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Guest Blogger: Joe Canzano (Author of Magno Girl)

3/19/2015

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Do you want to write a novel? There are lots of resources that will tell you how to do it, and I’ve read many of them. Here are a few that I’ve found to be useful.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner – First off, let me say that John Gardner is an opinionated guy who doesn’t mind ruffling a few rhinestones (anyone who calls a Pulitzer Prize winning novel like The Grapes of Wrath a “disappointing melodrama” is a man of some audacity). He also likes to refer to classical mythology that many people will not know. Overall, these are minor problems easily offset by the quality of information he supplies. My theory is that if I read an instructional book and learn ONE significant thing then it was worth the trouble. This book is filled with epiphanies both big and small. Of course, it’s not a breezy, easy read, and if you’re looking for a blog style, connect-the-dots kind of bullet point plan you’d best look elsewhere. This is a wordy, essay-like book filled with detailed information about writing fiction, from the basics to sophisticated nuances. It requires a certain amount of patience, but I think everyone can benefit from reading it. 

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass – Don is a big-time literary agent who has written many novels under other names. I don’t think any of them have ever “broken out,” but I won’t hold that against him because this book is really good. It’s simple and straightforward and contains clear and logical advice. He covers the basics and then goes beyond them in a way that’s easy to understand. His example novels tend to be contemporary and formulaic, but hey, he’s talking about commercial success in the current marketplace, and he knows what works. If you don’t have the patience for Gardner, this is a great choice. 

Jim Butcher’s blog – Jim has a rarely updated blog at http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/ where he wrote quite a bit about the craft of writing. His style is entertaining and his information is easy to grasp. He’s really talking about genre fiction here—but I’m okay with that because I like genre style plotting in a book. I like a hero, and a villain, and a protagonist with a clear goal, and that’s what Jim likes, too. 

The downside here is that his Obi Wan-like lessons seem incomplete—but I suspect this is because he got too busy selling millions of books. Check out what’s there. 

Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Brue Lee – This is not a book about writing, but I like Bruce’s basic concept, “the way of no way.” You don’t need to read the book, you just need to get one of the main ideas—and the idea says that while it’s good to learn from others, don’t get stuck on an inflexible path. Don’t stick to anyone’s teaching like some kind of law. Learn from everyone, but do what works for you. Be like water and adapt. I’ve found this to be the best advice of all. 


Joe Canzano is a writer and musician from New Jersey, U.S.A. His short stories have appeared in a half-dozen printed literary journals, as well as in the Akashic Books online series, "Mondays are Murder." He recently published his debut novel, "Magno Girl." It’s a comic urban fantasy that tells the story of a female superhero. The book combines a noir voice with absurd humor. 

Praise for Magno Girl:

“The writing is quick and the wit is sharp... This is a genuinely fun book to read” 
--The Hungry Monster Book Review

“We need more big-name female superheroes, and we have a great one here.”
--I’m With Geek

For more information, please visit Joe’s web site at www.happyjoe.net.
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Guest Blogger: Twitter Tips by Shai Ford

3/12/2015

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The learning curve for social media can sometimes be quite intimidating, especially with all of the changes and new platforms popping up several times a year. It is because of social media, my social media audience, and the connections I made via social media marketing that made made my book possible. Not only do I have a solid social media audience but, via Twitter, I have formed a supportive community of colleagues and similarly-minded business people - people I call my ‘tribe’ - and my tribe is the reason I am able to do what I do today.

I currently utilize four social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. In my opinion, Twitter is the most useful for writers if you know how to use it to your advantage. Today, I have some tips for you on how to use Twitter!

  • Remember that Twitter is a social media platform, meaning a place to be social not just a place for you to send out endless Tweets about your stuff, or even other people’s stuff. They key, on Twitter, is interaction. 
  • Utilize the ‘List’ options! If you click on your Avatar/Profile Picture in the upper righthand corner, a menu will pop up. The second selection says ‘Lists’, and will bring up the list menu. If people have added you to their lists, they may show up here. You can also start creating your own lists, as well! Try creating lists of authors from different genres, or from different networking groups. I have several different lists for news sources, peace organizations, and even one simply titled ‘These People Rock’, filled with some of my favorite Tweeters. 

  • Use a scheduling program to make your Tweeting easier! I personally use HootSuite and Edgar. Edgar is $49 a month and is really for bloggers and small business types who have a lot of content. It allows you to build a ‘library’ of tweets linking to your content and then cycles through it. HootSuite doesn’t auto-cycle a library, but you can save Tweet templates so you don’t have to write the same tweets over and over. I can schedule a full week’s worth of tweets for myself or clients in under an hour!


  • If you schedule the tweets of your own content several days at a time, all you have to do is pop onto Twitter for 5-15 minutes a day. I personally spend about 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night. During this time, you can interact with other people’s Tweets - favoriting, responding (responding is important!), and even scheduling retweets for later. Remember those lists? Instead of scrolling down your entire Twitter feed, head over to the lists and interact with a much smaller, subject-specific group. It makes things much easier! 

Twitter can come across as intimidating, or sometimes so cluttered and quick-paced that you can’t keep up. However, if you break Twitter down into small tasks and groups, it can become a great resource for you to network, help others, meet others, and grow your business!!

Grab a copy of Shai's book, Rock Your Shop: A Guide to Building, Branding, and Rocking Etsy right here!

Shai Ford is a 29-year-old mom, social media campaign manager, and Etsy veteran. She currently runs her own Etsy shop as well as ShaiFord.com, and offers one-on-one business coaching for Etsians and other small business folks, targeting everything from product creation to social media marketing. As an artist, and a peace and social justice rights activist, Shai loves helping and watching 'the little man' succeed and reach their dreams. 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevagabondstudio
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondstudio
Website: www.ShaiFord.com
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RockSmallBiz
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Author Spotlight: Tamsen Schultz

3/5/2015

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Tamsen Schultz is the author of several romantic suspense novels and  American Kin (a short story published in Line Zero Magazine). In addition to being a writer, she has a background in the field of international conflict resolution,  has co-founded a non-profit, and currently works in corporate America. Like most lawyers, she spends a  disproportionate amount of time thinking (and writing) about what it might be like to do  something else. She lives in Northern California in a house full of males including her husband, two sons, four cats, a dog, and a gender-neutral, but well-stocked, wine rack.

Follow Tamsen Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamsenSchultz
Twitter: @tamsenschultz
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tamsen-Schultz/e/B009NVIEGO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tamsens
Website: www.tamsenschultz.com


The Frailty of Things

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Independence. Kit Forrester is a woman who wears her independence like armor. Despite keeping secrets and hiding her past, she’s built a life she loves and is accountable to no one. Until, that is, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals sets his sights on her and she must weigh the risk to one against the chance of justice and closure for many—a decision Kit couldn't make on her own even if she wanted to.

Certainty. As a man who makes his living in the shadows of governments and wars, certainty isn’t a part of Garret Cantona’s vocabulary, and he’s just fine with that. But when Kit walks into his life, he realizes he’s never before been so sure about anything or anyone. Suddenly, he finds he’s looking at the world, his world, in a different light. And now that he is, he’s determined to protect it, and her, in whatever ways he can.

Frailty. No one knows better than Kit and Garret that an appreciation for what is, or what was, or what might be, can be born from the uncertainty and fragility of life. But when a hunt for a killer leaves Garret no choice but to throw Kit back into her broken and damaged past, even his unshakable faith in what they have together might not be enough to keep it from shattering into a million pieces.

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    Author

    Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and co-author of two 
    self-help books, PeopleSmart - which h​as sold more than 75,000 copies and has been translated into ten languages - and 
    Working PeopleSmart, 
    as well as numerous professional publications.  Her first novel Shrink Rapt, 
    is a psychological thriller with a dash of romance. She lives in the South Carolina Low Country.

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