Thinking About Writing a Book?

Here’s a writing website you need to spend some time on.  There’s more here than meets the eye when you first visit, so be prepared to take your time and explore some of the side roads he has built into it. 

Author Scott Berkun pulls no punches in explaining the realities of writing a book to hopeful authors.  And some of his observations, while obvious, are still surprising when you first read them.  But it is all based on his experience and a good dose of common sense. 

Scott’s advice will help you start your first (or next) book, and then goes on to help you with “what’s next?”  

You’ll also find his blog entertaining.  And don’t miss the comments.  Some of them also contain some very useful information.  His website is here:

Blogs You Should Check Out (Besides Mine, of Course)

I ran across several great blogs by and for writers over the last week. These two in particular caught my attention.

The first one is called "The Passive Voice." It’s an absolutely gigantic blog packed with information and news about the publishing industry, writers, his own experience and observations, and advice to both newbies and experienced writers. I’ve bookmarked the site so I can go back and visit it. If I hadn’t, I’d still be there and this post would not have been written. Go here to start, and plan on staying around for awhile.

Maureen Fisher’s blog is titled "Sassy Romance." It’s full of fun stuff, including her six-sentence Sundays, which make delightful reading. She also provides lots of practical advice for indie writer/publishers, including a valuable little article on how to tweet effectively. I was first drawn to her website by an entry about writing sex scenes, complete with a great example of a tasteful, well-written scene. Maureen’s blog is entertaining, informative, and downright fun.

And here it is:

One Way to Write an Article or Story

Several years ago I wrote an article about one way to write an article. (That sure sounds redundant.) At any rate, I recently took a look at it, and I think it has some nuggets that may be valuable to some of you. I’m not going to repeat the entire article here since it’s a little long for a blog, but here’s a link.

I don’t always follow my own advice, but when I get stuck on an article or story, the method I outline here usually gets me going again. Hopefully there will be a few tidbits that you can make use of.

Books for Writers

If you’re thinking about writing a thriller (or screenplay), or even just a great novel, you really should take a look at these books by James N. Frey. As far as I’m concerned, these books are the best guides you can find. There are a total of five books in the "Damn Good" series, but you should own at least these three.

Frey delves into every aspect of novel creation. You’ll learn how to develop your idea and create compelling characters. He shows you how to create an opening that will grab your reader, then teaches you how to create a climax so powerful that your readers will look forward to your next book. Plot twists, tension, and thrilling action are the key to writing that next bestseller, and he has plenty of great advice and examples to take advantage of.

The "Damn Good" books are short but so filled with information and advice that you’ll wonder how he stuffed it all into those few pages. And they are definitely not dull. You’ll appreciate his humor and down-to-earth advice. And perhaps best of all, you’ll leave convinced that you, too, can write a great book.

Frey has lectured and taught at some of the best-known writer’s schools and conferences. He’s an award-winning author of plays and novels. He has written nine novels, one of which was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Another was chosen as a Literary Guild selection.

The man knows what he’s talking about. You can’t go wrong by trying out at least one of his books.
You can find "How to Write a Damn Good Thriller" here. There is even a set of four of the most popular "Damn Good" titles available at a discount. These books are available for the Kindle.