Tag Archives: jami gold

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us how to use weddings and funerals in our stories to explore characters and heighten emotions. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi examines the ever-popular literary device known as unreliable narrator.

Kristen Overman offers advice on self-editing and developing strong characters while Meredith Lyons talks about keepin’ it real in paranormal fiction. Do you feel pressured to sacrifice your social time for your writing? John Gilstrap reminds us not to feel guilty for living our lives.

Kelsey McConnell discusses the need for trigger warnings in horror novels. This is a timely topic given that I just released the second edition of Testing the Prisoner, my first paranormal mystery novel from 2009 that deals with child abuse and domestic violence.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Writing Believable Characters by Michal Leah

There’s Always a Choice: Revision Techniques to Make Your Writing Stronger by Kristen Overman

How Subplots and Plot Filaments Lend Texture and Depth to Any Novel by Michael Craft

Why Is Strong Character Development Important? by Kristen Overman

Marry ’em and Bury ’em: Weddings, Funerals, and Your Novel by Kathryn Craft

Is There a Place For Trigger Warnings in Horror Books? by Kelsey Christine McConnell

How to Write a Realistic Paranormal by Meredith R. Lyons

How to Point Readers’ Attention in the Right Direction by Jami Gold

How to Increase Your Productivity When You Don’t Feel Productive by James Scott Bell

Writer’s Guilt by John Gilstrap

Unreliable Narration: A Useful Tool or Just Hype? by Oren Ashkenazi

Atmosphere Literary Definition: Genre Examples that Evoke Emotion by Joslyn Chase

If you’re a LibraryThing member, I’m running a giveaway for Testing the Prisoner! Six winners will receive a signed copy. Check it out here. Ends October 25th.

Testing the Prisoner is available now in ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($18.99)!

Testing the Prisoner print promo

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we focus more on craft than business. From Good Story Company comes advice on writing authentic female characters, enticing opening lines, and effective descriptions.

Jami Gold reviews the different types of character arcs and how they can be applied to short stories.  Over at Mythcreants, Chris Winkle delves into the use of foreshadowing and also explains why realism has no place in fiction.

From Writer Unboxed, John J. Kelley shows us how social events can be used to help with character and plot development while Kim Bullock offers self-care advice for writers during trying times.

All that a lot more. Enjoy!

Writing Descriptions by Good Story Company

Writing Female Characters by Amy Wilson

3 Ways to use AI for Screenwriting (Other Than Writing a Bad Script) by Ken Miyamoto

Writing the Opening Line by Rhiannon Richardson

Using TikTok to Promote Your Writing by Ellen Levitt

Short Stories: Can They Still Have Character Arc? by Jami Gold

Traditional or Self-Publishing – That is the Question by Rod Martinez

Subtext – Guest Post by Karen Albright Lin via Debbie Burke on Kill Zone

The Why and How of Foreshadowing by Chris Winkle

10 Things to Know About BookBub Readers [Infographic] by Carlyn Robertson

Handling Editorial Feedback without Getting Overwhelmed by Tessa Barbosa

Self-Care for Writers in a Pseudo-Dystopian World by Kim Bullock

The Big Event – Using Social Occasions to Elevate Your Story by John  J. Kelley

Why Realism is Toxic to Fiction by Chris Winkle

The Last Word: Epilogues by Sophie Masson

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we spotlight BookBub with articles about gaining followers, growing your readership, how BookBub’s auction model works, and strategies for using ads on their platform.

Becca Puglisi, co-author of the Emotion Thesaurus, offers tips on how to create insecure characters while Sarah Gribble provides a guide to writing horror. Do you know who your target audience is? If not, Amy Wilson has some advice for you.

All that and a little more, including a few discussions about Ray Bradbury. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

What’s Autofiction? Should You Fictionalize the Story of Your Life? by Anne R. Allen

Point of View: What’s the Best Choice? by Jami Gold

Honing Your Author Voice by Heather Webb

BookBub Ads 101: How the Auction Model Works by AJ Jack

Using BookBub Ads to Drive Series Sell-Through by AJ Jack

Who is My Target Audience? by Amy Wilson

How to Write a Novel Synopsis from Good Story Company

How to Write Horror: 8 Crucial Components to Terrify and Delight by Sarah Gribble

Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl by David Boaz

10 Tips for Growing a Global Audience of Readers by Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Can Writing Heal Physical Pain? by Sue Coletta

In Favor of Present Tense Writing by Rhiannon Richardson

Writing Insecure Characters by Becca Puglisi

14 Ideas for Getting More BookBub Followers by Diana Urban

The Sideshow Magician Who Inspired Ray Bradbury—Then Vanished by Erik Ofgang

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb asks, “Would you STILL write even if I told you you’d never make a dime and likely die in obscurity?” Something to ponder as you embark on your writing journey.

Christina Delay explains how to clear our creative “ley lines” when we’re feeling blocked while Anne R. Allen encourages us to create (or resurrect) a blog rather than relying on the train wreck that is social media.

James Scott Bell helps us avoid sinkholes in our plot, Dave King speaks out in defense of the prologue, and Oren Ashkenazi points out typical mistakes when writing fight scenes—both with and without weapons.

All that and much more! Enjoy…

The Prologue is Past? by Dave King

Finding Those Laser Beam Words by PJ Parrish

To the Pain: Is Writing a Career or a Hobby? by Kristen Lamb

Three Things That Can Sink Your Novel by James Scott Bell

Creativity: Avoiding Blocks and Refreshing Ideas by Christina Delay via Jami Gold

Five Common Weapon Mistakes in Speculative Fiction by Oren Ashkenazi

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

7 Tips from Ernest Hemingway on How to Write Fiction by Open Culture

Stephen King’s 20 Rules for Writing by Open Culture

Blogging is Essential in the Era of Fragmenting Social Media by Anne R. Allen

Honey, I Shrunk the Plot! Learning to Love Synopses by Diana Giovinazzo

The Art of Misdirection: How to Keep Readers on Their Toes by Maggie Smith

TikTok to Sell Books Directly to Users via Marketplace by Arwa Mahdawi

BookBub Ads 101: How the Auction Model Works by AJ Jack

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…

In this month’s roundup, Becca Puglisi reminds us to enhance our characters by imbuing them with unique talents and skills.

Struggling to write a compelling start to your novel? Maggie Smith can help. Over at Career Authors, Brian Andrews and Gina Panettieri show us how loglines help authors answer that dreaded question, “what’s your book about?”

If you’re grappling with impostor syndrome, as many creatives do, Ruth Harris and Tiffany Yates Martin have some encouraging advice for you.

There’s no denying that TikTok has become one of the hottest sites for book promotion. Shailee Shah offers a roster of writers who are using the platform to build an enormous following.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Character Traits & Skills: Beyond the Superficial by Becca Puglisi via Jami Gold

Seven Components of a Successful Novel Opening by Maggie Smith

Exposing Inner Conflict in non-POV Characters by Kathryn Craft

It’s Messy in the Middle: Unpacking Cultural Appropriation by Colice Sanders

Understanding the Three Types of Character Arcs by Britton Perelman

Why a Strong Plot Requires a Significant Goal by September C. Fawkes

The Upside of Impostor Syndrome by Ruth Harris

Are You Telling Yourself the Wrong Stories? by Tiffany Yates Martin

What is Your Book About… Do You Know? by Brian Andrews

Loglines and Comps by Gina Panettieri

14 Indie Authors to Follow on TikTok for Ideas and Inspiration by Shailee Shah

How to Build an Amazing “About the Author” Page by Jason Hamilton