Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 125

Surprises and Updates

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Last week I opened up a crime novel translated into English from Norwegian and saw the logos in the picture to the right. It startled me because I’d never seen a sponsorship before (even one like this, which is sort of indirect).  I wasn’t sure what to make of it.  Have y’all seen this type of thing before?  It distracted me, but I don’t know if it distracted me only because I’m a writer and noticed it.  And I wondered…what if writers were being offered corporate underwriting or sponsorship directly?  Would it have an effect on your content?  Is this something we might be hearing more about?

I’ve noticed a dip in sales numbers since September. In fact, I launched a self-pubbed book in September and was initially excited about the timing because I knew I’d get my royalty check in late November right before Christmas shopping time.  Although the check from Amazon was still a decent-sized check, it was about half of what I usually make for the first month of a self-pubbed release.  As usual, I have no data (never any decent data in this business), but I suspect that Kindle Unlimited (which I’m not enrolled in) may potentially be having a ripple effect. Other authors have mentioned the same thing.  Whatever the origin, it seems to have impacted my audio, CreateSpace, and Kindle sales.  My Smashwords, Nook, and Apple sales are at the same level as they always are.

Have you thought about what you want to accomplish with your writing in 2015? I’m currently working on a production plan for next year.  Although a production plan can sound scary, it’s really just an actionable to-do list.  I make a list of the books I want to write for the year (either traditionally published or self-published) and then all the tasks associated with each book. These tasks include writing time, editing time, and production time (cover design, formatting, professional editing, uploading, and promo). Then I take the items and put deadlines/reminders on my Google calendar to keep myself on track. It’s an easy way to help retain focus during the year.  I spoke with author Stephen Campbell in a podcast for The Author Biz about production plans, setting up a self-publishing team, ACX, Wattpad, and other topics.

As a follow up on my “Getting Reviews” post, I wanted to report that the recent free sale I ran did end up netting me 46 reviews and a boost in sales after the sale was over.  So…it’s something to consider if you’re looking at a book that could use some more reviews. Sales tend to work better than any other method, in my experience.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!  Do you have any updates or business-related thoughts, yourself?

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The Ultimate in Networking

by Alex J. Cavanaugh, @AlexJCavanaugh  

While writing itself is usually a solitary venture, everything else we need to accomplish as authors is not. We need input from critique partners, advice on publishing, assistance with marketing, and encouragement. To accomplish that, we need to network with others.

There are many great ways to connect and find other writers: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Sometimes we’re lucky and we find a group of writers. One that is active and networking with one another. Perhaps it’s a growing group that’s spreading to other platforms. That’s a big plus, as with a large group, we can make a lot of quality connections.

When I first began writing, it was just me. I wasn’t online and I wasn’t involved in any writing groups. It wasn’t until I signed my first contract and was forced to venture online that I realized what I was missing. Those connections are so important!

I’m fortunate to be involved in what I believe is the ultimate networking group – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Connecting writers through several platforms and with a hashtag of #IWSG on Twitter, it’s swelled to over two thousand members in just three years. And we have four ways for writers and authors to connect:

IWSG monthly blog posts–members post the first Wednesday of every month, discussing their insecurities, needs, solutions, and words of encouragement for others.

IWSG website–a database of databases for writers. We list close to a thousand sites that will benefit writers in areas such as writing tips, querying, self-publishing, contests, and more. We also update with fresh, new information each week, bringing in industry experts every Wednesday. (Including the amazing Elizabeth S. Craig!)

IWSG Facebook group–for connecting, learning, and sharing. We have three themed days–Motivational Mondays, Wow it’s Wednesday, and News & Promo Friday–and members are encouraged to get involved.

IWSG Critique Circle–a Facebook group for connecting critique partners.

Those four groups give writers the opportunity to find answers, tips, critique partners, support, and lasting friendships. Members benefit from the connections and the fresh ideas. And just as important, they are recharged when drained.

With over a hundred contributors, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond is a product of that networking. It covers three main topics–writing, publishing, and marketing. Not only is it a great resource, it’s yet another way for writers to connect.

When I started this group three years ago, I had no idea it would grow so quickly and so large. We receive many messages of gratitude as well as success stories. For me, it’s not just a great resource and networking opportunity–it’s the ultimate way to give back to the writing community!

If you’re looking to connect, we invite you to join us. Either way, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond is our gift to you.

Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgrou...

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm. His next book, Dragon of the Stars, comes out next April. The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond

ISBN 9781939844088

235 pages, Free!

Tapping into the expertise of over a hundred talented authors from around the globe, The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond contains something for every writer. Whether you are starting out and need tips on the craft of writing, looking for encouragement as an already established author, taking the plunge into self-publishing, or seeking innovative ways to market and promote your work, this guide is a useful tool. Compiled into three key areas of writing, publishing, and marketing, this valuable resource offers inspirational articles, helpful anecdotes, and excellent advice on dos and don’ts that we all wish we knew when we first started out on this writing journey.

Available –

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

Smashwords

Goodreads

 

 

 

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Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

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.

5 times to use a prologue: http://ow.ly/FrloF @writers_write

Free 7 day online writer workshop on Dec. 29:  http://ow.ly/FrloI @fran_booth

Plotting the Non-Plot-Driven Novel:  http://ow.ly/FrloL @DonMaass

Overheard Haiku http://ow.ly/FrloP  @parisreview

In Praise of Secret Writers:  http://ow.ly/FrloS @write_track

What Game Design Reveals about the Deliberate Tensions of Great Writing:  http://ow.ly/FrloU @brainpicker

BookBub Explained:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9a @nancyjcohen

The Case for Morning Writing:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9b @ingridsundberg

What to consider before applying to an MFA program:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9d @elizmccracken

10 tips for keeping your script fast-paced:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9f @scriptmag

Interview with a Book Publicist:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9h @slicemagazine

Revision strategies:  http://ow.ly/Ftw9i  @holly_schindler

6 Must-Know Tricks for Getting to Know Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/FrloB @KMWeiland

3 Writing ‘Cheats’ for Making Dialogue Work Harder & Ring True | MuseInks http://ow.ly/Frlox

12 habits of highly productive writers:  http://ow.ly/Frloq @racheltoor

Neil Gaiman Shares 4 Tips For Reading Stories to Kids:  http://ow.ly/Frlom @galleycat

What Makes a Good Story? Slush Pile Lessons:  http://ow.ly/Frlog @JeriWB

The Creative Person’s Guide to Time Management http://ow.ly/Frlo9 @judypchristie

Writing crutches: gestures:  http://ow.ly/FnPi3  @JordanMcCollum

9 Qualities Writers Should Look for in a Co-Blogger: http://ow.ly/FnPhZ @wherewriterswin

2 Types Of Inciting Moments:  http://ow.ly/FnPhV @writers_write

Why Is It So Difficult To Write Well? http://ow.ly/FnPhT @rogerdcolby

100 Character Development Questions for Writers:  http://ow.ly/FnPhS from Laura Cushing

9 Ways to Cut a Story That’s Too Long:  http://ow.ly/FnPhM by Rayne Hall

7 Ways Writers Can Use Facebook Rooms: http://ow.ly/FnPhH @CaballoFrances

The Path to Deepening Your Protagonist:  http://ow.ly/FnPhD @writingeekery

Creating your hero’s fatal flaw:  http://ow.ly/FnPhz by Laurie Campbell

Why Email Matters to Writers and 3 Tactics to Apply Today: http://ow.ly/FnPhu @writerplatform

How to Write a Humorous Memoir:  http://ow.ly/FpM06 @easterduckling

5 Unrealistic Character Traits:  http://ow.ly/FnPhp @mythcreants

Pros & Cons of Breaking the 4th Wall:  http://ow.ly/FnPhm @robinrwrites

Why It’s The Best Time Of Year To Get Creative:  http://ow.ly/FpkGi @DoWhatYouLoveXx @fran_booth

20 Helpful WordPress Plugins:  http://ow.ly/FhCdM  @MayaElious

What A Copy Editor Can Do For You:  http://ow.ly/FhCdI  @murdertakestime

Problematic self-promo on Twitter:  http://ow.ly/FhCdF @cathryanhoward

A comic for picture book writers:  http://ow.ly/FhCdB @inkyelbows

Sometimes You Gotta Suck It Up And Write the Outline:  http://ow.ly/FhCdz from PJ Parrish

Book Signing Checklist:  http://ow.ly/FhCdv @bookgal

Indie Authors and the Question of Kindle Unlimited:  http://ow.ly/FhCdr @hbarbara27

23 authors outline their writing habit:  http://ow.ly/FhCdn @pubperspectives

The secrets of writing humor: http://ow.ly/FhCdl @nownovel

Reasons Why Writers Should Watch TV:  http://ow.ly/FhCde @bob_mayer

110 Writing Tools:  http://ow.ly/FhCdb @galleycat

The Most Popular Passages in Books, According to Kindle Data: http://ow.ly/FhCd7 @yayitsrob @theatlantic

Selling Short Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Fiction: http://ow.ly/Fdl13 @derekkunsken

Simple Tricks to Unstick Your Plot: Where Is Everyone?  http://ow.ly/Fdlf2  @stdennard

6 Questions to Sharpen Your Story Beats and Make Your Plot Sing:  http://ow.ly/FdleU @fictionnotes

Scenes–what they are,  how to write them:  http://ow.ly/FdleM @stdennard

Fiction Writing Keys for Non-Outliners http://ow.ly/FdleK @sjamesauthor

Creating Tension and Hooking Readers in a Prologue:  http://ow.ly/FdleI Pu/ax2@/K=wDC’v

7 Traps Waiting for Successful Bloggers: http://ow.ly/FdleD @JFBookman

How to Use Pinterest for Videos, SlideShares and Podcasts: http://ow.ly/Fdlew @smexaminer

How to Craft Characters: Deepening with Backstory: http://ow.ly/Fdleu @stdennard

Why We Should Read Bad Books:  http://ow.ly/Fdleq  @JanetKGrant

Noir: its audience, how it’s changing:  http://ow.ly/Fdlf0 @PhillyInquirer

10 Tips For Short Story Writing :  http://ow.ly/FdkKB @fantasyfaction

How to Write a Short Book Fast:  http://ow.ly/Fb5m8 @ninaamir

The Art of Translation:  http://ow.ly/Fb4M1 @wsjspeakeasy

The Character Most Writers Get Wrong (And How to Fix It): http://ow.ly/Fb8YX @MandyCorine

3 Reasons to start at the end:  http://ow.ly/Fb8FT @achazda

How to Dramatize Real Life in Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/Fb8YP @birgitte_rasine

Building an Online Platform by Blogging:  http://ow.ly/Fb8YM @ava_jae

Gaming the system: hooking boys on reading:  http://ow.ly/FfglP @Porter_Anderson @SimonScarrow

Tips for Drafting Dialogue: Starting Rough:  http://ow.ly/Fb4YX @writersdigest

Top 10 Clichés in Crime Fiction:  http://ow.ly/Fb8YH @mulhollandbooks

How to Double Your Story’s Conflict in Seconds:  http://ow.ly/Fb8Yx @KMWeiland

3 Tips to “Show, Don’t Tell” Emotions and Moods:  http://ow.ly/Fb8Yt @joebunting

Connecting Subplots with Each Other and the Main Story Arc: http://ow.ly/Fb8Yo @vgrefer

Recovering from Depression: One Writer’s Journey: http://ow.ly/Fb8Yi @LailaJBlake @womenwriters

Tips for Crafting a Frame Story:  http://ow.ly/F3oTy @robinrwrites

7 Tension-Building Tips for Writing Action Scenes:  http://ow.ly/F3oTv @JoanCurtis

Is Writing a Series Before You’re Published Worth It? http://ow.ly/F3jTj @ava_jae

6 ways to create satisfying scene endings:  http://ow.ly/F3oTs @writers_write

How To Make Your Reader Weep:  http://ow.ly/F3oTp @scriptshadow

3rd person omniscient:  http://ow.ly/F3oTm  from The Character Comma

How to Check Social Media Privacy Settings:  http://ow.ly/F3oTi @smexaminer

3 Questions to Ask When Writing a Book Proposal: http://ow.ly/F3oTe @writersdigest

What parts do talent and passion play in writing? http://ow.ly/F8BB8 @Porter_Anderson @Janefriedman

Why It’s Important To Call Yourself A Writer:  http://ow.ly/F3l5o @write_practice

Managing the Overload of Writing Advice:  http://ow.ly/F3oTb @PamMingle

Working with a cover designer–questions to ask them, questions they may ask you:  http://ow.ly/F8sEO @authorterryo

Characters’ hopes and dreams:  http://ow.ly/F3oT7 @robbannasophia

Character Skills and Talents: Heightened Empathy:  http://ow.ly/F3oT5 @angelaackerman

A free resource for writers for writing, publishing, and marketing: http://ow.ly/F8soz @alexjcavanaugh

15 Story Beats to Keep Your Novel on Track:  http://ow.ly/F0xQi @HeatherJacksonW

Mind Mapping: Your Multipurpose Creative-Process Tool:  http://ow.ly/F0xQf @MichaelJGelb

5 Reasons to Write the Book You Need to Write:  http://ow.ly/F0xQe @EmmieMears

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How to Write a Humorous Memoir

By Steven R. Leonard, @easterduckling

“Those were the best days of my life.”    Bryan Adams in “Summer of ‘69”

THE FUNNIEST STORIES DON’T NEED TO BE EMBELLISHED MUCH – THEY REALLY HAPPENED

We all remember three or four stories from our childhood that always bring laughter to a dinner party – whether it’s about the time you barged in on your semi-naked parents having sex in an empty bathtub or when you caught the prissy librarian picking her nose when she thought no one was looking – the most farcical humor is based on true events. Readers can detect unrealistic dialogue and forced situations – just recount the story as it unfolded. Blurting out the punch line before starting the chapter never works, so don’t skimp on important details leading up to the climactic deus ex machina in reverse.

LEARN HOW TO USE WORDS THAT BEST DEPICT HUMOR

Which word makes you smile more: kerfuffle or uproar? Discombobulated sounds quirkier than confused, and klutzy reads better than awkward (all words with a hard “k” and “p” are inherently funny to pronounce). Read your sentences out loud to get a sense of the timing and then try the same phrase with a Yiddish word or a non sequitur thrown in to upset the balance. When in doubt, simply add flibbertigibbet to an intense dialogue about nuclear physics and prepare your faux fireplace mantle for the numerous comedy awards you are guaranteed to earn.

STUDY OTHER WRITERS THAT MAKE YOU LAUGH

It’s no secret that successful humor writers like Mark Twain, David Sedaris and Dave Barry spent years developing their voice and when you read a chapter or essay from their books you realize after a paragraph you’re in good hands. They know how to construct a background, introduce characters, and then deliver a punch line or plot twist that leaves you giggling while you wait for Uber to overcharge you for the ride to Olive Garden for the all-you-can-eat breadsticks. Read H.L. Mencken, Nora Ephron, Oscar Wilde, Rick Reilly, but avoid Dostoevsky, Solzhenitsyn, or Crymeariversky unless you want to brood all day drinking ouzo, and thinking about the plight of homeless anteaters in South America.

READERS RELATE TO CHARACTERS WITH FLAWS AND WEAKNESSES

Would you rather read about an insecure and clueless protagonist or a cocky and confident hero with no flaws who never makes a mistake? Most good humor (See Woody Allen or Steve Martin) stems from the simple premise that the person writing/telling the story is a complete nincompoop and/or screw-up. In a memoir you are the main character so bragging about your unprecedented pickling skills or how quickly your toe nails grow during the winter solstice is boring and gag-me gross. Unless your last name is Bond or Clooney skip the part about the honorable mention ribbon you won for the Lamborghini snowmobile you carved out of a bar of soap for the art fair in sixth grade (that ribbon is still on my mother’s refrigerator door).

MOST STORIES CAN BE TOLD IN TEN PAGES OR LESS

Think about the moment in junior high school when you tried to look cool the first time you smoked a cigarette or chugged a shot of Sambuca in front of the “in crowd.” Chances are you looked like an idiot and the story didn’t continue for another month. Attention spans are shorter than Danny DeVito’s tube socks in today’s fast-paced world – War And Peace may be an epic novel – but most comic books, humorous memoirs, and YouTube clips of skateboarders stumbling into oncoming traffic are short and efficient at getting chuckles. You don’t need thirty-seven chapters to describe the cool kids and their monogrammed Fuggs, just give us a taste of how idiotic they were and why you craved to be liked by them.

WORK AT YOUR CRAFT DAILY – AFTER ONE MILLION WRITTEN WORDS IT’LL BECOME SLIGHTLY EASIER (SO I’M TOLD)

Ray Bradbury is quoted as saying a writer doesn’t start to become proficient until they’ve written a million words. He then added, “Your first million words don’t count.” His advice: Write a thousand words for three years and you’ll begin to make progress. Either your goal is to become proficient at your craft, or you’re a wannabe writer. Last I checked, there were no posers on the NYTimes Best Seller List. Write, edit, and repeat the rinse cycle every single day (especially if you have unsightly split ends).

Steven R. Leonard wrote The Easter Duckling That Couldn’t Swim and can be reached at Steven_leonard@icloud.com. His website is: stevenrleonard.com.

 

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Multiple Projects at Once

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I try hard not to work on more than one project at a time.  But sometimes, with several series, I’ve had to juggle multiple projects at once.

For me, the hardest part is writing two first drafts simultaneously. I think that’s because it takes a bit of time to move out from one story world and into another.  Right now I’m outlining two books for a Penguin editor, and working on the first drafts for two different books.  Ugh.

Things that I’ve discovered can help:

If possible, edit one and brainstorm another.  Or outline one and draft another.  For me, anyway, this helps because it feels like I’m working out different areas of my brain.  Or maybe I’m just deluding myself.

Outlines help.  I know…I was anti-outline once, too.  But they help keep storylines straight, especially with the sometimes complex storylines in mysteries. And they prevent mistakes where a character from one book makes a guest appearance at your other book. If you don’t like outlining, try just thinking through the very next day’s writing.

If you’re equally alert/creative in both the morning and the afternoon and have the flexibility, work on them six or more hours apart.

I’m trying a new genre now and am finding that writing two different genres is easier to keep straight than when working on the same genre (I guess this should be a no-brainer, but I was pleasantly surprised).

I’ve found that taking a few minutes before sitting at the computer to get my head back into that story’s world can make the transition easier into the other book.

This is going to sound really absentminded of me, but the more characters I’m dealing with (and with two or three books at once…we’re talking about a ton of characters to keep straight) the harder it is for me to remember even main characters’ names.  I might know everything about them and how they react to the world, but can’t cough up their name.  So…I lean heavily on cheat sheets.  Think basic.  A snippet from one of mine reads like a cast of characters in an old program.  Another reminds me of everyone’s motives and who is misdirecting me to whom. Another has a list of recurring series characters, settings, etc.  I keep the cheat sheets either printed out beside me or up in another window on the computer.

Take breaks. Get sleep.  Sleep deprivation doesn’t help prevent confusion, obviously.  Healthy eating and exercise helps with stress.  I’ve gotten better lately with both since stress levels were building up pretty high.

And then, of course, the books are edited to death later by both me and a professional editor(s) to make sure I haven’t screwed anything up.

The upside of writing like this is that I’m producing more, earning more, and engaging my readers by providing them with more content (and quality content. If it’s not hitting a certain level of quality, I’ll delay publication until it does).   The process is also something of a creative rush.

The downsides are evident.  :)

Have you worked on multiple projects at once?  What tips do you have?

Image: MorgueFile: dhester

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Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Hope my American friends had a happy Thanksgiving!

How to Make a Character Moodboard:  http://ow.ly/EQSKb from A Not-So-Classically Trained Writer

Character Date Ideas:  http://ow.ly/EQSKc @CherylRWrites

Who’s Your Ideal Reader?  http://ow.ly/EQSKf @rachellegardner

Crafting the Perfect First Line:  http://ow.ly/EQSKg @AuthorKeller               

How To Edit Books On An iPad – http://ow.ly/EQSKj @murdertakestime

Why Character Names Are the Secret Ingredient to Your Story:  http://ow.ly/EXhzn @eliseabram

Step-by-Step Guide to Prepare Your Ebook for Print:  http://ow.ly/EXhzq @aplazar

Using Sticky Notes to Help You Revise Like a Pro:  http://ow.ly/EXhzt from Cameron Filas

Pleaded vs. Pled:  http://ow.ly/EXhzx @writing_tips

Basic Formatting of Your Manuscript (Formatting 101) http://ow.ly/EXhzA @JodieRennerEd

So You Want to Be an Author? You Don’t Need an MFA… http://ow.ly/EXhzC from Justin Aireland

Killing the Villain: A Daring Plot Device:  http://ow.ly/EXhzD @rogerdcolby

Find Your Beginning in “The End”: Are You a Trustworthy Writer?  http://ow.ly/EXhcf @kayedacus

Writing Characters Who Aren’t Like You . . . Completely:  http://ow.ly/EXhzF @gryphonrose

Find the Conflict: Unblocking (or Actually Planning!) your Novel http://ow.ly/EXhzH @mharoldpage

How To Create A Killer Opening For Your Science Fiction Short Story:  http://ow.ly/EXgXi @io9

What To Do When You Can’t Settle On A Story Idea:  http://ow.ly/EXhzM from Clever Help

3 Writing Myths and How 1 Writer Challenged Them:  http://ow.ly/F0xQ1 @saulofhearts

Thoughts on Writing Experiments:  http://ow.ly/F0xQ4 @NathanielTower

Tips for writing Jewish characters: http://ow.ly/F0xQ7 from Writing With Color

7 non-career-destroying ways to deal with bad book reviews: http://ow.ly/F0xQ9 @batwood

Concept  Is The First Concern In Screenwriting: http://ow.ly/F0xQa  @storydepth

Why the horror of Stephen King’s words don’t translate well to film:  http://ow.ly/F0xQb @kylefowle

Switching from Adult to Young Adult http://ow.ly/EQSK7 @gailcarriger

Character Driven-Flash Fiction:  http://ow.ly/EQSK5 from Gila Green

Compiling and marketing a box set:  http://ow.ly/EQSK3 @annvosspeterson

6 Traits Every Writer Must Develop:  http://ow.ly/EQSJW from Alton L. Gansky

The Art of a Distraction Free Life:  http://ow.ly/EQLyq @bemorewithless

6 Tips for Re-imagining a Classic Story:  http://ow.ly/EQSJT @robinrwrites

For Series Writers: Find a New Entry Point:  http://ow.ly/EQSJP  @ErinMFeldman

A writer reacts to plagiarism: http://ow.ly/F0waj @RachelAnnNunes

The Point of Writing:  http://ow.ly/F0wy7 @megrosoff @writerunboxed

Last Week of NaNoWriMo: How To Catch Up:  http://ow.ly/F0vVf @CariBennette

Giving Thanks for Amazon and Smashwords:  http://ow.ly/F0vNh by Dario Ciriello

11 Exercises to Do While Sitting at Your Computer: http://ow.ly/EOS2w

Should Children’s Book Authors Self-Publish?  http://ow.ly/EOS2t @sangeeta_editor @Janefriedman

Publishing: Everyone is in the Middle:  http://ow.ly/EOS2q @HughHowey

Creating Conflict in Romance:  http://ow.ly/EOS2m @LaurieTomlinson

Don’t Pay to Self-Publish:  http://ow.ly/EOS2g @JAKonrath

How Morals and Basic Needs Influence a Character’s Strengths:  http://ow.ly/EORTL @beccapuglisi

8 Bogus ‘Rules’ New Writers Tell Each Other:  http://ow.ly/EOS2b @annerallen

Story Structure: What ‘going with the flow’ Really Means: http://ow.ly/EOS29 @storyfix

How to Write a Synopsis:  http://ow.ly/EOS24 @thisgirlclimbs

DNA Testing: Overview for Crime Writers:  http://ow.ly/EMF9o @LeeLofland

Ideas for Creative Writing Projects and Practices:  http://ow.ly/EMF9k @melissadonovan

Fixing the First Page:  http://ow.ly/EMF9g @ava_jae

Tips for Dealing with Novel Interruptus During the Upcoming Holidays:  http://ow.ly/EMF9e  @CaitLondon

Top 9 reasons to write in first-person plural: http://ow.ly/EXiai  @speechwriterguy

Platforms as a Natural Extension of a Writer. (Just Fantasy?) http://ow.ly/EMF9c @Janefriedman

How to be a plotter even if you’re a pantser:  http://ow.ly/EMF9a @nownovel

How Recording One Second A Day Will Make You A Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/EMF96 @SarahAllenBooks

Plugging In To Your Peeps: Author Platform Expansion:  http://ow.ly/EMF94 @wherewriterswin

5 guaranteed ways to bore your reader:  http://ow.ly/EMF90 @writers_write

How To Get A Unique Illustration For Your Book Cover: http://ow.ly/EMF8W @thecreativepenn

How to Tell If Your Script Sucks: http://ow.ly/EMF8Q @ozzywood

Using Sticky Notes to Help You Revise Like a Pro: http://ow.ly/EMF8M  by Cameron Filas

The best time to launch a book:  http://ow.ly/EL3v7 @theindiepubmag

5 Tips on Successful Co-Authoring:  http://ow.ly/EL3v6  @EmmaMichaels

Creative writing: when characters are difficult to get along with: http://ow.ly/EL3v5 @guardianbooks

Writerly Mystique Vs. Self-Exposure: Mind The Gap:  http://ow.ly/ESXLz @lanceschaubert @Porter_Anderson

Getting to Know Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/EL3v4  @CherylRWrites

Character Talking as Plotting Help:  http://ow.ly/EL3v0 @wordsbywebb

Sympathy for the Devil: Writing Unforgettable Villains:  http://ow.ly/EL3uZ @jamesscottbell

Nonfiction Writing as Answering Questions:  http://ow.ly/EL3uX from Christine Liu-Perkins

Plot Mapping With Characters:  http://ow.ly/EL3uU

The Building Blocks of Storytelling: Gossip:  http://ow.ly/EL3uT from Sherwood Smith

The Role of Theme in a Story’s Climax: http://ow.ly/EL3uS @KMWeiland

Talents and Skills Thesaurus Entry: The Midas Touch:  http://ow.ly/EL3uP @beccapuglisi

An agent on Twitter abuse and how to use Twitter more effectively:  http://ow.ly/EL3uM @JanetKGrant

Why Marketing Your Book is Like Trying to Lose Weight:  http://ow.ly/EJX6Q @bookmarketer

5 Biggest Mistakes When Writing Mental Illness:  http://ow.ly/EJX6P @rosieclaverton

Missing persons cases in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/EMyv8 @mkinberg

3rd Person POV Advantages:  http://ow.ly/EJX6L from Novel Writing Help

Why 1 Writer Loves Scrivener:  http://ow.ly/EJX6I @katweyer

Promoting your novel with a short story:  http://ow.ly/EJWuo @RayneHall

Take Your Writing Seriously:  http://ow.ly/EJX6G  @WritingForward

Tools for writing: Microsoft OneNote:  http://ow.ly/EJX6F  @mstibbe

Why Kindle Scout Was Worth the Risk for One Writer: http://ow.ly/EJWpY @benjaminsobieck

10 Ways to Spark Creative Connections:  http://ow.ly/EJX6E @CherylRWrites

34 Tips and Tactics to Rapidly Grow Your Social Networks:  http://ow.ly/EJX6D  @jeffbullas

How to Create a Believable Character: http://ow.ly/EMtTs @SpunkOnAStick

10 Ways To Publicize Your Book You May Not Have Thought Of:  http://ow.ly/EJX6B @selfpubreview

Plotting Your Hero’s Emotional Journey:  http://ow.ly/EJX6A @Natalie_Lakosil

World Building Tips:  http://ow.ly/EJX6z @etcashman

All the links I shared last week:  http://ow.ly/EKQAM . All the links I’ve ever shared (searchable): writerskb.com .

Top Secrets of Bestselling Authors: http://ow.ly/EET1f @NikkiWoods

How To Get Out of Story Stall:  http://ow.ly/EET1a from PJ Parrish

Tips for Creating 4D Characters:  http://ow.ly/EKGge @JasonWLaPier

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Dealing With Writer’s Block

by David Khara, @DavidKhara

I wish I received a dollar every time someone asked me if I suffered from writer’s block—in France, they call it “the blank page syndrome.” You know, those moments when you want to write, you are ready to write, but you can’t seem to write a single word. Ideas keep coming to mind, but don’t seem to make sense. Or worse, every time you write a sentence down, you immediately erase it because you simply hate it.

Actually, I do no suffer from this syndrome, probably because I started writing novels at a fairly advanced age. Still, when I worked in advertising, I had this problem.

I was 21 at that time, and luckily enough, my boss taught me something that made quite a big difference, something I still believe in today: not writing is already writing.

What did he mean by that? Well, when it comes to creating, we all have a very specifically structured mind. For instance, when musicians walk in the streets, they don’t hear sound, they hear notes. Standup comedians do no hear conversations, they hear sketches, photographers see pictures, and so on.

When you can’t write, get out, leave the computer behind, go shopping, go to a movie, read a book, play videogames, have a drink with friends—do anything instead of staring at that bloody blank page. If you are truly a writer, getting back to ordinary life will fill your imagination, words pronounced around you will nourish your dialogue, and people will become characters.

The fun part of it is that you won’t be aware it happens, it just does, and when you go back to your pen or computer, words will simply flow without any problem. Try it, you’ll see.

Today, I don’t give writer’s block a chance to settle in. On some days, I wake up knowing I won’t be able to produce anything worthwhile so, I simply forget about it, confident in my ability to produce more the next day. And I do every time.

Writing is about action, knowledge, emotions, and these don’t come out of nowhere. They come from our past, our experiences, our connection to the world around us.  Basically, writing is all about life, no matter what kind of book you’ll write.

So the only way to do it, is, obviously, to live your life.   

David Khara is the author of the Consortium Thriller series, which offer a roller-coaster ride that dips into the history of World War II, rushing back to present day with a loop-to-loop of action and humor. The Bleiberg Project was an instant success when it was first released, and The Shiro Project just came out in paperback, published by mystery and thriller publisher Le French Book. The third book in the series, The Morgenstern Project is scheduled for release in English spring 2015.

 

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Going from ‘Pantster’ to Outliner

by Elizabeth Craig, @elizabethscraig

I loved the organic, ‘pantster’ approach to writing.   I followed the genre-determined general structure  (meet victim, meet suspects, question suspects…) and then happily made up each story as I went along.

This worked really well until I started writing three books a year…a book each for several different series.  Then, apparently, I was juggling too many balls at once and I had to give myself more of a plan to follow.

I’ve got a post up on Writer Unboxed, which is a great resource for writers if you’re not familiar with it.  My post covers how and why I changed to outlines and what I learned from the experience, analyzing my results.  Hope you’ll pop over.

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Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Examples of using kernel ideas to write your book:  http://ow.ly/EqgzV @bob_mayer

The missing author mystique–authors and social media:  http://ow.ly/EGq4O @Porter_Anderson @writerunboxed  

Writing a Novel? 6 Visual Storytelling Techniques to Borrow From Film and TV http://ow.ly/EqgzZ @CSLakin

6 Ways To Let Others Do Your Book Marketing For You:  http://ow.ly/EqgA3 @SarahAllenBooks

How clichés and tropes can be useful for writers:  http://ow.ly/EqgA9 @fictionnotes

Your Author’s Photo – 7 Tips to Getting it Right http://ow.ly/EqgAd @djeanquarles

A Look at a Fantasy Query: Would You Want to See More? http://ow.ly/EqgAi @Janice_Hardy

A Simple Bedtime Routine To Get Writing The Next Day:  http://ow.ly/EqgAl @finallywriting

RT @Porter_Anderson: @Elsevier a  new #publisher in #ebook-bundling with @BitLitMedia http://ow.ly/EBu8r @TheBookseller

4 Free Writing Contests for Self-Published Authors:  http://ow.ly/Ext9o @ericaverillo

Story structure made simple:  http://ow.ly/Ext9u @storyfix

3 Ways Your Characters Could Forgive … Or Not:  http://ow.ly/Ext9x @skyefairwin

Staple characters in classic/Golden Age mysteries: http://ow.ly/Ext9E @mkinberg

Inspirational Fiction–to preach or not to preach http://ow.ly/Ext9K @territiffany1

Adult Non-Fiction Retrofitted for YA Readers:  http://ow.ly/Ext9M @pubperspectives

Bloated writing–worst offenders:  http://ow.ly/Ext9U  @Jen_328

The Secrets of Subtext:  http://ow.ly/Ext9Y @StinaLL

Writing conversations–what to keep, what to edit out:  http://ow.ly/Exta4 @JacksBlackPen

Amazon is not a robber baron:  http://ow.ly/Extaa @JAKonrath

Effective Use of Foreshadowing:  http://ow.ly/Extag @DaxMacGregor

5 tips for writing a sequel:  http://ow.ly/Extal

Blurbing–authors and fake praise:  http://ow.ly/EET0T @medium @jasonsanford

The Pomodoro Technique® for Writers:  http://ow.ly/EET0W by Sharon Arthur Moore

Persuasive Writing Checklist:  http://ow.ly/EET0Z @writers_write

A writer’s goal is to persist again and again.  http://ow.ly/EET11  @BishsBeat

Supercharge Your Writing  Using This Cinematic Technique: http://ow.ly/EET13 @writetodone

On Rejection and Renewal:  http://ow.ly/EET14 @WarrenAdler

Free Help With Graphic Design:  http://ow.ly/EEPmL

Deconstructing Micro-Tension http://ow.ly/EqgzQ  @jan_ohara @writerunboxed

How to Deflate those Inflated Phrases:  http://ow.ly/EqgzN @writers_write

#EthicalAuthor Code at #FutureChat  11aET/4pGMT (now)  http://ow.ly/ECSLC  @IndieAuthorALLi @Porter_Anderson

5 Traits to Help You Create Your Character’s Personality http://ow.ly/EqgzI  @Janice_Hardy

A breakthrough for ‘Ethical Authors’?  http://ow.ly/EENT6 @Porter_Anderson @IndieAuthorALLI

How to Transform Your Inner Critic Into an Inner Cheerleader:  http://ow.ly/EqgzD  @finallywriting

Science fiction – have we forgotten what it should be? http://ow.ly/Eqgzx @Roz_Morris

Taxis in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/EEKIo @mkinberg

BitLit partners with pubs to offer discounted ebook editions of our print library: http://ow.ly/ECPFB @Porter_Anderson @BitLitMedia

The Marketing Muscle Behind The NBA Finalist “Station Eleven”:  http://ow.ly/EAPJc @Porter_Anderson

4 Tips for Writing for the Romance Market:  http://ow.ly/EmKyn  @jessicainclan

Don’t Know Your Story’s Theme? Take a Look at Your Character’s Arc:  http://ow.ly/EmKyl @KMWeiland

Dialogue Tags: Getting Rid of Them: http://ow.ly/EmKyi @SharlaWrites

Screenwriting: 5 Reasons to Use an Online Writing Network: http://ow.ly/EmKyh @jeannevb

9 Qualities Writers Should Look for in a Co-Blogger:  http://ow.ly/EmKyf @brianaknorth

Best Films About Writers, Ranked:  http://ow.ly/EmKye @flavorwire

Help with naming characters:  http://ow.ly/EmKyc  @AlisonPotoma

Are Your Characters Talking Too Much?  http://ow.ly/EmKya  @PATRICKRWRITES

A TED talk on the art of the metaphor:  http://ow.ly/EmKy9

4 book publicity tips: http://ow.ly/EmKy8 @sandrabeckwith

The Ethical Author Code: http://ow.ly/EAOQ1 @OrnaRoss @Porter_Anderson

A Writer’s Babelcube Experience:  http://ow.ly/EmKy5  @Jason_Matthews

17 Ways To Make your Novel More Memorable:  http://ow.ly/EmKy2 @writers_write

World-Building — Planning Your Setting http://ow.ly/Eh84u

The Best Alien Characters in SF (and What Makes Them so Successful):  http://ow.ly/Eh84p @sfsignal

Tools 1 Writer Used to Improve Writing Workflow:  http://ow.ly/Eh84i  @WilliamKing9

6 Tools to Make Your Life Easier:  http://ow.ly/Eh84g  @RachelleGardner

3 Tips for Using Color Theory In Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/Eh84d @robinrwrites

Preposition Mistakes:  http://ow.ly/Eh849 @writing_tips

Secondary Characters Have a Primary Role:  http://ow.ly/Eh845 @hopeclark

5 tips for writing a romance:  http://ow.ly/Eh841 @WritersCoach

12 Reasons for Writers to Love Facebook: http://ow.ly/Eh83Y @beckyajohnson

An example showing improvement of writing flow:  http://ow.ly/Eh83X

Is Crowdsourced Editing Right for Your Book?  http://ow.ly/Eh83R @CarlaJDouglas  @byondpapr

A tactical guide to slaying your writing demons:  http://ow.ly/Eh83N @SuddenlyThurs

Tips for physical description in first person: http://ow.ly/EeIV0

Encouragement for Writers Who Don’t Know If They Should Keep Going: http://ow.ly/EeIUW @jodyhedlund

Memoir or Novel? 8 Issues to Think About Before Writing Your Own:  http://ow.ly/EeIUV @LeslieLehr1

How the Antagonist Affects Character ArcThe Story Department: http://ow.ly/EeGln @KMWeiland

Dreams vs. Goals: Give Your Writing Dreams Marching Orders:  http://ow.ly/EeIUU @kayedacus

3 Tips For a Better First Revision: http://ow.ly/EeIUR  @aeskens

When Should You Change Your Book for an Agent or Editor? http://ow.ly/EeIUO @brooke_warner

Why Writers Love Red Herrings: A Brief Guide:  http://ow.ly/EeIUI @epbure

How to Increase Your Income By Writing Short Books:  http://ow.ly/EeHIb @ninaamir

Tips for Revisiting a Shelved Manuscript:  http://ow.ly/EeIUF @LaurieTomlinson

16 Tips for Writing the Cozy Mystery:  http://ow.ly/EeIUC

How to Monetize ‘Free':  http://ow.ly/EeIUz @bookgal

Tips for writing horror:  http://ow.ly/EqgVi  @booksthatmatter

9 Reasons Readers Get Bored:  http://ow.ly/E6KD5 @ingridsundberg

Beware the Action Beginning: http://ow.ly/E6KCS @behlerpublish

3 Ways to Build a Stronger Story:  http://ow.ly/E6KCQ @willb_sullivan

Writing Fiction? 21 (or 22) Things A 21-Year-Old Should Be Doing: http://ow.ly/Eq7wA @joshspilker

11 Novelist-Tested Ways to Defeat Writer’s Block:  http://ow.ly/E6KCM @WarrenAdler

Noncompete Clauses in Contracts – What are we agreeing to?  http://ow.ly/E6KCJ @tinagabrielle

Targeting Our Book Promo: http://ow.ly/E6KCC @CaballoFrances

How to Write a Scary Story:  http://ow.ly/E6KCz @EmilyWenstrom

Sampling: An Effective Marketing Tool:  http://ow.ly/E6KCu

Changing roles for a subplot:  http://ow.ly/E6KCq @glencstrathy

3 Ways to Know If Your YA Fiction Is Really New Adult Fiction http://ow.ly/E6KCl @fictionnotes

Tips for continuing on with #NaNoWriMo:  http://ow.ly/Eo2YB @JL_Campbell

5 things one reader wants to see in horror:  http://ow.ly/E6KD8 @Pabkins

Creating Strong Characters: Tips for Handling Challenges:  http://ow.ly/Eqc83 from Jack Smith

5 Traits of Seriously Despicable Villains:  http://ow.ly/E6KCX @SarahAllenBooks

How to Get a Platform Like a Reality Star:  http://ow.ly/E6KCO @brrbach

Indie publisher launches the EverAfter app for romance readers:  http://ow.ly/EmMgo @Porter_Anderson @scottwaxman

10 Lessons from Plot & Structure:  http://ow.ly/E3H7k @jamesscottbell

Crime Writers: Autopsy: From Crime Scene To Toe Tag:  http://ow.ly/EmKuZ @LeeLofland

The 10 strangest twists on classic horror tales:  http://ow.ly/E3FVk  @blastr

Tips for Reimagining Fairytales:  http://ow.ly/E3I9e @woodwardkaren

3 tips for crafting characters:  http://ow.ly/E3GBx @RogerDColby

4 tips for crafting a hero:  http://ow.ly/E3HdC @shalvatzis

Unusual Work Habits of Great Writers:  http://ow.ly/E3Gns @wherewriterswin

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Free Help With Graphic Design

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m design-challenged. 

I learned this early.  My father was a teacher and when I was in elementary school, one of my father’s friends (also a teacher) knew I was very creative and asked me to create a back-to-school bulletin board for her students.

I loved the huge box of art supplies that she brought over.  Tissue paper, construction paper, markers, stickers, stencils.  I loved it.  But I didn’t know what to do with it.  I ended up making a tissue paper flower that was about 6 inches in size.  I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make an entire bulletin board and fill up all that space.  The teacher had to scrap the idea.

For my books and for my website, I’ve been smart and hired designers.  But I kept making my own Google+, Facebook, and Twitter covers or headers.  And kept doing a very bad job.

But now I’ve found help. It’s Canva and I discovered it while I was going through my RSS feed and read a post by agent Rachelle Gardner, “6 Tools to Make Your Life Easier” that mentioned the site.

It’s free unless you use one of their images, which are $1 apiece.  But if you’re like me, you’re wanting to use your own book covers or author photo or whatever and won’t need anything from them.  I like not spending money.

Let’s say we want to make a Twitter cover.  I made one myself prior to using Canva and it was…absolutely ghastly.  But using Canva, it was easy because they sized the pictures correctly.  When I did it myself, everything was warped and blurred and weird.

So you click “Twitter cover” (you’ll have to scroll to get there) at the top of the Canva page (after you’ve created an account (which is free) there:

First of all, you choose a layout for the background.  They have quite a few, just scroll down.

If you’ve got a few books out, you could choose one of the layouts with several or more spots for covers.  Like maybe this one:

Then you upload your covers or other pictures.  There is an upload button and arrow at the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Once they’re uploaded, you just drag them from the galley on the left hand side under the menu.  If your covers are like mine, they’ll look like this at first:

So you’ll either want to resize the covers (using your computer or another app) or crop them to show what you want.  Click “crop” under the cover you’re working on and it brings up a window so that you can drag your cover to show the area of design you want to highlight, then you click the checkmark.

You can even flip your cover vertically or horizontally if there’s a cover element you want showing that’s not being highlighted.  Obviously, you would not want to do this with a section of a cover that has text on it.

For the text elements that are in the layouts of some designs, you just click on the text box and a menu pops up to help you change the text or the text box itself.

So you come up with something like this, which is the one that I loaded onto Twitter:

Then you click ‘download’ at the top right of the page, and then you’ve got either a link or you can download an image or a PDF.

I will point out that one of the projects you can do on here is a Kindle cover.  But y’all…I still say go with a pro for this stuff…it’s worth it. Use this for a social media design.  But, I don’t know, if you have a short story or some really small project or you’re just experimenting with publishing on Kindle…sure, this might work for something like that.

Have you run across any helpful sites lately?  Are you design-challenged, too?

 

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