IF YOU’RE A NOBODY~Now Is the Time to Develop a Social Media Platform

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IF YOU’RE A NOBODY~

         Now Is the Time to Develop a Social Media Platform

Natalie Bright

Where are you going with your writing? What do you want to achieve in the next year? The next five years?

If you let rejection, lack of cash, family obligations, day job, or whatever excuse distract you from your goals, that’s okay. Writing can be very therapeutic.

However, if you know without a doubt, deep down in your gut, that you will be a successful, published author. You will finish a book and publish it one day through whatever method or opportunity comes your way, then now’s the time to work on your online presence.

This year, one of my goals is to absorb an understanding about social media. Every interview I’ve read and every podcast I’ve listened to has revealed some surprising facts. Authors with sales through the roof have a good grasp on their social media (or in some cases, they hire somebody who does it for them). They set aside time to spend on social media, and they know what works best to reach their target market of readers.

Predictions are that three times as many people will be reading books on their mobile devices in the coming years. It’s been almost a decade since the eBook craze began in the U.S. and then onto England and parts of Europe. Today, the sales for eBooks and iBooks are just beginning to gain world wide appeal.

ESTABLISH A PRESENCE

So where should you be? Twitter? Instagram? Google+? Facebook? Amazon Author Pages? All of the above? Trying to determine this AFTER your book is published is too late. Guess where children’s book authors are finding success in sales and fan interaction? Statistics don’t lie, and several authors swear by Pinterest for selling their indie-published kid lit.

Another indie author swears by Twitter, which generates three times the sales as his other social media posts. Incidentally, I held out from Instagram as long as I could, but now it’s my absolute favorite go to place for following book stores, author news, and the western culture.

One thing about successful authors; they tend to be very statistically and data savvy. Having an understanding of where your sales come from, how each of these sites differ, and what they can do for you as a published author is just good business sense.

LEARN IN DOING

I started posting articles on my website about sites, people, and life in general several years ago. One day the comments reached a frenzy. My blog had gone viral! Not.

In reality my site had been hacked with comments relating to Viagra and Rolex. I deleted thousands and thousands of comments, and blocked the comment option. I learned that there was nothing I could do but delete that site and pay for a redesign. She couldn’t cut and paste because of the risk of transferring the spam virus. So to save money, I retyped all of the content from my blog. Thank goodness I wasn’t up against a hard writing deadline.

The next time stats showed hits in the thousands it actually was a blog post that went viral! Lesson learned.

I could go on and on about the weird things relating to my social media experiences, but you get my point. As with any “job” there is a learning curve. If you’re a newbie writer looking up from the trenches, this is the most fun and less stressed place to be. If you mess up or post something stupid, only a few friends will know. You can laugh about it later over marguerites.

I’ve always believed that doing is learning. Learning is doing. So take a leap. You’ll find tons of information out there to get you started. One of my favorite podcasts is thecreativepenn.com with Joanna Penn.

And for info about a freelance career check out makingalivingwriting.com

This is a great time to be a writer!

Nataliebright.com

 

O.C.D.

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

O.C.D.

By Nandy Ekle

So, I seem to have a few obsessive tendencies, as well as a few compulsive tendencies. I must have order in my life. I binge watch TV shows, and I have to start with Season 1, episode 1. In performing my day job, I must hand write all my notes, then retype them into the computer, putting them in chronological order. And if I have to search through lines and lines of check numbers looking for one specific check, I must write them all down by year, color code each year, and number them.

Sometimes being a little obsessive is disruptive. When you have 15 minutes to complete a task, but the more you do, the more there is to do, you have to learn to let go of the least important pieces.

But there are times when an obsessive tendency is a huge asset. Such as writing. You get the proverbial light bulb over your head and realize you have the perfect plot for the perfect story. Immediately you are transported to the world of your story. And you’re so deeply involved that nothing else in the world matters until you get the whole thing written. But even that’s not enough. The story stays with you for days. And even after it leaves the front of your mind, it comes back later, and later, and later. And when it’s perfect and you find a public home for it, you still can’t stop thinking about it.

And that is a worthwhile obsession.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Hero vs. Protagonist vs. Main Character

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Hero vs. Protagonist vs. Main Character

by Adam Huddleston

 

I was listening to a podcast recently where the moderators were discussing the difference between the hero, protagonist, and main character in a story. To be honest, I had never really considered it and simply assumed that they were one and the same. The moderators explained the difference thusly:

Hero: the character in a story that you want to see succeed.

Protagonist: the character in a story that drives the events of the story forward and often changes during it

Main Character: the character the story focuses on, usually told through their point of view

Hopefully these definitions will help you in your writing!

Strange Characters

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Outtakes 235

Strange Characters

By Cait Collins

 

I have decided the most unusual characters are automobiles, bureaucrats, and political candidates. Take automobiles for example. People name their cars! Why? It’s an inanimate object. But vehicles do have personalities. I had an Escort that had a tricky gear shift. If it got too cold, the shift would lock down. Replacing the senor wasn’t cheap, so what to name it? I’ll call it Gigolo. Now days cars have so many bells and whistles, something’s bound to go wrong. I think Unreliable fits well.

Then there are the bureaucrats who consider themselves above everyone else. Doesn’t matter how badly they mess up, or how their stupidity creates messes, it always some rank and file guy who is responsible. Instead of accepting responsibility for their actions, they threaten some hard working man’s job if demands are not met immediately. Mr. Irresponsible makes the headlines and looks like the jerk he is. I think I’ve met this guy more than once. He’s the antagonist in one of my novels.

My favorite of this group of misfits is politicians. Yeah, promise everything, deliver nothing. I think I watch the debates just to get a good laugh. Sadly, these fast talkers actually make people believe they can cure the ills of the world. When I vote, I have no illusions that my candidate is squeaky clean; he’s just the least objectionable person. I call this person Unforgiveable.

So what’s this got to do with writing? Try this, Irresponsible and Unforgiveable arrange a meeting in the parking lot of a neighborhood Big Box Store. Irresponsible suggests they take a ride in Gigolo, and discuss campaign strategy. Of course Irresponsible will support Unforgiveable if, here’s the rub, if Unforgiveable will guarantee a high level position in the administration. Remember the slogan, Promise everything, and deliver nothing. Unforgiveable promises Irresponsible he will be named the Director of the Treasury when the election is over. Unfortunately, Unforgiveable is battling scandals. Before the election Unforgiveable is in prison for murder and spying. Poor Irresponsible is left out in the cold having spent all his money on getting a corrupt politician elected. He winds up on the street homeless and begging for pennies. Sounds like a fitting end to me.

Pressing on Update

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Pressing on Update

Rory C. Keel

 

Earlier this year, I posted the blog Pressing On in which I discussed a few things I would do to move forward in my writing. I must confess, today is the first day of March and I find myself struggling to find the time to write as much as I would like. I have added a few more words to my novel. Sometimes I write only a sentence, and at other times as much as a page or two. The novel is moving slowly, but it’s moving forward everyday.

One of the goals I made was to submit smaller pieces of writing for publication. Today I received my copy of The Secret Place magazine, spring 2016 edition published by Judson Press. You can read my devotional called Being Courteous in the April section.

Scan

Just keep pressing on!

Roryckeel.com

SATURDAY: A PERFECT MORNING TO WRITE

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SATURDAY:

A PERFECT MORNING TO WRITE

Natalie Bright

The sun is peaking over the pasture turning the sky a bright orange and purple. As I open the dining room curtains, a clump of bunny rabbits scatter. I start the coffee pot and drop some cat food into the dish to quiet the meows. While the gurgling sounds and rich smells swirl around the peaceful house, I put clothes into the washing machine.

Settling in at the computer, I gather my supplies around me. Submission guidelines, spiral to jot an outline of the first draft, pen, interview notes, and sample magazines to determine style and slant. This feature article is going to be brilliant! Thank goodness for productive Saturday mornings.

And Then…

My purple pen runs out of ink. I ALWAYS write the first draft in purple. I search for fifteen minutes, but there’s not another purple pen anywhere in the house. Fine. I’ll use blue.

Several cups of coffee later, it’s going well but I’m hungry and I hear my husband rattling around in the kitchen. Time to cook breakfast.

Back to the story, until an awful smell assaults my nose. The new to our house, stray kitten has just taken a poop in the potted plant next to my desk. I clean that out, and while I’m at it, decide to empty the kitty litter box too and take it all to the trash. The brisk walk and morning air rejuvenates me.

Back inside, the oldest is awake and drinks the last of the coffee. I brew more and then the washing machine buzzer goes off, so I transfer everything into the dryer.

Finally, back to the story.

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, my head is buzzing (possibly from creativity, mostly from caffeine).

Our youngest is awake and turns on the television. He and his dad discuss a movie they watched the night previous over the blaring noise of the TV.

I can drown out the voices. That’s nothing new, but then I hear the dogs whining. They want their morning chewie. Delivered, with a pat on the head.

Deep breath, and I settle into my chair at the computer.

Oldest pokes his head around the corner, “Have you seen my car keys?” I join the search. Finally, success. He’s on his way with instructions, “Drive safe. See you later.” My husband leaves too.

I can feel the productivity oozing from my veins. This is going to be an unbelievable article. I settle into my chair, flitter through my notes to get back on track, reread what I have so far, and type a few words.

Youngest son pokes his head around the corner, “What’s for lunch?”

Done.

There’s always tomorrow.

Writer’s Truth: When your purple pen runs out of ink, it’s only going downhill from there.

Fill In the Blank

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POST CARD FROM THE MUSE

Fill In the Blank

By Nandy Ekle

 

The last couple of weeks I talked about my need for organization in my every day life, but the total lack of structure in my writing life. And I’ve studied and been told and shown what an important tool outlining, planning, and plotting can be for a writer.

Let me just say, whatever your writing habits are, I will never tell you you’re doing it wrong, especially if you can successfully write “The End.” I very firmly believe each writer’s methods are right for them. But I also feel it’s important to have an open mind and trying something new to be sure you have the most effective way for your writing.

Last Friday I ended in the middle of telling about one story I wrote in a completely different way from my normal seat-of-the-pants method. This particular story, I did the plotting and planning, the story boarding and characterization, and the theme and each event. Even though this story is one I love very deeply, I didn’t have as much fun writing it as I normally have. The spontaneity was gone. The surprise was gone. I felt as though I was filling in blanks to a story already written.

But as I mentioned last week, something very interesting happened. The story was successful. I entered it in a contest, and it won second place and it earned the second spot in an anthology (available on Amazon). The other thing that happened was that the main character became one of my all-time favorite characters. And I think the reason that happened is that in my characterization of her, I realized she represents both of my grandmothers rolled into one.

Now, there’s another story I wrote in my normal way. This story, I had a theme and a situation. My character had a paranormal ability, but she didn’t want to reveal her talent, so she made up a story when caught using her gift. This was where I started. As I wrote, events of the story came to life as if I were a reader reading it. For me, this is the “funnest” part of writing. The tale unfolds in my head as if I’m watching a movie. In fact, as I headed into the final scene, I still was not sure who my villain was. As one of my “movie” scenes played, the secret bad guy turned his face to me and winked. This was when I saw the end of my story. To this day, I get cold chills when I remember the scene.

This story has not found a home yet, but that’s one of my resolutions for this year.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

Writing in “You Only Live Twice”

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Writing in “You Only Live Twice”

by Adam Huddleston

 

The fifth film in the James Bond franchise, “You Only Live Twice” finds 007 travelling throughout Japan. Sean Connery, in his role as Bond, is tasked with discovering why two spacecrafts (one Soviet and one American) disappear in orbit. Each superpower believe that the other is to blame. Bond finds that S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is behind the disappearances and eventually runs into Ernst Blofeld, the evil organization’s leader. In the climax, 007 thwarts Blofeld’s plan to capture another American spaceship (which would lead to war between the two nations) and Blofeld’s secret base is destroyed.

I found “You Only Live Twice” to be quite a bit more enjoyable than the previous film “Thunderball”. There is a lot more action and the story line is more interesting. For example, Bond is seemingly shot to death in the opening minutes of the film. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie but it is definitely worth a watch.

Rocks

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Outtakes 234

Rocks

By Cait Collins

I love rocks, minerals, crystals, and gemstones. Each one has its own beauty. Even river-tumbled stones possess color, texture, and properties. My interest in rocks began with a good earth science teacher who believed in practical application of classroom lectures. I began searching roadsides and riverbeds for quartz, feldspar, granite, marble, and gold. Never found the gold, but I did have a collection going. One of my favorite pieces was a goods sized rock with varying shades of quartz growing up one side. I carried that rock from Maine to Louisiana to Amarillo, Texas. Over the years, my interest in collecting waned. I developed other interests and rocks fell by the wayside.

I recently began working on a new story with a hero who designs jewelry and his best friend who is a prospector and gem broker. My interest in collecting has reawakened. I’m not referring to gems and jewelry as much as to the science and history of rocks and gems.

Gems are a part of history. The Bible in the book of Exodus describes the breastplate of the High Priest as being set with four rows of stones with three stones in each row. Among the gems are diamond, emerald, sapphire, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, and jasper. Zircon is one of the oldest recorded minerals. The diamond mines of South Africa are legendary not only for the quality and size of the stones, but also for the violent history. Faberge eggs are still sought after. The deep blue Hope Diamond is cursed. Opals are bad luck unless they happen to be your birthstone. Columbian emeralds smuggled aboard the Atocha were recovered by Mel Fisher’s crew in the late 20th century.

Crystals and minerals are reported to have healing properties. Verities’ of quartz are said to be beneficial for depression, migraine, insomnia, lupus, blood pressure, and vision. Blue opal is good for panic, phobias, vision, and fatigue. Moonstones help vision, sleepwalking, internal organs, veins, and arteries.

So, if your heroine is Wician, it’s important to know her Zodiac sign and the associated minerals, gems, and rocks. A religious historian would be familiar with gem use in worship ceremonies. The characters will look beyond the origins and science to find a relationship to his namesake. He sees the romance and not just the monetary value.

 

Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma Chameleon

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Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma Chameleon

By Rory C. Keel

For me the correct place for using a comma seems as elusive as a chameleon. Hidden somewhere between subordinate clauses, independent clauses and coordinating conjunctions, the comma hangs out waiting for a slight pause.

Here are five basic rules to help in using a comma.

  1. Never place a comma between a subject and its verb or between a verb and its object.
  2. When a subordinate clause introduces an independent clause, separate the two with a comma.
  3. Don’t use a comma to separate the clauses when a subordinate clause follows an independent clause.
  4. Use a comma before the appropriate coordinating conjunction to join two related sentences.
  5. When in doubt, leave it out.

Remembering these basic rules will help you put them where they belong and leave them out where they don’t.

 Roryckeel.com