Is the plot different than the subplot?

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/expanding-a-short-story-into-a-novel?utm_campaign=WDG%20-%20NL%20-%20WIR&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103970085&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-96umDDj9ZlPjqOZw4IokPt8qUTAS47wHMj6Xx-v8v-dzgCRH9gGTy1idY1ZUFilc74yxohfpqvOP2VEITPE7oE1RXZhA&utm_content=103400244&utm_source=hs_email

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Writers beware of ongoing publishing frauds

Writer Beware®: The Blog

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Spooky Phishing Scam Targets Traditionally-Published Writers Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:49 AM PST   Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware® The New York Times has published the story of a strange international phishing scam: unknown actors targeting traditionally-published writers, posing as their agents or editors to obtain copies of their unpublished manuscripts. Earlier this month, the book industry website Publishers Marketplace announced that Little, Brown would be publishing “Re-Entry,” a novel by James Hannaham about a transgender woman paroled from a men’s prison. The book would be edited by Ben George. Two days later, Mr. Hannaham got an email from Mr. George, asking him to send the latest draft of his manuscript. The email came to an address on Mr. Hannaham’s website that he rarely uses, so he opened up his usual account, attached the document, typed in Mr. George’s email address and a little note, and hit send. “Then Ben called me,” Mr. Hannaham said, “to say, ‘That wasn’t me.’” Mr. Hannaham was just one of countless targets in a mysterious international phishing scam that has been tricking writers, editors, agents and anyone in their orbit into sharing unpublished book manuscripts. It isn’t clear who the thief or thieves are, or even how they might profit from the scheme. High-profile authors like Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan have been targeted, along with celebrities like Ethan Hawke. But short story collections and works by little-known debut writers have been attacked as well, even though they would have no obvious value on the black market. The phisher, or phishers, employ clever tactics like transposing letters in official-looking email addresses (like "penguinrandornhouse.com" instead of "penguinrandomhouse.com") and masking the addresses so they only show when the recipient hits "Reply". They know how publishing works and appear to have access to inside information, utilizing not just public sources like acquisition announcements in trade publications, but details that are harder to uncover: writers' email addresses, their relationships with agents and editors, delivery and deadline dates, even details of the manuscripts themselves.  And they are ramping up their operations. According to the Times, the scam began appearing "at least" three years ago, but in the past year "the volume of these emails has exploded in the United States." So what's the endgame? Publishing people are stumped. Manuscripts by high-profile authors have been targeted, but also less obviously commercial works: debut novels by unknowns, short story collections, experimental fiction. The manuscripts don't wind up on the black market, as far as anyone can tell, and don't seem to be published online. There have been no ransom demands or other attempts at monetization.  One of the leading theories in the publishing world, which is rife with speculation over the thefts, is that they are the work of someone in the literary scouting community. Scouts arrange for the sale of book rights to international publishers as well as to film and television producers, and what their clients pay for is early access to information — so an unedited manuscript, for example, would have value to them. I heard about the scam a couple of months ago, from an author who was targeted after their forthcoming book was announced on Publishers Marketplace. What they reported to me tracks with the information above, including the credible approach by the writer's own editor or agent (complete with authentic-looking email signature), a credible excuse for why they wanted the writer to send the manuscript again, and the altered sending address. The writer did send the ms., and didn't discover until they talked to their agent that they'd been tricked. Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster have sent out warnings, as have agents, one of whom offers this helpful advice: If you receive an email requesting sensitive information or items (manuscripts, contracts, etc.) to be sent via email, or to follow a link to sign a document, please consider the following steps: 1. Carefully inspect the sender’s email address. Ensure the person’s name is spelled correctly and, most importantly, that the company’s domain name (which is located after the @ symbol in an email address) is spelled correctly. 2. Call the supposed sender to verify that the items/information requested in the email are legitimate. 3. Do not reply to the email. Message headers can look real but have hidden text triggered when “reply” is hit. Instead, start a separate email chain with the sender asking if they did, in fact, request that item/information from you. 4. Carefully look at the email header, which contains detailed information about the email – where it came from, who it was sent to, date, time, subject, etc. To be clear, there's no connection here with the crude agent and publisherimpersonation scams I've been writing about for the last year or so. This is a sophisticated scheme by a person or persons familiar with the publishing industry (including its lingo) who understands the ins and outs of acquisition and production and has access to inside information. There's also no obvious monetary angle--unlike the impersonation scams I've previously reported, where the whole point is to screw as many thousands of dollars out of unsuspecting writers as possible. More reporting at Jezebel.

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Aztec skull tower found

https://www.livescience.com/aztec-trophy-skulls-mexico.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9160&utm_content=LVS_newsletter+&utm_term=6210035&m_i=woFdnEA4n6qZIdXYnEFdieN3z1bxgvA7vl9VTBaJ09k2Euu2ENn3%2BsIZ0jIJY3GUNnM5J7Qgez%2BFiyjpWKjQ3RnRoSEwe58XrWmVYKawwi

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Are we all foreigners? Where did humanity start?

https://www.livescience.com/are-all-humans-immigrants.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9160&utm_content=LVS_newsletter+&utm_term=6210035&m_i=PnkqQonRLN1ARPDh97BxaSsSqXvVBEEQlG9APVtcKeVSXW0jfda0hcnznG8eGp8zBWQY8GtzN0UIya96NIcqP7FlKv3UCGGXbxw2UgPPPk

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The Death of the Artist

How poet W.S. Merwin found paradise by planting palm trees

Interview with Marge Piercy

Interview with Marge Piercy

Fiction University: Theme Me Up: How to Develop Your Novel's Theme

Fiction University: Theme Me Up: How to Develop Your Novel's Theme: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Theme is an often overlooked tool in a writer's toolbox. Here's another look at finding the gre...

Fiction University: The Impossible Choice: A Surefire Way to Hook Your...

Fiction University: The Impossible Choice: A Surefire Way to Hook Your...: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The first job of any story is to hook its reader, but after that initial hook, the story can’t just slack...

How to Write a Short Story in 6 Steps

How to Write Compelling Dialogue: A Proven Process

A free corse from author Jerry Jenkins!

Jerry Jenkins “offers a FREE course that will help you write a book and advertise on Amazon with his proven techniques. 

Thirteen steps on how to write a book: https://writersnauthors.com/how-to-write-a-book-13-steps-from-a-bestselling-author/

And his five-day course on how to sell your book!

“In 5 days you’ll gain expert insight into making Amazon ads work to help you sell your book to more readers. The best part? It costs you nothing to learn! You can’t beat that. :)”

Click here to sign up for the FREE 5-Day Amazon Ad Course at Kindlepreneur. 

https://writersnauthors.com/how-to-write-a-book-13-steps-from-a-bestselling-author/

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2 Methods for Structuring Your Memoir

2 Methods for Structuring Your Memoir

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The Benefits of Writing Flash Fiction

The Benefits of Writing Flash Fiction

Great advice!

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2020/10/get-ready-to-write-scene-in-10-minutes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+janicehardy%2FPUtE+%28Fiction+University%29

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Segunda etapa Proyecto de Digitalización de las Colecciones del MNA

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Podcast on Outlining Your Novel!

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/10/05/outlining-your-novel/

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Willamette Writers Workshops!

https://willamettewriters.org/event/portland-salem-online-so-funny-its-frightening-using-humor-to-enhance-suspense-and-create-tension/

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Rodney Yee: AM Connection | Yoga for Your Week | Gaiam

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Writer Beware®: The Blog: A New "Beware": Scammers Impersonating Reputable L...

Writer Beware®: The Blog: A New "Beware": Scammers Impersonating Reputable L...: Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware® I've written about this new "beware" twice already (you can see those posts he...

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Has the Biblical Moses Been Identified in Secular Egyptian Records?

Has the Biblical Moses Been Identified in Secular Egyptian Records?

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Fiction University: Guest Blogging Builds Platform and Sells Books: 5 ...

Fiction University: Guest Blogging Builds Platform and Sells Books: 5 ...: By Anne R. Allen, @annerallen Part of The Writer’s Life Series JH: Guest blogging is a fun and easy way to get your name out there wit...

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Fiction University: Getting the Word Out About Your Book Release

Fiction University: Getting the Word Out About Your Book Release: By Sherry Howard, @SherLHoward Part of The Writer's Life Series JH: Book releases have gone online for 2020, and getting the word...

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Fiction University: Choosing the Right Social Media Site for You and Y...

Fiction University: Choosing the Right Social Media Site for You and Y...: By Marcy Kennedy, @MarcyKennedy Part of the Indie Author Series When it comes to how to spread the word about your book, you’ll hear w...

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Great and free writing class on YouTube

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/write-in-workshop-improv-for-writers

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Thank you for subscribing!

Thank you for subscribing!

Your comments and suggestions are very welcomed!

Fiction University: Story Rulez: Two Things Every Novel Needs to Do

Fiction University: Story Rulez: Two Things Every Novel Needs to Do: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy There are a lot of rules in writing, but only two you really need to follow. I'm a big fan of the s...

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How and why to get book reviews

Some only review prior to publication. Once a book is published, some trade publications will not review it.



How and why to get book reviews: Types of reviews and how to get them. How and why to get reviews. Three questions about book reviews

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7 Ways Screenwriters Can Impress a Producer - ScreenCraft

7 Ways Screenwriters Can Impress a Producer - ScreenCraft: You have worked on your script daily, diligently practicing your craft. Hurray! You have interest from a producer, so you share your script. Time passes. Finally, the producer returns your...

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Tips From a First Draft Survivor

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What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

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Deep Genre: The Serious Writer's Mission

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Fiction University: The Difference Between Painting a Scene vs Dramati...

Fiction University: The Difference Between Painting a Scene vs Dramati...: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A great scene is about more than just describing what's there--or what's going on. As writers, ...

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Book Club Strategies for Authors

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How to Customize and Edit your Booklaunch Page

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San Francisco Writers Conference podcast.

Listen in as Ask Joey and Brooke Warner talk about the pros and cons of indie publishing on the SFWC Podcast today! https://buff.ly/2yl7EzS

https://www.facebook.com/112732798786104/posts/2990255104367178/?substory_index=0

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UK US Bocelli MH TRAILER :30s [4.12]

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Fiction University: Identifying a Loss of Momentum vs. Writer’s Block

This article gave me hope because for the last three days my brain has gone on strike!





Fiction University: Identifying a Loss of Momentum vs. Writer’s Block: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Some days, we sit down to write and the words won’t come. Are we blocked? Maybe not. Even before the p...

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Joyce, good post for the times we are living in, I am also in the seventies, and when reading your article, I divided that seven is a lucky number.



What I want in life and what I have to do to create it?

I want to publish the books living inside of me and my computer.



In words of my horoscope today, ” April  1, 2020 - If you feel moody or emotionally stuck about your place in life, lean on your power of vision to paint a picture of where you’d like to be instead. Today starts with a sense of escapism, and you may find yourself longing for a change of scenery and a break from the daily grind. But possibility arrives later on, and you're especially open to insights about how to build the life you desire. Listen to your inner urges behind the mundane details today, because your subconscious is full of clues on how to achieve your most fulfilled life.”



Is it April fools day?





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Inspired

T. S. Eliot once wrote, “good writers borrow, great writers steal.” In my youth to circumstances beyond my control, reading and daydreaming became my entertainment and best friends. 

Also, I lived in a culture filled with mystery and religion and thus developed in me a fascination for the supernatural, mysticism, prophecies, and damsels in distress that overcame their distress. And I especially sought out books about saints, creation, mythology, and history. 

So, I agree with Eliot to a point; since my series On Wings Of Immortals is inspired by favorite authors such as Auel, Mitchener, Castaneda, Rice, King, Kostova, and Coelho and of course Poe.

For more please go to Marta C Weeks

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Fiction University: What's My Motivation? Tips on Showing Character Mo...

Great tip! Sometimes, as in the first book of my series, the angel feels he is responsible for the virgin however it is she who went looking for him.

martacweeks.com





Fiction University: What's My Motivation? Tips on Showing Character Mo...: By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Knowing what motivates a character to act not only makes for a great read, it also makes it easier to pl...

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What to do?

Even though it has good reviews I am batteling between removing The Sylph's Tale, the first book of On Wings Of Immortals - series, or just adding the revised-complete version.

Why? The Sylph's Tale was published incomplete. The publicist says they submitted the complete manuscript, but Amazon and D2D say they released the file received but are willing to give those who bought it a free revised-complete version upon publication.

I am extremely grateful to those who like it. Missing chapters are:

My Cross - Chapter III
HAYA - Chapter IV
My Brethren - Chapter VIII
Grant Me Death - Chapter IIX
Dragons of Eternity - X

What say you?

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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Fiction Series

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Fiction Series: Avoid inconsistencies when writing a series and keep your readers happy by reviewing these five common mistakes found in fiction series.

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Novel Writing: 10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Characters | Writer's Digest

Novel Writing: 10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Characters | Writer's Digest: BY BRENDA JANOWITZ You simply cannot write a good novel without knowing your characters inside and out. Here are the top 10 questions you need to be able to answer about each of your characters:

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Myth and the Environmental Crisis

Myth and the Environmental Crisis

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Poem: Buckle

Buckle

Let us not buckle 

Under greed, vulgarity and pomposity

Oh God help us not believe 

You are on the side of rioters

Abusers, greed and self-servers

Help us stand strong 

And return our country

To the respect and glory 

That led our forefathers 

To leave homeland and ancestry

Cross the oceans

To build a nation 

Not for pomp and powdered classes

But for freedom and equality

Jesus, Moses, Mohamed and Buddha

Rise amongst our people

Give us strength and purpose

For the time has come

To end immorality, greed and vanity

Ruling and toppling our nation

From the top of Lady Liberty’s flame

Into mire and stench.

By @MartaCWeeks2/5/2020

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New poem: Greener

Greener

If your heart quivers

For someone other

Than whom your with

Tell it that the other side

Is only greener

Until the fence is climbed

Or the gate is broken

And then

The true colors

Of disappointed longing

Or new flavors embraced

Turn into longings

One being greener than the other

In its commitment

For life is more than colors

And the heart beats

Not just in red

But in the passing of time

When what you want now

Becomes what you

Want no more

The self loses it’s soul

Hunger becomes a vice

And in looking

You lose who you are

And become the prey

Or predator

Of whims and dreams

Of what could have been 

Unfulfilled with longings 

That become the new

Lost and not found.

@MartaCWeeks

2/4/2020

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We are back!

On Monday, we returned from our 15 days Panama Canal cruise and ten days of travel from Florida to Cincinnati, visiting my husband's siblings and their families. It was a grand vacation, but I long to return to Europe in particular to Lalin, Spain; that has a story I will tell soon.

During the cruise, while at sea, John edited and made significant contributions and suggestions on VIRGINS, book three of the series. He is not into holding back critiques to make me feel good and why I trust him. Also, an avid and very picky reader, so when he said, "you need to write a series about the men,"  I was surprised and more when he added, "I enjoyed reading it" and "look forward to book four."  That's ROLO, which I will give him in two weeks after he has knee surgery, and work gets done in our home that was scheduled for after we got back from our travels.

Also, reviews from other authors, the information I am reading, and online classes, have ushered in ideas on plot and story that I am excited to implement and write. Soooo, busy, busy busy!

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Starting Ayekah The Damned with inciting incident in The Sylph’s Tale

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SM and trying to write and publish

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