Riley Adams's Blog, page 62

May 19, 2019

Intermittent Journaling: How I Lost the Guilt and Acquired a Helpful Writing Strategy.

Ever since I got a pink diary with a lock and key for Christmas when I was eleven, I have tried to keep a daily journal—I really have. But, no matter what my intentions, I have never managed to succeed. And once I became a writer, it seemed even more important that I keep a daily journal. I mean, it’s what writers do, right?

Finally, I stopped trying. More importantly, I stopped feeling less than a ‘real writer’ or guilty because I didn’t write in my journal every day. Journaling has a definite place in my writing life, and when I need to, I approach my journal with a purpose and enjoy the benefits that journaling brings.

Here are the times when I turn to my journal—sometimes daily, sometimes not. These journaling times are short-term, focused, and reap rewards.

Journal when the creative well needs filling.

I have writer friends who always have an abundance of story ideas. They bemoan the fact that there will never be enough time to write them down. Sadly, I’m not like that. When I search my brain for inspiration and get crickets, that’s when the journal comes out. I commit to a week of daily journaling, and if I’m still looking for inspiration at the end of the week, I’ll try another week.

My best time to access random story ideas is before bed. I quickly jot down my to-do list for the next day, so those I-must-remembers are cleared out of my head, and then, because I’m a bit tired and dozy, I just let my brain wander. I let characters walk in and talk or move around, and I write it down. I’m under no pressure to make a story out of these ramblings right now. I just let them be. If you’re not a lark like I am, then mornings may be the best time for you to welcome that half-dreamy state where stories can happen.

Yes, some dross lands on the page, but there’s gold, too, and I’ve found many stories and book ideas using this process.

Journal when life gets complicated.

Journaling helps me when life gets ultra-busy, stressed, seemingly out of control—you know what that feels like. Your family and friends will listen and care, but sometimes you just want to spare them the pity party. When deadlines loom, illness drops by, cars decide to stop running, and the people around me—my family and co-workers—are depending on me, I give myself the gift of journaling.

Journaling is my date with myself, to rant, make lists, write whatever I need to write to houseclean the day’s mental and emotional clutter and move on. Like, Elsa, I “let it go” on the journal page. With the mess acknowledged and out of the way for a while, I can focus on my deadline and find the creative answers I need to get the words on the page.

Journal when the blank screen doesn’t cut it anymore.

These days, I compose almost all my work on the keyboard, but that wasn’t always the case. When I started to write stories (mysteries, of course, featuring Nancy Drew), I used pen and paper. Now, when I get stuck on a project, I go to my journal to unblock the problem, and words begin to flow again. It’s like my creativity was hot-wired to having a pen in my hand and feeling it move along paper.

If all your journaling is going to be done with your keyboard, then break away from the blank white page. Color the pages on the screen, add photos, even write on photos. In Word, click on Page Color under the Design Tab and have fun. Make your pages no longer full of scary white space, but rather, a just-for-you zone to play with words.

Journal when it makes you happy.

My friend’s son coined a word many years ago: joywriting. Journals are for that, too. My favorite day of the month is the one in which I invent new writing prompts for my blog. I could sit down at my laptop and do this, but I get more joy from sitting in my living room with a cup of coffee and my journal and letting my mind be inventive. This routine makes me happy. Building a routine around your journal time can give you a much-needed, calm pause in your day. Light a candle, say a prayer, play your favorite music, make that special tea or coffee and let your creativity, thoughts, and feelings flow.

Journaling isn’t for everybody every day, but I hope that you find, as I did, a place for journaling in your writing life—even intermittently–and enjoy the benefits it can bring.

Heather Wright is Amazon bestseller, writing coach, and workshop leader. She loves working with writers of all ages, helping them develop the writing skills that will make their work shine. Her website is full of writing prompts and resources for writers and their teachers. Heather is also a freelancer writing about everything from PVC pipe to orchids to Canadian history.

Heather has written many books (and journals) for writers. Her recent works include Writing Mysteries: A Take-Action Workbook, Writing Romance: A Take-Action Workbook, and Writing Fantasy: A Take-Action Workbook. You can see all her books here.

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Published on May 19, 2019 21:01

May 18, 2019

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

Just a note that one of my blog readers, who is a fellow mystery writer and website designer, is running an author website special. Click here to check out the details for the $300 offer.

Business / Miscellaneous

5 Tips for Teaching Creative Writing: @hwrightwriter
9 Tips on Writing to Publish: @psthib @ZoeMMcCarthy
Simplify Your Submissions to Literary Journals: @JohnSibleyWill1 @JaneFriedman

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Israel’s International Book Forum Opens With Joyce Carol Oates’ Jerusalem Prize: @Porter_Anderson
Fondation Jan Michalski’s Second ‘Bibliotopia’ Weekend Starts Friday: @Porter_Anderson @JanMichalski
The UK’s CrimeFest 2019 Honors Shukla, Lippman, Rowling: @Porter_Anderson @CrimeFest
France’s Prix Monte-Cristo’s Inmate Jury Awards Its First Honor: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
IPA’s Africa Seminar in Nairobi: Maha Bakheet on Copyright: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Frankfurt’s 2019 StoryDrive Asia in Beijing: AI and the Culture’s Future: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

What every writer should know before writing a first novel: @lisapoisso

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

How Classic Gothic Fiction Led to Today’s Psychological Thrillers: @C_Goodmania @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Re-establishing a Writing Habit After Dropping One: @DanBlank
You Have Time to Write — You Just Aren’t Making It a Priority: @MegDowell
Why you need your own pomodoro: @pubcoach
Writing Is a Habit. That’s Why So Many People Can’t Do It. @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

6 Ways You Can Overcome Writer’s Block: by Joel Syder @NaNoWriMo
Unlocking Writer’s Block: @mishy1727 @TheIWSG

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

“How I Trained Myself to Write 25,000 Words Every Week (and Why I Did It)”: @MegDowell
Productivity Secrets: Bullet Journals and Planning: @leslyepenelope @JamiGold

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Writing Sex for Money: by Sandra Newman @lithub
Headbutts, snark and furious obsession: a toxic history of literary rivalries: @tallulahloorah @GuardianBooks
This Labor Was Never for You: Sex and the Small Press: @KMarieDarling @The_Millions
Not All Writers Can Afford Rooms of Their Own: @asjaba @lithub
Rising Above the Average as a Writer: Regression Toward the Mean: By Dario Ciriello
How to Make Writing Fun Again: @Frank_McKinley
8 Ways to Stay Mentally Fit and Mindful in the Writing Process: @brtherapist @WritersDigest
Tips for Journal Writing: by Deborah Lyn Stanley
How to Use the Writing Skills You Have to Learn the Ones You Don’t: @ArkadyMartine @tordotcom
How to Decide Which Writing Project to Focus On: @colleen_m_story
A Home of Her Own – How Jane Austen Found the Space to Write: @C_Goodmania @WomenWriters
Writing About a Fictional Massacre as a Real One Happens in Your Neighborhood: @MollyPascal @lithub
When Fiction Doesn’t Work—What Can Be Learned? by Bonnie Randall
Author @NathanEnglander on Writing and Worrying:

Genres / Humor

Top 5 (More) Mistakes Comedy Writers Make: @DaveCohencomedy @Bang2write

Genres / Memoir

Why You Need To Write Your Memoir Like Fiction: @Writers_Write

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writers’ Words of the Day: Make Your Stories Bleed Realism: @LeeLofland
The Psychology of Suspense: @RJJacobsAuthor @CrimeReads
“Soap Operas Taught Me How To Write Crime Fiction”: @Michael2264 @CrimeReads

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to Create a Glossary in Word: @TCKPublishing

Genres / Romance

Ten Rules for Writing Killer Romance: @TammyLoughAuthr @DIYMFA

Genres / Screenwriting

The Rise Of The DIY Screenwriter: by by Tony Ritter @CreativeScreen
Script To Screen: “Psycho”: @GoIntoTheStory

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Writing a Bio When You Think You’re Boring: @Janet_Reid

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Use Pre-Publication Planning To Sell More Books: @SusanNealYoga @EdieMelson
Seven Questions To Ask When Building Your Author Brand: @elawilliams_ @DIYMFA

Promo / Websites

How to Build an Author Website on a Budget: from It’s a Writer Thing

Publishing / Miscellaneous

IPA Names Jessica Sänger To Lead Copyright Committee: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers
Wolff’s ‘Siege’ To Release June 4, Sequel to Trump Exposé ‘Fire and Fury’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

4 Tips That Can Save You Thousands of Dollars When Self-Publishing: @IndieReader

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

An Agent on Avoiding Idiot Agents: @Janet_Reid
Things 1 Agent Used to be Nicer About: @Janet_Reid

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Top 10 Book Cover Design Trends For 2019: by Kristen Ford @WritetoDone

Publishing / Process / Legalities

How to Prepare and Use a DMCA Takedown Notice: @SusanSpann

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Flog a Pro: Would you pay to turn the page of this bestseller? @RayRhamey @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How To Write A Sympathetic Villain: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Quick Tip: Condensing Characters (video): by Chris Fox
Mary Sue Test: Does Your Character Pass It? by Ali Hale @writing_tips

Writing Craft / Diversity

Representation in Fiction: How to Write Characters Whose Experiences Are Outside of Your Own: @writersyndrome @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Drafts

What to Do After Finishing Your First Draft: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Struggling with Writing Flashbacks? Try Using the P.A.S.T. Method: @Sara_HeartStory

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Literary Themes in Your Writing: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

An Intro to Foodie Culture So You Can Write Foodie Novels: @MJPostAuthor

Writing Craft / Pacing

4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Readers’ Attention: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

So You Think You Have an Original Plot. Think again: @PollyIyer

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

What Your Character Experiences While Leaving the Military: from It’s a Writer Thing

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Which or That? Grammar Explained: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Series / Series Bible

How to Create a Story Bible: @stacitroilo @StoryEmpire

Writing Craft / Voice

How To Decide The Voice And Tone Of Your Novel: @KristinaAuthor

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

Creating Compelling Cadence: Small Changes, Big Impact: @MargieLawson

Writing Tools / Books

Writing Resources: Bird by Bird: @WritingForward

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 18, 2019 21:01

May 12, 2019

How To Decide The Voice And Tone Of Your Novel

by Kristina Adams, @KristinaAuthor

The voice and tone of your novel will affect who connects with your characters and what genre it fits into. It can even be the difference between someone finishing your book an avid fan or putting it down after the first page.

Yes, it really is that important.

Tone is the overall mood of your novel. The voice, meanwhile, is how you and your characters communicate with your reader. It’s how you get across the personality of your characters, as well as draw in your target audience from the first words on the page.

If your book is written in third person, you can channel a little bit of yourself into your narration. If it’s written in first, your character(s) should speak through you.

When it comes to dialogue, the voice will vary from character to character. It’s the main way we show their different personalities. Your reader should be able to tell who’s saying what even without dialogue tags.

Here are some of the factors you need to consider when deciding on the voice and tone of your novel:

Setting

Listen to how your parents and grandparents speak. There will be small differences in the words and the phrases that they use. That’s because each generation has its own subtly different ways of speaking. It’s most obvious when you watch old films.

The country your book is set in will also affect how your characters speak. Even countries that have English as their main language differ in their uses of it. It isn’t just the spelling, either. There are some phrases that differ, too. For example, a Brit would say that a sick person looks like ‘death warmed up’, while an American would say that they look like ‘death warmed over’. As a Brit, this phrase doesn’t make sense to me, but it isn’t up to me to inflict my way of speaking on my American characters.

Narrator

This is the most important factor you need to consider. Your characters’ age, gender, upbringing, mental or physical health issues, and even if they’re reliable or unreliable will affect how they communicate with your reader and the other characters.

Other factors such as who is most influential to them can affect this. For instance, a young person raised by their grandparents might imitate their grandparents’ speaking patterns, demonstrating how close they are. Someone trying to differentiate themselves from the older crowd will be more likely to use modern slang.

Genre

Each genre comes with its own set of reader expectations. ‘But I’m an artist. I want to do my own thing,’ you say. I hear you. And that’s great. But if you want to be able to sell and market your work, you need to give them at least a little of what they expect.

For example, a book that’s all about tracking down a serial killer will have a very different voice and tone to a romance novel.

The crime novel will be much darker, even if it has a romance subplot. The focus will be on moving the action forward. Characters’ thoughts and feelings will be addressed, but they’ll be secondary to the story.

The romance, on the other hand, will be much lighter in tone with a focus on the characters’ thoughts and emotions.

Ways to Express Voice and Tone

Once you’ve decided on the voice and tone for your novel, there are lots of things you can do to express it.

Words

The first – and most obvious – way to express voice and tone is with the words that you and your characters use.

For example, someone who says ‘seldom’ instead of ‘occasionally’, is likely to be either of an older generation, a word nerd, or someone younger but a little old-fashioned, since it’s a word that is seldom (ahem) used in the twenty-first century.

Idioms and Cliches

While traditional writing advice tells you to avoid these, we use them in everyday speech, so why shouldn’t we use them when imitating everyday speech?

Don’t get too carried away, of course – you want to exercise your writing muscles and show your readers that you’re an amazing writer, after all. Use them when you really can’t think of anything else, or when it’s a character trait, such as the kindly grandma that always speaks in clichés.

Readers do have a tendency to not fully process the image created by a cliche, so I’ll say it one last time: use them sparingly.

Sentence Length

Different sentence lengths not only make your piece easier and more interesting to read, but can also say a lot about your character.

Someone who speaks in monosyllables is uncommunicative and keeps people at arm’s length. Someone who speaks in long, rambling sentences is likely nervous about something. Likewise short, snappy sentences can show anxiety and breathlessness.

These can be used to build tension in your story, too. They also work well in dialogue – they can tell the narrator a lot about the character they’re interacting with.

Punctuation (or lack of it)

When one of my characters was causing a scene on live TV, I removed the majority of the commas to make her sentences long and rambling.

This reflected the incoherence in the way that she was speaking; the reader could see that her speech was unnatural without having to watch it on TV as the characters did.

Conclusion

Each of the things we’ve explored are fairly small when you look at them individually. But they all add up to influence the voice and tone of your novel, and how your character(s) come across to your readers.

If you already have a good grasp of the kind of person your character is, it will make it easier for you to decide how they speak. You may even find that because you know them so well, their voice comes to you easily. Don’t worry if this isn’t the case, though. Dig deeper into your main character’s goal and central flaw. These will dictate almost everything else your character says and does within your story, so are the perfect places to go back to if the voice and tone aren’t working.

Character interviews work great if you get stuck, too. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Kristina Adams is an author, blogger, and reformed caffeine addict. She’s written five novels poking fun at celebrity culture, one nonfiction book on productivity for writers, and too many blog posts to count. She shares advice for writers over on her blog, The Writer’s Cookbook. Preorder her upcoming release Behind the Spotlight here.

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Published on May 12, 2019 21:02

May 11, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. :)

New Stuff:
If you’re in the area, consider attending The Possibilities Conference on June 15th, 2019 in Falls Church, VA (about 12 miles outside Washington, DC). The conference helps authors learn how to build their fan base through marketing, branding, and PR via a full day of workshops.

Business / Miscellaneous

Why, Exactly, Do We Have Subtitles on Books? @MaryLauraPh @lithub
Team Royalties: a Hassle-Free Solution for Splitting Co-Author Royalties: by Monica Dube @publishdrive

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Publishers’ Forum 2019: Driving Forces, Technology, and Models: @Porter_Anderson @Sara_Sargent @AshleighGardner
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize Announces Its Regional Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

6 Reasons You Should Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo (in July): @RebekahJoanBlog @NaNoWriMo

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

How To Write a Novel: The Complete 20-Step Guide: @write_practice @joebunting

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Creative Writing Prompts and How To Use Them: by Teagan Berry @TheRyanLanz
10 Great TED Talks for Writers: @TCKPublishing @TEDTalks
Writing Prompts: Helpful? Or a Waste of Time? by Savannah Cordova @ReedsyHQ @JamiGold

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

5 Famously Rewritten Novels: from Jeanette the Writer @DIYMFA
7 Stories That Reimagine Some of Your Favorite Classics: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom
Reading Broadly to Write Better: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

What Is a ‘Flow State’ and How Will It Help You Write More, Faster? @MegDowell
How Writing Faster Can Vastly Improve Your Storytelling: @KristenLambTX

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Are you sitting too much? @pubcoach
10 Lessons from 10 Years of Writing: @Julie_Glover
What You Really Mean When You Say ‘I Can’t’: @MegDowell
5 Tips for Writing Fearlessly: by Stephanie Jo Harris @DIYMFA
What Will You Sacrifice to Be a Better Writer? @BMCadman @LiveWriteThrive
‘You Are Not Alone’: How To Beat Challenges As A Writer: @Alice_Hayden @Bang2write
Teaching Tips: How To Make Creative Writing Classes More Interesting: by Kristen Ford @WritetoDone
The Three-Step Process From Isolation to Publication: by Joanne Ramos @WritersDigest
What Does ‘Writer Burnout’ Actually Look Like? @MegDowell
Focus: The solution to book marketing overwhelm: @sandrabeckwith
3 Good Reasons Not to Quit Your Night Job: @MaggieWells1

Genres / Fantasy

14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them): @ReedsyHQ
What Does a Fantasy Map Look Like? @mcwetboy @tordotcom

Genres / Historical

How to Write Historical Fiction: @MariahFrederick @WritersDigest

Genres / Memoir

Collaborating with others on your memoir in 6 easy steps: @bncarvin @sandrabeckwith

Genres / Miscellaneous

Why Speculative Fiction Is Needed Now More Than Ever: @EmmanuelNataf @ReedsyHQ

Genres / Mystery

How to Mislead Your Reader with Red Herrings: @savannahgilbo
Keep Your Readers Guessing with Red Herrings: @LisaEBetz @A3writers
Terminology for the Savvy Crime Writer: Abrasion Collars to the Rare Cadaveric Spasm: @LeeLofland
Plotting poisons into fiction, a list of resources: @raimeygallant

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to Build the back cover of your nonfiction Paperback: @BirdsOAFpress
Nonfiction Writing Tips: How to Tell a True Story in a Creative Way: @izzardink @IngramSpark

Genres / Picture Books

The Importance of Determining a Picture Book’s Premise Before Querying: @SFretwellHill @BAndersonWriter @RedFoxLiterary @NatalieIAguirre
Syntax in Poetry and Poetic Voice in Rhyming Picture Books: @Kid_Lit

Genres / Poetry

Getting Started in Poetry by Edmund Berrigan: @PoetryFound

Genres / Short Stories

5 Reasons You Should Be Writing Short Stories: @RDCwrites

Promo / Blogging

How To Add A Sub-Category To Your WordPress Blog Post: @HughRoberts05
“7 Things I Wish I’d Done as a Newbie Blogger”: @_HannahHeath
How and why to remove dates from your permalinks: @NathanielTower

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Quick and Effective Amazon Book Description Tips: @Bookgal

Promo / Book Reviews

How to Get Reviews for Your Books: @kikimojo

Promo / Connecting with Readers

How to Sell More Books Through Reader Engagement (Podcast): @DanBlank @pbackwriter

Promo / Crowdfunding

10 Tips for Crowdfunding a Novel: @brotzel_fiction @hopeclark

Promo / Miscellaneous

3 Book Marketing Myths to Avoid: @sandrabeckwith @JFbookman
A Few Things To Know About Blurbs: @jules_writes

Promo / Social Media Tips

Book Promotion: 5 Tips for Authors on Using Social Media: @Kristenwendys @TheIWSG
Book Marketing: How to Run a Twitter Chat: @StonehamPress @IndieAuthorALLI
How To Keep Your Pinterest Boards Organized and Relevant: @KarenBanes

Promo / Speaking

How to end a speech, Italian style: @gigirosenberg

Promo / Websites

A Basic Author Website:

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Hardy Perennials in the Publishing World: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Rights Roundup:Thoughtful Reads for Young People and Adults: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Interview: Amanda Ridout on Her Boldwood Books’ Rights Strategy: @lizziebbrown @BoldwoodBooks @pubperspectives
‘Finnland: Cool & Happy’ Opens at Helsinki Lit 2019: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
US Authors Guild Joins With AAP and Copyright Alliance on CASE Act: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spain’s Readmagine and Digital Distributors Meeting Announce Programming: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Ulrich Klopotek in Berlin: ‘No Publishers’ Forum in 2020′ : @Porter_Anderson @PublishersForum @Klopotek_AG @wischenbart @Planeta @randomhouse @Sara_Sargent
New Literary Agency for African Kids and YA Fiction: Accord Literary: @HannahSJohnson @pubperspectives @accordliterary
The Evolution of the Jerusalem International Book Forum: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Building Your Publishing Team: Your Cover Designer: @itshelendarling @DIYMFA
Book Anatomy 101: Book Body Parts: @JFbookman @BookWorksNYC

Publishing / Process / Distribution

Comparing the 5 Most Popular eBook Distribution Companies: @carlaking @BookWorksNYC

Writing Craft / Beginnings

First Pages and Character Emotion: @beccapuglisi
10 Ways to Get Your Story Off to a Great Start: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How To Write a Compelling Villain (Podcast): @sacha_black @pbackwriter

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How to Write Compelling Characters: @savannahgilbo @StoryGrid
Character Type: Destroyer: @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

7 Writing Mistakes You Probably Don’t Realize You’re Making: by Savannah Cordova @ReedsyHQ @writingthrulife
3 Reasons New Writers Fail: @Weifarer

Writing Craft / Conflict

Use a Conflict Box to Sharpen Your Story: @KayKeppler

Writing Craft / Dialogue

How to Punctuate Dialogue: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

5 Ways Virginia Woolf Can Help You Improve Your Writing: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Getting a Handle on Colloquialisms: Using Regional Terms, Expressions, and Dialect: @TCKPublishing
A Fun Test to Check Your Scene’s Narrative Drive: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / POV

How Do I Keep a Second Point of View Relevant? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Using a Novel Outline Template: 5 Tips for Better Story Prep: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Tips for Using Apostrophes: @authorterryo

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Using the Sense of Smell in Your Story: @jamesscottbell

Writing Craft / Tension

Creating Characters Who Clash: @AngelaAckerman @JamiGold

Writing Craft / Tropes

Realistic Characters: Creating Personas: From Tropes are Tools

Writing Tools / Apps

Scrivener Split-Screen Magic: @Gwen_Hernandez

Writing Tools / Resources

Self-Publishing and Writing Resource List: @hwrightwriter
Novel-Writing Intensives: An Alternative to the MA: @juliecardalt @WriterUnboxed

Uncategorized

Resources for Cozy Writers:

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 11, 2019 21:01

May 9, 2019

A Basic Author Website

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I remember when I first decided to go online and set up a website. I was reluctant to do it because of ‘imposter syndrome‘. I also had no idea what I was doing and it ended up being a one-page deal that didn’t have the information it should have had on it. I don’t think anyone actually visited it.

Writer and writing coach/consultant Dan Blank recently addressed the imposter syndrome part of the equation, stating that “many people are nervous about claiming their identity as writers. ” He also said that the tech aspect of the chore may make some writers procrastinate setting up a site.

The setup and the ‘why’ aspect of websites for writers is something I’m not planning on covering in this post, but you can find very helpful information from industry expert Jane Friedman in her articles:

3 Reasons to Have a Website if You’re Unpublished

Building an Author Website on WordPress: How to Start Smart

and

Before You Launch Your Author Website: How to Avoid Long-Term Mistakes

If you want to set up an author website of your own, here are what I consider to be the basics that your site should cover:

Homepage: A page that quickly sums it all up. Who you are, your genre, the cover of the book you’re currently promoting (if you’re published), and maybe snippets of your best reviews. I’d also include a newsletter signup link because the sooner you start collecting emails, the easier it is. I use MailChimp, which is free for up to 2,000 subscribers. If you’re not published, a simple bio, photo, and note about what you write and are currently working on would work well. I’d still include a newsletter signup on the page since it won’t do any harm and will give you a head start when you do get published.

Who you are more in depth (About Me). This is where you post your author bio. I think a headshot is a bonus and can also help readers connect with you as a person.

How to contact you (Contact Me). Sometimes I go to these pages and find only a contact form. At least the author offers a way to contact them, but it would also be great to find social media links providing information for finding the author online.

What you write (Books). It’s best to list a genre so that readers have more of a sense of what exactly you’re writing. If you’re unpublished, this could be the genre of your work in progress. I think it’s best to be as specific as possible with genre. There are many types of mysteries, for example, so I list that I write ‘cozy mysteries’ so that a reader knows exactly what to expect (i.e, not a thriller).

If you want to have only a couple of pages on your site (if you’re currently unpublished, for example), you could have the ‘about me’, ‘what you write’, and the newsletter link on your home page and the contact info (email, social media links) on a separate page.

If you have an established online presence, what do you recommend for a first website? Or, if you’re new, do you have any questions?

Author Website Basics:
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Published on May 09, 2019 21:02

May 5, 2019

Why Speculative Fiction Is Needed Now More Than Ever

by Emmanuel Nataf, @EmmanuelNataf

When people think of speculative fiction, they might conjure images of sentient robots, , dystopian societies, supernatural beings, elaborate subplots, and other staples of the stories that can be classified as “speculative.”

But speculative fiction is also an important place to explore social, political, and economic issues. The loose boundaries of the genre allow authors to address those issues and ask “what if?” — resulting in worlds different from our own in significant and specific ways, which often reflect or comment on aspects of actual society.

Now, with technology progressing so quickly (and leading to rapid social and ethical changes and dilemmas), it’s critical to use speculative fiction as a means of thinking about the future. Here’s why speculative fiction is needed now more than ever.

It can question the status quo and imagine how society could function differently

Nichelle Nichols is the actress who first played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek — a groundbreaking role because she was one of the first black women to be featured in a major television series. During the first year of the series, Nichols was tempted to leave the show to pursue a career on Broadway. But none other than Martin Luther King Jr. convinced Nichols to stay, urging her to recognize how her role on Star Trek provided a role model for black children and women who were sorely lacking any public representation.

After Star Trek was cancelled, Nichols went on to volunteer for a special project with NASA to recruit minority and female applicants. This program led to the selection of NASA’s first female and first minority astronauts: Sally Ride and Guion Bluford. Eventually, it also led to NASA’s first female astronaut of color, Mae Jemison, who directly credited Star Trek for inspiring her career choices — and Jemison even later appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Because speculative fiction and media takes place in worlds with different “rules” than our own, it allows people to imagine different kinds of societies — including those where anyone can go after their dreams, no matter who they are or where they come from.

It can provoke critical discussions about social issues

Speculative fiction, such as fantasy, helps readers leave their inherent biases at the door when it comes to social issues. Because these stories often take place in otherworldly settings or societies that don’t resemble our own, authors can subtly encourage readers to consider different perspectives on actual issues.

For instance, Octavia Butler’s Kindred uses the appeal of a time-traveling narrative to discuss the long-lasting trauma of slavery, as well as to spotlight many other social issues. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho uses fantasy tropes like magic and romance, all the while examining matters related to gender and racism. Ender’s Game examines child labor and slavery, while Elysium looks at health care. The list goes on and on, but one thing is clear: speculative fiction isn’t entirely “speculative,” because it absolutely tackles real-world issues.

It can help increase public understanding of technology’s impact

How many people have read the journal Science, Technology and Society? Now, how many people read Ready Player One? We can confidently say that the general public is much more likely to read popular sci-fi novels or go watch a fantasy movie than they are to seek out research articles pertaining to technology.

In that way, fiction and other forms of popular entertainment play a huge role in shaping public opinion and knowledge — particularly the public perception of contemporary issues regarding technology. For instance, there is much discussion around that fact that AI and automation has lead to the redundancy of many kinds of jobs, leading to whole classes of workers struggling to find employment.

Of course, unless this problem affects you directly, you’re unlikely to spend too much time thinking about it of your own accord. However, reading a science fiction book that closely examines the issue — all the while incorporating favorite tropes of the genre — might incite you to think more deeply about the implications of technology and the consequences it can have.

It can offer cautionary advice

When Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale came back into the spotlight in 2017 as a television series, one thing critics and viewers alike remarked upon was how closely the plot hit home. This could happen, many commented — while others noted this has basically already been happening. The book and show present an alternate reality, but one that takes place in the “real world” and that depicts extreme versions of actual, current issues.

Black Mirror is another example of a popular TV series that looks at current technological trajectories and pushes them just far enough that they feel speculative, but not so much that they feel completely fantastical.

Both these examples demonstrate how speculative fiction offers cautionary advice by presenting readers with a version of the world that is hard to look at — and a world that may not be in the distant future, but in the near future.

It can encourage readers to consider potential solutions to problems

Speculative fiction is not all about casting a critical eye on society; it’s also an invitation to think outside the box, engage in progressive thinking, and believe in the notion of possibility. Readers can be encouraged to not only see the potential pitfalls of current trajectories, but also the potential solutions to them.

As Isaac Asimov wrote: “It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.” We need speculative fiction to make these change-based decisions — to find solutions to problems that might otherwise lead us down a dark path.

Emmanuel Nataf is the founder and CEO of Reedsy , a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world’s best editors, designers and marketers. Emmanuel dedicates most of his time to building Reedsy’s product and is interested in how technology can transform cultural industries. You can find him on Twitter .

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Published on May 05, 2019 21:02

May 4, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

New Stuff:

Interested in writing cozy mysteries? Season two of the Reedsy podcast Bestseller is focusing on cozy writer Bella Falls: her publishing journey, research into the cozy genre, and more. Find the podcast here.

Promo Day is a special online event dedicated to promoting, networking and learning. Join industry experts as they share actionable ideas and information with tactics and strategies that will help you further your writing career and improve your book marketing efforts at this free online event on Saturday 11th May 2019.

Business / Miscellaneous

7 Thoughts About Collaborating Successfully on a Novel: @brotzel_fiction
Writing Contests are Important: How To Choose the Right Ones: @hopeclark @annerallen
Defining Editing: @LindaGilden @EdieMelson
What Defines a “Good” or “Bad” Adaptation? @atroskity @tordotcom
US Authors Guild Praises Nora Roberts’ Legal Action on Digital Plagiarism: @Porter_Anderson @AuthorsGuild
13 Etiquette Tips for Writers: @RachelleGardner

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Will Eaves’ ‘Murmur’ from CB Editions Wins 2019 Wellcome Book Prize: @Porter_Anderson @WillEaves @wellcomebkprize

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Inviting Creativity Through Meditation: @christinadelay
Start Before You’re Ready: @SPressfield
How to Find Inspiration: @jimdempsey @WriterUnboxed

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

5 Books That Will Make You Ugly Cry in Public: @kcraftwriter @BookTrib
8 Books That Define and Defy the Canon of Hip Hop Literature: @willashon @lithub

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How to establish a writing routine for 2019: @pubcoach
Want to Be a Productive Writer? Three Clues: @jcbaggott @WriterUnboxed
How to Keep Writing When You Don’t Have Time to Write: @Jffelkins @write_practice

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

Good News About Procrastination: Psychologists Explain Why We Do It: @RuthHarrisBooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

13 ways to prevent overwork from affecting your writing: @pubcoach
Stuck With Your Story? Why You Keep Hitting Walls and Dead Ends in Your Writing: @losapala
13 Tips for the Work-at-Home Author: @JFbookman
Journaling Through Grief: A Conversation with Grief: Writing Through Life: @writingthrulife
Writing to Know Oneself: @Lindasclare
How a 70-Year-Old Poet Strayed into Fiction: @sleeperina @WomenWriters
Morning Pages – Clearing the Head Clutter: @LisaJJackson
Writing with Children: @cyallowitz @Nicholas_Rossis
Why My Students Don’t Call Themselves ‘Southern’ Writers: by Katy Simpson Smith @lithub
Writing: How Many Books Should You Write at Once? @DebbieYoungBN @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Start Writing Your Book: @lornafaith

Genres / Mystery

Genre Study: How to Write a Thriller: @savannahgilbo

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to write a non-fiction book cover blurb that sells: @amabaie
7 things to know about writing (and editing) children’s non-fiction: @moiraworld
How to Write a Self-Help Book That Actually Changes Lives: @shaylaleeraquel

Genres / Screenwriting

10 Audience Principles In Screenwriting: by Paul Gulino @ozzywood

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

A Free Tool for Formatting Book Descriptions on Amazon:

Promo / Connecting with Readers

How to Attract Readers with an Outreach Strategy: @SmartAuthors @BookWorksNYC

Promo / Miscellaneous

Tips for Getting Your Name Out There: @hopeclark
Book Marketing Strategies (That Don’t Eat into Your Writing Time): @writingcookbook
3 Activities that Increase Sales Before You Publish Your Book: @NinaAmir
The Complete Guide to Making A Great Author Page With Amazon Author Central: @WrittenWordM

Promo / Social Media Tips

Pinterest Basics for Writers: @EdieMelson
7 Tips for Social Media Savvy: @deannaraybourn @CareerAuthors

Promo / Websites

How to Build an Author Website – How Many Pages? from It’s a Writer Thing

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Research Sees 50 Percent of Americans Listening to an Audiobook: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The Commoditization of Books: 2 Views: @markcoker @PassiveVoiceBlg
Cengage Unlimited Cites a Successful First Academic Year: @Porter_Anderson @CengageLearning

Publishing / News / International Publishing

France’s Lagardère Studios Announces a Book-to-Screen Deal With Wattpad: by @Porter_Anderson @LagardereSTUDIO @christhoral @AronIsHere
Fourth Tehran Book Fair Uncensored Moves Next to Germany: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
Frankfurter Buchmesse and the Motovun Group Issue Call for Illustrated Books About Film: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Nonfiction Sales Growth in the Russian Book Market Expected to Continue This Year: By Eugene Gerden @pubperspectives
Cengage and McGraw-Hill in Merger, Hansen To Lead the Company: @CengageLearning @mgh_educacion
Newly Added Speakers for the IPA’s Nairobi Seminar: @Porter_Anderson @petertabichi @kimaniwanjogu
IPA Names Khaled Lutfi 2019 Prix Voltaire Laureate, Demands a Pardon for Lutfi From Cairo: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @IntPublishers
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Acquires Ediciones Salamandra: @Porter_Anderson @Salamandra_Ed @megustaleer
Highlights for Children Sells Boyds Mills to Kane Press, Owned by Beijing’s Thinkingdom: @Porter_Anderson @Highlights @KanePress
Words Without Borders May: New Omani Writings and Translating ‘Unsettlement’: @Porter_Anderson @wwborders

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Writing An Indie Novel Is Like Going For A Long Walk: @SteveRMarriott @pbackwriter

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Writing a One-Sentence Summary: @RachelleGardner

The Best Pen Name Generator Tools: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Real Life Diagnostics: Writing a Close Point of View: @Janice_Hardy
Opening Strategies: @davidfarland

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

Six Unsatisfying Character Arcs: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Create Characters in 60 Seconds: @LMacNaughton
Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Coroner: @beccapuglisi

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

How To Write Fear That Connects Emotionally With Readers: @LisaHallWilson

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Using Vampires as Heroes: @cyallowitz @SCVincent

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

On interrupting the story for your brilliant philosophical ideas: @Roz_Morris
Three Tips on Show, Don’t Tell: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Conflict

Protagonist v. Nemesis: Keys to Conflict: @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

5 Writing Lessons Learned from Margaret Atwood: @DaveChesson @LiveWriteThrive @MargaretAtwood

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

How to make the most of themes in your writing: @TheLeighShulman

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

How to Write Excellent Introspection: @SeptCFawkes
How To Use Empathetic Writing To Craft Humane Stories: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Tips for Better Cliffhangers: @CindyDevoted
Story Threads: Fixing Rips in Our Story: @JamiGold
“How Writing Book Reviews Makes Me a Better Writer”: @SbWoodson @DIYMFA
Five writing lessons from Australia & New Zealand: @pubcoach
7 Tips to Crafting Emotionally-Meaty Monsters: @cyallowitz @stacitroilo
Writing Tips: Write A Great Novel By Asking The Right Questions: @Roz_Morris @thecreativepenn
8 Ways To Take Your Book From Good To Great: by Braeden Phillips @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / POV

How to Write First Person Point of View: @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Building Your Book Structure around Key Questions: @writeabook

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Historical Novel Research: Masculinity and Late 19th Century Fraternities: @mlouisalocke
10 Little-Known Weapons to Use in Your Speculative Fiction Stories: @_HannahHeath

Writing Craft / Revision

Making a Big Revision? Stitching Our Story’s Rips Together: @JamiGold

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Where to find beta readers for your book: @sandrabeckwith

Writing Craft / Series

3 Essential Tips for Writing a Series Readers Can’t Get Enough Of: @Jffelkins @write_practice

Writing Craft / Subtext

Creating a Subtext: @themaltesetiger
Subtext and Unreliable Narrators: @ebdawsonwriting @phoenix_fiction

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

Crutch Words: @Dwallacepeach

Writing Craft / World-Building

Worldbuilding a Series: Writing without a Plan: @JamiGold

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 04, 2019 21:02

May 2, 2019

Formatting Book Descriptions for Amazon

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Just thought I’d share a tool that I’ve found really helpful lately. It’s also free, which is especially nice.

Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur is the tool’s creator. It wrangles book descriptions on Amazon’s website. If you’re like me, you don’t want the print on the description too small. You want spacing between your paragraphs. And maybe you want some things in bold (a teaser, for example), or in italics. This tool helps with all that.

I’ve experimented with other book description tools before and still found I had issues. Or I’d try to put in the HTML codes myself and, well, I’m not a coder.

I’ve had no issues with this tool. I copy-paste my book description from a Word doc into Notepad or another plain text editor (or you could just type it into the generator, word by word). Then I paste that directly into the generator box.

I particularly liked creating a larger font. I keep my book descriptions pithy and they look better in a bigger font size.

I was so happy with the way the descriptions looked that I went back through and changed all of them. :) Yes, this took a little while, but I was pleased with the results.

Have you used Dave Chesson’s resource before? What tools do you find yourself using regularly?

A Book Description Generator Tool from @DaveChesson:
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Published on May 02, 2019 21:02

April 28, 2019

7 Thoughts About Collaborating Successfully on a Novel

By Dan Brotzel, @brotzel_fiction

I met my two collaborators, Martin and Alex, at my local writing group. By coincidence, it turned out that we all lived in the same road.

As we got to know each other, I decided to share an idea. It had struck me that a writer’s group is itself quite a promising set-up for a story: all those fragile egos, all those different personalities hungry for publication, all the different sorts of writers and writing — from epic verse to steampunk, in our case.

Originally I’d thought the idea might make an interesting short story, but over time — and as my friendship with Alex and Martin grew — I started to think how much more fun it would be if we wrote something longer, together.

So I put the idea to them, and they ran with it. After a few meetings in our local pub, we had thrashed out a set of characters — we would each run 2 or 3 — and a broad structure. We knew it was to be a novel in emails, building to some sort of explosive climax, and that was enough to get us started. And so, Kitten on a Fatberg — now to be published by Unbound — was launched.

Part of the fun of the project was the element of blind collaboration. We set up a dedicated email account for the book, and each of us began firing off messages, in character. So every few days you’d go into the inbox to read an email from one of your co-author’s characters, which talked about some terrible thing that your own character had just done at the last group meeting.

You would then fire something back from your character attempting to explain or justify their behaviour — and taking great pleasure in dropping someone else’s character in it, and so on. There are 8 main characters in the book, which means lots of scope for feuds, alliances and even romances in various combinations.

Over time, the direction of the story became clearer, and we starting meeting to shape the narrative to its conclusion in a more conscious way.

The whole thing took about two years. The experience was hard work, complicated at times, but always great fun.

Here are a few things I learned along the way about how to collaborate successfully on a long-haul writing project such as a novel…

Don’t rush in

Spend time kicking the idea round, working out the structure, stress-testing the plot. Make sure that all of you are equally bought into the idea, otherwise enthusiasm may fade over time. Novels are marathons, not sprints — you need to be sure you’re excited enough to commit for duration.

Look hard at your partners (and at yourself)

In the past I’ve tried to collaborate on projects many times, always unsuccessfully. I can see now that I was looking for someone to nag me into completing a book, to provide the sort of follow-through and self-discipline I obviously couldn’t find in myself. But it was only when I reached a point where I was able to complete projects on my own that I was able to successfully collaborate with someone else. So long hard at your potential partners — and at yourself. Are they completer-finishers or are they flakes? And what about you??

Find a MO that works for all

Almost as important as the big idea is coming up with a way of working that accommodates the schedules and demands that every collaborator has to juggle. It’s common for collaborators to write alternate chapters, or to run different PoVs. If the novel is plotted out at the start, you could get on with chapters ahead of each other. It’s also common for writers to edit each other’s chapters.

Factor in flexibility

In our case, the email structure meant that characters didn’t have to post in a particular order or by a particular time, so we were never sitting round waiting for someone else to finish a section before we could carry on. If you had some free time to write, you could always pick a different character and write another email. This fluidity massively facilitated things for a writing threesome. Our next shared novel — about a harmless UFO cult with only a handful of members left — will make use of a web forum structure (posts + threads), which offers similar flexibility.

Stage regular check-ins

Crucial to our process were the regular pub meetings we held, where we would chat away about our characters like they were absent friends, sense-check the direction of the narrative and try to work out what kind of book we were actually writing. Initially we had thought we were writing a sort of dark murder-mystery, but as the characters continued to let themselves down in all sorts of ridiculous ways, we realised that we were heading inevitably towards something much more like farce. These regular check-ins are also vital to make sure that everyone is happy with the process, and to keep morale and motivation topped up.

Leave the ego at the door

Writing can feel like a furiously solitary activity. But when you collaborate, you become a we and not an I. As in a marriage, no one wins unless you all do. So you have to let go of thinking about who wrote what, or who’s doing the most work, or whether you agree with someone else’s edits of your work. Your co-authors are your first best readers, and what they think of your words are more important

Have fun

If you discover along the way that collaboration isn’t for you, it’s obviously better to let your partners know sooner rather than later, so they can find a different way or not waste unnecessary time on a project that’s likely to fail. On the other hand, most of the other points above happen quite organically if you enjoy the process, you admire your fellow collaborators, and there’s a shared will to make the thing work. Why do it otherwise?

As a reader of this blog, you can pre-order Kitten on a Fatberg for a 10% discount — simply enter promo code KITTEN10

Dan Brotzel’s first collection of short stories, Hotel du Jack, is due out in early 2020. He won the Riptide short story competition 2018, and was Asda Christmas Cracker gag champion, 2004.

Martin Jenkins is a freelance writer, researcher and editor. His publications include an experimental novel A New Science of Navigation.

Alex Woolf has written over 100 books for young people and old, both fiction and non-fiction, published by the likes of OUP, Ladybird, Heinemann and Watts.

Thinking about collaborative writing? @brotzel_fiction has 7 tips:
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Published on April 28, 2019 21:01