This Week on Books Direct - 21 April 2013
Here
is a list of the articles you may have missed this week:
"First Sentences of Great Books" - Article by Chris Robley for BookBaby.
Chris
looks at first sentences from 20 books that have already become classics (plus
some semi-recent hits and a few more-obscure favorites) in order to see if the
magic was happening right from the start, or if it took the author a little
while to get cooking.
What's
your best first sentence? Share it with us below.
"Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone And Become A Better Writer!" - Article by
Writer's Relief.
As
creative writers, sometimes we need to stretch our muscles, step outside our
stuffy little comfort zones, and try something new. But what can writers do to
step out of their comfort? Here are a few ways to get started.
What
was the last thing you did that inspired a new idea?
"Book Promotion Strategies that Actually Worked" - Article by Jason Boog for
GalleyCat.
What’s
the best book promotion strategy you've ever seen?
"The Basics of Beta Readers" - Article by Laurie Boris for Indies Unlimited.
Someone
should look at your finished novel before you publish. Maybe you should try a
beta reader.
Have
you used a beta reader before? Please share your experience with us below.
"The Kissing Booth Editor on How to Discover an Author" - Article by Lauren
Buckland for Everyday eBook.
Learn
how 17-year-old author Beth Reekles got discovered on Wattpad.
"This is Your Brain on Revisions" - Article by Laurie Boris for Indies Unlimited.
Are
your revisions going nowhere? Try some of Laurie's fairly harmless, out-of-the
box suggestions to get your project moving again.
What
do you do when your revisions come to a screeching halt?
"How to Start a Story" - Article by John H. Carroll for The World of Ryallon.
There
are just as many methods of writing as there are writers. John shares his
method of starting a story.
Do
you have any tips to share with us?
"Five Things You Need to Know About Blog Tours Before Signing On" - Article by D. Kai Wilson-Viola for Book Junkies Journal.
Blog
tours CAN be one of the best things you can do for your book and author brand -
but if you don't pick a company that's committed and dedicated to your tour, or
is running too many, you risk being ignored.
"Give It Away" - Tutorial by Big Al for Indies Unlimited.
Ever
wondered how to create a Rafflecopter giveaway? Let Big Al show you how.
"The 12 Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Blog" - Article by Brian A. Klems for
Writer's Digest.
Thinking
about writing a blog? Been writing a blog for some time now and have yet to
establish any growth? Stick to these 12 specific dos and don’ts of writing a
blog that Brian has developed over his 10 years of experience.
"H.P. Lovecraft's Advice to Aspiring Writers, 1920" - Article by Maria
Popova for Brainpickings.
Lovecraft
enumerates the twenty most common mistakes of young authors, "aside from
those gross violations of syntax which ordinary education corrects," and
offers a common cure for all.
"The Art of Character: The Five Cornerstones of Dramatic Characterization" -
Article by David Corbett for The Creative Penn.
Creating
believable and resonant characters is one of the great challenges of the
fiction author. The concept of character has also become more important in
narrative non-fiction and memoir, and even business books start with character
stories to illustrate their points. David Corbett, author of The Art of Character,
helps us with some key aspects to keep in mind.
"4 Time Management Techniques for Writers" - Article by Lisa England for
JourneyCraft.
Lisa
shares tips on how to manage your time as a writer.
"Sixty Second Writing Tips: Getting the Right Title" - Article by Matthew Wright.
Matthew
gives us some tips on how to come up with the right title for your book.
