This is a continuation of guest blogger Kristin Noland’s post on ghostwriting. If you missed part 1, you’ll want to go back and read it.
[Read more…] about The Ghostwriting Process – Part 2The Ghostwriting Process – Part 2
Writing Skills
The Ghostwriting Process – Part 1
This month’s posts are from guest blogger Kristin Noland.
With over 80 manuscripts to her name—including two bestsellers, one a military thriller—Kristin has spent her career helping authors bring their stories to life and position their work for success. From intricate world-building to sharp pacing, intricate plots, and characters who stay with readers long after the last page, she has her clients’ backs.
As a ghostwriter and editor specializing in speculative and crime fiction, she works with authors to strengthen narrative structure, ensuring every plot point builds toward a compelling conclusion; refine style and voice, polishing language to capture her client’s unique storytelling voice; and prepare their books for the marketplace by aligning the manuscript with what agents, publishers, and readers are looking for.
[Read more…] about The Ghostwriting Process – Part 1Crafting Vivid Story Settings
Crafting vivid story settings is all about making your readers feel like they’re actually there! But how does a writer accomplish that? I do great with dialog, never an issue coming up with things for people to say, but I still struggle with description. I have to work at it (usually in the self-editing stage), so don’t fret if you find yourself on the ship with me.
That said, let’s dive in.
[Read more…] about Crafting Vivid Story SettingsFrom the Archive – Writing Skills
I’m kicking back a bit this month to relax and get focused on my next book. At this writing, I still haven’t figured out what will come next.
There’s more than a decade’s worth of posts on this blog, and unless you utilize the search box in the right side bar, you’re missing out on some fantastically helpful posts.
With this post, I thought I’d offer a list of posts I’ve written geared toward developing your writing skills. And next time, a list on marketing.
[Read more…] about From the Archive – Writing SkillsHow Much Do You Know About Your Ideal Reader?
Updated November 4, 2024.
Knowing your target audience or ideal reader—today’s term is avatar—is important in many ways. As the term implies, you are aiming at a target, so knowing as much as you can about it will enable you to hit the bull’s-eye.
Often the message you hope to convey through your fiction or nonfiction dictates a lot about who the audience is. For example, I wrote Carried by Grace because I wanted to help women…who were Christian…with children…who had been sexually abused. Additionally, I narrowed the age range to mothers who were 28 to 40.
Before you start to write, gain as much clarity about your ideal reader as possible, all the way down to their needs and struggles (this is critical if you blog). People read to meet a need in their life. What need are you meeting?
[Read more…] about How Much Do You Know About Your Ideal Reader?3 Simple Steps to Create Unforgettable Characters Workshop
This live interactive workshop happens Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at 1:00 Central time.
Characters that captivate the reader are essential to all good novels. This workshop discusses a 3-step method to build your characters as well as utilizing elements outside the norm such as cultural communication differences and temperament devices like Myers-Briggs and Keirsey. Then putting it all together into a character profile as a guiding document while writing.
Invest in yourself and grow your writing skills.
Register today.
Watch Out for Anachronisms
What are anachronisms? Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online Dictionary defines anachronism as: “a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place especially : one from a former age that is incongruous in the present.”
Anachronisms tend to occur primarily in historical fiction. It happens for various reasons, one of which is the writer failed to do the proper research needed.
[Read more…] about Watch Out for AnachronismsHow NOT to Write a Book
In writing book 3 of my Her Inheritance trilogy, I learned how NOT to write a book…at least for me. Hat’s off to pantsers because I think my recent experience comes pretty close to writing by the seat of my pants.
How NOT to Write a Book
- DO NOT change your plot after you’ve already written 20,000 to 30,000 words.