Riley Adams's Blog, page 99
September 17, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
10 Tricks to Get Your Writing Flowing: http://ow.ly/VvGa303Stk0 @MahinWriter
5 Quirks to Rock Your Middle Grade Character: http://ow.ly/XGXq303SxsC @RonEstrada
Ed-Tech, Publishing and Investment: http://ow.ly/ZLPn304doik @MarkPiesing @pubperspectives
5 Books Featuring Adventuring Parties: http://ow.ly/3wsi303TZRy @aptshadow @tordotcom
How to Find and Reach Influencers to Promote Your Book: http://ow.ly/DExW303TZnz @AngelaAckerman
Writing From the Antagonist’s Point of View: http://ow.ly/bc8W303TZIU @Janice_Hardy
5 key elements for every story: http://ow.ly/JCgS303TZgQ @JordanDane
Flash Fiction Endings: Possibilities: http://ow.ly/irr7303U0f2 @teddideppner
How to Persevere in Your Writing: http://ow.ly/zG06303U01H @bethklewis
6 Rules for Creating an Oral History: http://ow.ly/EEA2303U0jN by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain @lithub
4 Audio Apps Help You Engage with Your Audience: http://ow.ly/WBSe303TZLn @DeniseWakeman
Create A Simple Single-Author Boxed Set: http://ow.ly/2iS7303TZkU @mollygreene
Telegraphing, Foreshadowing: http://ow.ly/Kh9Y303TZAj @rachelnseigel
How to Use Layers to Create Rich Character Emotions: http://ow.ly/2K1C303TZEr @MarcyKennedy
Book Production Programs for Indie Publishers: http://ow.ly/zAWF303TZtf @JWManus
Finding Perfect Book Comps: http://ow.ly/zqH4303VNSF @RobinRWrites
Anne Carroll Moore, the NY librarian who changed children’s lit forever: http://ow.ly/9TlS303VMNs @magiciansbook
Develop the Story Idea for your Novel: http://ow.ly/YHoC304ig1L @lornafaith
New Universal Links from Draft2Digital: http://ow.ly/LsTz303VNb6 @kevintumlinson
Real Life Diagnostics: Sounding Like a Middle-Grade Voice: http://ow.ly/61K0303VMAZ @Janice_Hardy
How To Write An E-Book And Publish It On Amazon KDP: http://ow.ly/Gwwy303VMWY @DevinSchedule
How to Pick a Genre for Your Novel: http://ow.ly/TGvq304ifYB @lornafaith
Freelance Writing: Writing About Hardships and Sharing Weaknesses Results in 1 Writer’s Success: http://ow.ly/nHa3303StwS by Laura Yeager
UK intl. wholesaler on reach of English, currency exchange, and global transport: http://ow.ly/W7S8304dnLd @Porter_Anderson @Gardners
Having Trouble Writing? Try Writing Rituals: http://ow.ly/Ojsu303Sxh1 @katekrake
Transitions: http://ow.ly/vDPn303Sv05 @AlyciaMorales
7 tips to Going Pro as an Author Entrepreneur: http://ow.ly/RKUG303Sxl2 @SukhiJutla
How to Manage Your Writing: http://ow.ly/FgCs303Stpc @JanalynVoigt
5 Basic Focus Hacks for Writers: http://ow.ly/wPQI303Sxci @katekrake
5 Tips for Writing Romance: http://ow.ly/BvPI303StkY @ceciliaedits
How Good Copywriting Can Sell More Books: http://ow.ly/8hUA303Stoj @cksyme
2 activities lay the groundwork for becoming an intuitive writer: http://ow.ly/1dcY303StqL @JanalynVoigt
Why You Need a Call To Action on Every Social Media Post: http://ow.ly/RnEz303StnF @cksyme
Translation: Bodour Al Qasimi on a ‘New Impetus for Arab Publishing’ : http://ow.ly/ysjX304dnqX @Bodour @Porter_Anderson
10 Common Habits of Successful Published Authors: http://ow.ly/Bu4o303RsYd by John Cabrera
How to Embrace Imperfection as a Writer: http://ow.ly/ah10303RsV6 @lornafaith
10 Tricks to Get Your Writing Flowing: http://ow.ly/o1ji303RsOA @MahinWriter
Fargo as Inspiration: Learn to Strengthen the Dialogue in Your Fiction: http://ow.ly/s8ur303RsVD @crisfreese
6 Steps to Build the Opening Scenes of Your Romance Novel: http://ow.ly/MlhL303RsUu @lornafaith
8 Ways William Shakespeare Can Make You a Better Writer: http://ow.ly/x3MS303RsWI by Bob Hostetler @WritersDigest
The Word-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Writing: http://ow.ly/7pJZ303RsU2 @charityscraig
5 Scenes to Avoid In Your Novel: http://ow.ly/jhhr303Rt0i @Chris_Kokoski
The Reflection Method of 10X Story Magnification: http://ow.ly/6XBN303Rt1m @Chris_Kokoski
How to Use the Twitter Dashboard: http://ow.ly/RTze303RsPf by Kevin Ho @SMExaminer
Discovering Your Novel’s Hook: http://ow.ly/PDw5303RsQy @Janice_Hardy
3 Differences Between a Demographic and Your Market: http://ow.ly/PfoI303RsTn @carlywatters
UK’s Man Booker Prize Shortlist of 6 Books: http://ow.ly/wa43304dnCY @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
3 Lessons Learned about Realism from Mentor Texts: http://ow.ly/HKBq303QTh8 @VZauthor
4 Things to do Once the Conference is Over: http://ow.ly/L1Wu303QTPu @pattywrites
Great Scene: “The Wizard of Oz”: http://ow.ly/U0zD303QT68 @GoIntoTheStory
Learning From the Pro Writers without Stalking Them: http://ow.ly/RjXF303QTY1 @diannmills
10 Ways You May Be Hurting Your Online Platform: http://ow.ly/X9nU303QTII @EdieMelson
How to Find the Right Place for Your Incitinig Event: http://ow.ly/uNVh303QTyP@Janice_Hardy
9 Reasons Kids Need Comics and Graphic Novels: http://ow.ly/7s6Y303QTEb @EricDeanSeaton
The Power of Pinterest in Novel Promotion: http://ow.ly/Sqay303QTkq @diannmills
When a Beta Reader “Doesn’t Get” Your Novel: http://ow.ly/i5OZ303QTa1 @KelsieEngen
The Writer’s Workout: http://ow.ly/kA2Y303QTez by Vincent Mars
What Writing a Story Strip Taught 1 Writer: http://ow.ly/iR5P303QU0S @JerryBJenkins
Inciting Incidents: http://ow.ly/FkMk303QTvR @SPressfield
Practical Plotting: http://ow.ly/oTFL303U2mU @p2p_editor
Book Pricing Strategies to Boost Indie Authors’ Sales: http://ow.ly/bes1303PIi4 @Bookgal
Keeping Track of the Details in Your Story: http://ow.ly/i7gI303PI9v @Ava_Jae
ISBN Q&A: Everything You Need to Know About Barcodes: http://ow.ly/zCXv303PInd @rcutlerSpark
Selling Books in the Multi-Billion Dollar Gift Shop Market: http://ow.ly/6lAU303PJQC @bookmarketing
How Helpful are Free Translation Services to Indie Authors? http://ow.ly/9PM5303PIWX @keithyd6 @IndieAuthorALLI
Involving your family in your writing career: http://ow.ly/IkHp303PJdu @DebbieYoungBN
How Social Media Fits into Your Publicity Strategy: http://ow.ly/88bO303PIEJ @CaballoFrances
The Team Dynamic in Crime Fiction: http://ow.ly/GxGP3047CRC @mkinberg
Cooking Up ‘Entrepreneurial Spirit’ in Publishing: http://ow.ly/QbkN3047sJa @philexposed @pressfuturist @pubperspectives
Book Hangovers: http://ow.ly/U9es303PIcG @AshKrafton
7 Ways to Keep Social Media from Ruining Your Mood: http://ow.ly/vmMR303PIN9 @colleen_m_story
Book Discovery Sites Can Help You Find More Readers: http://ow.ly/4QcM303PItD @dre_cal
Should You Pay for a Publicist? http://ow.ly/dvs2303PIR4 @VoicetoStory @janefriedman
Ads Aren’t a Brand and Promotion Isn’t Platform: http://ow.ly/u61y303PHqy @KristenLambTX
Ron Rash on Writing to Bring Out the Dead: http://ow.ly/zZI83049dwD @lithub
The Rule of Cool and the Audience’s Suspension of Disbelief: http://ow.ly/X3xi303PHcQ @Rachel_Aaron
Jonathan Safran Foer on his writing day and struggles: http://ow.ly/LJiP303OMxZ @jonnyfoer @GuardianBooks
Authors including ‘trigger warnings’ for their book to indicate disturbing content: http://ow.ly/CNSy3047IwN @Porter_Anderson
Beware of attention residue when you’re writing: http://ow.ly/Pgg63047xBL @pubcoach
On Becoming a Translator: 4 Points for Getting Started http://ow.ly/1JbU3047sqS by Lena Prisner @pubperspectives
9 ways to ensure dialogue works in your story: http://ow.ly/Vb1J3047rfp @rachaeldthomas @jemifraser
Finished Your First Novel? What Do You Do Now? http://ow.ly/dfzj303ONqs @annerallen
Ebook Anatomy: Inside the Black Box: http://ow.ly/5b66303ONo5 @dkudler
Make a Series Bible Using Excel: http://ow.ly/HWjS3047D7u @HeidiHormel @TheIWSG
Author Ãlvaro Enrigue Sees a ‘Globalization of Latin American Writers’ http://ow.ly/E6aW3047t26 @AlvaroEnrigue by Adam Critchley
How to Promote Your Latest Work With a Blog: http://ow.ly/eW1m303PHwA by Matt Banner @mythicscribes
How to Be Active on Social Media without Losing Your Mind: http://ow.ly/3OHR303PH9S @kikimojo
Where to Find Ideas for Your Novel: http://ow.ly/4hu4303PH67 @Janice_Hardy
2 Goodreads Features to Try: http://ow.ly/Z3sC303PHYr @K8Tilton @CaballoFrances
Yoast: Your Complete WordPress SEO Toolkit: http://ow.ly/lfOj303ONyy by Jim Stewart
4 tips for subtle exposition from @DavidHSafford: http://ow.ly/Lvyk3047mPT
Conflict of Interest? Agents and Editors With Their Own Books: http://ow.ly/Kpg1303ONrW @Kid_Lit
5 Key Ingredients of Young Adult Novels: http://ow.ly/bVnM3047qKz @katiemccoach
7 Ways to De-clutter Your Writing and Your Life: http://ow.ly/kjW5303OBPJ @ElawReads
7 Rules for Writing Fantastic Dialogue: http://ow.ly/Kq7r303OBLx @nownovel
Emotional Wound Entry for Writers: Being Bullied: http://ow.ly/2A8E303OBJA @AngelaAckerman
Pros and cons of sharing our work in progress: http://ow.ly/Gkys303OC2B @JamiGold
8 Ways to Recognize Helpful Criticism (and How to Ignore the Rest): http://ow.ly/nI3y303OBW8 @ElawReads
8 Steps to Writing a Coherent Novel: http://ow.ly/LJfh303OBEH @mmhoffman14
The top writing links of the week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
September 15, 2016
Creative Challenges Within a Single Genre
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Whenever I talk to anyone about my writing, the question usually comes up: would I like to try writing anything other than mystery?
Then I explain that I actually have written something other than mystery. But it was a one-off, a ‘cozy zombie’ book (yes, I did make that genre up). But that was what’s called an ‘attack book.’ The story had been bothering me for years to write it, and finally I did to get the story to shut up.
What people seem most surprised about is that I don’t get bored writing my genre. That I’m not tired of writing the same types of stories.
I’ve always said that I found it a special creative challenge to work within the confines of genre and series.
In lots of ways, it’s much easier to write in a series. For one thing, it’s a good deal faster. You’ve already got your main/recurring characters. The setting will likely be the same. You put these characters into new situations in the same setting and have them respond.
In other ways, it’s that creative challenge I mentioned. Oh, it’s easy enough to come up with something shiny and different for the first few books. But then you usually run into a couple of problems. One, you need to take careful note of story details so you won’t contradict yourself with something you stated in a previous book in the series (just ask me about one character’s cat allergy. Or, rather, please don’t). A story bible is very useful for this.
For another, you’re trying to keep things interesting. Trying to allow the characters to grow but have them still be recognizable. Trying to keep the series fresh and not have it go stale or be too similar to the other books. At the same time, you can’t let things get too different, or readers likely won’t be happy.
And then there’s the genre strictures. For a cozy mystery (the subgenre I write), the stories have a particular pattern to them. I also need to adhere to the genre guidelines (amateur sleuth, no gore, focus on the puzzle not forensics, etc).
I came across a blog post recently by writer Wendy Paine Miller that linked over to an interesting TED talk by artist Phil Hansen. A tremendous setback forced him to change his art forever–but the change (as he calls it, “learning to be creative within the confines of our limitations”) made him successful. In fact, he states that limitations can be “a source of creativity.”
Although Hansen’s limitations were physical, I think we can find that same creative drive within a genre and find just as much satisfaction that way.
Not every writer wants to stick with one genre. Some receive their creative satisfaction by writing many different genres and types of stories. But I think that we don’t have to do that to obtain creative satisfaction. That it’s possible to get it from within the confines of our genre.
Do you see the creative challenges in series writing or in sticking with a particular genre? Have you seen this TED talk (and have you got any others to recommend? I love that stuff).
Sticking with a genre can provide satisfying creative challenges:
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The post Creative Challenges Within a Single Genre appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
September 11, 2016
Become an Exposition Ninja with 4 Sneaky Steps
by David H. Safford, @DavidHSafford
Few elements of our craft vex us more than exposition.
Perhaps this is because the rules aren’t written in stone.
To you, the writer, it feels necessary to share everything that you’ve dreamt up about a character and his/her world.
But to the reader, there may be mass confusion about things you never dreamed would be unclear.
This is why so many conversations with early readers or critique partners can drift toward the defensive. We, the writers, have assumptions about what the reader should understand, or “get.”
Yet our readers often have much different experiences than we expect, and this is horribly frustrating.
To pave a smooth road for our readers – and to become proper Exposition Ninjas – we need to understand the purpose of exposition, otherwise we won’t know why we’re using it. Effective stories always handle exposition purposefully.
The Purpose of Exposition is to enhance three things: The characters’ goals, stakes, and consequences.
That’s it.
Any “backstory” that doesn’t provide depth for these three elements (character goals, stakes, consequences) is fluff that should be cut immediately.
One of the biggest mistakes that authors make is beginning their story or novel by “setting the scene.”
And while setting is important, it’s not essential.
What is essential is conflict. Risk. Stakes.
The stuff that matters.
And if you don’t begin with the things that matter, your reader won’t stick around.
So what do we do?
Here is some Exposition Ninja training that will sharpen your skills as you deal with this terribly tricky aspect of story-telling.
1. Wait For It.
This bears repeating. So many authors fill their first 1—10 pages (or more, God help them) with background information because they think it’s “necessary” for the story to start.
This is completely wrong.
The story starts because characters make choices to pursue their goals. The background can come later.
Try not to let “classic” books be your guide here. Some classics don’t follow this rule and get away with it (Lord of the Rings comes to mind). But we judge these works with a biased scale and they gain new readers on the basis of “classic” status and Hollywood films.
You don’t have that benefit.
Odds are you are trying to climb up the Amazon rankings and you’re going to need a killer beginning to get people to buy your book. You can still be artful while getting to the point. Most great writers learn how.
So can you.
2. Space It Out.
A page-long block of blatant exposition is an excuse for the reader to skip ahead.
My wife admitted to doing this while reading my novel, so I begged her to flag the pages for me so I could break the “mega” paragraphs up.
Exposition needs to be delivered in short, controlled bursts.
That’s what your early drafts are for – to weed out the rambling, devolving fluff and identify the 1-2 key details that are necessary.
Remember that readers are interested in dialogue, action, and relevant information – not a lengthy history lesson.
Of course, many books include history lessons that detail their settings and cultures.
However, most of them wait until these history lessons matter.
And when I say they matter, I mean they matter to the characters – more specifically, to the characters’ goals, the stakes they are putting up for it, and the consequences of their choices.
If it takes a short history lesson to explain why Bob’s choice was so risky, then do it.
But not until Bob is beginning to make the choice or facing consequences of it.
3. Legitimize It
This is a tough pill to swallow, but it is an important pill nonetheless.
If the expositional information doesn’t affect the character’s pursuit of his/her goal, then it doesn’t matter.
Readers love to see characters wrestle with the world of the story. They love choices and consequences. The exposition’s purpose is to enhance the goals, stakes and consequences of a character.
If the background information is only there because “it’s interesting,” then I have news for you: What’s “interesting” for you is not necessarily interesting for everyone else.
Always keep in mind that people who are reading your book will keep reading it because they are interested in your characters and the painful choices they make in order to get their goals.
The rest is just set-dressing. Without the stakes, the rest falls away.
So connect that “interesting” stuff to character pursuits. Otherwise, it’s only fluff.
4. Hide It
Here’s the thing with exposition: No one wants to “see” it.
Think of exposition as the tunnels under Disney World, bad CGI animation, or the inside of a Chinese take-out kitchen.
You don’t want to see it. No one really wants the magic ruined.
So it is with exposition.
It needs to be carefully and precisely hidden throughout the story. The moment it peeks out and gets caught is the moment the reader wakes up from the dream of your story.
The story loses its “magic.”
So hide that exposition in places that communicate the information to the reader, but the reader doesn’t expect it.
Hide It In Dialogue.
Slip the most important bits of exposition into a character’s dialogue. Keep these bits both short and pertinent to the conflict and stakes. It’s also important to distribute information evenly amongst characters, lest certain characters become “exposition machines,” spewing information without mattering to the story.
Hide It In Brief Scene Description.
When characters enter a new setting, you will likely want to paint a picture of that world. Tuck the most important expositional details into the observations of these characters, focusing on ones that connect to character goals, flaws, and insecurities. Let the readers observe with the characters, not through the eyes of a narrator.
Hide It In Choices.
When a character makes a high-stakes choice, this affects the characters and world around him/her. Rather than explaining all the details before-hand, reveal the relevant exposition after a character has made a decision, and leave it to the reader to judge the impact of that choice.
A Ninja Always Attacks
Ninjas are masters of the sneak attack.
And exposition is, in a way, a sneaky offensive initiated by the author.
Think of exposition this way: Since it is literally “back-story,” exposition could be represented by a backwards arrow: ß
But your story doesn’t move backwards, at least in terms of characters pursuing goals.
Your story needs to move forward.
Its characters move forward with choices that affect the future – represented by a forwards arrow: à
While the stuff of exposition, past choices and details, affect the present, they aren’t quite as important as the actions of the present. Expositional details need to be selected with extreme care and placed in the story with great precision.
You want your story moving forward, à, not backward, ß.
Always be moving forward. Just like a ninja.
If you take a step back (reveal some exposition), it must actually be a part of a forward attack (advancing a character’s actions and choices).
Master this, my young apprentices, and Exposition Ninjas shall you be!
What do you think? What skills have helped you become an Exposition Ninja? Respond in the comments below!
4 tips for subtle exposition from @DavidHSafford:
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David H. Safford is the author of The Bean of Life, the story of a man who decides to save 
the world with coffee.
Read a free preview or get an early-access copy here before the September 20th launch. When he’s not drinking a whole pot of coffee, David loves singing Disney songs with his daughter and helping other writers tell their stories.
The post Become an Exposition Ninja with 4 Sneaky Steps appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Small Presses and the Fight for Publicity: http://ow.ly/44Ho303NgGp @ilanaslightly @lithub
Becoming a Writer Means Becoming a Cliché : http://ow.ly/e876303NgdF by Odie Lindsey @lithub
How to work alone: http://ow.ly/xDP3303Ng9T @pubcoach
“One More for the River”: On Writing Challenges: http://ow.ly/jajc303NfYq @Literotaur
Increase tension in your novel: http://ow.ly/ohSO3045dMa @KelsieEngen
How to Legally Use Quotations in Your Book: http://ow.ly/qMmN303Igye @HelenSedwick @JFbookman
Tropes and Clichés in Epic Fantasy: Is It Time To Move On? http://ow.ly/WgMf303Ng7v @TOMunro
Who Gets to Decide What Counts as English? http://ow.ly/Jwkw303NgjQ @GabbyBellot @lithub
Publishing Contracts: Red Flags: http://ow.ly/OhC1303N8Gp by Angela Mackintosh
5 Ways to Keep Writing When Life Intervenes: http://ow.ly/HrfZ303N8K4 @jessicastrawser
8 Writing Tips from Authors who Won the Nobel: http://ow.ly/1Y7s303N8sa @nownovel
Want to Write for Magazines? Do This First: http://ow.ly/Fwpx303N8iy @Kristen_E_Pope
How To Make Your Characters Come Alive: http://ow.ly/nnyP303N8q4 @standoutbooks
6 Most Common Personality Traits of Successful Writers: http://ow.ly/waUR303N8Bi @BlossomTips
How to Build Memorable Monsters: http://ow.ly/n0fr303N8v6 @Jffelkins
Free Books and What to Do With Them: http://ow.ly/fCxL303N8o6 @jaelmchenry
Dialogue and Subtext: The Spoken and the Unspoken: http://ow.ly/AmMV303N8Su by Joni Fisher @WomenWriters
Writing a Novel Limited to the 483 Words Spoken by Ophelia: http://ow.ly/OUDQ303IgaE @ScottEsposito @paul_griffiths_ @lithub
Why 1 Author Loves Soap Operas (And How They Made Her a Better Writer): http://ow.ly/kvGz303IfNb @deborahcaryn @lithub
How to Beat Procrastination: http://ow.ly/WcoB303IdTz @Caroline_Webb_ @HarvardBiz
3 Reasons To Love Noir: http://ow.ly/puBv303ItBN @RobinStorey1
Bowker: 727.000 US Self-Published ISBNs Registered in 2015: http://ow.ly/oXaw3043Lvn @BeatBarblan @Porter_Anderson
9 Tips for Entering A Writing Contest: http://ow.ly/sj2S3043gvl @joannaslan
Why Handwriting Is Still Essential in the Keyboard Age: http://ow.ly/ftXe303Ied9 @PerriKlass @nytimeswell
Embracing Technology and Arabic Culture, Lamsa App Gets Kids Reading: http://ow.ly/jhoL303YHL3 @Porter_Anderson @badrward
Twitter Cards for Authors: http://ow.ly/SRAF303It58 @zackheim
Sex and Dating: Now the Thinking Woman’s Subject: http://ow.ly/QK5F303IfYx by Casey Schwartz @nytimesbooks
Instagram for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/Wpmu303ItiM by Daley James Francis
52 Creative Writing Worksheets: http://ow.ly/X8Oo303IdNM @EvaDeverell
Syncing Scrivener Files Between Computers Using Dropbox: http://ow.ly/QpvG303Ie7v @Figures @FantasyFaction
Do Goodreads Giveaways Work? http://ow.ly/1Dk7303ItvL @JMNeyGrimm
Think your #writing isn’t good enough? Dealing with your fears: http://ow.ly/kg15303IgDG @DeborahJay2
What Do Your Reading Habits Reveal About Your Personality? http://ow.ly/hbOL303YhiH @lithub
A Former Literary Agent on Plotting: http://ow.ly/NnHQ303FO72 @p2p_editor
6 Bad Arguments Against Social Justice in Spec Fiction: http://ow.ly/tTAt303FO3g @mythcreants by Oren Ashkenazi
How to Build Your Readership: http://ow.ly/hcce303FO9s @Lindasclare
Writing sprint? How about a writing walk? http://ow.ly/1mMS303FNZa @GoIntoTheStory
Crime fiction: police detectives who get too close to a case: http://ow.ly/gURc303U1Z3 @mkinberg
Craft Books for Pantsers: http://ow.ly/asWV303FNTm @PBRWriter
Trad Pub’s 2016 Struggles Outlined in The Hot Sheet (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/cePd3040XBK
Southeast Asia’s Rising Publishing World: Interview with @ken_quek http://ow.ly/GpmA303YHs4 @Porter_Anderson
Tips for Beginnings and Endings: http://ow.ly/4atb303FOo3 @JenniferAlLee
Conferences: Advancing Your Writing Career: http://ow.ly/v1Bi303FOkG @RobinCaroll
Lessons from Bad Books: http://ow.ly/T7Gj303FOh5 by Tara Dugan @The_Millions
4 Ways to Create Believable Urban Fantasy: http://ow.ly/jrFo303FNXE @finesarah @WritersDigest
Using humor in environmental writing: http://ow.ly/qLyF303FObZ by Melissa Hart @TheWriterMag
5 Things for Writers to Look for in a Day Job: http://ow.ly/yBwI303FO0Z @zenaldehyde @WritersDigest
Writing About Online Bullying: http://ow.ly/s3gU303FNUU @GalitBreen @WomenWriters
How old was Hamlet? http://ow.ly/IzCf303OQVo @profrhodrilewis @TheTLS
The mysteries of the least-known Bronte sister: http://ow.ly/w6um303OQKh @laura_june @thehairpin
ARCs for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/YiVm303ECV2 @DebbieYoungBN
The pantsing vs plotting debate: http://ow.ly/sZJN303EDcr @AkileshAyyar @The_Millions
7 Easy Ways to Connect with Readers: http://ow.ly/8o7O303ED0y by David Villalva
Spoiler Alerts: Any Story Worth Telling Doesn’t Need Them: http://ow.ly/LQiW303YgK6 @jrc2666 @lithub
5 Tips for Writing Narrative Nonfiction: http://ow.ly/iZYp303ECSl @ceciliaedits
5 Ways to Restore Tension: http://ow.ly/MSqn303ECT6 by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Arctic settings in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/jiCd303U1To @mkinberg
The UK Publishers Association Issues a Brexit ‘Manifesto’ of Priorities: http://ow.ly/RVmD303YHjh @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing Opportunity: The 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest: http://ow.ly/jJk0303YFhJ @TheIWSG
How to Write a Horror Story: 6 Tips: http://ow.ly/v49a303ED9f @nownovel
The Unprocrastination Challenge for September: http://ow.ly/wAbu303YrYf @zen_habits
Writing a Military Romance: http://ow.ly/7Ej9303ED84 @HeatherlyBelle
Using Backstory in Chapter 1 Without Adding Backstory: http://ow.ly/1qwN303ED6u @ZoeMMcCarthy
Why Your Story Needs Real Stakes: http://ow.ly/rtfl303ECZp @Je55ieMullin5 @YAtopia_blog
The Complete Guide to Repurposing Online Content: http://ow.ly/VzeL303ED59 @HelloMorganTimm
Blog or Plotting tips, tricks, and templates: http://ow.ly/WavZ303DG3V @kseniaanske
Testing the Waters: What to Do When You Don’t Like Anything: http://ow.ly/28yx303DGwf @MelissaFOlson @tordotcom
Toxic friendships in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/Deqp303U1OE @mkinberg
How to Stay Organized During a Revision: http://ow.ly/tGiW303VOlf @Janice_Hardy @AngelaAckerman
Why Can’t Irish Writers Escape the Sea? http://ow.ly/dk4C303DGkS @Creative_Career
9 Ways to Market a Book After the New Release Buzz Dies Down: http://ow.ly/O1be303DG6P @DianaUrban
Are Your Adjectives Powerful? http://ow.ly/8kBY303DGbA @ProWritingAid
Use a Spreadsheet to Outline Your Novel: http://ow.ly/VlJT303DG0M @TJMoss11 @WritersDigest
Making a Living Writing: http://ow.ly/zJsl303DGrd @hopeclark
The Medium is the Message: How We Read and How It Affects Us: http://ow.ly/LhcG303DGia @_johnbradley
The Monstrous Words Lurking in Your Language: http://ow.ly/7iLN303DGsH by Chi Luu @JSTOR_Daily
How to Write Coincidence the Right Way: http://ow.ly/OPMA303DGnP @AliceMattison1 @lithub
Is Your Story Not Making Any Sense? http://ow.ly/6DIr303DG8K @patverducci
The Contagion of Diagnosis: http://ow.ly/z1dV303DGxj @KristinDombek @nplusonemag
5 Reasons Writers Should Move to Columbus, OH: http://ow.ly/OD1Y303AJPc @AnnieMcGreevy @lithub
How to Write Great Loglines: http://ow.ly/J8ik303AKci @briannehogan
Why Writers Should Be Curious About People: http://ow.ly/umOg303AK8e @annkroeker
6 Tips For Cleaning Up Your Dirty Words (Grammatically, Of Course): http://ow.ly/JXWi303AKff @espressoeditor
The Bloody History of the True Crime Genre: http://ow.ly/toYx303AJDp by Pamela Burger @JSTOR_Daily
4 Ways to Make Space in Your Brain to Create: http://ow.ly/qkU5303AJZJ @molliewest @fosslien @livequiet
Writing Duel Scenes: http://ow.ly/ajSl303AKy1 @RayneHall
Who Am I: Writer or Bookseller? http://ow.ly/I5yB303AJc4 @BenjaminRybeck
How To Perfect Your Writing Style: http://ow.ly/pGud303AKEe @misfitalexa
The Bedrock of Character Development: http://ow.ly/Q2Wz303AKvl @barbaraoneal
How to Set Clear Writing Goals: http://ow.ly/nQLi303AKro @SukhiJutla
There’s No Secret to Writing About People Who Don’t Look Like You: Empathy as Craft: http://ow.ly/gBbo303AIN5 @brandonrambles
5 Twitter Tips for Publishers and Writers: http://ow.ly/ybuP303Rt89 @Porter_Anderson @IngramSpark
The Gothic Secrets Every Steampunk Writer Should Know: http://ow.ly/Yf4s303zm4r @standoutbooks
A Predictive Text Generator for Internet Fanfiction: http://ow.ly/QEbB303zmkv @velocciraptor
6 Tips for Making It Small in Hollywood. Or Anywhere. http://ow.ly/YDjI303PTkQ @birbigs @nytimes
24 Most Controversial Books of All Time: http://ow.ly/Uoei303zmgh by Nicholas Politan @ElectricLit
Speaker Beats That Can Ruin a Manuscript: http://ow.ly/Dj3f303zmnu @AndreaMerrell
Starting a Writing Business: http://ow.ly/KRKR303zm9t @Rachel_Aaron
7 Ways To Stop Your Brain From Crashing When You Need It Most: http://ow.ly/weX1303zmty @colleen_m_story
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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September 8, 2016
Top Tips for Entering A Writing Contest
By Joanna Campbell Slan, @joannaslan
Over the years I’ve entered and judged a variety of contests. Since we’ve recently opened our call for entries to the 2016 FREDDIE AWARD for WRITING EXCELLENCE (FAWE) competition sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, I thought I’d share a little of what I’ve learned.
First impressions matter. Fortunately, the FAWE is electronic files only. But back in the day when I judged the St. Martin’s Minotaur contest, a woman sent me a stack of papers tied together with an old, dirty shoelace. Sure, I overlooked the grunge when I read her work, but I’ll admit it was hard to separate the visual introduction from the words on the page. Think a minute about the impressions you’re leaving as you work your way through the contest process.
Follow the rules. When you’re staring at a stack of entries, the fastest and fairest way to winnow them down is by checking to see if folks followed the rules. Personally, I like to print out the rules and check them off as I submit.
Transparency for communication helps. Do you have multiple addresses? Write under a pen name? Use a variety of email addresses? Are you planning a long vacation in Africa where you’ll be unavailable for months? Don’t make it difficult for the administrators to contact you.
Readability is essential. Of course, this won’t matter if your file is electronic, but I’ll never forget the contest manuscript that arrived in bright green ink. Ever. And there’s a lesson there. If you hand-write an entry form, is it legible? Did you use that favorite purple pen of yours? Don’t.
Pandering is slimy. I’m as insecure and susceptible to compliments as the next author, but to go on and on in the correspondence about how wonderful I am…well…I’m also not stupid. If the judges are not anonymous, curb your enthusiasm. Be respectful but not cray-cray fan person.
Be gracious. Whether you win or lose, respect the fact that people took time and effort from their careers to create, run, and administer a contest. Remember, most of these are put on by volunteers. Life happens. If the experience didn’t meet your expectations, be a good trooper. Sure, you can share your disappointment, but then move on. After all, you are still creating an impression. In this highly subjective business, that matters a lot.
Accept criticism with appreciation. Writers with more experience are giving you the benefit of their years of experience in their critique. Writing is subjective, but if three judges say the same element needs work, then work on that element. If critiques mention different elements, it’s writer’s choice as to what you do with the judges’ opinions.
Be respectful on social media. Don’t rail against the stupid judges who didn’t recognize that you are the Next Great American Writer. You may be, but is it possible that your skill doesn’t quite yet match your expectations at this time? Don’t get a reputation for being difficult to work with before you’ve started your career.
Use a writing contest as an opportunity for feedback from writers who are reading a blind submission. If their critique matches that from those who love you, Congratulations! If it doesn’t, continue honing your craft. Writing a story, no matter its length, is a skill comprised of many parts. You may have mastered some parts more than others.
The FAWE competition is accepting entries until October 15, 2016. Entries consist of the first 20 pages of an unpublished, unagented, and uncontracted mystery or thriller manuscript. For full rules or to enter, go to the contest website: http://mwaflorida.org/contest/
Top Tips for Entering a Writing Contest from @joannaslan
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Joanna Campbell Slan is the national bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books. Most recently, she has partnered with her friend Linda Gordon Hengerer and a dozen other authors to create the Happy Homicides series of mystery anthologies. Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime is the most recent offering. Check out Joanna’s work at http://www.JoannaSlan.com or email her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com
The post Top Tips for Entering A Writing Contest appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
September 3, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
I’ll be back blogging on Friday–taking a day off tomorrow for Labor Day. :)
Finding the Right Critique Partner: 6-Step Checklist: http://ow.ly/vjIh303uOZ2 @KMWeiland
Roxane Gay With Advice For Aspiring Writers: http://ow.ly/M4qW303uPik @rgay @bustle @gayonabudget
The Most Neglected Resource for Reviews: YouTube: http://ow.ly/s3nU303uOn0 @AndyPeloquin
6 Ways to Vet Freelance Editors: http://ow.ly/gqyC303uOBK by Maya Rock @JaneFriedman
Editorial Assessments: Finding Music in the Noise: http://ow.ly/6gJ6303uOUh @RFaithEditorial
Breathe! The Copyeditor Has Your Back http://ow.ly/8QDa303uOGK @Dario_Ciriello
Draft2Digital Test Drive for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/K98e303PK40 @stapilus
Finishing That Endless Manuscript: http://ow.ly/KYQM303uOWI @Philip_Overby
ARCs for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/6H7n303PKcU @DebbieYoungBN @IndieAuthorALLI
Why Plot Flaws Happen: It’s About Problem Solving: http://ow.ly/yUjf303uPra @AJHumpage
All You Need to Grow Your Email List http://ow.ly/clP9303uOvH @EmilyWenstrom
Intl. Industry Notes: Frankfurt’s Guest of Honor, PEN America’s Focus on Muslim-Americans: http://ow.ly/cvYV303O4Qa @Porter_Anderson
Dos and Don’ts of Writing About the Disabled: http://ow.ly/dKl8303wecB @nicolaz @lithub
Fixing the First Page: http://ow.ly/VTQu303x9HT @Ava_Jae
How To Find Your Author Voice: http://ow.ly/TUhI303xafU @Roz_Morris @thecreativepenn
All about episodic writing: http://ow.ly/mlBe303xa5C @inkylinks
How to Incorporate Flashbacks into a Story: http://ow.ly/UcIo303xa1m @nownovel
Bring characters to life even if you don’t like them: http://ow.ly/jqsS303x9YZ @patriciaauthor
How To Create Memorable Characters: 8 Little-Known Sleights of Hand: http://ow.ly/nXtG303xabZ @Yeomanis
How to Make Connections and Boost Your Writing Career: http://ow.ly/JSCr303x9MB @RachelleReaCobb
4 Truths and 4 Myths That Every New Novelist Should Know: http://ow.ly/TtFI303xaka @FlorenceOsmund
Plan a DIY Writing Retreat: http://ow.ly/m8WK303x9TF @Kristen_E_Pope
9 Lessons Learned About Writing From Weight Training: http://ow.ly/89JE303x9VI @SukhiJutla
Managing Deadline Stress: http://ow.ly/5T2X303x9Kh @kcraftwriter
Layering a Subplot into Your Novel: http://ow.ly/hykE303xanf @CSLakin
Creativity: How to Keep a Zibaldone, the 14th Century’s Answer to Tumblr: http://ow.ly/Nw09303PT4V @cjgiaimo @atlasobscura
The Case for Podcasting (As a Writer): http://ow.ly/3Naq303zm6v @monicamclark
5 Steps to Surviving Your Copy Edit: http://ow.ly/rEVS303zmr5 @jessicastrawser
10 Dos and Don’ts of Query Letters: http://ow.ly/kBA7303zmbL @MissConstance21
A Definition of Author Platform: http://ow.ly/S1fo303zm2t @JaneFriedman
How To Be A Good Beta Reader: http://ow.ly/ovVj303uP5c @fiedawn @BookBaby
Are Publishers Failing Poland’s Digital Readership? http://ow.ly/SvBF303O4yX @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
How to get a book trailer made for $30: http://ow.ly/gRAz303uOqF @Creativindie
Going Wide – Gaining Traction on non-Amazon Vendors: http://ow.ly/wMP4303uOz0 @AngelaQuarles
German Publishers’ Petition Protests Media Constraints in Turkey http://ow.ly/Nrlx303O4q0 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Top Tip for Setting Descriptions: http://ow.ly/er5p303zp8v @jamesscottbell
Adding Subtext with Dialogue Cues: http://ow.ly/pS02303zp5E @MargieLawson
Help with story transitions: http://ow.ly/F6IU303zp1k @AlyciaMorales
Podcast Interview With Trade-and-Self-Pub Author Elizabeth Craig: http://ow.ly/WoFx303OIvY (Thanks @InkyBites !)
Going Wide: Leaving Amazon Select: http://ow.ly/YlEq303zory @mollygreene
Making social media work for you: http://ow.ly/vaUH303OChQ @Roz_Morris
How Great Amazon Book Descriptions Help Authors Sell More Books: http://ow.ly/98Tg303zon4 @Bookgal
Facebook Ads: The Complete, Always-Updated Guide: http://ow.ly/pZZz303zofM @kevanlee @buffer
Why Did the Jessup Correctional Institute Cancel a Writer’s Book Club? http://ow.ly/P3v8303Ngyp @MikitaBrottman
Compiling an ARC Team, Obtaining Reviews, and Publishing More Often: http://ow.ly/lwMa303zo7M @AnnaHackett @GoblinWriter
The Dangerous Myth of Authenticity: http://ow.ly/o97c303r8Ed by C. B. George @lithub
Being Seymour Glass: Why 1 Author Borrowed a Name from Salinger: http://ow.ly/WwIW303r8jw @parisreview @rjhernandeznyc
Using Poetry and Fiction to Encourage Experiments in Nonfic: http://ow.ly/n2g4303r8cS @ChelseaHodson @CatapultStory
So. Africa’s Bridge Books: ‘Link Publishers With Readers’: http://ow.ly/j8O4303r7VR @DennisAbrams2
Why Do Writers Love Birding So Much? http://ow.ly/MWlS303r7Pg @KatherineTowler @lithub
10 Writing Mistakes That Give Readers Heartburn: http://ow.ly/jnOE303zoYe @ZoeMMcCarthy
Choosing Your Path: Writers’ Groups, Self-Publishing and More: http://ow.ly/cpeS303qB0z by Sue Bradford Edwards
How to Spot (& Avoid) “Pay to Play” Publishing Contracts: http://ow.ly/Panf303qAPT @RMFWriters @SusanSpann
Your Book in 5 Words or Fewer: Your Title: http://ow.ly/8QwT303qAXP @KayKeppler
Why authors should read their work in public: http://ow.ly/aUiZ303qB3y @IndieAuthorALLI
Using Amazon Categories, Themes, and Keywords to Sell More Books: http://ow.ly/TsVq303qB63 @Bookgal @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Choose, Develop, & Research a Setting: http://ow.ly/dKz9303qBcx @tessaemilyhall
Revision: Kill Your Darlings, and Some Trees: http://ow.ly/y7xp303qAWd @ecmyers
5 Valuable Insights for Self-Publishing Authors: http://ow.ly/Bj9e303qATe @CSLakin
The 5 Most Common Mistakes Writers Make When Seeking Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/BEWQ303qAUZ @CSLakin
9 Simple Steps to Start a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in Fewer than 15 Minutes: http://ow.ly/gAZ7303qARG @lornafaith
Worldbuilding Tips from the UK Editor of The Martian: http://ow.ly/J3Wg303qALu @mjcr @ReedsyHQ
Memoir writing worksheets: http://ow.ly/uwwS303qAGI @EvaDeverell
Italian Teenagers Receive a ‘Culture Bonus’ to Read and Engage in the Arts: http://ow.ly/4z6q303EPZT @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives
9 Lessons Learned About Writing From Walking 100km In A Weekend: http://ow.ly/pn13303oikM @thecreativepenn
Ad Stacking, Writing Habits, Boxsets And Motivation Through The Tough Times: http://ow.ly/vYZi303oip3 @thecreativepenn
Story Structure Case Study of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”: http://ow.ly/QHq1303oiea @kylieday0
7 Point Story Structure Case Study of The Hunger Games: http://ow.ly/3fWh303oihC @kylieday0
Editing’s Eternal Verities: http://ow.ly/uNVP303oixE by Dave King
The Evolution of Relationships: http://ow.ly/iXoM303ojk0 @Kid_Lit
Description: The Good the Bad and the Just Please STOP: http://ow.ly/ebXV303ojG7 @KristenLambTX
Story Beginnings: Do You Have Context? http://ow.ly/kZGm303oiDt @JamiGold
10 eye-opening tips to add impact to your storytelling: http://ow.ly/41P2303ojfE @Roz_Morris
Finishing That Endless Manuscript: http://ow.ly/l5l2303ojK6 @Philip_Overby
What to Put Into Your Story So a Great Pitch Comes Out: http://ow.ly/hIvs303ojdn @ZoeMMcCarthy
8 More Ways to Make Money Off Your Novel: Personal Essay Prompts: http://ow.ly/ZqIl303oi9k @StoriesColors
International Industry Notes: World’s Largest Publishers: http://ow.ly/5MmM303FKFf @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Organizing a Second Draft with Notecards: http://ow.ly/LL4x303l5vT @AllieLarkin
How to Plot If You Hate Plotting: http://ow.ly/ciga303l4C2 @brianawrites
How Tiny Goals Changed 1 Writer’s Life: http://ow.ly/C4NN303l5Az @shauntagrimes
Traditional Publishing Takes Less Time? The Myth: http://ow.ly/lFx3303l5Su @DeanWesleySmith
Tips for better query letters: http://ow.ly/myG8303FLys @Michelle4Laughs @TheIWSG
UK’s Publishers Assoc. Reports on China Journals (‘China funding 20 new Eng-lang. journals a year’) http://ow.ly/ekVh303DFQ8 @Porter_Anderson
7 Ways Besides Sales to Make Money Off your Novel: http://ow.ly/weEQ303l4Po @NicolaJaneWrite
6 Key Scenes to Write a Terrifying Villain: http://ow.ly/RcOq303l5Zg @Jffelkins
Requirements needed for a writer to make a living writing only short fiction: http://ow.ly/NFcZ303l5NX @DeanWesleySmith
How to Get Your Characters to Connect: http://ow.ly/7Unz303l4He @Ava_Jae
Storytelling: An Exercise In Empathy: http://ow.ly/y2eq303l4Mn @LizLazzara
Using popups for newsletter signups: http://ow.ly/8K5o303l5Kw @JaneFriedman
14 Vital Questions That Will Improve Your Blog Post: http://ow.ly/zCBV303l610 @standoutbooks
How to Plan Writing Time into Your Week: With Downloadable Spreadsheet: http://ow.ly/QZoL303l5E5 @aliventures
Starting a New Authors’ Group: http://ow.ly/LXXs303jxIu @MairiNorris
Canada’s Shelfie Partners with Germany’s De Gruyter in Ebook Bundling: http://ow.ly/oFAM303DFLk @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
A writer reviews the Passion Planner: http://ow.ly/qSEv303jxU1 @Strachanlinda
Ingénue Tropes in Classic Crime Fiction: http://ow.ly/ji1h303jxn2 @mkinberg
How to Use Facebook to Reach Niche Readers: http://ow.ly/o5uI303jxgK @BarbMorgenroth
How Novelists Can Work Plot Twists into Their Stories: http://ow.ly/zNBe303jy3n @CSLakin
Tips for books that are too long or too short: http://ow.ly/bruB303jxci @RuthHarrisBooks
3 Strategies for Combining Sentences: http://ow.ly/X1sT303jxFA @writing_tips
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.
September 1, 2016
Characters Impact Stories
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Wednesday I drove to Flat Rock, North Carolina, to speak with a book club. It was a great event and the group asked some very interesting questions.
One of the questions I received was: “How do you alter your writing for books authored by Craig versus those authored by Adams?”
I have three different series and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries is a four book series for Penguin that I wrote as Riley Adams. At first, I was tempted to say that there was no difference between the series, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t true at all. There’s a lot of difference between the Memphis series and the Myrtle and Southern Quilting series.
I realized it came down to one key factor. My answer was: “The main character in the Memphis series is an extrovert.”
That’s a fact that’s startling in itself. I favor quieter characters. Write what you know, maybe? I consider Myrtle, if not strictly an introvert, definitely an ambivert with some antisocial leanings. I consider Beatrice from the quilting mysteries as a major introvert who craves time alone (which is elusive in the series, a fact that can make her cranky).
But the Memphis series was very different. 1) I was asked to write this series by Penguin. 2) My editor asked me to model Lulu after some of the popular Food Network stars at the time. None of those folks seemed introverted to me.
Having Lulu be an extrovert, looking back, influenced the series in many ways. She fed on the time she spent with other people: it energized her. She was more apt to discuss the case with a variety of different people and get different ideas about the murderer’s identity. She sought out events; she attended parties and hung out in her restaurant with her customers and enjoyed evenings in the city. Lulu was actively involved in planning and executing events as she’d cater various parties. She seems more impulsive to me.
In my other series, my characters are sometimes craving solitude. They either seek out the opinion of one person (in the case of Myrtle) or they are hounded by friends when they are trying to find time to be alone (in the case of Beatrice). They both come across as reserved and observant. When Myrtle attends parties, she frequently can’t wait to leave. Beatrice is frequently irritated by the antics of her extroverted friend, Meadow and the fact she’s pulled into social events by Meadow.
In addition, the Myrtle and quilting mysteries seem much, much quieter overall to me. The Memphis books are vivid with the color and sound and smells of the city and the quirky people. The other series…aren’t.
This basic difference between the protagonists in my different series changed nearly everything in the books, even the way that the characters interact with the settings.
I know there are many other ways a protagonist can impact a story or a series: especially through the ways in which they view the world (sometimes you see what you expect to find).
How does your protagonist impact your story?
Ways characters can influence elements in our series:
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The post Characters Impact Stories appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
August 28, 2016
Checklist for a New Release
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Releases are always a lot more work than I think they are. That’s because of all the little things I have to do to prepare. It’s a lot. It would be more if I did a lot of promo work (blog tours, ads, etc.) for the release, but I usually just like to start working on the next book.
I thought I’d share a checklist of the types of tasks I do when a book is ready to release. Some of the things I can do while my editor has the book and I’m waiting to make corrections. Some of the things must be done when the book is ready to publish.
Checklist
Set up my newsletter to announce the new release when it’s time. I use MailChimp.
Write a personal author’s note for the back-matter section of the book and for that section on the Amazon product page that we access through Author Central (From the Author).
Update and review the rest of my book’s back-matter to make sure it’s accurate and complete (list of books by series where to find me online, how and where to sign up for my newsletter, a pitch to ask readers to review my book wherever they purchased it).
Begin loading book information/metadata into the different retail and distributor sites: Amazon, CreateSpace (print), IngramSpark (print), ACX (audiobook), Draft2Digital (distributor), Smashwords (distributor).
Use the same metadata descriptions consistently for my keywords, BISAC, series name, book description, author bio, etc.
Assign an ISBN for each format and note it on the list I keep to track my ISBNs ( Book designer Joel Friedlander has a handy logbook as a free download).
Upload the editorial reviews for the series to those sections on the sites (on Amazon, through Author Central).
Update my website to announce the release and to say what I’m working on now.
Ensure Goodreads has linked the new title to my series and my name.
Acquire affiliate links from Amazon and Apple to use on my website and for other promo.
Check that Amazon has added my book to the series list and that it’s linked to my Author Central page.
Update LinkedIn
Consider running a giveaway on Goodreads.
Set one of the previous books in the same series as free.
Announce the release on Facebook (once).
Send copies to people who have helped me produce the book in some way.
What have I forgotten? Does this look a lot like your own list?
A checklist for tasks surrounding a new release:
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The post Checklist for a New Release appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
August 27, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
The ethics of ghost-writing: http://ow.ly/cq1c303iNu4 @Roz_Morris
Madeleine L’Engle on the 3 Most Important Things for Writers: http://ow.ly/cu4W303iNxk @WriterJoMalby
Podcasting and Indie Authors: Is Podcasting Right for You? http://ow.ly/JjsO303iNEt @CaballoFrances
Creating Realistic Cultures in Worldbuilding: http://ow.ly/BzLM303iNSy by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Canada’s Shelfie Partners with Germany’s De Gruyter in Ebook Bundling: http://ow.ly/oFAM303DFLk @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
From Jane Austen to George RR Martin, the novella is making a comeback: http://ow.ly/fQQO303iOhE @Holly_bops @Independent
Tips for writing what you know: http://ow.ly/TOzc303iO4E by Suzanne Lieurance
Reader Audiences and Analytics: What Do They Really Reveal? http://ow.ly/Sd30303iNOg @CaballoFrances
Trust Your Creative Process: http://ow.ly/3oMC303iNLY @AuthorAthenaM
What Makes a Good Ghost Story? http://ow.ly/ymZS303iOdv @FinishedPages
Clothes in Books and Ways to go Wrong: http://ow.ly/yOgY303iOrd @rosalyster @The_Millions
6 Tips to Grow Your Readership & Manage Your Content: http://ow.ly/xNmc303iNWv by Deborah Lyn Stanley
How To Give Your Readers A Book Hangover in 3 Easy Steps: http://ow.ly/FqoM303jy0E @sacha_black
Finding the Balance Between Hooking Readers and Setting up the Story: http://ow.ly/ame0303jxMK @Janice_Hardy
When Is Your Writing Done? http://ow.ly/LKeK303jxa1 @Lindasclare
Starting a New Author’s’ Group: http://ow.ly/LXXs303jxIu @MairiNorris
Writing Your Story Clothesline: http://ow.ly/26nO303jx86 @Lindasclare
How To Write And Market Romance: http://ow.ly/7J53303iN2f @JAHuss @thecreativepenn
The 10 most Influential Poets in History: http://ow.ly/hHUc303Dg6E @My_poetic_side
Why It’s Crucial to “Write Ugly”: http://ow.ly/URvY303e80q @LisaCron
WritingPrompts on @reddit : http://ow.ly/ZMUz303D2DI
Crime fiction featuring historical figures as sleuths: http://ow.ly/51zn303sq4i @mkinberg
How to Create a Morning Routine for Writers: http://ow.ly/s2qg303e7oH @SukhiJutla
Have You Seen These Social Media Tweaks? http://ow.ly/7YYy303iNHA @CaballoFrances
10 Incorrect Assumptions About Writers: http://ow.ly/ksPh303e7nf @NatePhilbrick
Tips for writing during busy times: http://ow.ly/n5hE303BZHw
6 Questions to Make Sure Your Story Has Stakes: http://ow.ly/uaj5303e85g @HeatherJacksonW
Character Archetypes: S for Sidekick: http://ow.ly/YPUR303e7fP @HunterEmkay
Where to Begin Your Book: How to Choose the Best Opening: http://ow.ly/qsBN303e7Eb @writeabook
5 Books With Unlikely Heroes: http://ow.ly/DjOx303e7OT @tordotcom by Brian Hastings
Making the Switch from Traditional to Indie Author: http://ow.ly/e5My303e7kc @leighrduncan
12 Grammar and Writing Tips from Archer: http://ow.ly/ZXyt303e7Nu @WritersCramp1
5 Reasons Your Protagonist Deserves To Die: http://ow.ly/prxG303e7Jl @Chris_Kokoski
Query Letters: The Pitch: http://ow.ly/Ich2303e83T @AnnieNeugebauer
In Defense of Trash Lit: http://ow.ly/Vl8W303AJvI by Lisa Levy @lithub
The Writing Tricks We’d Be Naked Without: http://ow.ly/yB6G303dzqv @jesslourey @sbakerwriter
How did children’s lit evolve from prim morality tales to Captain Underpants? http://ow.ly/JjAE303dyTU @xwaldie @Slate
The danger of being an observant character in a crime fiction novel: http://ow.ly/2Yh1303A4ZN @mkinberg
Can the Academic Write? http://ow.ly/RLxQ303cDUP @Jo_Livingstone
Workplace novels exploring the dystopic and surreal: http://ow.ly/d60u303cDTb @lithub @TobiasCarroll
How To Write A Product Review: http://ow.ly/Vjmj303b5iN @woodwardkaren
The Hot Sheet: industry newsletter for authors (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/FvZs303zn3j
How The Maltese Falcon Illuminates Cozies: http://ow.ly/2l0I303b58e @JeffCohenwriter
Augmented Reality Reveals the Magic Hidden in Book Retail Spaces: http://ow.ly/i37Q303dyWc @theindiepubmag
Pitches To Drive an Editor Batty: http://ow.ly/5L0A303dzgQ @behlerpublish
How to Write a Classic: 7 Key Elements: http://ow.ly/F9Tu303dyXb @nownovel
Creating tension with theme: http://ow.ly/y6BZ303dyZ2 @mythicscribes by Brian DeLeonard
On sidekicks: http://ow.ly/rGyh303dyXD @p2p_editor
First Impressions Matter: Utilizing Point of View: http://ow.ly/pCHU303dzv0 @LisaEBetz
Pros and Cons of Getting Inside a Villain’s Mind: http://ow.ly/iyqv303cDHL @Alexlakeauthor @lithub
Distribution, explained by an editor: http://ow.ly/usiQ303b50z @TerriBischoff
Aaron Sorkin On How To Write A Gripping Monologue: http://ow.ly/Rfgi303b4W5 @woodwardkaren
Kenyan Publishers Call for Zero VAT on Books: http://ow.ly/NQDc303uPUP @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives @David_Waweru
Examples of good vs bad storytelling: http://ow.ly/rMpy303cDst @rxena77
5 Crime Fiction Blunders To Avoid: http://ow.ly/A4V0303cDDR @LucyVHayAuthor
How do you write legal fiction when no one finds the body? http://ow.ly/p2cv303cDn2 @stephenwoodfin
5 Tips for Editing Dialogue: http://ow.ly/Rhn1303cDrw @robertleebrewer
6 Things Alfred Hitchcock Can Teach You About Writing: http://ow.ly/hm13303cDly @Writers_Write
Treatment vs. Healing and the Portrayal of Mental Illness in Fiction: http://ow.ly/RfOW303cDM1 @JennaTKahn @asfmag
Why You Need to Create Visuals Now: http://ow.ly/Cfnz303cDqw @BadRedheadMedia
Emotional Wound Entry: Being So Beautiful It’s All People See: http://ow.ly/fv8m303cDo6 @AngelaAckerman
Internal Dialogue: The Greatest Tool for Gaining Reader Confidence: http://ow.ly/Dvaz303a0Po @ESimsAuthor @JaneFriedman
‘Credit the Artist Who Created That Artwork’: Illustrations Matter in a Book’s Success: http://ow.ly/Llae303uPEq @pressfuturist @jabberworks
Charismatic Characters in Crime Fiction http://ow.ly/Ay4A303spYF @mkinberg
International Notes: Beijing Book Fair, Japan’s Mobile Games, Scotland’s Indie Publishers: http://ow.ly/zzmM303uQ2X @Porter_Anderson
Antagonists, Villains, and Antiheroes: http://ow.ly/MCiA303a0lz @PollyIyer
5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise: http://ow.ly/CDsh303a09Q @writing_tips
Keep Readers by Using Variable Rewards: http://ow.ly/IBwZ303a0sY @artofstoriesAB
8 Ways to Use Your Superpower to Market Your Self-Published Book: http://ow.ly/oQgr303a0KK @chandraclarke
Breaking Grammar Rules in Poetry Writing: http://ow.ly/i0ZO303a0ck @WritingForward
7 Ways To Make Your Own Luck: http://ow.ly/4FJ1303a04O @paulawhyman @WritersDigest
How to Write for Multiple Demographics at Once: http://ow.ly/jmYc303a0qn @TimothyCarter
Crime and Facebook for Writers: http://ow.ly/86Jv303a0eP @LeslieBudewitz
7 excuses writers use to avoid exercise: http://ow.ly/EyvE303a0ix @colleen_m_story
Pop Culture References and Dating a Book: http://ow.ly/CLyN303a0nR @dianapfrancis
After Losing A Family Member: Can Writing A Novel Be Cathartic? http://ow.ly/wz00303a0CN @PBRWriter @colleen_m_story
5 Emerging Women Authors Intimately Explore Place: http://ow.ly/quzp303a0wc @KristenRadtke @ElectricLit
How to Write a Detective Story: 7 Keys: http://ow.ly/gdsk3038AfN @nownovel
Tips for Creating Voice in Your Writing: http://ow.ly/DBx63038A9U @bethklewis
Print Books: Why They’re A Secret Self-Publishing Weapon: http://ow.ly/e3ee3038A0m @JennyBravoBooks
How to Write a Romantic Novel for All Genre Lovers: http://ow.ly/wjTE3038AiC @nownovel
The Limitlessness of International Literature: http://ow.ly/HEQt3038AAF @lizastjames @GuernicaMag @adamzlevy
Poetry: The lines and lyrics that stick in our minds: http://ow.ly/qrjy3038AmO @FluentMundo @lithub
Free Instruction for Authors: http://ow.ly/cJeK3036fL4 @JFbookman
5 Important Skills for the Indie Writer: http://ow.ly/tNSt303snrI @TheIWSG by J.L. Campbell
5 Tips for Going on an Offline Book Tour: http://ow.ly/EFJI3036g3G @Book_Arch
Harry Potter Ebooks Released in South Korea: http://ow.ly/oHma303snJ6 @Porter_Anderson @trajectory @pubperspectives
12 Ambient Noise Generators for Creative Work: http://ow.ly/dWuQ3038A7r @KaylaRMinguez
The horror of female adolescence and how to write about it: http://ow.ly/dXYs3038Auj @BerryFLW @GuardianBooks
Pre-writing techniques to help you tackle the blank page: http://ow.ly/7GDL3038Acg @RobTobin
How To Make Multiple Antagonists Shine In Your Story: http://ow.ly/HwB73038A1S @standoutbooks
5 Essential Writing Habits Learned While Ghost-Writing Bestsellers: http://ow.ly/sfY3303iNld @Roz_Morris @WriterJoMalby
Options for putting our books in print and costs of doing so: http://ow.ly/fn9k303snfx
7 Things To Know to Master Your Genre’s Book Cover: http://ow.ly/20Ai3036fqG @sacha_black
Canada’s @wattpad Rolls Out In-Story Advertising Revenue for Writers: http://ow.ly/y6d9303r84k @Porter_Anderson
Links I shared last week: http://ow.ly/23KN303r1hE .Every link I’ve ever shared (30K+,free and searchable): writerskb.com @Hiveword
What to say about someone’s art when you have nothing nice to say: http://ow.ly/vMDd303qCdz @austinkleon
Is Your Character Considering Suicide? Info for Writers: http://ow.ly/Rhvd3034dYH @FionaQuinnBooks
Are You Botching Your Dialogue? http://ow.ly/Y9i83036fhW @KristenLambTX
How to be a Fearless Writer: http://ow.ly/xjYZ3036gGz @SukhiJutla
4 Truths and 4 Myths That Every New Novelist Should Know: http://ow.ly/Ylfb3036fNy @FlorenceOsmund
The Literature of Pregnancy and New Motherhood: http://ow.ly/M2c93036h1Q by Lily Gurton-Wachter @latimesbooks
Stress & Burnout: How to Get Your Creative Mojo Back: http://ow.ly/T6e63036fmB @KristenLambTX
How To Set Up A Book Tour: http://ow.ly/N10p3036fRl @Book_Arch @WhereWritersWin
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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August 25, 2016
Writing in Busy Times
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Usually I think of summer as a lazier time when I can leisurely get peripheral writing-related chores completed. I’d put all kinds of things on my calendar to do this summer: Facebook ad experiments, slideshows for LinkedIn, website stuff. There was no time to do any of the extras I wanted to try. I did write a book, though, and promoted one that came out in May. There was a lot of writing on the go.
So what do we do during frantically busy times to stay on track with our writing goals? I’ve got a few tips:
Revisit your goals. Are you trying to knock out a NaNoWriMo-esque word count? It may be better to dial back your goal to something so manageable that you don’t have to worry at all. To stay motivated, it may be better to have a string of daily successes than to rack up a huge word count.
Be flexible with setbacks and with when and where you write. One of the most helpful things that I did was to learn how to write in public places and to be able to pick up my story in odd pockets of the day when I had dead time…waiting for my car to have its oil changed, waiting in a doctor’s office, waiting in a carpool line. Be sure to upload your story and outline to the cloud so that you can access it on the go (this can be as simple as emailing it to yourself).
Make the most of a quick writing session. I write a lot faster when I know what I’m writing that day. If you’re not a fan of outlines, at least sketch out a sentence or two at the end of the previous writing session to indicate what you plan on writing the next time.
Even if you have no time to write, use lists. You can still make progress on that manuscript, even on the worst days. I’ve found it’s helpful to have headers of lists to fill out: “5 ways to describe my protagonist,” “7 ways to describe the main setting,” “5 potential subplots involving secondary characters,” “5 possible endings for this book,” “7 ways my protagonist can grow,” “5 things my protagonist fears more than anything,” “my protagonist’s biggest goals,” etc.
Tips specifically for busy parents:
For me, this was more about squeezing writing in to a packed schedule without feeling as if I were being a distant parent. My tips are geared to that goal:
Share what you’re doing. I found it helped to loop my kids into what I was doing, especially when they were younger. When they see us on a laptop, to them we could be doing anything. We could be on social media or playing a game. I’d tell them a little about my story and what I was working on that day to help them feel part of the process.
Don’t stare at the laptop when they’re talking. I’m so guilty of this one, but I find that 90% of the time now I’m cognizant enough to give family members (kids and my husband) all of my attention when they’re trying to talk to me.
On the other hand, I think it’s vital to tell them you need 15/30/45 minutes of uninterrupted time for your writing so that they can understand/respect it. Maybe later, when they’re adults with their own dreams, they’ll remember that we respected our art and invested time in it. For toddlers, I put a timer out and told them when it dinged they could come in (and, yes, this was for just 5-7 minutes). For the especially little guys, I’d recommend keeping them in a safe place like a crib and giving them board books so they can read while we write.
I always did something fun with my children as a reward for their cooperation: we played cards together or drew a picture or read a story, etc.
And don’t forget:
Take care of yourself. Exercise more, sleep more. There’s no way you can run on empty for very long. And, if you’re really burned out? Just put the manuscript away. But I’d recommend putting the exact date on your calendar that you plan on picking it back up again.
How do you handle writing during the busiest times?
Tips for writing during busy times:
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