Shoo Shoo Mary Sue

Look at your protagonist. Is she (he) a Mary Sue? Not sure? Then use the Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test to find out.

Characterization Trait Resource: The Bookshelf Muse

The Bookshelf Muse is a writing tools blog. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi cover pretty much every character trait imaginable with explanations, examples, and discussion. They even have a book out: The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. I love this blog. It's fun, it's informative, and it's pretty.

Nine Writing Things: Help! I Need To Name My Characters!

One of the things I like the least about writing is naming characters. It's hard. It's just as hard as naming a real baby. But it's okay! Because I know what to do when it's time to name a character.

1. SSA.gov - Popular Baby Names
This is especially useful if you're writing something set in the US after 1879. You can look up the top 1000 names for boys and girls for any given year. It's fantastic.

2. Thinkbabynames.com
This website is great because you can look up a name... and then look up variations of that name.

3. Baby Names UK
The thing I like about this site is the blog. The short posts glossing over issues relevant to the subject of baby names can be kind of useful, like this one on taboo names. As with any aspect of writing, research and reading can help stimulate creativity. Anything that makes you think is a good thing.

4. The Editor's Blog - How to Name Characters
An article on character name theory, complete with tips, examples, and explanations.

5. Name Generators
Wizards of the Coast, Behind the Name, Fantasy Name Generator... The Internet is full of these.

6. White Pages
If your setting is in the modern, real world, a quick Google search of white pages + location should turn up residential listings you can use to name your character. Even if it isn't, there's inspiration to be had.

7. Name Memes
Your Star Wars Name. Your Star Trek Name. Your Lord of the Rings Name. And the silly ones, like Your Porn Star Name or Your Spy Name. Ridiculous? Yes. But maybe something good comes out of playing even if the amusement isn't enough for you.

8. Family History
My family tree is full of names like Millie and Jeanette on my mother's side and Alma and Sabine on my father's side. Check out the old family Bible or the inside covers of the books in your grandmother's library.

9. Make shit up.
Seriously, that's what we're doing, anyway. Just make a name up and commit to it. If anyone asks, tear up and tell them it's the name of your dead grandmother/grandfather/child/beloved pet.

Monday Miscellany: Movies!

One of the things I'm planning to do with this time off is see a bunch of movies I've missed since I did that silly thing and fell in love, then started a family. I used to be a huge movie nerd. Huge. So huge I seriously considered applying to USC to get into the film school. In the days before IMDB, I was the movie database for my family, my parents' friends, and some of my friends.

And then I met the love of my life (an actual person) and, well... some things became less important than spending time with him and working. I still went to the theater about four times a month, but that was only four times a month, and I wasn't renting three or four movies every Saturday night anymore.

The only genre of movie I tend to avoid is romantic comedies. I'm not a fan. I make exceptions, however, if I'm a big fan of the lead actor or actress or if it's a story I'm particularly fond of. I also make exceptions if I've been drinking tequila. I don't know what it is about tequila, but it always makes me want to watch chick flicks. I saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past in the theater because of tequila. Oh, yeah. I sobered up halfway through. That is not a movie I recommend seeing sober.

One of the chick flicks I'm planning to see is What's Your Number? which stars Anna Faris and Chris Evans. Anna Faris is an actress I make an exception for. The same goes for Chris Evans. (Have you guys seen the Scary Movie spoofs or House Bunny? Or Not Another Teen Movie or The Losers? Those are all good times.) Actually, I'm hoping to work my way through all of the Chris Evans movies I've missed since the Fantastic Four. Apparently, there's a great indie one in which he plays a drug-addicted lawyer.

I'd like to get caught up on the Jason Bourne movies because I loved the first one and I'm really excited about the next one. I haven't seen The King's Speech or Black Swan and I've heard great things about Blue Valentine. I'd like to see The Resident all the way through because Jeffrey Dean Morgan makes my heart beat a little faster. I missed the latest Sherlock Holmes movie. Jensen Ackles did a couple of movies--My Bloody Valentine and Ten Inch Hero--that I missed and I'd like to see.

And I haven't even touched on the movies I want to see for the actresses, the screenwriters, or the directors!

It's going to be a busy month.

Blog Roundup: J. A. Konrath - A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

J. A. Konrath is a pretty successful self-published author who also runs a pretty successful publishing blog. A Newbie's Guide to Publishing is an incredible self-publishing resource and an inspiring story. I covered him a little bit in my Nine Things post on blogs run by writers for writers.

I'm not a dedicated Konrath follower. I read his blog once a week, sometimes once every two weeks, and I skim posts before I decide to read them. I'm not a big fan of his fondness for calling people "pinheads" and I'm a long-time Internet user, so I almost never read comments on provocative blogs like his. But he does offer posts of value, particular and unique insight into the publishing industry, and he seems to be well-connected so when he hosts a guest post, it's usually a pretty good read.

SitRep Saturday: Formatting Download

First of all: Yes, this blog post is backdated. I'm doing this to keep things tidy on my blog.

Guess what's available at Smashwords? That's right, Basic Fiction Formatting for Smashwords in OpenOffice is now available as a download there. If you don't have a Smashwords account, you can download the PDF here from my Google Docs account. Like any good reference material, I'm sure it will be revised as I learn new things about formatting and OpenOffice and as I experiment with my own order of doing things, but right now, I'm just glad it's finally available.

Self-Publishing: On Sales (March and April 2012)

My last sales post showed sales for February 2012 (compared to January 2012 sales and including an overview of my figures from the first six months of self-published fiction sales). I intended to post March 2012 sales at the beginning of May, but time got away from me. Now here we are in the first week of June and I still owe you readers a look at my March sales plus a look at my April sales. Shall we?

Well, that's... depressing. Can I say depressing without looking like a jerk? Those sales are still more than I hoped for, but the trend is also going in the direction opposite of the one I hoped to see.

Nine Writing Things: Great Blogs Run By Writers For Writers

When I first decided to self-publish, I did a lot of reading. A lot. I found a ton of great articles, started a blog, and started following a bunch of bloggers who were writing about writing. Not just self-publishing, but writing in general. I've written long enough to know that I don't have to do what everyone else tells me to do, but that other writers--especially older ones, more experienced ones, and ones published in genres I don't read--generally have valuable things to say.

For today's Nine Things post, I'm going to share with you nine of my favorite writer's blogs. 

1. Joe Konrath - A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
 Joe Konrath has been blogging since 2005 and he has a wealth of industry-specific knowledge, tips, and tricks that he regularly shares. He also has some pretty strong opinions about issues within publishing and self-publishing and he is very good at articulating those opinions. I read his blog regularly just so I can feel smarter. 

2. Chuck Wendig - Terrible Minds
I devoted this week's Blog Roundup post to Chuck and for good reason. His blog is a nice mix of writing advice, industry knowledge, anecdotes, writing exercises, and information about his work for those of his readers who are fans. There's something for everyone there. 

3. Stella Deleuze - Words by Stella Deleuze
Stella is, in addition to a writer herself, an editor. So with her blog, we get both sides: the writer and the editor. She is also a reader, a gardener, a hobby chef, and a conscious critic of self-publishing and indie authors. I like Stella personally--she's straightforward and kind and not afraid to express herself--and I enjoy her blog. Her rants give me a lot of ideas about what not to do. 

4. Laura Bradford - A Writer's Notes
I love the minimalist design of her blog and her relevant, easy-to-read posts. She doesn't update as frequently as most of the other bloggers on this list, but when she does, she offers things like posts about knowing your audience. 

5. James Killick - James Killick's Blog
Usually, James offers a nice, concise post of writing advice weekly. He understands the total writer package, that being a writer is about more than raw talent and specialized interests. He understands that most of us want to be read and liked. His posts display that understanding and generally offer advice to reconciling all parts of the writer self. 

6. Kate Aaron - Only True Magic
The thing that makes Kate's blog unique among the writer blogs I read, I think, is the fact that she regularly writes about gender and sexuality issues in writing, the industry, and in reading. I like that. I almost always learn something new, or at least learn to look at something in a different way. 

7. Lynn Viehl - Paperback Writer
Resources! Lynn has been a professional writer for fourteen years (according to her blog heading) and while her blog may be light on the advice, it's definitely heavy on the resources. She offers tips, tricks, programs, websites, submission information, and all kinds of other useful resources. Reading her blog is like reading a morning paper written just for writers. 

8. Aimee Salter - Seeking the Write Life
Like Joe Konrath, Aimee is very brusque, very matter-of-fact, and not even a little bit afraid of sharing her opinions. She's smart and she has plenty of advice for the persistent writer, advice that runs the gamut from how to improve query letters to how to beta read to how to not be one of those indie authors giving the rest a bad rap. I stumbled across her blog by accident one day and have been following ever since. I may not always necessarily agree with her opinions, but it doesn't matter, because her input is valuable. 

9.  Sierra Godfrey - Sassy Sassafras
Sierra follows blogs I don't follow and I don't have to because she does a weekly blog roundup, too. I like her casual, friendly tone and I like that she includes real-life examples of what she's talking about. This blog is an easy, useful read and I really enjoy heading over there to check out what she's offering each week.

Monday Miscellany: On the Importance of Having Fun

Writing is hard. Writing is really, really hard. It's labor intensive, it's painful, it's exhausting, it's soul-sucking. Writers are a bunch of masochists. What other explanation is there for why we put ourselves through this?

Fun.

At least, it should be a reason. And to be honest, I've lost sight of that a little. That's part of why I'm taking this break to just goof off. I need to relearn to enjoy myself and my writing. I think fun is the key I'm missing, the key that will unlock the door to being a better writer.

Isn't that what we all want? I know it's what I want. I am always looking for new ways to learn to be a better writer.

And I'm certainly not opposed to having a good time while I do it.

Blog Roundup: Chuck Wendig

This month, we're doing something a little bit different. Rather than rounding up all the best posts of the week from the writing blogs I follow, I'm going to pick a writing blogger and share with you some of my favorite posts from that blog. Today, we're going to look at Chuck Wendig.

Every week, I devote at least one roundup paragraph to him--and for good reason. Every week (or at least almost every week) he has a simple 25 Things post detailing twenty-five things you, as a writer, need to consider. This week it was writing the first chapter of your novel. Last week, it was reasons to quit writing. There are a ton of these posts and they're all sound posts.

I'm not saying it's all the gospel truth and you should just follow him blindly, but I am saying that the man is saying things worth hearing. Even if you're generally averse to profanity, I still think he's worth checking out. Sometimes we need to be shocked out of our comfort zone.

If you don't have his website bookmarked, go ahead and do it now. I'll wait. All done? Good.

Want to read what he has to say about writing but you don't want to read it in blog form? He has books. 250 Things. 500 Ways. 500 More Ways.

He seems to know what he's talking about. And even if he doesn't, he's good enough at BS to make me believe it.