Are you in the process of writing your first novel? Have you taken part in NaNoWriMo this year? Do you have a first draft written and ready for the next stage?
🎉That’s fabulous! 🎉 You’re at the perfect stage to take advantage of my Ultimate First Draft Checklist
👇 Keep Reading
You’re a new writer wanting to get your story published. I understand how overwhelming it is to have so many answers available at the end of a google search. There are a never-ending supply of people offering new writers and indie authors advice about what the rules of the wordsmith are. Some even seem to contradict one another!
And that’s the thing, as a qualified editor myself and self-confessed bookworm, I’ve learned that these often touted rules are in fact only guidelines and opinions; they shouldn’t be followed blindly.
What’s next?
I wrote a post showing you the 4 steps to do After You’ve Written a Book and what tasks can be left for now. With that in mind, my Ultimate First Draft Checklist should be used when you assess your manuscript in step 2.
Before you jump into editing mode, read your book from start to finish. This is the second step in gaining perspective on your book. While it is time-consuming, it’ll save you countless hours in the long run because you’ll see exactly what you need to work on for your next draft.
As you read, ask yourself the following questions and take notes about what you find:
What’s missing?
What isn’t needed?
Which bits need rewriting?
In my Ultimate First Draft Checklist, I cover the 6 core aspects of any story:
Opening Scene/First Chapter
Characters and Dialogue
Plot and Conflict
Flow and Pacing
Setting and World-building
Writing Style
The questions on my checklist ultimately get you to answer the big question: Is my manuscript a best seller?
I understand that this step can be both exciting and a little terrifying. But I promise you, it is worth it!
…are you ready?
Receive my Ultimate First Draft Checklist now and start honing your story today!
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For more helpful resources about the craft of writing, check out my Resource Library.
Hello everyone and welcome to The BG Blog. Today’s post is Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Michael the blogger behind A Novel Chapter.
In the last decade, there has been a self-publishing revolution as I discussed in my first Book Bloggers Unveiled post. I have a strong appreciation for the book blogging community and the part it plays. It’s obvious to me that book bloggers are a valuable marketing resource for any author wanting to self-publish their novels. Not only will they read your novel and write an honest review, but they’ll share their thoughts with their friends – they have hundreds of blogging friends.
Therefore, I’m using my voice to sing the praises of the humble book blogger. Today, it’s the fabulous Michael @ A Novel Chapter.
Hello Michael, thanks for joining us. Firstly, let’s find out a little bit about you.
How long have you been a book blogger and why did you start blogging?
I first created the blog in 2014 on Blogger but have only been really seriously pursuing it for about a year or so which is when I moved it to WordPress and onto it’s own domain. Initially I started it to become a better writer and also to potentially earn a some money on the side to my job but also have come to enjoy learning about new book releases and recommendations.
What Are The Best and Worst Parts About Being A Book Blogger?
The best part is I think when your content goes live and when I share it on social media and see the engagement with it. The worst part which is something which I initially struggled with was maintaining the flow of content – especially at the beginning as I wanted everything to go live straight away due to my own impatience but I’ve now learnt to schedule and plan content much further in advance.
Happy to read most things as I read fiction and non-fiction books from most genres.
Are There Any Genres or Type of Books You Avoid?
None I avoid in particular but I generally don’t read many romance books just because I usually struggle to get through them.
Do You Have A Favourite Genre, Author, Series? Tell Us More.
I love Crime/Thriller, YA and Fantasy novels the most. I love a book with plenty of twists and turns that will keep me up reading far too late (though my boss in my day job probably doesn’t!) I also do loves books with escapism where I can forget about what is happening.
Some favourite Fantasy/YA series of mine are Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Noughts and Crosses. I also love The Millennium Trilogy, the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. I also love Martina Cole‘s crime novels.
What Type Of Posts Can We Find On Your Blog?
Reviews, Lists, Discussions, Sometimes I do write personal non-book related articles as well such as if I’ve been on holiday.
What is Your Favourite Type of Blog Post to Write?
Discussion posts as I like sharing my thoughts on specific questions.
What Has Been Your Proudest Blogging Moment To Date?
It’s not really a blogging moment but I have also been working on my Bookstagram social media account for the last 12 months which I just passed 600 followers on so I am hoping to reach the 1,000 followers soon.
Also possibly my Top 5 Children’s Reads post as it my first collaborative post where I had a guest blogger and have had some comments on it as well.
What Are Your Top Three Favourite Blog Posts You’ve Written?
Traffic wise my top 3 posts over the last 90 days have been:
Which Five Authors (Living or Dead) Would You Invite To Your Dinner Party? Tell Us Why.
So that I can discuss there works it would have to be my top five authors so J.K Rowling, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Malorie Blackman, Roald Dahl and Lee Child.
I would love to discuss Harry Potter, Noughts and Crosses and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and George’s Marvellous Medicine with Rowling, Blackman and Dahl. F. Scott Fitzgerald would also provide some jazzy 1920’s music I think and Lee Child can tell me about his next Jack Reacher book!
Do You Have Any Hobbies Outside of Blogging? What Do You Do To Relax?
Probably my other two passions are fitness as like going to the gym and I’m also training to be a Zumba instructor and I also enjoy playing games – mostly action-adventure and story-driven ones such as Tomb Raider and Uncharted.
Tell Us Something That Your Existing Followers Don’t Know About You?
I don’t think I’ve told them about the Zumba before 🙂
Thank you for sharing your innermost secrets with us, Michael.
Now, let’s talk stats and find out some nitty-gritty blog details.
How Many Blog Followers Do You Have?
I don’t have a blog follow option on the site, on social media I have 612 Instagram, 64 on Twitter and 21 on Facebook.
How Many Monthly Visits, Likes and Comments Do You Get?
In the last three months I have had 48, 71 and 31. On Instagram I usually get around 10 likes per post though I have had two book meme posts which had 30 likes and 190 likes.
What Other Social Media Platforms Do You Use?
I use Instagram the most, I do have Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter accounts
Do You Have Any Blogging Goals This Year? If You Do, Please Share Them With Us.
I would like to get to 100-200 visits per month consistently, also I am hoping to monetise it even if it is only a small amount. I also hope to get to the 1,000 Instagram followers then I will be looking at new strategies for each of the other platforms.
I hope that you enjoyed this post, Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Michael @ A Novel Chapter, as much as I did. Running a successful book blog obviously has its ups and downs, but I love Michael’s passion for reading and his community spirit. He’s a book blogging treasure! 💙
Do you follow Michael on any of his social media accounts? Please take a moment to visit his blog, A Novel Chapter and like, follow and comment on a few posts. And as a bonus, if you browse through his review archive, I’m sure you’ll find your next favourite read!
Next month, I’ll be unveiling another fantastic book blogger.
As a lover of the cosy genre, I’m not letting the Agatha Award 2022 pass without mentioning the winners on my blog!
Hello. Today on the blog I’m sharing the Agatha Award 2022 winners. This prestigious literary award is run by Malice Domestic. The award was created in honour of the queen of cosy mysteries, British crime writer Agatha Christie to celebrate the authors publishing works in the cosy genre.
Here’s what Malice say about it on its website:
“Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual fan convention that takes place each year in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Malice celebrates the Traditional Mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore or violence.“
The six categories in the Agatha Award are:
Novel
First Mystery
Historical Novel
Short Story
Non-Fiction
Children’s/Young Adult Mystery.
Additionally, in some years the Poirot Award is presented to honour other individuals who are not writers themselves, but who have made outstanding contributions to the mystery genre.
The nominees are suggested by everyone who has registered for or became a Friend of Malice Domestic by the end of the previous years. The five finalists in the six categories are chosen, then the attendees vote for the winners. In case you were wondering, here’s a link to the list of nominees.
Due tothe Covid-19 pandemic, the Agatha Awards were once again announced at the More Than Malice online event.
So, who were the Agatha Award 2022 Winners in the different categories?
Contemporary Novel
**Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
Historical Novel
**Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (HarperCollins)
First Novel
**Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Berkley)
Short Story
**”Bay of Reckoning“ by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Murder on the Beach (Destination Murders)
Non-Fiction
**How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by MWA with editors Lee Child and Laurie R. King (Simon & Schuster)
Children’s / Young Adult
**I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff (Down & Out Books)
Have you already read any of these winning titles? I’ll certainly be adding a couple of those fiction books to my shelf. 😉
