Rob Bignell's Blog, page 221

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Published on March 14, 2018 04:45

5 Prompts for Science Fiction Writers

Science fiction stories typically arise from a novum, a scientifically plausible concept that is a ��reality�� in the tale. The novum might be an mechanical device like robot servants, artificial intelligence, or faster-than-light spacecraft; it also can be a hypothetical idea such as ��The Earth is a scientific experiment run by aliens to determine the meaning of life�� or ��The government outlaws books.�� The author then asks ��What if?�� exploring how the world with this novum is different than ours.

Among the problems of many novice science fiction writers is instead of introducing a new novum they rely on used furniture �� that is, they borrow novums from popular SF series. After all, how many novels have you read that use starships exploring the galaxy for the Earth-based Federation? Barely changing names to appear as if you are not appropriating �� a starcraft seeking M-class worlds for the Earth-centered Alliance �� still doesn��t cut it as original or fully using the potential that science fiction offers to examine our culture or humanity.

To help SF writers, here are some novums of potential near-future inventions from which stories could be built:

AI corporation
What if an artificial intelligence gained the status of a corporation? What affect would this have on the economy?

Night glasses
What if in the evening you could don glasses that allowed you to see as if it were daylight, sort of the opposite of sunglasses that block the sun? Are there situations when people wouldn��t wear them? What dangers might exist when people do wear them at night?

Retail-less urban landscape
How does our urban landscape change when retailers no longer exist, as everything is delivered via drones from warehouses to consumers? When downtown stores and malls are merely office spaces, how do parks change as a place for people to congregate?

Sniffing computers
What if your computer came with a sense of smell? If it could detect spoiled food, the level of your illness, and toxic material, how would this change your life?

Thinking teeth
What if a thin, invisible sensor could be tattooed to your teeth to detect dangerous bacteria? When it detected plaque buildup, cavities or infection, it would automatically set up an appointment with your dentist.

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 March 13, 2018 05:00

Editing client publishes book on Scottsboro Nine

A recent client has published a book that I edited. Peggy Allen Towns�� Scottsboro Unmasked�� retraces the infamous case of the Scottsboro Nine. The unmasked stories of the nine black men falsely accused of raping two white women unfold against the backdrop of an economically depressed town energized by an inferno of bigotry and violence. This groundbreaking research presents the courage of fearless men who rattled America��s conscience by challenging decades of discrimination and injustices within Alabama��s legal system. The book reveals the sentiment of those who embraced the Old South��s ideology of inequality and exclusiveness, which put at risk the lives of nine innocent victims who changed this nation��s judicial system. The book is available online.

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 March 12, 2018 04:45

5 Great Quotations about Story Endings

��There is no real ending. It��s just the place where you stop the story.�� - Frank Herbert

��You always get more respect when you don��t have a happy ending.�� - Julia Quinn

��The hard part about writing a novel is finishing it.�� - Ernest Hemingway

��If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.�� - Billy Wilder

��End with an image and don��t explain.�� - Stanley Kunitz

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 March 11, 2018 05:09

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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Published on March 10, 2018 05:27

Writing for the web: Shorter is better

When writing online text, short is better than long. Short articles are easy to glean information from, and if it��s useful material, the visitor will continue by clicking onto another of your pages. The longer the piece, however, the more the visitor must annoyingly scroll to read additional content �� especially on mobile phones, which is how more and more of your website visitors are accessing you �� and can have difficulty locating info when scrolling back up.

A short piece runs up to 700 words in length. At the same time of ensuring you don��t go too long, make sure you don��t offer too little. After all, if you go fewer than 300 words, why access the page? There likely won��t be enough information on the page to make it worth visiting.

There are a number of guidelines to ensure your text ends up being short rather than long:
�� Figure out what��s important �� Writing short doesn��t mean you skimp on research. You need to understood your topic fully and identify what you will zero in on.
�� Stay focused �� Avoid meandering starts and don��t go off on tangents. Think ��this is the one key takeaway I want readers to get from the piece�� and distill your explanations down to their essence with two or three supporting points.
�� Be concise �� Minimize unnecessary words. Use active voice and write tightly. Don��t repeat ideas; for example, a conclusion paragraph that summarize the page��s text is superfluous.
�� Give specific, meaningful details/examples �� Your writing is more evocative when you are exact. Don��t write ��The river was beautiful�� but ��Sunlight sparkled off the river.�� The latter��s few extra letters actually provide far more information than the briefer former example.
�� Limit quotation length �� Favor the pithy over the rambling. If you can say it better in your own words, then do so.
�� Maintain an appetizer mentality �� Your blog and website text is all about getting visitors interested in your book, which is the main course. Don��t fill them up with the website but give them enough to get them to at least take a look at if not buy your book.

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 March 09, 2018 04:45

Why create your own indie publishing company?

Most authors when they self-publish are satisfied with simply being a sole proprietor, but they can gain significantly by creating an independent publishing company.

As the author, you own the publishing company, which in turn owns the book��s ISBN. On every book you print, the publishing company is listed on the title and the half-title pages.

While this may sound like going through a lot of rigmarole, there actually are a number of advantages to it:
�� Looks more professional �� You can register ISBN and LCCN under your company, which looks better to traditionalists than listing ��CreateSpace�� or your name as the publisher.
�� Allows you to separate your business finances from your personal finances �� While this isn��t necessary in a sole proprietorship, some people prefer to do so; of course, to separate the two, you need to have an actual business.
�� Creates options for you �� Your business doesn��t have to be limited to publishing only your books; as an independent publisher, you can publish other authors�� books as well as set up services such as formatting and cover design all under your publishing company��s umbrella.
�� Pick up recognition as a publisher �� Publishers can enter their works in contests and receive other recognitions �� all of which boost book sales �� that authors otherwise don��t have access to.
�� Increase your own production efficiency �� Even if your business never publishes other authors�� books, knowing how to perform every step in the publishing process actually can improve the speed and save you money in getting out your own books.

The downside to creating your own self-publishing company is that you may need to do some extra work and spend a little extra money. Depending on how you name your company, you may need to file paperwork with your city/county/state (and there��s a filing fee), do an extra set of taxes (one for your company and one for personal income tax), and maintain an additional bank account. But most of that work and expense comes up front when you first form your business.

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 March 08, 2018 04:45

Psst, should I say that aloud or out loud?

Ever stop writing and say ��Huh?!�� aloud when deciding if aloud or out loud should be used in your story?

Aloud is an adverb meaning ��using the voice so it can be heard.�� It excludes whispering. Hence, Jeff finally said aloud all that he��d been thinking for the past month.

Out loud �� which is two words �� is an adverbial phrase meaning ��loud enough to be heard, often without restraint.�� To wit, ��Not again!�� Laura said out loud.

While the two terms essentially are interchangeable, out loud can imply a sudden shout, scream or other human-made noise. Something said out loud probably was done so without thinking or ��without restraint.�� Because of this, you��ll most commonly see out loud paired with blurt or laugh, as in ��That��s stupid!�� a man blurted from the back of the crowd out loud.

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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