Tag Archives: james scott bell

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen warns us against career-killing marketing tactics, Ruth Harris shows authors how to build a better bio, and Beth Barany provides strategies for developing characters and plot.

At Writer Unboxed, Kathryn Craft offers sage advice on handling copy edits while over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell helps us determine when our book is ready for prime time.

Angela Ackerman explains how to use setting as more than a mere backdrop and my favorite article of this batch is Lauren Sapala’s timely (for me) discussion of the paralyzing stress that can occur when writers become too “attached to outcome.”

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How Bad Marketing Can Destroy Your Author Brand, Lose Friends, and Influence Nobody by Anne R. Allen

How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book: Word Count Goals for the Three Acts of Your Novel, Memoir, or Non-Fiction Book by Mary Carroll Moore

6 Ways Your Author Bio Can Help You Sell Books by Ruth Harris

Top Digital Marketing Takeaways from U.S. Book Show 2022 by AJ Jack via BookBub

Copy Edits: To Challenge or Concede? by Kathryn Craft

When Is Your Book Ready to be Published? by James Scott Bell

7 Essential Tips to Plan Your Novel Like a Pro by Beth Barany via Anne R. Allen

Serialization Rights for Traditional and Self-Published Authors by Matt Knight at Sidebar Saturdays

Publishing Contracts 101: Beware Internal Contradictions by Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware

Setting Description Mistakes that Weaken a Story by Angela Ackerman

Stressed About Your Writing? What’s Really Going On (and How to Get Over It) by Lauren Sapala

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

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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.

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week’s lineup bring us several “how-to” articles including writing diverse and developed characters, marketing your book without social media, and outlining your novel (or not).

Is writing for TV better than writing feature films? Ken Miyamoto discusses. Confused about when and how to use a Framing Device in your story? Britton Perelman explains.

Jennie Nash explores the importance of asking yourself why you feel compelled to write that story that’s been bouncing around in your head. Over at Sidebar Saturdays, Matt Knight delves into estate planning for writers while at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell argues on behalf of going exclusive with KDP and Kindle Unlimited.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Elevator Pitching: How to Grab Someone’s Attention in 30 Seconds or Less by David Young

How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are You Qualified?) by Joiya Morrison-Efemini

How to Create Characters by Kristen Overman

Why Writing TV is Better than Writing Feature Films (and Why it’s Not) by Ken Miyamoto

Everything You Need to Know About Framing Devices by Britton Perelman

Sequencing and Layering: Advanced Techniques That Will Improve Your Writing by Kevin Nelson

Why Write This Book? by Jennie Nash via Jane Friedman

How to Market Your Book Without Social Media by Carol J. Michel

Warning to Writers: You Won’t See This New Publishing Scam Coming by Anne R. Allen

How to Outline Your Novel. Or Not by Hank Phillippi Ryan

On Going Exclusive by James Scott Bell

Estate Planning for Writers by Matt Knight

Estate Planning for Writers Part II – Transferring Intellectual Property to a Corporate Entity by Matt Knight

World-Building Through Architecture by Dave King

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Ruth Harris offers sage advice on writing that ever daunting blurb. Over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell carves out a middle ground for plotters and pantsers while PJ Parrish ponders what comes first, plot or character.

Speaking of characters, Donald Maass encourages us to create fully realized characters by first being real with ourselves. Rebecca D’Harlingue offers advice on dual-timeline plots, Steve Myers argues that our protagonist’s outer journey is fundamentally an inner journey, and Barnes and Noble’s restructuring might be the comeback story of the year.

All that and little more. Enjoy!

How to Improve Your Writing Skills: Take Your Writing from Good to Great by Nicole Dieker

How to Write the D*mn Blurb by Ruth Harris

Writing About the Pandemic—or Not? by Paula Munier

Plot or Character: What’s Your Starting Point? by PJ Parrish

Five Questions to Ask Before Starting a Dual Timeline Novel by Rebecca D’Harlingue

Plotting for Pantsers and Pantsing for Plotters by James Scott Bell

B&N Rides a Wave of Positive Trends by Jim Milliot

Have Print ARCs Become a Hot Commodity? by Weronika Strzyżyńska

The Inward Path of the Protagonist’s Journey by Scott Myers

Purple Prose and the Word Surgeon’s Scalpel by Tom Bentley

Creating Character Safety Zones by Donald Maass

Articles, Blog, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Shanee Edwards offers advice on creating a powerful antagonist while James Scott Bell teaches us practical thaumaturgy for conjuring short stories.

Brian Andrews explains the importance of self-editing and developmental editing, while mythcreant Chris Winkle delves into crafting effective descriptions.

Joslyn Chase steps us through ten  ways to add foreshadowing, and Porter Anderson discusses the dangers of self-censorship.

All that and little more. Enjoy!

 

5 Tips for Negotiating Your Author Agreements by Joseph Perry via Anne R. Allen

Writing Rising Action by Linda S. Clare

A Love of Mystery is Woven into Our Biology, and Edgar Allan Poe was the First to Find the Formula for a Very Specific Dopamine Hit by Jonah Lehrer

7 Tips for Writing Bad Ass Antagonists by Shanee Edwards

The 3 Pass Rough Draft—Embracing Editing (Part I) by Brian Andrews

Developmental Editing —Embracing Editing (Part II) by Brian Andrews

Dialog and POV by Philip Athans

Creating and Resolving Conflict in Your Novel by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

The Alchemy and the Craft by James Scott Bell

What Do Writers Need to Describe? by Chris Winkle

Flights of Self-Censorship by Porter Anderson

Foreshadowing: 10 Clever Methods to Write an Engaging Plot Twist by Joslyn Chase

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, James Scott Bell offers practical advice on crafting stronger scenes. At Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass examines what it means to write authentic characters while Kathryn Craft urges us to elevate our descriptions from the prosaic to the extraordinary.

Lincoln Michel sheds light on nearly every facet of being a professional writer, Janice Hardy discusses character agency, and over at TIME, Megan McCluskey exposes the career-damaging extortion and fraudulent book reviews running rampant on Goodreads.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Everything I’ve Learned About Being a “Professional” Writer in One Post  by Lincoln Michel

How Extortion Scams and Review Bombing Trolls Turned Goodreads Into Many Authors’ Worst Nightmare  by Megan McCluskey

Three Easy Ways to Strengthen a Scene  by James Scott Bell

4 Ways to Develop Character Agency  by Janice Hardy

Aim for the Extra in the Ordinary  by Kathryn Craft

6 Twisty Ways to Trick Your Reader  by Dana Isaacson

How to Avoid Repeating ‘I’ in First Person Writing  by Louise Harnby

How to Bring History Alive in Your Fiction  by Dana Cameron

The Walking Stick  by Donald Maass

From Mary Shelley to Carmen Maria Machado, Women Have Profoundly Shaped Horror  by Danielle Binks