Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 162
January 12, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge 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.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Making Money From indie Publishing: A
Guide For the Hopeful, the Optimistic and the Doomed: http://bit.ly/12GlIKO @sarahahoyt
Self-Pub or Traditional Pub? Which is the
Right First Step for You? http://bit.ly/WHFHoc
@annerallen
Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before
You Write a Scene: http://bit.ly/12GlQtG
@storyfix
Smashwords & Libraries: Precedent & Product: http://bit.ly/TNxYW8
@Porter_Anderson @markcoker @naypinya
How to ignore an editor's suggestions and
still fix your novel: http://bit.ly/WHFP7c
@dirtywhitecandy
3 things which are NOT signs you should
give up on your messy first draft: http://bit.ly/12Gml7c
@YAHighway
Making a Quiet Opening Work: http://bit.ly/WHG81D @janice_hardy
The Dark Art Of Critiquing: What Makes A
Story Good? http://bit.ly/12Gmrvu
@woodwardkaren
7 Ways Twitter is a Writer's Endless
Holiday Party: http://bit.ly/WHGbus
@NinaBadzin
Bring Out the Emotion in Your Characters:
http://bit.ly/12GmM1c
Reference Books for Writers &
Editors: http://bit.ly/WHGpl6 @noveleditor
What to Do When You Fall Back Into Your
Old, Less Productive Ways: http://bit.ly/WHNceC
@RealLifeE
The Likable Unlikable Character: http://bit.ly/12GuOqM @noveleditor
Story Crisis and Climax: http://bit.ly/RKOMPk @SHalvatzis
Copywriting And Making Money As A Writer:
http://bit.ly/WHNoux @MindyMcHorse
How to Create Foundation Posts for Your
Blog: http://bit.ly/12Gva0N @jfbookman
Tips for finding an agent: http://bit.ly/WHNtyf @rachellegardner
Self pub tips from @GuyKawasaki: http://bit.ly/12GvvjQ @LauraPepWu
Freelance Editing: How to Hire an Editor
for Your Book or Query Letter: http://bit.ly/12Gw6SK
@ChuckSambuchino
3 Ways to Support Your Fiction Habit
While Working Towards That Big Contract: http://bit.ly/WHOeaI
@novelrocket
Formulating a Clear Vision for Your
Writing Career: http://bit.ly/WHOfLM
@livewritethrive
How Readers Discovered a Debut Novel: A
Case Study: http://bit.ly/VRI1Xb
Why Your Story Shouldn't Be Too Tidy: http://bit.ly/VgLgbD @yeomanis
All about book trailers (and resources
for making your own): http://bit.ly/10ygukI
@PBRWriter
3 Steps For Creative Writers to Tell it
Slant: http://bit.ly/10ygxwR
@PatrickRwrites
8 Signs That You Were Meant to Be a
Writer: http://bit.ly/VgLG1S
3 Great Scenes, and No Weak Ones, Make a
Successful Story: http://bit.ly/10ygPUo
Back Up Your Work Twice: http://bit.ly/VgLQX9 @amiekaufman
Governments and Politics Enter Scientific
Publishing: http://bit.ly/10yhbuf
@scholarlykitchn
Is it Possible to Have Too Many Twitter
Followers? http://bit.ly/VgMcgj
@janice_hardy
101 Social Media Marketing Resources: http://bit.ly/10yhoOb @HeidiCohen
Tuning Out Your Inner Editor: http://bit.ly/UxX0bJ @kaneville
Marketing New Adult: http://bit.ly/UdH5hM @NaAlleyBlog
5 WordPress Mistakes Even Experts Can
Miss: http://bit.ly/UxXcrj @copyblogger
Are We Settling For Less Than We Intend
To? http://bit.ly/UxXXRa @VeronicaSicoe
The Myth of Simple: http://bit.ly/UdIsgk @cherylrwrites
Making a Bad Thing Look Like a Good
Thing: The Truth About Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/UxYXF3
@Fictorians
Opening a Novel with Life or Death: http://bit.ly/UxZqqQ @4YALit
Creativity-oriented sites that inspire: http://bit.ly/UdKSvn @PaulBiedermann
Whys & Hows of Co-Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/UxZFSJ @LauraHoward78
Ask the Agent: Options For Novellas and
More Advice on Query Etiquette: http://bit.ly/UdLeCc
@breeogden
The Theology of Screenwriting: Faith: http://bit.ly/UxZOpm @gointothestory
Writers--plan your estate. Have you
willed your intellectual property? Estate planning: http://bit.ly/UdLJw2 @passivevoiceblg
@kristinerusch
The Dark Art of Critiquing: Formulating A
Critique: http://bit.ly/UdQbLo
@woodwardkaren
The Most Common Grammar Gaffes Writers
Make (and How To Avoid Them): http://bit.ly/Uy36ZN
@GuyKawasaki
5 Dos and Don'ts for Picking an Editor: http://bit.ly/UdRGsY @susanjmorris
How Do We Handle Rejection and Keep on
Pressing? http://bit.ly/UdShuL @kristenlamb
Writing Villains: http://bit.ly/UdSnCy @curiosityquills
7 Norse Myths We Wouldn't Have Without
Snorri: http://bit.ly/Uy4awy @tordotcom
Say Cheese! 12 Terrible Photos of
Bestselling Authors: http://bit.ly/UdSL41
@thejamminjabber
The commodity publishing model ("faster authors,
faster!"): http://bit.ly/13l4GkQ @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman
10 Must Read Australian Horror Writers: http://bit.ly/Uy4pru @thisishorror
Do writers need agents? http://bit.ly/ZNwDno @deanwesleysmith
Six scientists on the most accurate
science fiction in their fields: http://bit.ly/WfDApw
@Annaleen
A roundup of posts that will help your
blog in 2013: http://bit.ly/ZOLM7X @WritingH
INDIE-ReCon – a free online conference
for self publishing: http://bit.ly/WfDYEl
@laurapauling
Villains and the Weakness of Beauty in
Romance: http://bit.ly/ZOMPoe @heroesnhearts
Does Quiet = Boring? http://bit.ly/WfEqm8 @juliemusil
Morally Murky Characters: http://bit.ly/ZON2YH @storydepth
Can Writers Reuse Their Own Work? http://bit.ly/WfEFNZ @jamigold
Ten Tips on Getting Book Blog Reviews: http://bit.ly/ZONeqQ @KarenGowen
How To Disappear From The Internet: http://bit.ly/WfEPEY @lifehackorg
Happy Little Trees: The Bob Ross Guide To
Getting Your Creative Groove On: http://bit.ly/ZOOom2
@KristinNador
Don't Be Afraid of Theme: http://bit.ly/WfG86X @KALongshore
What it takes to be a die-hard writer: http://bit.ly/ZOOz0H @jodyhedlund
Writing male point of view: http://bit.ly/ZOOBWA @juliettewade
Ways to promote your book on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/WfGoCX @ninaamir
10 things for writers to do in 2013: http://bit.ly/ZOOSbP @KeithCronin
How to Use the Element of Surprise to
Improve Your Writing: http://bit.ly/ZOPNJp
@lkhillbooks
Smashwords & Libraries: Precedent & Product: http://bit.ly/TNxYW8
@Porter_Anderson @markcoker @naypinya
The Theology of Screenwriting: Despair: http://bit.ly/WfHrD3 @gointothestory
Ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/ZOPXR0 @goblinwriter
8 Books for Writers: http://bit.ly/WfHKxI @raimalarter
Attracting Reader Responses on Your Blog:
http://bit.ly/TCzfy7 @auntyamo
Survey shows many authors weighing the
pros and cons of self-pub: http://bit.ly/Z5ooSd
@thefuturebook @samatlounge
How to Manage Expectations: Set the Mood:
http://bit.ly/TCzw3W @cockeyed_caravan
Why are novelists turning to co-authors? http://bit.ly/Z5oRnp @passivevoiceblg
What to avoid when querying: http://bit.ly/TCzFVl @lynnettelabelle
Turning Off Your Inner Editor: http://bit.ly/Z5pKfJ @woodwardkaren
What Writers Need to Know About
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/TCAdKG @galleycat
7 Strategies Villains Use to Trick Their
Victims: http://bit.ly/S3caYu @marcykennedy
Publishing Personalities Advise on
Designing the Bookshop of the Future: http://bit.ly/Vq1O11
@pubperspectives
How to Create an Endless Stream of Blog
Post Ideas: http://bit.ly/S3csP0 @jfbookman
6 Marketing Tips for Authors: http://bit.ly/Vq2bJ9 @msheatherwebb
Why you should pitch a single book: http://bit.ly/S3cLJr @rachellegardner
The Real Lowdown on Selling with an
Agent: http://bit.ly/S3cNRB @SaraMegibow
The Power of Theme: http://bit.ly/VtTHmB @TaliaVance
Wasting Your Time Until You Sell a Book? http://bit.ly/U5U6xw
E-readers reading your reading: A serious
invasion of privacy? http://bit.ly/Wd2mpY
@alisonflood
Script To Screen: "The
Shining": http://bit.ly/U5UX1h
@gointothestory
Why Stupid Characters Make for Stupid
Stories: http://bit.ly/Wd2JRn @kmweiland
Dealing with Online Offense–When is It OK
to Lecture Others? http://bit.ly/U5VOPu
@kristenlambtx
Tips for a 2000 word a day writing habit:
http://bit.ly/UPfFhm @lifehackorg
'Emotive music explains the terror of the
people' – Undercover Soundtrack: http://bit.ly/Wd32f0
@byrozmorris @lizfisherfrank
Sensual phrase list for romance writers
and writers of romantic scenes: http://bit.ly/U5WxQC
@SharlaWrites
10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how
to fix it): http://bit.ly/UdiAD7 @medkno
A 3-point revision checklist: http://bit.ly/T9Pa7Z @annastanisz
Writing A Story? Make Sure You Have A
Concept Not Just An Idea: http://bit.ly/T9QDeC
@woodwardkaren
10 E-Newsletter Tips For Authors &
Bloggers: http://bit.ly/R8Jhs3 @mollygreene
International Writing Scams and How to
Protect Yourself: http://bit.ly/12YW2cr
@victoriastrauss
Scholastic Editors Forecast Top 10 Trends
in Children's Books for 2013: http://bit.ly/WlnZEV
@passivevoiceblg
Writing Goals Sheet: http://bit.ly/12YWlUD @diymfa
How to Manage Viewer/Reader Expectations:
Plant the Right Questions: http://bit.ly/Wlo8rT
@cockeyed_caravan
Querying Agents: Why isn't it Working? http://bit.ly/12YWEPk @AmericanEditing
Tips for Writing Micro-tension: http://bit.ly/Wlolvd @donaldmaass
Want Professional Ebook Covers On A
Budget? Try Ready-To-Go Options: http://bit.ly/WlowGW
@thecreativepenn
Writing Like It's 2009: http://bit.ly/12YXfQQ @kristinerusch
How Writers Can Use Pinterest: http://bit.ly/WloL4H
Why Your Story Should Have A Theme: http://bit.ly/WloP4A @woodwardkaren
Self-care for writers: http://bit.ly/12YXvj1
Attracting
opposite-gender readers..."And What If a Man Writes Romance?": http://bit.ly/TRcub0
@Porter_Anderson @turndog_million
Some well-known authors' responses to the
film adaptations of their work: http://bit.ly/Wlp3sd
@flavorpill
"People forget years and remember
moments." http://bit.ly/12YXJGS
@gointothestory
5 Ways to Deal with Failure: http://bit.ly/TyoNsC @rachellegardner
Should you Always Show-Don't-Tell? http://bit.ly/TJLzN7 @fictionnotes
The Hero's Journey through the Double
Helix series: http://bit.ly/Typ12Z
@JadeKerrion
The Devil's in the Details: http://bit.ly/Typ7rp
9 Ways to Generate Your Best Ideas: http://bit.ly/TypkLc @andyjmllr
Fan Fiction to Published Book: A Case
Study: http://bit.ly/TypSAK @stacygreen26
@jamigold
5 Tips To Determine If Your Manuscript Is
Ready To Send Out: http://bit.ly/TJN3H1
@wherewriterswin
Assume Reader Resistance: http://bit.ly/TJN7qo @mooderino
Your Optimal Creativity Time May Be the
Opposite of Your Optimal Cognitive Time: http://bit.ly/TJN91k
@lifehackorg
How To Write A Twitter Story: http://bit.ly/TJNfpY @woodwardkaren
Identifying Your Story Theme: http://bit.ly/TJNu4k @V_Rossibooks
10 Techniques for Getting Tension on
Every Page: http://bit.ly/TyqI0f
@jodyhedlund
How To Keep Your Story On Track: Chart
"Who Knows What, When": http://bit.ly/TyqK8C
@LisaCron
The Theology of Screenwriting: Evil: http://bit.ly/TyqPcd @gointothestory
How to Manage Reader/Viewer
Expectations...And Evade the Wrong Questions: http://bit.ly/X5AJSj
@cockeyed_caravan
5 Podcasts for Writers: http://bit.ly/TAMIYo @jeanoram
Choosing a Story Idea: 4 Questions Every
Romance Writer Should Ask Themselves: http://bit.ly/X5AQ0h
@writersdigest
To be more creative, mix up your work: http://bit.ly/TAMPmV @tannerc
Manuscript Critiques—A Help or a
Hindrance? http://bit.ly/X5B5It @jfbookman
@livewritethrive
What You Write About Doesn't Matter as
Much as You Think: http://bit.ly/TAMYGU
@jeffgoins
How to be an organized writer: http://bit.ly/X5BieT
Dialogue tips: http://bit.ly/TAN5SW
Getting Started With Dictation Software: http://bit.ly/X5BvP7 @Wizardgold
5 Tips For Building Buzz For Your Book: http://bit.ly/TANfK2 @susankayequinn
Twitter For Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/TBpbqj
Self-Publishing: It's Not a Backup Plan: http://bit.ly/X6oODP @ava_jae
January 10, 2013
A Writing Exercise to Help Your Story Ring With Authenticity
by Khanh Ho, @LAMysteryWriter
I’ve taken dozens of writing seminars—some good, some bad. Over time, I’ve done hundreds of exercises. And in my capacity as a college level Creative Writing professor, I’ve had the chance to assign writing exercises, too. So, I know: the best exercises get you into the groove. This one—the one I’m about to share with you--is by far my absolute favorite. This one is a keeper.
I did it in my first writing seminar with this really cool writer—let’s call him David—who gave off the aura that every professional writer of high class art fiction should emit: denim shirts; denim jeans; old leather belt with real silver accents; longish unkempt hair, never parted; scuffed, leather attaché case with a discreet imprint from a luxurious maker; cowboy boots; crows feet around the eyes. Kinda cool to a college freshman.
David had us bring in one object and tell two stories about it: one true and one false. We could not reveal the true one. We could not even give clues by creating deliberately crazy stories that would indicate falsehood. We were just supposed to tell two variations of one story. One girl brought in a brick that she supposedly rescued from a lava flow in Hawaii. Me: I brought in a stuffed animal and spun a totally false story of shoplifting at Arnie’s Toyland.
After each story was told, the class voted and discussed why we thought one story was true or false. This made for a fun class. You got to know a lot about your classmates by listening to how their minds work. You also began to realize that certain elements are important to the feeling of truth: detail, character, setting. These are the elements that make a story ring with authenticity, even if it is a bald-faced lie.
To do this exercise at home, without the audience participation element, pick an object and try to write a scene around it. If you’re working on a story, go ahead: use the object in the scene. You don’t have to write two variations. You just have to decide that the object is going to have a life of its own—that it will reveal all sorts of connections about the world it occupies.
This exercise is perfect for the mystery writer, because it is essentially a realist exercise. Mysteries live in the world of realism; they deal with the everyday world. No Hobbits or Space Creatures or Wizards inhabit this world of pulp. No zombies or vampires or barbarian warlords. Mysteries exist in the plausible world of our mind. And all mysteries—all--are locked in the objects that we hold, like flies trapped in the spider web of our own making.
Khanh Ho spent many years living in a small town in rural Iowa, teaching Creative Writing at Grinnell College—a small liberal arts college, nestled in a windswept prairie whose distinguishing feature is the presence of a Super Walmart. But then he had a light bulb epiphany: he’ll never produce writing if he persists in teaching it. So, now he is happily pounding away at the keyboard, knocking out not only his first mystery novel but, also, the first mystery novel featuring the first Vietnamese American detective. Why? Because, yes, he’ll be the first; yes, it’ll be a power trip; and yes, because he can! Follow him on his great adventure at
www.losangelesmystery.com
Image: Patuska from MorgueFile
I’ve taken dozens of writing seminars—some good, some bad. Over time, I’ve done hundreds of exercises. And in my capacity as a college level Creative Writing professor, I’ve had the chance to assign writing exercises, too. So, I know: the best exercises get you into the groove. This one—the one I’m about to share with you--is by far my absolute favorite. This one is a keeper.I did it in my first writing seminar with this really cool writer—let’s call him David—who gave off the aura that every professional writer of high class art fiction should emit: denim shirts; denim jeans; old leather belt with real silver accents; longish unkempt hair, never parted; scuffed, leather attaché case with a discreet imprint from a luxurious maker; cowboy boots; crows feet around the eyes. Kinda cool to a college freshman.
David had us bring in one object and tell two stories about it: one true and one false. We could not reveal the true one. We could not even give clues by creating deliberately crazy stories that would indicate falsehood. We were just supposed to tell two variations of one story. One girl brought in a brick that she supposedly rescued from a lava flow in Hawaii. Me: I brought in a stuffed animal and spun a totally false story of shoplifting at Arnie’s Toyland.
After each story was told, the class voted and discussed why we thought one story was true or false. This made for a fun class. You got to know a lot about your classmates by listening to how their minds work. You also began to realize that certain elements are important to the feeling of truth: detail, character, setting. These are the elements that make a story ring with authenticity, even if it is a bald-faced lie.
To do this exercise at home, without the audience participation element, pick an object and try to write a scene around it. If you’re working on a story, go ahead: use the object in the scene. You don’t have to write two variations. You just have to decide that the object is going to have a life of its own—that it will reveal all sorts of connections about the world it occupies.
This exercise is perfect for the mystery writer, because it is essentially a realist exercise. Mysteries live in the world of realism; they deal with the everyday world. No Hobbits or Space Creatures or Wizards inhabit this world of pulp. No zombies or vampires or barbarian warlords. Mysteries exist in the plausible world of our mind. And all mysteries—all--are locked in the objects that we hold, like flies trapped in the spider web of our own making.
Khanh Ho spent many years living in a small town in rural Iowa, teaching Creative Writing at Grinnell College—a small liberal arts college, nestled in a windswept prairie whose distinguishing feature is the presence of a Super Walmart. But then he had a light bulb epiphany: he’ll never produce writing if he persists in teaching it. So, now he is happily pounding away at the keyboard, knocking out not only his first mystery novel but, also, the first mystery novel featuring the first Vietnamese American detective. Why? Because, yes, he’ll be the first; yes, it’ll be a power trip; and yes, because he can! Follow him on his great adventure at
www.losangelesmystery.com
Image: Patuska from MorgueFile
January 8, 2013
More on Promo and Approaching Promo in 2013
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Recently, there’s been a real change in attitude among some high-profile writers regarding promo.
And I’ll admit that it makes me a little nervous.
I was especially uncomfortable reading a post by J.A. Konrath last month: Konrath's Resolutions For Writers. You’ll have to scroll down to the section entitled 2013 to get to it, but he says:
He goes on to say:
Writer Dean Wesley Smith stated in a post in October called The New World of Publishing: Promotion:
As much as I’d like to think that I think we can completely back off on promo, it just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe if I were as well-known as Joe, and had as many titles as Dean, I’d feel the same way. It’s very tempting to say we just won’t promote—that there’s no need. There’s just that little issue of discoverability.
When I have thirty books or more available for sale as ebooks, I might feel a bit more tempted to back off on promo because it would just be so darn hard to avoid coming across me on Amazon in the mystery section. But with a dozen books written (a couple of them not even out for a few months), I don’t think forgoing marketing is the answer.
I’d also love to stop doing other things I dislike—housework, yard work, and paying taxes…but I have a feeling it would bite me back later.
And ditching promo—even my own anemic, indirect form of marketing—would bite me back later, too.
I do think that these writers have a point. Dean Wesley Smith put provisos on his ban on promo…he says that publishers promote (you should promote when you have your publisher hat on, as a self-published author) and writers write. So promote like a publisher—not like a writer. He has ideas for doing this in his post.
I think we still, currently, have a responsibility to ourselves and our pocketbooks to do the bare minimum of promo.
What I think the bare-minimum is:
A website. You can probably stop right there as long as the site is updated fairly frequently, has your contact info/email address on it, buy-links, books, etc.
And…
One additional way to find you. This could be (not all of these…just pick what appeals):
A blog that you update at least twice a month (abandoned blogs look kind of bad. At least have a goodbye post and disable comments.)
A Facebook page
A Goodreads presence (Goodreads can be a sort of scary, dark-alley kind of place for writers, so just go in remembering that you may not want to poke around much.)
And…I do think an email address is an absolute necessity for writers. The readers should be able to reach us via email. We can even set up an email address solely for reader contact. Have it be a professional address (like your full name) and use a free email service like gmail.com, etc.
This being said…I’m not as uptight as I used to be about making sure my bases are covered on all the different platforms. If I don’t like a platform (Facebook comes to mind), I’m not going to force myself to post there a couple of times a week. But I will leave it up so that I can be be contacted there by readers or anyone else (very occasionally print media will contact me on Facebook for an interview.)
What are your thoughts on promo for 2013? Are you backing off a little? Or just being more forgiving with yourself for limiting your platforms (like me)? Or are you still going full steam ahead?
Image: PinkLadyBug from MorgueFile
Recently, there’s been a real change in attitude among some high-profile writers regarding promo.And I’ll admit that it makes me a little nervous.
I was especially uncomfortable reading a post by J.A. Konrath last month: Konrath's Resolutions For Writers. You’ll have to scroll down to the section entitled 2013 to get to it, but he says:
I have 10,000 followers on Twitter, but I only use it occasionally Facebook? Haven't been on there in eight months. I witnessed the rise and fall of MySpace. I've opted out of Google+ because I saw no benefits. LinkedIn? I can't even remember my password.
He goes on to say:
I haven't blogged or Tweeted in months. I've been busy doing what writers should be doing: writing.
And guess what? My sales have remained constant.
Writer Dean Wesley Smith stated in a post in October called The New World of Publishing: Promotion:
Author promotion is worthless (except for selling to magazines or major publishers). Period. Best thing an author can do is write the next story and book.
As much as I’d like to think that I think we can completely back off on promo, it just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe if I were as well-known as Joe, and had as many titles as Dean, I’d feel the same way. It’s very tempting to say we just won’t promote—that there’s no need. There’s just that little issue of discoverability.
When I have thirty books or more available for sale as ebooks, I might feel a bit more tempted to back off on promo because it would just be so darn hard to avoid coming across me on Amazon in the mystery section. But with a dozen books written (a couple of them not even out for a few months), I don’t think forgoing marketing is the answer.
I’d also love to stop doing other things I dislike—housework, yard work, and paying taxes…but I have a feeling it would bite me back later.
And ditching promo—even my own anemic, indirect form of marketing—would bite me back later, too.
I do think that these writers have a point. Dean Wesley Smith put provisos on his ban on promo…he says that publishers promote (you should promote when you have your publisher hat on, as a self-published author) and writers write. So promote like a publisher—not like a writer. He has ideas for doing this in his post.
I think we still, currently, have a responsibility to ourselves and our pocketbooks to do the bare minimum of promo.
What I think the bare-minimum is:
A website. You can probably stop right there as long as the site is updated fairly frequently, has your contact info/email address on it, buy-links, books, etc.
And…
One additional way to find you. This could be (not all of these…just pick what appeals):
A blog that you update at least twice a month (abandoned blogs look kind of bad. At least have a goodbye post and disable comments.)
A Facebook page
A Goodreads presence (Goodreads can be a sort of scary, dark-alley kind of place for writers, so just go in remembering that you may not want to poke around much.)
And…I do think an email address is an absolute necessity for writers. The readers should be able to reach us via email. We can even set up an email address solely for reader contact. Have it be a professional address (like your full name) and use a free email service like gmail.com, etc.
This being said…I’m not as uptight as I used to be about making sure my bases are covered on all the different platforms. If I don’t like a platform (Facebook comes to mind), I’m not going to force myself to post there a couple of times a week. But I will leave it up so that I can be be contacted there by readers or anyone else (very occasionally print media will contact me on Facebook for an interview.)
What are your thoughts on promo for 2013? Are you backing off a little? Or just being more forgiving with yourself for limiting your platforms (like me)? Or are you still going full steam ahead?
Image: PinkLadyBug from MorgueFile
January 6, 2013
More Time to Write in 2013
Guest Post
by Elizabeth Grace Saunders @RealLifeE
Purchase Book Here
New Year’s
Resolution #1: Write More in 2013.
If you’re
like most writers, you really want to find more time to practice your art in
2013. But the distance between your resolution and your reality often seems
like a span too far to cross and full of detours like writers groups and
writers blogs where you talk and read a great deal about writing but rarely put
words to the page…
I
understand, as a time coach and the author of the newly released book The 3 Secrets to Effective TimeInvestment: How to Achieve More Success With Less Stress , I’ve lead many a writer through the
process of finding more time to write.
The BIGGEST secret to your success is
strengthening simple routines that make investing time in writing automatic.
Let me tell you a little story about a writer I helped unlock the power of this
secret…
Breaking Through Creative Blocks
A few
winters ago, I worked with a successful, well-published writer who also taught
in a university graduate school Masters of Fine Arts program. She was stuck.
“I am scattered and making erratic
progress with this or that. I want to make solid steps forward. I want to
reclaim my life and place in the literary firmament, get healthy and in shape,
and have fun!”
She also
had just been diagnosed with ADHD and was wondering how much of an impact ADHD
had on her life-long frustrations with writing and other areas of her life. One
of her most important goals was to move forward on her next big creative
project–a collection of linked short stories. It had been a long time since her
first book had been published, and she needed to regain professional momentum…
“My friends are mostly writers and
successful. I have lots of ink in the New York Times that I have written and
that has been written about me. So I have talent. I also need to know what I
need to do, like a solid schedule? work impulsively? Okay I know the answer to
that.”
She did
know the answer, but turning the answer into practical action took time
coaching… We came up with an initial
plan of how she could get in a good, solid, writing time in the morning. Then
each week, we worked on assessing the results and evaluating how to move
forward based on what happened.
The first
writing routine involved: drinking coffee, eating breakfast, taking the dog
out, meditating, getting dressed, and then starting to write. The second
involved just getting coffee and starting to write. The end result was a fusion
of the two with pouring a cup of coffee, meditating a bit, taking out the dog
and then writing.
The end
goal wasn’t to have this creative writer crammed into a rigid schedule but to have something that turned
writing (her top professional priority) from a dreaded activity to a peaceful
part of her daily schedule.
Over the
course of our work together, she found that if she followed her morning routine
and put herself in her writing space for two hours (with a timer set), the
inspiration came and the writing moved forward.
Writing didn’t need to be something that she dreaded.
Writing didn’t need to be something that took over her
life.
Writing could be something she choose to move forward
on each day.
At last!
Freedom to do quality work without losing herself, her relationships or her
sanity was possible!
“I’ve found that the actual schedule
that I longed for would absolutely drive me around the bend so I have a
flexitarian schedule and am getting things done.”
“Having and sticking with a schedule is
the single most important thing I can do for myself as an artist, as a woman
living a rather complex and exciting life, and as someone newly aware that many
of my problems stem from having ADHD. Nothing, nothing, nothing will move me
forward like following my schedule will. Period.”
A Few Key Points
The same creative
freedom could be possible for you. Here are a few key takeaways to get you
started:
Even if you consider yourself a spontaneous person,
some writing rituals can dramatically increase your productivity and
decrease your stress. If you loathe this idea, you can find out how to
overcome your inner routine rebel in my book.
Look at developing custom routines as
a process that includes editing. As you saw above, this writer didn’t just
have one routine and stick with it. She needed to try out a few iterations
until she found one that was exactly the right fit.
It’s OK to have a “flexitarian”
schedule, meaning that not everything needs to happen with clockwork
precision. For instance, this could mean picking a start trigger, such as
“after I eat breakfast,” instead of a start time, such as “8 a.m.,” to
begin your writing.
Focus on consistently following your
schedule instead of worrying about constantly being on it. No matter how
hard you try, there will be some days when following your writing routine
just isn’t possible. Instead of beating yourself up over it, you can
simply acknowledge the deviance, forgive yourself if it was due to some
fault of your own, and then move on in the realization that the only thing
you can control is your decision of the present moment.
For a
comprehensive step-by-step guide to creating your own custom routines, flip to
Chapter 7 in The 3 Secrets toEffective Time Investment.
May you
enjoy writing more in 2013 by developing, practicing and adjusting your custom
routines.
What
routines do you have in place to help make investing time in writing as
effortless as possible?
Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management life coach and the author of the newly released The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success
With Less Stress available on Amazon in hardcover and kindle .
You can find Elizabeth Grace Saunders on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/RealLifeE
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/timecoaching
Website www.ScheduleMakeover.com
January 5, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge 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.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
A 3-point revision checklist: http://bit.ly/T9Pa7Z @annastanisz
Point of View in Science-Fiction: http://bit.ly/XP9U3q @VeronicaSicoe
The Final Battle (Elements of Act Three):
http://bit.ly/XPai21 @AlexSokoloff
Tips for hooking readers: http://bit.ly/T9PtzS @write_practice
Visual Editing: Color Coding Your Way to
a Cleaner Manuscript: http://bit.ly/XPaBtO
@danyelleleafty
How Unnecessary Creating Changes
Everything: http://bit.ly/T9PAeH
@beAccidental
A site with daily, succinct ,
screenwriting tips: http://bit.ly/T9QpnI
@XanderBennett
Writing A Story? Make Sure You Have A
Concept Not Just An Idea: http://bit.ly/T9QDeC
@woodwardkaren
Top Ten Rules of Space Opera: http://bit.ly/XPe2kd @io9
The Muppets and Mahna, Mahna – the Untold
Story: http://bit.ly/T9QIyN @thisishorror
3 Quiet Fears that Stop Writers from
Writing: http://bit.ly/R8Iszy @writersdigest
Most Common British/American English
Spelling Mistakes: http://bit.ly/R8Ix6h
@thecreativepenn
Promoting Science Through Science
Fiction: http://bit.ly/UUvimL
Even the Underground Needs Editors: http://bit.ly/R8IHdV
Profanity in fantasy: http://bit.ly/R8IUgZ @nkjemisin
So you wrote a novel. Now what? http://bit.ly/UUwl6m @p2p_editor
10 Colloquial Terms and Their Meanings: http://bit.ly/R8IZ4v @writing_tips
Change is not the enemy: http://bit.ly/R8J0Fs @pbr_writer
Learning to See the Good in Bad Writing: http://bit.ly/UUwOWc @Christi_Craig
Actions and Reactions: The End-All-Be-All
of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/U4sbv4
@jamigold
Misconceptions About Writing Careers: http://bit.ly/UUwWoG @cockeyed_caravan
10 E-Newsletter Tips For Authors &
Bloggers: http://bit.ly/R8Jhs3 @mollygreene
How to Cut the Filler and Tighten Your
Book: http://bit.ly/XYvJxy @KMWeiland
10 Best Writing Workbooks: http://bit.ly/RKNVOk @charmaineclancy
Tips for Getting Published in Literary
Magazines and Journals: http://bit.ly/XYwhDR
@melissadonovan
Tips for avoiding writing bloopers: http://bit.ly/RKO4RV
Tips for working through writer's block: http://bit.ly/XYwUNN
Story Crisis & Climax: http://bit.ly/RKOMPk @shalvatzis
Using Beats To Strengthen Characters And
Setting: http://bit.ly/Ul6SmL @rlbelliston
Moral Causes in Fantasy Worlds: http://bit.ly/RKOWpC @mythicscribes
The 19 Most Popular Articles on Writing
of 2012 for Writer's Digest: http://bit.ly/Y0fK2g
@writersdigest
Get Your Novel Moving: Cure for Stagnant
Openings: http://bit.ly/ZrpuZG @Lindasclare
Literary Journal Submission Tip: Avoid
Clichés, or Twist them into Treasure: http://bit.ly/Y0giVM
@MsBessieBell
The Daily Routines of Famous Writers: http://bit.ly/ZrpQPQ @brainpicker
Tips for satisfying story payoffs: http://bit.ly/Y0hfxd
Too much characterization? Too little?
Prioritize: http://bit.ly/ZrqaOz
@laurelgarver
Psychoanalyzing your villain: http://bit.ly/Ul6AMM @theheraldryang
Creating Memorable Supporting Characters:
http://bit.ly/VCsw5j @woodwardkaren
Creating tension: http://bit.ly/ZbnWBx @Christina_Lee04
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
Four Levels of Showing and Telling: http://bit.ly/Y0i1KK @pyrosama
3 quick self-editing tips: http://bit.ly/ZrqLQm @Lindasclare
Where Do Successful Authors Get Their
Most Brilliant Writing Ideas? http://bit.ly/Y0ixsj
@melissadonovan
Dean Wesley Smith's Advice To Indie
Authors For 2013: How To Sell Fiction: http://bit.ly/WAcQ56
@woodwardkaren
The Multifunctional Life of Dialogue
Tags: http://bit.ly/UhDRdO @behlerpublish
Perfecting the Query Letter--tips: http://bit.ly/WAdsrq @lynnettelabelle
How to Write a Page Turner: http://bit.ly/UhDTTa @juliemusil
Writer's Block: 5 Top Tips for Finding
Inspiration: http://bit.ly/WAdvn7 @fcmalby
How to Write a Reader-Friendly Essay: http://bit.ly/WAdzmP @writersdigest
Measuring Creative Success: http://bit.ly/UhE3ty @diymfa
Post NaNo Revisions: The Agents'
Perspective: http://bit.ly/WAdEad @yahighway
How Blogging a Book Provides You with a
Continuous Flow of Blog Posts: http://bit.ly/UhEJiL
@ninaamir
Creating a homelike, appealing setting: http://bit.ly/UhETGP @donaldmaass
5 blog tour tips: http://bit.ly/UhEZOB @BwitchedBkworms
Taking On Insecurity And Kicking It To
The Ground: http://bit.ly/WAeJi3
@VeronicaSicoe
I'm Not a Real Writer If… : http://bit.ly/WAeSCe @LyndaRYoung
Your Author Brand – How to Make the Most
of It: http://bit.ly/UhFk3Q @ollyrhodes
Test Your Characters: Are They Strong
Enough? http://bit.ly/UhFnN3 @woodwardkaren
10 Lessons From a Completed Novel: http://bit.ly/WAfdEQ @kmweiland
Writerly Uses For Excel – Part 2: http://bit.ly/UhFvw1 @JennyHansenCA
Starting a New chapter: Defeating the
Blank Page: http://bit.ly/WAfqIn
@fictionnotes
Settings in Your Novel That Work As
Triggers: http://bit.ly/UhFGYg
@livewritethrive
How to Survive a Critique: http://bit.ly/WAfwzJ @MarcyKennedy
How to Manage Expectations, Prologue:
Every Criticism is the Product of an Unmet Expectation: http://bit.ly/UhFN64 @cockeyed_caravan
Craft: Revision: http://bit.ly/WAfFDj @fantasyfaction
How To Storyboard a Book for Marketing
Purposes: http://bit.ly/TRbO3S @bob_mayer
The Theology of Screenwriting:
Congregation: http://bit.ly/TRc3Mf
@gointothestory
22 rules of successful storytelling: http://bit.ly/10aCFNI @lawnrocket
@pbjpublishing
Working with reader assumptions as a
writer: http://bit.ly/10aCUbD @bluemaven
10 Ways to Kill Your Book Club: http://bit.ly/10aD0zZ @WallaceYovetich
Bragging without killing our online
credibility: http://bit.ly/TRcSoh
@kristenlambtx
How to Research an Ancient Society for
Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRcZjP
@laurapauling @hp4writers
The Difference Between Conflict and
Tension: http://bit.ly/10aDt52 @kmweiland
Reconnecting with Your Lost Love of
Writing: http://bit.ly/10aDwOl
@CKKellyMartin
'You Are All Alone': The Best And Worst
Things About Freelancing: http://bit.ly/TRddaE
@passivevoiceblg
30 minutes daily to building a platform: http://bit.ly/TRdme7+|+Duolit%29
@duolit
When to shut down a creative life: http://bit.ly/10aE9HT @emergentpublish
Writing a better climactic scene: http://bit.ly/10aEDOb @Lindasclare
Forging Your Own Independence as a
Writer: http://bit.ly/10aEQAR @philjourdan
The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling
a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains: http://bit.ly/10aEVEE @LeoWid
Ghosts of Writers Future: http://bit.ly/Ujg9hs @kristinerusch
Write Smart, Not Fast: http://bit.ly/VZtlVH @DannyIny
Spicing Up a Story With Similes &
Metaphors: http://bit.ly/UjgiBD @jodyhedlund
What The Hobbit Taught 1 Writer About
Writing: http://bit.ly/VZtsk7 @joebunting
Developmental editing tips: http://bit.ly/Ujgwsh @rebeccaberto
How To Write An eBook: Pulling Your Team
Together: http://bit.ly/VZtyIw @inkybites
Every writer should learn to
self-publish: http://bit.ly/UjgBw5 @namenick
How to de-risk book publishing: http://oreil.ly/VZtA3f @Magnify
Writing Horror: What Makes A Story Scary?
http://bit.ly/UjgGjq @woodwardkaren
4 Tips For Understanding KDP Select: http://bit.ly/VZtHvw @BadRedheadMedia
Writing fiction with animal protagonists:
http://bit.ly/UjgPDp
How to Write a Book Review: http://bit.ly/VZtLLK @writing_tips
Losing the (Historical) Plot: http://bit.ly/Ujh0P8
How Do You Know If Your Work is Any Good?
http://bit.ly/VZtV5V @rachellegardner
Patriarchal societies and historically
accurate sexism in fantasy? http://bit.ly/UjhqoG
and http://bit.ly/UjhqoH @TheMarySue
@tansyrr
Writing, Rejections, and Going for that
Overhead Smash: http://bit.ly/VZuhJW
The Anatomy and Value of Fictional
Violence: http://bit.ly/UjhG79
@KgElfland2ndCuz
Use non-fiction angles to promote your
novel: http://bit.ly/VZumNM @LauraPepWu
Need to Get in the Head of Your
Character? Try a Mask Poem: http://bit.ly/UjhLI0
@artsyletters
The Business of Screenwriting:
Withdrawing screen credit and pseudonyms: http://bit.ly/VZuqNq
@gointothestory
Writing Sex: Kaleidoscope, or, How
paranormal helps when you're tired of tab A and slot B: http://bit.ly/UjhTHD
How to Write Dynamic Dialogue: http://bit.ly/VZuuww
Tips for tackling revisions: http://bit.ly/Ujih8T @stdennard
Writing A Book: What Happens After The
First Draft? http://bit.ly/UjirNq
@thecreativepenn
What Dialogue Can Do for Your
Stories--And What It Should Never Try to Do: http://bit.ly/UjisRz
How to Manage Expectations, Step 1:
Choose a Genre: http://bit.ly/VZuMUi
@cockeyed_caravan
Use only 1 coincidence in a book: http://bit.ly/UjiA3s @karalennox
Debut Author vs. Career Author: http://bit.ly/VZuVa7 @susankayequinn
How to Write When You Don't Want To: http://bit.ly/VZuVH6 @ava_jae
Beat sheet of the movie "The
Flight": http://bit.ly/Ut58uR
Is some popular YA really fan fiction? http://bit.ly/V4tPLI @BooksAreMyBFs
Print and eBooks cannot co-exist after
all: http://bit.ly/Ut5u4L @thefuturebook
10 Unlikely Things That Were Influenced
by J.R.R. Tolkien: http://bit.ly/Ut5WQr @io9
How and why 1 writer chose to self-pub: http://natpo.st/V4ugpq @lisleong
Free Sites to Promote Your eBook: http://bit.ly/N1E5D6 @galleycat
Writing--goals and rewards: http://bit.ly/V4ulJG @diymfa
Why 1 writer paid for a book review and
why he won't again: http://bit.ly/Ut6fea
@erikwecks
Editing & Critiquing: http://bit.ly/V4uo8r @woodwardkaren
Lessons From 'The Godfather' On Sticking
To Your Creative Vision: http://bit.ly/Ut6nKB
@danblank
How to Structure a Killer Novel Ending: http://bit.ly/V4uvRf @writersdigest
Why Netflix Makes You a Better Writer: http://bit.ly/Ut6t56 @robdyoungwrites
The Theology of Screenwriting: Grace: http://bit.ly/V4uAVe @gointothestory
What Writers, Editors, and Publishers
Should Worry About: http://bit.ly/Ut6FBa
@robertleebrewer
5 Ways to Find an Agent for Your Book: http://bit.ly/UOSRhG @galleycat
Why Women Writers Still Take Men's Names:
http://on.wsj.com/V4vBfY @wsj
A Simple Approach to Revisions: http://bit.ly/Ut7VEq @cathyyardley
What are your scene's goals? 5 questions
to ask: http://bit.ly/Uy2cfB @Porter_Anderson
@KMWeiland
Flawed characters add depth to crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/ZTUn9b @mkinberg
The problem with writers reviewing their
own books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/UJllLS
@Porter_Anderson @andrew_hough @jeremyduns
Adult sibling relationships in crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/Wkgvlt @mkinberg
Thinking Commercially: http://bit.ly/V4vGAd @fictionnotes
Quick recap of literary elements we could
consider using in our writing: http://bit.ly/Ut94vO
4 Songwriting Tips For Scoring Film and
TV Placements: http://bit.ly/RQGMus @usasong
You ought to be in pages (or should
you?): http://bit.ly/V4wOUq @bufocalvin
Getting Readers Onboard Without
Infodumping: http://bit.ly/Ut9wdl
@janice_hardy
7 Ways Writing a Screenplay is Different
Than Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/U2ULNg
@writersdigest
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
10 Television Cliffhangers That Make
Great Series Finales: http://bit.ly/Y9zhBY
@io9
Tightening your plot by layering: http://bit.ly/Y9BJbN @juliettewade
12 Tips On How To Write Antagonists Your
Readers Will Love To Hate: http://bit.ly/WHFBgd
@woodwardkaren
January 3, 2013
Help With Character Development
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of my favorite ways to learn more about a new character (I always have plenty of new characters since each book has new suspects), is to think about what they’re reading.
Or…if they’re not reading…that says a lot about the characters, too.
What’s the book title? Why is he reading it? For work? Because someone pressured him to read it? Because he thinks he should be reading it? For pleasure? What’s the book’s genre? Is it nonfiction? Is he reading on an e-reader or a print copy?
There are tons of these types of questions that we can ask ourselves about our characters. Many times, we just take that bit of insight into the character and don’t need to share our findings with our readers.
But sometimes we will want to share. Because readers like picking up on these small clues to a character’s personality, too. Readers, upon discovering a character casually reading The Visual Guide To Extra Dimensions : Visualizing The Fourth Dimension, Higher-Dimensional Polytopes, And Curved Hypersurfaces will assume that Ralph is smart. Being told that Ralph is smart is less interesting.
Sometimes characters just pop into our heads, fully-formed. Sometimes they’re amalgams of different people we know.
And sometimes we have to work on our characters a little bit.
There have been resources over the years that I’ve found particularly helpful for thinking outside the box when creating characters. I’ve listed these in various past posts, but thought I’d compile a bunch of them here.
Author Stina Lindenblatt in her post “Creating the Non-Stereotypical Character” shared an exercise from author Mary Buckham for character development. It involved listing stereotypical traits for the main characters’ careers…and mixing the traits from the lists up.
Writer Cheryl Reif talks about character quirks in her post: Tuesday Ten: Character Quirks . An old role-playing system by Steve Jackson inspired her approach.
The folks at Inspiration for Writers came up with a useful page to help develop characters…personality components can be particularly useful (toward the bottom of the page.)
I’m not always a worksheet-oriented writer, but they always help when I do use them.
These worksheets are excellent and are from our friends at the Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog (but are useful for all genres):
Character Worksheet Part 1
Character Worksheet Part 2
Character Worksheet Part 3
Character Worksheet Part 4
Janice Hardy in her post “She's Such a Character: Creating Characters,” lists things she wants to know about her characters before she starts writing…and things she looks for as she writes, too.
Writer Kaye Dacus’ series on Creating Credible Characters covers everything from character name creation to character culture, to casting characters.
Hope these links will help. You can find many more tips on character development at the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
What methods do you use to develop your characters?
Image: Brian Hogg, MorgueFile
One of my favorite ways to learn more about a new character (I always have plenty of new characters since each book has new suspects), is to think about what they’re reading. Or…if they’re not reading…that says a lot about the characters, too.
What’s the book title? Why is he reading it? For work? Because someone pressured him to read it? Because he thinks he should be reading it? For pleasure? What’s the book’s genre? Is it nonfiction? Is he reading on an e-reader or a print copy?
There are tons of these types of questions that we can ask ourselves about our characters. Many times, we just take that bit of insight into the character and don’t need to share our findings with our readers.
But sometimes we will want to share. Because readers like picking up on these small clues to a character’s personality, too. Readers, upon discovering a character casually reading The Visual Guide To Extra Dimensions : Visualizing The Fourth Dimension, Higher-Dimensional Polytopes, And Curved Hypersurfaces will assume that Ralph is smart. Being told that Ralph is smart is less interesting.
Sometimes characters just pop into our heads, fully-formed. Sometimes they’re amalgams of different people we know.
And sometimes we have to work on our characters a little bit.
There have been resources over the years that I’ve found particularly helpful for thinking outside the box when creating characters. I’ve listed these in various past posts, but thought I’d compile a bunch of them here.
Author Stina Lindenblatt in her post “Creating the Non-Stereotypical Character” shared an exercise from author Mary Buckham for character development. It involved listing stereotypical traits for the main characters’ careers…and mixing the traits from the lists up.
Writer Cheryl Reif talks about character quirks in her post: Tuesday Ten: Character Quirks . An old role-playing system by Steve Jackson inspired her approach.
The folks at Inspiration for Writers came up with a useful page to help develop characters…personality components can be particularly useful (toward the bottom of the page.)
I’m not always a worksheet-oriented writer, but they always help when I do use them.
These worksheets are excellent and are from our friends at the Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog (but are useful for all genres):
Character Worksheet Part 1
Character Worksheet Part 2
Character Worksheet Part 3
Character Worksheet Part 4
Janice Hardy in her post “She's Such a Character: Creating Characters,” lists things she wants to know about her characters before she starts writing…and things she looks for as she writes, too.
Writer Kaye Dacus’ series on Creating Credible Characters covers everything from character name creation to character culture, to casting characters.
Hope these links will help. You can find many more tips on character development at the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
What methods do you use to develop your characters?
Image: Brian Hogg, MorgueFile
January 1, 2013
Traditionally Published and Nearing the End of Your Contract? Don't Sweat It.
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a healthy, happy year.
Writing-wise, 2013 will be a different type of year for me. I’d halfway forgotten this until I was speaking with my family over the Christmas holiday.
“What are you working on for 2013?” they asked.
“After my deadline on February 1, I’m on my own,” I told them. I said this with complete equanimity, but each time I said this (different groups of family), the other person was startled and appeared a little worried.
“You don’t have another contracted book after that?” they asked.
I don’t.
So I have a book coming out in 2014 with Penguin that I’m turning in at the end of this month and then I wait to see if one of my series will be extended.
My family also asked if I had ideas that I could pitch to my publisher. And I do. I actually even have an outline…or what passes for an outline for me—where I give the book premise, suspects, motives, victim, and killer. I think it’s a pretty viable outline and will make for a good series. I like my other concept, too.
But….I think I might keep those pitches to myself. I’m thinking about writing one of them later this year and putting it out, myself.
If I’m contacted about extending my two series with Penguin, I’ll be delighted to write them. I love the characters and have enjoyed writing the series so far.
If I’m contacted about writing some new series, one that my publisher would like to have written, I’d be happy to write that, too.
But I think I’m keeping my current ideas to myself.
It will be an interesting year. Last year, I wrote Knot as it Seams, Quilt Trip, and Rubbed Out for Penguin (Knot and Rubbed will come out this year, Quilt Trip next year) and one Myrtle Clover book, Body in the Backyard, for myself.
This year, I'm polishing up Quilt Trip before turning it in Feb. 1...and then I'm on my own.
My plan is to write just as many books this year, but they’ll all be self-published, unless I get a contract extension or a new project from my publisher. One of my self-pub. projects will be a short non-fiction how-to on cozy mystery writing…good to try something new.
I’ve definitely got a different mindset than I did in 2009. At the time, I wondered what would happen after I finished writing book 3 of the Memphis Barbeque series. I felt a tremendous sense of relief when my agent contacted me about writing a new series for Penguin.
Now I’m a lot more relaxed. I know that I can do well self-publishing. I know I’ve got a team of people to help me make sure my stories are ready to publish and look professional. I know I don’t have to have a contract with a publisher…I can have a contract directly with a retailer like Amazon or Smashwords or Barnes and Noble.
I'm not usually Little Miss Que Será, Será. I'm usually a basket of nerves. Which goes to show how radical this publishing shift has been over the last few years.
I’m enjoying this sense of freedom and lack of urgency. Realizing things will work out either way…and simply keeping abreast to any industry changes or any new ideas about taking our writing into the future.
I remember thinking that getting a traditional publishing contract was like a politician winning an election—you celebrate for a day, then you start worrying about and working on the next campaign. It’s wonderful that this is no longer the case in publishing.
But being relaxed doesn’t mean we don’t push ourselves. We push ourselves to reach our goals, to tweak our stories, to learn about self-publishing, to decide how much promotion to do, to keep up with industry news and developments. We push ourselves to stay creative and consider writing new and different stories or even new and different genres.
What are your writing plans for the year? Have they changed at all in the last few years?
Photo by nasirkhan from MorgueFile
Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a healthy, happy year.Writing-wise, 2013 will be a different type of year for me. I’d halfway forgotten this until I was speaking with my family over the Christmas holiday.
“What are you working on for 2013?” they asked.
“After my deadline on February 1, I’m on my own,” I told them. I said this with complete equanimity, but each time I said this (different groups of family), the other person was startled and appeared a little worried.
“You don’t have another contracted book after that?” they asked.
I don’t.
So I have a book coming out in 2014 with Penguin that I’m turning in at the end of this month and then I wait to see if one of my series will be extended.
My family also asked if I had ideas that I could pitch to my publisher. And I do. I actually even have an outline…or what passes for an outline for me—where I give the book premise, suspects, motives, victim, and killer. I think it’s a pretty viable outline and will make for a good series. I like my other concept, too.
But….I think I might keep those pitches to myself. I’m thinking about writing one of them later this year and putting it out, myself.
If I’m contacted about extending my two series with Penguin, I’ll be delighted to write them. I love the characters and have enjoyed writing the series so far.
If I’m contacted about writing some new series, one that my publisher would like to have written, I’d be happy to write that, too.
But I think I’m keeping my current ideas to myself.
It will be an interesting year. Last year, I wrote Knot as it Seams, Quilt Trip, and Rubbed Out for Penguin (Knot and Rubbed will come out this year, Quilt Trip next year) and one Myrtle Clover book, Body in the Backyard, for myself.
This year, I'm polishing up Quilt Trip before turning it in Feb. 1...and then I'm on my own.
My plan is to write just as many books this year, but they’ll all be self-published, unless I get a contract extension or a new project from my publisher. One of my self-pub. projects will be a short non-fiction how-to on cozy mystery writing…good to try something new.
I’ve definitely got a different mindset than I did in 2009. At the time, I wondered what would happen after I finished writing book 3 of the Memphis Barbeque series. I felt a tremendous sense of relief when my agent contacted me about writing a new series for Penguin.
Now I’m a lot more relaxed. I know that I can do well self-publishing. I know I’ve got a team of people to help me make sure my stories are ready to publish and look professional. I know I don’t have to have a contract with a publisher…I can have a contract directly with a retailer like Amazon or Smashwords or Barnes and Noble.
I'm not usually Little Miss Que Será, Será. I'm usually a basket of nerves. Which goes to show how radical this publishing shift has been over the last few years.
I’m enjoying this sense of freedom and lack of urgency. Realizing things will work out either way…and simply keeping abreast to any industry changes or any new ideas about taking our writing into the future.
I remember thinking that getting a traditional publishing contract was like a politician winning an election—you celebrate for a day, then you start worrying about and working on the next campaign. It’s wonderful that this is no longer the case in publishing.
But being relaxed doesn’t mean we don’t push ourselves. We push ourselves to reach our goals, to tweak our stories, to learn about self-publishing, to decide how much promotion to do, to keep up with industry news and developments. We push ourselves to stay creative and consider writing new and different stories or even new and different genres.
What are your writing plans for the year? Have they changed at all in the last few years?
Photo by nasirkhan from MorgueFile
December 29, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Happy New Year (almost)! I'll be back on Wednesday with my first post for 2013. Now for some writing links.
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The 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 monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Researching Your Story – A 4-Step
Strategy: http://bit.ly/12toC4D
@JulieEshbaugh
Theme and Intent: Do you know yours? http://bit.ly/WdEFUf @bob_mayer
How to Market your Book if You're Not a
Marketer: http://bit.ly/12toT7s
@LauraHoward78 @NancyStraight
Adapting Story Structure for Any Project:
http://bit.ly/12tpFkP @beccapuglisi
@lydia_sharp
1 writer's worldbuilding to-do list: http://bit.ly/12tpPZy @davidbcoe
Tips for improving Amazon Author Rank: http://bit.ly/WdGCjL @dcdenison
A children's writer with helpful hashtags
(and prime times for usage): http://bit.ly/12tq5HS
@fictionnotes
Where To Continue Your Story: http://bit.ly/WdH0yJ @ollinmorales
Grammar and the Dangling Participle: http://bit.ly/12tqj1N @howtowriteshop
4 Songwriting Tips For Scoring Film and
TV Placements: http://bit.ly/RQGMus @usasong
Writing an Outline of Your Novel: http://bit.ly/U2Tk1v @glencstrathy
Editing: Make Sure Your Story's Bones Are
Strong: http://bit.ly/U2Tm9v @woodwardkaren
Knowledge Is Power But Story Is King: http://bit.ly/UzVnHG @mooderino
How Writers & Publishing
Professionals Can Network on Twitter: http://bit.ly/U2TpSO
@galleycat
Getting Unstuck: http://bit.ly/U2Tu8Y @Julie_Gray
"25 Tips to Punch Up Your
Writing": http://bit.ly/UzVDGA
@BrooklynWeaver @gointothestory
How to Tell if the First Draft of Your
Novel Just Isn't Worth Salvaging: http://bit.ly/U2TJkx
@io9 @charliejane
Writing Beyond the Good/Bad Character
Dichotomy: http://bit.ly/UzWfvO @litreactor
The First 7 Steps to a Successful Social
Media Plan for Writers: http://bit.ly/U2Upq6
Making Twitter more manageable with
Twitter Lists: http://bit.ly/UzYaAL
@LauraPepWu
10 Ways to Build Long-Lasting Traffic to
Your Author Website or Blog: http://bit.ly/U2Uwli
@janefriedman
5 Tips for Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/UzYI9E @jodyhedlund
7 Ways Writing a Screenplay is Different
Than Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/U2ULNg
@writersdigest
11 Steps To Edit Your Manuscript: http://bit.ly/UzZfbQ @woodwardkaren
5 Ways an Introvert Can Build a Thriving
Online Audience: http://bit.ly/U2V0YL
@copyblogger
Wield Your Words Carefully: http://bit.ly/UzZBPI @sjaejones
Tips for including a theme in your story:
http://bit.ly/U2VbDh @WyattGBessing
@beth_barany
Writing lessons learned from "Along
for the Ride": http://bit.ly/UA0fwy
@juliemusil
Screenwriting--can you break the rules? http://bit.ly/U2Vyhl @thatScriptChick
Can books endure in a 140-character
world? http://bit.ly/UAhhKR @salon
7 steps to becoming a trend spotting ace:
http://bit.ly/Y9y4KU @michellerafter
Making Time To Write: http://bit.ly/UAhuhc @woodwardkaren
Misconceptions About Dialogue: http://bit.ly/Y9ytND @cockeyed_caravan
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
Rebellious characters: http://bit.ly/UAi66B @jeanniecampbell
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy: http://bit.ly/Y9yRLZ via @passivevoiceblg
Word Count Spreadsheet: track word counts for up to 5 projects: http://bit.ly/VdqDwY @jamieraintree
3 stages of author marketing: http://bit.ly/UAiMZw @susanspann
10 Television Cliffhangers That Make
Great Series Finales: http://bit.ly/Y9zhBY
@io9
7 Deadly Sins of Screenwriting: http://on.wsj.com/UAj5DQ @wsj
Tightening your plot by layering: http://bit.ly/Y9BJbN @juliettewade
Structure: The Rhythm of the Dance: http://bit.ly/UAm4ff @Julie_Gray
4 Keys to Awesome Conflict: http://bit.ly/Y9BQEe
Tax Deductions for Authors--Updated: http://bit.ly/UAmsKR
Writing The First Draft Of A Novel Using
Questions And Modelling: http://bit.ly/UAmAtL
@thecreativepenn
Finding Free Fonts for Your
Self-Published Book: http://bit.ly/Y9Cdyt
@jfbookman
Setting Your Characters in the Proper
Setting: http://bit.ly/UAmL8B
@livewritethrive
Unreliable Narrators in Film and
Literature: http://bit.ly/Y9Cod3
@write_practice
How not to open a short story: http://bit.ly/UAnir9
Getting Back Into the Habit of Writing: http://bit.ly/Y9CJg0 @JulieBMack
Tempted to Give up on Your Story? Don't! http://bit.ly/U4bH6d @KMWeiland
How (Not) to Finish Writing a First
Draft: http://bit.ly/UX9oOL @ava_jae
Platform building--creating a home base: http://bit.ly/U4bIXP @nickthacker
The First-Person Query Letter: http://bit.ly/UX9Gow @janelebak
4 steps to create a good reader
experience on your author website: http://bit.ly/UXahH2
Where Should An Ebook Start? http://bit.ly/U4c6pa @PYOEbooks
5 Usage Errors: http://bit.ly/UXazxE @writing_tips
Getting Rid of the Middle Man: http://bit.ly/U4cggb @kristinerusch
How to Create a Truly Frightening
Villain: http://bit.ly/U4chkk @marcykennedy
How to Escalate Conflict in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/UXb8au @cjredwine
Character Goals: Why they are Essential
to any Good Book: http://bit.ly/U4cns5
@AmericanEditing
Tips for writing a synopsis: http://bit.ly/U4rVvU
Building a Plot of Variable Depth: http://bit.ly/U4s2rB
6 Tips for Beating the Blank Page: http://bit.ly/U4s4zy @copyblogger
Why Crowded Coffee Shops Fire Up Your
Creativity: http://bit.ly/UXLO4g
@hansvillarica
Actions and Reactions: The End-All-Be-All
of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/U4sbv4
@jamigold
The Skill List Project: Theme: http://bit.ly/U4shTk
Where Is Fantasy Headed? http://bit.ly/U4siXr @fantasyfaction
Do you have imposter syndrome? http://bit.ly/UXMbf8 @rachellegardner
How to Edit Your Novel in 3 Steps: http://bit.ly/UXMlmW @beth_barany
How Chuck Wendig Writes A Novel: http://bit.ly/UXMtm9
What's the future for lit fic? How far should we go to sustain it? http://bit.ly/Vdt9Dz @Porter_Anderson @timoreilly
Writers Create Fiction, They Don't Prove
Facts: http://bit.ly/UXMA13 @VeronicaSicoe
Well-known mystery writers on writing
clues into their stories: http://bit.ly/U4sxBL
@junglereds
The 7-Step Method to Find Focus for
Writing: http://bit.ly/Wnykpu @LeoBabauta
How to Write a Book Marketing Plan: Begin
with the End in Mind: http://bit.ly/UOSELH
When A Scene Isn't Working: http://bit.ly/WnyuwW @mooderino
The art of the epigraph: http://natpo.st/UOSIef @itsmarkmedley
The cost of self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/WnyGfJ @goblinwriter
5 Ways to Find an Agent for Your Book: http://bit.ly/UOSRhG @galleycat
Crowdfunding: Cutting Out The Middleman: http://bit.ly/WnyPQf @woodwardkaren
How to Clean Up Your Online Presence and
Make a Great First Impression: http://bit.ly/UOSZxH
@lifehacker
Pegging Yourself as an Author: The
Attitude: http://bit.ly/UOTbgv
The Rise of the Backdoor Fantasy Story: http://bit.ly/Wnzlhl @io9
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
How To Use Permanently Free Books To
Increase Sales: http://bit.ly/TLZdNR
@woodwardkaren
Author and publisher relationships: http://oreil.ly/WnzCkp @jwikert
The Business of Screenwriting: Writing
credits: http://bit.ly/UOTyb2
@gointothestory
A Common Writing Syndrome--Dirty House: http://bit.ly/WnzMYW @CreepyQueryGirl
Hollywood's 25 Most Powerful Authors: http://bit.ly/ZgDeq3
7 Reference Resources for Writers and
Editors: http://bit.ly/UPc4jx @writing_tips
A Writer's Perspective on Writers: http://bit.ly/ZgDqp9 @emergentpublish
Thoughts on what's next in YA publishing:
http://bit.ly/UPc9U9 @pubperspectives
How to Stress Less in a Video Interview: http://bit.ly/ZgDBRB @sparkhire
Writing a Strong Opening Chapter: http://bit.ly/UPch66
Tips for improving focus and increasing
productivity while writing at home: http://bit.ly/ZgDJAr
@nickdaws
Tips for Writing a Strong Female
Character: http://bit.ly/UPcnuI @LizCLong
A Tip for Creating Suspense: http://bit.ly/ZgDW6C @ollinmorales
Endings and Beginnings--Finding the
Reader-Satisfying "Loops" in Your Story: http://bit.ly/UPcwhw
A New (Free) Way to Sell Books from your
Sidebar: http://bit.ly/ZgEhGk @jfbookman
The Slow Blog Manifesto and 8 Reasons for
New Authors to Slow Blog: http://bit.ly/UPcN4i
@annerallen
Strong Details for Strong Reader
Emotions: http://bit.ly/UPfq5S @sherrythomas
Creating a Scene: Three Part Harmony: http://bit.ly/ZgHTs6 @behlerpublish
Tips for a 2000 word a day writing habit:
http://bit.ly/UPfFhm @lifehackorg
What's Wrong Here? Figuring Out Why a
Scene Doesn't Work: http://bit.ly/UPgN4F
@janice_hardy
What Working Out Taught 2 Writers about
Writing: http://bit.ly/ZgJFcB @wordsxo
The grammar of a folktale plot: http://bit.ly/UPimj1
7 Writers Who Died Young: http://bit.ly/UPjTFK @PWxyz
Making Tension Tense: http://bit.ly/ZgO6nQ @victoriamixon
Role of the Literary Agent in a Changing
Marketplace: http://bit.ly/UPk6ZJ
@howtowriteshop
Writing Prompts: Defeat Writer's Block
And Generate Ideas: http://bit.ly/ZgOeUc
@woodwardkaren
Tips for Editing Your Work: http://bit.ly/UdhPtQ
How Readers Discovered a Debut Novel: A
Case Study: http://bit.ly/VRI1Xb
When Writers Think About Adapting Their
Novel for TV: http://bit.ly/Udi87Z
@UWwriters
Using DRM to Enable ebook Resales? http://bit.ly/UdicV5
Character Development - Getting Real: http://bit.ly/VRImt3 @aimeelsalter
Writing Rules and Fantasy: Adverbs: http://bit.ly/UdiknI @VickyThinks
What Writers Can Learn From Downton
Abbey: http://bit.ly/VRItov @jamesscottbell
The Secret To a Successful Concept: http://bit.ly/Uditrb @storyfix
Indie Publishing in 2013: Why We Can't
Party Like It's 2009: http://bit.ly/VRIAAp
@annerallen
10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how
to fix it): http://bit.ly/UdiAD7 @medkno
4 Ways Writers Sabotage Themselves On
Facebook: http://bit.ly/T9AZzM @authormedia
7 Tips for Making Life Work as a Mom and
a Writer: http://bit.ly/UTcx40
@michellerafter
Writing what you know--it's about
character development: http://bit.ly/T9Bb1W
Avant-garde novelist Mark Z. Danielewski
is changing the way we read e-books: http://slate.me/UTcGo4
@slate
Worldbuilding--how much is enough? http://bit.ly/T9BhXv @davidbcoe
Tips for what to do after finishing a
first draft: http://bit.ly/UTcV2u
@janice_hardy
Understanding Screenwriting: Argo, The
Sessions, Cloud Atlas: http://bit.ly/T9BBp6
A Community Means Getting a Response: http://bit.ly/UTd0Dm @jfbookman
A character's mental voice is like all
the goofy (or not) quotes they've ever memorized: http://bit.ly/T9BFVY
@juliettewade
Dramatic Action Is More Than Doing Stuff:
http://bit.ly/UTd5qH @mooderino
The Neuroscience of Creativity: http://tinyurl.com/bnah5lc
@creativitypost
Character Development: Make Them Angry: http://bit.ly/T9BV7w @ava_jae
10 Things Writers Should Expect From Literary Agents: http://bit.ly/10k7e3G @RoganBarbara
December 23, 2012
Happy Holidays
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I’m taking a full week off from the blog—although I’ll have my Twitterific round-up this Sunday—to finish getting ready for Christmas and enjoy the holiday with my family. :)
See you all on Sunday, then in 2013.
Image: Morgue File: Hummingbird
December 22, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The 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.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
As more books become digital, the concept of book ownership changes: http://bit.ly/UzUAqb @jwikert @brianoleary @Porter_Anderson
8 Steps for Setting the Story Into
Motion: http://bit.ly/TMtdcp @gointothestory
Slow writer reformed--it can be done: http://bit.ly/TMtn3m @roniloren
4 Options for Improving Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/TRpXz4 @writeitsideways
The Secret to Creating Conflict: http://bit.ly/TMtw70 @joebunting
Amazon's Jeff Bezos: The ultimate
disrupter: http://bit.ly/TRqGjN
@passivevoiceblg
6 Ways to Find Time to Write During the Holidays: http://bit.ly/UPfOBC
@emilywenstrom
Tips for Building a Sense of Place into Your Writing: http://bit.ly/VRTZjR
@fcmalby
E-publishing is resulting in an abundance of schlock: http://bit.ly/V6BQlv
@Porter_Anderson @fakebaldur
10 reasons to build your fan base with
Mailchimp: http://bit.ly/TMu0u0 @tobywneal
Freelance Your Way to a Better Platform: http://bit.ly/T2qU67 @writersdigest
The New World of Publishing: Some
Perspective On 2012: http://bit.ly/QSVgd3
@deanwesleysmith
A critique of a novel's opening: http://bit.ly/T2rels @janice_hardy
Songwriting--tips for writing with your
bandmates: http://bit.ly/QSVml7
@RobbieGennet
Reasons to write longhand: http://bit.ly/T2rxN8 @galleycat
Freelancers--multiple submissions: http://bit.ly/QSVu3P @bob_brooke
The Nature of Creativity: Science And
Writing: Don't Edit Yourself: http://bit.ly/T2sODP
@woodwardkaren
A literary agent's thoughts on what's
next in publishing: http://bit.ly/WmGxJK
@agentsavant @annerallen
Don't Let The Holidays Cost You Your
Mojo: http://bit.ly/VAkxFD @thewritermama
Tips for loglines, building conflict,
plotting, and more: http://bit.ly/VAkHNf
@AlexSokoloff
Why Non-Writers Give the Best Critiques: http://bit.ly/Z9EObY @kmweiland
Are You Too Busy Being a Writer to Write?
http://bit.ly/VAkJVq @LyndaRYoung
Writing the Heart of Your Story: http://bit.ly/Z9EWs0 @livewritethrive
@thecreativepenn
Same Book, Different Title: http://bit.ly/VAkRnQ
13 Types of Writers' Blogs – Pros and
Cons: http://bit.ly/Z9F9LR @VeronicaSicoe
Secrets to Turn a Character from
Cardboard to 3-D: http://bit.ly/VAkYzP
From Writer to Author to Publisher to
Marketer: http://bit.ly/VAR12y
@livewritethrive
5 Thoughts on Inspired Openings and 5
Brilliant Opening Pages: http://bit.ly/ZbjJhe
@4YALit
Improve Your Writing By Knowing Your
Archetypes: Are you a Queen? http://bit.ly/VAR5PL
@TheArtsCoach
Looking for a great self-published book?
Here's where to find it: http://bit.ly/VARjGA
@guardianbooks
How Rejection Breeds Creativity: http://bit.ly/ZbkTtj @99u
Common Traits of the Successful Writer: http://bit.ly/VARtxM @bob_mayer
Stop feeling like an author wishbone: http://bit.ly/VARXnx @Jan_Ohara
When Writing the Stories of Your Life,
Don't Let Anyone Else Hold the Pen or the Eraser: http://bit.ly/VAS02R
@ScribblingTaryn
3 Ways To Improve Your Critique Using
Conflict Communication: http://bit.ly/ZbnnI7
@AmieKaufman
RWA's new bylaws cause 1 chapter to pull out of the organization: http://bit.ly/V8t8U1 @Porter_Anderson @PBRWriter
The Compelling Question in Our Story: http://bit.ly/VASbLC @Julie_Gray
What Episodic TV Teaches Novelists: http://bit.ly/VASdmJ @mooderino
Creating tension: http://bit.ly/ZbnWBx @Christina_Lee04
Technology for Writers: http://bit.ly/RCqmXD
Character Relationships: http://bit.ly/VAYKOa
Romance series--choosing to write one,
number of books in a series, reader expectations: http://bit.ly/ZbKd2h
@redrobinreader
Outlining--using a character grid: http://bit.ly/VAZd2Z @woodwardkaren
5 Key Steps To Building Your
Self-Publishing Career: http://bit.ly/ZbLg27
@mollygreene
4 Steps to a Winning Query: http://bit.ly/VAZjaL @diymfa
The Value of Interesting Support
Characters: http://bit.ly/VAZovb
4 Ways to Tap into Your Creative Genius: http://bit.ly/ZbLI0m @emilywenstrom
An avid reader looks at how the Kindle
changed his world (5 years ago): http://bit.ly/ZbMbzG
@bufocalvin
Litotes: Understatement at Its Finest: http://bit.ly/Uild2K @write_practice
The Point of a Scene: Thinking in
Concepts: http://bit.ly/RoM2qF @jamigold
What we can learn from the top 10
playwrights: http://bit.ly/UilpPs
@fuelyourwriting
Tim Ferriss: On The Creative Process And
Getting Your Work Noticed: http://bit.ly/RoMe9i
@Aristonian
Women's fic" & whether women should use their initials to try to gain male readers: http://bit.ly/XQCoKk @ monicabyrne13 @ Porter_Anderson
8 Ways To Make Your Blog Posts More
Shareable: http://bit.ly/RoMh53
What an editor means when she asks
"please clarify": http://bit.ly/UilToO
The Metaphor That Harms Creatives &
Entrepreneurs: http://bit.ly/Uim4Ax
@JeffreyDavis108
Using the delete button in editing: http://bit.ly/RoMu88
The Only Way You'll Ever Make Time for
Writing: http://bit.ly/Uimgjm @krissybrady
Using the Ticking Clock to Add Suspense: http://bit.ly/RoMAww @4YALit
Why 1 writer unpublished her self-pubbed
novel: http://bit.ly/UimruV @cathryanhoward
Writer Under Deadline: Add Speed to Your
Writing: http://bit.ly/RoMGV8 @diymfa
How TV and Movies Get Publishing So, So
Wrong: http://bit.ly/UimF5a @YAHighway
Tips for writing fight scenes: http://bit.ly/Uin6MM @dboorman
Vanquishing Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/Uin8Eu @woodwardkaren
Query writing tips: http://bit.ly/RoN7P4 @lynnettelabelle
Do You Have To Suffer For Your Art? Or
Can Happy Writers Be Successful? http://bit.ly/RoNcSM
@kimber_regator
Momentum: Getting Your Story up and
Running: http://bit.ly/RoOT2S
@AmericanEditing @beccapuglisi
"Why are these characters in this
scene?": http://bit.ly/UiqsQb
@gointothestory
Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry:
Arms: http://bit.ly/RoP3qR @beccapuglisi
21 Pictures that Sum Up the Whole History
of Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/VXg5XN
@io9
Why You Should Wait to Edit Your Work: http://bit.ly/12lR2NL @Sarafurlong
7 reasons to care about branding: http://bit.ly/VXgr0q
Evil For A Reason: Morgana and Mordred
(and how we can learn from them when creating our own antagonists): http://bit.ly/VXgUjb @genelempp
10 Quick Tips to Get Your Writing Back on
Track: http://bit.ly/12lRnjw
@howtowriteshop
Clarification: The Edit that is
Overlooked and Under-Stressed: http://bit.ly/VXhcXr
@AmericanEditing
Rejection Enhances Creativity: http://bit.ly/12lRzzk @woodwardkaren
The Secret to a Stress-Free Novel
Journey: http://bit.ly/VXhCwV
@livewritethrive
Reusing Freelance Writing Online: the
Pros and Pitfalls: http://bit.ly/UVuZeM
@30dollardate
Structure and Perspective in Children's
Stories and Films: http://bit.ly/VCrSVz
@KgElfland2ndCuz
Misconceptions About Character: http://bit.ly/UVv5Tq @cockeyedcaravan
Writing Retreats: The Writer's Secret
Weapon: http://bit.ly/VCs7Qv @AnnetteLyon
How Often Should A Writer Blog? Answer:
It Depends On Your Goals: http://bit.ly/VCsbzG
@woodwardkaren
8 Signs It's Time to Scrap Your Writing
Project: http://bit.ly/UVvghQ
@robdyoungwrites
5 Tips for Getting More Likes and
Participation on Your Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/VCskmC
@goblinwriter
5 Areas of Publishing Every Indie Should
Adopt: http://bit.ly/VCso5W @thelitcoach
Preparation Is Worth a Pound of
Proofreading: http://bit.ly/UVvpS8
@kmweiland
The strange case of the drowning editor: http://bit.ly/VCsvi3 @thefuturebook
Penguin's settlement with the DoJ: http://bit.ly/XQA5H9 @Porter_Anderson @sarahw @laurahazardowen
Creating Memorable Supporting Characters:
http://bit.ly/VCsw5j @woodwardkaren
A 3-Step Way to Become a Celebrity
Author: http://bit.ly/VBMbrU @yeomanis
@janice_hardy
Failing Versus Quitting (Or, "Your
Lack Of Confidence Is Neither Interesting Nor Unique"): http://bit.ly/UW636I {lang.}
Why You Need an Email List and a
Subscriber List for Your Blogged Book: http://bit.ly/UW6hej
@ninaamir
"When should I enter / exit the
scene?": http://bit.ly/UkUvqS
@gointothestory
1 Writer's Thoughts on Self-Publishing,
Traditional Publishing, and Pricing: http://bit.ly/U0CpfZ
Tips: character sheets aren't enough and
ask the 5 Ws during a scene: http://bit.ly/UkV4Rq
@LindsayHarrel
Do You Cringe When Authors Market Their
Books? http://bit.ly/UkYXpI @danblank
3 tips for better pacing: http://bit.ly/UkZgAQ @jenn_rush
Tips for writing humor: http://bit.ly/U0Efxa @franklybooks
Allow readers to feel your book instead
of showing it: http://bit.ly/UkZzeO
@AimeeLSalter
Psychoanalyzing your villain: http://bit.ly/Ul6AMM @theheraldryang
A DIY Writing Retreat: http://bit.ly/U0HkgK
Using Beats To Strengthen Characters And
Setting: http://bit.ly/Ul6SmL @rlbelliston
3 things to think about when using
indirect characterization: http://bit.ly/U0Hox3
@fcmalby
Tips for formatting synopses: http://bit.ly/YE87EH @lynnettelabelle
How to Gain Quality Feedback from Your
Critique Partners: http://bit.ly/WP5ol9
@LyndaRYoung
Marketing Begins Before Your Book
Releases: http://bit.ly/VEH6v6 @novelrocket
Defending Your Writing to Scientists,
Physicists… And Your Parents: http://bit.ly/RBlXnV
@beinglizbreen
Macmillan not settling with DoJ--but making changes: http://bit.ly/R8GpeF @Porter_Anderson
1 writer's experience advertising with
BookBub: http://bit.ly/RBl5zQ @goblinwriter
4 Compelling Reasons to Make Guest
Blogging a Priority: http://bit.ly/Xnxw3D
@alexisgrant
Getting your book in front of readers: http://bit.ly/SJ4G98 @LauraHoward78
12 tips for overcoming procrastination: http://bit.ly/SYVfms
"What is the beginning, middle and
end of the scene?" http://bit.ly/V02ZGX
@gointothestory
4 ways to promote yourself as a writer: http://bit.ly/SYVn5x
Using Pinterest To Help Build Your
Fictional Worlds: http://bit.ly/V0365d
@woodwardkaren
Improv for Plotting: http://bit.ly/SYVrlL @fictionnotes
10 lessons from a completed novel: http://bit.ly/V03b94 @KMWeiland @angelaackerman
Why it's time for more transparency in
publishing: http://bit.ly/SYVyOi
@thecreativepenn @thefuturebook
10 Signs That You're Not Ready To
Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/V03dxE @jckunzjr
6 Types of Courageous Characters: http://bit.ly/V03AIr @KMWeiland
If you hate writing a character… don't
write them: http://bit.ly/SYVZYL
@dirtywhitecandy
Will Immersive Reading Save Publishing
and Kill the Traditional Novel? http://bit.ly/V03EYJ
@jamesscottbell
What Fantasy Writers Can Learn From
Horror: http://bit.ly/SYW6DA @mythicscribes
What "True Lies" taught 1
writer about beginnings: http://bit.ly/V03NeS
@ChuckSambuchino
Misconceptions About Structure: http://bit.ly/SYWfqR @cockeyed_caravan
On writing Victorian fiction: http://bit.ly/V041T9 @essiefox
30 Words for Small Amounts: http://bit.ly/SYWnX6 @writing_tips
How To Become More Creative: Nurturing
Your Muse: http://bit.ly/SYWqSZ
@woodwardkaren
Top 10 Tasks to Get Your Blog Ready for
Prime Time: http://bit.ly/V04aWM @jfbookman
Marketing Tips for Freelancers: http://bit.ly/SYWvpE
3 Problems of Parallel Syntax: http://bit.ly/V04chg @writing_tips
How to Know It's Time to Shelve Your
Novel: http://bit.ly/WdDvbi @ava_jae
10 tips for choosing a title: http://bit.ly/WdDLXP @duolit @wiseink
6 Moneysaving Tips for Writers: http://bit.ly/12tolhQ @krissybrady
How to Write a Great Climactic Scene: http://bit.ly/WdE2dB @sierragodfrey
Interpreting A Character Via Reader
Comments: http://bit.ly/12tox0M
@emergentpublish
Publishers should shift from title-centric marketing: http://bit.ly/12BbnPn @Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
