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Author: Angela D. Meyer

Angela D. Meyer lives in NE with her husband and two children whom they homeschool - recently graduating their son. She has taught Bible class for over 35 years and is on the leadership team of her local Christian writers group. She loves God, her family, the ocean, good stories, connecting with friends, taking pictures, quiet evenings and a good laugh. Someday she wants to ride in a hot air balloon and vacation by the sea.
Jeanie is leading the charge on building your platform.  Let’s touch base with her and see how it’s going with her newsletter.
Jeanie is a fellow Wordsower and newly published author with a story appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen. Released February 4, 2014. Every week, she shares her journey experience of building a platform.

Connect with Jeanie: website (you can sign up for her newsletter here as well) Facebook

After you figured out how to work with Mail Chimp, how long did it take you to put your newsletter together?
4.3 seconds. In my dreams.
Here again I turned it into a horrific process. I came up with an overload of ideas unrelated to anything. I’d write a segment, then delete it. Rewrite. Delete it again. Days of furious writing wound up in my computer’s dungeon.
Instead of one Spring story, I wrote four. I agonized over what to offer as a sign-up incentive.
I didn’t want to take 5-10 minutes to choose a template (which can be reused for subsequent campaigns). Heck no! Instead I spent hours creating my own plain-Jane one. Bad idea for someone whose artistic skills are limited to drawing stick figures.
What should have been a few hours work turned into 2 weeks.
How did you decide on what to offer in your newsletter? 
I looked at other authors’ newsletters. Took advice from experienced writers. Prayer interspersed with hair-pulling sessions.
What kind of signup response have you had?
My mom and I comprised my first list. (Thanks Mom. You’re fabulous!) So even though I don’t have a huge following yet, I’m excited to see people signing up every week.
Is there anything you will do differently next time?
Absolutely. My first newsletter is such a homely baby even this momma can’t pretend any differently.
My next edition is brighter, bolder, and easier to read. I used a MailChimp templates. In about 30 minutes I finished the basics of the Summer newsletter (including finding the pictures). It looks sooooo much better.
Plus, I’ve chosen the perfect gift card for the next drawing.
Any advice for those who are just starting to consider a newsletter?
Don’t panic. Keep calm and write on.
Read other author’s newsletters to see what you like about them. Utilize the things that resonate with you…and I’m not talking plagiarism here. Check out their sites to get an overall feeling for what you want in yours.
People are inundated with online invitations daily. Offer an incentive for them to join you.
Think your content through, but don’t second (and third…and fourth…) guess yourself.
Ask for help. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.

Now it’s your turn – let’s get started. 

You’ve decided on the content. What’s next?

1. Choose your service and set up an account.

Since I use Mail Chimp, all illustrations for this article will be from that service.

2. Get familiar with what your service has to offer.

Let’s start at Mail Chimp’s dashboard. The two icons you need to know about for this post are the campaigns and lists icons.

3. Create a list:

Lists are the groups of people who sign up to receive your newsletter. You can have multiple lists. For example. Here it shows my two lists. One is for my RSS driven campaign, sending my blog posts to my readers by email. The second list is my quarterly newsletter.

Click the list icon on the dashboard and you will be sent to this page. To create your list, click on the create a list button in the top right hand corner of the list page. The instructions will walk you through this.
Once you have a list and you click on that list on the lists page, you will be able to manage your subscribers.

4. Create a campaign: 

Campaigns are the batch of newsletters you send out via emails. For each edition of your newsletter you have to create a new campaign. If you send out welcome editions in between your scheduled newsletter, you have to create a new campaign.
Click the campaign icon on the dashboard and you will be sent to this page. To create your campaign, click on the create a campaign button in the top right hand corner. At the bottom of the next screen in the black band, you will see  the buttons to click on to guide you through the process.
Once you have a campaign, if you click on one of the campaigns you can see all of the stats. How many people opened your newsletter. How many clicked through for what you are giving them.

5. Choose your recipients 

Once you click on the create a campaign button, the first thing you will be asked to do is to choose the recipients. You will have a choice between the different lists you have created.
If you notice the buttons along the bottom in the black band, you will be able to tell which stage of designing your campaign you are in. The great thing? Until you hit the send button at the very end, you can change anything or scrap it all and start over. So, relax and have a little fun.
The first campaign you want to set up will be the welcome edition of your newsletter. The reason you want to have this ready is so that when you have new subscribers you can send this out to them ASAP even if you are between regular campaigns. If you wait, they may not remember they signed up and quickly unsubscribe. You will be able to resend this same welcome edition as many times as you want, only changing the recipient. More on that next week.
In the next few steps you will be plugging in all that wonderful content you have decided to include. My instructions today are fairly simple, but Mail Chimp has some great tutorials if you need more information. Take advantage of them. Or feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer the question.

6. Set up the campaign.

That is when you name the campaign and choose a few social media options if you want them – let it post to FB and Twitter are two. I didn’t like the way those posts looked, but it may work for you.

7. Choose your template to work with.

Nose around and see what you like. Once you have a design you like, you can save the template to use in the future to make it simpler. I’m going to walk you through the Basic template choice. I like this selection because you have greater freedom to personalize it. However, as you read in Jeanie’s Q & A, she prefers the pre-designed template. Find what works for you and go for it.

8: Design your newsletter.

When you click on Basic you will go to this screen next:
Have fun and play around. Click and drag the boxes on the right into the sections on the left. Click the edit button to add content. In the top right hand corner you can click on the preview button at any time. DO NOT test at this stage. In the free service you only get a few tests and you want to save those for just before you actually send the campaign.
Next week we will pick up with the “confirm” stage of the design. But you want to have everything in place before we get there. So between now and then, be working on the steps we have covered so far.
About the freebie. You want to give people a reason to sign up for your newsletter, that’s why you offer something free just for signing up (sent with your welcome edition). Work on your freebie. Make sure it looks professional. Next week we’ll talk about how to link your freebie to your newsletter.
We will also cover designing your sign up form and where/how to share those. Scheduling and putting it out there.
Of course, don’t feel like you have to wait on us. Step into the adventure and forge ahead if you are so inclined.
If you have any questions, be sure and leave them in the comments below.
See you next week.
You’ve decided to embark on building a platform. You know a blog is important and you are in process of getting that set up and deciding what to blog about. But are you ready for company to drop by?
As you design your website/blog, there is an important factor you don’t want to forget. Getting permission from your readers to contact them in the future. This is how you build an audience that will want to buy your books.
Building a mailing list is the best way to get that  permission. But people won’t just give you their email address for no reason. You have to give them something in return. Enter the newsletter.
Never fear, services like Mail Chimp (which is free up to 2000 subscribers) make it easy to design and mail out newsletters to your audience.
To get you thinking, here are a few things to remember as you put together your newsletter:
  • Have a welcome edition subscribers will get right away, or they may forget that they subscribed to you, then opt out once you send the next issue.
  • It doesn’t have to be weekly to be effective. Just enough to keep your name in front of them. I send mine quarterly.
  • Be consistent and follow through on promise of delivery.
  • Give them something free right up front to encourage them to sign up.
  • A collection of devotionals you have put together in a PDF format for them to download. A free short story. A free ebook (PDF download) of some sort of “how to” advice. A collection of your own poetry. ETC.
We will be writing more details next week about the newsletter. Our Google+ Hangout in April will cover newsletters, as well. Until then:
Brainstorm ideas for what to  write about offer as an incentive to sign up.
Look at those newsletters you have signed up for and see what others are doing.
Sign up for an account with Mail Chimp. Nose around and get familiar with it.
Check out these resources (sign up for their newsletters):
Michael Hyatt * Jeff Goins * Tim Grahl

Before we go, let’s ask Jeanie about her newsletter experience. 
 
Jeanie is a fellow Wordsower and newly published author with a story appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen. Released February 4, 2014. Every week, she shares her journey experience of building a platform. 

Connect with Jeanie on her website or on Facebook .

How did you first feel at the thought of starting a newsletter?
Confused. “How often should I send one out? What would I include? Can’t I just hide in the corner with my Hershey bar?”
Reluctant. “Do I really need to do this?”
Overwhelmed. “I don’t understand the technical aspects of getting it to people. Where do I even start?”
What benefits are you looking for with your newsletter? Instead of screaming into the vast virtual world, “Hey, look at me,” my heart is to give people hope and encouragement. I want to engage people by offering them things they can use. For example, my first newsletter came out March 20th. In it I shared:
  • 3 different organizing methods to speed up Spring cleaning
  • A 4-in-1 story, “Perspectives.”
  • A fun interactive editing/voting opportunity.
  • A drawing for a $20 Visa gift card.
Did you run into any roadblocks along the way? Yes, an epic battle with Evil MailChimp. Actually, it’s a wonderful email marketing service…once it’s mastered. MailChimp and I wrestled like God and Jacob. Except for my nose getting out of joint, I came away fairly unscathed. I bogged down watching tutorial after tutorial, but the monkey’s off my back.
How easy/hard was it to start? I made it harder than it should have been. I was convinced that it would be a drawn-out, painful process. So I turned it into one.
What is the link for people to sign up for your newsletter? Go to www.jeaniejacobson.com Sign up before March 31st to be eligible for the Visa gift card drawing. (Cha-Ching)
 
Are you struggling with what to write about on your blog? If you’re anything like me, these are some of the thoughts going through your head:

Why would anyone listen to what I have to say?
There are already so many bloggers out there.
I’m not an expert in anything.

Let’s catch up with our resident beginner (fast becoming experienced) and ask her a few questions about blogging content.
Jeanie is a fellow Wordsower and newly published author with a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen.

Here on Jeanie’s Perspective, she shares the process of building her platform. Connect with Jeanie on her website or on Facebook.

What do you blog about? Do you have an area you stick with or do you blog about whatever is on your mind at the moment?
Recently I started blogging about the oddest or most challenging event of my week. I format it like this:
1) Share a true, usually quirky, event. Like when I hid from the nativity scene in my front yard, or cooked a possum.
2) Apply a nugget of truth, lay my soul bare, and ask who else might be struggling in that area.
3) Give encouragement through a related scripture.
Do you have a tag line/mission statement?
I thought “Truth Through Fiction” would be an awesome tag line. So did about a thousand other people who are already using it. My blog’s focus is hope, humor, and encouragement. I want people to know God’s crazy in love with them, ala John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Do you ever doubt your choice for your blog topic? 
Pretty much every time I sit down to write it. The rule of thumb is “narrow your focus to broaden your audience.” I know it, but haven’t accomplished it yet. Last week I learned of an author who writes Amish science-fiction. Seriously. Now that’snarrowing your focus.
In order to determine what to blog about,
it helps to know 4 things.
Know your mission/purpose. Some people like to write a mission statement. If you don’t want something long and involved, try a tag line. Can you put in one sentence what the purpose is behind your writing?
For me, my tagline is “stories of surrender, transformation, and hope”. In other words, through each story I write (and each blog post) I want to encourage women in their faith walk. I think this tag line expresses that. Here are some questions to ask as you think about what your purpose is.
Where do you want to be in 10 years?
Is there a pattern of what God is doing in your life?
What is your personal life message?
What is your personal life verse?
 
Know your audience. Its common to want to include everyone. But the funny thing is, the more specific you get, the broader appeal your message actually has. When you have a very specific audience in mind, it is easier to get personal with them. Ask yourself:
What is their age range?
What is their gender?
What are their interest?
What are their talents /abilities?
What life issue/problem are you going to help them solve/answer?
What is their life circumstance (married, single, kids or no, working, retired, etc)?
What is it about their life that gets them interested in what you write?
Is your reader fellow writers or just readers?
 
 
Know yourself. You are the heartbeat of your writing. It’s how you shine through and stand out from everyone else. People are attracted to YOU, not just the WHAT you write.
What is your personality?
What is your passion?
What do you enjoy writing about?
What do you like to do?
What appeals to you to learn about?
What is your writing style? Don’t try to be someone else.
You are the heartbeat of your writing. 
 
Know what you know. People like to know you’re for real. And whether you outright state it or not, when you know something, it comes through. Your expert status shows. Ask yourself a few questions to shine some light on these areas.
What do you do in your spare time?
What are your talents and abilities?
When do people listen best to you?
What do people ask for your help with?
What is your degree in if you have one?
What are your experiences?
What topics “flow” out of you?
Do you see any common themes in these 4 areas? Take a minute and make some notes.
If you’re still struggling, ask those who love you to share their perspective. Write a few sample blog posts and run them by fellow writers. Then, if you’re still not sure, just START. As you blog, your spot-on-topic will rise to the surface. Don’t be paralyzed by fear or indecision.
Are you ready to get started? Did you get any aha moments as you went through these questions? 
If you have already started your blog, tell me what you blog about. 
Last week, we had a great Hangout. You can still catch it here. We talked about building your platform starting with the basics: your website or blog. Today, you’ll find tips to make that website or blog look professional.
But first, let’s hear from Jeanie Jacobson about her progress building her platform from the ground up.

Jeanie is a fellow Wordsower and newly published author with a story appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen. Released February 4, 2014.

You can find at:

What are you working on this week? I’m learning how to put email sign up buttons on my blog and website. According to the video  tutorials, it’s a quick and easy task.

How is it going? Well…you’ll get a good idea from this piece of my last blog post: I started this blog last September by admitting I felt like Little Red Riding Hood wandering cyberspace with the Big Bad Blogging Wolf hot on my trail. I’ll be honest even though it’s embarrassing. That wolf is still breathing down my neck.
I need to set up an email sign-up form so nice people like you have access to my newsletters and fun insider stuff. It should be so easy to create, but I keep getting arrested by the techno-police.
At this moment I’m lost in cyber space on Planet MailChimp.
Danger Jeanie Jacobson! Danger!
MailChimp is owned by a conglomerate of out-of-work flying monkeys, bitter because the Wizard Of Oz was their last gig. To me their tutorials read something like:
“Link the snarfbladt with the poofathon utilizing the source code. However, if you plan to use a RSS feed, copy the 1st line of HTML into your rebakalator before dancing a jig in your pajamas. If that doesn’t work paste the last 3478 lines of code into the fizzmutter after pulling the flying giraffes from your doughnut maker.” Read Jeanie’s full post here.
What would you tell our readers who are reluctant to get started? Don’t let fear hold you back. Pursue the dreams God planted in your heart, no matter what your starting point is. I’m sharing my computer ineptitude publicly to encourage you. I’ll get better as I push forward. And so will you.
You’ll be hearing more from Jeanie as she shares her adventures in platform building.

As you build your platform, you want it all to look professional, starting with your blog/website. Remember, little things can add up to a great website experience. Here are 10 tips to keep you going in the right direction.
  1. Develop your tag line.This will help guide the direction of your website or blog. It’s that short sentence that tells the purpose of your content.
  2. Offer quality content. Be consistent, whether you post once a week or more. Start with what you know you can handle. You can always add extra posts.
  3. Make sure any links on your website open in new page, especially if these links are to another site away from your own. Check to make sure no links are broken.
  4. Add a picture to each post. Get permission to share and provide appropriate attribution when required. You don’t want people to randomly share your content that you worked so hard on, don’t share someone else’s even if it’s not the written word. There are lots of great places to find quality photos for free that are legal to use.
  5. If you have several pages, make sure tabs are easy to find so people can make their way around your website without frustration.
  6. Once you are on other social media sites, provide easy links to connect with you there.
  7. Have a professional photo to use for your publicity picture. The high resolution is important. What you start showing up on other places, they will ask for one. And you want to look professional.
  8. When you have books for sale, make it easy for people to find them for purchase. Also make a page about your writing, so people can decide whether they like your book right in the moment, before they leave your site and get distracted.
  9. Create an about/bio page. Readers want to know about you. Be authentic.
  10. Make your newsletter sign up easy to find. Best place, top right corner under your header.
Here are some great go-to websites with great information on building your online platform.
 Jeff Goines
Author Media
Michael Hyatt
Blogging Bistro
Next week, we’ll talk specifically about your newsletter. If you have a question you would like addressed leave a comment below.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it….make a goal of one  thing you can do to build your platform. And DO IT!
Now, do tell, what is your goal for the week?

If you want to connect with Jeanie, visit her website http://www.jeaniejacobson.com

You’re writing your first book and you want to be ahead in marketing when you approach a publisher or agent. You’re willing to jump in to social media, but it feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to start. I have a few suggestions to keep in mind as you start.

1. From the beginning, use the name you are writing under to name EVERYTHING to give it a streamlined look. Once you have an online identity, then every time you leave a comment, on a blog or on FB or Twitter, that comment will lead people back to you. Other bloggers will begin to recognize your name. You’re leaving breadcrumbs for people to follow right back to where you hang out.

2. Remember: you cannot do everything. You simply don’t have enough time. Don’t spread the time you have too thin. It’s better to be great at 2 or 3 than mediocre at a dozen or to start something and leave it unattended. Choose wisely. But do keep a list of all the ideas and links you run across – for possible use later.

3. Remember: one size does not fit all. Not everything works for everybody. And even if you are determined to use what another author uses, you need to MAKE IT YOUR OWN. Put your own twist and personality into it. Ask the questions in #5 to help you determine which ones will fit you best.

4. Start with JUST the basics: Facebook (I think google+ is also a great basic) and a website. By limiting how many you start with, you allow yourself plenty of time to become proficient at one thing before moving on to others.

5. Ask critical questions to help determine other social media involvement:

  • Where are you active already as a consumer or an
    author?
  • What are you comfortable with? If twitter  isn’t your thing – it can wait till later – see if you really need the headache of learning it. If you don’t do photography, then Flickr may not be for you.
  • Who is your target audience (genre/age)?
  • How much time do you have?
  • What is your brand/purpose/message?
Give yourself an edge as you head toward publication. Whether traditionally or indie published, you need an audience to read your book. Get ahead of the marketing by starting early. Avoid being overwhelmed by keeping it simple.
Action:
If you have a blog, leave the address in the comments below. Then visit someone else’s blog listed in the comments below or on the members page tab.
Are you already active in social media?

If not, what is your greatest deterrent?

Next week-Thursday, January 30 at 10:15am- we are hosting a panel discussion all about blogging and websites for beginners on a Google+ hangout. You can join us live or we will be recording for those who can’t join us. If you have a question you would like answered, leave it in the comments section below.
photo credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net //isophere
I have a confession. I don’t usually buy fiction at full price. I go to the library, look at garage sales, or borrow from a friend. If it touches my life in some way or I know the author I might invest in a brand new copy.
The other day, however, when I was in the mood for a good book I visited the bookstore. After reading a ton of book blurbs, they all started sounding alike. I defaulted to an author I was familiar with and whom I knew wrote quality stories.
Familiarity with your name influences the purchase of your book. The more places you get you and your writing in front of people, the more likely people will pause when they see a book with your name on it. And buy it.

Getting in front of potential readers is something you can do now. Well before the contract. Here are 5 ideas for building familiarity:

1.      Interact with potential readers and influencers on social media
2.      Write (articles, devotionals and stories) in offline markets
3.      Guest post on other blogs
4.      Write an ebook/PDF download to offer as free content
5.      Do reviews for others and post them
Action: Visit the social media sights of 3 of your favorite authors. Take note of what they are doing. Which of these things look like they would fit with your purpose?
When you go to the bookstore or library to find a good book, how much do each of the following affect your choice? Book cover? Back blurb? Author familiarity?
Why start now?I don’t even have a book written.

Whether you self-publish or publish traditionally, you need an audience to read your book. That’s what building a platform is all about. For the most effective book launch, you want that audience built ahead of time.

When approaching publishers and agents, that is one key element they will look for.

For myself, involvement with social media was limited prior to my contract and the learning curve for building a platform took away from actual connection time with people as well as creative time to write my content.

How do I start without getting overwhelmed?
  • Keep it simple.Choose one social media venue at a time. Take time to learn the ins and outs before you add more.
  • Supply quality content, one blog post at a time. Don’t worry about offering the same amount of content as an established blogger. But keep your promises. If you promise to blog once a month or once a week, do so. People don’t like to follow links to dead ends. They want to discover what you do. Show them.
  • Focus on making connections. How would you connect face to face? Keep it real in your interactions. Be helpful, not just self-promotional. Visit other blogs and Facebook pages and comment. Join online writing groups and participate.
Think of everything you do online as a piece of the puzzle. You are building your reputation or brand as a writer. Your brand is what people come to expect from you. What you write about, how you write about it and what you do with it.
Action: Do you have a FB fan page? If not, start one (link back to previous FB article). This is a great place to learn how to interact with your audience. And if you’re not ready to start posting on a regular basis to a blog or feel overwhelmed at the thought, this is perfect. You can still share content – in bit size pieces.

Here are two previous posts about using Facebook to help you get started: Building a Platform Part 1  and  Building a Platform Part 2

Here’s an exercise to get your creative juices flowing. Whether it turns into something you use or whether it’s simply stirring the pot, have some fun.
 Look at these pictures below (don’t think too hard). For each one, set your timer for five minutes and write fast and furious. No editing allowed as you go. Don’t correct yourself. Just write. ANYTHING that comes to mind.
For those of you who need a little prodding, there are a few questions below each picture that might help you get started.
Who is this man? Is he poor? Why?
What is he doing?
Is he hiding something?
 When is this picture?
Where is this train going?
Who is on the train?
 
 Where is this house?
Whose house is it?
What is going on inside this house?

After you have written you’re allotted time, go back and look at what you have written. Are there any nuggets there you can use – a short story, the start of a new novel or a scene you want to use somewhere?
If there is something worth keeping, you are now allowed to edit and “fix” your writing.

I would love to hear if any of you found a nugget worth keeping.

Writing prompt from the blog of Angela D. Meyer
It used to be an author would spend pages setting the scene, describing the beautiful countryside or the courtly manor in which their protagonist lived. In vivid, laborious detail. And the audience loved it.
Time was taken to draw an exact portrait of each character. With words. And the audience loved it.
The first chapter could very well be completely made up of backstory. And the audience loved it.
But, today, the reader is less patient. They want to know now.
But they do still need to know. So, how do we get the information to them while keeping their attention. A few seconds is all you have to hook them into staying.
And before you even reach the general public, you have to hook the agent. And then the editor. And then the publisher.
In his book The First Fifty Pages (yes, I like this book), Jeff Gerke asserts that you have 50 pages to accomplish this task.
In reality you only have one page. And then the next. And then the next.
As Westley in The Princess Bride quoted the Dread Pirate Robert, “Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”
Here are 5 ideas to help you keep your readers turning those first critical pages.
  • Make sure your opening is free of any bloopers—grammatical, spelling, formatting, etc.— that would earn you an immediate rejection. Polish your work. Get several sets of eyes (hint: critique group) on it. Read it out loud.
  • Grab your readers’ attention. Get your metaphorical hands around their throat and don’t let go. Intrigue them. Shock them. Tease them. Bait them. Make them cry, laugh, scream. Bit by bit, leave a trail of bread crumbs they can’t resist following.
  • Give your reader a reason to care about your protagonist and connect emotionally with the characters in your story. What is the problem the protagonist must overcome? Get your readers emotions involved as soon as you can.
  • Give your readers the information they need to get on to the rest of the story. Don’t beat around the bush, but don’t lose them by jumping so quickly into the story they don’t know where they are.
  • Give your backstory as you go along. Avoid information dumps. Especially at the beginning. Before your reader will sit still for downloads of information, they have to want to know.
There are many ideas that can help an author grab the reader’s attention and keep it. What tips do you follow to ensure a strong start?
A book I found as a helpful reference is Hooked by Les Edgerton.
What is the worst opening line you have ever read in a book?
What it the best opening line?
Last week I offered up some resources to help you with characterization. This week it’s time to look at resources for balancing the equation in your story: plot.
Every story has a flow. An arc. It rises and falls. You’re introduced to the characters and their conflict, the action rises to a crescendo than levels out to a satisfying ending. Simple. But when should the action rise? How long should you keep your audience in suspense? How close to the end do you bring it to the peek? And how in the world does my character’s arc dovetail with the plot?
That, my fellow writer, is what the following books can help you decipher.
Did you think only plays and movies had acts? Guess again. A great story will have 3 acts. Jeff does an excellent job explaining how to handle all three acts to build your story.
From answering “what is plot” to explaining common plot problems and cures, this book helps you build the right structure for your story. It explains how to make the beginning, middle and end strong. There are exercises at the end of each chapter.
Just as a story has a flow, so does each scene. Scene and Structure contains fourteen chapters filled with information to help you build scenes that will keep your audience reading. A couple of my favorites: Chapter 8 answers the question of how to pace your story through the use of scenes. Check out chapter 7 to learn how you go from scene to scene without a bumpy ride. And what about the stuff going on inside your characters? Bickham handles that, too.
Each of these books has its own unique flavor. I found all of them helpful. Do you have a favorite resource for plot?
Some authors are plot heavy in their writing and others are into the characterization. The reality is, without both, your story will feel off balanced. Engage all of your reader and have both.
This week, peek into my writer’s library and discover 7 sources on Characterization.  Next week, look for more information on Plot.
Jeff Gerke’s book is easy to read. He talks about layered characters, the emotional journey, the three-act story structure that will sustain your character arc, backstory and who plot and character intertwine.
Draws on the Method acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use. She uses examples from classic and contemporary novels show you how these techniques have been used to dazzling effect.
You’ll learn to:
  • Create characters whose distinctive traits become plot components
  • Determine each character’s specific objectives and motivations
  • Write natural-sounding dialogue rich in meaning
  • Endow your characters with three-dimensional emotional lives
  • Use character to bring action sequences to exuberant life
  • Write convincingly about any character facing any circumstance
Without goals, your story will ramble. Without motivation, your characters won’t be real(no one in their right mind would do THAT!). Without conflict there would be no interest – your story will flat line. Debra makes the concept of GMC easy enough for all to grasp and apply to their writing.
Have you ever been at a loss when it was time to name your characters? Have you ever wanted to name your characters based on what the name means? This book is for you. It contains a listing of names by ethinic background. Is your story set in the middle east? Choose an authentic name from their listing. Each name also has its meaning listed alongside it.
WARNING: Do not use this book to build stereotypical characters. Use this as a catalyst to get you thinking in the right direction. Some situations are easy enough to figure out by putting yourself into your characters shoes, but you don’t want all your characters responding the way YOU would to a situation.
Perhaps you don’t understand how someone who has a psychological disorder might behave (How do you walk in those shoes if you have never been there?). This is written by a psychologist who delves into the why’s of certain personality types and their behaviors. She has some answers for you.
WARNING: Do not use this book to build stereotypical characters. While Edelstein’s book delves into the character’s psyche, McCutcheon’s book looks to their actions.  
He has provided a character questionnaire to help you think through who your character is. He asks things you might never think you would want to know about your character. Most of it you will never pass on directly to your reader. But these background tidbits make for a fuller character.
You will also find a Character Thesaurus. A listing of different ways to voice what you want to say about your character. Words to use as you seek to show instead of tell your story. Instead of saying your protagonist is old, you might use descriptions like cadaverous, careworn, haggard or hair sprouting from moles.
Again, use this as a catalyst to find your own words in your own voice.
Part One: The internals including decription, monikers, setting, work and dialogue.
Part Two: The externals including attitude, her thoughts, avoiding assumptions, dreams, villians and a dossier you can fill out to help you pinpoint what you need to know about your character.
Part Three: Character and Plot. How to get where you’re going, conflict and violence, point of view, secondary characters, character change intertwining with plot and based on real-life events.
She includes a summary at the end of each chapter for easy review.

I hope you find a book that is helpful. Remember, if your budget is tight, see if your local library carries any of these. Do you have a different book in your library? Tell us about it and help us build a better resource list.

There are many fine points of grammar that you can spend time correcting. As you learn to catch those problems in your self-edits, there will be fewer issues in your manuscript.
To give you a boost in the right direction, here are 6 tips to keep in mind.
Use strong verbs:
He strolled through the forest.
He walked through the forest.
He walked slowly through the forest.
Which is better? The first example is best because it shows how he walked. Using adverbs(third example) can easily clutter up your writing. If you choose to use adverbs, use them sparingly and make sure you cannot accomplish your purpose without one.
Watch the passive verbs:
The dog was hit by a car.
The car hit the dog.
The first is an example of passive voice. The action was done to the subject. The second sentence is stronger because the subject does the action.
Don’t use the passive on accident. Only use it to accomplish a specific purpose. For example, in mysteries where you do not know who did the action, a passive would be appropriate.  
There are several usages of verbs that weaken your writing- make it feel passive- without being passive voice and you need to be on the lookout for these as well. Tracy Crump offers an excellent explanation on the subject.
Watch out for clichés.
Don’t say something that has been around the world several times. When you find a cliché in your writing, pause and come up with your own unique twist. Something fresh. In your own voice.
Check for redundant/overused words.
There are times when a word is used repetitively (on purpose) for effect or to drive home a point. Typically, the same word over and over gets old and can drive your reader crazy. Break out the thesaurus. Use the RIGHT word. It will give your story zing.
Check for incorrectly used words. Don’t trust your spell/grammar check on this one.
There. They’re. Or their. Your spell check will say all is well. But how does it come across to your readers if you say: there going to the park, they’re dog ate the rat, or their is a party tonight? The next tip will help you catch these tricky spots.
Read your manuscript aloud before you pass it on. Listen for wordiness. Misused words. Places where your tongue trips over itself. These are all places to go back and work on.

Resources

Find a good grammar reference-a must have for your writer’s library.
What tips and resources have you found helpful?