writing Archives - Author K. Williams

Blurbs Are Hell – Open Book Blog Hop #378

May 29, 2023 By Captain Maiel Leave a Comment

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #378

We’ve talked blurbs before. Do you have any tips for writing blurbs?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. Even more so, we appreciate that you share our writings with friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

There’s no getting around a book blurb, unless you can afford to hire someone to write one for you, and you can guarantee that they know what they’re doing. It’s hell. They’re hard. The importance they hold is huge. Yes, this is the part where having a large publisher behind you can be of benefit (one of the very few). The blurb is basically copy: Marketing copy is content written to promote or sell a product or service or to persuade readers to take a certain action. If you’re not great at marketing, you won’t be great at writing a blurb. What a headache!

Obviously, a writer can hit the mark even if they’re not great at marketing. It takes a certain set of skills for which we’re known. It’s that extra set of skills where we get shaky. I’d say that if you’re exceptional at poetry, then you won’t struggle in this area. Also transferrable skills from screenwriting can be a benefit. So what essentially is the golden skill in writing a book blurb: brevity.

That leads us to the next question: what exactly does brevity mean? You might think that is quite obvious, but so many authors struggle with the book blurb, that it seems a more elusive idea in this particular case. Brevity means concise language in the realm of a blurb. Remember when you were told to use active voice and avoid wordiness? That will be imperative here.

In addition to using concise language, the blurb writer is going to leave 90% of the story out. All you want to focus on is a hook. If you can answer the question of why a reader would pick up your book and keep it picked up, then you likely know your hook. That’s not an easy task for the writer of the book. Proximity to the material can cloud the overall idea of the story with the many details. I know I think everything is super important to talk about.

A book blurb will not be easy to get on the page in a couple of drafts. You’ll overwrite it through many attempts. This is why rushing to publication isn’t such a wise move. There’s a lot to plan, and a lot that requires you take a step back and consider.

Go ahead and write that page long summary you think is the best blurb you can manage at this time. Then, go through it and see how you can narrow down the things said to make them more precise, until you have a half page. Now that you have just a couple paragraphs, you may have your blurb, but it is more likely you have several iterations yet. Never fear! It’s going to work out.

Let me take a moment to remind you that the blurb is the book’s pitch. If you can’t hook them here, you won’t hook them anywhere. Take your time. Dig in. It’s hard work and most authors don’t have a marketing degree to help them think about it from the sales perspective. What could help with that?

Reading and studying blurbs from other books can go a long way to getting your head in the game. Perhaps, you may come across one that is similar enough to your own book that you can see more clearly how to write your own. Don’t plagiarize, though. Other blurbs on published books aren’t your template. Just let them teach you!

An economy of words is your greatest tool/skill. Don’t dump words, however, like you just had a tour of Roget’s Thesaurus. Your readers will be put off by the use of hoity-toity language. However, sometimes, one of those words can save your bacon. If it doesn’t sound pretentious and it doesn’t stick out like sore thumb, go ahead and use it. (The same rules that apply to your book’s prose apply to its blurb.)

The fact is, writing book blurbs is hard. You have to be able to let go of the majority of the story to define it in a few lines. Have you ever practiced writing script log lines? It is good practice for learning how to be more precise. Take Twitter’s limitation on characters and attempt to write a few lines in just that space. In the end, while this may sound ludicrous, your pitch will have to hook a reader as quickly as possible. Posting some attempts on Twitter could tell you if you’re getting somewhere with readers.

The process of writing a book blurb has taken months for me with each book. I not only have to take the time to separate from the story I’ve written, so I can view it more top down, but also assess what the projected audience would find compelling. The whole doing it to make yourself happy has gone out the window at this point. Blurbs are wholly marketing. You’re publishing it to sell copies. Otherwise, there would be no point to bring it this far. Don’t torture yourself!

In the end, I’d try out the blurb on a few trusted people you think will give you great feedback. Without the feedback, you may struggle to hone the blurb further than the half page you’ve reached. Their outsider perspective can often better see your book in summary than your close relationship with the material will ever allow. Don’t be afraid to reach out to trusted peers.

Did you know, Editors can be hired to write a book blurb (or fix one)? This service is often overlooked by authors working with independent editors. Make use of it, however, only when you’ve found a trusted editor to work on your materials. It may add cost to publishing your work, but if you’ve planned well, this tiny addition won’t matter in the long run except to improve the sales. That means, it could pay for itself in the end!

Please be sure to click on the links below to get tips and tricks on writing book blurbs from the other authors in the blog hop. Also, enter your email address in the box at the top of the page to get this hop sent to your email every Friday. See you back here next week!

open book blog hop, camera and a notebook on a vintage map

Writing Adjacent Art – Open Book Blog Hop #377

May 22, 2023 By Captain Maiel 4 Comments

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #377

What skill do you wish you had, either as a hobby or career builder?

If I could update or gain a greater ability in any avenue adjacent to my writing it would be my ability as a visual artist. Honestly, if I just gave myself more time and took more courses, I know I could improve these skills to the point of viability. Alas, time is just not on my side. There is so much to do and so few hours in my day in which to get through the list.

Zo Duck collage with web address and author name, K. Williams, The Blue Honor Blog — *ZoDuck Cartoons post monthly on this blog. Zo is also viewable at deviantArt.com.*

I’m currently an alright kind of artist. I manage. Sometimes, I really impress myself with the work I put out. Still, there is always room for improvement and, I feel, a lot of room in that area. My drawings and other art pieces, for instance, aren’t in the style and don’t have the guaranteed quality that I need for the things that I write. This incongruence creates a rift, especially in the area of marketing. While I have an eye for design, the execution isn’t up to par.

Classes for art are very expensive. The supplies alone make taking them prohibitive at this point in my career. Perhaps, when I retire (and dear daughter is older), the money required will exist along with the time needed. No doubt, her absence will create a need to fill up my days with creative projects once again. For now, being creative at the mom job checks all the boxes.

What type or style of art do I think I might enjoy improving my skill set in?

I’d love to become a better drawing artist. I think that covers the things I think about the most in terms of need in regards to my work. This form of art, especially in the digital realm, would suit any of my books quite well. The book series stands to benefit greatly from art built up around it.

In the meantime, I have dabbled with artificial intelligence apps to see the possibilities. I do not make money off the art created, as that strikes me as a bit dishonest. After all, the AI uses other artist’s works to inform it’s own. While that is in fact what we all do through learning in classes, direct mimicry is questionable. However, the apps do help me think about what style I should be considering. That would help me narrow the search for classes and tutorials to improve the skills I already have.

I’ve painted on digital platforms as well as with physical mediums. The forgiving nature of the digital platform is my preference. The ability to correct mistakes quickly and cleanly is the greatest bonus I can imagine. Next to this, I’d say the layers function is the most useful feature. If I could treat painting a canvas more like building a collage, that would make thinking about the layers a lot easier. However, there is no such thing. My brain struggles to plan this way with physical paintings.

AI assisted renderings of Maiel and Argus

Utilizing the digital interface goes a long way to teaching about the planning of art pieces and how to unpack the stages of a work. Much like writing–there are words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and so on. You start with the smallest of brush strokes, choosing the tones at each touch to the paper. A paragraph builds similarly. Each words works toward creating that picture. They don’t stand alone, although, they can be examined this way.

While the medium of writing holds commonalities with the visual arts, right down to framing, the two are not executed so similarly. Switching between them is harder than it looks. In addition, I’ve flexed my visual art muscles a lot less than my writing ones. At least, I haven’t employed them to the extremes I have in writing and I haven’t studied them so extensively as I have writing.

Visual art came into practice for me at a young age. Yet, I still find it strange, when reflecting on this point, that I am not stronger at these arts. For some reason, the ability to get the image in my head to render on paper or even the screen is difficult. What I imagine is more easily put in words than a picture. There is no lack of desire to create.

If I could remove whatever block keeps me from improving my visual art, I’d certainly lean on that as my next steps–even if I know what I need is to have those influencer skills! I simply love art.

Check out the answers the other authors have given by clicking on their links below. Subscribe to my blog and this hop will come to your inbox each Friday, so you can keep up with all of us!

Crayola Eclectic – Open Book Blog Hop #376

May 15, 2023 By Captain Maiel 6 Comments

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #376

People are like a box of crayons, which crayon would you say that you are?

Just one crayon? There are so many things to do in life and so many roles to fill as a person that it feels like a personality requires an entire spectrum. Every person is more than one tone, if we take the time to get to know them. Yes, even the folks you think are boring. The colors may be hidden behind a façade of muted tones, but they’re there!

I’d like to say that I’m a rainbow crayon, but that’s not exactly it. While I am many tones throughout my life, changing color to fit the times and the needs of the times, there is more depth to it than that. We are each a multi-color crayon.

There’s a better representation of me, and one I think that encompasses better than a rainbow…

A couple years ago, I found a really cool box of Crayola crayons for my then toddler. They’re now all broken in a box, but they’re no less beautiful. Isn’t that a metaphor for life? If she remembered the day she broke them all, she’d probably really regret it.

Anyway, that box was the pearl colors. It’s a special set of crayons but it covers the whole spectrum like the other 24 count boxes. The special part about them is the sheen to them. They have the loveliest glow. I’d almost describe the as metallic, but it’s not quite right. It literally is the same glow as a pearl. I think Crayola outdid themselves. These unassuming little crayons are pretty impressive. To get the full affect, you need to see what they can do on paper. In the right hands, with the right guidance, they create magic.

That’s why I’d say I’m one of those crayons. Check out what I can put down on paper. You might think I’m just another crayon in the box, but I have something extra. Not everyone knows about me, either. I bet a lot of folks reading this don’t know about the pearl crayons. It fits.

I’ve worked really hard on my skill set. Being molded by those who were accredited with the ability to teach me and hone my talent really did result in the capacity I had sought as a budding writer. Each project makes me stronger as well as wiser. Pearl is a fabulous symbol of all of that.

blue tones from the crayola pearl crayon box

Another level of that: pearl is my birthstone. You know how I love to talk about intertext. The way that signs and symbols ripple through our lives is fascinating. Paying attention to them is almost like precognition. If you can identify these repeating signs, you might be able to identify important things in your life–or, at least, really interesting details.

If you’re wondering which of the colors in the box, specifically, represents me: Aqua Pearl (the top one in the above image). Blues are my top favorite tones. It’s a little somber, peaceful, but so captivating and classic. Think about how often you look up at the sky and stare in wonder of the world and what is beyond that canopy. I’d like to think that I’m on that level. Either I am, or I am aspiring to be. That works for me. I’ll keep reaching until I know it for sure.

Click on the links below to find out where our other authors fit in the crayon box. Subscribe to my blog to get this hop delivered to your inbox every Friday. Thanks for reading.

Prepare Yourself – Open Book Blog Hop #375

May 8, 2023 By Captain Maiel 4 Comments

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #375

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

Is stopping an option? I remember back when writing excited me like nothing else and to prepare was nearly akin to foreplay. Stopping was the greater problem. I could not wait to get back to the task and could sit for hours, even when I had run out of ideas to move forward. Then, a switch to editing served to reignite the flame. Reading over my work, editing, writing went on for hours and hours at a time.

Today, that isn’t possible anymore. Between real life and experience wearing down the shine, getting into such a grove again is difficult at best. Most authors work to support themselves, despite what the movies tell us. Crunching a 9 to 5 position can put quite a damper on your creative juices. How so? Well, you have to try to funnel all that energy into times outside of punching the clock. You know how well that works, to tell the muse when she can and cannot stop by. When the day ends, rest is first on your mind, not to prepare for more work.

Some of us are lucky enough to sneak a little writing in at the office. Earlier in my career, my positions and locations gave me a lot of leeway on that. Still, I could only produce a few pages. Eventually, you aren’t in the same places or jobs anymore. Eyes start to watch every move you make. Or, perhaps, it was always that way. So the muse has to wait or you find trouble.

Having a notebook or sticky notes to write down random ideas during the day isn’t enough to keep that valve open. It helps, but as said above, you’re exhausted at the end of a shift. Then, when you’ve tamped it down long enough, the muse feels you don’t want her around. So the visits are fewer. Even if you try to call on that part of you when you do have time later, it’s like having given a partner the cold-shoulder for no reason. That call is begrudgingly answered, if at all.

Back in the day, I prepared by grabbing my notebook and a trusty pen that had plenty of ink for the job. Yes, I hand wrote my work in the beginning. This was well before computers were so common place. Typing was a skill that I hadn’t quite mastered yet. Although I had to work to support myself, the skills I learned in those jobs and the doors they opened to other opportunities and learning were priceless. Don’t feel sorry for me, too much.

The growth and learning, even healing, I experienced from my work life has been greatly beneficial to my authorly pursuits. For instance, without my stint as a secretary at a certain institution, my graduate studies would not have happened. While I gave a lot of time to my 9 to 5 life, seemingly taking so much away from my writing, that life gave me much needed skills and advantages. In fact, in the above mentioned position, I was highly regarded by colleagues because I was a writer. I received accolades that assisted my pursuit, and a great deal of encouragement, which was needed at the time.

Today, preparing for a writing session consists of finding enough time to sit down and do the thing. There are no rituals, but I have heard that some authors have these. I might gather some snacks, a coffee/tea, or whatever. I need quiet to write well, so privacy is a must. My laptop is set up and ready to go at all times.

Life, however, always has many other plans first. Being a mother and full time worker to support our small family requires most of my attention. It’s noisy. There’s no privacy. The goblin eats my snacks and interrupts constantly. Honestly, this I would not trade. I am proud to be a parent, and I am doing well in my career. The writing will come and I will find more and more time as my sweet girl continues to grow. These moments while she is little are too precious to miss.

So–for now, I just picture the time when I can get to business again–us with dueling laptops, working on our assignments. That will be nice. I even have in mind the project I’d like to focus on as that time nears. While I fenagle the schedule, I am also taking the time to rekindle my joy, which is a root of my writing driving. I can feel it building in my gut again and it is a beautiful thing. Whatever obstacles or laments are dogging you, take the time to address them (as you can–because that may be easier said than done–I know). Your joy deserves that–and you do, too.

I don’t look forward to the sore shoulders I’m sure to get from hours at the computer… For now, I guess I am in a constant state of prepare for the time.

To find out how the other authors answered this question, click on their links below. To keep up with the hop, subscribe to my blog and an email will come to your inbox each Friday with the link (unless I screwed it up, which happens time to time).

The Moral of the Story – Open Book Blog Hop #374

May 1, 2023 By Captain Maiel 4 Comments

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #374

Does every book have to have a moral?

100% it absolutely does not. A moral need not apply here. Regardless, your readers are going to find something in the work that resonates with them and teaches them something (usually about themselves). Every reading is deeply personal, and we cannot anticipate the results. Certainly, we can try to steer the ship, but a heavy hand makes for a dogmatic read.

If you want to create a dogmatic read, you’re more than welcome to do so and likely have your reasons. That said, fiction errs on the side of fun. It exists to entertain, first and foremost. The fact that we have literary study is merely a sidebar to the experience of books. Even a literary theorist would admit to that.

hands made of words hold a brain illustration also made of words, resting on a mountain of words. The words respectively respresent being & existing, thorughts & feelings, and Love. Moral, morals, morality

Books are art. Art is an experience. The things we put into them are just as deeply personal as what the audience gets out of them. However, that does not have to be so ethereal. For instance, I rather enjoy the Fast and Furious film franchise. I make no excuses about that. The cars, the actors, and the scenery are all fun! It doesn’t have a real deep meaning. That said, Vin Diesel did bring in a thread about the importance of family. That thread builds a binding and beautiful tapestry over the series, especially after the untimely loss of Paul Walker. I miss him, but not at all at the level his friends do. So, the films take on a meaning for its contributors that my enjoyment as na audience member does not. Although I enjoy them, there merely a little cloud cover now.

The moral of Fast and the Furious could be to love, and love hard, those who are in your life, because you never know when they won’t be there anymore. It could also be, don’t steal, don’t be a dick, or even that perseverance wins the race. Maybe it is that hard asses can always been redeemed–even a piggy cop type. For me, there’s not really a moral here. I see a celebration of hot cars, great vistas, fun actors, and found family.

Yes, the film is really a text. After all, it has to be a script first. Books can serve this same purpose for readers: just being fun. I don’t think a lot of people read the Star Wars books with any moral learning in mind. As an example, I read a Star Trek Book back in the day, and it wasn’t for any teachings. At that time, I was just a fan, and it had Mister Crusher on the cover, so I thought it might be a great starting point for me, being so familiar.

open book blog hop, a journal lays open on a desk in a black and white photograph. A glass half full (or empty) rests near and a lamp base is seen in the back. It is stark and clean.

Admittedly, I read Tolkien’s works for the fun of it. In fact, everything I have ever picked up was for the fun of reading. Whether or not there exists a moral is something to suss out later. Lord of the Rings clearly has a moral, as does his friend’s Narnia series. Many pieces of great literature come with baggage, such as theory which speaks on the morality play within the pages. That’s because they have been studied for generations and picked to death. They left great impressions on their readers. Don’t forget that there have been studies into the effects of reading on empathy, which is deeply tied to morality.

Newer books are mass produced and therefore numerous. It is hard for there to be a large following for each that leads to in-depth study. The pulp fiction of the 20th century is the hub of that outcome. Unless your book reaches so many readers that it is held on high, scrutinized by academics, it will never matter if there is a moral or not–except to you.

In the end, write your story as you see fit, moral or not. Write it for the reasons you personally have. If readers like it, one day, you may be surprised to find the lessons they took from the pages you created. Our job, however, is merely to entertain. The rest is bonus. Don’t stress, as your moral compass will surely show through no matter what you do.

Find out how the other authors answered this fun question by clicking on their links below. Subscribe to my blog to have the hop delivered to your inbox every Friday.