Promote your e-books

Check out this link from GalleyCat to promote your e-books. Thanks, Jan Marler Morrill  for sharing this valuable information on FB. (Check out her book, The Red Kimono!)

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/free-ebook-promotion_b52130

Write soon,

Mary

A post, a question and a prompt

In honor of my 100th post, I've decided to keep it short and sweet.

What is the deepest, darkest secret you have, or know?

Write (about it) soon,

Mary

Are limits helpful to creativity?

Do you have an empty room in your house? Do you have an empty drawer in your desk or file cabinet? Do you have empty hours in a day? Probably not. Human beings tend to fill space and time, and writers, especially, are good at it.

Today I’m going to ignore those messy drawers and stacks of books and papers and focus on time, and how to maximize your productivity in the time you have. Two keys to productivity are prioritizing your tasks and setting your goals. Deadlines help writers by forcing them to focus on one task, and complete it. Is it ever perfect? Probably not. But it’s finished. Check, please.

For me, a project takes as long as I have. If I have 30 minutes to work on Project X, then it takes me 30 minutes to complete it. If I have three hours to complete Project X, then I will finish it in three hours. (By the way, this theory holds true for household chores.)

I’ve read that creative people may need to work in short bursts to maximize their efficiency. That may mean setting aside only a few minutes to an hour each day to work on long- or short-term goals, and doing the same thing tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. This strategy accomplishes two objectives: 1) It creates a habit, and 2) helps make the most of the time you have.

How about you? Do deadlines and short bursts of creativity work for you?

Write soon,

Mary

Where the Sky Doesn't End

Ron Nichols, author of Where the Sky Doesn’t End, will make an appearance Saturday, June 9 at the Deer Run Library Branch in O’Fallon, MO from 2-3:30 p.m.

A former journalist turned marketing communications practitioner, Ron Nichols was born and raised in O’Fallon. He’s a graduate of Ft. Zumwalt Senior High and the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. The author of two photography books, Where the Sky Doesn’t End is his inaugural novel.

He began writing the book with his then middle-school-aged daughter to help her with her own writing homework, and to convince her writing is fun. The story blends themes from history, race and friendship into a coming-of-age tale.

When you’re 13, shy and seemingly alone, a dream can be the one thing that makes life itself worth living. That dream for Brendan O’Brien, is to fly.

Where the Sky Doesn’t End is a story about hopes, dreams, disappointments, triumphs, sacrifices and friendships. It is a story that will touch your heart and make your spirit soar.

(Check out the interview with Ron from my Feb. 6, 2012 post. He's a very thoughtful writer.)

Write soon,

Mary

Word counts

Word counts are important for a variety of reasons, but in the traditional publishing industry, editors have to plan issues and books, and need to know page counts to stay within their printing budget. Also, if you aren’t a best-selling author, editors don’t have the time or staff to add or delete words from a manuscript to make it “fit” the format in which it will be published.

In her guest post for the Bayou Writers' Group, Sylvia Ney provides valuable information about industry standards for word counts in a variety of genres.

I’m posting a link:  http://bayouwritersgroup.blogspot.com to this handy reference guide. Click on the link to take a look!

Write soon,

Mary  

Time to write

Do you have time to write, or do you  make time to write?

I've finally realized that time will never present itself to me as a gift for being a good person. I have to serach out little bits and pieces of time to write. It's never easy. I thought it would get easier, but it hasn't.

Last month I attended the Missouri Writer's Guild Conference in St. Louis, and was charmed by Claire Cook, author of eight novels, including Must Love Dogs. She is a down-to-earth mother/writer who said she wrote her first novel in longhand during her daughter's swim practices while sitting in her minivan. I could relate, having graded many papers, and written a few scenes, during ice skating, guitar and piano lessons.

My friend Robin, a very smart and logical nurse, once told me that we all have the same 24 hours every day, and we get to choose how we will spend (at least some of) those hours. It’s a simple concept, but one that struck a chord. As a mother and a teacher and a wife, I still have to grade papers, fill out forms, do laundry, prepare/pick up dinner, make lunches, walk the dog, drive the kids to their appointments/sports activities, shop for groceries and empty the dishwasher.

There are many other tasks I should be doing as well, but can live without doing every day, like mopping the kitchen floor or vacuuming the rest of the house, etc. I am willing to forgo those tasks for the sake of my art. I know it’s difficult, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I’m a saint.

Let me know, when do you find time to write?

Write soon,

Mary

Top novel opening lines

Do you have a favorite first line from a novel? I don't know if I can select just one, but I sure had fun reading the list of the top 100.

Regardless of whether you've read the books, or agree with the selection, you'll probably recognize many famous first lines from the list generated a few years ago by Illinois State University's American Book Review.

I've included a link to a web:

http://americanbookreview.org/100BestLines.asp

Have fun, and let me know which one is your favorite!

Write soon,

Mary