Quote of the day
In the torrid London summer of 1886, William Gladstone was up against Benjamin Disraeli for the post of prime minister of the United Kingdom. This was the Victorian era, so whoever won was going to rule half the world. In the very last week before the election, both men happened to take the same young woman out to dinner. Naturally, the press asked her what impressions the rivals had made. She said, “After dining with Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest person in England. But after dining with Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest person in England.” Guess who won the election? It was the man who made others feel intelligent, impressive, and fascinating: Benjamin Disraeli.
~OLIVIA FOX, author of The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
WRITING & SCREENWRITING
- How to capture the hearts and minds of your readers, Write to Done | Tweet
Do you want to capture the hearts and minds of your readers?
→Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged
- One writer’s story: The 20-year path to overnight success, Writer’s Digest | Tweet
Brilliant one-of-a-kind artists sometimes never find the recognition they deserve because Lady Luck didn’t happen to smile down at the right moment. In fact, they fail to be recognized more often than not. Artists and creators don’t follow the same type of paths to success that most doctors and lawyers do.
- The opening line of your book, Pat Verducci | Tweet
How do I immediately engage the reader? How can I grab him or her so firmly that it’s impossible to put the book down? How do I use a single sentence, like a lure on the end of a fishing line, to compel someone to continue reading?
→Start Your Novel: Six Winning Steps Toward a Compelling Opening Line, Scene and Chapter
- Disembodied dialogue, Bear & Black Dog Editing | Tweet
Novels are a different medium than scripts or screenplays, though, and this 90% dialogue approach doesn’t work for every (I’d say most) manuscript(s).
→How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript
- How do I make supporting characters distinctive and interesting?, Go Into The Story | Tweet
How do I make supporting characters that don’t necessarily have that much screen time but that I feel are essential to the story distinctive and interesting?
- A WRITER’S VOICE: ‘Into The Woods’ – Navigating the Development Process, Script Mag | Tweet
Adapting a stage musical to the screen is never easy. On stage, musicals work because of their theatricality—the feeling of pretend, play, magic, and performance. Whereas in the relatively naturalistic world of film, those elements are very hard to pull off.
→Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need
SELF-PUBLISHING
- The new changes to Kindle Unlimited, Author Marketing Experts | Tweet
If you haven’t heard the news yet, Amazon is making changes to Kindle Unlimited beginning July 1, 2015. They are going to be paying by page read for books that are in the Kindle Unlimited service. If you aren’t familiar with Kindle Unlimited this is Amazon’s “Netflix” service for books: you can rent books for a set fee per month.
- Book Cover Design behind the scenes, The Book Designer | Tweet
Ever wondered how book cover designers do what they do? How do they take a concept and turn it into a book cover? In today’s post, we’re pleased to have Dane Low of Ebook Launch explain to you how he does it.
→Book Cover Design Secrets You Can Use to Sell More Books
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HAPPINESS
- Money can buy happiness if you spend it wisely, Scientific American | Tweet
Choose experiences over goods, delay gratification and remember that wealthy people are not any happier than the average Joe.
LIFESTYLE
Research suggests that more than our eating and exercise habits, our social lives can predict how long we’ll live.
→The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
AMAZON
- Amazon
may pay self-published authors no more than $ 0,006 per page, Fast Company | Tweet
may pay self-published authors no more than $ 0,006 per page, So much for writing short.
BEVERAGES
What are the differences between these three popular sparklers? The chart below reveals the key differences — from the grapes used to how to decode the language of sweetness on the labels.
→Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines
SOCIAL MEDIA
- 7 Ways to track your social media marketing activities, Social Media Examiner | Tweet
Tracking social activity helps you attract a higher-quality following, communicate more effectively and provide content that resonates with your audience.
→Social Media Metrics For Dummies