Riley Adams's Blog, page 85

September 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 40,000 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

Prioritizing the Writer’s Life via a Business Plan: @beccapuglisi

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Rebooting a Writing Career at a Writing Conference: @Victoria_Noe
At the Frankfurt Book Fair‘: A Book Is a Film Is a Game’ Networking Day Returns: @Porter_Anderson

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

Your 6-Week Prep Plan for NaNoWriMo: @AlyciaMorales

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

You Want to Write Fiction. So Where Do You Start? @Janice_Hardy

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Creative Writing Activities That Don’t Involve Writing: @WritingForward
How Hobbies Can Improve Your Writing: @woodwardkaren
Empower Your Creativity by Engaging The Practicing Mind: @practicingmind @lornafaith

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

On the Dark, Wondrous Optimism of Ray Bradbury: @GabbyBellot @lithub
5 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Inspired by Jewish History and Culture: by Matt Stagg @unboundworlds

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

3 Essential Questions for Writers: @RuthanneReid
“On the Sophomore Slump and How I Beat It”: @theladypenumbra

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How to Overcome 3 Things That Make You Feel Rushed for Time: @colleen_m_story
5 Lessons Learned on Writing Habits, Routines and Productivity: @lornafaith
Need More Writing Time? Learn to delegate: @lisajordan @NovelRocket

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

An Easy Trick for Nipping Creative Fear in the Bud: by Sarah Moore @AngelaAckerman

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

Tips for more productive writing sessions at home: by Pat Olsen @TheWriterMag
Dear Writer: Stop Releasing So Many Novels: @MCristianoWrite
Prep Yourself for Writing Productivity: @FinishedPages
What is reverse engineering for writers? @pubcoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Self-Serving Writing is the Only Writing You Can Trust: @julietescoria @_chelsea_martin

Genres / Fantasy

Divorce Should Be an Option in Fantasy Fiction: @AniseKStrong @tordotcom

Genres / Memoir

Tips for Writing Memoir: @Roz_Morris @thecreativepenn

Genres / Non-Fiction

Becoming a Biographer: Telling Someone Else’s Life Story: by James Atlas @SignatureReads
7 Simple Steps to Gain Visibility for You and Your Nonfiction Book: @kathleengage

Genres / Picture Books

3 Things Nobody Told Me About Having a Children’s Book Published: @Patrickwensink

Genres / Romance

7 Tips For Writing Great Love Scenes: @JoyceScarbrough

Genres / Science Fiction

The Creatures We Base Aliens On: @NicolaAlter

Genres / Screenwriting

Writing The Short Film – Week One: @seanbhood

Genres / Short Stories

How to Keep a Short Story Short: @april_bradley
8 rules for writing historical short stories: @toddjamespierce @TheWriterMag

Genres / Young Adult

Why Young Adult Fiction Is Essential: @virginiawrites

Promo / Blogging

Blogging: write as if people are reading: @rxena77

Promo / Book Reviews

Easy author hack for more book reviews: @sandrabeckwith

Promo / Book Signings and Launch parties

Tips for book launches: @SurfCityJames

Promo / Miscellaneous

Amazon Keywords Learning Lab (podcast): @DaveChesson @cksyme
5 Ingredients You’ll Need to Get More Amazon Sales: @Bookgal

Promo / Platforms

How to Record an Audio Book: @maestrompc @TheIWSG

Promo / Podcasts

Podcasts: How they sell books and how to start one of your own: @altait @annerallen
Self Publishing Podcasts: Everything You Wanted to Know: @maifosz @publishdrive

Promo / Social Media Tips

Using Twitter Moments for Promo or Networking:
3 Ways How to Respond to Blogs on LinkedIn So You Look Like an Ace: Naked_Determina
Using Social Media to Grow Your Online Audience and Influence: @HelloMorganTimm
5 Ways to Use Facebook Pinned Posts to Hook Fans: @cksyme

Promo / Websites

4 Reasons Authors Need A Great Website: by Raymond Esposito @WritersAfterDrk

Publishing / Miscellaneous

6 Things Learned as a Professional Editor: @SeptCFawkes
Ntl Book Foundation Honors Annie Proulx, Scholastic’s Richard Robinson: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Tracey Armstrong on Women in Publishing: ‘Still Striving for Equal Pay’: @Porter_Anderson
3 Random Tips For Making Occasional Webcomics: by Pekoe Blaze
5 Good Reasons for an Author to Record an Audiobook: @clivefrayne
How Many Words in a Novel? Our Editors Have the Answers: @ReedsyHQ
National Book Foundation Names Its ‘5 under 35’ Debut Fiction Authors: @nationalbook @Porter_Anderson
When readers find unintended symbolism in your text: @Roz_Morris
Your Publicity Timeline: Is There a Best Month to Publish Your Book? @McKinneyPR

Publishing / News / International Publishing

OpenBook’s China Bestseller Lists for August 2017: Drone Delivery Races: @Porter_Anderson
Forward Prizes for Poetry Awarded in the UK: Best Collections and Poem: @Porter_Anderson @ForwardPrizes
Gurry, Pallante, Clemente To Speak at Intl. Publishers Congress: @Porter_Anderson
Canada’s $75,000 Cundill Longlist: Historical Takes on Today’s Issues: @Porter_Anderson @CundillPrize
Oxford University Press India Begins Publishing in Indian Languages: @Porter_Anderson @scroll_in
London Book Fair and Writer’s Digest Summit Announces Pitch Slam Agents: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Traditional Publishing to Indie and Hybrid with @JohnBirmingham : @thecreativepenn

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

Don’t Tweet Your Rejections: @ShannaSwendson

Publishing / Process / Formatting

What You Need To Know About Formatting Your Own E-Book: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Publishing / Process / Legalities

How Do I Register My Book’s Copyright? @ReedsyHQ @EmmanuelNataf

Writing Craft / Beginnings

What Psychology Says About the First Page of Your Novel: @SloanTamar
Fixing the First Page Feature: @Ava_Jae
Most Common Mistakes in Opening Chapters: @ml_keller

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Why Introverts Make Great Heroes: @ClassicQuirkySG

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

How to revise a manuscript: fixing 5 common problems: @WriteToSell

Writing Craft / Conflict

Common Misconceptions about Conflict: Conflict = Tension: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Dialogue

The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags: @MCristianoWrite

Writing Craft / Endings

How to Write an Ending that Fits Your Story: @AndreaWriterlea

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Famous Characters Teach Us Characterization: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Don’t Believe These Writing Myths: @Storygeeks
Conflate, and Tighten Up Your Story: by Nancy L. Erickson @BookBaby
A step-by-step guide to better sentence length: @pubcoach
How Many Words in a Novel? Our Editors Have the Answers: @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Pacing

How to Use Your Word Count to Control Pacing: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Diagramming Your Plot: The Big Picture: @SueBEdwards
Want to Find the REAL Story? Ignore Your Instincts: by Emily Ruskovich @beccapuglisi

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Writing injuries: the recovery time for thoracic blunt/burn trauma: @scriptmedic

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

12 Idioms Commonly Seen with Homonymic Spelling Errors: @writing_tips
Punctuation Marks: The Exclamation Mark: @WritingForward

Writing Craft / Revision

How to Choose Which Scenes to Include in Your Novel: @Kid_Lit
5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Manuscript: @LoucindaMcGary
My Story Is Unclear – What Do I Do? @Bang2write
Woodshedding for Writers: @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
Self-Editing for Writers: @Lindasclare
3 Strategies for Fixing Exposition: @p2p_editor

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Are You Dressing Your Characters For Success? by Paige Duke @standoutbooks
How Do Your Characters Inhabit Their World? by Sunny Singh

Writing Craft / Tension

Keeping tension in a story when you have a very powerful/skilled character: from How to Fight Write

Writing Craft / Tropes

Archetypes – Cataclysms and Survival Stories (podcast): by Pub Crawl

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

6 Ways to Reduce “-ly” Adverb Abuse: @KathySteinemann
Marilynne Robinson, Author of Gilead, on Finding the Right Word: @nytimesbooks

Writing Tools / Apps

Germany’s ‘oolipo’ Readies Tools for Storytellers: @Porter_Anderson @oolipo

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

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Published on September 30, 2017 21:02

September 28, 2017

Make it Easy for Readers to Contact You

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m lucky to have a very good relationship with my readers. We frequently exchange emails.

I recently received an email from a reader of mine that I’ve corresponded with for years. She asked me if I could figure out a way to get in contact with another of her favorite authors. This reader was on email, but not on social media.

As a favor to her, I looked up the author’s books on Amazon to see if I could find her website through Amazon Author Central. She was not on Amazon Author Central.

I googled the writer and found a rudimentary website. There was no contact page or contact information on the website.

I looked up the writer on Twitter and found that she had an account. I sent her a tweet, letting her know that a reader of hers had a question for her. Two months later, I’ve received no reply.

I looked her up on Facebook and found she had a page there. I left the writer a direct message about her reader. Again, I haven’t heard back. I finally wrote back to my reader with the bad news that the author appeared to be unreachable.

Literary agent Janet Reid recently posted about her difficulties tracking down an author online. The author’s social media icons weren’t actually linked to the networks.

I’ve run into this before. There have been times when I’ve wanted to credit authors when sharing posts on Twitter and couldn’t find the author’s Twitter handle (although the author stated he or she was on the platform).

At the bare minimum, set up your Amazon Author Central account. You can provide an email address or website and other social media locations on that page.

If you’re on social media platforms, set up notifications for messages. Or check in once a week or so.

Every author website should include a contact page (or contact info in the sidebar, if you have a one-page website). At a minimum, this page/info should include an email address, name of the writer/pen name (you’d be surprised how many have a first name only: “Angela’s Musings”), and where to find you on the web.

If you’re not yet on social media, industry expert Jane Friedman has tips for getting started: choosing a network and what to post.

Do you have to be on social media? No. You just need to be available to readers with questions. You could skip social media altogether as long as you list ways of contacting you (email, P.O. Box, via your agent, etc.) and as long as you’re responsive when readers do try to reach out.

Have you made it easy for readers to reach you?

Make it easy for readers to contact you:
Click To Tweet

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Published on September 28, 2017 21:02

September 24, 2017

Twitter Moments

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I spend a good deal of time finding and scheduling content for Twitter, but not a lot of time on Twitter.

In the last month or so, however, I did get on the site long enough to check out their ‘Twitter Moments’ feature.

Twitter states:

Moments are curated stories showcasing the very best of what’s happening on Twitter. Our Moments guide is customized to show you current topics that are popular or relevant, so you can discover what is unfolding on Twitter in an instant.

That sounded just a little too airy for me. I found another description from Nate Swanner on The Next Web who stated:

Instagram and Snapchat have stories, which are literally the same thing. One snippet of text or media flows into the next, then it’s over.

Moments isn’t quite so hurried. You’re free to linger on a tweet or video, and scroll back through just as you would with your timeline.

Moments and Stories are the same in one way, though: you carry the narrative thread.

Twitter suggests that we “bring our Moment to life with photos, GIFs, videos, and Vines. ” They also recommend we limit a Moment to around 10 tweets.

What can we use for content? We can add tweets to our Moments from our own Twitter feed, from tweets we’ve liked or shared, or even from someone else’s Twitter feed.

How can this help us as writers? Since self-promotion is really frowned upon on the platform, we could instead compile a series that stays on our Moment. Maybe it could be a recent release (with the book cover as the ‘cover’ for the Moment), pictures from a book launch or book signing, and reviews from others or a tweeted book trailer as parts of the Moment.

Or we could curate helpful content for other writers while covering a conference: compiling tweets, videos, etc. that sum up the most helpful information that we found there.

We could have a Moment that brings together the most useful information that agents or editors have shared online.

In other words, this could be either an effective self-promotional tool, or one that can help us to network with other writers/writing professionals, or merely to help curate information for other writers. I plan on devoting more time to mine, but for the time being, I have a Moment set up for top tweets that I’ve curated on the site.

Moments are easy to set up. You click the Moments tab on your profile; click ‘create new Moment’; add a title, description, and cover; pull in content; and publish. Detailed instructions are here from Twitter.

More about Moments from Twitter here.

Have you created a Moment on Twitter? What other promo activities have you found lately?

Using Twitter Moments for Promo or Networking:
Click To Tweet

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Published on September 24, 2017 21:02

September 23, 2017

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Frankfurt Book Fair Highlights and Outlook: ‘Optimism and Confidence’ @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

11 of the Worst Marriages in Literature: @carrievasios @ElectricLit

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

Getting to ‘the end’ – how to finally finish writing your book: @beprolifiko

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Make the Most of Your Time with a Writing Pipeline: @annkroeker

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

5 Ways to Kill Your Inner Critic: @SiouxR
What happens when you run out of novels? @kcraftwriter
How to rediscover your writing mojo: @HelenaFairfax

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

4 Steps to an Inspiring Writing Routine: by Stacy Woodson @DIYMFA
12 Unusual And Achievable Productivity Hacks For Writers: @Bang2write
5 Practical Ways to Meet Your Daily Word Count: @AlyciaMorales

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

The Great Cursive Writing Debate: Lost Art or Vital Skill? by Kelly Gurnett
“The Time I Moved to New York City to Be a Poet”: @Jrbialosky @lithub
When will it get easier, as a writer? @DanBlank @danijshapiro

Genres / Dystopian

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Post-Apocalyptic Novel: by Georgina Roy @writingtipsoasi

Genres / Fan Fiction

5 Tips for Writing in Kindle Worlds: @SueColetta1

Genres / Fantasy

Beneath the Shining Armor: The Paladin: by Codey Amprim @mythicscribes

Genres / Memoir

5 Secrets to Writing a Fascinating Memoir: by Dan Emmett @WritersDigest

Genres / Mystery

Competitiveness as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Short Stories

10 Tips For Editing Your Short Story: by Sara Kopeczky

Promo / Blogging

How to Write Your Book and Blog at the Same Time: @ChadRAllen

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Writing Back Cover Copy: A Secret for Your Novel’s Success: @A_K_Perry @DIYMFA
What’s in a Name? Choosing A Book Title: @SarahBolme @IngramSpark
Why you can’t format book descriptions properly: @HollowLandsBook

Promo / Connecting with Readers

All About Bookbot Bob for Ebook Promo: @mollygreene

Promo / Miscellaneous

28 book marketing tips from authors, publicists, and marketers: @sandrabeckwith
Don’t send spammy promo email: @Janet_Reid

Promo / Newsletters

Want to Get More Readers? Get Rid of your Subscription Popup! @annerallen

Promo / Platforms

Do it Yourself: A 10-Step Guide to Self-Publishing an Audiobook: @WarrenAdler

Promo / Pricing

Ebook pricing for a foreign market: Pricing an Ebook in Southeast Asia: @maifosz

Promo / Social Media Tips

Why Authors Should Not Enable the Facebook Reviews Tab: @cksyme
How NOT to Fall Foul of Twitter: @swirlandthread
Instagram for Authors: by Scott La Counte @IngramSpark

Promo / Websites

6 Common Sense Steps to Secure a WordPress Website: @JaneFriedman

Publishing / Miscellaneous

HarperCollins Readies Its 200th Anniversary Program for Frankfurt: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / Data

Nielsen on Book Sales Trends and Competition: @Porter_Anderson @AndreBreedt

Publishing / News / International Publishing

6 Marketing Tips for Pleasing an International Audience: @maifosz @publishdrive
The UK’s Publishers Commit Improve Diversity in Publishing Workforce: @Porter_Anderson @PublishersAssoc
Almost Half the 2017 Giller Prize Longlist Is From Canadian Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @GillerPrize
At Frankfurt: A First ‘Buchmesse Kickoff Run’ Benefits Room To Read @Porter_Anderson @KBM_books

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches

Crafting a 35-Word Pitch for Your Novel: by Jaime Olin

Publishing / Process / Book Design

5 Ways a Book Cover Could Hurt Sales — And How to Fix It: @JohnnyBTruant @BookBub

Publishing / Process / Legalities

World Copyright Issues to Publishers Need to Watch: @MJHealy @porter_anderson

Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid

7 New Writer Mistakes that Make you Vulnerable to Predators: @annerallen

Publishing / Process / Translation

A Closer Look at Babelcube for Translation:

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

Why Doubt Is the Key to Flat Character Arcs: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

5 Secrets to Creating a Compelling Series Character: @barrylancet
5 Tips For Creating Characters Readers Will Connect With: @irenabrignull
7 Character Non-Negotiables: @MichelleGriep
A Character Solar Eclipse: @wendypmiller

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

4 Ways to Plan Showing Vs. Telling in Your Novel: @AndreaWriterlea

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Why Strong Dialogue Matters So Much And 3 Tips to Write It: @writeabook

Writing Craft / Diversity

6 Signs Your Story Is Queerphobic: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Drafts

5 Steps on the Journey to the First Draft: @JJ_Burry

Writing Craft / Endings

4 classic ways to end a story: @Magic_Violinist

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

What Authors Need To Know About Commedia Dell’arte: by Hannah Collins @standoutbooks
On Memorizing Poetry: @SandraHeskaKing @tspoetry
How To Write Like Danielle Steel: @Chris_Kokoski
5 YA Books with Fabulous First Sentences: @erinbowbooks @tordotcom

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Matching Horses to Use, Climate, and Characters in Fiction: @DanKoboldt
Inner Monologue Examples: Writing Characters’ Secret Lives: @nownovel
Book Editing As a Form of Creative Discovery: @Roz_Morris @IngramSpark
What a book coach does: @jennienash
10 Tips for Writing Characters with Anxiety: @_HannahHeath
Why writing in the past tense is better: by Harvey Chapman
3 Tips To Inject Novelty Into Your Writing: @rsmollisonread

Writing Craft / POV

5 Essentials of Omniscient Narration: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Outlining for Pantsers: @THahnBurkett

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

The Heroine’s Journey: by Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Research 101: Going to the Library in the Internet Age: @AnneEJohnson

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Proper Use of Hyphens and Dashes: @JamesJMurray1
Grammar Girl : Stop Calling Yourself a Grammar Nazi: @GrammarGirl

Writing Craft / Revision

Rewriting – How Do You Know When It’s Right? @NickPWilford @TheIWSG
How to spend less time rewriting: @pubcoach
How to Edit a First Draft: @AlisonPotoma

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

15 French Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean That in French: @writing_tips

Writing Tools / Apps

Top 10 Writing Apps for Android Smartphones: @writing_tips
Genre Hacks: Instagram as a Writer and a Director’s Tool: @seanbhood

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

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Published on September 23, 2017 21:01

September 21, 2017

A Closer Look at Babelcube for Translation

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

My strategy for the last couple of years is increase the income streams for my already-published books by branching into international publishing, libraries, and translation.

I’m about to publish my first translated book, A Dyeing Shame, in Spanish. My translator is the gifted Alfredo Moyano-Barroso. I was lucky that Freddy not only speaks Spanish and English fluently, but he lives in the US and was easily able to convey Southern US customs and traditions to a new audience. Right on that book’s heels is an Italian version of A Body in the Backyard, translated by Valeria Poropat, another wonderful translator.

Babelcube is a platform that allows indie authors to audition and retain translators for their books. Here is my experience working with them:

The Good:

The royalty-share agreement. For writers, there’s lots that’s good. There’s very little risk on our side as writers (except, perhaps, the risk of a bad translation). We pay nothing upfront. Babelcube handles payments to the translator, distribution of the books, etc.
Checkpoints for quality control. We have opportunities to end the translation process.
A partnership (for ebooks) with StreetLIb: a company I already do business with and respect a good deal. That expands the distribution options (although I wish that StreetLib would take over the print distribution–more on that below).

The Bad:

I have heard numerous complaints of bad customer service. I’ve actually experienced prompt replies to any queries there, but it’s worth noting that their reputation precedes them in terms of response.

The Ugly:

No print distribution except via CreateSpace/Amazon
No audio distribution
The contract is exclusive and the translated work(s) cannot be distributed in print or audio during the 5-year period of the contract, even though those formats are not currently offered by Babelcube.

What I Did Right:

I branched into translation, period.
I rejected several translation offers, holding out for a better candidate.
I didn’t immediately put my entire series up for translation, waiting instead to see how the first book went.
I asked Babelcube questions before acting, making sure I wasn’t violating any terms in my contract.

What I’d Do Differently:

I would find out what type of format (ebook? Print? Audio?) was best for the international audience the translation was targeting. If it’s print, I’d seriously consider holding off. Unfortunately, the ebook market in Spain has yet to take off and printed books are still preferred for much of the Spanish-speaking world. Without more print distribution options (Ingram generally is cheaper for online book buyers because they have POD printers internationally…reducing printing costs), sales may prove to be really limited.

Worth Noting:

Although it would be incredibly easy to upload a translated work independently of a platform like Babelcube, the problem comes when splitting profits with a translator. Would you have to set up a joint bank account? What would taxes look like? I think, right, now, the easiest option for the busy indie author is to go through a platform like Babelcube.

Have you branched into translation? How did it go for you?

Photo via Visualhunt.com

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Published on September 21, 2017 21:02

September 17, 2017

Six Marketing Tips for Pleasing an International Audience

Man's hands hold a cell in front of a digital map of the world, while the post title, Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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Published on September 17, 2017 21:02

September 16, 2017

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

Reviewing a Writing Year in Progress:

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

What a Writer’s Conference Really Buys You: @msheatherwebb

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

Start Writing Your Novel Today With Super-Fast Prep: @angee

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Reading and Writing Imaginary Books: @KimAlexander80
5 Books with Bargains You Don’t Want to Make: @em_llojo @tordotcom
5 Books with Fictional Languages that Could Be Real: by David Peterson @tordotcom
Using Comics to Improve Your Storytelling: @smudged_ink@MartinaABoone
10 essential books for writers: @jonreed

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

7-Step How-To Guide for Writers Who Don’t Feel Like Writing: @NathanielTower

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

12 Easy Steps To Beat Procrastination: @Bang2write
6 Creative Tips to Crush Writer’s Block: @JaggedJourney1
Struggling with writing ‘shoulds’: @AllieLarkin
7 Questions to Ask When You Lose Desire to Finish Your Book: @denisejaden

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

“Meditating” Your Way into Writing: @RosanneBane

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

3 Tips for a Successful Writing Career: @KarenCV

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

3 Types of Writers Have Trouble Finishing Things: @losapala
Do you Prefer “Click” or “Brick” Learning? @mybookshepherd
The Poseur Test: @DanBlank
“How Pickles Help Me Survive the Horrible, Wonderful Life of a Writer”: @danyakukafka
How to Stop Feeling Intimidated by Other Writers: @NeluTheCurious @WritetoDone
Staying Positive While Writing About Death and Tragedy: by Smith Galli @WritersDigest
From Roleplayer to Writer: @JediKnightMuse
31 Writer Dreams: A List: @EdanL

Genres / Mystery

Hiring PIs with the hope that they fail as elements of crime fiction: @mkinberg
Writing the Crime Scene: Murder or Suicide? @repokempt
Writing Christian Fiction And Success Over A Long Career: @JerryBJenkins @thecreativepenn

Genres / Picture Books

5 Lessons from 100 Published Picture Book Authors: @HannahWHolt
The Heart of Picture Books: @JulieFHedlund

Genres / Screenwriting

Screenwriting: Straying from the Party Line: “Cheers”: @CockeyedCaravan
Screenwriting: On the Beginnings of Scenes: @dougeboch

Genres / Young Adult

Things to avoid when writing YA: @jasonbougger

Promo / Ads

Top and Paid Book Promotion Services in 2017: @ReedsyHQ @RicardoFayet

Promo / Blogging

How Long Should A Blog Post Be? @KarenBanes

Promo / Connecting with Readers

Podcast interview with publishing expert @thecreativepenn: @writerscast
Discoverability: Go Wide: @JFbookman

Promo / Metadata

Taking Control of Your Metadata: by David Kudler @JFbookman
Help Readers Find Your Book Using BISAC Codes and Categories: @JuiceTom

Promo / Miscellaneous

Launch parties and other promo activities: @ZoeMMcCarthy
Stop spamming everyone online now: @Bang2write

Promo / Newsletters

MailChimp Alternatives for Authors: @RicardoFayet @JaneFriedman
How to Grow Your Email List with Ryan Zee: @pattywrites

Promo / Podcasts

Podcasts are Trending. Here’s How to Start Now: by Melissa Flickinger @BadRedheadMedia

Promo / Social Media Tips

Twitter hashtags for writers: @publishingjobs
How to Grow Your Facebook Following: A 6-Step Plan: @dknowlton1
How to schedule a Facebook group post: @sandrabeckwith

Publishing / Miscellaneous

How Long Should Your Book Be? @SKathAnthony
A leading journal program now offers free training in peer review: @Porter_Anderson @SpringerNature

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Censorship: IPA Refers to Russian ‘Anti-Gay Propaganda’ Law in Moscow: @michielams @Porter_Anderson
A Frankfurt Publishers’ Workshop: The Philippines in the World Market: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The UK’s 2017 Man Booker Prize Shortlist: UK, UK-Pakistani, US Authors: @Porter_Anderson
Mark Sullivan’s ‘Beneath a Scarlet Sky’ Racks Up Rights Sales: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

9 Tips to Get an Editor to Say Yes: @BetJett

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches

Tips for pitch preparation: @jillkemerer

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Straight Talk From @Janet_Reid , Literary Agent: @TheIWSG

Publishing / Process / Formatting

How to Format an Ebook for Kindle: @K_Mayfield

Publishing / Process / Legalities

5 things you need to know about agency agreements: @thestormboy
What to Look for in Termination Clauses: @SusanSpann
US Copyright Ruling Opinion: The Moppet Books’ KinderGuides Case: @Porter_Anderson
A Basic Guide to Getting Permissions + Sample Permissions Letter: @JaneFriedman

Publishing / Process / Translation

AmazonCrossing’s Gabriella Page-Fort Named PW Star Watch ‘Superstar’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
‘The Important Role of the Literary Translator’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

The Villain Reveal: 3 Different Approaches: by Jonathan Vars
Crafting a Redemption Arc for Your Villain: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Exploring the darker side of characters: @KeithCronin
6 Easy Steps to Unforgettable Characters: @LMacNaughton
5 Tips for Avoiding Stereotypes and Cookie-Cutter Characters: @RMNSediting
7 Key Traits of Enduring Characters: from The Character Comma
4 Bland Character Problems and How to Fix Them: @weems503
Making a non-POV character (important later in the story) likeable: @plotlinehotline
5 Tips for Writing Righteous Characters Your Readers Will Cheer For: @KMWeiland
On Character Development: by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

How to Identify the Protagonist in a Story: @WritingForward

Writing Craft / Characters / Supporting Characters

Writing Secondary Characters That Pop: @jenniferprobst @JaneFriedman

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Every Story Has a Shape: @SPressfield

Writing Craft / Conflict

Internal vs. External Conflict: Balancing the Fight: @EditingWizard
Creating Conflict in Your Novel: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Dialogue

5 Most Common Mistakes with Dialogue: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

How Movies Can Help You Become a Better Writer: by Joan Lennon @scottishbktrust

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Discovering Your Theme Through Genre: @CDavidMilles

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Good reasons for writing by hand: @shepline
5 Creative Nonfiction Skills for Novelists: 2 @kcraftwriter
5 Tips for Writing Kick-Ass Characters: by Codey Amprim @mythicscribes
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Injuring Your Characters: @thecreativepenn @scriptmedic
As A Writer, Your Obligation Is To The Story: @EbooksAndKids
How to Write with a Co-author: @stewartcbaker

Writing Craft / POV

POV (Should) Influence Every Word: @Ava_Jae
7 Characters in Classics from Whose POV We’d Like to Hear: @KEITH_RICE1

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

3 Errors Involving Correlative Conjunctions: @writing_tips
Pronouns and Antecedents: @NanReinhardt

Writing Craft / Revision

Questions to ask when revising: @jasonbougger
5 Quick Proofreading Tips That Have Massive Payoffs: @gvanwelie
Self-editing tips: @DebbieYoungBN
5 Reasons to Let Go of Little Edits: @fiedawn @diymfa

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Why a Funeral Might Be the Perfect Setting for Your Story: @Jffelkins

Writing Craft / Special Needs

Stop Using Autistic Characters as Plot Devices: @fodderfigure

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

200 Ways to Say “Angry”: A Word List for Writers: @KathySteinemann

Writing Tools / Apps

7 Free Book Marketing Tools for Authors: @WrittenWordM

Writing Tools / Resources

An Easy Solution for the Writer with Big Goals and Little Time: @annkroeker
Sites and Links for Writers: by Ghost Flower Dreams

Writing Tools / Thesauri

Character Motivation Thesaurus Entry: Carrying on a Legacy: @AngelaAckerman

Uncategorized

11 Best Social Media Monitoring Tools (2017 Edition): @bloggingwizard
Fun to speak to @SlomianyR ‘s Creative Writing class! Thanks to you and your students.

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Published on September 16, 2017 21:01

September 14, 2017

Reviewing a Writing Year in Progress

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

This is about the time when I start wondering where the year has flown off to.

To keep from saying this in December and feeling very off-track, I’ve got a date set in my calendar around now to check in and see how I’m doing so far.

The check-in isn’t only for my writing, but also for my writing business. And summer is a great time to check in with business because we all experience that middle of the summer slowdown. It’s a slowdown of sales and a slowdown online, in general. Blogs are quieter and social media is somewhat more erratic.

You could be as detailed or as broad with this as you want. Some years I really don’t have time to do more than look and see if I’m on track to put out the number of books that I wanted to publish and to glance over sales and see if I need to run a special. Some years I have more time to be reflective and to cover a broader area.

Ideally, for me, I’m trying to review the different areas below (and some of them could belong under more than one heading).

Writing:

What am I planning on writing past _____ book? (For me, this is a couple of books ahead).

Am I continuing a series? Starting a new series?

Is there an area in my writing that I need to work on?

How has feedback been for my most recent books? Is there a consistent complaint from readers? A consistent area that’s praised?

Business:

How are sales? How are sales over the last few months? When was the last time I ran a sale? A giveaway on Instafreebie or Goodreads?

Is my laptop in good shape? Do I have a good method of backing up my work regularly? Are there any accounting or writing-related programs I should invest in?

What formats are my books in? Should I expand into others?

What’s my budget for covers, editing, and other parts of the production process?

Promo:

Is my website updated?

Is my social media presence consistent? Am I failing to post consistently on a particular platform? Should I leave the platform and consolidate my efforts elsewhere?

Do I consistently work on promo each week for at least a few minutes? (Ideas about what you could be working on in this post. And Joanna Penn has a long list of book marketing questions to help you sell more books).

Professional development:

What have I learned? Did I attend conferences (online or in person?) Did I research what I wanted to research for promo/writing/etc.

Do I have a list of areas that I want to learn more about? (Publishing platforms like ACX or Ingram, what I can/should write off for taxes, new social media platforms, website mechanics?)

Personal:

Did I balance writing, promo, and life well?

Am I taking care of myself?

Overall:

Which areas need improvement?

What goals do I want to meet by the end of the year? This time next year? (Writer Sacha Black explains how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals for writing.)

Do you ever do reviews of your writing year? (Some authors I know do them quarterly, but I don’t think I could bear that much self-evaluation.)

What to consider during a review of your writing-related year:
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Photo credit: Royal Sapien via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

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Published on September 14, 2017 21:02

September 10, 2017

The Villain Reveal: Three Different Approaches

by Jonathan Vars

A dark figure emerges from the shadows. In a raspy voice, he taunts the hero, having once again bested him. Stepping into the light, the figure thrusts back his hood, revealing the face of…

Sound familiar?

Every story of good vs. evil story needs a villain revelation scene; a sequence in which the great mastermind behind the evil plot is revealed for who he/she is. In many instances, this can be the critical moment of the story: the “hot point” of the climax in which the hero comes face to face with his/her nemesis. Being that this moment is so key to both the climax and the story as a whole, it is crucial that you are equipped with the right tools to bring the moment to a crashing crescendo, as a poorly written revelation can crash the story at its most critical point.

Of course, you should keep in mind that there are many different ways to construct a villain revelation scene. Choosing the right option is often half the battle. Here are three potential ways you can reveal the villain in your story:

The Classic Reveal

“The hooded figure emerging from the shadows”

“The dark lord, sitting high within his stone tower”

“The shifty eyed butler, standing at the other side of the detective’s pointing finger”

All of these are examples of the classic villain reveal. Though somewhat predictable, this approach follows the pattern with which we are most familiar, and most comfortable. The classic reveal works best with:

Murder mysteries
Action/adventure stories
Legal thrillers

The classic reveal is the culmination of the audiences’ expectations. When a reader starts the first chapter of a detective story, they read with an expectation of discovering the perpetrator’s identity by the last chapter. The classic reveal is, in essence, the fulfillment of an unspoken promise to the reader.

The Immediate Reveal

Although less common than the classic, the immediate reveal introduces the villain within the first few chapters. Rather than building suspense around the villain’s identity, the author heightens tension around the villain’s actions.

Keep in mind: the immediate reveal does not allow you as the writer to “skimp” on the crafting of the revelation scene. On the contrary, even more effort must be built into the tension of this scene, and the scenes immediately following. Just because the reader knows the villain’s identity doesn’t mean there can’t be suspense. Possible ways to build tension around this are:

Withhold the villain’s identity from the protagonist/other main characters
Place the villain in a symbolically “unreachable” place, where he/she can taunt the hero at will
Describe in detail the villain weaving his/her plot, right under the noses of the protagonists

Sometimes the most sinister evil is the evil in plain sight. The immediate reveal is key when the villain is a fully developed character, rather than a one-dimensional antagonist.

The Chameleon Reveal

The chameleon reveal is, in many instances, similar to the classic reveal with one major exception: the villain is revealed to be a previously established character. In many ways, this unique twist combines the classic and immediate reveal into one; encompassing the early character introduction of the immediate with the dramatic “unmasking” of the classic. The chameleon reveal works best with:

Espionage/spy stories
Murder mysteries
Psychological thrillers

The chameleon reveal is unique in that rather than introducing a character, you reintroduce them in a totally new light to the reader.

Though a clever writing strategy, this approach must be handled with meticulous skill. First, you must ensure that your character’s “new identity” does not fly in the face of who you have already constructed them to be. In other words, while it may seem like a clever twist to reveal dear old Mrs. Perkins as the Pitchfork Killer, you must first ensure that this makes sense, in regards to both physics and continuity. Also, while it is permissible to take some liberties in a fictionalized world, your villain revelation should still be plausible. Rather than causing your readers roll their eyes in disbelief, you should leave them thinking, “That actually makes sense.”

In the end, the villain revelation is your call as a writer. Whether you choose the classic, the immediate, the chameleon, or an entirely different approach, give it your all and don’t rush it. Remember, a scene like this can make or break a story. If written correctly, your villain revelation can be a skin-crawling, spine tingling experience for each and every one of your readers.

Jonathan Vars is a Christian fiction writer from New England, and founder of the writing website voltampsreactive.com. His latest novel “Like Melvin” is currently available on Amazon and Google Books. In addition to writing, Jonathan enjoys running, painting, and trying not to freeze to death in the winter.

Author Jonathan Vars offers 3 different approaches to the traditional villain reveal:
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Published on September 10, 2017 21:01

September 9, 2017

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, I’m speaking today on a panel at the Eva Perry Regional Library in Apex from 2:00–3:30. I’d love to see you there!