Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Avoid This BIG Self-Publishing Pitfall

Self-publishing: get visible — you’ll build your audience one reader at a time

A few years ago I read a study which stated that authors who headed bestseller lists year after year had published at least 47 books… and many of those books were in series.

Writing in series made the authors more visible.

You could write 47 books, couldn’t you? And write in series too?

Here’s the point of series publishing and self-publishing: readers. If readers like your novels, they want more than one to read. Voracious readers (like me) will read every book in a series.

“But what if I get bored with the series?” one author asked.

“Write something else. You can write standalones, of course. But aim for series. Tie as many of your novels and novellas together as you can,” I suggested.

Currently I’m reading the latest book in Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series. The series is up to Book 15 and I’ve read them all. Perhaps you’re this kind of reader as well: you adore finding a new series in which you can lose yourself.

Let’s look at three reasons to write series fiction.

via www.angelabooth.com

 

How To Plot: 3 Steps To Make Plotting Fiction Simple And Fun

Stuck on plotting? At least once a week I get a call from a current or former student who’s stuck on plotting.

You can get unstuck quickly: focus on your characters, because your plot is what your characters do.

Your plot is what your characters DO

However, you can’t follow your characters around during an ordinary day when they get up, go to work, come home, etc. and expect people to read your story.

Consider that when it’s used as an adjective, “novel” means interesting: new, unusual: this gives you a hint that your novel mustn’t be boring. When you’re writing fiction, you’re writing about people with problems, so create people with problems. When they act to solve their problems they’ll plot for you.

Let’s look at some steps to make plotting simple.

1. Plot: create a character with a BIG problem

Creating characters is simple — and it’s fun, too.

Here’s my favorite character-creation template to make it super-simple:

• Name

• Age

• Occupation

• Attribute

• Primary external problem

Fill in the information without thinking about it too much — do it now.

Without any thought at all, I came up with:

• Name: Rosemary Wilson

• Age: 21

• Occupation: Florist

• Attribute: Ambitious

• Primary external problem: she delivers flowers to a house with a dead woman on the front porch. She realizes that the woman is her ex’s fiancée.

Does poor Rosemary have a problem? She might have. What if it turns out that the fiancée got her fired, and that she and the fiancée had a loud public argument?

2. Tell the reader: “who, what, and why”

Create your character and give him/ her a problem, and make it a BIG problem.

You’ve got your WHO. In our example, the WHO is Rosemary Wilson. We’ve also got a WHAT — the dead woman. Now we need a WHY.

Why’s the woman dead? Who killed her?

(Thanks to Debra Dixon for Who, What, and Why, from her book GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. )

3. Conflict happens with people, so create more people

To discover your WHY, create another character.

In the first 25% of your fiction, you’re in the setup phase of your novel, novella, or short story. You can create as many characters as you need. (You can remove them later if you don’t need them, or consolidate characters if you wish.)

When you create characters, remember conflict — don’t create a bunch of people who all get along. Follow the character creation template above, and give them ALL problems. Other characters’ problems may develop into a subplot or two.

Give your characters the freedom to grow your plot

Fiction is about people with problems; plotting is much easier when you let your characters do it.

So give your characters the freedom to plot for you...

Self-Publishing Secrets: Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days

Want to sell more -- easily? You can boost your Kindle sales FAST with our new program, Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days: Your Blueprint For Success.

The program’s powerful, practical, and tested. You’ll get results too. Use the strategy to increase your sales — you need a mix of long and short fiction to appeal to today’s readers.

How many novellas would you write if you could write a novella in seven days? Would your novellas boost your sales?

3 Reasons To Write And Publish A Novella FAST (Before Christmas)

Getting ready for the holiday season? We’re almost in the final quarter of the year. Quarter 4 is the year’s BIG sales season, so businesses boost their advertising spend.

Savvy self-publishing authors make the most of the season too. They publish “Christmas” themed novels and novellas, right through the next several months.

Here’s why they do that — and why you should, too. It’s because indies are out-spent by major companies’ advertising over the holiday buying season. Traditional publishers plaster Amazon with huge advertising campaigns. They can afford to out-spend indies, and they do. Many indies resign themselves to slow and no sales until January.

Do you need to get used to the idea that you’ll lose money over the holidays? No! Publish more over the holiday season, instead. You can write one, or several novellas over the next couple of months. Here are some reasons that might be a good idea.

1. The holiday sales season is launching now

The holiday sales season starts in October. Companies huge and small have sales and offers. It’s expected. You need to have offers too — but don’t lower your books’ sales price. Publish a novella or two instead, because NEW sells.

Readers get new phones and tablets either as gifts, or they update their older devices. Either way, they’re looking for reading materials to load onto their new goodies.

When you publish something new, it’s given a boost by Amazon’s algorithm, which rewards “new”. When you make sales of something new, your older titles are promoted too, via the “also bought” titles.

2. Novellas introduce new readers to your novels and series

Another reason to write novellas: they make ideal introductions to your books. Everyone’s caught on to this idea now. Many traditional publishers encourage their authors to write novellas.

For the holidays, write holiday-themed novellas. Promote your novels with a preview at the end of each novella.

3. Advertisers are preparing a major sales push (and they’re prepared to lose money)

If you’re not aware of the holiday season push by major publishers, your advertising dollars will be outspent and you’ll wonder what’s happening. You’ll think that readers have suddenly gone off your books.

Nope. Readers haven’t gone off you. It’s simply that they can’t see your books — they buy books which are promoted.

You can’t out-advertise the publishing behemoths. So it’s time to step up publishing (you can do it, when you publish novellas) and promote your novels, both new, and older, with content campaigns in social media. (Keep building your mailing list too.)

Ready for holiday sales?

Get ready. Publish, and your sales will increase, rather than languishing. Start writing a novella now. Happy publishing. :-)

Self-Publishing Secrets: Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days

Boost your Kindle sales FAST with our new program, Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days: Your Blueprint For Success.

The program’s powerful, practical, and tested. You’ll get results too. Use the strategy to increase your sales — you need a mix of long and short fiction to appeal to today’s readers.

How many novellas would you write if you could write a novella in seven days? Would your novellas boost your sales?

Start Your Mystery Novel Today With Just 3 Elements

The mystery genre, which comprises mystery, thriller, and suspense novels, has a huge and loyal audience. Mystery readers buy books — if they love a character an author has created, they’ll eagerly read every book in the author’s series.

Another benefit for authors writing mysteries: the novels sell for decades. Agatha Christie's novels have sold for a century. Wilkie Collins’s classic mystery, The Moonstone, was first published in 1868 and is still enjoyed today. Beloved mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers called The Moonstone “probably the very finest detective story ever written.”

Love reading mysteries? You can write them

If you love reading mysteries chances are that you can write them. IMHO it’s the easiest genre to write. Here’s why. Most mysteries center around a murder: it’s the most heinous crime we can imagine.

Craft three elements, and you’re good to go — you can start writing your first (or next) mystery novel novel immediately.

The three elements you need are:

• A victim;
• A setting;
• A sleuth.

1. Create a victim: who is he, and why will he be murdered?

Many mysteries start with the crime because the death of the victim makes a powerful opening hook.

If you’re a pantser, kill off your victim and your novel is well underway.

Murder mysteries tend to feature two kinds of victims:

• Everyone loved him/ her — there are no suspects;
• Everyone hated him/ her — everyone is a suspect.

Both types have benefits for mystery authors in creating suspense.

2. Create the setting: your story world

Where will you set your story? Mysteries are set in a milieu which will appeal to readers. Ann Cleeves set her Shetland Island series in the Shetlands. Lindsey Davis’s Marcus Didius Falco novels are set in ancient Rome.

Instead of focusing on a place or time, you might like to set your mysteries among a special interest group. Readers love mysteries set amongst groups of knitters, quilters, and in the case of the Dick Francis novels, in the horse racing world.

3. Create your sleuth: who is he? (Or she?)

You’ve got your victim and setting. Now you need a sleuth… Your sleuth is the most important character in your novel. You want your sleuth to engage readers so that they clamor for him to appear in another novel, and another.

Your sleuth will arrive on the scene of the crime and will quickly interact with witnesses and suspects. It’s worth looking at long-running series: what makes the sleuth appealing to readers?

My favorite sleuths include Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs. Think about your own favorites — why do you like them?

A tip for your sleuth. Decide whether you’ll have an over-arching series plot so that your sleuth and his circumstances change over time, or whether your sleuth won’t change, he’ll merely take on fresh crimes to solve.

Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs changes, so does Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Rev. Clare Fergusson. Agatha Christies’ Miss Marples and Hercules Poirot however don’t change much.

Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Word for word, mystery authors earn more than authors of most other genres, including romance.

Check out our new report, “Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense”. You’ll discover how, why, and what types of mystery fiction are selling today, and how to develop a mystery writing career.

Ghostwriting: Who Hires You, And How To Get Started

A quick post… We’ve just launched our new ghostwriting program, so I’ve had questions about fiction ghostwriting.

Let’s look at two of the most common questions — and a pitfall too.

1. Question: who hires fiction ghostwriters?

The short answer: people with money who want to make more money.

There’s a lot of money to be made in fiction today, so savvy entrepreneurs create publishing companies (in reality, they’re book producers/ book packagers) to go after that money.

In addition, authors — brand-name bestselling authors like James Patterson, as well non-brand-name top-selling authors — hire ghostwriters. These authors have enormous, hungry, audiences for their books. The demand’s much higher than they can satisfy.

2. Question: how do you get gigs?

We discuss specific methods in Story Spinner: Build A Lucrative Fiction Ghostwriting Business In 7 Days which will ensure that you get the gigs you want fast.

That to one side… Primarily you get ghostwriting gigs the same way you get other gigs: you establish credibility and advertise your services.

If you’ve published fiction, those novels will act as your ghostwriting portfolio.

New author who’s unpublished? Use what you have — a couple of chapters from your current yet-to-be-published novel can act as your portfolio. Or, write a couple of short stories. If you’re a new author, you’re unlikely to be paid as much as a published author. And yes, by “published” we definitely mean self-published.

As I get more questions, I’ll post the answers, because authors tend to be unaware of how ghostwriting works… :-)

PITFALL! Please be aware that you’re worth money, even if you’re a new author

In addition to questions, authors sent me horror stories too. So, please be aware that even if you’re a new author, your fiction writing skills are worth money.

Several people contacted me who responded to ghostwriting projects on the freelance marketplaces. They were asked to develop synopses of novels to “see if you can meet our requirements.” Alternatively, they were asked to write a chapter for a novel.

(Sigh…) Please ignore anyone who asks you to write for free. Although the freelance marketplaces are fine places to get gigs when you’re a complete beginner, in general you won’t make more than a few hundred dollars per gig there.

If you’ve published fiction, your skills are worth more than that. With credits, your base rate for a short commercial novel will be from $10,000 upward.

Build a fiction ghostwriting business: start today

Our new program, Story Spinner: Build A Lucrative Fiction Ghostwriting Business In 7 Days, is available now.

In this new program you'll discover how to build a new business as a fiction ghostwriter in just seven days. The program includes everything you need. Get started today.

New Writing Program: Become A Professional Fiction Ghostwriter

As you may know, ghostwriting has been part of my business for many years. At the top levels, ghostwriting is very lucrative.

Recently a new kind of client has entered the marketplace. As I said on this page:

I call them "stealth" publishers. These publishers are data-driven and are prepared to pay well for novels in hot-selling genres, upfront.

Previously, new ghostwriters had to fight for clients on the freelance marketplaces. This can be soul-destroying, if you have to rely on these marketplaces because you don’t know how to get your own clients.

Professional ghostwriting: get unadvertised gigs

To make a good income as a fiction ghostwriter, you not only need to know how to get unadvertised gigs, you also need to know what top clients want, right now.

So my students asked me to create a fiction ghostwriting program to help them to build great businesses from the start. It’s available now; check it out.

For new and established fiction authors who want to build a ghostwriting business

Our new program, Story Spinner: Build A Lucrative Fiction Ghostwriting Business In 7 Days, is available now.

In this new program you'll discover how to build a new business as a fiction ghostwriter in just seven days. The program includes everything you need. Get started today.

Writing Fiction: Create Realistic Male Characters

8. The one with unrealistic thought-processes. Awhile ago I was reading a book where a male character spent half a page describing how cute his girlfriend's pinkie toe was. Um. What? The majority of guys don't think about that kind of stuff, nor do the majority of girls. Not only did he sound feminine, but like a fringe class of feminine. I've also read a guy character who was being chased by zombies and wondering if his beautiful girlfriend with the soft brown hair was missing him. Once again, no. If a guy is running from zombies, he's running from zombies, not waxing poetic about his girlfriend's hair. Be careful with this. If you are a girl telling a story from a guy's POV, make sure you aren't leaking your girliness into his character. If you are a guy telling a story from a guy's POV, make sure you aren't making him notice or think about unrealistic things for descriptive purposes, such as knowing the name of a type of high heel or wondering about his girlfriend while he's fleeing for his life.

via hannahheath-writer.blogspot.com

Excellent article. Be careful... It's easy to jolt readers out of your novel if you craft weird characters. 

Your Novel: Ensure Your First Sentence Hooks Readers

You’re writing fiction, so you’re aware of the importance of narrative hooks.

Always plant your first hook in the first sentence of your novel.

Start your novel with a hook: it’s a promise

What’s a “hook” in fiction? It’s a promise that keeps readers reading — a promise that something is either happening, or is about to happen.

Your novel’s first sentence must be a hook. Otherwise readers won’t read your second sentence.

Five “hooky” first sentences (all bestsellers have hooky first sentences)

Let’s look at the opening sentence of five novels. Each and every one is a hook.

Here we go…

The recovery mission was called off at 6:56 P.M. (Sandra Brown, Ricochet)

The music-room in the Governor’s House at Port Mahon, a tall, handsome, pillared octagon, was filled with the triumphant first movement of Locatelli’s C major quartet. (Patrick O’Brian, Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 1) )

Matilda Jane Roberts was naked as the air. (Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk: Lonesome Dove 1)

From above, from a distance, the marks in the dust formed a tight circle. Jane Harper, The Lost Man

The stranger appeared just after lunch on day one of Wyatt’s operation against the Mesics. (Garry Disher, Crosskill, Wyatt Book 4)

I love those five sentences because each one is perfectly tuned to the readers of the genre of that novel.

Tip: pay attention to first sentences in the novels you READ, especially if you enjoyed the novel.

Do this:

• Read the novel. Then if you enjoyed the novel,
• Go back and reread the first sentence and ask yourself some questions.

You might ask:

• What made me keep reading after I read the first sentence?
• How did the sentence make me feel?
• Did the sentence encapsulate something about the novel? What?

Of the above five first sentences, my favorite is the first sentence of Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander. The novel begins his Aubrey/ Maturin series of novels; they’re set during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the first scene, Aubrey and Maturin meet. It’s one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever read. Although it seems that nothing much happens in the scene, we discover the characters of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. We also learn about the Royal Navy in 1800.

The first sentence introduces the scene and the novel — we like these two men, and want to read more. Readers who read the blurb of Master and Commander know what they’re getting: a novel about naval warfare. So the first sentence creates cognitive dissonance and arouses the reader’s curiosity.

Tip: write your novel, THEN worry about the first sentence (it may well be FINE)

All authors know that the first sentence of a novel is vital. If a reader won’t read your first sentence, he won’t read your book.

Some first sentences are so memorable they’re famous. Consider:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (Dickens, A Tale Of Two Cities.)

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” (Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca.)

New authors know that their novel’s first sentence is of vital importance, as is the first scene in their novel. So, they tend to rewrite the first few paragraphs over and over.

Don’t do that. Write your novel. Then rewrite your first sentence, if you must. Often you’ll discover that your first iteration of your first sentence is fine, so don’t think you must make it “perfect.”

The specific words in your first sentence don’t matter. All you need to do is keep readers reading. As long as your first sentence is a hook, readers will do that.

Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Word for word, mystery authors earn more than authors of most other genres, including romance.

Check out our new report, “Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense”. You’ll discover how, why, and what types of mystery fiction are selling today, and how to develop a mystery writing career.

Dialog Tags in Fiction: If I Read "Whisper" Once More...

Oh kill me now... I just found a wonderful new (to me) author. She writes engagingly, her characters are witty and charming, and there's a real plot to her novel.

I'm rubbing my hands, thrilled, already making plans to glom all this author's backlist asap.

Then it starts.

The heroine stops talking. She starts whispering. For page after endless page. Every interaction she has with the hero -- he's an alpha male of few words -- she whispers. Even when they're talking about the man who's trying to kill her. Whisper, whisper... And I'm done.

"Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue": Elmore Leonard

"Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue" is one of Elmore Leonard's ten rules of writing.

Depending on your story, of course you can use other dialog tags, occasionally. Very occasionally.

Your readers skip over "said"; it just lets them know who's talking. Your readers will not skip over other tags. If you use whisper, there had better be a reason, or you'll annoy your readers. Annoy them too often, and not only are they done with your book, they're done with everything else you'll ever write.

Whenever you're tempted to use a dialog tag like: shouted, exclaimed, snorted (another doozy -- no one snorts a sentence) -- don't. If you have a thesaurus, leave it alone. Emotion sells your fiction. Emotion never comes from dialog tags. As Elmore Leonard says, any tag other than "said" is just you, the author,  muddying it up by giving stage directions.

Fiction is entertainment, so entertain

Readers read fiction to be taken out of their daily lives, and enter a new world you've created. 

Use the words which come naturally. Let your characters talk. Their emotions should come through in their words. If they don't, it means that you're not feeling it, so the your characters can't, and all the whispering in the world won't help your readers to feel it either.

Learn the secrets of emotion, and much more, in Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Write Bestselling Kindle Romances.

 

Join Angela on Google+, and on Twitter: @angee. You can find Angela on Pinterest, too.

Kindle Romance Writer Weekly: What Happens in the 26 Weeks?

I've been asked about Kindle Romance Writer Weekly, and what you can expect over the 26 issues.

Originally, I conceived of KRWW as a continuation of Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Write Bestselling Kindle Romances,  because there was so much to cover... but I didn't want to overwhelm new authors. I wanted them to write, and keep writing, and present new ideas and techniques slowly.

However, so many writers asked for KRWW as a separate program that I was happy to do it.

In a nutshell, KRWW covers hot genre fiction news and tutorials. It's focused on romance, because romance sells, and is (theoretically) easier to write. There's not much you can do to mess up in romance. Romance readers are forgiviing, as long as you give them what they want. A romance doesn't need fancy footwork, and yet, done well, romance can be satisfying to write, as well as to read.

What if you don't want to become known as the Romance King or Queen of your town or state? People tend to be sniffy about romance. Consider that many authors got their start writing romance -- umm... smut. Lawrence Block, for one. Romance in all its glory is a wonderful training ground for authors. Here's the solution if you don't want to be known for romance writing... use a pen name. Your great aunt Maisie never needs to know that you write smut. Once you start making money however, it might be easier to tell her than have her think you're dealing drugs... :-)

OK, all jokes aside. 

Kindle Romance Writer Weekly gives you:

* 26 weeks of writing tutorials and instruction, so that you know the elements of genre fiction, and can use them in your ebooks/ books; AND

* HOT news. For example, in Issue 2, we discussed a price point on Amazon which is a no-no. In Issue 3, we talk about the hottest-selling categories in erotic romance.

Hot news: how it works

You receive one issue of KRWW a week, starting with the first issue, so that you receive all the instruction and don't miss out if you join later. 

I send out hot news so you receive it immediately, if I know it will make a difference to you in the next few weeks. It also goes into an issue, so that you have a permanent record of it.

We're having great fun with Kindle Romance Writer Weekly; join us. :-)

 

Kindle Fiction: Could YOU Write a Romance?

Could you write Kindle fiction, specifically romance fiction? With the release of our romance writing class, Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Write Bestselling Kindle Romances, and our new Kindle Romance Writer Weekly digital magazine, I’ve been getting questions from freelancers who want to try to write romance.

They’re hesitant. They write Web content, or copy, and haven’t written fiction. I ask them all the same question: have you tried reading romance?

Here’s what’s always worked for me, and works for my students when they’re not sure whether they can write something or other. If you THINK you can, and you WANT TO, you can. What counts is your enthusiasm and excitement.

The hardest money you’ll ever earn is if you take a writing commission just for the money. Believe me, I’ve done that, and barely lived to tell the tale. Yes, I’m serious. The last time someone waved a lot of money at me, and I foolishly agreed to write a book I didn’t want to write, I ended up in hospital. Even though I had surgery, I’m convinced that stress wrecked my body so that I needed to go under the knife.

So, in a nutshell: if you can read romance fiction with enjoyment, and are enthusiastic about writing it, you can write it.

Write Short Stories First.

Start small. As I wrote in this article of fiction writing tips:

… write short stories, and if you can, write erotica short stories – smut SELLS, and sells well. Last year, you could write ultra-short erotica, and make a great income. These days, focus on erotica romances. Aim for 10,000 to 20,000 words. Use a pen name for this stuff. You can write under whatever names you choose.

For the first time in decades, you can make excellent money writing short stories and novellas. And yes, if you enjoy reading smut, write it. Under a pen name. Your great aunt Ruth and your pastor never need to know that those kinds of thoughts go through your mind. :-)

Forget Publishing. Just Write.

When you’re starting out with fiction, just write. Make up stories. Practice brainstorming fiction.

Expect to be clumsy at it. If you’re used to writing nonfiction, making up stories seems weird, at first. Give it a week or two. Write on the train, and while you’re watching TV. Distract your logical left brain, and give your creative right brain a chance to come out and play.

Lower your expectations, and keep reading romance. You can find hundreds of free romances on Amazon.

If you enjoy what you’re writing, our romance writing class, Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Write Bestselling Kindle Romances, and our new Kindle Romance Writer Weekly digital magazine will help you to make writing romance fiction your new career. Or just a sideline to whatever you’re writing now.

I started my writing career writing romance, and these days, writing it seems like a holiday. I do my other writing chores, and look on my romances as the reward for my other writing.

Start small, with short stories, and encourage yourself to have fun with it. If you think you can write romance… you can.

Join Angela on Google+, and on Twitter: @angee. You can find Angela on Pinterest, too.

NEW: Your Short Story Factory - Personal Coaching

Buy this on Selz Sell digital downloads on Selz

 

Want to write and sell short stories on Amazon? You can. Short fiction is profitable in some genres. I've had many requests for personal coaching in writing short stories, and building a catalogue of your works, so here we go. This is a fun course. We'll work together for 30 days.

 

Writing Your Book: Who Tells the Story?

The biggest choice you make when you start your novel is the decision: who tells the story?

If you tell it in the third person, who's the primary viewpoint character? 

On the other hand, if you choose the first person -- "I" -- that presents challenges. Your first person narrator needs to be there for all pivotal scenes. Moreover, there's a limit to what he knows and understands.

As this article, How a Pronoun Shaped a Novel, says:

Writing in the first person was thrilling at first. No scene started as a blank slate—my heroine was always there. I was not obliged to do any complicated bobbing and weaving between the narrator's perceptions and those of other characters. And writing from a single character's point of view sped up the Frankenstein-like authorial process of making her seem alive.

Writing in the first person can be comfortable, but it may not be the best choice for your story. It's not the easiest choice, either.

Try writing from your preferred point of view. If it doesn't work, that's fine. You can always rewrite if you see it's not working.

 

 

A Christmas Carol: it's that time of year again

It's the season of peace and goodwill, so dig out your copy of A Christmas Carol and read it to the deserving young in your life. Or you can read it again, just for yourself. :-)

You can download a copy here, if you don't have one.

If you just want to listen, you can buy a copy of A Christmas Carol at Audible, read by the wonderful actor Paul Scofield.

The ending always brings a tear to my eye, no matter how many times I read it:

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and
infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was
a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a
master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or
any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old
world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him,
but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was
wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this
globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill
of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these
would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they
should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in
less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was
quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon
the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was
always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas
well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that
be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim
observed, God bless Us, Every One!

Want to start a family tradition? Reread A Christmas Carol each year. As a writer, reading the master is  good for your soul.

Writers' Christmas Treats: Writing Gifts for You, Dear Writer

Want to write a book?

I've received several questions this week about freelancing fiction.

These kinds of writing jobs are available on the outsourcing sites, but if you want to write a novel, just write it, and sell it. You just may get lucky. Writers hit the bestseller list every year.

Start by writing a genre novel. Readers of these novels have certain expectations, and if you can meet those expectations, there's a real market for your writing.

In First Steps To Write A Novel: Pick A Genre | Write a novel | Write A Nonfiction Book or Novel and Get It Published I wrote:

"These expectations that readers (and of course publishers) have for a genre give you a handle on how to write that particular genre of novel. You start by deciphering what those expectations are, and how the elements of the book meet those expectations. Tip: many publishers offer ‘writer’s guidelines’ for their books. While these are useful, your own thoughts about WHY readers like a genre are much more valuable to you, because everything you write is filtered through your own experience."

Happy writing. :-)

If you're interested in kicking off your freelance writing career quickly, check out next week's ezine, in which our theme is Mastering Freelancing FAST.