Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 101
August 6, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
The 3 Golden Rules Of Writing A Western: http://ow.ly/NElh302xhCV @robertwood @standoutbooks
6 Tips for OrganizingYour Novel’s Edits: http://ow.ly/XWK9302xhEz @KMWeiland
Write Your Novel In A Year: Your Mid-Year Analysis: http://ow.ly/jmXl302xhdB @AnthonyEhlers @Writers_Write
Harry Potter Ebooks Arrive in China, in Both Chinese and English http://ow.ly/VzEN302Sor6 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Character Archetypes: Prophet, Oracle, and Wise Old Man: http://ow.ly/pygK302xhw2 @HunterEmkay
9 Steps to a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in Fewer than 15 Minutes: http://ow.ly/grVS302xhtZ @lornafaith
Writing: just don’t lose the magic: http://ow.ly/CFJM301Q4s8 @austinkleon
Zygmunt Miłoszewski on Translation and his Latest Novel, Rage: http://ow.ly/rkxX302Sokl @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The Coco Chanel Guide to Sample Pages: http://ow.ly/jHQu302y5z1 @DGLM
Finding your voice through letter writing: http://ow.ly/bUJG302y5OE @MLConklin
Creating depth by using juxtaposition in our writing: http://ow.ly/BZUB302y5Mi @sacha_black
Mapping Your Book to Ensure it Works: http://ow.ly/JLuk302y5SK @MartinaABoone
How to Get the Story Out of Your Head and Onto the Page: http://ow.ly/ROGB302y5wg @jennienash
15 Expert Tips to Increase Reader Comments on Blog Posts: http://ow.ly/jUG8302y5x9 @NinaAmir
5 Steps To Take When The Writing Gets Tough: http://ow.ly/4ef4302y5HG @WritersRelief
Internal Dialogue: The Greatest Tool for Gaining Reader Confidence: http://ow.ly/q1d5302y5Q9 @ESimsAuthor
7 Aspects of Writing from Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin: http://ow.ly/l6m1302y5Jy @VictoriaMixon
Dos and Don’ts for writing Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/qAF4302y66q by Gillian Hamer
Why Authors Running a Featured Deal Should Claim Their @BookBub Profile: http://ow.ly/mHLB302y6lW @rickburnes
The Benefits of Talking Through Our Scenes: http://ow.ly/EehK302y6EK @Janice_Hardy
Avoid the Back Story Swamp: http://ow.ly/6PCZ302y6P7 @Lindasclare
Your words and your story live in your head: how to stay there: http://ow.ly/DIYS302y6sI @emma_darwin
A basic guide to plotting: http://ow.ly/m8Ci302y6hH @kseniaanske
Master Outlining and Tracking Tool for Novels: http://ow.ly/92Bf302y6A8 @iulienel
10 Ways to Add a Spark of Fire to Our Writing: http://ow.ly/Eqnx302y6Ht @kcraftwriter
The Best Place to Reveal Your Story Secrets: http://ow.ly/Jow1302y6le @Janice_Hardy
Creativity: Think Long Term. Create A Body Of Work. http://ow.ly/Gzju302y6Mf @thecreativepenn
Writing Composite Characters: http://ow.ly/aHyY302y6O6 @Lindasclare
The 5-Part Authorpreneur Action Plan: http://ow.ly/8f08302y6KP @InkyBites
Blurbs, Taglines, Endorsements: http://ow.ly/PC9E302y69l @JJMarsh1 @TriskeleBooks
Story Fundamentals Exercises: http://ow.ly/9VOo302y6nf @emma_darwin @TriskeleBooks
Showing and Telling: cooperation not competition: http://ow.ly/F17B302y6UX @emma_darwin
Plot and structure exercise: http://ow.ly/W4u3302yqFc @TraceyWarr1
Using Fiverr for Affordable Book Covers: http://ow.ly/t5tl302RAbs @BookWorksNYC @stapilus
10 Basic Steps To Setting-Up Your Blog: http://ow.ly/lLdU302RAgv @jckunzjr
How To Create An Ebook Boxset Or Bundle And Why You Should: http://ow.ly/t0JF302RAkj @thecreativepenn
How to evaluate contests: http://ow.ly/XZ7T302RAo9 @Janet_Reid
In the US, UK, and Canada, Harry’s on Another Roll With ‘Cursed Child’ : http://ow.ly/R4S2302VaE8 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Why Stories Need Redemption: http://ow.ly/kMID302RAvN @Lindasclare
Grammar Rules: Split Infinitives: http://ow.ly/E2Cw302RAzf @WritingForward
How Indie Authors Can Get Their Books Into Libraries: http://ow.ly/R0Su302RADm @rcutlerSpark @BookWorksNYC
How To Train Your Person (First or Third) to do everything the story needs: http://ow.ly/Deqd302y6Wn @emma_darwin
Where Does Your Story Actually Begin? http://ow.ly/e9bV302yxqE @vscotttheauthor
How to Write and Stay Sane When You Have Little Kids At Home: http://ow.ly/AS9s302yxcc @katekrake
3 Things To Remember About Dialogue: http://ow.ly/RZot302yxiT @AnthonyEhlers
7 Common Novel Writing Tips to Be Wary Of: http://ow.ly/Aiep302yxvx @nownovel
6 Tips for Accents and Dialects: http://ow.ly/cUvM302yxup @nownovel
Two Critical Novel Writing Skills: http://ow.ly/xdzW302yx8F @Chris_Kokoski
What if your plot, or characters just aren’t working? http://ow.ly/v7hH302yxsg @AnthonyEhlers
38 Resources for Writers: http://ow.ly/fKNw302yxef @katekrake
Turning the Negativity Train Around: http://ow.ly/Iape302yxkd @smckelden
Starting a New Authors’ Group: Working Toward the Future: http://ow.ly/DG0j302yxou @queenskeys
Word-Hacking Emotion: http://ow.ly/TvV7302yxWz @artofstoriesAB
Making a living from writing books: what works, what doesn’t: http://ow.ly/ly4l302y6Xa @emma_darwin
Too Distracted to Write? Here’s Your Next Step: http://ow.ly/D9rv302yxXG @RosanneBane
How To Finish Your First Draft Quickly: http://ow.ly/dw2L302yxO7 @SukhiJutla
Tighten your writing by getting rid of dialogue tags: http://ow.ly/kg4V302yxPv @RayneHall
10 Mistakes (Almost) Every Rookie Writer Makes: http://ow.ly/xEyE302yy2G @manzanitafire @LitReactor
Don’t Wait to Build Your Potential Book-Buying Audience: http://ow.ly/UwIJ302yxZ1 @crystallyn
Too much to do? Prioritizing for the overwhelmed: http://ow.ly/GpLn302RBgb @zara_quentin
Busting Myths about Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/QEDA302xhN1 @DanaLynnSmith
Roald Dahl’s Twisted, Overlooked Stories for Adults: http://ow.ly/ymNv302xhId by David L. Ulin @NewYorker
10 Popular Tropes in the Historical Romance Genre: http://ow.ly/DOOP302xhn0 @lornafaith
Don’t Just ‘Put Your Book on Amazon’: http://ow.ly/avnU302xhg8 @MillCityPress @amshofner
Writing mistakes to avoid: http://ow.ly/qU44302xhyY @rxena77
On Literary Plagues: http://ow.ly/yh7m302xhL2 @TobiasCarroll
Don’t Make This Crucial Branding Mistake In The Name of Growth: http://ow.ly/wnkZ302xhH1 @taragentile
What Literary Fiction Can Teach You About Genre Fiction: http://ow.ly/JUJR302xhAn @wickerkat @LitReactor
Great Scene: “Double Indemnity ”: http://ow.ly/SHBM302xhBU @GoIntoTheStory
The Science of Protecting Your Creativity: http://ow.ly/BQNA302y6gA @Rachel_Aaron
5 Steps to Developing More Discipline: http://ow.ly/wCjq302y6fU @MichaelHyatt
The Essence of Character and 3 Exercises for Writers: http://ow.ly/1UlR302y62P @Jo_Furniss
Plot and structure exercise: http://ow.ly/lqra302y5Zv @TraceyWarr1
How to Choose the Best WordPress Themes: http://ow.ly/FXIi302y5Vq @NinaAmir
6 Tips For Getting More Traffic on your Author Blog: http://ow.ly/IPJv302tcwA @annerallen
If Writers and Poets Billed By the Hour http://ow.ly/5EHT302tkKi @mcsweeneys
3 Things ‘House’ Can Teach Us About Writing: http://ow.ly/k8bM302tcRb @crisfreese
Chasing the Clouds of Rights Issues: Ixxus’ Steve Odart http://ow.ly/auhm302SouK @steveodart @Porter_Anderson
Painting Verb Pictures: http://ow.ly/Uaa5302tcDe @Lindasclare
How to Tell a Murderer’s Story: http://ow.ly/KDGX302tcap @latillman @lithub
How to Promote Your Blog Posts: 27 Experts’ Proven Methods: http://ow.ly/SbK8302G0Ua @wisestartupblog
When to String Words Together With Hyphens: http://ow.ly/Lsv5302tdfA @writing_tips
On the Journals of Famous Writers: http://ow.ly/X4Km302tc4j @BelaborThePoint @lithub
Distribution, Competitiveness: The Philippines’ Andrea Pasion-Flores: http://ow.ly/LCkT302SnYO @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing Worthy Protagonists: http://ow.ly/ao5K302tcnS @Lindasclare
How Do You Write a Poem? http://ow.ly/TKI2302qItU @GigglingStream
6 Tips for Defeating Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/g9EO302qI1E @LouiseMatchett8
How to Create Striking Similes: http://ow.ly/mMOR302qI6x @ProWritingAid
How to Write Dialogue in a Narrative Paragraph: http://ow.ly/jK3H302rXjD @ProWritingAid
How To Use Story Archetypes To Subvert Expectations: http://ow.ly/a8vF302rXge @kayladeanwrites @DIYMFA
Crime fiction writing: why innocent people confess: http://ow.ly/4Uhr302sFQ4 @drjuliashaw @sciam
11 Novels That Take Place During One Summer: http://ow.ly/Y0B0302rXDZ @carrievasios @ElectricLit
5 Overlooked Pixar Storytelling Tips: http://ow.ly/K5wb302sGc5 @RobinRWrites
Sourcebooks Expands Book Personalization to Business Training: http://ow.ly/FviE302SnIb @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The real truth about writing nonfiction: http://ow.ly/1xgZ302V5MB @CalebPirtle
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
August 4, 2016
Productivity and Intentional Free Time
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I mentioned in April that I was trying a new approach to my free time. I actually had very little free time and found that the little time I did have was quickly used up as I’d check emails and social media.
Even the longer breaks at the end of the day weren’t being maximized. I’d be trying to remember what great book I’d heard about and look online for books until I fell asleep in the middle of searching. Or I’d be aimlessly looking for something to watch on Netflix or PBS.org or Amazon Prime movies (we’ve mostly unplugged, so channel surfing doesn’t really happen anymore, but it’s still a long browsing process).
After reading a post by Emily Tjaden called “4 Reasons to Be Intentional With Your Free Time,” I decided to be more thoughtful about my approach to free time. Whenever heard about an interesting title, I’d either buy/download it then, or I’d add it to my wish list on my account at the local library.
I discovered that each month, sites like Digital Trends, Slate, and Vox list the best streaming movies for that month. I’d scroll through, find films that sounded interesting, and add them to my watchlists on Netflix and Amazon (even PBS offers a watchlist now). There’s also a site called Documentary Addict that is, indeed, proving addictive.
For the past few months, I’ve found that I’ve felt a lot more relaxed in my downtime. Checking email and social media just isn’t something restful for me.
What’s more, having more relaxing downtime has resulted in less overall stress. It’s not that my stress is completely eliminated, only that it’s not overwhelming for me.
How has less stress impacted my productivity? I’ve been a lot more focused and have written more and faster. My 21st book is finished early and is with my editor.
Is it easy for you to immediately relax during downtime?
Productivity and intentional free time:
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July 31, 2016
Newsletter Signup Tactics
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Writers read a lot about the importance of our author newsletter. Industry expert Jane Friedman explains it well in her post “Email Newsletters for Authors: Get Started Guide“:
“Emails can’t be missed like a social media post that disappears in readers’ feeds as more posts follow it. You truly own your email list, unlike Facebook or Twitter accounts. And if you use people’s email addresses with respect (more on that in a minute), those addresses can become resources that grow more valuable over time.”
I was a slow adopter to email newsletters, unfortunately. I couldn’t believe that readers really wanted to hear from me in their email inboxes. Once I finally realized the value of newsletters and that readers were volunteering to hear from me, I had a good deal of catching up to do.
There are a variety of different ways of getting readers to sign up for our newsletters. Some of them, I think, are more obnoxious than others. Here are some various methods and my opinion on their pros and cons:
The website popup:
Pros: popups boast a high success rate in converting readers to subscribers. They can also be modified–you can set the time when they pop up on your site. Recently, the most popular trend has been to use ‘exit popups’ that appear when readers are about to click away from your site. Cons: Many readers will find popups of any kind annoying. As a curator, I’m not actually leaving when the popups appear: I’m pointing my cursor up at the Hootsuite extension to share the post. The popup covers the material I’m curating, and I have to either rely on my memory for a good headline or else close the popup. I’ve also heard from sight-impaired writers (there are at least two who follow me on Twitter) that the popups make blog reading very difficult for them as it’s not easy for them to figure out how to close the popup to read the blog article.
Facebook ads:
Another method, popularized by author Mark Dawson, is using Facebook ads to generate newsletter signups. Mark gave away a starter library in return for newsletter subscriptions and grew his list significantly. Pros: If done well (Mark teaches a course on doing it well), authors can find quick success in growing their email subscription lists. Authors have the ability on Facebook to target a very particular audience on the site and reach users that they couldn’t otherwise reach. I had success with this method and quickly added subscribers. Cons: Obviously, when running ads, there is cost involved, although we can set parameters for that cost through Facebook. Another con, for me, was the time-sucking aspect…it’s important to monitor results so we can quickly pull ads that aren’t effective. The process of creating an effective ad and monitoring results did impact my writing time.
Group giveaways/newsletter signups:
I’ve been asked several times to participate in group giveaways with other cozy mystery authors. I’m participating in one even now. This tends to work well–all the participating authors share the giveaway opportunity with their lists and social media contacts. The readers sign up for the authors’ email lists in exchange for a chance to win a book or other prizes. My results have been good with this approach. Pros: You’re much more likely to end up with readers who will actually buy and read your books since authors in your genre are targeting their readers with the giveaway. Cons: You must share the giveaway info with your readers to make this successful and fair to the other authors participating…but must tread the thin line to avoid spamming. Important: Need to make sure that readers understand they’re giving permission to be on authors’ email lists for newsletters.
Email tagline:
Here you merely add a signup link to your newsletter signup page as a tagline or signature for your emails. Pros: Incredibly passive. Cons: Might annoy friends and relatives with whom we frequently correspond? If it does, they haven’t told me. :)
How do you find newsletter subscribers?
Newsletter signup tactics and their pros and cons:
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July 30, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Easy ways to start (and remain) in a scene: http://ow.ly/YYJr302jbOf @Lindasclare
The Hot Sheet: industry newsletter for authors (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/jycA302FpmY
Going Beyond the Default in Your Worldbuilding: http://ow.ly/h9nm302jbqq @JulietteWade
A writer on her struggles with depression: http://ow.ly/th91302jbJO @kseniaanske
9 Productivity Hacks to Help You Meet Your Next Deadline: http://ow.ly/VNe3302jbfw @emily_tjaden
Frankfurt’s 2016 Rights Meeting: Where the Surprises Are: http://ow.ly/fPe8302FpsF @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Defending Your Style Vs. Being Stubborn: http://ow.ly/QO7u302kANd @NatRusso
3 steps to a smoother writing style: http://ow.ly/994g302kAKK @Roz_Morris
Spin doctors in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/DuLB302kATb @mkinberg
Crime fiction that avoids graphic depictions of the victims: http://ow.ly/QiQh302kAXH @mkinberg
The Benefits of Talking Through Your Scenes: http://ow.ly/vwps302kAZM @Janice_Hardy
Getting Ahead of Yourself …and Your Reader: http://ow.ly/ENy5302kB3I @DonMaass
Tips for better co-writing: http://ow.ly/Otmt302kB1k by PJ Parrish
How to Write an Eating Scene: http://ow.ly/F4ai302kB2W @jamesscottbell
For Writers: Intro to Disability Vocabulary: http://ow.ly/gqPa302kAzH @PunkinOnWheels @corinneduyvis
1 Writer’s Experience With Amazon Giveaways: http://ow.ly/eprv302kAPh @NatRusso
How to Transform Your Story With a Moment of Truth: http://ow.ly/aykH302kALG @KMWeiland
8 Classic Openings and Why They Work: http://ow.ly/S9hi302kB6r @robvlock
Write a Sequel That Doesn’t Disappoint: http://ow.ly/4pOO301Yzce @ink_and_quills
Why are orphans so popular in literature? http://ow.ly/YvbJ302lGXq @LizMooreBooks @lithub
Want to Work in 18 Miles of Books? First, the Quiz: http://ow.ly/thQR302lGIS @anniecorreal @nytimes
Why US Publishing Needs Indie Presses: http://ow.ly/cUyK302lGbX by Nathan Scott McNamara @TheAtlantic
The Spanish publishing market: 4 points of concern from Luis Solano http://ow.ly/4xvI302zvBL @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing About Love: http://ow.ly/ceeq302lIFR @isabelcostello @WomenWriters
5 steps to a more popular book: http://ow.ly/qopi302lJid @jurgenappelo
Copyright: What Every Author Needs to Know: http://ow.ly/Gvt8302lIl2 @HelenSedwick @BookWorksNYC
If You Just Keep Writing, Will You Get Better? http://ow.ly/jMlR302lIyN by Barbara Baig for @JaneFriedman
What does your story assume? http://ow.ly/hjmk302lId7 @artofstoriesAB
Extras and bonus material for reader retention: http://ow.ly/mWv5302lJ5v @JamiGold
Popular Copyright Myths: http://ow.ly/2MvB302lIPD @SusanSpann
4 Tips On Creativity From The Creator Of Calvin & Hobbes: http://ow.ly/e4Hy302lIgC @GoIntoTheStory
10 Classics of Campaign Literature: http://ow.ly/WPRP302lGtG @WithEdSimon @lithub
5 Things You Learn from Writing “Bad” Books: http://ow.ly/NB9k302qwM4 @KelsieEngen
4 Key Ways LinkedIn Helps Authors: http://ow.ly/dEpy302qwE5 @WhereWritersWin
How To Banish Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/ULCM302qwuK @KMWeiland @thecreativepenn
How to Choose, Develop, & Research a Setting: http://ow.ly/oKsy302qwB8 @tessaemilyhall
Creating Plot Twists: http://ow.ly/4wHD302qwHj @AJHumpage
Kindle Scout Case Study: http://ow.ly/Eeyn302qxc1 @kathay1973 @IndieAuthorALLI
34 Ways to Describe Scents: http://ow.ly/3hge302qwyg @WordDreams
The Scientific Method of Writing: http://ow.ly/IyTp302qwQj @AuthorCoH
How to Create an Internal Mindset Conducive to Writing: http://ow.ly/7LKN302qxpu @AnneJanzer @JaneFriedman
How to Write an Amazing Short Story: http://ow.ly/yqyU302qwXD by Alyssa Boorman
How To Master Alternate Point of View: http://ow.ly/4sle302qwUd @kj_bags
Plotter or pantser? You decide! http://ow.ly/TJNR302qx40 @IndieAuthorALLI @DebbieYoungBN
Make Your Character Do These 4 Things: http://ow.ly/RoSA302qIAz @wendypmiller
What’s Stopping You From Publishing? http://ow.ly/Qsd4302qImH @AnnGarvin_
How to Create Striking Similes: http://ow.ly/mMOR302qI6x @ProWritingAid
6 Tips for Defeating Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/g9EO302qI1E @LouiseMatchett8
How Do You Write a Poem? http://ow.ly/TKI2302qItU @GigglingStream
Where to start a book and knowing when you’re done with it: http://ow.ly/WV8m302qIaD @StephMorrill
5 Tips to Beat the Self-Publishing Summer Sales Slump: http://ow.ly/xYb2302rXAd @JAHuss
What’s Selling: Global Rights Update from Penguin Random House: http://ow.ly/Sglv302FoX2 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Housekeepers in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/WTG3302ywXA @mkinberg
How to Use Facebook to Reach Niche Readers: http://ow.ly/hSMV302yqAH @BarbMorgenroth @annerallen
Frankfurt’s 2016 Rights Meeting: Where the Surprises Are: http://ow.ly/QFej302DacM @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Five Books Featuring Holes: http://ow.ly/zNoI302jbRq @tordotcom @jbushnell
6 Easy Steps to More Pinterest Followers: http://ow.ly/XjBR302jbo4 @standoutbooks
What Makes A Horror Story Horror? http://ow.ly/5Ay6302jaZ4 @DBlakeAuthor
Making the Most of a Writing Prompt: http://ow.ly/hNlT302jbXr @SuzannahWindsor @TalValante
4 Tough Questions for Your Critique Group: http://ow.ly/HgSU302jbhx @ramonadef
5 Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make: http://ow.ly/bIYt302jbHi @rachel5bartee
5 Pieces of Writing Advice to Ignore: http://ow.ly/Oy7i302dd4O @jamesscottbell
The Ultimate Literary Guide to Whiskey: http://ow.ly/haBg302h9ec @BryceTBauer @SignatureReads
Learning From Inexperience: http://ow.ly/N3Zr302h8pK @DavidBCoe
The Worst Book Signing Ever: http://ow.ly/5bPl302Dlrv @lorijakiela @lithub
A Snapshot of a 21st-Century Librarian: http://ow.ly/vPat302DehD @TheresaQuill @TheAtlantic @AdrienneNGreen
Promoting Your Book with Pinterest: http://ow.ly/wpUd302tiJF @RochelleDCarter @BwkrSelfPublish
How Are Libraries Doing Around the World? http://ow.ly/onYC302h9oC @asap_jonathon @flavorwire
How to Use Pinterest to Build an Audience: http://ow.ly/SH1U302h8nV @EricaVerrillo
Where to begin with folk horror: http://ow.ly/YbM1302h8Ns @BFI @AdamScovell
Criteria for a good ending: http://ow.ly/MfeB302h8z6 by Kay Bergstrom @RMFWriters
How ‘Smooth Criminal’ Subverted the Hardboiled Detective Genre: http://ow.ly/ZAvK302h9vm by Aida Amoako @QueenMobs
Need to reduce wordcount? Be selective with dialogue tags and more: http://ow.ly/3a3p302h8tt @bentateauthor
How to Use Video Livestreaming for Book Promotion: http://ow.ly/9Qnw302h8VC @Bookgal
Scene Description Spotlight: “Unforgiven”: http://ow.ly/em5l302h9lZ @GoIntoTheStory
Words to describe someone’s voice: http://ow.ly/IicE302h9Ec @_FYWH
Enhancing narrative by using terminology of the field we’re writing about: http://ow.ly/MuwE302h91D @JerryBJenkins
6 Author Marketing Mistakes: http://ow.ly/FWzz302h8SY @ceciliaedits
Amazon tries to increase the popularity of e-shorts: http://ow.ly/3fdr302zvq1 @Porter_Anderson @laurahazardowen @pubperspectives
When Publishers Ignore Copyright: http://ow.ly/nPuK302yquO @MJHealy @pubperspectives
Methods for Distributing Free Books: http://ow.ly/AxNH302zpmG
Tips for pitching yourself and your book to the media: http://ow.ly/cQFj302zuDr @SpunkOnAStick @DancingLemurPre
Blogging: An Inexpensive, Powerful Marketing Tool for Authors: http://ow.ly/mtxH302zuks @annerallen @TheIWSG
5 Lessons for Writers from the Movies: http://ow.ly/EnBZ302fBWD @MirandaBW @SignatureReads
5 Guerilla Tactics for Promoting Your Debut Novel: http://ow.ly/SICI302fAok @manzanitafire
6 Helpful Apps for Writers: http://ow.ly/WUkk302fzi5 @Chris_Kokoski
5 Ways To Kill “Zombie” Prose Before It Kills You: http://ow.ly/yMZb302fzeP @Chris_Kokoski
Building a Better Definition of Science Fiction: http://ow.ly/RA2t302fwC1 @jeffvandermeer
Tips for Planning a Writing Retreat: http://ow.ly/nCxg302fA9w @robwhart
How to Create Legendary Villains: http://ow.ly/XKlK302fAGK @KristenLambTX
The Use of Subtext: http://ow.ly/AxBO302fCdI @JamesTuckwriter
Ben Lerner: Why So Many People (Rightfully) Hate Poetry: http://ow.ly/98wV302fwKT @Delistraty
Character Questionnaire: 94 Questions to Ask: http://ow.ly/cBIN302fBeR @Writers_Write
3 Modifiers Left Dangling Without a Supporting Subject: http://ow.ly/Zf8a302fAR2 @writing_tips
6 Tips to Increase Your Social Media Shares: http://ow.ly/bFOK302fB1y @tthursb @SMExaminer
Booktrack and Little, Brown Partner on YA Novellas: http://ow.ly/4giz302yqau @Porter_Anderson @pccameron
Writer’s block: 3 ways to get over it: http://ow.ly/FxBa302bBP4 @redswanmedia
The Polish book market: http://ow.ly/qknp302tf17 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Gone Months Without Writing? Try This: http://ow.ly/w1v0302ddn7 @McgannKellie
Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Being Held Captive: http://ow.ly/uAff302ddja @beccapuglisi
Outlining and Tracking Tool for Novels: http://ow.ly/Sj1r302dcQ3 @FantasyScroll
10 Ways to Add a Spark of Fire to Our Writing: http://ow.ly/KjGT302ddw4 @kcraftwriter
6 Tips for How to Organize Your Novel’s Edits: http://ow.ly/Gv1L302dcDj @KMWeiland
10 Sites for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/Yr6l302dcxC @EricaVerrillo
How To Create An Ebook Boxset Or Bundle And Why You Should: http://ow.ly/ZstR302ddLe @thecreativepenn
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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July 24, 2016
Distributing Free Books
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
It used to annoy me when I’d read about how important it was to offer a free book to readers for newsletter signups or as rewards for newsletter subscribers.
The advice was all well and good, but it rarely got into the nitty-gritty of it. How exactly were we supposed to give away these freebies? Surely I wasn’t expected to monitor signups and send out individual emails to subscribers?
The same problem would arise when I’d be invited to participate in group giveaways or when I’d need to submit advance review copies.
How was I supposed to share these files with subscribers or reviewers without manually sending them out?
Method 1:
At the time, MailChimp (free newsletter software … at least, free for 2,000 or fewer subscribers) did not host files for giveaways. This meant I needed a workaround. After a good deal of research, I adopted this approach to use my book A Dyeing Shame as a reward for signing up for my newsletter: For the download links, I used Amazon’s free cloud storage. I logged in with my Amazon login. Then I created a “bucket” called “dyeingshame” and uploaded 3 files: Kindle, epub, and PDF. When I selected each file on the site, a side menu came up. I chose ‘properties’, then ‘permissions’. Then I clicked the green arrow for ‘add more permissions.’ I then used the drop-down menu to select ‘everyone. and saved it. A minute later, the file was showing as public. I copied the file url and hyperlinked it to the ‘download’ text image on the webpage landing page I set up for newsletter subscribers.
It wasn’t hard, but it was convoluted and took a little time.
Method 2: The good news is that MailChimp now hosts files. You upload the book files (epub, mobi/Kindle) and then link to the files instead of attaching them in your newsletter campaign. If you run into any issues, you can always choose my previous method.
The only negatives that I’ve experienced are readers who have had technical difficulties when downloading the files. I came up with a standard explanation of how to navigate the downloading and reading of the files, but it did eat up some of my time (and, yes, my readership includes many senior readers … many of them are quite tech-savvy on e-readers, but some are not. Your mileage may vary as to whether this proves an issue).
Method 3: That’s one reason why I was excited to hear about instaFreebie. If a reader runs into a problem, they’re the ones running interference. You upload your book’s epub file, cover, and info to their site (they will convert the epub to a mobi file for Kindle readers or a PDF).
(Sorry for any blurriness below:)
Showing a successful upload:
Once it’s processed after several minutes, click ‘new giveaway’ and ‘create quick giveaway.’ You’ll then see the page below:
You have the option for setting an expiration date for the free book or a limit to the number of copies that are allowed to be downloaded. Important to note…instaFreebie will share your free book on their site or allow the freebie to be public unless you uncheck the boxes allowing them to do so.
They provide you with a link to the book for your reviewers, newsletter subscribers, giveaway winners. The site suggests that you could even use it for beta reader sharing. You insert that link on emails to reviewers, new subscribers (using automation … provide the link for your landing page for new subscribers), and winners:
The readers/reviewers click on the link and get three options for receiving their book, along with any tech support they need.
The premium version of instaFreebie removes the need for us to set up the link through MailChimp–it collects email addresses and automatically connects them to our MailChimp account. But, sadly, I find myself again too frugal to use the premium version of a service. :) I’ll continue with my email automation through MailChimp that I’ve already set up. But that is an option for you, if you want integration with MailChimp without any hassle.
There are other methods of sharing files …NetGalley, for instance. But the cost is prohibitive, I find. BookFunnel is another option, but there is a $20 a year cost …I’d like to hear your thoughts if you’ve used them.
This is an area that’s changing all the time, so I’m interested to hear how you distribute free copies of your books. What service do you use or do you handle it manually?
And a note that I’ll return to the blog on Sunday this week so that I can have extra time to finish up my book and send it to my editor! :)
Methods for distributing free books to reviewers and readers:
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July 23, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
3 Steps to Write an Antagonist You Hate: http://ow.ly/n2533027zLA @reagancolbert97
The English World’s Richest Prize for Short Story (Open for Submissions): http://ow.ly/2n25302teCb @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Instill the Joy of Reading and Storytelling in Children: http://ow.ly/EYuE302lR5q @jemifraser @TheIWSG
Mastering Different Writing Styles: 7 Tips: http://ow.ly/omus3027AqF @nownovel
Worldbuilding for Realistic Fiction: http://ow.ly/xXsm3027A2d @artofstoriesAB
5 Must-Dos for the Proactive Author: http://ow.ly/ElfC3027zCS @LovettRomance @DIYMFA
Skipping Time in Your Story: http://ow.ly/ZKfX3027A77 @artofstoriesAB
4 Mistakes That Can Cost Your Book the Bestsellers List: http://ow.ly/j7gx302u3WO by C.S. Plocher
Live-in nurses in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/u87P302tfqA @mkinberg
A Simple Approach to Building a Better Email List: http://ow.ly/LBhX30264lT @storyrally
Crime fiction: sleuths who read about sleuths: http://ow.ly/kRoi302lt9X @mkinberg
Amazon’s team of old-school book reviewers influences readers: http://ow.ly/BLDn30264nO @gonzalezseattle @seattletimes
China’s ‘3 Book Program’: Chinese Publishers Are Introduced to International Exports: http://ow.ly/oZak302te8m @Porter_Anderson @InfoJedi
An in-depth look at what, how, and why books sell: http://ow.ly/zn493026450 @ElectricLit @TheLincoln
What a Media Kit is and Why You Need One: http://ow.ly/p5vG30264qJ @MFlicksAuthors
Marketing into an increasingly annoyed readership: http://ow.ly/Uo9X30264la @Janet_Reid
Book Distributors Compared: http://ow.ly/CuLv30264gk @111publishing
The when and how of starting a street team: http://ow.ly/B3lz30264th @kerrylonsdale
Leaving Your Comfort Zone: Reading Out of Genre: http://ow.ly/JWP230264wp @j_s_brown @WomenWriters
UK: why are there so many new publishing imprints? http://ow.ly/9Z3u30263Y6 @carmitstead @GuardianBooks
Taking the Audiobook Plunge? Read This First: http://ow.ly/twiY30264zm @DianeRinella @AngelaAckerman
What Editors Wish You Knew about Meeting with Them at Conferences: http://ow.ly/ajUV30264xF @KarenBall1
Amazon Is Quietly Eliminating List Prices: http://ow.ly/4ON230264ak @DavidStreitfeld @nytimes
Newsletters: The Hidden Secret to Marketing? http://ow.ly/kdbu302tivY @RochelleDCarter @BwkrSelfPublish
World-Building Tips and Tools: http://ow.ly/KGig302lQvC @AlexJCavanaugh @TheIWSG
Storytelling About Storytelling: A Swiss ‘Summer of Darkness’ App: http://ow.ly/VHRX302tdNQ @anindita @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Subplot Survival 101: http://ow.ly/CE6Z30254pu @ClareLangleyH
How to Notify Amazon Buyers about New Content in Your eBook: http://ow.ly/cbQC30253yC @Martinthewriter
Tips for better dialogue: http://ow.ly/KdOA30253TF @AuthorKJ
Writing A One-Page Business Plan: 5 Questions A Self-Publisher Must Ask: http://ow.ly/vofs30253v3 @jckunzjr
Not sure how to use your Amazon affiliate links correctly? Ask Amazon: http://ow.ly/YN3C30253Kd @eNovelAuthors
4 essential elemenst for the first 5 pages: http://ow.ly/tMtG30254eO @swkehoe
Point of View Confusion: http://ow.ly/8trL30254s6 @CandaceWillms @IndiesUnlimited
Lessons Learned: 5 Tips for Episodic Writing: http://ow.ly/iL8u30253MO @inkylinks
Why Your Readers Are Your Greatest Asset: http://ow.ly/2oAf30253qH @PublishingSpark
6 Easy Steps to Planning Out Your Novel: http://ow.ly/4alK302543j @LMacNaughton
Tips for recording video and basic equipment needed: http://ow.ly/Bnw830253im @shelleyhitz
How Writers Can Bring Setting to Life through Personification: http://ow.ly/w41p30253Bg @CSLakin
Metrics Are Worthless…So What Should You Focus on Instead? http://ow.ly/ExNZ30252By @Bookgal
How to write effective book titles: http://ow.ly/92fX30253b8 @Peter_Rey_
5-Minute Book Marketing for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/GeJm30252sg @Bookgal
How To Use Snapchat To Build Your Unique Readership: http://ow.ly/rOlq30252p6 @K8Tilton
The Platform Building Step You’re Probably Missing: from Fix My Story http://ow.ly/SsWb30252mA
Turn your Book into an Audiobook in 6 Steps: http://ow.ly/rELc3021P7i @clairedeluana
Tune in to the @ReedsyHQ live chat on FB each Wed. at 3p ET (now). http://bit.ly/28TpYzb . Today’s topic: blogging
5 Tips to Keep You from Being Overwhelmed: http://ow.ly/4XD63021OD6 @CSLakin
Writing Crime Fiction in the Era of Black Lives Matter: http://ow.ly/RvIn302qxOq @RachelHowzell @BillLoehfelm and Henry Chang @lithub
Book Promoting: Is $1.99 The New 99 Cents? http://ow.ly/KdQI3021Oic @Martinthewriter @IndiesUnlimited
6 Reasons to Power Up Your Productivity as a Writer: http://ow.ly/eHOz3021O5I @AGHackney
Indie Authors: Book Promotion Tools and Tips: http://ow.ly/7qEW3021JkW @sabsky
What Should You Put in Your Email Newsletter? http://ow.ly/5Qvp3021Jga @kikimojo @JaneFriedman
Book Promotion: Do This, Not That: http://ow.ly/ivSs3021J3y @PamelaBeason @JFbookman
When an Internet Skeptic Takes to Twitter: http://ow.ly/EEIA302lHYH @svenbirkerts @lithub
Tips for Author Blogs: http://ow.ly/d9vA301YAQO @krgpryal @WomenWriters
Writing in 2nd person POV: http://ow.ly/Ghfw301YBnb @LindaKSienkwicz @WomenWriters
Character Thoughts: Direct and Indirect Interior Monologues: http://ow.ly/3j7s301YBxa @FictionNotes
Making your Character Shine From Page One: http://ow.ly/Ru6o301YBSm @winellroad
5 Secrets of Complex Supporting Characters: http://ow.ly/eKpD301YBZo @KMWeiland
Book Marks: The book review aggregator: http://ow.ly/zmvt301YB0k @lithub
Symbolism & Setting: http://ow.ly/fSDz301YBAY @KristenLambTX
5 helpful hints for writing at night: http://ow.ly/pFst301YCdM @pubcoach
23 Ways to Defeat the Sagging Middle: http://ow.ly/FsKn301YBtI @FictionNotes
How To Track Your Word Count & Set Writing Goals: http://ow.ly/tKkq301YALW @SukhiJutla
Use Minor Characters to Flesh Out Your Protagonist: http://ow.ly/6tAV301YC7N @KMWeiland
How to Create an Internal Mindset Conducive to Writing: http://ow.ly/G9hM301YClR @AnneJanzer @JaneFriedman
Why Calvin and Hobbes is Great Literature: http://ow.ly/yX2Q302lHKg @GabbyBellot @lithub
How to Use Whatsapp in India: http://ow.ly/9I8P302kHNQ @ritesh_kala @IndieAuthorALLI
Tools to Manage Metadata: http://ow.ly/DSBb302lFg0
Overcoming Book Signing Fear: http://ow.ly/ynat302lJOm @ChrysFey @TheIWSG
4 strengths of fish-out-of-water stories: http://ow.ly/aJJx302lsDh @LaurelGarver @jemifraser
How Publishers Abuse Termination Fees: http://ow.ly/1yPf302ltg2 @PassiveVoiceBlg @victoriastrauss
US French Embassy Releases Its 2016 Translation Report: http://ow.ly/P5xw302kmkY @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives
How Writers Can Bring Setting to Life through Personification: http://ow.ly/hvkF301YAbN @beccapuglisi
Dictating a Book? Tips for Editing the First Draft: http://ow.ly/uMpP301YyWl @CKmacleodwriter
How NOT to dictate your book: http://ow.ly/F40B301YxUc by Wendy Jones @IndieAuthorALLI
A Look at How Horror Author @peterstraubnyc Crafts His Opening Chapters: http://ow.ly/QqrV301Yzii by Tina L. Jens @BlackGateDotCom
6 Ways to Set Up Scrivener for Writing: http://ow.ly/roPK301Yz6x @CKmacleodwriter
4 Steps to Break Grammar Rules with Style: http://ow.ly/OigW301YAif @Julie_Glover
6 Ways to End a Book in a Series: http://ow.ly/jpaf301YzZh @RobinRWrites
Brushing up on character mannerisms by braving public spaces: http://ow.ly/6xhx301YzNr @joannaslan
Radio Tips for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/iYLb301Yyte @RachelAmphlett @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Author Website: http://ow.ly/mC8M301YA76 @JFbookman
3 Tactics To Make You A More Productive Writer: http://ow.ly/jVZ1301YA3k @sacha_black
Crime fiction featuring the dark side of fashion design: http://ow.ly/sWqu302kAU6 @mkinberg
When You Don’t Want to Write: http://ow.ly/OLx4301VR7f @msheatherwebb
#NEABigRead: Stepping Up Its Game for Diversity, Relevance: http://ow.ly/YKrZ302kmqj @Porter_Anderson @amystolls @NEABigRead
Conflict in every scene? Disasters in every act? Yes and no: http://ow.ly/KUS2302kAJu @Roz_Morris
Links I shared last week: http://ow.ly/fPI4302kmLq .All the links I’ve shared (30K+, free and searchable): writerskb.com @Hiveword
Romance Writers of America Discuss Sales, Globalization, and Diversity Challenges: http://ow.ly/VVXF302km9C @Porter_Anderson @rwa
Adverbs Are Overwhelmingly, Indisputably the Best Part of Speech: http://ow.ly/lPOU301VQ4c @colindickey
Rentrement of Compulsion: How to Write a Rondeau (Infographic) http://ow.ly/j5Tc301VQm9 @lwlindquist @tspoetry
A Less Lonely Way to Get More Writing Done: http://ow.ly/MuSy301VRiS @Janice_Hardy
A Tale of Two Writers: http://ow.ly/DEBg301VRps @storyfix
In Defence of Clichés: http://ow.ly/XQs2301VPM4 @JoEberhardt
How One Writer Overcame Fear and Got a 2nd Chance: http://ow.ly/6oDL301VRdp @thereallisakerr
When Marcel Proust Was an Anxious Debut Novelist: http://ow.ly/K30U3027tRf @lithub @billcart67
The Fabulist and Fantastic Edges of Contemporary Southern Women€s Poetry: http://ow.ly/oP6F302xhXc @ElectricLit by Stacey Balkun
There is more to war poetry than mud, wire and slaughter: http://ow.ly/EdIU3027ttg by Andrew Motion @GuardianBooks
Write a Nonfiction Book: Your 5-Minute Plan: http://ow.ly/K1yA302brD8 @angee
How to Create a Book Cover Using Canva: http://ow.ly/CGKV302xhr6 @lornafaith
How to Write an Email Sequence to Keep Readers Hooked: http://ow.ly/rwxP302brJy @HennekeD
Education in Storyworlds: http://ow.ly/hFgN302brPf by A.D. Shrum
A Story Opening To Avoid: http://ow.ly/uv7t302bBJP @angiehodapp @agentkristinNLA
Breakdown Boards: http://ow.ly/lSsM302bBNh @SPressfield
The Polish book market: http://ow.ly/qknp302tf17 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writer’s block: 3 ways to get over it: http://ow.ly/FxBa302bBP4 @redswanmedia
Ultralight Lit: Choosing What to Read on a Long Hike: http://ow.ly/STFs302dcdg @robmoorstuff @Powells
Tips for creating an effective website: http://ow.ly/YRnK302ddzZ @DanBlank
10 Tricks for Getting Your Book Reviewed by a Book Blogger: http://ow.ly/ux6H302ddDd @BakerviewConsul for @annerallen
4 Ways to Make Your Writing More Interesting: http://ow.ly/XSsp302dd9C @Rachel_Aaron
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 21, 2016
Linear Writing
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I mentioned last week that I enjoy hearing other writers’ book-writing processes. I share a variety of writing-craft tips on Twitter because although something may not be useful for me, it might be useful for someone else.
But sometimes, I think, it’s helpful to hear how others write. Although I’m pretty set in my ways with my process, sometimes I need to try something new. And sometimes I think I need to try something new because I’m so set in my ways. It helps to keep my writing fresh, even though I may be working on book ten in a series.
I read a post from writer B.E. Sanderson’s Outside the Box blog on linear writing … working straight through scenes to reach the end of the story.
I’m a linear writer almost to a fault now, but B.E.’s post reminded me that I haven’t always written that way. There was one book that I wrote backward from the end to the middle (the middle was where I’d gotten stuck).
Another book I wrote completely out of order. I’d gotten ideas for different sections of the story at different times and had written whatever scene I’d gotten the inspiration for.
I don’t know how many of you are mystery readers, but I can say from experience that the second book was a disaster in edits. Mysteries follow a particular pattern and mystery writers must track clues, red herrings, suspects’ lies, and alibis. Hopping around through a mystery meant that it took me longer to edit the book than it did to write the first draft (where ordinarily I edit in about 3 or 4 days before sending the manuscript to a freelance or publisher’s editor).
Not only were the elements of the mystery in a mess, but the transitions between scenes were either extremely choppy or missing altogether. The book ended up becoming Progressive Dinner Deadly and worked out fine and dandy … but I would never try to write a book completely out of order again.
But I might try writing a book from the end to the middle again, if I were stuck. It worked last time.
As someone who has written both ways, here are my thoughts on both approaches:
Pros to Linear Writing:
You’re writing it as the reader will be reading it.
You have a better sense of where you are in the story.
Transitions are (usually) neater.
If you’re writing a complicated story (like a mystery), it can be less confusing for you to edit later.
Pros to Writing Scenes Out of Order:
It can be extremely useful to jumpstart a story when you’re stuck …particularly moving backward through the book.
Sometimes when you’re not in the mood to write a particular scene (you’re feeling down or discouraged and you need to write a lively scene, e.g.) it helps to write a scene that better matches your mood.
When you’re full of ideas and dialogue for a future scene, the draft of the scene can be more animated when you write the idea as you get it.
If you’ve written a lot of books and you’re getting tired of your approach (or it’s boring you), writing out of order can infuse your story with new life.
When I’m tempted to write out of order now:
I make a note…either on my outline or in Track Changes right there in the margin…mapping out the scene or noting the ideas I had for it. Then I continue with the story in my linear fashion. For the most part, I just don’t have the editing time to write a book out of order anymore.
Have you ever written a story out of order? How did it go?
Pros and Cons of Linear Writing:
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July 17, 2016
Metadata Tools
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Those who’ve been reading my blog for a while know that I’ve had something of a bee in my bonnet lately over metadata. When I first heard about metadata, it sounded like the most boring (and confusing) thing I’d ever heard of. I became curious as I continued hearing more and more about it. I attended a couple of talks on metadata at a couple of different conferences. I read slideshows on it from conferences I hadn’t attended.
And then I decided that the topic of metadata was actually pretty interesting and useful after all. To me, it’s a way of making my books visible to readers. In that way, it’s useful in the way that a card catalog used to be useful at the public library. Carla King wrote a great article for BookWorks called “Mastering Metadata: the Key to Marketing Your Books,” if you want a more detailed explanation of its helpfulness.
Then I realized at some point in the process that my own metadata, or the way I label the bits and pieces of my books, was wildly inconsistent. I might be Elizabeth Craig, I might be Elizabeth Spann Craig, I might be Elizabeth S. Craig. That doesn’t help my visibility on a search engine….surely I’d bring in better results if I listed myself one way all the time.
Similarly, it’s also a problem when we’re inconsistent with series details. Looking at my KDP dashboard, I saw that one of my series was occasionally listed as The Myrtle Clover mysteries and sometimes listed as A Myrtle Clover Mystery and sometimes as A Myrtle Clover Cozy Mystery. Not good. Again, consistency is key.
After a while, I tried tracking various metadata. I’d keep a list of keywords and a list of the series names, etc.
Then I realized that it would be more useful if I could keep it all in one place in a spreadsheet. Except I’m horrible at spreadsheets.
I stumbled on Airtable about a week ago. It’s a spreadsheet maker for people who are horrible at spreadsheets. This is what I came up with. I think you can click on it and copy it yourself (try clicking ‘view larger version’ at the bottom of the image). And no doubt you could make one better, yourself! Airtable is free (at least, the version I’m using is free).
If you’d rather not mess with spreadsheets, Carla King has a downloadable metadata cheat sheet in the article I referenced above (at the bottom of the post). Or, if you’re not really sure if you need to work on your own metadata, David Wogahn recommends auditing our own search engine listings in his blog post, ” A Simple Author Metadata Audit in Less Than 30 Minutes.”
Hope this gives you some ideas for keeping track of metadata and keeping it consistent. Is recording metadata something that you do to save time or for consistency?
Tools to help writers manage metadata:
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July 16, 2016
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
The Kindle “Delivery Cost” and How it Affects Writers: http://ow.ly/q30H301U6Dg @RJCrayton
10 Tips for Beginning (and Expert) Poets: http://ow.ly/ATfX301VQN6 @hrhookwriter
“I Used to be a Writer”: http://ow.ly/7igq301VQBr @TamsenButler @WomenWriters
How To Craft a 1-Page Synopsis Using Story Beats: http://ow.ly/mONf301VPWy @SueColetta1
5 Good Ideas Science Fiction Teaches Us to Fear: http://ow.ly/FxxG301VQIx by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Your Speaking Gig Should Also Market Your Books/Business: http://ow.ly/VTMa301VQSc @Margo_L_Dill
How One Writer Overcame Fear and Got a 2nd Chance: http://ow.ly/6oDL301VRdp @thereallisakerr
Blab for Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/uW67301U6gW @LornaSixsmith @IndieAuthorALLI
An Agent Offers Reasons She Rejected 25 queries: http://ow.ly/C99s301U6tA @Janet_Reid
Do You Write for Young Adults or Millenials? Try Snapchat: http://ow.ly/keYB301U6cS @CaballoFrances
Contract Terms to Watch Out For: http://ow.ly/jcCe301U6nV @111publishing
Should You Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish? http://ow.ly/RsQ6301U6OP @JaneFriedman
SEO for Bloggers: http://ow.ly/yFTV301U6a0 @randfish
Can technology help you write? 5 science-backed tips: http://ow.ly/uTb5301SykI by Chris Smith @TheWritPlatform
4 Ways to Take Criticism Like a Pro: http://ow.ly/SZjz301Sybo @bhathenatanaz @WritersDigest
When Grief Becomes Surreal: http://ow.ly/uj6R302iAqL @lithub @TobiasCarroll
Honing vs. Sharpening Knives: What’s the Difference? http://ow.ly/2GHC301Syg4 @benjaminsobieck
What Getting Published At 16 Teaches About Becoming a Writer: http://ow.ly/FWW0302iAsM @BannerCatherine @lithub
50 Creative Writing Prompts for Different Parts of Your Story: http://ow.ly/HQBv301SxVp @nownovel
Tips for making your book a page-turner: http://ow.ly/uqI1302iaru @rxena77
Too Distracted to Write? Respect Your Resistance: http://ow.ly/6gE5301SylN @RosanneBane
How Writing Habits Make Writing Easier: http://ow.ly/q7EN301SxYy @MahinWriter
Writer’s Guide to Weapons: What’s that Smell? Cordite vs. Gunpowder vs. Propellant: http://ow.ly/7KkW301SymA @benjaminsobieck
Become an Intuitive Writer: http://ow.ly/VvKZ301SxJv @JanalynVoigt
How Successful Authors Use Social Media: 23 Content Ideas: http://ow.ly/BOJ3301Syfp @DianaUrban
To The Invisible Writer: http://ow.ly/2oUf301SxSw @JanalynVoigt
Blinding a Hero: On Writing a Disability: http://ow.ly/U9ye301SyhG by Tanvir Bush @TheWritPlatform
Description Shouldn’t Be Boring: http://ow.ly/tSVp301SygV @MarcyKennedy
Write Inner Dialogue That Speaks to the Reader: http://ow.ly/k6uz301SydS @ZoeMMcCarthy
When No One Shows Up To Your Reading: Lessons Learned: http://ow.ly/mxLn301Sy5I @leewind @scbwi @TheNormanNation
5 Faulty “Not Only . . . But Also” Sentences: http://ow.ly/9qIU301RAKV @writing_tips
How Hemingway Kept His Momentum Going: http://ow.ly/QZJx301QVKv @ChadRAllen
Motifs, Symbols, and Themes: http://ow.ly/iIxl301RAv3 @PBRWriter
Making Your Scenes Work for You: Tips: http://ow.ly/VyCk301RAOa @AnthonyEhlers
The Biggest Obstacle To Your Writing: http://ow.ly/5zhQ301RAhn @jamieraintree
Author uses novel tactic to promote book: http://ow.ly/RytV301RAw0 @sandrabeckwith
The Discbound Planner for Organizing Your Writing Life: http://ow.ly/PWqm301RAud @jamieraintree
Summer Celebrations: The 6 Wildest Parties in Literary History: http://ow.ly/vssa301RAID @BookTrib
Too many ideas? An idea ranker worksheet: http://ow.ly/uDIy301RAE1 @EvaDeverell
Need Writing Ideas? Take Inventory of Your Life: http://ow.ly/eego301RANg @annkroeker
Avoid Sad Sack Protagonists: http://ow.ly/Kz64301RAPl @Diana_Hurwitz
The components of plot: http://ow.ly/EUjr301RAfV @RuthanneReid
How an idea becomes a comic: http://ow.ly/EDYl301Q4Oe @Nsousanis
What It Means To Be an Inclusive Literary Journal: http://ow.ly/rgiQ301PQzx @zinziclemmons @lithub
How to Create an Online Course: http://ow.ly/K9UV301LDYv @HelloMorganTimm
How To Use Story Archetypes To Subvert Expectations: http://ow.ly/Chmk301LByG @kayladeanwrites @DIYMFA
4 Mantras That Will Motivate You to Write: http://ow.ly/5mQS301LBgp @RiteLikeRowling
Unleashing Bravery Into Your Writing Life: http://ow.ly/Yxnx301LB0H @reallucyflint
5 Tips for Better Facebook Live Broadcasts: http://ow.ly/pUA0301LAAI by Jeff Ente @SMExaminer
How to Self-Publish a Book on Amazon: 24 Steps: http://ow.ly/P4Jn302d6ob @mfishbein
The Visual Writer: Using Images To Bring Your Writing Alive: http://ow.ly/klMD301LAoR @nhendrickson1
The Second Pinch Point in Stories: http://ow.ly/ScNt301LzTt @CSLakin
5 Ways to Combine Sentences: http://ow.ly/HQqk301LzFa @writing_tips
Character Archetypes: Minions, Medleys and Minor Characters: http://ow.ly/Y94M301LzyR @HunterEmkay
Editing vs. Proofreading: http://ow.ly/1EqZ302bCkY @Scribendi_Inc
Librarian Chelsea Couillard-Smith Creates #BlackLivesMatter Booklist for Teens: http://ow.ly/shVz302brjd @sljournal
The Key to Creating Believable Plots and Subplots: http://ow.ly/2BUy301RATy @CSLakin
5 Obstacles Every Writer Must Face and How to Overcome Them: http://ow.ly/AGYN301QVkJ @ChadRAllen
Are You Asking the Right Question About Backstory? http://ow.ly/5JJY301JjJO @p2p_editor
Voice vs. Grammar: http://ow.ly/O8ec301Jjv3 by Nils Ödlund @mythicscribes
Mapping the Novel: A Whole-brained Approach: http://ow.ly/Dpf2301FBuj @Wordstrumpet
How 1 Writer Learned To Stop Checking Her Book Sales: http://ow.ly/RKwl3027AcU
50 Favorite Fictional Women: http://ow.ly/KR2y301FB3x @mollitudo @brooklynmag
How To Kickstart Your Productivity: http://ow.ly/33X8301FAfb @DoWhatYouLoveXx
How to Make Real Money Selling Short Fiction: http://ow.ly/80Mc301SyvC @SteveCampbellFL
‘Brexit Means Brexit’? All in UK Publishing Are Not Convinced: http://ow.ly/ZrDK302a5cV @rogertagholm @pubperspectives
Thinking of joining a writing group? Ask yourself these 8 questions first: http://ow.ly/BuwJ300p6lF @LisasShare @publishingtalk
4 Tips For Creating Bad Boys & Villains Readers Will Love to Hate: http://ow.ly/J5yo301EoMR @HunterSmith01
13 Questions to Ask Before Submitting to a Literary Journal: http://ow.ly/w2gU301FtCb @erikadreifus @lithub
Tips for Naming Characters: http://ow.ly/cwYZ301Epql @Adria_in_Paris
The writer’s duty: to lift people up: on E.B. White: http://ow.ly/6Liw3027rAA @pubcoach
Writing: Ways to Cultivate Solitude: http://ow.ly/UXA7301Eote @soniaroth
Helpful Tools and Sites for Writers (worksheets, writing courses, prompts, more): http://ow.ly/VWW13027r1T
7 Great Sources of Conflict for Romances: http://ow.ly/FIUa301Eoqr by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
The Legal Side of Writing for Anthologies: http://ow.ly/hTAf301CRN2 @SusanSpann
Rags to riches stories in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/jgJt3027o9V @mkinberg
A @pubperspectives white paper on #TheMarkets2016: download your free copy: http://ow.ly/6QkU3027ore @Porter_Anderson
The Call to Action: Strategies to Make It Big: http://ow.ly/ipJU301EoXv @TheresaStevens
4 tips for setting goals: http://ow.ly/8oOK301EoEa @MichaelHyatt
Building a Book Audience With Short Stories or Excerpts: http://ow.ly/sK6J301EoKK @jennienash
What to Do When Your Novel’s Too Short: http://ow.ly/newt301EpmV @Janice_Hardy
Story Setting Tips for Writers Who Are Remote from the Location: http://ow.ly/8Ky8301Ep2j @Jenn_Mattern
Converting Backstory into Character: http://ow.ly/5FID301EoQc @TheresaStevens
Teens’ Thoughts on Writing: http://ow.ly/ourl301Epjc @ShanDitty
What’s Your Genre? A High-Level Overview for Writers: http://ow.ly/dwLi301CRbB @brooke_warner
Miss Havisham: A History: http://ow.ly/gpqP301PQec @CAAF @TheToast
Shopping an offer from an agent is a bad idea: http://ow.ly/si5D301CRJR @Janet_Reid
Tying (and Trimming) Loose Ends for a Tidy Finish: http://ow.ly/9Sj1301CRym @AlyConnerBrown
The top writing links of last week are on Twitterific:
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July 14, 2016
Writing Routines: When to Write?
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Out of all the different things I’ve done to make my writing better, practice has benefitted me most outside of pure reading.
I’ve taken classes, I’ve read craft books, I’ve read many, many posts on improving my writing in interesting and creative ways. But practicing has been the best approach for better writing.
The key is writing as often as we can. There are some days when writing is harder than others. Sometimes it’s totally me…I just don’t feel as if I can bear to look at my manuscript. I’ll still write on those days, but it will be a fraction of the amount I usually write. Sometimes it’s a sick child, travel, or other things that get in the way.
I’ve found that I do best and get more written if I write first thing in the mornings before any demands are made on my day by other people. I pour my coffee, take a quick glance (quick is vital) at my phone to make sure that no family emergencies have happened overnight (although I know I’d more likely get a phone call on my house phone if that were the case), and then I hop right into the story.
If I write at the same time, in the same place, and after the same routine (getting up, putting contacts in, going downstairs, getting my coffee), it’s almost as if I’ve got muscle memory with my writing. The writing happens automatically. I don’t mean that the text seems robotic and automatic, only that it’s produced efficiently and on demand. I don’t have to force myself to it…it’s just what I do at that point of the day.
I love mornings, I admit it. I love that smug feeling after I’ve knocked out the biggest thing that I’ve got to do that day to meet my goals. If you’re interested in becoming a morning writer, I read an interesting article recently called “Win the Morning, Win the Day,”by Bec Evans, which expresses better than I’m doing here why this is a helpful approach for so many of us. She states:
“By making your morning routine a habit you can conserve your willpower for other more important activities. President Obama famously limits his suit and tie choices so he doesn’t deplete willpower deciding what to wear.
It’s not easy to make good habits or break old ones, but it can be done. Having a set of activities you do on rising makes it more likely for a habit to become established. The best advice for setting a habit is to start small and attach it to something you do already, like making your first cup of coffee, and slowly increase the time spent. You’ll be surprised how quickly it becomes routine.”
Although I do love the mornings, I always feel sort of bad for the night writers. For one thing, I feel like they get a bit of short shrift among other writers. Writing in the morning is popular…night writing not so much. But some writers have morning obligations, odd schedules, or are just unable to write in the mornings before work. For those writers, I’ll mention another article I read recently with tips for night writing. It’s by Daphne Gray-Grant for PR Daily: “5 Helpful Tips for Writing at Night.” I think one of her best tips is where she’s essentially recommending that we be realistic with our nighttime writing.
“Make your writing time late enough that it won’t compete with social or family obligations. If your writing time is 7 p.m. you’re essentially committing to never going out to dinner with friends, never seeing a nighttime movie, never going to a concert.
Make sure your time is going to work for you at least five days per week.”
Are you more of a morning writer or an evening writer? Or are you a writer who fits writing in when you can (I’ve had years when that’s been true)?
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