Must be a group member before inviting friends

Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 56

December 5, 2019

What Filled My Creative Well in 2019

by Elizabeth Spann Craig, @elizabethscraig

I had a lot of changes going on for 2019. On the professional end, I started a new series (the first for about nine years). On the personal end, I ended up with an empty nest and a husband who started working remotely from home.

I also had a very productive year. Because of the new series, I wanted to put out two new books in the series fairly close together. I ended up writing five books in 2019 instead of my usual 3.5.

This all means that I needed to refill my creative well a little more than I usually do. And I did. Despite writing more than usual and despite all the changes (and I’m not one who handles change easily), I didn’t experience any burnout or the usual irritability that comes with change/not being in control of things.

I did quite a few writing sprints, using my timer. Sometimes I followed the Pomodoro method and sometimes I made the sprints a bit shorter. Following the sprints, I took breaks. Some of the breaks were pretty long, but I found I could still hop back into my story easily for the next sprint. Having breaks definitely helped keep me motivated.

What kinds of things filled my breaks?

I’ve listened before to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, but only erratically and when I followed a link to them. But this year, I’ve really enjoyed listening to them (they’re short…only about 15 minutes) and discovering a variety of different musicians and types of music. When I found someone I liked, I added their music to my Amazon Prime Music playlists or Spotify.

I’ve also listened to podcasts again this year. There are so many different choices out there that anyone should be able to find something of interest. A few years ago, I was more interested in listening to fiction on podcasts and also writing-business-related podcasts, but this year it was nonfiction…true crime on Crime Junkies, This American Life, etc.

I’ve also spent more time watching films this year…mostly independent or classic films instead of films from big studios. I’ve found these on free accounts through my local library on Kanopy and Hoopla.

Writer and artist Austin Kleon’s newsletter has provided a weekly rabbit hole of inspiration and creative well-filling.

Can exercise help fill your creative well? I wouldn’t have said so (and I don’t enjoy exercising…I enjoy having exercised) but I’ve found that my daily walk on the treadmill I purchased in February has really helped me in terms of focus and general well-being. I’m going to reluctantly add it to my creative well list. :)

What has helped you fill your creative well in 2019?

What Helped Fill 1 Writer's Creative Well in 2019:
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visualhunt.com

The post What Filled My Creative Well in 2019 appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 05, 2019 21:01

December 1, 2019

A Guide to Branding Yourself as a Writer

by Tiffany Yamut, @TiffanyYamut

I started writing online in 2015 not having a niche, unique voice, and loyal readership. Like a new hire, I felt lost and wanted to belong.

Because of that, I grabbed every opportunity that came my way.

As I became more mature in my writing, I realized how essential it was to brand myself. And I believe that every writer, newbie or experienced, should take branding seriously if they want to succeed.

You’ve come to the right place.

Today, I’ll be showing you why branding matters in your writing career and how you can build a personal brand.

Why Is Branding Important for Your Writing Career?
1. Sets you apart from other writers

Like running a business, you want to be known for something. Are you focused on one thing or spreading yourself too thin?

When you think of Stephen King, you imagine tales of horror and suspense. If it’s JRR Tolkien, fantasy images fill your mind.

As a writer, you want to be known for something. That way, people know whom to seek if they need content on a certain topic. Branding increases your authority.

2. Allows you to stay focused

Can you imagine writing about 10 different niches at the same time? It won’t be long before you’ll go crazy!

You see, focus is extremely important to create the highest quality content. Because when your mind is cluttered, you cannot give your “all” to a task.

Focus helps you effectively research and plan your content before you start writing. And as you write, you’ll be able to “get in the flow.”

3. Gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction

Building a personal brand helps you feel most accomplished. You’ll have high regard for your writing work. You know where you excel and you’ve played to your strengths.

Tips on Creating a Personal Brand as a Writer
1. Consider your passions and interests.

First, you need to identify your strengths. What are you good at? Are you most passionate and interested in fiction? Blogging in B2B niches? Legal writing? Know your niche/genre and the kind of writing skill you have.

2. Decide on your look.

Visual cues matter in branding. People should be able to tell that it’s you who wrote a piece of content by its appearance. Your logo, colors, fonts, and graphics should spell Y-O-U.

3. Be visible to your readers.

To demonstrate your personal brand, you need to create an online presence. Your target audience should be able to discover you. Here are ways to establish yourself online:

Blog regularly

Start a website that showcases your expertise. Make sure that it has a blog section where you can write about topics that offer value to your target audience. Share your experiences as well as tips and strategies.

Post social media content

Social media is a must these days. Having a social media presence ensures that people see your written content. Complete your social media profile with your image and description. Keep your updates relevant to your brand.

Start an email newsletter

An email newsletter helps you communicate your brand messages more often. That way, you can stay in touch with your audience.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the things you can do to develop a personal brand in your writing career. A personal brand allows you to stand out, produce better work, and stay happy! If you have additional tips to share? If so, please leave them in the comments section below.

Tiffany Yamut is the founder of Freelance Writing With Joy. She has ghostwritten thousands of articles online since 2015.

Through her blog, she hopes to share everything she learned as a professional freelance writer so that aspiring writers can thrive and excel in their journey. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

Image credit: Pixabay

Writer @TiffanyYamut with a guide to branding yourself as a writer:
Click To Tweet

The post A Guide to Branding Yourself as a Writer appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 01, 2019 21:01

November 30, 2019

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.

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 Speak to Journalists Before Your Book is Published (And Not Give It All Away): @LisaTener
What Do Editors Do Anyway? @topshelfedits
A Novelist’s Necessary Evils: @jaelmchenry @WriterUnboxed

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

8 Tips for Attending Writer’s Conferences and Getting the Most From Your Writing Conference Experience: @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Want to Write a Book? Here are 3 Must-Ask Questions for Planning Success: @JLHarrisCoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

How to Court Serendipity When You Write: @Peter_Rey_
Turning creative sparks into a fire: @pubcoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

8 Leigh Bardugo Quotes About Writing for Writers: @AmyMJones_5 @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Five Sci-Fi Books Featuring Futuristic Technology: by Veronica Roth @tordotcom
9 Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories about Music: @SarahPinsker @ElectricLit

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

6 Ways To Stay Productive In A Creative Slump: by Macy Thornhill @thecreativepenn

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Why Publish: Iseult Murphy on the Power of Getting Your Writing Out There: @sarahstypos @write_practice
Fears That Usurp Writing: @chicklitgurrl
Showing, Telling, Making: @davidfarland
6 Myths About Writing: @katy239 @TheRyanLanz
7 Tips To Remove Distractions While Writing and Blogging: @akshayhallur @Writers_Write
Can Writers Lose Their Fingerprints? @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors
Writing Under Duress: How to Persevere When Your Job, Life, and Kids Are Also a Priority: @saderotica @LitReactor
Selectively Keeping My Mouth Shut about My Writing: @AmrenOrtega
Should You Really Get Up Early to Write? @AnneJanzer
I Don’t Feel Like Writing, Yet Here I Am. @MegDowell

Genres / Mystery

The 5 Essential Elements of Unforgettable Crime Thrillers: @DerikCavignano @CrimeReads

Genres / Romance

5 Necessary Characters in a Romance Novel: @woodwardkaren

Genres / Screenwriting

The Protagonist’s Lack of Metaphor Family, Argument Tactic, Strong Motivation, Goals, Insistence, and Decision-Making Ability in “Get Out”: @CockeyedCaravan
Script to Screen: “Zombieland”: @GoIntoTheStory
Wrapping Up the Internal and External Journeys of “Get Out” : @CockeyedCaravan

Genres / Women’s Fiction

Get Real: 4 Tips for Writing Bestselling Women’s Fiction: by Brenda Copeland @CareerAuthors

Promo / Blogging

Is blogging dead? @DanBlank

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Compelling Book Descriptions: by David Kudler @JFbookman
How to Improve Your Amazon Book Descriptions: @Bookgal @JaneFriedman

Promo / Miscellaneous

How (and Why) to Market Yourself: @EJWenstrom @DIYMFA

Promo / Newsletters

Designing the Perfect Product Funnel For Your Online Business: @KarenBanes

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Tips on Audiobook Production for Indie Authors: @KyleRbrtShultz
Daunt at FutureBook Live: Barnes & Noble’s ‘Crucifyingly Boring’ Stores: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @TheFutureBook
How Audiobooks Became a Powerful, Unexpected Format to Sell Books: @Rhys_Keller
FutureBook Live: Audiobooks, Katie Espiner on Publishing Management: @Porter_Anderson @kesp @pubperspectives
No, Woke Culture Is NOT ‘The Death Of Storytelling’: @Bang2write
Remembering German Publisher Monika Schoeller: by Hannah Johnson @pubperspectives
7 Things You Should Know About Kobo: @Joni_DiPlacido @RomanceUniv
Self-publishing News: AI and the Indie Author: @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / News / International Publishing

BookNet: Canada’s Book Club Memberships Have Doubled This Year: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada
China Bestsellers October 2019: Better Days by Jiu Yuexi: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

The Woes of Unsolicited Manuscripts in Publishing: @CindyDevoted @EdieMelson
Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? @tessaemilyhall @A3writers

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Make your plot tangible (Query critique): @NathanBransford
How to Write a Query Letter that Makes Agents and Editors Swoon: by Michael Cristiano @TheRyanLanz
Submitting ork? Build a Better Battering Ram: @davidfarland

Publishing / Process / Book Design

How To Make An Animated Book Cover That Rocks: @ADDerWORLD

Writing Craft / Beginnings

How to Ground (and Hook) Readers in Your Opening Scene: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

The Secret to Writing Fascinating Villains: @LMacNaughton

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How to Reinforce Your Characters with Detailed World-Building: @NaNoWriMo
Character Type: Orphan: @GoIntoTheStory
When Your Character Is His Own Worst Enemy: @LiveWriteThrive
5 ways to make a character more sympathetic: @NathanBransford
Readers Must Sympathize with Characters: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

How Do You Know If Your Protagonist Is Strong Enough? @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Conflict

Conflict Thesaurus Entry: A Car Accident: @beccapuglisi

Writing Craft / Dialogue

How to Get the Most Out of Your Dialogue: @AJHumpage

Writing Craft / Diversity

Diversity in Fiction: Writing the Character You’re Afraid to Write: @sacha_black

Writing Craft / Humor

Five Proven Ways to Add Humor to Your Story: @ElleCarterNeal

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

6 Ways Terry Pratchett Can Help You Improve Your Writing: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
Why it works: “Go Tell It on the Mountain” by James Baldwin: @NathanBransford

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

The figurative language of John MacLachlan Gray: @pubcoach

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Narrative Drive – Do You Have It? @JordanDane @killzoneauthors
10 Tips for Writing a Story That Will Become a Fandom: @_HannahHeath
Joseph Finder’s 8 Tips For Writers: @Writers_Write
Chekhov’s Gun: The Importance of Follow-Through in Fiction: @annerallen
Writing Callbacks: @SeptCFawkes
What Does It Mean to Write About Happiness? by Andrea Lundgren @TheRyanLanz
What’s Your Point? Figuring Out What Goes Into Each Chapter: by PJ Parrish @killzoneauthors
What is Your Core Message? @LisaEBetz @A3writers

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Plotting, Pantsing & Personality Type: @Julie_Glover

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Things to Consider When Writing About Royalty: from Sandy Dragon

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

A Comma Here, A Comma There: by Carlton Hughes @A3writers
How to Make Words That End in Y Plural: @GrammarGirl
Punctuation Marks: The Serial Comma: @WritingForward

Writing Craft / Revision

Quick and Tidy Tips to Streamline Editing: @GinaArdito @TheIWSG
Shoot the Weasel Words: @AndreaMerrell

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

World Building: Physical Setting: @FaeRowen

Writing Craft / World-Building

6 Tips for Worldbuilding on a Time Crunch: @rebekah_loper @NaNoWriMo

Writing Tools / Resources

8 Resources for Info and Inspiration for Writers: @Roz_Morris

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

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 30, 2019 21:02

November 23, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I had two books come out last week. :) Hushed Up and Overdue are now available for purchase.

Happy Thanksgiving to my US blog readers! I’m taking the week off to spend time with my family, but will be back here next Sunday again. (You may also find that the website is down sometimes for maintenance and design work during this time. Thanks for stopping by!)

Business / Miscellaneous

5 Steps to Finding Profitable Book Topics on Amazon: by Alexandria Evensen @sabsky
Branding for editors and proofreaders – beyond me-me-me: @LouiseHarnby
10 Financial Rules for Writers: @PaulaSMunier @CareerAuthors
An agent on the value of an electronic footprint: @Janet_Reid
Should You Join an Association for Writers? @RJCrayton @IndiesUnlimited
Working with (Those Dreaded) Editors: by Florence Osmund @JFbookman

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Aspen Institute Names Its 2020 Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist: @Porter_Anderson @AspenWords @adriennebrodeur
The US National Book Awards at 70: Looking for Permanence: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo Week 3: Reinvigorate Your Story: @syd_thedreamer @NaNoWriMo
Changing a NaNo Project Halfway Through: @savyleiser

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

5 Practices to Increase Your Creativity: @createastorylov
How Reddit Can Inspire Your Novel: @alexadonne

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

C.S. Lewis Quotes on Writing: @stevelaubeagent

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Thrillers in Disguise: @debraimmergut @CrimeReads
So You Think You’re Cool? On Referencing Pop Music in Fiction: @RobertHallerNY @lithub
Cool Male Protagonists Everyone Should Know: @jrc2666 @ReadItForward
On the Appeal of Ex-Library Books: by Mark Sieber @CemeteryDance

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Scheduling Time to Outline or Write: from Fix Your Writing Habits
Struggling to Write? How to Stay Motivated When Life Gets in the Way: @KimberleyGrabas

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

Writing: Why You’re Procrastinating, and How to Stop: @RebeccaNeely1

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

12 Keys to Successfully Returning From a Writing Hiatus: @MegDowell
5 Steps to Make the Most of Your Writing Session: @the_writing_pal
You’ll be miserable if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do: @austinkleon
Self-belief vs Self-delusion: @dlwebb @WomenWriters
Téa Obreht On Abandoning a 600-Page Novel: @FirstDraftADOW @lithub
Readings for Writers: No Friend but the Pen: @ElizabethHuergo
Author Mindset: 4 Practices For Overcoming Self-Doubt: by Philip Kenney @thecreativepenn
Writing Purpose — How to Find Yours: @sowulwords @DIYMFA
Overcome Fear to Unbox Your Best Writing: @erikaliodice @WriterUnboxed
Libraries Are Even More Important to Contemporary Community Than We Thought: @EricKlinenberg @lithub
The Strangest Questions Ever Asked of New York City Librarians: @nypl @lithub
The Joys and Perils of Writing Longhand: @LisaTener

Genres / Fantasy

Combining Fantasy and Science Fiction Elements: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
History for Fantasy Writers: Journeymen: by E.L. Skip Knox @mythicscribes

Genres / Horror

How to Write Effective Horror: @ReedsyHQ

Genres / Mystery

How to Write Suspense: @ReedsyHQ
3 things a reader doesn’t like in a cozy mystery: from Cozy Mystery Tea Time

Genres / Non-Fiction

How Indie Authors Can Sell More Nonfiction Books: @mtjacobsen @IndieAuthorALLI

Genres / Romance

Toxic Romance? @ClareLangleyH @killzoneauthors

Genres / Screenwriting

4 Secrets To Selling Your Screenplay… And Not Your Soul: @Pendensham @CreativeScreen
How to Get Your Gritty Horror Movie Made While Working a Full-Time Job: @JasonHellerman @nofilmschool

Genres / Short Stories

Anthony Doerr on Throwing Out All the Rules for Writing a Short Story: @lithub
On the Many Different Engines That Power a Short Story: @TheLincoln @lithub

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

How To Write Compelling Back-Cover Copy: @StephMorrill @GoTeenWriters

Promo / Book Signings and Launch parties

Once Upon a Book Tour: @Kristan_Higgins @WomenWriters

Promo / Miscellaneous

3 Book Marketing Ideas You Should Be Using: by Angelica Hartgers @TheRyanLanz
Book Marketing: Publicity Tips For Your Book: @KayePublicity @thecreativepenn

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Alibaba nets $1 bn in 68 seconds. Beats Amazon’s last quarter revenue in one day: @TNPS10
What it Means to be a 21st Century Author: @Roz_Morris @vicdougherty
AAP’s StatShot for September: Modest Gains in the US Market: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Three Books, Three Lessons: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / Amazon

Amazon Reducing Orders to Publishers: @PublishersWkly

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Environment and Climate on ‘Beyond the Book’: New Delhi’s Smog Crisis: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
The US National Book Awards’ Lisa Lucas: ‘The Times We Live In’: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook @likaluca @TheBookerPrizes @NewDirections @riverheadbooks @sandstonepress @wwborders @LitTranslate @chadwpost @open_letter
Industry Notes: IFFRO Elects New Board, Cara Duckworth Joins AAP: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
UK’s £50,000 Baillie Gifford Prizewinner Will Be Announced Tonight: @Porter_Anderson @BGPrize @StigAbell
Hallie Rubenhold Wins 2019 Baillie Gifford Nonfiction Prize for ‘The Five’: @Porter_Anderson @HallieRubenhold @BGPrize
On World Children’s Day, the UN and IPA Highlight the SDG Book Club: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @pubperspectives
Industry Notes: John Murray Launches US Basic Books Imprint in the UK: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
BIEF’s Fellowship for Arab Publishers: Contrasts and Commonalities: @oliviasnaije
Publishing Scotland’s Translation Fund Reopens, One Eye Watching Brexit: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @PublishScotland
Polish Publishers Launch an Online Bookstore Called Inverso: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

Preparing to Make an Offer of Representation: @BookEndsJessica

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

“Why don’t people want to rep the book?” @Janet_Reid

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your Interior Book Designer: by Mary E. Neighbour @BethBarany

Writing Craft / Beginnings

An editor critiques a YA submission: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Character Inspiration Is All Around You: @thekayleighwebb @NaNoWriMo

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

5 Questions for Choosing a Protagonist Who Represents Your Story’s Theme: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Rookie Mistakes Indie Writers Make: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Endings

Writing your Final Chapter: 6 Do’s and Don’ts For a Satisfying Conclusion: @annerallen

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Theme—The Abstract Element of Novel Writing: @NeelyKneely3628 @EdieMelson

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Why Your Character (and You) Should be an Expert in Something: by Alyssa Hollingsworth
7 Tips to Write Better Fiction: @createastorylov
3 Areas Of Your Fiction Craft To Hone: by Angelica Hartgers, @SelfPublishing7
The Intersection of Character Transformation and Moral Dilemma: @LiveWriteThrive
10 Character Traits of an Espionage Hero: @PiperBayard
Three Important Story Elements: @hanque99
Breaches That Elicit Fear in Your Characters: by Bonnie Randall
Fresh Writing Sells: Power To The Hug: @MargieLawson

Writing Craft / POV

How to Exploit Uncommon Points of View in Your Novel: @HDemchick

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming

Edith Wharton Will Teach You Everything You Need to Know About Naming Characters: @AdamOPrice @The_Millions
These Four Websites Are A Huge Help With Naming Your Characters: @BrynDonovan

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Why Being An Expert At Structure Helps Your Writing: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Can You Start a Sentence With “Because”? Oh Heck Yeah, You Can: @KathrynPetras @thewritelife

Writing Craft / Revision

Learning to Love Book Revision: Process is Key: @AnneJanzer
How to Edit a Book: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide: by Michael Aragon

Writing Craft / Tension

How to Write Tension and Twists by Karen S. Wiesner: @womenonwriting

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

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 23, 2019 21:02

November 21, 2019

Three Important Story Elements

by Hank Quense, @hanque99

To a new fiction writer, there are a bewildering number of story elements that are essential to the story and incorporated into the work. To mention a few, there are character development, plotting, setting, point of view, and others. These story elements are explained in depth in any number of books and are easy to research.

However, there are three other story elements that are just as vital, but are hardly mentioned in books on fiction writing. When they are mentioned, the description is vague and hard to understand, let alone use in stories.

In this article, I’ll discuss these three elements which are: dominant reader emotion, the character arc, and the emotional arc.

Dominant Reader Emotion

This is the emotion you want (hope?) the reader will experience whenever a character is in a scene. For the story’s protagonist, you want the reader to have positive emotions such as empathy, sympathy, delight, or intrigue. For the bad guy, the emotions can be animosity, irritation, pity, hostility, and anger.

When I’m developing a new major character, the DRE is one of the first characteristics I assign because it affects the way I develop and write about the character. For instance, if I want the reader to admire the character, then I can’t have this character kicking puppies or running away from a fight. The DRE dictates that I develop the character’s attributes so the reader won’t be turned off by the character.

Character Arc

In short, the character arc is how the character’s life changed as a result of the events in the story. If nothing changed then the story is a ‘who cares’ because everything after the story is the same as before the story. So, nothing happened except the character got a bit older.

The character arc can be physical or mental but a mental change is more interesting to readers than a physical change. In a mental character arc, the character learned an important lesson. In a physical one, the character’s situation changed for better or worse.

Here are a few examples of character arcs.

A character starts out as a bigot, but during the course of the story, learns to be less bigoted and becomes more open-minded.
A proud or pompous (or both) character gets humbled as the story unfolds.
A lazy character gets motivated.
A character evolves from an uninterested bystander or a follower into the leader of a movement.

Emotional Arc

Most writing books don’t emphasize, if they mention it all, that the main character in a scene must undergo an emotional change. To put this another way, whatever the character’s emotional state is at the beginning of the scene, it must be different at the end of the scene.

Further, in the next scene with the same character, the starting emotion is the ending emotion from the last scene.

In the case of the protagonist, these emotional changes are negative as his failures to solve the plot problem take a toll. Thus, the emotional arc can start at happy at the story’s beginning and change to annoyed, startled, alarmed, and desperate as the story progresses. By the time the character is desperate, the story will at the climatic scene at the end of the story.

These three story elements are covered along with many other elements in my Story Design lectures. You can learn more at: https://bit.ly/338UqjY

You can also find out more about my lectures on this webpage: https://padlet.com/hanque/rph7u51miayn

Hank Quense writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi. Early in his writing career,

he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank

has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from

Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in

Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom

live nearby.

For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy.

Occasionally, they also time-travel.

Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and

book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids

how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced

ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create

characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The

book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.

3 Important Story Elements to Include in Your Novel from @hanque99 :
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt.com

The post Three Important Story Elements appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 21, 2019 21:01

November 17, 2019

3 Areas Of Your Fiction Craft To Hone

by Angelica Hartgers, @SelfPublishing7

Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo?

As well as being a time to test your writing effort and output capabilities, it’s also a time to gain valuable insight.

When we practice our fiction capabilities so intensely, we inevitably find out where we are as writers.

Which parts of our craft are looking strong? Which are in need of improvement?

Regardless of whether you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo or not, the opportunity to evaluate our craft skills and find areas to work on shouldn’t be passed up.

Here is a selection of fiction craft resources to help you hone your skills.

Crafting Better Characters

The most memorable fiction characters live on in our hearts and minds, long after their book is finished.

On the opposite end of the scale, dreadful characters can cause reader rage.

Spend some time reading through reviews and you’ll soon find people whose main dislike of a book is due to their impression of a character.

Given the immense importance of characters, how can we assess and improve the way we craft them?

Reader Reaction. Perhaps the most important way to assess the state of your character craft is by gauging reader reaction. Even the best character on paper is totally pointless if readers don’t react well.
Depth. Even characters with the most useful plot function will suffer if they come across as too basic, flat, or functional. Taking the time to really get to know your fiction character will help to avoid any problems with depth.
Necessity. What role does your character play in the story? Taking the time to think through this aspect of character development will help avoid adding anyone superfluous.

There isn’t a fiction genre out there that wouldn’t benefit from better characters. Why not take the time to assess and improve yours?

Improving Dialogue

Dialogue that sounds forced, unnatural, or outdated can ruin the rhythm of fiction. Pointless dialogue that does nothing for the story is also a waste of time.

If you feel your conversational craft could use some improvement, what are some areas to focus on?

Purpose. For dialogue to be meaningful, it should serve a clear purpose in your story. Are your readers learning something new? Is the plot being advanced? Meaningless chit chat is likely to annoy and bore your readers.
Natural Sound. Often, dialogue that works well in our mind when we write it doesn’t sound as good as intended out loud. Read it through to make sure the rhythm is natural and you haven’t accidentally repeated anything distracting or annoying.
Consistency. Unless there’s a meaningful reason for their variation, you want your character to speak as consistently as possible. This adds to believability and character depth, allowing them to live on in the mind of your reader.

Improving your dialogue will give your reader a really precious gift – a memorable character that lives on inside their minds.

Expanding Your Fiction Horizons

Sometimes, the best way to refresh your writing craft is to expand its scope.

It can be all too easy to get stuck in a craft rut, where we feel uninspired and unenergized.

Signs that this might be the case include finding fiction tedious if you usually enjoy it and feeling burned out if you attempt something like NaNoWriMo.

Looking to refresh your love of fiction writing?

Here are a few ideas.

Writing prompts. Using a writing prompt feels like a fun, low pressure way to get your fiction juices flowing again. If you need to restore your love of crafting fiction, why not try experimenting with writing prompts outside your genre? You’d be surprised by what you discover when you leave your comfort zone.
New collaboration. Sometimes, the best way to feel good about fiction is to work with someone new. Is there an exciting new collaborator you could seek out? An accountability partner for an upcoming craft project?
A change of scene. Your fiction writing environment influences your output. If you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, can you switch up where you write? This could be as simple as moving from room to room, or even switching writing devices and going to a new location entirely.

Sometimes, the best way to keep your fiction craft as fresh and fun as possible is to mix things up. By re-energizing your fiction as a whole, you improve every individual part at the same time.

Which Craft Area Are You Working On This NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is something to be celebrated, no matter how much you’re personally participating.

Even if you’re not intending to become a winner, it’s still an invaluable chance to get swept up in the atmosphere, analyze your fiction craft, and consider some areas for improvement.

What’s your personal approach to assessing your craft? How do you go about it, and which exercises do you find most helpful?

What’s your take on NaNoWriMo in general?

Thank you everyone, and good luck!

SelfPublishing.com is committed to educating authors on how to successfully navigate the self-publishing industry. With over 105,000,000 books in print, SelfPublishing.com is your go-to resource to learn how to become a self-published author.

3 Areas of Your Fiction Craft to Hone (via @selfpublishing7 ):
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt

The post 3 Areas Of Your Fiction Craft To Hone appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 17, 2019 21:01

November 16, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

How can I write an engaging bio? @pubcoach
Licenses Are Not The Ends of Roads: @DeanWesleySmith
Co-writing for Indie Authors: @WillcocksAuthor @sacha_black

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

ALTA Names Its 2019 US National Translation Award Winners: @Porter_Anderson @LitTranslate
Sharjah Book Fair Draws a Record-Breaking 2.52 Million Visitors: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
FutureBook Live 2019 Ramps Up: ‘The Cultural Caché of Books’: @Porter_Anderson @mollyflatt @TheFutureBook @pubperspectives
On Book Launch Parties: by Chris Vick
The UK’s CILIP 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals: Diversity Aware: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
‘Maoism’ Author Julia Lovell Wins Canada’s $75,000 Cundill History Prize: @Porter_Anderson @CundillPrize
East of England: A Call for Under-Represented Writers: @Porter_Anderson

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

5 Myths About NaNoWriMo: Busted: @PenPaperPad @NaNoWriMo
How to Have a Proper NaNoWriMo Mentality: @the_writing_pal
5 Tips for Staying Motivated during NaNoWriMo: @SavyLeiser @NaNoWriMo

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

How to Become an Author: @thecreativepenn @joebunting

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

The 25/5 Rule Applied to a Writing Career: @aprildavila

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Are You Struggling to Be Creative? This Might Be Why: @KMWeiland
Writers, Remember: The Wand Chooses The Wizard: @AngelaAckerman
Serious Writers Never Quit: 5 Strategies to Win at Writing: @Frank_McKinley

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Five Books About Surprisingly Supernatural Teens: @cloudy_vision @tordotcom
Nancy Drew for Adults: Great Amateur Sleuth Series for Readers Over Twenty: by Karen White @CrimeReads
7 Lesser-Known Cyberpunk Novels to Help You Prepare for Our Horrible Future: @ElectricLit

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Squeeze More Writing Time from a Busy Day: @SusanSpann
The Pratchett Principle on Writing: @RuthanneReid

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

Extreme Productivity: How to Write 20-Plus Books a Year: @SelfPubForm

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Should you do your MFA in writing? @manzanitafire @pubcoach
What Happens When Readers Rebel? @elizagreenbooks @IndieAuthorALLI
On the Writer’s Quest for Authenticity: @lithub @mirajacob @JenPastiloff @landaudeborah @gracet09 @hannahtinti
Writing Isn’t the Hardest Part About Being a Writer: @MegDowell
Impostor Syndrome? Telling Signs of a Serious Writer: @Peter_Rey_
How Committed are You to Being a Successful Author? @KristenLambTX
How to write around children: @pubcoach
Writers are Courageous: by J.U. Scribe @TheRyanLanz
Challenging Our Assumptions About Writing: @RachelleGardner
Is It a Good Idea to Write When You Don’t ‘Feel Like’ Writing? @MegDowell
So You Want to Be a Novelist: @JonSealy @The_Millions

Genres / Memoir

Opinion: Can Writing a Memoir Change Your Life? @cassandrafarren @IndieAuthorALLI

Genres / Mystery

How to Research and Write a Detective Series (podcast): @ArcherMayor @DIYMFA

Promo / Ads

Are you ready to try Facebook Ads? (podcast): @BirdsOAFpress @davidpenny_
How to Write Ad Copy for Authors: Softening Your Book Ads: @WillowWoodford @BethBarany

Promo / Book Reviews

9 places to look for readers who write reviews: @sandrabeckwith

Promo / Miscellaneous

Content Marketing for Fiction and Nonfiction: by Rachel McCollin @IndieAuthorALLI
Tips for making better use of your endorsements: @Wogahn
Market Your Product: by Deborah Lyn Stanley
6 Tips for Pitching to Local Media + How to Do It Effectively: @Bookgal

Promo / Social Media Tips

“You Too Can Have a Viral Tweet Like Mine”:Demystifying Poetic Meter: @frankie_jay_tho @parisreview

Publishing / Miscellaneous

How to Evaluate Your WIP and Figure Out Your Next Steps: @Kid_Lit @TheIWSG

Publishing / News / Amazon

It’s now five years since Amazon last opened a Kindle store: @TNPS10

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Hay Festival’s Cristina Fuentes La Roche Awarded the OBE in Peru: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Amazon bookstores embrace spine-out shelf-stacking. Indigo sales fall again. And two sides to the Macmillan digital library boycott saga: @TNPS10
Authors Weigh in on Politics: ‘Words Make a Difference’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Emirates Airline Becomes IPA’s Exclusive Carrier in New Sponsorship: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers @pubperspectives
Words Without Borders November: Hope in the Philippines @Porter_Anderson @wwborders @kristinemuslim @daryll_reads @johnbengan
Rights Roundup: Purpose-Driven Reads on the International Rights Market: @Porter_Anderson @Ramqvist @JennyJagerfeld , more.
Sellout in Beijing: Why Albatros Media Won’t Be in Shanghai: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Russia’s Glukhovsky Follows Rights Sales With Stage, Film Editions of ‘Text’: @Porter_Anderson @glukhovsky @pubperspectives
Ken Follett Opens Brexit-Inspired Friendship Tour This Weekend: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Hybrid Publishing

What is Hybrid Publishing and Should I Consider It? Questions Answered: @OrnaRoss @MichaelLaRonn @agnieszkasshoes @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing: @MegLaTorre

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

The View from the Editor’s Desk: by Rachel Craft @RMFWriters
Writing the Query Letter: Dos & Don’ts: @msheatherwebb @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Beginnings

First Page Critique: Singularity Syndrome: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How to create a great villain: @NathanBransford

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How Blood, Phlegm, and Bile Can Produce Compelling Characters: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Devices / Repetition

Effective Repetition in Writing as Demonstrated by A Song of Ice and Fire: by Gavin Hurley @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Endings

Finding Your Book’s Ending from a Beginning: by Bucket Siler

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Backstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making It Essential: @RomWriteLab @JamiGold

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

What is a theme, and why does nobody agree? by T.L. Bodine

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

How Predictable Should a Story Be? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
The Crucial Setup Scene in Your Novel:
The Difference Between Topic and Theme: @Sara_HeartStory @DIYMFA
What Makes a Good Novel Plot? 6 Insights: @nownovel
3 Critical Storytelling Elements: @AndreaMerrell
When Characters Meet Technology: @PhilAthans
Let the reader diagnose your characters: @NathanBransford
Using Reincarnation in Fiction: @cyallowitz
Writing Your Story’s Fictional Body: @Lindasclare
Turning Points: @davidfarland
Writing with Confidence about Uncertainty: @AnneJanzer
Editor Roundtable: Cause and Effect Relationships in Stories: by Leslie Watts @StoryGrid

Writing Craft / POV

The Ultimate Guide to Tense and Point of View: @shaelinbishop

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Writing into the Dark: Write a book without an outline: @MichaelLaRonn

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Write A Road Trip To Help You Plot A Book: @Writers_Write
Don’t Let Your Plot Hijack Your Story: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Choosing Naval Tactics for Your Pre-Gunpowder World: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

How To Become A Creative Writer and Figure Out What You Should Write: by Syera

Writing Craft / Revision

7 Tricks to Refresh a Scene You’ve Edited 68345.27 Times: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

The Up and Down Sides of Critique Groups: by Lori Freeland

Writing Craft / World-Building

Story Elements and Worldbuilding: @JulietteWade

Writing Tools / Apps

Comments & Footnotes in Scrivener: @aprildavila

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

Books and Tools to Help With Writing and the Writing Life:

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

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 16, 2019 21:02

November 14, 2019

Writing Resources

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Today I thought I’d share some of the different tools and resources I used this year to make my writing and writing life go a little smoother. Maybe some of them will make it on your Christmas lists this year. :)

I spent a little more time on story development this year than I usually do, with the start of a new series (my first new series since circa 2010). That’s why you’ll see craft-related books on the list.

Sparkling Story Drafts by H.R. D’Costa, who’s guest-blogged here, is a great book for helping writers plan their books. Glancing through the guide, I’ve written the most marginalia in these chapters: Enhancing Cohesion With Overarching Principles, Increase the Emotional Resonance of Your Ending (Without Breaking a Sweat), and The Ideal Cast Size (and How to Achieve It). This book was so useful to me that I wrote an endorsement for it. :)

Also by H.R. D’Costa is her Sizzling Story Outlines. Although I have a template that I use for outlines, I needed more for the new series. I had so many things to consider, to create. With my other series, everything always just falls into place…not so much for a new project. My marginalia is heaviest in these chapters: Getting Started via the Story Kernel, Shaping Audience Experience Via Smart Goals and the Protagonist, Conjuring Conflict to Entertain Audiences Via the Antagonist, and An Overview of the Outlining Method.

For my older series, I wanted something to help me move my mind in different directions in terms of brainstorming. When I heard about Plotto by William Cook (originally published in 1928), I was intrigued. When you first look at the book, it seems to be written in code. I’m not using the book as systematically as it’s intended, just to keep my stories fresh. Despite the fact the book was written nearly 100 years ago, it definitely helps generate new ideas. Read this article on NPR for more about the book.

I also leaned heavily on Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s Positive Trait Thesaurus, Negative Trait Thesaurus, and Emotion Thesaurus. I’d recommend these books to anyone taking character development and expression seriously. Character development seemed easy enough to me…until I started a new series, ha. I’d forgotten how tough it can be.

Now for a few tools I use daily. Google Keep helps keep me straight with both reminders and story notes on the go (free). Google Drive gives me a free place to backup my work (which I do daily). The Canned Responses extension for gmail helps me save time by creating email templates for common responses. Evernote is where I store my favorite writing-related articles (as well as recipes, etc.) And I recommend that every writer keeps a story bible of all the minutiae in their stories (I couldn’t make it without mine).

That’s what’s given me the biggest help in 2019. What are some of your favorite resources?

Helpful Writing-Related Books and Tools:
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visual Hunt

The post Writing Resources appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 14, 2019 21:02

November 10, 2019

You Got Your Endorsements, Now What?

by David Wogahn, @Wogahn

Let’s say you’ve followed Elizabeth’s advice about asking for endorsements—and your endorser(s) came through. Congratulations! Now what?

Endorsements, or what’s been traditionally called a ‘blurb,’ are essentially marketing tools. Here are ten ways they can be used, not all of which are appropriate for all types of endorsements.

On the front and/or back cover of your book
At the very beginning of your book
In media kits and on collateral such as bookmarks
On your book’s sales page on online stores (on Amazon this area is called Editorial Reviews)
In your website and social media postings
In your bios, including those used for social media accounts
In your email signature
In email newsletters to your mailing list
In letters or emails to potential partners, retailers, wholesalers
In emails to other endorsers when you ask them to blurb your book! (In fishing, this is called chumming the water.)

Obviously if you have one, or very few, the decisions are easier. Also, you don’t have to include endorsements in all ten of the applications in the above list and you can always add them as they become available.

How to use endorsements (editorial reviews) on Amazon and IngramSpark

In the list of ten possible places to use endorsements, you’ll notice that it is in order of permanence. That is, adding endorsements to books is usually done before they are published and then rarely updated due to the work involved.

For purposes of this article, I want to focus on number four, putting these endorsements to work on your book’s online sales page.

Amazon and IngramSpark are notable because they allow self-publishers to add editorial reviews directly to a book’s sales page in selected online stores. Traditionally published authors can also do this on Amazon (via Author Central), but you need to ask your publisher for help with other online stores.

Adding editorial reviews on Amazon

The reviews listed under the Editorial Reviews section for a book’s listing on Amazon appear there by manually entering them using Author Central or are placed there automatically by select review businesses (for example, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal).

You can add or edit Editorial Reviews for each format that is listed for sale or on pre-order. For example, my client Jill Thomas’ book Tales from the Trance was traditionally published. Her hardcover was available for pre-order, but not the Kindle edition. I was able to add editorial reviews for the hardcover before the release date but had to wait for the Kindle to be available before adding editorial reviews to that edition. It works the same way for self-published books.

Pre-release view, hardcover only book format

Hardcover only: Pre-release view of a book’s Author Central page

Live-release view, Kindle and hardcover formats

Here is the view of Jill’s Author Central page five days later. You manage Editorial Reviews for each format separately.

Additional notes about editing Editorial Reviews using Author Central

In a few instances I’ve found it necessary to ask Amazon for help in formatting Editorial Reviews. When that happens, they turn off your ability to make further changes. I think this is because their HTML editor is a little wonky—at least that’s my experience. Be prepared to experiment, or just give up and ask for help.
As previously noted, some reviews are placed here automatically. In fact, those are added under their own heading under the top-level heading of Editorial Reviews. If that is the case with your book, you won’t be able to edit or remove those. Amazon states: “In order to keep Editorial Reviews objective and informative, we rely on many sources to provide content for this section. We work to create a diversity of opinion on our site, and this may include negative reviews, when they arise.”
Managing your Author Central profile for other country-specific Amazon stores isn’t as easy as it is for the U.S. store. In my experience you need to use their contact forms to have the changes made by Amazon staff.

Adding editorial reviews on IngramSpark

If you are using IngramSpark to distribute your book to stores such as Barnes & Noble, they too have a field where you can enter editorial reviews. In their system these are called Review Quotes.

Login to your account and select your book. You will find the field to enter Review Quotes in the section titled Categorize Your Book.

It usually takes a couple weeks for these to appear on BN.com (Barnes & Noble) and Indigo.ca, the large Canadian book retailer. Whether the reviews appear on other retailer websites that IngramSpark distributes to is up to those retailers and is not something IngramSpark guarantees. For example, my books on Books-a-Million and Powell’s do not show Review Quotes even though they are entered in IngramSpark.

I’ll close with this excellent and concise advice from IngramSpark:

Include two to eight positive review quotes. These should be from a variety of sources and should highlight different aspects of the book. Ideally, reviews will come from people and publications known by and influential with potential buyers.
Each quote should be brief (no more than fifty words each). Provide excerpts from longer reviews.
List the most powerful or effective review quote first.

David Wogahn is the author of five books including The Book Review Companion, My Publishing Imprint and Register Your Book, and he is a LinkedIn Learning author. He has worked for the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, and was co-founder and COO of the first online publisher of sports team branded websites known today as the CBS College Sports Network.

He is a frequent speaker and trainer, including presentations for Publishing University (IBPA), the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), the Independent Writers of Southern California, and the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

David is also the president of AuthorImprints, an award-winning professional publishing services company that publishes books for authors and businesses using their own publishing imprint. Learn more at AuthorImprints.com and DavidWogahn.com.