Writing advice about character development in this post.

"Damn, that guy has character!" or "What a character!" 

Ever heard that before? Well, that's what you want your readers to say about your book's characters. Whether the character is good or villainous, you want him/her to be well-rounded and three-dimensional and therefore very memorable in your readers' minds.

Developing characters can be fun, all you have to do is lay out a few guidelines. Sigrid Macdonald, a book coach, editor and freel...

Hi all!...Some advice today about nurturing your creative ideas and getting them on paper.

First of all, have you ever had an idea (and it was a lulu) but you did not write it down and then later forgot what the hell it was? I have (probably because my mind is slipping into LaLa Land) and I have wrestled with trying to remember that exact idea later but always came up with something inferior. Then, after giving myself a headache, I finally give up and move on...Believe me, when the Muse hit...

Who says you can't make news features more colorful? I always enjoy a newspaper story that presents the facts...but with the three-dimensional ambiance of all the characters and locations involved. I hope I'm saying that right to make my point.

At any rate, Susan Beam, a journalist for the Columbia Ledger weekly newspaper, says it better than I in this article she contributed to Suite101.com:

When a person thinks of newspaper article, without fail, it is understood that they contain the five W'...

Give my writing away? Hell no!...I used to think. Then I learned, especially as a newbie wanting to establish a presence, that it was better to advertise some of your work for free to get known and accumulate a following...build a platform, so to speak, from which to launch your bigger works for sale...Look at it as writing your advertising.

Yuwanda Black (pictured) is an author and speaker who wrote a great article for Wordpreneur giving some excellent pointers on when your writing should b...

More advice for writers, especially aspiring writers.

Want to kick-start your initial writing career or jump-start an old one in a slump? There are certain things you can do to help you go to the next level and Rob Parnell, founder of the Easy Way to Write, has listed a few good ones in an article he wrote for Wordpreneur.

I just discovered Rob and his work and I'm impressed! I am proud to present his article here:

Becoming a Writer

The urge to write fiction seems God given for some, a lea...

Tips for writing press releases today. Whether you are traditional publishing or self-publishing, knowing how to write a good press release for your book is essential for getting more news outlets interested in covering you and your book.

Here are ten tips offered by Susan Valeri, a book and small business publicist, in an article she wrote for Wordpreneur:

Keep these few crucial details in mind when writing and submitting your press release to increase your chances of news coverage:

1. If...

You want to make time to write on a consistent basis? To finally finish that masterpiece...Then, my friend, you need a PLAN! And I found someone who has an excellent approach to finding and scheduling time...Patty Apostolides...And she writes about it in this article for Wordpreneur: 

Finding the time to write a novel is one of the major issues confronting writers, particularly those who haven’t been published yet. How does one justify to themselves, or to their loved ones, that they need ti...

Storytelling is an art...but MORE than that, it is a gift...I mean, a gift GIVEN.

Stories are also one of the greatest teaching tools...This is overlooked by far too many.

Kevin Cordi, award-winning storyteller, teacher and author, can speak on this subject much better than I and pack more useful information in short paregraphs...So pay attention:

Telling a story is a lot like giving a gift.
 
Stories can be used to identify unfamiliar terms and broach new ideas. They can be used to present cultu...

Some more advice today for writers...Today it's about a writers strategic planning for choosing a book subject that will have the best chance for selling and marketing success.  

Caterina Christakos (pictured below), author of How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less and others, gives us some sage advice 
on pre-planning for our subject matter in an article for Wordpreneur:

Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having a number one best seller. Both are wonderful reasons...

In the 10 years that I’ve taught people how to get on with their books, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that I’ll call “Author’s Block.” Would-be writers can, indeed, sit down and work when pressed to it. The problem is that they’re ...

 (pictured below) is exactly that and does just that in an article for Wordpreneur:

Did you know that you already have an ebook inside you?

And you can earn thousands of dollars each month?

Even if you are a non-techie like me, you can write your ebook at the same time you write y...

A happy writer? Of course! I'm happy...BROKE...but happy nonetheless. Thank God for a retirement from another source (subject for another post) to sustain me half-way comfortably.

First, from my point of view, to be a reasonably happy writer you had better been born rich or have money from another source coming in to allow you the "luxury" to pursue writing.

This piece by Rosemary Clement-Moore  (pictured below) posting on GENREALITY blog is light and breezy and has some good writer parallels:...

, a NY Times best-selling author of numerous books, posting on GENREALITY Blog, details his personal journey to arriving at military historical fiction as his genre...His thought process will definitely give writers some insight and tips on analyzing their way to topics that will get their juices boiling...something they can be passionate about!

Bob Mayer says:

For a l...

Writing children's books can be personally rewarding and lucrative. Caterina Christakos, writing for Wordpreneur, gives away some secrets to understanding and structuring novels for the "little buggers." 

Caterina Christakos (Wordpreneur Classic):

Ever wonder how the most successful children’s book writers get their ideas? The answer may surprise you.

Most children’s books are based on the same exact story – good versus evil.

Ex. Harry Potter vs. Voldemort. Cinderella vs. her wicked st...

Different is the same as unique...and that's good in writing. You can learn just so much from established, experienced authors; then you must strike out alone and let your own imagination and iteration of it fly!...and realize that some of the experts that initially gave you advice will be different from you and not like all your approaches (as you probably don't like all of theirs, right?).

This is by Candace Havens who contributes to the GENREALTY Blog:


  Candace Havens 

I’m going on the rec...

Warrior Writer works because other successful people use the same basic strategi...