Write Now Editing

Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller (book review)

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Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand does this by teaching readers the seven universal story points all humans respond to; the real reason customers make purchases; how to simplify a brand message so people understand it; and how to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media.

Whether you are the marketing director of a multibillion dollar company, the owner of a small business, a politician running for office, or the lead singer of a rock band, Building a StoryBrand will forever transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your customers.

I’ve studied copy writing before, so I know the benefits of using a story in your marketing copy. This book, however, dives deep into the story to show you how to tell it well and maximize your efforts. Then it goes a step forward with some suggestions on how to implement your story in your website, promotional materials, newsletter, etc.

I love the book. The explanations are clear and easy to replicate, and the examples are easy to understand. I’ve been brand-less for a while. Now I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and to see what I can do with the information I’ve gleaned form this book.

Pick up your own copy here!

Floating Body Parts: Yes or No? by Karen Saari

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“And the wrench is still there. What would it be like to operate with a professional team? I wouldn’t know that’s for sure. Give me more suction.”

Eyes rolled around the room.

I wrote this a few years ago and never gave it a second thought. But when I read it over yesterday, trying to determine if it was suitable for a contest entry, all I could see was eyeballs rolling around the room like they were on little roller skates. Now that’s a floating body part (FBP)!

I think you know what I was trying to say – everyone in the room rolled their eyes at the Doctors comment on professionalism. But that’s not what I wrote. There is nothing wrong with using the phrase rolled her eyes, as long as it’s connected to a person.

“Trying not to laugh, she rolled her eyes at his antics.”

We all know what that means. A writer could get super technical and write, “Trying not to laugh, she looked up and down quickly, at his antics.” That’s ridiculous. I wrote the sentence and I don’t know what it means! The sentence doesn’t qualify as a FBP because we understand the idiom. And the alternate, about looking up and down, will stop the story.

How can you tell which eye rolling is a FBP? In the second sentence those eyes are attached to a she. In my original sentence — Eyes rolled around the room – those eyes are rolling free!

Floating body parts are easy to spot. Every time a body part is mentioned it should be attached to a body. Referring to any body part without the stability of a whole body behind it, sets it afloat. Let’s look at a few.

He dropped his hands. My literal, visual brain sees a man standing, and his hands drop off his arms. What could you write that conveys the same feeling of frustration or giving up? His shoulders drooped. Or He slumped in the chair.

She slammed on the brakes and her arm shot out. This is a cause and effect situation. As adults, nearly all of us have reached out without thinking to protect our passenger. But the way this is written it sounds like the brakes caused her arm to shoot. She slammed the brake pedal and instinctively her arm went across the empty passenger seat. Because I used the word slammed, speed is suggested and we don’t need words like shot or flew.

There is a fine line between nabbing all apparent FBPs and recognizing an idiom. The determining factor should be – does it stop the story? If not, then carry on. If yes, then rephrase it.

Karen Saari loves to play with words, whether it’s writing or editing. She is a Christian, wife, mother and grandmother. Karen is currently working on her BA in English and Creative Writing. She writes contemporary Christian women’s fiction, and is working on a new book – The Neighbor’s Club.

An avid reader, she also sews and knits and is learning to draw and paint with watercolors. Yard sales and thrift stores are her favorite shopping places, besides craft stores. She lives with her husband, Robert in the mountains of northern California. They enjoy traveling the Oregon coast and photography.

Karen blogs at http://karensaari.com

Coping with Deadlines by Annette Irby

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I’m on a few deadlines. In addition to editing work, the first book in my series will release this September 1st, and the second book is due this summer as well. I’ve had to prioritize and strictly enforce my schedule lately and I’ve spent hours and hours at my computer, writing and rewriting for my summer deadline. I have other projects in the works, so the sooner I hand this project off, the sooner I can work on the others that have been on the back burner.

Prioritizing

So, how do I decide what to set aside during crunch seasons? How do you decide? For me, I set aside social media, even marketing, until I can focus on it. I ask myself: what’s due soonest? Timing helps me in many ways—it both motivates and dictates my schedule. I set aside reflexively checking my e-mail, and I close all unnecessary tabs and apps/programs on my computer in order to stay focused on the necessary ones. My family needs my attention, so they are a priority. Sometimes you have to say no to extra tasks. That’s a hard one for some of us. I sometimes struggle with that. Even when I say no, I sometimes feel guilty later, which doesn’t help me focus on work. But our jobs as writers is important. If we honor our writing time, others will begin to respect it too.

Permission to Take a Break

Summertime is an especially challenging time to have to work 8-12 hours a day, so I do take breaks, which are so necessary. I recommend finding a peaceful setting to decompress. When the sun moves around the house to my flower garden, I love to go out and tend my plants. (Here’s a photo from one of my hanging baskets on a rainy day last spring.) The warm sun, so different from my cool home office in the basement corner, feels good. And tending my flowers makes me happy. I catch myself walking around, smiling from the joy of a simple hobby. Breaks are also helpful for working out plot points and overcoming writer’s block. And they’re probably good for our health. We must take care of ourselves, even on deadline.

Back to Work

The thing about breaks is, you have to set a time limit and discipline yourself to get back to work. Your book won’t write itself. So, I’ll take time away for family get-togethers, and meals, and even a trip to the pool so my youngest gets a chance to swim, but then it’s back to work. 

Best Advice for Deadline Crunch Time

My writing sessions involve a lot of prayer. Prayers for grace, help, words, wisdom, insights, for the story to come together, for my readers, and for God’s glory and message to come through. He honors our prayers as we write for Him. Sometimes when I know I only have, say, a half hour left before I’ll be away from my computer for a while, panic will set in, thinking about all I have to do. Then I ask the Lord to help, and He does. Pretty soon, my fingers are flying over the keyboard and enjoying the thrill of a scene coming together in a profound way with word counts piling up.

How about you? What are your tricks for meeting deadlines and surviving the deadline crunch? I’d love to hear.

Write on, friends!

(Original post found on Seriously Write)

Annette M. Irby has been writing since her teen years. She has several books and short stories published. She has served as an acquisitions editor, and she currently works as a freelance editor. In her off hours, she enjoys gardening, photography, and music. Her family lives in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at www.AnnetteIrby.com

Links:

Website: www.AnnetteIrby.com
Facebook reader friend group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252272708574760/
Twitter: @AnnetteMIrby
Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/annette_m_irby.com
Writing blog: www.seriouslywrite.blogspot.com

Book Review: Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann (submitted by Tara Ross)

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On a trip to New York City, I located a signed copy of Letters to a Young Writer, by Colum McCann, in the craft section of Strand bookstore. I had no intention on purchasing it. I had come to this store with a short list of recommended titles for writing – many classics in their own right – but for whatever reason I decided to purchase this book instead. As I perused his introduction, I became sucked into the first essay and floated, almost unaware, to the check out.

I won’t make you read to the end to share my summative opinion. Letters to A Young Writer should be a staple for any writer – young or old. It should receive a prominent home on your desk top where it will act like an MFA writing coach for a significantly lower price tag.  But here are my cautions before you find yourself floating to the virtual checkout.  

Caution #1: Read this book slowly. Relish in each new revelation before proceeding.

Letters to a Young Writer is a collection of essays steeped in wisdom and lyrical mastery. Beautiful succinct prose is an indulgence, but when paired with practical lessons it becomes addictive. Each one of his letters could fill you with enough inspiration to last the week. If you cannot resist reading the whole compilation in that period of time be prepared for a toxic overdose of new ideas, only curtailed by illegible sticky note summaries and tissue paper bookmarks.

Caution #2: Do not make this your only craft book on writing.

This is not a how-to manual for writing novels or poetry. Practical topics, such as first and last lines, and creating memorable characters are highlighted, but in a way that challenges you to think deeper than craft. McCann pushes you to the purpose and passion behind the craft. Each letter acts as a moral check-point on why you choose to write, and reminds you through mini pep talks about why you need to write.

Caution #3: If you are heading towards a mid-life writing crisis, this is still the book for you.

It is a gift to show others that, within the chaos, there is a message. That message will not be shared unless you are passionate enough to struggle through the internal voices that say you can’t or shouldn’t.  Writers need these pep-talks to be reminded of why we want to improve- not just for ourselves, but for the one or hundreds of people who will read our words. McCann encourages – no demands – that you not give up or become stagnant in your goals.

To McCann, I want to say thank you. For igniting a fire. For pushing us past the uncertainty. For fueling a passion to express an imagined world that is yet to exist- a world that can only exist through the experiences and words we dare to create.

For young writers who are daring to jump into the fire, I challenge you to read this book. You will not regret it and may find yourself leaping ahead with renewed passion and vision. 

To learn more about Tara Ross check out her blog www.hopeprose.com, where she shares book reviews, inspired quotes, and her thoughts on how today’s youth and young at heart can stream beautiful light into a sometimes messed up world. Her debut contemporary YA novel will be published through IlluminateYA (An imprint of LPC). Sign up for her quarterly newsletters to find out more. 

Continuing Education: A Writer’s Best Friend

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After more than a decade in the publishing industry—writing, editing, and now working for a publisher—I’m still learning. If you’re hoping to publish and sell your book manuscript, you need to be learning too.

Publishing a book involves more than simply writing a book, especially in our current state of the anyone-can-publish-anything-on-Amazon market. If you want to set yourself apart (e.g. if you want to sell more copies of your book), then you need to learn everything you can about every aspect of the industry. Then go back and do it again.

Right now I’m re-reading Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke. I recommend it to many of my clients and authors because I read it years ago and it changed my approach to characterization. But recently I wanted to reference something from it for an author and I couldn’t remember where to find it (or if it had even come from that book). That’s why I’m reading it again, and I’m learning just as much this time as I did the first. When I finish this book, I’m planning to re-read Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Browne and Dave King.

I’m not only re-learning, though. Later this year I’ll be attending the Mt. Hermon Writer’s Conference as a faculty member. My primary goal is to meet writers and take pitches for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolina’s women’s fiction, historical romance, and western imprints, but I plan on learning while I’m there. I applied for and have been accepted into the Professional Writers Track, taught by Randy Ingermanson and James Rubart. Just because I’m there to help others advance their writing careers doesn’t mean I shouldn’t take advantage of the opportunity to advance my own.

I realize not everyone can afford to attend a writer’s conference, and not everyone has the time to read (though you shouldn’t be writing if you aren’t reading, but that’s another topic for another time). That’s why I strive to share helpful writing and editing tips on this blog. Don’t let time or money prevent you from learning. Hone your skills one blog post at a time. Just don’t stop learning!

What’s your biggest struggle right now—plot development, attracting an agent, book sales? Leave a comment below, and we’ll get you some suggestions and recommendations to help you out!

My debut novel—Summer Plans and Other Disasters—is now available on Amazon! Sign up for my monthly newsletter and you’ll receive the unpublished prologue: find out what inspired Calista Stephens to make those summer plans. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for writing tips, updates on Guiding Light, and more!

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

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Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

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Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

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