Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Oops, been a little remiss here. I made a sale. And I forgot to blog about it! In my defence, I am knee deep in edits already.

So, what have I sold? What's cooler than pirates? Yup, Vikings. An offhand comment from my editor (You've got a good voice for historical, thought about writing one?) and a trip to Norway made this inevitable really. Norway is such a fabulously beautiful place. Dark and brooding, draped in cloud, seemingly built for secrets.

I mean, look at this:

A day at Geiranger fjord and in my head I was thinking 'And the feasting hall is there, and the blacksmith's is over there and�' And then my hero turned up. With a secret he has to keep, if he wants to stay alive. Then on our way out of the fjord, we saw this:

And I was sunk. Odin's helm overlooking the fjord was my first thought. Now, a Viking would think that a lucky place, yes? Not so lucky for Einar, our poor hero.

And so, A Kindness of Ravens was born. Coming from January 2nd 2012.

If you're interested, here's my pitch.

Eight years ago, Einar and Wilda witnessed a murder and saved each other from being the next victim.

Today, they have to do it again.

Norseman Einar lives under the threat of the murderer's rune-cut curse—if he should speak of it, his family will die and so he lives his life as a silent outcast. Until the Saxon girl Wilda comes back into his life, his brother's new thrall and one who is bound to recognise, and reveal, the murderer. Unable to tell her why she shouldn't speak of it, Einar has to try to get her away but is bewitched by the fact that Wilda still thinks him the brave youth he'd once been. For Wilda, Einar is a quiet presence she craves, the only man she can trust in a violent new world.

Between them they have to gather the courage to face the murderer head on.

By Diane Dooley

Every writer will be rejected at some time or other and, at first, it's most likely that you will be rejected over and over again. It's important to know how to handle the ongoing rejection because if you don't you will either give up in a heap of soggy tissues or go entirely crackpot insane.

As someone who has done both on one occasion or another, I am here to give you my DO's and DON'Ts of handling rejection. I speak with experience.

DON'T think there is something special about you because you've written a poem/short story/novel. Thousands upon thousands of people do it every year. If you can avoid getting a big head about your writing you'll find rejection so much easier to deal with.

DO have a support network. Whether it's a relative, a close friend or a writing group or online community, it's wonderful to have a shoulder to cry on, a voice to cheer you on or someone who will deliver a swift kick to the rear when necessary.

DON'T believe your mother when she tells you your writing is god's gift to literature, that you are a genius and immediately starts telling all her friends that she has birthed the second coming of Shakespeare. Get feedback on your writing from the brutally honest only. It's preferable if they don't love you to bits. It makes being honest with you so much easier.

DO buy your mother a house from the literary proceeds if she turns out to be right.

DON'T respond negatively to rejections � even if they're snarky, snotty, mean or wrong.

DO feel free to compose an insulting, vituperative, exquisitely written e-mail or letter expressing your contempt for the editor or agent's misguided lack of appreciation for your masterpiece � if it makes you feel better.

DON't send it.

DO continue to submit your writing, after you've edited and polished it to the best of your ability, to carefully selected markets and agencies.

DON'T give up. The writing biz is a slow one. You can wait forever and a day for word on your favorite story. Sometimes the word is 'no." Usually the word is "no." But every now and then the word is "Oh My God. We LOVE this story. Thanks you so MUCH for sending it to us. We WANT to publish/represent. You are DA BOMB!"

DO pat yourself on the back when you get an acceptance.

DON'T think that this means you will never be rejected again. You will be, and probably on the same day that you received your acceptance if my experience is anything to go by.

DO believe in yourself and your writing. If you don't have the courage to get your writing out there, then you're not even in the game. Every rejection is a badge of honor for an individual with the guts to try. Receive them proudly.

DON'T whine about your rejections on the internet. Even if your blog is read only by your granny and your beloved cat there are, nevertheless, a gazillion people who will find it the minute you start to bitch. They will point at you, laugh at you, sneer at you and share your blog post with as many people as they can find. Even if the humiliation doesn't kill you, your barely existent reputation will never recover.

DO keep a sense of humor. Because, dear writer, you will need it. If you think a rejection is hard to handle, then just imagine how a bad review is going to affect you. Far better to giggle, snicker, smile or outright guffaw than pout, snivel, weep or go batshit crazy.

DON'T take it out on your loved ones. It's not their fault that "some nameless editor from some no-name 'zine rejected your stoopid story after sitting on it for six months." They probably won't say that . . . but it's what they're thinking.

DO thank the lovely Julia Knight for inviting me as a guest on her blog.

DON'T hold her responsible for my opinions.

DO check out my novella, Blue Galaxy, which will be released as an e-book on May 9th by Carina Press. Audio book release date to be announced.

DON'T read it if you object to science fiction with oodles of violence and lashings of sex.

DO come visit me on Facebook, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ or my blog. I'd love to meetcha!

When she is not writing science fiction, romance or horror � sometimes all in the same story � Diane can be found chasing her children, geeking out with her husband, working a full-time job, indulging her addiction to Youtube or, most likely, reading.

Diane's horror short stories have been published by several online horror venues and she has a science fiction romance novella, Blue Galaxy, due for release May 9, 2011 from Carina Press. You can find her on her , on and on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.

She is also a regular contributor at as her alter-ego, Agent Z.

The Kindle version of Blue Galaxy is currently available for.

By David Bridger

The thought of condensing a mega-thousand-word story into one or two pages can be pretty daunting, especially if it's been left until the 'submission package' part of the process. So I write mine along the way, in three stages, almost as a by-product.

Here's how I put my synopsis together while writing The Weaverfields Heir.

In Stage A, I sketch a skeleton outline before writing, normally a sentence or two per scene. Here's my outline for Chapter One:

1. Driving over Dartmoor on her way home from work, Kate falls ill and experiences visions that open up a new world for her

2. She spends the weekend recovering, while trying to hide the effects of these visions from her parents. On Monday a solicitor phones to say Kate and her mother are beneficiaries in a will.

3. Next day Kate and her parents drive up to Shropshire and meet the solicitor, who informs them the deceased was Kate's maternal grandfather. He then escorts them to Weaverfields.

In Stage B, I return to my outline to add details after I've written the chapter:

1. Driving over Dartmoor on her way home from work at the end of her penultimate day as a teacher, Kate experiences the symptoms of a heart attack and loses consciousness. When she comes to, her world looks very different. She has gained the ability to see the system of relationships between cells. It looks like a web of gossamer threads connecting everything.

2. She spends the weekend recovering, while trying to hide the existence of these visions and their effects from her parents, Janet and Kevin. On Monday, a solicitor phones to say Kate and Janet are beneficiaries in an unknown relative's will. He invites them to spend the week at the Weaverfields estate outside a small Shropshire town, in order to attend the funeral on Thursday and the will reading on Friday.

3. On Tuesday morning, Kate and her parents drive up to Shropshire and meet the solicitor. He informs them the deceased was Janet's father, Peter Weaver, a reclusive man who was estranged from his family. Having been unaware of her father's identity until now, Janet struggles to accept this new situation. Kate and Kevin try to help her come to terms with it over lunch in a pub. The solicitor then escorts them to Weaverfields.

In Stage C, when the story is finished, each chapter's notes are blended with elements of the story arc, as well as themes and structural points, to form that section of the synopsis:

Disillusioned art teacher Kate Richards is twenty-five years old when she inherits the English country estate Weaverfields from reclusive Peter Weaver, a grandfather she never knew.

She also inherits from him a supernatural talent to see the net, which is the system of relationships between cells and the building material of the universe. It looks like a web of gossamer threads connecting everything, but very few people are gifted with the ability to see it and even fewer can manipulate it to bring about change.

People who use the net leave their memories on it. When Kate arrives at Weaverfields, her mind is invaded by these confusing visions and sensations from the past. Thinking she is seeing ghosts, she fears for her sanity, but through sheer will power she starts to put the memories in order and, through them, takes her first steps towards learning how to manipulate the net.

Writing synopses doesn't have to be painful.

David Bridger settled with his family and their two monstrous hounds in England's West Country after twenty years of ocean-based fun, during which he worked at various times as a lifeguard, a sailor, an intelligence gatherer and an investigator. He writes paranormal and urban fantasy. Find out more .

By David Bridger

The thought of condensing a mega-thousand-word story into one or two pages can be pretty daunting, especially if it's been left until the 'submission package' part of the process. So I write mine along the way, in three stages, almost as a by-product.

Here's how I put my synopsis together while writing The Weaverfields Heir.

In Stage A, I sketch a skeleton outline before writing, normally a sentence or two per scene. Here's my outline for Chapter One:

1. Driving over Dartmoor on her way home from work, Kate falls ill and experiences visions that open up a new world for her

2. She spends the weekend recovering, while trying to hide the effects of these visions from her parents. On Monday a solicitor phones to say Kate and her mother are beneficiaries in a will.

3. Next day Kate and her parents drive up to Shropshire and meet the solicitor, who informs them the deceased was Kate's maternal grandfather. He then escorts them to Weaverfields.

In Stage B, I return to my outline to add details after I've written the chapter:

1. Driving over Dartmoor on her way home from work at the end of her penultimate day as a teacher, Kate experiences the symptoms of a heart attack and loses consciousness. When she comes to, her world looks very different. She has gained the ability to see the system of relationships between cells. It looks like a web of gossamer threads connecting everything.

2. She spends the weekend recovering, while trying to hide the existence of these visions and their effects from her parents, Janet and Kevin. On Monday, a solicitor phones to say Kate and Janet are beneficiaries in an unknown relative's will. He invites them to spend the week at the Weaverfields estate outside a small Shropshire town, in order to attend the funeral on Thursday and the will reading on Friday.

3. On Tuesday morning, Kate and her parents drive up to Shropshire and meet the solicitor. He informs them the deceased was Janet's father, Peter Weaver, a reclusive man who was estranged from his family. Having been unaware of her father's identity until now, Janet struggles to accept this new situation. Kate and Kevin try to help her come to terms with it over lunch in a pub. The solicitor then escorts them to Weaverfields.

In Stage C, when the story is finished, each chapter's notes are blended with elements of the story arc, as well as themes and structural points, to form that section of the synopsis:

Disillusioned art teacher Kate Richards is twenty-five years old when she inherits the English country estate Weaverfields from reclusive Peter Weaver, a grandfather she never knew.

She also inherits from him a supernatural talent to see the net, which is the system of relationships between cells and the building material of the universe. It looks like a web of gossamer threads connecting everything, but very few people are gifted with the ability to see it and even fewer can manipulate it to bring about change.

People who use the net leave their memories on it. When Kate arrives at Weaverfields, her mind is invaded by these confusing visions and sensations from the past. Thinking she is seeing ghosts, she fears for her sanity, but through sheer will power she starts to put the memories in order and, through them, takes her first steps towards learning how to manipulate the net.

Writing synopses doesn't have to be painful.

David Bridger settled with his family and their two monstrous hounds in England's West Country after twenty years of ocean-based fun, during which he worked at various times as a lifeguard, a sailor, an intelligence gatherer and an investigator. He writes paranormal and urban fantasy. Find out more .

By Natalie J. Damschroder

I was excited when Julia sent the invitation to blog about the last book I fell in love with, because I had just finished reading . I'd had to sit and finish it when I should have been showering and getting to work, a phenomenon that usually leads to a 5 rating on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.

And then I read by and suddenly, I had two books I had to write about!

Luckily, both books have the "best friends" theme, my very favorite in contemporary romance. It's funny how some themes can bug you (I actively avoid vampires and secret baby stories, for example), but some are timeless. I can't imagine ever being tired of best friends falling in love.

Both books have a hero and heroine who have been best friends all their lives, and heroines whose pasts have led them to set up their lives in a certain way. Both books also happen to have road trips where the characters see their best friends in a new light.

Despite the similarities, and the common elements of the best friends theme, The Kiss Test and Road Signs are fantastically different because of the characters. Chris (TKT) is a playboy, while Cam (RS) is overly cautious after a painful relationship. Willow (RS) is driven and career-focused, while Margo (TKT) has a fun, well-rounded life, though both heroines nurse mother-based wounds.

Part of what I loved about Road Signs, I confess, was very subtle allusions to Supernatural, mainly in the crappy hotel rooms and classic car.

Both books broke my heart with the longing of one of the characters. I won't say who because I don't want to set up expectations. Suffice to say that if you're looking for a great, emotional read, you can't go wrong with either of these.

~~~~~~~~~~

Natalie J. Damschroder's newest release, , doesn't have best friends falling in love like The Kiss Test and Road Signs. But it does have a road trip, as well a heroine falling in love with a potential enemy as she struggles to keep her daughter safe. You can find her online at .

Loving the Imperfect Hero by Ellis Carrington

I want to thank Julia for giving me the opportunity to guest blog. Her request for an article about the last book I fell in love with immediately brought Josh Lanyon to mind, and , book one of his fantastic Adrien English series.

Okay, true confession time: I, a married mom of two, am in love with a gay man. Now if my husband were reading this over my shoulder, he would double over in laughter at that statement. "Not just one, " he'd scoff while holding his sides. "Is this about Adam Lambert again?"

Actually, no.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I adore Adam from his glittery hair to his pedicured toes � but this is something a little more complicated. I'm in love with a FICTIONAL gay man. That's right. His name is Adrien English.

Created by the great and mystical Josh Lanyon, Adrien doesn't exist in real life, and even if he did I would have no hope of pleasing him whatsoever. If you're scratching your head and saying "Who?" don't feel bad � go ahead and pop over to Amazon and do a search. We'll wait here while you download Fatal Shadows to your computer or mobile device of choice�

Great!

Now, I know that I am not alone here. All over the interweb I have encountered men and women who love Lanyon's work in general (he is probably a far better writer on his worst day than I can conceive of being on my best) and Adrien English specifically. I'm thinking about starting a local support group ("Hi, my name is Ellis, and I'm in love with Adrien English�"). We might even have t-shirts printed ("I fell in love with Adrien English and all I got was a hefty Amazon.com invoice and this lousy t-shirt.").

*ahem* Anyhoo�

For me, Adrien English is the perfect hero. He's not a Navy SEAL, a werewolf warrior, or any other version of stereotypical beefcake-y-Alpha-maleness (What?? It is TOO a word.) . He's a bookseller with a heart condition and a Miss Marple-ish tendency to nose around where he shouldn't. But he's refreshingly self-actualized. He's confident and unapologetic about who he is, but his feelings get hurt sometimes. He seems pragmatic, but he's a novelist so we know he's imaginative. Not only is he well-off, but he's humble about it. Sure, he knows how to shoot stuff, but probably wouldn't. He's wicked smart. Caring. Oh, yeah, and he loves his mom. The whole package that is Adrien is just sooo darned sexy.

I can still recall precise moment when I knew he had me for sure: There's a scene in Fatal Shadows where he chooses to have sex with a homicidal maniac who he knows will probably try to kill him. It isn't clear that doing so will save him, nor does he know for sure if help is coming. And despite the overwhelming horror and fear, his body still responds to this madman. He manages to feel for the horrible history that turned the villain into what he had become, even as he fights not to cry out in pain.

Hands down, it is the bravest moment I have witnessed from any hero in any novel I have ever read, and it is why Adrien English is the hero against which I will compare all others.

I'm told there is a trend back towards the flawless he-man type hero lately. Why on earth?? In my very humble and totally inexpert opinion, flaws are necessary to make a hero truly great. Without them, as Robert McKee says, your character is as flat as a table top.

So, in sum, the last book I really fell in love with Fatal Shadows, by Josh Lanyon. All because of Adrien. Interested? You can find out more at web site.

All right! I've shown you mine, will you show me yours? Get your mind out of the gutter, I meant your hero. Who's *your* favorite, and why?

Ellis Carrington is a woman who loves men who love men (who love men!) and has been since she stole a copy of The New Joy of Gay Sex from her local library as a teenager. Learn more at her Manlove Paranormal. Please also check out her latest short story, an erotic M/M/M about new beginnings for a college football quarterback in the Ravenous Romance erotic anthology, .

Julia: And one lucky commenter can win a free copy! So get commenting. Right now. *stern mummy face*

By Lisa M Cronkhite

Are you one of those people that can't stand waiting in lines at the grocery store? Anxious to get a phone call or email? Especially from and agent or editor? [note from Julia - HELL YES! ] Well, I am that type of person too. Learning to be patient is one of my weakest attributes in life.

I first started writing poetry years ago. Then when I finally showed someone, they liked it so much, they thought I should send it somewhere. So I thought, well, why not? No one told me I would wait up to a year to hear back. But when I first got a response, it became addictive. And when I got my first acceptance, I was hooked.

But the process of waiting is a long one in this industry, and it's very difficult for some, if not many. The ways that I cope to try to relax and wait, is to start on something new. Keep writing. Keep exercising your right to write! And enjoy the freedom of having a pen and paper handy. Because you can escape anywhere in writing. And it helps pass the time too while you're waiting! Plus you will build not only your writing skills, you will have more to submit.

Also give yourself room to breathe and enjoy life. Open your mind to new things and new hobbies. Don't put all your eggs in one basket (cliché as it is) but still. It is always good to have something else in the wings.

If you want this to be your life career, then you'll need all the patience you can get. Keep your options open at all times. And play the field in writing, find your niche. It took me several years to figure out my voice, from poetry to children's stories to young adult novels. So what are you waiting for? Don't wait, write now. And then when those emails do come, it will much more worth the wait.

Bio:

Lisa has been writing for the past seven years and has published work in various print and online magazines such as The Storyteller, Poetry Salzburg Review, Triggerfish Critical Review, Ascent Aspirations, and many more. After taking a two-year writer's course at the Institute of Children's Literature, based in Connecticut, Lisa has received a certificate and six college credits.

Lisa's latest release, Dreaming a Reality is out today!

You can find out more

Seleste deLaney—Promo Rookie

When Julia first asked me to write a post on promotion, my first thought was "Oh, I so don't think you want me doing that." After all, I'm not someone who's been around for years—my first story was just published in August. After I thought about it for a minute though, I realized I had to start somewhere too. You see, promo is something that every author, no matter how big or small, faces. Sure, you can throw your book out there and hope someone picks it up, but with all the stories available, the odds of a random reader finding yours with that method…not so good.

Publishers (big or small) want books to succeed, but some of them quite simply don't have the kind of financial backing for big promotional pushes of NYC publishing. What that means is a lot of the promo is left up to the author. Now, if you're lucky, your publisher is doing some work in the background that you don't know about. I had one put a two-page ad in Romantic Times magazine (my book was one of eight featured). Another makes sure that every release is available on NetGalley (which is a huge site for online reviewers). To put it simply, if you're lucky, they're doing something.

But the author needs to work too. For my first two releases, the vast majority of reviews I received were ones I asked for. I stalked the internet and twitter looking for reviewers I thought might be interested and hitting them up. I also asked friends who happen to be reviewers as well. The absolute most important things to remember when asking for reviews are to be polite and accept it if they say no. There are a million reasons for a no, and that includes a no after they say they'll read it. If your story doesn't grab them, they have every right to set it down.

To go with the reviews though, you want potential readers to have the opportunity to get to know you as a person. That means working the guest blog and interview angles. Again, for your first time out, you might have to ask for those spots—be polite and accept it if the answer is no (Are you sensing the trend here? Good.). If you land a spot though, do your damnedest to make sure you get things in on time. I will admit, I've been a little late to the game more than once, but I don't think I've ever missed turning something I promised in.

These are the most important lessons I've learned about promo over the last several months:

1) Be as professional as you can. I'm a laid back person most of the time, but I try to put on my game face every time I promo.

2) Keep a good calendar. Better yet, keep a couple, and make sure they're updated regularly. (An example of one of my mess-ups, I somehow missed Julia and I setting a date and had to re-schedule. Glad she was understanding.)

3) Be willing to step outside your comfort zone—variety is the spice of life and all that. I hate, hate, hate being on camera, but I spent money to have an author media kit (photos and video) made this year. I went on to do not one, but two video blogs over the holidays (when I was sick no less), and I have another one planned for April.

4) Be willing to spend money for promo, but be wise about it. There are a lot of options for promotion out there, and it's easy to spend a lot of cash.

5) Learn from your mistakes but don't regret them. If a certain type of promo doesn't work for you, don't do it again, but look at it as a learning experience.

6) Above all, try to have fun with it.

Promo isn't easy. It's a lot of work, and in the end, it takes a certain amount of faith to believe that it's going to pay off. But as authors, we've weathered the storm of rejections, revisions, delayed releases, and all sorts of other things—we kind of live by faith.

is not a promo queen. She is however an author. You can find her newest release Badlands at and other online retailers. In addition, you can find her personally on her ,, and .

By Alex Beecroft

Like most new writers, when I signed the contract on my first book, I had very fixed ideas of what the writing life would involve. These involved a great deal of solitude, long walks in empty parks and sitting at my word processor in a lovely little attic garret with the sun streaming in through the windows.

Occasionally � I dared to think � I might get a fan letter, or be asked to attend a book signing. But for the rest of the time I would be alone with my books and my fictional worlds, free to write all day and be paid for it.

That dream did not long survive the reality. These days it seems that a writer is expected to write 5,000 words in an hour before breakfast, and then spend the rest of the day on the internet, blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, answering emails, attending Yahoo chats, being interviewed by other writers, interviewing other writers, running contests, promoting, advertising, networking, being seen in the right places, saying the right things to the right people about the issues of the day, while being gracious, professional, happy, encouraging and inspirational to others.

If you're an extrovert and you are energized and enthused by talking to other people, then this may not seem so bad. But you're a writer, right? And writing is pretty much a career that self-selects for people who love to spend the majority of their time alone with a piece of paper and their inner voices.

So what can you do to prevent yourself from plunging into all of this, swimming frantically for a while and then going down, overwhelmed by the fact that a writer's life has very little to do with writing? Here are my very hard won tips:

1. Writing time must come first.

If you have one free hour a day and it's a choice between spending it on social media or spending it on writing, write. You are not a writer unless you write, and a new book will promote your work better than any amount of blogging could.

2. Only follow blogs that inspire you.

Many people love a bit of conflict and controversy, and there are plenty of blogs which will provide it for them. But if you are unsettled by conflict and find it stops you from writing, you are allowed simply not to look. Don't waste your limited time and energy on things that prevent you from writing.

3. Do not get involved with flamewars/wank on the internet.

Every so often a massive controversy will appear to shake the roots of your genre, and everyone you know will be up in arms about it on one side or the other. Dealing with this will suck up your writing time and your energy. So don't deal with it. Avoid the controversy and unplug the internet until it's all over. You don't have to have an opinion (or at least, you are not obliged to express your opinion) on every contentious topic out there. If you actually want to, and you have the spoons to deal with the subsequent conversation/rant, of course, then have at it.

4. Make the most of your blogging time.

Readers will be looking to find out about your books, so you need at least a basic website. Publishers are looking for you to have some internet presence too, so you probably can't get completely out of blogging. However, it's not too difficult to update your blog once a week and have that update fed automatically to other social media outlets such as Twitter/Facebook using nifty software like Ping.press or Wordbooker. A once a week post to prove you're still alive and working should be enough as long as you're still writing and publishing new books.

5. Look after your psychological health.

If reading about other people's successes gets you down, don't read about it. If you get a bad review, don't advertise it by talking about it. There is a massive pressure to be out there and available all the time, but you must look after yourself first, or you won't be any good to anyone. Give yourself permission to unplug and go for a walk, or read, or have a calming bath, or finish your chapter. You cannot be a writer unless you write. So � first and foremost, last and hindmost � you must protect the sometimes fragile thing that gives you your ability to write. Everything else takes second place to that.

~

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Alex Beecroft writes full blooded vintage fiction with a slice of lime, and can be found at her , on, or on Twitter @Alex_Beecroft

By Alex Beecroft

Like most new writers, when I signed the contract on my first book, I had very fixed ideas of what the writing life would involve. These involved a great deal of solitude, long walks in empty parks and sitting at my word processor in a lovely little attic garret with the sun streaming in through the windows.

Occasionally � I dared to think � I might get a fan letter, or be asked to attend a book signing. But for the rest of the time I would be alone with my books and my fictional worlds, free to write all day and be paid for it.

That dream did not long survive the reality. These days it seems that a writer is expected to write 5,000 words in an hour before breakfast, and then spend the rest of the day on the internet, blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, answering emails, attending Yahoo chats, being interviewed by other writers, interviewing other writers, running contests, promoting, advertising, networking, being seen in the right places, saying the right things to the right people about the issues of the day, while being gracious, professional, happy, encouraging and inspirational to others.

If you're an extrovert and you are energized and enthused by talking to other people, then this may not seem so bad. But you're a writer, right? And writing is pretty much a career that self-selects for people who love to spend the majority of their time alone with a piece of paper and their inner voices.

So what can you do to prevent yourself from plunging into all of this, swimming frantically for a while and then going down, overwhelmed by the fact that a writer's life has very little to do with writing? Here are my very hard won tips:

1. Writing time must come first.

If you have one free hour a day and it's a choice between spending it on social media or spending it on writing, write. You are not a writer unless you write, and a new book will promote your work better than any amount of blogging could.

2. Only follow blogs that inspire you.

Many people love a bit of conflict and controversy, and there are plenty of blogs which will provide it for them. But if you are unsettled by conflict and find it stops you from writing, you are allowed simply not to look. Don't waste your limited time and energy on things that prevent you from writing.

3. Do not get involved with flamewars/wank on the internet.

Every so often a massive controversy will appear to shake the roots of your genre, and everyone you know will be up in arms about it on one side or the other. Dealing with this will suck up your writing time and your energy. So don't deal with it. Avoid the controversy and unplug the internet until it's all over. You don't have to have an opinion (or at least, you are not obliged to express your opinion) on every contentious topic out there. If you actually want to, and you have the spoons to deal with the subsequent conversation/rant, of course, then have at it.

4. Make the most of your blogging time.

Readers will be looking to find out about your books, so you need at least a basic website. Publishers are looking for you to have some internet presence too, so you probably can't get completely out of blogging. However, it's not too difficult to update your blog once a week and have that update fed automatically to other social media outlets such as Twitter/Facebook using nifty software like Ping.press or Wordbooker. A once a week post to prove you're still alive and working should be enough as long as you're still writing and publishing new books.

5. Look after your psychological health.

If reading about other people's successes gets you down, don't read about it. If you get a bad review, don't advertise it by talking about it. There is a massive pressure to be out there and available all the time, but you must look after yourself first, or you won't be any good to anyone. Give yourself permission to unplug and go for a walk, or read, or have a calming bath, or finish your chapter. You cannot be a writer unless you write. So � first and foremost, last and hindmost � you must protect the sometimes fragile thing that gives you your ability to write. Everything else takes second place to that.

~

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Alex Beecroft writes full blooded vintage fiction with a slice of lime, and can be found at her , on, or on Twitter @Alex_Beecroft