Category: Uncategorized

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past 5-6 days. 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 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.

First Love: Layering, Drafting, & Zombies: http://dld.bz/fD7V @WriteChicBlog

‘Vanity’ Press Goes Digital (Wall Street Journal): http://dld.bz/fRmB&

The Secret Handshake to Getting Published– http://dld.bz/fD7p

Do Reviews Matter Anymore? http://dld.bz/fD7c

How to throw an awesome book launch: http://dld.bz/fD6S

Should you respond to comments on your blog? http://dld.bz/fNGU

Hooked on Social Media? From Addiction to Discernment: http://dld.bz/fD6V

A 4-point writing cheat sheet, inspired by Donald Maass: http://dld.bz/fPrz

An agent says “You have to believe.” http://dld.bz/fD6X

Mystery writer Riley Adams with a quick, easy Apricot Chicken recipe: http://dld.bz/fNHn

6 Social Networks You Can Use To Build Your Profile– http://dld.bz/fD7g @BubbleCow

A new blog for cozy mystery fans–Killer Characters. Where characters take over the blog: http://dld.bz/fNG9

I’m a perfect fit, so why did you reject me? http://dld.bz/fD6J

How to read a publishing contract (14): http://dld.bz/fD6C

The Art of Frank Frazetta & Robert E. Howard, Part One– http://dld.bz/f4Fv

How to Find the Right Topic for Your New Blog– http://dld.bz/f6YJ

The Most Important Step You Can Take As A Writer– http://dld.bz/fKHT

Knitting a book: http://dld.bz/fKHP @elspethwrites

Another Perspective on How to Write a Rejection Slip– http://dld.bz/f6YD

So you want to start a book blog… http://dld.bz/f6Y7

Nominalization and why you should usually avoid it: http://dld.bz/f6Yz

How do your characters react to conflict? http://dld.bz/f6WF

On Dedication: http://dld.bz/fD9d @WritingAgain

How to Avoid Stunted Growth During Writer’s Block– http://dld.bz/f6TW

Are You Ready to Submit? How Do You Know? http://dld.bz/f6TT

An agent defines a packager: http://dld.bz/f6TF

Our Changing World: Editors– http://dld.bz/f6TE

Getting Offers from Multiple Agents– http://dld.bz/f6Tw

Declaring yourself a writer: http://dld.bz/f6Tg

Is it time for you and your agent to part ways? http://dld.bz/f6SJ @literaticat

Constructing A Good Article– http://dld.bz/f4F6

4 articles on dealing with rejection: http://dld.bz/f4Fh

30 fabulous things for beach girl writers to do–a month of creative fun– http://dld.bz/fF98 @goldenwordsmith

When you wish books had montages: http://dld.bz/fF8H

The “Why” Fork– http://dld.bz/f4Fa

The needs of clowns and writers: http://dld.bz/f4ER @hownottowrite

Editor/Agent Opportunities & Conferences: http://dld.bz/f4E8 @kathytemean

Top 10 20th-century Gothic novels (Guardian): http://dld.bz/fFFb

The Killer Characters blog– when characters take over a blog, who knows what could happen? http://dld.bz/fF5R @LorraineBartlet @kristadavis

Stay out of it–don’t inject too much of yourself in your manuscript: http://dld.bz/fF6r

Mystery writer Jenn McKinlay w/ a recipe for choc. cookies for a chocolate emergency: http://dld.bz/fF4S @AveryAames @kristadavis @CleoCoyle

Types of Rhyme: http://dld.bz/f4E6

Year’s Best Posts for Writers… So Far — http://dld.bz/f4E3

Qualities of prosperous writers–authenticity: http://dld.bz/f4Fm

A YA writer on what helps her get inspiration for her book’s love scenes: http://dld.bz/f4Er

Reading, Anamnesis, and Play– http://dld.bz/f4DX

Ways to Trash Your Writing Career: Cop a ‘Tude– http://dld.bz/f4DR

A word of caution on self-publishing: http://dld.bz/f4DH

10 things (not) to do before you write: http://dld.bz/fD8G @elspethwrites

Crime writer and the case of a revenge review– (Telegraph): http://dld.bz/fD7y

How to journal: http://dld.bz/f4D8 @stephanellaw

10 Notes On Submission Opportunities: http://dld.bz/f4D3

21 Tips for Writers of All Ilks– http://dld.bz/f4Dw @wawriters

Understanding Screenwriting: http://dld.bz/f4Ds

Holding Successful Blog Contests– http://dld.bz/f4Df

Villains and Heroes: One Writer’s Approach– http://dld.bz/f4Db

Good Agent, Bad Agent– http://dld.bz/f4CV

How long does it take to get a novel published? http://dld.bz/f49a

Beautiful and Useful 404 Error Pages for Inspiration– http://dld.bz/f465

The craft of editing–stages of revision: http://bit.ly/9sEJ2g @authorterryo @CPatrickSchulze

A killer kickoff–mystery characters hijack a blog: http://bit.ly/8XmQVJ @LornaBarrett @kristadavis

A breadth of critique (putting your manuscript in front of a variety of different readers): http://dld.bz/f46y

Imminent, Immanent, and Eminent– http://dld.bz/f3UN

3 Things to do When Your Traffic Spikes on Your Blog: http://dld.bz/f3UA

30 Ways To Live A Life Of Excellence– http://dld.bz/f3U3

Help With Crafting Voice and Building Tension: http://dld.bz/fvjN

An agent on the hidden cost of social networking: http://dld.bz/fvjB

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers: Show and Tell– http://dld.bz/fuN7 via @4KidLit

Creating new ideas and stretching our boundaries: http://dld.bz/fuNk

Blogs– a writer’s best friend: http://dld.bz/fuMR

Why Aren’t Penguin Books in the Kindle Store? http://dld.bz/f4Gn

Taking the sting out of rejection: http://dld.bz/fuMN

Helpful writing sites and blog posts: http://dld.bz/fuFH

Story ideas for free: how real life can give you inspiration– http://dld.bz/f6YP @dirtywhitecandy

On plotting and optimism– http://dld.bz/fuFy

A Collection of Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 24 to May 30, 2010): http://dld.bz/f6Tr

Coping with rejection: http://dld.bz/f6RX @DeeScribe

Developing a premise for a story– http://dld.bz/fuFu

Writing Proposals – A Great Way To Get A Grasp On A Book: http://dld.bz/fuFr

Freelancers–tips on avoiding assignment-related mistakes before they happen: http://dld.bz/fuFp

I Have An Idea! Now What? http://dld.bz/fuFg

Top True Crime Books: http://dld.bz/fuFf

Why You Don’t Need a Prologue– http://dld.bz/fuDC

Storytellers: You Are Obligated To Deliver The Goods– http://dld.bz/fuD7

Selling Information: Competing In A World Where Information Is Free– http://dld.bz/fuDt

Do you have what it takes to make the long haul? http://dld.bz/fuCU

5 Great Summer Literary Festivals (Daily Beast): http://dld.bz/fuCa

Writers–how to survive our kids’ summer vacations: http://dld.bz/f3Ka

8 ways longhand writing frees your muse: http://dld.bz/f4FC @KMWeiland

The “Misery Lit” industry and our part in it: http://dld.bz/fuBT

When I’m at the library: http://dld.bz/fsWV

Self-discipline–go from thinking to doing: http://dld.bz/fsWR

Writers on writing and inspiration: http://dld.bz/fsXe

Five Things You Can Learn from Fairies — http://dld.bz/fsXb

Don’t write every day: http://dld.bz/fsWr @BubbleCow

Turn a deaf ear to those who say the path of art is hard. Doing something you don’t love is a much harder path: http://dld.bz/fsWj

Steal this Ebook…go ahead (JA Konrath):http://bit.ly/bKH9ml

Writing on instinct: http://dld.bz/fsVM @magicalwords

Genre misconceptions–have you ever been wrong? http://dld.bz/fsVD

Tips on dialogue: http://dld.bz/fsV9

Tips for book bloggers on not over-committing: http://dld.bz/fsVu

Your Author Bio is your Business Card– http://dld.bz/fsVt

A few tips for brainstorming your novel’s title: http://dld.bz/fsU8

Are you blogging too much? http://dld.bz/fsTz @meghancward

5 Steps to Write a Link Bait Post– http://dld.bz/frkN

Work-for-Hire vs. Royalty Writing (Part 2) http://dld.bz/frk4

Why small publishing will save the world: http://dld.bz/frkr

Lousy characters rule! Tips for creating your own, flawed character: http://bit.ly/d7aaP0 @charmaineclancy

To post or not to post a negative book review? http://dld.bz/fqQn

Writing for Online Magazines – How to Find Work on the Web– http://dld.bz/fqQe

Some ElizabethSCraig BSP–nice review of my upcoming release on this book blogger’s site: http://bit.ly/cOM8gR :)

Writing novels–formulas and structures: http://bit.ly/d6QZGX @charmaineclancy Nice tips for stages of narrative creation.

Twitterific–Tweets from the past week from ElizabethSCraig: http://bit.ly/aHWe48

The 3 Best Takeaways for Writers From BookExpo America– http://dld.bz/fqPY

Fantasy subgenres: Helpful or needlessly divisive? http://dld.bz/fqPS

Nice round-up of the week’s writing blogs: http://dld.bz/fu93 @PauloCamposInk

From Procrastination to Page-Turner– http://dld.bz/fqPN

Guardian children’s fiction prize shows wealth of literature for under-10s: http://dld.bz/fqNR

Jon Stewart Exposes the Problem with Literary Readings– http://dld.bz/fuNF

Best of the Blogs: Crafting Characters– http://dld.bz/fqN9

4 Dos & 4 Don’ts for Writing Series Fiction — http://dld.bz/fqN4 @VictoriaMixon

Writing the Cross-Genre Mystery: Keep It Sexy– http://dld.bz/fqN3

Something in the water? Mormons are taking over the YA world: http://dld.bz/fqNr

5 Women Authors Whose Novels Took Over 5 Years to Write and Publish: http://dld.bz/fuPv @LauraMarcella

Bookkeeping for Writers– http://dld.bz/fqMW

Tips for promoting a book at BEA when you’re not the author whose name is on your publisher’s free umbrellas:– http://dld.bz/fuNX

Get writing or Get Lost– http://dld.bz/fqM9

J.K. Rowling “Actively” Exploring eBook Options for Harry Potter– http://dld.bz/fuNA @GalleyCat

Excellent roundup of writing articles from past week: http://dld.bz/fuFB @4KidLit

Dealing with rude comments on your blog: http://dld.bz/fqMh

When we successfully brand ourselves as authors, are we then limiting our writing scope? http://dld.bz/fu9v

Genre Writers Continue to Be Very Self-Conscious About Being Genre Writers: http://dld.bz/fqKV

What makes a superhero story? http://dld.bz/fqKq

Tips for a healthy back while writing: http://dld.bz/fhCN

The One In Which I Argue With My Character– http://dld.bz/fhCx

Wake up, time to edit: http://dld.bz/fhBU

The Gateway Book – Getting Hooked on a Genre: http://bit.ly/bhF78l @RoniGriffin

4 Things the Grateful Dead Can Teach You About Social Media and Promo– http://dld.bz/fty3 @ShannonPaul

So, You Want to be an Editor … http://dld.bz/fhB4

Sometimes I notice themes in the blogosphere as writers struggle with the same problem.

In this case, I think the bottom line is time…and our lack of it.

Recently there have been 4 posts from 4 different bloggers (and, honestly, I think there may have been more that I lost track of…if you wrote one, let me know) about responding to blog comments.

Here’s the round-up:

L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick:

Do you respond to comments? In your post or by emailing? Or by visiting that person’s blog?
I used to be bad about responding. I’d read them! But not until recently did I start responding in my own post. (Thanks, Jemi!) I know emailing replies is very popular right now, but I get over 300 emails a day as it is – and very few are spam!!! And I confess – if you comment here without ever following me, there’s a chance I will never see your blog, as I often forget to follow commenters back to their blog.

Michele Emrath at Southern City Mysteries:

I can’t say I have a set protocol for this. Some days I respond to each comment in turn. Name- response. Some days I respond in bulk. Your comments followed by my comment. Some days I don’t get to respond until the following day–so 15 comments may pile up and I don’t get back to them until the next day. I do have the blog set up so any post older than seven days goes through moderation, whereby I am forced to respond and see the comment.

Marvin Wilson at The Old Silly:

Now here’s the question: how many of you come back to a blog later in the day to see if the blog’s author replied to your comment? Me, I sometimes do. Not always, not if I didn’t ask a question that begged an answer, and probably not if my comment was not adding something of significance to the post’s content or the discussion going on. But if any of the above are true, then yes … oftentimes I will go back to see what if any reply there was from the blog or guest author, or see if anyone else commented in regard to what I had said or asked.

Simon C. Larter at Constant Revision:

Now, one of the joys of blogging is (virtually) meeting all kinds of fun and interesting people, and having little conversations with them in your comment section and theirs. But, as you might understand, these conversations take time and attention….So. I’ve decided to take a page from the books of folk like Lisa and Laura, and Shannon Messenger, and to respond comments via e-mail whenever I get the chance.

As you can imagine, the comments on these particular posts are also very interesting. I know this because I checked back several times to see what other people were saying. :)

And, really, that’s why I try to respond to each comment—to maintain a dialogue for those who do want to come back.

In general, though, I don’t believe most people have time to check back with comments on other people’s blogs. I know I usually don’t.

But I do make a point of checking back in on another writer’s blog post when A) The blog author has asked their commenters a question and I’m interested in reading what everyone has to say and B) When I’ve asked a question of the blog host and I want to check back and see their answer.

Something else I’ve noticed on my blog is that I have a lot of lurkers (and I’m not calling y’all out! I’m delighted to have you lurk…doesn’t bother me a whit) who also read the comments section. And they’ll even check back with the comments section. They’re interested in reading what my regular readers have to say.

So part of the reason I respond back to my comments is those comment lurkers. I’m hoping (and they seem to be) they’re getting something out of the comments section as well as the blog post.

Is there ever a point where you just can’t respond to each comment? I think so. There are some huge blogs—Nathan Bransford’s blog and Copyblogger come to mind—where you’d spend the better part of an hour or more if you tried to respond to the number of comments the blogs generate. The amount of available time that a blogger has to respond to comments also varies. Some may hit their limit at 10 comments…others might be able to respond to 30. But do we really have time to respond if we got 50? 60?

My plan is to continuing responding to comments as long as I can on my blog. Some days my response might be slower than others…and sometimes it might even be the next day that I get back to comments that came later in the day.

What if you’re really low on time? What if it’s a choice between cutting back on blogging or cutting back on responding to your commenters?

No question—cut back on responses. But I’d still respond to any commenter with a question—and, if you’re looking for post ideas, why not consider responding to their question with a full post?

Janice Hardy ran a post on her Story Flip blog on those times when you want to show that time has passed as the protagonist learned a new skill or developed a new romantic relationship, etc. In film or on TV, sometimes you’ll see a video montage showing the character learning to play championship tennis, or becoming the karate kid, or going on a series of lighthearted dates with the new romantic lead. There’ll be invigoratingly peppy music accompanying it.

I usually end up rolling my eyes a little during the montage scenes. I think it’s lazy of the director…and, probably, I’m a little envious because literature doesn’t have a similar device.

So what can we do as writers, to indicate passing time and a major shift occurring in the character’s life? And how do we keep it interesting?

Janice’s idea was to introduce some conflict into the scene where this is occurring. This would prevent the scene from playing like some happy little sequence with only minor setbacks and a happy outcome after minimum effort. Maybe the hero has a setback while learning the new skill. Maybe the conflict of the novel is looming in the background, increasing the tension while this character is working hard to learn the skill…what can we have go wrong for the protagonist?

Her post got me thinking of other possible ways we could approach this type of scene.

Dialogue– The protagonist summing up what happened for another character: “You wouldn’t believe what I went through. I practiced from sunup to sundown every day for the last few months. Broke the strings on seven rackets. It was brutal, but I’m ready for the big match.”

A zippy summary—For the rest of the year, Tammy felt like she was barely hanging on as she worked two jobs, finished up the work for her degree, and kept as much of an eye on her daughter as she could.

Some showing, not telling on the work involved: “Ma’am? Did you decide which mat and frame you wanted for the diploma?”

“The nicest, most expensive thing you’ve got in the store.”

Or start your story at the point where the skill has already been learned or the relationship is already in progress. Or where the transformation is more important…and becomes a bigger part of the book. This isn’t going to work for those examples Janice gave where a character needs to suddenly develop these magical powers to rise to the occasion and defeat an evil force. But it could work in other areas.

Do you really need to start the story before Tammy suddenly decides to take on a couple of jobs and finish her degree while being a single mom? Could you start it with Tammy in the middle of this struggle? Or, conversely, should you have Tammy’s struggle be the plot of your book…not just a quick montage-type scene. Or you could have it start right as Tammy is coming out of the struggle. She’s had a rough last year, but she’s about to get her degree! Life looks great…she’s so optimistic. But then we can throw some major conflict her way right when she thinks things are looking up.

Have you ever had to write something you wish you could use a montage for? How did you approach it?

One of the most popular posts that I tweeted last week was this one: http://zenhabits.net/creative-habit/ on Leo Babauta’s excellent Zen Habits blog.

His post, summing, up was on the number one habit of highly creative people. It was solitude.

He’d polled some creatives from a variety of different fields for the answer, but he’d also pulled examples from the past, like:

Picasso: “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”
Sandburg: “One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.”
Mozart: “When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer–say, traveling in a carriage or walking after a good meal or during the night when I cannot sleep–it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly.”

I think solitude is definitely important for a creative person to collect his thoughts and brainstorm ideas.

Sometimes, it’s hard to come by, especially if you have a family around you.

I’ve found, though, that even when I go out to write and I’m around people I don’t know, I feel like I’m in solitude enough to be creative. It’s only when the people are interacting with me that it’s a problem.

Another interesting part of his post was the number two habit of highly creative people—participation.

Babauta says this participation comes in different forms: connecting with others, being inspired by others, reading others, collaborating with others.

He does ask the question how we manage solitude plus the need for participation. His answer was to schedule separate time for both, which I can definitely see:

But how can you have both solitude and participation? They obviously have to come at different times. Finding the balance is key, of course, but it takes a conscious effort: this time is for solitude, and this time is for participation.

Why are they both important? We need inspiration from without, but we need creation from within.

Something that I’ve noticed with myself, though, and what I wanted to bring up here because I think it’s a shared trait of most writers is that I carry my solitude along WITH me..

I have a feeling of apartness…not loneliness…when I’m out in a coffeehouse or a public place. I’m the observer, I’m the note taker. I’m soaking it all in, but running it through the writing lens.

Most of the writers I know are happy to sit on the edges of a group or gathering and watch the people. We’re less happy being the center of attention—you can’t observe life as well when all eyes are on you. We’re the perfect bystanders.

But, to a certain degree, I do get a lot of ideas and a lot of inspiration when I’m out in public and around other people (who are frequently potential characters). But I’m more inspired if I’m not participating or interacting with them. I guess I’m being inspired by the people, frequently without making a connection with them.

What’s your take on the subject? Do you find more inspiration in solitude or through participation? Both? And do you prefer your time alone more than your time spent with others (at least, when it comes to creative inspiration)?

I have a week and a half until my children’s schools let out for the summer.

This time last year, I was completely horrified at that realization.

This year? Not so much. Because I managed to write the better part of a novel over summer break last year. It had to be done…I was under a deadline. I developed my own routine last summer.

Now I’ve got a routine for every occasion, not just summer break.

Please pop over to the Meanderings and Muses blog where I outline some different writing routines for whatever kind of day you might be facing!