Jami Gold's Blog: Jami Gold, Paranormal Author, page 37

Story Tropes: What’s the Subtext?

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

The messages readers get from our writing aren’t always explicitly stated. In fact, we usually want to avoid the “too on-the-nose” problem that can come from stating a message outright. Instead, a story’s meaning and hidden messages often lurk in the subtext.

Subtext is everywhere in our story. Subtext flows throughout our plots and characters. If our protagonist saves a child, that creates different impressions than if they save a child’s...

Story Tropes: Lazy or Helpful?

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

 

Every genre and medium of storytelling uses tropes, common themes or story devices. Tropes are so common in all types of stories that a whole website is dedicated to examining them all.

Tropes often have a bad reputation—for good reason. All too frequently, they emphasize lazy storytelling or worldbuilding.

If we hear about a YA book centered on the high school experience, we may immediately jump to conclusions about what the story will...

How to Make a Reader-Friendly Website

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

 

Last week, I shared my new website with all of you. While I’m still following up on a few issues (mostly with the comment system…of course *sigh*), I mentioned that I’d been slowly working on the switch-over for the past couple of months.

What I didn’t mention is that getting the old content into shape wasn’t too bad—only a few hours here and there—but then I decided to add new content. A lot of new content…

About a year ago, in one of m...

Blog Commenting: Building a Community

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

We’ve all seen blogs with different styles of comments left by visitors. Some blogs are infested with spam comments. Some are vibrant communities. And some are happy with any comment.

I know of some authors who have turned off comments entirely because they don’t want the pressure of replying or the risk of their blog looking “empty” if no one comments. But I also know the first place I felt part of the writing community was in the comment...

Secret Project: A New Website!

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

A few weeks ago, I hinted that I’ve been busy working on a secret project. If you’re visiting this post online, you can see the evidence of that project right here: a brand-spanking-new website! Shiny!

(And if you’re reading this via newsletter or feed, check out the new digs!)

My old design was woefully out of date, as I’d had the same design with just minor changes and new content for the full seven years that I’ve been blogging. Yeeks!

...

Do You Meet the Prerequisites to Be a Writer?

Wait… I can hear some of you asking, “Are there prerequisites to call ourselves a writer?”

No. If you write, you’re a writer. Period. And that’s my point with this post. *smile*

Human nature means that we tend to compare ourselves with others. While that’s normal, those comparisons can also be destructive to our self-confidence.

For example, when it comes to whether or not we “deserve” to use the term writer, we might worry along the lines of…:

“I haven’t finished a book yet, so I’m only pr...

Blogiversary Winners & Story Time

Yay! Tomorrow marks the official seven-year mark for my blog. *whew* I made it…even though the past year made that milestone a bit questionable.

On my post announcing my annual Blogiversary Contest, we had enough comments to earn three winners. Woo hoo! But I always struggle with the part where random.org selects the winners because I wish I could give everyone a prize.

I’ve said it before, and I really mean it. You’re the reason I blog, and I appreciate you so much that I wish I could do so...

Book Promotion: Getting Out the Word

Many groups and forums for self-published authors compare notes on what works (or doesn’t work) for promoting our work. For every author who seriously studies the most effective methods of promotion, there are probably 10 others who—if they promote at all—try various (and maybe random) things in a “see what sticks” approach. *smile*

At the same time, many well-established authors advise that we should all chill, as it can take 5 or more books in a series before it really catches on with read...

One Simple Trick to Avoid an Opening Page Infodump

Today’s a holiday in the U.S., so I was trying to keep this post super-short. *cough* You can guess how well that worked. *smile*

While you’re here, don’t forget to comment on my Blogiversary post for a chance to win “me.” Want me to beta read for you or pick my brain about a writing or story problem? Now’s your chance! *grin*

We’ve often talked here about how tricky it is to get our opening pages just right. We have to grab readers’ attention (such as evoking curiosity), introduce our chara...

Reconnecting with Our Passions: Storytelling

In my last post, I shared my struggle with long-term burnout due to ongoing health issues. Thank you to all who commented! I haven’t had the time/energy/spoons to reply with the depth your comments deserve, but I’ve definitely been reading and appreciating every one. *hugs*

As part of that post, I mentioned that I’m going to try a couple of different things to reduce the time I spend blogging each week. My epic-long posts tend to keep me up until 1 a.m. the night before, and that’s not good...