@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: It's okay to plot. It's okay to make it up as you go. It's okay to do a combination of the two. Writing is an art. Explore it. Do it in ways that make you happy. Learn the why of rules to break them creatively. Don't let others hold you back.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips: Saving/backing up is more important than you think. I know authors who lost several finished, unpublished, novels at once. I save every day with a new, dated, file so I can compare revisions and I save locally as well as in the cloud. Be cautious.

Doing something I don't normally do, and this is why I save all of my revisions by date. I'm going back to the original version and starting revisions all over. While I feel all of the feedback I got was good, I also feel I've lost the soul of the story.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips: We tend to measure our successes by other people's standards and whether they think we are successful. They are often wrong. Set your own goals and expectations for your success and be your own judge. And most importantly, be forgiving and fair.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Go back and look at the first word of all your paragraphs. If they all start with He, She, or a Name, then you are probably writing with repetitively structured sentences. That can be uninteresting, or worse, it can be off-putting. Change it up!

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: The most common questions are "where do you get your ideas" and "how do you make yourself sit down and write?" The truth is most of us are unable to turn off the idea factory in our heads and get really irritable if we DON'T sit down and write.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Some things really are only for a niche audience. If you are the type of writer who wants to write things that offend various groups of people, that's your choice, but submitting them to places that say not to is a bad choice. Don't be a jerk.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Getting a fanbase is hard. Some people do it near effortlessly, others...well, let's just say Sisyphus is not alone. Don't give up, ever, because if you do, you may as well give up writing. Which if you're willing to do, you shouldn't be a writer.

It's that time of year! And right now the eBook is 50% off! Grab a blanket and snuggle up for an autumn read! books2read.com/u/4EpjEe

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Challenge yourself to write a short story. Then challenge yourself to submit it somewhere. Then challenge yourself to keep submitting it until it gets accepted, even if you have to make changes. Get yourself published. You'll fee better.

As October rolls around, I am trying something new. A book distribution platform called Curios. You can find them here: www.curios.com If you would like to help me try it out, here is a coupon code SAMKNIGHTLOVESME That code is good for 50% off all of

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: A lot of writers never think about run-on paragraphs. Just like in a run-on sentence, you look for where the ideas become new and then break it off. New idea, new sentence. New idea that is not as closely related, new paragraph.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: The entertainment industry is full of scams, cons, and thieves, AI BS, and legal ambiguities. Things will get worse before they get better. Protect your heart. Surround yourself with fans and creators who care, because we're all in this together.

Random Amazon sale! Will go away quick! amzn.to/4yGMghs

Random Amazon sale! Will go away quick! amzn.to/4cYdasK

Random Amazon sale! Will go away quick! amzn.to/4h6ZYEk

@samknight.bsky.social is ... giddy? since returning from the Colorado Festival of Horror , so he wanted us to put this out there for all you new writers! First 10 people to use code BVTRE at checkout get a free eBook copy! (missed it? Use JKER8 for 50% off!) www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Be generous of your time, knowledge, and support. Be sparing of your judgment and opinions. This helps everyone, including you to find the way forward and grow. This applies to writing, too.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: At a con seeing old friends, meeting new ones. It reminded me how important our relationship with other authors is. Go to your local cons, meet your fellow authors. Make friends, be a good human, and you will love this career even when you don't.

Had a great day at Cofoh: Colorado Festival of Horror yesterday! Headed back for more horror today!

Remember learning how to ride a bike? And that rock in the road was like a magnet for your front tire? And no matter how hard you tried not to, you'd hit that damned rock? Pretty sure there's a life metaphor there somewhere...

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: A story is an agreement between reader and writer. If violated, the reader is betrayed. What is betrayal? Failing to entertain. No payoff at the end. Unreliable narrator without reason. Not telling promised story. Was a dream. Obvious mistakes.

Today is a day for remembrance of those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, & United Airlines Flight 93. We also honor those brave people who stepped up to help, some at the cost of their own lives. Peace and healing to all. #September11 #weremeber

I write for a living and I do everything I can to avoid using “lay / lie.” It’s just too much pressure.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: I have a template I start my writing with so I don't have to adjust things every time an update changes all the settings. I used the Shunn Manuscript format to set up my template, to meet most submission guidelines. www.shunn.net/format/story/

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: Not every idea is a good idea. Some seem good until you start writing them. Not every idea is a bad idea. Some seem bad until you start writing them. Don't be afraid to try something. Don't be afraid to drop it an move on. Everything is learning.

"... "Underneath the Sycamore Tree on the Hill", by Sam Knight was sad and made me want to cry...." Not that that review makes me happy. But it does... 🥰 amzn.to/4hfRCKz

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: When you write, it's your world. Do what you want. Play the way you want. You don't have to follow standard conventions or meet standard expectations. In fact, by not doing so, you may make something really special. (Or not. Be careful...)

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips: When people find out you are a writer, there are various ways they will react. Be prepared to be treated as a wastrel and revered at the same time. Learn to graciously turn down story ideas. Try to have friends who rescue you from conversations.

Anyone else ever dropped the whole roll into the toilet when putting a new TP roll in the bathroom? Just me? I figured.