S13E3 – Worrying About Word Count
I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. – JRR Tolkein
Writing Roots
S13E2 – It’s Just Boring!
This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.
Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important. – Gary Provost
S13E1 – The Solution to Awkward Dialogue
Dialogue is not just quotation. It is grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouse buttons, doodles on a napkin, and crossings of legs. – Jerome Stern
S12E9 – Awards and Competitions
Start with short stories. After all, if you were to take up rock climbing, you wouldn’t start with Mount Everest. So if you’re starting fantasy, don’t start with a nine-book series. – George RR Martin
S12E8 – Using Sequels During Marketing
A book series is never truly over. The story lives on, even when the final page has been turned. – Richard Denney
S12 Bonus – Tips and Tricks for Interviews
There are only two types of speakers in the world: the nervous, and liars. – Mark Twain
S12E7 – Getting the Most Effective Reviews
Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.- Anthony Volodkin
S12E6 – Where to Sell Your Books
Books choose their readers, not the other way around. I believe that booksellers are the matchmakers. – Cecelia Ahern
S12E5 – Writing Effective Ads and Teases
If your target audience isn’t listening, it’s not their fault, it’s yours. – Seth Godin
S12E4 – Using Social Media to Market
It’s a dialogue, not a monologue, and some people don’t understand that. Social media is more like a telephone than a television. – Amy Jo Martin