The Importance of Individuality as an Author

The importance of individuality as an author is often sidelined by a host of challenges. But challenges aren’t always a bad thing.

In fact, I believe most of us enjoy a challenge every now and then, often entering into them intentionally. But if the outcome we desire doesn’t happen as quickly or exactly as we anticipate, then we tend to get frustrated and resort to our old way of doing things. Just consider all of the New Year’s resolutions made a few months ago; the majority of people have already abandoned them to return to their former habits.

We tend to be selective of our challenges, too. When we perceive the challenge to be out of our comfort zone or if we must do it alone, we tend to reject it outright, choosing instead to walk away from potential opportunities because of fear of the unknown and to avoid the risk of ridicule.

These fears extend to our writing. Often, it causes us to stifle our personalities and write in a more detached, formal manner. It also makes us selective in what we write about, selecting what we think our audience wants to read about, rather than what we feel compelled to write about.Read More

Why You Should Hire a Book Editor

Do you really need to hire an editor?

Yes.

You’ve probably heard me say it before, but it bears repeating: Every book should be thoroughly edited, and if you plan to sell your book, then it is critical to have it professionally edited.

Yet many people balk at acquiring editor for one of two reasons: either they feel they are competent enough to edit it themselves or they simply don’t see the value of paying for an editor.

Here’s what they’re not taking into consideration.Read More

What My Dinner Fiasco Taught Me about Writing

The other night I decided to make something different for dinner. My family had drifted into a summer rut of eating whatever was quickest and most convenient, not necessarily what was actually tasty or healthy. So, I determined to make something from scratch.

After searching through some recipes (yes, I actually looked through the old recipe box, not online), I found two that I thought would fit the bill. One was for the main meat course and the other for a side dish. Both sounded delicious and, most importantly, included ingredients I knew my family members, for the most part, would enjoy. Oh, one or two would prefer the meat over the side dish and vice versa, but at least everyone would appreciate the extra effort of a quality meal.

Or so I thought.

The meat that I thought everyone would love was not a hit with the kids. My fourteen-year-old suffered through it and ate it because he was really hungry (when isn’t he hungry these days?) but my nine-year old wouldn’t touch it.

As for the side dish, let’s just say it got a little overbaked. Some of the noodles became quite crispy, resulting in the unexpected and disturbing sound of crunch, crunch, crunch at intervals around the table.

And to top it all off, the brownies I made for dessert were flat and oily because I forgot to add an egg to the batter. That remains our little secret. My family never asked why the brownies didn’t look – or taste – like regular brownies (maybe they were afraid to ask), so I never shared my faux pas with them.

Needless to say, it was not a dinner I would have wanted to serve a guest.Read More

3 Reasons to Keep Your Reader in Mind

Who is your audience? It’s a simple enough question. And your answer may appear simple as well: “my readers.”  But that’s not specific enough. You’re not writing for “everyone;” you’re writing for the people who are seeking the information you have to share.  Thus, regardless of genre, you need to concentrate on your target audience.

Yes, even memoir or autobiography writers need to visualize their ideal reader throughout the process. You might be thinking, “It’s the story of my life! Why should I consider the reader?” Because although your story is about you and your experiences, it must relate in some manner to your audience. If they don’t connect with your content – emotionally or intellectually – then they will quickly lose interest and never finish the book, let alone recommend it to others.

To keep your audience engaged, consider the following three points:Read More

10 Ways to Write Your Life Story & Enjoy the Process

Writing your life story doesn’t have to be dull drudgery – something you have to force yourself to do. I think many people are intimidated by the sheer volume of what they want to write about and are also harboring inner doubts about their qualifications and abilities to write their legacy.Read More