Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 127

Writing Our Region—Without Overdoing It

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you live in the Southern US or have spent much time here, you’ll know that even something like a short trip to the grocery store can mean many conversations with strangers.

Whenever I’m in the store (which is, really, nearly every day considering I keep forgetting to put things on my lists), I know that items in my shopping buggy, the length of the checkout line, something I’m wearing, or any other random thing may engender comment.

A woman waiting in line with me the other day smiled and said, “Well, your groceries all looked super-healthy until I saw those Doritos.” 

Nearly every trip there’ll be questions about how ripe the cantaloupes looked, how much the ground beef ran me, or whether a particular snack food is tasty or not.  A couple of times I’ve heard, “I’ve got a joke for you” or “are you from Charlotte originally?”

I’m told that the public isn’t this chatty in some other parts of the States, but I wouldn’t know, having only lived in the South.  Living in the Charlotte area, though (Charlotte is a good sized city), I’ve seen plenty of people who clearly aren’t from around here look startled when complete strangers strike up conversations with them.  I guess it isn’t scary only if you’re expecting it.

It’s the kind of thing that makes for regional flavor in a book—and makes a book believable to residents of that area when you slip it in.

Sometimes regional flavor is so subtle that I wouldn’t consider putting it in a book because it would go over too many readers’ heads.  “Good morning/afternoon, young lady!” is a common, jovial salutation from Southern elderly gentlemen to femmes d’une certaine age.  I believe that the certaine age has crept up and while at this point in my forties I would once (and fairly recently)  have qualified, it now usually seems to be addressed to women at least a decade older than I am.

However, I received this greeting recently when dodging into the store wearing no makeup after driving morning middle school carpool.  I shot the man a horrified look, stuttered a greeting, and then quickly finished my shopping so I could drive home to make repairs.  Clearly I’ll have to be more diligent about makeup when running morning errands. I knew Southern women would understand and sympathize if they read about this experience. But it would be too subtle for a book written for an international English-speaking audience.

A major contributing factor to my getting the two Penguin series is that the editors were looking for a Southern writer and Southern settings.  But it can be tricky when you’re writing a region.  It’s easy to either overdo it or to work in things that won’t resonate with readers from other areas.

I knew (or figured) that the editors weren’t looking for a lot of Southern dialect, which can be tricky to read. Diction is usually better–for instance, the way I call it “grocery shopping” instead of “food shopping,” which my Northern neighbors usually say.   I mainly work in setting, culture, word choice (being careful not to be too obscure) and general behavior (like the friendliness of strangers) into the books.  Local attitudes in common situations is a subtle way of adding color to a book.

Traditions involving weddings and funerals and family gatherings also make it in. Weather/climate is quick and easy.  Architecture can help when describing a setting.  And food—regional food is probably one of the easiest ways to set up a sense of place for readers.

If your books are set in a particular region, how do you write it?

Image: MorgueFile: citysafari

 

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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.

Query question: submission guidelines that are off-putting:  http://ow.ly/CUuj8 @Janet_Reid

5 Ways to make Characters “Click” with Readers:  http://ow.ly/CUuja

10 Tips For Taking Notes at a Writer’s Conference:  http://ow.ly/CUuje @JarvisWrites               

How To Read Your Own AudioBook And Sell Direct To Customers:  http://ow.ly/CUujf @thecreativepenn

Resources for creating a small town setting:  http://ow.ly/CUujh

The gap in your narrative, the scene you’re avoiding: –stop and brainstorm:  http://ow.ly/CUuji @Roz_Morris

When your characters are too similar to you:  http://ow.ly/CUujm Writing Questions Answered Blog

Phoning it In: 5 Simple Rules for an Author Interview:  http://ow.ly/CUujp @MovieGirl

How to Catch Those Pesky Typos:  http://ow.ly/CUujt @aplazar

Self-Publishing Checklist: The Random No One Tells You:  http://ow.ly/CUujy @PattyTempleton

For word-loving writers: 10 of the best collective nouns:  http://ow.ly/CUujC @chlo_rho @guardianbooks

5 Tips to Writing Your Author’s Bio http://ow.ly/CUujH @djeanquarles

Resources for graphic novels and Noir:  http://ow.ly/CXUXg

Chaos and Creative Expression | The Creative Mind http://ow.ly/CXUXk @psychcentral

Query Question: crossing gender lines:  http://ow.ly/CXUXn @Janet_Reid

Authors on the New Adult Genre:  http://ow.ly/CXUXo @ingridsundberg

How Vivid Verbs Transform Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/CXUXr @JanetKGrant

4 Great Lessons for Writers from Character Ron Swanson:  http://ow.ly/CXUXt  @SarahAllenBooks

Frustrated with Slow Progress? Join the Crowd:  http://ow.ly/CUq4l @jamigold

Critiquing Without Scars:  http://ow.ly/CUq4h @RandomOenophile

How to Write Character Arcs in a Series:  http://ow.ly/CUq4f @KMWeiland

A Checklist for Race/Culture in Kid/YA Books:  http://ow.ly/CUq4d @MitaliPerkins

How To Use Your Mistakes To Achieve Success As A Writer:  http://ow.ly/CUq48 @writetodone

How to Write Young Adult Horror: 6 Tips:  http://ow.ly/CUq41 @nightowlauthor

Screenwriting vs Prose Writing:  http://ow.ly/CUq3X @Kutzera

5 Ways Writing Fanfiction Can Help the Beginning Writer:  http://ow.ly/CUq3O @theinfodojo

Handy-Dandy Responses to Non-Writers’ Questions:  http://ow.ly/CUq3C @LZMarieAuthor

Planning Your Novel’s Beginning http://ow.ly/CUq45 @Janice_Hardy

Novels aren’t movies – how to write great description in prose: http://ow.ly/CUq3R @Roz_Morris

Pre-Writing: Discovering Your Character’s’ Secrets http://ow.ly/CUq3H @RLLaFevers

10 Etsy Stores for Writers:  http://ow.ly/CQBcu @miuconsult

What to do about a negative review:  http://ow.ly/CQBcq @Roz_Morris

34 Blogging Topics Just for Writers:  http://ow.ly/CQBcp @CaballoFrances

How to Build an Audience on YouTube:  http://ow.ly/CQBcm

How to Write Chapter Endings That Make Readers Want to Turn the Page:  http://ow.ly/CQBcl @annerallen

How to Save Money on Editing Your Book:  http://ow.ly/CQBci @MarcyKennedy

Tips to Avoid Cliches and Weak Writing:  http://ow.ly/CQBcf @jamigold

Distraction and Writing: Never That Second Bird:  http://ow.ly/CQBcd @EDFsChronicles

Avoid Awkward Joint Possessives:  http://ow.ly/CQBcb @writing_tips

AuthorEarnings.com: Kindle Unlimited On The Line:  http://ow.ly/DdHXH @Porter_Anderson @HughHowey

21 Tips To Get Your Blog Content Shared On Facebook and Twitter:   http://ow.ly/CQBc7 @jeffbullas

Using writing to heal depression:  http://ow.ly/CQBc5 @justjanna

Tips for publishing an anthology:  http://ow.ly/CQBc3 @nikkibaird @PStoltey

Publishing Genre Fiction in Africa:  http://ow.ly/CNrRf @pubperspectives

You Are Your Best Source of Motivation:  http://ow.ly/CNrR7 @kayedacus

7 Tips for the Uninspired – She Writes http://ow.ly/CNrR2  @brooke_warner

Discoverability Dependency is Hazardous to Your Fiction Marketing:  http://ow.ly/CNrQY @storyrally

How to Spot a Great Picture Book | Writing and Illustrating http://ow.ly/CNrQT

Podcasts for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/CNrQJ @JulieMusil

The unreliable vs omniscient narrator:  http://ow.ly/CNrQH @nownovel

How Self-Publishing Has Changed In The Last 2 Years:  http://ow.ly/CNrQC @DavidGaughran @thecreativepenn

How to Do Research for Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/CNrQx

The Challenges of Writing a Sequel:  http://ow.ly/CNrQt @StinaLL

1 Great Way to Write a Short Story http://ow.ly/CNrgR  @JimmieKepler

45 Things a Reader Wants to See More of in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: http://ow.ly/CNrQq

Worldbuilding: How Religion Shapes Characters:  http://ow.ly/CNrQj @RebekahLoper

Brainstorming for Writers: —Use Social Media to Get Unstuck http://ow.ly/CNrQO @lynetteeason

How Contrast In Characterization Works:  http://ow.ly/CJ4f5 @bang2write

Rituals Between the Writing : The Science Writers’ Handbook http://ow.ly/CJ4f1 @sarahwebb

Protagonist Checklist: http://ow.ly/CJ4f0 @woodwardkaren

The future of the book:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eU @TheEconomist

Quality Not Quantity for Self-Published Writers:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eR @Tom_Chalmers

15 ways to promote your book with a book trailer:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eP @chrisrobley

Granting Rights in Literary Contracts:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eL @susanspann

How to Make Your Book Cover Stand Out:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eK @JanetKGrant

NaNoWriMo – Should You Take Part?  http://ow.ly/CJ3GG @GlynisSmy

Too Close? 5 Techniques to See Our Story Objectively: http://ow.ly/CJ4eI @jamigold

27 Copywriting Formulas:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eG @kevanlee

How to Get Traffic to Your Author Website: 30+ Tips for Discouraged Writers:  http://ow.ly/CJ4eB @writerplatform

Researching Your Novel: http://ow.ly/CGCZ3  @stdennard

4 Tips to Survive, Thrive in Frankfurt as a Foreign Rights Agent:  http://ow.ly/CGABu @2SeasAgency

Transforming the book: it’s about connection: http://ow.ly/D4mkZ @camillelaguire @Porter_Anderson #FutureChat

4 Types of Prologues:  http://ow.ly/CGCZ0  @ingridsundberg

3 Ways to Unlock your Imagination & Beat Writers’ Block:  http://ow.ly/CGCYY novelexperienc3

Self-Publishing Stumbling Blocks (and 27 Tools to Get You Back on Your Feet):  http://ow.ly/CGCYT @allison_boyer

Why 1 writer enjoys being a hybrid: http://ow.ly/CGCYP @jennyalexander4

7 Questions to Make Sure Your Plot Has Believable Consequences:  http://ow.ly/CGCYM  @joanyedwards

10  tips on writing characters with accents: http://ow.ly/CGCYG @RoseLerner

Is Inspired Writing Just a Huge Myth? http://ow.ly/CGCYC @jodyhedlund

10 Tips To Block Creativity http://ow.ly/D29vv @mishy1727

Short Story Tips: 10 Ways to Improve:  http://ow.ly/CGCYA

How to Write Compelling and Balanced Backstory:  http://ow.ly/D1g1b @jenichappelle

Is It Worth Writing? How to Critique Your Story Ideas http://ow.ly/CGBAn @jkbibliophile

How To Create Brand Names and Domain Names That Don’t Suck:  http://ow.ly/CGCYx @jeffbullas

Write your passion —but keep an eye on the market:  http://ow.ly/CGCYJ  @kayedacus

Story Deconstruction: ‘Remember Me?’ by Sophie Kinsella: http://ow.ly/CDMOB @InkyBites

Building A World: Basic Concepts:  http://ow.ly/CDMOA @G_R_Matthews

SF/F in Anime and Manga: Historical and Epic Fantasy:  http://ow.ly/CDMOz @fantasyfaction

How Sensitivity Can Enhance Creativity:  http://ow.ly/CDMOy @psychcentral @DouglasEby

On making a main character an antagonist:  http://ow.ly/CDMOx

Query Pitfall: failure to include pages:  http://ow.ly/CDMOw @Janet_Reid

Launching Multiple Books at Once: Pros & Cons:  http://ow.ly/CDMOu @goblinwriter

Top 7 Mistakes That Make our Writing Look Unprofessional:  http://ow.ly/CDMOs @SarahAllenBooks

9 Simple Tips for Writing Clearer & Cleaner:  http://ow.ly/CDMOo @jchenwriter

Team-Produced Stories: An Author Perspective:  http://ow.ly/CDMOn @jessicagadd

It’s Okay If What We Write Stinks:  http://ow.ly/CDMOt  @kayedacus

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

10 literary canines:  http://ow.ly/CC3Zc @guardianbooks

Query Question: What do you do with multiple offers?  http://ow.ly/CC3Z9 @Janet_Reid

Don’t Do ‘Due Diligence':  http://ow.ly/CC3Z8 @writing_tips

Insurance investigators in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/CC3Z7 @mkinberg

Mystery Writers: Writing a Series http://ow.ly/CC3Z5  @Rhysbowen

Talents and Skills Thesaurus Entry: Blending In:  http://ow.ly/CC3Z2 @beccapuglisi

Why should authors care about Google+?  http://ow.ly/CC3YZ  @jenniferlellis

If you only write once in a while, should you change? http://ow.ly/CC3YY @BWBODRasch

An MFA in Creative Writing–the Good, the Bad, the Ugly:  http://ow.ly/CC3YX @everywriter

9 Dos and Don’ts of Typography:  http://ow.ly/CC3YV @cjgmanlapas

An Agent on Querying a Self-Published Book:  http://ow.ly/CC3YR @susan_adrian

Self-Publishing Checklist: The Random No One Tells You:  http://ow.ly/CC3YQ  @PattyTempleton

Writer’s Block: Creativity as Chameleon:  http://ow.ly/CC3Z4  @kimtriedman

When the singer is also the composer: #MusicForWriters: http://ow.ly/CWZv5  @ThoughtCatalog @Q2Music @Porter_Anderson

Indie Authors: Getting Past The ‘Bookstore Barrier':  http://ow.ly/CUO33 @Porter_Anderson @BarbaraFreethy

Mentioning previous representation in a query:  http://ow.ly/CyKNP @Janet_Reid

Let tech innovators create the tech. Let writers create content: http://ow.ly/CX0fk @camillelaguire @Porter_Anderson #FutureChat

The Craft of Outlining:  http://ow.ly/CyKNL @Sullivan_Kiki

5 Tips How to Write and Sell a Picture Book with a Plot:  http://ow.ly/CyKNH @plotwhisperer

How to publish ebooks:  the beginner’s ultimate guide: http://ow.ly/CyKNR @Roz_Morris

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Using Critical Reviews as Resources

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Wired’s founding executive editor Kevin Kelly stated that if writers and other artists have “one thousand true fans” then they’re able to sustain a living from their art.

I don’t honestly know how many true fans I have (and I prefer calling them readers instead of fans) but I know I get nearly-daily emails from readers.

And I do know one true ‘fan’.  She is, actually, my number one fan (no Stephen King reference intended).  She is also my number one critic.  Since she doesn’t have a public presence, I won’t call her out by giving her name online.

She started emailing me over a year ago, giving me feedback on various books in various series. She has mentioned reading each of my books numerous times.

I’m almost positive that she knows my characters better than I do.

The emails start off with a list of things she enjoyed about the book and end with things she hadn’t enjoyed or character issues she questioned.  Sometimes she’d mention absent recurring characters or elements that I had used in other books in the series that hadn’t appeared in the most recent book.

I always wrote her back, thanking her for reading my books and for her feedback.  And when I had a new release, I knew she’d be emailing me within the week with a detailed critique.

I’d wait for her feedback with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.  Because…there was nothing I could do.  The book was published and, aside from small corrections, I wasn’t planning to go back into the document to add scenes or rewrite large portions of the book.  But she always had such good points.

Finally I decided that I was approaching the situation the wrong way. Here was a very perceptive reader who loved my books and had constructive, heartfelt criticism of my work.  Why on earth didn’t I just shoot the book over to her before I published it?  Let her be a beta reader.

I emailed the reader and asked politely if she might be interested in an advance copy of the manuscript.  I said a downside would be that it wouldn’t be formatted for Kindle yet (I know that’s her preferred way to read) and wouldn’t be professionally edited prior to her reading.  I cautioned her that I may not use some or any of her suggestions but that I was very interested in hearing her thoughts.  And I mentioned that she wouldn’t feel she had to spend any additional time reading the material than she usually did.

My experiment worked out really well.  I used roughly 75% of her suggestions to improve and tweak the book.  She was excited to get an advance copy for free and I was excited to get a preview of a critical review.  I sent her a free copy of the finished book and thanked her in the acknowledgments.

There have been recent, widely reported incidents of writers behaving badly in the face of bad or sometimes somewhat unfair reviews.

When I hear these stories, I’m always surprised.  Not because bad reviews don’t sting (they can and do), but because they frequently present an opportunity for the author in terms of reader base research and areas that might require improvement (especially if it’s a chorus of complaints targeting specific story or character elements).

Besides enlisting a reviewer as a beta, I’ve used critical reviews to gauge reader reactions to suspense, humor, character arcs, and other elements of various books.

I think if we look at our worst, constructive reviews as opportunities for improvement, it gives us the necessary distance and objectivity to find the usefulness in the reviews and overcome the sting.

If you’ve received negative reviews (as I have), what’s been your strategy in dealing with them?

Image: MorgueFile: JDurham

 

 

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How to Write Compelling and Balanced Backstory

By Jeni Chappelle, @jenichappelle

Writers often spend hours creating a realistic and compelling backstory for each major character in their novels. After all that hard work, it’s natural to want to include as much of that as you can. But there’s a fine line between clarifying a character’s past and writing too much backstory. Readers don’t usually need to know much of the characters’ history in order to engage with the story. Here are some ways to help you find the right balance.

The Four I’s

First, let’s revisit what makes an engaging backstory. Only include backstory that fits four criteria—I call it The Four I’s.

Important: It’s directly relevant to the plot.
Individual: It reveals something essential about the character.
Interesting: It pulls the reader in with mystery.
Interval: It’s spread out so it doesn’t overwhelm or bore the reader.

So How Do I Work in Backstory?

There are three main ways to include backstory in your novel: dialogue, narrative summary, and flashbacks. In a long work like a novel, it’s important to use more than one technique, or you risk your backstory feeling stale to readers.

Brief summary

A short narrative summary of the event is often best. This can vary from a few words to a couple sentences. It can be simple exposition, or the character can reflect on it internally, depending on the POV.

When to use: most of your backstory will likely be shown through narrative. Focus on the most important aspects of the past event. Only describe the situation enough to give context to the necessary actions and their impact on the character.

Dialogue

Dialogue allows the character to directly relate his experience. This is especially effective for stories where characters need to know the information, like mystery novels.

When to use: the character is relating a previous experience to someone who doesn’t already know about it. If you could insert “as you know…” or “remember when…” in the character’s speech, you may want to reconsider using dialogue.

Flashback

Flashbacks allow you to show your reader the character’s backstory as if it were happening in real time. It’s written just like the rest of the book, only the verb tense changes to indicate that it takes place outside the timeline of the story.

When to use: there’s too much essential information to use dialogue or a summary. Make sure you provide a setting as to when and where it occurs and that it follows a strong scene, since flashbacks by nature don’t have much urgency.

Some other guidelines
Relevant

I said it once, but it’s so important, I’m going to say it again: relevance is key. If it doesn’t directly impact the plot by either consequences of an action, a character’s motivation, or an important facet of two characters’ relationship (such as how they know one another), it likely doesn’t need to be in the story.

Conflict and Action

Tie the backstory to conflict or action in the main timeline of the story.  For example: The POV character reflects on her own childhood after saving a child from a dangerous home.  When Important Side Character #1 is introduced, the protagonist tells his current partner that he used to work with ISC#1 and they never liked each other.

Realistic

Stay true to your characters, plot, and the world you’ve created. If your character is emotionally distant, it’s unlikely she will disclose her life story to a lady in line at Starbucks. A murderer probably won’t tell a detective that he and the victim hated each other.

Short

As a rule, backstory needs to be as short as possible so you can get back to the main timeline of the plot. There are always exceptions to this rule, but most of the time you don’t need whole chapters of backstory. If you find that extensive backstory really is needed for clarity, you may need to reconsider where in the timeline you start the main plot.

Breadcrumbs

I always think of the timing of backstory as breadcrumbs, like Hansel and Gretel (although, now that I think about how that ended up in the fairy tale, maybe that’s not the best analogy). You want to leave little clues throughout the story—just enough that the reader can follow the trail. Give them the sense that there’s more to come, but be careful not to cross the line into confusion.

How to handle in a series

I’m often asked how to handle backstory in a series. These same basic rules apply—keep it short and relevant. But since not everyone will read your books in order, there are two big concerns to watch out for: avoid full flashbacks to events from previous books in the series, and try not to spoil the plots of previous books.

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, cut it out.

If you’re not sure whether you should include a certain backstory or not, try deleting it. If the story flows well without it, it isn’t necessary. One writer I know includes these as “deleted scenes” on her website and shares them on social media. That way her readers can still see them, but they don’t have a negative impact on the readability of her story.

How do you work backstory into your book?

Jeni Chappelle is a freelance editor and writing coach. She lives in an itty-bitty town a few miles from Charlotte, NC with her husband, two kids, and what often feels like a million pets. Her clients have published with Penguin, Simon and Schuster, and St. Martin’s. They have won awards and are National, International, and Amazon Bestsellers. She blogs about the writing process, resources for writers, and other aspects of the writer’s life. Go to www.jenichappelle.com to check out her blog and sign up for a free critique.

Image: MorgueFile: Jessica Gale

The post How to Write Compelling and Balanced Backstory appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific 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.

Why Humorous Fantasy Isn’t Popular:  http://ow.ly/CyKNw @mharoldpage

11 best practices for working with an editor: http://ow.ly/CyKND  @awsamuel

5 Tips How to Write and Sell a Picture Book with a Plot:  http://ow.ly/CyKNH @plotwhisperer

The Craft of Outlining:  http://ow.ly/CyKNL @Sullivan_Kiki               

Mentioning previous representation in a query:  http://ow.ly/CyKNP @Janet_Reid

Indie Authors: Getting Past The ‘Bookstore Barrier':  http://ow.ly/CUO33 @Porter_Anderson @BarbaraFreethy

How to publish ebooks: – the beginner’s ultimate guide: http://ow.ly/CyKNR @Roz_Morris

Let tech innovators create the tech. Let writers create content: http://ow.ly/CX01g @camillelaguire @Porter_Anderson #FutureChat

 

Self-Publishing Checklist: The Random No One Tells You:  http://ow.ly/CC3YQ  @PattyTempleton

An Agent on Querying a Self-Published Book:  http://ow.ly/CC3YR @susan_adrian

9 Dos and Don’ts of Typography:  http://ow.ly/CC3YV @cjgmanlapas

An MFA in Creative Writing–the Good, the Bad, the Ugly:  http://ow.ly/CC3YX @everywriter

If you only write once in a while, should you change? http://ow.ly/CC3YY @BWBODRasch

Why should authors care about Google+?  http://ow.ly/CC3YZ  @jenniferlellis

Talents and Skills Thesaurus Entry: Blending In:  http://ow.ly/CC3Z2 @beccapuglisi

Writer’s Block: Creativity as Chameleon:  http://ow.ly/CC3Z4  @kimtriedman

Mystery Writers: Writing a Series http://ow.ly/CC3Z5  @Rhysbowen

Insurance investigators in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/CC3Z7 @mkinberg

Don’t Do ‘Due Diligence':  http://ow.ly/CC3Z8 @writing_tips

Query Question: What do you do with multiple offers?  http://ow.ly/CC3Z9 @Janet_Reid

10 literary canines:  http://ow.ly/CC3Zc @guardianbooks

Team-Produced Stories: An Author Perspective:  http://ow.ly/CDMOn @jessicagadd

9 Simple Tips for Writing Clearer & Cleaner:  http://ow.ly/CDMOo @jchenwriter

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

Top 7 Mistakes That Make our Writing Look Unprofessional:  http://ow.ly/CDMOs @SarahAllenBooks

It’s Okay If What We Write Stinks:  http://ow.ly/CDMOt  @kayedacus

Launching Multiple Books at Once: Pros & Cons:  http://ow.ly/CDMOu @goblinwriter

Romantic genre basics:  http://ow.ly/CyKNu @EDFsChronicles @storyadaymay

Why We All Need Journeys:  http://ow.ly/CyKNp @jeffgoins

What copy editors do:  http://ow.ly/CyKNj @Peculiar

When You’re Making Radical Manuscript Changes: A Helpful Technique for Writers:  http://ow.ly/CyKN9 @writeabook

Make your self-pubbed content work harder for you:  http://ow.ly/CUOBh

It’s Over. We Can Coexist Now': @HughHowey Calls A Ceasefire: http://ow.ly/CUNNL @Porter_Anderson

Your Character’s Speech (and accents) http://ow.ly/CyKN2 from Reference for Writers

8 Marketing Don’ts: Get Real or Get Lost:  http://ow.ly/CyKMW  @srjohannes

Objective story throughout plot:  http://ow.ly/CslXg @glencstrathy

Momentum: Keep the Writing Coming:  http://ow.ly/CslXd @fictionnotes

Principles of storytelling- the inciting incident:  http://ow.ly/CslX8 @nownovel

5 Key Things to know about personalizing your query: http://ow.ly/CslX3 @Janet_Reid

Story Trumps Craft:  http://ow.ly/CslX0  @kayedacus

Writer’s Resource List:  http://ow.ly/CslWX

Listening to Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/CslWU

5 BS Indicators for Writers Conferences:  http://ow.ly/CslWN @victoriamixon

Ebook Sales Down? 15 Tips: http://ow.ly/CslWH @JAKonrath

Why Don’t Publishers Fact Check Memoirs More Closely? http://ow.ly/CslWC @pubperspectives

Add an Element of Mystery to Every Genre: http://ow.ly/CQoSq @Kakido

6 Steps To Overcoming Social Media Writer’s Block: http://ow.ly/CslXi @ebooksandkids

Waiting for the pundits to vote on Amazon’s new ‘Kindle Scout': http://ow.ly/CNHfB @Porter_Anderson

‘Surprise’ support for subscriptions at Frankfurt: http://ow.ly/CNG19 @Porter_Anderson

The Villain’s Big Reveal http://ow.ly/Cn5At @Kid_Lit

Blogging Milestones We Should be Celebrating:  http://ow.ly/Cn4T3 @EdieMelson

Grammar Crimes and Misdemeanors:  http://ow.ly/Cn4tl @juliettefay

How to Avoid Head-Hopping:  http://ow.ly/Cn4Mx @JodieRennerEd

Mobile phones as reading devices and what this might mean for publishing: http://ow.ly/CP4I5 @Porter_Anderson

Should Literature Be Considered Useful?  http://ow.ly/Cn6dM @thehighsign @NYTimes

How Much Should You Charge for Your E-Book? 7 Questions to Ask:  http://ow.ly/Cn5Wa @ticewrites

Help for Sedentary Writers: 10 Easy Ways to Work Stretching Into Your Daily Routine:  http://ow.ly/Cn55x @christanyc

Wanting to Write in the Mornings? 7 Proven Ways to Boost Morning Productivity:  http://ow.ly/Cn5Q1 @JWhite

When You Are a Young Writer:  http://ow.ly/Cn6xI @ElectricLit

Joy in life and writing: http://ow.ly/Cn5GM  @emilypfreeman

Read 5 published novels in our genre for every one craft book we read:  http://ow.ly/Cn5tg @kayedacus

How To Write In A New Genre (And 4 Reasons We Should) http://ow.ly/Cn5kh @SarahAllenBooks

10 Social Media Rules Every Author Needs to Know:  http://ow.ly/ClIRk @ediemelson

The lack of fact-checking in publishing:  http://ow.ly/ClIp2 @theatlantic

7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers:  http://ow.ly/ClIMP  @sabsky

What makes a great short story?   http://ow.ly/ClI84 @writers_write

Put Calls To Action In The Back Of Your Books To Sell More Books:  http://ow.ly/ClIEG @bkmkting

Voice – what you say, and how you say it:  http://ow.ly/ClIXz @AlmaAlexander

How to Write Effective Betrayal: http://ow.ly/ClIko @ava_jae

Why a Newsletter is a Marketing Must: http://ow.ly/ClIA5 @bookgal

6 Keys to Writing a Story with Spiritual Content: http://ow.ly/ClI10  @RachelPhifer1

How Authors Can Create Successful Blog Plans:  http://ow.ly/ClIc9 @ninaamir

10 Mistakes Every Author Should Avoid:  http://ow.ly/ClIIY  @Bookgal

Productivity Tips And Running Your Author Business: http://ow.ly/ClJp9 @JenTalty @thecreativepenn

Finding Your Voice: What Is Voice?  http://ow.ly/CiDfE  @loriagoldstein

7 Excuses for Not Self-Publishing:  http://ow.ly/CiEWx @DianaHeuser

10 tips for becoming an author:  http://ow.ly/CiD9E @KinsellaSophie

Take Charge of Your Author Business: 5 Aspects to Consider:  http://ow.ly/CiDnL @thecreativepenn

Goals: On Setting the Bar Low:  http://ow.ly/CHcUY

9 Easy & Inexpensive Ways to Promote Your Audiobook http://ow.ly/CiD7e @writerunboxed

6 Hot Trends in Indie Book Marketing:  http://ow.ly/CiEGQ @kamajowa

3 Lessons from Successful Author Pinterest Boards:  http://ow.ly/CiDwA @emilywenstrom

Writing secret: all you need is curiosity and surprise: http://ow.ly/CiCZH @speechwriterguy

Story Composition: Variety Within Unity:  http://ow.ly/CiDzf @woodwardkaren

Character Talents and Skills: Reading The Weather:  http://ow.ly/CiDpP @angelaackerman

5 Tips for Fleshing it Out:  http://ow.ly/CET7W @jemifraser @WriteAngleBlog

What’s the Best Print service for Indie Authors? A Review:  http://ow.ly/CiEAs @murdertakestime

11 Tips to Increase Your Word Count:  http://ow.ly/CESAu  @SusanKelley

10 Terrors for a Writer:  http://ow.ly/CiEQt @elspethwrites

Crime fiction–when the innocent are arrested: http://ow.ly/CF4U1 @mkinberg

13 Spooktacular Quotes on Writing:   http://ow.ly/CETDS @LauraMarcella

Writing and the Creative Life: Routine or Ritual?  http://ow.ly/ChbHj @gointothestory

How to Request Rights Reversion From Your Publisher:  http://ow.ly/Chbl8 @victoriastrauss

Author strength training: Reading reviews:  http://ow.ly/ChbnG  @nkjemisin

A Creative Approach to the Writer’s Production Plan:  http://ow.ly/Chbb7 @thecreativepenn

How to Write a Book: 3 Practical Tips:  http://ow.ly/Chbge  @NikkiWoods

6 Quick Marketing Tips for Authors:  http://ow.ly/ChbA2 @JoelDCanfield

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Tips for Better Mystery Writing

Thanks for French writer Frédérique Molay  for guest posting today.  A quick note that I’m posting on the Writers on the Storm blog today on Making Our Content Work Harder for Us.  Thanks!

by Frédérique Molay 

So just how do you write a good mystery? Well, I’m going to have to disappoint. I don’t have a secret recipe—for mystery writing, that is. I do have one to make delicious cookies, hot from the oven, but my repertoire doesn’t have step-by-step instructions for writing a good novel.

There is some good news though: it is possible to list some of the ingredients that belong in a good mystery. Just explore Raymond Chandler’s “10 Commandments for the Detective Novel,” or S.S. Van Dine’s “20 Rules for Writing Detective Stories,” published by American Magazine in 1928. That said, don’t be fooled, mystery is a genre that appears simple, but hides complexity.

To start, of course, all you need is a detail. A face, an anecdote, a press clipping or a work of art will do. Inspiration can come from any number of places. Anything could trigger a story, which can then unfold, like a movie in your mind.

Once you have a detail, you need to build the plot. In mysteries, there is always a crime—a murder, kidnapping, or heist, or perhaps a coded message or disappearance. It is important to control the story line and the clues that are revealed, because nothing can be left to chance. The strings all need to be connected, and they need to be credible. Van Dine’s rule number 1 reads, “1. The reader must have equal opportunity with the detective for solving the mystery. All clues must be plainly stated and described.” That should not keep both reader and detective from surprising each other.

Mysteries also need charismatic characters. They need to make the reader feel fear, intrigue, and suspense. They need a fast pace, alternating dialogue, description and actions. All these elements help keep the reader turning the pages, which is the goal.

I’d also say that mysteries require a two-fold personality—writers need to dream and be creative, all the while honing mathematical precision. You need to have your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds—in dark, stormy clouds. This genre does more than entertain. It explores our deepest fears and anxieties. It distracts readers with stories about life’s troubles waters, translating the scandals we all experience everyday. Mysteries are a pulse-throbbing fictional investigation into the truths of human life.

Writing has always been a passion for Frédérique Molay, author of the international bestseller  The 7th Woman . She graduated from France’s prestigious Science Po and began her career in politics and the French administration. She worked as Chief of Staff for the Deputy Mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and then was elected to the local government in Saône-et-Loire. Meanwhile, she spent her nights pursing a passion for writing she had nourished since she wrote her first novel at the age of eleven. AfterThe 7th Woman took France by storm, Frédérique Molay dedicated her life to writing and raising her three children. She has five books to her name, with three in the Paris Homicide series. Crossing the Line released in bookstores on September 23. In it Chief of Police Nico Sirsky returns to work after recovering from a gunshot wound. He’s in love and rearing to go. His first day back has him overseeing a jewel heist sting and taking on an odd investigation. Just how far can despair push a man? How clear is the line between good and evil?

 

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Add an Element of Mystery to Every Genre

by Kathryn Jones, @Kakido

The Secret of the Old Clock…The Bungalow Mystery…The Mystery of Lilac Inn…

I was twelve-years-old when I began reading Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene.  Nancy not only drew me in to her stories, making me feel like a part of them, she made me feel like one of the sleuths.  And if I solved the mystery before Nancy or one of her friends, I felt especially smart.

As an adult, I enjoy writing novels and stories with elements of mystery in them.  In 2002, I published my first novel, “A River of Stones.”  This book, though not specifically a mystery novel, tells, as part of the story, the understood wanderings of an old man whom every child in the neighborhood knows is a vampire.  The main character, Samantha, gets her very best friends to wear crosses around their necks and homespun garlic next to their skin.  Of course, the vampire isn’t really a vampire, just like Mr. Green, Samantha’s other old and scary neighbor, isn’t a living scarecrow, though he dressed and moved like one on Halloween. 

My short stories usually flicker with some mystery in them as well: In the story, “The Awakening of George Mahooney,” for example, we see the main character, George, awaken from sleep and go about his day as usual.  He sits on the rocker and thinks about his life and how old he has become.  In the backyard, he regrets he no longer has the strength to pick the weeds.  In the kitchen his wife is humming a familiar tune as she cooks his breakfast.  George wishes he could be happy, but he is too old.  When his wife calls the doctor he is suddenly worried.  Is she sick?  But George quickly discovers it isn’t his wife he should be worrying about at all—he is the one who’s dead.

I love weaving secrets.  I love reading to students those parts of my work that keep them guessing.  Is that man really a vampire?  That sure looks like a coffin in his basement.  But why does a light go on when it’s opened?  Why isn’t it lined with red, shiny material?

Because the coffin is really a meat freezer.

Why don’t the flies like George Mahooney anymore?  Why aren’t they bugging him in the yard?  Why aren’t they landing on him?  Why doesn’t he have to swat them every other second?

Because the few that have entered the house have already found his body and George is no longer in it.

More recently, I have written two cozy mystery books, both with the sleuth Susan Cramer. In the first, (Scrambled) Susan has just left her husband hoping for a better life, in the second, (Sunny Side-Up) she has finally taken that long awaited cruise. There’s only one problem in both scenarios. Death.

When it comes to writing a great mystery, there are many elements that have to be kept in check; namely, the plot, the clues, the characters, the setting…

But in every book there should be an element of mystery, yes, even if you’re writing a romance. For the reader should be guessing who the girl ends up with or what caused the boy to actually leave her in the first place.

Yes, until the very end.

Contact Kathryn at: http://www.ariverofstones.com or visit her on her Facebook author page: http: www.facebook.com/kathrynelizabethjone...

 

 

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Goals: On Setting the Bar Low

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I’d been going to physical therapy since July for a back issue I’d been having (from sitting.  Don’t believe that writing isn’t dangerous).

I’ve been an extremely good patient, if I do say so myself.  I’ve done my daily stretches and other exercises. I attended all of my PT appointments.

The only time I balked was early last month when my physical therapist asked me to start going to the gym to use the weight machines.  As soon as Carol finished her sentence, I was ready with excuses. I have no time.  I’m on a deadline. I don’t enjoy being around large groups of people.  I don’t enjoy exercising.  I don’t understand the exercise machines.  I’m a clumsy person.  I don’t have an appropriate workout wardrobe. 

Carol, to her credit, steadily watched and listened as I explained my obstacles.  Then she asked, “Do you have a gym membership?”

“Yes,” I answered miserably.

“The staff will be happy to explain how the machines work,” she said.

“I know they will.  I have to ask them every time I go in there,” I admitted.  “I can’t ever seem to get the knack of it.”

And here was the key:  “Elizabeth, I only want you to go one day a week. For twenty minutes.”

Oh, the relief.  I’d thought she was going to ask me to go three days a week.  Surely I could manage one day, even on a busy week. And twenty minutes wasn’t very long.

So I took my husband with me and he showed me how to use the weight machines again. I took pictures of the machines that my therapist had asked me to use.  My husband took pictures of me using them so that I could remember how to correctly exercise.  I made a small investment in some workout clothes and tennis shoes since my casual clothes were really just for yard work.

And I found that by setting the bar really low, I did go to the gym once a week. I discovered that doing the exercises only took 15 minutes, not even the 20 that Carol indicated.  The exercises helped my back so much that I started going twice a week (most weeks).  I still didn’t like it.  I still didn’t want to drive over there, wait for the machines, deal with crowds, or exercise.  But I liked the results.

Whenever I’m asked in any kind of interview or panel what advice I have for new writers, I say “set the bar low.” If I’m at a panel, this makes the audience laugh.  But I’m not going for laughs, I’m totally serious.

Set a completely accessible goal.  I’ve set a temporary one as low as 5 minutes a day before when life escalated out of control on the busy scale.  You can do more in 5 minutes than you think…especially if you make a note at the end of each session explaining where you left off and what you want to accomplish for the next session.  The point is that you’re setting aside time for your story. You’re keeping a habit.  In many ways I think the habit becomes more important than the word count.  I read an interesting post on the importance of the writing habit a couple of years ago on writer Karen Woodward’s blog: “How To Write Every Day: Jerry Seinfeld And The Chain Method.” This is a method where you self-motivate by marking an X on the calendar for each day you meet your goal.

In the past several years, I’ve found that 3 double-spaced pages was workable.  But my writing goal originally started out as a page a day back when I had a toddler in the house and only about 15 minutes to write.

Whatever we put down on paper can be fixed later.  A series of “wins” where we meet daily goals can motivate us to continue our writing habit.

It may be difficult to find that time.  We may not like it.  But we’ll like the results.

How do you stay motivated to write?  What’s been your approach to developing a writing habit?

Image: MorgueFile: Madlyn

 

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Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific 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.

At Frankfurt Book Fair, Little Talk of Amazon:  http://ow.ly/CAshR @Porter_Anderson

How to Dramatize Real Life in Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/Cd8Hs @birgitte_rasine

Not All Feedback is Created Equal:  http://ow.ly/Cd7Y1 @HeatherJacksonW

5 Reasons to Use Content Curation as Part of Your Blogging Strategy: http://ow.ly/Cd86g @karencv

Characters with No Arc?  http://ow.ly/Cd82k @beccapuglisi               

Create Your Own Imagery Thesaurus:  http://ow.ly/Cd8nQ @wherewriterswin

7 Ways to Add Sizzle to Your Next Book Event:  http://ow.ly/Cd8VC @elizacross

Historical Novelists: How to Use Literature to Build Your Fiction Vocabulary:  http://ow.ly/Cd8w5

Turning Characters into Real People:  http://ow.ly/Cd7Kn @RChazzChute

Why 1 Writer Removed Email From Her Smartphone:  http://ow.ly/Cd8OP @alexisgrant

Do Not Underestimate NaNoWriMo – 5 Life-Saving Tips for Writers: http://ow.ly/CeRLa @MiaJouBotha

Tricks and Tips for a Successful Children’s Book Launch Party: http://ow.ly/CeSwB @jenmalonewrites

Do as You Like: A Lesson from Michaelangelo:  http://ow.ly/CeSua @carynmcgill

Why Taking Writing Breaks is Important:  http://ow.ly/CeRQS

Kill Your Darlings For Fun and Leisure:  http://ow.ly/CeSaH @emilywenstrom

The Backward Morals of Fairytales:  http://ow.ly/CeRWo @JackHeckel @tordotcom

Should You Be Writing Shorter Nonfiction Books? http://ow.ly/CeS0M @ninaamir

Creative Writing Exercises: Couplets and Quatrains:  http://ow.ly/CeSoq  @melissadonovan

7 Smart Ways to Earn Multiple Streams of Income from a Single Manuscript:  http://ow.ly/CeSCh @thecreativepenn

How To Rekindle Your Love of Writing:  http://ow.ly/CeSiJ @writetodone

Freelancers: 10 ways to make editors fall in love with your work:  http://ow.ly/CeS4X @michellerafter

Keep it Consistent – Settings: http://ow.ly/CeS8h  @shay_goodman

Screenwriting: How To Craft Great Action Sequences:  http://ow.ly/Chbs0  @screencrafting

How to Use the Snowflake Method to Prepare for NaNoWriMo:  http://ow.ly/Chba6 @BCJanetU

12 Vital Preparatory Steps for NaNoWriMo:  http://ow.ly/Chbdc @_RobbieBlair_

Google+ For Writers – What 1 Writer has Learned So Far:  http://ow.ly/Chbvv and http://ow.ly/Chbyu

NaNo Prep: Prepare for a Creative Revolution http://ow.ly/ChbCF  @pinatadirector

How To Find Your Story By Asking Questions:  http://ow.ly/ChbJt  @inkybites

29 Writing Conferences for Authors, Bloggers and Freelancers:  http://ow.ly/Cd7U1 @danasitar

How to Stay Sane While Building Your Writing Career Part Time:  http://ow.ly/Cd8gw @aliventures

You Too Can Write Your Memoir:  http://ow.ly/Cd8jW @desertplantlove @womenwriters

On the costs of ISBNs: http://ow.ly/CxbkF @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

12 Hardwired Expectations Every Reader Has:  http://ow.ly/Cxc9I @lisacron

3 Ways Travel Makes You A Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/C9H90 @LiamLowth1

14 Reasons to Never Give Up:  http://ow.ly/C9Hsz @colin_falconer

To Write a Book Someday, Share Your Writing Now: @lisavelthouse

Menopause and Writing:  http://ow.ly/C9J0a @ScreenwriterSGS @womenwriters

Creating Capacity:  http://ow.ly/C9HKB @DanBlank

‘If a goal isn’t serving you, that’s a sign to tweak it.’ http://ow.ly/C9Hkx @K_R_Green

World-Building Errors, as Illustrated by Divergent: http://ow.ly/C9HEv

How Body Types can Help Shape your Characters:  http://ow.ly/C9I7Y

5 Steps To Find Your Book’s Ideal Audience:  http://ow.ly/C9HOe @angelaackerman

10 Ways to Grab Writing Inspiration:  http://ow.ly/C9Iul @Je55ieMullin5

6 Writing Lessons That a Writer Learned From Her Wedding:  http://ow.ly/C9Ind  @kristanhoffman

Fiction as Art: Going Back to the Beginning:  http://ow.ly/C7v7A @carynmcgill

A Unique Way to Develop Conflict in Your Novel for Pantsers:  http://ow.ly/C7uAq @beth_barany

5 Ways to Use Goodreads to Your Best Author Advantage:  http://ow.ly/C7vdM @wherewriterswin

Persuasive Writing – The Most Persuasive Words: http://ow.ly/C7uw7 @writers_write

Walk the Walk: Accept Critique:  http://ow.ly/C7uWR @NicoleLynnBaart

Squeezing out the Stupid:  http://ow.ly/C7uOZ @TrueFactBarFact

How to Make Up a Language for Your WIP:  http://ow.ly/C7uFD @ava_jae

5 Moral Dilemmas That Make Characters (& Stories) Better: http://ow.ly/C7vO6 @writersdigest

Coming Back to Writing:  http://ow.ly/C7uLb @gemma_corden

Are Your Dreams Getting in the Way of Your Writing Goals? http://ow.ly/CqiH8 @annerallen

Emotional Description: 3 Common Problems with Show & Tell:  http://ow.ly/C7u77 @angelaackerman

Touch the Hearts of Your Readers: Entangle Their Emotions:  http://ow.ly/C7ucA  @bentguy1

Disposing of the body in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/CqiuN @mkinberg

Use This Tip to Test if You’re Showing or Telling:  http://ow.ly/C7vpk @monicamclark

11 Steps for Your On-Site Book Launch:  http://ow.ly/C4ULz @tweetonsisters

5 Expert Tips to Tighten Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/C4Um7  @grady_hendrix

5 Ways to Face the Blank Page:  http://ow.ly/C57nX @WriterJoMalby

Prepare Your Novel for NaNoWriMo with World Building: http://ow.ly/C55UA @beth_barany

Don’t Listen to Dream Squashers http://ow.ly/C57FY @danasitar

Writing the Romance Novel: 7 Story Beats:  http://ow.ly/C4Shy @kayedacus

How to Write a Page Turner Using Movie Trailer Tips:  http://ow.ly/C59jO  @JanalynVoigt

Will Bookstores Sell Your Indie Books?  http://ow.ly/C587S @wherewriterswin

5 Tips to Writing Your Author’s Bio:  http://ow.ly/C4URO @djeanquarles

5 Questions to Ask Your E-Book Formatter:  http://ow.ly/C5974

How to Destroy Your Initial Idea (& Make Your Story Better) :  http://ow.ly/C58Ke @writersdigest

Secrets to Writing for Kids: Hiking Up the Emotional Intensity:  http://ow.ly/C58xw  @PubHub_blog

Should You Price Your Ebooks Differently in Different Countries? http://ow.ly/C2Y1X @goblinwriter

Adverb Adverse:  http://ow.ly/C2Y0I  @PBRWriter

The Expository Opening to Novels:  http://ow.ly/ClHLP  by Jack Smith

Your Scene Needs a Problem:  http://ow.ly/C2Y2U @TheKenHughes

Writing with a Day Job:  http://ow.ly/C2XPo @LoriRaderDay

Creating Characters We Care About:  http://ow.ly/C2YdH @jamesscottbell

How a short story writer became a novelist:  http://ow.ly/C2Y64 @mythicscribes

Write Better By Following This One, Simple Rule:  http://ow.ly/C2Yfo @joebunting

Setting – Are we there yet?  http://ow.ly/C2XZ2 @AnthonyEhlers

10 tips to help writers stay focused: http://ow.ly/C2Y4R @Bookbaby

You Can and Should Self-publish (Here’s Everything You Need to Know) http://ow.ly/C2Y9h @JeffGoins

Target Audience, Benefits, and Filling a Need:  http://ow.ly/Ck1Py @SpunkOnAStick

5 Lessons in Publishing Success From Bella Andre:  http://ow.ly/C2XHe @Janefriedman

Saying you’re a writer paves the way for a successful career:  http://ow.ly/C2XRp @jeffgoins

Novels aren’t movie scripts: how to write great dialogue in prose:  http://ow.ly/C2XMZ @Roz_Morris

A Clever Twist on Video and Book Club Promo from Author Neil Gaiman:  http://ow.ly/C1y1M @wherewriterswin

5 Facts about Fear for Writers http://ow.ly/C1y3U @write_practice

Making Your Setting as Important as Your Plot and Characters:  http://ow.ly/C1yiN @SallyBWrites

Am I Good Enough?  http://ow.ly/C1y04   @SusanBakerArt

8 Signs You Are Overdoing Simultaneous Submissions:  http://ow.ly/C1y9i  @NathanielTower

Is A Pseudonym Right For You?  http://ow.ly/C1xMA

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With Self-Publishing, We Control the Future of a Series

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

For years, I belonged to several email loops with other traditionally published mystery writers.  We would share information and resources with each other and were on a blogging schedule to contribute to the group blog.

Eventually, I dropped out of all of these groups.  One of my failings is my lack of patience and another is my overwhelming desire to fix things.  These two issues combined with a dose of me-trying-to-be-professional meant that I was constantly biting my tongue while reading messages from these loops regarding author issues with our traditional publishers.

I was especially sad on the occasions when an author would apologize for having their series canceled.  They would be in the process of pitching another series to their agent and/or publisher and would offer to drop out of the blog since they weren’t sure if they were going to continue being contracted writers.

I knew that any advice I gave, at least at the time, about them getting their rights to their characters back and continuing their series through self-publishing probably wouldn’t be well-received.  But it really shook me to hear them.  It was as if they would accept defeat….not be a writer anymore.  Because of some whim of the market or the publisher.  Or maybe simply because their editor moved on to another publisher, “orphaning” the series.  They’d accept this as the inevitable end of their series and sometimes their career.  A bad sales record follows writers and other publishers might not want to gamble on them.

Maybe these authors still even had readers for the series.  They’d mention that they still got emails or Facebook messages from readers asking about their next book in the series.  They’d mention having to carefully word the truth—that the publisher didn’t want any more books.

As you can imagine, this all would frustrate the stew out of me.  But I knew these authors were aware of self-publishing.  There was an anti-self-pub bias in the loops, actually. I didn’t think they’d find my advice to take their series indie very helpful.  I’d complain about this to my husband, who eventually pleaded with me to drop out of the loops—that they appeared to be making my blood pressure rise. :)

And so I did.  Frankly, even if my advice to self-publish was well-received, did I really want the competition?

My own experience was similar to those writers who had their series dropped.  My first traditionally published Myrtle Clover book was Pretty is as Pretty Dies with Midnight Ink, a division of Llewellyn.  After the first book published, it seemed to me to be selling well.  I wrote another book for the series and was politely rejected.

In my head, though, it wasn’t over.  I had the book.  I knew I had readers.

My agent offered to shop the series to another publisher.  I decided that was probably going to take too long—that I would have to start over again with a new reader base.

One big eye-opening moment for me was when I was on a book tour and at a panel event with other mystery writers…promoting my new series for Penguin.  They opened the floor up for questions and my first question, right out of the gate, was from a reader asking when my next Myrtle Clover was going to come out.

Later on that same tour, I got the same question from another reader at a signing.

It was obvious to me then that I couldn’t just accept that the series was over. That hadn’t been my gut reaction anyway.  I had the ability to continue writing as many books as I wanted in that series.  What was more, I felt I had something of a responsibility to my readers to do so.

The future of my series depended on my readers and me.  It had nothing to do with what was hot, who wanted to contract books with elderly protagonists, or the rapidly changing editors at my publisher.  And that knowledge was empowering.

This is one reason why I feel strongly that this is the best time in history to be a writer.

 

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