Mix doesn't support your web browser. For a better experience, we recommend using another browser.
@christophergrah
Christopher Graham
BLOGGER - AUTHORS and READERS MEET, GET WRITING RESOURCES, BOOK PROMOS, PLUS MORE
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
NaNoWriMo and Beyond: 9 Writing Challenges for Novelists, Poets and More by Nicole Dieker…on The Write Life: Do you have trouble making time to write? Do you wish you had a community to help you work towards your writing goals, including staying on time and finishing your work? Many wri…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Is Our Story’s Point of View Really What We Think It Is? – by Jami Gold…If we write our story using first or second person point of view (POV), we know what POV we’ve written. First person uses I/we pronouns in the narrative as the character shares their story, and sec…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Building Systems of Tanistry – by Seán Gray…on Mythic Scribes: This article is by Seán Gray, and is presented by Worldbuilding Magazine. Fiction is overflowing with kings and queens, galactic empires, and bloodlines bursting with hidden powe…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Ultimate Guide to Author Collaboration in Writing and Publishing – by Sacha Black…on Self Publishing Advice: Indie authors are generous in sharing information and paying knowledge forward which has given us real competitive advantages. The Alliance of Independent Authors is buil…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Organizing the Chaos: 5 Revision Tips for Pantsers – by Orly Konig…on Fiction University: Long ago I embraced the idea of being a pantser. I sit down to write a story with a vague idea of where I think it maybe, possibly, could go. There are some details that are …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Narrative Techniques for Storytellers – by Melissa Donovan…on Writing Forward: Writers use literary devices to convey or illustrate thoughts, ideas, and images or to strengthen their prose. Narrative techniques are a subset of literary devices that are spe…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
What’s Their Story? Discovering the Front Story of Your Non-Point of View Characters – by Janice Hardy…on Fiction University: We often spend a lot of time on the backstories of our characters, but how often do we consider their front stories? Non-point of view characters don’t get nearly en…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Problem with Enhanced Ebooks – by David Kudler…I get asked a lot about adding video, audio, and other bells and whistles to ebooks. I’ll answer those questions — but they’re not always the answers the questioners want to hear. One of the most e…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Social Media Tips You Need to Know – by Frances Caballo…From time to time, I collect a variety of social media tips for writers that I think are helpful. Today’s post details social media tips you need to know. I cover a variety of topics: Twitter bios …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers…Click on the image or link below: Get all the information HERE
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Does Your Novel Confuse Readers with “Too Many” Characters? 8 Ways to Unconfuse Them – by Anne R. Allen…One of my personal writing issues is I tend to pack my books and stories with way too many characters. If a fascinating person walks into one of my stories, I feel it would be rude not to let them …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Sneak Peek at Story Drills: Character Arcs – by Melissa Donovan…on Writing Forward: Today’s post offers a sneak peek at my book, Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises. This exercise examines character arcs. Enjoy! Continue reading HERE
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Using Goodreads Giveaways in Your Book Marketing and Promotion – by Penny Sansevieri…on Author Marketing Expert site: Goodreads giveaways are paid now, but to be honest, the improvements they’ve made in regards to all the benefits are totally worth adding them to your book marketin…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
What Does It Mean to “Write to Market”? – by Jami Gold…If we’ve ever researched how to be more successful as a writer, chances are we’ve heard the advice: Write to market. And if we’ve heard that advice, there’s a good chance we’ve had a strong reactio…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How To Use Mood Boards To Inspire You While Writing Your NovelReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Comprehensive Guide to Finding, Hiring, and Working with an Editor – by Chantel Hamilton…on Jane Friedman site: As an independent developmental/substantive editor, I field a lot of the same questions every day. What is an editor? What do book editors do? How do I find one? How do I hir…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Your Words or Your Editor’s? – by Jim Dempsey…on Writer Unboxed: This month’s fiction therapy is a reply to a question from a member of the WU community, Nanette J. Purcigliotti. I had edited some of Nanette’s work, and she had some questions …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Writing When You’re Not in the Mood – by Melissa Donovan…on Writing Forward: When you experience a burst of inspiration that leads to a satisfying writing session, the results are exhilarating. Whether you’ve gotten some thoughts and feelings off your ch…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Book Tour, Episode Eleven: A Love Story (of sorts) – Guest Post by Jill Culiner…On the eventless road to Boise and my next book talk, a greasy-haired man runs the show. He’s seated up at the front, and the bus isn’t crowded, so we all get to hear his story… many times. Loquaci…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Breaking the “Rules”: Will It Be Easy or Hard? – by Jami Gold…We’ve probably all heard the advice: Don’t edit as you go. Finish the draft first, then edit. But as I’ve talked about here many times, most advice out there is not “one size fits all.” Like many o…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Publish with KDP: Part NineReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
3 Ways to Make Failure Fascinating – by Laurence MacNaughton…on Fiction University: Every story is about somebody who wants something and has trouble getting it. It doesn’t matter whether your book is about a detective trying to catch a killer, a young…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Momentum and Pace – Giving Readers a Satisfying Ride – by Tiffany Yates Martin…On C.S. Lakin site: Imagine you’re trying to get to LA on a cross-country road trip and the driver keeps doubling back, or going on winding detours, or stopping on the side of the road to just han…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Critique: 7 Possible Hooks for Your Opening Chapter – by K.M. Weiland…on Helping Writers become Authors: What are some good hooks for your opening chapter? This is a question every writer must ask at the beginning of a story. How can we introduce the story and the ch…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Using Allusion in Poetry Writing – by Melissa Donovan…on Writing Forward: As we read poetry and other forms of literature, we’ll inevitably come across allusions. An allusion is a reference to something else; it can be indirect or explicit. In poetry,…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Difference Between Painting a Scene vs Dramatizing a Scene – by Janice Hardy…on Fiction University: A great scene is about more than just describing what’s there–or what’s going on. As writers, we strive for beautiful writing, but a novel is more than just…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
7 Tips to Giving Your Heroes and Villains Exotic PetsReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
My Novel is a Mess! How to Survive the Chaos Point in your Novel – By Melodie Campbell…on Anne R. Allen: Yes, I’m at that point. The chaos point. Writing to a specific word count, three-quarters written, and my twentieth novel is an unqualified mess. If you are a veteran writer like …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
It’s All in a Font: How Font Choice Affects the Mind – by Rafal Reyzer…on The Book Designer: Font choice is a major component of book and cover design. In today’s guest post, Rafal Reyzer offers some insight into why certain fonts work and others don’t. I think you’ll…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Boost your Readership with Guest Blogging – from Rachel Thompson – by Belinda Griffin…on Bad Redhead Media: Writers often ask if they should blog or not. My answer is usually yes, you should blog, but not necessarily on your own blog, at least not to begin with. Instead, guest blogg…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Who Makes It Happen? Giving Your Characters Agency – by Tiffany Yates Martin…on Jane Friedman site: Writers are often warned off of passive “be” verbs that suck the life out of their prose—but the “be” trap of passivity can also suck the life out of your characters. Regardl…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How Should We Format Non-English Words? – by Jami Gold…Last month, we discussed if we should use italics for a character’s thoughts. As part of that post, we mentioned the risk of overdoing italics. Words are emphasized when in italics, so by italicizi…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Five Ways to Kick Your Writing up a Notch – by Janice Hardy…on Fiction University: The path to stronger writing happens a step at a time. There’s a moment in writing when we know our work is good, but not great, and we’re not sure how to get it…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Say Hello to the WordPress Block Editor – by Dave Martin…on Wordpress Blog: On June 1 we’ll be retiring our older WordPress.com editor and transitioning to the more recent (and more powerful) WordPress block editor. Want to know how this may affect your …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Poetry: Shape and form #amwritingReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Blog, No List, and No Begging – by Dave Chesson…on Kindlepreneur: You probably don’t have to be convinced of the importance of getting free book reviews as well as kindle reviews. However, how does a new author get those crucial Kindle book revi…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
4 Facebook features that give you more control – by Sandra Beckwith…on Build Book Buzz Most of my Facebook connections do a fantastic job of sharing content — their own, or from other sources. And that content is what keeps us coming back for more, whether it’s bre…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The New Rules for Instagram HashtagsReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Book Editors (Everything You Need To Know) Updated on May 4, 2020 – by Sean Platt…on Sterling & Stone: The relationship between an author and their editor can be one of the most important that any writer can cultivate. The book Max Perkins Editor of Geniusshows just how impo…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Ultimate Guide to Selling Books on your Author Website – by ALLi Team…When cosy mystery bestseller Morgana Best was interviewed by ALLi in 2018, alongside the great advice she offered to indie authors she asked an important question: “Why build your empire on rented …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
4 Newbie Writer Mistakes that can Derail a Great Book Idea – by Anne R. Allen…You’ve got a fantastic idea for a novel. It’s been hanging around for quite a while, knocking inside your noggin. The idea keeps saying, “Let me out! Release me! Put me in a book!” Maybe there’s a …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Publish on Google Play Books in 2020 – by Reedsy…Google is the world’s leading search engine, as you probably already know. A lesser known part of Google is its very own online bookstore — Google Play Books — which is integrated within the broade…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Do Your Characters Take on a Life of Their Own? – by Jami Gold…Ever get one of those injuries where you wish you had a better story to go with it? *sigh* When a bundle of bamboo sticks I was trying to separate slipped, one punctured the tip of my index finger,…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
6 Ideas for Promoting Your Book While Watching TV – by Sandra Beckwith…on The Book Designer: I’m one of those people who likes to watch TV to unwind, but just can’t sit there and watch TV. Know what I mean? I don’t really like that about myself, but I’ve not only acce…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Awesome Time-Saving Tools for Authors – by Dave Chesson…on Self-Publishing Review: As self-publishers, we have a lot to do every day to make sure our business is running smoothly. Every minute you save is useful–but remember, during tough times like the…
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
5 Quick Fixes for making the most of ‘Author Central’ (and why it should be a Top Priority) – by Penny Sansevieri…on Indie Reader: I’m a HUGE fan of free book promotion strategies and one of the best ones out there that can tend to be overlooked is Amazon Author Central. If you haven’t updated your profile in …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Write a Novel Synopsis – by Jane Friedman…It’s probably the single most despised document you might be asked to prepare: the synopsis. The synopsis is sometimes necessary because an agent or publisher wants to see, from beginning to end, …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
Poetry and Prose part 1 – Structure, #amwritingReblogged on WordPress.com
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
How to Improve Our Story with Action Beats – by Jami Gold…A bit over a month ago, we covered the basics of dialogue formatting. As I mentioned in that post, one of the main things we need to accomplish when formatting our story’s dialogue is ensure we’ve …
1
thestoryreadingapeblog.com
The Only Two Writing Tips You’ll Ever Need: Read and Write – by Melissa Donovan…on Writing Forward: I love collecting writing tips. You never know when you’re going to stumble across a golden nugget of wisdom that will make your writing richer and more vibrant. One of the reas…
1