Tag Archives: janice hardy

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

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, learn how to deal with writer burnout from Tom Meitner, and let attorney Joseph Perry explain the critical components of a publishing contract.

At Career Authors, Erin Celello urges us to take our story idea on a date while Hank Phillippi Ryan offers advice on self-editing.

Kelly Jensen reminds us of the value of mood to both writer and reader while over at the The Write Practice, Joslyn Chase and Ruthanne Reid discuss the proper use of cause and effect and the elements of plot, respectively.

Janice Hardy give us some strong opening lines and Anthony Ehlers shows us how to be visual storytellers.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Stretched to Your Limits? How to Avoid—and Cure—Writing Burnout by Tom Meitner

Know Your Rights: Key Provisions in a Publishing Contract by Joseph Perry via Anne R. Allen

How to Cut 20,000 Words by Hank Phillippi Ryan

4 Questions to Ask Before You Start Writing that Book by Erin Celello

How Much Really Needs to Be in Your Novel’s Opening Sentence by Janice Hardy

5 Tips on How to Fit Your Book’s Hook into a Super Short Amazon Ad by Bryan Cohen

10 Powerful Visual Storytelling Techniques for Writers by Anthony Ehlers

How to Maximize the Power of Cause and Effect in Your Stories by Joslyn Chase

What is Plot? The 6 Elements of Plot and How to Use Them by Ruthanne Reid

Mood is the Most Underrated Literary Device—and the Most Valuable by Kelly Jensen

Wattpad to Be Acquired for $600 Million by Korean Internet Conglomerate Naver by Todd Spangler for Variety

Class Action Suit: Amazon and Publishers Face Price Collusion by Personanondata

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff

In our final edition of About This Writing Stuff for 2020, Ken Brosky offers advice for managing multiple narrators while Abigail Perry helps us decide when our story can support two protagonists.

Even as an inveterate plotter, I admit that Hank Phillippi Ryan makes a strong case for writing without an outline (aka pantsing, but I like her use of “emergent design”).

In the Kill Zone, Sue Coletta provides insightful tips for crafting a series bible while James Scott Bell shows us three ways to weave humor into our stories. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi discusses how to handle content edits and Chris Winkle suggests clever ways to describe your POV character.

If you’re considering self-publishing, I encourage you to take some pointers from Anne R. Allen, and if you’re struggling to find that powerful opening to your story, let Josyln Chase help.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy… and Happy Holidays!

How to Effectively Manage Multiple Narrators in Your Novel by Ken Brosky via Jane Friedman

5 Tell-Tale Signs of an Amateur Self-Published Book by Anne R. Allen

How to Write Without an Outline by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Productive Procrastination: Re-Purposing Downtime to Profitably Promote by Ellen Byron

6 Tips to Help You Network Like a Natural by Penny Sansevieri

Tips to Create a Series Bible by Sue Coletta

On Using Humor in Fiction by James Scott Bell

Five Things to Know When You Get Content Editing by Oren Ashkenazi

Nine Ways to Describe Your Viewpoint Character by Chris Winkle

Staging the Scene by John J. Kelley

The Secret for Creating Characters that Readers Want to Root For by J.D. Edwin

Can You Have More Than One Protagonist in Your Story? by Abigail Perry

How to Start Your Story: 10 Ways to Get Your Story off to a Great Start by Joslyn Chase

A Look at Literary Devices: What is Motif? by Sherry Howard

How a Limited vs. Tight Point of View Can Confuse Writers by Janice Hardy

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff

This week, James Scott Bell makes a good case for putting your protagonists between opposing characters, thereby forcing them to choose a path. Siera London introduces us to the BENP system of book marketing, and Daphne Gray-Grant links perfectionism with depression.

Richie Billing examines the use of religion in the fantasy genre, Joe Bunting provides a 20-step guide to novel writing, and Donald Maass teaches us to how dance to the beat (story beats, that is).

At Fiction University, we get schooled by Kassandra Lamb on the relationshp between backstory and behavior, Chris Eboch explains the importance of plot questions, and Janice Hardy offers advice about planting clues in your story.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Religion in Fantasy by Richie Billing

What Kind of Marketing Plan Will Work for Us? by Siera London via Jami Gold

Put Your Lead Between Opposite Characters by James Scott Bell

How to Choose Scenes for Your Story by Chris Winkle

What is DRM (Digital Rights Management)? by Matt Knight at Sidebar Saturdays

Show Me the Money: Royalties, Rights, and Riches for Indie Authors by Erika Liodice

The Beat Goes On by Donald Maass

How to Write a Novel (Without Fail) by Joe Bunting

How to Sneak Clues Past Your Readers and Keep Them Guessing by Janice Hardy

Writing a Page-Turner: Keep the Reader Guessing with Story Questions by Chris Eboch

The Importance of Backstory (or How the Brain Connects the Present to the Past) by Kassandra Lamb

Is Your Depression Masquerading as Perfectionism? by Daphne Gray-Grant

11 Ways to Give Writing Perfectionism the Heave-Ho by Daphne Gray-Grant

60 Things For Your Character to Do When They Talk or Think by Amanda Patterson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Dustin Grinnell discusses techniques for writing scientific fiction ala Carl Sagan while Jami Gold explores the process of piecemeal, nonlinear worldbuilding.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Kathryn Craft offers advice for trimming our manuscripts, and Donald Maass challenges us to write timeless fiction.

Boyd Morrison and Debbie Burke put us through our paces with— wait for it—pacing! PJ Parrish provides tips on crafting that perfect first chapter, and if you’re struggling with your plot, Janice Hardy has a few solutions for you.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

How to Write Scientific Fiction: Analyzing Carl Sagan’s Contact by Dustin Grinnell

5 Random Ways to Trim Your Manuscript by Kathryn Craft

Fiction of Its Times or Fiction for All Times? by Donald Maass

Surviving—and Thriving—In The Brave New World of Publishing by Paul Dinas via Anne R. Allen

How to Beat Writer’s Block – 7 Tips from the Trenches by Brian Andrews

The Thrill of the Pace: Creating a Book That Reader Can’t Put Down by Boyd Morrison

Before It’s Too Late—Six Tips to Speed Up the Pace by Debbie Burke

How Can We Worldbuild on an Epic Scale? by Jami Gold

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Great First Chapter by PJ Parrish

3 Powerful Ways to Hook Your Reader with Emotion by Joslyn Chase

Why Your Plot Isn’t Working by Janice Hardy

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Christopher Cybusz explains what it means to write SF today. Lynn Steger Strong ponders whether you can afford to be a writer without the help of other people’s money while Anne R. Allen cites idiotic advice offered to new writers.

Joslyn Chase and Gabriel Valjean discuss, respectively, five writing rules and styles to learn… before you attempt to break them. Jami Gold reminds us that just as we were helped by mentors or other resources in our writing journey, we should take the time to pay it forward.

Over at the Write Practice, Joe Bunting defines the inciting incident and the denouement and provides examples of each. Oh, and Simon & Schuster is up for sale if anyone has a few bucks to spare.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How to Write Science Fiction by Christopher Cybusz

Local Bookstores Have a New Weapon in the Fight with Amazon by Joan Verdon

A Dirty Secret: You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It by Lynn Steger Strong

Clueless Advice People Give New Writers: 10 Things to Ignore by Anne R. Allen

Five Writing Crimes and How to Get Away With Them by Gabriel Valjean

Five Writing Style Tips to Make Your Writing Stronger by Joslyn Chase

How Can Writers Pay It Forward? by Jami Gold

Simon & Schuster is Up for Sale by Edmund Lee and Alexandra Alter

Denouement: Definition and Examples of the Literary Term by Joe Bunting

Inciting Incident: Definition, Examples, Types, and How to Start a Story Right by Joe Bunting

Power Up Your Prose with Rhetorical Devices by Suzanne Purvis via Janice Hardy