With the beginning of a New Year many writers take the time to reflect on the year just passed and vow to do better.
Over the last two weeks it has been interesting to read the future plans of others and admire their confidence about letting the world know their future plans too.
Some of this confidence springs from verbalising and internalising goals. If you can say the goals out loud (or write them in a blog post) they are achievable. You will be held to account. Someone could say in September ‘I thought you were going to....’ There is nothing like having to think of an excuse, about why you didn’t follow through, to apply the whip of persistence to your back.
So... I’m still plugging away on Mars...and I want to finish it and get going on another cool idea.
I’m still intrigued and interested in podcasting.
I am excited about the opportunity to participate in FaBo again.
I would love it...(fall down in a faint...) if my current MS, doing the rounds, was picked up.
Now that I have that out of the way, onto some great round ups from others for you to get inspiration from.
The Kidslit team produced a good round up of writer’s tools to start the New Year off well. I have covered a few of them previously but it never hurts to have a reminder about what is out there to help writers. I notice that a few of my friends are now using Write or Die which is in this comprehensive list. (Write or Die has a new tool Edit Minion...yes you can have it edit your MS and highlight stuff to work on.)
Publishing Perspectives has gathered together a great list of book marketing articles. This list covers author entrepreneurship to case studies on translations woes.
Bob Mayer of Write It Forward has put up his list of predictions for authors and publishers for 2011.
This is an interesting list and gives the author a few things to think about. Bob got into trouble when he announced his predictions for 2010. Events then proved him right...so you should check out his 2011 predictions.
On predictions...this will be the year that New Zealand discovers ebooks. I predict that not only will we see sales figures for ebooks in New Zealand but that more New Zealand authors will publish ebooks, and that New Zealand publishing houses will begin to experiment with marketing an ebook list. After all they are seriously changing contracts to reflect the growing importance of this market. If you doubt me just think about this...how many people do you know with an iPad or ebook reader? I know two people who got them for Christmas....
For the authors contemplating the new novel, I have a couple of links that remind us of the business of plot and structure. First a timely revisit of the Hero’s Journey and second (thanks Helen) a link to Storyboard plotting...a feast of movable post-it notes.
If you are looking at your web page and scratching your head, check out this article on the importance of a Bio Page.
Over on Craicerplus (My Amplify Page) I have links to articles on
Microsoft’s Predictions For ebooks In The Year 2010 - Made In The Year 2000
Gail Carson Levine - On Writing Serials...(learn from the master)
An Agent On Giving Feedback...(understandable but sad)
Future of Reading –article by the LA Times about publishers shrinking role...
Dean Wesley Smith on Scams and Why You Should Be Your Own Publisher...(thought provoking stuff.)
10 Creative’s to Watch in 2011...This is a look at some amazing illustrators
13 Writing Cliches That Will Kick Your Ass (read read read)
Daily Newspapers for Kids In France....(How do they make It work?)
Finally Dark Angel has come up the most comprehensive list of resources to find Baby Names on the web...including Pirate Names and Name Generators...I predict you will find a great name for your MC....
enjoy,
maureen....still on holiday in the sweltering sub tropics...
RIP Dick King Smith...Celebrated Children’s Author Died Yesterday aged 88...
