Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 176

What Happens After Writing 3 or 4 Books a Year

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

[image error]There was an article in the New York Times recently, entitled Writer’s Cramp: In the e-Reader era, a Book a Year is Slacking.

Obviously, this is a provocative title. I don’t think a book a year is slacking. I just don’t think we can make a living off a book a year if we’re midlist authors. (Actually…I know we can’t. Unless your book deals are a whole lot better than mine are.)

Not everyone can write several books a year. If you write 175,000 word historical sagas, no, you probably can’t write three or four books a year. If you write nonfiction (the type that requires a lot of research and fact-checking), probably not.

For the rest of us time-challenged writers (which means everyone, probably) I wanted to let you know that writing several books a year doesn’t take that long. As I mentioned in this post, if you can write 3 1/2 pages a day, you can write three or four books a year. Even if it takes you a long time, thoughtfully considering each word and making each word resonate with meaning, you can probably manage a least two if you stay focused during your writing time.

So what’s it like to write that many books a year? I can let you know what it’s like for me. This is the first time I’ve really analyzed it, so it’s interesting to break it all down (for the record, since the start of 2012, I’ve written one full book and I’m now passing the halfway mark of the second. I do edit quickly and I do have either my publisher’s editors or freelance editors go over my work after I edit it.)

Good things

*You write every day and you don’t lose any story continuity.

*You don’t forget or stumble with your character’s individual voices.

*You think about your story more during the day. Plot ideas, small scenes, even just words occur to you during the day in reference to the story.

*You don’t ever get bored with what you’re writing.

*You just jump right into the story every single day. No wondering where you left off. No feeling like you’ve lost the story thread.

*Frequently you’ll get story ideas for the next book in the series while writing the book.

*Readers don’t have to wait very long between books.

*Obviously, your income is higher.

Not so good things

*The way the publishing cycle goes, you can end up with two books with nearly the same deadline (this would be me, now.)

*If your deadlines are spaced fairly far apart, it still doesn’t mean that you don’t end up with two books running into each other. I nearly always am working on edits for one while drafting another.

*If you’re writing different series each time (this is exactly my situation this year), then you have to get your head quickly back into the game with each book/different series.

*If you’re writing the first book in a series, it takes a little more time….you’re establishing characters and settings.

Downright lousy things

*There’s a sense of burnout sometimes. It means you have to work harder (and if that seems counterintuitive…yeah, it is. But it works. I don’t know why, either…)

*Once in a while there’s a feeling of extreme panic. I’ve committed to what this year?! And the accompanying feeling of complete inadequacy, of course.

But.

All that being said, I wouldn’t give it up because of the easy rhythm of it. I might prefer three instead of the four I’ve completed in the last 12 months. But ultimately it works really well. You never get that stale feeling from not having written for a while.

This being said, it’s also important to make sure we’re not mindlessly churning out junk. We’ve got to think of our reader first. I’d hate for a regular reader of mine to be disappointed by one of my stories. I’d also hate to discourage a new reader from reading more of my books. I’m hoping for a trusting relationship with my readers that lasts for decades.

There can be so much of a rush to publish that the story is full of holes, is too derivative, or is full of typos and other errors. There are editors that can help us with those things, but it’s a lot better in the long-run if we revise before the manuscripts get into our editors’ hands.

What’s your writing pace like? Do you set yourself a word-count goal or a timed goal? Do you write more than one series? Would you?

Writing in Interruptions

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was working away on the fourth Memphis book yesterday, writing an important scene for the book.

It’s a scene where a suspect gives important information to my sleuth—information that leads her investigation in a new direction.

The scene was pacing well. I was happy with the scene's characters, dialogue, and location.

There were two things I noticed, though. One, the scene was absolutely massive. Although it was pacing well, it seemed really dense. Lots of information there for a reader to digest.

The second thing I noticed was that the scene was really too important to have all at once place in the story.

I don’t like to edit as I go, so I put a note to myself in the margin of the story with Word’s Track Changes feature: Split this scene up.

What I’m going to do when I’m editing, is to take that scene and interrupt it. I’ll have the character either hint at the information or try to relate the information—and get interrupted by another event….something that needs immediate attention in the story.

Of course, in my stories, that character might end up dead before he has a chance to say what was on his mind. But that also gives an opportunity to delay the character's revelation—maybe he told another character his problem or conclusion or insight. Maybe he wrote it down. Maybe he emailed someone. Who did he communicate with in the days leading up to his death?

If this interrupting is done too frequently or in an obvious way, I think it can get frustrating for a reader. But if it’s handled by just introducing another important scene or event, it automatically creates tension and interest: what was that character trying to say? And life, after all, is frequently one interruption after another (at least, mine is. That’s part of being a parent, I guess.)

This approach is one that I’ve been using more of….especially when I see a huge scene that’s composed of dialogue between a couple of characters. It’s almost like a big info-dump. It’s not backstory, but it’s a lot of information to process. Why not break it up? Fracturing the scene creates tension, adds reasonable length to my story, and makes the pace faster.

Do you ever break up important scenes in your book to trickle the information out slowly?

Photo: Leo Reynolds—Flickr

Developing a Story Idea

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’d just finished my daily goal for my fourth Memphis book on Thursday when I had a sudden uneasy feeling about the third quilting mystery. When was that outline due again? (I have an editor who requires outlines for approval before the story is written. Y’all know I don’t ordinarily outline.)

In my head, that outline was due July 1, like the Memphis book. In fact, I’m pretty sure I told several people that I would be handing in an outline for Southern Quilting mystery 3 on July 1.

So what made me tear through the house and yank open a desk drawer and make me pull out my contract was an inkling way down in my totally-buried subconscious.

The contract said June 1.

Ugh.

So I guess you know what I’ll be doing after I finish my writing goal each day.

I’ll sit down and brainstorm my plot. This won’t be a book where I later sit on a panel and tell a lovely tale about how I was vacationing on a windswept beach and the muse spoke gently to me while I was meditating. Nope.

But that’s what most stories are, I think. At least they are for me with all the multiple deadlines—a focused and determined effort at brainstorming.

We all have gobs of ideas. We’re writers, after all. I get ideas all the day long…but they’re usually small ideas. I consciously sit and work on the big picture ideas (with the exception of a couple of my books earlier on.)

General tips for story development:

First of all, we have to know our genre. We should be a fan of our genre and read a lot of it. What story elements satisfy us most when we read our favorite genre? Do we like more action, more humor, really strong characters, flawed main characters, lots of internal conflict? What works best for your genre?

What do our readers like? This is where I read over my Word file where I’ve compiled both complaints and compliments for my past books. I provide more of what was successful (particular characters, particular situations, etc.) and less of what readers disliked or complained about in reviews.

Is this a big enough idea that you can develop it for at least 75,000 words? Can this idea carry a full-length plot?

Is the plot too derivative? If it’s too much like a hundred other books in your genre, what fresh take can you give it? Can you provide your character with a unique voice? Think of some fresh spin on the old plot?

How much trouble/tension/conflict can your story engender? Can you think of ways to add more? Will there be enough natural conflict to keep a fast pace?

Specific to mysteries:

For me it all starts with the victim—they’re the catalyst for everything. Why would someone want to kill this person?

Why would my sleuth (I’ve got an amateur, so this is an important question for me that wouldn’t be if you’re writing a police procedural or private eye story) get involved in this murder?

Who are the suspects? This question ties in very closely to the victim question since these are the characters who wanted to kill the victim. But this is where I decide if they’re male or female and how they all knew the victim.

What do these people have to hide? What are they trying to cover up?

What different kinds of motives could these suspects have? Again, this one ties into the victim question, but I actually list the motives out. My editors aren’t real crazy about having three different people who all wanted to seek revenge on the victim, for instance. Better to have a variety of motives: personal gain, jealousy, ambition, revenge, rage, etc.

How is the victim going to die? Who discovers the body? Who seems to have an alibi? Motive/means/opportunity.

Who is my second victim? How does this change the investigation?

Who did it? (And I do change this a lot. But for the purpose of handing in a proposal, I name a killer in the outline. Sometimes I’m asked to change the murderer…I changed it by editor request for the book I just finished May 1.)

And really, that’s all I need to know for this proposal/outline. And it’s all I need to know to write the book.

I frequently deviate off of an outline, but I know I can make changes if my editor isn’t wild about my deviation. :)

When you’ve got to develop a story idea (and quickly!), what’s your process like?

Photo by David Mellis, Flickr

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 16,000 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.

Don't' forget the new release blogfest that Hart Johnson and I are hosting on June 5th—find more information and sign up here. The best entries get signed copies of our new releases.
Have a great week!

Twitter handles are better than names: http://bit.ly/L1Q3rF @Porter_Anderson @RachelleGardner

How to free the genius inside you: http://bit.ly/ILn9MT @jammer0501

Understanding the Minor Characters' Role: http://bit.ly/ILnNK8 @writersdigest

How to Choreograph Direct Action Scenes: http://bit.ly/ILobbA

10 Fantasy Clichés That Should Be Put To Rest: http://bit.ly/JloZIS @erchristensen

Ways to take your writing seriously: http://bit.ly/Jlpoee @authordebraney @novelrocket

Unlikeable protagonists in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/Kfv4T4 @mkinberg

Top Ten List of Things to Remember When Publishing in Multiple Genres: http://bit.ly/JlprH1 @aletheakontis

It Doesn't Matter How You're Published – We're All Self Promoted: http://bit.ly/Jlpz9z @ajackwriting

Discovering characters through music: http://bit.ly/JlpId7 @byrozmorris @FannyBlake1

Unusual historical settings as inspiration for fiction--2 examples of the Babel principle: http://bit.ly/JlpXVv @genelempp

All the links I shared last week: http://bit.ly/K7kxab

The Starburst Method: The Rough Draft & Narrative Drive: http://bit.ly/K1ChIv @woodwardkaren

The Reality of the Six-Figure Deal: http://bit.ly/IPV7Ca @cristinterrill

Freelancers--don't write for free: http://bit.ly/JpJzm5 @ChandlerWrites

5 Bits of Wisdom from a New York Times Besteller: http://bit.ly/K7kOtG @jhansenwrites @susanmallery

4 Steps to Making Your Own Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/K7kPxF @duolit

Reactions to the editor/agent panel at Desert Dreams con: http://bit.ly/K7kR8U @bob_mayer

Are Your Scene Breaks Rude? http://bit.ly/K7kSJQ @KMWeiland

10 Weird Things About Edgar Allan Poe: http://bit.ly/JT553x @tordotcom

Big 6 Publishing is Dead–Welcome the Massive 3: http://bit.ly/JT5keP @kristenlambTX

Sentence and Paragraph Makeovers: http://bit.ly/JT5z9O @artzicarol

1 Writer's 6 Pre-Writing Steps: http://bit.ly/JT5GSI @roniloren

How to Find the Perfect Audience for Your Book, And Sell It to Them: http://bit.ly/JT6cjO @nickthacker

Step Outside Your Story World: http://bit.ly/JT6APk @noveleditor

Are you a writer? One way to find out: http://bit.ly/JT79Zm @daycathy

Cliffhangers: Not Just for the End of a Book: http://bit.ly/KVowrM @jamigold

Working Past Wordiness For Fresher Writing: http://bit.ly/KVoKiH @serbaughman

Ways to Hook Your Readers & Keep Them Wanting More: http://bit.ly/KVp5BU @jodyhedlund

5 Ways to Build Suspense Like a Master: http://bit.ly/KVpBzD

5 Ways to Build Suspense Like a Master: http://bit.ly/KVpBzD

How to Pitch Your Book: http://bit.ly/KVpFiQ @CherylRWrites

The Hero and Heroine of Your Readers' Dreams: http://bit.ly/KVpHr9 @writerashley

The Wordplay blog--a resource for writers from @KMWeiland . More info on Wordplay/Weiland: http://bit.ly/LId1pP #RAOK

Chaos? Tame It So You Can Write: http://bit.ly/IU1h0s @amyatwell

Sherlock Holmes is the New Justin Bieber: http://bit.ly/IU1iBI @tordotcom

Treatment of Words That Include "Self": http://bit.ly/IU1wIT @writing_tips

Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers: http://bit.ly/IU1AbJ @doctorow

Thoughts on Writing Villains: http://bit.ly/IU1Jf3 @Marie_Lu

Plotters vs. Pantsers: http://bit.ly/IU1MYh @fantasyfaction

Discover The Basic Elements of Setting In a Story: http://bit.ly/IU1Ozo @writersdigest

Telescoping POV: http://bit.ly/IU20P8 @kcraftwriter

Self-tracking--how we're documenting our daily lives online: http://janefriedman.com/2012/05/17/writing-on-the-ether-38/#15 @nora3000 @Porter_Anderson @sparkcbc

Mentioning an MFA in your query: http://bit.ly/IU295g @nicolamorgan

A Survival Guide For Writers In Love (And Those Who Love Them): http://bit.ly/IU2kh0

Vetting an Independent Editor: http://bit.ly/IU2uVw @victoriastrauss

The real crisis facing publishing? No readers: http://janefriedman.com/2012/05/17/writing-on-the-ether-38/#4 @brianoleary @Porter_Anderson @rechtsteiner

5 Tips for Holding an Online Contest: http://bit.ly/IU2zZt @jeanoram

5 Tips to Trap Your Characters: http://bit.ly/IU2EMD @chihuahuazero @write_practice

Finding hidden treasures in a rejection letter: http://bit.ly/IU2Hbe @behlerpublish

7 Out-of-the-Box Author Blogging Ideas: http://bit.ly/JxfO5w @ShariJStauch

Can Too Many Pronouns Spoil The Story? http://bit.ly/JxfXWD @mooderino

Literary Devices: Themes: http://bit.ly/Jxggk0 @AmyJRoseDavis

How to Find & Delegate Tasks to Virtual Assistants: http://bit.ly/Jxgp75

Interview techniques for writers: http://bit.ly/Jxgx6y

How to Find Your Daily Writing Motivation: http://bit.ly/JxgIib @menwithpens

The 10 Commandments of Writing a Thriller: http://bit.ly/JxEIBT @writersdigest

Check Your Facts: http://bit.ly/JxIAD5 @behlerpublish

Imagination and Being Stuck--New Brain Facts for Writers: http://bit.ly/JxJ2RB

3 Tips for Self-Publishing Success: http://bit.ly/JxJcbO @goblinwriter

7 Ways to Write a Stand-Alone Book (with Series Potential): http://bit.ly/JxJrnd

Race in Young Adult Fiction: http://bit.ly/JxJxep @howtowriteshop

How to Get Feedback on Your Writing (and Sort the Good from the Bad): http://bit.ly/JxJCPb @KMWeiland

Low-Hanging Fruit is All Gone–The Future is About Teamwork, Humility & Innovation: http://bit.ly/JxJGhX @KristenLambTX

Why Downton Abbey is Addictive (and Instructive): http://bit.ly/IUT9hm @daycathy

4 Steps To Nailing Your Character's Voice: http://bit.ly/IUTkcM @Kody_Keplinger

The Benefits of Fake Deadlines: http://bit.ly/IUTm4i @juliemusil

Taking a Writer's Retreat (at a writing friend's home): http://bit.ly/IUTHDW

Find and replace editing: http://bit.ly/IUTRLM

Getting the Right Reaction From Your POV: http://bit.ly/IUU4yq @Janice_Hardy

7 Heavenly Bodies as Sources of Adjectives: http://bit.ly/IUUbKp @writing_tips

Fan fiction promises to be a rich vein for publishers: http://bit.ly/KYEUru @jamesbridle

How To Sell Self-Published Books: http://bit.ly/KYF3Lx @cathryanhoward

Interviews--11 simple steps: http://bit.ly/KYF7ed @fictionnotes

5 Ways Novelists Can Benefit from Watching Movies and TV Shows: http://bit.ly/KYIrpD @lydia_sharp

Story Structure: The Resolution: http://bit.ly/KYIthe @KMWeiland

50 quotes about books and reading: http://bit.ly/JeFaYS @ebookfriendly

Protagonists go the extra mile: http://bit.ly/L3IWOK @Gary_Fearon_

Reading with the Enemy: http://bit.ly/L3J5Sc @literaticat

What If My Agent Doesn't Like My Next Book? http://bit.ly/L3JgwR @rachellegardner

15 Tips for Guest Bloggers: http://bit.ly/L3Jp3e @annerallen

Setting the mood with your first lines: http://bit.ly/L3JynA @PepperBasham

Author Blogging 101: Finding Time for Blogging: http://bit.ly/JhNVe3 @JFBookman

What To Do With Your Darlings (Maybe We Shouldn't Kill Them): http://bit.ly/JhO2q7 @jaelmchenry

In the Beginning: How to Draw in Your Reader: http://bit.ly/JhO7Kr @writeitsideways

Where will self-publishing get quality control? http://bit.ly/JhOd4H @dirtywhitecandy

19 Ways to Build Relationships With Blog Comments: http://bit.ly/JhOhRT @TheSalesLion

10 Tips for a DIY Author Website: http://bit.ly/JhOlRJ @PBRWriter

The Dramatic Question and Suspense in Fiction: http://bit.ly/K6Twpn @write_practice

An example of a beat sheet--for "The Hunger Games": http://bit.ly/K6TLki @storyfix

The three worst words in fiction: http://bit.ly/J6Pq43 @p2p_editor

What literary fiction is (and why we shouldn't assume we hate it): http://bit.ly/K6Umm8 @AnnieNeugebauer

How to check our ego around fellow creatives: http://bit.ly/K6UUZo @BryanThomasS

How do we know if we're good at writing? http://bit.ly/K6Vbvl @sarahahoyt

E-book pricing – what are you worth? http://bit.ly/K6VkPk @behlerpublish

Villains vs. Antagonists: http://bit.ly/K6Voyu @diymfa

Triberr, Using the Power of Friends to Promote Your Blog: http://bit.ly/K6VxlE @howtowriteshop

Literary Groups Defend 'Fifty Shades of Grey': http://bit.ly/J8EDpW @galleycat

Journalism--3 simple goals for summer interns: http://bit.ly/J8EHWM @mediabistro

Editing Clauses in Publishing Contracts: How to Protect Yourself: http://bit.ly/J8ELpk @victoriastrauss

The Pleasures of Being Read To: http://nyr.kr/J8F0Rp @pageturner

Two-Typewriter Homes: Famous Literary Roommates: http://bit.ly/J8F2ZF @flavorpill

How to Create a Great Author Tagline: http://bit.ly/J8F8R0 @JeanOram

Influence of classic literature on writers declining, study claims: http://bit.ly/L2Dc8y @alisonflood

17 Ways For Writers To Use Pinterest: http://bit.ly/L2DyMi @storyadaymay

The 50 SF Books You Must Read: http://bit.ly/L35EXG @ForbiddenPlanet

Chipping away at writer's block: http://bit.ly/L35K1L @kathytemean

8 Stages of Procrasti-writing: http://bit.ly/L35Q9A @wendypmiller

Pacing the publishing crisis: time is short: http://bit.ly/L388oZ @harkaway @GuardianBooks @Porter_Anderson

The real crisis facing publishing? No readers: http://bit.ly/JyWoOo @brianoleary @Porter_Anderson @rechtsteiner

How to Sell Your Manuscript Without an Agent: http://bit.ly/JyWJR8 @writersdigest @DianeKellyBooks

5 Steps to Hosting Successful Twitter Chats: http://bit.ly/LXwQtm @smexaminer

8 Reasons Not to Quit Social Media When You're Burned Out: http://bit.ly/LXxlDF @jodyhedlund

Does Every Scene Need a Goal? http://bit.ly/LXwW4i @JamiGold

Pacing the publishing crisis: time is short: http://bit.ly/L388oZ @harkaway @GuardianBooks @Porter_Anderson

Weasel Words: http://bit.ly/LXxV4t

7 ways to become a more confident writer: http://bit.ly/LXFt7d @aliventure

Examples of raising the stakes in your story (using "Castle" as an example--spoilers): http://bit.ly/LXFDLY @jeanniecampbell

9 Ways to Outwit Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/LXFKqF @rachellegardner

An agent gives author website tips: http://bit.ly/LXFQPa @literaticat

5 Myths About Published Writers: http://bit.ly/LXGKuU

3 Surefire Ways To Generate Better Inane, Meaningless Jargon: http://bit.ly/LXHosk @ChandlerWrites

Worldbuilding: High Culture versus Low Culture: http://bit.ly/LXIqVi @juliettewade

Widening our marketing efforts to non-writers: http://bit.ly/LXIR22 @rileymagnus

Quality books take time: http://bit.ly/LXJB7d @rachellegardner

Using unusual historical settings for inspiration--modern dystopia: http://bit.ly/K08HSK @genelempp

The lost art of rhetoric and persuasion: http://bit.ly/K09Klt @speechwriterguy

Thoughts on what makes for a professional-looking cover: http://bit.ly/K09YsL @rebeccaberto

"Hero's Journey Analysis on Dystopian Classic "Soylent Green": http://bit.ly/K0a83u @PAShortt

How Does Your Writing Sound? http://bit.ly/K0aK9i @emergentpublish

7 ways to become a more confident writer: http://bit.ly/LXFt7d @aliventure

10 Tips for a DIY Author Website: http://bit.ly/JhOlRJ @PBRWriter

5 Ways Novelists Can Benefit from Watching Movies and TV Shows: http://bit.ly/KYIrpD @lydia_sharp

Mentioning an MFA in your query: http://bit.ly/IU295g @nicolamorgan

Literary Devices: Motif: http://bit.ly/K0bhbf @AmyJRoseDavis

The Age of the Artist–Time for a Revolution: http://bit.ly/K0bFGM @KristenLambTX

Character Flaws: When is Too Far Too Far? (With a nice list of possible flaws): http://bit.ly/K0bN92 @jeanniecampbell

10 Minutes to the Perfect Elevator Pitch: http://bit.ly/K0bQlv @duolit

25 ways to earn an audience: {language} http://bit.ly/K0embo @ChuckWendig

What an Agent Does & Doesn't Do: http://bit.ly/K0fnAa @writersdigest

15 things not to blog about: http://bit.ly/K0fxY8 @artzicarol

Job market for creative professionals: http://bit.ly/K0fLPd @creativitypost

The Fine Line Between Insulting and Bewildering Readers: http://bit.ly/K0g2S3 @KMWeiland

How to Write When You Don't Know What to Write: http://bit.ly/K0glMG @NickThacker

A Writer's Secret Weapon–The Power of Delete: http://bit.ly/K0gqAf

3 Ways To Strengthen Your Writing: http://bit.ly/K0gtf7 @writersdigest

5 Archetypes for Supporting Characters: http://bit.ly/K0gvnj @diymfa

Cozy Mystery Writing Challenges

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Cozy mysteries, also known as traditional mysteries, are lots of fun to write.  But there are some challenges authors will face while writing them.

Hope you’ll join me at Laura Pauling’s blog today, where we’ll look at six challenges mystery writers may run into and tips for meeting them.  (Busy week here on the blog!) 

7 Tips for Controlling Our Social Media Time

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you’re like me, you have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love being connected with other writers and resources—but I hate the way it sucks up my time!

Hope you’ll join me today on the Jungle Red Writers blog for some tips for handling our time online. (And if you haven’t already discovered this blog—it’s a great place for writers and readers with some of my favorite mystery writers all in one spot.)

The Who, What, and Where of Characters and Story--By Sandra Gardner

by Sandra Gardner

Since character and story are major elements in a novel, your primary concern as a novelist is to figure out who your characters are, what their motivations are, and where your characters – and your story – want to go. Exactly how they get there can be dealt with later.

For me, it began with a vision of my mother standing over me while I was sick, lying on the couch. Without worrying about whether I was hallucinating, I dragged myself to my computer and ended up with 20 or so pages. So far, I had a mother, about age 70, in a contentious relationship with a daughter, who was in her late 30s. The only other thing that was clear to me was that the mother was dead, a fact that did nothing to alleviate their contentious relationship.

Okay, now what? I didn’t think a mother/daughter relationship alone, even a conflicted one, was enough to carry a whole novel. As soon as my head cleared, I typed 20 more pages, this time adding the murder of the daughter’s longtime psychotherapist.

Now I had an M.C. (main character), a ghost, and a murder. A ghost, by the way, with loud opinions on just about everything, especially her daughter’s actions. I could see the potential for humor in the narrator/protagonist’s view of things. This has been borne out by readers’ responses.

But what was the reason for the ghost-mother to come back? Continuing to annoy her daughter wasn’t enough motivation. Aha! The mother knew that her daughter was about to get into big trouble, so she came back to help. She also imagined herself as the next Jessica Fletcher, from “Murder She Wrote.”

The trouble she came back to was the murder (of course). This involved her daughter, the M.C., in several ways. She soon became the prime suspect of the detective on the case. Why? Because one of the members of the therapy group – or someone else connected with the therapist – framed our M.C.

The involvement of the therapy group, plus several other people, produced a cast of not-very-nice suspicious characters and red herrings. Then our M.C’s. – and her ghost-mother’s -- sleuthing to find the killer and the person framing her, got her almost killed.

Meanwhile, our M.C. had to go work every day, deal with her tyrannical, incompetent boss, find her way into a relationship with a new boyfriend, and occasionally do lunch or aerobics with her best friend.

To up the ante, I added another murder -- this time, a member of the therapy group. Our unfortunate M.C.landed herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. She ended up charged with both murders and thrown in jail.

Now we have two murders, one attempted murder, and our M.C. locked up. How was she going to solve the murders and clear herself, when she was in jail? Besides her mother-the-ghost-detective, she enlisted the help of her best friend and a member of the therapy group.

To keep upping the ante, I put our M.C. in even more dire straits. There was a second attempt on her life, while she was in jail. After a few more red herrings, the killer finally revealed him or herself, with a third attempt on our M.C.’s life.

What happened next? Well, to find out whodunit, you’ll have to read the book: my newly published mystery, MOTHER, MURDER AND ME. After all, it is a mystery novel! Hopefully, this little article will help you deal with the who, what and where of characters and story, when you start thinking of your first – or next – murder mystery.

Sandra Gardner’s mystery novel, MOTHER, MURDER AND ME, was a winner of Sawyers Publishing’s First New Author (fiction) Contest 2011. It was published by Sawyers in spring 2012, and is available on Amazon.com; Barnes & Noble.com; Smashwords.com; and from the publisher. Sandra may be contacted via email: sgardner2@hvc.rr.com; or on her Facebook page: Sandra Gardner (sandywritesbooks@gmail.com).

A Random Act of Kindness Blitz

Today, many writers are participating in a special event, created by Becca and Angela at the Bookshelf Muse. We're all focusing on writers who make a difference in the writing community--either on a small and personal scale (a supportive critique partner, a writing mentor), or on a larger scale.

The online writing community is very tight-knit and supportive....probably because the writing life can be so isolating. Most of us have someone in this community who we find especially inspiring and helpful.



To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ.


There are many writing friends who are supportive on a daily basis--I couldn't name them all here or the blog might crash. Some writers always comment on my blog (and I read and appreciate every comment I get), some are always there for me on Twitter, RTing the links I share. There are some writers who read my blog on Facebook on Networked Blogs and like my posts there. Some writers are folks I know in person--they give me career advice (which is incredibly appreciated, since it can be hard to know what direction to go in as a writer.)



Then there are writers who provide me with inspiration and writing advice. I subscribe to some incredible blogs--a few of those blogs that I could even set up Twitter to automatically tweet everything they post...because their posts are always good.
So today, I'd like to recognize one of those writers--K.M. Weiland. Her posts are top-notch resources for writers who are interested in improving their work. I tweet every post because the information there is invaluable for writers. Her main blog is Wordplay and she also posts on a rotation at the AuthorCulture blog. She writes fiction, short stories, and nonfiction--her books can be found here. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Katie has just finished a ten-part series on story structure that covered everything from the inciting incident (place the inciting incident in the first 25% of the book and pull the protagonist into that incident) to the midpoint ("it must act as a personal catalyst upon the main character") to the resolution ("the resolution should give the reader a concrete example of how the character's journey has changed him.")

And this was just used as an example. Go to K.M. Weiland's blog to find posts on backstory, dialogue, pacing, and more.

As a thank you for her resource for writers at Wordplay and to follow the rules of the Random Act of Kindness Blitz, I'm sending her a bookstore gift certificate so she can spend a little time relaxing with a book.

Becca and Angela designed this blitz to encourage us to recognize other writers--they urge us to "send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. "


Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for my blog readers as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.


Who has helped you on your journey to publication or provided helpful resources or encouragement for you? Have you discovered K.M. Weiland's blog? Which blogs do you find especially helpful for writers?

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 15,000 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.

Don't' forget the new release blogfest that Hart Johnson and I are hosting on June 5th—find more information and sign up here. The best entries get signed copies of our new releases.

Have a great week! And Happy Mother's Day to my mother and all mothers, today. :)

Publishers--the window is closing: http://bit.ly/JPRUjD @harkaway @Porter_Anderson @conville_walsh

You Are Not Your Bookshelf: http://bit.ly/INOuSL @readingape

How to finish writing a novel: http://bit.ly/INOXV2 @ava_jae

The ebook marketplace is a long way from settled: http://bit.ly/ISnN9f @MikeShatzkin

Strategies For Writing About Loss: http://bit.ly/INQwCt @BTMargins

Whose Story Is It? http://bit.ly/J7liEq @mooderino

3 Core Elements of Storytelling (And Why You Should Write Them Right Away): http://bit.ly/J7lrHN

10 synonyms for tacky: http://bit.ly/J7lB1Y @writing_tips

Psychology in Worldbuilding: http://bit.ly/J7lIKO @juliettewade

Harlequin Fail: http://bit.ly/IB8F1N @PassiveVoiceBlg @annvosspeterson

Traditional Publishing And Self-Publishing Are Not Mutually Exclusive: http://bit.ly/J7lKT0 @thecreativepenn

13 Reasons the Police Might Oppose a Superhero: http://bit.ly/J7muaQ

Do Deadlines Hurt Us or Help Us? http://bit.ly/J7mDuR @jodyhedlund

Why It's So Hard to Become a Writer (and 5 Tips to Break Through): http://bit.ly/J7mSGj @krissybrady

5 tips for a successful book event: http://bit.ly/JdqZye @curiosityquills

A look at in-laws in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/JhjhUK @mkinberg

Story Structure: The Third Act: http://bit.ly/Jdr7xD @KMWeiland

Writing and receiving book reviews: http://bit.ly/INKqC3 @beth_barany

Reviewing Your Reviews: How to Absorb Feedback from Writing Contests: http://bit.ly/INOMt1 @jeanniecampbell

5 Things 1 Writer Learned About Self-Publishing: http://bit.ly/INLIwT @elephantguy68

How 1 writer built her author website: http://bit.ly/INNDlc @roniloren

5 Things You Don't Need To Include When Writing Summaries: http://bit.ly/INNPRt @writersdigest

Dos and Don'ts for fantasy language: http://bit.ly/INO3Ie @fantasyfaction

Publishers should focus on the 19% (infographic): http://bit.ly/INOiD0 @galleycat

Resources for finding character diseases: http://bit.ly/JVO6x6

Tips for getting a publishing internship: http://bit.ly/JVOcF4

Tips for writing back cover copy: http://bit.ly/JVOj3s @byrozmorris @jamigold

16 Essential WordPress Plugins for Authors: http://bit.ly/JVP5NU @JoeBunting

The Beauty is in the Details: http://bit.ly/JVPLD5 @meredithduran

Differences between small and big 6 publishers: http://bit.ly/JVPWy6 @CherylRWrites

The Art and Science of Collaboration: http://bit.ly/JVQ6pg @CreativityPost

Writer Yoga: See the World Through The Right Lens: http://bit.ly/JVQdkC @jenniecoughlin

Revising vs rewriting: http://bit.ly/JVQp3c @dpeterfreund

Excessive Detail Can Kill Your Story: http://bit.ly/JVQrbm @mooderino

How to Get Your Life Back from Your Smartphone (and write): http://bit.ly/J3N1Ij @markmcguinness

Why Floundering Is Good: http://ti.me/JVRdoU @anniemurphypaul

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Writing Sessions: http://bit.ly/J3NhXI @write_practice

A forensics research resource for mystery writers: http://bit.ly/u7uLEU @DPLyleMD

Tips for connecting with book clubs: http://bit.ly/J3Oyy4 @JulieCantrell

Mental Revision Tools: http://bit.ly/KHiL2J @BretBallou

Can literary fiction survive the ebook age? http://bit.ly/K5AUK5 @alisonflood

13 things writers can learn from America's Next Top Model: http://bit.ly/K5B7Ne

Find Your Characters Through Their Profession: http://bit.ly/JqUv3E @howtowriteshop

10 Things Agents Don't Want To Hear At Pitches: http://bit.ly/JqUzAl @greyhausagency

Voice--dare to be uniquely you: http://bit.ly/JqUE70 @KristenLambTX

The Importance of Reversion Clauses in Book Contracts: http://bit.ly/JqUFIe @victoriastrauss

Why writers need checklists: http://bit.ly/JqUPz6 @KMWeiland @AllyAnderson

Quick tips for writing scenes: http://goo.gl/kw9PN @Wordstrumpet

Tips for adding conflict to our story: http://bit.ly/IHdEkg

Writing advice from Harper Lee, Steinbeck, and Sandburg: http://bit.ly/IRbWPv @writersdigest

8 rules of Pinterest etiquette: http://bit.ly/IRcp45 @jenndancy

Delineate Characters through Dialogue: http://bit.ly/IRcFjy @passivevoiceblg

Tips for setting up a new series: http://bit.ly/K627fq @noveleditor

Publisher euphemisms: http://bit.ly/K62s1L @johnnyd @guardian

1 writer used a journal to find voice and story: http://bit.ly/JZq7gI

Girl vs Boy: Writing the Opposite Sex: http://bit.ly/JZq9VJ @janice_hardy

What Happens If Your Publisher Hits the Wall? http://bit.ly/JZqfwx

Are You a Writer Who's Too Busy Not Writing? Here's How to Get Started: http://bit.ly/JZql7n @krissybrady

1 writer defends herself on blog typos: http://bit.ly/JZqzLQ @sarahahoyt

1 poet's advice to other poets: http://bit.ly/JZqE2d @galleycat

36 Adjectives Describing Light: http://bit.ly/JZqI1M @writing_tips

A synopsis example (using "Ides of March"): http://bit.ly/JZqLup @ChuckSambuchino

Interviews with cover designers: http://bit.ly/JZqXd8 @ruthharrisbooks

'Social' Media: Muse Abuse: http://bit.ly/JZqWWS @porter_anderson

30 Twitter mistakes to avoid: http://bit.ly/JZr3la @speechwriterguy

Showing in a Distant Third Person: http://bit.ly/JZr5t6 @janice_hardy

Story Structure: The Climax: http://bit.ly/JZr9cs @KMWeiland

Fight scene pacing: http://bit.ly/JZrax4

Writer Masochism and How to Cure It: http://bit.ly/JZrhbU @annerallen

Stuck on your novel? Write yourself a five-star review: http://bit.ly/JZrlZ6 @dirtywhitecandy

How audio book narration works: http://bit.ly/IXdroK @ddscottromcom @C_Padovan

Think Like a Publisher: Projected Income: http://bit.ly/IXdVLI @deanwesleysmith

The 10 best first lines in fiction: http://bit.ly/IXec11 @guardian

You Can't Just Leave Out The Boring Parts: http://bit.ly/IXepkO @mooderino

Preventative vs. Preventive: http://bit.ly/IXeB3B @writing_tips

Step Away From the Keyboard and Improve Your Writing: http://bit.ly/IXeV2l

When a Metaphor Becomes a Metaphor Cliche: http://bit.ly/IXfadA @pegeditors

For writers' significant others: http://bit.ly/IXffxS @rachellegardner

Good Stories Start in the Middle: http://bit.ly/Je6EKa @AdriennedeWolfe

End your writing sessions in the middle of a sentence: http://bit.ly/Je6LW9 @janice_hardy

3 resources to help writers become more comfortable with technology: http://bit.ly/Je6NgH @janefriedman

The positive side of rejection: http://bit.ly/Je6R03 @angelaackerman

Character Dynamics: http://bit.ly/Je6W3R @DavidBCoe

The Return of the Novella, the Original #Longread: http://bit.ly/Je71Ey @TheAtlantic @JoeFassler

The Reality of the Six-Figure Deal: http://bit.ly/IPV7Ca @cristinterrill

How NOT to write a series, OR, Don't put all your eggs in one basket: http://bit.ly/IPVbly @literaticat

Make your characters leap off the page: http://bit.ly/Jecj2R @behlerpublish

Maximizing Author Appearances in an Increasingly Virtual Age: http://bit.ly/JeclrL @Lit_Gal

The innovation we need to see before eBooks can completely replace pBooks: http://tnw.co/JectYi @Boris

Writing and publishing today--what's honest and true? http://bit.ly/JqwGZ3@WilsonWyattJr via @WomenWriters

8 Ways to Build a Loyal Readership for Your Blog: http://bit.ly/JecCe6 @aliventures @catseyewriter

How Writers Can Get Started With Google+: http://bit.ly/JecGup @danblank

7 Ways Doing Your Accounts Can Boost Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/JecLy9 @the99percent

How to write a romance: http://bit.ly/JecUBI @howtowriteshop

Conflict strategies in fiction. http://bit.ly/J2viuw @p2p_editor

What's in a "strong female character"? http://bit.ly/JecTOj @juliettewade

Navigating a 1st Time Author's Book Launch: http://bit.ly/Jdv0Va @TweetTheBook

Are American YA Covers Too Generic? http://bit.ly/Jdvmei @galleycat

How to Make Writing into a Dream Job: http://bit.ly/JdvtGV @bookemdonna

Author collectives signal a new chapter for self-publishing: http://bit.ly/JdvGtC @theguardian

Man Against Nature–How to Make it Work: http://bit.ly/JdvOJz @kristenlambTX

Characterizing through appearance: http://bit.ly/Jdw1wl @CAMorganti

The importance of quality control for our novels & tips for vetting editors: http://bit.ly/K1BsPE @victoriastrauss @dirtywhitecandy

The coming D-Day beyond "books": http://bit.ly/K1ByqH @naypinya @jpatokal @Porter_Anderson

Publishing--Potter envy: http://bit.ly/K1BBTk @Porter_Anderson @Forbes

Tips for beginning your story: http://bit.ly/J6p3qZ

10 picture book writing tips: http://bit.ly/K1C5sG @kidsBookReview

Why short stories matter: http://bit.ly/K1C9Zr @diymfa @skunkorama

The Starburst Method: The Rough Draft & Narrative Drive: http://bit.ly/K1ChIv @woodwardkaren

What to be aware of if you want to become an editor: http://bit.ly/IWqRqu @theresastevens

The wrong reasons to publish an ebook (and the right ones): http://bit.ly/IWr4d6 @hopeclark

Surviving a Writers Conference: Dos and Don'ts to Making it Out Alive: http://bit.ly/IWrdND @BTMargins

Why Writers Need to Seriously Consider Pinterest: http://bit.ly/JkWW8J @JodyHedlund

A collection of advice for writing endings: http://bit.ly/JkX9bQ

Aggressive versus Obnoxious in the Land of Publishing: http://bit.ly/K5eLKo @bob_mayer

The Importance of Pathos: http://bit.ly/JkXlrN @juliettewade

Non-verbal communication in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/JqTTuN @mkinberg

Tips for video blogging: http://bit.ly/JkXADg @jhansenwrites

Why you can't find self-pubbed books in stores: http://bit.ly/JkXXgS @tglong

On "Noir" and Genre Pigeonholing: http://bit.ly/JkYks2 @BTMargins

How to Convert an Adjective to an Adverb: http://bit.ly/JkYuQ7 @writing_tips

Life as a published author: http://bit.ly/J4XKfl @rachellegardner

Do book trailers sell books? http://bit.ly/J4XOM1 @BTMargins

'These Are Your Kids on Books' Poster Goes Viral: http://bit.ly/J4XUDx @galleycat

Why your book isn't selling: http://bit.ly/J4Y4ul @curiosityquills

The importance of editing: http://bit.ly/J4Y8ua

5 tips for writing wildlife: http://bit.ly/JpGGSf @gill_lewis

Don't Let Your Inner Critic Hijack Your Book Research: http://bit.ly/JpGX7H @originalimpulse

Pesky dialogue problems: http://bit.ly/JpH7w1

The difference between faux and real tension: http://bit.ly/JpHuGP @carrieryan

Tips for better blog design: http://bit.ly/JpHTJq @nickthacker

5 Tips to Convince Editors to Say "Yes" to Your Guest Posts: http://bit.ly/JpIafr @alexisgrant

Key points of a query letter: http://bit.ly/JpIriv @behlerpublish

The hero's journey: http://bit.ly/JpJzm5

Freelancers--don't write for free: http://bit.ly/JpJzm5 @ChandlerWrites

5 Graphic Novels That Should Have Made the Hugo Awards: http://bit.ly/JpKKC2 @tordotcom @ShoshanaKessock

The Obsessed Writer's Guide To Crawling Your Way Back To Sanity: http://bit.ly/ILmf2T @ollinmorales @kathypooler

3 tips for writing scenes: http://bit.ly/JllSkf @livewritethrive

Self-Publishing Basics: Introduction to Metadata: http://bit.ly/JllVfP @jfbookman

Why Writers Need Publishers…Or Do They? http://bit.ly/Jlm42L @lisapbuchan

3 tips for genre blending: http://bit.ly/Jlm8Qa @nicolamorgan

6 Steps to Article Content Properly Formatted and Search Engine Optimized: http://bit.ly/Jlmkit

Tips for starting a meditation practice (& aid creativity): http://bit.ly/JlmuGn @the99percent @mcd_owell

The Importance of Editing

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m thankful for the rise in dystopian fiction (my son’s favorite genre and one that was difficult to find before the Hunger Games gained prominence) and e-readers. Believe me, we’d tapped out our county library system before getting a Kindle. In fact, I was sending purchase requests weekly to the acquisitions librarian until they instigated a limit on the number of requests a patron could make.

Before ebooks, I ordered books online, drove across town to the bookstore, visited the second-hand store—and we still kept running out of books.

We got some relief from our problem when we bought a Kindle. Finally we had instant access to thousands of books. But recently, we’ve found that we’ve quickly plowed through the traditionally published YA books that are available. Since I’m his personal librarian (he only really wants to read the books…he doesn’t want to find them), I started looking at the self-published YA books on the Kindle.

There was one series that I kept running across. It had several books already available (practically a prerequisite when it comes to books for my son) and a lot of reviews…not the handful of 5-stars that you so frequently find with self-published books. I started reading through the reviews.

From all the reader accounts, the plot and characters were very sound—but there were a lot of errors in the books, (mostly typos but also continuity errors).

At this point we were pretty desperate. He was between books and the sequel to Divergent wasn’t coming out until May 1. I went ahead and downloaded the first of the books in that series. After all, I thought, we’re talking about a 15 year old boy. It couldn’t bother him too much.

But it did. He came back downstairs later that evening. “I finished the book,” he said. Then he looked at me funny. “You know, the story was good and I liked the characters…but there were so many mistakes. It was totally distracting. I’ve never seen typos like that in a book.”

Because he’d never read a self-published book before.

This is the main problem with self-published books. You can either get a fantastic book (frequently from an author’s backlist) that’s well edited or you can get a book that’s a complete disaster. It’s a minefield.

It’s easy to find a freelance editor. Yes, it costs money to hire an editor. This post by Meghan Ward gives an idea of what expense you could be looking at. This is the part about self-publishing that everyone has to get over…the books have got to be edited. I paid editors to work on the two books that I’ve self-published. It was worth it. They found plenty of errors that I’d missed.

It will cost you a lot less money if you first go over the book yourself and then get a beta reader to read it over for you. If an editor has got to correct a lot of errors on a page, it will cost you more money because it’s taking up more of the editor’s time that they could be spending editing other people’s books. Most editors charge an hourly rate instead of a flat fee.

There are different types of editors you can hire. You can find a substantive editor who will read for story and character arc, POV, and other global issues. You can find a line editor who will read for mechanics, style, and consistency. Sometimes you can find editors who cover all of these things. This post on the Novel Editor blog explains the different types of editors and their duties.

But you don’t have to get editors that suggest major revisions, if you feel your story is fairly sound (try to be objective here…is it sound?) At the very least, though, you need to find a professional proofreader who can fix typos, glaring grammatical errors, and other basic problems that will trip readers up when they read your book.

We put so much time into writing these stories….we owe it to ourselves (and our readers) to ensure our books are readable.

If we know we’re writing a book that we plan to self-publish, we can go ahead and start the process of looking for an editor while we’re still working on the book. Word of mouth/referral is a good way to find someone, or we might know editors from the blogging world—many freelance editors blog. Agent Rachelle Gardner has also listed freelance editors that she’s worked with in the past. I also host a free directory of ebook professionals, which includes freelance editors: click here.

But you’ll want a good editor. How will you know if an editor is any good?

Again, word of mouth is helpful. Editors should also be able to supply testimonials from clients. Thursday, Porter Anderson did a great wrap-up of posts on ebooks and editing. He referenced Victoria Strauss’ blog, where she listed ways to vet an editor.

Once we find a freelance editor we’re happy with, we’re usually set. The next time we have a project to be edited, we don’t have to go through this process…we just send it over.

If you’ve hired freelance editors, how did you find them? As a reader, how many mistakes are you willing to overlook when you read? How distracting are they?

Post image by Mad African on Flickr