Writers On The Move

Secrets to Getting Your Book into University Libraries, Bookstores and More

Q&A A La Ann Landers

Getting Your Book into Campus Libraries and More!

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QUESTION

Re university bookstores:
I know that Random House had my book in their catalog targeting educational sellers. Is there more than that I can do? How would I

1. identify them and

2. approach them?

ANSWER

I'm going to use my husband's experience with his What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z as an example because he was so successful with it.

He put together a form letter (which he tweaks) depending on who he is sending it to. He goes online and finds areas on campus that could use his book. That includes

1. Libraries

2. International Student Programs

3. International Student Course Teachers

4. Campus Bookstore Buyers

5. ESL classes through extension

He spends about 30 minutes a day sending the letter to the correct person when possible. Sometimes that's only one contact. Some days, when research goes well, it's three or four. He's had some amazing successes like having his book chosen as gifts/recommendations by the university that hosts the Fulbright Scholars in the US each summer. There is a cost to it beyond time. He offers a free book to those influencers who show an interest, but these most often don't result in single book sales, either. The top sale we could trace to his letters (it's sometimes easier for self-published authors to trace sales to a specific effort) was 59 copies.

Be aware, that if you find an instructor who recommends your book or uses is at class reading, the bookstore often stocks the book automatically. But not always. It doesn’t hurt to mention in a separate query or phone call that your book was ordered for a specific class or that Professor X showed an interest in your book.

One more secret. He keeps at it.

Here’s an alternative that isn't as frugal and not as effective because the contact is not personal (but it’s a lot less time-consuming!):

IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) had a catalog that they send out to libraries, a separate one to university libraries and one to reviewers. I've used that program. It can be good...or not. Depending on the title.

-----

Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. All her books for writers are multi award winners including the first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter published in 2003. Her The Frugal Editor, now in its second edition, won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-nine countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her Web site is www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

The Magic of Word-Count Graphs

I am not generally a particularly fast writer. But in November, which is National (or International) Novel Writing Month, I can consistently pump out 50,000-60,000 words in 30 days. This is my sixth year accomplishing this feat, and despite the high word count, it's always been good-quality draft. I have never been able to write so much in any other month at any other time of my life. So I got to thinking about why.

Part of it's the togetherness of it, the belonging to a group of people with like goals, the support from the organization and friends who are doing the same thing.

But another big factor, for me, is one simple thing: the word-count graph. On Nanowrimo's website, you can update your word count as often as you want (and I often do it more than once a day). It shows your progress on a nice little bar graph and calculates how far behind or ahead you are. It's magic for me, this visual representation of concrete progress on a concrete goal. So I thought: why not try to apply the same thing when it's not November?

I did an internet search and found an application I'm going to try: pacemaker.press. It lets you set goals by word count, by scene count, and various other measurements. You can also set different pace styles: steady, front-loaded, increasing, random, etc. You can set it for higher workload on weekends or other days. It tracks your progress with graphs. It seems like it might be a great tool for me.

So I'm going to test it this month and report next month. In Nanowrimo, the goal is words. I got my words in November: 58,000 of them. But I didn't quite finish the novel. I calculate there are about 15 more scenes I need to write. So I'm going to try pacemaker by scene count, and finish by Christmas. We'll see how it works.

If any of you know of similar word count trackers you've used and like, please add them in the comments below. Happy writing!

Update, 1-3-16: See my report here: Pacemaker Press--A Word Count Graph

Melinda Brasher currently teaches English as a second language in the beautiful Czech Republic. She loves the sound of glaciers calving and the smell of old books. Her travel articles and short fiction appear in Go Nomad, International Living, Electric Spec, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and others. For an e-book collection of some of her favorite published pieces, check out Leaving Home. For something a little more medieval, read her YA fantasy novel, Far-Knowing. Visit her online at http://www.melindabrasher.com.

What is Your Email’s Lifespan and What's the Best Day to Send

Email marketing is a must. It’s the only way to develop a relationship with your audience. It’s like visiting each one of your subscribers daily, once a week, or monthly. You visit however many times you and your subscribers feel is right.

This marketing strategy builds trust.

Now, although you may be sending your emails faithfully, are they being opened?

If not, that relationship becomes that of an acquaintance. You don’t really have the opportunity to build that trust. There’s no personal connection, all because you’re not getting to visit.

The importance of getting your email opened within 24 hours is critical.

According to a study by GetResponse.com (1):

23.8% of emails are opened within the first hour of delivery
After 24 hours, the chance of an email being opened is less than 1%

So, your email’s lifespan is short – it’s fleeting - barely one day.

Knowing this, it’s essential to know the best days and times to send your emails so they have the best chance of seeing the light of day. This should be the focus of your email marketing strategy.

What Hours Work Best

According to Campaign Monitor (2), 53% of emails were opened during work hours, 9AM to 5PM. The peak hours seem to be 9AM to 4PM, with a drop around 1PM (lunchtime).

Thinking about it, I can see that most employees would open their emails during work hours. Most people have too much to do after work to stop and get online after working all day.

Side note: some businesses are creating open floor plans for employees to discourage internet browsing and emailing during work hours.

One important and interesting note: Mobile devices seem to have the opposite relationship. Emails on the iPhone, Android, and other mobile devices are opened on off-work time – going to and from work, lunch hours, breaks, and so on.

Going back to the GetResponse analysis, 4-5PM saw the most email renderings. What I could gather is ‘renderings’ means ‘seen,’ whether glanced at or fully opened.

What Days Work Best

According to most statistics, as of last year, most emails were sent on Wednesday. Saturday saw the least emails sent.

However, in October 2014, GetResponse analyzed over 300 million customers’ emails and found “Tuesday won for best open rates, while Fridays got the highest click-through rate.”

The theory for Friday getting the highest CTR is possibly Friday emails also get read over the weekend.

Is your head spinning yet?

Test the Waters

Okay, it’s easy to see that email marketing needs to be tested. Aside from the fact that these statistics are from last year, every subscriber list is different. This means you need to find the days and times that work best for you.

Maybe you’re marketing to stay-at-home moms. The workday results won’t cut it with this audience. Or, maybe your list is retirees. Or, maybe, maybe, maybe.

As with everything else is marketing, strategies and what works is always changing and always need to be tested for your particular audience.

I’ve changed my email sends to Tuesday. Wednesdays were okay, but I want to see if changing the day will make a difference. After Tuesday, I’ll check out Saturday or Sunday.

Another note: From just about all the analysis going on, Mondays don’t work well because it’s the beginning of the work week and on Fridays people are thinking about the weekend.

Oh, well. That’s why testing is the only way to go.

References:

(1) http://blog.getresponse.com/whats-best-time-day-send-email.html
(2) https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/4207/best-time-to-send-email-campaigns-by-device

MORE ON MARKETING

26 Reasons a Writer Should Blog
Shaun the Sheep and Marketing with Animation
What is Social Media Proof? Is It Important? How Do You Get It?

Wanna Learn More About Email Marketing and other essentials to book marketing?

Check out BUILD YOUR AUTHOR/WRITER PLATFORM. It's a four-week e-class through WOW! Women on Writing.

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Critique Groups Do's and Don't's

Take the Leap

The purpose of a critique is to sift out what's wrong. Showcased is your polished masterpiece, ready for publication. Explore your options until you find the most effective, longest lasting way to vet your work.

While working as a freelance writer, my family moved frequently. Luckily, through membership with organizations such as SCBWI, I found a writing group at each juncture. The information gathered here comes from my own membership in different types of groups.

Join a Critique Group or Start your Own

Gather interested prospective members. Make sure each writer is:

Serious: willing to devote time studying her craft while practicing it.
Dependable: can be counted on to come to meetings and review members' work.
Honest: willing to let members know where she stands, as a beginner, intermediate or advanced writer.
Open: lets members know ahead of time what type of writing she would like to have reviewed.
Communicative: gives her input on everything from critiquing to helping to run the group.

Rules that Work

Establish a leader.
Decide how many members are desired.
Decide the type of writing preferred, if any. For example:
Open Group: Allows all kinds of writing at any level. The advantages are many. The variety of different types of writing gives the group widely varying points of view. One of the groups I belonged to had a poet, three article writers, and an adult novelist. The group expanded my world.
Closed Group: Offers members who write only in your genre and are at about the same level. Advantages include powerful know-how in your genre. Potential for longer critiques is possible. Partnering among members is possible for more frequent and indepth critiques. Also, members can help each other stay abreast of conferences, webinars, informational books, etc. When I wrote biosketches for Biography Today, I had deadlines which weren't easy to keep because of my daughters' activities. My writing partner spent one entire day helping me crank out one of my assignments so I could meet the deadline. Whew!
Agree on one of the following:
No Homework: a writer brings a chapter, a section or a few pages of a work to be read on the spot. The writer can read her own work or ask another member to read it. During the reading, each member takes notes on a separate piece of paper. After the reading the members go round- robin to share their notes then give their note paper to the writer to take home.
Homework: each piece of writing is emailed to members by an agreed-upon date, no exceptions. Members critique the work at home and share their results at the meeting. Members' copies are then given to the writer to take home. Writer brings her own copy of her work so she can follow along during the critiques. Critiquer is given a specified amount of time to explain her critique and the writer is given a specific amount of time to ask questions or comments. I've belonged to both types of groups and really have no preference. I found both Open and Closed Groups effective as long as they were run productively.
A timer: members agree on the amount of time given to each critiquer. Enough time is given so that no one feels rushed. There can be exceptions, along as everyone agrees, if a writer needs more time. However, this is an important rule, especially if the group is large. Everyone deserves a critique. There is nothing worse than having one person take up so much time that the meeting either lasts too long (and everyone gets exhausted, which can weaken enthusiasm), or there isn't enough time for everyone to share their work.
Cut the Chit Chat: be firm about saving chit chat for later because it's easy to fall into this trap and lose the main purpose for meeting.
Food or No Food: meet at a public place, if possible, such as a room at the library. Meeting in people's homes can be way too comfortable. These kinds of meetings can incur a serious loss of productivity. One of my favorite groups solved this by having two pot luck meetings a year, summer and winter, at lunchtime. We still worked but relaxed and visited. We even brought white elephant gifts for our winter get-together (in someone's home) during the holidays.

Parting Words of Wisdom

Here is a sprinkling of "focus" notes I keep on my bulletin board as reminders of what I am about as a writer.

Show, don't tell: spend one (or more) entire revision sit-downs combing your ms for "telling" statements. Turn those into "showing" your readers what's going on.
Nonfiction articles: one editor's advice was simple. Answer the W's in the first two (or three) paragraphs. Then the rest of your article is the How.
Nonfiction articles and books: Before embarking on your idea (and spending time on it), make sure you have acquired the photos.
Write it plain, then make it pretty: I heard this during an editor's talk and have followed it ever since. It's a great tool. The first time(s) "getting it down" you can't possibly expect your writing to shine. All you're doing is pouring your soul onto paper. After you're sure you've written everything you want to say, put your ms for a rest. When you pick it up again, make your writing more interesting; splather your personality all over the page; give it your all.
Entertain your reader: Just like being a host at a party; if you're having fun, your reader will have fun.
When in doubt, research: if you're stuck (have writer's block) it might mean that you need to do more research. Fiction and nonfiction alike both have to be accurate, so perhaps you need to spend some time looking something up to learn more about it. If you're stuck on a non-research-type problem, then you might need to rest a bit and do a THINK. One of my writing instructors talked about BIG THINKS a lot. We all keep pen and paper with us at all times. Who knows, you might solve the problem by suggesting what you need before you go to sleep at night. The problem could be solved in the morning or in a few days, depending on the size of the problem. If you can identify the problem as a plot problem, a characterization problem, etc., then study the area in question. You might find your answer there. I think we all know, too, that often our answers come while we're sewing, doing a flower arrangement, or on a walk. So sometimes it's best to do something else that's creative to relax your mind. It often kickstarts your imagination into doing wondrous things.
Sit your reader down across the table: and talk to him. Tell him your story. You can try this out loud if you've come to a snag.
Write while sitting on the edge of your seat: that's how you want your reader to be, so engrossed in your story that their eyes light up and their super excited about your story.
Remember this wisdom from Robert Frost: No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.

Watch for next month's post: "You, the Writer; You the Critiquer."
Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction courses, picture book course and mystery and suspense course. She is currently working on several projects for children. Follow Linda on Facebook.

How Reading Can Make You a Better Writer

guldfisken / Foter.com / CC BY

Once again, Hillsdale College is offering another Great Books course, Great Books 102.

And it's free!

Here is an opportunity for great writers to learn from great authors. This 11 week, non-credit course covers the Renaissance to Modern fiction. You will read great works from authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, and Twain. It is a great source for writers who are deliberately practicing their craft.

Studies reveal there is a benefit to reading literary fiction. The reader connects with the complexities of characters and their situations. Inferences are made since more is left to the imagination, resulting in strengthening cognitive skills and empathy.

But you don't have to only read literary fiction. This author suggests reading anything and everything:

Writers need to read. A lot. Magazines. Books. Periodicals. And so on. They need to grasp the art of language, to appreciate the finer points of words. As they read, they should jot down ideas and capture thoughts as they come.

Here are 5 ways reading helps you become a better writer:

1. Broadens vocabulary - Reading books exposes us to an abundance of wonderful words that will hook your reader. Using just the right word will make your writing shine!

2. Inspires - Reading can trigger a memory or idea for your own writing.

3. Increased knowledge - Reading brings us to other times, places, and experiences. Learn to love learning. It provides greater understanding of the world around you.

4. Motivates - Reading may get you back on track with your own writing. Have you ever read a book and thought, "I could have written that!" Reading can stir your own passion and get you moving.

5. Exposure to various writing styles - What books do you like? How does the author hook you? Are the characters interesting? How so? Study and take notes. Then let your own style take shape.

By all means, enjoy reading. Don't get lost in over analyzing. Just read! Very naturally, you will be learning and growing as a writer.

***

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children and teaching art classes for 10 years, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. She enjoys writing magazine articles and more recently had her story, "One of a Kind", published in The Kids' Ark. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at

When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

Writers: Do you wake up smiling? Feeling no pain?

Contributed by Marlene Hibbard

If you can’t say yes to the title questions, I have some reminders of ways to help eliminate aches and pains that can be associated with sitting at your computer for long periods of time.

Ergonomics vs. Pain

2 Major Mistakes and Solutions for Musculoskeletal Disorder

MSD stands for many things but for our purposes it’s musculoskeletal disorder. And it’s all too common, especially for writers. We sit at the computer for hours. I’m as guilty as you when it comes to disciplining myself to sit properly. Do you carry the laptop to the TV table where there isn’t even knee space causing serious muscle strain?

Even my beautiful new desk chair tempts me to lean to one side with its tempting arm rests. I can’t reach both of them with my arms so I lean on one. Next morning, I feel the strain in the opposite side of my back.

Mistake #1

Positioning and Posture Carelessness

Habitually leaning to one side or bending over the computer places the lower back at risk of injury. Ask yourself if you practice good posture? Or is it head knowledge only? To know the right thing and not practice it brings suffering.

What to Do Instead

An adjustable chair is essential for good health. Raised or lower it for positioning arms and feet properly. Notice the arms in this picture are not exactly horizontal. Arm rests can usually be removed.

Sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair and a lumbar support if necessary. Feet should be flat on the floor.

Practice makes perfect. Your back will thank you and you’ll save money for therapists and chiropractors. You’ll wake up smiley without pain.

Mistake #2

Begging for Eye Strain or Disrupted Sleep?

The manuscript seemed perfect until you left it for a day, took another look before sending it to the publisher, and decided to revamp. You’ll be up until dawn. Deadline. Tomorrow. Your eyes are already strained just thinking about it.

Two of the mistakes regarding eye strain that bring this about are mentioned here.

You’ve read studies spelling out that late night screen viewing disrupts sleep. It could be the blue lights from your computer screen.

What to Do Instead

You can change the light/darkness of your screen. Also, do a search on YouTube.com for eye strain. Some users have claimed that a program called F.lux can help eye strain by dimming your monitor depending on the time of day. Your screen will display an orange-ish color in the evening mimicking nature. I haven’t tried it but I think I might. You decide and let me know in the comments.

Another issue with this is eye strain from not having the screen at proper distance. If you are using the laptop keyboard you probably have your arms too high, causing upper limb strain.

What to Do Instead

Most of these things cause you to wake up in pain but simply paying attention to your posture will solve your problems.

With the extra keyboard and mouse lower than your laptop, you may want to raise the screen. You could place a book or cardboard box under it. Whatever it takes to make you wake up smiling, right?

Please leave a comment to let us know any strategies you use to help alleviate strained muscles or eyes from writing.

I’m Marlene Hibbard, coming to you from the mountains of Virginia and the author of Hideous Health Habits. Visit www.hideoushealthhabits.com for more health tips.

~~~~~

MORE ON WRITING

The Work of Editing
Your Character’s Smirking . . . or is He? Synonym Pitfalls
10 Bad Writing Habits to Break

26 Reasons a Writer Should Blog - Part 7 Final

So we've done it! We're at the end of the alphabet. Typically, the last three points are the most difficult to come up with.

Since April, we've worked through the letters of the alphabet, each month choosing one significant word from the next two or three letters in the alphabet that clarify reasons why a writer should blog.
Now to come up with reasons beginning with X, Y and Z

24. X is for the X-Factor of Writing

During my first lesson in Algebra at school, I learned a crucial fact, that "X" is an unknown quantity. People often talk about the X-factor of various topics, in other words an unknown factor that influences the outcome. A dictionary definition of the term describes the X-Factor as “a variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome”.

The variable is therefore something which can influence the situation. What does this have to do with writing, or blogging in particular?

I have been writing for publication for about fifteen years. That is my situation. During that time I have learned there are things I do well, and there are areas where I suck. Blogging has the potential to act as my variable. It has brought about some key changes in my writing.

I have seen a significant impact on my writing output. I have two websites, each of which has its own blog. In Write to Inspire, my posts are geared to inspire and encourage writers and readers, and in Rise and Soar, my goal is to inspire and encourage those doing battle with cancer. I aim at producing at least one post a week on each of these.

I also contribute monthly to this blog, Writers on the Move, and once or twice a month to International Christian Fellowship of Writers. That's not counting my many writing commitments. So I have to keep writing. As a result, I'm also writing faster. My ability to do research has grown wings, and my creativity is expanding.

So for me, it's not a question of finding the X-factor in blogging. Blogging is the X-factor in my writing life. How about you?

25. Y is for YouTube. I had only used a YouTube video clip once on my blog before I tackled the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April. However, when I wrote on N is for N’kosi Sekelel e’Africa, a post about the magnificent South African national anthem, it wasn’t enough to tell my readers the history. Nor was it enough to copy out the words for them. They needed to hear it for themselves!

I searched YouTube and found a stirring rendering of the anthem, complete with the words superimposed on a background of our flag. It was so easy to post this into my blog.

Don’t know how?

On YouTube, find the clip you want to use, then click on share. Choose the option, Embed. This will give you a line of code. Copy that to your clipboard.

Now open your blog. Go to ‘source’ or ‘html’ to find the code for your post. Paste the video clip’s code into the correct spot. It’s as easy as that.

(If you’re new to html code, try pasting it right at the end of the post. Then come out of the code and drag the video image to where you want it.

26. Z is for Zest. The dictionary describes zest as “Vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment”. If you are a writer, you cannot only write when you’re in the mood.

No business man would only go to the office when he felt like it. No nurse can only care for the sick when she feels dedicated. If you’re serious about writing, you need to write when it’s time to write. Not just when you’re gripped by the Scribe Bug.

However with blogging it is good to strike while the iron is hot, to use a cliché. When you’re in the mood, or in the zone as the youngsters would say, sit down and blog. For example, I outlined the majority of the 26 posts for this series with great zest in a few hours one morning. I skipped over any letters that didn’t immediately grab me and came back to them some days later.

As long as you have something scheduled to go live on your blog on the day you plan, you don’t have to write them literally on the day. (See S is for Scheduling.)

I hope you have found this series of 26 Reasons Why a Writer Should Blog helpful and informative. It has also included many tips on how to make blogging easier and more effective for you. Please leave a note to indicate what you have found helpful, and don't forget to leave a link to your own blog so we can pay you a visit!

Until next month . . .

THE FULL SERIES:

26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part I: A - C
26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part II: D-G
26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part III: H-K
26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part IV: L-O
26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part V: P-S
26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part VI:T-W

26 Reasons for a Writer to Blog - Part VII: X-Z

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer, has brought encouragement and inspiration to a multitude of friends and contacts across the world.

Visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com where she encourages writers, or at RiseAndSoar.com where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or Facebook.

Sign up to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

The Work of Editing

So you have probably all seen the images showing how much time is spent actually writing. Sad but true, that even when we, as writers are working at our best capacity, we still find ways to be distracted.

I work in an office that is almost exclusively used for my writing, yet, still I find myself moving containers, getting my tea where it is handy, straightening books, etc. Moving, organizing, and preparing are as much a part of the writing process as actually putting my fingers on the keyboard.

Of course, I must do a bit of thinking - although sometimes this is done well before I make my way to the studio to work. It is done in a bathtub, hammock or even in bed. Sometimes while walking, doing dishes or making beds.

Finally, I get words onto the screen.

All too soon, the creative process is over and its time to edit. And that part of the process is exhausting - both in time and intensity of work.

Recently, I was asked to edit an autobiography. The original had been published in Guatemala and now the author was prepared to publish in the U.S. She had searched for an editor, someone who would edit lightly so as to leave her voice. I apparently made the cut and was trusted with the work.

Editing a piece of writing that is being translated is in itself interesting. Verbs are generally inconsistent due to tense issues. Present and past tense met and merged throughout the document and had to be fixed. As she had requested, I was mindful in my editing to her voice as a native Guatemalan. One thing I found immediately, editing lightly allowed me to be less ruthless than I am generally with my own work, especially with word choice and in particular regarding verbs.

Another challenge was homonyms. These were varied and kept me on my toes. I was also made mindful of cultural differences in how individuals referenced each other.

As I worked to finished the initial portion of the project, I gave much thought to the amount of time, but also to the final product. Editing is a must, but with this project there was no need to agonize for word choice.

I came to realize that the editing process is really made up of several different evaluations.

1. General grammar:

Checking for correct spelling, capitalization, and sentence structure.

2. Format:

Line spacing, font and size type

3. Story or plot line:

Does the story flow? Does it keep the reader's attention?

4. Word choice

Strengthening verbs or other descriptions, reviewing metaphors and similes.

Editing is in itself an effort of love, a love of the process.

__________________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, House of Glass, Book 2 of The Exodus Serieswas written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole, and Perception.The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook.

Fuel Your Creativity with a Short Trip

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach

Recently, I'd been charging ahead with so many writing projects that I sort of ran out of steam and knew I needed to fuel my creativity by stepping away from the writing for a day or two.

So my husband and I planned a quick trip - not much more than a day trip really, although we did spend the night.

We didn't go far or to some fancy place.

Just to Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

We knew there was an inexpensive little motel there right on the Spring River and we could enjoy the view from our room. This was our view:

There is also a park right there with a sidewalk that goes around it, so it was a nice place to walk, and we had the perfect weather for doing just that.

We watched the ducks and geese and I felt myself relax and the stress leave my body as we enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

Here's the park:

On the way home we also stopped to take photos of anything that seemed interesting. Here's one of the huge raven in Ravenden, Arkansas:

This is the mill outside of Hardy, Arkansas:

If you're a writer who needs to refuel your creativity, I suggest you take a short trip, like I did. Here are some tips for making the most of it.

• Make sure the weather will be good for your trip. That way you can easily stop whenever you see something of interest so you can take a photo. You'll also be able to spend time outdoors once you get to your destination.

• Get a motel room (or a room at an inn) with a view. There's just something about a view that lets your mind drift and new ideas start to flow.

• Plan to spend time outdoors where you can commune with nature and get a little exercise and fresh air as you walk in the sunshine. You'll feel yourself start to relax as you forget about all the things waiting for you at home.

• Take lots of photos. You can use these photos later as writing prompts or even blog posts (as I've done here).

• Don't overdo it. The purpose of the trip is to relax and unwind, so don't schedule too many activities.

Do you have any other tips for making the most of a short trip? If so, please share them here as a comment.

Happy trails!

Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer, writing coach, certified life coach, and the author of over 30 published books. For more tips, resources, and other helpful information about writing and the business of writing, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at www.morningnudge.com.

5 Writing Mistakes to Avoid in Your NaNoWriMo Participation

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is here again. Every year in November thousands of writers participate. They each buckle down and write a novel within the month of November. That's a pretty impressive task.

Well, last year during NaNoWriMo, Grammarly.com did something unique. They worked with nearly 500 writers from 54 countries to crowdsource a novel. They analyzed the resulting 40,000 or so words and uncovered some writing mistakes that happened time and again, then summarized the top five in a handy infographic:

Five Mistakes To Avoid in Your NaNoWriMo Novel Infographic

Attribution for this infographic goes to: https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check

Want more Free tips on editing your work? Check out Editing Books Like a Pro:

How to Find Time to Write this Season

The holidays are upon us and I know what you’re thinking: “How on earth am I going to get any writing done between now and the end of the year?”

There’s shopping, holiday parties (hosting and attending) and events, and various distractions that seem to only happen in November and December. Here’s a secret. We have lots of pockets of time throughout the day when we could be writing. Use them.

Here are five places to find time to write during the busy holiday season.

While Waiting. Whether you are waiting to meet someone, for an appointment. Or in line, take out a notebook or start writing down your thoughts on your mobile device.
In Transit. Voice to text technology has gotten so much better (anyone reading remember when you had to train your voice recognition software?). Verbalize your ideas while en route, just make sure you don’t get over-enthusiastic or distracted.
During Exercise. Why not also use record your thoughts while working out? Your mind is clear, so you’ll probably come up with some fantastic ideas.
Get Up Early. Set your alarm to go off 15 to 30 minutes early, and get in some writing before you start your day. Yes, you can also stay up late.
Swap Time. We all need downtime, but just swap just one television episode or 15 minutes of social media time for writing time every other day. When you see your progress, it will be worth it.

And here are five things to write when only you have a short period of time:

Journal.. Are you happy? Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Amused by something you just saw? Write it down. Gather your emotions and observations, and write them down as fuel for future projects.
Ideas. Similar to journaling, keep a dedicated notebook or computer document for all ideas to use in future writing projects. They don’t even have to be complete thoughts, a list of ideas will serve the same purpose. This is the perfect distraction while waiting in long lines at checkout.
Blog Post Draft. Perhaps you will not have a complete, ready to go blog post in 15 minutes, but you can certainly write a draft. And then rewrite it on your next 15 minute block of time.
A Pitch. Write a query for a book, article, story, screenplay.
Your Work in Progress. A few minutes here and there on your work in progress will add up. Granted, more time is better. But even if you add words to your non-fiction book, novel, or screenplay for a few minutes a day, it will stay on top of mind and continue to progress.
Bonus: Edit. Anything.

Don’t let the busy holiday season keep you from writing. Use those pockets of time to move forward and keep you happily distracted from the craziness of the season.

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Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group.

She is the host of the Guided Goals Podcast and author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages.

She is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Twubs, Magic for Hashtags and Authors

Judging from questions I get in my e-mail box, many people don’t understand hashtags or are just plain annoyed by them.

Yep, they get over used. They can become part of an understandable sentence but shouldn’t intrude or take over. Aside from being irritating, though, they can be a real promotion plus because of a relatively new Web site, www.Twubs.com! If there are any keywords that would point to some of your own branding, you can use www.Twubs.com to “own” them. There you will get a page of your own including an opportunity to put your banner on the page, sort of like making a profile page. It's also a little like registering your hashtag or copyrighting your hashtag!. And it’s free.

So far some of mine look like this: #SharingwithWriters (which collected tweets I post about my #SharingwithWritings newsletter and this blog and the broader concept of when I want to share with writers). Another is #CarolynHowardJohnson (my name), #TheFrugalBookPromoter (one of my books in my HowToDoItFrugally series of books that connotes a lot of what I do), #TheFrugalEditor (for posts resourcing this second book in that same series).

I also have some registered hashtags that are more general like #GreatBookReviews and #MovieReviews. I use the latter most often, I think, because I try to do 140 character Twitter reviews that include things we writers can learn from the particular movie I’m reviewing--and I see most movies that come out including indies.

Mindy Philips Lawrence, who does the regular “Itty Bitty” column for my #SharingwithWriters newsletter could get an #IttyBitty hashtag and then include my @FrugalBookPromo in the tweets she does about her column to prompt me to retweet to my 20,000 plus followers. You can do the same thing!

Once a hashtag is registered, this site (Twubs.com) picks up anyone who uses your registered hashtag and puts it in the stream on that page! There are tons of ways you can network with the info that gets collected on your Twubs page, too. Neat, huh?

And anyone can use them in their tweets and elsewhere to expand the exposure of your social networking efforts.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers including The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromo) and The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor). Learn more about all her books from nonfiction on retailing to poetry at http://HowToDoItFrugally.com.

Tropes In Literature #1: Mr. Exposition and Captain Obvious

Tropes are common themes, plot elements, or literary devices so popular they've often become cliché. Some people hate them. Some editors will throw your manuscript in the trash the moment they see a trope they're tired of. Others will reject it because it doesn't follow a popular pattern. People like Terry Pratchett make an art of purposely employing too many tropes, to hilarious effect. The thing is, clichés become clichés for a reason: we LOVE certain story elements, and don't mind if we see them over and over again. Entire genres are built on well established tropes that readers not only tolerate, but expect.

Tropes: Use Them or Not?

My opinion: be aware of the tropes of your genre, then go ahead and use the ones you like, the ones that serve your story, but play around with them. Make them your own. It's true that, when you boil everything down, there aren't a whole lot of truly unique stories. It's the way you tell it that makes it unique.

I'll be featuring individual devices and plot elements here in my Literature Tropes series, but if you want to get lost for an hour or two, visit tvtropes.org, where you'll discover all sorts of familiar tropes with clever names like "Dark Lord on Life Support" or "Conveniently an Orphan."

Mr. Exposition

This trope involves a character who exists only to explain a plot element, an important scientific or magical law, an aspect of a foreign culture, etc. to the protagonist. Often it's actually for the benefit of the reader, not the protagonist, who should know it already. Think of all those TV detectives explaining forensic procedures to each other. I call this "exposition in dialogue," and it's awkward if all characters in the conversation already know everything they're saying, yet they say it anyway. As a writer, you should think of a more natural way to get the information across to your reader. If you want some specific alternatives, read my post on Exposition in Dialogue. Employing Mr. Exposition occasionally—for information the characters really don't know—can be useful and efficient. And if it's ingrained enough in the character's personality, it can really work. Think of Star Trek's Data or the immortal Sherlock Holmes.

Captain Obvious

We've all had visits from Captain Obvious in our real lives. In writing, he's that character who says something that not just the characters but the reader should also clearly know.

Example:

You can sometimes make brilliant use this for emphasis, or with a sarcastic character, but be careful otherwise.

Captain Obvious also likes to repeat in dialogue what has already been narrated. Picture a vividly written scene where two people are tied to the tracks and blinded by the light of the oncoming train. Then one character says, "Hey, there's an oncoming train!" This may be perfect for comic effect, but avoid it if it's not meant to be funny.

Be Aware

Remember, tropes aren't necessarily good or bad. It's how you use them. Being aware of some of the most common ones will help you make conscious decisions about using them, twisting them…or cutting them.