Riley Adams's Blog, page 210

Keeping Motivated Daily

I talked last Saturday a little about setting reasonable goals to encourage ourselves to stay motivated.

I think it's also important to find intrinsic rewards from writing. 

I was away most of the day yesterday, chaperoning the state's middle school band competition at a North Carolina university.

For weeks, the kids' lives have been dominated by band.  They've had extra practices after school and taped their individual practices at home for their teacher's review.  They've mastered a rigorous program for the competition.

The school had won the state competition for 11 years in a row.  The teacher is very talented, but drives the kids hard.  And the kids, including my son, were complaining about it.  They all seemed completely burned out and were talking about not continuing band into high school.

We listened to the other bands all afternoon yesterday.  I know little about music, but I thought the bands sounded very good.  Their playing was strong, clean, lively.

Our band was last and when they played, I  could tell a difference.  It was remarkable, actually.  Their songs were complex, each piece several times longer than the other bands.  They played the selections expertly, effortlessly, drawing us into the music.

They won for the 12th year in a row.  Of course, they were absolutely ecstatic.  They'd worked incredibly hard for weeks on it, plus the months in class.

I could see that their wells had been filled again.  The work had been worth it.  Their success had justified the means.

To me, though, the push was a little too hard.  If it had been me, I'd have wanted to have a little more moderation…some daily successes to keep me going.  Because the big wins can't be counted on.

Writers give up so much to write.  The only way to really improve is to work at it—work hard at it.  Frequent practice is crucial. 

The rewards are not always a published book and critical acclaim. In fact, many of us might not end up published until years down the road.  There are so many things that drain our creative wells—day jobs, family demands, setbacks, hectic schedules.  We've got to find some sort of reward in the writing itself to make us continue, despite the hard work.

For all the days when writing is a grind for me, there are the days that really keep me going.  Days when I've been really happy with a great turn of phrase, or a fitting subplot, or even just a nice word choice. 

There are days when everything I've written is total crap…I think.  Even on those days, though, I've found that there's something I can salvage from the day…an insight into a character, a decent bit of description, a nice word choice. Or even, the fact that I wrote at all—even though I clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind.

It's an odd time to make a resolution, but after each writing session, I'm planning to note something positive from the experience…something that worked. It's too easy to get burned out while writing.  A little positive reinforcement is a great motivator.

What keeps you motivated with your writing?

HarperCollins' New Ebook Policy for Libraries

HarperCollins announced that it would only allow 26 borrows of its ebooks at libraries.

This, naturally, ignited something of a firestorm.

The point of libraries, of course, is to lend books to readers for free. The libraries buy a certain number of copies of a book or video or CD and then lend them out until the thing falls apart. That's what it's all about.

In addition, as Eric Blank at Pimp My Novel put it:

E-books don't take up physical shelf space, so the limiting factor that once forced a librarian to choose between replacing a popular title that's worn out and purchasing a different title—that is, space—no longer exists. More titles sold is good for everyone.

HarperCollins' response to the concerned patrons and librarians is:

Twenty-six circulations can provide a year of availability for titles with the highest demand, and much longer for other titles and core backlist. If a library decides to repurchase an e-book later in the book's life, the price will be significantly lower as it will be pegged to a paperback price point. Our hope is to make the cost per circulation for e-books less than that of the corresponding physical book. In fact, the digital list price is generally 20% lower than the print version, and sold to distributors at a discount.

But librarians contend that a print bestseller can be borrowed over 26 times before it starts self-destructing.

An article by Martin Taylor on the TeleRead blog supports HarperCollins' policy:

Ebooks don't wear out, they're easy to find and hard to lose, so chances are libraries will need fewer to service the same level of borrowing. And new technology is making the effort required to borrow minimal. These facts underpin concerns about how the paid ebook market will be affected if borrowing (especially from public libraries which are open to anyone) offers few disadvantages over purchase. Borrowing ebooks can be made as easy and accessible—24/7 from anywhere—as buying them.

To me, this is the sort of wrangling that goes on when changes occur in any kind of industry. But I hate that it's happening for libraries. I mean—come on. Libraries are getting absolutely shafted right now in every possible way…cut-backs, layoffs, closures—you name it.

My long-term strategy is to develop a relationship with my readers and increase my reader base as much as I can. One of the ways I do this is by making sure that my book is in as many public libraries as possible. I feel like the library is the #1 place for a reader to discover a new author or series. There's absolutely nothing to lose when you check a book out. It's risk-free. That means that you might be tempted to read something you ordinarily wouldn't buy at a store. This opens an opportunity for authors to find new readers.

The publisher's take on this, to me, seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to financial anxiety. And I know publishers are worried right now—I think most of us are. Bookstores are going bankrupt, libraries are closing, and it's a brave new world out there with ebooks (and one where we haven't figured out all the kinks yet.) But I just can't see where these types of policies are going to ultimately be good for the reader (or, by extension, the writers.)

What do you make of it? Have any ideas on strategies that can make both parties satisfied? Feel free to leave any thoughts or ideas on ebook library lending here in my comments, or to email HarperCollins, who is inviting discussion: library.ebook@HarperCollins.com

Small Press vs Large Press

March is the 14th anniversary of Small Press Month.

The organizers of the Small Press Month events state:

Held annually in March, Small Press Month raises awareness about the need for broader venues of literary expression.

That particular statement did make me curious. I'd actually like to see a little data to back it up. How much of a small publisher's catalog does consist of strikingly different material? On average, do they have a higher percentage of notably original work than larger publishers?

I've written for both small presses (Midnight Ink might qualify as midsized) and large publishers. I wrote traditional mysteries/cozies for both. Small presses do publish genre fiction, obviously, just like the bigger publishers.

I tend to read more about the differences between small and large publishers...which surprises me. I think small publishers and larger ones actually have a great deal in common. My personal experiences at both the big and small publishers were basically the same. These are just my own observations…obviously, others will have different opinions based on their own experiences.

Copyediting/editing?—Excellent for both publishers.
Contract?—The contracts were both of equal length and complexity (it wasn't as if the contract at the smaller press was simpler or less-convoluted.)
Amount of personal contact? I've had more contact with my editor at the larger press, but that could be due to the personalities of the individual editors involved. The editors are absolutely slammed with work at both publishing houses—regardless of the size of the publisher. This means there really isn't much time for chatting.
Willingness to work with debut writer? My contract with Penguin occurred soon after I'd signed my contract with Midnight Ink. Both were happy to work with a new writer.
Their passion over the job and my book: The same.
My input on cover art? The same. (Although that's an area where I'd rather the art department and marketing folks take charge…not my forte.)
Marketing plan? Mmm….probably the same. Obviously on a much bigger scale with the bigger publisher.

The biggest differences between the two? The amount of the advance (larger at the big publisher…which might not be fair for me to say, considering that I did negotiate my contract with the smaller publisher and my agent would have, clearly, done better) and the distribution and placement in bookstores (obviously much better with the larger publisher). But—the distribution aspect is changing, since the popularity of eReading is increasing daily.

The biggest argument in favor of a small publisher, I think, is the ability of an unagented writer to obtain a publishing contract. For me, it was harder to find an agent than it was a publisher. When Midnight Ink contacted me about buying Pretty is as Pretty Dies, they didn't mind a bit that I didn't have an agent at the time. They offered to give me a week to look for one…and when I still came up empty-handed, they worked directly with me to negotiate a contract. And Midnight Ink is a larger independent press.

I love the idea of giving readers variety and choices in their books. But I'm not convinced that most small publishers have a 'broader venue of literary expression' than the big boys. And my efforts to find data on the subject fell flat.

What do you think? If you've also been with a big pub and a small pub, did your experience differ from mine? Which did you prefer and which would you recommend to writers? At the bookstore, do you notice a huge difference in the catalogs of big and small presses?

More Tools of the Trade for Writers

If you missed yesterday's post, I'm running a short series on useful tools for writers. The nice thing about writing is that it can be a nearly free activity. But there are tools that can make writing (and promo) easier. Many of the tools are free, too, if you already have a computer and internet connection.

Promo is a necessary evil for any writer who has a book on the shelves. Fortunately, some of the promo has to do with author branding—and I find blogging fun. I make my blogging easier by using Windows Live Writer. It's a free download from Microsoft and is a whole lot easier to use than Blogger's program. It looks a lot like a Microsoft Word page. You can upload your posts to any blog provider.

Google Documents: I've jumped on the Google Docs bandwagon kind of late, but I do like it a lot. You can access your document anywhere and you could share it out with others, if you wanted to (critique groups, agent, editors come to mind…you can edit in real time with other users, too), or mark it as a private file. It could also be considered a nice way to backup your files by using a cloud and not having the manuscript located only on your computer (that's where we run into problems.) It's a free application.

OneNote: You might have OneNote on your computer and not even realize it's there. It comes with Microsoft Office if you operate Windows on your computer. Having OneNote is like having a binder-style notebook with tabs right there on your computer. So you could have a notebook titled "My Book." One section of your notebook could be Research, another could be Characters another could be Settings, etc. You can use it to organize notes (even handwritten ones) create tables, or organize brainstorming scribbles.

Here's a post I wrote that describes how I use OneNote. And this is an excellent post on Writers Alley on the program.

4x6 notecards and pencils: Notecards and pencils are the ultimate low-tech tools for me. I like the slightly bigger notecard size so I won't lose them as easily, but they still store nicely in my purse or laptop bag for those ideas that strike when I'm away from home. I'm a fan of pencils and I buy them in bulk at Costco. They're everywhere. Pens just seem to bleed too much for me.

Voice recorder: I do use voice recorders, especially when I'm driving on trips. (I tend to get lots of story ideas when driving.) You can buy voice recorders inexpensively (they're digital now), but I simply downloaded a free one on my phone. One touch of a button and it's recording my thoughts for later.

Evernote: I've also used Evernote on my phone, which does have a voice recording component, too. But I mostly like the way that I can take pictures with my phone, save it to Evernote with story notes, and then have those notes shared out onto my PC. (Yes, I'm a fan of surreptitiously taking pictures of people who look like characters. :) I also take pictures of settings (landscapes, old buildings, houses with interesting architecture, etc.) It's free.

Hope you'll continue to add to this list---I got some great suggestions on tools to try from yesterday's post! Have any other favorite tools?

Tools of the Trade for Writers

I came across this article a few days ago on the WordCount blog on tech tools for writers, and it got me thinking about the tools that I use every day.

The nice thing about writing as a hobby/career is that it really doesn't have to cost very much (which is nice because writers don't really make very much.) :)

But there are the extras. And it's fun to have them. These are the tools I use frequently:

Microsoft Word: MS Word and I have had rocky times in our relationship, I'll admit. But I do like some of its features. I use their highlighter to mark areas of my first draft that I realize are disasters. This helps me to move past the disaster and finish my first draft. Half the time I don't even analyze the troublesome section—I just mark it to figure out later.

Word's Track Changes is a necessity when revising with an agent or editor and shows who made what changes or suggestions. I use Track Changes, myself, in my daily writing—clicking 'review,' then 'new comment' and adding comments in the margins where I have a question: '"Is Beatrice's dog male or female?" is one comment I've got in my current WIP because I'm aware I'm being inconsistent. But it would have been time-consuming to chase down that detail during the first draft.

Not sure how to use Track Changes? Here is a link that shows you how to use Track Changes.

Countdown Timer: This timer is what I use to keep myself on track. What do I time? Everything. I give myself ten or fifteen minute intervals for checking in on social media, replaying to emails, or visiting blogs. I also set a timer for my writing time and make sure I keep working at least until it goes off.

Google: I have some sort of Google application up on my computer most of the day. I use Google's free Gmail program (I reserved my name pretty early in the process so that I could have an email address that made sense and sounded professional…so I'm Elizabethspanncraig(at)gmail(dot)com.)

I also like Google's calendar which I can update online. I frequently will copy/paste reminders to myself from actual emails I've gotten and just stick it on the Google calendar. It syncs with my phone and then I've got all the info I need when I'm out of the house, too.

I also use Google Reader to organize and read all the writing blogs I subscribe to. Here's a post I wrote, explaining a little more about how I use Google Reader.

This post is getting long, so I'll pick up tomorrow with some more tools—like One Note, Windows Live Writer, and even my favorite low-tech tools. :)

What are some of your favorite writing tools?

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.

I'm delighted that now we have an efficient method of locating resources on writing topics when you need them—via the Writer's Knowledge Base search engine and software engineer and writer Mike Fleming's ingenuity. The links I tweet (which are writers' blogs, agents' and editors' blogs) all are added to the engine to make it easier for you to access the information you're looking for.

Interested in a monthly newsletter with the top writing articles, blogger spotlights, and interviews with industry insiders? Sign up for the free WKB newsletter here: http://hiveword.com/wkb/newsletter . (You can unsubscribe at any time, and your email information is never shared.)

Unpredictable perpetrators in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/f9NRV9 @mkinberg

5 Things Twitter Haters Have Wrong: http://bit.ly/gSEAn9

The Procrastination Equation: http://bit.ly/e0phFZ

On the current friction between some authors and book bloggers: http://bit.ly/dZpaEN

Manuscript formatting: http://bit.ly/gjb8Lj #amwriting

Want to write more? Set comfortable goals: http://bit.ly/hQwGuc

Tools For Writers: OpenOffice The Free Alternative To Microsoft Word: http://bit.ly/fLn4Z4

Querying the multiple-protagonist novel: http://bit.ly/funlAQ #amwriting

6 common plot fixes: http://bit.ly/eR7el5 #amwriting

Writers' 6 top tech tools for getting work done: http://bit.ly/eHP6dk #amwriting

A book raffle to support the relief effort in New Zealand: http://bit.ly/dRizaC @mkinberg

Distance & POV in Fiction Writing: http://bit.ly/i6a8Ul via @JulietteWade

How to effectively emphasize: http://bit.ly/hSKZQ5 #amwriting

Questions and answers about querying: http://bit.ly/dNLbfD #amwriting

How to Grow and Build Your Author Platform: http://bit.ly/fZtb5z #amwriting

The truth about writing books: http://bit.ly/eNhFvV

Blog for Foreigners Without Getting Lost in Translation: http://bit.ly/gHi7fR #amwriting

Need Writing Focus? 5 Tips for Focusing Your Magazine Ideas: http://bit.ly/gLB1hj

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Hippie Chippies http://bit.ly/dL1wkp @CleoCoyle

54 rules on writing: http://bit.ly/gog3Lh #amwriting

Show, don't tell: Writing lessons from The Social Network: http://bit.ly/gUo7gE

Sex in Fiction—Do They or Don't They? http://bit.ly/g449cd

Facebook for Authors - How to Get Started: http://bit.ly/hGX6MD #amwriting

5 Mentors Everyone Needs: http://bit.ly/hayqUQ #amwriting

Reaching the e-teen: http://bit.ly/ev0V2x #amwriting

Introducing the Writer's Knowledge Base Newsletter: http://fb.me/VD3YcDjJ #amwriting

3 Reasons to Sign Up for a Writers' Conference in 2011: http://bit.ly/ezNijc #amwriting @KeriJoRaz

Best articles this week for writers: http://bit.ly/fRSWYW @4kidlit

Is your book's setting ho-hum? http://bit.ly/gByyLa #amwriting

How to Write in 700 Easy Lessons (The Atlantic): http://bit.ly/ea0jdm #amwriting

Consolidating Critiques Using Track Changes: http://bit.ly/gV84yc #amwriting

Why Writers Suck at Marketing: http://bit.ly/ijIXND #amwriting

On writing and puzzles: http://bit.ly/e8CGc1

An Agent on Derivative Works: http://bit.ly/fa5MhG #amwriting

An Agent on Namedropping in Picture Books: http://bit.ly/eXha0a #amwriting

5 Points on Proper Usage for Proper Nouns: http://bit.ly/dQ7wRY #amwriting

Where have all the book editors gone? (Globe and Mail): http://bit.ly/hD7eKw

Should you finish your book before you try to sell it? http://bit.ly/fnBMbu #amwriting

SFF and the Classical Past, Part 5—Meddlesome Gods: http://bit.ly/eYowmR #amwriting

Writing for Your Audience: http://bit.ly/hWT8fj #amwriting

Writer karma: http://bit.ly/h43k2R #amwriting

Writers and The Fear Of Failure: http://bit.ly/gVQqRD @ajackwriting

Sometimes it's the little things that can get you rejected--cliches, overused actions, predictable dialogue: http://bit.ly/igQaoQ #amwriting

Small Press vs. No Press: http://bit.ly/eCXYUH #amwriting

How Do We Know When It's Time To Quit Being A Writer? http://bit.ly/fwUhtl #amwriting

How to Increase Your Focus: http://zenhabits.net/focus/ #amwriting

How to Accelerate Your (writing) Career After-Hours: http://bit.ly/i4nfvP #amwriting

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Julie's EAT HEALTHY Quick and easy Kale Chips http://bit.ly/hRNTtZ @CleoCoyle

Modern Myths in Final Conflicts: http://bit.ly/fqqysK #amwriting

Top 10 books about running away (Guardian): http://bit.ly/eZ7z6p

Myth, Undead: The Apocalyptic Imaginary: http://bit.ly/f795DM #agent139

When should you use a pseudonym? http://bit.ly/e5faF9 #amwriting

Author Nightmares–Product Trumps Promotion: http://bit.ly/gB59Mf

Want to create vibrant characters that pop off the page? http://bit.ly/hoxTo9 #amwriting

Selling our readers on our writing: http://bit.ly/iaKWdJ #amwriting

A preview of the premiere edition of the WKB newsletter: http://bit.ly/ezJvOE @hiveword

Top 20 ways writing is like motherhood: http://bit.ly/epEqpP #amwriting

Benefits to having critique partners and some resources for finding them: http://bit.ly/dRXDF0 #amwriting @bluemaven

101 Ways To Kick-Start Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/eiMFa9 #amwriting

Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Authors Make: http://bit.ly/igjiHi #amwriting

Psychology in Writing: Using Setting to Reinforce Character Development: http://bit.ly/ebOcAI #amwriting

When Does Author Openness Become TMI? http://bit.ly/f3Hsaw #amwriting

Making Up A Genre Doesn't Make Your Story Unique: http://bit.ly/fhg0N9 #amwriting

4 Reasons You Shouldn't Ditch Your Writing Blog: http://bit.ly/dZNCdp #amwriting

Why tapping into your emotional sweetspot = your best, most remarkable you: http://bit.ly/e0rgSX #amwriting

YA Mafias & Other Things You Don't Need to Worry About: http://bit.ly/fNhcBD #amwriting

Tips for quotations within quotations: http://bit.ly/ieWN2C #amwriting

11 Ways to Write an Irresistible Intro to Your Blog Post: http://bit.ly/htHZLq #amwriting

What one writer learned from her editor in the 1st 60 days: http://bit.ly/eNrugR #amwriting

Spotlight: RWA: It's Not Just for Romance Writers: http://bit.ly/g4FmRL #amwriting

Inspiration and influence: http://bit.ly/dXhZsI #amwriting

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Goat cheese truffles http://bit.ly/gyRFUC @CleoCoyle

Chasing "The Writer": http://bit.ly/ia4Pny #amwriting

111 Science fiction books to read before a supernova kills us all: http://bit.ly/eaedPA #amwriting

Red Riding Hood: Neurology, Narrative & Storytelling: http://bit.ly/fBMJcN #amwriting @agent139

Foreshadowing -- Don't You Love it? http://bit.ly/h7d0Nt #amwriting

7 things one writer has learned so far: http://bit.ly/fvCKPx #amwriting

Author Beware: Unsteady Terrain Ahead: http://huff.to/ih2TEO #amwriting

Need tips for plotting? http://bit.ly/fiTDIR #amwriting

Novelist as a book's director: http://bit.ly/fZd5C4 #amwriting

Writing is a journey--with treasures along the way: http://bit.ly/fgr8Yu #amwriting @joanswan

Expanded Story Elements Checklist (Act I): http://bit.ly/fC2j5d #amwriting

3 questions to ask when you don't know your plot from your story: http://bit.ly/fZc0rD #amwriting @jammer0501

Bell's Pyramid of Plot: http://bit.ly/ebk7LX #amwriting

Thinking of working with a POD publisher? An 8-pt checklist: http://bit.ly/gZvrMd #amwriting

Auction to benefit the Red Cross-- bid for a 30 minute consultation with @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/gvsUew #amwriting

The Great Agent Search –resources and etiquette: http://bit.ly/gpofa1

Publishers Look Beyond Bookstores (NY Times): http://nyti.ms/g6mlDu #amwriting

Can't hit send? http://bit.ly/hsIqXc #amwriting

Reading Ebooks On iPad Is Great, But Has One Glaring Problem: http://bit.ly/i5TvQK #amwriting

An agent with suggestions of things to do *after* the writing conference: http://bit.ly/f2rEON #amwriting

Dynamics of good dialogue: http://bit.ly/hW3iMT #amwriting

Building a Believable Author Brand: http://bit.ly/g5l6ED #amwriting

Culling our crutch words: http://bit.ly/hCyeuz #amwriting @authorterryo

On myth and writing: http://bit.ly/fSXCFT #amwriting

Fiction for adults: http://bit.ly/ea4VbI #amwriting

Story Planning For The Disorganized: http://bit.ly/gi0lfB #amwriting @ajackwriting

Are your love interests lame? http://bit.ly/hPJckN #amwriting

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta http://bit.ly/eaP0md @CleoCoyle

Who is knocking at your door? http://bit.ly/eoTurI #amwriting

Epic Fantasy: Notes Toward a Definition: http://bit.ly/e3giZc #amwriting

Style is Story is Style: http://bit.ly/eqHBGJ #amwriting

When does a reader know too much about an author? http://bit.ly/hc6a6D #amwriting

Publishing is not ending. Books are not dying. The world, in fact, still spins: http://bit.ly/hqZCx5 #amwriting

What one writer learned in 15 minutes a day: http://bit.ly/euwzi1 #amwriting

For the most popular writing articles each month, sign up for the free WKB newsletter (1st edition launches Saturday): http://bit.ly/gx7hg1

"3 Times I Remember Why We Writers Do This Work": http://bit.ly/dPB0gq #amwriting

Commonly misused words: http://bit.ly/hOljRD

Conventions of Literature: Time, Place, and Point of View: http://bit.ly/gqQtx2 #amwriting @agent139

8 Rules About Punctuation and Quotation Marks: http://bit.ly/e98e2I #amwriting

4 Reasons Why the Sales Growth of e-Books Will Be Slower Than Industry Executives Think: http://bit.ly/hQlyOF #amwriting

Tips for title crafting: http://bit.ly/edJSVD #amwriting

POV confusion? Helpful links: http://bit.ly/hJZD8n #amwriting

Publishing terms to know: http://bit.ly/hJXZ1T #amwriting

How Not To Starve And Die As A Writer: http://bit.ly/f03mK6 #amwriting

Promote Your Books in the Publications Section on LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/hmndx7 #amwriting

10 writerly fears: http://bit.ly/dE2deg @elspethwrites #amwriting

On author intrusion in a novel: http://bit.ly/gkH2Zz #amwriting

Tips For Authors Forced into Public Speaking: http://bit.ly/fRrdlh #amwriting

When multiple agents are interested: http://bit.ly/gFugHD #amwriting

10 freebies for writers: http://bit.ly/h1mT8C #amwriting

Get your Shakespeare right: http://bit.ly/hfJRZu #amwriting

The use of selective repetition in our writing: http://bit.ly/fzP6RY #amwriting

Speculative fiction and the literary canon: http://bit.ly/guu6vg #amwriting

Cutting out passive voice and weak writing when revising: http://bit.ly/h3bryy #amwriting

A Conversation About Outlining and Worldbuilding: http://bit.ly/i9DZ1f #amwriting

Reading judiciously: the skill of reading in order to learn from other writers: http://bit.ly/iboa7o

How to network at conventions: http://bit.ly/g0giIC #amwriting

60 Inconvenient Personal Development Truths: http://bit.ly/e10r1d

The Short, Happy Life — and Digital Afterlife — of Berlin's Dialogue Books: http://bit.ly/ggl9vm

One writer's successful query letter (and what made it work): http://bit.ly/hlMve9 #amwriting

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Got Leftover Meatloaf? Try My Mex-Italian Wrap by Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/gSIXOZ @CleoCoyle

The easiest way to market: http://bit.ly/hTFIZS

Aspiring vs. Achieving:Claiming the Title of "Writer": http://bit.ly/gz7DaE #amwriting

Is Marketing Non-Stop & All-Consuming For All Authors? http://bit.ly/gfxNaV

Deadlines can give life to creative writing (Guardian): http://bit.ly/gNsVio #amwriting

Writers' Groups Vs Beta Readers vs Going Solo: http://bit.ly/guVBQO

Being receptive to ideas--whenever they strike: http://bit.ly/hzMNw0 #amwriting

The 5 components of successful queries: http://bit.ly/gNaFcN #amwriting

Excellent article on establishing character through endings: http://bit.ly/gbbmOg #amwriting @p2p_editor

What does choice of point of view (POV) mean? How does it challenge a writer? http://bit.ly/eQWvqW #amwriting @JulietteWade

Need help with scene transitions? http://bit.ly/fivggV #amwriting

Omniscient Point of View: http://bit.ly/hfYpfJ #amwriting

How to Build Trust With a New Blog: http://bit.ly/eQh1Xi

Writing short when you're long-winded: http://bit.ly/gRKraD #amwriting

Choosing POV: http://bit.ly/getWNc #amwriting

What Will Make an Agent "Gong" Your Query: http://bit.ly/fYaEVh #amwriting

Two Simple Steps To a Steady Writing Habit: http://bit.ly/gndULx #amwriting

50 Common Mistakes in Speaking and Writing: http://bit.ly/h1tFDC #amwriting

Which of Feb.'s writing links was most popular? Sign up for the monthly WKB newsletter for links & interviews: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1

5 Ways to Keep Readers Riveted With Conflict: http://bit.ly/dN85FM #amwriting

Lessons From the Slush Pile: Your Cover Letter and You: http://bit.ly/hIcL1y #amwriting

Get the most out of Twitter in the least amount of time: A 10-tip guide: http://bit.ly/elvMqy #amwriting

A Word tutorial for writers--tricks to help you find/replace, etc: http://bit.ly/dSWmTY #amwriting @authorterryo

Ten Reasons I'm Not Reading Your Blog: http://bit.ly/hzNqYf #amwriting

How do you know what to cut? Tune into the rhythm of your story: http://bit.ly/hx3WOH #amwriting @dirtywhitecandy

Should you query a big publisher, a small press, or self-pub? 3 views from 3 authors: http://bit.ly/hlFoGN #amwriting @SpunkOnAStick

Should You Write Your Blog Post Title First or Last? http://bit.ly/igyo3Z #amwriting

5 things one author has learned about promoting a 2nd book: http://bit.ly/fw5fdH #amwriting @alanorloff

Surviving the test of time: http://bit.ly/ff2iVp #amwriting

What to consider when you get an offer to buy a link to your blog: http://bit.ly/gnoCqW

Why Most People Quit Blogging: The Princess Syndrome: http://bit.ly/e4ZL1g

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: A Fresh Take on Chicken Legs http://bit.ly/hRiubs @CleoCoyle

12 Mistakes to Avoid (in writing and in life): http://bit.ly/ffOSIL @tobywneal #amwriting

Writer-Brain and the Messy Desk: http://bit.ly/eso68J #amwriting

How one writer landed an agent: http://bit.ly/fXFE5m #amwriting

Publicity Tips When Publishing Your Book: http://bit.ly/gv2s0g #amwriting

Lessons For Writers From The Theater: http://bit.ly/eJ4VUs #amwriting @thecreativepenn

7 Dos for Dangling Modifiers: http://bit.ly/fmKy2j #amwriting

Twitterific--the week in tweets: http://bit.ly/haXXak #amwriting

Search my tweets-- http://bit.ly/dXJ8W0 #amwriting

Benefits of Writing for a Blog Network: http://bit.ly/fhzNtD #amwriting

5 Ways to Pull Your Blog Visitors Into Your Content: http://bit.ly/hU5POu

If it Smells Like a Cliché, It is a Cliché. Try Something Different: First Lines: http://bit.ly/hJQ4Nj #amwriting

Why "fiction novel" is redundant: http://bit.ly/ibpYYA #amwriting

Writer's block woes--how to find inspiration now: http://bit.ly/gDWAMi #amwriting

No Comma Necessary—Coordinating Conjunctions Don't Always Need Commas: http://bit.ly/iaXPmG #amwriting

Examining Trends vs. Style in Children's Books: http://bit.ly/eqkFY8 #amwriting

The Three Most Important Things NOT To Do While Waiting to Get "The Call": http://bit.ly/gUl4rP #amwriting

10 best neglected literary classics (Guardian): http://bit.ly/gbppZ6 #amwriting

Is Your Book Hiding Inside Your Blog?: 5 Steps to Finding It: http://bit.ly/hE8LzA #amwriting

Phrases an aspiring author shouldn't touch with a 100-foot pole: http://bit.ly/e5BSce #amwriting

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Fun in the Kitchen with Toni Kelner http://bit.ly/e7P61T @CleoCoyle

Tools of the writing trade: http://bit.ly/i4OOjk #amwriting

Those Gimmicky First Lines: Ax 'em! http://bit.ly/idA1TV #amwriting

Making Your Book Memorable: Creating Moments: http://bit.ly/fxcnTF #amwriting

Turn Your Facebook Profile Photo Into a Video: http://on.mash.to/gVDr8g #amwriting

Tools for writers--to help brainstorm, write and, promote: http://bit.ly/dXJ8W0 #amwriting

There is no script: improvisation & creative living: http://bit.ly/f7CyHo

4 Ways to Prepare For a Professional Writing Career: http://bit.ly/evF2R6

Finding the root cause of a productivity problem: http://bit.ly/fBmjtt #amwriting

Keeping Goals Comfortable and Racking Up Successes

I would like to be a gardener.

Time seems to get in the way of my being one, though. Maintaining the lawn and bushes seems to be all I have time for…and usually some pretty potted flowers, once spring comes. I have to have flowers near a convenient water source or else they'll die a horrid death.

But Monday, it was time to do some major pruning of the boxwoods and hollies. The last couple of days had been in the 80s and I was starting to worry we were going to run out of time altogether.

Pruning bushes isn't my favorite thing to do. In fact, it's so dreaded that I want to attack the whole chore at one time—and we have a lot of bushes.

My husband and I both pruned and trimmed and dragged off branches.

"Why don't we take a break?" he asked, about an hour into the job. "We could pick it back up tomorrow."

"No, let's just get it over with," I said. And with those words I sealed our fate.

Tuesday morning, I could barely get out of the bed.

I know one thing---when it's time to do a major pruning again (as it will be when it's time for the gardenias and azaleas and whatever else we've got out there), I'll probably be putting it off. This is because the work I did on Monday will live on in my memory, even though my muscles are finally back to normal again. I'm going to associate pruning with something I don't want to do.

It's easy to get burned out, even on things we like to do…like writing.

It's also easy to procrastinate something when we've set ourselves up for either failure or a serious challenge.

I've written about this before, but I think it bears repeating—you can write a book in 15 minutes a day. Or, if you'd rather set a page goal, you can write a book by penning a page a day. I've done it when I had a baby in the house and only a few minutes during Teletubbies.

And those 15 minutes were an escape for me…not a chore. It's all in our perception of the time. So I looked forward to it, never dreaded it, and actually wrote each day.

The nice thing about setting a goal that we can easily handle, is that we rack up successes each day. It's those small successes, little wins, that can help keep us motivated.

How reachable are your goals? Do you ever tweak them to make them more attainable?

On Writing and Puzzles—by Maryann Miller

One of my hobbies is working jigsaw puzzles. One of my husband's hobbies is finding a puzzle to make my life difficult. He has given me puzzles with no edges, puzzles with little or no contrasts - like a baby seal in a snowbank - and puzzles within a puzzle that had 16 corners and 650 edge pieces. He smiled a lot when he gave me that one because I am a fanatic about doing edges first and he couldn't wait to watch me twitch.

On the other hand, my husband didn't think this round puzzle with a mere 440 pieces would be much of a challenge for me, but he didn't take into consideration the shape of the pieces. They are all curved. And some of them connect by matching the outer edge of the curve into the inner edge. Until I found a few pegged pieces that could hold those pieces together, they would separate at the slightest touch. Imagine what happened when one of the cats decided to jump up on the table and slid across the puzzle.

I am a horse lover, so my husband buys me puzzles that feature horses. At first glance, this puzzle looks like it could go together fairly quickly and easily, but since there are only two major colors, pieces could fit anywhere. Which painted horse does this brown piece go to? And is this white piece part of the snow or a patch on a horse?

While working that many-edged puzzle recently, I started to see a correlation between jigsaw puzzles, writers, and stories. We all have different approaches to story. Some of us like to get all our edges - plot points and an outline - in place before trying to put scenes together. But what happens if we can't do that? In my current WIP, the sequel to Open Season, I never have had all my edge pieces in place, and have been writing scenes as they come to me and going back to tie them all together.

That is probably not the most efficient way to work, but I remember what Diana Gabaldon once said at a writer's conference about how she writes. She said she writes in one continuous flow, often jumping from scene to scene without a clear transition and smoothing it all out in the rewrite.

So I guess it is okay to write without all the edge pieces in place.

And sometimes those scenes don't hold together until you get a pegged piece to anchor them.

As for contrasts, we need to make sure we have plenty of them. Don't leave a reader holding a piece of the story and wondering if it is in the right place.

And when the writing is not going particularly well, you can always take a break and go work on a jigsaw puzzle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for your post today, Maryann! I know Maryann through the blogging world and she's always got fantastic posts on the Blood Red Pencil blog as well as her own. And, when I read bios like Maryann's (see below), I realize that I need to diversify more as a writer!

****

As a journalist and author, Maryann Miller amassed credits for feature articles and short fiction in numerous national and regional publications. The Rosen Publishing Group in New York published nine of her non-fiction books including the award-winning, Coping With Weapons and Violence in School and On Your Streets, which is in its third printing. Play It Again, Sam, a woman's novel and One Small Victory, a suspense novel, are electronic books available on Kindle, Nook, and other e-book reading devices. One Small Victory was originally published in hardback.

A mystery, Open Season, is a new release in hardback from Five Star Cengage Gale. A young adult novel, Friends Forever, is her first book for BWL Publishing Partners. She has also written several screenplays and stage plays and performs in community theatre in venues around East Texas. You can find Maryann on Facebook and Twitter, on her blog and on her group blog, The Blood Red Pencil.

Selling Our Readers on Our Writing

I was picking up a carpool of high school and middle school boys for Scouts on Monday evening. It was absolutely pouring cats and dogs, lightning was illuminating the darkness every couple of minutes, and it looked like we were working up to a flash flood.

At one house two boys ran out the door, full speed, jackets held over their heads, and launched themselves into my car. "Mrs. Craig?" gasped one of the boys, "Uh…do you need a car wash? Have you got a dirty car?"

"No, no Daniel," said his brother, briskly. "That's not the way to sell Mrs. Craig anything! Remember, you're supposed to say, 'Mrs. Craig, I noticed your car is dirty. Guess what? I'm selling car wash tickets for lacrosse."

We were all laughing about the fact they'd bolted right into the car without even looking at it. But it was definitely going to be filthy after the rain we had (which makes me wonder what's in our rainwater that makes things filthy.) Besides, they knew I was going to buy whatever they were peddling, anyway. It was a sure sale.

Selling our readers or editors on our writing is a tougher job—after all, they're not totally invested in us like I am with my Scout carpool. And before our writing even gets to the reader, it's got to convince an agent or an editor that it's good.

My first drafts are full of seems, felts, mights, started tos, thinks, and coulds. These words dilute my writing and make it sound indecisive and weak. So I take most of them out, unless it's a wishy-washy character using the words in dialogue.

Writing can also sound stronger by avoiding passive construction of sentences (when the subject is acted on instead of performing the action.) Strunk's Elements of Style is one of my favorite writing books. As Strunk put it (and I'm using his example to illustrate his point, below):

The habitual use of the active voice, however, makes for forcible writing. This is true not only in narrative principally concerned with action, but in writing of any kind. Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a transitive in the active voice for some such perfunctory expression as there is, or could be heard.

Instead of: There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground. Use: Dead leaves covered the ground.

Decisive is convincing…and I'm trying to sell my agent, editor, and readers on my story.

What kinds of things do you do to strengthen your writing?

********

The WKB newsletter that Mike Fleming and I are putting together is set to launch later this week. We've got a great interview with freelance editor Jason Black and links to February's most popular writing articles. If you'd like to get on our email list for the newsletter, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1.

Take the Journey—by Joan Swan

Writing, like life, evolves from the journeys we've taken.

Adventures, life lessons, relationships, love. Regardless of genre, these are experiences all writers encounter, either within ourselves, with other writers or even with our characters. (I've been known to fall in love with my hero a time or two--or ten.)

Life often doesn't give you a choice whether or not you take a particular journey. Some life journeys you choose, such as taking a new job or deciding to have a baby, but others are thrust upon you, like an illness or a loss. But writing journeys are all about choice. You choose to travel every journey with your character. Journeys of your own making. Journeys often thorned and complicated and painful.

When you think about sitting down to voluntarily jump into the muck of situations usually far more tumultuous than real life, it's truly no shock the resistance to write is, occasionally, insurmountable.

Challenge creates excitement. And anxiety.

Many of these anxiety-ridden days have been piling up for me recently as I delve into writing my first option book. With the two manuscripts contracted with Kensington finished, polished, submitted and awaiting editorial comments, it's time for me to start writing another book, one which the publisher has the right to view before my agent and I submit to other houses for consideration.

I decided to write the third novel in this series for the option because I love trilogies, and because I believe in this team of characters enough to risk having the book not sell. If my current house decides to pass on this manuscript, it would be difficult, (although not impossible, granted), to sell the third of a series already printed by another publishing house to a new publisher.

So, not only am I breaking new ground by writing a book I know has to be stellar enough to sell on just three paragraphs and a synopsis (as options are often written as proposals, not full manuscripts), this third book is a reunion story, always fraught with complex emotion and hell on a writer, and I've got to culminate the overarching plot of the trilogy while tying that plotline into the individual book's plot.

Gee…I wonder why I'm resistant to sit my butt down and face that blinking curser.

The universe will give you what you need. You just need to listen.

On one of these should-be-writing-but-wasn't days, I took my pup to the beach for a walk. Exercise, like writing lately, is often one of those things I procrastinate over. But I forced myself out of my little introverted world for the sake of my awesome pup. (They're good at getting you out.)

After we reached the waterline and headed south, that momentum the motivational speaker Tony Robbins speaks of took over. I was there. I was walking. And it seemed the beautiful, crisp, clear winter day was my reward for showing up. Until, a ways down the beach, I found another little treasure half buried in the wet sand: a perfect sand dollar. I got a little thrill as I picked it up, washed the sand off in the sea and carried it with me. Another fifty feet—another sand dollar. Wow, this was cool. My daughter is the one with the sand dollar karma, I never find them. But that day seemed to be my very own sand dollar day.

As I walked our customary low-tide four mile trek, the sand dollars appeared more frequently. Every thirty feet, every twenty feet, every ten feet I'd discover one sparkling at the water line or catch sight of one from the corner of my eye. By the end of our walk, I'd collected twenty-one perfect sand dollars, each as unique as a snowflake. One as tiny as a dime.

Little treasures I'd never have discovered if I hadn't taken that journey.

I felt as light and invigorated and inspired as after a solid writing stint that produced a new plot twist or created a fresh character.

And I knew it was time to crack my resistance to this option book .

Every writer gets stuck at some time or another. Not every writer gets going again. Be the exceptional one. Let the promise of those little treasures lure you back to what you love.

Because if you don't show up, neither will they.

What keeps you from writing? How do you unstick? What little treasures have you found while pouring yourself into your story?

I thought this little guy was appropriate for a giveaway on a mystery writer's blog. (And I adore him!) Comment to enter the drawing to win the Dead Guy Sticky Notes pad.

Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist, and a double Kiss of Death Daphne Du Maurier finalist. She writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, and her first novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, debuts April, 2012. You can find Joan at her website: http://www.joanswan.com.

Thanks so much for guest posting today, Joan! Joan is a writing friend of mine that I've gotten to know on Twitter, where she's active as @joanswan. She also has a great blog that I've tweeted before. I'm looking forward to her Phoenix Rising series next year.