8 Ways to Make People on Twitter Want to STAB US IN THE FACE

Twitter used to be my absolute FAVORITE social site. Sure, I had a Facebook account but the real fun was always on Twitter…especially once I created the #MyWANA community so all the writers could socialize. We laughed, talked about all the stuff “normal people” don’t get, and even had parties—*fondly remembers Sharknado Party of 2013*. …

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Death Becomes Them: How Characters Come Alive in Death

Death characters

I think there’s one thing we can all agree about: it’s pretty awful that life doesn’t have a pause button when it comes to things like death and grief. One of the things that Kristen always says (I call them Lamb’s Laws) is that real writers don’t wait for all the stars to align, perfect …

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Readers Crave Stories with a Twist: Tips for Writing Great Plot Twists

When it comes to stories, everyone LOVES a good twist. Whether this is in a movie, short story, or a novel audiences LOVE to be fooled. Twists and misdirection can not only cultivate passionate fans, but they’re crucial elements that keep any story from the dreaded label…”formulaic.” Who wants to spend precious time with a …

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Targeting Readers: Audiences Have Evolved & So Should Marketing

How many times have we been told we should be targeting our readers, audience, and customers? Am I the only one disturbed by this advice? Targeting seems like it should involve a Predator Drone…or at least a trebuchet. For the record, I imagine many authors would view sales (and targeting) with far more enthusiasm if …

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Author Newsletters: The Good, the Bad & the PLEASE JUST STOP!

Today we’re tackling author newsletters. Do we need one? Do they sell books? Does a human sacrifice help? Oops. Last time I posted at length about sales, namely what it is, what it isn’t, and why we shouldn’t be afraid of it. Science proves that, the better writers are at sales, the more books they sell. Sort …

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