Kami Garcia -- NYT Bestselling Author (The Beautiful Creatures Novels & Unbreakable, The Legion: Book - Coming 2013)

The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/17/13

Kami — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:34 +0000

If you want to become a better writer, you have to write. But you also have to read. One of the things I love to read about is the craft of writing — advice, tips, and techniques from other writers.

Take a look at what I was reading this week & a few other things that inspired me:

Articles & Posts:

4 Truths that Will Revolutionize Your Revision Process

5 Ways to Make Your Novel More Suspenseful

7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great

Books for Writers:

Robert’s Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know by Robert Masello

The Writer’s Digest Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer

Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Writer’s Guide to Transforming Notions into Narratives by Fred White

Cool Stuff for Writers:

“Writing is Rewriting” Cuff

**See more Cool Stuff here

Quotes for Writers:

**See more Quotes here

Infographics:

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Polyvore #1: Doloria from ICONS by Margaret Stohl

Kami — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:32:10 +0000

Icons by Margaret Stohl was released last week. Here’s what I think her main character, Doloria, would wear.

1. Leather Cuff to Cover Doloria’s Mark

2. One Blue Glass Bead from Ro

3. iPod, a.k.a. “Contraband Pre-Occupation Music Player”

4. The Humanity Project: The Icon Children

5. Doloria’s Army-Issue Satchel

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The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/10/13

Kami — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:00:26 +0000

If you want to become a better writer, you have to write. But you also have to read. One of the things I love to read about is the craft of writing — advice, tips, and techniques from other writers.

Take a look at what I was reading this week & a few other things that inspired me:

Articles & Posts:

The 10 Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Query Letter

100 Twitter Hashtags for Writers

Rachelle Gardner on How to Write a Query

Books for Writers:

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use it for Life by Twyla Tharp

Cool Stuff for Writers:

TARDIS Kindle Cover

Literal Bookends

Quotes for Writers:

**See more Quotes here

Infographics:

**See more Infographics here

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Poll: The Creepiest Thing Is…

Kami — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:57 +0000

I want to know what you think. Cast your votes below.

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What’s on My Inspiration Board #3

Kami — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:10:45 +0000

I started out in college as a fine arts major. Even though I ultimately ended up being a writer, I still see the world in pictures.

When I’m building a new story, images allow me to physically see the characters and the places the way I visualize them in my mind. Inspiration boards are also a great way the get a feel for the mood of the book, or a particular scene.

I have four cork boards (24×36) for UNBREAKABLE. Here’s a look at some of the images that inspired me this week.

If you missed What’s on My Inspiration Board #2, you can see it HERE.

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The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/3/13

Kami — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:00:01 +0000

If you want to become a better writer, you have to write. But you also have to read. One of the things I love to read about is the craft of writing — advice, tips, and techniques from other writers.

Take a look at what I was reading this week & a few other things that inspired me:

Articles & Posts:

5 Tips to Help You Make Your Deadline

The Flip-Side to Authenticity: What You Stand to Gain from Sharing Your Dirty Laundry

Astounding Summer Books that You Won’t Want to Miss

5 Words to Eliminate from Your Writing

Books for Writers:

Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook

Cool Stuff for Writers:

Hamlet Black Leggings

“Make Me Coffee” Shirt

Postage Laptop Sleeve

Quotes for Writers:

**See more Quotes here

Infographics:

**See more Infographics here

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What’s in My Bag? #3

Kami — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:27:59 +0000

I’m obsessed with those magazine features that show you what people have in their bags. My sister carries everything she needs in an adorable little cross-body bag the size of a clutch. One of my friends carries a shoulder bag that reminds me of Mary Poppins’ carpet bag with a lamp inside. I’m convinced that the contents of our bags are equivalent to handwriting analysis.

The contents of my bag change all the time. Here’s what was inside my bag today…

THE BAG: Marc by Marc Jacobs Workwear

THE CONTENTS:

MacBook Air & Charger
RAGS & BONES edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt

* I have a short story in it, along with amazing authors like: Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, Tim Pratt, Garth Nix, Margaret Stohl, Holly Black & More!

Boston Travel Guide (for Legion Book 2 Research)
UNBREAKABLE Bookmarks (hot off the press)
Scene Notes for The Legion Book 2
Sony Headphones
Mini Oreos
THE SHINING by Stephen King
Colored Notecards
My Legion Book 2 Notecards & Box (never leave home without them)
Pens
Speed Charger

What’s in your bag today?

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On My Desk #3

Kami — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:13:31 +0000

Every Monday, I’m going to post about what’s on my desk.

Today, I was plotting ACT I & the first part of ACT II of Unbreakable, so my desk was the floor. Even though I’ve already started writing (and outlined the major beats in the novel), I needed to see the first third of the book as a whole. That’s the only way I can figure out what’s missing. My editor will write me a long letter and let me know what she thinks is missing in a few weeks — but that’s another post and requires ice cream.

I’m an outliner, and one of the techniques that works for me is using notecards to plot the major beats (or events) in the book. Each event gets its own notecard.

* According to Larry Brooks, the author of STORY ENGINEERING, the magic number of notecards for a novel is 40.

The late Blake Snyder wrote an amazing book called SAVE THE CAT. In STC, Snyder spends a lot of time discussing the importance of setting up “the Board.” Essentially, the Board is a white board or bulletin board on which you can tape or pin your notecard. This enables you to move them around and see your plot visually. If you use Scrivener, you can also use the Corkboard feature and achieve the same result. Although moving the cards around on a board or the floor is more fun.

James Scott Bell is a fan of physical notecards, too. In his book, PLOT & STRUCTURE, he explains how to create and use cards to develop your plot. If you’ve read the previous “On My Desk” posts (#1, #2), then you’ve seen my dog-eared, tabbed & stained copy of PLOT & STRUCTURE. My dog, Oz, actually took a bite out of the cover.

I’m headed back to the floor and my cards. Happy writing.

Want to Create Your Own Board?

Pick & choose your favorite items from the list below.

Notecards (I like colored ones.)
Cool Box for Notecards
Board (optional)
Pens
Colored Markers
SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder
PLOT & STRUCTURE by James Scott Bell
STORY ENGINEERING by Larry Brooks

What’s your favorite way to plan your novel?

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The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 4/26/13

Kami — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:00:07 +0000

If you want to become a better writer, you have to write. But you also have to read. One of the things I love to read about is the craft of writing — advice, tips, and techniques from other writers.

Take a look at what I was reading this week & a few other things that inspired me:

Articles & Posts:

7 Cases for Inserting or Omitting Commas

3 Social Media Lessons From Young Adults And The Authors Who Speak To Them

Patterson Sees Ads as a Wake Up Call

Books for Writers:

The Art & Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual by Victoria Mixon

Cool Stuff for Writers:

NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System

Revolver Teapot

Quotes for Writers:

Infographics:

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Poll: The Most Villainous Name Is…

Kami — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:10:25 +0000

I want to know what you think. Cast your votes below.

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