Category: Uncategorized

I’ll be back on Sunday with Twitterific, but will be on break until then.  I’m suddenly the aunt of twins.  :)

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It happens to all of us.

If life hasn’t hijacked your writing schedule, then you’ve either been very lucky or else you haven’t been writing for very long.

Writing first thing in the day helps with this—but it’s not a sure-fire fix, either.

The important thing is not to let our falling behind completely shut us down.

I’m probably about 8 or 9 pages behind right now on my current project after a wild last week. I wrote every day, but I couldn’t make my daily goal.  What I’ll be doing this week:

Jumping back into our story:

Consider limited Re-reading: The worst part is losing the story thread.  I’ll usually read the last couple of pages and just forge ahead.  If I poke around too long in past pages, I start getting my editor hat on. For me, that kills the creative process.  But every writer is different.  And this is harder to do if you’re way behind.

Timer:  I’ll write as quickly as I can for 10 minutes.  I won’t worry about if it’s something that’s going to need to be cut later.  The important thing is making process on the story…mentally, that’s important.  The next day, the writing will be more focused.

Lists: At the very least, sit down and make a list for options for your next scene, options for your character’s development, options for the next big conflict. Get your mind back into the story again.

Silence your inner critic:  It’s not doing us any good.

Don’t try to catch up:  It’s not fun to meet your daily goal and then write more than that to satisfy your catch-up goal.  If I’m not close to a deadline (and right now I’m not), then I’m going to forget about those 8 or 9 pages I’m behind on.  Each day is an opportunity to meet that day’s goal. 

The important thing is to pick up our story again.  It might be that the only way of doing that means taking a small notebook on the go to jot down story notes.  I’m doing that today when I take my kids to their dentist appointment.  Just figure out a way to fit it in.

How do you jump back into your story after a break?

Image: Flickr: Hamad AL-Mohannna

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.

The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 17,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.

Have a great week!

Science Fiction Is Here, It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed: http://bit.ly/MBZfUA @timmaughan @worldsf

Goal, Motivation, and Conflict: http://bit.ly/RtIVub @stdennard

Market the author or market the book? http://bit.ly/RtJ2pB @nicolamorgan

Writing from the discomfort zone: http://bit.ly/RtJG6h @writerunboxed

Tips for avoiding passive voice construction: http://bit.ly/R7hSVG @LauraHoward78

Plan a D.I.Y. Writing Fellowship: http://bit.ly/RtKiJ8 @grubwriters

The Possessive Apostrophe: http://bit.ly/RtKs3e @mesummerbooks

5 Things You Shouldn’t Say To The Librarian Who Is Also A Writer: http://bit.ly/RtKwA9 @mistymassey

The joys of private writing: http://bit.ly/RtKJmU @MarkCN @UKTor

The importance of reading to writers: http://bit.ly/RtKWq9 @jodyhedlund

5 ways writers can minimize essential writing tasks: http://bit.ly/RtLe0c

A post on using 99 Designs to find a cover artist: http://bit.ly/P29BPC @woodwardkaren

Tips to Prevent and Overcome Writers Block: http://bit.ly/P29Hqv

Plot and Story Structure – More Lessons from ThrillerFest: http://bit.ly/P29R1k @DiyMfa

A Facebook Optimization Tip: http://bit.ly/P29YcZ @authormedia

Women Writers in the Republic of Congo: http://bit.ly/P2amZh @womenwriters @Victoria_Writes

Hacking Creativity: http://bit.ly/P2aPKS

Publisher as bully: http://bit.ly/N6Dwo6 @Porter_Anderson @philipdsjones @doctorow

Setting as character: http://bit.ly/P2aWWP @fantasyfaction

5 Secrets to Help You Stay Busy AND Sane as a Writer: http://bit.ly/P2b9sY @NickThacker

How to Promote Your Book with Social Media: http://bit.ly/P2brQK @womenwriters @ZimblerMiller

What readers want in a heroine: http://bit.ly/P2bH2e @wordforteens

What if your inciting incident is a coincidence? http://bit.ly/P2bYC5 @glencstrathy

Is Kickstarter a viable tool for writers? http://bit.ly/P2cvE8 @litreactor @robwhart

3 Easy Tricks for Better Dialogue: http://bit.ly/NtU3D3 @tiffanyreisz @janice_hardy

It’s not all about the writing–skills that modern writers need: http://bit.ly/RI0XKK

Promoting Your Book Starts with Your Query: http://bit.ly/RI1eNT @4YaLit

Weave subplots around your main plot: http://bit.ly/RI1lc0

Big follower numbers don’t necessarily equal big sales: http://bit.ly/MZ3xXC @courtneymilan @adrienehill @Porter_Anderson

1 writer talks about the biggest mistake of her career: http://bit.ly/RI1OLv

4 tips for writing a book that will hold teens’ attention: http://bit.ly/RI22lF @sarahmussi

Why 1 blogger stopped using Feedburner: http://bit.ly/RI250R @janefriedman

Loyalty as a theme in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/PoK2sc @mkinberg

Do agents represent freelancers? http://bit.ly/RI29Ob @writersdigest

Is Omniscient POV Dying? http://bit.ly/RI2dxk @MarcyKennedy

How To Write For The Promotional Items Industry: http://bit.ly/RI3ftp @karencv

Who vs. that: http://bit.ly/RI3jJs

Can sympathy purchasing save bookstores?Should it? http://bit.ly/MZWNrl @Porter_Anderson @sarahrcallender@Victoria_Noe

10 Reasons Authors Should Format Old Novels as eBooks: http://bit.ly/RI3nJe @AdriennedeWolfe

Pre-release marketing key to promo success: http://bit.ly/RI3qom @duolit

How To Get Great Photos For Your Blog Without Breaking Copyright Laws: http://bit.ly/RI3u7E @KristinNador

Social isn’t a magic bullet, but it can sell books: http://bit.ly/RI3ynS @thefuturebook @thecreativepenn

Tips for getting your Facebook page noticed: http://bit.ly/RI3DYT

11 tips for writing a book: http://bit.ly/RI3DYT @NYTimes @colsonwhitehead

4 ways to plan surprises in your novel: http://bit.ly/RI43OZ @donmaass

Don’t Forget the Dialogue: http://bit.ly/RI47yc @kmweiland

The hybrid career of a popular author: http://bit.ly/Np8OKB @cjlyonswriter @thecreativepenn

Make-or-Break Verbs: http://nyti.ms/Np938A @sinandsyntax

A free directory of #ebook pros–for covers, editing, formatting, & more: http://tinyurl.com/3mxg5zt #epub

Publishers don’t realize they already have social media expertise: http://bit.ly/N9kihs @dennisyu @porter_anderson

Finding the right place to set your story: http://bit.ly/Np9Rua @KayKeppler

How One Editor Learned to Edit Herself: http://bit.ly/Np9Zde @emilywenstrom @janice_hardy

Varieties of Female Villains: http://bit.ly/NpatzX @LBardugo

Learning Writing Skills from the film Hancock: http://bit.ly/NpavI3

A Myth Studies Reading List for Fantasy Writers: http://bit.ly/NpaOCG @LBGale

How To Use A Camera To Bring Your Fiction Into Focus: http://bit.ly/NpaVhN @fuelyourwriting

The fantasy feminist: http://bit.ly/Npbd8m @fantasyfaction

What’s Life Really Like as a Published Author? http://bit.ly/NpbrvZ @JodyHedlund

Tips for faster writing: http://bit.ly/NpbA2G @sinandsyntax

5 Ways to Boost Creativity: http://bit.ly/N5abLX @manon_eileen

Create a Freelance Writing Resume: http://bit.ly/QRP1op

Tips for pitching book bloggers: http://bit.ly/QRPd76 @YAHighway

Save Your Creative Life In One Hour Or Less–Back Up Your Work: http://bit.ly/QRPerL

Basic Writing : From Pre-Writing to Editing: http://bit.ly/NjjsVl

Tips for writing great sentences: http://bit.ly/NjjvAj

Learning the craft takes time–enjoy the process: http://bit.ly/NjjE6I @livewritethrive

Omniscient POV: http://bit.ly/NjjLiL

LendInk–legit e-lending, not a pirate site: http://bit.ly/N6Dwo6 @Porter_Anderson @markcoker @mathewi

Tips for writing book reviews: http://bit.ly/NjjSLb

Crafting effective heroes: http://bit.ly/NjjZqj @storyfix

Tips for writing subtext: http://bit.ly/NjkbWw

7 Ways to Use Brain Science to Hook Readers: http://bit.ly/NjkiRP @LisaCron

Prequels, Sequels, Novellas…The Ebook Deluge: http://bit.ly/NjkqAO

3 Ways to Mess with Genre: http://bit.ly/NjktfT @LBGale

Why Great Ideas Get Rejected: http://bit.ly/Njkv7x @LDRLB

In The E-Book World, Are Book Covers A Dying Art? http://n.pr/Njkz7n @nprbooks

The Most Trying Part of Living a Good Story: http://bit.ly/NjkAbr @jeffgoins

3 Steps to Making Friends & Enemies at Writers Conferences: http://bit.ly/NjkQap @victoriamixon

Elements of Fantasy – Frogs: http://bit.ly/NjkSis @fantasyfaction

Using KDP Select as a marketing tool: http://bit.ly/NjlFzO @copyblogger @jeffgoins

An overlooked essential skill for writers: http://bit.ly/NjmtF0 @Tsuchigari

Writing Tip: Hurt ‘Em: http://bit.ly/NjmA3w @threekingsbooks

Form rejections: http://bit.ly/NjmBEo @janelebak

5 Keys to Writing Success: http://bit.ly/NjmFUJ @KristenLambTX

7 Benefits Of An Author Collective: http://bit.ly/NjmIjs @thecreativepenn

An agent on rejections and rude agents: http://bit.ly/NjmOaN @breeogden

The Dearth-of-Epic-Endings Epidemic: http://bit.ly/Njn0a3 @aimeelsalter

You only get one start – make the most of it: http://bit.ly/Njn89A @jaelmchenry

How to Choose a POV Character: http://bit.ly/Njna0U @ava_jae

The Self-Contained Narrator: http://bit.ly/Njne0X

Big follower numbers don’t necessarily equal big sales: http://bit.ly/MZ3xXC @courtneymilan @adrienehill @Porter_Anderson

Private Inspiration Boards (Alternatives to Pinterest): http://bit.ly/Njni0r @roniloren

Establishing tone: http://bit.ly/NjnpsV @mooderino

10 lit devices and where to find them in SF: http://bit.ly/NjqqJY @annaleen

Killing Your Sales One Shot at a Time: http://bit.ly/NjquJw @deanwesleysmith

Infographic of Edgar Allan Poe’s grisly death scenes: http://bit.ly/Njr9ur @guardianbooks

What 1 writer won’t do to sell more books: http://bit.ly/Njrcqm @nicolamorgan

10 best end-of-world novels: http://bit.ly/Njrr4s @flavorpill

8 Romantic Readings from Contemporary Literature: http://bit.ly/NjrBcm @bookriot

68 Queries In 60 Minutes: http://bit.ly/NjrGg6

The internet is not a neighborhood in need of door-to-door salesmen: http://bit.ly/NjrLQO @SeananMcGuire

What’s With Writers and Late Blooming? http://bit.ly/NjrNYQ @debraeve

How To Make Your Own Book Trailers: http://bit.ly/NjrPA6 @bubblecow

Storyboarding 101: http://bit.ly/NjrQE6

Does the Future of Publishing Need More Imagination? http://bit.ly/NjrWeR @jeffvandermeer

Putting the “Social” Back in Social Media: http://bit.ly/OTAUvk @jodyhedlund

5 Ways to Build a Pinterest Following With Facebook: http://bit.ly/OTAXap @smexaminer

The New Publishing Paradigm: What Value Do Publishers Add? http://bit.ly/OTAXXW @jamigold

Goodreads v. LibraryThing: http://bit.ly/OTB4Tj @deadwhiteguys

Mental Health Series for Writers: Panic Attacks: http://bit.ly/OTBcCn @kristinnador

Audition Your Cast of Characters: http://bit.ly/OTBb1j @juliemusil

Are you writing a dystopian? A checklist: http://bit.ly/QXaP23 @sarahlapolla

A look at NetGalley for reviews: http://bit.ly/QXb64V @jhansenwrites

Tone in fiction: http://bit.ly/QXbh05 @theresastevens

Chapter titles? http://bit.ly/QXbtfO @juliettewade

Which vs. That: http://bit.ly/QXbznA @writersdigest

5 ways to increase productivity: http://bit.ly/QXbNLw @manon_eileen

Jack London’s Advice on Honing Your Creative Craft: http://bit.ly/OzEV7Y @mcd_owell

5 Scenes Every Romance Novel Needs: http://bit.ly/NFkRiT @howtowriteshop

Science Fiction Is Here, It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed: http://bit.ly/MBZfUA @timmaughan @worldsf

5 Tips For Making a Living as a Writer: http://bit.ly/OOGNMU @rachellegardner

The villain’s journey: http://bit.ly/NXVK0y @diymfa

11 tips for writing a book: http://bit.ly/RI3DYT @NYTimes @colsonwhitehead

How One Editor Learned to Edit Herself: http://bit.ly/Np9Zde @emilywenstrom @janice_hardy

What 1 writer won’t do to sell more books: http://bit.ly/Njrcqm @nicolamorgan

Publishers don’t realize they already have social media expertise: http://bit.ly/N9kihs @dennisyu @porter_anderson

The Dearth-of-Epic-Endings Epidemic: http://bit.ly/Njn0a3 @aimeelsalter

11 top authors with their tips for writing a great novel: http://on.wsj.com/r0BTJR @wsj

Can readers trust online book reviews? http://bit.ly/OoqGo5 @ninabadzin

What’s Uplifting About Depressing Fiction? http://bit.ly/OoqMMv @btmargins

When Mainstream Publishers Do SFF: http://bit.ly/OoqTrc @jdiddyesquire

How to survive the creative life: http://bit.ly/OoqZ2f @chuckwendig {lang}

Tips for collaborative writing: http://bit.ly/Oor5GU @MsAnnAguirre

10 reasons writers get writer’s block: http://bit.ly/Oorj0K @JulieBMack

Mirror scenes and weak writing: http://bit.ly/OorrgX

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Being a Debut Author: http://bit.ly/OoryJ9

Being male is not a prerequisite for hard SF: http://bit.ly/OorzNo @guardianbooks

Author FAQs (tips for answering wannabe writer questions): http://bit.ly/OorCZD

12 Non-Negotiable Elements of Force in Writing: http://bit.ly/OorJEn @writing_tips

Are You Hitting a Bulls Eye With Your Target Audience? http://bit.ly/OorNUJ @melissaknorris

Point of View in Genre Fiction: http://bit.ly/OorPvR

The epidemic of niceness in online book culture: http://slate.me/OorZ6j @silvermanjacob

3 reasons more people should focus on their writing: http://bit.ly/Oos6Pg @nickthacker

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Today I’m over at Laura Howard’s Finding Bliss blog. I’m going to be talking about passive voice—a tricky subject and one that’s frequently misunderstood by writers. Hope you’ll pop over!

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One of the hazards of reading so many blogs is that I find out about a lot of fantastic-sounding books. I have a lot of to-be-read books on my Kindle and an even longer list of books that I plan to read.

I’m a very fast reader, but I’m wondering if my list of books can possibly be read in a year or two—if I stop putting new books on it.

Right now, I’m reading a book that mystery writer Margot Kinberg recommended back in February of last year. :)

The book is Josephine Tey’s The Man in the Queue, which was first published in 1929. It’s been a very interesting and enjoyable read so far.

I loved the feeling of being taken back in time with this book. It opens with a line of people waiting to enter a popular show that has a very Vaudeville feel to it.

The police investigation that’s portrayed is, of course, completely different from our modern day methods. There aren’t any police cars—they’re walking or taking the train as they work the case.

This is the enjoyable part of reading a book set in a different time—being transported back in a time machine. This is what I’m expecting and enjoying most about reading a book that launched in 1929. It’s the same enjoyment I get from watching a costume drama at the movies or even from watching black and white films from the 1950s.

It’s a little different when something brings me to a full-stop in a book or movie. That’s when I’m taken out of the experience and am trying to figure out what’s going on.

With Tey’s book, it was a term she used to describe the murder victim: Levantine.

At first, I tried my usual tricks to figure out the word—looked at the context, etc. Then I just skipped over it, hoping I wasn’t missing something important to do with the mystery.

But darned if she didn’t repeat that word over and over again in the next few pages, referred to the victim as a Levantine. Then I remembered that my Kindle had a handy dictionary so I right-clicked on the word and the definition came up.

Le·van·tine CHIEFLY ARCHAIC adj. of or trading to the Levant: the Levantine coast. ■ n. a person who lives in or comes from the Levant.

(2010-04-01). The New Oxford American Dictionary (Kindle Locations 470127-470142). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

I hope I’m not the only one who doesn’t know where the Levant is/was. I had to look that up, too:

Le·vant ARCHAIC the eastern part of the Mediterranean with its islands and neighboring countries. late 15th cent.: from French, literally “rising,” present participle of lever “to lift” used as a noun in the sense “point of sunrise, east.”

(2010-04-01). The New Oxford American Dictionary (Kindle Locations 470088-470099). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

So—an archaic reference. Definitely something I’d want to avoid having in my own books! All the books I’ve written are available as ebooks. To me, this means that they’re going to be around for a long time and potentially read by people after I’m long dead. With any luck.

Of course, we’ve always had the ability to read very old books. But now, digital books provide an even greater chance that our books will be read far into the future. They’re going to be more easily available.

It would be impossible (nearly impossible—I’ve tried) to write a book relevant to modern life without including any modern devices. But naturally, mentioning modern devices dates the books. And I’m writing for today’s reader, primarily.

Old references to technology, to me, date the books in a charming, period-piece way. As long as the references aren’t huge stumbling blocks.

What I am trying to do, though, is construct my sentences so that a reader could get the experience of living in the early 21st century, but hopefully not be completely confused by what they’re reading. And still make sure I’m not irritating today’s readers by over-explaining anything.

I’ve used the word Twitter in one of my books, but I’m thinking in future I might skip references to a particular platform. Because although Twitter is a strong pop-culture reference right now, who knows what will happen to it in the future.

I’m trying to avoid slang and pop culture references that seem micro-trendy.

I’m making sure that there’s enough context around any technology mentions so that a reader could figure out the type of technology I’m talking about. Without annoying modern day readers.

Basically, I’m just trying to make sure there’s nothing in the books that will ever stop a reader completely cold.

I’ve recently heard, on email loops I’m a member of, of some authors who uploaded their backlist to Amazon and edited their books when they did—removing dated references from past decades.

There’s definitely some charm in reading books set in the past, so I didn’t think the authors necessarily had to update their books. But—I did make a couple of changes to Dyeing Shame when I self-published it from backlist. Just a couple of things that jumped out at me as dated when I was reading through the book that I’d originally written in 2002ish.

I really hesitated recently when I structured a murder mystery around a postal carrier as a victim (for a book for Penguin that’s coming out next year.) With all the troubles for the US Postal Service, I wondered if I were dating my book before it even released.

But then I decided that would be a reference that would date the book in a pleasant way instead of a confusing one. My editor seemed to agree with me.

How much has the shift to digital (and the longevity of books) changed the way you write modern-day references into your novels?

Image: Daniel Moyle