Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 66

February 16, 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 48,000 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

The Different Types of Editing Explained: @jimdempsey @WriterUnboxed
Best New Year Strategies for New Novelists: @ZaraAltair @ProWritingAid

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Tips for Author School Visits: @AHuelsenbeck
London Book Fair Designates its Official 2019 Illustrator and Poet: @Porter_Anderson
Bologna Announces 2019 Themes: Women, African-American Culture, Handwriting: @Porter_Anderson
France’s Maghreb-Orient des Livres at 25: Gaining Importance Among Festivals: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
London Book Fair Announces Its 2019 International Excellence Award Shortlists: @Porter_Anderson

Conferences and Events / NaNoWriMo

6 Tips for Polishing Your NaNoWriMo Manuscript: @JuneCasagrande @NaNoWriMo

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

Goals Should Account for the Realities of Our World: @JoEberhardt @WriterUnboxed
One Writer Shares Her 2019 Writing Goals: @SarahRPainter
On Setting Word Count Goals: @jamesscottbell @killzoneauthors
Give Me Fewer Resolutions and More Hustle: @Gabino_Iglesias @LitReactor
Making Sure Your Writing Goals Are Smart: @SueBEdwards

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Fine Tune Observation Skills to Fire Up Creativity: @CreativeKatrina

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

Is it Possible to Read Too Much as a Writer? @AuthorSAT
What Type of Reader Are You? @LisaLisax31
14 Books to Help You Deal with Millennial Burnout: @erinkbart @ElectricLit
On the Experience of Entering a Bookstore in Your Forties (vs. Your Twenties): @The_Big_Quiet @lithub
Crime Fiction Based in San Francisco: @mkinberg
5 Fully Immersive Novels of Psychological Suspense: @ljsims50 @CrimeReads
8 Books That Fuel Our Fascination with Twins: @EJRous @CrimeReads
8 Books About Immortality: by Frances Yackel @ElectricLit

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

Making an Attitude Adjustment in Terms of Your Writing: @pubcoach

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Build Productive Writing Habits: How to Write More in the Time You Have: by J. J. Hanna @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

5 Tips for Breaking Through the Wall of Your WiP: @KelsieEngen
Five steps to banishing block: by Lisa O’Donnell @CBGBooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly

Boost Productivity by Taking Effective Breaks: @LisaEBetz
One Thing that will Speed Up Your Writing and Publishing Progress: @NinaAmir
Writing Slow and Not Loving It: @jillkemerer

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

5 Reasons to Handwrite Your Story: @victoria_grif7
Confidence Through Criticism: Walt Whitman and the Discipline of Creative Self-Esteem: @brainpicker
When a Writer Doesn’t Write: @PeevishPenman
4 Things You Should Know Before You Quit Writing Your Novel: @KMWeiland
Bandersnatching Your Writing Career: @theladygreer @WriterUnboxed
One Writer’s Plan to Cut Back on TV for 2019 to Make More Writing Time: @PhilAthans
12 Signs It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Your Writing Project: @MegDowell
Signs You’re Afraid of Finishing Your Manuscript: @KMAllan_writer
Writing on the Tough Days:
7 Hacks That Will Transform You Into an Unstoppable Writer: @Frank_McKinley
7 Tips to Make You a More Observant Writer: @EdieMelson

Genres / Fantasy

On the Freaky Foods of Fictional Worlds: @thegarlictattoo @lithub
How to Choose Sounds for a Fantasy Language: @AriannaRLemont

Genres / Memoir

7 Reasons To Write A Memoir: @Writers_Write

Genres / Miscellaneous

The 6 Golden Rules Of Writing Legal Fiction: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
Respect for graphic novels: “…addressing social and political issues”: @Porter_Anderson @SusanHarrisWWB @wwborders

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writing: What Makes a Good Witness? @FionaQuinnBooks
Being Confronted With One’s Illusions as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Non-Fiction

Nonfiction Books: 15 Proven Techniques and Methods for 2019: @TheIvanKreimer

Genres / Romance

How Do I Write Non-Sexist Sex Scenes? @mythcreants
Want Readers to Fall in Love With Your Hero? Create The Perfect Hero Lens: @sacha_black

Genres / Screenwriting

Screenwriting: What 22 Industry Pros DO Want From Your Writing: @Bang2write

Promo / Blogging

5 Tips for Better Blogging from @lsmith335 :

Promo / Connecting with Readers

This Is What Happens When You Stop Lying to Readers: @GlennJMiller @CareerAuthors

Promo / Miscellaneous

4 Ways to Boost Your Digital Marketing Strategy: @cleemckenzie @TheIWSG

Promo / Newsletters

How to Keep Your Newsletter from Sucking: Writers @jakazimer @RMFWriters

Promo / Social Media Tips

How to Set Up and Edit Your https://t.co/EHAmyYA10j Author Profile: @thDigitalReader
How Writers can Use the Power of Instagram: @ChrysFey @theindiepubmag

Publishing / Miscellaneous

How to Pitch Articles and Get Published: An Effective 4-Step Strategy: @robertleebrewer
Nine Lessons From a Small Indie Publisher: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Bulgaria’s ‘BookMonster’ Intends to Make Youngsters Game for Reading: @jaroslawadamows @pubperspectives
‘German Stories’ Launch at Germany’s Guest of Honor Program in Taipei: @Porter_Anderson
Wattpad’s Hong Kong Office Opens Partnership with Huayi Brothers Korea: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Five Questions for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s Paula Santillán Grimm @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Books at Berlinale 2019: “Pitching Literature to Filmmakers”: By Holger Heimann @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

“Why Being Indie Brings Me More Joy in My Writing”: @errinstevens @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Query Blurb Make You Want to Ask for Pages? @Janice_Hardy
How to write the perfect pitch-letter to an agent: by Anna Davis @CBGBooks
How to Write a Query Letter That Grabs a Literary Agent’s Attention: @JerryBJenkins
Where does that personal connection info belong in your query? @Janet_Reid

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

Finding the Constructive Criticism in Every Rejection: @MegDowell

Publishing / Process / Book Design

How to Design a Book Cover… Backwards? @chloescheffe @lithub

Publishing / Process / Formatting

Converting from MS Word to Mobi Using Kindle Create: @harmony_kent

Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid

Writing Scams: What Authors Need to Watch Out for in 2019: @annerallen

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

9 Tips For A Powerful Antagonist That Work For Any Genre: @LisaHallWilson
The Villain Doesn’t Change: @SPressfield

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

7 Tips to Writing Humanoid Monster Protagonists: Even the Undead Can Have Heart: @cyallowitz
Choices characters make: @Janet_Reid

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

How Charles M. Schulz Made an Art of Difficult Emotions: @brainpicker

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Writing Tips: 4 Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Your Protagonist: @sacha_black @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

Is Story Structure Strangling Your Writing? @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Dialogue

How to convey accents in fiction writing: beyond phonetic spelling: @LouiseHarnby

Writing Craft / Drafts

How to Finish Writing a Book: @writingcookbook

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

5 Easy Tricks to Smuggle in Background Info (and Even Make it Fun): @RidethePen

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

One writing rule you really need: @Roz_Morris
Psychology and Writing: How to Use Psychology to Write Amazing Stories: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
How to Write a MacGuffin: @themaltesetiger
A Cheat Sheet To Writing A Novel In Suburbia: @NatashaTynes @WomenWriters

Writing Craft / Pacing

An Easy Tip for Tightening Your Novel’s Plot: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / POV

Are You a POV Snob? @MaeClair1
Using “You” in Deep POV: by Jax Hunter @RMFWriters

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Midpoints: Signpost Scene 7 and The Mirror Moment: @abigailkperry @DIYMFA

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

3 Apostrophe Rules: @VSAnderson1

Writing Craft / Revision

Six Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your Fiction: @KristenLambTX

Writing Craft / Scenes

How to Set a Scene: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Make Plotting Fiction Easier: 3 Ideas For Settings And Moods: @angee

Writing Craft / Tropes

Hero’s Journey Archetypes: @valerie_francis @StoryGrid

Writing Craft / World-Building

How to Create a Wiki to Support Your Fantasy Worldbuilding: @jennlyonsauthor @tordotcom

Writing Tools / Apps

How a Writing Tool Can Help You Write Better: @HayleyMilliman @LiveWriteThrive @ProWritingAid
Tour Scrivener’s Inspector: @ph_solomon @StoryEmpire

Writing Tools / Books

5 Inspiring Books for Writers: @LMacNaughton

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

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

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 16, 2019 21:04

February 14, 2019

Writing on the Tough Days

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A few weeks ago I’d read an interesting post from Cathy C. Hall about the danger of waiting for ‘the perfect time to write.’ She gives examples of likely ‘perfect time’ scenarios, which are basically anytime but now. Waiting until life is less-challenging.

As Cathy puts it:

There is no such thing as the perfect time for writing. There will always be something or someone coming along to give us a perfectly good reason not to write. And before you know it, it’s been weeks, months, years, since you’ve written much at all.

Waiting for the perfect time (or, at least, a better time) to write may seem to have an easy solution: prioritize your writing. But that’s only part of it.

I think that this is another area where writerly perfectionism can rear its ugly head. We think if we’re squeezing in five minutes here or there or if we’re in a rush that we’re not creating perfect work.

As the old saying goes, you can’t fix an empty page. Maybe you’re not creating perfect work, but you’re creating. And days when I’ve been creative are my best days.

How do you fit writing into your schedule instead of waiting for the perfect time? I have a few ideas, having done it for so many years (as I’m on the brink now of an empty nest, I have to do this less-frequently, but I still prepare for it).

Fitting in Writing During Tough Days:

Carry a small notebook and pen or pencil with you.

Alternatively, use an app on your phone to write in small pockets of available time.

Backup your manuscript to an app like Google Drive so that you can remember where you left off with your story and seamlessly continue it on the go.

Be mentally prepared to jump into your story in those small dead moments of the day instead of checking social media or emails. I wrote daily while sitting in the carpool line outside my kids’ schools.

Train yourself to write in a variety of different places (this really helps to combat ‘perfect time’ syndrome). Try libraries, parks, and coffeehouses.

Try writing at different times of the day. It helps when you can write when no one else is up…this could be either at the beginning or the end of the day.

On those really crazy days when you can’t get your head into your story, try making lists of things that can further your book in an easy way.

See just how flexible you can possibly be with your writing. That’s one way to get more done in short spurts in 2019. A nice side effect is that you’ll build confidence in your ability to get your writing done even on the toughest days.

Do you ever fall into the ‘perfect time’ trap? Any tips that I’ve left out?

Tips for Writing on the Tough Days:
Click To Tweet

Photo on VisualHunt

The post Writing on the Tough Days appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 14, 2019 21:02

February 10, 2019

5 Mistakes to Watch Out For When Editing Your Blog Posts

by Laura Smith, @lsmith335

Editing Is Crucial

Let’s face it, even a good first draft can look like a hot mess when it’s first read. Every decent English teacher I’ve ever had has marked up my rough draft with a red pen and then said, “good job.” But we’re not in English class anymore, and we have to take the red pen to our work ourselves. That means catching everything from basic typos to cutting entire sections that don’t flow with the rest of the piece. It also means throwing away some basic knowledge that I learned in school and adapting to the age of writing online.

I have to admit, this was the most self-aware piece I’ve ever written. I had to make sure I was following my own advice as I was giving it. After all, what’s the point of offering advice if you’re not going to follow it yourself? Below are five of the major elements that I review when I’m editing my blog articles.

1. Long and Wordy Sentences and Paragraphs

Reading on a screen is much different from reading from a piece of paper. Forget everything your elementary school teachers taught you about writing paragraphs. If you can make your point in two sentences, move onto the next paragraph.

Help your readers out by breaking up your paragraphs into shorter pieces. A quick scroll through the article will cause them to notice the length right away. They’re more likely to read three paragraphs that are each three sentences long than one paragraph that is nine sentences long. It’s like cutting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into fourths rather than in half to make a kid believe that they’re eating a smaller amount of food.

Also, vary your sentence length. Can you split a long sentence into two shorter ones? Are you over-explaining something that the reader already understands? Can you provide a specific example rather than rephrase what you just said? Read your work aloud to make sure you can say the sentence in one breath. If not, your own voice will tell you where you need to pause.

2. Trying To Cram In A Good Point That Doesn’t Fit With The Rest Of The Article

Notice when you’re veering off-topic. When we’re drafting a piece, we tend to write down everything that comes to mind, and that’s good. But you have to be willing to cut anything and everything if you need to. This might be because of word length limits or the fact that the point has nothing to do with the rest of the paragraph or article.

In one recent piece that I wrote, I was describing the things that writers do to distract themselves from writing. I started naming specific tasks and chores, like changing light bulbs or taking old clothes to the Goodwill. It felt like a lighthearted and relatable point. However, not only did it take up a crucial chunk of my limited word count, but it was redundant and kept the reader from getting to the point of that section, which was to take time to organize your files. So, I shortened the paragraph to one sentence and got to the actual point of the section much faster.

If a stray sentence or paragraph fits better in another part of the article, move it. Otherwise, save it for a different article, or delete it all together. Even a solid point can distract from the focus of the piece and make the article look choppy and disorganized to a reader.

3. Using a Bad Title

Titles are hard for me. Whether it’s the title of a book, an article, or a section of a piece, I stress over whether the title is too generic to capture a reader’s attention or too obscure to let the reader know what the article is about. Luckily, there are free tools to help with this, at least when writing blogs and articles.

One such tool is the Headline Analyzer. Here, you type in the rough title that you have come up with and the category of the piece, and the site will tell you how “good” it is. You want to aim for a 25% effectiveness or higher. You can then tweak words and placement, and run it through again to compare with your last score. Here is the link to the site: https://www.aminstitute.com/headline/

4. A Rushed or Boring Introduction and Conclusion

When I blog, I like to write a meaningful introduction and conclusion to most of my pieces, even if those are the parts that a lot of readers like to skip. Still, my formal training taught me to summarize and reiterate your points at the beginning and end of your essays so if a reader does take a look at it, it has to be gripping.

Start with a personal story, ask a question, or tell a joke, depending on the topic. Don’t ramble on. Get to your list or the meat of your article fast. Keep it short so that readers don’t feel the need to scroll past the beginning or stop at the conclusion. Don’t think of these sections as something to get through. Use them to put your own personal flair on the piece.

5. Inconsistencies in Formatting and Word Choice

You have to pick a format and stick with it. Don’t put some important words in bold and others in Italics. Don’t start numbering sections and bulleting others. Don’t start with a quote at the beginning of some of your sections and then stop halfway through. Don’t use jargon that you haven’t explained or examples that are confusing or take too long to describe.

If you’re reviewing a movie, don’t start calling a character by their nickname without explaining that it is their nickname the first time you use it or providing the names of actors who played certain characters but not others. Make sure that you are using the right format for the titles of novels, short stories, songs, movies, TV shows, etc. Don’t assume you are a master of English mechanics. Look up anything that you’re not sure of on trustworthy sites.

When you’re looking up pictures, make sure they fit in with the topic of the piece. Don’t try to make it work with a creative caption. Use high quality images so that readers know what they’re looking at and don’t think there’s something wrong with their screen.

Conclusion

Using these five editing tips are going to lower your chances of kicking yourself when you find an error or weakness in your piece after it is published. It’s devastating to find imperfections in your perfect work, and you most likely will, but at least they will be small blemishes, not giant warts. So, take your red pen and start marking up that page before you hit publish!

Laura Smith is the self-published author of three middle grade books, a volunteer editor for LitPick (a student book review website), and a blogger for HubPages. When she isn’t writing, she’s shopping, drawing, working on projects around her house, and spending time with her family.

5 Tips for Better Blogging from @lsmith335 :
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visualhunt.com

The post 5 Mistakes to Watch Out For When Editing Your Blog Posts appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 10, 2019 21:02

February 9, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

News

I had a couple of really fun interviews last week. One with Ellen Jacobson (where we discussed character v. plot (and also cookies and penguins!) and another at the Maltese Tiger blog where we discussed making progress on a story during tough writing days.

There’s also a new podcast I’ve discovered that should be fun for True Crime and mystery lovers. We Never Solved Anything features Kay and Tay as they explore a new unsolved mystery every week.

Business / Miscellaneous

Freelance: 20 Ways to Generate Article Ideas in 20 Minutes or Fewer: @mridukhullar @WritersDigest
Business Musings: The Current State of Disruption (Planning for 2019) : @KristineRusch
Outsourcing self-publishing tasks: @JyotsnaR @IndieAuthorALLI
Book vs. Film: “Bird Box”: @ChrisShultz_ @LitReactor
How Developmental Editing Improves Your Writing: @WritingForward

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

The Selfies Award Announces Its First Self-Published Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Wellcome Book Prize Announces Its 10th Anniversary Longlist: @Porter_Anderson @wellcomebkprize
AAP’s 2019 Professional and Scholarly Conference: ‘Mission Critical’: @Porter_Anderson @bgreene
“How I Helped Create a Successful Online Summit for 600 Writers”: @DanBlank

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

How to Define and Achieve Your Creative Goals (Podcast): @DanBlank
How to Set Writing Goals the Right Way: @EmmanuelNataf @ReedsyHQ
How to Make and Accomplish Goals: by Diane Tibert

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

How to Use Kindle’s New Custom Font Feature: @thDigitalReader
Classic SF Works Set on Thrilling Space Habitats: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
How To Find Time To Read More Books In 2019: @inkyelbows
New Year, New Queue: Taming that TBR: @AnnieNeugebauer
A Children’s Fiction Author Shares Her 2019 Reading Resolutions: @alexthepink
MAP: 100 Iconic Love Stories From Around the World: from Global English Editing

Creativity and Inspiration / Perfectionism

Writing and Perfection – Is There Such a Thing? @KarenCV

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Why You Should Write Daily—Even if You Hate Writing: @KathyEdens1 @ProWritingAid
Writing More: 3 Essential Strategies To Write Your Book: @angee

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

7 things published writers do differently: @NathanielTower
5 Tips for Success from an Indie Author: @ceilingsmasher

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Are You On a Route Suited for Multiple Writing Projects? @RosanneBane
Pursue Your Contentment — and Your Chaos: @ThereseWalsh @WriterUnboxed
Your Skills May Need Time to Catch Up to Your Vision: by Bucket Siler
Can Parenthood Be the Artist’s Best Tool? @NemoAuthor @lithub
Seeking Truth in Fiction: @kcraftwriter @WriterUnboxed
Your No. 1 Secret Weapon: Writing Communities: @katrinschumann @JaneFriedman
Learning How And When To Take Advice: @reynagentin @WomenWriters
Writing: Does an Indie Author Ever Really Retire? @DebbieYoungBN @IndieAuthorALLI
The importance of patience for writers: @AnnieNeugebauer @WriterUnboxed
Gaining Confidence Through Experience as a Writer:
Rest for Success and Why Busy is Seriously Overrated: @KristenLambTX
Five Ways To Become A Happier Writer: by Mark Alpert @killzoneauthors

Genres / Fantasy

Seven Things Writers Get Wrong About Language: @Young_E_H @mythcreants

Genres / Historical

Crafting the Victorian Novel: Podcast Interview with @_DavidMorrell:

Genres / Mystery

Crime Writing: Burglary vs. Robbery: @LeeLofland
Getting Drawn Unexpectedly Into Murder as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Why Small Towns Are So Perfect for Crime Fiction: @sarablaedel @CrimeReads
My Influences, Writing Routine, and Writing Tips in my Interview with @themaltesetiger:
The Year in Sherlockiana: @LyndsayFaye @CrimeReads
Tips on Writing a Domestic Thriller: @JordanDane @killzoneauthors
How a Drug-Addicted Art Critic Created the Perfect Sleuth for the Jazz Age: by John Loughery @CrimeReads
Why Regency England Is the Perfect Setting for Mystery: by Catherine Lloyd @CrimeReads
Unusual Inheritances as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Poetry

‘Keats is dead…’: How young women are changing the rules of poetry: @DonnaLFerguson @GuardianBooks

Genres / Romance

Guide To Writing Faded Love: @writingandsuch

Genres / Science Fiction

Six Means of SF Transportation You Should Probably Avoid: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom

Genres / Screenwriting

Translating Sherlock Holmes to the Screen Is No Longer Elementary: @JeffYorkWriter @CreativeScreen
Screenwriting: When Good Scripts Go Bad: @BittrScrptReadr

Genres / Young Adult

Resources For Writing Young Adult Fiction: @writingandsuch

Promo / Blogging

How Can Guest Posts Improve Your Book Marketing? by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks

Promo / Connecting with Readers

Analyze Your Audience: @davidfarland

Promo / Miscellaneous

How to Calendarize Your Book Marketing Approach: @proflangley @WritersDigest

Promo / Platforms

5 Reasons Your Brand as a Writer is More Important than Your Book: @MikeLoomis @WritetoDone

Promo / Social Media Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers 2019: @DaveChesson

Promo / Websites

Building an Author Website: The First Step to Publishing: @joebunting

Publishing / Miscellaneous

5 Ways to Write Your Most Urgent (and Publishable) Work According to Lit Mag Editors: by Rachel Thompson @DIYMFA
What does a copywriter do? The B2B content marketing guide [2019]: @wearearticulate
‘Cyberwar’ Wins AAP’s RR Hawkins Award: Kathleen Hall Jamieson Sounds Chilling Alarm for Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
How Long Will Your Book Be? @davidfarland
Stieg Larsson Investigation Bestseller Acquired by Amazon Crossing: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Industry Notes: London Book Fair’s 2019 Trailblazers; GLLI’s First YA Translation: @Porter_Anderson
The German Book Market in 2018, and a Look Ahead to 2019: @HannahSJohnson @pubperspectives
Czech Book Sales Rise Amid Ongoing Industry Consolidation: @JaroslawAdamows @pubperspectives
Taipei International Book Exhibition 2019: Take ‘Time for Reading’: @Porter_Anderson
Translator Susan Bernofsky Wins Ulfers Prize; Georgina Moore Joins Midas PR: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

Five Commandments of the Independent Author Story: by J. Thorn @StoryGrid

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

100 Rejections: Achievement Unlocked: @Aeryn_Rudel

Publishing / Process / Author Assistants

What is an Author Assistant and Do You Need One? @JennyBravoBooks

Publishing / Process / Book Design

Book Cover Design for Your Author Brand: Name Placement: @DaveChesson @BookWorksNYC

Publishing / Process / Contracts

The Book Contract ‘Red Line’: @SophieMasson1 @WriterUnboxed

Publishing / Process / Translation

London Book Fair Names Singapore’s Jeremy Tiang ‘Literary Translator of the Fair’ : @JeremyTiang @Porter_Anderson

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Tips for Introducing Characters: @writingandsuch

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

The Six Stages of Your Hero’s Character Arc: @LiveWriteThrive

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Yoga Instructor: @AngelaAckerman

Writing Craft / Conflict

Story Grid: How to Create Conflict by Discovering Your Character’s Objects of Desire: @DavidHSafford @write_practice

Writing Craft / Dialogue

Dialogue: The Number One Mistake Newbie Writers Make: @manzanitafire

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

The Annotation Project: A Wrinkle in Time: @CockeyedCaravan
What Mister Rogers Taught Us About Storytelling: @Repino1 @tordotcom
7 Ways Kurt Vonnegut Poisoned Readers’ Minds with Humanity: @DustinGrinnell @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Writing Within Limitations: @writing_tips

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

The “B” Story Rides to the Rescue of the “A” Story : @SPressfield
5 Tips on Writing Strong Plot Twists: by Savannah Cordova @ReedsyHQ

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

Gremlins Beat Sheet: @DonRoff @savethecat

Writing Craft / Revision

When You’re Ready to Revise, What to Focus on First: @writeabook
Editing – Proof Listening With Word’s Read Aloud Feature: @authorterryo
“How I Learned to Enjoy Rewriting in 2018”: @BeingTheWriter @womenonwriting

Writing Craft / Scenes

Questions to Consider When Plotting a Scene: @CSLakin @JaneFriedman

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Tips to Improve Story Description When Using Adjectives: @ZoeMMcCarthy

Writing Craft / Subtext

Subtext for Writers: @SarahSallyHamer @EdieMelson

Writing Craft / Tropes

Character Type: Advocate: @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Voice

Defining Your Unique Writing Style & Voice: @kristen_kieffer

Writing Craft / World-Building

10 Tips for Unique, Creative World-Building: @_HannahHeath @phoenix_fiction

Writing Tools / Apps

18 Microsoft Word Tips and Tricks for Mac and PC: @TCKPublishing
How to Use Track Changes in Word: @editoreditorial

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

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

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 09, 2019 21:04

February 7, 2019

Gaining Confidence Through Experience

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I have a lot of sympathy for writers who get great ideas for other projects (known as SNI…Shiny New Ideas) while working on a book. When you’re in the daily slog of writing a novel, it’s very tempting to jump ship and start working on a new book that seems more like a sure thing.

But it worries me when I read blog posts by writers who are having trouble finishing any of the books they’re working on. There’s a lot to be said for finishing a project. That’s because, after you’ve finished one, you know you can do it. You know that, no matter what kind of shape that manuscript is in, you have the ability to work your way all the way through to The End.

There are other benefits to having lots of experience writing (whether on one book or multiple books). It gives you confidence when you face a problem with your story. I know that, with probably every other book I write, there’s going to be some point when I run into an issue. It could be a plot hole or a character that seems flat or any number of other problems.

But, when I run into an issue, I always feel so much calmer when I realize: I’ve been here before. I don’t think there’s a problem that I haven’t encountered at this point. And it keeps me from getting stressed to know that I’ve handled other roadblocks that have sprung up and turned out a decent book afterward.

Life is sort of like that, too. With years comes experience and the experiences…good and bad…help us to know how to handle problems when they pop up.

Establishing a writing habit and finishing projects are two ways of gaining this experience as writers. You’ll just need to find out what works best for you: writing in the morning? At lunch? In the evening? At home? At the library or coffeehouse? At work during a break? Then make sure the goals you set (as I’ve mentioned before) are reasonable and something that you can easily meet. It doesn’t help to set goals that make us discouraged.

For more tips for setting up a writing habit and for finishing a book see:

12 Tips to Get Unstuck and Finish Writing Your Book by Lorna Faith

How to Develop a Rock-Solid Writing Habit by Daphne Gray-Grant

5 Hacks to Create a Good Writing Habit by Joe Bunting

It’s a nice bonus that a writing habit leads, not only to a finished book, but to more experience to handle future projects (frequently in less time).

Have you run into roadblocks with your books that you’ve realized you can work through? Do you ever have trouble finishing a book?

Gaining Confidence Through Experience:
Click To Tweet

The post Gaining Confidence Through Experience appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 07, 2019 21:01

February 3, 2019

What is an Author Assistant and Do You Need One?

by Jenny Bravo, @JennyBravoBooks

We are in the age of the author. With the rise of self-publishing and hybrid publishing, authors are pumping out books more than ever. We live in a content-based world with readers who are always wanting more, more, more. Not only do authors need to write more, but now, they need to maintain author platforms, keep updated on social media, and dive into advertising.

How can one person possibly manage all of this work? The answer is that they shouldn’t.

What is an Author Assistant?

You may have heard of a virtual assistant within the online business world. These are people that business owners can hire by the hour or on a retainer that can accomplish the time-consuming tasks that are necessary but draining.

An Author Assistant is essentially a specialized virtual assistant. With an Author Assistant by your side, you can concentrate on your writing, while your assistant can tackle your other tasks.

What can an Author Assistant do for you?

While it varies depending on the assistant, here are a few tasks that are commonly available to authors:

Email management and outreach
Advanced Reader Copy management
Social Media assistance
Book tour assistance
Beta Reader coordination
Blog writing and management

There are two types of assistant work. If you are an author who has a strategy and simply needs a point person to make these tasks happen, you will most likely find a more inexpensive rate. If you are an author in need of a more hands-on approach, you will need an Author Assistant who is a strategist and can be a more integral member of your team.

Do you need an Author Assistant?

Imagine what your week would look like if you could spend three more hours writing. Think of the author-related tasks that eat into your writing time. Do you feel bogged down with research? Do you lose time to book launches and still feel like you could have accomplished more?

Whether you are a beginning author or a seasoned author, an Author Assistant will be an asset for you. Often, Author Assistant services are flexible. If you only need a few hours a week, that is available to you. As you grow to trust your assistant and want to work more with them, you will be able to increase your hours or move to a retainer rate.

How do Author Assistants charge for their services?

Again, this depends on the assistant. However, there are a few structures that are fairly standard.

An hourly rate is typically what you will see when researching assistants. This is a clear cut way for you to determine how your money will be spent and for the assistant to provide you with a clear report of how they spent those hours.

A package rate is for specific services. For instance, you may see a blog tour management package, which breaks down specifically what you will receive for that service and eliminates the time tracking component.

A retainer rate is for assistants and authors who have typically worked together for a few months. This is a set monthly price that allows the assistant to be more available to the author for a larger sum.

You may wonder if there is a more preferable rate structure. I believe an author and an Author Assistant should start with an hourly rate to determine exactly how much work needs to be done and how much time it will take. I see the first month as a trial, getting-to-know-you month that allows the relationship to form. Package rates are much easier to project going forward.

Where can you find an Author Assistant?

There are a number of places to find assistants! Join a Facebook group with other authors and find who they utilize. You can also search in job boards and freelance sites such as Fiverr. Even posting your own search on social media will allow others to suggest assistants for you.

The important thing to remember is that you do not have to do everything alone. For an affordable price, you can work with an assistant who will save you time and allow you to focus on what you really care about… writing!

Jenny Bravo writes books about strong women who don’t have it all together. She shares self-publishing and writing advice on her website, Jenny Bravo Books. Jenny serves other authors as an Author Assistant and is passionate about book marketing and social media techniques. Find out more about her Author Assistant services here.

What kinds of writing-related business would you rather outsource to someone else? Have any questions for Jenny? And…I’m visiting Ellen Jacobson’s blog today. :) Feel free to pop by to say hi!

What Author Assistants Do and How to Find One by @JennyBravoBooks :
Click To Tweet

Photo on Visualhunt

The post What is an Author Assistant and Do You Need One? appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 03, 2019 21:01

February 2, 2019

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

Writing to market – Why It can backfire: @Peter_Rey_
Why & How to Build a Book Project Plan: by John Wagner-Stafford of @IngeniumBooks @IndieAuthorALLI

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize 2019 Opens at India’s Jaipur Festival: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Bart van Es’ Biography ‘The Cut Out Girl’ Named Costa Book of the Year: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Reactions as Man Booker Prize Loses Sponsorship from Man Group: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Wales’ International Dylan Thomas Prize Announces Its 2019 Longlist: @Porter_Anderson @dylanthomprize
‘Canada Reads’ 2019 Names Its Books and Their Celebrity Defenders: @Porter_Anderson @StandUpAli
London Book Fair 2019 Charity: BAFTA Kids Roadshow With Place2Be: @Porter_Anderson @BAFTA @Place2Be
British Book Awards Program Names More Than 65 Judges for 2019: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting

How to Plan Your Novels for 2019: @KathyEdens1 @ProWritingAid
A Goal-Checking Trick for Plotting Your Novel: @Janice_Hardy
Easy Steps to Succeed in Book Writing Plan: by Kristen Ford @WritetoDone
February is Good for 28-day Challenges: @austinkleon

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Don’t discard. Keep all your pieces in play. @austinkleon
Writing and the Subconscious: Summoning Your Muse: @RuthHarrisBooks

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

Five Lessons from Legendary Writers: @DaveChesson

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

5 Groundbreaking Urban Fantasies With Unusual Settings: @mercedeslackey @tordotcom
7 Books That Helped 1 Writer Survive 2018: @gaileyfrey @tordotcom
Five Classic SF Novels of Anthropogenic Climate Change: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom
What Does Immersing Yourself in a Book Do To Your Brain? @MaryanneWolf_ @lithub
7 Anthologies to Broaden Your Perspective: @bookbento @jrc2666
Writing and the Creative Life: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling: @GoIntoTheStory
8 Modern Classics Of Rural Noir: by Keith Scribner @CrimeReads
Tips for Starting a Book Club: @MaddieDayAuthor

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

Finding Time to Write: @DeannaCabinian

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Time to Schedule Your Writing Life Tune-up: @annkroeker
How to Practise Mindfulness in Your Writing: by Lisa Ferland @IndieAuthorALLI
How to Create a Playlist on YouTube to Listen to When Writing: @lidywilks
Tales from an Idea Hoarder: @FinishedPages @womenonwriting
Did Hemingway say “write drunk, edit sober”? Nope—he preferred writing sober: @JessZafarris @WritersDigest
10 Tips to Help You Build a Writing Tribe: @_HannahHeath
Do We Actually Know What Shakespeare Looked Like? by James Hunt @mental_floss
7 Ways to Take Advantage of the Bullet Journal Method: by Alvin Ward @mental_floss
Morality and the Modern Writer: @ClareLangleyH @killzoneauthors
A Slow and Steady Writing Pace Leads to Published Books:
Should You Write What You Know? @TheRyanLanz
Want to Write Your Life Story But Don’t Care to publish? Consider Legacy Writing: @writingthrulife

Genres / Miscellaneous

Secrets of the War Genre: by Rachelle Ramirez @StoryGrid

Genres / Mystery

Technology as a Generational Disruptor in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Crime Writing: Details About a Cop’s Life to Make Your Novel More Realistic: @LeeLofland
The Delicate Art of Creating Misleading Crime Scenes in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Non-Fiction

Does Your Biography for Young People Have a Character Through-Line? @mbrockenbrough @scbwi
How Writers Use Curiosity, Creativity, and Craft to Write Good Nonfiction: @dhemley @NinaAmir

Genres / Screenwriting

5 Things Obi-Wan Kenobi Should Have Told Luke Skywalker (Instead of LIES): @use_theforce_em @tordotcom
Screenwriting: Anatomy of a Scene: Adding Layers in ‘All The President’s Men’: @swankmotron @scriptmag
How Much Creative Risk Should Screenwriters Take? by Alexander Robb @CreativeScreen
Script To Screen: “Lost In Translation”: @GoIntoTheStory
Great Scene: “Magnolia”: @GoIntoTheStory

Promo / Blogging

7 Ways To Make Your Blog Shine: @evy_mann
Is the New WordPress Format Stressing You Out? @Julie_Glover

Promo / Book Reviews

Running a Book Review Blog: @redhead5318 @jimchines

Promo / Book Signings and Launch parties

An Author Reports on Lessons Learned from a Recent Book Tour: https://t.co/6FL8IErBh1 and @BobEckstein @WritersDigest

Promo / Connecting with Readers

5 Tips for Collecting New Readers and Connections: @KatyKauffman28 @EdieMelson
Identifying Your Ideal Reader (Podcast): @valerie_francis @timgrahl

Promo / Crowdfunding

How to Crowdfund Your Writing With Patreon: @LucyASnyder @WritersDigest

Promo / Metadata

How to Choose Amazon Categories to Increase Your Sales: @TCKPublishing

Promo / Miscellaneous

Why Recommending (other) Books is an A-Game Book Promotion Strategy for 2019: @Bookgal
What Authors Should Know About MS Sway: @WordDreams

Promo / Platforms

Promoting Yourself as an Author: @metcalfwriter

Promo / Podcasts

How to be a Better Podcast Guest: @thDigitalReader

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Crafting an Anthology from Beginning to End (Podcast): @carodonahue @DIYMFA
Here are the Biggest Fiction Bestsellers of the Last 100 Years: @knownemily @lithub
Top Ten Reasons to be in an Anthology: @TheIWSG @AlexJCavanaugh
Creating Large Print Books: @Ellen__Jacobson
Industry Notes: NetGalley Advanced’ Publishers; ALTA Prize Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Five Tips to Promote Yourself as a Newbie Freelance Writer: by Abhishek Talreja @hopeclark

Publishing / News / Amazon

New Amazon Crossing Kids: Translating Picture Books Into English: @Porter_Anderson @KelseySkea @AmazonPub

Publishing / News / Data

Scholastic’s New ‘Kids & Family Reading’ Report: Reading Aloud Is Up: @Porter_Anderson @pamallyn

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Russian Booksellers Say Online Retail Competition Is Gaining Fast: by Eugene Gerden @pubperspectives
Issues and Debate at India’s 2019 Jaipur Bookmark Program: Freedom to Publish: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

The Querying Process Tool Kit: @Scott_Thought

Publishing / Process / Book Design

5 Tips to Improve Your Next Novel Cover: @jkcheney

Publishing / Process / Formatting

Paperback Formatting for Beginners: by Nils Ödlund @mythicscribes

Publishing / Process / Legalities

Knowing Right and Wrong — Copyright: by David Kudler @JFbookman

Publishing / Process / Translation

American Library Association: ‘Fox on the Swing’ Wins the Batchelder Award for Translation: @Porter_Anderson

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Five Essentials for an Opening Scene: by Rachel Meyer @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Characters / Arc

Do all Protagonists need a character arc? @GoIntoTheStory

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

150+ Useful Character Quirks (Plus a Few Clichés to Avoid): @ReedsyHQ
Fight, Flight, or Freeze? Psyche 101 for Writers: @beccapuglisi

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Infusing Emotion into Fiction: @charissaweaks

Writing Craft / Dialogue

9 Tension-Building Elements For Character Dialogue: @beccapuglisi

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

Racing the Wind with The Black Stallion: by Judith Tarr @tordotcom

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

How to Develop Your Novel’s Theme: @Janice_Hardy
Introduction to Metaphors: How To Use Metaphors Correctly: @TCKPublishing

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Story Grid Genre: What You Need to Know Write Better Stories: @DavidHSafford @write_practice
Five Dualities That Can Replace Good and Evil: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Complex Story? Use a Crime Wall: @ATwistofNoir @JamiGold
1,462 Basic Plot Types: @writing_tips

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Research: Advanced Life Support for Writers: @DanKoboldt

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats

The Princess Bride Beat Sheet: @NaomiBeaty

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Grammar Purity is One Big Ponzi Scheme: @GrammarUnder @lithub
‘Stationery’ Versus ‘Stationary’: @GrammarGirl

Writing Craft / Revision

Tips for Revising Your Novel: @SnowflakeGuy
How to Self-Edit a Manuscript for Language: @JeriWB
How to Edit Your Character: @tishmartin1416

Writing Craft / Scenes

How To Structure a Scene: @themaltesetiger

Writing Craft / Tropes

Character Type: Martyr: @GoIntoTheStory

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

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

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 02, 2019 21:04

January 31, 2019

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One cool thing about blogging for over ten years is that a lot of the posts form a sort of unexpected diary. I was glancing over some older posts and came across this one from 2010. My son and daughter would have been 13 and 9 when I wrote it. I spoke of our bike ride on a nearby greenway and how we were biking so erratically (my daughter was still on a little kid bike) that a jogger kept passing us over and over again. He was going slow and steady and despite our occasional bursts of speed, kept overtaking us.

I made the observation that this was how my writing life worked. I didn’t go fast enough to get burned out but I didn’t go slow enough to get overwhelmed with the length of the project.

When I’ve spoken in front of groups, I’m frequently asked how many books a year I write. My answer is 3 1/2 (when I first started writing it was far fewer than that…the majority of my books have been written in the last 5 years). They always think this sounds impressive until I tell them that my goal each day is 3 pages. It’s funny how it sounds much less-impressive when you break it down.

I think the danger of writing a lot of books can be, depending on the writer, the burnout that can follow. I’ve been burned out before, even writing at my pace, and it wasn’t fun. I felt like I was just going through the motions.

One reason I enjoy this slower, steadier pace is because I’m a fan of breaking down everything from writing to promo to cleaning out a project into smaller tasks. I stay motivated when I have a string of small successes every day and when I meet my smaller, reasonable goals.

There are a lot of writers that are meeting really impressive word count goals every day and are able to maintain it for years. I can understand their reasoning: they know that they will likely make more money if they publish more books. My income at this point is pretty steady…an amount that I can count on. But it took me a long while to get here.

The important thing is to find your pace. Only you know how much is going on in your life at one time. Make sure that whatever goals you set for yourself are attainable and make you comfortable. When I had a toddler in the house, my goal was 1 page a day (written during Elmo’s World on repeat). Don’t let anyone think that you’re writing too fast or too slow. And, if your circumstances change (you have more time or less time), then be sure to adjust your goals accordingly.

For more about setting writing goals, see this post by Janice Hardy.

What is your natural writing pace like? What types of goals are you setting for this year?

A Slow and Steady Writing Pace Leads to Published Books:
Click To Tweet

Photo on Foter.com

The post Slow and Steady Wins the Race appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

View more on Elizabeth Spann Craig's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 31, 2019 21:02

January 27, 2019

Fight, Flight, or Freeze? Psyche 101 for Writers

by Becca Puglisi, @beccapuglisi

Fight or flight.

I think we’ve all heard this phrase. It refers to the way each person is hard-wired to respond to real or perceived danger. Psychologists have recently added another option, giving us three ways we might respond to threats: we fight back, we flee, or we freeze up. This happens in life-or-death situations, but it also occurs on a smaller scale whenever we feel endangered:

At the mall, when you see someone who mistreated you in the past
At work, when the boss criticizes your work
At a party, when a friendly conversation takes an uncomfortable turn
At school, when you hear an ugly rumor someone has started about you

So whether the situation is potentially fatal or just a little threatening, you’re going to respond in one of those three ways. What does that look like? Here are few possibilities that cover a range of intensity:

Fight Responses

Confronting the offending party

Invading their personal space

Verbally or physically attacking the person

Seeking revenge

Flight Responses

Subtly changing the subject during a conversation

Avoiding certain people, places, or topics

Literally fleeing—moving away from the source of one’s discomfort

Laughing it off; acting like there is no threat

Freeze Responses

Not answering when one is addressed

Stumbling to a halt

Feeling paralyzed, as if one is physically unable to move

Squeezing the eyes shut and going still

This is obviously just a sampling; more responses can be found for specific emotions in the Second Edition of The Emotion Thesaurus.

Because this is how we react to real or perceived danger as human beings, it’s important to know which way are characters will lean. Figuring out their fight, flight, or freeze tendency early on can help in a number of ways.

It Provides Characterization

While every character’s specific response to threats is going to be unique, they will each have a general tendency toward one of the three Fs. We need to know these tendencies so we can write our cast members consistently. This is especially important for main characters—protagonists, villains, love interests, etc.—because they’ll have more screen time; more things will be happening to them, providing more opportunities for reactions.

So before you start writing, ask yourself: Is this character more likely to fight, flee, or freeze in a threatening situation? When that scenario arises in the story, you’ll know their general kind of response. Then you can individualize the reaction to fit your character.

It Can Serve Your Story

Threatening scenarios—even small-scale ones—are tension builders, so hopefully you’ll include many of them in your story. But sometimes you’re looking for a certain kind of response: you need someone to run away or do nothing (avoiding the problem and allowing it to worsen) or go on the attack (causing more problems and making things more difficult).

If you’ve done your research and it’s time to start writing scenes, you can then conduct a casting call: use the characters who will serve your story best in that moment. If a scene needs conflict but your protagonist tends to shy away from trouble, team them up with a friend, co-worker, or rival who is impulsive or thrives on confrontation. If you don’t want to kill the tension by resolving a problem too quickly, pair a fighter with someone who’s reluctant to face conflict.

Each scene needs different things. The more you know about your characters beforehand, the better equipped you‘ll be to figure out who should be involved in various parts of the story.

It Provides a Clue to Hidden Emotion

Let’s face it: none of us are 100% honest. We temper our words to accommodate the people around us. We hide our true opinions. We only show “safe” emotions—the ones that don’t make us feel vulnerable in the moment. This leads to us often hiding what we really feel.

Characters should do the same. When they feel threatened or vulnerable, they’ll try to hide that by conveying a false emotion.

Writing hidden emotion can be tricky because you have to show the false emotion to the rest of the cast while revealing the real emotion to the reader. There are a number of ways to effectively get this information across, and one of them is through the fight-flight-or-freeze response. Consider the following example from The Emotional Wound Thesaurus:

Sara poured sugar in her coffee and stirred, the clink of the spoon melodic against the cozy murmur of voices from neighboring tables. Sunlit, with a breeze coming off the water, the outdoor café was so peaceful this time of day—before the high school kids took it over.

“I like this place,” Mom said, blowing on her tea. “It reminds me of where I used to go as a girl.”

Sara smiled and leaned back, the wooden seat slats warming her skin. “The place with the éclairs?”

“Mmmm. That’s the one.” Mom took a sip, then her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, a friend of yours showed up at Mass on Sunday. Annemarie? Marybeth?” She shook her head. “Something with two names.”

Sara jerked, dousing her hand in hot coffee. She set the cup down with a clatter and shrugged. Don’t know who you mean.

“My memory these days—I swear.” Mom sighed. “She said you worked together last summer during your internship.”

Sara met her mother’s gaze, which showed curiosity instead of the horror that would be there if she knew the truth.

“Doesn’t ring a bell.” Sara grabbed the check. “’I’ll get this. Hey, how’s your yoga class going?”

Here we see signs of a flight response. When Sara’s mom mentions the girl from her past, Sara immediately goes on high alert. She doesn’t show this; overtly, she acts as if nothing has changed. So how do we know she’s upset? She gives the barest reaction possible: a shrug. No verbal reply at all. You can almost hear Sara silently begging her mom to let it go. When she doesn’t, Sara’s flight response escalates in the form of her wrapping up their outing and changing the subject.

There are other clues that Sara is hiding her emotion, such as the initial involuntary jerk, the clarity of her thoughts, and the overall change in mood (from a calm, casual lunch date to one charged with tension). When you combine her flight response with these other signals, it becomes clear that she’s not being forthright.

As you can see, the fight-flight-or-freeze response is rooted in real-life behavior, and knowing which tendency is most likely for our characters can add a sense of realism and authenticity to our writing. So let me encourage you to take the time to figure this out, and you’ll reap the benefits in stronger characterization, well-balanced scenes, and deeper, more layered emotional responses.

Which tendencies do you see with your current cast? A mix is typically a good idea, adding variety and allowing you to plug each character into different scenes to achieve the best result.

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and author of bestselling books for writers—including her latest publication: a second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus, an updated and expanded version of the original volume. Her books are available in multiple languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.