[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] I lost 27 pens last week running errands. Writing is hard, I tell you. -Ted Shlemp. [/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
Most Common Writing Mistakes Pt. 53: No Contractions in Dialogue | HELPING WRITERS BECOME AUTHORS
Most Common Writing Mistakes Pt. 53: No Contractions in Dialogue | Today,
let’s examine why contractions in dialogue should absolutely find a place within your writing—along with a few exceptions, in which it is actually best to avoid them.
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- How to stay organized during a revision | WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
How to stay organized during a revision Rev
ising your novel can be a huge undertaking, and like any large project, going into it prepared can save you time and frustration. It can also help you complete that project in the most efficient and effective way.
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Revision: A Creative Approach to Writing and Rewriting Fiction 
- 12 Questions to help you create memorable characters | WRITE TO DONE
12 Questions to help you create memorable characters | W
ould you like to create memorable characters? Of course you would! But where do great characters come from? Are they great because of what they do, or because of what they say?
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- Nailing that Ten-Scene Foundation for your Novel | LIVE WRITE THRIVE
Nailing that Ten-Scene Foundation for your Novel | If you don’t have clear high stakes—personal and public—and no strong conflict/opposition in the wa
y of your hero pursuing his goal, the story will be flat, lacking tension, and will drag. More than likely, you’ll lose readers within a few pages.
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- Don’t leave your participles dangling | THE WRITE PRACTICE
You know what’s really fun to edit? Dangling participles. What’s a participle? Glad you asked.
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- When Your Characters Need Therapy | WRITER UNBOXED
I remembered one of my earliest writing lessons from bestselling author Elizabeth George in her craft book, Writing Away: “I become my character’s analyst.” She’s referring to writing character analyses as part of her development process.
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- The Anatomy of a Bestseller | WRITER’S DIGEST
What makes a bestseller, well, sell the best? While of course there is no magic formula, turns out there are some commonalities among chart-topping tomes. Whether it’s stats for the average number of words per sentence or a comparison of most-loved protagonists, the fun facts are all spelled out here in this delightfully nifty infographic.
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Pimp my Fiction: Write a Bestselling Novel by Learning Powerful Writing Techniques
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SCREENWRITING
- The Truth about Premise Pilots | KEN LEVINE
Do you think premise pilots are a trend right now or are they always the default?
- Submissions Insanity: Getting Rejected? Then do these 5 things | SCRIPT MAG
Getting rejected can be hard. Sometimes it’s obvious what we’ve done wrong, but more often it can seem completely random. After all, if your screenplay has placed in various schemes or competitions, then why the hell won’t an actual producer touch it with a ten foot barge pole??
- Back to School: 4 Story Benefits of Setting your Script at School | LA SCREENWRITER
For many people, this week is about endings and new beginnings. The long days of summer are over and it’s time to go back to school. Institutions of education have long been settings of interest to writers. They work as controlled, confined metaphors for the rest of life in “the real world.”
- Writing a First Draft: Enjoy the Process? | GO INTO THE STORY
I need to commit to getting the draft done. Once I am writing pages, I keep the faith until finishing the draft. Sometimes I am reluctant to get started because I dread ending up with less than I dreamed it would be.
- The 8 Most Overrated Aspects of the Screenwriting Industry | SCRIPTSHADOW
The 8 Most Overrated Aspects of the Screenwriting Industry | +Related books:
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SELF-PUBLISHING
- Using Twitter to Make Powerful Connections as a Creative Professional | JANE FRIEDMAN
Finding an audience for your books can seem like an insurmountable task when you enter the publishing space with no prior experience. Thankfully, Twitter can help you become not only an engaged member of the community but—in time—an influencer with a loyal audience.
- Lessons Learned From 5 Years As An Author Entrepreneur | THE CREATIVE PENN
Every year since, I have posted a round-up of my lessons learned andthings have definitely changed along the way! It’s interesting how the challenges are different at each level and of course, the goals keep moving as I progress.
- 7 Ways to Promote Your Book you probably haven’t considered | THE WRITE LIFE
If you’re looking to reach a broader audience, consider a few of these promotional techniques to expand your reach and get your shiny new book in the hands of new and eager readers.
- Seven Ways to Boost Your Book Blog Traffic | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
You always want more blog traffic to increase your exposure. Here are seven tips that will help you gain more visitors and page views.
- Authors: Boost Book Marketing with these 5 Apps | THE BOOK DESIGNER
What’s the next big thing? Well, it’s already here: images. Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat are popular because they are image- and video-based.
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