Bryan Collins's Blog, page 103

Publishing a Book? Then You’ll Need a Eye-catching Cover

If you’re self-publishing your book, using a good book cover is one of your most creative important decisions.

A compelling book cover will help you sell more books on stores like Amazon, while an amateur book cover will put potential readers off.

Over the past three years, I’ve designed a book cover, worked with a friend to get a book cover I liked and used the popular crowd-sourcing service 99designs.

For my new book, I decided to find a book cover designer online and commission them to cr...

5 Powerful Writing Tips For Smartening Up Your Prose

Do you sometimes wonder if your writing is good enough?

When you read through that first or second draft, you know something’s not quite right, but you’re not sure what.

Well, with a little bit of practice and a willingness to learn about writing, you can improve the quality of your prose.

In this post, you can find five powerful writing tips that will help you, whether you write fiction or non-fiction.

1. Run the Alien from Mars Test

Years ago, I wrote a news story for a local newspaper in...

So You Can’t Be Bothered Writing Today? Try This

So you want to write.

You’ve got plenty of ideas.

But, you just can’t start.

(Or perhaps you can start writing, but then you quickly run out of steam and can’t get going again.)

I get it.

Several years ago, I decided to enter a flash fiction competition. I spent two months writing a three-hundred word story.

(Yes, that’s an insane amount of time to devote to a small piece of writing.)

I had entered this competition several times during the past few years, and I was convinced I had a good sto...

20 Creativity Quotes For When You Need a Little Inspiration

We all need a little inspiration sometimes.

When you’re stuck or feeling creatively drained, the best place to look is often in the writings of creative people you admire.

I’ve gathered 20 top creativity quotes that inspire me and other writers and you can find them below.

Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso: Metamorphoses of the Human Form : Graphic Works, 1895-1972

“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not. ”

Sylvia Plath The Unabridged Journals of...

The Complete SumoMe Review: Here’s What You Need to Know

Would you like a secret weapon that will help you increase website traffic and social shares and even grow your email list faster?

There’s a blogging tool for that.

I’ve been using SumoMe for over a year now as a blogging tool for increasing website traffic and growing my email list.

In this detailed review, I’ll answer the question: is SumoMe any good?

I’ll also explain how I use SumoMe on Become a Writer Today and help you figure out if it’s a suitable blogging tool for you.

What is SumoM...

How to Write a Book: The Seriously Ultimate Guide for New Writers

So you want to learn how to write a book?

Let’s tackle that.

Over the past few years, I’ve written a 60,000+ word book about productivity, a novella and several short stories. I’ve also recently completed a 60,000+ word book about creativity.

I’ve faced a lot of painful mistakes while writing books, and I’ve also learned a little bit about how to write a book.

In this post, I want to explain exactly how to write a book based on what I’ve learned. I also want to reveal some of my mistakes and...

What You Need To Know About the Hero’s Journey

Would you like a proven way of telling better stories, ones that readers remember long after they put your work down?

Well, you don’t need to sell your soul to do it either. Instead, use the Hero’s Journey to master the art of storytelling.

It’s a narrative pattern storytellers behind popular dramas, stories, myths, legends and even religious rituals use.

In the 1949 book The Hero With a Thousand Faces, scholar Joseph writes about the Hero’s Journey:

“The usual hero adventure begins with som...

11 Top Writers On Their Greatest Writing Challenges [Writing Infographic]

Writing is a tough gig.

Perhaps you’re working on that difficult first draft, but you’re struggling with self-belief?

Maybe you’ve been playing with an idea for months, but deep down you know it’s not good enough.

Or perhaps you want to turn a hobby into a professional career that pays the bills, but you’re not sure how to do it?

Even if you’re a more accomplished writer or someone who’s finished a book or works with paying clients, it can take years to gain the confidence needed to become a...

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Writers

So you love writing.

You’re committed to developing your writing voice, improving your skills and working steadily on your craft.

But, sometimes after a day’s writing, you want to pull out your hair.

If only you could figure out what successful writers do every day and then use this insight to get better at your craft and learn how to become a writer.

Because a lot of successful writers are inaccessible (or they’ve passed on).

The good news is you can still learn from them if you put in the...

The 7 Habits of Highly Succesful Writers

So you love writing.

You’re committed to developing your writing voice, improving your skills and working steadily on your craft.

But, sometimes after a day’s writing, you want to pull out your hair.

If only you could figure out what successful writers do every day and then use this insight to get better at your craft and learn how to become a writer.

Because a lot of successful writers are inaccessible (or they’ve passed on).

The good news is you can still learn from them if you put in the...