Studying Stories as a Writer

The main fiction shelf in my house. 

Reading as a Writer

Reading helps us take in writing lessons on an unconscious level. When we read books in our genre (or even outside of it), we take in plot arcs, pacing, character development, purposeful dialogue, luscious descriptions, imagery, and metaphors. And, we take it all in without even thinking about it. It’s part of the DNA of the stories and books we read.

Let’s Not Forget Storytelling in All Forms

There are many ways to gain an unconscious knowledge of storytelling, to experience the DNA of stories. Storytelling can come in many, many forms. We have books, movies, short stories, poetry, T.V. or streaming show series, music, dance, art, and oral storytelling. We even have casual story-sharing moments – “Did you hear how I drove my parents to the grocery store and out for coffee in ten inches of snow last week?” (Yes, I really did that.)

How Do We Know a Story is Good

The DNA of story is wound in us and through us, individually and multi-culturally. Everyone loves a good story. And, what makes a story “good?” We know what makes it good intrinsically because we’ve read, viewed, listened, seen, and heard good stories, and sometimes great stories. We’ve also read, viewed, listened, seen, and heard terribly told stories, so we know what those are, too.

Studying the Craft Still Has a Purpose

We still need to study the writing craft or study our storytelling guides with a magnifying lens from time to time. It can truly help to slow down and take a long look at how each component of storytelling works within a story we love.

Last year, I spent several months reviewing every single superhero movies I had seen, but instead of just sitting back and watching them with family (okay, I did that, too), I watched most of them with a notebook and pen in hand and I took notes about scene changes, character development, dialogue, scene settings, mood, imagery, and metaphors.

I’ve been working on a superhero novel for a few years now and I “knew” something was wrong with my novel, but I couldn’t seem to pinpoint it until I watched all those movies, took all those notes, re-read a few dozen superhero novels and comics, read a few craft books, and asked myself questions while reading over my draft(s). I also took a course on Superheroes from edX which helped me understand the genre from a historical, pop culture perspective.

Just a few of the titles. I had to use the library for many of them.

I had the DNA-intrinsic knowledge of storytelling and the superhero genre to guide me, but I needed to study the intricate details of the genre and the craft of writing to see exactly what I was missing.

Tweet-able Take-Aways

As writers, we need to give ourselves time to enjoy stories as an audience and as students of our craft. #amwriting @TheIWSG 

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2019/02/studying-stories-as-writer.html

We need to read, view, see, hear, and experience stories to truly understand the DNA of story. #amwriting @TheIWSG
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2019/02/studying-stories-as-writer.html

We need to study stories to discover the detailed nuances of our craft.                         

#amwriting @TheIWSG http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2019/02/studying-stories-as-writer.html

If you are stuck in a story rut, take a moment to enjoy storytelling from the other side. Be an audience. Read. Watch. Listen. Learn. And, Enjoy!

How have you found stories (in all forms) to be inspirational and helpful to your writing?

4 Ways to Boost Your Digital Marketing Strategy

4 Ways to Boost Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Digital marketing is a fairly broad term. There are simply many digital channels for marketers to leverage. This can be overwhelming and potentially complicated. For example, a Facebook advertising agency would have different considerations than someone that specialized in Amazon advertising.

That’s why it helps to keep certain essential tips in mind when planning your strategy. By understanding key points, you’ll better understand how to maximize your return-on-investment.

Focus on SEO

Strong SEO drives potential customers to your site. There’s a reason marketers are constantly reviewing the latest SEO best practices .

After all, there are many websites on the internet. Plenty of them cover similar topics. When someone searches for virtually anything on Google, they want the most relevant sites to appear

first. 

Understanding SEO best practices and applying them to your entire digital marketing strategy will help you attract more attention organically.

Use Content Marketing

The average person usually doesn’t hop onto the internet with the intention of making a purchase. Thus, if your online presence is exclusively promotional and “salesy,” you might struggle to reach potential customers.

Content marketing addresses this issue. Quite simply, it involves providing customers with genuinely valuable or entertaining content. This can include articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, and more.

For instance, perhaps you’re designing a content marketing strategy for a realtor. Your target audience is probably interested in learning about the process of finding and buying a new home. Sharing blogs on topics like “10 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Home” will offer them real value.

Content marketing is helpful because it allows you to engage with leads and guide them through a customer journey. It’s also more cost-effective than many other marketing techniques.

Retarget

Research indicates that approximately half of all leads aren’t ready to make a purchase when they first engage with your brand. However, the fact that they engaged at all means they are probably interested in your products or services to some degree.

With website codes like the Facebook Pixel , you can design an ad campaign for the specific purpose of retargeting potential customers who have already engaged with your brand in the past. This is a simple way to boost sales.

Diversify

It’s worth noting that effective digital marketing campaigns typically don’t consist of one strategy. You need to use multiple channels to yield the best possible results.

You also need to experiment. By trying new methods and monitoring the performance of your campaigns on a consistent basis, you’ll get a better sense of what does and doesn’t work for your business.

The Insecure Writer's Support Day and Updates

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month and encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts today are February 6 posting of the IWSG are Raimey Gallant, Natalie Aguirre, CV Grehan, and Michelle Wallace!

Today’s optional question: Besides writing what other creative outlets do you have?

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The next IWSG anthology, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, (YA romance) will be released on April 30, 2019.

The authors are looking for blog tour hosts. If you can host a day and help spread the word about the anthology, sign up through Google Docs.

You can also pre-order either print or eBook: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Dancing Lemur Press LLC
Print ISBN 9781939844644 $14.95
EBook ISBN 9781939844651 $4.99

Plus show your support and add Masquerade on Goodreads.

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This month’s WEP Challenge is 28 Days.

This prompt came up as a contest winner generated by the IWSG gang – we chose the winner from a whole bunch of creative ideas! Congratulations to long-time WEP participant, Toinette Thomas.

Incorporate 28 days in your entry. It can be the time limit for a task or a challenge. The quantum of growth, a journey, a change, and/or healing that happens in 28 days. Come in with a werewolf entry. Or don’t. Tell us about some other moon phase-based folklore instead. Fashion an epistolary flash as a series of 28 diary entries or postcards. Mainstream, fantasy, romance, travel – all wide open. A lot of things can happen in 28 days!

Sign up and post your entry on February 20.

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The IWSG Goodreads Book Club is changing things up!

5 Discussion Questions: We will pose 5 questions that you can answer about the book we’ve read as a group. You can answer one question or all five. It’s up to you.

Discussion Day Poll: Every discussion day, there will also be a poll that all members will get invited to answer. This is a great option to participate that is fast and simple.

Quiz: You can also help us create a Goodreads quiz for the book we’ve read.

Giveaways: Every Discussion Day, book club members will get a Goodreads message that will include the chance for members to enter a free Rafflecopter giveaway.

Freebies: When we announce the next reading selection, another Goodreads message will go out that’ll include a downloadable freebie, which could be anything.

Other Polls: We will also invite members to answer writing or reading related polls during our “down” months. One poll will be related to the book in some way.

We read a new book every other month, alternating between craft books and fictional books that demonstrate an aspect of writing. Members vote on our fictional books.

Join Here: IWSG Goodreads Book Club
Our February/March 2019 book is…
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
This book was voted on by our members as a good example of setting.
Discussion Day will be March 20th.

What other creative outlets do you enjoy?