As it’s October, there will be a special NaNoWriMo section of links for those who will be participating in NaNoWriMo in a few days time. But first, a round up of the other helpful sites and blog posts from the last month:
Writing
Five Fun and Easy Ways to Lengthen Word Count
While some writers write long novels that ultimately need to be trimmed, if you’re anything like me and tend to write spare, sometimes you may find you fall short in the word count department. I have this problem with my current WIP and I found this post to be quite helpful. It suggests ways to lengthen your word count without adding unnecessary fluff or padding.
Your Formula for a Kick-A** Young Adult Heroine
These tips are drawn from a panel of authors who all have kick-butt heroines in their novels.
Revising
Editing Your MS in 30 Days or Less
Some tips from author Elana Johnson on how to edit your novel in a month. While the tips in the post are probably easier to achieve for those of us who don’t have children, they are invaluable tips none-the-less and can still help with editing your novel in a shorter amount of time.
The Twelve Steps I Followed to Format “My Cheeky Angel” for Kindle Direct Publishing
Although this post is primarily directed towards self-publishing authors, there are some valuable formatting tips for all writers to follow before submitting to agents/publishers to make your novel stand out as polished and professional.
10 Proofreading Tips to Ensure Your Self-Published Works are Flawless
This is another post that, although it’s written for self-publishers, can just as easily be used by all writers. A great checklist to keep in mind when revising.
Picture Books
Only One Published Book? Aaack!
What picture book writers can do on library/school visits if they only have one published book.
Do You Want to Write Books for Children?
This post covers some common misconceptions and mistakes made by picture book writers and how you can fix/avoid them.
Marketing
Literary agent Natalie Fischer shares her best tips on marketing your novel, from the pre-sale phase (before you even sign a publisher) right through to the book release. Perfect for any writer at any stage of the process.
Eleven Deadly Sins of Online Promotion for Writers
Another one for writers in any stage of the process, including those who are seeking to attract an agent. 11 things you should never do when you’re promoting your writing online.
NaNoWriMo!
9 Ways to Prepare for the National Novel Writing Month
This would have to be the BEST post I’ve ever come across on preparing for NaNoWriMo. It doesn’t talk about outlines, but rather how to prepare yourself mentally and organise yourself and your life in preparation. It outlines 9 areas you may not have considered in the lead up to NaNoWriMo and provides questions to ask yourself to help get yourself prepared. It was written by 5-time NaNoWriMo-er and awesome writer/editor/publisher, Jodi Cleghorn.
Five quick tips for helping you achieve your NaNoWriMo goal.
NaNoWriMo Starts Right Here right Now
Some advice from a past NaNowriMo winners on how to get past the NaNoWriMo finish line.
Some tips for succeeding at NaNoWriMo from a two-time NaNoWriMo winner. (I personally think the 1st tip is an especially important one to remember.)
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For those who are participating in NaNoWriMo this year, good luck!
