Tips for Growing Platform––Part I What is Platform?
Posted on April 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
Platform. An ugly word for writers. I’ve been sharing recently about changes in the publishing industry and how they affect pre-published authors like me. How publishers want us to be “publish-ready.” We can learn the craft of writing, but we now also have to be marketers and networkers. Click to Tweet #amwriting #growingplatform
What Does an Agent Look for in an Author?
Posted on April 13, 2016 Leave a Comment
The publishing industry is changing rapidly. It’s sometimes hard to keep up. What used to be acceptable a few years ago, is no longer. Publishers and agents look for several things when considering an unpublished author. Click to Tweet Let’s look at what an agent looks for in an author. #amwriting #literaryagents
Seamless Self–Editing––Part VIII
Posted on April 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
As this series draws to a close, I’ll give you a couple practical exercises you can do at home to learn and practice your own seamless self-editing. Cutting word usage in half, and a proofreading exercise will assist you in learning more about how to edit your own manuscript. Because our object is to become “publish-ready.” Click to Tweet #amwriting #publishready #seamlessediting
Seamless Self-Editing––Part VII
Posted on March 30, 2016 Leave a Comment
Self Editing for Fiction Writers
This week, we’re continuing our look at self-editing with tips from Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Browne and King. We’re going to look at Proportion and Dialogue Mechanics, two chapters from this resource. Because our space is limited, I’ll only summarize a few points from each chapter. Editing our work ourselves will improve our chances at becoming publish-ready. Click to Tweet #amwriting #self-editing
Tag – You’re It
Posted on March 29, 2016 2 Comments
Photo from Flickr
I haven’t done one of these for well over a year, so I don’t mind these tags. They’re kind of fun, and I hope you learn something more about me than you did before.
The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to their blog and Twitter in your post.
2. Answer the questions that the blogger who nominated you has provided.
3. Nominate up to 10 other bloggers or Twitter followers
4. Create ten questions for your nominees and notify them of their nomination.
So, thank you, Kelly Barr for your tag.
Kelly Barr’s Questions:
1. Who are your top three favorite authors?
Mary Connealy, DiAnn Mills, and a tie between Sandra Byrd and Lynette Eason for 3rd.
2. Are you a plotter, pantser or something in between?
Something in between. I always have a general short plot outline, kind of following Randy Ingermanson’s “three disasters and an ending.” I know how my story starts, I know where it goes, and how it gets to the end, and yet, when I write it, a lot of wonderful surprises come out. I don’t plot out every little scene in advance, just the main points. Half the fun is letting the story go where it wants to. Hopefully it will be better than my feeble attempts to make it go where maybe it shouldn’t.
3. Where do you do most of your writing? At a cafe, a room in your house, etc.?
In my office, at my desktop computer. I have been known to write on my back porch on my laptop if it’s a beautiful day outside, but generally speaking, it’s my home office.
4. What’s the biggest writing challenge you are currently facing?
Discipline to do it. Even though I’ve mapped out a “routine” for myself, depending on what’s going on with my ACFW work, (which can get in the way at times), and whether or not I’m in “the mood” to write, I deviate from my “plans.” But I’m OK with it. Unless I’m under a deadline, there’s no rush. I’m at a point where I’m going to enjoy my life, not feel like I “must” do something.
5. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?
I love a deathly quiet room, hearing only the sounds of the keys clicking as I type. It helps me to concentrate. However, I also talk to myself a lot. Saying what I’m going to be typing out loud. It’s only me in the house during the day, except when my hubby is home for lunch. Then, I take a break with him.
6. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate – on a cold day is just the most wonderfully comforting thing I can think of. I don’t like coffee, and it’s a rare day if I drink tea. I’m an ice water guzzler. Although in the summertime, I’ll occasionally drink lemonade, not too sweet, not too sour.
7. If you could ask any writer, past or present, one question, who would the writer be and what would you ask?
Oh my goodness, I have no idea. Well, maybe Taylor Caldwell. How did she get the idea for her two books The Listener and No One Hears But Him. I first read those while in high school or college. Even though they’re somewhat dated, the issue each story deals with is still pertinent today.
8. How do you get past being stuck in your writing?
I rarely get “stuck” for any amount of time, but when I do, I usually put the writing away for a short time, and go do something else, read a book, play the piano, watch an old movie or classic TV show.
9. What do you do to relax?
Read a book, fiction or non-fiction, watch TV, play the piano. I’m out of practice on my other instruments.
10. What is your favorite movie that’s based on a book?
I have several, can’t pick just one. I’ve talked about the first two on my blog. Ivanhoe, the 1982 version. Ben-Hur, either the silent or the Charlton Heston version. There’s actually one movie made I prefer over the book, and that’s Robert Whitlow’s The Trial, because the movie puts the protagonist in danger, which I thoroughly love, rather than a secondary character from the book. Whitlow’s The List is also very excellent, both book and movie.
I now tag: (and you can answer these questions, if you’d like, and add anything
Moving to One Regular Post a Week
Posted on March 29, 2016 Leave a Comment
Old City Jerusalem
I’ve always been taught that when something becomes a drag, that either the grace has lifted or your attitude needs changing.
In the fall of 2014, when others were doing NaNoWriMo, I took a sort of challenge to do two blog posts a week on a regular basis, one of an encouraging nature, one of writing instruction.
I feel I need to change things up a bit. My schedule is getting busier this spring, and I need to prune some things.
From time to time, I’ll post an encouragement post as an “extra” post, but it won’t be regular. It might be every other week, or I might go a couple weeks, then post something. I’m not sure yet.
My weekly post about writing will continue on Wednesdays.
Thank you to all you readers out there. I appreciate you.
What about you? Are you finding things to prune in your life? Leave a comment and let me know.
Seamless Self-Editing––Part VI
Posted on March 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
Self Editing for Fiction Writers
For the next couple weeks, I’ll be referring back to a resource I used a year or so ago, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. A few months ago, I met Robert Whitlow, a successful suspense author, who said this book taught him how to write. He was a prosperous attorney in the South, as well. Some of his novels have been made into movies. You can check out his website here.
Prospective authors must learn how to edit their own work to the point where a publisher will consider it as is. Click to Tweet #amwriting #publishready
Encourage Yourself––Part II
Posted on March 22, 2016 1 Comment
The western culture, like the ancient Greeks, worships body and soul. By that I mean that we of the western world, have elevated the sleek, svelte body and the “positive thinking” mindset above all else. There’s nothing inherently wrong with positive thinking, which is basically letting go of negative mindsets, but if you don’t worship the Creator, who gave you your mind and your spirit, you’re setting up something else to worship. Click to Tweet #encourageyourself #worshipGod
Seamless Self-Editing––Part V
Posted on March 16, 2016 1 Comment
Writers write because we love to use words, but let’s face it––even though we say we write for ourselves, we all want to be published and have many others read what we’ve written, for the mutual benefit of ourselves and our readers. That’s why self-editing is important. We must do everything we can to get our manuscripts ready for publication. Click to Tweet #amwriting #publishready
Encourage Yourself––When No One’s Around
Posted on March 15, 2016 Leave a Comment
It’s 2:00 a.m. and you’re feeling as if the world is crashing around you. You feel it is, but it’s not. What do you do? Call and get a friend out of bed? If you’re a considerate friend, you won’t. More than positive thinking, encouraging yourself when no one is around can sometimes be a difficult thing to do, especially at 2:00 a.m. So what should you do? Find hope in the circumstance. There’s always a ray, but sometimes you have to search for it. Click to Tweet #encourageyourself #rayofhope
Donna L.H. Smith 