Joyce T. Strand's Blog, page 35
April 7, 2012
Five Tips for Writing Effective Messages
Every time you write an e-mail, a letter, a Facebook message, anarticle—wherever you say it with words—you have an opportunity to makesomething happen. Before you choose the words you want to use, keep in mind thefollowing easy guidelines.
1. Identify the recipient’s characteristics.
Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part ofyour message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring moredetails? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-upmessages to achieve action? Is this a group of people
2. Know what you want to accomplish.
What is it you want your reader to do? There are many reasonsfor writing: a.to introduce yourself or your company; b.to correct a mistake – theirs or yours; c.to complain about poor service or a defectiveproduct. If you are clear in your own head what you want to accomplish, youwill have direction when you write. This is true for the simplest e-mail. Just ask yourself when you start writing it: What do I want the recipientto do?
3. Inform the reader immediately what you want—in the openingstatement.
There are some exceptions to this rule, but in general your firstsentence should be an action statement: this is what you want them to door this is what you want them to know. I find it exasperating to get amessage that doesn’t tell me until the end what I’m supposed to do. Orworse, the requested action is buried in the middle somewhere. Often, I missthe requested action, and neglect to respond appropriately. If youtell us immediately what you want, we are more likely to read on to understandwhy we should do it, and are more likely to do as you request.
4. Provide supporting statements.
After you have stated what you want, amplify your request. Thisis where you provide the details for the reader to give your messagecredibility. When you have clearly stated your goal in thebeginning, these supporting statements help to convince the reader to do whatyou want
5.Inform the reader clearly what the result or benefit will be ofdoing what you ask.
Make a simple concludingstatement: the result of learning about my new company is that you willhave a place to go to buy the most unique widget. When you need a widget,you will be happy that you know about it.
Joyce T. Strand, AuthorJillian Hillcrest Mysteries
April 6, 2012
What the Experts Say: Heidi Ruby Miller,
IT is a Grail
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Your characters want it.
Your readers want to see how far your characters will go to get it.
It is a grail.
The grail we're concerned with here is a goal, the ultimate goal, the one possession, love, or desire that your character wants so badly, you've devoted 400 pages to help her reach it. This driving power is true of all popular fiction. And, when other goals stumble in the character's way and need immediate action, the grail shifts. The possibilities for reader engagement have just expanded ten-fold.
Here's how to shift your grails, using The Bourne Identity as our example novel:
1. A good, believable grail should be evident to your readers immediately because character motivations provide the foundation for a gripping plot.
In The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Jason Bourne's driving motivation, after being fished out of the ocean with nothing but amnesia, bullet holes, and numbers to a Swiss bank account, is to find out who he is.
2. Straightforward plot progression works well for some stories, however, getting a character from POINT A (desire) to POINT B (achievement) may involve making a few other stops along the way. All of those little sidetracks are what keep us reading. What your characters desire may change as your story progresses.
Your characters now have to resolve this (a lesser grail) before they can achieve that (the main grail).
Ludlum throws secret government assassins, a love interest, and the guilt of a bloody past at Bourne.
3. By placing secondary and tertiary grails in your characters' paths, you not only increase tension and anticipation, but also provide mounting satisfaction as these lesser goals are attained. Internal and external conflicts serve to distract your characters and precipitate a shift in focus.
Your characters were able to resolve this, even through such harrowing ordeals, so they will be triumphant in achieving that when things are at their worst.
Or if the challenge is too harrowing, it worries the reader that:
Your character barely survived this, how will he manage that when the circumstances seem impossible?
Some of these lesser grails are like rungs on a ladder—they aid the characters in reaching their main goal.
Finding one of many passports in a safe deposit box leads Bourne to his apartment in Paris and to another clue about a particular hotel room.
But some lesser grails stand in direct opposition to the main goal, forcing characters to rethink their original motives and make agonizing choices.
Bourne may not find out his name, but by saving the woman he loves, he discovers who he is.
Ultimately, sometimes what the characters wanted all along doesn't matter as much as what they find along the way. And, just like in life, a good read isn't so much about the end, it's about the quest.
-FROM: "The Shifting Grail: A Quest for a Good Read" by Heidi Ruby Miller
Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction (Headline Books, Inc.)
-
Heidi Ruby Miller believes the relationship is as important as the adventure. She teaches creative writing at Seton Hill University, where she graduated from their renowned Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program the same month she appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The writing guide Many Genres, One Craft, which she co-edited with Michael A. Arnzen, is based on the Seton Hill program and her novel Ambasadora was her thesis there. Read her bi-weekly column on Inveterate Media Junkies called Heidi Ruby Miller's Geek Girl Underground and her author interviews series at http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com. She lives near Pittsburgh with her writer husband, Jason Jack Miller.
Your readers want to see how far your characters will go to get it.
It is a grail.
The grail we're concerned with here is a goal, the ultimate goal, the one possession, love, or desire that your character wants so badly, you've devoted 400 pages to help her reach it. This driving power is true of all popular fiction. And, when other goals stumble in the character's way and need immediate action, the grail shifts. The possibilities for reader engagement have just expanded ten-fold.
Here's how to shift your grails, using The Bourne Identity as our example novel:
1. A good, believable grail should be evident to your readers immediately because character motivations provide the foundation for a gripping plot.
In The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Jason Bourne's driving motivation, after being fished out of the ocean with nothing but amnesia, bullet holes, and numbers to a Swiss bank account, is to find out who he is.
2. Straightforward plot progression works well for some stories, however, getting a character from POINT A (desire) to POINT B (achievement) may involve making a few other stops along the way. All of those little sidetracks are what keep us reading. What your characters desire may change as your story progresses.
Your characters now have to resolve this (a lesser grail) before they can achieve that (the main grail).
Ludlum throws secret government assassins, a love interest, and the guilt of a bloody past at Bourne.
3. By placing secondary and tertiary grails in your characters' paths, you not only increase tension and anticipation, but also provide mounting satisfaction as these lesser goals are attained. Internal and external conflicts serve to distract your characters and precipitate a shift in focus.
Your characters were able to resolve this, even through such harrowing ordeals, so they will be triumphant in achieving that when things are at their worst.
Or if the challenge is too harrowing, it worries the reader that:
Your character barely survived this, how will he manage that when the circumstances seem impossible?
Some of these lesser grails are like rungs on a ladder—they aid the characters in reaching their main goal.
Finding one of many passports in a safe deposit box leads Bourne to his apartment in Paris and to another clue about a particular hotel room.
But some lesser grails stand in direct opposition to the main goal, forcing characters to rethink their original motives and make agonizing choices.
Bourne may not find out his name, but by saving the woman he loves, he discovers who he is.
Ultimately, sometimes what the characters wanted all along doesn't matter as much as what they find along the way. And, just like in life, a good read isn't so much about the end, it's about the quest.
-FROM: "The Shifting Grail: A Quest for a Good Read" by Heidi Ruby Miller
Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction (Headline Books, Inc.)
-
Heidi Ruby Miller believes the relationship is as important as the adventure. She teaches creative writing at Seton Hill University, where she graduated from their renowned Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program the same month she appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The writing guide Many Genres, One Craft, which she co-edited with Michael A. Arnzen, is based on the Seton Hill program and her novel Ambasadora was her thesis there. Read her bi-weekly column on Inveterate Media Junkies called Heidi Ruby Miller's Geek Girl Underground and her author interviews series at http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com. She lives near Pittsburgh with her writer husband, Jason Jack Miller.
Five Tips for Writing Effective Messages
Every time you write an e-mail, a letter, a Facebook message, an article—wherever you say it with words—you have an opportunity to make something happen. Before you choose the words you want to use, keep in mind the following easy guidelines.
1. Identify the recipient's characteristics.
Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part of your message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring more details? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-up messages to achieve action? Is this a group of people who you don't know? Does the group have any common characteristics you could address? Or, do you have no idea about the recipient, suggesting a more general approach?
2. Know what you want to accomplish.
What is it you want your reader to do? There are many reasons for writing:
a. to introduce yourself or your company;
b. to correct a mistake – theirs or yours;
c. to complain about poor service or a defective product.
If you are clear in your own head what you want to accomplish, you will have direction when you write. This is true for the simplest e-mail. Just ask yourself when you start writing it: What do I want the recipient to do?
3. Inform the reader immediately what you want—in the opening statement. There are some exceptions to this rule, but in general your first sentence should be an action statement: this is what you want them to do or this is what you want them to know. I find it exasperating to get a message that doesn't tell me until the end what I'm supposed to do. Or worse, the requested action is buried in the middle somewhere. Often, I miss the requested action, and neglect to respond appropriately. If you tell us immediately what you want, we are more likely to read on to understand why we should do it, and are more likely to do as you request.
4. Provide supporting statements. After you have stated what you want, amplify your request. This is where you provide the details for the reader to give your message credibility. When you have clearly stated your goal in the beginning, these supporting statements help to convince the reader to do what you want.
1. Inform the reader clearly what the result or benefit will be of doing what you ask. Make a simple concluding statement: the result of learning about my new company is that you will have a place to go to buy the most unique widget. When you need a widget, you will be happy that you know about it.
Joyce T. Strand, Author
Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries
1. Identify the recipient's characteristics.
Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part of your message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring more details? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-up messages to achieve action? Is this a group of people who you don't know? Does the group have any common characteristics you could address? Or, do you have no idea about the recipient, suggesting a more general approach?
2. Know what you want to accomplish.
What is it you want your reader to do? There are many reasons for writing:
a. to introduce yourself or your company;
b. to correct a mistake – theirs or yours;
c. to complain about poor service or a defective product.
If you are clear in your own head what you want to accomplish, you will have direction when you write. This is true for the simplest e-mail. Just ask yourself when you start writing it: What do I want the recipient to do?
3. Inform the reader immediately what you want—in the opening statement. There are some exceptions to this rule, but in general your first sentence should be an action statement: this is what you want them to do or this is what you want them to know. I find it exasperating to get a message that doesn't tell me until the end what I'm supposed to do. Or worse, the requested action is buried in the middle somewhere. Often, I miss the requested action, and neglect to respond appropriately. If you tell us immediately what you want, we are more likely to read on to understand why we should do it, and are more likely to do as you request.
4. Provide supporting statements. After you have stated what you want, amplify your request. This is where you provide the details for the reader to give your message credibility. When you have clearly stated your goal in the beginning, these supporting statements help to convince the reader to do what you want.
1. Inform the reader clearly what the result or benefit will be of doing what you ask. Make a simple concluding statement: the result of learning about my new company is that you will have a place to go to buy the most unique widget. When you need a widget, you will be happy that you know about it.
Joyce T. Strand, Author
Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries
March 30, 2012
Know Who You're Targeting
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No matter what you are writing, you will be more successful if you understand your reader's likes and dislikes.
Whether you are sending an e-mail to your boss asking for his support, writing a paper for your 9th grade English class, or drafting a novel or non-fiction "how-to" book – you will be more successful if you comprehend the attributes of your target reader.
If you identify the characteristics of your reader, you greatly enhance the potential of achieving results.
Almost all of us write messages fairly often, whether as an e-mail, tweat, Facebook entry, complaint to service provider, or potential client. Every time we write something—wherever we say it with written words—we have an opportunity to make something happen. The first step to writing effective messages or attracting readers is to know who we are trying to reach.
Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part of your message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring more details? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-up messages to achieve action? Is this a group of people who you don't know? Does the group have any common characteristics you could address? Or, do you have no idea about the recipient, suggesting a more general approach?
Once you have identified the characteristics of your readers, you can better address your message to them.
John Lock, in his book "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!" highlights "Know Your Target Audience" as one of the four attributes that helped him be successful. He defines target audience as "a tiny niche out of all the book buyers in the world", and this niche includes those people who will read your book. To reach those targets, he recommends that you write, blog, email, and build loyalty to that specific group.
How we find the characteristics of our target readers is up to us. Locke suggests, "When defining your target audience you'll be like an FBI agent looking for a fugitive." Whatever method you use, consider the value of writing to that specific group with its specific characteristics—preference for amateur sleuths, crazy about lady vampires, not fond of violence, require humor, hate description, love dialogue.
Once we understand our readers and what they like, we can write an article or book that they will be more likely to read.
What the Experts Say: Who They Target
How do authors define their target readers? The next entries in this blog are comments from published authors on this topic. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for taking the time to share their expertise with us.
To find that specific group of readers who will want to explore our works, we authors need to understand what turns them on.
I write mysteries. So primarily, I am looking for readers who like to read and solve puzzles.
My readers are not looking for extraordinary heroes. To the contrary, they enjoy unlikely heroes who respond successfully to unsavory events. They prefer independent women—not romantic wimps—and expect them to be smart and have a sense of humor.
My readers are not necessarily looking for great literature, but they do want to learn something—but not too much. They will stop reading when they encounter any "ouches" like a key character on one page hates coffee and is found drinking his third cup in the next chapter.
My readers like character development and appreciate interactions. They don't like a lot of sexual description but love innuendo, especially if it's humorous.
As you compose your message, novel or instruction manual, remember you are directing your words to readers. They will be more likely to read your output if you consider their likes and dislikes
Joyce T. Strand, Author
Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries
ON MESSAGE
Whether you are sending an e-mail to your boss asking for his support, writing a paper for your 9th grade English class, or drafting a novel or non-fiction "how-to" book – you will be more successful if you comprehend the attributes of your target reader.
If you identify the characteristics of your reader, you greatly enhance the potential of achieving results.
Almost all of us write messages fairly often, whether as an e-mail, tweat, Facebook entry, complaint to service provider, or potential client. Every time we write something—wherever we say it with written words—we have an opportunity to make something happen. The first step to writing effective messages or attracting readers is to know who we are trying to reach.
Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part of your message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring more details? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-up messages to achieve action? Is this a group of people who you don't know? Does the group have any common characteristics you could address? Or, do you have no idea about the recipient, suggesting a more general approach?
Once you have identified the characteristics of your readers, you can better address your message to them.
John Lock, in his book "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!" highlights "Know Your Target Audience" as one of the four attributes that helped him be successful. He defines target audience as "a tiny niche out of all the book buyers in the world", and this niche includes those people who will read your book. To reach those targets, he recommends that you write, blog, email, and build loyalty to that specific group.
How we find the characteristics of our target readers is up to us. Locke suggests, "When defining your target audience you'll be like an FBI agent looking for a fugitive." Whatever method you use, consider the value of writing to that specific group with its specific characteristics—preference for amateur sleuths, crazy about lady vampires, not fond of violence, require humor, hate description, love dialogue.
Once we understand our readers and what they like, we can write an article or book that they will be more likely to read.
What the Experts Say: Who They Target
How do authors define their target readers? The next entries in this blog are comments from published authors on this topic. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for taking the time to share their expertise with us.
To find that specific group of readers who will want to explore our works, we authors need to understand what turns them on.
I write mysteries. So primarily, I am looking for readers who like to read and solve puzzles.
My readers are not looking for extraordinary heroes. To the contrary, they enjoy unlikely heroes who respond successfully to unsavory events. They prefer independent women—not romantic wimps—and expect them to be smart and have a sense of humor.
My readers are not necessarily looking for great literature, but they do want to learn something—but not too much. They will stop reading when they encounter any "ouches" like a key character on one page hates coffee and is found drinking his third cup in the next chapter.
My readers like character development and appreciate interactions. They don't like a lot of sexual description but love innuendo, especially if it's humorous.
As you compose your message, novel or instruction manual, remember you are directing your words to readers. They will be more likely to read your output if you consider their likes and dislikes
Joyce T. Strand, Author
Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries
ON MESSAGE
What the Experts Say: Target Readers
Anthony Carbis, Author, Entertain with a Perspective
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With regard to 'Murder and Enlightenment' I would say my target readers are people of all ages, barring children, who like Victorian crime stories with a dark edge and a little added meaning.
*Author Anthony Carbis lives in the U.K. on the southwest coast of England. He has studied Eastern philosophies since the age of 18. He spent thirty years of being a jobbing singer/guitarist in England's West Country.
http://www.anthonycarbis.com/co/uk
His books are available on Amazon.com:
Murder and Enlightenment -- a Victorian crime story with a dark edge and a little added meaning
People Pubs and Enlightenment - about a fictional singer/guitar player interested in Eastern religions who describes "followers of the holy trinity of brewing, fermenting and distilling."
*Author Anthony Carbis lives in the U.K. on the southwest coast of England. He has studied Eastern philosophies since the age of 18. He spent thirty years of being a jobbing singer/guitarist in England's West Country.
http://www.anthonycarbis.com/co/uk
His books are available on Amazon.com:
Murder and Enlightenment -- a Victorian crime story with a dark edge and a little added meaning
People Pubs and Enlightenment - about a fictional singer/guitar player interested in Eastern religions who describes "followers of the holy trinity of brewing, fermenting and distilling."
What the Experts Say: Target Readers
Marja McGraw, Author, Mysteries with a Little Humor
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I target readers who enjoy being entertained and figuring out the puzzles. One thing I've learned is that there doesn't have to be a dead body to make a mystery a mystery. Sometimes it's about preventing a crime instead of solving a murder.
To me humor is very important. There's so much drama in real life, and I'd like to take the reader away for a while. Humor does that without adding more stress to a reader's day.
Yes, I write murder mysteries, and there's truly nothing funny about murder. However, you can find humor in the people involved in the cases and in the things they do while investigating and interacting with others.
If you met me in person, you'd never guess that I sometimes enjoy slapstick humor – but I do, on occasion. I remember someone who was walking to their car and turned to make a smart aleck comment to me, and when he turned back to his car he walked right into an orange tree and knocked himself silly. Once I realized he wasn't injured, I laughed until I cried. It was unexpected. It was silly. It cracked me up. And it was my ex-husband. How much funnier could it be?
Animals can add humor. We have two wild and crazy yellow Labrador Retrievers. One of them watches the ceiling like she hears voices. She's quite intent on what they're apparently saying. Both dogs are afraid of the dark. You don't expect dogs who weigh over ninety pounds to be fearful of anything. Little ankle-biter dogs make them very nervous. I read Marley & Me by James Grogan, and saw shades of Sugar and Murphy (my dogs) in Marley, except I didn't get the impression he was afraid of the dark.
And then there's Bubba, a dog who belonged to an employer of mine many years ago. Bubba was half wolf and half Golden Retriever, and he was huge. He loved to smile, which scared the curl out of people's hair. His smile, which was very toothy, looked like he was snarling. When customers came into the office, which happened to be outside of town, he'd plant himself between them and me and smile. It made me grin because he was being both protective and friendly at the same time.
Marja McGraw is originally from Southern California, where she worked in both criminal and civil law enforcement for several years.
Relocating to Northern Nevada, she worked for the State highway department. Marja also did a stint in Oregon where she worked for the County Sheriff's Office and where she owned her own business, a Tea Room/Antique store. After a brief stop in Wasilla, Alaska, she returned to Nevada.
Marja wrote a weekly column for a small newspaper in No. Nevada and she was the editor for the Sisters in Crime Internet Newsletter for a year and a half. She's appeared on television in Nevada, and she's also been a guest on various radio and Internet radio shows.
She writes the Sandi Webster Mysteries and the Bogey Man Mysteries, and says that each of her mysteries contain a little humor, a little romance and A Little Murder!
For additional information: http://www.marjamcgraw.com
To me humor is very important. There's so much drama in real life, and I'd like to take the reader away for a while. Humor does that without adding more stress to a reader's day.
Yes, I write murder mysteries, and there's truly nothing funny about murder. However, you can find humor in the people involved in the cases and in the things they do while investigating and interacting with others.
If you met me in person, you'd never guess that I sometimes enjoy slapstick humor – but I do, on occasion. I remember someone who was walking to their car and turned to make a smart aleck comment to me, and when he turned back to his car he walked right into an orange tree and knocked himself silly. Once I realized he wasn't injured, I laughed until I cried. It was unexpected. It was silly. It cracked me up. And it was my ex-husband. How much funnier could it be?
Animals can add humor. We have two wild and crazy yellow Labrador Retrievers. One of them watches the ceiling like she hears voices. She's quite intent on what they're apparently saying. Both dogs are afraid of the dark. You don't expect dogs who weigh over ninety pounds to be fearful of anything. Little ankle-biter dogs make them very nervous. I read Marley & Me by James Grogan, and saw shades of Sugar and Murphy (my dogs) in Marley, except I didn't get the impression he was afraid of the dark.
And then there's Bubba, a dog who belonged to an employer of mine many years ago. Bubba was half wolf and half Golden Retriever, and he was huge. He loved to smile, which scared the curl out of people's hair. His smile, which was very toothy, looked like he was snarling. When customers came into the office, which happened to be outside of town, he'd plant himself between them and me and smile. It made me grin because he was being both protective and friendly at the same time.
Marja McGraw is originally from Southern California, where she worked in both criminal and civil law enforcement for several years.
Relocating to Northern Nevada, she worked for the State highway department. Marja also did a stint in Oregon where she worked for the County Sheriff's Office and where she owned her own business, a Tea Room/Antique store. After a brief stop in Wasilla, Alaska, she returned to Nevada.
Marja wrote a weekly column for a small newspaper in No. Nevada and she was the editor for the Sisters in Crime Internet Newsletter for a year and a half. She's appeared on television in Nevada, and she's also been a guest on various radio and Internet radio shows.
She writes the Sandi Webster Mysteries and the Bogey Man Mysteries, and says that each of her mysteries contain a little humor, a little romance and A Little Murder!
For additional information: http://www.marjamcgraw.com
What the Experts Say: Target Readers
Lisa V. Proulx, Author, Horror Stories and Stories of Inspiration
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For my horror novels, the fans and readers are mostly women. My books usually deal with an evil man and a strong woman and guess who usually wins in the end? I know men and I know women and I like to pride myself on knowing what makes them tick. For PUNCTURE, every woman who read it told me, they knew a man just like that. Every woman knows a man like Victor.
In PUNCTURE, the story is not just one of vampire love and betrayal between a mortal and an undead. If you read between the lines, you will see a story emerge about domestic abuse. I have had many women tell me that they could relate to the story of Victor and Veronica. A man (or sometimes a woman) does not have to be a blood sucking vampire to destroy you. He (or she) can be an emotional vampire and still have the same effect. Draining the life from you with their negative energy.
My inspirational stories are targeted to anyone who needs or wants to be healed from the ravages of a sometimes unfriendly world. THE RAINBOW WON'T WAIT deals with the death of my mother and how I took care of her as she lay dying of cancer. It is a dying mother's advice for the obstinate daughter she is leaving behind. Anyone who has lost a loved one, esp their mother, can relate to this book. I want to make a difference in this world and not just take up space within it. I want to heal people with my words and I desire to be a motivational speaker as well as a writer.
*Lisa V. Proulx is the author of the vampire novel PUNCTURE, which was published in 2004 and MOTHER'S MONSTER, a short horror story, which was published in the anthology DOSES OF DEATH in 2005; DRAGGED INTO DARKNESS (2011) – how an abusive husband dies and tries to work his way out of hell; and BENEATH THE BATTLEFIELD – a civil war ghost short story about a soldier who writes letters to his mother about the horrors of war. She has also written the inspirational: THE RAINBOW WON'T WAIT -- Nonfiction: A dying mother's advice for the obstinate daughter she is leaving behind.
She is also a feature writer and columnist for her hometown newspaper where she has worked for the past ten years, and she writes a weekly column chronicling events in her area.
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=books&field-author=Lisa%20V.%20Proulx
Barnes&Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=NOOKSTORE&keyword=lisa+v.+proulx
Smashwords Author Profile
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lisavproulx
Also published in The Barefoot Review...http://www.barefootreview.org/progress.html#lisa_v_proulx
Follow my blog: http://lisavproulx.wordpress.com/
FaceBook Author Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-V-Proulx-Author-Fan-Page/223212131077410
In PUNCTURE, the story is not just one of vampire love and betrayal between a mortal and an undead. If you read between the lines, you will see a story emerge about domestic abuse. I have had many women tell me that they could relate to the story of Victor and Veronica. A man (or sometimes a woman) does not have to be a blood sucking vampire to destroy you. He (or she) can be an emotional vampire and still have the same effect. Draining the life from you with their negative energy.
My inspirational stories are targeted to anyone who needs or wants to be healed from the ravages of a sometimes unfriendly world. THE RAINBOW WON'T WAIT deals with the death of my mother and how I took care of her as she lay dying of cancer. It is a dying mother's advice for the obstinate daughter she is leaving behind. Anyone who has lost a loved one, esp their mother, can relate to this book. I want to make a difference in this world and not just take up space within it. I want to heal people with my words and I desire to be a motivational speaker as well as a writer.
*Lisa V. Proulx is the author of the vampire novel PUNCTURE, which was published in 2004 and MOTHER'S MONSTER, a short horror story, which was published in the anthology DOSES OF DEATH in 2005; DRAGGED INTO DARKNESS (2011) – how an abusive husband dies and tries to work his way out of hell; and BENEATH THE BATTLEFIELD – a civil war ghost short story about a soldier who writes letters to his mother about the horrors of war. She has also written the inspirational: THE RAINBOW WON'T WAIT -- Nonfiction: A dying mother's advice for the obstinate daughter she is leaving behind.
She is also a feature writer and columnist for her hometown newspaper where she has worked for the past ten years, and she writes a weekly column chronicling events in her area.
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=books&field-author=Lisa%20V.%20Proulx
Barnes&Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=NOOKSTORE&keyword=lisa+v.+proulx
Smashwords Author Profile
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lisavproulx
Also published in The Barefoot Review...http://www.barefootreview.org/progress.html#lisa_v_proulx
Follow my blog: http://lisavproulx.wordpress.com/
FaceBook Author Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-V-Proulx-Author-Fan-Page/223212131077410
What the Experts Say: Target Readers
Shawn Hopkins, Paranormal & Conspiratorial
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Identifying my target readers is an interesting question that probably shouldn't be all that mysterious. But it is. I have four novels that are out there. The first, Noahic, is a paranormal action/adventure that was written for a Christian audience. The second, Even The Elect, is a futuristic, political, conspiracy/New World Order story that was also written for the Christian audience. However, I quickly discovered that there is little room for an Indie author to make waves within that market. So (for a few other reasons, too) I went back to both books and decided to restructure them for broader audiences.
I wasn't too happy with Noahic and had since shied away from marketing it. But I really like the premise of the story. So I started from scratch after studying the subject matter for a few months (the first time around, I just went with my imagination, this time I have a bibliography that supports the story). What came out of that was my supernatural thriller, PROGENY (which I'm currently taking through another edit and cover design). While this book deals with religious themes, it was not written for the Christian audience alone but for the broader paranormal thriller audience as a whole. It deals with myth and legend, the Bermuda Triangle, the 2012 Mayan apocalypse, the book of Revelation, the Book of Enoch, Freemasonry, astronomy, prehistory, the pyramids, megalithic archeology, etc. I had a lot of questions about all this stuff, questions the "experts" weren't answering for me. This was my way to hash it out. So the target audience for this book would be for the LOST crowd, Jeremy Robinson fans, James Rollins' fans, Frank Peretti fans... People that like thrillers with a supernatural twist, lots of action, and a lot of information that may make them consider things they've never stopped to think about before should enjoy it!
Now, as for my newest release, THE SOLOMON KEY, that is a redo of Even The Elect. In this case, I did the opposite as far as the story's information goes. Even The Elect had a bibliography of 30 plus pages. SK has only 6 or something. In that case, as far as targeting a broader audience, I felt there was too much information. Too much theology, too much conspiracy... So I toned it down for Solomon Key. The target audience for this one would be the readers that enjoy conspiracy thrillers like the Bourne novels. I've had it compared to Rosenberg, but I'm not too happy with the comparison. It's got CIA, Mossad, the Vatican, Secret Societies, ancient treasure, the Apocrypha, deals with the future of the Middle East and a new Jewish Temple, a "new" America that is more like a police state, the occult roots of democracy, etc... So, in both cases, the target audience would be fans of action thrillers in general, religiously themed conspiracy more specifically.
I've gotten good reviews from all kinds of readers though, and haven't quite nailed down how to associate my novels with the genres I'm hoping to penetrate. That's on my "to figure out" list:)
*Shawn Hopkins is an independent author who has published four novels. Fascinated by humanity's mysterious past (and future), his four novels find their inspiration via some of history's stranger instances of the unknown.
His first novel, Noahic, was published in 2005 and is a YA action adventure story that served as the inspiration for Progeny. His other book, Even the Elect, is the first edition of The Solomon Key. It's a much longer version that pays special attention to a futuristic America that has been deceived into setting up a One World Government, resulting in a continuous police state rather than the freedom promised. Conspiratorial in its design, action-packed in its delivery, and theological in its application, ETE has made for some sleepless nights... The Solomon Key is a streamlined production of the same story, though with slight modifications to the sociopolitical climate of the day (being implied rather that scrutinized), has gone through another edit, and is repackaged for a broader audience.
He is currently working on a sequel to Progeny and a prequel to The Solomon Key.
For more information on Shawn, Go to Amazon.com: http:// http://tinyurl.com/8yhn7aa
http://www.shawnhopkinsauthor.com/
I wasn't too happy with Noahic and had since shied away from marketing it. But I really like the premise of the story. So I started from scratch after studying the subject matter for a few months (the first time around, I just went with my imagination, this time I have a bibliography that supports the story). What came out of that was my supernatural thriller, PROGENY (which I'm currently taking through another edit and cover design). While this book deals with religious themes, it was not written for the Christian audience alone but for the broader paranormal thriller audience as a whole. It deals with myth and legend, the Bermuda Triangle, the 2012 Mayan apocalypse, the book of Revelation, the Book of Enoch, Freemasonry, astronomy, prehistory, the pyramids, megalithic archeology, etc. I had a lot of questions about all this stuff, questions the "experts" weren't answering for me. This was my way to hash it out. So the target audience for this book would be for the LOST crowd, Jeremy Robinson fans, James Rollins' fans, Frank Peretti fans... People that like thrillers with a supernatural twist, lots of action, and a lot of information that may make them consider things they've never stopped to think about before should enjoy it!
Now, as for my newest release, THE SOLOMON KEY, that is a redo of Even The Elect. In this case, I did the opposite as far as the story's information goes. Even The Elect had a bibliography of 30 plus pages. SK has only 6 or something. In that case, as far as targeting a broader audience, I felt there was too much information. Too much theology, too much conspiracy... So I toned it down for Solomon Key. The target audience for this one would be the readers that enjoy conspiracy thrillers like the Bourne novels. I've had it compared to Rosenberg, but I'm not too happy with the comparison. It's got CIA, Mossad, the Vatican, Secret Societies, ancient treasure, the Apocrypha, deals with the future of the Middle East and a new Jewish Temple, a "new" America that is more like a police state, the occult roots of democracy, etc... So, in both cases, the target audience would be fans of action thrillers in general, religiously themed conspiracy more specifically.
I've gotten good reviews from all kinds of readers though, and haven't quite nailed down how to associate my novels with the genres I'm hoping to penetrate. That's on my "to figure out" list:)
*Shawn Hopkins is an independent author who has published four novels. Fascinated by humanity's mysterious past (and future), his four novels find their inspiration via some of history's stranger instances of the unknown.
His first novel, Noahic, was published in 2005 and is a YA action adventure story that served as the inspiration for Progeny. His other book, Even the Elect, is the first edition of The Solomon Key. It's a much longer version that pays special attention to a futuristic America that has been deceived into setting up a One World Government, resulting in a continuous police state rather than the freedom promised. Conspiratorial in its design, action-packed in its delivery, and theological in its application, ETE has made for some sleepless nights... The Solomon Key is a streamlined production of the same story, though with slight modifications to the sociopolitical climate of the day (being implied rather that scrutinized), has gone through another edit, and is repackaged for a broader audience.
He is currently working on a sequel to Progeny and a prequel to The Solomon Key.
For more information on Shawn, Go to Amazon.com: http:// http://tinyurl.com/8yhn7aa
http://www.shawnhopkinsauthor.com/
March 23, 2012
What the Experts Say: Anthony Carbis - Entertain with a Perspective
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JOYCE: Thank you for returning to share your expertise with my readers. Today we're looking at the role of characters, how you develop them, and the importance of dialogue to making them real.
ANTHONY: I think people care about characters that show they have vulnerabilities regardless of the period in which the story is set. If someone's having a bad time through no fault of their own, I believe the reader will experience feelings of empathy.
When I write dialogue I always imagine the character and try to make what they say and the way they say it in keeping with their personality and history. Many of us have different ways of reacting in stressful situations. I think it strengthens the portrayal of the character to mention the nervous twitch or the darting eyes between the dialogue.
JOYCE: How do you write action, romance and other scenes so that they stay in character?
ANTHONY: The only thing I can say is that I always try to feel what the characters are going through regardless of what type of scene I'm writing about. Emotional involvement is, I feel, the key.
JOYCE: What do you believe is most important about your books?
ANTHONY: So far my work has been about trying to entertain the reader while presenting him or her with a perspective, or a way of thinking about what they are. For centuries many people have thought of themselves as individuals who are separate from their surroundings. I believe that this is a misunderstanding of life that has led to fear, selfishness and pain. Like many writers I am trying to pass on a message that has been passed on to me but I want people to have fun while they're receiving it.
*Author Anthony Carbis lives in the U.K. on the southwest coast of England. He has studied Eastern philosophies since the age of 18. He spent thirty years of being a jobbing singer/guitarist in England's West Country.
http://www.anthonycarbis.com/co/uk
His books are available on Amazon.com:
Murder and Enlightenment -- a Victorian crime story with a dark edge and a little added meaning
People Pubs and Enlightenment - about a fictional singer/guitar player interested in Eastern religions who describes "followers of the holy trinity of brewing, fermenting and distilling."
ANTHONY: I think people care about characters that show they have vulnerabilities regardless of the period in which the story is set. If someone's having a bad time through no fault of their own, I believe the reader will experience feelings of empathy.
When I write dialogue I always imagine the character and try to make what they say and the way they say it in keeping with their personality and history. Many of us have different ways of reacting in stressful situations. I think it strengthens the portrayal of the character to mention the nervous twitch or the darting eyes between the dialogue.
JOYCE: How do you write action, romance and other scenes so that they stay in character?
ANTHONY: The only thing I can say is that I always try to feel what the characters are going through regardless of what type of scene I'm writing about. Emotional involvement is, I feel, the key.
JOYCE: What do you believe is most important about your books?
ANTHONY: So far my work has been about trying to entertain the reader while presenting him or her with a perspective, or a way of thinking about what they are. For centuries many people have thought of themselves as individuals who are separate from their surroundings. I believe that this is a misunderstanding of life that has led to fear, selfishness and pain. Like many writers I am trying to pass on a message that has been passed on to me but I want people to have fun while they're receiving it.
*Author Anthony Carbis lives in the U.K. on the southwest coast of England. He has studied Eastern philosophies since the age of 18. He spent thirty years of being a jobbing singer/guitarist in England's West Country.
http://www.anthonycarbis.com/co/uk
His books are available on Amazon.com:
Murder and Enlightenment -- a Victorian crime story with a dark edge and a little added meaning
People Pubs and Enlightenment - about a fictional singer/guitar player interested in Eastern religions who describes "followers of the holy trinity of brewing, fermenting and distilling."
Writing a Story: Exercise by Exercise - 8
As I noted in the first articles of this series, writing readable prose is a multi-tasked process. However, we are simplifying the process by breaking a story into components and using exercises to draft it one element at a time.
We are telling a story based on the following plot.
~A boy enters a room. His sister joins him. They do their task. They leave the room together.~
In Exercise 1, we described the room the boy is entering. In Exercise 2 we created the character of the boy. Next we described how the boy enters the room. Then we created a second character – the boy's sister. Next we wrote a paragraph to describe how the sister enters the room to join her brother. Then we wrote some dialogue in which the brother and sister argued over what they should do. We then described their activity in the room.
Now, keeping the character descriptions in mind, we are going to conclude the story with the exit of the brother and sister from the room. Are the brother and sister scared, relieved, concerned, happy when they complete their task? What do they do next? Do they study the room? Do they leave the room together or first one then the other? Do they run out of the room or take their time? Do they hug each other? Does something happen as they are leaving the room that helps the reader anticipate what might happen next, like do we hear a car drive up causing the brother and sister to be happy or scared? What did they learn, if anything? What do they believe is the result of their activity? Has this been a life-changing experience?
For a real life example to compare, describe the completion of a task that you and someone else –good friend or sibling –completed and how you felt. It could be as simple as cleaning the house, washing the car, or fixing the car. Were you both happy or content that you completed it? Or were you relieved? Anxious to get on to the next task?
This description of their exit from the room offers you, the author, the opportunity to inform the reader why the experience was important and to hint what might happen next. You can even use some dialogue if it's helpful. Have fun, and next time we'll put it all together in one story, and edit our work to make it flow.
Joyce T. Strand
Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series
http://joycestrand.com
We are telling a story based on the following plot.
~A boy enters a room. His sister joins him. They do their task. They leave the room together.~
In Exercise 1, we described the room the boy is entering. In Exercise 2 we created the character of the boy. Next we described how the boy enters the room. Then we created a second character – the boy's sister. Next we wrote a paragraph to describe how the sister enters the room to join her brother. Then we wrote some dialogue in which the brother and sister argued over what they should do. We then described their activity in the room.
Now, keeping the character descriptions in mind, we are going to conclude the story with the exit of the brother and sister from the room. Are the brother and sister scared, relieved, concerned, happy when they complete their task? What do they do next? Do they study the room? Do they leave the room together or first one then the other? Do they run out of the room or take their time? Do they hug each other? Does something happen as they are leaving the room that helps the reader anticipate what might happen next, like do we hear a car drive up causing the brother and sister to be happy or scared? What did they learn, if anything? What do they believe is the result of their activity? Has this been a life-changing experience?
For a real life example to compare, describe the completion of a task that you and someone else –good friend or sibling –completed and how you felt. It could be as simple as cleaning the house, washing the car, or fixing the car. Were you both happy or content that you completed it? Or were you relieved? Anxious to get on to the next task?
This description of their exit from the room offers you, the author, the opportunity to inform the reader why the experience was important and to hint what might happen next. You can even use some dialogue if it's helpful. Have fun, and next time we'll put it all together in one story, and edit our work to make it flow.
Joyce T. Strand
Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series
http://joycestrand.com
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