Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

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.

Tips to streamline your writing: http://dld.bz/tBwU

Idea resources for bloggers: http://dld.bz/uuKA

We Regret to Inform You: The Form Rejection: http://dld.bz/tBwQ

Great list—this week’s best articles for writers (9-3-10): http://dld.bz/uuKc

Spy novels by spies: http://dld.bz/tBwP

Looks and personality–how they can affect life for our characters: http://bit.ly/9PR1Gd

How to read a publishing contract (20): http://dld.bz/tBwG

Using Plot Points for Character Development: http://dld.bz/tBwC

Working in Small Steps But Seeing the Big Picture: http://dld.bz/tBw6 @JodyHedlund

Research – When to Stop: http://dld.bz/tBw5

How many definitions of science fiction are there? http://dld.bz/tBwy

Finding a Literary Agent: http://dld.bz/tBwp

When A Query Letter Goes Wrong: http://dld.bz/tBwb

Online Video Can Kill Your Credibility: http://dld.bz/tBvQ

How to Make a Pitch Deck for Your Book (GalleyCat): http://dld.bz/tBvN

5 Tips to Increase Brain Power: http://dld.bz/tBvF

Ten of the best railway journeys: http://dld.bz/tBvE

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Double-Chocolate Hurricane Muffins by Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/8Zpxbf @CleoCoyle

Penguin Great Ideas: the pick of the covers: http://dld.bz/tBvD

How To Title Your Story – Or Not: http://dld.bz/tBvs

The Package of Services Publishers Provide Authors and How This Is Changing: http://dld.bz/tt5E

How One Hour a Day Can Change Your Life: http://dld.bz/tt57

The Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words: http://dld.bz/tt55

5 grammar resources: http://dld.bz/tt52

The 5 best ways to meet a book editor: http://dld.bz/tt5p

How Poetry Can Inspire Your Writing: http://dld.bz/tt5e

On Queries, Part 1: http://dld.bz/tt4S

An Agent On Relationships in Publishing: http://dld.bz/tt4H

7 ways to navigate the middle of your novel (and maybe your life): http://dld.bz/tt4x

Show and Tell: http://dld.bz/tt4t

How can agents help editors? : http://dld.bz/tt3N

On Writing Fantasy: Setting & the Five Senses: http://dld.bz/tt3D

Elevator Pitch: An online writing club? What a Quilliant idea! http://dld.bz/tt34

10 Mistakes Authors Make that Can Cost them a Fortune (and how to avoid them): http://dld.bz/tt2N

How to start a writer’s group: http://dld.bz/ttzT

Building Character: Know More Than Your Reader: http://dld.bz/ttzp

The organization of a fledgling idea: http://dld.bz/ttyW

The Three Key Elements of Irresistible Email Subject Lines: http://dld.bz/ttxR

In Defense of MFA Programs: http://dld.bz/ttyw

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Even More Bacon and Tomatoes http://bit.ly/bHV29T

Why This is a Returnable Business: http://dld.bz/ttxk

Should Writers Pay for Book Reviews? http://dld.bz/ttwF

How a Freelance Writer Prepares for Vacation: http://dld.bz/trMn

No, NY Times, reading is not a social event: http://dld.bz/trMf

The Writer’s Toolbox: Walking: http://dld.bz/trJY

Tips on novel writing: http://dld.bz/trJV

An editor on writer responsibility: http://dld.bz/trJH

16 Manuscript Format Guidelines: http://dld.bz/trJA

8 Things You Need to Know Before Guesting on Talk Radio: http://dld.bz/trJm

Telegraphing (and other pace killers): http://dld.bz/trHF

11 tip-filled articles about marketing and promoting your nonfiction book: http://dld.bz/trHx

The Glamorous Life? (Notes from the Indie Trenches) Part One: http://dld.bz/sNZG and two: http://dld.bz/sNZH

Ten of the best pigs in literature (Guardian): http://dld.bz/sNZ9

The Season of Censorship: http://dld.bz/sNZ3

Novel Advertising (on ads in books): http://dld.bz/sNZy

Metaphors, Similes, and Analogies, Oh My… http://dld.bz/sNZv

Nice tips on action through dialogue: http://bit.ly/9wymlC @writingagain

On character flaw: http://dld.bz/sNZt

Writer’s guide to reading people–writing focus and boredom: http://dld.bz/sNZq

Linguistic chaos and Starbucks (Guardian): http://dld.bz/sNZh

How to Really Make an Editor Mad: http://dld.bz/sNZb

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome Karen E Olson! http://bit.ly/dCtxw8

Blogging Advice for More Prolific Writing: http://dld.bz/sNYP

Writing Royal and Nobility Titles: http://dld.bz/sNYK

A Guide To Writing A Book Pitch For Penguin Books: http://dld.bz/sNYE

Subtitle-O-Matic: (Publishers Weekly) http://dld.bz/sNYx

Samuel Johnson, star of Twitter: http://dld.bz/sNY9

The Evolution of Rejection: http://dld.bz/sNY3

How to Write a Novel: http://dld.bz/sNYr

AS Byatt says women who write intellectual books seen as unnatural (Guardian): http://dld.bz/sNYk

Growing your own passion (and talent) even if you don’t think you have any: http://dld.bz/sNYh

Social Media is Bringing Sexy Back to Branding: http://dld.bz/sNXX

Mr. Rochester is a Creep: A List: http://dld.bz/sNXT

Tips for talking to book clubs: http://bit.ly/biQrah

Don’t Blame The Editors or Agents When We Reject You: http://dld.bz/sNXQ

Can you have your cake and eat it too? (on word count) http://dld.bz/sNXK

Four Crucial Steps to Avoid Procrastination: http://dld.bz/sNXF

On Getting Your Name Out There: Author Blogging: http://dld.bz/sNXB

Getting a Head Start on Holiday Sales (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/sNX9

Just tell the story! Preventing overwriting: http://bit.ly/ck32BV

“Five Ways Blogging Has Made Me A Better Writer”: http://dld.bz/sNX2

How To Write The Ending Of Your Novel: http://dld.bz/sNXg

3 Ways to Get to Know Your Characters: http://dld.bz/sNW5

Building a Case for Translations, Part 2: http://dld.bz/sNWJ

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Ollie’s Apple Tart… And Sheila’s coming! http://bit.ly/9gg64i

When Life Gives You Writer’s Block, Build With It! http://dld.bz/sCcY

Why publishers drop writers: http://dld.bz/sCcT

Is the pen name mightier than the sword, or just a modern writer’s flimsy foil? (Wash Post): http://dld.bz/sCcG

Ten of the best wicked uncles in literature: http://dld.bz/sCcA

The Real Secret to Twitter: http://dld.bz/sCcc

The greatest literary love affairs (The Daily Beast): http://dld.bz/sCbM

Why there’s more to cookbooks than recipes (Guardian): http://dld.bz/sCbw

On Snark and Self-Deprecation: Or Why the Pie Needs to Be On Your Own Face, First: http://dld.bz/sBYU

On the value of networking: http://dld.bz/sBYJ

7 Powerful Success Principles: http://dld.bz/sBYE

How to write when the world’s against you: http://dld.bz/sBYC

How to Ensure 75% of Agents Will Request Your Material: http://dld.bz/sBY7

Show, don’t tell: http://dld.bz/sBYu

What is the Role of an Agent? http://dld.bz/sBYr

Writing a Page Turner: Cliffhanger Practice via Flash Fiction: http://dld.bz/sBYn

Writers, Embrace Your Passion! http://dld.bz/sBYc

Questions for a Writer: http://dld.bz/sBYa

Starting out as a writer–sharing your work : http://dld.bz/sBX7

Write what scares you: http://dld.bz/sBXy

Our science fiction isn’t your father’s SF: http://dld.bz/sBXq

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Chicken Parmesan with a Twist http://bit.ly/bHh4zH

How to Build Furniture Out of Books: http://dld.bz/sBWQ

8 tips for freelancers to stay busy in the dog days of summer: http://dld.bz/sBW8

15 Interesting Motivations for Villains and Heroes: http://dld.bz/sBW7

Superheroes, please, not positive role models (Telegraph): http://dld.bz/sBWz

Do You Want to Live a More Inspired Life? http://dld.bz/sBWj

Tips for blog and Twitter headline writing: http://dld.bz/sBWf

How to Edit Another Writer’s Writing – 7 Editing Tips: http://dld.bz/sBVB

What To Do When You Get Bored With Social Media: http://dld.bz/sBV7

4 Ways to Improve Narrative Drive in Your Story: http://dld.bz/sBV4

Texting 101–it’s here 2 stay: http://dld.bz/sBVy

Ten Tips for Blog Tours: http://dld.bz/sBVu

When literary authors slum in genre–http://dld.bz/sBVg

Show up As a Writer and You’ll Achieve Success: http://dld.bz/sBVb

Nice list of links for crafting dialogue: http://dld.bz/sBUH

What are the Best Apps for Book Inventory on the Droid? http://dld.bz/sBUr

How To Improve Your Blog: Lessons Learned From The Problogger Event: http://dld.bz/sBUa @thecreativepenn

Revising a novel: how baby steps helped one writer take giant strides: http://ht.ly/2wbdt @dirtywhitecandy

Rejected? Just Shut Up! http://dld.bz/sBTV

An agent on revision letters: http://dld.bz/sBTQ

Critiquing voice: http://dld.bz/sBTC

Finding your plot: http://dld.bz/s6d7

Rebel With a Cause: Rule-Breaking: http://dld.bz/s6d3

When to let go of your book: http://dld.bz/s6cV

Breaking Up With Your Agent: http://dld.bz/s6cz

The Art of Self-Assertion: http://dld.bz/s6cm

Revision… Lessons Learned: http://dld.bz/s6ce

When description goes too far: http://dld.bz/s6cc

Are you creative in lots of different ways? Or is your creativity specific to writing?

Some of the most dreaded words I hear are “Let’s ask Elizabeth, since she’s the creative one.”

Ack!

Because, really, I’m creative in only a couple of ways. I don’t come up to creative solutions for problems. I don’t have creative ideas for crafts. If you’re designing a bulletin board for a classroom I have absolutely no suggestions for you. I can’t come up with creative decorating ideas for your living room. I’m not going to be the creative person who invents the better mousetrap.

But if you need an excuse for why you’re late to work or what happened to your homework, I’m your girl. :) Need to write an important complaint letter? I’m the resource you’re looking for. Other than writing, I’d say I have a good eye for photography. But other that that, I think I’m mainly a huge appreciator and fan of other creative forms.

Am I the only one who’s like this? Because I think that most people assume that if a person is creative, they’re creative in a multitude of ways. But for me, it’s very specific.

Creativity has always really fascinated me and I admire it whenever I see it—especially when it’s exhibited in really unusual ways.

This might be why I’ve bookmarked a bunch of articles lately on creativity. :) If you’re like me and are interested in the subject, take a look:

Surprising finds on neurochemistry and creativity—Why sleep nurtures creativity, why there’s no such thing as multi-tasking, etc.

Creativity Reloaded: Why You Should Try New Creative Activities—Fighting creativity exhaustion

Unplug to improve creative flow—

201 Ways to Arouse Your Creativity—Tips from experts

The Creativity Crisis (Newsweek’s look at the decline of American creativity)

Tips for fostering creativity: This post quotes the Newsweek article, but also gives tips like the importance of failure, arts cross-pollination, and the non-herd mentality.

Hope there’s something in there for everyone. I enjoyed the ideas about exploring creativity in different ways—maybe I’ll be able to end up revising my assessment of my creative limitations. :)

How does your creativity work? How do you foster it?

Yesterday a good friend of mine flew into the Charlotte airport with a short layover. I figured it would be a great time to catch up with her in person while we had a cup of coffee (there’s a Starbucks right outside of the security check-in.)

While I was waiting for my friend’s plane to land, I was milling around in front of the security checkpoint. I must have looked like I was up to no good at all because a security guard kept leveling suspicious looks at me. Of course, I did carry my huge pocketbook which probably looked like it could house a whole arsenal of weaponry.

A very attractive, well-dressed woman in her twenties with fluffy, blonde hair came hurrying up to the checkpoint. She clutched her boarding pass and the paper shook in her hands.

She was apparently very close to missing her flight and went straight up to the security guard (the one who kept looking at me so suspiciously.) The guard was unwavering and pointed to the end of the long line waiting to go through security. And I thought—well, that’s a missed plane. Because there were at least thirty people in that line waiting to to be checked.

Well, darned if she didn’t go up to each one of those people, sidle by them, asking each time if she could pass them. She had a big, panicky smile on her pretty face.

Every single one of them, man or woman, old or young, beamed back at her and motioned her to pass them with a please pass me! expression. So she ended up as the very first person in the line in slightly over a minute.

Lucky for her, I thought, that she was a very attractive, clearly distraught, well-dressed young woman.

But what if she hadn’t been? What role did her looks play in passing everyone in the line? What if she’d been an unpleasant-looking, scruffy, unattractive man? I’m thinking she’d have missed her plane.

And what role did personality play in that? An equal percentage to looks? Less or more? She caught a whole lot more flies with honey than if she’d used vinegar. I think, honestly, if she’d been a pushy, unpleasant woman with a sense of entitlement for getting to the front of the line, that she never would have made it to the front, pretty or not.

My protagonists are just ordinary-looking people, but they have the ability to fly under the radar. They’re successful at sleuthing because they look so completely innocuous that suspects open up to them and give them clues to solve the cases. And their personalities make them easy to talk to.

How do your protagonist’s looks and personality make a difference in your story? Or…do they make a difference?

It’s always really interesting talking with readers about writing. Their questions are always really different from writers’ questions.

In the past I’ve never noticed much similarity in the questions I get, but recently, at different events, I’ve heard variations on the same question several times.

Do I write people I know? Do people I know wish I’d write about them? Do I write about myself?

Writing people we know: When the readers were asking about putting real people in books, they looked anxious–like they wouldn’t want to be part of a book. Which I can understand—you’d have no control over what was said about you. And maybe everyone who read the book would know you were the person the character was based on.

This is exactly why I don’t base my characters very closely on one person. My characters are usually amalgams of lots of different people—characteristics from five different people, personality traits from three others. And I know some writers would never base a character on a real person in any way.

Do people we know want to make appearances in our books? This is happening a little more frequently now. Usually, they want something that happened to them to be part of my book. Sometimes someone will say to me, “Let me tell you what happened to me—you should put it in one of your books.” So I’ll just say something noncommittal back: “Wow, that was some story! I’ll file that away…I’m always looking for new material and ideas.” But who knows?—maybe there’s some part of some story that will spark an idea for me.

Do we write ourselves into our books? I think I’m in the minority on this one, but I really don’t write myself into my books. I do add a few of my negative traits into some of my characters—maybe it’s therapy. :) So my frustration, impatience, etc, might make its way into a character. But other than that—no. My life and my personality honestly isn’t all that interesting to base books or characters on—I’d rather use my imagination.

How about you? Do you write about people you know? Do people you know want a cameo in your book? Do you write about yourself or your life?

The online community of writers is such an important resource for all of us. Writers share a ton of industry information, are supportive when we hit writing or industry snags, and offer tips and friendship through their blogs.

But sometimes, we all get a little burned out.

I was skimming through my Google reader and read this post writer Anne Annie ran on her blog, in favor of “slow blogging:”

BUT, and this is a big BUT—blogging takes a humongous chunk out of your writing time. Bloggers are usually advised to post every day. AND run contests and giveaways to bring in more followers. AND post on all their followers’ blogs. AND generally let the blog run their lives.

Which makes bloggers carry a little wad of guilt around any time they’re doing something else—like nurturing offspring, earning a living, or actually working on a manuscript. How many blog posts have you read recently that consisted of apologies for not blogging?

So I’d like to take this opportunity to say YOU DON’T NEED TO BLOG EVERY DAY. If you want to do a daily blog, and it’s not taking away from your creative work, that’s great. But if you’re just starting out, I recommend a once-a-week blog like this one, or even once-a-month.

Anne starts out her post being very supportive of blogging and gives reasons why writers should have a blog—so she’s definitely pro-blog.

I think, though, that writers are juggling so much anyway, then being creative on top of it—and then want to have a daily blog with top-notch content. I think that’s doable, but it’s tough to maintain.

If you’re a blogger who needs some ideas from time to time (and I think we all are), then here are some useful articles I’ve bookmarked (many from months ago) that I think are helpful:

The Massive List of Ideas for Blog Posts—from The Abundance Blog

10 Sure Cures for Blogging Burnout—from WordCount

The 9 Essential Posts that Every Blogger Should know—from NorthxEast

Need copyright-free images? 30 Free Image Resources on the Web: These sites are great—but make sure you’re in the copyright free section…sometimes there’ll be other sections.

Hope these help! I’d also add that if you find yourself leaving a really long comment on someone else’s blog post, that’s a sign that you might do well to write your own post exploring the subject—and link back to the original article that inspired your post.

Have you got any other blogging burnout ideas or thoughts?