Facebook Page

Hello everyone!

I remember having questions about what to post on my writer page on Facebook when I first set it up.  For all the other writers and authors out there who are preparing to create or have just recently started a Facebook page for themselves or their book, I think you’ll find Katie Bolin’s blog post, “Facebook Page vs Profile: Know the Difference,” to be helpful (https://www.millcitypress.net/blog/facebook-author-page-vs-profile?utm_source=Weekly%20MCP%20Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FBPageProfile).  In her article, she writes about the differences between Facebook profile and a Facebook page.  She also lists the pros and cons of advertising your book through each venue.

Happy writing and good luck with your Facebook pages!

Katie

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Mentor: Sage, Royal Pain, Nutjob, or…?

Hello everyone!

“A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” – Thomas Carruthers

Hopefully, we’ve all had that person in our lives who has inspired us, challenged us to think differently, and told us never to settle for giving less than our best. I have been blessed with several such mentors.

In literature, we see many examples of characters who inspire and/or guide the protagonist:

• Brom to Eragon in Eragon
• Four to Tris in Divergent
• Gandolf to Bilbo in The Hobbit and to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings
• Haymitch to Katniss in The Hunger Games
• Marilla Cuthbert to Anne in Anne of Green Gables
• Oromis and Glaedr to Eragon and Saphira in Eldest

There comes a point where the protagonist has to apply what his/her mentor taught him/her. That point is a sign of the protagonist’s growth. Sometimes, the teacher gets to watch his/her charge mature. Other times, they are separated and the instructor will see the difference in the student when they reconnect later. And sadly, the guide does not always live long enough to see the full outcome of his/her influence on the main character.

Your writing challenge is to create a mentor. Remember, he/she does not have to be an old man (i.e. Gandolf). The mentor character can be a parent, romantic interest, sibling, best friend, disagreeable person, etc.

Here are a few questions to help you get started with really developing your mentor:

1. How old is he/she?
2. What is his/her background?
3. How did he/she end up where he/she is at the start of the story?
4. What is his/her greatest strength?
5. What is his/her greatest flaw?
6. What is his/her greatest fear?
7. How does he/she feel about himself/herself?
8. What is his/her favorite memory?
9. What is his/her most painful memory?
10. How is he/she connect to the protagonist?
11. How does he/she feel about the protagonist?
12. What does he/she want from the protagonist?

Happy writing!

Katie

Burned Out!

Hello everyone!

With starting a new job, being in a play, and writing, one of my greatest fears has been that I will burn out.  I have been taking precautions (i.e. giving myself down time, creating a schedule for when to focus on each aspect of my life, etc.), but I am still afraid that the stress of balancing three big time commitments will get to me and that I’ll have to take a break from writing.

I found the article, “How to Overcome Writer’s Burnout,” by Kellie McGann to be helpful (http://thewritepractice.com/writers-burnout/?hvid=4pWuM1).  Her best piece of advice, which I intend to follow, was “Don’t Stop Writing.”  She also suggested that if a writer is under a lot of stress or is experiencing burnout, he/she should consider working on low stress writing projects that just allow the creative juices to flow.  This helps the writer to keep in the habit of writing regularly and helps the writer to fight his/her way through the burnout.

I hope “How to Overcome Writer’s Burnout” by Kellie Mcgann inspires other tired, stressed, or burned out writers to stick with it.  I know I will.

Happy writing!

Katie

P.S.

Special thanks to Christopher Scott, an author, for leading me to Kellie McGann’s article, “How to Overcome Writer’s Burnout” (http://thewritepractice.com/writers-burnout/?hvid=4pWuM1).

Once in a Lifetime

Hello everyone!

“The Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I was lucky enough to go twice, but most people only get one chance. And in judo you can train your whole life and it’ll come down to a split second: You can lose everything or win anything.” – Ronda Rousey

Your writing challenge is to create a character and put him/her in a once-in-a-lifetime situation.

Here are some questions to get you started:

1. What is this once-in-a-lifetime event, experience, or situation? Is it a competition, a wedding, senior prom, a dream job offer, a deathbed conversation, etc.?
2. How does your character feel about the event, experience, or situation: happy, nervous, angry, excited, etc.?
3. What does your character want out of the once-in-a-lifetime event, experience, or situation?
4. What happens? How does your character behave during the “moment of truth”? Does he/she succeed, fail, runaway, almost make it, or something else?

I love to know what other writers, especially the ones who read my blog, are doing. If you’re willing to share about your story with me, please post a synopsis of your work as a comment.

Happy writing!

Katie