Quick Link: How to use Authentic Historical Detail to Trigger Emotions and Memories in Your Reader

November 29, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Checking in with Anne R Allen’s Blog and a great post on how to connect with your reader and pull them into your story by evoking memories. A great read!

**~ * ~**

How to use Authentic Historical Detail to Trigger Emotions and Memories in Your Reader

by Ruth Harris

Beyond Nostalgia: authentic historical detail from fads, trends, and headlines can help you write books readers will relate to.

Writers of historical fiction, whether Regency, Middle Ages, Victorian use the markers of the era—clothes, furniture, manners, leaders, resisters, war, peace, prosperity, recession—to create character, conflict, and plot.

Writers of fiction set in more contemporary times can use these powerful assets to add depth and texture as well. Adding authentic historical detail to novels will trigger a rich web of personal memories and associations. Those will engage readers in an emotionally profound way.

From the dot-com bubble of 2000 to the housing crisis of 2007, from passing fads to mega trends, the social and cultural settings of a story give us ways to draw readers into our stories. From fidget spinners, Beanie Babies and hula hoops to Madonna, Madoff and Zuckerberg, each specific detail evokes personal memories.

Read the full post on Anne R Allen’s Blog!

**~ * ~**

If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

Quick Link: How to Write Superior Sex Scenes: Ignite Your Readers & Burn Them to Ash

November 21, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

So not to share TMI but Mr. Paula and I have a lovely marriage so when I have encountered some hot scenes in books lately and found myself skipping over them, well I thought it was just me. Turns out Cait Reynolds posting at Kristen Lamb‘s site nailed it. The scenes I passed by weren’t bad necessarily but felt out of place in the story. Check out Cait’s post on how to do sex scenes right!

**~ * ~**

How to Write Superior Sex Scenes: Ignite Your Readers & Burn Them to Ash

by Cait Reynolds

Hey Guys, Cait Reynolds, my co-author/partner in crime/therapist/evil half is here to talk about the birds and the bees and maybe bees tying up other bees. The “How To” of writing superior sex scenes is vital, just uncomfortable for me. Sorry. I blame my upbringing.

I’m a Texan with a Lutheran mom and Baptist father. I grew up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, and have had far too much vacation bible camp to be much help. In fact, legally, I cannot write a sex scene until every member of my family dies…and likely not even then.

If you need help with plotting a fight scene or murder? I’m your gal.

All this said, roughly 80% of publishing is powered by the romance genre. This is a FACT.

I read a LOT of romance, myself. Sadly, however, there are “romances” so over-processed and crammed with filler they need a foil tray instead of a book cover.

TV Dinner sex scenes.

Tired, overdone, dry, uncreative and no one looks forward to consuming this stuff (unless starving and desperate).

Read the full post on Kristen Lamb!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: That All-Important First Line

November 17, 2017November 17, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

The first line of your book can grab the reader and set the tone for your whole story! At Rachelle Gardner‘s site, she goes over what makes a great first line!

**~ * ~**

That All-Important First Line

by Rachelle Gardner

Let’s talk about the opening line of your book. The first thing to know about “first lines” is that they are not going to make or break you. Sure, it’s a lot of fun coming up with great ones. But as long as the first line makes someone want to read the second line, and that line makes you want to read the third… you’re on the right track.

The second thing to know is that the opening line might be the very last thing you write before your book is finished.

That said… don’t you just love a great opening line?

The fun thing about writing a book is that you get to choose what kind of opening line you want, what type of sentence appropriately sets up your book. You can choose to set a stage or create a setting. You can reveal a character. You can drop the reader into the middle of a scene. You can introduce conflict. You can have your character speak a line of dialogue. There’s no one right way to do it.

Today I looked at some of my favorite first lines from novels, and asked myself why I liked them. I found each one appealed to me for a different reason. It might have:

Read the full post on Rachelle Gardner!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: How to Add Depth to Your Protagonist by Angela Ackerman

November 8, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Even though this article by Angela Ackerman is from Romance University, it’s wise words are for every genre of writer. After all who doesn’t need more depth to their characters. Check it out!

**~ * ~**

How to Add Depth to Your Protagonist by Angela Ackerman

by Angela Ackerman

I love it when a story idea grips me. Often, it starts with one small thing…a sound, or an image flash in my brain. Sometimes I’ll get both. The experience is so utterly sensory the real world is momentarily forgotten. Maybe I’ll see and hear the ominous flutter of a plastic grocery bag caught in a tree branch on a windy day. Immediately I’ll start to “know” things: there’s water nearby. A dead body lays in the reeds, a teenage girl. A boy will find her, one who has lost the ability to speak. Snippets trickle in, clues of the story ahead. Excitement builds. I’m sure it’s a similar process for many of you.

For me there’s always the temptation to rush down the rabbit hole and write the first scene: one where the mute boy discovers the girl’s body. I want to leap in, describe it all—how the light dapples the water, the warmth of the sun, the paleness of flesh devoid of life.

But the truth is, I’m not ready to write. I shouldn’t write.

Because even if I know exactly how the scene will go, how he will drag the body onto the bank, praying the girl is alive, wishing he had a voice to call for help, I don’t know anything yet about who he really is.

Read the full post on Romance University!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: Make The Most Of A Scene Through The Senses – With A Simple List

November 6, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

This is one of those ideas who simplicity is brilliant! At Writers Write Anthony Ehlers shares a simple list that you can use to get the most of out of using your senses to really bring the reader into the scene.

**~ * ~**

Make The Most Of A Scene Through The Senses – With A Simple List

by Anthony Ehlers

But don’t forget – that deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball

Bringing in as many of the senses to a scene in a novel or story is a powerful way to lift your writing, to make it more vivid, authentic, alive.

Real people react to the senses at every moment of their lives: fictional people should too. Sometimes, as writers, we bring in the senses to a scene … then forget to thread them through the rest of the scene. And this could be a missed opportunity, isn’t it?

For example, in a romance novel, you could have two young lovers enjoying a picnic by the lake when they are caught in a spring storm. The rain takes them by surprise on the sunny afternoon. They run for the cover of an old abandoned gazebo on the edge of the park, where they make out passionately.

List the sensations

Read the full post on Writers Write!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: Herd Your CATS

November 3, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Of course, we are not talking about literal cats, more literary CATS. Or as James Scott Bell at Kill Zone describes it “Character Alone Thinking Scenes”. While these types of scenes can be very powerful, they do have to be used at the right time. Read the article and tell me what you think!

**~ * ~**

“Everything in the universe is either potato or not potato”

Herd Your CATS

by James Scott Bell

We all know that getting a reader inside a lead character’s head is one of the keys to compelling fiction. But it has to be done seamlessly so it doesn’t jerk us out of the narrative and put a crimp in the fictive dream.

Which means we have to learn to handle what I call “Character Alone Thinking Scenes” (CATS) in a deft manner.

The first issue is whether to begin the book with a CATS. As last Wednesday’s first-page critique demonstrated (in my view, at least) the answer should almost always be No.

Why? Because we have to have a little personal investment in someone before we can care deeply about their feelings.

Imagine going to a party and you’re introduced to a fellow with a drink in his hand. You say, “How are you?” and the guy says, “I’m really depressed, man, I wake up every day and the room looks dark and the sun never shines, even though it’s out there, and I don’t see it because of the dark dankness in my soul, and life has lost its meaning, its luster, whatever it was it once had for me when I was young and ready to take on the world. Ya know?”

AHHHH!!!!

Read the full post on Kill Zone

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: Process Goals: 6 Ways Slowing Down and Thinking Small Will Help You Write Your Book

October 30, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Is it any wonder why I love Anne R. Allen and of course Ruth Harris when they do a great post like this?

**~ * ~**

Process Goals: 6 Ways Slowing Down and Thinking Small Will Help You Write Your Book

by Ruth Harris

Psychologists differentiate between outcome goals (write a book) and process goals (the steps it will take to write a book). The outcome goal focuses on the big picture and the end result—a diamond-studded World Series ring, an Emmy, the winner’s circle at the Kentucky Derby.

An outcome goal (Bestseller! Glowing five-star reviews!) is one over which you have no control. No wonder you feel overwhelmed and intimidated before you even begin.

The big picture is, well, big. You can’t control it and it’s hard to define. Do you want a bestseller? NY Times or USA Today or both? A nomination for a literary prize? Pulitzer? National Book Award? A book your Mom/third grade teacher/college professor will be proud of? A book that will get revenge on the guy/gal who dumped you and prove to the world that they were wrong and you were right?

Even if you can pin down what you want from the book, you still have to write it.

OMG, a book? 60,000-100,000 brilliant, well-chosen words that actually make sense?

Read the full post on Anne R. Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: How Do You Know When to Stop Expanding and Start Revising?

October 25, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

I don’t know about you, but I could write and write and never get to editing. So this article from Mary Carroll Moore at her site, How To Plan, Write, And Develop A Book, is a really good post for people like us!

**~ * ~**

How Do You Know When to Stop Expanding and Start Revising?

by Mary Carroll Moore

The relationship of writer to book-in-progress reminds me of a marriage. As opposed to a date.

Poems, articles, columns, and short stories are all creative commitments, sure. But even if they linger unfinished for a while, they are short relationships compared to 350 pages of manuscript.

With a book, you regularly re-evaluate your progress, your purpose, and your plans. You recommit again and again. Not unlike the work it takes to make a marriage work.

Many of my students weary of this. Is it ever done? they ask. When is enough, enough?

Some writers ask this when stuck or bored. Revising seems like more fun than continuing to draft chapters. But there is a real moment when the book has expanded as much as it needs to, and only in the more microscopic work of revision can the writer discover the next levels of truth in the story.

A writer from New York, working on his nonfiction book for several years, once sent me a very good question about this: “At what point does one realize what they are trying to write is the final ‘version’? My subject/point of view has changed several times. When do I stop?”

Read the full post on How To Plan, Write, And Develop A Book!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: Writing scene breaks and transitions that develop your story

October 24, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Creating a sense of time is really important to help your reader effortlessly engage in your story and keep track of when they are. At Now Novel, they have a great post with tips on how to write these types of scenes.

**~ * ~**

Writing scene breaks and transitions that develop your story

Scene breaks and transitions allow us to experience things happening in different places and times, and to different characters. Writing good scene breaks and transitions will keep your story moving, even as you switch between settings (places and times) and viewpoints. Read tips and illustrative examples:

1: Use scene transitions to shift between time periods

There are many ways to use scene transitions and breaks in your book.

One way to use scene transitions is to switch between present experiences and backstory.

Zadie Smith uses this type of scene transition effectively in her novel White Teeth (2000). In her first chapter, set in 1974 and 1945, the owner of a Halaal butchery saves Archie Jones from committing suicide in his car. The scene ends thus:

Read the full post on Now Novel!

**~ * ~**

Quick Link: Fast-Draft Writing for NaNoWriMo and Every Other Month

October 20, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Less that two weeks until NaNoWriMo! So here is another prepping article from the folks at Writers Helping Writers!

**~ * ~**

Fast-Draft Writing for NaNoWriMo and Every Other Month

by Writing Coach

I am an advocate of intentional writing, which almost always means slow writing, but sometimes it makes sense to write a fast draft of a book – if, for example, you are participating in NaNoWriMo, have a chunk of time with few distractions, or have a fast-approaching deadline you are motivated to meet.

Writing fast still requires intentionality. You still need a plan – a clear idea of the point you wish your story to make and a grasp of the best narrative structure to get you there. That is to say, you need to know what you want your reader to walk away feeling after they read your novel and what they will walk away believing about the world or human nature. You also need to know where the story starts and ends and what the reader will be tracking along the way.

Let’s assume that you know all those fundamental elements and you’re ready to write. How do you write fast?

Read the full post on Writers Helping Writers!

**~ * ~**

Save

Quick Link: 5 Tips for Organizing Subplots

October 19, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Plots are of course the main point about your book. But the thing about plots is that there is usually a lot of other stuff going on at the same time, otherwise, your book would be as simple as a young child’s. Subplots help with creating the other stuff and K.M. Weiland has a great post on her site Helping Writers Become Authors to help out.

**~ * ~**

5 Tips for Organizing Subplots

by K.M. Weiland

Imagine you walk into a candy shop, but what you discover inside, instead of candy, is display after display of subplots. Enough to make any writer’s mouth water, right? Writers love the idea of subplots. They’re rich, juicy, complex, and full of opportunities for taking your story to the next level. But organizing subplots, or even just figuring out what your subplots are? That can sometimes be trickier.

I’m often asked about subplots, but it’s one of those subjects (like POV) that is bigger than just a simple answer. This is because subplots, when done right, are all but camouflaged within the larger story. Good subplots integrate with the main plot to the point they’re inextricable from the story’s bigger picture.

In short: you can’t master the art of organizing subplots without mastering the art of plotting itself.

Read the full post on Helping Writers Become Authors

**~ * ~**

Save

Quick Link: How You Can Avoid Making Structural Mistakes in Your Novel

October 18, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

At Live Write Thrive, C.S. Lakin always has great tips. With NaNoWriMo coming up I thought this would be a great help.

**~ * ~**

How You Can Avoid Making Structural Mistakes in Your Novel

by C.S. Lakin

I’ve spent more than three decades writing novels. And at first I had no clue what I was doing.

Like many people, I think it would be a cinch to write a novel. I read voraciously, so why wouldn’t I just intuitively know how to construct a novel?

This is what a whole lot of people think. But perhaps you know the truth by now: writing a terrific novel is complex, like building a house. You have to have the “big picture” in mind the while time you are plotting and writing. And that’s like spinning a dozen plates at one time.

It’s doable, but it does take practice.

So after spending three decades dropping a lot of plates, I spent a ton of time tearing the novel-writing process apart. During those years I attended plenty of writing conferences and retreats and workshops. I read lots of books on the craft, and when the Internet became part of daily life, I started reading blog posts and listening to podcasts and doing all I could to get novel construction under my belt.
Did I make a lot of mistakes? Heck yeah.

I spent years doing things wrong. I didn’t get scene structure—or novel structure, for that matter. Mostly because I didn’t get that there were some basic rules or principles to structure.

I hated the thought of following a formula. I didn’t want to write like everyone else. I wanted to be unique.

And if you get only one thing from today’s post, make it this:

Read the full post on Live Write Thrive.

**~ * ~**

Save

Quick Link: The Power of Decency in Fiction

October 10, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Doing a quick Quick Link post for today. I am not close enough to the Anaheim fire to see it but close enough that I can’t breath or see from allergies. My good wishes to the poor communities to the north that are really being hit hard. So today’s inspired post is about the power of decency in a story. It is a great way to get your readers to connect to your characters and James Scott Bell at Kill Zone does a great job of explaining it.

**~ * ~**

The Power of Decency in Fiction

by James Scott Bell

If you’ve been in my workshops or read a few of my writing books, you know about the “pet the dog” beat. The name is not original with me, but comes from the old Hollywood screenwriters. Blake Snyder changed it to “save the cat.” So pet lover-writers can choose their preferred metaphor.

I have refined the concept to make it something more specific than merely doing something nice for someone. In my view, the best pet-the-dog moments are those where the protagonist helps someone weaker or more vulnerable than himself, and by doing so places himself in further jeopardy. Thus, it falls naturally into Act 2, usually on either side of the midpoint.

I think of Katniss Everdeen helping little Rue in The Hunger Games. Or Richard Kimble in the movie The Fugitive, saving a little boy’s life in the hospital emergency ward (and having his cover blown as a result).

Read the full post on Kill Zone.

**~ * ~**

Save

Quick Link: How Do I Make Dialogue Meaningful?

October 9, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Dialogue is one area that I struggle with. It is important for a story but you want it to have a purpose. Just in time to practice before NaNoWriMo Hyu-Wai Loucks, posting at Elizabeth Spann Craig, has some great thoughts to help you manage your dialogue.

**~ * ~**

How Do I Make Dialogue Meaningful?

by Hyu-Wai Loucks

Because the best dialogue is done barefoot.

One of the most difficult aspects of writing a novel, or any narrative for that matter, is striking the delicate balance between dialogue and description. While insight into a character’s thoughts, emotions, and perceptions help shape the audience’s understanding of the character’s mind, dialogue aids readers in developing an accurate and full understanding of the character’s complete self. It offers an external glimpse into how a character moves, speaks, and reacts to the world surrounding them; dialogue is a character’s internal motives coming to life. Even so, it is difficult to develop a meaningful flow of speech which progresses the plot, rather than stagnating it.

Countless times while I have been writing, I will be immersed in the world of my own mind, putting down the situations being played out in my head by pen to paper, only later realizing that my dialogue loops in circles, or even worse, straying entirely from the point I am trying articulate.

How can I prevent this????

Read the full post on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

**~ * ~**

Save

Quick Link: Fringe Highlight: Should Indie Authors Go KDP Exclusive or Go Wide?

October 2, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

For all you indie authors out there or even traditional authors who are curious, The Self-Publishing Advice Center has a great article/podcast on what you should think about when you decide to go KDP exclusive with Amazon or Go Wide.

**~ * ~**

Fringe Highlight: Should Indie Authors Go KDP Exclusive or Go Wide?

By Jay Artale

As part of our new #AskALLi weekly podcast we’re releasing popular Indie Author Fringe speaker session highlights as podcasts. This means you can catch up on sessions you may have missed, and listen to them on-the-go or in your car. We are also publishing transcripts for those who prefer to read rather than listen.

This week, we’re showcasing the session between Pippa DaCosta and Susan Kaye Quinn. If you’re wondering about the pros and cons of being exclusive with KDP or going wide with as many retailers as possible, our show hosts will explain which model works best in different book distribution scenarios.

Susan is exclusively KDP, and Pippa makes her books available in as many outlets as possible and they deliver insights and experience from both ends of the spectrum.

Pippa DaCosta @pippadacosta is a hybrid author. Before securing a traditional publisher, she published the Veil Series (a x5 book urban fantasy series) independently in 2014. She has also published two science fiction books, with more planned for 2016. Pippa is traditionally published with Bloomsbury and Random House Germany. Her work has been featured in the Galaxy Chronicles anthology, part of the Future Chronicles series. Pippa continues to independently and traditionally publish her work.

Susan Kaye Quinn @susankayequinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author. She writes young adult science fiction, with side trips into adult future-noir and sweet royal romance. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.

Read the full post on The Self-Publishing Advice Center

**~ * ~**

Save

~ * ~

How to use Authentic Historical Detail to Trigger Emotions and Memories in Your Reader

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

How to Write Superior Sex Scenes: Ignite Your Readers & Burn Them to Ash

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

That All-Important First Line

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

How to Add Depth to Your Protagonist by Angela Ackerman

But the truth is, I’m not ready to write. I shouldn’t write.

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

Make The Most Of A Scene Through The Senses – With A Simple List

List the sensations

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

Process Goals: 6 Ways Slowing Down and Thinking Small Will Help You Write Your Book

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

How Do You Know When to Stop Expanding and Start Revising?

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

Writing scene breaks and transitions that develop your story

1: Use scene transitions to shift between time periods

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

Fast-Draft Writing for NaNoWriMo and Every Other Month

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

5 Tips for Organizing Subplots

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

How You Can Avoid Making Structural Mistakes in Your Novel

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

The Power of Decency in Fiction

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

How Do I Make Dialogue Meaningful?

~ * ~

Share this:

~ * ~

Fringe Highlight: Should Indie Authors Go KDP Exclusive or Go Wide?

~ * ~

Share this:

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**

**~ * ~**