Write Right

As much as we love stimulants and late-night writing sessions, sleep is a very important of personal maintenance. It’s vital to your success and health. No two ways about it. Enough of the “never stop working” idea. We need rest. Recommended reading: jamesclear.com/sleep

Why are editorial services so pricy? Let’s dig into the details of the process to lay any confusions to rest. Our recommendation: visit the EFA's rates page. www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php

read? Recommended reading: Reading Like a Writer - Francine Prose; Story Trumps Structure - Steven James; The Anatomy of Story - John Truby

It's guaranteed that not everyone will love your book. It’s easy enough to deal with positive reviews. You share them, get excited, and move forward. What happens when you get a bad review? What should you do?

The prolific, Brandon Sanderson-esque writer is a rare gem. For most of us, writing—the thing we love to do—is like pulling teeth. How do you self-administer the kick in the rear that gets you back on track? John recommends: James Clear's newsletter, at jamesclear.com

The subject of social media is one of much debate, especially on social media channels. Does social media really work for writers? Is it a distraction? Do you have to have an account to succeed? Craig's recommendation: Tweepi for managing followers on Twitter

Sometimes, it feels like story archetypes mean that every story has already been told. What if your story is exactly like another that's already out there? What's the best way to get motivated if you feel like your story is unoriginal? Elan's recommended reading: Storyteller by Kate Wilhelm

Welcome to season two! We're starting strong, talking about the nuances of voice and how you can eschew the rules of grammar when it comes to character. John's book recommendation: Story Trumps Structure by Steven James.

Craig Gibb (Story Perfect's own marketing manager) has published over 50 works, many of them on his own under various pen names. He shares his wisdom about self-publishing in this episode.

While we're on a summer break, we wanted to take the time to say hi and offer an editing prompt to you. We'll be back in two weeks!

Despite the good intentions of the world at large, most of us judge books by their covers. That being the case, what are self-pub authors to do about being judged positively?

Based on last episode's discussion and an important caveat brought up by Ian, we take another look at breaking the rules, specifically as they pertain to dialogue.

The crew gets off topic, and Dale has to get bleeped out. Meanwhile, we discuss how mechanical rules can be broken, and whether or not they should be at all.

Dale records a new intro song, and the team introduces Ian, our newest apprentice. We dig into what your first time with an editor might look like, what kind of editing services might be offered, and what you might expect to get back from an editor.

Semi-colons are wonderful tools, but do they belong in fiction? It depends, but it's safe to say no. Book recommendations from this week include: The Little, Brown Handbook; A Dash of Style - Noah Lukeman; The Elements of Style - William Strunk & E.B. White

Commas are everywhere, and even though we understand them intuitively, there’s lots to be said about them. Also, Elan needs to learn to face his microphone.

Who? The SPE team talks narration and person in fiction.

Our first episode! The SPE team discusses beginnings.