Riley Adams's Blog, page 28

October 22, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 65,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you're there, check out the Writer's Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on October 22, 2022 21:01

October 17, 2022

Writing a Christmas Cozy

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Hi everyone! I'm guest posting at David Farland's blog today on the process of writing a Christmas cozy mystery. Hope you can pop over and join me!

Tips for Writing A Christmas Cozy Mystery: https://bit.ly/3eJieGi @davidfarland @elizabethscraig
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Image by Michelle Raponi from Pixabay

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Published on October 17, 2022 03:01

October 15, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

New Stuff:

Escape the Plot Forest: An online event all about plotting, storytelling, and creating a great experience for your readers. Every year, about 3,000 writers from all over the world come together for four days of great interviews and presentations – and you can watch the whole summit live, for free. I'm going to be speaking at the summit about all the ingredients of a cozy mystery on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Check out the event here (please note this is an affiliate link).

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on October 15, 2022 21:01

October 9, 2022

Build Your Own Digital Planner with Scrintal

by Hank Quense, @hanque99

I’m a planner. I can’t help it. If I have a project to work on, I need to develop a plan. Occasionally, the thought crosses my mind that planning is just a form of procrastinating, but I’m not giving it up. Besides project plans, I like to create annual and quarterly plans but so far, I haven’t been able to find a suitable planner or app to help me with these activities. I’m an author. Authors work pretty much alone so a planning app doesn’t require a lot of features to satisfy my needs.

Naturally, I’ve been attracted to the digital planners that are available and I even bought one. The problem with these planners is that they’re huge, over 500 pages filled with habit trackers, stickers and other nonsense. From all these pages, I was interested in about 15 pages and navigating the planner to get to those pages is difficult.

I’ve written off these planners as nothing I want to use.

To solve this solution, I turned to Scrintal, a new type of productivity app that starts you off with a blank page and let’s you fill it up with what you want, not what someone else thinks you’ll want. In the end, I developed two separate digital planners. The first is for an annual plan for the more strategic stuff. The second is a quarterly planner to be used for tactical plans.

For the annual planner, I began with two cards, one for Goals and Objectives and the second, a to-do list. These are depicted in this screen shot.

The cards look small in this graphic but remember, they are infinitely expandable.

The next step addressed financial planning and results. These are shown in the graphic.

After that, I addressed the ever popular issues of marketing plans and anticipated roadblocks.

I added a few more cards including a card with a link that opens a quarterly planner. This is a separate board that is embedded into the annual board.

You can see my digital planner in read-only format by following this link: https://beta.scrintal.com/b/digital-planner-for-writers-authors–9syns.

Similarly, you can see my quarterly planner here: https://beta.scrintal.com/b/quarterly-digital-planner–7g2m5.

Once you look over these boards, you’ll realize building your own digital planner is quite easy with Scrintal. And you can build one to reflect your own needs, not what someone else imagines you need.

However, once you realize this, a new issue arises (at least it did for me). The new issue is: What else can I build with Scrintal? Hmm.

If you’re looking for help with fiction writing, self-publishing or book marketing, check out the resources on https://writersarc.com

This link will display all my courses on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/user/hank-quense-2/

My website Writers & Authors Resource Center provides material relating to fiction writing, self-publishing and book marketing.

Building A Digital Planner With Scrintal by @Hanque99 :
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Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay

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Published on October 09, 2022 21:01

October 8, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on October 08, 2022 21:01

October 2, 2022

Making Your Life Easier as a Writer: 5 Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The writing life isn't necessarily an easy one. For me, it's a cycle of outlining, drafting, editing, and publishing with weekly business relating to promo. I enjoy a lot of aspects of being a writer, made a bit easier by a system I have in place for getting everything done (and for getting books sold).

Here are 5 tips for making your life easier as a writer:

Establish a writing routine. This is by far the most vital aspect of the process. My routine is a daily 5 a.m. thing, but yours might be at night, your lunch hour, or squeezed into carpool lines and waiting at doctors' offices. It could be daily, weekly, or bi-weekly. The important thing is that it's yours . . . and that, when you sit down to write, it's almost like muscle memory.

Focus on finishing one book before starting another, if you're a beginner. I wish someone had given me this advice in my early-twenties. Instead, it took me until my early-thirties to figure it out. If you're completely soured on a project, of course you should end it. But if you can't seem to finish any projects, make notes for whatever bright, shiny thing is distracting you . . . and then return to your original book.

Read lots of books, especially in your genre. The most important thing is to know your genre inside and out. Are there subgenres of your genre? What do those look like? What are reader expectations for your genre, so you can be sure to deliver them? I've also (in my case, rather grudgingly) found that it's very, very helpful to read outside of my genre. It kickstarts my creativity in a different way, gives me a different perspective, and exposes me to lots of new ideas and approaches.

Set up a basic website in your name and include an email signup. This is a business-oriented task, but an important one. I'd have a lot more newsletter subscribers if I'd started earlier. I see lots of newer writers really reticent about websites and newsletters. You can set up both for free through both WordPress and MailerLite (you'll have to pay once you get to 1,000 subscribers). You need to have an online home (make sure it's under your name, not your series or book name) and a way to, eventually, reach out to subscribers to let them know you have a book ready to publish.

Back up your work. This is a boring but oh-so-vital way to make your life easier as a writer. You can do it many different ways: backing up to the cloud, backing up to a USB thumb-drive, or even backing up by sending yourself an emailed attachment of your document. The important thing is to back up often so you don't lose your hard work.

How do you make your life easier as a writer?

5 Ways to Make Your Life Easier as a Writer:
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Image by 11417994 from Pixabay

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Published on October 02, 2022 21:01

October 1, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on October 01, 2022 21:01

September 25, 2022

Want Lifelike Characters? Create a Character Bible

by Angela Ackerman, @onestop4writers

Some characters are so dynamic on the page it’s easy to imagine them as real people. Everything they say, do, and think is consistent with who they are, they have a past and present, and readers never have to guess at what they feel, want, or need.

This type of authenticity comes about because the writer has invested a good amount of time getting to know the character inside and out, and they kept information about them on hand so they could reference it throughout writing and revising to avoid character-specific mistakes.

And mistakes do happen. We forget things about our characters as we go— Does Emma fear lizards, or birds? —or we change our mind, deciding mid-book Liam is into skateboarding, not parkour. Either way, nothing pulls readers out of the story faster than when details shift mid-story, so we need a system to help us keep each character straight. And this is where a Character Bible can really come in handy.

What is a Character Bible, and how do I create one?

A character bible is a document that contains personal details about a character that you can reference as you write and revise. It will have everything from your character’s appearance and preferences to their backstory wounds, goals, and needs. Not only will building one help you keep track of important details, but you’ll also find you’ve really gotten into their skin and discovered who they are, and that will make it so much easier to write their actions, choices, and behavior in the story.

How detailed your bible is depends on how important the character is, but here’s some things you may wish to write down:

Appearance

What does your character look like? Do they have any interesting features that suggest the type of person they are? For example, their hair: is their go-to a messy bun, is it chronically unwashed, or is every curl carefully tamed? Or do their clothes suggest a style preference or level of wealth? Do they have scars, marks, or defects that hint at an experience or trauma? Sharing a few specific details can help readers visualize the character and get a sense of who they are.

Backstory

Your character had a past before they arrived at the doorstep of this story, and the people and experiences part of their past will have shaped them into who they are today. So, who was influential in this character’s life in good ways and bad? What challenges have they overcome? What negative experiences (emotional wounds) have soured them on certain people or the world in general? What is their greatest achievement to date? Answering some of these will give you a good sense of what their past looked like, and how they may carry some things forward, like emotional baggage, or a sense of duty, a compulsion to fix people, etc.

Personality Traits

Every character will have a unique personality made up of positive traits (strengths & identity markers) and negative traits (flaws that tend to keep people and situations at a distance so the character can avoid being hurt by them). Think about both halves – this character’s defining positive qualities, and also ones that create friction with others or cause them problems in life.

Moral & Spiritual Beliefs

All characters, even the baddies, have their own moral code. What beliefs are so important to your character they will sacrifice other things to stay true to them? Where is their line in the sand? How do they show integrity, and what ideas are important enough to them to protect?

Emotional Range & Behaviors

Each person expresses themselves in a unique way, and characters will too. Think about each character as an individual – are they open and communicative about feelings, or keep it all inside? Ae they reactive and demonstrative, or more reserved? Do they have certain quirks? Are they extroverted or introverted, or somewhere in the middle? Understanding the basics of your character’s emotional responses will help you write their actions and dialogue in a way that lines up.

Fears and Misbeliefs

Every character will have had negative experiences that left behind a fear that it could happen again and cause that same emotional pain. What does that fear look like for your character? And has life’s unkind treatment left them feeling somehow less? Do they believe they are not worthy of trust, friendship, love, responsibility, or praise? Do they believe they are defective in some way, or not deserving of happiness? Knowing the answers here will help you see how they must cast aside this lie and see themselves and/or the world differently to move past what is holding them back.

Talents, Skills, and Abilities

All characters will have a few things they are good at, or abilities that make them unique. Giving your character a talent or skill that will in the end help them achieve their goal (even in an unexpected way) can create a great sense of synchronicity for readers.

Likes and Dislikes

What are some of your character’s preferences…and why? Will these preferences steer their behavior in the story in good ways and bad? (Yes, the answer is yes.)

Hobbies, Interests, and Passions

What does your character enjoy doing? For a character to be realistic, they should have a few things personal to them that make life more enjoyable, things that may have nothing to do with their mission in the story. These things humanize them, and even if they don’t end up in your story, they’ll help you view them as someone rounded and real.

Current Situation

Just like a character has a past, they have a present, too. Note a few details about where they live, what their family situation is like, what job they do, the vehicle they use to get around, and any routines or habits that might show up in the story.

What They Want Most

Every character wants something – a goal that will make their situation better and leave them happier or more complete. This is what you’re your character is striving to do or achieve in your story.

What They Need

Sometimes what your character wants and what they need are a bit different. Maybe your character wants a new girlfriend to get past the pain of their latest breakup, but what they need is time to look after themselves and understand why they keep choosing toxic partners. This could lead to better understanding what’s missing in their life, and their true goal will be something that completes them, filling this missing need.

Secrets

Every character has a secret (maybe more than a few!) so think about what they are hiding from others. Is there something that could create big problems for them if it was revealed, or does it tie into their unresolved emotional wound? (Readers love secrets, and a hint of one will keep them flipping pages.)

Worldview

How do they view the world – do they believe most people are good, or untrustworthy? Do they put others first, or look out for number one? Do they have biases, avoid certain places and experiences because they have preconceived ideas about what will happen, or refuse to listen to certain opinions that go against their own? If so, try to understand how this might tie to their backstory experiences.

Insecurities & Sensitivities

Life is not always gentle, and experiences where your character’s ego was bruised, or their emotions upended may have left them feeling insecure or easily triggered. If there are emotions your character tries to avoid feeling, or situations they stay away from because they make them feel weak, inept, or emotionally volatile, make a note. These are all pointing to past pain, and you might wish to use them in the story to push them to become more self-aware so they can start a journey to healing.

Whew, that’s a lot of planning, I know! But wow, think of how well you’ll know your character after this brainstorming, and writing it down gives you a reference to turn to when you need it.

TIP: Create a Character Bible the Easy Way

Character Bibles contain a lot of information, meaning it takes time to uncover their inner layers. If you’d like to use a tool that helps you brainstorm faster & creates a character profile that becomes your Character Bible, try the Character Builder at One Stop for Writers.

This Character Builder contains a massive database of character information that will help you create a character from the ground up, planning their backstory, behavior, skills, goals, personality, fears, and everything else listed above.

It also uses psychology to help you see which details will be important for character arc and connects dots for you. For example, if you decide your character is manipulative, the tool shows you all the possible emotional wounds that might have caused this negative trait to form. It also lists the behaviors a manipulative person will exhibit, and more. Or if you decide your character is a teacher, the tool shows you a list of positive traits, skills, and more that someone who does this job will probably have. With a click, you can any traits or skills you wish, and as one decision leads to another, very soon you have a rounded, authentic character.

This profile becomes your Character Bible, and if you make changes as you write, it’s easy to update. To see an example, here’s a Character Bible I created. If you want to try the tool for yourself, the free trial lets you design a character profile for online use.

Are You Writing a Series?

While your characters will evolve in some ways over the course of a story, some things will stay the same, and as Elizabeth notes, we can get fuzzy on details when time passes between books. So, if you plan on writing multiple books in the same world, you may want to create a Series Bible to track characters, settings, important events, and other details that reoccur. This way everything is consistent book to book.

Have you created a Character Bible before? Let me know in the comments!

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and its many sequels. Available in nine languages, her guides are sourced by US universities, recommended by agents and editors, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world. To date, this book collection has sold over 900,000 copies.

Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, a portal to game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Published on September 25, 2022 21:01

September 24, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on September 24, 2022 21:03

September 18, 2022

An Exercise in Character Development

By Joanna Campbell Slan @joannaslan

A curious thing happened in the midst of banging out the words. I found a new way to learn more about my characters and to make them more individualistic. While writing Tuesday Trash and Trouble: Book #3 in the Friday Night Mystery Club Series, I described a scene where four female characters go to a birthday party. As I considered what each woman wore, I had to stop, think, and fine-tune the differences among them. I’ve written about these women’s clothes before, but I’d never put four of the characters together in one scene where they were involved in such a specific activity. It was that juxtaposition—shared purpose and activity, versus individual personalities—that forced me to work through their clothing choices.

Here’s a snippet of the scene where the characters are in a car together, on their way to the event:

All three of us must have been tuned to the same cosmic vibes. Zee wore neatly pressed jeans with a crease down each leg. My jeans were not pressed, and a little faded, but still my nicest pair. As for tops, Zee wore a creamy blouse with a Victorian high collar. Rosie’s peasant blouse was white and sprinkled with colorful embroidered flowers. I had on a white button-collar blouse that I often wore to work. The fact that we’d all chosen variations on a theme made me feel confident we’d fit in. At least, we matched each other!

When a fourth friend (Winnie) joins them, she’s wearing jeans and a white St. Louis Cardinals jersey.

Thinking through this scene was a good exercise for me. The clothing choices offered me a way to reflect the women’s personalities. As you might guess, Zee is a bit prudish and tightly wound. The narrator, Cragan Collins, is forever short of money and time. Rosie is a proud Latina, and the last person to join the group (Winnie) is a keen women’s softball player.

In the future, I plan to write more ensemble scenes, showing characters and their unique choices as a way to underscore their differences. Even if those scenes don’t make it into the final draft of my book, the exercise will sharpen my insights. In turn, my readers will surely find the people in my books more realistic. I hope you’ll find this exercise useful, too.

Author @joannaslan With an Easy, Effective Tool for Character Development:
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Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of six mystery series. She’s taught writing to corporate executives and at Illinois State University. Her newest series is the Friday Night Mystery Club. Set in the 1980s, it explores the lives of young career women, living in a failing town in the Midwest. Contact her at jcslan@joannaslan.com or go to http://www.JoannaSlan.com.

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Published on September 18, 2022 21:01

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