by Melissa Conway Most author-created book trailers stick to the tried-and-true format of carefully selected stock photos with thoughtfully composed captions set to royalty-free music—a potentially good way to get a story concept across to viewers. If done right, it can increase sales, but this particular marketing tool is useless if nobody watches it. Let’s … [Read more…]
Joyce Carol Oates talks about characters in her books and the difficulty of writing realistic characters, including animal characters. She suggests sticking with writing dialogue between two people for two hours. She also talks about Rebecca from The Gravedigger’s Daughter and how Oates envisioned her as an early version of her own grandmother.
Great and funny video on the obsession that is checking numbers like Amazon rankings, and now, if you are self-publishing on Amazon, the ACTUAL sales. It’s also a great example of an entertaining video that will promote your book and that people will actually want to watch!
The hero’s journey is a classic story structure that seems to be embedded in all of us. This video gives examples of the narrative quest from movies, myths, and literature. It’s worth a view, especially if the hero’s journey and narrative quest structure is new to you as a writer.
Gerald M. Weinberg talks to law students about writer’s block. In this interview, Jerry debunks the myth that prevents so many would-be writers from actually writing. He gives examples of what to do when you think you’re “blocked.” Gerald M. Weinberg (Jerry) writes “nerd novels,” available as eBooks at his web site or on Kindle. … [Read more…]