In the span of a few hours, this anthology is a Number 1 Hot New Release!
Characterization Tips – What to Avoid, Where to Focus
This post is focused on a very important, if not the most important, aspect of your writers, your characters. Readers become invested in characters. They learn to love and/or hate characters. They sympathize and/or empathize with their flaws, quirks and events that shape them. Character development is both essential and difficult.
In this post, I hope to pull together some useful tips that I have tried to follow in my own writing or have learned from those that are respected and successful in the craft.
- Be consistent with what you call your characters – If you’re character’s name is John Doe, stick with calling him John or Mr. Doe or Johnny. But don’t alternate or you will confuse your readers. I actually broke this rule in my first book, Frankly Speaking, and in it’s subsequent related books, I have a character named Clifford Jones, III. He is an attorney…
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Should You Know Your Ending?
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I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to disagree with this sentiment. The path of the pantser if fairly common. Not the way I do things, but I’ve run into many who simply fly into a story to see where it goes. There could be an ending in mind or it could just be a beginning or middle that they have. One thing I can be sure of is that it differs from person to person. Then again, I’m a severe plotter, so I shouldn’t speak as if I understand the other side of the pasture.
While I don’t come up with my endings first, I do like to have them in mind before I start writing. This helps me keep things on track and avoid running the story into a brick wall or minefield. Some would say that the downside is that your writing…
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A Spark of Hope
Truths about Publishing You Can Only Learn in the Trenches – by Heather Webb…
on Writer Unboxed:
I’ve worked like a dog the last two weeks on EPIC copy edits so today, I’m running short on inspired creative thinking and tall on advice. It’s January, after all, and isn’t that when we’d all like a little advice, a little pep in our step to help us take on the new year? I know I do, so here we are with some of the most important things I’ve learned as a published writer (regardless of the publishing path you choose to take).
WARNING: some of it isn’t pretty.
Continue reading HERE
Please welcome John Searancke to my blog. Thank you, John, for sharing with our readers today.
Tell us a little about yourself, where you live, spouse, kids, work, etc and how you started writing?
I was born in 1943 at Derby Royal Infirmary, and thus a war baby. I lived my early life in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a market town in Leicestershire, but was sent away to be educated at Kings Mead Preparatory School, Seaford and afterwards at Rugby School that bastion of English education. Later commissioned into the Territorial Army, I have been variously a hotel and restaurant owner, director and chairman of a marketing consortium, and latterly a partner with my wife in a commercial legal services company. I have enjoyed my working life in England and Switzerland and now live with my wife Sally in West Sussex and northern Tenerife, where for five years I occupied myself as restaurant critic for a Canarian newspaper.
I had long wanted to try my hand at writing a book, probably much as many others do. I decided to try to make that dream come true, and sketched out my first book, the manuscript of which was summarily rejected. I then learned of the requirement for a skilled editor, and was lucky to be put in touch with one such. She guided me through an almost complete re-write and the book was picked up and made it into print.
My first book, Dog Days in The Fortunate Islands, charts the stories of moving my family and dog to live on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, and which received much acclaim. It is available in paperback and e-book formats.
Prunes for Breakfast is my second book and records the life and times of my father throughout WW2, including a cache of unpublished personal letters with details of his landing in Normandy, fighting through the bocage and later capture and incarceration in a German POW Camp. It is available in paperback, e-book and audio formats.
The Reluctant Hotelkeeper is my third book, just released, and forms a prequel to Dog Days in The Fortunate Islands. It is available in paperback and e-book formats.
What are you currently working on?
My third book, The Reluctant Hotelkeeper, has just been published, so I am busy with my US publicist, Margaret Daly Designs, who is doing a tremendous job of steering me through the pitfalls that seem to exist to trap the unwary. My next job will be to complete my family tree, which so far goes back nearly 400 years.
Do you have a special author style of writing? Do you work with a outline or plot, or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
My first book, Dog Days In The Fortunate Islands, was done in a very freestyle and unstructured way. I admit to knowing nothing. Fortunately, my editor managed to knock it into shape as a saleable manuscript. When I decided to tell the WW2 story about my father and his escapades through Normandy and prisoner of war camp in Prunes for Breakfast, I needed to be a lot more structured with much research, which took me to the battlefields of northern France to trace his footsteps. My third book, just out, The Reluctant Hotelkeeper took a lot of effort to manage stories into some sort of timeline over thirty-five years. It was hard work, particularly for my editor.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
There was no research for my first book. A huge amount of research went into my second one, including an extended visit to the battlefields of Normandy, where I finally tracked down the exact spot where my father had been captured back in 1944. As for my third, I drew on a plethora of happenings and events and brought them together over a period of months to form a story line.
Do you write in more than one genre? Describe your usual writing day please and thank you.
When I am writing, I need to concentrate as hard as possible, as it does not come easily sometimes. Interruptions are not very welcome, but they happen nevertheless, either with a steady supply of cups of tea by my long-suffering wife Sally, or the barking of dogs or a thousand other things. I do half a day writing, usually the morning, though sometimes it gets extended. I do not have a dedicated writing room.
What genres are your favorites to read?
I like legal/crime thrillers, almost anything by Bernard Cornwell, and stuff about the Dark Ages in Britain. Manda Scott comes to mind here – she is a captivating writer.
What are you reading now?
I am just finishing the Boudica series by Manda Scott. Next will be her epic about Joan of Arc.
Tell us the authors who inspired you to write and how they inspired you.
I have almost a full set (missing just one) of original Alexandre Dumas – he can really spin a tale.
Any sage advice for a fledgling author?
No, I would not presume. I am a fledgling myself. But, if you want to write, then go for it. You will sink or swim – but get the best editor that you can afford.
If a movie was made of your book, who would lead the cast and be the best suited?
I would choose Hugh Grant because he has a bit of a sense of humour and could bring some charm to the role. If he could be persuaded to bring along his ex, Elizabeth Hurley, then my delight would be complete.
Vanilla or chocolate?
I am a recovering chocoholic. (I’m not there yet but only sugar free chocolate now :).
If you won the lottery, would you still write? What places would you go? Charity donations?
I suppose it depends on how much. Lottery wins nowadays are ridiculously vast. I would love to do a slow motoring tour around Europe. We do give to a dog charity and other charities featuring the UK. My wife is currently banning me from writing another book, but who knows?
Tell us everything you want your audience to know. What do you like to do when not writing?
We divide our time between West Sussex in England and Puerto de la Cruz in the Canary Islands. Switching between the two leaves us no time to get bored or jaded – life seems to be ever full. We are very lucky in that respect, and there is so much to do at both ends.
You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
Jack Reacher – he would have plenty of skills to look after me on the desert island, and perhaps even get us off it.
One real life person that is not a family member or friend.
Any competent boat builder would be very welcome to join us! 🙂
*****
Social media links for John Searancke :
Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Dog Days in The Fortunate Islands Pinterest board: https://tinyurl.com/y8efsmbv
Prunes for Breakfast Pinterest board: https://tinyurl.com/y7mdyk7r
The Reluctant Hotelkeeper Pinterest board: https://tinyurl.com/y7j64bnr
How to Co-author a Book: Two Writers Share Their Story
I am intrigued by the idea of co-authoring a book. I’d tell you I could never do it but I really have no basis for that opinion. When efriend Grace Allison co-authored her amazing new book, Einstein’s Compass (my review here), I decided to dig into this a bit more. Grace and her co-author, Laren Bright, agreed to share their story with me so I can share their experience with you. they make it sound so possible!
Here’s Grace’s co-authoring experience:
Being a modern mystic, I wanted to write a novel that expressed the forty-six years of what I knew of God and the invisible. To me, a mystic is someone how experiences the transcendental love of God.
I have always thought of Einstein as a fascinating person. In reading about him, I discovered Einstein was a spiritual person whose father gave him a compass that sent him on…
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How to Get Your Book Considered for Placement in Barnes and Noble and Other Retailers – by Stephanie Chandler…
on Nonfiction Authors Association:
If you’re an independently published author and bookstore placement is a goal for you, the good news is that you have options. Barnes and Noble can be indie author-friendly, but first you need to make sure your book is ready for prime time.
Continue reading at:
How to ensure your book gets bookstore placement consideration:
I’ll Hold You In Heaven
I’ll Hold You In Heaven by Jack Hayford
Found on Amazon:
What happened to my baby after he or she died?
Will I ever see my baby again–and will I recognize him?
What happens if I’ve had an abortion?
Does God have a reason for letting my child die?
How can I help a friend who’s experiencing grief?
With compassionate answers for your troubling questions, God’s Word shines with hope in the dark night of human pain. God showed His tenderness when David lost a child he had with Bathsheba. In his pain and grief, David spoke the word of revelation–the reassuring word of God’s truth–saying, “I will go to [my child] but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:19-23).
As Pastor Jack Hayford says, “This isn’t myth, fable, legend or a selection of poetic thoughts for the sorrowful. This is truth to set us free. Here we are specifically freed to expect to meet children in heaven, to recognize them and to be with them.”
Let Jack Hayford show you the freeing truth of the Word of God and its promise that one day, like David, you will hold your child in heaven.
My Review:
This is a must read book for anyone who has suffered the loss of a baby through abortion, still birth, miscarriage, and early infant death such as SIDS. Hayford has written a book that I recommend to ALL readers and not just those who are bereaved parents. Did my baby have a soul? Yes, according to scripture at the moment of conception, that baby has a soul. Your baby, if you lost one, was planned by God. It’s comforting to know that our baby was born with a soul and delivered straight to heaven no matter the cause of your loss. Also comforting is the fact that your baby is like a toddler playing in heaven no matter when your loss happened. Maybe your baby was aborted as an embryo, yet you have a toddler in heaven. It is comforting to know one day we will hold our child in heaven and that we shall greet each other as our child, even though we did see them as a toddler due to early death. I give five stars.
#stillborn #abortion #childloss #cancer #childhoodcancer #inspiring #Christian
Grabbing Your Readers Attention at the Start of Your Story
This is a topic I have been thinking a lot about since I decided to venture into the Kindle Scout program. Since you are required to provide an opening to your book and try to entice them to vote for your book based on what they see in that brief extract, being able to obtain and hold their attention is extremely important.
With that being said, I thought I would gather some tips on how to grab your reader’s attention at the beginning of a book to help out others as you create your masterpieces.
Give a hint of what to expect
In your opening, you can tip off your reader on what will be coming. I have tried a few different style openings in my own books. Since they are usually murder mysteries, I have sometimes used a variation of what I call the “Columbo opening”.
If you remember…
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When Angels Fly 