Daily Archives: December 23, 2013

Dec 23 2013

The Cheer of the Naysayers

No

The critics stand on the sidelines, watching over our shoulders.

They tell us what can’t be done.

They explain why it won’t work.

They describe what’s wrong.

They can’t wait to tell us, “I told you so.”

What satisfaction those four words will bring to them!

In the meantime, we generate ideas.

We carry our ideas out, transforming our dreams into reality.

We do our best to ignore the critics.

Our results are feeble at first.

The critics are smug about how right they were.

But we gain experience and wisdom for our mistakes.

We try again and again and again, better each time.

We become a little better known, start to make names for ourselves.

Eventually, people begin to recognize and appreciate our efforts.

We find ourselves starting to accomplish what was said couldn’t be done.

Then we realize that the advantage was ours all along.

Only those who have ideas can carry them out.

Only those who try to carry them out can accomplish anything.

Only those who work hard can get meaningful results.

Those who stand on the sideline to criticize are the only ones who CAN’T achieve.

The best they can hope for is to discourage those who otherwise could have achieved.

What kind of life is that?

(You can learn a lot from Nike’s slogan.)

A Yaysayer

I’m Chris McMullen, and I’m a yaysayer. You can do it. It might take hard work. It might require some learning and research. You will probably make mistakes. Hopefully, you will learn from them. You can improve in time. Things may start out very slowly at first, but you can grow in time. The first step is self-belief. The second step is self-motivated diligence. If you wish to achieve, you must do what the naysayers say you can’t do and what the naysayers themselves don’t do. Be a yaysayer. Be a doer. 🙂

I started this blog to provide free help with writing, publishing, and marketing, and to provide encouragement and motivation to authors. You can find many free articles by clicking one of the following links:

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Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers

Dec 23 2013

Cat Glossary

Cat Bag

cat-tack

the art of hiding under the bed behind the bed skirt, clawing at unsuspecting passing feet.

cat-ag-er

because man is clearly not the animal best-suited to the art of management.

cat-ti-tude

an elephant-sized personality packed into a miniature feline.

cu-ri-o-kit-ty

the reason that cats need eight extra lives.

door-side

you think the cat is scratching the door because she wants to go outside, until she scratches the other side of the door, in which case you think she has changed her mind and now wants to come back inside; but what she really wants is to lie down right smack in the middle of the doorway, which obviously is the best side of the door to be on (or, rather, in).

in-san-kit-ty

this is your kitten’s brain on catnip.

in-ves-ti-cat-or

no news is too dangerous for a cat to abandon its present occupation, scramble through the feet of beasts twenty times its size, and be first on the scene.

mo-tor-cat

the way to find a kitten is to walk into each room of the house, say her name, and listen carefully for the tell-tale purr.

rep-e-kit-ten

getting stuck in, and rescued from, the same tree three consecutive days.

ser-vant

fools who think they are becoming cat owners.

Dec 23 2013

99 cents Versus $2.99: Pros and Cons

Great analysis straight from an author who has experienced both price-points firsthand.

Legends of Windemere

After working with a $2.99 book and the two 99 cent books, I’ve noticed some obvious differences.  Others not so obvious when I started.  Now, this isn’t to say one is better than the other because that’s for the author to decide.  That and I’ve had that conversation so many times this year.

Pros and Cons of 99 Centers

  • PRO-  For a first time author with no reputation, this can be appealing to some readers.  There is the idea that all indie authors are unpolished, so this pricing can be enticing.
  • CON-  If you start at 99 cents, it’s difficult to go higher.  People might wait for you to get frustrated and drop the price back down.
  • PRO-  Several advertising sites require that you have a 99 cent pricing.  This opens up more doors even if it’s for a sale.
  • CON-  You need to sell a lot to get higher…

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Dec 23 2013

The Author is Omnipresent…

Here is a handy chart to study before you start writing a novel. 🙂

Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

Omnipresent -definition: present everywhere at the same time

Flow Chart

When we create a narrative, our first priority is to decide on which point of view we want to use, the narrative perspective or mode. First person, second or third. Each has it’s own guidelines and enables us to manipulate the reader into the mindset of the character or characters  we wish them to sympathize with. As the author we are the omnipresent voice, the one who directs the action and reveals the plot.

Nathan Bransford wrote about the comparison between the third person omniscient versus third person limited here: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/11/third-person-omniscient-vs-third-person.html

Another good link, which assists with choosing your narrative style is here: http://www.thewriteturn.com/whats-your-point-of-view-how-to-choose-the-right-narrative-perspective-for-your-fiction/

No matter which mode you use, you decide on the direction of the tale and what to reveal and what to hide throughout the story.

Which mode do you use?

Have you tried all narrative modes?

I had…

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