Ah, the fun of writing a novel. You, the writer, get to wreak havoc on your characters – all the while ignoring any and all havoc in your life. (At least for a little while. You must return to reality at some point.) Wreaking havoc – that’s just another term for “the Ds”: the events that distance your hero or heroine from their goals. Let me be more specific: What: The Ds Think Distancing, Denial, Disappointments and Devastation. Yes, there are Dreams and Delights too – even a dream-come-true, like your heroine getting offered that job she’s always wanted – can wreak havoc in her life. Ds distance a character from what they want, deny them something – a relationship, maybe – and create a Y in the road, forcing […]
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TEE’s What and Why: The Ds
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One Thing Marketing: Using the ABCs of journalism to market your book
My reporting days may be behind me, but the ABCs of journalism are still embedded into my brain: Accuracy Brevity Clarity When it comes to marketing ourselves and our writing, those ABCs come in handy. Accuracy: Are your marketing efforts, well, accurate? Are they professional and well-crafted? Think of each marketing piece—whether it’s your website, a bookmark, a business card, even a YouTube video—as a potential reader’s first introduction to you. Make sure what they see is exactly what you want them to see! Brevity: We live in a fast-moving, constantly on-the-go world…which means brevity is always a bonus. See: Twitter. J But it’s totally possible to say LOTS while saying little…whether it’s in a blog post, your author bio, or even a Facebook status. Learn to be pithy and […]
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Building Your Tribe, Part 3: Brick and Mortar Not Required
Hopefully by now you understand why you need a tribe. I trust you’ve made the decision to begin building one, or to grow the one you already have. But there is one little gnat buzzing around in the back of your head. It’s the time thing… Again. You say you don’t have time to devote to constructing a successful tribe. You schedule tweets and update Facebook. You sit and wait because you know you’ll soon have to respond or retweet. After all, tribal dynamics require reciprocation. Right? It’s NOT about the thing. Or the task, or the 2×4’s. It’s about the members. You know, those people who just love you and want the best for you? Tribes are relationships, not a hard hat zone with a fence around it. Building […]
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Being at the Top of Your Game
Hello Everyone! I just finished a novel. As I write to you from my turret tower, my friend Carrie sitting on the floor with my dog Lola, I gaze out my window at my farm… Wait, there’s no farm. Pardon me, I’m a bit punchy. I lapsed into Christmas in Connecticut. I just finished a rewrite, Once Upon A Prince, in about 20 days. I know some people who shall be nameless, Susan May Warren, write whole books from scratch in that amount of time, but I am not such a writer. I’m getting fast but I’m like to mull. Chew. Think. I’m the kind of person who comes up with a fabulous retort or brilliant response to a conversation three days later. But then no one cares to hear my […]
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