Lee Rene's Blog, page 11

Authors using social media

Posted by Naomi Blackburn

Kerry Gans asked, “How can an author find an online audience?” Authors may not be familiar with: Snapchat, Pinterest, and Instagram, which are considered to be soft marketing outlets.

The basic social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Google+. Let’s do a brief breakdown of how to utilize these in a marketing plan.

Facebook
• Facebook pages: If you don’t have a public Facebook page (We recommend an author page), whether it is for you as an author or your book, make sure you start one. There are so many creative things that you can do once you do have one. It opens up a whole lot of little worlds to you.

• Street teams: Several of my author friends have street teams. I love these little groups IF THEY ARE DONE CORRECTLY. Friends and fans of the author are invited to become members of this private group on Facebook. They become the author’s mouthpieces to spread the news when new releases are coming out, book sales are occurring, or other great news, such as hitting the best seller list. Fostered right, street teams are wonderfully supportive groups who represent the author well. Fostered wrong, they can become a wandering posse of thugs beating up on anyone who looks at the author wrong. So remember, those on your street team represent you to the general public.

• Networking with fellow authors: I have seen some of my author friends be so creative in their networking opportunities on Facebook. Everything from taking over each other’s Facebook pages to introduce fans to new authors to starting new groups. If you play nice in the sand box, it is amazing what positive networking can do for authors on Facebook.

• Facebook groups: There are tons of Facebook groups on every possible subject out there. I encourage authors to not only belong to authors/readers groups, but to also look for groups that discuss topics you write on. For example, Facebook friend and true crime author Gregg Olsen belongs to a group that discusses true crimes. When he participates in these groups, does he spam? Nope, but every time they see his name pop up, they are reminded of the books he writes.

Twitter
• It is all about the hashtags. While hashtags can be quite intimidating and overwhelming in the beginning (or at least they were to me), once you get the hang of them, they are quite fun. Mix up the standard hashtags, such as #amreading or #bookworm, with ones that depict your book. For example, are you a southern writer? Utilize hashtags that are centered around southern themes, such as #southerncharm.

• Another way to use hashtags is to make up your own. When I developed The Author CEO, I got tired of using the same old hashtags and wanted my tweets to stand out. As a result, I developed the #authorceo hashtag that I use when I am posting new blogs.

• In a moment of distraction while preparing this article to send to my editor, I came across this wonderful article on BookBub’s Insights page: How Successful Authors Use Twitter to Promote Their Brand. This article offers wonderful tips by those who use it well.
Goodreads

• I have written extensively regarding Goodreads. Goodreads has numerous areas for authors to interact with potential readers, including groups, events, developing friendships, etc. Have further questions on how to navigate Goodreads? Check out our previous articles that I have written for both BadRedhead Media and The Author CEO.
Google+

• Google+ offers its own version of some of the features mentioned above. Hashtags, links and attachments are partnered with follower and followed circles. I use this medium as another way to get my information out to those who might not follow me in other locations.

• For the difference between Google+ and Facebook check out: How Google+ is Different from Facebook — A Primer for Authors by @K8Tilton
Now that we have the basics down, I want to talk about lesser-known sites that may not immediately come to mind when we talk about social media, but they are still quite valuable. I consider them to be subtle outlets. Sometimes the soft marketing outlets provide some of the best opportunities for connecting with an audience.

Pinterest
• I really love Pinterest as a soft marketing tool for authors. For those not familiar with Pinterest, the concept of it is to develop boards that photos and other things such as recipes, videos etc. are “pinned” to. If it has a link or can be uploaded, it can be pinned!

• My advice to authors is to think of the description for your book. Let’s take again the example of a book set in the South. When one thinks of the South, what do you think of? Is it cooking? How about southern locations? Maybe country music. If so, you can find some images, links, etc., that you can pin to your board!

• Still confused about Pinterest? I give some tips on the WHY and how in a 2012 article, What is Your Pinterest? Even though it was written in 2012, I stand behind all my tips. Kate Tilton has also shared several articles.

Instagram
• I have to say that I am a very visual person. What I love about Instagram is, again, the soft marketing concept. An author connects with readers through their own photos and CREATIVE use of hashtags. Focus not only on what describes your book, but also give your followers insight into you. Remember that successful sales is about rapport building. When readers feel that they can connect with an author, they are more likely to become a loyal fan and buy more books.

• Want ideas on how to use Instagram? Try: Connect with Your Readers – How Authors Can Use Instagram by @K8Tilton
Snapchat

• Snapchat allows authors to have online discussions with followers, called “Live Chats.” But, different from Google hangouts or Twitter Chats, these conversations disappear. Want to learn more about Snapchat and how you can fit it into your social media plan? I love this article on SnapChat for Beginners from Mashable.

So remember that today I just wanted to touch on some of the basics for authors to explore in their social media campaigns. Already being authors, creativity is in your blood. Streamline that creativity and evaluate which sites not only work best for you, but the ones you have a ton of fun using.

Advice from Literary Agent

The Worst Ways to Begin Your Novel: Advice from Literary Agents

By Chuck Sambuchino

This column is excerpted from Guide to Literary Agents, from Writer’s Digest Books.

No one reads more prospective novel beginnings than literary agents.

They’re the ones on the front lines, sifting through inboxes and slush piles. And they can tell us which Chapter One approaches are overused and cliché, as well as which writing techniques just plain don’t work when you’re writing a book.

Below, find a smattering of feedback from experienced literary agents on what they hate to see in the first pages of a writer’s submission. Consider it a guide on how to start a novel. Avoid these problems and tighten your submission!

False beginnings

“I don’t like it when the main character dies at the end of Chapter One. Why did I just spend all this time with this character? I feel cheated.”
– Cricket Freeman, The August Agency

“I dislike opening scenes that you think are real, then the protagonist wakes up. It makes me feel cheated.”
– Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

In science fiction

“A sci-fi novel that spends the first two pages describing the strange landscape.”
– Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

Prologues

“I’m not a fan of prologues, preferring to find myself in the midst of a moving plot on page one rather than being kept outside of it, or eased into it.”
– Michelle Andelman, Regal Literary

“Most agents hate prologues. Just make the first chapter relevant and well written.”
– Andrea Brown, Andrea Brown Literary Agency

“Prologues are usually a lazy way to give back-story chunks to the reader and can be handled with more finesse throughout the story. Damn the prologue, full speed ahead!”
– Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

damntheprologue

Exposition and description

“Perhaps my biggest pet peeve with an opening chapter is when an author features too much exposition – when they go beyond what is necessary for simply ‘setting the scene.’ I want to feel as if I’m in the hands of a master storyteller, and starting a story with long, flowery, overly-descriptive sentences (kind of like this one) makes the writer seem amateurish and the story contrived. Of course, an equally jarring beginning can be nearly as off-putting, and I hesitate to read on if I’m feeling disoriented by the fifth page. I enjoy when writers can find a good balance between exposition and mystery. Too much accounting always ruins the mystery of a novel, and the unknown is what propels us to read further.”
– Peter Miller, PMA Literary and Film Management

“The [adjective] [adjective] sun rose in the [adjective] [adjective] sky, shedding its [adjective] light across the [adjective] [adjective] [adjective] land.”
– Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

“I dislike endless ‘laundry list’ character descriptions. For example: ‘She had eyes the color of a summer sky and long blonde hair that fell in ringlets past her shoulders. Her petite nose was the perfect size for her heart-shaped face. Her azure dress — with the empire waist and long, tight sleeves — sported tiny pearl buttons down the bodice. Ivory lace peeked out of the hem in front, blah, blah.’ Who cares! Work it into the story.”
– Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

Starting too slowly

“Characters that are moving around doing little things, but essentially nothing. Washing dishes & thinking, staring out the window & thinking, tying shoes, thinking.”
– Dan Lazar, Writers House

“I don’t really like ‘first day of school’ beginnings, ‘from the beginning of time,’ or ‘once upon a time.’ Specifically, I dislike a Chapter One in which nothing happens.”
– Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary + Media

In crime fiction

“Someone squinting into the sunlight with a hangover in a crime novel. Good grief — been done a million times.”
– Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

In fantasy

“Cliché openings in fantasy can include an opening scene set in a battle (and my peeve is that I don’t know any of the characters yet so why should I care about this battle) or with a pastoral scene where the protagonist is gathering herbs (I didn’t realize how common this is).”
– Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary

Quick note from Chuck: I am now taking on clients as a freelance editor. If your query or synopsis or manuscript needs a look from a professional, please consider my editing services. Thanks!

Voice

“I know this may sound obvious, but too much ‘telling’ vs. ‘showing’ in the first chapter is a definite warning sign for me. The first chapter should present a compelling scene, not a road map for the rest of the book. The goal is to make the reader curious about your characters, fill their heads with questions that must be answered, not fill them in on exactly where, when, who and how.”
– Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency

“I hate reading purple prose – describing something so beautifully that has nothing to do with the actual story.”
– Cherry Weiner, Cherry Weiner Literary

“A cheesy hook drives me nuts. They say ‘Open with a hook!’ to grab the reader. That’s true, but there’s a fine line between an intriguing hook and one that’s just silly. An example of a silly hook would be opening with a line of overtly sexual dialogue.”
– Daniel Lazar, Writers House

“I don’t like an opening line that’s ‘My name is…,’ introducing the narrator to the reader so blatantly. There are far better ways in Chapter One to establish an instant connection between narrator and reader.”
– Michelle Andelman, Regal Literary

“Sometimes a reasonably good writer will create an interesting character and describe him in a compelling way, but then he’ll turn out to be some unimportant bit player.”
– Ellen Pepus, Signature Literary Agency

In romance

“In romance, I can’t stand this scenario: A woman is awakened to find a strange man in her bedroom — and then automatically finds him attractive. I’m sorry, but if I awoke to a strange man in my bedroom, I’d be reaching for a weapon — not admiring the view.”
– Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency

In a Christian novel

“A rape scene in a Christian novel in the first chapter.”
– Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary

Characters and backstory

“I don’t like descriptions of the characters where writers make them too perfect. Heroines (and heroes) who are described physically as being virtually unflawed come across as unrelatable and boring. No ‘flowing, wind-swept golden locks’; no ‘eyes as blue as the sky’; no ‘willowy, perfect figures.’ ”
– Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency

“Many writers express the character’s backstory before they get to the plot. Good writers will go back and cut that stuff out and get right to the plot. The character’s backstory stays with them — it’s in their DNA.”
– Adam Chromy, Movable Type Management

“I’m turned off when a writer feels the need to fill in all the backstory before starting the story; a story that opens on the protagonist’s mental reflection of their situation is a red flag.”
– Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management

“One of the biggest problems is the ‘information dump’ in the first few pages, where the author is trying to tell us everything we supposedly need to know to understand the story. Getting to know characters in a story is like getting to know people in real life. You find out their personality and details of their life over time.”
– Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such Literary

Why Romance novelists are the Rock Stars of the Literary World

Romance writing isn’t just a billion-dollar industry. It’s also the nicest meritocracy around.

Writer Emma Teitel a National Magazine Award-winning columnist, takes an honest look at one of the most popular literary genres.

When American filmmaker Laurie Kahn set out to make Love Between the Covers, a documentary about the women who read and write romance novels, she was struck by how often she heard the same story. It wasn’t a tale of beefy bodice rippers or love at first sight; it was a story about snobs.

“I can’t tell you how many people I interviewed,” says Kahn, “who told me that people will walk up to them on a beach and say, ‘Why do you read that trash?’ ” Apparently, where lovers of romance novels go, contempt follows. Sometimes it’s subtle contempt—a raised eyebrow from a colleague, or a snarky comment from a friend (usually the kind of person who claims to read Harper’s on a beach vacation). Other times it’s more overt, even potentially damaging.

When Mary Bly (pen name Eloisa James), an academic and New York Times bestselling author, began writing romance, she was advised to keep her fiction writing secret or risk not making tenure at the university where she worked.

For some reason, argues Kahn, perhaps because its subjects are female, romance novels are perceived as fundamentally silly, when other popular “genre fiction”—namely, fiction by and for men—is not. “Nobody,” she says, would walk up to “a man reading Stephen King, or a mystery or sci-fi novel” and scoff. And she’s right: Stephen King may write circles around romance novelist Nora Roberts, but mystery-thriller buffs James Patterson and Dean Koontz most certainly do not. Yet Roberts is the butt of jokes—a universal default example of “bad writing,” while her equally schlocky male contemporaries get a free pass.

A filmmaker whose previous work includes the Emmy-winning documentary A Midwife’s Tale, andTupperware!, a film about American women of the 1950s who made small fortunes throwing Tupperware parties, Kahn wanted to explore not only the double standard faced by romance authors, but the wild success and collaborative nature of the romance community itself.

Love Between the Covers, which premiered at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, explores life from the perspective of the genre’s giants and veterans—the Nora Robertses and Beverly Jenkinses of the field (the latter a pioneer of African-American romance writing)—and its millions of readers and aspiring writers, some of whom work full-time jobs, yet write more than a thousand words every evening.

(When Lenora Barot, pen name Radclyffe, began writing what would become groundbreaking lesbian romance fiction in the ’90s, she was a full-time plastic surgeon.) “It’s these untold stories of women that really appeal to me,” says Kahn. “Here is this community that is huge. It’s a multi-billion-dollar business and the women in it are writing a huge range of romantic fiction and no one gives them the time of day.”

The amazing thing is that this historically derided genre is not only wildly successful (it regularly outsells both mystery and sci-fi; Romance Writers of America estimates the genre made $1.08 billion in sales in 2013) but also preternaturally friendly.

In an age where women are constantly encouraged to “lean in” at predominantly male workspaces, there exists this frequently ignored, yet massive and diverse, woman-steered industry where writers literally tutor their competition. As Bly says early on in Kahn’s film, the romance industry may be one of the last meritocracies left on the planet.

And it’s a very functional one. The annual Romance Writers of America conference, where thousands of authors offer detailed advice to newbie writers on everything from where to pitch to how to find an agent, is unique in a publishing world in which authors are typically discouraged from discussing their contracts openly. Kahn attributes this friendly, inclusive atmosphere, in part, to the recent popularity and acceptance of self-publishing (formerly known as “vanity publishing”).

A common criticism expressed about major romance publisher Harlequin (which declined to comment for this story) is that it promotes the “line”—the type of romance novel, be it “historical” or “intrigue” or other—over the author. Apparently this has been an issue for a long time.

“Because of this practice, romance authors have to hustle their own books and find their own markets,”writes Leslie W. Rabine in her 1985 essay,“Romance in the Age of Electronics: Harlequin Enterprises.” They can also have a difficult time getting royalties from publishers, they report, with waits of up to two years, Rabine adds. Today, many romance authors have turned that liability into a strength. If they’re going to do the hustle on their own, many writers figure, why not reap the bulk of the financial reward? Ironically, the entity that’s allowed them to do this is the biggest publishing behemoth of them all—Amazon. Kahn says that, in the three to four years in which she worked on the film, “There’s been a revolution in publishing, and it has upended everything. It used to be that the power was completely in the hands of the publishers, and authors were like hitchhikers waiting by the side of the road, hoping some agent would pick them up,” Kahn says. “When I was shooting, Amazon started Kindle Direct Publishing. That radically changed the picture.”
Shelley Bates (pen names include Shelley Adina and Adina Senft), who writes steampunk and Amish romance fiction, was once one of those metaphorical hitchhikers waiting for an agent to pick up her new book series, Magnificent Devices, set, according to her website, “in an [alternative] Victorian age where steam-powered devices are capable of sending the adventurous to another city, another continent, or even another world.” Bates grew up on Vancouver Island, and today lives near San Francisco with her husband, where, in addition to writing fiction, she rescues chickens (some of them abandoned, others coming to her from people moving out of the area who “can’t take their birds with them”). She shopped her series around to 10 different publishers in 2010, all of which rejected her. She says the editorial department at a major U.K. publisher was really interested at one point, but eventually turned Magnificent Devices down because it wasn’t sure how to market steampunk.

“I put it out myself [on Amazon] in 2011,” says Bates, “and, eight books later, it’s going up like gangbusters. That’s what paid for the house.” Bates, who hired a graphic designer for the cover and marketed the book herself, says she made “six figures” in 2013, and again in 2014, success she attributes to self-publishing and the collaborative nature of her business model. “Suddenly I realized I could go directly to my readers. I bounced things off them on my blog,” she says. “It’s not writing by committee, but my readers are so invested. I’ll give them two cover options [for a book] and they’ll come back and tell me and that will be the cover.”

Romance writers may get little respect from the literary world, but they are, without a doubt, its rock stars. “We don’t really care what the establishment thinks, because we’re paying off our houses,” says Bates. “Readers vote with their wallets. I think the big-publisher business models will have to become more author-friendly if they want to retain their authors.”

Or perhaps they’ll have to embrace diversity. The notion that steampunk, for example, wouldn’t sell, or would be too difficult to market, is a sensibility at odds with other forms of popular entertainment—from television to Hollywood movies—where many producers have realized that diverse ideas and new voices do well in the mainstream. Because publishers sell books to retailers, as opposed to readers themselves, they have an often confused perception of what readers want and who reads what. This is a frustration Barot, who also publishes LGBT books, knows well. She says she’s seen some of her own books placed in the “cultural studies” section of major bookstores—the likely assumption on the part of retailers being that LGBT romance is too niche for general fiction. In other words, if you’re a run-of-the-mill heterosexual romance novel, you’re the subject of cheap ridicule, and if you’re an LGBT romance novel, you’re perceived as irrelevant outside the realm of esoteric academic study.

In the end, the most common assumption about romance novels, buoyed by the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, is that they are anti-feminist. And though the so-called bodice rippers of the 1970s (in which men who look like Fabio ravish passive sweethearts) are still quite popular, the genre has also expanded rapidly in recent years to include fiction of the paranormal, gay, evangelical, steampunk, time travel and Gothic variety (and many more). Its female leads, in many contexts, have evolved with the times, rendering the charge that romance novels are full of oppressed, unthinking women, or who are profoundly ignorant. Not only is the industry itself rife with female entrepreneurs; its heroines always get what they want. In fact, the only formula that rings true across all romance novels is the HEA: the Happily Ever After. It is unanimously believed to be the defining principle of the genre. “The women always win,” says Kahn. “And that doesn’t happen in most places.”

Stephen King to share writing tips in new short story collection

Stephen King is set to give his first major insights into the writing process since his acclaimed On Writing , in a new collection of short stories due out this winter.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, due to be published on 3 November, will bring together 20 short stories by King, a mix of new writing and work already collected in magazines. But it will also include an introduction to each story by the writer, in which he will provide “autobiographical comments on when, why and how he came to write it”, as well as “the origins and motivation of each story. His editor at Hodder & Stoughton, Philippa Pride, predicted the inclusion would “delight all his readers including those who love his insight into the craft of writing”. A mix of biography and tips on writing, On Writing, was published 15 years ago, in 2000.

In the new collection, King writes of how “little by little, writers develop their own styles, each as unique as a fingerprint. Traces of the writers one reads in one’s formative years remain, but the rhythm of each writer’s thoughts – an expression of his or her very brain waves, I think – eventually becomes dominant.”

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams will include the story “A Death,” recently published in the New Yorker, a 19th-century-set tale featuring Jim Trusdale, a man accused of murdering a young girl for her birthday silver dollar. “Watching someone hang, even a fictional someone, isn’t ever pleasant,” King told the magazine earlier this month. “But, because I only had to live with Trusdale for a short time, it was easier to see him executed than it was to see John Coffey go to the electric chair in The Green Mile. That was partly because I knew that Coffey was innocent, and partly because I lived with Coffey for 16 months as I wrote the book. He got to be a friend. Jim Trusdale was a mere acquaintance.”

Other tales will range from “a man who keeps reliving the same life, repeating the same mistakes over and over again”, said Pride, to “a firework competition between neighbors which reaches an explosive climax, a columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries” and “a poignant tale about the end of the human race”.

King published his first collection of short stories, Night Shift, 35 years ago. In his introduction to the new collection, he writes that “there’s something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience. It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like a waltz with a stranger you will never see again, or a kiss in the dark, or a beautiful curio for sale laid out on a cheap blanket at a street bazaar”. He goes on to warn his readers, “Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”

The novelist, author of more than 50 books, also has a follow-up to his thriller,Mr. Mercedes, out this June. Like one of his best known works, Misery, Finders Keepers , is the story of a fan who wreaks revenge on a famous author who has stopped writing about his favorite character.
“Not since Misery has King played with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets dangerous..Finders Keepers is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, but it is also King writing about how literature shapes a life – “for good, for bad, forever,” runs the novel’s synopsis.

Fan-Fiction Invades Publishing

Literary agents and publishers are scouring fan fiction sites for the next Fifty Shades of Grey.

An interesting post by Shana Ting Lipton. on a side note, Ms. Lipton didn’t mention another work of Twilight fan-fiction that found a publisher,Gabriel’s Inferno, by author Sylvain Reynard.

WhenFifty Shades of Grey
author E.L. James first signed a seven-figure contract with Random House’s Vintage Books imprint in 2012, some literary agents dismissed the deal as a fluke. The trilogy started out as posts on the seminal site Fanfiction.net as an amateur writer’s erotic take on Twilight; after its popularity online, the first title was released by a small publisher as an e-book and a print-on-demand title—not exactly an origin story fit for the notoriously elitist literary world.

Despite its populist back story, Fifty Shades of Greywas an easy sell for James’s literary agent Valerie Hoskins, thanks in part to the online accolades and word of mouth fueling its demand. “There was already a buzz about the trilogy in early 2012, appreciation for the books had gone viral,” she said adding, “all of the Big Six (five now) publishers in New York City were very keen to offer for it.”

Three years later, with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan bringing the guilty pleasure to life on the big screen this weekend, the fan-fiction world where the movie originated seems more relevant than ever for literary agents hoping to bank on the coveted “ Fifty Shades effect.”

“We’re getting deals everywhere,” explained London-based literary agent Lorella Belli, who snagged a six-figure advance from Simon & Schuster for her author Sophie Jackson’s forthcoming trilogy, A Pound of Flesh which also started out as Twilight fanfic. “[Fan-fiction writers] already have such a huge following without doing any kind of promotion,” she continued. Jackson’s story drew more than 4 million reads on Fanfiction.net, and she’s gone from being a schoolteacher in Britain to having three major publishing houses bid up her debut novel. Just last month, Hollywood agent Steve Fisher at Agency for the Performing Arts signed on to secure the film rights.

Belli and her colleagues have gotten into the practice of scouring popular fan-fiction sites, as well as Amazon’s comparatively new fanfic portal Kindle Worlds, for potential talent. But her current crop of writers from the fan-fiction pool solicited her, she noted, adding that the submissions she receives from fan-fiction authors are often higher in quality than the average submission. “Readers of fan fiction are much more sophisticated than most people give them credit for—they’re quite discerning.” Accordingly, they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about stories.

“It’s almost like having thousands of editors at one time,” said first-time novelist Anna Todd who credits fan fiction and its open-forum style with helping develop her writing chops. She was fast becoming one of the top writers on Wattpad, with the read-count on her fanfic about One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles topping a million in just two months, when representatives from the online writing community approached her about her plans for the story.

Although she had been courted by traditional literary agents on Wattpad—which skews millennial and sees a lot of real-person fiction (“R.P.F.”) like her story After—she put her fate in the hands of the site’s head of content, Ashleigh Gardner, who secured Todd a mid six-figure advance from Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint—which has published the first three After books and will release the fourth in the series this month. Gardner also helped facilitate a movie deal with Paramount via United Talent Agency.

“We’re seeing lots of agents, lots of publishers join Wattpad, especially in the wake of big stories like After,” said Gardner. “We’re also seeing a lot of authors going out to agents include their Wattpad stats as a badge of honor.” This kind of data, along with geographical breakdowns of readership, makes fanfic appealing to both publishers and studios as it comes complete with a built-in audience. “It was all about the numbers," said Todd of her After movie deal. "Even without a published book, having those kind of numbers is hard to look away from.”

Jennifer Udden, a literary agent at Donald Maass in New York concurred, adding: “[The film studios] don’t care about the stories; they just care about numbers, for better or worse.” As an avid fan-fic reader, Udden is less focused on fanfic page views, and more interested in connecting with authors who can develop compelling characters and a good story structure, to see if they have any original work that doesn’t involve copyrighted characters. Caitlin McDonald, an associate literary agent at Sterling Lord Literistic in New York and vocal champion of fan fiction, admitted, “Fanfic is always treading that fine line,” between fiction-inspired original writing and copyright-infringing work.

Turning a work of fan fiction into a publishable book can be as simple as “filing off the serial numbers”—a fanfic term for deleting identifiable names and places linked to the work that inspired it—such as Twilight, Harry Potter, Sherlock, and, in the R.P.F. realm, One Direction. Once beloved characters like Edward Cullen or Hermione Granger have disappeared into the ether, there’s, of course, no guarantee that the fans will still be as invested in the new work.

Communication between author and fans is key in retaining the fan base. Once acquired, a publisher will usually request that the story be taken down from the fan-fiction site, and the author shares the news of the book deal with fans. “Most of the original fans are actually very happy for the author because it’s almost like they’ve helped [them] achieve financial success and are also curious to see how the book is going to be different from the original fan fiction,” Belli noted.

Often, the road to adapting fan fiction to fit a traditional novel format can amount to more than just a few name changes. Belli says she worked with Jackson for eight months, whittling down her 500,000-word installment-based Twilight fanfic into a 120,000-word publisher-ready manuscript. The end result was werewolf- and vampire-free—just a prototypical love triangle, set largely in a New York prison.

Such heavy lifting in the fanfic-to-novel transition isn’t for everyone. Like Udden, McDonald has found a different way to approach working with fan-fiction authors she discovers on sites like Wattpad, Fanfiction.net, and Archive of Our Own. “I use fanfic as a scouting ground to find potential clients whose work I think is really good and see what else they might be working on.”

For marketing purposes, however, a book’s fanfic origins can generate invaluable buzz. “We’re desperate to find ways for people to get excited about a book,” said Holly Root, a literary agent at Waxman Leavell in New York. “If I could get a feature article on your typical debut romance novel, I would be dancing in the streets.” She got just that and more with Beautiful Bastard, the Twilight –fanfic-based erotic novel by Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, collectively known as “Christina Lauren,” which followed close on the heels of the original Fifty Shades of Grey book deal and got its fair share of media love. With its Constantin Film option recently renewed, Beautiful Bastard is one of the books credited with opening up the mainstream publishing world to fan-fiction writers.

Root had initially signed Hobbs and Billings based on their original young-adult fiction, but, because of changes in the publishing climate, opted instead to have them completely overhaul the erotic Twilight fanfic piece previously called The Office “down to the studs.” The result was virtually unrecognizable from the original and, according to Root, “only 20 percent the same.”

Her pitch to publishing houses was forthright about the book’s origins, but she didn’t lead with its fanfic roots, admitting, “In many ways the way in which you enter publishing determines where you will be.” At the time, there was also a sense that the Fifty Shades effect wouldn’t have staying power. “There were definitely editors that said they thought fan fic was over, which I think is funny in retrospect because that was 2012, and how many deals have there been since then?" she asked rhetorically.

Yet, several years and six-figures-plus advances later, the publishing world still brands fan-fiction authors with a scarlet letter. Belli feels the snobbery and criticism leveled against Fifty Shades of Grey and fanfic-based books like it is “small-minded”. “Fifty Shades of Greyhas put loads of cash into publishers’ pockets around the world, who can buy more books, and has opened up the market in an incredible way,” she says.

Last year, after the Valentine’s Day movie release date was announced, Belli received a slew of calls from publishers eager to get their hooks into a similar sensation, so she anticipates more opportunities for fanfic after the film comes out. And the tipping point has yet to be reached according to Gardner, who added: “The literary world is going to be catching up to what a lot of other creative industries have gone through—Internet culture remixing and appropriation.”

Top 10 Punctuation Mistakes from Daily Writing Tips

Writers can avoid most errors of punctuation by mastering the following conventions.

1. Introductory words, phrases, and clauses are followed by a comma.

Incorrect: Moreover students are expected to read at least one English classic every six weeks.

Correct : Moreover, students are expected to read at least one English classic every six weeks.

Moreover is an introductory word and should be followed by a comma.

Incorrect: To become fluent readers students must read outside school hours.

Correct : To become fluent readers, students must read outside school hours.

“To become fluent readers” is an introductory infinitive phrase and should be followed by a comma.

Incorrect: If you want to write well you must be prepared to practice the craft.

Correct : If you want to write well, you must be prepared to practice the craft.
“If you want to write well” is an introductory clause and should be followed by a comma.

2. Nonessential information is set off with commas.

Incorrect: Joseph Conrad who was born in Poland began to learn English in his twenties.

Correct : Joseph Conrad, who was born in Poland, began to learn English in his twenties.

“Who was born in Poland” is a clause that provides nonessential information and should be set off by commas.

3. Essential information does not require commas.

Incorrect: The boys, who vandalized the public gardens, are in police custody.

Correct : The boys who vandalized the public gardens are in police custody.

“Who vandalized the public gardens” is
essential information because it identifies which boys are meant. It should not be set off by commas.

4. A comma is placed before a coordinate conjunction that joins two main clauses.

Incorrect: The cougar moved quickly but the tourist reached the safety of the cabin.

Correct : The cougar moved quickly, but the tourist reached the safety of the cabin.

The clauses joined by the conjunction but could stand alone as complete sentences: “The cougar moved quickly” and “The tourist reached the safety of the cabin.” A comma is not needed with a compound verb joined by a coordinate conjunction: “The tourist saw the cougar and ran to the cabin.”

5. A comma is not strong enough to join two main clauses. (Comma splice)

Incorrect: Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter, nevertheless they kept up with their studies.

Correct : Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter; nevertheless they kept up with their studies.

Also Correct: Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter. Nevertheless, they kept up with their studies.

A comma splice results when two main clauses are joined by a comma. The main clauses here are “Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter” and “nevertheless, they kept up with their studies.”

The word nevertheless is a conjunctive adverb. Its function is to provide a transition between two thoughts, but it is not a joining word like and or but. A comma splice can be avoided by placing a semicolon after the first clause or by ending the first clause with a period or other end stop and starting a new sentence with a capital.

6. A comma is not needed before a noun clause in ordinary narration.

Incorrect: The spelunkers found, that the caves were closed to protect the bats.

Correct : The spelunkers found that the caves were closed to protect the bats.
The noun clause is “the caves were closed to protect the bats.” The clause functions as the direct object of the verb in the main clause, found.

7. A comma is needed before a direct quotation.

Incorrect: The wizard said “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

Correct : The wizard said, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

8. Colons should be used after a complete sentence to introduce a word, phrase, clause, list, or quotation.

Incorrect: Her favorite flowers are: daffodils, roses, and pansies.

Correct : She has three favorite flowers: daffodils, roses, and pansies.

“Her favorite flowers are” is a sentence fragment. A complete sentence should precede a colon that introduces a thought that expands on the meaning of the sentence that precedes it.

9. Main clauses that are not part of a compound or complex sentence require an end stop. When a period or other end stop is omitted, the result is a “run-on sentence.”

Incorrect: The rushing waves capsized the boat indifferent gulls wheeled overhead.

Correct : The rushing waves capsized the boat. Indifferent gulls wheeled overhead.
The simplest way to correct a run-on sentence is to put a period at the end of the first clause and capitalize the next one.

10. Multiple exclamation points don’t belong in mature writing.

Incorrect: Before my astonished eyes, the house sank into the tarn!!!!

Correct : Before my astonished eyes, the house sank into the tarn!

On the rare occasions that an exclamation mark is wanted in formal writing, one is sufficient.

Bonus: Quotation marks should not be used for mere emphasis.

Incorrect: Our staff is required to take three “safety” courses every year.

Correct : Our staff is required to take three safety courses every year.

In most contexts, placing quotation marks around a word suggests that the word is being used with a meaning other than the obvious one. Writers who enclose words in quotation marks merely for emphasis risk annoying their readers. No one likes to waste time trying to discern a hidden meaning where there is none.
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3 Must-Know Ways for Creating Meaningful Settings in Your Novel

Sad but true, setting in novels is mostly ignored. It’s as if writers feel they must sacrifice attention to setting on the altar of getting the story moving, but nothing could be further from the truth. The settings in your novel serve a number of very powerful functions in your scenes, and that’s why setting is an essential pillar of novel construction. Without setting, how can you have a story?

Where Should Your Scenes Take Place?

Many manuscripts by novice writers contain scenes that appear to be taking place in the void of space. The writer seems so intent on conveying dialogue or explaining about the characters that he forgets to mention where his characters happen to be.

And then there are other manuscripts in which setting is occasionally mentioned in passing but almost as an afterthought. In these instances, it’s as if the writer knows he should say something about where his characters are but feels it is so unimportant, he just throws out a few token lines that sketch a vague description.

Or in trying to portray a character in his ordinary life, the writer repeatedly puts him in boring places like restaurants and coffee shops. This is a fast way to dull any scene.
Writers who view settings in such ways miss out on a great opportunity to bring a novel to life. The more real a place is to readers, the easier it is for them to be transported there to experience the story.

3 Key Points When Considering Settings in Your Novel

1. Show Settings Through the Eyes of Your Characters. It is impossible to powerfully capture a place via objective description—at least to capture it in a way that readers will not skim. Only through the eyes and heart of a character does place come truly alive” (Donald Maass,The Fire in Fiction).

You may not have thought about setting in this way, but it’s all about the POV character. Each person reacts differently to a specific setting. If you and a group of your friends traveled to a place you’d never been, you would each notice and be curious about different things. So too your POV character should be noticing and reacting to the settings in your novel based on who she is and how she views her world.

2. Choose Settings That Trigger Emotion in Your POV Character. Think about places in your past that are emotionally charged for you. Recalling specific places that have emotional triggers may help you come up with such places for your characters.

Let’s say your protagonist has just had a fight with her mother over the man she plans to marry. She might visit her childhood home, or go sit in the bedroom in her parents’ house in which she spent her childhood. There, she might remember the vicious fights her parents had before they divorced. She might, at that moment, feel a strong determination to never be like her mother. Or she may suddenly be afraid her marriage may end up just like her parents’.

The place she is in can be a great tool to increasing her inner conflict, which is what you want. Inner conflict emotionally drives the character toward her visible goal in your story, so anything that can “stir up the waters” is going to be worthwhile. If she instead goes to Starbuck’s after having a fight with her mother, she may just order her Americano coffee, blow it off, and get on with her day—and not experience the intense emotions a more personal setting would spark.

3. Determine Setting Based on the “High Moment” in Your Scene Setting should be determined by the high point of the scene. Stop and think what main plot point or character insight you are going to reveal in each scene.

For example, you may plan to show your main character having a fight with her boyfriend over her unwanted pregnancy. You could stage the argument in a restaurant. Fine. But what if you stage the argument in front of a preschool or a hospital nursery ward, where she is visiting a friend who just had a baby? What if this character is conflicted about aborting, and she’s surrounded by cute laughing toddlers? Or screeching babies needing to be fed and changed and cared for? Depending on your plot and character arcs, these settings could add to the tension and hit home the high moment of your scene in a more powerful way.

Just as setting has shaped who you are, let the settings in your novel shape your characters and influence them. Create the settings in your novel with a purpose, and you’ll tell a more powerful story.

Tell me your opinion: What novels come to your mind that contain settings that are emotionally charged for the characters?

22 Writing Tips

Posted by Melissa Donovan on the blog, Writing Forward

These writing tips cover the basics and the most important aspects of writing.

1.Do it. Write.

2.Read as much and as often as you can. Remember, every writer is a reader first.

3.Keep a journal or notebook handy at all times so you can jot down all of your brilliant ideas. If you’ve got a smartphone, make sure it’s loaded with a note-taking app. A voice-recording app also comes in handy for recording notes and ideas.

4.Make sure you have a dictionary and thesaurus available whenever you are writing.

5.Be observant. The people and activities that surround you will provide you with great inspiration for characters, plots, and themes.

6.Invest in a few valuable resources starting with The Chicago Manual of Style and The Elements of Style.

7.Grammar: learn the rules and then learn how to break them effectively.

8.Stop procrastinating. Turn off the TV, disconnect from the Internet, tune out the rest of the world, sit down, and write.

9.Read works by highly successful authors to learn what earns a loyal readership.

10.Read works by the canonical authors so you understand what constitutes a respectable literary achievement.

11.Join a writers’ group so you can gain support from the writing community and enjoy camaraderie in your craft.

12.Create a space in your home especially for writing.

13.Proofread everything at least three times before submitting your work for publication.

14.Write every single day.

15.Start a blog. Use it to talk about your own writing process, share your ideas and experiences, or publish your work to a reading audience.

16.Subscribe to writing blogs on the Internet. Read them, participate, learn, share, and enjoy!

17.Use writing exercises to improve your skills, strengthen your talent, and explore different genres, styles, and techniques.

18.Let go of your inner editor. When you sit down to write a draft, refrain from proofreading until that draft is complete.

19.Allow yourself to write poorly, to write a weak, uninteresting story or a boring, grammatically incorrect poem. You’ll never succeed if you don’t allow yourself a few failures along the way.

20.Make it your business to understand grammar and language. Do you know a noun from a verb, a predicate from a preposition? Do you understand tense and verb agreement? You should.

21.You are a writer so own it and say it out loud: “I am a writer.” Whether it’s a hobby or your profession, if you write, then you have the right to this title.

22.Write, write, write, and then write some more. Forget everything else and just write.

Young Adult vs. New Adult – What’s the real difference?

A very informative post by writer Melissa Pearl

All these categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult… it can get confusing. Some may have graphic sex, some don’t, some shouldn’t. They all target different age groups. How can someone tell the difference?

Because of all the confusion, there have been many articles written about this and there’s even a Wiki page explaining what the New Adult genre actually is. Since I’ve written in both genres, I’m going to give you my own take on what I think YA vs. NA really means.

The easiest way to break this down will be to list what I think a reader should expect from each genre, and since I’m all about bullet points in my articles…here we go!

Young Adult

This genre has been made widely popular over the last decade or so, and many adult readers have come to love it just as much as teens…and that’s my first point.

YA novels may be read by all but they are written for teens, and that spawns the main differences to NA.

Characters’ Ages: Usually anywhere from 14 – 18 years of age

Situations: The teenage characters are facing “high school” type situations. They usually have to deal with parents or some other authority figure. The stories tend to revolve around teenage issues, many of them touching on those precious coming of age moments that so many teens face.

Language: There is swearing in these books, but it is usually milder as writers are aware of their audience.

Sex: There can be sex in YA novels, but it’s usually only mentioned and the physical details are simply touched on, not given in full detail. If the characters do have sex, the reader is offered more of an emotional ride rather than a graphic painting of the event.

Voice: The voice in these books is younger, more carefree; the weight of responsibility does not sit as heavily on these characters’ shoulders. Don’t you remember feeling invincible as a teen? Like nothing could really touch you, because you hadn’t lived long enough to be burned yet? YA novels are usually the teenage characters’ first taste of fire. It’s their first real love, their first full-blown betrayal. Whatever the crisis may be, it’s taking them from a point of innocent childhood and giving them a small piece of what awaits in the future. They may not be aware of it at the time, but these characters are being made battle-ready for adulthood.

Lessons Learned: As I mentioned above, the lessons learned, those sweet coming of age moments, are the ones we take with us into the future, but at the time, the future is usually the last thing on the characters’ minds. It’s all about the here and now. I’m not saying all teenage characters don’t think about the future. That’s not true. Some of my YA characters think ahead to where they might end up, but it’s usually with rose-tinted lenses as they still believe they can be whatever they want – if only they could get out of school, home or whatever is dragging them down.

Now let’s transition into NA where these characters are actually out of high school and home…

New Adult

In my opinion, this genre needed to be created. For one, you had teenage readers getting older and looking for more than just high school situations and romances, but weren’t yet ready to hang out in a totally adult world. You also had adults who were still keen on YA, but again, wanting a little more than what it had to offer and so NA was born and yay for me, because I LOVE NA fiction!

Character Ages: Usually between 18 – 25 years of age

Situations: These characters are now hitting the adult world and having to face situations on their own. They may be in college or getting their first real job. They may have moved out of home and are dealing with the different freedoms and pressures a lack of parents/authority figures brings. It’s a whole new ball game for these characters, and the burns and challenges they may encounter are much bigger, the risks so much greater. It can make for a more intense story.
Language: There seems to be no language barriers in NA. Characters can say whatever they like, so it’s really up to the comfort level of the author.

Sex: The same thing seems to go for the sex in NA. At one point, I think readers mistakenly thought NA meant page porn, but that’s not the case. Some NA novels are basically erotica, but they don’t have to be. Explicit sex scenes are not a requirement of NA fiction. I have read some awesome NA novels that have either no sex or fade to black type situations. They both work. I think one subtle difference between NA and YA sex scenes is that NA characters are more aware of their bodies. They aren’t afraid to recognize when they are being turned on and they’re more confident in exploring their sexuality.

Violence: I realize that I am a romance author and I’m always writing my articles from that viewpoint, so I just want to take a moment to touch on violence for all you readers who aren’t a fan of the good ol’ romance reads ;) The same sorts of rules seem to apply. There can be violence in both YA and NA books, but the intensity and graphic nature of these scenes are amplified in NA…if the author wants them to be. I guess NA gives the authors who like to write really gritty stuff more freedom, because their readers can handle it.

Voice: As you would expect, the voice in NA should be more mature. They are facing much bigger issues and they’re often facing them with less support than YA characters have. The characters’ voices, insights and attitudes should reflect this. They are still learning, but they know more than a high-school teenager. They’ve quite possibly had their first taste of fire and are more hardened to the realities of the real world.

Lessons Learned: The lessons in NA novels are often life-changers. NA characters are dealing with things to do with their future – marriage, career choices, travel opportunities, families of their own. They are adults now, yet they still don’t quite feel like it. This is such an important transition time and I for one, learned SO much about myself at this age.

A New Adult world is so much bigger, with so much more scope, and the lessons these characters learn need to reflect that. Their coming of age moments, rather than learning a little more about who they are, tend to lean towards actually deciding who they want to be and taking ownership of their life and their future.
I love both genres for different reasons and I can understand why the lines get blurred. There are many similarities, but you should be able to tell pretty quickly what you’re reading. If you’re a YA fan, don’t be afraid to try out NA, you’ll probably like it. As a writer, I’ve found myself leaning more towards that genre.

In fact one of my YA series – The Masks Series, has made a natural transition into NA as my high school senior became a college freshman and is about to become a sophomore in the third book (Snake Eyes – due for release Jan 30th). I never intended the series to become NA so I have kept the writing very clean and only used cussing to keep my characters authentic. My sex scenes and violence have erred towards the less descriptive and each of the main characters’ big moments have been more of an emotional ride than anything. I want my YA readers to be able to finish this series, so it’s been a tricky line to write on, but hopefully I’ve pulled it off.

Which genre do you prefer?

Fuel Your Story with Suspense with Elizabeth Sims

More tips to add suspense to your stories from writing authority, Elizabeth Sims.

Ms. Sims is the author of seven popular novels in two series, including The Rita Farmer Mysteries and The Lillian Byrd Crime series. Here are more wonderful ways to fuel your stories with suspense.

1. Fray an end.

One of my Hollywood friends recently told me of a simple, much-used movie trick to create a mood of suspense in an interior shot: Leave a cupboard door open. This visual cue suggests that things are unsettled, not composed, in need of attention.

On the page, little odd things that are not quite in order can create a subtle sense of tension in any scene. Think dangling apron strings, a guttering candle, a loose window latch, a jammed copy machine.

2. Fake ’em out.

The guard steps away for an illicit smoke, and we just know the homicidal maniac will escape. You could write it that way, but how much better would it be to bring the guard back a few minutes later to find all is well? Perhaps the second time the guard hears something, goes, “Oh, my God!” and races back, only to find the prisoner lounging peacefully in his cell.

As in the related yet subtly different example of crying wolf, obey the rule of three. On the third go—gone! Better still, because readers might be ready for the fake-out, have the payoff up the ante: The guard returns to find not only the prisoner gone, but the cell full of the bloody bodies of the warden and his family.

3. Stash someone.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the nosy but basically OK guy Polonius hides behind a tapestry to eavesdrop; when he makes a sound, Hamlet stabs the tapestry wildly, believing he is stabbing his enemy Claudius. The terrible mistake is one of the great heart-clutching moments in literature.

In the still-popular children’s classic Harriet the Spy, young Harriet discovers how useful simply hiding is: You can watch and listen, undetected. You must wait. Suspense is inherent in such a situation: What if you sneeze? What if a dog comes along and detects the candy bar in your pocket?

Hiding can, like many of the examples in this article, be used figuratively. A character can hide behind a stolen identity, a lie or even the fog of war.

4. Seat a pigeon on a stool.

It’s no mystery why so many cop stories and thrillers feature informants. A change of heart or—more commonly—fear of jail has caused many a criminal to drop a dime. It gets most exciting when they hit the streets wearing a recording device, under orders to gather incriminating evidence.

A friend familiar with law enforcement tells me that today’s wires are essentially undetectable. But there is still excellent tension inherent in an informant trying, with all her sweaty-palmed guile, to get the goods on hoods.

5. Put a mask on it.

I love to use disguise and impersonation in my novels because: 1) Suspense begins to build the moment you show a character preparing for the ruse; and 2) It can be funny to construct a fish-out-of-water scenario where, for instance, a private detective brazenly impersonates a homeless drunk, or a reporter tries to pass as a plainclothes nun.

We expect a professional undercover agent to do pretty well at escaping detection. But when it’s an amateur entering a dangerous situation, your readers will be on the edge of their seats from the get-go.


6. Amp the unknown.

The unknown is a time-honored suspense component, especially useful for horror, sci-fi or paranormal. Stephen King, for one, has built a colossal career by using the unknown, primarily manifested by the paranormal, typified by his gripping novel The Shining.

But I think one of the greatest examples of the unknown as a suspense-builder is in Charlotte Brontë’s gothic romance, Jane Eyre. At last Jane has escaped the miserable Lowood charity school, to work as a governess in a mansion with a most sexy master. But—there’s something weird going on in that attic! And that drives the suspense all the way to the end.


7. Put a symbol to work.

I enjoy a good symbol or two in a story, and it’s even better if the symbol incorporates suspense. Look to nature: Natural processes are inexorable, and they’re understood by all humans instinctively. A beautiful lake can represent the water of life, or it can symbolize something more unsettling if, for instance, your story begins in autumn, the first frosts skimming the lake with morning mists, eventually to transform the water into something cold, hard and dangerous.

8. Flip the hourglass, then flip it again.

In his café-society thriller A Season in Purgatory, Dominick Dunne skillfully works with time for maximum suspense. From the start we know a murder occurred many years ago, and we know the murderer will be exposed, because the narrator is describing a criminal trial. But then we’re transported back to the real beginning, where everybody is young and cute and—notably in the case of the victim—alive.
How was the crime committed, how was it hidden, how was it exposed? We won’t be satisfied until we flash forward again to the conclusion.

9. Double down on debt

Any good gangster knows that you do people favors before asking any from them. Because when people are in your debt, you can more easily persuade them to do something for you.

This technique can work in any scenario—a political boss and his constituents (or underlings), a nasty sibling rivalry, a group of friends on holiday at a health spa.

I kept your secret, now you keep mine. Capisce?


10. Isolate ’em.

Isolation of a select character or group of characters intensifies the most ordinary circumstances into suspenseful ones. Consider all those closed-room murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, as well as stuck-on-a-boat adventure tales such as Jack London’s The Sea Wolf and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.

Plays can be great venues for the isolation breed of suspense—by default we have characters in close proximity to one another onstage, and we know rats in a cage will fight eventually. How else might you create isolation—which, by the way, can be temporary? How about a stuck elevator, a sudden storm, even a flat tire?

11. Throw a monkey wrench.

When you use an accident in an overt attempt to try to write yourself out of a jam, your readers will squawk. In public. In their reviews on Amazon. On Goodreads.
The fact remains, however, that accidents do happen. And a sudden, unexpected disaster instantly ramps up tension. Plausibility is the key.

It’s certainly plausible for a young, green getaway car driver to panic and crash into a hotel … maybe even the same one that’s hosting the police chief convention, forcing the gang to separate as they flee on foot. It’s plausible that the mob capo will insist that the assassination be moved up a day when his daughter goes into labor with his first grandchild, in spite of the fact that the groundwork hasn’t been properly laid yet.

12. Get your head into it.

My routine for developing notes, ideas and a working outline for a Writer’s Digest article is to spend the day at a large urban library. In the case of this article, after completely losing myself in my subject of suspense, I broke for a nice little lunch at a nearby bistro. A fruit fly got too enticed by my glass of Rioja and drowned therein.

Fishing out the micro-corpse, I looked around furtively and wondered, “Oh, God, how will I dispose of the body?” I swear to you, for a moment I really felt I had something to hide.

This is exactly the frame of mind you as an author should cultivate, by living and breathing your writing. If you do it, you’ll have a great chance your readers will stick with you, breath bated, to the end.