"Head jumping". I don't write first person and I work on avoiding "head jumping", which I think I am managing well.
What is head jumping? That's a new term for me 
. Do you mean switching from one character's point of view to another's?
551 2015-04-02 16:53:44
Re: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
552 2015-04-02 14:06:02
Topic: Questions about the site? (2 replies, posted in New Members)
If you have any questions about the site, feel free to ask them here. I, or someone else will get back to you.
553 2015-04-02 14:05:13
Topic: What area of writing do you find most challenging? (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
I have a draft syllabus I plan on following that includes paragraphs, dialogue, point of view, and active versus passive sentences. Is there anything else that you would like covered? If so, let me know.
Thanks,
Sol
554 2015-04-01 16:17:57
Topic: Lesson 1 Posted (16 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Lesson 1 on the use of paragraphs has been posted. It includes two assignments.
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … raph-20818
Let me know if you have any questions.
Sol
555 2015-04-01 16:05:05
Topic: Class is in session (0 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hello all,
Welcome to the Introduction to Creative Writing Class!
I wanted to start out by introducing myself. I founded and run TheNextBigWriter as well as another online publishing site called Booksie.com. Together, the sites attract over 50,000 visitors per day and there are hundreds of thousands of short stories, novels, poems, etc. posted on the sites. I've seen a lot of content come through the virtual doors.
In addition, I am the founder and publisher of WorldMaker Media. WorldMaker has published ten books so far, several of which I have edited myself. The books have done pretty well, and one Screaming in the Silence reached the Amazon Top 100. Together, the books have sold tens of thousands of copies.
I'm also a writer and am finishing up my first book.
I read everything but some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, JK Rowling, George RR Martin. You can see more of my reading taste on my shelf:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/bookshe … 195/page-1
I've learned from writing, editing, and watching writers on the site that there are some common mistakes that many writers make and I'd like this course to focus on those. By the end of the course you will understand how to better paragraph your writing, use a consistent point of view, use dialogue, avoid the passive verb tense, and more.
Every week I will post a new less that will include an assignment. Please read it over and do the assignment. They will not take long. If you have questions, post them to this forum.
So, without further adieu, please read this week's lesson on paragraphs. And please also introduce yourself if you haven't already.
Best,
Sol
556 2015-04-01 12:00:26
Re: Deadline and chapter threes (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I can't in to the contest. They say I need to be in a group. I don't know how to get into a group. I posted two three chapter novels that are published but not available for the contest somehow. My group is the nextbig writer primium. That group doesn't count. I don't understand.
If you posted your content to the Premium Group then you could have entered. Watch the video at the bottom on How to Enter Contests.
557 2015-04-01 02:06:33
Re: Warning to others in the future. (8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I messed up and posted my novel to the seven line poetry contest in addition to the best first three chapters contest. How do I undo that? Anybody know?
Click on that piece of content in your portfolio and then go to the Contests sub-tab. On that tab, you can remove something from a contest.
558 2015-03-31 18:34:25
Re: Warning to others in the future. (8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I screwed up my entry into the 2015 writing contest. Instead of posting one book with three chapters, I posted the same book three times with one chapter each. Now that I've finally figured out what to do it's too late. I'm marked now as an unprofessional. Oh well. We live and learn. So to others, make sure that you use to Add Chapter tab when publishing in book form. It's too late for me in this contest. Good luck to all!
Formatting is not really a factor in the contest. As long as you get your chapters posted, they will be entered, even if you did one chapter per book. Good luck!
559 2015-03-31 15:32:21
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Amazon ads are a bit trickier. I have seen direct sales from the ads (there is a part of your campaign page that lets you know how much in sales you've made from the ad). Two things have made it tricky. The first is that if you are in the lending library or kindle unlimited you won't know if people are clicking your ad and then borrowing. The second is you need to be careful with your targeting. I have had the most success with very targeted placement by searching for similar books and pricing. I would recommend Amazon ads.
I've never used Amazon ads. How do they work? Can you select books that you want to be shown alongside?
560 2015-03-31 02:05:27
Topic: What is a writing workshop? (0 replies, posted in New Members)
What is an online writing workshop?
TheNextBigWriter is an online writing workshop but what does that mean? At its essence, a writing workshop is where writers get together to provide each other with constructive feedback on their draft work. The goal is help a writer understand what works in their creation and what can be improved.
An online writing workshop is an online version of this, where writers from all over the world, of all abilities interact in a virtual community, reading each other’s work and providing feedback on it.
An online writing workshop runs based on reciprocity - you provide feedback to me and I will provide feedback to you. Members benefit not only from receiving feedback on their work, but from reading, analyzing, and articulating feedback on the work of others.
In fact, members of TheNextBigWriter have told us that the act of reviewing other writers has significantly improved their own writing abilities.
Getting Started
The first step in participating in an online workshop is to either post your writing, or to read and review the work of another member.
Posting your writing
Some new members are nervous posting their writing to be read. They fear a negative reaction from other members or just don’t feel they are ready. This is normal. There is no pressure. If you are not ready, try reading and reviewing other members of the site and seeing how others do it. Over time, you will work up the confidence to post.
Reviewing the writing of others
New members are also often nervous about providing a review. “I don’t know how to review someone...I am not an expert or a professional...I don’t know what to say.” These are common statements we hear from new members.
Don’t worry.
As long as you can read and say what you like about the work, you are okay. Writers are happy to hear from you and any piece of feedback you can give as a reader is valuable. If you can provide in-depth editing suggestions, even better, but it is not necessary.
Books are written for readers not editors, so providing this perspective is the most valuable thing you can do. Below is a link to an article with some basic tips on reviewing:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/member/ … eview-tips
Posting and Reviewing
Posting and reviewing are the heart and soul of an online writing workshop. Give it a try and you will find that you will not only receive valuable feedback on your writing, but you will make friends and become part of a dynamic community of literary world builders.
Welcome!
561 2015-03-31 01:39:21
Re: Welcome to the Class (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hi Jube, Rosie, and Gregg,
Welcome to the class! Thanks for posting your information. Come on everyone else, don't be shy.
Please also do not post content to the group yet. We will get there shortly. I don't want the posting section to be a free-for-all.
Thanks,
Sol
562 2015-03-30 18:29:17
Topic: Welcome (48 replies, posted in New Members)
One of the best ways to start getting comfortable on the site is to introduce yourself. Don't be shy. Say hello below.
563 2015-03-30 13:08:19
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Sol, in your FB ads did you link directly to the Amazon page for the book?
I may have to try FB ads again. I used them years ago when my first novel came out, but was never quite convinced they were working. One thing that's been hard for me is to connect any particular marketing effort directly to a spike in sales. I try to do some marketing all the time, and always an extra push leading up to and during the release.
I linked to a Facebook page that I set up just for that book. My main goal was to get people to share the page and have it spread a bit. Get people talking. It seemed to work. The page had over 2,500 likes.
564 2015-03-29 21:25:45
Topic: Please do not post general content to the Marketing Group. (0 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I've noticed that members of the Marketing Your Writing Group are posting their general content to it. Please do not do it. I will delete the content and if it continues, remove the person from the group. Please only post marketing-related content to the group. If you have case studies, articles, or anything else related to marketing your writing then it belongs in this group. Anything else please post elsewhere.
Thanks,
Sol
565 2015-03-29 17:49:47
Re: Alayton the troll is back (3 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Account closed.
566 2015-03-26 16:15:52
Topic: Welcome to the Class (22 replies, posted in Intro to Creative Writing - Spring 2015)
Hi,
Welcome to an Introduction to Creative Writing! I'm very excited to be teaching this class. As a warm-up, I'd like everyone to provide a quick introduction. If you're new to the class, go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself. Don't be shy! Please include the following:
(1) What type of writing (romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) do you like to do?
(2) When did you start writing?
(3) Who are a couple of your favorite authors?
(4) What's a fun or quirky fact about you?
The goal of the class is to teach you some of the basics of creative writing while having a good time.
If you have joined after the class has started, no worries. You can go through the lessons at your own pace. If you post the assignments, I will take a look at them.
Below are links to each of the class lessons:
Lesson 4: Showing versus Telling
Lesson 5: Punctuating Dialogue
Lesson 6: Active Versus Passive
Thanks,
Sol
567 2015-03-25 21:49:20
Re: Wishlist Cont. (212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
We have no plans to increase the limit beyond 10.
568 2015-03-25 21:10:11
Re: Wishlist Cont. (212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I think what we really need is some clarification. What is this group for? Just discussing the site? Member announcements? Site announcements like contests beginning, winners named, class costs and dates? I think if SolN would just let us know the purpose of this group that would be more helpful than redesigning the whole system.
Most groups tell you the topics that will be covered in their name. Not so much with this group.
Groups are whatever you want them to be. There is no single purpose to a group. Make of them whatever you want. I have shown a few examples of what they can be: a workshop, a class, a discussion group, but I'm sure there are other great applications. Go for it.
Sol
569 2015-03-23 22:19:04
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Sol - what type of Facebook advertising worked for you? My first ad was a freebie & generated oodles of page likes - my second ad, which was a paid effort, was a flop.
It was a paid ad in the right hand column. I've done stream ads also but have found those less effective from a sales perspective because most of the traffic is mobile. Mobile users are browsers, not buyers. Stream traffic also generates lots of likes which can be beneficial depending on the book. Screaming in the Silence was a bit controversial and so Likes tended to draw in more readers and those interested in the subject.
http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Silence … 1427148964
I dialed back the marketing effort although I may restart it soon. At its selling height, the book was in the Amazon Top 100 for paid books. But I didn't just market it on Facebook. I used a variety of tactics.
Sol
570 2015-03-23 22:13:26
Topic: Technical Problem (0 replies, posted in Crafting the Strongest Start - Spring 2015)
Hi all,
I just wanted to let everyone know we are experiencing a small technical problem which might prevent you from reading Anita's first lesson as well as any other content posted to the class. We will have it fixed by tomorrow. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Best,
Sol
571 2015-03-23 21:12:48
Re: Strongest Start Competition 2015 is Launched (33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
If you see your entry on this list, you are in.
572 2015-03-21 21:51:29
Re: How do you add a chapter? (2 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Thanks Dirk. The process is the same for Basic and Premium.
Jemma, I think the problem you are having is that you posted your story as a short story. Short stories do not have chapters. To have a chapter, you must post the content as a book. If you repost it as a book, let me know and I will give you the points back that you spent posting it as a short story.
Sol
573 2015-03-20 14:26:38
Re: Sol, a request (8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
It used to be possible to generate a print-friendly version but we thought with iPads and smart phones it wasn't necessary anymore. Would you prefer print out a hard copy?
574 2015-03-20 13:58:06
Re: Book Marketing Tactics that Worked (11 replies, posted in Marketing Your Writing)
Has anyone used a contest or sweepstakes to market a book? I'd be curious to know how that worked out.
575 2015-03-20 01:29:14
Topic: Enrollment Complete (2 replies, posted in Crafting the Strongest Start - Spring 2015)
Hi all,
This is just a note to tell you that if you are seeing this message, your enrollment in the Strongest Start Class is complete. Anita will be posting a welcome message shortly. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Sol
