Writing the first chapter is equivalent to a first date. First impressions are everything and you, the writer, are subject to some intense scrutiny. But how do you know if you’re dotting all your i’s and crossing all your t’s?
Chapter one will make or break our book. If we get it wrong, the first chapter might be the only chapter of our book anyone reads. Here’s a guide for what to include in your first chapter.
Are your sentences overly long and confusing? In this post, I’m going to share 6 ways to improve your writing.
Long sentences can be dangerous. When our sentences are too long, we tend to lapse into the passive voice and we risk making tense and punctuation mistakes.
Run-on sentences also distract the writer and the reader. We tend to veer off course and forget the purpose of our communications. They also force the reader to work harder.
(more…)Before I begin, I want to remind you, that if you want to support me as an author and receive SHORT STORIES, MERCHANDISE, and PERSONALIZED WRITING ADVICE, go to my PATREON to sign up.
When you go to start your novella, remember it’s important to appreciate the form. It would be premature to start to craft your own story without first reading a collection of novellas and taking stock of elements that appeal to you. Once you feel like you have a sense of the form, it’s time to start writing. Below are SEVEN TIPS that helped me and hopefully, they help you finish your novella.
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I’ve been pondering the idea for a while and I’ve wanted to try to involve and give my viewers/readers/writers extra content but I don’t have the time around my work life–well now I do.
If you haven’t heard of Patreon it is a membership platform that connects content creators with fans and supporters. Mainly, it offers financial tools that let supporters subscribe to projects that give creators a predictable income stream as they continue to create content.
The membership is based on Tiers. Below are my Tiers. If you click the image it’ll take you to my page and you can see what else is offered for each Tier.
Patreon enables creators to establish multiple membership tiers. The number of tiers and the subscription rate at each level is left up to the creator. This can encourage casual fans to pay a low rate – perhaps as little as $1 per month – while more dedicated followers can subscribe upwards of $10 or $20 per month. Higher tiers grant funders access to premium and exclusive content not otherwise available to supporters at lower levels.
As you can see, my tiers start at a low price but obviously the higher you commit, the more content you’ll receive from me.
I look forward to building a stronger relationship and engagement with you by producing more content.
#DouglasWTSmith #Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/douglaswtsmith
I’ve been writing this blog on and off for several years. I admit I go through waves of regularly pushing content and total absence.
Throughout blogging, I always start with the ‘why’. Why did I start my blog? Usually, the ‘why’ is what helps me push out content. The answer typically falls into these 8 points as to why I started this blog. If you’ve been on the fence about starting a blog, see if any of my reasons below can help you decide
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As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been working on the final edits (I hope) of my book, To Wield The Stars, and during this process, I’ve learned a lot about how to prepare the manuscript so my editor can focus on the content.
Before I jump into it, I want to remind you that
SHADOW OF THE WICKED is available for $0.99 for a LIMITED TIME, so if you haven’t got it, below is the link to download your copy today.
It’s been very quiet here on my blog, but I assure you, I have been busy with projects outside writing.
Over the past couple of months I have been mostly working, renovating our home and spending quality time with my family. I also took a step back in my marketing plan for Shadow Of The Wicked to see how the organic sales, as I felt like I had done a lot of the ground working to keep the sales trickling in.
If you wish to get the most up-to-date news from me, I urge you to subscribe to my newsletter.
I only send one letter on the 4th of every month, so it won’t overload your inbox. But it will give you the first insight on my books, as well as early or exclusive access to content, which I am happy to announce some really big news but you have to subscribe to my newsletter to receive it.
REMEMBER SHADOW OF THE WICKED is available on Amazon. Read the FREE preview below and get your copy today!
Since publishing Shadow Of The Wicked, I’ve had a lot of people asking me why I chose to write a novella instead of a full-length novel. I’ve had people suggesting it to be too much effort, or was I looking for a specific target audience. The truth to why is below but first, if you’re new to this term novella, I’ll discuss what it is and then answer, why I chose to write one.
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REMEMBER SHADOW OF THE WICKED is available on Amazon. Read the FREE preview below and get your copy today!
Now that Shadow Of The Wicked is complete, I have been working with my editor for my next novel, To Wield The Stars (if you remember me talking about it) to be published by OMAMPublishing. But while I was waiting, I have had the feeling to fall back into the Three Kingdoms (Shadow Of The Wicked) world and do a full featured novel and possibly series to explain a lot of the lore and history.
So on my on Instagram I posted that I have started that series. I’m not sure what the title will be but I have a grand plan for it to be epic and grim. However, writing the first draft has always been the most daunting part of writing a novel for me.
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For the release of my of my debut novella, SHADOW OF THE WICKED, I’m doing a HUGE giveaway!
It’s open for everyone, internationally. There will be 2 winners. 1 for Instagram and 1 for Facebook. The details are below but if you want to be a part of it, you have to go to my social media pages and follow the rules to enter and have a chance to win a $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!
Winners will be announced via my Youtube channel on the 1st of July, 1800 AEST. Make sure you have subscribed and turned your notifications ON!
1st PRIZE will receive:
🎁 $50 Amazon Gift Card; and
🎁 A signed physical book!*
The next 5 winners will receive a FREE EBOOK copy of SHADOW OF THE WICKED!*
To enter:
1️⃣ Follow me at @douglas.w.t.smith or @authordouglaswtsmith
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Comment TWO FRIENDS
For an extra entry, tag DIFFERENT FRIENDS in a separate comment, or SHARE TO YOUR STORY AND TAG ME (@douglas.w.t.smith or @authordouglaswtsmith).
Good luck!!
*Must be willing to give out full name, address and email to receive gifts. Not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, Amazon or any other company.
Douglas W.T. Smith 
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