Tag Archives: anne r allen

Articles, Blog, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb delves into the traits of a perfect villain and reminds us of the importance of story mastery above all else. Anne R. Allen offers advice on writing that challenging first chapter while Marie Eberle would like to see less of certain hackneyed character types in SF and Fantasy.

It’s a foregone conclusion that conflict is the heart of storytelling, but what about conflict management? L. Deborah Sword discusses.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Jim Dempsey encourages us to delve into our characters’ values to find their ultimate motivation, and speaking of characters, Donald Maass suggests examining psychological archetypes as a means for crafting character arcs.

If you’re struggling to build a readership, there may be a good reason for that. In fact, as Shannon Ashley reveals, there might be at least twelve reasons.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

On Writing: Why Mastery Should Matter To the Serious Author by Kristen Lamb

The Villain: Crafting Scoundrels, Sinners, and Substance of Legends by Kristen Lamb

Finding and Using Competing Book Titles in Your Book Marketing by Penny Sansevieri

Writing that First Chapter: 10 Dos and Don’ts for Starting a Novel by Anne R. Allen

Avoid these Crutch Words by Dana Isaacson

Story Conflict: It’s Not as Simple as We Think by L. Deborah Sword via Jami Gold

Nine Ways for Your Hero to Earn the Clues They Need by Chris Winkle

The Two Types of Archetype by Donald Maass

What Really Drives Your Characters? by Jim Dempsey

12 Reasons Nobody Wants to Read Your Writing by Shannon Ashley

3 Types of Fantasy and Sci-Fi Characters We’ve Seen Enough Of by Marie Eberle

What is a Vignette & How Do I Write One? by Amanda Patterson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb ponders the importance of talent while Chris Syme offers a primer on preserving your authorial reputation in a crisis.

Kris Kennedy concludes her five-part series on avoiding the nefarious info-dump and Jordan Dane defines narrative drive.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass analyzes what makes a true hero or heroine while Heather Webb provides tips on writing an effective query letter.

The New York Times reminds us that fact-checking is everyone’s responsibility and Kickstarter finds itself embroiled in a labor dispute.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Do Some People Lack the Talent to be a Successful Author? by Kristen Lamb

The Five Myths of Crisis Management for Authors by Chris Syme via Anne R. Allen

Pitfalls and Solutions for Writing a Science Thriller by Amy Rogers

Backstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making it Essential-Part Four and Part Five by Kris Kennedy via Jami Gold

Narrative Drive—Do You Have It? by Jordan Dane

Rookie Mistakes Indie Writers Make by James Scott Bell

It’s a Fact: Mistakes are Embarrassing the Publishing Industry by Alexandra Alter

The Making of a Hero or Heroine by Donald Maass

Writing the Query Letter: Dos and Don’ts by Heather Webb

How to Market a Book: 10 First Steps by Joe Bunting

Is There a Labor War Brewing Inside of Kickstarter? by Tobias Carroll

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

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This week, Anne R. Allen laments the rise of “dark pattern marketing” by authors who attempt to bully potential readers by invading their privacy.

Dana Isaacson advises us on the effective use of flashbacks while Kristen Lamb reminds us of what it takes to be successful.

Going by the numbers, Jordan Dane expounds seven categories of conflict and Chris Winkle offers six types of climactic turning points. Oren Ashkenazi warns us to be aware of the messages we’re communicating through our writing and Angela Ackerman delves into the repercussions of fear.

All that and plenty more. Enjoy!

Is a “Personal Relationship” with Authors What Readers Want? by Anne R. Allen

How to Write Amazing Flashbacks by Dana Isaacson

Key Types of Conflict: Which One Best Fits Your Story? by Jordan Dane

In It to WIN It: How Committed Are You to Being a Successful Author? Kristen Lamb

Six Types of Turning Points for Climaxes and Filling In Your Story’s Middle by Chris Winkle

Depicting Characters Held Back by Fear by Angela Ackerman

Authorial Endorsement 101 by Oren Ashkenazi

Give Your Reader an Experience by Kathryn Craft

Negotiating Social Privilege as a Writer by Rheea Mukherjee

The Wonders of Your Character’s World View by Jim Dempsey

 

Articles, Blog, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week on the blog, Jim Dempsey guides us toward inspiration while Kathryn Craft advises us to let it go. Jami Gold helps us with goal setting and John Gilstrap with crafting scenes. Kristen Lamb provides seven elements of self-editing that might just help us save a few bucks when we hire that professional editor later.
Over at Career Authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan discusses cause and effect while Deanna Raybourn navigates the daunting ocean of social media. While we’re on the topic of the web, Anne R. Allen offers tips on crafting strong blog content. Need help writing an effective fight scene? Oren Ashkenazi has detailed advice for you.

All that and a little more… Enjoy!

How to Find Inspiration—Fiction Therapy by Jim Dempsey

When to Let Go of Your Original Inspiration by Kathryn Craft

How Do We Set Goals When Trying Something New? by Jami Gold

On the Joys of Indie Publishing by James Scott Bell

Scene Construction by John Gilstrap

Six Common Mistakes in Fight Scenes and How to Avoid Them by Oren Ashkenazi

First Things First: Does Your Manuscript Defy Physics? by Hank Phillippi Ryan

7 Tips for Social Media Savvy by Deanna Raybourn

How to Write for a Blog: 10 Tips for Writing Strong Web Content by Anne R. Allen

Editing for Authors: 7 Ways to Tighten the Story and Cut Costs by Kristen Lamb

‘Star Trek’/Dr. Seuss Mashup Deemed Copyright Fair Use by Judge by Eriq Gardner

Los Angeles Times Wants Rights to Books Written by Staff by The Authors Guild

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion

About This Writing Stuff…

This week on the blog, Ceridwen Dovey expounds the concept of “bibliotherapy” and the restorative power of reading fiction. Kristen Lamb encourages writers to be secret-keepers… and to get more rest. Jami Gold explains what it means to add layers to your characters and Anne R. Allen councils us against worrying too much about plot purloiners.

Over at Career Authors, Paula Munier cites three mistakes by debut writers that potentially exasperate agents and editors while Glenn Miller advises us on how to be trustworthy writers. C.S. Lakin offers tips on preparing your scenes, Sarah Chauncey talks effective use of POV in memoir, and from Mythcreants, Chris Winkle enumerates six manuscript mistakes that a copy editor might (or might not) help you fix.

Enjoy!

Can Reading Make You Happier? by Ceridwen Dovey

Secret-Keepers: Generate Page-Turning, Nerve-Shredding Tension and Rest for Success and Why Busy is Seriously Overrated by Kristen Lamb

Make Characters Unique with Layering by Jami Gold

What if Somebody Steals Your High-Concept Book Idea? by Anne R. Allen

Are You Making One of These Risky Moves for Writers? by Paula Munier

This is What Happens When You Stop Lying to Readers by Glenn Miller

Questions to Consider When Plotting a Scene by C.S. Lakin via Jane Friedman

The Tricky Issue of POV in Memoir by Sarah Chauncey via Jane Friedman

Six Common Wordcraft Mistakes in Manuscripts by Chris Winkle

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Jami Gold explains the role of a line editor while K.M. Weiland cautions us about using coincidence in our fiction. Gill Andrews offers advice to improve your author website (I made some minor changes to this site as soon as I read his article!).

After nine novels, soon ten, Jeff VanderMeer shares eight insights into the writing process. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules of Writing and presents common pitfalls of deep story ideas.

All that and a little more… Enjoy!

How Useful are Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules of Writing? and Five Common Pitfalls for Stories with Deep Ideas by Oren Ashkenazi

Inhabiting Our Scenes: Information Versus Experience by Peter Selgin

8 Writing Tips from Jeff VanderMeer via Chicago Review of Books

Want More Readers for Your Blog and Books? Fix These 5 Website Mistakes by Gill Andrews via Anne R. Allen

Zoom In, Zoom Out: An Exercise in Creating a Memorable Setting by Steven Cooper

How Long Should a Book Be? Word Count Guidelines by Anne R. Allen

Coincidences in Fiction: What You’re Doing Wrong by K.M. Weiland

What is Line Editing and What Should Line Editors Do? by Jami Gold

Complete Fiction: Why the ‘Short Story Renaissance’ is a Myth by Chris Power

This will be the last edition of About this Writing Stuff for the next six to eight weeks (at least). Over the next few months, I shall be busy prepping not one, but two new books for release while projects at my full time job threaten to consume much of my personal time. On top of all this, I have the first draft of a science fiction novel in progress that I am determined to finish this year. I’m treading water and the tide is rising. Hey, two clichés in one sentence. Go me!

Writers' Retreat