Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

Writers’ Font: Point of View for Beginning Fiction Writers

Writers font series advice for beginning authorsIn last month’s Writers’ Font I said two essential elements in fiction writing are point-of-view (POV) and show vs. tell. With a level of mastery of these two elements of Craft, your writing will become more focused, clear, and exciting to read.

Let’s delve into POV first because you’ll save time and aggravation if you first decide which POV best fits the story. It can be confusing in the beginning if you’re not familiar with this part of the Craft. Just keep in mind that once you get it, it’s got. So, read on and don’t worry. Continue reading “Writers’ Font: Point of View for Beginning Fiction Writers”

eBook Formatting in Word: You Can Do This

Microsoft Word LogoThe debate continues, but I’m back to tell you yes, you can format and upload your eBook manuscript in Microsoft Word. My last post led us through the process of getting rid of all the junk, hidden code, and other weirdness . Now we’re ready to format.

There are many ways of performing the same action in Word. I start with setting up my styles. Continue reading “eBook Formatting in Word: You Can Do This”

Authors Are Paying for Ads and Their Books Aren’t Being Seen

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Several authors have reported to IU that they’ve had disappointing sales after paying for an email advertisement, only to find their book didn’t show up in emails sent to recipients using a few of the big web-based book promotion services. Why not? Because companies like Gmail cut off emails they consider too long. So, here’s a typical scenario an author has reported to IU: Continue reading “Authors Are Paying for Ads and Their Books Aren’t Being Seen”

In Search of the Elusive Muse

searching for the museIn my last post, we discussed the existence of the muse. This week … we’ll go on a search for the muse!

For each of us, the muse is different. We all have our times when our muse delivers a stream of subconsciousness that makes us cry tears of joy when we finish a chapter. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the muse. It can be living or inanimate. It could be a place, a person, a process or ritual, an activity or music. Sometimes it just shows up and we don’t know how or where it came from.

The key is finding it, placing it “on demand” or maintaining the connection. Continue reading “In Search of the Elusive Muse”