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Quick Link: How to deal with writer envy

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How to deal with writer envy

by Jodi Gibson

Envy
noun
1. a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

There’s no denying we all feel envy at one time or another. And in the writing game, sometimes more than we’d like.

It begins with something relatively small, and then builds, slowly.

Like when other writers seem like they have a suitcase full of story ideas and you can’t even think of one.

Or, seeing other writers who have come onto the scene later than you, scoring agents and publishing deals.

Watching other writer’s social media profiles steadily build, while your still stuck on 499 Twitter followers.

Or when you pick up a newly published book from a brand new author, read the first page and wonder to yourself how ‘this!’ was published!

Writer envy isn’t pretty. And it can manifest deep within, growing like a tumour until it turns you into a bitter, twisted, wanna-be author.

But envy is natural. We feel it because we want something so badly. It’s not that we resent the person or their success, it’s just that we wish it was us!

So, what should you do when you feel that pang of envy gurgling deep in your gut?

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Independent Bookstore Day

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This Saturday is Independent Bookstore day!

 

Support your local independent bookstore by popping in. Any bookstore that is part of the celebrations will have cool stuff and even if your local independent bookstore isn’t taking part it is always good to support local merchants.

 

Learn more at http://www.indiebookstoreday.com/

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Quick Link: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Character Descriptions

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The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Character Descriptions

Kaitlin Hillerich

The first time I tried to describe my characters, it was a total disaster.

I couldn’t understand why because I’m a very descriptive writer. Describing landscapes? I got that. Fantasy creatures no one’s ever seen before? You betcha. Medieval cities? I’m a pro.

But when it came to people, suddenly I couldn’t find any words that worked. No matter what words I used, the descriptions fell flat instead of bringing my characters vividly to life.

I didn’t realize then that I was going about my character descriptions all wrong—I thought I just sucked at describing people. Years later, though, I learned that anyone can write a stellar character description, even if descriptive writing isn’t their strong suit!

Any of this sounding familiar? Describing characters is something a lot of writers struggle with, myself included. Though I’ve come a long way since my first feeble (and horrible) attempts, it’s still something I have to work harder at than other types of description.

I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why people seem to be so tricky to describe, but I don’t want you to face the same frustrations and struggles that I did. You’re not alone, and I’m here to help, friend!

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Quick Link: How to Fill the Gaps in Your Plot

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How to Fill the Gaps in Your Plot

by James Scott Bell

Got the following email the other day:

Dear Mr. Bell,

I recently finished reading your books Super Structure and Write Your Novel From the Middle. They’re awesome, and have taught me a lot about how to better structure a novel. I’ve now sketched out my current novel with the Super Structure beats and feel like I have a solid framework. But the problem I’m running into is filling the spaces between these beats with enough scenes to create a full novel. I’m using Scrivener’s index card feature to write out my scenes, but my poor corkboard looks awfully sparse. 🙂

Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to come up with enough plot to make a whole book? (This is actually a recurring problem for me. I struggle with plotting terribly.)

It’s a great question. Today’s post is my answer.

In Super Structure I describe what I call “signpost scenes.” These are the major structural beats that guarantee a strong foundation for any novel you write.

The idea is that you “drive” from one signpost to another. When you get to a signpost, you can see the next one ahead. How you get to it is up to you. You can plan how, or you can be spontaneous about it.

Or some combination in between!

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Quick Link: Finding Your Voice As A Writer

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Finding Your Voice As A Writer

by Dawn Field

Once your voice is real and audible, people’s attitude to your writing will change. Finding your voice means you are writing something no one else could write.

George Orwell wrote a famous essay called “Why I Write.” In it he lists what he describes as the four reasons any writer writes: sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose.

By his definitions, all four of these motivations lead a writer to want to impose ideas upon others. Readers sense this. This is why writers get it in the neck so hard.

People react badly to egoism. No one likes someone writing just to show off, appear smart, or as Orwell puts it, “to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood, etc.”

People also react badly to being told what to do or think. “Who are you to tell me what I should think? What I should do? How the world works? Why are you special?” is what they are thinking. And finally, “Why are you writing?”

You need to have a good reason. A reason you can stand by. Hopefully it’s good enough, and expressed well enough, to convince readers. Many people are suspicious as soon as you say you are a writer. How could you be so self-absorbed and arrogant, resentful people wonder.

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Quick Link: Should Indie Authors Put Endorsement Quotes or “Puffs” on Self-published Books?

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Should Indie Authors Put Endorsement Quotes or “Puffs” on Self-published Books?

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As authors of self-published books, we seek to combine the best ideas from trade publishing with the innovation that comes of being truly independent. But it’s not always easy to decide which conventions to echo and which to reject. One example is the common practice among the big publishing companies to adorn book covers with endorsements from high profile readers.

Skeptics term these glowing phrases “puff quotes” to pour scorn on their sincerity, when so many of them come from “celebrities” – people famous for being famous, rather than for their literary judgment. A cynic might wonder how they find the time to read so much. On the other hand, endorsements, used wisely, can  be genuinely add sales appeal to the cover of any book.

Currently dithering “to puff or not to puff” on the cover of my new mystery novels, I asked ALLi authors whether they thought soliciting endorsement quotes was worth the time and trouble.

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Quick Link: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing: How to Build Fantastic Worlds

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing: How to Build Fantastic Worlds

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So, you’re ready to write a science fiction or fantasy novel. But where to start? Lots of writers begin by creating a map, or researching some distant heavenly body. Six novels into my speculative fiction career, I’ve discovered that I create my best work when I begin building my fantastic worlds by starting not with magic systems or geography, but with a single character. Here’s why this method has been so successful for me.

Asking the Right Questions

When you begin your worldbuilding process by creating a character first, then asking what type of world created that character, you focus on the parts of the world that matter most to the people in it. That means spending less time on research that you ultimately aren’t going to use. I look at my worldbuilding and character creation processes as interconnected. They don’t – in fact, can’t! – exist independently of one another. As I flesh out a character, the world, too, will come into sharper focus. If I create a skilled government assassin who’s tasked with bringing in deserters from a centuries-long war, I have to ask myself what the war is about. If it’s about a lack of resources, what does that world look like? Dry, dusty, low in metals? If a planet was low in metals, how would their technology progress? What would they use to power their vehicles? If they had crashed there on a big generation ship, what was the likelihood they would ever get back into the stars, and how would that change their religious philosophies?

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Quick Link: The Crafting of an Editorial Letter

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The Crafting of an Editorial Letter

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If you’re in the query trenches you’ve probably heard the words “editorial agent” floating around. These are agents who work with their clients to edit and revise a manuscript before submitting it to editors (who will then edit the manuscript even further if they end up acquiring it!) I am an editorial agent and believe strongly in sending out the most polished manuscript possible to editors. The market is competitive, and I think it’s vital these days to go out with your very best work. I’ve just finished (I mean just finished–it’s open in another window) an editorial letter for a client. The second one I’ve written since becoming an agent. And while I can’t speak for all editors and editorial agents as to how they do things, I thought I’d talk a little bit about my editing process so that writers can get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.
How Long?
For both of my clients I quoted about a month (give or take) to get them their editorial letter. I was late both times. *headdesk* A much more realistic timeline for me personally is probably two months. If I was able to put absolutely everything else in my life and work on hold I could probably get an edit done in a week. But alas, the power to stop time does not belong to me. Two months it is! (And I’ll never overpromise on a deadline again. The guilt consumed me).

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Quick Link: Success with Audiobooks: What You Need to Know to Get Your Book Into Audio: Becky Parker Geist

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Success with Audiobooks: What You Need to Know to Get Your Book Into Audio: Becky Parker Geist

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This post is part of London Book Fair Indie Author Fringe, an online author conference that showcases the best self-publishing advice and education for authors across the world — harnessing the global reach of the Alliance of Independent Authors’s network. Our self-publishing conference features well-known indie authors and advisors, for 24 sessions over 24-hours, in a one-day extravaganza of self-publishing expertise straight to your email inbox.

Enjoy this session, and let us know if you have any questions or input on this self-publishing topic, by visiting our Hot Seat and joining in the conversation.

Audiobook sales are projected to increase 40% in 2017, after a whopping 32% growth in 2016. This is prime time to get your book into audio! In this program we’ll cover the essentials you need to know as you enter the audiobook world, so you can make informed decisions all along the way. We’ll cover topics including: creating goals and strategies for your audiobook, selecting a narrator (which could be you), the audiobook process, distribution options, royalties, marketing your audiobook, and more.

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Quick Link: What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

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What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

by Jami Gold

Yay! I’m happy to be back at WHW as a Resident Writing Coach. *waves* Last time I visited, we discussed how understanding the interconnectedness of our story elements can help us with revisions, and today we’re going to dig deeper into one of those elements: our story’s stakes.

Stakes are simply the consequences of failure. If our character doesn’t reach their goal, what will happen? What can go wrong?

Low stakes—such as when there are no consequences or failure would be no big deal—can create problems with our story’s conflicts, tension, and pacing, as well as weaken motivations and make goals seem less important.

So we definitely want to follow advice like “Raise the stakes throughout your story,” but how do we do that?

Step #1: Check for Goals

We all know that our protagonist should have a goal (or at least an unconscious longing) in every scene, right? But we’re not referring to just a big-picture story goal like “beat the bad guy.” Rather, scenes should also have a specific, immediate goal.

For example, the character wants to…:

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Quick Link: How to Boost Your Career as a Writer by Creating an Irresistible Series

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How to Boost Your Career as a Writer by Creating an Irresistible Series

By Sandra Haven

Excited about your writing career?

About expanding your story’s potential?

Yet after writing, maybe publishing, even marketing a book, you realize that’s just ONE book. And a career author writes LOTS of books.

Which means tomorrow…

You’ll face a mind-numbing, blinking cursor on a blank white page.

Again.

Fresh Shortcut on Familiar Ground

Do visions haunt you of your single book atop a “free” pile in front of a Goodwill store as you flip burgers to buy printer ink, while trying to come up with something fresh for your next book?

And that’s what you need, right? Another new, fresh story? Then another and another?

Nope.

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Quick Link: How Not to Crash-land an Ending

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How Not to Crash-land an Ending

Endings are my nemesis. The first indication came during The Call. After my agent-to-be went on at length about how much she loved my debut—hey, I wasn’t going to stop her—she asked if I might reconsider the ending.

“Of course.” At that moment I would’ve changed my gender, if she’d asked.

“It needs to be a little less tidy.”

“Rookie mistake. I’m embarrassed.”

“Don’t be.”

I rewrote the ending and she was happy. A year later, we spoke on the phone after she’d read my second novel.

“It’s wonderful,” she said, “but I’m wondering if you’ll reconsider the ending.”

“Too neat?”

“I’m afraid so.”

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Quick Link: The Power of a Permafree Book with Jennifer Waddle

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One great and often overlooked marketing tool is the permafree ebook, especially for series. You can find a great post and podcast by Shelly Hitz and Jennifer Waddle that will help you utilize this great tool. Check it out!

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The Power of a Permafree Book with Jennifer Waddle

What is a permafree book and how can it help you in your marketing?

In today’s training, Jennifer Waddle will be joining us to show us how permafree book has helped her succeed in marketing her books.

The Power of PermaFree Book

SHELLEY: Welcome to Author Audience Academy. Today I’m rolling out the red carpet and inviting you into my community to show you behind the scenes look at what’s working for authors like you.

In this episode, I want to position the spotlight on one of my members, Jennifer Waddle. Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer: Thank you, Shelley. It’s great to be here.

Shelley: Yes! I’m so excited to have you share on today’s episode. Before we dive in I want to just share a brief bio about you.

Jennifer Waddle is an author, speaker, and contributor who write books for women in the trenches of life. Her goal is to help Christian women face issues that stand in the way of who they were created to be. I love that!

She’s also a children’s book author of a brand new series called “A Day in the Life of a Little Kid”. This book is available on Amazon. Jennifer resides with her family near the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain. And you live here in Colorado Springs, right where I am as well! We’ve attended the same church!

You can connect with her at JenniferWaddleOnline.com.

So for this week’s center stage spotlight training, I’m going to have Jennifer share a specific success strategy. I’m excited to learn from each other on being able to accomplish your goals as an author. And we will be sharing some specific strategies that have worked for Jennifer.

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Quick Link: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Accept a Traditional Publishing Deal

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Congratulations, you have been offered a traditional publishing deal! But before you go spending your royalties, be a smart cookie and check that deal out through and through. Susan Spann from Writer’s In The Storm has some tips on what to watch out for so you can vet your deal carefully.

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10 Questions to Ask Before You Accept a Traditional Publishing Deal

By Susan Spann

The explosion of independent publishing houses in the U.S. and abroad makes it vital for authors to investigate publishers carefully before signing a contract. While even diligent research can’t ensure you’ll avoid every possible problem, here are some questions to ask before you accept a traditional publishing deal:

  1. Does the Contract Require You (the Author) to Pay for Anything?

If the answer is “yes,” this is not a traditional publishing house, and probably not a deal you should sign. Traditional deals don’t require the author to pay for anything, either out of pocket or by allowing the publisher to recoup expenses before calculating the author’s royalty share.*

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Quick Link: How to Finish Your Book

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Do you need a final push to just get your book done? At Pub Crawl, author is facing a publishing deadline and she shares how she manages to set a schedule to just get’er done

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How to Finish Your Book

By  
Hi all! I’m currently on a deadline with my publisher, so I find myself thinking a lot about productivity these days. My deadline is for a first draft, so my focus at the moment is on creating a quality draft without bogging down, getting off track, or falling behind schedule.

In the meantime, I’ve had the opportunity to meet lots of aspiring novelists in the past few months, and many have asked for advice on finishing their manuscript. A common issue raised to me is the challenge of getting to “The End” without shelving the draft as a failed attempt and starting over with something new.

As I compared the challenges involved in creating a quality first draft under contract (and turning it in on time!) with the challenges of seeing a first novel through to completion, I realized that my advice for both is a lot the same. So if you are pushing through a first draft and you fear you will never finish it–never type “The End” and be able to say you have completed a book–here are the tips that work for me:

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