Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 202

"Where Do You Get Your Ideas?"

"Where do you get your ideas?" is one of those questions that gets old fast. It's also one of the questions you'll hear most as a writer.

I don't think I've ever gone to a conference or a signing or participated in a panel when I haven't heard that question either before, after, or during the event.

I think my answer is the same as most writers. I smile and say, "You know, the ideas come all the time. I can't shut them off! But they're not epic ideas. They're usually really small ideas that I can develop."

For me, it's only really occasionally that I'll get a Super Big Idea. Even then, it might not be an idea that fits with the book I need to write. I mean, it's great if I get a cool idea for a family saga that spans generations, but what I really need is a cool idea for a traditional mystery.

Instead of the Super Big Idea, I get little snippets of dialogue, character traits, an interesting quirk or personality type. Frequently these ideas show up while I'm at the store or in a conversation. I got them during book club last week and was guiltily texting myself the idea during the club meeting—realizing I probably looked obnoxious, but worried about losing the idea for good.

Sometimes I 'm not even happy with the ideas I've got. Maybe they seemed like good ideas at the time, but once I started playing around with them on paper, they didn't pan out the way I'd wanted them to.

In fact, one day in early 2010, I was working on my manuscript, Finger Lickin' Dead (the book that's releasing on Tuesday). The manuscript was in the early stages and I was exploring some of my ideas—and not liking them much.

I got an email from Hart Johnson. She'd had this really crazy, vivid dream, she said. It involved a murdered restaurant critic. She said that she knew she wasn't going to write a restaurant mystery, and offered me the dream as a starting point.

And you know? It worked so much better than my idea! So I took her starting point, and Finger Lickin' Dead was created. I mentioned Hart in my acknowledgments (thanking her for her 'helpful suggestions') and sent her a copy—which she showed off here.

Which goes to show, I think, that if we're receptive to new ideas and not worried about trying a new direction for our story, we can really end up with a stronger book.

So now I'll ask the never-ending question: where do you get your ideas? What's the most unusual way you've received one?

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Finger Lickin' Dead launches Tuesday, June 7th!

On Un-Revising

Writing friend Camille LaGuire, wrote an interesting post on her Daring Novelist blog the other day.

Camille noted that she'd recently needed to un-revise (a term I think she's coined!) a large portion of text in the middle of her manuscript. She said that her instincts were good (there was an area that needed work), but her efforts to edit the scenes she thought were causing a lagging pace led to some problems…then more problems. In fact, the revision created a sort of domino effect of additional revisions….and what's more, it changed the plot, and not in a good way. She states:

And one of the things that happened with the misbegotten revision was that (a main character) sobered up to deal with some things in the middle. And that means the emotional trajectory of the sequence changes.

Camille makes the point that a character's emotional state is trajectory… it powers the plot.

She had a character that was out of control, and his lack of control was powering the plot. Camille didn't need to create a situation where this character regained control—she actually needed to increase his downward spiral.

The post resonated with me because I'd faced a similar situation in a manuscript. I had actually done a large revision, changing the murderer and the personalities of several of the characters. I'd put a lot of time into the changes, meticulously working through the manuscript to make sure that I'd switched everything to fit my revision and keep continuity in the new version.

But after reading it through, it just wasn't right. I'd written it with particular character foibles that set off other character foibles and character reactions. Those reactions had triggered a particular series of events. It just didn't make as much sense as the way I'd written the story before.

So I un-revised. And that was one of those times where I patted myself on the back for keeping old versions of my manuscript. I went back to the previous version and thought of a different way to approach my problem. (I ended up adding some additional tension to a couple of scenes, which worked well.)

Have you ever gone through a lengthy revision to find out it just didn't work? Was it easy to un-revise?

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Finger Lickin' Dead launches June 7th

Preparing For A Release

It's that time again! And I haven't had a release for almost a year, so I really had to remind myself what I did the last time to prepare. I'll have to remember better this time…because Hickory Smoked Homicide launches in November! Ack!

I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago that mentioned some of the things writers can do to promote a release. Some of those things were press releases, book trailers, press kits, launch parties, Amazon and Goodreads pages, etc.

I realized that I'd left out a few of the things that I do, though, so I thought I'd cover them now.

Blog tour: A blog tour is a great way to get publicity for a new release. For one thing, it can really raise the Google ranking for your book title and your name. It's also a nice way to have your book cover showing up on everyone's blog reader—if you're on a lot of different blogs, you're definitely getting your cover out there.

When should you start the book tour? You should probably kick it off with the release of the book, unless you're shooting for good pre-orders. And a tour can last as long as you like—and be as intensive as you like. I've seen some blog tours where authors have every date in a three-week period booked for an online appearance, and I've seen tours which were stretched out for a while, but with appearances every couple of days or so.

You can use different formats with different blog appearances, if you'd like to shake things up a little. I've seen interviews, guest posts, character interviews (where the blog host interviews your protagonist), reviews, and contests.

Stock signings: These are different than book signings…so different that I actually enjoy them. :) You just plan a trip to sign your books in the bookstores that are convenient for you to reach (or that are in a place you're vacationing in, etc.)

Most bookstores have stickers at the customer service desk that say 'autographed copy.' You just sign your book, stick your sticker on the front, and then make sure they're facing out (if possible) so that folks can see it's an autographed copy. This can help your early sales numbers and get stores to reorder your book.

Social media: I've found that social media is especially viral. If you've developed relationships with readers and writers throughout the year, then just a couple of mentions of your release on Twitter or Facebook means that your friends and readers will support you with shares and retweets. It's so much better than beating everyone over the head with your launch.

Have you launched a book? What did you find worked well?

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And—thanks to everyone who offered to host me for my blog tour! I'm hoping that I've gotten back to all who offered and have sent posts to many of you by now. Here's the blog tour as it stands now (and y'all, let me know if I've made any mistakes to this list.)

June 7 (and a couple of posts following the 7th) –June 8—Confessions of a Mystery Novelist
June 9—Thoughts in Progress
June 10—Following the Whispers
June 12—Anne R. Allen's blog
June 13—K.B. Owen, Mystery Writer
June 14—Confessions of a Watery Tart
June 16—Spunk on a Stick
June 20—Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog
June 21—The Other Side of the Story with Janice Hardy
June 22—The Creative Penn

Looking forward to it! :)

What To Do With Extra Words

Sometimes I've got a real eye for contrarian advice—it just appeals to me. If you're advising an action completely opposite from what everyone else is touting as the best practice, I'm probably paying pretty close attention to what you're saying.

So when I came across a post that Thomas S. Roche wrote on The Night Bazaar blog, Ten Things I Did Wrong (which is a great post, with lots of interesting advice) and saw that Thomas sometimes tosses bad writing in the trashcan, I winced.

One of the clichés about being a writer involves the writer frenziedly typing at the old typewriter, with a wastebasket that's nearly overflowing with crumpled-up paper. But I haven't had that experience since the early 90s when I tried to write my first manuscript (and failed miserably.)

The advent of word processing has definitely changed the way writers write. We can store tons of unfinished manuscripts on our computers.

Thomas Roche, however, thinks that might be a mistake:

Me? I can't stop blathering on with weird, insensible drivel, so sometimes I just gotta chuck it or I find yourself in a sea of useless prose. Hard drives seem infinite, until I start rambling, leaving dozens of fragmentary Word files.

Tossing an unsatisfying piece of writing in the trash is a liberating experience — it reminds you that the point is to write it until it's good, not to cling to it if it sucks.

I know it's counter-intuitive as all hell, but…try it sometime. It feels good.

Now, if the writing is lousy and it's part of my manuscript, and I'm just writing the first draft, then I just leave the lousy stuff in there. I'm usually aware it's awful, but that's what the first draft is all about. I frequently put notes to myself in the margins of my manuscript using Word's Track Changes feature. They say things like "fix this," "find out if this could really happen," "blah blah blah…write this better," "find better wording," etc. I can just move on if I acknowledge it's bad and that I'll fix it later.

But I do have lots of bits and pieces of stuff that just didn't work in my manuscript. Odd ideas, bits of dialogue that don't fit. I'll make Word files of these things and sequester them in there. Sometimes I just jot stuff down on paper wherever I am around the house. My husband will walk up to me with a bemused expression and hand me some crumply Post-Its. "I think this is part of your book. There's stuff about poison and guns on here." He puts up with a lot. :)

Later, I'll go through this stuff and wonder what the heck I was thinking. When I'm in the writing groove, these blatherings actually make sense. Out of context, they're frequently junk. I wonder if I printed out the junkier stuff and had a big bonfire, how that would feel?

Thomas' advice is contrary to everything I do, though. I carefully document my bad writing in different, dated files. I frequently will pull out the bits of dialogue and the unusual ideas and find a place for them (in a different form and better-written than before) in some other book.

But still—I think Thomas raises an interesting point. Where does it all stop? Maybe, sometimes, I take my own junk too seriously and should give some of it a good toss in the trashcan. Make it overflow, give visitors to my home something to take a look at: "Oh, I see. She was writing…"

Then again…not sure I could do it. :)

How about you? What do you do with the stuff you've edited out or that was extraneous material?

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Finger Lickin' Dead launches June 7th!

8 Things Non-Writers Should Know About Living With Writers

I feel a little sorry for non-writers sharing a home with writers.

It's got to be challenging, sometimes. And most likely no one warned you it was going to be. Writers should come with warning labels.

So I came up with some friendly warnings. :) You can check them out over on A Good Blog is Hard to Find.

What Our Characters Do When No One is Looking

My family and I saw a great performance of Cats on Saturday. I'd seen the musical a couple of times before, but it's been forever since I last saw it.

One of the things I hadn't remembered from 20 years ago is that the cats who weren't on center stage were still acting around the edges of the stage…in character. So while Old Deuteronomy might be in the spotlight, singing a solo, Rum Tum Tugger was flirting off to the side of the stage. Grizabella was trying unsuccessfully to engage with other cats. They were acting in character, even while the spotlight wasn't on them.

It made me think about character development. One way that I like to learn more about my characters is to think about what they do when my characters aren't on stage.

Most of the time I don't actually use the information in a book (although sometimes it comes in handy.) But usually it just helps me to know how a character would react in a particular situation. How do they deal with emergencies? Do they laugh when they're embarrassed or are they the kinds of people who get angry, instead?

Knowing a little bit about what characters do in their spare time and their background helps me to figure out how to portray them in a story—and sometimes they take the story in a different direction.

If you'd like some resources to help you think more about your character's identity, here are some helpful links (and you can find a ton more on the Writer's Knowledge Base):

Character Questionnaires and Worksheets:
The EPIGUIDE.COM Character Chart for Fiction Writers
The Script Lab's Questionnaire
Fiction Writer's Character Chart
Adventures in Children's Publishing worksheet- Part 1 (the other parts to this excellent series are in the left sidebar)
Scribe Sisters Questionnaire

Mind mapping for Character Development and Plotting:
Quips and Tips for Successful Writers
Write for Your Life
Routines for Writers

Nice article on Character Development
Story Fix: 3 Dimensions of Character Development

What kinds of things help you develop your characters so they come to life on the page?

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Sign up for the free, monthly Writer's Knowledge Base newsletter for writing tips and resources and to be entered in our first giveaway. Details here.

Finger Lickin' Dead launches June 7th

Twitterific

Below are writing links that I've posted to Twitter in the last week.

The Writer's Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links searchable—try it for searches on plotting, characterization, querying, book promo, and more.

[image error]Anyone signing up for the free Writer's Knowledge Base newsletter this month (and current subscribers) will be automatically entered in a June drawing to receive K.M. Weiland's CD (or MP3) Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration CD . Sign up here for the web's best writing links and interviews: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 . (You can unsubscribe at any time, and your email information is never shared.)

Chaperoning a field trip is like a well-told story: http://bit.ly/jSr4VB @laurapauling

The Art Of The Blurb Request: http://bit.ly/kYwfnn

A Critical Marketing Secret: Don't Go It Alone: http://bit.ly/jzFXjf

The Art of the Two-Book Deal: http://bit.ly/mzSvWX

5 Sentences Saved by Em Dashes: http://bit.ly/it8waV

How to Start a Writers' Group (And Keep It Going): http://bit.ly/jKnoUu

Chatty Main Characters: http://bit.ly/l4gfJx

An editor on hyphenated compound adjectives: http://bit.ly/myrIhp

How to find out if your agent is an idiot: http://bit.ly/lbPpfy

10 questions to consider when hiring a freelance editor: http://bit.ly/kzVyjv

Tips for writing natural dialogue: http://bit.ly/kXpetZ

The Importance of First Impressions: http://bit.ly/lr0aiu @ingridsundberg

Is your idea blog-worthy or book-ready? http://bit.ly/kzixCc

9 Tips For Finishing That Novel: http://bit.ly/mChqLr

Diversity in SF/F for Young Readers, part 1: http://bit.ly/kKdeVf , part 2: http://bit.ly/j3RzVH , part 3: http://bit.ly/mqQox3

As a writer, it's normal to struggle: http://bit.ly/m7cyCC

PublishAmerica Will Be Your Literary Agent...For $199: http://bit.ly/kRRGxu

8 Ways to Use Blogging as an Interactive Marketing Tool: http://bit.ly/jeatLb

Find your unique hooks: http://bit.ly/mGIu7S

How to give a good interview: http://bit.ly/iDNBg2

Is there really such a thing as an original story? http://bit.ly/kRX5pk

Revisions Rock the House: http://bit.ly/kzDvzv

Strengthen Your Voice: http://bit.ly/kVgDC4

Do Stories Need a Theme? http://bit.ly/kAzeCx @jamigold

How to Tell a Compelling Story in 3 Steps: http://bit.ly/lvPzVf

Best Articles This Week for Writers 5/27/11: http://bit.ly/kPUHnF @4kidlit

Studying books you love: http://bit.ly/iJXkeH

Creativity Tweets of the Week : http://bit.ly/mjSZRH @on_creativity

An editor on chapter headings: http://bit.ly/iFVjOR

The Joy of Writing (Not More, Just Better) Sex: http://bit.ly/lpYIqD @BTMargins

5 Free E-Books Every Writer Needs: http://bit.ly/jFj6zf @janefriedman

Scenes in swim lanes: http://bit.ly/ipdzPN

5 ways to avoid an info dump: http://bit.ly/kvLUMo

62 ways to improve your press releases: http://bit.ly/jxHC0k

Are Your Blog Comments Good, Bad or Ugly? http://bit.ly/mmGtwY @BloggingMentor

How Many Projects Should You Have Before You Submit? An agent answers: http://bit.ly/lEVnFb

Tips for writing openings: http://bit.ly/lLauqd @authorterryo

10 Short Lessons From The World's Best Copywriters: http://bit.ly/lAwwHp

Lose gaudy tag lines in your dialogue: http://bit.ly/l7Pchx

5 simple ways to make your blog more visually appealing to readers: http://bit.ly/lyVmHR

Marketing Lessons From Mom: http://bit.ly/izEMJR

8 journalists fired for tweeting: part 1: http://bit.ly/ksaRzP & part 2: http://bit.ly/k5oNcF

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Eggplant Bruschetta? http://bit.ly/lF1jSk

What not to do as a writer--a full rewrite: http://bit.ly/jRJz27

Best Films From Books (Daily Beast): http://bit.ly/lmGdpA#

Thinking in Nonlinear Terms: http://bit.ly/iQ0K9n

Can I Turn 'Children's Book Writer' Into a Full-Time Job? 2 writers answer: http://bit.ly/mDyJcC

Coming Up With a Strong Conflict: http://bit.ly/m9WtoB

Are you growing, as a writer? http://bit.ly/j8FOZ1 @katieganshert

How To Find Music for Your Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/kKAd9m @galleycat

12 insider interview tips from 2 accomplished writers: http://bit.ly/kIgvqN

30 Signs You're a (Children's) Writer-Parent: http://bit.ly/mAAqb0 @CherylRWrites

Capitalize on Keyword Searches on Amazon: http://bit.ly/jajjY9

22 ways to stay focused on writing: http://bit.ly/jw3LWa

Is That a TV Show You're Reading? http://bit.ly/jUDqqz

Is Google Planning an E-Book Rental Service? http://rww.to/lUyxqU

13 principles of plot: http://bit.ly/itlQXT

The "New Era" of the Author is Imminent: http://bit.ly/kzwrJh

10 Tips to Balance Parallel Sentence Structure: http://bit.ly/mIBVhg

Previously Published Authors & Their Decision to Self-Pub: http://bit.ly/mNzODz

How Can We Possibly Connect With ALL Our Followers? http://bit.ly/kr0svH

Ebook covers are different from print: http://bit.ly/iBe0A4

One Surefire Way to Increase Your Productivity: http://bit.ly/lJ7zxn

7 Tips for Falling in Love with Your Blog All Over Again: http://bit.ly/ioxOjT

The endless war between pantsters and outliners: http://bit.ly/j1bqIx

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Killer Strawberry and Chicken Entree & Murder ala Mode Book Giveaway http://bit.ly/g4MtQa

An author's career arc: http://bit.ly/jDcZMl @pubperspectives

Challenges and rewards of being a pro writer--and qualities we should have: http://bit.ly/iN1Il2

5 Steps to Subconscious-Driven Creativity: http://bit.ly/mPo7wC

25 useful Mac apps for writers: http://bit.ly/j5PSnK

One writer's difficult choice between self-pub and small press: http://bit.ly/k9QAML @HeatherMcCorkle

Thoughts on writing action scenes: http://bit.ly/iXxeSH

Track goals to make your dreams a reality: http://bit.ly/j3uCE8

Finding the Right Writing Group: http://bit.ly/iqcKcW @bluemaven

Tips for Reducing Eye Strain for Readers and Writers: http://bit.ly/jbDLR0

7 things teen writers can do to hone their craft during break: http://bit.ly/kisonu

A Look at POV Shifts--5 ways to spot them: http://bit.ly/l2FFpq

Worldbuilding: What's on the page? http://bit.ly/jqMoDb

Common flaws 1 writer has noticed in self-pubbed books: http://bit.ly/kNPIxZ

Are You Making Any of These 5 Mistakes in Your "About Me" section? http://bit.ly/jpTCDT

Blog Law – Is Your Giveaway Legal? http://bit.ly/jUfahB

Give characters a chance to grow: http://bit.ly/joNTzR

The 2 Types of Blogs and Which One Is Right for You: http://bit.ly/lL2sQl

3 Reasons Action is Important, 3 Reasons It's Not: http://bit.ly/iKnM2M

2 Tricks to Keep Your Online Reading Manageable: http://bit.ly/lMR8c7

Kill writer's block and become a master copywriter in 3 hours a day: http://bit.ly/joVZgX

Including crotchety and annoying characters in our books: http://bit.ly/ljwToN @mkinberg

How to Run a Successful Social Media Contest: http://bit.ly/mkG7k0

Killing a writing career? http://bit.ly/lruko0

This Week's Twitter Fail Whale–The Hashtag Ho: http://bit.ly/loCDZe

No, That Character Is Not You: http://bit.ly/iidpV2 @LesaHolstine

Keep an eye on your objective, when writing: http://bit.ly/laQf3R @RavenRequiem13

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Pink Lemonade Pie—by Riley Adams http://bit.ly/jFdwm6

Detectives & their Drink: Cocktail Recipes & Thin Man Martini Video: http://bit.ly/iwCwxP @JanetRudolph

Tips for indie booksellers--hand-selling dos and don'ts: http://bit.ly/mMF38P and social media tips: http://bit.ly/mKjGwj

Word power--misaligned subjects: http://bit.ly/ip4qyT

A mash-up of helpful links for self-publishing: http://bit.ly/lssH3w @jhansenwrites

Reversals in Novels and Movies: http://bit.ly/mPlmnl

Why One Writer Doesn't Count Followers, Mentions, Google Alerts, or Blog Hits Anymore: http://bit.ly/iOBUfn

Creating endings that resonate: http://bit.ly/iAJ56A @juliemusil

10 Commandments of Grammar for Fiction Writers: http://bit.ly/lRezTj

Romancing the Bookseller--dos and don'ts of working with bookstores to promote books: http://bit.ly/izvqzl @pubperspectives

How to Fix Big Problems with Small Changes: http://bit.ly/lcD5gJ @JamiGold

3 things to think about when writing modern dialogue: http://bit.ly/jH6v0B @DeeScribe

Improv tip for writers--keep it here and now: http://bit.ly/k6ETfs @thinkStory

3 Publishing Trends Writers Must Stay On Top Of: http://bit.ly/kPECKU

How Often Should You Update Your Blog? http://bit.ly/mbKBA0 @BloggingMentor

Critique Feedback: Accentuate the Positives: http://bit.ly/iSo2uE @keligwyn

A rapidly changing future for agents: http://bit.ly/mhYBbD

Creating a Series: http://bit.ly/koLvqy

Steampunk Sub-Genre Bingo: http://bit.ly/lic3U2

Why One Writer Still Believes in Big-Press Publishing: http://bit.ly/jXVwDJ

Goal Setting Success – the Charlie Brown Method: http://bit.ly/lj66Ku

How do you "write what you know" in SF/F? http://bit.ly/ifffwd

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: A Healthy Snack: Foolproof Stuffed Mushrooms from Cleo Coyle and a Giveaway from ... http://bit.ly/lQUxbW

The write apps: apps there *should* be for writers: http://bit.ly/jcSn2H

The importance of voice in your query letter: http://bit.ly/ldQRH9 @writeangleblog

2 things Hitchcock taught one writer about adding details to a story: http://bit.ly/jUHYu5

Building an Online Presence 101: Getting Started: http://bit.ly/jKkDjS

Plot Basics—The Events of Story: http://bit.ly/if9J39

Time to get passive aggressive – get your main character out of the back seat: http://bit.ly/lBP2oO @dirtywhitecandy

Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 5/20/11): http://bit.ly/mF8U1X @janefriedman

The evolution of a writer: http://bit.ly/khEXdT

How 1 writer has consciously worked to improve his writing: http://bit.ly/iKck6O

The all-important writer bio: http://bit.ly/kmad7d

21 quick steps for blogging success: http://bit.ly/kltpeT

The Constant Drumbeat for Every Writer: http://bit.ly/kITBb6

Get Your Character Through That Door: http://bit.ly/ipcqlF

World Building: Don't Do It! http://bit.ly/kqiCCK @thecreativepenn

The Kung Fu Panda Guide to Writing Action Scenes: http://bit.ly/mgFeVb

Tips for character creation: http://bit.ly/miyfqS

The 10 Terrible Truths of Book Marketing: http://bit.ly/jRLdi4

How to use the power of Twitter to develop and promote your zone of genius: http://bit.ly/jy36Hz

Search my tweets-- http://dld.bz/KPgS

How to Indicate Unspoken and Indirect Discourse: http://bit.ly/m8zT4K

LinkedIn: The Social Media Tool Writers Should Not Ignore: http://bit.ly/jwgwUI

Konrath on Why You Won't Succeed As A Self-Published Ebook Writer: http://bit.ly/j0vRaO

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Chocoholics Unite! http://bit.ly/lSLU6G

Helpful plug-ins for Wordpress bloggers: http://bit.ly/isYsIC @storiestorm

Top 10 most frightening books for teenagers (Guardian): http://bit.ly/jmlSva

On the future of journalism: http://bit.ly/mz9qKf

So How, Exactly, Does a Writer Grow? http://bit.ly/mbUQNb

20 tips to accomplish your dreams: http://bit.ly/mnmP5A

Do Facebook and Google Control Too Much Personal Information? (The Atlantic): http://bit.ly/m0Ofdp

Slow and Steady: http://bit.ly/lEw5Ip

Breathing new life into books with official hashtags: http://bit.ly/kY2OeB

Finding Your Blog's Unique Voice: http://bit.ly/kYHxpI

A helpful thesaurus for settings, emotions, symbolism, & weather--now with character traits: http://bit.ly/mQINxh @AngelaAckerman

What it Really Means When Your Book Gets Rejected: http://bit.ly/j0CPKC @annerallen

Will Your Manuscript Survive to Page 20? http://bit.ly/j0aAVz

Why contemporary romantic suspense is an improvement over old school novels: http://bit.ly/kOsVnT

Don't discard the librarians (Globe and Mail): http://bit.ly/ijmJb1

Tips for word thieves: http://bit.ly/jZCJ9y @juliemusil

Beyond the First Draft–Preparing the Perfect Proposal: http://bit.ly/lqeDHg

A cautionary comic for writers: http://bit.ly/lJbxV7 @inkyelbows

On Punctuation Gimmicks: http://bit.ly/lFukWn

The Resume Is Dead, The Bio Is King: http://bit.ly/kMSG2r

Balancing inner and outer story in your book: http://bit.ly/jbwkBg

4 Types of Reference Books You Didn't Know You Needed: http://bit.ly/j0eZux

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome Guest Blogger - Larry Sweazy! http://bit.ly/kMqken

Writing late? Writing early? How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With? (NY Times): http://nyti.ms/kyZnXZ

10 Steps to Finding Your Writing Voice: http://bit.ly/iWADJe @JeffGoins via @designerdaze

Putting your work in the market and keeping it there until sold: http://bit.ly/jelev9

Publishing--a small press adventure: http://bit.ly/mEDwbP

Consciously Making Writing Goals

My writing friend, Jan Morrison, had a great post on Thursday about the book The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.

Jan explains that Maurer's approach to life involves asking ourselves small questions to move forward toward goals. Jan said that by posing small questions to ourselves we don't freak ourselves out by goal-planning and subconsciously sabotage our efforts.

I like this idea a lot because while I'm a huge list-maker and goal-planner, the thought of the Big Picture of the next 20 years of my writing life tends to freak me out a little. If you were to ask me, off the cuff, where I'd like to be with my writing 20 years from now, for example, I'd probably be so overwhelmed that I wouldn't even know how to answer the question.

In fact, my agent asked me a similar question about a year ago (we were having a coffee together at a conference) and I looked at her like she'd grown horns.

Sometimes I feel like I can't see the forest for the trees—I'm just so darned busy. I'm working toward the next deadline at all times.

What my agent's question forced me to do last year, though, was to actually pull myself out of my minute to minute scrambling and think about the big picture. It still freaks me out, though. My answer to my agent's question, at the time, was to say that I wanted to keep doing what I was doing right now. That I was interested in exploring other genres and ideas….later on. I was very vague about it all.

Jan posted her list of small questions to herself on her blog post. She gives some good direction on how to start thinking about goals for life and writing. And asking myself questions is a much nicer way to approach goal-setting than making a bulleted list.

I also like the idea of breaking down goals (once I've identified them) into small steps…it makes it so much easier to reach a goal.

Have you set goals for yourself, as a writer?

An Original Story

I just finished reading a very disturbing book all the way from cover to cover—so you know it must be book club time for me. :)

Ordinarily, I wouldn't pick a story to read that gives me nightmares at night, but my book club seems to have a proclivity for picking them.

I was reading the harrowing and unusual tale with great trepidation when I suddenly came across some story elements so familiar to me that they comforted me—and it all started with a crazy wife locked in a remote section of a large house. Jane Eyre! I thought with relief, and was able to keep reading the book club selection. Sure enough, the story was on a real Gothic kick from that point on.

I'll sometimes hear writers worry about writing a really original, breakout story.

But I really don't think there are any really original breakout stories to be written. I think that each of us has the opportunity to do a really bang-up job on an old story in our unique voice.

It's been said that there are only seven basic plots in all of literature. Actually, there have been said to be several different numbers of basic plots, but seven is the number mentioned most frequently.

This site lists 1 basic plot, 7 , 20, and finally, 36 basic plots.

What if there are as many as 36 basic plots in literature? That's still not many.

And yet, with all the similarity in theme, we're not getting bored with books. Or movies, because films are limited to these plot lines, too.

That's because each writer brings something of themselves to the book. It could be an amazing character they created or a fabulous setting. It could be the writer's voice in the way he tells the story.

Just the fact that the writers are all different means that their stories will be unique. Their takes on the stories will be unique. Out of the 36 plots, one writer might use a particular plot in a thriller and another might use it in a romance.

It's our different takes on life that make plots unique.

Do you ever notice this repetition of plots in books and movies? Most of the time, I'll admit, I don't…each story seems very different.

Staying Motivated by Starting Out the Day With a Win

Lately, looking at my to-do list, I've felt pretty snowed. I've got Finger Lickin' Dead releasing June 7th, a book due July 1, and a complete outline for another book due August 1.

And the children are almost out of school for the summer. :)

I'm good at prioritizing the things I need to do, but when everything is a priority, it makes it tough.

What I've found keeps me knocking through the items on my to-do list, is a couple of different approaches.

Some days I'll put several quick and easy tasks on my to-do list—stuff that I need to do, but that only take a second. So my list could have these things on it: 1) Put sunflower seed in the birdfeeder 2) Water potted plants on front porch 3) Put newspapers in recycling bin

Honestly, I feel so smug after crossing three things off on my list, that I start attacking the rest of the to-do list with renewed vigor. Sad, but true.

My other approach is to put the most loathed, procrastinated task on the top of my to-do list. Then, the whole rest of the day, I'm proud of myself for knocking it out. It gives me more motivation to keep crossing things off my list.

I'm a productivity nut, so please share how you stay motivated and don't get overwhelmed by your to-do lists. Inquiring minds want to know!

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Finger Lickin' Dead launches June 7th