http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1963 There's nothing like writing a story. It is a truly satisfying creative process. In order to write a story that people will enjoy. You need to understand the key elements that all good writers use in stories. In this article we will explore these elements.1. BrainstormingAsk yourself these questions:What are you are going to write about? Who will be your audience? How much do you know about what you want to write about? What do I need to find out?2. Write from... Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:18 PST en-us http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1963 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1963 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:18 PST Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of http://Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Helen Barer author of Fitness Kills.Helen is a native New Yorker and has spent many years as a writer of non-fiction ranging from cookbooks to television documentaries.Norm:Good day Helen and thanks for participating in our interview.Helen:I'm delighted to have been invited.Norm:How did you happen to write a book about a fitness ranch in Baja and co... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1440 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1440 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:04 PST I never considered myself a particularly spiritual, or for that matter, a religious person. But I've found that in writing The Osgoode Trilogy, particularly the third, A Trial of One, that compassion has become very strong theme which runs through all three novels.I just found this quote from Thomas Aquinas — "I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it." Surely, this must be the difference between the understanding of the head and the heart. In the fir... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1482 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1482 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:04 PST In January, 2005, six months before Kensington bought Passion, I took a writing course. A friend introduced me to a writing technique called Freefall.Rather than my trying to explain what she told me, I will quote directly from the Freefall website:FREEFALL is the technique of writing from the larger Self, beyond reach of the ego and its censors. . . .FREEFALL invokes the courage to fall without a parachute, into the words as they come, into the thoughts before they h... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1539 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1539 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:06 PST The task of getting published is one of the daunting aspects of writing. This can be difficult, if you want to get published by a traditional publishing house. It's not as difficult if you want to self-publish. In this article I will share with you the steps involved in getting your work published either traditionally or through self-publishing.Mainstream publishers are often reluctant to accept work from young writers as anyone under 18 cannot sign a contract on their ow... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1549 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1549 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:06 PST So how long is too long to market a book? According to some studies (both formal and informal) marketing (and seeing the results in the form of book sales) can take anywhere from six months to two years, it all depends on what you want to get out of it. Ideally though, you should plan to market your book ongoing -- if, that is, being an author is a career choice and not a hobby. If it's a hobby then don't put any more time into it than you have to, or you might not choose... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1574 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1574 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:07 PST When it comes to convincing a reader to buy, sometimes there's nothing more compelling than a good sales pitch. Yes, you can have excellent back copy, a stunning cover, but nothing makes a reader morph into a buyer quicker than a hefty pitch that pushes every single hot button (and even a few they didn't know they had). Video as a means to promote a book is a great sales pitch, but only if it's done right. What do I mean by "done right"? With all the talk today about usin... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1785 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1785 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:12 PST While mulling over what to talk about in my last blog, my husband had a suggestion I found irresistible! More joking than serious, he said, “Why don’t you talk about the sex appeal of older men, and call it ‘Who’s Your Daddy’?”He never thought I would take him seriously. Well, as you can see, I did. By older, I am specifically talking about men past fifty. Yes, I have an eye for young stud puppets, cut and lean sex machines! But many of those to die for men loo... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1791 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1791 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:12 PST Ever had your moral convictions put to the test? Most of us think we know what we’d do in any given situation. But do we really? Maybe another unknown part of us surfaces and takes over—leaving us in a confusion of questions. But the deed is done and we cannot take it back.This is the predicament, Harry Jenkins, protagonist/lawyer of The Osgoode Trilogy finds himself in, at the beginning of the first novel, Conduct in Question. Harry longs for freedom and love, but has be... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1807 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1807 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:12 PST Over the course of the past decade, authors and readers alike have been heard to utter a collective groan of dismay as the once elite publishing industry continues to resemble the multiplex tripe factory of Hollywood, churning out one cookie cutter product after another.This situation would be funny (considering the supreme cultural snobbery most New York-based editors feel for their moviemaking brethren on the opposite coast) were it not for the fact that each new conglo... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1825 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1825 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:13 PST Did you know that if you're marketing your book to sell books, you may be marketing for all the wrong reasons? Why? Well frankly, marketing a book to make sales will rarely ring the cash register; in fact, most of the time it amounts to what I call the "anti-sale," the sale that always seems to elude you.If you're looking at your last 12 months of marketing and wondering what went wrong, ask yourself one question: "What was the driving force behind my book marketing choic... http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1837 http://net-teams.net/nti/Display.cfm/1837 Sun, 24 May 2009 11:57:13 PST