Today, the fabulous Liz Crowe is gracing us with a great guest post about writing. She's an amazing writer and I feel so privileged to have her here today, so I won't ramble... here ya go!
Whatever It TakesBy Liz Crowe
There are all sorts of ways to get past your fear of writing and just get that book rolling around in your head out onto the screen, or paper, if you’re old school. One way that several recently very famous writers took was the “fan fiction” route. That is, join a group of folks similarly obsessed with a particular, already written book or series and start concocting characters and side plots or parallels to the main characters and conjure up a whole set of stories about them. This is a very popular past time and to be honest with you, one I had NO IDEA existed until a couple of years ago…for the obvious reasons.
In its infinite wisdom and genius profit making mind, Amazon is taking this concept and honing it a bit so that fans of particular television shows (and I think eventually movies) can submit a 10,000 word short story plot line and get paid for it. Amazing. The “Kindle Worlds” program has recruited already published authors to do this, as a way to launch it to the public. I scoffed, until I got my head around the fact of how badly I want to re-write the Don Draper as Master Dom for Mad Men…but of course, shows have to allow this and many, I suspect, will not see the value in it. I could be wrong. That has been known to happen. Either way, if you are just starting out, I can certainly see either of these methods as a good way to work on your craft, since you don’t necessarily have to come up with the basics of a plot and characters, merely take what has been created and write some new scenes or plop them into a new world, or hardware store, with a set of ropes or whatever. It’s an excellent method to use to become better at the craft of writing, if working within already concocted worlds allows you to feel less intimidated by the concept of coming up with your own.
We live in a real “whatever it takes” environment when it comes to being a published author anymore. I get it, and it’s my luck (or not) to happen into the business at this moment when it used to be about writing the book, polishing the book, submitting the book and finding an agent or publisher, then publishing the book and promoting the book. Now, I find, it’s way less about writing the book and more about finding the platform to get noticed then slotting the book into the fan base. It is still very much about your ability to connect with a big publishing house of course. Even all the self (or small house) published success stories with the “got a six figure deal from Random House” endings feel like that HEA we all want. And I wish all those who have managed this recently in a flurry to find the next 50 Shades or whatever all the congratulations they deserve.
And for all you folks pondering how/why/where/if to get the novel in your noggin out onto the page, I say “go for it,” because frankly, if you view writing as an enjoyable pastime then you owe it to yourself to take page out of one of the many virtual books now with looming Big 6 Release Dates on their horizon. Get started on it, use whatever excuse you need to jump into it with both feet, or all 10 fingers as it were. Tell your story, or someone else’s but don’t let anything stop you from doing what you enjoy.
Happy reading (and writing, or both)!
Thanks so
much for stopping by Liz! That’s some great advice! If you haven’t already read
any of Liz’s books, what are you waiting for!? She’s amazing! You may as well
start with Jack’s novella and move right on to the whole Stewart Realty series. Here's a little about HOUSE RULES.
HOUSE RULES: The Jack Gordon Story. A prequel novella of the Stewart Realty Series.
By: Liz Crowe
Published by: Tri Destiny
It takes a wealth of collected experiences, emotions, successes and failures to craft the personality of a true Alpha Male.
Jack Gordon, real estate broker, licensed builder, Juris Doctorate, has had his fair share of strife. His ability to cope, to fall down and pick himself back up has lead him to a place where he believes he has it all. Friends, money, cars, more women than he can count, and a club in Detroit where he can exorcise his inner demons, fill his days and his nights.
When he walks up to a penthouse door on a hot Ann Arbor summer afternoon, frustrated, exasperated and ready to call it quits after hours of condo shopping with a wealthy couple, the last thing on his mind is meeting his destiny.
AND THE BEST PART... YOU CAN GET IT FOR FREE!
GET HOUSE RULES FOR JUST .99 AT THESE LOCATIONS
Want to know more about the fabulous woman that is Liz Crowe? Well, here ya go….
Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom
of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major
college town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year
stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e.
the beer industry), has prepped her for life as a successful author.
When she isn’t sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she
can be found writing, editing or implementing promotions for her latest
publications. Her groundbreaking
literary fiction subgenre, “reality fiction,” has gained thousands of fans and
followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What
Happens After?”)
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider
views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds
of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t
ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
For more information on Liz Crowe, please visit her website www.lizcrowe.com or www.brewingpassion.com (her
author blog). She enjoys interacting with her fans on her Facebook author
page www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor. Information for all of her books, including eBook
and print formats (where available), can be found on her Amazon author page.
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I read the book and it rocks. A wonderful read to keep you from going crazy while waiting for the next book in the series! :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa
daringzoey@yahoo.com
thanks so much for having me ladies! THANKS Melissa!
ReplyDeleteHappy to have you! I can't wait to sink my teeth into HOUSE RULES! :)
DeleteI love your books Liz!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fabulous post.
you're welcome and thanks for the compliment!
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