Posts tagged Writing tips

1) Y’all know I have a weakness for maps in books so of course I’m all over this index of fantasy maps (via Genreville)

2) The Tor UK blog gathers writing tips from Tor authors (via io9).

3) Book Riot is looking for new contributors.

4) Cute kids from the 80s talk about what books they’re reading for the Brooklyn public library. I <3 the Treasure Island kid.

5) Title To Come has a new gif book review Tumblr! #Giffy Reviews.

1) With NaNoWriMo winding down, io9 offers advice on How to Tell if the First Draft of Your Novel Just Isn’t Worth Salvaging.

2) Looking for an entry-level publishing job in NYC? Harlequin has a job opening for an editorial assistant.

3) Harlequin also has an opportunity for writers: an online editor pitch session for Harlequin Intrigue (romantic suspense). Deadline to sign up is Dec. 3.

4) EW counts down 21 Classic Opening Lines in Books. #1 for all time belongs to Pride & Prejudice. End of discussion.

I tweeted some advice about synopsis a couple nights ago while I was struggling to write cover copy for Carina Press from a not-very-complete synopsis. Since it got retweeted a bunch, thought I’d share and expand on my thoughts a bit here. The original tweets are in bold.

“Trying to write copy for a romance novel when the synopsis doesn’t include a lot about the romance & characters’ emotions is very difficult.”

This happens way more often than you’d think. Authors sometimes get too caught up with plot or external conflict details and don’t mention enough about their internal conflict and how their relationship develops alongside the other action.

“For acquisition and copywriting, synopses that cover both plot & characters’ emotional journey are much more helpful.”

For romances, my personal preference is a roughly 50/50 split between plot and emotion — something happens, followed by the characters’ reaction to it and how it impacts their relationship.

Tell us why the characters are attracted to each other (besides good looks), too.

We know the h/h will find the other attractive…but that’s not enough to convince us or the reader that the characters are unique and that they will have an HEA. Phrases like “their attraction grows” are too general. What makes it grow? What about the h/h’s personality appeals to the other?

* * *

Harlequin editors also wrote a great post about writing synopses for So You Think You Can Write. Read it here.

National Novel Writing Month has begun! Here are some resources for writing your own book this month:

1)  60 pieces of writing advice gathered by Galleycat.

2) For inspiration: 11 NaNoWriMo Books That Have Been Published from Mental_Floss and a more extensive list of Published NaNoWriMo Novelists from the official site.

3) If you’re writing a romance, join the Harlequin Community NaNoWriMo Support Group.

4) NaNoWriMo’s Pep Talks and Pep Talk Archive from published authors.

1) mental_floss lists 11 Book Sequels You Probably Didn’t Know Existed.

2) NaNoWriMo begins next week, so GalleyCat asks What’s Inside Your Writing Survival Kit?

3) Apple unveiled a new version of iBooks along with the iPad Mini.

4) Publishers Weekly has some stats from a study on reading and library use by Americans 16-29. Among them: 83% reported reading a book in the past year, and ebook readers under 30 were more likely to read on a computer or cell phone than a dedicated ereader.