Business Strategy for Writers
Aspiring writers don't think enough about their business strategy. But having a purposeful strategy can give you your best chance for success. Here are core elements of a writer's strategic plan . . . to help you grow and get published.
Boost Your Personal Brand Online
Your brand image is not how you see yourself, but how others perceive you – quickly, clearly, positively. With a few easy steps, you can better define how others see you. To stand out from the crowd, take some time to strategically develop your brand.
“It’s Lovely To Live on a Raft”: Mark Twain and a Sense of Place
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), is best known for Huckleberry Finn (1885). Curiously, that work shares many points of plot, character, and theme with another novel, published a few years earlier: Sir Gibbie (1879), by George MacDonald. Yet while Clemens may have adopted plot items from MacDonald's tale, he freshened his version with a powerful sense of place.
Developing a Sense of Place (Part 2)
Place should not be an inconsequential backdrop, described in the first chapter but never referred to again. This is like meeting a character at the beginning who seems important, then disappears. Place needs to be involved at key points in the story’s flow. What are the logical spots where setting might be brought into play?
The Sound of Your Stories
There are few guarantees in writing advice, but one is that reading
your work out loud will improve it. It is a surefire way to develop
storytelling skills and ratchet up the readability of your work.
C.S. Lewis & the Art of the Believable Detail
It all began with an image of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels
through a snowy woods. Let’s look at a few techniques used by C.S.
Lewis, the story craftsman.
Developing a Sense of Place (Part 1)
Place is where everything in a story happens. But it is more than just a platform for stage action. Place influences stories far more than many realize. Stories that lack a “sense of place” are ordinary (and seldom advance from the depths of the slush pile).
Here are some basic techniques for creating Place in your stories.
Harry Potter and the Fundamentals of Fantasy
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has sold hundreds of million copies around the world, dominating bestseller lists and scooping up prizes as handily as Harry grabbed golden snitches in Quidditch.
Here are 8 principles of writing fantasy that worked for Rowling, and might work for you.
The Art of the Set Piece
A “set piece” is a term that describes a particular kind of scene in a story (or movie). A set piece is framed and familiar, with some appealing elaboration of detail. If handled well, a wonderful set piece or two can make the difference between a story that gets published and one that doesn’t.
When Two Ideas Collide
Originality is a key to creating reader interest - and to having your work accepted for publication. So, how do you create a unique story?
Six Favorite Motivational Tips for Writers
Even professional writers have dry spells or need help to keep producing even when things are slow or uncertain. Here are six favorite tips to get yourself to write. I use them all.
Get Started on Your Marketing Platform (Part 1)
A writer’s marketing platform does what a physical platform does. It provides a structural support to give you more visibility. It lifts you up so you can more easily be seen and heard. On your platform, you stand out from the crowd.
How To Harness the Creativity of Details
Descriptive details about places, characters, and other story elements are essential tools for good writing. Well-chosen details appeal not only to your final readers but also to those crucial gatekeepers: agents and acquisitions editors.
Do your stories lack engaging details? Or have too many? How do you go about creating the most effective descriptive passages to hook your readers?
