Friday's Round Up - September 28, 2012

Just a few to spotlight this week... 

Your Guide to Reading, Writing, and Publishing Young Adult Literature (from YA Highway)
I can see this applying to more than YA though, so don't let the title deter you.

How to Overcome Writer's (or Any Kind of Creative) Block (from yesandyes.org)
This is good to read along with the motivation post from Sunday.

New Twitter Profile Tips for Writers (from GalleyCat)

Motivation - Wake Up Your Writing Brain

We all do it.  You sit down in your usual spot, give your neck one last crack, hands poised over the keyboard, you’re ready to roll and – POOF – nothing. No words. No images to describe. No dialogue flowing in your mind. Nothing.

“Well, clean slate might be useful to try a new angle. Maybe introduce a new character!” you think.

Still nothing comes. It’s like your writing brain is frozen and instead the part of your brain that loves terrible television, snack foods, and new indie rock is soaring.

So, what to do? Write a list. 

A professor in college suggested writing lists when stuck and I have never looked back. Now to clarify, I’m not talking about a grocery list or a to-do list. This will only distract you more and goodness knows you probably have plenty of those already.  Instead pick a topic, anything at all, and begin making a list of items, images, sounds, and feelings associated with your chosen topic. It’s a process of unlocking your writing brain.

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. – Francis Bacon 

For example, in honor of the change of season, let’s practice with Fall.  Get out a pen and paper, write FALL at the top and immediately write the first ten things that pop into your brain.

As you create the list, pay attention to any scenes or distinct images that pop up. Finish your list and then revisit those scenes or images and expand on it. Write it out. It doesn’t have to be great or even half-decent.  Just keep writing and keep moving forward.

What other list topics have you tried?

Friday's Round Up - September 21, 2012

Publishing:
The Death of Literary Fiction by David Gaughran (from the Indie Reader)



Writing:
On Being Profound - About the tendency for writers to feel the need to be profound in their writing


Banished Words by Jerry DeNuccio  
Are there any words are phrases that you think are overused?

Indie Review - Still Life With Murder by P.B. Ryan

Still Life With Murder follows the story of Nell Sweeney, a doctor’s apprentice turned high-society governess. Nell has to hide her shady past from her blue-blood employers, the Hewitts, one of the wealthy families of Boston. She becomes entangled in the family’s secrets when she must find out the truth of their son, Will. Long believed to be dead and wanted for murder, Nell works to clear his name while maneuvering through the back alleys and seedy tenements she has tried to escape.

When I originally saw this e-book, I knew I couldn’t resist the combination of Murder Mystery, History, and Romance. Ryan’s greatest achievement is her historical accuracy and details that transports you into the Gilded Age. Our main character Nell, is not of that time; she is smart, capable, and not prone to fainting spells. At times she seems almost too modern, but I would rather spend a few hours with her than a shrinking violet. The other main characters, the Hewitts, are well developed and highly flawed, which makes them both frustrating and compelling to read about.

I had very few complaints with the novel, and it was written very naturally with little pretense. Each twist and turn of the plot was compelling and pushed me to keep reading. The situations our heroine got herself into (brothels, opium dens, and gambling halls) felt a little predictable, but certainly added to the excitement of the mystery. I found myself unable to put it down, and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Still Life With Murder is available for FREE on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

-Kate

Friday's Round Up - September 14, 2012

Writing:
Racism in the Books We Write by Justine Labalestier - As a writer you are always learning and always bettering your craft. Listen to your critics as much as your fans.

Research and the Art of Eavesdropping


Publishing:
Does the Future of Publishing Need More Imagination by Jeff Vandemeer

Millennials Buy More Books Than Everybody Else

Razorbill UK Buys 'New Adult' Star - Self-published author signs with publisher Razorbill UK

Author Launches Grassroots Campaign to Promote New Novel - It’s time to think outside the box when it comes to marketing your book. Take an active role in your own marketing and let your fans do the same.

Is an ebook price war coming up?  Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins all settled in the lawsuit over agency pricing and have severed their agreements with Apple.  Now ebooksellers (who are we kidding, Amazon) can set pricing at whatever price they want.  How will this affect ebook competition and demand?


Book Reviews are in the News...
Is This Book Bad, or Is It Just Me? The Anatomy of Book Reviews by Darryl Campbell

RJ Ellory, Crime Writer Who Faked His Own Glowing Reviews

Book Reviewers for Hire Meet a Demand for Online Reviews - Do writers lose more than they gain when paying for praise? Do they break their readers’ trust by paying for reviews?

Ethical Roulette by Joe Konrath - A different look at the author review issue

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