@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Don't self-censor because you're afraid of someone's reaction. Write it and don't show anyone. Delete it if you have to. Exploring uncomfortable ideas is how we grow as writers and as humans. (Though some ideas don't need explored any more, IMHO.)

@AuthorSamKnight's #writingtips: Putting a story in a newsletter, website, social media, or a flyer at church made it published. Anything made available to the public, whether or not anyone joined or read, made it published. That uses up first rights, which can only be used once.

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@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: The idea a story starts in the wrong place can mean too soon or too late. Too much or too little set-up? Often, background info can be given more effectively later, in smaller doses. Rarely does it need to come first. Start with interesting things

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Talking Heads is when characters talk a long time with no action and the reader is left imagining nothing but two faces, like on a tv talk show. You don't need a ton of action, but you need something. May also be a warning sign of an info dump.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: White Room Syndrome is when the writer fails to give enough setting information and the reader is left imagining everything as happening in a "blank" area or room around the characters. You don't need a ton of setting, but you need something.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Clearly marking scene breaks is important for the reader and your editor. If you don't mark them, the editor may miss them. Typically use a # to mark them. Some use * or *** but # is considered standard. DO NOT use wingdings, emojis, images, etc.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Some small actions are overdone. Watch for overuse of glance, glare, smirk, grin, wink, eye-roll, stare, sigh, cuddling coffee cups, etc. You may have your own idiosyncrasies, like mustache twisting or cheek scratching. Learn to watch for them.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Over describing action, or choregraphing, can ruin a story. It's hard to read more than a sentence or two of what a character is doing with each body part at the same time. It slows the action and makes the reader try to hold it all in their mind.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Removing ALL passive voice from your story is probably a bad idea. It exists for a reason. Use it when the thing performing the action is unknown, unimportant, abstract, needs to be deemphasized, or the subject acted upon needs to be emphasized.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Not sure when to hyphenate compound adjectives? General (not always correct) rule of thumb: hyphenate before the noun but not after. The well-informed writer vs. the writer was well informed. As always, clarity should be your final objective.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips: Sock puppetry is when someone pretends to be someone else and leaves reviews/comments on their own works to drum up business, get people interested, sway opinions, etc. It's disingenuous and can ruin your career. Don't do it. Not worth it.

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@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Different editors do very different things. Don't assume you know what kind someone is until they tell you. Be wary before hiring (or stalking) them. Acquisitions Developmental Content Copy Editing Line Editing Proofreading Managing and more...

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: If you have a story that fits a call, great. If you write a story for a call, great. If you send a story that doesn't fit the call, or force it by adding one sentence that mentions the call, editors remember. You're wasting their time and yours.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips: Never sign a contract you don't understand. Learn what "moral rights" and "derivative rights" are before you sign a contract giving them away. And don't trust the contract issuer to say "that's not what it means," or "we don't use it that way."

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Not every character needs a backstory and motivation. Even if you think they do, as a reader, I do not need/want to know why the old lady at the post office, mentioned in two whole sentences, has a scar on her left ankle from when she was 4yrs old

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Cool ideas are cheap. Well executed ideas are hard to come by. Don't just write a cool idea. Write something that takes a cool idea, adds cool characters, settings, plots, themes and conflicts, and makes it into a great story.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Nothing about writing is easy. Except when it is. But then it isn't again. Don't let it get to you. There are times you'll be overwhelmed and times you'll be having a ball. Come to think about it, it's a lot like life. Just do your best. ❤️

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: When trying to meet an editor/agent/publisher/author, do not follow them into the bathroom. And if you were talking to them and they head that way, and you think you know them well enough to follow, you're wrong. That will always be wrong.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: If your story (sometimes only part of it) is available online for free, Amazon may reject your attempt to publish it. This could be your website, social media, or an online publication. Be cautious where your story appears if you want to publish.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Don't ruin a story with unnecessary crudity. Many stories are rejected because of random, horrible, out of place, unrelated atrocities or language. Sexual, hateful, bigoted, taboo... Some authors just throw one in. Don't do that.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: All writing advice is bad advice—except the advice that works for you. Don't get overwhelmed sticking to something that doesn't work. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by not trying something you don't think will work. You won't know until you try.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Happy New Year! Time for authors to talk about how many words they wrote last year and how many they're going to write next year. Be happy for them but don't let it overwhelm you. You do you. Just keep on keeping on. You got this.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Don't be discouraged that people will spend $9 on a caramel mocha latte but think books should be free. If you place value on yourself, and then find your audience, they will value you, too. The hard part is finding your audience.

A quick reminder! When the 'zon lists book prices higher than the cover price, or claims only used copies are available from 3rd party sellers, it is okay to order from your local bookstore or B&N, or anyone else, really...

eBook sale for $3.99 is almost over! Happy Holidays! books2read.com/u/mdqZx5

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Sometimes you get an idea but decide it would be too difficult to write, that you can't pull it off. In my experience, those are the things you need to write, because they make your story better. Don't shy away from the difficult.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: No written word is wasted, it's all learning, but that doesn't mean it's ALL worth publishing or posting. Think twice before putting it out there. It will be less than years later you are embarrassed by it. Happens to all of us.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: There aren't very many businesses where if they gather together they do better. Wineries are one. Furniture stores seem to be another. Writers are definitely one. Other writers are not your competition. They are your support.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Writing is like a team sport: the more writers on your team encouraging you and enticing you to encourage them, the better you, and the team, will perform. You can go it alone but marathons are much tougher mentally and emotionally

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@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: One sentence more or less won't make or break your story. But every story starts with a sentence. And every story ends with a sentence. And if you don't write at least one sentence, you won't ever have a story.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There's a lot in the news about companies using AI to scan your book for various (possibly nefarious) purposes. It's okay if you don't understand everything. Not many (If any) do. But don't be blasé either. It affects us all.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Don't worry too much about things being "unrealistic" in your stories, they just have to flow and make sense. The only things I've ever been called out on for being "unrealistic" were things that were historically accurate.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: It's okay to use current events for inspiration, but make sure you're writing a story and not just an op-ed. Unless you have a following who love your opinion, like a news podcast/blog, you likely won't sell it or gain readers.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: I have found that when my "writing brain" poops out, the parts that like to do art, formatting, cover design, etc., still work. So I do those instead. That's how/why I tend to juggle multiple projects.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: No writing prompt works better than a pro-paying open call. If you feel you don't have ideas, go find open calls that pay and that excite you. If you "only write novels," remember, short stories are where you explore ideas.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: There is a reason I don't watch made-for-cable scifi/fantasy movies anymore. Poor writing, acting, directing, special effects, etc., are the norm. Be wary of putting out unedited work, less you too become a thing people auto-avoid.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: If you feel like writing Holiday stories now, do it! But don't expect to sell them until next year. Write all the stories! And them put them in a folder and mark your calendar to watch for calls during the summer-fall months.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: As much as it pains me, the "PC", MS Word, and Adobe PDFs are pretty much the industry standard. Using other programs, even those "100% compatible" like Google Docs, will eventually cause you problems. Nothing is 100% compatible.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Keep a list of things you have problems with. Words you can't spell, punctuation rules you can't remember, words you know you overuse, lay vs lie...whatever is a problem. Just putting them on that list starts to fix the problem.

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@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Write on typewriter, phone, desktop, distraction-free word processor, or by hand in a journal, notebook, or legal pad. Whatever works for you is the right way to do it. As long as you can read your writing. If not, maybe dictate?

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Once you're published, make an Amazon Author Central account. Amazon often sells books, randomly, at lower prices than even the publisher can get them. It's a great way to watch price drops and get copies to resell or give away.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Short stories can be complex as a novel. A novel can be simple as a short story. Like many things, we put labels on them to talk about them, but reality doesn't fit neatly into categories. Write what you want, just make it good.

It's about that time when you feel that panic about getting someone something when you don't know what to give them. If they're a reader, consider giving this. It'll be like giving twice, as all royalties go Annmarie, who still needs the help... amzn.to/3YaEA6G

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: J.A. Campbell came up with the idea for this anthology. My story idea was about a ghost-hunting goldfish. No idea is too too far out there or too unrealistic. If you want to write it, write it. Just make sure it's a good story.