Writing to a formula is everywhere. Today’s video shows the creation of every Hollywood movie trailer without a single picture.
Figure out the formula for your next book yet?
Blog
Empathy Maps: How to Discover Your Reader
There are a handful of questions I ask aspiring writers to answer to determine if they have a good grasp on their concept or if their proposal could be a viable option for publishing. The first question is this: “Who are you serving?” Many times, the look I receive in response is wide-eyed and uncertain. If an aspiring author isn’t keenly aware of their reader–who they are, what they are …
Finding an Audience
Christian authors can find it challenging to determine an audience for their books, mainly because Christian books are aimed at something different than age ranges. Christian books are often aimed at a “psychographic,” rather than a demographic. This means Christian books are often aimed at readers who have certain values, beliefs, and lifestyles, rather than an age range of males or females. No …
I Is for ISBN
978-0-7852-6400-2 978-1-62184-113-5 978-1-4245-6490-3 No, these are not the plays being called by a quarterback during a football game. They are the ISBN numbers on the back of three different books by three different authors. Kudos to the first person to identify the three titles in the comments below. Origins In the mid-60s, a major British bookstore chain (W.H. Smith) moved toward a …
Fun Fridays – September 22, 2023
You must turn up the volume for today’s video to appreciate the sublime ridiculousness of what you are about to see. Writers? Creativity can come from anywhere!!!
Write from Scars
I learned recently that my agent—the man, the myth, the legend, Steve Laube—speaking at a writers conference, quoted something I’d said in a recent conference keynote. Yes, you read that right! The Great One actually quoted me! Me! And it wasn’t the usual “Can you believe anyone is that stupid?” sort of allusion. It was in a favorable context, as though I’d said something of value. Well, slap my …
Out of the Bubble
The worst statement a celebrity can make when confronting, say, the police, is, “Do you know who I am?” Instead, they should say, “I hope you don’t know who I am.” But some celebrities think the world is their bubble and everyone knows them. I’m hardly a celebrity. My bubble is a speck. Case in point, I had just enjoyed attending a conference where I felt …
Novel Writing Craft: And the Conflict Continues
In my previous post, I talked about how to lay the foundation of introducing deep conflict in a narrative. I’ve got a few additional tips to ensure that the tension remains genuine and compelling. Evolve the Conflict: Conflicts shouldn’t remain still or the same. As your story progresses, let the conflict evolve, intensify, or even transform into something entirely different. This dynamic …
National Constitution Week
September 17-23 is National Constitution Week in the United States. Yesterday, September 17, was National Constitution Day. “It was officially enacted on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower from a congressional resolution petitioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The purpose of the observance week was to promote study and education about the constitution which was …
Fun Fridays – September 15, 2023
With the American football season upon us, some of you fans may enjoy today’s video. But now you viewers must devise a metaphor for the writing life from what you saw!