Author Heather McCorkle

I'm sorry peeps, I didn't get on Twitter much this last week at all! Chances are you caught more links than I did. But I did have a few really good ones for you. This first one is a writer's cruise retreat with super agent Deirdre Knight of The Knight Literary Agency. I'm keeping a space in my calendar clear for it just in case I can make it! Check out her tweet about it here: @DeidreKnight Hey, tweeps! Want to come on a writing cruise with me? Deets here: http://bit.ly/9zDSx1   The fabulous ladies from WriteOnCon have put together another excellent chat with literary agent Sara Megibow. You don't want to miss this one! It's occurring one week from now! Get the details here: @Casey_McCormick Did ya see? Didja? We have Sara Megibow for our next WriteOnCon Live Chat! http://bit.ly/cwOkl8 Here's an opportunity to have your first page critiqued by an agent from The Knight Agency! Check it out here: @KnightAgency Hey tweeps! We're starting a 1st p...

This breathtaking picture isn't something from a sci-fi or fantasy movie, it's the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and it has been my inspiration for the last week. More than a few intriguing legends surround this wonder of nature and no doubt a touch of that will make it into my novel. I'm blown away by how inspired I am by the things I'm discovering about the world we live in. I've always been a hard core fantasy person who loved new and strange worlds, places that take me away from this one. But that was before I started researching and studying the history of the world around me. Now I'm filled with inspiration for stories that take place right here on Earth. Who would have thought? I'm thoroughly enjoying Blood Promise (click on the image to the right to check it out). It has nice creepy feel to it, is filled with vampires, secret societies, and takes place in Russia. What more could a girl ask for in October? Well okay, a few werewolves woul...

What truly motivates your character? I'm not looking for the easy answer here. I want you to dig down deep into their psyche and figure out what is really motivating them. Take my new main character for example. It's easy to say she wants to avenge the death of her brother. But that is what she wants, it isn't what motivates her. What motivates her is the tremendous hole eating it's way through her soul because he died fighting on the battlefield and she wasn't there to help him. What motivates her is that he was the only one in her family that saw her for who she was and supported her dreams. To figure out what their motivators are look to their past. Is there something about the way they were raised that may affect their motivations? Is there a relationship that may be a driving force for them? Family, loved ones, or lack thereof all affect your character. What are their beliefs, culture, customs, occupation? All of those factors affect motivation and the way a ...

This was another busy week in which I didn't get to spend much time on my favorite social networks but I did glean a few really good links off Twitter for you. Here is a prime example from Agent Natalie Fischer about why aspiring authors should be on Twitter: @Natalie_Fischer Twitterbugs, keep on twittering: agents are reading! http://bit.ly/725ig  #PUBTIP It's easy to be impatient while sitting on the writer's side of the computer but check out this tweet about what it's like on the agent's side from agent Weronika Janczuk: @WeronikaJanczuk Ever wonder why agents need a week to decide whether they want to offer rep? And why offering rep isn't so easy? http://bit.ly/9pWFMw See a conference from the agent's point of view: @Natalie_Fischer Wondering what my conference horrors were? Read on! http://bit.ly/b3nzq9  #pubtip, #conferences Excellent advice from Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest: @ChuckSambuchino Generic phrase to avoid in a qu...

I spent almost every free moment I had last week researching for my new novel, a historical young adult fantasy. It's set in Ireland, hence the picture of this amazing old castle. Researching this has been so much fun. I've started outlining now and can hardly wait to begin writing it. This one feels like it's going to be special. My sources of research ranged from the internet to the real world. My favorite place to search for anything is Google and Wikipedia . But, as with anything you discover on line, you have to double check your facts. I love libraries and believe they are one of the best places to go for research and fact checking. However, the library in my town barely has more books than I do in my personal collection (it's a very tiny, isolated, town). In the absence of a library I go to Barnes and Noble's  on line store and pick up the best books on the subject I can find. Since I'm moving on to outlining my new novel I'm going to have to put...

You may have noticed that I've added a few links to my Where Else You Can Find Me box. I finally found the time to join a writer's social network I've been meaning to join for a long time, Scribblerati . I'm really glad I did and am sorry it took me so long. It is filled with fantastic people, tons of information on submitting, query letters, contests, and they host a fabulous chat on Twitter every week. If you need support, encouragement, or help with the writing or submitting process, it is the place to go. I've also joined Goodreads because I love reading and talking about the books I've read. It is like the biggest book club you could possibly imagine. One of the coolest parts is, all my favorite authors are on it. It makes their day to see someone add their book to their 'to be read' list or write a great review. Surprisingly, joining these two hasn't been taking up much of my time either. I just pop in and out real quick. That's the beaut...

Many writers have at least entertained the thought of self-publishing but there is the big question of what self-publishing company to go with. Now a known and trusted name, Barnes and Noble, has jumped into the world of self-publishing. They're calling it pubit. At 60% (40% in some cases) royalties paid to the author they're being extremely competitive. It is e publishing only so there is a drawback if you want to see your book in print. However, there is no charge for publishing your novel. Really, I even read the fine print. To learn more check out the FAQ's here . And you can browse Barnes and Noble's EBook store here. Will I be jumping into the self-publishing pool? No. I have a powerful compulsion to fight the good fight of traditional publishing a bit longer. But, I will be checking out the titles on their site!