Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 149

How many drafts until you’re done?

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I think when writers ask how many drafts
another writer completes for a finished story, they’re really wondering whether
they’re spending too much time editing or too little time editing.

That’s what happens when you work
alone—you have no basis of comparison.

I got this question emailed to me
recently and I had to really think about it. 
What comprises a draft to me?  In
general, how many times do I go through the manuscript before I send it to my
editor?

I definitely keep going through it if I
keep finding mistakes.  Obviously, if you
think it’s not a clean document, you want to keep working on it.  And I continue reading through the manuscript
if I feel I could have used better diction or if I think of other ways to
improve the story.  But there does get to
be a point where a writer is making changes just for the sake of making
changes.  You can write the life out of
your story and when it’s tough to say if a change makes the story better or
worse…it’s probably time to either put it aside for a while or send it out on
submission.

What comprises a draft?  To me, it’s a new version of the manuscript
with significant changes.  A draft is
something, to me, that would make me want to send an updated copy to my editor or
beta reader (“No, read this one,
actually.  Not the one I sent you.”)

I’d say that I have probably four or five
drafts of a story before I turn it in. 
That’s mainly because I write in layers and the second draft is where I
put in the book’s character and setting description and the third is where I
stick in chapter breaks. Then I have another couple of read-throughs for
errors, pacing, continuity, etc.  

You can also approach it a different
way—a bunch of targeted mini-drafts. 
This could take more read-throughs, but each time you’d be looking for
specific things: weak scenes, conflict/tension, description that pops,
out-of-sequence storyline, grammar, etc.

After I’m done,  I’ll email the story to my editor.  Months later, there will be more
editing.  Then it goes to the
proofreader…and even more editing ensues.

How many drafts do you usually go through
on a manuscript?  How do you know when
it’s ready? 

Image: MorgueFile: jppi

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Telling a Story in Our Own Voice (or One That Comes Naturally To Us)

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Wednesday, I was the only adult in the
line of about 100 junior year high school students in front of the counselor’s
office.   

The students were all there to
have their schedules changed for one reason or another.  My son was next to me, both relieved that I
was there and resigned that I was there. His schedule,
unfortunately, needed four or five changes to it—sometimes computers stick odd
things on schedules.  This computer
had.  I was there to lend an air of
gravitas to the situation and help him get the schedule in order so he’d have
what he needed for these colleges he’s starting to look at (primarily German
III and German IV, since they want four years in a single language).

So here’s the situation.  We’re all sitting in plastic chairs in a
long, long line outside this office, each with a number.  He has friends to the right of him and
friends to the left of him and I’m right in the middle. I have brought my book
with me and am determined not to bother/embarrass him (if I can help it).  Although I could potentially be bothering him
by the fact that I’m quietly writing about murder in my notebook.  Or that I’m there at all.

We wait about four hours.

His friends, nearer the start of the four
hour wait, aren’t exactly sure how to talk around me.  And this is literally around me, since they’re having to lean forward to bypass my
presence.  There is some stilted
conversation.  They pass their phones to
each other to share a video or a funny picture, but they only snort or laugh
and don’t talk about whatever it is they’re looking at.  I keep writing.

Finally the girl next to me asks sweetly,
“Mrs. Craig, are you here to get your schedule changed, too?” Trying out a
different tack to see how I’d respond. My son looks sideways at me.

I nodded. 
“I was supposed to graduate in 1989, but I can’t seem to get enough
credits for graduation.”

This makes them laugh.  And soon, they’re carrying on conversations
that seem a lot more natural. Not as natural as they’d be if I weren’t there at
all, but a whole lot more natural than they were before. This helps me relax
too. It’s very distracting when people are acting stilted around you.  I was actually able to block them all out and
write several pages for my book.

To me, this is half the battle of coming
up with a writer’s voice—not sounding stilted. 
Stilted narrative is distracting and makes it tough for a reader to get
wrapped up in our story.

I knew what I wanted my storytelling
voice to be before I wrote my first book…but it took a while for me to achieve
it. I wanted it to be intimate and friendly. It took some practice and both
hits and misses before I nailed it.  One
tip that I found:  once you’ve written a
passage of your book in the voice you’re shooting for, print that portion out
and keep it near you.  When you feel
you’re sounding stilted again, reread the passage that you wrote. It can help to reorient you.

Here are some posts on voice that I’ve
found helpful in the past:

Can
You Hear Me Now? Developing Your Voice—by Janice Hardy @janice_hardy

10 Steps to Finding Your Writing
Voice—by Jeff Goins @jeffgoins

Need Voice? Think
Out Loud—by Jami Gold @jamigold

3 Vs of
Fiction—Voice—by Darcy Pattison @fictionnotes

Did your author's voice come naturally to
you? How did you find it? 

Photo--MorgueFile--mconnors

Outlining a Story

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve been asked a few times lately to
write a post about how I outline.

This is something I’ve been reticent to
do, since I don’t really think of myself as an outliner.  My outline process does seem to work for me,
though, and in the hopes it might help someone else, I’ll share it.  But it’s not pretty.  There are no highlighters or index cards
around.  And at times, it seems like the
ramblings of a crazy person.

With that caveat, here we go.



Pace--I outline generally as quickly as I
can. My goal is to get through the thing, look for places where the story seems
weak, fix the outline, then either hand it in or start writing the book.

Format—The outline looks like a
story.  If I’ve really thoroughly
outlined and gone scene to scene, the outline runs anywhere from ten to
twenty-five pages.  It’s in paragraph form.
I sometimes include dialogue. There are no numbers on my outlines since I’m a
fervent believer that numbers and words should stay segregated (this would
explain my grades in Algebra all those years ago.)

Starting out—I write three series, so to
keep my head straight, I put a list of all the recurring characters at the top
of the page before I start out.  I start
out with my victim, as usual, and come up with a quick list of who might want
to kill such a person.  With that victim
and that list, I start writing the outline.

My outline’s first draft (and only draft,
if it’s self-pub. I clean up the outline if I’m handing it into an editor)
reads as if a child is telling a friend about a movie they’ve seen.  You know what I mean:  And then this
happens! And then that happens! And
then…

I go through the whole story scene by
scene: body, suspects identified and interviewed, second body, suspects
interviewed, alibis checked out, sleuth in danger, murderer revealed.  Sometimes I get carried away and stick in
some dialogue as I go…frequently without the use of quotation marks. I’m flying
through it, doing a brain dump with the story. 
If I need to do extra brainstorming as I go, I do it on a different Word doc. 

Then I’ve got a skeleton of a story.  There isn’t setting in there.  But it’s an outline.  I don’t think my editor necessarily wants to
see description in my outlines and I sure don’t. 
I just need something to get me started. 


Then I go back to my opening scene and
add some other things in:

I hint at the trouble that’s about to
engulf the story.

I like to tie in the beginning of the
story with the ending—sometimes with a subplot, sometimes with the opening
scene. I think of ways to do this, and then put my first mention at the start
of the story.

I do try to have a sort of “Save the Cat”
moment at the beginning of the story—some way to make my protagonist
sympathetic to the reader.  I tend to
write protagonists who are prickly and difficult and this helps to soften them
up. 

I list my characters on a separate
page.  I make a few notes about them…what
they’re afraid of, what they really want in life, where they are now.  Then I think of ways that I can possibly give
them an arc over the course of the story. 
Can I make readers end up relating to a character they originally
disliked? Can I give some extra dimension to a character who just seems always
cranky, cheerful, remote, whiny?

My editor for the quilting series
particularly likes it when I can weave different characters’ stories
together—one helping the other to grow or change in some way.  She feels it gives the story a sense of
completion in smaller ways…not just the murder investigation being solved.  I do look for ways to do this.

Subplots are vital to my stories and are
ways to incorporate humor, diffuse tension, help readers connect with
characters, or even help solve the case. 
I brainstorm ideas…as many as I can think of and with a variety of
different characters…and then see which idea is the strongest.  Especially if it’s an idea that can also help
me accomplish other story goals at the same time.  I stick the winning subplot(s) into the outline.

Strictly for mysteries—I check out my
clues, red herrings, alibis.  I make sure
the story will be fair to the readers and that they have a shot at solving it.

I make sure my readers’ favorite
recurring characters are in the story.

I look for spots that seem boring.  I look for spots where my protagonist appears
to be taking a backseat. I look for spots to put in clues and red herrings for
my sleuth to explore.

If the outline is only for my eyes, then
I’m done.  If the outline is for an
editor, then I try to make it sound more sane...I put in punctuation, for instance. :) 
I tell my editor I’m open to changes. 
And I warn her that I may change
the story, too.  I frequently do.

As for the character description, chapter
breaks, et al…those go in after the first draft is finished.

And…that’s about it.  It’s really a very simple process. A scene by
scene outline that basically covers the entire the book takes me almost a week
to write and edit.

Then I write the book.

How do you outline, if you do?  Does your process work well for you?

10 Ways Plot Structure Influences Character Arc

by K.M. Weiland (@KMWeiland)





I’m sometimes asked which is more important: plot or character. This is a misleading question, at its foundation. Not only are plot and character equally important, they’re also interdependent upon one another. The term “structure” has become almost synonymous with “plot.” But the truth is this: structure is as much about planning your main character’s arc as it is crafting a solid beginning, middle, and end. In my book Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story , I talk about the structure of plot, but today, let’s take a peek at the structure of character.



1. Your Character’s Arc in the Hook: The beginning of your story is where you must not only hook readers with an interesting premise and plot development—but also with the protagonist’s fundamental dramatic problem. You will be introducing your character’s personality and “normal world” via a characteristic moment. This normal world and your character’s mindset within it will be defined by the Lie He Believes.

     This Lie will be holding him back from the Thing He Needs (e.g., he may need love and acceptance, but believe he is unworthy of it). This conflict will define the entire course of your character’s arc. You will also be introducing your character’s overall story goal via the Thing He Wants Most—which will either be inhibiting him from gaining the Thing He Needs or will be impossible to gain until he rejects the Lie.



2. Your Character’s Arc in the First Act: The First Act (which encompasses roughly the first quarter of your story) will be all about reinforcing your character’s belief in the Lie. You will also want to indicate that the character has the potential for enough personal growth to eventually overcome that Lie.



3. Your Character’s Arc in the First Major Plot Point: As the First Act comes to an end and your narrative approaches the First Major Plot Point, your character will still be deeply entrenched in the Lie. But he will be in the beginning stages of rebelling against its foundation. His belief in how he serves the Lie will begin to evolve (e.g., he will still believe he is unworthy of love, but he may determine to do something to at least be worthy of respect). Then the First Major Plot Point will hit, changing your character’s normal world forever and giving him just a glimpse of what life might be like without the Lie.



4. Your Character’s Arc in the First Half of the Second Act: This section (which generally spans from the quarter mark to the halfway mark) is all about your character’s reactions to the First Major Plot Point. During this time, you will lay the first stone in the protagonist’s ability to defeat the Lie (often, this will come in the form of another character’s “mentoring”). The character will be getting closer to the Thing He Wants (although he may not realize it), even as he gets farther away from the Thing He Needs.



5. Your Character’s Arc in the Midpoint: The Midpoint will present another dramatic incident, this time forcing your character to abandon his reactions and begin a series of strong actions in an attempt to gain the Thing He Wants Most. The Midpoint will prompt the character to move away from the effects of the Lie, if not yet the Lie itself.



6. Your Character’s Arc in the Second Half of the Second Act: Thanks to the lessons learned in the First Half of the Second Act, the character will now be able to act in ways he wouldn’t have been able to in the First Half. For the first time, he will begin to move away from the effects of the Lie and toward the Thing He Needs, even though that may ultimately mean moving away from the Thing He Wants Most.

     Toward the end of the Second Act, the character will be close to getting the Thing He Wants Most. But he will be conflicted, since claiming the Thing He Wants Most will mean putting himself entirely under the power of the Lie once again. His inner conflict will ramp up as he convinces himself his inner need is not an obstacle to his outer want.



7. Your Character’s Arc in the Third Major Plot Point: The Third Plot Point will once again be an event that changes everything for your character. This time, that event will be a point of crisis within your character’s arc. The Thing He Wants will now be within his reach, but to gain it, he will have to totally sacrifice the Thing He Needs. That’s where the Third Plot Point comes into play: something must happen to force him to realize he can’t surrender the Thing He Needs. At this point, he can no longer hide himself from the horror of the Lie. He must wrench himself into action by rejecting the Thing He Wants Most. In a sense, this action signifies the character’s dying to his old self.



8. Your Character’s Arc in the Third Act: Immediately, after the Third Plot Point, your character will find himself at a low point—either physically, emotionally, or both—as he realizes how much he lost when he rejected the Thing He Wants Most. The character must choose between surrendering to his pain and continuing the fight. This is the moment in which the character will be remade. This is where his new self will begin to rise.

     The character must realize that the price he paid to gain the Thing He Needs was worth the pain. At this point in the story, he will have recognized the Lie, but he will not yet have completely forsaken it. The Third Act is about helping him grow into his new paradigm.

     Throughout the Third Act, your character’s belief in his new paradigm will be under siege. As the Climax approaches (roundabout the 90% mark), this attack will intensify. This attack may come from the main antagonist, a minor antagonist, an ally, or the protagonist himself. The Lie will be flung into the character’s face, and he will totter as his weak point is punched. The greater the character’s peril of relapsing, the higher the tension. He will be off-balance and unhappy as he doubts whether he made the right choices earlier. His doubt is a sign he hasn’t completely overcome the Lie.



9. Your Character’s Arc in the Climax: The Climax begins as the character finally and fully rejects the Lie and acts upon his new Truth. In the climactic moment, he will use this Truth to conclusively destroy the antagonistic force. If appropriate, he may yet gain the Thing He Wants Most as well.



10. Your Character’s Arc in the Resolution: The Resolution will provide an illustration of the character’s new life, free from the Lie.



Once you understand how the structure of both plot and character work together to create a seamless, powerful story, you can use these basic tenets to raise your stories to the next level.










K.M. Weiland is the author of the epic fantasy
Dreamlander, the historical western A Man Called
Outlaw and the
medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other
authors through her website Helping Writers Become Authors, her books Outlining Your
Novel and Structuring YourNovel, and her
instructional CD Conquering
Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration. She makes her home in western Nebraska.

Twitterific

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
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Sign up for our free newsletter for bimonthly writing tips and interviews with top
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Mike Fleming and writing coach James Scott Bell are
offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel
great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it
at Knockout Novel.com. 



And...I have a new release! Death at a Drop-In , a Myrtle Clover mystery, released last week. 




The Alphabet in Crime Fiction: Scissors
and Other Sharp Objects: http://dld.bz/cMxJN
@mkinberg

Using Android's Contacts to Store
Character Information: http://dld.bz/cMA3X
@clarissadraper


Common Style Issues for Writers: http://dld.bz/cMAKW @DianeKrause2

The 4 Cornerstones of Strong Characters: http://dld.bz/cMRmN @writingeekery

Are you marketing to readers or writers?
A reminder to 'platform-out': http://dld.bz/cMRuq
@Porter_Anderson @petermccarthy

The Readers Sound Off! How They Read,
What They Like and Where They Find Us: http://dld.bz/cMpGT
@marieforce

Be Consistent With Your Book and Your
Promo Plan: http://dld.bz/cMpHC
@behlerpublish

George R.R. Martin: The Real Iron Throne
& Boycotting Orson Scott Card: http://dld.bz/cMpHJ
@woodwardkaren

How to Evaluate Your Chapter Summaries
Prior to Writing Your Book: http://dld.bz/cMpHR
@ninaamir

Crime fiction--when detectives must
travel to solve a case: http://dld.bz/cMAuC
@mkinberg

Light a Fire Under Your Characters: http://dld.bz/cMpHT @noveleditor

4 Keys to Finding Time For Your Creative
Work: http://dld.bz/cMpHW @susankayequinn

The Most Important Kind of Edit a Book
Needs: http://dld.bz/cMpJc @jodyhedlund

Crafting the Nonfiction Book Cover: http://dld.bz/cMpTG @DebraEve @SusanShankin

How to Sell Ebooks: 5 Proven Tips: http://dld.bz/cMpUh @robeagar @DigiBookWorld

3 of Michael Connelly's Favorite Bits of
Writing Advice: http://dld.bz/cMpU4
@writersdigest

Why 1 writer lawyered up against fan fic:
http://dld.bz/cMpUA @tobywneal
@PassiveVoiceBlg

Amazon Patents 'DVD Extras' for E-Books: http://dld.bz/cMpVN @strngwys

The Business of Screenwriting: Writing
Credits: http://dld.bz/cMpYj @gointothestory

How to stay motivated (podcast): http://dld.bz/cMpYt @chase_reeves

5 Stimulating Ideas to Spark Your
Creative Juices: http://dld.bz/cMpY4
@lizstrauss

The Brief Zine-Publishing Career of Mo
Willems: http://dld.bz/cMpY7 @jasonboog
@The_Pigeon

Getting to know readers: the new
accessibility: http://dld.bz/cMpYB @tobywneal

101+ Descriptive Words For Foods: http://dld.bz/cMpYU @kathytemean

When is it okay to stop reading a book? http://dld.bz/cMpZz @iainbroome

Why Self-Publishing Doesn't Work – And
How It Can: http://dld.bz/cMpZC @yeomanis

Using the Subtext of Body Language in
Storytelling: http://dld.bz/cMpZW
@AlienNextDoor

Where to begin your story: http://dld.bz/cM2hd @KMWeiland

Describe with Telling Details—Character: http://dld.bz/cM2h4 @ava_jae

Streamline Your Writing: Cut Out
"That": http://dld.bz/cM2hH
@lindasclare

5 Quick Fixes for a Story that Goes
Wrong: http://dld.bz/cM2hP @yeomanis
@writeitsideways

Lack of Support For Your Creative Work: http://dld.bz/cM2hU @susankayequinn

Fixing info dump dialogue: http://dld.bz/cM2hX @JordanMcCollum

The Evolution of Process: http://dld.bz/cM2jd @Marie_Lu

Why We Should Read Introductions at the
End of the Book: http://dld.bz/cM2js
@galleycat

Strategies to work around Twitter's
follower ceiling: http://dld.bz/cM2jy
@stevebuttry

Should we let a group reprint our blog
posts to help promote an e-book? http://dld.bz/cM2jD
@michellerafter

Writing as Compulsion: http://dld.bz/cM2jT @womenwriters @janmerry607

What Gets Preserved? http://dld.bz/cM6he @amazingstories0

Unpacking Bowker's new market research
("the ebook is here to stay") : http://dld.bz/cM6j2
@Porter_Anderson @Bowker

Does Twitter Make Sense for Most Writers?
http://dld.bz/cM6mn @JaneFriedman

Facebook Graph Search Advice for Writers:
http://dld.bz/cM6mp @jasonboog

Organization: Tips for Dealing with
Overwhelm: http://dld.bz/cM6mH @GeneLempp

How To Get a Book Published: A
Step-by-Step Guide: http://dld.bz/cM6mX
@annerallen

Scams in Writing Contests: http://dld.bz/cM6nb @susanspann

How to write realistic dialogue using
subtexting (scroll down for post): http://dld.bz/cM6nW
@Brandilyn

How to Include the Five Senses Without
Falling into the Telling Trap: http://dld.bz/cM6pf
@MarcyKennedy @Janice_Hardy

A Pantser's Guide to Beat Sheets: http://dld.bz/cM6p4 @jamigold

Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone: http://dld.bz/cM6pD @diymfa @wendyluwrites

7 Ways to Write Better Blog Posts: http://dld.bz/cM6pE @aliventures

Hidden In Front Of Everyone's Eyes – Our
Own Potential: http://dld.bz/cM6pQ @danblank

Hell With What Sells: http://dld.bz/cM6pX @chuckwendig (lang)

Great Character: Neytiri
("Avatar"): http://dld.bz/cM8ad
@gointothestory

Michael Connelly on the No. 1 Key to
Writing a Series: http://dld.bz/cM8an
@writersdigest

5 Successful Marketing Strategies For
Fiction Authors: http://dld.bz/cM6ex
@thecreativepenn @passivevoiceblg

How Do You Balance Work and Writing? http://dld.bz/cM8gN @LAMysteryWriter

Taxes 101 for Authors: http://dld.bz/cM8gT @susanspann

Bowker on who buys what: http://dld.bz/cM8hs @Porter_Anderson @Bowker

They Don't Buy Your Book because it's
Good: http://dld.bz/cM8xW @junglereds @PJNunn

3 Ways to Fill an Empty Bio: http://dld.bz/cM8yF @lydia_sharp

Why people stop reading books: http://dld.bz/cM8yH @speechwriterguy

Low cost options for getting editing help
if you can't afford an editor: http://dld.bz/cM8zc
@nailyournovel

How to Write a Novel Readers Won't Put
Down: http://dld.bz/cM8zm @jamesscottbell

Crowdsourced Editing: The Future of
Self-Publishing? http://dld.bz/cM8zp
@nickthacker @KMWeiland

The Easiest Way to Make FaceBook Timeline
Cover Photos: http://dld.bz/cM8zQ
@lifehackorg

Making a book trailer--tools and tips: http://dld.bz/cM82j

A Writer's Magic Bakery: Selling your
short stories again (and again, and again…): http://dld.bz/cM82r
@smithwritr

A look at the New Adult genre: http://dld.bz/cM82x

Writerisms Ten: http://dld.bz/cM82B

The Pixar Theory: http://dld.bz/cM82J @JonNegroni

10 Scariest Monsters in Children's
Stories: http://dld.bz/cM83m @SmashingLists

Too many characters in a novel? One
solution: http://dld.bz/cMA5k @medwardsbooks

"Agent-Assisted Publishing": An
Interrupted Debate: http://dld.bz/cMA5n
@Porter_Anderson

Elizabeth George's Writing Process: From
Idea to First Draft: http://dld.bz/cMA5x

Indiana Jones and the Great Test of
Character: http://dld.bz/cMA5T @fictorians

Polishing your manuscript...1 writer's
suggestions: http://dld.bz/cMA6j @j_sandford
@authorterryo

Why 1 agent rejects manuscripts: http://dld.bz/cMA6u @rachellegardner

Be Clever to Be Riveting: http://dld.bz/cMA64 @livewritethrive

The Hazards Of Reading Our Old
Manuscripts: http://dld.bz/cMA85

What Makes Beautiful Writing Beautiful? http://dld.bz/cMA88 @joebunting

Writing satisfying endings: http://dld.bz/cMA8A

Story Maps: http://dld.bz/cMA8C
@shalvatzis

How Star Trek Helps Us with Showing
Rather than Telling: http://dld.bz/cMA8T
@MarcyKennedy

Market to Readers, Not Writers: http://dld.bz/cMA9w @LissyWrites

The Fifty Shades of Grey Effect: http://dld.bz/cMA9A @JanetKGrant

What Is a "Literary Change
Agent"? And What's Ethical? http://dld.bz/cMA9E
@Porter_Anderson

When authors spam: http://dld.bz/cMA9Q @EdieMelson

A Character's Mental State: http://dld.bz/cMA9W @ingridsundberg

Write With Confidence: http://dld.bz/cMCwj

Create a major direction list for your
writing and life goals: http://dld.bz/cMCwu
@TiceWrites

A Beginning Meditation Guide for Writers:
http://dld.bz/cMCw2 @ollinmorales

Suspect your category, but know your
story: http://dld.bz/cMCwA @byobrooks

The Essence of Storytelling: http://dld.bz/cMCxc

Starting freelance writing? The first 5
things you need to do: http://dld.bz/cMCxk

Are Your ISBNs Legit? http://dld.bz/cMCxz @mybookshepherd

How to Write about a Time of
Anticipation: http://dld.bz/cMCx2 @joebunting

How to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors: http://dld.bz/cMCx4 @writing_tips

Where 1 writer gets her ideas: http://dld.bz/cMCx8 @tobywneal

Covers that Wow: http://dld.bz/cMCx9 @MariaZannini

How To Start Writing That Next Book and
Not Lose The Excitement: http://dld.bz/cMCxM
@cleemckenzie

The wow factor: http://dld.bz/cMCy5

Do You Need a Literary Executor? http://dld.bz/cMCyC @susanspann

Is It Fair Use? 7 Questions to Ask Before
Using Copyrighted Material: http://dld.bz/cMCyW
@janefriedman

How to Edit in Passes: http://dld.bz/cMCzb @ava_jae

Is Modern Poetry Too Complicated For
Modern Readers? http://dld.bz/cMC2X

Avoiding perfectionism: http://dld.bz/cMC2Z @brandenbarnett

Why computer games aren't like novels —
but should interest novelists anyway: http://dld.bz/cMC3n

Screwing Up On Purpose: The Beauty of The
Deliberate Mistake: http://dld.bz/cMC3t
@jmcaddell

The link between depression and
creativity, and how it can be good for you: http://dld.bz/cMC32
@tannerc

6 Popular Tumblrs That Landed Book Deals:
http://dld.bz/cMC35

Self publishing and perpetual editing: http://dld.bz/cMC3D @JordanMcCollum

Organizing screenwriting projects: http://dld.bz/cMCSy @scriptmag @jeannevb

How Scholastic Sells Literacy To
Generations Of New Readers: http://dld.bz/cMCS9
@npr

Why Barnes & Noble Is Good for
Amazon: http://dld.bz/cMCSQ @carr2n
@passivevoiceblg

7 Essential Online Book Marketing Tips
from the Front Lines: http://dld.bz/cMCSS
@ticewrites

How To Email Your List: http://dld.bz/cMCSX

10 Things to Remember When Writing a
Legal Thriller: http://dld.bz/cMCTc
@writersdigest @ZacharyPetit

63 Character Emotions to Explore: http://dld.bz/cMCTj @fictionnotes

42 Writing Tips From J.A. Konrath: http://dld.bz/cMCTu @JAKonrath

7 Horrifying Ailments Named After
Literary Characters: http://dld.bz/cMCTS
@kimber_regator

A Perfect Plot In 6 Easy Steps: http://dld.bz/cMCTY @woodwardkaren

9 Inspirational Bits of Advice From Anne
Rice, Catherine Coulter, David Morrell and Others: http://dld.bz/cMCUg
@writersdigest @ZacharyPetit

22 Rules of Storytelling: http://dld.bz/cMCU8

Bringing Personal Experience Into Your
Writing: http://dld.bz/cMCUT @timscribe
@thecreativepenn

The Oxford comma: http://dld.bz/cMCVb

25 Things To Know About Your Story's
Stakes: http://dld.bz/cMCVh @chuckwendig
(lang)

Who Got Cultural Studies In My Fandom? http://dld.bz/cMCVp @amazingstories0

Death and writing--what's the connection?
http://dld.bz/cMCVM @BTMargins
@LaurHarrington

On writing better endings: http://dld.bz/cMRn2 @janelebak

Plotting and pantsing...either will work:
http://dld.bz/cMRn4 @ca_london

Finding Time to Write: Old-School
Technology Saves the Day: http://dld.bz/cMRn6
@Christi_Craig

Kurt Vonnegut's 8 Rules for Writing
Fiction: http://dld.bz/cMRn8 @gretchenrubin

Increasing Your Email Subscribers: http://dld.bz/cMRnB @blogherald

There's only one requirement for being a
writer—do you meet it? http://dld.bz/cMRnF
@ava_jae

Pricing Low Vs. Pricing High: How Much
Should You Charge for Your Ebook? http://dld.bz/cMRnN
@freelanceswitch

All about advances: http://dld.bz/cMRqj @stevelaubeagent








A revealing
interview with writer Lee Child: http://dld.bz/cMREb

Yet Another Good Thing About Outlines

 by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





As you know, I’ve been a very reluctant
convert to outlining.  I look for ways in
which outlining doesn’t work for me.

Instead, I keep coming across proof that
it does. Sigh. (Here
and here.)


I have an outline due for an editor by
September 1.  Chapter one of that book is
due on the same date.  I worked a bit on
the outline while I was traveling those two weeks in July.  Then, the last week of July, I worked harder
on it and finished it.

August 1, I started writing chapter one
of the book…and stalled out.  I continued
writing, but I realized that chapter one wasn’t right.
The tone and the mood were all off. I was reluctant to even open up the
document every day to work on it. 

Finally, it occurred to me (I can be
completely task-oriented and unwilling to look for root causes of problems)
that I should go back to the outline and see if I could figure out why that
first chapter was going so poorly.

After reading through the outline, the
answer was obvious to me. This wasn’t a cozy mystery at all. It was a mystery—it had a couple of murders and a
sleuth who solved the case by piecing together clues after interviewing
suspects and chasing red herrings.

But it was way too dark.  The victim had been a ruthless person. The
victims of the victim—now suspects—had seriously been taken advantage of.  One of the suspects was a recurring character
in the series and the sleuth was involved in a very unusual and disturbing way.

This outline could be for a police
procedural or maybe even a private eye. 
Heck, it could even be made into a noir.  But it wasn’t a cozy mystery.  And it had absolutely no mention of quilting
in there, for heaven’s sake, which was the series hook.  The outline also didn’t include the books’
recurring characters …characters that I knew were popular with readers of the
series.

The day before this
post came out about the importance of knowing our audience was the day when
I realized I needed to take the outline back to the drawing board.

I was able to adjust the outline to make
it more appropriate to my genre. I changed the suspects, I changed the victim’s
personality a bit to make him more of a rogue with an edge, I eliminated the
reason my sleuth was involved, I changed the motives. I lightened it up. Then I
scrapped my chapter one.

I’ve had to make similar changes before
with manuscripts, but it’s a lot more
time-consuming when you’re making the changes on a finished draft.  I used the basic plot premise that was in the
original outline and was able to make the changes to the outline in three days.  Chapter one was quickly written after that.

So—the outline can be a litmus test. You
can see from your outline if the story you’re planning will work…for your
genre, for your protagonist, for your readers. You can see plot holes, you can
see where there might be an issue with tone, you can see where readers might
have to suspend their disbelief too frequently. 
An outline can be a useful tool. 
(Bleh.)

I still don’t enjoy making them, but they
are becoming more useful to me.

How is your writing process going for
you? Made any tweaks with it lately to make it work better?

Release Activities for the Reluctant Promoter

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig



This year, I will have at least
four, maybe five (the fifth will be pushing it) releases.  Three are traditionally published, I’ve
got one new self-pub release,  and there's one that’s waiting in the wings.

Somehow, though, despite all
the releases, I freeze up when it’s launch day. 
You’d think I’d never had a release in my life. I really have no idea
why I do this, but I’m now coming up with a handy-dandy cheat sheet for me so
that I can refer to this post when I freeze up again…which will likely happen
with the December Penguin release.

After I get the formatted files
back from my formatter (thanks Rik Hall), or
after the traditional press book launches, I need to:

For self-pub books:

Upload to Smashwords.

Upload to Nook.

Upload to Kindle.

Upload to CreateSpace.

Check my emails or the
individual platform sites to see how the review processes are going for
CreateSpace and Smashwords. 

When CreateSpace approves my
content, I need to order proof copies (yes, I actually like to see the physical book and make sure the cover fits.)

Make sure Smashwords isn’t
having any issues with my upload. Fix any issues that arise.

Check on Nook’s progress.  Nook is poky.

By this time, Amazon will
already be live.  Use the Amazon link to
claim my book on ACX (the audiobook platform). 
Send email to ACX asking them for a stipend for the narrator (and
referencing the other books in the series.)

For self-pub and trad. pub:

Update my website that I have a
new book available.  Paste in the Amazon
buy-link (at that point, the only one ready to go.)

Post the release on my two
business-related Facebook accounts (I’ve got two names I write under.)  I skip posting about the release on my
personal Facebook account…I’ve got so many annual releases that I think my friends
and family would be heartily sick of hearing about them.  At least I’m gearing to readers on my other
accounts.  I only post once on the
release on the business Facebooks, to avoid overkill.

I don’t tweet the release on
Twitter.  But I will link to this post,
which will increase awareness indirectly.

Update my Amazon Author
page.  Add the new book to my list of
books.

Update Goodreads.

Update various bios and avatar
bios. Lately, I haven’t done this—I’ve just listed on the bios that I have 3
series and to visit my website (it’s just time-consuming).

For self-pub:

Are any of the other buy links
live?  Nook?  Smashwords? Add those to my website. 

Look over my proof from
CreateSpace.

Once I’ve got CreateSpace live,
order copies for a Goodreads giveaway. 
Link to the giveaway on my website. 
Actually, I should really list the giveaway months before the print release,
then provide the giveaway copies once they’re available.

Check on progress of auditions
for narrators at ACX.  Choose narrator
for project.

For Self-pub and trad. pub:

If you were a
smart author and had a mailing list for your newsletter…you should send out a
newsletter on the release. No comment as to whether I’m a smart author or
not.  :(

Write blog posts
for blog tour.  If you were smart and are
doing a blog tour. No comment again.  :(


Remember to add a short
addendum to the bottoms of my blog posts about the new release. This is the top
thing that I forget to do.

Update LinkedIn (again, usually
forget this.)

Keep writing next book.  The deadlines will bite me if I don’t.

What have I forgotten?  I’m sure, knowing me, plenty.

Using Blog Posts as Resources

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I usually do all of my link sharing on
Sundays, but I thought what I’d do today is to share a couple of recent links
I’ve found helpful…and also share some posts that I find myself coming back to
often to re-read.

Porter Anderson in his Publishing
Perspectives column
last Tuesday, linked to a Tumblr
post by Fight Club writer Chuck Palahniuk.  In it, Palahniuk pointed out that characters
who think can be dangerous. :) Thinking words need a bit of the show-don’t-tell
treatment.  Palahniuk also tells why
solitude is bad for our characters. Check the links for more information.



I also came across another link I found
interesting yesterday, on a similar topic. Self-Editing
for Everyone Part 4: The Weakeners by Bridget McKenna. This post has a nice
list of filler words (and other types of pitfalls) to look out for in our
writing.  I’m always careful here to note
that we don’t have to eliminate all of
these—but it’s helpful to go through our writing and see if we’re using these
words as crutches.

Here are some older posts that I
frequently refer to. I liked these posts because they offered something a
little different from most writing craft posts and because they got me
thinking.  Other than that…the posts have
very little in common.

The
one subplot you really need by Allen Palmer for Cracking Yarns.

6
Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense by Steven James for Writer’s Digest

Five
More Ways to Add Humor by Darcy
Pattison for Fiction Notes.

Acting Out (a
technique for breaking acts and then adding twists, plot direction) by Lilla Zuckerman for Save the Cat!

How
to Build a Scene, Addendum: Do You Have a Surface Conflict and a Suppressed
Conflict?  By Matt Bird for Cockeyed Caravan

Story
Threads—Tie the Elements Together by Beth Hill for The Editor’s Blog

A
Clever Way To Give A Story Hidden Depth by John Yeoman for Procrastinating Writers.

One
key to handling exposition by Scott
Myers for Go Into the Story.


Logline Library compiled for
The Script Lab.  I somehow find this site fascinating
(probably says a lot about my state of mind.) I love seeing complex stories
being successfully reduced to a few words.

Plot
Generators, What-If Tools, 37 Dramatic Situations, and Getting Past Writers
Block. A nice post by Martina
A. Boone (Adventures in YA Publishing) for The Enchanted Inkpot.

What do you do with favorite posts that
you want to refer back to?  I use the
free version of Evernote to organize my
favorite tips.  I usually do a pass
through them right before editing or when I feel a bit stuck. The important
thing, I think, is not to get immobilized by all the good ideas—but to have
them there as reference when we need them.

And I’ve got to plug Mike Fleming’s and
my search engine…if you don’t want to bookmark and you’d rather search a topic
when you need it, you can pull up all the posts I’ve shared on writerskb.com .  It’s free.

Have you got favorite posts? How do you
organize them?

Twitterific

  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 20,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search
engine for writers.



Sign up for our free newsletter for bimonthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.



Mike Fleming and writing coach James Scott Bell are
offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel
great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it
at Knockout Novel.com. 

 

Do it yourself? 10 tips for beginners
from top self-publishing sites: http://bit.ly/1cjWzKD
@darlawrites

Indie Author Organizations for Publicity:
http://bit.ly/1cjWNRV @cateartios




How Genre Labeling Keeps Some Books from
Being Discovered: http://bit.ly/18KPmkz

Writing, Art and Outlining: http://bit.ly/1cjXkmZ @fcmalby

7 Reasons You Should Have a Songwriting
Process: http://bit.ly/18KPu3k @usasong

Authorial Artists: 5 Painters Who Also
Wrote: http://bit.ly/18KPGQg
@chris_shultz81

30 Days of Screenplays "Little Miss
Sunshine": http://bit.ly/1cjXPxo
@gointothestory

How to Develop a Daily Writing Habit: http://bit.ly/18KPRep @rfwilliford

How to Keep Writing When You're Scared of
Failure: http://bit.ly/1cjYgrm @diymfa

How to be found on the internet: http://bit.ly/18KQODr @CarrieCuinn

Want to Read More? Think About
Audiobooks: http://bit.ly/1cjZtPE
@booklifenow

Improving your odds of getting published:
http://bit.ly/1cjZByu @storyfix

Give your character a lie: http://bit.ly/1cjZRO4 @bethvogt

Reviews - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly:
http://bit.ly/1ck02ZH @maryannwrites

Retired and Writing: http://bit.ly/15tHuCz

The outlaw hero: http://bit.ly/18PJx8T @NykiBlatchley

The 5 deadly sins writers don't see in
their own writing: http://bit.ly/15tHQsP
@rxena77

3 Types of Headings: http://bit.ly/15tIdDN @writing_tips

The Truth About Having Time to Create: http://bit.ly/18PKGNv @JeffreyDavis108

An author rounds up the most memorable
criticism of her career: http://bit.ly/18PLemI
@AdriennedeWolfe

Adaptations: Passionate, Not Precious: http://bit.ly/15tJvyF @jtjarzemsky

5 Traps of the Imagination John Grisham
Helped 1 Writer See: http://bit.ly/18PLyBZ
@VanderwarkerT

What to expect when going to a writing
conference: http://bit.ly/13plQjr @JenTalty

How typeface influences the way we read
and think: http://bit.ly/1edoB8X
@passivevoiceblg

4 Things Barnes & Noble Could Do to
Stay Competitive: http://bit.ly/13plV6O
@dearauthor

How To Make a Book Cover with Public
Domain Images: http://bit.ly/1edoH0c
@jasonboog

10 Free (or Mostly Free) Book Launch
Strategies: http://bit.ly/13pm2iD @bookbaby

New Literary Forms for Self-Publishers: http://bit.ly/1edoQR7 @ornaross

Is It Worth Being in the Amazon
Associates Program? http://bit.ly/185E3Wb
@goblinwriter

Building your author platform--Goodreads:
http://bit.ly/1edp0rL @tonyriches

Should you change your book's cover? Tips
for success: http://bit.ly/13pmmhc
@dirtywhitecandy

8 Promises You're Making to Readers—and
Then Breaking: http://bit.ly/1edpqOU
@KMWeiland

Help with show, don't tell: http://bit.ly/1edpzlp @BridgetMcKenna

Screenwriting – Character Outlining: http://bit.ly/13pn0vb

11 Tips On How To Become A Better Writer:
http://bit.ly/1edpPkx @woodwardkaren

Maybe You *Shouldn't* Be a Freelance
Writer: http://bit.ly/1edqen1 @danasitar

9 More Twitter Tips for Writers
Confounded by Twitter: http://bit.ly/1edqAKr
@rsquaredd

On Error-Correction and Formative
Fictions: http://bit.ly/13poA09

4 More Things Published Authors Know: http://bit.ly/1edrM08

4 ways to be a polite screenwriter: http://bit.ly/1edrVRb @Bambookiller

4 Ways Images Can Inspire Writing: http://bit.ly/1edsdI0

Focus on One Book Series or Start
Multiple Series? http://bit.ly/13ppWbf
@goblinwriter

5 Red Flags for a "Self" or
"Indie" Publisher and Author: http://bit.ly/1edshHE
@mybookshepherd

Proof Copies: Do You REALLY need them? http://bit.ly/13pq5eN

Tips for designing and formatting ebooks:
http://bit.ly/13pqf5T @pubmybook

How to Connect With More Readers in Just
5 Minutes: http://bit.ly/1edsACa @duolit

2 things an agent isn't: http://bit.ly/14nZC44 @JanetKGrant

10 Never-Fail Ideas for Twitter Updates: http://bit.ly/14MbXrA @EdieMelson

Dig deep and get to the heart of a
character by asking 'why': http://bit.ly/14nZQYL
@livewritethrive

How to Craft a Happy Ending: http://bit.ly/14McGsY @waynesmom

5 Lies Writers Tell Themselves: http://bit.ly/13bks0l @losapala

The horrors of self-promotion: http://bit.ly/13FULVv @SeanBeaudoin

Know your characters before you start
writing: http://bit.ly/13FWg60
@JE_Tankersley

Does publishing need *more* gatekeepers? http://bit.ly/19LRPhF @Porter_Anderson

Is “Copyright Protection” an
Oxymoron?  http://bit.ly/14jHF3G
@Porter_Anderson @beccarosen

Developing a Strong Third-Person Voice: http://bit.ly/1esIpFi @JodieRennerEd

Bezos purchases the Post--and analysts
weigh in: http://bit.ly/133hXlV
@Porter_Anderson @mathewi @koxinga21

Fear and loathing at the bookstore: http://bit.ly/133yRkc @Porter_Anderson
@juderogers

How to Make Adverbs Work for You: http://bit.ly/14o1ARY @janice_hardy

3 pillars of fiction: http://bit.ly/14MfNRI @KatiaRaina1

What Not to Think About When You're
Writing: http://bit.ly/14o1Yjq

What Zombies Can Teach Us about Writing: http://bit.ly/14MgmuS @lyndaryoung

Your Career in Indie Screenwriting: http://bit.ly/14o28Y4 @scriptmag @jeffrichards

NA, YA & MG book reviewers: http://bit.ly/14MgU3T @SA_Larsen

Tropes vs Women from a writer's
perspective: http://bit.ly/14Mh0sa
@ajackwriting @femfreq

10 Simple Tips for Self-Editing: http://bit.ly/14o2HB7 @melissadonovan

Writing is rewriting: http://bit.ly/14MhKxp @shalvatzis

Freelancers--query writing is just as
important as the paid content you deliver: http://bit.ly/14o2U7c
@TiceWrites

Revisiting Our Writing Resolutions: http://bit.ly/14Mihzq @DeniseVegaBooks

1 writer argues against getting ISBNs for
your ebooks: http://bit.ly/14MiuCL
@willentrekin

Using Satan as a character: http://bit.ly/13biJId @LouMorgan

Genre mashups: http://bit.ly/148QZar @mikemartinez72

No More Excuses: Find An Editing Partner:
http://bit.ly/13biYTD

Are you hoarding your writing? http://bit.ly/148Rd1v @LaurieEpps2

Why characters are the heart of your
novel - & how you can write them effectively: http://bit.ly/13bj9hS @NailYourNovel

Writing Blind, a Creative Force: http://bit.ly/148RNMI @blindspothannah
@womenwriters

You just sold your book! Now what? http://bit.ly/13bjMrN

Female Friendships in Fiction: http://bit.ly/148ScyC @RileyRedgate
@writeangleblog

What makes a picture book manuscript
stand out? http://bit.ly/13bk69W
@SimoneKaplan

Secrets Your Inner Critic Would Kill to
Keep: http://bit.ly/148SuWf @losapala

3 Ways to Turn Blog Failure Into Success:
http://bit.ly/148UGgg @jfbookman

To Swag or Not to Swag? http://bit.ly/13bmcXl @JeannieLin

The Real Problem with Mythology in
Television: http://bit.ly/148USfD @LBGale

What is Neo-Noir Fiction? http://bit.ly/13bmAVE @litreactor @wickerkat

How To Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets:
http://bit.ly/Hrvhzo @jasonboog @galleycat

The writing challenge that knows you have
a life: http://bit.ly/19EEJ5v #ROW80

That Second Look at Your First Draft: http://bit.ly/1ejLpUi @elspethwrites

Linking to independent bookstores using
Indiebound: http://bit.ly/19EERCj
@chuckwendig

5 Appositive Phrases with Punctuation
Problems: http://bit.ly/1ejLAiG
@writing_tips

6 Common Myths about Book Reviews: http://bit.ly/19EF3Bk @bookmarketer

How to Develop Characters Intuitively: http://bit.ly/1ejLSGf @losapala

Is This Too Erudite For Modern Readers? http://bit.ly/19EFdc1 @Peculiar

The Greatest American Novel? 9 Experts
Share Their Opinions: http://bit.ly/1ejMaNn
@KSHartnett

What Writers Can Learn From
Entrepreneurs: http://bit.ly/13dyTR6
@ollinmorales

Is it Fair for Authors to Review Other
Authors? Do We Ruin the Magic? http://bit.ly/135sPOl
@KristenLambTX

Writing Scenes You Haven't Seen: http://bit.ly/13IfZFk @PatrickRwrites

Revealing a Character's Past Without
Falling Into Backstory: http://bit.ly/11jO11S
@Janice_Hardy

8 Promises You're Making to Readers—and
Then Breaking: http://bit.ly/1edpqOU
@KMWeiland

Eliminating "thought verbs"
from our writing: http://bit.ly/193eClZ
@Porter_Anderson @chuckpalahniuk

Free Print Book Resource for Authors: http://bit.ly/14jL16Q @bookbaby @JFBookman

Genre Fiction and Digital Publishing: A
Marriage Made in Heaven: http://bit.ly/193fase
@DennisAbrams2 @Pubperspectives

Tips for a Series Bible: http://bit.ly/193fh73 @jemifraser
@writeangleblog

The Impact Character: http://bit.ly/14jMrhw @glencstrathy

Do you know a good rejection when you see
one? http://bit.ly/14jNKNH @EdieMelson

When it's time to listen to your body
(carpal tunnel): http://bit.ly/193g87U
@KristinNador

10 Essential Neo-Noir Authors: http://bit.ly/14jPEOn @wickerkat

7 Rules for Dialogue: http://bit.ly/193h6ko @advicetowriters

Are There Rules for Writing
Seat-of-the-Pants? http://bit.ly/14jQBWJ
@JessicaDotta

The Secret to Including Drama in Your
Creative Writing: http://bit.ly/193hmQl
@PatrickRwrites

5 Tips For Curing Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/14jR1wi @jeanoram

On Writing Risks, and the Safety Net: http://bit.ly/193hEXv @KatZhang

The Magical Midpoint Moment: http://bit.ly/14jRFdi @jamesscottbell

5 Ways to Support Your Favorite Authors: http://bit.ly/193hNdq @ava_jae

The Marketing Questionnaire: http://bit.ly/19NRevN @kcraftwriter

Keys to Understanding Amazon's
Algorithms: http://bit.ly/19NV2Ns @bookgal
@JFBookman

What J.K. Rowling's pseudonymous novel
says about commercial success: http://bit.ly/1esNUUz
@nathanbransford

Top 7 Strategies for Blog Marketing: http://bit.ly/16vgTEi @JFBookman

8 Online Productivity Tools For Writers: http://bit.ly/19OjluM @thecreativepenn

Alternative story structures: http://bit.ly/19OkAu7 @ingridsundberg

The How and Why of Author Newsletters: http://bit.ly/16vjSwF @steenaholmes

5 Ways to Limit Your Character's Options
- and Make Your Story Better: http://bit.ly/19OkQcn
@mooderino

Writing is rewriting--style: http://bit.ly/16vkeDu @shalvatzis

AmazonCrossing Publishes More Books in
Translation than Anyone Else (In 2013. Probably.): http://bit.ly/19Olfvn @chadwpost

Neil Gaiman on the spooky art of writing:
http://bit.ly/16vkrGL @neilhimself
@geoffboucher

How To Improve Your Writing In Your
Sleep: http://bit.ly/19Olruy @writersrelief

The cross-pollination of reality and
fiction: http://bit.ly/1bfjENb @cwrenpress

5 Literary Magazines That Restore 1
Writer's Faith in Publishing: http://bit.ly/133r8CM
@writerscramp1

Over-Researching Your Writing: http://bit.ly/13QPOcG @PeterSaintClair

Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome—Writers of
the Digital Age: http://bit.ly/133rrxs
@KristenLambTX

5 Quotes to Plot Your Novel By: http://bit.ly/133xdiz @fictionnotes

Words and phrases that may be bloating or
weakening your writing: http://bit.ly/1496hIq
@BridgetMcKenna

An Easy Tip for Developing Story Ideas: http://bit.ly/133xJNH @janice_hardy

Ideas for promoting your self-pubbed
book: http://bit.ly/1497nUk @JCMells

How to Sell More Books By Optimizing Your
Metadata: http://bit.ly/133yrKR
@thecreativepenn @JaneFriedman

Automated Online Proofreaders: Are They
Worth It? http://bit.ly/16BLMab
@LyndaRYoung

Crowdsource Your Self-Publishing Project
without Asking for Money: http://bit.ly/16BLMXK
@livewritethrive @danasitar

The Establishing Shot & Your Novel: http://bit.ly/16GUd61 @ashkrafton

4 Tips for Worldbuilding Success: http://bit.ly/16BM6Wz @kcrosswriting

5 Tips to Effective Dialogue: http://bit.ly/XzkXON @MaloneEditorial

33 Unusual Tips To Being A Better Writer:
http://bit.ly/16BNs3E @thoughtcatalog

Human Eyes on the Manuscript: http://bit.ly/16GVWs4 @authorterryo

How to Successfully Self-Publish a Kindle
eBook: http://bit.ly/16BNvwc @jeffgoins