Category: Writing Tips

Developing Thematic Ideas in Your Fiction

Writing Tips

Guest Post by Jack SmithWrite and Revise for Publication

I tend to like fiction that can be read on several different levels.  It’s not just a good story; it also points to abstract ideas of various kinds—to themes beyond the literal level of character and plot.  Perhaps it suggests something about the nature of evil, about personal identity, or about the nature of freedom.   How heavy should the machinery of idea be?  Naturally, this depends on what your purpose is and who your audience is.  I won’t take that question on here, but I will say that there are several thematic techniques that can work seamlessly with story.  You don’t have to trowel on ideas like icing on the cake.

What are these techniques?  I’ll deal with three.Continue reading

Twitterific Writing Links

Twitterific, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigBlog

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.

Write Down Your Dreams to Release Creative Blocks:  http://ow.ly/wIm5r @losapala

How Stress Assassinates Creativity:  http://ow.ly/wIma5 @_RobbieBlair_

An Author’s Perspective on the Hachette-Amazon Battle:  http://ow.ly/wXLIh @author_sullivan

Could The Term “Women’s Fiction” Be Bad For Authors?  http://ow.ly/wXUYx @randysusanmeyer @Porter_Anderson

Do Big Publishers Make Sense Anymore?  http://ow.ly/wIl9C @ShariJStauch

A YouTube channel focused on topics for writers: http://ow.ly/wU1O9

Continue reading

Series—Keeping Things Fresh Without Alarming Readers

Uncategorized, Writing Tips

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigdeath of a policeman

I’m an avid reader of mystery writer M.C. Beaton’s (pen name for Marion Chesney’s) books and have been for many years.  I keep track of her releases and order them when they become available.  She writes a few series under different names, but the Hamish MacBeth series is my favorite and has had a huge influence on me.  Beaton’s books are the reason I’m writing cozy mysteries.

One of the reasons I track her books, apart from my own enjoyment, is because she’s successfully kept this particular series going for 30 books.  (My series with the most books is only at 6 books…working on the 7th now).  And Beaton has not only retained her readers, she’s increased her readership.  She’s recently become active on social media (years ago I couldn’t even find a photo or contact info for her online…when I was already all over the place online) and that seems to have also helped gain her readers.Continue reading

Transitioning from Fiction to Nonfiction: 4 Easy Steps

Business of Writing, Writing Tips

by Nina Amir, @NinaAmirATMcover 399 for web (1)

There are many reasons for novelists to enter the realm of nonfiction. However, moving into this unknown territory can feel hard and scary, especially for those who like to write fiction by the seat of their pants. For planners, it’s not quite so difficult.

Even though by nature I’m a seatser, I’m a huge advocate of planning. The reason why is simple: Planning helps a book succeed—no matter the genre. It provides a writing guide for a marketable book.

Here are four steps to take to plan out your nonfiction book and end up with a guide to take you from start to finish.Continue reading

Twitterific Writing Links

Twitterific, Uncategorized, Writing Tips

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigBlog

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.

Thanks to Prashant C. Trikannad for the generous review of Body in the Backyard and interview with me on his blog,  Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Music, Cinema.   We discussed why I chose an octogenarian sleuth for the Myrtle Clover series, small town murder, and my writing process, among other things. 

And it’s Mother’s Day in the States.   :)  A happy day to all the moms out there…including mine, Beth Spann.

26 Types Of English Majors:  http://ow.ly/wsByJ @buzzfeedbooks

Best Method for Handling Rejections (and getting published):  http://ow.ly/wsBFD @EricaVerrillo

Google Plus Tips and Tools:  http://ow.ly/wsC7N @steverayson

How to share your content more than once without being spammy: http://ow.ly/wsC5r @kissmetricsContinue reading

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