How to Write a Novel

Writers in the Sky (TM): Tips to Strengthen Your Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:07:00 +0000

Are you having a hard time understanding passive writing, tenses, and character elements? Have you read the books and taken courses - but none of it makes sense?

Then you need to read Ginger's article on 'learning to write.

Character Development: Creating Incredible Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Creating Incredible Relationships

If you are like me (as the old gag goes - 'I know I am') you may be tempted to fall into a trap in relationships. The trap I mean is thinking that having a healthy relationship will make me happy. However, maybe that is completely backwards.

Maybe it is when we are happy that we create healthy relationships. But, wait a minute! A healthy relationship can obviously contribute to happiness. So, where do we start?

Everybody has a 'mood' that is most typical for them. It may be a good mood; it may be a not so good mood. For most of us our typical mood may range from the fairly good to the fairly bad with occasional excursions to the extremes.

The problem with moods is that we broadcast them. We think we are hiding how we feel, but really we might as well walk into a room and shout 'Hey, I have not had a decent relationship for years and I am about to go off and join a leper colony!'.

The problem is our body language is telling the world how we feel. The other people may not be aware of it consciously, but often they will pick up 'something' about us. This means that they will either be attracted (if their mood is in harmony with ours), or repelled (if their mood is out of harmony with ours).

Don't worry. This does not mean we have to spend the rest of our lives hiding under the bed! The key is knowing how to shift the mood we are in to a better one. Like many powerful things the way to do this is very simple.

Moods are on the 'feeling' level. However, moods are not created on the feeling level. Moods are created by our thoughts. These thoughts may be unconscious, but if we look we will find there is a particular stream of thoughts that go with any particular mood.

The fundamental key to shifting a mood is to become aware of the thoughts behind it and challenge them. It really helps to do this on paper rather than just trying to sort it all out in your head.

One technique goes like this: Get a piece of paper and draw two vertical lines so that there are three roughly equal columns.

On the left column write down all the thoughts that come into your head, no matter how awful (leave a gap of a four or five lines between them). The more ridiculous, or childish, they seem the better.

For example: say you are about to go to a party and you are getting moody or edgy about it. The thoughts might go like this: "There is no point in going. I never meet anyone I like. It is all a waste of time. They won't like me. There are all a bunch of losers anyway.".

Tip: do NOT write how you feel ('I feel angry...', etc.) as that is not a thought and gives you nothing to contradict.

Once you have some things in the left column (don't be surprised if you need more than one page!) you can work through them one at a time and by filling in the middle and right hand columns.

Look at the first thought you wrote down. Read it over and then in the middle column for that row write, 'This is just a thought'. That's it, for the middle column. You have begun to take charge of your thinking process and a new life awaits you.

Now it the right column write down some thoughts you would rather have instead. If the thought was 'I never meet anyone I like'. Other thoughts might be: 'Some kinds of events don't work well for me, but others do', 'Actually I met someone really nice when I went to... etc.'. Try and come up with at least three alternative constructive thoughts if you can.

If the thought was 'Nobody likes me'. Other thoughts might be: 'Not everyone likes me, but some people do', 'Nobody is liked by everyone...', .etc..

Then work through the other thoughts you listed and do the same things. Go to your second thought that is causing your mood and in the middle column write, 'This is just a thought'. Again, in the right hand column, write thoughts that contradict it.

If you get stuck in contradicting some thoughts then just move on. You'll get better at the trickier ones with practice.

After you have done this you will most likely find that your mood has shifted to a much better one. It may not get you from being really down to feeling over the moon (though sometimes it will), but it will usually always help you feel better. If you do this regularly, your general overall mood and attitude to yourself, your life and other people, will improve (even if it was already good to begin with) and you'll find yourself attracting a healthier type of person.

You may also find that is helps to be aware of the event that triggered the mood. Perhaps someone you know seemed to avoid you, or someone you liked did not reply to an email. Being aware of the triggers of our moods can help us intervene earlier and guide ourselves out of negative emotional mazes back to a happy and healthier life - and therefore into happier and healthier relationships.

If you want a more sophisticated way of doing something similar try these books:

Feeling Good, David D. Burns. Choose to be Happy, Wayne Froggatt.

The way to create incredible relationships is to start managing your feelings and moods. Life then gets much better, as a result of that, you'll find that your relationships will get much better too.

William Martin offers holistic tips and advice on dating and relationships. Check out this http://www.meetyourgreens.com

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

The Robert A. HeinleinCentennial Short Story Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:45:00 +0000

Three prizes will be given for the best original short storiesreflecting the spirit, ideas, and philosophies of Robert AnsonHeinlein.

$5,000 first prize$2,000 second prize$1,000 third prize

If you want a short declaration of who the man was and his works, then go to this link http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/thisibelieve.html

"And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown --in the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability....and goodness.....of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth, that we always make it just by the skin of our teeth --but that we will always make it....survive....endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes, will endure --will endure longer than his home planet, will spread out to the other planets, to the stars, and beyond, carrying with him his honesty, his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage --and his noble essential decency."

"This I believe with all my heart."

as read by Mrs. Heinlein received a standing ovation.

Here are some other websites that will offer extra information on different topics:

If you need to learn how to work at home as a freelance writer then this site will teach you how to get paid to write for free.

Have you seen those sites that teach you the secrets of building wealth but you have to pay. This site will teach you for free.

Free Writer's Lessons By EPIC Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:39:00 +0000

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPIC-eWorkshop/

EPIC eWorkshop is precisely what it sounds like. This is a learning experience for new authors and new-to-e-book authors. List members need not be members of EPIC (The Electronically Published Internet Connection) to join in. We'll be discussing the indie/e industry, publishing in general, submitting, finding an e-publisher, contracts, and any other business aspects of indie/e publishing.

While this is not a critique group, you may post query letters for comment, at any time. When classes involve list members posting excerpts, the excerpt rule will be lifted.

This is not a promotion list. We will certainly share submission successes and heartbreaks, but we won't be advertising anyone's books or services.

This list is for adults only. At the same time, there will be no explicit sexual content allowed on list. This is a workshop for everyone from Inspirational and Children's/YA through erotica, but it's a business/learning group in general and not dedicated to a particular genre. Erotic content is better suited to groups like ERWA (Erotic Readers' and Writers' Association), where the entire group is dedicated to erotic writing.

Please read the full list rules before posting. List cops are available to help you find your feet.

We are also accepting proposals for those who wish to give workshops in their particular area of expertise. Several members, including myself, have non-EPIC-sponsored yahoogroups where erotic content may be presented without offense. If you have an announcement of an online workshop, please feel free to post that as well.

Write Fiction for Money

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:52:00 +0000

Escape Pod: Takes science fiction tales in two lengths:
flash (up to 1,000 words, for $20), and short stories
(2,000 to 6,000 words, $100). They buy nonexclusive rights,
and prefer humorous pieces over dark, depressing material.
( http://escapepod.org/guidelines/ )

Pseudopod: Dark horror magazine. Accepts flash (500 to 1,000
words, $20) and short stories (2,000 to 6,000 words, $50).
( http://pseudopod.org/guidelines/ )

PodCastle: Fantasy podcast magazine. Takes flash (up to
1,000 words, $20), and short stories (2,000 to 6,000 words,
$100). ( http://podcastle.org/guidelines )

Kindle is only available to US Publishers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:16:00 +0000

The current Amazon controversy is confusing. I would think that people were more concerned with the fact that Kindle is only available to publishers who live in the USA. This severely limits the books they can list. It isn’t because they cannot deal with people outside of their country.

The Amazon.com POD alternative works with publishers from around the world. If Kindle went through this venue then they could easily list ebooks from publishers residing in the UK , Canada, and Australia without any problem.

Here are some other websites that will offer extra information on different topics:

If you need to learn how to work at home as a freelance writer then this site will teach you how to get paid to write for free.

Have you seen those sites that teach you the secrets of building wealth but you have to pay. This site will teach you for free.

New Changes at Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:14:00 +0000

There has been a lot of controversy over Amazon’s new rule that books must either be listed through their own POD service, or books must be on the warehouse floor.
Authors are upset because many publishers are refusing to pay to list their books through Amazon’s system.

The confusion is based on a few things. Amazon is a bookstore. And, like any other bookstore, they have a right to choose which books they sell from their outlet.

Being online does not force them to list all books that are in distribution. There are other online bookstores which use the same system of housing books in a warehouse, and few publishers or authors complain if their books are not listed.

The only people who face a serious problem are small POD publishers. They are being forced to pay more money to get their books into channels that sell. While the fee is negligible, in publishing terms, it can severely limit the publishing capabilities of companies that try to release as many books a year as possible.

It has caused a lot of concern for authors. Will their books be removed from Amazon? The answer is probably ‘yes.’ They will need to contact their publishers and find out what their policy will be.

Will it have an effect on books that are listed on the ‘satellite’ Amazon sites such as Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.ca? No, there is no indication that the policy will change how the other Amazon divisions list books.

Third party bookstores list authors books on Amazon. They will continue to list their books on Amazon. So, mid list publishers will continue to have listings on Amazon.

Here are some other websites that will offer extra information on different topics:

If you need to learn how to work at home as a freelance writer then this site will teach you how to get paid to write for free.

Have you seen those sites that teach you the secrets of building wealth but you have to pay. This site will teach you for free.

Do You Need an Editor?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:43:00 +0000

I work with several excellent editors.

We always come into contact with people who claim to be editors but don’t have a clue what the job entails. I decided to write a short tutorial to help writers learn how to hire an editor.

Why Hire an Editor

A professional editor, whether academic, fiction/publishing, or business editor talks the lingo, knows the trends, understands the styles, and structure demands.

The important thing to remember is that no one can edit all styles, even if they have a BA in English and are multi-published. I work with people who write for academic purposes. They include writing text books, essays for university students, speeches, and content for schools. At the most, editors can memorize 3 or 4 styles: MLA, APA, Harvard, British, New York, Medical, Scientific, Chicago, etc. There are 18 recognized ‘main’ grammar and style in the USA alone. No one can know them all.

There are also various vernaculars. Newspapers and most web writing is written at a grade eight level. Fiction novels have several vocabularies based on the genre.

Thrillers and literary are written at a post secondary level of English. Romance, mystery, fantasy are all written at a high school level. Historical novels bastardise English to mimic ancient dialects.

Structure is vital. Each of the fiction genres have a specific story arc structure that controls the flow of plot and character development through the book. The novel should also explore the human element. A writer who doesn’t have a solid understanding of the trials and pain of human life, different personality types, character archetypes, relationship counseling and shelf growth cannot promise to write a fiction novel which will be received favorably from publishing houses.

Types of Editors

There are different types of editors. A line editor knows all the different grammar styles and can write in several vernaculars. They can fix grammar mistakes without changing the writer’s style. Most of today’s editors are amateur line editors. They will look for tense variations, sentence structure that ventures from the acceptable style, spelling that is ‘wrong’ for the current country of publication, or typos.

Proofreaders do not change grammar, syntax, or prose. They only look for typos, missing periods, homonyms, etc. Most proofreaders can use the tools available with today’s word-processing software and finish a manuscript in less than 3 – 5 hours.

A full length book that is 99.99% accurate can still have 30 mistakes. This is tolerated in fiction, but is not in business or non-fiction writing.

Content editors know all about ACTs and Story Arcs. They can map a novel, outlining the character growth. They know where things should appear, how long conflicts and scenes should be. Ask a content editor who Joseph Campell is and they will talk about the hero’s journey and mythology.

A fiction editor should be a content editor and line editor. A great way to find a good editor is to ask them what story arc they use, do they have a preferred character growth arc, and how many of their client’s books are published.
Never focus on how many of their books are published – because they had a professional editor helping them.

A non-fiction editor should have a basic understanding of the industry. They will prefer the APA or Harvard style of grammar. (Chicago/Showing is for fiction). Just asking an editor what style they use, and why, can separate the pros from the amateurs.

Free Chat: How to Become Famous

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:39:00 +0000

We are doing a few major workshops for Small Press Month. We are hosting one of our biggest workshops this week.

Place: www.inspiredauthor.com (click the chat-room button at the top of the page.
Time: 7 - 9 eastern (come when you can)
Membership: none needed - just enter your screen name and enter

Katie Adams

Katie Adams is a highly successful grant writer. In fact, she obtained over $12 million in grants for her clients in only 3 months! She can help you learn how to get free publicity, money to promote your writing, and much more! If you want to become famous overnight, then be at the Inspired Authors chat on Friday night.

Katie has offered to host a 2 hour workshop to help authors promote themselves and their work, build winning PR campaigns, and launch their careers. Have your questions ready! She is also looking for cream of the crop writers for her new business venture. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime chance.

Authors must be well known even before releasing their first book. This takes a “presence” that is only accomplished by proactive marketing. If you miss this one, you will regret it.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Small Press Month: Author Tips for Building a Fan Base

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:34:00 +0000

Attracting visitors to a website can be difficult. It goes far beyond putting your name out and giving people an invitation to visit your main website. They will not visit to join a newsletter or read your website.

There are several ways to get people to visit a website:

1. Share your space with Visitors. Let them tell stories, write a scene for your characters, join in a 'continued story' by adding a scene. Then, publish their work on your website.

This works, but only if you talk with the visitors. The web owner needs to chat with their members. This is not the business where 'if you make it, they will come.'

2. Offer Something Free. I have heard dozens of writers rail against the idea of writing for free. But, most of them never had a good fan base. I also know two authors who write 'extra' chapters for their books, extra stories about their characters, and other free stories. They offer these as 'read by author' for audio feeds and download, and in PDF form.

Most of these stories can be short, 5 pages long will equal a 5 minute feed. Then, ask the audience for feedback, to offer suggestions.

3. Help Me Write. This is another tool that will attract die hard book lovers. They love to offer advice and suggestions about the characters and settings. Many of them have situations that might flesh out the book. Even if their ideas are not used, story lovers enjoy sharing their thoughts and being part of the writing experience.

4. Let visitors post reviews, comment in a guest book, or participate in a forum.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Do You Have a Great Family Story?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:10:00 +0000

The inspiration for The Pledge came from stories my grandfather told me. His stories went far beyond life lessons and relating family history. They inspired me. They made me the person I am today. I have read a lot of stories, but for some reason, the stories that grandfathers tell us are the best.

Tell me your story. I will publish some of them into my newsletter. Others will be published into my blog. I’ll share your grandfather’s story with other people. Let me know what made the story so special. Share your pictures. Pictures of where your family came from. Pictures of you with your grandfather. But - no pictures that include people who have not given their permission - or children.

How to Submit: Submit your stories, no longer than 500 words as a comment on this post. I will chose stories to appear in my newsletter and post on some of my sites. Selected stories may include pictures and a link to your website. I will contact you via the contact form on your website. Submit Your Grandfather Story at www.writer-writer.com

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Small Press Month: Using Newsletters to Build a Fan Base

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:18:00 +0000

The secret to building a fan base is to entice visitors to your website to chat in a forum and/or join a newsletter. It has never been easier to create newsletters. There are dozens of free templates on the web, and a few free tools. For those who have invested in Word Suite, everything you need is in the suite. However, I do not suggest keeping a mailing list in Outlook unless you save it to a backup disk or a third party backup service.

I decided to use my publisher to make this post. Publisher is a part of the word suite. I am currently using WordSuite2007. I made this email letter in 10 minutes, and launched it through Outlook from my publisher account.

I wanted to offer the post this way to show people how easy it is to release a newsletter to your members. You do not need a any expertise as a web designer, or mailing list compiler expert. All you need is MSOutlook, or PHPlist.com. You can even run a good program through Hotmail if you want to manually insert email addresses.

Marketing isn’t about putting your name ‘out’ to the world, it is about getting people to come ‘in’ to you. This is why a mailing list is so important.

When using Outlook or Hotmail, people can join your mailing list by emailing you. I do not suggest using yahoo as I've faced a lot of spam problems with yahoo.

How to Create a Mailing List with Windows Live Hotmail

To set up a group of recipients in Windows Live Hotmail:

Select Contacts from Windows Live Hotmail's left-hand navigation bar.
Click on the down arrow of the New button.
Select Group....
Type the desired group name.
This name acts as a nickname when addressing messages.
The nickname must be unique in your address book (a group cannot have the same name as another group or another address book entry's nickname).
Press Enter.
Drag and drop existing contacts from All contacts to the new group to add them.
You can also go to the group and select New Contact... to add a new member.

With this tool, everyone who emails your ‘mailing list’ account can be automatically added to your mailing list.

PHPlist.com is free with many good webhosts today with a click of the button. I have used this service for years, and never once faced a problem. It is simple to add names, delete names, post a template and send an email.

There is a plug in for wordpress that installs PHPlist and sets a 'sign in' box that can easily be put on your template. There is no widget at this time, but the single line of code can be added to a template without risk of ruining something important or throwing out the formatting. I have installed this tool on a 3 and 4 column template, widget ready.

However, if you are totally new to internet marketing, and cannot FTP a file into your host (very easy) then you might want to try bravenet.com. They have a mailing list feature that is free for the first 500 members. I used bravenet for the first two years. I paid $5 a month to avoid the advertising.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Free Author Promotion Workshop: Three Famous Speakers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:56:00 +0000

We had a great chat on promotion last night. There were a lot of things covered, and we had the author of one of the top SELLING BOOKS book on Amazon (3 days on Amazon and in the top 50 000). Nikki gave us some excellent tips and advice.

We also explained the difference between promotion by spamming your name, and promotion by Branding.

After 2 hours, there were still questions, so I decided to devote tonight's chat on 'becoming famous' without spending money.

I have invited a PR person, Katherine Adams who works with businesses and CEOs. She is writing a book on landing six figure jobs. If she comes, she can tell us more about 'branding' yourself. She won her clients 12million last year - so she is no 'small fish' when it comes to PR.

Mirella Patzer will tell how she became a popular speaker and was invited to speak (paid) in Italy, the setting of her book - all within less than 2 months.

Nikki Leigh will be there. Her current book on promotion has only been on amazon for 3 days and is in the top 50 000 (out of 3 million) selling books.

We also have Lori Chance, a book coach, and a few other tentative speakers.

I am also saving transcripts. So if you were one of the people who felt you just didn't know that you 'could' become famous without a lot of hassle - and you wanted to know more - come to the IA chat tonight.

http://www.inspiredauthor.com/ - Click Chat. You do not need to become a member.

Chat is Every Friday 7PM Eastern

Tonight's event will have the chat room at www.inspiredauthor.com open from 6 - 9+ You do not need to become a member, or enter any personal information. Just type in a screen name and you are in the chat.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

March is Small Press Month – Author Signed vs. Inscribed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:03:00 +0000

There is nothing more alluring to a book lover than an author signed book. They rarely care if the book is paperback, hard cover, or a CD audio book.

http://www.abebooks.com/docs/RareBooks/Avid-Collector/Mar07/ask-the-experts.shtml

There are special bookstores around the net designed to sell author signed books:

http://www.signedbytheauthor.com/
http://www.booksmith.com/collectibles.html
http://www.alibris.com/

Authors can even sell copies of their book ‘author signed’ on Amazon.com – just make sure that you include in the book title ‘author signed.’ Then explain in your blurb that you will sign a ‘personal copy’ for the buyer. You would not want to sell ‘inscribed’ copies here.

Many authors overlook the option of selling ‘inscribed books.’ These books are often given to people of importance in your life. A writer may offer to host a library seminar and ‘inscribe’ books to ‘the library patrons who supported my career.’

There is a hierarchy to book signatures:

Top is the dedication copy. There is usually only one of these.
Next, is association copies. These books are signed for friends and relatives of the author, people of note in the author’s life.
Further down is the presentation copies. These are signed to people who are not friends, mentors, family of the author. They still include a message.
Bottom of the list is a signed copy. Interestingly enough, if a book is signed it is considered sold, even if it is not.

One way to attract people to your events is to offer to ‘inscribe’ all copies sold at the event. Authors are often shocked to see how far a book lover will travel for the bragging rights to having a presentation copy in their library.

This is one way that writers can support their fan base. They can offer to ‘inscribe an association copy’ of their book to any ‘friend’ from their fan group who attends their seminars, or who orders the book direct from the author.

Book Value

The important thing to remember is that your book’s value depends on the signature value. If an author promises to sign an association copy for everyone – then the value is worthless.
There is a general rule ‘the more words, the better.’ This has always held true. When a book lover buys a book, they are buying a copy of the book. When they buy an inscribed book, they are buying a story, a memory, of a time they met the author.

Selling Books

Never underestimate the power of an inscribed book. Many authors have a book signing and feel they must sell their books at a discount. This is not true if they spend the day talking to people, making friends, and inscribing books.

Even an inscription such as “I loved talking to you at the ________ event. It was a great afternoon, and I hope we meet again.”

A clever quote is also valuable, as it gives the owner of the book a glimpse into the author’s life and personality.

First Edition

It is important to protect the integrity of your first editions. These are the ones you want to sign. That is why it is also important to put a date on the book, even if it is a scrawled 01/08.

Art Value

Each author signed book has an ‘art value.’ The selection of a pen should be vital. The author should also practice their signature. A poor signature with a blue Bic pen may actually devalue the book. A felt tip pen, and a ‘fine’ scroll font, will create a page worth showing to friends and jealous collectors.

Conclusion

Many people may think that author signed has little value today. However, most authors refuse to offer the public signed copies of their books. They may give away a few associate books, signed not inscribed, but the number of author signed books are actually diminishing in the market, retaining their value – especially if you become famous one day.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Small Press Month - Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:24:00 +0000

March is Small Press Month. It is a great chance to use this ‘official month’ to promote your small press, your books, and your friends. Most of these events are great promotion for authors. They will help raise the exposure for small publishers among bookstores and libraries, as well as build author’s careers.

The Publishers Marketing Association has a list of great promotion events. There are a few things on the list that every author should be doing all year around.
Over this month I will expand on them and help writers learn how to use them to promote their work.

#3 Hold a How To Get Published Seminar

It may be late to get into the larger libraries, but small bookstores, small libraries, churches, and community groups are always eager to have an author give a how to get published seminar.

The trick is to create a fun seminar that encourages new writers. Tell them how small publishers support and train authors. Tell funny stories, interesting facts, and things you learned along the way.

This seminar should be more than a step-by-step guide to winning a publishing contract. Instead, it should be an interesting glimpse into your journey as an author.

There are two ways to hold an event like this. The first involves charging $10 - $20 for attendance. When doing this, you want to print out a ‘pack’ for the authors to take. It should include a sample synopsis outline, query, formatting guide, a list of ‘common mistakes,’ and a few pointers on how to talk to publishers. You may even want to include a list of places where writers can learn how to write good books, and a short list of publishers.

A free seminar will draw more people. You may use these events to sell tickets to a paid seminar, or sell signed copies of your book. A free seminar may be held in conjunction with other authors in your area.

Don’t forget to call the press and tell them about your event, when it is over ask for a ‘tear sheet’ of the article, as well as a link to the article, for your collection. Never host an event without calling the press. They may not always attend, but even if they do not print the article, a picture of you talking to the press is great ‘PR’ for your website and blogs.

Return to this blog daily, or subscribe to our RSS feed, for more tips and advice on promoting an author's event. All our suggestions will be easy to plan, and possibly 'free' to host.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

Essence Of Character - Seven Steps To Creating Characters That Write Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:09:00 +0000

Creating characters that are believable takes time and discipline. Creating dynamically real individuals and not imposing your own thoughts and impressions upon them is not easy to do, and is often the difference between a novel or screenplay that sits in a closet and one that finds its way around town and into the hands of audiences. Spending your time building your characters before they enter the world of your story makes the process of writing an easier and more enjoyable ride, and creates a finished product that agents, publishers, producers and readers can truly be excited by.

You must first agree to operate from the understanding that the three-dimensionality of your characters is not created magically. Talent equals discipline multiplied by time and you must practice (daily) the art of developing your characters. As a development executive with LA Film Lab Entertainment (a literary development and production company), I have developed a framework to assist you in creating rich and complex characters. The complexity that you desire comes through 1) labeling their desire essences, 2) labeling their fear essences, 3) getting specific about their past, 4) labeling their behavior, 5) raising their stakes, 6) not meddling in their lives, and 7) letting them play. Asking provoking questions in line with these steps, answering them thoroughly, and then repeating the process, provides constant individual growth in your characters that mirrors life. Now let's take each step in turn:

1. Label the Desire Essences of each of your main characters: The first key to deepening your work is finding the major motivators in the lives of your characters that drive their actions. We all have deep aspirations that drive our choices, our thoughts, our actions and reactions. These needs are what differentiate us from one another and we will refer to them as "Desire Essences." Some examples of DESIRE ESSENCES are: the desire to be intellectually brilliant; the desire to be socially famous; the desire to hide from the world; the desire to belong to a group; the desire to be loved; the desire to party; the desire to die.

2. Label the Fear Essences of each of your main characters: What is at the root of each of your characters' darker sides? For every desire they have they should also exhibit the antithetical fear of failing at that desire. These fears will battle their aspirations for control over their behavior. Labeling and understanding the darker sides of your characters is imperative to creating the dimensional and imperfect characters you are after. Some examples of FEAR ESSENCES are: the fear of being stupid; the fear of being ordinary; the fear of being socially exposed; the fear of being rejected by a group; the fear of being loathed; the fear of being boring; the fear of having to face life.

3. Get specific with your Backstory: Human behavior is made up of a string of moments and reactions to those moments. A character's current behavior is a battle between fear and desire and their immediate choices are made based on very specific (yet unconscious) experiences from their past - experiences that leave imprints much like DNA. Though your characters should be unconscious of these past experiences that are influencing them, you the writer must create these in your preparation of their backstory be fully aware of them. Here is an example of what won't benefit you vs. what will when getting specific with backstory:

Bad example of getting specific: Rachel is a pretty girl who thinks she is unattractive. She prefers to live in her books as opposed to being with friends or family. Her father has abused her sexually throughout her youth. She hates attention.

Better example of getting specific: On her graduation day, at a party her Mother is throwing for her, Rachel's sexually abusive father shows up drunk and congratulates her, hugging her too closely, grabbing her rear end with both hands, and calling her pretty in front of a room full of her friends and family. She runs away humiliated and hides in her room, escaping into one of her fantasy books. That night she moves out to stay with a friend and doesn't tell her friends where she is going. Two weeks later she finds out through another friend that her father died in a car accident. He had been drunk.

In the better example of getting specific, the reader can have a visceral reaction to the words. This is caused by the detail. The generality of the bad reaction is logical, but lifeless. In the better example it is easy to determine what the essences of our leading lady might be: desire to hide, maybe even desire to die, desire to live in her books, desire to be valued for her intellect instead of her body, fear of loneliness, fear of her appearance, fear of the opposite sex, fear of losing a loved one, fear of being abandoned.

4. Describe their Current Behavior: Take the essences and the specific examples you have now created and determine what kind of behavior your characters might exhibit as a result. Don't limit yourself with these, but rather excite yourself with the possibilities.

Simple examples from our leading lady - a woman who: hides her body; avoids friends from her past; mistrusts anyone who comments favorably on her appearance; desires to control her education and her intellect; avoids alcohol.

5. Raise the stakes: Emotions are extreme. Play in the realm of this extreme when dealing with the fears and ambitions of your characters. These essences are all encompassing; meaning that we spend our lifetimes with them. Don't cheat your characters by being afraid to raise the stakes as high as you can. Needing to find a precious stone to sell to an art dealer by midnight to raise the financing to save your character's mother's house before the bank takes it away from her tomorrow is exciting! Look back at your own life and think of how seriously you take your essences - when your essences are threatened will you fight to extremes to defend them, just as when they are fulfilled, do you enjoy some of your greatest moments in life? Play in the realm of the extreme. Raise the stakes. Your essences are life and death to you - let them be that way to your characters.

6. Don't meddle: Of course you might be saying to yourself, "How do I not meddle - I'm the writer!" But a truthful story is going to grow from your willingness to let your characters make their own decisions based on how you have defined them (which after these exercises will be in great depth). As their parent, you have to let your children go; this is the point at which your story truly begins. DO NOT MEDDLE IN THEIR LIVES. Continually remind yourself - it's not about you. You just serve the story. Let your characters make their own decisions. If you ever find yourself not knowing what decision they might make - question your homework and rework their essences, behaviors and stakes until their choice becomes obvious.

7. Let your characters play: Once you have developed several characters by labeling their essences, getting specific, defining their behavior, and raising the stakes, you are ready to begin to let them interact. It's like the first day at a new school; ripe with possibility. When properly developed, there is no way to predict how your characters will behave in any given situation, but they are so full of life and their own agendas that they are ready to interact with other characters who have been developed to the same level. If you have done the work to get to this place - this is where your characters will begin to write themselves.

Follow these steps to create the richer characters you want to be writing.

Find the Essences:

To find the essences of your characters, you have to look to their history and their genetics. Just like real people, your characters' current behavior is defined by their DNA combined with experiences you create in their past. We all have the basic fears and ambitions of survival, shelter, and food, so when working on these essences focus on the ones that really drive each character. Consider ethnicity, religious beliefs, and major life events. Address sex, drugs, music, parents, siblings, education, appearance and intelligence for sure.

Start by writing out twenty DESIRE ESSENCES that feel right for each main character. Then determine one polar opposite of each DESIRE to create your twenty FEAR ESSENCES. Go back and toss the ones that you now feel less attached to. Repeat and refine the process until you have at least ten of each for each character that really excite you.

Get specific about Backstory:

Get specific about how your character's essences have come to be. Create definitive moments in your characters' lives that detail when these fears and desires were initiated. Come up with five supporting examples of moments in their lives when each of these essences was tested and eventually vindicated in the name of the fear or in the name of the desire. Failure vindicates the fear and success vindicates the desire. Write at least one half page of text supporting each -Yes that will give you a total of twenty-five pages of essence work. Do the work.

10 Essences (a desire and a fear for each) x 5 samples for each = 50 descriptions (each a half page)

Label the Current Behavior:

Using their essences and their specific past, come up with ten sample behaviors for each character. Simple example: a character who has a desire to hide and a fear of being publicly humiliated, has a specific past incident of continually having their pants pulled down in public by a sibling. The current behavior - they might always wear a belt, or might always look behind themselves in a very specific attempt to never be humiliated again.

Raise the stakes:

After looking over your newly created examples, it should be easy to determine some issues that might be going on in their lives that would increase or decrease their stress. A decrease in stress generally excites people to take greater chances, while an increase in stress tends to shorten people's fuses.

List five possible increases or decreases in your characters stress level.

Don't meddle and let them play:

Now put two of your fully developed characters into the same room. Implement two or three increases in stress to one character and two or three decreases in stress to the other character and let them bounce off of one another. Go into this exercise with no preconceived notions of what might happen. If you have done your homework, they should affect one another.*

*If you need a jumpstart - add an element that one needs from the other and give the other a strong reason for not wanting to provide what that character needs. Could be tangible or emotional.

Corey Blake is President of Writers of the Round Table Inc. (http://www.writersoftheroundtable.com) a literary development and author management company. Corey consults and contributes writing to best-selling authors, leadership coaches and business executives. This article first appeared in Writer Mag.

Other Sites:
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Online Book Stores: Expanding the Horizon of Book Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:45:00 +0000

Books are the best friends of human being. It realizes us the power of knowledge, helps our understanding of different subjects and makes us a better person. It also improves our communication skills and our overall personality. There is nothing more exciting than reading a book and losing yourself in the characters present in the book and being a part of twists and turns of a great story.

You go to the nearest book stores to find your favourite books. It has been the convenient way of reading books so far. Although it is very common to go to these stores but now it is very difficult to get time to visit the store. Even if you go there, you don’t find the books you were looking for. Also, many times the traditional book stores don’t offer you a host of options to shop. Keeping all these factors in the mind, many new concepts and ideas are coming into the market. Readers are getting the joy of reading whole book on their PC with a reasonable pricing option. It really sounds good if you are looking for comfort with no compromise in services.

With the increasing use of internet and its applications in our daily life, the concept of online book store is getting a huge popularity. People love to see, read the summary and post their requirements of books through online process. It is more comfortable and convenient. This concept was first used in schools, colleges and universities in order to provide their students a better choice of gaining knowledge. All the libraries in these places were made online within the local area networking system. Later on, this innovative idea was absorbed by the internet savvy persons and they developed online book stores. All these have not only benefited to the readers but also to the authors since they receive more royalty now mainly because of increased sales globally. Consequently, it also helps the price of books putting down and making the availability more convenient.

The online book shops are becoming famous for its variety too. It gives a list of the renowned authors and their books. You can also find the not so popular authors here and enjoy the novels. It gives a number of choices to the users to find exclusive book lists, hard to find novels and the price range with a simple click. For example, if you are looking for a Harry Potter book, you can simply type the name in search box and you will get the required details within no time. These stores also deliver your booked stuff to your residence.

There are some other lucrative services offered by the online stores. If you are not a person who loves reading books, you can find the DVD and CD version of your favourite books here. The price of this multimedia stuff is kept affordable for you. Now, enjoy reading or watching the fictions or Non-fictions in a most innovative way. There are many sites where you have to get yourself registered and they will be informing about the latest books and offers through e mail. Hence, you will be updated with the happenings in the book world.

The fame of online book portals is obvious in the UK. Some of the biggest book stores in the world come from the UK. The renowned book chain Waterstone is one of them. The fact remains same with the online version of the stores. It is the best place to lure the book worms with a number of online bookstores UK. The online bookstores Ireland, London are also very popular among the book lovers with its huge variety of reading materials. Amazon.co.uk, Rupizcompare.co.uk, etc are some of the leading sites that provide the wide variety of books at the affordable price. You can also find the attractive offers and deals on the sites. It gives an exciting shopping experience to you.

Know more about books price comparison at rupiz compare and get discount shop for audio books and best selling books visit book stores here.

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
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How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

7 Book Writing Mistakes That Block the Success of your Book N How to Avoid Them

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:44:00 +0000

7 Book Writing Mistakes That Block the Success of your Book N How to Avoid Them

7 Book Writing Mistakes that Block the Success of Your Book n How to Avoid Them

Have you read a self published book and noticed misspelled words, a wall of text and grammatical errors? Did it inspire you to read on? Or did it cause you to lose a tiny bit of confidence in the author?

The truth is poor proofreading hurts the self published author and the industry itself. You see, every ounce of confidence lost in one self published author reflects poorly on all independent publishers.

Professionalism inspires confidence. Whether you are writing a short ebook or a full length guide for your industry, your well edited words will work powerfully for you.

In the same way professionalism inspires confidence to purchase your book, grammatical errors and misspelled words may cost you in lost sales. Correct these writing mistakes and translate your professionalism to more book sales.

1. Failure to check for spelling and grammatical errors. Don't be lazy; use spell check. Also, look for singular nouns coupled with plural verbs and vice versa. Check for homonyms correctly spelled but misused words like to, two, and too or effect and affect. Correct punctuation errors like Em dash (-) to indicate duration instead of two (--).

2. Failure to cut selfish constructions containing 'I'. Minimize the "I" in your writing. Your audience wants to know what you can do them. Answer their questions. Solve their problems with each solution. During the editing process, circle each "I" and replace as many as you can with a "you" centered sentence.

3. Failure to shorten your sentences. Slash your sentences to under 15-17 words. Don't bog your readers with complex sentences. Remember multiple phrases slow your reader's comprehension. Make it easy. Get to the point fast.

4. Failure to write compelling copy. Write for the 8-10 grade level. Reward your readers with benefits for them. Clear, easy to understand copy makes your reader want to read your piece to the end. Fill your writing with what's in it for them. They'll come back for more and tell all their friends.

5. Failure to avoid pompous language. The shortest, most well known words are best. The more syllables in a word, the less compelling it becomes. Cut all unnecessary adjectives.
6. Failure to slash adverbs. Go through and cut words like openly, suddenly, very that tell the reader instead of show the reader. Circle all the -ly and very words. Pull out your thesaurus and replace them with power words that show emotion or describe.

7. Failure to check the flow of information. Check your paragraphs for good harmonic flow and understanding. Meaning, make sure you don't drop off suddenly and change the subject. Clear writing creates compelling copy. Compelling copy leads to more book sales.

Are you ready to translate your professionalism to profits? Correct the above mistakes and watch your sales soar from the minute you publish. Remember to check for spelling and grammatical errors, check all dates, times and prices, slash the passive voice, cut the selfish constructions containing "I", shorten sentences, write compelling copy, avoid generalities, slash the adverbs and check your flow of information. Implement these seven tips to begin proofreading for profits!

Earma Brown, 13 year author and book coachGet a Free Book Writing Kit when you take the Write a Book Challenge. Send any email to writeabook@writetowin.org

Other Sites:
Enspiren Press
An Editor's View
Book Lover's Blog
How to Write a Novel
Histoical Novel Writer's
Largest Free Writer's Online Course Site"

How to Get Published: Fiction Writing Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:29:00 +0000

A couple months ago my computer system crashed. Because I had moved to a new town, I took my computer to a new repair technician. An appalling $250.00 later, my computer was returned to me. As I scanned down the list of tasks they had performed, I could not see one thing that I could not have done myself. Not only did they perform tasks I could have executed myself, they used the software I had already installed on my own computer. I sat stunned for a while, then had to laugh. I have been trying to teach my writing students this same lesson for more than four years. With a little knowledge, you can edit your own novels and find out why they are not published.

“How do I get my novel published?” If I had to guess, I would say that ½ of the 3000 students I have taught ask me this question at one time or another. I can usually offer them a quick, easy answer. In many cases, the answer is so easy they reject it as a brush off. But, the truth is, it is often very simple things, and easy to repair problems, that keeps fiction novels from being published by a reputable publisher.

Read over the following list carefully. Learn to understand what these errors are. Use this list as a checklist. I tell unpublished authors to edit their novel for these things, one at a time. Yes, this is a lengthy editing exercise. But, compared to the amount of time it takes to submit a manuscript once, and have it rejected once, the amount of time spent editing will be well spent. By editing this way, one problem at a time, you will learn to avoid these mistakes as you write the first draft, making future novels easier to write.

Learning to eliminate these errors is one-half the battle of becoming a published author. The craft of writing is half learning how to write, and half learning to avoid the things listed below.

I have edited a lot of student manuscripts, both as a freelancer, teacher, and contracted editor for a publishing company and found that the errors listed below comprise at least 90 percent of the problems which keep novels from being published. Most are easy to avoid, if you are aware of them, and can be fixed or avoided easily, once you can spot them.

Read, Read, Read

There is one exercise in my course where writers plan to send their first manuscript. Almost every writer gives me a ‘copy and paste’ listing out of a publisher’s directory. If you have no idea what a publisher is releasing, then how will you know if your book fits their idea of a good book? Read their recent releases. This one exercise can eliminate most of the rejection letters writers receive. Almost unanimously, students who take my advice and read a couple books released by their prospective publishing company, thank me for helping them waste their time. Their book did not fit what that company thought was a publishable novel. Something in their novel was different from what that publisher released. It could have been their grammar style, voice, structure, characters, vocabulary, plots, or missing elements. A dozen things could make that publisher reject your novel. However, it does not mean your novel is not ready to submit.

One truth I have found is; Avid readers make the best writers. This is true, as long as you consistently read novels in the genre, style, and voice you want to read.

If you are an avid reader, then look at the back of the books you are reading. That is the best place to find a publisher.

Are You Ready to Submit

This is the biggest problem. It is the one reason why I tell authors to have a ‘fiction editor’ critique over their novels. It will cost about $200.00, but can save you dozens of rejection letters, maybe years of submitting and rejections, and a lot of heartbreak. However, it is necessary to find a good editor. Have they ever worked for a fiction publisher? How many published novels have they edited? A BA in English, or an ex-teacher will not help you write a marketable fiction novel. You would not ask a airplane mechanic to fix your car. You would never think about asking your neighbor who installs satellites to ‘take a look’ at your furnace because it is making a funny sound. But, every day people pay academic editors to edit their fiction. Or they ask ‘line editors’ to critique their novels when they should be asking ‘content editors’ to help them.

Most of the writers who send me a manuscript to edit or critique send me a first or second draft. The novel is full of grammar mistakes, plot holes, weak characters, and passive writing – which is different than passive voice. This is easy to solve. You will study the craft of writing, so why not learn how to edit?

Structure

It is easy to learn what a story arc is. It is easy to learn how to map a novel, and write your own story arc based on what is on today’s bestsellers lists. There are dozen’s of courses that teach ‘the blueprint of a novel’ and mapping. First, learn what the elements of a novel are. You can do that from any book. Then, find a few good examples of story arcs. Next, write out the events, elements, plot points, and character growth of the novel you are mapping. When done, make it look like the story arc, or make your own blueprint.

It takes about 20 hours to make your own story arc based on your genre, and current bestsellers. You can map anything, structure, plot, supporting plots, character growth, and sub-plots.

When writers rebel, stating that this is formula writing, or that this takes the creativity out of writing, I reply with this story. You have $15 000 which is earmarked for home renovations. Your best friend approaches you, all excited, and offers to do the work for you. You are confused, because your friend is a hairdresser. Would you give a hairdresser your $15 000 to do renovations on your house? What if friends did not want to know what style you were looking for, did not care about your color scheme, and had their own ideas about comfort and luxury? Would you give them your money? However, people ask publishers to do this every day.

Writers need to understand one fact. You are writing for the reader, not yourself. Reader’s demands drive the fiction publishing industry. If the reader does not like the novel, they will not buy it. And, readers do not want wild and crazy stories, they buy novels which promise a good reading experience.

Passive Voice, Passive Writing

This is the single most common error. New writers do not realize that passive writing creates ‘one degree of separation’ between the story and the reader. Passive voice is easy to catch with your grammar check. Passive writing is a little harder. Passive writing is narrative. Narration takes the reader out of the main character’s Point Of View (POV).

If this is your problem, then you need to take a course. If you are not sure, then look through your novel and ask these questions:

· Do characters actually do something, or does the sentence explain what the character did? Jill picked up her milk vs. Jill lifted the glass and took a sip of milk.
· Do you use these words: was, were, had, that, still, felt, noticed, saw, just, nice thought, up, down, beautiful, dark, tall, almost, very, down, up, behind, and pretty. If you find more than five of these words on your pages then you need to learn how to remove them. In many cases these words can be eliminated if you reconstruct the sentence so the main character’s actions are the subject of the sentence.
· Do you stop the action to explain why a character is doing something?
· Are you telling the reader a story? Or, are you writing down segment of the character’s life, as it happens, describing exactly what you, the writer, sees as it is happening?
· Do you use gerunds, ‘ing’, words instead of verbs?
· Do you use weak verbs? Jill ran vs. Jill’s feet pounded the pavement. Jill was angry vs. Jill slammed the door and stomped across the hall.
· Do you summarize? Look at the example above. You’ll notice that the passive examples are shorter than the active examples.
Passive voice is okay in dialogue. We talk in passive voice, so it is okay if your character’s talk in passive writing.

Summary Narrative

Direct narrative

Jill walked down the hall, descended the stairs, and pushed open the door. She crossed the parking lot and entered Kim’s Café

Summary narrative

Jill went to Kim’s Café.

HeadHopping

One scene, One Point Of View. You are not Nora Roberts. You cannot sell the number of novels she can. So, you cannot get away with writing like she does. Make sure every sentence in a scene comes out of the POV character’s head.

I tell my students to try this exercise. Pretend you are standing at a window looking in at the scene unfolding. Beside you stands a blind friend. You are going to tell her what is happening, as it happens. Do not summarize, paint pictures with words.

This is part one of this series of articles. None of the mistakes listed here are arbitrary. They are all based on rejection letters, discussions with publishers, and personal experience. You can break these rules. You can break these rules, as long as you realize that it will take longer to find a publisher who wants your novel. I do know authors who make these mistakes, and sell a novel or two a year. This is not unusual. The stronger your writing skills are, if you consistently study the craft of writing, and if you master the elements of a novel, then you will be able to break the rules and get away with it.

Suzanne James is a published author, a freelance editor who has worked as a publishing house editor, public speaker, and a teacher who teaches the craft of writing and line editing online at www.writersonlinecourses.com She publishes at www.inspiredauthor.com, www.authorsconnection.com . Her private website is www.writer-writer.com . And is the author of “Are You Ready to Submit: A Fiction Writer’s Self-editing guide?”

How to Write a Novel - Get Started

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:25:00 +0000

We walk through a bookstore and imagine the day we can pull a book off the shelf, and read our name on the cover. The euphoric feeling of becoming a published author enables us to type the next ten pages, or address another brown envelope and resubmit our next story.

Writers do not count the hours needed to reach their goals. The journey becomes a forgotten memory when the goal is reached. Unfortunately, many writers walk this road for years before realizing that publishers are more interested in profits than creativity.

The writer learns how easily a good story can be changed into a marketable story. There is no magic formula. Reading another ‘how to’ book will not unfold a new secret. A writer only needs to copy successful writers to shorten their journey between creativity and publication. The following are four basics shared by successful authors.

Write

There is no getting around it. If you want to be a published author, you must write every day. As obvious as this rule is, many writers only write occasionally. It takes practice to teach a writer to think in complete sentences. Writing hones our grammar skills, and improves our style. Eventually, we can eliminate most mistakes in the first draft.

A new writer often takes ten drafts to finish a marketable story. Experienced writers can finish the same story in five drafts. Talent and education does not divide these two groups. The only consistent is practice, and daily writing.

Polish

This is the first lesson we learn, and the last technique we understand. Writing a good story is a growing process. We learn new things as we write.

I see this in the manuscripts I critique and edit. In most cases, the last fifty pages of a story are a hundred percent better than the first fifty. This is the result of practice, and application. The author learned to self-edit as they wrote. Authors who do not take the time to learn the art of editing remain blind to common mistakes in their own work.

We often make the mistake of editing too much. There is no rush when polishing. It is better to read the entire manuscript, looking for one or two problems, than it is to correct everything in one or two rewrites. Our distaste for editing causes us to miss common mistakes, which will result in another rejection letter.

Read

How to get published? Learn what publishers are releasing. No ‘How to’ book can promise a ‘one size fits all’ manuscript. Each publisher has their own style, vocabulary, and structure. An experienced author looks for strong similarities between their manuscript and a publisher’s recent releases. When they find a close fit by reading new releases, they send that publisher a query. New writers sabotage their efforts by playing submission roulette with the newest publisher’s directory.

Fact: Avid readers make the best writers.

I asked several published authors how many times they rewrite before submitting. The answer is a shocking ten to fifteen times.

Promote

The best time to start promoting is now. Promotion has several advantages. It builds a fan base. It helps us overcome the fear of submission and sales, and it changes our attitude.

A positive, professional attitude is invaluable when it is time to submit. Our promotion attempts may start small, like forming a book club at our library, but soon we start seeing ourselves as professionals. This changes us from hopeful wannabes, seeking a publisher’s affirmation, to professional authors. When this happens, we do not need publishers with national distribution to earn enough money to write full time. We have enough momentum to drive our own careers forward.

It takes time to learn we can weave these four elements together. The only way to fail is to quit. Everyone starts a career by setting a goal. After choosing a direction, they invest time studying and working to make that goal a reality. Writing is no different. Our goal is much simpler than most people’s, to become a successful writer.

Write, read, and have fun.

Learn More from Suzanne James at www.writer-writer.com

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What is Your 'Genre's Promise'?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:20:00 +0000

This month we will study ‘the fiction novel’s promises,’ and how we use them to write and sell fiction.

There are rules that govern fiction writing. Most are soft rules that can be broken when the story needs a twist or to jar the reader emotionally. Experienced writers can break the rules and still sell their novel. This is not true of the genre’s promises.

Each genre is built around fundamental promises that must be kept if a writer dreams of becoming a published author. These promises define a book’s genre. The following examples give a brief definition of some genres.

· The Heroine is the heartbeat of a romance novel, but if the story focuses on her and not the romance, the novel fits the woman’s fiction genre. The reader expects a certain type of story, character, conflict, and experience, whether it is emotional release, fantasy, or fun.

· The Hero drives a fantasy novel forward, but if a troupe of characters do not accompany him or her, the novel is an adventure, or historical adventure.

· The Victim keeps readers turning the pages of a thriller, if the main character is not a victim the novel is more likely a mystery.

The novel’s readers expect certain elements to be included in a novel, in the right place. When they browse the bookstore shelves, they are looking for a novel that promises a satisfying, emotional experience. The romance reader expects the story will be driven forward by the character's motives and actions. This makes romance novel’s plots character driven. If the situations and events move the plot forward, the romance reader will be disappointed with the story.

Readers also abhor the presence of author intrusions, except in fantasy novels. Author intrusions are situations where the author takes the liberty to resolve a story's conflicts by interrupting the natural sequence of events, or cause and effect, to include a situation from their imagination, instead of drawing on the character's motives and goals. This is true of most situational driven plots.

The fiction novel reader also expects the character to have weaknesses that will make them real. When the reader picks up a novel, they expect a certain aspect of emotional growth in the character. This is true in all genres. The character must grow until they are worthy of a happy ending, even if the reader had a bad day. A novel does not work if the reader resents the character’s good luck or success.

“Will the reader think this character is worthy of a happy ending, one which is denied the person reading the story?” I have helped many writers who were told their story suffered from a weak ending. I suggested that the reader resented the character’s happy ending, believing they were not worthy of it. I asked the writer to read their work, with the genre’s promises in mind, and give the reader what they want and expect. In the writing industry, we call this “meeting reader demands.” After all, this is the purpose of fiction. We write for the reader, not ourselves. If the reader is not happy, there is no reason to publish the novel or short story. If the reader is not happy, they will not buy another one of our books.

However, many writers forget that each genre offers their reader's a specific promise. The reader knows the couple in a romance novel will overcome their problems, resolve the conflicts, and make a life long commitment in the end. The mystery novel promises the reader the detective will have a hard time figuring out who the criminal is, but when the reader looks back at the clues, it will be obvious. The thriller genre promises readers the characters will become emotionally involved in a life and death fight, and the protagonist will not necessarily have a happy ending, but the characters will find the emotional stability and contentment they desire. If the novel does not provide this emotional experience, then it fits the spy or adventure genre.

Writers break their genre’s promises when the character’s personality types are not compatible with each other. For example: when picking an antagonist, or Villain, the reader forgets to make them the opposite of the protagonist, or Hero. To use a comic book term, the Villain must be the Hero's nemesis. This is a very important aspect of most novels.

This is why writers need to understand their markets, genres, and why certain readers are drawn to a particular type of story. Let’s say you are writing about a woman whose nurturing side enables her to defeat the large corporation that is preparing to destroy her home. Logic may indicate the Amazon archetype will be the best character type for this story. No. The Amazon type will die before surrendering their independence, but they will not risk everything save strangers or an ideal like ‘hearth and home.’ This personality type is motivated by self-gain, so there must be a personal benefit before they fight. While they Amazon is the wrong choice for a romance or woman’s fiction, she is perfect for a thriller or Sci-Fi.

Picking a personality type for a character is not hard. The Internet is full of articles and personality tests that writers can use to create the perfect characters. Best sellers are a great place to look for the reader’s idea of a perfect couple, hero, or troupe, depending on the genre. I do not suggest you copy characters from a published novel, but studying what the readers expect in the characters and plot will save months of rewrites, heartache, and rejection for writers of all genres.

The concept of a story’s promise is widely used in the fiction publishing industry. To explore these promises a writer needs to look at several different fiction genres. You will see that different genres can have the same types of characters, similar protagonists and antagonists, the same conflicts, resolutions, climax and black moment. But, they unfold at different paces and have varying emotional impacts on the readers. This is the result of the story's promise.

Here are some examples of how each genre unfolds to elicit different emotional responses from the readers.

· A fantasy novel promises the reader an adventure where a troupe of mismatched characters overcome impossible odds, conflicts, and complete a quest with nothing more than luck, team work, and magic. The character in the fantasy novel may have problems related to their back-story that prevents them from realizing their full potential.

· The thriller promises a roller coaster ride of story twists that create an unpredictable ending.

· A Sci-Fi novel promises the reader a team of intelligent people will survive on their wits alone. They need to dig deep inside them discover strengths, weaknesses, and how to work as a team, if they want to survive.

The Hero in a Sci-Fi who is self-efficient, Type A, and emotionally stable, would be completely unsuitable for the fantasy novel. So, the Sci-Fi takes the character on a journey from self sufficient individualist to team oriented survivor, while the fantasy takes the same character from homebody, or no-body to self-sufficient hero. The difference in these two genre’s promises force the characters down different paths toward their character growth. To some writers, this seems like a minor problem, but it can be a major problem when it comes time to pitching a novel to the publisher.

Broken promises also cause plot problems, especially when the writer puts their own personal wants and needs first. Writers, like everyone, have their own problems. They are on their own journey of emotional and character growth. In many cases, they write a book for self healing, and then wonder why editors don't take the time to read it, or publishers send them form rejection slips. The person who bought a novel chose it because the story promised to reach a need in their lives. It promised a satisfying ending, characters who the reader could care about, and a plot that will unfold in an interesting and entertaining manner. When a novel or short story fails to unravel in the proper sequence, and in an entertaining way, the reader feels let down.

The romance reader wants to read about selfless characters. This reader will not relate to the Amazon archetype’s motives and goals. That is why a clever writer knows their reader and gives them familiar characters. This is why I suggest that all writers join reading clubs, yahoo groups, fan clubs, and even create their own groups and newsletters. These will all give them a chance to study the very people who will be reading their fiction.

These promises are used when writing, submitting, and pitching a novel. New authors can learn how to do this. First, study the genre from published books and the Internet. Second, a smart writer reads their genres best sellers. One habit reappears consistently in the lives of every published author I know. It is secret that takes the mystery out of the craft of writing. Simply put it is, “avid readers make the best authors.”

Published writers and avid readers, can usually list the popular authors and best selling books in their genre, because they read them. They know their market, and they know their reader.

Next, a wise writer makes sure the genre's promises are the foundation of the themes and subplots in their stories. A good story makes the genre's promises a focal point in the story, not just a vague subplot. Taking the time to read best sellers will prove this is a fact, not just a theory.

Finally, they will write their sales pitch, synopsis, query letter, and promotional material around these promises.

There is a big difference between fiction and marketable fiction. In many ways, the craft of writing is unforgivable, but a skilled writer can use the rules to free themselves from the formulas that are used to create marketable fiction. All a writer needs is a little creativity and a solid understanding of the elements that are common in all good fiction. If you are ready to write your break out novel, or if you are trying to write your very first novel, then it is time to start focusing on the genre’s promises and using them to meet the reader’s demands.

Most importantly, you need to remember one thing – have fun.

Suzanne James is a published author and freelance content/line editor, and author of “Is Your Manuscript Ready To Submit?” To date she has edited 10 published novels. More than one was nominated for, or won, national awards including the EPPIE.

She has taught more than 2000 writers in her online courses, How to Write and Edit a Novel, Write Well: Prose to Proofreading, and How to Write Romance at www.writersonlinecourses. She also teaches at writer’s workshops and continuing education course in Southern Ontario.

She hosts two sites designed to teach new writers, and help published authors promote themselves. www.inspiredauthor.com www.authorsconnecction.com

Her personal website is at www.writer-writer.com

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Editing Is Your Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:00:00 +0000

As an editor, I find many writers have either edited their work too much or too little.
The key is to edit well enough to create a great story, but not too much that your work no longer has heart.
A lot of novel authors believe the golden word limit is 100 000. This is not always the case. Many publishers, big and small, prefer the word limit to be around 90k or even under. One of my publishers is UK hardback publisher Robert Hale Ltd. Their word count is approx 73 000 words. Always check the publisher’s guidelines, if possible.
Now some writers will be horrified that their beloved opus is a massive 300k words, and they refuse to cut a single word from it, but honestly think of the bigger picture — money. Publishers are companies out to make money, some foster careers, too, but mainly it is money and it is silly to think otherwise. For them to make money they have to create marketable books that will sell. If your book is a massive tome, do you think that the average publisher is going spend an awful lot of time and money on something that will be priced above all the competition?
When writers are confronted by the prospect of cutting words, they panic and think it can’t be done without destroying plots and characters.
In actual fact, most writers will learn that there is a skill to trimming word count. Once that skill is learnt, they can apply it to other works, and also this will change the way they write future manuscripts.
Sometimes, the act of cutting words from the manuscript is simply a case of re-writing the odd paragraph, of eliminating passive writing or over telling, deleting repeated or redundant words. Look for instances where you have explained the same thing more than once, but perhaps in different ways or by different character’s viewpoint. There are many good websites built to aid writers in writing the best work they can. I have a list on my website of several such websites.
http://www.annewhitfield.com/writingwebsites.html

In the end, write the story of your heart, but edit it with a business mind and the chances are you’ll have a better prospect of becoming published and the journey with your future editor may be also smoother.
Good Luck!
Anne Whitfield, author and editor.
http://www.annewhitfield.com

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How Editors Know You're An Amateur

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:28:00 +0000

Are you happy being an amateur writer? Do you want to stay in that happy state? Then just follow these tips in all your submissions.

Don't address the editor by name. After all, there may be many editorial staff at the publication just waiting to jump at the chance to read your work, and you don't want them to miss out do you?

Don't use double spacing. You never see articles or stories published in double space do you? So why should you bother double spacing your work, when someone is just going to have to convert it to single spacing later?

Don't bother checking your spelling or grammar. That's the editor's job isn't it?

Don't send return postage. Why should you assume they'll return your work? That's defeatism. If they want to publish it, they can write you a letter - surely they can afford that? And as you've paid to send it to them, surely they can pay to return it?

Don't put your name on the manuscript. They're bound to keep your manuscript and the cover letter together aren't they. No one would ever file correspondence and submissions in different places. Neither would they keep your letter, and send your submission to someone else to appraise it. That never happens.

Don't tell them how many words it is. Surely they can count?

Don't use a standard font. Everybody else does, and you want your manuscript to stand out from the crowd.

Don't use a new ribbon or cartridge. Why waste ink when the manuscript will get re-typed before publication anyway?

Don't tell them you've sent it to other editors. What they don't know can't hurt them. And you can always play one editor off against an other when they both offer you publication. Surely they'll understand that they can't expect an exclusive look at your work without a guarantee to publish it?

Don't read the publication's guidelines. Your work is so good that they'll have to publish it, even if it doesn't fit what they say they want. They just don't realise that they want it yet, that's all.

Just follow the tips above, and you're guaranteed to remain a happy amateur for ever.

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The Three "Questions" Of Science Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:27:00 +0000

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about what that particular branch of literature called "Science Fiction" actually consists of. Is it space-ships and monsters? Time machines? Galactic empires? Well, its all of those things, and often none of them.

Science Fiction, broadly speaking, is story-telling that deals with the impact of organized knowledge on human beings. Usually, this means technology, and the way it changes us-and reveals about us. After all, most technology is an extension of our senses, attributes and desires: computers are brains, cell-phones are voices and ears, cars are legs, planes are the dream of flight.

Many classic S.F. films and books take place in worlds identical to ours, except for the creation of some new device, or the appearance of a new life-form. Others take place in worlds so apparently foreign that only the most dedicated and experienced reader can understand what is going on!

But at the core, there are three questions or musings most often asked or explored in any work with the "Science Fiction" label. Those three are:

1) What if?
2) If Only...
3) If This Goes On...

These three overlap considerably, but the first, "What If?", is the most essential. "What If the Martians attacked?" "What If eternal life was available at a price?" "What If we knew an asteroid would hit Earth in a year?"

The second adds a bit of longing to the equation. "If Only President Kennedy hadn't been assassinated..." is the kind of question that leads to sociological and historical speculation, or the "Alternate History" branch of S.F. which has become tremendously popular in the last decade. "If Only the gene for generosity (or anger, or bigotry) could be mapped..." "If Only we could selectively prune bad memories..."

There is an emotional quality to the "If Only" questions, and they often speak to a sense of missed opportunity, roads not taken.

The third question, "If This Goes On" is tailor-made for cautionary tales. "If we continue to pollute the environment..." "If one party continues to dominate American politics..." "If more women enter the management class..." "If the space program continues to Privatize" "If human beings become better at modifying their physical characteristics..."

These questions are starting places for speculation. While it is easy to use any of them for trivial or absurd (and entertaining!) questions like "What if a 300-foot radioactive lizard attacked Tokyo?" they can also address profound issues, as in "how would humanity change if we gained incontrovertible proof of intelligent alien life?"

By concentrating on the question, or proposition, at the core of your story, it becomes easier to keep it from becoming a CGI-fest. Ask yourself how YOU would react to a given situation. How your family would react-you know them well. Then friends. Political adversaries. Other nations, and people of other groups. Dig into the meat of it. Study history, and begin to grasp the way societies change in response to technology, for instance the Automobile, or Printing Press, or Computer.

The more deeply you delve, the more likely you will be to create a unique question with unique answers. Then people your world with breathing, believable characters responding as intelligent, feeling people have since the beginning of time. Your work will blossom and reach new levels...

Even if it IS about a 300-foot radioactive lizard!

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Put Your Best Foot Forward When Submitting Your Manuscript

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:26:00 +0000

Every week, editors and book agents, receive many first-time authors' manuscripts for review purposes. Some authors want them to read their manuscript and give them a complete written report while others simply want them to look at their manuscript and see if the possibility exists that they can help them to publish it as a book.

Still others, while acknowledging the rough draft form of their manuscript, only want professional thoughts of what they believe to be a bestseller. Most editors believe everyone possesses a story inside of them; although they know that people also encompass varying degrees of gifts and level of skills.

Some even maintain the uncanny ability to "look beyond the faults" of most new authors and can see their story or book idea - regardless of their ability to write it. So while many of their manuscripts come to them, apologetically, many do not expect most of them to write on the order of a Rick Warren.

These manuscripts come in all manner of formats, including being written by hand on yellow legal pads or typed on an old-school styled typewriter. Regardless of the format, and although some editors still consider it an honor to receive their interest, the lack of reasonable care that some people employ takes most of them aback.

In the self-publishing arena, author services companies get their share of clients who can pay in full for their publishing projects. Yet, many common, everyday men and women whose dreams of being published may be stymied by financial resources.

But there is an old saying which circulated in the inner-city streets of Houston, Texas, by proud, working mothers, "You may not be rich, but you don't have to be dirty."

Can you imagine what happens when some of the manuscripts are sent to major publishing concerns or agents for possible representation - in the same shape?

Every author owes it to his or herself to learn the generally accepted manuscript formatting style and should at least use the spell-check function in their word processor. Author and writing coach Jessica Morrell, allowed me to reprint her report, "The Top Ten Reasons A Manuscript Is Rejected," in a book for writers.

I often refer others to it regardless of whether they want to pursue a major publishing contract or self-publish a few copies for their family members. The majority of the top ten reasons pertain to fiction books, however the first three applies to everyone - even if your book falls into the non-fiction category.

1. The manuscript format is inappropriate or contains errors. There are no exceptions to the guidelines for manuscript submission. Margins, line spacing, formats must be adhered to or your manuscript will be ignored.
Note: Do not send it to the wrong person or place. An editor or agent wants to know that you have chosen him or her for a specific reason. Submission requires meticulous research and care. Whenever possible, make contacts in the industry and in general, send brief inquiries before sending any manuscript pages.

2. The writing style is sloppy, flowery, cluttered with modifiers. Overuse of modifiers is one of the most obvious indicators of an unsophisticated or sloppy writer at work. The simple solution is to limit your use of modifiers and use them only when they contain information that a noun or verb cannot.

3. Mechanical errors such as spelling mistakes, grammar slip-ups, poorly constructed sentences, or punctuation problems. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, these errors will knock you out of the running. Editors and agents are only interested in professional, polished and error-free writing.

I'll save you the horror stories, but suffice it to say that the preceding three points underscores by far the state of the manuscripts received by book publishing executives. The saying still rings true: "You may not be rich, but you don't have to be dirty."

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