what your writing says about you

Liza Wiemer has a lovely blog that she devotes to young adults and the issues they face. I was surprised and pleased when she asked me to write a guest post for the WhoRuBlog. Of course, I’m terrible with titles, so Liza graciously supplied a title for my post, Mean or Snarky/Hero or Prodigy: What Your Writing Says About You.

I hope you will visit me today at the WhoRuBlog!

The Writer’s Chatroom chats with Camille Kimball

From Audrey Shaffer at The Writer’s Chatroom:

Chat with Camille Kimball

Camille Kimball is an Emmy award winning investigative reporter.  As a journalist she has written a regular column in a major market newspaper, had bylines in the LA Times and the Irish Times of Dublin, done work for Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and many others.  Most of Kimball’s career has been spent on-air in radio and television.

During the time the Serial Shooter was attacking Phoenix, Kimball was anchoring newscasts for a radio news service. "A Sudden Shot: the Phoenix Serial Shooter" from Penguin (Berkley) is her first book.  She is at work on her second.  In 2010, she will also appear in the non-fiction anthology The Mammoth Book of the World’s Hardest from Constable & Robinson.

Kimball has two favorite things:  a) temperatures below 107 and  b) readers posting messages of hope for the families in A Sudden Shot.

You can leave a message on the book’s Facebook page.

WHEN? Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. (Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are?  http://www.worldtimeserver.com)

WHERE? The Writers Chatroom at:  http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.

Please note:  The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Don’t forget the open chat on Wednesday nights, 8-11 pm EST!

lunch hour links for writers – 11-18-09

Well I missed my lunch hour links deadline last week, I simply had one of those “perfect storms” where there was more to be done than hours in the day could accommodate, and the manuscript came first. When evaluating whether to add one more stressor to my list or skip a week, the blog took the hit. Fortunately, Alex Bledsoe had been kind enough to drop by with a lovely interview, so I did leave you in good hands last week.

For the record, not a lot went on last week, even Nathan Bransford bemoaned the lack of publishing news, and his links wrapped things up nicely.

The Google Book Settlement

Apparently, it was all the quiet before the storm, because YES! You guessed it, the Google Book Settlement is back in the news [insert evil Google laughter here]! Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware Blogs has a great summary with must read links on The Revised Google Book Search Settlement. If you really want the low-down, head over to Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SWFA) blog where you can download a podcast of the panel on the Google Book Settlement with Russell Davis, Karen Wester Newton, Charles Petit, Jay Lake, Christopher Kastensmidt, and Dan Gamber.

Now that I’ve had my Google Book Settlement fix for the week, let’s move on to the fun side of writing with NaNoWriMo (still in progress). It’s day 18 and I tweeted (and tweeted and tweeted and tweeted) for writers who were blogging about their NaNoWriMo experience to send me a link to their site. One did!

NaNoWriMo News and Links

Over at the Pop Syndicate, you can read Book Addict with Angela Wilson, where Angela gives a great run-down of what NaNoWriMo is and isn’t. She’s also blogging about the whole NaNoWriMo experience so read her other great posts. Good information and a fun read. Thanks for sending your link, Angela.

I did find out why no NaNoWriMo writers were answering my tweets when I read Lanetta J. Sprott’s post on Reaching the NaNo Goal. It seems that Twitter was one of the first things to go in order to make more time for novel writing.

Annlee Ellingson at Mots Justes (@motsjustes) tweeted this NaNo link that works for everyone no matter what kind of novel you’re writing! If you’re moving into the climax of your novel, you need to read NaNoWriMo Prep Elements of Act Three at The Dark Salon blog.

The Craft of Writing and Writing Techniques

While all that was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed my friend Peter Cooper’s experience. He’s not participating in NaNoWriMo, but he is using some NaNo philosophy in writing his second novel, The Weight of Souls. In his post, he talks about Driving Without Headlights. I love the title of his new novel and how Peter is always experimenting with new writing methods.

Of course, if you’re like me and found the seat of the pants writing style to be insufficient for your needs, Debbie Ridpath Ohi (@inkyelbows) tweeted this link for Ten Tips – Outline Your Way to a Better Novel.

Dry for story ideas? Build a novel from a fairy tale. Writer Unboxed gives you all the tips you need for Old Bones, New Flesh: Building a Novel from a Fairy Tale Concept by Juliet Marillier.

Jonathan Danz tweeted a link to this great piece of shareware, yWriter. So far, Jonathan is enjoying it, I haven’t tried it yet but will probably experiment as time allows.

While we’re talking about Jonathan, go visit his blog, Words and Coffee, and read his article on Writer Identity, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Process. A great post on the joy of writing.

Head over and visit my good friend Kelly Bryson at her new blog Book Readress where Kelly is reviewing books on writing. See her reviews where she shares what she’s learned from Stephen King On Writing and Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuinn.

Looking for more of those tips to deal with pesky dialogue issues in your novels? Head over and visit Jessica Rosen’s Girl Meets Word blog for a super post on her Friday Forum: Dynamic Dialogue.

Author Lilith Saint Crow sent out this tweet about the Clockwork Storybook blog’s post on the five stages of decline for writers entitled Hard to Fly, Easy to Fall . . . It’s got some wonderful advice for both published and unpublished writers.

Author Michael Stackpole gives an interesting technique to help you become a better writer with his post Analyzing Writing.

Well, I’m feverishly working on my query synopsis, dreading the day when I have to start working on my actual synopsis for my query package when along comes this great tweet from Writer’s Digest on synopsis help with Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

If you’re interested in publishing news and the transitions currently inspired by ebooks and other changes in the book industry, Colleen Lindsay tweeted this link to the Idea Logical blog where you can find this informative post on Literary Agents and the Changing World of Trade Publishing.

Angie Ledbetter was the Rachelle Gardner’s guest blogger and she wrote the funniest post on Writerly Ailments and Hazards (WAAH). If you think you’re immune to the stressors of family life while writing, Angie will show you where you are wrong. She handles her subject with wit and grace, and also offers tips on combating these writerly ills.

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Rose and Thorn e-zine is open to submissions and you can go to their spiffy new web site and click on submissions to see how to submit both prose and poetry.

MORE NIBBLES AND LINKS

Jane Friedman at Writers’ Digest is back with the Writers’ Digest Best Tweets for Writers.

While I was off slacking, Andy Shackcloth was busy gathering some great links for his Sunday Wash-up. Bookmark Andy’s page where you can find great articles and the best links that he can find on the Internet.

More great links can be had at Pimp My Novel every Friday. For those who missed it, here is last week’s post entitled Friday Plugs, Er, Round Up.

That’s it for this week, and I certainly hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, but just in case roll through the sidebar and visit a few of the folks there. I’ve added a few new links you might find interesting, and I will continue to update and add links as I wander across the Internet in search of next week’s lunch hour links for writers . . .

Have a great week!

a passion for storytelling

This one goes out to Angie Ledbetter at The Gumbo Writer for giving me my topic for this week: “Blogging or writing even when you feel like poop on a cracker.” Yeah, I can dig it. There are days when I force myself to write something even when I arrive home from work wanting to do nothing other than go straight to bed.

So why do I put myself through this? It begins with desire. I really want a career as a writer, and in order to fulfill that dream, I have to apply myself with the same diligence as anyone else who is starting a business. I set goals for myself and work to achieve those goals by applying discipline, so no matter how tired I am, I crank up my laptop and write.

Anytime I feel like slacking, I remind myself the book isn’t going to get written without a great deal of effort from me. Then I remember one of my writing instructors talking about having a passion for storytelling.

Now I am at the crux of the matter. It’s all about having a sincere passion for telling a story. You see, I don’t just want to write; anyone can strings words and sentences together in a coherent fashion and write. I want to do more. I want to give you something special, something many wonderful authors have given me in the past – a reprieve from stress, a place to go where someone else’s problems are more intense than your own, a place where you can feel safe and in control.

Open a book and fall deep into a story, so much so that you forget everything but the characters in front of you. That’s storytelling. That’s what I want to do for you. That’s the goal I keep before my eyes when I’m so tired the screen blurs before me.

Blogging? That’s the professional side of my writing, because I love communicating with other writers.

The novel? Well, that’s a little different, but if you come close and listen ever so carefully, I have a story to tell . . .

What keeps you going?

Booklove reviews Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon

Booklove reviews

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story
by Carolyn Turgeon

 

“Lil lives a quiet life, working each day in a dusty used book shop in Manhatten,  then returning home to her lonely apartment each night.  We soon realize, however, that Lil is not just any old woman.  Home after a long day of work, she draws a warm bath, undresses and sinks into the welcoming warmth.  “I was alone, finally, completely free.  I leaned forward and unclenched my back.  A pure feeling of bliss moved through me.  My wings unfurled . . .”

 

Read the complete review at Booklove!

An Interview with Alex Bledsoe

I’m very excited to have with us today Alex Bledsoe.

Alex is the author of the vampire novel, Blood Groove, and the Eddie LaCrosse series, which includes the novels The Sword-Edged Blonde and Burn Me Deadly. (Be sure to scroll down for a chance to win a signed copy of Burn Me Deadly!)

Alex has also written a western short story, “Draw Down,” which can be read in The Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction; and two essays: “To the Batpole! Alfred Explains the Facts of Life” in Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City; and “Mal Contents: Captain Reynolds Grows Up” in Serenity Found: More Unauthorized Essays.

Alex has taken time out of his busy schedule to visit with us and talk about his novels. He also has some valuable information on writing techniques that he shares. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed corresponding with Alex.

I present Alex Bledsoe:

Your second Eddie LaCrosse novel, Burn Me Deadly, is due for release tomorrow (November 10, 2009). Tell us about Burn Me Deadly and your Eddie LaCrosse series.

Author Virginia Baker did the best capsule summary when she called it, “Sam Spade with a sword.” Eddie is a former mercenary who now works as a “sword jockey,” a medieval private investigator. The first novel, The Sword-Edged Blonde, was an epic that covered decades and dealt with the fate of kingdoms. Burn Me Deadly is smaller in scope, but the stakes are just as high, particularly for Eddie.

Eddie LaCrosse isn’t the standard fantasy hero. Rather than being a prodigy born with great skills, he’s just a guy trying to make a living, yet his actions and thoughts are incredibly heroic. Can you give us your philosophy on creating realistic heroes?

Eddie is a guy who lost his capacity for empathy following a tragedy, finally realized its value and now struggles mightily to hang onto it. To me that’s the core of his heroism. He’s not a mighty warrior, there’s no prophecy announcing his advent, and he has no elder/mentor figure advising him.

Thanks to Joseph Campbell as filtered through George Lucas, there’s a perception that all heroes must be Chosen Ones fulfilling some Prophecy by undertaking a Hero’s Journey. It’s so pervasive that even the new Captain Kirk is a Chosen One: he has a miraculous birth, for example, and is given a quest by his elder/mentor. At the risk of over-generalizing, the idea that someone could become a hero by virtue of hard work over time seems utterly foreign to the generation who grew up after Luke Skywalker.

With Blood Groove, you left Eddie LaCrosse behind and went straight into the horror genre.

Blood Groove began as a way to set down all the cool things I liked about vampires. I started it back in the 1990s and kept working at it over the intervening years. The central concept remained the same: an Old World vampire, who knows all the folklore secrets, meets New World vampires who only know what they are from the movies. But it took some different directions before I finally got a handle on it.

Baron Zginski was inspired by Count Dracula. It’s impossible to write about vampires in any meaningful way and not at some level deal with Stoker; that cape casts a long shadow. Even Steven King acknowledges that. But of course, I didn’t want to simply recreate or mock Dracula, so over time I took Zginski in some different directions. Ultimately, I think he has his own identity.

Why did you decide to set Blood Groove in the mid-seventies?

I wanted the popular image of the vampire to be pre-Anne Rice, and Interview with the Vampire came out in 1976. I also wanted a time when the simpler technology made it easier to set yourself up with a fake identity.

In both The Sword-Edged Blonde and Burn Me Deadly, you have an excellent grip on what makes fantasy novels fun, but your never lose the dark edge of noir mysteries. How do you manage to achieve a balance between the genres?

First, thanks for the compliment. The Sword-Edged Blonde went through a lot of drafts as I tried to strike that balance initially. Finding Eddie’s voice was the most important element, and once I had that, the rest came pretty quickly. And now that I’ve written about that world for a while, it’s much easier to slip into it. I still stray occasionally into pointless anachronism, usually trying to be funny, but cooler heads generally restrain me before it reaches the reader.

It is apparent in both your novels and your discussions about movies that characters are the crux of the story for you. When crafting your novels, what are some of the challenges you find in bringing your characters to life?

I’m very conscious of how people speak. The authors I admire are all masters of that: Raymond Chandler, Robert B. Parker, Faulkner, Hemingway. Elmore Leonard can write whole novels almost entirely in dialogue. When I feel I’ve captured the way a character talks, then I’ve got a handle on him or her.

I’m also focused on characters’ emotional lives, and feel that many of the tropes of traditional fantasy get in the way of communicating it. It’s one of the reasons I use fairly normal names in the Eddie LaCrosse novels. It’s possible to write meaningfully about a character named Fgh’tgu’tf, but as a reader I’m immediately distanced by this unpronounceable word. Name the same character Tommy, and I empathize much more quickly. Same thing when common objects are renamed: if it’s a horse, I’m going to call it a horse, not a “burden-beast.” The goal is to eliminate anything that interferes with the reader’s connection with the story.

All of your novels carry layered plot-lines, yet you never miss a detail at the end. Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline your novels before writing, and if so, do your characters sometimes surprise you by providing unexpected plot twists?

I’ve begun using outlines, because at this stage of my career publishers like to see the story in some form before committing to the book. I don’t feel constrained by it; it’s a challenge, just like learning to write to a deadline, or in a genre you’re not intimately familiar with.

And boy, do the characters surprise you. As an example, Lee Ann in Blood Groove was originally a one-scene, one-note character, but as I wrote she kept popping up. Ultimately she allowed me to show an unexpected side to Zginski.

So what’s next for you?

Eddie will return in Dark Jenny, set for 2011, and in 2012 in a so-far-untitled adventure. Zginski and the Memphis vampires will be back in May 2010 in The Girls with Games of Blood. And I’ll be introducing a whole new fantasy world in 2011 in The Hum and the Shiver.

After reading the Eddie LaCrosse series and Blood Groove, I’ll be watching for both Dark Jenny and The Girls with Games of Blood. If you want to read more about Alex and his new series The Hum and the Shiver, you can visit him at:

Alex Bledsoe’s Official Website: www.alexbledsoe.com

Keep up with all of Alex’s news at his blog . . . Down in Lucky Town or by following him on Twitter @AlexBledsoe.

You can can fan Alex on Facebook at Author Alex Bledsoe where you can help Alex get his first 100 fans AND have the chance to win a signed copy of Burn Me Deadly! Go to Author Alex Bledsoe and spread the word!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read Alex’s novels yet, I can’t recommend them enough. You can order Alex’s novels from Barnes & Nobel or Amazon. Once you’ve tried one, you’ll want to read them all – I did!

Thank you, Alex, and thank you all for stopping in to visit!

lunch hour links for writers – 11/4/09

NaNoWriMo edition. (hehe)

Okay, you’re doing it! You’re plugging away on writing a 50,000 word novel during the month of November, hitting those keyboards hard and fast, so I thought to kick off the first week of NaNoWriMo, I’d share some links for newbie writers and for those of us who write year round.

What? You’re still banging your head against the old laptop trying to come up with an idea for your NaNoWriMo project? November writers and year-round writers can benefit from these writing exercises at Mots Justes. If there’s nothing to tickle your fancy there, check out the writing prompts.

Whether you’re writing your first novel or your fifteenth, @BubbleCow tweeted this super link to A Novel Checklist, posted by author L.J. Sellers. Sellers covers everything from the story arc through those gnarly unresolved issues in your novel.

Although you’ve just started your novel, you must begin thinking now about the end and the final showdown between your antagonist and your protagonist. Well @motsjustes tweeted this great link to a post by Alexandra Sokoloff for NaNoWriMo prep: Elements of Act Three.

As you’re writing your novel, you want to begin thinking of marketing possibilities, and Andy Shackcloth comes up with a great article on Using Short Stories as a Marketing Tool.

WORD COUNTS – I know I’ve had this link in my lunch hour links before, but I’m repeating it, especially for the new novelists who are participating in NaNoWriMo. I cannot find a better blog post on word counts than I’ve found at Colleen Lindsay’s blog, The Swivet. Read and follow her suggestions On Word Counts and Novel Lengths, and you won’t go wrong.

Don’t make December rejection month by submitting your novel to literary agents too soon! Writing the novel is only the beginning, so I would suggest that once you’ve banged out that 50,000 word manuscript, head over to Sterling Editing where Kelley gives you the low-down on Rewriting.

@jjdanz (none other than Jonathan Danz) tweeted this little jewel by Holly Lisle where she tells writers about her One-Pass Manuscript Revision From First Draft to Last in One Cycle.

RANDOM NEWS AND BITS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 – don’t miss helluo librorum’s interview with author ALEX BLEDSOE! Alex will be talking about his upcoming novel, Burn Me Deadly (release date 11/10/09), the Eddie LaCrosse series (The Sword-Edged Blonde and Burn Me Deadly), Blood Groove, and writing. He’s got some great tips about dialogue and writing believable characters. While you’re waiting for the interview, visit Alex at his blog . . . From Down In Lucky Town.

The Rose and Thorn Journal now has a blog! Visit their new website and check them out! As always, Kathryn Magendie and Angie Ledbetter give you their best work.

Tonight is Audrey Shaffer’s Open Chat Wednesdays at the Writer’s Chatroom. From 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST, you can take your questions and writing related issues to a group of vibrant writers who are encouraging and helpful about topics from plot issues to marketing your novel. I’ll miss you all for a few weeks, but know I’m thinking of you and will return as soon as possible.

MORE NIBBLES AND LINKS

Another link treasure trove is Andy Shackcloth’s Sunday Wash-up where Andy posts the best links that he can find on the Internet. He has over thirty great links this week, so don’t miss the Sunday Wash-up.

More great links can be had at Pimp My Novel every Friday. For those who missed it, here is last week’s post entitled Fridays Were So Much Better When TGIF Was On.

That’s it for this week, and I certainly hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, but just in case roll through the sidebar and visit a few of the folks there. I’ve added a few new links you might find interesting, and I will continue to update and add links as I wander across the Internet in search of next week’s lunch hour links for writers . . .

Have a great week!

writing a business plan

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is off and running! Good luck and happy writing to all those participating, but I’m afraid I won’t be joining in the fun.

I view my desire to become a novelist as a career decision, and I’m sure a lot of the NaNoWriMo folks feel the same way about their writing. Since I have a full-time job, my writing is currently more of a part-time business and it takes a lot of my time. I consider my writing career the same as a start-up company and like any good company I need a business plan.

I’ve given myself an initial five-year plan. The rough sketch of the plan goes something like this:

Year 1 – write the novel (well, duh!); join writers’ organizations and begin networking;

Year 2 – begin building a web presence with a blog; investigate and join social networking sites; study the market;

Year 3 – develop a web site and begin marketing the manuscript for the first novel while working on the second novel;

Year 4 – will be devoted to marketing my novels and short stories;

Year 5 – inventory the business and evaluate whether more time is needed to fulfill the plan or if it’s better to stop.

So far, I’m a tad off schedule, but not overly much. I wrote the first draft of An Autumn Tale in six months; however, I also had more time to write then because I was home taking care of my husband after his surgery. If I’d been participating in my OWW critique group when I started, I would probably be finished now, although I am nearing the end of An Autumn Tale.

By utilizing outline techniques I’ve learned from visiting the blogs of published authors, the second novel, A Winter’s Garden, is starting to take shape. I’ve also started studying short stories in hopes of learning more about writing successful short stories, but completion of An Autumn Tale comes first. Then while I’m marketing An Autumn Tale to agents, I can work on the short story market and the completion of A Winter’s Garden.

My investments are all up front in terms of membership fees, paper, computer supplies, etc., not to mention the investment of my time in this project. Monday through Friday, I write every evening from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. and devote more time to edits and working through troublesome scenes on weekends. I haven’t factored blog posts and OWW critiques into those hours, either.

I treat my writing time like a job and some nights it takes real discipline to sit down and write after a long day at work. In order to do this, I keep my eyes fixed on my goal, which is to have a solid writing career in place by the time I’m eligible for retirement from my full-time job.

The whole scheme is ambitious, and I may be an absolute failure as a novelist. So why bother? Well, I’ve learned a lot, and even if I never make it as a novelist, my communication skills have improved. I’ve met some really great people: editors, agents, and authors. These wonderful people have taught me innumerable things through their wit, determination, and their willingness to share their knowledge. So long as I’m learning, I’ve lost nothing.

Just like the folks who are joining NaNoWriMo have nothing to lose and everything to gain from their NaNoWriMo experience. I will miss the camaraderie of NaNoWriMo, but I’ll have to view the fun from the sidelines this year. I’ve got to get caught up with my own business plan, but who knows? Maybe next year . . .

Meanwhile, if you have a moment, tell me: are you joining NaNoWriMo? How do you view your writing – as a career or as a hobby? Do you have a business plan?

a chat with Elizabeth Zelvin at the Writer’s Chatroom

From Audrey Shaffer at The Writer’s Chatroom:

The Writers Chatroom presents a chat with Elizabeth Zelvin on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Chat with Elizabeth Zelvin

Elizabeth Zelvin is a New York City psychotherapist and author of a mystery series featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler. Death Will Help You Leave Him, out in October 2009 from Minotaur Books, is a traditional whodunit about addictive relationships and hard choices. Liz’s debut mystery, Death Will Get You Sober, was nominated for a David award for Best Mystery Novel of 2008 and for an Anthony award for cover design. Bruce also appears in three short stories, one in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (August 2009) one nominated for an Agatha award for Best Short Story, and a third in The Gift of Murder, the 2009 holiday crime anthology to benefit Toys for Tots.

Liz’s published work includes poetry as well as professional and academic writing. She majored in English at Brandeis University, graduating magna cum laude. Next, she spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, where she taught English to French-speaking students. She also performed her own songs on Ivoirien radio and television. On her return, Liz found a job in publishing and began writing poetry. Her poems appeared in numerous journals and in two books, I Am the Daughter (1981) and Gifts and Secrets: Poems of the Therapeutic Relationship (1999). In 1983, she received a poetry award from the New York State Council on the Arts.

After fifteen years as a textbook and reference book editor, Liz attended Columbia University, earning a master’s degree in social work, and also obtained a credential in alcoholism counseling. Liz directed a treatment program on the Bowery for homeless alcoholics and drug addicts for six years and has worked with many couples and individuals with relationship issues in her private practice as a psychotherapist over more than twenty years. 

In 2001, Liz launched an online therapy website at www.LZcybershrink.com. She maintains a practice on the Internet with clients all over the world and trains experienced traditional therapists in online clinical skills. Her articles have appeared in professional journals in both the US and the UK, and she contributed to a groundbreaking textbook on online counseling. 

Liz blogs on Poe’s Deadly Daughters. She is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and of Sisters in Crime’s New York/Tristate and Guppies chapters. She is a board member of the New York chapter of MWA.

http://www.elizabethzelvin.com

WHEN? Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. EST (Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are?  http://www.worldtimeserver.com)

WHERE? The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.

Please note:  The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Don’t forget the open chat on Wednesday nights, 8-11 pm EST!

lunch hour links for writers – 10/28/09

The book trailer for Burn Me Deadly, Alex Bledsoe’s latest Eddie LaCrosse novel, is finally here! Just click on the title or the jacket on the right to be taken to Alex’s blog where you can view the trailer. Then come back on Monday, November 9 when we’ll have an interview with Alex, who is the author of Blood Groove, The Sword-Edged Blonde, and the upcoming Burn Me Deadly (available November 10, 2009). Alex is going to talk to us about his Eddie LaCrosse series, Blood Groove, and divulge some nifty advice on connecting with your readers through your characters when writing a fantasy. Don’t miss it! I’m serious! Don’t make me come looking for you . . .

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 

Okay, yeah, so it’s early, but I’m going to be a’haunting Saturday, so there will be no blog time. It’s a celebration and that very special time when Basement Cat rules the night and seeks souls (hehe). So now for my most favorite Basement Cat I present:

Isn’t evil insidious? And cute.

Okay, I’ve played enough – on to the links:

Today is Wednesday, so clear your evening calendar and don’t miss Audrey Shaffer’s Open Chat Wednesdays at the Writer’s Chatroom. From 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST, you can take your questions and writing related issues to a group of vibrant writers who are encouraging and helpful about topics from plot issues to marketing your novel.

Let’s talk. No really, it’s all about dialogue. Dialogue can sometimes make the difference between awesome or bland characters. Striking the right balance is a technique, so head over to Sterling Editing where you can find three great posts: How Not to Write Dialogue; How to Write Dialogue; and a nifty Editcast on Dialogue.

So your novel has a sagging middle, and your antagonist is kind of blah? Check out this great link tweeted by @motsjustes and posted by Deborah Turrell Atkinson at the Type M for Murder blog where Donald Maas gives you some tips for Creating Your Villain.

According to everyone who responded to my post on character-based vs. plot-based novels, the general consensus was character! @motsjustes (who is none other than than Annlee at Mots Justes) tweeted this wonderful post from K.M. Weiland on How to Inspire Readers with Ordinary Characters.

Then head over to Mots Justes to read Usage Thursday: Top Nine Misused Words and make sure you say what you mean and mean what you say! Know what I mean?

Make sure your novel isn’t clichéd by reading this nifty post on Essential Reading: the 42 Essential Third Act Twists by web comic Dresden Kodak and tweeted by @CafeNirvana and @thecreativepenn.

@CafeNirvana give us this special Halloween treat by Megan Crewe on Ghosts, What They Mean and Why They’re Important to Us.

On the lighter side, @Thom_Roe tweeted this amusing little gem from The Huffington Post on Unnecessary Quotation Marks.

Agents! Who needs them? Right? Well, maybe not. Before you approach a publisher without an agent, you might want to head over to BookEnds and read Jessica’s post on how Agents Do More Than Sell Books. While you’re there, you might also check out her other post on The Influence of a Blog. Jessica gives some great detail as to what should be on an author’s web page or blog.

Cory Doctorow, pioneer or the Internet’s version of Timothy Leery, substance or flash and glitter? Hey, no judgments from me, I’m in the “wait and see” crowd; although, I do question “free” as a marketing strategy. Doctorow is conducting an experiment to prove that “free” sells (an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one). Author Michael Stackpole spends some time Desconstructing Cory Doctorow’s “Experiment” and in all fairness also examines What is Cory Doing Right? Both posts are extremely interesting reads.

Speaking of prices, if you haven’t heard of the Walmart/Amazon/Target price wars, you really need to pay attention. There’s been much fussing and cussing over the whole thing, but Eric does a nice job of discussing the issue at Pimp My Novel with his posts: This Week in Doom: Walmart.com and Walmart.com: Part Duex.

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

Thanks to @thecreativepenn for tweeting that Red Blade Press is now open for dark speculative fiction short-story submissions. They are not accepting submissions for novels. According to their web site, there is a very narrow deadline for submissions:

Only submissions received between September 17th 2009 and November 30th 2009 will be considered. Any submissions received outside this timeframe will be deleted unread.

So if you have a short-story up to 7,500 words, check out the Red Blade Press. You can also find more information about the anthology here.

Alan Baxter has tweeted that Realms of Fantasy magazine is re-opening and accepting submissions. Go to Locus Online for their post on Realms of Fantasy Re-Opens for details on where to find submission guidelines.

MORE NIBBLES AND LINKS

Great links can always be found at Andy Shackcloth’s Sunday Wash-up where Andy posts the best links that he can find on the Internet. He has over thirty great links this week, so don’t miss the Sunday Wash-up.

That’s it for this week, folks, be sure to visit on Monday (November 9, 2009) when Alex Bledsoe comes to visit!