Tag: Writers Resources
The New Reality of Author Platforms
[found on forbes.com; by Alan Rinzler]
“It’s still about visibility, but today’s approach has changed. The New Author Platform requires a focus on developing an unobstructed back and forth between authors and their readers, with the authors — not the publishers — controlling the flow.
Now it’s the author, not a publicist, who inspires readers to buy the book. The New Author Platform allows not only well-established authors, but unknown, first-time beginners to do an end run around the conservative gate-keepers and reach readers directly.”
To find out more from Alan Rinzler about author platforms, and how to create your own, click here.
[found on http://www.forbes.com/sites/booked/2011/07/26/the-new-author-platform-what-writers-need-to-know]
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Strength In Belief
“An author’s strong belief and enthusiasm will affect the writing of the book and often the publisher’s commitment to it.”
― Sterling Lord, Lord of Publishing: A Memoir
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See Your Scene
[found on thewritepractice.com; by JB Lacaden]
“Visualize Your Scenes.
If you, the writer, cannot visualize the fight, expect the readers to have trouble as well. Visualize how each moment of the scenes will take place.
Try writing multiple ways of how the scene plays out. Ask other people to read them out. Did they like what they read? Were they able to picture out a clear image of the fight?
Remember: Action scenes don’t always involve fights. They can also be about your protagonist trying to race against time to stop a time bomb. But they always must be clearly written.”
For more great tips on writing from The Write Practice, click here.
[found on http://thewritepractice.com/pow-fight-scenes/]
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New Writers, Listen Up
[found on goinswriter.com; by Jeff Goins]
“Getting started
- Start small. 300 words per day is plenty. John Grisham began his writing career as a lawyer. He got up early every morning and wrote one page. You can do the same. (Need some ideas for getting started? Check out these book ideas.)
- Have an outline. Write up a table of contents that guide you. Then break up each chapter into a few sections. Think of your book in terms of beginning, middle, and end. Anything more complicated will get you lost. If you need help, read this book: Do the Work.
- Have a set time to work on your book every day. If you want to take a day or two off per week, schedule that as time off. Don’t just let the deadline pass. And don’t let yourself off the hook.
- Choose a unique place to write. This needs to be different from where you do other activities. The idea is to make this a special space so that when you enter it, you’re ready to work on your project.”
For more tips from GoinsWriter, click here.
[found on http://goinswriter.com/tips-writing-book]
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Pact With Readers
“We as authors sign a pact with our readers; they’ll go on reading because they trust us to play fair with them and deliver what we’ve promised.”
― Pamela Glass Kelly, From Inspiration to Publication: How to Succeed as a Children’s Writer: Advice from 15 Award Winning Writers
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Schedule, Not Afterthought
[found on chronicle.com; by Michael C. Munger]
“Write, then squeeze the other things in. Put your writing ahead of your other work. I happen to be a “morning person,” so I write early in the day. Then I spend the rest of my day teaching, having meetings, or doing paperwork. You may be a “night person” or something in between. Just make sure you get in the habit of reserving your most productive time for writing. Don’t do it as an afterthought or tell yourself you will write when you get a big block of time. Squeeze the other things in; the writing comes first.”
For more writing tips by Michael C. Munger, click here.
[found on http://chronicle.com/article/10-Tips-on-How-to-Write-Less/124268]
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Be Passive The Writing Must Not
[found on bookcoaching.com; by Judy Cullins]
“Stop passive sentence construction.
When you write in passive voice, your writing slides along into long sentences that slow your readers down, even bore them.
Before you put your final stamp of approval on your writing, circle all the “is,” “was” and other passive verbs like: begin, start to, seems, appears, have, and could. Use your grammar check to count your passives. Aim for 2-4% only.
Instead of, ”Make sure that your name is included on all your household accounts and investments.” Passive culprits include “Make” and “is included.” Create more clarity with this revision,” Include your name on all household accounts and investments to keep your own credit alive after your divorce.”
For more tips on writing from Judy Cullins, click here.
[found on http://bookcoaching.com/wp/non-fiction-book-writing-solutions]
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Show Up, It’s the Secret
[found on writing.ie; by Carol Tallon]
“Turn up, keeping turning up and don’t forget to breathe!
While this may not sound original or particularly enlightening, struggling writers should focus on this as a first step. Turn up and keep turning up until it no longer requires any conscious effort. You might not be in the mood to sit at the computer, and you may even feel that it is a waste of time if your mind is blank, turn up anyway. The ego of a writer is a great thing as it means we will not tolerate a void, regardless of whether that void is in our mind, in conversation or on the screen in front of us. Our aim will be to fill that void. It’s a compulsion. Give into it. Over time, with discipline, your words and ideas will be transformed into concepts that can be shared with the world.”
For more tips from Carol Tallon, click here.
[found on http://www.writing.ie/resources/tips-for-writing-non-fiction-from-carol-tallon]
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Feel Not Alone, Dear Writer
[found on quentinschultze.com; by Quentin J. Schultze]
“Discuss Your Writing with Writers (and Authors)
Authors need one another. Writing is personal, but learning about writing is communal. Every author depends on the work of earlier writers. This is true for style and content. We all need feedback from other writers as well as from readers. Discussing our ideas and manuscripts with other writers helps us to discover what works and what doesn’t—and why. Join a local writers group (e.g., through a bookstore), read one another’s drafts, and offer kind but honest feedback. If possible, invite some published (but humble) authors into the group. Eventually, sitting at your keyboard or staring at a notebook will not seem so lonely, intimidating, and baffling.”
Editing Addict, LLC 