How Photographs Can Jump Start Your Idea Mill

I suspect many of you collect newspaper and magazine clippings in a search for story ideas. I print out interesting stories I find on the Internet and add them to my clipping collection. But have you thought about collecting pictures and photos?

I can’t begin to tell you how many times a photograph or picture in a newspaper or magazine has drawn my attention. I ignore the story that goes with the picture and concentrate instead on the picture itself. If there are people there, I try to imagine what they might be doing or saying to one another. If it’s a scenic picture, I file it away as a possible backdrop to a story.

Recently I cut out a photo showing a dilapidated old cabin sitting alone on a prairie. I began to think about the people who built it and lived there, gradually shaping the story of a family living through the dust bowl years and the Great Depression. The characters are emerging and in my imagination, they are beginning to move through the house.
Even your own family photos can provide inspiration for a story. You don’t have to use the actual people in the photo in your story, but you certainly can. These old photos can help you create biographies about the interesting people in your life. They can remind you of some incident that is worth retelling.

The next time you see an interesting photograph, save it. It might just inspire the next Great American Novel.

Jeff Bullas’ Blog is One You Don’t Want to Miss

I’m not sure if there’s anything Jeff Bullas doesn’t know about blogging and marketing. But if you go to his site, you need to set aside a lot of time. He’s found resources to cover just about anything you want to do with your blog, and most of these sources are either free or inexpensive. The best part is that these are tools, programs and books that he’s used himself. He can tell you why they work and why you need them.

By the tie you’re finished with his page, you’ll know how to use Pinteest, LinkedIn and Facebook more effectively than you might have imagined possible. He’s gathered useful information on content marketing and books on how to make money, save time and energy. Some of this information seems pretty standard, but some is offbeat, unusual, and workable.
This site is not one that you’re just going to hit and whiz by. Plan to bookmark it and plan to return as often as you can. It’s like a marketing university in a box. I guarantee you’ll learn something helpful.

If you’re serious about blogging and marketing, Jeff’s blog is possibly the one place you don’t want to miss. Go here to start your trip

So What Have We Been Up To?

Sales at Amazon have virtually stopped in July, so we started thinking about ways to jump start book sales.
The obvious next step is to place the books in more bookstores. Barnes & Noble’s Nook store has been very good to us, so we placed Opportunities there. (If you’re a Nook owner interested in finding out more about this book, it’s here)

Over the next week, we’ll be uploading the books to Apple’s bookstore. From now on, each time we publish an ebook, we’ll be placing them in several bookstores at once. Previously, we published exclusively to Amazon to take advantage of their KDP program, but I don’t believe we’ve seen enough positive results to continue that strategy.

We’ve also been playing with the Bubblews program. I’ll be reporting results there in my next post.

Till next time, keep writing, reading, and enjoying your life.

Trying Out Bubblews

A good many Twitterers have been posting pointers to their articles on a site called Bubblews,com, so I decided to look it up to see what it offers. I ended up joining the site. I think it’s going to be an interesting experience.

Bubblews.com features 15 different categories which are broad enough to incorporate just about every topic you care to write about. The minimum word count for an article is 400 characters, which usually equates to about 100 words. I’ve seen a few articles there that just barely meet that minimum and are poorly written, but I’ve also seen some very substantial, well written articles. Many, however, are not well written.

Some of the topics I’ve looked at include personal stories from a writer’s daily experience, science articles, even recipes and articles about animals and interesting people. The only limitation is that a writer may only post ten articles a day.
According to the website, you get paid for views, comments, likes or dislikes, and social media shares for every post that you ever write on bubblews.

Somehow, bubblews still seems too good to be true. But I’ve read many testimonials both in articles and comments that indicate the site actually makes good on its payment promises so long as there are no violations of the rules. My advice is to read through the rules very carefully to avoid making costly mistakes.

Do You Enjoy Writing Really Short Fiction?

Can you tell a complete story in 99 words or less? It’s not as easy as it sounds. I’ve noticed lately that there are a number of sites popping up where you can post flash fiction, but this one seems to be the current leader for short length requirements. It’s a lively site, with all kinds of things to see and do, and I believe it’s going to gain a strong following as the word gets out.

One of the things I like about this site is that you get your own customizable page. You can submit your little stories and even enter monthly contests. They also have set up their format to encourage interaction among their members.

How will this site benefit you as a writer? You’re going to have to think about the importance of each word. Those of us who are fond of adverbs and adjectives are going to have to learn to use a powerful noun instead. Dialog must be cut to a minimum while still moving the story along. In short, this is a way to learn how to create lean, spare scenes.

Whether you write novels or short stories, you can benefit by joining this site. (By the way, this post is over 200 words long. That should give you some idea of how short a 99-word story will be.)

Try it. You’ll find out it’s harder than it looks. Go here to look around.

I Just Found This Great Website

Here’s my new must-see blog by fellow Coloradan Renée Pawlish. I’m recommending it for several reasons. First, her blog is a near-perfect example of what a writer’s website should look like. Second, her content is informative. For example, her latest post (as of June 4, 2013) is a well presented look at what she believes the future of indie publishing will look like in 2014.

In case you can’t quite place her, Renée is a bestselling author (Nephilim Genesis of Evil) and the Reed Ferguson mystery series. She’s a versatile writer who is comfortable with novels, short stories and non-fiction.

If I were you, I’d take a minute to visit her website. Take a look at how she has set it up. It may provide an excellent example for you to follow in setting up your own website. Then take a look at her content. She really delivers.

A New Website Just for Non-Fiction Writers

I’ve been waiting for this. Stephanie Chandler has launched a new website just for non-fiction writers. It’s called "Non-Fiction Writers Association" and I joined it as soon as I found out it had launched on June 7. 2013. As of this writing, at least 56 writers have joined the site.

Stephanie rightly points out that marketing non-fiction books and stories is different than marketing fiction. She has published eight non-fiction pieces herself and knows what those differences are.

Unfortunately, most of the goodies are only available if you upgrade your membership, which costs $19.00 a month or $190.00 for a year. These include the ability to access the forums, downloads, and the other stuff. But you do get access to webinars presented by experts on marketing, branding, and other business-related aspects of publishing. And you get to post your listing in the website’s directory for free.

It’s a little too early to tell whether a paid membership will provide enough benefits to be worth the price. But non-fiction author/publishers should definitely check out this website.