There really is no end to learning. If you seek what you want to learn, there are many places, thanks to the power of internet, where you can get enough and more. I have followed many blogs and websites over the years, and continue to track them. I have gained considerably from reading different points of view on writing. I go in more for those which are practical and straight forward , rather than those which are highly technical. In today’s post, I put together some of these resources for writers: Continue reading “A Treasure Trove of Writing Tips”
Author: Prem Rao
Author, Blogger, Book Reviewer, Coach, and Podcaster
When I described myself as a thriller writer, I was once asked what drew me to this genre. What was it about thrillers that fascinated me so much? This was indeed food for thought. On reflection, here are the 3 reasons why I write thrillers:- Continue reading “3 Reasons Why I Write Thrillers”
If you or someone you know has this dream of writing a book some day, here’s one place where you get the collective wisdom of many famous writers. I speak of an old post by Steve Silberman in his blog “NeuroTribes.” In this post 23 brilliant authors share their thoughts and experiences in writing a book. These authors have written about a wide variety of subjects. Their thoughts and views are often as varied as the subjects they write on. Continue reading ““Practical Tips On Writing A Book””
The sheer diversity of blogs never ceases to amaze me. Be it in terms of content, writing style, the visual appeal or almost anything else, you will find a delightful range of blogs on writing, on books and on matters literary. Today, I invite you to join me as I point you to a few blogs that have recently caught my attention. Continue reading “Blog Crawling- 2”
Pub crawling , yes but blog crawling? That’s what I do to keep in touch with what writers all over the world have to say about their books and the craft of writing. They describe the books they are writing, the ones they are reading and share many thoughts and experiences. In today’s list, I start with Suspense Novelist by Peg Brantley, a Colorado based writer of suspense. Continue reading “Blog Crawling”
I am excited because I have just downloaded something which I keenly look forward to reading. No, it’s not a novel but a booklet about creating characters that bring greater interest in your novel. I am speaking of “Crafting Unforgettable Characters” a free e-book that you can get, courtesy K. M. Weiland. Her blog called Wordplay has great content and lots of it. No wonder her by line reads ” Helping Writers Become Authors.” Continue reading “A Wealth of Knowledge for Writers”
In this post, I would like to share a few things that caught my fancy in the week gone by:
- For World War II buffs, and I am a great one let me admit, here’s something which sounds very interesting. A story of Jews in the Second World War, not as you would imagine in Europe but in Shanghai of all the places. A thriller by Daniel Kalla called “The Far Side Of The Sky” is reviewed here in the Huffington Post by Julie A. Carlson. I was impressed by Kalla’s ability to manage to be a writer despite his demanding schedule as the department head of two teaching hospitals in Vancouver. Second, I learnt how fascinating it can be to choose a little known topic, like the Jews of Shanghai and write a book on this!
- James Patterson needs no introduction. He earned $84 million last year according to Forbes magazine to make him the world highest earning author.I was interested to read how he is busy spending big bucks to develop a readership for the future! This article in Bloomberg News by Patrick Cole makes some new points on how an author who already has a huge readership world-wide is doing his bit to develop the habit of reading: amongst new readers, especially kids.
If you want your book to do well, there’s a lot you need to do. Bob Mayer has brought out some powerful points in this article. I must thank Guy for his tweet pointing out this link. The first sentence says it all. According to Mayer, ” Ninety percent of books fail, because authors fail to promote it.” The post goes on to talk of those three key elements: Platform, Product and Promotion.
I learnt this early in my career as a writer. In November 2010, when my debut novel was launched, I wrote this blog post, motivated by John Shore.
If you have published your own book, the challenge is that much harder. Here’s what best-selling author of crime thrillers, Adam Croft has to say about building your own brand as an author.
If you thought making a career as a writer was all about writing, I think this may make you think again. Yes, it’s true. No promotion, no sales!
I have been full-time into writing for about two years now. I thought it made sense to capture how I go about writing. This could be use to me and not just for others who might be interested. These points are not in chronological order as I write them as they come to mind:-
“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight.” Did you like what you just read? I did, and how! Continue reading ““The art and craft of writing””
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 