Blame Science: Muscle Memory Causes Typos

Now, I am not a scientist. I'm a writer, so I tend to look at every situation from a writer's point of view. Maybe I'm obsessed with typos lately because I've been hunting them (I'm working on editing Death, Book 3 in the Deck of Lies series, right now), but in moments of obsessive-compulsive behavior sometimes true insight is born. And lately, I've been thinking about typos and muscle memory -- and I've decided that typos just aren't my fault or yours, either. We can blame them on our fingers. More specifically, our finger muscles.

Muscle Memory

Scientists have studied the way muscles work, and if you're into science it's actually pretty remarkable. When you build your muscles through exercise, they create new nuclei, DNA-rich little particles, that don't diminish even after muscles atrophy.The nuclei forms a muscle memory that makes it easier for once-muscular people to re-build their bodies after muscles have atrophied.

Muscle memory isn't a myth, and you probably prove it every day without knowing. Did you ever learn how to swim? Once you knew it, did you ever have to learn it again? You know that phrase it's just like riding a bike? That's really a shout-out to the power of muscle memory. Some skills need only to be mastered once, and your body will not forget how to do them. Typing's like that, too.

Blame it on the Muscles

The QWERTY keyboard is used as an industry standard for computer manufacturers using the most popular operating systems, among which are Apple and Microsoft. If you live in the United States or another English-speaking country, the QWERTY layout is probably what you use. It's been in use since the 1870s, when a Milwaukee-area newspaper editor invented it. If you've taken typing lessons or taken a typing test, you probably did it using the QWERTY layout.

And if you're also a writer, you probably use the thing every single day of your life -- even when you're between books. Whether you're answering emails, conducting research or working on promotion, you're probably typing. And if you're a serious writer, you're probably typing the right way. Meaning, of course, that you rest your fingers along the home row (asdf jkl;) and stretch your digits as needed to type out the words you choose. Resting one's eight digits along the middle of the keyboard, and two thumbs near the space bar, is the standard method of using a QWERTY layout.

So it stands to reason that if you do something the exact same way for hours and hours every day, you're probably pretty darned good at it. And you're probably pretty used to it. And, even if you don't know it, you've likely been a victim of muscle memory, too.

I know I am. Some words in the English language are very common; we use them all the time. Barring the obvious, some of these most common words include that, have, with, this, from, say, would, their, number and know. They're common, and that means you're used to typing them. So when you're typing along, you may be thinking there, but end up typing their as a result of muscle memory.

At least, that's the excuse I've been using lately when I come across my own bizarre typos. It seems that I don't exactly misspell words, I just use the wrong ones. It's why I have to be so careful about reading every word, because spellcheck just isn't going to help. But is that really my fault...or is it just science?

Why I'm Behind on My Reviews

So, I haven't posted a book review in a while, I know. Lately I've only been adding new books to the list instead of subtracting them, which is not good (because I happen to be massively behind as of the writing of this post). I've been sitting on The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer for weeks and weeks now, which in no way is a reflection of the talents of author Lisa Orchard. What I've read of her book is quite good, in fact, and really I wish I was reading it...because at this point, it's preferable to how I've been spending the little reading time I do get.

I don't know why, exactly, but I decided that I was going to create print editions of the Deck of Lies books. Because I have tunnel vision when I'm set on a goal, and because I'm such an exacting perfectionist, this naturally meant that I had to re-read all of Justice (Book 1) and The Tower (Book 2)...twice. This was quite necessary before I could approve the proofs, which I have done -- and I'll talk more about the print editions of these books in a future post.

It's not quite as obsessive-compulsive as it sounds, I swear! As I've mentioned, I've also recently finished Death, Book 3 in the Deck of Lies series. Of course, this means I've got to edit it -- which just means I have to read it while playing Punctuation Police and Grammar Guard (do the nicknames make it more fun?...no, not really). Since I was going to have to read Death anyway, it was a perfect time to re-read Justice and The Tower first. By reading all three books in a row before I sit down to write Judgment, I can make sure I have all my loose ends neatly tied up and every single question answered before the series closes. 

So instead of working on the long list of to-be-reviewed books I have waiting for me, I've been re-reading my own stuff...and that's why I'm behind on my reviews. I usually avoid trying to read more than one book at a time, particularly when one of them needs to be reviewed, so I don't muddy my own thoughts. I'm already thinking about books I'm writing all the time, and I don't need any more confusion in my head if I'm going to give someone a thoughtful review of their work. But eventually I will be finished editing Death (honestly I will, I'm working on the final edit now) and I'll carry on with all the books on my review list.

Get Half the Lies

One of the blogs I follow is celebrating a one-year blogoversary, and I'm participating by giving away half the Deck of Lies series during the month of June.

Sign up to win Justice (Book 1) and The Tower (Book 2) for free, and catch up on all the lies before Death comes out this summer!

Writing 101: When Do You Use Whom, Anyway?

Most of the time, you're supposed to use who in writing...but there are those rare sentences when you're better served with a fancier-sounding whom instead. It's difficult for many writers to know when to use which, but get it wrong and suddenly every reader is a language expert. Know when it's necessary to use whom, and you'll always sound like you know just what you're writing about.

The Subject-Verb Love Affair

To know when a whom is called for, first you've got to know how to identify the subject of your sentence. It's difficult, because who and whom are both pronouns -- but confusingly, they aren't both subjects.

You'll know it's a subject if the verb depends upon it to function. For example, if I write Sally searched for the answer online, the word searched is the verb. But without Sally, nothing makes any sense. Just try it: Searched for the answer online. Who did? Sally did; and that's the subject of the sentence. Police solve crimes by eliminating suspects. Writers solve word problems by eliminating subjects.

Who or Whom?

Look for the suspected subject in a sentence, and eliminate it to determine whether you should be using who or whom.

Who is looking for you? 

In the above sentence, is who the subject, or is it you? Let's find out. Eliminate you first, and re-read the sentence: Who is looking? Still makes some sense, right? Try it with who next: Looking for you? But this time, it doesn't really make sense. This means that who is the subject. Whenever who is the subject, it's always right.

But you're supposed to use whom when you're talking about an object.

Tell whomever you like. 

Tell is clearly the verb in the above sentence, because it's the action word -- it's the word that's making something happen. But whomever isn't telling anyone anything -- you is the one doing the telling. Whomever is who it's being told to -- and that makes it the object, not the subject, of the sentence.

Whom did you say is calling?

How do I know that I'm supposed to use whom and not who, in the above query? Simple -- because of you. Without it, the sentence has no subject: Whom is calling can't be used. The word whom is never a subject. You can always change the sentence to Who is calling, but not if you  comes along for the sentence. Who did you say is calling is incorrect, because the sentence can only have one subject -- and you is that subject. 

Figured it out yet? Make sure your whom-who decision-making is perfect with this fun Who vs. Whom quiz.

Writing eBooks, Step by Step

This is my one hundredth post, so instead of doing a new Writing 101 lesson I'm going to re-do all of them...after a fashion. And since I've done so many Writing 101 posts in the past few months, there are a lot of them -- so we haven't got any time to waste.

(Almost) Every Step of Writing eBooks

 Once inspiration hits and you've got a great idea, get to work and create an outline. Start thinking about your main character, and all the other characters in the book, as you plan out the plot. Give your characters plausible-sounding names.

Research your plot and your setting to fill your book with realistic, coherent details.

Format your manuscript properly, and save yourself some trouble. Always set the justification, and make sure you know what you're doing if you start adding page numbers, headers and footers.

As you write, be particular about how you format your chapter breaks and scene breaks. Don't ever, ever use the tab button...unless you want to dance with the Devil.

 Be careful about the words you choose. Avoid the further/farther problem and the effect/affect war while you're working. Don't over-use words like that and very; don't ever use words like alot and forever.

Use care when writing potentially offensive and adult subject matter into your story, and be careful about how you use italics, bold and other in-text formatting.

Make use of online writing tools if you need help figuring out ages, naming characters or choosing a setting -- among other particulars. If you get writer's block, try some simple exercises to get around it.

Use vivid, descriptive writing to draw readers deeply into the story you're telling.

Don't forget about backing up your work while you're writing, and if the worst does happen attempt a bold rescue operation to save your book.

Write great dialogue to draw readers in, but make sure you're using proper quotation punctuation when you're doing it.

If you're going to use colons, ellipsis and semicolons in your book, make sure you're doing it the right way.

Speaking of punctuation, brush up on your comma usage. Lots of indies seem to have trouble with it. Learn how to use parentheses properly while you're at it.

Don't indiscriminately use brand names or celebrity names in your book. You have to do it safely to avoid legal issues and other problems you definitely don't want.

Be mindful of your tense and your point-of-view while you're writing the book; readers hate inconsistencies in these areas.

Pay attention to your length as you work on your manuscript, and when all is said and done give it a thorough editing to perfect the text.

If you're going to use a pen name, choose one that's spectacular. Once you've got one, it's time to make a book cover, or find someone who can, to complete your book.


Before you even think about publishing the book anywhere, be absolutely certain that you own the copyright.

Convert your book into an ebook to make it viewable on an ereader. Use ebook codes to make everything look perfect, and add all the little extras, like images, to make it pop.

Choose the right genre for your book, and appeal directly to your target audience.

Be competitive when pricing your books; don't make it harder on yourself than it already is. Create a sensational blurb for your book that will help it sell itself.

Find out how to get reviews, and drum up some attention for your book. Try not to get too upset by bad reviews; it's an opportunity to improve.

Once you get some reviews, pull a few good review quotes out of there for marketing purposes. Try promoting your work with a blog tour, and create a book trailer to get even more marketing power.

Put your book in print to appeal to a wider audience of readers.


And once you're done with all of that, come back here for new tips -- because I'll have another Writing 101 post to introduce tomorrow.

Explore Murder and Madness in The Tower

Yes, the sad truth is that Indie Author Month is coming to an end. I've truly enjoyed visiting Aside From Writing every day in May and discovering new, talented indie authors -- and I'm thrilled to say that today is my day! The month has been peppered with wonderful paranormal tales, heart-wrenching romances, chilling suspense and even fascinating historical novels, to name just a few. Now, it's going to end with a healthy dose of madness, courtesy of The Tower.

I'm participating in the event by giving away 5 copies of The Tower, so sign up if you want to win. In fact, there are several giveaways (including the main prize) which are still open. Scads of books are available, not just mine, so don't miss your chance to get some free goods.

Writing 101: Review Quotes

 Even the most celebrated and well-loved authors show off quotes from colleagues, reviewers and prestigious publications. For indie writers, review quotes are a valuable commodity. Many indies make it a habit to tweet review quotes to market their work, and some include them in their book blurbs and websites. I even put some of mine in one of my trailers. Movies, books, magazines, music -- lots of products are promoted with glowing, intriguing and enticing quotes from critics and supporters. But there is a certain finesse to choosing review quotes, and to displaying them, that some indies don't seem to possess. How do you use yours?

 On Review Quotes

I've been writing on the topic of reviews a lot lately, but only because they're an endless source of fascination. I also happened to see something a little strange recently, and can't help but to blog about it. Besides, it naturally follows that once you've learned how to get reviews, you're going to want to do something with them...so why not pull a few quotes out of there? 

Go ahead and try. It's easy enough for the likes of Stephen King, but indie authors face all sorts of problems. In reality, the traditionally-published authors probably have the same difficulties -- but let's face it, they usually have a wider pool of reviews from which to draw their quotes. Indies have to work with what they're given, but don't let a shallow well lead you down the primrose path of bad decisions. 

Acceptable Source Material

We all have the great honor of living in the Information Age, where just about everyone and everything is online. This means that indie writers have multiple sources from which they can pull their reviews. Or...do they? Don't be so anxious to grab marketable quotes that you cross the boundaries of common courtesy...or worse, copyright law. 

• Blogs/online articles

If a blogger or online writer creates a review of your book on their site, however brief, you are absolutely allowed to use it any piece of it as a review quote, but only if you cite both the writer and the site where the quote originally appeared. The one who created the quote owns the copyright to it, either officially or unofficially, and without proper citation you could be accused of infringement and/or plagiarism. 

• E-tailers 

 If someone reviews your work on Amazon, B&N, or any other site where your work is being sold, use the quotes! Again, cite the name of the reviewer (even if they are using some sort of alias) and on which site this quote appeared. 

• Social media

Has someone reviewed your book on Goodreads, made a comment about it on Facebook or Tweeted about it? You can most certainly re-publish that quote, so long as you cite the user name and the social media site in question. 

• Message boards

Now we're moving into the gray area. In most circumstances, you are probably safe using quotes about your book, or you as a writer, that have appeared on publish message boards. I emphasize public. However, even in this circumstance it's good form to directly ask the person who wrote the quote if you're at liberty to use it, unless they have previously stated that they are willing to have their words put on public display. You should absolutely ask the poster before you publish anything from a private message board, such as one that requires a username and password to view.

• Email

Now things are getting even trickier. Electronic mail is not guaranteed to any sort of privacy, and most people who use it know that it's always subject to being viewed by a third party (there are way too many media stories about email accounts being hacked). It's not technically a safe form of communication, however in all polite societies there does exist a covenant of trust between parties who are corresponding even via email. I am not a lawyer, but in doing a (very brief and not at all thorough) cursory check on the subject, emails probably are not protected by copyright law unless they specifically contain material that has been copyrighted. Everyday correspondence obviously would not meet this criteria.

However, that doesn't mean you should feel free to quote it in some sort of public forum. Some indie writers might be so hungry for useable quotes that anything and everything begins to look like fair game -- even emails from various literary agents and publishing houses. Lots of indies have previously submitted work to the more traditional book types, and some may have received encouraging and promising responses. Is it cool to use some of these responses as quotes for marketing purposes? 

That all depends. The short answer is...well, yes. Legally, it is probably okay to pull quotes from emails unless those mails are somehow protected by some sort of privacy agreement that's been implemented by the website itself. But the longer answer advises against it, unless certain conditions have first been met. If you get permission to use quotes from those emails from the person or persons who wrote them, then publish away. Hooray. 

If you haven't obtained that permission, then you probably shouldn't. Common decency and courtesy are really the only thing holding you back, but let that be enough. Email exchanges between two parties carry an implied privacy protection with them, and if you break that trust with a literary agent or email answerer at a publishing house you could be burning an important bridge. You could even make other agents and staffers shy away from corresponding or communicating with you in the future. If you want to use it, ask for permission. They might say no, but they might not. Remember to cite the source of your quote correctly if you do obtain permission to publish their words.

Acceptable Quotes

Once you're quite sure all of your sources for all of your quotes are on the level, you might still have trouble pulling something usable. The secret to great quotes is the ellipsis, otherwise known as ... . As some of my readers might know from a previous post, in non-fiction writing an ellipsis is used to show an omission of words. This means that you can eliminate poorly-spelled and weirdly-worded bits and pieces of reviews to get a quite salable quote, but you have to avoid overuse. Don't try to promote a quote that's completely butchered by your punctuation. If you can use one ellipsis, two at the outside, and create a great quote then go for it.

Don't forget that you can use brackets [for your quotes]. They're sort of a get-out-of-hell-free card when it comes to re-publishing a quote. Within the body of a quote, brackets are used to substitute words. Most often, they're used to replace proper nouns with pronouns, or vice versa, but other small changes may be made through them as well. They're a powerful tool, so again, don't over-use them. 

Don't re-publish profanity, unless you are specifically doing so on an age-controlled site with all the proper disclaimers and you are specifically targeting an older (and possibly not-so-conservative) group of readers. There are lots of format-friendly ways to delete an expletive to make a quote more family-friendly, but if you're going to let it fly then make sure you're only doing so in the proper venues. By the way, your Amazon page is not considered the proper venue for re-publishing a quote that contains profanity.

Quotes containing spoilers or too much summary information are to be avoided. Remember that you want to whet the palate, not shove a piece of chocolate cake down their throats. Your readers shouldn't even get a taste of your book from a review quote -- they should only get a deeply enticing whiff of its aroma.

Writing 101: How to Get Reviews

We already discussed writing reviews, and now it's time for a topic that might be even more important to indie writers: getting reviews. Be willing to devote time to it, because reviews will help you as a writer in multiple ways.

How to Get Reviews

I feel confident in saying all indie writers want to get reviews from readers. Good reviews can add a certain appeal to your book, and they make it plain to book shoppers that someone, someday, read your book and felt strongly enough about it to write a review. People want what other people like; that's just human nature. Having reviews can increase your sales and make your book look more interesting to readers. Now, all you've got to do is go out and get some. 

• Publish your book. If you want to get reviews, it helps to publish your book in multiple places. If you're using Amazon's KDP Select program, you actually don't have this option -- but you can still list your book at Goodreads. A social media site devoted to book readers, Goodreads can be a wonderful source of reviews for your work. The more places you can list your book, the more people will find it -- and that means more reviews.
• Find reviewers. I know, easier said than done. But once you know how to find reviewers, you'll always have the skill -- which is good, because you'll need it again and again. The indie writer's greatest resource is book blogs. Use your favorite search engine, and start seeking them out. There are lots of different ways to search. Look for blogs that cater to indie writers, blogs that cater to books within your genre, and blogs that discuss books and book reviews in general. Make a list of bookmarks for all the viable-looking blogs you find, and search their resource pages to find links to other book blogs. 
• Ask properly. Once you find potential book reviewers, don't just flood them with free books and emails. Take the time to look around the blog and read some of the reviews. Look at the review policy to make sure your book meets all the right criteria. Then, and only then, write a brief email to the book reviewer. Introduce yourself and your book in one sentence or less. When asking for the review, tell the reviewer why you want them to review your work. Does it fit in with the other books on their blog? Do you like something about this reviewer's specific style? Be succinct. Close the email with the blurb for your book, your relevant links and any other brief information you would like to include. Do not send them a free book; wait for them to ask you if they are interested.
• Promote it. If you're looking for reviews and reviewers, say so. Tweet about it, blog about it, announce it on Facebook. You can't possibly find every available reviewer through an Internet search, and you never know who's out there looking for new reading material.
• Encourage it. Want readers to review your book? Tell them so. Include an "About the Author" at the end of your book, and invite readers to share their opinion of your work by reviewing it. Some readers simply don't think of giving reviews. Why can't you be the one to put the thought in their heads?

Trading Reviews

My own personal beliefs on reviews have evolved -- quickly, I might add. I have a lot of thoughts on review trades that others don't agree with, but to each their own. My opinion on the subject of trading reviews is this: don't do it. I'm going to tell you why. 

Indie writers are exactly like traditional writers in every single respect, without all the polish. Some indie writers are fantastic, with a strong command of editing skills, grammar and punctuation. But some indie writers are unbelievably bad at same. The moment you agree to a review trade with an indie that you don't know and never have read, you're more or less jumping off a cliff. Will you land on a pillowy-soft, fantastic book that cradles you gently in its pages...or into a pile of shite? 

You have no way of knowing, and therein lies the problem with review trades. Here's a review rule I live by: don't ever commit. No one should have to clench their jaw, screw their courage to the sticking place and force themselves to waste time reading a book they positively hate in every single way. I've been there, and it's not fun. You do a review trade, you commit, you open the door up for regret and eye-rolling that could last for days, even weeks. You can attempt to save yourself some pain by reading samples, working with only trusted indies and sticking to strict guidelines (I, for example, will not read your book if it isn't justified the right way. No more exceptions).

Paying for Reviews

Lots of writers have lots of strong opinions about paid reviews. One of the more well-known is Kirkus, who by my book charges exorbitant and astronomical rates for their reviews. But a Kirkus review does carry a certain cachet, and some indie authors may have plenty of money to spend. Every business and every brand name is expected to spend money on marketing, and no indie can ever get the whole thing done completely for free (because, at the very least, you'll have to pay for a copyright). So if you want to spend your money on reviews, spend it on reviews. It is, after all, your money.

Bad Reviews?

There are no bad reviews if you're an indie writer. First of all, no matter what the review says you should sit back and bask in the glow of your computer screen regardless of anything. Why? Because you just moved someone with your writing -- and isn't that what you wanted? You actually motivated someone to write down their thoughts, you got them thinking, and you wrote something they remembered long enough to sign onto a website, at least. In today's world, that's no small achievement. 

Second of all, any advice you get from any reader is valuable. Take every single comment seriously, no matter how it stings, because this one reader could be thinking something similar to dozens of other readers. You want to know what all your readers think, but in lieu of hunting them through cyberspace you've got to rely on the ones who feel strongly enough to comment. If you see a negative comment, think of it as a challenge. Here's something you can improve upon in this book, or the next book, or tomorrow when you sit down to write a new chapter.