Hey! I’m filling in for Susie May this morning. She just got back from a fantastic retreat with some marvelous marketers in Texas, so she’s in catch up mode. I was telling her about a conversation I had with the great Matt Jones at Jones House Creative about writing. I told him, “Your dream is worth your effort.” He in kind, immortalized the line in a screen saver for me to used and remember! It’s so true. Your dream is worth your effort. Worth your time. Don’t let anyone or anything steal it. TV? Not worth it. I laugh at Hollywood award ceremonies. They want me to watch them give awards to each other? Well hey, Hollywood, show up at ACFW Carol Awards this year. Watch us give awards to […]
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Idea Sparking: Brainstorming Conflict in your Novel!
At MBT we’re all about trying to give you the best tools to create powerful stories. That’s why I asked our MBT Brainstorming Coach Michelle Lim to write a book about brainstorming techniques that help a writer create conflict in their stories. I’ve discovered that many authors just get stuck while brainstorming, and their stories lack spark or twists. Michelle’s book is a powerful tool to help an author think outside the box and create powerful twists and turns in their story. I’ve asked her here to today to chat with us about her new book: Idea Sparking: Brainstorming Conflict into your Novel. What prompted the idea for this book? Since I was a teenager I loved plot. If the story kept me turning pages by flashlight after bedtime, […]
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A Marketer’s look at Synopsis
This section is based on my book, “Silent Danger: A Training Novel” that was released by WCC Press earlier this month. Susie and the My Book Therapy team do an amazing job of explaining craft and the synopsis, so if you’ve ever read their lessons and you think you don’t need this, keep reading. What I’m trying to show here is how a synopsis is about more than summarizing your story. It also gets you in the marketing mindset and helps you start to think of unique angles you can take…………. Excerpted for “Silent Danger” Published by Writing Career Coach Press. Permission for one-time use granted. Synopsis: In a synopsis you have typically between 1-3 pages to do a bunch of things. You have to: • Set up the scene […]
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Get the Truth about Conferences!
I’m on the road helping my kids move into college today, so instead of a conversation with Sally, I have a special offer for you (and Sally!) I’ll never forget my first writers conference. Fresh from my first term as a missionary, I had decided overseas that I wanted to write a novel. While on home service, I worked slavishly to finish it, and when I discovered a Christian writers conference in my area, albeit small, I couldn’t wait to arrive, plunk down my novel before some editor, and return with a check in hand. Right. Sadly, I was woefully unprepared for the conference. I read nametags and titles, and a sweat broke out on my palms. I saw people with slick proposals and writing credits behind their names and […]
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