Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion
TOOLS TO HELP IN WRITING YOUR BOOK
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by
Robin
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Mar 24, 2013 06:47AM
If you have any suggestions that would help your fellow authors PLEASE list them here.
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As we write our books regardless of the genre we occasionally need help regarding a question of what to do. I'd offered a few suggestions on my website.http://mypennameonly.webs.com/referen...
To read more information in selecting names for your characters you can read this:
http://mypennameonly.webs.com/apps/bl...
I have been surprised by how much I use Google maps. I'm writing a book in which part of the action takes place in New York. While I've been there, specifics are hard to remember. Google maps helped me actually make use of the location and not just throw it in w/o really making use of it.
Author Holly Lisle has a website full of great free writing advice, exercises, and workshops. She also has courses and workshops for sale. It's all incredibly helpful; I've been writing for 23 years and I'm always learning new techniques and improving my skills with her lessons. I also did her How To Revise Your Novel course; a little pricey, $250 (U.S.) for 23 lessons, but I think it's the best $250 you can spend if you write and want to publish your writing, whether you go the self-pub or traditional route.http://hollylisle.com/
Another helpful thing: I use Google Earth to research different kinds of settings for my novels. I'm writing a fantasy-western series right now, and although I live in the western U.S. and have been in the kinds of settings where the stories are taking place, it's very helpful to have the satellite images and user-posted photos on Google Earth for reference.
I found an editor to be invaluable, even if in my case it's my sister. There are just some flaws you don't see yourself, or don't want to see because it will take too long to fix and you want to get it out there to readers already. Like when she suggested Jethabel needed 2 whole new narrators inserted (which was true but still not what I was hoping she'd say). A writing group like this does the same thing, as long as the feedback is more than just proof-reading and pointing out poor punctuation, and is acted on to improve the book before it goes to the general readership.
Aoife,Thank you for your post about readers.
I'm having a hard time knowing what is working and what isn't.
I blog but people don't reply much. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. I post articles on the craft of writing, pulling from the workshops I've taught.
Health issues sideline me at times but I'm trying to find something that works so I can get more done.
Hugs to all and thank you for starting the group. I'm all for reciprocity.
All the best!
Tambra Nicole
Hi Aoife,I use Blogger for my blog. My website is with Weebly. I need something that is easy to update.
Hugs,
Tambra Nicole
I use Weebly, too. It's very easy to design and update. I also mirror the blog portion of my site on Wordpress and Blogspot.
Here's an article I wrote about using interjections with a list of impossible suggestions: huh, ah-ha, yes, humph, etc. Check it out: http://adventuresoflifeandliterature....
Like most writers, I do a lot of research into ideas. What I would suggest is that you don't use the internet to research. Get out into libraries, bookshops, talk to people. You get more ideas from those contacts than you'll ever find on any social networking site. In writing fantasy humour, I visti a lot of 'specialits' bookshops and encounter more reference material than I'd ever find in a year on the Interweb/
On reddit.com the writer/reader community in certain subreddits - such as: http://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/ - are incredibly supportive.
I've never heard of this writing community. Thank you!Hugs,
Tambra
Aoife wrote: "Hi Tambra,O it looked like a website because it hadn't fully loaded but did after I wrote that message. typical. Looks really good."
LOL Aoife! I'd like to make some changes but Weebly makes it easy.
Hugs,
Tambra
