Focus, determination, and perseverance are essential to just about every aspect of your life. Each characteristic is unique and together create a powerful synergy. Focus is one’s ability to concentrate exclusively on a particular thing through effort or attention. Determination is an unchanging intention to achieve a goal or desired end. Perseverance takes determination a…
Tag: writing tips
Want to Self-Publish a Rhyming Children’s Book? Read This First
As a ghostwriter I deal with lots of new ‘authors.’ One scenario I come across now and then is when someone sends me a story with rhyme in it. When this happens, it’s never done right and it’s my job to guide these authors to the path of ‘doing it right.’ A recent manuscript I…
4 Realities New Writers Need to Face
Writing can be a tough field to be in. Some authors seem to make it overnight, while others struggle on for years with not much success. There are at least four must-know tips that every writer should be aware of to help get over the bumps in the road. 1. It’s going to take time…
The 3 Levels of Picture Books
Children’s picture books have 3 levels or purposes in regard to the reader and purchaser. Think of it as the structure of a house: there’s a basement, a first floor, and often an upper floor. Level 1: The basement, or Surface Level, is geared toward the youngest reader (or listener if too young to read)….
Freelance Writers and Ghostwriters: 2 Super-Essential Warnings
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter and get a lot of queries asking about my writing service. Doing this for a number of years, I’ve come across different personalities, different requests, and a couple of ‘be careful’ moments. The first tip is about your information and scammers. One of the recent ‘watch it moments’ was from…
The One Sentence Pitch for Your Manuscript
Your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, super-tight yet concise description of your story, specifically the plot of your story. Think of it as a one sentence calling card – you’re unique selling proposal or proposition. A beginning step on your book marketing journey. You might ask why does it have to be only…
How Do You Build a Successful Writing Career? (3 Tips)
Writers need to be tough. It’s not an easy arena to be in. Did you know that writers get so many rejections there have actually been studies done on it. According to a Huffington Post article, “96% of authors seeking agents are rejected.” (1) That’s pretty severe. Another article at Writer’s Digest says, “don’t even…
Writing – Let Tom Swift Guide You
Guest Post by Carolyn Howard-Johnson Ever heard of Tom Swifties? Maybe you’re too young to be familiar with the classic Tom Swift adventures for boys. Or maybe you’re a girl who never read a Tom Swift book nor cares to. Tom Swifties are one-line jokes lampooning the style of Victor Appleton, the author of the…
8 Top Fiction Writing Mistakes to Avoid
There’s a great article in The Writer, April 2012 issue (1). If you’re able to get your hands on a copy or find it online, it’s worth the read. Delving into this article, I did some additional research and came up with eight elements that are probably the most common fiction writing mistakes. 1. You…
Storytelling – Do Not Let the Reader Become Disengaged
As an author it’s your job to create an engaging, compelling, suspenseful, intriguing, romantic, or other type of story content that will lure readers in and keep them turning the pages. But the key word for a successful story is ‘engaging.’ Engagement, according to Merriman-Webster.com, means to have an emotional involvement or commitment. Based on…