Archive for the ‘Ebooks’ Category

Electronic Publishing Course – Successes

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

I really enjoy teaching as I like to introduce others to subjects, experiences, books, etc., that I relish.

It’s especially rewarding when a student touches base as ‘Chris’ recently did, saying:

I would like to thank you very much on an excellently conducted three-hour lecture…I learned a great deal…and have actually created a blog/website. The lecture was delivered with confidence and at a comfortable pace…I very much appreciate your enthusiasm and inspiration and am feeling much more confident about going ahead with my illustrated textbook.

Or when a student grabs the information and makes it their own, like Jim Walker:

Kananaskis by Jim Walker

Kananaskis by Jim Walker

Jim attended my Self-Publish Your E-book course this past spring and just informed me that he followed my 13 steps to electronic publishing and has released his first e-book using Smashwords.

Titled Kananaskis, it’s a suspense thriller for young adults in which two Banff park wardens become embroiled in international drugs, kidnapping and a fateful attack on Kananaskis.

Sounds exciting and at $1.99 US pretty inexpensive thrills. Congrats, Jim!

Book Trailer for How to Write A Mystery E-book Primer

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

I’ve been selling Youdunit Whodunit!, my little primer on writing mysteries, for several months.

Now, I’ve just launched a new book trailer for your enjoyment. It was an interesting challenge: my first non-fiction trailer. I decided to forgo music and go with narration.

Have a gander below. Love to know what you think!

Click here for more info and places to buy Youdunit Whodunit!. And thanks for your interest.

How to Write A Mystery Novel 10 – Character Development

Friday, September 24th, 2010

Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.

The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.

So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 10)

The last group of posts have concentrated on the story structure of a mystery novel. Been there; done that. Now we’re onto developing characters or as I like to think of it: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.

In the post on character development, I introduced an essential question: Who’s telling your story? You can have more than one storyteller but for our purposes, we’ll stick to one.

You need a point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale. There are two common POVs in fiction writing: First Person, which we discussed in our last post, and Third Person.

LEMME TELL IT MY WAY: Today, we’re beginning to discuss Third Person POV

Multiple Lion POVs

Multiple Lion POVs (credit E. Polinsky)

In this Point of View, the writer chooses to tell the story from more of a distance by narrating with “He said” or “They said”.

Third Person POV can offer the writer some intimacy, mobility, control and flexibility. He or she may describe scenes before characters enter, may create different character voices and mix up times and locations. And best of all, the writer can split up the sleuthing responsibilities, perfect for those fun duo detective capers.

Contemplate this passage from THE WATCHERS OF TIME, by Charles Todd: (more…)

How to Write A Mystery Novel – 9) Character Development

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.

The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.

So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 8b)

The last group of posts have concentrated on the story structure of a mystery novel. Been there; done that. Now we’re onto developing characters or as I like to think of it: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.

First Person POV Storyteller

First Person POV Storyteller

In Part 8a, I introduced an essential question: Who’s telling your story? You can have more than one storyteller but for our purposes, we’ll stick to one.

You need a point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale. There are two common POVs in fiction writing: First Person and Third Person.

In first person POV, the story is told from a very personal point of view and uses the pronoun “I”, just like my coroner/athlete, Riley Quinn says in Teed Off!, “My ears roared with the sounds of my breathing, my blades…I don’t know what warned me but I was dodging just as I was hit. A blow to my left hip and suddenly my blades touched air, not asphalt.”

As I mentioned in the previous post, this is a great POV for newbie writers as it’s a natural and comfortable perspective for the writer.

HOWEVER… (more…)

Selling E-books with Amazon.co.uk

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

This is really cool. I’ve just sold my first e-book through the British Amazon.co.uk website.

Youdunit Whodunit!

Cover for mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!

My little mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!, grabs these English kudos so bloody well done!

You may check out Youdunit and my other work at Amazon across the pond.

Cheerio!

Publish Your Own E-Book Course – Camosun College

Friday, September 10th, 2010

I’m going to forgo my usual Friday mystery writing tip (my apologies to all three of you who are disappointed :) ) to announce that I’m again teaching a half-day course on e-book publishing at Camosun College, Victoria, BC. The course is on Saturday, September 25th.

Here’s the blurb and a link to Camosun – Publish Your Own E-book to register.

Thinking about publishing your writing but struck out with traditional publishers? Don’t fancy the headache of self-publishing in print? Then it’s time to join the latest publishing sensation.

You can publish your magnum opus (or cookbook, or romance, or…) in an electronic book format, sell it through major online booksellers and receive above average royalties as easy as a,b,c…well, almost.

This course will introduce you to all things e-book including set-up and formatting, online bookselling sites, e-reader choices, cover image basics and marketing possibilities.

And it’s only $49.00 (plus the dreaded HST). We had a full house last time so register early. Love to see you there!

Nicola Furlong’s E-books Now Available at Diesel Ebook Store

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Good ol’ Smashwords.

Smashwords logo

They’ve entered into a partnership with one of the oldest and best ebook sites on the net: the Diesel Ebook Store.

Cooler still, most of my ebooks are now all available for sale through Diesel. This is amazing as I was unable to into Diesel on my own prior to joining Smashwords.

My new Diesel e-book links below:

- A Hemorrhaging of Souls

- Teed Off!

- Unnatural States

- Self Publish Your E-Book in Minutes!

- The Will of God

Hopefully, my little mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!, will soon join Diesel.

Now, if only Smashwords could get all my ebooks back into Barnes and Noble, life would truly be peachy.

After all, I’ve been waiting for months!

Mystery Author Nicola Furlong – New Interview

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Another terrific website, hosted by author Chris Redding, has offered me an interview opportunity as her Excerpt Tuesday Guest.

Have a peak at Chris Redding’s Blog to learn a bit about moi and to catch the opening salvo of my supernatural thriller, Unnatural States.

While you’re at it, why not spend a little time getting to know Chris? Her latest book is Corpse Whisperer.

I totally dig that title!

How to Write A Mystery Novel – 8) Character Development

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.

The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing. So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 8a)

The last group of posts have concentrated on the story structure of a mystery novel. Been there; done that. Now we’re onto developing characters or as I like to think of it: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.

Just take a couple of seconds and think about which characters you consider outstanding. Who instantly comes to mind? For me, there’s Tulkinghorn in Bleak House, Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity, Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and Olive Martin in The Sculptress, just to name a few.

Why are they so outstanding? They’re all unique, memorable, fascinating and believable. The gold standard of character development; something we all aim for.

Ready for my close up!

Ready for my close up!

SO WHO’S TELLING YOUR STORY, ANYWAY?

A critical decision: who is your storyteller? It is from his or her point of view (POV) that your murderous tale will unfold. This is especially important in a mystery as you have to follow the fair-play rule and make sure that all the necessary information is available to the reader. (more…)

How to Write a Mystery Novel –7b) Story Structure Key Elements Continued

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.

The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.

STORY STRUCTURE (PART 7 (b))

This is it. You’ve driven your story and your readers headlong towards the final solution (as described in earlier posts.) The occasion when all is revealed. The moment your audience has been waiting for…so make sure that your story’s Ending:

  • Winds up all the sub-plots first and achieves the bits and pieces necessary in order to attain the main goal
  • Gives everyone what they deserve, good or bad
  • Arises logically through the action and detection of the lead character isn’t obvious but is believable, bestowing that much-sought after “Ah ha!” moment for your audience
  • Ends at the very end; sounds ridiculously obvious yet it’s not always pulled off, and

And finally, once all is exposed, everything else is a reader’s let down. So, quickly tidy up any loose ends and beat a hasty exit. Leave your audience wanting MORE not less.

If you found this post of interest, you may wish to see the previous posts starting here.

…MORE how-to write a mystery tips and techniques continued in the next Friday post as we begin exploring character development! Ready for my close up, Mr. Demille.

Find out further information or how to purchase this e-book, jam-packed with ways to immediately improve your writing, click Youdunit Whodunit (only $2.99US!).