My First RavenCon...

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I had the pleasure of presenting "Adding Mystery to Your Writing" with Mary Miley this weekend at RavenCon in Richmond, VA.

This was my first Con. I enjoyed talking to a variety of people about their writing and reading interests. And the vendors had anything you could imagine from the fantasy, science fiction, and horror worlds.

#PoeGirl, Kris Mehigan, did a panel on the Raven Society at the University of Virginia and the Poe Toaster. And afterwards Chris Semtner, from the Poe Museum in Richmond, joined the conversation.

Sadly, I didn't have more time to attend the Klingon party or the costumed event on Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun, and many thanks to the fans who welcomed a group of mystery writers to their event.

SinC Author Tina Glassneck

SinC Author Tina Glassneck


I'm with Karen McCullough and Kris Mehigan.

I'm with Karen McCullough and Kris Mehigan.

Movies about Writers and Writing

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Looking for a good movie? I was updating my Netflix today, and I was thinking about movie themes. Here is my list of films about writers and writing.

  1. Absence of Malice
  2. Almost Famous
  3. Barton Fink
  4. Breakfast at Tiffany's
  5. Capote
  6. Deconstructing Harry
  7. Finding Forrester
  8. Finding Neverland
  9. Gothic
  10. Hannah and Her Sisters
  11. Julie and Julia
  12. Marley and Me
  13. Midnight in Paris
  14. Misery
  15. Moulin Rouge
  16. Naked Lunch
  17. Romancing the Stone
  18. Shadowlands
  19. Shakespeare in Love
  20. She-Devil
  21. Sideways
  22. Sunset Boulevard
  23. Sylvia
  24. The Ghost Writer
  25. The Help
  26. The Hours
  27. The Jewel of the Nile
  28. The Shining
  29. The World According to Garp
  30. Throw Momma from the Train
  31. Tom & Viv
  32. Under the Tuscan Sn
  33. Wonder Boys

What else would you add?

What's on Your Playlist? Murderous Songs for Mystery Writers

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I love Train's "50 Ways to Say Goodbye." It's great for mystery writers. It's full of lots of ideas for bumping off characters.

So here's a playlist of other songs with murderous lyrics if you need inspiration for writing your next mystery:

  • Dixie Chicks - "Goodbye, Earl"
  • Bob Marley - "I Shot the Sheriff"
  • Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
  • Foster the People - "Pumped up Kicks"
  • R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
  • Johnny Cash - "The Long, Black Veil"
  • Kenny Rogers - "Coward of the County"
  • Bobby Darrin - "Mack the Knife"
  • Georgie Fame "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde"
  • Jim Croce - "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
  • The Police - "Murder by Numbers"
  • Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer"
  • The Beatles - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
  • Garth Brooks - "Papa Loved Mama"


10 Commandments for Promoting Your Book on Social Media

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I am on quite a few social media platforms and follow a lot of writers and writing groups. I have seen a variety of book marketing practices, some effective and others not so much. I love the advice that writers share, but I tend to tune out the book hawkers who constantly beat the "buy my book" drum. Here are my 10 Commandments for book promotion.

1. Thou shalt not annoy your friends and followers with constant "buy my book" posts. Be thoughtful with your promotions.

2. Always honor the 80-20 rule. Look at the content of your posts. Promotions should only be about 20% of your content.

3. If you schedule posts, be mindful to mix things up. You don't want to be the one on the lists that have 40-50 posts for the exact same thing. People tune out or block the noise.

4. Make sure that you share information that is fun and useful. (See #2.) This is the other 80% of your content.

5. Make sure that you always attribute the owner if you share content.

6. Strive to build relationships. Join lists and groups. And participate in the conversations. Share their successes. Don't be a lurker.

7. If you have set up automatic ways to share posts on other social media platforms, mix it up. Nobody wants to see the same post on four different sites.

8. I learned this from Rachel Thompson of Bad Redhead Media. Use social media platforms that appeal to your readers, and not the ones that you prefer. You need to go where your readers are. Know the key demographics of the platforms you use.

  • This Pew Research article has basic demographics about social media.
  • This Pew Research article breaks down the statistics by platform.

9. You can't effectively promote your work on hundreds of sites unless you have a staff. Pick several that you know work for you and your readers and start there. Watch your analytics and maximize what's working. Stop what doesn't seem to be effective.

10. Balance your time. It's important to have a healthy platform and to promote your work. Just be careful that it doesn't overshadow your writing time.

Happy writing and best wishes for your promoting your book!

 

Seven Deadly Sins for Writers

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Most everyone has heard of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth. I appropriated three from the original list and added some specifically for writers.

Pride - You have great ideas. You're creative, and you can write. Just don't take yourself too seriously and miss out on opportunities because you're unwilling to make editorial changes to your work. Everyone can improve, and all writers need beta readers, critique groups, editors, and proofreaders.

Envy - It's okay to be competitive. But don't get lost in "why not me" or "my stuff is as good as that author's." Concentrate on making your work the best it can be. Don't get stuck in an envy loop. Help others and celebrate their successes. Envy can bog you down and become a distraction to achieving your goals.

Over-commitment - Writers today have to be publicists, marketers, public speakers, bloggers, and social media strategists. Sometimes, life and work get in the way of writing. Strive for balance. And don't be afraid to say no to some of the requests that infringe on your writing time.

Distraction - If you yell, "Squirrel," my Jack Russell Terrier runs to the nearest window to locate the furry critter. I'm like that with the internet. It is way too easy to read email, check social media, watch a video or three, or research something. Again, it's all about balance.

Self-pity - Writing is hard work. There are very few talented souls who can bang out a perfect manuscript on the first attempt. Sending out queries to agents and publishers is also hard work, fraught with rejection. It's not uncommon for writers to get hundreds of rejections before they get to the "yes." Rejection stinks. Allow yourself a good sulk, but get back to your writing. Keep writing. Keep editing, and keep querying.

Sloth - I love snow days. When work is closed, it's my free day to read and write and do what I want. Just don't give yourself too many "snow" days. It is too easy to get distracted, and a short break turns into months and months. Don't journey too far from your writing routine.

Impulsiveness - I am as impatient as the next person. I love instant gratification, and I don't like to stand in line. But, make sure you're prepared when you talk to publishers, agents, and editors. Have your elevator speech ready. Make sure your query letter is polished. Unfortunately, you only have one shot sometimes. Don't burn them by not being prepared.

Best wishes with your writing. Enjoy what you do. It's hard work, and seeing it through to the end takes time, energy, and dedication.