Tag Archives: career authors

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we spotlight BookBub with articles about gaining followers, growing your readership, how BookBub’s auction model works, and strategies for using ads on their platform.

Becca Puglisi, co-author of the Emotion Thesaurus, offers tips on how to create insecure characters while Sarah Gribble provides a guide to writing horror. Do you know who your target audience is? If not, Amy Wilson has some advice for you.

All that and a little more, including a few discussions about Ray Bradbury. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

What’s Autofiction? Should You Fictionalize the Story of Your Life? by Anne R. Allen

Point of View: What’s the Best Choice? by Jami Gold

Honing Your Author Voice by Heather Webb

BookBub Ads 101: How the Auction Model Works by AJ Jack

Using BookBub Ads to Drive Series Sell-Through by AJ Jack

Who is My Target Audience? by Amy Wilson

How to Write a Novel Synopsis from Good Story Company

How to Write Horror: 8 Crucial Components to Terrify and Delight by Sarah Gribble

Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl by David Boaz

10 Tips for Growing a Global Audience of Readers by Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Can Writing Heal Physical Pain? by Sue Coletta

In Favor of Present Tense Writing by Rhiannon Richardson

Writing Insecure Characters by Becca Puglisi

14 Ideas for Getting More BookBub Followers by Diana Urban

The Sideshow Magician Who Inspired Ray Bradbury—Then Vanished by Erik Ofgang

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff

This week, Kathryn Craft provides strategies for managing POV in your story while James Scott Bell discusses the three types of “mirror moments” in fiction.

Chris Winkle encourages writers to simplify their stories for improved reader experience. Looking for better ways to build suspense? Tracy Clark has a few tips for you.

With language AI gaining attention, Erma Clare examines ChatGPT as a story development tool for writers and Joe Bunting reviews the ten types of stories and their underlying values.

All that and a bit more. Enjoy!

A Copy-Editing Checklist for Novelists by Dana Isaacson

Writing for Theater and Film by Carina Jaramillo*

How to Write an Optimized and High-Converting Book Description by Rob Kosberg

4 Ways to Organize Your Third-Person POVs by Kathryn Craft

5 Strategies I Use to Launch New Books on Kindle Unlimited by Nicholas Harvey

6 Tips for Building Suspense by Tracy Clark via Hank Phillippi Ryan

How Promo Stacking Helps Authors Hit Bestseller Lists by Diana Urban

Put a Funhouse Mirror in the Middle of Your Mystery by James Scott Bell

Managing Exposition Starts With Simplifying the Story by Chris Winkle

Friend or Foe: ChatGPT Has Pushed Language AI into the Spotlight by Erma Clare

An Anxiety Episode Changed My (Dis)Belief in Writer’s Block by Kathryn Magendie

How to Use Scars to Deepen Characterization by Sue Weems

The Ten Types of Stories and How to Master Them by Joe Bunting

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*Special thanks to youth services librarian and educator Chloe Pederson and her student, Anna, for alerting me to this one. Who would have thought a home theater furniture store would offer such a helpful blog?

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

It’s been three months since I gathered a collection of informative articles here, something that was once a monthly feature on this blog. My life took an unexpected and disquieting detour in September which affected my health and my writing. I’m struggling to put both back on track as we head into the new year, but for now…

Philip Athans thinks there should be a little bit of Harlan Ellison in all of us and I agree. Harlan remains one of my literary heroes.

Kristen Lamb warns us against self-sabotage in all its forms while over at Good Story Company, Mary Kole offers advice on dealing with criticism.

Anne R. Allen encourages believability over realism in our fiction, Jami Gold explains the differences between foreshadowing and spoilers, and Amanda Patterson shows us how to use motifs.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

Maybe We Should All Be More Like Harlan Ellison by Philip Athans

How to Deal with Negative Criticism by Mary Kole

Self-Sabotage: I Don’t Deserve Success by Kristen Lamb

5 Tips to Boost Your Professional Writing Cred by Lori Freeland

7 Ways Public Readings Can Help Your Writing by Kathryn Craft

Revise for Success – A Stree-Free Plan for Polishing Your Novel by Jodie Renner via Anne R. Allen

Why Realism is Irrelevant in Fiction: Aim for Believability Instead by Anne R. Allen

How to Enhance Contrast In Your Writing by Jessica Strawser

Foreshadowing vs. “Spoilers”: What’s the Difference? by Jami Gold

Do You See Dead People? by PJ Parrish

How to Motivate Yourself to Write and Finish Your Novel by Lorna Faith

What is a Motif in Fiction? by Amanda Patterson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

In this month’s roundup, Becca Puglisi reminds us to enhance our characters by imbuing them with unique talents and skills.

Struggling to write a compelling start to your novel? Maggie Smith can help. Over at Career Authors, Brian Andrews and Gina Panettieri show us how loglines help authors answer that dreaded question, “what’s your book about?”

If you’re grappling with impostor syndrome, as many creatives do, Ruth Harris and Tiffany Yates Martin have some encouraging advice for you.

There’s no denying that TikTok has become one of the hottest sites for book promotion. Shailee Shah offers a roster of writers who are using the platform to build an enormous following.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Character Traits & Skills: Beyond the Superficial by Becca Puglisi via Jami Gold

Seven Components of a Successful Novel Opening by Maggie Smith

Exposing Inner Conflict in non-POV Characters by Kathryn Craft

It’s Messy in the Middle: Unpacking Cultural Appropriation by Colice Sanders

Understanding the Three Types of Character Arcs by Britton Perelman

Why a Strong Plot Requires a Significant Goal by September C. Fawkes

The Upside of Impostor Syndrome by Ruth Harris

Are You Telling Yourself the Wrong Stories? by Tiffany Yates Martin

What is Your Book About… Do You Know? by Brian Andrews

Loglines and Comps by Gina Panettieri

14 Indie Authors to Follow on TikTok for Ideas and Inspiration by Shailee Shah

How to Build an Amazing “About the Author” Page by Jason Hamilton

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

New on the monthly roundup, Philip Athans reminds us that writing is a lifelong calling while Kristen Lamb reviews different aspects of world-building.

Tiffany Yates Martin examines the elements that go into creating complex characters. Speaking of which, what makes characters “likeable”? That depends on genre, as Anne R. Allen explains.

Over at Career Authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Dana Isaacson provide advice on self-editing while Daryl Wood Gerber helps us avoid burnout while writing a series.

From Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass delves into the inner workings of story imagination and Kathryn Craft encourages us to visualize our scenes not as authors, but as our characters.

All that a lot more. Enjoy!

Are You a “Lifer”? by Philip Athans

Beyond Character Goal and Motivation – The Longing and the Lack by Tiffany Yates Martin

17 BookBub As Designs Promoting Books in a Series by Carlyn Robertson

DIY Author Marketing 101 by Michal Leah

Why “Likeable” Characters Depend on Genre by Anne R. Allen

10 Things Beginning Writers Must Do by Anne R. Allen

5 Tips to Pick Up the Pace by Dana Isaacson

Copy Editing Secrets by Hank Phillippi Ryan

5 Tips to Keep a Series Fresh by Daryl Wood Gerber

World-Building: Captivate Readers and Never Let Go by Kristen Lamb

Seeing Through a Character’s Eyes: Literally by Kathryn Craft

Three Modes of Story Imagination by Donald Maass

Trademark Tips for Writers – How to Protect Your Creative Work by Matt Knight

Writing Mistakes: Choosing Between Plotting vs. Pantsing by Michael Woodson

10 Relaxing Activities to Rediscover Your Writing Voice by Miles Oliver

 

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About This Writing Stuff…

2 Comments

This week, screenwriter Taika Waititi weighs in with morsels of screenwriting (and storytelling) wisdom. Niesha Davis explains the value of sensitivity readers while Allison Williams provides guidance on the effective use of social media. Speaking of which, Philip Athans ponders how much writers need to reveal about themselves online.

Over at Career Authors, Erin Flanagan offers guilt-free advice for those burned out on writing and Paula Munier reviews the rules on POV and how to break them with authority.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Craft a Killer Fantasy Premise Using Good versus Evil by Amy Wilson

What Do Our Readers Need to Know About Us? by Philip Athans

Sweet Emotion by James Scott Bell

10 Pieces of Screenwriting Wisdom from Taika Waititi by Ken Miyamoto

Hiding Your Villain in Plain Sight by Sarah Penner

Being the Boss of Your Author Business by Karen A. Chase

The Daring Writer’s Guide to Point of View by Paula Munier

Burnt Out on Writing? 5 Tips for a Productive Break by Erin Flanagan

Nine Ways to Describe Your Viewpoint Character by Chris Winkle

Writers, Stop Using Social Media (Like That) by Allison Williams via Jane Friedman

Don’t Self-Publish a Book Before Answering These Crucial Questions by J.J. Hebert

Ten Years of Self-Publishing (2012-2022) by Alliance of Independent Authors

What to Expect When Hiring a Sensitivity Reader by Niesha Davis via  Leigh Shulman’s blog.