Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 63

June 6, 2019

It Takes a Community to Win an Award

Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Award as the best light mystery of the year. Wow!!

I was more than a little surprised to win. Mostly because of the competition. Alan Bradley who writes the fabulous Flavia DeLuce series with a precocious and adorable 12-year-old female sleuth and fun-loving trouble maker. Vicki Delany who is uber-famous as the author of 34 books and is currently writing three mystery series. Elizabeth Duncan who is a two-time winner of this award and who writes the coziest of mysteries set in Wales. Plus, a brand-new crackerjack author in Auralee Wallace who is destined to win many awards before too long.

So, I was shocked and delighted to win and mumbled a few words of thanks to the organizers and an even more bungling acknowledgement to my daughter who gave me the gift of being there with me to witness this miracle. And to my partner, Joan, without whom, I can say with certainty that there be no Sgt. Windflower, let alone awards and accolades.

Since I didn’t think I was going to win I had no acceptance speech prepared. Now that I’ve had a few days to think about it I have a few more things to add. I hope you’ll bear with me.

First of all, I take no personal credit for creating Sgt. Windflower or for writing 7 books so far in the series. (New book coming this fall) Where would I come up with that character, let alone find 600,000 words or so to talk about him and whatever might happen to him and his imaginary friends? That came from what I call the creative flow. All I had to do was to tap into it. The same way that Sgt. Windflower walked out of the fog one night and started telling me his story. I just wrote down he said. I hope he doesn’t stop talking or I’m doomed.

Secondly, Joan my partner encouraged me when I felt awful and that my writing wasn’t very good and that it was too hard to be an independent writer because I had to do everything myself. Some of that was true. Especially my early writing. She said to keep going, that I would get better and that it would get a little easier along the way. Some of that was true, too. Mostly about getting easier because I worked harder and didn’t let the small things get me down.

Thirdly, writing is a solitary act but it takes a community to write a good book, let alone win an award. My community includes my siblings who have supported me through the days of dark, very dark poetry and always said they loved my stuff, even when it truly sucked. My extended and adopted family and friends who came to every event and bought my books deserve a lot of credit, too. So do my writing colleagues and friends, some of whom are beta readers from the beginning and those who toil behind the scenes in Ottawa Independent Writers and Crime Writers of Canada. Words of advice, small plugs here and there, invitations to guest blog and to co-host events, all made me believe that if they thought I was a good writer, maybe I could live up to their ideals.

In order to get here I also had help from an army of proofreaders and editors as well as book bloggers and reviewers who were willing to take a chance on an unknown quantity like me. Elizabeth Spann-Craig is one of them!! Plus, independent bookstores and store managers in some of the biggest stores in Canada took my books and let me set up that table near the front of the store. You know the one where everyone tries to avoid you on the way in and smiles at you, with pity, on the way out. It was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time. Thank you!!

Last, and always, the people who buy, borrow, and if you have no other choice, steal my books I salute you. Readers are the lifeblood, the oxygen for writers. We do not exist in our own imagination. We live in yours. Thank you more than I can ever express. My commitment to you is to try and write the best possible story that I can and I hope that I can continue to hold your interest and your trust.

One more thing. If you are new to this writing racket, stick with it. If you can’t find a publisher to take your work, don’t be afraid to step out on your own. Just make sure that you write and produce and edit and proofread your book, the baby that you will bring into the world, to the very best of your ability. Take the time you need to do it right and you will be rewarded. You may or may not win an award. But you will receive many gifts along the way. Be grateful, like me, for the opportunity and you will be a success.

Mike Martin is the author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series.

Here’s where you can get Darkest Before the Dawn

Darkest Before the Dawn is available in many bookstores across Canada including Chapters/Indigo and many independent stores.

Amazon:

USA – UK – CA – AUS – IN

Chapters/Indigo

Follow Sgt. Windflower Mysteries:

Facebook

Twitter:

@mike54martin

Mike Martin is the author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series which is set in small communities in Newfoundland on the eastern tip of Canada.

Writer @mike54martin Explains Why it Takes a Community to Win a Writing Award:
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Published on June 06, 2019 21:01

June 2, 2019

Limiting the Number of Characters

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

This is the second post in a short series about making our lives easier as writers. One thing that I’ve tried to be more conscious of as the years have gone by is limiting the number of characters I introduce in a story or series.

With a cozy mystery series, for example, the field of characters is already going to be pretty crowded. You have a sleuth and a sidekick and around five suspects. And then you have recurring characters: friends and family of the sleuth and some sort of police presence.

The more characters we add, the harder it is for readers to keep up. And we run the risk of not having the space to make the characters more than one-dimensional.

One bit of advice is not to name every single character in your book. The waitress at the diner can just be the waitress. If we name her, we may be making her role in the story seem more important than it is…and leave readers trying to remember another name.

Another tip is to evaluate the number of characters you’re introducing. For my new series, I took a look to see if it was possible to combine roles. In one instance I could, which just meant that a character needed to help out with a cat rescue at the beginning of the book.

More reading about combining character roles can be found here:

Clare Langley-Hawthorne’s “A Cast of Thousands”

If you do have a large cast of characters even after combining roles, there are ways to help readers keep track of them. It’s a good idea to make characters distinguishable from each other by using quirks, diction, and recurring details about their physical appearance as reminders.

You can also tag supporting characters who haven’t been on stage for a while (Jane’s hairdresser, Sheri, opened the door). Or: Sheri walked in. “Long day at the beauty parlor, y’all. Three customers didn’t show up!”

More information on working with large casts of characters can be found here:

September C. Fawkes’ “Working With a Large Cast of Characters”

As a reader, do you ever have trouble keeping up with a lot of characters? As a writer, how do you try to help readers keep up (I’ve seen some books with a ‘cast of characters’ list at the front)?

Making Life Easier by Limiting the Number of Characters We Use:
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Published on June 02, 2019 21:02

June 1, 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

Ghosting is not stealing…unless it is. @Janet_Reid

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Canadian Publishers Association Honors Gregory Younging Posthumously: @Porter_Anderson @CdnPublishers
At BookExpo: New York Rights Fair Brings Programming With It: @Porter_Anderson @BookExpo @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

New Research Has Discovered a Formula for Creativity: @RuthHarrisBooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

How to Survive a Trip into the Woods: Key Lessons From Fantasy Books: @nicolemhill @BNBuzz
7 Space Operas and Adventures to Read If You Loved A Memory Called Empire: @nataliezutter @tordotcom
Why Villain Schools Are Having a Pop Culture Moment: @emburack @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

How To Write When You Don’t Feel Like It: @10minnovelist

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

9 Weird Ways to Beat Writer’s Block: @HopeBolinger @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

8 Counterintuitive Things That Can Contribute to Success: @KarenBanes

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

The Importance of Knowing You: @jcwalton24 @DIYMFA
Top Tips for Running a Writers’ Group This Year: @brotzel_fiction @PENPROSPER1
When Slow Writing Leads to Great Writing: by Tara East @LiveWriteThrive
Finding Wonder in a Writers Group: @claireneedell @CareerAuthors
How to Make Decisions in Your Writing: @colleen_m_story
The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Authors: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks
Writing A Novel? 3 Easy Tips To Make It Fun: @angee
Battling the Doubt Monster: @AlizaMannAuthor @Janice_Hardy
How a Reader Turns Into a Writer: by Daniel A. Roberts @TheRyanLanz
Advice for getting over a writing slump: by Bucket Siler

Genres / Miscellaneous

Young Adult vs. Middle Grade Fiction: Which Are You Writing? @ReedsyHQ

Genres / Romance

What Makes a Romance? Seven tips: by Shannon Donnelly

Genres / Science Fiction

Top 9 Influential Female Characters In Science Fiction: @Bang2write
20 Useful Subreddits For SFF Writers: @wvancamp

Genres / Screenwriting

Script To Screen: “Rocky”: @GoIntoTheStory

Genres / Short Stories

9 Reasons You Should Write Short Fiction: @AnnieNeugebauer

Promo / Book Reviews

Ways to Get Book Reviews: The Power of Recommendation: @Bookgal @BookWorksNYC

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Take a Great Book Photo for Social Media: @nedadallal @penguinrandom

Promo / Newsletters

How to Set Up Automated Emails for Reader Magnets: @rachelmcwrites @IndieAuthorALLI

Promo / Platforms

Personal Branding for Authors: What It Is And Why It’s Essential: @KimberleyGrabas

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Audiobooks: 5 Tips For Better Narration And Performance: by Jules Horne @thecreativepenn
Your book needs CIP data—here’s why: @BookDesignBook
How to Create Large Print Editions of Your Books With Vellum: @tonyriches
Canadian Study: Library Patrons Tell Researchers They Buy More Books: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

France’s Publishing Trio at Goutte d’Or: Looking for a ‘Drop of Gold’: @oliviasnaije @edgouttedor @pubperspectives
South Africa’s Puku Foundation: Children’s Books To Save Languages: @Porter_Anderson @PukuBooks@Kenyapublishers
Five Questions for Russia’s Boris Kuznetsov: Netflix and ‘Fashionable Reading’: by Eugene Gerden @pubperspectives
Talking With: Ama Dadson of Ghana’s AkooBooks: AudioBooks in Africa: @Porter_Anderson @DadsonAma @akoobooks

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Not Just Self-Published: @joyerancatore

Publishing / Process / Book Design

5 Tips for Better Book Cover Typography: @ReedsyHQ @WritersDigest
The Unused Alternative Covers Behind 5 Modern Literary Classics: @lithub

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Writing awesome antagonists: @AuthorMarilene

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Tips for Character Development: @davidfarland
Have you asked your character these questions? @kayelleallen
Writing Character Motivation Circles: @Lindasclare
5 Ways to Craft Strong Female Characters: by Kassandra Flamouri @DIYMFA
Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Geologist: @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Conflict

Understanding Conflict: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Tips for Tagging Dialogue: @SarahSallyHamer @EdieMelson

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Top 10 fictional takes on real lives: @WillEaves @alexpheby @GuardianBooks

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Plot, Character, and Theme: The Greatest Love Triangle in Fiction: @KMWeiland
Writing a Fictional Expert When You’re a Real Life Amateur: @parnellhall @CrimeReads
The Math of Storytelling: @valerie_francis
Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Novelty: @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming

10 Best Character Name Generator Tools: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

So Many Ideas, So Little Time: @RachelleGardner

Writing Craft / Revision

Five Tips and Four Myths About Preparing To Edit Fiction: by Jacquelin Cangro @kristen_kieffer

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Describing Locations in Realistic Fiction: 5 Tips: @paulapuddephatt
Five Setting Details With Horrifying Implications: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

Trouble With Combining Words: @eseckman @TheIWSG

Writing Craft / World-Building

Character-Centered World Building (Podcast): @RowennaM @DIYMFA

Writing Tools / Miscellaneous

Tips for Writing with Dictation: @KyleRbrtShultz @phoenix_fiction

Writing Tools / Resources

A Free Template for Brain Dumps and Other Resources: @hwrightwriter

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on June 01, 2019 21:02

May 30, 2019

KDP Reports

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

On Monday, I’ll be picking up on my blog series ‘making life easier as a writer.’ But today I wanted to point out something new (still in beta) on the KDP dashboard in case you’ve missed it (and I know lots of you probably noticed this earlier than I did!)

KDP is rolling out their new reports section and my first impression is that it looks really helpful.

I’m one of those authors who absolutely hates doing metrics on ads or tracking sales. I know it’s something important but delving down into spreadsheets and the business aspect has always been something of a drag.

I love that Amazon is making this easier. For one thing, I like to keep track of which series sells better. For another, I like to see which individual books seem to sell strongest in a series…and try to figure out what the magic formula was so that I can duplicate it again.

Here’s what Amazon says the benefits of the new reports are: (see more information here).

Benefits of the new reports

The new KDP reports improve upon the existing ones by allowing you to:

Use the Dashboard to see how your books are performing
Display data for more than one book on a single graph so you can compare books and see title-level trends
Choose to see graphs as a line or bar chart
Estimate your monthly royalties in a single currency of your choice
Estimate your monthly royalties from KU and KOLL before the KDP Select Global Fund is announced for that month
Use your phone and other mobile devices to view reports

For me, the bar chart (pictured at the top of the post) makes my earnings a lot more understandable than the line chart. Plus, when you hover on a particular day on the bar chart, it will drill down to show you estimated royalties per day and per title.

I also really like seeing at a glance what my anticipated royalties for the month so far are. No math involved. :) You can choose your currency, too.

And then, under settings:

Another cool feature is seeing the top formats and marketplaces. Even though I roughly know the ratio of ebook to paperback sales, it’s cool to see it in this format:

I also like seeing where my sales are coming from (although no surprise that the majority are from the US).

To reach this new reports section, go to your KDP dashboard, reports, then click on the beta notification at the top of the page. Or, more directly: https://kdpreports.amazon.com/dashboard

Amazon is still tweaking this. On my beta reports dashboard, they state: “Welcome to the new KDP Reports beta! We’ll be adding more reports — including historical data for Sales, KENP Read, and Royalties — in the future, so stay tuned!”

How good are you about tracking sales? Tracking sales per series? Are you as bad at spreadsheets as I am? :)

Tracking Sales with KDP's New Reports:
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Published on May 30, 2019 21:02

May 25, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

What’s Your Writing Plan? @WritingForward
How and why to order author copies from Amazon KDP and IngramSpark: @BirdsOAFpress
How to Track Conversion and Calculate ROI on Facebook and Bookbub Ads: @ReedsyHQ @IndieAuthorALLI @RicardoFayet
Don’t Let Plagiarism Kill Your Career: @maryannwrites
Tracking Kindle Sales with Book Report: @MJBowersock @IndiesUnlimited

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Guy Gunaratne Wins the 2019 Dylan Thomas Prize for ‘Mad and Furious City’: @Porter_Anderson @dylanthomprize @guygunaratne
Germany’s Börsenverein Will Award First Nonfiction Prize in 2020: @Porter_Anderson @boev @pubperspectives
Oman’s Jokha Alharthi and Translator Marilyn Booth Win the 2019 Man Booker International Prize: @Porter_Anderson @ManBookerPrize
US National Book Foundation Program To Distribute 1-Millionth Book: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook @likaluca
Books, Bookmarks, Business Cards Or Digital Giveaways. What Should Authors Be Ready To Give Away? @c_penticoff @thecreativepenn
The Art of the Book Event: 9 Tips: @AnnMarieNieves @WriterUnboxed
During BookExpo, London Book Fair’s CAMEO Awards Make a US Debut: @Porter_Anderson @LondonBookFair @BookExpo
Schmoozing for Introverts: How to Network Like a Pro: @LisaEllisonsPen @JaneFriedman
BookExpo Hears the Call of Audio: APAC Becomes the Big Conference: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Searls Wins Wolff Translator’s Prize; UK’s Women’s Poets Announce Swift Book: @Porter_Anderson @GI_NewYork @FoundationSwift

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

For a More Creative Brain, Travel: @bcamcrane @TheAtlantic
How to Use Freewriting to Supercharge Your Work: by Kathy Hopewell @WritetoDone
Writing Prompts for Preteens: @hwrightwriter

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Find More Time to Write by Avoiding The 12 Productivity Mistakes: @EdieMelson

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 25, 2019 21:01

May 23, 2019

Beginning Close to the Action

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m running a short blog series on making your life easier as a writer. I’m planning on sharing a few tips that I’ve learned over the years (often through making mistakes).

Starting it out today is a quick tip for writers: get the central action of the story started as soon as possible.

Some writers advocate starting in medias res, or in the middle of the action. This can work too, if you can handle a bit of backstory well later (how did our heroes get in this situation? Who are these people and why should we care about them? What’s going on?)

But starting in the middle of things comes with its own set of problems, too. The stakes aren’t as high when readers aren’t yet invested in the characters.

I’ve started in medias res a few times…namely when I’ve opened the book with a dead body. But I’ve written many others where the body is discovered later (but always in the first 50 pages since that was Penguin’s preference and I stuck with it out of habit). For me, this means introducing the reader to the main characters quickly and in a fun situation, setting up a murder, and then delivering the body without too much blah, blah, blah.

I think starting the action sooner than later is better, even if you don’t choose an in media res approach. This way we’re able to engage the reader a little faster. The reader is going to either want to latch onto an interesting character or an interesting plot. If we put off the inciting incident, we could be setting ourselves up to fail by trying to establish character, again with some backstory pitfalls. We risk boring the reader and possibly losing them. And there’s less setup at the beginning. Sometimes story setup is painful to structure and then is painful to read.

If we start our inciting incident sooner, we can lightly sprinkle backstory in later. And hopefully hook the reader on our story quicker. A mystery reader is waiting for the murder to happen. A romance reader is waiting on the romance to start. The sooner we can deliver what they’re looking for, the easier our life is.

For further reading, check out Paul Buchanan’s article: “Begin From the Middle: How to Start Your Story in Media Res” and K.M. Weiland’s “How to Tell if Your Story Begins Too Soon.”

I’ll be back next Friday (after taking Memorial Day off) with part two of the series, “Keeping Files Organized.”

How fast do you like to be pulled into the inciting incident as a reader? How fast do you introduce it as a writer?

Starting Your Story Close to the Action:
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Published on May 23, 2019 21:01

May 19, 2019

Intermittent Journaling: How I Lost the Guilt and Acquired a Helpful Writing Strategy.

by Heather Wright, @hwrightwriter

Ever since I got a pink diary with a lock and key for Christmas when I was eleven, I have tried to keep a daily journal—I really have. But, no matter what my intentions, I have never managed to succeed. And once I became a writer, it seemed even more important that I keep a daily journal. I mean, it’s what writers do, right?

Finally, I stopped trying. More importantly, I stopped feeling less than a ‘real writer’ or guilty because I didn’t write in my journal every day. Journaling has a definite place in my writing life, and when I need to, I approach my journal with a purpose and enjoy the benefits that journaling brings.

Here are the times when I turn to my journal—sometimes daily, sometimes not. These journaling times are short-term, focused, and reap rewards.

Journal when the creative well needs filling.

I have writer friends who always have an abundance of story ideas. They bemoan the fact that there will never be enough time to write them down. Sadly, I’m not like that. When I search my brain for inspiration and get crickets, that’s when the journal comes out. I commit to a week of daily journaling, and if I’m still looking for inspiration at the end of the week, I’ll try another week.

My best time to access random story ideas is before bed. I quickly jot down my to-do list for the next day, so those I-must-remembers are cleared out of my head, and then, because I’m a bit tired and dozy, I just let my brain wander. I let characters walk in and talk or move around, and I write it down. I’m under no pressure to make a story out of these ramblings right now. I just let them be. If you’re not a lark like I am, then mornings may be the best time for you to welcome that half-dreamy state where stories can happen.

Yes, some dross lands on the page, but there’s gold, too, and I’ve found many stories and book ideas using this process.

Journal when life gets complicated.

Journaling helps me when life gets ultra-busy, stressed, seemingly out of control—you know what that feels like. Your family and friends will listen and care, but sometimes you just want to spare them the pity party. When deadlines loom, illness drops by, cars decide to stop running, and the people around me—my family and co-workers—are depending on me, I give myself the gift of journaling.

Journaling is my date with myself, to rant, make lists, write whatever I need to write to houseclean the day’s mental and emotional clutter and move on. Like, Elsa, I “let it go” on the journal page. With the mess acknowledged and out of the way for a while, I can focus on my deadline and find the creative answers I need to get the words on the page.

Journal when the blank screen doesn’t cut it anymore.

These days, I compose almost all my work on the keyboard, but that wasn’t always the case. When I started to write stories (mysteries, of course, featuring Nancy Drew), I used pen and paper. Now, when I get stuck on a project, I go to my journal to unblock the problem, and words begin to flow again. It’s like my creativity was hot-wired to having a pen in my hand and feeling it move along paper.

If all your journaling is going to be done with your keyboard, then break away from the blank white page. Color the pages on the screen, add photos, even write on photos. In Word, click on Page Color under the Design Tab and have fun. Make your pages no longer full of scary white space, but rather, a just-for-you zone to play with words.

Journal when it makes you happy.

My friend’s son coined a word many years ago: joywriting. Journals are for that, too. My favorite day of the month is the one in which I invent new writing prompts for my blog. I could sit down at my laptop and do this, but I get more joy from sitting in my living room with a cup of coffee and my journal and letting my mind be inventive. This routine makes me happy. Building a routine around your journal time can give you a much-needed, calm pause in your day. Light a candle, say a prayer, play your favorite music, make that special tea or coffee and let your creativity, thoughts, and feelings flow.

Journaling isn’t for everybody every day, but I hope that you find, as I did, a place for journaling in your writing life—even intermittently–and enjoy the benefits it can bring.

Heather Wright is Amazon bestseller, writing coach, and workshop leader. She loves working with writers of all ages, helping them develop the writing skills that will make their work shine. Her website is full of writing prompts and resources for writers and their teachers. Heather is also a freelancer writing about everything from PVC pipe to orchids to Canadian history.

Heather has written many books (and journals) for writers. Her recent works include Writing Mysteries: A Take-Action Workbook, Writing Romance: A Take-Action Workbook, and Writing Fantasy: A Take-Action Workbook. You can see all her books here.

Writer @hwrightwriter on the Advantages of Intermittent Journaling:
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Published on May 19, 2019 21:01

May 18, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

New Stuff

Just a note that one of my blog readers, who is a fellow mystery writer and website designer, is running an author website special. Click here to check out the details for the $300 offer.

Business / Miscellaneous

5 Tips for Teaching Creative Writing: @hwrightwriter
9 Tips on Writing to Publish: @psthib @ZoeMMcCarthy
Simplify Your Submissions to Literary Journals: @JohnSibleyWill1 @JaneFriedman

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Israel’s International Book Forum Opens With Joyce Carol Oates’ Jerusalem Prize: @Porter_Anderson
Fondation Jan Michalski’s Second ‘Bibliotopia’ Weekend Starts Friday: @Porter_Anderson @JanMichalski
The UK’s CrimeFest 2019 Honors Shukla, Lippman, Rowling: @Porter_Anderson @CrimeFest
France’s Prix Monte-Cristo’s Inmate Jury Awards Its First Honor: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
IPA’s Africa Seminar in Nairobi: Maha Bakheet on Copyright: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Frankfurt’s 2019 StoryDrive Asia in Beijing: AI and the Culture’s Future: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

What every writer should know before writing a first novel: @lisapoisso

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

How Classic Gothic Fiction Led to Today’s Psychological Thrillers: @C_Goodmania @CrimeReads

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Re-establishing a Writing Habit After Dropping One: @DanBlank
You Have Time to Write — You Just Aren’t Making It a Priority: @MegDowell
Why you need your own pomodoro: @pubcoach
Writing Is a Habit. That’s Why So Many People Can’t Do It. @MegDowell

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

6 Ways You Can Overcome Writer’s Block: by Joel Syder @NaNoWriMo
Unlocking Writer’s Block: @mishy1727 @TheIWSG

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

“How I Trained Myself to Write 25,000 Words Every Week (and Why I Did It)”: @MegDowell
Productivity Secrets: Bullet Journals and Planning: @leslyepenelope @JamiGold

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Writing Sex for Money: by Sandra Newman @lithub
Headbutts, snark and furious obsession: a toxic history of literary rivalries: @tallulahloorah @GuardianBooks
This Labor Was Never for You: Sex and the Small Press: @KMarieDarling @The_Millions
Not All Writers Can Afford Rooms of Their Own: @asjaba @lithub
Rising Above the Average as a Writer: Regression Toward the Mean: By Dario Ciriello
How to Make Writing Fun Again: @Frank_McKinley
8 Ways to Stay Mentally Fit and Mindful in the Writing Process: @brtherapist @WritersDigest
Tips for Journal Writing: by Deborah Lyn Stanley
How to Use the Writing Skills You Have to Learn the Ones You Don’t: @ArkadyMartine @tordotcom
How to Decide Which Writing Project to Focus On: @colleen_m_story
A Home of Her Own – How Jane Austen Found the Space to Write: @C_Goodmania @WomenWriters
Writing About a Fictional Massacre as a Real One Happens in Your Neighborhood: @MollyPascal @lithub
When Fiction Doesn’t Work—What Can Be Learned? by Bonnie Randall
Author @NathanEnglander on Writing and Worrying:

Genres / Humor

Top 5 (More) Mistakes Comedy Writers Make: @DaveCohencomedy @Bang2write

Genres / Memoir

Why You Need To Write Your Memoir Like Fiction: @Writers_Write

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writers’ Words of the Day: Make Your Stories Bleed Realism: @LeeLofland
The Psychology of Suspense: @RJJacobsAuthor @CrimeReads
“Soap Operas Taught Me How To Write Crime Fiction”: @Michael2264 @CrimeReads

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to Create a Glossary in Word: @TCKPublishing

Genres / Romance

Ten Rules for Writing Killer Romance: @TammyLoughAuthr @DIYMFA

Genres / Screenwriting

The Rise Of The DIY Screenwriter: by by Tony Ritter @CreativeScreen
Script To Screen: “Psycho”: @GoIntoTheStory

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Writing a Bio When You Think You’re Boring: @Janet_Reid

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Use Pre-Publication Planning To Sell More Books: @SusanNealYoga @EdieMelson
Seven Questions To Ask When Building Your Author Brand: @elawilliams_ @DIYMFA

Promo / Websites

How to Build an Author Website on a Budget: from It’s a Writer Thing

Publishing / Miscellaneous

IPA Names Jessica Sänger To Lead Copyright Committee: @Porter_Anderson @IntPublishers
Wolff’s ‘Siege’ To Release June 4, Sequel to Trump Exposé ‘Fire and Fury’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

4 Tips That Can Save You Thousands of Dollars When Self-Publishing: @IndieReader

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

An Agent on Avoiding Idiot Agents: @Janet_Reid
Things 1 Agent Used to be Nicer About: @Janet_Reid

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Top 10 Book Cover Design Trends For 2019: by Kristen Ford @WritetoDone

Publishing / Process / Legalities

How to Prepare and Use a DMCA Takedown Notice: @SusanSpann

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Flog a Pro: Would you pay to turn the page of this bestseller? @RayRhamey @WriterUnboxed

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How To Write A Sympathetic Villain: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Quick Tip: Condensing Characters (video): by Chris Fox
Mary Sue Test: Does Your Character Pass It? by Ali Hale @writing_tips

Writing Craft / Diversity

Representation in Fiction: How to Write Characters Whose Experiences Are Outside of Your Own: @writersyndrome @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Drafts

What to Do After Finishing Your First Draft: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Struggling with Writing Flashbacks? Try Using the P.A.S.T. Method: @Sara_HeartStory

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

Literary Themes in Your Writing: @Kid_Lit

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

An Intro to Foodie Culture So You Can Write Foodie Novels: @MJPostAuthor

Writing Craft / Pacing

4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Readers’ Attention: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

So You Think You Have an Original Plot. Think again: @PollyIyer

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

What Your Character Experiences While Leaving the Military: from It’s a Writer Thing

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Which or That? Grammar Explained: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Series / Series Bible

How to Create a Story Bible: @stacitroilo @StoryEmpire

Writing Craft / Voice

How To Decide The Voice And Tone Of Your Novel: @KristinaAuthor

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

Creating Compelling Cadence: Small Changes, Big Impact: @MargieLawson

Writing Tools / Books

Writing Resources: Bird by Bird: @WritingForward

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 18, 2019 21:01

May 12, 2019

How To Decide The Voice And Tone Of Your Novel

by Kristina Adams, @KristinaAuthor

The voice and tone of your novel will affect who connects with your characters and what genre it fits into. It can even be the difference between someone finishing your book an avid fan or putting it down after the first page.

Yes, it really is that important.

Tone is the overall mood of your novel. The voice, meanwhile, is how you and your characters communicate with your reader. It’s how you get across the personality of your characters, as well as draw in your target audience from the first words on the page.

If your book is written in third person, you can channel a little bit of yourself into your narration. If it’s written in first, your character(s) should speak through you.

When it comes to dialogue, the voice will vary from character to character. It’s the main way we show their different personalities. Your reader should be able to tell who’s saying what even without dialogue tags.

Here are some of the factors you need to consider when deciding on the voice and tone of your novel:

Setting

Listen to how your parents and grandparents speak. There will be small differences in the words and the phrases that they use. That’s because each generation has its own subtly different ways of speaking. It’s most obvious when you watch old films.

The country your book is set in will also affect how your characters speak. Even countries that have English as their main language differ in their uses of it. It isn’t just the spelling, either. There are some phrases that differ, too. For example, a Brit would say that a sick person looks like ‘death warmed up’, while an American would say that they look like ‘death warmed over’. As a Brit, this phrase doesn’t make sense to me, but it isn’t up to me to inflict my way of speaking on my American characters.

Narrator

This is the most important factor you need to consider. Your characters’ age, gender, upbringing, mental or physical health issues, and even if they’re reliable or unreliable will affect how they communicate with your reader and the other characters.

Other factors such as who is most influential to them can affect this. For instance, a young person raised by their grandparents might imitate their grandparents’ speaking patterns, demonstrating how close they are. Someone trying to differentiate themselves from the older crowd will be more likely to use modern slang.

Genre

Each genre comes with its own set of reader expectations. ‘But I’m an artist. I want to do my own thing,’ you say. I hear you. And that’s great. But if you want to be able to sell and market your work, you need to give them at least a little of what they expect.

For example, a book that’s all about tracking down a serial killer will have a very different voice and tone to a romance novel.

The crime novel will be much darker, even if it has a romance subplot. The focus will be on moving the action forward. Characters’ thoughts and feelings will be addressed, but they’ll be secondary to the story.

The romance, on the other hand, will be much lighter in tone with a focus on the characters’ thoughts and emotions.

Ways to Express Voice and Tone

Once you’ve decided on the voice and tone for your novel, there are lots of things you can do to express it.

Words

The first – and most obvious – way to express voice and tone is with the words that you and your characters use.

For example, someone who says ‘seldom’ instead of ‘occasionally’, is likely to be either of an older generation, a word nerd, or someone younger but a little old-fashioned, since it’s a word that is seldom (ahem) used in the twenty-first century.

Idioms and Cliches

While traditional writing advice tells you to avoid these, we use them in everyday speech, so why shouldn’t we use them when imitating everyday speech?

Don’t get too carried away, of course – you want to exercise your writing muscles and show your readers that you’re an amazing writer, after all. Use them when you really can’t think of anything else, or when it’s a character trait, such as the kindly grandma that always speaks in clichés.

Readers do have a tendency to not fully process the image created by a cliche, so I’ll say it one last time: use them sparingly.

Sentence Length

Different sentence lengths not only make your piece easier and more interesting to read, but can also say a lot about your character.

Someone who speaks in monosyllables is uncommunicative and keeps people at arm’s length. Someone who speaks in long, rambling sentences is likely nervous about something. Likewise short, snappy sentences can show anxiety and breathlessness.

These can be used to build tension in your story, too. They also work well in dialogue – they can tell the narrator a lot about the character they’re interacting with.

Punctuation (or lack of it)

When one of my characters was causing a scene on live TV, I removed the majority of the commas to make her sentences long and rambling.

This reflected the incoherence in the way that she was speaking; the reader could see that her speech was unnatural without having to watch it on TV as the characters did.

Conclusion

Each of the things we’ve explored are fairly small when you look at them individually. But they all add up to influence the voice and tone of your novel, and how your character(s) come across to your readers.

If you already have a good grasp of the kind of person your character is, it will make it easier for you to decide how they speak. You may even find that because you know them so well, their voice comes to you easily. Don’t worry if this isn’t the case, though. Dig deeper into your main character’s goal and central flaw. These will dictate almost everything else your character says and does within your story, so are the perfect places to go back to if the voice and tone aren’t working.

Character interviews work great if you get stuck, too. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Kristina Adams is an author, blogger, and reformed caffeine addict. She’s written five novels poking fun at celebrity culture, one nonfiction book on productivity for writers, and too many blog posts to count. She shares advice for writers over on her blog, The Writer’s Cookbook. Preorder her upcoming release Behind the Spotlight here.

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Published on May 12, 2019 21:02

May 11, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. :)

New Stuff:
If you’re in the area, consider attending The Possibilities Conference on June 15th, 2019 in Falls Church, VA (about 12 miles outside Washington, DC). The conference helps authors learn how to build their fan base through marketing, branding, and PR via a full day of workshops.

Business / Miscellaneous

Why, Exactly, Do We Have Subtitles on Books? @MaryLauraPh @lithub
Team Royalties: a Hassle-Free Solution for Splitting Co-Author Royalties: by Monica Dube @publishdrive

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Publishers’ Forum 2019: Driving Forces, Technology, and Models: @Porter_Anderson @Sara_Sargent @AshleighGardner
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize Announces Its Regional Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

6 Reasons You Should Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo (in July): @RebekahJoanBlog @NaNoWriMo

Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels

How To Write a Novel: The Complete 20-Step Guide: @write_practice @joebunting

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Creative Writing Prompts and How To Use Them: by Teagan Berry @TheRyanLanz
10 Great TED Talks for Writers: @TCKPublishing @TEDTalks
Writing Prompts: Helpful? Or a Waste of Time? by Savannah Cordova @ReedsyHQ @JamiGold

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

5 Famously Rewritten Novels: from Jeanette the Writer @DIYMFA
7 Stories That Reimagine Some of Your Favorite Classics: by Stubby the Rocket @tordotcom
Reading Broadly to Write Better: @richardgthomas3 @LitReactor

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

What Is a ‘Flow State’ and How Will It Help You Write More, Faster? @MegDowell
How Writing Faster Can Vastly Improve Your Storytelling: @KristenLambTX

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Are you sitting too much? @pubcoach
10 Lessons from 10 Years of Writing: @Julie_Glover
What You Really Mean When You Say ‘I Can’t’: @MegDowell
5 Tips for Writing Fearlessly: by Stephanie Jo Harris @DIYMFA
What Will You Sacrifice to Be a Better Writer? @BMCadman @LiveWriteThrive
‘You Are Not Alone’: How To Beat Challenges As A Writer: @Alice_Hayden @Bang2write
Teaching Tips: How To Make Creative Writing Classes More Interesting: by Kristen Ford @WritetoDone
The Three-Step Process From Isolation to Publication: by Joanne Ramos @WritersDigest
What Does ‘Writer Burnout’ Actually Look Like? @MegDowell
Focus: The solution to book marketing overwhelm: @sandrabeckwith
3 Good Reasons Not to Quit Your Night Job: @MaggieWells1

Genres / Fantasy

14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them): @ReedsyHQ
What Does a Fantasy Map Look Like? @mcwetboy @tordotcom

Genres / Historical

How to Write Historical Fiction: @MariahFrederick @WritersDigest

Genres / Memoir

Collaborating with others on your memoir in 6 easy steps: @bncarvin @sandrabeckwith

Genres / Miscellaneous

Why Speculative Fiction Is Needed Now More Than Ever: @EmmanuelNataf @ReedsyHQ

Genres / Mystery

How to Mislead Your Reader with Red Herrings: @savannahgilbo
Keep Your Readers Guessing with Red Herrings: @LisaEBetz @A3writers
Terminology for the Savvy Crime Writer: Abrasion Collars to the Rare Cadaveric Spasm: @LeeLofland
Plotting poisons into fiction, a list of resources: @raimeygallant

Genres / Non-Fiction

How to Build the back cover of your nonfiction Paperback: @BirdsOAFpress
Nonfiction Writing Tips: How to Tell a True Story in a Creative Way: @izzardink @IngramSpark

Genres / Picture Books

The Importance of Determining a Picture Book’s Premise Before Querying: @SFretwellHill @BAndersonWriter @RedFoxLiterary @NatalieIAguirre
Syntax in Poetry and Poetic Voice in Rhyming Picture Books: @Kid_Lit

Genres / Poetry

Getting Started in Poetry by Edmund Berrigan: @PoetryFound

Genres / Short Stories

5 Reasons You Should Be Writing Short Stories: @RDCwrites

Promo / Blogging

How To Add A Sub-Category To Your WordPress Blog Post: @HughRoberts05
“7 Things I Wish I’d Done as a Newbie Blogger”: @_HannahHeath
How and why to remove dates from your permalinks: @NathanielTower

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Quick and Effective Amazon Book Description Tips: @Bookgal

Promo / Book Reviews

How to Get Reviews for Your Books: @kikimojo

Promo / Connecting with Readers

How to Sell More Books Through Reader Engagement (Podcast): @DanBlank @pbackwriter

Promo / Crowdfunding

10 Tips for Crowdfunding a Novel: @brotzel_fiction @hopeclark

Promo / Miscellaneous

3 Book Marketing Myths to Avoid: @sandrabeckwith @JFbookman
A Few Things To Know About Blurbs: @jules_writes

Promo / Social Media Tips

Book Promotion: 5 Tips for Authors on Using Social Media: @Kristenwendys @TheIWSG
Book Marketing: How to Run a Twitter Chat: @StonehamPress @IndieAuthorALLI
How To Keep Your Pinterest Boards Organized and Relevant: @KarenBanes

Promo / Speaking

How to end a speech, Italian style: @gigirosenberg

Promo / Websites

A Basic Author Website:

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Hardy Perennials in the Publishing World: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Rights Roundup:Thoughtful Reads for Young People and Adults: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Interview: Amanda Ridout on Her Boldwood Books’ Rights Strategy: @lizziebbrown @BoldwoodBooks @pubperspectives
‘Finnland: Cool & Happy’ Opens at Helsinki Lit 2019: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
US Authors Guild Joins With AAP and Copyright Alliance on CASE Act: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Spain’s Readmagine and Digital Distributors Meeting Announce Programming: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Ulrich Klopotek in Berlin: ‘No Publishers’ Forum in 2020′ : @Porter_Anderson @PublishersForum @Klopotek_AG @wischenbart @Planeta @randomhouse @Sara_Sargent
New Literary Agency for African Kids and YA Fiction: Accord Literary: @HannahSJohnson @pubperspectives @accordliterary
The Evolution of the Jerusalem International Book Forum: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Building Your Publishing Team: Your Cover Designer: @itshelendarling @DIYMFA
Book Anatomy 101: Book Body Parts: @JFbookman @BookWorksNYC

Publishing / Process / Distribution

Comparing the 5 Most Popular eBook Distribution Companies: @carlaking @BookWorksNYC

Writing Craft / Beginnings

First Pages and Character Emotion: @beccapuglisi
10 Ways to Get Your Story Off to a Great Start: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

How To Write a Compelling Villain (Podcast): @sacha_black @pbackwriter

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

How to Write Compelling Characters: @savannahgilbo @StoryGrid
Character Type: Destroyer: @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

7 Writing Mistakes You Probably Don’t Realize You’re Making: by Savannah Cordova @ReedsyHQ @writingthrulife
3 Reasons New Writers Fail: @Weifarer

Writing Craft / Conflict

Use a Conflict Box to Sharpen Your Story: @KayKeppler

Writing Craft / Dialogue

How to Punctuate Dialogue: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

5 Ways Virginia Woolf Can Help You Improve Your Writing: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Getting a Handle on Colloquialisms: Using Regional Terms, Expressions, and Dialect: @TCKPublishing
A Fun Test to Check Your Scene’s Narrative Drive: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / POV

How Do I Keep a Second Point of View Relevant? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining

Using a Novel Outline Template: 5 Tips for Better Story Prep: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Tips for Using Apostrophes: @authorterryo

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Using the Sense of Smell in Your Story: @jamesscottbell

Writing Craft / Tension

Creating Characters Who Clash: @AngelaAckerman @JamiGold

Writing Craft / Tropes

Realistic Characters: Creating Personas: From Tropes are Tools

Writing Tools / Apps

Scrivener Split-Screen Magic: @Gwen_Hernandez

Writing Tools / Resources

Self-Publishing and Writing Resource List: @hwrightwriter
Novel-Writing Intensives: An Alternative to the MA: @juliecardalt @WriterUnboxed

Uncategorized

Resources for Cozy Writers:

The Top Writing Links From Last Week Are On Twitterific:
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Published on May 11, 2019 21:01

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