Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 129

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.

New release last week:  Death Pays a Visit is now available. :)

A writer on being plagiarized and how to respond:  http://ow.ly/Bc5K5 @TheAubreyRose @passivevoiceblg

5 Cliche Endings:  http://ow.ly/Bc5AC  @grammarly

5 Ways to Get Book Reviews:  http://ow.ly/Bc5xK @SashaLeighS

How to Write a Horror Story:  http://ow.ly/Bc5Qz @harrington_jo              

A Question to Ask Each Time You Sit Down to Write:  http://ow.ly/Bc656 @joebunting

5 Book Pet Peeves:  http://ow.ly/BcFZP  @thebooksluts

6 Great Apps to Help You Write:  http://ow.ly/BcG8P @completelynovel

Casablanca–script analysis:  http://ow.ly/BcG2Z @thescriptlab

Quotations From Anne Lamott :  http://ow.ly/BcGC6 @DeniseAAgnew

When To Let Go And How To Give Up A Writing Project:  http://ow.ly/BcGue @moranchaim

Helpful Hashtags on Twitter:  http://ow.ly/BcH5Y @SueColetta1

An Author Website Checklist:  http://ow.ly/Bc5X6 @digibookworld

When Not “Earning Out” is a Good Thing: http://ow.ly/Bc5ZA @passivevoiceblg

Breaking Grammar Rules in Poetry:  http://ow.ly/Bc6jZ @WritingForward

5 Protagonists Readers Hate:  http://ow.ly/Bc5TY @annerallen

Tips for creating voice:  http://ow.ly/Bc6ck  @katrinakittle @writerunboxed

3 Tips for Getting Published:  http://ow.ly/Bc69I  @Michelle_Gagnon

The Value of Indie Print: Necessity, Choices and Costs:  http://ow.ly/Bc5Cj @janice_hardy

Young People are Reading As much as Adults (Pew Study):  http://ow.ly/Bq4qq @Goodereader

Which is Better: First or Third Person Point of View? http://ow.ly/Bo7Zl @jenichappelle

3 Acting Tips for Writing with Emotion:  http://ow.ly/BbLjH @MarcieColleen1

Submission Tips for Writers:  http://ow.ly/BbLCT  @ChuckSambuchino

16 ways to drive a ghostwriter stark raving mad:  http://ow.ly/BbLyv  @Amabaie

Is your dialogue just characters talking? http://ow.ly/BbLim @standoutbooks

7 Health Tips for Writers Who Don’t Get Enough Exercise:  http://ow.ly/BbLEs @QuipsAndTips

What Barnes & Noble is doing wrong:  http://ow.ly/Brlvp @HughHowey

How to Write a Clean First Draft:  http://ow.ly/BbLAQ @LynneCantwell

How To Use Pre-Orders:  http://ow.ly/BbLns  @susankayequinn

What 1 writer’s editing process looks like after 20 Novels:  http://ow.ly/BbLvK @goblinwriter

Moving cookbooks online: http://ow.ly/Bq4ef @Porter_Anderson @csmcbride  @AltaEditions

What is Word of Mouth� in Today’s World?  http://ow.ly/Bqo91

Subplots And The Great Swampy Middle:  http://ow.ly/BbLmj @woodwardkaren

Famous Writers on the Creative Benefits of Keeping a Diary: http://ow.ly/BbLwY @brainpicker

Crime Writer Karin Slaughter Versus The IRS (what it might mean for writers)   http://ow.ly/Bq4vf @forbes  @janetnovack

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

How to Make Sure Readers Don’t Close the Book:  http://ow.ly/BbLiU @jamigold

The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young Adult:  http://ow.ly/BbiFb @marielamba @writersdigest

Clean Up Your Ebook Files With HTML:  http://ow.ly/BbiOa @JordanMcCollum

3 Ways to Pare Down Your Prose:  http://ow.ly/BbiwE @CKmacleodwriter

8 Writer Tips To Keep Your Butt in the Chair:  http://ow.ly/BbiDD @JordanDane

Wattpad for Authors: 14 Tips:  http://ow.ly/BbiHC @outaprintwriter

3 Writing Tips from George R.R. Martin:  http://ow.ly/BbiBV  @A_WritersStudio

On order of adjectives:  http://ow.ly/Bbiu4  @xwaldie @slate

Voice and Structure:  http://ow.ly/BbiJo @writerunboxed

5 Ways to Intentionally Improve Your Story’s Quality:  http://ow.ly/BbiMG  @thescalex

3 Things to Know Before Drafting a New Story:  http://ow.ly/BbiPf  @EmilyWenstrom

Staying in Your CharacterÂ’s’ Shoes:  http://ow.ly/Bbirt @mythcreants

The Reader’s Emotional Journey http://ow.ly/BbiAA  @DonMaass

Listen to Your Readers:  http://ow.ly/BaRBc @birgitte_rasine

4 problems that arise when authors try too hard to evoke emotions:  http://ow.ly/BaRt6 @Author_DFarland

The 2 Most Powerful Behaviors of Successful Writers:  http://ow.ly/BaRqq  @losapala

Script To Screen: “Aliens”:  http://ow.ly/BaRyn @gointothestory

5 Things to Know About Writing for Magazines:  http://ow.ly/BaRj3 @QuipsAndTips

How to draw a fantasy map:  http://ow.ly/BaRdu from Clever Girl Helps

Hooking up the train cars of your story:  http://ow.ly/BaRDq @MSaintGermain

Have You Orphaned Your Dialogue? http://ow.ly/BaRml @MarcyKennedy

Plot-driven or Character-driven: Does it Really Matter?  http://ow.ly/BjfqV @jenichappelle

The Structure of a Short Story: The First Complication:  http://ow.ly/BaRab @woodwardkaren

The ethics of beta reading:  http://ow.ly/BaRgr  @JordanMcCollum

Avoid Backstory Plot Holes:  http://ow.ly/BaRnS @Diana_Hurwitz

R. R. Tolkien’s 10 Tips For Writers: http://ow.ly/BaR3H @galleycat

How to make your book FREE on Amazon (without using KDP Select):  http://ow.ly/BgW6a @badassmktg

How to make readers care about an absent character:  http://ow.ly/BjhsF @JulieMusil @TraciKenworth

Long flashbacks:  http://ow.ly/B8rsm

A closer look: @ReedsyHQ plans to connect authors with editors, designers, and more:  http://ow.ly/BjheS @Porter_Anderson @TheFutureBook

5 Ways Transmedia Can Help Scriptwriters:  http://ow.ly/B90WM @nmfbernardo @bang2write

Dos and Don’ts of Deep POV:  http://ow.ly/BjeHp  @jenichappelle

How to Use Layers to Show Intense Emotions: http://ow.ly/B91lO @jamigold

In Praise of Slower Writing:  http://ow.ly/B90q4 @RomanceUniv

How to Create a Believable World for Your Characters:  http://ow.ly/B98ZU @WCWritingTips

5 Visual Content Tools for Writers (Plus Where to Find Free Photos):  http://ow.ly/B90PB @NinaAmir

How To Plot A Character-Driven Story:  http://ow.ly/B92pe @DelilahSDawson

9 Rules For Self-Editing:  http://ow.ly/BgWeT @raquelbyrnes

10 Things You Don’t Need (To Be A Writer):  http://ow.ly/B9270 @DelilahSDawson

5 Ways an Editor is Like a Dentist:  http://ow.ly/B90Ah @byondpapr

The Nemesis Character Type in Your Story:  http://ow.ly/B90KQ @CSLakin

Writers weigh in on the problem of missing publishing data:  http://ow.ly/BgVYC @Porter_Anderson @nmhall @CarlaJDouglas

Balancing Your Writing Career:  http://ow.ly/B98VB @StinaLL

Keep an offhand remark on hand:  http://ow.ly/B91x6 @JoeMoore_writer

Public appeals in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/BdQYv @mkinberg

Swapping Fiction for Creative Non-Fiction:  http://ow.ly/B6Uhb @WritersEdit

Techniques for Sales Success:  http://ow.ly/B6Pxa @jamigold

5 Stages of Grief:  When Bad Things Happen to Beloved Characters: http://ow.ly/B6P7Q @thebooksluts

Amazon: “The World’s Most Complicated Iceberg” : http://ow.ly/BejTz @Porter_Anderson  @craigmod

Negative Capability: Definition and Examples http://ow.ly/B6QoG @epbure

Qualities of a Good Critique Partner:  http://ow.ly/BdK88 @alexjcavanaugh

How to Become a Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/B6OZo @WritingForward

4 Tips for Writing About Unfamiliar Character Issues:  http://ow.ly/BdAIw @JulieMusil

The Right to be Spoiler Free:  http://ow.ly/B6P4J @dearauthor

Visual Writing Prompts: The Rule of Three:  http://ow.ly/B6Uef @megwolfewrites

8 Ways Authors Can Use Pinterest:  http://ow.ly/B6QeK @wordsprof @wherewriterswin

10 Things You Need for a Southern Gothic Horror Novel:  http://ow.ly/B6Prj  @DelilahSDawson

How to Keep Writing? Break It Down. http://ow.ly/B6PfI @ClaireCookwrite @writerunboxed

Anoint Your Character with Inner Conflict, A Master Technique:  http://ow.ly/B6Ql3 @writingeekery

Antagonist Backstory:  http://ow.ly/B6Ppi

Your Main Character’s Job Is to Fall into Trouble:  http://ow.ly/B6VGj @joanyedwards

12 Reasons to Scrap a Blog Post:   http://ow.ly/B23Ne @lindadessau

How To Get Over A Fear Of Failure:  http://ow.ly/B23i5 @woodwardkaren

The Difference Between Being Critiqued and Being Edited:  http://ow.ly/B22Sx  @Aimeelsalter

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

The Hero’s Emotional Midpoint:  http://ow.ly/B23Gz @HeatherJacksonW

Sacrifice, Boundaries & Reaching Our Dreams:  http://ow.ly/B22Z9 @kristinlambtx

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

What is “Word of Mouth” in Today’s World?

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I read an interesting post on Sunday.  It was from author Pedro Barrento for Indies Unlimited and titled, “Word of Mouth—An Urban Myth?”  The post engendered lively comments from other writers.  Barrento states: “…word of mouth in literature is a fantasy. It simply doesn’t exist.”  He clarifies that he’s not including influencers, Amazon’s recommendation algorithm, etc. as word of mouth.  He’s defining it as an actual verbal recommendation.  Which, considering it’s called word of mouth, makes sense.  He believes that while consumers may be influenced by others’ recommendations for music, they don’t buy long-form products like books based on recommendations. Or, they’re so slow to act on recommendations (slow to purchase, slow to read, slow to pass on a recommendation to others) that word of mouth isn’t a contributing factor to the meteoric success of some of today’s most popular books.

There isn’t (naturally! This is publishing we’re talking about) hard data on how readers discovered the last book they read.  So instead, I thought I’d explore what word of mouth is today.  I’m thinking that, as times have changed, the way we recommend products to others and influence purchasing has changed.

Word of mouth gets bandied around a lot as being key to sales. But it tends to frustrate writers because how can you spark word of mouth?  How do we get people talking about our book?  And is word of mouth only verbal in today’s world?

I think word of mouth is changing.  I think now that it can mean recommendations from people we trust who share similar tastes.  They may not even be people we know personally.  To me, word of mouth has become “influence”. And the people who have influence over our buying decisions vary from reader to reader.

I’ve bought books based on recommendations  while lurking on Facebook, book blogging sites, and Goodreads.  These fellow readers don’t know me, but I know them… at least, I know our taste in books is similar.

What’s a 21st century word-of-mouth?  I think that sometimes it is someone telling someone verbally or emailing a friend or family member about a book. I know I buy some of my books for that reason.

I think sometimes it means responding to a friend’s status update on Facebook:  Anybody read a good book lately? I know I’ve recommended books in response to those types of updates (usually more than one book).  And I know friends of friends have told me they purchased books based on my recommendations.

I think sometimes it means word of mouth from a friend on Goodreads or a book blogger.  Maybe someone who is only a virtual friend. Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t even know you exist…but you agree with every one of their reviews and have never been let down when you’ve gotten a book recommendation from them.

I think sometimes it’s almost a viral thing, word-of-mouth.  Like the 50 Shades phenom.  I heard about that thing at book club, on the news, in the paper, and saw people reading it in doctors’ offices. You really couldn’t escape it.  That’s the kind of thing that’s rare.  Harry Potter also comes to mind, when it hit it big suddenly (or it seemed sudden to me at the time).

So how can we generate word of mouth? Obviously, the more people who get their hands on our books, the more chances we have that they will tell someone, post it on Facebook, mention it at their book club, or review it on Goodreads.

How do we get our book into the hands of more people?  Same approach as always—write many (good) books.  Keep prices reasonable and in line with other books in our genre.  Maintain a social media presence so readers can find us.

And it’s true—it might take months for a reader’s recommendation of our book to spur another reader to actually purchase it. It might never happen.  But, to me, what’s most striking about word of mouth these days is the reach of the recommendation.  It has so much more power to influence purchasing than the word of mouth decades ago.

How about you?  When you hear about the importance of word of mouth, what goes through your mind?  Is word of mouth strictly verbal?  Does it include social media?  Does it include influencers we don’t have in-person friendships with?  Could it even include recommendations from people we don’t know?

And…I had a book release Tuesday. :)  Death Pays a Visit is now available. 

Image: MorgueFile: TypeXNick

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4 Tips for Writing About Unfamiliar Character Issues

by Julie Musil, @JulieMusil
As I plotted my latest release, The Summer of Crossing Lines, I decided to give the main character a stutter. She’d be forced to do some dangerous and questionable things, and I wanted the character to have an extra layer of fear and frustration. My goal was to make this character believable, and to be respectful to people who stutter.

But…I had no experience with stuttering. Lots of research was in order.

If you’re writing about an unfamiliar issue, here are four steps you can take to get it right:


Visit blogs or online diaries. Simply Google your “issue.” One of the most personal aspects of my research involved reading through personal blogs and online diaries of folks who stutter. It gave me profound respect for them and their bravery. It also gave me insight into their personal fears and frustrations. I was able to channel their turmoil when it came to inner dialog. I got a real feel for their view on life and their condition, and how they view the people and the world around them. It also gave me a peek at their lingo.
Research the organizations dedicated to the issue. I spent a lot of time on The Stuttering Foundation web site. They had pages for parents, teens, adults, teachers, etc. This web site gave me a lot of helpful information, including when stuttering develops, what causes it, and ways to cope. It also lists famous people who stutter, including John Stossel, Carly Simon, and the late Marilyn Monroe. I learned that the stutter tends to disappear when the speaker talks quietly, or if they’re acting as a different character–which helped with dialog. Bits of this research made it into my novel.
Read fiction with characters who have the same issue. I searched Amazon for YA stories with a protagonist who stutters. Surprisingly, there weren’t many, which made me realize there was an opening I could fill. I read Tending to Grace, which was a great story. It taught me how to expand on my research and handle technical issues, like how to write a stutter. When we read similar books, we learn how other authors have handled the same situation.
Interview someone with experience. It’s amazing how personal stories can form our perspective. Whatever issue you’re writing about, chances are there’s someone out there who’s willing to share their experiences with you. These experiences can give a glimpse into their world, much like the blogs or online diaries. 


Whatever issue we write about, there are plenty of resources available for research. The folks who live with these issues deserve accuracy, respect, and empathy. It’s our job to get it right.

Have you stuttered, or do you know someone else who does? Have you ever written about an unfamiliar issue? What was it? How did you make sure you wrote with accuracy? Any tips you’d like to add?

Julie Musil writes from her rural home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and three sons. She’s an obsessive reader who loves stories that grab the heart and won’t let go. Her Young Adult novels, The Summer of Crossing Lines and The Boy Who Loved Fire , are available now. For more information, or to stop by an say Hi, please visit Julie on her blog , on Twitter , and on Facebook .

The post 4 Tips for Writing About Unfamiliar Character Issues 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.

Writing the Perfect Description for Your Book:  http://ow.ly/B0slv @shalvatzis

Agents Behaving Badly:  http://ow.ly/B0spj @jamesscottbell

No Excuse Writing:  http://ow.ly/B20Al @dibator @SouthrnWritrMag

Self-Publishing: The Scenic Route: http://ow.ly/B20fK @eileengoudge  Rewriting: Longer, Faster, Harder:  http://ow.ly/B1ZiW @mooderino

Favorite Opening Lines/Paragraphs:  http://ow.ly/B21kd  @thejordache

7 Ways to Create Empathy for your Protagonist:  http://ow.ly/B20pi @PamMingle

Surviving Grimdark:  Fantasy for the Squeamish:  http://ow.ly/B206Q  @Philip_Overby

On Writing Horror: Short Stories vs. Novels: http://ow.ly/B1ZI8 @amazingstories0

Tips on Synopsis Writing – Basics:  http://ow.ly/B20U3  @pepperbasham

Using Lifes Hardships to Make You a Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/B218u @AshleyRCarlson1

7 steps to developing a feature script you can shoot:  http://ow.ly/B1Zqx @screencrafting @MichaelDiBiasio

Should you enter a writing competition? http://ow.ly/B1ZlK @standoutbooks

You Know Youre a Writer When You Procrastinate: … http://ow.ly/B200E @LynnHBlackburn

What is Crowdfunding And How Can It Work For Authors?  http://ow.ly/B1ZTQ @pubslush

The Strongest Form of Characterization:  http://ow.ly/B22MK @joebunting

How to Structure Your Reveals:  http://ow.ly/B23RL @shalvatzis

Keep Your Characters Moving: http://ow.ly/B23sz @ava_jae

How to Keep your Story Moving and Your Character Believable:  http://ow.ly/B23nj @beccapuglisi

An Unpredictable (and Fun) Trick to Keep Your Plots Unpredictable:  http://ow.ly/B23xw @janice_hardy

Better With Age: Giving Elderly Characters the Spotlight:  http://ow.ly/B237O @adearinthewoods

6 Marketing Tactics You Should Be Using:  http://ow.ly/B0std @lukeofkondor @bang2write

The Opposite of Legacy:  http://ow.ly/B0rMj @JAKonrath

A Conversation with Robert Falco, Translator:  http://ow.ly/B0rYf @robert_falco @ReedsyHQ

Paperbacks Are Selling eBooks:  http://ow.ly/B9fEk @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

4 Ways To Edit Your Book Back on Track:  http://ow.ly/B0sCl @carlywatters

Free Screenwriting Resource: Movie Story Types:  http://ow.ly/B0tcL @gointothestory

Getting into the book’s action: http://ow.ly/B0tpX @glencstrathy

21st century book publicists: http://ow.ly/B0sJ6

On Agency Clauses:  http://ow.ly/B0rTf @passivevoiceblg

Book Sales in a Slump? Here’s Help.  http://ow.ly/B0tjJ  @christinenolfi

When does giving the reader what they want turn into clickbait? It’’s complicated: http://ow.ly/B0rxf  @mathewi

These romance writers ditched their publishers for ebooks–and made millions:  http://ow.ly/B0siF @passivevoiceblg

Some indie authors are finding their Amazon Publishing titles in local bookstores:  http://ow.ly/B6OPv @TheFutureBook @Porter_Anderson

Why Reading and Writing are a Collaboration:  http://ow.ly/AX3GJ @DrewChial

30 Websites for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/AX49j @bookgal

Indie Authors: Using 99 Designs to Crowdsource a Cover:  http://ow.ly/AX4Ty  @sabsky

10 Ways To Look At Your Twitter Avatar:  http://ow.ly/B6OE0 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog

Should authors review other authors’ books? http://ow.ly/AX5mM @IndieAuthorALLi

Book aggregators and distributors: A short primer | http://ow.ly/AX4mi   @selfpubbootcamp

How to Turn Your Print Book into a Digital File:  http://ow.ly/AX4rB @byondpapr

The Wake-Up Call: What it Means to Be A Self-Published Writer: http://ow.ly/AX5bC @nickthacker

Is your main character you? How to tell – and how to widen your character repertoire: http://ow.ly/AX5wz @Roz_Morris

7 Proven Steps to Improve Your Writing Immediately:  http://ow.ly/AX3u8  @nickbrodd

Format a Book in Word: Footnote, Index & Bibliography: http://ow.ly/AX4C2 @PubMyBook

How to Develop and Use a List of Your Readers:  http://ow.ly/AX4g0 @jimhbs

Your Characters’ Names: Do You Know Why You Chose Them?  http://ow.ly/AX3gC @KMWeiland

The Value of Indie Print: Necessity, Choices and Costs:  http://ow.ly/AUUpM

21 Tips for Creating a Successful Writing Collaboration:  http://ow.ly/AUUm5 @HelenSedwick

Today’s Publishing Nightmare: Drowning in Indie e-Books… and The Way Out: http://ow.ly/AUUxp  @claudenougat

Writer Despair:  http://ow.ly/AUUCu @jimchines

5 Things to Avoid for a Pristine Query Letter:  http://ow.ly/AUUej  @FrugalBookPromo

Avoiding the Tar Pits of Fiction:  http://ow.ly/AUUAl @jamesscottbell

Want to Write Better Dialogue? Break the Rules:  http://ow.ly/AUTUV @write_practice

Why One Bestselling Author Decided To Start Self-Publishing:  http://ow.ly/AUTXW @karentraviss

10 rules for writers:  http://ow.ly/AUU7l  @latimes

Don’t Let ‘Play-It-Safers’ Talk You Out Of Writing:  http://ow.ly/AUUsV @adderworld

Pros And Cons Of Exclusivity with Amazon KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited:  http://ow.ly/AUTR6 @thecreativepenn

Should All Your Minor Characters Have Arcs?  http://ow.ly/AUUjr @KMWeiland

Character Voice Consistency:  http://ow.ly/AUjk4 @AmberSkyeF

De-Stress Your Writing Life: Writing a Personalized Pep Talk: http://ow.ly/AUj5S @jessbaverstock

A Protagonist who doesn’t have a backstory?  http://ow.ly/AUiWA @gointothestory

Advice for new memoir writers:  http://ow.ly/AUjfR @tspoetry

Writing 3-Dimensional Characters:  http://ow.ly/AUjbd  @stdennard

15 Best Brainstorming And Mind-Mapping Tech Tools For Every Creative Mind http://ow.ly/AUj02 @lifehackorg

Your Ending Shouldn’t Make Your “Point”:  http://ow.ly/AUiYh @cockeyedcaravan

Copyrights and Copywrongs:  http://ow.ly/AUjcx @AuthorMelindaC

5 Powerful Writing Techniques That Bring Stories to Life:  http://ow.ly/AUj7I @Nimpentoad

6 Questions to Ask Before Publicizing Your Book:  http://ow.ly/AUjhH  @utexaspublicist

Hyphenation and tech terms:  http://ow.ly/AUj6z @CSLakin

Songwriting Tip: The Most Important Thing Is Everything:  http://ow.ly/AUiXH @usasong

Serials–pricing, release schedules, finding readers:  http://ow.ly/AUj8v  @ClaraKensie

Your Novel’s Language: How Can You Beat the Blah? http://ow.ly/AW4n8 from Jack Smith

New Types of Author Events:  http://ow.ly/AUhgy  @agentsavant

5 Elements of a Writer’s Website:  http://ow.ly/AUhav @WritersEdit

Why Your Writing Habits Are Stifling Your Creative Potential: http://ow.ly/AUgKX @amshofner

17 Services to Tweet a Book | Self-Publishing Review http://ow.ly/AUgsg @selfpubreview

On the Many Dreams of Writing:  http://ow.ly/AUh6U @writerunboxed

Marketing Advice from a Publishing Pro: @JaneFriedman Shares Her Best Tips:  http://ow.ly/AXeNg  @CaballoFrances

Twitter Chats for Writers:   http://ow.ly/AUgwM  @K8Tilton

Secondary character scene stealers in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/AW509 @mkinberg

Self-Publishing and Writer Organizations:  http://ow.ly/AUgVP @NMamatas @ElectricLit

How Writing and Gardening Overlaps:  http://ow.ly/AUgly @womenwriters

A Day in the Life of an Acquiring Editor:  http://ow.ly/AUgmR @TerriBischoff

5 tips to trim your writing:  http://ow.ly/AW4gE @jemifraser @WriteAngleBlog

Using Split Screen for Editing:  http://ow.ly/AUgPh

Writing with Scrivener Quick Tip: Using Word Count To Keep Motivated:  http://ow.ly/AW32s @clarissadraper

Got writers block? Try this little trick. http://ow.ly/AUgC9

Maybe it’s time to rethink the relationship between intelligence and creativity:  http://ow.ly/AUgyE @tannerc

The creative art of selling a book by its cover:  http://ow.ly/ASD57 @mendelsund @NYTimes @xanalter

How to plot a character-driven story:  http://ow.ly/ASCrL @glencstrathy

Back cover copy tips:  http://ow.ly/ASCHl @woodwardkaren

8 Issues In Author Ethics:  http://ow.ly/AVdo6 @janesteen @Porter_Anderson

The Magic Trick to Landing an Agent at a Conference (Hint: No Magic Involved): http://ow.ly/ASCPD @writerunboxed

What to do Before You’re Published:  http://ow.ly/ASCKQ @JulieMusil

The Ultimate Guide to Working with Beta Readers:  http://ow.ly/ASCJB @amshofner

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

Readers and Self-Pub

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

As a writer who is both traditionally-published and self-published, I have an admission to make.  I work very hard on my traditionally published books.  But I work even harder on my self-published stories.

I’m not saying my self-published stories are better.

But I want to make sure that each element of every book is as good as I can make it.  I don’t have a huge team behind me for my self-pub…I have a small one.  And I don’t want to let the readers down. I feel more accountable. I feel determined to make sure the quality is as good and that my readers won’t notice a difference between series.

But what’s been amazing to me is that I haven’t gotten any feedback from readers regarding the fact that some of my books are trad-pubbed and some are self.  I’ve seen no indication that they’re aware I am a hybrid writer.

I’ve never had a reader complain that they couldn’t find my Myrtle (the self-pubbed series) books at their local Barnes and Noble.

I’ve never had a reader specifically mention that the quality of my self-pubbed books is poorer than my trad-pubbed books, and if they’ve mentioned it in a review, I haven’t seen it.

The only times I’ve gotten feedback from readers are small complaints –and they were asking me to pass it on to the publisher.  A few readers have asked why my Myrtle books aren’t available in large print (one of my trad-series is available in large print in libraries) and a few readers have asked why my quilting series and Memphis series aren’t available in audio like my Myrtle series are.

The couple of times I’ve emailed back to explain that I don’t own the rights to the quilting series or the Memphis series, it’s just frustrated/aggravated the readers.  They don’t want the details and they don’t care about the details.  They just want to vent and, ultimately, to get the format they’re looking for.

But here is my main thought, and I’ve been mulling this over a bit, recently.  So…one of the main reasons I see from writers why they’re pursuing trad-pub is the distribution to bookstores.  And I get great distribution and shelf placement with Penguin-Random House…on a tower near the café for the first month after release.

So…why don’t I get complaint emails from readers that they can’t find my Myrtle books in the Barnes and Noble?  Because I do have a healthy number of readers for that series.  Strong sales.

Is it because the readers who shop at physical stores only buy what’s in front of them at the store?  They don’t check out my website?  Penguin doesn’t list my Myrtle books in my bio, so they wouldn’t know about them from reading the trad-published books.  This would mean I’m missing potential sales from dedicated bookstore shopper readers who simply aren’t aware that my Myrtle series exists (or, possibly, that the Memphis one does, since it’s under another name).

I would say that I don’t have any crossover readers from my trad-pub to my self-pub, but I know that’s not true.  In my Amazon reviews for the Myrtle series, readers frequently mention my other series.  So…are the majority of Amazon readers not shopping in the bookstores? Ever?  Even though they clearly love books and reading?

Or are there just fewer bookstore shoppers altogether?  And it doesn’t matter that my Myrtle books aren’t there?

I suspect that the lack of print distribution for my self-pubbed series at the Barnes and Noble doesn’t matter.  The books are available in print—from Amazon.  And I do get checks from CreateSpace each month…there are still readers wanting print.

But are they just getting most of their print books from Amazon now?

I used to go to the B&N all the time, but I haven’t been for a long while.  However, I buy at least two or three books a week.  Online.

How do you buy your books?  How do you discover them?  Thoughts on why I don’t hear from readers wondering why my self-pubbed books aren’t in the B&N?

 

 

The post Readers and Self-Pub appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Your Novel’s Language: How Can You Beat the Blah?

Guest Post by Jack Smith

You have an interesting and compelling premise for your novel.  Your logline is snappy and fetching.  Your characters are complex with complex relationships between them.  Your plot is lock-step, every thread tied up.  Your setting is interesting.

Yet the writing itself isn’t working—it seems drab.  A sample of ten to fifty pages will most likely not get past the agent or editor.  Great idea, but needs considerable work.  Give this thing some flair.

And so now is the time to do some major fine-tuning on the language itself.

What can you do?  There are probably fifty things, but consider two general areas:

Look at the pacing of your novel.  I wouldn’t call pacing “flow” exactly because sometimes you don’t want the language to flow smoothly—and it’s possible to think of flow in this restricted sense—but don’t.  After all, you might go for intense at times: bang, bang, bang, with a strong beat to it.  Even monotonous at times (though watch this) if it’s in keeping with the character, who is decidedly monotonous.  Still other times, it needs to be jerky, reflecting the mood or feeling of a character who’s about to lose it.  The pacing needs to reflect the mood of the passage, whether it’s character thought or action.  And it needs to move readers, keeping them gripped.  How do you manage this? Here are a few possible techniques:

o   Try varying your sentences.  Choose long sentences for one effect, short ones for a different effect.  In a scene, characters might answer each other in abbreviated replies or in long-winded replies (not easily managed unless you’re going for irony of some kind).  Either choice will affect the pacing to create the kind of mood and tone you’re after.  Varying your sentences will also create interesting variety for your reader.

o   Use repetition of words, phrases, and sounds.  This knits the language together and works nicely if the words or phrases are interesting.  The risk, of course, is phrases that just create dull repetition.  For repetition of sounds, make use of assonance and alliteration.  I especially find that alliteration goes a long way in creating the texture of the prose.

Look at the language itself.  Does it have any flair, anything special about it, any interesting similes, metaphors, or analogies?  Find ways to transform the writing so that it is colorful (anything but purple…)  If the language is utterly quotidian, everything will be because this is the medium of the novel—language.  I’ll back off on the figurative language suggestion and say that language which is highly specific and concrete—however the latter is achieved—goes a long way.  It’s true that compelling imagery is often achieved by figurative comparison, yet well-chosen sharp detail can accomplish the same thing.   Expository writing is particularly subject to dull language.  Even if it’s character meditation, thought, and feelings of a sympathetic character, then the risk of mundane prose is ripe.  To dress up internal “talk,” go for those concrete images as much as possible.

A novel with all the requisite ingredients—plot, character, setting—is only halfway there if the language itself gets in the way.  The novel’s language needs to move readers.  I’ve suggested only a few ways to fine-tune the novel’s language, but there are, of course, numerous things you can do.  You can try stylistic elements like italics or capitalization; you can be creative with conventions such as quotation marks around dialogue; you can be elliptical in your narrative prose—as well as in your scenes.  Do everything possible—that works, of course, with your particular novel—to charm your reader.  Language is the medium.

Jack Smith is author of the novel Hog to Hog, which won the George Garrett FictionPrize (Texas Review Press. 2008), and is also the author of Write and Revise for Publication: A 6-Month Plan for Crafting an Exceptional Novel and Other Works of Fiction, published earlier this year by Writer’s Digest. His novel ICON will be published in June by Serving House Books.

Over the years, Smith’s short stories have appeared in North American Review, Night Train, Texas Review, and Southern Review, to name a few. He has also written some 20 articles for Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, as well as a dozen or so pieces for The Writer. He has published reviews in numerous literary journals, including Ploughshares, Georgia Review, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, American Review, Mid-American Review, and the Iowa Review.

The post Your Novel’s Language: How Can You Beat the Blah? 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.

Tropes: combine them for more originality:  http://ow.ly/AKmhp

Pitching Tips:  http://ow.ly/AKjDi @Eric_Haywood @scriptmag

‘Retail stonewalling’ and Amazon sightings in bookstores:  http://ow.ly/ASeoa @Porter_Anderson  @TheFutureBook

Why Creative Side Projects Are Good for You:  http://ow.ly/ASzNo @kevanlee

What Writers Can Learn from Illustrators:  http://ow.ly/ASAFO @stephens_helen   

Making Time to Write: 4 Tips From a Writing Superstar:  http://ow.ly/ASA9l @writers_write

Playtime with Amazon’s Search Engine:  http://ow.ly/ASAjr @JFBookman

The Importance of a Writing Group:  http://ow.ly/ASAbx @DanaLeipold

What Went Wrong? Story Conflict and How to Make it Stronger:  http://ow.ly/ASAIa @fictionnotes

How to Write Scary:  http://ow.ly/ASAmf  @GretchenMcNeil

If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?  http://ow.ly/ASzWI @JFGibsonWriter

Does Your Series Tell a “Bigger Story”? http://ow.ly/ASA6X @susanspann

What Makes a Southern Gothic:  http://ow.ly/ASA4T @MartinaABoone

6 Vital Questions to ask your First Readers:  http://ow.ly/ASApx  @karenschrav

Self-Publishing And The Bookstrapper’s Guide To Book Marketing:  http://ow.ly/ASzHz @thecreativepenn

Tips for Releasing Your Inner Poe:  http://ow.ly/ASCm4  @robinrwrites

4 Methods for Outlining Your Book:  http://ow.ly/ASCuD @DIYMFA

31 Benefits of Free-Writing:  http://ow.ly/ASD1F  @originalimpulse

A cautionary comic for aspiring authors and illustrators via @inkyelbows http://ow.ly/ASCTO

Ramp up your writing speed:  http://ow.ly/ASCD9  @nicolapittam

What Do Acquisition Editors Really Want?   http://ow.ly/ASCfJ  @shay_goodman

6 Side Effects Only Writers Experience:  http://ow.ly/AKkO3 @mangotrinity

My Critique Partner, Myself:  http://ow.ly/AKkyp @JustBethanne

Top 5 Paid Indie Book Review Services Compared:  http://ow.ly/AKkXL @selfpubreview

Create an Ensemble Book Cast:  http://ow.ly/AKlh7 @robinrwrites

How Important Is Solitude to a Writer?  http://ow.ly/AKm2q @navaatlas2

Questions for indies paired with questions for Amazon: http://ow.ly/ASehR @Porter_Anderson @HughHowey

A Memoir Is Not a Status Update:  http://ow.ly/AKmDC @newyorker @danijshapiro

8 Screenwriting Tips That Will Help You in the Long Run:  http://ow.ly/AKjpt @nofilmschool

Writer envy:  http://ow.ly/AKl7G  @chuckwendig

7 Habits of Highly Effective Writers:  http://ow.ly/AKjcY @writers_write

Great Writing Moments From ‘The Simpsons’:  http://ow.ly/AKko8

Procrastinating on a Writing Project? Use the 300 Words Trick:  http://ow.ly/AKkca @charliegilkey

Living With A Writer: What You Need To Know:  http://ow.ly/AKllB  @madeinlowell

Speech accommodation in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AQYg3 @mkinberg

On What Disturbs, Then Nourishes:  http://ow.ly/AKneS @danijshapiro

Cautionary comic for writers (and illustrators) @inkyelbows http://ow.ly/AKjYm

10 Ways Your Novel Will Kill You http://ow.ly/AHvN8 @thepraguerevue

17 Tips for Successful Book Giveaways:  http://ow.ly/AHqUe @111publishing

How to write a bio about yourself or someone else:  http://ow.ly/AHsZu  @bettymliu

How to Make Time to Write:  http://ow.ly/AHvmJ @BlotsandPlots

10 Obsolete Beliefs that Can Block Self-Publishing Success:  http://ow.ly/AHuiK @annerallen

Deepen Conflict By Forcing Your Hero To Embrace The Gray of Morality: http://ow.ly/AHrSa @angelaackerman

Writing Dialogue: Lose the Said?  http://ow.ly/AHtwG @lindasclare

Fitting a Prequel into Your Series:  http://ow.ly/AHrmh @RJCrayton

6 Reasons to Self-Publish: http://ow.ly/AHsC9  @tianawarner

Word Count or Time Goal? Which Gets More Writing Done? http://ow.ly/AHvXQ  @writewithwarnie

Write Your Way to More:  http://ow.ly/AHrgh  @JordanRosenfeld

Are Pre-Orders Right For You?  http://ow.ly/AHu1Y @authornordin

7 Writing Tips We Learned From Our Dogs:  http://ow.ly/AHr3W @WritingSisters

Goodreads Giveaways: Don’t Do What You’re Told:  http://ow.ly/AHtiq @cathryanhoward

Nailing Your Novel’s Genre in Your Opening Scene:  http://ow.ly/AHtGY @CSLakin

The I-Don’t-Have-Any-Time Hour-a-Day Book Marketing Plan: http://ow.ly/AHtRZ @JohnKremer

Five Dont’s for Indie Writers:  http://ow.ly/AFfEL @kimberlyShursen @BookUnderground

The Importance of Comps:  http://ow.ly/AFey2 @cathychall

Outlining Might Not Be The Only Way To Begin Your Writing Process:  http://ow.ly/AFfIG @moranchaim

Selling Your Poetry Book: http://ow.ly/AFeA8 @QuincyRLehr {lang.}

Hooking Your Reader:  http://ow.ly/AFfx4  @CarolAnneMalone

5 Tips for Submitting Your Work: Help From an Editor:  http://ow.ly/AFelv  @Margo_L_Dill

General Advice for New Writers:  http://ow.ly/AFet8  @KatZhang

10 Self Published Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors Speak Out On Indie Publishing:  http://ow.ly/AFeuT @psyphi

10 Notes from the Trenches of Development Hell Exposed by Working Writers: http://ow.ly/AFex5 @TheElf26

Copy Editing Wizardry Tricks:  http://ow.ly/AFfed  @HelenBozz @PenandMuse

Why Spec Scripts Fail:  Failure To Do Your Homework:  http://ow.ly/AFf6l @stewartfarquhar

On Finding Success as a Writer:  http://ow.ly/AFerB @DanBlank @writerunboxed

Gifts of the Journey : Writing about Family History:  http://ow.ly/AFeWs @UNTILtheROBIN

The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags:  http://ow.ly/AFeqy @TheRyanLanz

Author and micro-publisher Joanna Penn on living a creative entrepreneurial life:  http://ow.ly/AFf0f @thecreativepenn @trevoryoung

Dead Authors’ Homes:  http://ow.ly/AFeFy @DanPiepenbring @parisreview

8 Important Promo Questions to Ask Before You Publish Your Book:  http://ow.ly/AEPuv @ticewrites

5 qualities published authors share:  http://ow.ly/AEPri @writers_write

Descriptivism and Word Lists:  http://ow.ly/AEPHq @woodwardkaren

5 Guidelines for Approaching Book Review Bloggers:  http://ow.ly/AEPGE  @MarcyKennedy

Self-Publishing Confession: I have no idea why this book is selling.  http://ow.ly/AEQrx @passivevoiceblg

Hearing voices allowed Charles Dickens to create extraordinary fictional worlds:  http://ow.ly/AEPKt @guardianbooks

How to Get Reviews for Your FIRST Book:  http://ow.ly/AEQVw @goblinwriter

Freelancers: How to Write an Opening Sentence:  http://ow.ly/AEQ1I

Writing Basics: The Inciting Event:  http://ow.ly/AEQPa @Janice_Hardy

To Achieve Diversity In Publishing, A Difficult Dialogue Beats Silence: http://ow.ly/AEQEN @NPR

Whatever happened to writing for love, not money? (sparking some animated comments) http://ow.ly/AEPP0 @TelegraphBooks @sameerahim

Literary experimentation gains popularity:  http://ow.ly/AEPxB @thomas_mac

Networking for Writers: Dos and Dont’s:  http://ow.ly/AER2V  @mdilloway

We Regret to Inform You | Literary Rejections http://ow.ly/AEQej @LitRejections

Who Can Effectively Challenge Amazon in the Book Business? [Smart Set] : http://ow.ly/AEPF7 @Janefriedman

3 Tips for Self-Publishing Success:  http://ow.ly/AEPIY @JulieMusil

Fear of beginnings, and fear of sequels:  http://ow.ly/AD8al @juliettewade

On Writing Practice Novels:  http://ow.ly/AD9PT @ava_jae

The Secret to Writing:  http://ow.ly/ADa2x  @JLArmentroutFan

Build a Story, but Leave the Door Open http://ow.ly/AD86p @mooderino

Characters who make believable choices:  http://ow.ly/AD8db

Prologue and Epilogue:  http://ow.ly/ADb8U  @Diana_Hurwitz

Amazon Forum Discussions:  http://ow.ly/AD9Zs  @YHERTZBE

How To Diversify on Social Media:  http://ow.ly/ADb6M @KateBrauning

How to write a character’s inner dialogue: http://ow.ly/AD7Y0 @heathermackey

Little Things That Make World Building Work:  http://ow.ly/AD9Ss @RC_Lewis

Character Voice:  http://ow.ly/AD9Ln  @Savage_Woman

Use, Usage, and Utilize http://ow.ly/ADbgA  @ErinMFeldman

How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading:  http://ow.ly/AGkZh @KMWeiland

Common Writer Advice Revised:  http://ow.ly/AD9UO @HeatherJacksonW

How Not to Start a Novel: Four Things to Avoid on Page One:  http://ow.ly/ADa86 @Janice_Hardy @annerallen

Planning a Writing Retreat http://ow.ly/ADbek @RedWillowDesign

4 Lessons from ’24′: http://ow.ly/AD7RY @NMusch

6 Tips to Champion Your Story:  http://ow.ly/Awoxw  @LyndaRYoung

Concerning Subplots:  http://ow.ly/Awp2T @Novelicious

Deep POV is Not the Only POV:  http://ow.ly/AwoXx @Janice_Hardy

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

Keeping Our Books Current

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

My thirteen year old daughter uses an iPod device for most of her communications (which only works when on wi-fi) but also has a basic phone for when she’s away from wi-fi or needs to make calls. But she rarely uses the phone.

She discovered recently that she had voice mails on it.  But she was having a hard time accessing them.

Sadly, I was doing something else every single time she brought this up over a period of several days.  This is something I try hard to avoid as a parent.  My goal is to be 100% focused on my children as they are speaking with me.  But on these occasions I was either driving on an interstate highway in heavy traffic,  cooking something rather complicated, or doing some sort of multitasking (poorly, I’m sure) during these conversations.

Finally, on the fourth or fifth occasion of her mentioning that she couldn’t access her voice mails, I sat down with her.

“Show me exactly what you’re doing,” I said.

“So, the voice mailbox asks me to enter my password and then hit ‘pound’,” she said.  “And I’m positive I’m putting in the right password, but it keeps telling me I’m wrong.”

“Show me,” I said.

She then proceeded to hit the asterisk on her keyboard.”

“Whoa, whoa!” I said, “That’s not the pound key!”

She frowned at me.  “It’s not? Which one is pound?”

I pointed to it.

“That one? But that’s the hashtag.”

I stared at her.  So…this generation doesn’t even know what a pound symbol is?

“It is a hashtag.  But it used to be called ‘pound,” I explained. “It’s also called a number sign.”

“Well, why wouldn’t they call it a hashtag?  That’s what it is!” she said in complete frustration.

It reminded me again about the huge gulf between generations.  It feels like it’s constantly widening with the quickly changing technology. And there are only 30 years between my daughter and myself.

This made me think…again…about my books and keeping them current.

Although my strategy may eventually change, I’m now making very few references in my books that could potentially date them.

The times when I do make references (usually to technology, but now I’m even leery about mentioning Saturday mail delivery, etc.) I make note of them in a separate document.

There will be a time when I won’t mind that my books are charmingly dated.  But that time might honestly be after I’m dead.  Right now, I’m finding the appeal in making my Myrtle stories as timeless as I possibly can.

One thing about digital publishing is that we can always go back in and tinker with it. I guess that’s a blessing and a curse.

This is not to say that I don’t read books that act as period pieces because I do and I love them.  I’m just not at the point that I want my books to be that way.  If I know I’m reading a book first published in the 70s, a reference to a pay phone or a rotary phone isn’t a bit jarring. But it could be distracting to a reader who wasn’t immediately aware they were reading an older book….and digital books don’t yellow like mass market paperbacks.

Right now, I wouldn’t want a reader to hit a wall with my story the way my daughter did with the pound symbol.

At some point I suppose I’ll let go of this, although I’m not sure when that will be. Heck, maybe I won’t….maybe I’ll include eccentric provisions in my will instructing my poor executor to make regular updates to my books.  Complete with a list of all questionable references that might require updating.

Technology is so integrated into our daily lives that we can’t not talk about it.  But my references are fairly general.  How do you feel about dated books?  Do you deliberately avoid mentioning Twitter or LinkedIn in your stories?  Would you ever consider updating your books…or are you already updating them?

 

The post Keeping Our Books Current appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading

by K.M. Weiland, @KMWeiland

Backstory is a weapon. And just like any weapon, it can end up doing more harm than good to those who wield it without proper experience and care. But in the hands of a writer who knows exactly what it’s capable of and how to wield it to advantage, backstory can take even ordinary stories to extraordinary places.

Arguably, the most important function of backstory is its ability to hook readers’ curiosity. Forget explaining the protagonist’s past and what motivates him. Try not explaining it. When we let readers know there’s something delicious and dark in a character’s past, without telling them what that something is, we’ll hook their curiosity so deeply they’ll keep reading just to solve the mystery.

Charlotte Brontë understood how to wield the weapon of backstory as well any author. In her beloved Gothic romance Jane Eyre (which I analyze in-depth in my book Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic), she creates almost her entire plot out of the tantalizing hunt for the backstory. What can you learn from her and how can you apply it to your own novel? Start by answering the following questions.

What Is Your Backstory?

Before you can use backstory to hook readers, you first have to have a backstory. When creating your characters’ histories, look beyond just the obvious necessities of birthplace and parents. Look for secrets. Look for tragedy and shame. Look for hidden motivations. You don’t want to bore readers with tedious home videos. You want to thrill them with tabloid-worthy escapades.

Protagonist Jane Eyre’s tragic backstory is shared straight-up (for the most part). However, the story is powered by her need to uncover the shocking history of her mysterious employer Mr. Rochester. Something strange and possibly supernatural is afoot in the tower of Mr. Rochester’s Thornfield Hall, and he hints to Jane, again and again, that the mystery is all tied up in the sins of his youth. What better incentive for readers to keep reading?

How Does Your Backstory Power the Plot?

Even relatively mundane backstories can capture readers’ attention, but only if they matter to the story as a whole. An outrageous skeleton in the family closet only becomes interesting if it affects the outcome of the central conflict. Why does the discovery of the backstory matter to the protagonist? How will it help or hinder him in obtaining his main story goal?

Mr. Rochester’s history isn’t important just because Jane happens to be curious about him. As it turns out, its revelation—in one of the most enduringly and delightfully shocking moments in literature—affects Jane’s every hope of happiness and love. Readers are more than just curious about Brontë’s backstory; they care about the backstory because of how sharply it will turn the plot and affect all the characters.

What Is Your Backstory’s Hook?

Once you’ve come up with a great backstory and figured out why it is an integral piece within your main plot, you then have to artfully plant its hook. You must let readers know there is a great backstory without giving too much away. One or two solid details will often be enough to get the ball rolling, especially if you solidify their importance by making some of the characters adamant about hiding the past, just as other characters are adamant about uncovering it.

Brontë builds her hook into the very walls of Thornfield Hall. From the moment Jane arrives in the symbolically dark and dusty manor, readers sense something is afoot. The housekeeper warns Jane to stay away from the tower, Rochester himself speaks of the great mistakes of his youth, and creepy laughter wafts through the halls at night. With minimum effort, Brontë hooks her readers for the long haul.

How Can You Tantalize Readers With Clues?

After that first hook, keep the clues coming. To some extent, you can repeat some of those clues, since all you’re needing to do is keep reminding readers of their curiosity. But eventually, you’re going to have to add new information. The trick, of course, is to provide new clues to whet the readers’ appetite without giving away the whole mystery.

A good rule of thumb on backstory is to avoid sharing information until it becomes vital to the story. Clues need to be more than just breadcrumbs of information; they need to each be catalysts that drive the plot.

Brontë is one of the best at scattering her clues. She deftly adds new information, leading readers right up to the brink of the truth, only to cleverly misdirect them into believing what they think is the truth can’t possibly be right.

Why Will Your Backstory’s Payoff Matter to the Story?

Readers wait throughout your entire story to reach the truth about the backstory. You can’t afford to disappoint them. This is why it’s so important to come up with a humdinger of a backstory in the beginning. If you tantalize readers with promises of shocking discoveries only to back off in the end and say, “Surprise! The butler did it!”—they’ll probably chuck your book across the room.

Brontë perfectly times the revelation of Mr. Rochester’s backstory. The revelation arrives at the crucial Third Plot Point (at the end of the Second Act), which allows it to be the catalyst that powers Jane’s decisions and actions throughout the climactic Third Act. Every bit as important as the timing, Rochester’s backstory is just as powerful and moving as Brontë promised her readers it would be. Anything less, and we would have been disappointed. Instead, we were transported.

Powerful backstory can elevate otherwise commonplace stories to astonishing heights. Without Rochester’s backstory, Jane Eyre is just another nice tale of a poor orphaned governess falling in love with her wealthy employer. With that backstory, it has become a timeless classic that has thrilled and moved centuries’ of readers. With the right backstory, your story could do the same!

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

The post How to Use Backstory to Keep Readers Reading 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.

Screenwriting Lessons: ‘The Social Network’: Handling Exposition: http://ow.ly/ApZcW @gointothestory

Don’t forget your name. That’s what sells books.  http://ow.ly/ApZLL @venturegalleries

5 Things Learned While Writing a Novella:  http://ow.ly/Aq009  @YAMisfits

Scare Quotes Are Not All That Scary:  http://ow.ly/Aq02e @CSLakin

Uses for Helping Verbs: http://ow.ly/ApZoN @writing_tips               

Things to Think About When Writing Strong Women:  http://ow.ly/AtSBW @AdamDreece

8 ways to encourage inspiration: http://ow.ly/AtStG @hjwilliams5

The Secret to Writing:  http://ow.ly/ADa2x  @JLArmentroutFan

Don’t Be Boring: Hints for Better Bookstore Events & Other Presentations: http://ow.ly/AtSLg @randysusanmeyer

4 Steps to the Ultimate Compelling Villain: http://ow.ly/AtSWP  @melissagmcphail

Writers Who Published Great Books Before Age 25:  http://ow.ly/AtSmz @flavorwire

Why we should give up our publishing dream (and self-publish instead): http://ow.ly/AtRu4 @creativindie

Why You Should Be Mercilessly Hacking Apart Your Favorite Stories:  http://ow.ly/ApZP2 @KMWeiland

Getting genetics right in fiction:  http://ow.ly/ApZFd @DanKoboldt

How To Write a Fight Scene:  http://ow.ly/ApZTN @doc_awesomeo

Character Skills and Talents: Promotion:  http://ow.ly/ApZNl @angelaackerman

Join today’s #FutureChat live chat on digital publishing topics:: 4 p.m. London time, 11 a.m. EST , 3 p.m. GMT (now)  with @Porter_Anderson

5 Silver Linings of Having A Day Job:  http://ow.ly/ApZQH @chris_shultz81

Twitter for Writers: 7 Quick Tips:  http://ow.ly/ApZgh @Belinda_Pollard

10 Reasons We’re Not Succeeding as Writers:  http://ow.ly/ApZo5

7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story:  http://ow.ly/ApzaG @kmweiland

Leading into a flashback:  http://ow.ly/ApzS3

Getting to a New Adult State of Mind:  http://ow.ly/ApzzX @ChanelCleeton

Choosing a Book Excerpt:  http://ow.ly/Apzrp @StephenHise

Fixing prepositional phrases:  http://ow.ly/ApAk9  @JordanMcCollum

Is Sitting Too Much Killing You? http://ow.ly/Apzo8 @lifehackorg

Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Subplots:  http://ow.ly/Apze6 @gointothestory

5 Things to Know about Working with Beta Readers:  http://ow.ly/Apzvk @CKMacleodwriter @CarlaJDouglas

The Importance of Journaling: http://ow.ly/Apz73 @chrstnejschmdt

Self-Publishing for Academics:  http://ow.ly/Apzcr @henrybaum

How a Writing Challenge Can Help You:  http://ow.ly/ApzEJ @diymfa

21 Writing Tips from a Fledgling Writer:  http://ow.ly/Apzip

Why You Need to Own Your Blog Site:  http://ow.ly/AoBsR @ninaamir

The Only Perfect Novel There Is:  http://ow.ly/AoBA8 @juliettefay

Organize Your Writing Project(s) via a Spreadsheet:  http://ow.ly/AoDhV  @RomanceUniv

Before You Hit Send… http://ow.ly/AoBpf @writerashley

Things to Consider When Considering Self -Publishing:  http://ow.ly/AoBxu @srjohannes

Important items to beware in a publishing contract: http://ow.ly/AoCGa @SusanSpann

Digital publishing and children:  http://ow.ly/Awnby @Porter_Anderson @camillelaguire

3 Reasons to Consider Writing a Novella Right Now:  http://ow.ly/AoD96 @kmweiland

9 Misconceptions About Space Travel:  http://ow.ly/AoCRx  @DanKoboldt

5 Tips for Titles: http://ow.ly/AqTHl @authorterryo

Lists for Life and Writing:  5 Lessons Learned:  http://ow.ly/AwtYM  @freshfiction

How to Digitally Organize Your Writing Files: http://ow.ly/AoBCK @amshofner

Know When to Act Out (A Scene):  http://ow.ly/AoD5A @lindasclare

Guide to The Snowflake Method:  http://ow.ly/AoDmf @SnowflakeGuy

Writing as Therapy:  http://ow.ly/AoBn3 @fictorians

Writers’ Conference Tips:  http://ow.ly/AoB0M @ForewordLit

From Distraction to Inspiration in 4 Easy Steps:  http://ow.ly/AoB4c @AnthonyEhlers

A Crash Course in Horror Subgenres:  http://ow.ly/AoB5y @MarcyKennedy

Building Suspense in Captivity:  http://ow.ly/AoB8F  @RayneHall

Talking About Conflict: Harmony vs Discipline:  http://ow.ly/AoAYT @woodwardkaren

How To Write A Screenplay You Can Sell:  http://ow.ly/AoAPN @goodinaroom

14 Book Covers Before And After They Were Turned Into Movies:  http://ow.ly/AoAID @IsaacFitzgerald

Picking the perfect name for your character:  http://ow.ly/AoAxm @JordanMcCollum

Writers Who Didn’t Study Writing: http://ow.ly/AoAMv @BookishHQ

Why telling is as important as showing:  http://ow.ly/AoACE @standoutbooks

Script To Screen: “The Cider House Rules”:  http://ow.ly/AoAKz @gointothestory

Worried You Won’t Follow Through? Bet Your Friends.  http://ow.ly/AoAVw @99u

Coping rituals in crime fiction:  http://ow.ly/AqU2Y @mkinberg

4 Things NOT To Do When Writing Mysteries:  http://ow.ly/AqTNb @clarissadraper

‘If Only I Could Find the Time to Write’:  http://ow.ly/AoMI8  @brandigranett

5 Creative Writing Projects You Can Do Today:  http://ow.ly/AoMGl @makeuseof

The 6 Habits of Highly Tormented Writers:  http://ow.ly/AoN5S @gripemaster

Build Your Writing Practice:  http://ow.ly/AoMVt @diymfa

Lev Grossman: My depression helped inspire the Magicians trilogy: http://ow.ly/AoIsr @salon @magiciansbook

High Concept Defined:  http://ow.ly/AqTpT @SusanKelley

Robert McKee And Characterization vs Character:  http://ow.ly/AoMyh @woodwardkaren

Prose & Conversation: Death of the Short Story:  http://ow.ly/AoMsr @cathinnorway

Plotting For Pantsers:  http://ow.ly/AoMwN @edenbaylee

Novel Stuck? 3 Ways to Get Unstuck:  http://ow.ly/AnHl8 @fictionnotes

Romance 101: Marriages of Convenience:  http://ow.ly/AnHzA  @_ImAnAdult

Keeping track of small details in our story:  http://ow.ly/AnHql @JodyBaileyDay

Mystery Writing–Familial DNA:  http://ow.ly/AqSyz @djswykert

How to write a terrible novel:  http://ow.ly/AnH44 @karenschrav

Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Narrative Framework: http://ow.ly/AnFNv @gointothestory

Writing Hacks During the Revision Process:  http://ow.ly/AnGn3  @SeanGrigsby

How To Stop Twitter AutoDMs: http://ow.ly/AnG3R @loriculwell

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/AnGwH @CSLakin

6 Branding Tips for Writers and Authors: http://ow.ly/AnG6j @ninaamir

Tips For Gaining New Followers on Your Blog:  http://ow.ly/AnFRO @RamiUngarWriter

Visual Writing Prompt: A Harmless Vice:  http://ow.ly/AnF1Z @megwolfewrites

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