Interview with Author Sarah Elliston

Below is an interview I had the pleasure of doing with author Sarah Elliston.

1. Give a brief synopsis of your book, Lessons From a Difficult Person?

Sarah Elliston never realized she was "a difficult person." She wasn't intentionally mean-spirited. She was just trying to do what she thought was RIGHT!

A kind boss brought her problem to her attention with great compassion and strength. This began a transformation journey towards the woman teaching others how to deal with difficult people. The book describes her experience and offers readers an opportunity to explore their relationship with a difficult person. She offers exercises in how to awaken the challenging personality and improve the relationship.

2. What got you into writing?

I have always loved to write and did well in school and in my professional reports. I have always journaled and when all else fails, I find writing clears my mind.

3. What genres do you like to read?

My favorite books are about fictional crime solving, and mysteries. I like historical fiction and I enjoy poetry. I find poetry challenging to write but I love to read something where the exact word paints a picture for the senses.

4. What made you decide to write this particular book?

I wrote this particular book because I was teaching workshops on Dealing with Difficult People and wanted to share my concepts of healing with more people. Participants wanted a level two workshop and I thought having the book would help them remember the concepts as well as take time to really do the suggested exercises.

5. How much time and effort do you put into marketing?

Not very much. I like talking about the content but I find it difficult to just throw it out at people.

6. Do you have any works in mind that you've not yet written?

If so, what are they? Well, one title is "Everything I needed to know about relationships I learned by being a volunteer coordinator." And the other one is another Lessons From a Difficult Person book, it is about how people change, how I changed, and again, what others can do to help us change.

7. If there is one thing that stands out about your writing, what is it?

I am willing to be vulnerable, to share my personal thoughts, feelings, and experience. My writing is literal and concrete. I explain things well and I always throw in some humor. People aren't usually confused about what I am saying.

8. What inspired you to write your book?

I went to a weekend workshop where I was told I could write a book in 4 days. I got so involved in it that I couldn't stop. I am very personally invested in the content.

9. Where can potential readers find your work?

My website, http://www.SarahElliston.com 

10. Where can readers connect with you socially online?

Yes, I have a Facebook author page, Sarah Elliston Author and my twitter handle is @mainesam (because I went to school there) and I am on LinkedIn as Sarah H. Elliston. The best way to contact me is through the website.

Linda Barnett-Johnson is a Virtual Assistant for authors and enjoys writing poetry, short stories, articles about writing and making up quotes. Many of her articles and poetry have been published. She’s a former editor, former assistant editor of Long Story Short ezine, former administrative director of Long Story Short School of Writing. You can locate her website here: www.lindabarnett-johnson.com She also posts new books, writing articles and author interviews on her blog: http://lindabarnett-johnson.blogspot.com/ Always looking for guest bloggers that would post writing tips, articles and anything to do with writing.

Aim for Writing Success

Writing success can mean different things to different writers.

Some writers may simply want to get a book or article published; others may want to be on the New York Times Best Sellers List; still others may want to make a living writing; and there are those who may be seeking wealth and fame.

The key here is to dig down and really know what your perception of writing success is.

Once you are certain what you’re aiming for, take the necessary steps to become the writing success you dream of.

Sounds easy, right? Well, we all know it’s not, if it were, there would be no struggling writers.

The first problem you may run into is actually realizing how you perceive success, or what you want from your writing efforts.

According to Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the number one reason for being stuck and not realizing your potential or goals is the lack of clarity.

So, how do you fix this problem?

Step One: You Must Define Your Goals and Your Perception of Success

It’s not sufficient to state you want to be a published writer; you need to proclaim the specifics.

You want to be a self-help nonfiction author of published books and magazine articles earning an income of $100,000 per year. You can even get much more specific than that—the more specific your goals and intentions are the more likely you will attain them.

Step Two: Prepare a Plan

When you finally have a break through and know exactly what you want from your writing efforts, you need to prepare a detailed plan. Your plan, just like your goals, needs to be very specific.

Think of a recipe: You plan on baking a cake, but you’ll need more than just the ingredients, you’ll need the exact amount of each ingredient, the proper procedure for mixing them together, the baking temperature, how long to bake it, how long to cool it before removing it from the pan . . . you get the idea.

Now you’re on your way . . . you have specific goals . . . a detailed plan . . . but . . . you’re still not achieving success.

Step Three: Take Action

Think of the first two steps as the foundation of your house. To move forward toward success, you need to build the house.

This takes action; it actually takes more than just action, it takes ongoing action and perseverance to carry you through to completion.

Step Four: Projection

You have the other steps down pat, now picture yourself attaining your goals.

According to motivational speakers, you will have a much greater chance of making it happen by projecting success. This step encompasses a number of strategies such as envisioning, projection, projection boards, and affirmations.

Take aim . . . shoot.

Originally published at: 
http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/2016/04/10/aim-for-writing-success/

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter/ rewriter. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move and author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

If you’d like more writing tips or help with your children’s story, check out: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

If you need help with your author platform, check out Karen's e-class through WOW!:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/


MORE ON WRITING

Writing: Getting past the first blank page
Finding Writing Ideas
Plot or Character?

SEO for Authors Part4 - LSI Keywords

We're on to Part 4 of the SEO for Authors Series. This part goes a bit deeper into using keywords.

Okay, I can hear you mumbling, "What the heck is LSI keywords? Aren't regular keywords enough?"

Before you start to bite your nails, LSI keywords sounds complicated but it’s NOT at all.

We’ll get to that in a second though.

First, let’s discuss why you’re blogging.

If you’re a blogger or content writer, who are you writing for?

If you answered the reader. You get the jackpot.

But, even if you think you’re writing for the reader, in the back of your mind you know you need to please the search engines also.

So, which is it?

Should you be writing for the reader of the search engines?

You’ve got to write for both, because if the search engines can’t quickly find, understand, and index your content they won’t be able to use it in their search results. This means the reader won’t get a chance to see your article.

Okay, this does create a bit of a dilemma, right?

Well, not really.

You can write powerful content that’s helpful to your reader while being search engine friendly. It’s a simple matter of using basic SEO techniques.

I’m guessing most of you reading this article know about keywords. And, you know they’re an important element that allows the search engines to find and index your content. It’s keywords that online searchers use for their search queries.

While your reader is your number one concern, appeasing Google comes in a close second.

But, there’s another little problem: 

Google doesn’t like you using the same keywords throughout your content. If you do this, Google will assume you’re doing it for ranking.

This doesn’t work. In fact, you could get a ‘slap on the hand’ for unethical SEO practices.

Instead, the power-blogger uses LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords.

Yep, another marketing acronym.

LSI keywords are simply synonyms for keywords. They can also be other words or phrases that are closely related to your ‘original’ keyword.

According to Web CEO, “LSI keywords are words and phrases that are semantically related to each other. They include not only synonyms or keywords with similar meanings. They are often keywords that are commonly found together.” (1)

Suppose your keyword is “book marketing.”

There are a number of topics that may fall under that keyword, such as:

- Author platform
- Book promotion
- Selling books
- Author website
- Book reviews
- Book signings

It’s the LSI keywords in your article that will allow Google to scan your content and better understand what it’s about. This in turn makes it easier for Google to index the content and use it as the results of a relevant search query . . .  as long as Google believes your content is quality.

An example of this strategy in action is my article:
Shaun the Sheep and Marketing with Animation

Shaun the Sheep is an animated kids’ movie with no words. I used it as the basis for an article on animation and marketing. While the title might be catchy to readers, it may have been a bit confusing for search engines.

But, the article itself has lots of LSI and other terminology that is search engine friendly and gives them the information they need to know exactly what the article is about and which search queries it’s relevant to.

Next time you’re writing a blog post or web copy, think of the LSI keywords you can use.

To find LSI keywords related to your primary keyword, check out this free tool:
LSI Graph

Along with finding those LSI words, your blog posts should be easy to read, understandable, and helpful for your audience.

TO READ ALL THE ARICLES IN THE SEO FOR AUTHORS SERIES, CHECK OUT OUR WORKSHOPS PAGE:
http://www.writersonthemove.com/p/workshops.html

References:

(1) https://www.webceo.com/blog/long-tail-vs-lsi-keywords-which-do-you-need-to-increase-website-traffic/

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. She is also an author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

If you need help getting your author platform off the ground or want to get it soaring, check out Karen’s 4-week, interactive, eclass through WOW! Women on Writing: Build Your Author/Writer Business

MORE ON BOOK MARKETING

SEO for Authors Series Part1: The Basics

Keywords and Search Engines (What Every Author Should Know)

5 Good Reasons to Secure Your Site

Barnes and Nobles and Self-Publishing

There’s now a Barnes & Noble Press (a self-publishing suite).

I guess it’s their take on Amazon's KDP.

When I first hear about it, I was thrilled, especially since Createspace is getting rid of their author services. But, I'm not quite sure if it will be similar.

With B&N,  you can upload your manuscript in a Word doc format, fill out the vendor information forms, and they will publish it into an e-book.

They say that within 72 hours or less, your e-book will be available for sale at BN.com and “all Nook reading devices and apps.”

It is a little more involved if you want a POD book in that you, as far as I can make out, will need to “prep your manuscript files, upload your interior page” as well as upload the front and back covers.

I wish they were more explicit in their promo as to whether they offer author services. They do mention a suite of tools rather than a suite of services, so I’m not sure. But, it's probably a DIY thing.

If you’d like more information on the topic, go to:

http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/press-release/barnes-noble-announces-barnes-noble-press-enhanced-self-publishing-suite-reach-millions-barnes-noble-readers/

https://press.barnesandnoble.com/author-tools-and-tips/bn-press-path-to-publication


Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter/ rewriter. For tips on writing for children OR if you need help with your project, contact me at Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

For updates on new blog posts, subscribe to the The Writing World.

Getting Published - 6 HOT Tips

There are a number of articles and posts discussing whether it’s important to have a degree in writing in order to be successful in your writing career.

The articles that I’ve read all agree that it’s NOT necessary. But, there are at least 6 essential steps you will need to take to reach the golden ring of publication.

Below is a Powtoon with those 6 HOT tips!




For a bit more details on each step, stop by:
Writing - 6 Essential Steps to Publication

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children's author and children’s ghostwriter as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. You can find out more about writing for children and her services at: Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.






MORE ON WRITING AND MARKETING

Think Your Way to Writing Success with Daily Affirmations
Getting Rid of Tattletale Words in Your Resume
How to Write Better Endings to Your Stories

Writers: Think Outside the Blank Page

Throughout the journey of writing my first book, I’ve found sketches, pictures and notecards, have helped when composing has fallen short. Just this week as I continue to fine-tune my story—completed many months ago except for revision checks that continue to this day—I made two new sketches: How my main character has grown and How the theme is shown. But I get ahead of myself. Through much trial and error, I finally have found a process that works for me, saves time, and gives me confidence that I’ve covered all the bases.

Keep Track of the Basics in a Three-Ring Binder

• Notes: I make notes all the time on many different kinds of paper, some on small scraps by nightlight in the wee hours of the morning. These notes are stapled, taped and punched into a binder section.
• Drafts: The latest draft is punched in after the note section so when I edit, I can make sure I’ve covered the ideas on the notes, so that they can then be discarded. When the draft has too many marks, I make a new copy. Note: I go back and forth between editing on the computer and editing on paper.
• Basic information: On blank green sheets of paper, I have stapled and taped index cards that contain basic information that informs my story. This information includes, but is not limited to:

             List of characters and their descriptions: Including magazine photos and impressions of people I know who have helped form the characters.

             
            Statements: The theme, story problem, concept sentence – story description in as few words as possible, and my favorite: a longer version of what my story is about. This latter version helps me know what to say to people when they say What is your book about? I used to get tongue-tied trying to explain.

            
           Story arcs: The main story arc, an arc for each character, an arc for each important story element, such as in this story, a key, a cloud, and a deed. This is important. A dog named Star, who is important to the story, disappeared for about 35 pages. I went in and found places to add him that didn’t feel contrived, but made his presence consistent.

            Lists: Animals that appear in the story; clues and red herrings; scenes, to make sure the scenes were placed properly and also to delete any scenes that didn’t add to the story--the scene list also helped me rearrange some parts of the action that fit better; subplots; items to research for accuracy. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but research is so important. 

Recently, I discovered that I had my character wishing on Sirius, the Dog Star, during the summer in Virginia. Oops, Sirius can only be seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter; during the summer Sirius is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Did you know the colors of hard hats depict certain jobs? How small buildings vs large buildings are demolished?

Work Out the Plot on Post-it Paper

Plotting began with long, single-spaced outlines which became defunct as soon as I started writing. Next I tried an outline-sketch, which worked better. The sketch was a mere skeleton that propped up the story. Still, the writing invariably changed the outline-sketch beyond recognition. 

Finally, I settled on writing plot-points on post-it paper and sticking the post-its on a large poster. Not only does this method work for me, but I love the process, so important, for our writing needs to be fun and joyful, not tedious. This method has many pluses.

• Your ideas don't have to be in order. They can simply be jotted down and stuck on your poster board, to be arranged in order when you're ready.
• Deleting is easy--throw unnecessary post-its away.
• Adding is easy--stick additions where they fit best.
• There is lots of room for contemplation--This is a fun part. You can stare at your creation as long as you like. Then it seems like magic: your hand reaches for your pencil and off you go, creating and having a ball.
• Arranging and rearranging--Oh boy, my favorite part! That's when your story comes alive and your ideas flow, making your story better and better.
• When you're done, it's time to write!

Work Out Character Growth and Theme on Blank Paper

Recently, I decided to chart how my character grew throughout the story. I wanted to make sure I'd shown a gradual change.

• Start with a list: The handwritten list of my main character's growth took up three lined sheets of paper. 
•  Chart the list on blank paper: I split the paper in half. On one side I briefly listed how my character began: as a little girl. On the other side I jotted down how I showed this: she jumped up and down in her seat as her grandpa races his car up and down hills. This briefer list continued to the Turning Point, when her old ways changed to a bolder, more self-confident girl who, at the end, made new friends, solved the mystery, and is ready to go home and get to know her new baby brother.

The same process was used to show the theme. There are, no doubt, more elements that can be tracked in this way, elements which need to be mentioned consistently and accurately. One-of-these-dayz, though, I must stop editing and offer up my book for publication!

Clipart courtesy of: PD4PIC Clipart; laoblogger.com/paper-drawing-clipart.html#

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she has completed her first book, a mystery/ghost story for children 7-11 years old, and is hard at work on Book Two in the series.  Follow Linda at www.lindawilsonauthor.com.

Finding Writing Ideas

Writers are a wealth of ideas for posts, articles, and story. Many enjoy brainstorming and kicking around notions.  I think it’s always useful to have a topic list for generating ideas. Your journal is a great place to keep & grow your theme ideas.



Twelve topic tips to keep readership interest by promoting a personal connection:
•    What is the hardest thing about being a writer?
•    Who inspired you to start writing?
•    Describe how you establish goals.
•    List the podcasts you value and offer links to those sites.
•    Discuss the hurdles you experience with the craft of writing, and how you worked to overcome weaknesses. (grammar, style, structure, logic)
•    Post your favored writing routine: most productive time(s) of day, scheduling issues, best plan.
•    What was the topmost writing advice you’ve received? Share it.
•    Write about your current project and the progress you are making.
•    How do you research a topic? Discuss your practice and tips.
•    Write a review for a book you have enjoyed or in which you’ve found value.
•    Generate questions for readership participation.
•    Foster a sense of adventure and curiosity as you create and grow a “clipping file” with articles, posts, and newspaper articles that spark your interest and imagination. Share some.

For something more on this topic pick up a copy of “Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Writer’s Guide to Transforming Notions into Narratives” by Fred White, for fiction and non-fiction.

Deborah Lyn Stanley: blog https://lynstanleyart.com/writers-blog/
Facebook at: Deborah Lyn Stanley (you must sign in to FB first)  https://www.facebook.com/deborah.stanley.393  

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer, artist, and editor.  She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and caring for mentally impaired seniors. Deborah writes articles, essays and stories.

 Visit her web-blog: Deborah Lyn Stanley : MyWriter's Life . 

“Write your best, in your voice, your way!”

 

Use The Gentle Follow-Up

By W. Terry Whalin

The path for a book to get published is filled with many twists and turns.Each leg of the communication process can break down at some point. One of the most critical steps is the beginning where you get connected to an editor or an agent who can champion your book and guide you through the process.

A couple of months ago, one of my writer friends recommended an author send their material to me through Morgan James Publishing. This author followed our submission guidelines and yet never heard from Morgan James. Following the guidelines is important and often the submission process will shift and change.

After over a month of hearing nothing, he sent me a short gentle follow-up email. It was the first I had heard about his submission. I explained to the author that I’m not the only person doing acquisitions at our company and his material could be with another editor.

Yet when I checked internally I learned the material had been forwarded to me from my colleague's cell phone—and I never received it. Because I never received it, the submission didn’t get entered into our system. No follow-up acknowledgement letter was sent. Nothing happened. Because the communication channel (sending by cell phone) didn’t work, the communication process was broken.

This author was wise to check with me. Now I have his material and it is in the system. Now this author has received the follow-up acknowledgement letter in the mail and his submission is engaged in the process.

Over my 20+ years in publishing, I’ve seen the communication process break down over and over. Sometimes things get missed or lost. I’ve watched writers who do not follow up miss their opportunity or delay their work getting published because they fail to do this important work.

There is a right and a wrong way to follow-up. The right way is to gently check with the editor or agent and ask, “Did you get my submission?” Notice the question isn't asking for a decision on the submission. You are simply trying to find out of the communication process worked and your email or submission reached them. If not or if they have lost it, they can ask you to resend it and things can get on track.

If you push and ask for decision, nine times out of ten you will get an immediate “no thank you.” Publishing is often a team effort and this consensus-building process takes time. To get a “yes” takes time to achieve but “no” can be said quickly—except writers don’t want to hear “no.”

Where are you with your submissions? I encourage you to follow-up. As you take action and ask about your submission, you are doing a critical part of the process to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. You want to have your opportunity for your submission to be considered and receive a response. Who knows, you might get a “Yes” response.

Do you follow-up? Tell me in the comments below about your good and poor follow-up experiences. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Tweetable:

Are you using the gentle follow-up with your submissions? Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

--------------
W. Terry Whalin has been an acquisitions editor at three publishers and is a former literary agent. For the last five and half years, Terry has been acquiring books for Morgan James Publishing, a New York publisher doing about 150 books a year. His contact information is on the bottom of the second page. Terry has written for more than 50 print magazine and published more than 60 books including his classic Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. He has over 220,000 followers on Twitter and lives in Colorado.
 

Writing a Book - 6 Tips to Hiring a Freelance Editor

Will hiring a freelance editor ensure you pitch the perfect game? In writing terms, will it ensure you get published?

Do you really need an editor? 

There are a number of pros and cons related to whether you should hire a freelance editor. Some writers benefit greatly from the experience while others have a difficult time and may even get insulted.

Six Points to Examine Before Hiring a Freelance Editor

1. Can you handle it?

One of the most important aspects of hiring someone to critique or edit your work is to be open to criticism. If you do not have the personality to handle constructive criticism, suggestions, and/or edits, then you shouldn’t hire a freelance editor.

2. Learn the craft.

Before you contemplate hiring a freelance editor, get your manuscript in the best shape possible by learning the writing craft.

What this means is you should know your craft or be engaged in learning it. You should obviously belong to a critique group that focuses on the genre you write. This group should have new and experienced/published authors in it. This will help you to hone your craft through the critiques you receive and the critiques you give.

There are also a number of fantastic free online writers’ conferences such as the Muse Online Writers Conference  that will help you hone your craft. There are workshops offered covering just about every writing genre, plus freelance writing and marketing. AND, you will have the opportunity to pitch to publishers. Between the networking and learning, it’s not something you should lightly pass on.

Next up on the road to learning your craft is to join a couple of writing groups – again be sure they have new and experienced writers. You can even look into a writing coach or instructor.

3. Self-edit, self-edit, self-edit.

Before you pass your manuscript off, be sure you’ve gone over it meticulously. Make sure you’ve gone over all the tips and tricks to have your manuscript in ‘good’ showing form.

Editors frown upon authors who send sloppy, error-filled manuscripts.

4. There are NO guarantees.

Hiring a freelance editor to go over your manuscript will not guarantee it will get published, even the best in the field can’t promise this. What they will do is help you to get it in the best shape possible. But, whether or not you take their advice is another story. And, again, even if you do, there are no guarantees.

This holds true everywhere in the writing world. After your manuscript is polished, you may send it to forty publishers and agents, and get forty rejections. Then, you send it to one more and it happens, this publisher was looking for just what you’re offering. They were looking for your story. Time and chance, my friends . . . and more importantly, perseverance.

But, it’s a sure bet if you’re manuscript isn’t polished you won’t ever get that far.

5. Ask around.

If you did your best to get your manuscript into what you think is publishable shape and you
want an editor to give it a final once over, be sure to ask for recommendations from other writers.

6. It ain’t over till it’s over.

Although you may spend money to get your manuscript edited before submitting it to publishers or agents, once it’s given a contract, it’ll be back to editing again – this time with the agency or publishing house.

Keep this in mind, so when it happens you’re not taken aback. It’s just the way it works.

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter. She is also an author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

Need help with your children's manuscript? Stop by Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi for help.

And, be sure to connect with Karen at:
Twitter 
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn 
Pinterest 

This article was originally published at:
http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/2016/08/21/writing-a-book-hiring-a-freelance-editor/  

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Is Your Book in Walmart?

I rarely include reprints from my newsletter on this blog, but one of my longtime SharingwithWriters newsletter subscribers, Valerie Allen, got such a kick out of this tip when she followed through (see below for the tip), I thought I'd share it with you. I'm also going to put her note to me--you know, to prove that she did, indeed, get a big charge out of the results of the discovery prompted by this suggestion.

HERE'S THE TIP:

Have you done a search on the Walmart site's bookstore for your book? Authors are telling me that their Createspace-printed books have been appearing there with no extra effort on their part. In the past—even before Createspace—I have found my books magically appearing in sites as varied as Harvard’s bookstore and Costco. If you find your book on one of these sites, check to see if the buy page needs any special attention from you—like the addition of reader reviews as suggested in Howto Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

HERE'S THE LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR NOTE

Carolyn,

Great info for authors in your January newsletter. Will feature your blog on my new Facebook group, Authors for Authors.

Please join us on FB.

I followed your suggestion and checked out my books at Walmart.com.

Yes! They have four of my books! I am thrilled. Who knew?.

Two of my novels "The Prodigal Son" and "Suffer the Little Children."

One of my kids books, "Bad Hair, Good Hat, New Friends."

One of my short story collections, "'Tis Herself: Short Story Collection Volume One" in large print.

P.S. Thanks for your great tips and ideas.

Valerie Allen, author and book fair director

~~~~~

Valerie's letter is coming out in the Letters-to-the-Editor feature my SharingwithWriters newsletter in February with her permission. We all need an upper now and then! Letters-to the editor is a great way for authors to get more exposure--in writing-oriented newsletters or magazines and newspapers with wide distribution.

Sharing with Writers since 2003: A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs!

Find back issues at howtodoitfrugally.com/newsletter_copies.html. There is a SharingwithWriters subscription window in the top right corner of almost every page.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors) and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

She also helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com as well as more advice at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )

Plot or Character?

Which is more important in fiction: a page-turning plot or deep and compelling characters?

I've always thought it depends on the genre, the audience, and personal taste. However, I've just started reading a book in which the author, Jeff Gerke, argues convincingly that both are equally important but most authors are naturally good at only one.

Moreover, many character-first writers underestimate the need to have a good plot and may even feel that they're selling out if they add too much Hollywood-esque excitement. Plot-first writers may use their characters mostly to advance their fantastic plots, not realizing that their characters come across more like props than actual people. To create truly great fiction, whether it's literary or commercial, a writer needs to master both character and plot. It's got me really thinking about what kind of writer I am: a character writer. So this year my new goal is to work on becoming a great plotter too.

I challenge each of your to analyze what you're best at and focus for a while on the other skill. In future posts, I'll pass on anything particularly useful I learn from this intriguing book: Plot Versus Character; A Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction by Jeff Gerke.

Melinda Brasher's most recent sale is a twist on Rumpelstiltskin, appearing in Timeless Tales. You can also find her fiction in Nous, Electric Spec, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and others. For what readers have called "extraordinary character development," read Far-Knowing, her YA fantasy novel. Visit her online at http://www.melindabrasher.com

Storytelling vs. Writing a Story

A children’s publisher commented on the difference between storytelling and writing. She explained that storytelling involves visual aids, whereas writing does not.

Granted, children’s picture books do provide illustrations in the form of
visual aids, but they are not the same as storytelling’s visual aids.

I had never thought of this before, but once this was said I could see it clearly.

Storytelling

Storytelling allows for the use of visual aids, which includes facial expressions. There is also voice tone, word pronunciation, along with word or phrase stressing that help aid in conveying sadness, anger, fear, and an array of other emotional sediments. This is also known as voice inflection.

Along with facial expressions and voice inflection, the storyteller can also take advantage of movement.

Imagine telling a group of children a spooky story that has the protagonist tiptoeing around a corner to see what’s there. As a storyteller you can actually tiptoe, hunched over; and exaggerating the movement enhances the suspense. Visual aids are easy to use and are powerhouses of expressions.

Another example might be if you are telling a pirate story to a young boy. You can use toy props, such as a toy sword or pirate’s hat, while limping with a pretend wooden leg. These visuals enhance the story experience for the child without the storyteller having to create the imagery with words.

Writing

Writing on the other hand depends solely on the writer’s interpretation of what the facial expressions, voice, mannerisms, image, and body movement of the characters might be. And, that interpretation must be conveyed through words that preferably ‘show’ rather than ‘tell.’

If you think about it, storytelling is much easier than writing a story. But, most of us authors are writers, not storytellers, and as writers we need to convey emotions and activity through showing.

In the storytelling examples above, how might you write the scene as an author?

For the first scenario of a spooky story, one example might be:

Lucas grabbed his little brother’s hand and pulled him close. “Shhh. Don’t make any noise. It might hear us.” They crept along the wall, barely breathing, until they reached the . . .

While this passage doesn’t have the advantage of the storyteller’s visual aids, it does convey a feeling of suspense and fear.

In regard to a pirate story, as an author you might write:

Captain Sebastian grabbed his sword and heaved it above his head. “Take the ship, men.”

The pirates seized the ropes and swung onto the ship. Swords and knives clanking, they overtook their enemy.

This short passage clearly conveys a pirate scene with Captain Sebastian leading his men into a battle aboard another ship. No visual aids, but it does get its message across.

You might also note that while trying to write your story through showing, you need to watch for weak verbs, adjectives, and a host of other no-nos. In the sentence above, the words, “barely breathing” might need to be changed if it reached a publisher’s hands. Why? Because “ly” and “ing” words are also frowned upon.

So, knowing the difference, if you had your choice, which would you prefer to be, a storyteller or a writer? Let's us know in the comments!

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children's author and ghostwriter. For more tips on writing and book marketing and to check out her services, visit: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi

And, be sure to connect with Karen at:

Twitter / Facebook / Google+ / LinkedIn 


This article was originally published at:
http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/2017/06/25/storytelling-vs-writing-a-story/

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

Reasons Why to Self-Publish Your Nonfiction Book
Is Series Writing for You?
Writing the World Around You

10 Ways to Find More Time to Write

Whether you're a full time writer, or someone who just wants to give writing a try, these tips should help you find more time to write.

Tip #1 - Get Organized.

Here are just a few ways to organize your writing and your writing space:

° Create project folders so you can easily and quickly locate whatever you are working on.

° Keep an idea notebook handy at all times, so you can jot down ideas for articles, stories, etc. whenever they come to you and you'll have them all in one, easy to find, place.

° Clean off your desk or other writing space. If it's a mess, you'll spend precious time trying to find things you need. Put pens and pencils in containers. Get file folders for loose papers you wish to keep.

° Keep reference books handy as you’re writing so you can refer to them whenever you need to.

Tip #2 - Make Decisions Ahead of Your Actual Writing Time.

New writers don’t seem to realize it, but the planning stage and the writing stage work best as two different stages.

If you plan what you’re going to write, then it will be easier once you sit down to write it.

No more wasting your precious writing time, staring at a blank page or computer screen.

Tip #3 - When Writing a Nonfiction Book or a Novel, Work from an Outline.

Make your outline in the planning stage of your book, then when it’s time to write you can simply work on the book, a chapter or section at a time.

But you’ll know what material you wish to include in that section (because you figured that out in the planning stage) so all you’ll need to do is sit down and write it.

It doesn't have to be a formal outline either.

Just notes that let you know what you will be writing in each section or chapter of the book.

Tip #4 - Let Go of Activities That Take Your Time but Offer You No Real Benefit in Return.

You can stay really, really busy during the day without much to show for it if you aren’t careful.

Checking emails, spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites can eat up your writing time.

And do you really need to watch all those crazy cat videos on Youtube?

Tip #5 - Do Many of Your Morning Chores the Night Before.

If you have a day job, take a shower the night before, lay out your clothes the night before, make your lunch the night before.

Then, the next morning you can get up early and write because it won’t take but a few minutes to get ready for work.

Tip #6 - Outsource as Many Activities as You Can.

Once you start making money as a writer, hire a VA (virtual assistant) who can do many of your marketing chores for you.

This person can also upload new content (that you write and send to him or her) to your blog, etc.

If you can afford it, hire someone to clean your house once a week or pay your older kids to do it.

Let your younger children fold clean laundry and put it away.

They might not do a perfect job, but so what?

Tip #7 - Train Your Kids to Work/Play Alongside You While You Write.

If you have young children who are home with you during the day, train them to play quietly alongside you as you write.

As they get older, encourage them to write, too, while you are writing. (I did this when my sons were children and one of them is a professional writer now. He says he just got in the habit of writing when he was a kid and liked it.)

Tip #8 - Hang Out with Other Productive Writers.

There are many, many people out there who say they are writers.

Yet, a great percentage of these people rarely, if ever, write anything.

You don’t want their bad habits rubbing off on you.

Instead, find writers who write regularly and hang out with them.

You’ll see how they manage to get so much writing done and you’ll begin to write more, too.

Tip #9 - When people ask you what you do, don't be afraid to tell them you’re a writer.

If you tell people you’re a writer, then they won’t be surprised when you tell them you need to write.

They won’t expect you to drop everything and join them for lunch or a shopping trip, etc. whenever they call because they’ll know you have writing to do.

Tip #10 - Set Specific Writing Goals for Each Writing Session.

When you know what you wish to accomplish during each writing session, you’ll be more productive.

Plus, you’ll become more confident and feel more successful because you’ll be able to see how you are meeting specific goals each session.

This will help you look forward to your next writing session.

You’ll also tend to write for longer periods of time, just to reach a specific writing goal.

Okay, so those are just a few ways to find more time to write.

Do you have other ways that work for you?

If so, please share them here in the comments section.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is a full time freelance writer, the author of 35 published books (at last count) and a writing coach.

She lives and writes by the sea in Jensen Beach, Florida.

Learn more about her books and her coaching services at www.writebythesea.com and sign up for her free email, The Morning Nudge, with tips and resources for writers delivered to your mailbox every weekday morning.