Writer’s Tips – Page 2 – Read First Chapter.com

Character Development Worksheet

THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEET

MAIN CHARACTER WORKSHEET:

When I started writing several years ago, I came across the standard character worksheet and it focused mostly on physical attributes, occupation but there was a disconnect regarding their role in the storyline, which is the most important part.

My purpose in this blog post is share a more in depth character development worksheet. I'll go over the different parts of the worksheet with a brief explanation of the parts that need a little explanation. Most of the worksheet is self-explanatory.

The first question is: Is this a Main Character you are developing? Or Minor Character? There is a separate Minor Character Development List on the third page of the checklist. We'll begin with the Main Character development.

The following aspects of the worksheet are self-explanatory. The only prompt I will give to beginning writers is that you want to keep your writing lean. So think in terms of what background, educational and job information is crucial for the plotline of the story? That's the most important part.

THE BASICS:

Name of Main Character
Job/Position
Educational Background
Physical description - (age, body type, build)
Relevant Background:
- What background information is needed for the story setup?
- What background information is crucial to the story itself?

THE INCITING INCIDENT:

Most plotlines need an inciting incident. This is the occurrence that happens to take the main character out of his/her normal life and into the storyline. What will this be?

Sometimes it is an incident that happens but sometimes, like in a police procedural, it's as simple as being assigned to a case. Either way, the inciting incident is what begins the actual story arc and the character arc.

TWO MAIN QUESTIONS:

Will the character try to avoid entering the storyline? If so, how will this play out?
What will happen in the story that will convince or make the Character agree to move forward into the storyline? What will be the inciting incident?

CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS:

As a newbie, it took me awhile to remember that a character needs to have an arc over the storyline. So it's important -- and time saving -- to know what that arc will be before you even begin the draft. This character sheet can help you find this so you know where you are starting from and where you want to end up. The following questions should help you focus on what this character arc will be:

What does the character want?
Who and/or What is standing in his/her way?
What fear is in the way to conquering this obstacle?
How will the character conquer him/herself
How will this play out over the four parts of the story?

CHARACTER ARC IN FOUR PARTS:

I write in a four-part story line as opposed to the 3 part storyline. So I break the character arc into these specific parts:

Part 1: Where does the Character Arc start out?

Part 2: How will the Character change in part 2, if at all? How will this play out in the second part of the plot?

Part 3: How will the Character change in part 3, if at all? How will this play out in the second part of the plot?

Part 4: How will the Character change in part 4? How will this play out in the last part of the story?

MINOR CHARACTER:

For minor characters, you only need to answer a few questions. It helps to know what role these minor characters will play and what, if any, background information is needed to support them in the storyline:

Name
Role in Story
Any background that is needed to move the story forward?
How will you add background or character traits of this minor character?
Will there be any character arc?
If so, what is it in one sentence?

Mystery Suspense Writing Template – Birds Eye View

🕊️ BIRDS EYE STRUCTURE CHECKLIST FOR A MYSTERY NOVEL 🕊️

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 1

THE HOOK

How can you immediately hook the reader’s interest?

INTRODUCTION

Introduction of the Main Character (MC)

INCITING INCIDENT

What happens to draw a reluctant MC into the story or plot?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 2

THE PLOT THICKENS

What happens early in part two that deepens the plot?

HOW DOES THE MC CHANGE?

What happens in the story that begins to change the MC?

MIDPOINT OF STORY

What Twist or Surprise will take place by the middle of the story?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 3

SURPRISES REVEALED Surprising Clues or Revelations of hidden truths or lies. This reveals ¾ of the truth of the plot.

FULL TRUTH REVEAL

What is the final clue that reveals the entire truth? How does this new info change the plotline or turn it in another direction?

POSITIONING FOR THE CLIMAX

What is the final setup needed for the climax or big reveal to occur?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 4

CLIMAX SCENE

Full Truth or Revelation made. What emotions need to be displayed?

QUICK REVIEW

Review of the plot quickly and indicate how the MC solved the mystery

THE NEW NORMAL

How is the MC different going forward? What does the new normal look like?

THE STORY ELEMENTS:

THE HOOK: What can happen on the first page or two that will draw the reader immediately into the story? What questions will arise to make the reader want to keep reading to find out?

MAIN CHARACTER: The readers want to know who the story is about as well as who is telling the story. What will make the MC compelling enough that the readers will want to know more about them and keep reading?

INCITING INCIDENT: How or Why does the reluctant MC get involved in the story/journey? What clues can you introduce early on regarding why the MC chooses to get involved? (The clues in the beginning are aiming at a red herring or a first dead-end. Remember, early on, you are holding back a lot of truth about where you and the reader are actually going. 😜

THE PLOT THICKENS: How does the plot deepen in part two? What background information, clues, facts or lies are dropped to relay the story and add to the suspense or mystery of the story pathway going forward?

MAIN CHARACTER ARC: Think ahead of time where the MC will begin in his/her character arc. Then think of ways to show the full arc and how you will add these changes into the plot. How will this play out in action? How does he or she change as the result of what is going on in the plot? How will lies or surprises or shocks affect your MC?

FIRST TWIST OR SURPRISE: What surprise, turn or twist can take place at the end of part 2? This is where your story will proceed to the second arm of the cactus. How will this surprise change the pathway of the novel’s journey? What shifts with this turn?

SURPRISES REVEALED: What surprise will be revealed in this section? How will this change the direction of the plotline? What change or changes can happen in this section to set up the ultimate revelation of the plotline? In mystery suspense novels, only ¾ of the truth of the plot is revealed in the beginning of Part 3. You’re still in the second arm of the cactus.

FINAL TRUTH REVEALED: In mystery suspense, it’s good to have a final revelation or clue drop to give a final twist to the plotline. This will bring you and the reader onto the main plotline that will lead to the climax and the truth. What can this be?

POSITIONING FOR THE CLIMAX: Position the characters and make all revelations by the end of Part 3. The Climax should be set up by this time.

CLIMAX SCENE: How will the climax play out? What action will there be? What emotions will take place? How will the location of the scene help this?

QUICK REVIEW: Some readers are busy and may miss a clue or two. Other readers will be on your every word. How can you review the facts in a way that will fill in the gaps for the busy readers and not bore the seasoned mystery readers? You need a way to go over the plotline quickly without insulting the avid readers.

THE NEW NORMAL: This is the scene that allows the reader to breathe, lets them know all is well and life will go on. You want to give the reader a view of how the new normal will be, how the MC will be different going forward. How has the past drama or story changed the MC and how will he or she be different?

This can also be a scene where you are setting up the next book in a series. If you do, be aware, many readers don’t like cliffhangers, so be careful. If you want to download the 3-page template, sign up below and download the pdf to have handy.

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 7

WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN LAYER 6:

We compiled the novel into a Word document and named it "Manuscript from Scrivener". That's where we now pick up with Layer 7.

This layer is another proofreading layer, but there is a little formatting we will do in this layer that I will go over below. There is also a video at the end if you want to see me talk about it in a little more detail.

LAYER 7 - STEP ONE

Copy and paste the chapters into my eBook template. The purpose of this is so that I don't have to redo all of my styles. It's easier to just do a copy and paste.

LAYER 7 - STEP TWO:

Using the find feature, I go over all of the troublesome words in my list. I do this before I begin to proofread the story.
I read only the sentence with each of the words and change them if needed.

LAYER 7 - STEP THREE:

Change the Heading 1 formatting, if needed
I fix the normal and no-indent normal formatting throughout the entire book.
I add in simple page breaks between chapters

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 6

WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 6?

Layer 6 is the first true proofreading. In Layer 5, I proofread to make sure the story flowed without interruption from scene to scene. My focus was on making sure the story flowed from scene to scene, without any big unexplained time gaps, or location mistakes, etc.

So in Layer 6, I am now reading the story for context and checking sentence structure. I'm looking for repeated words, verb tenses, anything that pops up when I read through it.

As you will see as we go through the next two layers, I like to break up the proofreading into sections, with a focus on something else each time. Otherwise, looking for sentence structure, verb tense, misspellings, prose style, and punctuation is too much to cover in one read through. So I have a different focus each time I go through it.

TIP ON PROOFREADING TRICKY WORDS:

All authors have a list of tricky words or troublesome words. I have a long list of troublesome words and other foibles. There are words I use too much. I have other ones I spell incorrectly -- no matter how many times I find them misspelled!

When writing in Layer 4, my head is in "presently happening mode". Technically, I write in third person, so the story will need to be written mainly in past tense. This often brings up the issue of needing to use past perfect tense on occasion. Because of this, I find myself using words like began to . . ., started to . . ., etc. These sound right when I'm writing in the moment, but are technically wrong in third person. So in the next layer, I will focus on them and make sure I have all the verb tenses correct.

I'm posting my own list below for beginners. You can start with this and then alter it for your own list.

COMMON WORDS THAT NEW WRITERS USE TOO MUCH:

Be aware that many of these words I check in Layer 7 when I'm in Word. I don't check all of these words in Scrivener. But there is a tip I give in the video below about how to use the Find & Replace feature to capitalize some of these words so you can get a few of them out of the way before you start proofreading in the next layer.

ADD CHAPTERS AND SCENE ENDINGS:

In Layer 6, I also add Chapters and scene endings. As I demonstrate in the video below, I make sure that all of my chapters are in Heading 1s. This way, Word will recognize that setting and they will use a different style for them. This makes them easier to find. When the novel is compiled into Word format, it will put the Chapters in Heading 1. They are much more easily recognizable.

In the video, I also demonstrate how to add scene endings so that you won't lose them when you compile the novel into Word.

HOW TO COMPILE THE NOVEL FROM SCRIVENER TO WORD:

Once you are finished with Layer 6, Click on File => Compile

I use the settings for default and to compile into a Microsoft docx file. I leave all the other default settings alone.

Check to make sure all chapters you want to compile are checked in the box on the right hand side and all documents you don't want to compile -- like research, etc. -- are unchecked.

Then click on compile. It takes only a minute or so to finish.

Word will pop up and want you to name it and choose a folder. I always name mine BOOKNAME-ManuscriptFromScrivener so that I know this is the first word document that came directly from Scrivener.

GOING INTO LEVEL 7:

Next I'll be moving into Word and doing another layer of proofreading. I'll report back when I'm done and explain all that goes on in Layer 7. I'll post the video below.

Writers Research – Tax Liens

ARE TAX LIENS PUBLIC INFORMATION?

Yes, a tax lien on a company is a public record. This means that anyone can search for and view the lien, including potential creditors, investors, and the general public. The lien will typically be filed with the county recorder's office in the county where the company is located.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A TAX LIEN?

The purpose of a tax lien is to give the government a legal claim on the company's assets if the company fails to pay its taxes. The lien will remain in effect until the taxes are paid in full.

There are a few exceptions to the rule that tax liens are public records. For example, if the lien is filed against a company that is in bankruptcy, the lien may be sealed. This means that the lien will not be available to the public.
Cops & Detectives can use this readily-available information to find out if a suspect is having money problems, or if he has suspicious business practices.

HOW TO FIND TAX LIEN INFORMATION:

If you are interested in finding out if a company has a tax lien, you can search the public records for the county where the company is located. You can also contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to see if they have a lien on the company.

Since this is writer's information, you can see what information a detective can get and where he can get it.

WHY WOULD THE POLICE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT TAX LIENS?

Here are some of the reasons why someone (or a detective) might want to know if a company has a tax lien:

To determine if the company is financially stable.
To assess the company's risk as a potential creditor or investor.
To protect their own assets from being seized to satisfy the tax lien.When writing a plot line, you may also want to know:
What is the suspect's or his/her company's financial situation? Is this part of the motive?
What are the company's assets? Is a suspect's money all tied up in business assets?
Who are the company's creditors and investors? Could one of them be a suspect?

HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OTHER TERMINOLOGY SURROUNDING A TAX LIEN:

Sometimes just having an overview of how things work can help you thicken the plot or add some details that will enrich the story. Below are some words and definitions that surround the subject of Tax Liens:

Tax lien: A legal claim against a taxpayer's property for unpaid taxes. A tax lien gives the government the right to seize and sell the property to satisfy the debt.
Levy: The act of seizing property to satisfy a debt. In the case of a tax lien, the government can levy on any property owned by the taxpayer, including real estate, personal property, and bank accounts.
Notice of lien: A document that is filed with the public records to notify creditors and other interested parties that a tax lien has been filed against a taxpayer's property.
Lienholder: The person or entity that holds a lien on property. In the case of a tax lien, the lienholder is the government.
Redemption: The right of a taxpayer to pay off a tax lien and regain ownership of the property that was seized.
Statutory redemption: A type of redemption that is available to taxpayers under state law. Statutory redemption typically allows taxpayers to redeem property within a certain period of time after the lien was filed.
Judgment lien: A lien that is placed on property to satisfy a court judgment. Judgment liens can be filed by creditors who have won a lawsuit against a debtor.
Encumbrance: A legal claim against property that affects its ownership or use. Encumbrances can include tax liens, mortgages, and easements.
Lien priority: The order in which liens are satisfied when property is sold. Tax liens typically have the highest lien priority, meaning that they are paid off first.

Writers Research – Bullets Shot Through a Silencer

SHARING WRITERS RESEARCH FROM MY LAST POLICE PROCEDURAL - GUN SILENCER

WHAT IS A GUN SILENCER?

A gun silencer, also known as a suppressor, is a muzzle device that reduces the sound of a gunshot. It does this by slowing down and cooling the expanding gases that are released from the barrel when the gun is fired. Silencers do not completely silence a gunshot, but they can reduce the sound level by 20 to 30 decibels. This can make a significant difference in the loudness of the gunshot, making it much less noticeable to people nearby.

Silencers are legal to own and use in most countries, but there are some restrictions. In the United States, for example, silencers are regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA). This means that you need to obtain a special permit to own a silencer.

COPS AND DETECTIVES USE BALLISTIC REPORTS

A ballistic report is a record of the characteristics of a bullet, such as its caliber, weight, and velocity. Ballistic reports are used by law enforcement to identify the type of gun that was used in a crime. They can also be used to determine the range from which a shot was fired.

Ballistic reports are created by firing a bullet into a calibrated target. The target is then measured to determine the bullet's caliber, weight, and velocity. The results of these measurements are then recorded in a ballistic report.

TERMINOLOGY USED BY POLICE OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES:

Here are some of the terms that are commonly used in the field of gun silencers and ballistics:

Muzzle blast: The sound and flash that is created when a gun is fired.
Muzzle velocity: The speed of the bullet as it leaves the barrel of the gun.
Suppressor efficiency: The percentage of sound that is reduced by a silencer.
Ballistic coefficient: A measure of the ability of a bullet to resist wind resistance.
Trajectory: The path that a bullet takes through the air.
Effective range: The maximum distance at which a bullet can still be effective.

HOW DOES A SILENCER WORK?

A silencer can leave markings on a bullet. These markings are called "tool marks" and they are caused by the rough interior surface of the silencer rubbing against the bullet as it passes through. The tool marks can be microscopic or macroscopic, depending on the type of silencer and the type of bullet.

The markings left by a silencer can vary depending on the type of silencer and the type of bullet.

The markings can be faint or difficult to see, so it is important for ballistics experts to have experience in examining silencer-fired bullets.

The markings left by a silencer are not always unique, so it is possible for two different silencers to leave the same markings.

Overall, the markings left by a silencer can be a valuable tool for ballistics experts. However, it is important to remember that these markings are not always conclusive and that other factors, such as the condition of the gun and the bullet, can also affect the markings.

HOW DO BALLISTICS EXPERTS AND REPORTS WORK?

Ballistics experts can use these tool marks to identify the silencer that was used in a shooting. They can also use the tool marks to determine the distance from which the shot was fired.

In addition to tool marks, silencers can also leave other markings on bullets. These markings can include:

Rifling marks: If the bullet was fired from a rifled gun, the silencer can leave rifling marks on the bullet. These marks are caused by the grooves in the barrel of the gun.
Gas pitting: The gas that escapes from the silencer can pit the surface of the bullet. This pitting can be seen under a microscope.
Lead fouling: The lead from the bullet can foul the interior of the silencer. This fouling can also be seen under a microscope.
Ballistics experts can use all of this information to determine if a bullet was fired through a silencer and, if so, what type of silencer was used. This information can be very helpful in solving crimes.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

The Top 10 Obstacles to Finishing a Novel

PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL

I'm in the weeds!

I am knee-deep in Level 4 of writing the next book in the Jack Nolan Detective Series. I thought this would be a good time for me to take a break and reflect on what happens when I'm 'in the weeds' writing a novel.

Even though all writers have a different writing routine, I would venture a guess that most of us feel some of the same fears and face some of the same obstacles.

STARTING A NOVEL IS EASY:

When you first sit down to write a novel, everyone is filled with enthusiasm and creative energy. It's exciting. It's new. But as the manuscript begins to grow, before it feels finished -- or even ready to be polished, it feels cumbersome, heavy, and overwhelming. At least for me it does.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

Even though the story and plotline felt great at the beginning, there comes a point where a fear of failure sets in. Am I going to be able to finish this? Does this plotline even make sense? What happens if this storyline is not that great? Maybe this mystery isn't enough. Maybe the dots are not going to all connect.

It's possible to get paralyzed by a fear of failure at any point during the writing of a novel. It's not a one-and-done operation. No one sits down, starts writing, finishes writing and ta-da, there's a book. Writing a novel doesn't work that way. It's a long process. It's a multi-layer process.

When these fears pop up, and they will, it's important to remember that many writers feel these doubts and fears. It's important to remember that everyone of us fails at something at some point in our lives. The good news is any novel can be redone, re-written, revamped, added to, or massaged in any number to go from mediocre to great. It's a work of art in progress until it's handed over to the publisher. Knowing this is empowering.

WRITERS BLOCK:

Writers block is another common problem among authors. This often sets in after that initial period of excitement about the novel wears off. At some point the writing of the novel shifts into a project requiring some heavy lifting. There's always a phase or two where the author has to tough it out. We have to keep at it.

It's important to know ahead of time that writer's block may set in at any time while you're writing. I find that deciding to just sit down and go over what I've written 'to get my place' or to 'get into the flow of it' is enough to get over any writer's block. Just by sitting down and starting to read through it, the project recaptures me. Even on days I feel I have nothing in me, I can suddenly be pulled into writing before I even know it's happening. If you can commit to look at your project for fifteen minutes, this can be enough to recapture your enthusiasm.

LACK OF TIME:

Many wannabe authors have busy lives and don't have a lot of time to devote to writing. There are certain years -- especially in a parents' lives --where raising kids is more than a full-time job. But where there is a will, there is a way.

There are ways to steal away an hour or two in any given day. It does, however, always require some level of planning. Don't be afraid to plan writing time into your day and give it a higher priority than 'the back burner'. Even if you are a parent or a caretaker, pursuing your own dreams is important. It keeps you engaged in life. It makes you a better parent. It can even make you a better day worker. Think of your writing as your own personal mission in life.

PERFECTIONISM:

Perfectionism can be another stumbling block for authors. Everyone wants to write a masterpiece. But at some point, you need to also know that nothing in life is perfect. Don't let your ideas of perfect get all wired into your ideas of excellence. They are two different things.. If you looked close enough, you could find a few imperfect brush strokes in the Mona Lisa. If you read Harry Potter enough times, you may catch a plot hole or two. It's important to know the difference between excellence and perfection. One is doable and one is not doable by human beings.

FEAR OF REJECTION:

Will my readers like the book? Will the book be good enough to get a literary agent? What happens if my book gets bad reviews? There are any number of fears of rejection that can cause us to stop writing. Decide ahead of time you won't allow these fears to stop you. Like I said earlier, think of your writing as a mission God has given you. This is your life's work, along with your other worldly responsibilities. Your writing could be an opportunity to pass on things you have come to learn in your life. That's a purpose. Or maybe writing is a way for you to share the gift of storytelling that you know you were born with. That's a God-given purpose. Whatever the reason, it's important to not allow fear of rejection to get in the way.

SELF-DOUBT:

Self-doubt is a tool of the devil. It's easy for any human to start thinking they aren't perfect, so maybe they aren't good enough to pull off writing a novel. And the reason I call it a tool of the devil is because it can start with just a tiny little insignificant thought of self-doubt. But it can snowball and get bigger and bigger and bigger.

During these times when I feel self-doubt, I think of my writing as therapeutic for myself. It's something I'm doing for me, not for anyone else. Any fear of rejection that occurs, thinking I'm doing it for myself, it takes away any sting self-doubt may have. It removes any power it has over me. It turns the tables on this.

DISTRACTIONS:

Distractions are one of the biggest obstacles to completing a novel. One reason is because life does serve up constant small and big emergencies that have to take first priorities in our lives. So an emergency distraction can throw a whole well-planned writing schedule up into the air in a heartbeat.

One of the weapons against distractions is get clear on what a real emergency is verses a situation that can take its place in your daily routine. You don't always have to sacrifice your writing time just because someone else doesn't have to wait or suffer a small inconvenience. Always ask yourself whether you have the right to protect your free time or whether you are dealing with a true emergency, a situation that requires you to replan in that moment.

Parents with kids can fall into a trap of giving up all their free time based on a constant stream of kid demands. Giving in to every child whim is not the definition of a good parent. Protecting your free time and expecting your child to work within your schedule is not bad parenting. It's the sign of someone who is good at balancing their lives.

I learned a long time ago that I have to protect my free time as there are armies of people in the world who would harness me as a free resource in their lives. They would demand and expect that I do all the things they don't want to do if I allowed it. We're responsible to set our own boundaries with people, and that includes kids.

RESEARCH:

Most novels require at least some research. The internet can be a blessing with research but it can also be a curse. It's a blessing because the days of having to travel to a public library are over. It can be a curse because the research can suck you in and you can use up all your valuable writing time doing too much research.

The tip I would pass on to any new writer would be to not do the research until you have already laid down your plotline. This will avoid research for things that wind up on the editing floor, so to speak. Subjects or issues you you think may come up in the story may get cut as you firm up a plotline to fit within the space of a novel. There's nothing more frustrating than looking back and seeing hours and hours of wasted research time.

Too much research can also lead to another problem and that is 'information dumping'. That means that many authors can't resist the opportunity to write into the story things they learned from their research that are not really relevant to the plotline. This may be fascinating to us as authors but it's boring to readers if it doesn't move the story line along.

EDITING THE BOOK TO DEATH:

Another trap to finishing a novel is to get caught up in a never-ending edit of the book. This usually hooks in with perfectionism problem in some way.

I break up my editing into stages so that each time I go through the book, I focus on only one thing. For example: The first edit is to check to make sure I have put my descriptions of locations and people in. The second time I go through it, I look at sentence structure and make sure the chapters flow without any time gaps. The third time I pass through, I look for verb tenses. The next level is looking for the words I like to use too much like okay and just.

By having a solo focus, it prevents you as the author from getting caught in changing everything all at once. This prevents you from being able to focus on anything.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP OF FINISHING THE NOVEL:

Once you complete a novel, there is a little sadness that sets in. This book is no longer your baby. It's no longer your little pet project. Once you hand it off to an editor, it becomes a shared work, so to speak.

Very often, authors who have abandonment issues or fears of depression, they don't like to end anything and that includes writing a book. When I hear people saying they took seven or ten years to finish a book, I'm astounded at what could have taken them so long. They kept the book as their little baby for an entire childhood.

My Peek Behind the Novel series is about writing in layers. I feel that writing in layers is a way filled with techniques that keep me writing, keep me on track, keep me on schedule, and allow me to complete the novel, no matter how much research it requires.

These are just a few of the obstacles that we, as writers, face when undertaking the writing and completion of a novel. If your goal is to write a novel, don't give up on your dream. Keep writing, keep pushing yourself, and eventually you will complete your novel.

Creating a Book Cover – The Technical Stuff

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

In my last blog post, I went over how to find the right genre for your ebook. I also suggested you choose one or two book cover 'templates' from the ebooks you see during this journey. That's our starting point for this blog post. Now that you know where you want to go, it's time to learn about the technicalities: the sizes, resolutions, etc. It's all here on one page.

CHECK OUT SOME FONTS TOO:

You may want to explore some fonts as well. Three popular free font websites are: fonts.google.com, dafont.com and even fontspace.com

If you are planning to work with a designer, it is best if you are in control of most things about your cover. Not knowing what font the designer will use could be a problem if you want to change the font down the road or add a second book to a series. Unfortunately, I'm speaking from experience. So be sure to choose everything about your book cover even if you will be working with a designer.

WILL YOU NEED A COLOR SCHEME?

Often the ultimate colors of your cover will come from the pictures you choose. But there are techniques to wash a scene in a very subtle color in order to cast a certain mood into an image. You may want to take a look at a website or two where you can find some great colors. Here are two:

This site is for complimentary colors
This one is for a color picker.

THE eBOOK COVER TECHNICAL STUFF:

IMAGE SIZE: The best and recommended size for the ebook cover is 2560px by 1600px. This number comes from KDP itself. This is the size for the eBook cover.

RESOLUTION SIZE: Create the cover using 300dpi, which is high resolution. Don't compress the size, as Amazon compresses the sizes a bit itself.

COLOR PROFILE: RGB - If you don't know what this is, don't worry about it. It just means we will be using RGB which is the color for the web as opposed to CMYK which is color for printers.

RULE FOR WHITE COVERS: If your cover will have a white background, you will need to add a narrow 3 to 4 pixel border in a medium gray to define the background.

THE TECHNICAL INFO ON PAPERBACK COVERS:

The more versions of your book offered, the more Amazon will want to offer them for sale. So having an eBook and a Paperback is a minimum. Many authors are offering audio versions of their books and now hardcovers now too.

The paperback template is based upon how many pages your book will be when finished. The size of the cover will depend upon what size paperback you choose to produce as well. You can find the calculator below at this link.

Once you click through to the paperback template calculator shown to the left, fill in the following information based upon your own choices. Once you put in your particular page count, click on Calculate Dimensions.

At that point, it will throw up a template with measurements. Unless you are an actual graphic designer, the dimensions will mean nothing to you. You will work from the template.

Download the template and save it onto your desktop -- or somewhere else you will be able to find it later. If it downloads into a zip file, right click on the folder and choose "Extract all". It will allow you to extract the files and save them into a folder that will default to the same name.

Binding Type: Hardcover or Paperback
Interior Type: Black and White or Standard
Paper type: White or Cream
Page Turn Direction: Left to right
Measurement Units: Inches
Choose a size: (I use 5.06 x 7.81) - You can see what dimensions the other authors in your main category use. I would go with the crowd on this choice.
Fill in the page number and click "Calculate dimensions".

It will throw up a template like the one below:

Click on the button that says 'Download Template".

WHAT DO I DO WITH THE TEMPLATE?

If you plan to have a graphic designer create the cover for you, then pass on the png file to them. Tell them you want the artwork produced in 300dpi and you want it delivered in a png file -- not a pdf. Be firm about this. Tell them you won't pay for a PDF. A PDF is useless if you decide you want to tweak the artwork. If you can get them to give it to you in a xcf file (gimp) or a psd file (photoshop), even better. That is the best of all worlds. Not all artists will agree to that, but give it a try.

If you plan to design your own book cover, you can right click on the png file and select 'open with' and then select the Gimp program. I'll pick up in my next blog post with creating only the eBook cover in Gimp. We'll start there.

SHORTCUT TO CREATING THE PAPERBACK COVER:

When you create the eBook front cover, you can design the back cover at the same time. I suggest this because when your manuscript goes out to the editor, there will be about a month of 'free time' and if you want to get a jump on getting your back cover done, this is a good time but it is before you will know the exact page count.

Then once you have your page count, the only thing that will really change is the spine of the book. As long as you are using a one color background or a unifying blend of colors, you can easily create a spine to unify the front and back covers and it will fit perfectly into the template.

This is also a good way to keep your spines consistent. I wish I had known this when I first started out!

Keeping track of your book files as you move towards publication

ONE DRAFT MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT IS EASY!

When writing your book, especially if you are writing in a management system like Scrivener, it's easy enough to keep track of your manuscript.

However, once you compile the manuscript and pass it onto a beta reader, or an advance copy reader, or even an editor, suddenly, there are now 'multiple copies' of the same manuscript.

PRE-MARKETING DOCUMENTS AND GRAPHICS:

Then once your manuscript leaves, you should shift over into marketing mode. You will start creating graphics to use in marketing your book, or you will be working on the ebook cover or even the paperback cover.

You'll have original royalty free pictures, and then you'll have various copies of those oncoe you remove a background or two -- you get the picture.

Pretty soon, you have 25 files, some graphics, some blurb files, etc.

Below is a list of the documents you may accumulate just starting after you pass your manuscript on:

royalty free graphics (for cover)
templates from kdp (for cover)
descriptions (written by you)
blurbs for different websites (written by you)
graphics or documents by Fiverr
newsletter graphics
ebook sale graphics
ebook release notices
ebook promotions at bookfunnel

This is just a sampling of how many documents you will begin to accumulate.

The only document that is precious and that needs to be tracked like a hawk is your "present final manuscript".

WHAT IS A PRESENT FINAL MANUSCRIPT?

A present final manuscript is just that. It's the last true final manuscript as of today. You will make changes after you hear back from advance readers and you may make other changes after you hear back from your editor.

My biggest tip is to use a date on final manuscripts. So if you are fearful of throwing out previous final manuscripts -- as most writers are -- you can be sure that a new final with a later date is a more recent final.

GIVE THE FINAL MANUSCRIPT ITS OWN FOLDER

I also put the actual final manuscript that I upload to KDP in it's own folder called FINAL MANUSCRIPT UPLOADED TO KDP. Then I also date the final manuscript inside that folder.

This is an added safeguard so you don't wind up making new changes to an already older manuscript. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience unfortunately.

USE A CONSISTENT FILE NAMING CONVENTION:

I'll share below my naming conventions with a few explanations below:

Most of the above files are self-explanatory with the exception of two or three. The reference to Bookfunnel and SiteOrigin are two websites that I use as a self-published author to market my books. I give away free copies of my new book the six to 8 weeks before publication. I often have a giveaway in them for taking the time to fill out a questionnaire about how they enjoyed it. So that's a different "final manuscript".

The other file that may need some explanation is "TOBEDeleted". I am paranoid about deleting anything before publication. So the old final manuscripts or anything else that I know I don't want or need, I put into the TOBEDeleted file. Once my book is safely published, I then delete everything at that time.

10 Best Tips on Writing a Good First Draft

When I wrote my first novel, I worried about grammar, spelling, sentence structure in the first draft. I didn't even know what a draft was. I sat down and started writing 'a manuscript'.

I kept looking back and trying to fix things as I wrote. Big mistake! I learned the long and hard way that first drafts are their own animal. They are really more about getting the story down on paper.

Now that I'm writing my 12th novel, I offer some tips for other beginners:

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Your first draft is not supposed to be perfect. It's only a rough draft. You're only 'blurting out the story' on paper. Spelling, grammar, punctuation or sentence structure don't count yet.
Just keep writing. Don't stop to edit or revise in the first draft. It's a complete waste of time. You will make changes all throughout the draft, so polishing up writing that may be tossed is fruitless. You can fix the draft after you know you have the story down on paper.
Don't worry about deepening the plot or the depth of your characters. Just focus on getting your story down on paper. You can massage the plot in second drafts and add to your characters on your second go-round.
Write in a way that feels comfortable for you. Some people like to outline their stories before they start writing. Others like to just sit down and start writing without any planning. Find what works best for you and go with it.
Set aside some time each day to write. Even if it's just for 30 minutes, make sure you set aside some time each day to write. This will help you to stay on track and to make progress on your story.
Leave Notes to Yourself. Make notes to yourself wherever you stop writing in a session that will help you 'find your place' the next time you sit down. Write down what you're thinking and where your mind is at during this last writing session.
Find a quiet place to write. Unless you are one of these lucky people who can shut out all noise and action around you, you will need to find a place where you won't be interrupted so that you can focus on your writing.
Take breaks. Don't try to write for hours on end. Take breaks every 20-30 minutes to get up and move around, or to do something else that will help you to clear your head. It's even good to do some stretching exercises as sitting for long stretches can make us stiff!
Don't get discouraged. If your story is a good one, there is no such thing as a bad draft. You're not the writer during the first draft. You are still the story crafter. So don't get discouraged if nothing seems like a novel. Like I said earlier, you are just blurting out the story, recording it in broad strokes onto paper. As you begin to work with the first draft, that's when it will come to life and shape up.
Have fun! Writing should be enjoyable. If you're not having fun, it will show in your writing. So relax, have fun, and let your creativity flow.

I hope these tips help you to write a great first draft!