Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 31

June 11, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 65,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you're there, check out the Writer's Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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Published on June 11, 2022 21:01

June 5, 2022

Who We’re Writing For

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Unless you're writing a memoir or a family history, chances are that you're not writing for your family. Nor, unless your friends are eager readers of your genre, your friends.

I read a lot of blog posts, though, where writers lament the lack of support they're receiving from their family members. The support they're often looking for is for family to buy and read their books.

Although I don't necessarily think family should feel obligated to purchase a writer's books, it's certainly one way to support a writer. There are many, many more. Family members can share a writer's social media posts, spread the news about a book release among friends, or even persuade libraries or bookshops to hold a book signing. They can brag about you to others. Most importantly, for writers who have young children or who might be caregivers to others, family and friends can help provide time for the writer to write, work on business tasks, or promote online.

My (grown) children will sometimes ruefully tell me that their friends give them a hard time for not reading my books. My answer is always, “But I didn't write them for you. I dedicated some books to you, but I didn't write them with you in mind.” And I didn't write them for my husband, mother, or any other family members. I have a good grasp on who my readers are and they're always very much my target audience when I'm writing.

I was reminded of this recently when visiting with my mother's tax attorney. He's a nice guy and asked if he could purchase one of my books. He thought his granddaughter might like it. I say what I usually say when someone I know asks to read my books–that they should give it a try at the library first. If they like that one, there are about fifty others. :) He reiterated that he'd like to purchase one, so I sent him a copy in the mail.

Some time later I spoke with him on the phone, regarding my mother's taxes. At the end of the conversation, he said he'd read my book and was enjoying it, but didn't think his granddaughter was quite ready for it.

I totally agreed. That's because, despite the fact that cozy mysteries have no explicit gore, profanity, or adult material, they do have murders.

I learned that he'd been a bit misled by the cover design for my books. An avid cozy mystery reader would immediately recognize the hallmarks of a cozy…the cat on the cover, the hint of danger (in this case, a blood-splatter on a tombstone). The cartoonish elements indicating there might be humor between the covers.

I never want to turn away potential readers, of course. I'd like to think that I've persuaded several mystery readers to give cozies a go…some of them are folks I know. But my books aren't a good fit for every reader. And I'd never have my feelings hurt if friends and family didn't read my books…or even if they did and didn't like them. Because I have a good lock on my audience and who I'm writing for.

As always, this isn't one size fits all advice, as most advice isn't. If you're not getting any support as a writer, suggest that your family or friends help you out in other ways. And remember that, ultimately, you're writing for other people. The readers who chose your books because of your genre and the singular spin you give it. And, most importantly, you're writing for yourself.

How does your writing life mix with your family and friends?

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Published on June 05, 2022 21:01

June 4, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

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Published on June 04, 2022 21:02

May 28, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

In observance of Memorial Day, I won't be blogging tomorrow. I'll be back next Sunday.

Business / Miscellaneous What Makes a Reader Try a New Author? @justreadtours Are Book Fairs the Right Place for Indie Authors? @dkparsonswriter @OrnaRoss @IndieAuthorALLI Different Types of Writing: by Mindy Lawrence Marketing for Freelance Writers: @RobynRoste Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous Mohammed Alnaas Wins the International Prize for Arabic Fiction: @Porter_Anderson @Arabic_Fiction The Arabic Language Centre's Congress Opens in Abu Dhabi: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Norway's WEXFO: Strong Registration Is Reported for an Ambitious Program: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives The ‘Nibbies': The British Book Awards Name Their 2022 Winners: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives Abu Dhabi: Rakuten Kobo Announces Arabic as a Primary Language: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives The Ultimate Guide to Book Fairs for Indie Authors: @IndieAuthorALLI Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2022 Laureates Honored at Louvre Abu Dhabi: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Creativity and Inspiration / Careers in Writing and Day Jobs Jobs that give you time to be who you need to be: @IantheRoge @Roz_Morris Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration 10 Things That Stifle A Writer’s Creativity: by Susanne Bennett. @Writers_Write Improve Your Creativity: @agnieszkasshoes @thecreativepenn Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers 7 Literary Characters Who Famously Refused to Get a Smartphone: @ailipstein @ElectricLit Best Legal Thriller Adaptations: by J.D. Trafford @MandSMagazine “Maybe I Am Trying to Read Too Many Books At Once”: @mollytempleton @tordotcom Five Vampire Novels With a Classic Bite: @silviamg @tordotcom 7 Novels Set in the Literary World: @CaitlinBarasch @ElectricLit Great stories written in the 2nd person POV: by L Cooke @TheStoryEditor 5 Extremely Unscientific Methods for Picking Your Next Book: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Gudrun Frerichs’ Girl From the Tree House: @MargotKinberg Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing Writing a book is a time game: @NathanBransford Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life Where Words Fail, Music Speaks: @KelleyLindberg1 @RMFWriters A Squirrel’s Guide To: Never EVER EVER EVER Give Up! (Until You Must)…. : @katmagendie @WriterUnboxed The Paradox of Overthinking Things as a Writer: @radekpazdera A Few Things Learned This Year (So Far) About Writing: @BeingTheWriter @womenonwriting Making Space for Mistakes and Experiments, in Marriage and Writing: By Francesco Pacifico @lithub Being a Public Librarian Can Be Dangerous Work; Why Don’t We Acknowledge That? – @aelaineo @ElectricLit Why Write When the World Is on Fire? @manzanitafire @JaneFriedman Three Ways Wordle is Like Writing: @magpie0218 @RMFWriters Why Your Amazing Writing Group Might Be Failing You: @LisaEllisonsPen @JaneFriedman Reviewing Other Writers’ Work: @JagsArthurson @TheGrammarDiva Who Says Your Pain is Required for Wonderful Writing? @lahousewyfe @TheIWSG https://t.co/QBDi9fAyL0 Genres / Miscellaneous Writing Comics Short and Long – As Long as They Are Weird: @petevonsholly @savethecat Genres / Mystery Crime Fiction: Readers' Antipathy Toward Child or Animal Victims: @MargotKinberg Graveyards as Settings in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg Writing a Cozy Mystery: 10 Feel-Good Suspense Tips: @nownovel The Unique Pleasures of a Mystery Novel with a High Death Count: @PeterSwanson3 @CrimeReads John Dickson Carr: The Master of the Locked Room-Mystery: @GigiPandian @CrimeReads Locked-Room Mysteries: A Beginner’s Guide: @GigiPandian @CrimeReads Genres / Picture Books All about Picture Books: @Livy_Fisher @DIYMFA Genres / Science Fiction Romance, SF, and Fantasy: “I See Romance … Everywhere!: by Alexia Chantel @sfwa Genres / Short Stories Short Story Tips: 3 Successful Strategies to Write a Short Story: by Sarah Gribble @write_practice Promo / Blogging How to Survive 13 Years of Blogging: @annerallen Promo / Miscellaneous How to Engage Book Clubs: @c_vandenhende @DIYMFA Promo / Platforms The Best Way Writers Can Build Their Brand: @LiveWriteThrive Publishing / News / Amazon Self-publishing News: KDP Changes Rules for Publishing Journals and Stationery: @agnieszkasshoes Publishing / News / International Publishing At Abu Dhabi's Arabic Congress: Maha Abdullah on Localization: @Porter_Anderson @AbuDhabiALC @pubperspectives At Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Congress: Abdulsalam Haykal on Majarra: @Porter_Anderson @AbuDhabiALC @majarra @amhaykal IPA, FEP, EIBF Flag Reports of Publishers in Belarus Being Detained: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying Query Breakdown: Word Count for Debut Novels: @OpAwesome6 Publishing / Process / Book Design Book Brush Review: Create Beautiful Images for Your Book: @StoryHobbit @DaveChesson Writing Craft / Characters / Development Fear Thesaurus Entry: Being Capable of Harm: @AngelaAckerman @onestop4writers How Do I Write a Character That’s Smart but Lacks Common Sense? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants Writing Craft / Characters / Supporting Characters Secondary Characters Deserve a Life of their Own: @kcraftwriter @WriterUnboxed Writing Craft / Common Mistakes Common First Draft Mistakes: @thewriterremedy @DIYMFA Are You Drowning Your Story in Your Imagery? by Dave King @WriterUnboxed Writing Craft / Dialogue Realistic Dialogue: 16 Observations Writers Should Know About Real Life Talk: @joebunting @write_practice Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film Page One: “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2018): @GoIntoTheStory Page One: “In the Heat of the Night” (1968): @GoIntoTheStory Page One: “Inglourious Basterds” (2009): @GoIntoTheStory Favorite Fictional Superfans: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom Choose Wisely: 25 Memorable Deaths in Science Fiction and Fantasy: @cloudy_vision @tordotcom Page One: “Inherent Vice” (2014): @GoIntoTheStory Writing Craft / Literary Devices Story Theme: Definition and Examples for a Controlling Idea: @StoryGrid Writing Craft / Miscellaneous The Five Commandments of Storytelling: @StoryGrid Elements of a Story: @cyallowitz In Favor of Present Tense Writing: @RhiannonWrites_ @GoodStoryCo 4 Things to Remember When Writing About Difficult Subjects: @colleen_m_story Lessons From a Crash Course in Ghostwriting: @laurenkatebooks @lithub Story Strands: Using Varied Narrative Forms in a Novel: @SophieMasson1 @WriterUnboxed Beginnings, Middles, and Endings: @TimSuddeth Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar To Comma, or Not to Comma: @LoriAnnFreeland Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques Want to give good feedback? Do the opposite of Professor Bhaer in “Little Women”: @SarahLizChar @qz The complete guide to working with beta readers: by Bec Evans @beprolifiko Writing Craft / Scenes How Can We Recognize a Scene vs. a Sequel? @JamiGold Writing Tools / Miscellaneous Tools for Collaboration, Editing, and Beta Reading: by Steve Hooley @killzoneauthors

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Published on May 28, 2022 21:02

May 22, 2022

4 Things to Remember When Writing About Difficult Subjects

by Colleen M. Story, @colleen_m_story

Difficult subjects.

We’d all rather avoid them. It’s easier to write about good things happening to our characters. Falling in love. Getting a new job. Striking out on an adventure.

But physical or sexual abuse? Assault? Addiction? Suicide?

That’s where we can get a little squeamish.

Yet when the muse says you need to write about these difficult topics, you must honor the muse!

How to manage it? Keep the following four things in mind.

When Writing About Difficult Subjects: Show Empathy

When writing about difficult topics like abuse or assault, it can be tough to find empathy for the perpetrator. Particularly if you have personal experience as a victim, it can be satisfying to portray your perpetrator as completely evil, and then to dole out the justice he or she deserves.

Perhaps justice that was sorely lacking in your life.

There’s nothing wrong with doing this on a practice story, in your journal, or even in the first draft of your novel. But it’s important to remember that if you want to create a publishable story that readers will enjoy, you have to accurately portray all of your characters, even the ones you may dislike.

My next novel coming out, The Beached Ones, explores a couple of difficult topics. One is verbal abuse between a parent and a child. At first, my parent character was rather one-dimensional, with the reader seeing her only through the child’s eyes.

Later, I realized that no matter how dysfunctional, this relationship was important in my hero’s journey and needed further exploration. That required digging into the parent’s past a little more, realizing what had made her who she was, and doing my best to put myself in her shoes.

This took time, and it wasn’t until the later drafts that I succeeded, but I was much happier with the story when I did. It felt more authentic, and the hero’s journey much deeper and more satisfying.

This doesn’t mean you have to let your perpetrator off the hook. Finding true justice in your story can be healing to you personally, and will likely appeal to readers’ sense of justice as well. Allow your bad guy’s fate to play out as it will in your plotline. Just be sure that he or she is a full-fledged, well-rounded character just like the rest of your main characters.

When Writing About Difficult Subjects: Trust Your Muse

It’s funny how writing works. You’ll be working away on a story you think is about one thing, when all of a sudden something else will pop up.

If that something else happens to be a difficult subject, most times, it’s best to trust the muse and see where it goes.

Usually, if this comes up in the course of your writing without you thinking too much about it, it means you're probably ready to address this topic. That's a good sign, as it suggests that you may have gained enough distance from it that you can now handle it well within the confines of your story's world.

That’s what happened to me. Another topic that my novel explores is suicide. I didn’t intend to write about this topic. I hadn’t thought about the suicide that occurred when I was young for many years.

But here I was writing about characters who had been touched by suicide in one way or another. I trusted the muse and went with it, and now I’m really glad I did. You too may find that an old trauma rears its ugly head in your writing. Trust yourself—if you feel ready to write about it, don’t let anything stop you.

When Writing About Difficult Subjects: Face Your Fear

Writing about difficult subjects can be frightening.

I worried that no publisher would want to touch a story that explored the subject of suicide. (I was wrong.) I worried what people might think of the story or the fact that I'd had a personal experience with suicide, which I knew I'd need to reveal eventually.

When a difficult subject comes up in your story, you too may worry about writing it. What will other people think? Will you be able to do justice to the topic?

Fear can come up in the writing, too. As you're writing your scenes, you may notice old feelings reappearing, memories coming forward, and questions re-emerging about everything that may have happened in your life.

It can be difficult to stay with it sometimes, considering that to write a successful novel, you usually need to create multiple drafts.

This is why it can help to have some distance from any traumatic experience before you try to write a story that deals with a similar subject. But if the muse is telling you that this is the story you must write, do your best to face your fear and move forward. Usually, it’s the only way to keep growing as a writer.

When Writing About Difficult Subjects: Separate Experience from Story

Sometimes writers want to write about what happened to them just as it happened. Then when an editor or mentor tries to point out the flaws in the story, they’ll say, “But that’s how it happened!”

If you find yourself doing this, consider that you’re still too close to the experience to turn it into a story. You need more distance.

A story requires structure, pacing, characterization, rising and falling action, and all the rest. If you try to force a difficult topic onto your characters simply because it’s a topic that’s bothering you, personally, that probably won’t work very well.

Consider journaling about it first. See where it takes you. Journaling can help you get the story out, process your emotions, and ease you into a place where you can better see all sides of the story—which is what you need to do as a writer.

Remember your reader: He or she is coming to you for entertainment, first and foremost. For you, the story may be a way to overcome the trauma. But for a reader, it needs to be an enjoyable way to pass the time. Think of your reader before you commit to creating a story.

A Final Thought on Writing About Difficult Topics

My editor for The Beached Ones once told me that she thought the book had a lot of empathy, as well as an “uplifting” ending. I loved hearing that, as I wanted to give my readers hope.

We all go through difficult experiences in life. If we’re not careful, they can bring us down so low that we have a hard time picking ourselves back up.

The right book can help. You probably already know an author who helped you cope with a difficult experience. Imagine being able to be that author for someone else.

Not that everything has to be wine and roses for your character in the end. But to form a complete arc, your character will need to find a way to move on.

What’s amazing about writing is that this can help you move on too. Even if the story is completely different from what you may have experienced. If it explores a similar topic, you may be amazed at how following your character’s journey can help both of you emerge as stronger, more resilient people.

The Beached Ones did that for me, and I’ll be forever grateful.

Note: The Beached Ones is forthcoming from CamCat books in June 2022. Get your FREE excerpt here, or preorder now! (Buy links and book trailer here.) Get FREE chapters of Colleen’s books for writers here.

Colleen M. Story is a novelist, freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker with over 20 years in the creative writing industry. Her latest release, The Beached Ones, is forthcoming from CamCat Books in June 2022. Her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.

Colleen has written three books to help writers succeed. Your Writing Matters is the most recent, and was a bronze medal winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards (2022). Other award-winning titles include Writer Get Noticed! and Overwhelmed Writer Rescue. Enjoy free chapters of these books here.

Find more at her author website (colleenmstory.com) or connect with her on Twitter (@colleen_m_story) and LinkedIn.

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Published on May 22, 2022 21:01

May 21, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

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Published on May 21, 2022 21:01

May 15, 2022

Stress and Writing

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Moving is listed as one of the five most-stressful life events. I didn't necessarily think that was incorrect, but I may have thought I might be a bit more immune to it. I'm a planner and a very hard worker. A list-maker. Surely it wouldn't be as stressful for someone like me.

So not true, ha! And we're currently still renting an Airbnb while we house-hunt in a crazy buyers' market.

The bright side is that the change of perspective has done me and my writing a lot of good, as I mentioned in this post. I'm spending time in a new place. When I stare out the window when I'm writing, I'm seeing different things. The experiences I have here are new, too.

Another bright side has been the writing, itself. Besides reading, writing has always been my favorite activity.

When my father died in 2020 and I was trying to help my mother cope, I stopped writing for a couple of weeks. At the time, it felt like the right thing to do. But at the end of the two weeks, I felt strangely unmoored. When I started writing again (early in the morning before my mother woke up), it was one little thing that was going right.

A proviso: not every writer will find stress-relief from writing, no matter how much he or she enjoys it. But you could give writing a go when your life is crazy and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out for you or adds to your stress in any way, just take a break. The most important thing is to take care of yourself, in whatever way works best.

I wrote this post because most writers completely stop writing during times of stress. I wonder if, for at least a few of them, writing through their stress might prove to be a partial remedy.

Here's why writing has helped me through the last few months:

I can escape to another world. It's armchair travel on a completely different level.

I have control over everything in that world. When you don't have a lot of control over what's going on in your life, there's something very satisfying about having complete control over something.

Writing has always been soothing to me. The creative process is fun to me. I enjoy almost every aspect of writing (okay, outlines aren't necessarily fun, but there's something very satisfying when all the different parts of the story come together).

Following a daily routine helps me manage stress. It's more than just going through the motions. Having a set morning routine is almost like following a ritual. Not only is it calming, but it helps me (again) feel somehow more in control.

I enjoy the smug feeling from having made my goal that day. This is just sort of icing on the cake. I feel the same way after exercising, journal writing, and working on promo. I've tackled a challenge and that always makes me smile.

I've realized that I also doubled-down on my writing during 2020 (aside from the period following my father's death), which was a pretty stressful year for everyone.

Again, like most things, this won't work for all writers. But if you're having a stressful time and feel at loose ends, see if you can give it a go for a day or two and see if it helps at all.

What do you do for stress relief?

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Published on May 15, 2022 21:01

May 14, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous Business Musings: Exclusivity in 2022: @KristineRusch How This Journalist Started Her Own Successful Writing Business: @FamilyLines @colleen_m_story The 5 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Book Marketing Team: @Bookgal Writing Tips: Lessons Learned From Rewriting My First Novel Over A Decade Later: @thecreativepenn Self-publishing News: Kindle Storyteller UK 2022 Open to Entrants: @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLI How to sell a book: From first draft to market: @nownovel Ten Years of Self-Publishing 2012 to 2022: @IndieAuthorALLI Best Practices for Working with an Independent Editor: @LisaPoisso @onestop4writers Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting Set Writing Goals That Work: by Cole Smith Setting Goals as a Writer: @radekpazdera Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers How Lewis Carroll Built a World Where Nothing Needs to Make Sense: @erinmorgenstern @lithub Deeply Flawed Mother Figures of Literature: A Reading List: by Mary Kuryla @lithub If I Don’t Remember What I Read, Did I Really Read It At All? @mollytempleton @tordotcom 7 stories for sleepless nights: @prepartynap @lithub Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Marianne Wheelaghan’s Food of Ghosts: @MargotKinberg Want to Be a Writer? You’ve Got to Read: @KarenCV Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life Writing Slow: What Went Wrong? by Jill Kemerer How to Be a Working Writer: @FoxPrintEd How to Prevent Digital Burnout as an Online Business Owner: @quiettypeblog Dispatch From the Querying Trenches: Shelving a Dream: @karisrogerson @LitReactor What Causes Burnout? @KMazeauthor How much money can book authors make? @pubcoach Too much TV might spoil your… prose writing: @Roz_Morris Are Rodents Eating Your Fiction? @jamesscottbell Pivoting On The Creative Journey With Johnny B Truant: @sterling_stone @thecreativepenn Getting Lost and Trying to Get Home: by Crystal Otto @womenonwriting A literary guide to crying in New York City: @snigdhak @lithub Should You Take a Break From Writing? 5 Red Flags: @KMWeiland How to Write When You Don't Feel Like It: 5 Practical Tips You Can Try Today: @joebunting @write_practice Is recency bias harming your writing? @pubcoach “When? Where? How?” Margaret Atwood Considers the Burning Questions of the Writing Life: @MargaretAtwood @lithub How the Beat Generation Created the Uniform for Disaffected Youth: @sophielouwilson @lithub Ten Tips from a Chiropractor for Writers: @burke_writer @killzoneauthors Genres / Horror What Are Your Favorite Horror Authors Afraid Of? @Gabino_Iglesias @LitReactor 13 Ways to Freaking Freak Out Your Horror Readers: @shaylaleeraquel @JaneFriedman Genres / Memoir “Writing a Memoir Taught Me How to See My Mother”: @STurkle @lithub What If Your Memoir Is Middle Grade? @GuerillaMemoir @JaneFriedman Genres / Miscellaneous Picking or switching your genre: @ryanschowwriter @AuthorsAi Genres / Mystery Why Do People Kill? 15 Motives for Murder: @BrynDonovan Impersonation as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg The Internet as a Tool in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinberg Crime Fiction: The Impact of Trauma: @MargotKinberg Genres / Non-Fiction How to Write a Thought Leadership Book: @StacyEnnis @JaneFriedman 7+ Steps You Must Take to Write a Transformational Book: @NinaAmir Genres / Romance Can We Still Judge a Romance Novel by Its Cover? @awallintime @ElectricLit Genres / Science Fiction Five Common Weapon Mistakes in Speculative Fiction: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants Genres / Short Stories A Constellation of Fiction: How to Tell When You Have a Short Story Collection: @LeslieKirkCamp @lithub Promo / Blogging Blogging Tips to Increase Website Traffic @SusanNealYoga @EdieMelson Blogging for Business: Six Tips to Help You Start (and Keep) Blogging on a Regular Basis: @WritersCoach Promo / Book Reviews “Death to Stars: Why I Won't Use Stars to Rate Books Anymore”: @SadieHartmann @LitReactor Promo / Miscellaneous Encanto Beat Sheet: by Cory Milles
@savethecat Promo / Social Media Tips Writers Lifts: Sharing the Love or Twitter Pyramid Scheme? @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor Writers: The TikTok Market 101: @LinWilsonauthor Publishing / Miscellaneous “Things I Wish I Knew Before I Published”: @LynetteMBurrows Reconsidering the Conventions of the So-Called Internet Novel: @exhaustdata @lithub Anne Applebaum at the AAP Meeting: ‘Publishing the Opposition: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives We All Need to Be Defended Against Predatory Publishing Practices: @brooke_warner @JaneFriedman What To Expect When Hiring a Sensitivity Reader: @TheLeighShulman Publishing / News / International Publishing Children's Books Edition Rights Roundup: Spring Titles: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives ‘Whispered' News: Beat Technology's ‘Fluister' for Dutch Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives IPA's Al Qasimi in Latin America: Empowerment for Women: @Porter_Anderson @Bodour @IntPublishers @pubperspectives Springer Nature Opens Open-Access Book Deal with Max Planck Society: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Italian Publishers Report a 2.5-Percent Slip in Units Sold Through April: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing How to Find a Literary Agent and More Publishing Advice: @LisaTener Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches How to Pitch Like a Hollywood Pro: by Peter Desberg and Jeffrey Davis @JaneFriedman Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying The two key fundamentals of plot descriptions (query critique): @NathanBransford Publishing / Process / Legalities Has a publisher held your book hostage for 35 years? Here's a way to get the rights back, legal and free: by Edittorrent Do You Need an Author Pen Name? @LiveWriteThrive Writing Craft / Beginnings On Engaging the Reader: by Barbara Linn Probst @WriterUnboxed Page One: “Twins” (1988): @GoIntoTheStory Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller? @RayRhamey @WriterUnboxed Writing Craft / Characters / Development Fear Thesaurus Entry: Leading: @AngelaAckerman Story Development and Execution: Character: @stacitroilo @StoryEmpire Dig Deeper than Descriptions to Create Nuanced Characters: @FoxPrintEd Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film “Five Tearjerker TV Episodes That Never Fail to Make Me Cry”: @ColeRush1 @tordotcom Page One: “The Hours” (2002): @GoIntoTheStory Great Scene: “There Will Be Blood”: @GoIntoTheStory Page One: “Hotel Rwanda” (2004): @GoIntoTheStory Page One: “The Hunt for Red October” (1990): @GoIntoTheStory Writing Craft / Miscellaneous Basics and Strong Writing: @TheCaregiversR1 The Top 10 Ways to Write Better Right Now: @PSHoffmanAuthor Five Clever Techniques for Writers to Make Your Audience Care: @ZenaDellLowe @EdieMelson Why Are Disingenuous Reveals So Common? by
Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants Show characters getting from Point A to Point B: @NathanBransford Writing Craft / POV Guide to Writing Third Person POV: @writingandsuch Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining A Quick Tip for Outliners: Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats The Maid Novel Beat Sheet: @marilynbrant @savethecat Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept Three Simple Tips on How to Have Great Ideas: @Peter_Rey_Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar The Very Shocking Facts about Adverbs: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors Writing Craft / Revision Revising for Tone During Difficult Times: @kathycowley @WomenWriters Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques The Art and Craftiness of Critique: @LorraineDWilke @WomenWriters Are You Suffering From Feedback Trauma? @Bang2write 3 Tips when Asking for Feedback: @SueBEdwards @womenonwriting Writing Craft / Scenes Fixing A Stuck Scene: @KMAllan_writer Writing Craft / Series Writing a Sequel: @_MelAuthor_ @A3writers Writing Craft / Settings and Description Bring Your Writing to Life by Using Colors to Paint Your Story: @AneMulligan @EdieMelson The Main Characteristics About the Main Characters We Write: @PeggySueWells @EdieMelson Writing Craft / Synopses Write Your Synopsis Without Losing The Essence Of Your Story: @AnthonyEhlers @Writers_Write Uncategorized The Little Library Banned Book Project: @KBullockAuthor @WriterUnboxed

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Published on May 14, 2022 21:01

May 8, 2022

A Quick Tip for Outliners

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I've mentioned before (in 2019) that it's very helpful for outliners to hold onto their outlines instead of trashing them. I find them very helpful cheat-sheets when I'm about to discuss a book with a book club or at a library.

But I've recently found another great use for my outlines for those of you who use them. I almost always write short, no matter what project I'm working on. I like to bump up my word count, but not at the expense of my story. In other words, I don't want to just add a bit of fluff to the book.

What I've been doing lately is to use my outlines to find areas of my story to revisit. For my last book, I realized from re-reading my outline that I'd introduced a small thread about one of the supporting characters and then never followed up on it. It wasn't necessarily something that had to be followed up on (it wasn't a loose thread, in other words), but I think when I revisited the subplot later in the story, it probably gave readers more of a feeling that everything was getting wrapped up.

Before, I'd been brainstorming completely new subplots and character development bits to fill in the plot. I found, after re-reading my outline, that just wasn't necessary. And it was a lot more relevant than coming up with something new for my readers to follow.

Another benefit: sometimes it's easier to catch minor inconsistencies and small plot holes in the outline than it is in a 200 page draft.

I feel I do need to make a proviso here. My outlines are long. . . they average 35 pages and take about a week for me to write. But I think the same benefits could be had with a shorter document, as long as you outline subplots as well as the main plot.

That's my tip for today, but I'm interested in hearing from you. Have you come across any writing-related tips lately that work for you?

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Published on May 08, 2022 21:03

May 7, 2022

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 61,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you're there, check out the Writer's Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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Published on May 07, 2022 21:02

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