Riley Adams's Blog, page 52
March 7, 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 50,000 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
Have a tough time fitting writing into your life? Here are my tips in this podcast interview with Top Shelf Editing: http://ow.ly/8Ceh30qnEzX .
Business / Miscellaneous
Six Tips on Working With an Editor: @itshelendarling @DIYMFA
Advice for Women with Book Advances: @AlisonStine @PublishersWkly
When and How Should Writers Negotiate Better Terms? @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Saving Time by Delegating Tasks:
The Real Secret to Marketing Your Writing: @DanBlank
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Simon & Schuster and Ingram Cancel: Coronavirus COVID-19 Concerns Mount for London Book Fair: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
HarperCollins and Hachette pull from London Book Fair as exodus grows: @thenewpubstd
Frankfurter Buchmesse's 2020 BookFest: Open for Publishers' Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
PublisHer's ‘Remarkable First Year': Bodour Al Qasimi Reflects on the Success: @Porter_Anderson @Bodour @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Amazon Exits London Book Fair, as Do US Macmillan, Hachette Sales, and HarperCollins: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @LondonBookFair
Coronavirus: Milan's Stefano Mauri to World Book Fairs and Festivals: Postpone: @Porter_Anderson @sensocercasi @luigispagnol @LondonBookFair
Industry Expert Jane Friedman's Guide to Getting the Most Out of a Writers Conference: @JaneFriedman
Coronavirus: Penguin Random House Pulls out of London Book Fair: @Porter_Anderson @LondonBookFair @PRHDigital @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Leipzig Book Fair Is Canceled; London Still On, Pan Mac Now Out with Hachette Livre: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Audio Publishers Association Names 25th Anniversary Audie Awards: @Porter_Anderson @vermontgmg @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: London Book Fair Is Canceled: @Porter_Anderson @LondonBookFair @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Reed Exhibitions' BookExpo Issues COVID-19 Statement: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The UK's 2020 World Book Day: ‘Reading in Sharp Decline': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
PEN America's 2020 Literary Award Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Five Writing Resolutions Beyond ‘Write Every Day': by Bess Cozby @DIYMFA
A Guide to Creativity and Time: @WriteNowCoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Why I Don’t Force Myself to Finish a Book (Anymore): @KelsieEngen
“Why I’ll Never Read a Book a Week Ever Again”: @hurleywink @The_Millions
Top 10 books about new beginnings: @jaclynmoriarty @GuardianBooks
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Tips for making time to write: https://t.co/ABUQUSUH49 @topshelfedits
I'm interviewed by @topshelfedits on how to fit writing into a busy day: https://t.co/ABUQUSUH49
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block
Lifting Yourself Out of a Writing Slump: @MegDowell
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
How to Write Faster: 7 Steps for Writing More Productively: @DaveChesson
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
The Hardest Part About Being a Writer Is That You Are Not ‘Just’ a Writer: @MegDowell
Harnessing Your Passion to Strengthen Your Stories: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Does Your Workspace Affect Your Writing? @ecellenb
5 Tips for a Healthy Writer's Life: @KMazeauthor
Is that Me in Your Novel? When Life Imitates Fiction: @annerallen
How to Deal with your Writing Anxiety: 6 Smart Tips that Work: @AdelaBelin @WritetoDone
Protecting Your Digital Identity By Sweeping Away “Footprints”: @cleemckenzie @TheIWSG
Five Things Learned From a Social Media Cleanse: @nmeierwrites @WomenWriters
How to make a zine from a single sheet of paper: @austinkleon
Writing About Your Mom Without Guilt: by Andrea Simon @WomenWriters
Things That Happen When You Stop Chasing Social Media: @alythiabrown.85
Genres / Fantasy
Magic Vs Psychic: Are They Interchangeable? @cyallowitz
Genres / Miscellaneous
Thoughts on Writing Romantic Comedies: @Ellen__Jacobson
Genres / Mystery
Crime Writing: Ordering Hits Online: @LeeLofland
Genres / Screenwriting
Hannah Heath: 8 Tips for Writing a Good Screenplay: @ryanjoseph87 @phoenicianrises @_HannahHeath
5 More Secrets To Selling Your Screenplay… And Not Your Soul: @Pendensham @CreativeScreen
Genres / Young Adult
Young Adult Critique: @Kid_Lit
Promo / Metadata
Keywords and Categories: Why You Need to Know Them: @DaveChesson @SelfPubForm
Promo / Miscellaneous
Sales Techniques to Help You Sell More Books: @SarahBolme @JFbookman
Promo / Newsletters
How One Author Grew Her Email List by 23k Using a Reader Quiz: @DrDaltonSmith @AuthorMedia
7 Expert Tricks To Improve Your Author Newsletter: @DavidGaughran
Promo / Platforms
Build Your Brand With An Author Tagline: @ajthenovelist @LitReactor
Promo / Social Media Tips
Should Writers Be on LinkedIn? @FinishedPages
How to Optimize Your Online Marketing Plan: A 4-Step Process: @JanetteSpeyer @SMExaminer
Promo / Speaking
Prepare for Public Speaking Like a Pro: @ChrysFey
Publishing / Miscellaneous
What Path Should a Writer Take in 2020? @jamesscottbell
Your Book in Libraries Worldwide Quick and Easy Guide: @IndieAuthorALLI
Report: Simon & Schuster's Date for John Bolton's Book Is Now in May: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Reidy to Staff: ViacomCBS Is Looking to Sell Simon & Schuster: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Hachette USA Employees Walk Out to Protest Woody Allen Book: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Hachette USA Cancels Publication of Woody Allen Book, ‘After Listening': @Porter_Anderson http://ow.ly/YuWE30qnW2x @pubperspectives #wkb88
Coronavirus: ReedPop Postpones ‘Emerald City'; S&S Exits Bologna; Abu Dhabi Postpones; SXSW Cancels: @Porter_Anderson http://ow.ly/Vq5o30qnW3Q @pubperspectives #wkb84
Coronavirus: The Brussels Book Fair Is Open for Business: @oliviasnaije http://ow.ly/BWYB30qnW4y @pubperspectives #wkb84
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Coronavirus: Italy's Creative Industries Warn of ‘a Real Disaster': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Hybrid Publishing
The Pros and Cons of Being a Hybrid Author: @SaraRosett @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
Business Musings: Stop Thinking Like a Traditional Publisher: @KristineRusch
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
How to Make a Literary Agent Read your Entire Manuscript: @jmdargz @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections
Six Ways to Rethink Rejections: @brotzel_fiction @hopeclark
Publishing / Process / Book Design
The Making of a Harlequin Romance Cover: @JenReadsRomance @KirkusReviews
Publishing / Process / Legalities
Debunking Copyright Myths: by Janet Fries @Unite4Copyright
Writing Craft / Beginnings
How to Write a Great Beginning Hook: @savannahgilbo @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
How to Craft Impactful Character Flaws: @kristen_kieffer
The Two Types of Archetype: @DonMaass @WriterUnboxed
Dramatica's Character Archetypes: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
How to Effectively “Tell” Emotions in Fiction: @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
TL;DR—Too Long; Didn't Read: @CathyFyock @EdieMelson
Mistakes Many Writers Make: @evmysterywriter @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Conflict
Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Family Secrets Being Revealed: @AngelaAckerman
Writing Craft / Drafts
7 Misconceptions Writers Have About Drafting: @alexadonne
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Showrunners 10: The Middle Build of Killing Eve: @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
What to Avoid with Internal Monologue: @TheRyanLanz
How to improve the flow of your writing: by Michael Bjork
How To Write An Amazing Holiday-Themed Book: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks
Taming Your Exposition: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
How to Tell a Story Within a Story: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Nine Ways for Your Hero to Earn the Clues They Need: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Are You Writing For Systematic Or Empathetic Readers? by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
What Is a Narrative Device: 9 Types of Narrative Devices: @joebunting @write_practice
How To Write The Black Moment – Top 10 Criteria: @LisaLatteBooks
Become a Writer: Master Fiction Writing with this Tip: @MichaelLaRonn
Writing Craft / POV
POVs in 3rd Person Limited: from Just a Writing Aid
POV: Choosing Between First-Person and Third-Person: @poojawrites @WritersDigest
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
The Collage Method of Plotting: @barbaraoneal @WriterUnboxed
Pantser Vs Plotter: Where Do You Stand? @cyallowitz
Seven Tips to Mind Map a Novel: @mindomo @IndieAuthorALLI
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
5 Problems with Parentheses: @writing_tips
The Exclamation Point: It’s More Than Punctuation: @ktsetsi @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
6 Tips for Using Beta Readers: @moniqueh_author @TheRyanLanz
Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict
The Seven Types of Narrative Conflict: by Arielle Haughee @FloridaWriters1
Writing Craft / Series
The Joys (and Perils) of Serial Novel Writing: @LW_Willingham @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Describing your Character: The Power of a Single Detail: @MBjorkWrites
5 Pro Tips On Writing Description In Deep Point Of View: @LisaHallWilson
Putting Description into Your Story – Star Trek Holodeck style: @SarahSallyHamer @EdieMelson
Writing Craft / Tension
How Much Tension Is Too Much? by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Writing Craft / World-Building
How to Do World-Building Research: by Bucket Siler
Writing Tools / Apps
Writing Tools – ProWritingAid: by Kurt Schumacher @RMFWriters
12 Free Graphic Design Tools For Authors: @DavidGaughran
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
Making an Editorial Calendar: @WillowWoodford @BethBarany
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
Click To Tweet
The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
March 1, 2020
Saving Time by Delegating Tasks
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One thing I'm trying to be better at in 2020 (that I'm not great at overall) is delegating tasks. I've never been a great delegator, usually feeling as if it's better if I just handle things myself.
But that's not the case–it's better when I do delegate. It's better when I get help, at least at this stage of my writing career. Here are some of the ways I've been reaching out to get help from others with my writing business:
Cover design: Cover design is one area I've never tried to tackle myself. My design skills with the free Canva program are better-suited to making blog post headers and social media posts. I've been using Karri Klawiter for ages for my covers and it's been a fantastic relationship. We've been working on covers for so long that I now send her just a few details about each book and she somehow instinctively seems to know exactly what I'm looking for. If you're not good at design, I really recommend reaching out to a designer. It can make all the difference in terms of sales.
Editing: I have to have help editing my work. I do cut way back on the time it takes to edit my books (and the cost) by carefully reading the work over, passing the books by beta readers, and using software (ProWritingAid) before sending stories to my editors. I simply can't catch all my typos, continuity errors, etc. Judy Beatty and Zoe Nightingale have been a fantastic help to me. Writers get too close to their work and it's hard to see the mistakes staring them right in the face.
Formatting: I do a lot of my own formatting now, using free software on Draft2Digital. But this doesn't mean that I don't run into issues sometimes. Rik Hall has always been my go-to guy for getting me out of a formatting jam.
Facebook “Parties” for Releases: This falls under the category of “things I know I need to do that I don't have the time to do or don't want to do.” I ran across Marie McNary's “A Cozy Experience” while listening to a YouTube video by Booktuber Courtagionist. Someone who will put in all the work, set up the party, and then I just have to show up? Sign me up! I had a Facebook party last Thursday evening for my latest release.
Tedious Tasks I Might Otherwise Procrastinate: Gosh, where do I start? One big thing that would have taken me a week or more was to change the signup link to my newsletter in every single one of my published books (I changed providers and it created a mess). Uploading audiobook links to Draft2Digital for international UBLs was another. Changing keywords on KDP was yet another. Changing keywords on translations. The list of tedious, time-consuming tasks goes on and on. Fortunately, I discovered my college-age daughter (always in need of pocket money and who follows directions well) was more than capable of doing all of these things for me. Now, whenever I'm faced with something onerous that I don't really have time to tackle, I stick it on a list for my daughter to handle.
Web Design: Yeah, there's no way I can handle web design by myself. You might have noticed my site is under construction right now. :) The site is being redesigned by The Author Site.
Website Issues: Do I have the ability to figure out and fix what's wrong with my website. Maybe. Do I have the time to research it and fall down that rabbit hole? No. My choice for getting my website un-glitched is to contact one of the folks over at Fiverr. I read through reviews to find a good match.
Are you good at delegating your writing business work to others? What other ways do you have to save time?
Save Time by Delegating Tasks:
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Photo on Visualhunt.com
The post Saving Time by Delegating Tasks appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
February 29, 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 50,000 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.
Interested in learning how to write a cozy mystery? I have a post up at Top Shelf Edits with my tips. :)
Business / Miscellaneous
What is at Stake When We Write Literary Criticism? by James Wood @lithub
Design Tips for Authors: @HeatherWeidner1
Freelancers: Are you paid what you're worth? @pubcoach
17 Ways To Speed Up Your Computer: @WordDreams
Reading Your Readability Scores: by Rejectomancy
The Wonderful Thing About Line Edits: @peterselgin @JaneFriedman
The Most Difficult Conversation for Writers: @johnpwriter
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
AAP 2020 PROSE Awards for Scholarly Publishing Name Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
At Italy's Bologna Children's Book Fair: A Program on African Innovators: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @IntPublishers @DubaiCares
Best Practices for Participating in Author Panels: by Phil Stamper-Halpin @PRHDigital
Frankfurt Book Fair Opens Its Sixth Annual Free-Stand Competition: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Follow-Up: London Remains a Go; Publishers, Agents Uncertain About Bologna: @Porter_Anderson @LondonBookFair @pubperspectives
This Woman Created Her Own Writing Conference — Here’s How You Can, Too: @AskJoeyGarcia @thewritelife
AAP PROSE Awards Names Its Five 2020 Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
International Booker Prize 2020: The Longlist Is Announced: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Writing Ideas that Sing: @Lindasclare
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
New York Public Library's Most Borrowed Books in History: @ellengutoskey @mental_floss
The Ubiquity of Little Women: 11 Books Inspired by the March Family: @elisehooper @lithub
What Causes a Reading Slump? @JodyHedlund
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block
3 Reasons your “Writer’s Block” may not be about the writing itself: @magpie0218 @RMFWriters
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
7 Rules For Telling Better Anecdotes (That All Authors Should Know): by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Operation Awesome: Why Mentoring Feels Broken Sometimes: @AmrenOrtega
Why It’s Good For a Writer to Be Bored: @MegDowell
The Emotional Side of the Writing Life: @MegDowell
Should Writers Work for Free? @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Podcast Interview with Virginia Loh-Hagan: @virginialoh @DIYMFA
How Do Some Authors “Lose Control” of Their Characters? by Jim Davies @lithub
When You Find Out Someone Won a Prize Plagiarizing Your Work: @LalehKhadivi @lithub
9 Brilliant Biographies About Creative Late Bloomers to Inspire Your Journey: @DebraEve
How to Build a Roadmap to the Author Future You Want: @AngelaAckerman
5 Ways Solo Mom Writers Inspire Us: @marika_lindholm @DIYMFA
Genres / Mystery
Plot A Thriller Backwards: @alexadonne
Tips for Writing a Cozy Mystery: @xtinakayebooks
Genres / Picture Books
20 Amazing Children's Book Illustrators (and How to Hire Them): @ReedsyHQ
Promo / Blogging
How Often Should You Blog? @AnneJanzer
Promo / Metadata
Better Metadata With Publisher Rocket: @DaveChesson
Publishing / Miscellaneous
The many levels of rejection: @LuWrites
Bloomsbury CEO Nigel Newton Receives London Book Fair's Lifetime Achievement Award: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Cundill History Prize's Peter Frankopan: ‘The Rise of New Powers': @Porter_Anderson @peterfrankopan @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
COVID-19: Bologna Children's Book Fair Postponed to May: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IPA Condemns China's New 10-Year Sentence for Prix Voltaire Laureate Gui Minhai: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
Self-Publishing: The Major Dos and Don'ts Indie Authors Should Know: @ReedsyHQ
In the Self-Publishing Spotlight, MG Author @Brenda_Felber : @SelfPubForm
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Agent Spotlight with @Megan_Manzano @NatalieIAguirre
Publishing / Process / Distribution
Do you know your ebook distribution options? @BirdsOAFpress
Publishing / Process / Formatting
How to Format a Book: by Tom Ashford @SelfPubForm
Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid
10 New Publishing Scams to Watch Out for in 2020: @annerallen
Publishing / Process / Translation
Learn how to sell book translation rights: @IndieAuthorALLI
Business Musings: Translations: @KristineRusch
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Rules for Writing Punchy Dialogue: by Terry Tierney @BethBarany
7 Tips to Writing Semi-Coherent Dialogue: @cyallowitz
Writing Craft / Diversity
3 Steps To Writing Diverse Characters: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Drafts
Drafting in Sequences: by Wendy Heard @WomenWriters
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
The 20 Best Legal Thrillers of the Last 20 Years: @DwyerMurphy @CrimeReads
Edith Wharton’s 5 Rules for Novelists: @zarielle @CareerAuthors
Editor Roundtable: It's a Wonderful Life: by Leslie Watts @StoryGrid
What Scooby-Doo Taught 1 Writer About Writing Mysteries: @LibbyKleinBooks
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Introduce Characters: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Is Sentimentality in Writing Really That Bad? @egabbert @ElectricLit
Emotional Truths, Insights, And Emotions Are Key To A Great Novel: @CherylRainfield @TheIWSG
What’s Your Context? @61647Edge @FloridaWriters1
Become a Writer: Improve Your Writing Craft Overnight: @MichaelLaRonn
Oxymoron, Tautology, Or Malapropism? What You Need To Know: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
How to Power Your Novel Through the All-Important Second Act: by Wendy Heard @CrimeReads
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Ask the Editor: How Do I Use Italics? by Jeanette the Writer @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Scenes
How to Set the Scene: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Tropes
The Whiny Wife Trope: @BrynDonovan
Writing Tools / Apps
Changing Scrivener Binder Icons: @aprildavila
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
The Tools, Tricks, and Secret Weapons of Your Favorite Authors: @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
Writing Tools / Services for Writers
Junk Book Marketing: Pay-to-Play Magazines: @victoriastrauss
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
Click To Tweet
The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
February 23, 2020
Better Metadata With Publisher Rocket
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of the things I want to spend more time on this year is promotion. Last year I was so busy writing (5 books, when I usually only put out 3), that aside from sending out my newsletters upon release, holding Goodreads giveaways, and making sure my SEO was good, I really didn’t do any promo.
Most of my promo practices in the past have revolved around good and consistent metadata (keywords, categories, ensuring the series name is consistent on retail sites) so that readers could find my books easily online. I still am a big believer in this…it takes little time and no money and visibility is so important these days in a crowded marketplace.
I’d read about Dave Chesson’s Publisher Rocket (also known as KDP Rocket) for years and was always tempted to get the software…and then somehow always ended up handling it myself, instead. I’d look for popular keywords the old-fashioned way: by slowly typing my genre into the Amazon search window letter by letter to see the most popular searches.
Needless to say, this was time-consuming. Plus, popular keywords change. I was already familiar with Dave through his Kindlepreneur site, his free book description generator (which I use with every book), and Dave’s guest post here on my site. I’m not an affiliate…I was just desperate to save time, ha. I paid $97 for the Publisher Rocket software.
There were no issues with installation because the ‘thank you’ email from Dave included a short video with instructions (and an offer to immediately help if I ran into problems).
The dashboard is simple and easy to use. If you run into any trouble, just click the ‘tutorial’ link on the bottom of the screen.
When you do, a whole list of video resources comes up.
I concentrated mainly on the keyword search button, although I’m also going to be changing/adding some categories, as well.
Under keyword search, I started typing in different keywords that I thought readers might use to look for my book or for books similar to mine. I used some of the keywords that seemed to have been good choices the last time I checked.
I put in “Southern Cozy Mystery” and this came up:
So, to recap the info ahead (which may be in little print, sorry), I have 1,641 competitors for that keyword…other authors who’ve included that keyword in their metadata. The average monthly earnings of those writers is $1403. There are no Google searches for that term. On Amazon, there were $1,468 searches for the keyword. The competitive score is 56, which means it’s of middling difficulty to rank on Amazon for that keyword (the closer you get to 100, the worse it gets).
I tweaked the search a little by going to the orange button on the top-right and clicked “new search.” I typed in “southern mystery” and this came up:
So, to recap the data above, I can see slightly more readers searched for “southern mystery”…but there are a lot more writers who are using the keyword…6,578. The competitive score is much higher, at 82. The competitive score for “southern mystery books,” a keyword which never would have occurred to me, is much better at 75 and with quite a few Google as well as Amazon searches. That looks like a keyword I might use.
I also played around with the category search, although I was sure I could do no better than the categories I was in (cozy animal mystery). But after a few minutes taking a look at the site, I realized my translators could rank a lot higher if I changed their category. Dave also has an incredibly helpful video on adding more categories than the three it seems we’re allowed.
None of this took long and it was actually really interesting to see the results. Another important thing to note…keywords become more and less popular, so this is a great tool to keep using. And now I feel good that I’ve done something useful to help my books gain visibility.
Have you tried Publisher Rocket? What types of promo activities are you looking at doing this year?
Better Keywords with Publisher Rocket from @DaveChesson :
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February 22, 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 50,000 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:
I noticed in industry expert Jane Friedman’s newsletter that she’s hosting a $25 class to help authors improve their websites. You can find more information at her website.
Business / Miscellaneous
Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) For Authors: @ChooseFi @thecreativepenn
“My Best Writing Advice for the Next Decade”: @FaeRowen
Writer Mark Dawson’s 2019 in Review: @SelfPubForm
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
British Book Awards Celebrates Three Decades: The ’30 From 30′ Longlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
2020 PROSE Awards Name 157 Finalists in Five Far-Flung Categories: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish
CONTEC Mexico 2020: Focus on Storytelling, AI, and Transmedia: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
British Council Announces London Book Fair’s Sharjah Cultural Program: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
International Publishers Association Events at the 2020 London Book Fair: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @LondonBookFair
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Your Writing Process: 7 Habits for Success: @nownovel
Writing Goals: 9 Steps on How to Set and Meet Your Writing Goals: @goodbyeburnout @SelfPublishing7
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
The Only Untranslatable American Writer: by Brian Evenson @parisreview
Internet Dystopias after Trump: @ecourtem @PublicBooks
How to Read After Becoming a Parent: @LizMooreBooks @lithub
Top 10 dinner parties in fiction: @FrenchNicci @GuardianBooks
Three Books that Explore the Violence of Women’s Appetites: @katie_gutz @CrimeReads
Rereading the Master of ‘Dying Teen’ Lit: @katyhersh @lithub
Virginia Woolf’s Mother Haunts Much of Her Writing: by Gillian Gill @lithub
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
20 Embarrassing Things Writers Say: @GiveMeYourTeeth @LitReactor
Dealing with writer envy: @pubcoach
Eight Ways To Help You Be A Smarter Writer in 2020: by PJ Parrish
What to Do When You Want to Quit: @charitybradford
Why Some Writers Are Afraid to Take Breaks: @MegDowell
What happens to our online lives after we die? @EvaCharlesAnna @sciencemagazine
Writing Tips: What Writers Can Learn From Bodybuilders: by Dave Terruso @thecreativepenn
Saying “No” to Get Your More Important “Yes”: @Julie_Glover
Seven Ways to Grow Your Resilience as a Writer: @RealAlexWoolf @sfwa
Self-Care Gifts For Writers: @TheLeighShulman
Writing Tips: 5 Ways to Quiet Your Inner Editor: @HeidiFiedler @thecreativepenn
Just Breathe… You’ve Got This: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors
Unique Gifts for Writers: @LindaKSienkwicz
Genres / Horror
A Look at The Masked Knife-Wielding Psycho: by T.L. Bodine
Genres / Mystery
Crime Writing: Criminal Mischief: Body Disposal Isn’t Easy: @DPLyle
Research to Perfect a Police Procedural: @SaralynRichard
The New Voices of Country Noir: @nkolakowski @CrimeReads
The Elements of the Haunted House: A Primer: by Emily Littlejohn @CrimeReads
Why We Love Looking for Hidden Symbols—In Thrillers and In Real Life: @ellencrosby @CrimeReads
Why Cozy Mysteries Are The Hottest TV Genre Of 2020: @kthorjensen @geekdotcom
Shooting For Survival: Are Your Heroes Properly Trained? : @LeeLofland
Genres / Poetry
Why Isn’t More Poetry Funny? @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
Genres / Screenwriting
The Business of Screenwriting: Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs: @GoIntoTheStory
Promo / Images
Open access image libraries – a list: @Apollo_magazine
Promo / Miscellaneous
3 Fiction Marketing Success Tips for 2020: @sandrabeckwith @JFbookman
Promo / Social Media Tips
Social Media Case Study: Author Rachel Hollis: @DanBlank @msrachelhollis
11 Ways to Update Your Online Presence: @WordDreams
Promo / Speaking
How to Get Speaking Gigs for Conferences: @WritersCoach
Promo / Video
How to Start a YouTube Channel: @MichaelLaRonn
Tips to Become a Television Guest: @KarenHWhiting @EdieMelson
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Literary Magazines with Themes–“On the Premises”: @MelindaJBrasher
Bertelsmann and Penguin Random House: Climate Neutral by 2030: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
At CONTEC Mexico, Publishers Are Told ‘We’re Multi-Platform Beings’: By Adam Critchley @pubperspectives @rogercasas
Publishing / News / Amazon
What Book Publishers Need to Know About the Amazon Buy Box (2020): @IngramContent
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Polish Sport Book Awards Dominated by Female and Male Mountaineers: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Québec Édition’s Many Points of Outreach: ‘We’re Quite Busy’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing Scotland Funds 14 Translations; Frankfurt’s LitAg Sells Out: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @PublishScotland
China Bestsellers January 2020: Educational Boosts in Tough Times: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Industry Notes: Italy’s 18App Is Funded; International Book Fairs Eye COVID-19: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spain’s New Bookish Habits Report: 68.6 Percent Reading: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Finding an Agent and Tips for Queries: @NathanBransford @shewritesdotcom @NaNoWriMo
How do I find an agent? @pubcoach
Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid
Should You Pay To Display Your Book At BookExpo? (Short Answer: No): @victoriastrauss @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Beginnings
34 Compelling First Lines of Famous Books: @Scribendiinc
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
This Therapy Secret Will Transform Your Character Development: @joebunting @write_practice
The cure for a boring character? Let them surprise us. by Michael Bjork
Writing Characters: Why Emotion Matters: @Lindasclare
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
The Struggle is Real: Make Your Protagonist Suffer for Success: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Characters / Supporting Characters
Supporting Characters and Theme: 6 Important Questions to Ask About Your Story: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Mastering Show, Don’t Tell: @AngelaAckerman
Writing Craft / Conflict
Writing Fight Scenes With Female Characters: @AikiFlinthart @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Diversity
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Write Disabled Characters: @_HannahHeath
Writing Craft / Endings
How to write a conclusion for an essay: by Edwin L. Battistella @OUPAcademic
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Writing Lessons from TV Shows: Gravity Falls: @VictoriaGHowell
Top 10 Badass Female Antiheroes You Need To Know: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Bore an Editor to Death: @davidfarland
Practice Writing Fiction: 5 Core Skills to Improve Your Writing: Resources: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Writing an Overweight Character: by Ta-Guel
Why Some Dark Topics Are More Sensitive Than Others: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Plot vs Character: Which Comes First? @rachelmcwrites @IndieAuthorALLI
Entice Your Readers with “Surprisingness”: @LiveWriteThrive
Obligatory Scenes and Conventions: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / POV
Five Ways to Make Multiple Viewpoints More Engaging: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Signpost Scene: The Final Battle: @abigailkperry @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
How to Get Writing Ideas: 7 Insights from Goodreads: @nownovel
Author Insights: What’s Our Core Story? @JamiGold
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
How to use the existential “there”: by Edwin L. Battistella @OUPAcademic
Completing your verbs—infinitive and gerunds: by Edwin L. Battistella @OUPAcademic
Indirect References to Questions: @writing_tips
Writing Craft / Revision
Painless Editing in Easy Steps: @imogenclark @WomenWriters
Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict
Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Being Turned Down by a Potential Love Interest: @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Synopses
The Dreaded Synopsis: @AJHumpage
Writing Craft / Tropes
10 Best Family Tropes in Fiction: @jennamoreci
Writing Craft / World-Building
Tips for Working Complex Worldbuilding Into a Story: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Writing Tools / Books
Helpful Books for Writers: @AnneJanzer
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.
February 16, 2020
Perfecting the Police Procedural
by Saralyn Richard, @SaralynRichard
The heart of any mystery novel is a good story. But when writing a police procedural, having a good story is not enough.
A police procedural is a form of detective fiction in which a crime is solved by members of the criminal justice system, including police, forensic specialists, and medical examiners. The team of problem-solvers works together to gather and evaluate clues, collect evidence, form hypotheses, and use these things to bring criminals to justice.
When my first mystery novel was named a finalist for best police procedural, one of my friends remarked, “Wow, and that’s the hardest genre to write!” I laughed at her comment, but as I thought about it later, I realized there is a bit of truth to it.
What makes police procedurals complicated is the need to be authentic and accurate. Doing so requires familiarity with the latest methods of forensic science for the time period of the novel. For example, a contemporary story in which the dominant investigative method is fingerprinting and footsteps, would draw criticism from readers who expect DNA and trajectories and sophisticated toxicology.
Equally important is the need to know specific protocols used in the setting’s locale. Procedures for serving notice, interviewing witnesses and suspects, bagging evidence, and sharing information with other investigative entities is often specific to the state or country of the crime’s jurisdiction. As an example, in Brandywine Valley, where my Detective Parrott Mystery series takes place, wills are probated through the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Standardized Register of Wills and Orphans’ Court. Since I don’t live in Pennsylvania, I would never have known this fact without research.
Speaking of research, I have had wonderful experiences visiting with people who have expertise in solving crimes, whether I know them personally or not. As public servants, police officers are usually friendly and welcoming when I’ve imposed on their time to answer questions for fictional crimes. Most of the time I rely on a local police lieutenant, who is generous with his responses to my questions. Sometimes, though, I call upon the police departments in other cities. When I introduce myself as an author of detective fiction, I always receive a warm response. I believe it’s because the professional crime fighters appreciate my desire to portray them accurately.
Last summer I attended the Killer Nashville writers’ conference, a gathering of mystery and thriller writers from all over the world. One of the activities at the conference was a mock crime scene, set up by Dan Royse, former Tennessee FBI Assistant Director. For 48 hours, conference attendees were invited to visit the hotel suite, where a dead mannequin was sprawled on the carpet. Abundant items were scattered about, replicating an actual case from the past. Our job, should we choose to accept it, was to determine which items were pertinent to the murder and should be collected as evidence, which forensic tests we would want labs to perform on the collected items, and what our hypothesis was of who had killed the victim.
The challenge of the mock crime scene activity was more than delightful entertainment. It provided a hands-on education in the rigors of investigation. I learned how easy it would be to overlook certain clues or to mess up others. I learned a lot about DNA, including how expensive it is to run DNA tests and how crowded the queue is for getting them done timely. As Royse said, “DNA could be anywhere, but you can’t just test every surface of every object in the room. You have to be strategic about what you want tested.”
Fortunately, I love doing research when I’m writing. I love learning about new communities, occupations, procedures, and science. I enjoy immersing myself in the milieu of Detective Parrott, seeing what he sees and doing what he does. Thanks to the many people with whom I’ve consulted, I find joy in writing police procedurals. Likewise, I hope my readers enjoy reading them.
Galveston Author Saralyn RichardMystery and children’s book author, Saralyn Richard, won the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Readers’ Choice Award 2019 for her first novel, MURDER IN THE ONE PERCENT. The book was also a Finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Procedural Novel 2019, and garnered other honors and kudos. A PALETTE FOR LOVE AND MURDER, out in February 2020, is the second title in the Detective Oliver Parrott series. Richard’s children’s picture book, NAUGHTY NANA, has reached thousands of children in five countries. A member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, she has lived in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Chicago, and now lives in Galveston, Texas. Richard loves to connect with readers through book clubs, organization meetings, or on social media at the following links:
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Web
Writer @SaralynRichard on her research to perfect her police procedural:
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Photo credit: Tony Webster on Visual hunt / CC BY
The post Perfecting the Police Procedural appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
February 15, 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 50,000 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
What One Thing is Your Novel About? @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Is it cheating to use a ghostwriter? @Roz_Morris
Should I Experiment with Writing Other Genres? by Erica Vetsch @SKRViLL
Do’s and Don’ts of Indie Author Professionalism: @_HannahHeath
Become an Author: 3 Things You Need Plus a 4th to Keep in the Game: by Melodie Campbell @annerallen
Writes with agents but no books? @Janet_Reid
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Tips for Author Events: @joyerancatore
London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards: 2020 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
US National Book Foundation’s Spring Season: Cross-Country Venues: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook
Maghreb-Orient des Livres Turns 26 in Paris: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
Bologna Children’s Book Fair Announces 2020 Exhibition Illustrators: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
UK Society of Authors Names 2019 Translation Prize Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Andrew Keen Speaks At the Berlinale: ‘Creativity and Human Agency’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels
How to Start Writing a Book: @AuthorColinD
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
When Your Writing Dreams Change: @Julie_Glover
Simple Bullet Journal for Writers for Meeting Their Goals: @authorbrittwang
4 Steps to Turn Your Purpose Into Goals: @sowulwords @DIYMFA
Rebooting Your Goals: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself: @DebraEckerling
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Reply All: Ten Novels Written as Email: @brotzel_fiction @The_Millions
7 Books Featuring Empty Nesters: @AuthorCathyLamb @BookTrib
The 16 Best Science Fiction Books of All Time (Infographic): From Global English Editing
True Romance: 7 Noir Love Stories: @nkolakowski @CrimeReads
8 Contemporary Romantic Novels For Valentine’s Day: @OwenNicholls @ElectricLit
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
8 things to try if you’re blocked from writing because you have too much time: @beprolifiko
“How I found an extra hour a day to create”: @DanBlank
The Myth of Writing Every Day: Realistic Tips for Increasing Your Productivity: @JodiHerlick
“How I Wrote 50,000 Words In 30 Days Even Though I ‘Didn’t Have Time’”: @MegDowell
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
How To Unstick Your Story: by Krystal N. Craiker @ProWritingAid
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
5 Ways to Adjust Your Attitude to Run the Writing Marathon: @LiveWriteThrive
Tips for Improving Writing Productivity: from Just a Writing Aid
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
What Success Means to a Writer: @AshleyDyer2017 @WomenWriters
The Key To Long Term Success As A Writer: @TheKJA @thecreativepenn
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
What can writers learn from the late Jim Lehrer? @pubcoach
How to Ride the Publishing Roller Coaster: How to Stay Sane: @RuthHarrisBooks
The Etymology of “Muse”: by Kurt Schumacher @RMFWriters
Writing and the Creative Life: Routine or Ritual? @GoIntoTheStory
Thanks to @write2bemag for this interview where I discuss my writing schedule, influences, and more:
Featured Writer on Wellness: Maggie Plummer: @authormaggiep @colleen_m_story
Signs You May Be a Female Character In a Work of Historical Fiction: by Shannon Reed @mcsweeneys
How to Love Your Writer Self: @Julie_Glover
If Not Love… @DavidCorbett_CA @WriterUnboxed
Genres / Horror
Differences between horror and thrillers: by T.L. Bodine
Genres / Mystery
How to Work Backstory into Your Mystery: @ZaraAltair
What Are Red Herrings in a Mystery? @ZaraAltair @ProWritingAid
Tips for Writing Speculative Detective Fiction: by Tyler Hayes @CrimeReads
Genres / Non-Fiction
How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 9 Steps: @ReedsyHQ
Genres / Romance
Creating Romantic Feelings Between Characters: from Just a Writing Aid
Is a Romance Between a Leader and a Follower Always Problematic? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Genres / Science Fiction
Writing Holidays in Speculative Fiction: @RaleneB @EdieMelson
Genres / Screenwriting
5 Ways Political Thrillers Like “The Report” Are So Palpable: @JeffYorkWriter @CreativeScreen
Genres / Short Stories
Short Story Collections: How and Why to Write Them: @mindofkyleam @ProWritingAid
The Curious Case of the Novella: by Tom Ashford @SelfPubForm
Promo / Ads
How to Let Facebook Automatically Present the Best Ad Text: by Charlie Lawrance @SMExaminer
Promo / Blogging
Three Things To Do Before You Start Your Blog: @evy_mann @A3writers
Commenting on Blogs: The Easy Way to Build Author Platform: @annerallen
Promo / Miscellaneous
A Marketing Roadmap for Writers in 4 Steps: @Kid_Lit @TheIWSG
Promo / Social Media Tips
How to Handle Your Social Media During a Crisis: @CaballoFrances
Is Instagram Worth Your Time? The Answer is Yes: @MT_Cassidy @FloridaWriters1
Promo / Speaking
How to Craft the First Point of Your Presentation: @YvonneOrtega1 @EdieMelson
Publishing / Miscellaneous
New Lee and Low Diversity Survey Cites Little Progress in US Publishing: @Porter_Anderson @LEEandLOW @pubperspectives
Books at Berlinale 2020: Twelve Temptations for Tinseltown: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Midas PR Announces International Campaign for a Coveted Literary Award: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Perceived fairness—and otherwise—in how publishers and authors work together: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives
Framing Stories in Graphic Novels: @Porter_Anderson @wwborders @SusanHarrisWWB
Five Tips for Creating Audiobooks: @librotas @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / News / Data
BookNet Canada: Audiobook Purchases Show Little Change in 2019: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
BookNet Canada’s New Libraries Data Tool Goes Live: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
The Best Independent Publishers in 2020: @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Looking for Literary Agents: @AJHumpage
Publishing / Process / Formatting
Design a coffee table book: by Glenna Collett @BookDesignBook
Writing Craft / Beginnings
First Page Critique: @ClareLangleyH @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Conflict
On Writing Fight Scenes: @SnowflakeGuy
Writing Craft / Diversity
Writing People of Color Sensually: @WritingwColor
Writing Craft / Drafts
What Your Draft (and Its Problems) Says About You: @helenbetya @lithub
Writing Craft / Endings
Tips For Book Endings: @KMAllan_writer
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Why Theme In “Friends” Is Better Than You Think: @Bang2write
5 Lessons Writers Can Learn From It’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: @Cassie000000 @WritersDigest
Learning From the Movies: The King’s Speech: @jamesscottbell
10 Movies That Will Make Any Kid Into a Lover of Classic Suspense: @AuthorPaige
Violent Delights, Violent Ends: 5 Savage Cinematic Visions of Romeo and Juliet: @zach_vasquez @CrimeReads
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
5 editor’s secrets to help you write like a pro: by Merkstreet
Five Signs Your Narration Is Sexist: by Bunny @mythcreants
The Importance of Motivation in Fiction: @jillkemerer
Why Writers Must Dig Deep to Mine Their Feelings: @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
10 Quick Tips About Writing Non Linear Stories: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
Blood for Money: The Origins of the Mercenary: by B.K. Bass @mythicscribes
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Why ‘XOXO’ Means ‘Hugs and Kisses’: @GrammarGirl
Writing Craft / Revision
How to Love Revision: by T.L. Bodine
Outlines Are for Revision: @Spencimus
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Get the Best Beta Reader Feedback: by Michelle Cornish @ProWritingAid
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
How to Write Better Descriptions Using Negative Space: by Michael Bjork
Writing Craft / Voice
10 Ways to Develop Your Writer’s Voice: @woodwardkaren
Writing Craft / World-Building
WorldBuilding: Crafting Magic: by Whitney Carter @TheRyanLanz
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.
February 9, 2020
Rebooting Your Goals
By Debra Eckerling, @WriteOnOnline
Author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning, and Achieving Your Goals
People tend to think the New Year is the most logical time to set goals. What tends to happen is we are so busy in January, ramping up after the holidays, that new goals fall by the wayside … and then off the radar completely.
Does this sound familiar?
January 1:
This is the year I am going to
Write my nonfiction book/memoir/novel/anthology/pilot/screenplay
Start freelancing/query new publications/sell my articles/poetry/short stories
Find an agent/manager/publicist/publisher
Create a website/blog/social media presence
Move/date/network/travel/get healthy
February 1:
I totally blew it. I have had no time to work on my goals. Oh, well. I guess I’ll try again next year.
STOP!
Just because people think the beginning of the year is the best time to start fresh, it’s not the only time. You can pick yourself up and reboot your goals at any time.
However, to be successful, you really want to take the time to figure out what you want, as well as the motivation behind it.
Before you set your new goals, ask yourself:
What do I want?
Why do I want it?
How can I get it done?
What do I want?
Whether your long-term goal is to be a published writer, known writer, or to have work-life balance, explore what that really means. Do you want to self-publish or go traditional? Do you need to up your marketing, social media, live networking, or all of the above? Is now the time to step off the hamster wheel and prioritize your personal goals?
Why do I want it?
The mission behind your goals is what will really propel you. Is it to inform, entertain, help others, help yourself? Pinpoint the answer, as that will help motivate you to put in the time and energy.
How can I get it done?
Once you have the what and the why, consider the how. What does your life look like and how can you fit your goals into it? Do you have an hour a day or an hour a week? Look at your availability, set appointments to work toward your goals, and show up for yourself. Even if you work toward your goals in small increments of time, it all adds up.
When you know what you want, why you want it, and how you can get it, you are better able to create a plan and set yourself up for success. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t fret.
Each week, day, and month is a new opportunity to start fresh. Remember, you can do it!
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning, and Achieving Your Goals and founder of the D*E*B METHOD®. DEB is a brainstorming and task-based goal-setting system and stands for: Determine Your Mission, Explore Your Options, Brainstorm Your Path. A professional writer, communications specialist, and project catalyst, Debra works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is the founder of Write On Online, a live and online community for writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs, and host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat.
Author Debra Eckerling with tips for rebooting your goals this year:
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Photo on Visual hunt
The post Rebooting Your Goals appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
February 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 50,000 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
Here’s a documentary a lot of self-publishers will identify with. Free for Amazon Prime members, it’s called “Word Slingers” and follows two authors as they try to navigate self-publishing and “get their work into the hands of readers.” You can see the trailer on YouTube.
Business / Miscellaneous
6 Steps to Get Your Self-Published Book Into Libraries: @IlhamAl50397575 @JaneFriedman
Professionalism in the Age of the Influencer: @johnaugust
In a Glutted Market, How Can Authors Stand Apart? @KristenLambTX
Copy Editing Guide: What is Copy Editing for Authors? @Self_Pub_School
Writing for University Publications: by Erica Naone @hopeclark
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
PEN America Opens ‘Free Speech 2020’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @PENamerica
Audio Publishers Association Names 2020 Audie Award Finalists: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
International Prize for Arabic Fiction: The 2020 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Today’s World Read Aloud Day: ‘Competing for Attention’: @Porter_Anderson @fromdorothy @litworldsays @pubperspectives
London Book Fair Announces an ‘Audio HQ’ Area and Conference: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
London Book Fair Announces Insights Seminar Programming at Author HQ: @Porter_Anderson
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
10 Short Stories “Creepshow” Should Adapt For Season Two: @GiveMeYourTeeth @LitReactor
5 Works Involving Weird, Unsettling Isolation: @lizharmer @tordotcom
This Map Charts Out The Wide World of Literature: @AndrewLiptak @tordotcom
The Deceptive Simplicity of ‘Peanuts’: by Ivan Brunetti @parisreview
We Are the Weirdos, Mister: Power, Rage, and Teenage Witches: @kateracculia @tordotcom
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
5 Steps You Must Take to Finish Your Book by @colleen_m_story :
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
Getting Unstuck With Your Writing: @JudithBriles @JFbookman
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Become a Good Literary Citizen: @juliecardalt @WriterUnboxed
What Your Last 10 Years of Writing Have to Tell You: @colleen_m_story
The Wilderness of the Unfinished Manuscript: @sarahmbroom @parisreview
Get Back to Basics With Your Writing: @ScholarlyFox
Reviews and the Art of Avoiding Them: @DeanWesleySmith
Is it Impossible to Write an Original Story? @ReedsyHQ
Avoiding Things That Sap Your Energy as a Writer: @KristineRusch
Dorothy Allison on the Necessity of Making Readers Uncomfortable: @gardenandgun @lithub
Things to Do While Taking a Break From Writing: @eseckman @TheIWSG
How can you emulate other writers? @pubcoach
T.S. Eliot: Good Writers Borrow, Great Writers Steal: @woodwardkaren
How George Eliot Became a Social Outcast at the Height of Her Fame: @NLebrecht @lithub
How a job in PR led one writer to becoming a novelist: @SusannaBeard25 @WomenWriters
6 Lifestyle Habits for Becoming a Better Writer: by Michael Bjork
Genres / Fantasy
Why Writers Should Know About Monsters Before They Write a Word: @ChrisLukeDean @Writers_Write
Genres / Horror
How to Write Horror For Kids: @dkparsonswriter @SelfPubForm
Genres / Mystery
In Defense of Cozy Mysteries: by Radha Vatsal @KirkusReviews
How to Write About Law Enforcement: with police sergeant Patrick O’Donnell @SelfPubForm
Genres / Romance
How to Craft Alluring Intimate Scenes: @kristen_kieffer
Genres / Science Fiction
The Great Man Theory and Historical Change in SFF: @EH_Kern @tordotcom
Genres / Screenwriting
The Subject Of Divorce And How It Plays On Screen: @JeffYorkWriter @CreativeScreen
Genres / Short Stories
12 Lessons Learned From Writing Short: @johnpwriter
Promo / Connecting with Readers
3 Ways to Turn Your Casual Readers into Diehard Fans: @DaveChesson @IndieReader
Promo / Miscellaneous
Promote Your Book with Local Collaborations: @sandrabeckwith @JFbookman
Annoying book marketing tactics: @pubcoach
A Live Book Marketing Sprint From 11a-1p EST Today (in 20 Minutes): Knock Out All the Promo You Hate to Do: @lisadaily
How to Use Amazon KDP Print for Advance Reading Copies-ARCs: @Wogahn
Promo / Social Media Tips
Survival guide to Facebook for authors: @debemmitt
How to Create a Facebook Author Page (And Tips for Using It Wisely): @DaveChesson
Promo / Websites
What Makes a Great Author Website: @DanBlank
Publishing / Miscellaneous
The Magic of Co-Authorship: @annehawkinson @FloridaWriters1
Sony Makes Wattpad Projects; Business Remembers Alice Mayhew: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / Data
AAP’s StatShot for November: Year-to-Date, a Modest Rise: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish @pubperspectives
Open Road Integrated Media Reports 23.3 Percent Growth in 2019: @Porter_Anderson @OpenRoadMedia @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Sweden’s Nextory, Like Storytel, Looks for New Markets: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
Sharjah World Book Capital Reveals the ‘House of Wisdom’ Project: @Porter_Anderson
Italian Book Market in 2019: Online Sales Rising, 18App Bonus Declining: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing Scotland: Author International Travel Fund Gains Traction: @Porter_Anderson @PublishScotland @pubperspectives
Italian Booksellers, Publishers Face New Law’s Discount Restrictions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Janet Reid, Literary Agent: “The money isn’t the issue.” …oh, yes it is: @Janet_Reid
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections
8 books to help you overcome fear of rejection: @TheLeighShulman
Publishing / Process / Book Design
Five Eye-Catching ’70s SF Covers That Actually Represent the Story: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
Publishing / Process / Translation
Working With Babelcube: @CelebratingGran @IndieAuthorALLI
Writing Craft / Beginnings
5 book openings critiqued by a literary agent and writer at Litopia: @Roz_Morris @Litopia
First Page Critique: A Storm Is Coming Or Is It A Spaceship? by P.J. Parrish @killzoneauthors
Whose Story Is it? First Page Critique: @JordanDane @killzoneauthors
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
3 Guidelines for Character Creation: by Katherine Liu @NaNoWriMo
Want Stronger Characters? Try The StrengthsFinder: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks
Character Archetypes: The Disruptor and the Underdog: @DIYMFA
How to Make Your Reader Care About Your Characters: @SnowflakeGuy
Writing Craft / Diversity
Handling a White Female Savior in a Story: by Colette @WritingwColor
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Psycho Invented the Spoiler Alert as We Know It: @jessepasternack @CrimeReads
The Beginning Hook for Killing Eve: by Randall Surles @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Write a Real Page-Turner: @lwreyes
Why Authors Need To Know About Aphantasia: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Story as metaphor: @napolitanoann @Roz_Morris
Building Structure with Changes of Significance: by Jeanne Cavelos @OdysseyWorkshop @womenonwriting
Story Structure: A Refresher: @woodwardkaren
5 Ways to Incorporate Real Historical Figures into Your Fiction: @mcnelliswrites @DIYMFA
How thinking like a psychologist can help your writing: @WriteToSell
How Do You Write A Great Tsundere Character? by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
The Hero’s Journey: How to Write the Climax of Your Story: @DavidHSafford @write_practice
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
The 7 Basic Plotlines: @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats
Joker Beat Sheet: @DonRoff @savethecat
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
That vs. Which: How to Decide Which to Use: @KathrynPetras @thewritelife
Writing Craft / Revision
Two of the Best Editing Hacks Ever: @wendy_w_spooner @SouthrnWritrMag
Writing Craft / Series
Writing a Series? 7 Dos and Don’ts: @KassandraLamb @JamiGold
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
5 Thoughts on How to Use Place to Move Your Story Forward: @Janebernwriter @WritersDigest
Sense of Touch: Its Importance in Scenes: @ZoeMMcCarthy
Writing Craft / Special Needs
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Write Disabled Characters: @_HannahHeath
Writing Craft / Tropes
10 Worst Family Tropes in Fiction: @jennamoreci
Writing Craft / World-Building
5 Ways to Improve Worldbuilding in Speculative Fiction: by Angela Brown @davidfarland
Writing Tools / Resources
Listings of SCBWI Webinars for Children’s Writers: @scbwi
The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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February 2, 2020
How to Make It Through the Middle of Your Book
by Colleen M. Story, @colleen_m_story
The middle of the book.
For readers, it’s often the most enjoyable part. For writers, it can be hell.
The beginning is full of bliss and promise. The end is often a rushing-forward, emotionally wrangling but satisfying experience.
But the middle? That’s where it gets tough. Unfortunately, it’s also where most writers give up.
If you’re in the middle of your book and you’ve been struggling for a while, you may be thinking about abandoning it. I’d encourage you to think again. Unless you’re a seasoned author with many titles under your belt, leaving a story unfinished is most likely a mistake.
Here’s why.
Why Writers Need to Finish Their Books
I wasted a lot of my early years as a writer on unfinished manuscripts. Each time I got stuck in the middle, I believed it was because the idea was not good enough. A new idea would occur to me and I would start over again.
Of course, it would turn out that the new idea was no better than the old one, as inevitably I would get stuck in the middle. Still, I was convinced that if I landed on the right idea the story would flow easily from beginning to end.
So I would choose another new idea and start over.
As you can imagine, I wasted many years of my writing career stuck in this frustrating loop. It was only when I attended a writing workshop and heard my mentor say, “Finish the darn story!” that I finally realized my mistake.
My manuscripts were unfinished not because they were based on bad ideas, but because I hadn’t trained myself to take a story from beginning to end. There’s a big difference between writing a few scenes or a few chapters and writing a novel.
We writers tend to think that if we have a knack for the written word, we should be able to write a book. What we fail to understand is that this is a unique skill that needs to be developed.
After that workshop, I change my mindset and started finishing my stories no matter what. I learned that for many writers, the middle of a novel is often difficult. It’s a normal thing! And it is our responsibility to push past that difficulty and find our way through the story to the very end.
Thus began my experience of wrestling the middle of the story. Though each one is different, I’ve learned that the process a writer must go through to finish stays the same.
5 Steps You Must Take to Finish Your Book
First, understand how critical it is to your career to finish any project you start.
The authors that stand the biggest chance of succeeding in today’s market are the more prolific ones. The more finished books you have out there, the better your chances of finding a readership.
Don’t waste time chasing after one idea and then the other as I did. And by the way, it’s okay if you’re feeling discouraged. When you’re trying to find your way through the middle, it’s often a slow, arduous journey. For that reason, I call it “the slog.”
The good news is that once you get through the slog, everything is usually downhill from there. So strap on your high boots and let’s get going.
1. Expect that it’s going to be difficult.
Initially, I kept abandoning my stories because I thought there was something wrong with struggling. I had this belief that a good story idea would flow easily, so a struggle meant something was wrong with the idea.
I have since learned that most writers struggle in the middle of a book. “For many writers, there is nothing worse than coming up with the Middle of the story,” writes author and Language Arts teacher David Safford. “If you’re anything like me, the Beginning is easy. It’s fun to come up with a cool premise for a story….The End can seem easy, too….But for some reason, there’s something about a story’s Middle that’s a pain in the neck.”
So when you come up against that brick wall, don’t panic. It’s perfectly normal, and it’s your job to find a way around it.
2. Keep yourself motivated.
The strongest emotion you’re likely to feel while going through the slog is discouragement. This beautiful story you were so excited about has lost its sheen. Suddenly it doesn’t seem to have as many possibilities as it did before.
Here’s where it helps to know how to motivate yourself. How do you keep yourself going? All of us respond to different types of motivations, most of which fall into three different categories:
People
Power
Achievement
Support from other people may be what keeps you from quitting (people). Or maybe it’s the thought of seeing your book published that spurs you on (achievement). Or perhaps you’re hoping your book’s message will reach people and influence them (power).
Think about what motivates you in other areas of your life, and then use that type of motivation to keep yourself writing even when you may not feel like it. Here are some ideas:
If you’re motivated by people, lean on those who want to see you finish your story, or get together with your writing friends to talk each other up.
If you’re motivated by power, think about how your book may influence others, or publish part of it on your blog to get feedback from readers.
If you’re motivated by achievement, track your progress with a visible calendar, or think about getting a frame in which you’ll hang your book cover when it’s done.
3. Start over again and again.
When you’re struggling with the middle of the story, you may try putting it aside for a few days to see if your creative brain comes up with a solution.
You may get discouraged and set the book aside because you simply don’t know what to do with it. Or life may interfere, forcing you to leave the story behind for a little while.
Whatever the case, realize that through the difficult middle of the book, the journey is likely to get bumpy. You’ll work on the story, then you’ll set it aside. Then you’ll need to pick it up and work on it again.
The danger is that you won’t go back. It is always difficult to get started on a project you’ve set aside. You lose momentum and may forget exactly what was happening in the story when you left off.
This is where you must trick yourself into getting started again and again. There are many ways you can do this, but here are a few suggestions:
Tell yourself you’ll work on it for only five minutes. Anybody can work on a project for five minutes! Once you get into it, you’ll likely want to continue.
Tell yourself you’ll put something else off if you work on your story. You won’t have to clean the house, for example. This can make working on the story seem like a more rewarding choice.
Tell yourself you’ll do only 1% of the project. If you need to write the next chapter, 1% of that might be only 100 words. That’s a small enough goal that you’ll be able to get over the hurdle of getting started.
Stop, start, stop, start. That’s often the way it goes in the middle of the book. It’s okay. Just keep returning to the manuscript.
4. Get help!
This seems like an obvious step, but unfortunately, it’s one that writers often neglect to take. I think it’s because many feel insecure about their stories, so they hesitate to reach out for fear of criticism.
Start with websites and books that can help. Here are a few suggestions:
Blueprint Your Bestseller , by Stuart Horwitz
Story Structure Architect: A Writer’s Guide to Building Dramatic Situations & Compelling Characters , by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters , by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV , by David Corbett
Another option is to look at how other authors and screenwriters do it. I often find my breakthroughs at the movie theater. If I see a particularly good movie that puts me into a reflective mood, it jolts my creative muse out of hiding so she gives me the answers I’ve been searching for.
If you have a writers group or a writing friend, simply talking out your struggle may be enough to inspire some solutions. And of course, a writing mentor can be of invaluable assistance, and you can find them in many places.
If these ideas don’t work, there are many quality editors of book doctors out there willing to read your work and give you their feedback. Yes, it could cost you some money, but this is your writing. Surely it is worth the investment if it helps you finish your story?
5. Trust yourself.
This one may be the hardest of all, but it’s also the most important. This is your story, and no one but you can figure out how it needs to be told.
When you’re struggling in the middle of the book, you may feel like you’re the last one to come up with a solution. You may feel inadequate, unqualified, and like you don’t know what you’re doing.
All of these feelings are perfectly normal. They’re also difficult, which is why many people never finish their books.
Separate yourself from the pack by accepting these emotions and continuing to work on your story anyway. Trust yourself that you will find the solution eventually if you put your mind and energy to it.
Millions of other writers have been right where you are and have managed to push through to the other side. Why not you?
Finishing Matters No Matter What
One final thing: remember that finishing the story is important no matter what. Even if you never publish it, it never garners a good review, and it never places in a literary contest, if you finish it, you will have given yourself the experience of writing and finishing yet another novel.
Writers must practice their craft. Just like a musician must play a piece hundreds of times to master it, so a writer must complete a book-length story many times to become proficient.
Each novel you finish is another achievement on your resume, and another step to becoming the writer you want it to be. Don’t deprive yourself of these accomplishments because it gets a little tough in the middle.
As William J. Brennan, Jr., said, “We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us.”
You’re a writer. Go forth and meet the challenge…and finish your book!
Note: For more guidance on how to finish the creative projects you start—including the 5 things you must have to complete your book—get Colleen’s FREE mini-course here!
Colleen M. Story inspires writers to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment in their work. Her latest release, Writer Get Noticed!, was the gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards (Writing/Publishing 2019). Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018, and her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others. Find more at these sites:
Writing and Wellness | Writer CEO | Teachable | Author Website | Twitter
5 Steps You Must Take to Finish Your Book by @colleen_m_story :
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The post How to Make It Through the Middle of Your Book appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
