Planning Stories Vs Winging It

What kind of writer are you?

Do you plan everything about your story to the last detail? Character bios that cover every detail of their lives? Plans that include all minor details of the plot like every subplot, conflict, argument, downfalls, outfits worn, weather, strangers they pass in the street, what pants they wear?

Or do you wing it, and have the major scenes in mind and you set on your merry way and bash at your laptop until you have 50,000 words, hoping everything fits together nicely and letting your characters decide what happens next..?

Can You Self-Publish With Smashwords AND Amazon?

I've been reading a lot recently about how great Amazon is. Currently, I self-publish all my ebooks using Smashwords and I find they're okay. I get enough regular downloads to keep me happy. I hadn't considered the possibility of self-publishing with Smashwords and Amazon until yesterday. With more readers, more downloads and sales, more profits, why wouldn't you?

Here are some things you need to really think about before doing this...

Naming Your Fictional Characters

Naming your characters is an absolutely vital part of every story you write, no matter how short or long. Like naming a child you must think long and hard about it. Here are some things to consider when undertaking the task of naming your precious child-characters....

Feedback from Readers

One of my favourite things about writing (apart from the obvious - actually writing...) is getting feedback! Knowing that someone has read through your work, and liked it enough to say something nice is really wonderful. Every ebook I read I try to remember to comment about it, as I think everyone deserves a confidence boost at regular intervals....

How to Write and Self Publish eBooks for Free!

My new eBook! Full of great advice for newbie authors or even authors who are stuck in a rut.

"So, you like writing. Now what? This guide has everything you need to know about becoming successful. I will take you through getting inspired for an idea, how to plan, write and edit, how to make an ebook cover (for free, using Paint or similar), how to make a trailer video for Youtube and how to market yourself to get as many readers (and profit) as possible!"

Download Here!

Let me know what you think!

Jess 

How to Make Your Own eBook Cover Using Paint

I make all my own ebook covers using Paint. The best thing about it is no cost and it's pretty easy once you get to grips with Paint's tools. It can look really effective if done right. And, FREE! No loss to you meaning maximum profit (if your ebooks are for a price. Mine aren't.).

It's easy once you know how, and I'll take you step-by-step through the process with screenshots of an example to help you get inspiration and to actually create your perfect cover.

I'd Recommend You Try Burrst...

For all aspiring writers out there, if you've never visited Burrst, I would definitely reccommend you do so as soon as you can!

It's an amazing site for those who want to improve their skill as a writer, gain some feedback or to get some inspiration. The site is full of talented people who write amazingly well for being unknown, mainly dark and dramatic stuff that gets you thinking or gives you the chills.

A List of Songs That Help Me Write...

In case you hadn't noticed already, I'm really into music, books and film. I especially like combos of two or three, so when I'm writing, music really helps inspire me.

I'm a no-lifer and I like to have playlists that I can listen to in different moods. I literally have Peaceful, Relaxing, Happy, Sad, SAD, Party, ... It helps when you're trying to write certain scenes.

Listening to James Blunt while trying to write about an exciting day in a theme park probably won't work out well.

Here's some great recommendations for your own playlists...

Is Location Important For Aspiring Authors?

So I live in the UK, in England. Something I've been wondering for a while is, does location matter when you're trying to be an author?

Paradise in the Forest

My new free ebook is Paradise in the Forest, and it's a metaphorical short story about life and love.

The idea came to me as I sat at work and looked out of the window and saw a tree. Not usually very inspiring, but then this whole idea about humanising a leaf came to my mind. A leaf, my story's protagonist, is emotional and wise and appreciates life humans scarcely even notice. There's a plot, and characters, and a fulfilling ending that will make you question the difference between being alive and actually living.

Give it a read if you like, see what you think. It sounds like a really weird idea but I think you might like it.

Paradise in the Forest

Jess x

Independent Author

I've just published my sixth book, Paradise in the Forest. Then I realised something.

Tag Clouds

So according to my tag cloud, I write mainly about death and love.

Oh, do I?

Don't judge an author by their tag cloud!

Jess x
j.s.cambrook@live.co.uk

Trying To Be An Author...

For about two years solid I've been really, really trying to write. Every time I'm at home I try to log in to my laptop and get the creative juices flowing but my mind changes so often about what is and isn't a good idea that it's quite hard to find a great plot and stick to it. Planning a story is fun for me, I love building characters and giving them a history and a purpose, finding an inspiring setting and finally weaving together the characters' lives.

Then, I have to write it. I start off well, like a racehorse with a temporary spurt of energy, full of enthusiasm for my characters and where the plot is going. Inevitably, after a night of writing I go back to day to day life and suddenly a newer, better idea springs to my mind and clogs it up, blocking out the possibility of ever focusing on other ideas because this one is just too good!

Rinse and repeat.

Finally, finally, I managed to finish a 30,000 word ebook that I ended up being very proud of, called Salvatore. A fantasy story with a teenage girl as a main character who doesn't mind working to keep her family, who loves mushrooms and is suspiciously immune to fire, who has been trained with a sword from a young age and has oodles of ambition and heart. All without the typical teenage girlishness of "my hair isn't perfect so I refuse to leave the house today!" or "Ohmygod, he is the fittest boy I've ever seen, I must flutter my eyelashes in an attractive way immediately!"

I can't actually remember what inspired me to write about Alexa, but when I started plotting and drafting, it all just seemed to fit. I wrote three pages of a general storyline I expected to last one book, but after 30,000 words I only just got past the third sentence. So now Alexa has expanded to probably at least three books, if not more. This time feels different, rather than being a character on a piece of paper, in my mind I can really see her, and I know what choices she would make and because of that the plot flows around her and her two best friends trying to survive against the surmountable circumstances thrown at them, rather than being a static plot that might not stay true to her character, which develops with the story.

All in all, I'm very happy at the moment and I'm about a quarter of the way through writing a sequel, called Salvatore: Book Two. I've written a very loose basis for the story, but I know Alexa, Olin and Rocco will help me with the direction they want to go in, the adventures they fancy enjoying, the lands they want to explore. So I'll say goodbye now, Salvatore is calling and a celebration is about to occur...

Jess x

Discover titles by Jessica Cambrook at Smashwords.com:

Salvatore  – Alexa is a lonely traveller eager to return home to Opura but torn by having to leave her only friend Rocco. When her grandfather dies and leaves her his generations old sword, she decides to enter a fighting tournament in a strange little town. In a cut-throat competition with a prize that isn't what it seems, will Alexa be able to hold her own? Or will the consequences be fatal?

The Boy Who Found Himself - Nick doesn't understand how his life has reached such a low. Sitting on the edge of his bathtub, razor blade in hand, he remembers everything that led him there, from ex-girlfriends to his murdered dog. As he probes deeper into his own mind, he discovers a dark secret he buried away even from himself... 

A Following of Demons - They want you. Do not panic. Stop your pulse racing. Do not close your eyes. Hear that? They are coming for you. They will get you.

Jessica Cambrook is an eighteen year old sushi addict from England.

To find out more or to leave a review, go to her Smashwords page or e-mail her at j.s.cambrook@live.co.uk.