How fast can you read and still retain comprehension.
This is a fun video that in just over a minute illustrates the exercise. Enjoy!
Blog
Four Ways a Proposal Gives You Focus
Sometimes I receive queries from writers wondering where their focus should be. They are unsure where they fit in with publishing. Here is where writing a proposal can help: 1.) Who am I? Your author biography, written in third person, (as is your entire proposal) forces you to decide how to present yourself to the world. 2.) What am I writing? Look at your work. Where does it fit? If you are …
Five Ways Getting an Agent is Like Dating
At a recent writers’ conference, I enjoyed my first “speed dating” experience. Maybe I should clarify. “Yes, you should,” says my wife. These were “speed dating for writers” sessions, in which writers sat down for rapid-fire five-minute appointments with editors, agents, and authors (many conferences provide writers with the opportunity to sign up for fifteen-minute appointments, which pass …
Don’t Put Everything in Your Book
One reason platform-building is a such a problem for some authors is the feeling they must place everything important in their book, leaving little or nothing left to say for platform purposes. This puts an author in an awkward position where they either deviate from their core book-message for their platform (social media and other efforts) or they treat their platform only as a “teaser” or …
Book Puns! – Fun Fridays – May 25, 2018
Book Puns! Create a combination of a book title and author that together make a great pun. Below are a few that have recently circulated on social media. I’ve included some of my own. Your assignment is to post a new one in the comments below (please keep them appropriate). Enjoy! How to Write Big Books by Warren Peace What You Should Believe by I. Noah Tall The Art of Archery by Beau N. …
What is Inspirational Romance?
Our guest blogger today is Angela Breidenbach. She is a Montana author & Christian Authors Network president, is the host of Lit Up! on Toginet Radio and Apple Podcasts. Angela went back to college for genealogical studies w/specialties in English & Scottish Records. She’ll graduate in 2019 as a professional genealogist. Find her at: AngelaBreidenbach.com …
A Title Wave
Some writers find it hard to title their work; others have as much (or more) fun creating titles as they do writing articles, stories, or books. So, just for fun, I asked some of my colleagues and clients: “What title of a nonexistent, imaginary, unwritten, or unpublished work do you love? Or would you love to read if it were available?” For example, some of my “dream” titles are: No Grit, No …
Common Sense Publishing
I will often use humor as a defense mechanism. It helps maintain my sanity, to some extent. However, I’ve noticed a number of times what might be considered a weak attempt at humor is actually true. I guess the common statement about most humor having a kernel of truth in it, might be accurate after all. I’ll frequently respond to someone questioning why something is happening by stating, “Oh, you …
Book Proposals: The Fiction Synopsis
Attention all novelists! Every fiction book proposal must include a synopsis. Everyone who teaches on the book proposal says you need one. But why? Those two to three single-spaced pages of agony will never be seen by anyone else but editors and agents, so why? Why, oh why, must a novelist create a synopsis? I understand how difficult it is to write a synopsis. And yet, you need to do the work. …
Fun Fridays – May 18, 2018
In honor of our youngest daughter’s birthday this weekend… She and I have laughed at this audio many times. To the point of being able to quote it. I was excited to find it available on YouTube (our version is a CD). Listen and then you’ll understand this story: Years ago while in a very crowded elevator after watching a big event, I looked over at her and said, …