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10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist OUT NOW

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Most people think their hero is the most important character in their book. I argue it’s the villain. After all, the villain is – for the most part – the source of conflict in your story. And without conflict you don’t have a story. Conflict is your hero’s catalyst for change, which means it’s quite literally the holy grail of story telling.

So your villain is important. But surely your heroes are too?

Yes. Yes, they are.

Your hero is the lens through which your reader experiences your story. Without your hero there is no narrator, no filter for which the story can be told. It would be like going to the movies and wearing headphones and a blindfold.

That’s why I wrote 10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist.

And guess what?

It’s out today.

Grab my copy of 10 Steps To Hero

Want to know more? Read on… [Read more…] about 10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist OUT NOW

Do you want to master dialogue? @LiteraryLiving can help #amwriting

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Dialogue is one of the harder elements of writing. Too often it sounds stilted, dull or ridiculous. Yet it forms such a vital part of your character’s make up. It’s the only time we hear from them directly.

The worst mistake you can make is writing fictional dialogue in the style of a normal conversation.

We litter our prose with ums and ahhhs and loop backs and repetition. If you wrote dialogue like that in your novels you’d bore your readers to tears.

Mastering dialogue is one of THE quickest ways to improve your manuscripts. It creates pace and tension and can even get you noticed by literary agents and publishers.

So the question is… how should you write dialogue? If only there was a nifty resource that could teach you how to master it…

Well, I know just such a thing… [Read more…] about Do you want to master dialogue? @LiteraryLiving can help #amwriting

The Burnout Bitch: writers beware

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Here’s the thing. Burnout is inefficient. And there’s literally nothing I hate more than inefficiency. It’s my archnemesis. It slows me down, makes me angry and ragey, and mildly violent… (toward my keyboard)1

But worse, if you’re anything like me, you’re completely incapable of realizing you’re tired, let alone reaching the brink of total burnout. I’m blind to burnout. It’s like fighting a custom built invisible demon while blindfolded and strapped into a straight jacket. Suffice to say, I’ve probably gone through at least six months of piss poor writing performance, chronic exhaustion, a terrible mindset and insomnia. Because I know what’s useful when you’re tired, NOT SLEEPING.

Okay, I’ll wind my neck in because I like to be a sparkling ray of positivity here.

LIES.

We all know I’m a scathingly cynical, intensely sarcastic rage-beast from the depths of your nightmares.  But that slight tangent aside, I do like to be helpful.

So here’s me being helpful:

[Read more…] about The Burnout Bitch: writers beware

A Writer’s Christmas Bonanza from @angelaackerman & @beccapuglisi #amwriting

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Calling all writers… I am super excited to announce that I’m part of a MAHOOOOSIVE writer’s giveaway for Christmas 2018.

Whatever you’re doing, stop. Stop right now and head over to Writers Helping Writers to find all of the amazing prizes you can win.

There’s fourteen giveaways, (I’m part of two). The first is the chance to win a signed copy of 13 Steps To Evil and a three chapter critique.

Click to win

The second you’ll have to check back in and see…!

But it’s not just my prize you should check out. There’s absolutely stacks to win including: [Read more…] about A Writer’s Christmas Bonanza from @angelaackerman & @beccapuglisi #amwriting

10 Steps To Hero – How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist is coming to a bookstore near you

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Silly ol’ me, in the chaos of finishing the book edits and excitement of launch prep, I completely forgot to reveal my next cover. If you’re on my mailing list, however, you’ll have seen an advance peek at the cover. Props to you.

For those of you who aren’t on my mailing list, then I have a treat for you today. I’m super excited to announce 10 Steps To Hero – How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist. My second non-fiction baby is coming into the world in a matter of weeks. Literally. Launch date below. 

I’ve talked about second book syndrome before and it seems that this time, writing my second non-fiction book was just as hard as writing my second fiction book. I’m not sure why, if any of you out there have been through it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. But forget that… I made it through people.

*Grabs megaphone*

*Clears throat*

I MADE IT THROUGH PEOPLE.

And boy am I exited about this book. [Read more…] about 10 Steps To Hero – How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist is coming to a bookstore near you

2 Audiobooks every author needs to hear

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So, while I’m talking about audio content. Wave your hand if you’re not an audible subscriber…

PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN. Heathens.

Alright, I’ll let you off. I was skeptical about audiobooks at first too. I couldn’t bear to listen to fiction stories. I just couldn’t get a grip of the plot. When I read it feels tangible; it’s not just the pages I can grip, but the words too. It has substance, it’s alive. But listening to audio books made the words feel like grains of sand slipping through my fingers.

But then I reflected on the fact I listen (and love) podcasts. What was the difference? [Read more…] about 2 Audiobooks every author needs to hear