Chuck Wendig was en fuego this week with two great posts: 25 Reasons I Hate Your Main Character and A Long Look At "Show, Don't Tell." I think both of these posts are must-reads for beginning writers... and it probably couldn't hurt those of us who have been doing it a while.
Laura Bradford's post on writing as an invisible business really hit home for me. When my sister was here, it was nearly impossible to get any work done. Now that my husband is home on leave, same story. It takes great, concentrated effort to get my toddler to play by herself for short periods of time ever since she had a constant companion in my sister. Writing itself is hard--finding the time to do it without distraction or interruption is even harder. More than once, I've questioned why I even bother. (And then I remember that I really do love it and it really does matter to me and I think I'm okay at it, so all the extra hard work seems worth it. And then I have a drink because I really must be crazy.)
Girl Who Reads offered up an analysis of the star rating system in her Tips on Thursday post. I like the star rating system, personally; it gives me a lot of information at first glance. But I either don't really care what other people think of a book and will read it if I want to, anyway, or--if it's a book I'm uncertain of, like The Hunger Games--I will read the reviews with one through three stars. Two and three star reviews, in my experience, tend to be the most tell-tale.
Last week was Indie Author Week at Into the Morning (a great blog you should be following, anyway) and my favorite post was this one about indie book covers. We all judge books by their covers. No sense saying we don't. And independent books... well... they're frequently lacking. The most glaring problem I see is that we use a lot of the same stock photos. I like her quickie review of the good and the bad book covers. I think, especially for those of us designing our own, it's a good idea to look at all the criticism and praise for book covers that we possibly can. (Related: I tend to take inspiration from the traditionally-published erotica books I enjoyed. So I've based my covers on books like Breathless by Bonnie Edwards and pretty much everything by Delilah Devlin, as two examples.)
James Killick shared a short list of Five Things More Important Than Knowledge. The thing about knowledge is that it can be acquired. Or it can be rejected in favor of blissful ignorance. His list is comprised of things that are pretty hard to reject and ignore, at least in my experience.
Keystrokes and Word Counts has a short review of KDP free days. If it's something you're considering, I'd advise reading as much as possible on the experiences of other authors. I have a project in the works that I am planning to enroll in KDP select when the time comes, so posts like this are helpful to me.
Sierra Godfrey had a thought-provoking post asking where to find the self-pubbed books. She has a point. A good one. In my case, I don't market so much as I tailor my keywords for searches... because that's pretty much how I find the books I want to read.
Stella Deleuze advised that authors choose a publisher wisely. Personally, I'd do a ton of research--on the company and the people I'm working with. I'd check out the other books they'd published, not just the sales rankings, but the cover designs and reviews and the books themselves. I don't have an answer for Ms. Deleuze. I don't know what I'd do if my book was at the mercy of an editor who didn't know what she was doing. I sincerely hope I never have to answer that question.
Showing posts with label keystrokes and wordcounts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keystrokes and wordcounts. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Blog Roundup: March 19 - 25, 2012
Because he's awesome like that, Chuck Wendig shared three great teaser posts this week: Ten Things You Should Know About... Setting, Endings, Writing Screenplays. (Do you have this book yet? Totally worth it.)
Greta van der Rol had an interesting post on the rules of romance. I think, as a general rule, most female romance readers do read to escape reality. I know that I certainly do. But I also don't mind at all when my heroes act like men. I think romance is subjective to character. Rules of romance will be determined by rules of characterization.
Girl Who Reads offered this tip: contact the author when you mention their book. Oops. I am not always as good about that as I should be.
Keystrokes and Word Counts offered up this short post on the importance of suspending disbelief. I think most readers of fiction, in an attempt to escape reality, are willing to believe a lot... but not everything. I think the best tip is to stick to what you, personally, can believe.
The first link in this entry over at Paperback Writer caught my attention, though the video is pretty cool, too. I haven't tried the search engine, but I'm excited about it.
Do you follow Release Notes? I enjoy the look it gives into books I wouldn't otherwise be aware of.
As usual, Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is spot-on.
Sirra gave us all insight into the mind of an editor this week. Have an editor? Looking for one? Thinking about becoming one? I think this post is a must-read.
Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week on characters, telling us all not to overdo it. Personally, I don't mind characters who fit stereotypes at first glance; stereotypes exist for a reason. But if the character is important enough to write about, even in a minor role, then he or she is important enough to be whole.
I think I need more good blogs to follow. Do you have any suggestions?
Greta van der Rol had an interesting post on the rules of romance. I think, as a general rule, most female romance readers do read to escape reality. I know that I certainly do. But I also don't mind at all when my heroes act like men. I think romance is subjective to character. Rules of romance will be determined by rules of characterization.
Girl Who Reads offered this tip: contact the author when you mention their book. Oops. I am not always as good about that as I should be.
Keystrokes and Word Counts offered up this short post on the importance of suspending disbelief. I think most readers of fiction, in an attempt to escape reality, are willing to believe a lot... but not everything. I think the best tip is to stick to what you, personally, can believe.
The first link in this entry over at Paperback Writer caught my attention, though the video is pretty cool, too. I haven't tried the search engine, but I'm excited about it.
Do you follow Release Notes? I enjoy the look it gives into books I wouldn't otherwise be aware of.
As usual, Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is spot-on.
Sirra gave us all insight into the mind of an editor this week. Have an editor? Looking for one? Thinking about becoming one? I think this post is a must-read.
Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week on characters, telling us all not to overdo it. Personally, I don't mind characters who fit stereotypes at first glance; stereotypes exist for a reason. But if the character is important enough to write about, even in a minor role, then he or she is important enough to be whole.
I think I need more good blogs to follow. Do you have any suggestions?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Blog Roundup: February 27 - March 4, 2012
Chuck Wendig added 25 Ways to Unfuck Your Story to his 25 Things series. If you're stuck, it just might be the article you need.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had an interesting post on the subject of returning ebooks. Personally, I think the option to return ebooks, especially self-published ebooks, serves the readers as customers really well. I think that authors should embrace the guarantee-or-your-money-back. Most people don't return things just because they can and most people don't demand their money back for entertainment they didn't enjoy.
Over at Seeking the Write Life, Aimee Salter had two great posts this week. One on using ambiguity and one on writing motivations that seem real. They're good posts for reminding you what you're supposed to be doing.
Sierra Godfrey posted about three ways to use your dreams for stories. I'm sure we've all heard how Twilight was written based on a scene from a dream, so that seems like pretty solid proof that dreams are great sources for stories. And, as always, her Google Reader Roundup is an excellent collection of links.
Sirra posted another collection of Twitter writetips. Are you following her yet?
Now I feel better about being MIA last week.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had an interesting post on the subject of returning ebooks. Personally, I think the option to return ebooks, especially self-published ebooks, serves the readers as customers really well. I think that authors should embrace the guarantee-or-your-money-back. Most people don't return things just because they can and most people don't demand their money back for entertainment they didn't enjoy.
Over at Seeking the Write Life, Aimee Salter had two great posts this week. One on using ambiguity and one on writing motivations that seem real. They're good posts for reminding you what you're supposed to be doing.
Sierra Godfrey posted about three ways to use your dreams for stories. I'm sure we've all heard how Twilight was written based on a scene from a dream, so that seems like pretty solid proof that dreams are great sources for stories. And, as always, her Google Reader Roundup is an excellent collection of links.
Sirra posted another collection of Twitter writetips. Are you following her yet?
Now I feel better about being MIA last week.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Blog Roundup: January 9 - 15, 2012
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.
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 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.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Blog Roundup: December 19 - 25, 2011
In the holiday spirit, Chuck Wendig posted 25 Ways for Writers to Help Other Writers. He also posted this thought-provoking article on branding.
I thought Greta van der Rol's post on the possibility of a "Star Wars-type" galaxy was pretty interesting.
This week, I discovered Roni Loren's Fiction Groupie blog.
Imran Siddiq wrote about character arcs needing change.
James Killick wrote about four ways to kill narrative drive.
Keystrokes and Word Counts has this great post on writing through your emotions.
I don't know how I missed this one. McQuestionable Musings has 10 tips for new bloggers.
Are you following Sierra Godfrey yet? I love her Google Reader Roundup.
Sirra posted about POV and how a writer can get it right.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Blog Roundup: December 5 - 11, 2011
Chuck Wendig posted 25 Financial Fuck-Ups Writers Make, an article about the business of writing and how it can affect your bottom line. Romantic? No. Useful? Yes! He also wrote about The Seduction of Self-Publishing, which would be a helpful read for anyone on the fence about the subject.
Greta van der Rol hosted a guest post by Meredith Lopez on the subject of "clearing your throat" before you write. I confess that I thought all writers did something to get started. Ms. van der Rol also asked if "writing is like prospecting." After the last eight months I've spent learning about the publishing industry (and being well aware that I still have much to learn), I have to kind of chuckle and think... yeah.
James Killick wrote about creating great content for your blog. His "write the post you want to read" tip is basically my mantra and, if anyone where to ask, it would be the tip I would give. Write the blog you want to read.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had a post on formatting, a relevant topic for self-publishers in particular. If you're looking for information on a rough guide to the steps of self-publishing, there is also this post.
This post on improving your dialogue over at Rob On Writing is worth a read, mostly because I encourage all fiction writers to give the exercise a try. I once wrote a novel-length piece entirely in dialogue. It was actually pretty good, but it will never see the light of day. It was an exercise.
Sierra Godfrey wrote about why author websites matter. I think mine does and I encourage any other writer to create their own. It may not be fancy, but having a place where your readers can go to get just the facts is a good idea.
Sirra posted her seventh collection of writer tips from Twitter. I think all writers should constantly be looking for ways to improve their work. She also posted this collection of commonly misused words. I think we've established how I feel about the poor abused English language, so it's worth reading. (And bookmarking.) Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even very careful writers, but education on the subject is always a good thing.
Stella Deleuze wrote about giving small and new publishers a chance. Risks can be good, but be aware whenever you take them.
Greta van der Rol hosted a guest post by Meredith Lopez on the subject of "clearing your throat" before you write. I confess that I thought all writers did something to get started. Ms. van der Rol also asked if "writing is like prospecting." After the last eight months I've spent learning about the publishing industry (and being well aware that I still have much to learn), I have to kind of chuckle and think... yeah.
James Killick wrote about creating great content for your blog. His "write the post you want to read" tip is basically my mantra and, if anyone where to ask, it would be the tip I would give. Write the blog you want to read.
Keystrokes and Word Counts had a post on formatting, a relevant topic for self-publishers in particular. If you're looking for information on a rough guide to the steps of self-publishing, there is also this post.
This post on improving your dialogue over at Rob On Writing is worth a read, mostly because I encourage all fiction writers to give the exercise a try. I once wrote a novel-length piece entirely in dialogue. It was actually pretty good, but it will never see the light of day. It was an exercise.
Sierra Godfrey wrote about why author websites matter. I think mine does and I encourage any other writer to create their own. It may not be fancy, but having a place where your readers can go to get just the facts is a good idea.
Sirra posted her seventh collection of writer tips from Twitter. I think all writers should constantly be looking for ways to improve their work. She also posted this collection of commonly misused words. I think we've established how I feel about the poor abused English language, so it's worth reading. (And bookmarking.) Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even very careful writers, but education on the subject is always a good thing.
Stella Deleuze wrote about giving small and new publishers a chance. Risks can be good, but be aware whenever you take them.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Blog Roundup: November 14 - 20, 2011
Chuck Wendig wrote about 25 reasons readers keep reading this week. I was especially fond of his predictability/unpredictability points. My favorite modern novel is American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis and part of the reason I loved it so much was Patrick Bateman's crazy. I had no idea what was going on with him until the first explicit murder scene. (The scene in which he murders Paul Owen is my absolute favorite. I know that makes me sound crazy, but if you've read the book, you know how perfect it is.) Patrick Bateman was the poster child for Wendig's unpredictability point.
Amelia James wrote about why she supports other writers. Writing is an unusual business because though we're technically competing for consumers (readers) it's not really a competition. The only limits readers have are their wallets and their free time, and even then, there are ways to stretch both. I support other writers and want to share what I've learned and what I'm learning (just in case that wasn't abundantly clear from my blog posts).
James Killick posted about what you have to un-learn and what you have to learn to be a writer. I am particularly fond of his "to learn" list. I've been reading the KDP boards lately and I have to say that I think a lot of authors--especially the self-published--could benefit from realizing that different people like different things.
Keystrokes and Word Counts is still running their ABC123(4)s of NaNo.
Over the weekend, I discovered Only True Magic, a blog by an indie author. She's currently running a series on self-publishing tips and tricks (the most recent one is on paid advertising) and her posts are very thorough and very detailed. I wish she tagged her posts to make them easier to navigate, but they're worth looking for.
Amelia James wrote about why she supports other writers. Writing is an unusual business because though we're technically competing for consumers (readers) it's not really a competition. The only limits readers have are their wallets and their free time, and even then, there are ways to stretch both. I support other writers and want to share what I've learned and what I'm learning (just in case that wasn't abundantly clear from my blog posts).
James Killick posted about what you have to un-learn and what you have to learn to be a writer. I am particularly fond of his "to learn" list. I've been reading the KDP boards lately and I have to say that I think a lot of authors--especially the self-published--could benefit from realizing that different people like different things.
Keystrokes and Word Counts is still running their ABC123(4)s of NaNo.
Over the weekend, I discovered Only True Magic, a blog by an indie author. She's currently running a series on self-publishing tips and tricks (the most recent one is on paid advertising) and her posts are very thorough and very detailed. I wish she tagged her posts to make them easier to navigate, but they're worth looking for.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Blog Roundup: November 7 - 13, 2011
25 Things You Should Know About Suspense and Tension went up at Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds this week.
Greta van der Rol shared a lesson in keeping up with your online identities. (I'll be fixing links on my blog to her site/posts this week. If you've hosted a guest post or linked to author websites, it might be a good idea to make sure your links still work.)
If you care about the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing vs. whatever else debate, Bob Mayer had a couple of good posts. There's this one about the many roads to publication and this one on the fight itself. I liked this post, too, but it's about the why of writing. (I write to quiet the stories in my head.)
This week, I discovered the blog Caustic Cover Critic. If you're worried about your cover design, it's a good blog to read regularly.
James Killick wrote about why story beats character every time.
Keystrokes and Word Counts continued its ABCs of NaNo.
Sierra Godfrey showed us a real-life example of the importance of humor in a romantic relationship and then posted her Google Reader Roundup with some links to some great posts.
Stella Deleuze posted a how to on the possessive apostrophe.
The Bookshelf Muse is a really great blog. If you're looking to do research on a character trait or a plot element or a weather trait or anything like that, this place should be one of the sites you visit.
Greta van der Rol shared a lesson in keeping up with your online identities. (I'll be fixing links on my blog to her site/posts this week. If you've hosted a guest post or linked to author websites, it might be a good idea to make sure your links still work.)
If you care about the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing vs. whatever else debate, Bob Mayer had a couple of good posts. There's this one about the many roads to publication and this one on the fight itself. I liked this post, too, but it's about the why of writing. (I write to quiet the stories in my head.)
This week, I discovered the blog Caustic Cover Critic. If you're worried about your cover design, it's a good blog to read regularly.
James Killick wrote about why story beats character every time.
Keystrokes and Word Counts continued its ABCs of NaNo.
Sierra Godfrey showed us a real-life example of the importance of humor in a romantic relationship and then posted her Google Reader Roundup with some links to some great posts.
Stella Deleuze posted a how to on the possessive apostrophe.
The Bookshelf Muse is a really great blog. If you're looking to do research on a character trait or a plot element or a weather trait or anything like that, this place should be one of the sites you visit.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Blog Roundup: October 31 - November 6, 2011
Chuck Wendig's blog remains a go-to resource for the writer with a sense of humor about what she does. He posted another 25 things article, this one about writing advice.
Greta van der Rol hosted Meg Mims for a post on the importance of research. Lack of research can rip your reader right out of the story and leave a sour taste in her mouth, so it's vital.
Imran Siddiq offered this post of tips on writing prose. I also thought this post on "oomph" words was interesting because it shows how important word choice really is.
Bob Mayer offered this wrap up of Storyworld. I thought Disney's weenie was especially useful. All ten of those tips can apply to your "brand" as a writer.
I want to share this post from Erotic Romance because it made me start planning a blog post on the crossover from fanfiction to original fiction.
Into the Morning made this post on book design trends she loves and hates. Look closely. If you're in the market for a cover designer, I think she potentially offered.
Keystrokes and Word Counts has a series of posts on the ABCs of NaNo. Even if you're not doing NaNo, the posts are worth checking out.
Stella Deleuze posted part three of her dialogue attributes series.
The Bookshelf Muse hosted a guest post from Janice Hardy on marketing your novel.
Written Words posted about not carving your outline into stone. I think the core of the post is important to every writer: be flexible.
Your Cover Uncovered reviewed the Tulagi Hotel by Heikki Hetala.
Greta van der Rol hosted Meg Mims for a post on the importance of research. Lack of research can rip your reader right out of the story and leave a sour taste in her mouth, so it's vital.
Imran Siddiq offered this post of tips on writing prose. I also thought this post on "oomph" words was interesting because it shows how important word choice really is.
Bob Mayer offered this wrap up of Storyworld. I thought Disney's weenie was especially useful. All ten of those tips can apply to your "brand" as a writer.
I want to share this post from Erotic Romance because it made me start planning a blog post on the crossover from fanfiction to original fiction.
Into the Morning made this post on book design trends she loves and hates. Look closely. If you're in the market for a cover designer, I think she potentially offered.
Keystrokes and Word Counts has a series of posts on the ABCs of NaNo. Even if you're not doing NaNo, the posts are worth checking out.
Stella Deleuze posted part three of her dialogue attributes series.
The Bookshelf Muse hosted a guest post from Janice Hardy on marketing your novel.
Written Words posted about not carving your outline into stone. I think the core of the post is important to every writer: be flexible.
Your Cover Uncovered reviewed the Tulagi Hotel by Heikki Hetala.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Blog Roundup: October 24 - 30, 2011
The weekly installment of Chuck Wendig's 25 Things series was reasons you won't finish that story. This is especially relevant with the start of NaNoWriMo being mere days away.
James Killick wrote about four lies the Internet tells you about writing. The man makes a good point. For all the posts and articles we read about how to market ourselves and our writing, it's good to take a moment and remember that we are artists and people and that we are trying to share our work with people.
Keystrokes & Word Counts had a guest post on being a NaNo rebel. I think that if you're going to participate in NaNo, you need to have a game plan. I also think that you can participate without "really" participating: you can write your 50,000 new words without following all of the rules.
Paperback Writer offered ten "gems o' wisdom" to ignore during NaNo. She makes some good points. I think some of those gems are, you know, gems for a reason. Particularly "write what you know." I'm a firm believer in writing what you know--or learning what you don't know.
Stella Deleuze posted part two of her discussion of dialogue attributes. If you have any questions at all about when and where to use punctuation or he said/she said, check it out.
James Killick wrote about four lies the Internet tells you about writing. The man makes a good point. For all the posts and articles we read about how to market ourselves and our writing, it's good to take a moment and remember that we are artists and people and that we are trying to share our work with people.
Keystrokes & Word Counts had a guest post on being a NaNo rebel. I think that if you're going to participate in NaNo, you need to have a game plan. I also think that you can participate without "really" participating: you can write your 50,000 new words without following all of the rules.
Paperback Writer offered ten "gems o' wisdom" to ignore during NaNo. She makes some good points. I think some of those gems are, you know, gems for a reason. Particularly "write what you know." I'm a firm believer in writing what you know--or learning what you don't know.
Stella Deleuze posted part two of her discussion of dialogue attributes. If you have any questions at all about when and where to use punctuation or he said/she said, check it out.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Blog Roundup: October 17 - 23, 2011
I stumbled across this post at Chuck Wendig's blog that is an entertaining, colorful assortment of insults aimed at making me feel bad about my crappy self-published book. I laughed. It's got a lot of good points. He also had this guest post on his blog this week that is all about getting your book--you real dead-tree book, be it self-published or traditionally-published--into bookstores. And, as usual, he has a fantastic 25 things post.
Stella Deleuze posted about dialogue attributes. If you're uncertain about your dialogue skills, or if you just want a refresher, it's an excellent post.
Angel Zapata's publisher has gone under, so she's asking that readers not buy her book.
Isis Rushdan hosted J.L. Campbell, who wrote about what she has learned from blogging and publishing.
James Killick wrote about five ways to banish drama from your scenes. The tongue-in-cheek quality of it made me chuckle even as I mentally filed away the lessons he's sharing.
I thought this guest post at Keystrokes and Word Counts was interesting. I'm always fascinated by the way other writers work, so seeing that Melissa Dominic uses a sketchbook was pretty cool.
This post at Paperback Writer discusses and shows the results of a really fun-looking writing exercise. I think I'll be trying that the next time I'm suffering the dreaded writer's block.
Sirra posted another round of #writetips from her Twitter feed.
If you're not reading The Bookshelf Muse, you're doing yourself a disservice. This recent guest post about promotion, in particular, is quite helpful.
Stella Deleuze posted about dialogue attributes. If you're uncertain about your dialogue skills, or if you just want a refresher, it's an excellent post.
Angel Zapata's publisher has gone under, so she's asking that readers not buy her book.
Isis Rushdan hosted J.L. Campbell, who wrote about what she has learned from blogging and publishing.
James Killick wrote about five ways to banish drama from your scenes. The tongue-in-cheek quality of it made me chuckle even as I mentally filed away the lessons he's sharing.
I thought this guest post at Keystrokes and Word Counts was interesting. I'm always fascinated by the way other writers work, so seeing that Melissa Dominic uses a sketchbook was pretty cool.
This post at Paperback Writer discusses and shows the results of a really fun-looking writing exercise. I think I'll be trying that the next time I'm suffering the dreaded writer's block.
Sirra posted another round of #writetips from her Twitter feed.
If you're not reading The Bookshelf Muse, you're doing yourself a disservice. This recent guest post about promotion, in particular, is quite helpful.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Blog Roundup: October 10 - 16, 2011
In honor of Halloween (I guess), Chuck Wendig posted 25 Things You Should Know About Writing Horror.
Stella Deleuze made a fun post about the behind-the-scenes of novel writing. It made me smile.
Amanda Hocking posted a rant (sort of) about the whole "million books sold" deal. She makes an excellent, simple point: write well. The sales come later, the writing comes first.
If you write erotica or romance or some combination of the two, Erotic Romance should be on your blogroll. The industry information is invaluable.
Into The Morning has a useful "mini rant" on blogs. I, for one, am always looking for little things to improve and tweak here and at my website, so I enjoy finding these posts.
If you're reading this blog, you're probably a writer. And you probably have people in your life who don't "get it." Direct them to this post at James Killick's blog. It's a good summary of the creative process, I think.
Keystrokes and Word Counts, in their new home, had three posts on preparing for NaNoWriMo. If you're going to participate, I strongly suggest preparing.
I recently discovered Sierra Godfrey's blog. This is another one I recommend you add to your blogroll for posts like why blogging works for writers and writerly afflictions. Any place that combines humor and information is my kind of place.
Sirra shared another round of writing tips.
Written Words is doing a series on "GRIP" (goal, reader, idea, plan). If you're a plotter, especially if you're a new plotter, it's worth checking out.
Your Cover Uncovered has a new cover review up.
Stella Deleuze made a fun post about the behind-the-scenes of novel writing. It made me smile.
Amanda Hocking posted a rant (sort of) about the whole "million books sold" deal. She makes an excellent, simple point: write well. The sales come later, the writing comes first.
If you write erotica or romance or some combination of the two, Erotic Romance should be on your blogroll. The industry information is invaluable.
Into The Morning has a useful "mini rant" on blogs. I, for one, am always looking for little things to improve and tweak here and at my website, so I enjoy finding these posts.
If you're reading this blog, you're probably a writer. And you probably have people in your life who don't "get it." Direct them to this post at James Killick's blog. It's a good summary of the creative process, I think.
Keystrokes and Word Counts, in their new home, had three posts on preparing for NaNoWriMo. If you're going to participate, I strongly suggest preparing.
I recently discovered Sierra Godfrey's blog. This is another one I recommend you add to your blogroll for posts like why blogging works for writers and writerly afflictions. Any place that combines humor and information is my kind of place.
Sirra shared another round of writing tips.
Written Words is doing a series on "GRIP" (goal, reader, idea, plan). If you're a plotter, especially if you're a new plotter, it's worth checking out.
Your Cover Uncovered has a new cover review up.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Blog Roundup: October 3 - 9, 2011
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and it's kind of a big deal. If you're considering participating, check out the official site and check out Chuck Wendig's blog post on the 25 Things You Should Know.
Greta van der Rol talked some about targeting your audience. I think that if you're planning to publish or share your writing in any way, you really do need to think about your audience.
Amelia James had a nice personal post on why she's happy being self-published. I have to agree with her assertions there. I love the freedom and the total control of my career self-publishing allows.
The A Chick Who Reads blog is so pretty. It's like a bright Tim Burton landscape. She writes pretty good reviews, too. If you're looking for a book review blog, this one is a good place to start.
Cover design was on my mind this week, so I think this post over at Do Some Damage is worth reading. Good cover design is important whether you're working with print books or ebooks or both, but each medium needs something a little bit different. A print book has to grab your attention in the store. An ebook has to look good as a thumbnail. But print book covers need to look good as thumbnails, too, because more people buy their books online.
Diana Cosby wrote a guest post for Isis Rushdan's blog about believing in yourself. Insecurity is a serious affliction for writers so it's a good idea to build up an arsenal against it.
Rik Davnall's post about his marketing strategy actually encouraged me to comment. (Fourteen years of fandom trained me to be terrified of commenting on anything online.) I think any writer pursuing self-publishing needs to come into it with reasonable expectations.
I enjoyed James Killick's "Three Little Words" post. The ideas are the easy part. It's the making the idea big enough to make a story, stringing the words together, and making the whole thing compelling that's tough. (Writing is hard. Why am I doing it again?)
Keystrokes and Word Counts moved.
Rob on Writing featured a post about his $0.99 novel. About the price, really. I was talking to my mother about pricing earlier this week and how I thought $0.99 for my current books was fair, but that I'd probably charge $2.99 for the novel (I'm also planning considerably more promotion and marketing for it). It will still be cheaper than most traditionally published books and it still falls within the "impulse buy" range. My mother remarked that she doesn't feel like she's losing anything if she spends up to $2.99 on a book, even if she doesn't read it. I think most people feel that way.
Sirra has done it again, this time with a post on show vs. tell. Even if you think you've got that particular aspect of writing down, a refresher is never a bad thing.
Greta van der Rol talked some about targeting your audience. I think that if you're planning to publish or share your writing in any way, you really do need to think about your audience.
Amelia James had a nice personal post on why she's happy being self-published. I have to agree with her assertions there. I love the freedom and the total control of my career self-publishing allows.
The A Chick Who Reads blog is so pretty. It's like a bright Tim Burton landscape. She writes pretty good reviews, too. If you're looking for a book review blog, this one is a good place to start.
Cover design was on my mind this week, so I think this post over at Do Some Damage is worth reading. Good cover design is important whether you're working with print books or ebooks or both, but each medium needs something a little bit different. A print book has to grab your attention in the store. An ebook has to look good as a thumbnail. But print book covers need to look good as thumbnails, too, because more people buy their books online.
Diana Cosby wrote a guest post for Isis Rushdan's blog about believing in yourself. Insecurity is a serious affliction for writers so it's a good idea to build up an arsenal against it.
Rik Davnall's post about his marketing strategy actually encouraged me to comment. (Fourteen years of fandom trained me to be terrified of commenting on anything online.) I think any writer pursuing self-publishing needs to come into it with reasonable expectations.
I enjoyed James Killick's "Three Little Words" post. The ideas are the easy part. It's the making the idea big enough to make a story, stringing the words together, and making the whole thing compelling that's tough. (Writing is hard. Why am I doing it again?)
Keystrokes and Word Counts moved.
Rob on Writing featured a post about his $0.99 novel. About the price, really. I was talking to my mother about pricing earlier this week and how I thought $0.99 for my current books was fair, but that I'd probably charge $2.99 for the novel (I'm also planning considerably more promotion and marketing for it). It will still be cheaper than most traditionally published books and it still falls within the "impulse buy" range. My mother remarked that she doesn't feel like she's losing anything if she spends up to $2.99 on a book, even if she doesn't read it. I think most people feel that way.
Sirra has done it again, this time with a post on show vs. tell. Even if you think you've got that particular aspect of writing down, a refresher is never a bad thing.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Blog Roundup: September 26 - October 2, 2011
Chuck Wendig has done it again, this time with a post on the 25 things writers should know about theme. Are you following his blog yet? At least checking it regularly? You should be. Also, he made this post on self-doubt. I particularly liked the line about the "rogue gallery of nemeses."
I think we all realize that I officially have a Thing for Greta van der Rol and her wonderful writing. Well. Now I have one more reason to love her. No, this post doesn't strictly fit in with my "writing help" theme, but it's worth reading because I believe it illustrates very well how one simple thing can turn us on to something and inspire us and then we can do something great. (The moment I fell in love with Star Wars, by the way, happened at the end of A New Hope, when Red Leader says "Lock S-foils in attack position," and the X-wings opened up. As for when I fell in love with science fiction, I couldn't possibly say. It has been part of my entertainment for as long as I can remember.)
I missed this post in my last roundup, but it's worth reading. Imran Siddiq asks, "Do I need an editor?" and the answer is a resounding "Yes!" I'm in the process of starting to research good editing tips right now because, coming the second or third week of October, we will have an All About Editing week here on the blog. I have one guest post from a brilliant editor lined up and I hope to work out details with a second editor for another guest post. I also plan to write a couple of posts on beta-reading and self-editing.
James Killick posted ten questions to ask your characters, something I found fascinating and useful. I think that a lot of new writers have difficulty with characterization. I don't exactly consider myself a new writer, but I do recognize that characterization is something I need to work on.
Keystrokes & Word Counts is such a great blog. This post on backing up your files, this post on reviews, and this post on playing nice are all worth reading.
The Lindsay's Ramblings blog has had a series of defining "-punk" posts lately. If you're curious about things like steampunk and splatterpunk and anything that ends in, well, punk, then I suggest checking her out.
Two blogs worth following: Pub Rants and Slush Pile Hell. Even if you self-publish, I believe you should be educated about the publishing industry and I think you should seek out whatever information you can from agents and editors. You know that whole "Knowledge is power, power corrupts; study hard, be evil" thing? I mean, just the "knowledge is power" part. Anyway, I'm still learning about the publishing industry, and reading blogs from agents and editors--even the humorous, ranty one like Slush Pile Hell--is incredibly useful.
Aimee Salter offered this #1 blogging tip. I completely agree. I allow anonymous comments. Sure, you get some spam and some nastiness, maybe, but in the end, it's worth it.
If you're interested in traditional publication, read this post at Sirra's blog on the dos and don'ts in query letter writing. Seriously, follow her blog. She may be stabby, but she's smart and genuinely wants to help.
Your Cover Uncovered reviewed another book cover!
I think we all realize that I officially have a Thing for Greta van der Rol and her wonderful writing. Well. Now I have one more reason to love her. No, this post doesn't strictly fit in with my "writing help" theme, but it's worth reading because I believe it illustrates very well how one simple thing can turn us on to something and inspire us and then we can do something great. (The moment I fell in love with Star Wars, by the way, happened at the end of A New Hope, when Red Leader says "Lock S-foils in attack position," and the X-wings opened up. As for when I fell in love with science fiction, I couldn't possibly say. It has been part of my entertainment for as long as I can remember.)
I missed this post in my last roundup, but it's worth reading. Imran Siddiq asks, "Do I need an editor?" and the answer is a resounding "Yes!" I'm in the process of starting to research good editing tips right now because, coming the second or third week of October, we will have an All About Editing week here on the blog. I have one guest post from a brilliant editor lined up and I hope to work out details with a second editor for another guest post. I also plan to write a couple of posts on beta-reading and self-editing.
James Killick posted ten questions to ask your characters, something I found fascinating and useful. I think that a lot of new writers have difficulty with characterization. I don't exactly consider myself a new writer, but I do recognize that characterization is something I need to work on.
Keystrokes & Word Counts is such a great blog. This post on backing up your files, this post on reviews, and this post on playing nice are all worth reading.
The Lindsay's Ramblings blog has had a series of defining "-punk" posts lately. If you're curious about things like steampunk and splatterpunk and anything that ends in, well, punk, then I suggest checking her out.
Two blogs worth following: Pub Rants and Slush Pile Hell. Even if you self-publish, I believe you should be educated about the publishing industry and I think you should seek out whatever information you can from agents and editors. You know that whole "Knowledge is power, power corrupts; study hard, be evil" thing? I mean, just the "knowledge is power" part. Anyway, I'm still learning about the publishing industry, and reading blogs from agents and editors--even the humorous, ranty one like Slush Pile Hell--is incredibly useful.
Aimee Salter offered this #1 blogging tip. I completely agree. I allow anonymous comments. Sure, you get some spam and some nastiness, maybe, but in the end, it's worth it.
If you're interested in traditional publication, read this post at Sirra's blog on the dos and don'ts in query letter writing. Seriously, follow her blog. She may be stabby, but she's smart and genuinely wants to help.
Your Cover Uncovered reviewed another book cover!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Blog Roundup: August 29 - September 4, 2011
My crush on Chuck Wendig just keeps getting bigger. He had two fantastic posts this week. "25 Things You Should Know About Self-Publishing" is part of his "25" series and, of course, is full of good points to get your brain working. "Making Sense of Ninety-Nine Cents" is about the $0.99 price and how to use it.
Last week, I posted about ebook covers. This week, The Passive Voice had a post on terrible covers and asked if they could kill book sales. (Yes. Yes, they can.)
Greta van der Rol wrote about building better websites. It went up as a companion piece to her post on what she hates about websites. If you have a site, it's worth checking out what people dislike. You want people to visit your site and stick around, not click back home because they're frustrated. (Even though it's old, I'm going to suggest this post, too, because book covers are apparently Theme Of The Week in my world.)
James Killick blogged about how to build a loyal Twitter following. I particularly agree with not block-tweeting for Follow Friday. I like it when the people I follow tell me why they think I should follow someone else, too.
The question of how much self-promotion is too much is addressed in this Keystrokes & Word Counts post. Self-promotion is something I struggle with. Oh, I have no problem sharing a link a day to whichever blog post I've just put up, but that's because I try to write posts I think will be helpful to others. Promoting my book... that's something else.
A new blog launched this week, and I can't pick just one post to link to. I liked the first one, the one on clichés, the one about Stephen King, the one about not being a dick on Twitter, and the one about bestsellers. Just go read it. It looks really promising.
Sirra posted another roundup of her #writetips from Twitter. You should listen to her. She's smart. Also, she's kind of stabby, so... yeah. (I understand she's considering a post on manuscript format. I hope she does one. Apparently, double spaces after a period are only standard in academic writing.)
A new cover was reviewed over at Your Cover Uncovered. Check it out and absorb some knowledge! Or possibly I mean wisdom. Maybe I mean both.
Last week, I posted about ebook covers. This week, The Passive Voice had a post on terrible covers and asked if they could kill book sales. (Yes. Yes, they can.)
Greta van der Rol wrote about building better websites. It went up as a companion piece to her post on what she hates about websites. If you have a site, it's worth checking out what people dislike. You want people to visit your site and stick around, not click back home because they're frustrated. (Even though it's old, I'm going to suggest this post, too, because book covers are apparently Theme Of The Week in my world.)
James Killick blogged about how to build a loyal Twitter following. I particularly agree with not block-tweeting for Follow Friday. I like it when the people I follow tell me why they think I should follow someone else, too.
The question of how much self-promotion is too much is addressed in this Keystrokes & Word Counts post. Self-promotion is something I struggle with. Oh, I have no problem sharing a link a day to whichever blog post I've just put up, but that's because I try to write posts I think will be helpful to others. Promoting my book... that's something else.
A new blog launched this week, and I can't pick just one post to link to. I liked the first one, the one on clichés, the one about Stephen King, the one about not being a dick on Twitter, and the one about bestsellers. Just go read it. It looks really promising.
Sirra posted another roundup of her #writetips from Twitter. You should listen to her. She's smart. Also, she's kind of stabby, so... yeah. (I understand she's considering a post on manuscript format. I hope she does one. Apparently, double spaces after a period are only standard in academic writing.)
A new cover was reviewed over at Your Cover Uncovered. Check it out and absorb some knowledge! Or possibly I mean wisdom. Maybe I mean both.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Blog Roundup: August 1 - 7, 2011
Struggling with POV? Sirra's post on the different types of third person point-of-view can help.
Joelle Charbonneau's post at Do Some Damage about the proper care and feeding of a writer has some no-brainer advice, but it always helps to remind yourself to do things like sleep, eat more than coffee and granola, and take time off.
Rik Davnall talks about book prices, the marketplace, and business sense. For what it's worth, I don't think the $0.99 price puts us in the ghetto, either; I fully intend to make use of that price when I finally start to publish. Like Rik, though, I am thinking of using it as more of a promotional tool in certain cases, and to me, that just makes sense.
I like this post about the celebrity of authors. I would recognize some of my favorites, but for the most part, authors are kind of a faceless bunch. (I have an anecdote about being recognized in fanfiction and not being recognized that I'll save or my What I Learned From Fanfiction post.)
Desirae Jeffers posted about choosing a penname this week, and I think it's worth reading. I know that I struggled with choice of penname. As my husband advances in his career, he becomes more of a public figure within his units, and the military spouse community can be... trying at times. I don't necessarily want everyone to know that I write and what I write, so I chose a version of my maiden name as my primary penname, and I chose a second penname that is a play on the first in order to separate my young adult work from my adult work.
There was a post over at The Bookshelf Muse about charisma as a character trait, and another about conflict versus tension. That whole blog is just a gem of information.
I discovered this blog this week, and it's so packed with good advice, neat tips, and excellent writing that it's hard not to get lost over there.
Joelle Charbonneau's post at Do Some Damage about the proper care and feeding of a writer has some no-brainer advice, but it always helps to remind yourself to do things like sleep, eat more than coffee and granola, and take time off.
Rik Davnall talks about book prices, the marketplace, and business sense. For what it's worth, I don't think the $0.99 price puts us in the ghetto, either; I fully intend to make use of that price when I finally start to publish. Like Rik, though, I am thinking of using it as more of a promotional tool in certain cases, and to me, that just makes sense.
I like this post about the celebrity of authors. I would recognize some of my favorites, but for the most part, authors are kind of a faceless bunch. (I have an anecdote about being recognized in fanfiction and not being recognized that I'll save or my What I Learned From Fanfiction post.)
Desirae Jeffers posted about choosing a penname this week, and I think it's worth reading. I know that I struggled with choice of penname. As my husband advances in his career, he becomes more of a public figure within his units, and the military spouse community can be... trying at times. I don't necessarily want everyone to know that I write and what I write, so I chose a version of my maiden name as my primary penname, and I chose a second penname that is a play on the first in order to separate my young adult work from my adult work.
There was a post over at The Bookshelf Muse about charisma as a character trait, and another about conflict versus tension. That whole blog is just a gem of information.
I discovered this blog this week, and it's so packed with good advice, neat tips, and excellent writing that it's hard not to get lost over there.
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