Showing posts with label writer tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writer tips. Show all posts

Friday, November 7, 2014

#MFRWauthor Richard Brawer Shares His Experience As A Writer #amwriting

My experience might help you.
You can read books about writing, but I think the best thing you can do is read books by major authors. Once you have decided you want to write, while you read you will analyze how the authors create characters, scenes and conflicts.

Don't give up. Writing requires perseverance and practice, practice, practice. My first couple of books were not widely received. But I kept on and now I have an historical fiction novel praised by experts and recommended for students of the era. i also have a suspense novel with 71 reviews on amazon.Writing like everything else comes from doing. If you are thinking of

Find a critique group that will give you honest feedback on character development, dialogue, voice, plot, conflict and setting.  But don’t automatically take anyone’s critique as gospel.  Remember, it’s your story.  Analyze the critiques to see if they have merit.  Say you have a six person group.  If one person criticizes something then it may or may not be valid.  But if three or four in the group say the same thing about a segment then you should take it under serious consideration.

Have a lawyer go over your contract. If you or he finds something you don’t like try to get it changed. If the publisher or agent will not change that section, then you have two choices, sign or pass.

Hire an editor, or the very least, a proof reader. It is difficult for the author to proof read his own book. He knows it too well and will begin skimming.

Post written by MFRW Author Richard Brawer
Richard Brawer writes mystery, suspense and historical fiction novels. When not writing, he spends his time exploring local history.  He has two married daughters and lives in New Jersey with his wife. You can connect with him at his author website here: www.silklegacy.com.

Richard's latest release is Love's Sweet Sorrow, a Mainstream Romantic Suspense with Vinspire Publishing.
It is said opposites attract. There can’t be two people more opposite than Ariel and Jason. Ariel is a traditional Quaker with an absolute aversion to war. Jason is the lead council for America's largest weapons manufacturer.

Their budding romance is thrown into turmoil when Jason uncovers evidence linking his employer to international arms deals that could devastate America. His determination to stop the treason puts Ariel in the middle of dangerous territory.

The kidnappings, killings and harrowing escapes from those trying to retrieve the evidence force Jason and Ariel to delve deeply into their often opposing long-held convictions, and question if they are truly meant to be together.


Monday, November 3, 2014

#MFRWorg ASKS: Are You a #NaNoWriMo Newbie? @MaeClair1 #MFRWauthor

Are you a NaNo Newbie?

I was last year. A close friend of mine faithfully tackled NaNo every year but I resisted tossing my pen into the ring. The timing was always wrong, I was too busy working on a WIP, or had some other excuse in the pipeline. Then last year I decided NaNoWriMo was something I should experience at least once in my lifetime. A rite of passage.

So in September, I started thinking about my project and pre-planning. My normal style is to wing scenes as I go, something that I knew wouldn’t fly if I wanted to churn out 50,000 words in November. I also have a regimental habit of editing as I write, making sure everything is polished before moving ahead. NaNo is the exact opposite of that—plan before you start, then write like a warp-drive engine.

Could I do it?

As an A-type personality , I hate to fail. I planned my story, devised intricate character worksheets, sketched out my town, and outlined the first four chapters of my novel scene-by-scene. I didn’t have the whole book plotted, but had a good hand on the story and was pleased with my pre-prep. I even took the time to write and schedule all of my regular weekly blog posts for November so I wouldn’t be distracted.

November 1st rolled around and I burst out of the starting gate with a rush of exhilaration. The excitement was overwhelming, everyone racing along with me. Mid-month rolled around and I settled into a steadier gait, my eye on endurance and hanging in there for the long haul. By the closing week, I was exhausted, wondering if I would last, certain I would never attempt such creative madness again.

The result?

I walked away with a 50,500 word rough draft of a novel that was far was from finished, but taught me the value of plotting and put me further ahead as a writer than I’ve ever been in 30 days. I’ve since added an additional 8,000 words on my goal toward 20,000 more. The book is shaping up to be the best I’ve ever written and will likely be ready for submission early 2015 if not before.

So am I doing NaNo again this year? You betcha.

Like last year, I’ve already picked my project, lined up my characters and plotted as much as I can, including the first four chapters, scene-by-scene. It worked for me last year, so I’m hoping the formula proves true again this year. Most importantly, I know that when November 1st rolls around, I need to write like a steam locomotive, focused on accomplishing the goal of 50K. Turn off the editor, turn off the polisher, and know that a host of other writers are sloughing through those same trenches with me.

I’m no longer a newbie, but feel every bit as giddy as I did when attempting NaNo for the first time. I hope you’ll join me and experience the madness!

About The Author
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.

Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.net

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Twitter  |  Google+  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Amazon Author Page  |  Goodreads

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Business of Writing: Formatting Part Two #mfrwAuthor #mfrworg


This image came from my pinterest account


I touched on formatting the last time because as an editor it is one of the things most authors have errors with. Part of that problem is because publishers really don’t give you an exact list. They don’t tell you where they might want you to start the chapter on the page, how to break your scenes or what size font to use. I write for two publishers and they have different rules on scene breaks, or where the chapter should start on a page. Even the size of the font is different. I really have to think about who I’m writing for with that.

There are a few things that seem to be the basic things across the two publishers I work with, and as I have spoken to other authors with other publishers they tell me the same thing. One is the .3 indent for the beginning of a chapter that I mentioned before, and using Times New Roman as the font, one inch margins all the way around. Both of my publishers use astrids to divide the scene but that is where it stops. One wants four with no space the other wants four with space. It’s the little things that will drive you crazy.

Writer’s Tip:

If the publisher doesn’t indicate a particular size font use 12 font. It will be easy to adjust if they use a different size and it’s easier on the eyes of your potential editor. Use double space unless otherwise instructed. One inch margins all around is the norm, so is .3 indents on paragraphs. When starting your chapter there is normally a blank line between the word chapter and the first line of your scene. I have found most publishers want the number next to the word Chapter instead of having it spelled out. When you do a scene break I do recommend using the astrids – the reason behind that is your editor will know that it is a scene break and not just an extra line. Use your tool bars and program the document to set up your indents instead of using the tab button. Use astrids and dashes sparingly. A comma normally does the job and most publishers will pull them out. Use Italics when your character is thinking out loud or when you want to emphasis a word. Using underlines is old school now and most publishers, especially the e-pubs want italics.

Bio:
Barbara Donlon Bradley wears many hats. She’s a mother, wife, care-giver, author, and editor. She’s a senior editor for Melange Books, and writes for Phaze and Melange books/Satin Romances with over twenty titles under her belt.

Barb's Links: 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

#MFRWauthor shares her #NaNoWriMo Experience @RitaBayAuthor




I’ll keep this short because I’m already gearing up for NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month. Every year in November, hundreds of thousands of writers—more than 645,000 in 2013—unite to write. Starting at midnight on November 1st, participants write feverishly until midnight on December 1st to churn out those fifty thousand words in thirty days.

I can’t recommend NaNo enough as a writing tool to get started and keep going. There’s a built-in support system of staff, famous guest author cheerleaders, and writer friends you’ve signed up with or found online. For writers near one of the participating communities, there are kick-off parties and write-ins throughout the month. Cost? Nothing, unless the writer makes a tax-deductible donation to NaNo. (I always donate because I don’t expect something for nothing AND I get a cute little crown on my author page.)

Participants create their own author pages with bios, buddies, blurbs, and word-count tracking. I also record my word count in an Excel spreadsheet to track how many words I have left to write for the day and how far ahead (or behind) I am for my November goal. My NaNoWriMo spreadsheet for 2014 version is available from my website (ritabay.com) on the Freebie page under Author Freebies.

I’ve participated in NaNo since 2009, though as Rita Bay since 2012 when I was first published and
switched to my pen name. As a compulsive edit-as-I-write author, fifty thousand words is a difficult challenge but doable.

In October I schedule my November webpage blogs, write and submit my guest posts, and put my house in order, including a bit of cook and freeze.

Although I’ve only met the 50,000 word goal twice, I’ve ended the month with a published book every year. My NaNo pubbed books include:
  • His Desire (NaNoWriMo, 2009), a Regency Historical from Siren BookStrand (2012)
  • Into the Lyon's Den (2010), a Shapeshifter Romance, Champagne Books (2012)
  • Finding Eve (2011), the sequel to Into the Lyons' Den, Champagne (2013)
  • Search & Rescue (2012), a Contemporary Military Romance, Secret Cravings (2013)
  • Duchess in Waiting (2013), a Regency Historical, Siren Publishing (2014)
Since I plan to complete two historical novellas this year, my goal is about 60,000 words. If you’re considering signing up for NaNo this year, check out this link: http://nanowrimo.org/about. If you join, I’d love some more buddies at Rita Bay.

Rita’s Bio
Rita Bay happily writes sizzling contemporary stories (Secret Cravings & Liquid Silver Books), historical romance sagas (Siren & BookStrand), shapeshifter and vampire tales, and humorous mythology-based erotic romps (Champagne Book Group). Her stories are set near her home in Atlanta, along the Gulf Coast, and in picturesque locales across Europe. Her webpage/blog (http://ritabay.com) offers more info about Rita and her stories, as well as risqué, macabre, and extraordinary posts about the history and culture of Western Europe and the United States.


RITA BAY’S LINKS

Friday, October 17, 2014

#MFRWauthors Participate in #NaNoWriMo... Are You?

Are You NaNo-ing?

November is National Novel Writing Month. You'll see it referenced on Twitter as #NaNoWriMo and lots of authors will be talking about it over the next few months. National Novel Writing Month is a 501c3 nonprofit (formerly known as the Office of Letters and Light) that believes everyone's story matters so each November, they host this huge writing event. Many authors find it motivational. For me, it's a challenge that pushes my word count higher for the month. While I can average 30,000 words/ month, I've written 50,000 words during the past two Novembers. The program can work!

National Novel Writing Month organizes events where children and adults find the inspiration, encouragement, and structure they need to achieve their creative potential. Our programs are web-enabled challenges with vibrant real-world components, designed to foster self-expression while building community on local and global levels.

In 2013, 310,095 people participated in NaNoWriMo.

NOW is the time to sign up. You can do that here. You will definitely want to set up a profile and bookmark it because this is where you will go each day or so to update your writing stats. You'll also earn badges - they're like smiley stickers teachers used to give you in elementary school. NaNo is all about the fun!

THEN spend the next few weeks preparing...

  • Connect with participating authors. You can do this on the NaNo website.
  • Participate in the NaNo forums on their website. Gather good ideas!
  • Blog about your goal. Tell others to gain support and serve as motivation.
  • Insert a NaNo word count widget on your blog.
  • Plan out your story so not to waste time later when you should be writing.
  • Let your family know your writing schedule for November. It will alter your normal schedule and you'll need their support/ cooperation.

CONNECT with other MFRW Authors who are participating. After you register, leave your username in the comments field below and go find the others on the NaNo website. Let's be buddies! Look for me - I'm registered as PalomaBeck.

Great News!
There's some fabulous NaNo sponsors this year. Here's my two favorites.

Two free paperback copies of a finished book for NaNoWriMo winners.

CreateSpace is proud to support Wrimos. We invite you to explore easy and rewarding independent publishing, take advantage of free tools, or choose from our everyday low priced professional services. In addition, NaNoWriMo winners can get two free paperback copies of their finished book.


50% off Scrivener for all NaNoWriMo winners, and 20% off for all participants

Scrivener is an award-winning word processor and project management tool for the Mac and Windows that has been enthusiastically adopted by best-selling novelists and novices alike.

As a NaNoWriMo 2014 winner, you will be eligible for a 50% discount on Scrivener’s regular license on either the Mac or Windows platform. For those who participate and don’t make their 50,000 words, use the code NANOWRIMO for 20% off until December 31, 2015. A special NaNoWriMo extended trial version is available now.

Monday, October 13, 2014

When Life Gives You Lemons, Write a Book @KittyB78 #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Life sometimes gets in the way for us writers. Doubly so for the marketing aspects. But, overcoming adversities is not just for authors, but for all humans. Each day we face new choices. Some will affect us for years to come, and will bring dire consequences. But, that is how we {like our characters} grow and become stronger, wiser people. We face our lives one challenge at a time. Sometimes we will make the wrong choice, but as long as we learn from our mistakes, we will grow stronger and work toward the goal of creating a better life for ourselves.

Inspiration can be so difficult to see during the hard times, but it's because you're emotionally involved at that point and unable to see clear and objectively. Take a step back and look at all the good you have in your life. Friends, lovers, family, children, the stark beauty of nature. Look at all the blessings in your life. Simply waking up in the morning is a blessing.

If you look for the negative, you will find negative. If you look for the positive, you will find the positive. Your outlook determines so much of what you discover in life. Is this not the same for each of our characters? Don't their decisions and the events of their pasts mold them into who they become? Don't they have the same choices to make?

These books are a huge help in understanding your characters strengths and weaknesses.
The Positive Trait Thesaurus Writer's Guide to Character Attributes
Negative Trait Thesaurus Writers Character eBook

Life will always knock you down. Learn to roll with the punches and get back up. Then go again.

About the Author
Catrina Barton is a real go-getter, who in 2006 turned her avid reading addiction since three, into a vigorous passion for writing. Especially New Adult Romances. Drawing on her knowledge as a Kung-Fu Instructor she makes her fight scenes both realistic and action packed.

When not indulging her fertile imagination to craft stories for your reading pleasures she enjoys hiking with her family and amateur belly dancing.

Proud member of many writing and marketing groups. An active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Her love of writing and her family rival her exhilaration from helping fellow writers. That's why she created her blog: Kitty's Inner Thoughts.

Fave Personal Quote
"An author cannot grow without both constructive criticism and encouragement."

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The Business Of Writing: Formatting that Manuscript #MFRWAuthor


As an editor I see lots of new authors make simple mistakes when it comes to basic formatting and some those are time consuming when you have to fix it. Here’s one I see a lot. When you prepare your manuscript please don’t use the tab to start the beginning of a paragraph. Using the space bar to indent doesn’t help your publisher either. You should go into Paragraph (a formatting tool in Word) and program your document to indent for you. If you use .5 and your publisher wants .3 that’s an easy fix. All your editor has to do is go in and make the change in paragraphs and your whole document has been adjusted. If you use tabs to make that indent every one of them has to be removed. If you use the space bar to indent they have to be removed too.


Writing tip: If you can afford it, use some version of MSWord. The freebees out there are great but these programs can put weird symbols into your document when opened in Word, even if you save it as an RTF. You also can’t see any of the comments an editor might leave to help make your ms stronger.

Barb:)



Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley  started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with two cats, one mother in law – whose 87 now, her husband and son.


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Writing Tip: Prioritizing a Task #MFRWauthor #amwriting @kayelleallen

Writing Tip: Prioritizing a Task #MFRWauthor #amwriting @kayelleallen
How to Prioritize a Task 
Writers deal with shifting priorities all the time. If we have children, we put their needs before just about anything else. A spouse often comes before our needs. We face deadlines with books, with blog posts, with friends' expectations... you name it. There are always things tugging at us. Asking us to decide which is more important.

How do we decide? By putting them into a chart like the one shown here. There are four quadrants: Important, Not Important, Urgent, Not Urgent.

Important implies something that must be done, but perhaps not this moment. Urgent means it's something that must be done now. Not important means it can wait until a better time. Perhaps nothing bad will happen if we don't do it at all, or at least the consequence is something we can live with. Not urgent means it should be done, but can be put off.

What's the difference? An urgent task has a looming deadline or one that has passed. It can have a significant impact on your life. Important tasks don't have a deadline, but they have an impact anyway. Urgency is associated with time and impact. Importance is associated more with impact.

So how do you decide what to do first? Consider whether the task at hand has a deadline. Must it be done right now? Paying the light bill by a certain date to keep the lights on is an urgent task. Changing a burned out light bulb might be important if it means you can't see to pay the light bill.

Think of the Urgent and Important tasks as putting out fires. They are extremely important. Things could get worse if they are not handled now.

Important but Not Urgent tasks are things we do to be proactive. We can do them at a pace that allows us to spend "quality time" on them, without rushing. But they must be done.

Urgent but Not Important tasks are things we have to do right now (answering the phone) but that you might be able to shuffle a bit.

Not Urgent and Not Important tasks are things we do that don't add to our goals, such as shopping, playing a game, even some driving. These are more "time wasters" than productive items.
Tarthian Empire
Companion


Plug a few tasks into this chart and see how they fall. If they are not urgent and not important, they can wait. The urgent and important can not. Determine where your tasks fall in this chart and you will be well on your way to prioritizing your next task.
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Kayelle Allen is the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers. She is a multi-published, award-winning author, and the owner of The Author's Secret, an author support company. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include contemporary characters, futuristic immortals, covert agents, and warriors who purr.
Unstoppable Heroes Blog http://kayelleallen.com/blog
The Author's Secret https://theauthorssecret.com

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Business of Writing for #MFRWauthors #amwriting


I’ve said several times that when it comes to marketing I feel like a toddler trying to teach a baby how to walk. That was why I joined MFRW, I wanted to learn how to market myself better. Oh I know the basics. I have a facebook page, a twitter account, a pinterest account, a blog my and website. I try to promote myself when I have a new release by visiting blogs and doing chats. I try to get reviews on my books. But I don’t know it all.

My forte is writing. I’ve been at it for years. I was a president for two of RWA’s chapters, the newsletter editor for the same two chapters plus I was the editor for the WRW’s magazine (it was a short lived magazine but it was beautiful). I’ve done programs and workshops on writing. I worked with critique groups. Now, I’m a senior editor for a small press. I still don’t know everything but as an editor I have seen things that let me know some writers could use a little help.

So that is what I’m going to post for the MFRW. Writing tips, editing tips, and formatting tips. Here’s one of my favorites...

** TODAY'S TIP **
I was attending a panel on editing and a new writer asked, “How many times should I edit my book?”
One of the authors on the panel paused for just a moment and then said, “Until you’re so sick of it you want to throw it against the wall.”
There is no set in stone amount of times. It depends on your manuscript. Do you feel it shines like a diamond? As you read through are there still parts that snag at you? Make you wonder if there is more you need to add? Only you can be the judge of that.

Let's Talk About It.
How would you have answered that new writer's question? How many times should you edit a book?

Barb :)
Barb will be posting a monthly blog feature "The Business of Writing".

Monday, February 10, 2014

What's HOT?? What's NOT???

We hear the question, ask the question, participate in discussions about the question. What is hot in books today? What are readers poring over when they should be sleeping, cleaning, cooking (writing!) or mingling with live people instead of characters in a book? And when we hear or read the question, don't we all just lean forward just a bit to hear the answer? Maybe click on that link to read someone the words from on high, if it's a hot agent or editor?

And don't we sigh a bit when we learn that shape shifters/vampires/elven lords are out, gone, passe, never to be sold or read again? Especially since we're just polishing our unique take on shape shifters/vampires/elven lords.

How many of us put that book away and force ourselves to start something that's up with the times? Only to read a few months later about the sale of an innovative shape shifter/vampire/elven lord series? I'm hoping I don't see a show of hands out there. Anyone who has been in the writing business for more than five years should have learned by now, there is no way to predict what people will be reading six months from now.

Every time we think we understand market trends, they take a sharp turn to the left and leave us in the dust.
The new and exciting and innovative books we see on the shelves NOW were bought up to two years ago, often presented by agents who believed in the work. Especially the 'Big Six' published books. Anyone who scrambles to emulate those books is already months or years behind the trend. If you follow the publishing news, you might learn when those books are bought, so you're not as far behind the starting line. Of course we won't know how the books fare until they are on the shelves and/or in our e-reader.

Remember when Western movies, or television shows, were dead? Or Space Opera, or Relationship or...? Until along came something so exiting, so well done, it grabbed the viewing audience by the the throat and made massive amounts of lovely cash for all participating?

What's hot? A well written book. A book with characters who grab our hearts, put into situations where we cringe for them and stay up late to read their success. For romances, what's hot is the HEA in spite of all odds.

What's hot is what people want to read, written by people passionate about their words. Okay, dino porn is also hot right now, but so were Pet Rocks (for anyone here old enough to remember them!) Rather than writing to trend, think about writing to last. What makes those keeper books stay on the shelves? Which sounds like a great topic for next month.
Monica

Sunday, February 9, 2014

When Opportunity Strikes, Attend EPICon2014 @EPICorg

When Opportunity Strikes
Sometimes writers become conditioned to writing just one genre—one area—it’s safe because they know what to do—how to go about it. However, sometimes being safe is not always the best course of action.

Workshop Presenter, John Foxjohn, is a perfect example of a writer leaving the “safe” mode, and it paying off. Killer nurse fell in John’s lap. John Foxjohn's true crime book, Killer Nurse, was the result of seizing an opportunity. What will you do if something falls into yours?

EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition™ (www.epicorg.com) was established in 1998 and is a global organization of published authors and industry-related professionals who actively advocate continuing education and further enlightenment of electronic publications.

EPIC’s annual conference, EPICon™, invites industry professionals to share the latest eIndustry information, hone writing and editing skills, and explore new markets and promotional ideas. Keynote luncheon speakers range from world-renowned authors to established publishing houses to eBook and print agents. For more information, please visit http://www.epicorg.com.
Register today at EPIC.org!
Presenter Biography
JOHN FOXJOHN
The Pineywoods of East Texas have produced many things, including international best-selling author John Foxjohn. A country boy at heart, Foxjohn often says, “I was born and raised so far back in the woods they had to pump sunshine to us.” With little to do but hunt and fish, Foxjohn’s environment created an atmosphere that fostered imagination and dreams, something Foxjohn would excel at.

At the tender age of seventeen, he quit high school and joined the army. Foxjohn’s six years would see him graduate from jump school, ranger school, and become the youngest sergeant in the peacetime army. A tour in Viet Nam and Germany highlighted an extremely successful stint for Foxjohn. After an honorable discharge, Foxjohn followed that with ten years in law enforcement, including a long tour as a homicide detective. Fulfilling a promise to his dying mother, Foxjohn graduated from college and began a new adventure of teaching and coaching football.

Foxjohn had one of his childhood dreams left to accomplish. When he was twelve, he’d read a book about Crazy Horse. He said then that one day he would write a book about the fabled Lakota war chief. After retiring, Foxjohn became a writer, and the first book he wrote was a historical fiction titled, The People’s Warrior: a book about Crazy Horse.

Now considered one of the rising stars in publishing, Foxjohn has published in six different genres, and readers worldwide clamor for his books. And yes, Foxjohn says he’s still dreaming.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Authors CAN DO Book Promotion #MFRWorg

Okay so now you’ve sold the book – what do you do? The days of the publisher promoting your book is long gone. From the brand new to the seasoned author, self published to large press you have to do most, if not all the leg work.

Trying to figure out where to start is the hard part. We all want the cover of Romantic Times, but my budget laughed so hard tears came to its’ eyes. I need to find a cheaper way. Much cheaper. Like free.

So I started small. How do you get your name out there anyway? Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, hit all the social medias you know about and create a presence. Now I’ll admit I haven’t tried all of them. I don’t have the time. Some days I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get it all done, but I keep my ear to the ground and listen when someone else is working with an new one. If is sounds like something I should get into I do.

Create a blog. I fought this one because I didn’t feel I had time to write, but I realized I have a lot of knowledge about writing so put one together, I try to post once a week. You can check it out at www.barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com

Do guest spots on someone else’s blog. I find this fun to do, although sometimes I have to rack my brain to come up with a subject I haven’t done before. Most ask for a writing related post, but some have interview questions, or just let you send a blurb, excerpt and cover image.

Chat’s are good. I’ve done a few of them. Of course when I do them you can hear the crickets chirping in the back row but I always do them armed and ready. I create my own questions so there is constantly something coming across. I don’t just promo my books – and with 13 titles I can fill several hours of nothing but promo. I try to give a little insight to me and my writing process.

Join groups. I stick to Yahoo, but I have become part of some really great ones. MFRW is one. There is so much knowledge out there and many of the authors are more than happy to share.

Do you have access to print copies of your book? Then do book signings. Go to your local book sellers and set up a signing. Try to have more than one author to sign with you if you can. The more authors the more it will help bring the readers in.

Over the next few blogs I will go into more detail about what I have learned to promote myself on a shoestring. I’ll go into what worked for me and what didn’t work For now, I hope this will help you get started.

See you next month!
Barb:)
Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with two cats, one mother in law, her husband and teenage son.

Monday, January 27, 2014

The Importance of Writing Breaks #MFRWorg

As writers we often get so wrapped up in each aspect from getting the novel or short story written out, to each revision, to marketing and publishing the completed work. I know for myself it's hard to stop mid scene when the juices are flowing like a river.

But, it's important to remember to nourish our bodies between writing. So, take frequent breaks to stretch your legs with a brisk walk, or get some water, or a sandwich and a salad. Don't overwork yourself to the point where you forget the basics like drinking enough water, eating regular meals, and daily exercise.

If you're like me, you can get so wrapped up in creating characters and worlds and circumstances, that you have to remind yourself with a little sticky note to get up and walk, or go eat. Also, don't neglect your relationships be it with your children, your spouse, or family and friends.

The writing isn't going anywhere. I promise it'll be waiting for you when you return. Frequent breaks while writing can be a useful tool. First your brain gets room to breath and your imagination gets to contemplate what to do next. I've hit some golden ideas during these breaks. And like most writers I've asked, I'll quickly jot down notes of the idea and restart my break.

Before my breaks and even at the end of the day, I jot down a quick note in bold red on my current MS about where I want to go next. Even for a quick moment when I'm pulled away, either for the kids or something, I'll scribble a super quick note of where I want to go next, so I don't lose the thought.

Now, if a kid is bleeding or something, I'll immediately switch to mama-mode and take care of the wound or whatever the emergency is. But, most times when I'm writing I have an aura of "do not enter or approach unless it's an emergency." It's automatic for me and my family has finally learned to respect that.

Readers sound off: What tricks do you use to keep from losing your train of thought for the next move in your stories? How often do you take breaks while writing? Do you remember to eat and stay hydrated? Do your health and relationships suffer because you got to wrapped up in the moment?

Life will always knock you down. Learn to roll with the punches and get back up. Then go again.
___________________________________________________
Catrina Barton is a real go-getter, who in 2006 turned her avid reading addiction since three, into a vigorous passion for writing. Especially New Adult Romances. Drawing on her knowledge as a Kung-Fu Instructor she makes her fight scenes both realistic and action packed.
When not indulging her fertile imagination to craft stories for your reading pleasures she enjoys hiking with her family and amateur belly dancing. 
Proud member of many writing and marketing groups. An active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Her love of writing and her family rival her exhilaration from helping fellow writers. That's why she created her blog: Kitty's Inner Thoughts.
Fave Personal Quote:
"An author cannot grow without both constructive criticism and encouragement."

Kitty's Links:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest  |  LinkedIn  |  Google +

Friday, January 10, 2014

There is a Point Behind Point of View #MFRWorg

We hear a lot about Point of View (POV) and how some well known authors seem to be able to ignore the rules with impunity. Since we are not those authors (yet) it’s a good idea to understand POV in all its glory.
From what I’m seeing in contest entries as well as writing sent to me for evaluation, POV isn’t clear to everyone. As I explained to a new author, when we’re in deep POV, all the character should “see” is what they would actually see with their eyes. We don’t “see” our emerald green eyes with a gleam of humor. Nor do we “see” our lustrous black waves pulled into a stylish up-do. After a few paragraphs of that I find myself waiting for the artificial “Don’t hate me because I’m so beautiful.”  In addition to a poor use of POV this also shows a character I find unsympathetic. Right along with the heroines who deplore their awful long blond wavy hair, overly large breasts along with tiny waists and legs just tooo long. At that point it takes a lot for me to keep reading.

We do see this kind of description in many books, as a short cut for authors to gain the reader’s attention. Far better to let the reader learn what the character looks like through the reactions of interaction with other people. “Inevitably, his eyes strayed to my right cheek, then he looked away, no doubt appalled by what he had seen.” What? What did he see? Tell me more! And you have another reader hooked, at least for now.

As far as ‘head hopping’ also known as ‘flying POV’ or in too many of my first books ‘feeling like you’re watching a tennis match,’ it can be a problem even for experienced writers, especially in first draft. Most of the time it’s caught during edits but every now and then it slips through and we find a published book with the heroine experiencing the hero’s excited libido. Does it matter? In my opinion, yes, especially if your goal is drawing in your readers with deep POV. It’s difficult to relate to thoughts and emotions when they keep hopping from character to character.

When the heroine tells the hero to get something from the refrigerator, she’s not going to be seeing the empty shelves or take out containers unless she’s standing right behind him. She can react to his muttered comment with a personal vision or memory of what he’s looking at, and remind herself next time she needs to go through those containers BEFORE they turn into science experiments. This gives you an opportunity to build more character depth: how is he going to react, how is she going to respond.

Deep POV, keeping your character limited to what they can personally see or feel, is much harder to write but Easy Reading, stories that draw a reader in, comes from Hard Writing, spending a bit more time on those pesky craft details so your great story shines through.

POST WRITTEN BY: Mona Karel
Mona Karel is the writing alter ego of Monica Stoner, who wrote Beatles fan fiction and terribly
earnest (read just not very good) Gothics in her teen years. She set aside writing while working with horses and dogs all over the US, until she discovered used book stores and Silhouette Romances.  Shortly after that she also discovered jobs that paid her for more than her ability to do a good scissors finish on a terrier, and moved into the “real” working world.  Right around then she wrote her first full length book.  It only took her twenty seven years to be published.  She writes looking out the window at the high plains of New Mexico, with her Saluki dogs sprawled at her feet. Distraction much? ?  Sometimes these silly dogs take over her life, but there is always room for one more set of characters in one more book.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Focus: An Important Element of Storytelling


Books by Julie Eberhart Painter.

Focus: An Important Element of Storytelling

By Julie Eberhart Painter

Of all the skills I've learned in this last quarter of century’s worth of concentrated writing, it's that three elements are key to a successful piece of writing: point of view, story and focus.
POV is a learned skill. There are many articles around to guide writers through that tunnel. And story tells itself providing we stay true to it and the POV characters living it. The easiest way to accomplish this is to put the POV camera on the shoulder of the character with the most to lose and let that character see and react to the story unfolding.

A Slippery Issue...

Focus is a slippery issue, easily lost when we are distracted by a cute joke or a sidebar kind of addendum. The “let's include this,” mindset will not get a story past the first editor. I find flash fiction, a good place to put those distracting asides.
But truly focusing, “Now there’s the rub.” With focus the writer must stay on point. Characters must speak as themselves, act in their own style and have a clear voice—so clear that very few dialogue tags are needed. The characters must dress and look like the person the writer is portraying. (No tart clothes on a nun.)
Some bit players will not be thoroughly described. The days of a person entering the room, followed by a full bio and inventory of their appearance are gone. Minimalism is in. Get to the point. Elmore Leonard says he leaves out the parts people skip over. That might be extreme, but it's a good measuring stick to apply when you get verbiage in your wordage.
When choosing a way to tell any story, it must come from the most visceral place, the heart of the character. 

Characters...

Focus on how this character is acting and what part of the back story must be included. For instance might he have just gotten out of jail? Is she not wearing a wedding ring but obviously expecting? There might be a physical disability that can only be caused by the back story itself.
How we chose to tell the story means everything. Over all, whose story is it? That will determine the point of view and focus; and what method are you going to use to bring this story from your inner being to haunt your readers.
If all else fails, keep your focus by taking that distracting little gem you're just dying to use and make it the focus of a short-short or flash fiction story.

Application...

Applying the disciplined pen to the focus of your piece will get your readers laughing in the right places and crying as you might have when you first wrote the scene. Weed out the extraneous details cluttering the point of the story. And, never forget writer Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried saying, “When you come to the end stop!”

Julie Eberhart Painter is the Champagne Books author of Mortal Coil, Tangled Web, and CTRR award-winning Kill Fee, also recipient of Champagne’s Best Book for 2011 Award. Web site at www.books-jepainter.com Check out http://bewilderingstories.com to read Julie's latest flash fiction stories and articles and stories in Cocktails, Fiction and Gossip Magazine, an online slick.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Good Author Signatures for Yahoo Groups

Sign Here, Please.

Which of the following is the point of a signature?

1. To identify you
2. To reinforce your brand
3. To create interest in your work
4. Drive traffic to your site
5. Sell your books
6. All of the above

If you answered 6 - you're right, but identification - item #1 - is the key to accomplishing the rest. Your name is vital. Your author name. If you write as Mary Jo Smithe, sign as Mary Jo Smithe.
You are your author name when you are on Yahoo groups. If you don't use a pen name, then it doesn't matter. Or does it? If you use a non-writing-oriented email to post messages, it might be costing you readers. For example, if you sign your posts with only "Mary" but your email address says "BobbysMom2012" - how is anyone supposed to find that wonderful book you just told them about? If they hop over to Amazon and search for Mary BobbysMom2012 -- are you going to show up? Sign with your author name - Mary Jo Smithe.

Do you need a signature for every email? That depends. Are you posting as an author? Do you hope this post will accomplish the items listed above? Then you must post as a professional. Sign your emails. It is not hubris to identify yourself. You are there to accomplish a purpose.

What belongs in your signature?

At a minimum, your name and website. If you have a brand or tag for your writing, don't be afraid to use it. I sign everything with my name, my tag (unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, unforgettable passion), and a link to whatever website(s) pertain to the message.

What does "pertain to the message" mean? If I'm replying to a question about blogging, I use my blog url. If it's about Twitter, I use that one. In most cases, I include my website's home page, my Twitter account, and my company's site, The Author's Secret. I have a signature page on hand with all the pertient links available, which makes it easy to click/drag the info into my message as needed.

What shouldn't you include? 

It depends on where you're posting. On some Yahoo groups, be aware images might not translate well. A group that disallows embedded images might turn your embedded cover into 3-4 inches of white space.

Multiple colors in your signature can be hard to read. Some people are color blind and cannot differentiate various shades. To them, your list of books might go from looking like this:

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 

to words run together like this:
Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4

Likewise, using embedded links and substituting the site name can give you more room, but if you write your signature as:

readers who receive their messages as text see: 
Twitter Facebook

How long is long enough? 

If you are posting to a Yahoo group, you are limited to what the group allows. Read the rules. If you post regularly to a group that permits only three lines, create one you use for that group. In general - you are safe with three lines that are short enough not to wrap around and start accidentally making a fourth line. I use the one below for most situations.

Kayelle Allen
Unstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passion
http://kayelleallen.com  ~  http://twitter.com/kayelleallen  ~  http://theauthorssecret.com

If I'm promoting a new book, and I'm on a group that allows longer signatures, I've found one like this is effective:
Kayelle Allen
Unstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passion
Surrender Love  |  Not rebound, payback, loneliness, or great sex, and far beyond love. This is surrender.
Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/Surrender-Love.aspx  |  Kindle: http://is.gd/surrenderlove_amz

It's better to err on the side of caution. If you are banned or placed on moderation for violating rules, you can't accomplish your goal.

How long is too long?

How many times have you seen signatures that seem to go on forever? They include lists of every book the author has written, where it's been reviewed, the various places you can buy it, mini-images of the book, a banner... 

Simple is better. Follow the rules of the group where you're posting.
Signature, please...

Okay, so what's the best signature?

Your author name
Your brand, book name, or book tag
Your website, Your blog, Your Twitter/Facebook

Less is more. You want to identify yourself, reinforce your brand, create interest in your work, drive traffic to your site, and sell your books. To do this, be professional. Using a signature that underscores this message will help you accomplish that.

What other questions do you have regarding signatures for a Yahoo group?

Kayelle Allen is the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, a Yahoo group focused on learning marketing and publicity. 
Group site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
Newsletter http://www.issuu.com/MFRW

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Writer's Blah by Shashauna P. Thomas


Shashauna P Thomas. 
You've finished all the other crap you had to do and finally it's that time of day you've set aside for writing. Your mind has been a buzz all day with story ideas, plot lines that make your heart race just thinking about them, and memorable characters practically screaming at you to write their tale. There is so much to do you can't wait to get started. You sit down at your computer, open word, put your fingers on the keyboard, and…and nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. You write one sentence and immediately delete it. Then you re-write that sentence only to once again delete it. You repeat this cycle over and over again. You find that you're easily distracted; much more than usual. It takes an hour to finally write something that normally would only take you a few minutes and you aren't even sure if what you managed to write is any good. Despite knowing what you want to write and exactly where you as the author want your work in process to go there is still something preventing you from writing? Yourself. And I'm sorry to tell you this, but I believe you're suffering from a case of Writer's Blah.
As a new writer I thought there was something wrong with me whenever this happened. I'd sit down to work on my writing and all of a sudden feel zapped of energy. Like I needed to take a break or a nap despite the fact I'd just sat down to work. I couldn't concentrate the way I usually do. I found myself needing to check my e-mail numerous times. Or I'd begin singing along to the music I play as background noise as if it were my favorite song of all time. Right in the middle of working on my manuscript. And worst of all the words that usually come so naturally to my brain, almost as if the characters were standing right beside me and telling me what to write, didn't seem to flow. I tried forcing myself to write and just work through it, but that didn't work. I either was completely unproductive or whatever I did manage to write needed a lot of work or if I were being completely honest with myself needed to be trashed completely.
I feared I might be on the verge of burning myself out so I'd take a day or two off from writing, but that too didn't work. When I wasn't writing it seemed as if my mind was on creative overload. I'd be in the middle of something else and all of a sudden a new idea would pop into my head. Like watching a TV commercial would inspire me to write a brand new story. I'd see it as clear as day then, but get me back in front of the computer and I'm once again having trouble transferring my ideas to paper. Almost as if adding insult to injury I'd feel completely guilty every time I took time off from writing. With so many story ideas yet to be written I felt as if I couldn't afford the time wasted not writing. I was in a funk and I didn't know why or how I got there or most importantly how to get out of it.
When I tried explaining the problem to friends they automatically thought I was suffering from Writer's Block or I was somehow overworking myself and was beginning to burn out. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wasn't either of those. It wasn't 'til recently when a fellow author in one of my writer's group, Rose B. Thorny, brought up the topic of Writer's Blah for discussion did I finally realize what was going on with me. Listening to her description of Writer's Blah, a wonderful term she coined, and the responses of other writers in the group I quickly realized two very important things. One, she was describing what I'd been going through to a tee. And two, that it wasn't just me. There were other authors out there going through the same thing. That knowledge alone helped relieve some of the anxiety and stress I was having. And one of the main points I learned from the group's discussion was that for many of us stress was the main trigger for Writer's Blah.
Deck the Halls
All types of stress can affect your writing. Stress at home; stress at work; stress with family, friends, or loved ones; financial stress; writing stress; and of course my personal favorite future stress. When you worry and stress out about something that hasn't even happened yet. I learned a long time ago that stress kills creativity, but everyone has stress. They just learn to block it out or work around it. And that is what I thought I did, but apparently I wasn't as successful as I thought. I asked myself, 'if the stress that I have are the same ones people deal with every day then what was my problem?' and that's when it clicked. They dealt with their stress. They didn't block it out or work around it; they worked through it. And once they began working through it they realized something very important, that a lot of it is out of their control.
Once they realize what isn't in their control they can begin to focus on what is. We can't control how our family and friends act, but we can control how we react to them. If the company we work for is downsizing we can't control who they decided to keep and who they decided to let go, but we can continue to work hard and make sure the company sees us as invaluable. We can't control if our manuscripts are accepted or rejected, but we can make sure what we submit is great. And we can remind ourselves that we can resubmit our rejected manuscripts somewhere else. Often times we don't have control on how quickly money comes in each month, but we can make sure we do what we can with the money that does come in; especially in this fickle economy. No one knows what the future may hold, but we do what we can to make sure we're prepared for whatever may come.
Making sure to keep a clear perspective on my stress helped me to deal with Writer's Blah when I had it. Realizing I'm not the only author who has had Writer's Blah and talking about it with other authors helps me to know how to deal with it in the future and it helps me to become a better author. And As Rose B. Thorny did to our writer's group I pose this question to you all. Have you ever experienced Writer's Blah? And if so how did you snap yourself out of it? What triggered it for you? Are you suffering from Writer's Blah now? If you are, don't worry you're not alone.
Christmas Do Over
Info about the Author:
            Shashauna P. Thomas graduated from Cornell University and SUNY Stony Brook with two BAs' before returning to the Bronx where she was born and raised. It wasn't until after college that she first began writing erotic romances for open call submissions. That is when she discovered that writing was her true passion and she's been crafting the vivid tales she sees in her head ever since. With the love and support of family, friends, and her sorority sisters the D.I.V.A.S. of Lambda Fe Usöñ Sorority Inc. she has had a number of her erotic stories published. One of her greatest hopes is that her stories inspire her readers to be open-minded and to not be afraid to try new things. And most importantly to follow their hearts no matter where it leads them.
Buy Links:
Deck the Halls:
Christmas Do-Over:
Bondage by the Bay – Tales of BDSM in San Francisco: