Secret-keepers have what it takes to be legendary storytellers. Stories aren’t solely about pretty writing, glorious description, or witty banter. Excellent stories are about one thing and one thing only….CONFLICT. Want to know the secret ingredient that turns responsible adult readers into reckless maniacs willing to stay up until DAWN to finish a book…on a …
Tag: generating dramatic tension
Dec 12 2018
Embrace the Inner Psychopath: Great Authors Will Even Kill Christmas
- By Kristen Lamb in Writing Tips
Embrace the inner psychopath. If I could only teach ONE ‘trick’ for writing great stories, it would be this: The moral codes that make us excellent citizens make us terrible writers. We have to remember the rules change when dealing in the realms of imagination. Fiction is NOT life, rather it is an imitation of life. …
Mar 28 2016
Lies & Secrets—The Lifeblood of Great Fiction
It’s tempting for us to create “perfect” protagonists and “pure evil” antagonists, but that’s the stuff of cartoons, not great fiction. Every strength has an array of corresponding weaknesses, and when we understand these soft spots, generating conflict becomes easier. Understanding character arc becomes simpler. Plotting will fall into place with far less effort. All …
Nov 06 2015
The Truly Dramatic Plot—Shakespeare, Instagram, & Why Macbeth is STILL Awesome
I love to think of myself as an author, blogger, warrior princess in my own mind and? TALENT SCOUT! I also love collecting talented people, which recently my attorneys informed me this is technically called “kidnapping” and is a “felony.”
Jul 29 2015
Generating Page-Turning Momentum—Characters & The Wound
Wounds drive how we perceive our world, what we believe we want, and how we will (or won’t) interact with others. This is critical for generating story tension and character arc.
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Rise of the Machines—Human Authors in a Digital Age
What is a brand? A platform? Why do we need one? How do we get one? Better still how can we create a brand with the power of driving book sales and still have time left to do THE most important part of our job? Writing more books.
This book demystifies branding and social media and harnesses the same passion and imagination we authors use to write books, then uses that to locate and cultivate a devoted fan base. The methods taught in this book can weather any technological upheaval, and is virtually fad-proof. The new cool social site might change, but your platform will remain.
More info →Recent Posts
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- Why is “Suddenly” Everyone on the Spectrum? January 31, 2024
- The Johari Window & Character Blind Spots January 12, 2024
- Writing Lessons from “A Christmas Carol” December 20, 2023
- Meltdowns: Chaos & the Neurodivergent Author December 6, 2023
- Neurodivergent Authors: Not Lazy or “Broken” November 22, 2023
- Book Reviews: Why They Matter SO Much November 10, 2023
About Kristen Lamb
Kristen Lamb is a #1 best-selling author, international speaker, blogger, and branding Jedi who briefly dated Cthuhlu freshman year. (They broke up—Cthulhu was a bit “clingy,” and Kristen didn’t realize that a “long distance” relationship really meant inter-dimensional travel.)
Her highly acclaimed mystery thriller, The Devil’s Dance, is in no way related to the amount of true crime podcasts or tv shows she consumes. Also, no animals (other than maybe some chocolate bunnies) were harmed in the creation of her new horror anthology---written in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock and Black Mirror---WTH Did I Just Read?
She’s the creator of the perennial branding and social media guide book, Rise of the Machines–Human Authors in a Digital World. Additionally, she is the author of the #1 best-selling books We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer.
When she’s not on the road speaking at conferences or teaching online writing seminars, she is rescuing kittens and bringing coffee to the guys in the NSA van parked in front of her house.
Writer, kitten-rescuer, and NSA subject since 2005.