Category Archives: Writing tips and ideas

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing tips and ideas

How developed are your characters?

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How much of your personality goes into your books? Do any of the characters share any of your qualities? Do you create a character of someone you know? Maybe you create a character with traits you wish you had. To date, I have not done that with any of my books that are fiction.

Developing characters is fun to do, yet it does require an author to step back and mull over how this “person” will appear to the readers.

Some characters your readers will fall in love with others they will hate that will propel the storyline. But having a lack lusting person won’t do you and your book any favors.

One should not rush into this. You create a physical description, but you also have to include mental and emotional aspects. You need a well-rounded person, one that the reader can invest in love or hate and imagine in their head.

I have had children ask me about Jasper and if he is in any way like he is in the book. It is an easy question with Jasper being a member of our family in real life. It is easy to put into the book his personalities and antics I have observed over the years.

I am striving for this with the books I write in other genres. I want my fans to see my characters in their minds. I want them to have a range of emotions concerning the characters as they turn the pages toward the end.

If I don’t spend the time beforehand and mull over how to develop my cast, they won’t go very far.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing tips and ideas

Evaluating 2020 : When it comes to your brand

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Now that the year is winding down, it is a good idea to access how you did in whatever part of your life or business that comes to mind.

When it comes to writing, aka my business, I go over my marketing calendar to see how I did as far as time and effort.

It is a simple calendar. I mark daily, I try anyway, how I did. By doing this I get a good overlook on how I am doing and if I am progressing forward. I also mark if I worked on any of my manuscripts,  if I did any editing, or if I start any new book.

This year I did pretty good in posting about my brand, having more guest posts on other sites, and having more interviews. My books made it in the top 100 multiple times on Amazon. It made it and in the lower 50 many times.

Marketing one’s books and brand is tedious and takes a lot of time, especially away from writing. But it is a necessary part of being an author.

When one compares to where one started at the beginning of the year, it is a way to see what worked and what didn’t. It helps me to proceed for the next year.

It could help you progress better than the year before. That is my goal.

Good luck to you all in 2021.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing tips and ideas

Collaboration: A good idea for writers?

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“We should work together.”

‘Would you like to collaborate with me on ____?”

“It would be great if we worked on a project together.”

The list goes on.

Over the years, a dozen people have made various remarks like the ones above to me. I have always gotten excited. But I soon realized the above meant two things.

First, it would not pan out due to life, circumstances, and more.

Two, what people meant was this. They want me to do the work with input and ideas now and then from them. They want me to revise and edit the whole book with thoughts now and then from them. They want me to shop the manuscript to publishers with no input from them. They want me to do the bulk of promotion and marketing. They also want me to use my well-established author platform on their behalf while they enjoy what comes from it.

Hey, if I could convince someone to do that, I would climb aboard that train. Well, to a certain degree.

But, no.

Hmm. Let me be more clear on this topic. Hell no.

Either they don’t know how much work is necessary or they don’t want to do a share of it.

I understand. Doing this kind of work is not easy. It involves a lot of time and effort. Things I am willing to put into a collaboration with someone.

However, if you think I am going to do the bulk of the work and you put your name on that cover, you are delusional.

If someone is willing to work with me, that is awesome. I welcome it.

But until that moment arrives, I will stick to working on my own.