Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 49

June 27, 2020

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 56,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on June 27, 2020 21:01

June 21, 2020

How to Choose the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book

by Dave Chesson, @DaveChesson

You’ve probably heard of keyword research by now and how important it is for marketing your books. But did you know that you can do your own keyword research at home using a pen, some paper, your laptop and Amazon’s search bar?

In this article, we’ll look over how you can get a huge list of potential keywords for your book and narrow them down to the perfect list of keywords you can rank for!

Part One: Find Your Keywords

Use a Private Browser

The first thing you need to do is simple but absolutely vital–without doing this, everything else will be a waste of time.

When completing any keyword research, you need to use a private browsing window. If you’re using Chrome, this is called incognito mode. If you’re unsure how to do that, here’s a short video on how to set your browser to private mode.

Basically, using incognito mode will make sure that any previous searches–or purchases–won’t impact your search results.

Search on Amazon

Like we said earlier, to manually find keywords, you need to use Amazon’s search bar. Select the ‘Kindle Store’ option from the list of categories. Or, if you want to sell hard copies, select the ‘Books’ option. If you forget to change the category, you’ll get results from the entire Amazon store.

Now, get out that notepad and pen we spoke about earlier.

Begin typing in any phrases and potential keywords that readers could use when searching for your book. You’ll find that Amazon will try to guess what your search query is. So, start writing Amazon’s suggestions down.

You can add a single letter to the end of a potential sentence starter and check out how the auto-fill results will change–see the gif below.

This process is a long one, but by thoroughly working through all relevant keywords, you can create a list of hundreds of options for your book. If you are unsure about any particular keywords, make sure you check them against Amazon’s Keyword requirements page (it’s under the “Keywords to Avoid” section).

Part Two: Narrowing Down Your List

By now, you should have a list of well over one hundred potential keywords. Now, you’ll have to start narrowing down your list to the best keywords for your book.

To make sure you choose the right ones, you’ll have to do a little market and competitor research.

To start your research–again in incognito mode–search one of your favorite phrases from the list you’ve written down on Amazon. From there, you’ll want to check out your top three results.

In particular, you want to find how well the top-performing books are selling. To do that, write down the ABSR number–the Amazon Best Seller Rank–for each book. Then use this Kindle Calculator to work out how many copies that book sells. Copy the book’s ABSR into the calculator and it’ll do the rest.

In this example, let’s say the book has an ABSR of 23452. Using the calculator, a book of that ranking sells around 12 copies per day. Note, this includes ‘borrows’ if you’re using Kindle Unlimited.

When manually calculating sales, you should find the average book sales number for the top three results. Ideally, your keyword should be making some sales, but not enough that your book won’t be able to compete. When you find a keyword that doesn’t have high-selling books at the top of the search, one of two things is happening.

Your keyword isn’t popularThe best-performing books for that keyword aren’t relevant to the search. Amazon has to put something on its screen when people search, but if the book suggestions don’t help the potential reader, they probably won’t lead to a bunch of sales.

You should do this process with all of your potential keywords. After that, narrow your list down to a few books you can compete with sales-wise.

Part Three: Complete Competition Analysis

The third part of finding keywords for your book is going through your competition and seeing who you’re up against for that number one spot. You should have already cut a few options from your list in the previous step, so you’ll only have to analyze what’s left.

If you think about your own browsing habits, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that 25% of clicks on an Amazon search page are on the top result. From there, the percentages drop with every place on the result page. That means second place gets more clicks than third, third gets more than fourth, and so on.

So get out your trusty Kindle or other eReader and start searching for keywords and looking at the books that show up. Are their covers professional? Do they have lots of good reviews? Are their blurbs compelling?

If you find a keyword that sells high but doesn’t seem to have strong books targeting that keyword, you’re onto a winner.

Here are some signs that a competitor’s book can be beaten, even if they’re targeting the same keyword as you:

The book is new: Competing against new books is always a good strategy as they don’t have too big of a head start. Often, a new book’s sales figures have been inflated by a launch campaign. The book has a poor cover: A professional-looking cover will attract new readers to your title over competitors.The book only has a few (or bad) reviews: Readers will choose the best option available. If the book has minimal or poor reviews, there’s an opportunity for you.

Like you did with the previous step, cut any keywords you feel are too competitive and try to reach your final shortlist.

Final Thoughts

Self-publishing takes a lot of time and a fair amount of money. If you’re like me, you want to make sure the books you write actually get the sales they deserve.

To help you do that, you now have a manual way to find the best keywords for your next book. If that sounds too difficult, there are also tools like Publisher Rocket you can use to skip the manual work and complete keyword research in minutes.

Whatever you choose, best of luck in selling more books.

Cheers!

Dave Chesson is the creator of Kindlepreneur.com, a website devoted to teaching advanced book Marketing which even Amazon KDP acknowledge as one of the best by telling users to “Gain insight from Kindlepreneur on how you can optimize marketing for your books.” Having worked with such authors as Orson Scott Card, Ted Dekker and more, his tactics help both Fiction and Nonfiction authors of all levels get their books discovered by the right readers.

Tips from @DaveChesson for Choosing the Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book:
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Published on June 21, 2020 21:02

June 20, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on June 20, 2020 21:02

June 14, 2020

Writing Real-Life Historical Characters

By K.B. Owen, @ kbowenwriter

Have you ever thought about adding a famous historical
figure to your story? After all, it’s been done successfully by the likes of Stephanie
Barron, Anne Perry, Sue Wittig Albert, Shelley Noble, Margaret Frazier, and many
others. What’s not to love about seeing kings, dukes, inventors, famous
authors, musicians, movie stars—the list goes on—come to life on the page?

But, to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park, just because you can,
doesn’t mean you should. There are a
few downsides. For one thing, it involves more extensive research—combing
through diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, and more. Also, you’ll want to be
careful in your portrayals of historical figures. There could be descendants
who might object to you characterizing beloved great-great-great-Uncle Henry
as, say, a philanderer (even if true). Nobody wants a libel suit.

But let’s assume, for the purposes of this post,
that you want to take the plunge. I say…go for it! The possibilities are exciting,
and in my opinion the end result is worth the extra work. Here are my tips for
making it easier.

First, decide in advance what kind of time you
want to put into research, and adjust your character’s involvement accordingly.
In my lady Pinkerton series, the historical figure of William Pinkerton, my
protagonist’s boss, is an important stepping stone to her getting a case. I use
him sparingly, however. He’s more of a launching point to provide context for
the story, so I only needed to research some basics about him, and a bit more regarding
Pinkerton detective procedure.

Major characters require more in-depth research,
however, which brings me to the importance of…

Choosing someone who’s the right fit. The first
instinct for many authors is to be guided solely by the famous person’s significance
to the story’s historical moment. That’s a major requirement, sure, but I
consider two additional factors: 1) what background information I can find, and
2) their personality, especially in the context of my protagonist (for those
looking to write the historical figure as
the protagonist, well…that’s a whole different post).

Let me illustrate with two figures I used recently.
In THE CASE OF THE RUNAWAY GIRL (a story set in early 1887), I wanted a
backdrop that plunged my female detective in a “fish out of water” situation. I
settled on the old-boy backroom politics of late-19th century Washington,
DC, a place rife with ruthless industrial tycoons who greased a lot of palms to
get what they wanted. High stakes, and definitely a challenging environment for
my lady Pinkerton to navigate.

Moving on to my historical figure…I chose an Illinois senator, Shelby Moore Cullom. By all accounts he was a man of integrity dealing with a broken system, and yet managed to get the Interstate Commerce Act (ICA) signed into law.

Many other people had been involved in the passage
of the ICA, and I consider several alternative figures. What finally sealed the
deal for me was finding Cullom’s extensive memoir, Fifty Years of Service, which included speeches and great insider
details. I ended up mining it for turns of phrase and snatches of overheard
arguments (my sleuth listens at doors, of course!).

On the other hand, my decision to use newspaper magnate James Gordon Bennett in my new release, THE SECRET OF THE FORTY STEPS, was based mostly on his personality. He’d summered in Newport (the setting I’d decided upon) during the crucial time period, so I’d cleared my first requirement. In terms of personality, he was a writer’s dream come true—powerful, excessively wealthy, shrewd in business, a flamboyant spender, and an avid sportsman who played polo, tennis, and raced yachts. Real-life accounts of him were fiction gold—his drunken faux-pas (once, while inebriated, he urinated in the fireplace…some say it was the piano…in front of his soon-to-be-ex-fiancee’s family), his crazy wagers (he dared his friend to ride his polo pony through the Newport Reading Room, which of course he did), and his hedonistic lifestyle (a dairy cow was kept in a special stall on his yacht so he’d have fresh milk and butter every day when cruising at sea).

Such a personality as Bennett’s provided a great
foil for my protagonist. As the other characters fawned over this Colossus of
upper-class society, my lady detective—not
awed, which annoyed him no end—had to maneuver around the impediments he tossed
in her path. She even managed to put him in his place a few times. (I hope
folks get as much of a kick out of reading those parts as I did in writing
them. *wink*).

There are, of course, other ways to go about
incorporating historical figures—every author’s process is different. These are
the basics that work for me. I hope they’ll be helpful for you, too!

Have you thought about using a figure from history
in your story? What factors would you consider in making your choices? I’d love
to hear your thoughts.

Happy writing,

Kathy

Website: https://kbowenmysteries.com

Facebook: /kbowenwriter2

Twitter: @kbowenwriter

Instagram: @kbowen_mysteries

THE SECRET OF THE FORTY STEPS

The fourth chronicle of a lady detective

Money, love, and murder in 1880s Newport high society…

Pinkerton detective Penelope
Hamilton is summoned to fashionable Newport to investigate the two-year-old
death of a wealthy matron. Did she fall from the Cliff Walk’s Forty Steps in
the middle of the night, as was presumed, or was she pushed by her much-younger
husband?

The case is personal this time,
since Pen’s client is her own mother—breaking her near-decade of silence—and
the man under scrutiny is to marry Pen’s cousin in a week’s time.

The lady detective discreetly
enlists the help of a local, but the inquiry quickly unravels when he turns up
dead. To make things worse, Pen’s identity as a Pinkerton is uncovered by
Newport’s most prominent summer resident, whose complaint to her boss brings
Pen’s estranged husband and fellow Pinkerton, Frank Wynch, to Newport.

With her cousin’s wedding day nearly here and no
answers yet, Pen has no choice but to accept Frank’s help while dodging his
romantic overtures. Nothing like a little danger to heighten an already-fraught
relationship, as they work to expose a desperate adversary…who could prove
deadly to them both.

Available at these online retailers:

Amazon (ebook and paperback)

Apple

Kobo

Tips for Writing Real-Life Historical Characters by @kbowenwriter :
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Published on June 14, 2020 21:01

June 13, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

Authors release their figures to illustrate pay disparities in the industry:
Friends Don't Let Friends Use Vanity Presses: @JohnDoppler @IndieAuthorALLI
8 Ways to Sell Self-Published Books Locally: @Bookgal
Calculate Your Author Royalties Faster and Easier: @MichaelLaRonn

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Industry Notes: Translator Duncan Lien Wins 2020 Gutekunst Prize: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

11 Quick Tips for Setting Simple But Impactful Writing Goals: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Why Reading Bad Prose Can Make You a Better Writer: @lqtang @ReedsyHQ @A3writers
Seven Fictional Con Artists and the Communities They Swindled: by Steven Wright @CrimeReads
8 Stories You Don’t Have to Understand to Enjoy: @use_theforce_em @tordotcom
Six Stunning Fantasies for Nature Lovers: @EmilyBeeMartin @tordotcom
35 books about race, recommended by black Portland writers: @ORAmyW @Oregonian
10 Must-Read Crime-Fighting Duos: @Darynda @CrimeReads
7 Transformational Books to Read in Your Treehouse: by Jonathan Stone @CrimeReads
24 New and Forthcoming Books That Celebrate Black Lives: @jbakernyc @ElectricLit
Twelve books that give context to current protests [reading list]: @OUPAcademic
5 Books by Black Authors to Read Today: by Alice Sudlow @write_practice

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Must-Haves for 10 Minute Novelists: @10minnovelist
10 Ways To Write 1000 Words By 9AM: by Rafal Reyzer @Bang2write
How to Get Some Writing Done: Discipline vs. Enthusiasm: @KMWeiland
7 step training plan for running a personal writing sprint: @beprolifiko
10 Ways to Keep Writing When You’d Much Rather Do Other Things: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

How to Organize Your Home Office: @rondakaysen @michellehiggins @lithub
Productivity vs. Chaos: How to Hit a Balance: @cathyyardley @WriterUnboxed
Concentration: 22 ways to help you focus on writing: @wearearticulate
Stay-at-Home Tips & Apps for Maintaining (Some) Sanity: @RoniLoren
12 Simple Strategies for Writing While Anxious: @MegDowell
How to Boost Focus ahead of a Writing Session: by Rosie O’Neill @LiveWriteThrive
What Does it Take to Be a Writer? 4 Traits You'll Need to Succeed: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Preparing to Write a Book is like Preparing to Cross An Ocean Alone: @readallday @WomenWriters
Being productive can be self-care: @NathanBransford
Dismantling the Stigma of Mental Illness: @jeffgarvinbooks @DIYMFA
Find What You Need and Write What You Can: @annkroeker
Jericho Brown and Nikky Finney on Black Lives Matter and Bearing Witness: @jerichobrown @lithub

Genres / Historical

Historical Fiction: Discover New Truths in the Past: @EliotPattison @WritersDigest

Genres / Horror

Literary and film manifestations of the Gothic: @pmeinertzhagen @Prof_Nick_Groom @_SublimeHorror by Katariina Kottonen

Genres / Memoir

Before You Write Your Memoir: 10 Musts That Can't Go Ignored: @shaylaleeraquel

Genres / Picture Books

Revising Their Way to a Debut: @WritersRumpus

Genres / Science Fiction

Confronting the Default: Portraying Homelessness in Science Fiction and Fantasy: @stevetoase @tordotcom

Genres / Screenwriting

Scriptnotes: Clueless, Transcript: @johnaugust

Genres / Short Stories

An Expansive Mini-Guide for Structuring Your Short Story: @JunetaKey @TheIWSG

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

How and Why to Write Your Back-Cover Synopsis Early: @writingstorm

Promo / Book Reviews

Tips for Navigating Negative Reviews and Critiques:

Promo / Miscellaneous

The Psychology Behind Effective Marketing: @DanBlank

Promo / Newsletters

7 Ways to Be Consistent with a Weekly Email Newsletter: @MCStarbuck @shaylaleeraquel

Promo / Platforms

Grow a More Fertile Author Platform: @EldredBird

Promo / Speaking

The Author’s Experience: How to Visit with Book Clubs (Virtually and In-Person): @JillSantopolo @PRHDigital

Promo / Websites

This is How to Safely Choose Colors for Your Author Website: @ThDigitalReader @BadRedheadMedia

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Ten Publishing Things That Will Never Be The Same: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Impact: Scholastic Adjusts Its Summer Reading Program: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Worklife: Midas PR's Jason Bartholomew: After the ‘Blind Panic': @Porter_Anderson @jaysambart @pubperspectives
US ‘Publishing Day of Action' Calls Out Book Industry's Racial Disparities: @Porter_Anderson @VersoBooks @adevries18 @meg_r @LEEandLOW @rgay @pubperspectives
Black British authors top UK book charts in wake of BLM protests: @alisonflood @GuardianBooks
#PublishingPaidMe reveals stark disparities between payment of white writers and writers of color: @JonnyDiamond @jesmimi @nkjemisin @lithub
Not Until We Get a Turn: Retellings, Tropes, and Who Gets To Tell Stories: @KalynnBayron @tordotcom
Publishing has ignored and pigeonholed black authors for too long: by Magdalene Abraha @GuardianBooks

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Coronavirus Worklife: Rakuten Kobo's Michael Tamblyn: Lessons from the Contagion: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @mtamblyn @kobo
Coronavirus: Bodour Al Qasimi Opens Emirates Publishers Emergency Fund: @Porter_Anderson @Bodour @pubperspectives
In Istanbul: A New Illustration Agency Focused on Timely ‘Book Projects': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
China Bestsellers April 2020: A Watchful Market, a Reawakening Chart: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Writing Craft / Beginnings

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Point of View and Internalization: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Common Writing Mistake: Writing Yourself Into the Story: @KelsieEngen

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Should I use contractions in dialogue? @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Diversity

How Not to Write a Book about a Minority Experience: @tajjaisen @walrusmagazine
Opinion | How White Crime Writers Justified Police Brutality: @johnsfram @nytopinion

Writing Craft / Drafts

First Draft, Second Draft, or Editing: How to Know What Draft You’re On: by Callie Sutcliffe @write_practice

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

What Is ‘Theme' in Writing? @MoonlightingWri

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

What’s a Chapter? And How Long Should it Be? By Dario Ciriello
Two ways to add emotional weight to your stories: @MBjorkWrites
Is Relatability Actually Important? by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Storytelling Lessons in 60 Seconds or Less: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Are Writers Being Taught To “Dumb-Down” Their Technique For The Reader? @marionatpath @WomenWriters
Storytelling for Authors: @YvonneOrtega1 @EdieMelson
Lyrical Writing: 5 Tips for Crafting Richer Prose: @nownovel
What Authors Need To Know About Writing Brits: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
How to avoid Sagging-Middle Syndrome: @AuthorMarilene
Is “Show, Don't Tell” the Most Despicable Writing Advice Ever? @lisadaily

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Guide To Plot Development: @writingandsuch

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

Going from Inspiration to Inception: by Staci Troilo @StoryEmpire

Writing Craft / Revision

7 Mistakes to Weed Out When Editing Your Writing: @DaveChesson @IndieReader
Tips for Reviving an Abandoned Project: @mindofkyleam @ProWritingAid

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Ready for the red pen – how to prepare for comments on your book manuscript: @Roz_Morris @peterselgin @CarolLovekin @MarciaAButler @matosman @ClaireFuller2

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

How to Write Great Character Descriptions for Your Novel: @createastorylov

Uncategorized

The Hot Sheet: Industry Newsletter for Writers (30 Day Free Trial) from @JaneFriedman:

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on June 13, 2020 21:01

June 7, 2020

Navigating Negative Reviews and Critiques

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I love writing and sharing my stories with readers. I was the same when I was a kid, foisting grammatically-incorrect short stories on my parents' unsuspecting company. One thing has remained the same from both back when I was a kid and now…it stings to get negative feedback, whether it's a teacher at school, a critique group, or a reader review. But now, like then, it didn't stop me. I always remember it (and, likely, on some level resent it), but it doesn't hold me back. Most of the time it can actually help me improve.

Here are some tips for dealing with bad reviews:

Don't react…at least online. The worst thing to do is engage. It can be tempting. I've had negative reviews because the book arrived damaged at a reader's home via shipping. It's just better to leave it alone.

Keep it in perspective. Lots of people have read your book and enjoyed it. Plus, negative reviews show a book is being widely read and it's not just family members reading your book and reviewing it.

Take what's useful from a negative review or critique for the future. I can't tell you how many times I've read a bad review and made a note on an outline to address that very point in the future. Frequently, negative reviews can really inform future writing. Of course, negative critiques or edits are better because we have the opportunity to make changes before the book is published.

De-stress. No matter how well you handle a bad review, it's going to stress you out on some level. I always try to take the time to actually take care of myself…take a walk, listen to music, read a good book. It does help.

Keep a folder of positive reviews and reader emails. This is probably my favorite tip of all. Keep a folder stuffed full with your positive reviews and glowing reader emails. When you've read some negative reviews (or if you're just having a rotten writing day for any reason), go back and take a look.

Remember to celebrate small successes. This is one of those things that's hard for me, but that I'm trying to do better with. So often I pay attention to areas I need to fix and don't remember to celebrate the weeks I hit my goals or the books I finish. If we get too inured to the negatives, it can be hard to spot the positives.

For further reading on dealing with negative reviews and critiques, see:

How to Handle a Bad Critique by Kelly Hart

Prepare for the Critics, the Nasty Ones by Beth Hill

Kill Me Now–What Do I Do About a Negative Review by Roz Morris

Bad Reviews–6 Reasons to Be Glad You Have Them by Anne R. Allen

Do you ever get negative reviews? How do you handle them?

Navigating Negative Reviews and Critiques:
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Published on June 07, 2020 21:01

June 6, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on June 06, 2020 21:01

May 31, 2020

Claiming Your Knowledge Panel on Google

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A Google knowledge panel is a box that comes up in the sidebar when you search for your name or your book's name. Mine looks like this:

First off, if you don't see a knowledge panel in the sidebar when you Google your name, take a look at this post John Doppler wrote for the Alliance of Independent Authors. I wrote a similar post on getting knowledge panels for our books.

Having one of these panels makes you stand out a bit more from everyone else online who shares your name. It gives you a little more visibility on a very important search engine.

What I didn't realize until a couple of months ago was there was a place to claim your knowledge panel. You can see it at the very bottom of the image above.

Why claim it? When you click “claim this knowledge panel,” Google pitches it to you:

In case you can't read it, it states: “Make sure your audience sees the most accurate, authoritative, and engaging information about you. You can suggest changes to info that shows up on search, including images, stats, or other facts.”

When you click “get verified” in the top-right of the image above, they send you here:

After clicking that I was a person with a panel, other things came up:

I was a little confused by the “share button” thing that Google referred to in the first box. That's because I was looking for a button, not a symbol. It's really just that share symbol (sort of a ‘less than' symbol from math classes of long ago):

Then the next section, fairly self-explanatory:

And then it gets into proving who you are:

Finally, the biggest proof of all…you, holding your ID. I made sure to scrub out any personal information using the free Microsoft Paint program on my laptop (because….this is Google). Directions on doing so are here.

This all sounds as if it took longer than it did. I think it took me 10 minutes from start to finish. Then I hit submit and was informed that Google would review the information and get back to me.

For more information (from Google), follow this link.

Do you have a knowledge panel? Do you have any other tips for visibility?

Claiming Your Knowledge Panel on Google:
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Published on May 31, 2020 21:01

May 30, 2020

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 50,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Business / Miscellaneous

Finding the Right Freelancer To Work On Your Novel: @cleemckenzie @TheIWSG
The 7 goals of a standout editorial report: @LouiseHarnby
Why you should charge a flat rate for freelancing: @pubcoach
20 Simple Ways to Create Multiple Streams of Revenue: @DeniseWakeman
How to Find the Best Freelance Writing Jobs Online: @themaltesetiger
Tips for Writing 2 Books at Once: @authorkristenm

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

How to Set Up Online Webinars and Meetings: @SpunkOnAStick @TheIWSG
Going to your First Book Fair After the Plague? 13 Tips: @ThDigitalReader @annerallen
Canada's Cundill Prize 2020 Jurors: History, Urgency, and Trump: @Porter_Anderson @anneapplebaum @peterfrankopan @bbclysedoucet @pubperspectives
Tuesday's BookExpo Online Sessions Schedule: May 26: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Frankfurter Buchmesse Is a Go: A 2020 Physical-and-Digital Fair: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
The UK”s Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize Names Its 2020 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Frankfurter Buchmesse News Conference: ‘It Will Be Very Different' @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Friday's BookExpo Online Sessions Schedule; Jonathan Karp To Lead S&S: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

A Series of Posts to Help You Write Your First Novel: @emma_darwin

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

12 Tips for Writing When You Feel Like You’ve Run Out of Good Ideas: @MegDowell
Where and When Do You Get Your Ideas? @HeatherLeeDyer_
Keep Going: How To Be Creative For The Long-Term: @austinkleon @thecreativepenn

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

7 Transformational Books to Read in Your Treehouse: by Jonathan Stone @CrimeReads
Ray Bradbury Understood the Narrative Power of Tattoos: @tattoohistorian @lithub
How to Start a Love Affair with Audiobooks: @VictoriaDahl @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

The 1000 Words of Summer Writing Challenge Begins Tomorrow: @jamiattenberg

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

How to Silence Your Inner Critic: @writingcookbook
When You Learn Writing Gets Lonely: @MegDowell
9 Questions Your Family Will Probably Ask You About Your Writing At Some Point: @MegDowell
Fragmented Narratives Are Broken, Independent, and Honest: @sineadgleeson @lithub
10 Ways to Feel Like a Real Writer When You Can’t Write Thanks to Coronavirus: @RuthHarrisBooks
W. H. Auden Was a Messy Roommate: by Seamus Perry @parisreview
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Folklore & Fiction Supplement: Keeping a Journal in Uncertain Times: @csmaccath
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Don’t Quit Writing: @createastorylov
7 Tips to Help Writers Shed Winter Weight: @colleen_m_story
How to Rescue an Endangered Book and Restore Your Author Mojo: @RuthHarrisBooks
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Coronavirus Worklife: OUP's Nigel Portwood on ‘Weathering the Challenges': @MarkPiesing

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Italian Publishers Lost €134 Million in Book Sales During Pandemic: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Impact: Amid Losses, Poland Stages Its First Digital Book Fair: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
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Norway's Beat Technologies Signs a Denmark Trio for an Audiobook Platform: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

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Using The Five Senses: Sound: @JoanHallWrites @StoryEmpire

Writing Craft / Subtext

How to Write Subtext: @SeptCFawkes
Tips for Writing Subtext from @SeptCFawkes

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Published on May 30, 2020 21:01

May 24, 2020

How to Write Subtext

By September C. Fawkes, @ SeptCFawkes

What it is:

Subtext can be a tricky topic to nail down. It often feels
elusive, undefined, and sometimes something that “just happens.” But it’s also
one of the most effective writing skills to develop.

Subtext is everything that is conveyed to the audience but
not stated directly on the page. It’s what is not said. The “sub” in
“subtext,” implies that it’s “underneath” the text itself—like reading between
the lines, so to speak.

Here is an example of subtext:

Robert, not bothering to raise his hand, spouted out an
inappropriate joke.

“Robert, I don't want to hear that kind of language
in my class,” Mr. Henderson said, but the ends of his lips twitched up.
“That's very offensive.” He failed to suppress a full-blown grin.

Here, we can tell that the teacher found whatever Robert
said funny, but neither he nor the narrator comes out and tells the reader
that. Instead it's implied by his body language and behavior–what he doesn't
say. What Mr. Henderson actually says to Robert is at odds with how Mr.
Henderson acts.

Chances are that this example is a lot more interesting and
entertaining than one where Mr. Henderson was being straightforward.

Why Use Subtext?

One of the most powerful things about subtext is that it draws
the audience in by inviting them to be a participator of the story, not just a
spectator. While spectating a story may be somewhat interesting, participating
in one is much more riveting. As writers, we get the audience to participate
when we invite them to draw conclusions from the text—about what’s not directly
stated.

Subtext is also realistic—it happens in real life all the
time. Whether or not we want to admit it, whether or not we are even conscious
of it, we all have things we don't want others to know about us. All of our
characters do too. Using subtext makes our characters and story feel more
well-rounded and authentic.

Similarly, often when we feel the most intense emotions is
when we are most indirect. When we communicate our feelings directly, we lose
tension. It's what is not being said that creates tension. Same goes for your
story. Subtext creates anticipation and apprehension, keeping readers
interested because of what's boiling under the surface.

Often you can escalate the subtext to escalate tension.

How it Works and How to Write it

If subtext isn’t on the page itself, then that means it
happens within the audience.

But in order for it to happen within the audience, there
must be something on the page for them to read more meaning into.

So how do we create that?

Here are some tips and features to help:

Connotations – Some words are charged with powerful
connotations, an associated idea or feeling. For example, by dictionary
definition, all these words mean essentially the same thing: “stubborn,”
“steadfast,” “tenacious,” “strong-willed,” and “ornery.” But they all have
different feelings associated with them. Calling someone “ornery” is different
than calling someone “steadfast.” How one character describes something can
imply their view through subtext.

Implication – If subtext happens within the audience,
then that means the text must use implication.

Subtext is a balancing act. That's one of the reasons why
it's so tricky to master. We need to imply something strong enough for the reader
to pick up on, without going overboard or saying it straight out.

So we have to be very careful with our word choices and
phrases. We have to have full control over language.

Let's say we want to show that our character, Jasmine,
thinks that our protagonist, Shelly, is incompetent, and we want it to be
subtext. We don't want to come out and say that Jasmine thinks this because
it's more powerful if we imply it.

“You wouldn't know this, but I don't do much writing
anymore,” Jasmine said. “Those days are over. I use what are called
ghost writers, Shelly. People I hire to do the writing for me. I like to sit
back and brainstorm a few concepts with a glass of champagne. Do you know what
‘brainstorming' is?”

“Yes,” Shelly said.

Jasmine simpered. “You're smarter than I was
expecting.”

Jasmine went to Shelly's bookcase and picked up Elements
of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White. “This is one of the best
guides to learning how to write,” Jasmine explained to Shelly, though
Shelly had read the book five times. “It's been a bestseller for decades.
Did you know that?”

See how phrases and word choices imply that Jasmine thinks
Shelly is stupid? See how the question “Do you know what ‘brainstorming'
is?” is like a slap in the face?

That is implication.

Contradictions – Subtext happens when the audience
tries to make sense of contradictions, of one sort or another.

In my example above, the context can help set up the
contradictions. The audience goes into the scene knowing that both characters
are professional writers. And yet, they witness Jasmine talking to Shelly like
Shelly knows nothing about the writing industry. Why would Jasmine do that?
They are both writers. “Oh,” the audience says (if only on a
subconscious level), “because Jasmine thinks Shelly is incompetent, below
her.”

The audience finishes the subtext. They draw conclusions
from between the lines.

When you put together things that seem to be slight
contradictions, it alerts the reader that there must be something more going on
here.

Consider my example in the very beginning. What Mr.
Henderson says is at odds with what he does—smiles.

It’s helpful to remember that the body doesn’t usually lie.
The body language and the inner thoughts of a character trump anything that is
said directly—generally speaking (as there are a few exceptions).

Specific Uses

The Unreliable Narrator – Subtext is how writers
craft unreliable narrators. It happens when what the narrator says seems to
contradict what plays out, cluing the audience in to the fact that this
viewpoint may not be completely trustworthy.

“Blind” Characters – You can also use subtext to show
when characters are blind (as in ignorant or naive or unaware) to something.
They might be blinded by inexperience. They might by blinded by an emotional
attachment, like love or admiration. Or maybe they are just a bit dimwitted.

Dramatic Irony – Subtext can be used to create
dramatic irony—where the audience gleans something the characters don’t. In
some cases, this can lead to powerful revelations for the readers—after all, they
are the ones experiencing the revelation, not the characters. It can also
further kick up tension.

Humor – Usually the most effective jokes in writing are the ones where the audience finishes the joke themselves. Meaning, the story sets it up, and as the audience makes sense of it, they find the “punch line.”

Tips for Writing Subtext from @SeptCFawkes :
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Sometimes I scare people with my enthusiasm for writing and
reading. People may say I need to get a social life. It'd be easier if my
fictional one wasn't so interesting. I have worked in the fiction-writing
industry for over eight years and have been editing stories for longer. I have
edited for both award-winning and best-selling authors and have worked on
manuscripts written for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers. Today I
work as a freelance editor, and you can find my editing services here: https://www.fawkesediting.com/ I also run an
award-winning writing tip blog: https://www.septembercfawkes.com/

Find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeptCFawkes

Tumblr: https://septembercfawkes.tumblr.com/

and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/septcfawkes/

Photo credit: Lenny K Photography on Visualhunt / CC BY

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Published on May 24, 2020 21:01