Creativity

How Do I Identify the Needs of My Readers?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 10, 2020

The “Your Questions Answered” Series

__________

Could you offer some help for identifying the needs of readers? I am a strong biblical writer and want to share what I’ve learned, but it is hard for me to link it with a particular need.

Ask yourself:

What does the Bible say about relationships, such as:
1. Marriage
2. Children
3. Parents
4. Siblings
5. Extended family
6. Church
7. Friends
What does the Bible say about:
1. Finances
2. Career
3. Family
4. Manhood
5. Womanhood
What does the Bible say about handling emotions, such as:
1. Grief
2. Loneliness
3. Despair
How does the Bible help us identify and conquer sin, such as:
1. Pride
2. Envy
3. Lust
4. Greed
5. Sloth
6. Gluttony
7. Anger
What does the Bible tell us about small things that can be big things, such as:
1. Negligence
2. Pilfering
3. Vanity
4. Thoughtlessness
5. Narcissism
6. Cutting humor
7. Attention-seeking
8. Criticizing
9. Gossip
10. Thrill-seeking
11. Malcontention

In other words, choose a topic that resonates with the people around you and stirs passion in yourself. Then write a book that will help the person in the pew. Godspeed!

Your turn:

What topics would you like to see addressed in nonfiction?

Can you recommend books for this author to read?

For the entire series, click here: “Your Questions Answered.”

Should You Write Short Stories First?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 20, 2020

The “Your Questions Answered” Series __________ What are your thoughts on writing some short stories before you jump into your first novel? I don’t recommend writing short stories before jumping into your first novel IF your goal is to be a novelist. Writing where you don’t want your success to be is akin to the dieter craving a chocolate candy bar but eating a container of yogurt instead. I’ve …

Category: Branding, Career, Craft, Creativity, Genre, Your Questions Answered Series

What’s in a Name?

By Bob Hostetleron July 22, 2020

Years ago I was reading a book by Louis L’Amour, a favorite author of mine. I don’t remember which book it was (I haven’t yet read them all, but I’ve read many of them), but I do recall being confused throughout. Why? I’m so glad you asked. Because three of the main characters had similar names, names that all started with the letter T. Something like, Taggart, Taylor, and Trevayne. I was …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Writing Craft

Multigenre Writing: Good or Bad Idea?

By Bob Hostetleron June 10, 2020

One of this blog’s readers recently directed the following question to me: You’ve been a successful writer in several genres. Is that possible for someone starting out today? I could debate the accuracy of the adjective “successful,” but I’ll let that slip for now. It’s true that I have written and published books in a variety of genres (I was a writer long before becoming an agent and …

Category: Career, Creativity, The Writing Life

Choosing Your Character’s Name

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 9, 2020

Choosing the name of a character in your novel is a bit like reading the book Where’s Waldo? You can search forever and never find just the right one. Creativity You want to be creative, but not too creative. You say, “It has to fit the person in the book.” That is a huge weight to place on your character. And what if you need to change the name later? Can’t Remind Me of …

Category: Creativity, Writing Craft

29 Ways to Stay Creative

By Steve Laubeon September 23, 2019

Enjoy the short two minute video below.

I particularly liked #18 and #25.

Which ones work for you?

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Category: CreativityTag: Creativity, Ideas, Writing Craft

Oxymorons

By Steve Laubeon July 22, 2019

Oxymorons can be fun. Two words that can have contradictory meaning are put together to create a new phrase. Or it can be expanded to mean two separate thoughts or ideas that are in direct conflict with each other but when combined create something new.

For example, if you've ever worked in a cubicle you can see the humor in the description "office space."

Category: Creativity, Grammar, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Grammar, Oxymorons, Writing Craft

Tips on Writing a Novella

By Guest Bloggeron May 16, 2019

Today’s guest post is written by one of our clients, Lynn A. Coleman (www.lynncoleman.com). She is the founder of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), as well as the author of more than 50 novels and novellas. She lives with her husband of 45 years, who is the lead pastor of a church. ___________ Novellas are fast paced, short novels that run anywhere from 20k to 30k words, depending …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Editing, Get Published, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Write for Narcissists

By Bob Hostetleron March 27, 2019

Every reader is a narcissist. Hold on, there. Don’t get all mad and sassy yet. Let me explain I often tell developing writers, “No one reads about other people; we read only about ourselves.” Go ahead and quote me, just be sure to give me credit and send me the royalties it produces. Seriously, I think it’s true. For example, I read several memoirs every year. And many of them are about writers …

Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, The Writing Life

The Quest for Originality

By Steve Laubeon January 14, 2019

Are you tired of being told by a publisher “We simply don’t do books like that”? or “Yours is certainly out of the box, but is not what we are looking for at this time”? What’s the Deal with Boxes? In general all books are sold under a category. Be it a fiction genre (historical, suspense, romance) or a topical non-fiction category (marriage, parenting, finance, theology). When you are told your …

Category: Book Business, Creativity, Genre, Legal Issues, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life