Category: Uncategorized

Below are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter in the last week.

The Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links searchable—try it for searches on plotting, characterization, querying, book promo, and more.

Anyone signing up for the free Writer’s Knowledge Base newsletter this month (and current subscribers) will be automatically entered in a June drawing to receive K.M. Weiland’s CD (or MP3) Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration CD . Sign up here for the web’s best writing links and interviews: http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 . (You can unsubscribe at any time, and your email information is never shared.)

Hidden Treasures You Find at Conferences: http://bit.ly/m5gxwN @hopeclark

One writer’s 10 steps to novel completion: http://bit.ly/mhjpl2

Staying Out of the Story: http://bit.ly/m6RIKn

202 Tips To Increase Your Blog Traffic: http://bit.ly/jXKO5C

The downside of the e-revolution in publishing: http://bit.ly/mthOYP @BSquaredInOz

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: CONSIDER THE ASPARAGUS http://bit.ly/mnYna5

Writers Are Worth It: http://bit.ly/iXavj3 @merylkevans

Starting Erotic Stories: Two Things That Work, and Two Things That Don’t: http://bit.ly/kS7cD7

20 Tips for Freelance Writers: http://bit.ly/mfq4LU

Choosing Your Main Character and His/Her Essential Counterpart: http://bit.ly/m2JxUb

How Online Writers and Publishers Still Rely on Each Other for a Payday: http://bit.ly/jFVttu

Best Articles This Week for Writers 5/13/11: http://bit.ly/j8Pq0D @4kidlit

Libraries are in crisis, but literary culture is thriving (Guardian): http://bit.ly/kpt8VI

5 Questions Never to Ask at a Bookstore Reading: http://bit.ly/khdDDL

Query letters – do you have personality? http://bit.ly/ixNKSa

Viewpoint Character and the Need to Choose Wisely: http://bit.ly/mB672h

12 Easy Steps to The Making of a Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/kP5jpk

The inexorable link between Science Fiction and Fantasy: http://bit.ly/lhPLiX

20 email list-building tips: http://bit.ly/libkdP

5 Ways to Kill Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/jY4f8n

Why Writers Are So Antisocial: http://bit.ly/ketTqj

5 Fast Differences Between YA and MG: http://bit.ly/iJ5rcs

What Self-Publishing Isn’t: http://bit.ly/jEdwBO

How journalists can make use of Facebook Pages: http://bit.ly/mu3QSG

5 tips for writing flash fiction: http://bit.ly/kqE4R1 @mkinberg

Why libraries still matter (Salon): http://bit.ly/mFgDsa

Should you self-publish after a near miss? http://bit.ly/mvlwjR @janefriedman

Crime writers–The Difference Between Extortion and Blackmail: http://bit.ly/j29DrU

Helpful books on writing: http://bit.ly/iqqOAR

Tackling revisions: http://bit.ly/jd1Skr

Story Structure, Part 1: Beginnings: http://bit.ly/lviwfx

Tips for finishing a book: http://bit.ly/jjiWnd

What a trendsetting book is, and isn’t: http://bit.ly/ji21KE

Lessons learned from a pencil: http://bit.ly/iGK9uk

Facebook Dramatically Restricts Authors & Publishers’ Ability To Host Contests: http://bit.ly/kf7B8n

Tips for confident writing: http://bit.ly/mUcp4a

The Chekhov’s Gun Plot Device & How To Use It When Writing Your Novel: http://bit.ly/lq5bNj

Get More Done with Creative Quickies: http://bit.ly/mFHc8Y

Narrative Tension and the Ticking Clock: http://bit.ly/kAgdYi

Formatting red flags: http://bit.ly/isBR78

Does Your Story Have a Hook or Merely a Gimmick? http://bit.ly/kStVsh

Self-doubt and writers: http://bit.ly/l0MPPt

Best practices for finishing that book: http://bit.ly/jcoyoT @patriciastoltey

5 tips for writers who want to publish: http://bit.ly/jjiWnd @4kidlit

Five Things Writers Must Do Before They Die: http://bit.ly/iruBnZ @clarissadraper

When is it time to sign an author-agent contract? http://bit.ly/jDWHk4

“Write-by-number” Synopsis Recipe: http://bit.ly/lKETYR

Search my tweets– http://dld.bz/KPgS

Name your protagonist: http://bit.ly/lbhZAV

Editing: It’s About the Big Picture, Too: http://bit.ly/jAxb4J @authorterryo

Using Storyboard W to Structure a Self-Help Book: http://bit.ly/iXGksu

Best practices for beta readers: http://bit.ly/jPIwca

Should I Use Absolute Phrases? Absolutely: http://bit.ly/myCSVs

19 Ways to Use Images to Enhance Your Blog: http://bit.ly/it4msq

Tips for body language and description: http://bit.ly/mmylI7

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Avery’s Garlic Blue Cheese Fondue http://bit.ly/incswU

Learning to Find a Balance in Showing Versus Telling: http://bit.ly/iYXDcd @jodyhedlund

The Importance of a Literary Nemesis: http://bit.ly/jFWc99

Dumping Those Info Dumps: http://bit.ly/iIzvDt @jemifraser

How an Agent Works with a Self-Published Author: http://bit.ly/jFaD7C @galleycat

Key Story Elements: Into The Special World: http://bit.ly/moUzww

How to Get into a Subjunctive Mood: http://bit.ly/l7hpep

Ticking Clock or Option Exhaustion: 2 Ways To Bring Your Novel To A Crisis: http://bit.ly/jin0Q3

5 Key Research Sites You May Have Missed (Plus Cool Tricks): http://bit.ly/mADZQB @janefriedman

Writing Out of Order: http://bit.ly/mMQLGK

10 Simple Ways to Support Authors You Love: http://bit.ly/lSbj93

How Spelling Diverges Between American and British English: http://bit.ly/muKiEF

Synopsis Example: ”The Fly” (Horror / Sci-Fi): http://bit.ly/lXiRm8

Mindful Writing: Accepting Failure: http://bit.ly/koiDtF

Tips for giving readings: http://bit.ly/jtw0lK

5 Common Writing Pitfalls: http://bit.ly/iQcuhF

When Characters Lie: 8 Questions to Ask: http://bit.ly/lBoWAp @CherylRWrites

Tips for Writing Picture Books: http://bit.ly/mBh3QV

5 questions that can save your book: http://bit.ly/mp2Okq

How to Practice Perseverance: http://bit.ly/lekZnq

Discouraging Decisions: http://bit.ly/jANR7P

Why traditional publishing is about more than a few weeks of chain bookstore distribution: http://bit.ly/jnestQ

10 Scifi Novels To Give People Who Hate Sci-fi: http://bit.ly/ixFEMv

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Bacon and Buttermilk Garlic Mashed Potatoes http://bit.ly/mN9bm6

A Bookseller Who Bridges Print and Digital: http://bit.ly/l8YGRZ

Surfing the fantasy network: http://bit.ly/jyfZq3

How Many Times A Day Should You Check Your Email? http://bit.ly/lQjsip

How The Right Cover & Title Can Help Women’s Fic Cast A Wider Net: http://bit.ly/irR1rc

Promo time vs writing time: http://bit.ly/mMUXPA

Royalty statements update: http://bit.ly/luh4a7

Why writing advice is utterly meaningless: http://bit.ly/makY6v

Choosing a Theme for Your Novel: http://bit.ly/iDUIF6

Blog categorizing and tagging: http://bit.ly/kusGUL

3 things one writer learned from graphic novels: http://bit.ly/lCU4ga

How to write more-the only thing you NEED to do: http://bit.ly/ljl2ft

Make your boring character a fish out of water: http://bit.ly/jr4ARq

Bringing characters together:http://bit.ly/juZrxd

A tangled plot structure: http://bit.ly/lYtSYn

How to Blog Without Comparing Yourself to Others: http://bit.ly/m690Nw

Creative Marketing for Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/kaF6ch

Beat writer’s boredom: http://bit.ly/jBLa5f @clarissadraper

Why One Writer Wants Her Women’s Fiction Published By A Traditional Publisher: http://bit.ly/mfenZ2

Crit partners in crime: http://bit.ly/kLlO4j

Never bring a knife to a gun fight: http://bit.ly/krbGtP

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

Do Plots Just “Happen”? http://bit.ly/ioqYa9

Top 7 Repeated Science Fiction Phrases or Words That Have Become Annoying: http://bit.ly/jV9QxK

9 reasons to visit your real-life setting: http://bit.ly/ji59la

Ebook Authors: 17 Great Information Sources: http://bit.ly/k9KJEp

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: HUSBAND vs WIFE: Cleo Coyle asks, “Is it a Sauce or a Soup?” http://bit.ly/llM8vB

The Joy of Booking: http://bit.ly/k03LEt

Making the most of the Kindle’s “Before You Go” screen: http://bit.ly/iF1LAc

10 Ways to Create a Plot Twist: http://bit.ly/my7K0W

8 ways writers can make the most of online video: http://bit.ly/iQe4Xf

How to Avoid Freelancing Burnout: http://bit.ly/iTVBEH

The 3 ages of becoming a writer: http://bit.ly/mAkgRi @dirtywhitecandy

Creating Archetypal Characters To Fill The Dramatic Functions in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/lpcw1r

10 Ways to Totally Screw Up Your Novel: http://bit.ly/mD7nh5

Juggling parenthood and writing: http://bit.ly/mN6I6H

3 tips for writing horror: http://bit.ly/mrsNUX

Twitter For The Shy Writer—Secrets of Stress-free Tweeting: http://bit.ly/jUQaSA @annerallen

Romance novels and the dogpoo filter: http://bit.ly/k8V0BL

10 Kindle Tricks and Tweaks: http://bit.ly/kjKtLT

What Works: Promo for Ebooks: http://bit.ly/l5LBc9

Single Quotation Marks—A Reader’s Question: http://bit.ly/lOjDWX

Online branding for authors–how it really works: http://bit.ly/jAlHYY

The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development: http://bit.ly/lLXN7p

How to Become Wildly Successful at Anything: http://bit.ly/mljulE

Avoid the 3 “Tell-Tale” Signs of Self-Published Books: http://bit.ly/lAK1ca

How to quickly change a document’s spacing with a single keyboard shortcut: http://bit.ly/mH1LA1

Subsidy Publishing: Proceed With Caution: http://bit.ly/m8V9Qn

The tasks of technical writing: http://bit.ly/l3KtEy

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Mini Cherry Sponge Cakes http://bit.ly/mrGT4c

6 tips for fitting writing into a hectic schedule: http://bit.ly/jdLZqL @Sarafurlong

Metaphors vs. Similes: http://bit.ly/mI5nQ3

Weekend writer: http://bit.ly/lgsB2R

Writing–finishing what you start: http://bit.ly/jhnL2n

Happy Mother’s Day, Mrs. Bennet: Jane Austen’s Mothers: http://bit.ly/jd17w1

The Rise of Urban Fantasy: http://bit.ly/jpqZZG

Help for restless writers: http://bit.ly/iA6uUs

5 Reasons Why Moms Matter in Children’s Literature: http://bit.ly/lzWXLv

10 essential self-editing tips: http://bit.ly/iDAMcw

Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 5/6/11): http://bit.ly/kNwBXI

How To Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/lHq5Od

How one writer uses Scrivener to plot with flexibility: http://bit.ly/mfZypM @SarahKetley

The Dos and Don’ts of Your Online Presence: http://bit.ly/iwJmJU

The rule of 3 in fiction: http://bit.ly/lGypLz

Character building tools for writers–astrological signs: http://bit.ly/mj3qfu

Social Networking: Twitter v. Facebook: http://bit.ly/l9HUY7

5 Things to Consider Before You Spend Time Editing: http://bit.ly/m82DDG

Collaboration: 3 Rules You Can’t Break: http://bit.ly/lcjecF

An Editor’s Quick Tips on Submissions: http://bit.ly/iiKBkN

Creativity tweets of the week: http://bit.ly/jCxRdZ

Voice: The Right Words: http://bit.ly/mTF99f

Writing Passionate People: http://bit.ly/m1mNGT

How Self-Published Authors Found Success by Staying Local: http://bit.ly/iB6kCm @galleycat

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Happy Mother’s Day – Not Just Desserts http://bit.ly/kAEDeI

How to Build Your Twitter Tribe: http://bit.ly/kKf3Sg

The World’s Best Libraries: http://bit.ly/lhXIrf

How role-playing games (RPGs) can improve your writing: http://bit.ly/k2Wkq5

How to Be a Conference Extrovert: http://bit.ly/mK7xCG

Writing an eBook: How to Get Started (and Finish!): http://bit.ly/kffCwO

Organizing a Writers Workshop: Marketing– http://bit.ly/jlsdhr

Present tense problems: http://bit.ly/kARovC

Writers Write–Creativity Is a State of Mind: http://bit.ly/iS9HIA

The Practice of Ying / Yang Productivity: http://bit.ly/jjpsQq

4 laws of characters: http://bit.ly/jlvNJm

Narrative conflict vs narrative tension: http://bit.ly/jVsNMK

The Muchness of a YA Heroine: http://bit.ly/muI06B

Check Your Adjectives at the Door: http://bit.ly/l0uUWM

3 Edgy Little Tips to Make Your Story More Compelling: http://bit.ly/m7V8Fd

How To Meet Literary Agents and Editors on the Web: http://bit.ly/lQ6srW

An editor on the importance of good dialogue: http://bit.ly/mfWYTT

Bullying in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/lBxIFz @mkinberg

Ready to query? Step away from that send button: http://bit.ly/mkx58u

What happens when you want to start taking piano lessons and art classes?

Well, if you’re Elizabeth Craig’s daughter, unfortunately it means that you’ll have to give up other after-school activities to take on new ones.

I decided a couple of years ago that there are absolutely wonderful moms out there who drive their children to multiple activities daily….but that I’m not one of them. :) So I ‘just say no’ to making my schedule even busier than it already is.

There’s a limited amount of extracurricular driving that I’m willing to take on at this point. I’ve got my son’s guitar teacher coming out to the house and I’m looking for a piano teacher to do the same.

What’s more, I think that children, when they’re overextended, get just as stressed out as we do. I know that I can’t take a look at my calendar without wincing and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Not everyone takes on too much…but I have a feeling that most of the writers in the online community do.

Many of us are blogging 3 or more times a week, networking on different social media platforms, volunteering for fundraisers online or in the community, working day jobs, helping care for our children or aging parents, and keeping house.

All of these things are important. But we frequently end up feeling stretched thin, even with all the things we need to do and want to do.

One thing that I’m learning to do (and it’s been really hard, because I’m a people-pleaser) is to say no to additional responsibilities.

I have to protect my time pretty fiercely at this point, because there’s just not very much of it to start out with. Usually, the kind of request that I get is for serving on a committee or a volunteer project at the school, etc. Again, these are very worthwhile causes. And I do help out a lot…but unfortunately, there aren’t really enough people who can volunteer—so the same people tend to be picked over and over again.

Saying no:

It’s much easier for me to nicely refuse (to be part of a supper club, serve on the PTA board, be part of a committee at church) if I can do it over email. That’s a no-brainer—we’re writers. Making a gentle refusal is easy when we’re writing.

But now…I can turn down people on the phone pretty well. It took some practice to get to that point. But I now can say, “I’d really love to help out, but my schedule isn’t going to permit it. I’m sorry.” Or…if I’m having a weak moment, I’ll ask them if I can sleep on it (and then email them the next day that I really won’t be able to participate.)

I’ve now also had some success in turning people down in person, which for me has always been the hardest. Again, If I’m having a hard time or feeling some pressure, I’ll ask if I can check my schedule and email or call them later. That gives me an opportunity to step back from the situation and come up with a polite response later on.

People might think (especially if you’re at home) that you have more time than you do. They might not realize all the things (social media, promo, learning the writing craft, writing) that you’re doing in a day…and they don’t have to know about it. All we have to do is politely say that we really wish that we could participate, but we’re just not able to.

How well do you protect your writing time and keep your schedule under control? Is it easy for you to say no?

****
Sign up for the free, monthly Writer’s Knowledge Base newsletter for writing tips and resources and to be entered in our first giveaway. Details here.

Finger Lickin’ Dead launches June 7th!

What happens when you want to start taking piano lessons and art classes?

Well, if you’re Elizabeth Craig’s daughter, unfortunately it means that you’ll have to give up other after-school activities to take on new ones.

I decided a couple of years ago that there are absolutely wonderful moms out there who drive their children to multiple activities daily….but that I’m not one of them. :) So I ‘just say no’ to making my schedule even busier than it already is.

There’s a limited amount of extracurricular driving that I’m willing to take on at this point. I’ve got my son’s guitar teacher coming out to the house and I’m looking for a piano teacher to do the same.

What’s more, I think that children, when they’re overextended, get just as stressed out as we do. I know that I can’t take a look at my calendar without wincing and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Not everyone takes on too much…but I have a feeling that most of the writers in the online community do.

Many of us are blogging 3 or more times a week, networking on different social media platforms, volunteering for fundraisers online or in the community, working day jobs, helping care for our children or aging parents, and keeping house.

All of these things are important. But we frequently end up feeling stretched thin, even with all the things we need to do and want to do.

One thing that I’m learning to do (and it’s been really hard, because I’m a people-pleaser) is to say no to additional responsibilities.

I have to protect my time pretty fiercely at this point, because there’s just not very much of it to start out with. Usually, the kind of request that I get is for serving on a committee or a volunteer project at the school, etc. Again, these are very worthwhile causes. And I do help out a lot…but unfortunately, there aren’t really enough people who can volunteer—so the same people tend to be picked over and over again.

Saying no:

It’s much easier for me to nicely refuse (to be part of a supper club, serve on the PTA board, be part of a committee at church) if I can do it over email. That’s a no-brainer—we’re writers. Making a gentle refusal is easy when we’re writing.

But now…I can turn down people on the phone pretty well. It took some practice to get to that point. But I now can say, “I’d really love to help out, but my schedule isn’t going to permit it. I’m sorry.” Or…if I’m having a weak moment, I’ll ask them if I can sleep on it (and then email them the next day that I really won’t be able to participate.)

I’ve now also had some success in turning people down in person, which for me has always been the hardest. Again, If I’m having a hard time or feeling some pressure, I’ll ask if I can check my schedule and email or call them later. That gives me an opportunity to step back from the situation and come up with a polite response later on.

People might think (especially if you’re at home) that you have more time than you do. They might not realize all the things (social media, promo, learning the writing craft, writing) that you’re doing in a day…and they don’t have to know about it. All we have to do is politely say that we really wish that we could participate, but we’re just not able to.

How well do you protect your writing time and keep your schedule under control? Is it easy for you to say no?

****
Sign up for the free, monthly Writer’s Knowledge Base newsletter for writing tips and resources and to be entered in our first giveaway. Details here.

Finger Lickin’ Dead launches June 7th!

I got an early copy of Finger Lickin’ Dead via UPS on Tuesday (the book releases June 7).

Since I’m now at less than a month until the launch, I’m getting in gear for promotion. I’ve been more active with appearances lately, and am starting to set up stops for a blog tour.

For me, the best approach has been a combination of making appearances after the book’s release and gently promoting the book via social media before the release and on the launch day.

I’ve tried different marketing approaches, and have found a lot of great resources online. On the Writer’s Knowledge Base, you can find 234 posts on promoting your release. Here are some particularly useful posts:

How to write a press release:

Authors: How to write a press release for your book—by Alexis Grant (Always good to take press release advice from a journalist.)

Book trailers:

How To Use Book Trailers Effectively—Joanna Penn’s interview with Darcy Pattison

Play nice:

Ten Commandments for Book Launch Day—by Randy Susan Meyers

5 Launch Day Lessons—by M.K. Hobson

Press kits for your website/blog:

Book Marketing Part III: More on press kits—by Lavinia Thompson

Launch party:

How to Throw an Awesome Book Launch: by Moonrat

How to Plan a Successful Debut Book Party—by Jody Hedlund

How to build an author page on Amazon and Goodreads:

How to build an Amazon author page and other information—by Cassander Carr

Using social media to launch your book:

HOW TO: Launch Any Product Using Social Media—by Guy Kawasaki

Promoting your book even before the sale:

27 things you can do to promote your book—Before you write it, before you launch it, and after you’ve published it—by Sue Collier

If you’ve released a book, what worked for you?

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Sign up for the free, monthly Writer’s Knowledge Base newsletter for writing tips and resources and to be entered in our first giveaway. Details here.

I’m one of those writers who’s a real people-pleaser.

Would you like me to change something in my manuscript? A character name, the setting, a plot point? Bring a character back from the dead or kill one? I’m your girl.

Want me to talk to your book club? On the radio? Give a chat at a bookstore? I’m there.

Want me to do a reading?….No thanks. I’ll ask to do something different.

I’ve read aloud on two occasions—and both times I was taken completely by surprise. Once I was on a panel at a bookstore event and a reader from the audience asked me to read an excerpt from my book.

“I don’t read,” I told her. She was a scowling older lady and she raised her eyebrows at my proclamation that I didn’t read. “I mean, aloud,” I said. Again with the eyebrows. “Except to my children.” She looked stern. So I ended up reading my prologue. I was quite put-out.

The second time, I was on a book tour and didn’t realize a reading was part of the gig. And I had to follow Avery Aames who has been a professional actress. Ugh. Let’s just say that I couldn’t compare. (The picture at the top of the post shows Avery and me together before last summer’s event—luckily there are no pictures of the moment when I realized I’d be doing a reading. :) )

Why do I dislike readings so much? I’m just one of those people who doesn’t like being read to. One of the things that will drive me up the wall is to have my hubby try and read a story out of the newspaper to me. I’ll read it myself! In seconds, because I read quickly. And since I don’t enjoy being read to, I’m also not wild about reading aloud, myself.

This being said, I’ve attended a number of events where there were readings (and couldn’t escape). Here are some tips for handling readings:

Keep it short. Really short. This Galley Cat article recommends keeping the reading to three minutes.

If you don’t have a microphone, speak loudly.

Use inflection when you’re reading. Avery Aames honestly had the best reading I’ve ever heard. Did her background in television have anything to do with that? Of course! I felt almost like I was listening to a book on tape…which was much more entertaining than an ordinary reading.

If you’re on a panel, be sure to listen attentively when someone else is reading their excerpt.

I’d love to be converted into a writer who enjoys readings, but I have a feeling I’m a lost cause. Any tips to win me over to them? Does anyone out there actually enjoy readings—either listening to them or giving them?

********

Sign up for the free, monthly Writer’s Knowledge Base newsletter for writing tips and resources and to be entered in our first giveaway. Details here.