Here’s a few links I’ve gathered from friends and other bloggers that might be of interest.

A friend of mine handed me an article from the New York Times regarding the possibility that the same game changing analytical methods/data accumulation used in baseball (and online viewing) could be applied to future book publishing. I found it very cool and somewhat creepy. I hope the publishing industry gets bigger or more varied test audiences before it starts formulating procedure changes, but this does illustrate the fact that a tale well told needs to have the teeth needed to keep a readers’s interest or no one will finish (or remember) it.

This was a startling 180 degree take on query efforts. I believe if I ever query publishers again, this information and attitude adjustment will come in handy.

I read this shared link about anti-heroes and found it interesting. I also found a related article on heroines interesting, too, especially when applied to villains. I’m not sure I would take everything little thing said in the articles to heart, but it is always wise to be open to new suggestions and ideas. Always.

The sequel to Sudarium passed the 40k mark a couple of weeks ago and is rapidly proceeding to nearly novel size. I believe I will follow a friend’s advice and combine them into a novel with a title to match the overall story (along with new cover art).

So, if you are one of the two people to have purchased Sudarium (and I already know who one of you is), let me know and I will make sure you get a free copy of the entire story since you already paid the price I will charge for the novel.

There’s a saying that if you want to be a good writer, you should read. Read a lot, in fact. It gives you a feeling for how others write, whether similar or different, and gets you used to what others produce as far as stories go. Your imagination is fine for coming up with a story line, but if you have no clue how to take the next step and type it all up, reading a finished story is an invaluable example.

I would argue that you also have to talk to other writers, too. Or at least visit with them online or read their blogs. There is a lot of useful information out there, and some people are kind enough to do some homework for you and post links and advice on their forums. Some even chat with you. All of this can save you some hard knocks.

My online friend Jana has such a blog and she often takes the time to offer links on her personal blog and put advice and talk about her writing issues in her professional one. She and I write on different subjects (she writes romance and action in a specific genre and I am more general and stick to platonic adventures) but her writing is far more mature in quality (as she has been doing this far longer), and it has been great to see what she goes through to produce her works, both the highs and the lows. It is from her that I gather quite a bit of the information I share here.

No one works well in a vacuum. Encouragement, sharing, compassion, sympathy, and advice are crucial to improving not only your writing, but also your life. Just remember to take the time to thank those who help you on your way, and pay back the kindness by helping others.

Thanks, Jana!