Do KDP Select Free Days work?

At 4:30 p.m. this afternoon I took a look at where my debut Thriller VENGEANCE was on Amazon.

At that time I was # 2 in Private Investigators and #6 in the Crime Category.  I've since moved to #2 in both Categories and around 138 in the overall ranks for the Kindle Store Free books.

If you'd like to snatch a Free Copy of the VENGEANCE ebook you still have about 4 hours left.

www.amazon.com/author/bryankoepke

VENGEANCE - FREE FOR ONE DAY ONLY - "★★★★★ Strong mystery, strong suspense"

For one Day only you can download a FREE copy of my Debut Thriller VENGEANCE at www.amazon.com/author/bryankoepke

 "★★★★★ Strong mystery, strong suspense" 

Get your FREE copy of my Novel today and tell your friends.

What could be Better than Borrowing a Highly Rated Debut Thriller to read for Free?

Do you like to read? 

I'll bet you like to save your hard earned dollars too. 

So then, I'm guessing you're a member of Amazon Prime because all of the shipping costs you save during the Holidays. 

Did you know you can borrow my debut thriller novel, VENGEANCE, for free here:http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Koepke/e/B00J79IXCC/

Comparing the plot of a Novel to an Artist's Canvas.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how to devise the plot of a novel.  Afterward I gave some thought to the topic and came up with the analogy that it's much like an artist painting with oils.  The plot is comprised of layers and just as an artist uses layers to build a scene on the canvas, an author uses layers of subplots to build a story.

Each time I set out to write a new novel I start from an idea I've carried around in my brain for months or years.  During the actual writing I jot down notes and ideas, and start a list to capture the details of my characters lives.  One of the toughest parts of crafting a novel is keeping the details straight both in your mind and on the page.  There is software available to help, but I have yet to use these tools. I, like many others before me, prefer to write the way the Masters did, except for the added help of a computer rather than a typewriter.

The bulk of what I write is made up as I go, but eventually I begin putting together a rough outline.  The purpose for the outline is more for brainstorming the story and plot than anything else.  I find that the more I write the less I need notes.  It's only when I'm working long hours on my day job like I have been since the beginning of 2014 that I find it necessary to fall back on the help of an outline.  

If I had the perfect life I'd wake up, take a walk on a beach or through a forest formulating my thoughts, and then I'd return to my writer's office and sit down at my computer to begin a new day of storytelling.  Only in my dreams.  

Instead my routine starts with a shower, breakfast, and a thirty to forty-five minute commute to work five days a week.  I write the bulk of my work on weekend mornings.  If I'm lucky I get a day or two in during the week early in the morning before the day job that still pays me more than my writing.  

The cool thing about the human brain is that it's always in motion.  Sending signals to our muscles, storing thoughts, making memories, or dreaming dreams.  For writers the brain spends some time working out where the plot and characters will lead to next.  When I first began writing I'd write down every thought I had worried that I might forget one.  These days I think up something and let it churn, so to speak, in my mind for days or weeks.  When the time is right It will come to me and find its way into the pages of the novel.  

It seems that as we humans take up new skills and find our passions.  Sometimes rediscovering the things we loved in our youth we form new pathways within our brains.  The more we use these new skills the easier the tasks become.  The mind is an amazing machine.

The Selection Process in the Search for the winning VENGEANCE Book Cover Design

Cover Number One

This was a neat start but the car reminded me of Stephen King's Christine.  Also in the cover the car is front and center, and in the book Reece's GTO is precious to him, but not the main part of the story.


Cover Number Two

This was the least favorite of these first two.  I didn't like the cowboy hat, although in the book Reece does have a Stetson.  Also it reminded me of something I've seen in a TV show.  A friend of mine at work said it reminded him of Justified.  That's on my list of to watch programs, but I'll have to wait until it comes out on Netflix.

Cover Number Three

This cover came about as the first of the second batch by my cover designers at DAMONZA.  It's cool and has Reece up in the clouds flying an airplane, but it looked too much like the cover for an Alfred Hitchcock movie or something.  When you see the next cover. The one I went with you'll understand why.  Of course you really need to read the book to understand why the last cover won.  

Cover Number Four - The Winner

This is the cover that I used.  I like the 3-D bullet holes, the simplicity, and the pattern of blood.  If you look quickly at the left side it almost looks like a man.  Also there's a lot going on subconsciously that pulls you into the book.  

Now that you know a little about the selection process for my debut Thriller Novel perhaps you should head over to my Official Author's site and find out a little more about the book.

Take Care, See you next time.

Bryan

See what people are saying about Bryan Koepke's Debut Thriller Novel - VENGEANCE.

5 STARS
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - April 6, 2014

(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)

  

(VINE VOICE)

  

(TOP 50 REVIEWER)

    

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: VENGEANCE (Kindle Edition)

Colorado author Bryan Koepke brings us his debut novel VENGEANCE with a long desire to be a writer coming true. The subject of his novel involves a former aerospace engineer and we can be assured that the facts of that venue of work are accurate in that he works for an aerospace company integrating, testing and launching spacecraft from both the West Coast and the East Coast. Though his early years were spent in Michigan and Oklahoma he now is settled in Colorado, working and participating in activities that apart from flying include hiking, skiing, fishing, riding ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) as well as motocross (Motocross is a form of motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits.) - the parenthetical definitions are for those of us not used to such extensive sportsmanship devices. Koepke is what defines `a man's man' and that adds to his propinquity for suspense novels. He also founded and owns Writers Cabin Press, a small publishing company.

Reece Culver is a former aerospace engineer now a private investigator who struggles with the mysteries of his father's murder, now a cold case with the law. He encounters Crystal Thomas, a beautiful, seductive yet desperate woman hires him to recover her missing mother. Complicating the investigation and chase which covers the terrain of the Midwest, the involvement of a core of wealthy ring of art thieves, and of course the obligatory romantic inclinations and the slow unveiling of the perpetrator who is responsible for his own father's murder. The pace is like running on a cardio treadmill until the pieces all fall together.

For being a debut novel, Bryan Koepke's VENGEANCE manipulates the usual ingredients for a thriller - revenge, betrayal, and redemption - in such a forceful way that once started it is difficult to set the book aside for fear you may forget an occult clue Koepke has just dropped in our psyche. He is a writer of enormous promise. 

5 STARS

By hatchi girl   April 6, 2014

This review is from: Vengeance (Paperback)

The central character Reece Culver is an engaging "everyman's hero" as he takes on the task of solving his father's cold case murder. The author's writing is taut In this riveting thriller with many plot twists and turns. I enjoyed the range of characters that Reece comes in contact with as he pieces together the clues he finds along the way. The short, fast-paced chapters a la James Patterson pulled me in and I devoured this book in one sitting. I think other thriller lovers will too!

5 STARS

By Jean M. MacLeay   March 29, 2014

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: VENGEANCE (Kindle Edition)

A great premise of an engineer turned private investigator launches this first novel of what is sure to be a series. The action shifts to and from the Rockies near Vail, Tulsa, St. Louis, and everywhere in between. I liked the personifications built into each character... some officious, some conniving, and some just down-to-earth good guys. We can only hope that hero Reece Culver doesn't return for long to his engineering career!

5 STARS

By John Paine – March 22, 2014

  

This review is from: VENGEANCE (Kindle Edition)

This is a thriller that satisfies on a number of different levels. A son's search for who killed his father is intertwined with a high-society art theft ring. Reece Culver is a different kind of PI, and Crystal Thomas was silky as a seductress. Good characters, great Western action. The fresh approach here is why I always love to read debut novels.

Be the next to read and review this exciting new Thriller!

On SALE Now for $0.99

www.amazon.com

HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK

A Continuing Series - Check back often for new content.

As of 2014 there are at least two ways to publish your book.  

Today, authors seeking to publish their work have many options. In this article, we focus on the two most prevalent forms. Traditionally Published and Self-published.

Traditional publishing

In traditional publishing, the author completes their manuscript, writes a query letter, and begins sending out the query to literary agents.  Sounds easy doesn't it?  It's not. While there are many websites available that provide guidance about how to write a good query, the process can be nerve-racking.  Two good sites to look at for list of agents by genre and advice on your query letter are:  Agent Query and Query Tracker.

The most difficult part of this scenario is attracting the interest of an agent.  The website mental_floss put together an interesting list of rejection letters from famous authors who later went to write highly read works. The list includes Stephen King, George Orwell, Gertrude Stein, and many more.

If you succeed in attracting the attention of these gatekeepers, the agents, who often comment that they are more likely to reject a query than accept one, you will be asked to send a sample of your work.  You'll send your precious words to them and enter into a state of mental anxiety while you wait for their response. It may or may not come.  To be fair to the agents this is no fault of theirs.  They are busy people trying to make a living and to do this they need to work with the author's that, in their opinion, show the most promise of selling large quantities of books.  

If you're lucky enough to receive a response back you will most likely be asked to edit your work.  The agent at this point is investing his or her time into you.  It is in there best interest to make your work marketable and as good as it can be.  They are after all going to earn a minimum of 15% of every dollar your work earns once they sign you on.  The editing phase can take a year or more and once you've completed everything they've asked for there is no guarantee that they'll be able to find a publishing house willing to buy and publish your work.

Some publishing houses accept queries without an agent.  These include Kensington Publishing Corp., The Permanent Press, and Academy Chicago Publishers.  Most publishing experts agree that representation by an agent is more than worth the 15% commission due to their expertise in editing, contracts, etc.  

Once the publishing house decides to publish the book they buy the rights from the author and pay him or her an advance against future royalties.  For a debut author this usually runs in the neighborhood of 8-12%, unless you're famous or are writing about something highly controversial, then it will be higher.

The best part of this type of deal is that the publishing house will get behind your book and market it.  You'll be assigned a publicist, you'll go on book tours, and you'll have the resources of the publisher working to sell your books.  Some authors get a deal like this and their book bombs.  The industry is very subjective.  The downside is that you'll loose rights to the book, and will no longer be in the drivers seat with regard to how your book is presented for sale.  Additionally publishers have in the past five years or so offered less and less help marketing authors works.  That said this is still the dream of most authors.  Having a traditionally published book gives you the best shot of making the NYT Bestsellers list.

Self-publishing

An author who makes the decision to self-publish becomes his or her own publisher. They format their work on their own using Amazon, or other site templates, or hire a service such as Bookbaby, Lulu, or Amazon Createspace to do it for them for a fee.  Most of the bigger formatting companies also offer additional services such as book cover design, proofreading, and editing.  I suggest you do some shopping and choose the service that best suits your budget.  If you're going try to save money don't choose to do it on your book cover design.  A quick look at the paperback and Kindle covers on Amazon or Smashwords will let you know what you're up against as far as competition.

The best part of self-publishing is that in a relatively short span of time you can be holding a real paperback copy of your book in your hands.  You are an entrepreneur when you self-publish.  The easiest part of the process is writing the book.  The toughest is putting on your business hat and learning how to market your work. 

If you've written a great book it will, if properly marketed, eventually sell copies.  The more marketing you do the greater your sales should eventually be, but one thing to remember is that readers, like agents are subjective.  Just because you think your novel is fabulous doesn't mean they will.  The best way to sell your books is to write more. 

Like my dad always told me when I was in College - "The cream rises to the top".

If you write a fabulous book, and get it in front of the reading public they will do the rest.  

Everyone Likes a Sale. VENGEANCE, is on sale for $0.99 on Amazon Kindle.

Everyone Likes a Sale - For a limited time my debut Thriller, VENGEANCE, is on sale for $.99 on Amazon Kindle.http://www.amazon.com/author/bryankoepke

Author Interview of Bryan Koepke by Award Winning Thriller Author Keri Beevis

This past weekend a good author friend of mine interviewed me on her website.  Keri Beevis is the award winning author of 2 Thriller novels.  Check out her website and her author interview here on The Writers Cabin.

If you'd like to check out her interview with me it's located here:  Keri Beevis Interview with Bryan Koepke

While you're here take a look at my new Amazon.com author page.

Author Interview with Bryan Koepke

Today's author interview is with Bryan Koepke the author of the debut thriller Vengeance. 

First off tell us here at The Writers Cabin a little about yourself.

I was born in the great state of Oklahoma in a city named Tulsa sometime during the last century.  I spent the first twenty-years of my career working as an electronics engineering technician and during the last decade had the privilege of being on teams that built, tested, and launched spacecraft from both Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  Prior to that I worked on F-16 fighter jets, got my FAA Airframe & Powerplant licenses, and later managed to get a private pilot’s license.  These days I work on the financial side of things at an aerospace company.

When I was in my teens I knew I wanted to be a writer and during much of my technical career I gravitated toward documentation and test procedures.   I'm married to a beautiful woman named Ildy, and we have a dog-named Daisy. 

Q: When do you write?  I do the bulk of my writing on weekend mornings from 8:00 a.m. to noon, and a few days a week in the mornings before heading of to work.

Q:  How much do you write a day?  My goal is to get at least 1,000 words down in my manuscript, but on weekends I usually get closer to 2000 – 3000 words a day, and 500 to 1000 is a good amount for mornings before work. There are times on the weekends, when I’m well rested with a head full of ideas, that I’ll sit down and write 10,000 words in one sitting.

Q: How long did it take to write this book, VENGEANCE?  I wrote the first draft in about 5 months.  From there I did multiple revisions and rewrites with the entire process from start to finish taking about two years.

Q: How do you bring characters to life? I start with an excel spreadsheet and build a list of traits, motivations, the physical description, and the character’s history. It seems that all of my characters sort of reveal themselves to me on the page as I write their scenes. They take on a life of their own beyond what I’ve planned for them.

Q: Do you like eBooks?  Do you think they’ll ever completely replace paper books?  I like e-books and have purchased dozens of them myself over the past couple of years. They’re great for trips.  I also like a big heavy hardback book or a paperback.  I hope all types of books endure.  I think when we loose things we as readers and writers limit our freedom. After all freedom is all about choice.

Q: Your current book VENGEANCE is a series. How many more books do you plan to write in the Reece Culver thriller series?  I’m planning on writing a minimum of eight books, but most likely ten to fifteen in this series.

Q: What was your inspiration for the book?  I had written two thrillers before starting this book.  I remember reading a newspaper article about a woman who murdered her husband and made it look like a home invasion. This gave me the initial seed for the story and as I wrote the first draft the story morphed into something completely different with a great deal more depth.  Initially it felt more noir than thriller, but over time it proved itself out as a thriller.

Q: How did you come up with the title VENGEANCE?  Initially the book was titled Not Dead Yet, but after completing it and thinking about the story Vengeance won out as the title.

Q: Are there any themes or topics you plan to include in the series?  My protagonist Reece Culver is a pilot, so there will most likely be flying scenes in many of the books. 

Q: Do you write on the computer or longhand?  I write the bulk of my work on computers, both a laptop and a desktop. I take a ton of notes, and scribble down plot ideas longhand.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?  Ernest Hemingway, CJ Box, the early Stuart Woods books with Stone Barrington, Stephen King, James Salter, Raymond Chandler, and many, many more.

Q: Where do you write?  I do 99% of my writing either in my basement office, or in my favorite chair at a cabin up in the mountains of Colorado. 

Q: What are you working on now?  Books 2 & 3 in the Reece Culver series, and when I have less time a batch of short stories I keep going back to and rewriting. 

Q: Where can we buy VENGEANCE?  It’s available on Amazon Kindle, and in a week or so the 6x9” paperback will be available on Amazon.  The e-book will also become available very shortly on Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Smashwords, Scribd, Sony, Diesel, Library Direct, Oyster, Baker & Taylor and on my website http://www.bryankoepke.com  

Hot New Thriller Novel hitting stores soon.

Bryan Koepke's Debut Thriller novel, VENGEANCE, will be hitting stores in the coming weeks.  

This book is the first in the Reece Culver Thriller Series and will be available in both a 6x9 paperback version and as an eBook.

Self Published Books

So you've made the decision to Self Publish.  Now what?

Question # 1:   Is your book done?   

"Of course it's done", you say.

Question # 2:   How many drafts have you written and how long has it been since you began this project?

"I wrote a first draft.  Had my spouse read it.  Printed it out.  Rewrote it once. Had a friend do what he called, "editing", and then incorporated his comments.  Next I had another friend read through it and point out mistakes," you say.

I say - This isn't good enough.  With the freedom to self publish anything and the free will of industrial giants like Amazon, writers feel an anxiousness to get there work out there.  This is great. You are giving the public lots of great stuff to read.

Not.

In my opinion an author does themselves a great disservice when their work is not adequately prepared prior to being self published.   It should be written and revised a minimum of five times, and in my own work the number is closer to twenty times, particularly if this is the author's self publishing debut.

In an interview with The Paris Review back in 1958 Ernest Hemingway told the journalist that the final words of "A Farewell to Arms," were rewritten "39 times before I was satisfied."

Writing novels does not entail a linear learning curve.  I've heard it said that the learning is on an upward slope, then levels off, then upward again, then levels off, etc.  All great authors continually strive to excel at their craft. Unfortunately great authors are not born with the skills to churn out masterpieces.  If you disagree with this pick up a debut book from any of your favorite bestselling authors.  Read it cover to cover.  Pick up their latest book, written ten plus years after their debut, and read it cover to cover.  I'd venture to say the 10th book will be far better than the first.  

It is because of this that all authors owe the reader the best that they can produce. It seems that once an author is in the publishing game speed is of the essence. Whether self published or traditionally published the pressure to produce increases greatly after the first work.  With self published authors the more books readers have to choose from, the greater the author's notoriety becomes.

There have been a great many Blog articles and interviews that have shown the connection between quantity of books published and author notoriety.  One example of this is indie author Russell Blake who wrote over 25 novels in just 30 months.  While doing this Russell squired away a great deal of money, and gained the attention of none other than Clive Cussler.

A sad fact about editing is that most folks who have not visited the library or searched the Internet for articles about the different types think editing is the same as proofreading.  In the hands of a professional editor a good piece of literature becomes great.  The tough fact is that most great professional editors are swamped.  The line for their services is long and once your work is in their cue the use of their time is competitive.

So what am I trying to say?  

Step # 1:
Get your work to a state where it is as good as it can be.

Step # 2:
Take Stephen Kings advice.  "Put it in a drawer in your desk."  My own words - Let it age a month or more like a find bottle of wine.  This, I believe, is great advise, but the problem lies with ones ability to leave their precious work alone.  Time is what allows us writers to free our minds from the words.  Take this break and begin the next book, write a short story, or work on your author platform.  We all need a website, especially if we intend to self publish.

Step # 3:
Once the manuscript has been allowed to age print it out.  Take a red pen and as you read mark words, sentences, and paragraphs that don't make sense, don't flow, or don't belong.  At this point you are reading as an editor.

Step # 4:
Repeat step # 3 a minimum of five times.  If you are doing step # 3 well each of these passes will yield less that needs to be fixed.  If you are working a day job, taking care of a family, or doing other things that compete with your time to spend writing you will distance yourself from your work.  Each time you revisit it you will see plot holes and come up with new plot ideas.  You will see your characters as they are on the page and you'll feel a need to make your characterisation better.

Time, my friend, is an author's friend not his enemy.

Now go get to work on that novel.








 

AUTHOR PUBLICITY - 2

One of the first steps every author should take is the construction of an "Official Author Website".  There are tons of businesses out there hungry for your dollars that will do a great job of building you a website.  If you have some free time and want to save the cost of the website to spend on gifts for friends, or to spend on marketing that next great novel you're writing the process of building your own site is relatively easy once you've mastered the website tool.  For my "The Official Website of Bryan Koepke" I used Go Daddy.  There are lots of other choices out there, and as someone that used to build websites for friends back in the early 1990's the Go Daddy tool seems clunky at best.  That said a little time looking at the sites of other authors on the web will fill your mind with ideas and make the task much easier.

Facebook -  It seems everyone whether traditionally published or self published has their own Facebook page these days.  The set up is easy and lends itself to uploading the banner image from the cover of your book or you author platform.

Twitter - While I myself am fairly new to the concept of Tweeting I've got to say I love it.  140 characters - what's not to love.  I still haven't figured out the algorithms they use to attract followers to your tweets or to the tweets you read, but at this point I'm sold.

The biggest step you can take to get more publicity is to write your next book.  It's been said time and again write another book.  When I look at an author on Amazon, more times than not, the biggest thing that interests me is if the author has a slew of books to choose from.

Get reviews and don't pay for them.  Much has been said and written on this topic as of late.  Most of us judge a book by what other readers have had to say about it.  To accurately review a book you must first read the entire piece from cover to cover.  It takes an investment in time, and a choice to read and review a book.

Author Publicity

All authors are faced with the hurdle of gaining publicity when publishing their work.  

Today TWC will begin exploring ways for authors to gain publicity.

The first things that come to mind are social media - Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.  Almost all aspiring and published authors have a Facebook page and by using all 3 of these sites an author can begin to build a buzz about an upcoming book or build their platform.  The key is to start early and post often to attract followers.  Offer something helpful to the reader so that she will return to your page often looking for more information.

VIRTUAL BOOKSHELVES AND BOOK FORUMS

One way to gain publicity is to use sites like:

GoodReads - This site encourages authors to setup a profile and connect with readers.  You can add your book for free and the site has something like 18 million members.

Shelfari - This site run by Amazon is similar to GoodReads.  You can share book recommendations, join book clubs, and learn more about your favorite books.  The site allows users to create a virtual bookshelf, discover new books, and connect with friends.

Book Tagger - Book Tagger allows readers to interact with folks that have read a book instead of having to judge a book by its cover.  You can list the books you've read and want to read.  Build an online book club.  Review the books you've read.

Authors Den - This site makes the claim that its "the world's most vibrant online literary community".
The site lists eBooks, Books, Stories, Articles, Poetry, Blogs, News, Events, Videos, Recent Success Stories by Date, and Testimonials.  It has a large listing of links down the left side of the site that contains bios authors. Another near area of the site is the "Author Signing Area" where readers can buy signed books.

VENGEANCE TO BE PUBLISHED BY WRITERS CABIN PRESS Ltd. Spring 2014

My debut novel, VENGEANCE, will be published by WRITERS CABIN PRESS, Ltd. Spring 2014.


Stay tuned for more on this.

Announcing the Creation of Writers Cabin Press, Ltd.

This past week Writers Cabin Press, Ltd. was created.

New Titles Coming Soon.

What's new with my pursuit of an agent to represent my novel, Vengeance, you ask?

What's new with my pursuit of an agent to represent my novel, Vengeance, you ask? As of last night I've sent out 10 query letters and received 3 rejections. Now that I have a few rejections under my belt I'm in good company. J.K Rowling's first Harry Potter novel was rejected 12 times. Jack London received 600 rejections before selling his first story. Fellow thriller author John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by 15 publishers and 30 agents. Stephen King's first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.  More than 350 million copies of his novels are now in print.

So what's an author to do while being rejected you ask?  The answer is: constantly review and edit one's query letter, synopsis, and first 10 pages. Then once I've worked myself up into a frenzy sit back and work on the next novel.

Along those lines I'm very pleased with the plot I've devised for the book 2 in the Reece Culver series. This one is definitely shaping up to be a techno thriller drawing from my 20+ years of work in the field of engineering. Perhaps book 3 will draw upon the 5 years I've been in finance. You know they say write what you know. Now if I can only gain the interest of a solid literary agent I'll be on my way to getting published so all of you can get some enjoyment out of my blood, sweat, and tears.

Update on The Writers Cabin Blog, The Reece Culver Series, and other pursuits.

Attention to this BLOG - I'm currently working 7 days a week at my day job trying to make a deadline for a big project I've been assigned.  With that and my need to write daily, the Blog is suffering.  When the smoke clears I'll get back to Blogging.

The Reece Culver Series Book 1 - As you know if you've been following my posts, either here or on Facebook I finished book 1, VENGEANCE, in the Reece Culver Series.  I started sending out queries to literary agents on January 3rd.  As of this date I've sent out a total of 8 and so far have gotten one response back.

The Reece Culver Series - Book 2
Book 2 in the series will be a Techno Thriller and is coming along nicely.  This new book will make extensive use of Reece's background as an Aerospace Test Engineer.  It will also contain at least one flying scene.  I've fleshed out the plot and am making good headway toward my goal of completing draft 1 by March 31, 2014.  The first book in the series took 20 plus drafts to get to the point where I was satisfied that it was done.  Of course all of us writers have a hard time calling something done.  We learn new tricks, advance our craft, and read the work of others.  All of these things keep us moving forward, improving, working toward being the best we can be as authors.  My number one goal is entertaining the reader.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

Don't you hate writer's block?

You have this great idea that you've been running through your head all week, but now that you've sat down to write there's this big blank screen in front of you.  You force yourself and manage to write a few words only to be enticed by that big blue Facebook icon.  Someone might have commented on my post.  Oh, and I need to tell everyone about the trip I took last weekend.

You go back to that page of your manuscript.  The one you managed to write two sentences on earlier.  It's there again that blank white page that makes up 4/5th's of the page below your two measly sentences.

"I've been meaning to look at the movie listings for Friday night," you say to yourself.  "I wonder what time that movie I was thinking about is playing?"

We've all been there.  There are times when the words flow and their are times when we must force ourselves to write.


9 Steps for Overcoming Writer's Block


1. Schedule a time to write.  During this time don't look at anything but your writing.  Block out 60 to 90 minutes and don't do anything but write.  If you're having trouble getting started go back a few chapters in your manuscript, or a few lines in you poem and read your work.  If you're still stuck begin at page one and edit.  Look at sentence construction.  Hunt for grammatical errors.  Read your work out loud and listen to the dialog and the flow of your prose.  Can it be improved?

2. If you're writing multiple subplots pick one and stick with it. Get into the head of that character by reading your notes, and the work you've previously produced.  Read the scenes and start writing the next one in the thread.

3. Organize your chapter and scene ideas.  For this I use an Excel spreadsheet with different colors for each subplot.  If the writing isn't coming spend your time organizing and outlining your chapters and plot.

4. Resist the urge to look at the internet.  I once read that a bestselling thriller author sets an alarm clock when he sits down to work on his manuscript.  When the alarm goes off in 1-2 hours the author allows himself half an hour to read e-mails or surf the web.

5. Exercise at least 3 days a week.  Get moving. Walk, run, or go to a heath club and move that bod of yours.  It's good for you, burns calories, and gives you time to think.  Exercise produces endorphins, which tend to make you happy.  The happier you are the more motivated you'll be and the more likely you are to keep to your writing schedule.

6. Read the work of writers.  If you're like me you love to read and find that when you do you'll get ideas about things to include in your own stories.  Pick up a book in a genre that's different from the one you write in.

7. Get out of the house and see a movie.  Go out with friends.  Attend a lecture.  See some sports or listen to some music.

8. Take a vacation.  Go camping, hiking, skiing.  Browse a bookstore, go to the library, or just take a walk down a busy metropolitan street.  Go to a museum.  Nurture your brain.

9. Get a good night's rest.  If you're like me you don't produce your best work when you're tired.  Coffee helps, but there are some Saturday mornings after a hard week at work when the last thing I can do well is write fiction.  If you're having one of these days give yourself a break and spend the day away from the computer.

If you've had writer's block I'd like to hear what you've done to work through it.

How Reading and Watching Movies Makes us Better Writers

Watch Movies - When the movie ends pull out your phone or laptop and jot down notes about what moved you and why.  Remember back to which character you liked the most and why.  Think about what the director did to make you like this person.  What character traits do you remember?  What flaws did the character exhibit?  Recount the synopsis of the movie and what the major plot points were.  Think back and analyze the story taking note of what you liked and what you didn't. If you'd written the screenplay what would you have done differently?  Did you like the ending?  If not why?

Read Movie Reviews - Compare the reviewers description to what you put down in your notes after watching the movie.  Did your impression of the movie compare to that of his or her review?  If not what differed?  What can you learn from this?

Start a Movie Group - Invite friends to join and host a get together at your home to kick off the group. Ask a member to pick a film and host the group at their place for the discussion.  Make a rule that whomever picks the next movie will host the group at their home and rotate through the group with each member picking and hosting.  You'll gain friends and have a reason to go to the movies more often.  Prepare ahead of time for the group and introduce them to the basic principles of Plot, Character, Story Arc, 3-Act Structure, etc. I've been in a cinema group in my own neighborhood for the past year and it's a great way to get to know your neighbors and share a common interest. 

Read the Novels of Great Writers - Take notes as you read their books.  What stands out as a great sentence or paragraph?  Reread that section critically and figure out what it is about these words that invokes a response in you.  The more you read the better you'll write.  Our subconscious mind is an amazing tool.

Study the dialog of books - Read out loud. How does the dialog compare or differ from what you've written in your stories? 

Spend your free time reading - Carry a book with you in your car, on the bus, in your purse or backpack.  Always have something nearby to read. When your waiting in line at the bank or train station pull out a paper back or you kindle and read a few pages.

Read Genres other than what you write - If you normally read mystery, thrillers, and fantasy branch out and try some literary fiction, romance, or science fiction.  As writers we can learn from all types of writing.  Read books by foreign authors.

Support your local independent bookstores and libraries - as authors we all have a vested interest in keeping the institutions that exist to supply our written words to the general public.  While I enjoy reading books on my kindle I also buy books at the local bookstore and frequently check books out at our library.  Encourage your friends and family to visit their local bookstores.  Amazon is great, but variety is the spice of life.

Read before bed - Make a daily habit of turning off the television and reading for one hour before you go to bed.