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Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part VI
Posted on July 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
What’s your main character’s personality type and how did you develop it? That’s what we’re looking at in this series. There are many different personality tools to evaluate both our own and our characters’ distinct personalities. DISC is a personality tool to help in corporate cultures, whether they be families, companies, or non-profit organizations. Click […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part IV
Posted on June 22, 2016 Leave a Comment
If you’re writing about corporate culture or your main characters are partners or close colleagues in their jobs, the DISC personality profiles might help you define your characters. Because characters with conflicting personalities make the best story. Click to Tweet #amwriting #characters
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part III
Posted on June 15, 2016 Leave a Comment
Characters with personality make your readers identify and care about them. There are several ways to determine what your character will be like. Are they introvert or extrovert? Dominant or stable? Sanguine or Phlegmatic? Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Personality Plus are tools writers can use to create characters. Click to Tweet #amwriting #characters
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part II
Posted on June 8, 2016 2 Comments
In the beginning…in creating characters, we must begin at the beginning. We’ve talked about a three-word description, and basic information. How do we determine what the basic information will be? Who do you want it to be? Determining the basic information about the character is paramount to creating one amazing character. Click to Tweet #amwriting […]
Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part I
Posted on June 1, 2016 2 Comments
Starting a new series of blog posts on characterization this week. Why is it that some characters stick in our minds? What is it about them that causes us identify with them and admire them? I’ll be looking at these questions and others in this new series. Some say it’s all about plot. Others say […]
Platform Tips––Part V
Posted on May 25, 2016 Leave a Comment
Dividing a stage into four parts, each week, we’ve been talking about one section of platform. The first section was a blog. Section two was social media. Section three is marketing. The fourth section of platform building is Contacts & Education. Click to Tweet #amwriting #platform
Platform Tips––Part IV
Posted on May 11, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’ve been discussing “platform” and what it means to aspiring authors, and defined it as influence and measured in terms of “discoverability.” Dividing a stage into four parts, each week, we’ve been talking about one section of platform. The first section was a blog. Section two was social media. Last week I talked a bit […]
Platform Tips––Part III
Posted on May 4, 2016 Leave a Comment
Though we hate the word, authors must have “platform.” We’ve defined platform as influence and measured in terms of “discoverability.” Maintaining a blog is one part of a multi-discipline approach to platform. Social media is the second most important thing you’ll do to build your platform. Click to Tweet #amwriting #platform
Tips for Growing Platform – Part II
Posted on April 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
Last week, we established that “platform” is your sphere of influence. In today’s changing world of publishing, authors need to be entrepreneurs and help sell or entirely sell their own books. Publishers used to pay authors an “advance” on royalties. Many traditional publishers have dropped that practice, or offer extremely low advances, some as low […]
Tips for Growing Platform––Part I What is Platform?
Posted on April 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
Platform. An ugly word for writers. I’ve been sharing recently about changes in the publishing industry and how they affect pre-published authors like me. How publishers want us to be “publish-ready.” We can learn the craft of writing, but we now also have to be marketers and networkers. Click to Tweet #amwriting #growingplatform
Donna L.H. Smith 