Publetariat

Fun, fun, fun! How well do you know literary Britain?

February 9, 2016 by Publetariat

So lets take a break and have some fun! TravelZoo has a fun little game that has you match up 11 British literary greats with their location. How well can you do? I did horrible, only 18% I am totally embarrassed to admit! I panicked! Hopefully you can do better. Let me know how well you do, leave your score in the comments below.

A Guide To Literary Britain

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

Start Strong or Lose Your Readers

February 8, 2016 by Publetariat

Over on DigitalBookWorld, Andrew Rhomberg has some interesting data about reader habits. The really interesting takeaway is that you have about 50 – 100 pages to get your reader hooked. I am curious if this is different from paper books? I would think so. With eBooks it is so easy to delete the file off my voyage, where as with a paper book there is something physical that nags at you. At least that is how I feel about the paper books stacked up on my night stand. Then I think of some of the classics, that take a while to get started. How would they fair today? Thoughts?

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Start Strong or Lose Your Readers

In the first post in this series, I introduced the notion of the “Internet of Bookish Things” to describe how (e)books were now nodes on the Internet that could record how books are being read. And in last week’s post, “Reading Fast and Slow – Observing Book Readers in Their Natural Habitat,” I began exploring what we can learn about readers using this new “superpower.” Today we will continue this exploration by looking at how the attention of readers decays while progressing through a book.

One of the data points we record at Jellybooks is how many chapters a reader finishes. Reading fiction is a very linear activity in which you start at the beginning of the novel and, following the story arc, read until you reach the end. You don’t usually hop in and out of chapters as you would do in a non-fiction book or textbook, and reading analytics bears that out.

However, what if the novel doesn’t grab your attention? What if you get bored? Reading analytics can measure that, too!

The way we display this is through a completion graph. To facilitate comprehension by authors and editors, the graph is deliberately structured like a Table of Contents (TOC), listing each chapter in the book. Next to each chapter is a horizontal bar graph in blue showing the percentage of readers who read that chapter (or substantial parts of it). The grey bars show front- and back–matter (introduction, dedication, prologue, epilogue, copyright page and so on) that are organized as chapters but are not part of the main narrative. As readers progress, the percentage drops off, showing that readers lose interest and even stop reading.

Below I’ve included two real-life examples of books. For confidentiality reasons, the actual chapter descriptions have been removed and replaced with numbers (as well as F and B for front- and back-matter). I can’t take the chance of you guessing what book is being shown, but rest assured that this is real data from real books being read by real humans.

Read the full post on DigitalBookWorld

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When to Give Up On Your Work-in-Progress (and When to Keep Going)

February 7, 2016 by Publetariat

Here is something I think everyone struggles with, especially since writing is so fluid. You can always edit and rewrite, so when do you stop and move to another story that has more potential? Over on Aliventures, Ali has some good guidelines on how to deal with writing indecision. How do you decide what to work on?

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When to Give Up On Your Work-in-Progress (and When to Keep Going)

This post was inspired by a discussion a while back in the Writers’ Huddle forums.

Have you ever given up on a writing project part-way through – perhaps after months or years of work?

I’ve abandoned plenty (three novels and two blogs, at the last count). I’ve also stuck with others even when I thought of quitting.

If you’re currently struggling with a major project and trying to decide whether to give up or stick with it, here’s what to do.

Don’t Destroy Anything Completely

This probably goes without saying … but don’t burn your novel manuscript and delete all the files or wipe your blog out altogether, however terrible it might seem might now.

If nothing else, you’ll want to look back in five or ten years and see how far you’ve come as a writer.

But there’s also the possibility that you’ll pick up the project at a later stage – perhaps when you’ve mastered new aspects of the craft and you can fulfil your vision for it.

So, hang on to what you’ve got, then decide whether you’re going to give up the project (at least for the foreseeable future) or plough on with it.

Read the full post on Aliventures

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Opportunities for Writers: February and March 2016

February 4, 2016 by Publetariat

Hey there are opportunities for just about everyone at Aerogramme Writers’ Studio. Apply for American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship because who wouldn’t want money to go to PARIS!!! and write, along with more down to earth opportunities from Readers Digest. So if you are looking to expand your horizons or earn a little cold cash head on over and apply for these openings, cause if you don’t, someone else will.

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Each month we aim provide a helpful round-up of writing competitions, fellowships, publication opportunities and more for writers at all stages of their careers.

For new writers, or for anyone seeking a refresher, we highly recommend reading How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines.

Deadlines and details do sometimes change, so please check the relevant websites (linked in bold) for all the latest details. For more opportunities and regular updates follow Aerogramme Writers’ Studio on Facebook and Twitter.

Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing
at Bucknell University offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell’s “Poets’ Cottage” and a stipend of $5000. The application deadline is 1 February.

Bustle
is seeking to a appoint a new Books Editor. Bustle.com caters to millennial women aged 18 to 35. Experience in and passion for books coverage is essential. The role is based in New York City.

Read the full post on Aerogramme Writers’ Studio

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Comments have been updated

February 3, 2016 by Publetariat

In continuing to try and make this blog better, I am trying to balance between open communication and some of the problems that plagued Publetariat before. With that said, I have updated the way comments work. You will still have to log in, but you can use a couple of different methods to do so and no longer need to be a member of Disqus. So we shall cross our fingers and see what happens!

Thank you for your time and patience!

Paula

How To Write When You’re A Parent

February 2, 2016 by Publetariat

This post hits home in a big way. And my kids are not little, in fact they are quite big. But it is almost 11 pm and I have spent over 2 hours helping my son with AP Chem before coming here to post. On Writer’s Digest, Danielle Campoamor gives good advice to all of us on how to adapt and still find ways to keep writing, even when the demands on your time increase. I may have to read this one daily.

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How To Write When You’re A Parent

It’s 10:30 in the morning and my son has finally succumbed to his morning nap. With his head on my chest and his ineffectual arms wrapped around my neck, I feel his body rise and fall with every seamless breath. I move ever-so-slightly, adjusting my body without moving him; a timeless skill every parent finds a way to master. I lift up my arms to lay my hands on my laptop keyboard, determined to finish an article and meet a deadline while my child dreams sweet one year old dreams.

Before I became a mother, I was borderline obsessive about the way I wrote. I had to listen to music and set up a clean area and definitely, under no circumstances, be bothered. I’d create a “writing space” that – I believed – fostered the best creativity and willpower and I was unwavering in its obsessive defense.

But then life happened and pregnancy happened and a child happened. And suddenly, the list I had created in order to obtain the perfect writing environment became impossible to adhere to. No one bothering me? Forget about it. A pristine environment? Try telling that to a child who has learned about toys and the ability to throw them mighty distances. Loud music? Not when the baby is sleeping. No way.

If I was to continue my career and my passion, I had to find a new way to write in an always-changing, consistently disruptive environment. Because unless you have someone paying your bills and a nanny to watch your children and a staff to clean and cook and fold your laundry, life will always get in the way of writing.

Read the full post on Writer’s Digest

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Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z]

February 1, 2016 by Publetariat

Over on Daily Writing Tips, Maeve Maddox (what a great name!) gives us her top 10 confused English words, the final chapter. I have to admit that growing up in Massachusetts weather / whether were difficult for me because they both sounded like “wheatha”. I had the same problem with father and farther. What are your confused words?

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Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z]

Having come to the end of the alphabet with my series of “words often confused with one another,” I find myself hard-pressed to come up with a final set of ten for the remaining letters, U-Z. I can’t think of any for U or Z, but here are some for V, W, and Y.

1. vane / vain / vein
All three sound alike and speakers know what they mean when they say them. The confusion arises with the spellings.

INCORRECT: A cupola sat astride the angled wedge of the rooftop, sporting a beautiful gold colored weather vain.
CORRECT: A cupola sat astride the angled wedge of the rooftop, sporting a beautiful gold colored weather vane.

INCORRECT: If we cut one of our vains what chance do we have to live?
CORRECT: If we cut one of our veins what chance do we have to live?

vane noun: a blade that rotates

vain adjective: 1. hopeless: “She continues to harbor a vain desire to write a novel that will make her rich.”
2. having an excessively high opinion of one’s own appearance, attainments, qualities, or possessions: “He is especially vain about his hair.”

vein noun: the tubular vessels in which the blood is conveyed through the animal body.

Check the rest of the post and the whole series on Daily Writing Tips

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Get Your First 10 Pages Critiqued by an Agent — Next Agent One-on-One Boot Camp Starts February 18, 2016

January 31, 2016 by Publetariat

Hey the next Agent One-on-One Boot Camp called “Your First 10 Pages.” is coming up! You have until February 18, 2016 to sign up. Head on over to the Writer’s Digest site and get the details from Chuck Sambuchino. This is a good resource even if you don’t plan on looking for a literary agent. The goal is to make your first 10 pages to make an impact on an agent or a reader, and that is a good thing. Have any of you attended the camp before? If so let us know your opinion and if it is worth it in the comments below!

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Get Your First 10 Pages Critiqued by an Agent — Next Agent One-on-One Boot Camp Starts February 18, 2016

As many writers know, agents and editors won’t give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven’t got them hooked by then, it’s a safe bet you won’t be asked for more material. Make sure you’ve got the kind of opening they’re looking for! In this invaluable weekend event, you’ll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You’ll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you’ll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

It’s all part of the recurring popular Agent One-on-One Boot Camp called “Your First 10 Pages.” Sign up by the end of the day, February 18, 2016, if seats don’t sell out beforehand. It’s taught by the agents at Talcott Notch Literary.

Read the full post on Writer’s Digest

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Your ISBN: Answers To Frequently Asked Questions

January 28, 2016 by Publetariat

Today’s featured link is from the Bookbaby Blog by Steven Spatz who provides answers to a lot of common questions about the International Standard Book Number or ISBN numbers. It is a pretty comprehensive offering and helps demystify the topic.

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Of all the mysteries surrounding the process of self publishing, the book ISBN ranks among the most intimidating to many new authors. We’re here to allay your concerns and give you answers.

magnifying glass scanning bar code made in 2d software

The ISBN. Seldom have thirteen little digits been so misunderstood. Our BookBaby publishing specialists field calls all day long about the International Standard Book Number – also known as the ISBN. Let me take this opportunity to field a few of the most common questions.

What is an ISBN? The ISBN is a numeric identifier that is used around the globe by book stores, publishers, and just about everyone in the publishing industry. ISBNs have either 10 or 13 digits (all ISBNs assigned after January 1, 2007 have 13 digits).

Read the full post on Bookbaby Blog

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The Singular They is Now Officially Correct

January 27, 2016 by Publetariat

So have you heard? According to the Washington Post and other sources, you now don’t have to worry about awkward he/she him/her sentences but can now use the gender neutral they/them. Dave Bricker on The World’s Greatest Book has the details in his post dated January 21, 2016. I personally am a fan, although it will take some getting used to. How about you? Will you switch over?

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The Singular They is Now Officially Correct

peace,union and frienship concept (I, You, Them, Big Family) on a corkboard with color notes

Find your favorite writer and give them this message: They no longer have to mire their writing down with awkward “his or her” and “he or she” and “he/she” usages. According to The Washington Post, the singular they/them has been adopted as officially correct English by over 200 linguists at the American Dialect Society. The Washington Post has already integrated the new rule into its style guide.

Traditionally, they and them have been plural, referring to groups of more than one person. When referring to one person of unknown gender, the generic masculine served well until feminists took issue with practice.

Find a teacher in the hall and give this gift to him. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

became:

Find a teacher in the hall and give this gift to him or her. I'm sure he or she will appreciate it.

Speed bumps? No. You know those tire shredders they have at car rental facilities that prevent drivers of stolen cars from driving out the entrances? What a quandary! Is eviscerating our sentences truly a sign of respect for women? Good prose is music. This is noise. Some settling of contents occurs during shipping and handling. Not good.

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Author Websites: Part Two – Hosts With The Most!

January 26, 2016 by Publetariat

In Part One of Author Websites – The Domain Name Game! we talked about buying a domain. The next step is deciding what type of host to use that works for your particular situation. Below you find the different options with the pro and cons of each.

Social media pages
Examples – Facebook, Instagram
Pros – free and hey social media, that’s cool right?
Cons – harder to share with other social media, harder to customize, not as professional.

With so many different social media options out there, which one should you choose? Don’t waste your time on the latest and greatest hot new site or app. Your goal is to get people to notice and hopefully buy your book. New platforms take time to become mainstream or they fail and all your hard work is wasted.

Unless your book has a lot of pictures or is about photography you will probably want to stay off sites like Instagram or Pinterest as your main contact point. Twitter is a great tool for marketing but not really designed to be an author page. Which leaves Facebook.

While Facebook is trending for older users, it is still a force to be reckoned with. With over 1.55 billion users in fall of 2015, that is a lot of action. The ability to create a book or author page where you can post updates and interact with your fans makes this a winner.

The downside to having a social media page for your author site is it is much harder to control, and to share with other sites. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a Facebook site, Twitter account, or other social media as part of your marketing strategy. What most professional people have is a website/blog that acts as a center hub to promote out to social media. However, if you are a one-time author and low on funds, this is as easy and quick as they come.

Platform hosts
Examples – Blogger, WordPress.org
Pros – easy to set up, low cost, often free
Cons – doesn’t look as professional, your domain url will end with their platform name. For example instead of authorname.com you would have authorname.wordpress.com. Harder than a Facebook page to set up and maintain.

This is definitely a step up from having a social media page for an author site. You are able to create content and interact with people, while having a main hub to post to social media from. There are a bunch of free themes and plugins to help.

Side note on free themes and plugins. Beware, you get what you pay for. Often programmers who are starting out will give away items because they are not established in the marketplace yet. This means that the free stuff might not be well written, have security issues, and are rarely updated. There are exceptions to this, and a good way to tell is to see how many people have downloaded or used the item. People have to make money somehow and if they can’t, they disappear to do something that will make them money. Even paying .99 cents for theme brings the quality up massively. Your .99 cents plus a couple of thousand other people’s .99 cents adds up to a normal amount for a solid theme or plugin.

While this is a step up from a Facebook page, it can be more technical. If you are not comfortable with technology, then you might want to get help just to get set up. But if you are going to do that, then you might as well get your own site, as explained in the next example. Once your site is set up, then it is much easier to update. If you can use MS Word, then you can write a post.

Shared hosting
Examples – HostGator, Blue Mountain, etc.
Pros – your own domain, domain email, very professional
Cons – costs a little money depending on your preferences, and can be harder to setup

This is the most professional of the options. You have your own customized url, your own host that you control the look and feel of, and professional emails. This is also a little more difficult to set up so don’t hesitate to ask for help from your host provider or hire someone to help you. Most hosts have one step WordPress install features or will gladly install a WordPress site for you for free or a small fee.

Once you have WordPress installed it is very similar to the platform host setup, where you can use plugins and themes to customize your site. Please see the side note above on plugins.

The best way to pick a good host is to open your search engine, such as google, and type “top rated web hosting”. Go through the links on the first page of your search results. You will start to see some names show up again and again on the different rated lists. Write down the top three names you see the most, look at their sites and pick the one you like. Don’t pick a host based on their super bowl commercial. You will be setting yourself up for a world of hurt.

Costs vary on hosting, but most places will have a sale going on at the time of purchase. Lucky you! Don’t buy more than you need, a basic package is usually good enough for a starter site, and if you need to upgrade, your host will be happy to provide assistance.

Self Hosting
Examples – server in your garage, Amazon cloud
Pros – complete control
Cons – costs a lot more money and needs a lot more technical skills, especially dealing with security issues.

Unless you already have good tech skills, this option is more than most people will need and is beyond the scope of this article. Seriously, this is for the big boys who don’t need to read articles like this and have paid minions.

So there you have the different hosting types broken down so you can decide what is right for you. The next article in the series will be a step-by-step process to set up a customized Facebook page.

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit to be posted on this site or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com

Stop Making Excuses And Write A Book

January 25, 2016 by Publetariat

Today’s post is from the Bookbaby Blog, dated January 19, 2016 by Jim Dempsey. In the post Jim, analyzes the excuses we make for not starting to write your book, or edit it, or in my case finish it. It is a good read, so check it out and let me know what you think in the comments. What is holding you back from doing what you want to to do?

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Stop Making Excuses And Write A Book

The start of a new year is a good time to finally commit the time and energy to write a book. But first, ask yourself one important question to find out if you really have what it takes to be a writer.

When people ask what I do and I say I’m a book editor, they tell me they’d love to write a book some day, once the kids are grown up, when they have more time, or if only they were good enough. Some people have already given up trying. They say, “I suppose if I really wanted to write, I’d have done it by now.” Excuses File Contains Reasons And Scapegoats

But that’s just another excuse. That argument assumes we all fall naturally into what we want to do, when in fact it’s much more natural to find an excuse not to do it.

We all makes excuses. It’s a part of what we do. And the first step to making a commitment to finally writing a book is to recognize the excuses and to stop them getting in the way of your dreams.

Writing is an adventure

Inventing excuses is your mind’s way of protecting you, from keeping you from taking risks or using up too much precious energy. In evolutionary terms, that makes sense, but the excuses your mind invents can also keep you from enjoying some of life’s greatest adventures, of which writing a book is surely one.

Read the full post on Bookbaby Blog

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Amazon Is An Evil Sith Lord, and Other Dumb Arguments Against Doing Business With Amazon

January 24, 2016 by Publetariat

Wow, over on The Digital Reader, Nate Hoffelder comes out swinging against The Writer’s Workshop article Darth Amazon – or – Why Amazon Is An Evil Sith Lord, And Apple Is Luke Skywalker by David Lieder. You know what? Nate is correct. Both Amazon and Apple are big companies and suffer from the issues that plague big companies. But every author I have ever worked with has had the same consistent results. They get the majority of their exposure and sales from Amazon, with the iBook store a far second. Not only that, but to even upload your manuscript to the iBook store you must own a mac, and not a cheap one. (Is there even such a thing as a cheap mac?) It is also very difficult to get exposure on the iBook store unless you are already a very well established author. What are your thoughts or experiences?

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Amazon Is An Evil Sith Lord, and Other Dumb Arguments Against Doing Business With Amazon

Posted on 24 January, 2016 by Nate Hoffelder

With Authors United’s ~~debate~~ recitation coming up on Wednesday, this week promises to have an excess of “evil Amazon is evil” whining, and David Lieder is getting a head start on the competition.

Writing over at The Writer’s Workshop, this David Streitfeld wannabe reaches into the depths of his ADS* to argue that authors should not not deal directly with Amazon.

So I want to argue that authors should avoid Amazon Kindle, ACX and Create Space, and explain why I recommend that authors use other distributors, except for allowing your books to trickle back onto the Amazon platform after the fact (from another propagator, such as Smashwords, Ingram-Spark, even Book Baby). I want to explain why I teach authors to boycott Amazon ACX (audiobook production) and to replace Create Space with the much better choice of Ingram-Spark (which has print books available to authors at about half the price of Create Space).

Apparently Lieder is a believer in what I am calling the condom theory, which goes something like this: So long as you wear a condom, you’re not technically having sex with your partner. (Yes, it is a dumb theory, but it’s his theory and his arguments, not mine).

To put it another way, this pint-sized Melville House thinks it is okay to do business with what he sees as evil so long as you have an intermediary in between. In his mind, you’re not dealing with the devil if you use a distributor who deals with the devil on your behalf.

I could explain why Lieder’s arguments are wrong, and point out the factual errors, half-truths, and errant nonsense in his piece, but I have already lost several brain cells reading that piece and I do not wish to expend any additional brain cells arguing the point.

So let me simply list a few:

Discredited Argument: The fact that some Amazon ex-employees say it’s common for employees to break down crying because the pressures and attitudes across the board as a company are oppressive.

Read the full post on The Digital Reader

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Considering Self-Publishing? You Might Want to Do This First

January 21, 2016 by Publetariat

On The Write Life, Chuck Sambuchino gives his thoughts on the traditional versus self-publishing options for writers and why he thinks authors should try traditional publishing first. Do you agree with him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Considering Self-Publishing? You Might Want to Do This First

There are different ways to get your work published, but the biggest two options in today’s marketplace are still the following:

Traditional publishing: You sell your work to a publishing house, like Simon & Schuster or HarperCollins. The publisher typically pays you money up front in the deal, then distributes the book in print and e-book forms.

Self-publishing: This method allows you to publish your work independently, without anyone judging your work. You’re in charge of everything. A common website people do this is through Amazon’s CreateSpace.

I could talk about all the nitty-gritty elements to both publishing options — the pros and cons, the ins and outs — but that would take you hours to read. So instead, I’ll just focus this post on one simple question: If you’re unsure what path to take concerning these two major publishing options, what should you do?

Which publishing method should you try first?

If you are truly on the fence concerning which path to take, you should always try traditional publishing first — period.

I’ll tell you why.

It’s because if you send your work out to agents first but hit walls, you can always self-publish it afterward with nothing lost. Easy peasy. But if you self-publish it first and then seek an agent for it later, you’re setting up a very difficult task.

Let’s say you have a novel. You send it to an agent who is open to submissions. When the agent reviews your query and first pages, they are asking themselves the following: “Can this person write well? Is this an interesting story? Can I sell this?”

An agent will take a long critical look at your writing, and it’s not easy finding a rep who loves your voice and your book.

When an agent reviews a self-published book, it gets more complicated. They’re asking themselves the following: “Can this person write well? Is this an interesting story? Can I sell this? And why does this book deserve a second life via traditional publishing?”

Read the full post on The Write Life

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9 Ways to Stop Your Novel from Stalling

January 20, 2016 by Publetariat

How are your writing resolutions coming? To be perfectly honest mine are having some difficulty. Sometimes life… happens. The important thing is to get back to priorities. Tracey Barnes Priestley on Writer’s Digest talks about ways to get your momentum back. Dated January 5, 2016.

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I would be willing to wager that most writers have made New Year’s resolutions regarding their writing practices. I know I have.

Curious about this, I canvassed a few of my writer friends. Sure enough, many of them had frequently participated in this annual tradition that dates all the way back to the Babylonians. Each writer had faced January with a deep commitment and heartfelt enthusiasm for those resolutions. One promised herself she’d “finish the first draft” of her novel. Another told me she had written on her dry-erase board, in big, bold letters, “I will clean up the dialogue mess that’s drowning this book.” The least experienced of them, an as yet unpublished young man full of enthusiasm for his craft, swore he would “silence my inner critic and keep writing, no matter what.”

I followed up by asking them how successful they had been in keeping those resolutions. Unfortunately, all had experienced the same thing: disappointment. No matter how hard they tried, they had ultimately been unable to make good on what they had resolved to do.

I knew exactly what they were talking about. I gave up creating New Year’s resolutions about my writing years ago when I found myself at the end of yet another cold January, with nothing more to show for all of my efforts than an exercise in futility. I was left feeling a range of emotions, from guilty to downright silly.

It’s actually quite comical just how few of us keep our New Year’s resolutions. It’s estimated only 45 percent of the population even tries to resolve making changes in the New Year. Of these brave souls, a mere 8 percent are successful.

Yet I’ve wondered if writers might be even more inclined than the general public to approach the New Year with a list of things we want to change, accomplish or do differently. We seem ripe for this kind of experience. As creative thinkers, we face a unique set of circumstances when it comes to producing our work. Alone in whatever space we can manage for our writing, we pound away at the keyboard, with our thoughts, our characters, our struggles and the never-ending reality that we aspire to a tough, highly competitive profession. Why wouldn’t we try to capitalize on the fresh start, the clean slate that January offers us? Magical thinking is right up our alley!

Why Our Writing Can Stall

In my work as a life coach, I’ve come to believe that our writing can be derailed because of two fundamental processes. The first, naturally, is the very nature of our craft, the writing process itself—think plotting, character development, etc. Unfortunately, this intrinsic set of challenges dwells right alongside our individual writing processes—complete with procrastination, destructive thought patterns, negative experiences, ambiguous motivation, unrealistic expectations, etc. And we wonder why we can’t keep our writing resolutions.

By now you’re probably ready to chuck your computer out the window. Don’t! Think of these two processes as valuable tools. Once you understand how they may be driving your inability to meet your writing resolutions, you will be poised to utilize effective strategies that support you and your writing every step of the way.

What’s Holding You Back?

Let’s begin by identifying the warning signs that your writing may be about to stall out. Consider current or previous writing resolutions you failed to keep. Ask yourself if you have experienced any of the following: lack of initiative; inability to prioritize writing tasks; frequent distraction; failure to establish a consistent writing pace/routine; inner dialogue that is one negative message after another; finding yourself simply “too busy” to get anything done. This is hardly an exhaustive list. Reasons writers stall can be varied and unique. Your task is to be as exact—and as honest with yourself—as you can in identifying what gets in the way of your ability to make progress on your projects. Make a list.

Next, evaluate this list from the perspective of the work-in-progress itself. As an example, let’s use my writer friend’s resolution to finish her first draft.

Every time she sat down at her computer, this writer felt lost about where the story should go next, and unclear about the relationship between her two main characters. She found herself thinking, This is useless, and, It’s not a strong enough idea for an entire book—maybe I should ditch the entire thing.

First, she tried to address the problems in the work itself. She sought craft and technique help with her plot and eventually resolved some backstory problems that had delayed the action and confused things between her characters. But the problems with her own lack of clarity persisted. Now she was fairly certain that the problem was within her writing process.

Read the full post on Writer’s Digest

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Start Strong or Lose Your Readers

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When to Give Up On Your Work-in-Progress (and When to Keep Going)

Don’t Destroy Anything Completely

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How To Write When You’re A Parent

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Top 10 Confused English Words [U-Z]

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Get Your First 10 Pages Critiqued by an Agent — Next Agent One-on-One Boot Camp Starts February 18, 2016

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Of all the mysteries surrounding the process of self publishing, the book ISBN ranks among the most intimidating to many new authors. We’re here to allay your concerns and give you answers.

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The Singular They is Now Officially Correct

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Amazon Is An Evil Sith Lord, and Other Dumb Arguments Against Doing Business With Amazon

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Considering Self-Publishing? You Might Want to Do This First

Which publishing method should you try first?

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Why Our Writing Can Stall

What’s Holding You Back?

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