Rob Bignell's Blog, page 296

Writing Inspiration: Finding Time to Write, Part III

Do you dream of becoming a writer but don���t find yourself making progress toward a finished book? You night need to start setting short-term writing goals. Begin by charting how many words you write per day. After a week, review it. Does this amount of writing set you on the path of completing your book within a year? If not, increase the length of your writing session to achieve your goal.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Oklahoma City, or a small town like Peculiar, Missouri, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Co-authors can form ���general partnership���

If you���re among those who���ve just co-authored a self-published book, you���re probably wondering exactly how to handle this as a business. The good news is that you can treat your joint venture with much the same ease as you could if an author who���s a self-proprietor.

Anytime you write a book with one or more people ��� other than a spouse ��� you can create what is known as a general partnership (In fact, you do so as soon as you publish a book with both of your names on it.). As with a self-proprietorship, no governmental filing is required.

There���s no need for incorporation (such as becoming a ���limited liability corporation��� or LLC) simply because you collaborated on a book. Incorporation provides little benefit to most self-publishing authors. The main reason that a business incorporates is to protect the owner���s personal assets (such as his home, car, investments) in case the company should be sued. When authors land in court for their work, it typically is for defamation, infringement or invasion of privacy ��� claims that are based on your individual conduct. Hence, being a corporation provides no shield for you.

In addition, many authors find the cost of incorporation generally is far greater than revenues from a self-published book���s sales. You will need to earn several hundred dollars annually from sales or you���ll actually be spending more money on government licenses and fees than you earn from the business. There���s little economic sense in incorporating when you can run a business without doing so.

One thing you will want to do when forming a general partnership is to have your agreement in writing. Legally, it need not be in writing, but a signed document on paper can help everyone avoid problems later.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Memphis, Tennessee, or a small town like Eastabutchie, Mississippi, I can provide that second eye.

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Reverse engineer story to understand craft

Reverse engineer a story by creating an outline of it. How detailed was your outline? How much text did the writer include that wasn���t part of your outline? Do you have a better understanding of how stories are constructed by deconstructing one?

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Jacksonville, Florida, or a small town like Dinkytown, Minnesota, I can provide that second eye.

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Editor kicks off summer book tour

I���ll be signing my latest book, Headin��� to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota, at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, Minn., on Saturday, May 16.

The indispensable guide to anyone who owns or rents a cabin on the North Shore, in the Arrowhead, and along the St. Croix River, Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota describes more than 200 trails in Chisago, Pine, Carlton, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties. Within a week of being released, it hit No. 1 on Amazon.com���s bestseller list for Travel>Midwest ebooks and No. 4 on Amazon.com���s Travel>Midwest bestseller list for paperbacks. Amazon.com also named it a No. 1 Hot New Release in Midwest>U.S. Travel Guides.

The Valley Bookseller stop marks the first stop in my summer promotion tour for Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota. I���ll be there from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Copies of the book can be purchased in advance of or during the event.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like New York, New York, or a small town like Bantam, Connecticut, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Prompt: Let it go

Suffering from writer���s block or need to add some spunk to your writing? The problem may be that you need to change up your routine.

To that end, try this tip: Many writers use journaling to deal with trauma and emotional upheaval. One way to do that is to write about what you need to let go of: bad relationships; habits and behaviors that no longer serve you; grudges and hurts that you obsess about. Just listing any of the above and describing why you feel that you need to let go of them can be enlightening and empowering.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Providence, Rhode Island, or a small town like Gay Head, Massachusetts, I can provide that second eye.

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How to create an interesting villain for your story

When creating an antagonist ��� or villain ��� in a story, beginning writers often opt for a cardboard figure who simply opposes the story���s hero or main character. Those writers usually can create a story that is much more suspenseful and interesting, however, if they more fully develop their villain.

Most importantly, a villain should have motivations for why he does evil things. Because of these motivations, he has clear desires, goals and dreams. For example, a villain who believes his parents favored his brother may wish to get revenge on him. The motivations need not make the villain morally right, but they should give a reason for him behaving the way he does beyond the trite ���He���s simply a manifestation of evil.���

To make the villain interesting, he ought to be charismatic in some way. He might be stunningly good looking, perhaps successful, possess refined taste, or adhere to some type of martial code, but he must have some qualities that make him interesting to read about.

Further, villains need to be active. That means rather than react to what the hero does, the villain must take steps to achieve his goals. Indeed, it���s the villain���s implementation of this plan that usually sets the story in motion, that forces the main character to take active steps to stop him.

As taking these steps, the villain must in some way be cruel. He possesses a twisted sense of righteousness and belief that doing whatever is necessary, even if it harms others, is acceptable to right the wrong against him is what makes him evil. To show this to the reader, the villain must do bad things.

Finally, a villain ought to be powerful, at least as much so as the hero. Often the villain is more powerful than the hero, which helps ratchet up the story���s suspense. Anytime the hero is at a disadvantage and an outcome favoring his victory is in doubt, you have the basic recipe for suspense.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Norfolk, Virginia, or a small town like Crappo, Maryland, I can provide that second eye.

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Five Great Quotations about Business of Writing

“The literary world is made up of little confederacies, each looking upon its own members as the lights of the universe; and considering all others as mere transient meteors, doomed to soon fall and be forgotten, while its own luminaries are to shine steadily into immortality.” - Washington Irving

“The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere.” - SJ Perelman

“I think it's a shame that something as creative and vital to the nature of the human species as story-telling is largely controlled by the soulless cretins known as publishers.” - Piers Anthony

“The writer has a body, which includes a stomach. Writers too must eat. You can have money of your own; you can marry money; you can attract a patron – whether a king, a duke, or an arts board; you can have a day job; or you can sell to the market.” - Margaret Atwood

“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.” - Molière

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Hampton Roads, Virginia, or a small town like Crappo, Maryland, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Writing Inspiration: Finding time to write, Part III

Do you dream of becoming a writer but always have an excuse for not actually writing? If you’re excuse is “There’s no time,” think again.

Carry a notepad with you through the day, writing notes about the story you’re working on or other ideas that come into your head. If nothing comes, then determine something specific for your story that you will think about through the day – perhaps a clever image for a scene, a physical reaction of a character, or a line of pithy dialogue. Come up with several potential lines you might write. Use this as the basis to start your next daily writing session.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Raleigh, North Carolina, or a small town like Strong, Maine, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Best times to promote your book on Facebook

When promoting your self-published book, the social media tool Facebook ought to play an important role in the marketing strategy. Knowing when to post on Facebook, however, can maximize your efforts.

According to a number of studies, the best time to post is weekdays 1-4 p.m. Those hours result in higher click-throughs than posts made at other times.

That’s because more people are on Facebook during the afternoon while at work. Peak usage is Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Given that the primary users of Facebooks are working adults (not to mention how boring so many workplaces are), that shouldn’t be surprising.

Of course, these times are relative. If your business is national, you need to post over a longer spread of time than 1-4 p.m. in your time zone, or you’ll miss the peak times in other parts of the country. For example, if your business is based in Chicago (Central Time), you would aim messages for the East Coast (i.e. New York City, Boston, Washington DC) at noon to 3 p.m. Central Time and messages for the West Coast (i.e. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle) at 3-6 p.m. Central Time.

Add a photo to increase readership of your posts. Photos result in 53% more likes and 104% more comments than a mere text post.

The absolute worst time to post is before 8 a.m., after 8 p.m., and on weekends. Though people are on Facebook during those times, the number of users drops considerably compared to the earlier mentioned peak hours.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Nashville, Tennessee, or a small town like Turkey Creek, Louisiana, I can provide that second eye.

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Read article, chapter on topic in your book

Read an article or chapter of a book that relates to your book. For example, if the story is set in western Kansas, read news stories from that area of the state; if the story involves space travel, read about theories for new engines that would power a spacecraft. As reading, jot down ideas that could be used in your story.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. Whether you come from a big city like Indianapolis, Indiana, or a small town like Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky, I can provide that second eye.

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