Writing Links…4/30/18

woman with symbols, rope

Writing Links…4/30/18

Traci Kenworth

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

http://colleenchesebro.com/2018/04/22/smorgasbord-sunday-interview-the-militant-negro/
http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2018/04/why-editor-isnt-bad-guy.html “It seems in Hollywood and even in other circles (not to give a rap and not to say that all self-pubbed authors are like this but this is frequently the case in self-published circles), the editors are the bad guy. They’re the evil grumps that keep the writers from writing freely. I noticed this trend particularly when I watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Dayswith a friend. Contrary to what the story was trying to portray, what the editor was asking for wasn’t that unreasonable. In the media examples I have these women are not the purest of character (which I also don’t like since I know many editors who are some of the nicest people you could meet), so I’m not defending their attitudes, but I do want to point out that the “obstacles” they’re giving the protagonist are really just what it takes to make a career as a writer.”
http://legendsofwindemere.com/2018/04/27/book-marketing-6-top-ways-for-indie-authors-to-make-self-published-books-more-discoverable-and-more-competitive-on-amazon-by-jyotsna-ramachamdran/ “Amazon Kindle SEO is the process of using keywords to have your book rank higher in Amazon search results than other books. If you’ve put blood, sweat and tears into writing a book, you want readers to find and buy it!”

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

http://romanceuniversity.org/2018/04/25/overcoming-your-fear-of-the-semi-colon-with-editor-theresa-stevens-2/ “Do you rewrite sentences just to avoid using a semi-colon? Editor Theresa Stevens explains the proper usage of the semi-colon, narrative compression (what’s that?), and the importance of creating a likeable character as she critiques another RU reader submission.”
http://romanceuniversity.org/2018/04/27/writing-with-emotion-by-laura-drake-2/ “My goal is to learn something about craft with every new book I write. The Sweet Spotwas my lesson in portraying emotion. All I can say is, thank the writing Gods for Margie Lawson. I knew what I wanted to say before her classes, but didn’t know how to get it on the page.”
http://storyempire.com/2018/04/27/friday-book-cover-kindle-in-motion/ “There’s a new craze on Kindle (at least, it’s new to me) called Kindle in Motion. The books can be read on any device that reads Kindle books, but the covers and insides have motion (hence the name, of course. ) that can be viewed on certain Fire tablets and on the free Kindle iOS and Android apps.” I need to see this!

Christian:

https://stevelaube.com/change-weve-seen-you-before/ “Change always seems to occur faster than you think but often slower than you think.” He makes good points. Actually, I prefer the paperback tbh. It is easier to take with you. The Kindle you have to worry about flying off the dash or seat and hardbacks can be a missile in the same capacity.
http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/ready-approach-agent/ “Approaching an agent with a project in hopes of having your work represented is sometimes a complicated process. As mentioned in a blog post earlier this month, agents wear many hats. One of them is Talent Scout. Even an agent with a full list of clients and multiple projects in the works is always open to consider a great book, well-written, from an author who knows both the craft of writing and the publishing industry.”

Historical:

https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2018/04/society-in-17th-century-england.html “This is the beginning of ‘Early Modern Britain’. It was a time of Renaissance, English and Scottish Reformation and the debilitating English Civil War. And as always, to the victor goes the spoils. It was a time of rulers who were vain, greedy and downright corrupt. It was a time of adulterers, swindlers and cowards. And it was a time in British history when war would tear the country apart.”
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-writer-in-residence-barbara-villiers-part-1-the-return-of-the-king-by-paul-andruss/ “It is time for our Writer in Residence, Paul Andruss,to investigate the myths and legends surrounding the great and sometimes infamous. Kings having mistresses was accepted as a reward for marrying a stranger so that an alliance was cemented or war averted. And they were not likely to look a gift horse in the mouth when presented with an opportunity. Which leads us to Barbara Villiers who had Charles II wrapped around her little finger.”
https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2018/04/lately-rebel-or-well-intentioned-traitor.html “Most people live out their lives in obscurity—something to be grateful for, I believe, as celebrity comes with its own set of challenges. Many people live below the radar for most of their lives, but then a sequence of events propels them onto the central stage and for a while their name is on everybody’s lips. Well, in medieval times not everyone’s lips as information spread but slowly and usually rather locally. Still, today’s protagonist did achieve name recognition – especially in connection to the events that led to his death.”

Scary:

http://annieneugebauer.com/2018/04/23/something-in-the-attic/ “I’m still celebrating National Poetry Month by reprinting a few of my published poems here. It’s a great way for me to share more of my work for free, and who doesn’t need new poems in their life?”
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tih-202-kristi-demeester-on-julia-camerons-morning-pages-success-vs-anxiety-and-diversity/ “In this podcast Kristi DeMeester talks about Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, Success vs. Anxiety, Diversity, and much more.” Part Two.
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/news-round-up-week-ending-27-april-2018/ Hush, Mans Wieslander.

Pets:

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/04/23/raros-adogables/ “I am off line most of the day… but I am going to leave you in safe hands.. The dogs of Roratonga captured as they go about their daily business of swimming, snorkling, fishing and hiking.. It is certainly a dog’s life there…thanks as always to Cindy Knoke and her camera…wonderful.”
http://vivdrewa.me/2018/04/21/caturday-funnies-cats-playing-peekaboo-edition/

MG/YA:

http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/04/dogs-skunks-writing/ “Fortunately, there are writing-based insights to be gained from a pair of odoriferous mutts. Here are three lessons I’ve learned about dogs, skunks, and writing:” Good lessons!
http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/04/caleb-roehrig-author-of-white-rabbit-on.html “From beginning the outline to completing the first draft, it took me maybe three months; but WHITE RABBIT was not the novel I originally envisioned being my sophomore title. I actually spent maybe six months on a totally different manuscript first, getting all the way to the end of it before deciding that it just wasn’t The One. People talk about Second Book Syndrome, and for me, it was the real deal; it was six months of absolute agony and self-doubt. Setting the project aside and starting over was really hard, but from page one, Rufus’s story flowed in a way that made me realize it had been the correct choice.”
http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/04/suzanne-young-author-of-complication-on.html “In the end, I hope my readers are happy with the series. THE COMPLICATION is like a love letter to those who’ve read all the books. Who know the characters. I took the time to do it right, even if it was difficult to go back through five books and a novella. I wanted to leave everyone with a swollen heart, tears in their eyes. And in a series that deals with suicide, I wanted to leave the readers with HOPE. That when it’s done, we may not end up where we thought we’d be, but we’ll be all right.”
http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2018/04/what-writers-need-to-make-danger.html “Play appropriately to your audience, of course, but never give your characters a way out. Make us doubt our instinct that they’ll make it. Get us up close and personal with the character’s own fear. And then just when we think it’s all over, throw a curve ball and wow us with a plot twist or a character that uses their mind, strength, and resourcefulness to overcome impossible odds.”

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense:

http://annerallen.com/2018/04/amazon-paid-reviews/ “This is because Amazon fights paid review violations with robots, which are wrong more often than not. And they’re scaring off real reviewers.” I may try and do the Kobo or Barnes and Noble reviews, depending on their policies. When I’ve done reviews, a lot of times, I can’t review them on Amazon as their not up yet and then I forget to go back and post the review when their available. The trouble is Netgalley gives us so many days to read the book, which is fine, but when we’re done, we can’t review on Amazon because it’s too early. Which is kind of why I prefer books that I bought, or arcs I receive, that are already out there, but this doesn’t get good ratings on Netgalley if you’re not reading their newer ones.
https://www.suecoletta.com/dna-phenotyping-unmasks-golden-state-killer/ “DNA carries the genetic instruction set for an individual’s physical characteristics. By determining how genetic information translates into physical appearance, it’s possible to reverse-engineer DNA into a physical profile. Parabon Snapshotreads tens of thousands of genetic variants — aka “genotypes” — from a DNA sample and uses this information to predict what an unknown person looks like, including genetic ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin tone, freckling, and face shape from any ethnic background, even with people from mixed ancestry.” Scary what he got away with. So glad he’s caught!
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/04/how-to-become-a-professional-writer-in-nine-not-so-easy-steps.html “There’s a myth among beginning writers that one’s professional career begins after the publication of the first novel or short story or magazine article. According to this widely held belief, the writer remains an amateur — a hobbyist, a scribbler, a literary dilettante — until some august authority (usually an editor or agent in New York City) declares that the writer’s manuscript is publishable and thus transforms the amateur into a professional, like the Archbishop of Canterbury anointing the Queen of England.”
https://margotkinberg.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/and-now-ive-done-my-time-in-the-kitchen-at-parties/ “One of the skills most of us have to learn as adults is how to mingle and make small talk. Whether it’s at a conference, a company cocktail party, or a university’s department mixer, it often serves a person well to be able to chat with strangers and fit in at a gathering. Some people loathe those events, and others enjoy them. Either way, they’re part of many of our lives, so it’s often an advantage to be able to negotiate them.”

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/04/22/thats-a-wrap-2/ “It was a very productive weekend for me. It didn’t involve any new fiction, but I got a lot done. For three daysI worked on interviews for Lisa Burton Radio. I never got them all done either, but I did all I could.” Good to know my reviews don’t have to be terribly long like I feared, lol.
https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/socs-april-21-18-heart/ No one made her heart skip like she did. A breathless radiance of compassion. Filled with love. She seemed so natural and such a world apart from so many people she knew. All openness and kindness. All wonderful wit and comebacks that came at you so unexpectedly. She made her feel giddy with happiness. Such a nice feeling. She made her feel like goodness was alive and well in a world where it didn’t always feel like that sometimes.
https://cagedunn.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/at-the-back-door/ “A rat. Only one this time. Two mice. One lemon. All gifts from the dog. The security camera footage showed the dog came about every hour to deposit his treasures. Thera rubbed his prickly chin and scratched while he shook his head. Not his dog, not his concern. But …
http://teagansbooks.com/2018/04/25/jazz-age-wednesdays-30-%E2%80%95-hullaba-lulu-5-1/ “Hi there, Sheiks and Shebas. You’re at Jazz Age Wednesdays. Today’s episode brings us to Chapter 5 of the new series, Hullaba Lulu. I hope you are enjoying my change of pace from the “Pip-verse.” Yes, it’s another story set in the 1920s, but this one is a “Diesel-punk” fantasy.”

Poetry:

https://silentlysmoulderingwords.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/come-and-take-me/ I am Yours.
https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/writephoto-waiting-for-an-answer-a-poem/ I posted this poem entitled Waiting for an answer in response to Sue Vincent’s weekly challenge: https://bakeandwrite.co.za/photo-prompt-waiting-for-an-answer-a-poem-about-chronic-illness/.
https://thepbsblog.com/2018/04/24/her-bended-knee/ a generation held together.
https://chimerapoetry.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/the-pen/ it’s the pen that guides my feet.
https://syl65.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/instrumental-leandro-martins-as-the-wind/

Indie:

https://acflory.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/free-and-permafree/ “In marketing terms, this is called a ‘loss leader’, meaning that revenue is lost from one book in order to lead potential customers to other books that are not free. Given how hard it is for Indies to be ‘discovered’ in the first place, permafree can be a very powerful marketing tool, but only if you have one or more series. Make the first book in the series free and hope like hell that people like it enough to buy the rest.” I wish I could’ve taken advantage of the permafree books but kobo said it wasn’t available in the states. I do have her How to Print Your Novel in Createspace though.
https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/04/editing-for-frugal-self-publishers/ “Who doesn’t want to save a bit of money when they self-publish a book? Today’s guest post by Val Breit offers many cost-saving tips and resources for authors editing their books before sending them to a professional editor. If you’re not ready to have your book edited, you may want to bookmark this post and come back to it later. Enjoy!”
http://www.shawnpbrobinson.com/book-launch-teams-part-v/ “Okay, so in our final part of our series on Book Launch Teams (BLTs), I want to give a simple set of steps to work through as you set up your own BLT.”
https://donmassenzio.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/this-week-in-indie-publishing-55/ “In a groundbreaking study of more than two million books published in North America between 2002 and 2012, scholars found that books by women authors are priced 45% less than those of their male counterparts. The researchers, sociologist Dana Beth Weinberg and mathematician Adam Kapelner, both from Queens College-CUNY, say there is a lot more to the story than can be gleaned from this price gap alone.” This is a shame.
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/04/28/how-to-successfully-self-publish-a-childrens-picture-book/ “You can’t market direct to your readers, you are competing with some huge, established names from traditional publishing, and it’s more expensive to commission illustration and print color books.”

Craft:

https://www.janefriedman.com/how-to-use-adjectives-wisely/ “With modifiers, you want to choose your battles. Just because every noun offers itself up for modification(s) doesn’t mean you should modify it. By serving some nouns plain, you give more distinction to those you embellish. Think of adjectives as ketchup or hot sauce; put it on everything and it quickly wears out its welcome.” I’m working with this in my own writing/editing.
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/your-ultimate-first-chapter-checklist-pt-3-introducing-the-story/ “The reason the first chapter of a story is so complex is because it bears a triple load of responsibility. First, it must hook readers. Then it must offer a compelling and interesting scene of its own. And finally, it must set up the entire story to come. Today, let’s dive into our third and final first chapter checklist: setting up the story.” More good stuff to help with editing!
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/04/a-tip-for-getting-through-hard-to-write.html “Even when a draft is going well, there’s bound to be at least one scene in a novel that gives us trouble. Maybe we’re not sure how it unfolds, or we’re missing a key emotional component, or it might even be that we’re not ready to write it or just don’t want to deal with whatever the scene covers right now.” I do this. This is the more telling part of my drafts. I just tell how I think the scene will play out and then move on. Sometimes, though, I’ll just note what’s going to happen and continue.
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/04/10-success-tips-from-stephen-king/ “Last month, I shared K. Rowlings top tipson writing and success, and it was a tough choice between her and Stephen King. Those two write such wonderful books because they understand love and fear. Have you read Stephen King’s On Writing? Seen The Shawshank Redemption (my favorite movie ever) or The Green Mile? King is a writer who sees the visceral underbelly of courage and the tenacity of the human spirit.” I like #7. I don’t like to say goodbye to my characters either.
https://www.janefriedman.com/how-to-become-bestseller/ “And still, with all that, The Times hasn’t come calling. Why not? Because I didn’t know then what I’m telling you now. Because instead, I bought that old rag about “If you build it.” It took a long time, and a lot of research, for the truth to finally hit me: “They” don’t just “come.” It doesn’t work like that.”
https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/4-cs-a-plotting-formula-for-writers-who-hate-the-formulaic-guest-post-at-ingram-spark/ “How do we tease a bunch of ideas into a plot? How much notice should we take of common plot shapes such as the Hero’s Journey? Are they worn to death now? If we get creative and throw the rules out of the window, how do we ensure we don’t end up with an unreadable mess?”
http://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/04/occupation-thesaurus-entry-tour-guide/ “Sources of Friction: A group member entering an off-limits area at a historical site or causing damage to property, clients who wander away during the tour, having clients who are hard-of-hearing when in busy areas, having to compete to be heard over the throngs of tourists and tour groups in a particular area, accommodation mix-ups (not enough rooms at a hotel, rooms being less-than ideal, etc.), personality conflicts between one’s group members, a breakdown, travel delays, a client being pick pocketed, a client breaking a law because it’s not a big deal where they are from, a group member being injured or growing ill and needing a hospital, a mix-up in transfers (a van doesn’t arrive when it should, or the tuk-tuks are a no-show), group members who are given free time in an area and then don’t show up at the meeting spot when they should, causing everyone to wait, language barriers, clients who are entitled and don’t help out as expected with certain aspects of the tour (being on time, being organized, helping to clean up group areas, etc.), demanding clients who expect their tastes and desires to be fully catered to regardless of other group members, food poisoning, other tourists that try to join the group at historical sites to benefit from the guide’s knowledge without paying for it.”
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/12/re-write-wednesday-sorry-your-services.html “It’s not uncommon for the number of characters in a novel to grow as we write that novel. We discover scenes that need extra hands, or a walk-on role turns out to be a fantastic secondary character and gets more page time. Or we’re writing a series, and after a few books, we realize the cast list has become unmanageable.”
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/04/first-page-critique-2/ “I thought it would be fun this month to show you the submission of an excellent One who frankly makes me feel like a hack. Why? Because there’s a great lesson in seeing what someone didright, too, right?”
http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/5-tips-for-creating-fresh-twists/ “The title to this post should be longer. It should really read, 5 Tips to Creating Fresh Plot Twists that No One will see Coming and Will Leave your Readers Breathless and Begging for More.” Some good ones here!

Other:

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/?p=88027 “Across the broad range of different types of books and different varieties of publishers with which PG has dealt, as a group romance publishers are the worst. Worst contracts, worst behavior, worst attitude towards writers.” This makes me nervous as I write romance. Getting copy of Kristin Kathryn Rusch’s How to Negotiate Anything. Better yet, maybe I’ll self-publish the romances.
http://booksbywomen.org/the-long-and-winding-road-to-my-agent-by-catharine-riggs/ “I don’t regret the years it took me to reach my goal; each person’s journey is unique. For me, the agent arrived after I discovered what I truly loved to write. Add to that persistence and patience—like my characters, I never give up. For that reason, I believe there will come a day when Willa, my first authentic heroine, leaps from the published page.” This is what it’s all about.
https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/chaos-blessing-or-curse-guest-post-by-tina-frisco/ “If you find yourself tiring more easily, on an emotional roller coaster, readily distracted, searching for common words when writing or conversing, or coping with myriad other anomalies of character and being, consider that you might be treading the waters of chaos; a chaos not necessarily of your own making. But do not lose heart! We are exactly where we are supposed to be.”
https://bizmarc.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/34-writing-contests-in-may-2018-no-entry-fees-by-erica-verrillo/ “There are nearly three dozen free writing contests in May, some with substantial prizes.”
https://jenanita01.com/2018/04/24/whats-wrong-with-your-author-blog-website-mondayblogs-authormarketing-marketing/ “At a recent networking event, I handed out my business card like candy thrown from a carnival parade (slight exaggeration as it is such a pain to carry a shovel with me everywhere). Naturally, I took all the business cards that were graciously handed to me as well. Instead of shoving those business cards in a drawer somewhere and forgetting about them, I decided to strengthen those in-person connections with social media. What did I discover? It wasn’t as easy to connect as I’d hoped.”
https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/attitude-of-gratitude-april-25-2018/ “Sometimes we think we are losing power. But this illusion just may empower us to find our center of peace. Why struggle, take a deep breath and surrender to the powers that be.”
https://jessicabakkers.com/2018/04/24/lit-power/ “Literary agent; friend or foe.” A question I’m trying to decide as well.
https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/sallys-cafe-and-bookstore-author-update-jack-eason-sacha-de-black-and-k-d-dowdall/ “Welcome to the Friday edition of my Cafe and Bookstore Update, with news from authors on the shelves. The first author with a new review is Jack Easonwith his historical novella Autumn 1066.” Some authors to check out.
https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-story/ “In the days when there was more to training teachers than phonics and test scores, I was in an audience of education professionals addressed by Dr Richard Stone, a member of the MacPherson Inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. His anger simmered, as he recounted policing failures after this innocent young black man’s life ended so violently at a London bus stop. But his delivery was controlled, starting something like this: Let me tell you a story. Humans need stories. By sharing what happened in story form, we can make sense and learn from it. At times during his two hour talk, he stopped, silenced by the horror of what he had to say, and then with a deep breath, would repeat like a mantra: back to the story; humans need stories. He was a good public speaker so the repetition reassured us, and every now and then he threw in a witticism, to relax us with a relieved burst of laughter. That fortified us for the next onslaught. Because he told us the facts in story form, they’re still in my memory after eighteen years.”
https://nicholasrossis.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/25-idioms-from-the-world-of-logging/ “A while ago, I had written a post with 45 idioms from the world of boxing. As JSTOR Daily reports, in 1942, writer Elrick B. Davis collected a glossary of terms tied to the old logging tradition.At the time he was writing, the lumber industry had begun to see American forests as giant tree farms. Loggers used trucks and tractors to bring in the harvest, and treated the job like any other, living in towns near forested areas with their wives and children.
https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/angel-messages-april-28-2018/
http://thepbsblog.com/2018/04/27/beta-reading-vs-editing-amwriting/ “Indies rely heavily on what we refer to as beta readers to help shape their work and make it ready for editing. But in many online forums, authors use the term used interchangeably with editing, and the two are completely different.”
https://donmassenzio.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/improve-your-writing-misused-words/ “Check out this post over on my new site for my editing and formatting business. I will be publishing helpful editing and formatting posts over there on a regular basis. Consider giving it a follow if you’re interested.”
http://journeytoambeth.com/2018/04/27/bloggers-bash-2018-the-agenda-have-you-got-your-ticket-yet/ “It’s hard to believe, but the Bash is less than a month away! Final preparations are underway at Bash Central, including setting the agenda for the day. We’re putting together a great event, including awards, speeches, talks and our popular panel debate, as well as time for networking and getting to know your fellow bloggers.”
https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/haiku-friday-beat-party/ the diamantine splendor.