Chuck Wendig had two good posts this week: 25 Things Writers Should Know About Finding Their Voice and How to Self-Publish So It Benefits Readers.
Roni Loren's blog is a veritable treasure trove of good posts. This guest post is 5 Narrative Mistakes You Can Fix Now, this post is about the etiquette of guest blogging, and this is her Fill-Me-In-Friday post.
Laura E. Bradford offered these resources and recommendations for new writers.
Imran Siddiq wrote about his process and included a pretty specific timeline.
James Killick posted about How to Make Good Writing Great.
Over at Keystrokes and Word Counts, it looks like a new post series is starting. The first seems to be Adventures in Promoland: Giveaways.
Paperback Writer shared this interesting post, Collecting Characters.
Agent Kristin over at Pub Rants wrote about the need to keep an eye on conversation in your story.
R. S. Guthrie posted about taking the plunge, joining the Dark Side, and signing up for KDP Select.
It looks like Aimee Salter is starting a new post series, too, this one on self-editing. The first post is here.
Sierra Godfrey posted her Google Reader Roundup.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
SitRep Saturday: Rewriting, Deadlines, Blogging, Zombies
One Good Cowboy needs some rewrites and a lot more attention to detail. I was pretty upset with myself, but I'm not going to rush this story. My characters are turning out to be more interesting than I initially thought they would be so I'm going to give them a chance to do their thing. My (ambitious) deadline of January 17 has been pushed way back to January 31. I'm still secretly hopeful that I'll have it done in the next week or so, but I won't hold my breath and I won't stress.
I've sent off my questions to author A. M. Belrose and I've started making my notes on my review of her book. I will at least have that done soonish!
As for zombies, I think you should expect to see them from me in the near future. I love zombies and in rewriting a (joke) ending for Cowboy, I had an idea for an anti-Valentine's story that made me laugh like a crazy lady. Anything that makes me laugh like that is totally worth pursuing.
I've sent off my questions to author A. M. Belrose and I've started making my notes on my review of her book. I will at least have that done soonish!
As for zombies, I think you should expect to see them from me in the near future. I love zombies and in rewriting a (joke) ending for Cowboy, I had an idea for an anti-Valentine's story that made me laugh like a crazy lady. Anything that makes me laugh like that is totally worth pursuing.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Just For Fun Friday: 10 Things to Make You Feel Good
Today, I offer a break from the professional in order to share the personal. If you've read my tweets this week you already know that I've had a pretty crappy time of it over the last five days. It's just the little things, like having an incredibly unusual case of the Mondays followed by a whole slew of tiny little annoyances that snowballed into something awful and resulted in me refusing to do anything productive at all. Ever have one of those weeks? Of course you have. We all have.
In the last few years, I've had to cope with things like my husband's year-long deployment and postpartum depression. What I've learned is that the little things can suck, but they can not-suck, too. In fact, the little things can make your day and remind you that it's all going to be okay.
So here are some of the little things that help me remember that it's all going to be okay.
1. "The World Is Just Awesome" Discovery Channel commercial. (Version 1)
2. "The World Is Just Awesome" Discovery Channel commercial. (Version 2)
3. Dance Off with the Star Wars Stars (2008)
4. Dance Off with the Star Wars Stars (2009)
5. Boba Fett Dancing
6. Pictures of Tim Armstrong from Rancid
7. Mike Rowe and Geoducks
Monday, January 9, 2012
Monday Miscellany: Sales Question and Plans for Writing and Blogging
Every few days, I get a surge in sales. This happened when Cowboy was first starting to take off and it slowed during the holiday season, but I've noticed that since the first of the year, sales will be steady for a few days and then I'll see a daily surge of roughly an extra 30% or so. Does anyone else see this? My assumption, based on the time that passes and the original numbers as I watched them, is that readers are telling their friends. I don't know. I don't dwell because thinking too much about it would make me crazy (for example, if I think about how much I want to know why readers return books, I start feeling like I'm going to die of curiosity), but it does make me curious.
This week, I plan (read: desperately hope) to finish One Good Cowboy. I have a couple of blog posts on editing and one on writing like a reader waiting in draft mode.
A. M. Belrose, the lovely author of Witch in Wolf's Clothing, has graciously agreed to an author interview, so I need to work up questions for her and send them off. Expect to see an interview and a book review sometime in the next few weeks. (But by all means, go buy her book if you're interested, it's worth it.) I have another guest post lined up for the coming weeks, another one by graphic designer and artist Kelsey McCarthy. She's going to help me with a week all about book covers and design.
Basically what I'm saying is that though this week looks kind of bleak, the month of January as a whole is pretty exciting.
This week, I plan (read: desperately hope) to finish One Good Cowboy. I have a couple of blog posts on editing and one on writing like a reader waiting in draft mode.
A. M. Belrose, the lovely author of Witch in Wolf's Clothing, has graciously agreed to an author interview, so I need to work up questions for her and send them off. Expect to see an interview and a book review sometime in the next few weeks. (But by all means, go buy her book if you're interested, it's worth it.) I have another guest post lined up for the coming weeks, another one by graphic designer and artist Kelsey McCarthy. She's going to help me with a week all about book covers and design.
Basically what I'm saying is that though this week looks kind of bleak, the month of January as a whole is pretty exciting.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Blog Roundup: January 2 - 8, 2012
Chuck Wendig shared 25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing.
Greta van der Rol wrote about how writers can use every experience they have and how research supplements what you know.
Roni Loren has a nice link roundup post called Fill-Me-In Friday.
This week, I discovered A Writer's Notes. It's a pretty good blog, definitely worth adding to your blogroll.
Fonts and Fiction had an interesting post on where new writers begin.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had two good posts last week, one on serialized writing and one on choices writers would make if we could.
Sirra offered "3 Types of Dialogues and 2 Types of Tags."
On the same day, Stella Deleuze wrote about the "minefield" of e-book pricing.
Greta van der Rol wrote about how writers can use every experience they have and how research supplements what you know.
Roni Loren has a nice link roundup post called Fill-Me-In Friday.
This week, I discovered A Writer's Notes. It's a pretty good blog, definitely worth adding to your blogroll.
Fonts and Fiction had an interesting post on where new writers begin.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had two good posts last week, one on serialized writing and one on choices writers would make if we could.
Sirra offered "3 Types of Dialogues and 2 Types of Tags."
On the same day, Stella Deleuze wrote about the "minefield" of e-book pricing.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
SitRep Saturday: Cowboys and Sex Writers
I've made little progress on One Good Cowboy this week, mostly because I was having a very difficult time focusing. I'm up to about 60% through the final edit, but still, that is hardly the 100% I hoped to have completed.
At least I was somewhat productive while I was slacking. I have February's story titled, summarized, and action-drafted. When I'm not working on editing Cowboy, I'm working on the new one. I've even gone to look at cover images.
So not the best progress, but progress nonetheless.
At least I was somewhat productive while I was slacking. I have February's story titled, summarized, and action-drafted. When I'm not working on editing Cowboy, I'm working on the new one. I've even gone to look at cover images.
So not the best progress, but progress nonetheless.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
On Writing: Questions to Ask Yourself During Editing
Yes, I know it's not All About Editing week anymore. But I'm editing again, so it's on my mind again, which means you lovely readers get yet another post on the subject. This time, I want to talk about the questions you should ask yourself as you're reading your work and editing it.
The subject for this post first occurred to me when I was editing Please, Sir and working on a particular scene. Paige is standing in her boyfriend's childhood home, in the foyer, and there are pictures on the wall. Originally, there were photos of her boyfriend's father. That just didn't make sense. I needed a certain reaction moments later, when Paige meets John, that just wouldn't have happened if she had seen pictures of him. Logic. Sometimes I have it.
Does this make sense?
My number one question. If you ask nothing else, ask this. Does this make sense? As I mentioned before, it made no sense for Paige to see a photo of John and then react as though she hadn't. If the answer is "no," things need to change. If the answer is "maybe," you should probably try to figure out why it isn't "yes." And if the answer is "yes," can you explain why that is?
Does this help or hurt the story?
A protagonist moves the story. There are various other definitions, but that's the one that helps me the most when it comes to identification. For me, words are also the protagonist. Each word should help move the story forward. (Or backward, whatever; I love Tarantino as much as the next cinema fan.) Every word, every sentence, every paragraph, every scene should move the story. It should help. It should help tell (by showing, but you knew that) the story. If it doesn't move things along, it hinders. It hurts. Hurting is bad. Pain means that something is wrong. So, you know, fix that or something.
Is this the right word?
If you've checked out the word usage tag here on my blog, you probably already know that I'm a big fan of the "use the right word" piece of writing advice. Not just because I have a literary lady-boner for Mark Twain, either. The right word makes all the difference. Are you using the right ones?
Why does this story need to be told? (What's the point?)
Maybe you're really good at asking this question before you even start writing. If that's the case... Okay, you can't see me, but I'm totally making faces at you. For the rest of us, a good time to ask this question is during editing. Why are you telling this story? Why does it need to be shared? The answer doesn't have to be epic and life-changing. It could be something as simple as, "Because I wish I could have read it without having to write it." If you can't come up with a reason--for real; if you ask yourself this question in a fit of insecurity and frustration, the results won't be accurate--then it's time to reevaluate what you're saying and why you feel the need to share the story with people.
Each and every piece you shove out into the world should be your very best. Taking the time to edit, to examine your work and your choices and your motivations, is vital to the process of making it the best.
The subject for this post first occurred to me when I was editing Please, Sir and working on a particular scene. Paige is standing in her boyfriend's childhood home, in the foyer, and there are pictures on the wall. Originally, there were photos of her boyfriend's father. That just didn't make sense. I needed a certain reaction moments later, when Paige meets John, that just wouldn't have happened if she had seen pictures of him. Logic. Sometimes I have it.
Does this make sense?
My number one question. If you ask nothing else, ask this. Does this make sense? As I mentioned before, it made no sense for Paige to see a photo of John and then react as though she hadn't. If the answer is "no," things need to change. If the answer is "maybe," you should probably try to figure out why it isn't "yes." And if the answer is "yes," can you explain why that is?
Does this help or hurt the story?
A protagonist moves the story. There are various other definitions, but that's the one that helps me the most when it comes to identification. For me, words are also the protagonist. Each word should help move the story forward. (Or backward, whatever; I love Tarantino as much as the next cinema fan.) Every word, every sentence, every paragraph, every scene should move the story. It should help. It should help tell (by showing, but you knew that) the story. If it doesn't move things along, it hinders. It hurts. Hurting is bad. Pain means that something is wrong. So, you know, fix that or something.
Is this the right word?
If you've checked out the word usage tag here on my blog, you probably already know that I'm a big fan of the "use the right word" piece of writing advice. Not just because I have a literary lady-boner for Mark Twain, either. The right word makes all the difference. Are you using the right ones?
Why does this story need to be told? (What's the point?)
Maybe you're really good at asking this question before you even start writing. If that's the case... Okay, you can't see me, but I'm totally making faces at you. For the rest of us, a good time to ask this question is during editing. Why are you telling this story? Why does it need to be shared? The answer doesn't have to be epic and life-changing. It could be something as simple as, "Because I wish I could have read it without having to write it." If you can't come up with a reason--for real; if you ask yourself this question in a fit of insecurity and frustration, the results won't be accurate--then it's time to reevaluate what you're saying and why you feel the need to share the story with people.
Each and every piece you shove out into the world should be your very best. Taking the time to edit, to examine your work and your choices and your motivations, is vital to the process of making it the best.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
On Writing in the New Year: Resolutions
Making resolutions isn't something I only do once a year, but the first of January always gives me special occasion to reexamine the previous year's goals and resolutions and to make new ones for the coming year.
Eight months of 2011 were devoted to learning about the publishing industry, learning about self-publishing, and fumbling my way around blogging, Tweeting, and releasing the first few books. I'm coming into 2012 with a little bit of knowledge and experience--and that's only good enough to point me in the direction of more knowledge and more experience.
So here they are, my 2012 Resolutions:
Eight months of 2011 were devoted to learning about the publishing industry, learning about self-publishing, and fumbling my way around blogging, Tweeting, and releasing the first few books. I'm coming into 2012 with a little bit of knowledge and experience--and that's only good enough to point me in the direction of more knowledge and more experience.
So here they are, my 2012 Resolutions:
- I will finish every story I start, even if I don't share it.
- I will take risks, try new things, and avoid The Rut.
- I will finish the vampire novel.
- I will do my very best to offer readers something new every month.
- I will do my very best to blog consistently and offer quality content.
- I will seek out more guest posters.
- I will read one book a month (because a writer who does not read isn't much of a writer).
- I will learn more about publishing, self-publishing, promotion, marketing.
- I will remember to check my email, Twitter, and Facebook regularly.
- I will more actively market my work.
This is going to be an exciting year.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Monday Miscellany: Welcome to the New Year
Yesterday, I sat down and listed the projects I have planned for this year. There are eight. Three short stories, three short story collections, and two novels. That number might actually be nine because there might be a third novel, it all depends on how I manage my time. This number doesn't include the half-dozen ideas I have scribbled in notebooks and on dry-erase boards, it only includes the stories I have already outlined, action-drafted, or drafted. Will I be busy? Yes, I think so.
I'm still in the process of editing One Good Cowboy. Finding the time has been a little bit difficult, but things are getting back to normal soon (husband is going back to work, visiting sister is starting to venture out on her own), so I'm optimistic that it can be finished this week.
Over the weekend, I rang in the new year with a cranky one-year-old who refused to fall asleep until she saw her daddy. Yesterday and today, I lost the two most important cards in my life (my ID and my debit card) and I have not been able to find them yet. We suspect the cranky one-year-old threw them away without anyone noticing. So... not the best start to the new year. But I'm not pessimistic!
I'm still in the process of editing One Good Cowboy. Finding the time has been a little bit difficult, but things are getting back to normal soon (husband is going back to work, visiting sister is starting to venture out on her own), so I'm optimistic that it can be finished this week.
Over the weekend, I rang in the new year with a cranky one-year-old who refused to fall asleep until she saw her daddy. Yesterday and today, I lost the two most important cards in my life (my ID and my debit card) and I have not been able to find them yet. We suspect the cranky one-year-old threw them away without anyone noticing. So... not the best start to the new year. But I'm not pessimistic!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Blog Roundup: December 26, 2011 - January 1, 2012
Chuck Wendig thanked his readers and shared his blog's top 25 posts of 2011.
Greta van der Rol shared her experience with an "autocritter." If you've never used one (and I'd never even heard of them before that post), it's an informative article.
Roni Loren shared The 10 Commandments of a Successful Author.
I missed this post when it originally went up, but J. A. Konrath shared his resolutions for new writers. He also interviewed his cover artist.
James Killick wrote about 4 ways your protagonist can learn the truth.
Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week: how to do a major re-write.
The Sharp Angle posted a query critique.
Greta van der Rol shared her experience with an "autocritter." If you've never used one (and I'd never even heard of them before that post), it's an informative article.
Roni Loren shared The 10 Commandments of a Successful Author.
I missed this post when it originally went up, but J. A. Konrath shared his resolutions for new writers. He also interviewed his cover artist.
James Killick wrote about 4 ways your protagonist can learn the truth.
Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week: how to do a major re-write.
The Sharp Angle posted a query critique.
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