Heather Wright's Blog, page 18

Social Media Decisions and Questions

Hi Everyone,

I’ve finally taken the leap and created a Facebook page for Heather Wright Writer. It’s a place for me to share links to articles that I think will be useful to other writers. I belong to a number of groups where I’ve posted these links in the past, but the groups have become more “buy my book” groups with most of the posts being along those lines and that’s not where I want to be.

On my page, I try to post a link to something useful and writerly every day or two, so you’ll only hear from me once a day at the very most–and I won’t be using it to post advertising promos about my books. I might offer a link to a free chapter, but that would probably be it. Please follow along if you think you would be interested.

I’m on Twitter, too, if you’d like to follow @hwrightwriter. Once again, you can look at my list of recent posts and see that I don’t send out automated sales messages every 2 hours and rarely do any book promotion unless it’s to specific groups that I think will find my work useful. If you want to read someone who (better than I) expresses her dismay at the use of Twitter for bombarding people with marketing messages, drop by Kristen Lamb’s excellent blog and see what I mean.

How are you handling your social media choices? Do you have more than one FB page or blog or Twitter account? How do you feel about book marketing on social media? Do you buy books based on Twitter marketing blurbs?

Filed under: writing Tagged: articles on writing, Facebook, social media, Twitter

September Writing Prompts

Summer vacation pic.

After so many years of attending school and being a teacher, Labour Day is the day that marks a fresh start for me–sort of an early New Year’s Day. This is the time of year that I make those resolutions to write more, exercise more, schedule more ‘me time’, get my life in balance.

I think part of the reason for this is that, once school begins, I’m on a schedule. That daily work timetable makes it more likely that I will timetable other important things in my life, too. I keep a daily calendar during the school year with times blocked off for classes, and then what I have left are tempting blank spaces to fill with other projects. Love that.

How do you block out time for your writing and the other important things in your life? Do you keep a daily calendar or diary? Does Labour Day seem like New Year’s to you?

Here are some writing prompts to play with in September.

1. Freewrite using one, some or all of the following words: leaves, books, new, bright, time, hope

2. Try one of these opening sentences and see where the story takes  you.

“Where did you come from?”
The screech of gulls stopped her in her tracks.
Charlie read the inscription in the front of the book again. Now, what does that mean, he wondered.
After four days, Jeff had had enough.
I hated it when she smiled that way.
It didn’t take long to realize that, once they found the body, I was going to be suspect number one.

3.  Some dialogue to play with.

The fire is out.
Don’t look at me! I’m no boy scout.
I figured that out already. Just what are you?

or

Why do you keep staring at that painting?
I know who painted it.
Well, that’s not difficult. His name is in the corner.
You don’t understand. I know who really painted it.

4. Here are some September-related song titles. Try one as the title of a story or poem.

See You In September, September Song, It Might As Well Rain Until September, September Morning, Autumn in New York, My September Love, Chill Of An Early Fall.

 

Filed under: writing

What I’ve Been Doing This Summer

201 Writing Starters

This is one of the projects I’ve been working on this summer, and I’m happy to say it’s finally online.

In 201 Writing Starters, I’ve collected previously published writing prompts and added over 100 more. I’ve also included an article, “Keeping the Writer in You Motivated,” to help keep you inspired when the writing doldrums hit.

Currently 201 Writing Starters is only available at Smashwords, but in a week or two, it should be available at other online booksellers. I’ll keep you posted!

If  you have a moment, please drop by Smashwords to explore the book and download some sample pages.

Enjoy!

Filed under: writing Tagged: 201 Writing Starters, creativity, fiction, sample pages, Smashwords, writing fiction, writing prompts, writing starters

Book Cover for Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery

Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery cover art by Elly Lee

No, it’s not a missing story from the Doyle canon. It’s the cover for a book that I wrote for JLS Storybook Project, a publisher that creates ESL material for Korean students learning English. I had a wonderful time writing the book and can’t wait to see the published product–and the other illustrations that are inside. Many thanks to the illustrator, Elly Lee.

In Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery, two children who are living on the street  desperately want to be members of Holmes’ Baker Street Irregulars. Going under cover in an orphanage, they use their wits, secret messages, and street smarts to unravel the villains’ plot and earn a place in the Irregulars–and a new home.

It was great fun renewing my acquaintance with the Holmes’ stories while I did research for the Orphanage Mystery. I hope my story leads the students to read the originals sometime, and that they enjoy them as much I as do.

Have you ever written a story or book using characters created by other authors? Who would you like to write about?

Filed under: writing

August Writing Prompts

The summer is passing by too quickly–as usual. I hope you’ve been enjoying every moment and finding time to write and enjoy family and friends. We’ve had heat and drought here with shriveling crops and yellow grass in abundance. It’s been a real challenge to stay focused and creative while trying to keep cool. I’ve been working on an ebook of writing prompts that I hope to release via Smashwords in the next week or so. It will include some prompts that I’ve already published, but over half are new. I look forward to telling you more about it soon. Until then, here are some writing starters for August.

a) Dictionary.com gives these definitions for august: 1.inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic: an august performance of a religious drama. 2. venerable; eminent: an august personage. What or who inspires your reverence or admiration? If you are creating a character that inspire admiration, what traits does he or she have? Have you ever met someone or would you like to meet someone who could be described as venerable or eminent? Who is this person? Describe him or her.

b) Brainstorm around the word dry. Here are a few ideas to get you started–bone dry, dry out, dry as a desert, parched, dry dock.

c) Here are a few opening lines you might try.

1. A thick screen of ivy wrapped the walls.

2. I lost it.

3. All the frames held photos, except one.

4. I planned to be finished in an hour.

5. Some women attract men; I attract stray cats.

d) Use one, some, or all of the following words in a story: gem, cup, cord, lash, switch, candle.

Filed under: writing Tagged: August, creativity, ebook, summer, summer writing, writing prompts, writing starters

New Free Chapter: Meeting Your Writing Goals

Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens
US and Canadian editions available

I added a new sample chapter to my book’s website today. Though the book is called Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens, I think that writers of any age can find something useful in it.The two sample chapters available now are “Meeting Your Writing Goals” and “Stuck for a Story Idea?” You can find them under the Sample Chapters tab at my book’s website.

Also, if you’re looking for other story inspirations click on the Writing Starters tab and explore.

I’m in the process of creating an ebook of writing starters, some previously published and a lot brand new. I’ll be posting more about that venture soon.

Hope you all have a creative week. Please drop me a line if you find yourself inspired by any of the writing starters. I love to hear about the stories that they lead to.

Filed under: writing Tagged: free chapter, how to meet your writing goals, how to write fiction, story starters, writing fiction, Writing Fiction: A Hands on Guide for Teens, writing goals, writing prompts, writing starters, writing tips

Shameless Self-Promotion

Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens
US and Canadian editions available

I added a new sample chapter to my book’s website today. Though the book is called Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens, I think that writers of any age can find something useful in it.The two sample chapters available now are “Meeting Your Writing Goals” and “Stuck for a Story Idea?” You can find them under the Sample Chapters tab at my book’s website.

Also, if you’re looking for other story inspirations click on the Writing Starters tab and explore.

I’m in the process of creating an ebook of writing starters, some previously published and a lot brand new. I’ll be posting more about that venture soon.

Hope you all have a creative week. Please drop me a line if you find yourself inspired by any of the writing starters. I love to hear about the stories that they lead to.

Filed under: writing Tagged: how to write fiction, story starters, writing fiction, Writing Fiction: A Hands on Guide for Teens, writing goals, writing prompts, writing starters, writing tips

What’s on Your Writing Playlist?

Southampton ON at sunset. A wonderful place and time to write.

What kind of music is playing while you write? When I’m working on my medieval mystery, I listen to Gregorian chants. For most everything else, it’s classical music or soundtracks. Other people’s words get in the way of mine—or I have the attention span of a gnat—so I can’t even listen to instrumental versions of songs that I know, because I sing along in my head.

Last year, my son gave me the 25th anniversary soundtrack to the Legend of Zelda video game; I just loved it. I’m also a fan of the music in the Studio Ghibli films (Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro) and would love to find soundtracks, but haven’t had any luck so far. So it’s the classics for me—lots of Mozart, Chopin, and for romance, Rachmaninoff.

When the house is empty, I often put on some (very loud) music and sing along (also loudly.) It’s a guaranteed mood booster for me. I sing in the car, too, especially when I’m heading in to teach at 8 AM. It does wonders for my spirit and warms up my voice for the teacher talk ahead.

Does music affect your mood or do you use music to change how you’re feeling? What music do you listen to when you write or is silence golden?

Filed under: writing Tagged: Chopin, inspiration, Mozart, music, Rachmaninoff, soundtracks, Studio Ghibli, writing

Review of Rayne Hall’s WRITING SCARY SCENES

Rayne Hall begins her book with these words:

I love scaring readers. Don’t you?

This book will teach you practical tricks for turning up the suspense. Make your readers’ hearts hammer with terror, their breaths quicken with excitement and their skins tingle with goosebumps of delicious fright. 

Hall keeps her promise. Her book is broken down into succinct chapters that give you all the tools you need to create scary scenes. And the tools are concrete. She shows you the words you can use and the ones to avoid. She looks at pacing and the pattern of building a suspenseful scene. And all of this is done with a plain language approach that makes it feel as if she is dispensing her advice across the table from you at your favourite coffee shop.

The tools Hall provides aren’t just for use by horror and thriller writers. Every story needs suspense. Every author wants his or her book to be the one that readers just can’t put down. No matter what you write, Hall’s techniques can give your book the reader-grabbing polish it needs.  I’m in the midst of editing a fantasy for middle readers at the moment, and I will be starting at the beginning (again!) with this guide beside me. Almost every chapter in Hall’s book made me think about a point in my novel where I could up the ante for my hero and keep my reader more engaged. As Hall states: “Fear comes in many different flavours. For each scene you write, choose one or several kinds of fear.”

Here’s a selection of chapter titles from book to show you the range of Hall’s expertise–and how much I’m going to learn as I work through my novel!

 Instant Hooks
What Lurks Behind That Door?
Sounds Build Suspense
Strip to Tease
Keep the Clock Ticking
Structuring a Scary Scene
Using the Senses
Cliffhangers
Villains and Monsters
Chases and Escapes
Humour
The Wimp Effect (loved this chapter!)

In each chapter, examples from works of other authors bring Hall’s writing tips to life, and in case you think the suggestion is so good that you want to use it all the time, she ends with some words of caution about what happens when the concept is overworked. Hall’s own sample stories at the end of the book are guaranteed to provide the reader with more than a fair share of chills, and are a perfect way to view the techniques at work.

You can find Hall’s books here, including another book in this series, Writing Fight Scenes: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RayneHall

Hall also offers writing workshops: Writing Workshops with Rayne Hall: Take your writing craft to the next level https://sites.google.com/site/writingworkshopswithraynehall/

Rayne Hall is the author of thirty books in different genres and under different pen names, published by twelve publishers in six countries, translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in magazines, e-zines and anthologies.

Filed under: writing Tagged: adding suspense, horror, Rayne Hall, suspense, writing advice, Writing Scary Scenes, writing tips

Writerly Links Worth Visiting

I’ve listed below a few links that I think you’ll enjoy exploring. Have fun!

The title of this one is self explanatory: The Top 100 Creative Writing Blogs. I’m sure you’ll see a lot of old friends here and enjoy making new ones: http://yaminatoday.com/2012/07/07/the-top-100-creative-writing-blogs/

Make it a habit to drop by Debbie Ohi’s Inkygirl site for fun writerly comics, interviews and tips for kidlit and YA authors and illustrators:  http://inkygirl.com/

This is just one of Jane Friedman’s great writing tips: Perfecting Your First Page: 3 Tasks or Exercises:  http://janefriedman.com/2012/04/23/perfecting-your-first-page/

David Carnoy provides a great overview of self-publishing options in How to Self-Publish an eBook: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-20010547-82/how-to-self-publish-an-ebook/

If you’re a new or experienced freelancer, Paul Lima will have answers for your questions. Just check the categories down the side to get the info you need. http://paullima.com/blog/

If you have any writerly links that you want to recommend, too, please share them in the comments.

Filed under: writing