Thursday, August 18, 2016

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi, to all my family and friends (note I didn't say "followers." I think if you are following me, you are my friend).

Today, I want to pose a question, and I hope you will all take five minutes and give me an honest answer.


My novel, "Bridgetown High" has garnered some great review on Amazon.com, and many of you have asked me to write a sequel, and some have even suggested turning "Bridgetown High" into a movie.

 

So far, I've written more than 30 pages of the sequel, but it's not coming easy. I probably need a good critique group to encourage and help me.


When I wrote "Bridgetown High," I never intended it to be the first of a series. I had two other books in mind that I was having fun with. One I titled, "GERTA!" and the other, "Johnny Sweeting's Story," (for lack of a better title).

Gerta is set in the early 1950s and is about a poor disadvantaged girl that no one likes. It's primarily about bullying, but the main character grows to love her -- as a friend.


"Johnny Sweeting's Story" is set in 1910 and is about a young man from the coal fields in Wyoming who accidently kills a co-worker. He has to flee to California to escape being jailed and hung.


My question to you is, which would you prefer me to write?

• A Bridgetown High Sequel
• GERTA!
• Johnny Sweeting's Story

I apologize that I do not have any tips about writing this week, but I do need your help in exchange for the advice I've given you over the past several months.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page on Amazon.

Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available at Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember, both in kindle e'book, or paperback. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about it

See y'all next week,

Paul

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Good afternoon all my family, friends, and followers. I hope everyone is busy writing your "Great American Novel."

I've quoted Dean Koontz on my blog several times, and thinking you, or I, can ever think of writing the "great American novel," is absurd, but I'm sure some writers are pompus to think they can do it. Think of some of the great novels you've read. They are worth trying to emulate, but don't beat yourself up if you come up short. Just be glad you can write something people will like to read.

Some of you might recall my quoting of Dean Koontz as he quoted his high school teacher who said the following: 

"The average reader demands eight things of a novel: 1) a strong plot; 2) a great deal of action; 3) a hero or a heroine or both; 4) colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations; 5) clear, believable motivations; 6) well-drawn backgrounds; 7) at least some familiarity with the rules of English grammar and syntax - the more familiarity the better, of course, and 8) a style which embodies at least a trace of lyrical language and as many striking images as possible, for good writing is always vivid and visual."

Let's take a quick look at number 1. a strong plot.

I've talked about this several times now. A strong plot is essential if you want to have readers. It begins with (as I've said before) getting the main character in "terrible trouble" on page one, paragraph one.

As he/she tries to overcome the terrible trouble, he/she gets deeper and deeper into trouble as the story develops. There can be side stories, other characters with plots of their own, but the main character's troubles have to be uppermost in the reader's mind, and must relate to the main story somehow. As the story progresses, with the MC getting deeper and deeper in trouble, it eventually must come to a head, or climax, where the MC overcomes his "terrible trouble." I've read some novels that, after the climax, go on and on for several chapters. That's when I put the novel down and forget it. After the climax, the denoument, as it's called, can't be more than a chapter or two to resolve all the loose ends.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about Bridgetown High.

See y'all next week,

Paul

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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hello again to all my faithful family, friends, and followers.

Today, I thought I'd talk about the need for a hero or heroine. As Dean Koontz put it: "Your lead character doesn't have to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and he doesn't have to stop speeding bullets with his bare hands, but he darn well better know the difference between right and wrong, and he better be kind to animals, and it sure wouldn't hurt if he brushed his teeth regularly."

Ha ha. In other words, he/she needs to be real. He/she needs to have faults and strengths just like everyone else.

In my book, "Bridgetown High," the main character, Mark Wilkerson, has his faults. His story begins when he's mourning the loss of his family and wondering who killed them, and what he would do if and when he ever found out. He is angry. He wants revenge! But deep down inside he wants to have a normal life again. He wants to love and be loved, and in the end he learns forgiveness and wins the girl he loves.

In contrast, Jeff Mario, the antagonist, is also real. As you read it, it becomes clear that he is from a broken home. He wants to be accepted, but because he dresses in dirty clothes, few, if any of his fellow school mates like him. He is also angry, deep down inside, and acts up as a result to get some kind of attention. He also has his heroic qualities. When Genie, the girl of his dreams, is being teased to tears by another boy, Jeff comes to her rescue even though the other boy is much taller and stronger.

If you haven't read "Bridgetown High" yet, I hope you will get a copy and enjoy it. I had great fun writing it, and I'm having fun writing the sequel.

By the way, if you are interested in reading it and writing a review, I will give you a free Kindle copy.

Until next time, I'll say happy writing and reading.

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Hi again to all my family, friends, and followers,


I thought from now on, I should begin addressing these blog posts to my family members as well as everyone else. I'm sure 1 or 2 of them are following this, ha ha.


Today I thought I'd give you all a word of warning. This past week I read what I thought was a stand alone novel which will remain nameless, and author-less. For the most part it was somewhat boring in the first 4 or5 chapters, but it got more interesting as I kept reading.


The first thing this author did wrong was NOT starting with the main character getting into some kind of trouble, or "terrible trouble," as Dean Koontz often said in his book, "How to Write Best Selling Fiction." The story begins with a lot of background information, or an "info dump" as we writers call it. Maybe I could have tolerated it for a while, but it went on for several chapters. I was about ready to give up on it. The real story didn't begin until the main character went to a party where the hostess was someone who hated the MC and vice versa.


Now, that perked up my interest a little bit.

But the unforgivable sin she left with was ending the story with a cliffhanger, then told reader he/she had to purchase the sequel to find out what happened next. She dropped the story off right at the climax, leaving the reader hanging. Of course, I'm not going to purchase the sequel. The author blew it in my mind and I will probably never read another book of hers. I'm just glad it didn't cost much.


So, two words of warning:

1) Always begin your story with the main character being hit (figuratively) with some kind of "terrible trouble."


2) Never end a story at the apex of the climax with no resolution and expect the reader to purchase your sequel.


In my mind, it ain't gonna happen.

So, until next week,  as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about Bridgetown High.

See y'all next week.

Paul

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