Author: Gene Linzey

I am the owner of P&L Publishing & Literary Services. Contact us at plpubandlit2@gmail.com and speak with a person - not a recording. Also, you may check us out at plpubandlit.org for more information.
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Don’t be Predictable

It’s important for the author to insert him/herself into the plot; that helps in creating a great story. But don’t let the story be predictable. Ernest Hemingway at times stopped in the middle of a page and walked away for half a day or so to refresh his mind. The noted radioman, Paul Harvey, always had a twist in his narrative called, “The Rest of the Story.” The turn-of-events took his listeners – and readers of his books – by surprise, and left them wanting more.

Unless predictability is your purpose, design the plot with those sudden surprises that will capture your readers’ attention and keep them reading. One of your primary means of doing that is to …

Write Creatively

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A Reminder about the Special Offer

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.

This little guy is effectively communicating with its friend. In like manner, share this blog with your friends. They might be glad you did.

Write Creatively

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Experiment with Genre & Style

I wrote for public newspapers in several states from 2001 through 2023. My subject matter included Bible, history, science, nature, travel, and a lot more. But I didn’t write about animals; that wasn’t my forte.

But one day in July of 2013 after relating a dynamic experience to my friend and co-writer about our kitten getting stuck in a glue trap, he suggested that I write about it in my next article. When I told him I don’t write about animals, he paused, took a sip of coffee, and said, “You do now.”

I thought that would be a challenge, but I was wrong. It was the easiest piece I ever wrote because I merely related what happened.

Did I say “merely related”? Well, that wasn’t quite true. Everything I said in the article was accurate, but I painted the word picture in a creative manner. Through well-chosen words, I let the readers “watch” the 3-month-old kitten as it …. Hey, I’ll let you read part of the writeup so you can see what I’m talking about.

Two and a half month old Marvel was playing in the sun-room. He batted his ball, it bounced behind a box, and he pounced after it. A playful kitten disappeared behind the box, but a hissing, crazed, writhing monster erupted from the other side! He had stepped into a glue trap!

He was screaming, thrashing, flipping, running from his phantom attackers, flailing and irrationally bouncing as only a cat can do, running into walls to make matters worse, and getting glue all over himself; but I was finally able to grab him to remove the source of persecution. I paid (got bit) for my efforts, but I didn’t punish him for that error: he was frantically fighting for his life!

When my co-writer saw the responses I received from readers about that story, he said, “You have added another genre to your bag of tools.” That also introduced me to the genre of Creative Nonfiction, which is described as “true stories well-told.”

So, I encourage you readers to experiment with genre and style. Remember The Cat and the Glue Trap, consider looking into and studying about Creative Nonfiction, and …

Write Creatively

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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

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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

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