On Writing and Publishing
BASICS| VOICE | PLANNING YOUR NOVEL | HOOKING THE READER
DRAFTING YOUR NOVEL | CHARACTERIZATION | TECHNIQUE
ROMANCE AND LOVE SCENES | REVISING | GETTING FEEDBACK | QUERYING | SELLING YOUR NOVEL
THE WRITING LIFE | PLATFORM, BLOGGING, & PROMO | THE TOP 10
So you want to write a book? Or maybe you already are and have a particular issue you want to learn more about. I kept a writer's blog for almost three years. Below are posts that cover a wide variety of topics to help writers. You can scroll down or if you know what area you want, you can click on one of the topics above to go straight to that list.
Writing Basics:
No! No! Bad Writer - A Few "rules"
Head-hopping: How to Avoid Making Your Reader Dizzy
Key Ingredient to a Solid Plot
Top Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences
Voice:
Author Voice vs. Character Voice
Planning Your Novel:
Screenwriting Techniques For Novels
The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis - 5 Tips To Set You Free
Naming Your Characters - Some Things To Consider
5 Tips For Not Screwing Up Your Character's Name
How To Develop a Subplot by Claire Ashgrove
Creating a Story Bible by Suzanne Johnson
Hooking the Reader:
Is the First Line THAT Important?
The Opening Scene: A Litmus Test
Story Beginnings: Agent and Publisher Opinions
Creating Memorable Moments In Your Story
Career Insurance: 5 Ways To Sell Your Next Book Before It's Written
What Makes the Chronic Finisher Stop Reading
Drafting Your Novel:
How to Dish Out Backstory in Digestible Bites
Enough with the Eyebrows: Showing Emotion
How Low Can You Go? The Important All Is Lost Moment
Author Voice vs. Character Voice - Finding Both
Writer Warning: Don't Get Lost in the Minutiae
He Said, She Said: Dialogue Tips
Author Intrusion: 12 Pitfalls To Avoid
Oh no! Melodrama! -- Avoiding the Reader Eye Roll
Writing Teen Angst--Guest Post by Author Julie Cross
Creating Memorable Moments In Your Story
The Power of Weather in Your Story
Types Of Endings: Happily Ever After Or Not So Much...
Ending Mistakes: How To Prevent Reader Rage
5 Muse Abusers: How To Protect Your Creative Flow
Characterization:
Creating Sympathetic Characters
Putting Your Character on the Therapy Couch
Psyc 101 for Character Development: Defense Mechanisms
Building Character Arc: Why a Motto Is Vital
She's a B*tch, She's a Lover: Writing a Kickass Heroine
Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey
Creating an Authentic Teen Guy's Voice
Writing Technique:
Twelve Writer Woes and the Books to Cure Them
What Kind of First Chapter Writer are You?
My Ten Steps to Novel Completion
DO Get Fresh With Me: Amping Up Your Writing
On Writing Out of Order by Elana Johnson
Plotting and Pantsing
Four Levels of Plotter/Pantsers
Three Ways To Avoid Pantser Pitfalls
Plotter vs. Pantser: Pros and Cons
A Solution for Pantsers with Plotter Envy
Character Driven vs. Plot-Driven
Character Driven or Plot Driven?
How to Find Balance Between Character-Driven and Plot-Driven
Deep Characters for Plot-First Writers by Suzanne Johnson
Plot Building for the Character Driven Writer
Handling Writer's Block:
5 Muse Abusers: How To Protect Your Creative Flow
There Is No Such Thing As Writers' Block by Joseph Selby
The Drug of Choice for Writer's Block: Speed
The Longhand Cure for Writer's Block
Writing Romance and Love Scenes:
Love Scenes 101: Don't Be Corny or Porn-y
Bom Chicka Wah Wah: Types of Love Scenes
How To Amp Up Sexual Tension In Your Story
Building a Slow Burning Romance with Janice Hardy
Battling the Romance Novel Stigma
How Writing Erotic Romance Differs From Writing Other Genres
Oh, You Write THOSE Books - The Basics of the Romance Genre
Editing and Revising:
5 Dialogue Mistakes You Can Fix Right Now
5 Narrative Mistakes You Can Fix Now
Wordiness: The Post in Which I Discuss Reduction of the Aforementioned
You've Got Rhythm, But Does Your Story?
The Ten Stages of Revision Emotions
Fixing Sagging Middles: Multipurpose Scenes
Sagging Middles Part Deux: Pick up the Pace
Overediting: Sucking the Life Out of Your Story
How Convenient! - Avoiding Contrived Coincidence
On Getting Feedback:
Why Your Mama Doesn't Count as a Beta Reader
Ingredients of a Great Crit Partner
Structuring a Critique Group Online
Death by Critique - 6 Tips on How To Avoid It
Selling and Publishing Your Novel:
Querying:
Should You Query That First Novel?
The Single Best Piece of Query Writing Advice I've Ever Heard
What Will Make an Agent "Gong" Your Query
Query Writing: How Brief is Brief?
Top Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences
The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis - 5 Tips To Set You Free
Writing Contests: Should You Give Them a Shot?
The Evolution of Rejection & What You Can Learn From It
How I Got My Agent and How Blogging Played a Role
Why I Chose Traditional Publishing--And How to Decide Which Path Is Right For You
Book Prices: Why a Good Story Should Be Worth More Than a Cheeseburger
The 5 Emotional Stages of a Book Launch
Pseudonyms - Should You Take On a Pen Name and How To Pick the Right One
On Being a Writer:
Saying "I'm a Writer" - The 6 Stages of Responses from Others
Giving Yourself Permission to Suck
The Ten Commandments of the Successful Author
Don't Be a Poser: Write What You Love
Five Tips On Being Naked In Front of an Audience (AKA Being Published)
Writer Under Construction - 10 Things I'd Do Differently
5 Surprising Things I've Learned Since I've Sold
The Beauty of Books: Why the Literary vs. Genre Debate Isn't Necessary
Book Prices: Why a Good Story Should Be Worth More Than a Cheeseburger
3 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for Published Authorhood
Authors Interacting with Readers Online - More Controversial Than I Thought
Navigating the Authorial Landmine of Reader Forums
Building a Platform, Promo, and Social Media:
Branding:
Creating An Author Brand: Why It's Not Really About the Book
The Author Bio: Six Important Components
Why Only Focusing On Your "Target" Audience May Hurt You
White Knuckling Your Author Platforn: How to Reign in Social Media Pressure
Author Websites:
13 Steps to Creating an Author Website Readers Will Love
Author Websites: Layering Yours With Sticky Extras
The Professional Online Presence
All About Web Space for Authors
Blogging:
What Do READERS Want From an Author Blog?
How to Win Followers and Influence People
Building a Following: The Four Types of Bloggers
The Life Cycle of a Blogger - Ten Stages
Get the Best Bang for Your Blog
3 Core Components of a Blockbuster Blog
Enough With the Quid Pro Quo Blogging Etiquette - Free Yourself
Guest Blogging:
Guest Blogging Etiquette: Let's Make a Deal
Twitter:
Twelve Ways To Scare Away Twitter Followers
Authors on Twitter: The Danger of Being Too Clique-y
Interacting Online:
Killing the Mystique: Can You Know Too Much About Your Favorite Authors?
When Does Author Openness Become TMI?
Authors Interacting with Readers Online - More Controversial Than I Thought
Promotion:
6 Ways to Promote That Won't Make People Want To Punch You in the Face
Five Promotion Tips for the Shy Writer by Lindsey Bell
The Post In Which I Rant About Blogging, Platforms,and he Pressure on Writers
Top Ten Most Popular Writing Posts
1. What Will Make an Agent "Gong" Your Query
2. The Ten Commandments of the Successful Author
3. The Ten Stages of Revision Emotions
4. Twelve Writer Woes and the Books to Cure Them
5. Top Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences
6. The Life Cycle of a Blogger - Ten Stages
7. The Author Bio: Six Important Components
8. Want to Get High (Concept)?
9. The Post In Which I Rant About Blogging, Platforms,and the Pressure on Writers
10. Twelve Ways To Scare Away Twitter Followers
*For more of my writing article archives, you can visit here.