Ryan Lanz's Blog, page 10

Why We Still Go to Bookstores in The Age of Amazon

When the Kindle was released, news outlets prophesized that by 2016, eBook sales would overtake print, and bookstores would become obsolete. Online book sales had increased dramatically, and because of the recent release of eBook reading devices, publishing companies assumed that the Internet would soon eradicate physical spaces where book buyers go to find new […]

How to Successfully Write a Blurb

Writing blurbs can be considered the ultimate challenge. You’ve finished a full-length story–now write a brief statement that encapsulates your tale in a few paragraphs, using language that will entice, interest, and intrigue a would-be reader. Oh, and keep it consistent with the story inside so that the two match. Simple, right?   Unless you’re […]

Writers, Prepare to Be Wrong

I used to never take risks. Never. I was one of those kids who had everything in order, always got straight A’s, and did everything by the book. I figured out quickly what was expected of me and did that, which made my teachers and bosses happy, and sometimes I’d do something that made me […]

How Copywriting Has Helped My Fiction

As you may know, by day I am a copywriter at a wine marketing company. Essentially, I write product descriptions, tasting notes, and catalog spreads about wine. Oh, and I do get to sample my fair share, too! Now, a lot of writers say that, if you must have a day job, it shouldn’t be […]

The Most Misunderstood Writing Advice: Write What You Know

Write what you know is good advice, if you do it correctly. We’ve all heard it a thousand times: “Write what you know, write what you know…” It’s practically a mantra in some writing circles. So, should a lawyer only write legal thrillers? A doctor only write medical dramas? A plumber write a novel about […]

A New Era of Pulp Fiction?

I have been waiting for an announcement like James Patterson’s “Book Shots” to cement my ongoing belief that the modern age of pulp fiction is upon us. Patterson’s new book machine is producing novels “under 150 pages for under $5.” It promises: “Life moves fast–books should too… Impossible to put down. Read on any device.” […]

10 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

For us writers, few things are more frustrating than to finally sit down at our desks after taking care of real life chores only to be struck dumb by the blank page or the white screen. Writer’s block can be quite disabling, a form of writerly constipation that the harder we try to overcome, the […]

Finding the Right Emotional State For Writing

You may need to be in the proper mood to do a lot of things, but you don’t require a specific mental state to write. Admittedly, certain extreme states such as blind rage preclude writing or anything else of a non-violent nature, but these verge on mental aberrations, and I’m not referring to them. Likewise […]

Why Networking is So Important For Aspiring Authors

Up until recently, I was writing in the closet. By choice, the only person I had to speak to about my writing was my husband. Luckily, he’s interested and very supportive of everything I do, but as I recently finished the first draft of my very first manuscript, I knew it was time to start […]

Top 5 Blogging Tips For Success

It’s been estimated that 80% of blogs fail. I got that wonky statistic from a website that helps people earn money from their blogs. I think they’re saying that 80% of professional bloggers are disappointed with their blogging income. But many of us don’t even try to earn money by blogging. We’re more interested in sharing […]