Balance in Fiction Writing - The Major Elements

There are five major elements to a fiction story and it’s the combination of these elements that make the story complete, interesting, and considered good writing.  Too much of one or not enough of another can affect the readers ability to connect with the story. So, what are the major elements of a story?

The Major Elements of a Story

1.    Protagonist
2.    Setting
3.    Plot
4.    Point of view
5.    Theme

Let’s break them down:

The Protagonist: Introduce the main character. Using your imagination you can make him unique. He can have particular mannerisms or quirks, or even distinct physical attributes. You can also make him likeable or unsavory, but remember you will need the reader to be able to create a connection to him. It’s this connection that will prompt the reader to continue reading on. Your protagonist needs to be real…believable.

The Setting: This will establish the time and place the story takes place. The setting can create a feeling and mood – if you’re writing about swashbuckling pirates, your reader will be in a certain mind set. The same holds true for any other setting you choose. It will be intrinsic to the plot/conflict and will help establish vivid imagery for the reader.

The Plot: This is the meat of the story – the forward movement, the conflict or struggle that drives the protagonist toward his goal. This involves any danger, suspense, romance, or other reader grabbing occurrence. The conflict can be emotional (an internal struggle – a tormented soul) or physical (from an external/outside force – good against evil).

Point of View: This establishes whose point of view the story is being told. It’s important to make this clear. Even if you have two main characters, there needs to be one who is primary in order to keep clarity within the story.

The Theme: This establishes what is important to the story. It usually evolves along with the story and the protagonist’s progression. If Jesus is your protagonist, establishing and promoting Christianity might be the theme. It might be the story’s view on life and the people/characters the protagonist encounters. It is the idea the author wants the reader to take away with him/her.

Utilizing each of these elements can create a unique, fascinating, and memorable story.

Just like the ingredients in a cooking recipe, writing has its own set of ingredients that produce a wonderful end product. A pinch here, a dab there – you hold the unique recipe to your story.

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter. She is also an online marketing instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.
Visit her at: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi (Sign up for her mailing list.)
Follow Karen at: http://facebook.com/writingforchildrenwithkarecioffi

 This article is was originally published HERE.


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Email Marketing and the Book Marketer

So, you've got a book done and you now need to get your book marketing going. Congratulations.

But, now it's time to get involved in a number of marketing strategies, one of which is email marketing.

Simply put, email marketing is a permission-based means of obtaining email addresses from potential customers.

You get a person's permission to be put on your mailing list by offering a 'freebie' (ethical bride or lead magnet) in exchange for the email address.

Once these email addresses are acquired, you send information your subscribers need or want – information you initially told them you’d provide. This information is usually done through a newsletter or basic email on a scheduled basis.

The idea is to develop a relationship with your subscribers. Along with sending needed information, you can also send promotions for your books, other products, or services. This is the real purpose of email marketing.

But, do you need an email marketing service to obtain subscriber emails, organize them into useful data, and send out emails?

Yes, you do.

Email marketing is big business. It’s considered one of the top marketing tools. And, there are rules and regulations.

So, if you’re just starting out on your book marketing journey, and your budget is limited, you should consider joining one of the free emails marketing services, like MailChimp.

These free services offer great features, such as:

- An opt-in box code to input on your website.
- The organization of your subscriber list.
- The ability to create multiple campaigns. This means you can create different groups of subscribers and send them specific emails targeting different niches. It’s a great tool.
- Email automation.
- Email address credibility.
- Professional newsletter templates.
- The ability to preschedule emails.
- Easy use.
- Compliance with national and international rules for sending commercial emails.
- Analytics

Just be aware that once you reach a certain number of emails sent per month or subscribers, the service will require you to pay a monthly fee. But, if your list is growing, you won’t mind the expense. It’s a worthwhile investment in your business.

If you’re on the fence about the need for an email marketing service, here are two questions to ask yourself:

1.    Will this outside service increase my business?

The answer here is, most likely YES.

The email list is considered ‘golden’ because of the potential for sales. People buy from those they trust – the relationship you create with your subscribers leads to trust.

But, while the service will help by providing opt-in box code, automatic mailings, autoresponders, analytics, and other goodies, your business will only increase if you actually work at it.

You need to provide something your reader needs. It's the book marketing strategies you use and the value you provide that will entice your reader to click on that subscribe button and open your emails..

2.    Can I start out doing my own email campaigns?

The answer is, it’s not advisable. While you can create a spreadsheet and keep track of a few email addresses, the rest can be problematic.

Keep in mind there are rules to using someone’s email address for marketing. The FTC, in their CAN-SPAM Act, established rules and requirements for commercial email. If you’re in violation their guidelines, there could be tough penalties.

Since you can take advantage of free email marketing services, there’s no reason not to start your business out on the right foot.

Reference:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor. Get must-know writing and marketing tips at http://thewritingworld.com.

And, check out Karen’s e-classes through WOW! Women on Writing:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/

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Need Help Building Your Author/Writer Online Platform?

If you said yes, check out:

Build Your Author/Writer Business
Basic Website Optimization, Blogging, Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing
(It's a 4-week e-class through WOW! Women on Writing)

Writing Contests for Summer of 2017

This post is short and sweet and is about entering writing contests. These contests are a great way to move your writing career forward and boost your visibility. The link below has a list of contests for the summer of 2017.

Check out the free guide and see which ones will be a good fit for you:

Free - Guide to Writing Contests for Summer 2017
http://www.writermag.com/summer-writing-contests/

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What it Takes for your Character to Overcome a Bully

Try to look at your weakness
and convert it into your strength.
That's success.
Zig Ziglar
Upstanders unite! An upstander, as described in Bullying: Prevention and Intervention--Protecting Children and Teens from Physical, Emotional, and Online Bullying, by Cindy Miller, LCSW and Cynthia Lowen, in May's post, Bullying 101, is the person who is willing to stand up to the bully. Targets are kids who don't take action, and who are afraid of the bully and can't hide their fears. Often targets don't fit in with their peers.

Through Thin to Thick
Overcoming bullying boils down to developing a thick skin. So, strategies the character in your story needs to build to overcome his tormenters may include:
  • Knowing he's an equal to others.
  • Doesn't accept negative comments without sticking up for himself.
  • Doesn't yell, swear or lecture, but stays calm; and an excellent line of defense is to ask questions.
  • Doesn't accept what the bully says or does.
  • In real life, if everything else fails the target needs to seek help from an adult. But in stories, your character must figure it out for himself.
A Hero is Born
How does your character develop these strategies in the first place? Knowing them are important so you'll know how to show how your character is weak in the beginning of your story, discussed last month, and how your character discovers how to build strengths by the end of your story.

The secret? Self-confidence! Here are some ways you can show how your character builds self-confidence in order to fend off the bully. He needs to:
  • Feel good about something in his life.
  • Feel worthy and loved by others.
  • Know how to ask for what he wants and become an advocate for others, too (so he's not just thinking of himself).
  • Make eye contact when speaking to others.
  • Respect other people, applaud their similarities and differences.
  • Remain positive with others and supportive, never tearing anyone down.
  • Have a built-in value system so that he is not easily swayed by someone trying to take advantage of him.
  • Confront his fears, which helps him develop self-confidence and courage.
My Personal Caveat
The bullying my poor character endured was laced with humor. In the beginning of the story, she was a tad reluctant to engage in physical exercise, looked for the easy way out of things, and lacked flexibility. The bully tried to put her down, but because of the confidence she gained through trial and error (in authorese, the struggle she went through in order to grow), she never bent to the bully's wishes and the bully surrendered like a plucked weed. In the end, the strengths my character developed resulted in the admiration of the other characters, even her bully.

Clipart courtesy of: http://clipart-library.com/
Source: Bullying: Prevention and Intervention--Protecting Children and Teens from Physical, Emotional, and Online Bullying, by Cindy Miller, LCSW and Cynthia Lowen, and personal experience.

The drafts of my first book
make a good elbow rest! 
Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction courses, picture book course and mystery and suspense course. She has currently finished her first book, a mystery/ghost story for 7-11 year-olds, and is in the process of publishing it and moving on to new writing projects. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Explore – Dream - Discover


We all experience growing pains as we push to reach our goals.  The good part is that we are growing, but the path also includes struggle and frustration from time to time. 

I have sailed away from my safe harbor and launched into creative writing.  Story writing is a whole new journey with struggles against stormy seas, but wonderful when I catch the trade winds in my sails.  I don’t want to be disappointed that I did not stay the course.

I like this quote by Mark Twain:
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.       Mark Twain

Disappointment is one side of the coin.  Moving forward productively is the other side.  What can we do each day to step closer to our goals? 
·         Write every day, even if it’s just a little.
·         Start journaling from where you are right now. You may find a springboard into an article, an essay or a story to explore.
·         Explore new ideas for your business, your website or your blog.  When you land on an idea you like, consider writing a series of pieces.
·         You set goals over different lengths of time, you break them down into doable steps; now add some dreams to inspire your path.
·         Enjoy the discoveries you make as you go.

How about you?  Have you sailed away from your safe harbor?  Don’t be disappointed; catch the trade winds in your sails.  We applaud you, your direction and your endeavors!

Please share your sailing adventure in the comment section below.  Thank you, deborah

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer, artist, and editor.  She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and caregiving mentally impaired seniors.  Deborah writes articles, essays and stories. She has published a collection of 24 artists’ interviews entitled the Artists Interview Series.  Careful editing preserves the artist’s voice as they share their journey. The series published as monthly articles for an online news network, can also be found on her web-blog: DeborahLyn Stanley - Writers Blog.  Her “How-To” articles have appeared in magazines. 
“Write your best, in your voice, your way!”

Five Good reasons to Secure Your Site


1. The SSL  (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate shows that your site is using strong encryption to keep its users and their information safe. Obviously if you are collecting sensitive data like credit cards, this is vital. But it is also vital if you are collecting email addresses  for any reason at all--newsletters, freebies, building a list. Under EU law, you are bound to keep your site and its data secure. It could be argued that even  a reader making comments is revealing some sensitive information, perhaps a photograph or a linked website.

2. The certificate is also important to authenticate you as the responsible owner of the site. With scams pouring across the Internet, and cloned websites becoming almost commonplace, readers need the security of knowing that they are landing on a reputable site. You may feel  it's going overboard to protect a personal site to such an extent but if you value your following, think about acting soon.

3. Information sent across the Internet can pass from computer to computer before reaching the server. Without strong encryption, any one of these could steal user names, passwords, all the information they need to start targeting you and your list with phishing attacks and sending you to insecure sites riddled with malware.

4. With the rise in publicity for the SSL certificate fostered by Google demands, more and more sites are offering certificates at greatly reduced rates. It will no longer cost you a fortune annually to secure your site. You may even be eligible for a shared certificate which will cost you nothing. But beware--check the credentials of your chosen provider carefully. Some certificates have already been rejected by Google as not providing the advanced layer of trust needed for users.

5. Do you really want a Google warning notice pointing out that your site could be untrustworthy or put its readers at risk? We all work hard to make our blogs the best they can be, to help and inspire the readers that drop by.

Having said all that, I have not yet got round to providing a certificate for any of my sites. Probably for the one domain I have shared with my Internet Service provider, I shall go for the free certificate. So if you have a site that ends with the name of your web host, check to see if there is a free certificate available.

However, if it is your own domain name, choose carefully. You can go with several websites which allow you to set up the certificates for yourself, pointing your website to their servers--Cloudflare, Let's Encrypt are two most often mentioned.

But if you're not very tech-minded, pay a little extra and get your host to set everything up for you.  It has to be worth it for peace of mind.

Image of padlock courtesy of Stuart Miles
 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Anne Duguid
Anne Duguid Knol

A local and national journalist in the U.K., Anne Knol is now a fiction editor for award-winning American and Canadian publishers. As a new author, she shares writing tips and insights at Author Support : http://www.authorsupport.net .

Her Halloween novella, ShriekWeek is published by The Wild Rose Press as e-book and in print  included in the Hauntings in the Garden anthology. (Volume Two)

Her column on writing a cozy mystery appears  in The Working Writer's Club .

Get Your Book Reviewed


By W. Terry Whalin

Often I see books launch into the market with zero reviews or only a few reviews. With over 4500 new books entering the marketplace every day, it is a challenge for any author to find readers—and to find readers who will write a few sentences of honest review and post it on Amazon and Goodreads and other sites.

In this article, I want to encourage authors to take an active role at getting book reviews and give you some resources and insights.

First, take your own responsibility for getting book reviews. Whether your book is brand new or has been out for a while, continually work at getting reviews. When you get a review—especially a positive one—promote or tout that review on your social media connections (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc). Go to this article from Tim Grahl about Amazon reviews, scroll down to the bottom and get his free download because of the tools you will get to help you gather reviews.
Second, study this article from Jim Cox, editor-in-chief at Midwest Book Review. Notice the article is 16 pages of information and I encourage you to print it and study it. I am on Jim's email list and found this interview with Shelby Londyn-Heath was filled with insights. Jim has been in his position for 40 years and provides an amazing free service to help people discover books. I want to make several points from this article:

* They receive an average of 2,000 titles a month to review and select 600 to 700 a month to actually review.

* Books are rejected for possible review for several reasons including not following their submission guidelines, poor covers and serious production problems.

*Midwest Book Review emphasizes self-published books and books from small presses. Cox explains his reasons in this article. He also encourages authors to produce excellent books—edited and designed well. These foundational elements are missing in many books and some of the reasons for books not to be reviewed (rejected in this process).


Third, learn about how to get book reviews. I interviewed Dana Lynn Smith on this topic and have a free teleseminar teaching authors about how to get book reviews.

With the sheer volume of books entering the marketplace every day, it is a challenge for authors to get book reviews. Write a great book. Produce a great book (design and production is important) then finally take action to get your book reviewed. I've seen a number of books that have well-done production, great endorsements and zero or few reviews. The details are important and I encourage you to take an active role on this process of getting book reviews.

------
W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing and the author of more than 60 books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Book Proposals That Sell. He has over 200,000 followers on Twitter and lives in Colorado.

Tweetable:

Without the author's effort, it is often a challenge to get book reviews. Use these insights and resources.  (ClickToTweet)
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10 Common Challenges Many New Novelists Face

by Suzanne Lieurance New novelists often encounter a range of challenges as they begin writing their book.  Here are 10 of the most common p...