Let’s start with a NaNoWriMo Prayer:

As a NaNoWriMo virgin, I am using this year’s National Novel Writing Month to get the novel together that I’ve been mulling over for 6 years. It’s about time I get this thing down on paper! But writing over 1600 words per day and 50,000 words in one month seems like a pretty daunting task. To keep myself motivated, I’ve been searching for tips and tricks that veteran NaNoWriMo’ers have used, and I’ve compiled these here so that we can all use them as motivation. I have written down my ultimate goal on a sticky note and stuck it in every place I can see: bedroom/bathroom mirrors, refrigerator, computer, work cubicle…it says “Get it down on paper.” A goal in 5 words or less. I challenge you to come up with your own goal in 5 words or less and use it as motivation throughout the month of November. I’ve heard that the third and fourth weeks are pretty rough Post your goals in comments!

Here are some tools and motivators to help get you in the zone:

You Tube Video Spoofs:

These two NaNoWriMo parody music videos are my favorite, but you can visit the You Tube channel here to find more.

NaNoWriMo Motivational Calendars:

Again, these are just a few of my favorites. Check out Deviant Art to find more.

NaNoWriMo Desktop

Camp NaNoWriMo 2011

Cult NaNoWriMo

Wrimo Holiday

Challenge Accepted!

Wanted: 50,000 Words in 30 Days

And now, some motivational pictures and quotes:

Check out Pinterest and the NaNoToons Facebook Page for more!

Finally, something very useful: an Excel Spreadsheet from S.M. Worth to help you keep track of your progress throughout the month. Great for any project!

And, of course, anyone who decides to participate belongs with me here in Writing Wonderland:

Follow my progress on NaNoWriMo! You can also follow the official NaNoWriMo blog, which is run by The Office of Letters and Light, the nonprofit organization that runs NaNoWriMo. I will also post twice during the month of November to keep you updated on my progress. Feel free to comment here with your own motivational techniques!

Happy writing!

May 22, 2011

Friends of the Mad Hatter: Tweeter of the Week

@janewrites

Story of the Week

Hands of Time by @melissalwebb

The Mad Hatter’s Favorite Tweet of the Week

via @AdviceToWriters Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once. STEPHEN KING

News:

http://bit.ly/mCCs2L – PaidContent: Is There A Market For Selling E-books In Brick And Mortar Stores? via @PublishersWkly

http://bo.st/jns8Qh – Mass. bookstore helps teens build their resume, rebuild their lives via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/lzi1eg – E-book buzz buoys CBA conference in Toronto, despite low bookseller turnout via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/kj70ie – Happy news: New bookstore, cafe opens this week in Spring Green, Wisconsin via @PublishersWkly

http://ow.ly/4Y7tz – Amazon to support e-PUB? via @PublishersWkly

http://tinyurl.com/4ynqkbh – E-book trends to watch for in 2011 via @janewrites

http://j.mp/ismpkR – Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books via @Self_Publish

Tips:

http://bit.ly/isnMOV – Show vs. Tell via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/lp5v8e – Genre and Soy Sauce – Finding What You Want via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/mpINbH – 10 Ways to Improve Your Proofreading via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/kknQxX – Tips on Cliffhangers via @elizabethscraig

http://selfpub.me/iWGhBf – Self Publishing Checklist via @Self_Publish

http://goo.gl/XDROf – Bestselling Author Leigh Russell’s Advice to Aspiring Writers via @LynetteBenton

http://bit.ly/koacAp – 10 Simple Ways to Double the Speed of Your Writing via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/fYz71M – Copy Editing For Writers Looking To Self-Publish via @BubbleCow

http://su.pr/1YF1c3 – How Writers are Like Road Construction Workers via @thecreativepenn

Social Media/Technology:

http://ow.ly/4W3Lv – Author Blogging and Reader Engagement via @bookbuzzr

http://bit.ly/lR9Qra – 11 Handy Twitter Tools via @TonyNoland

http://t.co/xdDqOxS – How to Use Charts to Research Your Novel via @GalleyCat

http://ht.ly/4VYZt - 3 reasons description is important; 3 ways it isn’t via @dirtywhitecandy

http://bit.ly/lCL1jM – Using Twitter to Grow Your Business via @davidshawblog

http://bit.ly/izdKsi – 45 LinkedIn Groups for Publishing Professionals via @SueCollier

http://bit.ly/lA2dju – How to Make a Super 8 Book Trailer via @elizabethscraig

http://ow.ly/4ZPDI – Top 100 Social Media, Internet Marketing, and SEO Blogs 2011 via @KenBanks

http://ow.ly/4ZNbO – 3 Easy Steps to Increase Sharing of Your Blog Posts via @SocialNetDaily

Just for Fun:

I have been named a Stylish Blog by Closet Writer (Thanks!), and in return, I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself and then pass the award along to another blogger. Here are 7 things you likely do not know about me:

1. I am a Disney fanatic, especially with Winnie the Pooh. I have a giant stuffed Tigger that I hold tight and a real life Tigger, a Yorkie-Pomeranian mixed 11 lb. puppy. I am SO excited about the new Winnie the Pooh movie coming out this summer!
2. I used to be the mascot for our AAA baseball team here in New Orleans, the Zephyrs. I still moonlight as a mascot from time to time at other places as well.
3. I have 5 pets – Tigger, an Australian Shepherd named Indiana Jones (Indy), and three cats – Aurora, Fiona, and Ellie. My house is a zoo!
4. I am attending the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys concert in Lafayette in June, and I’m excited about it. Embarrassing, yes, but when I was a teenager, it was cool. I promise.
5. I have mild OCD. Isn’t that natural for most writers? I have to do everything in threes: I have to kiss my husband three times before leaving in the morning, if I’m knocking on someone’s door, I must knock three times, etc. It’s a coping mechanism so that I can feel like I have control. I know this. It just makes me feel better.
6. I LOVE polka dots and the color green. I have several outfits to prove it.
7. I miss 24 and Lost desperately. I haven’t been able to find any shows good enough to replace them. There are decent shows now, but none that keep me at the edge of my seat like those two did.

And now, to announce the blogger to which I bestow the Stylish Award (drumroll please!):

Congratulations to my friend Sam Adamson @FutureNostalgic! Here is his blog: http://future-nostalgic.blogspot.com/

Hope you learned some interesting things about me!

The following are June’s rules/guidelines for writing mysteries:

• Readers want to solve a crime/puzzle before the detective.
• Keep the action moving. Don’t get bogged down in backstory.
• Create a plot outline, including the beginning, the crime, uncovering clues, the climax, and the ending.
• Create a lot of trouble for the protagonist.
• Create scenes.
• Introduce the detective, culprit, and crime early.
• Hook readers right away. We live in a society of instant gratification.
• The crime must be violent (usually a murder) and believable.
• The culprit must be physically able to commit the crime.
• Don’t try to trick your readers.
• Don’t make the detective the killer.
• Plant red herrings generously. Plant real clues subtly.
• You must have different suspects with motives.
• Wait as long as you can to reveal who did it.
• Do your research.
• You want to create suspense in your books, no matter what genre you write.
• You get more charge out of a disaster if it takes place at the end of a scene.
• Give the readers only enough information for them to figure it out – they will fill in the blanks.
• A reader can’t be in suspense if he/she doesn’t know what’s coming.

Happy Writing!

May 15, 2011

Friends of the Mad Hatter: Tweeters of the Week

@elizabethscraig

@thebookmaven

Story of the Week

With Strings Attached by @Helenscribbles

The Mad Hatter’s Favorite Tweet of the Week

via @WritersRelief You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. Ray Bradbury

Top News:

http://bit.ly/50UsflBlogs – 50 Useful Blogs for Writers via @Quotes4Writers

News:

http://nyti.ms/kzz5w0 – “The end of an era”: NYT’s Julie Bosman talks with Bob Loomis about his retirement after 54 years at Random House via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/mrckl0 – Why Libraries Still Matter via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/l2aXxK – Libraries are in crisis, but literary culture is thriving via @PublishersWkly

http://buswk.co/kDUxQE – BusinessWeek: Borders Said to Find No Bidder Willing to Buy Entire Bookseller via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/iyLswk – The fate of the publishing industry via @PublishingSpy

http://ow.ly/1cAkFK – E-Book Sales are Exploding and Hurting Paperbacks, Publishers Say via @PublishingSpy

http://mbist.ro/jhtEeR – Alan Rickman and books for troops via @GalleyCat

http://mbist.ro/ir5MgH – Bristol Palin to Star in her Own Reality TV Show via @GalleyCat

http://nyti.ms/iteUve – You Tube Expands Video Rental Service via @nytimes

http://bit.ly/jdODAZ – Amazon Still Running From Pending State Sales Ta Lawx, Tennessee Facility Threatened via @MarshaCollier

http://on.wsj.com/iTSyaL – Microsoft Agrees to Buy Skype via @WSJ

http://mbist.ro/jn1x7w – Should publishers restrict your ability to cut & paste your favorite passages in an eBook? via @GalleyCat

http://mbist.ro/iJcOET – Simon & Schuster unveils Book Battles app on Facebook via @GalleyCat

http://ow.ly/4U6PB – Forbes Names Top 5 Rare Book Dealers in the World via @GalleyCat

http://huff.to/jBWJrj – Trump blasting out policy book to add “intellectual heft” via @HuffPostBooks

Tips:

http://su.pr/9aT449 – Why Understanding Conflict Will Make You A Better Writer via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/gTZ87k – 6 Secrets to Writing a Killer Author Bio via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/fpMKw5 – How to Follow Up with an Agent via @WritersRelief

http://bit.ly/jfk5cW – How to Make Your Writing Stand Out to Agents via @WritersRelief

http://bit.ly/jdLZqL – Fitting Writing into a Hectic Schedule via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/mI5nQ3 – Metaphors vs. Similes via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/jhnL2n – Writing – Finishing What You Start via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/iA6uUs – Help for Restless Writers via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/lHq5Od – How to Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/mj3qfu – Character Building Tools for Writers via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/m82DDG – 5 Things to Consider Before You Spend Time Editing via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/mTF99f – Voice: The Right Words via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/khdDDL – 5 Questions Never to Ask at a Bookstore Reading via @elizabethscraig

http://j.mp/jKXpwQ – What Works: Promo for E-books via @jakonrath

http://dlvr.it/R47yB – How to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent via @PublishingSpy

http://copy.bz/k7qEtI – Copyrighting Essentials from A to Z via @copyblogger

http://mbist.ro/j9HH70 – 10 Unexpected Ways to Promote Your Book via @GalleyCat

http://mbist.ro/jGa3DX – Facebook promotion rules now severely restrict authors’ ability to host contests via @GalleyCat

http://ow.ly/4PC1m – Book Publishing Questions via @JFBookman

http://su.pr/1F0D5f - 7 Grammar Mistakes that Make Editors Hyperventilate via @TMGMedia

http://j.mp/kW0x1x – How to Read a Book Contract via @passivevoiceblg

http://selfpub.me/e1RuYa – 26 Free Author Tools via @Self_Publish

http://ow.ly/4SMrj – 10 Golden Rules of Successful Writing via @Derek_Haines

http://on.mash.to/kWYywf – How To Make Your PR & Marketing Believable via @mashable

Social Media/Technology:

http://bit.ly/iQe4Xf – 8 ways writers can make the most of online video via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/l9HUY7 – Social Networking: Twitter vs. Facebook via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/kusGUL – Blog Categorizing and Tagging via @elizabethscraig

http://mbist.ro/kwCtgD – How to Get the Most Out of Twitter in 30 Minutes a Day via @alltwtr

http://mbist.ro/eZbGfI – On Twitter, not Everything Needs to be Said via @alltwtr

http://selfpub.me/e4yZs1 – 11 Reasons to Pack Your Bags for a Virtual Book Tour via @Self_Publish

http://mbist.ro/lU5MpJ – 5 free formatting guides to help you sell your digital book in all major eBookstores via @GalleyCat

http://bit.ly/iUexEh – Ramping Up with Social Media via @jhansenwrites

http://bit.ly/lIBk28 – How to be Effective on Twitter via @laurapauling

http://ow.ly/4TDUw – 12 Easy Steps to Making a Book Trailer via @JFBookman

http://selfpub.me/enOx3S – 5 Reasons Authors Should Consider Video Marketing and 5 Excuses We Have to Avoid It via @Self_Publish

http://t.co/M3FSzG7 – 10 Reasons to Love & Embrace Platform Building via @thewritermama

http://t.co/OJF0Ykw – Book Promo 101: Facebook for Writers via @trippweavepoet

http://bit.ly/deydaa – How to Automate Marketing Your Book on Twitter via @BookBuzzr

http://ow.ly/4UPkr – 7 Ways to Convert Your Social Media Followers into Paying Evangelists via @SMedio

Just for Fun:

http://bit.ly/cg33wG – 101 Tips from the World’s Most Famous Authors via @AdviceToWriters

http://mbist.ro/dNoWC9 – Jersey Shore Dialogue Delivered in the Style of an Oscar Wilde Play via @GalleyCat

He was two when Alvine was born, and he remembered his mother, Emily, holding him in her arms as she stood outside the house on Toulouse St. in New Orleans, trying to keep him quiet so that she could hear the announcement when the midwife emerged. His mother never missed any action in the neighborhood, and Russell and Alvine Goutierrez were about to have their first baby girl. Warren had no desire to witness the new addition, but he also did not understand that God’s providential plan was bringing them together.

He was jolted back to reality as Alvine skipped a breath, his heart skipping a beat with her. She went back to her regular, ragged breathing, and Warren breathed a sigh of relief. His daughters would be here soon to take their turns sitting with their mother, although Warren never left her side. He hadn’t since she was born, and he wasn’t planning to now.

He remembered when he was eleven years old, in 1931, his father Francis and his Uncle John, who were both baseball enthusiasts, decided to organize an 11 and 12 year old little league team. This team was what they called “Rinky Dinks” back then – they had no gloves, balls, bats, or equipment. Because they were so poor, his father arranged a Penny Party to raise funds to buy the equipment the baseball team needed. The entire neighborhood pitched in to make the party a success. There was a lot of entertainment, including a bunch of off-key pre-teen boys singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and Francis, who was once a jazz musician, playing the drums and piano. Warren’s favorite moment of the party was when he got to sing a duet with Alvine.

Warren nervously wandered to the front of the crowd, wringing his hands and swaying back and forth. He was a little ashamed of his tubby form, and he was worried that Alvine would think he was a dud. Alvine was already waiting for him on the makeshift stage, looking radiant in her summer dress of yellow flowers. Her long, dark curls blew in the wind, and Warren was mesmerized. “To bring your coffee in the morning and kisses in the night,” they sang together. Alvine effortlessly hit every note perfectly, and their duet was an instant hit with the neighborhood.

Warren was delighted that he and Alvine had been able to bring each other that coffee in the morning and those kisses in the night for the past 61 years. He looked at Alvine again, repose in the bed next to him. His heart overflowed with love for her, and a single tear tracked a line down his cheek. He had to be strong for his children, his grandchildren, but it was so hard.

He was there when she was born, and he would be there when she died.

Here’s what Malcolm had to say about mystery/suspense writing:

• You have to be persistent and have a tough skin – the ability to take rejection and move on.
• The mindset of the publishing industry is, “What you don’t buy, you can’t lose money on.”
• “It used to be the book made you famous. Now, YOU have to make the book famous.” – again, authors have to do their own marketing. “Why should you promote yourself for a publisher when you can do that without fooling with those people?”
• To succeed today, you need a book that is both high concept and edgy. High concept – A new and sensational idea that will be a best seller. Must have an element of surprise, be controversial, take a normal situation and turn it upside down. Edgy – Pushing the envelope of what is acceptable, outrageous, taboo.
• The Golden Rule: Keep the pages turning. If you do, you will be a success. Must have good transitions and good suspense
• “Shake the Trees” if you’re stuck on plot. Have your protagonist do something to stir up the antagonist. Have them do something outrageous to keep the story going. Readers get bored very easily.

Stay tuned for advice from award winning authors Robin Wells and June Shaw!

I was impressed by the quality of the conference and by the networking I was able to do. Here is a short list of speakers:

• Deborah Leblanc, an award-winning and best-selling paranormal fiction and romance author from Lafayette, LA.
• Robin Wells, an award-winning romance author whose latest book, Still the One, has been nominated for a Rita award, the highest award given by the National Romance Writers of America.
• Rexanne Becnel, whose novels have appeared on bestseller lists such as USA Today, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble, and who has received the National Readers’ Choice Award.
• Susan Mustafa, a true crime writer who has garnered 11 national and international awards.
• Malcolm Shuman, an anthropologist and writer who has published 15 novels and whose last novel, The Levee, received a starred review in Booklist and was reviewed in the Sunday New York Times.
• Shelia M. Gvoss, who was honored as a Literary Diva: The Top 100 Most Admired African American Women in Literature and who won four Shades of Romance Magazine Readers Choice Multi-Cultural Awards.

And yes, every one of them is local to south Louisiana. It was inspiring to hear these individuals speak, especially as a Louisiana native, and to be able to network with them and receive writing advice from them. Over the next three days, I will pass along all of the great writing advice that I received, beginning with advice from keynote speaker Deborah Leblanc:

• It’s okay to avoid “exclusive” reads and to send out several manuscripts at once, even if an “exclusive” read has been requested. If they really want your work, they won’t turn you down because you submitted to more than one place.
• The whole “mail your manuscript to yourself and it counts as a copyright” thing is outdated. We have computers now, with time stamps. That will suffice as proof of when you wrote something should you need it.
• It is up to authors to take responsibility for their own marketing, whether or not they are attached to a publisher.

Stay tuned for advice from award winning authors Robin Wells, Malcolm Shuman, and June Shaw!

May 1, 2011

Friends of the Mad Hatter: Tweeter of the Week

@inkyelbows

Stories of the Week

Peep-Pocalypse by @techtigger http://bit.ly/hk4mlM

Bathroom Monologue: He Wasn’t Ready by @Wiswell http://goo.gl/N1ufs

The Mad Hatter’s Favorite Tweet of the Week

via @copyblogger <insert smartest thing I’ve ever said here>

Top News:

New Agent: Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson Assoc. seeks literary fiction, urban fantasy, thrillers, YA and MG: http://tinyurl.com/3rmqnkp via @WritersDigest

News:

http://cnet.co/fJpboL – Nook Color now lets authors sign e-books via @cnet

http://bit.ly/fU3rNw – The last typewriter factory in the world has shut its doors via @TheAtlanticTech

http://n.pr/fjl5sg – Sitting all day is worse for you than you might think via @nprnews

http://bit.ly/eiSqGz – Librarians at the Gate: The sharp rise in e-book demand in libraries: do publishers see this as an opportunity? Via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/eDO3In – All Things D: Tablets Will Generate 17% of Wireless Data Demand by 2020 via @PublishersWkly

http://bo.st/h1UMTF – Newtonville Books in Mass. seeks 500 members to avoid closing via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/gDJByK – Boulder Book Store to charge for author events; fee and coupon meant to help support author and store via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/fVeXKM – Special Occasions, one of the largest black-owned bookstores betw. Washington + Atlanta, to close in May after 27 years via @PublishersWkly

http://n.pr/gt8ftw – NYTBR editor Sam Tanenhaus on NPR, explaining why verifying memoirs seems to be so problematic for publishers via @PublishersWkly

http://nyti.ms/hhx7jJ – Aspiring Authors Get Help Online via @nytimesbooks

http://bit.ly/eVmJjI – Tentative deal reached to keep Davis-Kidd in East Memphis open via @PublishersWkly

http://huff.to/eCYnaE – The future of publishing: “Breaking down barriers and leveling the playing field will bring many good things” via @PublishersWkly

http://nyti.ms/gjdoYV – Amazon earnings hurt by spending on new warehouses and data centers, as revenue increases 38% in 1st quarter via @PublishersWkly

http://lat.ms/l9QCPT – See all the winners of the L.A. Times Book Prizes via @PublishersWkly

http://su.pr/6mReEs – 28 out of 100 top Kindle ebooks are self-published via @namenick

http://bit.ly/h85ggJ – Shaun Tan wins 2011 Astrid Lindgren Award, worth more than $750,000 via @BookPublishing1

http://bit.ly/dOko1R – Literary Agent from Hell: 6 top scams targeting writers via @RightsofWriters

Tips:

http://bit.ly/f4blzj – Strategies for Adapting Your Novel to a Screenplay via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/gTZ87k – 6 Secrets to Writing a Killer Author Bio via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/gCf2Fv – Advice to First Time Writers via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/e4DlVp – Do You Need to Hire an Editor? via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/hIQCbm – A Hook for Every Book via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/gilatt – Selling a Novel in 140 Characters: Does engaging your audience in conversation distract from actual writing? via @PublishersWkly

http://bit.ly/eScW3G – Self-publishing? Tips from @jfbookman on how to avoid amateur book interior layout mistakes via @inkyelbows

http://bit.ly/hmcmNM – Move through the creative gap via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/jWBFyW – Everyone Wants to “Help” Writers. But Whose Help Do You Really Need? via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/lCWFDX – 6 Common Slip-Ups that Make Your Blog Look Bad via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/ihieo6 – How to Edit with Efficiency via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/fiTDIR – Need tips for plotting? via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/jQ3FrC – The “Villain” Spectrum: Creating a Layered Antagonist via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/gtAb1y – What Bloggers Need to Know about Trademark Law via via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/etZljn – 5 Crippling Beliefs That Keep Writers Penniless and Mired in Mediocrity via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/gl8QXw – Reasons for Writers to Carry Business Cards via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/g3EFXl – Spring Cleaning for Your Social Networks via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/gwTKpR – How to be a Good Editor via @elizabethscraig

http://bit.ly/eHs8Yc – Revising a Series via @elizabethscraig

http://goo.gl/fb/Pzc2y – You Can Say That Again: Repeating Yourself via @Janice_Hardy

http://goo.gl/fb/KqVaX – Let the rule of three work magic in your novel via @Janice_Hardy

http://bit.ly/fQ21KE – Tips for writing first thing in the morning via @inkyelbows

http://j.mp/eW8EN1 – 25 Things Every Writer Should Know via @AddToAny

http://ow.ly/4HSym – How to effectively publish and promote your books to iPad and iPhone owners via @namenick

http://ow.ly/4Ks34 – 5 Pieces of Well-Meaning Writing Advice That I’m Glad I Didn’t Take via @WritersDigest

http://bit.ly/c1HKLe – Tips: A Perfect Pitch – A Sure Strike-Out! Via @BookBuzzr

http://bit.ly/7HabtsSrsWrts – 7 Habits of Serious Writers via @Quotes4Writers

http://bit.ly/fhzZ2q – 8 ways to defeat distraction and write via @StoryADayMay

http://ht.ly/4Gkwj – How to keep yourself in your character’s point of view via @cherylrwrites

http://ow.ly/4G9g2 – ISBN 101 for Self-Publishers via @JFBookman

http://j.mp/gHJ1EX – Maintain relationships with writers who are actively writing, submitting, publishing via @PimpMyNovel

http://su.pr/2IZGv8 – How Goodreads can help you market your novel via @dirtywhitecandy

http://bit.ly/frAq5d – Be wary of spaghetti agents via @NathanBransford

http://ow.ly/4GhoR – Avoid the obvious in your query letter via @Kid_Lit

http://su.pr/1QHNIq – 7 Simple Ways to Energize Your Writing Powers via @thecreativepenn

http://su.pr/2Mu51h – 8 Tips on Creating An Army Of People To Market Your Book via @thecreativepenn

http://bit.ly/dP8W2W – VS Naipaul’s Rules for Beginners via @dbschlosser

Just for Fun:

http://bit.ly/inI9Rv – 50 Most Influential Books of the Last 50 (or so) Years via @BubbleCow

http://bit.ly/bR1jYG – Zadie Smith’s rules for writers via @GuardianBooks

http://bit.ly/gzoucg – 10 Parody Novels That Get the Last Laugh via @elizabethscraig

Guilty by Association

Zoé Haydel was just waiting for the FBI to come knocking at her door to take her away. She was 16 years old, too young to rot for the rest of her life in prison. She sat on her living room floor, her eyes transfixed to the six o’clock news flashing across the black and white television screen. Zoé’s eyes darted over to her father, who sat a few feet away in his mahogany wood rocking chair, dozing off as he always did while watching the news. She let out a sigh of relief as she realized he was unaware of her blight. Her mother was hard at work in the kitchen preparing dinner – tossing salad, baking dinner rolls and a roast, and boiling corn – and Zoé knew that she would not be paying much attention to the newscast coming from the living room. The succulent smells of tender roast beef and sweet dinner rolls wafted from the kitchen, but Zoé was too mortified to even notice. Could it be? No, it couldn’t be them, could it? She studied the television screen with eyes of scrutiny.

“Time fa dinna!” her mother called from the kitchen, awaking her father just in time for the newscaster to drone on to the next story. She sat dead still on the living room carpet. Her face drained of all color and warmth. She looked down and realized her hands were shaking. She was sweating profusely, and she couldn’t breathe. She and her friends must be on the FBI’s tapes. The four of them would spend the rest of their lives behind bars, their mothers weeping and their fathers looking stoic as the FBI took them away in handcuffs and orange jumpsuits. They would surely die rotting away with murderers and rapists.

“Comin’, mama,” her father said as he lifted himself out of his chair and started making his way into the kitchen. “C’mon, Zoé, don’t keep your mama waitin.’” Zoé couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She glanced at the front door, which remained ominously closed.