Riley Adams's Blog, page 80
January 20, 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 43,000 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 Signs You Should Keep Writing as a Side Hustle: @RealWorldMagic
Never Give Up on Getting Back Your Rights: @joannaslan
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Hay Festival Opens Early Bird Access to Public for 2018 Events in Wales: @Porter_Anderson
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
How to set (and achieve) your creative goals: @DanBlank
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
10 Ways to Goose the Muse: @jamesscottbell
A.A. Milne (Born Today in 1882) on Happiness and How Winnie-the-Pooh Was Born: @brainpicker
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
25 Reasons Why Books Beat Real Life: @LisaLisax31
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
A Free 7 Day Creative Writing Challenge: @write_practice
How to write when you’re not motivated: @jasonbougger
5 Tragic Losses Caused by ‘Someday Syndrome’: @RayEdwards
Getting Your Writing Down: @Lindasclare
What Motivates You to Finish? @Julie_Glover
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Creating a Writing Habit — 6 Simple Tips: by Nils Odlund @mythicscribes
5 Must-Haves for the Writer Struggling to Focus: @tessaemilyhall
6 steps to improve productivity and creativity: from Cathy Pickens by Allison Futterman
The 6 Best Writer Productivity Tools: @timgrahl
Is a Daily Writing Routine Right for You? @kristen_kieffer
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
5 Characteristics of a Bestseller Every Indie Author Must Nail: @Bookgal
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
10 Tips for Authors to Avoid Book Promotion Burnout: @StephPostAuthor
“What if I Stopped Being a Writer?”: @LisaLisax31
Writing Through Catastrophe: @cleemckenzie @TheIWSG
10 Ways to Survive Your Day Job: @_phoebe_quinn
The artistic recluse? @austinkleon
No, You DON’T have to Write Every Day: @KDean_writer @RomanceUniv
Top 5 Tips for Finding Author Friends: @writerdeanna @JAHuss
Genres / Fantasy
A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Urban Fantasy: by Georgina Roy @writingtipsoasi
Genres / Memoir
How to Write a Memoir: Top Tips from Bestselling Writers: @ReedsyHQ
Discover Your Memoir’s Underlying Themes: @writingthrulife
Genres / Miscellaneous
Genre in Writing: It is the Most Important Question for Your Book: @valerie_francis
Genres / Mystery
Plagiarism as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg
Thrillers: Plotting And Pacing: @KevinPaulTracy @RMFWriters
Writing a Cozy Mystery: Setting: @LauraDiSilverio
Clubs as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Poetry
Poet teaches immigrants English through expressive writing: By Lynda J. Edwards @timesunion
Genres / Science Fiction
31 Essential Science Fiction Terms And Where They Came From: by Lauren Davis
Genres / Screenwriting
Top 5 Tips Writing for TV and Film: @MisterJMcClain @JAHuss
Script To Screen: “Braveheart”: @GoIntoTheStory
Promo / Blogging
Tools to help you plan your blogging year: @KarenBanes
Easy Author Blogging:10 tips for a Successful Author Blog: @annerallen
Blogging as a Writer:
How To Create A Blog Post From Nothing In 5 Steps: by Jonathan Vars
Promo / Connecting with Readers
11 Creative Ways to Boost Reader Engagement: @DianaUrban
Top 5 Tips Finding Your Fans: @JAHuss
Promo / Miscellaneous
5 Things for Indie Authors to Revamp in 2018: @Bookgal
8 Ways to Find Your Readers With Collaboration: @LPOBryan
Promo / Platforms
Top 5 Tips Build a Strong Brand: @CoraSeton
Promo / Social Media Tips
The Writer’s Guide to Social Media Organization: @diannmills
5 Principles of a Perfect Instagram Caption to Boost Sales: @HughBeaulac @ProWritingAid
55 Social Media Hashtags For Authors (And How To Use Them): @WritersRelief
Promo / Websites
9 Tips for Your Website Due Diligence: @JudithBriles
Publishing / Miscellaneous
How to Create Artwork to Foil, Stamp, and Emboss Your Books: @JFbookman
8 criteria for evaluating writing competitions: @raimeygallant
Trends and Challenges Consultants See in Scholarly Publishing: @kanderson @scholarlykitchn
What 1 writer learned from being rejected by Amazon’s Kindle Scout: @DeannaCabinian
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Fire and Fury: International Publishers ‘Throw Full Support Behind’ Macmillan: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
UK Publishers Association Launches Data Protection Toolkit for EU Regs: @Porter_Anderson @stevelotinga
Prix Voltaire 2018 Shortlist Honors Figures from Asia, Europe, and Africa: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The TA First Translation Prize’s Debuts Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @danielhahn02
BookNet Canada: Print Sales Down in 2017, Backlist 60 Percent: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada
Austrian-American Writer Frederic Morton Honored in New York City: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Wattpad Announces $51 Million in New Funding: @wattpad @Porter_Anderson @allenlau
What’s Popular in Children’s Books? Insights from Insiders from Canada, Finland, Germany, Spain: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The International Prize for Arabic Fiction Announces Its 2018 Longlist: ‘Arab Reality’: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
Publishing: “If your first book tanks, it’s really hard to get back in the game”: @hankjearly
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Wounded: Why Pain & Wounds are Vital for Fiction: @KristenLambTX
Challenge your characters: @jasonbougger
Method Writing: Getting Into Your Characters’ Heads: @jules_writes
Things 1 Writer Asks Her Characters: by Samantha Fenton
4 Keys To Creating A Likable Character: @AlpertMark
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
The word of doom for female characters: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Conflict
Does Your Novel Need More Internal Conflict? @HankPRyan
Writing Craft / Drafts
How to Know When Your Creative Work is Finished: @JeffGoins
What to Do When You Finish a First Draft: by Sandra Scofield @SignatureReads
Writing Craft / Humor
How to Write Humor: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
4 Things Every Thriller Writer Can Learn From Charlotte’s Web: @Brad_Parks
5 Things Jennifer Egan Can Teach You About Writing: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
6 Habits That Sabotage Audio Stories: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Character intros: from Just a Writing Aid
5 Top Writing Hacks For Quick, Effective Storytelling: @Bang2write
5 Tips for Writing About an Established Relationship: @re_stearns @WritersDigest
Vary Sentence Lengths to Give Your Paragraphs a Pleasing Rhythm: @ZoeMMcCarthy
How to Fight in a Victorian Dress: @swan_tower @tordotcom
Writing Craft / Plot Holes
Six Stories That Covered Up Major Plot Holes: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Story Structure: Is It Formulaic? @storyfix
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
How To Write Characters With PTSD: @LisaHallWilson @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 Cases of Intrusive Punctuation Before a Quotation: @writing_tips
5 Types of Usage Errors: @writing_tips
3 Cases of Erroneous Punctuation: @writing_tips
Writing Craft / Revision
Rewriting: Fixing It Up: @Lindasclare
The Myth of One and Done: Why you need to edit multiple times: by Kate Sullivan @ProWritingAid
Writing Craft / Series
7 Rules for Strong, Successful Sequels: @brenthartinger @writersdigest
Writing Craft / Special Needs
8 Books That Move Disability From the Margins to the Center: by Kenny Fries @lithub
Writing Craft / Tension
5 Tips For Building Tension Into Your Scenes: by Jonathan Vars @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / World-Building
Top 5 Tips Building Worlds: @JAHuss
Writing Tools / Books
Why Books on the Craft of Writing Are Worth a Read: @TobiasCarroll @SignatureReads
Writing Tools / Thesauri
Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Librarian: @AngelaAckerman
Uncategorized
Info About the #IWSGPit Twitter Pitch Tomorrow: @TheIWSG
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
January 18, 2018
Blogging as a Writer
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
My first blog post was in August of 2008. Along the way, I’ve tweaked the content and changed from Blogger to WordPress. I’ve also played with the number of posts I run a week. Aside from that, the blog is pretty much the same as it was nine years ago.
But along the way, I’ve seen lots of changes: some writers who used to blog no longer do. Some folks never started. Some rarely post at all. Which leads me to this post. :) Should writers blog? If you decide to blog, how do you keep it up? And how do you get a blog started?
Why should you consider blogging?
One big reason why I like blogging is because I bring traffic to my website (which also lists my books). As Belinda Griffin put it in her article, “10 Rock-Solid Reasons Why Every Indie Author Needs an Author Blog“:
Regularly updated websites, ie ones with a blog, are crawled more often by search engines and will appear higher up in search engine results, meaning a website with a blog is more likely to be found by someone searching using Google.
How often should you post?
If you’re just starting out, I’d set the bar low. Shoot for a post a week, maybe. There are also benefits to ‘slow blogging’: check out Anne R. Allen’s “Slow Blog Manifesto.”
Even if you’re posting once or twice a month, you’re still regularly adding content to your website which can help with visibility.
If you want to shoot for a couple of times a week, just remember that you can always scale back to once a week. The key is to stay consistent with posting, no matter how often you do it.
What should you post on?
It’s really up to you. What are you most comfortable writing about? Some writers do a great job communicating directly with their readers: sharing personal photos, what they’re cooking that night, what book they’re currently reading, and giving insight into their writing. Some writers prefer sharing helpful posts for other writers.
If you’re not sure exactly what path to take with your blogging, Jane Friedman has an excellent post: “What Should Authors Blog About?” She rates your options from easy to difficult.
For other ideas, try these posts:
Hundreds of Blog Post Ideas for Writers by Shelley Sturgeon
30 Inspiring Blog Post Ideas for Writers by Amanda Patterson
How do you find blog readers?
Encourage engagement by ending posts with a question. Respond to comments. Visit and comment on blogs, especially those of bloggers who comment on yours. Set your posts to automatically upload to Facebook and post on Twitter.
And keep it up. Be consistent. Choose which days of the week (or day of the week) you want to post and then blog on those days. When you’re going to need to be absent from the blog, make sure to note it and give a return date. That helps keep you on track and helps your readers know that you just haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.
Why do bloggers stop blogging?
There are so many reasons here. Over the length of time in which I’ve blogged, several bloggers have, sadly, passed away. Others have been overwhelmed by health issues or life simply getting in the way.
Sometimes it’s something much more basic. I’ve been amazed by the number of bloggers who simply tried to do a blog makeover and then stopped blogging…it was as if the makeover project took time and energy away from the actual posts and derailed them.
To keep blogging, my top tips for starting out and for maintaining a blog:
Set the bar low, as mentioned above.
Write several posts (with images, etc.) before you ever launch your blog. Stay several posts ahead. Or have a few emergency posts handy for when life/health/etc. gets crazy.
Keep an editorial calendar or at least a list of ideas that you might want to blog about. Dan Blank has a nice post about brainstorming post ideas in his piece, “10 Simple Steps to Steady Blogging.”
Make sure to make the posts easy to read by keeping them skimmable–break up text into paragraphs and use headings to help readers make sense of what they’re seeing on the page.
Blogging has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ve had invitations to speak because of blogging. I’ve definitely brought traffic to my website because of my blog, which helps me with search engine visibility (and, ultimately, my books’ visibility). And I’ve met so many amazing writers and bloggers through my blog, too.
For more points to consider when setting up a blog, check out another post from Jane Friedman, “How to Start Blogging: A Definitive Guide for Authors.”
Do you blog? What do you see as the benefits? Any questions from anyone who hasn’t started blogging yet?
Why writers should blog and help getting started:
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The post Blogging as a Writer appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
January 14, 2018
Writing a Better Reader Newsletter
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve mentioned before that I always feel a little apologetic when I send a newsletter to readers. I’m so inundated by emails that the idea of wanting more emails seems impossible to me. But that’s just the thing we need to remember: readers do want to receive our newsletter. That’s why they signed up for them.
I only send my newsletters when I have a release, which means that I’m sending a newsletter out about three times a year. My newsletter include buy-links for the new book, a few recipes (I don’t enjoy cooking, but I like passing along easy recipes), and updates on my life and what I’m working on now.
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make my newsletter better. I came across three articles on the same day and saved all of them for future use since each one had at least one helpful takeaway. I thought I’d pass the information along here in case it helps others.
Send your newsletter to one reader
This tip comes from Tim Grahl. In his post, “5 Myths About Email Marketing for Authors“, he asks:
Are you writing for fantasy nerds looking for new books? Are you writing for the thirty-something stay-at-home-mom that needs to lose some weight?
Who are you writing for?
Picture them and then work hard to add value to their lives.
Sometimes it’s easier to write for that one reader (and then, naturally, send to the entire list).
Create an editorial calendar for your newsletter
This tip comes from Problogger Darren Rowse in his article, “7 Common Newsletter Problems, Solved” :
Create a content calendar for your email list. Rather than sending a link to your latest post or a weekly/monthly roundup of posts, use an editorial calendar to come up with some ideas ahead of time.
This seems like a no-brainer to me. Coming up with a newsletter while trying to launch a book is pretty stressful. This way, I can stay ahead and make the process quicker.
Collaborate with another writer
Penny Sansevieri from A Marketing Expert, states in her post “Ramp Up Your Book Sales with Email Book Marketing“:
Reach out and ask if they’d like to swap promotions in your respective book marketing emails or newsletters. The worst you could hear is ‘no’ so what have you got to lose?
The benefit here is two-fold. You get more content for your emails and your readers see you as a resource for great book recommendations.
This seems like an easy way to network with other writers.
Do you have a newsletter? How often do you send them? What types of content do you include in yours?
3 Tips for a Better Newsletter:
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The post Writing a Better Reader Newsletter appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
January 13, 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 43,000 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.
I had a new release last week. :) A Body in the Trunk, Myrtle Clover book 12, released on Tuesday.
Business / Miscellaneous
Stop Doubling Down on a Failing Promo Strategy: by Brian Jud
2018 children’s book trends: Scholastic Book Clubs editors make top predictions: @mbarrett_NY @Scholastic
Multipotentialite Writers: Do Diverse Interests Help or Hurt Their Careers? @tobywneal
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
5 Ways to Avoid Disaster During an Author Event at a School: by Steve Cole @scottishbktrust
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Improve Your Novel By Writing a Screenplay: @JocelynRish @MartinaABoone
5 Nursery Rhyme Origins to Spark Your Next Story: @MelanieMarttila
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
8 Surprising Literary Easter Eggs: @NonFictioness @mentalfloss
Galileo, who died on this day in 1642, on why we read: @brainpicker
3 Benefits of Reading Non-Fiction: @rsmollisonread
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Magical Objects: @MzzS36019 @ElectricLit
Creativity and Inspiration / Miscellaneous
Advice for a Young Writer: @FinishedPages @womenonwriting
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
The Opportunity to Create: @DanBlank
To Write, Stop Thinking: @GoIntoTheStory
Growth Mindset for Writers: @SloanTamar
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How to Write When You Don’t Have Time: @SeptCFawkes
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
How to Balance Routine and Novelty to Boost Writing Productivity: @colleen_m_story
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Try Out a (Part-Time) Standing Desk In 2018 With These Discounted Risers: @shepmcallister @KinjaDeals
15 Famous Authors Who Were Published After 40: @EricaVerrillo
How I Used Writing to Survive (Or: Writing Despite Illness): by Audrey Berger Welz @JaneFriedman
How 11 Writers Organize Their Personal Libraries: @knownemily
5 Movies about Writers: @metcalfwriter
Winter Rest: @barbaraoneal
7 ways writers can be more productive when sick: @pubcoach
How a Writer Relaxes: @lindasmolkin
Writing About Alcohol Brought 1 Writer Back from the Brink of Addiction: @GreatBooIsUp @lithub
5 Famous Writers Who Stood Up To Write: @writingroutines
How to Pull Off a One-Day Writing Retreat: @RDCwrites @RMFWriters
Single-Tasking for Productivity:
Why Writers Need Those “Never Again” Moments: @colleen_m_story
5 Eye Care Tips for Writers: by Reza Hassanirad @DIYMFA
Genres / Fantasy
9 Quick Tips To Master Your Fantasy Map: @sacha_black
Genres / Historical
11 Unconventional Resources to Kick Your Historical Fiction Up a Notch: @mindytarquini @WritersDigest
Genres / Mystery
Crime writing: 10 things cops should never do (and 10 things they should): @LeeLofland
Crime Writing: Building Characters Using Everyday Items Found Around the House: @LeeLofland
Quilting, Corgis, Barbeque and Murder with Elizabeth Craig: @ArtConnectsUs
6 Tips for Writing a Great Police Procedural: @carriesmithnyc @WritersDigest
The Unknown Enemy as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Picture Books
Writing PIcture Books: The Wonderful Wordless Spread: @Kim_Chaffee @WritersRumpus
Genres / Poetry
7 Tips to Increase Your Odds of Placing in Poetry Contests: @AnnieNeugebauer
10 Reasons for a Prose Writer to do a Poetry Course: @emma_darwin
Genres / Romance
How to Write Romance Beats: @gwenhayes @lornafaith
Genres / Screenwriting
Screenwriting: Know More Than You Show: @CockeyedCaravan
Genres / Short Stories
5 Reasons to Write Short Fiction: @WindyLynnHarris @DIYMFA
Promo / Book Signings and Launch parties
How to Throw a Book Launch Party on a Budget: @kikimojo
Promo / Miscellaneous
Promote Your Own Way: @FrugalBookPromo @TheIWSG
How to Sell More Books as a New Author: @drsanford77 @bookworthy
How the Right Preorder Strategy Can Build a Book’s Platform: @cherylbradshaw @BookBub
3 alternatives to Goodreads Giveaways: @Wogahn
Promo / Social Media Tips
5 Ways to Use Instagram in your Book Marketing: @Bookgal
Top 5 Tips Using Instagram: @JAHuss
Promo / Websites
How to Setup a Self-Hosted WordPress Author Website (Step-by-Step Video Tutorial) : @lornafaith
Publishing / Miscellaneous
‘Operation You,’ an AR and VR-Enhanced Children’s Book Series: @Porter_Anderson
3 Shameless Book Promotion Tips For Your Next Release: @EmilyWenstrom
A New Report for 2018 on a Fragmented Publishing Software Market: @Porter_Anderson
Man Booker Prize for Fiction Adds New Eligibility for Irish Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @ManBookerPrize
Writing And Selling Radio Plays And Audio Dramas: @pulpbooks @thecreativepenn
F+W Media Executives Make Abruptly Announced Exit Which Staffers Learn About in Memo: @Porter_Anderson
Two PEN Chapters, and Penguin Random House’s Buy of Rodale: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / News / International Publishing
A Different Direction in Denmark: Palatium Pivots Into Publishing: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
New Year, New Deal: Cengage Rolls Out An Unlimited Subscription: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The German Book Trailer Award: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
European Publishing Trends: 2016 Stable Amid Pound Sterling Slump: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
6 steps to a traditional publishing deal: by Jon Reed @publishingtalk
Publishing / Process / Legalities
Macmillan’s John Sargent on Trump ‘Fire and Fury’ Cease-and-Desist: @Porter_Anderson @HenryHolt
Writing Craft / Beginnings
What Should Be on Your Page One? Here’s a Checklist: @HankPRyan
Jumping into the story as quickly as possible: @CalebPirtle
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Creating villain motivations: Writing real adversaries: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Writing Characters to Life: @Lindasclare
How to Find Your Character’s Motivation: @kristen_kieffer
Character Wounds and Emotions: The Danger of Digging Too Deep: @beccapuglisi @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
6 Key Traits for Writing the Contemporary Literary Heroine: by Stacey Tucker
Why We Need More Thematically-Pertinent Female Protagonists: @KMWeiland
10 Steps to Creating Memorable Heroes: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
What To Do When You’re Afraid Your Book Is Preachy: @StephMorrill
5 Ways to Save Your Character From a Drowning Story: @NicoleBlades
5 common fiction writing mistakes: @KarenCV
Writing Craft / Conflict
Jumping to Conclusions: Great Character Driven Conflict: @SloanTamar
Writing Craft / Dialogue
6 Clever Ways to Improve Dialogue: @the_writing_pal
Writing Craft / Drafts
How to Write a Novel in 3 Drafts: @the_writing_pal
Writing Craft / Hooks
How to Write a Hook: 8 Tips to Lure in Readers: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
5 Ways Television Can Help Us Become Better Storytellers: @writersstation @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
How to Use Allusion Like a Master Storyteller: @hodgeswriter
How To Use Foreshadowing With Confidence: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Selling Sprawl: The Case for Expansive Storytelling: @VaughnRoycroft @WriterUnboxed
Three Ways to Show Instead of Tell: @A_K_Perry @DIYMFA
4 Ways to Prevent Formulaic Story Structure: @KMWeiland
Anne Rice on Writing Technique: @A_WritersStudio
How to Tell If Your Story Needs a Resolution: @SaraL_Writer
The Difference Between Heroes and Villains: @SPressfield
8 Tips for Writing Arguments: @_HannahHeath
The Freedom of Placeholder Words in First Drafts: @Janice_Hardy
The Annotation Project: Gone Girl: @CockeyedCaravan
How and Why to Edit an Anthology: Addressing the Naysayers: by Margot Kahn @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / POV
Should You Be Using Point-Of-View More? @WriteToSell
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming
The importance of a character’s name: @Peter_Rey_
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Dual Timeline Tips & Tricks: @HannahMMcKinnon
How to Create Interesting Subplots that Move Your Story Forward: @TheRightMargin
How To Avoid Plotting Hell And Save Writing Hours: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
The semicolon is pointless, and it’s ruining your writing: @shadimirza
Writing Craft / Revision
Improve Your Writing By Thinking Like a Copywriter: @AmyPennza
3 tips for being brutal during revisions: @JAZarins
Why You Need to Step Away from Your Manuscript: @ShanDitty @GoTeenWriters
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
How Fiction Writers Can Create Atmosphere: @lornafaith
Writing Craft / Tension
Creating Anticipation for Your Final Battle: @ml_keller
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Fresh Writing Instead of Cliches: @ZoeMMcCarthy
Writing Tools / Apps
Google Keep Why it’s Helpful for Writers: @WordDreams
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
67 Top Tools for Writers and Bloggers in 2018: @WritetoDone
Writing Tools / Resources
100 Best Writing Websites: 2018 Edition: @danasitar @thewritelife
Uncategorized
Before the Bookmobile: When Librarians Rode on Horseback to Deliver Books to Rural Americans During the Great Depression: @jdmagness @openculture
The (Urban) Legend of Ernest Hemingway’s Six-Word Story: “For sale, Baby shoes, Never worn.” : by Josh Jones @openculture
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
January 11, 2018
Single-Tasking for Productivity
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I used to think that I was a fairly adept multitasker, as long as one of the tasks was something completely mindless (I could stir things in a pot and make a list at the same time. I could vacuum and brainstorm). But after instances where I’ve spattered supper on the stove and vacuumed up things that weren’t supposed to be vacuumed, I’ve come to the realization that I really shouldn’t multitask at all.
I’ve made an effort to dial it back and become more effective at focusing on a single task.
Is it really multitasking?
In the article “Brain, Interrupted” by New York Time columnists Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson, they stated:
In fact, multitasking is a misnomer. In most situations, the person juggling e-mail, text messaging, Facebook and a meeting is really doing something called “rapid toggling between tasks,” and is engaged in constant context switching.
The danger in this, as stated in the article, is that we may never really return to the main task we needed to work on. The other tasks act as distractions … or maybe, more accurately, deterrents…to our productivity.
Multitasking too often means I’m training myself not to be able to maintain focus when I need to.
I’ve noticed, since the advent of computers and smartphones, that I have a much harder time focusing on reading and writing for any great length of time. That urge to check email or other messages is pretty overwhelming and can, on occasion, completely derail what I’m trying to do.
Multitasking can create stress .
When I’m multitasking, I have this very frenetic, stressed feeling. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not pleasant.
How I single-task:
I close other windows and tabs on my computer.
I put my phone out of arm’s reach.
I set a timer for my work. Then I set a timer for a break. Then I set another timer to work again. (For more about the Pomodoro method, read this.)
Batching tasks can also help. I may write several blog posts in one day, getting into the ‘groove’ of blogging. Or I might brainstorm and outline one day, staying in a creative zone.
Do you have a hard time maintaining focus on a single task? How do you pull off focusing?
Why single-tasking and maintaining focus may make you more productive:
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January 7, 2018
Finding Silver Linings in Goodreads Giveaway Changes, and 3 Alternatives
by David Wogahn, @wogahn
It seems like indie authors are under siege. First Pronoun, the free eBook distribution service, closed. Then Goodreads announced their free paperback giveaway promotion tool will no longer be free (as of tomorrow, January 9).
I know how upset some authors are about the latter change. But I imagine there are other groups of authors and publishers who see a silver lining.
Producing a quality paperback is more expensive than publishing in eBook format. For those self-publishers who publish in eBook format only, and who want to get in front of the largest audience of avid readers in the world, a high bar has now been lowered.
One of the arguments in favor of KDP Select is being able to give your Kindle eBook away for free, ostensibly to help encourage reviews and build your audience. The new Goodreads program has no such requirement, only that your book is available on the KDP publishing platform.
The program seems to have lost its effectiveness for some people. As shared with The Verge by Lesley Conner of Apex Publications, “We aren’t going to spend the small marketing budget we have on a service that we’ve already noticed isn’t that effective.”
A couple of years ago I read about one self-publisher’s giveaway strategy in the Independent Book Publishers Association Independent magazine: offer one book and do this continuously, well after the release date. Goodreads would give an offer like this the same marketing push as a Giveaway for a new release offering multiple copies.
Could this be a contributor to the ineffectiveness cited by Apex Publications and many others? I think so and I doubt it was Goodreads’ intention that the program be used this way.
2 reasons why I am not concerned
The level playing field perspective
I’m always disappointed when marketing opportunities favor traditionally published books over self-published books for no reason other than the name of the publisher. Anything that provides equal opportunity for self-publishers is a good thing in my mind.
When the Kindle eBook giveaway program was announced in May of last year, the cost was $119 and it was available only to traditional publishers. Self-publishers were excluded.
This new program is a win for self-publishers.
The P&L perspective
How much does it cost the indie or self-publisher to manage today’s Goodreads giveaway? One of my clients was charged $799 by a vanity press for an “Advertising and Giveaway on Goodreads w/ Resubmission & Cover Copy Polish.”
As originally envisioned, authors/publishers would give away several copies of a paperback. Based on this, here is the math for a 10-book giveaway:
Cost of print on demand books. For argument’s sake, let’s say those are $3.50 each, plus tax and shipping (to you), for a total of about $45.
Cost of supplies and postage to mail 10 copies to a U.S. address via media mail. Let’s assume an average cost of $3.50 each, or $35.00.
We’re at $80 in hard costs excluding the time to manage everything.
I realize that under the new policy these costs will be added to the program’s starting price of $119, but at least now the self-publisher isn’t required to invest in a paperback. And if you only give away your eBook, then your investment is essentially the same, assuming you value your time.
A side note about international giveaways: With the new program, it isn’t a question of whether the program will expand to other countries, it’s a question of when. That’s why the announcement says, “New Giveaways created on or after 1/9/18 will initially be open to US residents only.” (Emphasis mine.)
When it finally does roll out for international markets, an eBook giveaway will be a lot less expensive to run because authors and publishers won’t be required to mail paperbacks.
3 alternatives
Consider doing an Amazon giveaway instead. You’ll pay for the cost of your Kindle books, but there is no fee like there is with the Goodreads program.
Try using LibraryThing’s giveaway program. Amazon has a minority investment in LibraryThing but that wouldn’t seem to be enough leverage to force a policy change.
There are many blog tour organizers that offer books to readers on behalf of authors. Most charge a small fee, but it is often less than $119 and there is a higher probability of reviews being posted. Here are 5 random listings pulled from the 40 profiled blog tour organizers in the 9th edition of the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages (disclosure: I am the publisher):
Enchanted Book Promotions
iRead Book Tours
RBTL Book Promotions
Sage’s Blog Tours
Silver Dagger Book Tours
The real test comes once the fee goes into effect. There is little doubt in my mind that the sheer number of giveaways will decrease; the question is whether the new program will be effective enough for those paying to be in it. I for one will be surprised if the new program isn’t more effective.
David Wogahn is the publisher of The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages, published annually since 2009, and the president of AuthorImprints.com. He is also the author of Register Your Book, a Lynda.com publishing course, and a past instructor for IBPA’s Publishing University. Learn more at BookReviewerYellowPages.com.
3 Alternatives to Goodreads Giveaways by @wogahn
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January 6, 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 43,000 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
Estate Planning for Authors: @mlbuchman @thecreativepenn
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Hear All of Mozart in a Free 127-Hour Playlist: @colinmarshall @openculture
5 Ways to Inspire Your Writing: @lornafaith
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
5 Books that Rewrite Magic, Myths, and Ballads: by Jane Yolen @tordotcom
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
7 Ways to Boost Your Creative Motivation: @JadieJones1 @colleen_m_story
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
3 Ways to Boost Your Word Count Every Writing Session: @Janice_Hardy
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Calendars for Productivity:
Hey, Prospective Authors: You Have Plenty of Time. Just Keep Writing: by Chris Lough and @cloudy_vision
Writers need personal time off: @RosanneBane
Genres / Horror
Setting the Rules in Horror: by How to Fight Write
Genres / Mystery
Mystery writing: the importance of recurring regular characters: @mkinberg
Crime fiction: when characters don’t see others as they really are: @mkinberg
Genres / Picture Books
5 Things to Remember when Writing for Children: @scottishbktrust @AlanDapre
Genres / Poetry
Teaching Orphaned Girls to Be Heard Through Poetry: by Spencer Reece @ElectricLit
Promo / Ads
How Indie Authors Can Sell More Books with a Bookbub Deal: @Bookgal
Promo / Miscellaneous
How to Create Killer Graphics to Promote Your Writing: @EmilyWenstrom
Tips for Increasing Your Sales Rank on Amazon: @kikimojo
14 Ways Authors Can Cross-Promote Each Other’s Books: @DianaUrban
Promo / Platforms
How Beginning Writers Can Build a Platform: Benefits of Branding: @tessaemilyhall
Promo / Speaking
Step-by-Step Guide to Booking Speaking Engagements: @TCKPublishing
Promo / Websites
Unpublished Writers and Websites: Should You Have One and What Should It Say? @JaneFriedman
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Trends in UK, US Holiday Book Sales: @Porter_Anderson
Costa’s Book Award: Five Winners in the UK, One To Win Book of the Year: @Porter_Anderson
Disney Publishing Opens Sixth Annual Campaign to Benefit First Book: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / News / International Publishing
British Book Awards Add New Honors: Illustrators, Authors, Audiobooks: @Porter_Anderson
One Analyst’s 2018 Look-Ahead: Russian Digital Content Set to Grow Fast: by Eugene Gerden @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
Why You Should Be More Like @andyweirauthor : @jehunter5811
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
How Long to Hear Back from a Publisher? @LisaTener
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches
How to Write a Killer One-Line Hook for your Book or Screenplay: @patverducci
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
10 Writing Submission Strategies to Get You Published: @manzanitafire
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections
Why Rejection on a First Book Can Be a Blessing: @HannahFergesen
Rules of Writing: How to Create Your Own Rules: @RuthanneReid
Publishing / Process / Legalities
Canada Activates Its Copyright Modernization Act Five-Year Review: @Porter_Anderson
Freedom To Publish: Henry Holt Defies Trump Order on ‘Fire and Fury’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid
Is that contest or writing award legit? A list of ratings: @JohnDoppler @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / Process / Translation
6 Reasons to Read Translated Literature: @NickyHarman_cn @WritersDigest
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Real Life Diagnostics: Is This Opening Working? @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Start With the Villain: @SPressfield
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
How to Be Your Characters – Inside and Out: @JaymeMansfield
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
Writing Active Character Reaction: @Kid_Lit
Writing Craft / Characters / Supporting Characters
The Plight of Cop #3 (Make Minor Characters Add to Scenes): @JeffCohenwriter
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
3 Ways To Get Rid of a ‘Writing Tic’: @rsmollisonread
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Purple Prose: @KMWeiland
Mary Sue and Why Readers Hate Her: @KristenLambTX
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Tips for Writing Dialogue in Fiction: @GinnyWiehardt
Writing Craft / Hooks
The Impossible Choice: A Surefire Way to Hook Your Readers: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Tension From “The Lion King”: by Jonathan Vars
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
10 Quick, Innovative Questions For Your Female Characters: @Bang2write
How to Make a Story Flow: @AJHumpage
Writing By Design: A New Way To Envision Storytelling: @DIYMFA
How To Write About Video Games In Fiction: @FredBobJohn
Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Writing Tips Blogs: @_HannahHeath
Writing Craft / POV
(Too) Close Third Person: by Jeanne Kisacky @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Second Pinch Point: @ml_keller
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
How to Write Horses Wrong: 8 Red Flags: @DanKoboldt
First Aid and Field Dressings for Writers: @slbscifi @DanKoboldt
6 ways research can turn into plagiarism (and how to avoid it): by Gail Radley @TheWriterMag
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 Cases of Missing Words and Phrases: @writing_tips
Parallel Structure and Parallelism: @NanReinhardt
Writing Craft / Revision
Rewriting: Fixing It Up: @Lindasclare
19 Self-Editing Tips For Your Writing: @WordDreams
Writing Craft / Scenes
2 Ways To Be Sure Your Scene Really Matters: @StephMorrill
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Writing Descriptive Sentences: 6 Simple Rules: @nownovel
A Look at Masterful Character Description: @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
The Sentence That Folds Neatly in Half: by Jeff Dolven @parisreview
Other Ways to Say “Use”: A Word List for Writers: @KathySteinemann
Writing Tools / Apps
View Your Research in Composition Mode: @aprildavila
Writing Tools / Resources
Best of the Best: Free Resources to Power Up Your Writing: @AngelaAckerman
Writing Tools / Thesauri
Occupational Thesaurus Entry: Interpreter: @beccapuglisi
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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January 4, 2018
9 Lessons from Book Signings
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Book signings come in different shapes and sizes. Signing books after a conference panel is one thing. Signing them in a bookstore is something else. Signing them after a luncheon or book club meeting is again a different animal entirely.
Unless you have a large local network, signings in bookstores can be tricky. I’ve found that signings at conferences are mediocre, too. The times I’ve done best were signings right after book clubs or book-related luncheons/events.
Here are my tips for a better book signing:
Make sure there will be books there. While this sounds like a no-brainer, you’d be amazed how much miscommunication can happen between bookstores/conference organizers and the writer. Who is responsible for making sure books are there? If it’s the bookstore, you might want to remind them again in enough time to ensure the books are ordered and at the store.
Group signings, while frequently less nerve-wracking for authors, aren’t great for sales. When readers must walk up to a whole group of writers selling books at the same table (and they have a book budget), they usually feel badly about not buying everyone’s book. Sometimes they feel badly enough not to buy any books.
Ask how to spell every name. Never assume Jill is spelled J-i-l-l. It might very well be Jyll. Better yet, bring paper and a pencils for readers to write out how they want their books inscribed.
Have free things to give out on your table: candy, business cards, bookmarks, and postcards featuring your book.
Get the word out on social media: pin it as an event on Facebook and list it on your website.
Don’t feel chained to the table, especially at a bookstore event. Walking around or standing and handing out book-related promo might bring in more business.
If your signature is awful, a hybrid/italic approach may work better (take it from me). Bring good pen.
Be sure to have a quick and appealing description (logline) of your book at the ready.
Bring a list for readers to sign up for your newsletter.
Do you enjoy book signings? Have any tips that I’ve missed? And a question for you…where on the book do you sign? I’d always been told to sign on the title page….but I’ve had instances where I’d mailed signed books and people hadn’t found my signature because they expected it on the first page of the book. Where do you sign?
9 Tips for Better Book Signings:
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Photo credit: arbyreed via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA
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December 31, 2017
Calendars for Productivity
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Happy 2018!
I’m never much of a fan of resolutions, but I do like making sure at the beginning of each year that I’m organized.
With that in mind, here are the calendars that help me stay organized and on top of everything for the year. Since a writer’s life intersects with their homelife, there are also calendars listed that help organize my personal life. If both parts of my life are organized, there’s a hope of retaining writing life-personal life balance.
Production calendar for publishing
You don’t have to overthink this, and it can always be changed! Plan what you want to accomplish for the year: one book? More? Then pencil in those dates on your calendar for completion. Even better, get on your cover designer’s, freelance editor’s, and formatter’s calendars. Now you have something to work toward.
My cover designer always designs a book ahead for me. This ensures that I don’t run into any scheduling snags. (I do have to write back cover copy for a book that I haven’t written yet.)
Editorial calendar for blog (I use OneNote)
I used to put my blog’s editorial calendar on my Google calendar, but I found it more difficult to see upcoming posts and to make date changes. Now I use a page in OneNote (you could just as easily use Word).
Again, try not to overthink this. This is simply a place where I can list ideas for posts and resources to write them (or at least a note as to where my mind was going when I came up with the idea in the first place). I list all the dates that I blog and then put the ideas/blog titles beside them. This way I never feel as if I’m at a loss for what to post.
Google calendar for life
I use Google calendar for everything else (being sure to back it up). Everything that I need to remember goes on there and I have the calendar email me my daily agenda each day.
A bonus is that now I don’t have as much paper in my house. I copy the stuff over to the calendar and then throw the paper away.
Another nice thing is that I have my calendar with me all the time since it syncs to my phone.
Wall calendar for the big picture
Sometimes, though, the Google calendar isn’t enough. That’s when I’ll either print the month or week view of the calendar or look at my wall calendar. Sometimes, with a wall calendar, I get more of the big picture of how my week or month looks…and any scheduling conflicts that I might have.
Do you use a calendar? What type do you use?
4 calendars to help writers with a more productive 2018:
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The post Calendars for Productivity appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
December 30, 2017
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 43,000 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.
Happy New Year!
Business / Miscellaneous
2 Types of Events Authors Need on Their Calendar: @cksyme
Create Diverse Income Streams to Build Your Brand and Income: by Michael Larsen
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
UNESCO World Arabic Language Day (the World’s 5th Most-Spoken Language) Features Sharjah’s Al Qasimi: http://ow.ly/O7L030hi1Z1 @Porter_Anderson
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
5 Ways To Help Inspire Your Writing: @lornafaith
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
The 7 Scariest Little Girls in Literature: by Natalee Cruz @ElectricLit
Slow Journeys – Why we read: @Roz_Morris@isabelcostello
5 Books That Have Fun Mashing Up Subgenres: @jamesagard @tordotcom
Why Art is So Important During Turbulent Times: @KarisRogerson @LitReactor
10 Fictional Characters That We Just Love to Hate: @Keith_Rice1 @SignatureReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
What Writers Think about How to Start Writing: @the_writing_pal
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
5 Must-Have Habits for Writing a Book in a Month: @NinaAmir
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
What will carry you through as a writer: @rxena77
How to Maintain Your Writing Sanity During the Holidays: @SpunkOnAStick @TheIWSG
“I Pretended to Be Emily Dickinson on an Online Dating Site”: by Erin Bealmear @ElectricLit
Self Doubt Never Really Goes Away: @losapala
6 Things Writers Can Do This Holiday Season: @deborahdeetales
Balancing Writing During the Holidays: @AuthorSAT
Genres / Horror
Horror Story vs. Horror Novel: @wickerkat
Genres / Literary Fiction
The UK’s Alarm for Literary Fiction: @JonnyGeller @Porter_Anderson
Genres / Mystery
Internal dialogue as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Non-Fiction
The business end of biography: @Janet_Reid
Promo / Blogging
How to Use Lists Effectively in Your Blog Posts: @problogger
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
Book description tips: @AndreaWriterlea
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Finding Your Readers: @tessaemilyhall
Promo / Miscellaneous
Tutorial: How to Open a Zazzle Store: @LynneCantwell
‘5 Things I’m Not Doing to Launch My Book—Plus What I’m Doing Instead’: @DeannaCabinian at @JaneFriedman
Promo / Newsletters
Understanding Newsletter Ads: @MarcyKennedy
Why authors should have a newsletter: @JanalynVoigt
Promo / Platforms
7 Best Ways to Build an Authentic Author Brand: @SmartAuthors
Publishing / Miscellaneous
The Best Tools for Kindle Self Publishing: @kikimojo
Publishing / News / Amazon
10 Myths and Misunderstandings about Amazon: @JohnDoppler @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / News / Data
Trends in Children’s Books: Five 2018 Predictions from Scholastic: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Germany’s Indie Autor Preis 2018 Opens; Healthy Habits for Writers: @Porter_Anderson @thecreativepenn
November 2017 Bestseller Lists from China: Literature and Current Affairs: @Porter_Anderson
Rights Roundup: Deals Reported From Sweden, Poland, Brazil, Spain: @Porter_Anderson
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction Observes Its 50th Anniversary in 2018: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
Why Pursue Traditional Publishing? (Are There Enough Good Reasons?) by Kristen Tsetsi @JaneFriedman
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Contacting agents when you have a contract from a publisher in hand: @Janet_Reid
Publishing / Process / Legalities
4 Legal Myths for Authors, Debunked: @EmmanuelNataf @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / Process / Translation
Translator challenges: survey respondents state translation earnings are a fraction of their income: http://ow.ly/WMaa30hi2mA @Porter_Anderson
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Plunge into Story Action—and Genre: @kcraftwriter
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Don’t Over Explain: Readers Get It the First Time: @ZoeMMcCarthy
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Diversifying Your Characters’ Voices: @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story
How To Use Flashbacks: @patverducci
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
How Great Writers Develop the Theme of a Story: @mattgrantwriter
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
5 Tips For Fairy Tale Retellings: @jules_writes
Writing Fiction Using Family History: @anngborn2write
Secret Writing Rules and Why Writers Should Ignore them: @annerallen
6 Tips About Academic Writing: @ThaxRomana
Liberating Over-Burdened Stories: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Using current events in fiction: by Brandi Reissenweber @TheWriterMag
Writing Craft / POV
A Character’s POV = A Character’s Truth: @sarahrcallender @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 Types of Superfluous Use of Semicolons: @writing_tips
Our Love-Hate Relationship with Punctuation: @StephenJSpector @lithub
Writing Craft / Scenes
Writing Scenes That Work (Every Time): @rsmonterusso @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
What’s Your “Cinnamon Word”? The Stats on How Authors Use Language: @AZinosAmaro
Writing Tools / Resources
Using a word crawl as a writing challenge: @EvaDeverell
Uncategorized
The 7 Differences Between Professionals and Amateurs: @JeffGoins #TopTweets2017
The Ultimate Guide to YA Fiction: by Emma Johnson @WritersEdit #TopTweets2017
Self-Publishing a Debut Literary Novel: The Actions, The Costs, The Results: @hellothefuture @janefriedman #TopTweets2017
And here is the list of the top tweets of 2017 (with the most interaction and engagement on Twitter):
In Defense of Third Person: http://ow.ly/ZRpP30gxu4X @AdamOPrice @The_Millions #TopTweets2017
A Selection of Virginia Woolf’s Most Savage Insults: http://ow.ly/NqCH30h9N9z @knownemily #TopTweets2017
9 Writing Rules Examined: http://ow.ly/j0zB30fGHpB @KathySteinemann #TopTweets2017
How to Show Your Character Is Beginning to Heal: http://ow.ly/O1lH30gdon6 @AngelaAckerman #TopTweets2017
Writing Scene Breaks and Transitions that Develop Story: http://ow.ly/y6wC30fZ5B4 @nownovel #TopTweets2017
How do I do my own audio-book narration? http://ow.ly/4V5h30fSToA @raygreenleyvo #TopTweets2017
Switching From Querying Agents to Querying Publishers: http://ow.ly/6kFz30fo9QS @KristenBrakeman @WomenWriters #TopTweets2017
How to Write a Book With Traumatic Brain Injury: http://ow.ly/5jJT30fuhGZ @AlicePoet @lithub #TopTweets2017
6 Writing Books Librarians Recommend: http://ow.ly/sqr330fSf1N @librarylore #TopTweets2017
What makes a good fiction editor? http://ow.ly/TywC30fm4RV @LouiseHarnby #TopTweets2017
How a Month of NaNoWriMo Can Lead to a Lifetime of Better Writing http://ow.ly/R6VY30fSeMo @grantfaulkner #TopTweets2017
“What I Learned from Failing NaNoWriMo”: http://ow.ly/UqVz30fEVZP @emi1y_morgan #TopTweets2017
Should You Self-Publish or Try to Get an Agent? 4 Questions Can Help you Decide: http://ow.ly/X6ux30h9Mrz @ChuckSambuchino @TheIWSG #TopTweets2017
Historical Novels: Your Research To-Do List: http://ow.ly/I2kK30h9MJg @LydiaYKang #TopTweets2017
12 Unusual And Achievable Productivity Hacks For Writers: http://ow.ly/yiI530f1GrD @Bang2write #TopTweets2017
“The Time I Moved to New York City to Be a Poet”: http://ow.ly/YKRg30f2n2I @Jrbialosky @lithub #TopTweets2017
How Many Words in a Novel? Our Editors Have the Answers: http://ow.ly/xQpV30fv2KD @ReedsyHQ #TopTweets2017
Writing Secondary Characters That Pop: And Sell More Books: http://ow.ly/2n0230fi8hx @jenniferprobst @JaneFriedman #TopTweets2017
The Heart of Picture Books: http://ow.ly/aOme30eSQbq @JulieFHedlund #TopTweets2017
Want to Get More Readers? Get Rid of your Subscription Popup! http://ow.ly/DUpA30fexE4 @annerallen #TopTweets2017
10 essential books for writers: http://ow.ly/hEs030eVvbf @jonreed #TopTweets2017
Podcast interview with publishing expert @thecreativepenn: http://bit.ly/2w3fso0 @writerscast #TopTweets2017
5 Secrets to Writing a Fascinating Memoir: http://ow.ly/b4OR30f2mrP by Dan Emmett @WritersDigest #TopTweets2017
The Birth of American Noir: http://ow.ly/hruW30h8rTd @meganeabbott @parisreview #TopTweets2017
5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Manuscript: http://ow.ly/loxw30h8rW9 @LoucindaMcGary #TopTweets2017
How Movies Can Help You Become a Better Writer: http://ow.ly/BPIG30h8s0d by Joan Lennon @scottishbktrust #TopTweets2017
A Guide to Dramatic, Situational and Verbal Irony: http://ow.ly/qBMT30e5tfX @reedsyhq #TopTweets2017
Book Promotion: Do This, Not That: http://ow.ly/3rfb30dZxd1 @NewShelvesBooks @JFbookman #TopTweets2017
How to Take Edits 101: http://ow.ly/n7Sw30eHbjh @ChristophPaul_ #TopTweets2017
Naming Fantasy Characters and Making Sure They’re More Than Just Names: http://ow.ly/vdAr30ecz8N @writer_anthony #TopTweets2017
The beta reading process: 10 critical steps: http://ow.ly/WS3030eF7n4 @kseniaanske #TopTweets2017
5 Tips for Writing Better Subplots: http://ow.ly/HNz730eqAQo @nownovel #TopTweets2017
13 Ways To Help An Indie Author With Their Book Release: http://ow.ly/HwsO30eGmDC @HelenScheuerer #TopTweets2017
What Writers Think about How to Start Writing: http://ow.ly/Nnxn30hrWs6 @the_writing_pal #wkb36
How To Choose the Best Book Cover for Your Book: http://ow.ly/EM1F30e0sye @SukhiJutla #TopTweets2017
Women in Publishing and ‘the Lack of Men’: http://ow.ly/M9xJ30e7sCK @sophiedeclosets @porter_anderson @pubperspectives #TopTweets2017
A Reading List for Stronger Creative Nonfiction: http://ow.ly/UQC130h7Wc3 @kayladeanwrites #TopTweets2017
How to Create Pre-Launch Buzz for Your Book Right Now: http://ow.ly/Tw8H30h7Wf8 @BadRedheadMedia #TopTweets2017
Self-Publishing a Debut Literary Novel: The Actions, The Costs, The Results: http://ow.ly/rKov30h7Wjd @hellothefuture @janefriedman #TopTweets2017
Why Being a Literary Agent Doesn ‘t Make It Easier to Write a Book: http://ow.ly/48cp30dXgdE @kate_mckean #TopTweets2017
7 Book Launch Lessons: http://ow.ly/jdlo30dXhta @sacha_black #TopTweets2017
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Literary Comedy for Beginners: http://ow.ly/61bV30e39zO @paulpaulkeegan @writingtipsoasi #TopTweets2017
10 Questions to Test your Poetry Knowledge: http://ow.ly/PcRL30e39PO by Joanne Jeffries @My_poetic_side #TopTweets2017
Social media tips and platforms for writers: http://ow.ly/7jTZ30dXi5Q @bailey_belmont #TopTweets2017
Writing Memoir: Where’s the Conflict? http://ow.ly/irCO30dXiqe @writingthrulife #TopTweets2017
The Impact of Character Transformation in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: http://ow.ly/EfSu30dXiHu by Cory Milles @savethecat #TopTweet2017
Writing an Action Story: 8 Tips for Zippy Pace: http://ow.ly/SMMT30h7mrX @nownovel #TopTweets2017
5 Tips from Hemingway that Will Make You a Better Writer: http://ow.ly/AOzS30h7mbC @NicoleJBianchi #TopTweets2017
How to Write in an Authentic Historical Voice: http://ow.ly/f4io30h7mg1 @KMWeiland #TopTweets2017
The DIY MFA: http://ow.ly/oOWW30h7mqv @diymfa by Jeff Tamarkin @TheWriterMag #TopTweets2017
Writing Tips: Creating Believable Characters: http://ow.ly/7d2l30cOlbr @grace_writelife @thecreativepenn #TopTweets2017
How Much Character Description Does Your Story Need? http://ow.ly/EpRG30cOkQX @hodgeswriter #TopTweets2017
New to Book Publicity? Go Local First: http://ow.ly/fETd30cOFbi @PublicityHound #TopTweets2017
5 Steps to Better Character Development: http://ow.ly/FLBX30dc1yc @JeremyJmenefee #TopTweets2017
‘Booksellers are alarmed about geo-blocking and its potential effects on ebook sales’: http://ow.ly/boby30dc74a @Porter_Anderson #TopTweets2017
Podcast: @JohnGrisham’s book tour (and his conversations with other authors): http://ow.ly/gBlN30dciYx , http://ow.ly/853W30dctuK #TopTweets2017
How to write better LGBT characters: http://ow.ly/qu5b30cOFwg @daisy_and_me #TopTweets2017
6 Cheap(er) Cities Where It ‘s Great to be a Freelance Writer: http://ow.ly/Tzhi30cOFBY @ElenTurner #TopTweets2017
White collar crime in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/9pwo30dcbCc @mkinberg #TopTweets2017
5 Ways to Keep Your Writing Moving Forward: http://ow.ly/6eZi30cOFH4 @terrywhalin #TopTweets2017
Preparing your Goodreads marketing timeline: http://ow.ly/lW5R30dd3v5 @cincindypat #TopTweets2017
3 Tips For Writing Great Chapters: http://ow.ly/33Hp30h63rI @theladygreer #TopTweets2017
How To Assign A Character’s Race In A Screenplay: http://ow.ly/aejk30bFi1x @Bang2write #TopTweets2017
Want to Become a Successful Writer? Develop Your Intuition: http://ow.ly/M5I430bQhxx @AngelaAckerman #TopTweets2017
7 Things To Do When You Want to Give Up (Instead of Giving Up): http://ow.ly/Zigr30bUieM @DanicaDavidson @WritersDigest #TopTweets2017
J.K. Rowling’s Latest Advice Will Inspire You To Pick Up Your Pen And Write: http://ow.ly/wWm330bvBfY @emmaoulton @bustle #TopTweets2017
Mining Your Life for Your Stories: http://ow.ly/9GyQ30bSwk6 @KateMoretti1 #TopTweets2017
Balancing Writing During the Holidays: http://ow.ly/W64Y30hpOID @AuthorSAT #wkb31
Classic Story Structures and What They Teach Us About Novel Plotting: http://ow.ly/UzaQ30bHYMq @jesslourey @JaneFriedman #TopTweets2017
Storytelling Through Costume: The Woman in White: http://ow.ly/hXUg30aWH3R @gaileyfrey @tordotcom #TopTweets2017
6 Things Writers Can Do This Holiday Season: http://ow.ly/PTvM30hpOmV @deborahdeetales #wkb31
The 7 Differences Between Professionals and Amateurs: http://bit.ly/2iZyXIJ @JeffGoins #TopTweets2017
An Agent on Why Authors Need to Dump the Elevator Pitch: http://ow.ly/5mwC30h4AJN @BookEndsJessica #TopTweets2017
The Ultimate Guide to YA Fiction: http://ow.ly/7WUf30h4AQx by Emma Johnson @WritersEdit #TopTweets2017
How to Get Going with MailChimp and Email Marketing: http://ow.ly/VPxn30h4B2j @CaballoFrances #TopTweets2017
How NOT to start your novel: Six First Page No-Nos: http://ow.ly/F3rX30h4Bf8 @annerallen #TopTweets2017
How To Write Creative Nonfiction: http://ow.ly/QFft30aoOg5 @woodwardkaren #TopTweets2017
International Publishers Association Issues Freedom to Publish Manifesto: http://ow.ly/5KE130aTGVG @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers #TopTweets2017
5 Steps to find Character Names: http://ow.ly/YtmB30a1S4o @nownovel #TopTweets2017
How description works in our stories: http://ow.ly/krwz30auDdZ @PBRWriter #TopTweets2017
How to Write Without Approval: Reasons to Keep Writing When it’s Tough: http://ow.ly/upxW30a3w7K @AGHackney #TopTweets2017
How to Format a Book: 10 Tips Your Editor Wants You To Know: http://ow.ly/B6xb30aUjOS @batwood @thewritelife #TopTweets2017
8 Highly Unusual Writing Residencies: http://ow.ly/jTdy30aapSu @knownemily #TopTweets2017
5 Reasons Fellow Writers Are Essential to Your Writing Life: http://ow.ly/EJTa30aFOF2 @jessicastrawser @WritersDigest #TopTweets2017
The Writer As Public Figure vs. The Writer Who Actually Writes: http://ow.ly/tm4P30h3520 @Ramqvist #TopTweets2017
16 Things All Historical Fiction Writers Need to Know: http://ow.ly/GHf530h354Y @IGLAbooks #TopTweets2017
How to Identify & Avoid Some Common Bad Publishing Deals: http://ow.ly/nARG30h35kq @SusanSpann @RMFWriters #TopTweets2017
The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags: http://ow.ly/WZtb30h35BM @HelenaFairfax #TopTweets2017
Using Repetition to Produce Parallel Structure: http://ow.ly/OMQn309JKpQ @writing_tips #TopTweets2017
Should You Use Kindle Pre-order? http://ow.ly/AnzD309PdBn @loishoffmanDE #TopTweets2017
6 Best Podcasts For Writers Who Want to Sell More Books in 2017: http://ow.ly/DPX5309HzUQ @cksyme #TopTweets2017
How to finish a novel: tracking a book’s progress from idea to completion: http://ow.ly/MR0Z30a4qZO @Wylmenmuir @beprolifiko #TopTweets2017
A 10-step book launch plan to outrank bestselling authors: http://ow.ly/aRvP309bnjZ @Creativindie #TopTweets2017
Writing, brotherhood, and the narrative of autism: http://ow.ly/GKvG309lHpv @mattmastricova @ElectricLit #TopTweets2017
4 Truths to Change Your Perspective on the Writer/Editor Relationship: http://ow.ly/zfhl3095Tpi @jessicastrawser #TopTweets2017
5 Tips for Querying & Choosing a Literary Agent: http://ow.ly/SXJH309CHvH @BriannaShrum @WritersDigest #TopTweets2017
Hyphenation Rules for 35 Prefixes (and 1 Suffix): http://ow.ly/7sYE309LaE9 @writing_tips #TopTweets2017
What not to do at an author festival: http://ow.ly/AH3230h34mu @Elfwriter #TopTweets2017
Getting Our Books into US and International Libraries: http://ow.ly/1jdM30h34E2 #TopTweets2017
Tackling the Dreaded Synopsis: http://ow.ly/fgdZ30h34Kt @jkolin27 @OpAwesome6 #TopTweets2017
How Much Description Do You Need in Your Writing? http://ow.ly/C5Ul308GIUc @katekrake #TopTweets2017
5 Mistakes Authors Make on Social Media: http://ow.ly/uCLH308PVIs by Michael Cristiano #TopTweets2017
Top 10 Trends in Reading and Book Apps for Children: http://ow.ly/5RjA308BoUa @Porter_Anderson @elisayuste #TopTweets2017
How To Become a Good Writer: 50 Quotes From The Greats: http://ow.ly/1uhP308sWYy @WritetoDone #TopTweets2017
Writing Income: What 1 Writer Made in 2016: http://ow.ly/yLkO308VxXV @KameronHurley #TopTweets2017
Staring into the Soundless Dark: On the Trouble Lurking in Poets’ Bedrooms: http://ow.ly/SGyM308sX3x by Andrew Kay @The_Millions #TopTweets2017
Plotting A Blockbuster Thriller: http://ow.ly/Sixd308wwUh @Chris_Kokoski #TopTweets2017
A Complete Guide and Resources for Choosing Your Book Cover Font: http://ow.ly/du6V3092WBO @publishdrive #TopTweets2017
3 Reasons You Don’t Need Experience to Write a Great Story: http://ow.ly/5uBf30gZLEk @bradtaylorbooks @SignatureReads #TopTweets2017
Pixar & Khan Academy Offer a Free Online Course on Storytelling: http://ow.ly/APdS30gZLKT @openculture @AyunHalliday #TopTweets2017
Selecting the Right Sentence Structure for the Right Emotion: http://ow.ly/djSn30gZLWF @SeptCFawkes #TopTweets2017
10 Tips To Up Your Book Marketing Skills Right Now: http://ow.ly/TpJL30gZMfg @BadRedheadMedia #TopTweets2017
4 ways not to start a novel: http://ow.ly/zLKY307mUaL @jasonbougger #TopTweets2017
How to Find Your Agent Match: http://ow.ly/2Iu6307eqNo @SusanSpann #TopTweets2017
5 Things an Author Did Wrong In Her (First) Novel: http://ow.ly/60Qt307Rj0w @GillianMAuthor #TopTweets2017
20 self-publishing dos and don’ts: http://ow.ly/FOaG307mUSJ @kseniaanske #TopTweets2017
7 Reasons Writers of Serious Novels Should Use Humor in Their Fiction: http://ow.ly/EUyN3079pzT @deangloster @WritersDigest #TopTweets2017
5 successful authors on daily word count goals: http://ow.ly/DxX8307P07s @raimeygallant @benjaminsobieck @heatherezell @pintipdunn #TopTweets2017
Rosarium’s Faces of Diverse Publishing: ‘Just Get Out of Our Way’ http://ow.ly/YMh2308iv5z @Porter_Anderson @RosariumBill #TopTweets2017
First Chapters: Draw in your Reader: http://ow.ly/yF6j307P2Po @annerallen #TopTweets2017
2 Exercises to Maximize Your Creativity First Thing in the Morning: http://ow.ly/8qYU30gZK5r Todd Brison #TopTweets2017
2 Exercises to Maximize Your Creativity First Thing in the Morning: http://ow.ly/8qYU30gZK5r @ToddBrison #TopTweets2017
6 Best Cocktails From Classic Literature: http://ow.ly/b76030gZKiU @rosmance @ElectricLit #TopTweets2017
6 Best Cocktails From Classic Literature: http://ow.ly/b76030gZKiU @rosmance @ElectricLit #TopTweets2017
What to Write in the Bio Section of Your Query Letter: http://ow.ly/w9jx30gZKmP @ChuckSambuchino #TopTweets2017
9 Steps to Self-Publish Your Print Book Using CreateSpace: http://ow.ly/83W930gZL7j @lornafaith #TopTweets2017
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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