Four Simple NaNoWriMo Prep Tips

Four Simple Tips :

It’s time again! November is National Novel Writing Month. So dust of those manuscript plot ideas, grab a pen and paper, and get started!

Um…

But how? How does one go about the task of writing 50,000 words in a single month?! Especially, November. Uh, ever hear of Thanksgiving? How can anyone get work done while stuffed with turkey?!

I’m going to tell you. :) As someone who loves NaNoWriMo, and successfully participated in it for many years, I’m going to share four simple tips that work for me.

1. Have a sensible timeline. Key word: Sensible. The first year, I decided to write everyday. I broke that promise the first weekend. The key to pacing out this month long marathon is time management, according to your own realistic expectations. If you don’t want to write the week of Thanksgiving, don’t. Just make up those words some other time. Get a calendar, post is someplace you can see from your desk, and keep track of your progress.

2. Gather a support system. This website is perfect for such a task. Not only can you track your success and receive a printable certificate when you complete your work, but you can connect with other NaNos and cheer each other on.

3. Have your plot outlined. There are outliners and there are pantsers within the writing world. Those who write out the details of their manuscripts, the chapters, each individual scene, all before beginning their manuscript are outliners. And then there are people who sit down in front of their computer and let the creative juices flow, no outline at hand. As you can guess, these are the pantsers. For this particular experience, I’d recommend adopting the outliner’s approach, especially if this is your first novel. Knowing how the book progresses will save a lot of time.

4. Have fun!! Turn off that inner editor and simply sit back and let the creativity bolt through your fingertips. You got this!

Getting started is always the hardest. But you can do this! Take it one day and one word at a time. And when it’s all done, come back here and comment below! Let me know how it went!

(Since I’ll be participating, I won’t be blogging during November. )

CRYPTOFAUNA by Patrick Canning : Book Review

CRYPTOFAUNA by PATRICK CANNING

BOOK REVIEW

Amazon Synopsis: Could be his job as a janitor at an insane asylum, could be the meaninglessness of existence, could be the unwanted cilantro on his tacos. Whatever the reason, Jim has elected to commit suicide. But before he can do the deed, a mysterious resident at work equips him with a dog and a bag of ash, and throws him into a secret game known as Cryptofauna. Cryptofauna is played by Operators, persons of special abilities who battle one another to influence important events around the world. To become an Operator, Jim must survive being stranded in the Pacific Ocean, pass a bizarre examination by leprous French monks, and pluck the existential splinter from his troubled soul. If there’s time, he must also stop a rival player from ending all life on the planet. Underwater Norwegian lairs, obsession with a decent pair of socks, and shapeshifting animals obsessed with AM radio all make up the strange world of Cryptofauna, which might help Jim discover a reason to live, assuming he doesn’t die in the process.

Review: Are you ready for a wild ride?

If Alice and Wonderland and The Hitchiker’s Guide to The Galaxy had a love child, it’d be Cryptofauna. This fantasy novel creates an acid dream of lovable characters, tense twists, and a storyworld unlike any I’ve experienced. Our protagonist gets dragged through dangerous adventures, each testing his stamina until the final test is revealed.

But what is Cryptofauna? A game, of sorts. It’s a well crafted metaphor for life, but I did think it took a little too long for the characters to reveal the rules. For the first few chapters, I was very confused and while I understand the need to build tension, I wished Cryptofauna had been explained, in detail, much earlier in story.

Even so, the heart of the novel rests within our protagonist, a man on the verge of ending his life. His journey of self discovery, the supporting characters he meets along the way, and the life lessons explored through this wild game will be relatable to many readers. The imaginative way that life and death are discussed within the constraints of the game help Jim understand that some things, simply put, are not within our understanding.

This book is riddled with incredible imagery, perhaps even a little too much at times, bordering on purple prose. The pacing of the action sequences are perfect, but the reaction scenes seem a little slow at times, and there are jumps in time (a week passes, a month passes) that are a tad jarring. When they occurred, I felt a bit cheated as I was sucked into the world, caught up in the adventures, and then time simply passed. I wanted to be a part of every second. But it’s a beautiful story, funny at times, ridiculous in the best possible way, intense and action packed. But it had a deeper meaning, one that was woven into the fantasy world.

Give this book a try! It’s a little dense at time, the exposition is a little heavy every now-and-then, but not so much that you’ll put the book down. Overall, a fantastic adventure! 4 stars

Buy it here: Amazon

(I was given this book for consideration in return for an honest review)

Review: Prodigy Netflix No Spoilers!

Review: Prodigy on Netflix No Spoilers!

Netflix is rocking my socks off. From Ghoul to Black Hollow Cage, they're becoming my "go-to" for dark and mind-bending entertainment. So when I spotted Prodigy on my queue, I knew I was info a wild ride. I wasn't disappointed.

The movie begins with Dr. Fonda (Richard Neil) playing chess with himself. We get an instant sense that something has gone wrong with his life. A sorrow weighs on him as he absentmindedly twists his wedding ring. He's approached by Dr. Olivia (Jolene Anderson), an old fling and therapisrt who is out of time and resources when it comes to reforming her young patient Ellie, played by Savannah Liles.

But Ellie isn't a normal child. Dr. Fonda is constantly warned about her behavior although we aren't given specifics, only that she's been violent toward the staff. When Dr. Fonda enters the room to meet with Ellie, she's in restraints. Think along the lines of Hannibal Lector. Within seconds, Ellie has assessed Dr. Fonda, showing off her superior intellect and ability to recognize a person's weakness and exploit it.

We learn about Dr. Fonda's past, the source of his pain and sadness, and we get a hint that somewhere under the demonic layers of evil which Ellie displays, a broken child exists.

Or is it all an act? Are some people born evil? Or is there goodness in even the worst of us?

The movie unravels quickly, keeps the tension from start to end with superb acting. Savannah Lilies's performance disturbs and hypnotizes. This movie digs into the complexities of human nature and it is definitely worth checking out.

My rating: 5 stars

What is Your Brand? Part 2 Website and Social Media

Last blog, we discussed unique selling position (UPS) and looked at some examples. Now, we're going to use what we've learned to expand into website creation and social media.

Designing a Website:

As someone who has run several small businesses and switched writing genres, designing a website that reflects your UPS can be overwhelming. Let's break it down:

Colors

Refer back to your USP. What are your three words or short phrases? Take some time to think about what colors each word associates with. For example, if your word is “sassy”, maybe you think of something bright and fun. Red, a bright shade of pink. Maybe teal or magenta. If your word is “mysterious”, you might want to consider dark colors, blues or purples. Maybe a background of black with some pops of maroon. Whatever you decide, make those your core colors, the ones you use the most. When people hear your name, they need to see your colors. Take a look throughout my website, my twitter, even my Instagram. Hopefully, you can get an idea about me and my writing by the colors I've selected.

Fonts

Your fonts should be as consistent as possible, including any flyers, brochures, business cards, and merchandise.  No need to over think this. Scroll through the microsoft word fonts and select a few that work best for your USP. For example, if you are a romance writer, you may want all your headings to be in cursive. If you're going for a friendly down home vibe, maybe you want to stick with the classic Times Roman since it's standard and straight forward. Whatever you pick, make sure your readers can actually read it. I once picked a font I absolutely loved, but when I used it on the blog, the letters were too close together and people had trouble reading it. Whoops!

Images

Refer back to your three words (are you sensing a theme yet?) and think about how you can reflect those with the images you use. If your word is “peaceful”, you don’t want to be frowning into the camera. Maybe you're outside with your shoes off, sitting in the grass with your back resting against a building. Or maybe you're laying in the grass, hair tossed around you with a bright smile. Would something like that work for "friendly", "welcoming", "down-home"? Absolutely. Would it work for "disturbing"? No, probably not, which is probably why you don't see a lot of horror writers laying in the grass staring up at the clouds. One of the best author pics I saw was a mystery writer. He was leaning against an alley wall, at night, and the alley was pitch black. Boom. USP nailed in a single image.

Above all, have fun with this. As a writer, you create characters and bring them to life. This is no different. You're taking a part of yourself, developing it in a fun and creative way, and then bringing it to life. Your brand is you.

Social Media

I get a lot of questions about social media. I already wrote a blog post about websites. Yes, writers need them. But do they need twitter? Facebook? Instagram? Snap Chat?

Yes and no.

Look, a lot of us writers write because we love it, we can't not write. Yeah, that's a double negative and it's intention, because that's what writers feel. It's a part of us, for better or worse. So even if we never sell a book, even if no one on the planet ever reads a single word we write, we will continue to scribble out stories on paper. It's who we are.

With that said, would it be nice to have people read our work? Sure. And how can we do that if no one knows we exist?

I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about social media, especially in our current society where a single tweet can end seriously divert a career. But, in my opinion, you still need to be a part of social media. But it doesn't have to be scary. I have two words of wisdom and they're basically the same thing:

Be authentic

As a writer, the USP is all about You. Expanding the parts of You that connect with your writer and ultimately to your readers. So make sure you don't lose yourself in the process of creating a brand. Be authentic on you website, in front of an audience at a book signing, and on social media. Don't try to shock followers with provocative tweets unless you're a provocative individual. Don't curse, unless you curse in your everyday life. Don't jump on a thread and support someone or an idea if you don't passionately agree.

Don't be a Jerkface

Scenario One: Dr. Picklepants posts a new medical theory on her Twitter feed. Buddy responds with a provocative, yet respectful comment. Snippy responds to Buddy with all intense, rude comment. Now Buddy feels attacked, and responds with his own rude comment. Three tweets later, Buddy and Snippy are in an intense word battle, complete with name calling and cursing. All of this happening on Dr. Picklepant's thread. Moral of the story: Don't be Snippy. Snippy = Jerkface. Don't start arguments on someone else thread, especially someone in your writer's community. And if you're Dr. Picklepants, feel free to block them. Don't feel like blocking people is somehow going to blacklist you. If people are being cruel or disrespectful or creepy, block them.

Scenario Two: Rudey McRudeFace notices that people are more likely to follow her if she follows back. So she goes on a following rambage, clicking that little "follow" button until her fingers blister. And guess what? It worked. She went from 489 followers to 701 in just two weeks! So now, her Twitter account reads: Rudey McRudeFace Tweets: 3,298 Following: 1,298 Followers: 701. Uh oh. Rudey is starting to have second thoughts. Should she be following a New Zealand potato farmer when she's a young adult author? The farmer can't really do much for her brand. She doubts he'll interact much with her feed and what will people think if they search her "following" category and come up with someone so random and not associate with her carefully crafted writing bubble? Better unfriend him. Uh oh. Rudey realized, in all her excitement to gain followers, she has followed twelve circus clowns, a glass blower, three tree doctors and a gynecologist. Hmm. Those aren't really people she figures would like any of her posts. And, well, she got what she wanted from them - a follow. And she doesn't want people thinking she loves clowns, glass, trees or her vagina, so she unfollows them. Soon, she's unfollowed all the people she feels won't help advance her career, but feeling pretty happy that they're still following her. Now, her account reads: Rudey McRudeFace Tweets: 3,298 Following: 489 Followers: 701. Ah, so much better.

Can anyone in the class tell me why Rudey McRudeFace is a Jerkface? You guess it! Following people to boost your numbers only to immediately unfollow them, for any reason, is flat out rude. And guess what? No one is fooled. In fact, if you're looking to get on people's poop list, this is one of the easiest things to do.

But let's address Rudey's concerns about why she unfollowed. Is it okay to follow everyone who follows you even though they aren't in your target demographic? Will it look bad on you if an editor or agent sees you're following 85,039 people? Wouldn't it be better to appear selective? Okay, I'm going to answer from my own personal experience based on how I run my feeds and what I've seen from other Twitter accounts, and what I've been told by social media gurus:

Unless an account is aggressive, offensive, creepy, or makes you uncomfortable in any way (in which case, you should block them), it's okay to follow back. It's okay to have your "following" and "followers" numbers to be the same. Or to be following more than those who are following you. In my personal experience, it's never been a problem.

But really, if you're focused solely on numbers, then you're missing out on the amazing aspects of social media. The writing community on Twitter is amazing. You'll make friends, acquaintances, business partners, and you'll learn about incredible opportunities. If you're only on social media to get numbers (followers), it'll eventually come through in your posts (or lack of posts). Tweeting in the beginning to gain followers, and then only tweeting when you have a book to sell...well, people notice. I'm always frustrated by folks like this. Sure, they have every right to use Twitter in that fashion, but for me and for those I've met, Twitter is more than, "Hey, I've published a book now it's time for you to pay attention to me again" vessel. It's a community. It's support. It's a little mini online family.

Ultimately, how you run your social media is your decision. I'm sure for every example I gave of Jerkface, you can come up with someone doing the exact same thing but with a million followers. I think focusing on the numbers is a wasted opportunity to connect with extraordinary people all over the world (So many of the people I've met on Twitter are from the UK and I love gaining their perceptive on films and literature.) Just remember to be yourself. Have fun. Now go out there and get tweeting!

What is Your Brand? : Unique Selling Point

I get a lot of questions regarding branding. Not only am I a writer, but I'm a small business owner. Branding is everything, especially in a competitive world. I've had a lot of practice, some failures and even success in this field. Now it's time to help you brand yourself as a writer.

So let's break this down into a few different blog posts. Today we're going to start with your unique selling point or unique selling proposition (USP).

Your USP is what makes you different than every other writer out there. And it needs to be more unique than "historical writer" or "fantasy writer". Why will people want to read your horror book when they can pick up Shirley Jackson's books? Why give a new romance writer a chance when Nora Roberts is a proven joy to read?

It's all about what you bring to the table.

Let's take a look at some known businesses and figure out their USPs:

M&Ms. Think about it. What do we all associate with M&Ms? They melt in our mouths, not in our hands. The company didn't come up with anything fancy. They took something everyone already loves - chocolate - and put their USP on it. Can you think of another chocolate candy that won't melt as fast? Me neither.

Tom's Shoes. What does Tom's do that other shoe companies weren't doing? (Although many are doing this now) Tom's donated a new pair of shoes to a child in need for every purchase. Sure, companies have copied them. But we know that Tom's did it first, and they appealed to a wider variety of clients. Their USP was successful.

Dominio's Pizza: Okay, they don't do it anymore, but I bet a lot of people still remember their 30 minute delivery or it's free promise.

Now let's look at some writers and what makes them unique:

Susan May Warren - When Susan started writing, she wrote Love Inspired Thrillers. Unfortunately, so did hundreds of other writers. But she stood out in the group due to her experiences as a Russian missionary. She incorporated her experiences and boom! She was the Christian Russia themed thriller author. Now that's a niche. And once she gained an audience, she was able to expand her brand, and now she writes a variety of contemporary themed Christian fiction novels.

Nicholas Sparks - Reading his name has probably pieced together some sort of image in your mind. Romance. Loss. Redemption. Regret. You know what you're getting when you open one of his books.

Chuck Palahnuik - If you go to his website, it says "The Cult". I think that's a fair assessment of his fans and the vibe he releases into the universe. He's gritty, raw, gross, witty, satirical and he goes for the artery. He's the cult leader of the lonely, the light at the end of the used condom lined dark tunnel, the scar after a particularly gnarly scab.

Each of these writers have defined themselves through every aspect of their presence. They have mastered their USP.

So how do you do it?

Start simple. What are three words or small phrases that describe the emotion your work invokes and / or yourself? Try not to stray too far from your authentic self. Make a long list and keep crossing out words until you get down to three, each unique from the other two. Write them on a sticky-note, put it somewhere you'll see every day and let them marinate. These will be the three words your entire brand will revolve around, so take your time. Ask people who know you best. Ask your critique partners.

Here are my three:

Eccentric. Open Door. Hatch Alice. - My stories are dark with odd characters facing despair. Eccentric fits the mood I'm creating as well as my characters. Open door describes how I want my writing to feel. I want to be inclusive, not only to readers but to my characters. Hatch Alice...well, you'll be tumbling down the rabbit hole with me.

Every time I get stuck, whether in marketing or during a work-in-progress, I go back to these three words and ask, Am I living up to them? Have I included all three in my work?

These three words are what I use to define my USP. I am the Purveyor of the Weird, the dark fiction writer who writes about death and pain and depression. I push my characters beyond their comfort zone and then I push more. And I want everyone to come along this crazy wide.

I once had someone say "your stories are so weird and depressing." Boom. My USP.

It may take some practice. I've tried a few different USP ideas before landing one my current brand.

Next blog we'll talk about how using your USP plays into your website image. Leave your comments and questions below or hop on @nicobellfiction and drop your USP!

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How to Shine at a Writing Conference

How to Shine at a Writer's Conference

Writing conferences can be intimidating, especially if it's your first time attending. You'll be face-to-face with industry greats, award winning authors, agents that hold your future in their hands, and editors that love to make manuscripts bleed. It's a lot, but take a deep breath because I'm going to walk you through it and tell you how to stand out from the crowd.

1. Dress Appropriately. Most conferences post pictures from previous years, so do a little research and check out what others wore. You'll most likely want to go a little nicer than t-shirt and jeans, but no need for formal attire (unless there's a gala which some conferences do have). The best tip I got on conference attire was, dress like you're going to be interviewed on Good Morning America.

2. Avoid Gimmicks. Let your personality shine through during conversations and networking. There's no need to wear a "free hugs" pin or bake cookies and pass them out. It's not the worst thing to do at a conference, but it won't win you any extra brownie points and some editors/ agents may think it's over the top or cheesy. So just to be on the safe side, put aside your "ask me about my cats" tshirt.

3. Have business cards ready to go and don't be afraid to hand them out. Ask others for their cards. Remember, the purpose of these conferences aren't simply to learn, but to network. So have your business cards in an easy to reach place and be ready to exchange with others.

4. Research those from the industry that will attend. Especially if you're pitching. Know their names (pronounce them correctly) and take some time to read their blogs / websites before the conference.

5. If you are pitching a manuscript, have a one sheet, elevator pitch, and print out of at least your first chapter ready to go. Research ahead of time to know what specific agents require and have all necessary documents. Rehearse your pitch until you feel confident. Get your critique partners to check your one sheet. Be prepared to answer questions about your work and make small talk about your genre, including other authors who have influenced you.

6. Be authentic. If you don't like Stephen King books, don't use him as an example for authors that have influenced your writing. Agents and editors meet tons of people and they can tell if you're faking it to try and impress them. Relax. Be humble and stay true to yourself.

7. Follow up. Remember all those business cards you got? Go on social media and connect with them.

8. Have fun! :)

Black Hollow Cage Movie Review

Review: Black Hollow Cage

This movie is available on Netflix. No Spoilers:

Black Hollow Cage is a stunning time travel horror story with great promise, but never quite reaches it's full potential. It's a story about a broken father-daughter relationship, a secret tragedy that haunts them, and two mysterious young strangers that bring uncertainty and danger into their lives. The set up asks many questions and touches on several intriguing concepts, but the ending doesn't live up to the hype.

The cinematography will hypnotize you. We are dipped into a sci-fy world where Adam, the father, and daughter Alice live in a gorgeous steel home secluded in the woods, a home impenetrable to the outside world and, apparently, contains a healing pool where all it takes is a quick dip to recover from minor injuries. Alice, who is played by the incredible Lowena McDonell, has a mechanical arm, as well as a dog who serves as her "mom." Really, the dog has a voice box and speaks as if she is Alice's mother. Oh, and there's a giant black box in the forest that serves as a time machine. Confused? Yes, the plot and storyworld are a little disjointed, but the gorgeous scenery and wide shots are nothing short of entrancing. 

Unfortunately, this style of filming also caused long pauses in pacing. Too long. And while the actors, especially Lowena McDonell, managed to hold their intensity as the moments of slow paced scenes ticked by, it becomes frustrating, as a viewer. I wanted certain parts of the movie to move forward when instead they came to slow halts.

There are many emotional layers to this movie, but there's almost too much subtly. Too many questions asked without definite answers. And while I might have inferred everything correctly, I'm not entirely sure.

If you're in the mood to watch a unique and stunning time travel movie, give it a try. But be prepared for some drawn out scenes and an ending that might disappoint.

Why Prologues Should Be Banished

Look, I know most readers can probably think of a famous author who has used a prologue. But until you have mastered the rules, you aren't allowed to break them. So novice writers, here's the reasons you shouldn't write a prologue:

1. Backstory Dumping: You can't dump backstory in your manuscript so some writers get the idea that it's acceptable to do it in a prologue. It isn't. Editors will nail you for it. Publishers won't be impressed. Please, please, please don't have a prologue fifty years in the past, and then never allude to it until Act Three and then expect readers to be surprised / impressed. It won't work.

2. Inciting Incident Confusion: I used to judge writing contests and I've been critiquing work for many years. The sure way to tell someone you're a novice is to misplace or incorrectly identify your inciting incident. A prologue will do this. Usually, the catalyst for the story is mixed somewhere in the prologue when it should be in Act One. And when the prologue is misplaced, the action, tension, character development all stumble to line up before Act Two. It isn't pretty.

3. It's Lazy. Seriously. I know I'm being harsher in this post than others, but I have very strong feelings about this topic as someone who has been subjected to reading them for so long. A prologue just says, "I couldn't figure out how to incorporate this into the body of the manuscript so here you go!"

4. Readers Skip Them. And if they think the information can be skipped (and honestly, most of the time it can be) then it isn't worth including. Most people see a prologue and think, "Ugh...why do I have to read it?" After all, if it wasn't important enough to include in the bulk of the book, who cares?

5. Black Moment Issues. If the prologue isn't dumping background, confusing the inciting incident or putting readers to sleep, then it's revealing the protagonist's black moment. And who doesn't love to know the protagonists deep dark secret before even officially meeting him or her? I mean, it's not like that secret is the driving force of the character, the reason that character is partaking on his journey. So what if the reveal would have been super dramatic if it were placed in the end of Act Two or beginning of Act Three, where it should be placed. Let's go ahead and spoil all the fun before we officially get started.

Okay, you get my point.

I've argued with so many writers over this point, but please...do your readers a favor and get to the story as fast as possible. No prologues!!

For the love of all the is good, STOP GENETICALLY ENGINEERING DINOSAURS!

Friend: Are you gonna see the new Jurassic Park movie?

Me: How many Jurassic Park movies is too many? At what point do we destroy the park, once and for all, and annihilate all the remaining dino DNA. Or what if we offered an incentive to NOT scrape some old dino cells together, whip them in a centrifuge and spawn a carnivorous prehistoric monster? Like, if you make it to the age of thirty-five without bringing back a t-rex, you get a million dollars? Or maybe just the assurance you won’t become dino breakfast. Surely, you’d think that’d be enough.

But nooooooo.

We have another Jurassic Park movie.

Because no one has learned their lesson.

Look, I loved the original. The sequels…Eh. And I actually really enjoyed the latest Chris Pratt installment, but can’t be leave well enough alone? When can a classic just remain a classic?

Friend: ……

Me: ……

Friend: So…..

Me: Yeah, of course I’m going to see it. Obviously.