Riley Adams's Blog, page 13

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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by Hugh Cook

A cardinal principle of fiction writing is that effective characterization lies at the heart of all good fiction. This holds true whether you write thrillers, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, or literary fiction. This principle is universally agreed upon by editors, literary agents, and writers themselves. Listen to what they say:

Renowned New York editor and publisher Sol Stein says in his book On Writing, “During all the years in which I was an editor and a publisher, what did I hope for when I picked up a manuscript? I wanted to be swept up as quickly as possible in the life of a character so interesting that I couldn’t bear to shut the manuscript in a desk overnight. It went home with me so that I could continue reading it.”

Donald Maass, a prominent literary agent based in New York, sells more than a hundred novel manuscripts every year to publishers in the U.S. and overseas. At a writing festival I attended some years ago, Maass stated that the number one reason he turns down novel manuscripts is three “uns”: unsympathetic, uninteresting, and unmemorable characters.

Janet Burroway’s book Writing Fiction is one of the finest textbooks on the craft of fiction writing. In it she states that character is “the foreground of all fiction.” If this is so, she says, “then your fiction can be only as successful as the characters who move it and move within it…We must find them interesting, we must find them believable, and we must care about what happens to them.”

One basic truth of all fiction, then, is this: the success of your fiction depends on your ability to create interesting, memorable characters.

Test that theory a moment. Think of some great novels, and you will see that they feature memorable characters: Melville’s Moby Dick and Captain Ahab; Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Ebenezer Scrooge; Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn; John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany.

If it is true that interesting characters lie at the heart of great fiction, then a first question facing a writer is, how do I create interesting characters? Which fiction strategies are available to me to create memorable characters?

There are four basic fiction techniques that all writers use, regardless of genre. I’ll list them, and give examples of each. Here are the four strategies:

1) through direct author comment

2) through the character’s appearance

3) through the character’s action

4) through dialogue

Through direct author comment

In this first method, the narrator tells the reader about the character. In his classic story “The Necklace,” Guy de Maupassant describes Mathilde Eloise as follows: “She was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes, as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a family of clerks.” The story ends in a surprising tragic irony that nevertheless ennobles Mathilde.

Leo Tolstoy’s beautiful and poignant novella The Death of Ivan Ilych states that Ilych “was just what he remained for the rest of his life: a capable, cheerful, good-natured, and sociable man, though strict in the fulfillment of what he considered to be his duty.” Through a painful illness that leads to his death, Ilych discovers the misdirection of a life devoted to these values.

There are several distinct advantages to direct author comment. First, you can say a good bit about the character in a short space. Second, you can shape the reader’s reaction to the character by choosing which details to reveal about the character. A disadvantage of direct author comment, however, is that when you merely tell the reader, they’re not as likely to be as emotionally involved as when they draw their own conclusion. So you’ll want to keep this method to a minimum.

Through the character’s appearance

This second method is a wonderfully concrete way of revealing a great deal about your character. By appearance I mean 1) the character’s physique, and 2) manner of dress. A character’s clothing is a key method of revealing his or her personality. Several examples:

[Eliza’s] face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron.

John Steinbeck, “The Chrysanthemums”

Mrs. Withers, the dietician, marched in through the back door, drew up, and scanned the room. She wore her usual Betty Grable hairdo and open-toed pumps, and her shoulders had an aura of shoulder pads even in a sleeveless dress.

Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman

These two examples create vivid characterization through carefully selected details of appearance.

Here is another strategy to consider. Many authors will use a disability or an abnormality in physical appearance to symbolize a significant character trait. Consider how Flannery O’Connor gives the protagonist Hulga a wooden leg in her story “Good Country People” in order to reveal a salient aspect of Hulga’s character.

Or think of the symbolic possibility inherent in blindness, as exemplified in Raymond Carver’s great story “Cathedral.” Try to think of such ways in which you can make your character much more interesting and memorable through physical appearance.

Through the character’s action

The third method of revealing character is through action. Notice how William Faulkner in his powerful story “Barn Burning” uses Abner Snopes’ actions to characterize him as a violent sharecropper: “His father struck him [his son Sarty] with the flat of his hand on the side of the head, hard but without heat, exactly as he had struck the two mules at the store, exactly as he would strike either of them with any stick in order to kill a fly, his voice without heat or anger.”

In perhaps Joyce Carol Oates’ most widely anthologized story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Oates describes a teenage girl: “Her name was Connie. She was fifteen and she had a quick nervous giggling habit of craning her neck into mirrors, or checking other people’s faces, to make sure her own was all right.” Through these details Oates captures perfectly the concern for appearance and the psychological insecurities of a teenager.

Which actions can you give your character(s) that give your readers a sudden and perhaps

dramatic insight into that character?

Through dialogue

Dialogue can serve a number of functions, and a central one is to characterize. What does your character’s manner of speech say about him or her?

See how Flannery O’Connor uses dialogue here in a key moment of her story “Revelation” to characterize Ruby Turpin as an uppity southern countrywoman:

“One thang I don’t want,” the white-trash woman said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hands. “Hogs. Nasty stinking things, a-gruntin and a-rootin all over the place.”

Mrs. Turpin gave her the merest edge of her attention. “Our hogs are not dirty and they don’t stink,” she said. “They’re cleaner than some children I’ve seen. Their feet never touch the ground…Claud scoots them down with the hose every afternoon and washes off the floor.”

As you can see, dialogue is an effective means not only in characterization, but also for placing the reader right into the scene.

One important means of characterization within the four strategies above is to use concrete detail. In Janet Burroway’s book Writing Fiction which I mentioned earlier, Burroway gives a dramatic example of how concrete detail makes characterization so effective it leaps off the page. She offers the following bit of characterization:

Debbie was a very stubborn and completely independent person and was always doing things her way despite her parents’ efforts to get her to conform.  Her father was an executive in a dress manufacturing company and was able to afford his family all the luxuries and comforts of life.  But Debbie was completely indifferent to her family’s affluence.

Then Burroway asks, what is striking about that character description? Which of the four methods of characterization does this description use predominantly? It consists essentially of only the first of the four methods of characterization. It’s all tell, and no show.

Notice also that the character description works on the level of abstraction: look at the key words: stubborn, independent, conform, comforts, indifferent, affluence.  What this description consists of is a series of judgements by the author which are supported only by generalizations. In other words, we’re being told rather than shown.

But what happens to the characters when the emphasis shifts from authorial comment to concrete details of appearance, action, and dialogue? Here it is as given by Burroway:

Debbie would wear a tank top to a tea party if she pleased, with fluorescent earrings and ankle-strap sandals. (appearance)

“Oh, sweetheart,” Mrs. Chiddister would stand in the doorway wringing her hands.  “It’s not nice.”

“Not who?” Debbie would say, and add a fringed belt. (direct dialogue & action)

Mr. Chiddister was Artistic Director of the Boston branch of Cardin and had a high respect for what he called “elegant textures,” which ranged from handwoven tweed to gold filigree, and which he willingly offered his daughter. Debbie preferred her laminated wrist bangles. (action)

Here is another version of Debbie and her parents offered by Burroway:

One day Debbie brought home a copy of Ulysses. Mrs. Strum called it “filth” and threw it across the sunporch. Debbie knelt on the parquet and retrieved her bookmark, which she replaced. “No, it’s not,” she said. (dialogue and action)

“You’re not so old I can’t take a strap to you!” Mr. Strum reminded her. Mr. Strum was controlling stockholder of Readywear Conglomerates and was proud of treating his family, not only on his salary, but also on his expense account. The summer before, he had justified their company on a trip to Belgium, where they toured the American Cemetery and the torture chambers of Ghent Castle. Entirely ungrateful, Debbie had spent the rest of the trip curled up in the hotel with a shabby copy of some poet. (dialogue and action)

In both revisions of the original, notice the immediate difference. Each of the abstractions has now been conveyed through a specific, concrete detail, and see how the characterization is therefore so much more effective.

Note also that this version implies certain value judgements about Debbie and her parents: Debbie’s rebellious nature; her mother’s philistinism and obsession with social decorum; her father’s physical abusiveness and shady financial practices. So: concrete details matter in presenting meaning, or value, or judgement.

What you notice also is that concrete detail involves the reader; it forces the reader, if he or she is paying attention to detail, to form conclusions about the character. But it’s the reader who draws these conclusions, rather than being told what to think about the character. If the author only tells, the reader is passive. If the author shows, the reader is involved. It becomes an active partnership between author and reader. So, when you develop your characters, it’s wise to use appearance, action, and dialogue more widely than direct author comment.

I’ll end with an important piece of advice: Your portrayal of your characters is only as good as the degree to which you know them. I edit novel and short story manuscripts—I receive query letters from writers from Alaska to Florida, from Massachusetts to California—asking me to edit their fiction, and now and then I observe that a manuscript falls short primarily because the author just hasn’t familiarized him- or herself with the characters sufficiently to know them inside out. Use all the strategies available to you to develop your characters fully. Have the characters come to life off the page!

 

 

Hugh Cook holds an MFA in fiction writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He has published two books of short stories and two novels. Readers can obtain his recent novel Heron River at Amazon and at Barnes and Noble .

Hugh also edits fiction manuscripts. Send him a query at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It’s been a while since I started writing a new series. Late-2018 was the last time, actually. The reason I don’t start new series all the time is because it’s a heck of a lot more work than continuing already-established series.  It’s also why I’ve only written one standalone novel. If you’re writing a series, most of the world-building work has been done early on, along with character development for the principle characters. It’s also so much easier to write about characters you’re very familiar with. The books almost write themselves.

Why do it, then? For me, it comes down to a couple of different reasons. One is simply that I had an idea that I thought might work for a new series. For another, it’s the realization that two of my current series have 20 or more books in them. It makes sense to continue adding series in case others need to come to an end.

There are tons of considerations for starting out a series. You’ll need ingredients like conflict, character arcs, settings, character development, and more. If you’re a cozy mystery writer, here’s a post on starting out a new cozy series.

Here are just a few additional things to remember along the way:

Start a series bible. This will save you so much work later. Every time you describe a character, add the description to the bible. Got a character who hates coffee and drinks tea instead? Add it to the bible. You’ll really manage to keep your inconsistencies down.

Make sure book one is good. This might sound flippant, but it’s really not. I don’t usually use a developmental editor, but I have for the first books in my series. It’s worth the money, in my opinion. Because if book one isn’t good, who’s going to stick around for the rest of the series?

Make sure your cover for book one is good.  Get a professional designer unless your design skills are top-notch. For the rest of your series to be a success, you need to ensure you’ve got readers. And readers definitely judge books by their covers. It’s also important to remember that the cover will need to have elements in future books in the series to indicate they’re in the same series. A professional designer can help you with these recurring elements.

Really weigh whether a cliffhanger at the end of book one is worth it.  Unless you’re rapidly releasing a series, it probably isn’t worth making readers upset.

These are just a few things to consider, so what would you add to the list? How much planning do you do when starting a new series? Do you write in series, or write standalones?

 

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousCopywriting vs Content Writing: What’s the Difference? from Word Wise TipsConferences and Events / MiscellaneousImmediately Following Bologna: Festival du Livre de Paris: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesAAP’s PROSE Awards: The 2024 Top Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesUK: The Women’s Prize for Nonfiction Names Its First Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesAbu Dhabi International Book Fair Outlines Early Details: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesBologna Licensing Awards Names Winners on Monday: @Porter_Anderson @puperspectivesDenmark’s Theis Ørntoft Wins the 2024 EU Prize for Literature: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @EUPLPrizeThe Sheikh Zayed Book Award Names Its Winners: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesAt Bologna: PublisHer’s Excellence Awards and Panel Discussions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesCreativity and Inspiration / InspirationWriters, Outliers Are Your Friends: @DouglewarsCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Jennifer Lane’s Miracle: @margotkinbergFalling Out of Love with Lyric Poetry: @jasonguriel @the_millionsSeven SFF Stories About Artists and the Creative Struggle: by Ratika Deshpande @reactormagCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in WritingFor the Weird Ones: 3 Writing Block Rituals for Built-Different Brains: @Ashley_Wilda1Creativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeConquer the Fear of Failure: @WriteNowCoachHow Herbs Inform My Writing: @authordjmartin @womenwritersHow a Writer’s Feelings Feed into What We Write: @SarahSallyHamer @ediemelsonConfessions of a Writers Conference Junkie: @carltonwhughesDealing with Overwhelm: @aprildavilaA Practice and Resistance: @spressfieldHow to overcome perfectionism: @pubcoachHow to Avoid Explaining Your Novel: by Kathryn Craft @writerunboxedFinding the Right Emotional State For Writing: @DouglewarsReminders About What You Can Control In Writing Vs. What You Can’t: @KMAllan_writerThe Physics of Fiction: How Art and Science Inspire Each Other: @phalpern @lithubGenres / MysteryNotorious Murders as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergGardening Cozy Mysteries: @mandsmagazineBad Parenting as an Element of Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergGenres / RomanceThere are Dragons in my Romance Novel! The rise of Romantasy: by Elizabeth CadyPromo / BloggingTop 5 Blogging Tips For Success: @AHuelsenbeckPromo / MiscellaneousWhy You Need a Press Release in the Digital Age: @McKinneyPR @JaneFriedmanPromo / Social Media TipsSocial Media for Authors: 7 Ways to Succeed Without It: @bookgalPromo / WebsitesMake Your Author Website Work for You: @jennilwalsh @careerauthorsPublishing / MiscellaneousStorytel’s 2023 Report: The Sound of Sustainability: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesProof Print Covers Before Publication: Spotify Expands Premium Audiobooks to Canada, Ireland, New Zealand: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesInside the Fiction Editor’s Mind: Does the Writer’s Identity Matter? @Penprince_ @sfwaAuthor Platform Is Not a Requirement to Sell Your Novel or Children’s Book: @JaneFriedmanPublishing / News / International PublishingChina’s Book Market in 2023: Back in the Black: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesNew Data From BookNet Canada: Book Buying in 2023: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesEmirates Publishers Association Issues 10-Million-Dirham Fund: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesCanada’s Indigo Bookstore Chain Agrees to a Buyout Offer: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingMake personalization easily digestible (query critique): @nathanbransfordPublishing / Process / Book DesignDesigning eye-catching book covers – poetry: @bakeandwrite @storyempirePublishing / Process / DistributionWhat is a Book Distributor? Options to Distribute Self-Published Books: @WogahnPublishing / Process / ISBNsUnraveling the Mysteries of ISBNs and Book Distribution: by @MichaelLaRonn and @sacha_blackWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentWays to Know Your Characters: Personality: @ecellenbWriting Craft / DialogueEveryone says: why the rule about dialogue tags isn’t cast iron: @Roz_MorrisWriting Craft / DiversityHow to Write Outside Your Cultural Experience Without Harm: @StoutContent @womenwritersWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmTennis Lessons from David Foster Wallace: @BJHollars @the_millionsMaestro Beat Sheet Analysis: by Shari Simpson @savethecatWriting Craft / MiscellaneousUsing Poetry to Enhance Your Writing: by Holly Henderson @sfwaThe First Rule of Write Club: @cathyyardley @writerunboxedMastering Turning Points in Relationship Plots: @septcfawkes @onestop4writersDemystifying Miscreant Memories and Crafting a More Authentic Narrative: by Brittany Foster @JaneFriedmanStretch Those Verbs: @AnneJanzerWriting: Improving Your Craft: @lindasclareEffect and Cause: @DonMaass @writerunboxedEditing and Reading Observations for Writers: @deanwesleysmithHow to make your boring writing better: @pubcoachSome of the Types of Power Catalysts: @cyallowitzFive Prose Essentials for First-Time Fiction Writers: by Chris WinkleThe Politics of Character (Or How to Write About Politics Without Writing About Politics): @DavidCorbett_CA @writerunboxedThe Secret to Using Secrets in Your Writing: @KelleyLindberg1
@rmfwWriting Craft / POVPoint of View vs Perspective: The Difference and Examples: @storyhobbitWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining10 outline techniques for writers: from Fix Your Writing HabitsWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / ResearchThe Writer’s Eye: Enhancing Situational Awareness: by Susan Watts @ediemelsonWriting Craft / RevisionWhat Writer’s Should Know: Editing: @dlfinnauthor @storyempire

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Here’s a quick reminder for those of you who get book covers from your designers before working on the book. Make sure, before the paperback version goes live, that the back cover copy is still accurate. Sometimes even the ebook cover might need adjusting.

Why be in this situation to begin with? For me, I’ve got to get on my cover designer’s schedule early or else my releases won’t launch in time. I usually get books covered three months prior to even starting the draft.

Early book cover design works great most of the time. It definitely helps me stay on schedule. But I can run into problems if I decide to change a character’s name, the name of the town (which happened for a new series I wrote), or the series name (new series issue, again).

Although I think we’re all programmed to edit the manuscript text and the book descriptions we upload to retail portals like KDP and Draft2Digital, it might be easier to forget to check the covers that were designed months earlier.

I do have to pay my designer for changes for finished covers, but it’s well worth it to keep readers from being confused. And I’ve had to change at least two covers.

That’s my tip of the day. :) Do you have any helpful reminders for writers that you’ve run across?

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Happy Easter, for all who celebrate!

Business / MiscellaneousStrategizing Your Book Launch for Maximum Impact: @bookgal @bowkerConferences and Events / MiscellaneousAt Torino 2024: The German Language is Guest of Honor: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesCreativity and Inspiration / Careers in Writing and Day Jobs10 Ways to Survive Your Day Job: @_phoebe_quinnCreativity and Inspiration / First NovelsHow to Write Your First Book: @angelaackerman @onestop4writersCreativity and Inspiration / Goal settingSetting Goals and Building Habits – with Marc Reklau: @selfpubformCreativity and Inspiration / InspirationThe Antic Muse: Is There a Place for It in Your Writing? by Barry Knister @writerunboxedHow to Get Useful Ideas for Stories: @DouglewarsThe Power of the Prompt: @Gwen_HernandezCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersPlanes, Trains, and Homicides: Murder Mysteries in Transport: by Benjamin Stevenson @crimereadsCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men: @MargotKinbergSeven Mouthwatering SFF Short Stories: by Ratika Deshpande @reactormag7 Books About the Triumphs and Tragedies of Mountain Climbing: by Karen Outen @electriclitFive SFF Works That Explore the (Sometimes Perilous) Power of Libraries: @jamesdnicoll @reactormagCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in WritingChoose Less, Write More: @WriteNowCoachTips to Divide Up Your Writing Time Into Valuable Chunks: @LynnHBlackburn @ediemelsonThe Practice of Writing: How Much and What Kind Is Needed? @ScreenWryter13Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s BlockThe First Rule of Writing Is Writer’s Block Does Not Exist: by
Alexander Lewis @JaneFriedmanCreativity and Inspiration / SuccessReflections on Success: @theladygreer @writerunboxedCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeMindset: The Stubborn Elephant vs. Writer: @SueColetta1 @storyempireSleep in Your Guestroom and Other Random Thoughts for Authors: @authorterryoStages of Change and Creating Your Writing Success: @MargieLawson @ediemelsonHow I Left My Dream Job For My Lifetime Career: by Gabriela Pereira @diymfaHow to make writing more fun: @pubcoachHow Does a Writer Really Know When Their Manuscript Is Ready? @goodstoryco @theiwsgWriters on Not Writing: @MastersReviewThe Painful Anxiety of Playing Favorites: @foxprintedFive Characters in a Writer’s Life: @TimSuddeth @EdieMelsonWriters Self-Care ~ Taking Time Off: @JoanHallWrites @storyempireMaster Your Writer’s Mindset With These Japanese Techniques: @bang2writeBurned Out on the Business of Writing? 6 Insights to Rediscover Joy and Passion: @KMWeiland8 Top Podcasts Sure to Help Writers Succeed: @colleen_m_story5 Great Things To Do For Your Writing: by Victor SalinasGenres / MysteryAuthentic Mystery Dialogue: @mandsmagazineOlder Women Make the Best Sleuths and Spies (And Criminals): by CJ Wray @crimereadsGrief as an Element in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergSecrets as an Element in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergThe Delightful Encounters of Historical Crime Fiction: by H.B. LyleGenres / Picture BooksKicking Your Picture Book Up a Notch (Without Adding Length): @shutta @floridawriters1Genres / RomanceGenre Expectations: Writing Romantic Fantasy and Fantasy Romance: @ACW_Author @ediemelsonThat’s Not Romance: by Elaine Dodge @writers_writeGenres / Science FictionIs It Sci-Fi or Fantasy? @karencvFive Ways Authors Motivate Characters to Leave Earth Behind: @jamesdnicoll @reactormagPromo / Book Descriptions and CopywritingWant to Improve Your Amazon Ranking? Improve or Update All of Your Book Descriptions: @bookgal @janefriedmanPromo / CrowdfundingWhy Kickstarter is the Most Creative Way to Launch Your Book: Creative Self-Publishing Podcast with Orna Ross: @indieauthoralliPromo / MiscellaneousMarketing Tips for Self-published Authors: @AuthorMarilenePromo / PlatformsYour Author Brand With Isabelle Knight: @thecreativepennPromo / Social Media TipsTips for Writers to Keep the Relationship with Social Media Strong and Healthy: @EdieMelsonPublishing / MiscellaneousThe Secret That Can (and Should) Change Your Entire Approach to Publishing: by Brent Hartinger @careerauthorsPublishing / News / International PublishingAt Leipzig Book Fair: Young Germans’ Engagement With Books and Reading: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesNorway’s WEXFO 2024: A ‘Global Free Speech Recession’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPublishing / Options / Self-PublishingWhy I’m an Independent Publisher: @WendyAdair14Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingHow to submit poetry/creative writing for publication + tips: @trishhopkinsonPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections3 Ways to Soften Rejection: @SueBEdwardsWriting Craft / ArcStory Arc Template and Examples: by Lisa TaylorWriting Craft / BeginningsCareful not to exhaust the reader (page critique): @NathanBransfordThe First Paragraph Leads to the First Chapter: @PeggySueWells @EdieMelsonWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentCharacter Type & Trope Thesaurus: Wallflower: @beccapuglisi @onestop4writersCreating a Unique Self-Insert Character: from Fix Your Writing HabitsWriting Craft / Characters / EmotionHow to Show Emotion in Characters Who Hide Their Feelings: @eldredbirdWriting Craft / DialogueEight Strategies for Improving Dialogue in Your Writing: from Writing and Grammar TipsA Little Less Conversation; a Little More Action: Too Much Dialogue: @annerallenWriting Craft / DraftsHow to Polish Your Final Draft: by Brenda Copeland @careerauthorsWhy Rough Drafts Should Never Be Perfect: by E. S. FosterWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmThe Holdovers Beat Sheet Analysis: by Shari Simpson @savethecatFive Abandoned Arcs From Popular Stories: by Oren AshkenaziWriting Craft / MiscellaneousShould I Quote Experts in my Book’s Introduction? @LisaTenerWriting: Confuse ‘Em and Lose ‘Em: @lindasclareThe Manga Toolbelt for Fiction Writers: @Mcgintytokyo @goteenwritersWhat is a Plot Diagram? And How Can it Help Your Story Structure? @TheStoryEditorHow To Write a Dance Scene: @SueColetta1Avoiding the Dreaded Adverb in Dialogue and Everywhere Else: @FrugalBookPromoHow Do I Fit Lots of Characters Into My Travel Story? by Chris WinkleArchetype Definition and Examples in Literature: by Angie AndriotWriting Craft / Punctuation and GrammarWe’ll All Be Grunting Soon Enough (Grammar Issues Today): @jamesscottbellWriting Craft / RevisionThe Power of Feedback: A Writer’s Brief Journey Through Editing: @HughRoberts05Writing Craft / Revisions / CritiquesWhen Revision Feedback Makes You Think “But I Did Do That!” @authorSATWriting Craft / ScenesCreating a Scene Plan to Make Your Draft a Success: by Chris Winkle

 

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by Wendy Adair, @WendyAdair14

I recently completed and published my second book, a mystery titled Deliver Us From Evil…and the Six O’Clock News.  I came to self-publishing after trying in vain to get an agent, but I have embraced the freedom, control, speed, and  ownership that self-publishing grants me.

A few decades ago my 120 agent rejections would have meant my first book would have never seen the light of day.  In my head anyway, self-publishing bore the mark of “vanity press” and was not taken seriously by anyone.  But thanks to changes in printing technology and online book distribution, I am today the CEO of Bungalow Books Publishing, and my first book The Broken Hallelujah has won a bronze medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards and was a finalist for the International Book Award and the Page Turner Award.

The path wasn’t an easy one.  After taking a continuing ed class from Stanford, I decided I needed a team to get me through the technical aspects of publishing.  A team with a track record of doing first rate work, particularly in the design and editorial aspects:

Administration—ISBN codes, KDP and Ingram Sparks requirements, pricing, distributionDesign—cover and interior—Get the best cover you can. It makes a difference.Editing—copy and proofreading—Nothing irritates me more than typos and grammatical errors that pull me out of a book’s narrative.Audio production—audiobook and book trailers—It’s like hearing a radio play and seeing a movie trailer when done well.Marketing—online ads and promotion opportunities—The more ways you can get the word out the more people will see your book.

I decided I didn’t want to spend my time to piece these talents together—too many vendor reviews.  So I found a book maven who handles the creative folks for the top three items and recommended vendors for the last two.  I am lucky that I am retired, can afford to be responsible for these upfront costs, and don’t need to recover them instantly.  My publishing activities are a small business and my accountant is keeping track of my profits and losses to meet the tax codes.

So back to the benefits, and for me I believe the benefits outweigh the costs.

Freedom—I make all the decisions on my timeline.Complete Quality Control—The teams are wonderful to work with and willing to make design and editorial changes to get the very best product.Speed—I produced and published my first book in six months and my most recent in five months. (Writing time is not included—three years for the first and 18+ months for the second.)100% ownership—All the vendors provide “work for hire” and therefore I own everything they do for me.

But there are drawbacks to consider, even beyond the cost of doing everything yourself.

Time commitment—I spend about half my time on the business side of writing these days, and it definitely is a right brain kind of thing, so hard to flip back and forth to get deep into the next novel.Slow sales—My books would not have been A-list books at a major publisher, but I imagine the distribution would be broader than I can do.Slow Return on Investment—As mentioned above, I do not imagine I will break even any time soon, but since I am retired, I do not envision novel writing as my primary source of income. (Although we can always dream of being the next Martian—an indie-published book that went viral and ended with a movie deal.)

I believe the most important point is that today we have options.  The computer and email systems let me send out 120 query letters to agents with no real expense other than time.  When my mother was writing and shopping her children’s books for a publisher, she was working on a typewriter with carbon paper and mailing queries and manuscripts with an SASE for returns (self-addressed stamped envelope for those of you who were born in the digital age.)

The publishing business is changing, and who knows what challenges and opportunities might lie ahead.  But we do know that the readers are still out there.  I for one am happy that we have new ways to reach them and new ways to get our work seen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I began a lifelong love of reading before kindergarten.  My earliest memories include going to the library or bookmobile and bringing home a box of books…every week.

My connection to words led to a career in public relations and marketing.  Armed with degrees in communication, business and library science, I held senior management positions in higher education, winning numerous local, regional and national marketing awards.  After forty years writing non-fiction, including a 175-page history of the University of Houston, I retired and finally turned to creating fictional worlds. With the help of a Writer’s League of Texas retreat and the Online Certificate in Novel Writing program at Stanford University, I embraced both retirement and novel writing.  I decided to go the independent route and created my publishing arm—Bungalow Books Publishing.  My first novel The Broken Hallelujah won the IPPY Bronze Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards and was a finalist for the International Book Award and the Page Turner Award.

I published the first book in the Brentwood Women Mystery Series, Deliver Us From Evil…and the Six O’Clock News, in January 2024.  The series involves three generations of strong women.  Each will lead the team in solving a mystery that they believe can’t be solved by the police or other authorities.  I am currently finishing book #2 in the series—Deadly as a Walk in the Park, which will be available early this summer.

When I’m not slaving over my computer, I spend time in my backyard garden and with my crazy fur babies, Jade, my yappy but huggable white schnauzer, and her best friend, Yara, a gorgeous and unflappable Russian blue feline, both of whom have supporting roles in the Brentwood series.

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

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. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousGhostwriting Trends: A Report from the Gathering of the Ghosts in New York City: @jbernoff @janefriedmanHow to become a ghostwriter: @jbernoffVisual Branding: @jamesscottbellConferences and Events / MiscellaneousAnnounced During London Book Fair: Toto Carnegies’ Shortlists: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesFrankfurter Buchmesse Opens 2024 Fellowship Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @book_fairUK: Paul Murray Wins the Nero Book Awards Top Honor: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesLondon: Tom Crewe Wins the Sunday Times’ Young Writer Award: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesLeipzig Book Fair: Börsenverein Will Launch #DemocracyVoteNow: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesWales’ £20,000 Dylan Thomas Prize Names Its 2024 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesBig Guide to Conference Networking: @Laura_VABBologna Book Plus 2024: India, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Neil Packer: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersJacqueline Alnes: Writing an Illness Story that Rejects the Inspirational Healing Narrative: by Alexandra Middleton @electriclitCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Jinny Alexander’s A Wake of Buzzards: @MargotKinbergCozy Sleuths with Moxie: An Appreciation and Reading List: by Gabby Allan @crimereadsThe 5 YA Books I’d Reach for Today: @lauriestolarz8 Novels About Women’s Invisible Labor: @brandimwells @electriclitReady to move beyond Goodreads? @LindaKSienkwiczCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in WritingThe Path of Least Resistance for Writers: Stop Procrastinating and Write Something Today: @EdieMelsonCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeGetting Past the “I’m Not Ready” Feelings as a Writer: by William F. WuMore tips on how to stop procrastinating: @pubcoachFeatured Writer on Wellness: Sherry Briscoe: @colleen_m_storyCan You Use AI in Fiction Writing? @Nicholas_Rossis @storyempireBeing Aware of the Details of Life as a Writer: @MichalskiLiz @writerunboxedTell Me Again, Why Do We do This Writing Thing? @donnajostoneWhat’s Happening in the Writer’s World: @worddreams @storyempireSituational Awareness as a Writer: by Kay DiBiancaNine “mind tips” that will help your writing: @pubcoachForging Lasting Bonds in Writing Mentorship Circles: @TheLeighShulmanOn Book Hoarding and the Perilous Paradox of Clutter: @vanessahistory @lithubIntuitive Writing ~ What String is Playing? @Gwen_Womack @writerunboxedFear: The Brick Wall Every Writer Dreads: @SarahSallyHamer @ediemelsonHow to deal with writing milestone hangovers: @nathanbransfordGenres / HorrorCan I Include Fight Scenes in Cosmic Horror? by Oren AshkenaziGenres / MysteryDesigning Thriller and Mystery Twists That Work: @samanthaskal @JaneFriedmanHow to Hide your Culprit: @mandsmagazineSpring Cleaning as an Element in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergThe Comfort of Cozies: @JoyceTremel @crimereadsHow To Write A Psychological Thriller: @bang2writeSympathetic motives in crime fiction: @margotkinbergGenres / RomanceTips for Writing Fantasy Romance: @AuthorMarilenePromo / AdsHow to Get Started with Amazon Ads: @indieauthoralli @selfpubwithdalePromo / CrowdfundingHow To Be Successful On Kickstarter With Paddy Finn: @thecreativepennPromo / Miscellaneous5 Reasons Marketing Is Hard for Writers: @KMWeilandPromo / WebsitesWhy (and How) Writers Should Master WordPress: by Alex J. CoynePublishing / MiscellaneousScholastic Is Acquiring Canada’s 9 Story Media Group: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPRH, Hachette, S&S, Others Flag ‘Trashed Books’ in New York: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesWhat authors, agents, editors, and publishers worry about: @jbernoffPublishing / News / International PublishingBrazil’s Publishers Call Out Perceived Censorship: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesWorld Publishing to Ramaphosa: Don’t Sign Copyright Bill: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesRights Roundup: The Quick Pivot, London to Bologna: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesChildren’s Book Rights: Jon Fosse’s Kids’ Books Go to Bologna: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesPublishing / Options / Self-PublishingThree Things I Wish I’d Known Before Self-Publishing: @burke_writerPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingFive Tips for Writing a Successful Query Letter to an Agent: @MaraCobbWrites @goteenwritersHow to nail the last line of the plot description (query critique): @nathanbransfordPublishing / Process / Book DesignA Creative Approach To Generative AI In Book Cover Design With James Helps: @thecreativepennPublishing / Process / ContractsUnderstanding the Book Publishing Contract: @DancingLemurPre @theiwsgWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentWays to Know Your Characters: Background: @ecellenbWriting Craft / DialogueDialogue Mistakes: from Mythcreants4 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Dialogue: by Rose Atkinson-Carter @reedsyhqWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmThe Best Group Of Fictional Characters In The ‘Verse: by Elaine Dodge @writers_writeFive Stories With Urgency Problems and How to Fix Them: by Oren AshkenaziWriting Craft / MiscellaneousWriting with Intentionality: by Julie Christine Johnson @writerunboxedHow to Kill Your Darlings: @foxprintedRemind Us What Your Character Looks Like: @aprildavilaDetroit and the Appeal of the Underdog: @VaughnRoycroft @writerunboxedTips On Writing Travel Memoirs That Every Writer Should Know: by Manas PatilNon-Linear Writing Techniques: @KristinaAuthorShowing vs. Telling: @TheRyanLanzMake the Reader Cares: @deanwesleysmithNovella Words of Wisdom: @killzoneauthorsSeven Ways to Write About Sex: @ruthharrisbooksTightening our Prose: Too Much Information: @Dwallacepeach
@storyempireThis Is Why You Hated the Ending to That Book: @MegDowellWriting Craft / POV5 Reasons To Start Writing A Story With Viewpoint In Mind: @AnthonyEhlers @writers_writeWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / Story BeatsHow Save the Cat!® Helps Guide My Struggling Students: by Cory Milles @savethecatWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / Story ConceptChoosing the Right Story: Three Questions Every Writer Should Ask: @ZenaDellLowe @ediemelsonWriting Craft / Punctuation and GrammarShould Mom Be Capitalized? & Other Uppercase-Lowercase Conundrums: by Dana Isaacson @careerauthorsWriting Craft / RevisionKeep Your Self Editing on Track: @LinWilsonauthorWriting Craft / TensionTension and the Power of Unanswered Questions: @angelaackerman @onestop4writersWriting Tools / MiscellaneousTech Tip for Writers: Create Shortkeys for Windows Tools: @worddreams

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by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There’s an idiom that I often hear, that’s always bothered me a little bit. It’s about “taking the path of least resistance.” It’s usually thought of as being a negative thing. Merriam-Webster defines the phrase as: to choose the easiest way to do something instead of trying to choose the best way.”

I understand the negative connotations, but to me, taking the path of least resistance is something that often is the smartest approach leading to the best way.

Here’s a non-writing example. I know I need to exercise. I exercise daily, by taking the path of least resistance. I wake up in the morning, dress in my workout clothes, write, then go down into the basement to exercise. By doing this, I overcome natural resistance that I could feel if I need to change clothes later, or get in the car and go to the gym. Instead, I’m ready to go. The basement has an inexpensive treadmill and weights, which have more than paid for themselves. I have no excuses.

For writing, I have everything set up to make life easy for myself:

I know my “magic hours“, my most productive time of day. I write first thing at 5 or 6 a.m.I know exactly what I’m going to write each morning because I have an outline to follow.I set reasonable goals for myself so I’m encouraged instead of discouraged.I never try to catch up if I get behind for any reason.I don’t check social media or do anything that will send me down a rabbit hole when I open my laptop. I dive right into my manuscript.

It’s sort of a matter of greasing the wheel. Just making life easier. Isn’t life hard enough without deliberately choosing a harder path?

How do you make your life easier for yourself? How do you make your writing easier for yourself?

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