"" Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog: February 2014

Thursday, February 27, 2014

March to a Bestseller

Dear Fellow Writer,

This week we have a special event. I'm one of sixteen authors who have reduced the prices of their Amazon books for just one day! Today!

Click on any of the covers below to take a peak.


March to a Bestseller

 
Here are the books for the "March to a Bestseller" event! On February 28, 2014, all the books will be dropped to 99 cents! Click on the book covers (above) or the links/covers (below) to check out the books on Amazon. 

Go back to the Facebook event to chat with the authors during the event. 


From the Description of Writing Online

"If you're tired of chasing low paying writing gigs, want to take your writing to the next level, and finally make the great living you deserve, I'm here to share what I've learned along the way."

The book has 29 five-star reviews (out of 29 reviews). Author Sean Platt is the co-author of more than 60 books and is well-known as one of the co-hosts of the Self Publishing Podcast. 


 From the description of How to Write for Kindle

"(This) is a no-fluff guide for writers on-the-go who have something to say and not a lot of time to say it. (Get the book) if you're ready to say 'hello' to increased income, pride of product, and the thrill of seeing your name on a great book." 

The book has a 4.6 out of 5 average with 137 reviews. Author Nancy Hendrickson has written 7 books for authors, bloggers and freelance writers. 
 

From the description of Fire Up Your Fiction (formerly Style that Sizzles & Pacing for Power): 

"If you're looking to hone your style, bring your scenes to life, tighten up your writing, add tension, pick up the pace, and develop a more authentic, appealing voice, this guide to the indispensable style elements of writing a popular novel is for you." 

The book has a 4.8 out of 5 average with 64 reviews. Jodie Renner is an award-winning writer and a sought-after freelance fiction editor. 


From the description of Writing Habit Mastery

"In Writing Habit Mastery you'll learn how to incorporate writing into your daily routine. What you'll get is a strategy and list of tools that will help you develop a sustainable writing habit and demolish writer's block." 

The book has a 4.5 out of 5 average with 54 reviews. S.J. Scott has written over 20 books on writing, productivity and blogging. 



"In this concise guide co-founder of the 30 Day Books studio Laura Pepper Wu shares actionable tips and secrets that you can use to skyrocket the sales of your book and find new readers in places far outside of your current network."

This book has a 4.8 out of 5 average with 44 reviews. Laura Pepper Wu has written six books. 


From the description of Your First 1,000 Copies

"In Your First 1000 Copies, seasoned book marketing expert Tim Grahl walks you through how successful authors are using the online marketing tools to build their platform, connect with readers and sell more books."

The book has a 4.8 out of 5 average with 104 reviews. Tim has worked with over 100 different authors, including New York Times bestselling author Hugh Howey. 

From the description of Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View

"This handbook shows you how to perform the transformation from ordinary narrative to deep narrative in clear, easy-to-master steps. I invite you to sweep your writing to the next level with a technique that creates immediacy and intimacy with your readers." 

The book has a 4.5 out of 5 average with 158 reviews. Jill Elizabeth Nelson is the author of 13 books. 

From the description for 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts, Volume 2
"Far beyond the typical, 'It was a dark and stormy night...' story starters, this new collection of 1,000 prompts has been specifically formulated to dig deep into the creative process. The prompts employ thought-provoking questions, imaginative scenarios and humor to help writers of all ages defeat writer’s block." 

The book has a 4.4 out of 5 average with 79 reviews. Bryan Cohen has written 33 books. 

From the description for Author Publicity Pack

"(This book outlines) over 750 places that authors of all genres can get publicity for themselves and their books. Also includes 100+ additional resources specifically for Christian authors."

The book has a 4.6 out of 5 average with 85 reviews. Shelley Hitz and Heather Hart have written more than 30 books between them and co-manage TrainingAuthors.com.  

From the description for The Writer's Tune-up Manual

"The Manual gives you a real opportunity to flex your literary muscles by laying out detailed, often difficult assignments. Nobody said that becoming the best writer you can would be easy, so roll up your sleeves, flex your fingers, and get ready to take your writing to a whole new level!" 

The book has a 4.7 out of 5 average with 19 reviews. Craig has written 10 books. 

From the description of Practical Emotional Structure

"Turbocharge your story with Practical Emotional Structure. A simple, plain-English craft of writing guide designed to connect you with your readers using emotional theory and the power of the transformational character arc." 

The book has a 4.6 out of 5 average with 19 reviews. Jodi Henley has done more than 51 workshops and presentations. 


From the description of The Easy Way to Write a Novel That Sells

"With step by step, no nonsense tips, techniques and simple strategies, this book will enable you to turn your most treasured dream - to write a novel that sells - into a reality." 

This book has a 4.8 out of 5 average with 14 reviews. Rob Parnell has written over 40 non-fiction self-help titles. 



"How Do I Decide? is a concise, definitive resource that will guide you through the decision, allowing you to ignore the noise and hype and focus on the right path for YOU."

The book has a 4.7 out of 5 average with 38 reviews. Rachelle Gardner is a literary agent with Books & Such Literary.  

From the description for How to Write Dialogue
 
"In How to Write Dialogue you'll learn how to format your dialogue, how to add variety to your dialogue, when you should use dialogue and when you shouldn't, how to write dialogue unique to each of your characters, tricks for handling dialect and much more!" 

The book has a 5.0 out of 5 average with five reviews. Marcy Kennedy is the author of the Busy Writer's Guide series. 
 
From the description of Make Money Online, Volume 2

"Working online for a company or creating your own home-based business can erase debt, allow you to travel and in some cases make you very rich. This book will help you." 

The book has a 4.2 out of 5 average with 71 reviews. Connie Brentford is a bestselling author who has sold over 70,000 books. 

From the description of Writing Fight Scenes

"Learn step-by-step how to create fictional fights which leave the reader breathless with excitement. There are sections on female fighters, male fighters, animals and weres, psychological obstacles, battles, duels, brawls, riots and final showdowns."

The book has a 4.5 out of 5 average with 64 reviews. Rayne Hall is the author of forty books in different genres and under different pen names. 

Remember to visit the Facebook event to chat with all the authors on February 28, 2014! 

Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell

Thursday, February 20, 2014

TV Writing for Profit - the Great Untapped Writers' Market

We've released YET ANOTHER GREAT writing resource this week! And yes, this fascinating look into PAID writing for the visual media is just 99 CENTS at Amazon.com. Right NOW!

Here's the cover:



Get it now - before the book goes up to full price!


TV Writing for PROFIT


You'd have to agree that television is one of the miracles of our modern technological age. It’s all around us. News, drama, sports, sitcoms, reality and game shows pour mercilessly into our lives. It’s so prevalent, we take it for granted – and we writers still don’t get it.

The simple fact is: the entire TV industry is based on writing. Nothing gets made, no programs commissioned, no stars employed without tons and tons of writing behind the scenes. All of which is very well paid and easily available to freelance writers.

So why do freelance writers often ignore writing for TV?

TV networks and producers are always complaining that there simply aren’t enough writers in the business. This seems crazy to me. As an online writing mentor I’m in contact with thousands of freelance writers that would kill for a gig. Any writing gig. And yet, most writers either think that TV writing is beyond them or perhaps, beneath them.

TV unites and comforts us all. It enriches us and our families. The small screen inspires, informs and entertains, transforming our lives since its invention last century in a myriad of incalculable ways.

Let's face it - we love it.

But have you ever asked yourself if you could write for TV?

Fact is, someone has to - because the TV networks need a constant and never-ending supply of new shows. And they pay freelance writers extremely well to invent and produce them.

Did you know you can walk into a TV network with just an idea for a TV show – having less than half a page of words actually written down – and walk out with $5000?

This is no fantasy. It happens every day.

It’s called ‘development money’, and to a TV network it’s chicken-feed compared to what a program costs to make. That’s why they don’t mind giving it to you.

Recently my wife and I were involved in a TV workshop that was paid for by various funding bodies including production companies and the networks. The workshop’s sole purpose was to generate commercial ideas for TV drama shows. There were seventeen of us in a hall designed to hold three hundred – and seventeen was all the freelance writers they could find who were interested in TV writing in a state of over one point six million people!

Of the seventeen, a whopping nine participants, including my wife and I, got development money and promises of more once we actually started writing. Basically, more than HALF of us got paid to write a short proposal for a TV drama series. When you consider that the odds of getting a $5000 advance from a book publisher is about one in ten thousand, you can immediately see that TV writing is an obvious way to go – for any writer who actually wants to get paid.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, that development money doesn’t need to be repaid. If our program goes to air then the money will be absorbed into the budget. But if the program doesn’t manage to make it to the screen – then the money’s written off. The fact is only about one in a hundred shows that go through ‘development’ ever make it to the screen anyway – so you can actually be a very well paid working writer, even if nobody’s ever heard of you or your work. 

And of course, if your writing does make it to the screen, the rewards are astronomical. $100,000 for a forty-two-minute broadcast script is the starting point.

Okay, so now you’re thinking you should give this TV writing thing a try, right? I hope so!

Your next question is bound to be, do I have what it takes?

And the answer is: if you’re any kind of writer, of course you do.

The fact is writing for TV is not that hard. It’s certainly easier than writing novels, even short stories and articles. This is because, get this, the actual writing is literally the last thing most TV executives want to see. They’re happy to discuss ideas, commission development, perhaps see the odd proposal and pay you to put together some kind of ‘bible’ for your series idea – I explain all this stuff in greater detail in my TV Writing book – but really, the writing is, at first, seemingly the thing of least interest to them. They assume you can do that because you came to them – and, if by some chance you write very badly, as far as they’re concerned, they can always get someone else in to write the scripts – but you’ll still get paid as the creator of the idea.

Because it’s ideas that TV thrives on.

And coming up with ideas is what we writers do best, right?

So let’s get to it! Click on the link below to discover the inside info on this fascinating, glamorous and fun writer's market.

Just 99 cents right now!

Keep Writing!


Rob Parnell

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Show Don't Tell: The Ultimate Writers' Guide

Dear Fellow Writer,

Many thanks for tuning in this week.

Today it's my wife's turn to dazzle and amaze! Her latest ebook is called, Show Don't Tell: The Ultimate Writers' Guide

Here's the cover:
 

And yes, for just a few short hours, this brand new writing resource is available from Amazon Kindle for just ninety nine cents!

Get it now - before the book goes up to full price.


What Is Show Don't Tell?


Do you finally want to learn the secret to all great fiction writing?

Do you aspire to write like a bestselling author?

Would you love publishers to sit up and take notice of your stories?

Robyn Opie Parnell, bestselling author of over NINETY published books, says: "I can’t stress how important it is to grasp the profound difference between showing and telling in your fiction writing."

But what does the phrase 'Show, Don't Tell' actually mean?

What is the one simple ingredient that all bestselling novels have in common? The one trait that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end? The one quality that has editors begging for more manuscripts? The authors of these books, whether they're published by a traditional publisher or self-published on-line with sites like Amazon, are all masters in the art of showing and not telling.

Let's face it, publishers are going to demonstrate a massive preference for professionally written manuscripts containing every ingredient possible to make sure the chances of success are maximized. Therefore, in order for them to choose your manuscripts, you positively need to 'show' and not 'tell' your stories. That's a given. But the art of actively 'showing' your story to readers versus merely 'telling' them is not a skill that comes easily to many writers. However, it is a skill that can be learned - by anyone with a will for writing success.

In her time as a writing teacher and mentor, Robyn has been forced to realize that many writers simply don’t know what 'show don't tell' actually entails – even when they think they do and even when they say they do!

What about you? Do you know how to turn tired, dry storytelling into vivid and compelling prose? Even if you do (in principle), do you still experience difficulty actually changing the way you tell stories? Well, maybe that’s because nobody in authority, someone who really knows, has ever gone out of their way to explain what to do and how it's done in a down-to-earth, practical and easily achievable way. Until now.

Show Don't Tell: The Ultimate Writers' Guide from Robyn Opie Parnell, the bestselling author of over ninety published books, can now help you enhance your own fiction writing from the comfort of your computer. This comprehensive guide will show you how bestselling authors use the technique of 'show, don't tell' to create their masterpieces. You’ll learn how they instantly hook audiences into each novel and keep them breathlessly turning pages until the very end.

This Ultimate Writers' Guide features ten in-depth chapters and exercise segments on show don't tell: what it is and how it works, fiction genres, characters, dialogue, conflict, plot progression, short story writing and editing for maximum effect. Each module ends with a set of simple exercises to help you hone your own writing skills.

Show, don’t tell. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But do you really know the difference? Telling is so implicit in the soul of so many writers, it could be you’re not even aware when you’re doing it to the detriment of your success. Don’t take the risk that you’re missing out on your chance to become a bestselling author.

If you’re in any doubt whatsoever about show don't tell, you MUST read this book.  Get it here:

This book contains specific examples from accomplished authors like EL James, JK Rowling, James Patterson, Stephen King, Dan Brown and many more.

Keep Writing!


Rob Parnell

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Writer & The Hero's Journey

Dear Fellow Writer,

Rob Parnell here - thanks for being a valued subscriber!

This week I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about my new book, The Writer & The Hero's Journey.

It's really been a labor of love to put this new writing resource together. I regard this as my best, like most writers, because it's my most recent. But more. I'm feeling particularly proud of this book, I must admit. I think it really might be the one I'll be remembered most for!

Here's the exquisite cover:


Hero's Journey



This book is designed primarily for writers - or new writers - who desire a better understanding of ideal story structure. “The Writer and the Hero’s Journey” is a complete manual for fiction writing mastery. This book will change your writing life forever - for the better. Go here to purchase for less than one dollar.
 
Rob Parnell, Kindle bestselling author of over a dozen acclaimed writing manuals, brings you a unique book that examines the hero’s journey and its importance to you, the writer, and all your fiction writing, no matter which genre you specialize in.
 
Have you ever wanted to be able to structure a short story or novel around your character's hero/heroine? Then using Rob Parnell’s modern interpretation of "The Hero's Journey" as a template is a sure-fire way to create a popular bestseller!



Here's what this groundbreaking new course reveals:

Module One: Mindset of a Hero
Telling a compelling story means first establishing its parameters. Discover simple and effective ways to start a story that will always engender empathy from your reader. In this first module we examine the hero's character and motivation and the symbolic 'call to action', the hero’s metaphorical separation from the ordinary world, leading him/her to take the necessary plot arc to fulfill the hero’s agenda and reach his/her inner and outer goals.



Module Two: Emergence
In any good story, a character must transcend his/her normal existence and be tested. This is the only way to ensure growth - and eventual satisfactory plot resolution. In this module we discover the ‘rules’ on how this metaphorical transformation can and must begin at the quarter point of the hero's journey. There's a tried and true formula for this part of your writing and using solid, familiar examples, you’ll see how many great authors create this scenario.
 
Module Three: Road of Trials Writing is not just a way of entertaining readers, it is also a spiritual journey of enlightenment for the writer. At the midpoint in a story both the hero and the writer must be stretched to the limits of their imagination. In this module we explore the transformation of the hero and the writer at this crucial plot point. And how we can use simple guidelines to ensure the reader is transported by our story, its plot elements and our character arcs.
 

Module Four: Master of Worlds
The character's ultimate reward - and thereby the reader's sense of satisfaction - is based on the hero’s ability to overcome appropriate obstacles and achieve the agendas set out at the beginning of the story. In this module we learn how to structure and resolve character development. How you create endings that leave your reader gasping, crying, triumphant and begging for more! It's all part of the hero's journey.


PLUS:
 
* Each module is followed by practical exercises that will help strengthen your understanding of the hero’s journey and enable you to plan and execute brilliant story ideas with compelling characters.
 
* Throughout the course we look at examples from novels, movies and classic stories from all genres to illustrate the principles of the hero's journey - and how you can use them effectively in your own stories.
 
* We examine the importance of the hero’s journey in the context of writing, writers and in the metaphorical process of becoming a professional artist.
 
* The Major Arcana of the Tarot pack is revealed as an exact match for the hero’s journey. We learn what this means and what you can learn from it. Also, how to come up with fascinating characters and original story plots by using a humble Tarot pack.

* The author reveals the confidential secrets to his own writing success - so that you have practical examples you can apply to your own writer’s journey.

* And much more - all told with the style, panache and wit you'd expect from Rob Parnell, the ‘world’s foremost writing guru.’
Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell

Your Success is My Concern
The Easy Way to Write

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Welcome to the official blog of Rob Parnell's Writing Academy, updated weekly - sometimes more often!