How to Start a Blog for Beginners

how to start a blog-684748_960_720Back in the dawning of the eBook age, when I signed on with a small publisher for my first novel, one of the requirements of my contract was to start my own blog. I knew what blogging was, but I hadn’t seen any point to having one of my own – mainly because I didn’t think I had anything to say that other people would be interested in reading unless I’d made it up.

But since I was now contractually obligated to have a blog, I went to my internet service provider, which at the time was Earthlink, and used their tools to set one up. The name of my blog, which rolls trippingly off the tongue even now, was, “Allegedly, She Has Something to Say.” Continue reading “How to Start a Blog for Beginners”

Thrifty Thursday: Marvelous May eBook Bargains

Thrifty Thursday ebook dealsThat’s right, it’s May and Thrifty Thursday! And have we got some bargains for you! That’s right, here at Indies Unlimited each Thursday, we make it super easy for you to find hot free and 99 cent eBook deals. Make sure to tell your friends to come on over to Thrifty Thursday and check ’em out! Continue reading “Thrifty Thursday: Marvelous May eBook Bargains”

Which “Sharp Edges” Flash Fiction Story Gets Your Vote?

Vote5It’s that time again…time to choose your favorite flash fiction story of the week! It’s all up to you now – only one can win Flash Fiction Readers’ Choice Champion honors. It’s super easy – choose your favorite and cast your vote below.

Check out this week’s entries here. Make your decision, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word.

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Which "Sharp Edges" Flash Fiction Story Should Win the Readers' Choice Award This Week?

  • Joe Wocoski (29%, 7 Votes)
  • Dick C. Waters (25%, 6 Votes)
  • Luigi Silvestri (13%, 3 Votes)
  • B P Crouse (13%, 3 Votes)
  • Jon Brierton (13%, 3 Votes)
  • Dusty May Jane (8%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 24

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit will be disqualified even if they win. ONE VOTE PER PERSON, please. Duplicate votes will be deleted. The results displayed above are unofficial until verified by administration.

Story Structure: All a Novelist Needs to Know

story jigsaw puzzle for writersThe structure of every story follows the pattern of the average human emotional experience. That pattern is the same, whether it’s a first kiss, eating a chocolate bar, having sex, or reading a full-length novel. Hollywood scriptwriters have found this pattern, follow it, and often make great heaps of money for their producers by doing so.

But how does this help the novel writer? We’re all much more “seat of the pants,” aren’t we? Creative, innovative, never following the crowd? Well, yes, we all have an intuitive grasp of the idea, or we wouldn’t be writers. But my experience is that a formula helps you most when you discover you’ve screwed up. Be as creative as you want, but when you finish your first draft and discover it’s flat, boring, and takes too long to get anywhere, what do you do? You go to the formula to see what you missed. Because it will be there.

My favourite crutch at times like that is Continue reading “Story Structure: All a Novelist Needs to Know”