Formula for Successful Writing

Tell Me A Story

This post was originally published on the Daily Writing Tips. I thought it so important I have re-posted it here.

The Winning Formula for Writing Success

When I wrote the heading for today’s post, I thought to myself, “I should be making infomercials and workshop presentations, offering my ‘secret’ for a thousand dollars.” A thousand dollars a head for even a few dozen participants? That’s what I call successful writing: With one phrase and a few platitudes, I could take a couple of years off from work.
Nah. I’ll give it to you free of charge:
Quality requires quantity.
Yes? And?
That’s it. Quality requires quantity.
Oh, all right. I’ll expound.

The Frozen Trail

Tell Me A Story - book review


Author - Lisa Dayley
Title     - The Frozen Trail
Stars   - 3


The Frozen Trail:

In 1856 a group of Mormons trudged across the Great Plains, in wagon trains and pulling handcarts, to discover a new home shielded from prejudice. Emma Girdlestone confronts famine, frostbite, and fatality, so she and her family can join their fellow Latter-day Saints in the Salt Lake Valley.

Tools for writers

Tell Me A Story

FREE tools for writers 
Writers need easy to use tools so they can concentrate on the real job of writing, not playing with software. I was pleased to find these gems on a blog by Gary McLaren - Publish Your Own Ebooks

Here is a shortened version of his post.

To do any job well you need to use appropriate tools… and self-publishing is no different. While there are many software applications that can assist you during the process of writing and publishing your manuscript some of the applications are expensive, costing hundreds of dollars each.
So what if you are operating on a tight budget… or you would simply like to keep your operating costs low?

Outline that Story

Tell Me A Story




To outline or not, that is the question...

There are a number of authors, who rarely use an outline – and are quite vociferous about their methods. They claim if they know what’s happening, their work won’t be natural. Instead, they start the story with an incident, and let the whole thing develop.

The method undoubtedly works for some - for experienced writers who’ve trod the long and dusty path and understand the problems.

The problem is, can YOU recognize a quality conflict that will continue unfurling for the next 80,000 words, or will yours be electrifying to begin with, only to end in a blind alley. It’s too easy to start with a bang and a flourish of bright ideas, only to wither at chapter four.

Daddy's Home

Tell Me A Story - book review

Author - A.K. Alexander
Title     - Daddy's Home
Stars   - 4

Daddy's Home:

A manipulative killer stalks single mothers and their innocent children in pursuit of what he calls his perfect family. He plays the textbook father. When things are no longer perfect in his crazy, fantasy world, the family man murders.

Holly Jennings of the San Diego Police Department is single-mindedly tracking him to see justice served. His crimes become personal when a friend and her daughter become the latest victims of “The Family Man."

As Holly probes the murders, she finds she is drawn into a game played by "The Family Man," that may take her along a terrible path. One that may cost her family, her new found love, and even her life.

Unfinished Business

Tell Me A Story - book review

Author - Nora Roberts
Title     - Unfinished Business
Stars   - 4

Unfinished Business:

Hyattown alters very little whilst Vanessa is away. Brady is still sinewy, sporty, and craggy; except the once careless boy has turned into a solid, reliable man.

The only trouble is Brady stood her up at the most significant point of her life; can she ever trust him again? However, she didn't know he had good grounds for not showing up twelve years ago. He isn't going to let her get away a second time.

Kill Alex Cross

Tell Me A Story - book review

Author - James Patterson
Title     - Kill Alex Cross
Stars   - 3

Kill Alex Cross:
The President's two children are snatched, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. However, someone uses the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to hold him off the case.

A toxic contamination in the water supply ravages the capital, and Alex learns someone may be about to deliver a shocking attack on the United States.

As time for solving both crimes runs out, Alex takes a decision that may alter the destiny of the entire country.