http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewriteHolly Lisle's Writing UpdatesThu, 24 May 2012 12:15:43 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/LAo.E/h/Locking_the_Doors_on_My.htm Last 18 Days for COMPLETE HTTS How to Think Sideways has been my novel-writing-and-writing-career-development flagship course since I brought it out.It teaches you how to start from no idea and finish with a completed novel you'll be happy with, how to do this over and over again, how to get ideas on a deadline, how to deal with professional publishing---and now, with the completion of the self-pub mods---how to sell your work yourself.Since its beginning back in 2008, I've increased the course from twenty-four to twenty-nine lessons PLUS added a three-week bonus course on how to write stand-alone novels (a lifesaver for folks who keep falling into series). The course includes the 50%-off student bookstore, and lifetime Membership to the Short Courses and HTTS discussion boards and workgroup boards, the Self-Publisher's Resource Providers, where you can find editor and cover designers and book formatters and others, tested and recommended by your colleagues, and more.A lot more.But only until the last minute of June 15th, because the stripped-down public version of HTTS, which will include the lessons and downloadable, printable worksheets, will by then be available on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print (as well as in a couple of formats from my site for folks who need PayPal). And I need to close the doors so we can lock the database and I can get back to writing WARPAINT, and doing the rest of the HTTS Walkthrough on how I'm doing that (also included in HTTS for the last time.) If you want EVERYTHING---all the handouts, all the extras, the Walkthrough, the bookstore, the bonus course, the boards... This is your last chance. This is my step-by-step "How I Write Novels and Operate a Full-Time Writing Career" course, road-tested through more than 30 novels, and by a few thousand students before you. It works.And I guarantee it.Holly Lisle Find out more or join the class... Thu, 24 May 2012 12:15:43 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/J26.E/h/Last_Call_for_Legacy_HTTS.htm June 15 Is Lock-The-Doors Day How to Think Sideways has been my novel-writing-and-writing-career-development flagship course since I brought it out.It teaches you how to start from no idea and finish with a completed novel you'll be happy with, how to do this over and over again, how to get ideas on a deadline, how to deal with professional publishing---and now, with the completion of the self-pub mods---how to sell your work yourself.Since its beginning back in 2008, I've increased the course from twenty-four to twenty-nine lessons PLUS added a three-week bonus course on how to write stand-alone novels (a lifesaver for folks who keep falling into series). The course includes the 50%-off student bookstore, and lifetime Membership to the Short Courses and HTTS discussion boards and workgroup boards, the Self-Publisher's Resource Providers, where you can find editor and cover designers and book formatters and others, tested and recommended by your colleagues, and more.A lot more.But only until the last minute of June 15th, because the stripped-down public version of HTTS, which will include the lessons and downloadable, printable worksheets, will by then be available on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print (as well as in a couple of formats from my site for folks who need PayPal). And I need to close the doors so we can lock the database and I can get back to writing WARPAINT, and doing the rest of the HTTS Walkthrough on how I'm doing that (also included in HTTS for the last time.) If you want EVERYTHING---all the handouts, all the extras, the Walkthrough, the bookstore, the bonus course, the boards... This is your last chance. This is my step-by-step "How I Write Novels and Operate a Full-Time Writing Career" course, road-tested through more than 30 novels, and by a few thousand students before you. It works.And I guarantee it.Holly Lisle Find out about the course here... To find out more about the How To Think Sideways course, or to join the class... Thu, 24 May 2012 12:14:08 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/FvJ0U/h/Friday_Snippet_An_innocent.htmI love it when my characters run into trouble, and then in figuring out how to get themselves out of trouble, create far bigger trouble for themselves. In this week's snippet, Cady and Badger discover they can't quite provide information they've promised to Cady's new client, for unnerving reasons. So they get creative. A few chapters down the road, this creativity is going to bite them. But right now, you can see them seem to solve their problem with an innocent bit of deception. http://hollylisle.com/friday-snippet-htcb-an-innocent-bit-of-deception/ Cheerfully, Holly Fri, 11 May 2012 09:44:31 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/KQyrA/h/_From_Holly_Free_Plot.htm I ran through three different kinds of software over the years trying to get SOMETHING that would reliably deliver my Free Professional Plot Outline Mini-Course. Here's hoping attempt #4 is the lucky number. This has JUST gone live, which means its not available on all platforms. My at-home PDF version (WITH upgraded and expanded worksheets, thank you very much) is live. The KINDLE version went live this morning, but is currently at 99 cents. I'll be thrilled if I can get it to price-match. If it does, it will do it when the iBooks version goes live---I was able to make that one no charge, too. But here's the link to get it: http://howtothinksideways.com/writing-courses/ The course is the top links, the worksheets are the bottom link. PENDING means the course hasn't gone live on that particular system yet, so there's NO link yet. I'll have the rest of the versions linked as soon as they go live. I think just about everyone HAS an account now, but if you don't, here's the link to create your free classroom account: http://howtothinksideways.com/join-us/ And here's the tutorial for getting your downloads: http://howtothinksideways.com/2012/04/tutorial-how-do-i-get-my-free-downloads/ And if you've joined (or decide to join) the Live Boot Camps, here's the link for the Professional Plot Outline Workgroup. You can start working through your lessons on the board today. http://howtothinksideways.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=221 Have fun, and write something awesome! Cheerfully, HollyTue, 03 Apr 2012 13:34:43 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/92FsQ/t/Broken_link_fix_for_free.htmThe download link worked on testing, but something happened to the email between the test I sent myself and the version folks got. So I'm skipping the fancy HTML email and making sure that what I see is what you get. Remember that you have to create your free account on the site first. For folk who have created classroom accounts for HTTS, HTRYN, HTWAS, and PLOT OUTLINE, go here: http://howtothinksideways.com/first-time-login For folks who have NEVER created an account for my onsite courses --- Shop.HollyLisle.com doesn't count --- go here: http://howtothinksideways.com/join-us Once you're inside, here's the link for MUGGING THE MUSE, 2nd Edition. http://howtothinksideways.com/xmc395kz03-c938tbas39 Please do not share the link or the free PDF. This is just for you, as one of my readers or students. Cheerfully, Holly P.S. Again, if you have problems, please let me know here: http://novelwritingschool.com/support Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:34:29 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/7X2TQ/h/My_gift_New_writing_course.htm Get Mugging the Muse SECOND Edition Now I've been working like crazy for the past two weeks, and MUGGING THE MUSE: Writing Fiction for Love AND Money, Second Edition is done. The new version includes new and updated articles, more workshops, and updates to include self-publishing and self-promotion, and more.I've uploaded it to Kindle, Nook, and iTunes, working its way through CreateSpace with the print version. It's going to debut as an ebook for 99¢ and in print for $11.95 (it's 238 pages).I'm not selling a PDF version Of MTM-2 , because frankly, PDF is a lousy format compared to Mobi or Epub or print. And because I want to get all my courses off my site and onto the big platforms---part of my Evil Plan to get back to writing fiction full-time.But I DID a PDF version, just so I could give it to the folks who are already my readers and students.And unlike the first edition of Mugging the Muse, the Second Edition is a writing course, with exercises, downloadable worksheets, and classroom support.I'm doing this through the new classroom software. If you're a member of HTTS, HTRYN, HTWAS, or the classroom (not email) version of Professional Plot Outline, and you have not yet validated your new account, go here: http://howtothinksideways.com/first-time-login/If you have never done any of my classroom courses, create a free account here:http://howtothinksideways.com/member-login/Then download the PDF ebook And get your worksheets:http://howtothinksideways.com/mugging-the-muse/The free ebook is going to be available just until next Tuesday morning, Eastern Daylight Time.After that, I'll delete it from the system along with the page it's on. I want to be done with PDF courses. But before I phase them out entirely, I want to make sure my existing students have a chance to take this particular course---book AND worksheets---as my gift. Thank you for reading my emails, for hang out with me, and for sending me the cool notes and encouragement. I love hearing from you, even if I'm not always able to answer.I hope you enjoy the gift.Please don't share the links or forward the tweet. I'd like this to be just for you.Cheerfully,HollyP.S. While I was writing this e-mail, I got the following news. The Kindle Version is already live if you prefer to get the book for your Kindle.Mugging the Muse, Second Edition should be live for Nook and iBooks tomorrow or the next day. (Amazon.com just really got ahead of me. I thought I was going to have 48 hours. I had less than six.)If you want the Nook, iBooks, or print versions, you'll find them linked here as soon as they go live:http://howtothinksideways.com/writing-coursesHolly Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:08:42 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/A4WYQ/h/_From_Holly_How_much_is.htm I'm FINALLY almost ready to open the Boot Camps Students of my smaller courses have been asking me for a long time if there was any way they could join my writers' community.It's taken me something like two years to figure out a way to do it, and Margaret and I have tested and shot down a multitude of different softwares and processes to get here.But I'm about ready to open the doors of my private writers community to students other than my Big Course Students. Here are my questions:Lifetime membership, or a monthly (or other subscription time) fee?If lifetime membership, then one payment, or multiple payments, or the option of both?What price?So I'm going to show you what I'm offering, and then I'm going to ask you to tell me what a lifetime membership to this level of the community would be worth.Remember that this is a private writers' community with a focus on writing for publication. We have (and tolerate) no spam, no trolls, no flames. It's moderated, my moderators are spectacular (they've all taken or are taking all of my courses, they're all writers.) The community members are amazing. I attend personally, and once I get my life overhaul finished, will attend regularly as I'm writing my way through my novels.You can take a peek at the public areas of the community here:http://howtothinksideways.com/forumYou can take a look at the boards I'm opening up for the new level of membership here: http://howtothinksideways.com/short-courses-intro (Most of them are new, because I'm starting to offer workshops for courses that have never had them before.)Finally, tell me how much I should charge for access here:http://hollylisle.com/how-much-should-i-charge-for-writers-community-membership/Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.Holly Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:09:12 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/Fxlpg/h/_From_Holly_I_m_closing_my.htm The HollyShop is closing As part of getting back to writing fiction full-time, I'm closing the writing shop I've had on my site for the past six or so years.The courses that are currently in PDF either are already available on Kindle, Nook, and iBooks, or will be soon. I'll also be bringing out print versions of these courses.However, I have some courses that are either audio or video, or have audio and PDF, and I'm not sure how I'll offer these, or when or if they'll be available again after I close the shop.So I'm offering a "These may be close-out prices or you might just be getting a really big discount" price-cut.These courses are: How To Motivate YourselfThe Only Motivation That Sticks Comes From Inside YOU Most people never do what they want with their lives... and just about every one of them has an excuse. What excuses are you using for not writing? In How To Motivate Yourself , you'll learn why you haven't been doing the things you want to do up until now; you'll learn how to find your own triggers for getting yourself to do the things you really want with your life; and, you'll learn how to create both the time and the space you need to accomplish the writing and life goals that matter most to you. Videos (.MOV format) plus PDF transcript and printable worksheet: $47.95 $34.95 until shop closing How To Write Dialogue With SubtextDialogue Is Not Just Writing Down What Your Characters Say Writing dialogue seems like it ought to be the easiest thing in the world. All you have to do is listen to people talk, and then write down things like what they say. Right? I know I tried this. Maybe you've already tried it, too. In How to Write Dialogue With Subtext, learn why dialogue is NOT writing down what people say, learn the three separate character process you must keep track of to make your dialogue compelling, and discover Videos (.MOV format) plus PDF transcript and printable worksheet: $47.95 $34.95 until shop closing How To Beat Writer's BlockUnstick Your Stuck Writing (In Most Cases, In About an Hour) In How to Beat Writer's Block (And Have Fun Writing from Now On) learn: How to be fully committed to breaking your block in ten minutes How to get past what was stalling you in ten minutes more How to generate fresh ideas and exciting twists and turns for your blocked story or a brand new one ten minutes after thatHow to stay focused in under ten minutes more And how to write your story, and having fun doing it, five minutes after that Audio (MP3s) plus printable PDF worksheets plus free copy of 21 Ways to Get Yourself Writing When Your Life Has Just Exploded: $59.95 $34.95 until shop closing How To Write Page-Turning Scenes (Audio book)Hook Your Readers on Your Stories In How to Write Page-Turning Scenes, learn how to keep your readers glued to their seats by writing scenes that move, offer rich conflict and necessary detail, make your world and your people come to life, and don't get bogged down in backstory, unnecessary description, and pointless dialogue.Audio (MP3) plus PDF: $47 $24.95 until shop closingI figure it will take me another two to three months to get the other PDF courses to Kindle, Nook, iBookstore, and print. The shop will be open until I've done this---but once it's done, whenever it's done, I'm closing up, and the courses above will be unavailable until I can figure out how to do a good job of bringing them back out on someone else's platform. If you've wanted any of these but they were out of price reach, this is the best it's ever going to get. Cheerfully, Holly Lisle Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:34:54 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/KqRvw/h/_From_Holly_12_Month_Think.htmBack in October of last year, I announced that I was moving my courses to other formats so I could go back to writing full-time. Since then, Margaret and I have been working constantly to get the new platform set up that will allow students who purchase my courses via Kindle, Nook, iBooks, or in print to buy a membership in my private Writers' Boot Camp Community. It took longer than we'd hoped, but the software is done. We're now in the process of moving accounts for onsite course students, and I now have the links I need to compile my various courses for the new formats. So, as promised, I'm starting the shutdown on the onsite versions of the courses. 12-Month How To Think Sideways is the first to shut down. You will be able to join until the last day in March. Why am I closing 12-Month HTTS first? Because it takes students thirteen months (there's a month worth of bonus stuff at the end) to go through the course and get all their lessons. I want to be done will all my onsite course maintenance stuff by November 2013. That gives me some buffer, and gives students of the longest version of the course time to complete it. JOIN link: http://howtothinksideways.com/members Why would you want to take the course in its existing version rather than in the Kindle, Nook, iBooks, or print versions that will be coming out in a few months? After all, I'm keeping the price of lessons in the new format very low. BENEFITS OF JOINING THE CURRENT COURSE. 1) Lifetime membership in the Writers' Boot Camps Community is included free as part of the course for my Think Sideways Onsite Students. Full membership to all boards will cost members taking the course through the new versions around $100. The reduced lesson price of the new versions of the courses means I have to pay for the Community bandwidth,upgrades, and other costs directly---hence the charge. 2) My Think Sideways Onsite students get the Think Sideways Walkthrough free. This will be an add-on item for Kindle, Nook, iBooks and print-course students, purchasable by lesson, but with an overall cost of around $150. Again, the lesson prices for the new versions will not be high enough to include bandwidth costs for the extensive videos, audio files, and worksheet downloads. 3) My Think Sideways Onsite students get 50% off of all my short courses when they purchase them through the student bookstore. If you buy all of them, this saves you $116.74 over the regular retail price. There will be no discounted courses for the Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and print-store courses, because I won't be selling from my own site anymore. 4) My Think Sideways Onsite students get 20% cross-course discounts on my BIG courses. This means an Onsite HTTS student gets a 20% discount on How to Revise Your Novel AND How to Write A Series. Again, because I won't be selling the courses from my own site, students of the new courses will have to pay full price for all additional courses. I'll keep the new versions priced well, but students who join now will still get a better deal overall. 5) My Think Sideways Onsite students get lifetime access to all course downloads. If your hard drive eats your lessons, you can log in and re-download them. No hassles, no questions, no need to ask someone to send you a special link. 6) My Think Sideways Onsite students have some unique content that will not be included in the Kindle, Nook, iBooks and Print versions. The new by-lesson courses will include free worksheet downloads for each lesson (part of what Margaret's and my insane work schedule since last October has been setting up to deliver). And a paid community membership will open up some additional content for Kindle, Nook, iBooks and Print students. But I included a number of my in-draft manuscripts in the Onsite version of the course, along with some other content I have decided to pull from the new versions. The new course versions will have everything students need to achieve their writing goals. The new course versions won't have all the luxuries, though. 7) You'll also get my graduation bonus gift, the three-lesson course How NOT to Write A Series (And WHY You Don't Want To) which teaches writers who find all their work accidentally turning into series how to write solid, sellable, stand-alone novels. This bonus course will NOT be included as part of the new Kindle/Nook/iBook/print version of the How To Think Sideways. I may decide to make it a separate course. I may not. I haven't made up my mind on that yet. If your objective is to spend the absolute least amount of money on How To Think Sideways: Career Survival School for Writers, and if you're not interested in the extras, you will definitely save by waiting for the new course versions to come out (best guess, another three or so months for THINK SIDEWAYS). HOWEVER... If you already know you want a discount on my other big courses or my smaller courses, you want ALL the existing course materials, you want the community and the Walkthrough for free, you want the graduation gift course, and you want permanent, easily accessible re-downloading of your course, the 12-Month How To Think Sideways will be your better choice. I'm not going to be sending out a bunch of e-mails about this. I'll send out this one, a reminder in the middle of the month, and ONE last call a day or two before I shut the doors on the class. Once I shut the doors, I won't reopen them. But you have almost a full month's notice, so there's no excuse for missing the closing deadline. PRICE: Of course it matters. The 12-month version of the course includes all 29 lessons (including the four new self-pub lessons, plus the graduation bonus and all the extras mentioned above) is $39.95 a month for twelve months. $39.95/month. 12 months. But only until March 31st. Then I shut the doors on the 12-Month version for good. (The six-month version will close as soon as I get the new versions up and live.) You can register for class and start today. http://howtothinksideways.com/members Cheerfully, Holly P.S. The quick sum-up: * Lifetime private writers' community membership (will be about $100 in the new version) * Free Walkthrough (will be about $150 separately in the new version) * 50% off short courses via the Student Bookstore (save $116.74 compared to the new version) * 20% off Revise Your Novel and Write A Series (approx. $87 savings, though more at the moment because right now HTTS students can get Write a Series for 50% off.) * Lifetime no-hassle re-downloads * Unique content that won't be included in the new versions. * Graduation Bonus course, How NOT to Write a Series. $39.95/month 12 months. COURSE CLOSES on the last minute of March 31st, Eastern Time. All students in the course when it closes will have full access to the full course through graduation, and all downloads permanently. http://howtothinksideways.com/members Tue, 06 Mar 2012 07:09:51 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/hollylislewrite/CPkig/h/_HTTS_Students_Lesson_24.htm If you're an HTTS student or graduate, and you're at Week 24 or later in the course, you now have both Lesson 24, which will become Lesson 25 in the Kindle/ Nook/ iBooks/ print versions of the course, and Lesson 24 Self-Pub. This lesson---How to Self-Publish PROFESSIONALLY On Budget and On Schedule, includes: * How to set up your boilerplate for your copyright page. * How to design your book templates. * How to select appropriate fonts for your work. * How to set up your manuscript for your print version. * How to set up your manuscript for your ebook versions. PLUS: Complete step-by-step checklists for print and ebook setup. Cut-and-paste font-testing copy. And some useful links for self-publishers. Remember that you also have access to all the community self-publishing discussions, the Resources, and the new Self-Promotion forums. You'll find Lesson 24A right next to Lesson 24 on your student page. If you run into download problems, remember to try switching to a different browser first: We've had awful support issues with Chrome because it breaks files. And if browser-switching doesn't work, student support is here: http://novelwritingschool.com/support Login here: http://howtothinksideways.com/members/login.php REMEMBER: This lesson will not appear until you're at Week 24 of your course. Cheerfully, Holly P.S. The login link again: http://howtothinksideways.com/members/login.phpWed, 15 Feb 2012 18:14:18 -0500