Riley Adams's Blog, page 48
August 8, 2020
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
Business / Miscellaneous
How to Find a Children's Book Editor in 6 Simple Steps: @ReedsyHQ
Evaluate Your Work Week Every Friday: @WritersCoach
Don’t Do What I Did: Mistakes in Indie Publishing: @itshelendarling @DIYMFA
Using book titles to establish a brand: @mlouisalocke
The Indie Author's Guide to Managing Plagiarism: @JohnDopp @IndieAuthorALLI
Fool Me Twice: How Victims of Vanity Presses Become Repeat Victims: @JohnDopp @IndieAuthorALLI
Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels
How to Become a Novelist (With Tips from Famous Authors) : @ReedsyHQ
Advice to New Writers: @mike54martin
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
The 5 Rs of Refreshing Your Writing Goals: @DebraEckerling
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
I.T. Experts as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Why Shirley Jackson Is Everyone's New Favorite Author: @KristopherJans @ElectricLit
“On the Beach”: On the Resolute Nihilism of a True End Times Classic: @LiamPieper @lithub
Gatekeepers as Elements in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Black Book Clubs, From Oprah to Noname: @iman_stevenson @nytimes
5 Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian Stories by African Authors: by Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald @tordotcom
Creativity and Inspiration / Miscellaneous
Business Musings: Creativity: @KristineRusch
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
4 (Not So) Silly Writing Tips to Get Words on Paper: by Sandra Wendel @JaneFriedman
Consistency in Routine: It's True What They Say: @Margo_L_Dill @womenonwriting
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block
How I'm getting out of a writing slump: @DanBlank
Unlock Writer’s Block: @61647Edge @FloridaWriters1
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Before Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak was an incredible toy maker: @augiewatts @lithub
How to Write (or Not Write) about the Pandemic: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors
Conquering Fear In 10 Minutes: @10minnovelist
5 Ways to be More Comfortable When You Write: @10minnovelist
Ready to Pursue Your Writing Dream? Maybe Not: @JanalynVoigt
Overcoming fears, discovering nature … what writers have learned from lockdown: @GuardianBooks
How Writers Can Benefit from a Sense of Purpose and Routine: @LiveWriteThrive @ToriEldridge
15 Writing Habits for Author Success: @WrittenWordM
How 10 Minute Novelists Invest In Themselves: @10minnovelist
Regarding Privilege, Empathy, and Voice: @VaughnRoycroft @WriterUnboxed
Gore Vidal mastered the art of the burn: @augiewatts @lithub
Why Writers Must Make Mistakes: @MegDowell
Bringing Stories to Life: The World of Science Fiction and Fantasy Model Building: by Alan Brown @tordotcom
Genres / Historical
Writing the history in historical fiction: @annabelledando
Genres / Miscellaneous
The Genre Quiz: @PaulaSMunier @CareerAuthors
How to write a military story that sells: @LouiseHarnby
Genres / Mystery
Should Your Crime Novel Be Set in a Real Place or a Fictional One? @WriteAngie @CrimeReads
Crime Writing: A Day in the Life of a Coroner: @GarryRodgers1 @killzoneauthors
Cats and Cozy Mysteries, The Purr-fect Combination: @leighanndobbs @CrimeReads
Dublin: A City of Books, and a City With a Serious Crime Fiction Tradition: @chinarhyming @CrimeReads
You Know You're a Crime Writer If … @LeeLofland
Helpful Resources For Mystery/Suspense/thriller Writers: @lorettajeidson @A3writers
Promo / Blogging
Tips For Book Blogging On Free WordPress: @cuppaclo
Promo / Miscellaneous
Eight Tips for Promoting Your Book Before Launch: by Phil Stamper-Halpin @PRHDigital
Promo / Newsletters
How to Use Email to Engage with Your Audience: by Alice Musyoka @ProWritingAid
Publishing / Miscellaneous
How Do You Know If Your Book Is “Worth” Editing? @StephMorrill @GoTeenWriters
Nigel Roby Sells the UK's ‘The Bookseller' to Stage Media Company: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Mapping the New Normal: As Big Bad Wolf announces its debut Thailand online sale, global publishing faces a watershed moment: @thenewpubstd
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Critique: 7 Possible Hooks for Your Opening Chapter: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Nine Ways To Write An Emotionally Abusive Villain: @10minnovelist
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
How To Write Characters Who Actually Like Each Other: @standoutbooks
Making Characters Count: by Elaine Viets @killzoneauthors
Wounds: Unforgettable Characters are Fashioned from Broken Pieces: @KristenLambTX
The 8 C's of Character Development: @JennyHansenCA
How to Characterize: @jamesscottbell
3 Ways to Differentiate Your Characters: @sacha_black
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Unintentional Story Issues, And How To Fix Them: @KMAllan_writer
Top Five Mistakes New Authors Make and How to Avoid Them: @HowellWave
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Editor Roundtable: “Center Stage”: @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
5 Elements of a Resonant Closing Line: @KMWeiland
Advanced Storytelling Techniques: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor
How to Apply the Principles of Fast Learning to Become a Better Writer: @RafalReyzer @TheRyanLanz
Does Your Story Really Need That Extra POV Character? @KMWeiland
The climax should resolve your character’s desires: @NathanBransford
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
How to Outline a Novel (Podcast): @LibHawker @sacha_black
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
The Quest in the Quest: @DonMaass @WriterUnboxed
Visualize Your Novel: Storyboarding: @SurfCityJames
Plotting: Building at Novel-Scale: @emma_darwin
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
Using Ships in Fiction: @cyallowitz
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
How to Develop a Book: Part 1: The Concept: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
When, Where, Why, and How To Use Block Quotes and Ellipses: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors
Treat Adverbs Fairly: @DLoock
Writing Craft / Scenes
Scene Writing: More than Looking: @Lindasclare
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
How Do I Describe Fat Characters Respectfully? by Fay Onyx @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Transitions
Tips for Transitions: @authorterryo @killzoneauthors
Tips for Better Story Transitions:
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Harnessing the Power of Pronouns: @johnpwriter
Writing Tools / Apps
What Tools Do You Use to Edit Your Manuscripts? @cinapelayo @LitReactor
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
August 2, 2020
Quick Reminder on Transitions
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Transitions are one of those things that, when they work, are nearly invisible to readers. When they don't work (they're choppy, wordy, or completely absent), they can pull readers right out of a story.
Here are a few problems that I've noticed as a reader…and a few that I've struggled with as a writer, too:
Transitions that ramble on and on. In the right kind of book, this may actually work to a degree, although I think it can be easily overused. It doesn't really work at all in my genre…it would kill the pacing: The summer’s heat finally gave way to fall’s gentler temperatures. Trees shed their leaves and children packed their book bags and headed back to class…
Forward leaps in time with little explanation. It might be that a book suddenly picks up weeks later in the story. What's happened in the interim? Why couldn't the missing weeks be cut out…why were they even necessary? Should the action in the book be more condensed?
Overly-detailed shadowing of a character to get them from one place to another. Clara walked to the door. She opened it and strolled out to her car, thinking about what she’d just heard from her mother. She turned the key in the ignition and slowly backed out of her driveway, checking her mirror. She decided she would go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of ice cream. At this point I’m really just thinking how boring Clara is and how much I want to escape her company. The readers can assume how Clara got to the store. The writer could just start out with: A few minutes later, Clara headed to the grocery store for some ice cream.
For further reading on transitions:
Dressing and Dining from Theresa at Edittorent
How to Create Smooth Scene Transitions from Jason Black
How to Move Smoothly Through Your Novel from Janice Hardy
Do you notice transitions as a reader? Is it something you've found challenging as a writer?
Tips for Better Story Transitions:
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Photo on VisualHunt.com
The post Quick Reminder on Transitions appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
August 1, 2020
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
Business / Miscellaneous
Successful Self-Publishing: How to Self-Publish a Print Book: @thecreativepenn
“Pay Me” is not an offensive term: @dawnafinch
What Do Readers Really Want: How to Write a Book to Market: @ferol @WrittenWordM
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Interview: Lisa Lucas on Planning Her Final National Book Awards: @Porter_Anderson @likaluca @nationalbook @pubperspectives
The UK's Booker Prize Names Its 2020 Longlist, Dominated by Debuts: @Porter_Anderson @TheBookerPrizes Includes: @cpamzhang @kileyreid @MaazaMengiste @Gabriel_Krauze @avnidoshi @efie41209591
Jerusalem International Book Forum Announces 2021 Dates: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Turkish Publishers Association Hold Ninth Biennial Assembly: Digital Focus: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Singapore Names 2020 Book Award Finalists, Adds Digital Categories: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @katong @SBPA
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Setting Goals As A Writer: @keri_kruspe @BethBarany
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
25 Summer Writing Prompts: by Arielle Haughee @FloridaWriters1
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Noir Fiction: When the Real Is Too Raw: @LairdBarron @CrimeReads
Top Ten Books About Writers: @PaulaSMunier @CareerAuthors
Reading as Writers: Summer Scare Readathon: @jlw_writes
Why You’re Allowed to Grow Out of Books and Authors: @teeveejeff
Into the Deep: Six Novels That Prove Lakes Are the Perfect Setting for a Murder Mystery: @KimberlySBelle @CrimeReads
10 Books Set in Museums: @_preetysidhu @ElectricLit
11 Novels of Vacations Gone Horribly Awry: by Katherine St. John @CrimeReads
Seven Thrillers About Identity and Reinvention: @catherinemckenzieauthor @CrimeReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Tips for creating a writing routine: @pubcoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block
Writer @ChrysFey Gives 11 Tips to Help Beat Writer's Block:
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
In the absence of travel, what is a travel writer to do? @boozecolumnist @GuernicaMag
Writing and the Pandemic: Shock, Survival, and Forgiveness: @KristineRusch
A Few, Good Writing Tips to Keep You on Your Toes: @writingforward
You Don’t Get, What You Don’t Fight For: @DShorb
Positive and Negative Perfectionism: @plotwhisperer
“COVID19 Brought Opportunity That Helped Make Me A Working Writer”: @JunetaKey @TheIWSG
The Importance of Networking: @vickidelany @mike54martin
Creativity, Artificial Intelligence, And Time Off: @mffrenzel @thecreativepenn
Unforced Errors: 5 Ways Writers Stand Between Themselves and Success: @RuthHarrisBooks
How To Face A Tantrum-Throwing To-Do List: @10minnovelist
What to Do When You Don’t Have a Book Coming Out: @AngelaSlatter
How To Rekindle Your Passion For Writing: @JerryBJenkins @Bang2write
7 Surprising Benefits of a Standing Desk: @BryanJCollins
5 Things Learned From Writing Through A Global Pandemic: @KimberlySBelle @WomenWriters
Never Say You Can’t Survive: Everything Is Broken! What Should I Write About? @charliejane @tordotcom
Writing Through Life's Surprises: @Lindasclare
Nurturing the Writing Spirit: @RJThesman @WomenWriters
Simplify Your Writing Life with These 10 Tips: @EdieMelson
5 Ways For Authors to Stay Focused During COVID-19: by Kelsey Worsham @WrittenWordM
5 Mistakes Writers Make in the Summer: @jillkemerer
4 Resilience Strategies to Help You Write: @NinaAmir
Genres / Dystopian
Writing Dystopias: @davidfarland
Genres / Fantasy
How to Write Tactful Fantasy and Science Fiction During COVID-19: @sarahjrexford @A3writers
Genres / Horror
Heavy Metal and Horror: an Unholy Union: @ashford_zachary
Genres / Middle-Grade
Writing Believable Dialogue For Kids: @kathytemean
Genres / Miscellaneous
What Is Genre in Literature? How to Use It? @Peter_Rey_
Praying for Clients? Pro Tips to Earn Well as a Christian Writer: @terrywhalin @TiceWrites
Genres / Mystery
Home Town Returns as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Genres / Screenwriting
Great Scene: “North by Northwest” : @GoIntoTheStory
How To Write Stronger, More Dramatic TV Shows: @CreativeScreen
Script Analysis: “Knives Out”: @GoIntoTheStory
Promo / Blogging
All About Blog Tours: @KeriBarnum @JFbookman
Promo / Book Reviews
NetGalley Review: Is NetGalley Worth It? @DaveChesson
Promo / Connecting with Readers
How Readers Pick What to Read Next: @claytonnoblit @WrittenWordM
Promo / Miscellaneous
Online Marketing Doesn't Mean Lying, Cheating or Conning Customers: @annerallen
How to Get More Media Exposure for Your Book: @Bookgal
Promo / Newsletters
Tutorial: How To Setup Your Author Email List with ConvertKit: @thecreativepenn
Promo / Speaking
Public Speaking for Writers: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Promo / Websites
18 Worthy Websites for Writers: by Jeanna Bray @LiveWriteThrive
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Book Clubs and Other Cannibalization Scares: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives
Internet Archive Responds to Publishers' Copyright Lawsuit: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish @pubperspectives
Mediapro Deal With DeAPlaneta: Two of Javier Castillo's Books Are Headed to TV: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
How to Sell Books in 2020: Put Them Near the Toilet Paper: @Liz_A_Harris @nytimes
Publishing / News / Data
US Market Statistics: The AAP StatShot Annual Report for 2019: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Storytel KR grows 2.5 times against fierce competition during pandemic as South Korea audiobook market expands: @thenewpubstd
China Bestsellers June: The Tried, True, and Familiar Hold the Charts: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Italian Book Industry: Publishers' Study Sees ‘Signs of Recovery': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
France's New Éditions Lulee: A Subscription Model in Kids' Books: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
Italy's Publishers Hail New €10 Million Fund for Small Presses: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Canada: White Pine Options Kids Can Press' Book on Women Politicians: @Porter_Anderson @KidsCanPress @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
How to Publish with KDP: @harmony_kent @StoryEmpire
The Pros And Cons Of Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing: @thecreativepenn
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
How to Write a Stellar Query Letter: @mike54martin
Creating a Cover Letter That Creates Interest: by Ruth Logan Herne @SKRViLL
Publishing / Process / Distribution
Successful Self-Publishing: Exclusivity and Going Direct: @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Villains are Smart: @jeffreysomers @BookBub
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Building Characters in Seven Steps: @SHalvatzis
Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? (PART 2): @AngelaAckerman
Making a Good First Impression with Our Characters: @JamiGold
Writing Craft / Diversity
Writing with Color — Stereotyped vs Nuanced Characters and Audience Perception: @WritingwColor
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
A Handy Checklist to Strengthen the Narrative Drive in Your Scenes: @Janice_Hardy
Deception as a Storytelling Device: Introducing the Unreliable Narrator: @KristenLambTX
Writing Morally Ambiguous Characters: @shaelinbishop
Seven Essential Writing Exercises: @ckalyna @WomenWriters
How Do I Create a Platonic Friendship Between Characters? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
How to Create Interlocking Questions: by Marilynn Byerly
How to and (Especially) How Not to Write About Family: @harrigan_sharon @JaneFriedman
Writing a Valuable Book Review: @CindyDevoted @EdieMelson
Tips for Stronger Writing: @IWriteToo @RMFWriters
“How Advertising Taught Me The Art of the Twist”: @SK_Barnett @CrimeReads
Writing Traumatic Memories Without Overwhelming Readers: @LisaHallWilson
Writing Craft / POV
We Need To Talk About First Person Plural: @ElectricLit
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Questions To Ask When Planning Your Three Act Structure: @10minnovelist
Ask Yourself Why: @authorterryo @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Empathy vs. Sympathy vs. Apathy (Grammar Rules): @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
After the red pen – a pain-free way to tackle beta reader comments: l @Roz_Morris
Ten Questions To Ask Your Beta Readers: @10minnovelist
How Writing Groups Can Help Develop Your Writing: @RJ_Heald @WomenWriters
Writing Craft / Scenes
How to Keep Score in Your Story With Scene Goals: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Writing Craft / Transitions
How to Write Effective Scene Transitions in Your Novel: @MichaelLaRonn
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Why Words Matter, and How to Rewrite Them: @ritukaushal2 @losapala
Writing Tools / Apps
3 Best Productivity Apps to Write Faster: @LMacNaughton
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 26, 2020
What is Writer’s Block?
by Chrys Fey, @ChrysFey
Thank you, Elizabeth, for letting me share an excerpt from my new book Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer’s Block, Burnout, and Depression!
What is Writer’s Block?
Some writers say they don’t buy into the idea of writer’s block, because you just have to sit down (butt in seat) and hammer out a story, not wait for a muse to inspire you or for the right mood to strike. But writer’s block is not about waiting to be inspired or in the mood to write. It’s about not being able to think of what to write or how to proceed with a story. It’s a condition that has been documented throughout history. F. Scott Fitzgerald had it. Charles M. Schulz had it. Adele had it.
You could be one of those diligent writers who straps themselves to a chair for hours, pounding out words, and then, one day, not able to write a sentence. What you do write, you think sucks and is your worst work to date. You could be someone who used to write a book a month and suddenly not be able to write anything for years. You could be someone who has a list of story ideas, but none of those ideas are turning in to anything good despite your best efforts.
Some people would go as far as to say that writer’s block is a cop out, a reason for writers to moan and groan. Well, they are entitled to their opinion, of course. I won’t convince them otherwise. Just as I hope they will let me have my opinion that writer’s block is real and won’t make light of my struggles, as well as with writer’s burnout. And worse yet, depression. Because, yes, there are people who don’t even believe in depression, and they think it’s as easy to fix as flipping a switch. It’s not. (But that’s a conversation for later.)
What is Normal?
First, I do want to point out a difference between actual writer’s block and normal difficulties during the writing process. Every writer will have days where the words won’t come. Every writer will feel uninspired at one time or another. Maybe even a few times a week. Every writer will be unmotivated to write. Every writer will succumb to the pressure of deadlines. However, these things don’t necessarily mean you’re suffering from writer’s block. When I go through these every-day writing troubles, it’s because I am purposefully procrastinating or I have other things going on like doctor’s appointments or a long to-do list. Even when I have a simple head cold, I can’t write worth a darn. Writer's block, on the other hand, is a condition in which a writer loses the ability to come up with original ideas or even produce new work. No matter what you do, the words aren’t there and they won’t come. Something is blocking you. What that something is will be different for everyone. No two writers are the same.
Causes of Writer's Block:
Creative problems within the work
Lack of inspiration
The project is too big for the writer
Physical illness
Depression
Stress (of any kind)
Pressure to write or create a best-seller
Feeling of failure
My Story:
My first experience with writer’s block happened when I was seventeen. I had been writing since I was twelve, which is not an exaggeration.
I wrote so much that I completed three books in a series. That’s many notebooks and a ton of pens. It was a few months after I dropped out of high school that I stopped writing. Just. Like. That. *snaps fingers* I couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t write for months. I sincerely wanted to, because I loved my characters, and writing was my everything. I didn’t feel like myself when I wasn’t writing. During this time, I didn’t force myself to write, because there was nothing to force. No words. No ideas. I feared school had been my inspiration and that I was screwed forever as a writer because I left high school.
Then, out of the blue, I had an epiphany. I don’t even know how it came about. Maybe my mind was simply open at the right time for the answer to fall in. Suddenly, like a lightbulb going off in my mind, I knew what was wrong. My block had been due to creative problems within the work, specifically with my characters’ ages and how I, myself, had aged a lot from Book 1 to Book 4. The storyline for Book 4 wasn’t in sync with the previous three books. It was too teenage-angsty for fantasy, not right for my series, and all wrong for my characters.
With that realization, the fix came with it. I knew right away I had to rewrite the series from Book 1, not for tweens, definitely not for teens, but for adults. I had to greatly age my characters, scrap half of them, and give them cool jobs and change the plot. It was years’ worth of work, but those years were the best years of my writing career thus far.
There is no sure-fire way to break out of writer's block, but here are 11 tactics that have helped me over the years:
Read the last chapter or two that you wrote. Sometimes going over your work will get you back into the groove and motivate you to continue from where you left off.
Pick a random moment in your story to write. Just because you plot out your story doesn’t mean you need to write it in order. Pick a scene you’re excited to write and write it! And keep on going until you need to stop. See if you can continue from there the next day.
At the end of every writing session, plan out what you need to write next. This will help you to get back into your story faster and provide you with a clear map of where you need to go.
Write a song or poem for a specific scene in your book to help you tap into the emotion you need to write it. In the end, you may be able to use whole verses from the song or poem in your book. That’s a bonus.
If you are good with a pencil, draw a picture to help your creative juices flow. This technique is great to help release an image trapped within your mind. Once you get it down on paper in one form, you can do it again in another.
Listen to music. Find songs that hold the same emotion and feature the same theme as the event(s) in your book. Then plug in your headphones and let the music call to your muse.
Watch a movie with scenes similar to what you need to write.
Read a book (or five) in the same genre as yours.
Discuss your book with a trusted person to bounce ideas off them. You may be surprised how helpful a second party can be.
Motivate yourself. Say, “I don’t have writer's block. Nothing can stop me from writing! I can do it!”
Step away from your book for a while:
– Take a nap
– Go for a walk or run
– Work in the garden
– Take a long bath
– Wash the dishes
Then go back to your book when you’re done and try again.
BONUS TIP: Don't give yourself too much to work on. Writing a novel is a big job, but if you keep looking at it as writing four hundred pages (or so), you will shut down. Whenever you sit down to write, don't focus on writing your novel. Worry about the next paragraph, not the next chapter. Don't even aim to fill the whole white page. Go sentence by sentence.
Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication. She is also the author of the Disaster Crimes series. Visit her blog, Write with Fey, for more tips on how to reverse writer’s burnout.
11 Tips to Beat Writer's Block and Have Better Focus (by @ChrysFey ):
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Photo credit: Ed Yourdon on VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA
The post What is Writer’s Block? appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
Business / Miscellaneous
How to Avoid Bad Author Collaborations: @kikimojo
I’m an Editor. Here are 10 Things I Really Need Writers to Know: @MegDowell
How Much to Charge When Pricing a Self-Published Book to Sell on Amazon: @Wogahn
Writing as Collaboration: @CEMcKenzie1 @WriterUnboxed
How To Take Your Author Career To The Next Level: @pbackwriter @thecreativepenn
The Editing Podcast: Do you need a specialist editor? @LouiseHarnby
How to Co-Write a Novel and Remain Friends: @GretaBoris @WomenWriters
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Panama International Book Fair will be virtual this year. Last year it attracted over 100,000 visitors: @thenewpubstd
National Book Awards Makes the Move to Digital: November 18: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Secrets to Successful Virtual Author Events: @DebColameta @CareerAuthors
Frankfurter Buchmesse Outlines Digital Programming Details: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Planning Your First Virtual Book Event: @MT_Cassidy @FloridaWriters1
Liber20 in Barcelona Announces October Hybrid Program for Spain: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Beijing International Book Fair Moves Online for a ‘Smart BIBF': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Frankfurter Buchmesse: Four German Houses Sign on Together: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Access Copyright Foundation Announces Marian Hebb Research Grants: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards Name 35th Shortlist in Photo and Film Books: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
‘Books From Spain' Launches To Support Frankfurt's 2022 Guest of Honor: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels
How to Start Writing a Book: 4 Simple Steps to Get You Started: @ReedsyHQ
Five Things Every Aspiring Author Should Know: @PhilAthans
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes
23 Quotes to Fuel Your Writing All Summer Long: @jessicastrawser @CareerAuthors
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Confinement as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Examples of How Crime Fiction Writers Have Worked Diversity into Their Novels: @MargotKinberg
5 Signs Your Reading Partner Is A Dud: @lisabubert @LitReactor
7 Crime Novels Where Vengeance is Completely Justified: @TRRaganAuthor @CrimeReads
Exploring Similarities between Parents and Children in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
9 Thrillers Featuring Writers As Characters: @EmilyLiebert @CrimeReads
8 Thrillers with Twisted Physicians You'll Be Glad Are Fictitious: @HankPRyan @BookTrib
Noir Fiction: When the Real Is Too Raw: @LairdBarron @CrimeReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How – and Why – to Create a Daily Writing Habit: by Tom Meitner @ProWritingAid
Ten Questions To Ask To Find Extra Time To Write: @10minnovelist
Writing Habits or Daily Rituals. You Can Call Them as You Want — Just Write: @Peter_Rey_
How To Actually Write Every Day: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Developing a Writing Practice: Engrained: @manzanitafire @JaneFriedman
Five Tips for Writing Every Day: @ThisHammer @DIYMFA
Solutions for the Time-Crunched From 10 Minute Novelists: @10minnovelist
14 Tips to Help Manage Time To Write: @EdieMelson @SouthrnWritrMag
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Tips for Writing During Tough Times: @WomenWriters @AineGreaney
How to Coach Others When You’re Still an “Aspiring” Creative: @losapala
How to improve your home office: @pubcoach
Make All the Writing Plans You Want: @MegDowell
Writing Small in Viral Times: @BJoycePatterson @DIYMFA
5 Important Reasons Why Writers Need Hobbies: @colleen_m_story
10 Reasons Writing Suddenly Feels a Lot Harder Than Usual: @MegDowell
Telling The Story Without Knowing The Answers: by Claudia Hagadus Long @WomenWriters
In Praise of Creative Play: @dorothywinsor @wvancamp
A Writer's Guide to Patience, Practice, and Persistence: @RuthHarrisBooks
Ghostwriter Emerges With Her Own Haunting Fiction: @Roz_Morris @Howard_Lovy @IndieAuthorALLI
Beat the Author Blues: How to Manage Writer’s Doubt: by Clayton Noblit @WrittenWordM
10 Ways to Be an Environmentally-Friendly Writer: @ChrysFey @TheIWSG
Getting Comfortable With Failure: @jaelmchenry
How You Know You’ve Found Your Calling: @MegDowell
The Beginning Writer’s Guide To Finishing A Novel: What If You Don’t Want To Finish? @StephMorrill @GoTeenWriters
What is your highest and best use? @NathanBransford
“How I Stopped Wasting Time on Twitter and Facebook”: @ThDigitalReader
Break the Lego House and Start Over (Or: Writing With Kids at Home): @jcbaggott @WriterUnboxed
Protect your writing from interruptions: @pubcoach
How to Change Your Work Situation to Fit Your Writing Dreams: @colleen_m_story
What Your Inner Critic Doesn't Want You To Know: @emma_darwin
5 Ways to Put the Fun Back into Writing: @jlturchin
Deadline Writing Tips in Quarantine: @LynnHBlackburn @EdieMelson
In the absence of travel, what is a travel writer to do? @boozecolumnist @GuernicaMag
Genres / Fantasy
Map Building for Fantasy Writers: by Toni Šušnjar @mythicscribes
How to Name Characters in Fantasy: @DanKoboldt
Genres / Horror
Literature Is Built on a Foundation of Horror: @fitch_marc @CrimeReads
Genres / Memoir
8 tips to write a successful memoir: @amabaie
How to Transform Memories into Memoir: @kathleenpooler @LiveWriteThrive
Top 7 Memoir-Writing Lessons: @martabeaman @WomenWriters
Genres / Miscellaneous
Writing a Fairy Tale: Creating the Magic Behind the Story: by Nataša Xerri @IngramSpark
The Problem with Avoiding Genre Formula: by Marilynn Byerly
How To Get Into Sports Writing: @sweatscience
Genres / Mystery
Crime Writing: Obstruction Of Justice: @LeeLofland
5 Tips to Writing Financial Thrillers: by Lawrence Light @CareerAuthors
Mentors as an element in crime fiction: @MargotKinberg
Genres / Non-Fiction
“What I’ve Learned Writing Middle Grade Nonfiction”: by Tim Grove @JaneFriedman
Why You Should be Telling Stories in Non-Fiction: @Word_Nerd_Girl @SelfPubForm
Writing a Non-Fiction Query Letter (+ Sample Query Letter) : @ReedsyHQ
Genres / Romance
7 Romance Novelists on Telling Great Love Stories: @nownovel
Genres / Screenwriting
Reader Question: How to handle a character who changes names? @GoIntoTheStory
How Your Screenplay Characters Perceive Their Truth: @CreativeScreen
Screenwriting: Dramatic Tension – Don’t Let Them Go: @_PatrickOD @CreativeScreen
Script Analysis: “Midsommar” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown: @GoIntoTheStory
Genres / Short Stories
Creating Income from Short Fiction: @MarkLeslie @StonehamPress @IndieAuthorALLI
Submitting short stories: thoughts from an agent: @Janet_Reid
Promo / Connecting with Readers
The Task of Finding Readers – A Study: @jimhbs
Promo / Miscellaneous
How to Connect with Readers Virtually: @1106Design
It's Up to Authors to Sell Books: @PeggySueWells @EdieMelson
Author Essentials: Marketing Plan: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire
How to Create Your Book’s Marketing Plan: @lqtang @ReedsyHQ @writingcookbook
Business Musings: Book Promotion 2020: @KristineRusch
Promo / Newsletters
How to Get Readers to Unsubscribe From Your Newsletter: @ThDigitalReader
Promo / Platforms
3 Pillars of a Strong Author Platform: @EldredBird
Promo / Social Media Tips
How to Promote Your Book on LinkedIn: @mike54martin
A Guide to Using Social Media for Book Promotions: @mike54martin
Eight Tips To Help You Get Attention On Twitter: @10minnovelist
Promo / Websites
How to Prep for a Major Website Refresh: @ThDigitalReader
“Why I Don't Recommend WooCommerce for Your eStore”: @ThDigitalReader
Publishing / Miscellaneous
AAP's StatShot for May: A Downturn That May Be Even Sharper: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish @pubperspectives
Court Lifts Gag Order on Mary Trump as S&S Releases Book: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
National Book Foundation's Lisa Lucas To Head Knopf's Pantheon and Schocken: @Porter_Anderson @likaluca @nationalbook @pubperspectives
Self-publishing News: Netgalley Adds Audio: @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLI
Your Book's Front Matter – Before the Story Begins: @KarenCV
US Book Market: NPD Sees Unit Sales Up 2.8 Percent in Q2: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Wattpad Says It's Resetting Passwords Following Reported Data Breach: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
US Book Market: NPD Sees a 31-Percent Jump in Ebook Sales in April: @Porter_Anderson @npdbooks @pubperspectives
Places to Publish and Promote Your eBook: @mike54martin
UK Book Industry: Publishers Call for Aid, Reporting 2019's Success: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Political Books: PEN America's Suzanne Nossel ‘Dares To Speak': @Porter_Anderson @PENamerica @pubperspectives
Rights Roundup: Critical Thinking in a Long, Hot Summer: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Coronavirus Impact: Nielsen Book India on Readers in the Pandemic: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IPA, PEN America Blast Vietnam’s ‘Crackdown on Independent Media’: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @PENamerica @AmazonPub
Coronavirus Impact: A New Survey by Italian Publishers Sees ‘Abandonment of Reading': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Trump Book Breaks S&S Record; PRH India Signs Sourcebooks, Fitzcarraldo: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
China's Book Retail Market: Down 9.29 Percent in First Half of 2020: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
In Europe, Pandemic Relief for Publishing; New Funds for Authors: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IPA Announces ‘Extreme Concern' About Book Censorship in Hong Kong: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @KristennEinars1 @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Impact: Russian Book Market Struggling Despite Reopenings: by Eugene Gerden @pubperspectives
Spain's Book Market: 40 Percent More Online Buying During Lockdown: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
European Book Markets: An Early Assessment of the Damage: @Porter_Anderson @FEP_EU @pubperspectives
Editorial Planeta México in Exclusive Deal With Subscription Service Scribd: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Worklife: Iran's Blue Circle Literary Rights Agency: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
If You're a KDP Author, Amazon Is NOT Your Publisher: @SarahBolme
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
“Why Am I So Against Traditional Publishing?” @DeanWesleySmith
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Bland is bland (query critique): @NathanBransford
How to Find a Literary Agent: @mike54martin
How to Write a Stellar Query Letter: @mike54martin
Publishing / Process / Formatting
How to Format a Manuscript: @WritersTable @ProWritingAid
Don’t Socially Distance Your Sentences with Two Spaces, Says Microsoft Word: by Jeanette the Writer @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Breaking Writing Rules Right: “Never Open with Introspection”: @SeptCFawkes
Opening Well: @davidfarland
How to Start a Novel: 8 Steps to the Perfect Opening Scene: @ReedsyHQ
Save the Cat! Explained: Beginning: @SeptCFawkes @savethecat
First Page Critique: A Hike That Might Be A Journey? by PJ Parrish @killzoneauthors
4 Great Ways for an Author to Hook a Reader: @SarahSallyHamer @EdieMelson
Where should your novel begin? @Roz_Morris
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Nine Ways To Write An Emotionally Abusive Villain: @10minnovelist
Writing Craft / Characters / Arc
Great Character Arcs: @davidfarland
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
How Character Flaws Shape Story: @wstorr @thecreativepenn
Writing Shy Characters Without Slowing Down the Story: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? @AngelaAckerman
Resources for Character Development: from The Writers' Helpers
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
When to Tell and Not Show: @swatiteerdhala
Writing Craft / Dialogue
6 Tips On How to Write Compelling Dialogue: by Yen Cabag @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Story Grid Scene Analysis: The Giver of Stars: @abigailkperry @DIYMFA
Editor Roundtable: The Great Gatsby: by Leslie Watts @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Add Depth to Your Writing: @AJHumpage
How to Foreshadow in Your Writing: by Doug Lewars @TheRyanLanz
Childhood Revisitations as a Writer: @andrewwille
The Magic Paragraph for Writers: @AneMulligan @EdieMelson
Tips for Writing Good Prose: @IndieAuthorALLI
“What Running a Bookshop Taught Me About Writing”: @NatalieMJenner @WomenWriters
Building a Bold Narrator's Voice: 5 Methods: @nownovel
4 Reasons To Listen To Your Own Book: @KMAllan_writer
Effective Body Language in Writing: @ecellenb
Seven Reasons It’s Definitely Okay to Neglect Storytelling Rules: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Changing Literary Styles: @JoanHallWrites
Put Action Beats to Work in Your Novel: @MADaboutWords @FloridaWriters1
10 Simple Tips For Getting A Full Read: @Bang2write
How Can I Keep an Angry Character Likable? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
11 Exercises to Enhance Your Visual Thinking: @KMWeiland
Ten authors share their best writing advice: @HannahMMcKinnon @cbcbooks
A Handy Checklist to Strengthen the Narrative Drive in Your Scenes: @Janice_Hardy
Deception as a Storytelling Device: Introducing the Unreliable Narrator: @KristenLambTX
Writing Craft / POV
How Does Our Character's POV Affect Our Story? @JamiGold
We Need To Talk About First Person Plural: @ElectricLit
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming
The Importance of Unnamed Characters in Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
How to Outline a Novel: @JerryBJenkins
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
Write It With Research: by Deborah Lyn Stanley
Writing Craft / Revision
The Incredible Shrunken Manuscript: @FictionNotes @ProWritingAid
Editing Your Novel Q&A: @KMWeiland
Proofreading Find and Replace Checklist: @victoria_grif7
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Questions To Ask When Critiquing Books: @10minnovelist
7 Traits of a Successful Writing Critique Group: @riverbendsagas @EdieMelson
Writing Craft / Series
Tips on Writing a Series: by by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
The Four Principles of Series Writing: @HillaryHomzie
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
How to Edit Setting: @tishmartin1416 @A3writers
The Dangers of Detail Derailment: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Tension
Avoid Limbo With Narrative Tension: @Kid_Lit
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Word Choice: What Does It Mean for Our Writing? @JamiGold
Writing Craft / World-Building
World-Building: Building Systems of Tanistry: by Seán Gray @mythicscribes
Writing Tools / Apps
What's the Best Writing Software? @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
“4 Ways I Use My Phone in my Writing”: @SueBEdwards
Canva v Book Brush: @ThDigitalReader
The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book: @DaveChesson
If You Write In MS Word, You Need To Know About These 6 Features: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 11, 2020
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
New Stuff:
My writing friend Christina Kaye is offering a 1-hour Zoom webinar for $49 on Friday, July 24: “Three Secrets to Writing Novels that Sell.” For more information and to register, click here.
Also:
I'm pretending this is a normal summer and taking a 2-week summer blog break. :) I'll be back with Twitterific on Sunday, July 26.
Business / Miscellaneous
KDP Select Review: Is it Worth It? @DaveChesson
The 7-Figure One Person Creative Business: @ElainePofeldt @thecreativepenn
How to Self-Help Yourself to a Six-Figure Income: @MarcReklau @SelfPubForm
Rewriting a Self-Published Book: @BookEndsJessica
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Frankfurt: Canada Postpones Its Physical Guest of Honor Program to 2021: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
English PEN's Pinter Prize Goes to Poet Linton Kwesi Johnson: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
How to become a more visual thinker: @pubcoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Favorite Genre-Defying Tales of Terror: @KatheKoja @lineupweekly
How E.M. Forster's Only Foray Into Sci-Fi Predicted Social Distancing: @GabbyBellot @lithub
“Negative Reviews That Don’t Turn Me Off a Book”: @NicolaAlter
Five Revenge Tales Featuring Treacherous Bosses and Evil Overlords: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
The Decameron Project: Short Fiction by 29 Authors Inspired by the Pandemic: @nytimes
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
Monitoring Your Progress as a Writer: @RafalReyzer
4 Ways to Self-Motivate (Author Toolbox): by JJ Burry
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Three Tricks To Gain More Time To Write: @10minnovelist
How to find more time to write: @pubcoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block
Hacking Writer's Block: by Tony Ollivier @10minnovelist
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
12 Lies All Writers Tell Themselves Too Often: @MegDowell
There Will Be Parts of Being a Writer You Don’t Like: @MegDowell
On the origin of the word “blurb”: @knownemily @lithub
Achieving Work-Life Balance in Writing (especially during a crisis): @ShelleyWidhalm
Creativity vs. Distraction: 13 Tips for Writers in the Age of the Internet: @KMWeiland
Doing the work that's in front of you: @austinkleon
Working From Home Tips and Tricks: @BryanJCollins
“What Can I Create?” The Powerful Question to Navigate Change: @jenny_blake @DanBlank
Keeping a Commonplace Book: @HCMarks
Jail the Negative Voice: @DebbyGiusti @SKRViLL
“10 Surprising Things I Learned About Writing Just in the Past 100 Days”: @MegDowell
“Five Things I Learned Writing Full Deck Roleplaying”: @jasonlblair @ChuckWendig
Genres / Fantasy
Seven Musts for Dominating a Fantasy Battle: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
How Can I Respectfully Subvert the Magical Cure Trope? by Fay Onyx @mythcreants
Epic Fantasy Tropes That Never Get Old: @_HannahHeath
Genres / Horror
The Horror of Solitude: @GwendolynKiste @NightmareMag
Let’s Talk About Trigger Warnings for Horror: @GiveMeYourTeeth
Genres / Memoir
Memoir Beyond the Self: Q&A with Lawrence Hill: @MLSimminsAuthor @JaneFriedman
How to Publish a Memoir: 19 Steps to Follow: @DaveChesson
Genres / Mystery
6 Methods of Tracking Crooks: @LeeLofland
Thrillers Bring the Light: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Summer Vacations in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Genres / Non-Fiction
How to Write Encouraging Nonfiction Pieces During the Pandemic: by Sam Bowman @NinaAmir
Genres / Screenwriting
Screenwriting: 15 Awesome Tips For Cutting Down Your Page Count: by Sally Abbott @Bang2write
Promo / Book Reviews
Why Authors Should Read Reviews: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire
Promo / Connecting with Readers
How to find online book clubs and 6 benefits of them: @ChrysFey @NatalieIAguirre
Promo / Miscellaneous
Writers, Stop Neglecting Your Author Photos: @ajthenovelist @LitReactor
Tips for Recycling Marketing Content: @KarenHWhiting @EdieMelson
Promo / Platforms
Reboot Your Author Brand: @OrnaRoss @thecreativepenn
Promo / Social Media Tips
8 Instagram Stories Hacks to Give You a Creative Edge: @alexbeadon @SMExaminer
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Successful Self-Publishing: Why Self-Publish a Print Book? @thecreativepenn
The Problem with Enhanced Ebooks: by David Kudler @JFbookman
Simon & Schuster Moves Up Mary Trump Book Release to July 14: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Successful Self-Publishing: Before You Print: @thecreativepenn
Grisham, Child, Amazon, PRH Headline Lawsuit of KISS Library for Piracy: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The UK's Emerald Publishing Issues International Inclusivity Report: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Nickelodeon Is Taking Australia's Real Pigeons Books to Film and TV: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Room for Both: ebooks and Print Books: by Mae Clair @StoryEmpire
Simon & Schuster Establishes Carolyn Kroll Reidy Memorial Scholarship: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Coronavirus Impact: Spain's Publishers Open a Two-Front Strategy: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Ingram to Open New Book Printing and Distribution Facility in Australia: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
UK's National Literary Trust Research Finds Benefits of Audiobooks for Kids: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Impact: The Börsenverein' Report on the German Market: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Relief: IPA Opens Fund for Razia Rahman Joly in Bangladesh: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @pubperspectives
Frankfurter Buchmesse Announces €4 Million German Federal Grant: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
A Rights Roundup for a Stay-at-Home Season: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
When to submit your manuscript: @Kell_McK @A3writers
How To Choose The Best Literary Agent: @10minnovelist
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
5 Resources for Writing the Perfect Query Letter: @HCMarks
Publishing / Process / Book Design
Best Book Cover Software, Designers and Services: @DaveChesson
Publishing / Process / Formatting
Successful Self-Publishing: How To Format An Ebook: @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Flog a Pro: Would You Pay to Turn the First Page of this Bestseller? @RayRhamey @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Creating a Villain Your Readers Will Love to Hate: @DavidVillalva44
Writing Craft / Characters / Arc
Do Series Characters Change? @DPLyleMD @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Creating Sympathetic Characters: By Maria D'Marco
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
Emotions and Writing: by Rainey Hall @RMFWriters
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Why Scenes Go Bad: @davidfarland
Writing Craft / Conflict
Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Physically Assaulted by a Stranger: @beccapuglisi
Conflict Without Violence: How to Add More Depth To Your Fiction: @teachrobotslove @LitReactor
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
What is a Metaphor? | 3-Minute Fiction Fixit: by Michelle Schusterman
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Does Your Novel Have Too Many Characters? Managing characters: @annerallen
Writing Action Adventure/Tactical Women: @FionaQuinnBooks
5 Things Your Readers Need From You: @AndreaWriterlea
3 Reasons to Try Epistolary Storytelling: @mindofkyleam @ProWritingAid
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Writing a Page-Turner: Turning Points: Three Act Structure for Novelists: @Kris_Bock
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Which vs That: The Grammar Rules You Need to Know: @HellyDouglas @ProWritingAid
Clarifying Ambiguous Pronouns: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Revision
Tips for Revising: @emma_darwin
Writing Craft / Scenes
Scene Writing: How to End a Scene: @Lindasclare
Writing Craft / Series
Keeping Readers Hooked Throughout a Series: @Kid_Lit @TheIWSG
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
3 Things to Consider When Selecting Details for Your Story: @SueBEdwards
Writing Craft / Tension
Creating Tension in Fiction: by Erick Mertz @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / World-Building
Worldbuilding: “What Function Do These People Serve in My Story?”: @PhilAthans
Writing Tools / Apps
Best Writing And Productivity Tools for Authors: @thecreativepenn @OrnaRoss
Writing Tools / Resources
18 writing-craft blogs for editors and authors: @LouiseHarnby
How to Create a Live Backup of Your Working Files Using Google Drive: @ThDigitalReader
Uncategorized
Multiple POVs in Writing: How to Shift Perspectives: by Michelle Schusterman
The Top Writing Links of the Week are on Twitterific:
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July 5, 2020
Monitoring Your Progress as a Writer
by Rafal Reyzer, @rafalreyzer
The old saying “what gets measured gets done” applies to writing as much as anything else that requires consistency and perseverance. You're probably aware that many famous writers have writing quotas. A number that is non-negotiable. It’s in the “must-do” category on the to-do list.
For Stephen King, it’s 2000 words, for Sarah Waters, it’s 1000 words, for Anne Rice, it’s 3000. So, do you have your number or not? Somewhere I’ve read that George R. R. Martin doesn’t have a number, and that’s why he’s taking so long to write a book. Then, we have outliers like J. R. R. Tolkien, who took around fifteen years to complete his famous trilogy.
So how do you monitor your progress as a writer? Do you have to count everything? After all, you're a creative human being, not an AI robot. Let’s take a look at different approaches, and maybe you’ll find your favorite among them.
Add up the words daily
I have a Google Sheets spreadsheet, where I log the beautiful words I write each day. Only project-related words go in there – no emails or social media posts. I put a number next to each day of the month, and this automatically contributes to the “monthly goal” cell in the spreadsheet. Each time I add up the numbers, I can feel a small burst of happy chemicals suffusing my brain. It gives me the motivation to keep on going. It also allows me to see patterns over weeks and months and figure out how to do better.
Set your monthly writing goals
At the beginning of each month, count the number of “writing days” you’ll have available for you, and set your goal based on that. Don’t fool yourself that you’ll write 50.000 words if you’re also climbing Kilimanjaro this month. Be realistic and conservative about the monthly goal. You’ll hit it all the more often!
Use a habit tracker to recognize your patterns of writerly behavior
In psychology, there’s something called the consistency principle. It states that as humans, we tend to stay consistent in our patterns of action to feel more in control of our lives. This led to the development of a motivational technique known as “don’t break the chain,” where you put an “X” below each day when you hit your quota.
After being consistent for around ten days, you start to feel uneasy about “breaking the chain,” and you keep the momentum going. This is a cool technique to try out, and you’ve guessed it – there’s an app for that.
Is it only about words? Or maybe there’s something else?
You don’t have to jump on the daily word count bandwagon if you don’t want to. Many writers feel that it stifles their creativity, or keeps them in the prison of their own making. But you need to track something to know if you’re making progress or not, right? How about the number of chapters, poems, articles, or hours you’ve spent at the keyboard? Whatever it is, keep tabs on it, and you’ll see your productivity increase over the next few months.
Never get overly fixated on your numbers
Attaching your self-esteem to your productive output is like riding downhill on a bicycle hands-free towards impending doom. Why? Because there will always be a time when you slip, and if your ego is too much into it, you’re asking for trouble. You have to learn how to let go and how to enjoy life more. Meditation is fantastic for that because it teaches you how to be happy without obtaining any external source of desire.
Maintaining this balance between achievement and peace of mind is not easy, but it’s the best way I’ve found to make progress and stay happy.
Do you use any of these methods to track your progress as a writer? Perhaps you have something else on your mind? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Rafal Reyzer is a full-time blogger, freelance writer, digital marketer, editor, and content manager. He started his blog to provide readers with great tools and strategies they can use to achieve freedom from 9-5 through online creativity. His site is a one-stop-shop for writers, bloggers, publishers, content enthusiasts, and freelance editors who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things.
Writer @RafalReyzer offers tips on monitoring your progress as a author:
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The post Monitoring Your Progress as a Writer appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 4, 2020
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
Business / Miscellaneous
The Ultimate Guide to Selling Books on your Author Website: @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Sell More Books on Kobo: @KoboWritingLife @sacha_black
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Frankfurter Buchmesse Adds an Online BookFest: Call for Proposals: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
British Book Awards 2020 Winners Announced: Online and Upbeat: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Update: BISG's Annual Meeting ‘Repositions' Online: @Porter_Anderson @BISG @brianoleary @andrewsavikas @pubperspectives
Free Virtual Writers Workshop July 17-18: @PenPaperPad @cawcarrow
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Crime Fiction: Novels Exploring Murders With Reasonable Motives: @MargotKinberg
Exiled Cops in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
10 Hacks To Get The Most From Your eReader: @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
What Everybody Gets Wrong About Shirley Jackson: @AlfordAlice @Jezebel
Reading Dystopias during Quarantine: @Diana_Hurwitz
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How to Start Writing in 10 Minute Increments: @10minnovelist
Finding Your Pace When Writing: @AnneJanzer
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Harness your fears: @NathanBransford
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Showing High Schoolers That Yes, Structure is Essential: @mattcarton @nickripatrazone @lithub
Giving Away Your Creative Power (and How To Get It Back): @sconneryphd @DanBlank
Featured Writer on Wellness: Milana Marsenich: @milanamarsenich @colleen_m_story
How Does Social Media Impact Your Writer's Life? @katekrake
Writer Anne Lamott to Hold A Workshop for Beginning Writers:
10 Signs You’re Ready to Start Sharing Your Writing With the World: @MegDowell
12 Signs Your Writing Is Going to Get Better (Eventually): @MegDowell
What Self-Isolation Has Taught 1 Writer About Writing: @swetavikram @WomenWriters
What Makes a Writer? @CindyDevoted @EdieMelson
It's Okay to Make Mistakes: @Margo_L_Dill
Genres / Fantasy
Prophets, Preachers, and Parasites in Fantasy: @DanKoboldt
Genres / Horror
10 Horror Novels You Should Not Try to Reinvent Unless You Are Awesome, Brave, and a Little Stupid: @AmongTheZombies @LitReactor
Genres / Memoir
How to Write a Powerful Memoir in 5 Simple Steps: @JerryBJenkins
Genres / Miscellaneous
How Folk Customs Have Been Used in Fiction: @csmaccath
Genres / Mystery
Why Funerals are Essential Elements in Cozy Mysteries:
Firearms Evidence: A Top Six “How-To” List: @LeeLofland
Genres / Screenwriting
Top 10 Struggles Screenwriters Go Through In The Industry: @Weissbourd @Bang2write
How to Use Dashes and Ellipses in a Screenplay: @GoIntoTheStory
Promo / Ads
Starting Ads for the First Time: @pbackwriter @SelfPubForm
Using BookBub Ads to Generate Steady Book Sales: @PatriciaMcLinn @BookBub
Promo / Metadata
How to Create an Amazon Book Series Page: @ricwol @WrittenWordM
Promo / Miscellaneous
5 Quick Fixes For Making the Most of “Author Central” (and Why it Should be a Top Priority): @Bookgal @IndieReader
How to Start Heart-Centered Book Marketing: @BethBarany @BadRedheadMedia
How to Use Amazon’s Affiliate Program to Energize Your Marketing: @geniuslink @BadRedheadMedia
Promo / Newsletters
How To Move More Than One Email List From Mailchimp to Mailerlite: @KarenBanes
Promo / Platforms
The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make Building Their Brand: @writerplatform @BadRedheadMedia
How Big a Platform Do I Need to Land a Book Deal? @ChadRAllen
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Simon & Schuster's Mary Trump Book Temporarily Blocked by Restraining Order: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
What is a holiday read? A bookseller and an author-publisher discuss: @Roz_Morris
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Comic Con Africa 2020 will be online. Aims to “break the internet”: @thenewpubstd
Authors in the Coronavirus Crisis: The European Writers' Council Report: @Porter_Anderson @CouncilWriters @nina_george @pubperspectives
CBC's ‘Canada Reads' Sets New Dates: A Shortlist Narrowed by Passion: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coming Thursday: A ‘New Italian Books' Digital Introduction With English: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
South Africa's Ramaphosa Sends Copyright Amendment Back to Parliament: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
5 Literary Agents Reveal the 9 Pitching Mistakes Authors Make: @iBushraRahmani @CSLakin
How to find an agent: @pubcoach
Publishing / Process / Book Design
How to Design a Book | Free Online Self-Publishing Course: @IngramSpark
It’s All in a Font: How Font Choice Affects the Mind: @RafalReyzer @JFbookman
Writing Craft / Chapter Endings
Tips on Connecting Chapters: @writingandsuch
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Do Your Characters Take on a Life of Their Own? @JamiGold
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
How Your Protagonist’s Motivations Influence Your Story’s Themes: @Sara_HeartStory @DIYMFA
Guide to Writing The Hero: @writingandsuch
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Common Writing Mistake: Worrying About Originality: @KelsieEngen
6 Things in Harry Potter that make NO sense: @_HannahHeath
Writing Craft / Drafts
Write Your First Draft: Strategies for Finishing Your Book: @Amy_Stewart
Writing Craft / Humor
How Do I Add Humor to My Writing? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Rise of Skywalker — Held Back by Damage Control? by Derek Chuff @mythicscribes
5 Key Lessons Writers Can Learn From Other Artists: @jessicastrawser @CareerAuthors
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
When You Just Want to Be Good at Writing Already: @MegDowell
How to Heist Your Novel: A Writer’s Guide: @emteehall @tordotcom
Weave exposition naturally into the story: @NathanBransford
People Need to Walk Away From Your Story Feeling Something: @MegDowell
Not-so-still Life: Writing from an Inanimate Object’s Point of View: by Katherine Quevedo @sfwa
Writing Craft / Pacing
Momentum and Pace—Giving Readers a Satisfying Ride: @FoxPrintEd @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
6 Plot Development Questions to Build Your Story: @nownovel
The Puzzle-Piece Plotting Method: Using What You Know to Build What You Don’t: @JustinAttas @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
How Much Research is Enough? @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats
How to Improve Our Story with Action Beats: @JamiGold
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
How To Develop Strong Fiction Ideas: @storyfix @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Participial Time Warps: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
The Effectiveness of Conference Critiques: @BookEndsJessica
Writing Craft / Series
How to Write a Book Series: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Tropes
Tropes: How to Make Them Credible, Not Cliché: @sarahjrexford @A3writers
Character Archetypes: The Shadow: by C.S. Boyack @StoryEmpire
Writing Craft / Voice
How to Find and Hone your Author Voice: @msheatherwebb @WriterUnboxed
Writing Tools / Apps
Scrivener Layouts: @aprildavila
What is the Best Story Outlining Software? @DaveChesson
“Why I Switched from Scrivener to Dabble”: @KyleRbrtShultz
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
Tech Tips for Writers : 10 Favorite Mac Shortkeys: @WordDreams
Uncategorized
Crime Writing: Plainclothes Officer Survival Tips: @LeeLofland wkb44
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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June 27, 2020
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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
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.
Business / Miscellaneous
So Many Ideas, So Little Time: @RachelleGardner
Tips for Making A Living At Writing: @WriterSean @TheIWSG
How to Create a Swipe File: @annklis1 @smartbloggerhq
5 Ways the Gig Economy Can Benefit Creatives: @IndianaLee3 @DIYMFA
10 Things You Need To Do Before Contacting a Publisher: @SydeFyre @BadRedheadMedia
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Nibbies on the Ether: The British Book Awards Online at 30: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Bookwire's ‘All About Audio' Conference Wednesday: Hearing the Potential: @Porter_Anderson @javiercelaya @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Update: Hay Festival Announces a Physical Program in Segovia: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
European and International Booksellers Spotlight Bookstores Saturday: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing Awards: Madrid's Desperate Literature Prize to Angela Finn: @Porter_Anderson @DesperateLit @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Unrealistic Author Goals (+ Some Dirty Secrets About Them): @alexadonne
Setting July 2020 Goals and Checking in With Past Goals: @authorbrittwang
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
The Sixth Sense as an Element for Writing: @JoanHallWrites @StoryEmpire
How to Come Up with a Story Idea: @_HannahHeath
5 Steps to Workout Your Imagination: @AliceOrrBooks
Your Imagination Needs Regular Play Time: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Living Through a Plague: A Reading List: @rishi_reddi @lithub
Crime Fiction: Exploring the “World Out of Control” Theme: @MargotKinberg
The Seven Gifts of Aslan: Sacraments in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: @mattmikalatos @tordotcom
Crime Novels in Which Protagonists are Distanced from Others: @MargotKinberg
5 Ways Ian McEwan Can Help You Improve Your Writing: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
8 Novels About Being Haunted by the Past: @Stintzi @ElectricLit
Characters Displaying Grit and Perseverance in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg
Far From Any Star: Five Stories About Rogue Worlds: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
How to deal with reader's block: @pubcoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How To Find More Time To Write: @10minnovelist
Developing a Writing Practice: Neurohacks: @manzanitafire @JaneFriedman
2 Simple Ways To Switch Into Writer Mode: @KMAllan_writer
How Virtual Write-Ins Helped 1 Writer During COVID-19 Lockdown: @AuthorSAT
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Writing And Working Together As A Creative Couple: @BigGayFiction @thecreativepenn
Enter the Forest Where it is Darkest: @woodwardkaren
The Creative Surge of Women in Mid-Life: @SRaffelock @WomenWriters
Why T.S. Eliot Has Remained an Enigma: by Vijay Seshadri @lithub
Getting Ready for Tomorrow: @SPressfield
Could you cultivate a deeper life? @pubcoach
Focusing on the Writing: @authorterryo @killzoneauthors
6 Factors That Can Influence Your Writing: by Sarah R. @NaNoWriMo
6 Tips to Shine as an Introvert or Extrovert When Working from Home: @GilianBaker @misteriopress
Feeling Unmotivated to Write? Here Are 10 Things You Need to Know: @MegDowell
Top 10 Reasons To Go Outside: @10minnovelist
11 Simple Ways to Be 100x More Effective Than Most People: @kadavy
5 Amazing Ways To Break The Writing Rules: @BarbaraDelinsky @BadRedheadMedia
12 Positivity Practices to Make You A Better Writer: @katekrake
The Benefits of Working Ahead: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire
How to Take a Meaningful Pause: @AnneJanzer
Keeping an Isolation Journal: @suleikajaouad
Genres / Miscellaneous
3 Travel Writing Tips to engage your Readers: @BirdsOAFpress
Tips for Writing Time Slip Novels: @NeelyKneely3628 @EdieMelson
Promo / Blogging
How to Boost your Readership with Guest Blogging: @SmartAuthors @BadRedheadMedia
Promo / Book Reviews
How to Get (Good) Reviews for Your Book: @SeanPlatt
Congratulations on your First Bad Review! You're Officially Published Now: @annerallen
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Book Marketing: 5 Tips For Building A Community Of Readers: @weturnedoutokay @thecreativepenn
Promo / Metadata
How to Choose the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book: @DaveChesson
Promo / Miscellaneous
6 Ideas for Promoting Your Book While Watching TV: @sandrabeckwith @JFbookman
Publishing / Miscellaneous
As IPA Backs Simon & Schuster on Bolton Book, Court Hearing Yields Little: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Signs You May Be an Unrealistic Writer: @10minnovelist
The Good and Bad of Expanding the Definition of ‘Literature': @helpfulsnowman
Donald Trump Moves To Stop Yet Another Book, One by His Niece: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Highlights of Bookwire's ‘All About Audio': Audiobooks, Podcasts: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
AAP: New Report Shows Students' Course-Material Spend Still Sliding: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @AmericanPublish
Publishing / News / International Publishing
China Bestsellers May: ‘Online Literature' Powers a Wu Zhe Trilogy: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Diversity: Macmillan USA Makes Major Changes in Management Approach: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
International Bookshops in Paris Form Their Own Union: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
DAustralia's Screen Queensland Enters a New Wattpad Partnership: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
German and British Startups Named to 2020 ContentShift Accelerator: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
How to Publish an Ebook: A 9-Step Guide for Success: @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / Process / Book Design
The Ultimate Guide to Illustrations in Books: @sacha_black @IndieAuthorALLI
Writing Craft / Beginnings
First Page Critique: @burke_writer @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
9 Bad Guys You Can Defeat in One Punch: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Tips on Character Consistency: @writingandsuch
5 Reasons Our Characters Need to Fail: By Bethany Henry
The 3 Ms of Character Setup: @CSLakin @JaneFriedman
Character Outline Worksheets: The Antagonist & Protagonist: @abigailkperry
Nonlinear Character Arcs: What They Are, Why They're Epic, and How to Write Them: @_HannahHeath
The “Outsider” Character In Fiction: @SuzanneChazin @WomenWriters
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
4 Newbie Writer Mistakes that Can Derail a Great Book Idea: @annerallen
Writing Craft / Drafts
Thirteen Reasons Why Your Next Draft Should Be Written Badly: @10minnovelist
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Rick and Morty and Nihilism: Embracing a Show That Cares About Nothing: @TheDestinySoria @tordotcom
How To Watch And Break Down A TV Show Episode: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How To Write A Perfect Cliffhanger: by Rachael Cooper @LiveWriteThrive
Editing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages: @HelenaFairfax
Editor Roundtable: The Power of Past and Present: by Leslie Watts @StoryGrid
Do You Torture Your Metaphors? The Problem of Self-Conscious Writing: @JRHwords @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
The Puzzle-Piece Plotting Method: Using What You Know to Build What You Don’t: @JustinAttas @JaneFriedman
Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Plotting Their Novels: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
Where to keep your research diary: @pubcoach
Before your Character Heads Out to Enjoy Nature: with Rob Speiden @FionaQuinnBooks
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 More Cases of Confusion Between a Thing and Its Name: @writing_tips
Formatting Non-English Words: @JamiGold
How Do I Use Singular They for a Character Without Confusing Readers? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Revision
How to Line Edit: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Why Your Beta Stopped Reading Your Manuscript: @donnajostone @A3writers
The Benefits of a Critique Partner: by Mae Clair @StoryEmpire
Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict
Become a Writer: How to Write a Fight Scene that Will Get Your Readers' Blood Pumpin': @MichaelLaRonn
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
12 Character Description Secrets (That Only Writers Understand): @PSHoffmanAuthor
Writing Craft / Tension
Tips for Writing a Tense Scene: from Just a Writing Aid
Five Common Reasons Tension Is Missing: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / World-Building
Worldbuilding in the Dystopian World: by Victoria R. Girmonde @StoryGrid
Writing Tools / Apps
The 12 Best Note-Taking Apps for Writers: @BryanJCollins
Scrivener Quick Tips: A Roundup of Handy Features: @Gwen_Hernandez @WriterUnboxed
5 Free Apps to Keep Your Writing On Track: @HCMarks
Uncategorized
Tips from @DaveChesson for Choosing the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book:
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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June 21, 2020
How to Choose the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book
by Dave Chesson, @DaveChesson
You’ve probably heard of keyword research by now and how important it is for marketing your books. But did you know that you can do your own keyword research at home using a pen, some paper, your laptop and Amazon’s search bar?
In this article, we’ll look over how you can get a huge list of potential keywords for your book and narrow them down to the perfect list of keywords you can rank for!
Part One: Find Your Keywords
Use a Private Browser
The first thing you need to do is simple but absolutely vital–without doing this, everything else will be a waste of time.
When completing any keyword research, you need to use a private browsing window. If you’re using Chrome, this is called incognito mode. If you’re unsure how to do that, here’s a short video on how to set your browser to private mode.
Basically, using incognito mode will make sure that any previous searches–or purchases–won’t impact your search results.
Search on Amazon
Like we said earlier, to manually find keywords, you need to use Amazon’s search bar. Select the ‘Kindle Store’ option from the list of categories. Or, if you want to sell hard copies, select the ‘Books’ option. If you forget to change the category, you’ll get results from the entire Amazon store.
Now, get out that notepad and pen we spoke about earlier.
Begin typing in any phrases and potential keywords that readers could use when searching for your book. You’ll find that Amazon will try to guess what your search query is. So, start writing Amazon’s suggestions down.
You can add a single letter to the end of a potential sentence starter and check out how the auto-fill results will change–see the gif below.
This process is a long one, but by thoroughly working through all relevant keywords, you can create a list of hundreds of options for your book. If you are unsure about any particular keywords, make sure you check them against Amazon’s Keyword requirements page (it’s under the “Keywords to Avoid” section).
Part Two: Narrowing Down Your List
By now, you should have a list of well over one hundred potential keywords. Now, you’ll have to start narrowing down your list to the best keywords for your book.
To make sure you choose the right ones, you’ll have to do a little market and competitor research.
To start your research–again in incognito mode–search one of your favorite phrases from the list you’ve written down on Amazon. From there, you’ll want to check out your top three results.
In particular, you want to find how well the top-performing books are selling. To do that, write down the ABSR number–the Amazon Best Seller Rank–for each book. Then use this Kindle Calculator to work out how many copies that book sells. Copy the book’s ABSR into the calculator and it’ll do the rest.
In this example, let’s say the book has an ABSR of 23452. Using the calculator, a book of that ranking sells around 12 copies per day. Note, this includes ‘borrows’ if you’re using Kindle Unlimited.
When manually calculating sales, you should find the average book sales number for the top three results. Ideally, your keyword should be making some sales, but not enough that your book won’t be able to compete. When you find a keyword that doesn’t have high-selling books at the top of the search, one of two things is happening.
Your keyword isn’t popularThe best-performing books for that keyword aren’t relevant to the search. Amazon has to put something on its screen when people search, but if the book suggestions don’t help the potential reader, they probably won’t lead to a bunch of sales.
You should do this process with all of your potential keywords. After that, narrow your list down to a few books you can compete with sales-wise.
Part Three: Complete Competition Analysis
The third part of finding keywords for your book is going through your competition and seeing who you’re up against for that number one spot. You should have already cut a few options from your list in the previous step, so you’ll only have to analyze what’s left.
If you think about your own browsing habits, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that 25% of clicks on an Amazon search page are on the top result. From there, the percentages drop with every place on the result page. That means second place gets more clicks than third, third gets more than fourth, and so on.
So get out your trusty Kindle or other eReader and start searching for keywords and looking at the books that show up. Are their covers professional? Do they have lots of good reviews? Are their blurbs compelling?
If you find a keyword that sells high but doesn’t seem to have strong books targeting that keyword, you’re onto a winner.
Here are some signs that a competitor’s book can be beaten, even if they’re targeting the same keyword as you:
The book is new: Competing against new books is always a good strategy as they don’t have too big of a head start. Often, a new book’s sales figures have been inflated by a launch campaign. The book has a poor cover: A professional-looking cover will attract new readers to your title over competitors.The book only has a few (or bad) reviews: Readers will choose the best option available. If the book has minimal or poor reviews, there’s an opportunity for you.
Like you did with the previous step, cut any keywords you feel are too competitive and try to reach your final shortlist.
Final Thoughts
Self-publishing takes a lot of time and a fair amount of money. If you’re like me, you want to make sure the books you write actually get the sales they deserve.
To help you do that, you now have a manual way to find the best keywords for your next book. If that sounds too difficult, there are also tools like Publisher Rocket you can use to skip the manual work and complete keyword research in minutes.
Whatever you choose, best of luck in selling more books.
Cheers!
Dave Chesson is the creator of Kindlepreneur.com, a website devoted to teaching advanced book Marketing which even Amazon KDP acknowledge as one of the best by telling users to “Gain insight from Kindlepreneur on how you can optimize marketing for your books.” Having worked with such authors as Orson Scott Card, Ted Dekker and more, his tactics help both Fiction and Nonfiction authors of all levels get their books discovered by the right readers.
Tips from @DaveChesson for Choosing the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book:
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Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
The post How to Choose the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
