Is this what your insides look like? (photo courtesy of magicpoolservices.com ) Writers are not exactly the poster children for health and wellness. We are known for overindulgence, whether that is coffee, alcohol, nicotine or even self-pity. Too many of us are cramped and huddled over a keyboard, multi-tasking a bazillion things at one time. …
Tag: plot
Jun 27 2011
The Secret to Mastering Plot–Getting Primal
Today we are going to discuss gimmick and fundamentals of a good story. First, gimmick. Here is the thing. There are only so many plots. DO NOT try to get creative with plot. Everything has been done. Seriously. There are only so many elements on the Periodic Table, yet everything in the universe is made …
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Jun 24 2011
Failure–The Forge of Excellence
Today, we are going to talk a bit about failure. All writers who dare to dream seem to have this same fear–FAILURE. It can seem larger than life and everything fades away in the face of this looming beast. I want to let you in on a little secret. For many years I was the …
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Jun 13 2011
What Went Wrong with the Star Wars Prequels?
I am a serious nerd. I grew up on J.R.R. Tolkein and played Dungeons and Dragons all through high school. Trekkie conventions, RPGs, Renaissance festivals, you name it. I had the punch mark on my Geek Card. I still remember being 3 years old standing in line with my father and uncle for hours as we …
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Jun 07 2011
Sacred Cow-Tipping–Why Writers Blogging About Writing is Bad
This accidentally got posted early, so last week’s critique winner will be added here in a bit. Today we begin the Sacred Cow-Tipping. When it comes to social media, there are few things that can give us as much impact as a blog. Blogs afford us the opportunity to connect with MILLIONS of people. Yes, …
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International Association of Professional Writers & Editors
Featured Books
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.
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