Seven Writing Links -- Volume 191

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

The revisions to my recently completed fan fiction story are progressing nicely, thanks in part to the wonderful writers who volunteered to critique my chapters: Marirose Sanborn, Dawne Weber, and IWSG's very own, Loni Townsend.  Thanks so much!

Maybe this is a common occurrence during the editing process, but I find myself alternating between being pleasantly surprised by my words and wanting to burn them before anyone else sees them.

Fall has finally arrived and I'm stoked.  The cool weather always stirs my creative juices, which is good since I have another submission due to my critique group in a couple of days.

Enjoy the weather and this week's writing links! 


ChemistKen 



Then What Happened? 8 Things We Learned Writing Our First Sequel

How to Write a Novel Synopsis

9 Pieces of Bad Publishing Advice New Writers Should Ignore

Meet the Super Fan … the Secret Sauce Authors Want

Adding a Video to Your Book’s Amazon Sales Page

Five Edits to Strengthen Your Writing, Right Now

Author Advertising: Stacking Ads to Maximize Promotional Dollars

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 190

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

I'm slowly working my way back into a regular blogging schedule. Too be honest, it's been harder to do than I expected.  It's not like I don't want to blog or that I don't have a list of things to blog about, but free time is still a precious commodity at the moment, and I'd rather work on my story than blog. If it makes you feel any better, I do feel guilty when I miss a post.

In other news, the family and I visited the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago and managed to hike down the Bright Angel trail for about 1.5 miles. That works out to about a quarter mile straight down, so we were plenty tired by the time we climbed back out again. (Okay, maybe our son wasn't that tired). The arrows show how far we traveled.  

It scarcely seems possible that I hiked all the way down to the bottom and back (about 20 miles) in a single day back when I was a college student. I guess if I can do that, finishing a damn book should be a piece of cake.

Enjoy this week's writing links! 


ChemistKen 



What are good character traits? 7 helpful attributes

Book Reviews: Can You Quote Me on That?

An Easy Tip for Developing Story Ideas

What’s Going On With CreateSpace and KDP Print?

Getting the Big Picture Across in Your Scenes

How to Create an Unforgettable Author Visit

Book Title Generator at Reedsy

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 189

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

In case anyone has been wondering, this blog is not going away. Yes, I realize my blogging output has been sporadic the last couple of months, but that's been the result of a combination of things--busy personal life, busy work life, and dedicating every second I have left revising my fanfiction story in preparation for uploading to Wattpad. I've even ignored my own urban fantasy for the last month or so, much to the dismay of my critique group. 

Heck, I even forgot July's IWSG post. Admittedly, I was on vacation, but that's not much of an excuse. 

So bear with me until I get my writing life back under control. In the meantime, enjoy this week's writing links! 


ChemistKen 



Missed Connections: How Characterization Creates Chemistry

How To Write Evocative Characters Through Action And Strong Language

Writing Extreme Characteristics

6 Ways to Manipulate Time in Fiction

How To Write Bad Characters

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Writing Critique Groups

Working with Multiple Plot Lines--Is There a Specific Way?

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 187

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

After not being able to write for two weeks because of bronchitis, I had to speed-write for a week in order to complete my submissions for my two critique groups, both of which met this week. I plan on spending this weekend relaxing, although my wife may have other plans in mind. 

We saw Pacific Rim: Uprising last weekend and were moderately entertained.  My my, how computer graphics have evolved over time. Mass destruction never looked so good.  The story itself was rather contrived and full of plot holes, but I've come to expect that in these kinds of movies.  Just load up on the popcorn and soda and watch the explosions, thank you very much.

Enjoy the writing links! 


ChemistKen 



Showing vs telling: ‘Show don’t tell’ in narration

How to Publish with Createspace & Ingram Spark at the Same Time

How to avoid spam filters and reach the inbox

Pros And Cons Of Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing

Writing a Synopsis

Mining Our Characters’ Wounds

7 Ways to Master “Show, Don’t Tell” During Exposition

Is The Three Act Structure No Longer Useful?

Photo courtesy of VisualHunt

As some of you may know, I’m big into story structure. My ability to take a scene in my head and convert it into words on the page may be lacking, but story structure is a whole 'nother beast. Three-act structure, along with its requisite story beats at well-defined points, just makes sense to me. So much so that I’ve given a few lectures on the topic at local libraries and my SCBWI writing group. I can scarcely watch a movie these days without noticing the first plot point or the midpoint reversal. Heck, I’ve talked about it enough that even my wife and daughter can spot the “All is lost” moment. 

But lately I’ve come across a few writers who suggest that the three-act structure is no longer necessary for a good story. That writers can use whatever structure they want. And that makes me want to go hmmm… 

I first saw this advice a couple of weeks ago in the book Layer Your Novel by C. S. Lakin. I enjoy her books on the craft of writing, and this book does a good job of defining the important story beats and where they should go in the story, but she spent several pages at the beginning of the book telling writers that they don’t have to use the three-act structure if they don’t want to. She even pointed out that one of her books had seven acts. All a writer really needs, she said, is to have the proper story beats in the right places. 

I have to say I found this attitude rather confusing. First of all, there’s nothing about the three-act structure that says you can’t break it down into more than three parts. All you really need is the story setup, the journey, and the final battle. Pretty basic stuff. I haven’t read her seven-part story, but I suspect that it follows the three-act structure more than she would lead us to believe. In fact, if her story follows the story beats that she espouses in Layer Your Novel, then I’m positive it follows three-act structure. Because if you have all the necessary story beats and you put them in the right places, then you basically have the three-act structure whether you call it that or not. 

And then yesterday I watched a video by John Truby, another writer attempting to explain the art of writing. Not only did he knock story structure, but he claimed that following “The Hero’s Journey”—another method of characterizing three-act structure—would lead the writer to disaster. (I think his explanation was that since everyone else was doing using it, new writers would be better off doing something different. Yikes!) What I found most amusing was that the three stories he constantly held up as examples of what writers should aspire to—Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Lord of the Rings—all follow the Hero’s Journey to the letter. 

Hey, I’m all for not being a slave to writing rules, but I see no reason for telling newbie writers that the three-act structure is obsolete. All good stories follow it to some extent and writers would be wise to learn what makes a story tick before discarding it.

Have a great Easter weekend and enjoy this week's writing links!

ChemistKen 


5 Most Common Mistakes with Setting

Understanding Your Ebook Formatting Options

What's So Wrong With Clichés in Our Fiction? This.

The Dangers of Premature Editing: Pruning Our Stories vs. Pillaging Them

Publishing Tips for 2018 and Beyond

Word Choice for Character Strength

7 Frequently Asked Writing Questions

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 186

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

For all those asking about my wife's ankle last week, I can announce she's much better now, although she's a bit slower than the usual.  The bad news is that she proceeded to catch my cold and ended up with bronchitis. :(  Actually, my cold turned into bronchitis too, so we were both coughing and hacking around the house this week, much to the annoyance/amusement of our kids.  A round of antibiotics seems to have done the job, which means my head is finally able to concentrate on writing again.  It's about time, too! We're almost a quarter of the way through the year and I'm already falling behind my goals for 2018. 

My wife and I saw Tomb Raider this weekend. It was your typical treasure hunt movie--a fun action romp with well choreographed action scenes--but it didn't have much in the way of plot.  There were a few twists, but nothing I didn't spot coming a mile away.  But my wife will watch almost anything if it means she gets to eat movie popcorn, so a good time was had by all. 

Enjoy the writing links! 


ChemistKen 



How to Link your Kindle Book Edition to your Paperback Edition on Amazon

Book Description Basics

Writers: Grow Your Instagram Account Organically

Turning Points: Three Act Structure for Novelists

Can Slick Marketing Sell Bad Books?

Characters in Cars Thinking, or, How to Deal with the Passage of Time

Stealing Hollywood - Character Introductions

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 185

This Week's Writing Links

Photo Courtesy of Visual Hunt

Between being sick with a bad chest cold all week and my wife spraining her ankle, there wasn't much progress on the writing front. And now I have to focus on critiques I owe three other authors.  Spring can't get here quickly enough. 

The family and I saw A Wrinkle in Time last weekend. It was okay, in my opinion, but I admit I was expecting more. I never read the book, but my impression was that they skipped a lot of the story in order to give us lots of visuals. 

What did you guys think? Did you enjoy it? How did the book compare to the movie?

Anyway, have a great weekend and enjoy the writing links! 


ChemistKen 



Foreshadowing in a sentence: Connecting story events

Assemble Your Street Team: How to Mobilize Your Fan Army to Promote Your Books

Want to Push Your Protagonist Over the Edge? Add an Emotion Amplifier

Back to Basics--Imagery

The Difference Between YA and MG Novels

3 Tips to Hook Your Reader’s Emotions

Character flaws: Creating lovable imperfections

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 184

Woo-hoo!  Both a Wednesday AND a Friday post this week.  Will wonders never cease.  Actually I have to thank the Insecure Writers Support Group for making me post on Wednesday. There's nothing like the threat of being dropped from the group for not posting on the first Wednesday of the month to keep those juices going. 

Last night's critique group meeting went well, and I just discovered my other critique group is meeting on Monday.  Whoops, I should have paid better attention at last month's meeting. I hope my submission is in good shape, or I'll be staying up late tonight polishing it up for critiquing.

Have a great weekend! 


ChemistKen 



Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – February 2018

5 Quick Ways To Shift Description and Setting Into Deep POV

6 Tips for Writing Characters Who Captivate Readers

Writing a Synopsis with Pintip Dunn

Garlic Breath For Writers (aka, Bad First Pages)

The 5 Turning Points of a Character Arc

How Should a Character Say Nothing?

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 183

Despite having this Wednesday's blog post almost finished, I still haven't quite gotten around to posting it. (hangs head) So much for my new year's resolution of blogging more regularly.  At least I can still send out my weekly writing links. 

Have a great weekend! 


ChemistKen 



5 Terrible Ways to Launch Your Book

Blogging isn’t Dead: 8 Reasons to Start an Author Blog

8 Keys To Opening Your Story The Right Way

Keys to Moving Your Plot Forward

Better Book Descriptions in 3 Easy Steps

Writing: How to Write a Synopsis of your Self-published Book – and Why Indie Authors Need Synposes Too

Writing Tips: Using A Comic Relief Character For More Than Comedy

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 182

Not much of note happened this week, so I'll just go right to the links. 

Have a great weekend! 


ChemistKen 



3 Ways to Get Book Covers on a Shoestring Budget

How To Find And Work With A Book Cover Designer

Five Traits to Help You Create Your Character's Personality

Using Third Person vs First Person Novel Narratives

A 3-Step Plan for Handling Backstory in a Series

Top Ingredients to Include in Your Book Description – Fiction and Nonfiction

Five Marketing Tools for Authors Who Hate Marketing

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 181

Well, this week was pretty much a disaster writing-wise. Instead of making up for last week's lack of production, I doubled down and managed to write even less this week. 

I left work on Friday with good attentions, determined to spend the late evening hours writing up a storm, but then decided I was too tired to be creative and headed off to bed. The plan was to rise early the next morning and write, but that's when I discovered the family (including me) was spending the day at the North American Auto show down in Detroit. 

So much for writing. 

(Side note: The Ford exhibit featured a virtual reality simulator that made you feel as though you were diving off a skyscraper. Whoa!)

On Sunday I realized I had a beta read due for another author, so no writing on my manuscript that day either. 

Monday through Thursday was then ruined by a bout of bad intestinal flu, so I missed my Wednesday blog post--again. 

At least I managed to post these links today. Enjoy them and have a great weekend! 

Oh, and stay healthy too!

ChemistKen 



An Agent or Editor is Interested! What Next?!

Cut Your Fiction to Pump Up the Jam

What Kinds of Social Media Go Viral?

What Does Your Protagonist Want BEFORE the Story Starts?

Says The Editor: Dialogue Tags

Overcoming Adversity Through Adverbs

The Secret of a Successful Mystery: Making the Reader a Participator

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 180

If you recall from last Friday's post: 

I've had good writing weeks before, but they were usually followed by a week or two of almost non-existent progress, mostly because I allowed myself to ease off the writing. But not this time! One of my resolutions this year is to keep pushing forward, no matter what. Wish me luck! 

Sigh... I'm already falling off the wagon.

Hides face in shame...

Well, that's not entirely true. I did write a fair amount over the three day weekend (we get MLK day off where I work), but I haven't touched my story since. Three days without writing isn't the most horrible thing, but that's only if I don't allow that behavior to drag on for another week or so. 

So I'm determined to work on my story tonight. No matter what! 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 



The Long Con: Ten Things You Need to Know About Going to Conventions as a Writer

5 Key Ways to Balance Internal Monologue with Pitfalls to Avoid

Internal Monologue

How to think laterally about editor feedback

The One Thing That Will Kill Book Sales Dead—And 10 Ways to Avoid it.

5 Ways That Playing with Pricing Can Sell More Books

Blogging as a Writer

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 179

It's less than two weeks into the new year, and I'm already happy with my writing progress. I finally worked out how to extricate my character from the dire situation I put her in last year, and based on the positive comments I received from my critique group last night, they approved of my solution too. 

I've had good writing weeks before, but they were usually followed by a week or two of minimal progress, mostly because I allowed myself to ease off on the writing. But not this time! One of my resolutions this year is to keep pushing forward, no matter what. 

Wish me luck! 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 



11 Creative Ways to Boost Reader Engagement

So What? Making Readers Care About Your Story

Understanding Your Print Book Formatting Options

Author Platform Cheat Sheet

Publishing Wide: Selling Ebooks And Print Books Direct From Your Author Website

Writing five minutes a day for a year equals a book

How to Stand Out in the Slush Pile 101

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 178

Writing hasn't gone as well as I might have hoped these last couple of weeks. Part of it has to do with being extra busy both at work and at home, but mostly it has to do with the current chapter.

(That's the ticket! It's not my fault, it's the chapter's)

You see, I've trapped my protagonist inside a building surrounded by the bad guys. She has some special abilities that will help her escape, but it won't be easy.  I haven't yet decided how she's going to accomplish this little trick, especially when I consider the restrictions I put on her powers earlier in the story.  I usually have these kind of details worked out long before I begin writing a chapter, but this time I thought I'd just paint my character into a corner and see how she gets out of it.  

I'm sure I'll figure it out, it's just going to take a while. Unfortunately, this chapter is due for submission to my critique group in about a week. Doh!

Enjoy the links and have a great week! 

ChemistKen 



Why You Need an Author Tagline

Producing Your Books in Audio Part Seven: Marketing

What makes a great climax?

The Close-Up Connection

3 Tips To Creating A Time Bomb Plot Device

Inconceivable! Dealing with Problems of Unbelievability

The Writer’s Guide to Social Media Organization

Seven Writing Links - Volume 176

Yes!  Fall has arrived. The days are getting shorter, the weather is turning cooler, and as is usual for this time of year, I'm psyched for writing. Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and that passion always seems to carry over into my writing.  For example, two days ago, I had a eureka moment, and suddenly understood how the rest of my story will unfold. I've always had a bullet list of events that needed to occur before the story ended, but up until my revelation, I didn't know HOW or WHEN they would happen. Now I know the sequence of events that will lead all the way up to the All-is-Lost moment. 

I still have plenty of words to write, but the end of the journey is within sight. Damn, I love this time of year! 

On a side note, I came across this passage the other day and, after a little tweaking, thought it might be appropriate for writers. 

Dear Lord, 
So far today I've done all right. I haven't complained about my book sales or lost my temper because of a review. I haven't been jealous of other writers, turned grumpy on Twitter, acted nasty to my editor, or said bad things about Amazon. I'm really happy about that so far. But in a few minutes I'm going to be getting out of bed and then I'm going to need a lot of help. Thank you.

Enjoy the links and have a great week! 

ChemistKen 



Is It Ever Okay to Lose Money on Advertising?

Writing to the Beat: Translating Story Beats to Any Genre

6 Things I've Learned as a Professional Editor

Five Tips On Making Jargon And Tech Work For Your Writing, Rather Than Against It

Are Your Book’s Ads Earning or Losing You Money?

6 Ways to Make Readers Fall in Love With Your Characters

Tracking Your Banged Buck: Make Sure Your PR Pays Off Books

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 175

I've been on vacation for a few days and never got around to posting last weeks writing links.  Here they are now, since I probably won't have a chance to write my normal Wednesday post this week. 

Enjoy the links and have a great week! 

ChemistKen 



Is It Ever Okay to Lose Money on Advertising?

Making Characters Stuck in the Background Pop Out

Fixing the Mary Sue Character in Your Story

Common Misconceptions about Conflict #2: Conflict = Tension

Insights into Your Midpoint Scene

The Trouble With Action

Writing Secondary Characters That Pop—And Sell More Books

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 174

Seems like this is the summer of missing blog posts. Another Wednesday slipped by before I remembered I had a post due. I've given up on the concept of feeling guilty about these missing posts. As long as I'm making progress on the writing front, I'm still happy. 

At least I had a bit of an excuse this week. As luck would have it, I had submissions for both my critique groups due this week, so I concentrated on getting those done. My biggest obstacle came from one of the submissions, where I couldn't decide which of the two stunts my protagonist was trying was going to succeed. After spending an embarrassingly long time pondering this question, I finally realized the correct answer should be "neither of them." Never make it easy for your protagonist. 

Actually, the tight deadlines wound up helping me out. I didn't have time to finish one of the chapters before it was due, so I fixed up as much as I could and just stopped writing, figuring my critique partners could see the last few pages of the chapter next month. Turns out the arbitrary cutoff point I'd chosen was actually the perfect spot to end the chapter. 

As much as I hate them, deadlines are good for me. 

Anyway, enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


How to Tell if You’ve Received a Genuine Publishing Offer

Why Your Protagonist Should Have a Past “Wound”

Raise a Question, Earn the Backstory

The Basics of Advertising for Indie Authors

Mystery Cliches: Are They Boring Your Readers?
I found this one entertaining. 

7 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Book Promotion

7 Keys to Creating Bloodcurdling Monsters

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 172

It's been a while since I've missed so many Wednesday posts in a row. I apologize to those of you who've stopped by looking for something new. Unfortunately, too many things are going on at home or at work. When June arrived, I thought I'd have tons of time what with the kids being done with school (meaning they no longer needed my help on homework) and the weather turning nice, but free time has yet to surface. This is the busiest I've been all year. So again, my apologies. 

I guarantee that I will have a post next Wednesday. This is not bravado, or an attempt at holding myself accountable. The post that was scheduled for this past Wednesday is 80% done, so it won't take much to finish it by next week. 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 



What’s in Your Tagline?
Not your story's tagline, but your website's. Make sure the people who stop by your website know what you're all about. 

Creating Effective Transitions

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

How to Handle Conflicting Critiques

Junowrimo: Act II, Part Two

JUNOWRIMO: Midpoint

The Blueprint for Writing a Novel from the First Five Pages to the End

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 171

Very little writing news to report this week.  My wife kept me busy on a building project every night this week, so there was no time for my usual Wednesday post.  Heck, even this post is rather late.

I plan to enjoy this weekend.

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


Social Media Content: Feeding the Beast

Junowrimo: Key Elements of Act II, Part 1

Negative Reviews (and Why I Don’t Read Them)

Junowrimo Day 10: Are you stuck? Do you have a PLAN?

The Art of the Chapter

What’s in Your Tagline?

How to Immediately Improve Your Query Letter’s Effectiveness

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 169

I don't know about you, but I'm anxiously awaiting the middle of June. Because by the time we hit the third week of June, two major milestones will have passed. 

1. All my flowers will have been planted and mulched. I'm into gardening because of the bright colors, not from any sort of intrinsically good feeling about being one with nature. As far as I'm concerned, once everything is planted, the flowers are on their own. Sure, I'll fertilize them occasionally, if I remember, but that's about it. Once we hit the middle of June, I ain't touching another shovel, rake, or clod of dirt until fall arrives. 

2. School will have ended. Thank God! I spend more time helping my kids with their homework, or yelling at them for not having done their homework, than I do working on my own story, or planting flowers, or conversing with my wife. I expect my writing progress to leap forward starting in two weeks. 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


Business Musings: Brand Identity (Branding/Discoverability)

Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Next Step?

Villains & Villainesses: Architects of Story

How to Write a Sizzling, Scintillating Synopsis

Why Writing Rules (Usually) Don’t Work, But Writing Guidelines Do

When tweeters attack: why do readers send authors their bad reviews?

How Not to Start Your Novel: 6 First Page No-Nos