Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I follow a bunch of writing blogs–nearly 2000 now. And each time I find another writing blog out there (I’ll click a new follower’s link on Twitter, I’ll click a link in someone’s blogroll, etc.), I immediately click over and subscribe.

It’s funny, but 90% of the time, I can tell the writer’s genre from their blog. YA blogs pop on the page, mystery blogs have a lot of dark backgrounds (obviously Mystery Writing is Murder doesn’t conform! I have a hard time reading dark backgrounds, so I just made mine very minimalistic. But I did get the word “mystery” in the masthead…), romantic blogs have a softer look, etc.

To me, it’s instant branding. I get it. In my head I’m thinking, “Okay, when I’m looking for some great material from a YA/SFF/mystery/romance blog, then I’ll pop by here.”

There must be many other people who do the same thing—click over to a blog and get a feel for the writer who posts there and the material they write. I’m sure some of these folks are agents and editors who follow links in queries to blogs.

So I think it can be useful to either mention your genre in the subtitle of your blog (conventional wisdom states that it’s the best branding practice to have your name as the blog’s name—oops. :) ) or have the genre be obvious to anyone spending a few seconds on your site.

Helpful elements to have on your blog:

RSS feed button for those of us who like to quickly subscribe

Contact me link (you’ll want agents or editors or other people to be able to reach you)

A way to belong: While I’m subscribing, I usually want to click on a Networked Blogs follow button or some other type of followers button

Blogroll: These are great for link exchanges. (Are you on mine? If you’re not, let me know and I’ll add you to my blogroll.)

About me: Even if you’re anonymous you can spare a few tidbits. Something like “Science Fiction reader and writer who also enjoys writing poetry.” Just something.

Buy links: If you’ve got books out

Links to any social media you belong to. For my purposes, it’s handy to see a Twitter link if you have one so that I can @ you if I tweet a post.

Have any other tips for useful things to have on blogs? How does your blog introduce you to readers, writers, and others in the industry?

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter in the last week.

I’m delighted that now we have an efficient method of locating resources on writing topics when you need them—via the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine and software engineer and writer Mike Fleming’s ingenuity. The links I tweet (which are writers’ blogs, agents’ and editors’ blogs) all are added to the engine to make it easier for you to access the information you’re looking for.

Interested in a monthly newsletter with the top writing articles, blogger spotlights, and interviews with industry insiders? Sign up for the free WKB newsletter here: http://hiveword.com/wkb/newsletter. (You can unsubscribe at any time, and your email information is never shared.)

Jewels in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/e8c7fD @mkinberg

Foursquare Tool for Crime Novelists: http://bit.ly/ii9rFb @galleycat

How to write a screenplay: http://bit.ly/gKgymp

You Need a Complete Manuscript: http://bit.ly/gr1iKQ

What Not to Worry About in a 1st Draft: http://bit.ly/idYvQw

Rejecting the genre, not the writing: http://bit.ly/eSsQnX

When agents fly the coop: http://bit.ly/gNXQb0

Is it YA or Not? 5 Ways to Tell: http://bit.ly/hPDQLW

Can Reading Great Books Really Help Writers Grow? http://bit.ly/fnNDb5

Tips for perfecting your prose: http://bit.ly/gn78cx

A manifesto for creatives: http://bit.ly/gXyjug

Writing Is Like Comfort Food: http://bit.ly/eJNQmp

5 Ways to Repair Misused Em Dashes: http://bit.ly/dQFEZZ

On opening lines: http://bit.ly/g13E5F

Smart, Non-intrusive Ways to Monetize a Blog: http://bit.ly/eV1Cel

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Hurry Scurry Berry Tart http://bit.ly/i2owGN

2 writers with thoughts on writing humor: http://bit.ly/g3GCdA

Offbeat Lessons From 3 Late-Blooming Writers: http://bit.ly/fwy4fl

Where does dystopia fit as a genre? http://bit.ly/h1UXd9

4 places to check your transitions: http://bit.ly/hmVwjq

Self-Publishers Speak: Weaving Your Safety Net Mid-leap: http://bit.ly/g9dwi5

Get Prepared for Maximum Writing Effectiveness: http://bit.ly/e66eZy @NewbieAuthor

What a good old-fashioned lie can do for your story: http://bit.ly/gOseDo

Crafting an Opening That Draws You In: http://bit.ly/ianoIe

Finding Your Voice: 7 Tips: http://bit.ly/hTfR1S @CherylRWrites

The Top Seven Reasons Publishers Reject Nonfiction Book Proposals: http://bit.ly/enxWDd

Now with over 7000 links to help #writers find resources: http://bit.ly/dYRayA

Creativity Tweets of the Week — 4/15/11: http://bit.ly/ftkuKq @on_creativity

The Query Quandary: http://bit.ly/fl61Ze @WriteAngleBlog

Outline Techniques for Those Who Hate Outlines: http://bit.ly/fLvjcy

The Princess Bride—Storytelling Done Right: http://bit.ly/eCCBw7

Best Articles This Week for Writers 4/15/11: http://bit.ly/ezjYbU @4kidlit

Tweets, texts & posts: New sources for memoir writers: http://bit.ly/eJxUaX

A look at literary assistants (part 2): http://bit.ly/hzh68q

10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear: http://bit.ly/h2P9Q2

5 Innovative Poets to Watch & Learn From: http://bit.ly/i8xcoj

Tips for writing transitions: http://bit.ly/eXsCLT

To Kindle, With Caution: http://bit.ly/eFAW0g

When Your WIP Is Too Short aka Massive Panic Attack Time! http://bit.ly/h7wXhB

Ebook Spam – “Bound” to Happen: http://bit.ly/dNG9ku @hopeclark

What to do if you love a book: http://bit.ly/ikwOpz @MaryJaneMaffini

Author income streams: http://bit.ly/f2zWOZ

Character Development in the 4 Act Structure (for erotic romance writers & others): http://bit.ly/eUtO9U @SaschaIllyvich

99 cents only works if you actually sell more copies: http://bit.ly/dZT9Ps

The Periodic Table of Storytelling and Cultural Gender Bias: http://bit.ly/hmTvWB

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cookies from Leftovers! http://bit.ly/ewbkkI

Self-Publishing 911: http://bit.ly/idkNs5

Dystopian Fiction: An Introduction: http://bit.ly/hpFSFz

What does a writer need to succeed? Discipline: http://bit.ly/g5Bmua

What is your social media influence score? (And does it matter?): http://bit.ly/eyPOdX

Changing the Writer’s POV: http://bit.ly/htG0E2

Widows and Orphans: http://bit.ly/emnyo0

Theories of literary greatness that enrage and perplex: http://bit.ly/g6c7Nw

7 writing sins and tips for avoiding them: http://bit.ly/i8Dgt9 @Riduna

Apple’s Incredible iPad, One Year In: http://bit.ly/eR1jYZ

10 writing issues that stop agents in their tracks: http://bit.ly/fzp6ix

8 secrets writers won’t tell you: http://bit.ly/fXvO58

Don’t Ignore Logic When Writing Fiction for Children: http://bit.ly/i3ycp4

Think Like a Publisher #7… A Sales Plan: http://bit.ly/eC9N7D

Surviving the publishing apocalypse: http://bit.ly/hD2T2F @ajackwriting

Tools for writers who are learning addicts: http://bit.ly/hgKeYo @jamigold

Writers Conference or Workshop? http://bit.ly/h2fMu5

Updating a novel–yes or no to including current music and tech trends? http://bit.ly/grCTuC @authorterryo

The Short Synopsis: http://bit.ly/f5hfdP

Steinbeck’s travel book gets fact-checked (NY Times): http://nyti.ms/gLYZey

Confessions of an A.D.D. Writer: http://bit.ly/f7C1lX @jhansenwrites

Want to write? 18 great writers and thinkers show you how: http://bit.ly/gRqk4O @inkyelbows

Top 5 Ways to Get Your Articles Found and Read Online:http://bit.ly/f6t0kj

Explaining steampunk: http://bit.ly/g0mnHh

How a Simple Timer Can Magically Improve Your Productivity: http://bit.ly/hcRYyU

Keeping book clutter off the bookshelf: http://bit.ly/hQYXOv

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: How to Make Fondue http://bit.ly/i5XaNY

Support Your Fellow Writer: http://bit.ly/h0P8g0

The Secret History of Ads in Books (NY Times): http://nyti.ms/fQ6H5I

A writer worries about giving his Social Security number to editors: http://bit.ly/ekD8OZ

Writers’ torture: waiting for your script to be read: http://bit.ly/eZSaLp

Your Backlist Is a Veritable Gold Mine: http://bit.ly/grg8VA

Costly pitfalls to avoid when setting up your website: http://bit.ly/fqhRUv

7 Rules to Pitching a Glossy Magazine: http://bit.ly/eDQQo5

Is your book’s setting ho-hum? http://bit.ly/gByyLa

A Dollhouse Metaphor for Writing: http://bit.ly/gBCoLZ

Accept your foibles and observe your writing patterns: http://bit.ly/fVLVpG

5 tips to quickly finish your 1st draft: http://bit.ly/hLSAci @alanorloff

Selling Poetry? 5 Ways to Market Your Book of Poems: http://bit.ly/iedK8a

Query letters for scriptwriters: http://bit.ly/huZPna

Launch a Brand New Blog … with Authority: http://bit.ly/f66x7q

Interactive Narratives and the Future of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/i2BlA4

How to use props in your writing: http://bit.ly/id0q89 @cristinterrill

Track Changes…Friend To Writers and Trees: http://bit.ly/i425fD @jhansenwrites

First Person Verses Third Person: http://bit.ly/eUvlyG

The Top 10 books Americans most want banned (Guardian): http://bit.ly/hfFACw

On Editor/Agent Requests – Some things to consider: http://bit.ly/fCimWP

Dialogue–make it matter: http://bit.ly/hpZDDR @juliemusil

Win vs. compete: http://bit.ly/fLmiaI

This Week’s Fail Whale–The Twitter Tyrant: http://bit.ly/ghEmoA

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Fruit Salad in a Flash http://bit.ly/hbUkmA

The E-Publishing Outlook for Average Authors:My E-Book Sales: http://bit.ly/fY4jFe

And now there’s a book out there with your name on it. Imagine that. (Guardian): http://bit.ly/h7duGW

Short Stories vs. Novels – “natural length” and the fractal structure of stories: http://bit.ly/e7URUH

Writerly confessions: http://bit.ly/hRg08m @SW_Messenger

The Kindle as a revision tool: http://bit.ly/fROdtR

Confessions of a Dangerous Twitterer: http://bit.ly/dGMDHN

The Fine Art of Conquering Impatience: http://bit.ly/h6GaMe

Tips for Kindle Authors: http://bit.ly/gl82CU @thecreativepenn

Dialogue Problems and How To Fix Them 1: All your dialogue sounds the same. http://bit.ly/hY0MmK @ajackwriting

ABCs of story analysis: http://bit.ly/em1iYf

One writer has a publisher but still wants an agent. Here’s why: http://bit.ly/eM5jNt

Proper Use of The Semicolon: http://bit.ly/gRQoOg

When friends and family don’t get the point of our writing: http://bit.ly/eknr8D

The importance of setting: http://bit.ly/hG8UW5

More on Success and Rejection: http://bit.ly/dUw9p3

The difference between editing and proofreading–and tips for both: http://bit.ly/hhaPwW @jhansenwrites

3 steps to finding alternate endings that work: http://bit.ly/fwkfc0

Want to Sell Your Story? Peel Away the Layers to Create Memorable Characters: http://bit.ly/fpTIPP @authorterryo

The Best Agent Blogs of 2011: http://bit.ly/fimD0k

Need tips for plotting? http://bit.ly/fiTDIR

5 things stand-up comedians can teach you about self-publishing: http://bit.ly/dIpwU5

Protagonists shouldn’t be bystanders in their own lives: http://bit.ly/gINJaN

The Protagonist: Using Character Clusters: http://bit.ly/gJT8Y0

The ingredients of a perfect writer’s blog: http://bit.ly/gVAecj

Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences: http://bit.ly/g13Kqf

Less is more when writing: http://bit.ly/g5YwZq @Paize_Fiddler

The Dreaded Query Letter: http://bit.ly/dWhzs3

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Maple Cookies 2 Ways from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/ikuoXR

All about line editing: http://bit.ly/ePcMun @victoriamixon

Telling Just Enough: http://bit.ly/ftjjNu

How to keep having great ideas: http://bit.ly/hePATC @jammer0501

Some examples illustrating authorial voice: http://bit.ly/gRE8kr

Give yourself permission to be as creative as you can be: http://bit.ly/dEVRzD

Research–how to do it and when to stop doing it: http://bit.ly/gRdygL

Trends in Middle-Grade: http://bit.ly/hffjcZ @jemifraser

One writer is a Kindle convert (National Post): http://bit.ly/euWORb

What if literary characters were agents? http://bit.ly/hZ93xm

Pre-pub book marketing tips: http://bit.ly/g5SlPR

Writing your Synopses: How to begin? http://bit.ly/eCWmYq

Write For A Living In 7 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/fBsrkx @thecreativepenn

You Can’t Hook a Reader with a Yawn: http://bit.ly/gY6FdV

The Positive Side of Rejection: http://bit.ly/evIzRg

The phrase every publisher craves: word-of-mouth success (Guardian): http://bit.ly/eaCupc

Dialogue Tags: How To Kill Off Some Of The Little Buggers: http://bit.ly/g71qor

The Pain and Pleasure of Back-to-Back Releases: http://bit.ly/fUhHqT @MasonCanyon

3 Traits Your Hero and Villain Should Share: http://bit.ly/i23dKx

Using Comments to Build Your Blog Readership: http://bit.ly/ggWqUS

Helpful WordPress plug-ins: http://bit.ly/fgwgpz

Excel: A Writer’s Best Friend: http://bit.ly/fN99jY

4 social media lessons from the world of book publishing: http://bit.ly/ef5uWi

Ebook Authors: The Kids Are Coming: http://bit.ly/hXC8YV

The Trouble With Triples: Writing Trilogies: http://bit.ly/dUtKyj

I Didn’t See That Coming: How To Avoid The Kiss-Of-Death Of Being Predictable: http://bit.ly/h14bJc

A crossword puzzle for romance readers (Borders blog): http://tinyurl.com/4xeoma8 @joanswan

Creating characters with disabilities: http://bit.ly/e7pp5g

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Un-Blueberry Pie http://bit.ly/ew9FZF

The less you spread yourself thin, the better your work: http://bit.ly/i4vfVF @hopeclark

Query Letters: Part 2: http://bit.ly/fAONgb

Two Sides to a Story: Plotting For Everyone: http://bit.ly/hawQlE

3 Tips For Finding Something To Say When You’re Out of Ideas: http://bit.ly/fOearm

Scoring a Well-Rounded Manuscript: Voice: http://bit.ly/gwti1y

You gotta have an agreement first, doggone it: http://bit.ly/fa0XGq

No, Really. Finish the Manuscript. http://bit.ly/hA5QO0

Conversion Journey: One Writer’s Word-to-E-book Workflow: http://bit.ly/hK02m1

Pacing Potholes: Common Hazards that Slow Forward Motion: http://bit.ly/gw2XG2

Query Letters That DON’T Work, Not Even a Little Bit: http://bit.ly/hsSD5t

Top 5 Children’s Lit Agencies: http://bit.ly/fVyMiw

Why being agented is weird: reason #1: http://bit.ly/iiSVEX

Defining a content edit: http://bit.ly/fF04UI

10 Creativity Lessons from George Carlin: http://bit.ly/fFyHWc

Manuscript makeovers: http://bit.ly/dYqrHF

Pitching *is* a job interview: http://bit.ly/gatx3w

A mobile scriptwriting app: http://bit.ly/edzKDI

Write A Synopsis, Disney-Style: http://bit.ly/es0OaD

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Killer Kugel – to die for! http://bit.ly/dKcMeA

Should Self-Pubbed Authors Refer to Themselves as “Indie?” http://bit.ly/dPStAp

Switching your character’s goal: http://bit.ly/dUj1iM

How Much More Do You Have to Learn? http://bit.ly/fUlwp0

Beautifully Written: http://bit.ly/gzG1Ge

On dramatic POV: http://bit.ly/fU2U1z

Story architecture–lessons from “The Source Code”: http://bit.ly/eiOy0k

Screenwriting glossary: http://bit.ly/f8YOBC

8 tips for making your editor love you: http://bit.ly/i2IaNX

5 Reasons Your YA Character Might Flop: http://bit.ly/gpAKt5

Lemony Snicket’s (Very Random) Guide for Writers: http://bit.ly/hwvyYP

Evaluating Critique Feedback: http://bit.ly/en7Utm

Once upon a backstory: http://bit.ly/gI87dR

5 things one writer wishes she’d known about the writing business: http://bit.ly/eCEluA

Eliminating Distancing Verbs: http://bit.ly/hpZZjk

Organizing a Writers Workshop: Pre-Publicity: http://bit.ly/fuBMap

Amping up your writing by getting fresh: http://bit.ly/eZfwUC

Dangling modifiers: http://bit.ly/eYAFtz

Twice in the last month, I’ve had someone say to me, “I’ve always wanted to write a book. But I just don’t know where to start.”

I think writing a book can seem really overwhelming. There are tons of resources out there, but those resources can be helpful…and overwhelming at the same time.

Most of the people who say they want to write a book have a germ of an idea already. It’s this idea that’s been on their mind for however long they’ve wanted to write.

Maybe it’s a family story. Maybe it’s just a thought they’ve had that they’re not sure how to develop. But there’s something there.

What these folks need to do is not worry about all the info on queries, synopses, and craft. It’s always nice to just focus on the story.

First of all is identifying that story. What was the seed of the idea that came to the writer? Who is the main character? What’s the main conflict? What does this character most want and how is that thing denied her/him?

Then it’s telling the story. What happens next? What obstacles does this character run into when trying to get what they want most? Are these obstacles other characters? Events? The character himself? How does this character overcome these obstacles?

Where should you start with a first draft? Start at the beginning. Or…start at the end. I’ve done both. I’ve started at the beginning, skipped ahead to the middle of the book, then written the end. I’ve written books straight through and I’ve written books that I’ve run into huge problems with—and skipped around to whatever scene I’ve got in my head instead of moving forward in a linear way.

You don’t have to block hours off on your calendar for this project. Try blocking off 30 minutes. Or even 15. Don’t try to play catch-up the next day if you miss your goal the day before—treat each day as a clean slate and just get your 15 minutes of writing in.

It doesn’t matter if your first draft is bad.

You can either outline your story or make it up as you go along. I’ve done both.

Ask yourself, “And then what happens?” a lot.

Make friends with writers online—they will understand what you’re going through and can give you support and encouragement.

If you encounter set-backs with your story, brainstorm ways of getting past the problem—make lists of ways to get your characters out of the mess they’re in.

Got any other advice for where to start writing a book? What have you learned from writing yours?

I’m sure that my 14 year old son would like to correct anyone who thinks it’s cool to have a writer for a mom. :)

I was reading through his research paper before he turned it in yesterday. I thought he did an overall great job on it, but there was one thing that grated on me. I tried to mention all the good things first.

“Great job putting the info in your own words!” I said. “You’ve got some really solid paragraphs, too—nice topic sentences and supporting details. And those footnotes! Wow!” I hesitated.

“Okay. So what’s wrong with it?” he asked. He’s a cutting-to the-chase kind of kid.

“It’s choppy. There really aren’t any transitions between your thoughts. You’re presenting the info, but it’s not connected. It’s just sort of jarring.”

Maybe it’s not the biggest problem for a research paper, but poor transitioning sure does make for a bumpy read in a novel. It’s not fun to be confused or to wonder what’s going on when I’m reading a book. Or to be bored by a transition that’s too long or not necessary.

Transitions (or lack of them) that pull me out of a story:

Rambling transitions that call attention to themselves (I’ll admit that this is an issue that might be just something that bothers me): The summer’s heat finally gave way to fall’s gentler temperatures. Trees shed their leaves and children packed their bookbags and headed back to class…blah, blah, blahhhhh.

Transitions that are too detailed and follow a character too closely (even when they’re being boring): Clara walked to the door. She opened it and strolled out to her car, thinking about what she’d just heard from her mother. She turned the key in the ignition and slowly backed out of her driveway, checking her mirror. She decided she would go to the grocery store and pick up a gallon of ice cream. At this point I’m really just thinking how boring Clara is and how much I want to escape her company. We could easily have Clara just show up at the store, if that’s where we need to have her: Clara searched the store’s freezer for her favorite flavor of ice cream. “Why haven’t you returned my phone calls, Clara?” asked a grim voice behind her…

Transitions that are too spaced out with no explanation: Two years later, John decided to finally apply for law school. Whaaa? Two years later is fine, but can we get a little hint as to what John was doing? After two years of working construction during the day and delivering pizzas at night, John decided that he’d give law school a try.

No transitions at all…just a jump from one thought to another with total disconnect. And I’m actually having a hard time writing this without transitions because I think it’s pretty difficult to leave them out! John and Clara engaged in desultory conversation at the punch bowl. Clara asked Tina about the Biology homework. Jim asked Clara whether she was going to the soccer game the next day. Bleh. It just feels like these characters are being tossed in there with no set up at all. A simple John and Clara joined Tina and Jim at the punch bowl would have easily set up any future conversation between these people with no choppiness.

Novels need tons of transitions. We need transitions between scenes and between chapters. Even paragraphs need transitions. To me, the more subtle they are, the better. And if we can transport our characters efficiently to their marks onstage, then we’re making our story more exciting in the process.

Interested in more posts on smooth transitions? Here are some of the most popular articles in the Writer’s Knowledge Base on the topic:

Are Your Characters Falling Through Gaps in Your Writing? (Plot to Punctuation)

Transitions: Linking Forward Through the Story (Talk to You Universe)

More on Transitions (Terry’s Place)

How to Work With the 4 Levels of Transition in a Book (How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book)

Transitions (Janice Hardy’s blog)

Do transitions trip you up, too? (Yes, my son fixed his…I think he could see how much they were bothering me!)

I went out last weekend with my husband, sister and brother-in-law for dinner and to watch the musical “Avenue Q.”

It was a really funny play—sort of a risqué puppet show. As silly as it was, I noticed that it had an underlying theme to it—the search for one’s purpose in life. Actually, this theme wasn’t underlying at all—they put “Purpose” up on two big screens in a Sesame-Street-esque video to draw attention to it and poke a little fun at it.

The fact that a musical puppet show could bring up theme in such a huge way made me think about the element in my own books.

Theme isn’t something I’ve thought about or deliberately planned into my books. But genre fiction has themes, too. I write traditional mysteries, so the big picture idea of my books is good vs. evil set in the form of a puzzle.

Not only that, but I do have underlying themes that I seem to come back to over and over and in different series. Did I mean to do this? Actually, no. Apparently, theme can act like the songs that get stuck in our head all day—we just keep repeating them over and over until our brain makes sense of them.

Do our characters have common problems that they encounter or work to address? My protagonists usually live alone (and enjoy it…usually) and encounter intergenerational stresses. They experience the changing roles and role-reversals that come with age. Neither of these things applies to me, but I’m apparently interested in these topics and see a lot of people dealing with them.

Theme doesn’t have to be on an epic or literary scale. Have you noticed a certain repetition of ideas or problems in your books? Even small ones? Do your characters have the same types of transformations? If so, this might point to an underlying theme in your books. It really can be just an idea we’re exploring…sometimes for more than one book. Heck, sometimes for more than one series.

Theme has an impact on our characters, too, and can make them have more layers. It can affect their view of the world and how they handle different types of conflict. It can provide internal conflict, too. It helps them come alive as they complete a character arc. Because the characters are exploring the themes on the page.

Need help finding your theme or developing one? There was a nice post some time back on the Yingle Yangle blog that featured some helpful questions to ask yourself. Janice Hardy has a nice post on developing theme. And Larry Brooks has a post called Finding – and Leading With — Theme on his StoryFix blog.

As a reader, do you spot theme quickly? Is it something you think about as you write?

*******

And…thanks so much to the folks at Writer’s Digest for choosing Mystery Writing is Murder as one of their Top 101 Best Sites for Writers for 2011. :) It’s truly an honor.