• Dawn McClure

    My Beef With Branding by Jacqueline Diamond 

        Published: July 14th, 2012  Views: 576 
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    As authors, we know it’s important to have a website, but what kind? These days, every agent, editor and website designer you meet is likely to repeat the same mantra: You can’t just have a website; you have to be a brand.

    Here’s how it works. If you go to Debbie Macomber’s website, you’ll see her slogan: “Wherever you are, Debbie brings you home.” The home page (also known as the landing page, a term I find pretentious) contains her slogan, a delightful photo of Debbie, a trio of her latest book covers, and links to inside pages.
    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Writing Life
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    Writing without a Laptop by J. Paulette Forshey 

        Published: July 13th, 2012  Views: 359 
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    Eight days ago I was happily typing away on my laptop, then one of the nastiest storms in our towns history hit southeast Ohio and we went into pioneer mode. No electric. No air conditioner. No cell phone service. No INTERNET! No calling up my latest work in progress and working on it in the wee hours of the morning when the house is quiet and asleep as I'm usually do. The first couple of days were fun; it was like camping out, by day three not so much fun. I was itching to write. The grandchildren that live with us, a four year old and his two year old sister, were hot, tired, and cranky. It was taking all our energy to entertain the sweethearts, but with no breeze and a swimming pool with water warmer than the bath we were failing fast. When I found the two year old sitting on the sofa frantically pushing all the buttons on the T.V. control I knew something had to be done. After some smoke signals our son convinced the children's mother, who had electric, to take the children for a few days.
    Categories:
    1. Writing Life
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    A Few Words About Dialogue by Sue Swift 

        Published: July 12th, 2012  Views: 241 
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    I’ve been writing fiction since 1996 and have been editing and critiquing for just as long. Both activities, along with a few classes I’ve taken, have taught me quite a bit about writing. I’m happy to share that information with the hope that the manuscripts that arrive in my Inbox will be tighter and better.

    In fiction, dialogue is a crucial component…possibly the most crucial component of your story. But it can’t be understood without study. Many writers think that simply by listening to people talk they can transcribe everything they hear into a manuscript without editing. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Many of my conversations run something like this:
    Categories:
    1. Craft
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    Sensory Descriptions Make Our Stories Spring to Life! by Sydell Voeller 

        Published: July 11th, 2012  Views: 410 
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    Many readers have commented on the settings in my books, often centered on the Oregon Coast or the Puget Sound area in western Washington. But why these beach settings? Why do they evoke strong memories that fuel my writing?

    I grew up near Edmonds, north of Seattle. Many decades earlier, Edmonds began its existence as a logging town. Now this “friendliest town in Washington” boasts luxurious condos with sweeping views of the Sound, unique gift shops and boutiques, antique stores, and scrumptious bakeries--just to name a few. In summertime and early fall, colorful hanging flower baskets adorn the main streets, giving the town a festive, European ambience.

    Categories:
    1. Craft
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    Judging a Book by its Cover by Sheila Lowe 

        Published: July 11th, 2012  Views: 596 
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    When you’re browsing in a bookstore, what attracts you first to an author you haven’t yet read? For me, it’s the book cover. As a mystery reader and writer, I’m attracted by a certain type of cover and repelled by others. There are many books I would never have considered opening, just because of their cover art. At least, that was true before my first mystery novel was published.


    When Poison Pen, was picked up by Penguin’s NAL, my editor and I met at the Malice Domestic mystery conference and walked around the dealer’s room together. I pointed out covers that I liked and, more important to me, those that I didn’t, so she would be able to offer input to the art department when it was time to design the covers for my books. Mine are tales of psychological suspense, featuring Claudia Rose, a forensic handwriting expert whose entry into criminal investigations comes mainly through her clients. Claudia’s cases sometimes end up with her presenting expert testimony in court (as I do in real life), so it seemed a no-brainer that my covers should look more like The Firm than The Cat Who....
    Categories:
    1. Interviews
    2. Writing Life
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    6 Book Promotions Goals (and the tools to achieve them) by Laura Kaye 

        Published: July 10th, 2012  Views: 1649 
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    Authors are always trying to determine the best use of their time and money. There are so many options for promoting our books that it can be overwhelming to sort through the choices and weigh the costs and benefits. Today, I’m releasing my eighth book, and I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about what I believe our goals in promoting our books are and how to meet them.

    6 Book Promotions Goals:

    • Sales
    • New Readers
    • Exposure
    • Name, Brand, Book Recognition
    • Build Relationships with Readers
    • Networking with Authors, Bloggers & Reviewers
    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Marketing and Promo
    3. Writing Life
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    Writer’s Block…Or Maybe I Need a Shrink by Shara Lanel 

        Published: July 9th, 2012  Views: 1048 
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    Writer’s Block is rarely about just one thing, like a lack of ideas. There are a zillion books out there with writing prompts and exercises, if you need inspiration. But so what, when you’ve got several promising works-in-progress and can’t seem to write a sentence on any of them. So maybe you’re lazy or undisciplined? You’re probably feeling this way. Are you spending too much time on Pinterest or Facebook? You probably are, but that’s just a symptom. The problem goes deeper than that.

    You may have a crazy schedule with no time to write, but if novel ideas are swirling and coalescing in your head as you zip from one task to another, you’re working on your WIP. You may need to wait it out—to the end of the school year, the end of the holidays, the end of your big project at work—or you may need to reevaluate your priorities. Can you stay up a bit later at night or get up a bit earlier in the morning to write? Should you give up volunteering at school or church so you can put your writing first?

    Or are you afraid to put your writing first?
    Categories:
    1. Writing Life
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    Hit 'em with your Best Music! by Erin O'Quinn 

        Published: July 9th, 2012  Views: 412 
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    Years ago in high school, I was one of the regional finalists in a speech contest. Behind the podium I was earnest, I was articulate, I established eye contact, my content was passably interesting. I thought surely I had won.

    After speaking, I sat back in my folding chair, relaxed.There was only one more contestant to go. A short guy, rather nondescript, walked slowly to the podium in the center of the stage. I relaxed even more. Looking out over the sea of faces, I saw that they, too, seemed rather relaxed, even a bit bored.
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    Savvy Authors Newsletter - July 9, 2012 

    by
    Dawn McClure
        Published: July 9th, 2012  Views: 226 

    Congratulations to all Savvy Authors!

    Our first congratulations this week goes out to Savvy Authors member Cynthia Woolf. Her books Centauri Dawn and Centauri Twilight both finaled in the Romcon Readers Crown Contest. Congratulations, Cynthia!

    Suzanne Purvis's short story, The Duck Family Reunion, is published with Guardian Angel Kids ezine - story on page 9. Also, My Fear Wears a Bow, is published in Stories For Children. Congratulations, Suzanne!
    Categories:
    1. Craft
    2. Industry
    3. Workshops
    4. Worldbuilding
    5. Marketing and Promo
    6. Interviews
    7. Savvy U Courses
    8. Research
    9. Writing Life
    10. News & Events
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    On Cheating…Myself! by Beth Daniels 

        Published: July 7th, 2012  Views: 266 
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    I think I made too many resolutions this year…and I didn’t make them all on New Year’s Day either. Then I told myself I was going to finish one of my fiction projects.

    I did a non-fiction one instead.

    I told myself that I was going to write a review and post it in Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble for every novel I read.

    Well, I did it the first week at any rate. Sigh.

    Social media? I’d resisted it for so long and mastering it was on that New Year’s list. Still feel clueless about what it is supposed to accomplish for me because all it seems to do is gobble up time. I’m sure the clock goes into hyper spin the thirty minutes I thought I was going to spend somehow morphing into three hours! Bleech!
    Categories:
    1. Marketing and Promo
    2. Writing Life
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    Sex and Story, Exposure and Chaos by K D Grace 

        Published: July 6th, 2012  Views: 329 
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    At a book fair once, I attended a Q&A in which a panel of romance writers were discussing their craft. When asked about writing sex scenes, their collective shivers of discomfort was almost palpable. They all spoke of how difficult it was to write a good sex scene, and then in nearly the next breath they denigrated the writing of sex as though it were the literary equivalent of writing their daily grocery lists into their novels. After some hemming and hawing, their consensus was that real, proper, grown-up writers don’t write about sex. I was stunned, and saddened.

    I can understand why it would be hard to write sex well. The very act of writing sex has a way of making the writer feel vulnerable, but that’s a topic for another time. What I can’t understand is how anyone could consider it unworthy of writing. I find it difficult to imagine how writing about human connectedness on such a visceral vulnerable level could be considered anything but most worthy.

    Categories:
    1. Craft
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    Build Romantic Suspense that Leaves Them Wanting More by S. J. Clarke 

        Published: July 3rd, 2012  Views: 399 
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    Today I'm talking about the six steps to building romantic suspense – the kind that makes you gasp then sit up and beg for more. Ready?

    One: Charismatic Characters.

    Romantic suspense is about more than placing your characters in imminent danger amid a blossoming romance. Your readers need to be invested in the characters lives, otherwise it's meaningless. If you fail and you're lucky, the reader perseveres and finishes the story. But chances are slim they'll rush out to buy your next book. Every character is important. From your villain to the trusty sidekick you can always count on for comic relief – each needs to touch your reader's soul. And each needs to have a a compelling reason to be there – their goal. Goals create conflict and suspense feeds off conflict.

    Categories:
    1. Craft
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    Dialogue by Sally Berneathy 

        Published: July 2nd, 2012  Views: 449 
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    Dialogue is one of the most important parts of a novel. It moves the story along, reveals the personalities of the characters, breaks up long paragraphs of exposition and pulls the reader into the story as she "listens" to the characters and gets to know them through their words.

    Dialogue is a critical part of the "show, don't tell" adage. We can choose to describe a character as "a rough-cut man who never finished high school," or we can show this through his dialogue:

    The man frowned, lifted a calloused hand and stroked his beard. "I don't reckon I know just what you're trying to say."

    Categories:
    1. Craft
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    Reviews Are For Readers by Renee Wildes 

        Published: June 30th, 2012  Views: 439 
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    I’ve done a lot of reviews, and HAD a lot of reviews. I’ve learned a few things along the way. Reviews aren’t for the writers. Reviews are for the readers.

    See, there’s a difference between a critique and a review. When your book is still a manuscript, you have a critique partner or group who picks it apart and helps mold it into a finished story. Then you hopefully have a beta reader or two who can tell you how it all hangs together before you send it to your editor. Then you & your editor have 2-5 rounds of heavy edits before a line-editor steps in for the nit-picky line-by-line stuff (and hopefully catches anything missed by too much familiarity). Then there are the final galleys and voila – a finished BOOK.
    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Writing Life
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    The Importance of the Author Website by Cassandra Carr 

        Published: June 29th, 2012  Views: 1302 
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    I went to the RT Convention for the first time this year, and as I do whenever I attend a conference, I went to some publisher spotlights. One thing I heard again and again was: even unpublished authors need to have a website.

    I know you've probably heard all about author platforms, and how publishers expect you to build and maintain your own platform. Well, your website is arguably the most important part of your platform. Consider my own experience. I have nearly 2,400 followers on Twitter, and that's great. But how many of them see even a quarter of my Tweets? Ditto the couple hundreds friends on my Facebook profile and the fans on my fan page.

    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Writing Life
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    Getting The Word Out About Your New Book by Marilyn Baron 

        Published: June 28th, 2012  Views: 1802 
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    How can you gain 100,000 followers on Twitter like Bubba Watson if you didn’t win the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament? Do you have to be famous or do something infamous? Do you have to bare your secrets online? The cyber landscape is becoming increasingly complicated to traverse, with new techniques cropping up at record speed—Triberr, Pinterest and the list keeps growing. What’s an author to do?

    If you’re Eden Eastman, the fictional character in my humorous, supernatural e-short story Follow an Angel, you’d depend on divine intervention in the person of the hunky Angel Gabriel, or Gabe, as his Facebook friends call him, in your quest to get one million Twitter followers by sundown before you could find your soul mate.


    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Marketing and Promo
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    What is the Story Here? by Shelly Frome 

        Published: June 28th, 2012  Views: 260 
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    To keep up with the times, I thought I’d take out a subscription to a few writers’ magazines and add a few more websites to learn more about what’s now termed “the new era in publishing.”

    And lo and behold, within the pages of the magazines, I found this statement to be typical: “Readers of fiction are faced with saturated genres and a limited amount of time and money. Any title has to immediately grab their attention. The market doesn’t lie.”
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    1. Industry
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    Research Block by Amanda Usen 

        Published: June 28th, 2012  Views: 482 
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    Have you ever spent days staring at a blank computer screen, feeling your unwritten story stretch out in front of you like shapeless, colorless mist? I’m living in that haze right now. I swear my entire plot is buried in my subconscious. It’s there. It’s written. It works. But I can’t see it. I even have a finished synopsis that I think is pretty good. You’d think that would make it easier to get the actual words down on the screen…but no.

    Since there are only so many days I can sit in my chair making no progress before despair sets in, I forced myself to pick up the phone and do something scary today. Research. I hate it. I don’t know why because I love to learn new things, but there it is. The great unknown intimidates me. I think I wrote my debut, Scrumptious, a book about a chef and a pastry chef falling in love, because I didn’t need to do any research. Since I met my husband in culinary school and have worked in many kitchens around the country, I could write that world from memory, easy as pie. (Ha! Five years of pie!) But at least I didn’t have to do much research.

    Categories:
    1. Research
    2. Writing Life
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    How to Handle the Pain of Rejection - a 3-Step Plan by Dr John Yeoman 

        Published: June 28th, 2012  Views: 516 
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    As writers, how can we cope with the pain of rejection? We may sweat for a year, even a decade, to write a novel. We put every spare moment into it and, at times, our soul too. Back come the rejection slips. “We didn’t love it [you] enough,” agents tell us, on those rare occasions when they reply at all.

    They’ve stamped on our soul.

    Do agents lack feelings? No doubt, some are as arrogant as Lucifer. But to be fair, their slush pile is full of newbie authors yearning for a mentor, a therapist, a friend. Faced with upwards of 6000 submissions a year, the major agents have to be ruthless to stay sane. The last thing they need is a pen pal.
    Categories:
    1. Industry
    2. Writing Life
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    Finding Characters in Odd Places by Alexis Morgan 

        Published: June 26th, 2012  Views: 576 
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    Often I sense my characters moving around in the back of my mind for a while before they step out of the shadows where I can see them clearly. Still, even at that point they are strangers. For me, it’s never enough to know how tall they are, what color their hair is, or how old they are. That’s like trying to discern someone’s personality from a photo in a magazine.

    So before I can make them come alive in the pages of a book, my characters need to become real to me. It’s not that I expect to become best buddies with them. Some of them are pretty creepy villains, after all. But they do have to become three dimensional people with likes, dislikes, and a lifetime of experience behind them.
    Categories:
    1. Craft
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