Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.

The Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web’s best links and interviews: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .

Recent news: Progressive Dinner Deadly is a Myrtle Clover mystery, available for $2.99 on Kindle and Nook. The 3rd book in the Memphis Barbeque series will release November 1—Hickory Smoked Barbeque (available now for preorder).

Hope you’ll join me here tomorrow when guest Ollin Morales posts on “The 4-Hour Novel: How to Balance Work, Life, Blogging and Your Passion.”

Tips for better hyperlinking: http://bit.ly/mQBlx7

Revision Adventures: Building Strong Characters and Emotional Depth: http://bit.ly/oQrWSo @lkblackburne #writetip

Creativity Tweets of the Week: http://bit.ly/pU40kg @on_creativity

Fear is no way to run a business in publishing or writing: http://bit.ly/rinT5j

On voice and timing: http://bit.ly/oDdNiM

Maurice Sendak: ‘I refuse to lie to children’ (Guardian): http://bit.ly/qdg1Oj

Why Would You Not Spend the Time to Learn Indie Publishing? http://bit.ly/nCxI9A @DeanWesleySmith

Authorial Stickiness and Self Publishing: http://bit.ly/mSxdWZ @DearAuthor @epub

Multiple POV or not? Why does it matter? http://bit.ly/n0np8r @JulietteWade #writetip

Writing Life: How to Expose Yourself: http://bit.ly/nx0sgr @GeoffreyCubbage

3 Ways to Write Your Memoir/Personal Story: http://bit.ly/oVlv7a

The Ultimate 15 point Checklist to Make Your Writing Come Alive: http://bit.ly/qHbktW

Real Life Diagnostics: Building a World That Sucks You in: http://bit.ly/nfVJ3i @janice_hardy

How do you start ? Tips for getting those 1st words onto the page: http://bit.ly/nAc1eB @TheCreativePenn

Critical plot elements–the black moment: http://bit.ly/nU4lKJ @AimeeLSalter

Top 10 things 1 writer has learned from teaching English 101: http://bit.ly/pqviUw @annegreenawalt

The dangers of character overload: http://bit.ly/qqTd2S @KMWeiland #writetip

8 Writing Tricks You Won’t Read Anywhere Else: http://bit.ly/r3piRx @askatechteacher

An agent on breaking through the slush: http://bit.ly/okGgmK

NaNoWriMo tip–keep your character close to home: http://bit.ly/pLADA8

Betting the Farm on Self-Publishing: http://bit.ly/p3Mdy0 @techsavvywrite

Why Setting IS Important When Writing A Novel: http://bit.ly/n3jcMS @bubblecow

An agent with 10 tidbits about author platform: http://bit.ly/nNHBB0 @RachelleGardner

Tips for writing your 1st page: http://bit.ly/qmSTbO @kaykenyon via @JulietteWade #writetip

3 Tips for Professional E-Book Covers: http://bit.ly/qolSRa @janefriedman

A Novelist Takes on Short Stories: http://bit.ly/pzVWlj #writetip

3 Ways to Avoid Repeating Words: http://bit.ly/nPtqqh @sierragodfrey

On oxymorons: http://bit.ly/ragpNa

Niche Publishing and the Power of the Few: http://bit.ly/nGgy1K @jfbookman

UK Publishers, Agents Find Solidarity in Facing Digital Transition Together: http://bit.ly/oeglSE

How to Escalate Conflict in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/nQp9BK @cjredwine #writetip

On ebook tagging: http://bit.ly/pRGci1 @WriteAngleBlog

Preparing for NaNoWriMo: Vet and Fertilize Your Story Idea: http://bit.ly/nrOeUD @storyfix

Changing our book’s game plan: http://bit.ly/oC2Gn4

Kickstarter Project to Give Teens Access to Banned Books: http://bit.ly/onv36f @galleycat

Selling books on Amazon? Do you have your Author Page set up there? http://bit.ly/nnvFaX @BookBuzzr

25 Essential Conference Networking Tips: http://bit.ly/oCvV79 @debng

Building A Platform: Tips From An Agent: http://bit.ly/r4cH4Q @CuriosityQuills

The most important thing on an author’s website: http://bit.ly/nBYYm3 @BookMarketer

How to Read More: A Lover’s Guide: http://zenhabits.net/read/ @zen_habits

Why Self-Promotion Shouldn’t Be a Dirty Word: http://bit.ly/q0SQ78 @RoniLoren

Build Your Personal Brand with These 5 Simple Tools: http://bit.ly/q9B6T6 @MichaelHyatt

Who edits the editors? http://bit.ly/ol9My3 @sarahahoyt

Pros and Cons of Using Secret Identities in Your Story: http://bit.ly/mQIHI8

Adding tricksters to your story: http://bit.ly/oVDef2 @HP4Writers

Using Ebooks to Save on the Price of Review Copies: http://bit.ly/n8jCKc by FutureBook via @PassiveVoiceBlg

Creative women, own your stories: http://bit.ly/nRM7r8 @justinemusk

Lighting the Narrative: http://bit.ly/qxuDiX @RavenRequiem13

9 ways to pass the time while waiting to hear from queries: http://bit.ly/n3BIsS

Why Building a Platform Is Essential & How to Do It: http://bit.ly/nlifaw

A New Company Helps Clients of Literary Agents Self-Publish ebooks: http://bit.ly/nJTYKB @PassiveVoiceBlg

Looking for examples of strong narrative voice? Stand-up comics: http://bit.ly/nhjJdG @tiffanyreisz

How To Write A Book Proposal: http://bit.ly/pPgzhX @thecreativepenn

10 ways to make magic real: http://bit.ly/r9C9tb @CherylRWrites

The structure of your book matters: http://bit.ly/n1UICo @KristenLambTX

Is it all right to use words repeatedly? Depends on the word & the context: http://bit.ly/mY36LM @JulietteWade

Psychology in Fiction: Brainwashing: http://bit.ly/p8WpKT @QueryTracker

The most important element in book design: http://bit.ly/n2PofL @jfbookman

An agent reminds us not to rush our submissions: http://bit.ly/mR1WTy @greyhausagency #pubtip

‘Thinking Outside the Box’ Tips for Creating Your own Book Marketing Video: http://bit.ly/p7gEiQ @HowToWriteShop

3 ways to address any writing setback: http://bit.ly/o7ibGM

Style checklist for writers: http://bit.ly/pKspIA @LynnetteLabelle

Top 5 Most Common Query/Cover Letter Errors: http://bit.ly/pt8gG7 @buriededitor

Tips for speeding through a 1st draft: http://bit.ly/pyE2H0 #writetip

The Nook is Coming to Target: http://bit.ly/pV8vxP

Writers get 1 freebie when writing a book. Use it wisely: amwriting.org/archives/7631 @p2p_editor

Why 1 author writes for children: http://bit.ly/r2gRl7 @AdrienneKress

6 Ways to Fight the Dreaded Doubts: http://bit.ly/qfGX6f @LyndaRYoung

Nanowrimo Prep: What’s Your Premise? http://bit.ly/ozdtYf @AlexSokoloff

Formatting Word docs for ebooks and print: http://bit.ly/nQpuSz @kareninglis

How 1 writer revises: http://bit.ly/oicR1g @veronicaroth

11 top tips for bloggers: http://bit.ly/nApU51

7 Tips for Accomplishing your Goals in Bite Sized Pieces: http://bit.ly/npJ9Aq @JWhite

4 ways to apply lessons learned from craft books: http://bit.ly/nY0ZEQ @inkworknow

How writers can beat tip of tongue syndrome: http://bit.ly/oqNOaf @inkworknow

Enhanced E-books and the Future of Publishing: http://bit.ly/rm1I2D (The Atlantic)

25 things you should know about NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/ndzdaP @ChuckWendig

10 early warning signs that you need to decrease (or increase) your time online: http://bit.ly/pFKqvn @awsamuel

An agent on self-publishing: http://bit.ly/nxYVBI @sarahlapolla

3 Essential Questions Every Author Must Ask Themselves: http://bit.ly/qAR6iC @sarahthewriter1

Which Comes First: Conflict or Characterization? http://bit.ly/ojAhNS @writeitsideways

7 Character Types That Build Your Story: http://bit.ly/pIp5cg @4KidLit

How To Avoid the Publishing Kool-Aid: http://bit.ly/oyy8kk @JamiGold

An agent on referrals and recommendations: http://bit.ly/p7LNYw @rachellegardner #pubtip

Excel…a writer’s best friend? http://bit.ly/n7M7ch @mikemartinez72

Revision and self-editing tips: http://bit.ly/qPAMuD @pichetsinparis

Book Reviewers: An Author’s Best Friend: http://bit.ly/rl0Ior @jodyhedlund

How to open your book with a bang: http://bit.ly/onRYiC @victoriamixon #writetip

Getting Started as a Freelance Copywriter: http://bit.ly/roO95c @urbanmusewriter

A writer reports on 1 year of self-publishing: http://bit.ly/obTdcx @jimchines

Top 10 comic book villains: http://bit.ly/oHTL5O @sciencefiction

15 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs: http://bit.ly/pvqLCO

3 Ruthless Email Responses to Achieve Inbox Zero: http://bit.ly/qLh5lb @lifehackorg

5 writing tips 1 mom learned from her Down Syndrome daughter: http://bit.ly/ntweB7 @TiceWrites

See How Easily You Can Format Dialogue: http://bit.ly/pV94jI @bubblecow

Don’t confuse readers with inconsistent character names: http://bit.ly/oDqEMN @KMWeiland

For Bloggers–How to Avoid Becoming A “Gap Hunter”: http://bit.ly/qxBgpw @ollinmorales

5 tips for a successful NaNoWriMo (and how Scrivener can help): http://bit.ly/oReMlf

Building Your Web Presence For Authors: Link-Building Tips: http://bit.ly/qhShMq

11 core WordPress plugins: http://bit.ly/qI62J0

Should You Serialize a Novel on Kindle? http://bit.ly/qllfPG @dirtywhitecandy

Cleaning Up Your Word Processing File Before You Publish: http://bit.ly/rqr0Ca @PassiveVoiceBlg

An insightful wrap-up of industry news and buzz by @Porter_Anderson for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/oHBGXL #writetip

Authors: Ideas to Promote Each Other: http://bit.ly/p4fcWD

Nice rejections count: http://bit.ly/nsYaTg @JulietteWade

Nail Your NaNoWriMo #6: Filling Out the Big Picture: http://bit.ly/nltPGz @storyfix

Software to help organize 1st drafts: http://bit.ly/opruss @Kathy_Crowley

5 Kindle formatting tips: http://bit.ly/rsSqXg @TheCreativePenn

Migrating to Digital Publishing? Answers from the Experts: http://bit.ly/pXM9Zk by Karina Mikhli

Tips for capturing character voices: http://bit.ly/nXtnep @Dianapfrancis #writetip

Don’t be a zombie when you write: http://bit.ly/pS97Le @lisagailgreen

Are Writers Entrepreneurs? http://bit.ly/oEep9Y @JamiGold

The value of being specific when giving a critique: http://bit.ly/ooACEa @JoniBCole

The Best Way Ever for SF/Fantasy Fans to Waste Time: http://bit.ly/rrxPGQ @GeoffreyCubbage

Writing an ebook: the pros and cons: http://bit.ly/qIUOlc @marlataviano

Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Elusion (Daily Writing Tips) : http://bit.ly/rdvC7u

The importance of accuracy & authenticity in crime fiction–without losing focus on the story: http://bit.ly/qaQuMO @mkinberg

High profile cases in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/rqBMew

The Importance of Writing Unrealistically: http://bit.ly/qw3VIu @LTWFblog

Why Writers Conferences are Rethinking Pitch Sessions: http://bit.ly/pqNkH1 @amysuenathan

Right ways, wrong ways, & smart ways to build a brand: http://bit.ly/o0pWJ4 @KristenLambTX

Why 1 writer is happy to be traditionally published: http://bit.ly/qIMOeD

When you’re unhappy with the way your publisher classified your book: http://bit.ly/okf7pt @behlerpublish

Don’t Be a Poser: Write What You Love: http://bit.ly/oLKWcj @RoniLoren

Top 20 Free Book Apps of the Week: http://bit.ly/qY1clU @ebooknewser

Nanowrimo Prep: The Index Card Method: http://bit.ly/qoHl4K @AlexSokoloff #writetip

Give your character a hammer & everything looks like a nail: 57 ways to make your story unique http://bit.ly/qyzOxT @CherylRWrites #writetip

4 worst sentence constructions: http://bit.ly/nKXsDr @FictionNotes

Suffragette Steampunk: http://bit.ly/qf26dI @catrambo

The Elusive Perfect Reader: http://bit.ly/pj1VGq @lynneklippel

Nature Vs Nurture: Natural Writers and the Educated: http://bit.ly/nJPUd4 @CathyStucker

On script theft: http://bit.ly/n5Cz4S @jeannevb

The value of our writing: http://bit.ly/pCRpUO @zoewinters

How to Make Horror and Dark Fantasy Work on TV: http://on.io9.com/rfj7YE @io9 #screenwriting

Writing About Yourself Without Being Arrogant or Apologetic: http://bit.ly/qZiPjx @thursdayb

Grab Readers’ Attention with Your Hook: http://bit.ly/qV73sc @mariamurnane

The 10 Types of Writers’ Block (and How to Overcome Them): http://on.io9.com/nDc4yv @io9

Portraying protagonists with warmth: http://bit.ly/mUMVG8 @DonMaass #writetip

8 Ideas for Getting to Know Your Character:http://bit.ly/oXKBKJ by Kenda Turner #writetip

Nail Your NaNoWriMo: The Most Important Moment in your Story: http://bit.ly/rqBEck @storyfix

Designing a Character: Using Color Schemes: http://bit.ly/oi0y35 @lesliesullirose

Best articles this week for writers 9/7/11: http://bit.ly/oXuaXH @4KidLit #writetip

Why Vampire Novels Will Always Be Popular: http://bit.ly/nasaL7 @/CuriosityQuills

Books provide entertainment value in tough times: http://bit.ly/pWXXMP @WriteAngleBlog

3 Keys to Sustainable & Successful Indie Authorship: http://bit.ly/qzQ8N4 @backmybook

21 Ways to Save Minutes Each Day: http://bit.ly/qZQ2Vw @workawesome

There Is No Story Until There Are 2 Stories: http://bit.ly/nR438g by Edmund Schubert #writetip

Contact Tip for Writers: http://bit.ly/q4ba4E @catwood

How a TV director writes a novel: http://bit.ly/pYcNof @novelrocket

Is Character Destiny? http://bit.ly/rc40b4 @BTMargins

Why readers want to be hooked quickly and how to do it: http://bit.ly/oihLk9 by Cindy Wilson

Say Bonjour to the Amazon French Kindle Store: http://bit.ly/mXm75A

Making time to Write: http://bit.ly/nxNtNB @GlennGamble

How to edit your manuscript in 30 days or fewer: http://bit.ly/mTlNUN @elanaj #writetip

Q & A with An Agent’s Slush-Pile Reader: http://bit.ly/q4VeGM @MuseInks

Writer Beware and “The Write Agenda”: http://bit.ly/nfXZPe @newbookin

Re-Examining Digital’s ‘Saint’ McLuhan In His Centenary Year http://ow.ly/6QGwG by @robertandrews via @Porter_Anderson

Thoughts on group blogging: http://bit.ly/qaA60d

As someone who’s currently on a couple of group blogs (and who has been a regular contributor on as many as five), I found a recent post by author/social media guru Kristen Lamb interesting.

In it, Kristen says:

I have run into writers who were very prolific, contributing to multiple group blogs. Group blogs are wonderful. They can help us learn to blog better and can offer accountability. Yet, if we are writing for three different group blogs, but then not blogging on our own site? That is BAD. Group blogs will not brand an individual author. Yes, we will have a social media presence…but that isn’t a brand.

I have to agree with Kristen. In fact, on some group blogs, it’s hard to tell who that day’s contributor even is. Many, many times I want to tweet something that someone has written on a group blog and I can’t find the writer’s contact info, blog or Twitter handle. Sometimes it’s even hard to figure out who wrote the post (sometimes it will even say by guest.)

I think it’s better to make sure that a byline with your contact info (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and blog or website link is at the bottom of every group blog post. If you’re allowed to, a book cover is nice, too. Because, this is branding we’re talking about. You want to be associated with the book you’re promoting.

I agree with Kristen’s point about making sure we’re still blogging on our own, individual blogs. You won’t make much of an individual splash on a group blog, especially if you’re only occasionally posting.

It’s also a good idea to write for a group blog that reaches a different audience than your personal blog. I’m primarily writing for writers here at my blog. At Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, I’m blogging for readers. And on A Good Blog is Hard to Find, I’m blogging for readers who enjoy Southern-themed books (as opposed to just mystery writers.)

How group blogs work:

There’ll be a set schedule—either a particular day of the week or month, or an emailed schedule.

Saturdays are usually not popular with writers for posting. It’s thought to be a day that gets less blog traffic (although I haven’t actually noticed this to be true.) Sometimes, rotating out Saturday duties is nice so no one gets upset. I’ve also been on group blogs where no one posted on Saturday, but book news or news on events and appearances were posted.

Usually, group members are expected to support the other members by commenting on their blog posts at least every few days.

Group members are usually expected to respond to comments on their day.

Promoting the group blog on social media like Facebook and Twitter is usually appreciated.

Trading out guest posts with other group blogs is a nice way to get cross-exposure for both groups.

Have you thought about forming a group blog or asking to join one?

You wrote your first book, and it’s on Kindle, Smashwords, Nook and wherever else ebooks are sold. You’re proud of it, your family members pretend that they’re proud of you, and your wife wishes that you would stop chasing unattainable dreams. Whatever the case, you have joined the ranks of becoming a novelist by agonizing over your work for however long it took you to write your book. Good job—now write the next one!

Easier said than done when you have children, work, and other obligations that eat away at your writing time. Some of you log on twitter and commiserate with all your writer friends about not having time to write your next work of art because of the aforementioned obligations in your life. Others say “I can’t wait to be able to make enough income to be a full-time writer, then I could quit my job because I would love nothing more than to have all day to type stories on my computer and submit those best-sellers. James Patterson has nothing on me. Hocking? Locke? JK Rowling, eat your heart out!”

Guess what? You’ll never have enough time to write. Watch yourself there, don’t choke on your jelly bean!

Go back and reread the bold print.

Make peace with the face that you will never have enough time to write, then you won’t have this excuse to use as a crutch anymore. There will never be enough of a time balance for you to write your masterpieces, due to the fast paced society that we live in. Kids, homework, job, wife, soccer practice and mistress are all demanding an unfair chunk of your time, that’s life. With that said, you have to make time to write if being a novelist is something that you want to do. No one cares about an author who only has one book published. Think about your favorite authors –they have several books published—because they made time to write while encumbered with the same obstacles you face, if not more. Now its your turn to make time to write.

The key to making time to write is to squeeze it into the small pockets of idle time that you have available. Do you have a 30 minute lunch break? Eat a snack for the first 15 minutes and work on your story for the next 15 minutes. Do you have downtime at your job? Some of us work in occupations where we face long periods of boredom, sandwiched in between intense work projects. If you have down periods, or slow periods then work on your story for that period. Just be mindful that your employer pays your mortgage and that you do need to show your managers respect. When you’re at your job, your first priority is fulfilling the expectations of your management team first and foremost.

Do you have a favorite television show? Skip it. Granted, some of you like Survivor and believe that it provides great entertainment value. Who cares? Besides, when was the last time your favorite television show provided you with a tangible benefit that was instrumental in improving your life? What about in improving your writing? Television is for people who are trying to balance writing with working.

Another thing that tickles me is the notion that you must block out writing time and create this perfect environment where you get to sit in a quiet room and write without distractions and interruptions in order for you to create your best work. While this might be ideal, it’s unrealistic. You have children, you live in an apartment, you live with your mama, and you share the same room with your wife.

There are a number of uncontrollable distractions that occur throughout the day. You must learn how to tune them out in order to pursue your dream. In reality, you won’t be able to control what goes on in your environment. Your son will not stop being acting like a child just because you’re writing. So you raise your child and write your book. If something happens that requires your attention, stop writing and resolve the issue at hand. If your mistress calls you every day, return her calls every three days. Writing should be your main priority that comes second only to your family and your job.

Pursue small pockets of time throughout the day and make the best of them whether they’re your lunch breaks, your downtime, your weekends or that half hour before you go to bed.

Glenn Gamble is the author of A Thousand Chances, Bon Appetit, Escape, On the Run, and James. All of his books are available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook and Smashwords.

He also encourages you to go to his website http://www.GlennGamble.com.

I usually don’t get stuck with book beginnings (endings are more of a problem for me), because I have a similar approach each time. This may not give me an award for originality, but it does seem to work.

I like to open with dialogue and start the book in the middle of some sort of change for my protagonist. The point where a normal, everyday, boring day turns into something different.

Now endings? They’re tougher for me. I usually write several of those and decide which one I like best. That would be easy to do with a beginning, too. It takes off some of the pressure when we realize we can change it.

If you get stuck at the beginning of your book, you could even skip it and write it last.

Opening lines I’m not crazy about

I’ll admit to being a pretty picky reader. I think this is because I have such a long list of books to read that I just move to the next title on the list if a book doesn’t grab me.

Although opening with setting is fine, I do want the setting to be an important part of the story if the book opens up with it.

Long descriptions on the first page usually make me start skimming.

Too many character names at the very beginning of a book can make me confused, too.

Book openings usually have several goals:

Introducing the protagonist…just getting them onstage so the reader knows whom the story is about.

Posing a question, introducing some conflict, or generally hinting the plot’s direction.

Showing the writer’s voice.

Interesting opening lines

Looking for some examples of some enticing opening lines? Check out this article from Stylist: “The best 100 opening lines from books.”

As a reader, what kinds of book beginning get you hooked? As a writer, are opening lines tough for you?

November 1st through 30th is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.

If you’re not familiar with it, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a novel in a month. You can log your progress online, participate in forums for different genres, and receive motivation, support, and encouragement from other writers.

Unfortunately, I never seem able to participate because I’m in the middle of a manuscript (to technically follow the rules, you’re supposed to start a new project), but I feed off of the creativity and excitement of the participants and lurk in the forums pretty frequently, too.

I thought I’d run this post a little earlier than I ordinarily would, because I think that sometimes to write a novel quickly, we need a little prep-work beforehand.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo next month? Here are some posts to help you get prepared (some posts from last year and some more recent ones):

Wondering whether you should participate?

5 Reasons You Should Do NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month: http://dld.bz/zHnH

The Pros and Cons of NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/3UfK

Recent series on NaNoWriMo:

Larry Brooks on StoryFix is currently running a series, “Nail Your NaNoWriMo.” Here are his first posts– http://bit.ly/pvLOP0 , 2: http://bit.ly/pLADA8, 3: http://bit.ly/nrOeUD

Alexandra Sokoloff is also doing a series of posts on preparing for NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/qHH62A and http://bit.ly/mRWaNq are her first two.

Some help from last year:

6 Golden Rules of NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/3XH7

NaNoWriMo Workshop – Plot: http://dld.bz/3XHt

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp: Choosing the Right Idea: http://dld.bz/3876

Getting your NaNo on: http://dld.bz/386A

NaNoWriMo – Make a list: http://dld.bz/3cF3

Make Your NaNoWriMo Experience Count: http://dld.bz/2vp3

Countdown to NaNoWriMo: Outlining A Novel Worth Reading: http://dld.bz/2rkR

5 Resources To Help You Plan Your NaNoWriMo Novel: http://dld.bz/zyZQ

Anybody planning on participating in the challenge?