Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 87
August 3, 2017
Evaluating a Series
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Back at the start of the Memphis Barbeque and the Southern Quilting mysteries, I didn’t worry at all about planning the length of the series. That’s because I knew the fate of the series was in the hands of Penguin. If they decided to end the series, they would.
And I was right…sort of. Penguin did decide to end the Memphis series because my editor had left the publisher and I was ‘orphaned’ (and because due to the nature of our contract, I couldn’t get my character rights back). But I wasn’t exactly right about the Southern Quilting mysteries. Penguin decided not to continue the series in print (asking me to consider a digital-only contract after 5 books)…but I decided to take the fate of the series into my own hands and requested a reversion of rights. Now I’ve published two more books in that series myself, and am working on book 8 now.
The Myrtle Clover series, which I took back from Midnight Ink publishing after the first book, now has 11 books in the series.
My year is spent divided between the two series. The good news is that the series and characters are very different from each other and I don’t have to ‘share ideas’.
But how long should a series continue? Originally, I’d thought I might just write an extra couple of books in the Southern Quilting mysteries after leaving Penguin Random House. But the sales have been strong and the print sales have been especially strong–maybe because these had been books that readers had originally purchased in bookstores and they were used to buying the series that way.
I know my readers have written to me in regards to all three series, asking me to keep writing books. But I know they mean keep writing good books. Nobody has time to read bad books, even in a series one once enjoyed.
There’s also something of a difference in a series that’s fairly static versus one with an series arc. If you’ve finished a continuing story (the universe is now saved, etc.), then it’s more obvious your series is done. But for some of us, the story wraps up at the end of each book and there isn’t a continuing arc over the course of the series.
So here are some points that I think I’ll consider when deciding on a series’ longevity (and no–I don’t have any plans to stop my current series):
Do I still have fresh ideas or am I just recycling content? Does it feel stale?
Are there still natural subplots and interesting things to discover about the characters?
Are there new elements (new characters, new situations, new setting, new setbacks) that can be naturally added to help the characters continue growing and help the readers discover more about them?
These questions all ensure a reader’s continued interest in a series. But here’s a question just for writers: is the series still selling well? Is the income still worth the time and effort I put into the series?
I have my favorite book series and my favorite TV shows, too. But I can tell when the quality of a series or show has gone downhill. It’s almost as if they changed writers. Most likely, though, the writers are just under the gun to produce, were burned out, and recycled the same old stuff. I wouldn’t want that to happen to my series…I think it leaves readers with a bad taste in their mouths.
For more information about series and series planning, visit the category at the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
How do you decide how long your series will continue? Have you run into any TV shows or book series that just went on too long?
Evaluating When to Stop Writing Your Series:
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The post Evaluating a Series appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 30, 2017
Confirming Newsletter Subscriptions After Group Giveaways
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I have mixed feelings about group giveaways that are geared to grow newsletter subscribers.
I’ve had success in the past with the (very few) times that I’ve participated in group giveaways. My bounce rates and unsubscribes stayed pretty low. I think this is a testament to the fact that 1) I rarely send email newsletters and 2) the groups I joined had books very similar to mine.
But I still always felt like I was spamming unsuspecting readers–even though they had expressly agreed to sign up for all the authors’ newsletters in exchange for the chance to win a grand prize.
Additionally…and this is me being cheap, as usual…my email list is of such a size now that I have a paid plan on Mailchimp. I don’t particularly want to waste my money sending out release newsletters to a disinterested recipient (a.k.a., someone who didn’t seek to sign up for my newsletter and mine alone). To be clear, I do segment my lists, sending new subscribers a different newsletter than other segments. But this is still pricy (and time consuming, to boot).
I subscribe to author assistant Mel Jolly’s newsletter and read an interesting message from her last week. She recommended that, after getting the emails from the group giveaway, we contact the readers’ email addresses and give them a chance to opt in purposefully instead of being looped in automatically.
I had just participated in a group giveaway in May and hadn’t yet integrated the addresses into Mailchimp. I decided to give Mel’s advice a go.
It was a large list, so I sent an email to 500 at a time (gmail’s limit). I basically said that I appreciated them taking part in the giveaway, but that I didn’t want to bother anyone if they didn’t want to hear from me. I gave them the link to sign up for my newsletter, told them they’d get a free book if they did (which is my standard giveaway for each new subscriber), and mentioned that my newsletters included release info and recipes. Then I waited.
I got responses right away. One woman said that she really appreciated being given a choice; that she was a Luddite that mistakenly thought the giveaway was for print copies–that she didn’t read ebooks.
Another woman said that she so appreciated my email that she would not only sign up for my email but would start reading one of my books right away.
Mailchimp reported 308 people had elected to join my list. While this is a fraction of the 1000 that I contacted the first couple of days, these are 308 people who wanted to hear from me. To me, that’s worth it.
A caution: within several days (and understanding the number of potential subscribers I was reaching out to), most email providers had blocked my email address, assuming I was spam. One way around this problem may include using different email handles. Another way around it may be to go ahead and add them to a group on your newsletter list (maybe ‘potential subscribers or XYZ giveaway subscribers), send a message asking them to confirm their subscription…and then dropping those who don’t open their email or request to be removed. The only downside of that solution–for me, at least–is that I’d have to pay for that newsletter to be sent. I’d like to hear other ideas about workarounds. I have a feeling there’s something quite simple that I’m overlooking.
What are your thoughts on group giveaways? Have you participated in any?
Group Giveaways: Asking New Subscribers to Confirm Their Interest:
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The post Confirming Newsletter Subscriptions After Group Giveaways appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 29, 2017
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 40,000 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
Affiliate Income For Authors: @thecreativepenn
Creativity and Inspiration / Careers in Writing and Day Jobs
How To Survive Your Day Job: @SarahRheaWerner
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
7 Films About Writers to Motivate You: by Amelia Dermott @theindiepubmag
How To Find The Courage To Become An Unstoppable Writer: @LauraJTong
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Five Books Celebrating Geek Culture: @mel_thegreat @RachelStuhler
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
Improve Your Writing with Improv: @mdilloway
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Customize Your Productivity to Fit Your Life: @cksyme
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
How To Write A Novel In a Month: @SukhiJutla
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
How Writing Can Assist Sufferers of Mental Illness: @cjhawk93
Writer’s Block and Depression: Why Writers Need to “Fill the Well”: @annerallen
Does A Midlist Author Need Privacy? @JeffCohenwriter
9 Murderous Tyrants Who Were Also Failed Writers (and One OK Poet): @WithEdSimon @lithub
Librarians in the 21st Century: We Need to Talk About Library Security: @msmacb
Nurturing the Write Mind: @DavidCorbett_CA
Genres / Fantasy
3 Elements of a Memorable Fantasy Story: @AndreaWriterlea
How Your RPG Campaign Can Inspire Your Novel: @swan_tower @tordotcom
6 Ways Rapid Communication Changes a Fantasy Setting: by Oren Ashkenazi
Genres / Historical
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Historical Fiction Opening Grab You? @Janice_Hardy
Genres / Horror
7 Keys to Creating Bloodcurdling Monsters: @LMacNaughton
Genres / Mystery
Mystery Cliches: Are They Boring Your Readers? @evmysterywriter
Crime Fiction: 5 Ways Officers Can Avoid the Dreaded Pucker Factor: @LeeLofland
How to Write Cozy Mystery Novels (video): @lornafaith
Crime Fiction’s Use of Spinoff Characters: @mkinberg @kbowenwriter
Genres / Romance
6 Ways to Improve Your Romantic Thriller: @KendraElliot @writersdigest
Genres / Screenwriting
Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” : Narrative Framework: @gointothestory
Learning screenwriting by studying Rushmore: @cockeyedcaravan
5 things Learned From DOC MARTIN Screenwriter Julian Unthank: @bang2write
Script To Screen: “Beetlejuice”: @gointothestory
Learning Screenwriting: Sunset Boulevard: @cockeyedcaravan
Genres / Western
5 Bad-Ass Women Writing the West: @manzanitafire
Genres / Young Adult
Why 1 teen doesn’t like YA novels: by Vivian Parkin DeRosa @huffpost
Promo / Blogging
Repurposing Your Posts Without Running into Duplicate Content Issues: @DeniseWakeman @seosmarty
Promo / Book Reviews
9 Mistakes You’re Making with Book Bloggers: @JuiceTom
The Review That Sparked a Fifteen Year Literary Feud: @lithub
“Don’t Rate My Book Five Stars”: @givemeyourteeth
Promo / Connecting with Readers
How To Create A Reader Avatar For Your Book: @SukhiJutla
Promo / Libraries
Invite Your Readers to Help Get Your Book Into Libraries: @HelloTheFuture
Promo / Miscellaneous
World’s Shortest Book Marketing Plan: @jfbookman
10 Tips for Getting Book Publicity: @SmithPublicity
Promo / Social Media Tips
How to Create Pre-Launch Buzz for Your Book: @BadRedheadMedia
Communicate – Never Preach – on Twitter: @caballofrances
How To Have a Top Book on Goodreads: @bookgal
Promo / Websites
How to Start an Author Website: @wilsonthewriter
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Thoughts on Ghostwriting for a Living: @WriterSean
5 Takeaways From a First Week On Wattpad: @NatePhilbrick
The 2 essential skills for writing: @pubcoach
How to make an audiobook with ACX: @roz_morris
What 15 years at Foyles taught about the future of bookselling: by Siôn Hamilton @thefuturebook
Can a teacher get work as a proofreader, even with no publishing experience? @LouiseHarnby
Publishing industry cults, Amazon reviews and cyberbullying: @annerallen
Publishing / News / Amazon
Scammers Break The Kindle Store: @davidgaughran
Publishing / News / International Publishing
US Author’s Guild: Copyright Infringement Agreement With Hungarian Magazine: @mariraz @porter_anderson
Spain’s Hay Festival Segovia Announces Its September Program: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives
China’s Fiction and Nonfiction Bestseller Lists from OpenBook, June 2017: @Porter_Anderson @trajectory
‘Man Booker Dozen’ Revealed: The Prize Announces Its 2017 Longlist: @porter_anderson
Freedom to Publish: @IntPublishers Monitors ‘Cumhuriyet’ Trial in Istanbul @porter_anderson
A New Zealand Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript: Submissions Open: @porter_anderson
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
Does It Matter How You Publish? @hopeclark
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches
How to Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference: @janefriedman
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
When queries get compliments but no acceptances: @janet_reid
Publishing / Process / Formatting
Format Your Book for Amazon Kindle in 30 minutes, Using Word: @TCKPublishing
Writing Under Multiple Pen Names: @denisebarnesuk
Publishing / Process / Self-Publishing
“Things I Wish I Knew Before Self-Publishing”: @sarazalesky
Publishing / Process / Translation
Self-Publishing In French: @Cgodefroy @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Why “Start With the Action” Messes Up So Many Writers: @janice_hardy
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
8 basic lies our characters believe: @AneMulligan
30 Scene Ideas for Character Development: @evadeverell
Getting to the Heart of Your Story: The Character Brainstorming Worksheet: @martinaaboone @ayaplit
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
How to Write With Emotion and Make Your Readers Feel: @Magic_Violinist
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
5 Heroes With Dark Reflections: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Why Your Protagonist Should Have a Past “Wound”: @cslakin
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
5 Mistakes First-Time Self-Published Authors Make (podcast): @writersafterdrk
Writing Craft / Dialogue
What Playwrights Can Teach Us About Dialogue: @amypoeppel
Writing Craft / Drafts
How to Ignore Your Instincts and Find the Real Story: by Emily Ruskovich @writerunboxed
Completing a First Draft: 3 Things Learned: @JenKellandPerry
Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story
Raise a Question, Earn the Backstory: @kcraftwriter
Writing Craft / Hooks
Writing a gripping hook: @plotlinehotline
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
What is the Theme of a Book? An Author’s Guide: @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
5 Characters You Love That Are Just Terrible: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / POV
How to Mix First and Third Person POV: @p2p_editor
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
To Write A Novel You Need Lots Of Bad Ideas: @angee
12 Easy Steps to Break Down Your Story: @patverducci
Cannibalizing Yourself: 9 Reasons You Should Mine Your Life for Ideas: @gabino_iglesias
The Blueprint for Writing a Novel from the First Five Pages to the End: @martinaaboone
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
What’s the deal with Passive Voice? @ml_keller
Commas with Transition Words: @grammargirl
Writing Craft / Revision
Five Editing Lessons From the Family Roadtrip: @JennyHansenCA
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
How to Work with a Freelance Editor: An Indie Author’s Experience: @tlordauthor
How to Handle Conflicting Critiques: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Series
12 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Writing A Trilogy or Series: @rogersonsm
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
The Fastest Way To Make All Your Descriptions Better: @Chris_Kokoski
Writing Tools / Thesauri
Character Motivation Thesaurus Entry: Avoiding Financial Ruin: @beccapuglisi
Character Motivation: Escaping a Dangerous Life One Doesn’t Want: @angelaackerman
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 22, 2017
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 40,000 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.
I’m still on a blog break (except for my Twitterific roundups. Hope everyone is doing well. I’ll be back with my usual blogging schedule on Monday, July 31. :)
Business / Miscellaneous
Change is Good: The Case for Book-to-Film Adaptations: by Lydia Cornett @SignatureReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Where to find ideas: @AllieLarkin @WriterUnboxed
Writing Inspiration: Do You Really Need It to Write? @joebunting
‘War of the Roses’ author on coping with rejection (video): @WarrenAdler
The Complex Power of Mapping the World of Your Novel: @barbaraoneal
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Toes in the Sand: 6 All-time Classic Beach Reads: by Rita D. Jacobs @SignatureReads
10 Works of Literary Horror to Read: @knownemily
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
How to Keep Writing When You Want to Quit: @aliventures
Keep yourself accountable – find a writing buddy: @businessinrhyme
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block? Consider a Template: @KarenJordan
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Tips for slow writers for writing more quickly: @ChrysFey
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
When All of Your Family Heirlooms are Stories: @ginasorell
Keeping a positive mindset while writing: comic via @inkyelbows
3 Ways to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Writing: @cslakin
How to Annotate the World: A Proposal for Literary Geo-Tagging: by Adam Bonislawski @lithub
What 1 Writer Has Learned So Far: @rickischultz
5 Things All Writers Should Know When Writing a Second Novel: @jessicastrawser
4 Ways to Make Journal-Writing Part of Your Everyday Life: @paperblanks
Genres / Fantasy
Writing diverse urban fantasy: @Brianna_daSilva
Genres / Humor
Tips for writing humor: @SDonovanAuthor
Genres / Mystery
Crime fiction: murders that appear complex but have simple solutions: @mkinberg
Crime Writing: The Queen of Poisons and The Marsh Test: @DPLyleMD
Genres / Non-Fiction
Changes In The Publishing Industry And Launching Non-Fiction Books: @danblank
Genres / Picture Books
Picture Book Writing Style: @kid_lit
Genres / Science Fiction
The Science in Your Science Fiction: Time Travel: @MelanieMarttila @diymfa
Genres / Young Adult
On Writing Young Characters: @CeciliaGalante5 @AmitaTrasi @lithub
Promo / Ads
Tips for Amazon Ads: @Bookgal
Rejected By BookBub? Look In The Mirror And Change Your Marketing Ways: @EbooksAndKids @DigiBookWorld
Can Facebook Ads Really Boost Your Author Platform? @EmilyWenstrom
Promo / Blogging
Why Blogging is Important for Writers: @ShelleyWidhalm
Promo / Book Reviews
Tips for approaching book bloggers: @Bookgal
The Value of Book Reviews for Indie Authors: @ChantiReviews @IngramSpark
The Myth Of Reviews: @nlowell
Sell Sheets: How to Pitch Your Book to Reviewers: @juicetom
Promo / Connecting with Readers
7 Ways to Turn Readers into Buying Fans: @clarewhitmell
Promo / Libraries
Libraries and Self-Published Authors: @TEdunWrites
Promo / Miscellaneous
7 Top Book Marketing Takeaways from BookExpo 2017: @BookBub @DianaUrban
How Indie Presses and Authors Can Collaborate on Marketing Campaigns: @MeghanRFarrell
How to Use Infographics to Successfully Promote Your Book: @thecreativepenn
Promo / Newsletters
Setting Up and Building an Email List: @sabsky
Building a Mailing List through Reader Magnets: @MarcyKennedy
Bookfunnel vs Instafreebie: @NovelDes_Studio @instafreebie
Promo / Platforms
Define Your Target Audience: Branding/Discoverability: @KristineRusch
10 Things You Should Know About Having A Persona: @gabino_iglesias
Promo / Social Media Tips
Twitter Marketing: How to Boost Engagement and Connect to Influencers: @bookgal @bookworks
Promo / Websites
13 Timesaving WordPress Plugins: @petersonsar @smartbloggerhq
Insider’s Guide: Essential Author Website Component Checklist: @nocargr
Publishing / Miscellaneous
What’s the Best Time To Publish Your Book? @SpatzSteven @BookBaby
Should you write a dedication in your book? @rxena77
Audiobooks: How to get your book recorded as an audiobook: @CSPerryess @annerallen
Reviewing Peer Review: ‘The Integrity of Published Academic Work’: @porter_anderson @martin_eve
The World of a Literary Scout–and International Rights: @parulmac
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Publishing’s ‘brutal pattern’: the int’l industry, blockbusters, price, competition: @porter_anderson
Creative Europe’s New UK Report: In the Shadow of Brexit: @porter_anderson @ChristophJski
Wattpad Opens Partnership With France’s Hachette Romans: @porter_anderson @AshleighGardner
Freedom to Publish: Author @koraycaliskan Under House Arrest in Turkey: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives
Rights Interest Rising: Indonesian Publishers on International Trade: @porter_anderson
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
When Changing Your Approach Results in Getting the Call: by Rebecca Hunter @HarlequinSYTYCW
Traditional Publishing: How Fiction Writers Nab Book Deals and Get Published: @kristen_kieffer
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
How to Write a Query Letter to a Magazine: by Georgina Roy
How to Immediately Improve Your Query Letter’s Effectiveness: @janefriedman
Publishing / Process / Book Design
Creating a stand-out book cover: @LouiseHarnby
Publishing / Process / Legalities
How to Use Lyrics in Your Writing Without Risk: @HelenSedwick
The Legal Side of Anthologies: @SusanSpann
Publishing / Process / Translation
Man Booker International 2018 Judges: Prize Honors Translator, Author: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Nail Your Opening Line With Tips From The Great Masters: @valleygrrl
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Villains & Villainesses: Architects of Story: @carablack
5 Characteristics of an Epic Villain: by Antonio del Drago @mythicscribes
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
7 Character Development Keys: @gointothestory
How to Take Advantage of Your 4 Most Important Characters: @kmweiland
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
5 Tips For Writing An Emotional Scene: @MichelleGriep
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Fixing Flat Plots: @KMWeiland
Is your Narrative Treating Readers like Idiots? @p2p_editor
One Simple Trick to Avoid an Opening Page Infodump: @jamigold
Writing Craft / Dialogue
The Random Dialogue Exercise: @jamesscottbell
Subterfuge in Dialogue: @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Drafts
From Idea to Novel: @ClareLangleyH
What Should You Focus On While First Drafting? @ava_jae
The Writing Process…It Ain’t No Unicorn Hug: @KristenLambTX
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Using Groundhog Day as a Tool for Learning Screenwriting: @CockeyedCaravan
Fictional characters – a lesson from Seinfeld: @roz_morris
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Reader Wonder: How To Get It: @Janice_Hardy
5 Things Learned From Story Expert John Yorke: @LivSFB
Narrative Structure: What It Is and How To Use It: @I_am_Mr_Pants
Writing Craft / Pacing
Writing an Action Story: 8 Tips for Faster Pace: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
Your 3-Step Plan for Outlining A Novel: @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
How to Write Contemporary Fiction: Don’t Imitate Tolstoy: @annerallen
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
19 Academic Writing Search Engines: via Fix Your Writing Habits
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 Sentences That Lack a Word to Achieve Parallel Structure: @writing_tips
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Writing Groups for Beginners: @jasonbougger
Writing Tools / Resources
Writing Study Guide Worksheet: @EvaDeverell
Uncategorized
5 Ways to Improve Your Verbal Imagery: by Dawn Field @DIYMFA
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.
July 15, 2017
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 40,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
A couple of notes today: First off, thanks to Feedspot for naming my blog one of the Top 50 Mystery Blogs.
Also: I’m taking a summertime blog break for a couple of weeks. No regular blog posts from me until July 31st, but I’ll be back here next week on the 23rd (and again on the 30th) with my Twitterific roundups. Then I’ll be back starting the 31st with blog posts on confirming newsletter subscribers, evaluating a series, reviewing a writing year in progress, and thoughts on teaser chapters. Hope you have a great couple of weeks!
Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels
10 Things 1 Author Did Right As a Debut Novelist: @manzanitafire
How to Write a Book: @woodwardkaren
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Music as a companion while writing: @Gwen_Womack @Roz_Morris
6 Websites with Great Writing Prompts: @ToddBrison
What a Week of Pro Tennis Taught About Writing: @barbarajoss
How Taking a New Path in Writing Can Fire Up Your Muse: @LizandLisa
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
‘Reading My Namesake’: on Titus Groan: @tituschalk @FantasyFaction
These Hand-Drawn Maps Helped Create ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Books: @slaskow
5 Sci-Fi Stories for Crime Writers: @NikKorpon
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
How Would Your Writing Change If You Were Fearless? @Bang2write
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Long Break from Writing? Getting Back in Shape Quickly: @NickThacker
Staging a Book Blitz: @barbaraoneal @WriterUnboxed
Ways Writers Can Hack through Distractions: @CSLakin
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
John Grisham’s Do’s and Don’ts for Writing Popular Fiction: @JohnGrisham @nytimesbooks
10 Ways to Make Readers Happy: @kayelleallen
5 Lessons Learned Between Books 7 & 8: @mollygreene
How to make money writing fiction: 11 tips: @JeffCars0n @LouiseHarnby
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Writing Life Humor: Why You Should Always Proofread your Email One More Time: @inkyelbows
Only Writing Is Writing, Right? Wrong! @RosanneBane
Yes, You Can Learn To Write Better Fiction: @jamesscottbell
Clearing Hurdles with Writing and LIfe: @FinishedPages
Will working in publishing help a career as a novelist? @Janet_Reid
Stealing Time to Write: @SiouxR
Get that Creative Euphoria Without Alcohol or Drugs: @colleen_m_story
Why Don’t Some Writers Take Time Off? (And Why You Should): @Jenn_Mattern
Genres / Horror
Christopher Lee Reads Four Classic Horror Stories by Edgar Allan Poe (1979) @openculture
Genres / Mystery
First dates as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Non-Fiction
The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing a Nonfiction Book: @writingtipsoasi
Genres / Picture Books
10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book: @Michael_Gallant
Genres / Poetry
Why All Poems Are Political: @KathleenOssip @ElectricLit
On Sound and Rhythm: Teaching Poetry to Youth: by Jack Collum @PoetryFound
Genres / Romance
How to Write Romance Beats: @gwenhayes @lornafaith
Creating a Swoonworthy Beta Hero: by Elizabeth Harmon @RomanceUniv
Genres / Screenwriting
Title vs. Character Names: by Joel Haber @scriptmag
The best time in a script to handle a character’s backstory: @GoIntoTheStory
Great Scene: “Good Will Hunting” : @GoIntoTheStory
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
A Few Thoughts on Writing Better Book Titles: @aprildavila
A Book description issue: @snbradywriter
Promo / Book Reviews
Why do readers send authors their bad reviews? @Danoosha @GuardianBooks
Promo / Box Sets
How 2 Authors Created a Box Set to Boost Ebook Sales 350%: @MariCarr @BookBub
Promo / Miscellaneous
Planning Your Book Promotion Before You Publish: @JKSlitpublicity @IngramSpark
Promo / Platforms
Brand Identity (Branding/Discoverability): @KristineRusch
How to Create and Market your Author Platform For Free: @BadRedheadMedia
Promo / Social Media Tips
2 reasons to use your official author name on Twitter: @Roz_Morris
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Self-Publishing Professional: How To Sell Your Services: @angee
CreateSpace vs KDP Print: @SassyZenGirl
Platforms: @Draft2Digital Challenges ACX; Hungary’s PublishDrive at Google: @porter_anderson
Can You Make A Living as a Freelance Writer? @AGHackney
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Russia’s 10 Favorite Children’s Books of 2016: @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives
Startups: The Spanish Bookstage Rights Platform Closes This Month: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IPA Condemns Verona Mayor’s Books Censorship Agenda: @Porter_Anderson @michielams
Canada’s $75,000 Cundill Prize Names Jurors: Record Submissions: @Porter_Anderson
‘An Examination of Convergence of Digital Tech. and the Cultural Context’: @porter_anderson @axflowers
Audience Engagement: New Report on European Book Fairs: @porter_anderson @aldusnet
Unicorn Acquires Chambers Retrospective; IPR License Signs Lang, ICE: @porter_anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
An Agent’s Advice: The Big 5 No-nos to Querying a Literary Agent: @Mark_Gottlieb
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections
Writing Contests: Why You Only Got an Honorable Mention: 4 Reasons: @davidfarland
Publishing / Process / Legalities
The Truth Behind Popular Copyright Myths: @SusanSpann
Book Disclaimers Don’t Have to be Boring: @HelenSedwick
Digital Piracy & Illegal Downloads: Author Options: @HelenSedwick @BookWorksNYC
Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid
How to Tell if You’ve Received a Genuine Publishing Offer: @Belinda_Pollard
The Vanity Press Trap: How to Avoid & Recoup the Damage: @carlaking
Publishing / Process / Translation
Daniel Hahn on Translation, Awards, and Dodging Oblivion: @porter_anderson @danielhahn02
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Creating Your Character – A Checklist: @SKathAnthony @WritersAfterDrk
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions: @AngelaAckerman
Characters Are Affected by Events: @NovelEditor
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
Developing a series hero: @jamesscottbell
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Writing Wow Dialogue: @Lindasclare
Writing Craft / Diversity
How Do Literary Agents Approach Diversity? @sangeeta_editor @ericsmithrocks @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
8 Reasons Your Critiques of Marvel Are Wrong: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Calculate Your Book’s Length Before Writing: @KMWeiland
What if the hero was the heroine? Turning Your Story Upside Down: @RachelHauck
Using the Rule of Three in a Major Scene: @PTBradley1 @NovelRocket
Yes, Your Novel Has a Message: @theladygreer
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
10 outline techniques for writers: by 1000 Story Ideas
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
12 Easy Steps to Break Down Your Story: @patverducci
The Blueprint for Writing a Novel from the First Five Pages to the End: @MartinaABoone
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Are sympathy and empathy the same? @pokercubster
Writing Craft / Revision
10 Tips for (Re)Writing a Novel: @Jolina_Joy
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Want To Grow As A Writer? Transform Your Critique Group: @michael_hauge
Writing Craft / Scenes
8 Steps to a Perfect Scene: @CSLakin
Does This Scene Deserve a Place in Your Story? 2 Ways to Find Out: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
4 Reasons You Should Outline Your Settings: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Special Needs
How to Treat Mentally Ill Characters When Writing a Novel: @SonjaYoerg
Writing Craft / Synopses
Tips for a Better Synopsis: By Suzanne Purvis
Writing Craft / Transitions
Creating Effective Transitions: @woodwardkaren
Writing Craft / World-Building
Where to Begin Worldbuilding: @authorvotey @TheIWSG
Money and Economics for SF/F Writers: @DanKoboldt
Writing Tools / Apps
7 Tools for Creativity: @JFbookman
Writing Tools / Resources
Want to support yourself with your writing? A worksheet to create a plan: @EvaDeverell
Writing Tools / Thesauri
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Escaping Homelessness: @beccapuglisi
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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July 13, 2017
10 Best Things About Writing Cozy Mysteries
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I like reading many different kinds of books. Everything from biographies to literary fiction and classic literature interests me.
But for writing, I’ve been sticking with cozy mysteries. There are a few reasons for that. For one, I’m pretty well branded as a cozy mystery writer and that’s what readers are looking for and expecting from me. For another, it takes a whole lot more effort and research for me to switch to another genre (although I’ve done that…once.)
The biggest reason, though, is that writing cozy mysteries is so much fun.
Here are the 10 best things about writing cozy mysteries:
The sleuths: Tired of the clichéd alcoholic police detective? No worries. The cozy sleuth is a gifted amateur who shouldn’t be weighed down with addictions.
The sidekicks: Sidekicks in cozies are everything the sleuth isn’t. This affords some great opportunities for insight and even some conflict for the sleuth.
The closed setting: Cozies are frequently set in closed settings–small towns or small sections of bigger towns (a barbeque restaurant in Memphis). The suspects all know each other and the victim and are limited in number.
The reader age range: Because these books are G-rated, I’ve had some readers say that they’ve read them with their grandchildren.
The lack of research: You want to get forensic and ballistic research right. It has to be believable and it takes time to make sure that it works. In a cozy, the mystery is set up like a puzzle. There is very little, if any, research required.
The tidying up: The process of restoring order to the story world is incredibly satisfying.
The humor: The light humor in cozies provides a nice relief to the seriousness of murder. This is usually provided with situational humor.
The subplots: The subplots are fun to write and show a different dimension to the characters. You can have subplots that arc over the course of the series or that wrap up with each book. You can even have subplots that tie into the main murder plot in interesting twists.
The small-town motives: Motives never involve international intrigue or organized crime. Instead, they could focus on something as small (and relatable) as feuds with neighbors. The process of writing the motives is very cathartic.
The readers: Cozy readers love the mysteries. They love the almost interactive process of solving the mystery with the sleuth. And they’re incredibly responsive–they answer email newsletters, they comment on Facebook, and they send emails. They also give great clues as to what they like…and don’t like (which can be even more helpful)…about your series.
Those are my favorite things about writing cozies. How about you? What makes your genre satisfying to write? Want to give cozies a go? ;)
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July 9, 2017
Keeping Organized as a Writer
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Being a writer can involve a lot of clutter.
And I don’t even print things out. I’ve trained myself by this time to work as well on the computer as I used to on paper (that way I don’t have the time-consuming process of transferring notes or manuscript text to the computer later). But there’s a lot of computer clutter.
I’ve found if I can keep my files organized, it helps me to write a lot faster. That’s because I can quickly access the information I need and keep writing my story without getting distracted by something else on my computer (hello, internet).
Here’s my (current) method, using Word. I’ve gone through a bunch of different iterations and I’d be interested in hearing how you’ve set your own files up.
First off, the important stuff: the story bibles. For series writers, these are like gold. I may not immediately remember what type of car a character in book two drove…but I guarantee that some reader remembers (probably because they were binge-reading and book two is very fresh in their minds). In these story bibles, I track eye color, past jobs, the street my character lives on, etc. I have a folder for each series and individual documents inside those folders for each character. I also have documents for recurring settings (as broad as the town and the town names/proximity of nearby towns and as insular as the living room of the protagonist).
Next, the story itself. I want every scrap of information related to the story in the same folder. I have a folder for each book. Inside that folder are documents: the back cover copy, the outline, a list of things to fix/check on in later drafts, and the manuscript.
Finally, I’ve got a folder of information that helps me publish the story. ISBNs for all the books are in one document. I’ve also got a document for metadata to ensure that I’m listing my book/series information consistently for better search engine optimization. I’ve got my headshot and bio handy and the back matter for my books (list of books, common acknowledgments, where to find me online, a pitch for my newsletter) in the same folder.
Backing up these files is essential. I back up to both a USB that I keep on my keychain and to the cloud.
For a look at how other writers stay organized, see Melissa Donovan’s post “Writing Tips for Getting and Staying Organized” and Elizabeth Covart’s post on keeping writing ideas and research organized by using Evernote.
How do you organize your writing-related files? What else do you organize to help make your writing and publishing process smoother?
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July 8, 2017
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 40,000 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
Saving Your Work–Ways to Keep Your Writing Safe Today: @writeabook
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
The #1 Tip For Introverts Attending a Writing Conference: @writingrefinery @DIYMFA
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Summer Bucket Lists For Writers: @10MinNovelists
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Ignite Your Imagination: 12 Books on Creativity: by Jessica Mizzi @SignatureReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Horror in Translation: 8 Chilling Reads From Around the World: @Rcordas @tordotcom
“10 Things About Writing I (Re)Learned From Graphic Novels”: @Gabino_Iglesias
It’s All in the Rigging: 9 of the Best Boats in Fantasy: @fran_wilde @tordotcom
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
The Drive to Survive as a Writer: @christinadelay
Confidence and the Writer: @ByCatherineEgan
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
The Secret Schedules of Great Authors: @AndreaWriterlea
Are Your Writing Habits Beach Ready? Writing in the Summer: @SueBEdwards
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block and You: On Causes and How to Write On: @HistoireLolita
Regaining confidence as a writer: @_FYWH
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Tracking Time: Analyzing Your Work Week For Maximum Productivity: @JillWilliamson
2 Ways to Beat Writing Procrastination and Finish Your WIP: @numawokcreative
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
6 Fantasies Standing Between You and Writing Success: @RuthHarrisBooks
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
18 Quotes for the Writing Life: @ErinMFeldman
How Do You Know When Your Writing Career Is Over? @edsikov
“Poultry?” No, Poetry. On Moving From Verse to Memoir: by Chris Forhan @lithub
10 Things Authors Would Like to Say to Their Worst Critics: by Raymond Esposito @WritersAfterDrk
8 unintended consequences of becoming a writer: @tmAlexander
Overcoming Negativity Bias: @e_foster3
4 Ways to Beat Frustration in Your Writing Career: @DanBlank
Genres / Fantasy
Publishing Urban Fantasy For 11 Months – Lessons Learned: @KhaosFoxe
Genres / Horror
Ghost story writing: a reading list: @huntershea1
Genres / Mystery
The M.I.C.E. Quotient and Mystery Stories: @woodwardkaren
Crime Writing: Collusion Illegal? Well, it Depends … : @LeeLofland
Writing a Murder Mystery: The First Victim: @woodwardkaren
Underdogs as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Poetry
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Poetry for Beginners: @writingtipsoasi
Top 10 Dip Into Poetry Lines: @lwlindquist @tspoetry
Genres / Science Fiction
Horses in Space: Evolving the Equinoid Alien: @dancinghorse @tordotcom
Genres / Screenwriting
Top 5 Screenwriting Mistakes Writers Make: @Bang2write
Genres / Young Adult
Writing teen dialogue: @SH_Marr_Writes
Promo / Platforms
Your Writing Platform: Letting Readers Know the (Sort of) Real You: @barbaraoneal
Creating an author tagline: @mybookshepherd
Promo / Social Media Tips
5 Twitter Chats for 5 Different Writers: @bronniesway @DIYMFA
5 Steps to Kick Your Marketing FOMO to the Curb: @cksyme @JaneFriedman
Promo / Speaking
3 Steps to Crafting Your Public Persona For An Author Speaking Engagement: @Dana_Kaye @DigiBookWorld
Promo / Websites
5 Good reasons to Secure Your Site: @AnneKnol1
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Alternative to ACX for Your Audio-Book: @111publishing
5 Tips for Applying to Writing Fellowships and Residencies: @decorcione
How good is my audio-book narration? And how do I minimize risk? @LouiseHarnby
The Millions : Why Literary Journals Don’t Pay: by M.R. Branwen @The_Millions
How New Writers Can Build an Impressive Writing Resume with Zero Experience: @tessaemilyhall
Publishing / News / International Publishing
A successful YA YouTube vlog is picked up by a Canadian press: @Porter_Anderson @llyonstweets
China’s Copyright Industry Shows Growth, Exports in Creative Products: @Porter_Anderson
Rights Update: Italy’s Piergiorgio Nicolazzini for Righetto, Gungui, Mosca: @Porter_Anderson
International Publishers Association Announces Prix Voltaire Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson
Hers and His Software: The Klopoteks’ Publishing System, Growing: @pubperspectives @Porter_Anderson
Two UK Acquisitions: Curtis Brown and Victor Ltd., Ingram and NBNi @Porter_Anderson
Rights Update: Lina Bengtsdotter’s Debut Book Sells to 10 Territories: @Porter_Anderson @BonnierRights
Sudanese Author Wins 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing: @DennisAbrams2 @CainePrize
From India: A Call for Short Fiction Entries on Delhi: @Porter_Anderson @SEffectBook
At Frankfurt’s ‘The Markets’: Haemin Sunim and the Pace of Publishing: @haeminsunim @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
“Trying” to Self-Publish: @hopeclark
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches
How Pitching a Novel is Like Being in the Secret Service: @JJHensleyauthor
In-Person Pitching: The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat: @jenklepper @WomenWriters
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Bookscan for the indie writer: @Janet_Reid
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections
Rejection Doesn’t Stop: @Ava_Jae @theverbs
Publishing / Process / Distribution
Aggregation without Aggravation: @pronoun and @publishdrive
How to Choose and Set Up a Pen Name: @HelenSedwick @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Fixing the first page: @Ava_Jae
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
5 Ways to Use Myers-Briggs for Characters: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists
How To Give Your Hero Some Personality: by Hannah Collins
Hero Personality Profiles: The Archive @CockeyedCaravan
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
General writing misconceptions: @CockeyedCaravan
Why Head-Hopping Hurts Your Writing And How To Avoid It: by Paige Duke @standoutbooks
Writing Craft / Conflict
Are Your Conflicts Significant? @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Diversity
Writing Black Characters Dealing with the Culture of Poverty: @evans_writer
Writing Craft / Drafts
5 Ways to Get Your Draft Written: @victoria_grif7
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
That Magic Technique: Dark City’s Influence on Modern Sci-Fi: by Leigh Butler @tordotcom
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
How to Use Similes and Metaphors: @AJHumpage
When Imagery in Description Is Useful, and When It’s Overkill: @Kid_Lit
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Writing Cinematically: 10 Movie Techniques to Apply to Your Novel: @AuthorDebRaney @stevelaubeagent
Food and Fiction: @JennyCrusie
Why Writing Rules Don’t Work but Writing Guidelines Do: @RuthHarrisBooks @annerallen
Writing Craft / Plot Holes
How to Fix Any Plot Hole Like a Pro: @ink_and_quills
Writing Craft / POV
Point of View: Third-Person Limited: @HelloTheFuture @theverbs
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Plot Twists That Defy Genre Expectations: @NicolaAlter
4 Lessons on Plotting: @millie_ho
3 Whimsical Reasons to Daydream Your Story: @RuthanneReid
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
The Writer’s Guide to Anaphylaxis: @scriptmedic
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Wrestling Run-On Sentences Into Shape: @KathyEdens1 @ProWritingAid
Faulty Parallelism: Parallelism With a Rebel: @ZoeMMcCarthy
Writing Craft / Revision
How to Make a Manuscript (More) Perfect: @KatieClarkBooks @tessaemilyhall
Trimming Tricks of the Trade: @GoIntoTheStory
Writing Craft / Scenes
4 Ways to Make a Scene Matter: @AndreaWriterlea
Writing Craft / Series
Settings and Series (video): @JAHuss
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Worksheet to help writers with description: @EvaDeverell
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Do you use too many sticky words? @pubcoach
Purple Prose: Why It’s So Terribly Fun: by Raymond Esposito @WritersAfterDrk
Writing Craft / World-Building
World Building: How much does it take to bring characters and places alive? @emma_darwin
Writing Tools / Resources
Yale’s Free Online Course on Lit Theory, Covering Structuralism, Deconstruction, More: @openculture @Yale
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July 6, 2017
Keeping Motivated
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I lurk in a lot of Facebook groups and while there are always writers who are pumped up about writing and promoting (yes, really, there are those writers!) I notice that there are just as many who seem frustrated or discouraged: either with their writing progress or with their lack of sales.
Sometimes they’ll be at least making steady sales and then will get completely undone by a terrible review.
Sometimes they say that they don’t really have family support for writing or feel as though they have to make a ton of sales to justify their writing.
Sometimes their life has turned upside down with medical issues for themselves or for people close to them. Or it’s turned upside down for other reasons.
In these circumstances, it’s really tough to keep going. There’s a lot to be discouraged about and sometimes it’s hard to be creative or motivated when faced with a lot of discouragement.
For these times, I think it’s good to evaluate what keeps you going. What is driving you to write? For most of us, it’s definitely not the money. So what is it?
Some writers might really appreciate a good customer review on Amazon. Or a question from a reader on Facebook, asking when the next book is coming out. The feeling when you get a great idea for a book you’re working on. Or the feeling of ‘having written’ that day.
Some people will say that it’s most important for the motivation to come from within. That we write to please ourselves and not other people.
It’s probably true. But I know that my whole life, anytime I’ve ever written anything, I’ve wanted desperately to share it. I don’t even know that I cared if people liked it–but I wanted to share it. I was that kid shoving stories into the hands of grown-ups visiting my parent’s house. I wanted people to read my stuff. Of course I’d still write if I was going to be the only audience…but I don’t think I’d be as happy. This is how I know I’ll always publish.
So this is my tip for when you feel like you’re about ready to throw in the towel: make your writing life very, very basic.
Set the bar low in terms of your goals: 5-10 minutes a day.
Cut way back or eliminate your promo activity. Automate whatever you continue doing (sharing other writers’ blog posts, etc.)
Don’t worry about platforms, blogging multiple times a week or anything else besides opening up that manuscript and working on it a few minutes a day.
Realize that many other writers are in the same boat. Take a look at the IWSG for writers. It stands for Insecure Writers Support Group, and it hosts encouraging and informative blog posts and newsletters, as well as monthly blog hops where writers share insights into their own roadblocks and encouragement.
If reviews were the problem, consider avoiding reading them (I do find negative reviews helpful, but they don’t bother me as much…if you’re more sensitive to them, there are many, many writers I know who make it a point never to read their reviews). I also recommend keeping a Word doc or Evernote file full of any positive feedback you’ve received: emails, customer reviews, book bloggers, etc. Then you can look through them if you feel discouraged later.
Never try to catch up if you miss a day or two. Just jump right back in and pick up where you left off.
Take care of yourself by keeping to a regular schedule of sleeping and eating and other forms of self-care.
See if, after these steps, you remember why you wanted to write in the first place.
If all goes well, gradually increase your social media presence again.
Because, when sales or reviews or life gets you down, the best thing to do is go back to basics…and focus on your writing. Rediscover what made you become a writer to begin with.
For other thoughts on staying motivated, read Susan Dennard’s post “How I Stay Motivated During the Tough Times” and Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen’s post “6 Tips for Staying Motivated to Write from Successful Writers.”
Any other tips that I’ve missed about staying motivated as a writer? How do you stay motivated?
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July 2, 2017
Art in the Everyday
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I was looking for a movie to watch and stumbled across “Paterson” on Amazon Prime Video (free to Prime customers).
The description of the movie reads:
Every day, Paterson adheres to a simple routine: he drives his daily route, he writes poetry into a notebook; he stops in a bar and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his wife, Laura. By contrast, Laura’s world is ever changing. New dreams come to her almost daily. The film quietly observes the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
It was, I think, the quietest movie I’ve ever watched. Because of its R rating, I kept expecting some sort of horribly violent or upsetting incident to take the film in another direction. But there was nothing violent or especially upsetting (except, well, maybe for writers. I won’t give any spoilers here). I discovered later that the R rating was because of language, although I didn’t even remember or notice bad language–a sign that it must have been slipped in very naturally.
Although I’m not a poet (at least not a good one), I loved the way that poetry was woven into the everyday (repetitive, routine, and rather boring lives) of the main characters. I’m a subscriber to Poet.Org’s Poem-A-Day newsletter, which sends me a poem to read each day (frequently accompanied by the poet’s thoughts on the poem and a bit of bio). As critic Kate Taylor wrote for The Globe and Mail: “Everyone, it appears, is capable of art.” And: “…The sameness of it all only serves to underline that the creative act belongs to all of us every day.”
As someone who creates (almost) every day, the movie resonated with me in a way that was maybe unintended: as a catalyst to get out of my own head and into the world a little more–a world that can provide unexpected inspiration for artists of all kinds.
One thing that I’ve always loved about the writing life is the way that it allows me to look at life through a lens: that it allows me a certain distance from the world. And being observant helps feed my writing.
But I could use some help by expanding my observations and finding art in the everyday in settings other than my house.
On my list for finding art in the everyday (which I probably used to do a lot more than I have lately…and now may be a good time to replenish the creative well):
Get out of the house. This is a big one. As my children have gotten older (my younger child is about to be able to drive on her own now), I’ve had to go out less. Maybe now I should choose to go out more. That could just be a library or a coffeehouse.
Sit where I can observe people. And, usually, this involves a bit of listening in. People can be fascinating, and so can their dialogue.
Be prepared to list observations, note characters and traits. I’ve gotten pretty good at surreptitious photography, too, for my character files.
Take a walk. Sometimes inspiration or the poetry in the everyday doesn’t have to come from other people. It might come from the world around us, especially if we take the time to observe it closely.
Read more to experience more. Reading is another way of experiencing the world and seeing how others find art in the everyday. Reading more is something that I’ve challenged myself to do in 2017. So far, it’s worked out well.
Read different kinds of books. Another challenge. It gives me much more of a range of ‘experiences.’
Do you find inspiration in the art of the everyday? Get out of the house much? Have you seen the film “Paterson?”
Seeking Out Art in the Everyday:
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