How to Get Published

by Victory Crayne

Ah, that sweet spot when you’ve completed the first draft of a new story. In your excitement, you may want to show others your creation. After all, if you had so much fun writing it, it MUST be good, right?

Hold it right there!

First drafts can always use some revisions and, in some cases, SERIOUS rewriting. You wouldn’t want people to read your half-baked draft and think that it is your BEST work, would you? (more…)

by Jerry Simmons

The fact that someone completes a manuscript does not make them a writer with something worthy of publication. There is much more to publishing than throwing content together and having copies printed. In fact, anyone who thinks they can simply write, print and become successful does not understand the marketplace. Writers who are serious about their craft need an editor and a publisher if they hope to have a chance at success.

Publishers are not printers and the large print-on-demand companies are printers, not publishers. They have utilized a technology and turned it into a multi-million dollar business, good for them. However too many serious writers get caught up in the idea these big printing companies are interested in what you are writing. Excuse me but they are not! They are interested in selling you services that merely add to their bottom line. (more…)

by Al Philipson

A good story often involves a number of details. Plots, people, and things that often come together at the end to produce the all-important climax.

Along the way, you’ll include a number of things which may or may not be important to the story. Keeping track of these things over the months it takes to write a novel can be daunting at best and impossible at worst, especially if, like me, you forget things easily (why did I come into this room?). (more…)

by Al Kalar

Good writers get all they can out of a verb.

For instance, when a character moves from one place to another in a scene, he doesn’t “move across the room”. He “plunges”, “saunters”, “minces”, “charges”, “slinks”, etc. across the room.

Let’s look at an example:

Jim moved over to Henry and hit him in the face.

[yawn]

Jim charged Henry and smashed a fist into his face.

So, what happened to Henry?

Henry fell to the floor. His nose was bleeding.

[Wake me when it's over]

Henry crashed to the floor, blood flowing from his mangled nose.

Remember to review your verbs when you edit your own work. Not just action verbs, but any verb. Victims aren’t afraid, they “quake”; their knees shake, their stomachs churn, and their bowls threaten to disgrace them.

Your thesaurus (often built into your word processor) can be a good friend, but your mind and a command of a wide range of verbs are your main weapons.