Newsletter 11/09: Tapping the Muse: Writing Tips
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| Give the gift of a book this holiday season! Whether it’s for a Secret Santa, a co-worker, a host or hostess, or that special someone—who wouldn’t appreciate a virtual tour of an exotic African locale, and the political intrigue of Washington, DC? Satan’s Chamber is sure to please. Click here to purchase. |
| In this letter:
- The new Fuze Publishing blog
- Holiday book parties!
- Ever wonder how Amazon.com creates book rankings?
- Tapping the Muse by Molly Best Tinsley |
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| 1. The new Fuze Publishing blog |
| The staff at Fuze Publishing has developed our own company blog to share our discoveries, ideas, and interests with you. Won’t you stop by and chat with us about writing, books, and publishing? There’s always something curious to read, and we want you to join the conversation!
http://fuzepublishing.com/blog |
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| 2. Holiday book parties! |
| Charles Zeitlin and Audrey Sheppard, Satan’s Chamber fans from Bethesda, Maryland, are hosting a holiday party for their friends and colleagues. Like most holiday parties, there’s sure to be lots of good conversation, food, and drink—but Charles and Audrey’s party has a special twist because it’s also a literary party. For the evening’s entertainment, Satan’s Chamber co-author Karetta Hubbard, who will be discussing writing, publishing, Washington DC political intrigue and Sudan with guests.
Karetta is also attending a book group party at Lucy Cook’s house in Bethesda on January 12, 2010. For additional information about other book group parties and special readings please go to: www.satanschamber.com
Whether you live in the Pacific Northwest or the MidAtlantic region, chances are there’s a Satan’s Chamber co-author near you. How often do you have the chance to regale your guests with a thriller author?
Contact Fuze Publishing at fuzepublishing@gmail.com if you are interested in hosting a literary party in the future. |
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| 3. Ever wonder how Amazon.com creates book rankings? |
| The mystery of the Amazon.com ranking system is difficult to unravel. What we do know is that it is based on an algorithm and the rankings are updated hourly. What we also know is that when we make a sale through Amazon.com our ranking goes down (a good thing — the closer we get to number 1, the better!) and when readers who like the book post 5-star reviews the ranking goes down more.
So, for those of you who have read Satan’s Chamber and really like it, posting your positive response helps us. Your review can cover one or two main thoughts that you are left with after you have finished the book. No need to retell the story; just the fact you liked it is sufficient. To see current reviews, click here and scroll down the page until you get to the review section. |
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4. Tapping the Muse by Molly Best Tinsley
About Doubt |
| Writers hear voices–a provocative sentence or two bubbling up in the mind’s ear; a created, or remembered, character beginning to speak autonomously. These are gifts of the creative process to be cherished.
Then there are the other voices, the ones that chime in when we’re mustering the energy to get started, or when the first inspired burst is spent and we’re trying to figure out where to go next. “Why bother?” these voices ask. “You’ll never get anywhere. What’s the point?” Sometimes they attack indirectly, reminding us of the weeds in the garden, a needed oil change, or a computer game only a click away. These are the voices of doubt. It’s important to recognize them as an obsolete defense system dating back to when writing meant navigating a tangle of rules—spelling, grammar, and what the teacher, or the boss, wanted.
Some points to keep in mind: writers at all levels experience these doubts, and they do not reflect on their ability or the value of what they’re working on.
Strong writing has little to do with spelling, grammar, or pleasing an authority figure. It’s connected to much better things, like freedom, honesty, and joy.
Molly co-authored The Creative Process (St. Martin’s Press) and has taught writing workshops for twenty years. |
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Next week: More advice from Molly, and holiday gift ideas! |
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