Let me make a prediction.
By 2015, based on current trends, 50% of the books available online and even offline, will be self published.
How will this happen? Simple. Print on Demand technology has already progressed to the stage that even the big traditional publishers are using it - which means, yes, now we're all equal.
Plus, distribution networks are now seeing that there is money to be made stocking and distributing self published books - as long as the writers are diligently involved in their promotion.
Book marketing is now no longer the sole responsibility of a publisher's sales staff. More and more trade publishers are requiring, even demanding, that authors self promote their books.
So, whichever way you go, you will have to get out there and sell your books yourself. But what does self promotion actually involve?
Are there any special skills you need?
Yes, but don't fret - you're a writer. Much of what you need to do is already within your skill base.
Here are nine pointers for the serious newly published author:
1. Create a Web Presence
Having an author website is a must - but there's more to be done than that. Having a presence on the web to promote you book(s) needs a more strategic approach.
You need to hunt down any and all Net platforms - including social networking sites - from which to promote you and your book.
2. Make your Website Interactive
You need to run a newsletter, a blog and have useful resources for readers and writers to make your website 'sticky' - which means giving people reasons to find your website and keep coming back.
Do whatever you can to build a mailing list, online and off.
3. Use Ads to Generate a Following
This may require some investment of money and time. Book sales don't just happen. They never have. Authors throughout history - from Geoffrey Chaucer to Jeffrey Archer have spent money publicizing themselves in the short term to gain book sales in the long term. If you believe in yourself and your writing, follow their example.
Online this may mean using Google Ads. Offline you may need to consider printing up posters, business cards and bookmarks, putting ads in the paper and sending out promotional material to bookshops, libraries and schools.
4. Create a Stream of Press Releases
One is never enough. You need to catch the eye of the media. And the way to do that is to make your book relevant. Follow the media daily and reshape your press releases to reflect and include current news headlines. Make yourself relevant. Send out press releases consistently - and have a ready made 'press pack' available for any journalist who may call.
5. Contact Radio and TV Stations
Deliberately target news media outlets in your press releases and then follow up. Find out when and where the media airs shows about authors and books - and let them know you're available for interview.
Okay, this is scary - but it works. And don't be nervous. Once you've done it the first time, it gets easier. Trust me.
6. Do a Launch Tour
It used to be that a book launch was a fun one-off activity. Not anymore. You should plan a tour of book launches. In your own town there may be half a dozen places you could hold them.
Plan on touring interstate, even internationally, and doing as many launches as you can.
Not just in bookstores and libraries but nightclubs and community centers, gyms and pet stores. I'm not joking. You can make these things work. And try this: invite celebrities to your launches. You just never know who will come!
7. Do a Lecture/Personal Appearance Tour
You might think that only the extroverted are best suited for giving talks and workshops on their books. You'd be wrong. And I'm willing to bet you can do it too.
Don't think in terms of making a profit on your speaking engagements - but do take lots of your books with you. The money is made at the back of the room, after your speech.
8. Keep Looking for Opportunities
Whenever you're out and about, deliberately build networks of useful contacts. Visit other writers and talk with them, share your self promotion tactics. (Here's a tip: buy them lunch - it's tax deductible.)
Online, join discussion groups that focus on self promotion. It's all useful for developing a mindset, even if you don't use all of the strategies made available to you.
9. Keep Writing
Most of all, don't lose sight of your art - the reason you're doing all this promotion. You want to be a professional writer, so you'll need to keep coming up with the goods.
A famous bestselling author once told me he spent 60% of his year writing, 20% promoting himself and 20% resting, usually in a far off country. That sounds about the right balance to me!
All this may sound rather daunting to the newbie and to the newly published. But the good news is that doing at least some of these activities will generate book sales.
Now all you need to do is consider this:
If you're going to be doing all this self promotion, would it be more profitable for you to be self published - or share all your hard earned royalties with a trade publisher?
This is the real reason why self publishing will become so important in the future. It's way more profitable to self publish.
Think of it this way:
The average book sells less than 500 copies - shocking but true.
With 10% earnings, your standard royalties from a trade publisher, and you'll make around $1000 (if you're lucky, after the usual contractual deductions - don't get me started on this one.)
Sell 500 copies of your own self published book at the same retail price and you'd make around $5000 - if not more!
You don't have to be a genius to work out which option most enlightened authors will be taking in the future.
Thanks for reading!
The Easy Way to Write
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
How Does Your Writing Grow?
People are always asking me, "How do you manage to write so much?"
It's funny to me because I never feel I have written enough!
Each day I write a little more - an article, a chapter, a lesson or some fiction and each day I think, if only I'd had a few more hours I could have done 'this' or 'that'. There never seems to be enough time.
We've just been asked by our movie producer to work on our Hollywood script - again - a new director wants some changes to it. For the next 4 to 6 weeks, we're intending to get stuck in to that script - and find time we didn't think we had.
That's the writer's life. Just like everyone else, we have to find the time, whether we think it's there or not.
People also ask me, "How do you write so fast?"
Actually I don't think I do. I write slowly, considering every word and phrase as I go along. Just like the way I read.
Okay, I get to write two to three thousand words a day but that doesn't mean I put them all down in a mad dash. Often I'll spend hours editing and rearranging words and paragraphs for best effect.
I'm also not afraid to delete a whole swathe of writing if I think it's not working or, in fiction, is irrelevant to the story.
It's about not being precious. Having the courage to see writing for what it is - a collection of words that, like sand, settles sometimes beautifully, sometimes not. And like building sandcastles, it's okay sometimes to break them down and start again.
If I had to pick one characteristic that marked out a great writer I think it would be this: The ability to scrap everything and start again without fear or a sense of frustration. The courage to work without ego - and without pride obscuring vision.
Writers tend to get very attached to what they've written - and often regard their work as concrete and immutable. This is okay if you're writing for yourself. But, when you're writing for the market, this tack won't really help you.
Writing is rewriting.
Writing is editing.
Writing is polishing.
Think about it. If you went to a jeweler and he showed you his half finished rocks and told you he thought they were beautiful just as they were, you might agree. But you'd still want to see his diamonds, wouldn't you? You'd still want to buy something polished and sparkling to perfection.
So it is with writing. You might think that what you've done is pure brilliance - and it probably is.
But when someone else thinks there's something lacking - or there's too much, you need to listen.
Writing only works when it works for the majority of people.
Readers, even when they don't really understand the mechanics of writing, seem to have an innate ability to know when something is working - or not, even if they don't know why.
And if you find that your writing is not as effective as you'd imagined, don't be afraid to go back and rework things.
Personally, when we're dealing with publishers, editors or movie producers, we make a point of listening very carefully. We ask questions about what they consider good and effective writing - and we're often surprised by their answers.
But we absorb what they say and then rework our writing so that it is more in line with their expectations.
And here's a tip. Often when publishers and producers have criticisms and ideas, they don't actually want to you to go back and just fix the things they don't like. And they really don't want you to put in the things they suggest!
What they want is for you to bring back something 'better', even if it's markedly different from what you originally showed them.
You have to make writing 'work'. And if you're reworking material, don't just fix things, rethink the whole piece. Take onboard the suggestions, yes, but also be mindful of the entire package. Do the suggestions change the way the writing works? Do you have to approach the manuscript again - and make it work, again?
If so, don't be afraid to do that.
Because when you do, you'll make yourself paying fans in the writing business.
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Follow Your Instincts - Way to Go!
We spend a lot of our time distracted by our daily chores and commitments. So much so we tend to ignore what our instincts are telling us.
You know how it goes. You spend your time working or, unpaid and traveling to and from work.
You spend time dropping off and picking up the kids. You use up invaluable hours of the day preparing food, eating, sleeping, relaxing with your loved ones, watching TV, socializing, caring, volunteering, whatever.
All the time in the back of your mind you have this little voice that says: You really should be writing, you really should be writing...
Your instincts know what you want but your activities are committing you to a lifestyle you don't want. There's the writer’s dilemma. How do you stop doing what you don't want and start doing what you do want?
Simple - listen to your heart.
I believe there's a reason why we have instincts - they are there to tell us what we really want.
They are there to nag at you to deal with the things that are lacking in your life.
Think for a moment about your dreams – the one’s you have at night.
Your brain needs balance. Your life may be focused on certain activities, relationships and commitments and these alone may seem to be enough stimuli for your waking hours. But during sleep, the brain needs more - it needs to be stimulated to take in a more fully rounded life experience.
So it compensates for missing life experiences by 'making them up' in your dreams.
It's a natural coping mechanism - designed to keep you sane.
On a subconscious level, the brain is taking in, assessing and dealing with all the information it receives - real or imagined. It processes everything, striving for balance.
But what if there is something left over, something found wanting in your life, how would that manifest itself?
I believe it manifests itself as instinct. It's an intuitive yearning that is telling you that you have an emptiness that needs filling - a feeling that something else or some other direction is right for you.
And, for your own good, it's something you must respond to.
For the sake of your writing, you must begin acting on instinct.
Learn that being selfish is most times okay - and in everybody else's best interest and not just yours!
Even flying in the face of logic, you must do the things that your reasoning mind might regard as crazy. You must begin to follow your heart, rather than always listen to your rational brain. For a healthy and fulfilled life, you must begin to do what your instinct is telling you to do.
And guess what?
It will work for you. You’ll be happier than you've ever been. More successful than you could have ever hoped for. Every day you’ll be doing more of what you love - taking life as it comes and doing what your instinct tells you to do at any given moment.
And you will be rewarded.
Is this path reckless? Irresponsible? Impossible?
Maybe – but do you really want to spend your life letting what other people say influence your need for more creativity? Do you really want to spend your days running around after other people instead of responding to your desire for more ways of expressing your true self and finally living your life with integrity?
Just because other people want you to do things, be places, and honor commitments they forced you into, doesn't mean these things are important. Most likely, in the great scheme of things, they're really not.
Since when was anybody else the boss of you?
Sure, things may get sticky. For me, when I first resolved to start listening to my heart instead of my head, I got sacked from my job. My old boss said outright: "You and I know you shouldn't be here, you should be doing your own thing. Just think of me as the bitch who made it happen!" Sweet lady.
But really, it turned out for the best because my old boss forced me to come to terms with my life. She'd given me no choice but to confront my destiny.
I could have panicked and got another job. Done what everyone else was telling me - seek security, seek boredom, seek a living death.
But no - this time - I refused!
I knew then I had to be a professional writer - what my instincts had been telling me all along - and that I had to make it happen, then and there - or die trying.
So that's what I did. I woke up every morning from that day on and just did what my heart told me to do: write a book today, set up that website now, teach this writing genre, start that writing school, become a publisher, write screenplays for Hollywood, whatever felt right. And it's what
I'm still doing to this day.
Simply responding to my instincts.
(And I guess it's worked out pretty well!)
So, if you have some nagging voice in the back of your mind - listen to it - and act on its advice. It's doing more than just nagging.
It's showing you the way to your destiny!
You know how it goes. You spend your time working or, unpaid and traveling to and from work.
You spend time dropping off and picking up the kids. You use up invaluable hours of the day preparing food, eating, sleeping, relaxing with your loved ones, watching TV, socializing, caring, volunteering, whatever.
All the time in the back of your mind you have this little voice that says: You really should be writing, you really should be writing...
Your instincts know what you want but your activities are committing you to a lifestyle you don't want. There's the writer’s dilemma. How do you stop doing what you don't want and start doing what you do want?
Simple - listen to your heart.
I believe there's a reason why we have instincts - they are there to tell us what we really want.
They are there to nag at you to deal with the things that are lacking in your life.
Think for a moment about your dreams – the one’s you have at night.
Your brain needs balance. Your life may be focused on certain activities, relationships and commitments and these alone may seem to be enough stimuli for your waking hours. But during sleep, the brain needs more - it needs to be stimulated to take in a more fully rounded life experience.
So it compensates for missing life experiences by 'making them up' in your dreams.
It's a natural coping mechanism - designed to keep you sane.
On a subconscious level, the brain is taking in, assessing and dealing with all the information it receives - real or imagined. It processes everything, striving for balance.
But what if there is something left over, something found wanting in your life, how would that manifest itself?
I believe it manifests itself as instinct. It's an intuitive yearning that is telling you that you have an emptiness that needs filling - a feeling that something else or some other direction is right for you.
And, for your own good, it's something you must respond to.
For the sake of your writing, you must begin acting on instinct.
Learn that being selfish is most times okay - and in everybody else's best interest and not just yours!
Even flying in the face of logic, you must do the things that your reasoning mind might regard as crazy. You must begin to follow your heart, rather than always listen to your rational brain. For a healthy and fulfilled life, you must begin to do what your instinct is telling you to do.
And guess what?
It will work for you. You’ll be happier than you've ever been. More successful than you could have ever hoped for. Every day you’ll be doing more of what you love - taking life as it comes and doing what your instinct tells you to do at any given moment.
And you will be rewarded.
Is this path reckless? Irresponsible? Impossible?
Maybe – but do you really want to spend your life letting what other people say influence your need for more creativity? Do you really want to spend your days running around after other people instead of responding to your desire for more ways of expressing your true self and finally living your life with integrity?
Just because other people want you to do things, be places, and honor commitments they forced you into, doesn't mean these things are important. Most likely, in the great scheme of things, they're really not.
Since when was anybody else the boss of you?
Sure, things may get sticky. For me, when I first resolved to start listening to my heart instead of my head, I got sacked from my job. My old boss said outright: "You and I know you shouldn't be here, you should be doing your own thing. Just think of me as the bitch who made it happen!" Sweet lady.
But really, it turned out for the best because my old boss forced me to come to terms with my life. She'd given me no choice but to confront my destiny.
I could have panicked and got another job. Done what everyone else was telling me - seek security, seek boredom, seek a living death.
But no - this time - I refused!
I knew then I had to be a professional writer - what my instincts had been telling me all along - and that I had to make it happen, then and there - or die trying.
So that's what I did. I woke up every morning from that day on and just did what my heart told me to do: write a book today, set up that website now, teach this writing genre, start that writing school, become a publisher, write screenplays for Hollywood, whatever felt right. And it's what
I'm still doing to this day.
Simply responding to my instincts.
(And I guess it's worked out pretty well!)
So, if you have some nagging voice in the back of your mind - listen to it - and act on its advice. It's doing more than just nagging.
It's showing you the way to your destiny!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Can't Write? Change Your Wavelength!
This week, I was interested to read about brain waves and how they work, and apply what I could glean to writing.
Here's the basic info:
Beta Waves
In our normal waking lives our brain waves pulse quickly, at between 14 to 100 Hz. These are called Beta waves and are good at keeping us awake and attentive enough for our daily tasks - working, playing, eating, socializing and watching TV and movies.
Curiously Beta waves aren't that conducive to prolonged study or activities like factory or office work because at the Beta level, the brain is looking for more stimulation. It's as attentive as a butterfly, constantly vigilant for more stimuli and easily bored by monotony.
Gamma Waves
Gamma waves pulse at a higher rate - from 24 to around 70000 Hz and are normally associated with a 'higher state of consciousness' in that they seem to give us an increased sense of meaning and connectedness to the world around us. Commonly, during times of inspiration and joy, or playing sports, gamma waves are pulsing through our heads.
Curiously again, though Gamma waves are great for coming up with ideas and getting ourselves motivated and busy, they're not totally wonderful for sitting in a chair and writing or studying for long periods.
Experiencing long bouts of Gamma waves is ultimately tiring for us.
Alpha Waves
Now these are the cool guys.
Pulsing at around a low 8 to 14 Hz, Alpha waves kick in when we're relaxing, staring into space or engaged in long periods of gentle, soothing activities like lying on the beach or meditating.
The brain finds this state of consciousness very satisfying. Not only are you able to rejuvenate yourself during Alpha wave activity, you're also able to access the subconscious and get in touch with who you really are - and, to an extent, 'reprogram' your thinking.
For instance, if you're unhappy or depressed, Alpha wave time will help you to change your mood. Or if you're stuck on a problem or suffering from ennui, a short period in Alpha mode will help 'clear your thoughts', so that when you return to Beta, you're more able to work productively.
Theta Waves
Theta waves are associated with REM - Rapid Eye Movement - sleep, in other words when we're dreaming. The pulsing of these brain waves is shallow, around 4 to 7 Hz per minute.
Dreaming is the brain's way of collating information, making sense of it and filing it away in the subconscious. This is all very necessary. Simply put, if we didn't dream, we'd probably go insane.
The Theta state also produces catecholamines in the brain, which are associated with learning and memory.
Because the conscious and subconscious are communicating well at this level, our creativity is probably at its most active - and many of your best ideas will probably arise at this time - though of course remembering them later is often a problem. There again, the brain probably does this deliberately so that you don't get too overwhelmed by creativity!
Delta Waves
One digit up from dead, starting at 0.1 up to 4 Hz, Delta are very long, slow brain waves linked to dreamless sleep. During the sleep cycle, we can take anything up to two hours of REM sleep to get to this level.
Curiously, experiencing Delta waves is necessary for the production of human growth hormones that regulate our health.
This is the real reason why, when we don't sleep well, our health and mental state deteriorate.
Have you noticed how children generally sleep more deeply than adults? It's crucial that they do, in order to grow and repair their minds and bodies.
As adults too, especially when we're stressed or unwell, or indulging in drugs or alcohol, a good night's sleep, as the cliche goes, can do wonders for our health and well-being.
Preamble over. Now the important question:
How Can This Help Your Writing?
Once you understand how brain waves work, then you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
For example.
Have you ever started a writing project with a passion and then wonder why you can't get back the enthusiasm to write more later?
Simple, when you started you were in a Gamma State, which can't last that long. You need to get yourself into a more relaxed state to write well for longer periods.
Contrary to logic perhaps, the best state to write in is somewhere between Alpha and Beta. You need to be able to work steadily while your brain is in Beta (work) Mode - but also to regularly dip into the more relaxed Alpha (trance) State, where you can assimilate information, improve your focus and get access to your more creative subconscious mind.
In my Easy Writing System I recommend that you rely heavily on your subconscious to not only come up with ideas, but also, to an extent, write for you.
We all know that the conscious and logical Beta State likes to regularly criticize our writing - and undermine our confidence. That's its function. But in order to write for long periods, we need to switch off the inner critic and 'go with the flow' of the subconscious.
You can do this by relaxing, even meditating, for five or ten minutes at regular intervals during your writing.
Some people might regard this time as wasted - after all, staring into space is frowned upon at school and work. But this is to misinterpret what's going on when the brain retreats to the Alpha State.
Time spent relaxing, clearing your thoughts and essentially day dreaming is good for you - and very good for your writing.
I hope this info helps you.
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
Here's the basic info:
Beta Waves
In our normal waking lives our brain waves pulse quickly, at between 14 to 100 Hz. These are called Beta waves and are good at keeping us awake and attentive enough for our daily tasks - working, playing, eating, socializing and watching TV and movies.
Curiously Beta waves aren't that conducive to prolonged study or activities like factory or office work because at the Beta level, the brain is looking for more stimulation. It's as attentive as a butterfly, constantly vigilant for more stimuli and easily bored by monotony.
Gamma Waves
Gamma waves pulse at a higher rate - from 24 to around 70000 Hz and are normally associated with a 'higher state of consciousness' in that they seem to give us an increased sense of meaning and connectedness to the world around us. Commonly, during times of inspiration and joy, or playing sports, gamma waves are pulsing through our heads.
Curiously again, though Gamma waves are great for coming up with ideas and getting ourselves motivated and busy, they're not totally wonderful for sitting in a chair and writing or studying for long periods.
Experiencing long bouts of Gamma waves is ultimately tiring for us.
Alpha Waves
Now these are the cool guys.
Pulsing at around a low 8 to 14 Hz, Alpha waves kick in when we're relaxing, staring into space or engaged in long periods of gentle, soothing activities like lying on the beach or meditating.
The brain finds this state of consciousness very satisfying. Not only are you able to rejuvenate yourself during Alpha wave activity, you're also able to access the subconscious and get in touch with who you really are - and, to an extent, 'reprogram' your thinking.
For instance, if you're unhappy or depressed, Alpha wave time will help you to change your mood. Or if you're stuck on a problem or suffering from ennui, a short period in Alpha mode will help 'clear your thoughts', so that when you return to Beta, you're more able to work productively.
Theta Waves
Theta waves are associated with REM - Rapid Eye Movement - sleep, in other words when we're dreaming. The pulsing of these brain waves is shallow, around 4 to 7 Hz per minute.
Dreaming is the brain's way of collating information, making sense of it and filing it away in the subconscious. This is all very necessary. Simply put, if we didn't dream, we'd probably go insane.
The Theta state also produces catecholamines in the brain, which are associated with learning and memory.
Because the conscious and subconscious are communicating well at this level, our creativity is probably at its most active - and many of your best ideas will probably arise at this time - though of course remembering them later is often a problem. There again, the brain probably does this deliberately so that you don't get too overwhelmed by creativity!
Delta Waves
One digit up from dead, starting at 0.1 up to 4 Hz, Delta are very long, slow brain waves linked to dreamless sleep. During the sleep cycle, we can take anything up to two hours of REM sleep to get to this level.
Curiously, experiencing Delta waves is necessary for the production of human growth hormones that regulate our health.
This is the real reason why, when we don't sleep well, our health and mental state deteriorate.
Have you noticed how children generally sleep more deeply than adults? It's crucial that they do, in order to grow and repair their minds and bodies.
As adults too, especially when we're stressed or unwell, or indulging in drugs or alcohol, a good night's sleep, as the cliche goes, can do wonders for our health and well-being.
Preamble over. Now the important question:
How Can This Help Your Writing?
Once you understand how brain waves work, then you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
For example.
Have you ever started a writing project with a passion and then wonder why you can't get back the enthusiasm to write more later?
Simple, when you started you were in a Gamma State, which can't last that long. You need to get yourself into a more relaxed state to write well for longer periods.
Contrary to logic perhaps, the best state to write in is somewhere between Alpha and Beta. You need to be able to work steadily while your brain is in Beta (work) Mode - but also to regularly dip into the more relaxed Alpha (trance) State, where you can assimilate information, improve your focus and get access to your more creative subconscious mind.
In my Easy Writing System I recommend that you rely heavily on your subconscious to not only come up with ideas, but also, to an extent, write for you.
We all know that the conscious and logical Beta State likes to regularly criticize our writing - and undermine our confidence. That's its function. But in order to write for long periods, we need to switch off the inner critic and 'go with the flow' of the subconscious.
You can do this by relaxing, even meditating, for five or ten minutes at regular intervals during your writing.
Some people might regard this time as wasted - after all, staring into space is frowned upon at school and work. But this is to misinterpret what's going on when the brain retreats to the Alpha State.
Time spent relaxing, clearing your thoughts and essentially day dreaming is good for you - and very good for your writing.
I hope this info helps you.
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Our Comic Book Culture
Let's face it, the evidence is all around us. If you pitch your writing at a fourteen year old, you'll be monstrously successful.
And I don't necessarily mean that you need to write about fourteen year olds, I mean you should write for that intellectual level.
Hollywood has known this since Jaws and Star Wars, when Spielberg and Lucas proved that nobody really wants adult movies. People want escapism. And they want to feel young again.
Look what's current and coming up.
Star Trek, Wolverine, another Harry Potter, Angels and Demons - and yes I believe Dan Brown (deliberately or not) aims his stories at an intellectual age of fourteen. I mean he's not exactly challenging to read, is he?
James Patterson too has finally come out of the closet to write YA novels - which, to me, read just like his other novels but without the blood and violence.
The big market is pubescent.
The late great Michael Chrichton also understood this principle. Look at the body of his work: Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo. Prey and many others that are more comic book than literary.
Just think of what's presented to us as important nowadays - fictional fantasies that take us out of ourselves and present a more compelling version of reality: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Transformers, The Matrix, X-Men, Iron Man, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, next up is the Green Lantern, and now Twilight - part of the seemingly endless fascination the public has with vampires.
Horror too is now the object of cult teenage status from Freddie Kruger to Jigsaw to endless remakes of post-heroic slashers and monsters like Alien and Predator.
And fantasy doesn't just mean dragons and sorcery any more.
Die Hard to me is fantasy, as is James Bond.
I would also argue that High School Musical and the consistent plethora of teen dramas do not reflect real life any more than The Waltons did. They're idealised versions of a reality none of us actually live.
We want escapism yes, and we want to be taught lessons about reality - but in a comic book context.
Is this a bad thing?
Not for the budding fiction writer.
If you've ever tried to write serious novels about adult issues, you'll know how hard it is to get them published.
Why is this? Let's look at the facts.
Of the 200,000+ books published every year, only around 5% of them are fiction - and 90% of those are genre fiction, which generally sells at least FIVE to TEN TIMES better than literary fiction.
The publishing industry responds to demand. (Sorry if this is a shock to you!) And the public are demanding fantasy - not just classical genre fantasy - but fantasized reality too: thrillers, romance, horror, mystery, whatever ... just so long as it's not too real!
The Market is Pubescent
Just thought I'd put that message in bold in case you were still in any doubt.
The evidence is clear.
If you want to be a successful fiction writer, go with the flow. Give the people want they want: heroic fantasy, the hero's journey, the quest for good against evil, the super-protagonist set against impossible odds.
"Comic Book Reality" is what appeals - and sells.
Stories are meant to transport us - and clearly it's those that transport us the most that become successful - and monstrously so.
If you're a new fiction writer and you're wondering which way to go -
Or if you're a struggling author wondering how to finally get your work published -
Or if you're a working writer who wants a taste of the big time -
Write fantasy, or more specifically: comic book reality - that's my sincere advice to you.
And where better to start than here?
Good Luck and Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
And I don't necessarily mean that you need to write about fourteen year olds, I mean you should write for that intellectual level.
Hollywood has known this since Jaws and Star Wars, when Spielberg and Lucas proved that nobody really wants adult movies. People want escapism. And they want to feel young again.
Look what's current and coming up.
Star Trek, Wolverine, another Harry Potter, Angels and Demons - and yes I believe Dan Brown (deliberately or not) aims his stories at an intellectual age of fourteen. I mean he's not exactly challenging to read, is he?
James Patterson too has finally come out of the closet to write YA novels - which, to me, read just like his other novels but without the blood and violence.
The big market is pubescent.
The late great Michael Chrichton also understood this principle. Look at the body of his work: Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo. Prey and many others that are more comic book than literary.
Just think of what's presented to us as important nowadays - fictional fantasies that take us out of ourselves and present a more compelling version of reality: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Transformers, The Matrix, X-Men, Iron Man, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, next up is the Green Lantern, and now Twilight - part of the seemingly endless fascination the public has with vampires.
Horror too is now the object of cult teenage status from Freddie Kruger to Jigsaw to endless remakes of post-heroic slashers and monsters like Alien and Predator.
And fantasy doesn't just mean dragons and sorcery any more.
Die Hard to me is fantasy, as is James Bond.
I would also argue that High School Musical and the consistent plethora of teen dramas do not reflect real life any more than The Waltons did. They're idealised versions of a reality none of us actually live.
We want escapism yes, and we want to be taught lessons about reality - but in a comic book context.
Is this a bad thing?
Not for the budding fiction writer.
If you've ever tried to write serious novels about adult issues, you'll know how hard it is to get them published.
Why is this? Let's look at the facts.
Of the 200,000+ books published every year, only around 5% of them are fiction - and 90% of those are genre fiction, which generally sells at least FIVE to TEN TIMES better than literary fiction.
The publishing industry responds to demand. (Sorry if this is a shock to you!) And the public are demanding fantasy - not just classical genre fantasy - but fantasized reality too: thrillers, romance, horror, mystery, whatever ... just so long as it's not too real!
The Market is Pubescent
Just thought I'd put that message in bold in case you were still in any doubt.
The evidence is clear.
If you want to be a successful fiction writer, go with the flow. Give the people want they want: heroic fantasy, the hero's journey, the quest for good against evil, the super-protagonist set against impossible odds.
"Comic Book Reality" is what appeals - and sells.
Stories are meant to transport us - and clearly it's those that transport us the most that become successful - and monstrously so.
If you're a new fiction writer and you're wondering which way to go -
Or if you're a struggling author wondering how to finally get your work published -
Or if you're a working writer who wants a taste of the big time -
Write fantasy, or more specifically: comic book reality - that's my sincere advice to you.
And where better to start than here?
Good Luck and Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Story Formula
I've been reading Robert McKee's book on 'Story', where he outlines what he perceives to be ideal story structure - not just for movies but for novels and short stories too. He's based his theories on a lifetime of examining story form and structure - and from being employed to read story proposals for Hollywood studios.
His conclusions are interesting and educational - not least because they're so specific!
McKee is able to identify stories that work and why - but also how to structure them for maximum effect. Below I've tried to summarize his theories.
Defining Story Terms
First we need to understand the terms of reference Robert McKee uses, in order to fully grasp what he's saying.
An Emotional Exchange is the smallest fragment of drama within a story. It is a point at which a character openly deals with either his external world or his internal demons. It is commonly called a Beat.
Ideally, a Beat in a story should be non-coincidental, which means it arises as a result of the protagonist's actions or world view, or agenda, and that puts him in conflict with his surroundings (usually other characters).
A Life Value is a state of being that a character must represent or express in order to be interesting to a reader or viewer. It is changes in Life Values that the storyteller should be primarily concerned with.
For the purposes of Story, the writer needs to think in terms of Life Value Opposites - as in life or death, good or evil, happy or sad, bored or elated. A journey from one Life Value to its opposite is what constitutes a good Scene.
A Scene is made up of 4 or 5 Beats that take the character from one emotional state to another.
In order for a character to grow and change, the reader needs to show a series of 2 to 5 Scenes that become a Sequence.
A Sequence is a dramatic demonstration of the character's emotional path through the story. A Sequence should end with a Scene of more intensity and/or impact that any of the preceding.
A series of 2 to 12 Sequences then constitutes an Act.
Phew! With me so far?
Story Structure
To McKee, who has studied stories back as far as 3000BC, all stories are constructed around 2 to 4 Acts that take the reader, listener or viewer, on a logical - usually linear - journey from one emotional state to another that, throughout the story, is becoming consistently more intense.
He says the purpose of a story is to show that a believable main character can move from one point in his life to a time of absolute and irreversible change. Without this element, argues McKee, there is no story.
It is up to the writer to use the above story elements - beats, scenes, sequences and acts - to prove his theme: that there is a logical pattern and sense to life and that we, the reader, can learn through fiction.
In other words, writers teach us valuable lessons about life through story.
What About Plot?
You'll notice that in none of the above is there any mention of plot, indeed only a little reference to character. There's a reason for this.
Robert McKee believes that the story structure he presents is innate - it exists whether the writer wants to believe it -and even when he rejects it - which he says is acceptable, if not to be encouraged sometimes.
McKee believes that plot is simply the unique and personal way that the writer might choose to show the elements of Story.
I guess he's also saying that the writer can do what he likes but if the 'elements' aren't there, he's failed to create a convincing story - which is open to debate.
I suppose it depends on what the story is for.
Is it primarily to teach or entertain? Is it to show that life can be better? Or is it to show that life not only stays static but that change is not necessarily a good thing?
These are all personal issues that the writer must confront at some point in his story construction - and decide for himself.
So There You Have It
If you ever wanted a story template to hang an idea upon I think it's probably above. I'm sure McKee would argue that it's not so much a formula as a timeless universal structure that is somehow part of our DNA.
I agree.
I think there's a reason why humans find satisfaction in fiction.
Because people need a sense of purpose in their lives. We all want to believe that ultimately things will make sense - that there's meaning to our existence.
Because what's the alternative?
Futile, infinite, godless chaos?
I think we, as writers, know better than that.
Don't you?
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
His conclusions are interesting and educational - not least because they're so specific!
McKee is able to identify stories that work and why - but also how to structure them for maximum effect. Below I've tried to summarize his theories.
Defining Story Terms
First we need to understand the terms of reference Robert McKee uses, in order to fully grasp what he's saying.
An Emotional Exchange is the smallest fragment of drama within a story. It is a point at which a character openly deals with either his external world or his internal demons. It is commonly called a Beat.
Ideally, a Beat in a story should be non-coincidental, which means it arises as a result of the protagonist's actions or world view, or agenda, and that puts him in conflict with his surroundings (usually other characters).
A Life Value is a state of being that a character must represent or express in order to be interesting to a reader or viewer. It is changes in Life Values that the storyteller should be primarily concerned with.
For the purposes of Story, the writer needs to think in terms of Life Value Opposites - as in life or death, good or evil, happy or sad, bored or elated. A journey from one Life Value to its opposite is what constitutes a good Scene.
A Scene is made up of 4 or 5 Beats that take the character from one emotional state to another.
In order for a character to grow and change, the reader needs to show a series of 2 to 5 Scenes that become a Sequence.
A Sequence is a dramatic demonstration of the character's emotional path through the story. A Sequence should end with a Scene of more intensity and/or impact that any of the preceding.
A series of 2 to 12 Sequences then constitutes an Act.
Phew! With me so far?
Story Structure
To McKee, who has studied stories back as far as 3000BC, all stories are constructed around 2 to 4 Acts that take the reader, listener or viewer, on a logical - usually linear - journey from one emotional state to another that, throughout the story, is becoming consistently more intense.
He says the purpose of a story is to show that a believable main character can move from one point in his life to a time of absolute and irreversible change. Without this element, argues McKee, there is no story.
It is up to the writer to use the above story elements - beats, scenes, sequences and acts - to prove his theme: that there is a logical pattern and sense to life and that we, the reader, can learn through fiction.
In other words, writers teach us valuable lessons about life through story.
What About Plot?
You'll notice that in none of the above is there any mention of plot, indeed only a little reference to character. There's a reason for this.
Robert McKee believes that the story structure he presents is innate - it exists whether the writer wants to believe it -and even when he rejects it - which he says is acceptable, if not to be encouraged sometimes.
McKee believes that plot is simply the unique and personal way that the writer might choose to show the elements of Story.
I guess he's also saying that the writer can do what he likes but if the 'elements' aren't there, he's failed to create a convincing story - which is open to debate.
I suppose it depends on what the story is for.
Is it primarily to teach or entertain? Is it to show that life can be better? Or is it to show that life not only stays static but that change is not necessarily a good thing?
These are all personal issues that the writer must confront at some point in his story construction - and decide for himself.
So There You Have It
If you ever wanted a story template to hang an idea upon I think it's probably above. I'm sure McKee would argue that it's not so much a formula as a timeless universal structure that is somehow part of our DNA.
I agree.
I think there's a reason why humans find satisfaction in fiction.
Because people need a sense of purpose in their lives. We all want to believe that ultimately things will make sense - that there's meaning to our existence.
Because what's the alternative?
Futile, infinite, godless chaos?
I think we, as writers, know better than that.
Don't you?
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Universe Wants You to Succeed
I must be the last person in the world to have started reading The Secret. We bought the book last week and have the video on order. Can't wait.
I'm really enjoying the book - not least because it's outlining what I've always believed.
It struck me as amusing that its primary author, Rhonda Byrne, is a fellow Australian. She explains in the intro to the The Secret that when the idea came to her, she had to travel to the US to find validation and willing exponents of her cause.
I wondered if this meant she couldn't find any positive people in Australia!
Having lived here for nearly a decade now (I'm a Brit if you didn't know) I think I can relate to her dilemma.
There's a weird attitude that permeates the society over here - and is endorsed and promoted by no less than the government - that success happens to other people, usually in other countries.
Australia likes to think of itself as a classless country - where no 'Bruce' is better than the other bloke. It's all part of the 'fair go' mentality that we're apparently famous for. The downside being that if you are successful, you're somehow not playing the game.
We love our sports people - it's okay if they win.
But artists? Writers? Actors? Film makers? Nah.
That's being way too ambitious. Crass even. Success in these areas is shunned. For evidence, look at any Australian artist in the last fifty years that, despite all the negativity and poo-pooing have actually made it. What's the first thing they do?
Yep - they leave, off to more appreciative shores.
Clive James, Germaine Greer, Dame Edna Everage, the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Scott Hicks, Greg MacLean, Matthew Reilly, Bryce Courtney, Paul Hogan, Anthony LaPaglia and the late great Heath Ledger, to name but a tiny few. And they all complain that Australia is so darn unsupportive - so down on itself - so reluctant to invest cash in its own talent - that they can't wait to get away!
It's not that we don't have superstars here clearly.
It's curious to me that at least 60% of the great creative writing websites out there come from Australia. I guess that's because the Net allows Australians with talent to reach out beyond our own shores and interact with more positive folks.
Which brings me back to Rhonda Byrne.
She's a writer whose life was turned around by self belief and positivity. She had a vision of a better world that could inspire people through her writing - and once she'd made the commitment to her project, she found evidence of The Secret everywhere.
You see what writers can do?
Just like I've always said. Writers don't just scribble down words.
We create an edifice of solid thought - and make our internal world real by simply writing things down.
Everything starts with writing.
All the great inventions. All progress and civilisation. Even all the bad stuff starts with someone having an idea, a vision that they then make real through writing.
So whatever you want in your life, write it down.
Make it real.
And don't forget to get your work out there too.
I think one of the failings of The Secret is that it doesn't stress taking action quite enough. The philosophy relies on a passive element - that simply believing enough will attract the things you want to you.
I'm not sure this is altogether true.
If you accept The Secret's premise then, given the amount of work the Universe has to do to bring you wealth, happiness and love, I think the least we can do is to help it - by taking positive action and actually working towards your goals.
Surely, if you're too passive, isn't the Universe going to think, "Well, do you really want this? You're not showing me you do!"
Because we all know that books aren't going to write themselves. Success at making movies or designing cathedrals isn't just going to be bestowed upon you just because you want it.
You have convince the Universe of your intention and desire by acting on your goals, making plans, strategizing and working on your dreams.
Combine The Secret with taking positive, focussed action on a daily basis and I believe you'll find that everything Rhonda says will come true.
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
I'm really enjoying the book - not least because it's outlining what I've always believed.
It struck me as amusing that its primary author, Rhonda Byrne, is a fellow Australian. She explains in the intro to the The Secret that when the idea came to her, she had to travel to the US to find validation and willing exponents of her cause.
I wondered if this meant she couldn't find any positive people in Australia!
Having lived here for nearly a decade now (I'm a Brit if you didn't know) I think I can relate to her dilemma.
There's a weird attitude that permeates the society over here - and is endorsed and promoted by no less than the government - that success happens to other people, usually in other countries.
Australia likes to think of itself as a classless country - where no 'Bruce' is better than the other bloke. It's all part of the 'fair go' mentality that we're apparently famous for. The downside being that if you are successful, you're somehow not playing the game.
We love our sports people - it's okay if they win.
But artists? Writers? Actors? Film makers? Nah.
That's being way too ambitious. Crass even. Success in these areas is shunned. For evidence, look at any Australian artist in the last fifty years that, despite all the negativity and poo-pooing have actually made it. What's the first thing they do?
Yep - they leave, off to more appreciative shores.
Clive James, Germaine Greer, Dame Edna Everage, the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Scott Hicks, Greg MacLean, Matthew Reilly, Bryce Courtney, Paul Hogan, Anthony LaPaglia and the late great Heath Ledger, to name but a tiny few. And they all complain that Australia is so darn unsupportive - so down on itself - so reluctant to invest cash in its own talent - that they can't wait to get away!
It's not that we don't have superstars here clearly.
It's curious to me that at least 60% of the great creative writing websites out there come from Australia. I guess that's because the Net allows Australians with talent to reach out beyond our own shores and interact with more positive folks.
Which brings me back to Rhonda Byrne.
She's a writer whose life was turned around by self belief and positivity. She had a vision of a better world that could inspire people through her writing - and once she'd made the commitment to her project, she found evidence of The Secret everywhere.
You see what writers can do?
Just like I've always said. Writers don't just scribble down words.
We create an edifice of solid thought - and make our internal world real by simply writing things down.
Everything starts with writing.
All the great inventions. All progress and civilisation. Even all the bad stuff starts with someone having an idea, a vision that they then make real through writing.
So whatever you want in your life, write it down.
Make it real.
And don't forget to get your work out there too.
I think one of the failings of The Secret is that it doesn't stress taking action quite enough. The philosophy relies on a passive element - that simply believing enough will attract the things you want to you.
I'm not sure this is altogether true.
If you accept The Secret's premise then, given the amount of work the Universe has to do to bring you wealth, happiness and love, I think the least we can do is to help it - by taking positive action and actually working towards your goals.
Surely, if you're too passive, isn't the Universe going to think, "Well, do you really want this? You're not showing me you do!"
Because we all know that books aren't going to write themselves. Success at making movies or designing cathedrals isn't just going to be bestowed upon you just because you want it.
You have convince the Universe of your intention and desire by acting on your goals, making plans, strategizing and working on your dreams.
Combine The Secret with taking positive, focussed action on a daily basis and I believe you'll find that everything Rhonda says will come true.
Keep Writing!
rob@easywaytowrite.com
Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write
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