Riley Adams's Blog, page 39
July 18, 2021
Should You Write a Cozy Mystery?
by Elizabeth Spann Craig, @elizabethscraig
I realized a couple of years ago that any time I'm interviewed for a podcast or anytime that a writer asks me about writing cozies, I immediately try to persuade people to write them.
I find the stories so rewarding and so much fun to write that I try to convince others to give it a go, themselves.
There are plenty of benefits to writing cozies besides the fun of it. The readers are very loyal to series and authors. They're honestly just great readers…they're supportive and they reach out, often sending emails just to say they enjoyed a book. And I personally like the story world of the typical cozy…a small town setting where your closest friend might just end up being your worst enemy.
But should you write a cozy? Here is a list of questions to ask yourself.
Should you write a cozy?Do you read cozies? How many have you read? Cozy readers have certain expectations about the stories. They expect to know who the sleuth is fairly soon. They expect to be introduced to the suspects and either a future victim or a dead body. And they have expectations about the setting and the pacing of the stories as well as the background theme (there usually is one…quilting, garage sales, dogs, etc.)
Do you enjoy writing quirky characters and humor? Supporting characters in cozies, and frequently the sleuth herself, are often quirky, colorful characters. It's a good way to add humor to the stories and lighten up a dark subject.
Are you fairly organized as a writer? Writing mysteries means keeping track of a lot of different moving parts. You're juggling clues, red herrings, alibis, suspect interviews, as well as subplots and character development. Outlines really help with this, but if you don't use them, you'll likely want to make sure you're engaging in some sort of notetaking to help keep track.
Do you mind avoiding gory scenes, profanity, or forensic detail? If you're wanting to include forensic detail or want to have the solution to the mystery tied up in forensics…that's a different subgenre of mystery. Same with a gory death scene or excessive use of profanity.
How are you with puzzles? Instead of using forensics to solve the case, the amateur sleuth will solve the puzzle of the mystery based on clues that the reader receives along with the sleuth. It gives the stories an almost interactive feel and cozy readers are very sharp…the puzzles need to be good.
Do you enjoy writing in series? There really aren't many one-off cozy mysteries. Cozy mystery readers love reading in series and series are, actually, a bit easier for writers to handle since much of the character development and setting have been already established in previous books.
Are you a cozy mystery reader? A cozy writer? Anything that should be added to my list?
Should You Write a Cozy Mystery?
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July 17, 2021
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 59,000 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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July 3, 2021
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 59,000 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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June 27, 2021
3 Reasons Why Writing Is a Healthy Form of Escape
by Colleen M. Story, @colleen_m_story
One of the reasons many writers enjoy their craft is because it provides an absorbing method of escape.
If you’re one of those, it’s time to celebrate! For unlike other forms of escape, which can be bad for your health and well-being, writing is one of the best options you could choose when you just need to get away from real life for a while.
We All Need to Escape Now and ThenIt's easy to see how financial hardships, family strife, illness, and other issues can make the daily grind too much to take. Add to that the near-constant stream of negative news or a worldwide pandemic and you can see why anyone would want to get away for a while.
According to a 2017 survey of around 2,000 people, respondents spent an average of nearly 13 hours each week escaping their reality. Writers will be happy to know that about one-and-a-half of those weekly hours were spent reading books, with about two-and-a-half hours spent watching movies and about 45 minutes dreaming of vacation. Other popular forms of escape included exploring new places and listening to music.
Finding a way to escape from real life helps us avoid further distress and psychological harm. Escape is a coping mechanism, a method of gaining calm and tranquility so we can rally the inner strength we need to face our daily challenges.
Unfortunately, most popular forms of escape can be destructive.
Escape Can Be DestructiveIf you’ve ever had teenagers in the house, you know escapism isn’t always a good thing. Hours spent in front of the screen can lead to unhealthy eating, a lack of exercise, overweight and obesity, and social isolation.
In a 2019 study, Bányai and colleagues found that individuals using video games as a form of escapism—whether they were amateur or professional—were more likely to develop internet gaming disorder, a mental illness characterized by significantly impaired personal, family, social, educational, and occupational functioning. They were more likely to be depressed and anxious, as well.
It’s not just gaming that can lead to unhealthy consequences. Any type of escape used to avoid oneself or one’s problems can be destructive. Psychologists have long linked this type of escapism to negative effects, including anxiety, eating disorders, alcoholism, addiction, and even suicide.
These unhealthy forms of escapism are types of emotional avoidance—ways of sidestepping our issues to avoid dealing with them. There's another form, however, that can be good for us—the type of escapism that not only provides us a brief respite but helps us to expand rather than suppress ourselves—to grow and become more than we were before.
This is the type of escapism that writing can provide.
3 Reasons Why Writing is a Healthy Form of EscapeWriting is a healthy escape because it helps us to hone our skills, enjoy a healthy form of distraction, and improve our quality of life.
Writing Helps Us Hone Our SkillsTo write a publishable novel, you have to learn a lot about writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. Through the process of trial and error, writing and rewriting, working with mentors, publishing books, and attending conferences, you gradually become schooled in the ways of publishing and along the way, develop into a more accomplished writer.
Few other forms of escape provide such powerful developmental effects.
On top of that, writing is a beneficial skill to have. Developing the ability to write well—even if you never become a bestseller—helps you master communication skills that can be applied to other areas of your life, particularly on the job.
A survey of employers conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that the majority of employers looked for candidates with “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.”
As long as you focus on improving your writing skills while you’re escaping into your stories, the benefits you gain will show up outside of your writing life, seeping into your professional and personal life as what you’ve learned in your isolated writing nook improves your communication with others.
Writing Is a Healthy form of DistractionThough expressing your emotions can be healing, ruminating over your problems is not always the best way to deal with them. A moment’s distraction can be a better alternative.
One study that allowed participants to use a punching bag to blow off steam found they actually experienced greater levels of anger afterward than those who did nothing at all. A distraction—particularly, writing—would have worked better to diffuse a volatile situation or manage difficult emotions.
As long as you’re not using writing to avoid your regular life (for too long), you can gain distance from your problems and allow yourself some respite—and perhaps an adventure with a dragon along the way.
I know I’m not alone in emerging from a writing session feeling a lot better than when I started. I have difficult writing days too, but most of the time, if I succeed in diving deep into the underwater world that is my imagination, I surface with more energy and a brighter outlook.
The wonderful thing about writing is that it’s so constructive. Writers build and create something that one day is of value to another. What better coping mechanism could we ask for?
Writing Improves Our Quality of LifeTo be engaged in any activity you enjoy is a healthy way to distract yourself as long as the activity contributes rather than subtracts from your quality of life.
Escaping in a healthy way, though, is not always easy in today’s world. There are so many forms of entertainment available that make it much too easy to flee problems than to face them.
One can’t examine the dangers of unhealthy technological escapism without considering the smartphone. Studies abound about its addictive tendencies and how distracting it can be even when it's merely sitting nearby because we're always thinking about the messages, texts, likes, and other satisfying goodies it may hold for us. Unfortunately, research shows that the more time we spend on gadgets the more anxious and depressed we're likely to be.
On the contrary, writing often helps writers to better understand themselves. Unlike other activities that we think help us avoid ourselves, writing often does the opposite—it holds up a metaphorical sort of mirror, allowing us to see ourselves more clearly.
Is Writing a Form of Escape for You?There are several healthy ways to escape from the world for a while, but it’s plain that writing is one of the most creative, productive, and healthy options. So next time you need to check out, sink yourself into your story. It’s good for you!
For English novelist Graham Greene, “Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.”
Note: For more on overcoming self-doubt and deciding to be a writer no matter what, see Colleen’s new book, Your Writing Matters: How to Banish Self-Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance. Get your free chapter here!
In her new release, Your Writing Matters, Colleen M. Story helps writers determine whether writing is part of their life’s purpose. Her book on author platforms, Writer Get Noticed!, was a gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards, and Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018. Her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.
Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers. Find more at her author website and Writing and Wellness, and connect with her on Twitter and YouTube.
3 Reasons Why Writing is a Healthy Form of Escape (from @Colleen_M_Story
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References
“Americans Spend 4 Years of Their Lives ‘Escaping Reality’.” New York Post. Last modified July 3, 2017. https://nypost.com/2017/07/03/america....
Bányai, Fanni, Mark D. Griffiths, Zsolt Demetrovics, and Orsolya Király. “The mediating effect of motivations between psychiatric distress and gaming disorder among esport gamers and recreational gamers.” Comprehensive Psychiatry 94 (2019), 152117. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.152117.
Bushman, Brad J. “Does Venting Anger Feed or Extinguish the Flame? Catharsis, Rumination, Distraction, Anger, and Aggressive Responding.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 28, no. 6 (2002), 724-731. doi:10.1177/0146167202289002.
Greene, Graham. Ways Of Escape. New York: Random House, 2011.
Hart Research Associates. Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn. 2010. https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/fi....
Ohno, Shiroh. “Internet escapism and addiction among Japanese senior high school students.” International Journal of Culture and Mental Health 9, no. 4 (2016), 399-406. doi:10.1080/17542863.2016.1226911.
Schouten, Werner. “The Overlooked Consequence of Phone Use: Self-Escapism.” LinkedIn. Last modified July 16, 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/overlo....
“Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out.” National Writing Project. Accessed November 26, 2020. https://archive.nwp.org/cs/public/pri....
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June 26, 2021
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 59,000 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.
@LinWilsonauthorHow to Lose a Book Sale. The One You Almost Made: @RuthHarrisBooks @annerallenBridged: How the Art of Writing Can Close the Divide Between Worlds: @jdeleonwriter @lithubA Room of One’s Own Sounds Great… But What If You’re a Mom? @IlonaBannister @lithubSelf-Publishing through Personal Struggles: @IndieAuthorALLIGabriela Garcia on the Interplay Between Literature and Class Consciousness: @janeciab @lithubTen Savage Insults From Literary Icons: @lithub3 Ways to Make Your Fiction Writing Fun: @createastorylovWhy a Writer Needs Healthy Writing Habits: @LynnHBlackburn @EdieMelsonFeatured Writer on Wellness: C.S. McDonald: @CSMcDonald7 @colleen_m_storyStop Writing for Everyone: @BookEndsJessica @bookendslitGetting Good at Taking Feedback: @writerstevens @DIYMFAWalking and Writing: Could a Daily Walk Boost Your Creativity? @seejavaciawriteWhy more public libraries are doubling as food distribution hubs: @NoahLenstra @ConversationUSWhen An Idea Breaks Your Manuscript – 4 Ways To Fix It: @MorganHzlwoodGenres / FantasyCan My Characters Use Less Efficient Transport? by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreantsGenres / Horror7 Tips to Writing Vampire Hunters: @cyallowitzGenres / MemoirUsing Novel Writing Techniques in Your Memoir: @Cincy_BookwormWays to Write about Yourself @marciamoston @EdieMelsonGenres / MiscellaneousHow to Choose Your Genre: @Writers_WriteGenres / MysteryEccentric Suspects and Witnesses in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergHeat Waves in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergCrime Fiction Where the Reader is Directly Addressed: @MargotKinbergWriting Hardboiled Fiction: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthorsGenres / PoetryPoetry Is For You (Yes, You.): @thatpluckygirl @DIYMFAGenres / ScreenwritingScreenwriting: The Annotation Project: Emma: @CockeyedCaravanPage One: “Erin Brockovich” (2000): @GoIntoTheStoryThe Business of Screenwriting: Script readers, Hollywood’s threshold guardians: @GoIntoTheStoryPage One: “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (1989): @GoIntoTheStoryPromo / BloggingSometimes Better Than Blogging: Guest Blogging: @SmartAuthors @JaneFriedmanBrand Your Blog: A Step-by-Step Guide: @RobynRostePromo / MiscellaneousPros, Cons, and a few How-Tos on Writing Interviews: @FrugalBookPromoPromo / NewslettersHow to Make an eBook Marketing Funnel for Authors: @claytonnoblit @WrittenWordMPromo / PlatformsChildren's Books: Building an Effective Author Platform with Jennifer Swanson: @Write4KidsPromo / PodcastsHow to Give a Great Podcast Author Interview: @colleen_m_story @onestop4writersPromo / Social Media TipsMajor Social Media Platforms: @EdieMelson @SouthrnWritrMagPromo / Websites7 Essential Freelance Writer Website Elements: @RobynRostePublishing / MiscellaneousWhat Can Authors Learn From Digital Changes In The Music Industry? @MusicTectonics @thecreativepennAron Levitz Leads the Newly Merged Wattpad Webtoon Studios: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesRights Roundup: Nostalgia, Uncertainty, an ‘Ex-Son,’ and ‘Lost Words’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPublishing / News / DataNPD Books: Social Justice and Race Books Soar in Year-to-US Sales: @Porter_Anderson @npdgroup @pubperspectivesPublishing / News / International PublishingBodour Al Qasimi on the IPA at 125: ‘A Sense of Solidarity’: @Porter_Anderson @Bodour @IntPublishers @pubperspectivesPublishers Call for EU Condemnation of New Hungarian Censorship: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesChina Bestsellers: TikTok Credited With Boosting Alex Michaelides’ ‘Silent Patient’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesAbu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre in Partnership With Brill: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @BrillPublishing @ADIBFFrench Publishers: ‘A Moderate Decline’ of 2.3 Percent in 2020: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPublishing / Options / Self-PublishingSelf-publishing News: New Sponsor for Indie Inclusive Prize Promises to Double Prize: @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLIPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingWhere to look for a literary agent: @pubcoach5 Attributes of a Good Agent: @BookEndsJessica @bookendslitHow to Choose the Perfect Pen Name: @thenovelsmithyWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentIntroduction to the 12 Shadow Archetypes: @KMWeilandWriting Craft / Common MistakesHow to Avoid Weasel Words When You Write: @khogrefeparnell @EdieMelsonWriting Craft / ConflictTips for Better Action Scenes: @LexicalForge @CareerAuthorsSub-conflict, and Lots of It: @mindofkyleam @TheRyanLanzWriting Craft / DialogueWriting Dialogue And Character Voice: @Jffelkins @thecreativepennWriting Craft / DiversityChinese-influenced Worldbuilding: @WritingwColorWriting Diverse Characters Well: @TheLeighShulmanWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmThe Annotation Project: Moby-Dick; or, The Whale: @CockeyedCaravanThe Emotional Transformations of Beverly Cleary’s Work: @kvanaren @vultureBelieve, Care, Invest: Moby Dick: @CockeyedCaravanPage One: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986): @GoIntoTheStoryThe Annotation Project: Catch 22: @CockeyedCaravanWriting Craft / MiscellaneousThe 5 Turning Points in Your Novel: @LiveWriteThriveWhat's a Story Engine? @KiingoCreativeCreating Your Story Waypoints: @Sparky2036 @NaNoWriMoTips For Writing A Worthy Anti-Hero: @10minnovelist5 Ways to Layer Depth into Your Story: @jlturchinStories and Relationship Dynamics: @KiingoCreativeWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / ResearchEmotional Research: @LeslieBudewitz @killzoneauthorsWriting Craft / Punctuation and GrammarWhen to Use Single Quotation Marks in Fiction: @SeptCFawkes5 Common Homophones Every Writer Should Know: @BryanJCollinsWriting Craft / ScenesScenes Matter Most: @TheNormanNation @WriterUnboxed
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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June 20, 2021
What Business Chore Do Writers Like Least?
by Hank Quense, @hanque99
When I revised my book, Business Basics for Authors, I decided to ask other authors about this idea of a business. I asked three questions and I got over a dozen answers. Some of the authors write fiction, others write non-fiction. Some have publishers, some are self-published.
Here are the three questions:
What is the most difficult part of managing your book business?
2) What do you think is the most important business issue you have to deal with?
3) If you could eliminate one business chore, what would it be?
The answer to question 1 was covered on April 26, 2021. Question 2 was answered on May 17, 2021
Question 3 is answered below.
If you could eliminate one business chore, what would it be?Elizabeth Craig: I'd eliminate advertising, if I had the choice. I'd outsource that in a minute if I found someone who knew what they were doing and ran campaigns for a good price.
Mark Cain: Participating in social media. It’s a truism that authors are supposed to be on Facebook and Twitter, and maybe Instagram, etc. Participating in social media is a task I dislike, and I am unconvinced that the effort is cost-beneficial.
Elaine Durbach: At this point, I'd love to have someone else handle the marketing and promotion for me, or at least define the tasks for me and lineup the openings.
Anna Faversham: Definitely marketing. I actually enjoy marketing – it's contact with people, real people, but if I want to produce books, care for my family and take part in the world at large, then there is little time for marketing. If I could have a part-time, local marketing manager who would follow the fifty or so ideas on my marketing list and then take care of sporadic advertising on social media, I would be a happy bunny.
Mark Henderson: Pretending interest in other authors' books at events of the kind mentioned in (2). Of course, the interest is sometimes genuine; but it's often just polite, in the hope of reciprocation. (But would you count that as a business chore?)
Joylene Butler: Trying to find reviewers and anyone interested in helping me spread the word about my novels. I hate begging someone to read my manuscript, write a review, then post it everywhere. As if they don’t have better things to do. This all sounds rather pathetic, but it’s the business. When you’re an artist, singer, writer, etc., you’re required to get into people’s faces and promote your work. There are simply too many other creative people to think you can write, publish, then sit back and wait for the royalty cheques without spreading the word.
Dale Lehman: Yeah, marketing. If I could snap my fingers and have it all taken care of for me, that would be right out the window.
Rick Gualtieri: My editing cycle is what slows my release schedule down the most. I go through multiple drafts, polishing a book for release, before sending it out for editing. It's necessary and my readers are worth it. That said, I know some authors who will hand off their first drafts to a team to do all of that polishing for them. If I could find the right people, still know I'd be releasing books of the same quality, and my OCD would allow it, I'd have to give it serious consideration. Focusing on the core aspect of writing stories would almost certainly be a plus in my favor. Finding that team, however, well that's the challenge.
Donna Baier Stein: Email lists and using them.
Stuart Aken: In the past, major publishers allowed many authors to get on with the job of creating their works of imagination and had dedicated sales teams to deal with that aspect of the trade. If I could basically have nothing to do with the promotion and marketing of my work, that would be a real bonus.
Sarajane Giere: If I could eliminate one business chore it would be the new postings which my social media outlets demand. I’m uncomfortable using the technology required with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my new website, although I know these sites are important selling tools in today’s market. I feel compelled to write for my blog page on my new website, but at the same time, there is my next book project I’ve been planning to delve into but haven’t found time because I must nurture my new baby, My Pilot. Yet, I’m not daunted by my book business, for I know this learning curve will eventually straighten out as I gain experience.
Stephanie Auteri: Constantly brainstorming new story ideas that can in some way be tied back to the same topic as my book. I mean lord. At this point, I am bored by my own damn self.
Diane Wolfe: Email marketing – it’s just so repetitive and boring! Sending out review requests, media releases, etc. You can’t send those out in a large batch. They have to be personalized. And if two hours of that doesn’t give you Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I don’t know what will!
Peadar Ó Guilín: Cover design. I have no taste of my own, so I struggle in recognising what it is that makes a good cover.
Business Basics for Authors has a wealth of information you can use to develop and manage your book business.
You may find more valuable information on my Writers and Authors Resource Center.
Business Basics for Authors has a wealth of information you can use to develop and manage your book business.
You may find more valuable information on my Writers and Authors Resource Center.
Hank Quense writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi. Early in his writing career,
he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank
has never quite recovered from those experiences.
He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from
Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in
Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom
live nearby.
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June 19, 2021
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 59,000 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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June 13, 2021
Checking In On Goals Halfway Through the Year
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Around this time of the year, I like to take a look at my goals that I've made and evaluate how much progress I've made on them. I'm actually usually right on target because I try to make my goals really easy to meet. I figure it's better for me to have the “slow and steady wins the race” mentality than try to set a really lofty goal and struggle to meet it (and lose confidence in the process).
Here are some tips for figuring out your progress and possibly tweaking the goals you've made.
A Few Questions to Ask:Are you on track with your goals? And…are you tracking your progress toward your goals? Take some time to assess where you are and make sure to count everything you've done so far toward your project.
If you're not meeting your goals, are they too big? Can you make them S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time-sensitive) goals instead? Try breaking big projects into small tasks.
If you're not meeting your goals, what's the chief impediment? Sometimes it's us, sometimes it might be an outside factor that's contributing to the problem.
What seems to be working and what isn't? What can easily be changed? (Ideas for changes could be altering the time of day you work on your goal, changing where you're working, trying mini-outlines of a sentence or two so you know exactly what you want to write during the next session, etc.)
Is there someone in your life who can help keep you accountable if you need it? Another writer, a family member, a friend?
If you are meeting your goals, are you also making time for work/life balance? What can you do to correct the imbalance, if there is one?
If you are meeting your goals, are there any production-minded tasks you need to do? (Reach out to an editor or cover designer and get on their schedule?)
My main tip here would be: don't try to catch up. There's just nothing more discouraging than trying to make up for lost time. Just jump in right where you are and treat every day as a blank slate.
How are you doing on your 2021 goals?
A Mid-Year Check-in on Goals:
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June 12, 2021
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 59,000 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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June 6, 2021
Writing a Mystery Series
by Mike Martin, @mike54martin
Somebody recently asked me how did one write a mystery series? That was a good question. Safe Harbour, the latest in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series is Book #10. There was even a Windflower Christmas book in there, too. Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries. How did I do it? Kind of the same way you eat an elephant. One bite, one story, one book at a time.
The truth is that I didn’t set out to write a series, even though it does help with marketing and promotion. My goal was to simply write a book of fiction. I didn’t even know it was going to be a mystery. And I had no idea where to start. So, I started looking around. I noticed my partner was reading mysteries. Mostly cozies, but a scattering of others, including Elizabeth George and Donna Leon. I loved Donna Leon, especially. Her Commissario Brunetti mysteries are set in Venice, a fabulous location, and featured great Italian meals.
I like to cook, but I love to eat more. So now I had two elements. It could be a mystery book and it could include food. Now for location. I always wanted to write a book set in Newfoundland, my home province on the east coast of Canada. But where in Newfoundland? My partner helped me out again. There’s a theme here. It turns out that her father is from Grand Bank, a small community on the southeast coast of the island. We end up visiting and staying longer every year.
One year I am walking on a foggy night in Grand Bank when Sgt. Windflower comes to me and starts telling me his story. I start writing it down and the next thing you know I have something that starts looking like it might be a book. My problem now however is that I can’t seem to find an ending to the story. I finish 3 times and each time have a niggling sensation that there’s more to tell. Back to my partner…
She says why don’t you make it a series? And that was it. I finished off The Walker on the Cape and haven’t stopped writing since. Someone once said that the story only ends when the writer dies. I hope that it true and that I can continue to write my series for a long time to come.
Mike Martin is the author of the Award-Winning Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. The latest book in the series is Safe Harbour. You can buy it on Amazon all over the world, Chapters/Indigo in Canada and fine independent bookstores like Sleuth of Baker Street in Toronto.
Writer @Mike54Martin on Writing Mysteries:
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