3. “The Great American Novel”
• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know
getting started
• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?
• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and
point of view
• Getting the sale with a publisher
5. Establishing an Online Presence
• Review of weeks one through four
– Why write – writing skills in general
– Writing for and selling for publication
– Writing and selling non-fiction
– Writing and selling novels
• What makes your online material unique?
• Beating the competition for “eyes”
• Balancing content and entertainment
• Doing-it-yourself…or…?
6. Week One: Why Write?
• History is what writers say it is
• Picking your medium
• A building block approach
• Due diligence the easy way
7. “History is what the historians and writers
say it is.”
Norman Polmar
(Forty books – and counting)
8. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week One
• Telling stories is what we humans do
• Determining the “Five Ws” of writing
• Evaluating the universe of outlets for your writing
• It usually starts with what you read
• Due diligence – the internet and your library
• Do write that “family pass-down”
9. Week Two: First - and Essential - Steps
• Content-hungry media
• Recycling and building content
• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for
both parties
• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of
collaboration
10. “Writing has to have a purpose; it’s meant to
communicate something to someone. If you’re not
ready to write for the general public, then try writing
for a very specific audience, one you know will be
happy to hear from you.”
Robert Masello
Robert’s Rules of Writing
11. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Two
• Written and online media can’t exist without content
• Above all else – write what you’re passionate about
• John Boswell’s “rules of what to write”
• Getting started and “building up”
• Recycling content and growing your expertise
• Doing something old & familiar and new & exciting
12. Week Three:
Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market
• Being - or becoming - the expert?
• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen?
• Scratching itches - or entertaining?
• How much to tell and what’s next?
13. “A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how
hard it is to be God.”
Sidney Sheldon
14. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Three
• The majority of published books are non-fiction
• The market is easier to enter than fiction
• This medium returns you to John Boswell’s “rules”
• Being of becoming the expert
• The art and science of query letters
• The full-on book proposal – your audition
15. Week Four: “The Great American Novel”
• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know
getting started
• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?
• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and
point of view
• Getting the sale
16. “For me, I gotta write, and it’s the adventure of it that’s
hooked me. As the writer, I can do it all. I get to be the
National Security Advisor who recommends the action
to the President who must commit the forces. I’m the
senior officer who sends his men into action and who
feels the pain if they don’t make it back. I’m the enemy
and the defender; logistician and staff planner. But
most of all, I’m a young man again, that fresh
lieutenant who must lead his men into battle.”
Dick Couch
“So you Want to be a Writer”
17. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Four
• Non-fiction is mostly the “what”
• Fiction is primarily the “how”
• There are essential elements to any work of fiction
• We know what readers demand from a novel (DK)
• Plot and character should be your primary focus
• But you weave your style around that!
19. As Promised, Let’s Talk a Bit More
About the Art and Craft of
Writing Fiction
20. Our Semi-Deep Dive
• Revisit the Freytag Pyramid
• How to start your novel – Act One
• What makes a reader keep reading
• What makes a reader stop reading
23. First Focal Point:
What Should Happen in Your Novel
• Act One:
• Opening image
• Meet the hero or heroine
• Experience the hero or heroine’s ordinary world
• Learn about the hero or heroine’s inner desires
• Learn about the hero or heroine’s problems
• Learn about the hero or heroine’s ghosts
• Learn about the hero or heroine’s special skills
• Create the inciting incident – have a sequence one climax
24. Wait! There’s More
Wrapping Up Act One of Three Acts
• Act One (continued):
• Meet the antagonist
• Show the theme of what the story is about
• Introduce allies
• Lay pipe for later setups
• Reveal hopes or fears for hero or heroine
• Introduce a ticking clock
• Get to the central question and the central story action
• Reveal the hero or heroine’s plan
25. You’d be well served if, at the end of Act
One, you stop and ask two questions:
What will make someone keep reading?
Why would someone stop reading?
26. What will make someone keep reading?
• Something happens
• The story is told in a strong voice
• The level of craftsmanship is high
• The characters make me feel something
• The writer has gained my confidence
• I want to know what happens next
• There’s a market for this kind of story
• The prose is clear, clean and concise
27. Why would someone stop reading?
• I’ve seen it before
• Nothing happens right away
• There isn’t a strong voice telling the story
• I’m bored
• I’m not connecting with any of the characters
• I can’t tell what kind of story I’m reading
• I don’t care what happens next
• The plot is unbelievable or full of clichés
• The dialogue doesn’t sound like real people
• There are typos, spelling and grammatical errors
30. But first, what are you trying to
accomplish with the online “you?”
31. “There is only one recipe for a bestseller and it is a very
simple one. If you look back on all the bestsellers you
have read, you will find they all have one quality” you
simply have to turn the page.”
Ian Fleming
How to Write a Thriller
35. What Makes Your Online Material Unique?
• Are you providing something people can’t get
anywhere else or get as easily?
• Are you aiming at the right attention span of online
tourists?
• Determining the right level of effort in refreshing
your online content
• Balancing what you give away online and what you
want to sell to visitors
36. Beating the Competition for Online Eyes
• Above all else, when someone “Googles” your name
your website must pop up at the top
• It’s not just about getting that initial visitor – it’s
about getting him or her to keep coming back
• Most online visitors are taking a break from what
they have to do at work or home
• Think of your website the same way as what you
write – tell people a story
37. Balancing Content and Entertainment
• People will tire of the monotonous “professor”
telling them “like this damn you” (from Ian Fleming)
• People will tire of dancing bears, dwarfs throwing
rose petals and fireworks
• Achieving the right blend and balance is your online
presence style
• Press the “Easy Button” with your due diligence: Visit
the websites of writers whose work you enjoy
38. Doing It Yourself Or Having It Done
• Your website is “you” to people you will likely never
meet – but who you want to entertain
• There are cottage industries of books, seminars, tools
and coaches to help you build your own website
• There are legions of people and businesses who will
do it for you
• If you have the time and energy and want to use
your left and right brain – try doing it yourself
39. We’ll talk about engagement and
visibility next week
In the meantime, here is one source
for advice: www.fauiziaburke.com
40. Let’s look at some examples of
websites of people who write….
41. Some Writers Who
Have Done It Themselves
• Jeff Edwards
– http://navythriller.com/
• Larry Verria
– Site lapsed!
• Janice Steinberg
– thetinhorse.com
42. Some Writers Who Have Had Someone
Else Build Their Website
• Dick Couch
– www.dickcouch.com
• Larry Bond
– http://www.larry-bond.com/
• Your guide for this course
– www.georgegaldorisi.com
43. Other Websites
With Some Cool Features
• Native Custom Stone - Manufactured Stone Veneers
www.nativecustomstone.com
• Waggoner Hastings LL - Family Law Attorney
www.whfamilylaw.com
• Don Turner Legal Team - Criminal Attorney
www.donturnerlegalteam.com
44. Some Ways to Find More Examples
• “Google” writers you enjoy
• Go online for advice about online presence
• Check with local businesses in Coronado
• Our library has additional resources
45. Website Constants Regardless of Who
Builds and Maintains the Site
• You will need to provide the content
• You will want to add content frequently
• You will want to use social media to drive people to
your website
• The longer you have your website the more it will
become your “professional persona”
46. “You are the CEO of your own career.”
David Sona
Navy Transition Course
Circa 2000
