Uncategorized

Twitterific

October 20, 2013November 29, 2013Uncategorized

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 23,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

November 13-14: Get Read – Marketing Strategies for Writers: Dan Blank’s We Grow Media is a two-day online conference for authors looking for promotion strategies–and, ultimately, readers. Speakers include Porter Anderson, Chuck Wendig, Dan Blank, Jane Friedman, Therese Walsh, and many others. (I’m one of the scheduled speakers and am also am serving on the advisory board.) More information about the conference and registration information can be found here.

If you use the discount code elizabeth, you receive $20 off the conference price.

There’s a new resource for writers—whether you’re writing your first book, trying to query agents or editors, or whether you’re working on promo. It’s Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group website. There you’ll find pages of links to resources—writing tips, publishers, agents, queries, self-publishing, marketing, contests, and publications for writers. Alex is a friend and frequent commenter here and very active in supporting writers. Thanks to Alex and his helpers for compiling the information for the site.

Current WKB newsletter features an interview with @DanBlank: http://bit.ly/169ZsID. Includes discount code for Nov. online con,#GetRead.

A look at what goes into narrating an audiobook: http://dld.bz/cSwgh @authorterryo @CaptPamsVoice @KelleyHazen1

Traditional Publishing: One Reason Not to Choose It: http://dld.bz/cSwpj

Thoughts on changing genres and using pen names: http://dld.bz/cS2tZ @tobywneal @KristineRusch @Porter_Anderson

When readers drift away from series they used to love: http://dld.bz/cS3EX @mkinberg

After the Critique: Sorting the Good Advice from the Bad: http://dld.bz/cS3YU @RMFWriters @Lori_DeBoer

The future of reader engagement and a warning against hurrying through our writing: http://dld.bz/cS8eD @Porter_Anderson

Getting Started With Character Structure: http://dld.bz/cSAmZ @camillelaguire

A free directory of cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq

Tips To Run The Optimal Goodreads Giveaway: http://dld.bz/cShJb @publishingllc

12 myths to forget in order to become a better writer: http://dld.bz/cShJR @pubcoach

5 Must-Haves For a Successful Writers Conference Experience: http://dld.bz/cShJZ

How Smart Writers Deal With One-Star Reviews: http://dld.bz/cShKd @hughosmith

7 Ways to Develop a Stronger Writing Voice: http://dld.bz/cShKk @ChilaWoychik

Are readers changing and what does that mean to writers? http://dld.bz/cShKt @rchazzchute

Elizabeth Gilbert: What All Writers Can Learn From Her: http://dld.bz/cShKx @danschawbel @forbes

10 Rules for Writing First Drafts: http://dld.bz/cShK2 @copyblogger

The Self-Publishing Myth: Why Most Self-Publishers Don’t Work and What to Do About It: http://dld.bz/cShK9 @GerarddeMarigny

6 Habits of Highly Successful (Screen)writers: http://dld.bz/cShKC @noflimschool

8 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing A Writing Coach: http://dld.bz/cSpWD @KimberleyGraham @SouthrnWritrMag

Poets discuss poetry and writing: http://dld.bz/cSpX4 @Nationalpost

How to win NaNoWriMo: Realistic Goals, determination and a bottomless pot of coffee: http://dld.bz/cSpX9 @EliseVanCise

Learning to Fall: http://dld.bz/cSpXC @ElaineNeilOrr @womenwriters

Do You Have What it Takes to Survive Indie Publishing? http://dld.bz/cSpXZ @susankayequinn @beccajcampbell

A Quick Inspiration Tip: http://dld.bz/cSrpJ

When is a Good Time to Tell Instead of Show? http://dld.bz/cSrpK @ava_jae

Getting Ready For #NaNoWriMo : http://dld.bz/cSrpN @woodwardkaren

Tying theme to each archetypal character: http://dld.bz/cSrpR @glencstrathy

Writing lessons learned from “The Maze Runner” : http://dld.bz/cSrpS @juliemusil

Essential Tools to Organize Your Book Manuscript: http://dld.bz/cPPqE @writeabook

Should You Pitch (and Sign With) a New Literary Agent? The Pros and Cons: http://dld.bz/cSrqf @ChuckSambuchino

5 Cool Places to Find Writing Inspiration Online: http://dld.bz/cSrqu @JodiLMilner

Memory in Fiction and Memoir–“Peeling the Onion”: http://dld.bz/cSrqw @KimsCraftBlog

6 reasons a workshop jolts your writing: http://dld.bz/cSrtp @HCasavant @thewritermag

World Building: Underworlds: http://dld.bz/cSrtq @EllenBooraem

Checking your creative path: http://dld.bz/cSrts @tannerc

The Chemistry Between Writer and Reader: http://dld.bz/cSrtv @TrishaNicholson @FCMalby

Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts: Crafting Lively and Believable Back-and-Forth on the Pages of Your Book: http://dld.bz/cSrtw @writeabook

How Self-Published Authors Can Improve Our Industry: http://dld.bz/cRGHj @mollygreene

What Makes A Good Short Story: http://dld.bz/cSbv5 @BAShortStories

The top ten lies of copywriters: http://dld.bz/cSsZJ @mstibbe

Self-publishing lends flexibility to projects that demand it: http://dld.bz/cSsZU @kristinerusch

Creative Flow: How to Silence Negative Voices and Write: http://dld.bz/cSsZY @sarajevojosh

Don’t Build Worlds on Your Doorstep: http://dld.bz/cStaa @GeoffreyGudgion @civilianreader

Answers to Questions About Plurals: http://dld.bz/cStaj @writing_tips

Advice For Writers From Literary Agents: http://dld.bz/cStak @ChuckSambuchino

6 Ways to Write Better Bad Guys: http://dld.bz/cStav @BrianKlems

10 tips on starting and sustaining an online writer’s group: http://dld.bz/cStay @DeniseCCovey

Writing and the Rule of Three: http://dld.bz/cSta8 @ashkrafton

How Not To Treat Your Editor: http://dld.bz/cPYW4 @edsikov

Agents and Editors on “New Adult”: http://dld.bz/cSwp4 @dpeterfreund

5 Common Networking Mistakes: http://dld.bz/cSwqe @thewritermama

Don’t Kill Your Thrills With Premise Implausibility: http://dld.bz/cSwqk @jamesscottbell

Ten Things to Help Defeat Writing Slumps: http://dld.bz/cSwtc

5 Things You Shouldn’t Say to Authors: http://dld.bz/cSwuT @brandontietz

How Smashwords Authors Can Manage Books in a Series: http://dld.bz/cSwuX @galleycat

Writing as Vocation: http://dld.bz/cSwve @shewrites

Character Analysis–Alpha Dogs: http://dld.bz/cSwvj @camillelaguire

Crime fiction–characters who adopt new personas: http://dld.bz/cSwvv @mkinberg

Writing Toxins: Optimising A Fully Functioning Mind: http://dld.bz/cSwv6 @cateartios

Villains Who Would Make Great Protagonists: http://dld.bz/cSwvX @Marie_Lu

The Fundamental Skills Of Creative Thinking: http://dld.bz/cSwwP

The ‘Magic Trick’ to Selling a Screenplay: http://dld.bz/cSwxf @Scriptmag @jeannevb

Agents aren’t required to sell books: http://dld.bz/cQd6M @deanwesleysmith

Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry: Voice: http://dld.bz/cSy34 @beccapuglisi

The Reality of Working From Home: http://dld.bz/cSy3Q @FinishedPages

Being trad-published means knowing the market: http://dld.bz/cSy4r @sally_apokedak

5 Ways To Become A Confident Writer: http://dld.bz/cSy47 @chgriffinauthor

50 Things Under $50 Bucks To Promote Your Book: http://dld.bz/cSy4F @bookgal

Comics & Film–More Than Storyboards: Collaboration – The Smartest Person in the Room Isn’t You: http://dld.bz/cSy5e @tylerweaver

The Value of a Writing / Reading Community: http://dld.bz/cSy5r @jeanoram

Strong Character Is Strong? http://dld.bz/cSy5u @mooderino

The indie publishing option for short fiction: http://dld.bz/cSy5V @smithwritr

Are you writing a mystery or a suspense novel? http://www.booksandsuch.biz/blog/are-you-writing-a-mystery-or-a-suspense-novel/

3 Writing Rules that Can Derail Your Story: http://dld.bz/cSzb4 @LisaCron

Writing Fiction for Children – Character Believability and Conflict: http://dld.bz/cSzbU

5 Things a Writer Always Overlooks: http://dld.bz/cSzbY @victoriamixon

From Traditional to Self-Publishing: One Editor’s Journey: http://dld.bz/cSzc2

Why do creative people suffer from depression? http://dld.bz/cSzcM @_RobbieBlair_

Screenwriters: Being Solely Identified by Your Scripts Leads to Permanent Identity Crisis: http://dld.bz/cSzcV @NancyNigrosh @akstanwyck

Gothic Intersections: History, Story, Memory: http://dld.bz/cSze4 @GothImagination

11 Most Evil Characters in Books: http://dld.bz/cSzeM @PublishersWkly

Crowdsourcing for editing: http://dld.bz/cSzfa

Tricking yourself into writing more: http://dld.bz/cSzfw

Real Life Diagnostics: Is This Opening Working? http://dld.bz/cSzfF @janice_hardy

Why You Should Self-Publish: http://dld.bz/cSzgj @hughhowey

10 Ways to Goose the Muse: http://dld.bz/cSzgt @jamesscottbell

How to Create a Custom Facebook Cover Image That Gets Noticed (Without Spending a Dime): http://dld.bz/cSzhb @writerplatform

How To Face Your Fears and Write: http://dld.bz/cSzhe

Tips for pitching your book: http://dld.bz/cSzhz @nailyournovel

Creating Unforgettable Heroes: Three Lessons from the Bard: http://dld.bz/cSzhH @scriptmag @JennieEvenson

Author @JAKonrath on quitting: http://dld.bz/cSzkn

A Fine Line Between Love and Death – How to Write Love Scenes: http://dld.bz/cSzpP @mythicscribes

10 best practices for writers: http://dld.bz/cS2BG @rchazzchute

Dialogue: Punctuation: http://dld.bz/cS36d @lynnecantwell

Pinterest as book research: http://dld.bz/cS36j @raquelbyrnes

The Upcoming “Get Read” Online Conference: http://dld.bz/cS36v (discount code: elizabeth) @DanBlank

How To Create Your Screenplay Plot In 5 Steps: http://dld.bz/cS36y @raindance

25 Steps To Edit The Unmerciful Suck Out Of Your Story: http://dld.bz/cS364 @chuckwendig {lang.}

When Life Forces You to Take a Break: http://dld.bz/cS36D @YAOTLBlog @NancyOhlin

Paranormal? Why Do You Write That Stuff? Writing & Being Who You Are: http://dld.bz/cS36V @DeniseAAgnew

3 Ways to Get Out of a Writing Slump: http://dld.bz/cS37j @writeitsideways

On rejection letters: the day Raymond Chandler struck back: http://dld.bz/cS37n @ventgalleries

Philip Hensher stirs debate among authors after refusing to write for free: http://dld.bz/cS37t @guardianbooks

Revision’s Role in the Writing Process: http://dld.bz/cS3Yt @jenkohan

The Blank Spaces in Our Stories: The Messages Writers Send Readers Between The Words: http://dld.bz/cS3Y5 @writeinthethick @RMFWriters

Managing Writing Advice: http://dld.bz/cS3Z6 @ulieEshbaugh @Porter_Anderson

From Crap to Craft: http://dld.bz/cS3ZQ @fictorians @sjamesnelson

How to Kill the Inner Critic Inside Your Mind: http://dld.bz/cS4ad @kippras @MenwithPens

7 Writing Tips from Ann Patchett: http://dld.bz/cS4aw @robertbruce76

10 tips to bag a writer: http://dld.bz/cS4a6 @npbooks

Book Tour Planning 101: http://dld.bz/cS4bH @midgeraymond

Writing a Book to Discover Your Book: http://dld.bz/cS4bX @martinaaboone

Make a living as a writer by writing for those who will pay you: http://dld.bz/cS4cg @thewritelife @hopeclark

A tip to energize our writing: http://dld.bz/cS4ck @Write_Tomorrow

Why 1 writer chose to write a memoir: http://dld.bz/cS4cr @evelynalauer

Hot Tips For Your First Novel: http://dld.bz/cS4cD @thetoast

Reclaiming Creativity after Infertility: http://dld.bz/cS4dw @LiteraryMama

Scene Soundtracks: http://dld.bz/cS4dK @Fictiffous

10 Rules for Writing First Drafts: http://dld.bz/cShK2 @copyblogger

“The Only Thing I Know About Writing is That I Don’t Know”: http://dld.bz/cS4dZ @NataliaSylv @DebutanteBall

Getting Help With Your Writing: http://dld.bz/cS4eg @leslielehr1

Exploring the world of verbs: http://dld.bz/cS4ey @sinandsyntax

On Being A Professional Writer: The Long Game: http://dld.bz/cS6JS

Writing Paid Guest Posts for Clients: 1 Writer’s Nightmare: http://dld.bz/cS6JU @ticewrites

How to Punctuate with “However”: http://dld.bz/cS6JX @writing_tips

Harnessing the Storm in Brainstorming: http://dld.bz/cS6Kc @livewritethrive

The Blessings of a Do-Over: http://dld.bz/cS6Kf @SouthrnWritrMag

25 Things You Need To Know About Writing Mysteries: http://dld.bz/cS6Kr @SusanSpann

The establishing shot and your novel: http://dld.bz/cS6Qm @ashkrafton

New Adult: No Sex Required: http://dld.bz/cS6Qx @ava_jae

How to Create a Three-Phase Writing Ritual: http://dld.bz/cS6Q2 @DebraEve

Writers & Their Money: http://dld.bz/cS6QC @ollinmorales

10 Reasons NOT to Become a Novelist: http://dld.bz/cS6Uq

Reframing for Writers: http://dld.bz/cS6UD @Dannie_Morin

The Exaggeration of Story: http://dld.bz/cS6UP @mooderino

Don’t respond to negative reviews: http://dld.bz/cS6UT @chuckwendig

Poor word choice can kill a story: http://dld.bz/cS6Vs @NatRusso

Successful books mean hours of practice: http://dld.bz/cS6Vx @kristenlambtx

Focus on one thing when writing descriptions: http://dld.bz/cS6V7

Dystropia: Why The Sassy Gay Friend Isn’t Progressive: http://dld.bz/cS6V9 @filth_filler

Developing Conflict and Character in an Opening Scene: http://dld.bz/cS6VA @Janice_Hardy

The Two Most Powerful Words: What If: http://dld.bz/cS6VD @julie_gray

12 reasons to self-publish: http://dld.bz/cS6VH @RachelintheOC

8 Creativity Lessons from a Pixar Animator: http://dld.bz/cS6VJ @LeoBabauta

Protagonists Should Climb in the Front Seat

October 18, 2013November 29, 2013Uncategorized

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

When I speak to book clubs and other groups of readers, I’m frequently asked if my characters are like me.

And they’re really not—the books would be boring if the protagonists were like me.

But I’m not telling the whole truth when I dismiss the question. Because in some ways, they are.

In particular, I have one protagonist who behaves very much like me during social gatherings. Beatrice watches instead of participating.

No matter how much I’m aware of this issue, it constantly creeps into my writing. I know it’s the way this character is. It’s in keeping with her personality (and no, her personality isn’t like mine). It means that I’ll rewrite a handful of scenes in each book in this series—either completely rewrite them, or change the dialogue and action around.

Beatrice is content to watch and listen to others. She’s gathering information and thinking thoughts. Neither of these things are good for a protagonist to do.

Unfortunately, her sidekick is a scene stealer. This doesn’t help. Meadow makes witty observations and sometimes generates conflict through her plain talking. These things would be all right—if the protagonist was on center stage with the action.

Fixing the problem isn’t too difficult—it’s mainly just important to be aware of the problem. Readers, who usually identify closest with the protagonist, aren’t going to be excited about taking the back seat in the story’s action. Who wants to watch a watcher?

Fixing it: If there is a scene where the protagonist isn’t really doing anything, or is listening/watching when someone else is doing something, I’ll rewrite the entire scene.

If there are scenes where it’s mostly a dialogue problem—the protagonist is listening as someone else is ruminating about the mystery or asking questions of cops or suspects—I’ll change the dialogue so that the protagonist is spearheading the investigation.

There are people like this. I’m like this. But this trait doesn’t fit the protagonist job description.

We should push our introverted protagonist. They can be curious, adventurous leaders who like to take charge and fix problems and save the world. They’re proactive people. They can and should have flaws…but hanging back to observe and react shouldn’t be one of them. Not on a regular basis, anyway. They’re the ones who need to actively observe—to take what they see and run with it.

Do you ever have to spur your main characters to get in the front seat?

Image: MorgueFile: Jusben

Advantages to Having Your Self-Published Book in Print

October 16, 2013November 29, 2013Uncategorized

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

When I first self-published a couple of years ago, it really never occurred to me to put out print copies of the books. I felt print was on its way out, and that it might be expensive to publish a printed copy. Plus, I wasn’t sure exactly how to go into print.

But soon after e-publishing the first of my books, I started receiving emails from readers asking about getting the Myrtle books in print. Some of the readers sounded rather put-out with me. “I know digital is The Thing right now,” said one, “but I will never buy an e-reader. Never. Even though I would like to read your books.” That’s when I decided to reassess my decision.

Benefits to print:

Some readers mentioned preferring print to digital when gift-giving. They like having something to wrap and present to their friend.

Popular reader site Goodreads only allows printed books to be part of their giveaways. And giveaways frequently mean reviews.

Another benefit is that the ebook price for your book looks like a real deal when the print price is a good seven or more dollars higher.

And, as mentioned earlier, some readers don’t want to read ebooks.

After doing a little research, I discovered that it was actually free to upload to CreateSpace and publish to Amazon, aside from formatting and cover design, of course (and some of you might be adept enough to tackle those things yourself). Uploading the files was an extremely simple process. Most writers choose to go through Lightning Source or CreateSpace. Jen Talty with Cool Gus wrote a nice post last year about their decision to choose CreateSpace.

I didn’t have much time, so I paid folks to help me with the formatting to print and paid someone to create a full cover with spine and back, based on my ebook cover. After the print copies released, I’d recouped that money within two months. This, obviously, will vary. Are your ebook sales strong? Have you gotten any requests from readers for your book to be in print? Those points can indicate if it’s worthwhile to invest money in pursuing print.

Author copies of my books (which retail to readers on Amazon for $10.99) are only $3.41 apiece (my books are fairly short), plus the price of shipping. Not a bad price for promo copies. The nice thing is that we can pay for and print books as we need them—we don’t have to store a couple of hundred copies, that may never sell, in our closet.

The one-time investment in formatting and cover design has paid off. Now I feel as if I’m connecting to readers who wouldn’t otherwise be reading my books. The CreateSpace sales have provided steady income since early summer.

If you’re self-published, are your books available in print? Did you format the text and cover yourself, or hire someone? Has the investment in time and money paid off?

Traditional Publishing: One Reason Not to Choose It

October 14, 2013November 29, 2013Uncategorized

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Back in March, I wrote a post weighing in on the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing choice. At the time, I was stunned by a report from a Digital Book World survey . Although I didn’t mention it in the post, I couldn’t believe that one of the main reasons surveyed writers said they were interested in pursuing traditional publishing (76%) was the “marketing support from a publisher.”

At the time, I didn’t really want to pooh-pooh that on the blog—I wasn’t trying to slam my publisher(s) by outing this myth. So I ignored it, figuring those were just ill-informed writers who wouldn’t be reading my blog anyway.

But now, there’s been another survey published. The Bookseller’s and FutureBook’s annual publishing survey. Porter Anderson in his weekly Writing on the Ether column for industry expert Jane Friedman’s blog, quoted Sam Missingham: “Traditionally published authors say they need more marketing and publicity support. But self-publishing authors say they want to get contracts because they think a publisher will give them the very marketing and publicity support the traditionally published writers say they don’t get.”

It’s time to put this marketing myth to bed. Marketing support should not be your reason to go to traditional publishing, y’all.

There are other reasons to be interested in traditional publishing. Some writers cite validation. Some hope for excellent editing. Some feel strongly about bookstore distribution. Some have just always wanted to see their book on a bookstore shelf.

Marketing support from the publisher should not factor into your reasoning unless you’ve written a blockbuster-style, high-concept book. The kind of book that really will get a push from publishers, but doesn’t—ironically—need a push from publishers.

If you’ve written standard commercial fiction, most literary fiction, 95% of genre fiction…you’re not going to get much marketing from your publisher…or what I’m imagining that writers consider marketing support.

You might possibly get an ad in one of your genre’s magazines…I’ve heard of this occasionally happening—I haven’t experienced it, myself. You’ll get good shelf placement in stores on some occasions, depending on your publisher (more likely if it’s a very large publisher) and their deals with individual bookstores and chains…I get books on a tower near the B&N café the first month of the launch. They’ll send out review copies for you (usually only for the first book of the series, although I’ve lately gotten more ARCs). They list your book in the publisher’s catalog. This is your marketing. A lot of it depends on print and bookstores, both of which seem to be on the decline. If you get it, it will be a short-term push…not a long-term effort.

They’ve tweeted and done a giveaway for me on Twitter once. I’ve written for Penguin’s blog on several occasions. I’ve been interviewed for their newsletter.

On the other hand, I’ve paid in the past for the design and creation of my own bookmarks, business cards, postcards. I’ve always put together my own blog tours when I’ve done them. I’ve never been sent on a book tour—although I did tour once—on my dime—in a very small region. I’ve set up my own book signings. I pay for my own copies of books for promo reasons (I do get a discount) after I’ve used up my contracted author copies. I’ve set up my own online giveaways. Facebook (2 pages, 2 profiles), Twitter, blogging, LinkedIn, Google +? Me, me, me, me, me. I set them up, I branded myself. My website? Me. Designed by…me. Paid for by…me. Press kit? When mine was updated, it was all by me for me on the website I designed and created.

My friends who are traditionally published came up with their own book trailers. I’ve not done this, myself.

This isn’t intended as a slap at the PR folks at my publisher or any publisher. I’m sure they’re overwhelmed with work and represent many writers. It’s simply the way it is.

If you, in fact, are a traditionally published author and you’re waiting for your publisher to promote your book…you’re already in trouble. If you don’t earn out, you might not end up with a contract for more books. It’s the author’s responsibility to promote and brand…not the publisher’s.

Publishers do differ. Someone else’s experience will be very different from mine. But, speaking as a midlist author who has a couple of different series who isn’t brand-new to the business…I know I’m not alone in what I’ve experienced.

If you self-publish, you’ll be doing the same promo as if you were traditionally published.

This has been my public service announcement for writers today. :) I find plenty of reasons to enjoy being a hybrid writer…I just wouldn’t list marketing support among them since I find my efforts a good deal more focused, long-term, and effective than my publishers’.

Image: MorgueFile: Edouardo

Twitterific

October 13, 2013November 29, 2013Uncategorized

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

If you use the discount code elizabeth, you receive $20 off the conference price.

How not to write a mystery: http://dld.bz/cRDgP

34 Strategic Ways To Use Pinterest to Market Your Book and Your Author Brand: http://dld.bz/cRDgR @writerplatform

Tips for finding a hungry agent: http://dld.bz/cRDnr

Why 1 writer hates strong female characters: http://dld.bz/cRDpd @McDougallSophia

6 Personality Types Who Will Fail as Writers: http://dld.bz/cRDpp @victoriamixon

Hand-Selling Your Book: How Savvy Are You? http://dld.bz/cRDp9 @angelaackerman

A Reluctant Novelist’s Confession: http://dld.bz/cRDpQ @BTMargins @MaryanneOHara

Gothic Science Fiction – a beginning: http://dld.bz/cRDpT @GothImagination

Titles For Aristocratic Characters In Novels: http://dld.bz/cRDqe @WriteHistNovels

Seven Stages of Writing: http://dld.bz/cRE5a

Trendy Hotel Wants You to Finish Your Novel in One of Their Rooms: http://dld.bz/cRE5e @theAtlanticWire

Being a Writer: Commitment vs. Self-Doubt: http://dld.bz/cRE68 @jamigold

Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing: Book as Event: http://dld.bz/cRE6D @deanwesleysmith

5 Ways To Use NaNoWriMo As Your Writing R&D Department: http://dld.bz/cRE7z @Figures

Top 10 tips for writing a Hollywood blockbuster: http://dld.bz/cRE7P

Bad Characters Do Bad Things: http://dld.bz/cRE8P @mooderino

Don’t cliche yourself into becoming a hack writer: http://dld.bz/cRE8X @jasonsanford

3 Secrets To Writing Blog Posts That Go Viral: http://dld.bz/cRE9G

On Keeping a Notebook: http://dld.bz/cNNhm @SarahNumber4 @parisreview

Nonfiction: How to See Yourself Through an Acquisitions Editor’s Eyes: http://dld.bz/cRGGV @ninaamir

How Self-Published Authors Can Improve Our Industry: http://dld.bz/cRGHj @mollygreene

Is crowdfunding right for you? 5 questions: http://dld.bz/cRGJt

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Prepare Your Characters: http://dld.bz/cRGJw @matty_gibbon

Goodreads For Authors: http://dld.bz/cRGJK @PatrickRBrown

A Dungeons and Dragons Guide to Book Sales: http://dld.bz/cRGJU @DoSomeDamage

Famous Writers and their Addictions: http://dld.bz/cRGJY @Writers_Write

Adventures in Horrific Fantasy Literature? http://dld.bz/cRGKe

25 Steps To Becoming A Self-Published Author: http://dld.bz/cRGKf @chuckwendig {lang.}

SF–Dragons: Classifications: http://dld.bz/cRHZ8 @fantasyfaction

How 1 author stays organized: http://dld.bz/cRHZJ @ventgalleries

Rejection and Despair:Just Another Day in Writer Paradise: http://dld.bz/cRJan @TMRadcliffe

Jump-start Your Writing Routine with NaNoWriMo: http://dld.bz/cRJbD @fictorians

“Up”: High concept or not? http://dld.bz/cRJbF @gointothestory

How to Edit a Book: Long Sentences and Comma Splices: http://dld.bz/cRJck @EBindery

6 Psych Tips For Creating The Ideal Workspace: http://dld.bz/cRRH7 @PsyBlog

Tools for Character Excavation: http://dld.bz/cRRKN @YAMuses

New Facebook Feature Spells ‘Awesome’ for Blogging: http://dld.bz/cRSdC @JennyHansenCA @LisaHallWilson

Writing in 2nd person POV: http://dld.bz/cRSm5 @MartinaABoone

Fear and the Second Book in a Trilogy: http://dld.bz/cRSmH @jlizhill

For Biographers, The Past Is An Open (Electronic) Book: http://dld.bz/cRST6 @npralltech

When ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ is Really Bad Advice: http://dld.bz/cRSXc @readjennymartin

Authors who reprise the greats need a bold touch: http://dld.bz/cRSXq @TelegraphBooks

What did the publisher do to help make the novel succeed? http://dld.bz/cRSXy @MacGregorLit

Character Clichés: http://behlerblog.com/2013/09/04/character-cliches-make-like-a-tree-and-get-outta-here/ @behlerpublish

Script To Screen: “Badlands”: http://dld.bz/cRSX2 @gointothestory

Are You Writing in the Right Medium For You? http://dld.bz/cRSX7 @Julie_Gray

Get in the water already. http://dld.bz/cRSXD

When Science Fiction is Not Science Fiction: http://dld.bz/cRSXH @AmazingStories0

Tom Clancy’s 5 big rules for writing and life: http://dld.bz/cRY2s @salon

Need an Attitude Adjustment? Screenwriting Tips on Approaching Your Work: http://dld.bz/cRY26 @nofilmschool

Why Should You Be an Unconscious Writer? http://dld.bz/cRY58 @WriterJimDenney

Write your story–don’t worry about what people will say: http://dld.bz/cRY5F @RachelintheOC

Embracing Your Dark Side: http://dld.bz/cRY6g @pshares

Tips for making it as a writer: http://dld.bz/cRY6s

Get Past the Fear and Just Write: http://dld.bz/cRY6x @rebeccatdickson

Querying Literary Agents: Your Top 9 Questions Answered: http://dld.bz/cRY65 @thewritelife

Four Things ‘Breaking Bad’ Taught 1 Writer about Writing: http://dld.bz/cRY7k @NaturiThomas

How to choose a theme for your author blog: http://dld.bz/cRY8E @Belinda_Pollard

8 Book Marketing and Diversification Tips to Make Money: http://dld.bz/cRCEc @karencv

Don’t Let Your Characters Act Like Idiots: http://dld.bz/cRAQa @JamesScottBell

Three Most Common Story-structure Pitfalls: http://dld.bz/cR9am @KMWeiland

20 Places to Publish Personal Essays: http://dld.bz/cRxk4 @meghancward

How to Craft Perfect Posts for Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter: http://dld.bz/cRxaK @hubspot

On Keeping a Notebook: http://dld.bz/cNNhm @SarahNumber4 @parisreview

Why you shouldn’t ask Beta Readers to do copy editing: http://dld.bz/cRYAR @belinda_pollard

Understanding the Hidden Editing in Hitchcock’s ‘Rope’: http://dld.bz/cRYCd @nofilmschool

As Naysayers Cleave To Old Ideas, Indie Authors Keep Moving Forward: http://dld.bz/cRYCp @RachelintheOC

The Oddest Odd Jobs of 10 Literary Greats: http://dld.bz/cRZdQ @writersdigest

The CFD–Crappy First Draft: http://dld.bz/cRZdT @niniehammon

How to Write Like Nicholas Sparks: 4 Tips: http://dld.bz/cRZeC @monicamclark

The Strange and Unpleasant World of the Sock Puppet: http://dld.bz/cRZeM @cathinnorway

Who Wrote at Standing Desks? Kierkegaard, Dickens and Ernest Hemingway Too: http://dld.bz/cRZeY @openculture

10 Ways to Develop Confidence as a Writer: http://dld.bz/cRZfk @mufidah

5 Tips for Writing Query Letters: http://dld.bz/cRZfB @authorterryo

25 productivity secrets from history’s greatest thinkers: http://dld.bz/cRZzg @TheWeek

Dan Brown sells more books than Michael Chabon. Does that make Dan Brown a better writer? http://dld.bz/cRZzu

The 3 best ways to physically describe your characters: http://dld.bz/cRZzy @niniehammon

What Makes A Good Short Story: http://dld.bz/cSbv5 @BAShortStories

30 Obnoxious Phrases to Expunge from Our Writing: http://dld.bz/cSbvF @writerspotlight

Why Don’t Writers Have a Lingo for Their Writing? http://dld.bz/cSbvJ

Word sprinting: http://dld.bz/cSbvP @TheSprintShack

Top Writing Tips for Self-Published Authors: http://dld.bz/cSbvW @PublishersWkly

5 POVs complete with short story excerpts that show them in action: http://dld.bz/cSbwe @JanineDonoho

When Writing Feels Wrong: http://dld.bz/cSbwt @DavidSpinks

C.S. Lewis on Writing and Criticism: http://dld.bz/cSbwv @SilverPetticoat

Self-Publishing: Top Four Lessons Learned: http://dld.bz/cSbwx @JL_Campbell

Writers on writing about sex: http://dld.bz/cSbw4& @nytimes

The 7 Best Literary Wedding Themes: http://dld.bz/cSbw6 @BNBuzz

10 Tips for Working with an Editor: http://dld.bz/cSbxa @jonestony

8 books about writing: http://dld.bz/cSbxc @elephantjournal

Learning from the homes of famous writers: http://dld.bz/cSbx8 @BostonGlobe

How 7 Step Plans can be Straitjackets: http://dld.bz/cSbye @JamesPrescott77

Screenwriting: The Simple Things Every Writer Should Know: http://dld.bz/cSbyq @scriptmag

Write every day and other lies: http://dld.bz/cSby2 @missstaceymay

Tips for Parting Ways with Your Agent: http://dld.bz/cScNP @ElisabethWeed @writerunboxed

A publisher tries to understand the negativity in reader reviews: http://dld.bz/cScNR

Need more time to write? A better way to tell people “no”: http://dld.bz/cScPg @katecollinsbook

What Would Dickens Do? http://dld.bz/cScPx @Bookkaholic

Is Trope a Five-Letter “Four-Letter” Word? http://dld.bz/cScP6 @lemmony @pink_typewriter

Hating on Present Tense? A Defender: http://dld.bz/cScPR @Tamfrancis

Writing Tips for Creating a Complex Villain: http://dld.bz/cScQ8 @melissadonovan

Jennifer Egan And Michael Chabon Reveal 16 Truths About Writing: http://dld.bz/cScXD

When to Be and When Not to Be a Writer: http://dld.bz/cSdyy @BillieMosiman

Don’t let your characters over-share: http://dld.bz/cSdyD @alexbilledeaux

The Importance of Reading Out Loud: http://dld.bz/cSdyS @brevitymag

7 questions for an MG lit agent: http://dld.bz/cSdyZ

Writing Out of Middle Age: http://dld.bz/cSdzg @BTMargins @kimtriedman

Behind the curtain: the dark arts of dramaturgy: http://dld.bz/cSdzm @IrishTimes

First Novels: The Romance Of Agents: http://dld.bz/cSdzw @nprmonkeysee @hppywrtrMartha

8 Tips For Creating Great Stories From George R.R. Martin, Junot Diaz, And Others: http://dld.bz/cSdzz @hughhart

Easy Book Marketing Techniques For Writers: http://dld.bz/cSdzC @writeonepub

After You Sign The Publishing Contract: What Comes Next? http://dld.bz/cSeGj @randysusanmeyer

Branding Yourself. Be Careful Of The Hot Pokers. http://dld.bz/cSeGn @The_Real_HH

Top Three PR Moves Authors Should Make: http://dld.bz/cSeGr @makasha

10 Dumb Things Stopping You From Finishing Your Novel: http://dld.bz/cSeGx @ajackwriting

10 things 1 writer has learned about author crowdfunding so far: http://dld.bz/cPPqP @MaryDeMuth

Can a Foreign Language Enhance your Writing? http://dld.bz/cSeKb @serbaughman @writeitsideways

Creative Flow: There is Magic in Asking Yourself The Right Questions: http://dld.bz/cSeKg @ADDerWORLD

Understanding the Five Phases of Book Marketing: http://dld.bz/cSeKm @writerunboxed @BKGKristen

The Top 5 Reasons for Not Doing NaNoWriMo This November: http://dld.bz/cSeKU @chrisbaty @ChronicleBooks

What Do Authors Owe to Indie Booksellers? http://dld.bz/cSeMf @passivevoiceblg

277 Movies About Writers And The Writing Life: http://dld.bz/cSeMq @thewritermama

A self-pubber’s memories of querying: http://dld.bz/cSeRC @GerarddeMarigny

Tips for writing a blog post intro: http://dld.bz/cSeRD @HubSpot

E-readers: the best way to get the world’s children reading: http://dld.bz/cSeRF @guardianbooks

How to Edit for a Friend: http://dld.bz/cSeRM @writing_tips

4 Cool Facebook Tools to Run Contests on Your Timeline: http://dld.bz/cSeRY @jeffbullas

9 Do’s and Don’ts for Creating Outstanding Facebook Cover Photos: http://dld.bz/cSeSc @hubspot

5 Reasons Why Journaling is the Ultimate Tool for Self-Development: http://dld.bz/cSeSe @JWhite

Blending urban fantasy with legal thriller: http://dld.bz/cSeSk @mybookishways

How to Sell Your Short Fiction: http://dld.bz/cSeSr @amazingstories0

Publishers Constantly Mistreat Their Suppliers: http://dld.bz/cSeSs @passivevoiceblg

Making Your Characters Extreme: http://dld.bz/cSeTj @storyfix

Five Myths About Writers: Busted: http://dld.bz/cSeT7 @chel_c_cam

Concrete Tips for Developing Voice in Your Fiction: http://dld.bz/cRYqd @JodieRennerEd

Bowker’s new self-pub figures: http://dld.bz/cSjxY @Porter_Anderson @ljndawson @BeatBarblan

Write the introduction last: http://dld.bz/cRY9e @Belinda_Pollard

The Laws of the (Amazon) Jungle—8 Rules Authors Need to Know to Stay Safe: http://dld.bz/cRZca @annerallen

Query pitfalls to avoid: http://dld.bz/cScGA @KeithCronin @WriterUnboxed

Reader pet peeves: http://dld.bz/cScQx @JungleReds

Phrasing for immediacy and power: http://dld.bz/cScX6 @JodieRennerEd

At CONTEC: Content, Technology…and Questions: http://dld.bz/cSeK8 @Porter_Anderson