
For this Penguin (or, I guess, Penguin-Random House) editor, I submit ideas for cover elements—descriptions of rooms or outdoor spaces where major scenes take place, descriptions (and sometimes images, if I have them) of quilts that I’ve mentioned in the books, and how the murders were committed--they like having the knife or the gun, etc., somewhere on the cover.
My editor also likes the manuscript so that she can skim it for ideas for the conference. I’ve gotten better about sending an unfinished manuscript to her. This time was very early though: I submitted her a book with no ending and no chapter breaks…my deadline is in February, so the book isn’t finished yet. I managed not to freak out too much over this. Although I did warn her that I write description in last, so the manuscript might be of limited use to her.
For my other Penguin series, I really have no input in the cover (at least, I haven’t in the past). In many ways, this is a relief to me. :)
For my self-published books, I’ve given the cover designer the book description to give her an idea what we’re talking about, thoughts on a setting for the cover, and the murder weapons. Usually, for cozy mysteries, you have an idyllic scene with an element of danger interrupting the tranquility.
So, some general things to think about if you’re helping to contribute ideas to a designer or editor for a cover design (for either traditional publishing or self-publishing):
Think about what will appeal to your genre’s readers.
Make sure your cover indicates the genre. For me, that’s the element of danger that my editor asks me to indicate—the tea cup on its side, the ominous knife in the foreground…that sort of thing.
Remember to brand the covers in a series. I have several different series and they each have their own look. It helps readers identify the other books in the series.
Don’t be too stuck on having the cover accurately represent what’s transpiring in the book. This is something I’ve managed to relax more over. It used to seem very odd to me that Beale Street is depicted the way it is on the Delicious and Suspicious cover, for instance. But what the cover is meant to do is entice readers and act as a marketing tool. It doesn’t have to replicate a scene from the book. This third quilting mystery will have the series’ corgi on the cover—because it brands the series and readers love the dog (I’m a corgi owner, myself.) But the corgi isn’t present during the third book…merely mentioned.
How involved have you been with cover creation? If you self-pub, do you hire a designer and just give a book summary to the designer? If you’re traditionally published, how involved are you with the cover?
My editor emailed me a week ago and said she was going to fit in a cover conference before the staff at Penguin left for Christmas break. This was a little earlier than I expected for a book that’s coming out in 2014…but I’d much rather do it earlier than later, and I always appreciate this editor’s organization.
I quickly put together some ideas for her to present at the conference and emailed them to her. She and I discussed the ideas during a phone call.
At the end of the call, she said, “Great! Now, Elizabeth, if you get any great visions for the cover, just call me back anytime.”
I said dryly, “If I get any great visions for the cover, we’ll know I’ve had a small stroke.” I’ve mentioned to her before how difficult it is for me to come up with these kinds of ideas, since I’m not a visual thinker—although I’ve gotten better over the years.
For this Penguin (or, I guess, Penguin-Random House) editor, I submit ideas for cover elements—descriptions of rooms or outdoor spaces where major scenes take place, descriptions (and sometimes images, if I have them) of quilts that I’ve mentioned in the books, and how the murders were committed--they like having the knife or the gun, etc., somewhere on the cover.
My editor also likes the manuscript so that she can skim it for ideas for the conference. I’ve gotten better about sending an unfinished manuscript to her. This time was very early though: I submitted her a book with no ending and no chapter breaks…my deadline is in February, so the book isn’t finished yet. I managed not to freak out too much over this. Although I did warn her that I write description in last, so the manuscript might be of limited use to her.
For my other Penguin series, I really have no input in the cover (at least, I haven’t in the past). In many ways, this is a relief to me. :)
For my self-published books, I’ve given the cover designer the book description to give her an idea what we’re talking about, thoughts on a setting for the cover, and the murder weapons. Usually, for cozy mysteries, you have an idyllic scene with an element of danger interrupting the tranquility.
So, some general things to think about if you’re helping to contribute ideas to a designer or editor for a cover design (for either traditional publishing or self-publishing):
Think about what will appeal to your genre’s readers.
Make sure your cover indicates the genre. For me, that’s the element of danger that my editor asks me to indicate—the tea cup on its side, the ominous knife in the foreground…that sort of thing.
Remember to brand the covers in a series. I have several different series and they each have their own look. It helps readers identify the other books in the series.
Don’t be too stuck on having the cover accurately represent what’s transpiring in the book. This is something I’ve managed to relax more over. It used to seem very odd to me that Beale Street is depicted the way it is on the Delicious and Suspicious cover, for instance. But what the cover is meant to do is entice readers and act as a marketing tool. It doesn’t have to replicate a scene from the book. This third quilting mystery will have the series’ corgi on the cover—because it brands the series and readers love the dog (I’m a corgi owner, myself.) But the corgi isn’t present during the third book…merely mentioned.
How involved have you been with cover creation? If you self-pub, do you hire a designer and just give a book summary to the designer? If you’re traditionally published, how involved are you with the cover?
December 15, 2012
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.
The Biggest Problem Facing the Beginning Novelist—And 6 Tips for Avoiding It:
http://bit.ly/XmMGGl @annerallen
Top 5 Reasons Nonfiction Authors Should Be Speakers, Too: http://bit.ly/SK2DBM @jfbookman
The Art of Writing Dialogue: http://bit.ly/XmN2gp @maria_mckenzie
Unreliable Narrators: http://bit.ly/XmN87H
Tips for Writing Superhero Ensembles and Superhero Teams: http://bit.ly/SK2U7S
The Difference Between Paranormal Romance And Urban Fantasy: http://bit.ly/XmNj2L @woodwardkaren
6 Common Myths About Book Reviews: http://bit.ly/SKAOJH @livewritethrive
How to Pick a Good Critique Partner: http://bit.ly/XnrZdq @LyndaRYoung
Stephen King's tips for imagery: http://bit.ly/SKBa2P @galleycat
Famous literary exits: http://bit.ly/Xns9S3 @guardianbooks
10 reading nooks: http://bit.ly/Xnuz39 and
10 secret passage bookshelves: http://bit.ly/XnuwEy @deadwhiteguys
Tips for book beginnings: http://bit.ly/SKDsiq @4YALit
Ask the Agent: Wooing Agents, Focus, and More: http://bit.ly/Xnv4dz @breeogden
Tips for Writing About Serious Subjects: http://bit.ly/SKDOFY @lisaburstein
8 tips for cutting the fat from your WIP: http://bit.ly/TQTIzP @GinaConroy
Dont' get bogged down in language: http://bit.ly/XnvnVQ @mooderino
Learn your characters' secrets: http://bit.ly/SKF2kn @JulieEshbaugh
When your story isn't ready (but you're on top of a deadline): http://bit.ly/SKFSxB
4 Compelling Reasons to Make Guest Blogging a Priority: http://bit.ly/Xnxw3D @alexisgrant
Create Revolutionary Characters: http://bit.ly/XnxDMF @KristinNador
Estate planning and copyright inheritance for authors: http://bit.ly/VBZ7KH @PassiveVoiceBlg
The MacGuffin: A Plot Device From Screenwriting: http://bit.ly/VBZtkc @woodwardkaren
Prepare for the Critics, the Nasty Ones: http://bit.ly/RBj86i @noveleditor
12 Clichés To Avoid When Beginning Your Story: http://bit.ly/VBZJji @writersdigest
A roundup of posts on ebook promo: http://bit.ly/TnGCri @bookmarketer
Develop a Slogan to Help Your Author Platform: http://bit.ly/RBkJJt @robertleebrewer
Tips for focusing on 1 manuscript at a time: http://bit.ly/RBkVbr @DeeWhiteAuthor
Overcoming Dialogue Challenges: http://bit.ly/RBkYEi @wordsbywebb
1 writer's experience advertising with BookBub: http://bit.ly/RBl5zQ @goblinwriter
Use WriteChain to Track Your Progress: http://bit.ly/VC5c9O @galleycat
Defending Your Writing to Scientists, Physicists… And Your Parents: http://bit.ly/RBlXnV @beinglizbreen
Is Serial Fiction Profitable? http://bit.ly/RBm3vW @woodwardkaren
Keep Submitting: http://bit.ly/RBm8jg
@emergentpublish
3 Common Comma Errors: http://bit.ly/RBmaHM @writing_tips
Your readers' online haunts: http://bit.ly/RBmiab @PYOEbooks
Thesaurus Pros and Cons: http://bit.ly/RBmjLs @CMKaufman
Publishers teching up: ‘Transformative, Exciting, Alarming’: http://bit.ly/VAXLNZ @jwikert @Porter_Anderson
@letiziasechi
The "who can be trusted?" theme in crime fiction and its trickiness for
writers: http://bit.ly/Uij7jn @mkinberg
10 Ways to Sabotage Your Writing: http://bit.ly/12lSekn @jamesscottbell
Telling It Twice - Incompatible Versions of a Story: http://bit.ly/XUNXop @camillelaguire
How To Use QR Codes: http://bit.ly/VC8uKm
@ebookrevolution @thecreativepenn
Top 5 Tips for Coping with Writing Pain (Carpal Tunnel, et al): http://bit.ly/RBmEO5 @gailcarriger
Tips for Writing Meaningful Description: http://bit.ly/VC9fD1 @susanjmorris
8 Tips for a Great Conference Experience: http://bit.ly/RCpulO @Janice_Hardy
Maeve Binchy's tips for writing a page-turner: http://bit.ly/VEEmxL @fcmalby
Writing for the YA audience: http://bit.ly/RCq7fs @writersdigest
The writer's lens--our vision makes stories successful: http://bit.ly/RCqdUm @fictionnotes
Sell More Fiction by Activating the Power of Book Clubs: http://bit.ly/VEFktU @janefriedman
After the editorial letter: The editor's perspective: http://bit.ly/VEFMIJ @thejordache
Authors on Publishers: Who’s Sorry Now? http://bit.ly/ZbFDRu @Porter_Anderson
@NigelRoby
Including music in our stories--5 rules of thumb: http://bit.ly/RCqO8w @4YALit
Marketing Begins Before Your Book Releases: http://bit.ly/VEH6v6 @novelrocket
Why 1 writer was glad the internet community didn't exist when she started
writing: http://bit.ly/RCr2MS
@jodyhedlund
Questions readers ask about ereaders: http://bit.ly/YE6czT @junglereds
Self-publishing industry explodes: http://bit.ly/WLpOvt @PassiveVoiceBlg
An effective way of editing your own work: http://bit.ly/YE6SFm @fcmalby
Writing lessons learned from YA book "Just Listen": http://bit.ly/YE7tGY @juliemusil
Allegory: When a Story Is About Ideas: http://bit.ly/WLqlNW @write_practice
Is character more important than worldbuilding? http://bit.ly/YE7H14 @juliettewade
Series vs. Stand-Alone: Pros and Cons: http://bit.ly/WLqoJz @jamigold
Why Author Email Addresses Make a Difference: http://bit.ly/YE7ScK @authormedia
4 traits of successful writers: http://bit.ly/WLqAZ7 @BrianKlems
Tips for formatting synopses: http://bit.ly/YE87EH @lynnettelabelle
The State of the YA Market: http://bit.ly/WLqDnL
How to Write a Killer Logline: http://bit.ly/YE8grt @diymfa
6 Elements of a Great Dystopia: http://bit.ly/WM3VMu @lkhillbooks
Changing Your Process: http://bit.ly/YFrayp @MsAnnAguirre
What Type of Edit Does Your Book Need? http://bit.ly/YFrugv @marcykennedy
Mustering the Courage to Turn Down a Publishing Contract: http://bit.ly/YFrKfz @KfirLuzzatto
Publishers Need to Think Themselves As Community Organizers: http://bit.ly/YFrUDq @brianoleary
7 Creativity Tips From a Top Mathematician: http://bit.ly/YFsb9E @passivevoiceblg
Ephemeral Horror and the Diffusion of Genre Markers: http://bit.ly/WM4ztk @KgElfland2ndCuz
25 Ways To Unstick A Stuck Story: http://bit.ly/YFsAJh {lang} @chuckwendig
A Look at the Merlin archetype: http://bit.ly/VBFAha @genelempp
Pour on the Conflict: http://bit.ly/VOjHaH
@KMWeiland
Speed-Writing: Not Just for NaNoWriMo Any More: http://bit.ly/VBFVAp @adriennedewolfe
Tips for beginning writers: http://bit.ly/VOjZOK @davey_beauchamp
The Anatomy of a Drama Pilot Sale: http://bit.ly/VBG9r3 @Julie_Gray
Selling Ebooks Direct From Your Website: http://bit.ly/VOkrMV
Tips to Surviving the Road to Publication: http://bit.ly/VOwc65 @4YALit @SeanBeaudoin
Amazon Lists: The New Slush Pile? http://bit.ly/VBM2oa @woodwardkaren
Applying the Moral Premise to your story: http://bit.ly/VOwNVp
Top writing tips from 31 debut authors: http://bit.ly/VOx1f7 @TaliaVance
Writerly Uses For Microsoft Excel: http://bit.ly/VBMtPl @JennyHansenCA
10 Things You Should Know About Plurals: http://bit.ly/VBMxyH @writerscramp1
How To Use 5 Online Mind Mapping Tools To Beat Procrastination: http://bit.ly/VOxzSk
Writing an Unplanned Sequel: http://bit.ly/VBMGly @ninapost
Reaching Tween Readers: Content Matters More than Format: http://bit.ly/VBMP8L @pubperspectives
Character vs. gimmick--a tale of 2 short stories: http://bit.ly/VOyn9I @PhilAthans
A Framework for Thinking About Author Platform: http://bit.ly/TwuB5n @janefriedman
"Eagerness to please," and the weakness of database marketing for directing
the future of SF/F: http://bit.ly/X3S40X
@juliettewade
Why it's Worth it to Purchase Your Own Domain Name: http://bit.ly/Ve2btO @HarryGuinness
3 dialogue tag issues to watch for: http://bit.ly/VQeShc
The wonder and imperfection of 1st novels: http://bit.ly/VCCqK5 @Marie_Lu
How 1 writer uses music as part of her creative process: http://bit.ly/VQfHXh @Melissa_Foster
@byrozmorris
3 Vital Pieces for Creative Success: http://bit.ly/VCCOZ4 @originalimpulse
Real dialogue isn't really real: http://bit.ly/VQfWBH
8 Do's And Don'ts Of Writing Fiction From Neil Gaiman: http://bit.ly/VCCRUF @woodwardkaren
Overcoming Your Speaking Fears to Market Your Books: http://bit.ly/VQgcAx
Working premises: http://bit.ly/WP4Rjg
@annerooney
Characterize through Experiential Description: http://bit.ly/YLKDNT @RayRhamey
Eavesdropping on publishers' conversations/concerns is vital for writers: http://bit.ly/ZbHm9q @booksquare @BKGKristen
@Porter_Anderson
How an Enterprising Author Sold a Million Self-Published Books: http://bit.ly/WP4ZPL @copyblogger
5 Common First-Chapter Mistakes: http://bit.ly/YLKJFa @jodyhedlund
How to Gain Quality Feedback from Your Critique Partners: http://bit.ly/WP5ol9 @LyndaRYoung
How To Make Your Readers Care About Your Characters On The First Page: http://bit.ly/YLLEoY @donmaass
@woodwardkaren
When do you walk away from a project? And how do you know when to come back?
http://bit.ly/YLMbHE @juliettewade
Agents and Money: http://bit.ly/WP5MjE
@kristinerusch
Topics to avoid blogging about: http://bit.ly/YLMm5G @rachellegardner
Advice From The Slushpile-8 Common Mistakes To Avoid In Submitting
Manuscripts: http://bit.ly/WP7eCH @
BryanThomasS
To MFA or not to MFA? http://bit.ly/WP7m4U
@fleurphilips
Confessions of a (Paid) Book Reviewer: http://bit.ly/YLPIG2 @luannschindler
Kickstarter for writers: http://bit.ly/TLYQ5T @rachellegardner
@CalebBreakey
An editor on writer habits and processes: http://bit.ly/TLYTyw @theresastevens
Ideas for making blogging less of a burden and best practices for ending
blogging altogether: http://bit.ly/TQIHP0
@michellerafter
Resilience: How To Deal With Criticism And Rejection: http://bit.ly/TLYZpY @markmcguinness
@thecreativepenn
How Twitter Hashtags Help Authors Find Readers: http://bit.ly/TLZ0dx @jfbookman
Self-Publishing Young Adult Fiction: http://bit.ly/TLZ5xK
The 7 Skills of Screenwriting (and Almost Every Other Kind of Writing): http://bit.ly/TQJ7VE @CockeyedCaravan
How To Use Permanently Free Books To Increase Sales: http://bit.ly/TLZdNR @woodwardkaren
3 Rules of Revision: http://bit.ly/TLZdgO
@AnnieNeugebauer
3 Ways to Get Your Story Unstuck: http://bit.ly/TQJiAc @writersdigest
Name generator: http://bit.ly/TLZhNE
@galleycat
The Un-sexy Side of Self-Publishing: http://bit.ly/TLZv7w @VictoriaSmith76
Targeting your readers with your website: http://bit.ly/TLZOPG @janvbear
What Is Your Character's Wish-Song? http://bit.ly/TQKt2I @jacobkrueger
Episodic Storytelling Is A Problem: http://bit.ly/TQKtQn @mooderino
Tips for writing your query: http://bit.ly/TLZVKQ
New survey reveals self pub sales data and writers' opinions toward trad.
pubs: http://bit.ly/VD8gAA @samatlounge
@Porter_Anderson
4 Left-Brain Exercises to Jumpstart Your Writing: http://bit.ly/TQKCDd @writersdigest
4 things 1 writer learned about self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/TQKHqC
7 Examples of Valid Passive Construction: http://bit.ly/TM02Gx @writing_tips
Why Stories Should Never Begin At The Beginning: http://bit.ly/TQKMdM {lang}
5 book marketing strategies for authors: http://bit.ly/TM0412 @bookmarketer
5 traits of writers: http://bit.ly/TQKZxC
@rileymagnus
5 Ways to Use Images to Make Your Posts Irresistible: http://bit.ly/TQL3xo @problogger
Using Excel To Outline Your NaNoWriMo Novel: Defeating the sprawl: http://bit.ly/TQL4S2 @woodwardkaren
Care About Your Characters Or Your Readers Won't: http://bit.ly/TQLKa9
7 Habits of Highly Prolific Writers: http://bit.ly/TM0BQx
Book Marketing Plans: Begin with the End in Mind: http://bit.ly/TQLSWW @janvbear
How to Juggle Writing and Life: http://bit.ly/TRp61p @ava_jae
Why your flaws should define your writing career: http://bit.ly/TMsWX1 @krissybrady
Using Setting to Add Humor: http://bit.ly/TRpixs @annastanisz
"Wool" author Howey cuts print deal with Simon & Schuster...but keeps his
digital rights: http://bit.ly/12dq9fJ
@Porter_Anderson @JDGsaid
December 14, 2012
The Importance of Doing Nothing
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Lately, I’ve had ideas bursting out of me at crazy times of the day: frequently when I’m doing something else.
I’m driving a car and am struck by three or four ideas or bits of dialogue or plot points or character names. I was honked at yesterday while dreaming at a stoplight (particularly irksome for me because I'm usually the honk-er and not the honk-ee).
I’m having a conversation with someone and get ideas.
I’m falling asleep (this is happening on a daily basis now) and getting ideas.
These ideas are for current projects, future projects, and a nonfiction project I don’t have time for but am doing anyway.
My creative thoughts are just leaping out at me during any halfway quiet moment because I’m so busy they don’t have the opportunity to naturally develop during brainstorming sessions.
The funny thing (here in the States, anyway) is that free time, where you’re just doing nothing, isn’t particularly valued.
My son, for instance, was involved in way too many activities last year. He was gone most of the time—day in and day out, on weekends, and in the evenings. He was drained, so I pulled him out of one of the main time-stealing culprits—marching band.
I ran into one of the other marching band parents and she asked me about it. I said that he was too busy and was too rarely at home.
“Well, what’s he going to do with that free time?” she asked.
I just blinked at her. Of course I was the wrong person to ask this question of. “Whatever he wants to,” I said. “Stare off into space if he wants to. It's free time."
“He’ll be bored,” she said.
“That might be a good thing.”
I can’t remember the last time I was bored. I’m frequently restless, but never bored. Being bored always led to creative pursuits for me, though.
This importance placed on structured activities is apparently not only a modern phenomenon. Here’s a bit of dialogue where Christopher Robin explains to Pooh that he won’t be around as much anymore (he’s being sent off to boarding school):
The House at Pooh Corner. A.A. Milne. 1928.
There does seem to be a conspiracy against nothingness.
I was glad to see that the other parent plans to pull her child out of band at the end of this year. Nothing against band—I take any opportunity to support arts for children—but because her son was equally run ragged.
When was the last time you penciled in some nothingness into your schedule?
Lately, I’ve had ideas bursting out of me at crazy times of the day: frequently when I’m doing something else.
I’m driving a car and am struck by three or four ideas or bits of dialogue or plot points or character names. I was honked at yesterday while dreaming at a stoplight (particularly irksome for me because I'm usually the honk-er and not the honk-ee).
I’m having a conversation with someone and get ideas.
I’m falling asleep (this is happening on a daily basis now) and getting ideas.
These ideas are for current projects, future projects, and a nonfiction project I don’t have time for but am doing anyway.
My creative thoughts are just leaping out at me during any halfway quiet moment because I’m so busy they don’t have the opportunity to naturally develop during brainstorming sessions.
The funny thing (here in the States, anyway) is that free time, where you’re just doing nothing, isn’t particularly valued.
My son, for instance, was involved in way too many activities last year. He was gone most of the time—day in and day out, on weekends, and in the evenings. He was drained, so I pulled him out of one of the main time-stealing culprits—marching band.
I ran into one of the other marching band parents and she asked me about it. I said that he was too busy and was too rarely at home.
“Well, what’s he going to do with that free time?” she asked.
I just blinked at her. Of course I was the wrong person to ask this question of. “Whatever he wants to,” I said. “Stare off into space if he wants to. It's free time."
“He’ll be bored,” she said.
“That might be a good thing.”
I can’t remember the last time I was bored. I’m frequently restless, but never bored. Being bored always led to creative pursuits for me, though.
This importance placed on structured activities is apparently not only a modern phenomenon. Here’s a bit of dialogue where Christopher Robin explains to Pooh that he won’t be around as much anymore (he’s being sent off to boarding school):
I'm not going to do nothing anymore."
"Never again?"
"Well, not so much. They don't let you."
The House at Pooh Corner. A.A. Milne. 1928.
There does seem to be a conspiracy against nothingness.
I was glad to see that the other parent plans to pull her child out of band at the end of this year. Nothing against band—I take any opportunity to support arts for children—but because her son was equally run ragged.
When was the last time you penciled in some nothingness into your schedule?
