Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 156

Working on Multiple Projects

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





Image: MorgueFile: haphthat


I don’t go to a lot of
conferences or give a lot of talks.  When
I do give a talk though, and it’s time
for an audience q&a, I know which question I’ll be getting.

“Do you work on all
three series at once?”

It used to be that I’d
get the famous “where do you get your ideas from” question most often, but this
new one has definitely surpassed the other. 


And I don’t really
know why people are interested in this. 
Maybe they’re looking for tips for juggling their own stuff.

Here’s the answer—not
unless I have to.

The reason—I get very
confused.

The series are very
different.  My protagonists are very
different. But…when you’re writing humorous cozy mysteries set in Southern
towns, there’s enough similarity there to get your mind boggled.

The toughest is when
you’re working on more than one first draft at a time.  I avoid doing this at all costs! If I've got to, then I try to work one day on Project A and the next day on Project B.  I would rather have a “if it’s Tuesday, it
must be a quilting mystery” scenario than a “if it’s 2 p.m., it must be
quilting, if it’s 3 p.m., it must be barbeque mysteries” scenario.

It’s even easy to get
confused when you’re drafting one book and doing edits on another.  I just got an email on Thursday that the
proofreader had found an error on the page proofs and my editor asked me to
correct it.  Now I know that working on page proofs means that
the text is already set…any corrections need to have the same number of
characters as the original to prevent text reflow.  But I’d already forgotten that we were in the
pass page stage of the process since I’m busily drafting another book.  I sent in a broad correction (I deleted most
of a paragraph) and emailed it to my editor. She emailed me back a very patient
reminder.

This week, though, I
came across a post that actually recommended working on multiple projects
simultaneously.  I read the post with
interest since this is a blog that I regular follow and tweet and have found
some great information on: Cockeyed
Caravan.  The blog’s author is Matt
Bird, a screenwriter.  Matt says:




Writing a few pages of
another project is helpful in multiple ways:

It
buoys you up out of that sinking sensation and allows you to start fresh
on new challenges.
It
reminds you that not everything is riding on your main project, so it can
be what it needs to be, instead of being all things to all people.
It
allows you to move that big problem to the back of your mind, but it keeps
working the muscles that you need to solve it, which makes it more likely
that you’ll have that “Eureka!” moment, when a solution for the supposedly
forgotten problem suddenly flashes into your head.  If you take days
off to just think about the main problem, it’s more likely that you’ll
forget it entirely.


He’s specifically
talking about writer’s block in the post. 
Writer’s block isn’t something that I have a problem with.  But I can see his point—working on more than
one project means that when you reach a stumbling block with one book, you can
make headway on the other and feel like you’re not missing your goal.  It could be a good way for some writers to
stay motivated and keep a creative spark.

For me, though…there’s
always that temptation to cheat on my current project with a new project.  It’s known as Shiny New Idea Syndrome.  Plus, for me, there’s that aforementioned
confusion factor.

Sometimes, though, I
do have to work on multiple projects at once. 
Whether you’re working on more than one book by choice or because of
publisher-set deadlines, here are a few tips:

Keep a style sheet or series bible for
your series/each project.  A style sheet
listing character names, short descriptions, setting names, character traits and quirks,  and relationships
between characters can help you keep organized and jump back and forth between
projects much easier.

It can be easier to
edit one book while drafting another…the processes seem to use different parts
of our brain.  If you’ve got to work on
two books at once, see if you can avoid drafting
two different projects at once.

If you’re writing
series, it’s helpful to keep the old Word documents of already-published
previous books in the series.  That way
you’ve got an easy way to quickly search a book for details you might have
forgotten (or have forgotten when working on the other project.)

Noting where you left
off with each story is a helpful way to quickly jump back in the next day.  If you’re writing Project A and it’s time to
move to Project B, do a one-line recap to refresh your memory when you return
to the book the next day: Myrtle finished
questioning Sybil and now plans to talk with Lucas about the argument he had.  

One more tip--if you're working on multiple projects, you might want to take care to carefully put everything on your calendar and make lists for all your non-writing-related activities.  I've dropped the ball in a spectacular way several times when I was working on two books at once.  Your mind is just so thoroughly engaged in the two worlds that it's hard to remember the dentist and doctor appointments, the carpool you're supposed to drive, etc.

And take care of yourself if you're working that hard.  Remember to eat and sleep and exercise.  Those things are also easy to forget when we're busy.

Have you ever worked
on multiple projects before?  Did you
enjoy it?  How did you make it work and
keep it all straight?

Why Some Traditionally Published Writers Aren’t Self-Publishing

by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





Image by Purpleslog, Flickr


Sometimes when I’m scanning my blog reader or reading
through some of the messages from writer loops I’m on, I’m stunned by the lack of recognition
or acknowledgment of the rapidly changing industry on traditionally published
author blogs.  This applies to some agent
blogs, too, although certainly not all of them (among agents, Rachelle Gardner
is probably the very best at addressing the topic.)




These authors will write about the writing craft, querying,
the waiting period before their books release, promo…nothing about switching to
digital or any of the upheaval they must surely be experiencing aware of in
their dealings with traditional publishers.




I’ve
certainly seen changes in publishing and I haven’t been in the business nearly
as long as some other writers.  For one
thing, it used to be fairly standard with paperback mysteries that contract
extensions were in 3-book increments. 
Now you’ll frequently get a contract extension one book at a time.




In my online interactions, I’ve been surprised at the lack
of conversation regarding switching to digital and POD. 
From time to time, a traditionally-published writer will get in touch
with me when they’re exploring going to self-pub…but only to ask if I know
cover designers or editors, never to ask my opinion on making the switch.  This is interesting to me, considering I’ve
got a fairly high profile as a hybrid writer.




Occasionally, I’ll rock the boat a little.  I’ve urged writers I know to experiment—to try
putting something up as a self-published book or short story.  This is met by a variety of reactions…many
times negative ones.




I’m just surprised there aren’t many other hybrid writers
like me.  There are more every day, but
not nearly the number that I’d expect.




Here’s
what I think is going on:




The main excuse I’ve heard for not exploring self-publishing
is time.  Some writers have got contracts
for several years into the future and don’t see themselves starting another
series for self-publishing. One writer told me that she just didn’t have the
time to write anything other than the series she was already working on (and
was contracted out for years for.)




I’ve also observed a sense among some authors that if they’re
publicly vocal about self-publishing that it will somehow hurt their
traditionally published career…that it will hint at their unhappiness with
traditional publishing or imply criticism of it when they don’t actually feel
that way.




Some writers aren’t connected enough with the writing community
to know how best to approach self-publishing or see it as a huge time-suck of a
challenge.




There also seems to be a preconception that self-publishing
is for projects that aren’t commercially viable. If they have something to
publish, they’re hoping to shop it to traditional publishers—they think it’s too
commercially attractive to self-publish it.




For some, there still seems to be a stigma attached to
self-publishing.  Some writers appear to believe
that self-publishing would make it appear that they were dropped by their
publisher or that their series were discontinued.  




Some are so used to having the production process taken care
of (titling, copywriting, editing, design, formatting, and interior design)
that the thought of taking on these aspects of the business are completely
overwhelming.




Others seem to be running into non-compete clauses.  More on those contract clauses in this post
by Kristine Rusch: “Competition.”




And here’s just a general observation: the group that seems
to be most enthusiastically making the leap to self-publishing (and with the
most commercial success) appears to be the romance writers.  Frequently, these are really savvy writers. Many
of the romance writers that I’m acquainted with are older writers (middle aged
and up) who have been in the business for decades and have huge backlists.  They’ve very nimbly adapted to the changing
industry and are finding significant commercial success…sometimes for the first
time in their careers.




This topic might engender some discussion…the reason I’m
bringing it up at all (since I’m not exactly the type who wants to be a lightning
rod of any kind) is out of concern for these writers, moving forward. And the fact that I'm somewhat frustrated and mystified.  If these writers are
simply satisfied with their current situation…I’m wondering how long that’s going
to continue being true as advances decrease and bookstores close. As publishers
tighten their belts and take on fewer manuscripts. As publishers merge or close
their doors.  I’m wondering why they aren’t
testing the waters and exploring a bit.  I think many of the above reasons for not exploring self-publishing
are hooey.  I worry these writers are burying their heads in the sand and some of them are great writers--I would miss their stories.




If you’re really cautious about self-publishing and you’re
traditionally published, there are ways you can minimize your risk. Write under
a pen name.  Write a short story or
collection of shorts as an experiment.  Spend
time each day developing a new project for self-publishing. Or spend time
figuring out if you can get the rights back to some of your backlist.   Start
reading up on industry changes, if you haven’t already. Read blogs by writers
and industry insiders like Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Mike Shatzkin, and
Kris Rusch. 




Consider your career...this is a business. Tune in.




That is all. :)

Keeping the Murderer Secret until the End

By Price McNaughton, @ PriceMcNaughton






When I first began writing
murder mysteries, my biggest fear was that I would reveal the murderer too
soon. I hate books that make the perpetrator evident from the moment he/she
steps onto the page. I didn’t want to be guilty of the same! 

Every time I slipped
in a clue, I felt that I had just shone a spotlight on the guilty party. Some
authors try to protect their antagonist by refusing to leave any clues that
lead to him/her, but I was never comfortable with this strategy. There are
better methods of protection.

I’m the first to admit that I
have never formally studied writing murder mysteries, though I have read
hundreds of them and written a few. Instead, I followed my own rules, which I
have listed below.

You must decidedly know who your murderer is and why
they did it. This seems obvious, but I’ve read many books that do
not explain the why factor. It seems as if the author has no idea who
their antagonist is or what motivates them. I’ve actually read a couple of
books that disintegrate to the point that the ending is… drumroll… why
he/she did this remains a mystery. 

The murderer admits to killing everyone, but gives no examples as
to how he/she committed these crimes or why he/she did it. This leaves the reader feeling confused. One of the main
reasons that a person reads a murder mystery is to find out what would
motivate someone to commit the crime. The author can always explain what
has occurred, but at the very least the detective must have a theory as to
why someone would commit such a crime OR the killer must explain why.

Good example: It was obvious
now that Mr. Smith had been jealous of his wife’s first husband. He feared that
his wife still loved him and that the man would return and put an end to his
happy marriage. Mr. Smith felt that he was left with only one choice. Murder.
And so that was what he did.




Bad example: “Yes, I killed
him.” Mr. Smith said.

“But why?” Mrs. Smith asked.
She did not receive a reply. It remains a mystery to this day. The End.

 

Quick tip: Know your murderer inside and out. 




You must leave clues. How many of you have read
a book that gives absolutely no clues as to who committed the crime?
Believe or not, I have a read a few and they are very frustrating. The
clues do not have to be obvious or even fully explained. In fact, fully
explaining the motivation of every character gets old very quickly. Leave
some mystery in your mystery!



Good Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness as her fingers trailed
over the lovely lace edging the material of the gown. Mr. Smith pressed his
lips together in dismay as he turned away.

“I hate seeing her so upset.”
He said as he left the room.

Anger flickered briefly in
Mrs. Smith’s eyes as she jerked her hand away from the soft fabric.




Now all you have to do is drop a line here or there in the
book that could explain her feelings, such as “Mrs.
Smith was left at the altar once several years ago, but you would never know
it; she’s so happily married now.” This could
explain why she acted as she did earlier in the book and ends up fully
explaining the mystery. Mrs. Smith still loved her ex and Mr. Smith killed him
because he feared he would lose Mrs. Smith. Mr. Smith didn’t know that Mrs.
Smith was also angry with her ex for some reason, but the reader does. The
anger might make some readers suspect Mrs. Smith of the murder.


Bad Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness followed by anger as
her fingers trailed over the lovely lace edging the fabric of the gown because
she was left at the altar some years earlier.

 

Quick tip: Try to never use because when explaining a
character.

Reread your book and add in clues as you see fit. If you
know your character and their motivation, it’s easy to pick out places to
drop extra clues while rereading your book.

Example Sentence: Mrs. Smith
said she spent the day reading. Her half-opened book lay on the table.

Added clue/red herring: Mrs.
Smith quietly informed the officer that she had spent the day reading. The
detective paused in his questioning as his gaze fell onto the open book on the
table.

“Were you as surprised as I
was when Sarah died?” the detective asked.

“What?” Mrs. Smith replied,
distracted.

“In the book?”

“Oh, yes, quite.” Mrs. Smith
smiled sadly. “I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere.”

“I understand.” The detective
replied as he returned the book to the table. “I would be, too.”




With the extra information above, the observant reader now
has some doubt in their mind as to whether Mrs. Smith was actually reading the
book as she said.




Quick tip: Red herrings are much easier to add in after the
book is written as long as you don’t write yourself into a corner with your
characters, such as explaining everything they do and why.

Let your characters LIVE. Life is a mystery. Let
your characters retain some mystery. No one can ever be fully explained,
should your characters be any different? The answer is no. I try to write
my mysteries where anyone could have
committed a crime, but most are unlikely to have done so. Many people have
experiences or motivations in life that could lead them to crime, but do
not because of the person’s psychological makeup/ upbringing/ etc. People
are more complex than heroes and villains. Characters should be as well.

Example: Tears welling in his
eyes, Mr. Smith reached for his wife’s hand as she stared into the casket. “I’m
sorry you have to go through this,” he said as he held her hand tightly. The
dark bags under his blue eyes revealed the fact that he had spent the night sitting
up with his inconsolable wife.

“I know.” Mrs. Smith replied,
squeezing his hand in response. She felt his arm slip around her shoulders as
he supported her small frame.




He is sorry she has to
go through the situation he created. He’s just more concerned with losing her
than with her facing loss. He’s selfish.




Quick tip: You can’t ever go wrong with making your
characters human and therefore both good and bad.

Let your protagonist think. Create questions in the
readers’ mind that you would consider if you were in the same situation.

Example:  Is Mrs. Smith happy in her marriage? Does a part of
her still dwell on her past love? Would she be unhappy enough to kill over it?
The detective wondered as he studied the couple before him.


Quick tip:
It’s okay for a protagonist to be unsure.

The perfect murder mystery is
very obvious when the reader reflects on the information they were given. What
didn’t stand out before becomes central to the plot line. I love a book that
redirects the thought process and when analyzed, the information shifts into
focus much like a puzzle picture when the last piece is added. I think most
readers agree with me. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but these are
the methods I use when writing. I do believe, if you follow these rules it
helps in keeping the murderer secret until the great reveal at the end.

What rules do you follow when
writing your murder mystery? Do you already have a story in your head
concerning Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Visit my blog to learn more about writing your
own fan fiction regarding the Smiths’ and be eligible to win an ebook copy of
both of my books.




Price
McNaughton was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. A childhood
steeped in the stories and legends of her ancestors as well as the southern way
of life led her to carry on the tradition and become a storyteller herself.
After years of traveling and working at a variety of jobs, she has finally
returned to her roots and devoted herself to writing. She is the author of A
Vision of Murder and Murder is Ugly as well as The Ruby Necklace (a
mini-mystery).






Murderis Ugly : When Jinx Delaney agrees to spend a horse-filled, relaxing summer with
her old friend and sorority sister, Brynn Brookefield, in her exclusive
community, she never suspects that murder will be the second house guest. Set
in a beautiful neighborhood in the Deep South among carefully restored,
historic homes and nosy neighbors, Jinx finds that looks can be deceiving and
murder truly is ugly.







Book review blog: http://www.talebearers.com/

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301315-a-vision-of-murder

Twitter:https://twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton

Gacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl

Recording Our Ideas

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

 



I was on my way to a meeting last week and was perfectly on
time.  The meeting was a bit off the
beaten path, out of the city, and down a road I wasn’t familiar with. 




The landscape changed from businesses to a combination of
very nice homes and dilapidated homes to stables to silos.




But when I passed the house pictured above, I knew I had to
turn around and go back.  I had to take a picture.  It was going to make me a little late (and I’m
practically OCD about being late, as I’ve mentioned here before).  But I had
to take the picture. The discarded door propped up against a column, the ruined
and overgrown landscaping, the boarded-up windows….it gave the house the
perfect, haunted feel.




I’m very fond of Southern Gothic,  even going so far as to daringly insert as
much of the element as I could get away with in
a cozy that’s coming out this December for Penguin.  So having an inspiration file that includes
real examples of Southern Gothic homes (the kind of places that William
Faulkner would have set stories around.) 




The pictures I took went into a special file that I keep for
story inspiration.  Pictures are a big
part of it.  Description is not my strong
suit, but looking at pictures of settings and potential characters makes the
process a lot easier. Once I was so stunned at a restaurant by running into one of my characters (someone I'd made up...who looked--in my mind--exactly like the stranger in front of me), that I ended up sneaking four or five photos of them with my phone. I'm hoping they just didn't notice what I was doing.  Otherwise they likely thought I was completely insane.




Idea files are, in my way of thinking, completely
necessary.  And not only for the work we’re
currently writing, but whatever else we might be interested in writing down the
road. 




Some writers are using Pinterest
for inspiration: pinning images of people who look like characters they’re
developing or settings they’re using in their story.  Writer Karen Woodward has a nice post on
other ways of using Pinterest to help us write our books in “Using
Pinterest To Help Build Your Fictional Worlds.” 




But there’s no need to use Pinterest if you don’t want
to.  The important thing is just to respect
our ideas enough to record them.  There
have been many, many times when I
thought I’d remember my great idea…and then completely forgot them.  




Evernote is a free,
handy way to record and search our ideas. 
There is a desktop version as well as an app (and you can sync them to
each other, if you like.)  You can use it
to store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app.  Organizing the ideas is easy if you tag your
entries or assign them to notebooks. 
Then you can search for the tags when you’re ready to write.




Voice recorders.  I
use Smart
Voice Recorder—a free app for my phone.  It’s just another way to capture thoughts for
later.  The reason why sometimes I like
using a voice recorder for ideas is because occasionally I’ll get an idea so
nebulous that I can’t even really describe or pin it down at that point.  So I’ll explain what I was doing and who was
around and voice as much about the idea or feeling as I can.




Word docs work well, too and are a good repository for random bits of ideas.  We should back these up the same way we do our stories.




I probably go the old-fashioned route and use pen and paper most often.  The most important thing I’ve
learned about this cheap and portable way of recording ideas is that I need to
collect all my scraps of paper at the end of the day and either catalog them
on a computer or at least put them in a central location so I can locate them
when I need them.




How you do record your ideas and find them again later?

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 19,000 free articles
on writing related topics. It's the search engine for writers.

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

Mike Fleming
worked with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer 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.

The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search

An argument that publishers care more
deeply about writers, books, and readers than Amazon: http://bit.ly/16xuXhh @futurebook

Field Report From the E-Book Revolution:
The New Equilibrium: http://bit.ly/11otWH2
@jamesscottbell

The Bad PR Hangover (and How to Avoid
It): http://bit.ly/16xv6Bg @SharonBially

Motivation-Reaction Units: Cracking the
Code of Good Writing: http://bit.ly/11oub52
@kmweiland

The #1 Reason for #QueryFails: http://bit.ly/16xyMD4 @annerallen




Writers are ready
for a digital/transmedia future--who will guide them? http://bit.ly/10Qijrp  @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman @AndyHunter777



 Backlist Then and Now: http://bit.ly/11oCsG8 @JAKonrath

Payment in Advance: http://bit.ly/11oDhhX @bob_brooke

Edit A Novel In Four Months: http://bit.ly/16xzdxd @woodwardkaren

Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes

What Worries Publishers Most? http://bit.ly/107HX7S @bmorrissey

How to Begin a Short Story: http://bit.ly/YRrWSK @amazingstories0
@Sales_Source

Tips for an inexpensive book launch
party: http://bit.ly/11NM5Nc @aishahmacgill

Why 1 writer exercises and then writes: http://bit.ly/16xBgSa @TheAtlantic

Creative Intersections: Pacing and
Plotting: http://bit.ly/11oIHcP @davidbcoe

How to Create a Workshop From Your Ebook:
http://bit.ly/16xBBEh @MenwithPens

The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis

The Battle of Science and Magic:
Particles and Pixie Dust: http://bit.ly/16xBRmS
@fantasyfaction

Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan

Areas to cut back in a manuscript: http://bit.ly/16xC2hX @lydia_sharp

5 Ways To Add Sparkle To Your Writing: http://bit.ly/11oKiPU

The Elements of a Good Mystery: http://bit.ly/16xCf4E @fictorians

Clarity In Writing & The Curse of
Reader Assumption: http://bit.ly/17eWqWn
@yeomanis

Maturing a Character Across a Series: http://bit.ly/ZapjeU @LaurelGarver

How Romance Writers Create the Perfect
Leading Man: http://bit.ly/17eWQMu
@MtnMoxieGirl

How 1 Writer Published and Launched an
Ebook for Under $150: http://bit.ly/17eWWDU
@danasitar

The Travel Writing Advice You Don't Want
to Hear: http://bit.ly/17eX1Hz @alexisgrant

The Funny Thing About Thrillers: http://bit.ly/ZapNSd @Brad_Parks

What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer

When you Really, Really Care: http://bit.ly/17eXw4l

Books That Inspire: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/03/11/pay-it-forward-books-that-inspire/

How to Find Time to Write: http://bit.ly/17eYi1l @write_practice

Down the rabbit hole of research: http://bit.ly/17f07LF @JustBethann

10 Reasons Writers Should Claim Their
Google Authorship Markup: http://bit.ly/ZatyHl
@demianfarnworth

Why Do Writers Trash Their Efforts? http://bit.ly/ZatHud

Pitch Tip: Remember Your Stakes: http://bit.ly/17f0nKA @ava_jae

Reasons to Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/17f0x4K @behlerpublish

Voice as a tool: http://bit.ly/ZatZRP @jonclinch @btmargins

Tips & Tricks for Writing on the Go: http://bit.ly/Zau8EU @MarcyKate

Real, Consistent and Authentic: A
Discussion of Voice: http://bit.ly/17f13jl
@btmargins

11 tips to solve bloggers block by
solving reader problems: http://bit.ly/11wC4p1
@problogger

iPhone apps for writers: http://bit.ly/Z6nJeT @mediabistro

Hero's journey--pros and cons: http://bit.ly/Z6p854 @VeronicaSicoe

Promoting Your Book on Twitter: An
Intermediate's Guide: http://bit.ly/11wGgoH
@chrisrobley

Deciding to Self-publish After Rejection:
http://bit.ly/11wGBHW @CriticalMargins

Getting the most out of a beta read: http://bit.ly/11wGWui @tsbazelli

Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens

Use Twitter like Margaret Atwood: Social
Media Advice for Writers: http://bit.ly/11wHr7K
@chrisrobley

Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld

9 Itty Bitty Literary Crafts: http://bit.ly/11wIOmV @bananasuit

Investing in yourself: http://bit.ly/11wXUbR

The Fine Art of Bookselling: http://bit.ly/Z6wzt1 @fcmalby

How to support writers and help build a
writing community: http://bit.ly/11wYkiD
@carlywatters

Screenwriting Traits — Passion: http://bit.ly/Z6xPMT @gointothestory

Breaking in: The Pie Chart: http://bit.ly/Z6xZUA @julie_gray

Common legal mistakes mystery novelists
make: http://bit.ly/11x2qaq

Delivering on your opening's promise: http://bit.ly/Z6yq0X @swlittlefield
@martinaaboone

Writerly Uses for Excel: http://bit.ly/Z6ywWm @JennyHansenCA

How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg

3 Tips for Researching Your Next Project:
http://bit.ly/11x4a3s @YAHighway

Write a Deeper Character: http://bit.ly/Z6yY7e @lindasclare

Problems with Your Story's Climax: http://bit.ly/11x4sas @americanediting

When To State The Obvious In A Story: http://bit.ly/Z6z6na @mooderino

Fantasy Settings: Finding the Right
"Ethos" for your Setting: http://bit.ly/ZjDZPK
@LBGale

2 Simple Ways to Give Your Stories
Sparkle: http://bit.ly/10lbwpp @yeomanis

Pitches Are Fantasy, Pages Are Reality: http://bit.ly/ZjEM3g @CockeyedCaravan

Character Introductions: http://bit.ly/10lcORe @julie_gray

Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit

Writing tough characters who are
physically unimposing: http://bit.ly/10ldwxW
@ajackwriting

Writing a memoir: Intersecting memory and
story: http://bit.ly/ZjG8ec

Embracing your inner editor: http://bit.ly/10lgfrj @lilylefevre

The Winchester Mystery Story (that lead
somewhere): http://bit.ly/ZjIXMn
@JordanMcCollum

3 Answers to Questions About
Capitalization: http://bit.ly/10lhkPR
@writing_tips

Writing And The Monomyth: http://bit.ly/ZjJkXh @woodwardkaren

Will Authors Get Compensated for Used
E-Book Sales? http://to.pbs.org/10lhZAX
@mediatwit

The importance of building an email list:
http://bit.ly/XlQcQp @pushingsocial

Reasons to self-pub--control: http://bit.ly/10tzdfj @behlerpublish

All about anime: http://bit.ly/XlQpTH @fictorians

Be a copycat: http://bit.ly/10tzQFT @KeithCronin

Your cover is killing your book: http://bit.ly/XlQVRz @acwainwright

The Key to Successful Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tAQtv @jodyhedlund

When you receive a rough crit: http://bit.ly/10tCVFI @bluemaven

What Writers Need To Know About Tumblr: http://bit.ly/XlS8bI @galleycat

John Cleese on Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tDIGL @JudyLeeDunn

Further and Farther: http://bit.ly/XlSkI6 @write_practice

Screenwriting Traits—Courage: http://bit.ly/10MlnEO @gointothestory

An Overview of SF/Horror Literature: http://bit.ly/Ybcx50 @amazingstories0

What Makes "Doctor Who" The
Best Title In The History Of Television? http://bit.ly/YbcHt3
@goodinaroom

How (and why) to remove posting dates on
WordPress blogs: http://bit.ly/10MJ1AU
@authormedia

What To Do When Your Book Has Been
Pirated On Amazon: http://bit.ly/XzMuVI
@jeanoram

Canned responses from agents: http://bit.ly/10MJl2C

How WOOL Got A Unique Publishing Deal: http://bit.ly/12CyjkD @passivevoiceblg

Conquer your fear of attending your first
blogging or writing event: http://bit.ly/12CypZu
@michellerafter

What can keep you writing? http://bit.ly/10PqHEK @rxena77

The Harlequin Survey: http://bit.ly/12CyLiX @jakonrath

Choosing the Right Ghostwriter: http://bit.ly/10PqTns @ivinviljoen

Things to keep in mind while editing: http://bit.ly/12Cz8Kc @PegEditors

The Opening Image: http://bit.ly/10Pr2Y8 @Julie_Gray

7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing: http://bit.ly/12Czq3F @writersdigest

5 Indie Author Tips For A Successful Live
Ebook Launch: http://bit.ly/10PreXs
@ornaross

Dread Writing Sexy Scenes? 5 Tips for
Success: http://bit.ly/ZLkxEv @jamigold

Smart Book Marketing Includes Going
Offline: http://bit.ly/14UrWcw @jfbookman

Why Serious Books Need Humor and Levity
to Work: http://bit.ly/ZLkCIz @Sarah_Skilton

Insights regarding establishing shots: http://bit.ly/ZLkIjl @livewritethrive

The Art of Asking and the Economics of
Writing: http://bit.ly/14UskrE
@kgelfland2ndcuz

Why Write Book Reviews? 5 Five Payoffs
for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZLkVmp @janvbear

Write it Badly Today So You Can Write It
Better Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/14Uszmv
@cockeyedcaravan

10 Ways to Avoid Gender Bias: http://bit.ly/ZLkZ5R @writing_tips

How to Read a Book With a Flashlight: http://bit.ly/14UsE9P @BooksAreMyBFs

How To Use a Kindle as a Bookmark: http://bit.ly/ZLl6y8 @galleycat

An interview with 2 talented
screenwriters: http://bit.ly/ZLla11
@gointothestory

You Can't Talk About Your Own Culture in
Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/14UsVJU
@silviamg

The Writing Prep Zone: http://bit.ly/14Ut1B3

Writers' Guides of the Past: http://bit.ly/ZLlqgp @SophieMasson1

Be A More Productive Writer: Use A Voice
Recorder: http://bit.ly/14UtaEE
@woodwardkaren

The Story Milestones… and Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/14BLgLZ @storyfix

5 areas you need to learn to write better
copy: http://bit.ly/10ryNVf @ntaylor1981

8 pics and videos that describe what DRM
is about: http://bit.ly/11ot4Cp @namenick

The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis

Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan

What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer

Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens

Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld

How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg

Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit

Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes

When a Self-Published Author Has a No. 1
Best-Selling Book: http://onforb.es/122NPUu
@forbes

Character Clinic: Preventing Whiny
Characters: http://bit.ly/12TxLTU
@jeanniecampbell

Publishers are reshaping themselves: http://bit.ly/122O4yW @MikeShatzkin

Characteristics of a bad crit partner: http://bit.ly/122OepS @kristenlambtx

A writer's courage: http://bit.ly/12TyJ2v @LawrenceBlock

Picture Books: Trust the Writing Process:
http://bit.ly/122OyoC @fictionnotes

The Year of the Author? http://bit.ly/12Tz4SG @passivevoiceblg

3 Ways to Make Your POVs Equally
Interesting: http://bit.ly/122OK7t
@kmweiland







How To Write
While Cleaning Your House: http://bit.ly/Yaib7h
@storyadaymay




How to Fix
Unrealistic Dialogue: http://bit.ly/YbbhyN
@p2p_editor




A wrap-up of the
Writer's Digest conference--agents address the changing industry and
self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/10MMiAk
@Porter_Anderson 




Different ways
of handling suspense in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/10JuZ3x
@mkinberg




The importance
of building a brand: http://bit.ly/ZnBRk3
@BeateBoeker
 

Building a Brand--Guest Post by Beate Boeker

by Beate Boeker, @ BeateBoeker


Purchase here


I'm very grateful to
Elizabeth for inviting me as her guest today. She said that her readers are
interested in writing tips and suggested that I write about “writers as a
brand.” 




I'm happy to do this because this happens to be my field of expertise:
Besides being a multi-published author by Avalon Books and now being an
indie-author, I'm also working as a Global Marketing Manager for an
international brand, so building a brand is something I deal with every day.
But what exactly do they mean when they say you should “build a brand”?




Superficially looking, a
brand is a name for a certain range of products. When you look deeper, you'll
realize that a brand is more than that. It's an imprint on your mind. An
established brand has certain values linked to it, and these values will pop up
in the mind of the consumer when they see it.




Think Coca Cola. You
will not think of your sofa and a rug over your knees when you see it. Coca
Cola is the brand to go out and have fun, and they have carefully groomed that
image over centuries. Now imagine that a new marketing manager would come to
them and would say “Hey, guys, we can tap into new target groups by positioning
this brand for the home as well.” As a consequence, they start an advertising
campaign focusing on the home, when you're on your own, just that lovely Coke
and you.




A risky strategy, to say
the least, because the consumer will be irritated. The values that Coca Cola
was standing for - like fun, being on the go, being with friends – are now
suddenly being diluted.




Now this is the same for
authors. For example, I'm positioning myself as an author who writes books with
touches of humor and mischief. It doesn't matter if they're romances or
mysteries - as long as they make me chuckle, count me in. I've published over
ten books and short stories, and the readers who know my name will know that
they can rely on a happy end, on a chuckle, and that they can give these novels
to their teenage daughters without a qualm. That's what my name is standing
for.




Now imagine that I
suddenly get this crazy urge to write a noir, dystopian novel that ends with
the world falling apart or a really hot erotic romance. Should I write this
under the name of Beate Boeker? Most definitely not! I would shock my readers
and would confuse them. I'm not saying I can't write this; I just have to
choose a different brand – in this case a pseudonym – to make sure that my
readers get a clear message. Of course, you can make cross-references and can
tell your established readers about your different names, in case they are open
to reading widely across all genres and like your style, no matter the content,
but you have to keep your marketing well apart.




Everything I post on
Facebook or anywhere else has to fit to the tone of my novel. Of course, I'm
not always feeling breezy and happy and in an Italian-sort-of-mood, but when
I'm building my brand, I have to make sure I'm consistent (and if I need to
rave, I do it offline with my friends!).




Also, a brand has to be
easily recognizable. Ideally, this means that your covers speak the same
language. They don't all have to look alike, but they have to convey the same
feelings. I admit that I haven't realized this perfectly for all my novels so
far, however, for my cozy mystery series, I have decided to take one theme –
the typical Italian shutters – and to use them in different color
constellations. This makes it easy to recognize the theme.




Below is an excerpt of
the first novel in my cozy mystery Delayed Death. It's one of my favorite
scenes, where the heroine, Carlina, gets to know the investigating officer
Garini a little bit better, and I think it's a typical example of my voice or
brand – a bit of romance all wrapped around the mystery and a bit of humor, set
in Italy. I'm looking forward to discussing what you think about this topic.




"Where did you find your
grandfather?"

Carlina throat tightened. The
preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. "Grandpa sat at the
kitchen table." Her voice cracked.

"Go on."

She felt as if he was pushing her bit by
bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. "My cousin . . . Emma threw
a fit."

His eyebrows twitched. "Why?"

"Emma was the bride! His death
destroyed her wedding."

Commissario Garini looked as if he had no
clue what she was talking about.

Do you have no
imagination at all? "Can
you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just
died?" Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at
the man made of steel next to her. "Everybody bursting into tears, the
wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony
postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . ." She shook her head so hard, she
felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.

"I like the wilting flowers,"
he said. "Nice touch."






Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and now offers many full-length novels and short stories online. Several were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the 'Best Indie Books of 2012' contest.

 
She is a marketing manager by day with a degree in International Business Administration, and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.

 
While 'Boeker' means 'books' in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?

 

Find Beate on:
Facebook – Beate Boeker Author
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beate-Boeker/153573758044433?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter - @BeateBoeker

Homepage - www.happybooks.de

Audio Books for Self-Published Authors--ACX

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

 

As I mentioned in Wednesday's post, I recently decided to spend time exploring audio options for my self-published books.  The only audio rights I hold, actually, are for self-published books.  Neil Gaiman wrote an interesting post on this problem: "Audiobooks--A Cautionary Tale." As he put it:

I think what I want to say mostly is, if you are an author, Get
Involved in Your Audiobooks Early. Get your agent involved and
interested. Talk about them at contract stage. Find out if you're
selling the rights, and if you are selling them then find out what
control you have or whether you are going to be consulted or not about
who the narrator is and how the audiobook is done.

  Let's say that you do have rights to some titles--whether they're self-published or traditionally-published.  How do you start the ball rolling for getting your books into audio?



Right now, the buzz is all about ACX.  This is because ACX is becoming a huge player and is really the self-pub option for audio.  You need a cover (presumably you have one, since you already have either an ebook or a printed book), your text, the rights to your property, and a plan on how you want to pay the narrator.  ACX distributes your audiobook to Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.  The top retailers for audio, obviously.



You can decide if you want an exclusive arrangement with ACX or not.  I did. More on exclusive vs. non-exclusive:

Royalties start higher if you choose distribution exclusively through
ACX, which today gets your audiobook listed on Audible.com, Amazon.com,
and iTunes—the three main retailers of audiobooks in the world. If you
choose non-exclusive distribution, you can sell your audiobook wherever
else you’d like, and you will be paid the base escalator royalty rate,
which starts at 25 percent and grows to 90 percent as you sell more
units. At least fifty dollars in royalties must be accrued before
Audible cuts a check.
 

 If you want a royalty-share arrangement with a narrator, you must have an exclusive arrangement with ACX. 



Royalty share is one option.  It's a 50/50 split plan for the seven year ACX contract.  So ACX takes half the earnings, then you and the narrator would both take 25%.  Or, you can opt to pay narrators upfront, keeping all the royalties as your own (after, obviously, ACX takes its cut.)  More on your options here: (via ACX's site).



The reason royalty share may be appealing is because of the cost of narration, otherwise.  I believe that $1200 would be a fair estimate for many projects (at $200 a production hour for a six-hour audio project).  However, if you post that you're looking for a royalty-share agreement, you may be limiting the field of narrators--they're having to take a big leap of faith that their substantial investment of time will be worth it in the end.  If, obviously, you've already got a successful ebook or two on Amazon, that's going to help your project look more appealing.



The narrators are all screened by ACX for quality.  The narrators have their own studios and produce the recording--recording, editing, producing (in most cases), and even uploading the finished file to the platform.



Listing your book is easy.  Here's how (I'm using Pretty is as Pretty Dies here as an example since my self-pubbed titles are already uploaded...but I don't hold the audio rights, so it's for illustration only.) :)





You tell it which books are yours.  They automatically pulled most of mine up (the magic of "the internets" I guess), but they missed one of my titles.  I filled an ISBN in the slot and it came right up.





You decide how you want to handle the process.  Do you want to record your own books?  Or hire a narrator?  I did not want to record my own books.  And if you do...be aware of the time investment.  I hear it's huge.







Here's your contract. 





Basic stuff here.  Your book description (I lifted mine off of Amazon), copyright info...the information you have already at your fingertips.







Now here's where you need to put your thinking cap on.  Not so much for the general book type info, but for the narrator's voice...that's huge.  I ran into this part and my brain exploded.  The gender and age isn't so hard (mine was a natural for elderly and female), but the style...just prepare yourself.  Here's a sampling of the style options, since I couldn't get a screenshot of the drop-down menu:

announcer, articulate, brooding, deadpan, engaging, enthusiastic, female narrating a male part, feminine, flirtatious, frightened, girlish, hip, host-interviewer, husky, hysterical, informed, ingenue, inspirational, intimidating, male narrating a female part, masculine, mature, nasal, perky, raspy, refined, snarky, sheeping, soothing, storyteller, sultry, upper-class...well, you get the idea.  I'm not putting them all in here, but spend some time thinking about this before you get to this point in the process.



Here you need to know a couple of things.  For the additional comments...it's really a pitch.  We're trying to pitch the project, tell a little about our platform and how we plan to get the word out about the audio version (important...especially with royalty share), and perhaps give some extra insight into what we're looking for in a narration.



Audition script...you're putting in a bit from the book for the narrators to read.  ACX advises an action scene.  I ignored their advice and put in the first couple of pages of chapter one.  The form will cut you off after a certain number of words.



After this, you hold tight and wait.  You receive notification via email from ACX that you have auditions to listen to.  I've learned that the appropriate etiquette is to keep the narrators apprised as to your process....especially if it's taking a while.  They're waiting for our response, after all.  I think it's akin to our submitting a manuscript to critique partners and then waiting for feedback...they'd like to know where we are in the process. 



If your ebook has a lot of reviews/strong sales, then ask ACX (I emailed) if they'll attach a stipend for the narrators for reading your book.  Apparently, ACX considers it in their best interest, financially, for them to get successful ebooks into audio as soon as possible...and aren't above creating an incentive for that to happen.  I had two of mine get stipends attached.  The other is newish and they passed. Here's what you need to know about stipends.  And I have no idea why the site asked for producers to log in....I logged in as a "rights holder" and emailed and they responded right back.





How do we make our book more appealing for narrators?  For that, I researched narrator sites.  This is what I came up with:



"My 10 Reasons For Accepting Royalty Share on ACX" by Robin Jester Anter.  A tip from Robin: " I want to see that the author takes their career seriously by establishing a brand and actively marketing themselves."



"7 Reasons Why Your Book is not Getting Auditions on ACX" by Jeffrey Kafer.  Tips from Jeffrey include: making sure you have a good cover (basically, that you have a salable product), having a shorter book (or at least not a saga), and making sure you appear easy to work with.



A few things that struck me as very different from the regular-ebook-self-pub process: 



1. We don't produce or upload to the platform.  The narrators are (usually) the producers.  They edit the audio and upload it for review to ACX.  



2. We don't set the price for our audiobooks.  That's set by the retailer.  Here's what ACX has to say about that:

Each retailer of your audiobook independently prices your product and
determines such price in their sole discretion. While not always the
case, the regular price on Audible.com for the product is generally
priced based on its length, as follows:



Under 3 hours: under $10

3 – 5 hours: $10 - $20

5–10 hours: $15 - $25

10–20 hours: $20 - $30

Over 20 hours: $25 - $35

To be clear, although the above represents general guidelines as
retailer of audiobooks sold on Audible.com, Audible retains the sole
discretion to set the price of the audiobooks it sells.

3. Really, after we pick the narrator, our part is mostly over.  And a note about picking the narrator out of a collection of auditions: this means we have to make some rejections.  The only reason I bring this up is because I know this is tough on the writer's artistic soul.  :)  Unfortunately, the nature of this project is that someone has to be chosen and others won't.  This may be uncomfortable for you.  It's uncomfortable for me because I'm a writer--I'm not an agent, I'm not an editor, I'm not a publisher.  I'm not used to being in the position of rejecting others.  But this is just part of the process.  I'm trying to put my discomfort aside and handle this task as professionally as I can.



 How long will the process of narrating and producing take?  I'm expecting it to take several months.  The narrators may need to take on some projects that pay at the front-end and I completely understand that.  They're taking a leap of faith that they'll end up profiting on my projects with the royalty-share arrangement.  



I'm new to this, so I'm hoping I'm relating all of this information clearly.  Let me know if you have any additions, questions, corrections, or thoughts here. 

Make Your Content Work Harder for You

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig







Image: MorgueFile: Gracey


I’ve been pretty
single-minded with my plans to expand the self-published side of my book
income.  My focus has been on
writing more books.  Keep writing, keep
doing what I’m doing with my brand and platform.  Volume and consistency.



I continued reading
articles like this one by Dean Wesley Smith (Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing: You Can’t Make Money Writing Fiction)—encouraging self-published authors to
completely exhaust all available formats/platforms for our content. 

As Dean put it:
Every story we write, every novel we write, is a magic pie full of copyright.

We can sell parts of it to one publisher, other parts to another publisher, some parts to overseas markets, other parts to audio, or eBooks, or game companies, or Hollywood, or web publishers, and on and on and on. One professional writer I knew sold over 100 different gaming rights to different places on one novel. He had a very sharp knife cutting that magic pie.




Still, limited by the clock as always, I made
a mental note and kept doing what I was doing. I wanted to spend more time considering my options, but....there’s never a good
time to figure out our writing career. 
Life doesn’t ever really slow down.



Recently, however,  readers started really…well, I’d like to
say encouraging me since badgering me sounds rude, to explore
other formats for my work.  I’d received
random and scattered emails since the ebooks released, asking about print versions.  I’d always been able to gently respond that I’d
get around to print at some undetermined future date.



Then I received a particularly
direct email in January.  Actually, it
was an exasperated one.  The reader had
no intention of buying a reader just to read my books although she’d enjoyed
the print versions of my other series.  I told the reader
that I’d put print versions of my Myrtle books on my New Year’s resolution
list.  I’m sure she thought she’d
believe it when she saw it, but I did put a monthly reminder on my calendar at
that point.  Last week I set the process
in motion.  No, I still didn’t have the
time to figure out print formatting (both text and cover), so I’m paying
someone (Dean Fetzer at GunBoss Books) to take care of this detail-oriented task for me so that I can sell the books through
CreateSpace.  I tend to have a do-it-myself attitude toward self-publishing, but I've found that subcontracting designers and formatters makes a huge difference--and that my time is worth money.  Here (and it will seem like I'm contradicting myself later), you need to be careful to pay upfront for services.  We shouldn't have our royalties garnished forever for these types of one-time, basis tasks...there are folks who are eager to take advantage of us that way.



Audio was another
format that I kept hearing I should explore. 
I’m on a couple of writer email loops and they all were enthusiastic
about audio--and the surprising amount of income it generated.  But the usual lack-of-time,
coupled with my concerns over a costly investment, held me back.
 The reason I
suddenly decided to spend time researching audio is that I heard the magic
phrase “royalty share.” The author (or “rights holder” as far as ACX is concerned)
can split royalties 50-50 with the narrator with no money upfront.  Now, as I mentioned above, royalty sharing can be a scary thing…you
want to make sure you know what you’re in for. 
This particular agreement (with ACX) can be renegotiated after seven
years—so there’s a sunset clause built in. 
As a self-published author, we need to be very careful about not
signing away the rights to our content for an indefinite period of time.  In this instance...I know I wouldn't get my books into an audio format without a royalty share agreement since I considered the financial investment fairly prohibitive.  The reason for the expense is that audio books take many hours of narration, editing, and production.




But an initial investment of $0?  I’m pretty sure I can handle that.  I’ll report more on Friday about my experiences
so far with ACX (although it’s early days still.)



I’m always irritated
with myself for dragging my feet with these things, but at least I’ve gotten
the ball rolling.  Because it’s true—we don’t
only need to create more content, we
need to figure out how to make our content do more for us. (Yeah, there’s foreign rights, too…and I’m dragging my feet
again on that one.)



If you’re
self-published, have you explored all the options and formats available for
you?  If it's something you're interested in, have you set yourself a deadline for working on the project or learning about the process?

How To Write While Cleaning Your House

Guest Post by Julie Duffy, @ storyadaymay






The sad
truth is that the role of 'writer' does not come with staff. Even full-time
professional writers, for the most part, are not issued with a full-time
assistant. Most writers still have to shop for food, clean the bathrooms and
tidy up after ourselves.




But never
again should your domestic chores become a reason not to write. WU brings you
the Essential Guide to Writing While Cleaning Your House.




(Brain)storming
The Castle




As any of
you who have ever taken a shower will know, our best ideas are often
accompanied by the sounds of running water and the smell of soap. Surely it
might work just as well if you are scrubbing the shower rather than yourself?




So turn
off the TV, mute the radio (or set it to soundtracks or classical, or your
writing music of choice) and start thinking about your characters while you
scrub.




How
To Write While Doing Something Else




Now,
granted, you're probably not going to do a lot of actual typing or writing while
you're wrestling sheets off the bed, or scrubbing under the u-bend. But there
are ways of working when you're not at your desk.




You can
plan scenes, dream up plot points or even carry a voice recorder with you to
capture ideas and passages of prose (this works rather better well when there
is no-one else in your house at the time who'll pop their head in and say,
"What? Were you talking to me?")




Link
Your Scenes To Certain Jobs




Breaking
down a big job into smaller tasks stops you becoming overwhelmed and happily,
this works for cleaning and storytelling. You have a list of scenes to write
and you have a list of rooms to clean. Make these two things work for you, by
assigning different scenes to different rooms.




When
choosing what to work on in each room, consider the setting. Use the different
rooms to enhance your writing:




*Cleaning the kitchen? Work on a sensual
scene, maybe a dinner or a scene where your hero and heroine trap, skin, gut
and cook a small defenseless creature. Mmmm, carnal! 

*Kid's bedroom? Think about your teenage
character's next big scene while you're fording the sea of discarded clothes in
your own child's room to reclaim your best earrings from the heap of gewgaws
beside her bed.

*Your bedroom? The ideal opportunity to
work on the big romantic, er, climax. Or not...

*Folding laundry? Perfect! This
repetitive, mechanical task is ideal for letting your mind take a flight of
fancy. Plan your big turning points now. Run through a critical piece of
dialogue. Audition daring new ideas in the safety of a fluffy, fragrant
folding-spree.

*Bathroom? Definitely time to work on
your villain!




Mine
Your Own Emotions




Everything
we write is colored by our own experiences and the little details are often the
ones that bring our characters to life for a reader.So pay attention as you
bend and stretch and scrub and fold, to how you are moving.




What do
you do when your back aches? Would your character move the same way?




How do
you feel when faced with a mountain of unwashed dishes --- again? That's how
your hero feels at the 'all is lost' point just before the climax.




Are you
disgusted by the bathroom floor? Great! Notice what you do, how your facial
muscles contort, and how your stomach feels, then use it all when your heroine
encounters the villain at his most dastardly.




Live
To Write




We all
like to imagine how life would be if we had Neil Gaiman's writing gazebo in the
woods and a fleet of assistants to shop and fetch and clean for us. But in the
meantime, lets turn our formidable creative powers to the task of turning
household chores into the raw material of great writing.




If we can
do that, surely there's no creative problem that can defeat us!







 
Julie Duffy is a writer and the host of StoryADay May, a creativity challenge and community at StoryADay.org . She is also the author of the StoryADay Guide To Breaking Writers' Block

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 19,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search
engine for writers.




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




Mike Fleming worked with author and writing coach James
Scott Bell to offer 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. Plus, all the data is stored in your Hiveword account
for easy access.  The program is due to launch tomorrow...Monday, April 8. 




A tip for avoiding info dumping: http://bit.ly/Yrsp2k
@DonMcNair1 




Industry reaction to Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads: http://bit.ly/10jCcGK @Porter_Anderson @ThadMcIlroy @leslieNYT @robspillman




Self-publishing is the future — and great for writers: http://bit.ly/ZaqJWJ
@salon @hughhowey




Authors in the B&N-S&S Crossfire: http://bit.ly/13OMq7e
@Porter_Anderson @Bookgirl96 @MJRose




Twitter tips for new users: http://bit.ly/Zftxst
@Victoria_Writes @williamblackmon




Sorry, Your Buddies Won’t Buy Your Book: http://bit.ly/Z5419b
@talkingwriting @dcbiddle




A free directory of cover
designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq

Use a Mood Board to Boost
Your Writing: http://bit.ly/X4KMvp @DIYMFA

Why writers should be on
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/168V0eE @DIYMFA

Breaking into International
Markets: http://bit.ly/108rC2T

Starting A Story In The
Middle: http://bit.ly/11DNJEA @mooderino

How to Revise for a
Stronger Theme: http://bit.ly/11EkMF3
@jamigold

Science Fiction Romance – A
Niche Before Its Time? http://bit.ly/14qDTqD
@amazingstories0

Author As Innovator: The
Future of Publishing is Story, Not Technology: http://bit.ly/11Ell1E
@danblank

Subtitling for
screenwriters: http://bit.ly/11EB4xx

Blogging a book--your
content plan: http://bit.ly/14qP3vm
@ninaamir

A writer reports on her
experience with an independent press: http://bit.ly/11EBp3q
@Wordstrumpet @PatrickRwrites

Screenwriting: examples of
voice-over narration and flashbacks that.. just don't work: http://bit.ly/YRihvi @gointothestory

Just Kill Someone Already
(Upping the Stakes): http://bit.ly/YcAQi2

Gifting Your Professional
Network w/ Amazon eBooks: http://bit.ly/YcB7Bp

Why Critiquing Others Helps
You: http://bit.ly/YcEsjV @ava_jae

Writing Description in Your
Novel: http://bit.ly/YcEzvQ @jeanoram

Did Agatha Christie Have a
Formula for Success? http://bit.ly/YRruUv
@KMWeiland @becke_martin

Creative Writing Prompts:
Dig Deep into Character: http://bit.ly/YcEMiM
@howtowriteshop

4 Techniques To Mix Fantasy
With Realism: http://bit.ly/YcENTV
@write_practice

Tips for organizing a book
club: http://bit.ly/YcEWqs

Compromising with our
internal editor: http://bit.ly/YRrPGF
@YAHighway

How to Begin a Short Story:
http://bit.ly/YRrWSK @amazingstories0
@Sales_Source

Plot, Story and Tension: http://bit.ly/YcFw7E @woodwardkaren

Strong Active Verbs: Your
Writing's Backbone: http://bit.ly/YRs8Bm
@lindasclare

The writer's guide to
kissing: http://bit.ly/YcFQ6j
@CuriosityQuills

How Live Readings Can Help
Your Writing: http://bit.ly/YRsiZo
@LaNovakAuthor

Introduction to Online
Advertising for Authors: http://bit.ly/YcFZXa

The Trouble with In Medias
Res: http://bit.ly/YdoBlc @kristenlambtx

For the writer who means to
journal--5 online journaling tools: http://bit.ly/Ydpv17
@lifehackorg

Why Taking a Risk at a
Writer's Conference Is a Good Thing: http://bit.ly/Ydsc2A

How @JaneFriedman Got a
6-Figure Twitter Following (and Why It Doesn't Matter): http://bit.ly/WWjMNy

Prepositional confusion: http://bit.ly/ZVcKaC @aliciarasley

How to Write a Killer
Scene: http://bit.ly/ZEioka @jeanoram

5 Ways to Write More
Effectively: http://bit.ly/ZVcVT3 @fcmalby

Hiring an illustrator for
your novel: http://bit.ly/YErv51 @kenebake

How do you promote your
self-published book? http://bit.ly/11NK9nK
@pattyjansen

How to get a great cover
design – when you don't know what it should be: http://bit.ly/YErTQP
@dirtywhitecandy

Is original writing always
better? http://bit.ly/11NKqap @BufoCalvin

Use a Timeline to Develop
Your Story: http://bit.ly/YEskLb
@luannschindler

What it takes to hit the
top of your genre chart at Amazon: http://bit.ly/11NLvPt
@Bob_Mayer

13 Questions to Ask
Yourself about Your Opening Chapter: http://bit.ly/11NLElZ
@annerallen

Structuring Your Story's
Scenes: Frequently Asked Questions: http://bit.ly/YEtpmf
@kmweiland

Tips for an inexpensive
book launch party: http://bit.ly/11NM5Nc
@aishahmacgill

What 1 writer learned from
creating a book trailer: http://bit.ly/YEtYfA
@danasitar

How 1 writer doubled her
daily word count: http://bit.ly/11NMLlI
@IndiaDrummond

How to Edit Your Novel With
Efficiency: http://bit.ly/YEuLx4 @jeanoram

10 cover design tips for
print covers: http://bit.ly/YEv7Uo

Tips for writing cover
copy: http://bit.ly/11NNIdR @JMNeyGrimm

2 Proven Ways To Write With
Confidence: http://bit.ly/10hVkmb

Tips for getting your book
reviewed: http://bit.ly/13BRY4Y
@MariaZannini

From spark to story: How
books get started: http://bit.ly/10hVvhb

5 Reasons Traditional
Authors Are Going Indie: http://bit.ly/13BS9NM
@wiseink

10 Best Chrome Extensions
for Authors: http://bit.ly/13BSiAF
@AuthorMedia

Don't publish crap: http://bit.ly/10hVREG @annerooney

A closer look at Noir: http://bit.ly/13BSBLV @ApexBookCompany

You didn't
"trend" … and other subtle Twitter confusions: http://bit.ly/10hWmOZ @sarah_nicolas

How writing is like
gardening: http://bit.ly/10hWAWq @danabate

5 Rules of Writing
Flashbacks: http://bit.ly/13BThB2
@melissadonovan

5 Reasons to Write A Short
Story: http://bit.ly/10hWMF1

8 Ways to Edit Suspense
& Pace into Your Finished Manuscript: http://bit.ly/13BTsfF
@JordanDane

Binge reading and
publishing: http://bit.ly/10hWUnZ
@kristinerusch

How to Get the Most Out of
a Writing Class: http://bit.ly/YyrgW4
@michelledseaton

Developing
Scenes--revisiting the plot arc: http://bit.ly/11og5Ta
@DeeWhiteauthor

The Imitation Game: The
Sincerest Form of…. Becoming a Better Writer: http://bit.ly/ZsHOen
@WyattGBessing

Tweet Not Your Query,
Author: http://bit.ly/14BHVwu
@BloomsburyPress

Studies in flashback:
"Once Upon a Time in the West": http://bit.ly/ZsJsfT
@gointothestory

Will Write for Food: The
Digital Freelance Journalist Dilemma: http://bit.ly/14BKkqW
@10000words

All about the ampersand: http://bit.ly/ZsJyUR @sixrevisions

How to book a writer's
conference: http://bit.ly/14BKyhE
@wherewriterswin

Enemies of the Art–Having a
Thin Skin: http://bit.ly/ZsJHI0
@kristenlambtx

To Drama or Not to Drama: http://bit.ly/14BKG0K @Julie_Gray

The Business of
Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs: http://bit.ly/ZsJKU2 @gointothestory

Avoid Flowery Language and
Kill Your Darlings: http://bit.ly/14BKOxk
@americanediting

What Facebook's New Feed
Will Mean For Authors: http://bit.ly/14BKQoU
@authormedia

When Visibility Doesn't
Lead To Book Sales: http://bit.ly/ZsJTHh
@davidgaughran

Best Practices for Putting
Together Your Digital Book: http://bit.ly/14BL7If
@bibliocrunch @PaulSalvette

10 Dirty Fighting Tricks to
Spice Up Your Fight Scenes: http://bit.ly/ZsK0CD
@ajackwriting

The Story Milestones… and
Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/14BLgLZ @storyfix

The Perfectly Balanced
Story: http://bit.ly/ZsK4lU @mooderino

5 Top Legal Issues for
Authors and Self-Publishers: http://bit.ly/174ZeVP
@JFBookman @Saving4Someday

Tips from a ghostwriter for
getting more clients: http://bit.ly/XO7jYd
@byRozMorris

Calling Your Manuscript
Finished (For Now): http://bit.ly/174ZrID
@rachellegardner

Facebook: Should We Use a
Profile or a Page? http://bit.ly/174Zy7g
@jamigold @LisaHallWilson

LGBTQ characters in SFF: http://bit.ly/XO7HGg @tordotcom @karinacooper

Setting: Using Instant
Recognition: http://bit.ly/174ZOTF

Naming schemes for fantasy
writing: http://bit.ly/XO7VNA @MorganKeyes

Improve your Dialogue by
Studying Plays: http://bit.ly/174ZXX7

Thoughts on epic fantasy: http://bit.ly/XO82sB

Crime fiction author
@Brad_Parks on introducing a sexual relationship to his popular series: http://bit.ly/1750jgl @JungleReds

How bookstore windows can
drive book sales--and fuel a digital campaign: http://bit.ly/XO8uqA
@pubperspectives

Weapons, Fighting, and
Battles in Worldbuilding: http://bit.ly/1750uZa
@juliettewade

An agent on the future of
publishing: http://bit.ly/XO8yXo
@rachellegardner

How to Build an Online
Audience: http://bit.ly/1750zfA
@manon_eileen

The importance of a sense
of play to our writing: http://bit.ly/XO8MxT
@RLLaFevers

Ebook Boxed Set Tips and
How Tos: http://bit.ly/1750V5R
@ddscottromcom

How to Get the Most Out of
a Writing Class: http://bit.ly/YyrgW4
@michelledseaton

How Busy People Can Find
More Time for Reading: http://bit.ly/11CFadq
@jodyhedlund

What Worries Publishers
Most? http://bit.ly/107HX7S @bmorrissey

5 areas you need to learn
to write better copy: http://bit.ly/10ryNVf
@ntaylor1981

Clearing the clutter from
our sentences: http://bit.ly/13JT5zB

The Art of Collaborating
and its Rewards (or Tribulations): http://bit.ly/10rAv8Z
@mariesetiawan

Plotting? Keep digging
deeper and "imagine beyond what is safe": http://bit.ly/10rAPEM @noveleditor

5 Things Children Teach Us
About Writing: http://bit.ly/ZKsICX
@KMWeiland

Plotting - the Mamma Mia
lessons: http://bit.ly/13JUshH
@dirtywhitecandy

Why no deal is better than
a bad deal: http://bit.ly/10rBeHf
@ajackwriting

Not so freely free:
Amazon's 20K/80% vision: http://bit.ly/13JUypI
@bufocalvin

Language and fantasy: http://bit.ly/10rBp5B @VioletteMalan

Why Not to Register
Copyright for Unpublished Work: http://bit.ly/13JURkb
@victoriastrauss

Pitch vs. query: http://bit.ly/10rBExj @atrueblood5

How to style profanity in
your prose: http://bit.ly/13JV5rE#
@PRDaily

Physical Attribute Entry:
Hair: http://bit.ly/10rBHcC @beccapuglisi

Overcoming Challenges To
Write And Publish A Book: http://bit.ly/13JVmuE
@thecreativepenn @IwinBook

Adjusting the Picture for
Clarity: http://bit.ly/10rBRka @novelrocket

Writing for Middle Grade: http://bit.ly/13JVz0Q @ToniKerr_Writer

10 Ideas for using QR Codes
to Promote Your Book: http://bit.ly/10rC4Uo

3 sites to find a critique
partner: http://bit.ly/13JVZ7A
@ThereDraftAgain

How to Know if a Contest is
Right For You: http://bit.ly/10rCiep
@CupidsLC @MissDahlELama

Grammar 'errors' you don't
need to worry about: http://bit.ly/13JWAGb
@passivevoiceblg

Manuscript formatting and
prep screencasts: http://bit.ly/10rCrOY
@andrewkarre

Book Promotion — What's
Working at Amazon in 2013? http://bit.ly/10xREOD
@goblinwriter

How To Find Out Everything
You Need To Know About Self-Publishing: http://bit.ly/YTAo82
@cathryanhoward

Great Scene: "The
Exorcist": http://bit.ly/10xTPSc
@gointothestory

Using Plot to Reveal
Character Transformation: http://bit.ly/YTDh8Y
@mythicscribes

Don't Make Writing About
Yourself: http://bit.ly/10xTXBe
@write_practice

Creating an Evocative Mood
in a Memoir: http://bit.ly/YTDs46
@janice_hardy

5 beliefs about Twitter: http://bit.ly/10xUaEp @AnnieNeugebauer.

Trimming costs in case book
sales drop off: http://bit.ly/YTEpt7

6 Makeover Tips: How to
Bring a Book Back from the Doldrums: http://bit.ly/10xURgT
@markcoker

The Benefits of Running a
Goodreads Ad: http://bit.ly/YTIcXe @jeanoram

How Game of Thrones
Improved a Literary Author's Writing: http://bit.ly/10zP7lz
@magdalenaball

8 pics and videos that
describe what DRM is about: http://bit.ly/11ot4Cp
@namenick