Writer's Report 2.0

Marc Kramer from TheStreet.com, describes the 10 Reasons why he writes “how to” books (the least of which is monetary gain) and the 4 steps he uses to get his books on the shelves.

…Everyone who visits my Web site or sees my business card — which lists the five books I’ve written — asks me what it takes to write a book and get it published. They ask me why I write books to begin with.

Writing books is very rewarding on many levels, but it is a lot of work for typically very little money. The average advance for a first-time writer is typically $5,000 to $10,000, and it takes about 16 hours a week for a year if you are fast. That translates into $6 to $12 an hour, so financial gain is pretty low on the list of benefits. It’s certainly on my list of 10 reasons I write books, though:

Go here for the complete Four Steps article

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Podcast: Tom Occhipinti at AmericanWriters.com looks at two different kinds of protagonists: the fallen and the redeemed. Properly handled, tragedies and redemption stories become very powerful character-driven pieces. Time 38:35

Blog: Novelist Susan Hill offers a free Creative Writing course on her blog. It’s in progress, so you may have to play some catch-up. Be forewarned Susan is the self-described “Simon Cowell of aspiring writers”. She is.