Riley Adams's Blog, page 82

November 18, 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 Thanksgiving to my US readers! I’ll be taking this week off from posting and will return next Sunday with another Twitterific.

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Writing Goals and How to Reach Them: by Christine Hennebury @10MinNovelists

Writing Goals and the Holidays: @jillkemerer @DaniPettrey

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

7 Ways to Reignite Your Passion For Writing: @lornafaith

Why All Writers Should Play Dungeons & Dragons: @ElectricLit

8 Styles of Music to Listen to While Writing: @danasitar

Tips For Dynamic Story Creation (podcast): @MaxwellADrake @lornafaith

5 Unique Walks that Boost Writing Focus and Creativity: @colleen_m_story

Storytelling lessons from non-verbal narrative (music, painting, pictures, etc.): @DavidCorbett_CA

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

An Ode to Reading on Public Transit: @kailanthropie @the_millions

“My Favorite Books to Sell Over 20 Years of Owning a Bookstore”: @jwsbooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Miscellaneous

In Praise of Working on 2 Novels at the Same Time: @aprildavila

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

3 Benefits of Accountability Groups For Writers: @lornafaith

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

The #1 Thing You Should Never Do When Facing Writer’s Block and 5 Things to Try Instead: by Emily Morgan

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

Managing Distraction as a Writer: @DanBlank

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

The Big Lie About Writing Compelling Fiction: @storyfix

“I Talked to 150 Writers and Here’s the Best Advice They Had”: @joefassler

Taking a Book Idea to the Next Level: @Kid_Lit

Publish Early, Publish Often: Podcast Interview with Industry Expert @JaneFriedman : @leanpub

Be Productive, Persistent, and Professional: @jamesscottbell

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

The 7 Writer Types You Should Avoid Becoming: @jeffvandermeer

How to Beat Back Writer Insecurity: @chemistken @TheIWSG

Everyday Self-Care for Writers: @amshofner

Balancing Life, Health, and a Writing Dream: @JulieChristineJ @colleen_m_story

Why 1 Writer No Longer Reads Her Book Reviews: @AbbyFabiaschi @WomenWriters

What It Means to Be a Writer—and to Emerge as a Writer: @poetAlbert

4 Ways to Use Your Writing Skills to Help Others: by Kristen Pope @thewritelife

A Sitting and Standing Desk Combo for Less Back and Neck Pain: @Jenn_Mattern

10 of the Best Short Literary Epitaphs: @InterestingLit

Genres / Horror

Writing Your Fear: Stephen King’s The Shining: @grady_hendrix

The Peril of Being Disbelieved: Horror Fiction and Women’s Intuition: @use_theforce_em

On Horror, Disability, and Loving Both at Once: by Lee Foster @tordotcom

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writing: 10 Signs That You’re A Cop: @LeeLofland

Stepfamilies as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Herbalism as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Foster care as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

The Pros and Cons of Adding a Murder Mystery to Your Story: @CockeyedCaravan

The jewel trade as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Short Stories

3 Quick Tips for Crafting Compelling Flash Fiction: by Dan Hughes @thewritelife

Genres / Young Adult

What Do Young Adults Want to Read? @cdetler @JaneFriedman

Promo / Crowdfunding

What Authors Need to Know About Crowdfunding Their Book: @James_Haight @JaneFriedman

Promo / Images

Quick Tip for High Resolution Book Cover Images:

Promo / Miscellaneous

45 Inspirational Marketing Tips from Authors: @DianaUrban @BookBub

How you market differently in KU: @DavidGaughran

Promo / Newsletters

7 Common Newsletter Problems Solved: @problogger

Promo / Social Media Tips

5 Creative Ways to Use Snapchat for Writers: @joan_selby @WritetoDone

Should Authors be on LinkedIn? @EmilyWenstrom

Twitter Chats 101: @DebraEckerling

Publishing / Miscellaneous

“6 Lessons I Learned Co-Writing A Novella With James Patterson”: @robwhart

The novella: Stepping stone to success or waste of time? by Jack Smith @TheWriterMag

National Book Award Live Stream Wednesday: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing with a Hybrid Press: @LiteraryLiving @hopeclark

Jesmyn Ward Wins Second National Book Award in Fiction: @jesmimi @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook

Publishing / News / Amazon

Amazon’s Kindle is 10 years old. Top 10 Most Sold Fiction Titles on the Platform: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Edwidge Danticat Named 2018 Winner of Neustadt International Prize: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

‘La Rentrée Littéraire’ For All in France; English PEN’s Translation Awards: @Porter_Anderson

Strengths of the French Canadian Book Market: @HannahSJohnson @pubperspectives

Paddington Bear Author Michael Bond Remembered at St. Paul’s: @rogertagholm @pubperspectives

Eggers and Harris Kick Off 2017 US-Canada #GiveBooks Campaign: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

Is Your Writing Out on Submission? Welcome to Hell: @emma_darwin

Publishing Through Perseverance (Podcast): @DIYMFA @Jodi_Kendall

Publishing Alternatives to the Big Five–What Is Best for Your Book? @writeabook

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches

Pitch Tip: Make Your Stakes Personal: @Ava_Jae

Publishing / Process / Book Design

40 of the Creepiest Book Covers of All Time: @knownemily

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Developing Your Antagonist: @Janice_Hardy

Do You Show the Villain’s Motivation? @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Creating Your Characters: @Janice_Hardy

How to Write A Character Unlike You: 5 Ideas: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

How to Add Depth to Your Protagonist: @AngelaAckerman @RomanceUniv

Developing Your Protagonist: @Janice_Hardy

How to Write an Elizabeth Bennet Better Than the Original: @KathyEdens1

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Bilingual Characters – 4 Common Mistakes: @NatePhilbrick

A Great Story Is More Than a String of Interesting Events: @ZoeMMcCarthy

Writing Craft / Conflict

How to Craft Riveting Internal Conflict For Your Story: @kristen_kieffer

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Action Beats: More than Dialogue Tag Surrogates: @KathySteinemann

Writing Craft / Diversity

‘Building Inclusivity in Publishing’: @Porter_Anderson @jacksthomas

The UK’s Second ‘Building Inclusivity’ Conference: Diversity Challenges: @Porter_Anderson

The UK’s Second ‘Inclusivity Conference’ Grapples With Diversity Issues: @rogertagholm @pubperspectives

Writing Craft / Hooks

Develop Your Hook: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Everything You Need To Know About Working With A Writing Partner: @standoutbooks

Basing Your Fiction on Real People? Can “Real” and “Fiction” live in the same book? @emma_darwin

How Pinterest Can Help Writers Write Better: by Piers Golden@CSLakin

5 Tips for Telling Stories of Resistance: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Exposition of a Story: Examples and Tips: @nownovel

How to Balance the Elements of Fiction: @tessaemilyhall

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

How to Cure A Pandemic in Fiction: @MorganLBernard

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

4 Things to Consider When Planning Your Story: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

15 Figures of Speech to Color Your Characters: @writing_tips

Writing Craft / Revision

9 Steps for Effectively Revising Your Novel: @akmakansi @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Your Perfect Critique Partner: @PBRWriter

Writing Craft / Series

3 Reasons to Not Write a Series (AND 3 Reasons Why You Should): @RogerDColby

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Dressing Your Characters: @Diana_Hurwitz

Writing Craft / Subtext

How IT Demonstrates The Enlightening Power Of Subtext: @Bang2write

4 Ways to Amplify Your Characters’ Subtext: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Tension

9 Writing Techniques to Keep Suspense Alive Until the Last Page: by Carolyn Hart @SignatureReads

Writing Craft / Voice

How to Quickly Find Your Voice as a Writer: @savilleneuve

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

9 Ways to Reduce Reader Confusion: @KathySteinemann

Uncategorized

Why Does Literature Have So Little to Say About Illness? @meghanor

A closer look at ebook promo services: @ReedsyHQ

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on November 18, 2017 21:01

November 16, 2017

Quick Tip for High Resolution Book Cover Images

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

From time to time I need a high resolution cover image. Sometimes it’s because a guest blogger has sent me an image so small that WordPress is showing it blurry on the post. Sometimes I’m sending a cover for publication in a print magazine or newspaper.

I came across a tool for high resolution cover images from eReader Palace last year. I bookmarked it because I thought it might come in useful. But I’ve found myself using it so much that I decided it was time for me to mention the tool here.

It’s very easy to use. You pull up the ebook on Amazon (and it must be an ebook because the ASIN is needed).

Copy Amazon’s ASIN identifier.

Paste it into the box on the website

Click “Get the Cover Image.” I always use portal A and have never had a problem with it.

The image will open in another tab. Right click and save the file to your computer. I’ll usually save them as : Title–High Res–Elizabeth Spann Craig .

That’s it. :) Short and sweet today. Hope this will be a useful tool for some of you out there.

Have you run across any helpful tools lately?

Photo via Visual hunt

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Published on November 16, 2017 21:02

November 12, 2017

Book Promo Services

Large 'Sale Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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Published on November 12, 2017 21:02

November 11, 2017

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Singapore’s Upcoming StoryDrive Asia: Publishing, Content, Networking: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

5 Tips for Reading Your Writing Aloud: @LynseyMay

Before StoryDrive Asia: A View From Singapore Publishers Association: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

Why 1 Writer Isn’t Doing #NaNoWriMo this year–or ever again: @authorterryo

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Meet that Writing Goal and Do It Your Way: @SueBEdwards

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

5 writing lessons from Keith Richards: @pubcoach

How to Not Quit and Other Lessons Learned from Walt Disney: @lornafaith

Planting the Magic Beans of Story: @barbaraoneal

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Allen Ginsberg’s Reading List for His Class: “Literary History of the Beats”: @openculture

“When I’m Writing Fiction, I Cannot Read It”: @annekorkeakivi @lithub

5 SFF Worlds Tied Together by String Theory: @ryangraudin

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

How to Finish your project: @grantdraws

Writing Discipline: Why Talent Isn’t Enough to Be a Writer: @DavidHSafford

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How to be a part-time author and get full-time results: @jayartale @MichaelLaRonn @IndieAuthorALLI

When Obligations Get in the Way: @bethhararwrites

Tips for maximizing time for writing: @cathychall

How to Multitask Effectively as a Multipotentialite: @enhughesiasm

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

How to be a more productive writer: @pubcoach

Trying to Focus? DO NOT Turn Off Your Internet While You Write: @katekrake

The Semi-No-Fail Way to Fast Drafting for People Who Hate Drafting: @candylandgang

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Why Writers Need to Watch More Sunsets: @colleen_m_story

The Pros and Cons of Joining a Writing Organization: by Stacy Woodson @DIYMFA

Reluctantly Famous: 5 Authors Who Stayed Out of the Public Eye: @RachelCarterYA

Why You Need A Dedicated Writing Space And How To Find It: by Paige Duke @standoutbooks

When Does a Writer Rest? It’s Time to Talk About Self-Care: @EmilyWenstrom

Why You Celebrate The Milestones: @dawnmius

Conquering Writing Overwhelm: @kristen_kieffer

The Vague World of the Unpublished Writer: @LisaLisax31

How to Breathe New Life Into Your Creative Career: @benjaminsobieck

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Spaces

Rituals for Writing: Creating a Sacred Space: @dianaraab

Genres / Fantasy

13 Stress Relievers to Help Your Fantasy Writing: @Philip_Overby

Genres / Horror

Road Trip Horror: ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find’ and ‘Nocturnal Animals’: @BartLBishop @LitReactor

Genres / Memoir

5 Ways To Market A Memoir When No-One Knows Who You Are: by Andrew Emery @thecreativepenn

Genres / Mystery

Why Cops Retire Before You (for Crime Writers):

Crime fiction writing: the first look at the scene of the crime: @mkinberg

A Detective, a Gun, and a Car: BFFs Forever … Almost: @LeeLofland

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to Write an Anecdote That Makes Your Nonfiction Come Alive: @JerryBJenkins

Writing the Perfect Conclusion for your Nonfiction Book: @theladyck

Genres / Picture Books

All About Picture Books — Interview with Trinka Hakes Noble: @DIYMFA

8 Things to Know If You Want to Write a Picture Book: @amydominy

Genres / Science Fiction

Creative Writing Prompts for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Lovers:

Genres / Screenwriting

Top Newbie Mistakes Made by Writers Adapting their Book into a Screenplay: @scriptcoverages @TheIWSG

Genres / Short Stories

Crafting Micro Stories: @mythcreants

Genres / Women’s Fiction

Sex In Women’s Fiction: @KristinRockaway

Promo / Ads

Does Facebook Advertising Really Work For Books? by Michael Alvear @IndieAuthorALLI

Why eBook Promotions are Indie Author Gold: @Bookgal

How 1 Writer Became a Bestseller Using BookBub’s Marketing Tools: by Andrew Watts @BookBub

“Why I Am Cutting Back On Facebook Ads”: @cksyme

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

7 Killer Tips for How to Write a Bio: @hodgeswriter

Promo / Book Signings and Launch parties

Book Marketing with Events: Your Checklist: @Bookgal

Promo / Miscellaneous

3 tips for generating article ideas for book publicity: @sandrabeckwith

Promo / Platforms

What platform really means, today: @DanBlank

Promo / Podcasts

Use Internet Radio Shows and Podcasts to Create a Buzz about Your Book: @WritersCoach

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Thinking of Doing the Audiobook Version of Your Book? @hollyshearwater

Editing Published Books:

Choosing your writing platform: Wattpad vs Movellas vs Tumblr: @bethanyrscott

Can an Indie Author make Money with Print books? @DebbieYoungBN

Macmillan’s Pronoun Self-Publishing Platform Signs Off: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Draft2Digital Adds Distribution to Amazon to Its Services: @Porter_Anderson @Draft2Digital

Your typesetting proofreading checklist: @SukhiJutla

Producing Your Books in Audio: Proofing Your Book: @AngelaQuarles

ACX University and Audiobooks: @HannahPWall @K8Tilton

Travel Writing With Adventurer @AnnaMcNuff: @thecreativepenn

Publishing / News / Data

Digitally Transforming Publishing: Process,Content, Data for Future Value: @Porter_Anderson @copyrightclear

Publishing / News / International Publishing

IPA President: China’s Censorship ‘Puts Publishers in Impossible Situation’: @michielams @Porter_Anderson

The UK’s @makeourbook : An International School-Publishing Program: @has_many_books @porter_anderson

Canada’s Salon du Livre de Montréal Turns 40 With 100,000 Visitors Expected: @lukaesque @pubperspectives

Canada’s Indigo Bookstore Chain Plans To Open US Bookstores: @Porter_Anderson @HeatherReisman

Germany’s Bastei Lübbe Defunds oolipo, Ingram Acquires OptiQly: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

5 Reasons Why Being an Indie Author is Better: @Bookgal

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Writing for Submission-Tailoring Your Story: @10MinNovelists

Publishing / Process / Legalities

Subsidiary Rights For Indies: @KristineRusch

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Using an Opening Narration to Pinpoint Your Story Problem: @JillWilliamson

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

6 Revealing Prompts to Know Your Character Better: @RuthanneReid

How to Create a Protagonist Who is Very Different From You: @mazzastory

Writing Craft / Conflict

3 Ways to Tell if Your Conflict Is Just a Delay Tactic: @Janice_Hardy @RomanceUniv

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Writing Unusual Dialogue: @LizTolsma @pencildancers

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

7 Top Tips to Create a Cinematic Novel: @irenabrignull

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

How to Develop a Powerful Theme in Fiction: @katekrake

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Temporarily Getting Rid of Characters: @ev_scarlett

Writing Craft / POV

Writer’s Perspective on Point of View: @kimberlydbrock

If You’re Going to Switch Voices, Make Sure to Switch Voices: @CockeyedCaravan

POV: A Tour of First, Second, Third, and More: @writeabook

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

6 Legitimate Reasons to Create a Book Outline: @BellaRosePope

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Tie your characters together: @SPressfield

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

“Get Out”Beat Sheet: @DonRoff

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

3 Cases of Incomplete Parallel Structure: @writing_tips

5 Sticky Grammar Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: @lindifleur

Writing Craft / Revision

Tips on Revision: Do a Verb and Word Check: by Linda Wilson

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

The Dos and Don’ts of Workshop Etiquette: @LaurieSteed

Writing Craft / Scenes

The 10 Key Scenes You Need to Frame Up Your Novel: @CSLakin

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Using Seasons to Deepen a Scene: @OrlyKonig

Writing Craft / Special Needs

“Writing About My Special Needs Daughter”: @outoneear

Writing Craft / Synopses

Write Your Story Synopsis with a Plug-and-Play Tool: by Beth Barany @CSLakin

Writing Craft / Tension

Fight Scenes: Uneven Balance is a Tension Killer: by How to Fight Write

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

In defense of ugly prose: @gammarino @TheWriterMag

Southern words and phrases for books set in the Southern US: @KeriFord

Writing Tools / Apps

Creatine and Using Scrivener Collections: @aprildavila

Writing Tools / Resources

Commonly Used Acronyms In the Creative Writing World: @_HannahHeath

Uncategorized

Have an upcoming release? Here is my checklist to make sure promo is covered:

3 Ways to Sell More Books on Amazon:

It’s easy for forget things during release time. This is my checklist that I refer to when I launch books:

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on November 11, 2017 21:02

November 9, 2017

3 Ways to Sell More Books on Amazon

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Author Michael Alvear, who has been a guest on my blog, recently sent me the results of an interesting study he’d conducted.

I’m always interested in ways to move more books on Amazon–which is the retailer I have the most success with.

The cool thing about this infographic is that Alvear’s study shows where Amazon customers focus on a book product page. This gives writers insights to reader behavior.

The first insight is that readers do focus on the ‘sponsored products related to this item’ section. Alvear points out that it makes sense to capitalize on this by placing ads on a competitor’s page.

I haven’t explored Amazon ads, but I’ve read interesting articles about them. For more information, read Penny Sansevieri’s post “What You Need to Know for Successful Amazon Ads” and Deanna Cabinian’s post on Jane Friedman’s blog, “Using Amazon Ads to Sell a YA Novel: A Detailed Analysis.”

The second insight is that readers focus on books in a series. This is pretty widely known, but it’s nice to see more proof of it.

I don’t know why everyone else enjoys reading in a series, but I know why I do, as a reader: I’ve already invested time getting to know a story world and a set of characters and I’d like to maximize that by reading more stories set in that world and with those characters.

As a writer, it’s simply a huge time-saver. You already have the story world set up and a set list of characters. Write more books with those characters in new situations.

The third insight is to put sales pitches below the fold.

I always wondered how many readers clicked ‘read more’ to see the entire book description, including any pitches, blurbs, or endorsements. Alvear’s research indicates that readers do click through.

There are many posts out there on better book descriptions/sale copy. Here are a few to get you started:

Penny C. Sansevieri ‘s article, “How Great Book Descriptions Can Help Sell More Books”

Bryan Cohen’s article/interview with Joanna Penn: “How to Write Your Book’s Sales Description”

Ellie Redding’s post for BookBub: “8 Book Description A/B Tests You Need to See”

All of this research makes me want to go back and do some tweaking on my books. :)

For more information on the Amazon eye tracking study, visit Michael Alvear’s blog, Write for a Living.

Do you especially craft your Amazon pitches? Have you tried advertising on Amazon?

3 Ways to Sell More Books on Amazon: a Study by Michael Alvear:
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Published on November 09, 2017 21:02

November 5, 2017

Editing Published Books

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One of my favorite things about self-publishing is the ability to go back into a published book and make changes.

There have been, unfortunately, a few things that I would like to correct in some of my published Penguin books. Naturally, I don’t have the ability to make those because they’re not in my KDP dashboard.

But with my self-published books, I’ve made quite a few changes to the text.

One reason I might go back in is what you’d expect…correcting typos or small formatting issues.

Another is updating my back matter, especially my list of published books. I’ll update the book titles and link each title to a page on my website (this prevents problems later. Linking to Amazon, for instance, will cause the title to be rejected by Apple and other retailers). Sometimes my bio requires a tweak. Sometimes I’ll add a new social media channel, like Instagram, or end my presence on another. All of those things would make me want to update a book’s back matter.

As formatting options for the self-published author improve, I’ll also return to a book to change the book’s style (more on how I do that in this post). Wanting small flourishes like drop-caps or styled chapter headings may make me update a book file.

Sometimes I’ll add links to new things that I’m doing for promo: maybe a link to my Etsy store or to Patreon. Once I started a newsletter, I quickly added a link to the signup page in backlist books.

As far as updating the file goes, I’ve done my best to keep it simple. In the past, I tried editing the mobi and epub files themselves. I used a program called Calibre. It worked, but it was definitely a hassle. A lot of tech-savvy writers use Sigil with good results. For me, I simply updated the original Word file and then converted it to mobi and epub through Draft2Digital.

It’s worth noting that if you’re making extensive revisions to a published book (for example, updating a technical nonfiction book) that change more than 10% of the content, you should consider getting a new ISBN and changing the edition number of the book. (Version 1.1, for example).

Although I try to make each book as perfect as I (and a team of helpers) can make it, sometimes corrections and additions need to be made. It’s great that, in this digital age, we can continue making our books better.

For more reading on this subject:

Jodie Renner on whether we should make extensive revisions of an older book
Joel Friedlander on updating an ebook after publication.

Do you ever change previously-published books? What prompts you to make changes…and how do you make them?

Editing published books:
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photo via VisualHunt

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Published on November 05, 2017 21:02

November 4, 2017

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Sharjah’s Book Fair Opening Stresses Publishing’s ‘Light in the Darkness’: @Porter_Anderson

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

Preparing for #NaNoWriMo: Minimizing Distractions: @jkolin27

#NaNoWriMo Need-to-Knows: The Inciting Incident: @MishaMFB

When you suspect you may fail #NaNoWriMo next month: @plotlinehotline #WKB83

10 Writing Habits That Can Wreck Your #NaNoWriMo Novel: by Lynn Viehl

Picking Your Story Idea for #NaNoWriMo: @MishaMFB

5 Ws and #NaNoWriMo: @ramonadef

Use #NaNoWriMo to Repo Your Mojo: @jamesscottbell

#NaNoWriMo Need-to-Knows: Your Story’s Goal: @MishaMFB

20 Tips to Increase Your Odds of Winning #NaNoWriMo: @colleen_m_story

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Process Goals Will Help you Finish Your Book 6 Ways: @RuthHarrisBooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

6 Lifestyle Changes You Can Make to Protect Creativity: @KMWeiland

The Creative Life:Something is Better Than Nothing: @Justin_Marks_ @chrissparling @GoIntoTheStory

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

9 Off-the-Beaten Path Horror Books to Read this Halloween: by Cassidy Foust @lithub

5 Ways to Break Out of Your Reading Comfort Zone: by Gordon Connelly @scottishbktrust

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

Tricks and treats for writing: @pubcoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Finish Your Novel One Stroke at a Time: @kcraftwriter

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

Block Your Saboteur Before It Blocks Your Writing: @RosanneBane

The Psychology of Writer’s Block: @AuthorLAKelley

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

3 things that sap productivity: @MichaelHyatt

50 Productivity Tips to Boost Your Brainpower As A Writer: @LauraJTong

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

What Makes a Compelling Story? The Secret Sauce: @AGHackney

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Safeguarding Your Livelihood: Backup Your Work: @crazyauthorgirl

How to Keep Focused in a Rapidly Changing Industry: @MarshaIngrao

5 Tips for Writing Family Into Fiction Without Burning Bridges: @FrancescaHornak

Why Books Will Always Matter: @likaluca @ScholarlyKitchn

10 Things Learned as a New Author: @ppiano @WomenWriters

Top 20 Scariest Things Ever Said to Writers: @EdieMelson

The Invisible Forces That Make Writing Work: by Roger Rosenblatt @nytimesbooks

5 Ways to Touch Your Favorite Author’s Heart: @heatherdgilbert

Are You Really an Author? How to Kill Imposter Syndrome: @SmartAuthors

Is Your Habenula #NaNoWriMo Ready? @RosanneBane

12 Questions to Determine the Themes of Your Writing Life: @SaraL_Writer

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

Genres / Fantasy

Making Room for the Small Stories in Epic Fantasy: @tordotcom by Chris Lough

Genres / Historical

Historical Novels—Your Research To-Do List: @LydiaYKang

Genres / Mystery

Links between victims as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Serious Themes in Cozy Mysteries: @LesleyDiehl

Cozy Mystery Hooks:

Genres / Poetry

Where Are All the Rural Gay Poets? @BhsniderBruce @lithub

Genres / Romance

Writing Love Stories: 5 Flaws to Avoid: @nownovel

Promo / Connecting with Readers

Focus on connection instead of empty follower numbers: @DanBlank

Promo / Miscellaneous

A Primer on Amazon Products Visualization: @vscotttheauthor @RomanceUniv

How to Build a Personal Brand While Staying Authentic to Your Craft: @AndreaMGuevara

Promo / Newsletters

Email Marketing 101: How to Get Into the Inbox (podcast): @cksyme

Promo / Social Media Tips

What You’re Doing SO Wrong on Twitter And How To Make It Right: @BadRedheadMedia

5 Steps to Hone Your Instagram: @Sherry_Ficklin

Publishing / Miscellaneous

The Economics of Audio Books: An Author Case Study: @ianhsuth @IndieAuthorALLI

“How I Got My Sweat’s Worth Out of a Content Mill”: @HikingAlaska

Gender Bias in Peer Review: ‘Women “Less Likely to be Asked to Review”‘: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / Data

US Book Sales for Half of 2017: “upticks for…adults’ and children’s/YA book sectors”: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Sunday Times Prize Jury Names 5 Young Writers to Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Denmark’s Hay Festival Aarhus Is Open; Jon Fine Named to Open Road: @Porter_Anderson

Free Trade Zone: Sharjah Publishing City Has Its Formal Opening: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

UNESCO Names 7 Cities in Literature Among 64 ‘Creative Cities’: @Porter_Anderson

Indigenous Writers in Canada: @CarlaJDouglas @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Getting Started in Self-Publishing: @TheFirstHellion

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches

Freelance Writing: How to Write a Pitch Editors Will Want to Publish: @HelloTheFuture

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps: @ReedsyHQ

Agent Spotlight: Interview with Quressa Robinson: @qnrisawesome @NatalieIAguirre

Publishing / Process / Legalities

Finding the Courage to Walk Away From a Publishing Deal: @SusanSpann

Copyright: ‘Under a Well-Funded Attack’: @Porter_Anderson @michielams

The Hidden Dangers in Short-Form Publishing Deals: @SusanSpann

Publishing / Process / Translation

Translation-Exchange Partnerships: Publishers Share Their Experiences: @Porter_Anderson

Writing Craft / Beginnings

How to Write a Captivating First Paragraph: @KatyKauffman28

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Getting into your villain’s head: @YAtopia_blog @CityJuliet

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Character Traits Shake-Up Game and Character Generator Resource: @BrianneToma

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

How to Show Your Character Is Beginning to Heal: @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

3 ways to tell if your novel is a solid story: @Lindasclare

How to Write a Kick-Ass Heroine And Get it Right: @lansi26

3 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Novel at Outset: @TheMerryWriter

Top 5 Mistakes of Indie Authors: @RicardoFayet @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Dialogue – It’s Not A Conversation: @ClaireMcMill

Create Tension with Dialogue: @DianaBrandmeyer

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Is it a Flashback? @KristenLambTX

The Most Important Rule of Backstory: @AndreaWriterlea

3 Biggest Mistakes When Writing Flashbacks: @WriteToSell

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

How Watching TV and Movies The Right Way Can Revolutionize Your Writing: @storyartist_me

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

3 Tips From Margaret Atwood: @Margo_L_Dill

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

The Difficulty of Writing Perspective: @FionaQuinnBooks @DianeCapri

Why You NEED Writing Craft: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / POV

The First-Person Plural: by Sadye Teiser @a_writersstudio

Whose Line Is It Anyway? Mastering Deep POV: @jesslourey @sbakerwriter

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Creating Compelling Consequences for Characters: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

5 tips for writing about physical pain in fiction: @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Beat Sheet: by Cory Milles @savethecat

Writing Craft / Revision

How Do You Know When to Stop Expanding and Start Revising? @writeabook

When You Shouldn’t Hire and Pay For a Professional Editor: @newleafwriter@JaneFriedman

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

The Power of a Brain Trust: @patverducci

Writing Craft / Series

8 Tips on Writing a Series: @JMoffettAuthor

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Clothes and characters: @elspethwrites

Writing Craft / Tension

5 Ways to Increase Micro-Tension: @heatherbelladam @WomenWriters

Writing Craft / Transitions

Writing Scene Breaks and Transitions that Develop Story: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

Foreign Phrases in Your Novel: @10MinNovelists

Writing Tools / Apps

Automated Editing Tools—Is One Right for You? @ZoeMMcCarthy

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

How to Use Track Changes to Collaborate on Edits With Ease: @batwood

Writing Tools / Resources

The Prequel & the Sequel: a Worksheet: @EvaDeverell

Uncategorized

Links I shared last week: .All the links (43K+) I’ve ever shared, free and searchable: https://t.co/tjn3OfwnLH

@Just2Write69 Maybe try a few of these? I know Jeff Cohen writes well:

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on November 04, 2017 21:02

November 2, 2017

Cozy Mystery Hooks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Cozy mysteries are a subgenre in a large field of mystery subgenres. They’re primarily defined by their use of an amateur sleuth, lack of gore and profanity, offstage murder, and focus on the whodunit puzzle. These mysteries are frequently (not always) humorous, character-focused, set in small-towns, and are part of a series.

They also frequently employ ‘hooks’ or special themes, meant to appeal to the primary reading demographic, as part of the series brand .

Types of hooks:

The encyclopedic site for cozy mystery fans is Cozy Mystery List. They list hooks under ‘themes’ and include animal themes, culinary, super paranormal, vacation mysteries, holidays, hobbies (everything from antiquing to dollhouse miniatures), professions, senior sleuth, and religious.

I was surprised to see ‘senior sleuth’ as a theme/hook. I know that the agents and publishers that I queried in the early 2000s didn’t consider it one at the time (and it was the cause of many rejections for Myrtle). Good to see that things have changed.

Advantages of hooks:

In terms of the story, a hook can help readers identify with your series more easily. It can help set up interesting locations for the mystery to take place. They can also supply subplots and help develop the characters in the books. It can give readers a window to a different, interesting world.

From a business standpoint, publishers definitely prefer them. It helps them to categorize the story from a sales perspective.

What’s more, having a hook can help the book rank higher on Amazon. Although the official BISAC code listing simply reads:

FIC022070 FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Cozy ,

Amazon will recognize:

Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery > Cozy > Culinary

Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery > Cozy > Crafts & Hobbies

Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery > Cozy > Animals

Disadvantages of hooks:

Make sure that your hook is something you enjoy either learning about or doing, yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be spending a lot of time writing about something that you don’t connect with…which probably means your reader won’t connect with your hook, either.

Working the hook into the mystery:

The hook could be the place of business for the sleuth: maybe she owns a quilt shop or a fabric store. The store could give the sleuth a place to question her suspects.

The quilt can offer an opportunity for conflict, too. Are members arguing during the quilting guild? Are customers creating trouble at the sleuth’s restaurant?

Maybe the hook simply gives the sleuth the chance to be out in the community more: asking questions and investigating.

Tips for using hooks:

Make sure that the hook stays in the background. The mystery has to come first…these shouldn’t be how-to books.

Description is key to really help the reader feel as if he or she is experiencing the hook, especially if you’re writing a culinary or craft hook. My editor always encouraged me to describe textures, colors, etc. when including quilting scenes.

Although cozy mysteries have hooks in the spotlight, other genres have their hooks, too. What’s a hook in your genre? And, are there any tips I’ve missed for cozy hooks?

Cozy mystery hooks:
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Published on November 02, 2017 21:02

October 29, 2017

Overcoming Emotional Wounds: How to Show Your Character Is Beginning to Heal

by Angela Ackerman, @AngelaAckerman

When it comes to writing a story where a character is going to work through a difficult past wound, there are two behavioral states to convey: one showing their brokenness and dysfunction, and one displaying hard-won insight, self-acceptance, and increased self-worth, all important aspects of growth.

Ironically, writers tend to struggle more with how to show a character’s healthy behavior than they do the downward spiral. (Maybe after all the lessons on tension and conflict, we’ve gotten very good at throwing rocks? Or we’re just all a bit more sadistic that we’re likely to admit!) Either way, that shove down the hill is less stressful to write than the painful crawl back up it.

Here’s what I know: change is painful, both in the fictional world and the real one. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. So when it comes to showing our character’s path to healing in the aftermath of a destructive wound, we need to take it slow. Trusting others, especially after one’s been hurt, is hard. And believing again in hope, that a better tomorrow is possible? This is often the most difficult thing of all.

How Does Change Happen? HINT: Self-Awareness

Yearning for something better forces an awakening of sorts. Usually a character is stuck in denial or is simply avoiding her problems, but when a meaningful goal draws her attention, she must look within to examine how she can better help this reality happen. Often this moment is a bit of an epiphany about how her own dysfunctional behavior has caused trouble in her life.

This self-awareness, paired with a deep desire for something currently out of reach, can trigger the first shuffle closer to change. Let’s break down the important stepping stones that will help you map your character’s path forward to a better reality.

Step 1: Taking Ownership and Envisioning a New Reality

A critical first step toward positive change involves a willingness to acknowledge the way she copes with problems, especially those that trigger the fears tied to her past wounds, are harmful or dysfunctional. Seeing this, and taking ownership, marks an important shift in mind-set. Finding the courage to look within and identify one’s own unhealthy attitudes and behaviors so one can change them is a big deal. As she does this, she visualizes how her life can be better, and it helps her chart a course toward the goal that will fill her longing within.

Step 2: Creating Small, Achievable Goals

Her newfound awareness and shifted outlook allow her to resist the lure of fear and, instead, feel hope. But the ground of this new perspective is shaky. To avoid a relapse when disappointment or failure hits, the character should set smaller, achievable goals that lead her toward a larger one. Each victory will increase her self-esteem, empowering her, and even if she encounters minor setbacks, she should be able to power through them.

Step 3: Adopting Good Habits

A big part of committing to a new course of action is recognizing these problem areas and making an active choice to replace bad habits with good ones. Showing your character taking better care of her health (by eating properly, getting more sleep, improving her hygiene, and exercising) will let readers know she’s actively trying to improve. A character can also move away from toxic friends and influences to make room for loved ones. Seeking education and other forms of self-improvement are also good signs that a shift is taking place in the character’s mind.

Step 4: Packing an Emotional Parachute

Despite your character’s newfound attitude and determination to achieve better results, setbacks may happen. If she isn’t ready for these, it could be easy for her to fall back into the emotional traps of denial or avoidance. Unless you’re intending to show only a temporary improvement, you don’t want her to revert to past negative coping strategies, such as drinking too much, playing the blame game, or becoming emotionally reactive. She can incorporate these setback survival techniques instead:

Identify the Downward Spiral. Patterns are hard to break, so when disappointment comes, your character’s self-esteem and self-worth are likely to be impacted. This can quickly turn into a hopeless whirlpool that will drag her emotions into a dark place. If your character recognizes what’s happening, she can make an active decision to take back control.

Focus on the Positive. Instead of only dwelling on what went wrong in a situation, show your character also looking for what went right. Small successes can be embraced and celebrated, offering perspective.

Take a Time-Out. The character can go for a walk, spend time with a friend, listen to music, meditate, or participate in a hobby that helps her de-stress and change her outlook. (If you choose this strategy, just make sure it doesn’t interfere with the story’s forward momentum.)

Give Back. If your character is pessimistic and there’s a risk of her spiraling into old habits, give her an opportunity to do something nice for someone else. Assisting others or doing a good turn can provide the mental boost that’s needed to get the character back into a positive frame of mind.

Confide. Sometimes your character just needs a listening ear or a supportive shoulder. Having her reach out instead of shutting down is another way to show she’s dealing disappointment or failure in a healthy way.

Adopt Humor. Another method of coping with adversity and struggle is to keep a sense of humor. Joking about a situation or making light of one’s role in it may diffuse some of the character’s frustration and can promote camaraderie with other members of the story’s cast.

Step 5. Make a Plan of Action (And Stick to It)

Finally, the character will need to hit checkpoints to achieve the overall goal. Have her identify what needs to be done, anticipate potential problems, and then follow through with her plan, even when it gets tough. This commitment will show that she has the goal solidly in her sights. It will also provide her with the ability to make any sacrifices that are necessary to reach her goal.

What sort of things does your character do to cope with the long road ahead, especially setbacks? Let me know in the comments!

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus, as well as five others, including the revolutionary Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma. Her books are available in six languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Writer @AngelaAckerman with 5 steps to show your character healing from emotional wounds:
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Published on October 29, 2017 21:02