Research A Necessity How Far Will You Go?

               As a writer, in your journey you will have to do lots of research when writing a book, or an article.  So prepare yourself because research is extremely important.  Why?  Well, have you ever read a book that was describing a certain place or city, and you by chance knew that place, but what they were describing wasn't there at all, because you'd been there before.  You shake your head and sat that guy didn't do his research.  In writing you must gain authenticity.  You will have many readers who travel, know cities, background, all kinds of things, and they're  not going to be fooled by mere words.  You'd better know what your talking about..  A writer can learn many things from research.  There are many self help books out there, written by writers who actually learned the trade they were writing about.  Many crime stories authors asked to take a ride along with cops so they could actual feel the speed and danger of a chase, see a drug bust, or ride with the EMT's to see them in action. Maybe you're writing a cook book, so you might decide to take a cooking class, to really get the low down on cooking.  Or you might be writing a book on serial killers in your local prison, and want to talk to the psychologist who works there, to question what makes them killers.  What ever you're writing about, you must do research, get up close and personal.  Only then will you actually have a better understanding of what your are writing about, and so will your reader  In my book Leah, I was describing the entrance to Jackson Hole Wyoming and what visitors see when they enter town.  Well, so glad I did my research.  A woman met me and said I described the town so well, it brought back so many memories for her, because she use to live there.  Some authors have traveled world wide, climbed mountains, survived the dangers of nature, forged through wind, rain and snow to do research for their book, or novel.  How far will you go?

Know Your Writers Terminology!

As a writer, there are many things you have to know on your writing journey, but most important is what terms are used in fiction writing, and what they mean.  Often you wlil be confronted by readers who have read your piece and have questions about the story or characters.  They may want to know about how you chose your plot.  So, of course you need to know what plot is, or how can you explain it to them.  They may ask why you used Irony in a certain scene, or what a particular flashback was for, or that they really love your antagonist.  Your at a lost for words if you don't know these terms, and can give them the answers they want to hear.   People don't  just want to read, they want to know why you put the story together the way you did.  This often happens at book signings, so you must be a knowledgeable author, able to hold your own with the reader.  There may be future inspiring writers watching you, and if you falter, it could make them reconsider their choice to be a writer. because the questions you were  asked were to difficult for you to answer.  If someone says to you "I loved the climax"  what are they talking about?   Or, why were there so many complications in the main characters life.  Climax, complications, setting, background.  You must know all these terms, and more.  You must be able to explain your work, and why these were present in your story. Of course, it is best to know and understand these terms as you develop your writing talent.  Take time to look up common terms in fiction writing, read them thoroughly, and get to understand them.  Editors, and publisher will often use these terms when evaluating, and considering your piece for publication.  Showing you where you are in error.   Knowing the common writers terminology will make you not only be a better writer, but a knowledgeable one as well, and draw you closer to seeing your work in print, and prepare you for that book signing that's in your future!

Want to know more writers terminology that will benefit you as a writer, then check out the link below !

https://www.scribendi.com/advice/fiction_writing_glossary.en.html

Soft Cover Book Or Hardcover Book/ That Is The Question!

        At some point in your writing journey, you will ask yourself that question.  Which is best?  Well first lets discuss the difference between the two.  A hardcover/ or hardback book is a book that has a hard, rather than "soft" or paper cover., so we now know that a soft cover book, has a soft cover. That's basically the difference between the two.  In a soft cover the cover has the design print on it, while in a hard cover a jacket must be made with that exact design on it.  Many people I have talked to say they dislike the jackets on the hard cover version.  It often gets ripped or is distracting to them as they try to read, because it often falls off the book, and after time, the jacket looks old.  Many thought hard cover books were difficult to carry around, where a soft cover is easier to carry around in a briefcase, on a flight, or in a purse.  Many confess that they take the jacket off, and put it way until they finish the book, but later found they had misplaced it altogether, and could not find it, and just had the plain book on their shelf, with no memory of what the book title was, because the jacket was missing.  Hard cover jackets are the key to the book, once lost it can be very confusing on your book shelf.  But hard covers are beautiful if you are building a specific book collection of your favorite author, and want to show it off.  Soft covers are very beneficial too, there are no jackets to deal with, every thing is visible right there on the cover. or spine.  There is a price difference too.  Hard covers are more expensive to print, and ship,  while soft covers are much less expensive, and shipping is much cheaper.  If you are on a budget, then soft cover is your best option.  If you want to keep the book around a long time, then hard cover might be your best shot. as they are made to endure for years.  Paperbacks can often rip, get stains, and after time the spines loosen and the book can come apart, and the pages fade.  If you want your book to stay looking beautiful, then a hard cover is the one that will last over the years.  Hard cover also make great gifts, and look expensive to the eye of the receiver.  So now you know the difference.  The choice s yours.  Soft cover, or hard cover.  Maybe you want to have both versions on your book shelf.  Why not!

Don't Kill The Editor!

Well, you sent that manuscript off to the editor, and now it's come back to you.  "What's this?"  All kinds of marks are on it, so many marks that you can hardly see the words .He says your spelling is awful, phrases are wrong, punctuation is terrible. Says, you need to re-write certain parts.
 "What does he know" you shout.  Does he understand how many hours you devoted to this piece of work.  The sweat you spilled, to write every word?  You're so upset.  You start to throw his letter away, as well as your manuscript.... but wait.  Remember, you sent it to him for his expertise, because you choose him to make the corrections that will make you manuscript shine, and eventually be published..  Don't kill the editor!  Often, when we write we are in our own little world.  The words flow, and we are on a roll.  Nothing stops us.  Not grammar, punctuation, nothing.  We're like a snowball that starts rolling down a hill, the more it rolls the bigger it becomes.  We just write, and write, not stopping.  So it's up to the editor to stop us, before we hit something.  Its his job to be there and yell, when we've gone way off the path, and didn't stop to consider all the aspects of a well written piece.  Our story may be good, but all the writing details we consider minor can kill a book, even before it hit the bookstores.   It's often good to use different software as you write, for spelling errors, and other writing mistakes.  And when you complete your piece, to take a few days off, then come back and read your story.  Often, it will amaze you when you find mistakes, you did't now you made.  As I said before, when the writing flows we just write, never seeing the possible errors we are making .  To help minimize  this frustration, it's good to use software that can help you as you write.  But remember, software' is not a person, and can only do so much.  So DON"T KILL THE EDITOR  You need him!

Here are some software's that can help you to be a better writer.  Click the link to be taken to all the software that can improve you writing skills!
https://nybookeditors.com/2016/02/instantly-improve-your-writing-with-these-11-editing-tools/

Your Book Cover/ A Smoking Gun!

Have you ever been to a firing range, and watched the people practicing to hit a target from far away?  Some hit it straight off, while others miss time, and time again, but keep trying.  Its the same with book cover designs.  Ever walked in a bookstore, stroll through the isles, and suddenly you stop.  A book caught your eye.  Now you haven't even picked up the book, yet still you are drawn to it.  Why?  Because it shot at you, yes that's what I said.  The book cover was a smoking gun and it hit it's target, YOU.  It hit you right between the eyes.  All authors want their book covers to be smoking guns, so when potential readers see the cover, they immediately want to walk over and pick it up.  That's the #1 thing that will sell your book.  Of course after that you must have a compelling story and plot with captivating characters to hold them.  Readers will naturally want a glimpse into the story, so that's where your back cover comes in.  It's  equally as important as the front.  It tells them just enough into the story plot  to tickle their  interest, and make them want to read the book. Your book cover can invoke emotions, laughter, hope, even fear.  You must always design with your story in mind.  Your cover should reveal a hint of your story.   All types of feelings can be displayed on a book cover, with out saying a word to the reader.  It's a silent smoking gun, and your have it n your hands to shoot at your readers, and hit the target.  You can design your cover yourself (as I have chosen to do) or have it done professionally. Either way , your book cover is your smoking gun.  Use it it hit your readers , and make that sale!

Here are a few covers I have designed myself for some of my future stories.  What hints do they give you of the story line?

Here is what one author said about the importance of having a great book cover!

“I have hundreds of books on my shelves I’ve not had the chance to read, because I have an addiction to buying beautiful books with stunning covers.” – JD Smith, author

And  BuzzBooks says :

"A book cover is the book’s billboard, and even without the reader or author knowing, it causes expectation. If a reader sees a book with an amateur cover, they’re going to believe that it’s also poorly written."

The World Is Your Book And All Who Live In It! !

So you can't seem to find ideas for writing.  Did you know that the world is a book .  There are so many stories out there waiting to be told.  Think about your own little corner of the world.  Think about the people who cross your path every day.  Think about the workers on your job, the people in your family, your ancestry.  Stories you've heard as a child.  When I was growing up my grandmother was the story teller, and I loved to sit at her knee and listen to her tell them to me.  If these stories brought joy to you, they might bring joy to others too.  Join groups in your community where people meet to discuss life, their hopes and dreams.  Become a "True Listener to people, and what they are really saying.  These thing can generate story ideas.  The arts can often inspire you.  Music can touch you, pictures can speak to you, nature can envelop you, as you walk around and see all the beauty it holds.  Meet people of all walks of life.  That homeless man you pass on the street, the cashier in the grocery store, they all  have a story to tell, but no one has asked them, why not you?  Become a  People Watcher.   The way they walk, or talk, can often spark ideas for the lives you think they might lead..  Talk to those you admire and hear about their struggles that got them  to where they are today.  Teachers, clergy. doctors, nurses, everyone has a story to tell.  Sometimes ideas come out of the blue, they just happen.  It might be while you are sleeping, in a dream, watching television, listening to the radio.  My book "Revelations Of Love" was given to me in a dream, I got up and wrote the whole book in two hours.  Its out on Amazon now.  My book "Ruth" was inspired when 911 happened, and my book "Leah" was inspired by a friend who was jilted at the alter by the man she loved.  My book "Esther" out  now on Amazon was an idea that just crossed my mind out of the blue.  So you see, you have endless story possibilities out there, waiting to be written.  Just pick up your pen and start writing!! 

Want to hear stories from other authors and what inspired them to write, then click the link below!

http://www.penguinteen.com/10-authors-share-inspired-write-book/

A Hot Topic!

Maybe you are wondering how I chose this topic to write on in this blog.  Or maybe you don't know what a "Pet Peeve" is.  Well here's the definition.   A pet peeve is "a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly irritating to them"  In the past few weeks I have talked to many writers who are thinking about stopping their journey as a writer because of certain things.  They feel it's a useless battle, or struggle to get known by readers.  Their not famous, and have gotten so many rejections from publishers, bad raps from proofreaders, editors, and on the story goes.  This really upsets me.  Want to know why, well i'm going to tell you.  The world wants it a certain way, and publishers, editors, proofreaders, want what the world want, which is to make money.  Nothing wrong with these people, but you must remember, that "they're in it to win it".  Of course you must as a writer know the rules for writing a good piece, which is knowing your grammar, and other aspects of writing.  But just because your book is not a top seller doesn't mean you are a poor author.  There are many books out there on the market that are not best sellers, writers you never heard of, but write good books that others are reading and enjoy.  You must remember, that editors, proofreaders, publishers, are judging your manuscript with bucks in their eyes.  They want a winner, so they are looking at your piece in that way.  They will read, and decide, if its what the world will accept, if not they will often reject your piece, and offer you a chance to re-write it to their liking.  Your piece may change totally, and you lose your voice entirely.  You must remember, its their job to make money, and they are bringing their thoughts and experience into every piece they read.  If you're rejected, it doesn't mean you're a bad writer, you're just not what they want, they don't see the bucks in their future.  Yes proofreaders, editors, and publishers are suppose to judge your work, for originality, grammar, and how it all fits together into a fabulous piece, and we are glad they are there to help us be a better writer.  But in the end we must always keep focus on where we are going, and not let the opinions of these people hinder us on our journey.  The best judge of your writing is you.  Stick to your voice, don't let anyone change it, the world needs writers like YOU!