About This Issue #76

Details: Category: Back Issues; Created on Monday, 30 June 2014 07:23; Published on Monday, 30 June 2014 20:40; Hits: 5606

Vision

Issue 76

July/August/September

2014

Welcome to issue #76 of Vision: A Resource for Writers. You may want to check out the back issues and categories because there are a number of older articles now in the archives. There will be more throughout the year. By searching through the category lists (the link is in the ezine's header), you can narrow down the type of information you need at that moment. There are still several hundred more articles to be copied into the archives, too. Once there, I'll work on the metadata and give even more ways to search, including by author.

Remember, too, that you can help support Vision: A Resource for Writers by buying copies of previous issues for your eReader Here. Smashwords provides formats for Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo, PDF and more.

Vision: A Resource for Writers is written by writers for writers. With over 700 articles in our archives, this ezine is an excellent resource (as the name indicates) for helping you with your writing problems. Would you like to see other articles written on specific subjects? Write me a note at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let me know!

I am always looking for new articles as well. Read the submission guidelines and consider sending me an article or two about writing. I look forward to hearing from you. Here is the publishing schedule and deadlines:

January/February/March (Deadline December 15)
April/May/June (Deadline March 15)
July/August/September (Deadline June 15)
October/November/December (Deadline September 15)

In this issue:

From the Editor: Challenging Ourselves

Sometimes it's easy to become complacent about your writing. For some people that means writing a few hundred words and walking away, telling themselves they'd done their work for the day and never trying to do more. For others, it's writing and never going back to improve the work.

Inkygirl Comic (Distractions)

By Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Distractions

Workshop: Why

Setting up the background for a story is time-consuming and delicate. You build one step on top of another, carefully layering in all the subtleties of your imagination. However, the closer you get to the actual start of the story, you may start making assumptions that are not apparent to your readers.

Indie Corner: Reviewing the Backlist

By J.A. Marlow

As with many things in life, extremes are rarely a good thing. Indie publishing is the same in so many ways, including this:

One extreme: putting out a work and never touching it again.
Second extreme: changing constantly, not leaving it alone.

Funny Way to Put It, Part 3: Exaggeration and Personification

By S.E. Batt

In the past few issues of Funny Way to Put It, we’ve covered topics as to how a writer can fuse humour with the ever-useful story driver of conflict, as well as using some tricks from the comedy world to get a laugh from the audience.

An Unexpected Breakout: When hard work, luck, and timing come together

By LJ Cohen

Ten years ago, this summer, I began to write my first novel. Sometime along the early steps of that journey, I discovered Forward Motion for Writers and began to hang around the chat rooms and message boards. My first critique group was here, and that first novel completed with the help and the resources I found.

The Open-Ended Outline

By Ashe Elton Parker

How's pantsing your story working for you? Or, if you're not pantsing it, how's the outline going? Stuck? Beating your head against a wall?

Behind the Words: The messages your writing carries

By Dr. Bob Rich

Every piece of text has a purpose. A shopping list is a reminder, and perhaps a restraining tool. A novel is meant to entertain. A car manual is designed to guide maintenance and repairs.

Semicolons VS Dashes

By Connie Cockrell

It's inevitable. I give my manuscript over to my husband for a final copy edit and he changes all of my semicolons to dashes. Now we won't get into the argument here about using semicolons in our writing, that's another article.

How to Set Goals that Benefit Your Income and Dreams

By April Aragam

Many writers set writing goals at the beginning of the year. Some also break those yearly down into monthly goals. At whatever frequency you decide to set your goals, it’s important that you set the right ones. This article outlines 4 ways that you can better set goals that benefit your dreams and your income.

Reprise: What Makes Good Characters

By Members of Forward Motion

So what makes good characters, both heroes and villains?

About 12 years ago I asked this question of Forward Motion members for an issue of Vision: A Resource for Writers. I am curious to see if there are new insights or changes in how authors approach their characters.

Book Review: Writing Novels That Sell by Jack Bickham

Reviewed by Erin Hartshorn

This is an older book (and only available used), and some of the advice that Bickham passes out makes that clear. Not just the comments like "If you're a wife, you can cook a real dinner. If you're a husband, you can actually cut the grass," but comments about what bestsellers have in common for POV or dialogue or how quickly the primary goal of the main character arises in a book

Website Review: Inkygirl: A Blog For Children's/YA Book Writers And Illustrators

Reviewed by Lazette Gifford

Will Write for Chocolate? Fun illustrations? Writing challenges? This is a site that will please all writers.

New on the Shelves - Books

Check out the new publications by Forward Motion Members

New on the Shelves - Short Works