Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Working on a first draft can be really challenging. There’s the plot to wrangle into shape, the conflict to ramp up, the characters to breathe life into. And there are a whole lot of pages to write before the final scene.

There’s so much to include that I frequently don’t include it all in the first draft.

In fact, there are some things that I never put in my first draft because I spend way too much time thinking about them and it messes up my pace.

Using a layered approach to writing a book makes me feel a little more focused on working through my first draft. I know that I don’t have to worry about a million different things while I’m writing the draft– I only worry about half a million things. :)

Parts of the book that I add in layers for 2nd and 3rd drafts:

• Setting descriptions
• Character descriptions
• Character last names and place names (I’ll mark as *** on the draft so I can find my spots later.)
• Any scenes I was stuck on. I just make a couple of notes about what I wanted to accomplish with the scene and move on to the next scene.
• Sometimes I’ll add entire subplots as a layer

I do the same thing with revising. If you think to yourself that you’re editing a whole book, the thought of it can be just as overwhelming as writing the book was.

These are issues that I address in layers for the revision:

• Typos/grammar
• Favorite words of mine that I use too frequently
• Conflict—I make a pass through to make sure each scene either forwards the plot or adds to the conflict
• Continuity (is the character wearing the same outfit on page 20 that she’s wearing on page 21?)
• Subplots—did they resolve? Did they tie into the main plot?
• Loose ends—is everything resolved at the end of the book?

And, because everyone’s writing process always really fascinates me, I’ll ask y’all about it: how do you work through your first draft? Do you try to include it all in one pass, or are you working in layers, too?

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week. If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

What do the most highly paid authors have in common? http://dld.bz/wkpN @ thecreativepenn

How to read a publishing contract (24): http://dld.bz/wb6H

Beating Your Submission Letter Into Shape: http://dld.bz/wb6z

Re-inventing Book Marketing: http://dld.bz/wb6x

Serial Comma Drama: Which Side Are You On? http://dld.bz/wb6q

The positive in a negative review: http://dld.bz/vTDQ

10 activities for a writer with a head cold: http://bit.ly/cG9dtL @elspethwrites

Self-Publishing: The Numbers Game: http://dld.bz/vTBv

Creating Quirky Characters: http://dld.bz/vTBs

5 tips to get big exposure for your book through book touring: http://dld.bz/vTAZ

Writing: Find the Time or Don’t: http://dld.bz/vTAM

How to Blog Like Bond. James Bond. http://dld.bz/vTAE

6 Steps One Writer Used for Creating an Anthology: http://dld.bz/vTAD

When Dreams Become Expectations: http://dld.bz/vTAz

I Plot, Therefore I Am…: http://dld.bz/vTAt

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: It’s Oktoberfest! http://bit.ly/a1EK7N @CleoCoyle

How to Write a Better Rant: http://dld.bz/vTAq

Simile vs. Metaphor: Smackdown! http://dld.bz/vTAp

How to choose a good writing critique service: http://dld.bz/vNWv

Writers are Voyeurs: http://dld.bz/vNFE

The lack of publishing statistics: http://dld.bz/vNDB @victoriastrauss

Are You Too Confident About Your Writing? http://dld.bz/vNDr

7 Ways to Improve Your Blog’s Readability: http://dld.bz/vNCK

Synopsis Tips – Show Don’t Tell: http://dld.bz/vNB8

Your “Success Identity” And How It Keeps You From Writing: http://dld.bz/vNAg

Best Articles This Week for Writers 9/17: http://dld.bz/wbHH @4kidlit

Fitting the Character to the Story: http://dld.bz/vN98

Manuscript problems–which to jump on right away: http://dld.bz/wbz8

How to Survive Negative Feedback On Your Story: http://dld.bz/vN9z

Can you describe your character in non-gendered terms? http://dld.bz/vN8N

The Ultimate Blog Checklist: http://dld.bz/vNd9

4 Elements of a Scene: http://dld.bz/vNdw

Looking for an agent? Query-writing links, agent blogs, and agents on Twitter: http://dld.bz/vYM4

A 3-point revision checklist: http://dld.bz/vNcm

What’s your book’s MOJO? http://dld.bz/vNbZ

(How) Do Authors Make Money? http://dld.bz/vNbS

An agent says, “Published Authors – Know your contract and stay on top of things…”: http://dld.bz/vNbM

You can write? So you can screen-write: http://dld.bz/vNbu

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Get two Mystery Recipes from Cleo Coyle’s ROAST MORTEM and Comment to Win Her New Book! http://bit.ly/a3wrxK @CleoCoyle

Freelancers–3 Tips to Make Sure You Get Paid for Your Writing: http://dld.bz/vNaK

Nonfiction Authors: Make Your Content Actionable: http://dld.bz/vNay

Writing Tips From Famous Authors – How to Become a Writer: http://dld.bz/vNat

Forget your distress and focus on your writing: http://dld.bz/vNam

Which social medium is most effective in reaching readers? http://dld.bz/vMZ7

Steampunk zombies? Yes, there are more ways to write about zombies than you think: http://dld.bz/vU4C @Kirrmistwelder

Copywriting Jobs – How to Find the Best Jobs for You: http://dld.bz/vMZv

An Agent Answers Questions about Writing Conferences: http://dld.bz/vMYM

Agatha Christie and Nursery Rhymes: http://dld.bz/vTCS @JanetRudolph

To Handle Rejection: Build Your Writer’s Muscle: http://dld.bz/vMYC

Sentence spacing for manuscript formats: http://dld.bz/vMYs

Stop Tweaking, Start Writing: http://dld.bz/vMYq

How can you tell how well your book is selling? http://dld.bz/vMXk

12 Ways to Create a Mailing List that Will Sell Books: http://dld.bz/vMXb

Distance and Lists in the Editing Process: http://dld.bz/vMWS

Temporarily tweetless–SocialOomph is down for maintenance. Guessing my tweets will show up after their tech difficulties are resolved.

The inciting incident of our novel: http://bit.ly/cxXxiE

What to put in your media kit: http://bit.ly/c2uJEc @SpunkOnAStick

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Last Bit of Summer—Tomato Pie http://bit.ly/9TDDNO @CleoCoyle

If You Give a Writer an Idea: http://dld.bz/vDNm

The accidental creative identity: http://dld.bz/vDKF

Should you use real life in your novels? http://dld.bz/vNWe @dirtywhitecandy

An agent on whether authors should do their own marketing: http://dld.bz/vDKq

For the Introverted Writer–Revenge of the Introvert (Psychology Today): http://dld.bz/vNCj

The ins and outs of editor/agent lunches: http://dld.bz/vNBZ

An Agent on Losing Out on a Hot Commodity: http://dld.bz/vDJJ

Grammar Police! How to write standard Numbers: http://dld.bz/vDJf

On agent pitching: http://dld.bz/vDJe

Develop Your Character Inside and Outside: http://dld.bz/vDHS

Plot Check Time: http://dld.bz/vDHH

The Agent Hunt: How Long Is Too Long? http://dld.bz/vDHF

Are Writing Routines Important to Success? http://dld.bz/vDH7

Keep an eye on the stupid things: http://dld.bz/vDHx

The Bride’s Guide to Manuscript Monogamy: http://dld.bz/vDHs

Rewriting: Stuck? Make a list: http://dld.bz/vDHm

What is book tour really like?: http://dld.bz/vCXw

The Character and the Reader– expanding the response: http://dld.bz/vCXq

An agent advises not to expect agents to be more specific on what they want to read: http://dld.bz/vCXh

A Book Deal That Was Too Good To Be True: http://dld.bz/vCWQ

How to win fans and influence people: http://dld.bz/vCW5

How To Pick The Correct Genre For Your Book: http://dld.bz/vCWy

4 Easy Tips to Help You to Write Your Book– http://dld.bz/vCWp

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Epic Cupcake War! http://bit.ly/9LFWbe @CleoCoyle

How To Know the Difference Between Its/It’s and Effect/Affect: http://dld.bz/vCVY

When Author Intrusion Rears Its Ugly Head: http://dld.bz/vCVF

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: And The Winner Is http://bit.ly/cLZ2GK @CleoCoyle

5 Ways to Blog Like Bruce Lee: http://dld.bz/vCVw

Book marketing tips: http://dld.bz/vCVm

An agent lists openings to avoid: http://dld.bz/vCUJ

How Do You Know If an MFA Is Right For You? http://dld.bz/vCUF

Choosing the Right Writing Course: http://dld.bz/vDPW @UrbanMuseWriter

The Latest in Typewriter Repair (New Yorker): http://dld.bz/vqVd

Ipad apps for writers: http://dld.bz/vDPU @inkyelbows

Tweeting for authors–tweeting into the void: http://dld.bz/vqUZ

Getting Violently Epic: http://dld.bz/vqUV

Fixing Character Errors: http://dld.bz/vqUQ

Dialogue–to tag or not to tag? http://dld.bz/vCQ7

For crime writers–why police officers censor themselves on social media sites, even during off-hours: http://dld.bz/vCN4 @authorterryo

Getting Published is Not a Crap Shoot: http://dld.bz/vqUH @victoriastrauss

Creating an Authentic Teen Guy’s Voice: http://dld.bz/vqUE

Rewriting: Pay Attention To Sequences! http://dld.bz/vqU8

Money matters for authors: http://dld.bz/vqU5

A major flaw in teaching creative writing lies in our terminology: http://dld.bz/vqU2

The Great Facebook Debate: Personal Account or Page? http://dld.bz/vqUu

7 Ways to Stay Focused for Attention-Challenged Writers: http://dld.bz/vqUn

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: The Long Quiche Goodbye giveaway winner http://bit.ly/c4TwWc @CleoCoyle

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: CONSIDER THE MONKFISH http://bit.ly/blNJG8 @CleoCoyle

In praise of copy editors: http://dld.bz/vqTH

Agent Hunting Tips: http://dld.bz/vqT8

Choosing a Blogging Platform for New Bloggers: http://dld.bz/vqTG

3 Causes of Writer’s Block: http://dld.bz/vqT5

“I mock your To Be Read piles! I snort at your complaints of time! And I think you are missing the point!”: http://dld.bz/vjum

The writer’s guide to reading people–your character’s home: http://dld.bz/vjtY @clarissadraper

Best tweets for writers, week ending 9-10 (Writer’s Digest): http://dld.bz/v7FG

The 10 Core Values Of A Winning Personal Brand: http://dld.bz/vjtU

How editing could have helped Larsson’s book and why it will help yours: http://bit.ly/b7iFBt @clarissadraper

An extroverted writer’s way to avoid writing alone: http://dld.bz/vjtE

Dangling plot lines: http://dld.bz/vjt3

Michael Eisner on Media’s Future: http://dld.bz/vjtw

New York Times Will End Print Edition (Eventually), Publisher Says (Atlantic): http://dld.bz/vjsE

How to Score a Traditional Deal After Self-Publishing: http://dld.bz/vjsB

Seven Keys to Writing Good Dialogue: http://dld.bz/vjsx

7 Reasons You Need A Facebook Fan Page: http://dld.bz/vjsv

When It Looks Like We’re Headed for a Crash: http://dld.bz/vjst

Tips to Survive The Writer’s Road: http://dld.bz/vjsr

Stretch Your Body To Revive Your Writer Mind: http://dld.bz/vjsn

How To Sell A Book? Good, Old Word Of Mouth (NPR): http://dld.bz/vjsk

Talking to Agents at Conferences: http://dld.bz/vjsf

The Pros and Cons of Self Publishing Your Book: http://dld.bz/vjsq

What writers can learn from reading the headlines: http://dld.bz/vjrP

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Ice Cream’s a Breeze http://bit.ly/dfD37F @CleoCoyle

The Promise of Fall: How to Achieve a Balanced Writing Life: http://dld.bz/vjrJ

5 Things Magicians Can Teach You About Blogging: http://dld.bz/vjrE

6 Tips for Writing an Epistolary Novel: http://dld.bz/vjrw

Finding the Funny in Your Writing: http://dld.bz/vjqP

How to Get Feedback on Your Manuscript: http://dld.bz/vjqw

Superheroes are misunderstood (Guardian): http://dld.bz/vjpE

Scheduling busy work: http://dld.bz/vjp8

How Linguistics Can Help You Part 3: Syntax: http://dld.bz/vjp2

The trouble with Google Books: http://dld.bz/vjpv

How to Write a Travel Memoir: http://dld.bz/vjpq

Learning About Characters with Clifford The Big Red Dog: http://dld.bz/vjnN

Using Multiple Twitter Accounts: http://dld.bz/vbDt

Personality traits for characters: http://dld.bz/vbDr

Writing vs Marketing: 5 Tips for Scheduling Your Freelance Time: http://dld.bz/vbDj

Love and character: http://dld.bz/vbCY

10 Small Changes (To Your Life) Which Make a Big Difference: http://dld.bz/vbCM

How to read a publishing contract (23): http://dld.bz/vbCE

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome Hannah Reed, author of the new Queen Bee Mysteries! http://bit.ly/agKRif @CleoCoyle

I’m a storyteller, not a writer: http://dld.bz/vbC5

10 second writing tip: http://dld.bz/vbCu

Ritualize Your Writing: A Shortcut Into Creative Productivity: http://dld.bz/vbBY

Choosing A Point Of View: http://dld.bz/uYyq

What better way to judge your fellow commuter than by the book in his hand? (Boston Globe): http://dld.bz/uYyn

Lately, I’ve not really been in the mood to read anything emotionally disturbing or heavy. Lately being the last couple of years. :)

I grew up reading heavy literature in school. I read a ton of the classics, which aren’t usually known for being lighthearted.

But for some reason, every time I pick up some really heavy literary fiction lately, I struggle with the topics.

For crime fiction, I handle it better. I wondered why, started thinking about it, and realized that the bad guy gets in trouble at the end of the book. It satisfies my sense of poetic justice, I think.

My book club has really been reading heavy literature, which is why I keep trying to read it, myself. Right now we’re reading Geraldine Brooks’ historical novel Year of Wonders. It’s elegantly written, meticulously researched, powerful…and disturbing. Basically, a village in 17th century England is hit by the plague. They decide to stay in the village instead of running away and spreading the contagion. The narrator fights against superstitious villagers and their fears about witchcraft.

It’s excellent and I’ll highly recommend it to anyone who is interested…but I’m just not in the right mood to read it.

I’m the same way with my writing—you’re just not going to see me writing books that aren’t humorous right now. Right now being the foreseeable future.

I’ll write scenes that are heavier in the book than others—dead bodies don’t make for humor, after all. But I’m not writing the entire book with a serious tone.

And then, some days I’m not in the mood to write something funny. Those are the days I’ll skip ahead and write a tense scene between my protagonist and the murderer, or I’ll describe a murder scene.

Does your mood affect your reading? Your writing? How do you handle it?

Looking for an agent can be a really overwhelming process.

When I was first looking for an agent, that there wasn’t enough information out there online.

Now it seems like there’s almost too much information—but it’s scattered around. So I thought I’d run a post with at least some of the information in the same spot.

Below I’ve listed websites that can help you narrow down your agent search, helpful posts on writing query letters, popular agent blogs, and agents on Twitter.

Good luck!

Some links to get you started:
An agent on how to write a query
How to know if you’re ready to query
Should you query a first novel?
Common mistakes in querying and a suggested template
8 tips on querying from the Queryfest workshop at RWA
The difference between querying an editor and querying an agent
How *not* to query
Querying—where to start, tips for writing a query letter
Are you ready to query? A checklist
Motif in query letters
Theme in query letters
6 tips for querying
How long is too long to search for an agent?
Debunking querying myths
How to Ensure 75% of Agents Will Request Your Material (Writer’s Digest)

More Help in Finding an Agent:

Unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there who take advantage of aspiring writers. I’d recommend researching agents on Agent Query and checking the ones you find against Preditors and Editors and Writers Beware to make sure there aren’t any complaints against the agency.

Agent Query—A searchable database of agents.
Association of Authors’ Representatives—Helpful way to vet your agent.
Query Tracker—Helps you track your queries and has a blog with useful tips.

Some of the Best Agent Blogs
Nathan Bransford
Curtis Brown

Lucienne Diver
The Knight Agency

Jessica Faust
BookEnds

Rachelle Gardner
WordServe Literary Agency

Mary Kole
Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Chip MacGregor
MacGregor Literary

Kristin Nelson
Nelson Literary Agency

Janet Reid, and here
FinePrint Literary Management

Also check out Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents blog

Literary Agents on Twitter (from the AgentQuery site)

@ColleenLindsay / Colleen Lindsay
@ChrisRichman / Chris Richman
@EpsteinLiterary/ Kate Epstein
@BookEndsJessica / Jessica Faust
@BookEndsKim / Kim Lionetti
@michellebrower/ Michelle Brower
@hroot / holly root
@KnightAgency / The Knight Agency
@ellenp / ellen papus
@literaticat / jennifer laughran
@cbfine / Celeste Fine
@ByrdLeavell3 / Byrd Leavell
@mattwagner/ Matt Wagner
@jasonashlock / Jason Allen Ashlock
@chipmacgregor
@JanetKGrant / Janet Kobobel Grant
@tomwillkens / Tom Willkens
@jodimeadows / Jodi Meadows (agent assistant)
@foundrymedia
@thecroceagency / The Croce Agency
@DanielLiterary / Greg Daniel
@laurieabkemeier / Laurie Abkemeier
@TracyMarchini (agent assistant)
@rgradinger/Rebecca Gradinger
@dianafox/ Diana Fox
@jennyrae / Jenny Rae Rappaport
@NathanBransford / Nathan Bransford
@Janet_Reid/Janet Reid
@MichaelBourret / Michael Bourret
@DeidreKnight
@cjlitagency / Johnson Literary
@carenjla / Caren Estesen
@elanaroth / Elana Roth
@ElaineSpencer / Elaine Spencer
@BostonBookGirl / Lauren E. MacLeod
@DaphneUn / Kate Schafer Testerman
@KellyMortimer / Kelly Mortimer
@barrygoldblatt / Barry Goldblatt
@jennybent / Jenny Bent
@twliterary / ted weinstein
@wendylawton / Wendy Lawton
@MarleneStringer / Marlene Stringer
@dsvetcov / Danielle Svetcov
@craigkayser / Craig Kayser
@movabletypenyc / Meredith Dawson
@melflashman / melissa flashman
@scottwaxman
@JeffeyG / Jeff Gerecke
@kate_mckean
@jdystel / Jane Dystel
@MiriamGoderich / Miriam Goderich
@jeffreymoores / Jeffrey Moores (has now become a literary consultant)
@JillCorcoran / Jill Corcoran
@mikalroy / Michael Stearns
@Bookfan / Kae Tienstra
@LucienneDiver / Lucienne Diver
@StrothmanAgency / Strothman Agency
@madamepsychosis / Kristen O’Toole (agent assistant)
@skagency / Stuart Krichevsky
@RachelleGardner / Rachelle Gardner
@dbartoli / Diane Bartoli
@JuliaLordLit / Julia
@KHM126 / Kirsten Manges
@hoffmanlit/ Scott Hoffman
@NepheleTempest / Nephele Tempest
@Ginger_Clark/ Ginger Clark
@KAndersonbird / Kathleen Anderson
@FoundryLiterary / Foundry Literary
@jessregel / Jessica Regel
@Emmanuelle15 / Emmanuelle Alspaugh
@AliceTasman/ Alice Tasman
@michellelit / Michelle Andelman
@FolioLiterary / Folio Literary
@WolfsonLiterary/Michelle Wolfson
@MarkMcVeigh / Mark McVeigh
@4writers/Jennifer DeChiara
@daniellechiotti/ Danielle Chiotti
@LukemanLiterary/ Noah Lukeman
@Katelynn Lacopo/KatelynnLacop (literary assistant)
@agentgame/ anonymous agent assistant

Usually, when I think about plots, I’m thinking about conflict.

But I keep running into the term “inciting incidents.” It’s usually a scriptwriting term but I’ve been hearing it more and more in regards to fiction.

Actually, I really like it. It reminds me that there really is a pivotal event in each book that jump starts the plot. It’s the whole reason there’s a story to begin with.

What happens that takes our character out of a boring, ordinary day into an adventure?

In my books, the inciting incident is always a murder.

That’s followed by an inciting reason for my amateur sleuth to get involved. Because if you were an older lady with a comfortable life, why would you choose to get mixed up with a murder investigation? So for my stories, there’s not only the main inciting incident, there’s also an inciting reason for my protagonist to get involved with it.

The inciting incident isn’t always something that’s as shocking or unnatural as a murdered body. It could be an everyday problem that propels the protagonist in a new direction. The protagonist decides to move to the South of France and take up cooking lessons. The inciting incident—a painful divorce. Or it could be any number of things that represent the final straw to the protagonist and makes them act.

If the problem is something the character could put off acting on, then maybe the ante needs to be upped. The problem needs to be intensified. It should be an overwhelming issue for the protagonist that has to be addressed—they need to drop everything for it. It’s the whole point of the story.

When I’m reading a book, I’m ( if reading a modern book and not a classic) looking for the inciting incident to show up pretty quickly. Most publishers want the inciting incident early in the book.

As a writer, though, I do need to have some set up before my murder. If I drop a body on page 1 (which I could do), I still have some work ahead of me. Who are the characters who could have murdered this person? Who is the victim and why should the reader care that they’re dead? All of those things have to be addressed, too. And flashbacks aren’t ideal. So usually I put off the inciting incident just long enough for the reader to get to know the suspects and victim and form an opinion of them.

How strong is your book’s inciting incident? How much set up do you have before introducing it?