Tinderboox sends its thoughts and prayers to the victims of the bombing in Boston.
So many horrifying, troubling things have been reported in the media. However, there have also been numerous inspiring pictures and reports of kind, selfless things done by first-responders and everyday citizens in the wake of the tragedy.
For today’s exercise, write a scene which centers on the idea of “selfless” behavior. Perhaps you want to think about the motivation to be selfless, the consequences of being selfless, or want to imagine a non-heroic character making a choice to do (or not do) a self-sacrificial thing. If you need a good place to get started, pick a news story or photograph and imagine you are writing from the perspective of one of the people involved.
This week, much has been made of Justin Bieber’s visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Anne Frank was, of course, the author of Diary of a Young Girl, a classic piece of literature derived from the journal that she kept while she and her family his from Nazi’s prior to and during WWII.
As this post is written, much of the international news is devoted to the developing situation in North Korea.
The current situation is a product of the Korean War, which ended more than half a century ago. What would have happened if that had turned out differently?
Alternate histories are a favorite genre for many writers. They have been employed by everyone from Mark Twain to the writers of Star Trek. Imagining alternate timelines allows us to imagine “What if” and show the world our own version of what might of been (or what we should be glad wasn’t!).
For today’s excercise, choose an event in history. Imagine that it happened differently. How did that change the future?
Anyone who has taken a writing class has received the advice to use more than just sight and sound when describing the events and scenes in their stories. Science has proven that smells and tastes are actually the most potent at evoking memories and emotions.
It can be challenging to learn how to incorporate additional senses into our writing because descriptions are usually provided by similie rather than a straightforward word. For today’s excercise, pick a scene from a favorite book or movie and rewrite it, trying to convey the scene without using sight or sound. Concentrate on what your character smells, tastes or feels.
Don’t forget – we would love to see your creation on the Tinderboox Forum!
Until the advent of e-mail, letter writing was an important communications skill. Some of the most interesting pieces of writing aren’t novels or short stories- they are humble letters. These pieces of every day writing offer intriguing insights into famous people, famous times and even our favorite authors. Abraham Lincoln, Jane Austen, Cicero and even John Lennon recorded their thoughts and sentiments in this classic form.
Select two characters – historical figures, celebrities, literary figures or characters from your own imagination – and write a letter from one to the other about a significant event that occurs during their lifetime. It can be something of historical or personal importance. Why are they writing? How soon are they writing? What do they feel about what is going on? What actions have they taken or do they intend to take in response? As you write, consider the way that your word choice, sentence structure and emphasis reflect the character’s personality and world view.
We would love to see what you come up with! Please join us at the Tinderboox forum to share your creation!
Self-published author Hugh Howey wrote a wildly successful series of short stories collectively referred to as “Wool“. The books deal with a post-apocalyptic society and offers his thoughts and observations on the ways that humans deceive one another as well as themselves.
In Wool, one of the way that authorities are able to maintain control of the population is to exploit the fear associated with a lack of resources and/or reliable information. This is a common theme in post-apocalyptic stories.
For today’s writing exercise, imagine that your character is one of the few remaining people on Earth after a huge disaster. If you want, explain what happened and how your character survived. Is s/he glad that they escaped, or do they wish that they died along with everyone else. How much of the infrastructure on Earth survived? Is your character able to explore, or are they confined? Do they have plans to improve their situation, or merely to survive? Are there any GOOD things about starting over? What are the things about humanity that were preserved or that your character wants to safeguard?
In both works (one of which is serious fiction, the other is a humourous children’s story), the author shows us how the events in a familiar story looked and felt to someone with different goals and perspectives. In the case of Wide Sargasso Sea, the character known only as Rochester’s insane wife (his impediment to true love) is fleshed out as a person with desires and motivations which contradict her depiction in JANE EYRE.
For today’s writing challenge, choose one of your favorite stories and think of a minor character that interests you – it is even better if the character is an antagonist or unlikable. Write a scene of the story from the perspective of this person.
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
There are numerous folk tales and cultural touchstones which deal with characters who fall asleep (or are frozen) only to reawaken years later in a time that they no longer recognize. Choose a time period that interests you. Describe how your character fell “asleep” and what reawakened them. It can be any genre you choose: Sci-Fi (put into cryosleep for a long journey), romance (fell into a freezing lake?), Fantasy (A witch’s spell), etc. What time period do they wake up in? What is different? What is the same? How do they deal with the fact that they will never be able to return to the world as they knew it? Does that make them happy or sad? What if your character was on the “wrong side of history”? Is he or she honest about his or her past?
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
Today’s story starter comes from a quote that we saw on Pinterest:
“Those who are heartless, once cared too much”.
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
After spending a lifetime chasing a dream that sometimes seemed unobtainable, despite hardships and at an incredible personal and financial cost, your character finally achieved his or her life’s goal.
Time has passed. The parades and kudos are over. The novelty is gone. People don’t recognize him or her on the street anymore. What is life like for them now? Do they create a new goal? Do they spend their life trying to recapture their moment of glory? Suppose they are approached by someone with a similar goal who wants advice- do they take the newcomer under their wing or secretly sabotage them?
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
Your character suffers a fate similiar to that of Cassandra in Greek Myth. Cassandra could tell the future, but no one would believe her. Your character can control everyone’s fate EXCEPT his or her own.How did he (or she) discover this power? What is the best thing about it? What is the worst?
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
LOST DOG:
This story starter is inspired by a brief on Newser about a rash of mysterious dog disappearances in Idaho. Read the story by clicking here.
In the morning, the dog was home, sitting inside his doghouse taking an early nap as the kids headed off to school. When they return, the backyard is empty. The gate is closed. Food and water are in the dish. Toys are strewn about- but the dog is gone.
There is no other sign that the yard was disturbed, no obvious clue that the dog was taken or that s/he ran away. This is odd enough, but the telephone pole at the end of the block is littered with “Lost Dog” posters. What is happening?
Is someone taking the dogs for fights or for illegal labs? Were the dogs abducted by aliens? Are the dogs running away on their own, triggered by some sign that only dogs can sense? Are other animals going missing to? Will it get better? Worse?
Soon-to-be Mother Recieving Books from Pack Horse Librarian
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. This is part of continuing series of story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution, but we won’t fuss if you don’t.
PACK LIBRARIAN:
This story was inspired by a link posted at the Women of Library History tumblr. You can read more about it (and see an amazing photograph!) by following the link.
Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Times are tough all over, but they have always been hard here. Families are born, struggle and die in poverty in their shoddy back-wood shacks. They mine coal, farm tobacco and starve without any real hope of escape or a vision of anything more.
One day, a stranger rides up to a dilapidated cabin. The newcomer is a young woman- and she comes bearing gifts: a selection of books available to be borrowed. Perhaps only one member of the family can read. He or she selects a book. At night, by the light of the fire, s/he enthralls the rest of the family with stories of great deeds and far away lands. They look forward to each visit with anticipation. Then, one week, the librarian does not arrive.
You can go a lot of different directions with this story. Is it a romance between the educated city librarian and the oldest son? A tale of inspiration for a younger child who will learn to read and escape from poverty? A chance for the single young librarian to find adventure and independence? Maybe you decide to go completely off the reservation: the librarian is abducted by aliens. Their knowledge of human civilization comes from the books in her pack…and what books does she have?
Editor’s Note: The primary mission of Tinderboox is to nurture and assist new authors in their quest to share their talent with the world. Starting today, Tinderboox will debut a new feature: Story starters. The purpose of story starters is to ignite a spark of creativity which may lead to a new story or project. If you use a story starter, we would love to see what you come up with! Story starters are offered with a Creative Commons Free Cultural License- that means that you should feel free to use the idea however you want, even if it is commercial. We would appreciate a link-back or attribution.
MISSING:
This story starter is inspired by a newspaper article about William and Margaret Patterson, a couple who went missing from El Paso, Texas in 1956. You can read more about them in the El Paso Times.
Modern day. A newlywed couple has just moved into their dream home- a quaint, 1930′s bungalow in El Paso, Texas – an Army town on the Mexican border. They don’t have a lot of money, so they are doing a lot of the work themselves. While ripping out the plaster walls, they discover a box of film negatives and a postcard of Mexico City. The film is old and brittle, but clearly depict buildings and machines at the Army post and nearby White Sands, New Mexico (famous for its nuclear tests).
Bored and lonely, the wife does some research into the former owners of the house and discovers that they owned a photography supply store in town. They were a reclusive couple who kept to themselves. Then, one night, they disappeared. Several months later, a mysterious letter was sent to their business. It was allegedly from the couple, declaring that they were never returning and asking that their house and business be sold. There was no one to verify the signature and no return address. Rumors began to swirl. Had the couple really run away? Were they dead? Could they, perhaps, be spies?
Although this paragraph looks like the opening of a mystery novel or political thriller, it could easily become a horror story, a romance, or even a comedy. Experiment with different genres and viewpoints and take note of how it influences the development of your story.
Congratulations to Tinderboox author Stephanie Sterling on the publication of her latest novel, Stolen Vows.
Stolen Vows is a reimagined version of Stephanie’s first book, “A Beautiful Life”. Over the coming year, Stephanie plans to revise and republish the entirety of her popular “Camaraes” series with the Tinderboox team.
Stolen Vows tells the story of Isla Cameron and Roan MacRae. For as long as anyone can remember, the Camerons and the MacRaes have been involved in a bitter feud. That feud seems likely to continue when, while delivering an ill-timed olive branch, Laird-to-be Roan MacRae encounters Isla Cameron stranded on the side of the road. He stops to help, and is quickly trapped in Isla’s dangerous web of secrets.
Falsely accused of offending Isla’s honor, Roan is given no choice but to marry the girl. He vows that he will never forgive his wife for her treachery, but that is a promise that his body and his heart may be unable to keep.
Can Isla and Roan learn to trust and love in spite of their beginning, or will Isla’s past destroy them both?
Today, services like Amazon KDP and Smashwords make it easier than ever to offer your words for sale to millions of readers worldwide. However, many authors learn the hard way that engaging in self-publishing and succeeding in self-publishing are two very different things.
We asked successful eBook authors for their thoughts on “Things I wish I had known before I ePublished”.
The most oft-repeated words of advice are to realize that success takes work. As author cycyycy[1] says, “Any creative craft is the same…you must put your time in, earn it, and own it.”
Thomas E. Baldwin[2] self published in 1990, got nationwide distribution and was one of the early members of Amazon Advantage in the 1990s. He recommends that new authors recognize and respect the enormity of the task in front of them if they intend to produce a quality product.
“The publishing process sounds simple, but it’s complicated. It involves transferring files between different parties with different requirements. All those rules are on web sites and have to be searched, read, and studied to get it right. If you want to just drop off a manuscript and have a book in six weeks go to a vanity press.”
He has found that not all the “help” on offer to would-be authors is a good deal. “There are a bunch of people out there who make their living selling stuff to self publishing authors. Some of it is good, and a lot of it is unnecessary or way over priced. There are people telling you on web sites and forums and as paid consultants that you can whip out a novel in a couple weeks or just have someone else write it; put together a cover from random pictures, play games with Amazon and Google search engines, and be a bestselling author. The market is catching on to that pretty fast.”
For Baldwin, the ultimate goal is to produce a work that he is proud of. “In the end you have what you create. The novel I published in August took three years to write, lay in a drawer for 20 years, took 6 months to re-write, and four months more to get onto Amazon in Kindle and paper. The cover artist took six months to create the cover. I’ve got about $1200 in the whole project. Break even is a distant dream. But, I am very proud of that book, and will be releasing the sequel in a few months. I plan to peddle those and other books I will write for the rest of my life.”
Another important tip is that new authors should never underestimate the importance of editing. Sarah Blake, the author of several successful romance novels, cringes when she thinks about her early efforts at publishing. “Just because you CAN publish your story without having it thoroughly and professionally edited doesn’t mean that you should,” she says. “If I could go back in time, I would smack myself for rushing to press with the novels that were lurking around in my hard drive. Although I subsequently hired someone to edit the stories and I republished, the ‘needs an editor’ reviews are still around to haunt me. It is especially frustrating because this situation would have been easy to avoid.”
Unedited works are a recurring complaint from readers and authors alike. Novelist Chelsea Scott[3] notes that sloppy work gives all independently published writers a bad name. “Poorly edited, unprofessional books are the bane of the conscientious self-published and small press author. They confirm the stereotypes about indie work and discourage new readers from taking a chance on books which haven’t passed through the ‘legacy publishing’ gatekeepers.”
Of course, proper spelling and capitalization aren’t the only requirements for presenting a professional image. In a recent survey, authors were asked to rank the keys to success in independent publishing. Their top five answers were (in order):
1) Having a professional Book Cover-which follows the cover rules.
2) Having a professionally edited and formatted manuscript
3) Presenting good content written for an overall appeal, yet with the target audience in genre in consideration.
4) Having multiple titles, a series, and a character following appeal.
5) Using a concise well planned marketing approach, with a launch push.
Producing professional products isn’t cheap, but starbuckjones believes that the initial outlay is justified. “If I had to say something I wish I had known before e-publishing, it would be to open my wallet more. So much of my time has been wasted trying to do everything myself in a bid to save a buck…An extra $200-300 out of pocket to have other people do things would have saved me an easy four months of time with my trilogy and an unknown amount of hours of frustration and unnecessary stress.”
Don’t forget that publication is a mid-point in the process, not the final step. Authors need to find an audience for their work. That requires marketing skill, tenacity and – oftentimes – a lot of patience.
Diedre Gage, author of The Getaway Girls: A New Orleans Tale of Monsters, Mayhem and Moms recommends that new authors carefully plan out their marketing strategy, especially as it relates to the internet. “I wish I had known to think ahead about a web “home” for promoting the book instead of randomly choosing Blogger, which turns out not to be very SEO-friendly. I would have either built a site through GoDaddy or built a blog through WordPress (simpler to add tags) AND, I’d have registered my preferred domain name (book title and/or author name) right then and there. A cumbersome blog title and forwarding from custom domains hurts search results.”
In sum, the process of bringing a quality eBook to market is more involved and demanding than most new authors could ever imagine.
Michael Robinson says, “In all those years that ALL of us “browsed the bookstore, sipping our lattes and just browsing, NONE of us truly realized how many professionals’ hours of time had been spent .. and as it turns out, wasted, because we did not buy every single one of the books on the shelves in front of us. We had no idea that every one of those books had a cover that had been professionally designed. We never knew the editors who pored over every single page. We were clueless about the efforts of the publicists. Heck, we didn’t even know what the publishers did, other than buy the ISBN number and slap their trademark on the spine! As E-Authors and E-Publishers, we sure-as-heck know NOW. We were so enamored of the very THOUGHT of ‘getting published’ that we never stopped to think BEYOND that point.”
Cycyycy recommends that new authors spend some time combing through the archives on the Amazon KDP website (free to join and open to unpublished authors) before embarking on an independent publishing adventure. The community has a nearly endless supply of hard-won advice that is available with minimal searching. “Click on the user names of those you believe to be ‘of the mind’ to assist you, and read their posts,” Cycyycy advises. “Two days later, you will possess the equivalent of a B.A. in self-publishing and marketing.”
Don’t forget that the Tinderboox community is also here to help you and to answer your questions.
Succeeding at independent publishing is hard work, but can be extremely rewarding. In the end, remember the words of Sargeking, self-published author of numerous titles: “a good book will rise to the top regardless of how many other books are out there”.
Keep writing!
[1] Authors are identified by the name that they use to post at the KDP Community Forum
Lillian is a privileged and beautiful duke’s daughter whose world is turned upside down when her widowed mother marries a seedy merchant.After her mother suddenly dies as well, Lilly has no one to turn to when scandal erupts over her stepfather’s treason. As her world falls apart Lilly is forced to go into hiding with the help of her loyal staff. She finds work as a cook’s assistant in the kitchen of a wealthy but mysterious aristocrat.Dominic Coel, Earl of Redwick, is a spy on the cusp of retirement. He is ordered to complete one last mission. He must track down a young girl who disappeared with stolen royal jewels. Dominic is desperate to complete his task and begin a normal life without murder and lies. While he must focus on his duties he can’t help but be distracted by the mysterious beauty who has just joined his kitchen staff. The girl is innocent to say the least, but her elusive nature and cultured speech drives him to wonder who the real Miss Millie James is.
D.L. Rose was born and raised in Southern California where she currently lives with her husband, their son, and their crazy animals. She has worked as a veterinary technician for almost ten years but has always been in love with romance novels. It started about the age of 14 when her aunt would send boxes of books to her family and sheld sneak out all the books with half naked men on them. D. L. was an insatiable reader and started to write her own stories.
The birth of her son really pushed D.L. to achieve her dream. D.L. says, “Being an author means so much more to me than just selling books. It means having the freedom to be home with my son through every stage of his life, no longer missing out on family events like birthdays and holidays due to work. Life is too short to spend it clocked in on someone else’s time clock. Writing about falling in love is a true joy. I get to relive those feelings every time I read a book or write my own and it never gets old. For the first time I can see myself doing something for the rest of my life and being happy.”
and 
, two tales told from the point-of-view of minor characters in the most common telling.
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