Sometimes marketing just feels…blah. Another Facebook update. Another updated business card. Another newsletter that you wonder who’s even reading. A great way to spice up your marketing efforts is to go the “inside-out” route. And no, I don’t mean wearing your clothes inside-out. Though, if that sounds fun to you, go for it. I’m talking about looking at the already-existing elements of your book—or even you—that are perfect for a marketing project. Examples: In May 2012, author Katie Ganshert released her debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter. On her website, Katie invited readers to write their own “wildflowers from winter” stories—times when they were in a “winter” season of life, but caught glimpses of God at work even in their difficult circumstances. Tons of bloggers participated! Or, check out what author Beth […]
Read the RestArchive | September, 2012
Featured Fiction Friday Presents: Sarah Sundin
Well, the Frasier Winners have been announced. The hard work of the judges has decided the winners, and today we will take a look at the novel of another of our esteemed judges… Sarah Sundin and her book With Every Letter. Q: Sarah can you tell us a little bit about your story? As part of a morale-building program, World War II flight nurse Lt. Mellie Blake begins an anonymous correspondence with Army engineer Lt. Tom MacGilliver in North Africa. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, they develop a deep friendship. But when they’re both transferred to Algeria, will their future be held hostage by the past—or will they reveal their identities? Q: What is one piece of writing advice you could give to the MBT Audience? Cultivate both teachability and persistence. Teachability will help […]
Read the RestPitch + Premise = Spine
Maybe you first heard of the “story spine” from Stanley Williams’ book, The Moral Premise. But I actually thought of the concept all by my lonesome the winter of 2011 at the first Deep Thinkers Retreat. Because it became clear to me we HAVE to know what the story is about in order to develop the character and the plot. The pitch is that one or two lines, the concept, of the story that you tell editors or agents. Or you friends when they ask, “What’s your story about.” You must be able to tell it in one or two succinct sentences. If you ramble or start telling too much, then you’re not nailing the core of your story. For example, my pitch for Dining with Joy was “It’s about a cooking show […]
Read the RestBrainstorming Strategy #6: Highlighting Opposites
No writer wants to hear that their characters are “vanilla” or too much alike. We all want our characters to pop so our readers love them as much as we do. Trouble is, that it is easier said then done. How can brainstorming help you to deepen your story and make those characters fly off the page and into a reader’s heart? By highlighting opposites in your novel. I’m not talking about the hero or heroine always being opposites. Rather, the Hero and his sidekick or the heroine and her sidekick. When characters are too much alike, we run into the whole BORING problem. Create characters that are different in habits and personality. This causes natural tension and added interest to your characters. Let’s try this idea out to see […]
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