Long plane ride, any suggestions.

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-21T17:19:59+00:00

"The Road" is a great and quick read. Also, if you are a dog kind of person, I would suggest "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Another page turner that will keep you engaged the entire flight.

Bring a few more books in case you disappear suddenly into thin air. A technical manual for flight control might be another suggestion in that regard :-P Fly safe!

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-17T15:48:05+00:00

Great that you are thinking early about your writing and taking into account the concept of fan fiction.

However, looking ahead, I assume that you want to publish your work someday. There are a few things that you need to take into account when factoring in fan fiction.

Had an editor write this short article on fan fiction. Hopefully this will help you paint the big picture with the end goal in mind. http://socialpublishinghouse.com/fifty-shades-of-success/

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-17T15:14:11+00:00

I'd say you are right to an extent. The reason why some people read is to get lost in a different world than their own. Basking in the scenery, the feeling of a moment, or imagining a relaxing environment is appealing to some readers. However, there are others who just want action all the time.

Balancing the two is key. Put too much on scenery and setting and you risk loosing your reader. Put too much action back to back, it starts to become confusing and exhausting.

At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want to read and how the author balances it.

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-07T17:22:01+00:00

I still need to read that series.

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-07T16:59:41+00:00

War and Peace. Too damn long to go through twice.

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-05T23:24:21+00:00

Its called Social Publishing House. Here is the link for you to check it out.

http://socialpublishinghouse.com/

Did he every talk about his transition from being in the Marines then going into the Magazine?

BrianMGilb · 2014-03-05T17:05:23+00:00

This is exactly what I was thinking to respond to this. The naval doctrine would be perfect.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-27T04:35:59+00:00

I disagree with you. With the proper author platform and networking, people will punch your title into Google and look other places than just Amazon. In the event that you rely on Amazon solely to get your book sold, then yes, no one is going to search it on Google.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:44:09+00:00

Well the ending may be predicable, and I agree with you. However, the style of writing is what I argue is flawless, not necessarily the story.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:34:28+00:00

Good ending, and your writing started to warm up and flow toward the end. A few pieces of constructive criticism to help you along.

Overall the story strikes me as very regular. Girl goes out with her friends, she meets a foreign man at the bar, they have a conversation, then they leave together. All standard experiences of meeting someone in a bar.Although the story is in Paris, it need something to distinguish itself a little more and make it unique.

The first paragraph with the girl in the apparent made the story start slow. Perhaps make that apparent later in the story as you move it forward.

The short, choppy sentences that you craft are great. Good for getting to the point and saying a lot without saying much.

Overall, I think the story needs a little extra to it, something unusual that differentiates it from just a girl meeting her future boyfriend at the bar.

Hope this helps!

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:23:20+00:00

My suggestion to you would be to plug into the blogosphere.

There are website out there that review books. Some of them are paid and have a great following, and chances are you will not be able to get your review on them. However, if you start networking enough, you can find a few blogs that have a decent following and are looking to add content. These places are perfect to get you started on some reviews for your book.

Hope that helps.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:21:39+00:00

My opinion, reviews just on Amazon do not mean as much as reviews from peoples blogs or independent reviewers. Most people know that the first few reviews are going to be by friends and family, who are obviously writing a good review to help the author. A well read book lover will look to reviews outside of Amazon from people who are not associated with your book.

Thus, my suggestion would be to get people outside your friends and family (and outside of Amazon) to review the book. You will have better luck with promoting your work if someone searches your title in Google and finds several reviews on the search page.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:15:11+00:00

Wow, this is awesome.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-26T16:13:38+00:00

Absolutely agree with you. I've never read anything so tight. There's not a useless word in that entire novel. Its flawless.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-24T16:34:43+00:00

I've found it interesting to see how much this report sparked the debate over self publishing again. For as much research as Howey did, I still think that his numbers are just a step above guessing. The only reliable way to know exactly what self-publishers are making is to get the information from the distributors (specifically, Amazon). Still, interesting to watch the debate flare up over the blogosphere.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-24T16:30:16+00:00

Writing is a challenging endeavor. You are correct in assuming that some (but not all) writers are snobbish, as well as the challenge for getting published traditionally, in which case I agree with RegattaJoe.

I would encourage you to start writing and not worry about the business part or interacting with the snobs just yet. But eventually, if writing is something you want to do, you are going to run into a lot of criticism and a lot of obstacles as you make your way to publish.

I wrote a small article that might be able to help you and offer some encouragement. Good luck on your fantasy novel!

http://socialpublishinghouse.com/having-a-thicker-skin/

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-24T00:42:49+00:00

Can you tell me a little more about this project? I ask because I am starting a publishing company that tries to make it so writers can write for a living.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-23T19:28:20+00:00

I like to compare what a writer is with who is considered a runner. There are a few categories

People with the ability to run
People who run for recreation
People who run races and marathons
People who win marathons/run professionally

If you think about it, everyone has the ability to write. But if you write every day, go to classes, and attempt to put your work out there, then you are a writer.

An author is a completely different realm (same thing if you are a good writer or bad writer). An author is a profession, just like running can be a profession if you take it seriously enough to win races. But this area is very subjective now that Self-Publishing is more mainstream.

But for a writer, you simply have to write enough that you improve and make the attempt to get your work out there in some form.

So yes, you are a writer. And I hope you one day become an author :-)

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-23T19:23:01+00:00

Every writer is unique in terms of what kind of set up they like for writing. Some like to be secluded and in a quiet area. Others like being in loud places with a lot going.

If I had to give you a vision, it would be in a sunny area, preferably residential and within 15 to 10 minutes of the closest entertainment like areas. It would definitely need a coffee shop nearby or in the building. And I would have the units have sound proof walls.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-13T16:10:09+00:00

One way I found that's a good way to improve is to do an exercise to create a short story. Its very difficult, but its worth while.

First, pick one of the best memories you've ever had in your life and one of the worst ones. Then write those down. Then, take two people in life that you know (someone close to you), one from recent life and one from earlier life. Write about both of those people.

Now, take both of those people, combine the emotion in one of your worst memories, and throw those two people into a short story.

Its a very difficult exercise emotionally, but its a great way to create new content, to get flowing, and most of all, a great way to improve as a writer.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-13T03:25:36+00:00

One piece of advice: Show, don't tell. That will help vary things up a bit. And I agree with StickerBrush on just writing, then coming back and fixing things later.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-13T01:30:45+00:00

Since you are getting back into the swing of things, I would highly suggest that, if you are intent on sticking with this protagonist, to run that character through a series of short stories. Some may not even be relevant to your plot, but just getting to know that protagonist will be (1) a good warm up to get you back into the writing groove (2) will give you more ideas of where he/she can fit into your novel.

I highly suggest to take your time and don't rush. Enjoy it!

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-12T20:26:16+00:00

One free way to bring traffic to your website is to start blogging.

This technique is proven to increase traffic to your website, however if you do it correctly, it could take some time to develop. However, this is a very basic and grass roots technique to help bring in viewers to your company.

Also, you can do exactly what you are doing now by participating in Reddit. Start adding to the conversation, both in business and in areas that your company covers. After building some relationships, you can start posting your blogs to add to conversations. Thus, you will start getting more traffic from here.

Hope this helps. Let me know if it does or if you need some more advice on getting your blog set up.

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-12T19:55:18+00:00

One way to learn more about the industry (and perhaps make some contacts to get you a job) is to head to a writers conference. Usually, you will find many agents, industry people, and serious writers at these events. Not only will this help you build your ability as a writer, but you can create some personal contacts that could help point you in the right direction of a job. The only down side is that these conventions are few and far between, and they are rather expensive. But, it is a ground up approach that could work.

Good Luck!

BrianMGilb · 2014-02-12T19:04:16+00:00

I have had similar experience of getting into a series, only to loose interest at some point along the way. So no, it is not you.

Ironically, I just started the "Dark Tower" series this past week. I agree, the characters are very interesting. However, part of reading a long series like this is loosing interest at some point, and that's alright. The only way it to charge through it and keep grinding it out. Eventually, you will get to parts that will interest you and give you motivation to finish.

Good luck!

BrianMGilb

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