There are two camps, people who outline and people who do free form or as I learned—“organic” writing. Then there is everyone in between who dabble in both. How does it work?

An author working with an outline does a painstaking construction of their plot, characters and scenes. They tend to “see” where the holes are as they build the components and can fill in the missing pieces or sub-categories. They begin with a definite idea of how the story ends.

The organic author uses a sort of brainstorming to get started. Some people begin with a “what if” question, for instance “what if Anastasia did not really die, but was rescued and lived under an alias?” Or they might start with an exciting idea about a locale and see where it goes. Once they begin with a character or a situation, they allow some time for the idea to grow and make notes along the way, about scenes in the reality they have created, or how a character develops. The formulating process could last from a few days to several months. In this mode of writing, it’s all about detecting the story first. The crafting and fine tuning happens on the rewrite.

Barry Crowther illustrates a good example of using both outlining and organic writing:

“Do you have a system for writing? Do you plot or write organically? This is a great question. I was asked this during a recent interrogation, I mean, interview. It was a cool question and made me realize that I actually do both.

. . . Once I move over to the process of writing the scenes, a character sometimes takes a left turn that wasn’t plotted and this might throw a spanner (wrench) in the works. One interesting example of this was from Missing. I knew who the perpetrator of the crime was before I wrote the first scenes, but by the time I got to the last 10% of the writing I woke up one morning and thought that it made more sense for another character to be the actual bad guy. I was already 80,000 words in but was still happier to go back and change the plot than be stuck with a story where I was unhappy with the ending.”

Which camp do you belong to?

If you are more inclined to outline, you can find some great advice and encouragement from Randy Ingermanson on his website: Advanced Fiction Writing.com. He has created a process for authors called The Snowflake Method.

If you consider yourself an organic writer you can delve into a terrific program called Scrivener which helps you organize documents in a visual way, so that you can view your notes side by side, rearrange at will, alter the content and save different versions. It allows you to edit individual segments independently of each other.

Larry Brooks of the blog “Storyfix” describes the core issue in his blog post: Solved: The Outlining vs. Organic Writing Debate

He says it is not really a matter of outlining or being more spontaneous “organic” but whether you understand  writing principles which he calls story architecture. An author who outlines won’t necessarily have it down, and the author who writes organically may subconsciously be doing it already. He distills it down to this:

“As much as some organic writers don’t like to admit it, there is indeed a basic architecture for successful stories, with specific milestones that must appear at quite precise places. Successful organic writers understand this, which means that as their stories pour unrestrained out of their heads onto the page, they do so in alignment with those principles.”

Now we’re onto something! Authors who outline and authors who write organically can find common ground in the underlying structure which every story must have. As all the best writers will tell you–the way to grow and get better at your craft is: continue to experiment, observe, and learn how the experts do it. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did learning about it!

Sources

• The Snowflake Method
• Solved: The Outlining vs. Organic Writing Debate
• Ruminations On Organic Writing

First, design a landing page  dedicated to selling your ebook. This is essentially a  single page mini-site. Inquire and use suitable keywords throughout this page. This  will help you generate relevant traffic.

Submit your material to other websites with a link back to this page. You can do this by purchasing links in a link sharing program. This will help boost your search engine traffic.

Look for forums or places where people are discussing your topic.  Start answering questions on those sites and use your signature line to link to your ebook selling page.

Submit your ebook for reviews to other websites and bloggers. You can provide a free copy to these reviewers and ask them to put a link to your page at the end of their review.

You can also find affiliates and friends to sell your ebook. You may list your book on ClickBank to get affiliates to sign-up and sell it from their website. You will need to offer a commission rate for every sale.

One of the best ways to market on the web is to write articles about your topic.  Submit these to  free article directories, like ezinearticles.com.  Build relationships with other bloggers,  and then write guest posts for them.

Remember-always include a link to your ebook sales page.

This comic serves as an example of the importance of professional design and more importantly, to seek a designer’s knowledge on the book design/marketing industry. Enjoy!

I was hooked from the first page. He starts off by mentioning E.B. White of Elements of Style fame and Charlotte’s Web. White was a major influence on Zinsser and someone he wanted to emulate. Zinsser describes how he wanted to write a book to complement Elements of Style not elaborate on it. Instead he shows how to apply those principles to non-fiction writing and journalism, subjects like science, sports or business.

He begins with the basics under the heading “Principles” and moves through “Methods,” “Forms,” and “Attitudes.” The book was first published in 1976 and subsequent editions followed every few years beginning in 1980, up to 2006. The 2006 version is subtitled The 30th Anniversary Edition. The continuous popularity of this tome should tell you something.

On page three of the introduction Zinsser states: “I’ve revised it six times to keep pace with new social trends (more interest in memoir, business, science and sports)…new technologies (the computer) and new words and usages. My purpose is to make myself and my experience available. If readers connect with my book it’s because they don’t think they’re hearing from an English professor. They’re hearing from a working writer.”

Absolutely yes! And what makes this fun is Zinsser is an English professor, and an editor. He began his career with the New York Herald Tribune and also wrote articles for magazines. He has written 17 books, taught at Yale during the 1970s, where he was master of Branford College and taught a writing workshop that launched many editors and writers on their careers. He later  taught at the New School, in New York, and at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

I particularly enjoyed chapter three, which discusses “clutter.” He gives a good definition: “Clutter is political correctness gone amok.”  A good summary of this book is what Zinsser says on the first page of this chapter: “Consider all the prepositions that are draped onto verbs that don’t need any help. We no longer head committees. We head them up. We don’t face problems anymore. We face up to them when we can free up a few minutes. A small detail, you may say—not worth bothering about. It is worth bothering about. Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn’t be there. “Up” in “free up” shouldn’t be there. Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.”

Every chapter in this book was a good time and I probably absorbed more than I realize right now. I wholeheartedly recommend it to every writer who hasn’t read it yet. Where to find it?

Book Details

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Date: 30 Anniversary edition (May 9, 2006)
• Pages: 336
• Price: $14.99

Happy learning! I guarantee you will enjoy this book.

“…These cars are heavily incentivized…”

Incentivized?

I’ve heard of “offering incentives.”

But incentivized? I had to check it out. Sure enough, it’s in the dictionary, and it means “to give incentives to.” Another form of the verb is incentivizing (what a mouthful!).

I stand corrected. Incentivized really is a word. But is it the appropriate word to use when advertising cars — or anything, for that matter?

I hate it when people use big, impressive-sounding words when small ones will do.

What could the car salesman have said instead of, “These cars are heavily incentivized”?

How about:

• Buy this car today, and you’ll get a $2,000 rebate.
• Our cars are priced to sell.
• No one is buying our cars during this recession, and we’re panicking. To keep from going out of business, we’re offering you the best discount ever.

OK, that last one probably wouldn’t work, even though it’s closest to the truth.

Which brings up another jargony phrase that drives me nuts: economic downturn.

Sounds so soft, palatable, and hopeful, doesn’t it? We all know we’re in the middle of a recession; just call it what it is!

Then there’s leverage.

Whenever I attend business meetings, people talk about leveraging this and that. The word started out as a noun that means “power or ability to influence people, events, decisions,” or “to get a high return off one’s investment.” Now converted into a verb, it’s batted around in the marketing world like a beach ball. People must think “leveraging” makes them sound important and educated.

Yes, I understand it’s easier to say, “Let’s leverage our investment” instead of, “Let’s shoot for a high return on our investment.”

But it would comfort me to hear people speaking like human beings and not robots.

Hundred dollar words I detest:

• Irrefutably: Michael Phelps is irrefutably the world record holder in several swimming events.
• I concur: I concur with your hypothesis, Sherlock.
• Wherewithal and doggedly: The detective had the wherewithal to doggedly pursue the kidnapper.
• Precipitate and hereby: Your actions hereby precipitate a lawsuit.

…And even more jargon

(bandied about at a conference I recently attended):

• Knowledge worker set
• Change management
• Best practices
• Green space
• End users
• Information assets
• Enterprise space
• Social technologies

Your turn!

What hundred dollar words grate like fingers on a chalkboard? How many can you cram into one sentence?

This article was originally published at BloggingBistro.com. Reprinted with permission from the author.

We’re laying it all on the table, if you’re an author you MUST have a quality website. Period. If you need a reason keep reading.

#1: Websites Demonstrate Genuineness

Consider the reason why you wrote your book in the first place. You wanted to reach people with your story or message. When someone  wants to find out more about you, where are they going to go? The internet is the #1 place for people to find information and interact. If your readers and potential fans can’t find you online what are you telling them? You are communicating that you really don’t care, and you’re too busy to help or connect with them. Interaction with readers is the goal of every writer. If it’s not yours, you may want to rethink your choice to publish a book. You’ll only gain credibility with your readers when you  invest in a professional website.  Cheap, homemade websites will scare readers awa.

#2: Websites Build Awareness

It’s amazing to me how many authors don’t get this one. As an author, you’re in a business. The only way for people to know what you offer is if you tell them about it. There are over 3 billion eyes online searching for relevant content. Your readers are searching for the answers or entertainment you provide.  Tell them about your offering, build a website.

#3: Websites Sell Books-Sometimes

Joe Author has written a book and has put together a d.i.y. website with information and a link to buy on Amazon. Joe’s really excited and can’t wait to see his book sell. Sadly,  Joe is disappointed when after months, a single book has not sold. He ultimately concludes that websites are useless and don’t work. What Joe hasn’t realized is that it’s not the concept of a website that’s failed him, but  but how he utilizes it.

People don’t buy books because you say they should.  If your website is only about you, how wonderful your book is, and saying they should it buy it to support your career you will not sell books. You must first demonstrate how your title will benefit the reader. Do this by building a website that allows visitors to experience your message (at no cost) and to interact with you and each other.

Perhaps the real question is not, “What Will a Website Do for Me?” but “What Will a Website Do for My Readers?”  When you consider that—all your choices to go online will make sense.

The movie poster for The Editors Strike Back. See full-size image.

Not long ago, in a galaxy not far away . . .

As typos and poor writing threaten the publishing industry, our final hope lies in the hands of the last Editors. Can they restore proper grammar and usage to the galaxy? Join proofreaders, copy editors, ghostwriters, and remaining word wielders as they fight against the forces of evil in a time when subpar writing runs rampant.

Because WinePress strives to uphold editorial excellence, we’ve decided to use May 4th (Star Wars Day) to emphasize the importance of editorial quality. In light of this, we’ve crafted this limited-edition Star Wars-ish movie poster which depicts the epic struggle editors and writers make every day to keep the galaxy free of typos. If you thought editors were skilled with the red pen, wait until you see them with a lightsaber.

Bonus Giveaway!

To aid the editorial fight for quality, we’re giving away a free book. An essential tool for any editor or writer, Polishing the Pugs offers a variety of useful information for better editing. Here’s a little about the book:

Freelance editor Kathy Ide highlights the most common mistakes writers make in the areas of Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling: PUGS. With punctuation rules from The Chicago Manual of Style (the industry-standard reference for books) and The Associated Press Stylebook (for newspaper articles), spelling and usage from the dictionaries recommended by both style guides, plus grammar tips from A Dictionary of Modern American Usage and The Wordwatcher’s Guide to Good Grammar & Word Usage, this book has it all.

If what you’re looking for isn’t in this book, and you have to look up a rule or a spelling, you can jot down what you find in the spaces provided throughout Polishing the PUGS.

That way you’ll have it at your fingertips the next time you need it. No matter what kind of writing you do, this book will help you polish your work in record time, leaving you more hours—and more desk space—to write.

How to Enter

To enter is simple, just follow these steps:

1. Leave a comment on this post using a valid e-mail address. (Feedback on our articles is always welcome as well!)
2. Follow us on Twitter (optional: only if you would like to receive even more freebies and resources)
3. Subscribe to our newsletter (also optional, just more free resources, tools, and articles)
4. You’re entered to win!

Our randomly-selected winner will be announced on this post: Friday, May 11, 2012 at 3:00 PM PST. Stay tuned and spread the word!

Our Winner! (Updated May 11, 2012)

Our randomly-selected winner is: DEE

The screenshot from our random comment selector.

Congratulations Dee! We will contact you shortly with information about receiving your free copy of Polishing the PUGS.

Thanks everyone for participating and stay tuned for more freebies from WinePress of Words!

• Part One – Web Content Strategy for Writers: The Basics

In the previous article, we discussed the basics of what Content Strategy means for a website and why it’s important. In this article, we’ll cover the second step of the process: planning and researching what content will be most effective for your particular market.

1. Research The Market

Research is the first step before you develop a solid content strategy. Understand who you wish to reach  and you’ll have the foundation to craft specific content. To start, ask this question: “Who do I want to find to read the content on my website?” Refrain from attempting to seek “everyone.” When you target your niché market, you’re more apt to build something solid.

When you begin to research, here are some key places to look for those in your market:

• Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google Plus
• Blogs and websites
• Forums and message boards

Through these mediums, track down the conversations and look for trends:

• What does your market find interesting?
• What content do they share or discuss most?
• What needs or wants do they mention?

Keep these questions in the back of your mind as you investigate. What you find through your study will give valuable insight as to what content will be most worthwhile once you begin planning.

2. Define Your Readership

After adequate research of the market, it’s time to nail down the portion you will target. Here are key points to address when determining who you wish to reach with your content:

• Age group
• Gender
• Buying tendencies
• Communication preferences (blogs, forums, social media, etc.)
• Goals and ideals

With this information under your belt, you are now fully equipped. You won’t have to guess your reader’s interests.

3. Assess Current Content

If your blog or website is new, this section will not apply. If however, your site is long-established, it will make all the difference.

A website is much like a shop, only with hundreds of entrances. Any page, ranging from the finely-crafted landing page, to a contact form, has the potential to be a visitor’s first impression of your site. Experience says this is true, so it’s vital for quality to be top priority no matter how insignificant a page may seem.

Once you realize the importance of quality to your content, the next step is to cut. Open up a blank spreadsheet and compile a list of content. Go through and determine which elements need editing, retooling, or to be scrapped completely.

This feels like overkill, but its value cannot be emphasized enough. Every page has the potential to spark someone’s interest, or drive them away.

4. Compile the Information

The information found during the research portion is important, but just as crucial is organization. Keeping all the data and facts organized will help later during the process of creating content.

To do so, formulate a simple spreadsheet to organize the information. List age groups, interests, similar websites, competitors, or anything else that is pertinent to content creation.

Keep all of this information easily accessible for the next step, building the content for your site.

Conclusion

As we’ve touched on previously, content is the heart and soul of any website or blog. It is the reason why someone visits your site and continues to visit in the future. Keep this article handy to ensure content is as powerful and effective as possible for readers old and new alike.

Most of us—even accomplished writers—would agree that our grammar is always in need of refining. Take a look at this collection of timely and useful resources geared toward strengthening grammar.

Grammar Girl

Hosted by Mignon Fogarty (Grammar Girl), this site features a wide range of grammar topics and tips. Complete with articles, books, and podcasts, it’s quickly become a writer’s essential resource.

Grammarly

An automated proofreader and your personal grammar coach. Check your writing for grammar, punctuation, style and much more.

Chicago Manual of Style Online

With state-of-the-art recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices in the digital age, The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) is the must-have reference for everyone who works with words.

On Writing Well

Whether you write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts, or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre; On Writing Well offers you fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher.

Advice to Writers—Grammar and Usage Quotes

Everyday, Advice to Writers features a new quote on writing. With thousands of past quotes to review, there’s more than enough to help a writer re-spark his creativity.

QuietWrite

Finding a peaceful place to write online is challenging. Most interfaces are too cluttered and too crammed full of the unnecessary. QuietWrite is different. It’s your peaceful online editor: a place where you can be alone with your words and thoughts.

Think of QuietWrite as your online writing workspace. A place where you can do your best writing.

TidyPub

A clean and simple tool for publishing and sharing small writings on the web.

Just for Fun

Grammar Police: A PubToons Original Comic

A grammar-themed comic featured here on WinePress of Words.

Free Grammar Desktop Wallpapers

Created especially for National Grammar Day, this collection is essential for any writer.

What’s Your Most Trusted Grammar Tool?

Do you have an article, website, or resource you use for furthering grammar-building endeavors? If so, feel free to leave a comment to let us know!

For writers too dedicated, hard-working, and determined; there’s fast acting Writers’ Block. Now, any writer can trade in that wasted time of creative typing, for the wondrous joys of staring at a blinking cursor upon a blank Word document. Get yours today!