If the truth be known, being a novelist is a secret ambition that many people share. However, it is remarkable how very few people do anything about their desire to pen a novel. Some find the process too scary and come up with many excuses to avoid fulfilling their dreams. Some give up the moment they run into severe problems very early on. To succeed at writing a novel, it is vital to prepare for the task ahead by having the right mental attitude, doing proper market research and cultivating good writing habits.

Market Research Conducted By Aspiring Novelists

Like any other industry, the publishing industry is subject to market forces. Therefore, prudent aspiring novelists should understand that publishers tend to invest in books that they know fit the style they normally print and sell. Never assume that stories that were sold 20 years ago are going to sell today – recognising reading trends and fashionable stories are equally as important as good storytelling and gripping plots. Here are a few tips to ensure that any market research done is both fruitful and effective:

• Browse through a favourite bookshop and choose a few best-selling novels – the authors of these novels clearly understand the market better than anyone else.
• Buy a few of these best-selling novels and study them in detail.
• Take note of the length of these best-selling novels to give you an idea of how long your own novel should be.
• Invest in the latest edition of Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook as this resource gives details of many of the requirements of publishing houses all over the world. In addition, this resource will tell an aspiring novelist how long a manuscript should be, what font to use, how to present a manuscript to an agent or publisher, plot-lines to avoid, what kind of story is popular amongst publishers and even interviews with successful authors.

Writing Habits of an Aspiring Novelist

There are two writing habits that can help any aspiring novelist: firstly, writing a novel is much easier when an effective writing routine in in place. Some authors write well early in the morning and some write better late at night. An effective novelist is also one who usually writes a certain amount each day rather than writing a whole chunk in one go.

Secondly, as writing a novel is a long and detailed project, it is bound to create a huge amount of paperwork. An aspiring novelist must, therefore, find some way of organising all his notes, synopses, character profiles, drafts of the novel and scraps of paper so that they never get lost.

To avoid becoming discouraged when writing a novel, here are two precautions to take:

• Don’t go back and constantly tweak the first few chapters of a manuscript. Instead, aim to complete the whole manuscript and only then start reworking it.
• Do not show the manuscript to anyone until the first draft is completed. While the idea of getting feedback may seem appealing, more often than not, an aspiring novelist gets conflicting advice and ends up being thoroughly confused.

If the steps above are taken into account, an aspiring novelist will soon realise that, instead of the gloomy predictions often made about the chances of success in the publishing industry, all the preparations made will actually go a long way towards ensuring the publication success of the novel.

Sources

• WritersandArtists.co.uk.
• Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, A&C Black publishers Ltd.

By Aneeta Sundararaj

This article was first published on Suite.101: http://suite101.com/article/vital-preparation-for-aspiring-novelists-a350130

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10 laws of great storytelling

Law #1: Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.
 
This is crucial in the first few moments of storytelling. Before you begin your story, take a moment. Look at your audience and smile at them. Only after you have got their attention do you begin to even introduce yourself and your topic. You will be able to observe many things about your audience in these few moments.
 
Law #2: Begin your story with a question.
 
Have you ever noticed how everyone perks up when the speaker begins by asking something like, “Is everyone feeling good today?” or “How many people want to hear a good story?”
 
This technique of asking a question first, engages the audience even further and helps you connect with your audience.
 
Law #3: This is your first meeting with your audience.
 
Show that you are curious about them. Make them excited about themselves first. When you learn who your audience is and what they are interested in you will be able to tailor your story to them and, therefore, keep them interested throughout your talk.
 
Law #4: Speak to your audience just as you speak to your family or friends.
 
This is perhaps easier to say than to do – remember that they are only human. They are not menacing and really, they only want to learn from you and your story. Even in a professional presentation, the purpose of the presentation is to show others in your ‘audience’ what it is you can offer them. Speak normally and politely as you would to your friends.
 
Law #5: What is your audience not saying.
 
Are members of your audience fidgeting and fussing? If you notice this, then perhaps it might be in your interest to take a moment, and say something like, “You know, if this is not a good time for you, then maybe we could do this another day. I will be telling this again on Wednesday, so you’re welcome to join us then.”
 
Most of the time, those who are really pressed for time will be so grateful that they will appreciate this concern you show them and return for more.
 
Law #6: If someone asks you a question then answer it briefly or …
 
When someone in the audience asks you a question when you are in the middle of your story, answer them but limit your answer to no more than 1 minute. If you exceed this, then others in your audience will think that rather than you telling your story, you are more interested in debating the issue with this one person. An easy way to get back to your story is to say, “I will answer all questions at the end of this talk.”
 
Law #7: Who are you talking to?  
 
Do you know your audience?
 
I once listened to a storyteller who so enjoyed the sound of his own voice and debated the issues in Cinderella with himself that it was only about twenty minutes later when he heard a loud snore from the back of the room did he realise that his audience, a group of six to ten year olds, had absolutely no idea what he was saying. He was stuck in his ‘auto-pilot’ mode that he did not realise that his audience would never understand what he was saying. You must know who is in your audience before you even begin to tell your story.
 
Law #8: When telling your story verbally, always be brief.
 
Notice how lectures/seminars/storytelling sessions are always no more than one hour sessions. This is because that is the normal attention span of most people. Now when you have a story that spans over many, many hours, break them up into sections and leave a little for another day.
 
Law #9: Always remember to take a break when storytelling.
 
This is very important because you need to know if your audience understands the story so far. If they don’t here’s your chance to clear the air. It is also a chance to re-connect with the audience. When to take a break or have a pause? Usually in a one hour speech, it is wise to take a break every 20 minutes or so.

Law #10: Invite your audience to participate in the storytelling.
 
One of my fondest memories is that of watching a play called ‘Son of Man’, many years ago. It was the story of Jesus Christ and really one that I had seen played out in different ways before. This one stands out in my memory simply because there was, at the end of the whole play, ‘audience participation’. The ‘disciples’ of Christ, began to invite people from the audience onto the stage. I was one of them. I am no actor and said nothing but formed the crowd that was to listen to Christ speak. That was all; but being involved in this story, made it all the more special and that experience was wonderful.
 
In conclusion, as a storyteller, if you can get your audience to understand the story, become a part of it and thereafter connect with the characters, you’re well on your way to becoming an outstanding storyteller.

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3 Key Points to Remember When Writing for the Web

While many writers are eager to write for the internet it is important to consider the key differences between writing for a traditional print audience and an internet audience. Keeping these three points in mind will help you achieve success with your internet writing ventures.

Writing for the internet is different from traditional publishing formats in three essential ways:

~ Audience
~ Format
~ Lifespan

It is important to consider each difference while writing.

While audience is always a key consideration for any writer audience consideration is a primary factor for internet writers. While the basic considerations of audience (who do you expect to be your primary reading audience?) remain the same there are some important differences.

First, it is important to remember that in traditional publications your audience is somewhat captive. Once they have actually picked up or purchased a print media they are likely to at least give it a few pages before ditching it. However on the internet the audience can move away from your words with a click of the button so you need to be focused and on target. You can’t take time for a slow buildup or meandering discussion. If you (the writer) do not seem to be delivering the goods then the reader will simply move on. This does not mean you need to cater to the lowest denominator but it does mean that you need to know your audience as well as how to respond to that audiences’ needs and desires.

Another important point is that many internet readers scan documents quickly before committing themselves to reading. It is important to write clearly and concisely as well as use punchy headlines and subheadings as well as catchy introductions and conclusions as these are key points for scanning.

While at first glance internet documents appear to mimic traditional print documents there are many major differences. One of the most important is the entry point. A search engine may deliver readers to some point in the middle or end of your document. If you have written a coherent and cohesive piece then those readers may well move back to the beginning to read properly. In response to this, and the scanning readers mentioned above, it is best to break longer documents into several stand-alone pieces that can work together as a whole or as separate documents if approached in that manner.

Finally, an important difference between traditional publications and internet publications is lifespan. While the apparent lifespan of many electronic documents appears to be fleeting that is not in fact true. Newspaper and magazine articles in print publications may only be current for a day, week or month but be archived on the internet. Internet publications are frequently archived on the internet for years. So while it is important as a writer to be fresh and current also keep in mind that your reader may access your words at some undetermined point in the future.

Keeping these three key points — audience, format, and lifespan — in mind when writing for the internet will help you achieve greater writing success.

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4 Great Self-publishing Tips

As writers, we’d all like to know how to wave a magic wand and make our books appear instantly. But learning is a process, not an event.

Likewise, making your book “appear” by way of self-publishing is typically not one big decision at all. Rather it takes the shape of many small choices, or “baby steps,” toward your goal.

Here are four tips to encourage you on the journey:

1. Move in the direction of your dream
Just because you don’t know exactly what to do next doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something. Feeling your way along is still making progress. So—decide to do something. You’ll know after you do it whether it was right. If it wasn’t, you can make another move. Make it a practice to fail forward. Keep a list of all your ideas. Whenever you feel stuck, re-read the list and choose one idea for action!

2. Ask and you shall receive
I’ve garnered a wealth of other people’s wisdom just by asking. After locating the contact information for an author or publisher, I craft an e-mail with the subject line “Requesting a courtesy.” I ask if he or she would be willing to spend a few minutes talking with an aspiring writer, and I offer to pay for the call. It has never failed to elicit a positive response.

3. Be open to the possibilities
Warning — wild ideas will come to mind! Don’t dismiss them out of hand. Because I was self-publishing my book, Living a Life of Significance, I assumed I would have to bear the entire cost of the project. After all, wasn’t that why they called it self-publishing? Just then a wild idea raised its goofy head. I pitched a kind of “joint venture” to a colleague with similar interests. He had access to funds to pay the book designer — not an insignificant sum. This infusion of cash freed up some dollars to invest in marketing the book.

4. Ask “what if?” to transform your thinking
Who knows what may develop if you spend a little time asking yourself the question, “What if…?” As I began working on my book, I asked myself, “What if I could create a book customers would want to buy in quantities of 25, 50 or more, instead of just one at a time?” That led to the concept of selling my book to organizations and offering to customize the covers to include the organization’s name. The books could then be used as gifts and relationship-building tools. It worked! My goal is to create a continuing series of books, which organizations can purchase each year.

Now that Living a Life of Significance is published, I feel an energy and sense of accomplishment I could never have anticipated. And as I move into the next phase of my work, I’m again using the four tips to help me promote and market my book. Why not put them to work for you?

Sheree Parris Nudd is the author of Living a Life of Significance (La Tour Press), the first in the "Living Series" quotations gift books. She can be reached at www.designsforgiving.com.

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The Leader As Storyteller

In his landmark study of leadership, Harvard Professor Howard Gardner found that “the key to leadership… is effective communication of a story.”

Stories are an excellent way to connect with people, to make complex ideas easier to understand, and to make your message memorable. But telling stories is more than just a folksy way to relate to others. It is a powerful and persuasive vehicle that top leaders use to get their message across with maximum impact and minimum resistance. Today’s most effective leaders know how to use various story templates to communicate their vision, win buy-in for their ideas, transmit values, and inspire their people.

Many cultures have strong storytelling traditions. This is true regardless of their time in history or their place geographically. Yet few leaders of any stripe use stories in their work.

Generally speaking, leaders in business and government value facts, data, logic, and reason. Yet when presented with facts, people try to make sense of them through critical evaluations. They look for flaws in your argument. As a result, using only facts and logical arguments can put your audience in a confrontational state of mind.

Storytelling, on the other hand, combines facts plus emotions. When people become emotionally invested in a story, they aren’t looking for ways to shoot it down. By packaging your message into a story, you can introduce your message to your audience without hitting them over the head with it.

By harnessing the power of stories, leaders could be a lot more persuasive. So why don’t more leaders use stories? I can think of three main reasons.

1. Many leaders are not aware that stories can serve many purposes, such as:

Introducing yourself. The right story can position you the way you wish to be perceived, rather than allowing others to define you. Stories can help you build rapport with your audience, establish credibility, and tell others what you stand for.

Promoting your brand. Some of the world’s most highly regarded companies have great brands in part because they have great stories. We know their stories, and these stories shape the way we feel about these companies.

Communicating your vision. This is what makes or breaks a leader. Kennedy, Reagan, and Gandhi all excelled at articulating a clear vision for the future, and they did it with stories.

Transmitting key organizational values. Every organization has a socialization process. The right stories can help members feel like they belong far better than a list of core values on a poster hanging on the wall.

These are just a few of the purposes stories can serve, and there are many others.

2. Another reason why most leaders do not make better use of stories is that they do not believe stories are appropriate for business communication. They feel stories are corny, not serious enough for dignified upper-echelon corporate types. This of course is nonsense. Great leaders from Jesus to Lincoln to Churchill have used stories with powerful effect.

Most of the world’s best companies have well known stories. One man going door to door trying to sell his recipe for fried chicken (KFC). Another man selling milkshake machines discovers a tiny hamburger stand (McDonald’s). Two men tinkering in a garage create a technology giant (Apple, HP, and many others). How many small businessmen would love to have a story like these? Many do, they just don’t realize it!

3. The third reason why so few leaders tell stories is that they don’t know how. Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter. It is easy to become aware of the purposes stories can serve, and to dispel the myth of stories not being welcome in a business setting. It is more difficult for a leader to deal with his discomfort in giving the artistic performance that is storytelling.

Fortunately, it is really not that difficult. There are only two things to learn: how to craft a story, and how to deliver it.

There are a number of templates for crafting stories. The template you use depends on your purpose in telling the story. While you cannot use the same template for every story, there is a template to help you structure any story you wish to tell.

Finally, there is delivering the story. There are many techniques you can learn to bring stories to life, but the most important thing to remember is to tell your own story in your own way – from your heart. You can’t fake authenticity.

Instead of using only data, facts, and self-serving statements, a great leader can connect with his audience and deliver a powerful message through the fine art of storytelling.

David Goldwich, the Persuasion Doctor, is committed to helping people get what they want. A "reformed" lawyer, David teaches people how to play the negotiation game and become more assertive, compelling, and persuasive. He gives talks and conducts workshops in persuasive business presentations, negotiation, storytelling for leaders and sales professionals, and other areas of influence and persuasion. Learn more at http://www.davidgoldwich.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6347425

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3 Ways To Inspire A Love Of Reading In Your Children

If your child is showing little interest in reading, there is hope. Sometimes moms and dads have to get sneaky, but you can still turn your child into a reader, even if he is reluctant about it.

1. The Early Bedtime trick.
One of my favorite ways to get my kids to read is something they hopefully will not figure out until they have kids of their own. Two words “Early Bedtime”.

You might be wondering how an increase in sleep can help your child to spend more time reading. Well, here’s the trick. Set their bedtime for 45 minutes to an hour before they need their lights out.

Here’s how our bedtime routine goes. The kids brush teeth and use the bathroom. Then I read them their stories. This is all done before their official bedtime. Then, I simply give them an option. I say “It’s time for bed, now. Would you like lights out or would you like to stay up and read for a bit?”

Unless they are really tired, they’ll always choose to read awhile. I do not have to beg nor manipulate them into reading.

In fact, they think it’s their idea and they have grown to love their chance for a ‘late’ bedtime. Then, I back off. I don’t try to instruct them in any way, nor help them choose books. This is their time. They can choose whichever book they like and look at it however they like until I come in to kiss them goodnight and turn their lights out. Of course, if they want me to stay and listen to them read, I’m more than happy to comply. Try it. It works.

2. Summer reading incentives.
You can sign up for a summer reading program at pretty much any library in the country. If your local library does not have a summer reading program, then create one at home, with rewards for reading books. You can use a Monopoly (or Life) board and allow your child to move one space for each book he reads. Or if you want to have more fun, let him roll the dice each time he reads a book and have prizes available for passing certain points.

Make sure the rewards are something very desirable. If your child values time with you more than toys, then set a date together doing his favorite thing. If he values a certain toy, let him earn it. Or let him earn a chance to get out of his regular chores. Take him to his favorite restaurant. Just have fun with it and he will, too.

3. Read the book before you can see the movie.
This is a standard in our home. We won’t go see any movie until we’ve read the book. Whether my husband and I read the book to the kids or they read it alone, each member of the family can go see the movie after the book is read. So, if your child is looking forward to seeing the next Chronicles of Narnia movie, the next Harry Potter movie or the next Lemony Snicket movie, they’ll have to read the book first.

That’s it. Three easy ways to turn your child into a reader for life.

Nicole Dean invites you to http://www.ShowKidstheFun.com -- a free website filled with activities to make memories with your children and http://www.ShowMomtheMoney.com -- a fun and informative resource for moms who want to make money from home.

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