Tag Archives: writer unboxed

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, book consultant and developmental editor Mary Kole encourages writers to diversify their skills in the age of AI. Now that self-publishing is no longer a “new thing,” Anne R. Allen advises indie writers on how to keep expectations grounded.

Kristen Lamb reviews the Johari Window and how it can be used as a tool for character and story development. Over at the Write Practice, Joe Bunting gives us a detailed lesson on first and third person points of view.

Fantasy writer Philip Athans defends the adverb—with some caveats—and, along with PJ Parrish, provides guidance on the skillful use of description in narrative.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

The Irrelevance of the Modern Writer by Mary Kole & Good Story Company

The Über Skill for Writers by Tiffany Yates Martin

How to Write the Beginning of a Novel by Rhiannon Richardson

How to Tighten Your Midpoint Twist by Ley Taylor Johnson

Is an Unpublishable Book Worth Writing? by Lory Widmer Hess

Is Self-Publishing a Good Choice for Authors in 2024? by Anne R. Allen

Adverbs Are Fine! by Philip Athans

Describe Characters as You Go Along by Philip Athans

How Much Description Does Your Book Need? by PJ Parrish

The Johari Window & Character Blind Spots by Kristen Lamb

How to Get Your Plot Arcs Working Together by Chris Winkle

Ninety-Nine Words to Seek and Destroy by Chris Winkle

Fresh Perspective Sells by Kathryn Craft

Types of Point of View: The Ultimate Guide to First Person & Third Person POV by Joe Bunting

 

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, Philip Athans explores the concept of originality in fiction while Chris Winkle shows us how we can effectively suspend disbelief in our readers.

Kristen Lamb explains the benefits of book reviews to an author’s career (seriously, I could always use more!) while Garry Rogers illustrates how the Feynman Learning Technique can help us with plotting.

At Writer Unboxed, the inimitable Kathryn Craft delves into vulnerability while Desmond Hall discusses suspense at the story and sentence level.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

How to Write a Ghost Story by Amy Holland

Desmond Drops: Suspense from the Beginning, Suspense in the Middle, and Suspense at the Sentence Level by Desmond Hall

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch in 10 Steps by Geri Mileva

The Importance of Tone in Writing by Anne R. Allen

On “On Originality” by Haruki Murakami by Philip Athans

7 Ways to Access Vulnerability by Kathryn Craft

“Can’t Put the Book Down” by Dale Ivan Smith

Plot Your Story Using the Feynman Learning Technique by Garry Rodgers

Book Reviews: Why They Matter So Much by Kristen Lamb

Audiences Don’t Suspend Disbelief – We Do it for Them by Chris Winkle

Print-on-Demand Publishing? KDF vs IngramSpark: One Author’s Experience by Paul Benjamin

NEA Finds Worrying Drop in Reading Participation by Jim Milliot

How Has Big Publishing Changed American Fiction? by Kevin Lozano

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us how to use weddings and funerals in our stories to explore characters and heighten emotions. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi examines the ever-popular literary device known as unreliable narrator.

Kristen Overman offers advice on self-editing and developing strong characters while Meredith Lyons talks about keepin’ it real in paranormal fiction. Do you feel pressured to sacrifice your social time for your writing? John Gilstrap reminds us not to feel guilty for living our lives.

Kelsey McConnell discusses the need for trigger warnings in horror novels. This is a timely topic given that I just released the second edition of Testing the Prisoner, my first paranormal mystery novel from 2009 that deals with child abuse and domestic violence.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Writing Believable Characters by Michal Leah

There’s Always a Choice: Revision Techniques to Make Your Writing Stronger by Kristen Overman

How Subplots and Plot Filaments Lend Texture and Depth to Any Novel by Michael Craft

Why Is Strong Character Development Important? by Kristen Overman

Marry ’em and Bury ’em: Weddings, Funerals, and Your Novel by Kathryn Craft

Is There a Place For Trigger Warnings in Horror Books? by Kelsey Christine McConnell

How to Write a Realistic Paranormal by Meredith R. Lyons

How to Point Readers’ Attention in the Right Direction by Jami Gold

How to Increase Your Productivity When You Don’t Feel Productive by James Scott Bell

Writer’s Guilt by John Gilstrap

Unreliable Narration: A Useful Tool or Just Hype? by Oren Ashkenazi

Atmosphere Literary Definition: Genre Examples that Evoke Emotion by Joslyn Chase


If you’re a LibraryThing member, I’m running a giveaway for Testing the Prisoner! Six winners will receive a signed copy. Check it out here. Ends October 25th.

Testing the Prisoner is available now in ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($18.99)!

Testing the Prisoner print promo

About This Writing Stuff…

Nice to hear from a few writer friends on the blog this month. Sara Karnish reminds us about proper critique etiquette and discusses the writer/editor relationship with Pattie Giordani.

It is said that your focus determines your reality. That applies to fictional characters as well. However, there are occasions in real life when we deliberately ignore or avoid something unpleasant. Writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us effective ways to depict that in our characters.

Over at Good Story Company, Amy Wilson draws a distinct line between editing and revision while Kristen Overman delves into the “chosen one” trope and how to ensure your hero is up to the task.

Struggling with book marketing? With a writing drought? With imposter syndrome? We got you covered on all three this month.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Follow the Energy of Denial by Kathryn Craft

Chosen One Stories: Is Your Hero Worthy of the Journey? by Kristen Overman

How Right Do Your Characters Have to Be? by Terry Odell

How to Give a Critique (Without Being Too Critical) by Sara Karnish

I Would Rather See My Books Pirated Than This (Or Why Goodreads and Amazon are Becoming Dumpster Fires) by Jane Friedman

How to Market Your Books to Get Worldwide Exposure by Diana Urban

How Authors Use Preorders to Promote New Books in 2023 by AJ Yee

5 Things Influencers Look for in a Book by Ryan Steck

5 Ways to Survive a Publishing Drought by Katrina Kittle

The Difference Between Editing and Revising by Amy Wilson

The Author/Editor Relationship: A Q&A with Pattie Giordani by Sara Karnish

How to Escape Imposter Syndrome in Your Writing Life by Lynette M. Burrows

 

 

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we’re doing it by the numbers. At Career Authors, Polly Stewart offers five tips for creating suspense while Barbara Butcher explains six rules for writing true crime.

Mythcreants Chris Winkle and Oren Ashkenazi give us five ways to maintain tension in our stories and five mistakes to avoid when crafting our villain’s master plan.

Over at the Kill Zone, Sue Coletta shows us a formula for writing effective back cover copy while James Scott Bell reviews the latest news in the publishing industry.

If you want to make sure your characters aren’t boring, listen to Amy Wilson at Good Story Company. If you want your characters to be iconic, take some advice from literary agent Donald Maass.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

CRAFT

Boring Characters by Amy Wilson

3 Helpful Tips for How to Rewrite a Novel by Rhiannon Richardson

Better Book Descriptions in 3 Easy Steps by Sue Coletta

Five Secrets to Writing Suspense by Polly Stewart

Five Ways to Restore Tension by Chris Winkle

Five Questions to Ask About Your Villain’s Master Plan by Oren Ashkenazi

Six Rules for Writing About True Crime by Barbara Butcher

Iconic Characters: Made Not Born by Donald Maass


BUSINESS

Eye on the Publishing Business by James Scott Bell

The Balance Between Indies by Lauren Wise

8 Unexpected Benefits from BookBub’s New Releases for Less Promotions by AJ Yee

Top Tips on BookBub Cost-Per-Click Bidding from 15 Advertisers by Carolyn Robertson

KKR in Advanced Talks to Buy Simon & Schuster for $1.65 Billion by Anirban Sen and Milana Vinn

 

 

 

 

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, take some lessons in suspense from the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock.

Speaking of lessons, Amy Wilson and Anne R. Allen offer advice about writing effective dialogue while Maggie Smith teaches us several ways to make our secondary characters stand out. Over at Mythcreants, Chris Winkle discusses passive voice and how to create a story outline.

The nice folks at Good Story Company show us how to build a better author website and at BookBub, it’s all about promotion and crafting a captivating book description.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Using Dialogue Tags Effectively by Amy Wilson

Electrify Your Thriller with These Tips from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock by Dana Isaacson

Writing Under a Pseudonym by Good Story Company

How to Write a Book Description: Tips from BookBub Editors by Lauren Aldrich

What Fiction Writers Should Know About Passive Voice by Chris Winkle

How to Outline Your Story by Chris Winkle

From Sidekick to Scene-Stealer: Making Your Secondary Characters Memorable by Maggie Smith

Who Should Be Telling This Story? by Jeanne Kisacky

9 Common Dialogue Problems and How to Fix Them by Anne R. Allen

10 Author Websites and Why They Work by Good Story Company

12 Fantastic BookBub Ad Designs Promoting New Releases by Shailee Shah

25 Authors Running Fantastic Book Promotions on Instagram by Shailee Shah