Storytelling 101

Every story has an angle or perspective from which it is told. This perspective is called point of view.

As writers, we often limit our thinking of press coverage to what we read – newspapers, magazines, online reviews. But broadcast mediums such as radio interviews also are an excellent way to promote your book.

Page numbers and running headers that include the book’s name and your title also are called folios. Almost every page in your book should have a page number.

When writing action scenes, avoiding rear-view mirror descriptions typically is a good idea. In such a description, an object is described only after it’s been part of the action.

A great way to generate money from your book writing is by offering webinars. You’ve probably heard of and even attended seminars. A webinar is exactly the same, except that’s done over the Internet.

Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the materials necessary to get through the process. Unless you’re living off the grid, you probably have everything.

Every story has an angle or perspective from which it is told. This perspective is called point of view.

To effectively market your book, you’ll need a media kit. This is a collection of materials that you send to newspapers, radio and television stations, magazines, bloggers and just about anyone else who might in some way mention your book. Sometimes it’s referred to as a press kit.

Should you decide that you want to use a pen name, the question then arises as to what you pseudonym should be.

Ever read a story before bed and find it so gripping that you stay up far later than you should just to find out what is going to happen? If so, you’ve been a “victim” of narrative drive.

Another way to promote your book is through a public appearance at a writing conference. Writing organizations, colleges and other groups offer a wide variety of such programs. Typically, they help writers develop their skills, learn the industry, and make connections.

You’ve just put the finishing touches on your book and are about to send it off to an editor, a literary agent, or maybe even a publishing house. Seemingly countless hours of thought and sweat went into your novel or nonfiction book, and it’s pretty good stuff, if you do say so yourself. But then a dreadful thought comes over you: “What if some slimeball tries to steal my work and pass it off as his own?”

As developing your story, maintaining a sense of tension is vital. Without dramatic tension - a feeling of uncertainty in the reader about how the main character will solve (or even if he will resolve) the central problem - the story will be flat and vanilla. Creating tension involves controlling the story's pace.

The day has finally arrived: Your first book reading and signing! No doubt your stomach is aflutter, not just with excitement but with a little apprehension. What if you mess up in the reading? What if you can’t think of what to say when someone answers a question? What if the crowd finds you boring and starts to leave?

Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the materials necessary to get through the process. Unless you’re living off the grid, you probably have everything.

If you have a completed manuscript, you actually should to format two ebooks – one for Kindle and one for Smashwords. This actually is less work than it sounds as you can format an ebook that will work for both Kindle and Smashwords.

A sign of true craftsmanship for a writer is when he selects the right words and arranges them in an evocative way. After all, the most interesting character facing a significant moral decision in a fast-paced plot and exotic setting will sound flat if the words used are wrong. The vocabulary choices and ways they are arranged to create a sense of style is known as diction.

Looking at how published authors of novels and nonfiction books and other writers, such as journalists, write their books, there does seem to be a general writing process that every one of them uses.

Just because you’ve published a book, don’t expect to get invitations to do book readings. You’ll have to arrange them yourself. The good news is you’ll find a lot of venues will be willing to have your speak.

Though you’ve finished writing your book, it still might not be ready for self-publication, if only for legal reason, specifically copyright infringement.

Publishing houses are printing fewer books and cutting back on the number of titles they print. In addition, there already are a sparse number of magazines printing short stories, novellas and serials. As a consequence, many good writers who’ve written good books and short tales simply aren’t being published.

Every writing guidebook and editor out there will tell you to use active voice. But what happens when you use active voice and your writing still sounds flat? More than likely, the active verbs are overused. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/02/04/spunk-up-your-writing-replace-overused-verbs/

One of the obstacles facing beginning writers is finding a place where they actually can write. Too often our responsibilities and modern civilization’s many distractions don’t allow for a moment – or place - of peace and quiet in our lives. Yet, just such a place where we can put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper for a while is necessary if we are to write.

It’s the rare book that somehow goes virulent and captures the public’s attention and admiration all on its own. Indeed, more than 900 books are published daily in just the United States alone, so no matter how good yours is, the odds of it even being noticed are nil at best. The reality is that indie authors and those who self-publish need to market their own books.

What is self-publishing? How does it differ from mainstream publishing? Should you self-publish or go the traditional route. Longtime book editor Rob Bignell answers these questions and more.

Almost all stories force the main character to solve several problems. The issues of where to hide, of finding a way to send a message for help, of obtaining a weapon to defend oneself, all might appear within a single chapter of a novel or even a lone scene of a short story. One core problem, though, sets into motion the need to address these other issues. For example, escaping a murderer might require the main character to hide, to seek help, and to defend herself. This core problem also is known as the central problem. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/02/03/establish-storys-central-problem-in-opening-lines/

Despite widely varying writing styles, almost all writers share several common habits that help ensure their success. Drawing upon my experience working as an editor with hundreds of authors and having read far more interviews of or essays by writers, I’ve noticed five common habits among them. Any time an aspiring author asks me what they can do to become a better writer, I automatically recommend adopting those habits. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/02/03/top-5-habits-all-writers-should-possess/