Rob Bignell's Blog, page 205

Writing Inspiration: Who are you?

Four ways to write a great tweet that sells books

To write, I quash the perfectionist impulse - Inventing Reality Editing Service

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Published on August 20, 2018 04:45

5 Great Quotations for Aspiring Writers

��All you can do is try to write as well as you can.�� - Harold Pinter

��To write something, you have to risk making a fool of yourself.�� - Anne Rice

��I kept always 2 books in my pocket, 1 to read, 1 to write in.�� - Robert Louis Stevenson

��Writing is like a sport, it��s like athletics. If you don��t practice, you don��t get any better.�� - Rick Riordan

��If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.�� - Ernest Hemingway

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on August 19, 2018 05:38

Every success story begins with a dream. If you dream of...

Every success story begins with a dream. If you dream of being a professional, published author, that success story requires believing in yourself and in knowing that your efforts will lead to triumph. Read the motivational blog entry this quotation came from by clicking on the quote card.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Editing client releases Battle of Britain novel - Inventing Reality Editing Service

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Published on August 18, 2018 04:45

3 Ways Authors Can Sell More Books on LinkedIn

�� How to improve your LinkedIn profile pic
�� Best time to post on LinkedIn
�� Use photos in LinkedIn status updates
�� BONUS: "Writing is like daydreaming through your fingers." - Jenna Alatari

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on August 17, 2018 04:45

How to set up a home office space

Once you��ve decided to use your home for your business, setting up an office space comes next. That shouldn��t be too difficult for most authors, as they already work from home.

If you write at your kitchen table or just head to the coffeeshop to pen your novel, though, you��ll have to make some adjustments. First, you need to select a room in your house that��s dedicated to business use. That may be a requirement of local zoning laws, and if you wish to take a home office deduction on your federal taxes, it��s a must. Secondly, whichever room you select, ensure that you it will be a fairly quiet and private place to work. A spare room often works best for that purpose. If clients are coming to your office, you��ll want a room near the front entrance to ensure people aren��t traipsing through your house where your family may be.

There are several pieces of equipment or services you��ll need to acquire for a functional home office:
�� Office furniture �� This could include a desk, chairs (for your desk and for clients to sit), wastebasket, bookshelf, and file cabinet. Your desk chair should be comfortable with plenty of back support.
�� Computer �� You��ll need a device to work on. A printer for it is a must.
�� Internet connection �� Your computer needs to have email and the ability to operate various programs. Always opt for a fast, reliable connection.
�� Software �� You��ll at a minimum need a word processing and an accounting program or app. If putting together public presentations, you��ll want PowerPoint or an equivalent.
�� Telephone �� A cell or Internet-based phone rather than a landline is fine.
�� Assorted office supplies �� Among the many items you��ll likely need are a notepad, pens, Post-it notes, printer paper, printer cartridges, envelopes and stamps.

As arranging your office, make sure you don��t place your computer so that window light shines on the screen. Likewise, you don��t want the glare of a setting or rising sun striking your eyes through the window. Make sure cords are covered with plenty of slack so you and others don��t trip over them.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on August 16, 2018 04:45

Please leave an answer: Voicemail vs. Voice Mail

Both voicemail and voice mail came onto the scene during the 1980s when the first answering machines were widely sold and used by businesses. After the beep, I��ll tell you which spelling is right.

Beeeeeeep.

Voicemail is a recorded audio message left when no one answers a phone call, as in I didn��t want to talk to that jerk, so I just let the call go to voicemail.

Voice mail, as two words, means exactly the same thing and is a variant spelling.

For many years, voice mail was more common in writing than voicemail. Stylebooks often listed the two-word spelling as its preferred style.

That has changed during the 2010s. Stylebooks and dictionaries now generally favor the compound/one word version. Often words that start as two become one in the English language.

I recommend going with the trend and using voicemail. If that spelling really bothers you, though, you still can use voice mail. Whichever spelling you go with, just be consistent with it in your manuscript.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on August 15, 2018 04:45

How to Write a Bestselling Novel: In 7 Minutes a Day to ...

How to Write a Bestselling Novel: In 7 Minutes a Day to Your Bestseller, writers receive expert advice on topics like motivating yourself to write, starting your story with exciting opening lines, creating intriguing characters, mastering the craft of writing to elevate your style, and pitching your story to potential publishers.

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Writing Inspiration: Who are you?

Four ways to write a great tweet that sells books

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Published on August 14, 2018 04:45

Create character arc for better story

For a story to move forward, it needs a character arc. An arc is how a three-dimensional character changes and grows through the tale.

For example, the protagonist may start the story by longing for adventure and also believing he is unable to make a difference in the world. Then he stumbles across two misfits who are caught up in an international plot of intrigue; appealing to his sense of adventure, they convince him to briefly help them. He does, but their problems only deepen. The protagonist finds he must continue to assist them just to extricate himself from the situation. When he helps, his skills actually allow the misfits achieve a major portion of their mission; he also witnesses the antagonist��s cruelty. Recognizing his abilities, the misfits plead for him to stay with them. Feeling upbeat from his success and upset at the antagonist for his atrocities, the protagonist agrees to further help but then he plans to be out. Re-engaging the antagonist, he ensures the misfits stop the evil plot and in the process realizes that he truly can make a difference for the better. As the story ends, he decides to stick with the misfits for their next adventure.

Notice how the character grew. The person he was at the story��s beginning is different from the person he is at the story��s end. This growth is the arc that the reader follows.

For a character arc to occur, the protagonist ultimately must ask if he is on the right path or not. This usually occurs just before the climax; the climax then is the point in the story in which he puts into action his newfound belief. Other times, the protagonist simply realizes during the climax that he is on the wrong path and then acts accordingly to emerge victorious.

To achieve this moment of questioning, though, during the rising action setbacks and failures must occur that incrementally lead the protagonist to question his direction. No single setback or failure is enough to make him change, but collectively he has no choice but to question himself and change direction.

Further, one end of the character arc must be anchored in the story��s opening lines. That is when the character��s personality and beliefs that will evolve are revealed to the reader. If a character ultimately comes to realize he can make a difference for the better, then the story��s beginning must show that he doesn��t believe he possesses that power.

Many writers and critics say character is more important than plot because the character arc is the story. That��s not exactly true; it��s much more intertwined than that. In a sense, the character arc and the plot �� aka as the narrative arc �� drive one another. An event happens, and the protagonist must react. How he responds determines what potentially can occur next. That in turn requires the character to respond and so shapes how he evolves. If he grows, he can further affect the story��s events. If he doesn��t grow, the story��s events will overwhelm him, and he becomes irrelevant; only through contrivance and luck could the protagonist then resolve the story��s central problem.

In addition, a writer cannot force a character arc upon a narrative arc, or it will ring untrue to the reader. For example, Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne��s The Scarlet Letter couldn��t evolve to achieve a life of repentance and dignity if she suddenly were a character in Herman Melville��s Moby Dick; the plot of capturing a great white whale doesn��t lend itself to Prynne��s evolution from being ostracized. In short, plot and character depend upon one another to create a more perfect story.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on August 13, 2018 04:45

5 Great Quotations about the Writing Life

��Writing is a dog��s life, but the only one worth living.�� - Gustave Flaubert

��You are what you write.�� - Helvy Tiana Rosa

��I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.�� - Anne Frank

��I don��t have to live in the real world �� I��m a fiction writer.�� - Aaron Sorkin

��Seeing your name on the book cover is like hearing your book saying, ��Hi. Thanks for writing me!�� - Syahrin

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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