Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 56

Trouble Staying Focused? Try Making a List

by C. Lee McKenzie, @cleemckenzie

What? Me Not Focused?

Keeping focused on writing goals is a huge challenge for me. I think it might be one for others, too based on what writers have told me. Why is it that the next idea is always dangling that shiny, tempting bauble of distraction in front of our noses? Perhaps it’s because beginnings are so full of excitement and promise, and the reality of just how much work lies ahead on the current project is daunting.

What I usually do when I’m bogged down in that vastness called “the middle” is to make a list of scenes I want to write, but I don’t write them. Not yet. I leave the WIP with a promise to return, and since I’ve laid out a plan to follow, it will be easier to keep that promise.

Once I’ve made that list, I’m free to “play” a bit, and that’s good because after that new idea starts to lure me away from finishing the story I’m working on, it must be dealt with. Either I make short, bulleted notes and save them for later, or I write down what’s popping into my head. It could be snatches of dialogue or a description of a setting that won’t leave me alone. Sometimes it’s a character who has come knocking on my door, and insists he has the right to exist. Pinning him down on the page is the only way I can stop this annoying creature.

I’ve given up using the “I’ll get to you later” strategy because it doesn’t work. Trust me, I’ve tried. In the end, I wind up not writing anything, stomping around the house, and even considering doing laundry. Now that is no way for a writer to behave, and it most certainly is no way to recover my focus and finish a half-written book.

Thank you so much for letting me stop by today, Elizabeth. It was good to get this off my chest! Maybe your readers will have a few tricks to share in their comments. I hope so.

Thanks to Lee for her guest post today as part of  her MC Book Tour Blog

adventure.

Lee McKenzie has a background in Linguistics and Inter-Cultural Communication, but these days her greatest passion is writing for young readers. She has published five young adult novels: Sliding on the Edge, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative, and Sudden Secrets. Not Guilty is her most recent one.

Sometimes she likes to jump into the world of the fantastic and when she does, she writes for the middle-grade reader. Some Very Messy Medieval Magick is the third book in the time-travel adventures of Pete and Weasel, with Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster being the first two. Sign of the Green Dragon, a stand-alone, takes the reader into ancient Chinese dragon myths and a quest for treasure.

When she’s not writing she’s hiking or traveling or practicing yoga or asking a lot of questions about things she still doesn’t understand.

For more information on Lee and her writing, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at her Website.

Trouble Staying Focused on Your Writing? Try Making a List (by @cleemckenzie ):
Click To Tweet

NOT GUILTY can be found on Amazon,  Smashwords, Barnes & Noble,  Goodreads, and Kobo.

The author’s other young adult books include: Sliding on the Edge, Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative, Sudden Secrets

GIVEAWAY

With Halloween celebrated this week, Lee’s giving away five digital copies of NOT GUILTY and a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate. This tour-wide giveaway will end at midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 5th.

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 today during Lee’s visit. Do you enjoy stories where the underdog becomes the champion? Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo on Visual hunt

The post Trouble Staying Focused? Try Making a List appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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 Build a Long-Term Writing Career: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Copyediting Jobs: How to Estimate Hours and Pricing: @SubvCopyEd @JaneFriedman
How To Be A Professional Author And Not Die Screaming And Starving In A Lightless Abyss: @ChuckWendig
29 Parenting Blogs and Magazines That Pay Freelance Writers: @briannarbell @thewritelife

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Frankfurt 2019: Big Crowds, Upbeat Industry, Social Purpose: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Frankfurt’s Guest of Honor Spotlight Passes from Norway to Canada: @HannahSJohnson @pubperspectives @Book_Fair
Sharjah International Book Fair Expands Its Publishers Conference: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
In London, the Polari Prize Goes to Angela Chadwick and Andrew McMillan: @Porter_Anderson @AndrewPoetry @_AngelaChadwick @PolariPrize
The UK’s Comedy Women in Print Prize Adds Graphic Novel Category: @Porter_Anderson @CWIPprize @HelenLederer @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

How NaNoWriMo Can Actually Help Your Mental Health: @HBlackwell17
NaNo Prep: Pick a New Daily Word Count Goal: from Let’s Write Some Novels
Rocking NaNoWriMo: Five Tips for Speculative Writers: @MelanieMarttila @DIYMFA
Road Trip to NaNo: The Benefits of Attending Write-Ins: @JudyLMohr @EmmyLou_James @NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo Resources Are for Everyone: by Melinda Brasher
10 Tips To Rock NaNoWriMo: @JennyHansenCA
Top 10 Hacks to Finishing NaNo EARLY: @LisaLatteBooks @NaNoWriMo
One Writer Shares Her Process for NaNoWriMo Prep for a Cozy Mystery: @courtagonist @CozyMysEscape
Is NaNoWriMo for you? @pubcoach @NaNoWriMo
1 Writer Plans to Tackle NaNoWriMo With a Specialty Tea Advent Calendar By Her Side: @LisaLatteBooks @NaNoWriMo
Expectation Versus Reality: 10 Truths You Should Know About NaNoWriMo: @NaNoWriMo @WritersDigest
NaNoWriMo Prep: How to Write 2000 Words a Day: by Let’s Write Some Novels
Last Minute NaNoWriMo Prep: @ReedsyHQ

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Win Big as a Writer with These Smart Goal Setting Tips: @MichaelLaRonn

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

How to get in the flow with your writing: @pubcoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

7 Poets to Read: @alicebroster1 @bustle
Crime Novels in the Age of Prohibition: by Ashley Weaver @CrimeReads
“Goodnight Moon,” Almost 75 Years Later: by Brian Goedde @LAReviewofBooks
7 Essential Contagion Novels: by David Koepp @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Tips for Improving Writing Productivity: from Just a Writing Aid
When is the Best Time to Write? @pubcoach
Daily Writing Habit: How to Crush It Every Day: @MichaelLaRonn

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

Reinvent the Path to Success: @MichaelLaRonn @IndieAuthorALLI

Creativity and Inspiration / Target audience

How Discovering Your Audience in Writing Will Transform Your Writing: @suelarkinsweems @write_practice

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

The Seductive Power of a New Book Idea: When to Give in: @RuthHarrisBooks
Tips for Joining Book Clubs: by Patricia Sands @WomenWriters
What Makes a Writer a “Real” Author? @JamiGold
Unexamined Beliefs: Do they Keep You from Writing Success? @annerallen
Opportunities to Improve as a Writer: @PaulaSMunier @CareerAuthors
Writing With Illness: @AuthorCynthiaH @WomenWriters
Writers: Be aware of when research and prep turns into procrastination (comic): @inkyelbows
4 Ways to Stay Productive While Writing a Novel: @NathanBransford @NaNoWriMo
Literary Snobbery: Why It’s Toxic and How to Combat It: @_HannahHeath
Work Like A (Real) Dog: @10minnovelist
How to Live ‘Comfortably’ With Impostor Syndrome: @MegDowell
3 Ways to Keep Writing When Times Are Tough: @Self_Pub_School

Genres / Fantasy

Fantasy Book Title Generator: @Writers_Write
Entomology and Ants in Fantasy: @ClarkTCarlton @DanKoboldt

Genres / Horror

Seven Horror Audio Drama Podcasts (Beyond “The Black Tapes”): @wilw_writes @Discover_Pods

Genres / Miscellaneous

Writing Speculative Fiction — Interview With Cadwell Turnbull: @CadwellTurnbull @DIYMFA

Genres / Mystery

The Strange Cultural Currency of Art Theft: @JamieMason_ @CrimeReads

Genres / Non-Fiction

Join a Writers’ Group to Help Meet Your Nonfiction Writing Goals: @NinaAmir
You’ve submitted your non-fiction manuscript: now what? @megankatenelson

Genres / Poetry

Does Poetry Have Street Cred? @Poet_Major @parisreview
Waffle House has an official poet laureate. For real: by Andrew Alexander @AtlantaMagazine

Genres / Science Fiction

The Art of Dimension Jumping in Fiction: @cyallowitz

Genres / Screenwriting

Write Worlds And Characters Actors Want To Play: @Pendensham @CreativeScreen
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Characters: @GoIntoTheStory

Promo / Ads

Paid Email Promotions for Cozy Mysteries: @Ellen__Jacobson

Promo / Book Reviews

How to Get Editorial Reviews for Your Self-Published Book: @IngeniumBooks @IndieAuthorALLI

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Market Your Book – A New Author’s Guide: @Bookgal
Why Human-Centered Marketing Works: @DanBlank

Promo / Podcasts

November is National Podcast Post Month – Why Not Launch One? @ThDigitalReader

Promo / Social Media Tips

5 Ways to Practice Good Virtual Etiquette for Authors: @tessaemilyhall @A3writers
How Do I Promote My Posts on Social Media? by Phil Stamper-Halpin @penguinrandom

Promo / Websites

A One Page Website is Quick and Easy to Create. Here’s How: @AGEditorial @thewritelife

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Patricia Cornwell’s New Spacewalk: ‘Not Just About Putting a Flag on the Moon’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Small Claims Copyright ‘CASE Act’ Passes US House of Representatives: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @AmericanPublish @mariraz @AuthorsGuild
An Industry Expert on Publishing Auctions and Nigel Beale’s Coverage of Publishing’s Players: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

In Algeria the biggest cultural event is a book fair. Will the Algiers IBF break its 2.3 million visitor record this year with its focus on young authors? @TNPS10
Spain’s Dolores Redondo Goes to New Orleans for ‘North Face’: @oliviasnaije @DoloresRedondoM @pubperspectives
Dominique Raccah, Prior to Sharjah, Rolls Out ‘Sourcebooks’ International’: @Porter_Anderson @draccah @Sourcebooks @pubperspectives
Swedish Book Publisher Olika on Winning Football Books for Girls: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Canada’s Cundill Prize Names Fulbrook, Lepore, Lovell as 2019 Finalists: @Porter_Anderson @CundillPrize @pubperspectives
Self Publishing News of the Week (23rd October 2019): by Tom Ashford @pbackwriter @SelfPubForm
At Frankfurt: Firming Up the IPA-APNET Collaboration for Africa: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @AfricanApnet @IntPublishers
Croatian Publisher Fraktura Plans Big Print Run for Igor Štiks’ Latest Novel: @oliviasnaije @IgorStiks @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing is the Best Solution to Low Author Earnings: @OrnaRoss @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Why Literary Agents and Editors Reject a Book After the First Page: 7 Red Flags: @MegLaTorre

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

Why You’re Getting Rejections: @RachelleGardner

Publishing / Process / Formatting

How To Format a Book When Self-Publishing: @kristen_kieffer

Publishing / Process / Self-Publishing

IngramSpark Review & Detailed Step-By-Step Guide: @ScottAllan2 @IngramSpark

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Your First Five Pages: @davidfarland

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

How to Use a “Truth Chart” to Figure Out Your Character’s Arc: @KMWeiland
The Protagonist’s Journey as Fate: @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Establishing a Mentor Character Before She Dies: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Not Strong Female Characters, Complex Female Characters: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Top 5 Novel Writing Mistakes Authors Make: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Conflict

Are Your Fight Scenes Boring the Reader? @chemistken

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

3 Things Learned About Writing From “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”:

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Tips for Fiction Writers: Which Character Has the Most to Lose? @PeggySueWells @EdieMelson
Colorful Language: Falling in Love with the Speech Rhythms of the American Southwest: by Rayne Lacko @WritersDigest
5 Unexpected Ways To Fuel Your Story: @AnthonyEhlers @Writers_Write
Good Lists Make Great Stories: @laurabenedict @killzoneauthors
The Ultimate Story Checklist: Lady Bird: @CockeyedCaravan
Writing Coercive Control Into Fiction (Very, Very Carefully): @Helen_Fields @WomenWriters
How Do I Refer to the Viewpoint Character’s Parents? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

3 Iconic Female Leads and How Their Plot Archetypes Work: @Bang2write
Interesting Plot Ideas: 6 Writers’ Insights: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

While vs. Whilst: by Maeve Maddox @writing_tips
A comic for punctuation nerds: @inkyelbows
How to use parentheses in fiction writing: @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Scenes

Raising the Stakes in Every Scene: @LiveWriteThrive

Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict

For Fiction, There’s No Superior Fighting Style: from How to Fight Write

Writing Tools / Apps

Preptober (NaNoWriMo Prep): Google Docs Tutorial: @LisaLatteBooks

Writing Tools / Books

Donald Maas and The Emotional Craft of Fiction Writing: @cinapelayo @LitReactor

Writing Tools / Resources

10 Masterclasses for Writers, Poets & Screenwriters to Crush it in 2020: @LauraJTong @WritetoDone

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

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

3 Ways to Keep Writing When Times Are Tough

by Chandler Bolt, @Self_Pub_School

Have you ever struggled to retain your drive and motivation as a writer?

I’m sure we all have. After all, as much as we might wish it was the case, we don’t have unlimited supplies of inspiration and energy. We’re all human. We all get tired and feel like quitting.

I get it. I’ve been there.

The key is not to avoid these feelings. Rather, it’s what we do with them that counts. Do we choose to give up, or do we find the strength to keep writing even when it isn’t easy?

Today I’d like to share three proven ways to keep writing even when it feels impossible. I’ve seen these work for countless students and I hope they serve you well.

Set A Measurable Goal

Sometimes, the reason we can’t summon the energy to make progress with our writing projects is due to their seeming enormity.

When we view a writing project, such as producing a new book, as an entire whole, it seems too big to cope with and we lose our motivation for doing it.

However, when we break our writing project down into manageable goals, it suddenly seems achievable and we regain our motivation.

One of the best ways to do this is to set an end date for your writing project. Then, divide the total word count between the number of days that you have. This makes the intimidatingly large overall goal into a manageable and motivational smaller daily goal.

If you’re the kind of writer who doesn’t write each and every day, or does but in uneven amounts, you can consider setting a weekly goal instead. This allows you to be flexible with how much you write on different days. You just need to have the discipline to avoid leaving too much of your word count goal until the end of the week!

Change Your Writing Environment

As writers, we’re influenced by the environment we find ourself in. This applies both to external factors, such as the desk we write at, as well as internal factors, such as how tired we are or how much caffeine we’ve had.

One quick way to nudge your writing motivation in the right direction is to change the place you write. If you usually write in your home, consider going to a coffee shop or other place with lots of people. The energy and change of scene can add a new zest to your writing.

You can also think about changing the tool you write with. For example, if you usually write on your laptop, think about treating yourself to a nice notebook and writing longhand for a change. Sometimes, simply changing this small thing will boost your writing and give it a new energy and style.

We owe it to ourselves to challenge anything that is holding back our writing progress. If you’re feeling stuck or low on motivation, switch up your writing environment and see if it helps.

Connect With Other Writers

Isolation can be the enemy of creativity.

When we’re stuck in our own head, focusing on our own troubles and struggles as writers, we get trapped in a cycle of rumination and looking inwards.

To break free of a negative cycle of introspection, connect with your fellow writers.

It might be the last thing you feel like doing, but it’s important to break from your comfort zone and do it anyway.

By connecting with your fellow writers, either online or in person, you stop focusing on yourself and instead start helping others out. Interestingly, this is often the most effective remedy for our own writing woes.

When we stop focusing on our own problems, they diminish in importance. The energy we waste worrying is used for a positive purpose, and people help us out in turn.

Although many of us writers are naturally introverted, it doesn’t mean we should shun our fellow authors. Establishing a support network of authors is a priceless resource to be able to call on when times get tough.

This Too Shall Pass

Thank you for taking the time to check out three proven approaches you can use to keep your writing tank full of energy, even when times get truly tough.

Ultimately, it doesn’t so much come down to a particular strategy, because there are many that can work.

Instead, it is more of a mindset – an unshakeable core belief that you can use to get through times of trouble and stress.

It’s an idea taken from the Stoic school of thought, but one which is found in many different belief systems.

“This too shall pass”. It’s the idea that no matter how good or bad times are, they will inevitably change.

Sometimes, when we’re struggling to write and feeling down, it’s hard to look ahead to better times.

But remember that things will inevitably change. Just hang in there, and get ready for your writing motivation to make a powerful comeback. You’ve got this!

How do you find the motivation to continue writing when life is challenging? 

Chandler Bolt is the host of the Self Publishing School podcast & the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.”. Through his books, podcast, training videos, and Self-Publishing School, he’s helped thousands of people on their journey to writing their first book.

Writer Chandler Bolt with @Self_Pub_School offers 3 ways writers can keep writing when life is tough:
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visualhunt

The post 3 Ways to Keep Writing When Times Are Tough appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

3 Things I Learned About Writing From “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

As a child and as a parent, I have always been fond of the PBS preschool show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers was a gentle soul who helped kids learn how to handle their emotions, explore the often confusing world around them, and use their imaginations.

I often think about the show, which had a huge impact on me (such a quiet show to have such an influence).  Here are three ways I think it’s helped me with my writing life:

A Reliance on Transitions

Mr. Rogers was a big believer in using transitions to segue into an activity.  For him, it was putting on a cardigan and a pair of tennis shoes as the TV show started and having a trolley transport children to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe segment.

For me, it does make life easier to have regular transitions into my very own Neighborhood of Make-Believe segment each writing day.  :)  It helps set the stage for sitting down and falling right back into my story again.  The transition, for me, is just as simple as Mr. Rogers’ transition was…I come downstairs in the morning, let the dog out, get the newspaper, feed the dog, feed the cats, pour myself some coffee (decaf, sadly, these days), and sit down with my story.  It sets the scene. And the writing comes a lot more effortlessly.

A Focus on Routine

As a huge fan of routine myself, I always noted Mr. Rogers’ show was full of them.  You always knew what to expect with the show and with him, whether it was meeting a “neighbor” (sometimes a cook or an artist or a dancer), a musical segment, a puppet segment, or just watching Mr. Rogers feed his goldfish.

It’s the same for me.  I know I’ll be writing first thing every day and the expectation means it’s not a struggle. It’s just as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth, eating breakfast, or any number of daily tasks. The very predictability of it means I’m more productive.  It ties in, also, to the transition element above.

Taking Time to Slow Down, Think About Your Feelings

Mr. Rogers was a big one for recognizing what you’re feeling and better channeling it.  But especially of being in tune with yourself and your feelings.

This is a big one for me because I’m an impatient, hurried, restless person by nature..not as introspective. Pretty much 180 degrees opposite from Mr. Rogers.  I’ve tried, especially in more recent years, to be more attuned to what I’m thinking and feeling.

How can this help with our writing?  Mainly this:  a block isn’t just a block.  It’s telling you something.  If you’re feeling resistance in moving forward with your story, there’s likely a reason for it.  Realizing where that block/resistance is coming from can be key in solving the issue. Is it a problem with the story? Something doesn’t work?  Should you skip forward to a different scene?  Are you feeling too harried from interruptions at home and need to move to another location?

It goes beyond that, of course, into other aspects of our writing life.  Is our body telling us we need to stretch or move around more? Do we need to de-stress by listening to music or doing another relaxing activity?  Like I said, this is a lesson I’m still struggling to learn.

Were you a fan of Mr. Rogers or another television show that influenced you early in life?  What do you find inspirational today?

3 Things Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Taught One Writer About Writing:
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt

The post 3 Things I Learned About Writing From “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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.

New Stuff

Hank Quense, who sometimes guest blogs here, has a new course and lecture series: The Self-Publishing Starter Kit and Story Design.  Click the links to find out more.

Business / Miscellaneous

Writing Jobs: 20 Places To Find Work That Pays: @BryanJCollins
When Should Authors Say “Yes” To A Gig? @LevRaphael @TheRyanLanz

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

At Frankfurter Buchmesse: Key IPA Events Are Open to Trade Visitors: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @IntPublishers @KristennEinars1
Frankfurt Notes: Ukrainian and Indian Book Market Presentations: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @Book_Fair
Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk Speaks at Frankfurt News Conference: @Porter_Anderson @TokarczukAuthor @Book_Fair
Booker Prize Goes to Two: Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo: @Porter_Anderson @BernardineEvari @MargaretAtwood @TheBookerPrizes
Norway’s ‘Grounded’ Yet ‘Ephemeral’ Guest of Honor Pavilion in Frankfurt: @rogertagholm @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Literary Agents Buzz at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives @Book_Fair
Today at Frankfurter Buchmesse: Netflix’s Kelly Luegenbiehl’s CEO Talk: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Asli Erogan and Ali Dorani Open Norway’s Daily ‘Hour of Freedom’ in the Guest of Honor Pavilion: @rogertagholm @pubperspectives @Book_Fair
From Frankfurt: Hachette’s Clare Harington Bows Out: @rogertagholm @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

Preptober: 15 Steps for Conquering #NaNoWriMo in 2019: @ReedsyHQ
How To Write a Novel In A Month #NaNoWriMo With Grant Faulkner: @NaNoWriMo @thecreativepenn

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

7 Writing Exercises to Kickstart Your Creativity: @DeborahTobola @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

Writing Quotes to Make You Feel Like a Writer: @EvaDeverell

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Five Haunted House Books Written By Women: by Melanie R. Anderson @LBKroger @tordotcom
5 Books in Which Giant Insects Ruin Everyone’s Day: @ericsmithrocks @tordotcom
The Coziest Bookstore Mysteries Around: @vmburns @CleoCoyle @LynnCahoon @katecarlisle @ElleryAdams @LornaBarrett @CrimeReads
21 Scary Short Stories You Can Read Online Right Now: @kristianwriting @bustle

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

The Discipline of Being a Writer—What Does it Take? @diannmills @EdieMelson
14 Ways to Carve Out Time to Write: @EdieMelson
Tips on How to Write While Holding Down a Job: @GoIntoTheStory
Tips for Being Flexible With Your Writing Routine:

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Writing About Your Life Without Ruining Your Relationships: @markguerin @WritersDigest
Is not writing the real secret to writing? @pubcoach
Quiz: What’s your creative type? @meta_wagner1 @TED_ED
5 Peaceful Writing Time Tips: @MaryVeeWriter
Five Things to Remember as a New Writer: @HowellWave @maryannwrites
Why You Should Never Stop Writing: @the_writing_pal
Why failure is key to helping you succeed: @TheLeighShulman
Stephen King’s House to Become Archive and Writers’ Retreat: @BrennaEhrlich @RollingStone
A Writer Can’t Always Be ‘On’: @MegDowell

Genres / Fantasy

World-building Historical Fantasy: @assaphmehr @mythicscribes

Genres / Horror

8 Horror Writing Classes to Better Spook Your Readers: @TCKPublishing
How the 1 Percent Became Horror’s Favorite Villains: @lpbradley @VanityFair
The Horror Origins of ‘Hansel and Gretel’: @HairEverywhere_ @OnePerfectShot

Genres / Memoir

How to Write your Life Story: 7 Tips to Start: @nownovel

Genres / Mystery

The Language of Law Enforcement: Acronyms and Texting Codes: @LeeLofland
What Makes a Novel a Mystery? @ZaraAltair

Genres / Romance

Tips for Incorporating Romance into a Gritty Story: @damyantig @jemifraser
Why I’m fed up of defending romance writing: @HelenaFairfax

Genres / Science Fiction

The Jargon and Slang of the Fantastic: @Ken_Pelham @sfwa
10 Best Sci-Fi Tropes: @jennamoreci

Genres / Short Stories

12 Tips on Writing Flash Fiction: @ClaireFuller2 @A_WritersStudio

Promo / Blogging

Two Tools to Help You Blog on the Go: @BirdsOAFpress @NinaAmir
How Blogging Consistently Helps Readers Find You: @BadRedheadMedia
How to Identify and Minimize Spam in Your Blog Comments: @NonfictionAssoc

Promo / Images

Image Creation Tools for Your Book, Website & Social Posts: @carlaking @BookWorksNYC

Promo / Miscellaneous

Good marketing starts with empathy: @DanBlank

Promo / Podcasts

Podcasting Goes Mainstream. How Can Authors Benefit? Lessons Learned from Podcast Movement 2019: @thecreativepenn

Promo / Social Media Tips

Tips for Using Instagram as an Author: @TyreanMartinson @TheIWSG
How to Create LinkedIn Articles That People Will Read and Share: @socialBeeNI @SMExaminer

Promo / Websites

Why You Should Use a Link Shortener / Redirection Plugin on Your Website: @ThDigitalReader
Why WordPress? 6 Reasons It’s the Best Solution for Your Blog: @BryanJCollins

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Writing for Books vs Writing for a Blog Serial: @cyallowitz
Publishing: Executive Women on Bias in the Business: @Porter_Anderson @AmazonPub @Book_Fair @AccessCopyright @KaggeForlag
Current Trends in Traditional Book Publishing: Fiction, Nonfiction and YA: @JaneFriedman

Publishing / News / Amazon

Amazon Crossing Unveils New Arctic Tern Logo in Frankfurt: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / Data

In Frankfurt: Spain’s New Translation Grants and Market Data: @oliviasnaije @Book_Fair

Publishing / News / International Publishing

IPR License Signs All of Holtzbrinck’s Publishing Divisions: @Porter_Anderson @IPRLicense @pubperspectives
Saša Stanišić Wins 2019 German Book Prize: @HannahSJohnson @sasa_s @pubperspectives
CCC’s Roy Kaufman on Book Publishing and the EU Copyright Directive: @Porter_Anderson @copyrightclear @pubperspectives
Metabooks to Launch in Mexico this November: @Porter_Anderson @rogertagholm
One-Year-Old Indie Publisher, Kampa Verlag, Happily Surprised by Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel Prize: @oliviasnaije @TokarczukAuthor @pubperspectives
Mohamed Sabry Brings Youthful Energy and Fresh Approaches to his Egyptian Publishing House: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
Canada Previews the ‘Colorful Fabric’ of its Frankfurt 2020 Guest of Honor Program: @rogertagholm @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

The Benefits of Self-Publishing: by Charles Bailey @FrugalBookPromo
Self-Publishing Your First Book: Creating a Publishing Checklist: @MegLaTorre

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

6 Reasons Why Your Book Isn’t Getting Published: @pwheeler_agent
An Agent Explains the Ins and Outs of Book Deals: @kate_mckean @ElectricLit
How Literary Agents Agree and Differ: Lessons From the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference: @robertleebrewer @WritersDigest

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

What Rejection Really Means: @davidfarland

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

Why Do Different Characters Need Different Arcs? @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Developing Self-Denial in Characters: Remains of the Day: @MT_Cassidy @FloridaWriters1

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Depicting Characters Held Back by Fear: @AngelaAckerman @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Conflict

Don’t Make This Common Writing Mistake: Creating Cardboard Conflicts: @Janice_Hardy
“Can I Create Conflict Without Bigotry?” by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Diversity

5 Tips for Writing Complex, Flesh and Blood LGBTQ+ Characters: @ConstanceEmmett @DIYMFA

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Letting Film Unblock, Inspire, and Add Depth to Your Fiction: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor
Rewatching The Dark Crystal: Beyond Muppet Good and Evil: @bkmcgovern @tordotcom
Five More Books That’ll Make You A Better Writer: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
“What Stephen King’s It Taught Me About the Shape of Stories”: @cloudy_vision

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

4 Tips for Mixing Truth With Fiction: @vickivass
Access Your Subconscious for Better Writing: @teachrobotslove
Fictionalizing Your Story? Commit: @KPickett_Editor
There Was: A Bad Way to Begin a Descriptive Sentence: from Let’s Write Some Novels
Helpful advice for aspiring writers of all ages: by Daryl Chen @TEDTalks

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming

Create a Compelling Book Title: @RachelleGardner

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Book Outlines: Helpful or Harmful? @woodwardkaren

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

How To Plot Your Novel | Plotting Checklist for PREPtober: @LisaLatteBooks

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

Connective Tissue: Finding the Mirror Beats in Your Story: @DonRoff @savethecat

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

How to use dashes in fiction: UK and US style: @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Crafting a “Body Language Voice” : @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Special Needs

Learn Correct Terminology With the Disability Style Guide: by Jaclyn Youhana Garver @lifehacker

Writing Craft / World-Building

How to Deepen Your Worldbuilding: @ceciliaedits @TheRyanLanz

Writing Tools / Apps

Writing Software: Why you need Microsoft Word: @lisapoisso
Managing a Project with Scrivener: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire
Publisher Rocket: What Is It? And How Can It Help You Sell Books? @DaveChesson @KMWeiland

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

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

Switching Things Up When Life Changes

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A quick note that some of my blog readers may have seen this post pop up early on my beta website that’s being designed. :)  Sorry for the duplication! I’m posting it here for everyone who hasn’t seen it yet. Have a great weekend!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the writing life over the years, is that I have my best results in terms of productivity if I can be flexible.

Flexibility with when and where I write makes a tremendous difference.  And it’s been something I had to accept right off the bat because I was writing with a toddler in the house circa 2003.

The funny thing is that I’m ordinarily one of the least-flexible people I know.  When plans change in the morning, I’m flustered. I have to carefully think through all the ways that the change of plans impacts all the other moving parts of that particular day.  Frequently, it’s like a domino effect.

But with writing, I’ve come to accept that change happens. It happened when my younger child went off to elementary school.  It happened when my two children (very quickly) weren’t in the same school anymore and I was driving two carpools. It happened when they started to drive themselves. And lately, it happened with an empty nest, child-wise…and a fuller nest now that my husband has a new job where he’s based from home, too.

Here are my tips for trying to work through changes in a household experiencing a lot of transitions:

Assess what still works. 

This is whatever still works from your old routine…and what works 90% of the time.   Since this is the framework of your writing day from the past, some of it will still work and some of it won’t (I clearly can’t sneak in carpool line writing anymore since there are no more carpools with the kids gone).

Another thing that still works well for me is to push through the first draft without stopping for edits or even for chapter breaks.   For you, it’s anything that’s been successful for you in the past that can help keep you on track.

Assess what works sometimes.

Writing in another location can work for me sometimes, especially if I don’t seem to be making much progress at home.  But frequently, I can get just as much done at home without the driving aggravation.  I just have to figure out what works best for what day.

Assess where you are in the middle of the day.

When I don’t do this, I can occasionally find that the entire day has gone by in a flash of errands, phone calls, etc. and that I haven’t come close to accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish.

If I take a look at lunchtime to see how I’m doing and to plan the rest of the day, I usually can manage to fit in more writing, social media, and whatever household-related stuff has come up.

Remember your old standbys for success.

Is there anything you’ve used in the past to meet your goals and then discarded?  I always swore by my mini-outlines at the end of each writing session.  Those brief outlines were just a couple of sentences explaining what I hoped to cover the next day.  Then, suddenly, I didn’t need them as much.  But now, in the middle of a lot of changes and transitions, it’s helped to fall back on them again.

The same goes for slipping in another writing session whenever I have a few minutes. The aforementioned timer can, again, help with focus. Sometimes it’s a good way to get just a few more words for the day.

Ask yourself what may work now. 

Maybe mornings no longer work for you and lunch or evenings are better for you.

Maybe you need to shorten your writing sessions to ten minutes at a time.

Maybe you need to look into some light outlining.

Maybe you need to get up a few minutes earlier or turn in a few minutes later.

Just try to figure out what might work and give it a go.  If it doesn’t help, try something else.

How flexible are you with your writing routine?  Has your routine changed over the years?

Tips for Being Flexible With Your Writing Routine:
Click To Tweet

Photo credit: Jnzl’s Photos on Visualhunt / CC BY

The post Switching Things Up When Life Changes appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

4 Tips for Mixing Truth With Fiction

Vicki Vass, @vickivass

Whoever said reality can be stranger than fiction might be right, at least for me. Reality slips into my cozy mysteries, particularly my Antique Mystery Hunters series. My need to insert reality into my stories might stem from my long experience as a journalist.

When I set out to write my first mystery, I studied Writer’s Digest to learn about the structure, settings and particularly the characters. The magazine advised that characters should be amateur sleuths with a hobby that lends itself to detecting. The creative juices began flowing thinking of ideas. I had no one particular hobby other than reading so I thought and thought until I thought about the antique hunting expeditions. Being in a new to me home, I had spent the past year antique hunting with my two best friends. We would venture to barn sales, flea markets, antique stores and everything in between.

My two characters quickly developed, CC Muller, a journalist who is the encyclopedia of knowledge, and Anne Hillstrom, shopping collector and antique enthusiast. They quickly became the protagonists of my Antique Hunter Mystery series.

Many of their real-life escapades make it into my novels, including a recent setting within a cemetery after the real-life CC found herself locked in a Chicago area cemetery one evening when the caretaker left early. The real version gave way to a scarier  more suspenseful version that leads the plot along.

That is how I’ve merged truth with fiction in my series, here are four things I’ve learned along the way about using reality within my fictional stories.

Ask for permission. After I wrote the first book, Murder for Sale, I gave my friends copies and asked them to read it. They were flattered with the content and that gave met the freedom I needed to further develop the characters.  I have also subsequently asked them before including bits of real life such as the cemetery scene.

Observe and listen: When I go out, I like to sit and listen to conversations around me. It helps me create realistic dialogue. Now when I am with my friends, I listen to their anecdotes and picture my characters. As in the cemetery scene noted up above, I  might not have had the idea to include it if I hadn’t listened to my friend’s story.

Change it up. While my characters may be based on real people, there are definite  differences. I have changed their names for the sake of the story. My fictional characters do not physically resemble the real individuals. They have kept some of the main character traits but over the series the fictional characters have transformed taking on traits of their own.

Edit. Don’t be afraid to take out a detail or change something. Sometimes the truth can be mundane or boring. As a former journalist, I had to let go of my need to report on reality or the truth. Instead, I’ve enjoyed the freedom of expanding on real-life actions and sometimes making them bigger than life. And, when it’s not working don’t be afraid to edit it out. One scene based on a real event just wasn’t working within the flow of the story. I felt as if it was slowing down the pace. Finally after much deliberation I removed the scene. Who knows? Maybe it will show up in a future Antique Hunters book.

Thanks for letting me stop by and share a little about my series. Fellow writers, I’m curious, do you find reality creeping in your work? And, if it does, how so?

After turning in her reporter’s notebook, Vicki Vass turned to chronicling the near-real adventures of her two best friends in the Antique Hunters Mystery series. Book 6, A White Rabbit’s Tale, will be released in December. She chronicles her real-life adventures and reads on her blog, Vicki’s Cozy Corner (vickiscozycorner.com). Fleeing from a Chicago blizzard, she now lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, two Australian shepherds and cats who star in her Witch Cat Mystery series.

Tips for Mixing Real Life with Your Fiction from @vickivass :
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visual Hunt

The post 4 Tips for Mixing Truth With Fiction appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

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

5 Things To Do Before Hiring a Freelance Editor: @RachelleGardner
When Your Book is Pirated; Other Self-Publishing Questions Answered: @OrnaRoss @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Write a Book with a Co-Writer (And Still Get Along With Them): @sarahstypos @write_practice
How to Build a Long-Term Writing Career: @jamesscottbell

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

London’s ‘Book & Zine Fair’ Spotlights Spanish-Language Content: by Adam Critchley @pubperspectives
Frankfurt’s Opening News Conference Keynote: WIPO’s Francis Gurry: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
Frankfurt Audio Readies Its Debut, Centered Around a Busy Stage: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Climate Crisis: Frankfurt’s Weltempfang Asks if Ours Is ‘The Last Age?’ @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair @pubperspectives
US National Book Awards Finalists Drawn from 1,712 Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @KaliMaFaja @LailaLalami @jkbphillips @sarahmbroom @tressiemcphd @carolynforche @jerichobrown @caringerel @azemezi @thatlauraruby @randyribay @lizitasmith and more

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Tracking Writing Goals With Colored Pencils: @aprildavila

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

3 Ways to Refresh Your Creativity: @BeingTheWriter @womenonwriting
5 Ways of Ending an Idea Drought: @PFC_Pup @TheRyanLanz

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

10 Novels about Disappearing: by Abi Maxwell @ElectricLit
8 Books About Idyllic Vacations Gone Terribly Wrong: by Michele Campbell @CrimeReads
The 7 Most Suspenseful Jury Verdicts In Literature and Film: @HankPRyan @CrimeReads
10 Expansive SFF Worlds We Want to Get Lost In: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom
7 Books that Put the ‘Psychology’ in Psychological Thrillers: @Lauren_C_North @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How to Use “Tiny Habits” to Establish a Daily Writing Practice: @WritetoDone @NinaAmir

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

The Power of the Writing Tribe: @christinadelay
How to Write a Book as a Side Effect: @pubcoach
10 Things To Know About Being Published: @emma_darwin
Lessons from Taking 40 Years to Write a Book rom @RobGorthy :
How to Be a Writer When You Don’t Have a Chance to Write: @invisiblemoth1
How to Tell if Your Story is Any Good: @_HannahHeath

Genres / Historical

4 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction: @Tudorscribe @CareerAuthors

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writing: Suicide by Cop: @LeeLofland
Is the Cozy Writers Notebook Worth Buying? @LisaLatteBooks
Troubleshoot Your Mystery: @ZaraAltair

Genres / Romance

What You Need To Know About Writing A Great Love Triangle: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks
Tips for Writing a Great Love Story: @msheatherwebb @WriterUnboxed

Genres / Screenwriting

6 Types Of Friends Every Screenwriter Needs: by Amy Sullivan @CreativeScreen

Promo / Blogging

How to Blog Tour Your Book Launch: @daciamarnold @RMFWriters

Promo / Miscellaneous

Before You Market Your Book, Set Your Objectives: @bclearwriting @JaneFriedman
5 ways to make your book relevant to the media: @sandrabeckwith

Promo / Social Media Tips

Maximizing Your Author Presence on LinkedIn: @nedadallal @penguinrandom
How to Win at Twitter: @BCDreyer @penguinrandom

Publishing / Miscellaneous

American Publishers v. Audible Captions: Letters Exchanged With Court: @Porter_Anderson @AmericanPublish
Anthology, Collection, Omnibus, Compilation, Box Set, Derivative Works, Compendium – Differences? @ZoeMMcCarthy
How long your book should be: @pubcoach
Understanding Digital Proofs (includes an Adobe Reader tutorial): by Dmitri Barvinok @FrontEdgePub
In the UK, the ‘Library of the Future’ Looks a Lot Like Lego: @Porter_Anderson @CILIPinfo @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Poland’s Ameet Partners on LEGO Books; AAP Opens PROSE Awards: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
In Australia, Publishers and Readers Embrace Diverse Books: by Andrea Hanke @pubperspectives
Frankfurt Notes: Spain’s Translation Funds; Germany’s Book Prize Airings: @Porter_Anderson @Book_Fair
Russian Publishing Players Warn of Losses if VAT on Books Is Raised: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Lemn Sissay Designates Befeqadu Hailu as PEN Writer of Courage 2019: @Porter_Anderson @befeqe @lemnsissay @pubperspectives
RH Business Relaunch; VAT on Russian ebooks; Amazon’s Kindle for Kids; Brexit fears; Random House Graphic; Ebooks and Libraries; Nobel Prize Controversy: @TNPS10
International Day of the Girl: NABU Launches Haitian Creole / English Storybooks: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Hybrid Publishing

Is Hybrid Publishing Right For You? by Jennifer Scroggins @WritersDigest

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

How to Self-Publish on Apple Books: by Kelsey Worsham @WrittenWordM
How to Self-Publish on Google: by Kelsey Worsham @WrittenWordM
How to Self-Publish on Kobo: by Kelsey Worsham @WrittenWordM
1 Writer’s Sixth Year in Self Publishing: Lessons: @misskyokom

Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid

Universal Book Solutions: Anatomy of a Book-to-Screen Scam: @victoriastrauss

Publishing / Process / Translation

How to Increase Your Income as an Author (Without Writing Anything New): by Ofere Tirosh @WritetoDone

Writing Craft / Beginnings

How to Write a Hook by Thrilling Your Reader With Danger: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Women’s Fiction Opening Work? @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Chapter Endings

Keep the Pages Turning with Mini Cliffhangers: by Rachel Craft @RMFWriters

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Podcast Episode Covering Villains, Antagonists, Anti-Heroes and Ways to Create Your Own: @genrehustle

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Tweak Those Boring, Stereotypical White Dude Characters: @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
How to Use a Little Hurt for Deeper Characterization: @suelarkinsweems @write_practice

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Eliciting Emotion in your Characters and Your Reader: @GriggsWinnie @SKRViLL

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

When Just Showing Isn’t Enough: by Andrea Lundgren
Avoid Clichés Like the Plague: by Bobbie Christmas @womenonwriting

Writing Craft / Conflict

Seven Stories With Contrived Character Conflict: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Conflict Thesaurus Entry: Unwanted Scrutiny: @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Endings

Why the Surprise Ending Ultimately Frightens Us: by H.J. Ramsay @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Tips for Writing Flashbacks: @writingandsuch

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Tone: How to Give Your Writing Attitude: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Using the Right Tools for the Right Writing Job: @davidfarland
8 Things Every Writer Should Know About Using Footnotes: @LucindaSMcDowel @EdieMelson
Is your writing too hesitant? @pubcoach
The Pros and Cons of Writing Unlikable Characters: @damyantig @TheIWSG
How to Skip Time in Your Story: from Writing Questions Answered:

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards: by Bucket Siler

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

GPS Systems: What Authors Should Know: @DanKoboldt

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

Managing Our Ideas: @WritingForward

Writing Craft / Revision

How to Proofread: Tips for a Cleaner Draft: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Thoughts On Getting Feedback:
Why Your Book Needs Beta Readers: by Andrea Lundgren

Writing Craft / Scenes

How to Write Scenes (and What Qualifies as a Scene): @Janice_Hardy

Writing Tools / Apps

A Closer Look at Grammarly: by Monique Danao @thewritelife
The Best Writing Apps for Android and iOS of 2019: @DaveChesson

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

Can you write a book or a novel with speech recognition software? @writing_tips
4 Top Planners for Writers who Want to See Progress: @the_writing_pal

Writing Tools / Resources

How to Change the Font Size in Dictionaries on the Kindle: @ThDigitalReader

 

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

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

On Getting Feedback

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Feedback is important for writers, but the timing of it is equally important.  I think the best times for us to get the feedback may also change as we continue with our writing career.

When I was first starting out, I was desperate for feedback on my work-in-progress.  I wanted to know right away what I needed to improve.  I think that’s mostly because I just didn’t have a lot of writing time and I didn’t want to keep doing something wrong to the point where the edits would be awful.

That’s when I joined a couple of critique groups. One of them only met monthly, which was tough on me (at that point, I felt I could use daily feedback). The other was weekly,  which was better.

But after finishing my first book, I felt less of a need for immediate feedback. In fact, I found that the critique groups weren’t really giving me what I needed anymore.  I’ve always used the analogy of playing tennis and having a hard time finding a compatible partner: either they’re much better than you are and it’s frustrating, or they’re much worse than you are (equally frustrating).

For a while, I just worked solo and didn’t get feedback until it was time to send the manuscript to an editor.  Now that’s feedback, ha.  I learned that the editorial letters I’d get always seemed scary and overwhelming at first, but then seemed much more manageable the following day.  It also helped to make myself a step-by-step list of tasks to complete to break it all down.

Then, I discovered some of my readers were really invested in my stories…to the point that they were happy to be beta readers.  Now I send my stories to them as soon as they’re done and before sending them to my editor. Frequently, they have excellent suggestions for changes and improvements.  After I make those, I send the book off to my freelance editor.  This method has been working well for me for several years now.

Additionally, I read my reviews.  Sometimes they sting a bit, but again…readers have amazing suggestions for improvement quite frequently. The bad reviews can really help.

For further reading and thoughts on leaving critique groups, see Kathryn Craft’s “Leaving a Writer’s Group: 5 Reasons it May Be Time” and Lisa Bubert’s post, “Knowing When to Fly: Leaving Your Critique Group.” For thoughts on the importance of beta readers, see Barbara Linn Probst’s post “Beta Readers: Who, When, Why, and So What?”

I’m curious if anyone else has had a similar process in seeking feedback.  Did you need it more frequently (or, really, immediately) when you were first starting out?  Has your need for critiques levelled off a bit?  What’s your current process for getting feedback?

Thoughts on Getting Feedback on Our Writing:
Click To Tweet

Photo credit: Henka69 on Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

The post On Getting Feedback appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Lessons from Taking 40 Years to Write a Book

by Alistair Robin Gorthy , @RobGorthy

Pariche took over forty years to write – it is, and is not, the same book.

My novel, Pariche, took a long time to write, from the initial germination of an idea, heavily influenced by road-movies then very much in vogue, to what it finally became; the multiple stranded and mixed genre novel it is today. The first point I’d wish to make then is;

Always be prepared to drastically change – or even give up – an original idea if it’s not working.

Pariche, for example, has gone through many transformations, from the time when it mirrored my younger, dare one say, hippy days, through to those of a more mature reflective assessment of the material. It has been a learning process; something that is ongoing. So, to the next point;

Always seek out opportunities to learn.

Be prepared to put yourself out there, with friends or other writers, for critical assessment. I read my work slowly, often aloud, to myself and to others. Discuss, and be prepared to amend accordingly. This, though, also comes up against another equally compelling point; you don’t always have to accept the criticism given.

Don’t give up on being a writer.

It’s your baby, something that has been the product of your creative powers, and it deserves to be heard. The adage is probably true, that there is a book waiting to be written in everyone, but this doesn’t mean that everyone can write. I’d like to think that my writing has improved over the years, and much of this has been because of what I’ve learnt from others. Other things that might be included;

The adoption of good habits.

This means having, amongst over things, a disciplined work timetable and a routine that keeps all interferences to a minimum. My best writing times are in the morning, but;

I keep a notebook (or iPad) handy for when the muse strikes.

You can guarantee that you will forget that compelling scene/line/plot detail that you were thinking of if you don’t have the means immediately available to write it down. The number of times this has happened to me when I’ve been in the shower.

You might like to invest in some writing software, especially if you have a sizeable document with many chapters, characters and multiple strands. The one I use is Scrivener.
Keep on reading – immersing yourself in other people’s writing helps develop writing skills, along with opening up yourself to the ideas of other writers. Needless to say, you should guard against plagiarism and the filching of work that is not yours.
Books are not the only source of stimulation.

When writing Pariche there seemed to be a permanent cinema/TV track going through my mind when thinking of the main character, not least a grizzled John Huston somehow morphing into a cross between Dr Jock McCannon in a Very Peculiar Practice and Leo McKern  in Rumpole of the Bailey.

Locations can also be equally important. The novel Pariche is set in America and it was important to make this feel authentic. This was partially helped by having a particular interest in America in the first place, but by also ensuring that part of the novel’s setting was as near to my own experience in the UK as possible – New England, for example – or by visiting certain locations.

Example; an important scene setting episode in San Francisco involves Pariche taking in the scene while he contemplates a forthcoming battle with an arch nemesis. Visiting the exact location actually helped me see that anyone following in Pariche’s footsteps would soon be out of breath after such a steep climb. Needless to say, this was added to the script.

One thing not to forget, though, is that, in the end, this writing is about people, and the core qualities and characteristics you see in the people around you are present in everyone. Just make sure you get your research right. That cafe you might want to pop into, for a morning coffee, in a different time and location might be less receptive to your custom.

A step too far for me would be any attempt to mimic the accent or language that characters might use.  Personally, I find attempts to recreate so-called authentic language use off-putting. It is very difficult to pull off, can get in the way of a reader’s enjoyment and understanding, and prevents the reader from bringing their own interpretation or feel to the work.

Let the characters and the storylines loose

Let your character develop their own storylines, something that will help give them greater descriptive depth and as well as giving your overall story multiple strands of interests. Pariche initially started out as a part protest, part self-discovery, road trip. It soon began to develop different academic, romance, political and crime strands, as the different characters were developed, but;

Have an overall structure to your work

I like to have an overall idea of which direction the novel is going, with most chapters mapped out, each with notes as to what happens. The initial writing of each takes place in notebooks before being transferred and edited in Scrivener. This might involve a change to overall structure and chapter order, depending upon how that chapter develops.

Let the actors speak for themselves

I tend to divide time between describing scenes and letting the characters set the tone – if you give characters enough space, they, through dialogue and their interaction with others, will allow all manner of ideas and plotlines, but;

Don’t preach.

I find this most off-putting when I see it in other writers – if you have a point to make, it should be germane to, and not distract from, the plot, and should never make the reader feel that they are somehow being got at, irritated, or condescended to.

In the end, my golden rule about any writing is; was it a good read?

Rob Gorthy was born Alistair Robin Gorthy in Liverpool and brought up at orphanages in  Ebley and Painswick, Gloucestershire. After university in Liverpool he taught in Coventry. He has an MA in Philosophy and Social Theory from Warwick university. He now lives with his partner, Heather, in the Cotswolds, where he writes, enjoys theatre, going for walks in the countryside, and birdwatching. He has an abiding interest in US politics and philosophy, reading good literature, and listening to music (Amadeus through to Zappa).

Copies of the novel, Pariche, can be obtained at all good bookshops or online. The link to his Publisher’s website is below.

https://www.austinmacauley.com/author/gorthy-alistair-robin

Lessons from Taking 40 Years to Write a Book (by @RobGorthy ):
Click To Tweet

 

Photo on Visual Hunt

The post Lessons from Taking 40 Years to Write a Book appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.