I had an inquiry from an author the other day about two things: first he wanted to contact someone about editing his new novel and he was also looking to find a group of like-minded writers who would get together and critique each others work. Isn't it funny how things just "pop up" when we are thinking about them?
I had been thinking about the solitary life of a writer who spends countless hours with nothing but her thoughts and a keyboard when someone reached out to me with a lovely note. I had recently published My Secret Mother and a reader sent me a copy of a review she had posted which opened up a whole new world to me.
I have loved everything about books since the first moment I smelled them in my first visit to the public library and I find that I have spent most of my life gravitating to people and circumstances where books are a central theme. I love nothing more than hearing about a new book or author from someone who has read them and sharing my latest find with them.
The review of my own book had been posted on an online site called "Goodreads." Naturally, I clicked on the link to read this five star rating and then started looking around. Truth be told, I had heard about Goodreads before and I am sure I made a note of the address in a notebook somewhere but had not taken the time to search it out. All I can say is, "Wow!" This a book lovers dream come true (shhh, I was thinking about another phrase with the word "dream" in it for you erotica writers out there, but don't tell anyone). Most writers are, in the first place, readers. I know there are lots of book clubs around but maybe you don't belong to one. How about a book club with 5,000,000 members who are passionate about reading and sharing?
Anyway, needless to say, I joined, invited a few friends to join me and now I am inviting you to take a look - here's my profile page, set up your own, ask me to be a friend - I will - and then start looking for more contacts, book recommendations and ratings. I have found some great reads and some new authors (some of whom are now friends) and am having a fabulous time connecting with people just like you - book lovers.
To bring this all together, we all need feedback from people who are objective and knowledgeable whether we are budding authors or just interested readers. I was able to connect the young man from the first paragraph with a great local editor who also meets with a group of other writers. But, what a wonderful time to be alive for authors and readers when we can connect with people from around the world to discover new books, new writers and new opportunities to literally (pun intended) expand our horizons.
Showing posts with label WRITING TIPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WRITING TIPS. Show all posts
Thursday
Saturday
COURAGE
THE COURAGE TO LOOK FOOLISH IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAILURE AND SUCCESS
yes, you can quote me, forward this message and subscribe to this blog
yes, you can quote me, forward this message and subscribe to this blog
Monday
WHY AM I WRITING A BOOK?
The purpose for writing a book can be as varied as their are writers, but it is important to spend a few moments looking at this before attempting to create your manuscript. This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, roughly titled "Write Your Book in 48 Days."
A writer’s purpose can start with just wanting to tell a story based on your own experience, like a recent trip or perhaps something that happened on your way to work that caused you to think twice because it was funny or tragic or unique. It might be something more strategic like wanting to become recognized in your field of endeavor or to be looked at as a spokesperson in your industry, confer expert status or simply give you more credibility. You might have some specialized knowledge about a subject that is important to share with others, a unique perspective about an event that you played a role in. You may feel compelled to write a book in order to change people’s minds, inspire action, explain a concept or point of view or to simply leave a legacy to your family, friends and other people who know you.
Please post a comment, subscribe to this blog or email it to others
A writer’s purpose can start with just wanting to tell a story based on your own experience, like a recent trip or perhaps something that happened on your way to work that caused you to think twice because it was funny or tragic or unique. It might be something more strategic like wanting to become recognized in your field of endeavor or to be looked at as a spokesperson in your industry, confer expert status or simply give you more credibility. You might have some specialized knowledge about a subject that is important to share with others, a unique perspective about an event that you played a role in. You may feel compelled to write a book in order to change people’s minds, inspire action, explain a concept or point of view or to simply leave a legacy to your family, friends and other people who know you.
Please post a comment, subscribe to this blog or email it to others
Friday
AUTHORING A BOOK AND PAINTING A HOUSE
Writing a book and painting a house have certain striking similarities. I spent the past week helping my son paint the interior of his new abode and was struck by how the process of writing a successful non-fiction book is very much the same as successfully painting a house. Defining success in house painting means no paint on the ceiling or floor and a smooth finish with color only in the spots you want to have it. To do this requires a combination of elements including experience, organization, the right tools, a proven process, patience and a willingness to take some risks.
I would like to think that it has always been easy to teach my son new skills but whether it is normal for fathers and sons to disagree, or I didn't exercise enough patience, or perhaps he was not willing to learn from me, I'm not sure - that was the past - but we both decided to approach this opportunity from a new perspective. He was entirely open to being coached and consider the value of receiving help from a knowledgeable source. I was determined to make this an enjoyable experience and realized that there is nothing wrong with repeating instructions and demonstrating something until the pupil understands. In the long run, it was easier and more efficient to repeat myself than to be impatient.
Painting a house and teaching someone else how to do it is like coaching a client through the process of writing a book. We start with having an organized approach, gather the information and layout a plan for its execution, choose the most important tasks to undertake, reveal the insider knowledge that allows success to enter the picture, and start with the end result in mind. Knowing where we want to end up and keeping the big picture in front of us helps us get through the challenges and difficulties that always crop up when we are creating something important.
The sense of satisfaction and joy that we both experienced in making his home a place of pride is much the same as creating a wonderful book that will entertain and inspire all who come into contact with it.
Please consider subscribing to my blog to receive some inspiration and ideas.
I would like to think that it has always been easy to teach my son new skills but whether it is normal for fathers and sons to disagree, or I didn't exercise enough patience, or perhaps he was not willing to learn from me, I'm not sure - that was the past - but we both decided to approach this opportunity from a new perspective. He was entirely open to being coached and consider the value of receiving help from a knowledgeable source. I was determined to make this an enjoyable experience and realized that there is nothing wrong with repeating instructions and demonstrating something until the pupil understands. In the long run, it was easier and more efficient to repeat myself than to be impatient.
Painting a house and teaching someone else how to do it is like coaching a client through the process of writing a book. We start with having an organized approach, gather the information and layout a plan for its execution, choose the most important tasks to undertake, reveal the insider knowledge that allows success to enter the picture, and start with the end result in mind. Knowing where we want to end up and keeping the big picture in front of us helps us get through the challenges and difficulties that always crop up when we are creating something important.
The sense of satisfaction and joy that we both experienced in making his home a place of pride is much the same as creating a wonderful book that will entertain and inspire all who come into contact with it.
Please consider subscribing to my blog to receive some inspiration and ideas.
HOW TO FIND BOOK QUOTES
HOW DO I FIND QUOTES TO BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF MY BOOK?
Many books feature quotes at the beginning of each chapter but where do you find the perfect quote? Surprisingly enough you, the author, might be the perfect source yourself. In this video I offer a few ideas that might be helpful and if they are, please pass this on to someone else.
Many books feature quotes at the beginning of each chapter but where do you find the perfect quote? Surprisingly enough you, the author, might be the perfect source yourself. In this video I offer a few ideas that might be helpful and if they are, please pass this on to someone else.
Monday
WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?
Writing a book is different than writing an article or a blog - it is more permanent somehow and seems to be a more solid reflection of who we are as a person. This must mean that we need to take the entire process more seriously and whatever we write should be something we have expertise and knowledge about. Without doubt, our readers and the world in general, treat a book with much more importance and respect than the somewhat ethereal world of digital writing on blogs and websites. The printed page holds a mysterious power and respect for its permanence and that is exactly why we are writing a book in the first place, is it not?
A non-fiction book should be based on a level of expertise, training and technical ability that the author can demonstrate in both their biography and their writing prowess but just exactly how do we go about discovering what we are "expert" at? We can look to our formal education credentials for starters. Holding a degree in any discipline will automatically confer expert, or at least knowledgeable, status. There are many more areas in which we can search for writing ideas that will offer real value to our readers and that is the most important criteria. Are we providing value for our readers and another way to look at it is this; how will our writing change a reader’s life for the better?
If we consider our credentials for writing in this context, it allows us to look at areas of life that we are interested in, such as hobbies and sports, ancillary skills that we have developed like writing, speaking and training, perhaps travel that we have done, courses we have taken, jobs we have held, computer/internet training that we have undertaken. Look for things that you think people take for granted like editing, punctuation and other writing related skills - not everybody has these. Your longtime enjoyment of gardening, reading, fine wines, good food, weather phenomenon, party planning, photography, recycling, business cycles, the stock market, Roman naval wars, tarot reading, car racing or anything else under the sun, including the sun, can be fodder for your book. If you are interested in something, there is a very strong likelihood that there are other people on the planet who share your passion and want to read the latest book on the subject - yours!
A non-fiction book should be based on a level of expertise, training and technical ability that the author can demonstrate in both their biography and their writing prowess but just exactly how do we go about discovering what we are "expert" at? We can look to our formal education credentials for starters. Holding a degree in any discipline will automatically confer expert, or at least knowledgeable, status. There are many more areas in which we can search for writing ideas that will offer real value to our readers and that is the most important criteria. Are we providing value for our readers and another way to look at it is this; how will our writing change a reader’s life for the better?
If we consider our credentials for writing in this context, it allows us to look at areas of life that we are interested in, such as hobbies and sports, ancillary skills that we have developed like writing, speaking and training, perhaps travel that we have done, courses we have taken, jobs we have held, computer/internet training that we have undertaken. Look for things that you think people take for granted like editing, punctuation and other writing related skills - not everybody has these. Your longtime enjoyment of gardening, reading, fine wines, good food, weather phenomenon, party planning, photography, recycling, business cycles, the stock market, Roman naval wars, tarot reading, car racing or anything else under the sun, including the sun, can be fodder for your book. If you are interested in something, there is a very strong likelihood that there are other people on the planet who share your passion and want to read the latest book on the subject - yours!
excerpt from, "The B. O. O. K. System"
by Robert J. Bannon
WHAT IS YOUR BOOK ABOUT?
As a book coach, I insist on my clients answering this question before they start writing their book. It is the single most important piece of information that an author needs to know in order to write a book. To see some ways to help you with your answer, check the video below.
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