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August 24, 2024

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

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Published on August 24, 2024 21:01

August 18, 2024

How to Publish Your Books in Two Languages as a Bilingual Author

by Felicity Green

When I first started self-publishing in 2014, I was familiar with the German book market. I had worked at small publishing companies in Zurich, as an editor and in marketing, so I knew how to write, distribute, and market a book.

It made sense to write my first books in German, but I always planned to translate them. I definitely wanted to publish books in English. I’d studied Creative Writing at the University of Sussex, UK, and my first published short fiction had been in English. On top of that, I had experience as a literary translator. I’d worked for AmazonCrossing and translated works by indie authors from English to German and vice versa.

It seemed as if I had all the prerequisites to write my books in two languages and conquer both the German- and the English-speaking markets.

It is now ten years later, and I only now published my most successful series, the Scottish Witches paranormal cozy mysteries, in English. I am happy to report it is going well, but it was not easy—and I am many years behind in my original plan.

What happened?

I never seemed to “find” the time. My German books did well, and my readers wanted more of them. I was only too happy to oblige. It seemed much more creatively fulfilling and exciting to write new books instead of translating old ones.

And I tried and failed with the wrong series in 2016. It was the wrong genre. The books were a new novella series that later also turned out to be my worst selling German book series. I had poor covers, did not know how to get reviews, and, worst of all, I had no clue how to connect with my English readers. It took me a while to dust myself off and try again.

The good news is that I had plenty of opportunities to learn from my failures.

Here are a few tips for my fellow bilingual authors:

Budget time and energy well

You only have a finite amount of time and energy to give to this career. Saving money by doing your own translations (and everything else like formatting, distribution, and marketing) seems like a no-brainer at first, but that means you need to budget your time and energy differently. A translation takes a couple of months—months in which you could have written a new book. If you do most of the work yourself, you can publish fewer original works, even though you have more products to sell. Selling and marketing to readers in different countries takes double the time as well.

You need to weigh up what is most important to you.

Your primary resources to consider are money, time, energy, and control.

For example, it is risky to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a translation, since you might never recoup that money. But if doing the translation yourself robs you of your creative energy, it might not be worth it, either. I get a productivity kick out of translating a chapter a day, so it gives me energy. I don’t have a lot of time left to devote to writing, however, so that’s also something to bear in mind.
I don’t mind letting someone else handle marketing, but only for specific tasks, because I still want to maintain control over where my budget goes. Also, I like to be in close contact with my readers.

Get help

Once you have weighed up what financial investments, time, energy, and control are worth to you, you can decide about outsourcing.

If you want to write at least two or three books a year, and also translate and publish them in different languages, you simply can’t do everything by yourself.

Getting help doesn’t always need to be expensive, by the way. You can build up your newsletter list with newsletter swaps, for example, and then ask fans on your list if they want to join your ARC team. A lot of advanced readers leave not only a review upon publication, they also happily let you know typos, so you don’t need to pay an expensive proofreader (if you are okay with letting a few mistakes slip through the cracks).

Hire a good editor

This is one area where it does not pay off to be stingy, in my opinion.

First of all, just because you speak the language, doesn’t mean you are a good translator. There is an art to an excellent translation. AI tools have improved vastly in the last few years, but there is no replacing a human being with expertise. By all means, use AI, like DeepL, to help with the translation. I use it myself for the first draft, as I prefer it to a blank page. It still takes me two months to rewrite the AI draft. And I gladly pay my editor and proofreader to whip that draft into final shape. Also consider who—and where—your target readers are. My ideal reader is from the US, someone who dreams of traveling to Scotland. I speak UK English, so I hired an editor from the US.

Connect with readers

One of my biggest mistakes when I failed in 2016 was not to connect with my English readers. You cannot just publish a book into the void. That doesn’t mean you have to write to market, but once your book is done, you absolutely have to consider who your readers are and how you can reach them.

In 2016, there was literally a big ocean between me and the readers I wanted to connect with. I did not know how to cross it. This time, I spent a bit of time building up my English newsletter before I published the first book in the series. I set a budget aside for ads as well as inexpensive services to do newsletter swaps and joined promotions of the free book I send to every new newsletter subscriber, NO REST FOR THE WICKED WITCH.

It was worth it. I get quite personal in my welcome email sequence and talk about the trip to Scotland that inspired the Scottish Witches Mystery series. I love getting emails from my readers in response, so I can get to know them better.

Other authors might be better suited to connecting with readers on social media, for instance, in FB groups.

There are also inexpensive services that match authors with reviewers, like Booksirens and Booksprout. I found them very useful. I connected with reviewers who are now fans of the series.

Remember, you are in charge

If all this sounds A LOT—it is. But always remember that you are in charge. This is your career, and you should enjoy it! Do you have to translate your books and publish them in different languages, just because you are bilingual? No. You can still hire a translator, sell the rights to foreign publishers, or stick with books in one language.

We indie authors have so many opportunities and are always susceptible to FOMO. In truth, we are bound to miss out on chances to grow our careers all the time. We can only listen to our hearts and guts to know what to focus on. So you do what suits you best.

And don’t forget to have fun with it. I had to get over a lot of pressure and anxiety to try again with my English books.

As writers, we have the privilege of making a living with what we love. And even if we do not make a living with it, we chose to spend our time doing it, because we are so passionate about it. So we might as well enjoy it and do what feels good!

Felicity Green is the best-selling fantasy and paranormal mystery author of the Scottish Witches Mysteries and over 30 other books, in English and German.

A German native, Felicity spent over a decade in England, studying English literature and drama and pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. She toured the British Isles with theater groups and fell in love with all those magical places in England, Scotland, and Ireland that continue to inspire her novels. Once Felicity started writing her own plays, she knew she had found her calling. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from University of Sussex.

When Felicity isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys traveling, yoga, hiking, and trying out new recipes. Felicity lives at the German-Swiss border with her husband, her daughters, and an idiosyncratic Maine Coon cat.

www.felicitygreenauthor.com

How to Publish Your Books in Two Languages as a Bilingual Author by @AntjeFelicity:
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Published on August 18, 2024 21:01

August 17, 2024

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

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Published on August 17, 2024 21:01

August 3, 2024

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A quick note that I’ll be taking the next couple of weeks off for a summer break. :) I’ll look forward to being back Aug. 18 for LitLinks. And good news…X was able to get me back on the platform at long last. Business / Miscellaneous What Editors Wished Writers Knew: by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous Buchmesse’s B2B Platform Is Open: ‘Frankfurt Connect’: by Porter Anderson The UK’s Booker Prize For Fiction: 2024 Longlist: by Porter Anderson Frankfurter Buchmesse’s 2024 Rights Center Sells Out: by Porter Anderson Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting Why Slowing Down Offers Writers an Effective Goal-Achievement Strategy: by Nina Amir Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration Story Ideas for Inspiration: by Angie Andriot Writer inspiration and tips on using AI to generate ideas: by Helena Fairfax Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers Five SFF Stories About Houses With Minds of Their Own: by Ratika Deshpande @litreactor Does Orwell still matter? by Peter Brian Barry 8 Adventure-Filled Books Set on Trains: by Sarah Brooks @electricliterature 6 Heart-Stopping Medical Thrillers: by BookTrib 7 Novels About Brilliant Freaks: by Jane Flett @electricliterature Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block Practical (and Fun) Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block: by Elizabeth Stix Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life On the Internet, We’re All Unreliable Narrators: by Olivia Muenter @literaryhub The fierce imperative to create – poet and novelist Alan Humm: by Roz Morris Procrastination, Deadline Doom, and General Writer Panic: @msheatherwebb Writing Through Fear With Caroline Donahue: by Joanna Penn Creative Gaslighting – Why Do We Do This? by Gabriela Pereira The Pitfalls of Expert Advice: by Lauren Reynolds @janefriedman Why laughter is the best medicine for writers: by Ann Gomez Nothing is Lost or Wasted: by Anne Janzer We’re Not Competing With Human Writers Any More: by Nicole Pyles Opening to the Unexpected as a Writer: by Sophie Masson Genres / Fantasy Top 10 Tips On Writing A Fantasy Novel: by Lucy V. Hay @writers_helping_writers_angela Genres / Mystery Cozy Mystery Writing: from authors on the Kill Zone Paranormal Cozy Mysteries: from Mystery and Suspense Magazine Changes in Crime TV Series: by Mystery and Suspense Magazine Crime Fiction Writers Who’ve Changed Careers to Write: by Margot Kinberg Genres / Picture Books Writing Pitfalls in Children’s Writing: by Karen Cioffi Genres / Screenwriting Your Spec Script Is Doomed, Unless You Avoid This: by Bang2Write Genres / Short Stories What Previously Published Means for Flash Fiction: by Christina Dalcher Promo / Blogging How Changing Your Environment Helps You Develop New Blogging Habits: by Nina Amir Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting Writing that Book Blurb: by Anne K. Hawkinson Promo / Book Reviews What Should Writers Do With Their Bad Reviews? by Lev Raphael Promo / Miscellaneous How to Sell More Books During the Holidays: 7 Effective Strategies: @therealbookgal Do Authors Really Need to Spend Their Own Money to Make a Book Successful? by Maris Kreizman @literaryhub Publishing / Miscellaneous Interlink Publishing’s Ownership Transferred in Moushabeck Family: by Porter Anderson Association of American Publishers Backs Senate ‘NO FAKES Act’: by Porter Anderson ReadSpeaker on the Costs of Text-to-Speech Technology: by Porter Anderson Scribd Introduces ‘Ask AI’ to Subscribers in a Beta Release: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Publishing / News / Amazon On Amazon Account Suspensions: by Nicholas C. Rossi Publishing / News / Data Circana BookScan: US Print’s January-June Print Market: by Porter Anderson Publishing / News / International Publishing AudioUK Surveys Data, a Bid for Government Support: by Porter Anderson University of Toronto Press and Canadian Science Publishing Partner: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Elisabeth Jaquette: New Words Without Borders Executive Director: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections 10 Ways to Handle Rejection Letters: by Kelley J. P. Lindberg The Business of Writing is Dominated by Rejections: by Philip Athans Writing Craft / Beginnings Should a Novel Ever Begin with a Dream? by N.L. Holmes Writing Craft / Characters / Development Making Your Villain a Major Character: from Mythcreants Character Traits List for Creative Writers (with Examples): by Angie Andriot Let Grief Touch Your Characters: by D. Wallace Peach Character Flaws: Types And Guidelines: by @k.m.allan_writer Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists Is There a Good Way to Have a Decoy Protagonist? by Oren Ashkenazi Writing Craft / Diversity Include Diversity in Your Characters: by Margot Conor Writing Craft / Literary Devices The Three Types of Irony: by Robinette Waterson Metaphor Magic: Wield Your Pen Like a Wand: @annkroeker Writing Craft / Miscellaneous Writing Animals into your Story: by D. Wallace Peach How to Give Your Narration Flavor: by Andrea Lundgren Plot Perfection: A Guide to Crafting Compelling Narratives: @theleighshulman Can You Combine Two Characters Into One? Offstage Action: by Dave King Moving Beyond “Write What You Know”: by Maggie Smith Keep Your Novel Out of the Dreaded DNF—Did Not Finish—Book Club: by Amy L. Bernstein @janefriedman Story and Understory: by Steven Pressfield Editing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages: by Helena Fairfax How an Academic Editor Can Help a Scholar Write a Better Article: by Wayne Jones for @janefriedman Authorsplaining: an Insidious Invitation for Readers to Skim: by Laura Drake Unlocking the Secret of How to Write Great Set-ups and Pay-offs: by Zena Dell Lowe Do Your Lovebirds Have a Solid Reason to Stay Apart? by Oren Ashkenazi Writing Craft / POV Point of view: Avoid Head-Hopping: by Anne R. Allen First Person and Verb Tense: by Kay DiBianca Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining Story Development 101: How to Go from Idea to Outline: by
Lisa Taylor at Fictionary Writing Craft / Revision Get It Right—Three Reasons to Rewrite Your Work: by Lilka Raphael Writing: Revising Your Plot: by Linda S. Clare Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques Questions to ask beta readers: from Rhea’s Chaos Motivation Reasons To Be In More Than One Critique Group: by Debra Kempf Shumaker Writing Craft / Scenes Scene Structure and Transitions in Big Scenes: by KM Weiland Writing Craft / World-Building Is Your Worldbuilding Novel or Bizarre? by Oren Ashkenazi Writing Tools / Apps Collaborative Writing With AI With Rachelle Ayala: by Joanna Penn

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Published on August 03, 2024 21:02

July 28, 2024

Can You Combine Two Characters Into One?

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was reading a mystery recently, a book that I was enjoying. It was a British police procedural with great, atmospheric settings, interesting characters, and a puzzling murder.

It was also very confusing, although it didn’t start out that way. Starting out, it seemed well-organized with shifts between the POV of the victim’s girlfriend and the POV of the investigating officer.

But suddenly, the reader was introduced to what seemed like the entire police station. Two characters seemed as if they might be sounding boards for the detective. Then there were a couple of others who seemed like bad apples, making the police department look bad. A few others were introduced, as well. All of the characters were named.

If a character is named, I try hard to remember who the character is for the next time he pops up in a scene or is mentioned in dialogue. Chapters went by, however, without the characters being mentioned again.

Then I realized it was a debut novel by the author, although the series is now an established one.

Sure enough, later on it became obvious. Two of the named detectives that returned in future chapters, were just sort of sidekick characters. It wouldn’t have been a problem unless there weren’t many other characters. But there were.

In this instance, I think it would have been helpful for the author or editor to realize the two characters could be combined into one because they played the same role in the story.

This can be done in plenty of other situations. Do you need two close friends for your protagonist? Do you need two neighbors to give perspective on the protagonist’s neighborhood?

It’s tricky for readers, especially in today’s distracting world, to keep up with a large cast. This is just one way to winnow them down.

Do you get lost with too many characters as a reader? How do you address it as a writer?

Combining Characters in Your Story:
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Published on July 28, 2024 21:01

July 27, 2024

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous The International Publishers Association at Frankfurter Buchmesse: by Porter Anderson Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration 100 One-Word Writing Prompts: by Javacia Harris Bowser Write Like A Kid Again: Using Writing Prompts: by Annie Cosby Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers 7 Books About People Accused of Being Witches: by J. Nicole Jones Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Alex Pavesi’s the Eighth Detective: by Margot Kinberg 10 Feminist Crime Novels Subverting the Dead Girl Trope: by Kat Davis 7 Books Structured as Conversations: by Shze-Hui Tjoa The Lure of the Jailhouse Confessional: by Carol LaHines Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing Proven Strategies to Overcome Distraction and Write Your Book: by Rochelle Melander Big, beautiful goals – but can’t be bothered? 11 great productivity tips for lazy people: by Joel Snape Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block Six Writers on How They Tackle Writer’s Block: from Lit Hub Practical (and Fun) Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block: by Elizabeth Stix Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life Two Reasons Not to Use AI to Write Your Novels: by Beth K. Vogt Thoughts on Focus for Writers & the Distractions We Battle: by Larry J. Leech How Writers Torture Themselves (& How To Stop): by Susanne Bennett Should You Show a WIP to Friends and Family? by Anne R. Allen Writing as a Transformation: by Doug Lewars Writing Advice: It May or May Not Work for You: by Tammy Karasek Serendipity for Writers: by Kathleen McCleary Writing Your Novel Backward Might Be the Secret to Success: by Janice Hardy Balancing a Writng Career with Self-Care: by Fox Print Editorial On the Internet, We’re All Unreliable Narrators: by Olivia Muenter @literaryhub Genres / Fantasy Six Things You Need to Know about Writing Romantasy: by Maria V. Snyder Genres / Humor Why Humor is one of the Sharpest Tools in a Writer’s Arsenal: by Rob Hart Genres / Memoir How to Write a Memoir: 10 Tips for Sharing Your Story: by Linda O’Donnell The Missing Link in Memoir Character Development : by Lisa Cooper Ellison Genres / Miscellaneous How one author writes in multiple genres: by Alessandra Torre What Writers Should Know: Genres: by D.L. Finn Genres / Mystery Children with Famous Parents as an Element in Crime Fiction: by Margot Kinberg Balance of Power in Relationships as an Element of Crime Fiction: by Margot Kinberg Genres / Short Stories How to Publish a Collection of Your Short Stories: by Rayne Hall @theiwsg Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting Writing that Book Blurb: by Anne K. Hawkinson Promo / Miscellaneous Getting Book Endorsements: Everything You Need to Know: by Penny Sansevieri Promo / Podcasts Podcast Guesting Goals: by Debra Eckerling Publishing / Miscellaneous How to Write Your Book’s Acknowledgments: by Lisa Tener Publishing / News / International Publishing Amazon Literary Grants This Year Expand to Ireland: by Porter Anderson China Bestsellers: Summer Shuffles Book Sales Charts: by Porter Anderson Hong Kong’s First Open Access Books Program: Three Universities: by Porter Anderson Publishing / Options / Hybrid Publishing Ten Things I’ve Learned as a Hybrid Author: by Tari Lynn Jewett Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing How Books Are Chosen for Publication: from David Farland Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying “Eleven and up” isn’t a genre (query critique): by Nathan Bransford Tips on finding the right agent: by Natalie Aguirre Query Letter Questions Answered: by Linda Gilden Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections 10 Ways to Handle Rejection Letters: by Kelley J. P. Lindberg Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid Six common publishing and book marketing hustles of 2024 – and what we can do: by Roz Morris Writing Craft / Characters / Development Making Your Character’s Choices Fit Their Personality: by Beau Donnan 9 Proven Steps for Memorable Character Development: by Jerry Jenkins Writing Craft / Common Mistakes Showing vs. Telling: by Marilynn Byerly Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story Need a Lot of Backstory? Options for Structuring Your Story: by Jami Gold Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film One Snail: Writing Lessons From the Bell Jar: by Liza Nash Taylor Five Fantasy Movies With Timeless Fairy Tale Vibes: by Lorna Wallace Writing Craft / Literary Devices 3 Ways to Infuse Your Story with Theme: by CS Lakin 38 Tone Examples: How to Use Tone in Writing: by Linda O’Donnell Crafting themes to inspire: by Alessandra Torre Types of Irony in Writing: by Jerry Jenkins Writing Craft / Miscellaneous Making Your World Dangerous: from Mythcreants Consider This Before Killing a Character: by K.M. Weiland An Interview With Author Cynthia Beach: by Hugh Cook What Do We Really Mean When We Say “Show, Don’t Tell”? by Janet S. Fox Writing Animals into your Story: by D. Wallace Peach Writing Craft / Revision Why you should keep an editing diary: by Daphne Gray-Grant How to Rewrite a Story for a Different Call: by Dannye Chase Tips for Revision: by ARHuelsenbeck How to Fix Big Story Problems: by @writers_helping_writers_angela Get It Right—Three Reasons to Rewrite Your Work: by Lilka Raphael Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques Why Your Book Needs Beta Readers: by Andrea Lundgren What to Ask Your Beta Readers: by Andrew Noakes for @janefriedman Writing Craft / Scenes Writing: The Whens and Wheres of Scenes: by Linda S. Clare The Secret to Page-Turning Scene Endings: by Lisa Poisso @writers_helping_writers_angela Writing Craft / World-Building 5 Tips For Better World Building: from Kathryn, The Fake Redhead

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Published on July 27, 2024 21:01

July 21, 2024

An Interview With Author Cynthia Beach

Interview by Hugh Cook

Cynthia Beach is the author of The Surface of Water, a timely novel published this year by InterVarsity Press. The novel presents an unflinching, lifting-the-veil portrayal of a contemporary evangelical megachurch; it reveals the damaging consequences when faith is overruled by the temptations of power and wealth. In our age of #churchtoo, the novel thus is a relevant and timely read.

Cynthia Beach is interviewed by author Hugh Cook.

What is the main storyline of The Surface of Water?

Matthew Goodman, celebrated pastor of a Chicago megachurch, nevertheless has a secret that could severely damage his reputation if it is revealed. A young woman named Trish Card comes into Goodman’s life, and she is the only person who can uncover his secret. But Goodman doesn’t know it. He has become lost inside his fame, and what Trish Card may offer him is a doorway to truth.

What motivated you to write this novel?

In November 2008, 55-year-old Pastor Matthew Goodman and 25-year-old Trish Card arrived. Goodman came to my mental door, invited there by a “what if” question. What if a successful pastor is a Richard Cory?

Richard Cory is the glamorous and tragic gentleman-celebrity of a poem by American

Pulitzer-prize-winning poet E. A. Robinson. In high school, I read Robinson’s poem “Richard Cory” and could not forget it. In it, the working town’s celebrity, the business tycoon everyone loves and envies, has an internal life vastly different from the external image he projects. The poem taught me the complexity of being human. Some folks who seem to have it all, in fact do not.

So, this “what if” question arrived—but this time with an evangelical pastor. And not just

any pastor, but a wealthy broadcast pastor with a Chicago megachurch, a pastor who is good-

looking and articulate and very, very successful. But Matthew Goodman’s success doesn’t fill him. Why not? Matthew has shuttered his soul and fails to explore the discordant chaos around his father, radio evangelist Jacob Goodman. So, yes, what if? What if a successful pastor is a Richard Cory?

As if that’s not enough, Trish Card, his new assistant, arrives in this successful man’s life

as someone on a mission—and as someone who hasn’t had any of the social advantages Matthew Goodman has had. A girl from Trentwood. What she has, though, is sacrificial love demonstrated by the Latino family who cared for her after her mom’s death. Because of their love and her suffering, Trish operates with keen authenticity that wakes this image-conscious leader. In the world of fiction, this is an “odd-couple pairing.” What might a Trish Card teach a Richard Cory?

What are some themes in this novel?

The costs to the powerful for being the powerful and the costs to the powerless for being powerless. Another theme contrasts true religion with false. Finally, there’s a theme of redemption, too, for Matthew Goodman—if he’s willing. When we become lost in life, we must find a path to renewal.

What genre is your novel?

Contemporary, upmarket fiction. This means it’s literary—character-driven with some artful word use—while maintaining tantalizing suspense. It’s a good combo. Artful and suspenseful.

Of course, suspense doesn’t mean a physical bomb explodes, right? Suspense includes emotional bombs, too, and that’s what Surface is about.

What are readers saying about your novel?

The most common response to date is a complaint. Readers say they stay up too late finishing it. They must find out what happens. That, of course, delights me. I start to laugh.

So, why can’t people put the novel down?

Matthew Goodman and Trish Card are complex characters. They aren’t one-dimensional, and neither are their problems. My impression? Readers care about them. Readers feel Goodman’s vulnerabilities—and Trish’s.

I also learned a great fiction technique from what agent Donald Maass called “micro-tension,” which he defines as conflicting emotions. The Surface of Water has protagonists who are riddled with ambivalence—Goodman with his isolating fame, and Trish with the whole mystery about who her dad is and her mom’s tough life.

What are you most proud of in Surface?

Hmm. Okay, here’s what I’m most proud about: looking at things in both a truthful and loving way. I respect Goodman. I respect Trish. The story doesn’t trash men. Although it touches on #ChurchToo, it’s not a story colored by gender contempt. I have a high view of how we suffer regardless of who we might be.

Water appears in the title and throughout the novel. What does it mean?

Goodman is a surface guy. He has built a lifestyle in which he neglects his soul, his family, his relationship to the world. So, what would happen if he plunges into the deep end? That’s one meaning of water in this novel.

But symbolism doesn’t function like simple arithmetic. There is a “beyond-ness” to water in this story. Is it mercy? Grace? A transcendent being?

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your novel?

The Surface of Water is distinct in several ways. First, its point of view directs empathy toward Pastor Goodman. What is the impact of our celebrity culture on a human soul? Goodman’s celebrity status makes examining the truth of his inner life difficult. A second distinct feature is that this novel explores sexual misconduct as sexual addictions, not as a “mistake” or one small sin, but a chosen psychological gear returned to again and again.

While alive to social justice issues, the novel doesn’t preach; instead, it has understated depth.

Readers will find real characters, not one-dimensional caricatures, which is especially vital in a story about a pastor. Readers travel with a celebrity pastor, a “Richard Cory,” who finds his status isolating and burdensome. They will discover a man who is complex, aggravating in his arrogance and accessible in his sadness, and a young woman whose past makes her both strong and troubled.

What are you working on now?

A Thousand Wings of Light, a sequel to Surface of Water, which has riveted my focus now. Joining Goodman and Trish as point-of-view characters are Goodman’s son, Jonathan, and Maria’s son, Andres. At the end of Surface, everything erupts, and now we move with these four characters to see what happens next.

Where can readers obtain a copy of The Surface of Water?

Readers can order the book from their local bookstore, from Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Cynthia Beach is a longtime professor of creative writing and author of Creative Juices for Writers and the novel The Surface of Water. She has an MA in journalism from Wheaton College and an MFA in fiction writing. Cynthia directs a faith-based writing workshop, Scriptoria, with Newbery-winner Gary Schmidt. She lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan on seven quiet acres with her husband, Dave. Her Surface sequel is forthcoming. For author information, visit cynthiabeach.com.

Hugh Cook holds an MFA in fiction writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He has published two books of short stories and two novels. Readers can obtain his recent award-winning novel Heron River at Amazon and at Barnes and Noble . Hugh also edits fiction manuscripts. Contact him at hughcook212@gmail.com. For more information, check his website at hugh-cook.ca.

An interview with author Cynthia Beach by @HughCook_ca :
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Published on July 21, 2024 21:01

July 20, 2024

LitLinks

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Just a quick heads-up…I haven’t been able to log into Twitter/X for almost two weeks now. X support has a ticket open, but they haven’t responded back since July 5. Sorry I haven’t been able to do my usual thing there! You can find me on Threads (elizabethspanncraig) , as well as Facebook.

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous 15 Tips to Make the Most of Your Next (or First!) Writers’ Conference: by Ann Kroeker Writers Need Other Writers—4 People We Need to Find at a Writing Conference: by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth @EdieMelson Sharjah’s 2024 Publishers Conference Opens for Registration: by Porter Anderson UK: Shortlists Named for the 2024 Forward Prizes for Poetry: by Porter Anderson Frankfurt Buchmesse and Bologna Plan Coordinated Games Areas: by Porter Anderson Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration 6 Ways Tabletop Gaming Can Help Improve Your Writing: by Whitney Carter What\’s helping me write now: by Austin Kleon Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers Six Seriously Funny Speculative Short Stories: by Ratika Deshpande 9 Books About Haunted Motherhood: by Clare Beams Five Very Good Cats in SF and Fantasy: by James D. Nicoll 7 Books to Help You Battle Burnout: by Ella Dawson Five Very Good Cat People in SF and Fantasy: by James D. Nicoll Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Amy Myers’ Murder in Abbot’s Folly: by Margot Kinberg 7 Books About People Accused of Being Witches: by J. Nicole Jones Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation Plan for continuous small treats for yourself: by Daphne Gray-Grant 50 Character Motivation Examples and Tips for Writing: by Shane Miller Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block Six Writers on How They Tackle Writer’s Block: from Lit Hub Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life How I Feel After One Year Of Being On Sub: by Kelly Sgroi Your next act as a writer: @DanBlank Tracking Your Writing: Words of Wisdom: by Dale Ivan Smith Stop when you are going good: by Austin Kleon Crafting a Writing Mission Statement for Success: by Leigh Shulman Running and Writing and the Marathon: by Kay DiBianca Power Outages and Plot Twists: How Hurricane Beryl Fueled My Creativity: @tishbouvier 3 Ways to Escape a Writing Slump: by S. Foster 7 ways to get your writing party started, already: by Paula Munier Creative Writing vs Writing as Therapy: by Sara Kopeczky Why Busy Writers Should Journal: by Javacia Harris Bowser Genres / Fantasy Primordial Forces in Fiction: by Charles Yallowitz Genres / Mystery Elections in Crime Fiction: by Margot Kinberg Writing Modern Thrillers Based On Ancient Relics and Historical Places: J.F. Penn On The Ancient Heroes Podcast: Genres / Poetry Poetry Short Forms: The Pensee: by Shutta Crum What fiction writers can learn from reading and writing poetry: by Roberta Cheadle Genres / Romance Three Ways to Give Your Romance a Tense Throughline: by Chris Winkle Genre Expectations: Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance: by A.C. Williams Genres / Screenwriting 13 Warnings From The People Who Read Your Screenplay: from Bang2Write Genres / Short Stories Why Short Stories Are Difficult to Write: by Teagan Berry Promo / Blogging How To Make Categorising And Tagging Blog Posts Powerful: from Hugh’s News and Views Promo / Miscellaneous How To Shine In Author Interviews: Strategies For Captivating Your Audience: by Colleen M. Story Marketing Middle-Grade or Young-Adult Books and More Self-Publishing Questions Answered: by Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black Beyond the classroom: 8 unique venues for children’s book author visits: by Chelsea Tornetto Promo / Speaking Public Speaking for Writers: Publishing / Miscellaneous Elsevier’s ‘Attitudes Toward AI’ Report: Mixed Feelings: by Porter Anderson for Publishing Perspectives AI Rights: Asimov, Adler, and ‘Created by Humans’: by Porter Anderson How to Write Your Book’s Acknowledgments: by Lisa Tener Publishing / News / Data AAP StatShot: US Trade Publishing Rises 16.5 Percent in May: by Porter Anderson Publishing / News / International Publishing Rights Edition: Giunti’s Frankfurt-Bound ‘Come l’arancio amaro’: by Porter Anderson Lynette Owen on Her Latest Update of ‘Selling Rights’ Book: by Porter Anderson Spain’s Publishers Study Artificial Intelligence Opportunities for the Book Sector: by Porter Anderson Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Language Center Names Research Grant Winners: by Porter Anderson CEO Stefano Mauri on Italy’s GeMS and Debut Fiction: by Porter Anderson Amazon Literary Grants This Year Expand to Ireland: by Porter Anderson Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying What Not To Do When Sending Off Your Manuscript: by Charmedward The 13 Types of Responses Writers Get When Querying Agents: by Morgan Hazelwood “Eleven and up” isn’t a genre (query critique): by Nathan Bransford Writing Craft / Characters / Arc Understanding the Heart of Negative Character Arcs: by September C. Fawkes Writing Craft / Characters / Development David Farland’s Writing Tips – Twelve Exercises for Developing Characters: 10 Character Dynamics the World Needs More of: from Fix Your Writing Habits 10 More Character Types the World Needs More of: from Physalian Making Your Character’s Choices Fit Their Personality: by Beau Donnan Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion How to Avoid Clichéd Emotional Reactions: by Becca Puglisi Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film How Emily Henry hooks the reader: from Nathan Bransford Writing Lessons from Jane Austen: Story Questions and Northanger Abbey: by Robin Henry One Snail: Writing Lessons From the Bell Jar: by Liza Nash Taylor Writing Craft / Miscellaneous Structuring an Ensemble Cast with Plotlines: by September Fawkes @writers_helping_writers_angela 7 Tips to Using Nonverbal Communication in Your Writing: by Charles E. Yallowitz 5 Strategies for Writing the Parts You Don’t Like: by K.M. Weiland Does Your Scarred Character Have to Hate Themself? from Fix Your Writing Habits Playing with Words: An Author Looks at Fun Oxymorons: by PeggySue Wells Writing Craft / Scenes Building the Scene: by Beem Weeks Writing: The Why of Your Scene: by Linda S. Clare Writing Craft / Voice Celebrate your unique creative voice: by Dan Blank Writing Tools / Miscellaneous Bullet Journaling Tips for Writers: by Edie Melson Writing Tools / Resources What Do Writers Need to Know About AI? by Alex J. Cavanaugh at @IWSG Uncategorized How To Elevate The Descriptions In Your Book: by K.M. Allan

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On LitLinks:
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Published on July 20, 2024 21:01

July 14, 2024

Public Speaking for Writers

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve definitely made my peace with public speaking in the last 15 years or so. It’s still usually not my most favorite activity, but I’ve gotten to the point where I enjoy sharing information and even providing some entertainment.

The easiest form of public speaking is podcasts. I usually appear on a podcast at least once a year. It’s minimal prep and I can even have notes in the background. The same goes for zoom calls, recorded or not. I have a checklist for appearing on podcasts, which you can see here.

Minimally harder is speaking to writers in person at conferences. I feel very much at ease speaking to writers, so the only hard part is making sure I’m prepared for any questions. I’ve found it’s very important to get a feel for exactly where the audience is, in terms of their writing. Are they just started out? Are they publishing? Do they want to hear more about craft or promo? Usually the organizer can answer these questions for me in advance so that I can be prepared. I answer questions at the end. If a question from a writer gets too technical and seems to be beyond the scope of what the rest of the writers are interested in, I ask them to speak with me afterwards or shoot me an email.

The toughest, for me, is speaking with readers. The very toughest is speaking with book clubs (tip: I recommend keeping all of your outlines to use as cheat sheets before speaking with book clubs), but speaking with other readers is also hard. I’ve found that the audience tends to like my general talk the best. In it, I start out asking for a show of hands to see how many grew up reading mysteries or watching them (Scooby Doo, et al) on TV. Then I talk about constructing mysteries for a bit . . . clues, red herrings, sleuths, and suspects. From there, I give an overview of how I got started writing and then my writing life and routine. I include as much humor as possible and end up by taking questions.

General tips for in-person talks:

Arrive early. This is my biggest tip. It helps avoid tech issues that may crop up. You can also greet the audience as they come in, which I’ve found helps me reduce nerves.

Move around. Although standing behind a lectern feels very safe, it’s less visually interesting for the audience than seeing the speaker walk.

If you use a PowerPoint presentation, have it be image-based instead of text-based.

Keep track of your audience. If people are looking bored or sleepy, pivot and talk about something else.

Focus on delivering value. Not only will the audience walk away from the event feeling they gained something, it helps speakers reduce any anxiety regarding public speaking.

Do you do much public speaking? What tips have I missed?

Public Speaking Tips for Writers
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Published on July 14, 2024 21:01