Robin Murphy's Blog, page 4
October 19, 2018
HOw To Develop Your Writer's Eye
[image error] Who are the three most interesting people you've ever met? What pictures appear in your mind? They can be from your past or present. Have they made a strong impression on you...positive or negative? When developing your writer's eye, you need to sharpen your powers of observation.
No matter what stories or articles you write, more than likely they'll contain people - or characters. One of the best ways to bring those characters to life in your writing is to think of real people...the people you know. You need to be able to describe them so clearly that your reader could easily recognize them in a crowded room.
Concentrate on forming a mental picture of the person who stands out most clearly in your memory. This is the person you will write about. If it's someone you see day-to-day, you may wish to observe this person anew. If this person is far away, then try using your mind's eye and ear to take notes of this person.
You almost need to imagine yourself as a camera. Step back and take a mental overall picture and begin to write some words quickly that would describe this person. Are they shy? Outgoing? Kind? Flamboyant? Jot these words or phrases down as they come to you. No need to put them in any order at this point.
Now try to zoom in and focus on the smaller details. Look at your subject's features (i.e. nose, eyes, hair, smile), coloring, their style of clothing. Write as many of the details as you can for now, you may not even use all of them. Use hearing to describe their voice tone, accent, laughter. Your sense of smell can describe their perfume or after-shave, cooking odors, etc. Your sense of touch would naturally explain details of soft, gentle, cold or warm hands, the kinds of handshakes or hugs.
As words come to you try to distinguish between generalities and specifics. Such as, if they're wearing old pants, maybe use the phrase ragged old jeans. Nicely dressed could be wearing a freshly ironed blouse, or if they have an attractive smile, use the phrase a smile that lights up her face.
Don't forget to use comparisons. Some writers use the quality of a person's voice to the flowing of a stream, or the football player's knuckles looked like wooden balls. These comparisons are figures of speech called similes. You can also use metaphors, which are comparisons not clearly stated with the word like but are implied. Someone's marble white face, or glacially pale blue eyes.
You should also have your description show emotions. Many writer's argue about the show don't tell method. I think it's entirely up to you, but I prefer this way of writing because I'm able to paint a vivid picture for my reader. Such as, telling - he was happy; showing - his face broke into a wide grin. Telling - he was mad; showing - he pounded his fist into the table.
Now try to shape your thoughts to express what your character's description will be by asking three simple questions: What is the person's characteristic? Review your notes and decide if this character has a positive approach to life, or maybe their particularly plucky. Then if this character is well-groomed they will more than likely speak and act in a tidy manner. Sometimes they can be a mixture of things to add more dimension to their personality. Anything you can add to create your character so that your reader will feel as though they're sitting with them in the room.In what setting can you best visualize the person? Add a backdrop to the overall picture. Think of activities that your character would take part in, such as in the office, kitchen, or garden.Where are you - the writer? Will you be in the picture? Your character may be more intriguing if you add some of your own feelings, or you can describe them as an observer. If you choose to write from your own feelings, you might say - Joan always impressed me with her sense of humor, whereas, writing as an observer you could say - Joan was known for her sense of humor. I hope this can shed a little insight to help you develop your writer's eye and get you motivated to create amazing characters. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please do so in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.
Remember...keep on writing!
No matter what stories or articles you write, more than likely they'll contain people - or characters. One of the best ways to bring those characters to life in your writing is to think of real people...the people you know. You need to be able to describe them so clearly that your reader could easily recognize them in a crowded room.
Concentrate on forming a mental picture of the person who stands out most clearly in your memory. This is the person you will write about. If it's someone you see day-to-day, you may wish to observe this person anew. If this person is far away, then try using your mind's eye and ear to take notes of this person.
You almost need to imagine yourself as a camera. Step back and take a mental overall picture and begin to write some words quickly that would describe this person. Are they shy? Outgoing? Kind? Flamboyant? Jot these words or phrases down as they come to you. No need to put them in any order at this point.
Now try to zoom in and focus on the smaller details. Look at your subject's features (i.e. nose, eyes, hair, smile), coloring, their style of clothing. Write as many of the details as you can for now, you may not even use all of them. Use hearing to describe their voice tone, accent, laughter. Your sense of smell can describe their perfume or after-shave, cooking odors, etc. Your sense of touch would naturally explain details of soft, gentle, cold or warm hands, the kinds of handshakes or hugs.
As words come to you try to distinguish between generalities and specifics. Such as, if they're wearing old pants, maybe use the phrase ragged old jeans. Nicely dressed could be wearing a freshly ironed blouse, or if they have an attractive smile, use the phrase a smile that lights up her face.
Don't forget to use comparisons. Some writers use the quality of a person's voice to the flowing of a stream, or the football player's knuckles looked like wooden balls. These comparisons are figures of speech called similes. You can also use metaphors, which are comparisons not clearly stated with the word like but are implied. Someone's marble white face, or glacially pale blue eyes.
You should also have your description show emotions. Many writer's argue about the show don't tell method. I think it's entirely up to you, but I prefer this way of writing because I'm able to paint a vivid picture for my reader. Such as, telling - he was happy; showing - his face broke into a wide grin. Telling - he was mad; showing - he pounded his fist into the table.
Now try to shape your thoughts to express what your character's description will be by asking three simple questions: What is the person's characteristic? Review your notes and decide if this character has a positive approach to life, or maybe their particularly plucky. Then if this character is well-groomed they will more than likely speak and act in a tidy manner. Sometimes they can be a mixture of things to add more dimension to their personality. Anything you can add to create your character so that your reader will feel as though they're sitting with them in the room.In what setting can you best visualize the person? Add a backdrop to the overall picture. Think of activities that your character would take part in, such as in the office, kitchen, or garden.Where are you - the writer? Will you be in the picture? Your character may be more intriguing if you add some of your own feelings, or you can describe them as an observer. If you choose to write from your own feelings, you might say - Joan always impressed me with her sense of humor, whereas, writing as an observer you could say - Joan was known for her sense of humor. I hope this can shed a little insight to help you develop your writer's eye and get you motivated to create amazing characters. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please do so in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you.
Remember...keep on writing!
September 30, 2018
Make Your Own Website - Understanding Meta Tags/Data
[image error] I am not going into detail to show you how to create your own website, because basically I am a novice in this area. I have some html experience and I was able to design one of my websites through Adobe® Macromedia Dreamweaver®, but not enough to teach you properly. If you use any type of a wysiwyg web builder, such as Weebly, it'll allow you to easily add the keywords or phrases in a simple designated section without really needing to know html coding.If you have experience in html coding, then you are lucky enough to do this for very little cost. You will first need to brand yourself, another words, what will the name of your website be? In order to find a name, you can go out to any number of “hosting” sites and use their search engine to see if the name you wish to use is available.
The hosting company I use is HyperMart. I absolutely love working with them and I think it competes very well with other cost-effective hosting sites I’ve seen around. They can first register your domain name, which is the name you’ve chosen for people to find you (i.e. www.rookiewriterssolutions.com). It is a low yearly fee and worth having. They can host your domain name or website for a low monthly cost. They will also walk you through step-by-step in creating your website, if you choose to tackle this task.
I suggest you do a search for website hosting and use what best suits you. But I strongly suggest you get a website or at least a blog to get your brand name out there. You need to come across as professional and that you are serious about you as an author. The first thing anyone will do when they hear about you and your book(s) is to check out your website. You know we all do it, so it’s best you have a website to share your product and knowledge.
Now, the next thing I’d like to talk about are Meta tags and metadata, which when I first heard it I said, “Huh”? Here is a Wikipedia definition of a meta tag: Meta elements are the HTML or XHTML element used to provide structured metadata about a Web page. Multiple Meta elements with different attributes are often used on the same page. Meta elements can be used to specify page description, keywords and any other metadata not provided through the other head elements and attributes.
The meta element has two uses: either to emulate the use of an HTTP response header, or to embed additional metadata within the HTML document.
With HTML up to and including HTML 4.01 and XHTML, there were four valid attributes: content, http-equiv, name and scheme. Under HTML 5 there are now five valid attributes, charset having been added. http-equiv is used to emulate an HTTP header, and name to embed metadata. The value of the statement, in either case, is contained in the content attribute, which is the only required attribute unless charset is given. Charset is used to indicate the character set of the document, and is available in HTML5.
Such elements must be placed as tags in the head section of an HTML or XHTML document.
Metadata is defined as a set of data that describes and gives information about other data.
You still may be saying “huh?”, but if you have someone else creating your website, they will know what is needed to place the Meta tag within the code on your home/index page of your website. This is basically any words and/or phrases pertaining to you, your genre, etc. It’s the art of having these descriptions or phrases placed in your website so it can be found when someone does a search that relates to you and/or your books. If you are writing about paranormal mystery, then this would be a key phrase you would want to include.
In the definition above about Meta tags, it states the use can be in the header (i.e. www.rookiewriterssolutions.com) or within the HTML document, which is the index page of your website. If you know code, these are strategically placed within the code, which took me awhile to figure out. If this is too much to take in, then have a website designer do this for you.
Here is an example from my index page or homepage, when I used DreamWeaver, of where I placed the coding not only within the index page but also in the header or title of my website, which looks like this:
Fiction Paranormal Mystery Author, Speaker, Women's Fiction,Travel Writer, Non-fiction
Why do you need Meta tags and metadata? These keywords or phrases hidden that are within the code is what will bring your website up within the first three pages of a search. That’s right, once you have these tags placed in your website, after a month or so, go out to a search engine and type in one of the key words or phrases you added and see where your website results land. You can periodically do that search and see how the results change. This is key is to have someone who knows nothing about you…find you.
The other sections you wish to have on your site can be a page that tells a little bit about you (i.e. Robin's Works), your books, any events you are attending or have attended, a link to your blog, and of course a contact page. You can add anything you like that describes more about you because reader’s love to learn about their new favorite author.
I’ll also include, although I know you savvy writers have great common sense, to add “all” of the social media you belong to on your index/home page. It’s very important for readers to have the ability to follow or like you in those different venues. I do believe it’s important to have quick buying links to your books, along with any book trailers you’ve done, and awards you’ve won. You may want to include an option to give away the first chapter of your book free for reader’s to get a sample of your writing. From this, you will receive their email to use to contact for future books you publish. But please be mindful and respectful not to spam them with too much information. It will turn them off. It’s important to include anything that will prove your credibility and professionalism.
As always, feel free to purchase my book A Complete How to Guide for Rookie Writers for more detailed step-by-step guidance on writing, self-publishing, book-trailers, marketing and more.
September 26, 2018
Halloween Brings Out The Ghosts And Goblins
It's getting close to that time of year again...All Hallows Eve. Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows Day. There has been much controversy over this holiday and I don't plan on getting into that discussion. What I love about Halloween is all the horror shows, movies, and ghost stories that erupt everywhere. I mean, ghosts can creep about any time of the year, but let's face it, there's something even scarier about telling a ghost story during Halloween.
There are those that believe in ghosts, or as some would call them, spirits or apparitions. There are those that do not. Why is it then, when there's a movie or a book about ghosts, or other creatures that go bump in the night, that makes us a believer? I think it has to do with our imaginations. We don't want to believe in ghosts, or vampires, or the walking dead, but we can't help ourselves. I think we can all agree there's nothing better than a good ghost story. Whether it be in a book or a movie. If it's done right, it will pull us right in and by the time we're finished, we start to question ourselves as to whether there is such a thing as ghosts.
There are many who have experienced some sort of paranormal situation. Whether seeing a spirit or hearing something that they just can't explain. I have watched many ghost investigator shows and would sit at the edge of my seat when I witnessed a chair rocking and nobody was there. I know people can explain away these incidents, but I think it has to do with the way our brains are wired. We have a need to understand why something that we can't explain happened.
Some find comfort in knowing that their loved ones who have passed may be around them from the other side. I, for one, do believe there are ghosts or spirits hanging around. After all, there has been proof of paranormal activity recorded from many ghost investigative groups and societies. Either way, I take comfort in that fact.
So if you're like me and you love how the Halloween season brings about it the many scary aspects of ghosts and goblins, then pick up a good book or find a horror film, sit back with the popcorn...and a flashlight, and be prepared to scare the wits out of yourself.
There are those that believe in ghosts, or as some would call them, spirits or apparitions. There are those that do not. Why is it then, when there's a movie or a book about ghosts, or other creatures that go bump in the night, that makes us a believer? I think it has to do with our imaginations. We don't want to believe in ghosts, or vampires, or the walking dead, but we can't help ourselves. I think we can all agree there's nothing better than a good ghost story. Whether it be in a book or a movie. If it's done right, it will pull us right in and by the time we're finished, we start to question ourselves as to whether there is such a thing as ghosts.
There are many who have experienced some sort of paranormal situation. Whether seeing a spirit or hearing something that they just can't explain. I have watched many ghost investigator shows and would sit at the edge of my seat when I witnessed a chair rocking and nobody was there. I know people can explain away these incidents, but I think it has to do with the way our brains are wired. We have a need to understand why something that we can't explain happened.
Some find comfort in knowing that their loved ones who have passed may be around them from the other side. I, for one, do believe there are ghosts or spirits hanging around. After all, there has been proof of paranormal activity recorded from many ghost investigative groups and societies. Either way, I take comfort in that fact.
So if you're like me and you love how the Halloween season brings about it the many scary aspects of ghosts and goblins, then pick up a good book or find a horror film, sit back with the popcorn...and a flashlight, and be prepared to scare the wits out of yourself.
September 15, 2018
The Art of Blogging – Choose your niche – Share information, don’t make it a “Me” Atmosphere
Blogging is such a huge topic and if you were to search “how to blog”, “how to create a blog”, you would find a great deal of information to help you, and I suggest you do this because I believe we learn something every day.
I do believe blogging is a needed tool and it’s a whole new language. There are many platforms, and the largest is WordPress .com and .org. The .com is free, and the .org usually comes with a monthly fee. There are others such as Drupal, Typepad, Blogsmith.
There are pros and cons to using either the free (.com) or paid (.org) versions of WordPress, and it’s really up to you on which one you wish to use, both are productive in blogging. Some of the pros using the free route are that it’s free and easy to set up. The technical maintenance, such as upgrades, spam, backups, and security are all taken care of, which is a plus. Your blog will be on hundreds of servers and will remain available under high traffic.
Some of the cons for .com are, although you can choose from over 200+ themes, which you can customize; you won’t be able to upload a custom theme you may have designed. You won’t be able to upload your own plugins, which is a tool that can be added to enhance the blogging performance or provide added features.
Some .org pros would be the ability to upload custom themes, plugins, and have complete control to change the code if you are technically savvy.
A few of the cons for .org is you will need a good web host which can cost you between $5-$12 a month, or much more for a high traffic site. You will need the technical knowledge to set up and run the blog. You will be responsible for stopping the spam, as well as creating and maintaining the backups for your site. When a new update for WordPress is released, you will need to update that version.
For me, I chose the .com of WordPress simply because I am a novice in understanding the mechanics behind running a blog. Plus, I always like when something is free and easy because let’s face it, we prefer to be writing, don’t we? There are two processes behind blogging. One would be the way you blog on your site and the other is posting or blogging on other sites.
I’d like first to discuss making posts on other blogs. The first step would be to find blogs that cater to your audience, knowledge, or genre of your writing. It can include fiction and nonfiction. Once you have found a blog, please be mindful and read what the topic is about and what others have posted. The real art of blogging is actually to care about your blog posts and to create credibility on your part. You do not want to begin “spamming” about yourself when it has nothing to do about the topic.
Leave a comment that is useful for others by sharing links to other helpful blogs, share your knowledge, and answer any questions that you feel you have information about because we are all out there to help others. This should be your primary goal in all of your marketing platforms.
The next part of blogging is how you post on your blog and what type of information you share. Naturally, our first instinct is to talk about our books, events, book signings, and reviews, and that’s all well and good, but if you want to increase a following, you need to share helpful information. Even if you aren’t sure if you have the knowledge base to post about what you know, then share links of other bloggers who have some great information. If you find a blog that talks about writing a query try leaving a comment that you loved reading about the post. Then ask if it’s okay to share on your blog. Nine times out of ten they won’t have a problem. This is where relationships begin, and it will increase your credibility.
Next, you’re probably wondering how often you should blog, and that’s entirely up to you, but what I’ve learned over the last several years is that a weekly post works well. You can post more or less depending on how much time you have, but the main thing to do is…post. This is where you can get creative, and it gives you another venue in which to write, and that’s always good.
Always be mindful and courteous in your responses, no matter what types of comments are left. You never want to enter into an argument in any area of marketing; it’s just not worth it. But the main thing to do is have fun and enjoy sharing your thoughts and ideas, but have the main focus on what you wish to blog about, and of course, every now and again, post about your new book coming out, because after all, you do want to establish new readers.
I do believe blogging is a needed tool and it’s a whole new language. There are many platforms, and the largest is WordPress .com and .org. The .com is free, and the .org usually comes with a monthly fee. There are others such as Drupal, Typepad, Blogsmith.
There are pros and cons to using either the free (.com) or paid (.org) versions of WordPress, and it’s really up to you on which one you wish to use, both are productive in blogging. Some of the pros using the free route are that it’s free and easy to set up. The technical maintenance, such as upgrades, spam, backups, and security are all taken care of, which is a plus. Your blog will be on hundreds of servers and will remain available under high traffic.
Some of the cons for .com are, although you can choose from over 200+ themes, which you can customize; you won’t be able to upload a custom theme you may have designed. You won’t be able to upload your own plugins, which is a tool that can be added to enhance the blogging performance or provide added features.
Some .org pros would be the ability to upload custom themes, plugins, and have complete control to change the code if you are technically savvy.
A few of the cons for .org is you will need a good web host which can cost you between $5-$12 a month, or much more for a high traffic site. You will need the technical knowledge to set up and run the blog. You will be responsible for stopping the spam, as well as creating and maintaining the backups for your site. When a new update for WordPress is released, you will need to update that version.
For me, I chose the .com of WordPress simply because I am a novice in understanding the mechanics behind running a blog. Plus, I always like when something is free and easy because let’s face it, we prefer to be writing, don’t we? There are two processes behind blogging. One would be the way you blog on your site and the other is posting or blogging on other sites.
I’d like first to discuss making posts on other blogs. The first step would be to find blogs that cater to your audience, knowledge, or genre of your writing. It can include fiction and nonfiction. Once you have found a blog, please be mindful and read what the topic is about and what others have posted. The real art of blogging is actually to care about your blog posts and to create credibility on your part. You do not want to begin “spamming” about yourself when it has nothing to do about the topic.
Leave a comment that is useful for others by sharing links to other helpful blogs, share your knowledge, and answer any questions that you feel you have information about because we are all out there to help others. This should be your primary goal in all of your marketing platforms.
The next part of blogging is how you post on your blog and what type of information you share. Naturally, our first instinct is to talk about our books, events, book signings, and reviews, and that’s all well and good, but if you want to increase a following, you need to share helpful information. Even if you aren’t sure if you have the knowledge base to post about what you know, then share links of other bloggers who have some great information. If you find a blog that talks about writing a query try leaving a comment that you loved reading about the post. Then ask if it’s okay to share on your blog. Nine times out of ten they won’t have a problem. This is where relationships begin, and it will increase your credibility.
Next, you’re probably wondering how often you should blog, and that’s entirely up to you, but what I’ve learned over the last several years is that a weekly post works well. You can post more or less depending on how much time you have, but the main thing to do is…post. This is where you can get creative, and it gives you another venue in which to write, and that’s always good.
Always be mindful and courteous in your responses, no matter what types of comments are left. You never want to enter into an argument in any area of marketing; it’s just not worth it. But the main thing to do is have fun and enjoy sharing your thoughts and ideas, but have the main focus on what you wish to blog about, and of course, every now and again, post about your new book coming out, because after all, you do want to establish new readers.
September 6, 2018
RWS Interviews Joyce Isaacson About Her Book "Wish You Were Here, Badfinger"
It's great to meet you Joyce! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on writing and chatting about your fantasy book.
What genre/s do you write in, and why?
Fiction primarily Fantasy. The reason I love fiction is because so many doors are open to put your characters in the story. Who are they? Why they are there and for what purpose. It’s like painting a word picture.
When did you begin writing, and was it something you’ve always wanted to do?
I actually started to write after I won a school poetry contest in third grade. From that point on I was stung by the writing bug and I just never stopped writing. I also think it helped when I earned an A+ in my high school journalism class and was fortunate to work as an editorial assistant for the Chicago Tribune. Hanging around reporters in the editorial department inspired me to write as well. Getting a good review for my screenplays from the TV critic at the time really started my creative wheels turning. Unfortunately, those screenplays never saw the light of day since I didn’t have or could not afford an agent at the time. But this didn’t deter me from writing. In the nineties, the writing techniques were much different. I learned this the hard way but I was still determined to do what I loved best.
What type of research goes into your writing?
I got some ideas from the net but most of my concepts came from within which is funny because sometimes when I write I find out later that it is true. I have at least thirty-three deceased souls that my main character meets and interacts with while searching for his friend Pete Ham in Heaven. To this day I don’t know how I was able to pull it off.
How do you develop your characters, plot, and setting?
That is a very good question. All I can say is that I let my characters take over and forward the story to me. I get ideas based on where they want to go and they describe their settings to me.
What is your creative process (i.e. inspiration, where do you write)?
I have to admit when I write it is 24/7 process. I might be washing the dishes and the ideas come to me. I don’t know if this works for most writers but when I come up with a concept for the story it stays in my mind and I am able to write it down later when I have a chance. I think I do my most creative writing when I am doing something else rather than sitting at my computer. I really don’t know why but it works for me.
Have you ever dealt with writer’s block? If so, how do you find your creative flow again?
Oh, yeah. When I started on the sequel to Wish You Were Here, I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run into legal problems with so many well-known characters in my first book I was terrified because no pro-bono lawyer wouldn’t pick it up and read it. I felt like this was the end of the line, literally. Fortunately, I found a friend on LinkedIn who was willing to read the book for a free copy. I basically walked on eggshells until he gave me the green light go ahead and publish. After that it took me another month until the ideas started to flow again.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
I am self-published. My good friend and editor, Dennis De Rose, and I decided this would be the best route to take for me. I had been rejected 13 times by publishers and agents because with all honesty when you are a new writer they really, in my opinion, don’t want to take a chance with you. Maybe when I publish my sequel, I will try again. I was also told they really don’t help you in the marketing arena anymore.
Can you give us your experience in either or both of these types of publishing?
The fact that I have complete control over my own book is very important to me. I had been in a situation with my first published book. I couldn’t even do book signings or distribute press releases because the businesses didn’t want to deal with my publisher.
Do you market your own books? If so, how easy or difficult is this for an author?
Yes, I do a lot on the marketing end and it isn’t easy. I take whatever advice I can get from free webinars, I post daily in my Wish You Were Here, Badfinger “A Rock Fantasy”Facebook group just to engage with as many members as I can. I also pay close attention to free advice Dennis forwards to me on email or messenger. In my opinion, he goes way beyond what an editor would do for his clients. He always reminds me that I have the only fictional Badfinger book in the world and the slow turtle wins the race. I also think getting positive reviews from customers and editorials from places like Reader’s Favorite are very crucial to a book’s livelihood.
What advice would you give other writers/authors about receiving negative reviews?
Unless you are getting bad reviews constantly I would ignore them. Not everybody is going to like everything you write. I know somebody who is so indifferent to Harry Potter but I just love the author’s stories.
What advice would you give to wanna-be writers who are trying to get a book published?
Make sure you have a good story to tell and a title that will stand out, one that doesn’t make the reader have to search for the words in the dictionary. Also, your cover must intrigue your reader to want to know more. I am told my story is a page-turner and that readers can’t put it down. Having a well edited book is also important. Finding Dennis was a godsend for me.
If you had a chance to meet one of your favorite authors, alive or dead, who would it be? And what questions would you ask?
I would like to meet J.K. Rowling and ask her how she was inspired to write her novels.
List your book links and where we can find them to purchase?
Facebook is right Here
Amazon link for the paperback is Here
Amazon Link to e book located Here [image error] [image error]
What genre/s do you write in, and why?
Fiction primarily Fantasy. The reason I love fiction is because so many doors are open to put your characters in the story. Who are they? Why they are there and for what purpose. It’s like painting a word picture.
When did you begin writing, and was it something you’ve always wanted to do?
I actually started to write after I won a school poetry contest in third grade. From that point on I was stung by the writing bug and I just never stopped writing. I also think it helped when I earned an A+ in my high school journalism class and was fortunate to work as an editorial assistant for the Chicago Tribune. Hanging around reporters in the editorial department inspired me to write as well. Getting a good review for my screenplays from the TV critic at the time really started my creative wheels turning. Unfortunately, those screenplays never saw the light of day since I didn’t have or could not afford an agent at the time. But this didn’t deter me from writing. In the nineties, the writing techniques were much different. I learned this the hard way but I was still determined to do what I loved best.
What type of research goes into your writing?
I got some ideas from the net but most of my concepts came from within which is funny because sometimes when I write I find out later that it is true. I have at least thirty-three deceased souls that my main character meets and interacts with while searching for his friend Pete Ham in Heaven. To this day I don’t know how I was able to pull it off.
How do you develop your characters, plot, and setting?
That is a very good question. All I can say is that I let my characters take over and forward the story to me. I get ideas based on where they want to go and they describe their settings to me.
What is your creative process (i.e. inspiration, where do you write)?
I have to admit when I write it is 24/7 process. I might be washing the dishes and the ideas come to me. I don’t know if this works for most writers but when I come up with a concept for the story it stays in my mind and I am able to write it down later when I have a chance. I think I do my most creative writing when I am doing something else rather than sitting at my computer. I really don’t know why but it works for me.
Have you ever dealt with writer’s block? If so, how do you find your creative flow again?
Oh, yeah. When I started on the sequel to Wish You Were Here, I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run into legal problems with so many well-known characters in my first book I was terrified because no pro-bono lawyer wouldn’t pick it up and read it. I felt like this was the end of the line, literally. Fortunately, I found a friend on LinkedIn who was willing to read the book for a free copy. I basically walked on eggshells until he gave me the green light go ahead and publish. After that it took me another month until the ideas started to flow again.
Are you self-published or traditionally published?
I am self-published. My good friend and editor, Dennis De Rose, and I decided this would be the best route to take for me. I had been rejected 13 times by publishers and agents because with all honesty when you are a new writer they really, in my opinion, don’t want to take a chance with you. Maybe when I publish my sequel, I will try again. I was also told they really don’t help you in the marketing arena anymore.
Can you give us your experience in either or both of these types of publishing?
The fact that I have complete control over my own book is very important to me. I had been in a situation with my first published book. I couldn’t even do book signings or distribute press releases because the businesses didn’t want to deal with my publisher.
Do you market your own books? If so, how easy or difficult is this for an author?
Yes, I do a lot on the marketing end and it isn’t easy. I take whatever advice I can get from free webinars, I post daily in my Wish You Were Here, Badfinger “A Rock Fantasy”Facebook group just to engage with as many members as I can. I also pay close attention to free advice Dennis forwards to me on email or messenger. In my opinion, he goes way beyond what an editor would do for his clients. He always reminds me that I have the only fictional Badfinger book in the world and the slow turtle wins the race. I also think getting positive reviews from customers and editorials from places like Reader’s Favorite are very crucial to a book’s livelihood.
What advice would you give other writers/authors about receiving negative reviews?
Unless you are getting bad reviews constantly I would ignore them. Not everybody is going to like everything you write. I know somebody who is so indifferent to Harry Potter but I just love the author’s stories.
What advice would you give to wanna-be writers who are trying to get a book published?
Make sure you have a good story to tell and a title that will stand out, one that doesn’t make the reader have to search for the words in the dictionary. Also, your cover must intrigue your reader to want to know more. I am told my story is a page-turner and that readers can’t put it down. Having a well edited book is also important. Finding Dennis was a godsend for me.
If you had a chance to meet one of your favorite authors, alive or dead, who would it be? And what questions would you ask?
I would like to meet J.K. Rowling and ask her how she was inspired to write her novels.
List your book links and where we can find them to purchase?
Facebook is right Here
Amazon link for the paperback is Here
Amazon Link to e book located Here [image error] [image error]
September 4, 2018
RWS Interviews Dennis from Moneysaver Editing
Hi Dennis, let's settle in and have a chat about what makes you tick as an editor and writer...
Company Name: Moneysaver Editing
How long have you been an editor? Since January 2009
How does editing help you with your writing? Editing is not easy and neither is writing. As an editor, I must pay attention to details and remain focused. I think those traits help me write better.
How did you become an editor for Readers Favorite.com? I never wanted to be an editor. It just happened. About 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to help writers by reviewing their books but I didn’t want to purchase them. I contacted a wonderful lady, Deborah Gaynor, from Kentucky. She had a reviewing service, Readers Favorite; she had started it a few years earlier. She accepted me as a reviewer and I began by reading an adventure novel. (I edited the next book he wrote and it won a gold medal for best fiction in the category). When I sent my review to Deborah, she realized it was well written. Apparently, most of the reviews she received needed tweaking. She asked me to do that for her and I accepted the challenge. I tweaked 1000 reviews for her and she agreed to put me on her website as her editor. The first thing I edited was a children’s story about a horse. I wanted to edit the story for free but the author insisted on paying me. I accepted five dollars as payment and that is how this adventure began.
What genre(s) do you edit, and why? I prefer to edit fiction because that’s what I like to read but I have edited some non-fiction. I have edited general fiction, Christian fiction, fantasies, adventure stories, YA’s, romances, mysteries, poetry, children’s books, short stories, philosophical fiction, historical fiction, a dream manual, an addiction manual, a biography, a travelogue and others.
What type of research goes into your editing or writing? That depends on what you are writing. Editors and writers always have to fact check, pay attention to chronology and dialogue characteristics.
What is your editorial process? As soon as a writer contacts me, we set up a time for a lengthy phone conversation because we need to get to know each other, to see if we are a ‘good fit’. Next, the writer sends me a sample of his or her writing for me to edit and if the writer likes what I have done we go from there.
Have you ever dealt with writer or editor’s block? If so, how do you find your creative flow again? I have never experienced writer’s block only because I haven’t written a lot of material. To date, I have written three poems, a recent piece of flash fiction, found HERE, and I contributed two chapters of a writing motivational manual entitled Jumpstarting Your Inner Novelist. Here is the audio link. It is also available in paperback and e-book.
Editor’s block, now that is a different story. Every editor runs into a snag now and then. The easiest fix is to give the writer a jingle and work through it together. Let’s keep it simple, why wrack your brain.
Are you self-published or traditionally published? It is much easier to self-publish than trying to jump through the hoops required to have anything published in the traditional manner (unless you have a hook). Angie Merriam published two of my poems via Smashwords in e book, it’s entitled Intertwine and it’s free to read.
Do you market yourself? If so, how easy or difficult is this for an editor? It’s much easier for an editor than a writer since there are tons of writers and fewer editors (and even less that are really good at it). Robin, thank you. You are helping me right now. It’s difficult if you tell yourself you don’t have the time to do it; so many writers tell themselves that every day.
What advice would you give other writers/authors about receiving negative reviews? One of my writers panicked because she got one 2 star review after getting 14 positive 5 star reviews. If that happens to you, ignore it. Who cares why the reader gave you a bad review. If it persists, wake up and pay attention.
As an editor, what advice would you give to wanna-be writers who are trying to get a book published? The slow turtle wins the race. Please read this article I wrote HERE.
If you had a chance to meet one of your favorite authors, alive or dead, who would it be? And what questions would you ask? I have so many favorites. Here’s one. A. A. Milne. Why did you name him Pooh?
List your editor and book links and where we can find them:
My LinkedIn Moneysaver Editing profile is HERE. Check me out. If you’re not a member you need to join.
Jumpstarting Your Inner Novelist - Audio link HERE.
Intertwine by Angie Merriam featuring two of my poems.
Have an editing question? Feel free to call Dennis at 845-239-4513.
Thank you for chatting with us today at RWS, we appreciate your time! We wish you continued success in your editing and writing. And remember...Keep on Writing... [image error] [image error]
Company Name: Moneysaver Editing
How long have you been an editor? Since January 2009
How does editing help you with your writing? Editing is not easy and neither is writing. As an editor, I must pay attention to details and remain focused. I think those traits help me write better.
How did you become an editor for Readers Favorite.com? I never wanted to be an editor. It just happened. About 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to help writers by reviewing their books but I didn’t want to purchase them. I contacted a wonderful lady, Deborah Gaynor, from Kentucky. She had a reviewing service, Readers Favorite; she had started it a few years earlier. She accepted me as a reviewer and I began by reading an adventure novel. (I edited the next book he wrote and it won a gold medal for best fiction in the category). When I sent my review to Deborah, she realized it was well written. Apparently, most of the reviews she received needed tweaking. She asked me to do that for her and I accepted the challenge. I tweaked 1000 reviews for her and she agreed to put me on her website as her editor. The first thing I edited was a children’s story about a horse. I wanted to edit the story for free but the author insisted on paying me. I accepted five dollars as payment and that is how this adventure began.
What genre(s) do you edit, and why? I prefer to edit fiction because that’s what I like to read but I have edited some non-fiction. I have edited general fiction, Christian fiction, fantasies, adventure stories, YA’s, romances, mysteries, poetry, children’s books, short stories, philosophical fiction, historical fiction, a dream manual, an addiction manual, a biography, a travelogue and others.
What type of research goes into your editing or writing? That depends on what you are writing. Editors and writers always have to fact check, pay attention to chronology and dialogue characteristics.
What is your editorial process? As soon as a writer contacts me, we set up a time for a lengthy phone conversation because we need to get to know each other, to see if we are a ‘good fit’. Next, the writer sends me a sample of his or her writing for me to edit and if the writer likes what I have done we go from there.
Have you ever dealt with writer or editor’s block? If so, how do you find your creative flow again? I have never experienced writer’s block only because I haven’t written a lot of material. To date, I have written three poems, a recent piece of flash fiction, found HERE, and I contributed two chapters of a writing motivational manual entitled Jumpstarting Your Inner Novelist. Here is the audio link. It is also available in paperback and e-book.
Editor’s block, now that is a different story. Every editor runs into a snag now and then. The easiest fix is to give the writer a jingle and work through it together. Let’s keep it simple, why wrack your brain.
Are you self-published or traditionally published? It is much easier to self-publish than trying to jump through the hoops required to have anything published in the traditional manner (unless you have a hook). Angie Merriam published two of my poems via Smashwords in e book, it’s entitled Intertwine and it’s free to read.
Do you market yourself? If so, how easy or difficult is this for an editor? It’s much easier for an editor than a writer since there are tons of writers and fewer editors (and even less that are really good at it). Robin, thank you. You are helping me right now. It’s difficult if you tell yourself you don’t have the time to do it; so many writers tell themselves that every day.
What advice would you give other writers/authors about receiving negative reviews? One of my writers panicked because she got one 2 star review after getting 14 positive 5 star reviews. If that happens to you, ignore it. Who cares why the reader gave you a bad review. If it persists, wake up and pay attention.
As an editor, what advice would you give to wanna-be writers who are trying to get a book published? The slow turtle wins the race. Please read this article I wrote HERE.
If you had a chance to meet one of your favorite authors, alive or dead, who would it be? And what questions would you ask? I have so many favorites. Here’s one. A. A. Milne. Why did you name him Pooh?
List your editor and book links and where we can find them:
My LinkedIn Moneysaver Editing profile is HERE. Check me out. If you’re not a member you need to join.
Jumpstarting Your Inner Novelist - Audio link HERE.
Intertwine by Angie Merriam featuring two of my poems.
Have an editing question? Feel free to call Dennis at 845-239-4513.
Thank you for chatting with us today at RWS, we appreciate your time! We wish you continued success in your editing and writing. And remember...Keep on Writing... [image error] [image error]
August 18, 2018
TAKE THIS WRITERS SURVEY & RECEIVE A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE COPY OF "A COMPLETE HOW TO GUIDE FOR ROOKIE WRITERS"!
Helping Writer's Succeed - A Winner Will Be Chosen September 1st - Don't Worry, If You're Not A Winner "A Complete How To Guide For Rookie Writers" Will Be On Promotion September 3-10 For $1.99! That’s 54% Off! * Indicates required field Choose One * Fiction WriterNonfiction WriterBoth What Genre Do You Write In? * What is Your Greatest Struggle as a Writer? * How Did You Publish Your Book? * Self-PublishedTraditional PublishedOther If Other, Please Explain * If You Self-Published, What is Your Greatest Struggle? * How Do You Market Your Books? * In What Areas of Writing, Publishing, Editing, and Marketing Do You Feel You Need the Most Help and Why? * Thank you for your time in filling out this survey and good luck! Email * Submit
January 29, 2018
10 Social-Media Trends to Prepare for in 2018
Powerful social-media trends affecting both users and brands are strengthening and accelerating. Learn more HERE.
December 1, 2017
Amazon Literary Partnership Now Accepting Grant Applications for 2018
Check out this great blog post at Amazon - hurry deadline to apply for a grant is December 31, 2017.
Keep on Writing...
Keep on Writing...
October 27, 2017
SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A BOOK
When finished with this post you will land on the New York Times Bestseller list. Well, I certainly can’t guarantee that, but this was an example of a “hook”. Did it grab your attention? This post isn’t about teaching you how to write a novel, but I’ll share a few tips that I believe are key to a great story.
You may have heard this over and over, but it really is true, write about what you love to read, whether it’s a romance, mystery, science fiction or a thriller. You may not be published yet, but you have the expertise as a reader.
Focus on an idea, your starting point, and then build on inspiration to carry on into the plot, conflict, and setting. Most ideas revolve around a problem, such as a murder, betrayal or a scandal. Whatever genre you choose, your ideas can come from anywhere, a newspaper article, an obituary, or a personal experience.
If fiction is your choice, then you will want to create a believable character. A reader’s connection with a character is vital to your story. The most important thing you can do as a writer is to create a believable character that a reader will care about. The research and description you do for your character/s will be one of the most important things you create for your novel. The details of their traits, flaws, and strengths need to be real so the reader will stay with the story to the end.
The next phase/step is to build structure and plan your plot. Now that the main character is on stage in a real scene, it’s time to bring all of that together to give your story a heartbeat – this means conflict. Every reader loves a problem, which drives your plot. Once you’ve established this conflict you’ll need to map out the story into three basic sections...beginning, middle, and the end. This can change anytime you wish, but having the basic plan will guide you through to completing your novel.
Hooking the reader and making a good chapter – I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase start your chapter with a good hook? If not, believe me when I say, it’s important. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, you will want that first sentence or paragraph to grab the reader. If it’s a non-fiction book/article, start out with a fact or a teaser of what information is to follow. As far as fiction goes, you’ll want a scene that rises with action and tension creating an arc to a mini-climax. A strong scene should advance the plot, deepen characterization, and enrich the setting.
The setting of your story is vital so it can set the stage for the life of the characters. You want your characters to seem real and react to their surroundings such as weather, colors, smells, and sounds. This is the fun part for a writer where you can create your fantasy world, but it’s key that you understand even though this may be a fiction story, you will want to be as accurate as you can. Possibly pick a locale that is easy to visit because the detailed accuracy you give to your setting could either hold or lose a reader. If a reader lives in the town your story takes place and you describe a street or restaurant incorrectly, the reader is liable to think your story isn’t worthy to continue to the end. On the other hand, if your story is a science fiction novel and it takes place on Jupiter, then you have a little more leeway to make up the details.
Another key component to your story and/or article is to have subplots, or sidebars. This would be the smaller conflicts that take place in a fiction novel. This allows readers to explore secondary characters without the pressures of the main plot’s demand. The sidebars for an article would be that interesting tidbit that adds a little more flare to your story.
Once you have finished your novel or article, then it goes without saying, revise, edit, and revise.
You may have heard this over and over, but it really is true, write about what you love to read, whether it’s a romance, mystery, science fiction or a thriller. You may not be published yet, but you have the expertise as a reader.
Focus on an idea, your starting point, and then build on inspiration to carry on into the plot, conflict, and setting. Most ideas revolve around a problem, such as a murder, betrayal or a scandal. Whatever genre you choose, your ideas can come from anywhere, a newspaper article, an obituary, or a personal experience.
If fiction is your choice, then you will want to create a believable character. A reader’s connection with a character is vital to your story. The most important thing you can do as a writer is to create a believable character that a reader will care about. The research and description you do for your character/s will be one of the most important things you create for your novel. The details of their traits, flaws, and strengths need to be real so the reader will stay with the story to the end.
The next phase/step is to build structure and plan your plot. Now that the main character is on stage in a real scene, it’s time to bring all of that together to give your story a heartbeat – this means conflict. Every reader loves a problem, which drives your plot. Once you’ve established this conflict you’ll need to map out the story into three basic sections...beginning, middle, and the end. This can change anytime you wish, but having the basic plan will guide you through to completing your novel.
Hooking the reader and making a good chapter – I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase start your chapter with a good hook? If not, believe me when I say, it’s important. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, you will want that first sentence or paragraph to grab the reader. If it’s a non-fiction book/article, start out with a fact or a teaser of what information is to follow. As far as fiction goes, you’ll want a scene that rises with action and tension creating an arc to a mini-climax. A strong scene should advance the plot, deepen characterization, and enrich the setting.
The setting of your story is vital so it can set the stage for the life of the characters. You want your characters to seem real and react to their surroundings such as weather, colors, smells, and sounds. This is the fun part for a writer where you can create your fantasy world, but it’s key that you understand even though this may be a fiction story, you will want to be as accurate as you can. Possibly pick a locale that is easy to visit because the detailed accuracy you give to your setting could either hold or lose a reader. If a reader lives in the town your story takes place and you describe a street or restaurant incorrectly, the reader is liable to think your story isn’t worthy to continue to the end. On the other hand, if your story is a science fiction novel and it takes place on Jupiter, then you have a little more leeway to make up the details.
Another key component to your story and/or article is to have subplots, or sidebars. This would be the smaller conflicts that take place in a fiction novel. This allows readers to explore secondary characters without the pressures of the main plot’s demand. The sidebars for an article would be that interesting tidbit that adds a little more flare to your story.
Once you have finished your novel or article, then it goes without saying, revise, edit, and revise.
