Tag: writing tips

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 2/21/14

Imagine THAT!

I love a good mystery!  The eccentric sleuth who investigates; the endangered victim(s); the crime; the witnesses; and the release of clues—puzzle pieces that pop around in the reader’s imagination until they fit.  However, when an author adds the intricate details of forensic investigation to the mix the mystery becomes much more detailed and satisfying for most readers.

Some time ago I spoke with a group of avid Mystery Readers who met once a month to discuss the novel they’d selected.  They followed one simple rule—DO NOT read the last chapter (conclusion) until the next meeting when they would read The End together.  Each person wrote out their “professional opinion” on a 3×5 card, signed and dated it; these were collected in a basket as they arrived at their gathering place.  No matter who or how many reached the author’s selected culmination-of-clues, their enjoyment was made much richer by becoming the detective/investigator themselves.

The combination of clues—whether placed in dialogue or footprints or microscopic detail—opens the reader’s imagination.  So it is that the author must explore all avenues of investigation, allowing the words on the page to create an image in the reader’s mind.  For example is the cliché statement “Blood is thicker than water,” true?  That concept is used in many ways, but for the Mystery Writer the factual answer to this question is vital.  While an anatomy professor might tell us that 83% of blood is water, how can that “fact” be useful in story form?  What could an investigator learn from a victim’s blood that has only 50% water and higher elements of something else?  What might that something else be?

In 2010, an exhibition of the human body was brought to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  A German anatomist, Gunther von Hagens, had invented a technique called “plastination” that preserved elements of actual human anatomy (donated for his scientific research) with an exactness that shocked many viewers.  More than 37 million people around the world now know what a human body looks like beneath the skin.  And they are the Mystery Readers who will be reading your next book.

Are you prepared for their critique?  Do you have writing partners to review your manuscripts before they go to print?  There are many ghostwriters who love research and could offer their expertise.  Self-publishing teams of writers, editors and author representatives can guide and support the Mystery Author.  And there are other helpers, such as the International Thriller Writers organization, who offer mentor contacts—authors who have walked this trail and know how to avoid the pitfalls.

I applaud the Mystery Writers of today—each one finding their niche within the genre.  Some are comfortable with the “cozy” mystery; some will jump into the end of the pool and give us the full dose of well-researched and well-written scientific criminology.  May you all succeed and fear-not making the step to self-publish and set your stories FREE.

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 2/14/14

PICTURE THIS!

When a person includes 95 photos and a few illustrations in a memoir, readers will enjoy a unique and very personal adventure through time.  Such was my consulting/ghostwriting experience a couple years ago at the completion of the beautifully expressed life-stories of two exceptional people.  An extra bonus for me was that their project reinforced my understanding of the relation between photos (or illustrations) and story-telling.

During my school years, I remember several teachers telling me, “Royalene, you are definitely a visual learner.”  I think they were frustrated by that revelation because it created a challenge for most educators of that era—except the art teacher, of course.  However, as I grow into my chosen profession of writing—creating visual images with words—I appreciate their early analysis and I continue learning how to use this element to my benefit.

“Art,” they say, “evokes emotion,” and the artist/photographer will utilize this to express the essence of a moment captured in a millisecond of time and space.  The writer must carry this concept further by selecting words, and combinations of words, that transport instant images into the readers’ view—images that evoke emotion.  This ability will not only communicate their story well, it will also carry an author to the top of the Best Books list and possibly set them up for movie and/or television acclaim.

The visually shared experience will also have a greater sustained impact—one that will bring about contemplation of the various elements of the story and lead readers to discuss your book as their next Book Club selection!  Here are a few tips for writing visually:

LOOK FOR the emotion in your characters AND their environment.  Dissect the emotional anatomy of each of these elements, such as:

  • What is the motivation behind a character’s actions, attitude, and perspective?  What has your character experienced that brings about their reaction(s) to the events?  Did they suffer physical trauma that brought an emotional response?  What are they holding on to from their past that is creating current circumstances?
  • What is the emotional impact of their environment?  Do they live in a mansion or tent?  Is there a lawn—mown and manicured—or is it a field of weeds?  Has there been fire, flood, or drought devastation?  Can they hear the birds singing?  See flowers blooming? Watch butterflies float through the air?  Is the air so clear the brilliant blue of the sky is visible, or is the fog/smog so thick vision and breathing are severely hindered?

My client/friend’s memoir told the story using all these elements, and I am the richer for reading it.  That is my hope for all writers—that we can enrich the lives of our readers and enjoy every step of the process.  And if expressing the emotional elements are tough for you, don’t hesitate to accept help.  There are editors and ghostwriters out there—partnering with self-publishing teams of professionals who will help you complete your work.

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 2/07/14

FLASH-WRITING

Back in the day, when prose and poetry readings were encouraged at coffee houses—and listeners snapped their fingers instead of applauding—editors from publishing houses frequented many of those dark rooms.  A “literary renaissance” was “happening” as individual writers stepped into church basements and back-alley saloons to give their work a voice.  Some of those we still read today were published by forward-thinking, yet mainstream, publishers.

Today’s writers live in a New Universal Renaissance—the flow of actions, events and concepts that even the Internet cannot contain.  The cultures of our world’s populations are being developed—positively or negatively—even as I write this blog.  People, politics, mega-business, health industries, Faith centers and yes, even sports, create an ebb and flow that seems to carry the world away.  Who can possibly make sense of it all?  Writers!  You and me!  And we no longer have to scribble our writings on coffee-house napkins and see them disappear.  We have a much better option!  Self-publishing!

Sitting beside the advantage of self-publishing is the necessity to write well.  I’ve talked about being organized and researching and writing from the heart—and each of those elements are essential.  But HOW do we start? WHERE do we find that one thing worth writing about?  It comes from Flash-writing, of course!  Some folks—from the 60s—might call it stream-of-consciousness writing, and the concept is similar, but not quite the same.

The similar part looks like this:  Find a comfortable spot—maybe in a favorite room and/or chair—and set your coffee, tea or Bailey’s beside you.  If this place happens to be an inspiring location, that is even better (a park, library reading room, art museum).  Setting up beside a large window-with-a-view is also a good option.  Then grab your preferred writing tool—paper and pencil, laptop, or iPad and WRITE!  Write anything that comes to mind.  Doodle.  Draw.  Scribble.  Scrawl.  PLAY with words.  If a person (character) pops into your thoughts, write about them.  If you’ve always wanted to travel to Mars, start planning the trip.  Write…write…and write some more!  That is the basic stream-of-consciousness method.

My adaptation: DO all that in 15 minutes or less!  This is Flash-Writing, and I’ve had more success, personally, by exercising my creativity in flashes than from hours of trying to force stream-of-consciousness thoughts.  Have you seen a YouTube clip of a Mob Flash-dancing?  What FUN!  And fun is exactly what writing is all about.  When the fingers are moving and the ideas are racing, we are having fun!  And the most fun of all comes when we hold our completed book IN our hands.

Did you know that some of the most well received movies/films came from short (in some cases very short) stories?  There is a 640 page book by Stephanie Harrison—a university professor—telling the true stories of some of these authors who became famous by “flash-writing” their ideas and developing them into Short Stories.

SO…GO HAVE FUN!  Let your voice be heard!  Write a short story!  Write several short stories!  Make a collection of them and GET THEM PUBLISHED!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 1/31/14

FRAMED…

In my field of ghostwriting and concept consulting/building, I truly enjoy working with autobiographies/biographies, memoirs, histories and philosophy/faith projects.  These nonfiction genres allow the authors to weave their own experiences into the pages and breathe life into the details.  Although classified as fact-based, true-life books, they really are stories that carry a personal impact connecting author and Reader.

A current client is struggling—BIG TIME—to “put all the pieces together” for her book.  There are years of scribbled notes literally jammed into shoeboxes, not to mention the bigger box that holds the many pages of research materials.  Because she has had several “false starts,” we at least have somewhere to begin.  So, as I’m jumping into the non-fiction waters with this lovely lady, I wanted to share a few basic guidelines with our blog readers—and writers.

Nonfiction writing requires a framework—a definite perimeter or border to keep the author from racing down rabbit trails that not only distract readers, but also diminish the work-at-hand.  Here are my seven strategies for developing THE BEST nonfiction book:

The Topic:  With one or two sentences—not to exceed 38 words—tell yourself what are you writing about.  Be very narrow-minded here.  This is your “big idea” and the essence of it will be the heart of your book.

The Collection Box: (or file cabinet drawer, or large 3-ring binder notebook, or….).  Use that 38-word statement you’ve just created and print it out in BIG, BOLD TYPE.  This is the label for your collection of materials.  It is also the first thing you see when you work on your book and it is meant to inspire your thinking processes.

Sub-Topic Files:  You’ve probably already collected several pieces of information that relate to your topic.  Pull out those file folders and start organizing these pieces into sub-topic files.

Color-Coding:  As you build this collection of sub-topics, use color markers (or stickers) to mark the files that carry the most vital information.  Most writers will “file” their collection alphabetically, so the color-coding will allow you easy access to crucial facts when you need them.  For example:  Red = must be included; Orange = include; Yellow = good information; Blue = possible connections; Green = opposing opinions.

Bibliography File:  THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST!  Always give credit to the “source” of your facts.  Unless you, yourself, are the source—the authority behind a statement—every fact, figure, quote, statistic, report, etc. must be acknowledged.  This can be woven into the manuscript; however, I always recommend that a bibliography be included at the end of non-fiction books.

To Outline or Not To Outline:  Every nonfiction writer I know has shown me an outline of their books.  Many end up using it—or most of it—as a Table of Contents.  So I must agree that it is useful.  However—don’t let an outline trap you.  Keep that 38-word statement fresh in your thoughts so that you will create a read-able book that is worth reading.

PLAN to Publish:  No one should do all the work of writing a book and then put it in a drawer.  The information you’ve gathered and poured your heart into is meant to reach a lot of people.  So once you have that Topic Statement, start your research into publishers.  I am one who believes in self-publishing; however, if your Topic is a “hot topic,” there might be a publishing house out there for you.  But NO MATTER WHAT, get your book IN PRINT!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized, Writing

How to Find the Time to Finish Writing Your Book

One of the biggest complaints among writers is the lack of time to write. Almost every writer I know wishes they had more time to dedicate to their projects. As a writer myself, I understand how difficult it can be to juggle a job, a family, a home, a social life, AND a writing project, but I’ve also discovered some ways to find more time to write.

If you are ready to finally find time to finish your book, there is a simple solution — spend a little time on self-reflection. (Yes, I just told you to spend your time doing something other than writing.) You can’t figure out how to make more time for writing, until you know how you currently spend your time.

Here are a four simple steps to help finally find time to finish writing your book, and start publishing.

1) Be honest with yourself.

For one week, write down EXACTLY how you spend your time. Record each task and the amount of time you spend on it. This includes checking social media sites, commuting to work, watching TV, eating, etc. By doing this, you will get a clear picture how you are spending your time.

2) Make changes.

Now that you are aware of where all your time is going, you can find ways to make more time for writing. For instance, if you spend several hours at night watching TV, perhaps you could spend an hour of that time writing. If you notice you spend a lot more time on social media sites than you thought, you can free up some of your day by limiting the number of times you log on and how much time you spend online each time.

3) Figure out what works for you.

Another part of self reflection is figuring out what type of writer you and how your writing process works. For some people, morning writing sessions work best. Other people are night owls. Some people need to warm up before writing by reading an inspiring book or listening to music. Spend some time thinking about when and how you do your best work, and try to make your writing goals align with your personal style.

4) Get creative about the way you write.

Sometimes the easiest way to find time to write is by multitasking. In fact, some writers think ordinary activities like walking or cleaning improve their creativity. Thanks to today’s technology, multitasking has never been easier. You can combine exercising and writing by using a treadmill desk. (In fact, that is how I do all of my writing. I walk the entire time I’m working so I can cross writing and exercising off my to-do list.) Another option is voice writing software.  You can talk your text while you do activities such as working outside, doing dishes, or driving to work. Just be sure to always carefully proofread your manuscript when using this type of software.

I’d love to know, what tips to you have for making more time to write?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.