Blog Posts

Writing prompts, BFWL book launch throwback, and productivity

10/20/2021

Happy Almost-Halloween! Here are this week's links:

For writers: Jumpstart your writing with some fun prompts (works for illustrations, too)

For readers:

Throwback to the Black Flowers, White Lies book launch! If you're looking for an October YA read, BuzzFeed said, "This suspenseful psychological thriller definitely won’t disappoint" when they put it on their list of 23 YA Books That, Without A Doubt, You'll Want To Read This Fall (for that year).

For writing productivity: "Our five most effective writing productivity tips" from Prolifiko. (I found this and the Mason Currey quote below through links in Iain Broome's helpful newsletter. It's worth subscribing to!)

One last thing...

"Shrinking the time you have available to write may, counterintuitively, make it easier for you to work long stretches...." ~Advice on Building Creative Stamina by Mason Currey

Do you write more (or better or more easily)
if you have all day or a compressed time period?

Productivity, poetry, Collingswood, and more

10/6/2021

Welcome! I've changed my blog schedule to the first and third Wednesday of each month. Sign-up on the right to never miss a post.

Latest round-up of interesting links

For general productivity:
This helpful article summarizes different productivity philosophies: Set a tomato timer? Eat a frog? Be like Ike? Comparing 5 common productivity systems. Note: "the best approach to productivity often involves borrowing the components of several different plans to create one that is most effective for you."

For readers:
Need more poetry in your life? Sign up for this free daily poem delivered to your inbox.

For teen writers:
The One Teen Story Teen Writing Contest is open for submissions through November 19th from writers ages 13-19. They're looking for "great short stories written by teens about the teen experience." Read my interview with editor Patrick Ryan, and be sure to visit their website for further details.

For writers of all ages:
If you're interested in writing short poems, a good starting point is this post from Writers.com.
Do you have a newsletter? Melissa Hart highlights writer newsletters and how they can build community. (Thanks to Julie Herman for sharing the link with me!)

IWSG Blog Hop:
Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: Jemima Pett, J Lenni Dorner, Cathrina Constantine, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Mary Aalgaard.

This month's blog topic:
In your writing, where do you draw the line,
with either topics or language?

I think in general, decisions about topics and language need to be made based on the audience (middle graders? teens? adults?) and what the writer's creative vision is for the project.

One last thing:

Last weekend, I attended my first in-person book event--Collingswood Book Festival--since the pandemic began. Thanks to Inkwood Books for selling copies of the IWSG Anthology, Voyagers: The Third Ghost.

At Collingswood with author Maria Andreu (left)

National Preparedness Month

9/14/2021

September is National Preparedness Month! In my young adult novel, Pandemic, the main character is faced with an emergency situation when a deadly contagious disease strikes. (Sound familiar?) During the writing of Pandemic, I researched “sheltering in place” (also known as staying at home during a quarantine -- an experience we all know about now) and experienced a hurricane. It’s important to know what type of disasters could strike your geographical area and to be prepared for them. For more information, visit Ready.Gov, the American Red Cross, or the CDC's post about coping with trauma-related stress. And don't forget about pet care during emergencies! Visit the ASPCA site for more details.

Success for Writers

9/1/2021

IWSG Blog Hop:

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

This month's blog topic:
How do you define success as a writer?
Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

Success is a tricky concept because so much of the publishing business is outside of a writer’s power. Lately, I‘ve been trying to focus on what I *can* control – the quantity and quality of my writing. Coming up with a new idea, finishing a revision, writing even when I don’t actually feel like it, continuing to learn how to better tell stories – these are some of the current ways I try to think about success.

This week's links:

For readers:
ICYMI -- The Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award-winning books

For writers:
Analyze texts for complexity using Renaissance

For productivity: Tools for better thinking and why multitasking is bad for your brain.

One last thing:

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” ~Louisa May Alcott

However you define it, I hope you have a successful September!

6 Helpful Links for Writers

8/18/2021

I'm keeping this summer blog post short, so you can read it before your ice cream melts. Here are six helpful links:

Writers’ Dilemma: What Writers Need To Do To Stay Productive
by Arooha Arif

Comp Titles—An Elevator Pitch for Your Book by Andrea Bachofen (an older but still useful article)

Connections Déjà vu by Bobbi Miller -- links to help writers feel connected

How to increase the open rates of your email newsletter by David Ramos

Feeling emotionally exhausted? 6 things you can do to release your stress
by Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA

Lastly, enjoy this fun YA book trivia video from the Mercer County Library System (NJ).

Happy August!

22 Writing Book Recommendations

8/4/2021

IWSG Blog Hop: Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox.

This month's blog topic:
What is your favorite writing craft book?

So many good craft books! My current favorite is Writing the Intimate Character: Create Unique, Compelling Characters Through Mastery of Point of View by Jordan Rosenfeld because it examines viewpoint concepts in-depth. It's my new go-to book for everything POV-related.

Here's the official description: The key to excellent fiction lies in its characters: the unforgettable protagonists, antagonists, and secondary characters who populate the world of your story. Understanding and effectively using point of view allows you to write a powerful narrative that draws readers in and engages them with characters in a meaningful way.

But you didn't really expect me to just mention one, did you? Here are five more craft favorites:

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. Despite the book’s title, Lukeman’s advice often applies to the whole manuscript, not just the opening.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White. This writing classic makes it easy to look up problematic word usage, like lie vs. lay.

Writing Irresistible KidLit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole. Geared toward children’s writers, this guide provides many examples.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King. My copy has lots of highlighting. (And I’m using the passive voice here on purpose!)

Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. Although this is geared toward screenwriters, there is lots of useful storytelling information for novelists as well. (There is a “novel” version of this guide, but I haven’t read it yet.)

Five favorite books about marketing:

Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform by Christina Katz. I think "platform" can be a tricky concept for novelists, but I love the idea that there are things writers can be doing *today*, even without a book deal.

What To Do Before Your Book Launch by M.J. Rose and Randy Susan Meyers. Sometimes book marketing is overwhelming. And sometimes even books about marketing can be overwhelming. Not this one! This guide is helpful and succinct. It contains useful lists and a great sample timeline of activities.

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer's Guide to Marketing & Publicity by Rob Eager. Chapter 14 is dedicated to fiction writers and this book contains an interesting section explaining Amazon rankings.

Everyday Book Marketing: Promotion Ideas to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life by Midge Raymond. This book is divided into useful sections that each end with ideas on how to break the big steps into manageable ones. The end of the book contains some interesting interviews with authors and experts.

Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author by Patricia Fry. The techniques are geared toward self-published writers but some of information can be useful to the traditionally published as well.

Seven more for inspiration/craft/education:

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Lamott provides witty, meaningful insights about getting the writing done.

I'd Rather Be Writing by Marcia Golub. Golub’s book may not be as well-known as some of the others, but her combination of humor and practicality (“try this” exercises) are effective when you’re not feeling motivated.

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is an in-depth analysis with specific examples of writing, race, and fantasy.

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg. Berg follows each of her helpful essays with homework assignments.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. A classic book of writing advice broken into short essays.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King combines memoir with craft advice in a practical, no-nonsense style. From the spike in his bedroom wall for rejection letters when he was fourteen, to his wife taking the Carrie manuscript from his garbage can, King shares his creative struggles. Each time I read this memoir, I take something new away from it.

A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman is a thoroughly enjoyable read about punctuation and how it can change the written expression. The essay about commas was my personal favorite.

And three in my to read/revisit pile:

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses

Story by Robert McKee

The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

One last thing:

"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." ~Maya Angelou

Share your own favorite writing book titles in the comments.

Upcoming Virtual Writing Camp for Teens at the Writing Barn

7/21/2021

"Pen to Paper," a one-week online writing intensive for teens, is coming at the end of July, and there are still spots available. Run by Vermont College of Fine Arts alumnx Marianne Murphy and Evan Griffith, and featuring guest author Jason June, the upcoming Writing Barn camp takes place from July 26 through 30. A few full and partial scholarships are still available.

Murphy and Griffith say, "The program was created to offer teens a space to come together in community and deepen both their love of storytelling and their writing craft. As a virtual camp, the program brings together teens with shared interests from all over and creates connections across state and even country lines. Past students have formed friendships that have gone beyond the program!"

For more information, visit Pen to Paper 2021.

Keep Creating

7/7/2021

IWSG Blog Hop: Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, and Louise – Fundy Blue.

This month's blog topic:
What would make you quit writing?

I think a different take on this question is what keeps us writing? I’m sure people have all kinds of reasons. For me, one is a sense of community that comes from connecting with other writers. Another is the joy that comes from creating characters and settings and stories. :)

Free Anthology!

The ebook for Prep for Doom, a YA dystopian anthology I contributed to, is now free. This was a fun project a few years ago, with several writers writing intertwined short stories set in the same world. Get your copy here.

This week's links:

For readers: 48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools, curated by David A. Robinson.

For productivity: I recently started using Habitica, and I find it oddly satisfying to complete my tasks for pet eggs, hatching potions, and "gold." I've had to experiment whether to classify something as a habit (which you can do more than once a day), a daily (which should be done every day), and a task (which can have a longer due date). Overall, I have some good habit streaks going! Let me know if you've tried the app.

One last thing:

Keep Creating!

Making the Most of Your Debut Year: Guest Post by Erica George

6/30/2021

Congratulations to Erica George on her debut young adult novel, Words Composed of Sea and Sky. In her guest post, Erica shares her thoughts on making the most of your debut year.

Making the Most of Your Debut Year
By Erica George

It’s so secret that there’s a lot packed into your debut year. There are so many firsts to look forward to: seeing your book’s layout and font for the first time (yes, the font--don’t underestimate how emotion-inducing seeing your font for the first time can be!), holding your physical galley, the design for your dust jacket, seeing your novel in a bookstore, out in the wild. But conversely, there are multiple questions that arise as well.

The year I actually sold my debut young adult novel, Words Composed of Sea and Sky, to Running Press Kids was 2018, and the year it was scheduled to hit shelves was 2021. You would think that with almost three years to prepare for my debut, I’d have been ready. But truthfully, no one’s debut year is the same, and trying to plan made me more anxious. There’s a tendency to look at “other people’s papers” so to speak, to compare what’s happening with you and your book to authors at other houses with other editors and different budgets. There’s a fear of the unknown (I can’t even count how many times I said, “I don’t know what I don’t know!”).

Now that my novel has debuted, however, I’ve had the time to consider what actually worked best for me--the tips that I think are important to follow no matter what kind of debut journey you might be on.

Find a group of fellow debuts and participate in the community.
For almost every age category (picture books through adult), there is usually a debut group for you to join. Find it! Make friends! Support those friends! It has been so humbling and gratifying to be on this journey with the group of people I’ve met simply because we’re debuting in the same year. The 21ders is a group of debut middle grade and young adult authors, and our questions, discussions, and cheerleading has been an absolute gift.

Keep your mind busy with something else to work on.
There’s plenty to do during your debut year, and marketing is certainly at the top of your list! But don’t forget what you love most about this business--the writing. If you can, work on a new project. Exercise that creative muscle. Once your debut is out in the world, you’ll want to start thinking about your next steps as an author.

But don’t forget to enjoy your debut.
You only get to be a debut once, and unfortunately, the process can be overwhelming! Try to sit back every once in a while, look around, and remind yourself that your hard work, talent, and perseverance has gotten you to this point. Let it sink in. There are so many firsts to savor, so many people who are proud of you and cheering you on.

More about Words Composed of Sea and Sky:
Michaela Dunn dreams of getting into an art school, but when her stepfather refuses to fund a trip there for a poetry workshop, she enters a local contest searching for a poet to write the dedication plaque for a statue honoring Captain Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died at sea over one hundred years ago. While searching for clues about this Cape Cod legend, Michaela discovers the diary of Leta Townsend from 1862 and gets a glimpse of Churchill that she didn't quite anticipate.

In 1862, Leta writes poetry under the name of Benjamin Churchill, thinking him dead after being attacked by a whale. Leta is astonished when Captain Churchill returns, completely unscathed, his death just a rumor. She quickly falls for him. But is she falling for the actual Benjamin Churchill or the boy she constructed in her imagination?

Buy at BookShop | B&N | Amazon

Author Erica George

More about the author:
Erica George is a graduate of The College of New Jersey with degrees in both English and education and is currently an MFA student at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She splits her time between New Jersey and Cape Cod. Words Composed of Sea and Sky is her debut young adult novel.

Writing Tips for Marketing, Self-Editing, Beating Writer's Block, and More

6/16/2021

Over the years, I've posted some tips that still hold true today. Here are a few oldies but goodies.

Tips for:
Beating writer's block
Self-editing your work
Staying organized while marketing your book
Achieving your writing goals

Other blogs from this week you might like:
Why We Need Diverse Books Is No Longer Using the Term #OwnVoices by Alaina Lavoie
Writer Unboxed added a new post in their Book PR and Marketing Q&A series by Ann Marie Nieves. If you want to read them in order, check out Part One, Part Two, and the recent Part Three.
Here's a compilation of "Top productivity resources on the Internet" by Dunja Jovanovic, including 50 apps, blogs, and podcasts.

One last thing: Because goals aren't just for New Year's....

"One way to make meaningful progress towards your aspirations is to shift your actual goals into smaller micro-habits that require less effort and mental strain, knowing they will collectively drive you closer to your end goal." ~Mark Hall, Forbes

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Forward>>

Writing prompts, BFWL book launch throwback, and productivity

Productivity, poetry, Collingswood, and more

National Preparedness Month

Success for Writers

6 Helpful Links for Writers

22 Writing Book Recommendations

Upcoming Virtual Writing Camp for Teens at the Writing Barn

Keep Creating

Making the Most of Your Debut Year: Guest Post by Erica George

Writing Tips for Marketing, Self-Editing, Beating Writer's Block, and More

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