A Story is Like a Child – Though It Arises from Us, It is Its Own Being – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Aug. 20, 2024

Writing Motivation: A Story is Like a Child – Though It Arises from Us, It is Its Own Being
If you’ve ever been a parent or just an astute observer of your niece or nephew, you’ve probably been struck by how much a child is like his or her father and mother. At the same time, though they share physical traits, interests and patterns of behavior, the child is unique and his or her person. Likewise, your story is a creation and reflection of you…yet, it is a creature all its own, too. READ MORE

Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s Characters
Successful stories require characters who face some challenge or conflict. While coming up with such story ideas is easy enough, many writers struggle with ensuring their characters are interesting so the reader will want to follow them on their journey. My book Create Your Story’s Characters is all about making that process easier for writers. It examines how characters fit among a story’s basic elements then discusses the different kinds of characters. Next, it hones in on those types of characters that make great protagonists – three-dimensional, dynamic characters who gradually grow so that by the end of the story they are better, wiser people who can overcome the challenge they face. Lastly, it looks at some common pitfalls that beginning authors stumble into when creating characters. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Show Don’t Tell Characters’ Emotional States
One area of exposition that novice writers often overlook is emotional states during character descriptions. Describing a character’s gestures and body movements allows the reader to infer that emotional state while adding a level of detail to the text that helps the reader better imagine the scene and become more engaged in the story. So rather than writing They grew sad upon hearing the news, instead show their sadness with They hung their heads low upon hearing the news. READ MORE

Writing Course: Overcoming Writer’s Block
Writer’s block is quite real. There are many reasons people get writer’s block. This course helps you understand the cause of your writer’s block then goes into detail on strategies for overcoming each one. Length of course: 12 lesson readings and quizzes 2-3 hours. Homework is up to the student. CHECK IT OUT

Self-Publishing Tip: How to Get Rid of Word’s Proofreading Marks
Among the most annoying features of Microsoft Word’s Track Changes program is that every time you reopen a file, the corrections show up. To not see the corrections, you have to toggle the “Display for Review” setting to “No Markup.” How do you fix this? READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Sell Books by Posting at High-Traffic Blogs
One great way to sell books online – especially if you write nonfiction – is by commenting on posts at high-traffic blogs related to your book’s topic. That’s because you’re targeting an audience that is highly interested in the topics you’ve written about. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: How to Sell Your Book with Amazon Ads
Most indie authors are nervous about buying ads for their books and for good reason. They wonder if the ads really will work or if it’s just dumping money into a bottomless hole. They even have been told not to buy ads. I used to think that way too. Then I began to hear from a small number of authors that they actually were having good luck with Amazon ads. A lot of tweaking was necessary, but eventually they figured out a formula that worked. So I gave it a try. Within weeks, I was earning twice as much as I spent on ads, and my sales tripled. My book Sell Your Book with Amazon Ads is all about how the ad system works, how to build an ad, how to read Amazon’s ad reports, how to optimize your ad, and more. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “The Sound of the Wind in the Leaves” by Jana Meador
A few years ago, I edited this historical fiction novel, and the power of its writing has stuck with me ever since. Jana Meador’s The Sound of the Wind in the Leaves begins in 1916 when seventeen-year-old Eva leaves her small Bohemian village to work on an English estate, setting in motion the incredible story of one family’s struggle to ensure their brick building business and household survive the Great Depression, Nazi occupation, and a communist takeover. Across three generations, they discover that their will is indomitable, so long as they retain their traditions, remain steadfast in their love for one another, and never let go of their values…but the inner calls to do so – like the sound of the wind in the leaves – are not always easy to hear amid the world’s drumbeats of greed and war. CHECK IT OUT

$25 Off Your Next Edit!
For being a newsletter subscriber, please take $25 off your next edit with Inventing Reality Editing Service. When scheduling your edit, be sure to mention you’re a subscriber and give the email where you received this newsletter. Minimum order of $200. Offer expires Aug. 27, 2024. SCHEDULE EDIT

My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of both aspiring and published writers and offers a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 350 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of a novel, the Storytelling 101 Quick Read series, four children’s books, more than 25 bestselling hiking guidebooks, and even a book of poetry. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.