Category: Uncategorized

Hope y’all can join me today at Victoria Mixon’s blog. Victoria interviewed me on the subject of mysteries—which writers I’ve found inspiring, what techniques I’d love to try, my favorite mystery writing resources, and what qualities mysteries share with other genre fiction.

While you’re there, poke around a little on Victoria’s blog. She’s got some fantastic posts for writers there. Check out these posts, for instance: 4 Tricks for Improving Your Fiction in One Day, 3 Tricks for Ratcheting Tension in One Day, and 8 Ways Your Story Needs to be Tweaked.

I’m looking forward to Victoria posting here on Wednesday. And tomorrow, I’ll have a guest post from the always-fascinating Porter Anderson.

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

The Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web’s best links and interviews: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .

Recent news: Progressive Dinner Deadly is a Myrtle Clover mystery, available for $2.99 on Kindle and Nook. The 3rd book in the Memphis Barbeque series will release November 1—Hickory Smoked Barbeque (available now for preorder).

Things Science Fiction Film Has Ruined for John Scalzi: http://bit.ly/n1IpZh

3 pitfalls for freelance writers: http://bit.ly/q0EF27 @MarlaBeck

Dos and don’ts for the climax of your book: http://bit.ly/pJHev5 @AimeeLSalter

With social media, communication should go both ways: http://bit.ly/ni6kZ3 @propagandahouse

“Price Pulsing”: the Benefits of Dynamic Pricing on Amazon: http://bit.ly/oloUiP @craftycmc

Scheduling Time To Write: http://bit.ly/nGQc7L @Ribeezie

Amanda Hocking on her epublishing success–& how the books get overlooked: http://bit.ly/pq0K4c @amanda_hocking

Not sure how to get started writing fiction? A writer with tips (Guardian): http://bit.ly/qsNVgP

The Purpose of Blogging for Novelists: http://bit.ly/nzFlwg @JodyHedlund

How Writers Can Conquer Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/oP1ldG @TiceWrites

Editing your novel: Notes from the frontline: http://bit.ly/r7xdf8 @novelmatters

Some WordPress Plugins Worth Using: http://bit.ly/otV3zz @CuriosityQuills

Going Back to College to Sell Your Book: http://bit.ly/oQ4nsg @hopeclark

Is Your Second Line as Good as Your First? Making the Most of Your Paragraphs: http://bit.ly/oX2rR9 @Janice_Hardy

32 Ways to Tweak Your Blog This Afternoon: http://bit.ly/mUyBYe @MarianSchembari

Better Writing through Cheap Technology ( tools): http://bit.ly/qmka1i

Hitting the Wall: 5 Ways to Get Inspired: http://bit.ly/nKKUfX @writeitsideways

An agent on how long you can delay deciding on an offer: http://bit.ly/mOtPDU @BookEndsJessica

Narrative Structure Cheat Sheet: http://bit.ly/nfnw0j @AlexSokoloff

How to Kiss Writing Jitters Goodbye: http://bit.ly/qg4SKv @jodyhedlund

An agent on author marketing and platform: http://bit.ly/oJ0ny9 @RachelleGardner

Don’t Confuse ‘Quirks’ With ‘Characterization’: http://bit.ly/nlQLmq @storyfix

3 Things You Need to Know About the New Publishing Industry: http://bit.ly/mRCn4o @victoriamixon

An agent explains what she looks for in a manuscript: http://bit.ly/onkJoj @Kid_Lit

50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid: http://bit.ly/r7sl3P

If writers were to adopt Wall St. practices: http://bit.ly/nC3Kq3 @BTMargins

PUBLICATION: 9 Lessons for the Road: http://bit.ly/oYm4jv @jhansenwrites

Publication: 9 Lessons for the Road: http://bit.ly/oYm4jv @jhansenwrites

1 writer’s 4 step process after receiving edit requests: http://bit.ly/pF61H4 @keligwyn

Try the snowflake method for writing a novel: http://bit.ly/qNmDbN @bubblecow

Structure–Introducing the Opposition: http://bit.ly/o1zsv6 @KristenLambTX

Is a no from 1 agent a no from the entire agency? An agent explains: http://bit.ly/qyQ0rO @literaticat

3 Blunders That Can Kill Your Author Platform: http://bit.ly/nXNzIY @kristenlambtx

How to speak publisher – D is for Draft: http://bit.ly/oGOPns @annerooney

Writing A Financial Thriller: http://bit.ly/qWH9Wt @TheCreativePenn

5 mistakes mystery writers make regarding law: http://bit.ly/nrqrE1 @junglereds

Are You Worried Your Ideas or Work Will Be Stolen? http://bit.ly/ngCdCy @JaneFriedman

4 Ways to Add Caffeine to Your Story: http://bit.ly/rkfQJn @JodyHedlund

Self-editing checklist–word choices: http://bit.ly/oryEcj @SarahForgrave

4 Steps For Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel: http://bit.ly/qLAo3I @JodyHedlund @jhansenwrites

11 elements of a great proposal: http://bit.ly/rseor8

10 Power Tips for Critique Groups: http://bit.ly/o05DhQ @jhansenwrites

Don’t overdo the literary devices: http://bit.ly/riRd7A

Breaking Down Authorial Voice: http://bit.ly/pljbft @TaliaVance

7 Tips for Landing Corporate Writing Jobs: http://bit.ly/pgI5aB @fuelyourwriting

An agent warns against info dumps: http://bit.ly/mYhmwa @greyhausagency

Time management–the essence of with children: http://bit.ly/nHbYXA @Mommy_Authors

Ideas for beating writer’s block: http://bit.ly/qEBvBf @LynnetteLabelle

Get More Out of Google+: http://bit.ly/qn4Ymw

Foreshadowing your story’s climax: http://bit.ly/nfFEmD @KMWeiland

10 tips for writers’ conferences: http://bit.ly/p9gxtX @bookviewcafe

Long Live The Introvert! Why Being “Anti-Social” Is Also A Skill: http://bit.ly/o3tSCh @lisa_rivero

1 writer’s obsession with ellipses: http://bit.ly/qM8GOQ @FantasyFaction

Literary Names: Do Characters Name Themselves? http://bit.ly/ohcxMD @joannelessner

Tips for surviving a pitch: http://bit.ly/ojbtZm @deejadams

Beyond Jane Austen: The Real Regency Romance: http://bit.ly/oFBb7i

Literary Agency Sells 520 Books In One Deal, Raising Questions: http://bit.ly/oJdWK3 @DavidGaughran

Social networking for writers: http://bit.ly/oLC0A8 @AshKrafton

Tightening Your Narrative Focus: http://bit.ly/ovsAyW @Janice_Hardy

10 Terms for the Common People: http://bit.ly/poSqix

How Amazon Makes Money From The Kindle: http://read.bi/qiyJOb @biresearch

10 Surefire Ways to Overcome Blogging Procrastination: http://bit.ly/n0WLwy @problogger

Nanowrimo: Elements of Act One: http://bit.ly/pxadiG @AlexSokoloff

Killing the Mystique: Can You Know Too Much About Your Favorite Authors? http://bit.ly/n1LpZz @RoniLoren

Numbers Are Our Friend–Writers and the Wild World of Metrics: http://bit.ly/oQUnKD @KristenLambTX

Writing Lessons From The Late Great Stephen J Cannell (Creator of The Rockford Files): http://bit.ly/oZRqSj @Jhansenwrites

How to make your own book trailer for free: http://bit.ly/o7xXVb @junglereds

When Landing an Agent Lands You Nowhere: http://bit.ly/o9sRwG @AnneRAllen

Movie Story Type–Chase: http://bit.ly/pgGriW

Are You Talking to Yourself or To Your Computer? (Voice Recognition Technology): http://bit.ly/n7HL4V @PassiveVoiceBlg

Writing for children? 10 Real-World Stresses Faced by Kids: http://bit.ly/qnGVEo @CherylRWrites

One Key to a Writer’s Success: Find Your Community: http://bit.ly/n7y90L @ChristiCraig

A flooded book market?Agent/publishers?Author metrics? @Porter_Anderson sorts publishing news/views for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/r4TjXx

The Setting for Your Story: http://bit.ly/pL50As @chrisbrogan

6 Ways to Reconnect with Your Work-In-Progress: http://bit.ly/ncba0h @writeitsideways

The Insanity Behind the Pressure to Have “Numbers”: http://bit.ly/pk8pDY @JamiGold

Getting rejections? An agent reminds us that our writing may not be all that good: http://bit.ly/q3zg5I @greyhausagency

Don’t Avoid Painful Writing: http://bit.ly/mUa55v @JeffGoins

Help with sketching out your characters: http://bit.ly/r7PjBB @Jodie_R_Editing

True Confessions of a Multi-Published Author: http://bit.ly/q6y1Iw @YAHighway

Tips for writing a killer thriller: http://bit.ly/qQpyp4 , http://bit.ly/oYjbks , http://bit.ly/ojsnn2 @Jodie_R_Editing

Uncertainty: Turning Fear And Doubt Into Fuel For Brilliance: http://bit.ly/r1QXUG @TheCreativePenn

All eReading apps are not created equal: http://bit.ly/nxIkcE @bsquaredinoz

Do writers need to worry about SEO? http://bit.ly/plZJnV @emacphe

Authors to Get Sales Data Online From 3 Big Publishers (NY Times): http://nyti.ms/nlhr4e

7 Classes of Phrases: http://bit.ly/pGiFVP

Freelancers: Make an Editor Love You By Offering Solutions, Not Problems: http://bit.ly/nUsLl5 @lformichelli

The Business of Screenwriting: Trailer Moments, Set Pieces and Bits Of Business (BOBs): http://bit.ly/qenzRC

The Picasso Guide to Becoming a Social Media Legend: http://bit.ly/roBoUR @copyblogger

5 ways to banish drama from your scenes: http://bit.ly/pKY3f8 @jammer0501

What you can learn from the Universal Story: http://bit.ly/oeKed3 @plotwhisperer

Tips for love triangles: http://bit.ly/ru1gBc @Sarafurlong

Struggling with your NaNo concept? Some tips: http://bit.ly/n91uyR @StoryFix

Setting the Scene for a Productive Day: http://bit.ly/r2VQBR @the99percent

Why 1 writer fired his cover designer: http://bit.ly/qSOp12 @Rule17

The “Oh No!” Chapter Ending: http://bit.ly/qN1FQk @BookEmDonna

An editor reminds us of the importance of character flaws: http://bit.ly/pt3nYw @TheresaStevens

Why Researching Articles to Death Is A Waste of Time: http://bit.ly/nN6IS3 @zen_habits

Tips for using metaphors & similes: http://bit.ly/qF25rF @authorterryo

Tips for keeping your POV consistent: http://bit.ly/nUfsVw @authorterryo

Why crime fiction writers would make good sleuths: http://bit.ly/q4PabQ @mkinberg

Best Articles This Week for Writers 10/21/11: http://bit.ly/qw2vSd @4kidlit

Encouragement for Aspiring Writers: http://bit.ly/oHHnhN @JosyHedlund

Do all YAs have to be in first person? http://bit.ly/q9tmDH

Tips for writing deep POV: http://bit.ly/pnQa6Q @camytang

Does your novel use each of the five senses? http://bit.ly/qBaK83

The Worst That Can Happen Isn’t Always Best for the Story: http://bit.ly/pFhxc6 @Janice_Hardy

Digging Deep to Find the Voice: http://bit.ly/ppC8oZ @BretBallou

5 tips from an editor: http://bit.ly/pJGo6O

On ordering author copies: http://bit.ly/pHhIhS @LAGilman

Vanity Press vs Self Publishing vs Print Publishing: http://bit.ly/pPoqch @marshacanham

A series on global drug trafficking: http://bit.ly/oenAyk http://bit.ly/q6s2dP http://bit.ly/o2PorE http://bit.ly/rkRJQA @manon_eileen

2 steps for battling procrastination: http://bit.ly/pK1hyh @JaneFriedman

Writing Superstitions and Rituals: http://bit.ly/mYR800 @catewoods

10 Dos and Don’ts for When Someone Else Has Already Written (and Published) Your Novel: http://bit.ly/onouSa @mesummerbooks

The Critique Mindset http://bit.ly/oOoLaD @bluemaven

Finishing NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/pWBNkb @p2p_editor

3 Characteristics of Successful Modern-Day Press Releases: http://bit.ly/n8YgWL @sarahskerik

7 easy ways to keep dialogue sharp: http://bit.ly/odhyPt @frugalbookpromo

5 Rarely Remembered Rules for Building Your Freelance Brand: http://bit.ly/pjc32M @passivepanda

Movie Story Type: Spoof: http://bit.ly/riHzwJ

Show-Don’t-Tell Examples: http://bit.ly/pGFsvu @CherylRWrites

The agent’s view–the thrilling world of pitching: http://bit.ly/qDhJGq @jennybent

On Writing Well: Repetition: http://bit.ly/qHUNCK

Am I providing enough information for the reader to get into the story immediately? http://bit.ly/pTahge @Janice_Hardy

Stare Down Your Limiting Beliefs: http://bit.ly/qqcLMs @storyfix

Why Writers Should Get Over Pop Music: http://bit.ly/ofe8rf @Porter_Anderson

Publishing–the worst business in the world: http://bit.ly/poXffC @bentarnoff

How Many Copies Is My Book Selling? Now Authors Have More Answers: http://bit.ly/oMjSbj @laurahazardowen

Amazon, Libraries and Ownership in the Digital Age: http://bit.ly/mR2idY @glecharles

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of really murky emails that I just can’t make heads or tails of (none of them from writers).

The emails ramble. Then, when I finally reach the point of the email, it’s still not very clear. I’ll read it a few more times, then I’ll have to reply, asking for clarification. Then they’ll email back and sometimes I still don’t have the full picture of the school event, the volunteering needed for the band, the snack needs at the church function, etc. So I’ll email back again.

It’s frustrating, for sure. And it’s time-consuming. And it reminded me how important it is to keep focused during our own

There’s really no room for rambling in books. Keeping a narrative focus tight is just so important to keep our readers interested. Each scene should have a point—to further the plot or develop or introduce a character, etc.

During first drafts, I definitely go off on tangents. And sometimes I’ve got scenes that I just love but that don’t serve a purpose in the story. During later drafts, I take those scenes out and stick them in a Word file. Sometimes they’ll work (or parts of them will work) in different books in the series. Sometimes they just sit in their Word file graveyard. They can be hard to cut, but in the end, the flow is just so much better.

Janice Hardy had a great post this week: Tightening Your Narrative Focus with some helpful examples.

Do you ramble during drafts but tighten it up later? Ever keep your cut scenes in case you’ll need them another time?

by Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig

I was recently working on revisions when I realized I wasn’t 100% happy with a particular scene.

I thought the beginning was ‘okay.’ But the more I looked at it, the more it really started bothering me.

I tried approaching it from a couple of different directions. I switched one scene with another as a lead-in.

Then I revised a long scene and made it much shorter.

I took out a phone conversation that I realized was unnecessary and instead started the next scene with the person doing the action they’d discussed on the phone.

Some of the sentences seemed longer than needed, so I broke them up into shorter ones, which made them read a lot smoother.

After all these changes, it was much better. But it still wasn’t the beginning I knew it could be.

I decided to pretend that I hadn’t written the beginning at all—that it didn’t exist.

I rewrote the entire first chapter, using a different approach. The nice thing about word processing is that we can easily see which one works better and cut and paste the different beginnings in.

The first beginning had a lot of set-up written in. I incorporated it with humor, but a duck is a duck. It was set-up. And set-up slows down the pace—and is boring.

With the second beginning, I ditched the set-up. Instead I included foreshadowing to let the reader know to keep an eye on a particular character.

I completely removed, in my rewrite, several passages that were unnecessary. For example: I needed to have a particular character at another character’s house. In the original beginning, I’d had a whole sequence to set that visit up. Boring.

In the second version, I just opened the scene with the visit and put in a passing reference to it in dialogue, “I’m glad you could come by, Jill, and help me out…”

Looking back at what I did, I’m thinking now that I should just immediately have done a total rewrite of the entire first chapter. Instead I spent a lot of time doing surface work on something that had a deeper problem. Yes, it did read better when I changed scenes around and toyed with my sentence structure. But, for this instance anyway, I got much better results with the radical rewrite.

Update Oct. 2011—I’m actually doing a lot of revision work right now and have again noticed that rewriting a scene can be much better, time-wise, than tinkering with a badly-written scene in twenty different ways. I also tend to get better results. It helps, I think, if I haven’t memorized the old scene…and only know the gist of it and what I’m trying to accomplish.

Have you had success with radical rewrites?

Note—this post is part of my Retro Wednesdays that I’m running to help me find extra writing time through the end of the year. This post first ran in December 2009.

by Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig

I’m definitely a creature of habit. I have a morning routine for getting the kids off to school, and if I mess up one part of it, there’s a sort of domino effect of screw-ups that happen.

But as life and schedules have gotten more complicated with a busy family life, I’ve tried to be more flexible and responsive. Sometimes I’ll do a better job with that than others. Now I can at least fake being flexible.

With writing, I’m able to squeeze it into miniscule amounts of time at the drop of a hat. This is just a response to a packed schedule (and a schedule that I’m not totally in control of.)

Squeezing writing in is a lot easier if:

You’re prepared. You’ll need index cards or a small notebook and something to write with.

You know where you left off. And I wouldn’t waste time reading what you just wrote…that will burn up your time right there. Just make a quick note at the end of each writing session to remind you where you were.

You can block people and noises out. It takes a little getting used to, but yes, you can make the whole world disappear. After a while, actually, it’s tough to bring it back…

You’re forgiving of your efforts. If you’re squeezing writing time in, then it’s not the time to except perfect prose.

Then, there comes a time when you’re not squeezing writing in. It’s time to put more time into writing.

There are different ways to add writing time to your day (but most of them aren’t fun):

Sleep less. I’ve done this. It’s okay, but after a while I start looking like something out of Night of the Living Dead. I write more on the front end of my day…in the morning, instead of at night.

Take vacation time from work or spend a weekend writing. Here I’m luckier because I’m at home. Weekends are my busy times because the family is home.

Spend less time online or engaged in other activities. Set timers for online time, turn off the television, etc.

Right now, trying again to be flexible, I need to write more. I’m editing a book, brainstorming another, beginning one that’s due in May, and coming up with a new series premise. And I have a book launching on November 1 (the 3rd book in the Memphis BBQ series—Hickory Smoked Homicide.) I’m sleeping a bit less, but it’s looking like I need some more writing time. :)

I’m moving for the next couple of months to a M-W-F-Sun schedule of blogging until I get ahead with the writing I’m working on. And Wednesdays will be a retro-post day. But guest bloggers are more than welcome for Tues/Thurs. spots (or the M-W-F ones, for that matter, too.) If you’ve read a good book lately and want to share it, I’m opening Saturdays up for that.

Do you ever change your schedule to include more writing? How do you do it?