Writing Tip & Prompt: 6/14/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Your Favorite Scene
When developing a story, there is usually a line or scene that particularly strikes you. Develop this element first. Trying to write toward this exciting tidbit may only bore you and burn unnecessary fuel. Set aside time to thoroughly look at the most encouraging sentence and element. Until this element runs its course and you understand its place within the whole of your work, it will surely bother you as you’re writing other sections.
Writing Prompt – Father’s Day
Father, Dad, Daddy, Pops, Old Man – just a few of the names we might call our dads. Our dads are a compilation of our best friend, our hero, Mr. Fix-it and of course, our dad. This Sunday is Father’s Day, and what better way to celebrate your dad than by using your gift as a writer. Think back to your favorite memory of your father. Was it building a sandcastle with him on vacation? Or maybe playing ball with him in your yard? Whatever the memory, write a short story about it, include as many details as you remember. Let your dad understand how important that memory is to you through your writing.
Tick Tock, How Do You Fit Writing and Marketing on the Clock?
WestBow Press author, J.V. Carr, knows a thing or two about a busy schedule. She juggles raising children and maintaining a household on top of sharing her book’s message. Learn more about how she finds time for her time-consuming responsibilities.
Do you have busy days? A crazy work schedule? A busy house that steals your time? If so, how do you find the time to write, promote your book and keep up with your online presence on social media?
It may seem like a daunting and overwhelming task to juggle your life and writing, too. And believe me, I haven’t perfected this yet, but I am peacefully striving toward the writing and marketing goals I have set for myself. I say peacefully because at first I felt panicked to promote my newly published novel, Username: Bladen. I stayed up too late reading, writing, setting up and maintaining my social media accounts. Eventually I ended up too tired to continue. (more…)
Writing Tip & Prompt: 6/7/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Recognize Your Story’s Roots
Underneath all of the ideas and storytelling is the single purpose for sharing your story. Understanding the foundation and underlining meaning offers a direction to your writing and a deeper emotional connection with your readers. Are your readers able to understand your story’s roots from your writing? If not, edit your story or add to it so that readers can better connect with your story.
Writing Prompt – Dreams
Dreams are our subconscious imagination working overboard — mindful stories combining current emotions, recent thoughts and hopeful desires. Think of your latest dream. What was your subconscious trying to tell you? Write out the details you can remember and then finish the story.
AARP Life@50+ Book Gallery
This past weekend, WestBow Press was happy to be a part of Author Solutions, Inc.’s book gallery at the AARP Life@50+ Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. AARP is an organization that dedicates itself to helping seniors achieve their dreams – a natural match for WestBow Press. Just like AARP is proud of what they do to help people reach their goals, we are proud of what we do to help writers reach their self-publishing goals.
Events such as the Life@50+ Convention give us the chance to reach out to writers who want to become published authors. They also provide an opportunity for WestBow Press authors to make their book available to new readers. This year, there were approximately 11,000 attendees at this year’s event, and 22 WestBow Press titles were on display for them to see.
In addition to the great opportunities that WestBow Press had at the event, AARP provided seemingly endless resources for attendees, as well as entertainment. There were games, giveaways, lectures, movies, and concerts that appealed to a wide array of people – especially to the seniors at the event. Some of the main attractions were a class that discussed using popular technologies, a screening of Jerry Lewis’ new movie, Max Rose, with a Q&A session to follow, and concerts from The Temptations and The Four Tops. Celebrity authors were also in attendance to talk about their books, including Candace Bushnell, Marie Osmond and Bob Newhart.
The lively backdrop of Las Vegas set a great tone for a fun, exciting weekend. It was the type of experience that invigorates people to live life to the fullest and dedicate themselves to their goals and passions. We were proud to feature our authors and their titles, and were very happy to have a successful event.
WestBow Press offers a variety of book galleries and signings to help our authors share their book with as many people as possible. Which event on our list will you be attending?
Writing Tip & Prompt: 5/31/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Questions
When writing a book, it is inevitable that your manuscript will include questions. Sometimes the question is part of the dialogue, and sometimes it is a question for the reader to think about. Writing questions that begin a sentence, or are part of a dialogue are easy, but have you ever asked a question within your sentence? For example: The question is, Who is the protagonist of the story? Notice the w in “Who” is capitalized. You always capitalize an independent question within a sentence.
Writing Prompt – Clear mind
What does a blank or clear mind do? Look up at a clear sky, or find the blankest wall where you are (it can be just part of a wall, if need be) and stare at it for 5 to 10 uninterrupted minutes. Write about the thoughts that went through your head while you stared. What tips do you have for helping writers clear their mind?
Q&A with David Wolstenholm, WestBow Press Author
David Wolstenholm with his wife, Lolita
David Wolstenholm is the author of Combat Ready, and he served in the Marine Corps infantry as a TOW Gunner from 1998 – 2002. He was deployed twice, first in 2000 to the Mediterranean, and second in 2002 to the Middle East and Africa. David served with the 2nd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment.
In 2005, David became a Christian, and in 2009 he began attending Andrew’s University Theological Seminary on a part-time basis. He did this for two years before attending full-time in 2011. David has a passion to reach people who are suffering through life; he has a special place in his heart for fellow veterans and youth. He served as a youth pastor for one year in Virginia before moving to Michigan to complete his studies. David is currently in the process of transitioning to Redding, Calif., where he will be an associate pastor at a church plant.
David recently had a book signing at a Barnes & Noble in Mishawaka, Ind. Here, we talk with David to learn what inspired him to write Combat Ready, and to ask him for advice for his fellow authors to land book signings at their local bookstores.
WestBow Press: What inspired you to write Combat Ready
David Wolstenholm: I was inspired by two sources. First, I heard a sermon where the speaker was using military boot camp in comparison to the Christian life. It was a good example, but the speaker had never been to boot camp. This inspired me to write a first-hand look at the similarities between military and Christian experiences. My second inspiration came from God. I always had a sense that God wanted me to write a book, it just took several years to figure out what it would be. (more…)
Writing Tip & Prompt: 5/24/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Creating Your Title
When titling a story or poem, there are some basic principles that might help. First, try to combine verbs and nouns. For example, the title “The Journey Home” might draw more readers under the title “Journeying Home.” Furthermore, avoid vague or sweeping titles like “A Hard Life” or “Dreamer’s Paradise.” Contemporary audiences respond better to titles that actively invoke images that can be viewed as metaphors for larger themes, such as “Crosswords for Lover.” Of course, every rule has its exception, so always listen to your creative instincts when titling your pieces.
Writing Prompt – Start with the Title
Sometimes, the title of your next story or poem will suddenly pop into your head, and you’ll still have no idea how to begin the piece. Instead of forgetting about them, keep a running list of these titles in a notebook. When you have time, pick one at random and free write for an hour, using the chosen title as a springboard. What you write my need a different title in the end, but the original title might trigger the creative impulse you need to begin a completely new writing venture.
Ingredients of a Bestseller
James Hall’s book Hit Lit: Cracking the Code of the 20th Century’s Biggest Bestsellers attempts to do what publishers and authors have failed to do since Gutenberg: identify what determines whether or not a book will become a bestseller. While Hit Lit focuses on novels, much of what he attempts to do should go into every author’s thinking as they determine what to write, how to write it and how to get readers to buy it.
Five tips for writing a bestseller:
1) Identify what readers want and need. Bestsellers tend to include similar themes and elements that appeal to common wants and needs of the readers. What are readers fascinated about right now? Readers want to learn something along the way and even gain an understanding of current issues. Readers cheer for characters that take risks and act decisively as they work through conflicts and dilemmas.
2) Write well. As editor Michael Korda said, “At least half the books on any given week’s bestseller list are there to the immense surprise and puzzlement of their publishers.” If a book triggers an emotional response in readers, they will mention the book to others, which helps boost the book’s sales. Many bestsellers deal with common wants and needs in new ways. While there is “nothing new under the sun” there are new ways of saying things.
3) Get readers excited. While publishers and authors that have connections with millions of readers have a distinct advantage, they do not have absolute power to drive the sales of an inferior book. The most important thing is getting the book in the hands of influential individuals and communities that have a natural affinity for the book. If they get excited about it they will tell others about the book.
4) Get lucky. It is easy to find books that are similar to any bestseller, so what caused one to ignite while the others fizzled? A book that provides a new approach to addressing a common need and is in the spotlight just when the urgency of that specific need increases can become a bestseller.
5) Repeat. The good news for successful authors is that readers that like a book typically want more from that author.
Since much of what determines whether a book sells well or not can’t be controlled, or even influenced by an author or publisher, it makes sense to focus on the few things that can be impacted.
What are you doing to improve the likelihood of your book becoming a bestseller?
Writing Tip & Prompt: 5/17/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Conversations
We write our stories in statements which typically transcends into dialogue between characters. Too many statements within your dialogue may leave your conversation flat on its page. Try adding questions mixed within the dialogue to perk up the flow. True conversation is full of questions and tag questions (you know?) as a tool for inviting a response. A mix of commands, interjections and questions will help keep your dialogue flowing and the pages rolling.
Writing Prompt – Plot Momentum
Momentum within a narrative is developed through the urge to find out what has happened in the past and discover what will happen next. By slowly unfolding the story for readers, the writer creates a lean towards what may come. As reader, we develop conclusions for each character and the story’s events. If you are in the middle of reading a book, place it aside and imagine the remaining pages do not exist. Consider all possibilities for your characters … If A does this, B will do that, which will affect C in this way. But if B doesn’t then maybe D will do this. Write a short piece that follows one of these avenues, and see how the direction you choose enhances the momentum of your story.
3 Tips on Writing a Children’s Book
Did you know that the National Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country with the 94th annual celebration this week? We’re excited to honor those children’s authors and books that have made a lasting impact on a child’s life. And, if you’ve ever tried to write a children’s book, you know that it’s not as easy as it may seem. Children can be fickle in what they like, and some adult authors struggle to reach an audience with different interests and on a lower reading level.
How can you write a Christian children’s book with a positive message that children want to read? No matter where you are at in the process of writing your children’s book, we can help you with a few writing tips:
- Determine your motives and message. With thousands of children’s titles published each year, you must figure out how to make yours stand out. Do you have a specific message you want to share with children? Perhaps you have noticed a certain type of book lacking in the children’s department, and you think you can write a book to fill that gap. Before you do anything else, spend time thinking about why you want to write a children’s book, then determine what message you want to communicate.
- Get on their level. Children are a unique group of readers. Their attention span is short, their interests vary from moment to moment and their view of the world is different than adults. So, spend time with children to learn what they like, what they are curious about and what scares them. Keep these children in mind when you start writing. It is also important that you know exactly what age group your book is aimed at. A book for a toddler would be written differently than a book for a five-year-old.
- Utilize pictures. Not only should the words in your book connect with the children in your target age range, but the pictures should as well. Since most young children cannot read on their own, illustrations and pictures help them understand a story. Your pictures should be age appropriate, bright and colorful and match the plotline of your story. If you are not an illustrator you can hire a freelance illustrator or choose from one or more of the interior illustrations services WestBow Press offers.
Writing a children’s book is not always easy and can become an exercise in being concise and communicating a big message on a child’s level. But, seeing a child’s eyes light up when they read your book is worth all the hard work.
What were your favorite books as a child?
Writing Tip & Prompt: 5/10/2013
On Fridays we like to share writing tips and tricks with our readers. We hope this section will encourage and inspire you to continually improve as a writer.
Writing Tip – Homophones
There, their and they’re. Your and you’re. When and win. Homophones are words with the same sound but different meanings, and there are several of them in the English language. As a writer, you need to be extra careful to make sure you are using the correct form of the word. One of the most commonly misused homophones is your and you’re. ‘Your’ is a possessive determiner, while ‘you’re’ is a contraction of you are. Ex: You’re at war. It is your turn to roll. By learning the differences in spelling and meaning of the homophones in the English language, you can prevent yourself from making embarrassing mistakes in your writing.
Writing Prompt – Mothers
This Sunday, May 12, is Mother’s Day; the day where we celebrate mothers, motherhood and the influence of mothers in society. Mothers want the best for their children and work hard to be the best mother they can be. Have you told your mother how much you appreciate her and everything she has done for you lately? This year, show your mother your appreciation by using your talent and passion to write her a poem.