Riley Adams's Blog, page 78

March 29, 2018

Other Things to Back Up (Besides Our Writing)

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It’s now time for my regularly scheduled reminder to back up your work.

This time I’ll make my post a little different by urging you to back up other files, too. Although we’d likely be hardest hit by losing our manuscripts, there are other important writing-related things, too.

I’ll start with our newsletter subscriber list since I know folks who have inadvertently deleted portions of theirs (and, in one case, the entire list). I use MailChimp and it’s fairly easy to back up. In fact, you can back up all of your account data (including templates, campaigns, subscriber lists, campaign reports, etc.) in one fell swoop. Step by step guidance can be found here.

If you’re like me and rely on your Google calendar for everything, you’ll want to back it up, too. My calendar has everything from guest posts scheduled on my blog to cover design meetings to podcasts. Backup Google calendar means exporting the calendar (then I usually will copy it to an external device of some kind, too). Instructions can be found here.

Book-related files are also important things to back up. You may think that backing up your current work in progress should be the main focus. But there are many other types of book files that you’ll want to keep track of:

Cover files. I back up my ebook, print, and audio book covers several different places.

Published book files. You never know when a new retailer or format will come along. It wouldn’t be fun to lose these old files.

Back matter. To speed up the publishing process, I keep my back matter (including list of published books, where to find me online, etc.) in a document that I can update and quickly copy and past into the back of the next book.

List of ISBNs. I keep track of all of the ISBNs for my different books (in all the different formats). It would be time consuming to recreate.

Last, but certainly not least, our current manuscript. If you don’t create backups because it’s a pain, think of other, easier ways to save your data. Email yourself a copy, copy to a small thumb drive that you carry on a keychain, use a cloud service like Carbonite.

What kinds of files do you back up? How often do you do it? Is it automated or manual?

Writing-related files we should back up:
Click To Tweet

Photo credit: Dolinski on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

The post Other Things to Back Up (Besides Our Writing) appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 29, 2018 21:02

March 26, 2018

Establishing an Author Platform–Even Before You Publish

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There has been a lot written about the importance of establishing an author platform. But what’s the best way to go about this without stretching ourselves too thin?

I have some ideas for getting started with an author platform (even before you publish your first book) over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Hope you’ll pop over.

The post Establishing an Author Platform–Even Before You Publish appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 26, 2018 03:01

March 24, 2018

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 45,000 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

7 Business Models for Indie Authors: Which One Is Right For You? @OrnaRoss @IndieAuthorALLI

Tips for Writing with Another Author: @msheatherwebb

Invest in your business: @HollowLandsBook

Writing a book for easy money – a myth examined: @Roz_Morris

Business / Taxes

Tax tips for writers: @Dmacmeans @RomanceUniv

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Milan’s Tempo di Libri 2018: Crowds Up, Rights Center Growing: @Porter_Anderson @2SeasAgency

4 Top Finalist Contenders for the 2018 Audie Awards from the Audio Publishers Association: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Wellcome Book Prize’s 2018 Shortlist: Five of Six Titles Are by Women @Porter_Anderson @wellcomebkprize

Republic of Consciousness Independent Publisher Award Goes to Influx Press and Author Eley Williams: @Porter_Anderson @Influxpress @PrizeRofc

Rewarding Content in the Industry: The ‘Nibbies’ Shortlist 42 Titles for Books of the Year: @Porter_Anderson @_JimField @renireni

Booksellers Without Borders Names 12 Book Fair Scholarship Winners: @Porter_Anderson @skylightbooks

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

What 1 writer learned from writing his first book: by Nils Ödlund @mythicscribes

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Copying is how we learn: @austinkleon

5 Reasons Why Your Writer’s Intuition is Failing You: @colleen_m_story

5 Ways To Help Inspire Your Writing: @lornafaith

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

Judy Blume’s Advice for Aspiring Writers: @knownemily @lithub

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

So You Want to Read English Gothic Literature: Here’s Where to Start: by Matt Staggs @unboundworlds

7 of the Most Evil Older Sisters in Fiction: by Natalee Cruz @ElectricLit

The 10 Most Famous Bookstores in the World: @knownemily

4 Ways for Writers to Become Better Readers: @KMWeiland

Crime Fiction: The Joys and Sorrows of Finishing a Series: @CrimeReads @gasagasagirl @prospkbks

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

5 Keys To Help You Finish Your Novel: @lornafaith

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

5 Tips For Writing on a Tight Deadline: @MissyTippens

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

5 Reasons Why a Writer Should Move to Orange County: @poddar_namrata @lithub

The 12 Steps for Struggling Writers: @christophpaul_ @LitReactor

9 Things to Consider Before Giving Up on Your Book: @Bookgal @IndieReader

7 Stories Stephen King Refuses to Publish: by Jake Rossen @mentalfloss

Why Your Friend with a Creative Job Isn’t the Village Idiot: @StefanieFlaxman @copyblogger

What Should I Do If I’m Ashamed of My Published Work? @egabbert @ElectricLit

What’s Your Ideal Writing Life? @LifesizeLD @WritersDigest

Become a Better Writer by Avoiding These Childish Tendencies: @MeganNSharma

5 Writers, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers: @TeddyWayne1999 @lithub

Genres / Fantasy

Tips on creating creatures/animals for an alien/fantasy race: from Just a Writing Aid

Genres / Historical

Writing Tragedy in Historical Fiction: @SusanMeissner @SignatureReads

Genres / Miscellaneous

The Autobiographical Novel: @BarryFoxWriter @LiveWriteThrive

Genres / Mystery

Checklist for Writing Your Thriller: @HankPRyan

Crime fiction: when sleuths have to go back to the drawing board: @mkinberg

Crime fiction: when sleuths are pressured not to investigate: @mkinberg

Crime Writing: Simplified Guide to Toxicology: via@WritersDetctive

Ranking Shakespeare’s Plays as Crime Fiction: @DwyerMurphy @CrimeReads

Security guards as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Picture Books

Creating Picture Books: Resources, including free picture book templates, from @inkyelbows:

Genres / Romance

Romance writers look for ways their work can make a statement: @jaimealyse @BuzzFeedNews

Genres / Science Fiction

How Netflix is Changing Science Fiction (Beyond Big Marketing Gimmicks): @AlasdairStuart @tordotcom

The Science in Your Science Fiction: Conventional Space Travel: @MelanieMarttila @DIYMFA

Promo / Ads

How to Lower Your Facebook Ad Costs and Get Better Results: by Amanda Bond @SMExaminer

Promo / Blogging

What Are SEO Stop Words And How Do You Stop Using Them? by Lisa Brown @justpublishing

Promo / Book Reviews

The Essential First Step for New Authors: Book Reviews, Not Sales: @Wogahn @JaneFriedman

How to Build a Review Team (Podcast): @cksyme @KrystalShannan

Promo / Connecting with Readers

Helping International Readers Find Your Book:

Considering Your Audience:

Promo / Miscellaneous

Five Marketing Tools for Authors Who Hate Marketing: @writersstation

Seven Ways to Market Your Self-Published Novel: @aliventures

Promo / Social Media Tips

Is FB marking your links to your books as Spam? Here is what you can do: @Naked_Determina

What Kurt Vonnegut Can Teach Us About Coping with the Internet: @jayasax

Promo / Video

5 Ways to Sell More Books with YouTube Marketing: @Bookgal

Promo / Websites

Is Your Author Website’s About Page Drop-Dead Boring? @JanalynVoigt

Publishing / Miscellaneous

American Publishers, Libraries Cheer Marrakesh Treaty’s US Congressional Introduction: @Porter_Anderson

Freelance Writing: Tracking Your Goals for Success: @rcarrington2004 @hopeclark

Is Offset Printing the Future for Indie Authors? @JFbookman

Publishing / News / International Publishing

A Children’s Publisher Changes Names; Estonian Literature Stages a Festival: @Porter_Anderson @davehenderson25

Publishing / Process / Book Design

When You Have to Kill the Perfect Book Cover: @woodsarawood @lithub

Publishing / Process / Formatting

How to Format a Textbook or Workbook for Kindle: @ChrisDMcMullen

Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid

5 Signs You Shouldn’t Submit Your Work to a Publication: @NathanielTower

Writing Craft / Beginnings

How an Editor Knows Your Book Isn’t Ready After the First Chapter: @MegLaTorre

First Page Critique: @ClareLangleyH @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Writing Engaging Antagonists: @DN_Bryn

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Another way to think about character flaws: from Just a Writing Aid

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Architect: @beccapuglisi

6 Tips for Writing Characters Who Captivate Readers: @Roz_Morris @IngramSpark

Archetypal Characters in Storytelling: @WritingForward

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

How To Write Emotion And Depth Of Character: @beccapuglisi @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

3 Questions You Need to Answer About Your Main Character Before You Start Your Novel: @StephMorrill

10 ways to create a dynamic heroine: @diannmills @KillerNashville

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Top Ten Peeves of creative writing teachers: By Melodie Campbell @annerallen

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Writing Dialogue Between Multiple Characters: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Diversity

Writing with Color: Description Guide: Words for Skin Tone: from Tropes are Tools

Writing Craft / Drafts

5 Ways to Get Your Draft Written: @victoria_grif7

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Writing Back Story: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Hooks

How to Write an Effective Hook: by Mark Gottlieb @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Lessons about Writing from Bad Movies: @AlexJCavanaugh @TheIWSG

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Stuff That Takes Readers Out of a Story: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors

3 Writing “Rules” 1 Writer Breaks: @Julie_Glover

Using Mythology to Improve Your Writing: by Doug Lewars

10 Quotes Illustrating the Power of the Dream Sequence: @TomBlunt @SignatureReads

How to Write Introspection Well: Show “Just Enough”: @SeptCFawkes

How To Write a Fight Scene: 6 Hard-Hitting Rules for Violence in Fiction: @TCKPublishing

How to Write a Prologue for Your Novel (with Examples): @JerryBJenkins

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

A Novelist’s Dilemma: Outlining vs. Writing On the Fly: @bendolnickbooks @SignatureReads

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

How to Develop Story Ideas Into Amazing Stories: @weems503

Five Novels With Strong Throughlines: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

How to Create Binge-Worthy Content That Keeps People Engaged (podcast): @kikimojo

Handling multiple subplots: from Just a Writing Aid

Tips for subplots: @Wordstrumpet

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Dealing with a Tricky Technique: Research Hills to Die On: @AusmaZehanat

Writing Craft / Revision

Why You Should Make Time To Write While Editing/Revising: @AuthorSAT

Tips on Self Editing: @annkroeker

Writing Craft / Series

Why Writing In a Series Will Make You More Money: @thecreativepenn

Series Writing 101: Resources for planning and writing a series: @LisaPoisso

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Three Ways The Setting Can Steer Your Story’s Plot: @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Tropes

On Star Wars and Mary Sues: by Tropes are Tools

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

1 Writer’s Favorite Tools: @Julie_Klassen

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 24, 2018 21:02

March 22, 2018

Considering Your Audience

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

When I was a kid, there was one part of Cinderella that baffled me.

The clock struck midnight and Cinderella, in a panic, cries out that it’s late and that she must leave.

The handsome prince responds, “But it’s not late; it’s only midnight.”

Only midnight. To a four or five year old me, this pulled me right out of the story. I’d never even witnessed midnight. To someone who turned in at eight o’clock, this seemed like an outlandish thing for the handsome prince to have said.

I frequently read on blogs that considering our readers is very important. But how do we know who our audience is? And what does it mean to keep them in mind as we’re writing?

Who is your audience?

At first, I’d consider other books in your genre. What part of the reader segment is the writer or publisher pursuing? The cover can be a good clue. Does the cover show an action scene? A romantic scene? What are the ages of the characters on the cover, if there are people depicted there? In terms of the content, you could ask the same questions. What’s the focus and pace of the story? How much profanity is used?

If you can’t tell from the cover and content of books similar to yours, take a look at the authors’ followers online.

It’s also helpful to ask yourself who your ideal reader is. Who are you specifically writing for?

And, as you take notes on books that are similar to yours, it’s good to have a grasp on the genre and subgenre that you’re writing in.

Connecting with readers

It’s important to have ways for readers to contact you. Of course you want to have your email address available for them, but it’s also helpful to have some sort of means for them to connect with you online. You don’t have to be on all the social media platforms (in fact, being on all of them is probably a bad idea….it’s just nearly impossible to keep up with), but there needs to be one at least for them to follow you on. As you write more books and have more followers on social media, you can actually see who your reader is…their ages and gender.

Writing for your audience

Once you know who your reader is, it gets a lot easier to write for them. That’s because readers will have certain expectations for the types of books that you write. If you aren’t sure of those expectations, just read more books in your genre.

For further reading, see Angela Quarles’ post at Fiction University, “Finding Your Audience” and Dan Blank’s post at Writer Unboxed, “Do You Know Who Your Reader Is? No, Really: Do You?”

What do you know about your audience? How do you keep them in mind as you write?

Considering Our Audience, as Writers:
Click To Tweet

Photo credit: TEDxAmsterdamED on VisualHunt / CC BY

The post Considering Your Audience appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 22, 2018 21:02

March 18, 2018

Helping International Readers Find Your Book

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Recently, I went through and updated all of my individual book pages on my website… a very tedious process, but it was a rainy day and a worthwhile endeavor.

I’ve known for some time about Draft2Digital‘s Universal Links, but for some reason hadn’t put it to use on my website.

Sometimes I’ll get emails or messages on Facebook asking how to order one of my books on Apple iBookstore or Amazon…in another country. This means that I spend some time trying to locate it myself (even though I’m automatically redirected to the US site in many instances).

I especially want to get my individual book pages on my website right, because I link to the pages in each book’s back matter and on Facebook when I have a release. Plus, if you look up any of my book titles, my website usually comes in first for results (occasionally Amazon does).

One thing about Draft2Digital’s approach is that it’s one universal link and the reader is automatically directed to their home country’s retail site. Another is that you could simply use this one link instead of linking to all the stores (domestic and international) where your book is for sale. I know that my book is listed in at least twenty stores, counting all the retailers that my aggregators are distributing to. Some of these online stores go out of business, but if you click the ‘rescan’ button at D2D, it automatically repopulates and removes expired links. In fact, I recommend clicking ‘rescan’ a couple of times, anyway, to make sure all of the links are populated.

Even if you are a Kindle Unlimited (KU) author who exclusively distributes through Amazon, this is useful. As D2D explains: “But lest you think UBLs aren’t for you—as a KU author the advantage you get from using UBLs is globalization—which is a fancy way of saying that we’ll find your book in every Amazon marketplace, worldwide! So you can paste the URL from, say, your product page at Amazon.com, and Books2Read will find all instances of the book on Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.everywhere-else-you-can-think-of! This allows readers to go to the Amazon store that matches their region, without the need to create a separate link.”

You don’t even have to be a Draft2Digital author to use the service. As they put it: “In fact, you don’t even have to be a Draft2Digital author to use it (though we’d really love to have you). All you have to do is visit Books2Read.com and paste your link to get started. If you want to edit your link, you can create a B2R account, or log in with an existing Draft2Digital account.”

For the UBL button on my website, I chose the text to read “international” since I had the US links and retailers listed on my page already.

Do you use UBLs? How do you help international readers find your books?

How to Help International Readers Find Your Book:
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visualhunt.com

The post Helping International Readers Find Your Book appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 18, 2018 21:02

March 17, 2018

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

News and New Stuff

I have an interview (podcast with transcript) on Simon Villeneuve’s BookWorthy site about making time for writing.

Business / Miscellaneous

Launching Your Second Book and Beyond: 4 Questions to Ask: @Andrea_Dunlop @JaneFriedman

The ‘Profits From Publishing’ Controversy: Do Authors Get Paid Enough? @Porter_Anderson @lizzykremer

Keep the information on your business proprietary: @KristineRusch

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Writers’ Conference Secrets for Success: @FrugalBookPromo @TheIWSG

How To Be A Success At A Book Event: @wandalu64

National Book Awards Open 2018 Submissions and Name Judging Panels: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook

Lithuania’s ‘Day of the Book Smugglers’ Comes to the UK Ahead of London Book Fair: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

How to Break Free from Your Writing Rut: @BeingTheWriter @womenonwriting

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Five YA Series with Geeky Heroes: by Brooke Johnson @tordotcom

15 Novels That Subvert Traditional Gender Roles: @knownemily @lithub

17 Literary Podcasts to Ease Your Commute: by Jo Lou @ElectricLit

Reading to Write: @SueBEdwards

Creativity and Inspiration / Miscellaneous

3 Ways “Hustle” May be Hurting Your Creativity: @emi1y_morgan

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Tips for making time for writing your book: @savilleneuve

Write Four Books A Year As A Juggling Author: @lornafaith @JugglingAuthor

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

3 Reasons You Have Writer’s Block—and How to Cure it: @RDCwrites

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

How to Be a Confident Writer: @the_writing_pal

Avoiding Burnout With Strategic Breaks: @jamesscottbell

Confessions of a Typewriter Addict: by Anthony Casillo @lithub

Want To Be An Organized Writer? Start With An Effective Life: @10MinNovelists

Bullet Journal Update: Can They Help Your Writing Career? @Jenn_Mattern

How to Tell if Your Writing is Good: @HeatherJacksonW

Three Things You Have In Common With All Writers: by Art Holcomb @storyfix

What if a Standing Desk is Too Big for Your Writing Space? @colleen_m_story

5 Ways Curiosity Can Ruin Your Writing: @annkroeker

6 Types of Writer Pain and How To Resolve Them: @Beth_Barany

Simplifying Your Writer’s Life: @KelsieEngen

Making Friends with Your Inner Editor: by Christine Hennebury @10MinNovelists

Conquer Writer’s Angst: @sallyjenkinsuk

15 Ways to Strengthen Writer Courage: @diannmills

Getting pitched, getting hitched: A literary marriage proposal: @MelissaMHart @TheWriterMag

Genres / Fantasy

Why Read Fantasy Literature? @AGHackney

Reality checks for fantasy: from Just a Writing Aid

Genres / Horror

Women in Horror: 10 Authors to Read: by Wordy Nerd Bird

Why the Horror Trope of the Hard-Boiled Detective Protagonist Needs to End: @ShotgunZen @BDisgusting

Genres / Memoir

Writing Memoir: The Perils of Research: @writingthrulife

Genres / Mystery

Writing a Cozy Mystery: The Murder: @LauraDiSilverio

Search Warrants: What the Officer Should be Able to Tell a Judge: @LeeLofland

Crime Writing: Developing Latent Prints on Difficult Surfaces: @LeeLofland

Genres / Non-Fiction

5 Tips for Writing a Self-Help Book That’s Better Than Tom Brady’s: @UselessEty @WritersDigest

Genres / Romance

7 Interesting Romance Fiction Trends from the Past 10 Years: @EmmanuelNataf

Genres / Science Fiction

Time Loops in SFF: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom

Space Opera vs Science Fiction (podcast): @mythcreants

Promo / Ads

How to Boost Your Chances of Getting a BookBub Featured Deal: @DianaUrban @BookBub

Promo / Blogging

Blogging isn’t Dead 8 Reasons to Start an Author Blog: @annerallen

Promo / Metadata

British Industry Slams Wrongful Use of Metadata Fields for Book Promotion: @Porter_Anderson @KarinaLuke

Promo / Miscellaneous

The Art of Publicity: How Indie Publicists Work With Writers: by Tess Taylor @poetswritersinc

Complete Guide to Interview Strategies: @TCKPublishing

5 Terrible Ways to Launch Your Book: @Draft2Digital

Your One-Sentence Book Marketing Plan: @GlennJMiller

Promo / Newsletters

How to use Mailchimp – A Basic Mailchimp Tutorial: @pjrvs

Promo / Websites

How to Build a Website (For Authors): @RuthanneReid

Publishing / Miscellaneous

London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Nod Will Go to Sara Miller McCune at Intl. Excellence Awards: @Porter_Anderson @SAGE_News

Publishing / News / International Publishing

‘Radical Publishing House’ Verso Wins IPG’s Frankfurter Buchmesse Trade Publisher of the Year: @Porter_Anderson

Future!Publish Program at Leipzig; Greystone Sending 15 to London: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

The Golden Phone Call: Eight Writers Handed US$165,000 Each by Windham-Campbell: @Porter_Anderson @pblossomhwy

A new Pop Up Project announced today in London (March 12) celebrates art and internationalism: @Porter_Anderson

Open Road Acquires US Graham Greene Ebook Rights; Unicorn Announces Ali Cavanaugh Book: @chgreig @Porter_Anderson

BookNet Canada’s 2017 Sales Performance Report Shows Online Buying, Younger Readers, and Big Poetry: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada

Three Ways PEN’s New Report Says China Is Compromising Free Expression: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Tips for successful self-publishing: @IndieAuthorALLI

Comparing Print-On-Demand vs Offset Printing (Pros & Cons): @ReedsyHQ

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

7 Questions for Writers to Ask While Researching a Small Press (via @JaneFriedman ):

Publishing / Process / Book Design

7 Best Book Cover Trends to Stay Current in 2018: by Calvin Emerson @JFbookman

Publishing / Process / Translation

Man Booker International Prize 2018 Longlist Spotlights Books Translated From 10 Languages: @Porter_Anderson

France’s 2018 Literature in Translation: The 10 Shortlisted Titles From the French-American Foundation: @Porter_Anderson @HowardCurtis49 @EmKateRam

A Translator’s Diary: @EmKateRam @vee_ess_eee

Writing Craft / Beginnings

A Lesson in Deep POV — First Page Critique: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors

Tips for character intros: from Just a Writing Aid

Avoid Nagging False Suspense Questions in Your Story Opening: @peterselgin @JaneFriedman

Tips for beginning your novel: @Margo_L_Dill

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How to Write Memorable Villains: @evans_writer @RMFWriters

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Write Fictional Characters as Complex & Realistic as You Are: MBTI for Writers (blog series): @MandyCorine

Characters As Mirrors: @beccapuglisi

Character Development Questions: Building Character Arcs: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Have You Chosen the Right Main Character to Tell Your Story? @kristen_kieffer

How To Write A Character Who Can Carry A Series: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Avoid Common Writing Mistakes: by Natalie Hanemann @RachelleGardner

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Do Your Characters Talk too Much? When to Use Indirect Dialogue: @annerallen

Writing Craft / Diversity

Description: Making Representation Obvious: from Tropes are Tools

Writing Craft / Endings

Epilogues and How To Write an Effective One: @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Avoiding Info Dumps: from Just a Writing Aid

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

5 Writing Lessons from Groundhog Day: @JennyHansenCA

4 Lessons Writers Can Learn from ‘The Good Place’: by Karen Krumpak @WritersDigest

6 Ways Mark Twain Can Help You Improve Your Writing: @FredBobJohn

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

9 Tips to Improve Your Writing: @katy239

4 Tips for Writing to the Right Audience: @KMWeiland

7 Ways to Bring More Artistry to Your Writing: @soniasimone

The Question Your Novel Answers: @NancyJAuthor @WriterUnboxed

How To Write About the Body in Creative Nonfiction: @kayladeanwrites @DIYMFA

Should You Write What You Know? 31 Authors Weigh In: @knownemily @lithub

What is sticky writing? @pubcoach

Writing Craft / Plot Holes

The Magic Fix-it Scene: @ml_keller

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Elevate Your Story – Push Your Hero Off a Cliff: @jeannevb @WritersDigest

The Art of The Plot Twist (Video): @12BPSeries

A Simple Tip to Help Get Rid of Saggy Middles: @FaeRowen

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

A Review of Clauses and Conjunctions: @LiveWriteThrive

Writing Craft / Revision

The Author’s Survival Guide to Track Changes: @LisaPoisso

Ten Reasons Why You Need an Editor: @carolcram @WomenWriters

Hedge Words and Inflation Words: Prune Them From Your Writing: @JRHwords @JaneFriedman

Breaking Writing Rules Right: Don’t Use Filter Words: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

How to Create a Critique Group that Works: @WriteNowCoach

An editor takes on a submitted second chapter: @kcraftwriter

Writing Craft / Special Needs

Building The Disabled World: @WriterOdell @sfwa

Writing Craft / Synopses

How to Write A Synopsis: @editoreditorial @IndieAuthorALLI

Writing Craft / Voice

Masterful Voice in Novels: @LiveWriteThrive

Reading Your Way to Great Writing Voice: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / World-Building

7 Tips for Creating Believable Fantasy or Science Fiction Worlds: @Janice_Hardy

Creating a Fantasy Race : by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction

Stop World Building and Start Writing: @12BPSeries

Writing Tools / Apps

5 Powerful Upgrades to Your Writing Software: @DaveChesson

Uncategorized

Family businesses as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 17, 2018 21:01

March 15, 2018

Small Presses: 7 Questions to Ask While Researching Them

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig (with content from @JaneFriedman)

I receive one or two emails a month from new writers asking for information and help in either publishing or promoting their book.

It’s happened enough that I have a detailed ‘canned response’ email that I’ve written to give details and resources to these writers. The main resource that I reference is Jane Friedman’s blog, in particular her collection of articles titled “Start Here.” One is Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book and another is Start Here: How to Get Your Book Published.

So when I was offered a complimentary ARC of Jane’s new book (publishing today, March 16), The Business of Being a Writer, I eagerly accepted it. As expected, it’s jam-packed with savvy information for writers. One common issue I notice in writers is a certain amount of business insecurity, a fear of making a mistake. This is a reference to help keep writers of all levels of experience from making a mistake.

One important note is that this book, unlike many others that I’m familiar with on the market, encompasses the writing business in its entirety. It doesn’t stop with writing books. This is also an excellent resource for anyone interested in supplementing their novel-writing or nonfiction income with freelancing in its different forms. There’s also an entire section on ways for writers to make money, including grants, contests, affiliate income, and teaching and online education.

I was fascinated reading Jane’s section overview on understanding the publishing industry: trade book publishing, magazine publishing, online and digital media, and 21st century literary publishing.

The book offers help with finding a traditional publisher (small and large), pursuing self-publishing, and promoting published books.

Here is an excerpted piece from Jane’s book on researching small presses. She recommends seven questions for writers to ask (with more detail offered in the book):

Where are the books distributed?

Does the publisher invest in a print run or use print-on-demand only?

For digital-only publishers, what value do they provide that you need?

What’s the publisher’s editing process like? Will you be assigned an editor?

What marketing and promotion do their titles receive?

How can you terminate the deal?

Can you speak to recent authors?

Obviously, Jane Friedman is a go-to resource for me and her blog is the place I send new writers to the most. What resources do you depend on? Read any helpful books for writers recently?

The Business of Being a Writer:
Available at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

7 questions for writers to ask while researching a small press (via @JaneFriedman ):
Click To Tweet

The post Small Presses: 7 Questions to Ask While Researching Them appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 15, 2018 21:01

March 11, 2018

5 Powerful Upgrades to Your Writing Software

by Dave Chesson, @DaveChesson

For every challenge a writer faces, there is a helping hand available in the form of a tool or app.

While no tool is a replacement for talent or creativity, there are plenty of options available to make your writing process smoother and more productive.

From comprehensive writing suites packed with powerful pro features, to smaller scale solutions to a single specific problem, there is software available for every need.

We’ll now take a look at five of the best writing tools available, and explore exactly how they can benefit your personal writing process.

Scrivener

Have you ever been frustrated by the limitations of standard writing software like Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

While these tools can be suitable for simple writing projects, they are often far from ideal for longer works, such as full-length books.

Scrivener is a powerful writing application absolutely packed with features. Some of the key benefits offered by Scrivener include –

The ability to store and access your research within the same environment you write in
An easy to use outlining mode to have a ‘big picture’ overview of your book
Free community created resources, such as Scrivener templates
Powerful editing and revision options for longer works

Scrivener is one of the most comprehensive and fully featured book writing software applications on the market. You can also enjoy a fully featured 30 day free trial and a range of Scrivener discounts if you decide the software is right for you.

Hemingway

While there is no substitution for a talented human editor to polish and perfect your writing into the best form possible, Hemingway is probably the closest thing.

Using Hemingway allows you to –

Objectively assess the readability of your text
Identifies your use of the passive voice and whether it’s excessive
Highlights hard to read sentences
Shows which of your phrases have simpler alternatives

Hemingway is an excellent middleground between self-editing and using the services of a professional. No matter whether you’re writing a lengthy book, or a simple blog post, Hemingway will make your work closer to the concise prose of its namesake.

Self Control

One of the biggest problems for many modern writers is distraction.

We live in an age of constant information overload. It’s never been easier to procrastinate and lose focus on our writing.

This problem is compounded by the fact that we often write on internet connected devices. This is often necessary for cloud collaboration or research during writing.

If you sometimes struggle to stay focused, help is at hand. Self Control is a simple tool which allows you to –

Specify a list of websites or other online destinations you wish to block your access to
Set a period of time where you won’t be able to physically access these distractions
Take your willpower out of the equation. Even if you delete Self Control, you still won’t be able to access the specified distractions for the specified duration.

If you struggle with staying on task during your writing sessions, a tool like Self Control may be the enforced focus you need.

Write Or Die

If you struggle to hit your word count targets, or find a lack of motivation holds you back from achieving your writing goals, Write Or Die is one of the most unique solutions available.

The software offers a simple writing environment which allows you to set targets such as a period of time to write for or a desired word count.

Where Write Or Die makes things interesting is the way it motivates you to achieve your aims. For example, you can set Write Or Die to –

Reward you with a pleasing image, such as a cute kitten, when you hit your target
Punish you with a negative image, such as a spider, if you fall behind your target
Kamikaze mode. This actually begins to delete your work if you fail to keep pace

Not every writer will enjoy or benefit from the extreme approach to motivation taken by Write Or Die. However, if you ever struggle with productivity, it’s an out of the box approach worth exploring.

Quora

Quora offers a wide range of benefits for writers of every type. It’s an excellent tool for both research and promotional purposes.

By using Quora, you can –

Receive expert answers to any question you have. This can provide valuable factual info for your writing, or allow you to get a real human perspective on any experience imaginable, to add richness and depth to your characters.
Answer questions you have knowledge on. As a writer, you are certain to have valuable insight into a wide range of topics. By answering questions on Quora, you not only help others, but also promote yourself and your work at the same time. A genuine win/win.

If you spend some time browsing through Quora, you’ll soon see the wealth of information available. It’s a great place to find inspiration for your writing while benefiting in a positive and helpful community.

Writing Software Summary

The world of writing software is packed with options for every need and taste.

You can use –

Scrivener for powerful writing organization, research and formatting
Hemingway for concise and impactful text
Self Control to eliminate distraction and stay focused
Write Or Die to provide an extreme injection of motivation
Quora for information, inspiration and value-giving promotion

I’m always on the lookout for new writing tools, so if you have a favorite you think other writers would love, please feel free to share in the comments.

Dave Chesson teaches authors advanced book marketing tactics at Kindlepreneur.com. He likes sharing in-depth, actionable guides, such as his recent guide to effective book cover design. His free time is spent in Tennessee with his wife and children.

5 Powerful Upgrades to Your Writing Software (via @DaveChesson ):
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt

The post 5 Powerful Upgrades to Your Writing Software appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 11, 2018 21:01

March 10, 2018

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

New Stuff:

The 8th annual online Nonfiction Writers Conference, May 2-4. The opening session features a conversation with Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before, and The Happiness Project. Additional sessions cover how to write, publish, promote and profit with nonfiction books. There is a fee for attending the conference, but here is a discount code for 33% off for my blog readers: ElizabethSpannCraig35

Picture book resources: This was something cool that I stumbled across this week: free picture book templates and other resources from the talented Debbie Ridpath Ohi (@inkyelbows).

I have a post up today on the Alliance of Independent Authors blog for their Sunday Self-Publishing Success stories.

Business / Miscellaneous

Your Author Career Strategy (Podcast): @DIYMFA @katmartinauthor

The Writer’s Guide to Avoiding Side-Hustle Burnout: @CordeliaCallsIt @thewritelife

The Risks and Rewards of Bringing Your Spouse or Partner Into Your Business: @dorcas_ct @JaneFriedman

What Actually Matters to Your Audience? @cathyyardley

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

New UK MFest: A Focus in April on ‘Bringing Muslims and Non-Muslims Together’: @tufyal @MFestUK @Porter_Anderson

Hay Festival to Identify 100 noteworthy books by women in last 100 years: @Porter_Anderson @hayfestival

Helen Bernstein Book Award Finalists for Excellence in Journalism Books: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Riley Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 10, 2018 21:01

March 8, 2018

Taking Note

by James Mullen

Turner Field in Atlanta, June 1995, I scribbled a note on my knee just before the first pitch:

Mike Deveraux, former legendary Braves player, is sitting behind us. The man next to him asks him to extend his hand as far away from his body as possible so he can take a close-up photo of the finger that has his World Series ring. Deveraux is gracious, smiles, but asks the man if he wants a photo standing with him as well. The fan says no, he just wants a photo of the ring. Mike Deveraux was a big reason the Braves won the Series. I only hope the guy with the camera doesn’t see any adult movie stars during the game.

Red Smith, the legendary NY Times sports writer, reportedly said that writing involves sitting down with a typewriter and opening a vein. But before the bleeding starts, I think certain aspects of writing can be fun, and those aspects will be different for each of us. I hate outlining and knotting up the plot threads. You may love doing that. I enjoy diving deep into the settings and characters, and you may find that tedious or difficult.

Although it took two books for me to learn that story is paramount and everything else must service the story, I still like to spend some time outside the actual “bleeding” to observe day-to-day life, then writing down its quirks as things happen. I’m not Studs Terkel. I don’t write non-fiction. I’m not collecting people’s stories or observations as an end, but I’ve often thought that when I’ve read a beautiful piece of business like Dennis Lehane’s The Drop: “…it felt like heartbreak to him. Like a calendar page no one bothered to turn anymore.” Or James Lee Burke’s Burning Angel: “He pinched his temples with his fingers, as though a piece of rusty wire were twisting inside his head.” Or James Crumley’s The Right Madness: “…he walked like a man who had just discovered his feet.” Lee Child in Never Go Back spends two pages explaining how to know if the grill man in a diner is the establishment’s owner. I am a poor relation to those writers, but I can’t help but wonder. Did Lehane write that after looking at a calendar, and Burke from looking out the window at a wire fence from his Montana ranch? How often did Crumley observe people’s ambulation, and how much time did Lee Child spend in a diner?

It is interesting that writing is so interior, but much of its birth is formed from the outside. For example, I saw a man saunter into a North Carolina diner, sit on a stool, and ask for a “medium” glass of water. Not large, not small, not a glass of water, but one that was medium. A man of precision in thought and language? That may add a nice bit of texture to a story character. Several weeks ago I listened to a priest encourage us to “understand the mystery,” and this morning, a news correspondent reported that “everyone in the White House knew the secret.” Hmm, the opposites of my diner friend. A character using imprecise or confusing language may foster a misunderstanding that could lead to a confusing but interesting scenario?

I’ve found over the years a pen or pencil and a sheet of paper is best for writing down things on the fly. If worthy, I then log it into a notebook. I’m not a Luddite, but I have found using computer files for the notes is time-consuming. With computers, I have mistitled, put ideas in the wrong files, and yes, lost files, so I have surrendered to the familiar piece of paper. Right now I have five spiral notebooks, listed by similes, dialogue, settings, names (yes, there really is someone with the first name of “Zipper”), and long and short descriptions. We’re all different. You may prefer the ease and portability of a Smartphone or IPad, but works better for me – I don’t have to back-up a spiral notebook.

People have amazing stories, and if approached with care, will sometimes tell them. Non-judgement, openness, and conversational trust has to be present. You wouldn’t walk up to strangers and ask first thing, “Do you like church?” or “Were you shot or blown up?” I have – respectively, at a church event and the waiting room at a Veterans hospital (it always pays to smile.) If you question too aggressively or appear to be overly inquisitive, they may look at you like you’re a pickpocket seeking work. But most times, once you start talking, people are flattered you’ve shown an interest and will freely discuss their jobs, families, hobbies, and where they live. Many married couples, especially if older, will give wonderful, funny, and sometimes heart-wrenching stories on how they met. They find joy in the re-telling. Eventually, I will explain that I am a humble writer and ask permission to use those elements in a story – even if in a different form.

But you never know – sometimes a fun and interesting occasion will turn out differently. One afternoon I was on a flight from Boston to Chicago. I introduced myself to the man sitting next to me and engaged in small talk. After discussing sports and weather, I explained where I was going and why. He told me the purpose of his trip. He was on his way back to California, having failed to secure last-ditch financing for his energy consulting firm. He told me he would need to declare bankruptcy and dissolve the company, lay off his staff of twenty, and in all likelihood, loose his wife. He spoke with a calm voice, but he very methodically told me about his employees and their families, and the hardship the unemployment would cause. He talked almost non-stop, as if the words would burn through his depression and sense of failure. I just listened and didn’t ask questions. I didn’t take notes.

We exited the plane in O’Hare and went to our respective connecting gates. I didn’t know what to say, but I whispered luck as I grasped his arm on the jetbridge. I realized that sometimes there are more important things than writing and taking notes. While on the journey to find words and ideas, that experience may change other things as well.

Thanks, James, for the post! I’m always surprised how many ideas I get from the outside world (and I generally like staying at home!) How about everyone else? Have you ever engaged in conversations to find out others’ stories? Have you come across characters or settings that made it into your books?

James Mullen is living the life of leisure just outside Raleigh, North Carolina. He is an author of two Boston based crime novels: Ketchum and Cobb and Boston Harbors Murder. With fits and starts, he is on a third one. His blog, Grumpy Gets Better, has been in existence since 2009.