Links of Interest

THE CHAMELEON CHARACTER:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2013/11/chameleon-characters.html

THE PLOT TWIST:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/11/25/twisting-your-plot/

THE AUTHOR BIO:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/11/25/pay-proper-attention-to-your-bio

BOOK DISTRIBUTION, AUTHOR-SERVICES COMPANIES:

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/11/understanding-book-distribution-park-3.html

PLOTTING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, PART 1:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/11/where-do-i-go-from-here-plotting.html

LEARNING TO KEEP A DISTANCE FROM OUR BOOKS:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/11/keeping-professional-distance-from-our.html

AUTHORS PROMOTING AS A TEAM:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/11/26/power-in-numbers-authors-promoting-as-a-team/

TAG WORD RULES CHANGING FOR BOOKS ON AMAZON AND HOW THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM FOR YOU:

http://www.amarketingexpert.com/amazon-making-big-changes-authors-beware/

ROYALTY STATEMENTS, PART 2:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/11/26/the-importance-of-educating-yourself-royalty-statements-part-2/

IS THERE TOO MUCH VERTICAL SPACE IN YOUR NOVEL?

http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2013/11/25/too-much-vertical-space-in-your-manuscript/

MANAGING FEEDBACK IN WORKSHOPS OR CRITIQUE GROUPS:

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2013/11/pros-and-cons-of-workshopping-method.html

PROMOTION USING PINTEREST:

http://www.authormedia.com/market-book-pinterest/

REMINDING READERS OF MINOR CHARACTERS AND OTHER THINGS:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/11/readers-arent-elephants.html

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers and have a lovely weekend to everyone else!

The Hero's Goal, Its Cost, and His Motivation

Have you ever started a novel where the main character decides to face an impossible task and an implacable enemy with the odds so far in favor of the bad guys that success, let alone survival, is minimal at best?

Sounds like a great novel, doesn't it?

Here are two novels I read where the main character deals with that impossible situation. In one novel, the hero must save his young daughter from a very ugly death. In the second, the heroine must find out the truth about the death of a young woman she's never met, and the outcome appears to have no real value to her. She's not even working for money.

I zipped through the first novel like a speed-reading lunatic to find out how the hero managed to save his little girl. The second novel I very nearly tossed away after the first few chapters because I hate stupid and suicidal main characters who have no real reason to go forward in an impossible situation, but I persevered out of curiosity and a fondness for dissecting author mistakes.

After over half the novel, the author of the second novel finally lets the reader know why the heroine has continued forward in the investigation, but by then, the damage has been done to the novel and the reader's reactions to the heroine. The reader also realizes that the author has cheated by withholding vital information which an author who is fair would not. 

At this point, the odds of the reader picking up the next book by this author are slimmer than the original chance of the hero's survival.

As an author, you must balance goal, cost, and motivation. If the goal and the probable cost for the main character is great, the character must have motivation that equals both.

Links of Interest

FORENSIC SCIENTIST ON MENTAL ILLNESS AND MASS SHOOTING: (VIDEO)

http://forensicpanel.com/media_center/analysis_of_issues.html?news_id=22926

HAVING A FACEBOOK LAUNCH PARTY:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/its-party-time-facebook-style-tips-and-tricks-for-hosting-a-virtual-launch-party/

FREE BOOK PROMOTION SITES:

http://tonyriches.blogspot.com/2013/11/building-your-author-platform-10-free.html

FOR SELF-PUBS, ENHANCING YOUR BOOK HEADLINE & DESCRIPTION:

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/11/increase-your-amazon-book-sales-by.html

HOW TO HANDLE INTERNAL TRANSITIONS:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/11/dont-leave-your-reader-behind-how-to.html

BOOK FESTIVALS THAT ARE REALLY SCAMS:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-book-festival-empire-of-jm-northern.html

INNER CONFLICT:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/11/juice-up-your-characters-with-inner.html

MAKING GOODREADS WORK FOR  YOU:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/ten-steps-to-make-goodreads-work-for-you/

SUBMITTING YOUR BOOK TO NOOK PRESS:

http://blog.bibliocrunch.com/submitting-your-book-to-nook-press-formerly/

RESEARCH RESOURCES FOR MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE WRITERS:

http://www.jamiechavez.com/blog/2013/10/resources-for-mysterysuspense-writers/

WHAT TO AVOID WHEN DESIGNING YOUR COVER:

http://bookviewcafe.com/blog/2013/09/27/five-dead-giveaways-that-your-cover-is-an-amateur-job/

PROMOTING WITH PINTEREST:

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/10/how-to-use-pinterest-to-promote-your-book/

CREATING YOUR BOOK COVER FROM SCRATCH:

http://www.wiseinkblog.com/self-publishing-2/designing-your-own-book-cover-from-scratch/

NINE WAYS TO CREATE GREAT CHARACTERS:

http://www.bang2write.com/2013/10/9-ways-to-write-great-characters.html

FREE PROMOTION TOOLS FOR WRITERS:

http://www.bookpromotion.com/free-promotional-tools-authors/

DIRECT SALE OF EBOOKS EXPLAINED:

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/11/understanding-book-distribution-part-2.html

DON’T STOP TO GIVE EACH CHARACTER’S BACKGROUND:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2013/11/dont-stop-story-to-introduce-each.html

DEVELOPING CHARACTERS:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/11/developing-charactersgetting-started.html

TENSION VERSUS CONFLICT:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/11/conflict-vs-tension-2/

MAKING YOUR STORY STAND OUT:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-makes-your-story-stand-out.html

THE PERFECT SIZES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGES YOU CREATE:

http://www.authormedia.com/the-ultimate-cheat-sheet-to-social-media-image-sizes

HOW TO SHOW PASSING TIME:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2013/11/20/show-dont-tell-how-time-is-passing/

THE BASICS OF CHARACTER AND PLOT IN A MYSTERY:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/11/mystery-writing-basics-characters-plot/

USING QUOTATION MARKS WITH OTHER PUNCTUATION: 

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/quotation-marks-and-punctuation/

USING GOOGLE + WITH YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM:

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/four-ways-google-communities-help-authors-build-their-platforms/

WHEN YOU SHOULD SAY NO TO A CONTRACT:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2013/11/when-should-you-say-no-to-contract.html

The Emotional Content of Story

If you aren't happy with the emotional content of your story, you may want to look at the central story idea. Do your character/characters have a real emotional reason to be doing what they are doing?

Their hunt for the lost treasure should be as much about their emotional reason for needing the treasure as it is about simple greed. That emotional reason should be important enough to make the reader want them to succeed as much as they do.

Maybe the main character is after a magical sword which is the only weapon that will kill the dragon currently ravaging his homeland, and he doesn't really care about other treasure and the life of drunken decadence and dancing girls it promises the other characters.

Maybe the other characters have laughed at him, but they've admired him and gradually they have been drawn into his quest for the sword, and in the end, they'll choose to get the sword with him and lose the other treasure.

Maybe the one who laughed the hardest and made the main character's life hell along the journey will be the one to sacrifice himself so that the hero can rescue a homeland the scoffer has never had, but now wishes to have with his whole heart.

Now that's a story that will grab your reader where a simple quest for gold will not.

Links of Interest

HOW WRITERS CAN USE TWITTER:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/how-writers-can-use-twitter_b79798

AUTHOR WILLS, CHOOSING YOUR HEIRS:

http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/a-heiry-and-sometimes-relative-writing-problem/

DESCRIBING EMOTIONS:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/06/youre-so-emotional.html

A LIST OF PLOT POINTS FOR STORIES WITH ACTION:

http://www.magicalwords.net/james-tuck-2/plotting-with-bunnies-or-whatever-other-animal-you-like-want-a-hippopotamus-by-all-means-plot-with-hippos/

WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU NEED MORE PLOT DETAILS:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/11/completing-your-novel-plot.html

AUTHOR TWITTER MISTAKES:

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/11/09/twitter-are-you-taking-the-lazy-way-out

MARKET NEWS, SF/FANTASY PUBLISHER:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2013/11/bold-sub-op.html

EXTREME OPPOSITES DON’T ATTRACT, ROMANTIC COUPLES:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2013/11/opposites-attract-but-extreme-opposites.html

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR STORY STALLS:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2013/11/when-your-story-takes-vacation-5-ways.html

UNDERSTANDING BOOK DISTRIBUTION, DIGITAL

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2013/11/understanding-book-distribution-part-1.html

DEVELOPING YOUR PROTAGONIST:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/nanowrimo-tip-7-develop-your-protagonist_b79876

WHAT TO PRICE AN EBOOK:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2013/11/thoughts-on-99-cent-sale.html

COMMON PROBLEMS WITH BEGINNINGS:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/11/12/common-problems-with-beginnings/

WHAT IS HEADHOPPING AND HOW TO AVOID IT:

http://marcykennedy.com/2013/11/head-hopping-can-avoid/

MISTAKES AUTHORS MAKE CONNECTING WITH READERS:

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2013/11/connecting-with-readers/

USING GOODREADS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS:

http://www.authormedia.com/how-to-promote-books-goodreads/

SHOWING A CRIMINAL THROUGH HIS PERSONAL SPACE:

http://margotkinberg.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/come-to-my-house

DO YOU NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE TO SELF-PUBLISH?

http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2013/10/self-publishing-business-license.html

USING METHOD ACTING TECHNIQUES IN YOUR WRITING:

http://somethingisgoingtohappen.net/2013/10/23/the-lee-strasberg-method-school-of-writing-by-hilary-davidson/

DESCRIBING YOUR CHARACTER IN FIRST PERSON:

http://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/six-ways-to-describe-a-character-in-first-person/

THE SUBSCRIPTION MODEL FOR PUBLISHING, OYSTER AND SCRIBD:

http://janefriedman.com/2013/11/07/writing-ether-115/

HOW TO SPOT A GOOD EDITOR:

http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/11/how-do-you-spot-a-good-editor-and-avoid-the-amateurs/

10 LINKS TO NANO WRITE HELP:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2013/11/nano-ten.html

TIGHTEN THE TENSION IN YOUR NOVEL:

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/tighten-the-tension-in-your-novel

Should eBooks Be Resold Like Used Paper Books?

The Department of Commerce is asking for comments about Digital First Sale and the possible changes to copyright law that would allow an ebook to be resold.  

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/11/copyright/department-commerce-seeks-input-digital-first-sale/

If you’d like to comment, hurry because the deadline is November 13th.

Here’s my letter.

The biggest problem with the resale of “used” e-books is e-book piracy.  Some think that cheaper books mean less reason to pirate books and that’s true to a certain extent, but used e-books also mean that authors and publishers will no longer be able to prove that an online copy has been stolen.

Right now, publishers and authors license their books to specific resellers/distributors like Amazon Kindle, B&N’s Nook, and Smashwords.  If a book is available at any other site, the publisher and author know instantly that that book is pirated, and they help the authorities take these sites down.  

These sites are fairly common, and some look like legitimate book-selling sites so the consumer is no wiser that they are buying stolen books.  Some of these sites actually sell the books, others are scams which steal credit card information and install viruses on the victim’s computer.  

If e-books are sold used, the scam sites will be able to fly under the legal radar.

Pirate sites will claim that their books are being given away for free by legal owners so they can continue their dispersal of illegal copies.  

If e-books are sold used and a site or individual can sell thousands of copies of the same ebook by saying that they are selling one used, there will be no way for the author/publisher to prove this.  This will essentially make book theft a crime that can’t be punished.

Even readers who want to do the right things by buying legally won’t be able to tell who is a legitimate reseller and who isn’t.  

Readers looking for bargains will buy illegal books instead of legal ones, the profit margin for authors and publishers which is small now will plummet to the point that publishing will no longer be profitable for anyone, and those who make the money will have done nothing to create books.  

Allowing the sale of used e-books will destroy all value to copyright.

Marilynn Byerly, Author