Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 240

Taking it a Step Farther

I was at my son's middle school last week, picking him up early for an appointment. I sat in the office with a clear view of the hall.

Whenever I'm able to see a middle school day in progress, I watch in a sort of horrified fascination.

My junior high years were my most un-favorite. Most of the kids were either really cliquey or really mean. I still haven't gone back for a reunion. I might even have "murdered" a composite of several of them in my books. :)

If some mystical being...

Developing a Protagonist

Since I'm working up a new book, I've got to have a brand-new, completely different protagonist.

When I'm working on a protagonist, one of two things usually happens…the protagonist is just immediately known to me (this happens when I've got a composite image in my head based on several people I actually know), or else I go through and build up a protagonist based on traits I admire as a reader.

I'm definitely operating from the second method this time and building up a main character...

Synopses

I'm not an outliner.

And I've been fortunate that I haven't had to write a synopsis for a couple of years.

But suddenly I've been requested to write a full synopsis and 3 chapters for a possible new series.

A synopsis…of material I haven't actually written? Sounds very like an outline to me….only it won't lay out the story chapter by chapter.

Seems like a good time to learn to write from an outline. :) In publishing it pays to adapt.

I'm thinking they'll be looking for about...

A Writer's Support

I'll say straight out that non-writers are frequently not sure what to make of the writing life.

Why would someone put so much time, research, and energy into something that pays so little?

Why would someone open themselves up (repeatedly) to hurt from rejections or snarky reviewers?

Honestly, it's really not something that makes a lot of sense. Most writers feel driven to write…and it's important enough to us to ignore the long hours, low pay, and potentially harsh feedback from first r...

Conference Pictures

Pictures from the 2010 Malice Domestic conference held last weekend in Washington, DC. I had a fantastic time, met many online friends in person, spoke with some wonderful mystery readers, attended and sat on panels, ran my mouth a lot more than I usually do…and came home exhausted, but happy!

Here I am hanging out with my Mystery Lovers' Kitchen friends, Avery Aames and Krista Davis right before the Agatha banquet. Avery writes the Cheese Shop mysteries and Krista writes the Diva...

Twitterific

Once again, I'm posting writing links that I previously posted to Twitter.

The idea of doing this isn't to overwhelm anyone. But I thought that if I kept track of these writing links in a searchable database (you can search my blog on the top left of the page) then we can access some of these helpful links by topic, when we need to.

One author shares lessons he's learned: http://bit.ly/aYUXsA

What makes a writer a professional? http://bit.ly/bfzoXo

A published author gives aspiring...

Changing Times

When I was at the Malice Domestic conference last weekend, I had a chance to talk with an author who currently has a successful series with a major publisher.

When I was introduced to her, I immediately remembered a review I'd read about her last book in the series on one of the major book blogs.

"Oh, fantastic review on _____," I said. (I don't want to make it too clear which author this is, although I don't think she'll find out…and you'll see why in a second.)

"Where?" she asked....

Where Are We Going With This?

Conferences are very good for making you think about your long-term plans.

There are writers there that have been published for the past 20 to 30 years…and there are writers who are just starting out, too, and thinking about where they want to go.

And there's nothing like a talk with your agent to help you straighten out your long-term goals. :)

I've said before that one of the best things I've done for my writing career was decide what direction I wanted to take with my writing. What w...

Coincidentally…

I felt a little out of touch with my North Carolina life while I was in DC at Malice Domestic.

My cell phone decided that it wouldn't charge with either of my two chargers. I emailed my husband and told him what was up—and to call me only if there was something important. If he wanted to just shoot the breeze, then email me.

So I was one of the first people at the cell phone store when it opened Monday morning.

A young guy in his early twenties helped me out. "I think," I said, "that i...

Juggling Promotion and Writing—When You Know You Need to Cut Back

Writers' roles in book promotion have changed a lot in the last twenty years. Instead of being expected merely to write and edit, they're looked at as partners in the publicity process.

If you're not promoting your book in some way (signings, interviews, blog tours, website giveaways), then you're really not doing your fair share. This doesn't come as a surprise to any writers who are plugged into the writing community. After all, with Yahoo Groups like Murder Must Advertise (which is a...