Every year, thousands of people from all over the world take part in a month-long quest to write 50,000 words in a month. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins in November—will you take part this year? Today, we'll take a look at five steps to get you prepared for NaNoWriMo in November, and we'll share NaNo's workshop—Prep 101. Four Steps to Prepare for NaNoWriMo What if my novel will likely be longer than 50,000 words? If you have the time, go beyond 50k! While we’re ...
Cultivating Story Ideas: 16 Ways to Find Inspiration & Tips for Organizing Ideas
A question that I see writers often ask is "Where do you get story ideas?" That's a fairly easy question to answer. However, because every writer has different preferences, it's not always easy to apply the answers. In this article, read my suggestions for finding inspiration, discover tips for organizing your ideas, and find venues that may launch your creativity into overdrive. Where to Find Inspiration Dreams. One of the most popular means for story inspiration comes from people's dreams. ...
Strengthen Writing Skills: 9 Tips and 25 Resources to Build Skill
Writing can seem like a daunting task, even for people who write a lot. If you're here because you've decided to write a novel or you want to refresh writing skills that have faded a little, keep reading. 1. Read. In order to write well, you must read. This is the most important key to strengthen writing skills. Writing styles change frequently—read a book published fifty years ago to see that evidence. Read books in your genre and outside your genre for a feel of style; compare their ...
Book Reviews – Why Balance in Ratings Is Good
This article is the last in a series of articles designed to dive deeply into the world of book reviews and reviewers. Written from a reviewer perspective, my goal is to aid writers as they tread this sometimes confusing and frustrating area in the writing career. Last week, we hashed out the good and the bad about low ratings. The previous week's topic discussed my suggestions on how to work with book reviewers. Lastly, today's focus covers why a balance in positive and negative ...
Bad Review? Don’t Panic | The Scoop on the Negatives
In a previous post, I wrote about working with book reviewers. In this article, we will explore the tough parts of negative reviews. "What's THIS?" Reacting to Negative Reviews "What's this?" is probably a nice way to respond to a negative review. In my imagination, that question also includes a foot stomped on the ground, a look of scorn, and arms crossed angrily against a chest. Fear surrounds negative reviews. Every author's heart lurches a bit when that first negative review is left. In ...
How to Work with Book Reviewers
I have been a book reviewer here at Jami's Words for more than ten years. I've worked with publishing house review groups, and I've worked one on one with traditionally published authors and indie authors. Book reviews are an important part of an author's world, and working well with book reviewers is important, too. Let's look at some important aspects of working with book reviewers. How you, the author, interact with book reviewers is key. How do we work with book reviewers? Read more to learn ...
Beta Readers: Finding Them & Putting Them to Use
I see questions regularly on social media and in writing groups about beta readers. Who is a beta reader? What do they do? Are their services free? What's the difference between a beta reader and a book reviewer? Let's delve into the world of beta reading. Who is a beta reader? A beta reader is an individual who is a reader first and foremost. A beta reader reads a manuscript and provides feedback on the meat and bones. Ideally, a beta reader is not a family member and maybe not ...
