Book Review: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors and Screenwriters

 I haven't done a book review for awhile, but this one's a fantastic one. And it's free today and tomorrow! Even if you don't catch it when it's free, the $2.99 pricetag is well worthwhile. Here's why.

I wandered over to Alexandra Sokoloff's blog after seeing the title of her latest post in the sidebar of another blog. The title was Nanowrimo Prep: The three-act, eight-sequence structure.

I'm all about getting as prepared as I can for Nanowrimo, so I was happy to read about some practical exercises I can do to get my story idea in the best shape possible to make the writing go faster.

Sokoloff is a multi-published novelist and successful screenwriter. She wrote a book called Screenwriting Tricks for Authors (and Screenwriters). She has a way of explaining concepts that is very easy to grasp, and she follows each one with an exercise or two that cements the new knowledge.

The Amazon page has a copy of the extensive Table of Contents, if you'd like to take a look (it's too long for me to post here). There are thirty-three information-filled chapters. And at the end of the book, she shares complete story breakdowns for four different movies to help readers get a feel for story structure.

This book will help writers understand story structure (by watching movies--how fun is that?) and applying the knowledge to a manuscript. Whether you're starting a new novel, in the middle of one, or tackling revisions, Sokoloff's expertise will help you find holes, discover unnecessary scenes, and place key scenes in the spots they'll do the most good. You'll find out why blockbuster movies get that way, and how to take those secrets and incorporate them in your work in progress.

I spent some time yesterday watching a favorite movie in my novel's genre, and writing down the scenes, while timing when they occurred in the film. Now I've used Sokoloff's index card system to tack them up according to the eight sequences they fall into. (Why eight sequences, you ask? Sokoloff explains the fascinating reason why in the first chapter.) 

My mind is already analyzing what I've written in my almost-complete novel. I know what I've learned in only the first five chapters will help me make some important decisions about what stays and goes. I'm using the book as a course to focus my mind on my Nanowrimo project. And I've also purchased Sokoloff's second writer's book ($2.99), titled Writing Love, which is her techniques geared for romance writers.

Here are the links to the international Amazon sites where you can get a copy:

- Amazon US

- Amazon UK

- Amaxon DE

- Amazon FR

- Amazon ES

- Amazon IT

Have screenwriting techniques helped you as a novelist? 

At home with famous writers

My post is late today, because I've been wrestling with a case of tomatoes.

They started out like this.

Then I had to skin them (requiring both a boiling water bath, followed by an ice water bath), squeeze the juice from them, slice and cook them. Then they looked like this (though my pot was huge!)

Then it was time to puree the sauce to separate out any extra seeds or skin. Leaving a huge pot of this.

So, what do you think we're having for dinner tonight?

(all photos courtesy of Stock.xchng, because I was too messy to touch my camera!)

So there's a day at home with me. And my tomatoes. Which I did not grow. But I don't want to leave you without something inspirational. Here's a link to photos of the homes of five famous writers. Authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, and several others with amazing homes. I'd show you mine, but there are tomato sauce splatters everywhere. 

Even on the dog.

Would you like your home to appear on a site like this someday?

Free Resources to Help Encourage Writing Every Day

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 This week I've been focused on writing every day. I highlighted two free resources to help: 750Words and Ommwriter. And I really have written every day--an average of 1200 each day. Hopefully, I can keep it up on the weekend!

To close out the week, I thought I'd share what other writers say about writing every day--even one who says it's not needed. Here goes:

Linda R. Young at W.I.P. it shares six benefits of writing every day. I think number three is especially valid.

Joel Falconer at LifeHack has ten more reasons to write every day. I'm partial to number 10.

Daily Writing Tips posts how to write every day and why you should. I like her tip on ending in the middle of a scene. I did that last night, and it did two things. Kept me thinking about my characters in a perilous situation, and made it easier to pick up the scene today.

 Jeff Goins in why you need to write every day, explains what makes a real habit, and how to learn to fail. Both great lessons.

Jessica Strawser at Writer's Digest asks the question: Do you really need to write every day? Maybe you'll find a system that works better for you.

You might have the thought like Ali Luke at Write to Done: How much should you write every day? I like her no-guilt approach to determining the best goals.

And if you need an angle from the opposing point of view, check out Nathan Bransford's opinion in It's not necessary to write every day. He writes on the weekends only. Find out how that's working for him.

How about you? Are you (or do you long to be) an 'every day' writer? Or do you have a system that fits your schedule?

Write every day with Ommwriter

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The other day I featured a free site called 750 Words, where writers can find the motivation to get in the habit of writing every day. But sometimes, I don't want to be connected to the internet to write. It's far too easy to click over to Facebook or Twitter or a friend's blog.

So here's another option, for those who want to write unplugged. It's also free, but you download it to your computer for use any time. It's called Ommwriter Dana. Like the name implies, Ommwriter is a product designed to foster peaceful writing without distraction.

The program can be used with a Mac, PC, or iPad, and uses a full-screen mode that keeps writers from being distracted by the buttons at the top of the screen. A peaceful picture and soothing music (enhanced when used with headphones) keeps the focus on writing, not singing along.

Writers can choose from several fonts and sizes, and can fade the photo to a blank screen if they find it easier to write with no visual stimuli. Once writing is done for the day, the text can be exported as a .pdf or .txt file to your hard drive.

As with many free programs, Ommwriter offers a paid version, as well. Version I, which is free, comes with three audio and three visual 'experiences', while the paid version (suggested price $4.11) offers seven audio and eight visual experiences. Each audio and visual effect is selected for color and sound to "promote tranquility and stimulate creativity".

I've used both Ommwriter and 750Words for several days now, and I like them both. I appreciate the 750Words email I get each morning, reminding me to get busy, and the way my points add up when I am consistent. Ommwriter, on the other hand is nice to use when I'm trying to focus in a busy environment. What I've done is use 750Words to empty my brain in the morning of extraneous ideas and thoughts, and then switch to Ommwriter for working on my manuscript. 

Two other posts with links: combat distractability in writing and more distraction-free writing resources.

Which program do you think would help you more?

Write every day with 750words.com

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Gearing up for NaNoWriMo, I'm working on getting back into the habit of writing every day. After a busy summer, and a crazy fall so far, my writing has gotten more or less sporadic. Sometimes I wish there was someone to give me a push.

Well, I've found one.

The brainchild of Buster Benson, a Seattle-based writer, 750words.com is a site to get your creative juices running freely.

Unlike a blog, what you write is completely private. Unlike writing on your computer, you have some accountability.

Here's how it works. Users set up an account, and a blank screen pops up where you can write your 750 (or more) words. Your writing gets auto-saved every minute or so. When you reach 750 (about 3 pages), a pop-up box will let you know you've hit your goal.

Benson was inspired by the advice in The Artist's Way to write "morning pages".  These pages (either longhand or on the computer) can be about anything that enters the writer's mind. There's no pressure to be creative, just to empty out concerns, ideas, and extraneous thoughts. The process can free writers to tap into their creativity by emptying out the static. Benson calls it his daily brain dump. He explains more of the reasons for trying it on his blog.

Benson's site gives you the reminders and the motivation to actually write morning pages. You can choose to get an email (at the time of your choice) with a gentle reminder to get it done. Writers who use the site get points for 1)writing anything, 2)completing 750 words, and 3)consecutive days of writing. Users receive animal badges for achievements like writing quickly, or without distraction, or for multiple days of success.

If that's not enough, writers can sign up for a monthly challenge. Completing 750 words every day for a month gets your user name on the "Wall of Awesomeness", while slacking off tags you on the "Wall of Shame".

For the more nerdy writers, you'll find stats on how fast you wrote, a computer-generated rating of the mood you may have been in while writing, and all kinds of other information. However, what you wrote is still completely private.

I've tried the site for the last couple of days, and it's been very motivating to me. On Wednesday, I'll highlight a similar site to this one and let you know how it compares.

Would something like this make you more likely to write every day?

A collection of writing contests

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Today I'm highlighting a few contests you might be interested in. These are for YA, mystery, and speculative fiction. Sometimes when you're dealing with writer's block, or manuscript fatigue, writing for a contest is just the thing to revive your flagging creativity. My current novel was inspired by a short story contest. You never know where it will take you.

Poisoned Pen has begun a new YA mystery imprint (The Poisoned Pencil) and is looking for manuscripts.

Carolrhoda Books is accepting unagented submissions of YA manuscripts for a limited time.

Do you write mystery, but not YA?  Criminal Element is putting together an e-anthology, The Malfeasance Occasional, and it pays $350. The theme is "girl trouble".

And finally, the StoneThread Publishing Speculative Fiction Contest II. They're looking for short stories in science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, psychological horror or suspense, ghost stories, urban fantasy, or paranormal romance, and can be set in any time frame.

Our first contest was such a huge success that we've decided to do it again! We're seeking speculative fiction short stories. For our contests, speculative fiction is defined as any story in any genre that responds to the question "What if?" in a way that depends on science or on any fantastic elements. The genres might include science fiction (hard or sociological), fantasy, magic realism, psychological horror or suspense (no slash and gash please), ghost stories, urban fantasy, paranormal romance (no erotica please), etc. They may be based in the past, present or future. With that in mind, send us your best effort. There are twenty-two monetary prizes.


And if those aren't enough, Carla Jansen has a few more in her contest blog post.


             Has a contest ever inspired you in a new direction?

Platform for pre-pubbed authors

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 Platform and marketing go hand in hand. But when you're a lone writer, searching for that elusive contract or interested agent, marketing can seem like something far off down the road. However, establishing a web presence and a platform can give you a head start in the marketing game.

In the past, I've blogged about some helpful books for authors thinking ahead to establishing their platform. 

Platform: Get noticed in a noisy world, by Michael Hyatt

Get Known Before the Book Deal, by Christina Katz

So along with those books, here are a few links to give you a better understanding of platform in the pre-published world:

Rachelle Gardner: Should unpublished novelists be platform building?

Amanda Luedecke: Why unpublished authors need websites.

Jess at Falling Leaflets: What agents are saying about your role in publicity and marketing.

If you're unpublished at this point, what are you doing right now that could help with publicity and marketing down the road? What do you hope to do in the near future? If you're already published, what do you wish you had done earlier on in your writing career?

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

Today I'm heading out to the Rocky Mountain Chapter Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrator's Conference in Denver, Colorado. That's a mouthful! This will be my second time attending, and I'm excited to spend time with writers and illustrators I've met, or met online. Friends like Lois Rosio Sprague and Stacy S. Jensen and Kathleen Pelley.

With all the hospital drama my family has endured in the last couple of weeks, I'm really looking forward to a few days away. But NaNoWriMo has been on my mind, so I thought I'd give you something to think about over the weeekend: getting ready. If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, check out this post.

 National Novel Writing Month is only a month away. If you're on the fence about whether to participate, now is a great time to make a decision so you can plan ahead. November will be much less stressful if you do what you can to prepare for writing and prepare for living.

Prepare for writing. If you follow the 'rules', you'll be starting a brand-new manuscript. Although you can't begin writing till November 1st, you can work out your plot, an outline, your characterization, storyworld, conduct research. Basically anything short of actually writing the book. Many participants have a chapter or scene list ready to go. Seat-of-the-pants writers can still brainstorm major plot points.

Probably the best thing you can do to prepare for writing is to write something every day starting now. Just getting into the habit of daily writing is the biggest hurdle. You don't have to write 1667 words daily now. Just a few paragraphs a day to get your body and mind in gear for the big push.

I've collected lots of resources for writers preparing for November:

Dream up a new story with ideas from Storyist

Lots of links on this Squidoo lens

Work out your plot with this course, or these resources or more plot resources.

And if you want some printable workbooks to help out, check out these and these.

Prepare for living. You'll still need to eat in November. And possibly work. If you have a significant other, or kids, or pets, they'll be more than miffed if you completely check out for a month. That means thinking ahead to the easiest meals to fix. Cleaning the house ahead of time. Begging out of commitments during November. Anything to streamline life so you can relax and write.

Here are a few links with specific ideas for getting ready for NaNoWriMo:

11 ways to prepare for NaNoWriMo

7 more ways to get ready for NaNoWriMo

Will you take the plunge? What do you plan to work on this time?

Is your book the best self-published book?

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 Not long ago, I highlighted Shelf Unbound, a free magazine for writers. It's a great way to keep up with what's going on in the industry. And yesterday, I got this note in my inbox:

Call for Entries: Self-Published Authors

Shelf Unbound book review magazine announces the Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Self-Published Book. Any self-published book in any genre is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $10 per book. Winning entries will be featured in the December/January 2013 issue of Shelf Unbound. Details here. Contact: Margaret Brown, publisher, margaret@shelfmediagroup.com.

If you've got a self-published book, or know someone who does, this could be a perfect opportunity to get some exposure among the over 100,000 readers. The entry fee is pretty low, and your book just might be one of the five that gets highlighted. The top book also receives a year's worth of full-page ads in the magazine.

What contests have you entered with your writing? Even if you didn't win, did you feel like the entry process was a productive exercise?