The Writer's Mentor Blog

Who is Mark Victor Hansen? Is he qualified to mentor writers?

2010-02-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Mark Victor Hansen...the guy involved in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series? For years, I have mentored authors who were submitting their stories to the Soul series.

I've even played the role of editor and edited the texts of many authors who have written for the Soul series. But what amazes me now is that Mark Victor Hansen has stepped into the mentoring arena. Can you believe that, and is he qualified?

Here is the link to his new mentoring site, "Wealthy Writer's Wisdom Seminar." Sign up for his info packet, and yes, I do recommend him. :)

I'm interested in what you think about Mark doing this, and if you think if he can help you. Leave me a comment. Thanks.

If an author has talent and skill enough to write a very good novel, what are the odds it would ever create good income?

2009-01-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

If you want to create a good income after having written your novel, what are the odds of that happening?

A)1 in 10
B)1 in 100
C)1 in 1000
D)1 in 10,000.

This is an excellent question submitted by one of our web visitors.

Before I reveal the answer, I'd like to add more depth to the question. Writing a novel and finishing it is a major accomplishment; something that many people say they'd like to do, but never follow through. That's where a writing mentor or coach can keep you on task.

After your novel has been written, that's when the critical work begins: finding a publisher or agent, choosing to self-publish, or having your books printed and distributing them yourself. Regardless of how you publish your book, it's the marketing phase that determines the book's success—in most cases.

Let's run through a typical scenario. You've written a novel. You've submitted it to a manuscript review authority who gives you important feedback for improving your story, your plot, character dialogue, structure, and grammar. You implement the suggested changes without altering the story's focus. All well and good. You've taken the necessary steps to make sure your book has the best *edge* possible.

Next, your book is published and available at ten thousand online bookstores. You sit and wait, rubbing your hot palms together anticipating all the sales and royalties that you'll make...but then nothing happens.

It's at that point that you just might give up. My question: if you were sitting in that position, would you give up? Leave your comments below.

The next critical element in establishing the odds of making good money with your novel is steeped in answering the question...what's "good money?" Naturally, the answer means generating revenues that you're happy with and brings you a residual income. But more than that, making money on that book you've written usually determines if an author will write another book or quit writing.

Don't let that happen to you! If you have a passion for writing, then write one book, get it published, market it, and at the same time begin outlining your next book.

Without tossing too many names out there, one female author wrote ELEVEN novels, and had them all rejected by publishers until someone saw the potential in her storytelling. The novel was purchased, sold millions, and then the stories were adapted into screenplays, and products were created to promote the movies. Do you know who the author was? Answer: J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series.

Okay, here's my answer for the odds: Choice C. Since I work with many mainstream publishers and provide editing services and manuscript reviews, I would say that one book out of every thousand books has an opportunity of making good money. Remember, however, if you choose to ride the wave of sending query letters to mainstream publishers and agents, the book advances are small, and the royalty rates average between 5 percent to 9 percent for first-time authors.

Share your experiences and thoughts on this topic. There's a world of authors out there waiting for your comments.

Thanks,
Candace

Dialogue Tags for your story characters

2008-01-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

A writing teacher recently sent me an e-mail asking if I could help her students by providing a list of alternative dialogue tags that they could use when writing fiction.

I was a little reluctant, at first. I pondered the idea of sharing my private dialogue tag list with her—or anyone, for that matter. Although I knew in my heart that beginning authors usually make the mistake of ending dialogue with, "he said," or "she said."

For years I've known that adding descriptive dialogue tags to a character's speech adds excitement, spice, and a sense of how that character is defined.

Without revealing too much more, if you'd like a copy of my secret and private dialogue tag list, you can download it here: Dialogue Tags

Please leave a comment about my "private dialogue tag" list.

Thanks, and all my best.
~Candace Sinclair
The Writer's Mentor

How to find time to write when you're burned out at the end of the day

2008-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

I received the following question from "Frustrated in Frankfurt"...

"I have lengthy notes for a book, but I work full time and then some. I'm pretty burned out by the end of the day. How do I get started actually writing?"

Dear Frustrated in Frankfurt,

Great question! Finding time to write when you work at a demanding job can seem overwhelming. The secret is to create a simple blueprint that you can fill in whenever you have 20 minutes of free time. For example, you might want to get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning; or take 20 minutes during your lunch break to get something on paper.

Here's an easy three-step process to follow.

1. Create a page that says, "Chapter 1" and in one sentence describe the event that you want to talk about.

2. Down the left side of the page, place numbers from 1 to 15.

3. Next to each number, brainstorm a short sentence or phrase that you will write about that points back to the chapter's topic.

If you've already created notes for your book, then review them before you go to bed at night. Then in the morning, you can start with the blueprint parameters I've described above.

NOTE: The secret is to brainstorm and write for 20 minutes. That's it. When 20 minutes is up, save your file. Then the next morning, continue where you left off.

Here's a quick example of creating a blueprint. Let's say you want to write a book that's titled: Lake Fishing Tips for a Great Outdoor Experience

Chapter 1: What You Need to Know to Get Started with Lake Fishing

1. Discuss the three types of fish: game fish, food fish, and forage or bait fish.

2. List the types of fish associated with game fish - bass, trout, pike, pickerel, muskellunge, pike perch, etc.

3. List the types of fish associated with food fish - carp, suckers, some catfish, yellow perch, etc., and then list the bait fish.

4. Types of rods to consider buying and why

5. Types of line that will benefit lake fishing

6. Types of fishing lures that work best

7. List the items to have in your tackle box

8. Talk about Fishing licenses

9. List the type of fishing gear an angler might want to buy

10. Choosing a location - by state or local area

11. Selecting a fishing guide

12. Weather forecasts - what to know in advance

13. Packing for your trip

14. Storing your rods

15. Summary

So, there you have it. This mini-blueprint took me only 15 minutes to create.

Candace Sinclair
The Writer's Mentor

Questions? Thoughts? Leave a comment.

Ask your writing questions and I'll post my responses here

2007-11-12T17:26:00.001-08:00

Hi, this is Candace from The Writer's Mentor.

I've set up this blog so that authors and writers can send me their questions about becoming a writer, how to write a novel or nonfiction book, or even how to get started writing a book or writing articles for online content sites on the Internet.

Whenever I receive your questions, I will post my replies here in this blog. In addition, I will provide writing-related tips that you can use.

So, have at it. I'm here for you. Send your writing questions to me through this link: Submit your writing questions.

All my best, and God bless,
Candace Sinclair