My top six helpful advice posts for authors

In my 4^th and last instalment of my top 6 countdown I thought I would share something that was not about me: My top six helpful advice posts for authors.

This was a hard list to compile and to be honest I could have debated endlessly about posts which are not on the list; positions on the list; etc. But I don’t have the time. So this is the list which I made on what I call – on gut – the top 6 advice blog posts that I know of.

6. Five Common Mistakes that Will KILL Your Novel

If you haven’t heard of Kristen Lamb in the writing world then you probably don’t read a lot of blog posts. Normally her latest insight into the writing world is posted somewhere in the world of writing and she does seem to post every single day. But it this post that I think is particularly important as it discusses about challenges that your protagonist must endure in their quest. What I should note is that the challenge doesn’t have to be a physical entity as many readers on one forum seemed to think, but could be an idea or a problem such as lost keys.

5. Six Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media Marketing toYour Fans and Followers

Ah a common lover of the number 6... Actually that is not why it is on the list, but it is a good point that it shares some traits with a common theme on my new blog. This post brilliantly explains why word of mouth, directly from your fans, is such a powerful marketing tool.

4. Six Things Readers Want from Your Author Website

A common theme certainly seems to stand out here. However this is a much looked over area of an Author’s promotional tool. The website. I know mine is not up to much at the moment, but I plan to slowly roll out a lot more of the opportunities that are mentioned on this blog post.

3. The Trouble with Pirates

This article by an author like myself resonates with my feelings. Piracy is a crime and should not be overlooked. Lynn spells it out perfectly without going overboard (okay bad pun there). If you think piracy is cool, I recommend you read her post.

2. It’s a Writer’s Life for me….

This post just makes the point of where I want to take my life perfectly. Being an author might not be easy. But for me there is no other way.

1. 25 Turns, Pivots, And Twists To Complicate Your Story

If you can mind the bad language there are some really good suggestions in the list that will make you think twice about that all important twist in your plot. It is still something that I read on a regular basis, especially when I am outlining to see how many I either have in my plot or how many I could fit in.

And that concludes our countdown. So what do you think? Any posts you would have included (none that are from yourselves please)? And what about the order? Let’s hear your voice.

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