Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 244

On Doing What We Can

For a few months, I've seen tell-tale signs of social media burnout at some of my usual haunts—on different blogs, Twitter, maybe a little on Facebook. Mostly from bloggers.

I think those of us who are big into the blogging world really like it. We're hooked. We like reading other people's blogs, commenting on blogs, visiting our friends on Facebook or Twitter, and writing our own blog posts.

And because we enjoy it so much, we keep doing it. Or we find it really hard to cut back...

The Secret to Memorable Characters—by C. Patrick Schulze

Today I'd like to welcome writer C. Patrick Schulze to the blog. Patrick is a friend of mine through Twitter (@CPatrickSchulze) where he not only posts helpful original content, but also tweets useful links for writers.

I would like to thank our host, Elizabeth Spann Craig, for this opportunity to guest blog. She is kind and generous to offer me this opportunity.

The Secret to Memorable Characters

To listen to a podcast of this article, click HERE .

Have you ever paid attention to the ...

A Twist on the Original

A couple of days ago, we were visiting our family in Alabama. The kids had gotten very restless and were about to start wreaking havoc in their grandparents' house.

I shooed them outside and shooed myself with them because I was restless too, after having been in the car most of the day before. "Let's play hide and seek," I said.

My children looked at me doubtfully. "Are you going to hide too?" asked my daughter.

I said I would. Although I had a feeling I was going to regret it...

More Links

I'm doing a mid-week Twitter list this time, so I don't get so far behind! The last post I did for links generated so many hits that I think I'll have to make this a recurring feature.

Twitter for authors: http://bit.ly/bcC8av
Twitter for authors, part 2: http://bit.ly/b5CM3M
Are angels the next YA vampires? (Guardian): http://bit.ly/9NTCCN
Are you using too many settings? http://bit.ly/aSo51W
Creating landscapes in our books--they're more than just a stage:

On Turning 39—One Time Only

There aren't many jobs where youth is a disadvantage. I believe writing is one of them.

Actually, I don't think someone in their 30s is particularly young. Until recently, the 30s was considered middle-aged. And society in general doesn't consider someone in their 30s young.

But then there's the writing world.

My favorite uncomfortable moment was when I was with a panel of writers 5 years ago. The author next to me rambled on and on with his top piece of writing advice—live first...

Leaving the Nest—Deadline Day

Today is my deadline for the second Memphis Barbeque book. I'm emailing it to my editor this morning.

I'm getting better with deadlines. I've always met them, but I've felt very reticent about the manuscript in the past. I think I've usually turned it in a little apologetically: "Here it is. For what it's worth…"

Then, of course, there were the times I'd send a revised manuscript with an email. "I thought of something else I wanted to include in the book! (Or..I've found something w...

Absent Families

I'm taking a couple of days off from blogging to celebrate the Easter weekend with my family. I hope you'll enjoy this older post, which originally ran last June.

Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Snow White, Harry Potter…and it's not just in children's literature that there are absent mothers/fathers/wives/husbands.

If you think about it, many novels (except, maybe, ones that are specifically focusing on family life) have protagonists with no significant other.

Why is that? I...

Writing Different Personality Types

I'm taking a couple of days off from blogging to celebrate the Easter weekend with my family. I hope you'll enjoy this older post, which originally ran last July. :)

I wasn't cool in….well, ever. I was on the newspaper and literary magazine staff. I hung out with people in high school that are now architects, IT people, CPAs….but definitely not whatever the cheerleaders and football players became. (Politicians? What did those folks become? Inquiring minds want to know…)

I'm a nerd.

In ...

Celebrating Small Successes

Today is the first day of spring break for my children.

This week of spring break is also the time to celebrate four close family birthdays, observe Easter, send off my taxes, and email the second Memphis book to my editor.

Yesterday I was frantic. I drove two school carpools in the morning (it was my day), drove to Wal-Mart to shop for my son's 13th birthday…suddenly realized the dog was in the car (she loves school carpools), drove home, took the corgi into the house, drove back to ...

Beyond Amazon--Tracking Your Novel's Sales—by Amy Dawson Robertson

I'd like to welcome guest blogger Amy Dawson Robertson to Mystery Writing is Murder today. Amy is a native Virginian and graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis. She lives in the Washington DC area and her writing interests include genre fiction, short stories and graphic novels. She creates strong female characters in action-packed stories drawn on current events. Miles to Go is Amy's first novel.

In the old days, before the internet was a twinkle in eye of Leonard Kleinrock...