Riley Adams's Blog, page 172

Tips for Writing Multiple Series

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I always hesitate to post on these kinds of topics, knowing that not everyone is as crazy as I am and writing several series at once.

I’m just figuring it out, myself. I usually juggle two series, but this year I decided to make it even more complicated and continue writing Myrtle Clover books in addition to the others. Why not? It’s already nutty around here.

Here are some ways I’ve found to make it work:

If you have any control over your deadlines at all, try to make sure that your deadlines don’t hit at the same time. It’s just very stressful. Get your agent onboard with that if you can and if you have one. I’ve done it this year and I did manage to get the deadlines 2 months apart, but it was still tough.

If you do get the deadlines that close together, try to deliver the first deadline earlier than promised, if you can. That will give you more time with the second and will also give you a little leeway when your edits for the first book come back in (if they come back early.)

The ideal situation is different for every writer, but I usually like to be drafting one book when I receive edits on another. I get the work done on both, but I’m using different parts of my brain so I don’t get that burned out feeling. That’s just how it works for me, anyway.

If you have time, consider skimming over the previous books in the series before writing the next book. At least enough to pick up the character voices and remind yourself of the tone of the books.

Develop a style sheet for your series. This has been the most helpful tool for me when writing my series. Penguin has been great to send me style sheets for each book, which I’ve downloaded and refer to often. These sheets include character names, descriptions, and ages; business names, connections between characters—all the little things that we can forget but shouldn’t forget. Sort of a little cheat sheet to get yourself going in the right direction.

If you’ve written a few books in the series, review the storylines for the previous books. It helps to keep from accidentally writing too closely to a previous storyline. Or to a similar storyline in another series you’re writing.

One other thing I like to do is review my Word file of copy/pasted notes from reader emails, reader Facebook and Twitter messages, and reader reviews on online retailers. This way I can remind myself what readers liked about the series…and didn’t like. Then I can deliver more of what they liked.

Write quickly. There are, obviously, a few reasons to do this. One, you don’t get frozen—worrying about how to approach the next book in the series. Jump in, write it, fix it later. Also, the next book for the other series is waiting on you to work on it.

Keep a Word document of each book you’ve written, in each series. And back them up. You need to have a searchable document on hand. Many times I’ve been busily writing in a little detail that I think belongs to one series, frown, do a search on the book I believe the detail comes from, and find that the detail/minor character is from a different series. I know that sounds ridiculous, but when you go from book to book and series to series it happens. And it’s hard to search a paperback book for a small detail. I’m keeping Word docs from years back just for the ability to search them.

This is what I’ve learned so far about juggling series. I’d love to hear from others who do the same. And I’d aslo love to hear from those of you who write a single series— your tips for keeping series continuity without repeating the same formula for each book.

Image: vpickering

Figuring Out Your Writing Schedule—Guest Post by Carol Kilgore

by Carol Kilgore, @carol_kilgore

I've been a regular reader of Mystery Writing Is Murder for a long time. As you can imagine, I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your blog space with me.

When I learned I would be guest blogging here, I found out I needed to blog about some aspect of writing. Still thrilled, but Ack! I usually try to skirt around actual writing details. So I'll just tell you a story.

A continuing long-term problem for me is struggling for a solid block of writing time. I find plans that work for various lengths of time, anywhere from a few days to several months. Then I seem to sabotage them without being aware until one day I realize my writing time is over and I have no new words on the page.

A few months back, I tried something totally out of my norm. I tried writing first thing in the morning. Get up. Stumble downstairs. Let dogs out. Get coffee. Let dogs in. Open document. Write. For two hours. Did I mention I am not a morning person?

OMG!

I couldn't believe how easily and, for me, quickly the words flowed. And the feeling of accomplishment after completing my primary goal for the day before lunch was amazing.

A couple of weeks later, the first words still flowed. But that second hour…not so much. When we came back from vacation in May, I added a walk. Write an hour, walk for 30+ minutes, write another hour.

While I walk, I think about the story. I believe my subconscious processes the words I just wrote and decides which words to use next. When I come back for Hour Two, success!

For the last few weeks I've used my morning writing time to focus on details of the release of IN NAME ONLY. But in another week or two, I'll be back to writing. Will this routine still work? I hope so.

So my best writing advice? Find what works for you, whether it's how you construct a character or how you manage your Facebook time. Do it that way for as long as it works. When it stops working, try something different—even if you think it won't work. You may be surprised.

********

Carol Kilgore is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.
Learn more about Carol and follow her here:
Blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

Starting Projects

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m sure everybody has a closet that needs some attention.

I hope everybody does. I know I have at least one at all times that needs help.

The closet with the biggest issue was the one under the stairs. Large areas tend to attract the most junk. This one had various boxes in it. You know.

Since I just finished my two biggest deadlines for the year, I decided to tackle the closet.

In the closet, I found an unfinished project—not a book project. It was a box of video tapes that needed to be transferred to a modern, digital format of some kind.

I’d started this project a year ago, stalled out with it, and shoved it back into the closet along with a bunch of other stuff that I didn’t want to deal with.

I remember being very annoyed because I’d bought a VCR to DVD burning device and then found out that, after I burned the DVDs, they were in a proprietary format that meant they could only be played on a particular Panasonic device that was no longer being made. Of course.

I learned that there were services that could transfer for you if you ship them the tapes. But I didn’t get very far with my research on that because I was so frustrated and annoyed by the proprietary format and was busy with the complaint letter that I was writing.

A year passed and nothing had been accomplished on this project. So I pulled out the box of videos and made a list of all the steps I needed to do to finish this project in one sitting so that I could take on the rest of the closet.

Starting any project—a stalled one or a new one—can be the same way. We have all these great ambitions for our books, for instance, but getting the words on paper can be intimidating.

You’d think that by now I’d be done with project hesitation for my writing—but I still have it. It’s the hesitation of not really knowing what to do next. Usually I just look at the deadline on the calendar and jump right in. With a self-imposed deadline (I’m writing a book for self-pub before working on my next publisher-driven project), it feels a little different.

Starting a stalled project—listing the tasks.

So, for my video transfer project, I needed to decide if I wanted to send the online company camcorder tapes or VCR tapes. I needed to gather all the tapes together. I needed to decide which company I wanted to use. I needed to make sure if I sent all my tapes that I wouldn’t go over my budget. Then I needed to create an online account with the company, pay a deposit for the service, print out the shipping label, pack it, and then drop the box off with UPS.

For starting out my latest mystery, I needed to decide who my victim was going to be, how my sleuth was going to be involved, and who my suspects were. To really jump into it, I also wanted to know how the victim was killed. (Because this book is part of a series, I already know my main characters…a benefit of series writing.)

For your project, you might need to decide other things: what’s the inciting incident (which turns an ordinary day for your protagonist into something special)? Who is the main character? What about the incident changes them or their situation? How do they react to it?

Half the time when we don’t get started with a project, or put it aside for a while, it’s because we’re really not sure what direction we want to take or how to approach the task. Maybe we don’t feel like we have enough information to begin. Or it might be that we’re worried that the outcome might not end up as successful as it is in our imaginings.

Instead of packing the project back into the closet (or burying it in Word), we could just make a list to get ourselves going.

How do you jump back into projects….or jump into new ones quickly?

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 17,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook .

Have a great week!

Keepsakes as clues to character and murder in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/NwAYig @mkinberg

Amazon--not just a book company: http://bit.ly/NOQeZX @Porter_Anderson @jamesbridle @philipdsjones

Is it OK to conduct interviews via email? http://bit.ly/P8tnwb @MichelleRafter

The 4 Faces of Facebook's Timeline for Authors Explained: http://bit.ly/P8tJTy @authormedia

Give Characters Interesting Anecdotes: http://bit.ly/P8u1tt @mooderino

Whatever Happened to Horror? http://bit.ly/P8unjV @tordotcom @FrankTallis

Winning The Hearts And Minds Of Your Readers Through Editing: http://bit.ly/P8uwnq @thecreativepenn

DRM denies fundamental book function--sharing: http://bit.ly/NOWqB0 @bsandusky @Porter_Anderson

5 Common Mistakes New Writers Make: http://bit.ly/P8voIC @novelrocket

How Should Writers Handle Facebook Frustrations? http://bit.ly/P8vJLs @jodyhedlund

Comparing Lightning Source to CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/P8we8s @jentalty

8 Tips for Waking Up Early & Conquering the Alarm Clock: http://bit.ly/P8Ca1c @jeffgoins

8 Tips for Creating an Anthology: http://bit.ly/P8CmO3

7 things 1 writer has learned so far: http://bit.ly/P8CDQP @KM_Ruiz

We can't shoot for perfection for our books: http://bit.ly/P8Dh0N @KristineRusch

Thoughts on ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/P8Dr8p @bubblecow

"I'll have the 10 oz. writer's life with a side of self-promotion": http://bit.ly/P8E0z2

The First Sale: Expectation vs. Reality: http://bit.ly/P8E5To @YAHighway

How to Use Subtext in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/P8Eaq4 @joebunting

Authors: say yes to libraries: http://bit.ly/MYH3p0 @PWxyz

Some real perspective on pricing our books: http://bit.ly/MYHb7O @deanwesleysmith

Punctuation in dialogue: http://bit.ly/MYHijR @noveleditor

Should you pitch an unfinished book to an agent? http://bit.ly/MYHxeH @nicolamorgan

Prepare for conferences early: http://bit.ly/MYHPCg

4 Writing Crutches that Insult the Reader's Intelligence: http://bit.ly/MYHY95 @kristenlambTX

Stuck on character? Use a simile: http://bit.ly/MYId3Q @fictionnotes

When to write dialogue, and what it's for: http://bit.ly/MYImUO @SF_Novelists

What is the scene ABOUT? http://bit.ly/MYICU3 @theresastevens

A phrase you should consider revising: http://bit.ly/MYJqrS

5 online marketing tips: http://bit.ly/MYK6NP

How to Write Characters Your Readers Love: http://bit.ly/MYKIDb @Ava_Jae

8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Deciding to Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/M1QEQw

The Top 10 Archers In Fiction: http://bit.ly/MYKZ98 @fantasyfaction

Does Killing Off Characters Make Readers Care Less? http://bit.ly/MYL7FP @janice_hardy

Editorial phone calls: http://bit.ly/NtM2yt

52 Reasons to Hate My Father Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/NtS6He

A historical's beginning diagnosed: http://bit.ly/NtSe9T @janice_hardy

A Freelance Editor Talks About Authors' "Habits" & Predictable Writing: http://bit.ly/NtSG87 @EditNinja

eBook Design Today and Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/NtSMMX @JFBookman

How to Stop Dreaming about Your Writing and Actually Do It: http://bit.ly/NtT9qN

iTunes University for Writers: http://bit.ly/NtTh9y @JulieMusil

How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Workshop: http://bit.ly/NtTHg8 @DIYMFA

Protecting Your Writing Time – And Yourself: http://bit.ly/NtTOZm @ClaireCookwrite

Three Reasons Why Prologues Don't Work: http://bit.ly/NtTUAe

Approaches for writing a wrap-up scene: http://bit.ly/N648Ys @dirtywhitecandy

Pros and cons of writing a series: http://bit.ly/N64hv0 @KenScholes

The vanished writer phenomenon: http://bit.ly/N64COq

Free Sites to Promote Your eBook: http://bit.ly/N1E5D6 @galleycat

20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes: http://bit.ly/Pnardj @thecreativepenn

Why Do Bad Books Get Published? http://bit.ly/PnaB4l @KMWeiland

1 traditionally published author makes a move to self-pub: http://bit.ly/PnbR7D @AlexSokoloff

When publishers drop the promo ball: http://bit.ly/Pncz4M @AlmaAlexander

How to raise creative kids: http://bit.ly/PncEoT @tobywneal

How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel: http://bit.ly/LwxTEQ @glencstrathy

Pain and Stress Inform the Work, But Not Always Right Away, and Only If You Survive: http://bit.ly/LwxYZ9 @indieauthor

Quick tips to avoid being a bad writer: http://bit.ly/Lwyrui @writing_tips

Writing the emotional body blow: http://bit.ly/LwywhM @chrstnabrooke

Encouragement from this rejection? http://bit.ly/LwyB4Z @nicolamorgan

8 Blogging Styles You Can Use Today: http://bit.ly/LwyC8Z @JFBookman

3 writing maxims to ignore or tweak: http://bit.ly/LwyFSg

Unleash Your Writing With This Trick From the Movies: http://bit.ly/LwyS84

Ten challenges to innovation: http://bit.ly/LwyV3N @thefuturebook

Kiersey Temperament Survey Identifies Who Reads What Genres; Says Reading "Still Strong": http://bit.ly/Lwz4Ec @LindaGray_

Is the Stigma of Self-Publishing Finally Gone? http://bit.ly/Lwzcnj @bengalley

Showing C.A.R.E. in Your First Chapter: http://bit.ly/LwzhXY

How to Polish Your Writing Until It Shines: http://bit.ly/LwzgU2 @StinaLL

7 ways you give away your power--and how to avoid it: http://bit.ly/LwznyK @rachellegardner

What to Do when Hollywood Rewrites Your Book--How to Survive a Writer's Most Desirable Problem: http://bit.ly/LwzudV @annerallen @cryanhyde

A Study in Opposites: http://bit.ly/LwzFFY @ThereseWalsh

Outlines for Plot, Pantser for Character: http://bit.ly/LwzJWi @janice_hardy

The 10 Essential Grammar Rules Of Life: http://bit.ly/LwzLgS @ollinmorales

6 Easy Steps to Stop the Chaos in Your Life: http://bit.ly/LwzPNs @lyndaryoung

Fear and writing: http://bit.ly/LxWUQ0

Copyright for Writers: http://bit.ly/LxWWHF @eMergentPublish

Tips for juggling a busy schedule and writing: http://bit.ly/LxX61I @writeitsideways

5 Signs You're Having a Blog Identity Crisis & 8 Ways To Fix It: http://bit.ly/LxXdu5 @roniloren

Point of View: Common Types and 5 Tips for Strengthening: http://bit.ly/LxXcXd @howtowriteshop

Adverb Advice: Use Carefully: http://bit.ly/LxXgWO @fictionnotes

The (Not So) Surprising Key to Writing Quickly: http://bit.ly/LxXld7 @ava_jae

Flip the Script: Use Adverbs Fearlessly: http://bit.ly/LxXq0q @JaelMchenry

A few brainstorming suggestions: http://bit.ly/LxXzAS @lisagailgreen

Are You Proud to be a Writer? http://bit.ly/LxXBZv @fuelforwriting

When you hate your book: http://bit.ly/LxXGwv @sarahahoyt

Leonardo da Vinci's 8 tips for modern creators: http://ow.ly/ceRSq @SimonBrushfield via @Porter_Anderson

Does the Authors Guild really serve writers? http://bit.ly/LxXNYT @DavidGaughran

Using signature phrases to distinguish between characters: http://bit.ly/LxYSjg @juliettewade

5 Common Writing Blunders that Can Annoy or Bore Our Readers: http://bit.ly/LxZ4Pw @KristenLambTX

Not All Characters Deserve To Be In The Story: http://bit.ly/LxZ6a8 @mooderino

Top 10 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction: http://bit.ly/LxZaqi @DIYMFA

Thoughts on ebook exclusivity and free books: http://bit.ly/LxZmWD @JAKonrath

Short Tip on Irreversible Plot Points: http://bit.ly/LxZqph @Kid_Lit

A Guide to GATSBY and Alcohol: http://bit.ly/LxZEwR @bookriot

Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books. Will readers bite? http://bit.ly/NfhXRs @laurahazardowen

Easter eggs in a story (using Harry Potter as an example): http://bit.ly/MSI8SS @HP4Writers

6 Tips for a Friendly Author Website: http://bit.ly/Nfi2o7 @sierragodfrey

6 things to learn from Hemingway: http://bit.ly/Nfi9Qt @rachellegardner

Tips for making up your own words: http://bit.ly/NfidzI @noveleditor

Rights vs. Copyright: http://bit.ly/NfieDM @victoriastrauss

Is It Harder Today for Self-Published Authors to "Break in" at Amazon? http://bit.ly/NfimTJ @goblinwriter

Signs of a Promising Superhero Origin Story: http://bit.ly/NfinY0

Sexuality in fantasy: http://bit.ly/Nfiz9A

Tips for writing a direct sequel: http://bit.ly/MSIPfa @junglereds @jeffabbott

What can publishers do to face challenges in a new marketplace? A publisher with 6 suggestions: http://bit.ly/NfiKBF

10 Traits That Are More Important Than Talent: http://bit.ly/NguLH6 @jodyhedlund

Create Powerful Imagery in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/NguROQ @writersdigest

Just being on Amazon doesn't sell your book: http://bit.ly/NguZhj @hopeclark

Ebooks Gone in 5 Years? http://bit.ly/PC2UZs @Porter_Anderson @hughmcguire

25 practical, productive things freelancers can do when everyone else is on vacation: http://bit.ly/PC32rG @michellerafter

Indie or traditional publishing: what's right for you? http://bit.ly/PC3gPH @rebeccaberto @melissa_foster

8 Lessons for Modern Creators from Leonardo da Vinci: http://bit.ly/NAhStr @markmcguinness

What should you expect from a developmental editor? http://bit.ly/NAhRFW

The Fantasy Feminist: http://bit.ly/NAjX8M @AmyJRoseDavis

Music and characterization: http://bit.ly/NAk5Fi @byrozmorris @pilyara

88 Books that Shaped America: http://bit.ly/NAk8B6

Using the Right Scene Glue: Transitions and Sequels: http://bit.ly/NAkdVm @beth_barany

If Selling Used Software is Legal Then Why Not Used eBooks? http://bit.ly/NAkmYI @thDigitalReader

Discovering the story question: http://bit.ly/NAks2F @novelrocket

Maximizing Research: http://bit.ly/RPxSuw @Ravenrequiem13 @KMWeiland

Query Tracker: Keep Track Of Your Stories: http://bit.ly/Mf7y92 @woodwardkaren

Why Empathy is the Key to Story: http://bit.ly/Mf7yWH @joe_bunting

Don't rush out the book? http://bit.ly/Mf7ENU @forbes @passivevoiceblg

10 Tips to Clean Up Your Writing: http://bit.ly/Mf8daB @WritingFineLine

The Business of (Successful) Writing: http://bit.ly/Mf8nOZ

Ways to develop your inciting incident: http://bit.ly/Mf8rhG @donmaass

How Much Does Self-Publishing Cost? A Guide: http://bit.ly/Mf8ASx @duolit

Links to images, image editors, and music for your book trailer: http://bit.ly/Mf8FFE @beth_barany

Draw Out Your Story's Tension—But Not Too Far: http://bit.ly/Mf90YY @KMWeiland

Defining Success: http://bit.ly/Mf94YS @janelebak

The Social Life of a Writing Residency: http://bit.ly/Mf99M0 @PatrickRwrites

2 methods of getting feedback for our writing: http://bit.ly/MgDXRX

Books for boys--thoughts on winning the reading war: http://bit.ly/NOVhJW @Porter_Anderson @thejeffnorton

Interviewing Expert Sources: http://bit.ly/MgEbbN

Writing: Where Less Can Be More: http://bit.ly/MgEdjL @jamigold

The Realities of Publishing (And What Rejection Has Taught 1 Writer): http://bit.ly/MgEmUz @MeredithMcP

How to Get Those Creative Juices Flowing: http://bit.ly/MgEsvn @jeffgoins

Tips for writing effective tweets: http://bit.ly/MgEAee @rebeccaberto

The 5 bricks of story and life: http://bit.ly/MgELpZ @maureenlynas

The Curse of the Middle Book: http://bit.ly/MgEV0n

How to Create a Twitter List in 4 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/MgEUd2 @authormedia

What You Can Learn About Writing By Writing Thrillers: http://bit.ly/MgF0RY @nickthacker

Further Proof that Print Books are Disappearing, Literally: http://bit.ly/NIrTVC @pubperspectives

A look at witches and their popularity in fiction: http://bit.ly/NIrZg2 @guardianbooks

Could mentoring put the brakes on poorly-written self-pubbed books? http://bit.ly/NCzwhR @threekingsbooks

Modern books frequently=easy reads.Will complexity return w/ self-pub's popularity? http://bit.ly/NORQCP @nathanbransford @Porter_Anderson

What Agents Are Not Doing: http://bit.ly/NOUU22 @Porter_Anderson @LizaDawsonAssoc @sum_mary @DeahlsDeals

Tips for staying safe on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/NCAYRh @KristinNador

Working With Editors

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I have a tough time adjusting to change sometimes.

I’ve learned, through the years, to be more flexible. That’s the only way I’ve managed to write books as a parent—because a parent’s life can be totally chaotic. Children get sick, carpools change, children’s activities change, schedules are changed at the drop of a hat.

But change, in general? Still tough for me.

So that would explain the feeling of trepidation I got when I found out two days before the July deadline that my editor for the Memphis series is changing. My previous editor is leaving Penguin and she sent me an email to let me know…and to give me the contact information for the new editor for my series.

Everything got better quickly. I shot an email to the new editor and introduced myself—gave her a brief overview of the kinds of books I write and the different editors I’ve worked with. I told her I would be sending her a new book….the next day. I told her I was always happy to make changes of any kind.

I also stated that I wasn’t great on the phone and preferred emailing, if possible. :) Otherwise, I’m usually so deer-in-the-headlights that I don’t even remember the substance of the conversation afterwards.

The new editor emailed me back and was totally lovely. I calmed down and got back to the new story I was writing.

But it’s tough. I’ve been working with Emily since 2009 to develop and promote the series. She knows the characters and knows when something is out of character for them. She knows the setting and my voice.

My friend, Hart Johnson, had the same editor. She was a little anxious about the changes, too.

Of course, this change does give me the opportunity to hear some new ideas and possibly take the series in a new direction. Once I realized that was the case, I felt a lot better.

Each editor I’ve had has handled business a little differently:

New books, possible new series, contract issues, payment:

For these types of issues, my editors go through my agent. Except for one editor—in a deal that I negotiated myself. For Midnight Ink, when I have a royalty issue, etc., I call them directly.

Planning the series: One of my editors likes an outline/proposal for the next book in the series. Another editor told me whatever I wanted to do was fine.

Communication:

One editor corresponded by mail. I’m not kidding. I was shocked to see a huge package of revisions one day with corrections written in the margins. I made the corrections on my Word file and emailed it back….it would have cost a ton to print and mail back that thing.

Usually I communicate by email. I really prefer it that way because I have a record of the changes and the editor’s thoughts on a project. Sometimes I’ll copy-paste bits of the emails to my online calendar to make sure the items are addressed.

One editor does like communicating by phone some. Unfortunately, I’m usually out running errands or taking my kids somewhere…and flustered. The phone does fluster me. It means I have to email later to make sure that I’m on the same page with the editor.

Revisions and light editing:

Aside from the editor who mailed revisions, the other editors use Word’s Track Changes to send me suggested corrections and changes. I make the changes and email them back.

Artwork and production:

One editor asks me after the fact how I like the cover…but will make changes if there are elements I don’t like (there has only been one time where I asked for a small change—a sign was purposefully misspelled outside a business owned by my character—and I thought the error it didn’t fit the character, whom I perceived as educated.)

The other editor asks for me to be very involved with the cover—actually, more involved than I feel qualified to be. I’d probably prefer the art department and marketing to work their magic, then just have the be ability to comment on a sketch and ask for minor changes.

Sales reports and follow-ups:

Both editors send me figures after the first week and ask whether I’d like weekly reports from that point out. I don’t. :)

Conferences and promo:

One editor, years ago, never mentioned promo of any kind. Never asked if I blogged, never asked if I tweeted or if I went to stores or conferences.

My current (well, and now former) editors invite me to conferences where the publisher has a presence there (like Malice Domestic and Bouchercon) and ask if I’ll be at the dinner the publisher hosts. Unfortunately, these tend to always occur far away when the children have something huge going on….although I did attend one that was very nice.

I think that the key factor in working with editors is flexibility. Business is handled differently, depending on the editor—and change doesn’t have to be bad. It’s just…different. And now I’ll need to be flexible again.

I’m reminding myself, also, that they are adjusting to change, too. My new editor is saddled with me! Now she’s got a writer who hates talking on the phone….and explained that to her. :) What if that’s the primary way she likes communicating with her writers?

What’s your experience working with editors…or dealing with changes? How do you adapt to change (and is it easy for you to?)

Image: Mad African!: (Broken Sword)'s photostream

Writing—the Type Who Sticks With It

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

As I’ve mentioned here before, my daughter is obsessed with horses.

She’s taking weekly lessons and is attending horse camp at different weeks over the summer.

It’s a bit like hell’s kitchen here in the South this summer (and in other parts of the States, too.) Hotter than usual in North Carolina. We’d usually have temps in the low 90s for July, but they’ve been around 100F most days.

And my daughter is out in the heat wearing a helmet, boots, and long pants.

She was trotting around one of the riding rings in full riding attire in the sun on the day it reached 105 F. in the shade. I wasn’t convinced it was safe (despite what the camp thought), so I did the typical mommy hovering thing— leaning over the fence and handing her a damp washcloth and a water bottle whenever I could. And then hustling her off into air conditioning at the first available opportunity. This particular heat wave has been known to kill.

Another mom chatted with me as we stood in the shade in our shorts and sleeveless shirts. “How is your daughter handling the heat here this week?” she asked me.

I said, “She loves it. She said she’d stay here at the barn all day every week if she could.”

“She’ll stick with it then, for life. Kids like that always do,” the mom said.

And I just don’t get the horse fixation. I don’t get the flies or the shoveling of horse poop or the large animals who intimidate me a bit. I don’t get the combing, grooming, and washing of the horses or all the tack care. But I’m happy to make these things happen for my daughter, who loves them all.

The other mom’s words struck a chord in me. Yes, just like my daughter’s determination to ride, most writers stick with their writing obsession, too. Similar to my not understanding my daughter’s fascination with horses, most writers’ family and friends don’t get our love of writing. Except, instead of flies and poop and constant grooming, those close to us see isolation, rejection, poor reviews, and low pay.

Some qualities of writers who stick with it:

Stubbornness and/or determination

Love of writing

Thick skin or ability to ignore or easily absorb criticism

Flexibility

Insuppressible creativity...a habit of looking at the world through a writer’s lens

What qualities can you add?

Interview at Creative Juicer

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you have time today, I hope you’ll pop over to Emily Wenstrom’s site, Creative Juicer. She’s posting an interview with me there today.

We’re covering challenges to creativity, fitting writing into our day, and what to do when we get stuck.

Thanks!

Creative Commons for Writers—Guest Post by James Hutchings

by James Hutchings

Many writers, whether published or just starting out, are very nervous that someone else will steal their work, whether that be another writer using their ideas in their own stories, or someone making pirated copies of their books.

When I put out a collection of my writing, I specifically gave permission for anyone at all to copy my ideas, or even to cut and paste whole stories. I also contacted the Pirate Party, a worldwide network that wants to lessen copyright, and told them that I was giving anyone permission to put my ebook on file-sharing sites. In this post I hope to show why I went against common wisdom.

Creative Commons

I used a free service called Creative Commons. Creative Commons is useful for people who want to give the general public permission to use their work, but with restrictions. In my case I didn't mind people using my work for non-profit purposes, such as posting on a blog, but I didn't want to allow anyone to make money off it. Similarly I wanted anyone who used it to give me credit. I could have just listed these things myself. However I'm not a lawyer, and perhaps I would have worded it wrong so that someone could twist what I said to do more than I meant. Also I could have been unclear about what I was allowing and what I wasn't allowing. Sure, someone could email me and ask, but the whole purpose of having a written statement is so that people don't have to ask.

Creative Commons has a series of different licenses, which give permission to do different things. They're all legally 'tight', and they're all summarized in plain language. So all you have to do is go to their site and answer a series of questions, to get to the license that does what you want. In my case I used the Attribution Non-Commercial License.

Why?

That's what I did. But why? Common sense would suggest that I'm giving something away for free that I could be selling. However I believe that, in the long run, I'll be better off. The main reason is that I've seen how many people are, like me, trying to get their writing out there. Go to Smashwords and have a look at the latest ebooks. Then refresh the page ten minutes later, and you'll probably see a whole new lot. The problem that new writers face isn't that people want to steal your work; it's getting anyone to show an interest in your work at all. If someone passes on a pirated copy of my work, it might get to someone who's prepared to buy it - and that someone would probably have never heard of me otherwise. Even if they don't want to pay for what they read, I might come out with something else in the future, and perhaps paying 99c for it will be easier than hunting it down on a file-sharing site.

Science fiction writer Andrew Burt tells the story of someone who disliked his book, and to get back at him decided to put a copy on a file-sharing site. The effect was that he got a small 'spike' in sales immediately afterwards.

I also have some less selfish motives. Many people would assume that the purpose of copyright is to protect authors and creators. Leaving aside the fact that someone else often ends up with the rights (how many Disney shareholders created any of the Disney characters? How many shareholders in Microsoft have ever written a line of code?), that doesn't seem to have been the intention in the past. The US Constitution says that Congress has the power "to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Note that protecting 'intellectual property' isn't mentioned. The authors of the Constitution seemed to see the point as getting ideas out there where people can use them: almost the exact opposite of keeping them 'safe' and 'protected'.

The original idea of copyright seems to have been a sort of deal: you have an idea, and we want you to get it out into the world where it will do some good. To encourage you to do that, we'll give you a monopoly on its use for a limited time. After that, anybody can use it (it will enter the 'public domain').

A lot of people don't know that copyright used to give a lot less protection than it does now, especially in the United States. In the US, it used to be that works were copyrighted for a maximum of 56 years. Today copyright in the US can last for over 100 years. In fact Congress keeps extending the time. In practice, they're acting as if they never want ideas to go into the public domain.

This is great for the owners of 'intellectual property'. But it's hard to see how this "promotes the Progress of Science and useful Arts," or how forever is a "limited time." In a sense it's a theft from the public. Anyone who publishes work has accepted the deal that the law offers, of a limited monopoly in return for making their idea known. Congress has been giving them more and more extensions on that monopoly, but doesn't require them to do anything to earn it.

It probably doesn't matter that much that Disney still owns Mickey Mouse, or that Lord of the Rings is still under copyright. But remember that these laws don't just apply to the arts. Similar laws apply to science as well. So a life-saving invention could be going unused, because its owner wants too much money for it, or because it's tied up in court while two companies fight about who owns it.

Conclusion

I'm far from an expert on either the law or the publishing industry. However I hope that I've given you, especially those of you who might be thinking about publishing some writing, a different take on the whole issue of whether authors should worry about their ideas being stolen. At least I hope I've shown you that there's a different way of thinking about it, and that that way doesn't require you to just give up on making money; in fact that it might be more profitable as well as better for society.

*****

James Hutchings lives in Melbourne, Australia. He fights crime as Poetic Justice, but his day job is acting. You might know him by his stage-name 'Brad Pitt.' He specializes in short fantasy fiction. His work has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, fiction365 and Enchanted Conversation among other markets. His ebook collection The New Death and others is now available from Amazon , Smashwords and Barnes & Noble . He blogs daily at Teleleli .

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License .

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 16,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook .

You can also find me today at Kaye Barley's Meanderings and Muses blog, talking about the pleasures of writing.

Enjoy your week!

Why Children's Publishing Needs Freelance Editors Now: http://bit.ly/MH6QEU @pubperspectives

Libraries See Budgets Drop: ALA Report: http://bit.ly/MH6XQN @galleycat

Finding Names that Capture Your Characters: http://bit.ly/MH6Zbu @diymfa

Can Writing in Multiple Genres Hurt Your Sales Potential? http://bit.ly/MH70fn @goblinwriter

Why The Deepest Lessons Take Time To Absorb: http://bit.ly/LXinOt @jmcaddell

7 Reasons to Quit Balking & Start Blogging: http://bit.ly/LXiNo0 @SoberBoots

How To Publish Your Book On The Kindle And iPad: http://bit.ly/LXiObw @bubblecow

Myths About Traditional Publishing: http://bit.ly/LXiQjL

5 Stages of Editing Grief: http://bit.ly/LXiRnN @LyndaRYoung

Self Published Authors are Amateurs – Or Not: http://bit.ly/LXiV6Y @passivevoiceblg

Your ebook is reading *you*: http://on.wsj.com/LXjiOQ @wsj

Writing in between: Too much God for the general market, not enough for the Christian market: http://bit.ly/LXjjCr @novelrocket

What Do We "Owe" New Writers? http://bit.ly/LHyqSb @jamigold

My interview on @JeffRutherford 's podcast covering my publishing story & thoughts on
various social media for promo: http://bit.ly/Kk5n8V

Plotting twists in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/M0qQOi @LauraHoward78 @HartJohnson

Find the magic in your everyday world to set your story apart: http://bit.ly/M0xkwH @LubaLesychyn

Why aren't more publishers embracing digital publishing innovations? http://bit.ly/MMzAgl @Porter_Anderson

The data-gathering power of digital formats--that writers/publishers can't access: http://bit.ly/MMBpKk @Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin

Should authors insist contracts stipulate library availability for ebooks? http://bit.ly/LAnXWj @Porter_Anderson @rachellegardner @naypinya

Messing up your story's denouement murders your characters: http://bit.ly/OfjiMr @p2p_editor

Richard Russo--still not putting his money where his mouth is: http://bit.ly/MYKxpX @Porter_Anderson @Canfield_AP @JDGsaid @jeffjohnroberts

Don't query until your book is done: http://bit.ly/LHyuS5 @behlerpublish

Even editors need an editor: http://bit.ly/LHyx02 @p2p_editor

To MFA or Not To MFA: http://bit.ly/LHyBgq @4YALit @diymfa

Blog tour tips: http://bit.ly/LHyHVj @kalayna

A useful resource for describing settings, emotions, shapes, textures, and more: http://bit.ly/eIGRMO @AngelaAckerman

The snowflake method's 10 step process for writing a novel: http://bit.ly/LHzA0b @bubblecow

Writing--when should you give it up? http://bit.ly/LHzEgb

How to blog a book of poetry: http://bit.ly/LHzGVl @NinaAmir

Adding a Sense of Place to Our Writing: http://bit.ly/LHzLs5

Creative Contagion: Setting Sparks, Catching Fire: http://bit.ly/LHzOnT @emilywenstrom

Blackmail App for Writers: http://bit.ly/LHzR2Y @JasonBoog

How to Maximize eBook Royalties and Minimize Hassles: http://bit.ly/LHzSnN @RayRhamey

Crafting Natural-Sounding Internal Thoughts: http://bit.ly/LHAgTh @Janice_Hardy

How to write a scary scene: http://bit.ly/LHAlpT @stdennard

The Power of a Deadline...The Importance of a Goal: http://bit.ly/LHAolF

Author Blogging 101: Keyword Basics: http://bit.ly/LHAsBI @JFBookman

Writing Great Characters: http://bit.ly/LHAtpj @mooderino

Parenthetical Punctuation: http://bit.ly/LHAx8v @writing_tips

Zen and the Art of GoodReads: http://bit.ly/NPf3nd @blurbisaverb

Publishing Options: Knowing the Best Choice: http://bit.ly/NPf7DD @behlerpublish

For literary inspiration follow @AdviceToWriters. Jon Winokur dispenses writerly wisdom of the ages.

20 quotations on writing: http://bit.ly/NPfdeo @rebeccaschinsky

Finding The Character Within: http://bit.ly/NPfii3 @KateMessner

Yeah, e-books are great — but libraries are in a tough spot: http://bit.ly/NPfy0L @laurahazardowen

5 Critical Things to Make a YA Story Stand Out: http://bit.ly/Mgv61Z @nelsaroberto

Who will care about what we've written? http://bit.ly/O3tzLD @dirtywhitecandy

How to create an animated ebook cover: http://bit.ly/O3tGXv @KSAugustin

Writing Highly Intelligent Characters and Points-of-View: http://bit.ly/O3ugEP

Tips for freshening up your character descriptions: http://bit.ly/O3uBas @MargieLawson

4 Keys to Writing Un-Put-Down-Able Middle Grade Adventure: http://bit.ly/O3uM5E @ChuckSambuchino

6 standard types of antagonists and their uses: http://bit.ly/O3v50c @RachelLarow

10 tips for self-editing: http://bit.ly/O3veAM @bubblecow

How Content Analysis Makes Your Book Engaging to the Reader: http://bit.ly/O3vno5

Too Much Interior Monologue? http://bit.ly/O3vsIb @Janice_Hardy

Twitter marketing for authors who don't get it: http://bit.ly/O3vAYc @LauraPepWu

72 great quotations on writing: http://bit.ly/O3xoR9 @writersdigest

How to Create a Different Kind of Antagonist: http://bit.ly/O3y2hB

Are You Writing Your Novel Too Fast? http://bit.ly/O3y5d5 @KMWeiland

Inspiration and the "Yeah, but…": http://bit.ly/LYKZXu @March_Mia

Resources & Thoughts On Character Naming: http://bit.ly/LYL6lQ @BryanThomasS

5 Reasons To Build Your Writer Platform: http://bit.ly/MKTZS2 @chucksambuchino

What Is The Best Genre To Write If You Want To Get Published? http://bit.ly/LYL8KF @bubblecow

16 Tips on How to Survive and Thrive as a Writer: http://bit.ly/LYL9yf @livewritethrive

How agents choose the best publisher for a project: http://bit.ly/LYLdxL @rachellegardner

Writing Scenes That Work: http://bit.ly/LYLhhh @storyfix

11 reasons writers get rejected--and why only 3 of them matter: http://bit.ly/LYLocp @annerallen @ruthharrisbooks

Are You Telegraphing Your Plot? http://bit.ly/LYLqRL @Janice_Hardy

10 Quick Tips to Get Your Manuscript Ready for Self-Publication: http://bit.ly/LYLuRu @JFBookman

Choosing Your Point of View: http://bit.ly/LP3ktT @Janice_Hardy @DonnaGalanti

Winning over an editor – using comparisons to prove your book's raison d'être: http://bit.ly/LP3rFV @behlerpublish

How to Get Rid of Writer's Block, Pixar Style: http://bit.ly/LP3tgP @joebunting

Writing--Fighting Distractions: http://bit.ly/LP3zoT @JillKemerer

One Reason Your Blog Posts Aren't Getting Any Comments: http://bit.ly/LP3L7A @pushingsocial

Tips for writing like a pro: http://bit.ly/LP3MIv @ava_jae

4 Query Resources: http://bit.ly/LP3O36 @sierragodfrey

Proofreading Marks You're Unlikely to See from Your Editor: http://bit.ly/LP3S2Y @fuelyourwriting

Using Dialogue Tags and Punctuation Properly: http://bit.ly/LP3TUp @CMKaufman

5 Common Writing Mistakes That Bloggers Make – and How to Fix Them: http://bit.ly/LP3Yrb

Facing the dreaded 2nd draft: http://bit.ly/LP4kyc

Making Heroes Heroic–Why Flaws are Important: http://bit.ly/LP5rh8 @KristenLambTX

How to be a bloody awful writer: http://bit.ly/LP6ei9 @jammer0501

The New World of Publishing: Book Pricing from Another Perspective: http://bit.ly/LP6xto @deanwesleysmith

Write from your specialty: http://bit.ly/LP6CNO @JulietteWade

For Those Who Fear Failing As a Writer: http://bit.ly/LP6Rsc @krissybrady

3 Things to Look for in a Critique Community: http://bit.ly/LP6Vbl @diymfa

Unusual Inspiration: Character Arcs Made Easy: http://bit.ly/LP71Q8 @FaeRowen

Unusual Inspiration: Character Arcs Made Easy: http://bit.ly/LP71Q8 @FaeRowen

20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book: http://bit.ly/LPagHq @jodyhedlund

The 13 Trickiest Grammar Hang-Ups: http://bit.ly/LPasXg @GrammarGirl

Should You Send Your Book To An Agent Before It's Finished? http://bit.ly/LYbMBC @bubblecow

Author Visits by Skype: http://bit.ly/LYbQ4x

1 trad. published author's self-pubbed adventure (with Create Space): http://bit.ly/LYbVFg @junglereds @rosemaryharris1

The Best #BadWritingTips: http://bit.ly/LYbWZO @rebeccaschinsky

Twitter abuse: Gain followers the right way: http://bit.ly/LYc77o @rebeccaberto

3 productivity tricks: http://bit.ly/LYc8bI

5 Things Mad Men Can Teach You About Publishing: http://bit.ly/LYcfE5

Use S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to improve your writing: http://bit.ly/LYce2P

Crafting Multi-Layered Characters: http://bit.ly/LYchMc @4YALit

Grammar: Neither, nor, or: http://bit.ly/LYcyyM @howtowriteshop

Using beats in a scene: http://bit.ly/LYcChQ

3 Tips for Writing Heavy Emotional Scenes: http://bit.ly/LYcCP5 @JamiGold

How to Tackle Critique Notes: http://bit.ly/LYcIWH @CarleenBrice

Writing 2 books at once: http://bit.ly/LYcI9h @PBRWriter

5 Elements of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/LYd283 @joebunting

Critique vs. Discussion: What Kind of Feedback Do You Need? http://bit.ly/LYd5Rf @DIYMFA

If You Only Learn From Writers, You're Doing It Wrong: http://bit.ly/LYd3ZH @fuelyourwriting

Free Writing & Self-Publishing Tools: http://bit.ly/QTT5TC @duolit

That--frequently a needless filler word: http://bit.ly/QTToxz @KMWeiland

Tips for making a book trailer: http://bit.ly/QTTF3A @beth_barany

Differing approaches to worldbuilding: http://bit.ly/QTUcTb @litreactor @rajanyk

Parallels in Music & Writing: http://bit.ly/QTUxFA @christi_craig

Writing endings with readers in mind: http://bit.ly/MNsRSs

Using the past to inspire fiction--historical instances of cannibalism: http://bit.ly/MNt7kg @genelempp

7 Ways to Intensify Crisis Scenes: http://bit.ly/MNtbAJ

Functions Determine Plot: http://bit.ly/MNtsUk @fictionnotes

How long until you follow up on a query? http://bit.ly/MNtz1X @nicolamorgan

Can You Plagiarize Yourself? Conversations about Copyright: http://bit.ly/MNtBXV @fictionnotes

Methods of engaging your readers online: http://bit.ly/MNtJGJ @duolit

The Art and Power Of Interviews: http://bit.ly/MNtPye @BarbaraOneal

How to Write Productively: http://bit.ly/MNtSKo @FriesenPress

How to Spot Mary Sue in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/QUwrdy @ava_jae

Choosing the Road Less Taken (With Your Characters): http://bit.ly/QUwFl0 @Kris10Callihan @janice_hardy

Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers: http://bit.ly/QUwNRs @jasonboog @galleycat

The end of ebook development: http://bit.ly/QUwYwd @passivevoiceblg

Creating emotional resonance in your final scenes: http://bit.ly/QUx7Qr

Are you undervaluing your book? http://bit.ly/QUxkD8 @behlerpublish

Men Still Dominate Bylines And Book Titles: http://bit.ly/QUxOsL @litreactor @dave_reuss

How To Write A Successful Book Proposal: http://bit.ly/QUxY3B @bubblecow

Narcissism in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/NfhHDR @clarissadraper

Top 10 fairy fictions: http://bit.ly/NfkEEl @guardianbooks

DRM encourages a community of pirates: http://t.co/UcuJnBOr @Porter_Anderson @jwikert @fakebaldur @timoreilly

What Characters Hold You Captive? Guest Post by Susan Russo Anderson

by Susan Russo Anderson, @SusanRussoAnder

Sometimes my brain feels like the Chelsea Hotel.

Thanks to the many good books I’ve been fortunate to read, unusual types live inside me and this post is about them—the characters that some authors create so vividly that, from time to time, they pop into my head, altered from their originals to be sure, but able to move in two or three places at once and very much alive in my memory.

Here are some that haunt me today:

Gemma James in the KINKAID/JAMES mystery series by Deborah Crombie. Not short, not tall, the slightly anxious mom, woman, and detective, Gemma James, walks with a deliberate gait and/or drives in traffic or flares up at her partner, or puts criminals at ease or is busy being mesmerized by another character. Wisps of her copper hair fly. Ivan in DEATH IN A WINE DARK SEA by Lisa Davis. Ivan pirouettes in my head, this great, unwashed character: “He pulled his shirt up over his barrel chest, showing weathered, hairy skin as he turned in a circle. Generous love handles spilled over his belt.” But he also drives his boat, knocks on the door, twirls, scares, smiles so that the skin crinkles around his eyes and he forgets the gun in his hand.
Marcel’s grandmother In SEARCH OF LOST TIME by Marcel Proust. Marcel’s grandmother sits at the far end of the Piazza San Marco, shaded from the sun by her heavily-veiled hat. Still and still moving, she glides in her garden in Cambray, pace stately, dress flowing. Her head is slightly upturned. She is mute, large and sad, like lost time.
Gil Hodges (really) in MATINICUS, AN ISLAND MYSTERY by Darcy Scott. I’ve just begun reading this book so Gil Hodges is the new kid on the block. But he’s such a larger-than-life character that he’s entered my head already, swilling his beer, gulping his pie, sitting up in bed on a dark night, listening, waiting, scared.
The possum (no name) in “The Third Pile,” an achingly sad character in a short story by Ken Brosky. In my head the possum sniffs the road on a moonless night, searching for its lost child.

These characters occupy only one wing of my mind. They rub elbows with Anna Karenina, Dilsey, Augie March, Shurlock John, Judge Deborah, Jack Reacher, Sarah Berg, the white rabbit, and Dalziel, to name a few.

I could go on and on, but I’d rather read your comments about the characters that live inside of you. Why do some characters hold you captive? What makes them memorable?

Susan Russo Anderson is a writer, a mother, a grandmother, a widow, a member of Sisters In Crime. She’s taught language arts and creative writing, worked for a publisher, an airline, an opera company. In between writing, revising, and editing, she blogs and reviews books.

DEATH OF A SERPENT, the first in the Serafina Florio series, published January 2012. She just published NO MORE BROTHERS, a novella, the second in the Serafina Florio series and is working on the third Serafina book, DEATH IN BAGHERIA.