Riley Adams's Blog, page 186
November 26, 2011
Twitterific
Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.
The Writer's Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 12,000) searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web's best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .
In big news this week, my writing and computer programming friend Mike Fleming has launched his Hiveword Novel Writing Software! To check out what it's all about, just click here. For an interview with Mike on Krissy Brady's blog, just hop over here. Congratulations to Mike!!
Why Writers Must Read: http://bit.ly/tJ585H @Ava_Jae
Making Connections: Buses, Weaving and Poetry: http://bit.ly/vLq1J8 @sueorton
5 Reasons to Use Social Bookmarking to Promote Your Blog: http://bit.ly/uBNPAt @blogherald
How To Focus Amidst Background Static And Ghost Channels: http://bit.ly/umRuh3 @coachcreative
Layering Complexity,Texture &Theme Using Subplots, Secondary Characters,& Villains: http://bit.ly/s33IUT @RobinPerini @MireyahWolfe
Generating Story 4: The Story Setup: http://bit.ly/tNt86X @authorjohnbrown
10 tools to keep your writing fresh: http://bit.ly/uqvxAA @novelpublicity
Writing and age: http://bit.ly/uSIDi8 @HopeClark
How to format your manuscript: http://bit.ly/thUwa0 @LaurenClark_Bks
Thoughts on Convention Panels: http://bit.ly/rrPGLz @jimchines
5 Absolute Essentials for Making It as a Copywriter: http://bit.ly/rEAkIu @TiceWrites
On running gags in our stories: http://bit.ly/v2s2u4 @lydia_sharp
3 Crucial Aspects of Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/snR5ur @VictoriaMixon
How to be professional as a writer: http://bit.ly/tlwavP @nicolamorgan
Amazon Reader Reviews: 12 Things Everybody and His Grandmother Needs to Know: http://bit.ly/tGKwQw @AnneRAllen
6 Steps to Building a Strong Team for your Writing Career: http://bit.ly/v5NRHY @LyndaRYoung
An agent advises us to make a holiday writing plan: http://bit.ly/tHV4If @RachelleGardner
Author Blogging 101: Blog Design: http://bit.ly/ugTRSc @JFBookman
Volume is important. Pace counts. http://bit.ly/u6Trqm @StoryFix
NaNoWriMo Tip: Fill Out a Character Chart: http://bit.ly/vZNH3g @GalleyCat
The refusal of the hero's call to action: http://bit.ly/tP9het @TheresaStevens
3 perfect gifts for writers: http://bit.ly/spLh5w @BookEmDonna
Spacing books in a series: http://bit.ly/u5SUhx
An Open Letter to Simon and Schuster CEO: http://bit.ly/tg861A via @PassiveVoiceBlg
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Plagiarist: http://bit.ly/v0tXcQ @scholarlykitchn
Too much tech? 7 authors respond: http://bit.ly/sWKIXS @junglereds
Dealing with criticism: http://bit.ly/sGUEjB @BryanThomasS
Too Many Facebook Friends: Blessing or Curse? http://bit.ly/tcvWN6 @JaneFriedman
50 Handy Expressions About Hands: http://bit.ly/rIqcQK
Why 1 writer/editor sought certification: http://bit.ly/uRFE8M @Eliz_Humphrey
4 Reasons to Mimic the Masters—and 3 Reasons Not to: http://bit.ly/rTx9hX @KMWeiland
Breaking in, Breaking out, Dropping out of Publishing: http://bit.ly/tQMkbk @sarahahoyt
Setting up the punchline: http://bit.ly/tvLx6n @TheresaStevens
A Selfpubber's Morning: http://bit.ly/vF5sRI? @gerarddemarigny
5 Scriptwriting Tips that Will Make Any Story Better: http://bit.ly/rXSEX4 @LiaLondon1 for @JeffGoins
5 nontraditional publishing models from around the world: http://bit.ly/voS43H @artsylliu
There Are Suckers Born Every Minute and They Are Writers: http://bit.ly/vuRjNm @DeanWesleySmith
Indie publishing isn't for people who couldn't get published. It's for people who could. http://bit.ly/u8h6dA @DirtyWhiteCandy
Self-Published Authors Invited to the Kindle Owners Lending Library: http://bit.ly/sLmUNE @PassiveVoiceBlg
Hearing Voices? Maybe You're a Writer: http://bit.ly/s5FaCZ @2KoP for @writeitsideways
Ads for ebooks – are they worth it? http://bit.ly/uAtqqZ @HowToWriteShop
Why querying isn't a popularity contest: http://bit.ly/uD51lZ @sierragodfrey
How to Hold a Google+ Hangout and Why You Should: http://bit.ly/rNTjcN @smexaminer
Freelancers: 5 ways to sell more articles by being yourself: http://bit.ly/u21E1V @lformichelli
100 Questions to Help You Write, Publish, and Sell Your Ebook: http://bit.ly/sHtlhS @lifehackorg
Why Daydreamers are More Creative: http://bit.ly/tS43kW @sbkaufman for @creativitypost
Will Neuroscience Kill the Novel? http://bit.ly/szd6aN @bigthink
The going rate for freelancing: http://bit.ly/u4sP1T @TiceWrites
Google Alerts for Authors: http://bit.ly/scyLJc @CuriosityQuills
6 key writing lessons a writer learned from horses: http://bit.ly/uixN49
Defining success in publishing: http://bit.ly/vJYUtC @fingers_murphy
Living the stuff of novels: the ghostwriter's lot: http://bit.ly/rMUgPy @dirtywhitecandy
5 Subplot Blunders to Avoid: http://bit.ly/sd12xT @LynnetteLabelle
Revising Away From The Computer: http://bit.ly/tRcvDV @YAHighway
Do you suffer from one of these maladies? http://bit.ly/up1SDY @NathanBransford
Your book...2nd and 3rd acts: http://bit.ly/vBYfhz @AlexSokoloff
A Social Media Survival Guide: http://bit.ly/u6hyMd @jennreese for @RLLaFevers
For some kids, a book is just an iPad that doesn't work: http://bit.ly/snV91L @ivortossell for @globeandmail
How to Write a Blog Post About Writing: http://bit.ly/szHfBV Dell Smith for @BTMargins
Plotting Through "What's Next?" http://bit.ly/uCun8D @Janice_Hardy
Applied Description: http://bit.ly/u710RN @author_sullivan
How blogging can help an aspiring writer: http://bit.ly/sCylL2 @nickdaws
Write with the door closed, edit with the door closed and open: http://bit.ly/sBrS0X @eMergentPublish
Writing SF&F military: rank and rank systems: http://bit.ly/ulq9qE
A series on Goodreads promo: http://bit.ly/tdWcdR , http://bit.ly/uxbH6Z , http://bit.ly/uYvYtD , http://bit.ly/vNd5h4 @rsullivan9597
When do readers trust you? http://bit.ly/tzJGvH @HopeClark
Prompts for creating conflict in a scene: http://bit.ly/sWCb4C @DeeWhiteAuthor
Why 1 writer is keeping his agent: http://bit.ly/tFDVpx @jimchines
Stephen King, James Frey nominated for Bad Sex awards: http://tgr.ph/usOPtD @TelegraphBooks
The bus route of a writer: http://bit.ly/teBIyZ @sherrinda
5 Important Tips for Building a Strong Brand: http://bit.ly/sB4ZAW @JeffGoins
Back up your work: http://bit.ly/uf0n8N @mistymassey
6 Common Writing Excuses (And How to Overcome Them): http://bit.ly/rDfbaA @aliventures)
Writing a Selling Query or Pitch in 4 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/sRTVta @elle_strauss for @Janice_Hardy
The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers: http://bit.ly/viggLT @JamiGold
So, You Want a Book Blogger to Review Your Ebook…: http://bit.ly/vwmxRk @topshelfebooks for @GoblinWriter
4 Reasons for writers to be thankful: http://bit.ly/sufzqG @JulieMusil
Use the Symbolitron: NaNoWriMo Tip: http://bit.ly/tZt3rL @GalleyCat
Are Zombies Truly the Harbinger of Genre Crossover? http://bit.ly/vGvDvD @ryancbritt for @tordotcom
Does Sentence Structure Affect Tone? http://bit.ly/tQjPcQ
Online "Best of 2011" Book Lists: http://bit.ly/thP1BL @largeheartedboy #books
Publicity: Soul Crushing or Life Affirming? http://bit.ly/tjlH1k @thebirdsisters
How to Build a Blog Following From the Ground Up: http://bit.ly/s5gba5 @JodyHedlund
13 ways to begin a novel: http://bit.ly/sVgfDo @gripemaster
Serial Fiction With Author Entrepreneur Sean Platt: http://bit.ly/uQ92rN @SeanPlatt for @TheCreativePenn
A profanity-laden shotgun blast of smart advice from @ChuckWendig: 25 reasons readers stop reading your story: http://bit.ly/rRPy2u
Tension or frustration? http://bit.ly/sYspND @KatieGanshert
Stimulus and Response: The Writer's Path through Story: http://bit.ly/vZCglT @4kidlit
Twitter: "Social Media," not "Pyramid Marketing Scheme for Your eBook": http://bit.ly/tWoURZ @GeoffreyCubbage
Balancing the Scenes that Make Up Your Novel: http://bit.ly/uLnYdV @KristenLambTX
1 writer's screenwriting process: http://bit.ly/tJJyGm
8 Steps to Hosting a Successful Twitter Chat: http://bit.ly/vTkGBa @hubspot
Screenwriting : ratcheting up the tension using parallel stories: http://bit.ly/suW3MW @jacobkrueger
Suspension of disbelief in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/uz0GNG @mkinberg
Writing Like A Lawyer: http://bit.ly/ueCjyw @inarascott for @4KidLit
How to Launch a Writers Group: 6 Pieces of Advice: http://bit.ly/vvvEkH @JeffGoins
Authors are the gatekeepers now, but must do 10 things to succeed: http://bit.ly/t8d2jN @Bob_Mayer
5 tips for compelling back cover copy: http://bit.ly/vn58wm @amywilkins
Affect vs. Effect: http://bit.ly/uSPEXJ
Beware of praise: http://bit.ly/rMEbIn @nicolamorgan
Literary Agents and Conflicts of Interest – A Compendium: http://bit.ly/tQmT8R @PassiveVoiceBlg
Filtered perspectives: http://bit.ly/t9OTtk @RavenRequiem13
Library ebooks, Book Country, dead girls & more--this week's news from @Porter_Anderson for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/uA0I94
3 Easy Steps to Critique a Friend's Poem: http://bit.ly/sNNgtA @write_practice
How to Describe Your Characters—and How Not to: http://bit.ly/tp1Ksl @KMWeiland
How music played into 1 writer's manuscript: http://bit.ly/vVAZFj @erikamarksauthr for @BYROZMORRIS
Sudoku for Writers: http://bit.ly/s3sNdj @BTMargins
Should Christian authors write edgy? http://bit.ly/tf05th @slamballonbooks
3 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for Published Authorhood: http://bit.ly/tce0qc @RoniLoren
Use a spreadsheet to help organize your writing: http://bit.ly/tuAISX @GalleyCat
1 screenwriter's writing process and software: http://bit.ly/toip01 @johnaugust #screenwriting
A good kind of reader manipulation: http://bit.ly/v7rYPX @jeanniecampbell
Fanfiction can be an eloquent tribute – it deserves more respect: http://bit.ly/s2sajA @mathildia
20 Types and Forms of Humor: http://bit.ly/sT54P8
Writing a Marketable Superhero Novel: http://bit.ly/v4lXpp
Platform and Social Media Must Not Be Your Center: http://bit.ly/rv99wI @thewritermama for @JaneFriedman
5 Online Distraction-Busters for Writers: http://bit.ly/vINxPD @krissybrady for @writeitsideways
Don't sign dumb contracts: http://bit.ly/s2NAi9 @PassiveVoiceBlg
Black Friday: Writing Style: http://bit.ly/siMlSn
How to be a genius (or just look like one): http://bit.ly/vx8S1B @justinemusk
The Critical Aspects of Digital Publishing: http://bit.ly/uhXr20 @barryeisler
4 Steps For Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel: http://bit.ly/vfI5sY @JodyHedlund
Disney parents--dead mothers & absent fathers: http://bit.ly/vMQtQi @FantasyFaction
The Dangers of Outsourcing Your Freelance Work: http://bit.ly/vGSmf7 @fuelyourwriting
Top 5 Writing Tips the Grinch Stole: http://bit.ly/vpWK3L
Habits that Lead to Creative Writing Discoveries: http://bit.ly/tsMlEX @Musesland
Understanding Heroes: http://bit.ly/rJucyr @TheresaStevens
10 Modes of Modifiers: http://bit.ly/uAY8Lv
Hiveword Novel Writing Software Launched: http://bit.ly/ukwM6f @Hiveword
Can Search Engine Optimization Help You Sell More Books? http://bit.ly/thYqT9 @TheCreativePenn
How to make your own book trailer: http://bit.ly/vpMx8P @BubbleCow
40 Synonyms for Praise: http://bit.ly/vkwqjM
Remember the agent-writer relationship is a business arrangement: http://bit.ly/w0EelM @PassiveVoiceBlg
1 Author's Writing Path: http://bit.ly/vCaqRl @Storyfix
1 writer's scriptwriting process: http://bit.ly/u2pJvx #screenwriting
The Psychology of Attraction: The Intertwining of Sex and Aggression: http://bit.ly/s24aDt @lkblackburne
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Prologue Work? http://bit.ly/tKrBFn @Janice_Hardy
An exclusive on slush? 1 agent's response: http://bit.ly/rK56FS @literaticat
The 10 Secrets to Making a Spellbinding Video Trailer for Your Next Blog, Book, or Product Launch: http://bit.ly/sxbhBX @problogger
When do you need an editor? http://bit.ly/sjpo48
Best articles this week for writers: http://bit.ly/uDrxv9 @4kidlit
Write with fire: http://bit.ly/syfsL2 @NovelEditor
Designing our scenes: http://bit.ly/uEE5rs
Try communal world-building: http://bit.ly/vc0E2d @galleycat
When Does a Writer Become a Writer? http://bit.ly/tMQHqZ @TheAtlantic
A Creative Space of Your Own: http://bit.ly/v8BCfi @KateArmsRoberts
Cozy mysteries--what they are, how they fit into crime fiction: http://bit.ly/sccpig @mkinberg
The 50 Greatest Moments in Comics: http://bit.ly/tepP4m
Writers and traditional publishers: http://bit.ly/sqXjfy
Writers and traditional publishers: http://bit.ly/sqXjfy
The Low Cost of Books: http://bit.ly/vMaZTK @randysusanmeyer
Hiveword Is Here! An Interview with Creator Mike Fleming: http://bit.ly/rSCMqG @Hiveword
Striking a Balance in a Cozy Mystery
If you're a traditional/cozy writer or reader, I hope you'll join me over at Margot Kinberg's Confessions of a Mystery Novelist. I'm posting some ideas on striking a balance between the needs of cozy mysteries and the elements of crime fiction. Thanks!
November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I'm thankful for all of you!
If you're looking for something to read, I'm over at the Writers Read blog, talking about one of the last books I read (and I think you'll enjoy it…as long as you don't mind being scared!)
I'll be at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist on Friday after 3:00 p.m. ET.
Thanks!
November 23, 2011
Local Promo
First of all, I want to thank Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at The Bookshelf Muse for giving me the opportunity to give away one of their insightful 1000 word critiques (and for honoring me as a writing hero!) The randomly-chosen winner of the critique is Rosalyn! Thanks to everyone who entered. :)
Local promotion is an aspect of marketing that I usual
ly neglect.
I doubt I'm the only one, either. I've talked to plenty of writers who don't enjoy book signings, giving book talks, or doing interviews. And it's true that doing local promo means that you're deliberately drawing attention to yourself among people you know.
I feel the same way. But I've also found that when I do local promo, it leads to a spike in sales.
Recently I spoke to a local service organization. Actually, it wasn't even originally my idea—my North Carolina writer friend Diane Wolfe had needed to cancel and suggested that I fill in.
The talk went really well. It was a great group of people, I had a nice time. I thanked them for letting me come, left, and didn't think anymore about it.
Until a week later. I was at a church class and one of the ladies there made an announcement before the class started. "I know something about Elizabeth."
Of course, I knew what she had to mean---there's nothing else about me that's particularly interesting. But I had no idea how she knew.
Sure enough, her husband had been in attendance at my talk. And the organization had also sent out an email newsletter about my visit, with a bio and my books mentioned.
And you know, everyone in the class seemed really interested. They even jotted down my pen name and some book titles. They, of course, asked why I'd never mentioned it before (I've been in the class a couple of years, at least).
But writing is frequently something that doesn't come up in conversation. Which is a good reason why we should keep doing these kinds of events.
We should also interview or suggest stories to our local paper—and the more local the paper is, the better. Does your town have one of those free, weekly newspapers? Target them, for sure. I've found they've got a great readership. Who knew?
Don't forget your alumni magazine, either. I'm not one to talk, because I did forget it, but a professor at my college somehow made the connection between me and the school and put an article in the magazine. Soon I had old college friends emailing me that they'd bought some of my books. And the college asked me to talk to the English classes there in March.
I'm writing this post as a reminder to me, too—do local promo. Even if it makes me uncomfortable.
Do you do signings, lectures, or interviews locally? How has that worked for you?
Hope my American friends have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! And just a note that I'll be a Margot Kinberg's blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, on Friday, talking about cozy mysteries.
November 20, 2011
Spacing Books
I recently found out that I'll be writing a fourth Memphis Barbeque book. Good news! I'm really excited about spending more time with Lulu.
The tricky part was figuring out when I can deliver the manuscript to Penguin.
I've got the second book for the Southern Quilting series due in May (book one, Quilt or Innocence debuts in June 2012).
I also have a project I was working on independently. Let's just say that that's the one that's now been put off until probably late summer of next year.
I've found that I can comfortably write three books a year. That's just without me completely freaking out about deadlines and promo.
I was a little nervous about setting a deadline for the Memphis book that was too close to the Quilting series book. Although in that amount of time, I should be able to write a couple of books, sometimes life (holidays, kids, boring-but-essential stuff) knocks me a little off-track.
My editor for the Memphis series brought up a very good point to my agent—production time. Production time is really what's trouble in publishing. There's marketing and covers and catalogs and it all takes time. Usually, it takes about a year.
So I just had a release November 1, which was the third book in the Memphis Barbeque series. If I turned the book over to Penguin in, let's say, October 2012 (which would be a piece of cake for me to make) …it would be another year for the book to launch. An October 2013 release…and the last book came out November 2011. Nearly two years between books. No. Not a good idea.
Obviously, keeping that in mind, I bumped up the time that I agreed to deliver it by. And I'm hoping that I can hand it in earlier than I'm contracted for because I immediately got what seemed like a really solid idea for the book and several different angles to work the mystery. In fact, I started making some real progress on it and had to stop and switch back to the other book (which is due first.)
On the reader end of things, lag time between books can be frustrating. My son was fussing about one of his favorite authors who is writing two series at once and how long it was between his releases. "Can't he write faster?" he complained.
It made me wince. I explained to him that an author can write really quickly and still have a long period of time between books, especially if he had more than one series. There's such a thing as quality control, too—we can't just spit these things out.
But then my mother pointed out that I just released a Myrtle Clover book, myself…the first one since 2009. That was a two-year gap, too. Sales have been brisk for Progressive Dinner Deadly, but—I believe most of the readers are new to the series. In fact, I've noticed a decided uptick in the sales for the 2009 Pretty is as Pretty Dies as a result.
I think I've come to the conclusion that you might sacrifice some of your old readers if you have too much space between books…although, with the right promotion, you may pick up new readers willing to read the books out of order.
With that in mind, I think it must be very important to write books as stand-alones if you're going to have long spaces between them. The spacing with the next Memphis book won't be that long, but I'm still planning to make sure no one gets completely lost when they read it.
How far apart do you space your books? As a reader, when do you start looking for a new release in a favorite series?
Please remember I'm giving away a 1000-word critique from The Bookshelf Muse. Just send an email to me at elizabethspanncraig (at)gmail (dot) com with "contest" in the subject to enter. Entries accepted through November 21. The randomly-chosen winner will be announced here November 22. Thanks, Angela and Becca!}
November 19, 2011
Twitterific
by @elizabethscraig
![Terry3_thumb[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v68WnMKHlKQ/TUTKuXG5ThI/AAAAAAAACR4/_dcBJHIyjiA/s1600-h/Terry3_thumb%5B1%5D%5B160%5D.png)
Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.
The Writer's Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 12,000) searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web's best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .
A Storytelling Life: http://bit.ly/so13Q5 @canteenmag
There are no guarantees in writing. Be confident anyway: http://bit.ly/sryDGG @HopeClark
An agent on authors and book piracy: http://bit.ly/w4cyKw @RachelleGardner
On avoiding stereotypes in our writing: http://bit.ly/t01kNz
Tying the pieces of a chapter together: http://bit.ly/ugsgQD @JulietteWade
The Benefit of Selling at Craft Fairs: http://bit.ly/uBBNes
6 Meta Tips for Book Marketing Success: http://bit.ly/vhj7Qe @JFBookman
20 Synonyms for "Expert": http://bit.ly/urj4TT
Ideas For Authors Stuck on Superhero Names: http://bit.ly/voWv4Z
1 writer's favorite opening lines in SF and Fantasy: http://bit.ly/uqxpg1 @amsmibert
Brontëmania: Why the three sisters are bigger than ever: http://ind.pn/tkJzgO (The Independent)
Weekly roundup of links for historical writers by @2nerdyhistgirls: http://bit.ly/s6qnuE
Freelancer's Survival Guide--Giving up on Yourself: http://bit.ly/vQqtvK
Concise Internet Marketing Basics for Authors: http://bit.ly/u4Nx1E @ianirvineauthor
New entry on the character trait thesaurus: independent: http://bit.ly/sysPVM @AngelaAckerman
Go Farther, Faster, By Limiting Your View To Three Steps Ahead: http://bit.ly/vFymdI
95% of All Authors Will Never Indie Publish: http://bit.ly/s0Duhi @DeanWesleySmith
How Do You Know Which Rules to Break? http://bit.ly/uXvU37 @KMWeiland
Why you should submit your best blog posts as guest posts: http://bit.ly/w1Esuq @problogger
The Elevator Pitch: A Guide for an Internet without Elevators: http://bit.ly/rrE39m @GoodInkInc
11 NaNoWriMo Books That Have Been Published: http://bit.ly/rsvzTP
5 Ways To Self-Publish Your Way To Your Own "Cottage Industry": http://bit.ly/unOMLT @bradvertrees
Making our fiction more authentic: http://bit.ly/vVWf55 @Janice_Hardy
5 tips for writing what you don't know: http://bit.ly/u3itr5 @stephbowe
Freelancers: 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Job Queries: http://bit.ly/s2ZG82 @freelancewj
An editor states that too many modern novels are assembled for a market: http://bit.ly/uns6dQ @guardian
The Business of Screenwriting: Weather vanes: http://bit.ly/rAKvWG @GoIntoTheStory
NaNoWriMo: Resistance: http://bit.ly/thbKKT
Losing Control of Your Books: http://bit.ly/tMBcPG @PassiveVoiceBlg
Treating the Pain of Rejection: http://bit.ly/sanRZ0 @AshKrafton
D-I-Y Publishing—New Tricks for an Old Dog: http://bit.ly/rAQxQJ @LawrenceBlock for @AnneRAllen
Why confidence is so important for writers: http://bit.ly/v1mXX7
A checklist for deep POV (in 1st or 3rd person): http://bit.ly/uN0y5R @JulietteWade
A synopsis critique: http://bit.ly/upr6az @nicolamorgan
An Agent on Query Personalization: http://bit.ly/tR30HX @Kid_Lit
3 tools for curation: http://bit.ly/rvu8Kp @JaneFriedman
How To Get Published In A Magazine: http://bit.ly/vDlr14 @mrsionsmith for @BubbleCow
The Value of Professional Copyediting: http://bit.ly/urLL0k @magicalwords
Writing Fantasy Gender Stereotypes: Writing the Opposite Gender: http://bit.ly/uJMLVR @FantasyFaction
Comparing E-Readers And E-Reader/Tablets: Kindles, Nooks, Sony, Kobo: http://bit.ly/vdIZs1 @sdkstl
3 Good Things About Writing Part-Time: http://bit.ly/utzugK @BookEmDonna
The Art of Staying Sane: http://bit.ly/rEkWRF
Confessions of a NaNo Newbie: http://bit.ly/uE0r8r @RC_Lewis
A cheat sheet for writers: http://bit.ly/sKlXLW @peter_halasz @litdrift
Why Developers Are Interested in Kindle Fire and What It Could Mean for Publishers: http://bit.ly/tscByv @JDGreenGrass
10 Famous Literary Characters and Their Real-Life Inspirations (The Atlantic): http://bit.ly/tIGVY3 @flavorpill
A writer rails against a dialogue rule: http://bit.ly/uKvF0R
3 Vital Steps to Creating Your Protagonist for NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/rVXrwC @VictoriaMixon
Goal Setting For You And Your Characters: http://bit.ly/rtfTrK @plotwhisperer for @thecreativepenn
What you have to (un)learn to be a writer: http://bit.ly/tSTy8z @jammer0501
The importance of adjustable writing goals: http://bit.ly/tD6dAq @DeeScribe
Best 11 Free Online ePub Converters: http://bit.ly/sJ3EDD @FreeNuts
Cover Trends in YA Fiction: Why the Obsession with an Elegant Death? http://bit.ly/sVmNLR @syntactics
Risky Business: Forces of Nature, Acts of God, and Other Reasons a Book Can Flop: http://bit.ly/tP53am @syntactics
An agent on confusing agent behavior: http://bit.ly/rOkkIg @RachelleGardner
A reminder to look at cliches in our writing: http://bit.ly/rqeiML @GalleyCat
Self-Publishing Strategies in 18 Slides: http://bit.ly/uZXraO @JFBookman
Whether to Use "Whether" or "If": http://bit.ly/sugtry
More on Criticism, Confusion and NaNoWriMo Nausea: http://bit.ly/rJHRyN @storyfix
Searching for the formula to deliver illustrated books as ebooks: http://bit.ly/vdfcww @MikeShatzkin
Write the Right Dialogue And Dialect Into Your Women's Fiction: http://bit.ly/v0jdKM @AmySueNathan
Why readers may hate indie writers: http://bit.ly/sBxqsq @HickeyWriter
Build or Boost Your Author Platform by Reviewing: http://bit.ly/uicc5B @JanetBoyer
Tips for good author blogs and things to avoid: http://bit.ly/tk0wYL @SharlaWrites
5 Steps for Completing Character Arcs: http://bit.ly/uA9sDB @keligwyn
Dual monitors-- writing in a parallel universe: http://bit.ly/vgupzz @junglereds
20 tips for approaching agents and editors: http://bit.ly/ty8ZgJ @nicolamorgan
Using public domain characters in our writing: http://bit.ly/tI7sXa @fuelyourwriting
Writing Lessons from a Mannequin: Building Character: http://bit.ly/urJEaq @catewoods for @WriteAngleBlog
SEO Tips for Your Author Website or Blog: http://bit.ly/uZ4Lzh @CuriosityQuills
Signalling Viewpoints (using archaeology & artifacts to design stories): http://bit.ly/uKCpv6 @GeneLempp
Teacher/Writer Interface: http://bit.ly/tCKE3K @lesliesullirose
Facing Your Fears as a Writer: http://bit.ly/vma9Wy @danyelleleafty for @QueryTracker
5 Tips for Creating Shareable Blog Content: http://bit.ly/ug2aI6 @smexaminer
Contracts on Fire: Amazon's Lending Library Mess: http://bit.ly/tgbb1Y @PassiveVoiceBlg
5 Things to Know about Publicity Before You're Published: http://bit.ly/saVXaL @booksparkspr
Does age matter for writers? http://bit.ly/vgPf9f @RachelleGardner
Questions that readers ask writers: http://bit.ly/s7q5yX
Thanks @PassiveVoiceBlg: Writer's Knowledge Base – A Great Resource for Authors: http://bit.ly/w4gEAb
"Writing away madly, he made this fatal little mistake." : http://bit.ly/vA67AT @Storyfix
NaNoWriMo Tip #16: Consult a Plot Doctor: http://bit.ly/tF67e9 @galleycat
The Undercover Soundtrack – Nick Green: http://bit.ly/ufmrv6 @DirtyWhiteCandy
17 things 1 writer has learned: http://bit.ly/tfZv25 @artzicarol
The climax of a book is the whole point: http://bit.ly/t6SQDa @VictoriaMixon for @JamiGold
Making your characters fall in love on the page--avoiding "instabond": http://bit.ly/u1Bvdc @FantasyFaction
Should you translate your ebooks? http://bit.ly/tLNptm @rule17
Editing Your Manuscript... After Feedback: http://bit.ly/vsZ09W
Nanowrimo: The Good & The Bad: http://bit.ly/ucEaAB @magicalwords
Building a Global Business by Trusting in Translators: http://bit.ly/uj6E11 @Readuxreads for @PubPerspectives
Why Social Networks are Important for Writers: http://bit.ly/vsNtGo @Sarafurlong
Helpful tips for interviews: http://bit.ly/uNgQzw @BevVincent
Why Every Story Needs a Zombie: http://bit.ly/tFlxBz @JodyHedlund
9 Pieces of Bad Writing Advice it's Best to Ignore: http://bit.ly/u8Cbc0 @AnneRAllen
How to Give Meaning to Every Word You Write: http://bit.ly/uLZD6z @writeitsideways
3 Book Marketing Mantras: http://bit.ly/sW1qEE @FriesenPress
Your Inner Bad Guy: http://bit.ly/ttsOQb @JulieWuAuthor for @BTMargins
Research for writers--try getting help from experts: http://bit.ly/tAaEiW @swan_tower
An explanation of deep POV: http://bit.ly/uh0SFI @NovelEditor
Become an Expert – Write an eBook: http://bit.ly/vDWAis
10 Tips For Writing Better Dialogue: http://bit.ly/s99TE4 @BryanThomasS
Kindle Fire reviews, Klout doubt, publishing debates--@Porter_Anderson examines industry news/views for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/sTyl5N
NaNoWriMo Tip: Fix your computer screen color to reduce eye strain: http://bit.ly/tTkjp8 @GalleyCat
How to speak publisher - D is for Delivery: http://bit.ly/vycd3W @annerooney
4 crucial steps for hosting a successful write-in: http://bit.ly/tBWy7I @curtrice
An agent on holiday gifts for agents: http://bit.ly/tDNgAI @literaticat
An editor's response to a query meant to wow her: http://bit.ly/s3vfbN @behlerpublish
The publishing type: http://bit.ly/uxmXfZ @JordynRedwood
A list of "-some" adjectives: http://bit.ly/uQyUd8
30 Writing Ideas for Writing Moms: http://bit.ly/vwNyBr
Conflicts Aren't all About the Punches: http://bit.ly/u4xYZI @Janice_Hardy
7 Simple Ways Writers Can Pay It Forward: http://bit.ly/rPsnvP @simplywriting
7 truths about writers, rarely discussed: http://nyr.kr/tkTa5C by Ann Beattie for @newyorker
Publishers adding value on the marketing side: http://bit.ly/uo9Atc @MikeShatzkin
8 Ways Freelancers Can Show Gratitude: http://bit.ly/uOLfCN @urbanmusewriter
How traditional publishers are making money: http://bit.ly/vky1ZX
Writing in waiting time for an investigation--crime fiction: http://bit.ly/vuwAvu @mkinberg
Do Indie Writers Need Editors? http://bit.ly/sGq9j0 @camillelaguire
A translation issue in some crime fiction novels: http://bit.ly/vZI9Jk @mkinberg
Examples of behind the scenes sleuthing in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/s17MzW @mkinberg
An agent's thoughts on the controversial no response= a no: http://bit.ly/rZ1xh1 @greyhausagency
Taking your novel from good to great: http://bit.ly/sx597F @KristenLambTX
Best articles this week for writers--11/18-11: http://bit.ly/uZyA1m @4kidlit
Marketing for the broke author: http://bit.ly/vhJgBj @FantastyFaction
Dropbox: A Primer for Writers: http://bit.ly/skz4YZ @inkpunks
Why Writing Category Romance Is A Huge Gamble: http://bit.ly/sNGyFF @greyhausagency
10 things 1 writer dislikes about your blog: http://bit.ly/tYnra2 @thestorysiren
What makes for a good book? http://bit.ly/uBANKA @LyndaRYoung
Character Beauty in Imperfection: http://bit.ly/sZXXf4 @Ava_Jae
3 Secrets to Not Getting Discouraged as a Blogger: http://bit.ly/tBkNc1 @jeffgoins
A night of rejection, New York style: http://bit.ly/rBGtwH @dmcsween
Confessions of a Guy Who Likes Twilight: http://bit.ly/tYiW2w @write_practice
Join the Typewriter Brigade: http://bit.ly/sLHT6n @GalleyCat
Paragraph power...at the end: http://bit.ly/upF4Pb @TheresaStevens
8 Counter-Intuitive Ways to Improve Your Well-Being & Creativity: http://bit.ly/sMHIo8 @the99percent
25 reasons readers will keep reading your story--by the brilliant/profane @ChuckWendig: http://bit.ly/v39l0U
Fathoming Amazon: 9 Things You Need to Know: http://bit.ly/s5h8wV @ebooknewser
An agent talks craft, social media, & branding: http://bit.ly/uXAx28 @LauraPauling
Promo--tips for finding readers by thinking outside the box: http://bit.ly/uN0KTC @LAGilman
Twitter---1 size doesn't fit all: http://bit.ly/t4Xxkq @JaneFriedman
11 Famous Writers Who Were Rejected Before Making It Big: http://bit.ly/uk1Zxd @BubbleCow
A Writer's-Conference Experience from a Presenter's POV: http://bit.ly/w3PCTf @RayRhamey
Aligning characters ambiguously (remember The Princess Bride?): http://bit.ly/sgYwPy @JulietteWade
Real Life Diagnostics: Writing for Younger Readers: http://bit.ly/vrvX4q @Janice_Hardy
Revamping a previously-published series: http://bit.ly/uxa5j6 @sharonhinck
The power of freewriting: http://bit.ly/uqDg0O @annegreenawalt
Writing power-ups: http://bit.ly/s4WDd8 @CherylRwrites
Stop apologizing for your art: http://bit.ly/uqfGb0 @JeffGoins
Principles of Plain English: http://bit.ly/vCHdFC
Should authors comment on book blogger reviews? A discussion in the comments: http://bit.ly/vgYceB @Enna_Isilee
1 writer takes a lifetime, plus a week to write a novel: http://bit.ly/ubvOe5
Kindle Touch vs. Nook Simple Touch: http://bit.ly/vcjHOU @PassiveVoiceBlg
Voices: the moment 1 writer realized she was a writer: http://bit.ly/sJgJKh
Writer Beware Alert: Light Sword Publishing, a.k.a. LSP Digital, Returns: http://bit.ly/sEXAQl @VictoriaStrauss
Fear of revision: http://bit.ly/rMzXE2 @JulieWuAuthor for @BTMargins
The Personal Story Arc: http://bit.ly/uR699t @StoryFix
10 Things To Help You Bust Through Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/tklo7k
6 Elements of Digital Marketing Success for Authors: http://bit.ly/sevdCw @FauzisBurke @AuthorCAWilson
A Writer's Guide to Developing an Online Voice: http://bit.ly/vrjG39 @SeanPlatt
10 Things You Should Never Include in a Crime Novel: http://bit.ly/vHZLUX @JeanHenryMead
3 Things You Can Leave Out of Your Query, and 3 Things You Should Include: http://bit.ly/uariWc @lydia_sharp
Including hooks in our story: http://bit.ly/rNIY6L
Famous Authors' Harshest Rejection Letters: http://bit.ly/ssmDTm @TheRealRomy for @TheAtlantic
Please remember I'm giving away a 1000-word critique from The Bookshelf Muse. Just send an email to me at elizabethspanncraig (at)gmail (dot) com with "contest" in the subject to enter. Entries accepted through November 21. The randomly-chosen winner will be announced here November 22. Thanks, Angela and Becca!}
November 16, 2011
9 Pieces of Bad Writing Advice it's Best to Ignore--Anne R. Allen
Hope you'll join me in welcoming Anne R. Allen to the blog today. Anne's blog is a great resource for writers…check it out. This week she has a guest post from Lawrence Block.
Finding a beta reader or critique group is essential to any writer's development. We can't write in a vacuum. Nobody ever learned to be a good writer holed up in an attic with no one to review his work but the cat. (Cats can be so cruel.)
But it's good to be aware that not all the advice you'll hear will be useful. As Victoria Strauss said in her must-read Writer Beware blog "never forget that people who know nothing are as eager to opine as people who know something."
Even worse than know-nothings are the know-somethings who turn every bit of advice they've ever heard into a "rule" as ironclad and immutable as an algebraic formula. Follow their advice and your book will read like an algebraic formula, too.
Here are a few critique "rules" I find more annoying than useful.
1) Eliminate all clichés
Unless your characters are wildly inventive poets, space aliens, or children fostered by wolves, their dialogue and thoughts will include familiar expressions. Don't rob your Scarlett O'Hara of her "fiddle dee-dees" or deprive your Bogart of "doesn't amount to a hill of beans."
2) More! Make it vivid!
Would we really improve Casablanca with "a hill of Moroccan garbanzos, yellow-pale and round, of the kind the English call chick-peas"?
3) Avoid repetition
Not necessarily. Beware what H.W. Fowler called "elegant variation".
OK: "It was a good bull, a strong bull, a bull bred to fight to the death."
NOT: "It was a good bull, a strong animal, a male creature of the bovine persuasion bred to do battle..."
4) Eradicate the verb "to be," especially in the past tense: "was" is the enemy.
Yes, it's generally wise to avoid the passive voice, which uses "was" in the past tense:
"The cat was laundered by me," is passive and sounds lame.
"I laundered the cat," is active and stronger.
But sometimes the passive voice makes the clearest statement: "The cat was abused."
Real problems arise when amateurs confuse passive voice with the progressive tense, which also uses "to be" (with the present participle.)
"I was just sitting there when the cat owner punched me," means something different from "I just sat there when the cat owner punched me." Eliminating "was" changes meaning instead of "strengthening."
5) Put your protagonist's thoughts in italics. No. Don't. Unless your editor specifically asks for this, avoid it. Italics are harder to read.
When you write in the third-person-limited viewpoint, it's read like first person: no italics or "he thought/she thought" necessary.
"I walked away from the 'In Crowd'. They were just a bunch of ill-bred alley cats," can be changed to third person with just a switch of pronoun/noun: "Pufferball walked away from the 'In Crowd'. They were just a bunch of ill-bred alley cats." See? Just the same.
6) Characters must behave predictably
Don't let anyone tell you a character "wouldn't" behave in a certain way. Only the writer knows if this particular truck driver would read Proust; this bride would run off with the florist's mother; or that Maine Coon cat would pee on your Christian Louboutins.
7) Describe characters' physical appearance in detail.
When your English teacher told you to beef up that "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" essay with long, colorful descriptions of your new kitty, she was looking for a complete page, not preparing you for publication. Brevity is now and ever shall be the soul of wit. The only thing Jane Austen told us about Elizabeth Bennett's appearance was that she had "fine eyes." Let your reader's imagination do the work.
8) Protagonists must be admirable
Saints are boring in fiction, unless they liberate France and get burned at the stake, and that's been done.
9) If we don't point out everything wrong, we're not doing our job
Newbies make a lot of mistakes. (You did too, remember?) But if you list them all at once, they won't hear what you're saying.
They'll hear a personal attack. When a person feels attacked, the brain shuts down.
A critiquer should tell you what's right with a work as well as what's wrong. When I was directing actors, I discovered the "sandwich" method is the most effective way to help someone improve: praise/criticism/praise.
All-praise-all-the time does nothing to help a writer's work, of course, but neither does rigid thinking, power tripping, or misinformation.
My new mystery novel GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY was sparked by a particularly snarky and unhelpful critique workshop I witnessed at a writers conference many years ago.
GHOSTWRITERS is set at a Z-list writers' conference in the wine-and-cattle country north of Santa Barbara CA. where a young writer appears to have committed suicide after a savage critique.
I couldn't help the young man who was humiliated in that long-ago workshop, and I'm not sure I ever knew his name (I hope he's a bestseller now!) But I wrote the novel partly for him—and every other fledgling writer who has been the victim of a nasty, misinformed critique.
Anne R. Allen is the author of five romantic-comedy/mysteries debuting this fall with two publishers, Popcorn Press and Mark Williams international Digital Publishing: FOOD OF LOVE, THE GATSBY GAME, GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY, THE BEST REVENGE and SHERWOOD, LTD.
GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY is available in ebook from at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and will debut in January in paper. You can read more about Anne's "chick lit noir" mysteries on Anne R. Allen's Blog or her author page at Amazon.com.
November 15, 2011
Talking to Readers
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Lately, I've been interacting with readers quite a bit. This, honestly, is pretty rare for me. I usually speak to writers twice as often as to readers.
Speaking to writers is easy. I talk about promo or the writing craft, or something specific about writing mysteries.
But I'm frequently uneasy when I'm speaking to readers. I'm more worried about being boring. And I'm more aware that I'm supposed to be promoting the books that are on the table against the back wall.
I also find that I need to really brush-up on my books before I do the talks. The readers have usually read my books more recently than I have.
Lately, I've done a lot of reader-targeted programs. I spoke to a group of mystery readers, spoke to a local service organization, and participated in a chat with mystery readers online. In addition, I've been on several book blogs.
I actually put a good deal of time into preparing for these events. What I was most interested in finding out was, what do readers want authors to talk about? What's interesting to them?
So here's a roundup of the questions I got from readers, in case it helps you prepare for a talk or online chat:
What made you choose to write your genre?
How did you come up with your protagonist?
What kinds of books do you like to read now?
What kinds of books did you like to read as a child?
Is your protagonist based on someone?
Where is your book set?
Have you lived in the place where your book is set?
What made you decide to write a book about ______?
Who is your favorite character?
Who is the victim in your new book?
What are you working on now?
What is your writing day like?
How fast do you write?
Do you write more than one series?
Why do you write under a pen name?
What other writers inspire you?
Do you know ______? (names a writer)
When did you decide to become a writer?
Do you have an English degree?
Do your books have recipes?
Who helps you with your recipes?
Are your books available on Nook? Kindle?
Where can I find your books?
Are your books at the library?
What's your last release about?
Do you put people you know in your books?
Can I be in your book?
Did you have to do a lot of research to write your books?
Are you on Facebook?
Are there other kinds of books that you'd like to write?
Have you thought about putting your protagonist into (names a scenario?)
How many more books will be in this series?
Hope this helps a little. Want to add to it? If you speak to readers, what questions are you usually asked? As a reader, what would be interesting to you?
Through the generosity of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at The Bookshelf Muse , I'm giving away one of their insightful 1000 word critiques. Just send an email to me at elizabethspanncraig (at)gmail (dot) com with "contest" in the subject to enter. Entries accepted through November 21. The randomly-chosen winner will be announced here November 22. Thanks, Angela and Becca!
And—Anne R. Allen will be here tomorrow, with a post entitled: 9 Pieces of Bad Writing Advice it's Best to Ignore. Hope you'll come by!
November 13, 2011
Why Confidence is So Important for Writers
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Confidence is incredibly important for writing, but it's hard to come by.
There have been plenty of times when I've wanted to just throw a manuscript in the trashcan when I had a crisis of confidence in it—or in my ability to tell the story. One of the last times was for the book that launched November 1. I got 1/3 of the way through it and seriously considered starting over with a new concept.
There are so many times when we rely on confidence in this business. We have to:
Believe in ourselves enough to finish the draft. Believe enough to spend the time to edit the crappy draft we've finished.
Be self-confident enough to have the courage to reach out to others for feedback.
Believe enough in our writing to spend hours researching agents and publishers or, alternately, epublishing options, formatting, and cover design.
Believe enough in our story that we aren't defensive about it if we get negative reviews.
Of course, there's hubris too, and that's not helpful. We've got to listen to folks who are trying to help us improve our manuscript or future manuscripts. But it's also true that it's important to listen to our gut and carefully weigh the advice we get from others.
It's the confidence that gets us through the whole process. Or maybe…it's stubbornness. I'm not sure. :)
How do you talk yourself off the ledge when you're writing?
Through the generosity of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at The Bookshelf Muse , I'm giving away one of their insightful 1000 word critiques. Just send an email to me at elizabethspanncraig (at)gmail (dot) com with "contest" in the subject to enter. Entries accepted through November 21. The randomly-chosen winner will be announced here November 22. Thanks, Angela and Becca!
Why Confidence is So Important to Writers
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Confidence is incredibly important for writing, but it's hard to come by.
There have been plenty of times when I've wanted to just throw a manuscript in the trashcan when I had a crisis of confidence in it—or in my ability to tell the story. One of the last times was for the book that launched November 1. I got 1/3 of the way through it and seriously considered starting over with a new concept.
There are so many times when we rely on confidence in this business. We have to:
Believe in ourselves enough to finish the draft. Believe enough to spend the time to edit the crappy draft we've finished.
Be self-confident enough to have the courage to reach out to others for feedback.
Believe enough in our writing to spend hours researching agents and publishers or, alternately, epublishing options, formatting, and cover design.
Believe enough in our story that we aren't defensive about it if we get negative reviews.
Of course, there's hubris too, and that's not helpful. We've got to listen to folks who are trying to help us improve our manuscript or future manuscripts. But it's also true that it's important to listen to our gut and carefully weigh the advice we get from others.
It's the confidence that gets us through the whole process. Or maybe…it's stubbornness. I'm not sure. :)
How do you talk yourself off the ledge when you're writing?
Through the generosity of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at The Bookshelf Muse , I'm giving away one of their insightful 1000 word critiques. Just send an email to me at elizabethspanncraig (at)gmail (dot) com with "contest" in the subject to enter. Entries accepted through November 21. The randomly-chosen winner will be announced here November 22. Thanks, Angela and Becca!
