What Does Water Have to Do with Reading?

There are two camps when it comes to writers reading. One camp says that reading doesn’t make you a better writer. The other camp says the opposite: that reading is essential to becoming a better writer. I belong to the latter camp. So why should writers continue to read books?

Books are Like Water Stops

First off, a story about running. The other day, I went for a run and was thinking about how the water stops in a race serve as a refreshment stop. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hard core runner and you grab and go, just barely swallowing 4 oz. of water as half of it sloshes to the ground.

Or if you’re like me and suffer from a “condition” where you can’t be moving while drinking. Like seriously, I have to stop running. Stop walking. And then I can finally drink my 4 oz. of revitalizing H2O.

The going advice for the average runner is to take in 4 to 6 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of exercise. And at the end of your run? Drink as much as you need to feel hydrated and satisfied. So what about books?

Reading is Like Drinking Water

For the average reader, reading is an escape. For entertainment. Or for learning new information. But for the serious writer? Reading books is essential. Just like water. You have to read books in order to rehydrate your brain.

Reading books is like drinking water. Writing can sometimes be a lonely, draining job. Yes, it’s creative. And yes, creativity breeds more creativity. But what about those times when you hit a wall? A brick writer’s block wall. What happens when you don’t feel creative anymore?

Reading can be the answer to inspire you into action! It’s important to keep your own fire alive so the spark doesn’t die out. And the more you read, the better the writer you’ll become.

How Reading Helps You Become a Better Writer

So how does reading more books help you become a better writer? Because you’re absorbing examples of good writing. Just like people start to act like those they hang around, you’ll begin to pick up on the nuances of writing simply from reading lots of books.

Yes, you still have to write. Reading alone doesn’t make you a better writer. Writing and reading go hand in hand like runners and Gu.

It’s especially important to not only read more books, but to read books in your own genre. And to study them. But, isn’t reading alone a form of studying? Kind of. But to take it further, here’s one way you can study the books you read.

On a piece of notebook paper (use it for your bookmark), write a summary of each chapter as soon as you finish that chapter. When you finish the book, you can look at the book as a whole and look for structural patterns.

So, read more and drink some H2O.

Do you believe reading helps you become a better writer? What’s your favorite way to study books as you read them? Leave a comment and let me know! Share your comment here.

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How to Write a Query Letter for Your Novel or Picture Book Manuscript

Since you're a writer, you want to get published, right? This step-by-step guide will help you know what to include in a query letter and where to put it.

This query letter template will help you craft the perfect letter to send to editors and agents. It’s purpose is to get them interested in your book and hopefully request either the first 10 pages, first 3 chapters, or the full manuscript. The query letter is 3-5 paragraphs, all on one page. Word count doesn’t matter, but the shorter the better. Don’t try to be cutesy and clever. Stick to the template and be professional, but be yourself too. Let your voice come through in your words. Modify the query to fit the person.

Paragraph 1

Tell the person why you are writing to them specifically, such as where or when you met the person or if you share a common interest. If it doesn’t apply or you can’t find a way to personalize your query letter, then you can omit this paragraph.

Paragraphs 2 and 3

In these 1-2 paragraphs, you talk about the book. This is where you will insert your pitch. You can add a little more about the characters, the theme, and a couple of comp titles. Make sure your voice shines through.

Paragraph 4

This is a very short paragraph about the genre, completed length of your manuscript (by word count, not pages), the setting and time period of the book. Remember, your manuscript must be finished. One to two sentences is all you need.

Paragraph 5

The last paragraph is where you can tell a little bit about yourself, if you have a platform, your history, why you are the person to write this book, etc., but remember to keep it short and relevant. Don’t say that your friends, family, neighbors, and students loved your story. You likely won’t hear back because that is considered unprofessional.

What have you heard about query letters to NOT do? Share in the comments and let me know! Share your comment here.

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5 Tips for Choosing Your Book Title

Your book’s title is the most important thing you can do to help it succeed. If you’ve written a novel and you need help with your title, ask yourself these questions, along with a few tips to consider when thinking about a title for your book.

The idea here is to come up with something that you will love, so make sure when you do your brainstorming and elimination, that you choose something you won’t get burned out on when creating a great title for your book.

1. Keep it short.
2. Think about spelling and pronunciation.
3. Consider your book’s genre or category.
4. Use one-word titles carefully.
5. Look for duplicates.

Keep It Short

Short titles are easier to say, type, and remember. They fit nicely in tweets, URLs, and short bio descriptions. Try to stick to 7 words or less. When people remember your title, it’s easier for them to share it and word of mouth can grow faster than books with really long hard-to-remember titles. 

  

Spelling and Pronunciation

If your title is too hard for most people to say, they may buy a different title, instead. People don’t typically like to say words they have a hard time pronouncing, which could affect sales and word-of-mouth book recommendations. Do you really want to spend time correcting people on how to pronounce your title? This goes for characters too! Spelling counts!

Consider Your Book’s Genre

Your book title should give readers a clue to its genre. You don’t want your sci-fi to sound like a romance or horror title. 

 

One-Word Titles

One-word titles can sometimes be catchy (Divergent, Cinder, Speak, Island, 1984, Seraphina, Neverwhere, Twilight, etc.), but you could also run the risk of getting lost in search results. You might not want to have a novel about horses with the title Cupcakes if your book has nothing to do with cupcakes. Just sayin’. Make it relevant and unique.

Look for Duplicates

Titles aren’t copyrightable, so it’s not the end of the world if there’s another book out there with the same title. If it’s a bestseller though, I’d recommend changing yours to something different.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Thinking About a Title for Your Book

After answering these questions, and thinking about the tips above, brainstorm a list of potential titles for your book. Let yourself go wild and crazy. Don’t hold back.

1. What is your current “working” title, even if you think it’s horrible? 
2. What is the genre of your book?
3. What is the readership age of your book?
4. What are your characters’ names?
5. What is your book about? 
6. What are some themes you’re exploring?
7. Use Amazon Bestseller Lists to search for comparative titles in your genre.

Once you have a list of titles for your novel, start the elimination process and cross off the ones you really don’t like. Come up with your top 5-10 titles and ask your family, friends, and fellow writers which ones they like the best.

When you're ready to start querying, be sure to format your query letter properly.

What are some of your favorite book titles, whether you’ve read the book or not? Share in the comments below and let me know!

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10 Ways to Know You're a WRITER

If any of these top 10 writer statements make you laugh, then you know you're a writer.

1. You know you're a writer when you have a drawer full of manuscripts and rejection letters.

2. You know you're a writer when you see a sign on the highway and you notice spelling and grammar errors.

3. You know you're a writer when you're a chapter away from finishing your first novel and you scream, "I'm never doing this again!" But a week later, you're planning your next book.

4. You know you're a writer when you get mad if someone calls you an "aspiring writer."

5. You know you're a writer when you're starving after five hours of writing, but you're too into the story to stop for a break.

6. You know you're a writer when you plan your vacations around a writing conference or a retreat.

7. You know you're a writer (who runs) when you hit a wall in your plot and the only way you know how to solve it is to go for a run.

8. You know you're a writer when your books, notebooks, and laptop take up half of your suitcase on trips.

9. You know you're a writer when you have more patience re-writing the same paragraph for an hour than you do waiting in line at the bank for 5 minutes.

10. You know you're a writer when you dread your days off.

Which one of these speaks to you the most? Which one is your favorite? Share in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, you might like the "You Know You're a RUNNER When..." series too!

RELATED POSTS:
You Know You're a Writer [1 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [1 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [2 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [2 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [3 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [3 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [4 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [4 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [5 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [5 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [6 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [6 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [7 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [7 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [8 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [8 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [9 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [9 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [10 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [10 of 10]

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10 Ways to Know You're a RUNNER

If any of these top 10 statements about runners make you laugh, then you know you're a runner!

1. You know you're a runner when you have a drawer full of medals and race souvenirs that you're not sure what to do with.

2. You know you're a runner when you see a sign on the highway telling how many miles an exit is and you think, "I could run that!"

3. You know you're a runner when you're a mile from the finish line of your first marathon and you scream, "I'm never doing this again!" But twenty minutes later, you're already planning your next race.

4. You know you're a runner when you get mad if someone calls you a jogger.

5. You know you're a runner when you're starving after a long run, but you're too tired to get food from the kitchen.

6. You know you're a runner when you plan your vacations around an upcoming race.

7. You know you're a runner when your immediate response to any conflict life throws at you is, "I need to go for a run!"

8. You know you're a runner when your running clothes and running shoes take up half your suitcase on trips.

9. You know you're a runner when running 5 miles is more fun than standing in line.

10. You know you're a runner when you dread rest days.

Which one resonated with you the most? What's your favorite "reason" to be a runner? Share in the comments below!

If you liked this list of ways you can tell if you're a runner, you might like the You Know You're a WRITER When... Series too!

RELATED POSTS:
You Know You're a Writer [1 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [1 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [2 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [2 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [3 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [3 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [4 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [4 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [5 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [5 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [6 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [6 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [7 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [7 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [8 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [8 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [9 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [9 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [10 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [10 of 10]



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You Know You're a Writer (Who Runs) [10 of 10]

When You Dread Your Days Off and Your Scheduled Rest Days

Most writers love to write, right?

And most runners love to run.

If we didn’t love writing and running, then why would we do it?

Here is the final installment of the "You Know You're a Writer/Runner When..." Series.

Rest Days Are Good For You

You know you’re a runner when you dread rest days. But if rest days are so good for you, why do we dread them? Because it means that we don’t get to run that day. Duh! I recommend writing on your running days off. Or cross-training. Because that’s good for you too.

Even on rest days, you can still go for a walk. It adds to your weekly mileage and you get to be outside in nature. So rest days are a win-win because your body needs time to repair itself and rejuvenate from pounding the pavement (or the trails).

Time Away Means a Little Perspective

You know you’re a writer when you dread your days off. Some people swear by writing every single day, no matter what. Some people have to squeeze in what little writing time they have whenever they can find it: 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. It all adds up. And other writers write by a schedule.

My ideal writing week is Monday through Friday, just like most other jobs. That gives me the weekends off. Do I get sad? Sometimes. Do I get antsy because I “can’t” write? Sure! But that just means I’m ready to GO on Monday morning.

Plus, a little (and I do mean a little) time away from your writing can add some perspective to your writing, especially when you’re ready to start revising. On your writing days off, I recommend running.

Keep on keepin' on!

Links to the rest of the Writers Who Run “You Know You’re a Runner” and “You Know You’re a Writer” series can be accessed in the following links below.

RELATED POSTS:
You Know You're a Writer [1 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [1 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [2 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [2 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [3 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [3 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [4 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [4 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [5 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [5 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [6 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [6 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [7 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [7 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [8 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [8 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [9 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [9 of 10]
You Know You're a Writer [10 of 10] | You Know You're a Runner [10 of 10]

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Plot Synopsis of Brave

Disney’s movie, Brave, is a story about a family torn apart by pride and sewed back together through bravery and love.

In this installment of the Plot Arc Library, I bring you the five main plot points of Brave.

The Signup

The first main plot point of this story is when Merida’s parents announce her upcoming betrothal.

Without this plot point, there would be no story. There would be no race to run. Merida did not want the other clans to come. She did not want to get married. She wasn’t ready. She wanted to change this fate imposed upon her.

The Gunshot

The second plot point is when Merida runs away in an effort to change her fate. She follows the wisps deeper into the forest.

At this point, Merida’s journey has begun. She is running a marathon to reach her goal.

The Halfway Point

The third plot point of Brave comes after Merida’s mother is turned into a bear and they go looking for the witch’s cottage so Merida’s mother can be turned back into a human. They meet the legendary mean bear.

Merida begins to understand the witch’s words of caution. She starts thinking of ways that she can break the spell.

The Wall

This fourth plot point is when Merida’s father locks in her room with the tapestry after her mom leaves.

This is Merida’s lowest point. She is all alone and feels helpless and unable to act.

The Finish Line

Of course, this plot point is where I have to issue a SPOILER ALERT. Brave ends with Merida’s mother getting turned back into herself. Both of them have changed as a result of going through this journey.

Finally, Merida’s fate has changed. They understand each other better and they have a much deeper connection.

Of course, there are many, many other things that happen throughout this story, but ultimately, these are the main five plot points that frame the structure of this story.

Be brave and plot on, my friend!

If you've seen Brave, what's your favorite scene? Share your comment here.

You might also like:

• Plot Like A Novelist and Outline Your Story in Less Than a Month

• How to Plot Your Novel's First Plot Point

• Wonder Woman, the Amazon Princess: Plot Arc Library Movie Outline

• Plot summary of A Christmas Carol

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20 Reasons Why Writing Your Book Is Not Being Selfish

Writing a book takes a lot of time and effort. Kudos to the writer who takes on such an endeavor. But what if other people call you selfish? What if you secretly feel that you really are being selfish? How do you step out of the shame and into your book?

What Does Selfish Even Mean, Anyway?

First of all, let’s define the word “selfish.”

Selfish - (adj.)

1. Lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
2. Concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself; seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others.
3. Arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others.

So if you make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and you don’t share, that’s being greedy and selfish. If you go to the movies by yourself when your children are home alone because you simply want to get away from them even though you know it’s a movie they might enjoy, that just might be selfish. But writing?

What Does It Take to Write a Book?

Writing a book takes a great idea and a lot of energy, effort, and persistence. Yes, it takes TIME to write your first draft. It takes time to revise it again and again and again. And again.

It’s a long process. Nothing in the publishing industry is fast. Well, maybe self-publishing -- in comparison. But even that takes time. I mean, you still have to write the book, and hopefully have it professionally edited.

Why would someone think that writing a book was being selfish in the first place? Well, it takes a LOT OF TIME. And time is one thing that most people are short on.

When you get into the story, the plot, and the characters, it starts to take over your life to a degree. You can write and block everyone else out. You might not even stop for mealtime. Or to go to the bathroom. Until absolutely necessary.

That means that you might not notice your dog needing to go out. Or that your kids need dinner. You might not even hear the phone ring.

But does that mean you’re being selfish?

I say, “No.”

It means that you are a writer. That you are putting your butt in a chair and getting words on paper. It means that you understand that writing a back takes a certain amount of sacrifices because it takes effort and time.

If you need help to describe to others about the project you're working on, then create a one-sentence pitch to help you keep it succinct.

How to Overcome Selfish Thinking

Surely you understand by the time you reach chapter 20 that writing is no easy task. That you have to be alone to get the job done.

You have to go to the bathroom - alone - to get the job done too, but that doesn’t mean you’re being selfish. Heck, most moms have kids follow them to the bathroom til they hit double digits! But it doesn’t have to be that way. You CAN go in and lock the door and let them cry for 2 minutes. They won’t die from crying. And you won’t have a mental breakdown by going to the bathroom by yourself.

But if you have a story inside your soul that needs to get out, you just might have a mental breakdown if you don’t take the time needed to do it.

And it takes a lot of alone time.

Spending time alone does not mean that you’re being selfish.

Here are a few tips to help you understand why writing your book is not being selfish. And how to think about it so that you don’t feel bad about it.

1. Teach those around you how to respect your time.
2. Explain to them that writing a book is a huge endeavor.
3. Set boundaries and block out certain times each week, if possible, to get the writing done so that your concern for the welfare of your loved ones doesn’t go by the wayside.
4. Be patient.
5. Self-care is love and love is not selfish.
6. Writing a book serves the world and can help hundreds of people.
7. Writing is a balancing act. Be proud of your juggling skills.
8. Don’t compare yourself to others.
9. Don’t wait until every single need of every member of your family is taken care of before you sit down to write. Multitask.
10. Celebrate every small win. Do something nice for your family every time you finish a chapter. Every time you figure out a plot twist.
11. Make a plan together as a family to celebrate in a big way when you get the first draft finished. Go play mini-golf or go to the movies.
12. Writing isn’t the problem. Thinking that it’s selfish is. Writing isn’t selfish. You are serving others. Your words matter. People need to hear your stories.
13. Don’t waste time on excuses.
14. Tell yourself you are a writer. Tell your family you are a writer. Even if you’re a beginner and it’s your very first manuscript.
15. It’s okay to spend time on things that matter to you. It’s okay for others to have a little extra alone time.
16. Writing helps you find your purpose and live life to the fullest. That is not selfish.
17. Take breaks.
18. Remember to eat and sleep.
19. You are not alone.
20. You are a writer and that is amazing.

Now that you’ve stepped into writing your book and you don’t feel selfish about it, what does your project look like, anyway? I’d love to know!

Share in the comments below and let me know how you cope with finding time to write.

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