Publishing Made Easy - Tips on How to Get Your Manuscript Published
Posted on September 29, 2008 - Filed Under Writing | Leave a Comment
Getting your work published is no easy matter, it takes time, effort and a little inside knowledge …
Read More..>>A Guide to Medieval Weapons for Fantasy Writers
Posted on September 29, 2008 - Filed Under Writing | Leave a Comment
A Guide to understanding medieval weapons for your fantasy writing. How to use them logically and a list of the more common weapons.
If you write fantasy or are thinking about writing fantasy you probably are going to have medieval weapons in your created world. Today’s reader of fantasy is very savvy when it comes to weapons and armor and you want your writing to be accurate and to make sense when it comes to weapons. They are often a big part of the story. In this article I explain some important things about medieval weapons, how to get them right, and I look at some of the more popular types of weapons.
Read More..>>How to Get the Narrative v. Dialogue Balance Right
Posted on June 9, 2008 - Filed Under Writing | Leave a Comment
Do your readers loose consciousness ploughing through pages of narrative description? Or are they perplexed and bewildered because your snappy dialogue leaves them wondering just who is talking to who? It’s time to get your narrative/dialogue balance right. Here’s how.
Most stories have two basic elements: Dialogue and Narrative. Narrative also has two main purposes: to inform the reader and to describe a person, place or thing. Getting the right balance between Dialogue and Narrative will lift your story, giving it bounce and adding interest.
Read More..>>When To Call The Book Doctor - Inside Advice From A Publishing Professional
Posted on April 10, 2008 - Filed Under Writing and Speaking | Leave a Comment
Chances are, if you are checking out this web site, you are an author with an inkling that you might require editorial assistance. Of course, in the world of legendary editor Maxwell Perkins and novelist William Faulkner—or for that matter the world of Carole Baron and Judith Krantz, or many other contemporary editors and the authors they have worked with—it’s understood that every author needs an editor, just as every actor needs a director. Traditionally, the editor was provided by the publisher. But this is no longer the case. Editors who work for publishing houses have had their job descriptions changed over the past decade. Their mission now is generally to acquire books and help package and market them—not to edit them.
Read More..>>How Can You Achieve Your Writing Goals In 2008?
Posted on April 2, 2008 - Filed Under Writing and Speaking | Leave a Comment
First, you have to know what those goals are. Second, you need a plan. (Cue theme song from “Rocky.”) Whether you write full-time, part-time or when time permits, you need a business plan. Your business plan should include an Executive Summary. The goals you hope to achieve this year should comprise your executive summary. Let’s say yours looks like this:
Executive Summary: A) Complete novel. B) Sell ten articles to magazines. C) Attend one writers’ conference.
Next comes your Plan of Action. How do you plan to achieve these goals? I’ll prepare three model plans of action. POA1 is for those who write full-time. POA2 is for those who write part-time. POA3 is for those who write when time permits.
Read More..>>Advice To Aspiring Writers
Posted on March 28, 2008 - Filed Under Writing and Speaking | Leave a Comment
Like the students who entered this competition, I started writing when I was quite young. I wrote a lot of poetry in my early teens. I wrote a novel when I was 18 and another when I was 20. Thankfully all of that was long ago put in the bin. Actually I lent the second novel to a friend – it was hand written and, of course, the only copy. I lost contact with the friend and I never saw the novel again. Perhaps his aesthetic judgment was better than mine.
Read More..>>Scene Constructing Your Fantasy Novel
Posted on February 20, 2008 - Filed Under Writing and Speaking | Leave a Comment
The importance of plotting, scene construction, and narration when writing your fantasy novel.
You may have read interviews from many authors who state that they place less effort on the plot outline than the actual writing of their novels. You will also find that many of these same authors regret that they did not learn the art of plotting early in their writing experiences, and do admit to finding dead scenes and stray ends at the completion of their novels. Fantasy writers simply cannot afford to skip the plotting process. Certainly you may revise your plot during the process; in fact you should as you find new directions and interesting inclusions.
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