Character dialogue....it can be tricky!
#writingtips #characters #dialogue
I just love a bit of people watching!
Get my FREE novel planning template here if you need help getting started.... http://eepurl.com/iWMqJs
Finding your writing tribe
Being able to chat with fellow writers has been so helpful for me. It took me a long time to find my writing tribe - I almost gave up on book NINE! - but now that I have it's amazing.
Having like-minded individuals to chat to and seek creative ideas and motivation from is absolutely invaluable.
If you'd like to join the Mabel and Stanley writing tribe then drop me a line at [email protected]
Or join our mailing list to stay in the loop http://eepurl.com/ipV7DI
The power of your story arc
Having a robust story arc before you start writing will mean that you are less likely to have plot holes and inconsistencies in your finished story - it will also make the writing process much easier!
If you would like advice or support, get in touch, [email protected]
or why not subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date with tips, advice and offers? http://eepurl.com/ipV7DI
How it all began...
My vision is quite simple - Be the person I needed when I first started out!
When I started writing it was so hard to get advice that wasn't elusive, expensive, inaccurate or all three!
I started writing in 2011 and set up Mabel and Stanley Publishing in 2021 - a combination of my name and the gorgeous Mabel who loves chicken, walkies, snuggles and lots of snoozing; she is definitely more of a sleeping partner!
My own writing and publishing journey was bumpy to say the least and so, once I had found my way, and learnt ALOT, I wanted to help as many new and budding authors as I could.
Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing lots of writing and publishing tips, behind the scenes info and exciting news about my writing and publishing community - stay tuned to get your own writing journey on the write path!
(Mabel will be sharing her invaluable life wisdoms too but I'm afraid they have little to do with writing!!!)
#writingcommunity #writingmentor #publishedauthor #selfpublishing #newauthors
#mabelandstanleypublishing #writingcommunity #writingmentor #womeinbusiness
Mabel is waiting 'patiently' while I put the finishing touches to one of our lovely new author's books 🤣🥰
#mabelandstanleypublishing
Raising your author profile on Facebook
There are many ways that you can promote yourself as an author and ultimately your book or books.
Facebook is a great platform for authors and if utilised effectively it can be a great way to raise your profile, build a loyal following and sell more books.
In this episode we explore some content ideas for authors on Facebook.
If you'd like to be kept up to date with all that's happening at Mabel and Stanley Publishing, why not sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you in the loop... http://eepurl.com/ipV7DI
I'm not going to apologise for the radio silence over the last few days....some of you may even have enjoyed the peace and quiet 😂
Joking aside, I have spent four days in great company, enjoying some summer sunshine (which hasn't been forthcoming in Britain!!), relaxing, dining, laughing and dining a bit more....
Huge thanks must go to our amazing friends Sharon and Mark for their hospitality and to Graham and Sarah for their chauffeuring services!
The older I get, the more I understand how important people are in our lives - no matter how much wealth or 'success' you accumulate, it will never outweigh the value of the people in your life.
So today it has been back to earth with a resounding BUMP!
Walking the dog....in the rain!
Responding to emails
Formatting
Discovery calls...
...and of course, catching up on social media posting!
I enjoyed our break so much and I have come back renewed and recharged (despite doing most of my sleeping between the hours of 4am and 11am!)
Time away has also given me time to take stock of all the good stuff and unlike years previously, I did not come back dreading work....I love what I do
So, despite the weather, and despite an absolute whirlwind of a day... I feel grateful that I am able to enjoy the work times as well as the down times!
#mabelandstanleypublishing #friendship #worklifebalance
Yesterday I got to pursue another of my passions working with young people.
I attended an Enterprise day for the Year 6 children of Twydall Primary School where myself and a few other business people shared our business journeys.
It's so important that children are given the opportunity to learn about the many varied career paths available to them - my main message of the day...?
...make sure you pursue something that you love, something that lights your fire, something that enables you to pursue your talents, strengths and passions...if you manage to do that then work will never feel like work! For me...that is writing.
They asked me some great questions and I really enjoyed chatting to them all and hearing about their dreams for the future, but my favourite question of the day came from one of the Reception children when I popped in to read them one of my books....
"....What's your favourite flavour crisps?"😂😂😂 crucial information as I am sure you will agree! Aren't kids just great?!
#writingmentor #writer #mabelandstanleypublishing #careers #children
Little bit late posting today after a crazy few days - but really good crazy!
One of things I love about running my own business is that I get to choose who I spend time with....and the fact that I do lots of networking which nearly always involves nice food 😂
Tuesday was no exception as I was speaking at the WIBN Canterbury network meetings in both the morning and the afternoon and I ate enough nice food to keep me going for at least a week!
But most importantly, I got to spend time with some truly inspirational women - I love listening to other business people's stories and I always come away feeling motivated and inspired in equal measure.
I made some great connections and got some very kind feedback for my talks on the power of writing a book for business credibility and marketing.
I am so passionate about writing and for me talking about it is almost as satisfying as writing itself and I feel so proud sharing the books of some of my amazing authors - I'm like a proud mother hen!
It is so true that we really are the result of the people we surround ourselves with - radiators not drains!
So I am pledging to more networking, more speaking, more listening to amazing people and lots more eating great food - life is good!
#writingabook #mabelandstanleypublishing #writingmentor #womeninbusiness #networking
Our Hall of Fame is looking pretty impressive at #mabelandstanleypublishing
This week it is the turn of some of our amazing children's authors to take a bow...
But we don't just publish kid's books, we have an impressive range of fiction, poetry and non-fiction titles too.
As a hybrid publisher we are not bound by the usual conventions of traditional publishing houses which means that we don't have strict submission criteria.
I love that we have such a diverse range of titles from such a varied and exciting group of new and budding authors but there is one thing we insist upon...
....great books, well-written!
If you have an idea for a book, whether it is for your business or to satisfy a creative urge, no matter whereabouts you are in your writing journey, we can help and guide you every step of the way.
Comment 'Author' if you'd like to be the new kid on the block in our authors' Hall of Fame!
#publishing #hybridpublishing #newwriters #writingmentor
Author Interview - Kat Lord
In this episode, listen to the inspiring Kat Lord talk about her author journey and her passion for child development. Kat's book 'More to Mealtime' is part of her 'More to...' series and contains a whole host of great idea for organising mealtimes with little ones including routines and healthy recipe idea.
Kat is a nanny and professional organiser, dedicated to helping families to improve their habits in order to make the best of the time they spend together.
Kat talks about her writing and publishing journey with Mabel and Stanley Publishing and the challenges she faced when editing.
Get in touch if you'd like to be the next new author on the block or sign up for our newsletter to be kept up to date with offers and writing tips... http://eepurl.com/ipV7DI
Would you like to stay in the loop?
If you sign up to our weekly newsletter you will get information about the latest podcast episodes, details of upcoming authors, editing and publishing offers, membership benefits and much more...
Join here or follow the link in the bio...
http://eepurl.com/ipV7DI
#mabelanstanleypublishing #mabelandstanleycommunity #newsletter
Let's talk 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.....person that is!
Writing in the 1st person means that you will write from a personal viewpoint like this...
"I looked at the team and wondered how we were ever going to win the trophy." (can also use me, we and us)
Writing in the 2nd person looks like this...
"When you look at the team you need to work out how those players will win the trophy."
Writing in the 3rd person looks like this...
"She looked at the team and wondered how they were ever going to win the trophy."
(You could use, "He looked..." or a name... "Jo looked...")
So why is this important?
When writing anything it is important to consider your audience and make your writing suited to your chosen genre, reader and overall objective.
First-person points of view tend to be more descriptive and individual but it is harder to explore the views and emotions of other characters or individuals as the narrator must make assumptions.
The second person is usually recognised as more intimate, immediate, and persuasive - it is often used in advertising for example; You will never drive another car like this one, you must buy this now!
Third-person perspectives create more distance and often feel more rational. This is also great for re-telling events and describing emotions and feelings of individuals or characters.
1st or 3rd person is most commonly used for fiction, 1st person for autobiographies and 3rd person for non-fiction.
As always there are exceptions to every 'rule' but choosing the POV is not set in stone, the most important thing is to choose appropriately for the audience and to be consistent!
#writingmentor #pointofview #pronouns #fiction #nonfiction
Email marketing for authors
Let's talk emails!
Building an email list of dedicated 'fans' can be a great way to promote and sell your work as an author - in this episode we talk about the ways in which you can do that and how you can entice readers into your list!
If you'd like to get your book written and published by the end of the year then you have until the end of June to commit!
I only have two opportunities left for new mentoring clients, so get in touch if you'd like to become published in 2024 and join our bestselling #mabelandstanleypublishing author!
#writingmentor #getpublished #publishabook #bestseller #bestsellingauthor
'What do you do when you hit a wall?'
This was the exact question one of my business book writers asked me this week and she didn't mean literally....at least I hope not!
Joking aside, she had made an impressive start when she began her book having reached 25k words, but now she had come to a grinding halt so I invited her onto a call to try and work out what was causing the block....
🤹♂️Firstly she had been trying to juggle work and just life, which as we all know can get a bit too 'lifey' at times...
...but also she told me that she had...
✍️gone back over what she had written so far and started to try and edit her work
📝been making lots of notes about ideas as they came to her and was trying to incorporate these into her manuscript
After some discussion it became clear that...
⏰she needed to give herself a little time to deal with life stuff
❓she needed to stop trying to edit before she had finished - this was causing her to over-analyse, doubt her process and was blocking her creativity and progress moving forward
📖she needed to re-focus on her original chapter plan which had great flow and was a really good outline for her book
🖋️she needed to crack back on with writing, let go of perfection and finish before she began editing properly
📆she needed to re-assess her deadline and re-commit to a finish date
I also suggested that....
...she should organise her notes which, although really useful, had become muddled and a bit chaotic - I suggested she organise these notes into sensible topics and then keep them to one side when she was ready to edit - this way she could insert any relevant details easily and smoothly into her finished manuscript as appropriate
Writing a book can be a challenge and takes real commitment but having someone to ✔️keep you accountable
✔️help you re-focus
✔️help you re-define your goals and visions
✔️help you to value your progress
can really help you to achieve your book writ
We have published some truly amazing authors at #MabelandStanleyPublishing from a diverse range of genres.
Each week we will be showcasing their work so you can see just how brilliant they all are!
This week it is the turn of the inspirational Steve Sallis who launched his book yesterday...
How not to be a Leadership D*ckhead is for anyone in business and is pure leadership gold - in fact it is a treasure trove of sound advice on life, leadership, relationships, and getting the best out yourself and those around you - whoever you are!
#leadership #businessbook #businesscredibility #businesscoach
Author Interview with Steve Sallis
This week I talk to the inspirational Steve Sallis about his author journey as his new book 'How NOT to be a Leadership D*ckhead' is launched on June 6th.
Get your copy on Amazon published by Mabel and Stanley Publishing
#businessbook #leadership #newauthors
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