K.V. Fischer's Blog, page 6

Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #13: Gather Your Resources

As writers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the process of gettingthat story from your head to “paper.” However, in the publishing environment wefind ourselves in today, it’s important to gather your resources. Authors needto know how to edit their work, set up a business, get that book published(traditionally or independently), and market their book, among other things.

The purpose of this article is to present you with a resource pagethat will provide you with additional tools to make your journey easier. You’llfind experienced authors and professionals who can coach you, assist you withyour writing, editing, technology, and business as well as marketing tips.

The Author Toolbox — Candee FickAuthor Candee Fick

Author Candee Fick accumulated over 100 of her favorite tools for authors and shared them in The Author Toolbox. She also provides mentoring, hands-on advice, and personal coaching in person for those in the northern Colorado area, or via Skype, or phone for those further away. Candee is also the acquisitions and content editor for a Christian press.

Watch your grammar – Amanda CabotAmanda Cabot

Since the mechanics of writing is critical, it’s essential to watch your grammar. Amanda Cabot’s R & R: Raves and Rants provides you with that essential tool that will help you avoid those inevitable mistakes. In my article, Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #12: Watch Your Grammar, I provide a brief description and link to each of Amanda’s invaluable articles which can be found on L.A. Sartor’s blog, An Indie Adventure — another invaluable resource.

Pageant Wagon Publishing — Kathryn RossKathryn Ross

If you’re interested in a Christian writing mentor or an independent publisher who can help you develop your book idea into a print publication, you may want to reach out to Kathryn Ross, Author, Book Shepherd, Independent Publisher, Pageant Wagon Publishing, 856-205-9334.

Time management & the multifaceted solution to getting to the end -apods

Amanda Cabot’s APODS Series is an incredible must read for not only authors, but EVERYONE. In Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #5: Apply APODS to Your Life, hI provide a one stop post that provides a link with a summary of each of Amanda’s articles for your convenience. You won’t want to miss it.

legal advice for your businessKaren Van Den Heuvel Fischer

If you live in Colorado or Florida and need assistance with yourbusiness, intellectual property concerns, or estate planning, see what KarenVDH Fischer LLC has to offer or email me at kvdhfischer@gmail.com.

If you have any recommendations for our fellow writers, please feel free to share!

(c) 2020 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer

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PUBLISH DON’T PERISH — TIP #12: Watch Your Grammar

Themechanics of writing are critical, so watch your grammar! It’s the way wecommunicate, and your grammar can make or break your writing.

Unfortunately,grammar mistakes are easy to make; however, Amanda Cabot’s Series, R&R:Raves and Rants, provides the perfect tool to help you avoid making thoseinevitable mistakes. She provides tips and tricks that will keep you in theclear in an entertaining manner.

R&R: Raves and Rants by AmandaCabot

This article will provide you with the links and a brief summary of each article that can be found on L.A. Sartor’s blog, An Indie Adventure. You may want to spend time on this blog. Not only does An Indie Adventure provide great writing tips from pros like Amanda Cabot, but it’s a great source for getting the most out of your creative journey. As for your grammar tips and tricks, check out these invaluable articles!

R&R: Raves and Rants -Proper Plurals fromMulti-Published Author Amanda Cabot

Learnhow you should – and shouldn’t – form plurals.

R&R: Raves and Rants for July — PerfectPossessives

Checkout the correct way to form possessives, from the simplest rule for singlenouns to the more complicated plural noun rule.

R&R: Raves and Rants for August — TheTroublesome Twos

Avoidthe confusion between the simple “to” and “too.”

The Troublesome Twos

R&R: Raves and Rants for September —Confusing Clauses

Avoidambiguous antecedents — it’s critical. Learn how to identify them and how tosteer clear of them.

R&R: Raves and Rants for October — GreatBeginnings

Theopening line in a book may just be the most important. What makes a greatopening line?

R&R: Raves and Rants for November — The TruthAbout Lies

Understandthe difference between “to lie” and “to lay.”

R&R: Raves and Rants — Commas and CompoundSentences

Publish Don’t Perish

After a quick review of punctuation, get a handle on the rule for commas and compound sentences as well as using FANBOYS.

R&R: Raves and Rants — LESSONS FROM LITTLEWOMEN

Don’tskip or shortcut an editor. You might be surprised by the consequences if youdo.

R&R: Raves and Rants — Compound Sentences andConjunctive Adverbs

UseFANBOYS and conjunctive adverbs with the simple punctuation rule.

R&R: Raves and Rants — The Danger of DanglingParticiples

Afterexplaining what a participle is, Amanda shares ways to avoid dangling them.

R&R: Raves and Rants — A Case of Pronouns

Pronounshave three major cases. Learn what they are and the difference.

R&R: Raves and Rants — A CASE OF PRONOUNSCHALLENGE

Takethe challenge and find the errors.

Take the challenge and find the errors.

R&R: Raves and Rants — THAT PESKY PASSIVE VOICE

Believeit or not, there are times when the passive voice is the best choice.

R&R: Raves and Rants — THE COMMON COMMA

“Tocomma or not to comma: that is the question.”

R&R: Raves & Rants — ME, MYSELF, AND I

Thereare simple rules for using me, myself, and I.

R&R: Raves & Rants — The Final Rant

Amanda Cabot

This final rant is filled with a potpourri of items, some of which include mismatches, improbable dialogue tags, misplaced clauses, anachronisms, and others. Enjoy!!

Thank you, Amanda! I hope to see a future rave or rant!

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Publish Don’t Perish Tip #11 – Be Accountable

Last week, I republished the article, An Inspiring Rare Friendship in anticipation of Publish Don’t Perish Tip #11 – Be Accountable. It’s so easy to be pulled away from your writing when “life” interferes. Sometimes you need a break, as I discussed in Tip #10 , however, sometimes while the break is helpful, it may extend longer than intended, and you can move farther and farther away from your goals. This slippery slope is especially easy for the writer, an often lonely profession. However, when you set yourself up to be accountable, important goals are likely reached. Today’s article will share ways in which you can make yourself accountable.

Accountability PartnerThe Best Partner — Joni & Karen

Find yourself an accountability partner. This is someone you can share your daily or weekly writing goals with and who will check in with you to see if you’ve met them. This doesn’t necessarily have to be another writer, it can be anyone willing to see you succeed.

Writers’ Group

.Join a writers’ group. I have been blessed by one of the most incredible, supportive groups imaginable. We meet monthly, although during these times of social distancing, we missed a few until we found our rhythm with a new venue — Google Meet. It’s not quite the same as being together in person, but it’s almost as good and still provides motivation to write. These amazing people have the ability to fill my soul.

At the start of each meeting we pray together and provide a 90 second update on where we are with our writing. It’s amazing what that 90 seconds can inspire us to accomplish during the month.

Writing Retreat – Donna Wichelman, L.A. Sartor, Sandi Rog, Karen Fischer, Audra Harders, Candi FickCritique Group

Join a critique group where like mindedwriters set writing goals and provide regular drafts to other members forcritique. Each group will have its own set of “rules” and “guidelines” themembers need to follow. But each member is held accountable to participate andwrite.

Go Public

When you go public with your readership, family, and friends, you don’t want to let them down. Search Beyond Lies is a very important project for me, and by going public with An Inspiring Rare Friendship, I want you to hold me accountable. My goal is to have Search Beyond Lies ready for my professional content editor (Candee Fick) by December 1, and ready for my copy editor (Elizabeth Fenton) by Christmas. I will check in with you regularly.

An Inspiring Rare Friendship

What suggestions do you have to help us be accountable?

© 2020 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer

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Publish Don’t Perish Tip #10: TAKE A BREAK

Tip #10 in the Publish Don’t Perish Series is — TAKE A BREAK, when you need one. Sometimes the process of making lemonade from life’s lemons requires a break for whatever reason. When it comes to the life of an author, sometimes a break will do wonders for writer’s block. However, sometimes different aspects of our lives must take a priority, whether it’s children, your spouse/significant other, day job, a family member who needs assistance, or …

The last postKaren Van Den Heuvel Fischer

The last post I published was the last Thursday in April, thanks to Candee Fick. The last post I wrote, was two weeks prior. Friends, I took a break from writing. Not all writing, I am an attorney with the law firm of Karen VDH Fischer LLC and I write legal documents all day, whether for businesses, estate planning, probate, Employee Handbooks, or … . I took a break from writing my articles and working on my book, Search Beyond Lies. That break is over, and I am charging forward.

Search beyond lies

My latest novel (a work in progress) is titled, Search Beyond Lies. It’s very important to me, as it was inspired by my son’s close friend and mentor, Brian Perri, who lost his life on Mount Meeker on June 30, 2018 and those who would not give up on his search — my son, J.C. and Brian’s close friend from his army days, Kimo, who is now a part of our family. Although inspired by these incredible people, the book is a work of fiction and will have a happy ending.

Brian PerriAn inspiring rare friendship

After the 3-week search for Brian, I wrote an article titled, An Inspiring Rare Friendship. Although I posted this article on my website, it was subsequently lost when my website “crashed” and a number of published articles could not be recovered. Next week, I will republish this article, as it will be instrumental for the next tip.

Take a break Take a break with a culinary work of art.

Take a break if you need it, and please don’t feel bad about taking it. Do something fun if you can or a task you enjoy, perhaps painting, gardening or culinary works of art, whatever your pleasure (mine is culinary since I have no talent with a paint brush or with the garden — although I enjoy others’ creations). These are unprecedented times and it’s important to take care of yourself.

© 2020 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer

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