Writing Resources

What Makes Fiction Special - Rebecca Guevara  What Makes Fiction SpecialI was in a brisk discussion about whether a woman ‘would’ or ‘would not’ leave her wayward husband when a man interrupted and said, “But he’s not real!  It’s fiction!

Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Are In The Buying Process Part 2 of 2 - Karon Thackston  In part one of this article series, I introduced a client of mine (AEwebworks) who suffered from some copywriting traumas.  The basic diagnosis was a lack of synergy within the copy, ineffective use of testimonials, a lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process, and the inability of the current copy to support the search engine goals of AEwebworks.

How to Write a Book in Five Easy Steps - Stephen L. Nelson, CPA  Because I’ve written more than a 100 books and even been a book publisher, people regularly ask me how one writes a book.  I always shrug and say it’s not that hard.  But this little article attempts to provide a better answer to the question by describing the easy five-step approach that I use and that I recommend you use.

Seven Ways To Connect Your Writing And Your Life - Steven Barnes  An important question for any artist is:  How can I built a career and simultaneously be true to myself?  It’s an important question, and during the twenty years I’ve taught writing, hundreds of students have expressed the belief that success and personal integrity are mutually exclusive.

Your Book Marketing Plan - Winning Strategies and Tips - Ink Tree Ltd.  Many authors hit a roadblock when it comes to putting together and implementing a book marketing plan.  You know you need to have one, you have a vague idea of what it needs to include, but pulling it all together into a step-by-step plan of attack is not nearly as easy as it sounds.

3 Copywriting Tips - How To Edit For Mass Appeal! - Daniel Levis  Web copy that's intended to sell or generate leads needs to quickly reach out and grab attention and build rapport with a target audience.  You can connect with your audience more effectively if you understand something about how people process information, and how they think.

The Three "Questions" Of Science Fiction - Steven Barnes  There is a great deal of misunderstanding about what that particular branch of literature called “Science Fiction” actually consists of.  Is it space-ships and monsters?  Time machines?

My Favorite Errors to Correct (Don’t make these mistakes, and your writing will rise above most other writing.) Part 2 - Lisa J. Lehr  Negotiables:  These are rules that the experts largely agree can be broken to good effect.  In formal writing (such as a doctoral dissertation), the strict rules would still apply.  But in informal writing, such as writing an autobiography, looser rules are acceptable.

A Quick And Easy Way Of Getting More Customers From Every Single Ad You Write... Guaranteed! - Scott Bywater  John Caples, one of the greatest ad men ever written writes "I have seen one advertisement sell 19 1/2 times as much goods as another.  " He also states "the headline is the most important element of most advertisements.

Could You Write Performance Reviews For Money? - Niall Cinneide  Writing performance reviews can be an excellent way to earn a living.  Who wouldn’t want to go from place to place watching actors, singers, and chefs perform at their best (and maybe their worst)?

Screenwriting Tips from a Screenplay Contest Judge - Gordy Hoffman  After cracking hundreds of screenplays sent into the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, the same problems in the execution of the story and script continue to emerge.  Here is a general overview of these persistent issues.

How to Write for Children and Win Over Parents - Barbara Gabogrecan  The obvious skill of being able to communicate in a language that the age group you are targeting, is an evident one.  Choosing a topic that the child relates to is all important.  In many cases it is also deemed to be imperative to include graphics – again, depending on the child’s age; BUT all children of all ages like to see illustrations.

Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy - Neroli Lacey  Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data.  So now you’ve got several thousand words of notes, hopefully digitally recorded.  What comes next?  GETTING ORGANIZEDI suggested organizing your interview questions into 4 groups.

How To Think Through Writer's Block - Sophfronia Scott  In his book, On Writing, Stephen King says, "We are talking about tools and carpentry, about words and style…but as we move along, you’d do well to remember that we are also talking about magic.  " When something is really well-written we tend to think it was effortless for the writer, that it seems magical.

Best-Selling Book Secrets - Matt Bacak  Everyone says, “Some day I'm going to write a book,” but few actually do.  So congratulations on a noteworthy achievement!  Now that you're holding your book in your hands, after years of research, writing, editing and rewriting, the last words you'll want to hear are, “That was the easy part.