Category: Uncategorized

I’ve written a guest post that’s up today at the Books by Women blog . I’ve posted a few tips for meeting our writing goals while juggling everyday life (it’s not always easy!)

Hope you’ll come by and visit.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you’re a writer, you’ll probably find a decent headshot of yourself useful.

I’m asked for my picture for everything from guest blog posts to conference programs to books. And I use my picture daily for Twitter, blogging, and Facebook.

A headshot becomes part of our brand. Marketing ourselves instead of our individual books makes good sense for writers who publish more than once.

Like many of you, I’m not wild about having my picture taken. If I’m posing, I usually have a pained expression on my face. In fact, the last professional picture I had made, the photographer finally told me in disgust that she’d had an easier time taking pictures of the crying two-year old twins down the hall. :)

But in the past few years, I’ve picked up some tips for having these pictures made—both in a photography studio and out of it.

Tips for headshots–

If you go to a photography studio, make sure you use a photographer who will release the copyright for the pictures to you. Otherwise, you can’t use them online or for an author photo. And then, really, what’s the point?

At a studio, you’ll want to ask for a “business photo.”. If you ask for a headshot, they may think you need photos for a modeling portfolio.

You don’t have to go to a studio for author photos. If you have a friend or family member who can take a good picture of you (or if you have photo editing software to touch up the picture), you could skip going to a pro.

Photographers usually recommend wearing solid colors and staying away from stark white if you’re fair.

Black and white or color picture? I send a color photo to my publisher and figure that they can make the picture black and white if they want to.

Get both high resolution and low-resolution photos on a CD. Lower res works better online (for your blog, Facebook, and Twitter) and high res is needed for print.

If your headshot is for a book (as opposed to social media/promo), make sure you know the publisher’s guidelines. Some won’t want you resting your head on your hands, or looking off to the side.

If you’re going to a studio, bring a change of clothes for a couple of different looks from the same sitting. You might also want to bring a comb or brush.

Studio business photos are not cost-prohibitive. I’ve had mine done a couple of times and they’re run about $125, total.

If you go to a studio and sport the deer-in-the-headlights look, go to plan B. :) I had my daughter take the picture in my sidebar. I was a lot more relaxed, believe me. I just sent a copy to Penguin for the first quilting mystery that releases in June. My daughter was thrilled to sign the photographer release for the quilting mystery. Of course, when I was putting the release in an envelope, I realized she’d put little circles over her is instead of dots. This happens when you’re ten. :) Might be a dead giveaway that I didn’t use a pro!

Any other tips for photos? How do you manage to relax when having your picture taken (I could use the tips!)

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

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

The free Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 12,000) searchable. The WKB recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web’s best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .

Hope everyone has a great week!

Pros and Cons of First and Third Person Point of View: http://bit.ly/zyJ95T

Set the Scene: Scan: http://bit.ly/zJVsn9

Don’t Let Multiple-Character Scenes Run Away With You: http://bit.ly/xJCiVs @KMWeiland

Don’t tell us she’s special. Show us: http://bit.ly/xHDbzx @dirtywhitecandy

Advantages of Writing a Fast First Draft: http://bit.ly/Afr9ax @LyndaRYoung

Tips for looking good for your webcam: http://bit.ly/zJfxvB @rachellegardner

The Perks of Being an Introverted Writer: http://bit.ly/AALyNP @JLeaLopez

Screenwriting vs. Novel Writing: http://bit.ly/ACr5O4

Do You Need Multiple Agents If You Write in Different Genres? http://writerunboxed.com/2012/01/23/untitled/ @ChuckSambuchino

The ABCs of social media: http://bit.ly/AkJnAX @Dana_Kaye for @junglereds

Writing: What Are We Good At? What Can We Improve? http://bit.ly/AcQMzn

What the eDickens? http://bit.ly/wHS33i @thefuturebook

How to get testimonials for your self-pubbed book: http://bit.ly/yLixf7 @JFBookman

How to bring emotion to your plot: http://bit.ly/yQHkXe @LauraPauling

When Do You Need to Secure Permissions? http://bit.ly/wbK6n9 @JaneFriedman

9 free ways to market your book: http://bit.ly/z6hl9e @BryanThomasS

5: Ingredients of Poor Writing: http://bit.ly/xOO9Cl @nicolamorgan

10 Bestselling Books with More Than 80 One-Star Reviews: http://bit.ly/zagJJS @galleycat

The one page synopsis: http://bit.ly/A9Tkb9

5 Tips for Writing an Effective Plot Twist: http://bit.ly/w1JKMp @cometdocs for @writeitsideways

Creativity Tweets of the Week – 01/27/12: http://bit.ly/Azg1Zh @PatrickRwrites

How 1 writer decides who to follow on Twitter: http://ow.ly/8KcCP @AlexisGrant

Best-sellers lists: How they work: http://bit.ly/Asdrbh

Web options for writers: http://bit.ly/yz5Kv7 @sierragodfrey for @roniloren

Tips for Writing Descriptive Passages: http://bit.ly/yifBhU @jamesagard

Writing Secrets of Prolific Authors: http://bit.ly/yDrVF6 @davidmasters

26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts: http://bit.ly/xF2INH @smexaminer

The State of Books in America: http://bit.ly/xwfzgP

The Promise of the Novel: http://bit.ly/wLfYas @Kid_Lit

Thoughts on writing an ongoing series: http://bit.ly/ys3O5e

Responses to rejections: http://bit.ly/Ae21Zp @bookendsjessica

Tips for promoting a pen name: http://bit.ly/yuCkOK

Creating an overall atmosphere of suspicion in a crime fiction novel: http://bit.ly/yEkXRP @mkinberg

Crime fiction in which the innocent confess to the crime: http://bit.ly/wR83FW @mkinberg

Tips for writing a historical novel: http://bit.ly/yALFXC @KristenLambTX

Formulaic Writing: When Craft Books Hinder: http://bit.ly/yWz35j @KatieGanshert

Omniscient POV: Think Like a Writer: http://bit.ly/xTSHf7

Author Branding — You Are Forced To Choose Who You Are: http://bit.ly/zsuWiF @storyfix

5 things about beginnings: http://bit.ly/A6OTtz @donnacooner

30 tips to improve your blog : http://bit.ly/xCFLlC

3 important questions about digital that nobody is asking: http://bit.ly/wp661w

Me, Myself and I – Picking the Right Word: http://bit.ly/z1m3dl @HowToWriteShop

Discovering the Front Story of Your Non-Point of View Characters: http://bit.ly/A0WwAV @janice_hardy

A grandma’s advice on writing: http://bit.ly/wOfc8e @VictoriaMixon

How to Raise your Freelance Rates: http://bit.ly/zn843T @JulieBMack

Making our blogs interesting to both writers and readers: http://bit.ly/zTdgBw @MariaZannini

10 Ways to Tell if Your Story Should be a Memoir or a Novel: http://bit.ly/AlfruC

What Makes Ideas Unique? http://bit.ly/wmibAs @DIYmia

General rules of thumb for using exposition: http://bit.ly/w6GsSs @theresa_stevens

2 Qualities Your Protagonist Must Possess: http://bit.ly/wbJnjd

Resources for writers: http://bit.ly/wm8cBX @theskypirate

Tips for writing headlines and hooks: http://bit.ly/zbWj3V @speechwriterguy

How getting acquainted with your protagonist helps with plotting: http://bit.ly/yax9T5

12 People You Should Be Following on Twitter: http://bit.ly/AFm3wJ @AJackWriting

15 Big Little Words: http://bit.ly/xvmfLB @writing_tips

What do you love about your story? http://bit.ly/xK5pZb @mooderino

When Indie Publishing is a Viable Option: http://bit.ly/xYFTB5 @jorobertson29

Submitting your book to review sites: http://bit.ly/xvj8mB @PublicityPixie

Recycling blog topics? 10 ways to keep them fresh: http://bit.ly/AbrYBG @cherylrwrites

Why E-books Are Turning the Library and Publishing Worlds Upside Down: http://bit.ly/AstiYU @scholarlykitchn

On Quirky Character Names: http://bit.ly/yycNND @carleenbrice

If Neither Social Nor Traditional Media Sell Books, What Does? http://bit.ly/yrmkSk @talliroland

Writing fantasy genre stereotypes–alphas, betas, & losers: http://bit.ly/x59JDv @FaithBoughan

Placing Too Much Importance on Passion: http://bit.ly/wOY01y @janefriedman

4 fiction techniques to enliven your blog posts: http://bit.ly/zxw8l3 @problogger

How To Find Original Ideas When You Have None: http://bit.ly/yZDN11 @jodyhedlund

Using Triberr to save time with social media: http://bit.ly/yl85gA @jhansenwrites

The perks of writing groups: http://bit.ly/xTuG4N @queenbeetf

Write Yourself a Bad Review: http://bit.ly/zW268a @KMWeiland for @PatrickRwrites

What polite writers don’t talk about: http://bit.ly/z4qWWh @sarahahoyt

1st Person POV: Think Like a Writer: http://bit.ly/xj2uFW

Training creativity: http://bit.ly/zgO36z @AllanDouglasDgn

An Overlooked Secret to Getting Published in a Magazine: http://bit.ly/AhTX9x @jeffgoins

74% Of Book Buyers Have Never Bought An eBook: http://bit.ly/AAgNZS @ebooknewser

The book world discovers the 99-cent special: http://bit.ly/xqJyz0 @passivevoiceblg

44 Hashtags for Writers: http://bit.ly/wLydIy @AuthorMedia

On narrative summary instead of dialogue: http://bit.ly/wM4js3 @theresastevens

Formatting guidelines for your manuscript: http://bit.ly/w2N2X8 @BrianKlems

Alternative desk ideas: http://bit.ly/x2GhW1 @yahighway

Writing Exercises to Recharge Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/xTh8GH @4kidlit

Goodreads won’t continue using book info from Amazon: http://bit.ly/xZQk2B @PassivevoiceBlg

77% Of Romance eBooks Being Purchased On Laptop: http://bit.ly/wireNT @ebooknewser

Through the Trapdoor — JK Rowling’s Blueprint for the Harry Potter Series: http://bit.ly/x6mThq @HP4Writers

Preparing for a conference–choosing workshops & staying organized: http://bit.ly/ze4bm8

5 basic plot goals: http://bit.ly/wmGuuX @LiveWriteThrive

Why reader perception is important: http://bit.ly/xMnC0B @noveleditor

10 Hand to Hand Combat Myths That Writers Need To Stop Using: http://bit.ly/xgclqZ @ajackwriting

When You Are A Beginning Writer, The Keyword is Focus: http://bit.ly/yMOTtj

Should I go with an indie ebook pub? An agent answers: http://bit.ly/A1pGQW @rachellegardner

The many stages of editing: http://bit.ly/w4eUML @WriterDeanna

3rd Person POV: Think Like a Writer: http://bit.ly/z8N1WW

Are You Asking – & Answering -the Right Story Questions? http://bit.ly/xyOGkC @janice_hardy

Confusing things about writers: http://bit.ly/wUez7X @deanwesleysmith

Music as inspiration–an undercover soundtrack: http://bit.ly/y6GWCO @mkinberg for @byrozmorris

Cults as story inspiration– http://bit.ly/xpqw37 @GeneLempp

Tips for Writing a Traditional Murder Mystery: http://bit.ly/AjJrQZ @NicoleBasaraba

Catching Your World on Paper: http://bit.ly/zKl6hD @QueryTracker

Art in writing: http://bit.ly/wH5o3R @Ravenrequiem13

Authors’ Checklist of Dos and Don’ts: http://bit.ly/xvtOyw

Perfectionism and Procrastination Busting Tips: http://bit.ly/zNkvIB

The Problem With (Writing About) Immortality: http://bit.ly/zKaqdj @Kid_Lit

What makes a great book beginning: http://bit.ly/w0baiv @TaliaVance

Writing a better flashback: http://bit.ly/zllCEz @AmyJRoseDavis

How to End or Relaunch Your Blog Without Upsetting Your Readers: http://bit.ly/ypYdRd @pushingsocial

The magic & the mundane of in Paris: http://bit.ly/wn3gAQ @originalimpulse

The problem with free: http://bit.ly/xaPIJH @KristenLambTX

4 Techniques for Creating Believable Villains: http://bit.ly/zAvDiz @writersdigest @jamesscottbell

Protecting Your Ideas: http://bit.ly/xqBTOa @DiyMfa

On killing characters: http://bit.ly/A8jYwv @SarahAHoyt

Worldbuilding checklist for alternate social and cultural norms: http://bit.ly/xZMcRf @juliettewade

The Dangers of Switching Genres http://bit.ly/weOtGA @JanetBoyer

Tips for skipping over long periods of time in your story: http://bit.ly/xBfUgr @theresastevens

3 decisions to make about POV: http://bit.ly/w8vN2h @CAMorganti

Why Amanda Hocking Switched: http://bit.ly/yNSE8B @thefuturebook

Self-Editing: Back to Basics: http://bit.ly/z9DGM6 @authorandeditor for @DavidGaughran

Focusing On Detail Is Good, But Remember The Big Picture: http://bit.ly/ysne6u @greyhausagency

How to Choose Between a Big Word and a Small Word: http://bit.ly/wirttp @KMWeiland

No excuses writing: http://bit.ly/xB7bab @jeffgoins

7 Erroneous Reasons Writers Avoid Using Editors: http://bit.ly/w7gb0O @mesummerbooks

Writing on the Ether’s @Porter_Anderson features @KristenLambTX @jamesscottbell @amyedel @gluejar @DavidKazzie @jwikert http://bit.ly/zOB88d

Redefining self-pub success, epub bubble, B&N v. Amazon, tips for trad. publishers, ind. news & views: http://bit.ly/zOB88d @porter_anderson

What Chekhov Knew about Sitcoms: http://bit.ly/znhwUg

The Importance Of Distance: http://bit.ly/A0u65A @BryanThomasS

The Empowerment Of Indie Publishing: http://bit.ly/yTOA3i @DavidGaughran for @thecreativepenn

Assure/Ensure/Insure: http://bit.ly/y82Q5I @mesummerbooks

Planning and Researching your novel: http://bit.ly/xSvcaw

Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/yL2o8u @JulieCantrell

Should Christian fiction be labeled? http://bit.ly/xfsIc3 @rachellegardner

10 helpful writing articles: http://bit.ly/xJ7Qyu

Tips for preparing a pitch: http://bit.ly/xpGuvF @Beth_Barany

The 5 Emotional Stages of a Book Launch: http://bit.ly/xzTQc0 @roniloren

4 Ways to Bring Your Writing Goals Closer: http://bit.ly/xtxtVw @aliventures

Why Literary Agents Like Amazon Publishing: http://bit.ly/xpKInA @galleycat

The Saga of a Fake Literary Competition: http://bit.ly/wup6Fb @VictoriaStrauss

10 Ways Multi-blog Authors Can Stay Creative and Generate Great Posts: http://bit.ly/yZrPo1 @problogger

“Frenemies” in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/ACr5uL @mkinberg

Build characters with action and motivation: http://bit.ly/wlzyAD @beth_barany

Is All the Hard Work Ever Going to Pay Off? http://bit.ly/zK0IQd @jodyhedlund

The Punk Genres of Fantasy: http://bit.ly/yTR804 @MarshaAMoore

Embracing the (Whole) Writing Process: http://bit.ly/A6Dm8X @writeitsideways

We now have more books published in a week than in all of 1950: http://bit.ly/AstIW4 @ebooknewser

Different Perspectives for Different Audiences: http://bit.ly/xdb7Wt

The Glee Guide to Attracting a Raving Horde of Social Media Fans: http://bit.ly/wa5bDw @bethjhayden

A Bookish Look at the Best Picture Nominees: http://bit.ly/Aalmqw @NewDorkReview

Should you hire a writing coach? http://bit.ly/wyIGNr @cherylrwrites

Is Your Writing Career Missing the Element of Sacrifice? http://bit.ly/yL2m77 @Sagoyizm

How to Use Layers to Enhance Your Plot: http://bit.ly/xCyA0Z @cslakin for @write_practice

An agent advises that clients not oversubmit their work to their agent for crits: http://bit.ly/woCab1 @bookendsjessica

by C.S. Lakin, @cslakin

As mystery writers, we excel in piecing puzzles together and gathering pertinent clues to bring a reader to that “aha” moment of realization. But in the midst of our delight in creating mysteries, we often struggle with the most difficult mystery of all—the one that spells success in our lives. I’m not talking about actual success as per the “world’s” standard; I’m referring to that inner joyful feeling that translates as a feeling of significance in out writing journey—regardless if we don’t even sell one novel.

There’s a moment for many writers when a tectonic shift occurs in their writing process, one that may not even be all that noticeable on the surface, but sends out powerful waves across the landscape of their writing life. I’ve seen this happen with dozens of my editing clients as they near either the completion of writing their book or upon finalizing a rewrite and seeing “the end” near in sight for that particular project. This shift manifests in various ways, but the early signs start with questions about “what to do, now that I’m done.”

An Incursion of Unwanted Emotion

Most writers write in the hopes that they will sell their book, connect with a readership, and make money from the sales. Their priorities may not be in that order, but it’s usually the goal when writing a novel that it get “out in the world” of readers. And that’s expected and reasonable. So, here’s what tends to happen—especially with an author completing her first book. The engulfing joy of writing and expressing creativity and voicing ideas now becomes infiltrated with a subtle, growing anxiety. Soon to join that is a cocktail mix of emotions: trepidation, fear, self-doubt, worry, despair, frustration. Whether these come flooding into the writer’s mind and heart full force or just niggle at the back of her mind—they come.

Now that the intensity of the writing journey is over for the moment and the writer has breathing room, and can step back and look at her accomplishments, often any feelings of significance, achievement, or success are squelched before they can nurture the artist in the way they should. We should be able to step back when done creating a work of art—be it a novel, a song, or a painting—and spend some time in that special place of accomplishment. But this rarely occurs for the writer.

Feel the Earth Move under Your Feet

How much of this is self-imposed and how much is society-imposed is not something I can answer. However, I do believe we as artists need to be aware of this shift and understand that we can actively change how we respond. Why should we? Because if we think back to why we create in the first place, we will usually agree that we do so because of the fulfilling and satisfying experience expressing creativity gives us. There is no deeper joy to an artist than to create, to immerse herself in the creative experience, and then to step back and look at what has been created. That stepping back moment is a precious one, and unfortunately it often gets trampled on by the anxiety of “what comes next.”

I believe if we pay attention to this shift and “feel the earth moving” underneath us, drawing us away from the joy of writing and into the morass of anxiety over whether or not our book will be published, we can steady ourselves and roll with the earth (I live near San Francisco, so the earthquake motif is a natural one for me to default to—pun intended).

Beating Themselves Up over Perceived Failure

Think about this: Some people aspire to reach the top of Mt. Everest. They may spend years of their life training, saving money, and obsessing over this goal to stand at the top of the world. I’ve watched (a bit obsessed myself) from the comfort of my couch these intrepid folks risking their lives to reach this pinnacle. Much of their success will depend upon their skill and training. But there’s no accounting for a freak storm that might come along and take them down. Just read Jon Krakauer’s book Into Thin Air if you want to see how bad luck can cancel out all the odds in your favor of succeeding. I am intrigued by these climbers who, upon having to quit for one serious reason or another just short of reaching their coveted goal, fall into deep depression, and their evident sense of total failure and worthlessness is plain for all to see. How can these people put so much of their heart and joy into the need to get to the top? Can’t they be satisfied with having made it to 27,000 feet instead of 29,000? They have still climbed higher than almost all the humans who have ever lived on earth—isn’t that good enough? But it’s not. They torture themselves over their failure, which to them is absolute and unforgivable.

Many writers do the equivalent in regard to their writing. If they don’t sell millions, make some best-seller list, become a household name like Stephen King, they are miserable. In fact, it’s worse than that. For some, if they can’t get a book contract, or earn more than their advance, they feel the same way. What used to be a joyous experience (writing) has now become a burden and a source of great pain. I see it all around me—even in writers I would define as quite successful by the world’s standards. But, to them, that success is just not good enough, and they feel that “failure” means they are a failure. In effect, they have lost their way through the bucolic land of creativity and are wandering in despair in the gloomy marshes of self-doubt and the need for success.

Step Back and Admire the View

I would be lying if I said I haven’t wandered off the path into said marsh more than once. I think all artists do from time to time. However, if this process of surfacing from the joy of being creative into the marsh of despair and anxiety over a lack of “success” is repeated many times over, year after year, it can destroy our spirit. There are numbers of climbers who never quite made it to the top of Everest. Years later they still feel like failures in life. You’d think with the kind of panoramic perspective they’re used to having at the top of a mountain they could don a healthy perspective about their life and their significance. For that’s what it’s really all about—learning how to find significance in the journey of creativity without it being dependent on the tangible societal measures of success.

My advice, then, as a writer who’s been on this journey to publication and success for twenty-five years, is to step back and get a perspective on how obsessed you might be with “success” and instead find significance in what you create. Remind yourself that the joy of the process is valid and vindicating in its own right. The more you can shift your perspective, the less the ground will shift under you. From this lofty height you will see how the mysterious clues of your writing life piece together and create a worthy and satisfying picture.

C. S. Lakin is the author of twelve novels, including the seven-book fantasy series “The Gates of Heaven.” She also writes contemporary psychological mysteries, including her Zondervan contest winner Someone to Blame. She works as a professional copyeditor and writing coach and loves to teach the craft of writing. Her websites are dedicated to critiquing fiction and building community to help survive and thrive in your writing life: www.LiveWriteThrive.com and www.CritiqueMyManuscript.com. Come join in! You can read more about her and her books at www.cslakin.com.

Follow @cslakin and @livewritethrive. Facebook: C. S. Lakin, Author, Editor.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Hope you’ll pop over and join me today at Nicole Basaraba’s Uni-Verse-City blog.  Nicole is running a blog series that focuses on the nuts and bolts of writing particular genres.  I’ll be giving some tips on writing traditional mysteries (and continuing my campaign to encourage every writer to consider writing a mystery!)

If mystery writing really isn’t your thing (sigh), then you might want to check out the upcoming posts in Nicole’s blog series—which include a look at horror, historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance, crime fiction, memoir, and others.  Check this post for dates and genres.