Free eBook Available from Amazon

The ebook version of Daily Writing Prompts is available as a free download today and during this weekend. It contains thirty prompts for you to practise your writing and help you develop the habit of writing every day. If you prefer you can purchase the paperback version which has space for you to write your responses to each prompt, you can take it with you wherever you go and use those free moments to practise writing

Click here to download from Amazon.

Happy writing.

Format your Book for Print or eBook

In the second book in the Write It series - Publish it! - there is step by step instructions on how to format your book correctly to ensure it either looks the way you want it to when printed or displays correctly when read on a Kindle or other reading device. If you want your readers to enjoy your book then it is important to get the formatting right and makes changes to the formatting when preparing your work for different publishing options.

I was reading this article on why you should care about formatting and found it answered many of the questions often raised or mistakes made including using hard returns to add spacing or force text onto a new page. It is well worth a read. Click here to read the article.

If you would like more information on formatting have a look at Publish it! How to publish your book for free using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace and Smashwords. You can download a sample for free and check out the content.

Happy writing.

The Snowflake Method

If you follow the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/writepublishsell you will know that I regularly recommend books on different aspects of writing. I while back I downloaded a sample of Randy Ingermanson's book How to Write a Novel with the Snowflake Method. Before reaching the end of the sample I had purchased a copy. I had come across this method before and liked the approach however what prompted me to recommend the book was the way the technique was woven into an entertaining story using familiar characters.

At the time I bought this book I was partway through writing a novel (I had an outline as that is the way I prefer to work) so I attempted to apply this technique to my work. It really helped me to focus on the purpose of each scene and I ended up cutting out some large chunks before I had spent hours perfecting these scenes and then cutting them in the final edit.

Yesterday I came across this interview, it is well worth listening to.  Randy Ingermanson interview. 

If you are an aspiring or established author have read of this book and give the method a try. It won't take up too much time and you could find it genuinely helps you progress your writing. Click here to see book on Amazon.

Writing Competitions

Writing competitions are a great way to practise writing within constraints such as theme and word count. Many competitions have prizes such as cash, books, publication deals or writing courses. Some competitions provide feedback on the quality of your entry. Even if you don't win you will have a completed story, article, poem or start of a novel that you can submit to printed publications, online magazines or even self-publish (always check the terms and conditions to ensure you retain the rights to you story if you are unsuccessful). There may be a cost to entry although this need not be expensive.

To get you started take a look at the TXTLit Micro Story Competition at http://www.txtlit.co.uk/ and Literature Works' First Page Comp at http://www.literatureworks.org.uk/

Happy writing

Your Writing Place

You may read many articles and blog posts, including posts on this site, on setting up a workspace that supports your goal of becoming a productive writer. The advice given is valuable and will make a positive difference, however it is important that not having an ideal workspace does not become a barrier to achieving your goals or an excuse not to write regularly even when you do have the time.

One effective approach is to identify a space that you use only to write and nothing else. No checking emails, no research, no catching up on social media, no admin and no planning. Just writing. It does not matter where this space is, although minimising distractions will be an advantage. It could be a desk in your bedroom, the dining table, a fold-up table and chair in your sitting room, or even a lap tray used whilst sitting on the sofa or bed. It does not matter if you use this space for other writing or non-writing activities at other times as long as this space becomes your writing place, and nothing else, as soon as you open your notebook, laptop or tablet. If you do undertake other writing activities in this space then use a prompt to ensure your mind knows this is writing time and not admin time. This could be something as simple as placing an object – a stone, notebook, inspirational quote, or photograph of a favourite place – on the table.

Once you have decided on your place then develop the habit of writing continuously at least once a day, before long your mind will learn to automatically switch into writing mode as soon as you sit down. When you sit down ensure you know what you are going to write, not necessarily the actual words but which scene or article you will be completing. Don’t worry about getting the words exactly right at this stage, that can come when you edit. Just type, or handwrite, whatever comes into your mind. You might start off thinking you are writing rubbish – just keep writing. Amongst the words will be some real gems, everything else can be polished.

Adopt this approach and, within thirty days, you will find that every time you sit down to write your mind will switch off from all the other things that need doing – real or perceived - and you will be able to focus entirely on getting those words written, in other words you will be in flow. 

Summer Writing

There’s a good reason I’m writing this post today instead on getting it done three days ago as planned – today it’s raining. Yes I too wanted to make the most of the recent, albeit short-lived, good weather. I’ve been walking, gardening, and barbequing. Of course I always believed it would eventually rain and I could catch up with my writing however what happens if we have a fantastic summer, how can we ensure we write every day and meet our deadlines.

Below are a few quick tips to help you remain a productive writing whilst the sun is shining.

Get up a little earlier and write before doing anything else. It will be cooler, quieter and you’ll feel less guilty if you spend the rest of the day outdoors.

1. Create an outdoor writing space. If you are writing for a long period or using a laptop then a shaded area is usually better.
2. Set daily targets. When you have achieved them reward yourself with your preferred outdoor activity.
3. Plan ahead. Check the weather forecast and diarise your writing and other activities to ensure you get your writing done and are still able to enjoy the sunshine.

Summer is a great time and should be enjoyed. With a little planning you can enjoy the weather and still be productive. You never know you may even be inspired by all your new experiences.

Happy writing.

Zero Cost Marketing

Promoting your book or yourself need not be costly, in fact you can successfully promote your book for no cost other than your time, obviously this has a value however use it wisely and the returns can make it worthwhile. There are both online and offline opportunities available, you could even make some extra money. Give them a go and you could get your book in front of even more real buyers.

Website/Blog

Setting up a website or blog is essential as once you have engaged new readers they will want to find out more about you and your work. There are lots of free options available including Moonfruit, Blogger and Wordpress. Include an author bio and details of books you have written including how to buy them. Have at least one section that you update regularly, a blog is good for this, so readers have a reason to revisit your site.

Initially you may not get a lot of visitors to your site, don’t worry about this as the purpose, at this stage, is to have somewhere to send your readers. Longer term you might choose to invest some time in Search Engine Optimisation or drive traffic to your site.

Facebook

Set up a Facebook page that is separate to your personal profile and page. This page could be named after you the author, a book series, a character in your book, or the topic you write about.  Use this page to promote your book, provide updates on what you are doing related to your writing, give additional information about your characters or locations or give hints and tips related to your topic, in fact post about anything that will keep your readers engaged with your page.

You could also post on other Facebook pages. If you find a page that has fans who could become your readers, like it and comment on posts. After a while make a relevant post and include a link to your page or website.

Give a talk

There are lots of organisations that welcome speakers; consider your own community and think about all the different groups that meet regularly. It is highly likely these groups will have members who could become your readers, or perhaps purchase your book as a gift. You could talk about the subject of your book, give a reading, talk about the writing process or even select an entirely different topic and somehow relate it to your work. Consider these topics, time management for the self-employed, cooking meals for one, travelling with pets or making the most of social media. As long as you are introduced as an author and have the opportunity to mention the books you have written the subject of the talk doesn't really matter. And, as an added bonus, you may even get paid!

For further ideas on promoting your book and making those sales have a look at Sell it! The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book, it is available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook.

Happy writing.