The Daily Port of Call: July 24, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of Call, you’ll find tips for your second scene, why you should hack apart your favorite stories, and how to tackle your rewrite.

Include a measuring stick at the beginning of your story: Write a scene that reveals a normal day in the life of your main character as scene two.

Don’t just read for pleasure: Find out why you should mercilessly hack apart your favorite stories.

Tackling your rewrite: “That first session, I sat down and purged what was in my head with no thoughts of where it was going. Those opening pages were probably the strongest of the entire manuscript.”

The first Man Booker prize to admit novels written in English from around the world has published its longlist.

Are self-published book awards right for you? Find out by asking yourself these questions.

The Daily Port of Call: July 23, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of call, you’ll find how to use your own presumptions to your advantage, improve your writing productivity, and make the most of a critique.

“There’s dramatic value in both torquing the presumptions of your readers, and in warping those of your characters in your story.” Use your own presumptions to advantage in your work.

Explore writing productivity: Here are fifteen tips to help you crank out good plots.

Receiving a critique of your work can be emotionally challenging. Don’t let it throw you. Here are tips to make the most of another’s critique of your work.

“Action should propel your story forward and have consequences for your characters.” Discover these tips for writing action scenes.

What should new and aspiring authors write on their blogs? Here are five tips to help you get started.

“Twitter is the only social media channel that is always abuzz with the most up-to-date news on every topic. No other social media network carries the immediacy or scope of Twitter.” Discover the ultimate Twitter guide for writers.