Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 169

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 18,000 free articles on writing-related topics. 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 .

Have a great week!

Do Your Characters Fail Enough? http://bit.ly/P2N9ZN @ava_jae

Island settings in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/QhIxiJ @mkinberg

Different Ways to Take Notes on the Go: http://bit.ly/P2NRpD

Making Amazon Forums Work For You: http://bit.ly/P2OeAM @TexasDruids

Escaping the Darling Hitman: http://bit.ly/PL4m78 @TaliaVance

Ending the self-pub stigma: http://bit.ly/P2OX4T @duolit

5 lessons writers can learn from director Tony Scott: http://bit.ly/PL4AuY @MichelleRafter

An apostrophe review: http://bit.ly/P2PhRe

Why 1 reader no longer trusts Kindle ebook samples: http://bit.ly/P3gDXi @farmlanebooks

Beautifully written book with no plot or character changes? Beware of reader boredom: http://bit.ly/P3iRpu @DonMaass @Porter_Anderson

How to Create a Character: http://bit.ly/QqU9PH @hollylisle

Research Resources for Fantasy Writing: http://bit.ly/POfiAU @HP4Writers

Why we keep getting the same old ideas: http://bit.ly/QqUu57 @MichaelMichalko

The Clash of Characters: http://bit.ly/QqUAcV @susannelakin

Top 10 Middle Grade Novel Agents: http://bit.ly/POfBvC @fictionnotes

A free directory of #ebook pros--for covers, editing, formatting, & more: http://tinyurl.com/3mxg5zt #epub

When to Ask for Evaluations of Your Novel: http://bit.ly/QqUSQR @AdriennedeWolfe

The death of the novel will presage a rebirth of writing: http://bit.ly/POfU9D @guardianbooks

Why wasting time helps you stay sane and productive: http://bit.ly/POfX5j @criticalmargins

10 Myths About Space Travel That Make Science Fiction Better: http://bit.ly/QqVaao @io9

All We Needed To Know About Social Media Success, We Learned in Kindergarten: http://bit.ly/POg8xz @kristenlambtx

How to Write a Sentence: http://bit.ly/POgmVB @Hal_Duncan

The Uncomfortable Pantser: When Your Method Doesn't Fit Your Personality: http://bit.ly/QqVxSC @roniloren

3 Skills Every Successful Freelance Writer Should Have: http://bit.ly/RKuCSF @writersdigest

How to Write an Omniscient Narrator: http://bit.ly/RKuTEY @io9

Tips for writing scenes: http://bit.ly/OvSDt0

Pacing for Power--Increasing Tension & Suspense: http://bit.ly/OvTxWF @jodierennered

13 ways to write with urgency: http://bit.ly/RKw1bL @chadrallen

8 Ways To Become A Better Writer: http://bit.ly/OvTEkZ @woodwardkaren

The End of the Unprofessional Writer: http://bit.ly/RKw878 @kristinerusch

The First/Last sentence experiment: http://bit.ly/NhM9Rk @juliettewade

Top 10 cozy catastrophes: http://bit.ly/U1UAPe @guardianbooks

How to Decide How to Monetize Your Blog or Blogged Book: http://bit.ly/NhMmny @NinaAmir

Second Time the Charm? (Or How Not to Reinvent the Sequel): http://bit.ly/U1UJSI @4YALit @tommygreenwald

Writing With Passion and Purpose: http://bit.ly/NhMpQk @thecreativepenn @middlereaders

Romance in YA: http://bit.ly/NhMBz1 @tara25fuller

The Practice of Writing: http://bit.ly/UAm14K @TrueFactBarFact

The Business of Screenwriting: Hip pocket representation: http://bit.ly/QuR80S @gits

Rejection vs. failure: http://bit.ly/UAm949 @AimeeLSalter

Criticism as Fantasia and Inquiry: http://bit.ly/QuRlkG @sfsignal

Bookstores vs. Backlist: http://bit.ly/UAmjbL @jamigold

Making Your Book Spreadable: http://bit.ly/QuRq80 @authorems

The Indian Kindle Store Isn't The Real Deal… Yet: http://bit.ly/UAmq7g @davidgaughran

Obstacles in Stories: 3 Ways to Turn Hills Into Mountains: http://bit.ly/QuRzs4 @jodyhedlund

5 Great Reasons to Build Your Writer's Platform Yourself: http://bit.ly/UAmBzF @emergentpublish

Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood: http://on.wsj.com/kfh47W @wsjspeakeasy

The story of English spelling: http://bit.ly/UAmELR @guardianbooks

7 Sets of Doublet and Triplet Verbs: http://bit.ly/QuRS67 @writing_tips

9 Wonder Woman Villains (That Explain Why Nobody Talks About Wonder Woman's Villains): http://bit.ly/Urq8jr

Hey, Author, About My $4 Coffee: http://bit.ly/PFn6Vr @Liz_Mc2

Should Self-Published Authors Use Author Solutions? http://bit.ly/PFmfnU @galleycat

Writing Conventions and How to Survive: http://bit.ly/Pm7cxO @traciewelser

How to create a media list to promote your new book: http://bit.ly/Uropuu @sandrabeckwith

The New World of Publishing: The Myths Are Still Strong: http://bit.ly/OnyaXj @deanwesleysmith

More on cranky authors: http://bit.ly/PeN05u @justinelavaworm

How to lose an audience (more on Weird Tales debacle): http://bit.ly/P1D2Cx @millism

How to Make Unlikeable Characters Likeable: http://bit.ly/PeNkkN @writeangleblog

Instant Transitions: http://bit.ly/P1D6C5

Lessons from Drawing for Writers: http://bit.ly/PeNxo2 @BTMargins

Anthropological Science Fiction as a Sub-Genre: http://bit.ly/PeNLeJ @tordotcom

5 Quick Fixes to Make Readers Love Your Villains: http://bit.ly/P1DzEA @sdwriter

Revising to Raise the Stakes: http://bit.ly/PeOpJb @AimeeLSalter

What to do if you can't afford professional editing: http://bit.ly/PeOxbL @nicolamorgan

Making readers cry: http://bit.ly/P1EaWH @EmmieDark

Books Need Both Vertical and Horizontal Moments: http://bit.ly/PeOInj

Adding Google Analytics Tracking Code to WordPress: http://bit.ly/P1EiWg @JFBookman

A list of late-blooming, successful writers: http://bit.ly/PeOWLh @randysusanmeyer

Rules involving numbers: http://bit.ly/P1EzZg @livewritethrive

Tips for increasing your book's Amazon rank: http://bit.ly/OA4RAR @bookbuzzr

Do you really know who your audience is? http://bit.ly/OA4Z3o @danblank

12 Lessons Learned from 12 Years of Writing: http://bit.ly/NkbIBf @copyblogger

Making the Time to Write, Blog, Do Social Media, Finish School and Parent: http://bit.ly/OA53QI @duolit @yeseniavargas32

Strengthen Your Writing by Listening to Pet Peeves: http://bit.ly/OA59aU @KMWeiland @danasitar

How to Write For Any Medium: http://bit.ly/OA5fQ3 @JoeBerkowitz @fastcompany

Fact vs. Fantasy in Memoir and Nonfiction: http://bit.ly/OBKQKu @grubwriters

10 Things to Do to Achieve Freelance Success: http://bit.ly/PjRB6m @bob_brooke

Should You Preschedule Tweets? http://bit.ly/OBL1Wa @meghancward

17 Reasons to Write Something Now: http://bit.ly/PjRPuq @joebunting

Optimizing the Query Process with Fewer Mistakes: http://bit.ly/PjRU0Z @catewoods

Finding Comparables for Your Novel: http://bit.ly/OBLibq @AnnieNeugebauer

6 Reasons For Using An Epilogue: http://bit.ly/Q36O9l @writersdigest

Walk-On and Secondary Characters: http://bit.ly/RJfO82

Vanity publishing--turning the label around: http://bit.ly/Q376wW @victoriastrauss

Romance in books that aren't romances: http://bit.ly/RJg9aP @sarahlapolla

The Do-It-Yourself Writing Retreat: http://bit.ly/Q37n2W @MuseInks

The importance of external conflict to a story: http://bit.ly/RJgzy3 @storyfix

20 words for 'cry': http://bit.ly/RJheiV @writing_tips

Top 10 mistakes in science fiction movies: http://bit.ly/Q38gZf @tordotcom

Layers of Reality: http://bit.ly/Q39bst @fantasyfaction

4 ways to get magazine or newspaper interviews: http://bit.ly/RJiMcC @GLeeBurgett

Fail Faster (So You Can Become a Better Writer): http://bit.ly/RJn2Zz @jeffgoins

'Social' Media: Author Ignorance: http://bit.ly/RJngzY @Porter_Anderson

Are You Writing The Right Book? 5 Ways To Find Out: http://bit.ly/Q3cTm4 @woodwardkaren

Fan fiction vs reality: http://bit.ly/RJnt6o @EvaWiseman

Believing in yourself as a writer: http://bit.ly/Q3d6ph @jamesscottbell

Gaining Momentum In Your WIP: http://bit.ly/RJnGXe

Fantasy Influences: Ancient Greek Mythology: http://bit.ly/Q3dhAX @VickyThinks

Editors answer questions about editing: http://bit.ly/RJo73K @RuthHarrisBooks

5 Ways You're Preventing Readers From Suspending Disbelief: http://bit.ly/RJosDA @KMWeiland

An editor with advice for aspiring writers (and an explanation why writers find it hard to self-edit): http://bit.ly/RJoFXk @theresastevens

Konrath's defense of sock puppetry: http://bit.ly/TODPvb @Porter_Anderson @JAKonrath @RickGualtieri @DoraMcAlpin @plwinkler @rezendi

10 things to know about speakers bureaus: http://bit.ly/TOUUFm @rachellegardner

An editor on what to read and how to read it for ideas: http://bit.ly/TOVin7 @ruthharrisbooks @annerallen

A first year of Kindle Daily Deal – facts, tips, and commentary: http://bit.ly/Pf3Jnj @ebookfriendly

Novel Structure: James Scott Bell's LOCK System: http://bit.ly/TOVWB5 @jamesscottbell

Thoughts on making up your own words as a writer: http://bit.ly/Pf4dtA @kcraftwriter

How Self-Publishers Reach Readers: http://bit.ly/TOWmaK

Quick scene exercise: http://bit.ly/Pf4r3W

The future of the book: is it in apps? http://bit.ly/Pf4Inq @criticalmargins

Literary Fiction vs. Genre – what's the difference? http://bit.ly/Pf4RqW

When Worlds Collide: SciFi and Horror Themes: http://bit.ly/Pf5EIr

Arming Your Villains While Maintaining Your Credibility: An AK Rifle Primer for Authors: http://bit.ly/TOYtex

11 Kinds of WordPress Blog Pages: http://bit.ly/Pf5UXX @JFBookman

Amazon's new Kindle Serials (and a few serialization concerns): http://bit.ly/NkGKJj @Porter_Anderson @ByRozMorris @jasonashlock

The Lazy Way To Be A Great Writer: http://bit.ly/Pf8X2q @karencv

10 Grammar Mistakes that Can Keep Your Content from Spreading: http://bit.ly/TP1R9o @alexisgrant @copyblogger

Writing Realistic Love Relationships: http://bit.ly/Pf94uO @CMKaufman

Writing Lapses: 5 Tips to Get You Back on Track: http://bit.ly/Q9LYoP @serbaughman

Finding Solid Names for Your Unique Characters: http://bit.ly/RQFiAm @writersdigest

On leaving the world for a novel (and making it back alive): http://bit.ly/Q9Ml2A @internspills

Things to consider as the digital book revolution gains global steam: http://bit.ly/Q9Nhnw @MikeShatzkin

Libraries and Ebooks: http://bit.ly/RQGAvg @ursulaleguin

Conflict begins on page 1: http://bit.ly/Q9NreN @fictionnotes

4 Songwriting Tips For Scoring Film and TV Placements: http://bit.ly/RQGMus @usasong

Can self-publishing buy respect? http://bit.ly/Q9NBmf @salon

The 10 best contemporary African books: http://bit.ly/RQGVhB @guardianbooks

Wrestling with reader expectations and cliché: http://bit.ly/Q9NMOx @juliettewade

Tips for coming up with story ideas: http://bit.ly/RQHaJm @DeeWhiteauthor

13 Top Books on How to Freelance as a Writer: http://bit.ly/Q9NWoY

7 Reasons to Publish a Blog: http://bit.ly/RQHfNk @writing_tips

Tips for building an author platform: http://bit.ly/Q9O4ov @louise_wise

When Your Character Doesn't Speak English: http://bit.ly/RQIgEY

A King Named Sue: Picking Perfect (Character) Names: http://bit.ly/RQIlIZ @susanjmorris

The surprises that pull our stories together: http://bit.ly/OFO2o9 @ManMartin1

Why 1 reader no longer trusts Kindle ebook samples: http://bit.ly/P3gDXi @farmlanebooks

Post DoJ maneuvers begin (and some trad. published ebooks' prices fall): http://bit.ly/Sg63sT @Porter_Anderson @sarahw @juliebosman

Villains Need Love Too—12 Tips: http://bit.ly/Q8AV2V @DonnaGalanti @JordanDane

3 myths that are keeping you from writing short stories: http://bit.ly/Q3dKmO @Yaminatoday @womenwriters

Make it easy for readers to suspend disbelief--here's how: http://bit.ly/QWUrAm @DonnaGalanti

Cover Yourself—Guest Post by Donna Galanti

by Donna Galanti @DonnaGalanti

In becoming an author and reader across genres, I’ve discovered a compelling novel is an emotional experience. If we fall in love with the characters in a book we can forgive some plot errors–but not all–and we can just believe. And if we believe, we stay in the fiction dream. James Scott Bell, in his workshop Structure of a Novel, emphasized this. We need to keep the reader entranced in the fiction dream. But how do we do that? Create a world to support them.

My developmental editor, Kathryn Craft, reinforced Bell’s advice. She advised me that to keep the fiction dream alive we need to have our readers suspend disbelief–and never, ever show our underpants. What does this mean? It means that we must create a world in which a plot point can happen. Don’t create an event just to “show” something.

For example, a scene reveals a daughter’s healing powers. The mother falls from a barn window onto a pitchfork and the daughter heals her.

But , we have no creepy sensation that all was not well:

· There is no violent wind

· No portent of doom

· No anxious horses stampeding

· No prior warning of the pitchfork danger

The world was not created to support the plot point. The author just needed this accident to happen so the daughter’s powers could be revealed. The author showed her underpants. She didn’t cover herself. Literally. That’s just not cool. And it does not create heart-pumping tension and suspense.

In fiction, accidents and coincidence don’t help a plot unless they are carefully contrived and built up. As readers we don’t want to read about a world in where stuff happens just like in real life. We want an ordered world where even if the character didn’t see it coming–we did.

Can outlandish plot points be bought by the reader? Yes, but to accept big jumps in plausibility the reader must believe it was the only one possible way it could go down–and the way the author chose it to.

Authors need to use all the goodies in their writer’s toolbox to create believable scenes that keep the reader invested in the story and the characters’ dilemmas, no matter how outlandish. It’s all about keeping the fiction dream alive.

I want the fiction dream. To read it and write it. I don’t want to see plain old underpants. And as an author, I will keep my own undies tucked away from now on. Thank you very much.

Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense novel, A Human Element , called “a riveting debut that had me reading till the wee hours of the night” by international bestselling author M.J. Rose. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna lives with her family in an old farmhouse in PA with lots of nooks, fireplaces, and stinkbugs but sadly no ghosts. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com

Connect with Donna here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DonnaGalanti
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonnaGalantiAuthor
Blog: http://blog.donnagalanti.com/wp/

Purchase A HUMAN ELEMENT here:

Ebook/Paperback:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/dg-the-Kindle

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/dg-he-Nook

The Surprises that Pull Our Story Together—Guest Post by Man Martin

by Man Martin, @ManMartin1

Farrish Carter, an old college friend – and by old, I mean old; we hadn’t seen each other in thirty years – stayed at our house for a couple of nights. The first night he was here, we sat in the living room talking and drinking red wine, and he showed us shots from his current series of photographs.

For these shots he’s abandoned his fancy-shmancy Nikon with its detachable lens that looks like a cannon’s mouth. Instead, he works with his cell phone, snagging candid pictures from the passing scene. Although perfectly within his rights to do so – anything that occurs in public is, after all, public – he admits to slight trepidation about taking pictures of complete strangers without permission, often as he pretends to be making a call on his cell phone. I think if the subjects saw the pictures, however, they would not be affronted. Farrish never mocks people; he doesn’t take the sort of pictures you might have seen on the web featuring, say, a morbidly obese woman at the WalMart wearing tiger-print hot pants. His shots are taken with respect, and even if the camera sees them as they do not see themselves, I don’t believe they would feel ashamed of their portrayal.

The way Farrish describes his process is that he’ll be walking down the street and see a likely-looking subject – at which point he’ll break into a trot, “framing it up” in his mind, getting into position. More often than not, his subject moves on before he gets his picture. Out of hundreds of shots, only a few may be worth keeping. But the ones he keeps!

So what does this have to do with writing? My favorite shots here are the young soldier with the doll-like complexion and the little girl waving what appears to be a magic wand or a sparkler (it’s a sunflower). The big concrete pylon in the soldier picture shouldn’t be there – it throws the composition slightly off balance; surely if Farrish had more time to “frame up his picture,” he would have eliminated it. And yet. For a reason I can’t explain, that pylon is essential to the picture. It guarantees its authenticity, perhaps; it makes the scene look more raw and unplanned. Ditto for the little girl with the sunflower. The texture of the stone steps, her expression, her pink flip-flops: all of this, Farrish had seen and rushed down the street to capture. The part he could not have anticipated was the waving sunflower. Oh, he saw the sunflower, too, but there’s no way to know it would be waving, or waving exactly that way, or how the cell phone’s lens would interpret that smear of green and yellow light.

The weakest of the shots – and weak is a relative term, because each of these is a marvel – is the young man standing behind his motorcycle. Farrish told me that when he shared these, a fellow photographer said, “Was this a studio shot?” And it really is a beautiful shot; it’s perfectly balanced with beige buildings lit by amber lights rising in the center and on either side, and a sky that looks like a back-lit blue canvas. The handsome man standing like a model, one hand on his helmet. It’s perfect, actually. And that’s its flaw. It lacks the element of surprise for both the artist and the viewer – the concrete pylon that’s out of place but inexplicably apt, the waving yellow sunflower that turns into a firework.

That’s what Farrish Carter taught me about writing; you bring every ounce of skill, raw talent, training, and craft to the table; you rush up to it, as you recognize a story line or character “framing up.” Most of your draft goes in the little trashcan on your computer desktop, as you whittle down pages and pages to the essential words. But in the final analysis, it’s that little glimmer of accident, the thing you couldn’t plan for, that moment of unexpected grace – a lopsided concrete pylon or a waving sunflower – that brings the whole thing together.

Man Martin is two-time winner of Georgia Author of the Year. His novels are Paradise Dogs and Days of the Endless Corvette. He blogs at http://manmartin.blogspot.com

Traditionally Published Titles and Rights

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I wanted to touch on a topic today that not everyone is going to relate to, but one which I think is important—self publishing backlists or restarting discontinued series.

I have one traditionally-published book that was contracted before I got an agent. I negotiated that contract myself. And negotiated it poorly, no doubt, because I ended up with a one book deal….as opposed to my two series with Penguin, where I had three book deals at the get-go.

At any rate, that was Pretty is as Pretty Dies. When the publisher decided not to sign me for more books (early 2010), we parted on good terms. I still had readers for the series, who were emailing me quite a bit to ask about the next book. I wasn't sure what to do.

My agent for my other series suggested that I shop the series out with either Penguin, who’d previously been interested in it, or St. Martin’s…meaning, of course, that she’d represent me and get a cut if we went in that direction. But to me, I was already working on other series and didn’t want the hassle of shopping it out and the delay of another contract and the back-and-forth, drawn-out nature of negotiations. On top of that, there would also be production time—it would just take forever.

So I did nothing. :)

Toward the end of 2010, the self-pub buzz was really growing and I started considering taking the series directly to e-reader. It took a while for me to make that decision….probably six months.

One of the reasons I was nervous about it was that I wasn’t sure how to get my rights to the characters back. Or when those rights reverted to me. My agent hadn’t worked with me on that book, so I couldn't consult with her, and I’m not great with legalities or contracts. I read my contract a few times and made some sense out of it….but not a whole lot.

So I finally, in March 2011, wrote a very simple email to Midnight Ink….along these lines:

I'm writing to confirm that my rights to the character of Myrtle Clover have reverted back to me, as the author. Midnight Ink published Pretty is as Pretty Dies, a Myrtle Clover novel, in 2009. A sequel was offered to the editorial staff in early 2010 and was rejected, about a year ago. I'm now interested in taking the previously unpublished sequel directly to Kindle instead of shopping it to another publisher, and wanted to confirm that's not a problem for Midnight Ink.

Actually, that’s the exact email I sent to them. This is what I heard back:

Your question regarding the follow-up to PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DIES and the status of rights was forwarded to me.

You are correct regarding your right to take the sequel title directly to Kindle yourself. You have that right based on our decision not to publish it under the Midnight Ink imprint.

We wish you good success with the book on Kindle or even with another publisher.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

That was directly from the publisher, Mr. Krause, himself (one nice thing about working with a mid-sized publisher.) :)

This process was resolved in the same day. There was no need for me to have put it off the way I did.

Then it was just a matter of hiring an editor, finding a cover designer, and getting someone to format the book for the different ereaders. I also bought ISBNs from Bowker, simply because I’m old-fashioned. Who knows if that will end up being the right thing to have done?

The two books that I’ve put up on Kindle have sold well for me and resulted in thousands of dollars of income that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. Yes, y’all, it’s worth the trouble and handwringing and inconvenience to get a backlist up there or to get an unpublished title from a suddenly-canceled series up there.

Last week I got another email from Midnight Ink that the print rights for Pretty are reverting back to me, since the book will go out of print. They made sure to let me know they’re holding onto the ebook rights for that title, though. So make sure you know what you’re receiving when you get a letter or email from your publisher.

This is the notification I got on that reversion (and the exclusions for the rights reversion are pretty clear):

Midnight Ink hereby returns all international and domestic rights to you to the above named title with the following exceptions:

Ebook

English large print rights (domestic and international)

Note that this rights return does NOT include rights to the covers, interior or exterior artwork. Nor does it include typography or electronic files.

When I procrastinate, as I’ve mentioned before on the blog, it’s usually a clear sign that I’m not sure how to proceed.

But that’s okay. If we think through the steps we need to take, making progress a little at a time, then we just check off the items on our list as we work through them.

The main point of this post is….if you aren’t sure about your rights, just ask. Don’t let this hold you back from taking the next step of self-publishing. Either contact the publisher directly, as I did, or an intellectual property lawyer. It’s not that much trouble and you can continue your series, self-publish your backlist, and increase your income.

And make your readers happy. I’ve heard from quite a few that have been delighted that the series is continuing.

Have you considered self-publishing old titles? Or self-publishing in general? Is there a pattern to your procrastinating? How do you work through handling a big project (like self-publishing a backlist or continuing a discontinued series)?

Need Inspiration? Go Out to Find It. Guest Post by Marsali Taylor

The editing's finished, the cover looks amazing, and the launch is days away. Now it's time to start work again ...

Death on a Longship, and its sequel, The Trowie Mound Murders, are both set in Brae, Shetland. Now, for the third of the series, my feisty sailing heroine Cass is going back to school: the North Atlantic Fisheries College in Scalloway, to get the formal qualifications needed for a paid post on board a tall ship. I already know she's not going to like it. She's a loner, used to people who come aboard for a fortnight. In a classroom situation, Jimmy's irritating laugh or Peter's sexism are going to drive her to think of homicide ... except that, as my main character, she's not allowed to carry it out.

When I'm stuck for inspiration, I try an interesting place. So, here I am, in the beautiful new Scalloway Museum, contemplating murder.

It's an amazing place, taking you right through the history of Shetland's ancient capital: Iron age ploughshares, a stunning Viking bracelet, the building and decay of Black Earl Patrick's Renaissance castle, the herring boom. From World War II there are mementos of Scalloway's proudest moment, as the headquarters of the 'Shetland Bus', when a handful of young Norwegian men risked their lives running arms to the Resistance in German-occupied Norway.

That would be a wonderful back-story for a mystery. I eye up the replica sub-machine gun hidden in a fish barrel. Now, suppose some nefarious person were to substitute that for a real one? How could he or she manoeuvre the victim to be shot by it? A family party, perhaps, with the kindly uncle making jokes until the blackmailing nephew stood in position, and some other family member, in all innocence, pulled the trigger. Possible ... but for a family party it would need to be daytime, like this, with children chattering around the model Shetland pony, and trying out the replica wheelhouse. Regretfully, I abandon the murderous uncle. It would be much better if I could get Cass here on her own, at night, and then she could find the body ...

And so, on it goes. So much plotting is practical. What would give you a tense, creepy start? How can you make the reader jump as much as your character does when the body is revealed? Creating characters, you're asking why, why, why. Creating plot, I find, you're asking how, how, how. How could I get Cass alone in the museum after dark? She climbs like a cat, so if there's a window that could be left open - I cast a quick glance around. Yes, that one up there. I'll need to go and look outside to see how she'd get up the wall, but it's a possible. Toilets usually have potential too. I go to investigate, and my eye is caught by a black iron cauldron filled with fine reddish ash: peat ash from the summit of the hill where they burned witches.

Suddenly ideas are thronging thick and fast: a girl face-down in that cauldron, smothered to death. Cass, outside, could hear a scream that ends in an awful choking gurgle, look around for access - the door, naturally, being locked - climb in through the window, find the dead girl and nobody else in the place ... Yes, nice.

Then there's the witches connection. I could work up a beautifully eerie atmosphere with that. I've a vague feeling there are witches in modern-day Shetland, Wiccans I think it's called now, who promote a positive closeness to the forces of the earth and nature. Memo to self: research. Another memo: it could be sensitive territory, and as a Catholic, Cass would be wary of 'all that' - which would add tension.

What's Cass doing wandering about at dead of night anyway? Answer: asking herself if she can bear to keep on with her college course, or if she's going to give up her attempt at respectability, and return to being a wandering vagabond. In which case, the resolution of the case should also make her decide.

Why that cauldron? How about the girl who's dead having come here to steal some of that ash? It could be some sort of séance, to contact one of those long-dead women. Is she serious, or just having a laugh? And her shadowy companion?

Now the work begins. I have a whiteboard in my writing room, and I'll write these bones of a story on it, then spend a day just working on them. Why must the girl be killed? I need an idea that'll be startlingly different from the witchcraft red herring, yet satisfyingly strong - if I've beguiled my readers with long dead witches, they're not going to be satisfied if she's been killed just because she's pregnant and the boy doesn't want to marry her. At the end of a good day, I'll have the skeleton of my plot. It'll change as I work on the individual characters, but now I know the questions to ask, my subconscious will have fun coming up with the answers.

At last, I have the inspiration I needed - all because I went out to look for it.

Death on a Longship:

When she talks her way into a job skippering a Viking longship for a Hollywood film, Cass Lynch thinks her big break has finally arrived - even though it means returning home to the Shetland Islands, a place she hasn't set foot on since she ran away as a teenager to pursue her dreams of sailing. When a dead woman turns up on the boat’s deck, Cass, her past and her family come under suspicion from the disturbingly shrewd Detective Inspector Macrae.

Cass must call on all her local knowledge of Shetland, the wisdom gained from years of sailing, and her glamorous, French opera singer mother to clear herself and her family of suspicion - and to catch the killer before Cass becomes the next victim.

Giveaway Info

Marsali is giving away THREE prizes; a copy of Death on a Longship at each blog stop on her tour, a 1st place grand prize giveaway at the end of the tour of some silver Viking-inspired jewelry from the Shetland Islands, and a 2nd place $15 Amazon gift card.

1) To win a book: leave a comment on this blog post to be entered to win a book (open internationally for ebook or the US, UK, and Canada for a print book). Be sure your profile links to an email so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway ends five days after the post goes live.

2) To win Viking-inspired Jewelry OR a $15 Amazon gift card: Click the link to go to the contest’s website and enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post. A first and second place lucky winner will be selected on October 1st. First place person gets to choose which grand prize he/she wants. The second place person gets the remaining grand prize. Open to every country.

Here’s the contest’s website >

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.

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 18,000 free articles on writing-related topics. 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 .

Have a great week!

Real Time in Fiction: http://bit.ly/PL3ak9 @authorterryo

Disgrace: End of the Lehrer Line ([plagiarism scandal): http://bit.ly/PLj91A @Porter_Anderson @cgseife @evanatwired @juliemmoos

A useful resource for describing settings, emotions, shapes, textures, and more: http://bit.ly/eIGRMO @AngelaAckerman

1 writer lists benefits of a self-pubbed writer retaining an agent: http://bit.ly/PQ1Jnw @hughhowey

Why 1 writer rarely rates or reviews books online: http://bit.ly/PQ2pZU @juliecross1980

6 Ways to Pull off Dual Timelines in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/NmLOrU @KMWeiland

LendInk, Author Activism, and the Need for Critical Thinking: http://bit.ly/PQ2BZh @victoriastrauss

The Killer One-Two Punch that Launches Dramatic Tension in Your Story: http://bit.ly/Rq4msk @storyfix

Quick Tips for the Writing Freelancer: http://bit.ly/PQ2GMv @howtowriteshop

4 Free Photo Editing Tools: http://bit.ly/Rq4vw7 @authormedia

Should we all be blogging less frequently? http://bit.ly/PQ2LzH @michaelhyatt

Things Readers Need To Know When Meeting An Author: http://bit.ly/PQ2PQ0 @juliecross1980

1 writer's list of 10 things needed in a writer's life: http://bit.ly/Rq51tT

Why Obstacles May Be a Writer's Best Friends: http://bit.ly/RvZHJG

Showing, Telling, and Hooking the Reader: http://bit.ly/R1mzw5 @Janice_Hardy

Avoid sprawling sentences: http://bit.ly/RvZN3T

5 Ways Freelance Writers Benefit from Blogging: http://bit.ly/R1mPem @KrissyBrady

Style vs content? Novelists should approach their art with an eye to what the story asks: http://bit.ly/Rw0LgG @guardianbooks

How Should an Author Respond When a Student Complains About His Book? http://bit.ly/R1pvbU @CassandraNeace

251 Movies About Writers & The Writing Life: http://bit.ly/Rw0Oc9 @thewritermama

What if an agent is ready to say I do, and you can't? http://bit.ly/R1pG6Z

Why Character And Plot Are Inseparable: http://bit.ly/Rw0VEA @jammer0501

Why promoting can be good for creative writing: http://bit.ly/R1pZPp @joebunting

10 Practical, Everyday Money Saving Tips For (Starving) Writers: http://bit.ly/RUgNTV @BryanThomasS

Google Analytics for Authors: http://bit.ly/PQ5r0b @TracyRAtkins @JFbookman @Porter_Anderson

Right-Brain / Left-Brain - Which Controls Your Writing? http://bit.ly/OhZtlZ @Shirl_Corder

What SF Writers In 1987 Thought The World Of 2012 Would Look Like: http://bit.ly/Qh5rpz @GFRobot

13 simple tips for a better blog: http://bit.ly/Oi14rW @rachellegardner

Calculate Your Average Sentence Length: http://bit.ly/Qh6RR6 @writing_tips

AP Stylebook moves faster than Merriam-Webster as linguistic authority: http://bit.ly/Oi1rTt

How to write a bad review: http://bit.ly/Qh7f25 @salon

Types of fraudulent reviews and their effect: http://bit.ly/PLkrtw @Porter_Anderson @Suw @jane_l @jeremyduns

We're all storytellers: http://bit.ly/Oi1Nt4 @JFBookman

A site where writers can upload their scripts to hear and see it performed by computer actors: https://readthrough.com/

Self-publishing--all about independence: http://bit.ly/Qh7KZR @JAKonrath

What 1 blogger learned from his Pinterest experiment: http://bit.ly/Qh7REE @problogger

How To Get Your Book Reviewed: A Practical Lesson: http://bit.ly/Oi2rXu @cathryanhoward

1 writer reports on leaving KDP Select: http://bit.ly/Qh82zW @mlouisalocke

Hybrid Fantasy: http://bit.ly/Oi2HG3 @fantasyfaction

Pacing For Power: http://bit.ly/Qh8gXM @JodieRennerEd

Add Muscle to Your Fiction With Unity and Contrast: http://bit.ly/Oi2Rx3 @KMWeiland

How To Sell Books With Social Media: http://bit.ly/Oi36bx @thecreativepenn

When and How to Tell, Not Show: http://bit.ly/Qh8w9d

What kind of convention/conference is right for you? http://bit.ly/Oi3hUj @thejordache

A Successful Indie Author Gives Tips for Introverts: http://bit.ly/Qh91jN @livewritethrive

Sue Grafton and the Self-Publishing Blowback: http://bit.ly/Qh9imx @jamesscottbell

5 Reasons Why Writers Should Read At Least One HP Lovecraft Story: http://bit.ly/Oi4mv9 @thisishorror

Are Paper Books Sacrosanct? http://bit.ly/Qh9thU @dearauthor

Screenwriting--Character On The Screen: http://bit.ly/Oi4wml @GITS

Dressing--and undressing--your characters: http://bit.ly/Qh9FgU @RuthHarrisBooks

Is there such a thing as a national literature? http://bit.ly/Oi4X06 @guardianbooks

Great Character, Part 2: Juno MacGuff ("Juno"): http://bit.ly/Qh9YbB @GITS

Later Bloomer Alex Haley: College Dropout to Pulitzer Prizewinner: http://bit.ly/Oi5cbj @DebraEve

You Can't Teach Someone to Write (Except You Can): http://bit.ly/QiayWC @BooksAreMyBFs

5 Keys to Getting the Most Out of Your Book Marketing: http://bit.ly/QiaFBy @nickthacker

Amish fiction: Put a bonnet on it: http://bit.ly/PFlRFU @salon

Using Humor To Understand Creativity: http://bit.ly/PFlYkF @creativitypost

Unpacking Criticism: http://bit.ly/Qib2MC @AimeeLSalter

Got Writer's Block? You just need to care less: http://bit.ly/PFm8J0 @howtowriteshop

Should Self-Published Authors Use Author Solutions? http://bit.ly/PFmfnU @galleycat

12 Most Engaging Presenter Behaviors to Keep Your Audience Awake: http://bit.ly/QibgTR @12most

Guides for Using Inner Conflict That Make Sense: http://bit.ly/PFmoHZ @Janice_Hardy

4 Tips to Avoid Having Your Short Story Rejected by a Literary Magazine: http://bit.ly/QibHxk @joebunting

How can you tell if you're really meant to be a writer? http://bit.ly/PFmI9w @krissybrady

14 Free Alternatives To Microsoft Word: http://bit.ly/QibQRp @bubblecow

Ghostwriting: Content Rewriting: http://bit.ly/PFmQpx @karencv

Worried about being influenced by other writers of your genre? http://bit.ly/Qic8I5 @SarahAHoyt

Hey, Author, About My $4 Coffee: http://bit.ly/PFn6Vr @Liz_Mc2

Style vs content? Understanding what your story asks: http://bit.ly/PFndAv @guardianbooks

Ebooks and the Personal Library: http://bit.ly/QicAWE @scholarlykitchn

Can Fiction Ignore History? http://bit.ly/PFnxzb @2bwriters

When's the Best Time to Send Email to Your List? http://bit.ly/QicPkG @copyblogger

When to stop fine tuning: http://bit.ly/QicONG @lisagailgreen

The Best Backup Solution? http://bit.ly/PQ1vNd @lifehackorg

Tips for collaborative writing: http://bit.ly/Oq81HY @indie_jane

Writing Conventions and How to Survive: http://bit.ly/Pm7cxO @traciewelser

6 Ways to Pull off Dual Timelines in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/NmLOrU @KMWeiland

Examining your writing dream: http://bit.ly/PFqY93

DBW lets us look at ebook bestsellers by price (resulting in revelations): http://bit.ly/QigLBX @mikeshatzkin

Good Story Requires Incomplete Exposition: http://bit.ly/QigZco @mooderino

What 1 Writer Learned About Blogging from 1st Graders: http://bit.ly/PFrBzx @JudyLeeDunn

4 Questions To Ask Yourself When Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/PFrLXz @writersdigest

How To Be A Writer: http://bit.ly/QihGT1 @woodwardkaren

Tips for creating a book proposal: http://bit.ly/QiBndi

Commas before quotes: http://bit.ly/PFKYZ6

25 ways to generate better online book sales: http://bit.ly/PFMsCL @thefuturebook

Beware of burnout: http://bit.ly/QiCHgd @jodyhedlund

5 Reasons Your Opening Scene is Like a Blind Date: http://bit.ly/PFMCtK @4YALit

6 Deadly Don'ts (and Dos) for Dealing with Editors: http://bit.ly/QiCV76 @susanjmorris

5 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction: http://bit.ly/PFMWJ8 @drgillham

When writing, make the story choice that best fits your character: http://bit.ly/Qj7ARO

Racism, Revealing Eden and STGRB: http://bit.ly/PGf3I0 @fozmeadows

5 Pairs of Prepositional Idioms: http://bit.ly/Qj85ve @writing_tips

Keep getting rejected? Work on your craft: http://bit.ly/Q09tmK @novelrocket

Social Media Suicide: http://bit.ly/Q09BCK @MJRose

Not Who You Think They Are: A Character-Building Exercise: http://bit.ly/UrnTwP @YAHighway

What's Your Log Line? http://bit.ly/Uro0s9 @luannschindler

Character Personalities as Story Forces: http://bit.ly/Q09KpN @juliettewade

Subjects and Predicates: Breaking Down Sentences: http://bit.ly/Uro9vz @write_practice

Tweak the opening or re-write it? http://bit.ly/Q09LKA @juliemusil

How to create a media list to promote your new book: http://bit.ly/Uropuu @sandrabeckwith

Combining Emotional Journeys and External Plots: http://bit.ly/Uror5M @jamigold

2 Deadly Sins of Memoir Writing: http://bit.ly/UroBde @serendipitylit

12 Most Essential SEO Factors Bloggers Don't Know: http://bit.ly/Q0a3kH @12most

Self-Publishing Basics: Where To Upload Your eBook (Besides Amazon): http://bit.ly/Q0awDo @goblinwriter

Tips for Query Letters, Synopses, and Samples: http://bit.ly/Q0azyR @erikaholt

The Death of the Literary Recluse: http://bit.ly/UrpYsy @robwhart

Word Counts in a Magazine Query? http://bit.ly/Q0aZ8C @BrianKlems

9 Wonder Woman Villains (That Explain Why Nobody Talks About Wonder Woman's Villains): http://bit.ly/Urq8jr @i09

Add Muscle to Your Fiction With Unity and Contrast: http://bit.ly/Oi2Rx3 @KMWeiland

Writing for the long haul: http://bit.ly/Q0bbor

On writers being kind to each other: http://bit.ly/Q0RBIy @writeangleblog

How to Get More (and Better) Press: http://bit.ly/Onq4y5 @DanaSitar

A simple rule of plotting: http://bit.ly/Q0RHjx

Character as the most important element of your action scene: http://bit.ly/OnqpAQ

3 Really Good Self-Publishing Ideas and 5 Hilariously Bad Ones: http://bit.ly/Q0ROLT @JFBookman

Writers should welcome a future where readers remix our books: http://bit.ly/OnqFj6 @guardianbooks

The importance of patience for writers: http://bit.ly/Q0RVa8 @rachellegardner

Viewpoint characters who drop into the story too late: http://bit.ly/Ony1mP @p2p_editor

The New World of Publishing: The Myths Are Still Strong: http://bit.ly/OnyaXj @deanwesleysmith

YA's Hottest New Trend: Mermaids: http://bit.ly/Onyk0O @i09

The billion dollar question--what is journalism for? http://bit.ly/Q0VOvL @paidcontent @mathewi

We've oversold the virtues of subjectivity: http://bit.ly/OnyF3I @dearauthor

Writing Styles: Is technology changing the way we write? http://bit.ly/Q0VZqR @khyiahangel

Are You What You Tweet? http://bit.ly/OnziKw @authorems

How to Determine Your Author Fee: http://bit.ly/Q0WcdI @JoSVolpe

The power of original description: http://bit.ly/Q0WgKA

Text and Images -- The Perfect Combination: http://bit.ly/OnzHga @karencv

How to Use Foreshadowing to Jazz up Slow Scenes: http://bit.ly/PL1VBm @KMWeiland

Ill-fitting subplots? http://bit.ly/P2LAuT

A Quick Reminder About Motivation: http://bit.ly/PL24EY @kid_lit

Writing about relationships--good and bad relationship traits: http://bit.ly/PL2cV2 @jeanniecampbell

Overtelling, Overshowing, Overselling: http://bit.ly/PL2kUr @janelebak

Making a five year plan for our writing: http://bit.ly/PL2wTR @susankayequinn

Set up Your Story in the First Paragraphs: http://bit.ly/P2MGqo @JodieRennerEd

Write Like an Architect: Description by Design: http://bit.ly/PL2XNY @slwrites

The Terms of Success—Guest Post by Diane Lefer

by Diane Lefer

I think it was Muriel Rukeyser who said offer your work to publishers. A writer must never submit. Never never never submit. And oh! I know the righteous anger of the disrespected author! Do I complain? Oh yes, guilty as charged. But some years back, with two collections of literary short stories in print, I was invited to teach a class and give the keynote address at a writers conference. Time to reap the rewards!

Now I did realize if a writers conference was having me as their keynote speaker, it couldn’t be the #1 conference in the world. And while they would cover my airfare and hotel, no, they couldn’t pay me. But of course I said yes. I got up at 3:00 AM to make my flight (with no food), and was met at the gate when I landed. So far, so good. I collected my luggage. My battered old suitcase had fallen apart in transit, everything was spilling out, and my guide set off at a trot in front of me while I tried to swipe underwear off the floor and hold the sides of the suitcase together with everything I hadn't lost along the way inside it. When I was dropped me off at a beautiful hotel outside of town. I thanked my guide and said I’d see her in the morning. “Oh, no,” she said with what seemed like true horror. “I would never attend the conference.”

Inside the hotel, people welcomed me and explained they were having a reception at 7:00 - freshen up and come on down. The reception which lasted till 11:00 p.m. was me paying for my own drink and no food. An elderly woman told me at great length about a trigonometry problem she couldn’t solve. Finally, I said how wonderful it was she was back in school. Oh, no, she said, this happened many many years ago. Next thing I knew I was awakened in my room at 4:30 AM by horror movie thumps down the hall which turned out to be the Wall Street Journal hitting each door.

At last it was late enough to head downstairs and try to rustle up a cup of coffee. (No coffee-maker in my room) But before I got my fix, this guy comes over and says he’s supposed to introduce me and then follows me around telling me all the problems in his marriage. The printed program had contradictory times and places for my class, so people didn’t know what time or where to go. A handful trickled in. My introducer spoke about himself--luckily, not about his marriage--for about 15 minutes after which he announced, “And now! Diane Leffler!” (which is close, but no cigar, when it comes to my name).

OK, I realize I’m not being generous in spirit. But really, after a woman told us all about her ex-husband’s suicide, he actually slapped his thigh and started telling suicide jokes. (Till then, I didn’t know there was such a genre.)

I didn't give up. Really. I really tried really hard to get people to explore the emotions of their characters.

“I can’t do that,” said one woman, “All of my characters are dogs.”

“Don’t your dogs have personalities?”

“Oh, no,” she said. “They’ve all passed away.”

I was ready to pass away from hunger. A kindly woman took me out to a corridor and explained we don’t really need to eat. It’s possible to get all the nutrients you need from the air. She led me in a bout of breathing exercises but I was still hungry.

At last, the luncheon banquet and my keynote address. I didn’t get to eat because I was at the podium, talking. Just as well. From what I could see, the other participants were served a sandwich of questionable tri-color (white, brown, and green) luncheon meat rather like what I consumed during a stay after a protest demonstration at the 77th Street holding cell in SouthCentral where another prisoner led us in singing the score to the Sound of Music.

My stomach growled, but inside my head those voices rang, raised in song, to remind me: The writing itself-- the freedom to express myself as I want and in the best way that I can--is surely one of My Favorite Things.

Diane Lefer's most recent book, Nobody Wakes Up Pretty (Rainstorm Press, 2012) features a New York City neighborhood in the process of gentrification and the web that connects organized crime families of different ethnicities with a missing Haitian girl, a midtown law firm, and a famous Japanese monkey. She is also the author of California Transit, a short-story collection that received the Mary McCarthy Prize, and the co-author with Colombian exile and torture survivor Hector Aristizábal of the nonfiction book, The Blessing Next to the Wound, named by Amnesty International as recommended reading during Banned Books Week.

5 Low Cost Ways to Market Your Mystery By Kathryn Jones

by Kathryn Jones, @kakido

Strange but true. You may find that writing your mystery novel is easier than marketing it afterwards. Besides that fact that there are many things to do--you just don't have the money to spend on high priced marketing, but still want your book to get out there.

And you want to sell more than 10 copies.

What should you do first?

Get those reviews.

At least a month or two before your book is released, gather up reviewers who are interested in reviewing your book. Reviewers can be found by the bucketfuls online, through books sites, author sites, and review sites, but don't take just anyone who says they can review your book. Make sure that the reviewer is interested in your book by sending them a query with the details of your book: I have included a synopsis (the sort that would be on the back cover), my book's title, when my book will be released and by what publisher, and any other information the reviewer needs to make a decision. Once I hear from the reviewer I send my book. Many will take a Kindle or pdf version of my book, which saves time and money.

Make up Some Postcards.

Postcards with your book on one side and your synopsis and contact information on the other is a great way to market your book when you're away from home. It's easy to hand the card to a stranger and say a few quick words about your book, and the process is a lot less intimidating than trying to talk about your book without a prop. Postcards are inexpensive and are great to use at book signings too!

Share Your Love of Writing.

If you haven't already, begin your own blog. Make it about writing. What have you learned? What helps can you give others? Offer to guest blog for others and be willing to do interviews. Many blog owners are interested in doing interviews and the process is simple. Query the blog owner and ask to be interviewed. If they like what they see they'll send you a list of questions that you fill out and return to them. Be a speaker at a writer's workshop or conference or create your own experience and invite writers or readers to attend.

Offer Free Books.

Readers love FREE and you can get more readers than ever by offering your book on Kindle free during the first week your book comes out. You may also consider offering a print or Kindle version of your book to a lucky winner. Many blogs offer these contests.

Do a Video Trailer.

Yes, there are many companies that will offer to do a trailer for you but usually at a pretty hefty price. Do your own through animoto.com or voicethread.com. Come up with ways to share your work through places like Pinterest and YouTube. See two of my videos here:

http://animoto.com/play/1x8Q0qPqzDGlhYfzRCRN1w

http://animoto.com/play/I9LJrEQbI3XO1Tenm3EYow

Marketing may appear a bit "scary" to you, at least at first, but you don't need to be afraid to get out there and market your book. While some of your marketing will require you to speak up and be heard, the best news is that much of your promoting can still be done online--where most of your readers shop.

Kathryn has been a published writer since 1987. She has published various newspaper stories, magazine articles, essays and short stories for teens and adults. She is the author of: “A River of Stones,” a young adult fiction novel dealing with divorce published in 2002, and “Conquering your Goliaths—A Parable of the Five Stones,” a Christian novel published in January of 2012. One of her newest creations, a “Conquering your Goliaths—Guidebook,” was published in February of 2012. “Scrambled,” published in September 2012, is her first cozy mystery. Read her first chapter here: http://www.ariverofstones.com/scrambled.html

Kathryn graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Mass Communication and a minor in Creative Writing. Her studies included work in creative writing, public relations and journalism. Recently, she has opened the doors to Idea Creations Press, a publishing services company that caters to writers and their writing, publishing and marketing needs.

Thinking Ahead—the Next Generation of Writers and Readers

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was driving one of the interminable carpools that I drive on a daily basis during the school year. This was a middle school one and there’s a new member in it. The girl was sitting in the front seat with me (my daughter still being too light to sit in the front seat with the airbag), and I tried to make conversation with her on the way to the school. The only problems with this are that I’m horrible at small-talk and I’m even worse making small-talk with pre-teens.

We made desultory conversation for a few minutes, mine of the stilted grownup variety. Then I asked hesitantly, “What do you like to do in your spare time after school?” Then I quickly added, in case she didn’t like to really do anything, “Or do you just like to chill out?”

“I like writing,” she said.

And I lit up. It’s funny how you have an instant connection with other writers, no matter the age, no matter the genre.

I keep hearing stories and reading articles about how the next generation has so much competing for their attention—that books are going to lose out. There have also been a few angst-ridden posts on how teens write poorly…that the texting culture has taken over.

In my admittedly unscientific observations, however, I see a lot of reading going on. But a lot of what I’m seeing just isn’t in a traditional format (print books and magazines). It’s happening on smartphones and iPads and Kindle Fires.

As far as I can tell, teens today write a heck of a lot more than the teens I knew back in the 80s. (I’m talking about general, non-creative writing). In the 80s, all the kids I knew spent hours on the phone. Now kids are all texting each other. Yes, it’s in shorthand. But they’re expressing their thoughts and feelings in words. When was the last time that happened in a conversational way since the development of the telephone? So they have an intimate connection with words (these days more through texting than email, as far as I can tell.)

I also continue running into kids who write. They usually come right out and tell me they’re writers, knowing that I’m a writer, myself. When I talk at the schools, there’s always at least one kid who comes up afterward to talk to me more about writing.

The books as we know them will probably change. The genres might change too, following the trends of the day. The important thing is the product—the story itself, and not the packaging. And the most important thing will still be readers. And these readers are still reading--despite the many sophisticated alternatives available to them.

That’s it for my observations, but I’m interested in hearing yours. What’s your outlook on the future of reading and writing for the next generation?

And Happy Labor Day to my friends in the States. :)

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kusamakura/ )

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 17,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook .

I have a link of my own this week—I was surprised by a Washington Post mention. A pleasant surprise in a few ways, since the Post doesn’t usually focus on cozy mysteries. And it gave me some more books to put on my TBR list. :)

Have a great week!

Using a tickler file to organize your blog posts: http://bit.ly/Q3N9YP @CamilleLaGuire

States’ eBook Pricing Settlement: $69 Million: http://bit.ly/Rq8uZy @Porter_Anderson @paidContent @andyvuong

A look at the role of sycophants in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/Q6JSIm @mkinberg

5 Ways to Spot a Trustworthy Amazon Review: http://bit.ly/SMhVbx @janetboyer

A free directory of ebook pros--for covers, editing, formatting, & more: http://tinyurl.com/3mxg5zt

The Highly Sensitive Person and the Writer: http://bit.ly/PHm4Zn @HP4Writers

5 Women Writers Tougher Than Hemingway: http://bit.ly/PHm8Zn @bookriot

Ebook Best-Sellers: Where Are the 'Indies'? http://bit.ly/OaYQNm @MikeShatzkin @Porter_Anderson @sarahw

20 Strategies For Tackling That "Bottomless Pit" of Writing: http://bit.ly/P9svs9

Selling Flash Fiction Via E-Mail—Successfully: http://bit.ly/P9sGDJ @janefriedman

Working the writing network: http://bit.ly/PHmDmb @SouthrnWritrMag

Conference Networking--All About the People: http://bit.ly/PHmIpK

1 writer's look back on a year of self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/P9tAAj @livewritethrive

Amazon Is No Wal-Mart...Yet: http://onforb.es/PHn5kn @forbes

World's top-earning authors: http://onforb.es/PHn6EN @forbes

The 5 Elements of Writing Travel Articles: http://bit.ly/P9uywb @writersdigest

Social Media Networking: Be an Active Participant: http://bit.ly/QAcl5z

Genre blending with romantic elements: http://bit.ly/QAdyKc

More uses for your RSS feed: http://bit.ly/QAdDgW @Susan_Silver

8 Ways to Write Without Ever Touching the Keyboard: http://bit.ly/QAdQAw @4YALit

Types of fan fiction: http://bit.ly/QAecHn @guardianbooks

8 Tips for Using Facebook Scheduled Posts: http://bit.ly/QAeheb @smexaminer

Questions to Ask (& Strengthen) Your Minor Characters: http://bit.ly/QAemhW @writersdigest @brianaklems

How libraries are handling publishing's turmoil: http://bit.ly/Rq9Qn3 @franksesno @JDGsaid @Porter_Anderson

What to Do When Your Book Isn't Selling: http://bit.ly/QAeRJ8 @authormedia

Writing comics--sequential art pages, cover, char. designs: http://bit.ly/OfoM7i @79semifinalist

Can you begin with dialogue? http://bit.ly/RkvbCm @juliettewade

Tips for better blog commenting: http://bit.ly/OfoQny @JudyLeeDunn

Networking for Authors: 5 Survival Tips: http://bit.ly/Rkvj4V @diymfa

8 Tips for Promoting Your Book Online: http://bit.ly/OfoZHz @rachellegardner

The influence of MR James on the horror genre: http://bit.ly/Pw7bee @ThisIsHorror

Transition as metaphor: http://bit.ly/Pw1FZc @cdrosales

Get creative on demand: http://bit.ly/Pw1hd2 @diymfa

Writing the Book You Were Meant to Write: http://bit.ly/RkwhOs @writersdigest

5 Cases of Too Few or Too Many Hyphens: http://bit.ly/OfqUfd @writing_tips

How Not to Launch a Book: http://bit.ly/Rkwmlt @janetboyer

Ensure vs. Insure: http://bit.ly/RkwyBd @brianklems

On Sucking it Up and Celebrating What Matters: http://bit.ly/RRhEF0 @TaliaVance

Tips For Using Facebook: http://bit.ly/RRhJbC

1 writer reports in on a year of ebook sales: http://bit.ly/RRhOfx @WilliamKing9

Ordinary Characters Can Be Extraordinary : http://bit.ly/RRhZaE @livewritethrive

Research to Make Historical Fiction Come to Life: http://bit.ly/RRi91M @novelrocket

Show visceral reactions first: http://bit.ly/OiqYMV @JodieRennerEd

Selling Your Words: What To Do When Editors Pay Late: http://bit.ly/OiqZAo @ thewritermama

Google Analytics for Authors: http://bit.ly/PQ5r0b @TracyRAtkins @JFbookman @Porter_Anderson

The Road to an Agent: http://bit.ly/Oir3QI @ AdriennGiordano

Why Self-Published Books Look Self-Published: http://bit.ly/Oir6vJ @jfbookman

To rid yourself of perfectionism, try deliberately making mistakes: http://bit.ly/Oir7Qc

Recipe for a Delicious Sequel: http://bit.ly/OirbPZ @ TrudiCanavan

5 tips for writing historical fiction: http://bit.ly/Oiriv9

SAMPLE PAGES Q & A: http://bit.ly/Oirp9O @writeangleblog @catewoods

Formatting Dialogue: A Quick And Dirty Guide: http://bit.ly/OirqL9 @bubblecow

Top tips for writing a strong female hero: http://bit.ly/OirvhI @ Moira_Young

Build a Better Author Bio for Twitter: http://bit.ly/Oirz13 @janefriedman

"Science Fiction" and Literature – or Thoughts on Delany and the Plurality of Interprative Processes: http://bit.ly/OirB92 @KgElfland2ndCuz

Doubling Down on DRM: http://bit.ly/RRj02m @doctorow

25 things you should know about metaphor: http://bit.ly/OirJpe @chuckwendig {lang}

Persisting through rejections: http://natpo.st/OirNoS @NPBooks @rjellory

The Importance of Voice In Your Author Platform: http://bit.ly/RRkJoh @danblank

Why Writers Should Watch Anime: http://bit.ly/OityCw @manon_eileen

Stealing the Fire of The Gods: http://bit.ly/RnMNNR @SarahAHoyt

Can You Define Your Character in One Word? http://bit.ly/OitPoS @KMWeiland

How to Write Better: 7 Instant Fixes: http://bit.ly/RRliyx

What Sort of Writer Are You? http://bit.ly/OitZg5 @janetedwardssf

Why Having Too Many Ideas Is As Bad As Not Having Enough: http://bit.ly/RRlv4M @fuelyourfiction

How to Write a Novella: http://bit.ly/RRlDkJ @jamesscottbell

How to Read Your Writing Objectively: http://bit.ly/OiuBCq @ava_jae

Putting Together a Collection of Shorts: http://bit.ly/RnNfvl @SophieMasson1

10 Steps to Deconstructing a Novel: http://bit.ly/OiuOW6 @howtowriteshop

11 Ways to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/RnNl6q @PYOEbooks

10 Body Language Tricks for Deeper Characterization: http://bit.ly/Oiv07U @fictionnotes

5 TIPS on World Building from Scratch: http://bit.ly/RnNuqm @JordanDane

Keeping Up With Cover Specs: http://bit.ly/OivgUm @authorems

2 ways to hook readers: http://bit.ly/PHlEST

Digital Self-Publishing Checklist: http://bit.ly/PHlGtX @LoriDevoti

5 Things You Might Not Know About Amazon: http://bit.ly/PMzLGv @mediabistro

Pinterest: 10 Tips for Authors: http://bit.ly/RoIzp9 @nickdaws

An Author Platform Built on SPAM is Doomed to Fall: http://bit.ly/PMzR11 @kristenlambTX

10 Children's Books That Are (still) Frightening To Adults: http://bit.ly/PMA0BD @litreactor

Progressive Tenses: http://bit.ly/RoIP7s @theresastevens

Amazon and bogus reviews (can respect be bought?): http://bit.ly/Rq7XXB @jane_l @Suw @samatlounge @Porter_Anderson

3 myths about Amazon: http://bit.ly/RoIUbp @beth_barany

Publishing Is Broken, We're Drowning In Indie Books - And That's A Good Thing: http://onforb.es/RoJ0zL @forbes @dvinjamuri

Overcoming "Voice Anxiety" : http://bit.ly/PMAckb @litreactor

5 tips for hiring a blog designer: http://bit.ly/RoJrtM @huffman_jean

A Tale of Two Royalty Statements: http://bit.ly/RoNq9K @kristinerusch

Self-Publishing on a Budget: http://bit.ly/PMEJ6d

6 Reasons Why Everything in Publishing Takes So Long: http://bit.ly/RoNvui @chavelaque

10 Practical, Everyday Money Saving Tips For (Starving) Writers: http://bit.ly/RUgNTV @BryanThomasS

How to Rein In an Out-of-Control Story: http://bit.ly/OpkeLG @jodyhedlund

10 Relaxation Techniques & Stress Relievers for Writers: http://bit.ly/RUgUik @JordanDane

20 irrefutable theories of book cover design: http://bit.ly/RUh35h @guardianbooks

What You Can Learn About Yourself By Writing Every Day: http://bit.ly/RUhaxI @fuelyourwriting

The Principles of Possessives: http://bit.ly/RUhrRa @writing_tips

The Order Of The Storyteller: http://bit.ly/RUhwVe @SarahAHoyt

Day jobs can benefit our writing: http://bit.ly/Opl7Um @RayRhamey

1 writer lists the places she finds ideas for her writing: http://bit.ly/RUhSev @SouthrnWritrMag

A Quick and Dirty Way to Optimize Your Productivity: http://bit.ly/RUhXP9 @lifehackorg

Separating Productivity from Fear: http://bit.ly/Pm26Sf

On science writing: http://bit.ly/RUqEZT @notscientific

Using The Fantastic To Create A Harsh Wonder: http://bit.ly/Pm2sZe @sfsignal

The Business of Screenwriting: Chilled white whine: http://bit.ly/RUqVMs @GITS

12 Most Successful Ways to Take On a Huge Goal: http://bit.ly/Pm3qVe @12Most

A review of Scrivener: http://bit.ly/Pm6II7

Tips for getting published in a magazine: http://bit.ly/RUtM8f @bubblecow

How One Self-Published Author Landed A Movie Deal: http://bit.ly/Pm755B @thecreativepenn

Conquering Your Fear of the Semi-Colon: http://bit.ly/RUtRIV @theresastevens

Writing Conventions and How to Survive: http://bit.ly/Pm7cxO @traciewelser

5 Key Qualities of the High-Value Writer: http://bit.ly/RUu137 @jhansenwrites

Selling a script, but holding on to the characters: http://bit.ly/Pm7vss @johnaugust

3 Do-at-Your-Desk Exercises to Avoid Becoming Chair Shaped: http://bit.ly/RUufHm @problogger

The almost-kiss: http://bit.ly/Pm7LaW

The Revival of the Serial: http://bit.ly/Pm7WTC @jane_l

12 Magical Items and the Real Life Gadgets that Resemble Them: http://bit.ly/RUuxxQ @i09

On Writing Emotion: http://bit.ly/Pm8fxW

No, You Don't Have a Tribe: http://bit.ly/RUuCBS @danblank

In praise of ordinary romantic heroines: http://bit.ly/Pm8yJa @heroesnhearts

Details Can Make or Break Your Writing: http://bit.ly/RUuMJe

Bullet lists in a feature article? http://bit.ly/Pm8VTX @michellerafter

How Paperbacks Transformed the Way Americans Read: http://bit.ly/RUv4js @mental_floss

Where Do Sentences Come From? http://nyti.ms/NW71Pj @NYTimes

ABCs of Attending a Conference: http://bit.ly/Oq7x4E @Janice_Hardy

The Importance of Substantive Editing: http://bit.ly/Oq7HZZ @scholarlykitchn

What Star Trek Can Teach Us About Great Writing: http://bit.ly/Oq7PbW @kristenlambTX

Tips for collaborative writing: http://bit.ly/Oq81HY @indie_jane

Scenes: The Building Blocks of Your Story: http://bit.ly/Oq8k5M @KMWeiland

Copyright Is Not a Verb: http://bit.ly/NW7BNc @JaneFriedman

Great Character: Juno MacGuff ("Juno"): http://bit.ly/NW7S2G @GITS

How (Not) to Write Dialogue: http://bit.ly/Oq9dv0 @ava_jae

Managing Your Email Flow with POP & IMAP: http://bit.ly/Oq9gXU @authorems

Tips for Making Your Story Bigger: http://bit.ly/NW841G @threekingsbooks

The Quality of Self-Published Books: http://bit.ly/Oq9FcL @erinlausten

Setting–Adding Dimension to Your Fiction: http://bit.ly/NW8jKl @kristenlambtx

20 Words for Laugh: http://bit.ly/PPZYGG @writing_tips

Editing for character: http://bit.ly/PQ07Kp

Bad opening lines: http://bit.ly/RpZLqm @pubperspectives

Egyptian writers have temporarily given up on fiction: http://bit.ly/Rq0gkc @guardianbooks

How to Fit Blogging Into Your Busy Schedule: http://bit.ly/Rq0w2F @nickthacker

4 Reasons to Write Short Stories: http://bit.ly/Rq0B6v @joebunting

Building Your Production Capacity: http://bit.ly/PQ13OT @susankayequinn

The Best Backup Solution? http://bit.ly/PQ1vNd @lifehackorg