http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html The Writing Better Fiction Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the Write-Better-Fiction.com Web site. Subscribe here. en-us writing Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:45:26 GMT Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:45:26 GMT write-better-fiction.com http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#How-to-Write-a-Great-Book First - <b>and most important</b> - you must have a great story to tell then - <ol> <li>Have a great title</li> <ul> <li>This can't be stressed enough</li> <li>A title is not a summary</li> <li>It must be catchy, engaging, and peak peoples interest in reading the book</li> </ul><br> <li>Make your book "Mediagenic" (media friendly) </li> <ul> <li>Put media hooks in your book</li> <li>What could a radio or TV host say that would make people want to hear an interview with you? </li> <li>You want several "hooks" in the book (put them in the table of contents) </li> </ul><br> <li>Get the "right feedback" during the writing process (don't wait till the end) </li> <ul> <li>Feedback from gatekeepers</li> <li>Agents, bloggers, editors, media people, producers, distributors, etc. </li> <li>Feedback from family, friends and relatives is worse than useless</li> </ul><br> <li>Don't try to do this all alone. You need a good team: </li> <ul> <li>Coach</li> <li>Researcher</li> <li>Editor</li> <li>Proofreader</li> </ul> </ol> Last - <b>but most important</b> - you must have a great story to tell. <a href="http://www.write-better-fiction.com">Click here to learn what "Great" stories are made of.</a><br> by Richard A McCullough Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:26:47 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Madness---NOT "They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me." - Nathaniel Lee Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:16:20 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Ripples-of-Hope Robert F. Kennedy once said, "Each time a man stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other, from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:02:41 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#The-Dictionaries-are-all-Wrong! "Action is character." - F. Scott Fitzgerald. Could anything be more cryptic? This is a great quote but it really doesn't tell us very much about how to create characters or what exactly to have those characters "do" - what action to have them take. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of quotes like this. But if we gathered all these nuggets and melted them together we still wouldn't have an effective system for creating good fiction. For that you must start with a good workable definition of the product the writer is trying to produce namely, a "story". Which brings us to the first hurdle - the dictionaries are all wrong! If Nike had no better definition for "shoe" than writers have for the definition of "story" we would all be walking barefoot. See the <a href="http://www.write-better-fiction.com/"> home page of www.write-better-ficiton.com </a> for the best definition of "story" that you've ever seen. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:36:32 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Great-Novels-are-Designed "The last thing one discovers in writing a book is what to put first." - Blaise Pascal This is <i>only</i> true if one is using the "discovery" (a.k.a. winging-it) method for writing their novel (which I would not recommend) unless one enjoys subjecting themselves to the struggle and angst normally associated with this thing called "writing". There is a better way to write a novel. This "better way" was evolved from the simple principle of having a story to tell <i>BEFORE</i> trying to tell it. No, this does not involve "outlining". Outlining works best for dissecting something that is already written - it has very limited use for constructing a story from scratch. For that one needs a logical system - comprised of four processes. <ol><b> <li>Story Conception</li> <li>Story Design</li> <li>Story Composition</li> <li>Story Editing</li> </ol></b> Writing is not, just one activity, but four processes that if done in sequence result in a prize winning novel. A novel - that people buy, read and tell their friends about. Subscribe to the e-zine and watch for the upcoming release of The Complete Story Blueprinting System. Learn to harness the Muse and write better and more effortlessly than you ever thought possible. Or, you can simply continue to stress over the blank page while you pull out your hair, or keep pounding-out whatever comes to mind and hope for a miracle. <b>Great novels are Conceived, Designed and Composed, not wished into existence.</b> P.S. The Complete Story Blueprinting System <i>ALSO</i> works like a bomb on stories your in the middle of - is that cool or what! Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:50:41 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Walking-on-the-Moon Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right. - Aldous Huxley Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:41:59 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Kill-the-TV If television is a babysitter, then the internet is a drunken librarian that won't shut up. - unknown Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:32:46 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Where-Have-I-Gone I have gone to find myself. Should I come in before I return, please keep me here until I get back. - unknown Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:23:12 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Said-and-Done When all is said-and-done; what you've done counts more than what you've said. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:12:00 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Closer-to-the-Truth He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:26:43 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Ability,-Motivation-and-Attitude Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. - Lou Holtz Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:27:19 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Truth-&-Fiction The only thing more frightening than writing the truth is confronting it. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:36:49 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#The-Best-Stories You have to be irresponsible, or you're not telling the best stories. - Joss Whedon Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:59:28 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Poe-Speaks-Out-- Edger Allan Poe reveals the secrets of "The Raven" - one of the great works of American Literature. http://bit.ly/e-zine Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:24:33 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#A-human-Invention-- I didn't want to work. It was as simple as that. I distrusted work, disliked it. I thought it was a very bad thing that the human race had unfortunately invented for itself. - Agatha Christie Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:45:12 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#The-Page If you decide to enter the page... take something you can hold onto, and a prism to split the light and a talisman that works, which should be hung on a chain around your neck: that's for getting back. - Margaret Atwood ("The Page," from Murder in the Dark) Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:27:24 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Ray-Bradbury-said-- We are cups, constantly & quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how 2 tip ourselves over & let the beautiful stuff out. - Ray Bradbury Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:04:47 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Real-Writers It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write. - Sinclair Lewis Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:12:08 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Everything-in-Life-is-Writable And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt. - Sylvia Plath Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:45:40 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Poem-Published My poem "Sandals" was published here <a href="http://angelsflightmagazine.com/Winter_09.html"> AngelsFlightMagazine.com</a> Please, read it pass it around and take a moment to let the publishers know what you think of it. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:37:11 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#We-Write---Because We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to. - Somerset Maugham Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:59:22 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/childrens-books.html What do you know about children's books Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:41:22 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#John-Steinbeck A writer lives in awe of words, for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. - John Steinbeck Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:21:34 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Unlikely-Connections A good writer makes unlikely connections seem inevitable. - Sydney Lumet Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:30:21 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writers-resources.html The best writers resources are the comments and advise of other writers. Ask questions and share your advice - in this writers community. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:27:48 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Teach-and-Learn Only when we attempt to teach others will we truly understand what it is we think we know. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:15:24 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#To-the-Stars Words are vehicles that can transport us from the drab sands to the dazzling stars. - M. Robert Syme Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:39:17 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Writers Writers make the world seem coherent. They decipher babble, they banish ambiguity and fluff, they amuse, they persuade, they convince, they entice, they inform. - Lawrence Jackson, 1942 - 1998 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:22:26 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Drive,-Sing-and-Write Most North Americans believe there are three things they do better than average: drive, sing, and write. Actually, most drive better than they sing, sing better than they write, and don't drive all that well. - Simon Teakettle Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:53:50 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Armageddon Armageddon is not around the corner. This is only what the people of violence want us to believe. The complexity and diversity of the world is the hope for the future. - Michael Palin Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:54:48 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Your-Story-Engine Coming soon "Your Story Engine" - the book you've been looking for. You can finish your novel in just 3 months - part time - when you know "What to Write". Watch for it at www.write-better-fiction.com Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:02:07 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Good-Advise-for-Writers Or anyone else for that matter - "So, if you're going to play the game at all, play it as a game and play it well. Realize fully that if you go into action you'll go into trouble, and go ahead and play the game. And don't worry about whether you're crazy or the environment is crazy. Be perfectly willing to be crazy. In other words, be willing to be crazy as far as the environment is concerned. And that way you'll get something done." - L. Ron Hubbard Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:56:30 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/index.html Writing better is the first step of selling more of what you write. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:18:32 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/How_to_write_a_novel_Concept-Design.html These how to write a novel tools vastly improve the odds of not only finishing the manuscript but ensuring that it's a good salable story. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:57:52 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Dreams "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined." - Henry David Thoreau Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:42:07 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Where-Do-We-Start? The organizational structure for a planet, a nation, a state, a city or a community looks like this. Div - 7 - Government<br> Div - 1 - Art<br> Div - 2 - Religion<br> Div - 3 - Banking<br> Div - 4 - Education<br> Div - 5 - Corrections<br> Div - 6 - Business<br> To make a better world, where do we start? Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:18:14 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Writing-not-Re-writing "Writing", contrary to popular opinion "is (not) rewriting" but planning what you're going to say and then saying it. Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:57:04 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#The-sound-of-tramping-boots The scariest thing I've ever heard - http://www.examiner.com/x-3704-Columbia-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m12d26-US-placed-under-international-policestate Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:51:28 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Writers If we writers cease to speak, the culture ceases to dream, and a culture that cannot dream is dead. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:49:24 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Follow-the-Money To understand politics, economics, current events or history - just follow the money. The "who" and the "why" becomes all too clear. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:23:21 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Their-People,-Stupid-- People don't mean to be stupid. Sometime they mistakes just make. Oops - see what I mean. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:29:27 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Health-Care---Health-Scare: Health Care - Health Scare Govmt "solutions" create new problems. They can't run economy or war, why trust them with "health care". Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:23:35 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Progress-or-Babble? Media fragmentation - Instead of a few broadcasting to millions we now have millions broadcasting to a few. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:06:26 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Stop-the-Madness When everything is labeled as a "diseases" and federal law dictates that a disease can only be prevented, treated or cured with a man-made drug; the world is on the brink of pharmaceutical madness with the drug companies as our jailers. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:35:13 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Discovery "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Andre Gide Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:02:31 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Nostalgia "Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days." - Doug Larson Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:50:41 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Health-Care---Health-Scare Health Care - Health Scare Every government "solution" creates two new problems. These guys can't run an economy or a war, why should we trust them with "health care". Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:18:44 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Stories Stories are how a culture defines itself; its past, present, and future are written by writers. Without stories - there are no tomorrows. Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:06:11 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#Being-Defeated: Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent - Marilyn vos Savant Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:33:46 GMT http://www.write-better-fiction.com/writing-blog.html#How-to-Write: A technology is only as good as its nomenclature and the technology of writing effective fiction was all but erased by pompous academics that have so twisted the language of writing as to make the subject incomprehensible, un-learnable and therefore all but impossible to do anything with. You may think I exaggerate. But I assure you, I'm making an understatement. Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:47:37 GMT