If you want to make it as a writer, there are tons of tips and tricks out there that will help you succeed, and many things that others will argue are a necessity for improving and strengthening your craft. An in-person writers’ group is one of those things. When you work on writing with others, … More The Writers’ Group from Hell
If you’ve ever done NaNoWriMo, you’ve probably noticed that some people reach the goal not in a matter of weeks, but a matter of days. My feelings towards those writers are conflicted. On the one hand, I’m jealous. I mean, if I could write my draft in a week instead of a month, making it … More 100k in 2 Weeks: What You Need to Know
I’ve heard from several people lately that in order to create fear in your writing or a drive for the reader to know more, writers need to remember to include a good sense of mystery or the unknown. This camp includes J. J. Abrams, who is known for loving the idea of the “mystery box”–something … More Fear: Mystery. . . or Knowledge?
Think of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, A Christmas Carol. Imagine the end, after Scrooge has reformed, if a few changes were made. Let’s say Bob Cratchit insists on working on Christmas anyway because throughout the story he has been hardened by his life and now sees no reason to go back. When Scrooge surprises his nephew, … More Character Arcs: When You Don’t Need Them
A personal note: re-writing is currently the hardest, most diabolical part of the writing process for me. It feels like I’m stabbing my baby in the gut… over and over again. Like I’m trashing all my ideas and everything I worked so hard on while drafted. I can spend hours writing a segment only to … More How to Re-Write Your Novel–without Losing Your Sanity (Curated Post)
Every year, I look forward to attending the online self-publishing conference called Indie Author Fringe. And every year, I’ve had fun entering the amazing drawings at IAF, and I’ve won some pretty amazing prizes. I recently redeemed my free ebook formatting from Vellum. I chose a serial I’d written on a blog in college–not something … More Pros And Cons of Professional Book Formatting
Things have changed a lot for me over the past couple years. I went from being a hopeful author with no books published to speak of to being an Amazon best-selling author and making guest appearances on blogs and podcasts. My book Automaton has already given out over seventy copies this month alone (despite having no … More The Myth of The Well-Written Bestseller
Plotting or pantsing: which one has the NaNo edge? … More Plotting or Pantsing?
It’s been a while since I last updated the layout of Finish That Novel!. I aim to provide one of the web’s premiere resources for writers looking to finish writing, editing and publishing their novels. In such a rapidly changing industry as book publishing, that means that I’m constantly looking for new updates and more … More Awesome Announcement Time!
It’s been old news for me since Friday night–my book got rejected by Kindle Scout. It held on much longer than I had expected, but what I didn’t expect was the sudden wave of realizations that hit me moments after I got the email. I’ve been thinking about this the wrong way, for the most … More 5 Things I Learned After Kindle Scout Rejected My Novel
The campaign is over. The final day added 22 additional hours on Hot and Trending, and ever since I received news that the editors are now looking through it, I’ve been terrified to check my email in case there’s a rejection note. I’ve read about people getting rejected about this point, so I guess I’m … More My Adventures With Kindle Scout: Crossing My Fingers
Please vote for my Kindle Scout Campaign here through 2/06/16: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/X0Z1F8GSDDVB If you’ve noticed a distinct lack of articles here recently, it’s because I needed some time off. Kindle Scout campaigns are a ton of work and stress, and it’s hard to stay focused on what’s important vs. what really won’t matter in the end. … More My Adventure with Kindle Scout: Re-Vision
Please vote for my novel, The Grim Reaper: And Company! on Kindle Scout here: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/X0Z1F8GSDDVB I recently told my husband that for every hour I spend writing, I spend three more editing. It’s a rough guess–I spend much more on some areas and less in others, but as a rule, I don’t especially enjoy editing. That’s why I … More Grammarly Review: Automatic Proofreader
Please vote for The Grim Reaper: And Company! here: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/X0Z1F8GSDDVB Going into this, I knew there would be high points and low points. A few days ago was a high point. Today is a low point. The paid advertising has ended and I’ve exhausted my ideas. Yesterday I even started a Facebook game (totally unsuccessful) and … More My Adventures with Kindle Scout: Desperation Sets In
Please vote for me at: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/X0Z1F8GSDDVB The Powerball lottery is really high right now. I mean, really high. $1.3 billion, to be exact. And people around me are starting to get antsy about it. Most people have at least one or two tickets or are joining in a pool to split winnings. I’ve heard of some … More My Adventures with Kindle Scout: The Dark Side
Vote here: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/X0Z1F8GSDDVB This is day three of my Kindle Scout campaign. I’ve tried every publicity method I could think of and am starting to get a feel for what works. I’ve done multiple posts on all my social media accounts, I’ve printed out business cards with the info and handed them out (with the immense … More My Adventures with Kindle Scout: Day 3: Bill Goodwin
I’m losing track of what part I am at this point. Today is the first day of my campaign on Kindle Scout. All day I’ve been passing the link out, sharing on social media, and brainstorming of ways to get word out.
Well, my campaign should be up and running by tomorrow, most likely within the next few hours. And I’m anxiously clicking around on my computer and checking my emails as if that will help things get better. It takes a few days for them to set up the campaign after you submit. I did have to send … More My Adventures With Kindle Scout Part 3: Pre-campaigning
According to the schedule I set for myself, I submit my novel to Kindle Scout tomorrow. And I’m nervous about it. I don’t know if I’m ready. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t touched the manuscript in several weeks. That wasn’t because of the business from Christmas and New Year’s so much as it was … More My Adventures with Kindle Scout Part 2: Preparation
It’s the end of another year, and time for another top ten post overview! 2015 was an exciting year for Finish That Novel! and an exciting year for me personally. My novel Automaton was selected for publication last December, which led to a thrilling publishing adventure for me (and lots of busyness!). Meanwhile, Finish That Novel! grew about … More Top 10 Posts of 2015
