Rob Bignell's Blog, page 302

Writing Prompt: Practice being present

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: Practice being present. Anytime you’re waiting, write down what you see, hear, smell, taste and sense through touch. Can you organize these details you’ve observed into a coherent paragraph that describes this setting?

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 Colorado Springs, Colorado, or a small town like Big Chimney, West Virginia, I can provide that second eye.

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Do characters’ actions arise from their needs?

When editing drafts of your manuscript, examine how your characters’ motivations are presented as the story unfolds.

Do their actions and decisions arise from those needs? If not, readers won’t view them as realistic because the characters do what the author wants them to do.

Instead, the characters should behave like real people with those actual desires and goals. Because the characters are intrinsically motivated rather than the author’s puppets, they will be independent and hence “real.”

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 Charleston, West Virginia, or a small town like Frog Eye, Alabama, I can provide that second eye.

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Five Great Quotations about Dialogue

“The language fictional characters use is chosen for effect, at least if the author is concentrating.” - John M. Ford

“All the information you need can be given in dialogue.” - Elmore Leonard

“James Blish told me I had the worst case of "said bookism" (that is, using every word except said to indicate dialogue). He told me to limit the verbs to said, replied, asked, and answered and only when absolutely necessary.” - Anne McCaffrey

“Always get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off more than a big slab of prose at the start.” - P.G. Wodehouse

“A two-headed man should have twice the IQ, and the ability to have internal dialogues externally.” - Jarod Kintz

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 an urban area like California's Inland Empire or a rural area like Loving County, Texas, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Writing Inspiration: Never be afraid to write what you believe. If the message speaks the truth, others will fear your words for you.

You’re at a cocktail party, are introduced to one of the guests. He asks, “What do you do?”

“I’m a writer,” you respond.

“Oh. What do you write?”

At that moment, does your stomach churn with anxiety and your palms sweat? Do you believe that if telling the truth, you’ll be looked down upon, that others behind your back will whisper, “He writes that weird nerdy science fiction stuff…he writes erotica, must be a pervert…she writes trashy hackneyed romances, must not have any talent…she writes that highfalutin literary stuff that no one can understand – and that no one every buys.”

When you’re afraid how others will react to your writing, you’ve allowed them to define you. Should you write only what others find acceptable, you’ve allowed them to control you. You’ve given their values a higher priority than your own tastes and standards.

As you writer, you cannot care what others will think of you or your writing. You instead must care about the truth.

Of course, “the truth” often is a wide swath of gray. People possess different values, they see the world from different perspectives, their memories falter over time. But what is your truth? What are your values? What is your perspective on the world? What is your memory of an event?

If your strive to be truthful in writing – that is deliberately not contradicting your values, not distorting your perspective, and not altering your memories for personal gain – your words will be authentic. Not all readers may agree with you (and truthfully, you never can please everyone), but they will respect your genuineness.

And perhaps the best response your writing ever can receive is criticism of your ethics, viewpoints, and recollections. It means that your writing touched more than a nerve in readers, suggests that others fear what you have to say because they have something to lose should the truth be widely known.

So don’t mumble your answer and fidget when someone asks what you write. Tell them loudly and confidently what your book is all about. They’ll then be the ones whose foreheads break a sweat…or maybe they’ll even be the ones who heartily clasp your hands and thank you for what you’ve written.

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 Greensboro, North Carolina, or a small town like Weed, California, I can provide that second eye.

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Pitch book through Back of Room sales

One of the best way to sell your books is through Back of Room sales. This occurs when you give a presentation and have copies of your book(s) for sale on a table nearby – usually at the back or side of the room or just outside it.

Back of Room sales work because those attending your presentation are interested in your book’s topic. They are naturally ready to purchase your book. If you’ve done a good job during the presentation, then you’ve got them even more excited about the topic, increasing the odds of a sale.

A book signing or book reading is a form of a Back of Room sales. But think about what might attract more attendees to your reading and instead give a presentation at a seminar or workshop about a topic covered in your book.

For example, I write hiking guidebooks. While interesting to read if you’re a backpacker who wants to hike the region covered in the book, the trail entries otherwise are a dry read and not ideal for a standard book reading. However, if I give a presentation about “The 10 Best Hiking Trails in Denver” and offer my own passionate summaries of the trails and include pictures of the scenery on a large screen, I’ll attract more attention.

You can use this approach to extend the shelf life of your book. For example, I can do a presentation in September about “Denver’s Best Autumn Leaf Trails,” one before Valentine’s Day about “Denver’s Most Romantic Trails,” then one in spring about “Denver’s Best Wildflower Trails,” all culling information from one trail guidebook.

Set up and promote the presentation the same way that you would a book signing/reading. However, you’re not limited to bookstores. Presentations can be given almost anywhere, such as the local library, coffee houses with stages, or at conventions.

Be sure to make your table where the books are available is attractive. A single-colored tablecloth is a good idea, as is a poster about yourself or your books. In addition, if handling the sales yourself, make sure you bring enough money in different denominations to make change. You also may want to have business cards or freebies (such as bookmarks) related to your book that those attending the event can pick up.

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 Atlanta, Georgia, or a small town like Atlanta, Idaho, I can provide that second eye.

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Stuff your book in a Little Free Library

Editing tip: Has it been done before?

Do you sometimes find yourself saying, “This has all been done before” as writing a draft? You’re probably right. How can your plot, setting and characters differ from those in the books you’ve enjoyed the most?

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 Dayton, Ohio, or a small town like Why, Arizona, I can provide that second eye.

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A typical error: Abhorrent vs. aberrant

The number of writers who confuse these two adjectives is frightening.

Abhorrent is something that is horrifying, that would cause you to at least jump back because you’re startled. To wit, She found the dead cockroach floating in her soup absolutely abhorrent.

Aberrant, however, is something that is a little weird. For example, The culmination of her aberrant behavior came with the wearing of a long, trailing wedding dress to the funeral.

Now that you know the difference between these two words, readers of your books never should have to shudder or recoil in horror over their misuse.

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 Portland, Maine, or a small town like Bantam, Connecticut, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Prompt: Observe your thoughts
A change in the text: Amend vs. emend
Five Great Quotations about Books

Writing Prompt: Observe your thoughts

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: For five minutes, write down the thoughts going through your head. Then read what you wrote. Spend another five minutes writing down your observations about your thoughts.

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 Allentown, Pennsylvania, or a small town like Chugwater, Wyoming, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Inspiration: Replace your old books with the books you've always wanted to write

What are your characters’ motivations?

One of the major problems with early drafts of stories is that the characters’ motivations haven’t yet been fully worked out. Can you identify you characters’ goals and the reasons they want to attain them? Did your characters’ goals change from what was presented in the story’s introduction?

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 El Paso, Texas, or a small town like Wanderoos, Wisconsin, I can provide that second eye.

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A block of better grammar: Chock vs. choke

Five Great Quotations about Craft of Writing

“Most people use twenty verbs to describe everything from a run in their stocking to the explosion of an atomic bomb. You know the ones: Was, did, had, made, went, looked… One-size-fits-all looks like crap on anyone. Sew yourself a custom made suit. Pick a better verb. Challenge all those verbs to really lift some weight for you.” - Janet Fitch

“Details are the Life of Prose.” — Jack Kerouac

“Compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of a metronome.” - Ezra Pound

“Easy writing makes hard reading.” - Ernest Hemingway

“The craft of writing is all the stuff that you can learn through school; go to workshops and read books. Learn characterization, plot and dialogue and pacing and word choice and point of view. Then there's also the art of it which is sort of the unknown, the inspiration, the stuff that is noncerebral.” - Garth Stein

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 Ventura, California, or a small town like Big Ugly Creek, West Virginia, I can provide that second eye.

 

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