Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 52

May 2, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image


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.


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.



Business / Miscellaneous

When Should Writers Write on Spec? @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Protecting Digital Accounts After Death: @BarbaraLatta @EdieMelson

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Tracking Your Writing Progress: @jamieraintree
15 Traps That Could Hurt Your Writing Goals: @AmongTheZombies @LitReactor

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

How to Deal with Reader’s Block as a Writer: @_rebeccamoody
The Secret of the 25 Chapters in Nancy Drew Books: @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Why Writers Should Review Books: @AHuelsenbeck @TheRyanLanz
Six Genre-Bending Books About Parasites, for Lovers of the Movie Parasite: @alsoknownaslj @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Tips to Increase Writing Productivity: @kikimojo
Increasing Productivity With Writing Sprints on YouTube:
3 Ways to Make Yourself Write When It’s the Last Thing You Want to Do: by Desiree Villena @ReedsyHQ @SpunkOnAStick
Make the most of ‘gifted' time: @10minnovelist

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block

“How I Overcame Writer's Block: 5 Techniques”: @Belinda_Pollard

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

12 Habits of Writers Who Sit Down and Turn Their Ideas Into Things: @MegDowell
5 Common Mental Traps that Stand Between You and Writing Success: @RuthHarrisBooks @annerallen

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Thoughts That Run Through Your Head Now You’re A Published Author: @KMAllan_writer
Which book should I write? @StoryGrid
What Do You Do with Disappointment? @JamiGold
When a First Draft Collects Dust On Your Hard Drive: @MegDowell
What's the value of learning hard things? @pubcoach
Literature in the Face of COVID-19: Rigoberto González and Deb Olin Unferth on Writing in the Time of Crisis: @V_V_G @Wsterrell @lithub
The Habit of Art: How to write better stories, more consistently: @michaeldbjork
Working From Home? 14 Sanity-Saving Tools (+ 35 Pro Tips): @kevinjduncan @smartbloggerhq
Journaling to Cope with Change: @writingthrulife
The Joys of Writing Genre Fiction: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors
Homeschooled Authors: France's Lecayes on ‘Motivating Each Other': @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
How To Write About Your Hobby (As An Author): @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Genres / Fantasy

“10 Fantasy Tropes I Love”: @MegLaTorreTwitter

Genres / Historical

Witchcraft And Writing: Using Method Writing To Create Authentic Historical Characters: @helensteadman1650 @WomenWriters

Genres / Mystery

Cozy Mystery Author Interview With @LarissaReinhart : @Ellen__Jacobson

Genres / Non-Fiction

How To Write A Self-Help Book Proposal that Sells: @LisaDaily
The Importance of Sincerity When Writing Non-Fiction: @jckunzjr

Genres / Picture Books

Writing a Travel Guide for Children: by Melanie Lee @damyantig

Promo / Blogging

How Do I Get my Book on a Blog Tour? @IolaGoulton
How to Start Blogging: A Definitive Guide for Authors: @JaneFriedman
Keeping a Blog (Even If No One Reads It) Is the Best Career Choice You’ll Ever Make: @MegDowell

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Five Tips For Writing An Author Bio That Stands Out: by Manuela Williams

Promo / Book Reviews

Ten Ways to Handle Bad Book Reviews: @AlexJCavanaugh @ReedsyHQ

Promo / Images

How to Find Great Deals or Free Stock Images for Your Self-Published Book: @createastorylov

Promo / Metadata

How to add categories to your book on Amazon: @DeborahJay2

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Market a Book: 8 Fundamental Steps: @ReedsyHQ
14 Book Marketing Concepts that Lead to Success: @Bookgal @IndieReader
8 Ways Authors are Helping Authors With Books Releasing During COVID-19: @DianaUrban @BookBub
How to Organise a Book Launch: @brotzel_fiction @hopeclark

Promo / Newsletters

Everything You Need to Know to Get Started With an Email Newsletter: @evan_gow

Promo / Social Media Tips

8 Social Media Scheduling Apps for Writers: @CaballoFrances

Promo / Video

Free YouTube Class on Creating Your Own Book Video: @Amy_Stewart

Promo / Websites

Why Do I Need an Author Website? Other Publishing Questions Answered: @OrnaRoss @MichaelLaRonn @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Rights Roundup: Titles Selling Amid the Pandemic: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
UK's Publishers Association Makes a Five-Point List of Requests: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
China Bestsellers March 2020: Bookstores Buck the Pandemic's Paralysis: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Masterclass in titles, book covers and spines: @Roz_Morris

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Nordic Literature Export Organizations Offer Further Translation Support: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Worklife: Italy's Third Publisher, Giunti, Begins Gradual Reopening: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
World Intellectual Property Day: The Pandemic's Dramatic IP Challenges: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Updates: Italian Publishers Join Libraries and Booksellers in Appeal: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Spain Weighs Crisis Management and Digital Capabilities: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IPA and Dubai Cares Announce Aid for African Remote Learning Efforts: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @Bodour @IntPublishers
Coronavirus Update: The UK Scraps Its 20-Percent VAT on Digital Books: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Worklife: Amazon Publishing in Germany, UK, and US: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @AmazonPub @eoinpurcell

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

Agent Spotlight Interview with Lindsay Davis Auld and Query Critique Giveaway: @lindsaydauld @NatalieIAguirre
The Trainwreck for Traditional Publishing in the Time of Coronavirus: @KristineRusch

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Sharpen your characters’ choices in a query: @NathanBransford
Publishing: How To Find And Pitch A Literary Agent: @Bpoelle @thecreativepenn

Publishing / Process / Formatting

Vellum Software Review (2020): @DaveChesson
The Best Fonts for Books: @1106Design @IngramSpark

Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid

How To Find Legit Publishers And Avoid The Bad Guys: @victoriastrauss @BadRedheadMedia

Publishing / Process / Translation

How to Find the Right Book Translator in 8 Steps: @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Creating a Dynamite Four-Sentence Opening Paragraph: by Gordon Long @IndiesUnlimited

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Devising characters for your novel: @Roz_Morris
Character Archetypes: The Ally: by C.S. Boyack @StoryEmpire
Character Creation: The Minus 1 Rule: @bberrywrites @NaNoWriMo
Have Shocking Coffee With Your Lead Character: @jamesscottbell

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

The Duality of Strong Emotions: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor

Writing Craft / Characters / Supporting Characters

Why Bias Against Male Secondary Characters Is Super Revealing: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

What is head-hopping, and is it spoiling your fiction writing? @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Drafts

More Misconceptions Writers Have About Drafting: @alexadonne

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Clear out the clutter around your verbs: @NathanBransford
Denouement: Definition and Examples of the Literary Term: @joebunting @write_practice
39 Writing Tips to Take Seriously: @ZoeMMcCarthy

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

5 Story Tools To Help You Plot: @sabsky
How to plan your novel in ten steps: @JenKerslake @cbcbooks

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

Screenwriting: 5 Ways To Road Test Your Central Idea: by Dave Cohen @Bang2write
The Story on Your Heart Is the Story Readers Want to Hear: by Bonnie Randall

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

In Praise of Those Pesky Past Participles: by Niki Kantzios @FloridaWriters1

Writing Craft / Revision

The Growth Stages of Editing a Manuscript: @JenJChow

Writing Craft / Tension

Don't release the tension: @NathanBransford

Writing Craft / World-Building

The Complications of World Building For an Author: by Doug Lewars @TheRyanLanz

Writing Tools / Apps

8 Best Grammar Checkers (2020): Grammarly, Ginger, & More: by Karen MacKenzie @smartbloggerhq
“Why I Write in Google Docs (vs Scrivener or Word)”: by @JLHarrisCoach
Scrivener Front Matter: @aprildavila

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

Tips for speeding up a slow computer before writing: @PatHatt24 @TheIWSG

Writing Tools / Resources

Best Websites and Resources for Writers: 2020: @themaltesetiger

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 02, 2020 21:01

April 26, 2020

Increasing Productivity With Writing Sprints


by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig


I'm always looking for ways to change things up and find ways to increase motivation and productivity.


I usually don't have a hard time writing first thing in the morning because it's a rote activity for me now.  But what's harder is adding additional writing time during the day…you know: those tricky times when life has a way of interrupting in many ways. And, with my life somewhat uprooted by the pandemic, I've sometimes struggled to maintain focus in late-morning or afternoon writing sessions.


One way I've worked to add in more writing time is by engaging in writing sprints. In one sense, I've always been a sprinter because I write in 15-20 minute intervals with a timer. But this is a little different: these are sprints with other writers, who are also working on goals.  I got hooked on them during NaNoWriMo, where I found sprints pretty much around the clock on Twitter for the month of November. But after November was over, I looked online to find some other places to sprint.


Somehow I'd forgotten about YouTube. :) There's a large author community there and quite a few of them host live write-ins.


At times when no one is sprinting, I've watched replays of some of the write-ins and used their timers to work on my books.


Although I specifically was using the sprints to work on one of my two current projects, it was interesting to read and hear in the wrap-ups afterward what other writers were working on. Some of them would do promo-related things. Some worked on outlines, others on editing. And some even spent the time working to clear up their writing space.


Even though I'm usually lurking during sprints, I've found they can really help me add more words each day.  I'd think it could also help writers with their confidence: hearing other writers' word counts can make you realize writing can be a struggle for everyone. Many times in the breaks between sprints, there will be a roundtable discussion of current challenges the different writers are facing and how everyday life finds a way to intrude. And, if you introduce yourself during your sprint, I think it could offer a form of accountability, too.


There's one particular group that I focus on following because they helpfully publish a spreadsheet each month listing scheduled sprints.  (See below for an example from January.)  Find the stream for April here.



As I mentioned before, if none of the scheduled sprints work for you, the replays seemed to work just as well for me in keeping motivated.


Some of the YouTube channels I subscribe to (that offer sprints and write-ins):


Word Stitch Write-Ins (Mondays 4pm-6pm ET Write-ins)


Lisa Daily (Wednesdays 11 a.m. ET)


Tamara Woods (Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. ET)


Carrow Brown  (Tuesdays, 1:00 p.m. ET)


Misha Gerrick (Saturdays 12:00 p.m. ET)


Formats for the sprints/write-ins vary, although usually you'll have sprints (from anywhere to 5-minute warm-ups to 25 minutes of longer sessions) interspersed by  single or group moderators discussing writing and life in between.


Do you participate in writing sprints? Are there any on YouTube you can recommend? How do you keep yourself motivated?


How to Increase Your Productivity with Word Sprints:
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt


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Published on April 26, 2020 21:02

April 25, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image


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.


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.



Business / Miscellaneous

How to Profit From Your Backlist During Downtime: @EmmaPrinceBooks @SelfPubForm
Building A Sustainable Business With Multiple Streams Of Income: @sacha_black @adamcroft @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Create an Effective Freelance Writing Portfolio: by Indiana Lee @BirdsOAFpress
Getting Your Manuscript Professionally Edited: @BookEndsJessica

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

8 Conventions For Horror Writers in 2020: @GiveMeYourTeeth @LitReactor
PW Star Watch 2020 Partnership Will Contribute to Binc's Pandemic Response: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Frankfurter Buchmesse Responds to News of Oktoberfest's: @Porter_Anderson Cancellation @pubperspectives
Sharjah World Book Capital Holds Its Closing Ceremony Today Online: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
2020 Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist Announced: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The Digital Road to Bologna: The Fair Expands Its May Online Edition: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Kuala Lumpur Opens its World Book Capital Year: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Self Publishing SMART goals for 2020: @itshelendarling @DIYMFA

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Top 10 books of eco-fiction: by Michael Christie @GuardianBooks
Keep Calm and Read These 7 Books of Extremely British Satire: @Hannah71771890 @lithub
An Incomplete But Amusing Survey of Judy Blume References in Pop Culture: @knownemily @lithub
Quarantine Book Recommendations: @knownemily @lithub
Unreliable Narrators Who Break Every Rule We Thought We Knew: @mjseidlinger @CrimeReads
6 Books with Monstrous Heroes: @joelevard @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

Talking About Writing Isn’t a Substitute for Actually Writing: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How to Create a Consistent Writing Habit: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

There’s Only One Thing That ‘Makes’ You a Writer: @MegDowell
Teaching Writing: How To Name An Explicit Teaching Point for Writers : @BethMooreSchool
How To Help Out Writers During A Pandemic (and How Writers Can Help Themselves): @ChrisShultz_ @LitReactor
Working From Home: Tools for Sanity in Isolation: @jccabel
How Writers Can Stop Procrastinating: @createastorylov
Writing Through the Distractions: @JodyHedlund
All about reading groups and writing groups: @Roz_Morris
15 Things to Love About Being a Writer: @EdieMelson
We Should Be Writing: @tickledpinktam @EdieMelson
Staying Creative in Times of Stress : @jillkemerer
10 Items of Interest to Writers During COVID-19: @pubcoach
Never mow the same grass twice: Improving faster as a writer: @MBjorkWrites
Building Your Confidence As A New Writer: @AbbieMood @BadRedheadMedia
How Do You Keep Creative Writing Alive In The Time Of Coronavirus? @swetavikram @WomenWriters
Writers Can Achieve Work Life Balance: @TashaSeegmiller
“What My Tattoo Artist Taught Me About Writing Critique”: @lisabubert @LitReactor
Write Like a Warrior: @davidfarland
The Freedom to Write Whatever, Whenever: by Laura Peters @TheRyanLanz
Top 12 Ergonomic Writing Tips: @SusanNealYoga @EdieMelson

Genres / Fantasy

Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator:

Genres / Horror

Everyday Horrors: @kathleenkaufman @LOHFiction

Genres / Humor

5 Tips for Adding Humor to Your Writing: @GayleCarline
Tips for Writing Humor: @GayleCarline

Genres / Miscellaneous

The Decline of the Great American Family Saga: @KevinMims16 @Quillette
Diving into short forms: libretti: @BJoycePatterson @DIYMFA

Genres / Mystery

“Breaking Down Cozies: Tropes I LOVE!”: @courtagonist

Genres / Picture Books

Tips for Marketing Children’s Books: @KarenHWhiting @EdieMelson

Genres / Romance

Boring Love Scene? 3 Pitfalls to Avoid: @RoniLoren @JamiGold

Genres / Short Stories

5 Tips for Writing a Great Short Story: by Anna Thu Nguyenova @DIYMFA

Promo / Blogging

3 Reasons for Authors to Start Blogging, and 3 Ways to Do It Right: @LiveWriteThrive
8 Things to do Instead of Blogging: @PaulineWiles

Promo / Metadata

How to Use Keyword Research to Sell More Books: @DaveChesson @IndieReader

Promo / Miscellaneous

Book Marketing During COVID-19: @timgrahl

Promo / Social Media Tips

TikTok demographics for authors: @sandrabeckwith
Twitter Is Distracting. It’s Also Extremely Beneficial to Aspiring Writers: @MegDowell
21 Tips for Building Your Author Brand on Twitter: @brotzel_fiction @hopeclark

Publishing / Miscellaneous

How to Publish Your Book Now Webinar: @SpunkOnAStick
Nosy Crow’s Free Digital Book for Kids About COVID-19 Takes Off: @oliviasnaije @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Frankfurt Audio's 2020 Call; International Booker's Postponed Winner Event: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Sweden's BookBeat Rides High on the Pandemic's Audiobook Boom: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Worklife: Poland's Wydawnictwo Literackie Stays on Track: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Updates: Wolff Translator's Prize Shortlist; ‘Canadian Stories' Podcasts: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
World Book Day Messages: Appeals for the International Industry: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Ukraine Opens New Rights Support Grants for International Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

When Your Agent Isn’t a Good Fit: @thejerabrown @WritersDigest
Writer @LorielRyon on Debuting During a Pandemic and Agent @KristySHunter With a Manuscript Wish-List: @NatalieIAguirre

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Querying Under A New Name: @Janet_Reid
What's a Book Proposal (and why do I need one)? @annkroeker
One of the fastest paths to rejection: implying you don't read much: @NathanBransford

Writing Craft / Beginnings

A Closer Look at a Short Story Opening: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Chapter Endings

How to Craft Page-Turning Chapter Endings: @kristen_kieffer

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Character Behavior – 3 Important Touchstones: @_PatrickOD @CreativeScreen

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Writing Emotional Resonance: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Fiction: @WritersCoach

Writing Craft / Conflict

Character Conflicts That Help Your Reader: @pmterrell @SouthrnWritrMag
Writing Fight Scenes With Female Characters With Aiki Flinthart: @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Mastering the Basics: Point of View and Dialogue: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Tips for better dialogue: @PhilAthans

Writing Craft / Diversity

Six Things Writers Should Know About Autistic People: @dunn_juliette @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Endings

How to Write an Ending that is Surprising Yet Inevitable: @HalimahMarcus @ElectricLit

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

4 Timely Craft Tips from the Immortal Bard: @authoradventure @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Writing a Page-Turner: Keep the Reader Guessing with Story Questions: @Kris_Bock
Avoiding Stigma Around Schizophrenia in Your Writing: by Fay Onyx @mythcreants
How Teaching Can Make You a Better Writer: @katrinakittle @CareerAuthors
Flexible Writing: Russian Dolls: @Lindasclare
Tips for improving your writing: @DIYMFA @sacha_black

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

How to Outline a Novel: Outlining for All Tastes: @Roz_Morris @IngramSpark

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

Writing the Premise of a Story Before Writing the Story: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / Revision

Editing and Revising: 7 Tips from Top Authors and Editors: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

So Your Feedback Session is Spiraling Out of Control: @BillFerris @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Series

How to Avoid Writing a Dull Series: @davidfarland

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Tips for Writing your Nonfiction Book Description: @BirdsOAFpress
When Descriptions Turn Boring . . . (and How to Fix Them): @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Synopses

The Synopsis: Why Love Hurts & Pain Can Be Good for Our Writing: @KristenLambTX
How to Write a Compelling Synopsis: @JerryBJenkins

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

5 Ways To Improve Your Writing Through Technology: by Ashley Halsey @WomenWriters

Writing Tools / Resources

Stuck at home? Free course to help you write your book: @Roz_Morris
Free Online Video Courses to Help You Improve Your Writing: @plotwhisperer

Uncategorized

Why No One Cares About Your Protagonist: @manzanitafire
Unreliable Narrators: Pros and Cons: @JamiGold
I regret to inform you that Miss Havisham, Dickens’ embittered crone, is actually only . . . 40: @oldrutigliano

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on April 25, 2020 21:01

April 19, 2020

Writing Humor is Murder


by Gayle Carline, @GayleCarline


I have a confession to make: My mysteries have humor in them—I just don’t advertise it. I don’t like to talk about my mysteries being funny because if a reader doesn’t laugh, they’re going to ignore whether it was a good story or not.


We do tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater.


Humor is highly subjective. We call it having a “sense of humor” because, just like our other senses, our likes and dislikes are unique to each one of us. I like asparagus. Why? I don’t know. You hate asparagus. Why? Same answer.


Our problem with humor is that we don’t have a common way to quantify our likes and dislikes. No one says, “Yes, I understand the point of the joke was that he was hit with a cream pie, but I’m not a fan of slapstick.”


They say, “I didn’t laugh, so it wasn’t funny.”


I do have some helpful hints for including humor in your mysteries (or romance, or whatever genre) that I can share. Full disclaimer: these are suggestions, not rules. As soon as someone labels something a rule, everyone comes out of the woodwork with a perfectly fabulous example of breaking the rules.


Also, your mileage may vary.



If you’re truly writing genre, let the humor rise up organically. Don’t force the funny, and don’t try to get a laugh out of every chapter, every paragraph, even every sentence. I’ve read those books, and dear Lord, they’re exhausting. The mystery should, at its core, be about the mystery. If it’s not, call it a humor book.

 



This might be my preference, but your characters should not find themselves hilarious. Think of Nick and Nora Charles—they are (to me) delightfully funny, but they do not laugh at their own jokes, or at each other’s, unless it is a single chortle. Even a half-chortle. A chort, if you will. Your character’s job is to be funny. Let the reader do the laughing.

 



Break up your humor, visually, on the page. Give your reader the space to digest the scene, by making smaller paragraphs. This is akin to writing action scenes and getting the reader to focus on each punch. Most humor is a setup-punchline format. Consider setting your punchline in its own paragraph, even if it’s one sentence.

 



If you want to advertise the humor, be specific. What kind of humor should the reader expect? Slapstick? Wisecracking dialogue? If you don’t know, find some writers with the same sense of humor and align yourself with them. In the style of Robert Benchley, this neo-noir mystery… (Actually, if any of you write that book, I want to read it.)

 


My final helpful hint applies to humor writing of any kind. Get yourself some steel wool and scrub yourself with it daily, because you’re going to need thick skin to release your humor to all those readers out there. If they are expecting erudite humor and get slapstick instead, they’re going to say you’re not funny. And if you don’t have the hide of a rhino, you might believe them.


 


What’s your favorite kind of funny?


Gayle Carline spent almost 30 years as a software engineer until she chewed her way out of the cubicle to become a writer. She began with journalistic pieces for Riding Magazine, then graduated to humor columns in the Placentia News-Times, and the North Orange County News Tribune. But she wanted to write whodunits. She knew nothing of police procedures, but figured that reading her husband’s mind was good experience for writing mysteries. Most of her books are set in Orange County, where there are always good places to hide a body. When she’s not writing, Gayle spends time with her horses, her family, and her friends.


 


 


Gayle’s latest book, Murder Bytes, is the fifth and final installment in her Peri Minneopa Mystery Series, featuring a 50-year-old housecleaner turned detective, and set in north Orange County. Murder Bytes is her 12th book, but she is planning to write many, many more.


 


 



Author @GayleCarline With 5 Tips for Adding Humor to Your Writing:
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Published on April 19, 2020 21:01

April 18, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image


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.


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.


New Stuff: C.S. Lakin is offering a new course for writers: “Your Cast of Characters.” Writers who sign up by May 1, 2020 can use the code EARLYBIRD to get $50 off the $149 price. For more information, click here. Please note that I'm an affiliate.



Business / Miscellaneous

Optimism And The Writer: @KristineRusch
7 Author Essentials To Get In Place Before Releasing A Book: @KMAllan_writer
How to Get Your Self Published Book Into Libraries: by Kelsey Worsham @WrittenWordM
Where Do You Want Your Story (or Career) to Go? @JamiGold
What about writing with a partner? @pubcoach
Don't become a social media ghost: why you need a social media executor: @annerallen
Free or Cheap Resources for Emerging Writers: by Andrea Oh @ElectricLit
“I want to ditch my agent. Do I still have to pay them?” @Janet_Reid

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

New York's 2020 BookExpo and BookCon: Canceled: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Sharjah Book Authority To Open a 10-Day Virtual Reading Festival: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Aspen Words Names UK-Based Christy Lefteri Its 2020 Prizewinner: @Porter_Anderson @christy_lefteri @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

The Beginning Writer’s Guide To Finishing A Novel: Chapter Two: @StephMorrill @GoTeenWriters

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Creativity A Form of Mindful Meditation: @plotwhisperer

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Five SF Precursors to Murderbot: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
The New Wave of Thrillers Featuring Deeply Flawed Characters: @Christinamac79 @CrimeReads
Five Recent Novels About Climate Catastrophe: @annecharnock @tordotcom
The Best Historical Fiction of 2020 (So Far): @mollsotov89 @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Tips for Using Writing Time More Wisely: @EdieMelson
Reedsy Write-In at 3pm EST: @ReedsyHQ @shaelinbishop

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer's Block

5 Ways to Get Unstuck: In Writing, Creativity and Life: @LisaTener

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Tips for Adapting to the New Normal as a Writer:
What It's Like to Promote a Book in the Middle of a Pandemic: @AmydKlein @ElectricLit
Yoga Wisdom for Writers: @10minnovelist
12 Tips for Writing When You’re Not Calm and the World is Burning: @MegDowell
Journaling through Grief: Anniversaries and Other Annual Reminders: @writingthrulife
Interview with Chris Calder, a Thriller Author in his 80s: @Howard_Lovy @IndieAuthorALLI
10 Things to Help You Fall Back in Love with Writing: @EdieMelson
Writing in a time of anxiety: @NathanBransford
Delegating Responsibility to Find Time to Write: Communication: A Key To Delegation: @10minnovelist
It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And Writing Feels Fine): @VaughnRoycroft @WriterUnboxed
So Shakespeare wrote King Lear during a plague. Well, good for him, say all the writers: @knownemily @lithub
Productivity: 5 Tips For Working Effectively From Home: @thecreativepenn
Writer Luck: Five Ways to Make Your Own: @BessMcAllister @DIYMFA
Growing as a Writer: @rxena77
Writing in the Time of Coronanxiety: @JamiGold
6 ways to rescue your rocky relationship with writing: @beprolifiko
“Think You’re Doing This Quarantine Thing Terribly? I’ve Got You Beat (But There’s Still Hope)”: @JeffGoins
Make bad art, too: @austinkleon

Genres / Fantasy

Filling Magical Plotholes: @Dwallacepeach
World Building in Epic Fantasy: @k_villoso @DIYMFA

Genres / Horror

On marginalized writers in horror: @vlatinalondon @LOHFiction

Genres / Romance

5 Questions to Ask when Writing a Second Chance Romance: by Mona Shroff @DIYMFA
How to Write a Romance: Genre Expectations Versus Tropes: by Krystal N. Craiker @ProWritingAid
Why Don't Men Read Romance? @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor

Genres / Science Fiction

Futuristic First Aid: High-tech Wound Care: @DanKoboldt

Promo / Blogging

Where Should I Auto-Feed My Blog Posts? @EdieMelson
Dual Use of Fiction Meta-Content: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire
From Blog To Book And Repurposing Content: @content10x @thecreativepenn

Promo / Images

Quick Guide to Image Copyright Issues: by Melinda VanLone

Promo / Miscellaneous

How To Get Press Coverage For Your Book In 5 Simple Steps: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
How to Build a Rocking Author Media Kit: a 7-Step Template: @ReedsyHQ
5 Marketing Tasks To Use For Every Book With @Janice_Hardy: @BadRedheadMedia
Spending Thousands to Earn Hundreds: @LorieKEckert
NaNoProMo: May 2020: @BadRedheadMedia
Marketing as a Sensitive Creative: @ritukaushal2 @losapala
How to Fall in Love with Your Amazon Book Promotion: @Bookgal

Promo / Social Media Tips

5 Tips for Social Media from an Author Who Just Wants it to Work: @CindyDevoted @EdieMelson

Publishing / Miscellaneous

A Closer Look at Audio Books: @JordanDane @killzoneauthors
The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Successful Online Author Event: @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishers globally need to understand the new normal: @thenewpubstd
Will an Editor Steal My Ideas? by Jeanette the Writer @DIYMFA
Publishing: The Writer’s Holy Grail? @MaryGillgannon @RMFWriters
Do You Read Recently Published Books? @JamiGold

Publishing / News / Amazon

Amazon Crossing Rolls Out Its 2020 Free World Book Day Translations: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

In Tbilisi, Georgia Plans World Book and Copyright Day Online: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Sheikh Zayed Book Award Sets Winners' Digital Ceremony for Thursday: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Abdelouahab Aissaoui Wins 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Germany Is To Follow Italy in Potential Bookstore Openings: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spain's Readmagine Opts for ‘Plan B'; Frankfurt Extends the BookFest Deadline: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Latin American Book Fairs Try Digital Alternatives: Peru, Colombia, Argentina: By Adam Critchley @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: IPA Presses Khaled Lotfy's Case with Egypt's el-Sisi: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

How to Double Your Chance of Landing a Book Deal (Before You've Written a Single Word): @BrightVerity @WritetoDone
Wishing for Publication: Rush or Wait? @tessaemilyhall @A3writers

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Writing the Query Before the Book: @BookEndsJessica

Publishing / Process / Translation

What You Need to Know Before Translating Books: by Ofer Tirosh @JFbookman

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Where Am I? — First Page Critique: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Chapter Endings

7 ways to write chapter endings that hold readers in suspense: @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

The 7 Essential Steps to Writing Better Villains: @PSHoffmanAuthor

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

3 Steps to Fixing an Annoying Protagonist: @writer_faith @SuzannahWindsor

Writing Craft / Conflict

Create Conflict in Your Characters: @jimdempsey @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Drafts

3 Easy Tips to Write Cleaner First Drafts: @Peter_Rey_

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

What Novelists Can Learn from Studying Picture Books: @SherLHoward

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Allusion: How It Works: @mindofkyleam @ProWritingAid

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Writing with Superstition: @csmaccath
How to Make Your Story Truly Unique: @robertdugoni @DIYMFA
Are Functional Relationships Ever Interesting In Fiction? @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
How Storytellers Use Reactivity & Proactivity for Effect: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Tips for Adding Suspense to Your Writing: @cawcarrow
How to Put Passion into Your Writing: @LiveWriteThrive
How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay That Works: @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest
Interview with Novelist Christopher Moore Covering Writing Process, Technique, and His Influences: @TheAuthorGuy @MacObserver
Masterclass in writing style and voice: @Roz_Morris

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming

How Do You Pick a Title? @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Writing Legal Fiction: 4 Research Tips: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

How to Type an Em Dash: On Your Mac, In Word and Google Docs: @jamiecattanach @thewritelife

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Criticism for your writing – how to seek it, how to take it: @Roz_Morris

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Appealing to the Senses: @davidfarland
How Setting Can Be a Worthy Villain: @sarahjrexford

Writing Craft / Tension

3 Rules to Raising Story Stakes: @LMacNaughton

Writing Craft / World-Building

World-Building: The 10 Key Elements: @themaltesetiger

Writing Tools / Resources

The Best Online Writing Courses and How to Get Them: @DaveChesson

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on April 18, 2020 21:01

April 12, 2020

Pivoting

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It's been an interesting last month, hasn't it? 

I read an article in the local paper about the difference between restaurants in Charlotte (the area I live in) that survive and the ones that are closing down. The article said that restaurant success in the past had to do with things like the quality of the menu items, the ambience, and the location of the business. But now, the article went on to state, the success has to do with the restaurant's ability to pivot. Some have moved to a model where they prepare meals and customers take them and bake them. Some have easily switched to online ordering and fulfillment. 

I thought a lot about that. I have a lot of good traits as a writer. I'm stubborn. I'm routine-driven. I'm organized. And it's incredibly difficult to hurt my feelings (a helpful quality, I've found, when combing through one's reviews). 

And I've always been awful at pivoting. When my day goes awry, I freeze up. I had a plan. When the plan is no longer in play, I'm at loose ends, looking back at my unfinished to-do list and making a face. 

The interesting thing I've found, though, is...like a lot of things...the more you practice at something, the better you get at it. 

I've been sick with a virus (The Virus? Who knows....can't get tested here unless you need to be trucked off to the hospital) for just over 10 days. It's been mercifully mild, but really persistent. I'm guessing I'm in the final stretch, from what I read online. 

Over the last month, I've noticed and celebrated when I've been able to adapt to all the changes around the house. Here are my tips as a novice pivoter on what's helped and what I've gleaned so far: 

General tips: 

Give yourself some grace: I often say things to myself that I would never consider saying to a friend, so I've tried to think of myself as a friend that needs someone to be a bit kinder to them. 

Give others a little grace:  Most of us are quarantining with others...who are doing their best in a tough situation. 

Remember that refilling the well should go on your to-do list: Stress can be bad for creativity. Spend a few minutes to make a list of ways you want to spend your free time...pick some books to put on your to-be-read list. Compile a watch-list of TV shows and movies that may inspire your own creative process. Create playlists of music to enjoy when things get a little hairy. 

On pivoting:

Remember there can be too much time to write: We're all dealing with different circumstances. Some of us may be put into a spot where there's much less time to write because we're caring for our kids or working a demanding job from home. Some of us might be in a spot where we think there's a lot of time to write, but the words don't want to come.  If you have too much time to write, try setting a very specific point in the day (limiting your time) and use a timer.  Or just mull the story over in your head. It may not be realistic to knock out as many words in a day as you're used to. 

Re-evaluate what works as often as you need to:  One day what worked was to get ahead on my current book. One day what worked was to learn more about Facebook ads. Another day what worked was to read and watch British television shows. Sometimes what worked at 6 a.m. wasn't working at 2 p.m. Try to be responsive to your own needs. 

Do a brain dump of all the different things you can think of that need to be done:  This works for me in a couple of different ways. First off, it keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night remembering tasks. But it also helps when you're not in the right frame of mind to write, but are in the right mindset for coming up with a promo image for an ad or to announce an upcoming release. 

Do what you can: And know that might change from day to day.

How are you doing with the new status quo? Any tips to share for what's working for you? 

Photo on VisualHunt

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Published on April 12, 2020 21:02

April 11, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image


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.


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.


A meaningful Passover and Easter to all who celebrate. :)  Hope everyone is doing well.



Business / Miscellaneous

5 Smart Ways to Invest in Your Writing This Year: @jessicastrawser @CareerAuthors
Coronavirus Pandemic Tips for Freelance Writers: @KissMyBiz @All_Freelancing
How Partnerships Can Help Boost Your Pre-Orders: @cathyshouse @JaneFriedman
Book Launch Case Study with Author Leigh Stein: @DanBlank @rhymeswithbee
Is Gumroad a Good Option for Indie Authors? @NinaAmir
Getting Into Libraries With Draft2Digital: @DanWoodOk @Draft2Digital @SelfPubForm

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Strategies for Surviving a Writing Convention: @teachrobotslove
BookCon 2020, Still Planned for July, Announces a Virtual ‘Read-a-Thon': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing Conferences and Story Pitches: @RaleneB @EdieMelson

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Why You Can’t Set Writing Goals That (Directly) Involve Other People: @MegDowell
Writing resolutions – making them and keeping them: @Roz_Morris
How to Set Writing Goals If You’re Bad at Setting Writing Goals: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Liesl Schillinger on What Albert Camus's The Plague Can Teach Us Now: @arbitrix @lithub
The Elusive Crime Novels of Prague: by Paul French @CrimeReads
Book sales surge as self-isolating readers stock up on ‘bucket list’ novels: @alisonflood @GuardianBooks
An Illustrated Reading List of Groundbreaking Mixed-Media Literature: by Nathan Holic @lithub
Favorite Groundhog Day-Style Time Loops in SFF: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom
How to Spend 42 Days Stuck in Your Room: @WillSch @lithub
10 Of The Most Memorable Fictional Snakes: @chris_shultz81 @LitReactor
The Speed of Literature, and Life: @Porter_Anderson @WriterUnboxed
Artificial Intelligence in Fiction, Fact, and Our Dreams for the Future: @fran_wilde @tordotcom
Quarantine Books Calculator Tells You How Many Books You Can Read While Quarantined at Home: @micheledebczak @mental_floss
6 SFF Books Featuring Women on the High Seas: @AdalynGrace_ @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

10 Ways To Beat Procrastination: @10minnovelist
5 Things to Do When You Don’t Have Time to Write: @SueBEdwards
Delegating Responsibility To Find More Time To Write: @10minnovelist
Creating Writing ‘Practice Time’ Should Be Your First Priority: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Writing from the Bottom Rung: How to Sustain Your Creativity During a Pandemic: @LisaEllisonsPen @JaneFriedman
Productivity vs. Chaos: How to Hit a Balance: @cathyyardley @WriterUnboxed
10 Ways to Meet Your Writing Goals When You Have No Time: @KelsieEngen
What’s the Most Important Quality in a Novelist? Patience: @MT_Cassidy @FloridaWriters1
Did Tolkien Write The Lord of the Rings Because He Was Avoiding His Academic Work? by John M. Bowers @lithub
4 Narrative Video Games for Writers: @alexthepink
A Creative Lesson From This Coronavirus Madness: @Peter_Rey_
Writing and the Creative Life: Three Types of Creators: @GoIntoTheStory
A Writer’s Worst Enemy Isn’t Time Management Or a Bad Idea: @MegDowell
8 tips to realize your dreams of a long writing career: @NancyGideon @TheIWSG
How to Believe in Yourself as a Writer: @the_writing_pal
What do you put in your mind? @pubcoach
Five Practices to Create a Thriving Writing Life: by Vikram Chandra @DIYMFA
How to Develop a Lifelong Writing Habit: @MichaelLaRonn
The 12 Most Frustrating and Difficult ‘Bad’ Writing Habits to Break: @MegDowell
Going Viral: A User’s Guide: @DavidGaughran
Stephen King Is Sorry You Feel Like You're Stuck In A Stephen King Novel: @nprfreshair
“Writing After Divorce . . . The Lion/Elephant Hybrid in My Mental Room”: @cyallowitz
How to Persevere When the Mountain Seems Unconquerable: @jlturchin
Tips From Someone With Nearly 50 Years Of Social Distancing Experience: @raelnb @NPR
How to be Creative for the Long Term: @OrnaRoss @thecreativepenn

Genres / Fantasy

7 Ways to Keep a Gathering Quest Interesting: @cyallowitz

Genres / Horror

Flocking to Horror: Facing Fear During Times of Uncertainty: @flanaganfilm @BDisgusting
Women's Love Letters to Horror: @elleturpitt @HightowerLaurel @astoldbtybex @IgnatiaStrigha @imaginariumcs

Genres / Mystery

Author @yolandarenee Offers 13 Steps to Writing a Mystery:
Writing Crime Fiction: Myths And Misconceptions About The FBI: @JerriWilliams1 @thecreativepenn

Genres / Poetry

How to Publish Love Poetry Books: @OrnaRoss @dalma_szentpaly

Promo / Ads

What Amazon Ads Dashboard Changes Mean for Authors: @LPOBryan @IndieAuthorALLI

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

13 tips to make your personal social media bios stand out: by Rich Jinks @wearearticulate

Promo / Images

Use Canva for Promo Images: @cawcarrow

Promo / Miscellaneous

Tips for Podcasting: @tara_k_ross @donnajostone @A3writers
4 steps to new book marketing habits: @sandrabeckwith

Promo / Social Media Tips

Find Your Unique Social Media Voice: @EdieMelson @SouthrnWritrMag
2020 Social Media Trends for Authors: @EJWenstrom @DIYMFA

Publishing / Miscellaneous

The Top Ten Publishing Industry Trends Every Author Needs to Know in 2020: @claytonnoblit @WrittenWordM
Layoffs hit the publishing industry (This week in books): @NathanBransford
Opportunities In Audiobook Publishing With Michele Cobb: @thecreativepenn
The Big Benefits of a Small Publisher: @brotzel_fiction
Federation of European Publishers on Coronavirus Losses in Book Sector: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Bookwire Cites Growth in Spanish-Language Audiobooks, Ebooks: @Porter_Anderson
Germany's Hatje Cantz Posts Online Show; MoMA Offers Teaching Tools: @Porter_Anderson
Words Without Borders April: Into the Woods of Translated Children's Stories: @Porter_Anderson @wwborders
The UAE's Sheikh Zayed Book Award Names 2020 Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spain's PRH Grupo Editorial Runs a D2C #ISupportBookstores Promotion: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Updates: The German-Language US Neue Literatur Fest Cancels 2020's Event: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: France's Scientific Publishers Mobilize; Access Copyright Donates Funds to Authors: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
US Senate IP Chief Questions Internet Archive's ‘National Emergency Library': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spanish Author Javier Castillo Meets 60,000 Fans Online During Coronavirus Lockdown: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

A Quick-Start Guide to Self-Publishing Your Book: @kristen_kieffer

Publishing / Process / Formatting

Special Formatting for Nonfiction Books in Microsoft Word: by Tracy R. Atkins @JFbookman

Writing Craft / Arc

The Hero's Journey Explained: The Middle: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Beginnings

First Page Critique: @JordanDane @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How to Breathe Life into Your Characters: @emsWriter @LiveWriteThrive
Tracking Character Motivations with a Free Spreadsheet: @AuthorSAT
Character Archetypes: The Mentor: by C.S. Boyack @StoryEmpire

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Writing Character Emotions: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Show, Don't Tell: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Writing Wretched Dialogue: @davidfarland
The Curse of Expository Dialogue: @jamesscottbell

Writing Craft / Diversity

How to Write Non-Binary Characters: @DN_Bryn

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Write with Purpose: 7 Ways to Keep Drafts Focused: @nownovel
No, Your Characters DON'T Have To Be ‘Likeable': @Bang2write
How Do I Keep ‘the Authorities' Out of My Plot? @mythcreants
How to Kill a Character in Your Novel: @SarahSallyHamer

Writing Craft / Pacing

Pace Your Prose — Three Thoughts on Timing: by Nils Ödlund @mythicscribes

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Do You Need To Outline Your Book? @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

The Hero's Journey Explained: The End: @SeptCFawkes
4 Tips on Plotting Your Novel: @Janice_Hardy
Transformation — Signpost Scene #14 (The Final Signpost): @abigailkperry @DIYMFA
Mythic Storytelling: An Introduction to the Tarot: @MelanieMarttila @DIYMFA

Writing Craft / Revision

When Should Writers Edit Their Work? @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

How to Find Critique Partners & Beta Readers: @MegLaTorre

Writing Craft / Series

What Happens When I Split My Novel Into a Series? by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on April 11, 2020 21:01

April 5, 2020

How I Wrote My Murder Mystery “Murder, Just Because”





by Yolanda Renée, @yolandarenee





When I decided to sit down and write a mystery — I did just that. I sat down and started writing. It's what I've done with every story I've ever written. I've been an avid reader ever since I was a child. I started out with Nancy Drew and progressed from there. In other words, I've read hundreds, if not thousands of books. When I decided to write my own, I was more than ready.





I chose the mystery genre
because I wanted to write what I enjoyed. These are the steps I took. Each
bullet has a link that I'm sure will give you the information you seek on each
topic. The web is full of great information, and I doubt I could improve on it,
but these are my steps, and I hope they'll give you the push you need to start
your writing adventure.





1.      Decide on the type of mystery you want to write.





         There are at least twelve types of mystery
genres
.





2.      Decide on your Setting.





         The setting is key, in more
ways than one!





         If you don't know the place personally, do your research.
Use maps to get street names and know and use the names of businesses such as
restaurants, parks, etc. And yes, you can use the correct names of places,
streets, hotels, etc. It will make the situation real for your readers.





3.      Choose the protagonist.





         Be sure you've chosen wisely.





         Who is your detective or sleuth? Create a full description with
a complete background. Know them as well as you know yourself. Just be prepared
once you've created them to accept changes, which will come from the character
themselves once they find their voice. (They will speak to you and sometimes
disagree with your direction. Listen to them. They know the story better than
you.)





4.      Who is your antagonist?





         This character can be even
more important than the protagonist.





         I've found they love to take over the story. In these cases,
I make sure the protagonist and the villain get equal time.





5       Create interesting secondary characters.





         Vital to the story's action.





         Don't be surprised if a new individual makes their voice
known once you're deep into the story. And don't forget your victim or victims.
You'll want some empathy from your readers for them.





6.      Do your research.





         How to write a thriller.





         If you don't know anything about motivation or serial
killers or murderers in general, do your research. The FBI has several good
sites online, and there are dozens of books available. Having your own
reference library handy is a plus.





7. What's your weapon of
choice?





         Know your weapon.





         Guns, knives, poisons, ball bats, an ax, or whatever you
choose. Each killer has a preference, a reason for the weapon they use. Decide
what that is, or better yet, let them tell you. My serial killers love to make
themselves known.





         I own books on investigation, motive, and weapons. I even
have a book of poisons, but there's plenty of information online. However, a
personal library is fun too.





8.      Start Writing!





         You're ready. Right?





         Maybe three steps are all it
takes?





         I usually begin my books with a murder. By creating tension
right off, you draw the reader in. They'll want to know who did what and why?





         What better way to introduce your protagonist than at the
scene of a crime.





9.      Show, don't tell!





         Do you know how?





         Forget detailed backstories on your main characters. All that character
description and backstory you've already written, is just that, your notes. Key
elements can be added as the story moves forward either in dialogue, brief
introductory descriptions, thoughts, or reactions of the character, and even
dreams. But keep the action going!





10.    Action, action, action!





         Keep the pace moving…





         Grab the reader from the
get-go!





         You want a page-turner, with cliffhangers at the end of all
your chapters because you want your readers to say they could not put it down!





11.    Snappy dialogue.





         DON'T bore your readers.





         Make your conversations relevant to the scene, and don't forget to add
humor.





12.    Be prepared for “writer's block.”





         The easiest part of writing is the first few chapters. You're psyched. You're
into your story. You even know how it's all going to end, and you get ahead of
yourself and write that amazing final scene that's been playing out in your
head.





         This is easy, you think. But then you realize you've got eleven
chapters and the ending. Oops, how did your characters get from here to there?





         The middle of your book is missing, and you have no story
left inside. That's the real definition of writer's block.





         My advice is to walk away. Read a book. Take a long walk or
do the laundry. The point is, just put the story away for a while. The answers
will come to you when you least expect it.





         My go-to solution to “writer's block” is to ask
the questions I need the answer to during meditation or right before I fall
asleep. The answer is always there in the morning.





         If nothing else works, try
these tips…





13.    Finished!





         Celebrate! You deserve it! Take a break, at least a week,
then go back and start the re-write. Don't be surprised if new ideas jump out,
or that you decide to delete whole chapters. This is where the fun begins, and
the story finally solidifies.





         “The End! –Well, maybe
not!”





*****





Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing my latest book release and my





how-to for writing.





I hope it inspires just one would-be mystery writer.




Writer @yolandarenee With 13 Steps to Writing a Mystery:
Click To Tweet




It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Yolanda
Renee’s MURDER, JUST BECAUSE Blog Tour through MC Book Tours today.




The author is offering an awesome tour-wide international giveaway. More
information on the giveaway is listed below.




MURDER, JUST BECAUSE

by Yolanda  Renée


◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

◊ Publisher: Yolanda Renee

◊ Series: Detective Quaid Mysteries

◊ Paperback: 291 pages

◊ Print & eBooks

◊ ISBN-10: 0985820632

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0985820633

◊ Contains explicit sex & graphic violence


“While
this book does contain explicit sexual language and graphic violence, it could
easily be taken from the daily headlines. The content is plausible and
realistic as we look at the world around us. The events in the book are not
overly done but give a pragmatic look at the terrifying actions killers can and
sometimes do take.”




It was a matter of beginner’s luck, but rookie detective Steven
Quaid’s career and reputation as an elite investigator skyrocketed when he
captured one of the most sadistic serial killers in Alaskan history: Stowy
Jenkins, AKA the Snowman. But that was ten years ago.





And now…Jenkins is back. Escaped from prison and on the move, his
bloodlust is stronger than ever, and his methods of torture are even more
horrifying than before. As his bloody rampage continues and the number of
mutilated bodies mounts, terrified Alaskans increasingly doubt Quaid’s ability
to catch the killer again. The detective’s reputation is on the line, and he’s
going to need a lot more than luck, because this time, Jenkins is driven by
more than the thrill of a random kill.





This time, it’s more personal. He’s out for revenge…and his
ultimate target is Quaid. In a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, Jenkins starts
picking off the people in Quaid’s life…slowly, gradually tightening his circle
of corpses and drawing ever closer to the most important person in Quaid’s
life…his wife. Can Quaid do the impossible again? Can he outmaneuver the
killer, or has the detective's luck finally run out?







Author Yolanda Renee

For those
who aren’t familiar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her in her
own words.




At
one time Alaska called to me, and I answered. I learned to sleep under the
midnight sun, survive in below zero temperatures, and hike the Mountain Ranges.
I’ve traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories are some of my most
valued. The wonders, mysteries and incredible beauty that is Alaska has never
left me and thus now influences my writing.


Despite
my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational goals, married, and I have two
handsome sons. Writing is now my focus, my newest adventure!





For more on
Yolanda and her writing, you can connect with her here:

Blog   
*     
Facebook    
*     
Twitter    
*     
Pinterest    








GIVEAWAY DETAILS:




This
tour-wide giveaway is for a complete set of the Detective Quaid Mystery series
books for one winner, paperback copies of MURDER, JUST BECAUSE
for five winners, a $25 Amazon Gift Card, and a Kindle copy of MURDER, JUST BECAUSE for
10 winners.




To enter the
giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the
instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.
If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and you’ll be directed to
the widget.








Thanks for
stopping by and be sure to follow Yolanda on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you
might find out. Do you enjoy watching a character grow from one story to the
next?





a Rafflecopter giveaway






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Published on April 05, 2020 21:02

April 4, 2020

Twitterific Writing Links

Bluebird with beak open and 'Twitterific Writing Links' by ElizabethSCraig superimposed on the image


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.


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.


Hope everyone is doing well! Stay safe and take care.





Business / Miscellaneous

4 Mistakes Amateur Self-Publishers Make That the Pros Don’t: @DaveChesson
Everything You Need To Know About Fiction Editing: @TheStoryEditor @IndieAuthorALLI
Grants for Freelancers and Artists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: @womenonwriting

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Coronavirus Updates: Publishing Award Programs Make More Changes: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The UK's International Booker Prize Shortlist: Digitally Announced From London: @Porter_Anderson

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo Gearing Up for April: @NaNoWriMo
Join Camp NaNoWriMo: @NaNoWriMo

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

10 Tips for the Aspiring Author: @DragonspireUK
Six Crucial Differences Aspiring Writers Should Be Aware of: @Peter_Rey_

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

5 Books That Leave You With Hope for Humanity: @GeektasticLib @tordotcom
11 Indie Literary Magazines You Should Be Reading: by Steven Watson @ElectricLit
Reading Challenge: Overcome the Algorithms: @JamiGold
Hostile Work Environment: Women in Today's Thrillers: @RealLiveCritic @CrimeReads
Is Jane Austen the Antidote to Social Media Overload? @awsamuel @JSTOR_Daily
Download Classic Works of Plague Fiction: From Daniel Defoe & Mary Shelley, to Edgar Allan Poe: @openculture
When Murder Is a Family Affair: @TiffTsao @CrimeReads
Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village: @maureenjohnson @CrimeReads
Why Goodnight Moon is missing from the New York Public Library’s list of the 10 most-checked-out books of all time: @dankois @Slate
7 SFF Stories That Reimagine Some of Your Favorite Classics: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

The 1 Tool You Need to Become a Better Writer This Year: @MegDowell
How to Create a Time Blocking Schedule with Google Calendar: @authorbrittwang

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

How to Write Faster: 7 Steps for Writing More Productively: @DaveChesson
12 Simple Strategies For Writing More In Less Time: @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Quaint English Village Murder Mystery TV Shows with a Million Seasons, for Your Binge-Watching Pleasure During These Hard Times: @oldrutigliano @CrimeReads
How to Build Confidence as a Writer: @MichaelLaRonn
How to Write a Character with Dissociative Disorder When You Have Dissociative Disorder: @OtherGloria @CrimeReads
12 Signs You’re Finally Ready to Write That Novel: @MegDowell
Plan with me | Writing & Social Media Planner | Mar 30- Apr 5: @jlw_writes
Short Existentialist Plays Starring You, Your Coworkers, and Your Family During Quarantine: @MikeJungman @mcsweeneys
Can you manage a newsletter and a book? @pubcoach
The Art of Single-Tasking and Writing Your Book: @CathyFyock @EdieMelson
Writing In The Time Of Pandemic: @MaryGillgannon @RMFWriters
Days Without Name: On Time in the Time of Coronavirus: @lithub @HeidiPitlor
Boredom is a pit stop: @austinkleon
Writing Every Day Won’t Make You More Successful — But This Daily Habit Might: @MegDowell
How To Nail Writing From Home: @KMAllan_writer
One writer's struggle with depression: @ritetig

Genres / Fantasy

Do Rulers in Fantasy Need to be Evil or Inept? @cyallowitz
Fantasy Fortifications: Technology and Materials: by Toni Šušnjar @mythicscribes
Fantasy Fortifications: Design: by Toni Šušnjar @mythicscribes

Genres / Historical

https://t.co/ZWBRtfkCjm: @Janet_Reid

Genres / Horror

The Vengeful Female Ghosts of J-Horror (Japanese Horror): @LOHFiction

Genres / Mystery

In Praise of the Richly Detailed Historical Crime Novel: by Burt Solomon @CrimeReads
Crime Writing: The Danger of Complacency for Police Officers: @LeeLofland

Genres / Non-Fiction

A Fiction Writer Tackles Nonfiction: @jemifraser
What's Harder and Easier About Nonfiction vs Fiction: @jemifraser

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

An Easy Way to Write a Book Cover Blurb: @ZoeMMcCarthy

Promo / Miscellaneous

Book Promotion in the Time of Coronavirus: @FauziaBurke
Book Promotion: Tips for Making it Work: @StephPostAuthor @LitReactor

Promo / Newsletters

7 Expert Tricks To Improve Your Author Newsletter: @DavidGaughran

Promo / Social Media Tips

11 Must-Have Instagram Apps for Writers: @CaballoFrances

Promo / Websites

55 Social Media Hashtags For Book Authors (And How To Use Them): @webdesignrelief
How to Set up Your Author Website Quickly and Easily: @PaulineWiles @theindiepubmag
How to Drive Traffic to Your Author Website: @FauziaBurke

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Independent bookstores turn to crowdfunding to stay afloat during the crisis:
Indie Booksellers: Tips for Setting Up an Online Storefronts Quickly: @JaneFriedman
Producing an Audiobook with Audible's ACX: @WendyNikel @sfwa
Happy ever after: why writers are falling out of love with marriage: @mialevitin @GuardianBooks

Publishing / News / Amazon

3 Ways to Combat Amazon Reviews Disappearing: @Bookgal

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Coronavirus: Italy's Creative Industries: ‘On Their Last Legs': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Coronavirus Industry Resource Lists: IPA Focuses on Policy, Support: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @IntPublishers
Coronavirus: US PubWest Appeals to Amazon for Relief on Fees: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing Amid France's Coronavirus Lockdown: ‘We Don't Want To Panic': @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
Coronavirus: Malaysia Cancels Its Kuala Lumpur World Book Capital Opener: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Tomie dePaola, children's author and illustrator, has died: by @rriess_TV @hrsilverman
US S&S Partners With https://t.co/Ii7MpPQQBf; UK Books Are My Bag Has Mackesy Designs: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
BolognaFiere Announces an Online Rights Trading Option: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
International Children's Book Day: WHO, UNICEF, and IPA Open ‘Read the World': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Garzanti's New Book for Bergamo: ‘Creativity Does Not Stop by Decree': @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

Why Rejections From Literary Agents and Editors Aren't Always Bad: @MegLaTorre

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Considerations for the First Page of Your Novel: @LiveWriteThrive

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How to Write Character Voice: @shaelinbishop @ReedsyHQ
Cause and Effect: Does Your Character's Behavior Make Sense? @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

How Can We Make Our Protagonist More Proactive? @JamiGold

Writing Craft / Endings

How to End a Story Well: @davidfarland

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Writing Lessons from Video Games: Forgotton Anne: @VictoriaGHowell

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

How to Use Symbolism: @shaelinbishop
How To Master Similes And Metaphors In Your Writing: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Approaching Disability in a Pirate Story: by Fay Onyx @mythcreants
Writers: Embrace the Bleak in Your Stories: by Bonnie Randall
Getting to the next level as a writer: @Janet_Reid
Types of Narrators: @victoria_grif7
Stitching Together Multiple Timelines: @constancesayers @DIYMFA
The Core of Every Novel: The Big Want & The Big Fear: @Spencimus
Don't give your Readers a Reason to Reject Your Novel: @JodieRennerEd @annerallen

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

Beat Sheet for “The Office” Episode You Haven't Seen: @Zhangarang @savethecat

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Canceled vs. Cancelled (Grammar Rules): @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Revision

Revision: Making a Mess Less Complicated: by S.E. Jones @TheRyanLanz

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Find your writing problems before editing: @pubcoach
When to Bring in Beta Readers: @BookEndsJessica

Writing Tools / Apps

How to Use Scrivener to Write Scenes That Work: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Creating Custom Scrivener Templates: @Gwen_Hernandez

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

How to Write Better With Dictation: @SelfPubForm @TheKJA

Uncategorized

Cartoonist @tomgauld with a ‘Choose Your Own Writing Adventure' that sounds very familiar:
An important thread for writers to read. Think ahead and ask questions:







The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

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Published on April 04, 2020 21:01

March 29, 2020

A Fiction Writer Tackles Nonfiction


by Jemi Fraser, @jemifraser


I am normally a fiction writer. I write romance, suspense, and flash fiction from a wide variety of genres. When our family was hit by dementia, I decided to tackle this new-to-us disease in writing in order to help other families facing those early stages of the disease.


Nonfiction and fiction share some similarities, but they are also different in many ways. I discovered that writing nonfiction is easier than writing fiction. It is also much more difficult.


Easier: the story is already there


Harder: the story is already there


Sure, the story is there, but (at least in the case of Dancing With Dementia) the story is life itself. The story is all parts of life intertwined in a big, jumbled mess of timelines and emotions and details.


Choosing which parts belong in a story that is to be shared with the world is the challenge. The parts you choose need to be interesting and connect to your theme and they need to showcase that theme while staying true to life.


Easier: the characters are real people


Harder: the characters are real people


In fiction, we create characters. We invest time and energy into creating characters who are as real as we can make them.


In my non-fiction work, the characters are fully evolved people complete with backstories, emotional investment in the story, flaws, and strengths. Putting those people on paper to share with the world involves all kinds of risks, both to the people in the story and to the author. Keeping an unbiased perspective on the characters (and yourself if you’re a character as well) is difficult but necessary.


Easier: audience is key


Harder: audience is key


If an author wishes to sell, it’s important to keep the audience in mind. Who is the target audience? Why will they want to read the book? What do they want from the book?


Fiction tend to focus on entertainment. Nonfiction (in this case anyway) focuses on a blend of information and entertainment. Even informational texts should be entertaining enough to keep the audience reading.


Knowing what parts of our experiences would help the audience and entertain them at the same time was a challenge. In the end, some of our stories involving Mom didn’t make the cut for the book because they weren’t sufficiently entertaining or informative.


So how do we switch our brains from fiction to nonfiction mode (or nonfiction to fiction)?


For me it’s all about character and emotion. No matter what I’m writing, I need to put myself in the head of the character.


For Dancing With Dementia, it wasn’t hard to slip into my concerns about Mom as those concerns were never far from the surface.


How about you? Any other thoughts to add about the difference between fiction and nonfiction? When you read nonfiction, do you want to be both entertained and informed?


A Fiction Writer Tackles Nonfiction (by @JemiFraser) :
Click To Tweet

 






It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Jemi

Fraser’s
Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia Blog Tour

through MC Book Tours today.

The author is offering a tour-wide international giveaway of an Amazon

Gift Card. More information on the giveaway is listed below.

Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia

by Jemi Fraser

◊ Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

◊ Publisher: Just Jemi Books

◊ eBooks

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1-9991258-1-3


Dementia and Alzheimer’s touch the lives of millions around the

world, but so much is still unknown.


As first-generation Canadians, we didn’t recognize

the early warning signs. We didn’t know the differences between regular aging

and the early stages of dementia. We’ve made mistakes but we’ve learned a lot.


DANCING

WITH DEMENTIA
will help you:

•Identify those early warning signs

•Use visuals to improve communication

•Choose your words wisely

•Redirect and reassure

•Stay calm and cope with your own emotions

•Consider nursing home options

•Improve caregiver self-care


We’ve learned to dance the early steps of the

disease with our love and laughter intact. If you are looking for help

recognizing early signposts along with practical ways to cope with early

Dementia and Alzheimer’s, this book is for you.




DANCING

WITH DEMENTIA
buy

links:

Amazon.com              Amazon.ca          Apple Books

Barnes & Noble          Kobo





Add DANCING WITH DEMENTIA

to your Goodreads shelf

For those

who aren’t familiar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.

Jemi Fraser

writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her nonfiction work focuses on the ways

that dementia has impacted her family. Her fiction work varies from

contemporary romance to suspense and flash fiction. Years as a teacher have

taught Jemi that life is short and that happy endings are a must.

Jemi lives

in Northern Ontario, Canada where snow is always a topic of conversation and

the autumn leaves make everything better.

For more on

Jemi and her writing, visit her following sites:

Website

Just Jemi Blog

Dancing

With Dementia blog 

Amazon

Page


BookBub      Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Quick

Tips Videos


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This

tour-wide giveaway is for a $20 Amazon Gift Card . The giveaway is

open internationally.

To enter the

giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the

instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and

you’ll be directed to the widget.

Thanks for

stopping by and be sure to follow Jemi on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you

might find out. I hope dementia hasn’t touch your family or friends, but in

case it has do you have any tips to share on dealing with this terrible

disease?

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 


Photo on Visualhunt.com


The post A Fiction Writer Tackles Nonfiction appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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Published on March 29, 2020 21:02