Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 133
June 15, 2014
Reassessing Goals at Mid-Year
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I dislike resolutions, but I do like setting goals. I know that June isn’t the popular month for setting goals that January is, but it’s a great time to do a mid-year checkup on our goals.
If we’re not where we want to be, my advice is to scrap the January goals completely and start fresh. Feeling forced to play catch-up is really unpleasant.
The most important thing, I think, for writing goals is to make them no-brainers. Something so easy that we can pile up a bunch of successes in our goal-meeting. I’ll reiterate my advice for goal setting that I posted in January.
Three tips for making mid-year goals reachable:
Set goals for the rest of the year—and make them very easy to meet. See how modest you can make those goals and still reach your end-goal.
Break those goals down into small parts—small enough to be items on a to-do list or calendar. Instead of “finish my book,” I’ve found it’s more effective to break it down into smaller deadlines: “finish chapter ten by July 1,” (maybe accompanied with a note on the calendar) or list 10 ways to approach _____scene (a difficult scene we might be facing). Or even “write 15 minutes each day for 5 of the next 7 days.”
Track and post accomplishments. To me, this is key for keeping motivated. I keep ticked off items on my to-do list and print out online calendars that show past days’ completed items. Or we can post our progress on our blogs or websites.
To help with setting new goals, I’m linking to a free writing goals worksheet created by Gabriela Pereira at DIY MFA.
Have you ever done a mid-year goal check-in? What tips have you got for making goals manageable and sticking with it?
Image: MorgueFile: Dhester
The post Reassessing Goals at Mid-Year appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 14, 2014
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.
Romance Writing: Description: Choosing the Right Words: http://ow.ly/xKUfJ @taliaqui
How to Keep Your Writing in Your Over-the-Top Busy Life: http://ow.ly/xKTBQ @writeabook
16 go-to sources for copyright-cleared images: http://ow.ly/xKTWl @KatelynPiontek
Tips for better-using MS Word: http://ow.ly/xKTDO @byondpapr
Should I Sit, Stand, Run, or Recline at My Desk? http://ow.ly/xKTnv @melaniepinola
Get the Scoop on Fair Image Usage: http://ow.ly/xKTRv @douglangille @beccapuglisi
Stretch Your Author Creative Capital a la Spanx: http://ow.ly/xKTwn @wherewriterswin
Choosing a pen name and connecting to one on Amazon: http://ow.ly/xKU6J @loislewauthor
Why Eimear McBride’s Prize-Winning ‘Girl’ Is Not On Sale In The US: http://ow.ly/xXKhD @Coffee_House_ @Porter_Anderson
Gearing up for #FutureBookHack: 5 Challenges: http://ow.ly/xXKzX @TheFutureBook @Porter_Anderson
What Is the Value of Traditional Publishers? http://ow.ly/xXL4T @Janefriedman
Frogs, Hot Water, and the 7 Deadly Sins: Making Trouble for Characters: http://ow.ly/xXLvM @manmartin1
Turning points in screen narratives: http://ow.ly/xKTHr @medkno
The Importance of Killer Sidekicks: http://ow.ly/xKTln @susanspann
How to Find Your Hidden Creative Genius: http://ow.ly/xKUbL @james_clear
Writing Historical Fiction for Dyslexic Readers: http://ow.ly/xKU1E @CarolineLawrenc
How To Succeed At Screenwriting: Set Goals: http://ow.ly/xKTYQ @gointothestory
12 Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking: http://ow.ly/xKTJ2 @gointothestory
A Writer’s Block Breaker: 30 Songs For 30 Chapters: http://ow.ly/xKTKE @roniloren
Redefining Teen Romance: On Writing Sex, Love and Emotions: http://ow.ly/xKTNj @diymfa @wendyluwrites
Writing A Publishable Novel: What “Finally Getting It” Really Means: http://ow.ly/xKUid @storyfix
Narrative, Plot, and Story: http://ow.ly/xL3IO @writing_tips
Writing Your Memoirs: 3 Places to Find Two Days: http://ow.ly/xL3R0 @alainsworth
How to create tension in your writing: http://ow.ly/xL3ku @nownovel
Why Words Matter in Fiction and Story: http://ow.ly/xL3na @noveleditor
A complete guide to minimalist writing: http://ow.ly/xL3m8 @minimalstudent
Rejection letters publishers sent to 11 great authors: http://ow.ly/xL3Fa @IndoEnts
Instagram Gets Literary: http://ow.ly/xL3OZ @therivetermag
The Evolution Of Storytelling In Video Games: http://ow.ly/xL3tC @ParadeMagazine @willydubz
Dialogue Writing Tips from Bartleby Snopes: http://ow.ly/xL3Hu @A_WritersStudio
12 Things Every Indie Author Needs to Know: http://ow.ly/xL3yS @TherinKnite
Writing Hated Characters: A Study in Snape: http://ow.ly/xL3w5 @emilyekmurdoch
The 4 Worst Places for Freelance Writers to Start: http://ow.ly/xL3Gv @ticewrites
7 Lessons for Writers from The Fault in Our Stars: http://ow.ly/xL3qC @jeffgoins
Presence on the Page: What It Is, and What It Isn’t : http://ow.ly/xL3B5 @manzanitafire
Can You Describe Your Book Market? http://ow.ly/xL3pe @ninaamir
5 Reasons to Write a Short Book Fast: http://ow.ly/xMlpI @ninaamir
Author Website Design 101: http://ow.ly/xMlV6 @MKAlexander1
The Serious Novel isn’t Dead, It Won: http://ow.ly/xMl5s @mharoldpage
Writing in Plain Language – How to remove meaningless phrases: http://ow.ly/xMlex @writers_write
How To See If A Domain Name, or URL, Is Available: http://ow.ly/xMl1C @travisnward
8 Most Common Editing Errors In Self-Published Books: http://ow.ly/xMlwy @selfpubreview
How a Good TV Show Can Help You Write (and Edit) Your Novel : http://ow.ly/xMlsg @chicklitgurrl
The Dangerous Trap of Forced Writing: http://ow.ly/xMlB5 @Awesome_Dawn
Talents and Skills Thesaurus Entry: Basic First Aid: http://ow.ly/xMkLf @beccapuglisi
What Poets Know That Most Writers Don’t: http://ow.ly/xMl91 @schwamb
How to Buy an ISBN: http://ow.ly/xMkTA @travisnward
How to Pitch Yourself: Young Eudora Welty’s Charming Job Application to The New Yorker | http://ow.ly/xMlkx @brainpicker
5 Tips for Effective Author Marketing: Small is the New Big: http://ow.ly/xMlJv
An Agent Answers Questions: http://ow.ly/xMlDG @agentmilburn
Turning your poetry dabbling into a marketing tool: http://ow.ly/xMkX3 @magdalenaball
Will One Bad Book Ruin Your Career? http://ow.ly/xMlaA @jamesscottbell
5 Must Know Websites for the Independent Filmmaker: http://ow.ly/xMr7j @talenthouse
How Millennials Use Technology in Writing: http://ow.ly/xMszW @MSaintGermain
5 Experiences Writing Fiction Gives You (That Other Things Can’t): http://ow.ly/xMuLs @vgrefer
Screenwriting: Here’s Why Women-Driven Films Are Important: http://ow.ly/xMv11 @aokorycinski
Case Study: When Your Concept is Also a Paradox: http://ow.ly/xMq4w @storyfix
9 self-pub podcasts to listen to: http://ow.ly/xMqjs @AnthonyVenutolo
Finishing the Novel: Daily Task of “Getting it Done”: http://ow.ly/xMq1Z @elissafield
Is Writing Hard? 7 Ways to Make it Easier: http://ow.ly/xMsc7 @DeniseDrespling
7 Signs You Should Cut Your Prologue: http://ow.ly/xJeya @ava_jae
Writing: Find time or make time in 22 quick tips: http://ow.ly/xJdWc @rchazzchute
How to Put Together an Anthology: http://ow.ly/xJe9m @wickerkat
Character Flaws: http://ow.ly/xJe4m @ritahenuber
6 Things to Keep in Mind When Gathering Testimonials/Book Blurbs: http://ow.ly/xJdKs @writersdigest
Why Your Writing Sounds Weird (And What You Can Do About It): http://ow.ly/xJebN @joebunting
Are You the Writer’s Block? http://ow.ly/xJehD @BookEmDonna
Chekhov’s gun and the mental inventory: http://ow.ly/xJe0q @PhilAthans
Trust your Readers: http://ow.ly/xJez5 @karencv
The Secret Sauce for Indie Publishers: Attitude: http://ow.ly/xJe5P @ninaamir
Genres Promise Certain Emotions: Are you Keeping Your Promise? http://ow.ly/xJe1Z @fictionnotes
Working theme into novels: http://ow.ly/xJe6Y @CSLakin
3 Critical Steps to Writing Success: http://ow.ly/xJecB @jeffgoins
5 Motives For Animals in Fiction: http://ow.ly/xJdZf @pyrosama
These Writing Myths Will Keep You From Getting Published: http://ow.ly/xJeeS @jffelkins
Growing Readership By ‘Lighting Up Your Writing’: http://ow.ly/xJenf @Claudsy1
Humourous Quotes About Writing: http://ow.ly/xJe8j @blogher
5 Challenges for this weekend’s #FutureBookHack: http://ow.ly/xQqrA @RickJoyce @Porter_Anderson
Write a killer climax that leaves readers breathless: http://ow.ly/xHp6V @standoutbooks
Writing the Bittersweet Ending: http://ow.ly/xHnxA @mkhutchins
Manuscript Formatting and the Nuclear Option: http://ow.ly/xHptX @AuthorMelindaC
How to finally make it as a writer: http://ow.ly/xHp3V @jennaavery
3 Reasons Why Letters and Diaries Are Essential to Your Story: http://ow.ly/xHpwX @epbure
3 Cautions For Adding Research Into Stories: http://ow.ly/xHnv1 @jodyhedlund
Self Publishing Blog: http://ow.ly/xHppZ @bibliocrunch
What’s wrong with Your Story? On narrating a tale: http://ow.ly/xHoVR @davidfarland
How to Raise the Stakes in Our Story: http://ow.ly/xHoxd @jamigold
Burying the Hachette: http://ow.ly/xQq20 @writerunboxed @KeithCronin
5 Lessons from the Self-Publishing Front Lines: http://ow.ly/xHoBB @KerryGans
Control Your Life/Get Out of Yourself: http://ow.ly/xHnJW @katweyer
Giving Your Characters A Little Umph: http://ow.ly/xHplZ @larin20
Things Change and Yet Some Publishing Truths Remain the Same: http://ow.ly/xHpdh @author_sullivan
Contracts: One Little “s” Can Change Everything – Nelson Literary Agency: http://ow.ly/xHnsr
Superheroes conquer the literary novel: http://ow.ly/xHnBa @guardianbooks
Embrace Constraints: http://ow.ly/xHoHi @99u
A Screenwriter Answers Students: What’s the best way to break into the business? http://ow.ly/xHoqY @KenLevine
13 Essential Summer Reads According to Book Critics in 1852: http://ow.ly/xGxIj @nickgreene
Judging Short Fiction: http://ow.ly/xGxN6 @writerunboxed
Utilizing Deep POV: http://ow.ly/xMhc1 @cluculzwriter
The Amazon/Hachette Battle and Why It’s Great to Be a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/xGxDK @miralsattar
10 Reasons You Should Be Writing Memoir Right Now: http://ow.ly/xGxzR @manzanitafire
What Your Proposal Says about You: http://ow.ly/xGxuE @marygkeeley
How To Format Your Query in 5 Easy Steps: http://ow.ly/xB1fC @carlywatters
Lessons From Jane Eyre: 5 Ways to Bring Minor Characters to Life: http://ow.ly/xGxxO @KMWeiland
How to make our story more accessible: http://ow.ly/xMh2u @JacksBlackPen
8 Tips for Writers Using Pinterest: http://ow.ly/xB0T6 @CaballoFrances
Simon & Schuster Offers New Author Tools: http://ow.ly/xMvhz @lorcadamon
12 Dead Authors to Follow On Twitter: http://ow.ly/xB10f @parchmentgirl37
Fast and Easy Edits: http://ow.ly/xB1jR @DianeBohannan
8 Steps For Getting Started on a Writing Career: http://ow.ly/xGxSR @jodyhedlund
Advice From Seth Godin Every Writer Needs to Know: http://ow.ly/xGy1s @Adderworld
How To Upload & Sell Ebooks On Google Play: http://ow.ly/xGy87 @mollygreene
9 Books About Authors: http://ow.ly/xGy3Q @flavorwire
Why You Don’’t Need to Escape for Inspiration: http://ow.ly/xB1lp @monicamclark
How Do Publishers Decide What Books to Turn Into Audiobooks? http://ow.ly/xGxWA @voicesdotcom
4 Questions to Ask to Make Your Scenes Pop: http://ow.ly/xB1i5 @Janice_Hardy
How to Achieve Writing Goals: http://ow.ly/xB14S @carol_brill
Villages in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/xLgXL @mkinberg
The Green-Eyed Conference Monster: http://ow.ly/xB0FQ @jaelmchenry @writerunboxed
Tips for Loosening up Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xB0nK @jodierennered
5 Steps to a New Adult Sex Scene: http://ow.ly/xB03a @AuthorTiffany
Pros and cons of including profanity in a novel: http://ow.ly/xB0AK from Clever Girl Helps
How Should I Publish? http://ow.ly/xAZTi @AuthorU
How to finally make it as a writer: http://ow.ly/xB0hA @jennaavery
4 Pieces of Facebook Advice You Can Ignore: http://ow.ly/xB0Ob @lisahallwilson
14 Common Mistakes With Prepositions: http://ow.ly/xz58o @Writers_Write
When the character doesn’’t know he’’s going to arc: http://ow.ly/xB0je @JordanMcCollum
Go Ahead—–Ignore Your Novel! http://ow.ly/xB0uL @cbramkamp
Writing ‘Rules’: Start in the Middle of Action: http://ow.ly/xz5hl @HGComan
Can authors get smarter with Amazon keywords and categories? Start here: http://ow.ly/xz4JI @roz_morris
Know Why You’’re Submitting Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xz4MK @NathanielTower
Medium admits pay-per-click isn’’t the best way to pay writers: http://ow.ly/xz5OY @mathewi
How to write an interesting prologue: http://ow.ly/xz5Zs from Clever Girl Helps
Agents vs editors: http://ow.ly/xz5nl @thebookseller
The Best Way to Deal With Emotional Conflict When Writing: http://ow.ly/xz3rZ @gemmaleehawdon
Put More Strings in Your Writing Bow: http://ow.ly/xz4xt @jamesscottbell
3 Reasons Why Writers Should Keep A Sentence-A-Day Journal: http://ow.ly/xxUH2 @clarissadraper
Avoid “Zero Days” to Form Better Habits: http://ow.ly/xz3Dd @calldrdave @lifehacker
How Do Different Characters Express Emotion? http://ow.ly/xxUTQ @skyefairwin
4 Writing Tips for Better Writing: http://ow.ly/xxUq4 @StratusInteract
10 writer’s tools that got 1 writer writing again: http://ow.ly/xxUO6 @writingmytruth
Be a better writer in 15 minutes: 4 TED-Ed lessons on grammar and word choice http://ow.ly/xxUe5 @TED_ED
7 Tips on Getting Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/xxUxH @travisnward
How To Hook Your Audience: http://ow.ly/xz4gv @PretenderSteve @CraigVanSickle1
How to handle character change slowly through the story’s course: http://ow.ly/xz4uc from Clever Girl Helps
Facing The Ying-Yang of Publishing Fears: http://ow.ly/xz3Oz @JulieeJohnsonn
Plotting, Pacing, and Crossing Over: http://ow.ly/xz4Bv @AnneGBrown
A quick test to determine if your protagonist is too static or unrealistic: http://ow.ly/xz3TO from Clever Girl Helps
How To Write For the 21st Century Reader: 6 Tips to Modernize Your Prose: http://ow.ly/xz4HW @annerallen
The Secret To Pixar’s Success: Failure: http://ow.ly/xz4cg @buzzfeed
Pick up the Pace for a Real Page-Turner: http://ow.ly/xxV9f @jodierennered
How Can Your Characters Make Others Believe Them? http://ow.ly/xxV47 @skyefairwin
When book sales are slow…: how to keep motivated: http://ow.ly/xx7jw @Roz_Morris
Creativity and Chaos: 3 ways organization gets your passion project off the ground: http://ow.ly/xx5GU @blinkist
Creating Matriarchies: http://ow.ly/xxbKI @mythcreants
The War Between ‘Authors’ and Writers: http://ow.ly/xx4FG @BV @vpostrel
Why 1 Writer Isn’t Publishing Paperbacks: http://ow.ly/xxakH @MikeWellsAuthor
Self-published authors: where you live doesn’t matter: http://ow.ly/xxbzr @chrisrobley
Tips for writing villains–villain theory: http://ow.ly/xxa5H from Clever Girl Helps
Editor’s Eyes: Writing Advice from Don Draper: http://ow.ly/xx9OK @KateBrauning
Dani Shapiro on Vulnerability, the Creative Impulse, the Writing Life, and How to Live with Presence: http://ow.ly/xx4SY @brainpicker
The Best Sounds for Getting Work Done http://ow.ly/xx9UL @kevinpurdy
Publishing’s southerly migration at BEA (and gnashing of teeth): http://ow.ly/xHfxP @Porter_Anderson
Gay Characters in Comics: The Bumpy Road of Marvel Comics in the Mid-2000s: http://ow.ly/xv4yV @GeeksOUT
Becoming Your Own Book Editor: 4 Tips For Better Book Editing: http://ow.ly/xv4tO @ebooksreloaded
Tips for writing a genius/prodigy: http://ow.ly/xx9kf from Clever Girl Helps
The Independence of Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/xx5hu @JFBookman
Google Yo’ Bad Self – The Importance of Online Branding in Comic Book Marketing (and Other Genres): http://ow.ly/xv6A2 @niftymat
The wonderful world of villains: http://ow.ly/xuYN4 @momentumbooks @hildebrandburke
Scriptwriting–Sequence Breakdowns–The Wizard of Oz (1939) http://ow.ly/xuYFJ @TheScriptLab
The power of your writing: http://ow.ly/xv1pD @wynlim
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Describing Character Movements: http://ow.ly/xuZ3N @KMWeiland
How to Launch a Comic Book Series: An Introduction: http://ow.ly/xuYBm @niftymat
Experimental Fiction and Independent Publishing: http://ow.ly/xv4ke @SaraWielenberg
Don’t throw in the towel if your books aren’t selling: | Book Marketing Professionals: http://ow.ly/xusHG
Narrative Voice: http://ow.ly/xut23 @JoeMoore_writer
3 Patterns To Find In (or Write Into) Fiction: http://ow.ly/xusOx @vgrefer
Indie Authors Quitting Their Day Jobs: http://ow.ly/xusll @passivevoiceblg
3 Tips How to Reduce You Editing Costs: http://ow.ly/xuYTV @111publishing
Top 5 Elements of a Great Slasher Film: http://ow.ly/xv1ta @HorrorFreakNews
Why is my book not selling? Here are some reasons and how to fix them: http://ow.ly/xuYVJ @standoutbooks
10 steps to surviving being a writer: http://ow.ly/xusoM
Winning at Monopoly: http://ow.ly/xuscy @HughHowey
5 Things Rocky Taught a Writer About Knockout Main Characters: http://ow.ly/xusRx @Write_Tomorrow
Shakespeare Invented 1,700 Of Our Everyday Words: http://ow.ly/xusVx
8 Tips For Perfect Pitches & Super Selling Documents: http://ow.ly/xusdy @bang2write
7 Item To-Do List for Amazon Author Central Profile: http://ow.ly/xushA @Jason_Matthews
BEA’s Author Hub for Self-Publishers: Upbeat and Positive: http://ow.ly/xDMAT @Porter_Anderson
How Diverse are Comics and Graphic Novels? http://ow.ly/xtBfw @BrigidAlverson @SLJournal
A new initiative to encourage women writers to pitch their writing: http://ow.ly/xtAV0 @waouwwaouw
Hatred of Publishing: A Conversation Between Industry Dropouts: http://ow.ly/xtB6F @therejectionist @jenpanic
Twitter Trumps Facebook For Driving Book Sales: http://ow.ly/xtAHs @jeffbercovici @forbes
Why Free Is Your Best Marketing Tool (And How to Harness It): http://ow.ly/xtB9s @bookgal
James Patterson BEA Fail: http://ow.ly/xtAoW @jakonrath
How to build a successful mystery series: http://ow.ly/xtA2d @cbcbooks
Don’t look back on your writing journey & regret the choices you made, pay attention now: http://ow.ly/xtAMS @ediemelson
Michael Crichton’s Method for Plotting Out a Story: http://ow.ly/xtBjF
Author’s Eye-view of a book conference: http://ow.ly/xtBdk @andimarquette
5 Ways To Succeed in the German Market: http://ow.ly/xtAdt @wordswithjam
Anti-Heroes: Why Devious is so Delectable, and Where are all the Women? http://ow.ly/xtAaU @msheatherwebb @writerunboxed
Is Publishing is the New Blogging? http://ow.ly/xtAyT @selfpubreview
6 Reasons to Write a Short Story: http://ow.ly/xtjuD @Julie_Glover
Beginning a Story: What Has to Be There: http://ow.ly/xtAsT @Margo_L_Dill
When Should You Self-Publish Your Book? http://ow.ly/xt5nl @CriticalMargins
Why Too Many Flashbacks Might Be a Warning of Deeper Story Problems: http://ow.ly/xt5ko @kristenlambtx
5 Ways to Fuel your Imagination: http://ow.ly/xt5he @M_Richmond21
Are Video Games the New Novel? http://ow.ly/xt5ud @johnmichaelbell
Which Drawers to Open: A Writer’s Boundaries: http://ow.ly/xt5HS @AndiLit
Top 10 novels inspired by Shakespeare: http://ow.ly/xt5KQ @sallyoreilly
How to Create Twitter-sized Bites http://ow.ly/xt5yv @ava_jae
#Twitter #hashtags for novices: http://ow.ly/xt5zV @carolewyer
Narcissism: Is Your Villain in Love With Himself? http://ow.ly/xt5OB @FionaQuinnBooks
Barnes and Noble Will Stop Selling Audiobooks July 1st: http://ow.ly/xz708 @Goodereader
10 Things to Consider When Revising Your Novel: http://ow.ly/xt5pS @AlienNextDoor
5 Ways to Create Likable Characters: http://ow.ly/xt5j7 @janice_hardy
Script To Screen: “Flight”: http://ow.ly/xt5lk @gointothestory
Developing Multiple Income Streams: http://ow.ly/xt5xl @FinishedPages
2 Things to Get Right: Categories and Keywords: http://ow.ly/xt5mi @niniehammon
Openly Gay in YA: 4 Characters to Know Now: http://ow.ly/xt5p0 @missriki
Trademark Tips for Writers: http://ow.ly/xt5FV @robinrwrites
Publishers Weekly to Integrate Self-Published Reviews in Book Reviews Section: http://ow.ly/xx6jF @galleycat
Adjusting to a Summer Writing Schedule: http://ow.ly/xxdUM
Publishers’ Deal with the Devil (on DRM): http://ow.ly/xsDZU @stratechery
Questions to ask to determine if an idea can be developed into a book: http://ow.ly/xsCN5 @aswinn @writerunboxed
The Talk Of BEA: Amazon Blogs About Hachette: http://ow.ly/xxhg7 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog
3 Ways to Get More Honest Reviews for Your Book: http://ow.ly/xsERe @Self_Publish
Come Up With a Killer Story Concept–Before You Start Writing: http://ow.ly/xsEDP @kmweiland
The Art of Neil Gaiman: http://ow.ly/xsCPG @brainpicker @neilhimself
Using Your eBook Writing Folders Effectively: http://ow.ly/xx9A1 @gpstberg
8 Essentials Tips for a Successful Book Reading by a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/xsCR5 @judy_croome
If it comes easy, it’s probably a cliché: http://ow.ly/xsCSf @JoeMoore_writer
Focus on ‘an Audience of One’ to Avoid Creative Fear: http://ow.ly/xsDlp @WhitsonGordon
Crowdsourcing Your Way To What Customers Really Want–Courtesy Of Teen Romance Novelists: http://ow.ly/xsCUr @lvanderkam @fastcompany
Character Talents and Skills: Fishing: http://ow.ly/xxdFw @angelaackerman
10 Observations on Book Expo America from the Author Hub: http://ow.ly/xx60g @bob_mayer
Story Writing From Start To Finish: Don’t Get Lost In The Middle: http://ow.ly/xsEP7
The New Literary Fiction Superstars Are Essentially Memoirists: http://ow.ly/xsDHf @michelledean
The Publishing Timeline: http://ow.ly/xsCWc @RachelLKent
4 Ways to Sift Through Writing Advice: http://ow.ly/xvOHf @LyndaRYoung
How Do You Make Ideas Into A Book? http://ow.ly/xsEGu @nataliewhipple
3 Tips for Your Marketing Campaign: http://ow.ly/xsEmL @marygkeeley
Author Interviews: Why We Hate Them: http://ow.ly/xsDen @DianthaJones
Crime fiction involving art theft and forgery: http://ow.ly/xvOT3 @mkinberg
How 1 Writer Started Another Novel to Help Write His Current Novel : http://ow.ly/xsEj9 @BTMargins
Subscription services for ebooks progress to becoming a real experiment: http://ow.ly/xsEqV @MikeShatzkin
What a Freelance Editor Can (and Can’t) Do for You: http://ow.ly/xsEXU @jenichappelle
7 Surprises On The Hero’s Path: http://ow.ly/xnO2C @ibelieveinstory
5 Steps Toward Your Truest Contribution: http://ow.ly/xnNPP @kcraftwriter
Why Quieter Stakes Are Easier to Plot With: http://ow.ly/xnNpl @Janice_Hardy
Be a Collector of Ideas: http://ow.ly/xnNdd @Awesome_Dawn
‘Zero-Based Thinking’ for Writers: http://ow.ly/xnN4F @MattEEaton
5 Marketing Strategies for Writers Who Hate Promoting Their Own Work: http://ow.ly/xnNm2 @hughosmith
Choosing a Point of View Character: http://ow.ly/xnND2 @Janice_Hardy
The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 12, 2014
Frogs, Hot Water, and the Seven Deadly Sins: Making Trouble for Characters
by Man Mart
in,
@manmartin1
I’ve been reading students’ unpublished novels for a summer class I’m teaching alongside Nancy Zafris at Kenyon College in Ohio. Again and again, I see the same fundamental flaw: the characters refuse to get into trouble. This is understandable. Most of us – except for the hopelessly neurotic – are very good at avoiding trouble. This isn’t to say we run from challenges, but trouble itself we stay out of. If there are difficult people with whom we can’t get along, we either stay out of their way entirely or deal with them on a superficial level, being as outwardly courteous as we can stand. We do not take deliberate actions to sabotage our love lives or our careers. For the most part, we obey the law. We don’t embezzle funds or commit murder.
No one should get into trouble if there’s any way to avoid it. Trouble makes everyone unhappy. Trouble prevents us from self-fulfillment. Trouble causes stress and migraines. Trouble is just too much trouble.
The trouble is, trouble is precisely what your characters have to get into. Ahab can’t say, “Whew! That durn whale chawed off my leg! I’m staying on shore from here on!” Romeo can’t say, “Juliet’s the daughter of my enemy? Uh-oh, better steer clear of her!” Humbert Humbert can’t say… Well, ahem, you get the idea.
I remember as a child, when someone in a book or tv show pulled some especially bone-headed maneuver, asking my mother, “Why did So-and-So do that?” What I was really asking was, why would anyone do something that was only guaranteed to get them deeper into trouble? My mother’s wise response was, “Well, if they didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have a story.”
That’s the key to the whole thing. Characters can’t just be in trouble – they have to get into it by their own wilful actions. No trouble, no story. That’s the genius of Huck Finn; Jim is escaping slavery on the Mississippi which heads south; the longer they’re on the river, the deeper into trouble they go.
The story of our lives is largely one of how we stayed out of trouble, or managed to get out of trouble with a minimum of pain once we got into it. In fiction, it’s just the opposite: it’s characters getting into trouble in the first place, and making it as bad as possible for themselves before they get out, if they ever do. So how does a writer, who like any healthy human being, is a gifted trouble-avoider, create a character who gets into trouble?
When it comes to getting characters in trouble, writers have an external knob they can twist and an internal one. The external knob is the outside circumstances. If a character is marooned in a lifeboat with nothing but another shipmate and a book called, 101 Tasty Recipes for Shipmate, you know he’s going to get into trouble and you have a pretty clear idea of what kind of trouble. The internal Knob is your character’s propensities. The Seven Deadly Sins are a virtual how-to list for making people get into trouble. Envy, Greed, Wrath, and Lust are perennial favorites, and, of course, Pride was the go-to among the Ancient Greeks. For some reason, not many writers use Gluttony or Sloth, but even those have been done.
There’s a saying that if you put a frog in a pot of water and turn the heat up slowly, the frog will boil to death, never realizing the temperature is changing. As a writer, you don’t want to do it that way. Get the water as hot as you can as quickly as you can, and stoke your frog with sufficient Wrath, Pride, Envy or whatever to make him jump.
And that’s where your story begins.
Man Martin is two-time winner of Georgia Author of the Year for Days of the Endless Corvette, and Paradise Dogs. He blogs daily at manmartin.blogspot.com
The post Frogs, Hot Water, and the Seven Deadly Sins: Making Trouble for Characters appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 8, 2014
Tips for Attacking Any Big Project
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I don’t know if y’all operate the same way, but I will allow large projects that I know will be time-sucks slide for a while…years, usually…until I finally end up squaring my shoulders and attacking them with gusto.
So…I decided to start out my summer (it’s summer here in North Carolina, anyway) with a photo and scrapbook organizing project. This is the sort of project where there are drawers of loose photos from the 1960s, 1970s, and even unarchived family pictures from the early part of the 20th century. There are tremendous stacks of still-framed photos from many decades ago and from various branches of the family tree. And many, many pre-digital photos of my children in no order. Oh, and school papers of varying degrees of appeal and sentimental importance dating back to preschool (and my elder child is entering his senior year of high school this August).
Yes, there are lots of stacks of things in my den right now. I’m tossing, keeping, digitizing non digital, making reference notes about people and situations in some photos, and uploading to clouds.
Similar to any writing-related project, there usually comes a point in these organizing projects where I wonder what the heck I was thinking. The temptation to put it aside and return to something easier (laundry, vacuuming, unloading-reloading endless loads of dishes into the dishwasher) is incredibly appealing because small-scale housework rewards us with an immediate improvement. An immediate feeling of accomplishment and ticking something off a list. With a photo or scrapbook organizing project, things look worse before they start looking better. A lot worse. The same thing goes with a first draft—it can look a lot worse than the pristine, unwritten story in our heads.
But I keep on plugging, just like I do with the book projects. I apply the same structure to both. It’s a pretty basic approach:
Devise a strategy. Deadlines help. I like to keep these goals really manageable, but make sure that the goal is hit every day. And I like to have an end date on my calendar for completion. I don’t want to feel like my house is going to be Photo Central for months. Same idea applies to a book.
Set a timer. It helps with focus to know that we’re clocked in only for a certain amount of time.
Show up. Religiously. It’s the only way to get through a project.
Avoid perfectionism. Okay, when I’m digitizing photos by taking pictures of pictures? It’s not perfect. But it’s a whole lot better than the photo being buried in a guest room drawer for decades. First drafts aren’t perfect either. But aren’t they better than the blank page?
Eliminate distractions. Put that smart phone in another room. Don’t have the internet up on the laptop.
Make lists of things to do. For my photo project, it looks like: make 3 stacks…toss, keep, digitize/upload. For my writing, it might be: Finish chapter two. List 5 possible suspects who would want to get rid of my mystery’s victim. List 3 red herrings to point away from the real killer. Describe the story’s central setting in 3 different ways.
Avoid going off on tangents. Because once I emptied out that big drawer in the guest room, it looked like a good spot to organize my gift wrap in. Don’t go there. Wait until the project itself is done. For me, it works best for writing, too–I don’t edit/fix stuff until the first draft is completely done.
Fight the overwhelm. Remember how far we’ve come since the start of our project. If this is a home improvement or organizing project, it helps to take a picture of the “before”, just to remind us. If its writing–remember that blank page and the first words we wrote down.
Celebrate successes. It’s easy to feel like the project or book will never be finished. If we’re always looking ahead of us, we head right back into that overwhelm that I just mentioned. Keeping goals small and celebrating successes can help us stay motivated.
Structure is key to keeping me on track. But others do better with less structure. How do you attack big projects—home or writing-related? And…any photo project organizing tips or software you can recommend? :)
Image: MorgueFile: Alvimann
The post Tips for Attacking Any Big Project appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 7, 2014
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.
Creating Matriarchies: http://ow.ly/xxbKI @mythcreants
Tips for writing villains–villain theory: http://ow.ly/xxa5H from Clever Girl Helps
Self-published authors: where you live doesn’t matter: http://ow.ly/xxbzr @chrisrobley
Why 1 Writer Isn’t Publishing Paperbacks: http://ow.ly/xxakH @MikeWellsAuthor
Creativity and Chaos: 3 ways organization gets your passion project off the ground: http://ow.ly/xx5GU @blinkist
The War Between ‘Authors’ and Writers: http://ow.ly/xx4FG @BV @vpostrel
When book sales are slow…: how to keep motivated: http://ow.ly/xx7jw @Roz_Morris
7 Tips on Getting Book Reviews: http://ow.ly/xxUxH @travisnward
How Can Your Characters Make Others Believe Them? http://ow.ly/xxV47 @skyefairwin
Be a better writer in 15 minutes: 4 TED-Ed lessons on grammar and word choice http://ow.ly/xxUe5 @TED_ED
10 writers’ tools that got 1 writer writing again: http://ow.ly/xxUO6 @writingmytruth
4 Writing Tips for Better Writing: http://ow.ly/xxUq4 @StratusInteract
How Do Different Characters Express Emotion? http://ow.ly/xxUTQ @skyefairwin
Avoid “Zero Days” to Form Better Habits: http://ow.ly/xz3Dd @calldrdave @lifehacker
Pick up the Pace for a Real Page-Turner: http://ow.ly/xxV9f @jodierennered
3 Reasons Why Writers Should Keep A Sentence-A-Day Journal: http://ow.ly/xxUH2 @clarissadraper
The Secret To Pixar’s Success: Failure: http://ow.ly/xz4cg @buzzfeed
Put More Strings in Your Writing Bow: http://ow.ly/xz4xt @jamesscottbell
The Best Way to Deal With Emotional Conflict When Writing: http://ow.ly/xz3rZ @gemmaleehawdon
How To Write For the 21st Century Reader: 6 Tips to Modernize Your Prose: http://ow.ly/xz4HW @annerallen
A quick test to determine if your protagonist is too static or unrealistic: http://ow.ly/xz3TO from Clever Girl Helps
Plotting, Pacing, and Crossing Over: http://ow.ly/xz4Bv @AnneGBrown
Facing The Ying-Yang of Publishing Fears: http://ow.ly/xz3Oz @JulieeJohnsonn
How to handle character change slowly through the story’s course: http://ow.ly/xz4uc from Clever Girl Helps
How To Hook Your Audience: http://ow.ly/xz4gv @PretenderSteve @CraigVanSickle1
Agents vs editors: http://ow.ly/xz5nl @thebookseller
How to write an interesting prologue: http://ow.ly/xz5Zs from Clever Girl Helps
Medium admits pay-per-click isn’t the best way to pay writers: http://ow.ly/xz5OY @mathewi
Know Why You’re Submitting Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xz4MK @NathanielTower
Can authors get smarter with Amazon keywords and categories? Start here: http://ow.ly/xz4JI @roz_morris
Writing ‘Rules: Start in the Middle of Action: http://ow.ly/xz5hl @HGComan
14 Common Mistakes With Prepositions: http://ow.ly/xz58o @Writers_Write
4 Pieces of Facebook Advice You Can Ignore: http://ow.ly/xB0Ob @lisahallwilson
Editor’s Eyes: Writing Advice from Don Draper: http://ow.ly/xx9OK @KateBrauning
Dani Shapiro on Vulnerability, the Creative Impulse, the Writing Life, and How to Live with Presence: http://ow.ly/xx4SY @brainpicker
The Best Sounds for Getting Work Done http://ow.ly/xx9UL @kevinpurdy
Publishing’s southerly migration at BEA (and gnashing of teeth): http://ow.ly/xHfxP @Porter_Anderson
Gay Characters in Comics: The Bumpy Road of Marvel Comics in the Mid-2000s: http://ow.ly/xv4yV @GeeksOUT
Becoming Your Own Book Editor: 4 Tips For Better Book Editing: http://ow.ly/xv4tO @ebooksreloaded
Tips for writing a genius/prodigy: http://ow.ly/xx9kf from Clever Girl Helps
The Independence of Indie Authors: http://ow.ly/xx5hu @JFBookman
Google Yo Bad Self – The Importance of Online Branding in Comic Book Marketing (and Other Genres): http://ow.ly/xv6A2 @niftymat
The wonderful world of villains: http://ow.ly/xuYN4 @momentumbooks @hildebrandburke
Scriptwriting–Sequence Breakdowns–The Wizard of Oz (1939) http://ow.ly/xuYFJ @TheScriptLab
The power of your writing: http://ow.ly/xv1pD @wynlim
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Describing Character Movements: http://ow.ly/xuZ3N @KMWeiland
How to Launch a Comic Book Series: An Introduction: http://ow.ly/xuYBm @niftymat
Experimental Fiction and Independent Publishing: http://ow.ly/xv4ke @SaraWielenberg
Don’t throw in the towel if your books aren’t selling: | Book Marketing Professionals: http://ow.ly/xusHG
Narrative Voice: http://ow.ly/xut23 @JoeMoore_writer
3 Patterns To Find In (or Write Into) Fiction: http://ow.ly/xusOx @vgrefer
Indie Authors Quitting Their Day Jobs: http://ow.ly/xusll @passivevoiceblg
3 Tips How to Reduce You Editing Costs: http://ow.ly/xuYTV @111publishing
Top 5 Elements of a Great Slasher Film: http://ow.ly/xv1ta @HorrorFreakNews
Why is my book not selling? Here are some reasons and how to fix them: http://ow.ly/xuYVJ @standoutbooks
10 steps to surviving being a writer: http://ow.ly/xusoM
Winning at Monopoly: http://ow.ly/xuscy @HughHowey
5 Things Rocky Taught a Writer About Knockout Main Characters: http://ow.ly/xusRx @Write_Tomorrow
Shakespeare Invented 1,700 Of Our Everyday Words: http://ow.ly/xusVx
8 Tips For Perfect Pitches & Super Selling Documents: http://ow.ly/xusdy @bang2write
7 Item To-Do List for Amazon Author Central Profile: http://ow.ly/xushA @Jason_Matthews
BEA’s Author Hub for Self-Publishers: Upbeat and Positive: http://ow.ly/xDMAT @Porter_Anderson
How Diverse are Comics and Graphic Novels? http://ow.ly/xtBfw @BrigidAlverson @SLJournal
A new initiative to encourage women writers to pitch their writing: http://ow.ly/xtAV0 @waouwwaouw
Hatred of Publishing: A Conversation Between Industry Dropouts: http://ow.ly/xtB6F @therejectionist @jenpanic
Twitter Trumps Facebook For Driving Book Sales: http://ow.ly/xtAHs @jeffbercovici @forbes
Why Free Is Your Best Marketing Tool (And How to Harness It): http://ow.ly/xtB9s @bookgal
James Patterson BEA Fail: http://ow.ly/xtAoW @jakonrath
How to build a successful mystery series: http://ow.ly/xtA2d @cbcbooks
Don’t look back on your writing journey & regret the choices you made, pay attention now: http://ow.ly/xtAMS @ediemelson
Michael Crichton’s Method for Plotting Out a Story: http://ow.ly/xtBjF
Authors Eye-view of a book conference: http://ow.ly/xtBdk @andimarquette
5 Ways To Succeed in the German Market: http://ow.ly/xtAdt @wordswithjam
Anti-Heroes: Why Devious is so Delectable, and Where are all the Women? http://ow.ly/xtAaU @msheatherwebb @writerunboxed
Is Publishing is the New Blogging? http://ow.ly/xtAyT @selfpubreview
6 Reasons to Write a Short Story: http://ow.ly/xtjuD @Julie_Glover
Beginning a Story: What Has to Be There: http://ow.ly/xtAsT @Margo_L_Dill
When Should You Self-Publish Your Book? http://ow.ly/xt5nl @CriticalMargins
Why Too Many Flashbacks Might Be a Warning of Deeper Story Problems: http://ow.ly/xt5ko @kristenlambtx
5 Ways to Fuel your Imagination: http://ow.ly/xt5he @M_Richmond21
Are Video Games the New Novel? http://ow.ly/xt5ud @johnmichaelbell
Which Drawers to Open: A Writer’s Boundaries: http://ow.ly/xt5HS @AndiLit
Top 10 novels inspired by Shakespeare: http://ow.ly/xt5KQ @sallyoreilly
How to Create Twitter-sized Bites http://ow.ly/xt5yv @ava_jae
#Twitter #hashtags for novices: http://ow.ly/xt5zV @carolewyer
Narcissism: Is Your Villain in Love With Himself? http://ow.ly/xt5OB @FionaQuinnBooks
Barnes and Noble Will Stop Selling Audiobooks July 1st: http://ow.ly/xz708 @Goodereader
10 Things to Consider When Revising Your Novel: http://ow.ly/xt5pS @AlienNextDoor
5 Ways to Create Likable Characters: http://ow.ly/xt5j7 @janice_hardy
Script To Screen: “Flight”: http://ow.ly/xt5lk @gointothestory
Developing Multiple Income Streams: http://ow.ly/xt5xl @FinishedPages
2 Things to Get Right: Categories and Keywords: http://ow.ly/xt5mi @niniehammon
Openly Gay in YA: 4 Characters to Know Now: http://ow.ly/xt5p0 @missriki
Trademark Tips for Writers: http://ow.ly/xt5FV @robinrwrites
Publishers Weekly to Integrate Self-Published Reviews in Book Reviews Section: http://ow.ly/xx6jF @galleycat
Adjusting to a Summer Writing Schedule: http://ow.ly/xxdUM
Publishers’ Deal with the Devil (on DRM): http://ow.ly/xsDZU @stratechery
Questions to ask to determine if an idea can be developed into a book: http://ow.ly/xsCN5 @aswinn @writerunboxed
The Talk Of BEA: Amazon Blogs About Hachette: http://ow.ly/xxhg7 @Porter_Anderson @thoughtcatalog
3 Ways to Get More Honest Reviews for Your Book: http://ow.ly/xsERe @Self_Publish
Come Up With a Killer Story Concept–Before You Start Writing: http://ow.ly/xsEDP @kmweiland
The Art of Neil Gaiman: http://ow.ly/xsCPG @brainpicker @neilhimself
Using Your eBook Writing Folders Effectively: http://ow.ly/xx9A1 @gpstberg
8 Essentials Tips for a Successful Book Reading by a Self-Published Author: http://ow.ly/xsCR5 @judy_croome
If it comes easy, it’s probably a cliche: http://ow.ly/xsCSf @JoeMoore_writer
Focus on ‘an Audience of One’ to Avoid Creative Fear: http://ow.ly/xsDlp @WhitsonGordon
Crowdsourcing Your Way To What Customers Really Want–Courtesy Of Teen Romance Novelists: http://ow.ly/xsCUr @lvanderkam @fastcompany
Character Talents and Skills: Fishing: http://ow.ly/xxdFw @angelaackerman
10 Observations on Book Expo America from the Author Hub: http://ow.ly/xx60g @bob_mayer
Story Writing From Start To Finish: Don’t Get Lost In The Middle: http://ow.ly/xsEP7
The New Literary Fiction Superstars Are Essentially Memoirists: http://ow.ly/xsDHf @michelledean
The Publishing Timeline: http://ow.ly/xsCWc @RachelLKent
4 Ways to Sift Through Writing Advice: http://ow.ly/xvOHf @LyndaRYoung
How Do You Make Ideas Into A Book? http://ow.ly/xsEGu @nataliewhipple
3 Tips for Your Marketing Campaign: http://ow.ly/xsEmL @marygkeeley
Author Interviews: Why We Hate Them: http://ow.ly/xsDen @DianthaJones
Crime fiction involving art theft and forgery: http://ow.ly/xvOT3 @mkinberg
How 1 Writer Started Another Novel to Help Write His Current Novel : http://ow.ly/xsEj9 @BTMargins
Subscription services for ebooks progress to becoming a real experiment: http://ow.ly/xsEqV @MikeShatzkin
What a Freelance Editor Can (and Can’t) Do for You: http://ow.ly/xsEXU @jenichappelle
7 Surprises On The Hero’s Path: http://ow.ly/xnO2C @ibelieveinstory
5 Steps Toward Your Truest Contribution: http://ow.ly/xnNPP @kcraftwriter
Why Quieter Stakes Are Easier to Plot With: http://ow.ly/xnNpl @Janice_Hardy
Be a Collector of Ideas: http://ow.ly/xnNdd @Awesome_Dawn
‘Zero-Based Thinking’ for Writers: http://ow.ly/xnN4F @MattEEaton
5 Marketing Strategies for Writers Who Hate Promoting Their Own Work: http://ow.ly/xnNm2 @hughosmith
Choosing a Point of View Character: http://ow.ly/xnND2 @Janice_Hardy
Should Authors Stick To One Genre? An Interview With Linda Gillard: http://ow.ly/xmZ8S @joannegphillips
3 Times You Should Stop Writing: http://ow.ly/xmYmC @EmilyWenstrom
“It’s Complicated.” (Wrong Answer.) http://ow.ly/xnNJ5 @DavidCorbett_CA @writerunboxed
The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 5, 2014
An Update on How Various Publishing Platforms and Approaches are Going
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Just a quick wrap-up today of my thoughts on various formats/platforms I’m using to reach readers, an idea for a format I might explore in the future, and a general thought on the production process.
Wattpad: Wattpad lists free books, so I can’t gauge if it’s having an impact on the sales of my other books. But it’s been an interesting experience for me so far because I’m reaching a completely different audience than I ordinarily do, by decades. So I’m at 131 reads right now (woo-hoo!) and these are folks who probably don’t usually read my genre…maybe I can even help introduce a few new readers to cozy mysteries.
Amazon Foreign Sales: Japanese Amazon sales are suddenly, inexplicably, as strong as my European sales. Absolutely no idea why.
Nook, Smashwords, Apple: Steady sales but not nearly in the same league as the Amazon sales. Nook is usually about 5% of my Amazon sales.
ACX: I have no quibbles here because what I make at ACX (audiobooks) is pure profit—I invested nothing in the production, having chosen a royalty share deal with my narrators. ACX has also recently branched into the international community (more information on that in Joanna Penn’s May 1 post, “Audiobooks: Tips For Distribution With ACX And Marketing Ideas”). I’m unhappy that they lowered royalty rates (covered here in Porter Anderson’s March 6 article, “A Most Audible Alarm: ACX Chops Royalties”), which gave me the uneasy feeling like…well, like Amazon could do the same for their ebooks. But that’s why I’m diversifying. In addition, ACX’s sales can be pesky (audiobook authors don’t set price) because it does mean lost revenue. But, in all, I make a decent income there with my four books…and again—it’s all profit since I sunk nothing into production.
Print: Always steady sales. It’s almost exactly a year since I branched my self-pubbed books into print on CreateSpace—it was the best decision I made. Again, I do have an older readership which may have contributed to the success, but the one-time investment of cover design (adapting the ebook cover to a print cover with a spine and back cover) and formatting was certainly worth it for me.
Production-related thoughts: I’m effectively approaching work like my trad. publisher does and contract book design labor before the current WIP is finished as long as my outline seems pretty firm and I’m not going off in some crazy, unplanned direction. Since I’ve had to wait on covers before because designers so quickly get booked, this has helped me out the two times I’ve done it now.
Summing it all up…I’m still thinking diversifying is key to what we’re doing. Not having an all-our-eggs-in-one basket approach. Trying different things. Figuring out different approaches with production.
Hugh Howey effectively blew my mind the other day with his May 28 post, “The Beauty of Booktrack.” This isn’t necessarily a way that I want to experience books (with a soundtrack), but I can totally see how it could be very appealing to other people, especially younger readers. His post introduces Booktrack a bit. There’s more information here (FAQ) and here (video tutorials). It’s free and your book must be listed free there.
That’s my run-down on what trends I’m seeing currently with my own sales as we head into the summer months. Are you looking into trying any different formats for your books? Have any insights into what’s working or not for you and your books?
The post An Update on How Various Publishing Platforms and Approaches are Going appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
June 1, 2014
Adjusting to a Summer Writing Schedule
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Summer. In some ways, it’s a relief to me because it means I don’t have to keep up as much with the kids’ activities and school-related needs. But it’s also a time that I regroup. Because our schedule changes, I’ve found it’s better and I get more done if I’m flexible enough to change my schedule, too.
A blog reader asked me if I could write a little bit about how I’ve changed my summer writing schedule in the past. Considering I’ve changed it up since my nearly-13-year-old was one, I’m thinking I’m probably qualified to comment on this issue. :) But a proviso that this won’t work obviously for all kids or all parents.
Ages and stages:
Toddlerhood (and preschool is out). I put my kids in preschool very early. When she was at home (and not much of a napper, ever), I kept my page goal to one double-spaced page a day….so around 250 words. I found I could hit that pretty easily by two different methods—Sesame Street (she only liked Elmo, though, so I had to pretty much put Elmo on repeat for the 20 or so minutes a page took me at the time) and “nap time” which meant that she and I needed a mental health break from each other and she would have quiet time in her crib with board books for 20 minutes.
The thing I don’t think you want to do here is make a complicated goal. Make the goal a no-brainer. If you go over the goal, great, but make sure the next day is a clean slate and you hit your goal again. Don’t sweat missed goals…just pick up as usual the next day without trying to make up for it.
Elementary school:
My kids were always early risers and so I either needed to get up even earlier than they did (which I could sometimes accomplish), or else I needed to write with them around. So here were my methods:
Set a visible reminder that I was working: a sign on the door (a drawing or with words, depending on the age group) and a timer that was ticking. And I’d make sure to explain that I could be contacted if it were an emergency. I gave many examples of potential emergencies and examples of things that were not emergencies. Mystery writer Alan Orloff had a wonderful idea for keeping children away when you need to work. He puts a sign on his office door that says: Please come in so we can get started on chores.
Rewarding them by playing a game or reading a book if they were good while I wrote/worked for those 20 or 25 minutes.
Writing earlier than they arose (depending on the age, again, this could be tricky). If your kids stay up late at night during the summer, see if it’s possible to put your sign/timer outside the door and have a quick writing session (I’m not great in the evenings, so this was less-successful for me).
Writing in a crowd. Although this may sound counterintuitive, I found that if I invited my children’s friends over, put a bunch of snacks and drinks out, and then retreated to the background with my computer, I could actually get a lot done. The friends will need to be the sorts who aren’t fond of drama and aren’t easily bored.
Older elementary school/middle school:
Writing on the go. Again, this meant bringing friends into the equation. It also meant that I couldn’t care what I looked like in public. I took the kids and their friends to the indoor skating rink, bowling alley, or indoor inflatables business, put snacks and drinks out and worked on my laptop. Found some interesting characters to write about then, too. I’ve also written at the swimming pool…with my laptop. Sometimes a notebook is better at the pool, as long as I didn’t write beyond the point where transcribing it would be a pain.
A note on this—I got extraordinary amounts of work done this way. I think being at home can be more distracting than being in public with a bunch of people. I’m not sure why.
Other considerations:
Can we cut back for a summer schedule? Maybe not with our writing, but can we cut back whatever promo or social media or blogging we’re doing?
Can we keep our writing and writing-related tasks relegated to certain times of the day so that we don’t feel as if we’re not doing fun family things? Can we make an official quitting time so we’re not dragging everything out throughout the day?
I think cutting back on blogging during challenging times works really well…the key is to let readers know what our new schedule is. We could announce it on our blogs, put it in our sidebars, etc.
For me this means:
I’m still planning on beating everyone up to write. Instead of 4:45 a.m., this may fall back to 6:00 a.m.
I’ll be blogging each Monday and Friday in addition to my Sunday Twitterific and an occasional Wednesday guest blogger on my blog (so cutting out one blogging day during the summer–probably until September).
I may post a lighter Twitter feed during the summer (other bloggers cut back in summers, too, making content sometimes more difficult/time-consuming to locate/curate). So instead of scheduling 18 tweets, maybe it will be down to 14.
I’m going to make sure my kids (who are 17 and almost-13 now) understand when I’m working. I’m sure it’s frequently hard for them to tell. When I’m on a laptop, I could be doing almost anything: responding to an email, reading blogs, writing blog posts, working on my book, or checking news sites. If I have 25 or 30 uninterrupted minutes, I can get so much done.
That being said, I need to make sure that the 25 or 30 minute blocks are totally focused. So I need to disconnect my Wi-Fi if I think I might cheat. No being distracted by bright, shiny objects online.
I’ll try to make sure that when I’m with my kids and husband, I’m completely present when I’m “off duty” for the writing related work.
If I’m traveling, I’ll write earlier than my hosts get up. It’s good to start the day with an accomplishment.
I may reassess what I’m doing after a month.
This was a parent-centric post, but many writers experience other types of schedule interruptions in the summer—vacation, travel, the allure of being outside when the weather is nice, etc. How are you adjusting your schedule for summer—if you are?
Image: MorgueFile: shannontanski
The post Adjusting to a Summer Writing Schedule appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
May 31, 2014
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 Is The Media Ignoring Author Exploitation By Publishers? http://ow.ly/xsDMq @DavidGaughran
“Do I Have Writing Talent?” You’re Asking the Wrong Question: http://ow.ly/xmhxG @writerunboxed @suzannahwindsor
Editing Etiquette | The Steve Laube Agency: http://ow.ly/xmj9z
5 Ways to Get to Know Your Character: http://ow.ly/xmhME @Janice_Hardy
Book Clubs Mean Business http://ow.ly/xmiWI @NicholeBernier
3 Insights That Lead to Successful Publishing Careers: http://ow.ly/xmix9 @Janefriedman
5 Steps To Reading Critically: http://ow.ly/xmj14 @woodwardkaren
Self-publishing authors and literary agents – do they mix? http://ow.ly/xmi7u @Alison_Morton
15 Articles on Cover Design for Self-Publishers: http://ow.ly/xmhJz @jfbookman
Will the Hachette/Amazon Battle Encourage Authors to Self-Publish? http://ow.ly/xmi3d @Goodereader
Inside a Screenwriter’s Mind: ‘Vomit Drafts’ and ‘Land of Lost Scenes’: http://ow.ly/xmit7 @BAHjournalist
Melville had everything a young author could dream of. Then he wrote Moby-Dick and ruined everything: http://ow.ly/xmhPG @mental_floss
Things a writer wishes he knew about creating characters when he started writing: http://ow.ly/xmjpB @ChrisAndrewsAU
Marketing & Selling: The Same? http://ow.ly/xmic4
Writing Agreement # 1: Be Impeccable with Your Word: http://ow.ly/xmjBu @KCraftWriter
How to Use Reader Feedback to Improve Your Writing: http://ow.ly/xmjg8 @CKMacLeodwriter @CarlaJDouglas
10 Common Types of Writer’Â’s Block (and How to Overcome Them Quickly): http://ow.ly/xmhqt @NikkiWoods
How to structure your story: tips from Joseph Campbell’s mythology http://ow.ly/xmYGr @nownovel
Writers’ Anxiety: Less Prozac, More Presence http://ow.ly/xmZdZ @bentguy1 @writerunboxed
Creating Archetypal Characters: http://ow.ly/xmZfv @glencstrathy
So You Want to Write a Cocktail Book… http://ow.ly/xmYqH @dietsch @seriouseats
Writing Warfare in Fantasy: A Guide to the Battle Scene: http://ow.ly/xmYSW @mythicscribes
What It’s Like to Work for J.D. Salinger’s Agent: http://ow.ly/xmYyl @NewYorkObserver @kbsmoke
3 Times You Should Stop Writing: http://ow.ly/xmYmC @EmilyWenstrom
Should Authors Stick To One Genre? An Interview With Linda Gillard: http://ow.ly/xmZ8S @joannegphillips
Self-publishing is not revolutionary – it’s reactionary: http://ow.ly/xsDx3 @guardianbooks
Screenwriting: Why Joe Everyman is A Terrible Lead: http://ow.ly/xgJTS @DrewChial
Creating Stunning Character Arcs: The Resolution: http://ow.ly/xgJuf @kmweiland
Do Self-Publishing Authors Earn More? http://ow.ly/xgKqD @OrnaRoss
On Writing Secondary Characters: http://ow.ly/xgK8m @carlywatters
Simultaneous subplots: http://ow.ly/xgJ8N @vgrefer
Advice On Writing For Writers From Writers: http://ow.ly/xgKJu @NikkiWoods
4 Signs That You’re Not Writing Enough…and 4 Things You Can Do About It: http://ow.ly/xgK3p @naturithomas
The Tenured vs. Debut Author Report: http://ow.ly/xgJ5x @HughHowey @AuthorEarnings
The Straight Dope on Publishers Marketplace: http://ow.ly/xgJiO @literaticat
What’s in a Pen Name? http://ow.ly/xgJG2 @John_Wray @newyorker
Author Entrepreneur. Why Being An Indie Author Is A Great Business Model: http://ow.ly/xgJzE @thecreativepenn
Do Men Receive Bigger Book Advances Than Women? http://ow.ly/xgJcQ @JaneFriedman
Trigger Warnings and the Novelist’s Mind : http://ow.ly/xgJpD @jaycaspiankang @newyorker
15 Greatest Character Names In American Film History http://ow.ly/xgIYq @whatculture
Should Writers Compare Themselves to Other Writers? http://ow.ly/xgJwv @noveleditor
Know Your Genre: Tips and Secrets from the Experts for Writing Bestselling Genre Fiction: http://ow.ly/xgK0R @RuthHarrisBooks
“Dying Clues” in Crime Fiction: http://ow.ly/xqGOX @mkinberg
How To Market A 99 Cent Ebook Sale On The Cheap: http://ow.ly/xn6iy @mollygreene
Beyond the shoot-em-up: how gaming got killer stories: http://ow.ly/xeEAB @SimonParkin
10 English Words And Phrases That Folks Use Incorrectly: http://ow.ly/xeE4d
Symbols for Writers: the Snake: http://ow.ly/xeL6u @CherylRWrites
Tips For Writing Action http://ow.ly/xeENw @joecraiguk
What to do when you feel out of touch with your creative energy: http://ow.ly/xeDX4 @gointothestory
How to Make Word Behave Like Scrivener http://ow.ly/xeLfB @byondpapr
Owning Our Words: Gatekeepers and Gender in Children’s Books http://ow.ly/xeEtf @KateMessner
Alice Hoffman: 5 tips to help you write your novel : http://ow.ly/xeKEz @salon
When to Consult a Medical Expert for Our Writing: http://ow.ly/xeKz8 @JordynRedwood
The War Of Art: http://ow.ly/xeLaj @write_practice
The internet isn’t harming our love of ‘deep reading’, it’s cultivating it: http://ow.ly/xeEIT @stevenpoole
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‘I am not accessible’ : http://ow.ly/xeKQh @haleshannon
7 Tips for Writing Better Sex Scenes: http://ow.ly/xeLyr @wordsprof
Some Hollywood Advice for Shakespeare: http://ow.ly/xeE9T @kaskew
Walking Away from the Stress of the Big Release�: http://ow.ly/xmEDf
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Do your characters exist beyond FADE OUT? http://ow.ly/xbKvq @gointothestory
The retailer-publisher chill: http://ow.ly/xmdQF @Porter_Anderson @DavidGaughran @author_sullivan
Author Tips and Tricks: http://ow.ly/xbL91 @AuthorKSBrooks
How To Pick The Right Genre For Your Novel (And Why Your Sales Depend On It): http://ow.ly/xbKrN @writetodone
Despair, Depression– Give up or Fight back? http://ow.ly/xbKMy @SR_McKade
How Not to Begin Your Novel: http://ow.ly/xbLCg @jawlitagent
Help with accents and dialects: http://ow.ly/xbM6y
Underlying themes in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/xmcDj @mkinberg
Treating Your Writing Like A Full-Time Job: http://ow.ly/xbLqV @Jen_328
10 Truths for Self-publishers: http://ow.ly/xbKZi @AP_Fuchs
Using Photographs to Tell Your Story: http://ow.ly/xbKTL @cateartios
8 tips to get the most out of attending a writers’ conference: http://ow.ly/xbMmd @michellerafter
What Makes a Good Book Marketer? http://ow.ly/xbKm2 @selfpubreview
The Writer’s Force – A Word on Depression: http://ow.ly/wXLOg @MikkiKells
How to Show a Character’s Internal Journey: http://ow.ly/wXL9v @jamigold
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Nonfiction: How to Write Good Sales Copy for the Back of Your Book: http://ow.ly/x9xg8 @NonfictionAssoc
The 15 Principles Of Highly Successful Authors: http://ow.ly/x9vgb @thatwritergirl
How To Write A Terrific Murder Mystery: http://ow.ly/x9u8Y @woodwardkaren
Nonfiction: How to Write a Competitive Title Analysis: http://ow.ly/x9vjG @NinaAmir
How to Use a Sprint Journal: http://ow.ly/x9wXM @ramonadef
Sentence Writing 101 – Excision: http://ow.ly/x9v0r @Massim0Marin0
Tips for stripped-down writing: http://ow.ly/x9vsB @NakedEditor
Publishing: Rules are Rules (except when they aren’t) http://ow.ly/x9vIi @rchazzchute
2 Plot Tips for Tying Character Motivation to Theme: http://ow.ly/x9uKZ @plotwhisperer
BEA’s new Author Hub schedule: http://ow.ly/xjcLY @Porter_Anderson #BEA14
15 Things to Know About Book Events: http://ow.ly/x9uss @jennymilchman @btmargins
The Psychological Benefits of Writing: http://ow.ly/x9woE @GregoryCiotti
The Subplot – Not Second Place, but Side by Side: http://ow.ly/x9vAI @AnthonyEhlers
How music affects your productivity: http://ow.ly/x8VjV @GregoryCiotti
Why do we write? http://ow.ly/x9u4a @momentumbooks
How to Be a More Concise Writer: http://ow.ly/x9wgZ @ErinMFeldman
The Author’s Public Face: http://ow.ly/x9v8u @megmims
Amazon v Hachette: Don’t Believe The Spin: http://ow.ly/xgIUF @DavidGaughran
Author Platform: Here’s What All the Fuss Is About: http://ow.ly/x6Llq @thewritelife
Tips for Cleaning up a Manuscript: http://ow.ly/x6LfN @noveleditor
Is Dialogue Really That Important? http://ow.ly/x6LbJ @screencrafting
How to handle disagreements with your editor: http://ow.ly/x6I0L @rachellegardner
Who is Goliath in Publishing? http://ow.ly/x6JBK @HughHowey
The Responsibilities of a Small Press Author: http://ow.ly/x6J58 @AlyConnerBrown
3 Things to Know About Exposition & Telling: http://ow.ly/x6J8h @victoriamixon
5 Things Filmmakers Should Stop Doing Right Now: http://ow.ly/x6IhI @vidandfilmmaker
Product Review: Scrivener: http://ow.ly/x6Luv @chris_shultz81
When can novelists break the rules? http://ow.ly/x6IVV @wendylawton
Working a Paranormal Element into Mysteries: http://ow.ly/xgzYk @MarsaliTaylor
7 Free-to-Enter National Writing Competitions: http://ow.ly/x6JKo @writersdigest
What tools did famous authors use to write their popular books? http://ow.ly/x6Iq0 @chrisrobley
Out of the Woods: http://ow.ly/x6JU5 @Kathy_Crowley
Good Online Author Etiquette for Blogging, Twitter, Comments: http://ow.ly/xg2n1 @alexjcavanaugh
5 Techniques To Develop Your Short Story Into A Novel: http://ow.ly/x6LEG @writersrelief
Embracing The Imperfect with Annie Lammott: http://ow.ly/x6JXF @ornaross
5 Lessons In Creativity And Crime Writing From Jo Nesbo: http://ow.ly/x6Jm9 @fastcompany @JessGrose
Book Boss Jane Friedman Talks Tech, Ebooks and Why Content Still Rules: http://ow.ly/x6Ixs @JaneORIM @forbes
Keys to Revising Your Script for 1st Time Screenwriters: http://ow.ly/x2X81 @screencrafting
Don’t Ever Do It For the Money: A Conversation with an Agent: http://ow.ly/x2XmG @EdanL
Writer’s Resource: Create a calendar (with moon phases) for any month in history: http://ow.ly/xfdyx @sarawhitford
Story Arc in a Nutshell http://ow.ly/x37KX @lihauthor
Will the Agency Model Survive? http://ow.ly/x2XCz @passivevoiceblg @PublishersWkly
How To Write a Book from Start to Finish: http://ow.ly/x2XGR @joebunting
An Agent on Posting your work for online crits: http://ow.ly/x2XXk @janet_reid
The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
May 29, 2014
Exercise and Writing
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve never been a fan of exercising, although I’m trying to do better. I’ve read a slew of articles lately about the connection between exercise and creative thought.
One of these articles is this one by Fiona Macrae, a science correspondent at the Daily Mail. The article is: “If you’re looking for that big idea, just go for a walk: Study reveals people are up to twice as creative when on their feet.”
The article states: Dr. Oppezzo, of Santa Clara University in California, did a series of experiments in which people undertook tests of creativity, such as playing word association games, while walking or while sitting at a desk.
In one experiment, the volunteers came up with twice as many clever ideas when walking.
When I’m walking, my mind usually wanders to the current work in progress. I was about ¾ of a mile away from my house last week when I realized that I had a plot hole involving Myrtle’s cat, Pasha in the current scene I was writing. I didn’t have my phone on me, so I spent the rest of my walk murmuring, “Pasha the cat” to myself. It’s a wonder the neighbors haven’t called the men in white coats to come pick me up.
So that’s specific to walking. But, of course, there are other reasons to exercise besides stimulating creativity. Writing is a sedentary activity, although there are some who have made the change to standing desks. Sometimes I’ll write at the kitchen counter, in lieu of a standing desk. (More about “easing into standing desks” in this article by Thorin Klosowski for Lifehacker.)
Galley Cat ran an article a couple of years ago (written by Jason Boog) called “Don’t Let the Writing Life Kill You.” The article linked to five free fitness and workout apps for smartphones.
For those of us who are more limited to a desk during the day, WorkAwesome blog posted “Five Desk Exercises for Your Busy Office Life.” The exercises work, among other things, our lower backs, shoulders, and abdomens.
One of my favorite finds was, again, at the Lifehacker blog. They linked to an app called the 7 Minute Workout App. It works just fine on a laptop, too. The Lifehacker link shows how to properly do the exercises (which I’m sure I wasn’t doing correctly until I watched the video). My favorite thing about the exercises is that they’re only 30 seconds each. :) Although it’s possible I might cheat on a couple of them, just the same.
So, that’s my public service announcement for the month—let’s try to exercise. Which reminds me of my last public service announcement…back up your work. If we do both these things as writers, we’ll likely be a lot better off.
Do you have an exercise regimen, or are you kind of all over the place with exercise, like I am? Have you found that exercise, specifically walking, helps you with your writing?
Image: MorgueFile: Keyseeker
The post Exercise and Writing appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
May 27, 2014
Walking Away from the Stress of the “Big Release”
By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Kirkus Reviews interviewed me Tuesday for an author profile in the indie section they’ve got now. I had a nice talk with Sarah Rettger, who is writing the story.
One question flustered me, though, and usually does whenever I’m asked it. What type of promo has worked well for you? I answered, as I always do, that I don’t actually really promote. I do build up my name as a platform online (Twitter, blogging), but that’s mostly to increase my profile in Google rankings so that readers can easily find me. This strategy appears to work since readers seem to have no trouble finding me.
My lack of promo is something that I’ve always felt guilty about, though, especially for my Penguin books. I feel, there, as if I’m letting an entire team down by not promoting. I don’t feel that way for my self-published books because no one is making profit on my sales except me…and whatever retailer sold the book.
I’ve been encouraged in the past by Penguin to do some small-scale promoting. I suspect that they’re baffled by my platform, which is clearly writer-centric. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not marketing to writers…I’m connecting with them. But it makes things difficult when Penguin does ask me to do a bit of promo—a tweet, for instance, for a giveaway they’re doing for one of my releases. I’ll do it when asked…but I’m tweeting writers. You know? It doesn’t make sense to me. So what I’ve done is promote their giveaway on my Riley Adams Facebook profile instead. That’s a place where I’m mainly connected to readers. If they directly ask me to do something, I’ll try to figure out a way to do it (usually).
What I’ve done in the past as promo:
Radio interviews
Skype interviews
Podcasts
Blog tours
Reader conferences (I’m with my author friends at the circa 2010 Malice Conference in the photo above…and we did have fun. Always love spending time with writers.)
Guest posts on Penguin’s various blogs
Emails to extended friends and family (ugh)
Facebook updates
Goodreads giveaways
Bookmarks
Author panels at libraries and bookstores
Signings
Postcards to bookstores and libraries
The absolute worst…cold calls to bookstores
As a side note, I never paid for ads. Not in magazines, not on local radio, not on Facebook, not on Goodreads. I didn’t feel as if I was making enough to justify ads.
But I even, for my first Penguin release, went on a very centralized book tour with several other Penguin authors. I enjoyed being with the other writers…although public speaking and appearances are stressful for me and I was exhausted afterward. There was an additional problem, too—I guess some of us are just going to feel guilty no matter what, because while I was feeling good about the promo I was doing, I felt guilty about not being at home with my kids. Parents can’t win in the guilt department, of course.
And, y’all, this sort of promo is expensive. The tour, the conferences. I’m a midlist writer. I should have been writing.
And don’t think any of the promo really did any good. I haven’t noticed that sales have declined since I’ve stopped this stuff. And I have a lot more time to write and am a lot less stressed.
At some point I hit upon the perfect excuse. I frequently had three or four releases in a year…was I seriously going to do heavy promo for each launch? I figured that promoting that number of releases would irritate friends and family and spam readers and writers. If readers wanted to find out about releases, they could sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Facebook…I didn’t need to try to stick my new release in front of them. Besides, Amazon’s marvelous algorithm (however it works) always seems to kick in after a few days.
What I’m doing now:
Goodreads giveaways occasionally
Facebook announcement of releases
Updated website
Reader newsletter
Fussy Librarian
As for ads/paid promo, one exception is that I may consider BookBub soon since I’ve heard some good stuff about it (Joanna Penn’s piece from April of last year, for example).
The biggest thing that I do to promote is to write more books.
With my book releases for my publisher, I did feel pressure to promote in the first few weeks after the launch. That could be tough to do—especially if I was under deadline for another book at the time (which was frequently the case).
With the digital revolution, there’s now the so-called “long tail” of publishing. The important thing is to look at sales as something that take place for a long time…over the decades of our career. Writer Joanna Penn interviewed industry expert Jane Friedman and there’s a fascinating transcript of their conversation on Joanna’s post “Money, Writing And Life With Jane Friedman.” I’ve read the article several times over the past couple of weeks and found something different and interesting each time. Highly recommended for any career-minded author. Regarding the topic of promo, Joanna Penn stated: “…most books sell very few copies every day, whether you’re indie published or traditionally published, but hopefully that continues for a long time, that is the business model, small over time.” Jane Friedman responded: “Right, and I hope that traditional publishing gets away from this launch mentality. I think slowly we’re getting away from that. I think the independent authors have been so good at pointing out to the larger community, ‘Let’s not focus on the first three months or six months, because the real potential is over the career.’”
So this is where I am with the issue. Convinced enough that promo doesn’t help to avoid doing it…but still susceptible to guilt when asked about it!
How about you? What sort of promo have you done…and what were your thoughts on the outcome?
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