tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46525530630390664752024-02-08T03:54:51.362-08:00Steven LaBreeSteven LaBreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435352338334041034noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4652553063039066475.post-23387452298634179622022-09-09T08:34:00.006-07:002022-09-09T09:02:45.922-07:00<p> <span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin"; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 24pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Books For Writing Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">The best way to learn </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">how to
write fiction</span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> is
to read a lot of fiction. I hear this advice repeatedly, and I
wholeheartedly agree.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Sometimes, though, when
you’re after a bit of extra guidance, it can be helpful to have some explicit
advice on hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Though there can be some
alarming and even strange advice out there (write every day or you are destined
to fail! Always write your first draft by hand!), I’m yet to find a single book
on writing from which I haven’t gained a nugget of inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">If you’re overwhelmed by all
the choices out there in the wide world of writing about writing, the following
list focuses on some of the best books I have come across on how to write
fiction, particularly if you’re just beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: black; line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #363940;">0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #363940;"> </span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin"; text-indent: 0in;">I began writing poems and
short stories, published several, which provided the courage to move on. I
did that through writer’s groups and reading every writing book I could find.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">The books I’ve chosen
include a range of:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Practical strategies<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Creative exercises<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Structural guidance<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Tips on how to foster creativity and flow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #363940; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Grammar rules<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Industry advice<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">The books range from
inspiration through to learning to write and perhaps build a novel, then
pursuing a writing career.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3exrrRL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zen in the Art of Writing</a>: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You </span></i></b><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">by Ray Bradbury<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is outstanding for
creative inspiration<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3exrrRL" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="218" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFokxoqzyrmJdOsq1Rusj57mftDefHYYZPF1ywhSVZGujNpo8OwnbvGOYmls-v0N3cpOOCOAwRtSn1D6j8Rm1phlxyTApMmMfHUMvI_YVIicrEA_v605v7vMiNf_aecPiaRA4DMspnn8vg7EnNwACmh0ELzFFTD7TJHhuIOM3fpfOZixOGBpQQcLI/w200-h200/BRADBURY.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Ray Bradbury is a master
storyteller, so a book full of essays on writing, which also provides a glimpse
into Bradbury’s career.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book provides practical
tips for:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Finding original ideas<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin"; font-size: 12pt;">Developing your unique style and voice</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Characterization<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #363940; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Descriptions<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Other storytelling essentials<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">It’s broken up into
different essays, so it’s easy to pick up when you need it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Bradbury also encourages
reading short stories. Reading begets writing and can help you </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">get your
head around the overarching structure of a narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Bsq7sf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steering the Craft</a>: A 21st Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story </span></i></b><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">by Ursula K. Le Guin<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is brilliant for: </span></b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Bringing
words and stories to life<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3xcaDX0" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="195" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn4Wr2WtAramac329U_rIK86Majd5mtIDf5hxkTSjWZ0gBeznN9zOlJ8olwSXbsXxQITOGPgoMo_3QHBCiUO6GT8i0yp4khT96Q__e7s_AhiaSVIcEGs4cNjY-WkE49lEdKa8pFRVSf-qomN3_um_v4k8hObsB66QUQQn-G10evxOniUiqadyCBVM/s1600/LUGUIN.webp" width="195" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Ursula K. Le Guin is one of
my favorite authors. She’s a master of the sound of language, sentence
construction and point of view.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Le Guin’s book will make
your stories come alive, </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">helping you maintain the excitement and
passion</span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Pace and Rhythm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">· </span></span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Story structure<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Characterization<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Narrative writing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3D7GjAC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steal Like an Artist</a>: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative </span></i></b><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">by Austin Kleon<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is great
for: </span></b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">When
you’re worried, your ideas aren’t original enough<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3D7GjAC" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="220" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewBpCbMdnliYDZd5zuDH5ehrGzihPwHIAQzfsnJKk9wYCOkZWEeIYLgsl8G8sT2AoOWjT4R41llJGZmz6_3VwBvcT81pFRdUT7j9CsxJM8xW7VlkqPfPLsZFYznqaxl6ywCTqBByM0v1yqJxZIfuV1vQS28WOOoOVnpqh_fv52TOnwewBHbsggoTv/s1600/STEAL.webp" width="220" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">One way I became comfortable
with my creativity in writing, and </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">developing character backstories</span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">, was using elements from
some of my favorite writer's works.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">He isn’t advocating for
plagiarism. But he also doesn’t get hung up on ideas needing to be perfectly
original. Instead, he concentrates on helping you harness your creativity,
trust your creative instincts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">Writing is about creating
fresh perspectives and exciting twists, and following fresh paths and ideas on
what is ultimately a road that’s been walked before.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">For new writers, Kleon also
provides tips that he wishes he had received when he was starting out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3eyGQBk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Elements of Style</a> </span></i></b><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is impressive for:</span></b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> Learning the laws of
English grammar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3eyGQBk" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3kW5gEQOpxmp-b1IS43aDM43Pmzpx0IgdUAhspfBiHTS5L7vbg6D6VVHQ-1al1lHQlYulT4qN0ThpriyZ5_h1fpCRMFXAXyUjt9gH-Qzd_0mf8h8guUVIoZCpUlAJE4RFCA4Plu74BHfgFt7jZ-6iNFO147kNKIScNESSqvLrb_lNOMaiAI-f08T/s320/strunk.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">William Strunk was E. B.
White’s English professor in 1919, but this book published
by Macmillan until after Strunk’s death in the late 1950s, it was on White’s
list of required textbooks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is the Bible of
English grammar rules but remember, these are modern times. That said, <b><i>The
Elements of Style</i></b> is a must for your writing toolkit. If you want
to </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">break the rules of writing</span><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">, you must learn them first.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">BONUS TIP: You should also
use Grammarly or ProWritingAid to assist your work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">In this book, with each
rule, they succinctly explain and provide clear examples of proper and improper
usage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3RALDRw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Writing</a>:
a memoir of the craft </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">by Stephen
King</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">This book is outstanding for:</span></b><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> Practical, ‘no BS’
advice from a famous and prolific writer.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3RALDRw" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ_bXerQKUOjMQ6q3XlCY6BbgMF46gPGae-pQ-k9LtNK-VVCicqx4Jmx4uHaCZ03W4ZhdIp_L9i4X76o8ccwVYPvMimE0g9OSMyA3WZPZnH9fW7Be9uxYlDajVVAbZAFc0r_14mT8jrinpQthH7VZ1txqs9VLpgofZ29kmh6F_m9mvbrmihfTR9Ik/w320-h320/KING.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">If you want expert advice on
writing, Stephen King is at the top of the game. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">It starts: ‘Fiction writers, present company included, don’t
understand very much about what they do – not why it works when it’s good, not
why it doesn’t when it’s bad.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">His advice includes reading
lots and writing lots or only having one day off when you’re a beginner. This
will help you naturally build your vocabulary, rather than forcing it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">He follows some hard and
fast rules that are widely accepted, like using active verbs, avoiding adverbs
and unnecessary dialogue tags, and showing, not telling. Most professional writers
advocate the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">There is a lot of helpful,
easily applicable advice in <b><i>On Writing</i></b><i>, </i>including
some useful guidelines, like ‘Write 1,000 words six days per week’, and
that </span><span style="font-family: "Libre Franklin";">your second draft should be your first, minus ten percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";">But even putting this aside,
it’s an interesting and incredible memoir of the craft, and of Stephen King’s
life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Click any underlined link or book pic above to purchase or click here:</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #363940; font-family: "Libre Franklin";"><a href="https://www.stevenlabree.com/improve-your-writing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IMPROVE MY WRITING</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p>Steven LaBreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435352338334041034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4652553063039066475.post-39927189956838496742022-07-18T08:48:00.001-07:002022-07-18T08:50:37.853-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This is for both writers and those that are friends of writers</span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 2.6rem; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3rem; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">WE DON’T GET BOOKS FREE.</h2><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One misconception about writers is they have a stock of books for giveaway. We wish that were true because the fact is, writers don't make the money fans think we do. There are exceptions, but most of us happily share our stories for nickels and dimes. We have to order our books from the publisher, though sometimes we can buy wholesale. Those books we sell when we speak or teach a workshop. From that margin, the author must pay state sales taxes and file those reports once a month or once a year, depending on your status. The author has to pay their own travel to and from a signing event, and provide table covers and free handouts at craft shows.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So what do you do as a writer?</p><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3rem; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">BUILD A MAILING LIST<span style="font-weight: 300;"> </span></span></h2><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub and others have author pages. Get one. On your “About the Author” page, encourage readers to sign up for your mailing list. If they sign up, you’ll be able to contact them to promote your backlist titles, new releases, giveaways, price promotions, etc.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3rem; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE<span style="font-weight: 300;"> </span></span></h2><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It does you nothing to send your announcement to cat lovers if you write a book about dogs. Write down what you know about the core group of readers you’re targeting, fiction, romance, mystery, fantasy, etc., and think about them when you’re creating an ad, designing a cover, writing a tweet. It is critical to narrow any blurb, tweet, post to five to seven keywords your target audience would typically search. Include these words into the description headline, description copy, and keyword details in your author website and every time you talk about your book.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3rem; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;">FREE SAMPLE CHAPTERS CAN HELP</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I did this for my first novel and will for the second one. I created a flip page document through the internet (free) and provided a link on my website. Don’t be afraid of giving away something for free! On Amazon, users can download the first ten percent of a book for free or read it on-site via the “Look Inside” feature. You might score a sale if the reader wants to continue so be sure every sample ends on a cliffhanger.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3rem; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">DO THE MATH</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cost? It will kill you. My novel sells for $17.99 paperback at book stores. The book store buys my book at about 45% of that price ($8) so that leave $9. Of that $9 dollars, $5 is printing cost and there is the publishers cut. In the end, my income is about 20 cents a book if I am lucky, so for 1,000 books sold I make $200 and then I pay taxes and such. Another sad note are the returns. If your book doesn't sell out, the store can return them and get their money back—I pay for shipping and the cost of the book.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I can also sell my books on consignment, but it is best to only place them in stores where I live and shop or in towns nearby. If I have to spend a full day or more driving to different stores to check inventory and sales I lose money – not just for gas – but also the time that would be better spent writing my next book.When setting the price for your book you need to be competitive. You can't list your book for $25 if every other book in your genre is selling for $15. Printing is about 25% the distributors get 20% and the bookstore commission 45%. That leaves the smallest cut for author royalty. An author won't see a royalty check for a couple months, or maybe the royalty has to reach a certain amount before they send it out. As writers, we publish our books because it is our dream. We all have our reasons and our writing has to be a labor of love. Choose the marketing that can be the most effective at the lowest cost. Overall my advice is go electronic. Print books for the little guy is a killer.</p>Steven LaBreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435352338334041034noreply@blogger.com