June 2021 - All About First Drafts
Jami Albright: Putting Blood, Sweat, and Tears into Every Project
We’ve all heard the expression “blood, sweat, and tears.” I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into this project. This month we will meet an author who did exactly that. Let me introduce Jami Albright. Every week, authors around the world can catch an hour with Jami on her podcast,
Vella: KDP Gets Serialous
On April 13th, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) announced a new program: Kindle Vella, a home for serial stories. Like Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Worlds before it, indie authors around the world have shown enormous interest in the upcoming program, which is due to launch this summer. But like all
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Nice in Newcastle Writes…
Dear Indie Annie, I love my characters. I love seeing them live out their lives, and making wonderful things happen to them. But my critique partner says my story is
The Writing On The Wall: Getting to Know Scrivener
When writing your novel, you want a program that can contain all the amazing ideas that are swirling around in your brain in one place. Literature & Latte’s Scrivener is
The Many Faces of Author Collaboration
What is collaboration? When two authors love each other very much… Okay, they don’t have to love each other but the best collaborations do emerge from professional relationships based on
Conquering the Muddy Middle
When the shine of a new story idea fades and the muddy middle beckons, it is easy to lose interest, especially with a shaky or problematic plot. Giving up would
Connecting the Drops: Proper Hydration and Your Imagination
Does your creativity wane when you need it to wax? Are you staring at a blank page with no inspiration and a deadline? Do you feel frustrated, cranky, and tired?
Urban Fantasy Tropes
What makes a book an urban fantasy and not merely contemporary fantasy? It comes down to genre tropes. Every genre has its specific set of tropes that define it from
Kill or Cure?
Alfred Hitchcock famously said, “I think everyone enjoys a nice murder, provided he is not the victim.” In reality, there is no such thing as a nice murder or a
Author Logos: Making Your Mark
A logo is an asset that every author should consider having in their marketing repertoire. Your logo will be one of the key indicators of your brand. It will be
Dictating Your Way to a First Draft
We’ve all read that publishing fast can be one of the drivers for a successful indie publishing career. In fact, there are writers who consistently produce a book a month.
Tackling the First Draft One Day at a Time
You have committed to writing a book, worked out the characters, what’s going to happen to them. The world is verdant and fleshed out in your head and you’re ready
Battling the First Draft and Winning
Drafting is how we get books. Books are our business. This means drafting is our business. Finishing our drafts is our top priority. No finished draft, no book. No book,
Clubhouse: Make it Work for You
Clubhouse is the latest social media platform. It’s an audio-only platform where people engage in conversation in groups called “rooms.” Some rooms invite everyone to participate, whereas in others you’re
Letters from Our Executive Team:
Done is Better than Perfect
Done is better than perfect. Just finish the thing. You can’t edit a blank page. All great advice for writers when they’re in the middle …
Time to Roll Up Your Sleeves
After the excitement of Outlining, that first glimmer of the idea that’s going to be the most amazing story ever, we come to First Drafts. …
Step on the Stage and Shine
Before I get to this month’s topic, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us in our launch. Seeing how the …
Discover New Outlining Strategies
In this issue, we’re continuing to follow the basic process of creating a book. Outlining last time, First Drafts this. It seems like a fairly …
Selections From the May 2021 Issue:
Defining Success
Many of us write because we love to write; it’s our outlet that keeps us sane. Publishing is a by-product that becomes our businesses to pay for our writing habits.
Conflicted in Calgary Writes…
Dear Indie Annie,I’ve been working on my story for a while now, and at first I really loved it. Lately though, I’m starting to wonder if it’s any good. I
Wide Vs. Exclusive: Which Is For You?
“Should you go wide?” is one of the most popular questions in Indie publishing. “Wide” publishing means offering your ebook(s) in as many channels, languages, countries, and formats as you
Small Starts, Big Gains
As writers, there is nothing better than finding ourselves in the creative zone of genius, furiously pumping out words for hours at a time. Before you realize it, you’ve gone
De-Mystery-fying Tropes
A mystery is a crime or puzzle that must be solved by the end of the story. It is critical to reader expectation and satisfaction that the culprit is discovered,
How to Write Accurate Fight Scenes
You’ve decided that violence is the answer! In your story, that is, but now what? What makes a good fight? There are a lot of things to consider for your
A Matter of Trust: Making your Cover Match your Genre
Imagine you’re on Amazon, scrolling through hundreds of books when you come across this cover. What do you think? It’s arguably different from the other covers on the page. How
Lost the Plot? We Got You Covered
You’ve decided to write that novel. You opened Word, but now you’re staring at a blank screen and… what? What actually goes into writing a novel? This is when Plottr
A Look at Advanced Outlining Methods for Plotters and Pantsers
Let’s look at two representative methods for plotters and pantsers: the Snowflake Method and the Skeleton Draft. To lead us into the discussion, we’ll briefly touch on the topic of
Outlining the Problem: Conflict and Misbeliefs
Many authors begin their outlining process by developing entire character profiles as well as the basic idea of what will happen in the book. They feel they at least need
A Look at Advanced Outlining Methods for Plotters and Pantsers
If you stand at the front of a conference room full of authors and ask for a show of hands who are “pantsers” and who are “plotters,” you would start
OP-ED: Why a Magazine?
One of the best things about the indie author community is that it is first and foremost a community. It’s unique because in the strictest sense, we aren’t competing with