Novel, Memoir, or Biography?

by

Sandy Tritt

Confused about the differences between a novel, a memoir, and a biography? Maybe we can help clear up the mystery. 

First, a memoir and a biography are both true accounts based upon what happened to a person. A biography is a history of a person. It tells when he was born and to whom, what happened in his childhood, and discusses every major event in his life. If a person writes a biography about himself, it’s called an autobiography.

A memoir, on the other hand, focuses on one aspect of a person’s life, such as his struggle with alcoholism or his quest to become President. Whereas a biography gives facts and is generally written as a narrative, a memoir is considered creative nonfiction and reads more like a novel, which is fiction (made up).

Both memoir and novel use scenes to act out the story with dialogue and action instead of simply telling what happened.

Even though a memoir is considered a true story, it is impossible for most humans to remember verbatim every word spoken throughout their lives. Therefore, the most important thing is that the memoir recreate the emotional honesty of conversations and situations. It is permissible to make up the actual words spoken.

It is also permissible to change the names and descriptions of the people you want to include in your memoir. If you do this, you should put a disclaimer on your copyright page stating that “names and/or likenesses have been changed for privacy.” However, if your memoir reveals unflattering things about a person who is still alive (or who still has close family), you may want to consult an attorney before publishing. As a general rule, if someone is a celebrity, you may mention his or her name and reveal something about him as long as it’s true or reflects positively on him. If a person is not a celebrity, you may not use his name or likeness without his written permission because a non-celebrity has a right to privacy.

If you think you cannot tell your full story for fear of retribution or embarrassment or a lawsuit, you may want to fictionalize your story. This gives you more leeway in telling your story. You can add in situations that did not actually occur or you can add in people who did not actually live. You simply write a novel—which is defined as fictitious prose—instead of a memoir. As long as it still reveals the emotional truth of your situation, you can claim it is “based upon a true story.”

If you aren’t certain how to move forward, email me at IFWeditors@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary 30-minute telephone or Skype conversation to discuss how you can best present your story. We’re always here to help.

The After-Conference Afterglow: Seven Ways to Keep the Creative Fires Burning

by

Rhonda Browning-White

You’ve put your life on hold for a weekend, a week, or even longer. You’ve attended a fabulous writers’ conference, and you’ve come home with a load of books, handouts, and scribbled notes. You’ve made dozens of new best friends who actually get you, who understand that it’s okay to have morning coffee with the voices in your head. You’ve found your tribe, and you're inspired to write, write, write!

And then there’s the laundry. And the grocery shopping. And the kids and pets. And the day job.

How will you ever maintain the momentum and apply the advice you garnered at The World’s Greatest Writers’ Event, when you have to face the real world?

Here’s a list of sure-fire ways to keep that exciting energy flowing from your mind to your manuscript. Let me know how they work for you!


1. Sleep. Yes, this sounds counterproductive. However, chances are good that you rose early, stayed up late, and have jet lag or are road weary. You’ve also been away from your family and friends, and if you want their support throughout your writing career (you’ll need it!) then you must revive and reconnect. Twenty-four hours of R & R won’t sideline your journey to the bestseller list. In fact, once your brain is rested, you’ll be more productive, and since you’ve caught up with all that’s happened in your family’s life, you’ll feel good about shutting the door to your home office while you get some serious writing done.

2. Sort. All those notes, handouts, and manuscript suggestions need an organized home. If you don’t have a folder for handouts, make one now. If you have several handouts, consider sorting them by topic: characterization, plotting, publishing advice, and so on. Hopefully you thought ahead and took a notebook with you, so all your snippets of advice are in one handy place. If not, transcribe the best notes into a notebook or onto index cards, so you’ll have them at your fingertips when you revise your work. Then gather all the business cards and contact lists you’ve received, and set them aside. (We’ll get to those later.) Lastly, if you’ve been lucky enough to attend a conference with a workshop, sort all the critiqued copies of your manuscript by page number (all page ones in one stack, page twos in another stack, etc.). Then, when you revise your manuscript, you can work through one page at a time on your computer, applying what you wish to use in your story, then discard the rest.

3. Write. Yes, you have a stack of signed books you can’t wait to read. Yes, you still have laundry to do. But before you do any of those things, take fifteen minutes (or two hours, if you’ve got it) and write! Tell yourself that this is a requirement for your conference. Use a prompt from a class that you didn’t have time to work on during the event. Or go ahead and begin tackling those revisions to your story.

Sometimes we return home intimidated by the amount of work we think we need to do in order to make our manuscripts publishable. The truth is, however, that unless you start working on your writing, those manuscripts will remain unpublishable! Start where you are right now. Don’t worry: if you mess up, your computer has a delete key.

4. Say “Thank you!” That perfect snippet of advice you received about transitioning from one scene to another? The recommendation a published writer made to his editor? The handout that you plan to post on your bulletin board as a roadmap to finish your novel? Say thanks! Pull out those business cards you collected, and drop a handwritten thank-you note in the mail. Don’t have a street address? Send a thoughtful, personalized email thanking the presenter or mentor who shined a light on your writing path.

5. Connect. While you have those business cards, presenter list, and workshop critique schedule in hand, update your social media accounts. Add to your Facebook friends list, follow your new connections on Twitter, and update your Instagram. Be sure to follow the blogs of your favorite presenters, authors, and new friends. If you’ve become especially good friends with a few of your fellow attendees, ask them to return the favor and follow your blog, as well.

6. Read. Finally! You’ve caught up on the business end of writing, so before you nod off to sleep, grab a book from the stack you’ve brought home from your conference. When you’ve finished each novel or book, be sure to review it in at least two or three places, such as on Amazon, Goodreads, or Facebook. Better still, write a formal review and submit it to a literary magazine or newspaper. If it’s accepted for publication, you’ll have yet another byline for your bio!

7. Now, back to work! While we’d love to get lost in reading the great works of our peers and researching details for our stories, our job—first and foremost—is writing. Build off the momentum you gained at the conference. Remind yourself that another conference awaits you in a few months, or next year, and you’ll want to have a polished manuscript to present when that time arrives. If an agent or editor has asked to see your work, be sure to have it professionally proofread or edited (Inspiration For Writers, Inc. can help with that!), and send it out as soon as you can. Include a note reminding the agent that she requested your manuscript at XYZ Writers’ Conference. Then, once it’s out the door, get back to work! It’s time to start your next story!

Introducing Danielle Taylor



Danielle Taylor is a freelance writer, editor, blogger, budding photographer and meandering wifi hobo, and she has worked with the IFW team as a nonfiction editor since summer 2015. From 2009-2015, she worked as a magazine editor in northern Virginia but yearned to hit the road as a freelance writer and traveler, and she finally made the shift the same summer she began working with IFW. She then set up her business (Adventure Editorial), moved into the back of her Subaru Outback and embraced the open highway. She now travels full-time in search of adventure, excitement and always her next story.

(Danielle in D.C. circa 2007 climbing a statue of a giant emerging from the ground)

In her writing for a variety of magazines and online outlets, currently including Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, Rails to Trails magazine, Outdoors Unlimited magazine and the Matador Network website, Danielle covers outdoor recreation, conservation, public lands and travel. In 2016, she's taking a long road trip to all 59 national parks for the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, and she's working from anywhere she can get a decent connection to the web. When she's off the road, she splits her time between Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

Danielle has a retriever mutt sidekick named Paxton who often accompanies her on adventures, including a month-long road trip across the U.S. She has been clogging since she was five and performs with the Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers, and she volunteers as a search and rescue ground crew member and dispatcher with the Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group. During college, she sailed around the world with the Semester at Sea study abroad program. Danielle holds a B.A. degree in magazine journalism and English as well as a B.S. degree in human geography from the University of Maryland.

(Danielle and Paxton, her furry companion, right before they left on the road trip in 2009)

If you're interested in reading more of Danielle's writing and following her travels, check out her website at www.adventureeditorial.com, follow her on Twitter at @adventureedit and like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/adventureeditorial.

Free promo eBook of A Consternation of Monsters

We here at Inspiration for Writers would like to alert our readers to a free eBook giveaway being conducted by one of our editors.  

Today through Friday January 15, the ebook of Eric Fritzius' collection of modern fantasy short fiction, A Consternation of Monsters, is being given away FREE on Amazon.com's Kindle.  

A consternation, as we all remember from grade school, is the collective noun for monsters.  It is therefore a fitting title for a collection of short stories which contain monsters of various sorts and shades.

In these tales, a creature of make-believe proves difficult to disbelieve, a trickster-god takes an unkindly interest in witnesses, eldritch horrors can be summoned using a quilt, frustrated wolves face dangerous prey, the angel of death wears a plaid sport coat, wise old women are to be feared and heeded, the corpses of legends can be perilous to have around, Elvis remains the once and future king of rock & roll, and where one of the most powerful and potentially destructive objects in the world is a fork.

You don't have to possess a Kindle device to read this book.  If you have an iPad, tablet or even just your smart phone, your device's app store will have a free Kindle app for download that will let you read this book as well as thousands of others (many of which can be found for free at such sites as FreeBooksy.com).  Worse comes to worse, you could read it on your laptop or desktop computer.

You can find your free copy of
A Consternation of Monsters at Amazon.com.

But hurry because this deal ends Friday at midnight.

Reviewers have said: 

"Fritzius invites the reader into worlds that don’t exist, or at least we think they don’t: Other planes of existence, multi-verses from where other creatures come to see us, monsters stepping out of the ether to do what they are designed to do — scare us and make us think about our the choices we make, what’s really important for us. Like survival."

    -- Cat Pleska, the WV Book Team at the Charleston Gazette newspaper

-----

“An entertaining and well-crafted collection of short stories offering mild horror, humour, and quirky ideas.”

    -- Unlimited Book Reviews (ingeniouscat.co.uk)

-----

"It is my great pleasure to announce that Mr. Fritzius has delivered the goods with ten tales of the strange, weird, and delightfully dark. Like Bradbury before him, the author transports us across a wide variety of setting and tone, unveiling rich characters from all walks of life, with surprises waiting around every corner for them (and the giggling-through-fingers reader). An unqualified success."

    -- Aaron Christensen, horror movie blogger at Horror 101 with Dr. AC     

       (http://horror101withdrac.blogspot.com/)

-----

“The reader is taken on adventures through the ancient, the mystical, and the powerful, delving into ideas of creation and destruction that most of us have not considered. All around us, ancient magic stirs and intersects with human life.”

    -- Elizabeth Love, WriterBee’s Book Reviews (writerbeesbookreviews.wordpress.com)

-----

“A most absorbing read, this collection of monster themed short stories is fun, chilling, surprising, and utterly addictive.”

    -- Jonathan Joy, WV Playwright

-----

“Collectively, Consternation operates to give us a nod and a wink about a much more sinister formulation of the Universe than mere angels and demons, which allows Fritzius the freedom to not lean on gore-n-scream horror tropes, but to play on familiar types and sub-genres in new, inventive, and entertaining ways.”

    -- Joey Madia, New Mystics Reviews

-----

“I loved these not too gory monster stories. Plenty of scare, but not too much blood. Absolutely perfect.”

    -- D. Lewis, Amazon.com

-----

"A fine debut from a gifted storyteller."

    -- S.D. Smith, author of The Green Ember.

Introducing Geoffrey Cameron Fuller

Geoffrey Cameron Fuller recently teamed with Daleen Berry (Sister of Silence) to write about the stabbing murder of high school honors student, Skylar Neese, by her two best friends. Their work resulted in two books, The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese (BenBella Books; February 2014) and Pretty Little Killers: The Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese (BenBella Books; July, 2014). The crime and the books were featured on Dateline (NBC), Dr. Phil (NBC), 20/20 (ABC), and I Killed My BFF (Lifetime). The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese peaked at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list, and the second book, released in July, 2014, is selling well.

(At a Pretty Little Killers book signing.

Geoff Fuller (left), IFW intern Jessica Nelson (middle), and co-author Daleen Berry (right))

Fuller has been writing and editing professionally for twenty-five years and has become familiar with just about every form of contemporary writing. In addition to feature journalism, he has written award-winning nonfiction, sudden fiction, short stories, and novels, as well as a range of business and technical writing: annual reports, white papers, vision and values statements, feasibility studies, market analyses, conference proceedings, advertising copy, political speeches, grant applications, and textbooks. He is the author or co-author of five books, and his writing is credited in another dozen books.

(Geoff Fuller at a signing for his book Full Bone Moon)

 In addition to publishing under his own name, Fuller has also been widely published as a ghostwriter, read aloud his fiction in a variety of settings and performed it on the radio, given dozens of workshops on business writing and the publishing industry, and taught classes on the novel, sudden fiction, and memoir since 1997. Fuller was a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest for several years, sat on the Board of West Virginia Writers, and is the only person to have won prestigious WV Arts and Humanities literary fellowships in all three prose categories: fiction, nonfiction, and memoir.

For six years, from 1998-2004, Fuller worked as a developmental editor for Fitness Information Technology, a sport psychology and sport management publisher based in Morgantown, West Virginia, since 1987. Before that, he worked for about ten years for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development, Inc., a nonprofit business resource firm and occasional publisher, also based in Morgantown.

Currently, Fuller works as a freelance writer-editor for a variety of private clients and occasionally hosts writing classes on the Web or in a variety of locations around the state. He lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, and is a member of International Thriller Writers.

Introducing Debora Holmes



We are thrilled to introduce one of our newer editors, Debora Holmes. Deb has joined us during the past year and works mainly with technical, educational, and Christian nonfiction.

Editor and writer Debora Holmes, Minneapolis, has been helping authors refine and publish their works for over a decade and a half. After graduating with English and music degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, Debora also obtained a degree in pre-vet med (chemical, biological, and animal sciences) from the University of Minnesota before obtaining her Masters in Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington. Her many strengths include ongoing experience with a diverse set of authors and publications (from devotionals to technical government documents to all sorts of scientific papers), skill working with different levels of writing (including much experience with ESL authors), and the ability to switch effortlessly between topics and styles, including between American, British, and Canadian English; she is also a member of the Editors’ Association of Canada.

For close to a decade Debora was the full-time editor of Environmental Practice, the professional and ethics-centered journal of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP), for which she received the NAEP President’s Award among many other accolades. Besides the journal, she has ghostwritten, ghost-edited, copyedited, and proofread vast numbers of documents. Large projects before joining the IFW team have included, for example, listed editor (print and e-books) of The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2010 and 2014 (available HERE and HERE), books/reports for the Canadian Council of Academies, and hundreds of research articles; favorite projects include inspirational books for women and in the environmental sciences (a list of selected projects is available upon request). Debora comes from a line of Lutheran ministers (occasionally having the privilege to edit her father’s homilies) and is also employed as pianist/organist and vocalist at her church.

Deb is the mother of very different twin boys in the second grade, both of whom fascinate her and inspire a great deal of her writing, including writing on and for children with autism.


Her favorite thing to do when not penning and editing is to grab the family’s energetic Jack Russell mix and experience the love of God through nature with her children. 

Gifts for Writers

by Sandy Tritt 

It's that time of year when we're scrambling to find gifts for those we love, so we've come up with a few ideas for the writers you love--or, if you are the said writer, some suggestions you can email or forward to those who love you. Here are our suggestions, from the mundane to the unique to the interesting. And, if we missed anything (which I'm sure we have), be sure to leave a comment with your suggestions to win something that isn't chocolate (because I think I ate it all).

Office Supplies: printer ink, printer paper, pens, a set of highlighters of various colors, post-it notes and flags, spiral notebooks to capture middle-of-the-night ideas, a wireless mouse, envelopes, postage, paper clips, journals, colored pencils, or plastic manuscript boxes (yes, many of us still print out our work for safe-keeping, sharing, mailing, or taking with us on the train).

Reference materials: a style guide in both electronic and paperback forms (hint: Chicago Manual of Style is recommended for memoir and fiction writers); "cheat sheets" for your favorite style guide; the Emotion Thesaurus (Ackerman/Puglisi) for help in giving descriptions of ways to show and not tell various emotions; a good dictionary, such as the American Heritage Dictionary; Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (Browne/King); Roget's Super Thesaurus; any of the hundreds of books on the writing craft (including my personal favorite, the Inspiration for Writers Tips and Techniques Workbook II, shown below).

 

The Inspiration for Writers Tips and Techniques Workbook II: You asked for it, and we now have a limited number of copies of the new and greatly expanded Workbook II, available in hard copy for $45 (discounted from regular price of $60; includes shipping within the US; email for rates outside the US). This updated version has over 50% more content than our first edition, and, instead of the five worksheets, it has nine worksheets. We also have the Tips and Techniques Workbook II ebook for $15 (discounted from the regular price of $20). These are both hot off the press and not yet on our website, so to order, email me at IFWeditors@gmail.com.

 
The Gift of Confidence: Give the writer you love something truly special this year--a gift certificate for writing, editing, evaluation or coaching services. This is one way you can show your support--and confidence in--the dreams of the writer in your life. Gift certificates are available for any dollar amount, and, if you order before December 21, we'll give you a 10% discount. For example, if you order a $50 gift certificate, we will invoice you for $45. To purchase a gift certificate good for any of our services, email me at IFWeditors@gmail.com with your name, the name of the recipient, and the total dollar amount you want. I'll send you out an invoice for the discounted amount. We can email these certificates, so there's no shipping time involved (If you want a paper copy, we can do that, too).


Something fun: like this Warning Sign found at Amazon.com, or "Novel Teas," containing 25 teabags individually tagged with literary quotes from the world over, made with the finest English Breakfast tea. Or a fun pendant, found at dhgate.com. Or a glossy copy of The Writer's Prayer (Free! Just email me and ask for one). Or my favorite gift for any occasion--chocolate. Or wine. Or chocolate and wine. *sigh* Is it Friday yet?

Something exotic: Like original cover art by IFW editor and ghostwriter Charlotte Firbank-King. (See more of her art at that link.) Besides being a prolific author of 14 books, she's an acclaimed South African wildlife artist. Her paintings have been sold and exhibited throughout the world and have been commissioned by the Johannesburg Zoo, the Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens and the Zulu Schools Trust, among others. See her available prints and note cards at http://www.charlottefk.com/, or email her to inquire about how she can illustrate your book or cover for you.




One (or more) of these excellent books written by our editors and writers:  

The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey Cameron Fuller This New York Times bestseller is a true crime nonfiction about the 2012 stabbing murder of high school honors student Skylar Neese by her two “best friends.” Amazon.com Kindle: $7.99

Pretty Little Killers by Daleen Berry and Geoffrey Cameron Fuller. A new and expanded account of the 2012 stabbing murder of high school honors student Skylar Neese by her two “best friends,” with fascinating new details and accounts of their trials. Paperback $13.40 and Kindle $9.99 at Amazon.com. Audiobook also available from Audible, Inc.

Full Bone Moon by Geoffrey Cameron Fuller A killer is loose in West Virginia. This crime thriller was inspired by the 1970 coed murders in the Morgantown, WV area. Available at http://www.woodlandpress.com/book/fiction/full-bone-moon for $21.99.

 




Broken Umbrellas by Emma Broch Stuart. The author shares her passion for seeing women and men released from bondage and healed from relational wounds in this new nonfiction. $13.63 at Amazon.com.

 
The Windkeeper by Emma Broch Stuart. Turn the pages of this children's book and discover Wendall Windkeeper’s purpose as he trains the four winds of heaven for their role in fulfilling God’s greatest rescue mission—the birth of His Son. Available for $8.99 at Amazon.com.

 

Blood Kin and Other Strangers by Patsy Pittman is a collection of short stories that deals with family dynamics in all its complexities. The book is $20, and may be purchased at Amazon.com or directly from Patsy at patsypittman@suddenlink.net.
 
Pocket Change is Patsy Pittman's collection of true inspirational articles about her life experiences, people she has known, and the lessons she's learned from them. The book's theme is "Our days on earth--days, months, years--is but pocket change. Yet, spend it well, because no one owns tomorrow." Pocket Change sells for $15 at Amazon.com or directly from Patsy.

A Consternation of Monsters, stories by Eric Fritzius.  This is a collection of chilling modern fantasy stories in the tradition of the Twilight Zone.  It's only $12.99 for print and $2.99 for ebook, available at a number of online retailers including Amazon.  Want a taste?  You can hear free podcast adaptations of some of the stories at Eric's website and via iTunes.


That's our list. What gifts do you, as a writer, want most? What gifts do you suggest for other writers? Leave a comment below, and we'll give a complimentary copy of our brand new Inspiration for Writers Tips and Techniques Workbook II ebook to one lucky commenter. I'd offer chocolate, but I can't find it. Go figure. Thanks for visiting our blog!

Writing, Not Writing

by

Jessica Nelson



It’s that time of the year when everything gets hectic beyond belief. There’s barely a moment to catch your breath, let alone sit down and get some good writing done. It gets harder and harder to follow that timeless advice that all writers get:

Write every day.

Every time I hear that, I feel guilty, because I don’t write every day. The guilt gets even worse during November when other people are kicking out entire novels for NaNoWriMo.

So today I’m pulling a page out of Rhonda Browning White’s book. Last week she wrote a blog entitled “The Hiatus: Taking a Break from Writing” on her personal blog. That post inspired this one, because she made an excellent point: writers are always writing.

This idea that a writer is always writing in their heads is what I have deemed “writing, not writing.” It’s a little like “sorry, not sorry” which is what you say/feel when you should be sorry for something but you really aren’t.

“Writing, not writing” is two-fold. On the one hand, it describes when we should be writing, but we aren’t. On the other, it describes when a writer is writing, though they may not be physically typing on a computer or putting pen to paper.

I am notorious for “writing, not writing.” It feels like I rarely get anything written down. But I find there’s a certain freedom in “writing, not writing.” I’m the kind of writer who likes to get it right the first time I put it on paper. I get attached to my words, and it pains me to do deletions and rewrites. So when I write something that I don’t really like, I feel as if I’ve wasted valuable writing time, which isn’t something I get very often.

But when I’m “writing, not writing” in my head, I can redo the scene a hundred times over, trying every permutation of action and dialogue, perfecting every little detail—and I’m not wasting time. Well, okay, so maybe I waste a little time. But it is totally worth it.

I’d like to say something really important—especially to all the writers who get crazy busy: it’s okay if you don’t write every day.

Let me say that again.

It’s okay if you don’t write every day.

Do a little “writing, not writing” instead. It’s still productive, and it still exercises those creative muscles. You can do it anytime, anywhere. Even while you’re fixing a holiday meal. (Just be careful not to burn anything.)

Tell us your favorite way/place to do “writing, not writing” in the comments!

Writer Cocktail

by

Charlotte Firbank-King

Writers are a cocktail of madness. We’re psychotic, bent on killing those we love with as much impunity as those we hate. We wallow in death, misery, and general mayhem. Couple that with being pathological liars and master manipulators, then top it off with a dash of perpetual fried-brain and, oh, did I mention that we also have scant regard for laws and rules—of the English language or of social etiquette, that is. We fabricate words and foist them on unsuspecting readers who can’t even refer to a dictionary or Google to find out what the words mean. So that also makes us narcissistic deceivers. But we really don’t care as long as what we write is believable—and even that isn’t a given—we don’t care if it isn’t believable, because we will turn the reader into a believer.

Writers are a lone species of Homo sapiens. Okay, maybe we aren’t actually human.

Alice was an amateur when it comes to disappearing down rabbit holes. We probably shouldn’t marry and should definitely be neutered. The truth is, there’s no room in a writer’s life for anything except the characters we live through vicariously. But we gird our loins and periodically return to real-life like a meteorite hitting Earth. Our family will re-introduce themselves as we try not to call them by our characters’ names or warn them of some impending disaster that’s about to ruin their lives—note to self—that’s your daughter, idiot, not the character.

When we’re on a roll, we writers have this odd habit of ignoring dress code. We leap out of bed with ideas fermenting in our deranged, but very fertile brains, and head for the laptop or pen and paper. The only thing we may do en route is switch on the coffee machine. Five hours later, we’re surrounded by books, along with empty and full coffee cups ranging from cold to hot, and we’re still in our pajamas. We happily beat away on the PC, birthing new characters or killing off others in the most inventive ways. We transport ourselves to a thousand years back or a thousand years ahead. We go to countries and planets never heard of—we live in the realm of the impossible made possible through words. Sigh. What a divine place we live in.

Writers will discuss their characters as if they are real, and to us, they very much are. A conversation between writers could go like this:

Writer 1: “I don’t know what to do about Joe. He wants to head the narc operation, but he’s not ready and he’s too weak.”

Writer 2 understands completely and gives a sage nod: “I agree, he’s spineless. Kill him off.”

Writer 1 runs fingers distractedly through tousled hair and bites lip: “He wasn’t supposed to be a wimp—he’s the damn hero.”

Writer 2 sighs: “I know. It’s a pain in the arse when they won’t behave. My Mary was supposed to be the wilting damsel in distress, and now the slag is taking control. I might have to shoot her. I tried to get Mark to do it, but he’s not cooperating because the stupid sod thinks he’s in love with her.”

If non-writers happen to overhear this rather bizarre conversation, they may think they’ve landed in some sort of twilight zone. And they have—that’s where writers live.

Writers have long since learned to ignore certain responses to questions people ask. Usually starting with, “What do you do?”

“I write.”

“Wow, I’ve never met a writer.” Their brow furrows as they process the information. “Is that a real job?”

“Eh? It isn’t a job!”

“Oh.” Eyebrows rise. “Then how do you make a living?”

“What? Damn, dude, that question is so not relevant.”

Confusion reigns. “Not relevant?”

The person will get a long, direct look as we size them up—how will they fit into the next novel? That one predatory look usually has them backing off nervously, especially when you mutter that they would be a good fit for the villain you need to kill off in the next book. Some people don’t back down, but rush in and tell us about their lives or a friend’s life. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

People need to understand that writers don’t operate in the same realm as say, a stockbroker, but we sure can write about one.

If one unobtrusively observes a writer, one may see them making faces or speaking to themselves in odd voices. Even getting themselves into weird physical positions. Writers are known for doing crazy things like crawling into a snake pit just to see how it feels—maybe that’s a little extreme, but they may sit at the bottom of a pool to see what it’s like to drown. Writers will certainly cut themselves to see what blood tastes or smells like. All experiments are toward one end—instilling realism into a story.

If you find a person watching you intently at an airport, shopping mall, or any public place, it may not be a psychotic stalker—not that there’s much difference—but it’s probably a writer, especially if he is making notes on any available scrap of paper. Cause a scene and make his day.

Writers will buy books worth hundreds of dollars for one paragraph of information. The books will probably sit on a shelf for the rest of the writer’s life. We don’t part with books—ever, especially reference books. You’d have to kill us first.

The moral of this convoluted discourse is: don’t become a writer if you value your sanity.

Book Launch Party 101

by

Wendy Chorot



So, you’ve published a book and are looking for ways to promote it. My absolute favorite marketing tool is to host a Facebook launch party. After Broken Umbrellas released, I scoured the Internet and read blog posts and tip sheets on hosting a successful launch party. Then I decided to ignore just about everything and start from scratch! I made the party what I wanted the party to be. The most important thing I learned is that guests like party favors and they love to talk about themselves! My launch party consisted of an hourly question, giving guests an hour to respond, with a drawing—and cool giveaways!—at the end of every hour. If a guest commented, he or she was entered for that hour’s drawing. It was crazy busy for me, but so worth it. And I didn’t hesitate to follow the same format for The Windkeeper’s launch party.

Because my Facebook parties don’t look like anyone else’s, I thought I would share some tips on what works for me.

1) Date and Time: Most launch party tips I read said to have the party for just a few hours. I have many friends scattered over several time zones and wanted to be inclusive, because the party was about them, not me. I put my guests first, above my own comfort. I adopted a “no guest left behind” policy. My party covered seventeen hours and seven countries were represented. Which is huge in my opinion!

So, to be a present and active hostess for seventeen hours, I had to plan child care and meals. I took everything off my agenda the day before, the day of, and the day after. And I planned everything beforehand, right down to writing out winner announcements so I only had to copy and paste and fill in the name of the winner.

2) Invite and Remind: I created the event one week prior to the launch. And I made sure to post something every day for that week to keep folks interested, to make them look forward to coming.

3) Launch Party Team: I emailed a few friends (who from experience have bubbly personalities) and asked them to be on my launch party team. I asked them to post if they saw others hesitating. I asked them to draw guests in and just “work the party” like it was a real party (filling drinks, engaging conversations, etc.). I made sure to ask friends from every time zone so the entire party was covered. I did not expect team members to stick it out to the bitter end, but they agreed to check the party as often as possible and post as often as possible.

I made bracelets for each team member and sent those out after the party. A thank you gift speaks volumes.

Ask someone on the team to be “tech support.” During the launch party for Broken Umbrellas, my tech support gal private messaged me several times with tech updates like how the party looked on a mobile. This person also checked Amazon rankings for the book. And I sent this person to find a guest who was having trouble understanding the party.

4) Plan Every Detail Ahead of Time: I created every post before the party so I only had to copy and paste into the party. That helped the party run smoothly and ensured I was never late for a “top of the hour” post. My posts were a mix of fun, ice breaker questions and lots that were relevant to the book. I asked people to share the middle names of their children, and this was my way of letting everyone know Emma Broch Stuart is my writing penname and also the middle names of my children. This post was the most commented on.

I also matched party favors with posts, like asking everyone what their favorite jelly belly flavor is. The winner, of course, won a bag of jelly bellies.

5) Don’t Forget the Publisher: One of my posts sent guests to go to the publisher’s website (I prepared the link in advance to copy and paste) and asked them to browse the titles and share which one appealed to them most. Awesome advertising for the publisher.

6) Party favors: Several things ensure a successful launch party, like fun, interactive posts that arrive hourly (always moving), but party favors make or break a successful launch party.

Spreadsheets come in super handy. I made a spreadsheet with each hour’s question listed, its corresponding party favor, and the winner with a column to check when they received their gift.

So, it sounds expensive to give away a party favor every hour (I also gave away 4 gift sets at the end of the party). It really wasn’t that expensive! The first thing I did was approach authors willing to donate copies of their books, and most of my volunteer authors offered signed copies. To give them due credit, I prepared my announcements ahead of time that included links to the book for other guests to see, as well as a link to that author’s bio. This gave them some publicity, and they even offered to mail directly to the winner, so I had no costs whatsoever.

After filling in those donated books on my party favor spreadsheet, I then started filling in holes. I matched party favors to the post title, like giving jelly bellies to the jelly belly post winner.

Every party favor was already decided and matched to the post before the party even started. I filled in holes even more with free copies of my books.

Find people who are willing to donate party favors in exchange for the publicity. Be sure to give them that publicity, offering links to their services for your guests to click on.

Start stocking up on sale items that would make great party favors.

7) Networking/Marketing: In addition to each post having a winner, I created four networking/marketing opportunities and made up gift sets to correspond with each for my final drawings. I tempted/reminded folks the week prior and also throughout the party, giving them sneak peeks and telling them how they could be entered for each drawing. I reserved the four gift sets for people who “liked” my author page; invited friends to my party; posted a link to Amazon on their Facebook wall; and follow me on Amazon. Other ideas would be to do a special gift set drawing for guests who post a picture of themselves holding your book or whoever participated the most during the party.

8) Think Ahead: Use one post as a question and answer, allowing guests to ask you questions. Save all questions and answers to use later for a blog tour.

9) Don’t Panic: If the guests take off with the party and leave you in the dust, just sit back and let them do their thing! Many people told me later that they made new Facebook friends because of my party. That is such a testimony to the power of community and fellowship!

10) Post-Party To-Dos: Allow yourself the day after the party for friending strangers who came to the party. Go back through the posts and comment on anything you missed during the party. Facebook keeps the party up for quite a while. Don’t be afraid to give yourself time to prepare the party favors so you can add extra touches like a thank you note/card, ribbon around a book, etc. before shipping them out.

11) It’s Your Party: Tailor your party so that it is comfortable for you. If all of this seems overwhelming, pull team members in to help with posts and drawings, or whatever, to free you up for what you feel like you can do. Definitely arrange child care as well as someone to do the meals so you can focus solely on the party and your guests, answering questions, giving them links to your book, and adopting a “no guest left behind” policy.

It really takes a village sometimes. Don’t be afraid to delegate.

A 17-hour party isn’t for everyone (I know, only me, eh?). I’ve read that peak times for Facebook activity are 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Covering just one of those times would generate a lot more participation.

12) And my last piece of advice is to PRAY! Pray for everything, for the guests, for the lurkers, for God to match each winner to the prize He wants for them. And if you pray for that, then don’t cheat on the drawings! Even if it means one person wins multiple times.


I’ll be hosting several more launch parties in the future. To see one in action, “like” my author page and you’ll automatically get an invite.


About Wendy Chorot:

Wendy Chorot writes under the penname Emma Broch Stuart, and she has hosted two launch parties—one for her non-fiction book Broken Umbrellas and her children’s book The Windkeeper.

If you would like to be entered to win a copy of her latest book, The Windkeeper, comment here and tell us which launch party tip you liked best.