Check out this entry on IndieReader called Help Me, I Love a Writer!

Yes, you read that title correctly: If you’re an author and you’re willing to move, you could get a free house.

Write-A-House takes the usual idea of a writer’s residency and adds a new twist: the residency is forever, because the authors chosen for the program receive a house.

All right, nothing is forever. But you do have to agree to live in the house for at least two years. The program is intended to revitalize areas of Detroit that have been blasted by the economic downturn.

The primary repairs have been done but you should be willing to paint and do a few minor things here and there on your own. Otherwise, check it out!

Writer’s Digest has a list of the odd jobs taken by some of the best writers of all times.

My own strangest jobs included working on a production line at an egg factory and, later that same year, processing raw deer hides, heads and tails that arrived at a junkyard before being sent on to a leather processing facility.

What’s the strangest job you’ve ever held to support your writing career?

When you’re setting about to write that next book, don’t ignore the fans you’ve already snared. They’ll be looking for you and the content you create rather than just another book to read. So be sure to utilize branding methods like the following:

–Be consistent. If you’re writing thrillers, don’t suddenly switch to romance. The exception of course is if you’re writing a cross-genre romantic thriller. Then go for it! Just be sure not to leave your existing fans out in the cold as you work to gain new readers.

–Remember that readers want to read your books, not someone else’s. So whenever you appear for a signing or media opportunity, be authentic. Speak from the heart about your passion for writing and your fans. If someone asks a question you don’t want to answer, simply say so and allow the interview to move on.

–No matter whether you’re self-publishing or traditionally published, always focus on quality. Even if your goal is to produce two books every year (or more!), make sure that nothing goes out the door you wouldn’t want to read yourself.

Chapter breaks are an important moment in a novel. They provide the reader with more time to breath before plunging ahead into the next chapter. They serve much the same function as scene breaks but do so in a bigger way.

And so there’s always the question, How long should a chapter be? The answer can depend on the kind of book you’re writing. Generally, however, 8 to 10 pages is about the norm.

Some authors will go shorter…much shorter, using as few as 4 pages per chapter. There should be a reason to go this short, though. The pacing should be lightning fast, the plot straightforward, and possibly even multiple shifts in POV characters. Otherwise you risk shaking readers too far out of the fictional world with too many pauses.

I’ve long told my clients that passion is one of the key components to becoming a successful writer. You can’t win this game if you stop writing. Rejections, slow sales, trouble finding the time to write, and the rest of the problems must be countered by your passion.

]Here’s a great quote from Bob Mayer that says the same thing:

One lesson I learned is for every 50 things you try, only one will happen. But you have to try the 50.

 

Here’s a link to a great roundup of inspiration and tips from bestselling authors like Anne Rice and David Morrell. There is also wisdom from agents and acquisitions editors.

My favorite: “Write the book that only you can write.”