More on marketing

May 16, 2015May 14, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

One of my favorite people, Terri Reid, writes paranormal mysteries. She’s incredibly generous to aspiring writers, sharing tips she’s learned about successful self-publishing at conferences. Her background is in marketing. Here’s a Forbe’s interview with another self-published author, Mark Dawson, who’s also done quite well with his marketing approach. Of course, it helps to have stories worth reading, too.

How This Self-Published Author Made $450,000: Part 2 – Forbes.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaymcgregor/2015/05/12/how-this-self-published-author-made-450000-part-2/

Ideas from Idaho

May 15, 2015May 14, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Every now and then, a visual prompt is just the thing to get me out of a writing slump. These photos of Idaho — yes, Idaho — have already generated some ideas. Pick one and write its 1,000 words.
14 images that prove Idaho might be the most underrated state in America – Matador Network
http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/14-images-prove-idaho-might-underrated-state-america/

Isn’t it romantic?

May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Years ago, a friend of mine gave me a grocery bag full of romance novels. She loved them and was sure I would too. After reading most of the books in the brown paper bag, I understood the basic plot lines, the key euphemisms, and the general nature of the character development. I gave the books to someone else and I haven’t read any more. While it’s not my genre, some of my friends love to write it. In this interview, Lisa Kleypas shares lessons from her 30 years of writing romance novels.

An Interview With Historical Romance Legend Lisa Kleypas.
http://jezebel.com/an-interview-with-historical-romance-legend-lisa-kleypa-1703917812

You can’t mean that!

May 13, 2015May 13, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

I remember assigning Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” in a composition course for college freshmen. One of the students who read it was aghast at the idea of selling children as food. Somehow she’d missed the satire. It’s tough to pull off good satire in writing, where it shouldn’t be necessary to add cues (wink, wink, nod). Here’s an example that’s newer than the 1700s, and not in The Onion.
Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans – The New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/scientists-earth-endangered-by-new-strain-of-fact-resistant-humans

To write well

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

I remember reading On Writing Well — parts of it, anyway — in college. Zinsser offered valuable tips. It’s sad to hear he’s died. It may be time to take another look at the book.

William Zinsser, Author Of ‘On Writing Well,’ Dies At 92.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7270170