Month: February 2024

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Valentine’s Day Special

P&L Publishing and Literary Services is offering a $100 discount as a Valentine’s Day special. If you are writing a book – or are ready to publish one – contact us on our “Get In Touch” or contact page and tell us you read this blog. You’ll be surprised at how little it costs and how quickly we can publish your book. Contact us on or before Leap Day (February 29, 2024) to receive this offer. (https://plpubandlit.org/)

And just as this critter is passing on this information, share this blog with your friends.

Write Creatively

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Don’t Give Up

About 90-95% of people who begin the journey of becoming authors give up. Why? Admittedly over-simplified, here are several issues to consider.

Traditional publishers have stringent regulations for manuscripts they will accept, and have tough rules the authors must agree to. It can take a year to publish the book, and the requirements are daunting for many people. Also, authors lose rights to their books.

With about 11,000 new titles published daily, traditional publishers seldom consider projects if they don’t foresee significant profits in the near future.

Independent publishers (commonly called Indies) are basically traditional publishers but are not part of a large corporation.

Vanity publishers often charge multi-thousands of dollars, and the author can lose control of the project to them, too. With so many thousands of Vanity companies, it is not possible to give an overall report.

Considering all the above and much more, the following are four basic reasons P&L Publishing and Literary Services was created: Definitive information about publishing is hard to get. Prices are too high. Waiting many months to finish the job is too long. Many companies won’t communicate by phone, and it’s difficult to resolve some issues by email.

Therefore, P&L was formed to give an excellent product at a much lower price, and is a lot faster than other companies. We also know that writers are more comfortable and feel more secure if they can talk with the people who publish their books. We explain the process by phone and/or email, we spell out the fees up front, and our clients enter the publishing agreement with most questions answered.

You have a story to share with family, the church, and the world, and we want you to be successful. Contact us and we’ll assist you on your writing journey. Don’t give up. And as you write your manuscript …

Write Creatively

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Start with What You Know

Sometimes I have a difficult time starting a blog or a story. When that happens, I have a default mode – I start writing about an idea I’ve stored in my “Idea Folder” in my computer, or something I already know about. An event in my life, something I remember or saw recently, a news flash – many things can ignite the writing flame. That heats up the imagination and the story begins to flow.

If I’m writing history, I write what happened. If I’m writing fiction, I feel free to change things around. Sometimes I start with history but the flow changes direction and I revert to fiction. That’s okay.

Let your creativity out of its box and create characters that fit what’s happening in your imagination. The story can be historical, morph into historical fiction, or turn to total fiction – that’s okay. As you “see and hear” the characters floating in your imagination, your emotion will generate energy for the story. Write what you see and hear. You can – and should – always edit later.

So, if you’re having a difficult time thinking of a theme or story line, start with what you know, and …

Write Creatively

Posted on

Valentine’s Day Special

P&L Publishing and Literary Services is offering a $100 discount as a Valentine’s Day special. If you are writing a book – or are ready to publish one – contact us on our “Get In Touch” or contact page and tell us you read this blog. You’ll be surprised at how little it costs and how quickly we can publish your book. Contact us on or before Leap Day (February 29, 2024) to receive this offer. (https://plpubandlit.org/)

And just as this critter is passing on this information, share this blog with your friends.

Write Creatively

Posted on

Valentine’s Day Special

P&L Publishing and Literary Services is offering a $100 discount as a Valentine’s Day special. If you are writing a book – or are ready to publish one – contact us on our “Get In Touch” or contact page and tell us you read this blog. You’ll be surprised at how little it costs and how quickly we can publish your book. Contact us on or before Leap Day (February 29, 2024) to receive this offer. (https://plpubandlit.org/)

And just as this critter is passing on this information, share this blog with your friends.

Write Creatively

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Creating a Character

Several months ago, after I had formatted and published a book for a friend, the author asked, “Do you know who the main character is styled after?”

“No, I hadn’t thought about it.”

“I already had a plot, but I formed the primary character after a man that we both know. That made it easy because I didn’t have to create the character. You wouldn’t recognize him because I added a few other traits to mask his identity.”

That’s good thinking, and it greatly reduced his writing time.

Use the character traits of a friend, family member, or even someone you don’t like. Use them to form your heroes and villains. You can also take notes of what you observe about someone you just met and set your imagination free to think about what that kind of person might do in various situations. A story idea can pop up without much effort.

Writing can be fun. It takes time, but it can be easy. So, sit down and write that next book. And make sure that you …

Write Creatively

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Long-Term Benefits

In my high school days, I sometimes stayed up all night trying to get ready for a test. While I might have passed the test, I didn’t remember much. I eventually learned that spending time gaining temporary benefits often resulted in an overall loss, but investing time paying continuous, daily attention to life provided long-term dividends. Therefore, I began developing good study habits.

How do I apply that to writing? I’m glad you asked.

Don’t expect to sit down and write your book overnight. Be Proactive. Don’t create or accept excuses for lack of progress. Respond properly to situations, but stop being overly concerned about things over which you have no control. Don’t get stressed, but focus on what you need to be doing.

Take that vacation. Enjoy your anniversary. Spend time with family. But don’t forget that blogs and books don’t write themselves.

Can you write your book in a month? Yes, it’s possible. Some people know what they want to write and can write fast. If you are writing a novella (18,000 – 40,000 words) or a nonfiction book, it is possible to finish a book in 30 days if you are dedicated and consistent with your writing sessions.

So determine your goal, establish your pace, and identify a good editor. Author, speaker, and teacher John Bytheway said, “Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life’s hard.”

Remember that P&L Publishing and Literary Services (plpubandlit.org) is here to assist you. And don’t forget to …

Write Creatively

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Learn from Others, but Be Yourself

Babies learn about speech by listening. They learn to talk by imitating. They get good at conversation by practicing. Is there a lesson here for writers? I think so.

We learn about writing by reading. We learn to write by imitating. We get good at it by practicing. Does that sound too simple? Well, if I could reduce it any further, I would.

I’ve heard it said, “Learn from the best, but don’t copy them.” I agree, but I modify it this way, Read, study other writers, and learn all you can. But when it’s your turn to publish your work, don’t copy someone else. Be yourself.

Years ago, my dad said, “My mentors at the writer’s guild told me that I have to write what people want to read. And I have to write it a certain way or I’ll never sell much. What do you think?”

I didn’t want to give advice that conflicted with his mentors because there was some truth in their statements. But they missed an important piece of the puzzle.

After a minute or so, I responded. “Dad, they have great advice if your goal is to make a paycheck. But my advice is to write your passion, about what’s in your heart and mind. But write it well! Learn from them, polish your style, but be yourself.”

How did he do? A few years later he told me that his books sold very well, and he was happy for the freedom of expression I gave him.

So, learn from the best, but don’t try to copy their style. Be yourself, and …

Write Creatively

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First Impressions

You’re going for a job interview. How do you dress? If you’re applying for a managerial position, don’t dress like a surfer. If you’re going for a position as a plumber, a suit and tie might not be appropriate. Your appearance, interaction, and attitude must convince the manager that you are the person for the job. First impressions are usually long-lasting, and can make the difference whether you get the job.

In a similar manner, when someone picks up your book, he or she must be quickly convinced that the book is worth reading. Your first sentence, or at least your first paragraph, must arrest the reader’s attention. For example …

In the book, APRIL 1865 (Jay Winik, HarperCollins, 2001), Mr. Winik opens his introduction with: “Atlanta had been overwhelmed. Columbia had been surrendered – and burned. Charleston had been abandoned. The peace conference at Hampton Roads had been fruitless. And the British and the French had refused to intervene.”

That opening salvo got my attention! I continued reading.

Like Jay Winik did, we must make that very important first impression in the opening lines of our book. We don’t want readers to put our book down until they devour the whole story.

And remember, the last lines of each page must prompt the reader to turn the page. The last page of the chapter should present a hook to pull the reader to the next chapter. And the first paragraph of each chapter should be a lure to entice the reader to keep reading. Yes, the book must be interesting!

All that is wrapped up in two words:

Write Creatively

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3 Steps to a Good Page-Turner

Yes, I know. Most of you have heard something like that many times, and I understand there are many more than 3 steps, but don’t go away. This could help burgeoning authors, and I won’t bore you veterans with unnecessary verbiage.

There is no shortcut to writing a great book. Although it takes time, it takes a lot of thinking, and it’s not easy, it is simple. In fact, this may sound too simple, and you might toss it aside. That’s okay with me, but read it first.

What do you need for the great book you want to write?

1. Enthusiasm, Passion

Simply put, you need an idea that means a lot to you. Tell a story that would keep your interest. Why? Writers tend to be more passionate about their own ideas; therefore, they can more energetically write the story. Infuse your writing with energy.

2. Exciting Characters

No one knows more about your characters than you do. Why? They are born out of your imagination. You assign to them looks, size, attitudes, strengths, flaws, skills, blemishes, character, and all the rest, so make them interesting. Make sure they fulfill their purpose for being in the book, and they dynamically drive the story in the direction you want it to go. Even if you have a dog, cat, or a chicken in the book, give it a purpose for being there.

3. Resolvable Tension

There is a need for nice, sweet stories like Pollyanna. But even in Pollyanna, there was tension. To keep readers turning those pages, there must be conflict. Let that controlled conflict empower the story throughout the book and grip the readers’ imagination.

As I mentioned, writing is not easy, but it is simple. Improve your skill, enjoy your writing, and

Write Creatively