The Stuff

All of our stuff—plus the stuff we have to say about others’ stuff.

25

Oct'17

Find the Perfect Title

As many of you know, this autumn Evolved Publishing will be releasing my first novel. The past few months have been a whirlwind of getting to know the Evolved team and editorial work. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and I’m so grateful to have the curtain lifted on this side of the business. But that’s a post for another day.

Parallel to the editorial decisions, there have been discussions about marketing, particularly cover and title considerations. This is a whole new ball game for me. Briefing a cover artist, what?! A title works in tandem with a book cover. They are like a pair of superheroes: Batman and Robin, Superman and Lois Lane, Danger Mouse and Penfold. They work together to attract your ideal reader.

Sometimes a title falls on your lap at the beginning of a project, and you know it is a perfect fit. More often, however, it’s a struggle to do justice to something you have been working on for months or even years. In these cases, a blueprint on how to find a title can be helpful. With the caveat that I’m no expert, I thought I’d tell you about my approach to picking a title. ...

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18

Oct'17

“I Don’t Have Time to Read”

Every now and then, a self-identified writer will say something that makes the rest of us cringe. Writers come from all walks of life. There are no prerequisites to becoming a writer, except passion and dedication, so there aren’t many things that writers have to do in order to write good stories. But there are a few. Here are some statements that are sure to generate eye rolls from a room full of writers.

1. I don’t have time to read.

Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.” Are you really going to argue with the king? Seriously, a writer saying they don’t read is like a painter saying they keep their eyes closed all day. If you don’t study your craft, how can you hope to create anything you’re proud of? Of course, there are times when life takes over and it becomes difficult to fit anything except breathing into the day. But writers are readers, too, and most of us will find a way to devour at least a few pages before bed. ...

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11

Oct'17

Character Personality Types

Trying to understand our characters can be difficult. In order to know how they would react in different situations—and maintain the consistency of our narrative—we need to know their personalities inside and out.

Tools like the Myers-Briggs personality test are hugely helpful for gaining insight into our characters. For an even broader look at personality types and how traits can combine to create different characters, check out this infographic from Career Assessments Site. They've broken down the most prominent aspects of the sixteen Myers-Briggs personality types. ...

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04

Oct'17

Pre-Editing Checklist

You wrote a book, but you need some help getting it ready for submission or publication. Whether you’re querying agents, submitting to small presses, or self-publishing a professional edit can be the difference between “almost there” and “amazing.” But rushing into a pro edit means wasting time and money and preventing your manuscript from reaching its full potential. To make sure you get the most out of your edit, and wind up with a polished manuscript you’re proud of, follow these steps before you begin a professional edit. ...

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27

Sep'17

4 Productivity Hacks

Writers who are short on time need to be as efficient, effective, and productive as possible.

Writing sessions should be spent writing. That's why they're called "writing sessions". But oftentimes, things feel out of place, making effective writing time during designated writing sessions difficult. It's easy to let procrastination interfere, or to let excuses keep you from meeting your writing goals.

We need to set aside some time, whether it is five minutes or 15 minutes, before our writing sessions so that we can be prepared when we actually sit down to write.

Have you ever sat down to write, but couldn't think of anything to write? Or have you ever sat there with no words coming out because you weren't sure which scene you were going to write? Or maybe you wanted to write a particular scene, but some other scene wanted attention first and you fought with it?

I highly recommend setting aside some time to figure out your plans for your next writing session. That way, when you sit down to write, you can work on that plan and knock out a writing goal.

To help you have a productive writing session, here are some things you should do before you begin to write. ...

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20

Sep'17

5 Ways to Hear Your Imaginary Friends

It’s been said that writer’s block is when your imaginary friends won’t talk to you. Maybe you made them angry. Maybe they’re just too tired to deal with you. Whatever the case, here are a few tips to get your imaginary friends chatting so you can get back to writing.

1. Give them a present.

If your imaginary friends are giving you the cold shoulder, butter them up with a gift. Try a new pen and notebook or a nice laptop case. Bribery always works, and the new swag can make you feel more like writing, too.

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