Just Blogging

Bob Burnham asked:




One of the biggest obstacles to being an author is completing or even getting started on your book.

Don’t let this happen to you!

This is too important. If you have the ability to turn $5 into $500 do you sit on it and say “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Or do you run to the bank and get as many 5 dollar bills as you can? Hopefully you run to the bank! I’m telling you to run to the bank with your book!

You have two choices on how to get to the bank. Your first option is to write the book yourself.

Your other option is to hire a ghostwriter. There are of course advantages and disadvantages to hiring a ghostwriter.

I’m going to assume that you’re going to write the book yourself. Here’s what you need to know:

Write each and every day!
To optimize your time, find a time of day that you are likely to be most productive and motivated. If you are a morning person, do not set aside 20 minutes after the 11:00 news and before you go to bed as your designated writing time. It will not happen. Likewise, if you are a night owl, do not tell yourself that you will get up half an hour early every day to write. I have been there and it does not work. When you are first getting started on your book, it is important to find your most productive time of day. Find the time of day that you are at your creative best. If you are an early morning person, then deciding to work on your book after Lost and before you go to bed is not the best idea. It will not happen. Maybe the quiet hours before everyone wakes will be your best time. Conversely, if you are a night owl, then hoping to get up an hour earlier every day will not work and maybe writing while the late show is on will be your best time. In addition to finding the best time for you to write, you will need to consider the best or most optimal location for you to write. It might be your kitchen table, or the local coffee shop, or a home office. I have known writers to sequester themselves in their car during lunch to get an hour’s worth of writing time. Your plan might also include how long you are able to write. You will not only want to consider how long your attention span can focus on your story, but writers also have a tendency to get deeply involved in their projects and neglect their other responsibilities. So keep in mind how long you can reasonably spend on your book each day without neglecting your loved ones! Other factors that you might want to consider are the materials that you are going to need. Will you write in a notebook or directly onto your computer? Consider also, using a voice recorder to record your thoughts and have someone transcribe them. Choose A Money Making, Career Building, Best Selling Book Topic.


There are really only a handful of reasons that people buy non-fiction books. If you can work your subject to offer one of these six benefits – you are golden.

To make money. (If you go to the bookstore, I bet you can find more than 100 books with the word Millionaire in them! In fact, just think about how popular the “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” books are.) To save energy or effort. (Quick and Easy Ways to…fill in the blank. Lose weight, Get Married, Get Divorced…) To save time. (Sell Your Home in 10 days, 30 Minute Meals…) To be healthier. (10 Ways to Eat Organically, How to Eliminate Fatigue, How to Manage Stress…) To be popular, prettier, sexier, smarter, or better at something. (How to Meet Women, How to Be Successful, 10 Days to Better Skin, 10 Days to a Better *** Life, etc…) Spiritual guidance. (Just look at the recent success of The Secret and its many spin offs!)

So there you have it, the two things you need to become an author and make money are to write every day and to choose a book topic that is in demand – a book that will help others and a book that will make you a fortune.

Gerald Scott asked:




Bob Ross 1943-1995

Bob Ross is truly the Author of Encouragement. To know him was to gain a good friend. A friend that was willing to share the full extent of his skills and knowledge of oil painting with the world. Bob’s willingness and desire to spread the Joy of Painting with the world was only surpassed by his amazing talent to encourage others to explore their untapped artistic abilities. The first words that I recall ever hearing him say was “You Can Do It”, as he gracefully encouraged and empowered his viewers to give it a try.

Even after a 20 year career in the U.S. Air Force, which he began at the age of eighteen, Bob held fast to his love and desire to paint. No matter how rigorous his Air Force duties became, he devoted his time to studying privately with some of the country’s top art instructors, as well as attending art classes at several colleges and universities.

When Bob officially retired from the Air Force in 1981 he immediately began to focus all of his energies into painting. As with any career change, the decision to commit full time to painting was a difficult one. “But, I knew that I could do anything I dreamed possible,” says Bob.

As he finished his twenty-ninth Public Television series of The Joy of Painting, Bob Ross couldn’t help but feel that he was dreaming. The incredible success of the art series has made Bob Ross so familiar to so many viewers, he was often overwhelmed by the warmth he felt from people around the country. “I get so many letters from folks telling me that I’m like a member of their family; it’s a fantastic feeling.”

In a time when people hear so much negativity “you can’t do this” or “you don’t qualify for that” in their daily lives, Bob stood up to say that with enough pure desire and ability to dream, anyone can learn and paint beautiful dreams. The kind of confidence and encouragement that Bob provided to his audience had given him a special place in the hearts of new artists as well as seasoned artists everywhere.

With an abundance of kindness Bob’s gentle and motivating approach to teaching the wet-on-wet painting technique was not just a “happy accident” however. Ever since he first appeared on Public Television with his JOY OF PAINTING series in 1983, he had made a commitment to himself and a promise to his viewers to never lose sight of his goal: to provide the best and most enjoyable painting experience possible, and to do it in the warm, “family-like” style which had made it so popular. “I made sure that with each and every show, I have made close, personal contact with my viewers,” said Bob.

Bob could dream and he had the ability to “paint beautiful pieces of those dreams” for literally millions of Public Television watchers, while teaching them how to paint their very own dreams. He also worked diligently with publishers and manufactures to provide the best instructional aids and painting products possible, such as video tapes and books to encourage interest in painting. As well as a host of painting supplies specifically designed to yield optimal result with his technique. He had also trained a team of Certified Instructors who tour the entire country teaching his method of painting. Bob Ross’ commitment to the success of his viewers was unquestionable.

It is easy to see how his dedication to an idea has affected so many. We hope that, for many years to come, his warmth and tender spirit will continue to touch the hearts of the many people around the country and the world who can truly be called “friend”.

Mr. Ross passed away July 4, 1995 at the age of 52. Bob’s wife Jane died in 1993. He is survived by a son, Steven Ross, who is a Bob Ross instructor and occasionally appeared on The Joy of Painting TV program. So as you reflect on Bob Ross’ contribution to help make our lives a little better each day perhaps you too will pick a paint brush and explore your untapped abilities. ” You Can Do It, My Friend”.

Elizabeth Lindsey asked:




Fern was born Mary Ruth Kovak in Hastings, Pennsylvania on April 3,1933 to Albert and Lucy Kovak. She says she was an avid reader at a young age. She especially enjoyed mysteries and adventure stories.

Fern Michaels is the pen name for Mary Ruth Kuczkir. She says that although Fern Michaels is not who she is but is what she does, she does not mind people calling her Fern. So for simplicity, we will call her Fern.

Fern and her husband, Michael married in 1952 and had five children. After moving to New Jersey, she decided with friend Roberta Anderson to try their hand at writing. That is when they adopted and wrote under the pseudonym Fern Michaels.

Fern Michaels and Roberta Anderson wrote 26 novels together. Fern divorced her husband, split with Roberta and won the legal rights to the Fern Michaels name in 1989.

Fern then started writing on her own and what a prolific writer she has been. She says she has never had writer’s block. Most of her novels have made it to the New York Best Sellers list. She was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame in 1995.

Fern moved to South Carolina in 1997. She has several dogs and lives in a renovated 300 year old haunted plantation home outside of Charleston.

Fern’s advice to aspiring writers: “Sit down and DO IT. Don’t listen to anyone but yourself. Believe in yourself and don’t give up. If you persevere, you will prevail. I am the living proof.”

Fern founded the Fern Michaels Foundation in 1990. This tax exempt charitable corporation each year grants two-four year scholarships for qualified students. Because she understands the plight of the single mother, she also helped open affordable rate child care centers for needy single moms.

Bibliography:

Series:

Captives
Captive Passions (1977)
Captive Embraces (1979)
Captive Splendors (1980)
Captive Secrets (1981)

Texas
Texas Rich (1985)
Texas Heat (1986)
Texas Fury (1989)
Texas Sunrise (1993)
Texas Trilogy (omnibus) (1991)

Sins
Sins of Omission (1989)
Sins of the Flesh (1990)

Vegas
Vegas Rich (1996)
Vegas Heat (1997)
Vegas Sunrise (1995)
Vegas Trilogy (omnibus) (2001)

Kentucky
Kentucky Rich (2001)
Kentucky Heat (2002)
Kentucky Sunrise (2002)

Sisterhood
Weekend Warriors (2001)
Payback (2004)
Vendetta (2004)
The Jury (2005)
Sweet Revenge (2006)
Lethal Justice (2006)
Free Fall (2006)
Hide and Seek (2007)
Hokus Pokus (2007)
Fast Track (2008)
Collateral Damage (2008)
Final Justice (2008)
Under the Radar (2009)
Razor Sharp (2009)
Vanishing Act (2009)
Deadly Deals (2009)

Cisco
Mp Place Like Home (2002)
Family Blessings (2004)

Godmothers
The Scoop (2009)

Stand Alone Novels
Pride and Passion (1975)
Vixen in Velvet (1976)
Valentina (1978)
The Delta Ladies (1980)
Golden Lasso (1980)
Sea Gypsy (1980)
Captive Gypsy (1980)
Whisper My Name (1981)
Beyond Tomorrow (1981)
Paint Me Rainbows (1981)
Panda Bear is Critical (1982)
Night Star (1982)
Wild Honey (1982)
Tender Warrior (1982)
All She Can Be (1983)
Free Spirit (1983)
Cinders to Ashes (1984)
To Taste the Wine (1987)
For All Their Lives (1991)
Seasons of Her Life (1994)
To Have and to Hold (1994)
Desperate Measures (1994)
Serendipity (1994)
Dear Emily (1995)
Wish List (1995)
Yesterday (1995)
Whitefire (1997)
Sara’s Song (1998)
Finders Keepers (1998)
Celebration (1999)
Annie’s Rainbow (1999)
Split Second (1999)
The Guest List (2000)
Picture Perfect (2000)
What You Wish For (2000)
Listen to Your Heart (2000)
Charming Lily (2001)
Plain Jane (2001)
The Future Scrolls (2001)
Late Bloomer (2002)
About Face (2003)
Trading Places (2003)
Crown Jewel (2003)
The Real Deal (2004)
The Nosy Neighbor (2005)
Pretty Woman (2005)
Fool Me Once (2006)
Hey, Good Looking (2006)
The Marriage Game (2007)
Up Close and Personal (12007)
Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous (2009)
Betrayal (2009)
Return to Sender (2010)
Game Over (2010)

Elizabeth Lindsey asked:




Danielle Steel was born Danielle Fernandes Schuelein on August 14, 1947 in New York City, New York. Her parents, John Schlein, a descendant from the Lowenbrau Beer founders, and Norma da Camara Stone Reis, the daughter of a Portuguese diplomat. They divorced when Danielle was only seven years old and she was raised mostly by her German born father.

Danielle loved to write stories and poetry even as a child. She graduated from Lycee Francais de New York in 1965 and studied literature and fashion design at Parson School of Design and New York University.
Danielle started her business career in PR work before she settled down to writing manuscripts in the seventies. First published in 1973, she now has more than 350 million books in print. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, she has been on the New York Times Best seller List for 381 consecutive weeks.

Danielle Steel has been married five times. She married Claude-Eric Lazard, a French banker, when she was eighteen. The marriage lasted nine years and produced a daughter. She had a son, Nick by her third husband.

In 1981, her fourth husband, John Traina, brought two sons into their marriage and adopted Danielle’s son and Danielle adopted John’s two sons. They had five more children together. Danielle says the children are the most important thing in her life. John Traina and Danielle later divorced.

Danielle married a financier, Tom Perkins, but divorced two years later. Her later wrote a novel and dedicated it to Danielle.

Danielle Steel started and runs the Nick Traina Foundation in memory of her son who committed ******* in 1997. Nick suffered from bipolar disorder and drug abuse. She is active in lobbying for children with mental health disorders.

Her children’s book series, Martha and Max, and later the Freddie series are geared to help children deal with real life problems.

Today Danielle Steel is a single woman and divides her time between her homes in San Francisco and in France.  And, yes, she is still writing novels.

Bibliography:

Max and Martha Series:
Martin’s Best Friend (1989)
Martha’s New Daddy (1989)
Martha’s New School (1989)
Max and the Babysitter (1989)
Max’s Daddy Goes to the Hospital (1989)
Martha’s New Puppy (1990)
Max Runs Away (1990)
Max’s New Baby (1990)
Martha and Hilary and the Stranger (1991)
Ma and Granma and Grandpa Winky (1991)
Freddie Series:
Freddie and the Doctor (1992)
Freddie’s Accident (1992)
Freddie’s First Night Away (1992)
Freddie’s Trip (1992)

Novels:
Going Home (1973)
Passion’s Promise (1976)
The Promise (1978)
Now and Forever (1978)
Season of Passion (1978)
Golden Moments (1979)
Summer’s End (1979)
Loving (1980)
The Ring (1980)
To Love Again (1980)
A Perfect Stranger (1981)
Remembrance (1981)
Palomino (1981)
Once in a Lifetime (1982)
Crossings (1982)
Changes (1983)
Thurston House (1983)
Full Circle (1984)
Family Album (1985)
Secrets (1985)
Wanderlust (1986)
Kaleidoscope (1987)
Fine Things (1987)
Zoya (1988)
Star (1989)
Daddy (1989)
Message From Nam (1990)
Heartbeat (1991)
No Greater Love (1991)
Jewels (1992)
Mixed Blessings (1992)
Vanished (1993)
Wings (1994)
The Gift (1994)
Accident (1994)
Five Days in Paris (1995)
Lightning (1995)
Silent Honor (1996)
Malice (1996)
The Ghost (1997)
Special Delivery (1997)
The Ranch (1997)
The Klone and I 998)
The Long Road Home (1998)
Mirror Image (1998)
The Wedding (1998)
Bittersweet (1999)
Irresistible Forces (1999)
Granny Dan (1999)
Journey (2000)
The House on Hope Street (2000)
The Kiss (2001)
Leap of Faith (2001)
Lone Eagle (2001)
Answered Prayers (2002)
The Cottage (2002)
Sunset in St Tropez (2002)
Johnny Angel (2003)
Safe Harbor (2003)
Dating Game (2003)
Miracle (2004)
Ransom (2004)
Second Chance (2004)
Echoes (2004)
Impossible (2005)
Toxic Bachelors (2006)
Coming Out (2006)
H.R.H. (2006)
Bungalow Two (2006)
The House (2006)
Sisters (2007)
Amazing Grace (2007)
Honor Thyself (2008)
Rogue (2008)
A Good Woman (2008)
One Day at a Time (2009)
Matters of the Heart (2009)
Southern Lights (2009)
Family Ties (2010)
First Sight (2010)
Big Girl (2010)

Other Works:
Love: Poems (1981)
The Happiest Hippo in the World (2009)

Nonfiction:
His Bright Light (1998)

Pauline Go asked:




Biography is about narrating one’s life story so that others can find out more about that person and his life. Though this could be completed in a few pages, a biography could even take the shape of a book.

It is generally understood that biographies are written for famous figures or persons of eminence alone. But this is not so. A biography of an ordinary common man could be as interesting and even more thought provoking than any other. It is, thus, necessary to know as to how to author a biography and how to go about it.

First and foremost is compilation of all information and screening them in terms of their relevance. What might appear to be important to the biographer may not be relevant. It is generally agreed that a biography be written in a third person so that the readers’ interest is kept alive.

A biography must contain not only a chronological series of happenings but also about arguments and reflections about the experiences that he has come across and important interactions he has had. It is important that the life and time of the era in which the person has lived gets ample coverage. This will give readers to know more about the times of his life. Make use of both primary information as well as secondary information. Use such information to substantiate as well as bringing twists and turns in the story of life.

Remember that people are paying to read and would like to seek value for money thus the content must be kept precise and brief unless interesting enough. Consult where needed and refer to writings of various people so as to understand the dos and don’ts of the inclusion.

Having completed the writing, do concentrate on editing. This work demands equal amount of attention if not more. Repeat this exercise again and again till it appears just and you are confident to aver the same released for the public to read and react.

Dawn Arkin asked:




Most publications today want an author’s biography, called a bio, when they accept a writer’s work. Readers love to learn a little bit about the person who wrote a story or poem they enjoyed reading. It is a way for the reader to feel close to the writer.

Creating an author’s bio your readers will love reading can be as trying as writing your story. You want to entertain with your bio and tell a bit about yourself as well.

A bio is used to give the reader information about the author. A book publisher will want one to run on the back page of your novel. A magazine will want one to run with your story or poem. You should write a bio that is aimed at the item it will be published with so it is relevant.

Though most editors will have their own guidelines for writing an author’s bio, you can use these general guidelines to write a standard bio, one you can alter to match any work you get published.

Length

Most bios run between 50 and 400 words, with the average length about 150 words. Double space your bio and try to it no one more than one page in length.

Tense

When you write your biography, do so in the third person. You should use present tense, unless a past tense is absolutely necessary.

Content

Depending on what manuscript the bio is for, include any qualifications, education, skills, or experience you may have helps makes you look professional. Do not include unimportant information.

Achievements

Most of your bio should be devoted to your writing achievements. Previous publications, writing awards, or degrees you have relating to your work’s subject should be in the bio. If you have real life experience in your subject, be sure to also include it.

Promotions

If you are lucky enough to have been interviewed by a known publication, or have had a radio or television interview, mention that in your bio.

Tone

This should compliment your piece. If you have written a free and modern story, then make your bio the same way. Do not have a silly bio with a serious writing article.

Mood

Always present your information in a positive way. If you do not have a lot of work published, do not fret. Post what you have in an upbeat manner. Even if you have not been published before, you still have talents and qualifications - use them.

Do not make your bio seem too good to be true by over exaggerated information. Making yourself sound better than you are can, and will, backfire in the long run.

Do not lie. It will only make you look like an amateur, and could cost you future sales. Aim your bio at the editor who is publishing your work. List only publication credits that will impress them.

Even if you have no publishing credits, you can still write a bio. Just keep it brief. An example is: “Jane Doe is a writer living in Hometown, USA. She is currently at work on”. Be sure to keep it upbeat.

Writing a bio to go with a published piece should not be harder than writing the item itself. Following some simple guidelines will make the process easier, and leave you with a bio you can be proud of.

Elizabeth Lindsey asked:




Michael Connelly was born on July 21, 1956, in Philadelphia and raised from the time he was 11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He hales from a large family with him being the eldest child. Michael’s father was a property developer and his mother a homemaker. Michael says his parents encouraged all the children to be successful.

Michael’s mother loved to read, especially mysteries. He read some of her books as a child before he found his own. Michael says he likes the more hardboiled mysteries. Michael attended the University of Florida where he majored in journalism with a minor in creative writing. It was while there that he came across the works of Raymond Chandler.

Michael married Linda McCaleb in April of 1984. They have a daughter, Callie. Michael says that he feels that since having a child he has become a better writer because he has become a better person. Michael was a reporter for about 13 years covering the courts and the police beat. He said he considered this research for the time when he started to write fiction.

Michael moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1987, when one of Michael Connelly’s stories was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and caught the attention of the Los Angeles Times. Michael says this was a secret hope of his, “…because the most influential writers of crime novels, to me at least, all wrote about Los Angeles or Southern California. The place has a certain interest for readers.”

In 1995, Michael quit his reporting gig and concentrated full time on his fiction-writing career. He says he prefers crime novels over other genres. He, for instance, does not see himself writing general fiction or science fiction. He writes what he likes to read. You have to write what comes from within.

In 2001, Michael and his family moved from Los Angeles back to Florida to be closer to their families. Although he now has to work from “creative memory,” Michael says he still goes back to visit. Meanwhile, he says he tries to read whatever comes out about LA.

Several years ago at a journalism conference Michael stated, “You scratch a reporter and you find a novelist wannabe…its a natural extension of the job because novels carry a lot of reporting and truth. You have to experience the world to write about it.”

Books by Michael Connelly:

Series:

Harry Bosch:
The Black Echo (1992)
The Black Ice (1993)
The Concrete Blonde (1994)
The Last Coyote (1995)
Trunk Music ((1996)
Angel’s Flight (1998)
A Darkness More Than Night (2000)
City of Bones (2002)
Lost Light (2003)
The Narrows (2004)
The Closers (2005)
Echo Park (2006)
The Overlook (2007)
9 Dragons (2009)

Jack McEvoy:
The Poet (1995)
The Scarecrow (2009)

Mickey Haller:
The Lincoln Lawyer (2005)
The Brass Verdict (2008)

Stand Alone Novels:
Blood Work (1998)
Void Moon (1999)
Chasing the Dime (2002)

Non Fiction:
Crime Beat: Stories of Cops and Killers (2006)

Omnibus:
The Harry Bosch Novels: Black Echo/Black Ice/Concrete Blonde (2000)
The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote/Trunk Music/Angels Flight (2003)
Two Great Novels: The Black Echo, The Black Ice (2004)
The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 3: Darkness More Than Night/City of Bones/Lost Night (2008)

Anthologies Edited:
The Best American Mystery Stories 2003 (2003) (with Otto Penzler)
Murder in Vegas: New Crime Tales of Gambling and Depression (2005)
The Blues Religion: New Stories About Cops, Criminals, and Chase (2008)
In the Shadow of the Master (2009)