Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Writing Advice and Advice to New Parents

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
This post is especially for all the newer or more uncertain writers out there.  The ones who are frozen while working on their manuscript because they’ve read so many writing craft books and posts that they’re just afraid of messing up if they work on their story.
My sister had twins last summer and quickly found that there was something about a new mother that made experienced moms want to give them advice…on any and all topics.  But every baby is different and every mom is different.  I decided I’d bite my tongue and only give advice to my sister when asked for it.  After all—what did I even know about raising twins?  I had my babies 4/ ½ years apart and they’re getting pretty old now.  And I’m forgetful.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Character and Series Backstory and the Traditional Mystery


By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Backstory can be a real problem for writers…if readers find it boring. Many readers won’t put their finger on exactly what it was that made the story boring, but they’ll put it aside.  No one really enjoys an expository  dump of information—they just want an engaging story.
In a mystery, this might seem tricky.  A suspect’s backstory is frequently what comprises their motive for murder.  How a suspect’s past intersects with the victim’s past is important.
For mysteries, though, you’ve got a very helpful element that allows you to work the backstory in fairly seamlessly: the interview process.  Your sleuth or detective is trying to find out information to determine a suspect’s motive. 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Twitterific


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 20,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search engine for writers.

Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Mike Fleming and writing coach James Scott Bell are offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it at Knockout Novel.com.

A free directory of cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq
Is Blogging Worth the Time and Effort? http://bit.ly/1aWIkuH @fcmalby
6 Tips for Finding the Courage to Write: http://bit.ly/15QUNu0 @QuipsAndTips
Placing Setting Details for Best Effect-- The Danger of Frontloading Your Story with Description: http://bit.ly/15QV2We

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Doing Something Different


By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
One of the reasons that I went on break for a couple of weeks was that I was on vacation in Kenya. :)
It was a wonderful vacation.  We have family that live and work in Africa and had encouraged us to experience Kenya.  It was great to have guides who were so familiar with the area (and who spoke several languages).  We saw the bustling Nairobi, the lovely Rift Valley, went on safari, and experienced the Kenyan coast.  It was an amazing trip. (And I'm clearly trying to still catch up, since this post is a day late!)
And y’all know that I rarely even leave my house unless I’m running errands or shuttling children around—so this trip was a big deal to me. 

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Word Count


By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I do like to keep track of both where I am in a story and how much I’m able to accomplish each day.  That’s mainly because I deal with deadlines.  I’ve had to feverishly finish a story before in the 11th hour and boy, that wasn’t fun (that was also an un-outlined book, so I wasn’t even sure exactly where I was going with the story.  Thankfully, it somehow ended up fine.)
I like to pay attention to my progress also because with my genre, there’s a pattern to the events there and I need to stay on-target or else my pace may be off.  I don’t need a bloated beginning—that’s no fun to read.  But I don’t need a bloated ending, either, with a sleuth going on and on about how clever she was in figuring out the killer.  I like a second body near the middle of the book to keep readers guessing, so I also need to know when I’m about halfway done with the manuscript.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Chapter Length


by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Hope everyone has had a good last couple of weeks…I did.  I even managed to have an adventure…more on that on Friday.
From time to time I get emails or comments asking about manuscript basics.  The emails are frequently apologetic in nature as if the writer were asking something that everyone knew but her.  That’s just not the case because I see shifts in areas even relating to manuscript formatting—it’s always worth asking.
This particular question was from another mystery writer and the question was on chapter length. 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Twitterific


By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
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 20,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search engine for writers.

Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Mike Fleming and writing coach James Scott Bell are offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it at Knockout Novel.com.
I'm back from my blog break! :)  Good to be back.

Gardening can make you a better writer: http://bit.ly/132mXrb @pronounced_ing
Theories of Productivity for Writers: http://bit.ly/10LArGy @charmaineclancy
6 Reasons Google+ Beats Facebook for Author Platform Building: http://bit.ly/11XIQRZ @janefriedman

Monday, July 8, 2013

Blog Break



by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Hope everyone is having a good summer so far. 

 I’m going to take a couple of weeks off, but will  return to the blog on Sunday, July 21 with Twitterific.

 Happy writing!

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Twitterific


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 20,000 free articles on writing related topics. It's the search engine for writers.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Mike Fleming and James Scott Bell are offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it at Knockout Novel.com.
I have a new book out. :) Rubbed Out debuted on Tuesday.

A free directory of cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq
9 facts about life that 1 writer has learned from writing about death: http://bit.ly/146pdcc @danasitar

Friday, July 5, 2013

The Appeal of Spy Fiction--Guest Post by Jordan McCollum

Title: Why Spy? The appeal of spies in fiction

minxyby Jordan McCollum

Maybe it's just a guilty pleasure. Maybe it's an obsession. Maybe it's simple wish-fulfillment fantasy. But with the popularity of everything from James Bond to Burn Notice, it's tough to deny the appeal of spies in fiction.

The glamour and the gadgets (and the girls!) are only the beginning of the coolness, however. Sure, spies get the coolest tools on television, but unsurprisingly the reality is a lot less glamorous and entertaining.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Cause-Related Marketing


by Kay Kendall, @Kaylee_Kendall
Everyone knows the publishing world is in upheaval and it’s a dog-eat-dog world as far as promoting books is concerned. At first the various ways to connect through social media seemed to be heaven-sent, yet now, after only a year or two, folks on authors’ chat groups across the Web lament that book sales are flagging. They say that the kinds of promotions that used to work are not as effective anymore.
What’s an author to do?
 My own debut mystery DESOLATION ROW was published by Stairway Press of Seattle just this spring, and of course I have been going full-tilt with online marketing. Lately I’m turning the bulk of my attention back to mystery number two, but when I write for days on end and let the promotion slide, my sales figures fall. So, like a yoyo, I pop right back to do more online marketing.
You know the drill. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, blogging and/or guest blogging. And now, as if all us authors didn’t have our hands full already, Everyone says that an author has to add Google+
What is a poor besieged author to do?
In an earlier incarnation in life I was a vice president of public affairs with American Express. This was in the late eighties when the company was pioneering the concept called cause-related marketing. Now I have begun my own version of that, and I suggest that you at least consider it. It isn’t something you will have to do daily. The concept is no longer brand new in the world of marketing, but it is not yet old hat in the book world.
Simply put, you as an author know what charitable causes have resonance with you. Find one that also relates to something in your book. Then promote the fact that you will donate a part of your royalties to that worthy cause. Both sides of the equation win. Even if this does not sell more of your books today, you show your true colors as a caring person about something that is not frivolous, something that is near and dear to your heart. The homeless, arts in your community, a hospital funding drive. The list is truly endless.
For example, DESOLATION ROW is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. In 1968 a young bride from Texas uses her CIA-honed skills to catch the real killer when her husband lands in a Canadian jail for murdering the draft-resisting son of a United States senator. Read the whole book and you will find that the overall thrust is pro-soldier and anti-war.
Because of that ethos, and because I have supported the organization for more than 30 years, I am choosing to donate a portion of my royalties to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.  When I talk about that, I not only share with readers where my heart lies but also profile a worthy organization that does essential work.  Remember: the connection between your writing and your cause is key.
I urge you to look at your writing and your own causes. See what will work to make both sides of that equation gain prominence and profile. A position that is win-win for all concerned is always best. And as we used to say back in the day—slightly amended to what I am doing now…WRITE ON!
=============
Kay Kendall is an international award-winning public relations executive who lives in Texas with her husband, five house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. A fan of historical mysteries, she set her debut mystery during the Vietnam War, a key conflict of last century not already overrun with novels. Kay says her mysteries feature women caught in their own battles during that unusual war era. "In Desolation Row I explore what life was like for a typical young woman--not a headline maker, not a Hanoi Jane or Angela Davis, but a moderate who nonetheless got swept up by history's tides during the turbulent sixties. All that turmoil lends itself to drama, intrigue, and murder." Kendall's now working on her second Austin Starr mystery, Rainy Day Women.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Editorial Letters and Other Edit Requests:


By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Not every editor sends editorial letters along with requests for edits, but my editor for the quilting mysteries does—and I love them.  
 The reason she’s one of my favorites to work with in this business is because of the way she approaches criticism.  She opens her letters full of praise for the story, and then brings up issues to be addressed.  It’s a pleasure to work with her.  I just received one from my editor last week, and I’ll share some of the points she brought up in mine.
Things she mentioned that she liked in the story (in case you’re editing your own mystery): plot twists, character growth for minor characters (I tried hard in this particular story to show different sides of characters…especially the more unlikeable ones), and the setting.  Y’all know I really don’t enjoy setting (at all!) but this time I tried to make the setting more fun to write so that I’d do a better job with it…I released my inner Nancy Drew and wrote in secret passageways, trap doors, and a spooky attic.  I also brought in some Southern Gothic elements…just because I’m a fan.  The Gothic elements also made the setting more fun to write in.