StorytimeWednesday

    How to write a book? I’ve been asked many times how hard is it to write a book. First off, the hardest part is coming up with a storybook idea that is worth writing about. There is no magic recipe for unlocking your creativity to help you write a book. So here's the scoop: there's no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming an author. Each writer's path is as individual as a fingerprint. But here's the kicker - nearly every successful author out there follows certain writing routines and strategies that propel them toward their literary dreams. In this series, we spill the beans on some of the most popular tactics used by bestselling authors to kickstart and complete their books.  Each week I will give you another tidbit to help you achieve your goals.  So, you want to write a book, huh? Well, let me tell you, the first thing you need is a killer idea. Without it, you're going nowhere with your writing. Maybe you already have a spark of inspiration, or maybe you...

  Tips for how to effectively research both fiction and nonfiction book:   First, let’s distinguish the difference between fiction and nonfiction writing because I’m always asked this question and figured I’d answer it now so you will understand the rationale between the two. There are two different types of writing f iction and nonfiction. Fiction is a storyline that is created from your imagination with fictitious people, situations, and events. Whereas nonfiction is created based on real-life events and people.   As an author, I can tell you straight away that research is essential to any good book. Whether it be fiction or nonfiction storylines, a writer needs to do some research first. Now I might write nonfiction stories, but I like to include real historical information to help entice my readers to explore the history books to see if I am right on the money with my historical facts. They are shocked to discover that when I write is actually accurate base...

  Your first draft if finished, now walk away for at least a day or two before you begin your editing process. If you can't afford to hire a professional editor to clean up your project, then you'll have to do it yourself. When I first started writing it took me ages to get the first page written because I kept rereading the page and editing, changing, and redefining the sentences. Finally, my writing mentor who was a previously published novelist who I adore finally got fed up with me during one of his biweekly catch-up phone calls to me when he asked how many pages I got written in the previous two weeks. My response was one page, and my reasoning was that the grammar and wording just didn't sound right to me. He snapped at me and gave me the best advice any writer could receive, stop editing and get the story out of your head and onto the paper or laptop in my case. Editing comes later. It's serious writing time. Now hang up the phone and get to writing and you bette...

 Many have asked me over the years how do I write a book or movie script? My response is always the same, the movie script comes first then the book is written. However, it's not always that simple. You have to have a story idea and a picture in your mind as to who your main characters will be and the location for the story idea. If research has to be conducted, then it's off to the library or many hours on the internet researhing history, a location, or a city to ensure I can describe it correctly and accurately. Once I have my research done and my story concept locked down it's easier to begin the concept of writing the story down on paper. But that's not the reality of writing a book or script, there are other steps that must be taken before I can sit down and begin writing. Here is what has to happen before you can even think about writing a book or movie script, first you have to have an idea for a story.  You must come up with a story concept . Ask yourself will y...

  Short Stories can help in writing process Many authors didn’t start out writing the preverbal 125,000-word novel first time out, they actually honed their talents by writing short stories and holding on to them, then later on digging them out and adding to them to make them into a novel. Even I have at times written maybe 10-25 pages or less type of short story. I just get the story out of my head and put it away until I have the time to flesh out the story or add to it.   Today the 24 th of November 2021 starts the Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in America, why not spend Friday sitting down and begin writing a short story? If you already have a story concept in your head, just sit down in a calm place and write. See what happens. You never know you might spark a full-length novel in my mind. Don’t tell anyone what you’re doing if there is company in the house, just quietly do it on your own. A short story is just that, short so you don’t have 30 pages to describe th...

      NDA’s – Importance of protecting and safeguarding your work  What does NDA mean, you ask? It means Non-Disclosure Agreement. It is a document that protects you when you share your work with someone else within either the publishing, movie or editor industry from stealing your work and using it for their own profit.   If someone is not interested in signing an NDA before you meet or share your work with, run for the hills. All they want to do is steal your ideas and concepts. That’s why when you meet with someone in Hollywood, or who represents a movie house or is a producer, never share your entire concept idea with them, only share a paragraph with them because if you give them anymore of your idea, they will snatch it from you and claim it was their idea. Here is what it should say and the format:   NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT The undersigned party (Person to whom you plan to share your concept idea plus resident address and phone number (t...

  Get the story out of your head One of the great things about having a creative mentor is they don’t hold any punches and tell you like it is no matter how it makes you feel. I have just one of those types of mentors. Don’t get me wrong he doesn’t tell me anything that is going to hurt my feels, but he does raise my awareness by giving me critical feedback that if you look at it the wrong way, you might think he is being seriously harsh. But as writers and creative individuals we need that type of slap upside the head at times, right? During one of his check up calls as he called them, he asked me how much writing I achieved for the book I was working on called “Last Wish”. My response was simple, I’m still on the first page, I’m stuck on all this grammar and editing as I go. He was not only frustrated with my response he hung up on me. I was like damn I pissed him off. Two hours later my phone rang and he apologized for the dropped call. His cell phone died and he had to full...