Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Start developing your storyline and characters

Hello!

Now that you have decided on a topic for your book and the message you want to send, it is time to begin developing the storyline and characters.  In choosing your topic you have most likely decided on your target audience.  In other words, who do you want to read and or buy your book?

Developing your storyline:  For example, once I decided that my topic would be teaching life lessons to children (my target audience) I had to choose an age range (4-8).  This dictated the kind of storyline I would write, type of vocabulary to use, amount of dialogue included, and the number of pages.  This took quite a bit of research, but the information is out there for you to find.  By sticking to a model that was suitable for my target audience I could then gain credibility with the parents, who would ultimately be purchasing my book.  My storyline began to flow once I knew my topic, target audience, and the parameters to which I needed to adhere.

Let's say you have decided to write a crime novel.  Research how other successful crime novels are written.  Is your storyline about a who dunnit murder?  Is it about a team of bank robbers that eventually gets caught?  Maybe it is about a singular main character who finds themselves in nefarious situations throughout the novel.  Or, let's say you have decided to write a "How To" book.  Your storyline will include teaching a skill you have and want to share, such as: cooking, being athletic, promoting healing, or how to build something around your home.  Answering these questions after picking your topic and knowing your target audience will aid you in developing your storyline.

Developing characters:  I chose dogs as my main characters because I love them so dearly, but together in a group their characteristics and interactivity was not unlike how a group of children might interact.  I chose the dogs in our family because I knew their personalities and the manner in which they interacted together.  This helped immensely while developing my characters, and really brought them to life!  Think of people you know, people you see on TV, historical figures, people you admire or even dislike. If your book will be non-fiction then make sure you research your characters to portray them adequately.  If your book will be fiction it is ok to embellish and give your characters personalities that you think will fit your storyline within your chosen topic.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I think writing about what you know or have a passion for can be very helpful.  And don't forget to....write, write, write!


JACI

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

You can do it!

Good Morning!

I wanted to share that I just got confirmation that two more stores are willing to carry my children's book in my neighborhood! :)   I am sharing this to remind you that YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!  Have a great day, and check back tomorrow for my next tip on how to get your very own book written, self-published, and sold!

JACI

Monday, July 30, 2012

Pick a topic for your book

Welcome!

So, now that you have decided to write and self-publish your book the questions becomes:  How do you choose a topic?  Well, let's start with some basic questions.  Is it fiction or non-fiction?  What is your demographic?  Is biographical or auto-biographical?  Is it about something you love or loathe?  The list could go on and on, however I find it is easiest to write something about which you are passionate.

For example, I write about dogs, for children.  Two things about which I am very passionate.  I find that the concepts and words come easier because I understand both animals and children.  This is not to say that this is right for everyone.

Maybe you are passionate about disliking war and want to write a book and tell your story.  Maybe you love to cook and want to share your recipes with others. Or, maybe you know something that the rest of us should know.  The bottom line is when it comes to picking a topic, I believe it has to be personal to the writer in some way.  For me, it was dogs and children.

Sometimes it can be extremely helpful to simply write, write, write.  Keep going until that special topic becomes abundantly clear, because stream of consciousness can be very helpful when we feel blocked.

Since this blog is centered around tips that might help you write and self- publish a book of your own, I am very excited to share with you the following link where you can learn more about me, and my journey to self-publishing my first children's book in the Pug Story series.  I hope this information has been helpful in some way, and I look forward to sharing more tips with you soon.

JACI

http://www.indiegogo.com/pugstory?a=919702