Jerry B. Jenkins's Blog, page 9
May 10, 2021
Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests Through 2022
Regardless where you are on your writing journey, you can benefit from entering contests.
The right contest can tell you:
Where you stand
How you measure up against the competition
What you still need to learn
And you could win cash.
That’s why my team researched a wide range of high-quality contests. We’ve included free competitions and also many with modest entry fees.
Contents
Short Story Writing Contests
Novel Writing Contests
Poetry Writing Contests
Nonfiction Contests
Free Writing Contests Through 2022
Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.
Short Story Writing Contests
SiWC Writing Contest
Prize:
1st: $1,000 plus publication
Honorable Mention: $150
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: 09/17/21
Sponsor: Surrey International Writers’ Conference
Description: Short stories in any genre must be 2,500-4,000 words. They must be unpublished (including online). Writers must pay the $15 entry fee for each submission. Under 18s welcome too.
Great American Fiction Contest
Prize:
1st: $1,000, publication in The Saturday Evening Post
Runners-up (5): $200
Entry Fee: $10
Deadline: 7/1/21
Sponsor: The Saturday Evening Post
Description: The Saturday Evening Post welcomes unpublished short stories of 1,500 to 5,000 words in any genre touching on the publication’s mission, “Celebrating America—past, present, and future.” No extreme profanity or graphic sex. Work published on a personal website or blog is still eligible.
WOW / Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Competition
Prize:
1st: $400, $25 Amazon gift certificate
2nd: $300, $25 Amazon gift certificate
3rd: $200, $25 Amazon gift certificate
Runners-up (7): $25 Amazon gift certificate
Honorable mentions (10): $20 Amazon gift certificate
Entry Fee: $10 (or $20 with feedback)
Deadline: Quarterly (next 5/31/21 and 8/31/21)
Sponsor: WOW / Women On Writing
Description: This flash competition runs four times a year and is open to all styles and genres. The competition closes each quarter after 300 entries have been received, or at deadline. WOW / Women On Writing runs a quarterly nonfiction essay competition too, also with cash prizes.
Bristol Short Story Prize
Prize:
1st: £1,000 ($1,400)
2nd: £500 ($700)
3rd: £250 ($350)
Shortlisted (17): £100 ($140)
Entry Fee: £9 ($12.50)
Deadline: 5/5/21
Sponsor: Bristol Short Story Prize
Description: Published and unpublished writers around the world over 16 eligible. Stories must be no more than 4,000 words in any genre or style, written in English. Enter online or by mail.
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award
Prize: £2,500 ($3,450)
Entry Fee: £18 ($25)
Deadline: 8/31/21
Sponsor: Aesthetica Magazine
Description: Short stories of up to 2,000 words on any theme are eligible for this international literary prize “celebrating innovation in content, form, and technique.” Unpublished or previously published work. Multiple entries permitted, though each incurs an entry fee.
Novel Writing Contests
University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize
Prize: $10,000 advance and publication
Entry Fee: $28
Deadline: 9/1/21
Sponsor: University of New Orleans
Description: The Publishing Laboratory at the University of New Orleans aims to offer “innovative publicity and broad distribution” for an unpublished novel or short story collection. No word limit or restriction on subjects. Open to authors worldwide.
The Bath Novel Award
Prize: £3,000 ($4,150)
Entry Fee: £28 ($39)
Deadline: 5/31/21
Sponsor: The Bath Novel Award
Description: First 5,000 words of a novel plus one-page synopsis. Unpublished or self-published writers only. Any genre suitable for adults or young adults. Free entry for writers on a low income.
The Times/Chicken House Competition
Prize: £10,000 ($13,800) advance plus publishing contract
Entry Fee: £18 ($25)
Deadline: 5/14/21
Sponsor: The Times (newspaper) and Chicken House (publisher)
Description:
Organizers are “looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love!” Full-length submissions only (ideally 30,000 to 80,000 words). Suitable for children or young adults. International entries welcome. One manuscript per writer.
Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction
Prize: $5,000 and publication by Dzanc Books
Entry Fee: $25
Deadline: 9/30/21
Sponsor: Dzanc Books
Description: Requests “daring, original, and innovative” novels. Open to all, published, unpublished, or agented.
Claymore Award
Prize: Discounted admission to Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, with introductions to agents/editors
Entry Fee: $40
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Killer Nashville
Description: First 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts. Should contain elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense. Killer Nashville suggests “Action, Adventure, Alternate History, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Suspense, Thriller, and Western.” No cash prize.
Poetry Writing Contests
Diode Editions Book & Chapbook Contests
Prize: $1,000, 25 author copies, and publication of selected poems in Diode Poetry Journal
Entry Fee: $20
Deadline: 8/15/21
Sponsor: Diode Editions
Description: Poetry books and chapbooks of 58-85 pages. Translations, collaborations, hybrid works, and prose poetry also accepted.
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
Prize: $2,500 plus publication
Entry Fee: $30
Deadline: 5/1/21
Sponsor: Wick Poetry Center
Description: Open to poets who’ve not yet published a full-length collection. Submissions of 50-70 pages. Winner’s poetry published by Kent State University Press.
Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry
Prize: $2,000 plus publication
Entry Fee: $28
Deadline: 6/15/21
Sponsor: Lynx House Press
Description: Awarded annually for a full-length volume of poems (U.S. authors only). Poems published in journals, magazines, or chapbooks can be included. All entries receive a Blue Lynx book.
Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition
Prize:
1st: €750 ($890)
2nd: €500 ($590)
3rd: €250 ($295)
Entry Fee: €5 ($6)
Deadline: Ongoing
Sponsor: Ó Bhéal
Description: Each Tuesday, five new words are published on Ó Bhéal’s website. Entrants have a week to write and submit a poem (up to 50 lines) containing all five words. Winner and shortlist announced March 2022. International entries welcome.
The Montreal International Poetry Prize
Prize: $20,000 CAD ($15,920 USD)
Entry Fee: $20 CAD ($16 USD)
Deadline: 5/15/22
Sponsor: Department of English at McGill University and others
Description: The Montreal Prize is awarded every 2 years for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. Submissions open in January 2022. Entry fee rises to $25 CAD ($20 USD) from 2nd May.
Nonfiction Writing Contests
Narrative Prize
Prize: $4,000
Entry fee: $27
Deadline: Yearly on June 15th
Sponsor: Narrative
Description: Awarded for the best piece published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative.
Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction
Prize:
Winner: $1,000 and bronze medallion
Finalists: $100
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: 9/31/21
Sponsor: The Lascaux Review
Description: Requests entries of “memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered.” 10,000 words or shorter, written in a non-academic style.
Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction
Prize: $1,333
Entry Fee: $20
Deadline: 11/1/21
Sponsor: Reed Magazine
Description: Submissions of no more than 5,000 words. Requests “personal essays or narratives” not “scholarly papers or book reviews.” Piece should be a standalone essay, not an excerpt.
2021 Travel Writing Competition
Prize: £1,000 ($1,385)
Entry Fee: £8 ($11)
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: Globe Soup
Description: Writers worldwide can enter an unpublished “article, opinion piece, destination guide, literary nonfiction, memoir, or any other form of nonfiction travel writing.” 2,000 words maximum.
Free Writing Contests Through 2022
53-Word Story Contest
Prize: Publication, a free book from Press 53
Deadline: Frequent writing contests; deadline is 15th of each month.
Sponsor: Prime Number Magazine
Description: Submit a 53-word story based on a prompt. No prize beyond publication.
The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans
Prize:
1st: $1,000 and publication in The Iowa Review
2nd: $750
3rd (3 selected): $500
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: The Iowa Review
Description: Due to a donation from the family of veteran and antiwar author, Jeff Sharlet, The Iowa Review holds The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. Note: U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel only. Any genre and any topic, including poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction.
New Writers Awards
Prize: Winning authors tour several colleges, giving readings & lectures, and publicizing their books. Each receives an honorarium of at least $500 per college, plus travel expenses and more.
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Great Lakes Colleges Association
Description: Newly published writers’ award for a first published volume of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Note: Publishers (not writers) are invited to submit works that “emphasize literary excellence.” Entries must be published in the United States or Canada in either 2020 or 2021. Children’s books not accepted.
Young Lions Fiction Award
Prize: $10,000
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: New York Public Library
Description: Awarded to a writer of 35 or younger for a novel or a collection of short stories. Seeks to encourage young and emerging writers of contemporary fiction.
The Iowa Short Fiction Award
Prize: Publication in the University of Iowa Press
Deadline: 09/30/21
Sponsor: University of Iowa Press
Description: Annual competition, seeking 150-page (or longer) collections of short stories. Writers must not have a (traditionally) published novel or fiction collection. Entries must be postmarked between August 1st and September 30th.
Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Prize:
Winner: $15,000
Finalists (4 selected): $1,500
Deadline: October 2021
Sponsor: Pen/Faulkner Foundation
Description: Accepts traditionally published (not self-published) books and is peer-juried. Winner receives a substantial cash prize and is honored as “first among equals.” Advanced reading copies or proofs permitted for books due in November or December 2021.
Friends of American Writers Literary Award
Prize: $1,000 – $3,000
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Friends of American Writers Chicago
Description: Current or former residents of the American Midwest (or books set in the Midwest). Traditionally published novels or creative nonfiction books welcome. Authors must have three or fewer books published, including the submission. Self-published books and e-books not accepted.
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Prize: $10,000 (4 awards)
Deadline: 12/31/21
Sponsor: Cleveland Foundation
Description: Seeks fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books published the previous year (books published in 2021 are eligible for the 2022 prize) “that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity.” Four top prize awards, for fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and lifetime achievement. Self-published work and e-books not accepted.
Cabell First Novelist Award
Prize: $5,000
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
Description: Seeks to honor first-time novelists “who have navigated their way through the maze of imagination and delivered a great read.” Novels published the previous year are accepted. Winning author (and, typically, their agent and editor) attend public reading and Q&A, with travel expenses provided.
The Gabo Prize
Prize: $200 and publication
Deadline: Every February and August
Sponsor: Lunch Ticket
Description: For translators and authors of multilingual texts (poetry and prose). Award given twice yearly, in June and December.
Transitions Abroad Expatriate and Work Abroad Writing Contest
Prize:
First: $500
Second: $150
Third: $100
All Finalists: $50
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc.
Description: Seeking inspiring articles or practical mini-guides based on personal experience of moving, living, and working abroad. 1,200-5,000 words.
Short Fiction Prize
Prize: $1,000 and a scholarship to the 2022 Southampton Writers Conference.
Deadline: 6/1/21
Sponsor: Stony Brook University
Description: Seeking short stories (no more than 7,500 words) by undergraduates at American or Canadian colleges. Winning short story considered for publication in TSR: The Southampton Review.
The Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities
Prize: $5,000 and publication.
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: The University of Utah Press
Description: Wallace Stegner was a student of the American West, an environmental spokesman, and a creative writing teacher. In his memory, the University of Utah Press seeks book-length monographs about environmental humanities. Projects focusing on the American West preferred.
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Prize: $15,000 and publication
Deadline: May 1 – June 30 yearly
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Press
Description: Seeks unpublished short fiction or novella collections. Only open to previously published writers.
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
Prize: $15,000
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Description: Honors novels and short story collections by African-American writers ( must be US citizens). Entries to be published in 2021 accepted. Self-published books not eligible.
International Flash Fiction Competition
Prize:
First: $20,000
Three runners-up: $2,000
Deadline: TBD
Sponsor: The César Egido Serrano Foundation
Description: With over 40,000 participants, this prize invites authors to submit flash fiction in Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hebrew. Stories must be original, unpublished, and 100 words or under.
The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Prize:
1st: £10,000 ($13,840)
2nd: £3,000 ($4,150)
3rd: £2,000 ($2,770)
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: The Alpine Fellowship
Description: This prize has an annual theme (2021’s was “Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.”) Entries must be unpublished and a maximum of 2,500 words. Poetry, prose, or non-academic essays welcome.
W.Y. Boyd Literary Award
Prize: $5,000 and framed certificate
Deadline: Yearly on December 1st
Sponsor: American Library Association
Description: The Association seeks Military fiction published in the previous year. Young adult and adult novels only.
BCALA Literary Awards
Prize: 4 of $500
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Description: One prize each for literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books as well as first novels. Aims to “acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.” Authors must be African American, born in the US, with books published during 2021.
Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize
Prize: $12,000 and publication
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: Graywolf Press
Description: Awarded to the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by an emerging writer. Accepts memoirs, essays, biographies, histories, and more, from writers or agents. These should be works-in-progress, not yet published.
New Voices Award
Prize: $2,000 and publication ($1,000 for the Honor Award winner)
Deadline: 12/31/21
Sponsor: Lee and Low Books
Description: Seeks a children’s picture book manuscript by a U.S. writer of color or a Native/Indigenous writer. Must not have not previously published a children’s picture book. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry accepted that addresses the needs of children of color and Native nations. Max 1,500 words, with human protagonists, aimed at children 5-12.
St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition
Prize: Publication and a $10,000 advance
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America
Description: Seeks mysteries by unpublished or self-published novelists. Murder or other serious crime must be at the heart of the work. Electronic submissions only.
Stowe Prize
Prize: $10,000
Deadline: TBD 2021
Sponsor: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Description: Named for the abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, this prize recognizes a U.S. author (fiction or nonfiction) whose work has made a tangible impact on a social justice issue in the past 3 years.
ServiceScape Short Story Award
Prize: $1,000
Deadline: 11/30/21
Sponsor: ServiceScape
Description: Accepts original, unpublished work (5,000 words or fewer) in any genre, fiction or nonfiction.
The Marfield Prize
Prize: $10,000
Deadline: TBD
Sponsor: The Arts Club of Washington
Description: Celebrates nonfiction books about an artistic discipline published the previous year, including “art history and criticism, biographies and memoirs, and essays.” Fiction, children’s books, and self-published works not eligible.
Bacopa Literary Review Contest
Prize:
First: $300
Second (4 awards): $100
Deadline: 05/31/21
Sponsor: The Writers Alliance of Gainesville
Description: Seeks work in the categories of poetry, prose poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. One first prize, plus one second prize for each category. All contributors receive print copy of the Bacopa Literary Review.
Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
Prize: $.08 per word and publication
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: National Space Society and Baen Books
Description: The National Space Society and Baen Books sponsors this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen. Stories (maximum 8,000 words) should show the near future of manned space exploration.
James Laughlin Award
Prize: $5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to Academy of American Poets members.
Deadline: Submissions accepted yearly between January 1 and May 15
Sponsor: The Academy of American Poets
Description: Offered since 1954, the James Laughlin Award is given to recognize a second book of poetry due in the next calendar year from a U.S. publisher.
Parsec Short Story Contest
Prize:
First: $200 and publication
Second: $100
Third: $50
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: Parsec, Inc.
Description: Seeks science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories from non-professional writers. There is an annual theme, which must be integral to the story in some way.
Tony Hillerman Prize
Prize: Publication and a $10,000 advance
Deadline: 1/2/21
Sponsor: Western Writers of America and St. Martin’s Press, LLC
Description: Seeks unpublished mystery novels (approximately 60,000 words) set in the Southwest by unpublished mystery novelists.
The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
Prize: $10,000 advance and publication
Deadline: TBD 2022
Sponsor: Restless Books
Description: Looking for complete, unpublished fiction or nonfiction manuscripts from emerging writers (unpublished) who are first-generation residents of their country. Fiction manuscripts must be complete, 45,000 words or more. Nonfiction manuscripts may be a 25,000 word sample plus detailed proposal.
Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.
The post Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests Through 2022 appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
May 4, 2021
What is an Unreliable Narrator?
You can use a variety of literary devices to add conflict and tension to narrative fiction.
But few make readers work harder than the unreliable narrator, a device that, true to its name, allows the storyteller to take readers on a wild goose chase as they determine what’s true, what’s not, and why they feel bamboozled.
An unreliable narrator ignorantly or intentionally offers inaccurate information that misleads or confuses the reader.
The viewpoint narrator must speak and act consistently with his character. We see things through his eyes, hear things through his voice, and intuit his character through his actions.
Most of the time, this is an accurate, reliable version of events, but an unreliable narrator holds a different, distorted view, and tells the story accordingly.
The minute readers pick up on any inaccuracy, his credibility is shot, and so begins the game of the unreliable narrator.
Types of Unreliable NarratorsAuthor William Riggan breaks them into the following five categories:
1. Picaro. A narrator with a propensity for exaggeration.
Examples: Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, Nelly in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Michael Scott in NBC’s The Office.
2. Madman. Suffering from PTSD or something similar, this narrator has a severe mental illness.
Examples: Patrick Bateman in American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Tyler Durden in Fight Club by Chuck Palaniuk, Franz Kafka’s narrators.
3. Clown. Thinks storytelling is a joke and toys with readers.
4. Naïf. An immature or ignorant narrator who sees things only through his own point of view.
Examples: Huck in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Forrest in Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Rachel in The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, Dr. Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense, a film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
5. Liar. A narrator who intentionally misrepresents the truth, often for self preservation.
Examples: Dr. Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, Pi Patel in Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Amy and Nick in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
How to Write an Unreliable NarratorMost successful unreliable narrators are charming. Your goal is for the reader to like them enough to keep turning the pages. (Even antagonists should have likable, redeemable qualities.)
Tip #1: Plant seeds of doubt early.
Have other characters raise questions.
For example, your unreliable narrator mentions winning a contest. “Wait a minute,” says a secondary character, “I thought Johnny won that.”
Readers begin to wonder why he does this. For attention? Because of some sort of insecurity?
Continue to make him likeable so readers remain in his corner, even if they’re disappointed in him. Ideally, your character will grow and change from an unreliable character into a trustworthy, reliable one.
Tip #2: But remain consistent.
Don’t begin with an unreliable narrator and switch halfway through. If you’re going to turn him into a reliable narrator at the end, inject life changing events that alter his perspective and grow him.
Tip #3: The reward is in the payoff.
Some authors prefer to reveal the unreliability of their narrator early, allowing readers to experience the story through two (or more) viewpoints: theirs and that of the unreliable narrator(s).
Sometimes the reveal comes as a surprise during the climax—a much riskier move. Readers don’t like to feel they’ve been had.
Employing an unreliable narrator can help magnify your theme, add plot twists, and create complex characters that build trust with readers.
Character Development WorksheetIf you’re an Outliner, a character arc worksheet like this one helps you get to know your characters (even the unreliable ones).
If you’re a Pantser like me, you may prefer to dive right into the writing. Do what works best for you.
The post What is an Unreliable Narrator? appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
March 8, 2021
3 Smart Email List Building Tips for Authors
Afraid there’s too much competition for the attention of your potential readers in the crowded social media space?
You’re right! There is.
This is where email marketing shines.
Email newsletters get opened at a far greater rate than social media posts do.
Let me show you the three most important tips for building an email list and making sure it works for you.
1. Give Readers a Reason to Sign UpWhat you offer people is known as an email opt-in. The biggest mistake authors make is creating an opt-in that offers little or no incentive for signing up.
The most common poor opt-in offer is: “Subscribe for Updates.”
While updates on when you’re releasing a new book should be included in your emails, it’s not an overly enticing reason for people to sign up.
Give your audience a strong reason to sign up for your list (and to sign up today).
Provide a reason that gives them immediate value.
If you’re a non-fiction author, write about interesting articles you read over the past week and recommend.
If you’re a novelist, perhaps provide access to a short story you wrote.
Test a few opt-in offers to see which works best.
Many landing page builders allow you to test different email opt-ins in minutes — e.g., a weekly newsletter vs. a PDF download of your favorite books.
2. Give Readers a Reason to Read Often
Email offers you a regular opportunity to strengthen your relationship with readers. Whether weekly or monthly, every email you send builds your relationship with a reader.
The stronger that relationship, the more likely they will buy your book.
You want it to become a question of whether they’re going to buy your book, when they’re going to buy it and how many people they’ll tell about it.
Some authors have spent so much time building trust with me by providing immense value — not only in their books, but also in their newsletter itself — that their book becomes the easiest purchases I’ll make all year.
3. Prioritize Email PromotionGetting people on your list requires getting traffic to your opt-in pages.
This traffic can come from anywhere you have your readers’ attention. Make a habit of sending them to your website to sign up for your list.
And be sure to keep delivering value. This starts with the book itself. Many non-fiction authors include a bonus from their book. For example, a nutrition book might provide a PDF download for a list of recipes.
Here’s where you can really leverage your social channels.
An email list offers more control and better access to your audience. The goal should be to migrate readers from your social media channels to your email list.
Strategies:
Link to your email list in your social profiles.
Post on social media that you’re releasing a newsletter.
Occasionally post about your email list itself.
You want your social followers to know you have an email list and that it’s the place to be to get the most value from you.
Authors Doing Email RightCal Newport is the author of six self improvement books. He manages to sell a lot of books, though he doesn’t use social media.
Cal writes a weekly blog for his subscribers.
Lessons:
Cal has published a book every 2-3 years for over a decade. Between launches, he sends his list a weekly short blog post — often on the topic he’s in the midst of researching for his next book.
He also uses his list to conduct mini-research experiments for his books and blog posts.
Beyond selling his books, Cal also launches higher-priced and more in-depth courses.
Ryan Holiday has written eight books on marketing, self-improvement, and stoicism.
RyanHoliday.net allows you to sign up whenever he publishes a new article.
Lessons:
A prolific reader, Ryan sends his primary email list titles of the books he’s read each month.
Two separate daily newsletters, The Daily Stoic and The Daily Dad, help attract a wide audience.
Emily Oster is an economist who has written multiple books on parenting.
Her insightful newsletter comes out once a week.
Lessons:
Her newsletter often tops 2,000 words and delivers value to her reader.
Her latest newsletters have been mostly on children and COVID-19.
She encourages feedback, and often bases her next newsletter on that.
Email marketing may feel overwhelming, but if your goal is to sell books, take it seriously. Few marketing approaches offer you as much control for so little cost.
R.J. Weiss started writing The Ways To Wealth in 2016 and now reaches over 200,000 monthly readers. Subscribe to his email at his homepage.
The post 3 Smart Email List Building Tips for Authors appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
February 16, 2021
Internal and External Conflict: Tips for Creating Unforgettable Characters
How do you keep readers riveted to the end?
Conflict is the engine of fiction.
Readers love it.
Dianna and I recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and agree on almost everything. That’s a gift. On the page? Boring.
The more conflict, the more interesting your story.
What is Internal Conflict?The mental, spiritual, or emotional battle a character faces makes them relatable to readers. If your characters don’t feel authentic, they may be missing common human emotions.
How does your hero react internally when the going gets tough?
Memorable character arcs result from dramatic inner change.
ExamplesHarry Potter by J.K. Rowling
For much of his life, Harry believed his parents died in a car accident and deeply missed a connection with them. He learns they were actually murdered by Voldemort.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsKatniss Everdeen fears for her family if she can’t protect and provide for them.
After her unlikely ally declares his love for her, a new conflict arises—she wonders if he’s sincere and whether she loves him.
The Road Not Taken by Robert FrostIn this poem, Frost describes the conflict one faces internally when confronted with a difficult decision — indecision, doubt, confusion, hesitation, and in the end, contentment.
What is External Conflict?This is simply the struggle between a character and what he must overcome to achieve his goal.
ExamplesHarry Potter by J.K. RowlingHarry’s greatest conflict is risking his life to keep Voldemort from acquiring the Sorcerer’s stone.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsKatniss faces:
The government and does whatever it takes to protect and feed her family.Nature in the games themselves.Competing tributes, all fighting for survival.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeLawyer Atticus Finch courageously challenges racist society by defending a black man falsely accused of rape.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest HemingwayEighty-four days and nary a fish. Villagers think the old man has run out of luck.
Santiago faces not only the sea but eventually a great marlin and the sharks who compete with him for it. He and the marlin battle several days, neither willing to give up.
“Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”
How to Use Internal and External Conflict to Develop CharactersYour characters must be credible and believable and grow inwardly throughout.
Ask yourself:
What does my lead character want or need, and why?
The stakes must be high enough to carry an entire novel.
What or who stands in his way?
Challenge him at every turn, removing every support and convenience. Thrust him into the most terrible trouble you can imagine.
Resist the temptation to equip your character with whatever he needs. In fact, as authors we should do the opposite. Take away your hero’s house, car, income, even his significant other.
That contributes to a dramatic character arc.
What personal flaws emerge to keep him from his goals?
Readers relate to flawed characters. Every internal or external obstacle builds new muscles to change him in the end.
What internal struggles keep him from his ultimate goal?
How will he become heroic and accomplish his goals?
Resist the temptation to explain how your character changes. Readers should be able to deduce that from the story by what you show them. Your character must be proactive and flex those new muscles to become the hero.
His change must result from his taking action—by doing something.
Get this right and readers will remember your story forever.
The #1 Mistake Writers Make When Developing CharactersMaking a hero perfect.
Who can identify with perfect? I sure can’t.
Potentially heroic, yes. Honorable, sure. Bent toward doing the right thing, yes.
But perfect, no.
In the end, your hero must overcome his obstacles, rise to the occasion, and win against all odds. But he has to grow into that from a stance of real humanity.
Create a lead character your reader can identify with, and in your ending, he’ll see himself with the same potential.
Character Development WorksheetIf you’re an Outliner, a character arc worksheet like this one can help you get to know your hero.
If you’re a Pantser (like me), you may not have the patience for it and might rather dive right into the writing. Do what works best for you.
Develop a character who feels real, and he’ll become unforgettable.
The post Internal and External Conflict: Tips for Creating Unforgettable Characters appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
January 4, 2021
Creative Writing 101
You love to write and have been told you have a way with words. So you’ve decided to give writing a try—creative writing.
Problem is, you’re finding it tougher than it looks.
You may even have a great story idea, but you’re not sure how to turn it into something people will read.
Don’t be discouraged—writing a compelling story can be grueling, even for veterans. Conflicting advice online may confuse you and make you want to quit before you start.
But you know more than you think. Stories saturate our lives.
We tell and hear stories every day in music, on television, in video games, in books, in movies, even in relationships.
Most stories, regardless the genre, feature a main character who wants something.
There’s a need, a goal, some sort of effort to get that something.
The character begins an adventure, a journey, or a quest, faces obstacles, and is ultimately transformed.
The work of developing such a story will come. But first, let’s look at the basics.
What is Creative Writing?
It’s prose (fiction or nonfiction) that tells a story.
Journalistic, academic, technical writing relays facts.
Creative writing can also educate, but it’s best when it also entertains and emotionally moves the reader.
It triggers the imagination and appeals to the heart.
Elements of Creative Writing
Writing a story is much like building a house.
You may have all the right tools and design ideas, but if your foundation isn’t solid, even the most beautiful structure won’t stand.
Most storytelling experts agree, these 7 key elements must exist in a story.
1. A Theme
Plot (more on that below) is what happens in a story. Theme is why it happens.
Before you begin writing, determine why you want to tell your story.
What message do you wish to convey?
What will it teach the reader?
Resist the urge to explicitly state your theme. Just tell the story, and let it make its own point.
Give your readers credit. Subtly weave your theme into the story and trust them to get it.
They may remember a great plot, but you want them thinking about your theme long after they’ve finished reading.
2. Characters
Every story needs believable characters who feel knowable.
In fiction, your main character is the protagonist, also known as the lead or hero/heroine.
The protagonist must have:
redeemable flaws
potentially heroic qualities that emerge in the climax
a character arc (he must be different, better, stronger by the end)
Resist the temptation to create a perfect lead. Perfect is boring. (Even Indiana Jones suffered a snake phobia.)
You also need an antagonist, the villain, who should be every bit as formidable and compelling as your hero.
Don’t make your bad guy bad just because he’s the bad guy. Make him a worthy foe by giving him motives for his actions.
Villains don’t see themselves as bad. They think they’re right! A fully rounded bad guy is much more realistic and memorable.
Depending on the length of your story, you may also need important orbital cast members.
For each character, ask:
What do they want?
What or who is keeping them from getting it?
What will they do about it?
The more challenges your characters face, the more relatable they are.
Much as in real life, the toughest challenges result in the most transformation.
3. Setting
Setting may include a location, time, or era, but it should also include how things look, smell, taste, feel, and sound.
Thoroughly research details about your setting so it informs your writing, but use those details as seasoning, not the main course. The main course is the story.
But, beware.
Agents and acquisitions editors tell me one of the biggest mistakes beginning writers make is feeling they must begin by describing the setting.
That’s important, don’t get me wrong. But a sure way to put readers to sleep is to promise a thrilling story on the cover—only to start with some variation of:
The house sat in a deep wood surrounded by…
Don’t.
Rather than describing your setting, subtly layer it into the story.
Show readers your setting. Don’t tell them. Description as a separate element slows your story to crawl.
By layering in what things look and feel and sound like you subtly register the setting in the theater of readers’ minds.
While they concentrating on the action, the dialogue, the tension, the drama, and conflict that keep them turning the pages, they’re also getting a look and feel for your setting.
4. Point of View
POV is more than which voice you choose to tell your story: First Person (I, me), Second Person (you, your), or Third Person (he, she, or it).
Determine your perspective (POV) character for each scene—the one who serves as your camera and recorder—by deciding who has the most at stake. Who’s story is this?
The cardinal rule is that you’re limited to one perspective character per scene, but I prefer only one per chapter, and ideally one per novel.
Readers experience everything in your story from this character’s perspective.
For a more in-depth explanation of Voice and POV, read A Writer’s Guide to Point of View.
5. A Plot
This is the sequence of events that make up a story—in short, what happens. It either compels your reader to keep turning pages or set the book aside.
A successful story answers:
What happens? (Plot)
What does it mean? (Theme: see above)
Writing coaches call various story structures by different names, but they’re all largely similar. All such structures include some variation of:
An Opener
An Inciting Incident that changes everything
A series of Crises that build tension
A Climax
A Resolution (or Conclusion)
How effectively you create drama, intrigue, conflict, and tension, determines whether you can grab readers from the start and keep them to the end.
6. Conflict
This is the engine of fiction and crucial to effective nonfiction as well.
Readers crave conflict and what results from it.
If everything in your plot is going well and everyone is agreeing, you’ll quickly bore your reader—the cardinal sin of writing.
If two characters are chatting amiably and the scene feels flat (which it will), inject conflict. Have one say something that makes the other storm out, revealing a deep-seated rift.
Readers will stay with you to find out what it’s all about.
7. Resolution
Whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser like me (one who writes by the seat of your pants), you must have an idea where your story is going.
How you expect the story to end should inform every scene and chapter. It may change, evolve, and grow as you and your characters do, but never leave it to chance.
Keep your lead character center stage to the very end. Everything he learns through all the complications you plunged him into should, in the end, allow him to rise to the occasion and succeed.
If you get near the end and something’s missing, don’t rush it. Give your ending a few days, even a few weeks if necessary.
Read through everything you’ve written. Take a long walk. Think about it. Sleep on it. Jot notes. Let your subconscious work. Play what-if games. Reach for the heart, and deliver a satisfying ending that resonates.
Give your readers a payoff for their investment by making it unforgettable.
Creative Writing Examples
Novel
Novella
Short Story
Narrative nonfiction
Biography
Autobiography
Memoir
Poetry
Song lyrics
Speech
Blog
Journaling
Screenwriting
Playwriting
Creative Writing Tips
In How to Write a Novel, I cover each step of the writing process:
Come up with a great story idea.
Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.
Create an unforgettable main character.
Expand your idea into a plot.
Do your research.
Choose your Voice and Point of View.
Start in medias res (in the midst of things).
Intensify your main character’s problems.
Make the predicament appear hopeless.
Bring it all to a climax.
Leave readers wholly satisfied.
More to Think About
1. Carry a writing pad, electronic or otherwise. I like the famous Moleskine™ notebook .
Ideas can come at any moment. Record ideas for:
Characters
Settings
Plot
Twists
Dialogue
Anything that might expand your story
2. Start small.
Take time to build your craft and hone your skills on smaller projects before you try to write a book.
Journal. Write a newsletter. Start a blog. Write short stories. Submit articles to magazines, newspapers, or e-zines.
Take a night school or online course in journalism or creative writing. Attend a writers conference.
3. Throw perfection to the wind.
Separate your writing from your editing.
Anytime you’re writing a first draft, take off your perfectionist cap. You can return to editor mode to your heart’s content while revising, but for now, just write the story.
Separate these tasks and watch your daily production soar.
Time to Get to Work
Few pleasures in life compare to getting lost in a great story.
Learn how to write creatively, and the characters you birth have the potential to live in hearts for years.
The post Creative Writing 101 appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
December 15, 2020
The Parts of a Book (And How to Get Them Right)
Whether you’ve written and thoroughly self-edited your manuscript or are still developing the idea, submitting it to an agent or an acquisitions editor in the proper format is crucial to your success.
Before they read a word, they’ll notice what’s missing or needs to be reformatted.
Get it right and you’ll look like a pro—giving your manuscript the best chance of being read and considered.
Get it wrong and you risk a quick rejection.
Parts of a Book that Must Be in Your Manuscript
1. Title Page
This should include, naturally, your title (and a subtitle for a nonfiction book).
It would include your title and A Novel for a fiction book. Then comes your name, and do NOT put By in front of it.
You see that only on self-published books (and it shouldn’t appear there either).
2. Dedication Page
Here you tell who the book is to.
Maybe a loved one or a favorite mentor. Keep it short.
It will mean the most to the person in question, so don’t bore readers with a paragraph about something personal.
To Sherry; she knows why is plenty.
3. Table of Contents
This is needed for a nonfiction book but may also be used in a novel if you’ve titled your chapters.
Ignore page numbers for now, because those will change when your manuscript is set in type.
And if you want to look like a pro, label such a list Contents, not Table of Contents, which is now considered redundant.
4. Epigraph
A short quote that relates to your theme.
It might be a snippet from a song’s lyrics, a line from a poem, or a statement from a famous person, living or dead.
Be careful to get permission for copyrighted material and fully cite the source.
5. Foreword
Found primarily in nonfiction books, this can be written by you or by someone else.
At all costs, spell foreword correctly!
It’s not forward, foreward, forword, or anything other than foreword.
6. Acknowledgments Page
This recognizes anyone who may have inspired or helped you in any way during the writing of your book—maybe your agent, an editor, etc.
When you’re still shopping your book among agents or publishers, naturally you would leave this page open so you can mention them when and if they accept it.
Acknowledgments is often misspelled too, most commonly with the British version: Acknowledgements.
That extra e can look amateurish.
7. Prologue
These are found mostly in fiction, but they should be used very sparingly.
It’s becoming more popular to make prefatory material part of chapter one because research shows that many readers skip it and jump to Chapter 1.
If a prologue is absolutely necessary, try not labeling it at all.
Readers are less likely to skip it. And make it as captivating as any other scene in your novel or chapter in your nonfiction book.
8. Epilogue
The same is true of an Epilogue, which by definition would come at the end of your book.
Many novelists use an epilogue to provide closure and resolution.
They are generally discouraged because that content should appear in your closing chapter. And readers tend to skip back matter too.
You can always add an Author’s Note to promote a sequel or series.
9. Appendix
In a nonfiction book, you might add an Appendix or Endnotes to cite and footnote your resources, including interview subjects.
10. Glossary
This serves as a guide to esoteric terms in a nonfiction book or rare, unfamiliar, made-up terms in a novel and can include a cast of characters and/or locations.
11. Bibliography
Here, you would list every book cited in your manuscript.
12. Author Bio
On the final page briefly tell your story, give your web address, and other contact information (but not your phone number).
How to Format Your Book
Each agent and publisher may have slightly different submission guidelines.
Naturally, you want to give them what they require.
Some don’t give instructions beyond “standard manuscript format,” and in that case, consistency is key.
For example, if you write out numbers between zero and nine and use digits for any after that, do it the same way every time.
As for how to render your manuscript pages, compose your work in Word as either .doc or .docx files.
Following these general rules will make your manuscript look professional:
Use 12-point type
Use a serif typeface; the most common is Times New Roman
Double-space your manuscript
If Word defaults to extra space between paragraphs, change that value to zero, resulting in the same space between paragraphs as between lines
Only one space between sentences, not two as many were taught in typing class
Indent each paragraph half an inch (by setting a tab, not using the spacebar; even better establish this as automatic)
Text should be aligned flush left and ragged right, not justified
If you choose to add a line between paragraphs to indicate a change of location or passage of time, center a typographical dingbat (an ornament, character, or spacer used in typesetting, like ***) on the line
Black text on a white background only
One-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides (the default in Word)
Create a header with the title followed by your last name and the page number; the header should appear on each page other than the title page
For a more in-depth look at formatting, click here to read my post.
Click here to learn about the latest book writing software that will help you create, organize, and edit your manuscript.
Don’t Fret
Too many writers worry more about formatting a book than about the actual writing.
More important to an agent or an acquisitions editor is what you have to communicate or how engagingly you can tell a story.
Just don’t discount formatting.
Follow the basics, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The post The Parts of a Book (And How to Get Them Right) appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
November 20, 2020
How to Start a Writing Blog
A guest blog by Adam Enfroy
It’s never been easier to share your writing with a large audience. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to build a reader following and also connect with other writers.
But if you want to establish yourself as an author and launch a writing career, blogging is a great place to start.
But you may not know how to start a blog.
You’re in the right place.
This guide will take you through all the steps.
But first, let’s look at why you should start a blog (in case you need convincing).
Why you should start a blog
Blogs have been known to change writers’ lives.
You can use a blog to:
Grow an audience
Establish a personal brand
Make people aware of your writing, even your books
Connect with other writers
But that’s not all.
Blogging gives you an opportunity to establish a writing platform and reach more potential readers.
As you build your following, you’ll also get feedback on your writing. Readers can add comments or send an email to express their thoughts.
Finally, blogging can help you learn valuable skills that you can apply to other aspects of your business.
For example, with search engine optimization (SEO), you can market your writing and attract more clients.
In other words, you want to use words and phrases people use when they’re using a search engine like Google to see what’s available on the internet. You optimize the chance of their finding your blog that way.
Steve Kamb started blogging about health and wellness on NerdFitness.com. By regularly publishing quality content, Kamb built NerdFitness into one of the most popular sites in the health industry, according to SimilarWeb.
He’s since secured a book deal. He also regularly speaks for Google.
Much of Steve Kamb’s success can be attributed to his blog.
The same can happen for you.
And you can do all of this and more working from the comfort of your own home, thanks to remote work tools such as Zoom.
Now, how to get started.
1. Pick a niche for your blog
In the blogging world, little is less attractive to readers than a Jack of all trades, master of none.
You’ll more likely succeed with your blog when you focus on a specialty rather than writing about everything—or primarily about yourself.
Distinguish your blog and establish yourself as the go-to source of information by narrowing your focus (e.g., meal planning for athletes; or couponing to save money; or feeding a family on a budget).
This gives you a more authoritative platform.
Choose a topic about which you’re a bit of an expert and which interests you enough to sustain long-term motivation.
2. Choose a platform
A platform is a channel you use to publish your writing. It will help you establish your name and increase your visibility.
For a user-friendly platform, check out WordPress.com — a self-hosted blogging platform where you can create a site for free.
Simply create a WordPress account, then choose a theme and an address for your blog (e.g., yourname.wordpress.com). Once you’re set up, you can start publishing right away.
Other website builders include Wix, Squarespace, Medium, and Tumblr.
But be aware — they offer limited customization options and they can terminate your account at any time.
With WordPress’s open-source software (found at WordPress.org), You control your website and own the content you publish.
All you need is a domain name and hosting.
A domain name is the actual website address of your website (like jerryjenkins.com). And hosting refers to the company that you use to get your website online. They store your files and make them accessible to everyone on the Internet.
Many web hosts like Bluehost and HostGator even offer one-click installations, so you can have WordPress installed in about the time it takes to make a cup of coffee.
Once WordPress is up and running (the place where you add your website content), you can install one of many WordPress themes for writers.
These themes are design templates that control the color schemes and layout of your writing blog.
3. Focus on delivering value
Blogs that grow massive audiences focus on creating engaging content for their readers.
Always aim to deliver value with your content. Your blog must be reader-oriented — for their benefit.
Include original screenshots in your posts to increase engagement and grab your reader’s attention.
Another way to provide value is to offer a tool or interactive survey.
For example, an insurance company provides an interactive calculator visitors can use to calculate how much coverage they need.
This is a great way to capture readers’ email addresses.
4. Optimize your content for SEO
Millions of blog posts are published each day. One of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog is to optimize your content for SEO.
Anticipate what people search for, use those words and phrases in your content, and their searches will more likely find you.
Do this in your titles, descriptions, headers, and the blog copy itself.
If you use WordPress as your blogging platform, consider installing the Yoast SEO plugin. It includes a handy analysis feature that shows how well optimized your content is.
SEO isn’t a one-time thing. It takes a good deal of effort to get your content ranking in Google.
Remember, Google tries to give the best possible top 10 search results on the first page.
The only way to get there is to write in-depth, high-quality content that is the best possible answer.
5. Maintain a consistent blog schedule
Frequency is less important than predictability when it comes to blogging.
Readers need to know when they can expect a new blog from you, whether once a week or more or less frequently.
With a standard writing schedule, SEO-optimized, well-written content, and backlinks, you’ll gain a large readership as long as you stay consistent.
With over 500,000 monthly readers, Adam Enfroy’s mission is to teach the next generation of online entrepreneurs how to scale their influence at startup speed. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The post How to Start a Writing Blog appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
How to Start Writing a Blog
A guest blog by Adam Enfroy
It’s never been easier to share your writing with a large audience. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to build a reader following and also connect with other writers.
But if you want to establish yourself as an author and launch a writing career, blogging is a great place to start.
But you may not know how to start a blog.
You’re in the right place.
This guide will take you through all the steps.
But first, let’s look at why you should start a blog (in case you need convincing).
Why you should start a blog
Blogs have been known to change writers’ lives.
You can use a blog to:
Grow an audience
Establish a personal brand
Make people aware of your writing, even your books
Connect with other writers
But that’s not all.
Blogging gives you an opportunity to establish a writing platform and reach more potential readers.
As you build your following, you’ll also get feedback on your writing. Readers can add comments or send an email to express their thoughts.
Finally, blogging can help you learn valuable skills that you can apply to other aspects of your business.
For example, with search engine optimization (SEO), you can market your writing and attract more clients.
In other words, you want to use words and phrases people use when they’re using a search engine like Google to see what’s available on the internet. You optimize the chance of their finding your blog that way.
Steve Kamb started blogging about health and wellness on NerdFitness.com. By regularly publishing quality content, Kamb built NerdFitness into one of the most popular sites in the health industry, according to SimilarWeb.
He’s since secured a book deal. He also regularly speaks for Google.
Much of Steve Kamb’s success can be attributed to his blog.
The same can happen for you.
And you can do all of this and more working from the comfort of your own home, thanks to remote work tools such as Zoom.
Now, how to get started.
1. Pick a niche for your blog
In the blogging world, little is less attractive to readers than a Jack of all trades, master of none.
You’ll more likely succeed with your blog when you focus on a specialty rather than writing about everything—or primarily about yourself.
Distinguish your blog and establish yourself as the go-to source of information by narrowing your focus (e.g., meal planning for athletes; or couponing to save money; or feeding a family on a budget).
This gives you a more authoritative platform.
Choose a topic about which you’re a bit of an expert and which interests you enough to sustain long-term motivation.
2. Choose a platform
A platform is a channel you use to publish your writing. It will help you establish your name and increase your visibility.
For a user-friendly platform, check out WordPress.com — a self-hosted blogging platform where you can create a site for free.
Simply create a WordPress account, then choose a theme and an address for your blog (e.g., yourname.wordpress.com). Once you’re set up, you can start publishing right away.
Other website builders include Wix, Squarespace, Medium, and Tumblr.
But be aware — they offer limited customization options and they can terminate your account at any time.
With WordPress’s open-source software (found at WordPress.org), You control your website and own the content you publish.
All you need is a domain name and hosting.
A domain name is the actual website address of your website (like jerryjenkins.com). And hosting refers to the company that you use to get your website online. They store your files and make them accessible to everyone on the Internet.
Many web hosts like Bluehost and HostGator even offer one-click installations, so you can have WordPress installed in about the time it takes to make a cup of coffee.
Once WordPress is up and running (the place where you add your website content), you can install one of many WordPress themes for writers.
These themes are design templates that control the color schemes and layout of your writing blog.
3. Focus on delivering value
Blogs that grow massive audiences focus on creating engaging content for their readers.
Always aim to deliver value with your content. Your blog must be reader-oriented — for their benefit.
Include original screenshots in your posts to increase engagement and grab your reader’s attention.
Another way to provide value is to offer a tool or interactive survey.
For example, an insurance company provides an interactive calculator visitors can use to calculate how much coverage they need.
This is a great way to capture readers’ email addresses.
4. Optimize your content for SEO
Millions of blog posts are published each day. One of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog is to optimize your content for SEO.
Anticipate what people search for, use those words and phrases in your content, and their searches will more likely find you.
Do this in your titles, descriptions, headers, and the blog copy itself.
If you use WordPress as your blogging platform, consider installing the Yoast SEO plugin. It includes a handy analysis feature that shows how well optimized your content is.
SEO isn’t a one-time thing. It takes a good deal of effort to get your content ranking in Google.
Remember, Google tries to give the best possible top 10 search results on the first page.
The only way to get there is to write in-depth, high-quality content that is the best possible answer.
5. Maintain a consistent blog schedule
Frequency is less important than predictability when it comes to blogging.
Readers need to know when they can expect a new blog from you, whether once a week or more or less frequently.
With a standard writing schedule, SEO-optimized, well-written content, and backlinks, you’ll gain a large readership as long as you stay consistent.
With over 500,000 monthly readers, Adam Enfroy’s mission is to teach the next generation of online entrepreneurs how to scale their influence at startup speed. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The post How to Start Writing a Blog appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
November 19, 2020
How to Become a Better Writer: 26 Proven Tips
Whether you’re a beginner or have been at it for decades, writing well is flat hard work.
I’ve written and published nearly 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, and I still take daily steps to improve my writing.
One doesn’t arrive at good writing. It’s a lifelong pursuit.
Maybe you write daily but feel your writing is still lacking. Or it’s as if you’ve hit a brick wall.
Many struggling writers would’ve given up by now, but you genuinely believe that with help, your message has the potential to reach the masses.
Let’s see if you’re right.
I can’t turn you into a bestselling author overnight, and I’d caution you to look with suspicion on anyone who says they can.
But I do believe I can help improve your writing immediately.
How to Become a Better Writer: My Best Advice
1. Don’t aim to write a bestseller.
That’s the last thing I think about when I start a new book. To have any chance at success, my manuscript has to come from my passions, my strengths, what I care about.
I have no control over the market, sales, reviews, and all the rest. All I can control is how much of myself I give to a writing project. It must come from the overflow of what drives me.
What’s your passion? Your strength? What drives you?
Write about that.
Your passion will keep you at the keyboard and motivate you when the writing gets tough—and if you’re doing it right, it always gets tough.
2. Always think reader-first.
Write Think Reader First on a sticky note and place it on your screen or somewhere you can see it while you’re writing.
Your sole job is to tell a story so compelling, so memorable your reader gets lost in it from the get-go.
Treat your readers the way you want to be treated and write what you would want to read.
That’s the Golden Rule of Writing.
Never let up, never bore. Always put your reader first.
3. Avoid throat-clearing.
That’s a term we in the writing business use for any writing that stalls a story or chapter by beginning with anything but the good stuff.
Cut the setup, the description, the setting, the philosophizing, and get on with the story.
4. Show, don’t tell.
Telling spoon feeds your reader information rather than allowing her to deduce what’s going on.
Showing triggers the theater of her mind.
Telling: It was late fall.
Showing: Leaves crunched beneath his feet.
Telling: It was cold.
Showing: He tightened his collar and turned his face from the biting wind.
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” — Anton Chekhov
Click here to read more about this concept.
5. Avoid telling what’s not happening.
“He didn’t respond.”
“She didn’t say anything.”
“The room never got quiet.”
If you don’t say it happened, we won’t assume it did.
6. Introduce your main character early, by name.
The biggest mistake new writers make is introducing their main character too late.
As a rule, he should be the first person on stage and the reader should be able to with how they see him.
7. Trigger the theater of your reader’s mind.
Ever wonder why the book is always better than the movie?
Not even Hollywood, with all its creativity and high tech CGI capability, can compete with the theater of our imagination.
My mind conjures images of everything an author implies.
Give your reader just enough information to engage his imagination, making him a partner in the experience, not just an audience member.
8. Cut dialogue to the bone.
Unless you’re including them to reveal a character as a brainiac or a blowhard, omit unnecessary words from dialogue.
Obviously, you wouldn’t render a conversation the way a court transcript includes repetition and even um, ah, uh, etc.
See how much you can chop while virtually communicating the same point.
Like this:
“What do you want to do this Sunday? I thought w We could go to the amusement park.”
“I was thinking about renting a rowboat,” Vladimir said. “On one of the lakes.”
“Oh, Vladimir, that sounds wonderful! I’ve never gone rowing before.”
This doesn’t mean your dialogue has to be choppy—just cut the dead wood.
You’ll be surprised by how much power cutting adds.
9. Omit needless words.
Less is more.
Tighten, tighten, tighten.
Again, you’ll find cutting almost always adds power to your prose.
10. Choose the normal word over the fancy one.
By showing off your vocabulary or flowery turns of phrase you draw attention to the writing itself rather than the content.
That’s the very definition of author intrusion.
Get out of the way of your art.
11. Use active voice vs. passive voice.
The easiest way to spot passive voice is to look for state-of-being verbs and often the word by.
Passive: A good time was had by all.
Active: Everybody had a good time.
Passive: The party was planned by Jill.
Active: Jill planned the party.
Passive: The book was read to the children by the teacher.
Active: The teacher read the book to the children.
Avoiding passive voice will set you apart from much of your competition. Even better, it will add clarity.
12. Avoid mannerisms of attribution.
Have people say things, not wheeze, gasp, laugh, grunt, snort, reply, retort, exclaim, or declare them.
Sometimes people whisper or shout or mumble, but let your choice of words imply whether they are grumbling, etc.
If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate the action from the dialogue:
Jim sighed. “I just can’t take it anymore.”
13. Avoid began to…
…laugh, or cry, or shout, or run. People don’t just begin to do these things. They do them.
Just say it: He laughed, she cried, Fred shouted, Traci ran…
14. Eliminate clichés.
And not just words and phrases.
Also, root out situational clichés, like:
Starting your story with the main character waking up
Having a character describe himself while standing before a mirror
Having future love interests literally bump into each other when they first meet
Having a shot ring out, only to have the shooter be a surprise third party who kills the one who had the drop on the hero
Having the seemingly dead or unconscious or incapacitated villain spring back to life just when we thought the hero had finally saved the day
Avoid the dream cliché.
It’s okay to have people dream but eliminate the dreadful cliché of spelling out an entire harrowing scene and then surprising the reader by having the character wake up.
That’s been used to death and lets the air out of the balloon of your story.
Also, avoid heart and breathing clichés: pounded, raced, thudded, hammered, gasped, sucked wind, etc.
If you render the scary situation compellingly enough, you need not tell the reader anything about your character’s heartbeat or breath. The reader should experience those himself.
15. Avoid on-the-nose writing.
A Hollywood term for writing that mirrors real life without advancing the story, on-the-nose writing is the most common mistake I see in otherwise good writing.
16. Use adjectives sparingly.
Good writing is a thing of strong nouns and verbs, not adjectives.
17. Avoid the words up and down—unless they’re really needed.
He rigged [up] the device.
She sat [down] on the couch.
18. Read The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
This short paperback is recommended by every writing teacher I know and should be at the top of your list if you want to improve your writing skills.
I’ve read it at least once a year for more than 40 years. Its simple truths cover everything you need to know about style and grammar.
19. Give your readers credit.
They understand more than you think.
Example: “They walked through the open door and sat down across from each other in chairs.”
If they walked in and sat, we can assume the door was open, the direction was down, and—unless told otherwise—there were chairs.
So you can write: “They walked in and sat across from each other.”
20. Use powerful verbs.
Ever wonder why an otherwise grammatically correct sentence lies there like a dead fish?
Your sentence might be full of those adjectives and adverbs your teachers and loved ones so admired in your writing when you were a kid. But the sentence doesn’t work.
Something I learned from The Elements of Style years ago changed the way I write and added verve to my prose: “Focus on nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs.”
To learn how, read my post 249 Strong Verbs That’ll Instantly Supercharge Your Writing.
A couple of things to watch for:
Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc. The character either smiles, laughs, frowns, or doesn’t.
Avoid state-of-being verbs: is, am, are, was, etc. Not: There was a man standing on the train platform. Rather: A man stood on the train platform.
21. Resist the urge to explain (RUE).
Marian was mad. She pounded the table. “George, you’re going to drive me crazy,” she said, angrily.
“You can do it!” George encouraged said.
22. Conduct your research.
Though fiction, by definition, is made up, to succeed it must be believable. Even fantasies must make sense.
Once the reader has accepted your premise, what follows must be logical. Effective research is key to adding the specificity necessary to make this work.
Accurate details add flavor and authenticity. Get details wrong and your reader loses confidence—and interest—in your story.
The essentials:
Consult Atlases and World Almanacs to confirm geography and cultural norms and find character names that align with the setting, period, and customs. If your Middle Eastern character flashes someone a thumbs up, be sure that means the same in his culture as it does in yours.
Online and hard copy Encyclopedias.
YouTube and online search engines can yield tens of thousands of results.
A Thesaurus, not to find the most exotic word, but to find that normal word that’s on the tip of your tongue.
In-person interviews with experts. People love to talk about their work, and often such conversations lead to more story ideas.
And remember, research detail should be used as seasoning. Don’t make it the main course—that should be your story itself.
23. Become a ferocious self-editor.
Agents and editors can tell within two pages whether a manuscript is worthy of further consideration.
That sounds unfair, and maybe it is. But it’s a reality we writers need to face.
Learn to aggressively self-edit using many of the tools I’ve given you here.
Never submit writing with which you’re not entirely happy.
24. Develop a thick skin.
Every piece of published writing is a duet between editor and writer, not a solo. Learn to take criticism, especially from professionals who are on your side and want you to succeed.
25. Become a voracious reader.
Your career as a writer can end before it starts unless you make time to read.
You won’t find the time—you have to carve it out of your busy schedule.
That might seem impossible with your busy life, but how badly do you want to become a published author?
Writers are readers. Good writers are good readers. Great writers are great readers.
26. Don’t let fear of failure stop you.
Even the most successful writers fear there’s too much competition and they’re not good enough.
They’re right! So don’t try to overcome that fear. Embrace it. It’s valid!
Instead, let it motivate you to do your best work. Every time.
You Can Get Better at Writing
I’ve dedicated most of my life to coaching writers because I love paying forward all I’ve learned and seeing you succeed.
Practicing these 26 tips won’t turn you into an overnight success—writing is hard, exhausting, time-consuming work. And if it isn’t, you’re probably not doing it right. But all that effort is worth it.
Dreamers talk about writing. Writers write. So don’t quit. Before long, you just might find yourself becoming a better writer. And after that, the sky may be the limit.
The post How to Become a Better Writer: 26 Proven Tips appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
November 2, 2020
4 Styles of Writing and How to Decide Which to Use
Your goal, whether writing fiction or nonfiction, should be to paint word pictures vivid enough to engage the theater of your reader’s mind. Readers love to be educated and entertained, but they remember forever when they’re emotionally moved.
So deciding which you’ll employ of the four main writing styles is crucial to leaving a powerful impression on the page. Study these so you can settle on whichever best helps you find your unique writing voice.
The 4 Main Writing Styles
1. Expository
What it does: Explains or describes.
It answers what, why, and how with facts, not opinion.
You’ll find expository writing in:
News articles
Cookbooks
Historical accounts
Scientific and medical journals and articles
Textbooks
Instruction manuals
Self-help books
It may include quotes, links, tables, charts, and citations of sources.
It’s function is to highlight key points and facts.
2. Descriptive
What it does: Offers a clear, concise description of a person, place, thing, or event, designed to engage readers’ senses and trigger the theaters of their minds.
The best descriptive writing avoids spoon feeding every detail to the reader, but rather offers just enough information to engage his senses. It can be found in every kind of writing.(Show, don’t tell)
3. Persuasive
What it does: Provokes action in the reader.
It’s aim is to argue, using evidence that backs a certain perspective. It can be direct and bold and is found in:
Opinion pieces and editorials
Advertising copy
Academic papers
Cover letters
Letters of recommendation
Product reviews
Speeches
4. Narrative
What it does: Tells a story. It has a plot, setting, and characters—a beginning, middle, and end.
You’ll find narrative writing in:
Novels
Stage and Screenplays
Memoirs
Creative nonfiction
Short stories
Fables
Myths
How to Decide Which Writing Style to Use
Your unique voice (what you say) and tone (how you say it) set you apart.
Ferociously self edit. Rewrite. Repeat. (All writing is rewriting.)
Rules to remember within each style:
Expository
Answer what, why, or how.
Stick to facts
Avoid revealing your bias
Cite expert sources
Descriptive
Show, don’t tell
Engage the reader’s senses
Don’t spoon feed description; suggest
Use literary devices like metaphors and similes
Persuasive
Know where your audience is coming from
Acknowledge opposing views
Rely on credible credible (documented) facts
Appeal to the heart of the reader
Narrative
Determine your narrator (Point of View)
Develop your plot and characters
Create a strong story and character arc
Give readers a satisfying conclusion
Still struggling? Take my Free Writing Assessment and get personalized advice on how to improve.
The post 4 Styles of Writing and How to Decide Which to Use appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.
