My first novel took thirteen years to finish.  My second novel took three years.  I’ve made a pledge to start my third novel in 2012, and as I’m not getting any younger, I need to speed up my writing process.  Toward this goal, I’m learning all I can about the craft.  In doing some research, I came across this Glimmer Train list of writing tips that could save me tons of time.  I’m going to print it and tack it above my computer.    

One of my favorite parts of writing fiction is writing good dialogue; dialogue that’s quick and smart and doesn’t slow the reader down.  Over the years, I’ve done tremendous research on the elements of good dialogue and I’ve shared some of my findings on Deanna Proach’s blog, De’s Stories.  I’d love to hear some of your tips.

One of the most challenging parts of writing a novel is choosing specific nouns and action verbs that convey exactly what you want to portray.  It’s so tempting to say, “she ran to the front door.”  But how much better to say, “she rushed”, or “she darted”, or “she scampered.”

Yesterday, I came across a post on bloodredpencil with an exercise that I plan to use.  I hope it will help you, too.

Most experts in the book publishing business believe that the cover is the book’s most important marketing tool.  This is what I’ve learned about book covers.

First, make sure the title is big enough to read and make sure to check what it looks like as a thumbnail.  This is especially important with more people buying ebooks.  Also, check what it looks like in grayscale.

Don’t use more than two fonts and don’t get gimmicky with them.

Don’t use cheap clip art or pictures of sunsets, rainbows, oceans, etc.  They’ve been done to death.  Be sure the cover reflects the style of the book.  Potential buyers should be able to get a feel for what’s inside by looking at the cover.

Bottom line, use a professional to help you design your book cover.  You only have a few seconds to grab a reader’s attention.

When looking for an agent, writing a good query letter is as important as writing a good book.  I’ve finished my second novel, Staying Afloat, and I’m about to write the dreaded letter.  In researching the do’s and don’ts of query letters, I came across this interesting post on “Fiction Groupie.”

Dan Poynter is a leading authority on book publishing.  In addition to his over seventy-six books, he produces a free monthly newsletter on writing, publishing and promotion.  I am proud to have my writing tip on Page 10 of the December issue.

It’s hard to say which writing mistake was my biggest, but looking back, I’d have to say not understanding the craft of plotting was one of my biggies.  My first couple of drafts of “Husbands” were very “episodic”; first this happens, then that happens. I gave no thought to building a story arc.  It wasn’t until I attended a workshop put on by plot consultant, Martha Alderson, that I saw the value of  organizing my scenes to give them the biggest impact.  I will be forever grateful for this learning experience.

I’d be interested to know what your biggest writing mistake was.  Let me know.

When the time comes to hire a freelance editor, it’s difficult to know where to start.  First, you have to decide what type of service you need; book doctoring, where a pro actually fixes your work; developmental editing, where someone gives you “big picture” feedback for your next revision; or copy/line editing, where your punctuation and grammar is checked.  The best way to find a good editor is to get a reference from another writer, if possible, one that writes in your genre.  But if you can’t be a reference, three good online sources for editors are www.Mediabistro.com/fm, www.freelancersunion.org, and www.the-efa.org/dir.   Type in keywords like “cozy mystery” or “nonfiction how-to book” for best results.

Bet you thought it was J. K. Rowling, right?  Wrong.  According to Forbes.com, it’s James Patterson.  So what do highly paid authors have in common?  Find out in this interesting article.

Listening to author and teacher Malena Watrous talk about writing interesting characters at last Saturday’s California Writers Club Meeting, I was reminded of some other important points I’ve learned over the years.  The first time a character appears in the story he/she must perform some act that characterizes them.  This allows the reader to see what the character is made of. Also, reveal your characters through action and dialogue, rather than overt description – this is much more interesting to readers.  And lastly, tag your characters so readers can remember them.  Give one a limp or a nervous twitch; another a unique speech pattern, etc.

If you’re looking for ways to describe a character’s physical appearance, check out this post by author Lydia Sharp.