Mike Reuther's Blog, page 3

Finding the child within you when writing

If you’re a writer you should be a kid.

A kid? Really?

That’s right.

Think about it.

When you were a kid the world was alive with possibilities. Everything was new, exciting, like going to the carnival or the circus.

You wanted to see everything and do everything.

It was a great feeling, one of euphoria, of rapturous delight even.

You might not have always gotten what you wanted, but you felt sure that someday, somehow, that horse you wanted to ride, that boat out there on the water you were dying to hop aboard, that shiny new toy in the store window that beckoned you, would eventually be yours.

As a kid, you’re full of optimism, of delicious expectations.

Of course, we don’t remain children.

We grow older, more realistic, even cynical, resigning ourselves to being adults and the responsibilities that come with being a mature, hardworking member of society.

Not that that’s a bad thing but growing up can put a real crimp in our childhood imaginations that lifted us throughout our young lives.

Sometime, when you have nothing better to do, turn off the television, put away the cell phone, and close your eyes and think back to those days of your childhood.

Remember those moments, those experiences, when you felt particularly alive. What were you doing or what happened to you that has remained with you for so many years?

Maybe you carry fine memories of long, lazy days at your grandfather’s farm, simply hanging out on the big wrap-around front porch with a perspiring glass of lemonade and gazing through the sunlight at the horses prancing about in the meadow. You fondly recall exploring the big old barn and jumping in the hay and its rich smell as you rolled about in it.

Do you remember the first fish you caught? Your best holiday memory?

The memories can be bittersweet or even painful too.

How about that first day of school when you were dropped off into a new world, a scary world away from home and the loving embrace of your family for the first time.

The point is not to write about scenes from your childhood, although you can certainly do that and come up with some fine stories, but to remember what it was like to be a kid, full of wonder and passion.

Use that wonder, that passion in your own writing.

You’ll be on the right track to successfully writing a book.

Don’t forget the weather

A little while ago, as I was sitting here at my computer, I happened to notice the tree branches outside my window rocking from the wind, the clumps of snow from their limbs launching off into the crisp winter air.

I love the wind.

I like the sound it makes, especially on a late fall or winter day, rustling the trees, howling sometimes like the cry of an invisible creature from the distance.

 There is something comforting about a healthy gale and a blustery day or night.

Don’t you think?

Maybe it’s because it makes me forget some of the troubles of the world, a reminder that when we really get down to it, nature is in control.

If nothing else, I can imagine one of those bursts of wind carrying me off to some place of the imagination.

A windy March day, a summer rain, snowflakes gently falling, can be springboards for our creative bursts. They can serve as backgrounds to the stories we create, add to the element of suspense or mystery or the very mood of the books we write.

The weather is an effective element of any story.

A gorgeous sunny June day can paint a happy scene, perhaps a couple in love strolling along a beach. Pounding rain can set a different tone, foreshadowing the doom of a character.

When it comes to the weather, it’s easy to just surrender to the imagination.

Many of us do it all the time without realizing it.

Clouds and drizzle greeting us on a November day are a downer, creating the feeling that it might be a bad day at work.

Bright sunshine illuminating the colors of autumn bring smiles and hope, gearing us up for a drive in the country, perhaps a walk in the mountains.

Writing, especially that of fiction, should be about surrendering to emotions to evoke the images, the very feel of the story.

The weather can play a big part to set the scenes of your own book.

Don’t ignore the weather.

It adds to the flavor and fuels the passion of any story.

It’s part of writing from the heart rather than from the brain.

When is the best time to write?

Do you need to get in the mood to write?

How do you do it?

Do you turn on music? Drink coffee? Meditate?

Whatever works to put you into the flow, the rhythm of writing, is fine.

You see, there is no single trick to igniting one’s writing. No single method is best or works for everyone.

Maybe you’re a runner and find that works to clear your head before writing.

Many writers find it best to write first thing in the morning before the mind is cluttered with all kinds of unwanted thoughts and worries and concerns of the day.

I recommend writing in the morning, the earlier the better, after a good night’s sleep when the body and the mind are refreshed.

If you’re just starting out as an author, chances are you have a day job or school or other responsibilities of life pulling at you and you have to squeeze in your writing time whenever you can.

You don’t have the time for a speed walk or that cup of tea before you write.

And that’s fine.

Years ago, working as a news reporter and with family responsibilities, I used to steal away time during my lunch hour to write.

Forget getting in the right frame of mind to write. I just did it, even when I didn’t much feel like writing.

As a journalist, I had grown used to writing on deadline after rushing back to the newsroom.

And really, that’s all you have to do when you sit down to write your book.

Get those words down – quickly – no matter how you feel before you begin every day.

After all, writing a book should be something you do five, six or even seven days a week, preferably at the same time each day.

Music, exercise, meditation beforehand is fine if that’s your ritual, if that’s what fuels you.

But the real key is just doing it, finding that daily writing habit and sticking with it.

Don’t wait for the right moment or when you’re in your Zen or the muse strikes you.

Don’t over-think and procrastinate, which for most authors are the two deadliest sins of all.

My writing isn’t good enough

One of the biggest hang-ups for writers is the fear of not being good enough.

Too many authors, and I’m talking mostly about those writing their first book, are afraid that anything they write will be lousy, garbage, not worth anyone’s time.

Who will ever want to read what I write?

They defeat themselves before they even get out of the starting gate.

Are you feeling that way?

If so, get over it.

Don’t let negativity rule your life.

You really don’t have to write like Hemingway or Stephen King or some other famous author, especially when you are a newbie.

In any type of career or endeavor, there is a starting point. Few of us are great or even good at something when we are just beginning.

Don’t give up on your writing when it seems as if you’re failing, when the words looking back at you on the computer screen appear to be the mere scribblings of the worst amateur.

What you wrote probably isn’t as bad as it seems to you. After all, everyone is their own worst critic.

And even if your writing is horrible, so what?

You’ve gambled nothing in the process. You’ve done nothing more than invest time in a learning process.

Sit yourself down the next day and write again. Then keep writing for more days.

Don’t look at writing as Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity.

The good writing days will come.

Practicing your craft (and yes writing is a craft) will make you better.

Do not give up.

Keep at it.

Maybe you won’t write lyrical prose like Faulkner or compose sentences that sing to the Gods. So what?

Here’s a tip.

The most successful writers aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent. They are the ones who work the hardest at their craft.

They write five, six, seven days a week.

They don’t wait for the muse to come calling, for inspiration to zap them.

Believe it or not, they likely suffered through the same doubts about their writing, perhaps contemplated or even gave up, only to return to what they were meant to do – write.

How about you?

Book marketing for writers

If you are just starting out as an author with visions of selling books by the boatload and earning hundreds and thousands, even millions of dollars, take a deep breath.

I want to dissuade you of that crazy notion.

Yes. It’s possible to become a best-selling author and live in a beachside home in Malibu and rub shoulders with the beautiful people and appear on CNN yakking up your latest magnum opus.

But for most of us, and surely for those of you just starting out as authors, a reality check is in order.

You don’t just write a book, hit the publish button and … presto … tons of buyers will download your book on Amazon. It doesn’t work that way.

Many of you perhaps know better.

You don’t have your head up there in the clouds, blinded by the notion of crazy fantasies of movie deals and mega-mansions. You just want to write the best book you can possibly write, and yes, make some money too.

If you’re a self-published author and you want to see some kind of earnings from your books, you have to start thinking like a businessperson.

I know. You want to write and leave the advertising, the promotion to others.

Unfortunately, there are many people out there feeding off writers, waiting to take your money without following through to do a good job promoting your books.

Be careful how you spend money on marketing.

Take baby steps, do your research, find out the best ways to advertise. After all, you spent a lot of time writing a book.

Do some comparison shopping.

Look at YouTube and other free online sites, checking out what authors have to say.

However, before you start spending any money on marketing, lay the successful groundwork.

Get an attractive cover.

You may have written a page-turner, but if potential readers don’t like the way it looks, they most likely won’t buy it. People really do judge a book by its cover.

Write a solid description for your book. There are countless sites on how to write book descriptions that attract readers. Or, you can find someone to write one for you, often without breaking the bank.

Getting reviews for your book is always helpful. After all, potential readers want to know what others think of a book before they buy it.

These are some of the basics of preparing a book.

Writing a book and successfully marketing it and … yes … quitting the day job can happen, but it’s not easy.

Be patient. Stay the course. Do your homework.

If you’ve written a book, congratulations.

Selling it is the next big step.

Rules for Writing? Well … Maybe One

I always like to say there are no hard-fast rules for writing a book.

However, there may be one.

Here it is: Start out a book with a hook, a means of keeping the reader interested.

We all know the best means of losing a reader is by beginning with the time-worn, Once upon a time …

If you’re writing a mystery, don’t be afraid to introduce the murder, the dead body in the first chapter, if not the first page.

Who is the most interesting character of the book and why? What is this person after and why?

Make the reader immediately want to know more about this character and what he or she wants.

Maybe you use your first chapter to describe some place, a haunted mansion high atop a mountain where strange events occur, and people vanish.

Building suspense is fine, but you don’t have to wait till chapter six for your story to take off.

Think of the books that kept you interested.

Why did you keep reading? And I’m not talking about books you had to read for a high school or college literature class.

Chances are the story grabbed you in the very beginning and made you want to continue turning the pages.

Slap readers awake with a great first sentence like this one from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursely of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

Kind of makes you want to read on. Right?

There’s nothing worse than a boring story, and there’s no sure-fire way to lose a reader than to start out a book with humdrum details or a long narrative that rambles or meanders.

Sure, some writers can pull this off with a unique approach, say provocative description or lyrical prose that touches the very soul of the reader. As I mentioned before, there are no hard-fast rules, and I don’t mean to contradict myself.

I think of all the times I’ve clicked on the purchase button of an Amazon Kindle ebook after reading through just the first chapter or so of the story.

Whatever you write, put forth your best effort, but special attention should be given to the very beginning of your book.

In journalism, students are taught to get the who, what, where, why and how of a story in that first paragraph. The story then flows from there.

Don’t be afraid your story will lose its impact if you start it out with something dramatic or altogether interesting, lest you burn up your best material right away.

You might be surprised how much easier it is to write your book when you start it out with a bang.

Mike Reuther is a novelist and author of books on writing, including Write the Darn Book. His blog, Become an Author, helps budding authors realize their writing dreams.

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Writing a book starts with an idea

Take an idea, any idea, and start writing.

It’s all you need to do.

“Your intution knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

The late great science fiction author and storyteller Ray Bradbury said that.

So what does it mean?

Don’t over-think when you write. Go with your heart, your gut.

When you begin a book, it’s easy to fall into that practical, left-brain mode of overthinking.

Maybe you know the drill.

“Okay. I have a great idea, but where do I go from there and how about the next chapter and the one after that … and what if this book doesn’t work. My God. This is overwhelming. I can’t write a book.”

Slow down. Don’t panic. Don’t trip before you take that first step.

Just go with the flow.

Let me repeat that: Just go with the flow.

Much of life requires us to plan and organize what we do. And that’s fine.

It would be difficult to get through our daily lives if we didn’t.

And you can write that way, in a cautious, slow and plodding manner. You can outline a book, plan every chapter, do character sketches out the kazoo.

God knows, many writers go about writing a book this way, and it isn’t necessarily wrong.

But there is a better way.

Do you know what it is?

Get the words down fast, let the writing determine where the book goes.

Here’s the thing. It’s likely when you sit down to write that magnus opus, you had a pretty good idea what you wanted to say anyway.

So trust your instincts. You’ll be surprised what happens when you turn on that spigot and let the words flow.

What you write won’t be perfect. So what?

First drafts of books never are perfect. Then again, neither are eighth, ninth and tenth drafts.

There will be time for reflection, for editing, to go back and fix those parts of the book that don’t work.

Make writing a book a journey, not an arduous task.

Write fast, write from the heart.

Mike Reuther is a novelist, journalist and the author of Write the Darn Book. His blogs and newsletters help aspiring authors. Hit the link for more from Mike: https://mailchi.mp/450f8b46071e/write-the-darn-book

Do I want to make money as an author?

The most financially successful writers are those who know how to market.

It’s a bitter pill for many authors to swallow.

There are people out there scribbling away on pads and banging away on keyboards who turn out lyrical prose of soaring poetry and stark imagery.

And yet, more times than not, these wonderful writers remain obscure and anonymous with little to show for their talent and efforts other than perhaps the admiration of peers.

I throw this out there as a warning.

It’s fine to want to write but beware that it’s not the most talented and/or hardworking writers who grab the brass ring.

If you’re new to this whole business of becoming an author or just starting out, take a step back for a moment and think what you want to do with your writing.

What is your end goal?

To write for the sake of writing? To make a difference in the world? To make money?

If it’s to make money, you can look forward to spending oodles of time promoting your books. And even then, you might not see much of a return.

There exist countless ways to advertise books, from using Facebook ads to email marketing.

Gone are the days when authors had little choice but to send their books out to literary agents and wait for the good news – which usually didn’t happen – that their books were being published, with the work of promoting the author left to the publishing house.

Self-publishing changed the whole industry, leaving it to the author to do that work. And some self-published authors are taking the extra step of learning how to successfully market.

Alas, most authors who want to make a living from their books fail at marketing.

What about you?

Is writing a book the end goal, or are you looking to make money too?

Think about it.

Do you want to write a book?

Are you burning to write a book?

Has the idea of becoming an author been your dream for what seems like forever?

Do you think it’s about time you do something to fulfill that dream?

Like many people who long to write you may be unsure how to start.

Perhaps you began a novel, novella or nonfiction book only to throw up your hands and quit.

Maybe you think you feel you don’t have what it takes to write a book, that you lack the talent, education or even willpower to do it.

I can relate to such feelings because for many years I too wanted to write a book but could not make it happen.   

Thankfully, I came upon a way to do it that works for me, and I am now the author of more than twenty books.

I would like to share with you my strategies for writing in my book.

Writing a book doesn’t have to be a grueling, complex process. In fact, it can be quite enjoyable if done following the path I’ve outlined.

Are you ready to become an author?

Download my book now!