Tag Archives: anne r allen

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

It’s been three months since I gathered a collection of informative articles here, something that was once a monthly feature on this blog. My life took an unexpected and disquieting detour in September which affected my health and my writing. I’m struggling to put both back on track as we head into the new year, but for now…

Philip Athans thinks there should be a little bit of Harlan Ellison in all of us and I agree. Harlan remains one of my literary heroes.

Kristen Lamb warns us against self-sabotage in all its forms while over at Good Story Company, Mary Kole offers advice on dealing with criticism.

Anne R. Allen encourages believability over realism in our fiction, Jami Gold explains the differences between foreshadowing and spoilers, and Amanda Patterson shows us how to use motifs.

All that and much more. Enjoy!

Maybe We Should All Be More Like Harlan Ellison by Philip Athans

How to Deal with Negative Criticism by Mary Kole

Self-Sabotage: I Don’t Deserve Success by Kristen Lamb

5 Tips to Boost Your Professional Writing Cred by Lori Freeland

7 Ways Public Readings Can Help Your Writing by Kathryn Craft

Revise for Success – A Stree-Free Plan for Polishing Your Novel by Jodie Renner via Anne R. Allen

Why Realism is Irrelevant in Fiction: Aim for Believability Instead by Anne R. Allen

How to Enhance Contrast In Your Writing by Jessica Strawser

Foreshadowing vs. “Spoilers”: What’s the Difference? by Jami Gold

Do You See Dead People? by PJ Parrish

How to Motivate Yourself to Write and Finish Your Novel by Lorna Faith

What is a Motif in Fiction? by Amanda Patterson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

New on the monthly roundup, Philip Athans reminds us that writing is a lifelong calling while Kristen Lamb reviews different aspects of world-building.

Tiffany Yates Martin examines the elements that go into creating complex characters. Speaking of which, what makes characters “likeable”? That depends on genre, as Anne R. Allen explains.

Over at Career Authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Dana Isaacson provide advice on self-editing while Daryl Wood Gerber helps us avoid burnout while writing a series.

From Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass delves into the inner workings of story imagination and Kathryn Craft encourages us to visualize our scenes not as authors, but as our characters.

All that a lot more. Enjoy!

Are You a “Lifer”? by Philip Athans

Beyond Character Goal and Motivation – The Longing and the Lack by Tiffany Yates Martin

17 BookBub As Designs Promoting Books in a Series by Carlyn Robertson

DIY Author Marketing 101 by Michal Leah

Why “Likeable” Characters Depend on Genre by Anne R. Allen

10 Things Beginning Writers Must Do by Anne R. Allen

5 Tips to Pick Up the Pace by Dana Isaacson

Copy Editing Secrets by Hank Phillippi Ryan

5 Tips to Keep a Series Fresh by Daryl Wood Gerber

World-Building: Captivate Readers and Never Let Go by Kristen Lamb

Seeing Through a Character’s Eyes: Literally by Kathryn Craft

Three Modes of Story Imagination by Donald Maass

Trademark Tips for Writers – How to Protect Your Creative Work by Matt Knight

Writing Mistakes: Choosing Between Plotting vs. Pantsing by Michael Woodson

10 Relaxing Activities to Rediscover Your Writing Voice by Miles Oliver

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen warns us against career-killing marketing tactics, Ruth Harris shows authors how to build a better bio, and Beth Barany provides strategies for developing characters and plot.

At Writer Unboxed, Kathryn Craft offers sage advice on handling copy edits while over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell helps us determine when our book is ready for prime time.

Angela Ackerman explains how to use setting as more than a mere backdrop and my favorite article of this batch is Lauren Sapala’s timely (for me) discussion of the paralyzing stress that can occur when writers become too “attached to outcome.”

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How Bad Marketing Can Destroy Your Author Brand, Lose Friends, and Influence Nobody by Anne R. Allen

How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book: Word Count Goals for the Three Acts of Your Novel, Memoir, or Non-Fiction Book by Mary Carroll Moore

6 Ways Your Author Bio Can Help You Sell Books by Ruth Harris

Top Digital Marketing Takeaways from U.S. Book Show 2022 by AJ Jack via BookBub

Copy Edits: To Challenge or Concede? by Kathryn Craft

When Is Your Book Ready to be Published? by James Scott Bell

7 Essential Tips to Plan Your Novel Like a Pro by Beth Barany via Anne R. Allen

Serialization Rights for Traditional and Self-Published Authors by Matt Knight at Sidebar Saturdays

Publishing Contracts 101: Beware Internal Contradictions by Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware

Setting Description Mistakes that Weaken a Story by Angela Ackerman

Stressed About Your Writing? What’s Really Going On (and How to Get Over It) by Lauren Sapala

 

 

Articles, Blog, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kathryn Craft offers guidance on adding foreshadowing to your manuscript while Anne R. Allen strongly advises writers to appoint a social media executor.

At the Write Practice, Michelle Renee Miller provides a few time management methods for writing on a busy schedule and Joe Bunting lists ten book writing strategies that, in his opinion, are doomed to fail. I don’t agree with all of them, but his arguments are persuasive.

Kristen Lamb speaks out against the latest trend of reading ebooks in their  entirety and returning them for a refund. She also takes to task writers for purple prose, crutch phrases, and other forms of filler.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Foreshadowing: A Revision Skill to Love by Kathryn Craft

Exploit Your Hero’s Flaws by Jim Dempsey

10 Book Writing Strategies that End in Failure by Joe Bunting

3 Foolproof Ways to Write With a Busy Schedule by Michelle Renee Miller

What is Rhythmic Writing? by Sue Coletta

Tolkien on the Importance of Fantasy and Science Fiction by Jonny Thomson

Literary Larceny & Why People Should Be Ashamed by Kristen Lamb

Fiction Filler: Bloated Writing Makes Readers Sick by Kristen Lamb

Why Every Writer Needs a Social Media Executor by Anne R. Allen

The Indie Writer Book Launch Guide Part I and Part II by Scott Semegran

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen explains the need for sensitivity readers and the consequences of disregarding them. Also on Anne’s blog, Stefan Edmunds presents The Adversity Cycle as a method for storytelling.

On the Screencraft blog, Ken Miyamoto offers advice on how to secure a manager and agent for your screenplay and David Young shows us effective ways to describe our characters beyond mere physical appearance.

At Career Authors, Brian Andrews delves into methods for managing backstory while Erica Ferencik provides valuable guidance on navigating the writing life. Kathryn Craft and Barbara Linn Probst discuss ways to breathe life into our secondary characters.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Screenwriting Basics: How to Sign with a Manager (and Agent) by Ken Miyamoto

7 Unusual Ways to Describe Characters in Your Screenplay by David Young

The Difference Between Jeff Bezos and Me by Bradley Graham

The Adversity Cycle by Stefan Edmunds via Anne R. Allen

Writers, Do You Need a Sensitivity Reader for Your Book? by Anne R. Allen

3 Successful Strategies to Write a Short Story by Sarah Gribble

4 Tips for Writing Backstory by Brian Andrews

11 Hard-Earned Lessons from Three Decades of Writing by Erica Ferencik

Are You Drowning Your Story in Your Imagery? by Dave King

Secondary Characters Deserve a Life of Their Own by Kathryn Craft

Secondary Characters with Purpose and Pzazz by Barbara Linn Probst

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen warns us against critiques that do more harm than good while Amanda Bennett takes a graphical approach to story structure.

C.S. Lakin encourages us to be the Foley artists of our fiction, Sarah Gribbles delves into the elements of compelling short stories, and Matt Knight reviews basics of copyright law.

Jaime Herndon and Adam Gabbatt address the alarming rise in book burning and book banning, respectively.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

10 Dangerous Critiques: Beware Bad Writing Advice by Anne R. Allen

Copyright Basics for Writers by Matt Knight

How I Came Up with My Story Structure Mash-Up by Amanda Bennet

US Conservatives Linked to Rich Donors Wage Campaign to Ban Books from Schools by Adam Gabbatt

Draft2Digital Acquires Smashwords by Kevin Tumlinson

Rereading Fahrenheit 451 in an Age of Mass Censorship by Jaime Herndon

Grab the Popcorn and Improve Your Novel by Wendall Thomas

How to Use Framing Devices in Fiction by Heather Webb

How to Effectively Bring Sounds into Your Fiction by C.S. Lakin

What is a Satire and How Do I Write One? by Susanne Bennett

Elements of a Short Story by Sarah Gribble