Summer is still with us but “back to school” is just around the corner (or already here in some places) and I’ve started to assess what I’ve been up to for the past few weeks and figure out what will be my focus as fall approaches.
Hope you’re well and had a chance to witness the eclipse this week, live or online. I only caught a sliver of the partially eclipsed sun through the Oakland fog and it was marvelous....
Some ‘old school’ authors may cling to the old adage, ‘let the writing speak for itself,’ but nowadays, it is pretty much universally accepted that authors need to maintain an internet presence to be noticed.
I was cleaning off all my emails the other day when I was suddenly struck with the number of emails I receive from my favorite writing gurus and educators. I subscribed to a variety of them and the glut of email messages they send me on any given day is overwhelming.
I’m a great believer in accountability. In my role as a coach, I spend a lot of time encouraging clients to be committed to their future. In doing so, it is vital that they appreciate that there is no one coming to their rescue (except me, perhaps – more of that later*.)
Do protagonists have to be likeable? Of course, because how else can a reader bond with your hero? Of course not, because some of the most fascinating protagonists in literature are unlikeable, or indeed, hateful.
One of the most challenging projects writers face is promotion. How to describe our beautiful books? How to break down the book into effective social media posts? Why didn’t anyone mention this in the creative writing seminar?
I used to get into trouble in school for “daydreaming” and not paying attention. I liked school in general but sometimes I would sit and make up stories.
As a business writer, I came to writing articles late in life. Eventually, from 2004 to 2013, I wrote over 400 and posted them out there in the world — on my own blogs; on other peoples’ websites, and on article banks.
July 14th is the 11th anniversary of my business helping writers. I chose July 14th to file for a city business license on purpose, as I’m a Francophile and have lived in France twice....
Travel writing sounds so glamorous; get paid to see legendary places, sample unusual food, sleep in exotic hotels, all on a magazine’s expense account. Wow right?
I write books for writers, among other things. A Creativity Coach and Teacher, I work with novelists to help them create compelling stories, publish them, and be bold and true in their marketing.
A big shout out to Lynn Johnston, a fellow writing coach cohort, and friend. She’s got a new class up on creating character arcs. If “your character’s emotional journey IS the reader’s emotional journey,” as Lynn says, then you need to learn how to master writing a powerful character arc.
It’s nearly half-way through the year — a good time to reflect on how far you’ve come, and how far you’d like to go by the time you lift a glass of bubbly to welcome in the new year. Time for an assessment!
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Beth Barany helps authors get their books completed and out into the world, into the hands of their readers.
Creativity Coach for Writers, NLP Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher, Beth Barany has been there and knows how hard it can be to take your idea and turn it into a real book, that people will actually be interested, and even yearning, to read.
She walks the talk, as her clients like to say. She is the author of the 2012 award-winning young adult fantasy novel Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, as well as the author of the bestselling nonfiction books for authors and aspiring authors.
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