Shake it Up: A Creative Writing Activity

Are you itching to start a new project? Want to work on something different? Stuck in a rut? Shake things up.

Here's a fun exercise that will get you out of your normal writing routine and will hopefully help you embark on a fun, creative journey.

 Take a piece of paper and write out at least 50 possibilities. Anything goes. This can range from story ideas, genres, and formats to marketing initiatives (create a contest, start a newsletter, plan an event) and social media options (go live on Facebook, post a quote graphic, update your LinkedIn).

Note: If you prefer, you can type up your list - double-spaced - and print it out.

Now, cut these out into individual strips. Put them in a hat or box. Then, when you have some downtime or scheduled writing time, "shake it up," and choose one. Whatever you choose, you must do.

Here are a few optional rules/variations:

1. You have the option to put the first item back, but you have to do the second thing you pick. And then next three times, you are not allowed to choose an alternate.

2. Divide your ideas into different boxes, based on the amount of time the activity will take, and choose based on your schedule.

3. Separate them into different boxes. One for ideas and another for formats. Pick one from each box, and then you have to write whatever idea you pick into whichever format. For instance, if you choose "blue" and "social media post," you must find a way to write a post on that topic, however you interpret blue. Could be the color or emotion. It's up to you.

No matter what you are working on as your primary project, it never hurts to explore a different genre or format. You never know where new ideas may lead! Good luck and have fun.

What items are going on your list? How do you plan to shake things up? Please share in the comments.

* * *

Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. Like the Write On Online Facebook Page and join the Facebook Group.  She is author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, and host of the Guided Goals Podcast and the #GoalChat Twitter Chat. Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Point of View and Children’s Storytelling

Point-of-view (POV) is the narrator's view of what's going on.

The POV is who's telling the story. This will determine what the reader 'hears' and 'sees' in regard to the story. And, it determines the ‘personal pronouns’ that will be used.

Having this element of the story consistent throughout is essential.

There are three main POVs in young children’s storytelling: first person, second person, and third person (limited). And, in each of these POVs, the protagonist (main character) must be in each scene – the story is told through his five-senses. If he doesn’t see, hear, smell, taste, or touch it, it doesn’t exist in the story.

1. First person.

This POV has the protagonist personally telling the story. Pronouns, such as “I,” “my,” “me,” “I’m,” are used.

Example from “Because of Winn-Dixie:”

That summer I found Winn-Dixie was also the summer me and the preacher moved to Naomi, Florida, so he could be the new preacher . . .  (The protagonist, Opal, is talking to the reader – italics are mine for clarity.)

Notice the above isn’t in quotation marks for dialog. Dialog would be used if the protagonist talks to another character in the story or another character talks. See examples below:

“But you know what?” I told Winn-Dixie. (Opal is talking to her dog.)

“Well, I don’t know,” said Miss Franny. “Dogs are not allowed in the Herman W. Block Memorial Library.” (The librarian in the story is talking to Opal.)

Children’s books in first person POV:

“Because of Winn-Dixie (Kate DiCamillo)
“Green Eggs and Ham” (Dr. Suess)
“The Polar Express” (Chris Van Allsburg)
“Fly Away Home” (Eve Bunting)

2. Second person.

This POV uses “you” as the pronoun, referring to the reader and isn’t used that often in young children’s writing. But, there are some authors who pull it off very well.

An example of this POV from “How to Babysit Grandpa:”

Babysitting a grandpa is fun. If you know how. (The protagonist is talking to the reader, involving him. Italics are mine.)

Children’s books in second person POV:

"How to Babysit Grandpa" (Jean Reagan)
"Secret Pizza Party" (Adam Rubin)
"The Book That Eats People" (John Perry)

3. Third person (limited).

This POV is probably the most popular in young children’s writing. Pronouns, such as “he,” “she,” “its,” “they,” and “their” are used.

While this is similar to the other two POVs, in that they’re all told from the protagonist’s point-of-view, in third party, the narrator, is telling the story. He’s privy to all the senses and emotions of the protagonist.

Here’s an example from “Walking Through Walls:”

“You will practice by walking through this brick wall. You must repeat the magic formula over and over as you go through it.”

Wang looked at the wall. He tightened his fists, clenched his jaw, and wrinkled his forehead. This is sure to hurt.

“Uh,” he paused, “Master, what will happen if I do say the words to the magic formula out loud?”

“Wang, you are trying to delay your task. It is a good question though. Your tongue will cease its movement if you speak the words to the formula.”

Wang's eyes opened wide and he flung his hands on top of his head. Never to talk again! I am sorry I asked for the formula. What if I slip?

The narrator is telling the reader what’s going on. Again, he’s privy to the protagonist’s thoughts, senses, and feelings.

Children’s books in third person POV:

“Walking Through Walls” (Karen Cioffi)
"Owen" (Kevin Henkes)
"Tops and Bottoms" (Janet Stevens)
“Stephanie’s Ponytail” (Robert Munsch)

Be consistent.

When writing for young children, it’s the author’s job to make sure the story is engaging and CLEAR (easy to understand). One quick way to lose the reader is to mix and match point-of-views within the story. Even if you slip just once, you may very well throw the reader off.

One easy error is to slip in a second person POV within a third person story. How this might happen:

The third-party narrator is explaining what the protagonist did then throws in something like, Can you believe it?

That one little sentence has switched POVs and can cause confusion.

Remember to choose one POV and stick with it throughout your story.

There you have it, the three main points-of-view in young children’s storytelling. Which do you prefer?

Sources:

http://literarydevices.net/point-of-view/
http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/mondays-with-mandy-or-mira/second-person-point-of-view-in-picture-books

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

For more on writing, stop by Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi. And, be sure to sign up for her newsletter and check out the DIY Page.


MORE ON WRITING

Brainstorming for Ideas

Plot or Character?

Creating Your Main Character – Hit a Home Run

Book Marketing - To Give Or Not To Give

Recently, I ran a free sale for one of my books and I was fortunate enough to get over 300 downloads. I know there’s a lot of debate about whether we should be giving our books away for free or not but if you’re like me and you’re new to the book biz, you have to do something to get your book into the hands of readers.

I’m not so naïve to think all these people will love my book so much that they rush out and buy another one of my books, but I do hope a few will become fans and hopefully a few will leave a review. I know there are people out there just waiting for the next book to become available for free and that this can hurt all of us but I think offering your book for free once in a while to drum up some buzz about you and your books is okay.

The beauty of it is that Amazon makes it super easy.

If you have your ebook in the Kindle Select Program, which means for 90 days your book is exclusively available through Amazon, then you can put your book on sale for free for 5 days. It doesn’t count you anything. Amazon is eating the download fee.

So, other than your original cost to publish the ebook (editing, book cover, and formatting), you aren’t losing anything either. Plus, there’s a lot to gain. I have over 300 people reading my book that would have never known I existed before. That’s pretty cool.

As you probably know, I do a lot of in-person events and I love these! They get me in front of parents and children where I can interact and sign my books to them. It’s great to meet these eager little readers. But, tables are expensive and I get tired standing behind a table all day so it’s not a sustainable marketing plan for me. I have to find a way to get “seen” on Amazon.

The other cool thing is my book soared to the top of the sub-category. For those 5 days, I was either #1 or #2 in one of my categories. I took screen shots and saved the links to these because now I can use that as a marketing too as well. Pretty neat, huh?!

Another side to this is that I give a lot of my paperback copies away, don’t you? Not only that but giving away paperbacks is more expensive. You have your original cost (editing, book cover, and formatting), plus the cost to print and have those books mailed to you. If you also mail these books to give them away, there’s that cost to. Trust me, I’ve done that as well! I give them to ARC readers and to fundraisers and other events that help kids. Recently, I gave several copies away for an Easter Basket that one of the stores who carries my books was sponsoring. I give to the Retired Teachers organization that provides books and a related toy to underprivileged kids. It feels great to give!

So, when you think about it giving away ebooks is really a no-brainer.

Wanda Luthman has her Masters of Arts in both Mental Health Counseling and Guidance Counseling from Rollins College located in beautiful Winter Park, Florida. She has worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Adjunct Professor, and Hospice Counselor for teens. She’s currently a Guidance Counselor at a local High School. She is an award-winning, best-selling, international author who has self-published 5 children’s books (The Lilac Princess, A Turtle’s Magical Adventure, Gloria and the Unicorn, Little Birdie, and Franky the Finicky Flamingo). She belongs to the National Pen Women Organization in Cape Canaveral; the Florida’s Writers Association; Space Coast Authors; and Brevard Authors Forum. She presently resides in Brevard County Florida with her husband of 22 years and 2 dogs. Her daughter is away at college, like Little Birdie, she has left the nest. To download a free ebook, visit Wanda Luthman’s website at www.wandaluthman.wordpress.com and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wluthman.

What to Write About? Hmm

Sometimes it’s a challenge to figure out what to write about. This is often called writers block.

Even though there are a plethora of subjects that call out to you, what do you actually know about?

I personally think you can write about anything, whether you know the topic or not. Thank goodness for Google.

Here are some tips on how to get the writing muse on board. 

Write to Done (1) offers 20 quotes that might get your creative juices flowing. The main point I got from this article is to write about yourself. No one can write a true story about your feelings and life. You are the only person who could truly act in your own book.

I like what Neil Gammon had to say: “The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So, write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”

Makes sense doesn’t it?

Have you ever Brainstormed? This is a fun way to get those juices flowing.

1. Draw a circle in the middle of a sheet of paper.

2. Put the main idea in it, like what you’d want your genre to be: murder; thriller; romance, etc. Whatever you are thinking of.

3. Now draw three lines up from the main circle and three lines down.

4. Put circles around the end of those lines. Then think of your genre. Let’s choose ‘romance’ just to make it interesting for me.

5. One of the lines I drew out from the main circle may say: “Settings,” the next circle could say “Titles,” and the third, “Characters.” The bottom ones could be, “Mannerisms,” “Dialog,” and “Plot.”

6. From each of these circles you could extend more lines and circles and connect more information like under “Minor Characters," you could put a place or state or country.

Work with each circle drawing off more ideas as you go. Before long, you might have a beginning for a story. It’s a fun way to get those brain cells working.

Other tips to get a story going: 

- Google “How do you brainstorm for a novel?”
- Do you have a short story you can expand into a novel?
- Have you read a book and thought you could write a better ending? Pursue doing that.
- Does something on the news catch your interest?
- Maybe something in the local newspaper?

Whatever catches your interests, write it down and pursue the subject. You never know where it will take you. Have fun and enjoy it. 

Reference:
(1) https://writetodone.com/stuck-for-ideas-20-quotes-what-to-write-about/ 

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.

New Mystery Reviewed by Midwest Book Review

Title: Lucifer in the Celestial Gardens
Author: A.J. Harris
Publisher: www.murdermysterypress.com
Fiction: Mystery
ISBN:978-0-9993570-0-2 paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9993570-2-6 hardback
Also available on kindle
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017913190

Reviewed by D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer at Midwest Book Review

Lucifer in Celestial Gardens tells of Lou Siffer ("Lucifer"), the son of a small-town Illinois undertaker who is used to seeing corpses in the basement of their house, part of his father's profession and the family routine. He becomes embroiled in death in a different way when scandal strikes the town and Lou becomes peripherally involved in adult matters that include a father's conviction that suicide was not the cause of a death, a corruption case that changes this perspective, and a series of circumstances that lead an already-distant son to feel even more alienated from his father: "My father, my stalwart beacon of integrity had fallen to—what I didn’t know exactly, but from that time forward, I regarded him differently."'

Lou resolved at an early age to never become an undertaker, but death has him on the radar - and so a case that happened twelve years ago continues to haunt him as he grows up to face a real-life dilemma that still holds too many unanswered questions and special interests.

Lest readers think that Lucifer in Celestial Gardens is a murder mystery alone, it should be advised that A. J. Harris weaves fine coming-of-age experiences into events that follows Lou through romance, relationships with parents and peers, and a puzzle that plagues him throughout his life.

From an exciting but controversial project planned for the small town's elderly to events at a town hall meeting, an Odd Fellows Lodge, and more, the scandal that erupts leads to three friends finding their lives challenged and changed.

This book doesn't follow the conventions of formula mystery writing - and this may stymie genre readers who expect a succession of clues, whodunit subplots, and a clear murder scene, perp, and detectives. The strange culture and interactions in Winonka are as much a focus as the corruption and murder in a story that follows a funeral home scandal to its aftermath and lasting impact upon a boy who grows up, interacts with others, and forms relationships against its backdrop.

From retirement home profits and phony insurance policies to a mounting number of deaths, Lucifer in Celestial Gardens is unpredictable, engrossing, and follows murder cases that have no statute of limitations or age restrictions. It's unusual to have the story begin with a young boy who evolves into adulthood against the backdrop of loss and sadness that affects everything around him.

The evolutionary process of disgrace, death, and special interests contribute to a powerfully multifaceted story that moves through time, space, and intrigue to present a solidly complex murder story that's hard to put down.

You can buy this book at AMAZON.

Submitted by:
Mark E. Anderson
Graphic Designer, Owner
Book Shepherd for A.J. Harris, Murder Mystery Press
760-880-5174
Web: www.AquaZebra.com
AquaZebra Book Cover Designs

SEO for Authors Part6 - Image Optimization

In Part 6 of SEO and the Author Series, we'll learn that SEO doesn’t stop at text, it’s a part of everything you do online, including your images.

While the search engines can’t READ an image (not yet), you are able to provide that image with keywords and a description in WordPress. It’s this optimization that gives the search engines more details about your post.

Unfortunately, Blogger doesn’t have this capability and I’m not sure which of the other free website hosting platforms do or don’t.

So, this article will deal with WordPress.

The first step – finding an image.

The first thing you want to do is find an image that is perfect for your blogpost. When finding an image, be sure it’s royalty free, public domain, and/or creative commons.

Sites that offer free images include:

https://unsplash.com/
https://pixabay.com/
https://freephotos.cc/
https://stocksnap.io/

You’ll also want to get images that are ‘free for commercial use’ and possibly with ‘no attribution required’ (this is a personal preference).

For much more information on finding and using images, go to:
Where to Find Royalty Free Images


Please note – you need to read the information on these sites to determine for yourself if the images are royalty free and FREE to download.

The penalties for accidently using a copyrighted image without permission can be steep, so be careful.

Creating your own images. 

I create about 95% of my own images, including my website header and social media banners. For the other 5 percent, I buy images from BigStockPhoto.

I started creating my own images a few years ago because I read an article about how two savvy sites were hit with penalties . . . in the thousands.

Here are the articles:

Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics on Your Blog - My Story

(Read the comments also for tips on safe images)

How using Google Images can cost you $8,000


I figured if they could make a mistake like that, I didn’t want to risk it. So, I attended a webinar for Logo Creator software and became hooked.

I even created an image using the software to sell on BigStockPhoto. I love creating images and when I have the time, I’ll get more up there.

The second step – optimizing the image.

1. Image optimization begins with the filename you give the image when you save it to your computer library.

It’s needs to be keyword effective.

So, when I created the Image for this post, I titled it SEO3.

I should have titled it SEO and the Author. But, I’m always in a rush and I have two earlier SEO images titled SEO1 and SEO2.

2. Next, you will upload the image to your website - WordPress or other content management system (CMS).

- Go to your Dashboard then to your Media File.

- Click on Add New.

- Click on Select Files.
- Find the file you saved and upload it.

3. Once you upload the image, you’ll be brought to an optimization page.

If you’re not automatically brought to the optimization page, click on the image and it’ll take you there.

This is what you should see:

If you notice, I filled in the Alt Text and the Description. This is how you optimize your image.

Note: I should have created a more keyword effective title when I created and saved the image to my laptop.

I might have used Not All Blogging Content is the Same.

The reason you want to create a keyword effective title for your image from the get-go is because that’s what WordPress will use as the title it gives the image in your WP Media File.

This is basic image optimization.
 
DEFINITIONS:

Royalty free – copyrighted images that are free of royalties or license fees.
Public domain – Images created in the U.S. prior to 1923.
Creative commons – copyrighted images that under the creative commons license are free to use commercially. You can modify and build upon these images.
Free for commercial use – you can use these images for any kind of business purpose.
Attribution required – you must give credit to the author and the site that’s offering the image.

TO READ ALL THE ARTICLES IN THIS SEO FOR AUTHORS SERIES, GO TO OUR WORKSHOPS PAGE: http://www.writersonthemove.com/p/workshops.html

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter and 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 need help with your author platform, check out Karen's e-classes through WOW:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/

Villain or Antagonist: What's the Difference?

Is a villain and an antagonist one and the same? Sometimes, and sometimes not. First stop, the dictionary definitions:

Mwa Ha Ha

A villain is: 1. a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; 2. A character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.

Second, a peek on Google by searching popular villains in children’s literature (which was wicked, good fun.) A few all-time favorites:

• Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School, in Roald Dahl’s book and the film, Matilda, is the tyrannical educator who terrorizes her students with creative, over-the-top punishments.
• Cruella de Vil, originally the character from the Dodie Smith 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, who kidnaps Dalmatian puppies for their fur.
• Captain Hook, from J.M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan, is a “callous and bloodthirsty” pirate. Note: In Disney’s animated film Peter Pan, Hook is more comical than the original villain.

The Not-so-Dastardly Antagonist

An antagonist is: 1. A person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent, adversary; 2. The adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work: Iago is the antagonist of Othello. (Definitions from Dictionary.com)

And now for examples of popular antagonists in children’s literature—a little harder to find. This is where the words villain and antagonist get blurred. Examples found on Pinterest include the Evil Queen in Snow White, The Evil Step-Mother in Cinderella, The Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, and so on. Villains or antagonists? You decide.

Does the Difference Between a Villain and an Antagonist Even Matter?

Summed up:

• A villain is evil, through and through. His motivations are evil and his actions are evil.
• An antagonist opposes the protagonist. She causes conflict with the main character.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

In my WIP, I have crafted an antagonist. I wanted to make sure he isn’t simply a one-dimensional character. Through research and reflecting on personal experience, I think I have found a way to make him quite an interesting, and I’m hoping compelling, fellow. Below, I have used the term “villain,” but I think the same holds true for your antagonist.

• Understand your villain’s motives: Make her as detailed and nuanced as your main character. Achieve this, and you’ve uncovered one of the most important keys to a compelling story. Where to begin? Get personal. Mine your personal experiences and the people you have known and expand from there.
• Find a model: Your villain can be based on someone you know, a celebrity, or someone you’ve seen on TV. I’m guessing most women have had a catty gf at one time in their lives, someone who wouldn’t be considered a friend, and may have even done mean things to them. I’ve had two incidences that I know of (luckily, I’ve been spared from knowing any more than that!), one in early grade school and the other as an adult. At the time these incidences occurred I was devastated. My adult experience took me about two years to get over—after two years I said Enough! and finally was able to let go of the hold the experience had on me. 
• Describe your villain as carefully as you’ve described your main character: Add to your villain’s persona a drooping eyelid, a telltale scar slashed across his cheek, or something that connotes this character’s dark side.
• Conjure up how your own misfortunes made you feel: Keep these feelings in a notebook. If your model is a stranger, watch how their misdeeds make the protagonist feel. Show these feelings in your story. Caveat: Little did I know that later I would be able to draw on the bad feelings I experienced to help me empathize with what mean words and actions can do to my characters. And also, how my experiences have helped me craft my villains.
• Nail down your villain’s motivation: Was it something bad that happened to her in the past? Did he do something, such as steal something small, find that he enjoyed the thrill of living on the edge, and try for bigger and better spoils?
• Show that your villain is fearful of something: J.M. Barrie’s Captain Hook, from his play Peter Pan, had two fears: the sight of his own blood, and the crocodile who pursues him after eating the hand cut off by Pan. In Roald Dahl’s book and the film Matilda, Miss Trunchbull is very superstitious and has an intense fear of ghosts, black cats, and the supernatural in general. 
• Show that your villain has a good side: Each article I researched made the point that portraying your villain as all bad risks creating a cardboard character. He will be more human if he has some good qualities.  J.K. Rowling does this expertly in Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort was once a student at Hogwarts, just like the series’ hero.
• Show that your villain is likeable: In Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, according to Cliffs Notes, thirteen-year-old Huck Finn’s “literal, pragmatic approach to his surroundings and his inner struggle with his conscience that make him one of the most important and recognizable figures in American literature . . . He is playful but practical, inventive but logical, compassionate but realistic, and these traits allow him to survive the abuse of Pap, the violence of a feud, and the wiles of river con men." 
• Have a clear idea of the conflict between the villain and the hero in your story: How does your hero thwart your villain’s main goal? At your story’s climax, your villain and hero need to confront each other alone. Make the stakes as high as possible by ramping up the obstacles the villain has thrown in your hero’s path.

Follow these guidelines and read more detailed information on the creation of your villain/antagonist by consulting the list of articles below that contributed to this post.

https://www.pinterest.com/ofallonlibrary/villains/ 

https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-create-a-great-villain/ 

https://jerryjenkins.com/what-makes-a-good-villain/

https://writingforward.com/storytelling/create-a-villain

writerandproudblogspot.com/2015/05/the-difference-between-villain-and.html; post by Annika Griffith

https://diymfa.com/writing/villains-vs-antagonists; post by Gabriela Pereira

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/character-analysis/huckleberry-finn   

Clipart of villain courtesy of: Clipart Panda

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.

Writing - Brainstorming for Ideas

Brainstorming is a technique for generating ideas and creative solutions. Several formats and can be utilized for a group, one on one, or independently.

My first experience was during a company training session. A problem was presented and discussion guided by a facilitator.  Throughout the discussion, ideas written on postett notes lined the walls. Each participant was encouraged to contribute, no idea too quirky to build upon. When each member is involved in developing solutions, they’re much more likely committed to see it through.

It is interesting that in studies individual brainstorming generates more and often better ideas than group storming because people find they can be freer and more creative without dread of group egos.

Five Techniques for Effective Brainstorming:

1.    Brain Writing is a technique to get everyone in a group involved in the generating of ideas. The basic process is to separate the idea generation from discussion. Each individual writes their ideas then submits to the facilitator directly. Often, away from distraction and public opinion, this format develops more unique ideas.

2.    Starbursting focuses on forming questions instead of answers, beginning with who, what, where, when and why.

3.    Mind Mapping may be the most classical approach and the one I've seen most often. The written goal is noted in a center circle, with lines branching out to subtopics, and again for subcategories. Circled notes continue as ideas continue to form.

4.    Blind Writing is freeform writing, forcing you to put pen to paper for a minimum of 10 minutes to open up fresh ideas. The one rule is that you must keep writing for those 10 minutes.

5.    Reverse Storming is idea generation in the opposite, gathering ideas of how I can stop a goal from succeeding. It helps to uncover new approaches.

For additional information see: https://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html 
https://www.edrawsoft.com/MindMap-Examples.php  

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and story. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts, which she often writes about. Visit her web-blog: Deborah Lyn Stanley : MyWriter's Life .

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

The Writing Life Details Are Important

By W. Terry Whalin

Let me begin with good news. Every writer can learn the skill of handling the details. Some of us are only focused on the big picture with our writing. We are determined to complete a particular book or magazine article and writing on it every day to meet this goal. Yet the craft of your words and storytelling is important. Are you sending it to the right editor? Are you using the correct spelling of that editor's name? The details matter.

A while ago, I purchased all of the remaining copies of Book Proposals That Sell. With over 130 Five Star reviews and great feedback about this book over the years, I know it has helped many writers to succeed in the world of publishing—no matter what type of book you write. I wrote this book from my passion as a frustrated acquisitions editor to help writers send better submissions. If you don't have a copy, it has never been so inexpensive and available only from me. Follow the link to learn more details.

As a part of this effort, I purchased a website, wrote the words for that website, created special bonuses and have been telling others about this effort through emails, articles and twitter. In the process of setting up this launch, I created five emails on autoresponders. These autoresponders contained the bonus items for those who purchased the book.

During this creation process, I received an email from one of these people who purchased Book Proposals That Sell. He had not received these bonus item emails. The email clued me that something was wrong some place in the process. I investigated my shopping cart and learned that I neglected to click one button in one place. From working with computers for years, I've learned one simple truth: the computer only does what you tell it to do.  I had skipped one important detail and no one got their bonus items. Talk about embarrassing! To straighten it out, one by one, I sent all five bonus items via email to each individual. Now that my shopping cart is fixed, the process of sending these bonuses is automated.

There are several lessons for you from my experience:

1. The details are essential. As writers, you ignore them at your own peril. Your submissions will not hit the target nor get results if you do not work at the details.

2. Listen to your audience. When they tell you something, spring into action or make adjustments.

3. Deliver on your promises. Your word and integrity are important. And if something goes wrong, apologize (everyone is human) and then fix it as soon as possible.

4. Work hard to maintain and keep your relationships. Years ago, I heard John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book say, “Selling books is all about building relationships.” See the truth in this statement?

Whatever you are writing or promoting, the relationship is critical and the details of your writing life are important.

------
W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing and the author of more than 60 books including Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success (available exclusively through this website with bonuses even though this book has over 130 Five Star Amazon reviews). He blogs about The Writing Life and lives in Colorado and has over 200,000 twitter followers.

Tweetable:

Why are the details of your writing life important? Here's four practical lessons. (ClickToTweet)

 

The One Sentence Pitch for Your Manuscript

Your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, super-tight yet concise description of your story, specifically the plot of your story. Think of it as a one sentence calling card – you’re unique selling proposal or proposition. It's a beginning step on your book marketing journey.

You might ask why does it have to be only one sentence. Well, it may happen that the time you have to pitch your manuscript is under a minute.

Suppose you’re at a conference and happen to get on the elevator at the end of the day with a frazzled publisher or agent. You want that very short span of pitching time to be as effective as you can make it, without annoying or further frazzling your target.

It may be the only opportunity you’ll have for a direct, although very brief, uninterrupted pitch.

This is where the one sentence pitch come in.

The one sentence pitch, also known as a logline, takes time, effort, and a lot of practice. You need to condense your entire manuscript into one sentence. Within that sentence you need to harness the soul of your story (the plot) in a simple, concise, and hooking pitch.

The general writing consensus is to do your best and create one sentence that tells what your story is about.

Once you have it nailed, expand it into a few more, adding only the most important aspects of the story.

This expanded version is considered your elevator pitch. And, it's an excellent practice for tight writing.

This way you’ll have two different versions of a micro pitch. It’s important to always be prepared – you never know when or where you may come upon an unsuspecting publisher or agent . . .  maybe you’ll have a few seconds, maybe you’ll have 3 minutes.

EXAMPLES OF ONE SENTENCE PITCHES:

From Nathan Bransford (1)

Three kids trade a corndog (FLAVOR OF THE STORY) for a spaceship, blast off into space (OPENING CONFLICT), accidentally break the universe (OBSTACLE), and have to find their way back home (QUEST).

From Writer’s Digest (2)

NOT: “A burning skyscraper threatens the lives of thousands, including a pregnant woman trapped on the top floor.”
INSTEAD: “A former firefighter, fired for insubordination, races to save the lives of thousands of people in a burning skyscraper, including his pregnant wife.”

From Madeline Smoot (3):

The Emerald Tablet — In this midgrade science fiction novel, a telepathic boy discovers that he is not really human but a whole different species and that he must save a sunken continent hidden under the ocean.

From Janice Hardy (4)

A meek bank teller discovers a magical ancient mask that unleashes his deepest desires — and gives him superhuman abilities to act on them. (The Mask)

And, here’s my own one sentence pitch for my children’s fantasy chapter book. The 39 word version hooked a contract with a publisher:

Twelve-year-old Wang decides he’ll be rich and powerful if he can become a mystical Eternal; but after a year of hard work as an apprentice, and very little magic, he quits, but not before learning to walk through walls.

Obviously, if you have a scheduled pitch you will need to adhere to the publisher or agent’s rules as to the word count. But, even if nothing is scheduled, it’s a good idea to have that logline on hand for that you-never-know moment.

References:

(1) http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-write-one-sentence-pitch.html
(2) http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/thrillerfest-2011-pitch
(3) http://www.madelinesmoot.com/the-art-of-pitching-your-book-to-a-childrens-book-editor-in-just-one-sentence/
(4) http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/10/heres-pitchits-hit-crafting-your-novels.html

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: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

Check out the DIY Page and don’t forget to sign up for the Newsletter that has great monthly writing and book marketing tips.

And, get your copy of Walking Through Walls (a middle-grade fantasy adventure set in 16th century China. Honored with the Children’s Literary Classics Silver Award.

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

Importance of Email Signatures

Your Networking Challenge

Writing for Children – Finding Story Ideas

5 Ways to Annoy an Editor

Writing - Rules of the Road

Contributed by Valerie Allen

Writers are always striving to be successful . . . to hone their craft.

Well to be successful, every writer needs to be aware of the most common standards in the publishing industry.

Here are some basic rules for clear text and easy reading:

1.    Use a word processing program. You may enjoy the kinetic energy that comes from hand written work, but ultimately your manuscript must be in a word processing document to meet publication standards.

2.    Use one inch margins on all sides; justify text. Chapter headings are typically centered.

3.    Use 12 point type, simple fonts. Times New Roman is universally accepted but sometimes titles or chapter headings are done in a different font to add interest or focus attention for the reader.

4.    Use one space at the end of a sentence. When typewriters were popular the rule was two periods at the end of the sentence due to differing sizes of letters.

5.    Dialogue requires quotation marks.
    (“Where are you?”)

6.    Start a new paragraph with each different speaker. This is especially important when there are more than two speakers.

7.    Keep the speaker’s action and dialogue in the same paragraph.
    (“What are you doing?” Valerie asked, as she entered the kitchen.)

8.    Use subject verb sentence structure.
    (USE: “This is important,” Valerie said.)
    (NOT: “This is important,” said Valerie.)

9.    For time sequence use both words: and then.
    (USE: She picked up a pen, and then wrote a note.)
    (NOT: She picked up the pen, then wrote a note.)

10.    Punctuation marks go inside quotation marks.
    (“Here I am,” Valerie said. “Where are you?”)

11.    An apostrophe replaces a missing letter (goin’, don’t. 'tis)

12.    Use italics for internal thoughts of the characters.
    (USE: That nasty old women!)
    (NOT: That nasty old women!, Valerie thought.)

13.    Limit the use of exclamation points (!) and dashes (-)

14.    Use only one punctuation mark at the end of a sentence.
    (USE: “You did what?”)
    (NOT: “You did what?!!!”)

15.    Avoid clichés.

16.    Avoid over-use of fillers in your sentences: that, very, just, really, maybe, perhaps, got

17.   Consider if a character is  “asking” or “telling.” 
   (USE: “What time is it?,” Valerie asked.) 
   (NOT: “What time is it?,” Valerie said.)

Follow these basic rules to have your work appear professional and appeal to editors, agents, and publishers as well as to your readers.

Valerie Allen writes fiction, nonfiction, short stories and children's books. Amazon.com/author/valerieallen. She assists writers with marketing via AuthorsForAuthors.com. She hosts two major annual events in warm and sunny Florida. Meet the Authors Book Fair in the Fall and the Writers' Conference: Write, Publish, Sell! in the Spring. Vendor tables and presentations encourage networking and marketing to increase book sales. Book Display options are available for authors throughout the USA. Valerie loves to hear from readers and writers! Contact her at: VAllenWriter@gmail.com

MORE ON WRITING

What Makes Good Fiction: Plot Driven vs. Character Driven

Write What You Know or Write What You Love?

Where Do You Find Writing Ideas?

21 Ways to Network with Other Writers

If you're a writer, creating a wide network of other professional writers will enhance your own career.

You'll be able to share information and other resources with people who all have at least one thing in common—they love to write.

Here are 21 ways to broaden your professional network.

1. Join listservs and online forums for writers.

Here are a few to try:

Absolute Writer Water Cooler
This forum welcome writers of all genres.
It is a well-moderated community and very active.

Writers Digest Forum
This forum is from the publishers of Writer’s Digest Magazine.
You’ll find all sorts of writing related topics covered in this active forum for writers.

Writing Forums
Opportunities for writers to exchange tips, engage in discussions about techniques, and grow in their craft.

Writers can also participate in forum competitions.

2. Join social networking sites such as twitter, facebook, linkedin, and jacketflap.com.

The key to these sites is you should be an active member and not just someone who reads the posts of other writers.

Reading and then sharing the posts of other writers on these social media sites helps these writers get to know you, and they will usually start sharing your posts with their followers, too.

3. Visit other writers' blogs and leave a meaningful comment along with a link to your writer's blog or website.

I welcome helpful comments at www.writebythesea.com, for example.

And I like to return the favor by visiting the sites of everyone who comments at my site and leaving a comment.

Over time, this is a great way to add other writers to your professional network.

4. Host an Internet radio show for writers.

There are many Internet Radio networks.

Listen to some of the shows on various networks before you decide to start your own show.

You'll find shows at:
Blogtalkradio.com
InternetRadio

5. Sign up for online writers' workshops.

You’ll find all sorts of online workshops for writers.

Check out sites like writersdigest.com, Wow! Women on Writing, and even my site, WritebytheSea for lists of upcoming or ongoing workshops you might enjoy and learn from.

6. Start your own blog for writers.

Note, however that a blog for readers should be somewhat different from a blog for writers.

Visit several blogs for writers and see what type of content these sites tend to post.

7. Start your own networking group for writers.

You can do this either online or offline.

Meetup.com is a good place to go online to help get an in-person writer’s group started.

It does cost something each month to have your group on the meetup.com site, however.

But simply charge a $3.00 or so fee at each meeting and you should be able to more than cover the monthly meetup.com charge.

8. Host other writers on virtual book tours.

If you have a new book to promote, you can take turns hosting each other’s blog tours.

9. Guest post on other writers' blogs.

If you follow my blog at writebythesea.com or read my Morning Nudge, you know that guest blogging is something I’m helping my clients and readers focus on right now.

That’s because guest blogging is not only a great way to network with other writers, it’s a great way to build your own creadibility and online visiblity as a writer.

10. Start a free newsletter for writers.

I started The Morning Nudge in 2006, and have been publishing this free email every weekday morning since then.

It gives me a great way to connect with other writers, many of whom turn into clients and customers as well as good friends.

Why not start your own newsletter for writers?

You don't have to publish it as often as my Morning Nudge.

Just once a month would be good to start.

11. Teach online workshops for writers or start your own offline workshops for writers.

I’ve been teaching online workshops for years.

Recently I added offline workshops here on the Treasure Coast in Florida where I live.

It’s always fun to connect with writers all across the planet via online workshops, but it’s also fun meeting people face-to-face each week at an offline venue.

12. Host your own teleseminar series for writers.

You can even charge for this.

You’ll need some sort of service so you can reach many callers at once.

Try:
www.freeconferences.com
Instant Teleseminar

13. Use articles from other writers on your site(s) that you find on online directories such as www.ezinearticles.com.

The authors of these articles will drive traffic to your site if they know you're featuring one of their articles there.

And you can start networking with these authors on a regular basis once you've featured one or more of their articles on your site.

14. Became a guest on Internet Radio Shows about writing.

To find radio shows for this, check out http://www.radioguestlist.com

15. Start a mailing list so you can stay in regular contact with other writers who join your list.

You don't need a newsletter to start a mailing list.

Simply send out an email "broadcast" each time you post something new to your blog.

Everyone on your list will get this email and many will go to your site to read your new post there.

When they do, if they leave comments, you'll know who they are, so you can make a point of visiting their sites and commenting, too.

16. Create a coaching program to coach other writers.

What is your area of writing expertise?

Use your knowledge and expertise to not only network with other writers but to profit from it as well.

You'll be able to reach out to writers everywhere with something that can really help them.

17. Interview other writers and post the interviews at your site.

You can do written interviews, audio interviews, or even videos that feature interviews.

18. Form joint ventures with other writers.

You can turn those interviews into audios you sell to other writers, for example.

You can also help other writers set up teleseminars or create online workshops, which you promote jointly and both profit from.

19. Introduce writers you know to each other (via email, for example).

I've met many professional writers this way.

Some of them even gave me tips for finding assignments, including editors names, etc.

20. Start a blogchain or meme for writers.

This is a good way for a group of writers to grow their online following.

With a blog chain, everyone in the chain tries to visit all the blogs on the chain and leave a comment.

Each blog in the chain also includes a link to the next blog on the chain, so it's a great way to increase your following.

You'll meet all sorts of writers when you either create your own blogchain for writers or you join someone else's chain.

21. Sign up for other writers' online newsletters.

You'll get some great writing tips and other resources. You'll also get to know more about these writers, so eventually you'll know who to approach for joint ventures, etc.

Now...I'm sure you have additional ways you network with other writers.

Care to share?

Just leave a comment to let everyone know how you network with other writers.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is 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.

Successful Writing Strategy: Know Your Intent

Intent is a crucial factor in success. But, what exactly does this mean?

According to Merriam-Webster, intent is an aim, a clear and “formulated or planned intention.” It is a purpose, “the act or fact of intending.”

Intent is a necessary factor on any path to success, including your path to writing success. You need to know what you want, what you’re striving for. And, that knowledge has to be clearly defined.

An unclear destination or goal is similar to being on a path that has very low hanging branches, an assortment of rocks that may hinder your forward movement, uneven and rugged terrain, branches and even logs strewn across the road; you get the idea. You kind of step over the debris, look around or through the branches, you don’t have a clear view of where you’re going.

A clear-cut goal is akin to walking on a smooth and clear path. No goal related obstacles to hinder your forward momentum or vision.

But, let me add to the sentence above, while intent is crucial, it’s an active and passionate pursuit of your intent that will actually allow you to achieve success. It reminds me of a passage in the Bible at James 24:26, “Faith without works is dead.”

While the intent is there, if you don’t actively take the needed steps to get from A to B, walk-the-walk, rather than just talk-the-talk, you’ll never reach your goal.

To realize your intent, it would be beneficial for you to create a list of questions and statements outlining the specifics to that intent.

A few of questions you might include are:

- What is your ultimate success goal?
- What does the obtainment of your goal mean?
- After picturing it, what does success look like to you?
- How will you reach your goal?

So, how would you answer these questions?

As a writer, perhaps your goal is to write for one or two major magazines. Maybe you’d prefer to be published in a number of smaller magazines. Possibly you want to author a book a year and have them published by traditional publishing houses. Or, maybe you want to self-publish your own books at a faster or slower pace.

Maybe success to you is to make a comfortable living, or you may be very happy with simply supplementing your income. Maybe you want to be a professional, sought after ghostwriter or copywriter. Maybe you want to be a coach, a speaker, offer workshops, or present teleseminars. These are just some of the potential goals for a writer.

Whatever your vision of success is, you need to see it clearly, write it down (it’d be a good idea to also create a vision board), and take the necessary steps to get you where you want to be.

If you find you have a realistic success vision, and are taking the necessary steps to achieve your envisioned intent, at least you think you are, but you still can’t seem to reach the goal, then perhaps your efforts aren’t narrowly focused enough. Maybe your success vision is too broad.

Wanting to be a writer is a noble endeavor, but it’s a very broad target. There are so many niches within the writing arena that if you don’t focus on one or two in particular, you’ll be known as a ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’

Try narrowing down, fine tuning your goal. Remember, it’s essential to be specific and focused.

It might be to your advantage to create success steps that continually move you forward on the path to reaching your ultimate goal.

For someone new to writing, the first step on a writing career would be to learn the craft of writing.

You might give yourself a year or two to join writing groups, take advantage of writing workshops or classes, write for article directories, or create stories.

You should also be part of at least one critique group. This would be your first step to achieving your intent, your success vision.

Instead of trying to go directly from A to B, it might be more effective to go from A to A1 to A2 to A3 . . . to B. But, again, for each step, the intent, a clear-cut vision, and the driving passion all need to be front and center.

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.

To get monthly writing and book marketing tips, sign up for The Writing World – it’s free!




MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

5 Ways to Annoy an Editor
SEO for Authors: Marketing Trends to be Aware Of
Is Series Writing for You?