Posts By Adri
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Hi. I’m about to get all up in your Kool-Aid. Bear with me for a bit, because I have some things I’d like to discuss about your author brand, and you may not want to hear them. Most people don’t think of their author brand as a thing that can be quantified. Instead it’s more of a trait; just like...
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@smoulderingsea: Keep in mind that while you want to write marketable books, if you constantly pander with fan service your book will lose depth. #editortips @smoulderingsea: Sometimes the thrill is in denying readers what they want, which makes the gratification that much more satisfying later. #editortips @smoulderingsea: Writing historical for the modern audience means finding the right voice. Not too modern, but...
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@smoulderingsea: Don't open your book with a history narrated in omniscient voice. This detaches the reader from your characters and story. #editortips @smoulderingsea: Even if your characters struggle with it, they need to make decisions. Their decisions about key things tell us who they are. #editortips @smoulderingsea: In your story, failure needs consequences. We have no reason to care about character...
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@smoulderingsea: Fiction writing can have its poetic moments, but it's not poetry. The same storycrafting and prose rules don't apply. #editortips @smoulderingsea: Don't be afraid to explore tangents that weren't in your outline. You may discover a depth you never intended. #editortips @smoulderingsea: When solving a problem in a scene, discard the first answer that comes to mind. It's likely the...
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@smoulderingsea: Story borked beyond repair? Trash every draft. Start over with an outline using only the details important enough to remember. #editortips @smoulderingsea: You'll always miss something when you proofread. Try reading backwards to force yourself to really see the words. #editortips @smoulderingsea: If, when self-editing, you find yourself making the same correction repeatedly, keep a list of your common...
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@smoulderingsea: If you think there's no sex, foul language, or violence in YA or even MG, you don't read enough. #editortips @smoulderingsea: There's a fine line between being an online personality and going over the top. I edged across it today. Try not to yourself. #editortips @smoulderingsea: The image of the frazzled, sleepless writer is just that: an image. If you...
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@smoulderingsea: Just because an agent or editor says they like X book doesn't mean they won't like yours if it's not like X. Tastes vary. #editortips @smoulderingsea: If you send a rude follow-up at 12:01am the day after a response deadline, some might think twice about working with you. #editortips @smoulderingsea: That's not to say there's anything wrong with a...
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Update: FtA is now live on B&N, so now you can win if we hit the top 100 on Amazon or B&N. 'cause I know some of you just love your Nooky. (Like me. ~hugs Nook Color~) Want to win a $500 or $250 Visa gift card, a full manuscript crit, or free books? Read on to find out how...
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@smoulderingsea: A query is not a synopsis. It should be a brief, interesting sales pitch, not a methodical blow-by-blow of the plot. #editortips @smoulderingsea: There is no One Truth of Publishing. It's more like a lot of little truths, many more variables, and a strong dash of WTF. #editortips @smoulderingsea: The time you spend agonizing over rejections or worrying over query responses? Won't change...
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@smoulderingsea: Anxious and eager aren't really synonyms. Anxious implies a state of distress, but people often use it as impatiently eager. #editortips @smoulderingsea: Make sure pronouns are consistent with singular and plural. If you say "Mark and Jenny ran," it's "they ran," not "he ran." #editortips @smoulderingsea: Struggling for something to write about? Look around you. Common experience makes a great foundation for...
Adrien-Luc Sanders is the author of From the Ashes (Entangled, August 2012). He occasionally posts useful things on Twitter under the 
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