Cara's Cabinet of Themes and Curiosities
Best of AAC. A collection of ravels and unravels, combed feed, and worthwhile nuggets plucked from many sources here at AAC. Cara carefully selects only the best and presents them in an array certain to illuminate and entertain... Cara comments also. We can't get enough!
Ready to Get Published? Part I
Ready to Get Published? Part II
71 topics in this forum
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In today's world, the age-old proverb "Don't judge a book by its cover" is rarely put into practice. What factors influence a customer's decision to click or to go on? In the war of thumbnail covers that is taking place today, one way to get noticed is to use visual aspects to develop a design that is intelligent and stands out from the competitors. Applying these strategies to your next cover design could help you increase sales and raise your visibility: The first impression is the most important. It is important for a book, regardless of whether it is exhilarating, romantic, or reassuring, to include visual signals that are connected with the book type. …
Last reply by Cara Cilento, -
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My wife is a paranormal investigator and works for a company that runs ghost hunting events... The last three weeks have been interesting for sure. I took my kids on vacation, which resulted in me taking a vacation from writing. I enjoyed being unplugged from my keyboard and so did my kids. In this newly found freedom from the keyboard, my wife approached me with, “Hey, I need some help at work. Do you want to come?” My wife is a paranormal investigator and works for a company that runs ghost hunting events. I have gone with her before but this time it felt different. My creative juices started to flow. So, we left to first stay at an abandoned asylum and then at …
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Congratulations for becoming a debut author! Here are some pieces of advice that I can give you (then later check out the video at the bottom of the page): Keep Writing: Becoming a published author is just the beginning of a long journey. Continue writing, exploring new genres and styles, and honing their craft. Writing isn't a sprint...it's a marathon! Network: Attend book events and connect with other authors, readers, and publishing professionals. These connections can help learn about the industry and potentially open doors for future opportunities. Stay open to feedback: Criticism is an essential part of the writing process, a…
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Despite the fact that revising and editing are both essential steps in the writing process of your novel, many authors choose to avoid revision like the plague. It is essential to keep in mind that revision has many steps, each one is important yet distinct from one another. Each one requires time and effort to complete. In the article that follows, you will find how grammar called to Cathy Hall to be addressed. Grammar revision as well as revision on a whole is a crucial part of the writing process, and as such, you should make sure to leave enough time between your draft and your revision process because revision in its literal form means to "re-see" your existing w…
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It is not a secret that the tried-and-true strategy of using cliffhangers at the end of your chapters or scenes is a surefire way to make a reader turn the page; in fact, it is one of the most effective ways. And why shouldn't it be? Life is a cliffhanger. In fact, Pops, in Secret Life of Pets went so far as saying "Every breath is a cliffhanger." No truer words have been said. Everyone everywhere albeit a car chase or a contentious meeting or even making a simple decision about what to eat can be a cliffhanger. It all depends on how you write it. However, what many authors fail to comprehend is that the cliffhanger conclusion is only one part of the puzzle. The clif…
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After long deliberation you've made the decision to publish your book on your own. Welcome to the journey! As a result of the ongoing development and expansion of independent publishing, self-published authors now have a greater potential than ever before to pursue a successful career in writing. But if there's a catch! You're going to need a team of resources under your belt! You can't do it by yourself. It's just not possible. If you want to publish your own book and give it a shot at being successful, you're going to need a support group to help you along the road. But who do I need? Let's start with the editorial team. There are 3 essential parts that make up a s…
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The act of writing a series is a big undertaking. It has the potential to be an extremely powerful marketing approach for indie authors if it is carried out correctly. So, grab that wonderful narrative idea that you plan to continue writing about for years to come, and let's dive right into the fundamentals of creating a serial. The first thing you need to do is work out what kind of series will work best for the tale you want to tell. It should fit into one of these groups: Serial: When you think of a series, the first thing that generally comes to mind is serialized fiction which is a group of novels that are written in such a way that they progress chronologi…
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Since I am a paranormal investigator, October is my busiest time. I investigate every weekend, which doesn’t leave me much time to write. I try to squirrel away some time to at least plot ideas for my WIP, but a week ago, the unimaginable happened; a family member passed away. It was a tough time to negotiate, especially as a person who speaks to the undead on a weekly basis. The grieving process, however, got me to thinking. How do we write a successful death scene? When done correctly, death scenes are extremely important. They are so significant that they can completely reshape how a reader feels about the book. However, writing a death scene is not the same as el…
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Most people decide how good a book is by its cover. You worked on a book for many years. So, it needs a cover that does the story you wrote justice. The cover of a book should be made in a way that makes the reader want to read it right away. The summary on the back of the book should make the reader want to open it and read what's inside. This means that your book's cover has to be beautiful. It should not only be interesting to the readers, but also fit with what is being said. Now that you've finished writing your book, it's time to pick the right cover for it. This article is for you if you are worried that you might make the wrong choice. Today, we're goin…
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I find that the possibilities within paranormal fiction are endless. For example, a ghost can linger on our plane of existence in order to wrap up any unfinished business they may have before moving on. Their unfinished business could result from a traumatic experience in their personal lives, or even their death itself. The classic trope is usually that the ghost was once a person who was slain, and now they haunt the location where they were killed. And it goes without saying that they won't let up until they have the satisfaction that justice has been done. Simple. What if the ghost was kind and good-natured as they were in their corporal life? They may choose to remai…
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As some of you may already be aware, I am a fan of the paranormal. I am an avid ghost hunter and paranormal researcher. I collect haunted objects (yes, I willingly bring haunted things into my home) and the three-book series that I have been crafting for the past two years, is based on the paranormal. I am a voracious reader of ghost tales, and I have just recently researched Native American belief systems and their link to the paranormal which greatly helped me to establish my beliefs on spirits. In my last post, I gave four tips on how to write about paranormal experiences. What I would like to do in this piece is talk about the function of a ghost or entity…
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So you got inspired to write another novel. Maybe it was just a title and a concept. Like maybe you were drifting through a grocery store and saw a person mopping up a spill in aisle four, but like you, no one could figure out how the spill happened. Suddenly, it hits you, a story about a prankster child with telekinesis sitting in a grocery cart; but as you write it, it ages into a novel about a lonely teen gamer who plays out a fantasy world in his parent's basement. But it’s not quite coming together... So the self-doubt and all the questions creep in. Did I write enough? Too much? Where am I going with this? Then you bang your head against the wall and th…
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As writers, we all know the tried and true formula for building protagonists. We also know that the story is driven by choices the protagonist makes and the consequences. But how does the protagonist make those decisions? How do you depict the internal struggle of choice? It is important for readers to not only recognize these transformations but also understand how the story's events affect the characters. The writer must make the implicit explicit, otherwise the reader cannot infer character traits or recognize a character's growth across a story. Readers must be aware of the underlying reasons why characters change. Of course, there is a formula for that as well,…
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A villain, or as writers say, the antagonist, has goals and actions which challenge the protagonist, the hero. Together, the hero and the villain drive the storyline. A villain, unlike a hero, is frequently driven by a desire to perform acts of cruelty and depravity. They are the story's hostile force, challenging your hero and creating the tension. But what does it take to make a great villain? Most great villains have a set of features. First, a villain must have a strong bond with the hero. Their innate antagonism to them aids in the development of the hero's character. Second, every villain must have his own set of morals. If a villa…
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When writing your manuscript, you are supposed to write it in chronological sequence, right? The events of the narrative are retold in the sequence in which they occurred in the story. We trace the cause and effect of each event and the results of each event until we get to an endpoint that leaves the reader satisfied. But what if you want to modify the timeline of a narrative and retell the events in a different order than they occurred in the original story? Hmmm…a nonlinear timeline? Preposterous! But there are a variety of reasons why a writer can choose to narrate a narrative out of chronological sequence. Let’s look at them. Nonlinear timelines s…
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"Third-person point of view" refers to the way we describe events in a work of fiction or nonfiction through the use of third-person pronouns such as "he," "she," and "them." Third-person point of view may be divided into categories: 1. Third-person objective: The facts of a story are conveyed by an observer or recorder who seems to be unbiased and impersonal in his or her reporting. 2. An omniscient third-person narrator not only provides the facts, but he or she may also interpret them and describe the thoughts and feelings of the characters. 3. A narrator who provides the facts and analyzes events from the perspective of a single character is referred …
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Recently, I wrote about log lines. Remember those? The one to two sentence summaries that draws the reader in and describes the major tension of the tale? I’m sure you do and if you are like me and the rest of the writers out there you know that the finest loglines stand out, grab our attention, and are brief. I am placing emphasis on brief because it’s the most significant portion. Why? Because, it's crucial to focus on the key elements that make your characters and story unique. Not only that, but since your story only exists in your mind’s eye, you must set up the goal and how your character will achieve it. Did I mention you should do it in two sentences? C…
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With the seasons changing, I have started to emerge from my winter routine and return to my porch sitting and coffee drinking in the mornings. This morning there was a fox in my yard. He was happily frolicking until he saw a bunny. Then, to my surprise, he played with the bunny. I thought to myself that the bunny would surely hop away, but it didn’t. I thought he would run under the eight-foot monstrous fence my neighbor put up to keep the fox, deer, and other woodland creatures out, but he didn’t. Instead, it stood there, while the fox swatted it and sniffed it. He was passive about the entire situation and resided on whatever was to happen would happen. There was no ac…
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If one of your objectives is to begin submitting your masterpiece to the marketplace, you'll come across terms like "hook," "logline," and "pitch" along the way. The terminology originates in the film business, but we use them in the book industry as well. So, what are they? Are they're catchy phrases for a synopsis? No, not at all. Although the lines between the two are frequently blurred, these are the fundamentals: LOGLINE is a concept that was traditionally reserved for scripts, but has recently begun to make its way into the literary realm. It comprises of one or two phrases stating the story's premise. That's it. Short sweet and to the point. A HOOK, on the othe…
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The final step towards obtaining literary representation is – you guessed it – obtaining literary representation. Once you've completed your writing project and wrote up your query letter, the next step is to seek the elusive agent. Querying agents is when you send an email with your pitch to the people you believe will be the best representatives of your work to the publishing industry. The procedure should not be nearly as intimidating as writing the manuscript itself – but it does not imply that you should rush through it without giving it careful consideration. Initial impressions are extremely important, and the agent querying procedure is the greatest illustrat…
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Last week I talked about a book pre-launch and some of the recommended steps for making it a success. So, let's have a look at a few ideas for putting together a public book reading that will truly impress your audience, so when it comes time for the reading, not only will you be well-prepared and find it more pleasurable, but you will also be able to really shine! https://algonkianconferences.com/authorconnect/index.php?/topic/19691-event-tips-n’-tricks-for-the-vain-shallow-andor-insecure/#comment-27894
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Whatever year it is, what's going on in the world, or what the latest marketing fad is, your book launch has just one genuine goal: to sell books. The goal of your book launch is to reach the readers who will gain the most from it. Why? Because those are the people who will be interested. They'll be the ones talking about it, reviewing it, and sharing it. Those readers are crucial in ensuring that your work receives the attention it deserves. Cool new marketing tricks and sponsored advertising have their place, but the best—and most effective—promotion you can ask for is word-of-mouth advertising from your own readers. That's why the most successful book launches focus on…
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I am not a football fan. I don’t understand it. To me, it looks like a bunch of people mottled together on a field chasing a brown fly. I am not like that with all sports. I am an avid wrestling and MMA fan, but football never spoke to me the way wrestling and MMA did. So while other people are preparing platters, trays, and snacks for parties, I am typing away honing my thoughts on why I never joined in the football fanaticism. Much like authorship, I realized that it had to do with how I perceive individualization and relevance. As authors, we strive for both. We want our unique voice and to persevere over time, just like wrestling and the martial arts have. …
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The construction of a romantic suspense book is key to keeping readers engaged. In a romance book, the protagonists' emotions, wants, doubts, and personalities are the building blocks of the love tale. Conversely, a suspense novel builds tension piece by piece by using facts, innuendo, atmosphere, and action. When you combine the two, you get a romantic suspense novel. Sounds easy,? Not so. The blending of the two must yield a multi-layered tale in which seemingly unrelated threads are intertwined, not just two storylines running parallel. Readers expect a romance novel to have a continuous, evolving relationship between the covers. Between the pages of a suspense story, …
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I was sitting at home during our Blizzard of 2022 in the Northeast channel surfing. I got bored of hearing the hazardous conditions, so I moved on. This time I found a channel talking about hazardous conditions that affect writers, readers, and society in general. The surge of book banning for objectionable content. It appears that people abandoned their pretensions to be protectors of free speech in the wake of the rush to suppress “alternative agendas”. It was startling. Further, most people interviewed in the segment felt that some required school reading was part of a bigger campaign against them meant to degrade their child’s moral fabric. I was blown away. Now, this…
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