What? and Writing Sales Copy

In today’s Journal

* Quotes of the Day
* What?
* Writing Sales Copy
* Of Interest

Quotes of the Day

First, from the Department of the Absolutely Ridiculous:

“The first words are the hardest. For many of us writing is a slog. Words drip with difficulty onto the page—and frequently they seem to be the wrong ones, in the wrong order.” not credited, so apparently a staff writer for The Economist

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein

Preach it, Brother.

What?

Did anyone else visualize Dr. Smith from Lost in Space as you read the first Quote of the Day? See why I said it was from the Department of the Absolutely Ridiculous?

I swear, after the second sentence I was frowning, confused, and wondering what’s going on. Writing is a SLOG?

So what, some of you are suffering for your art? Or suffering more profoundly than all the other writers out there? If this is true, then why in the world are you writing? Am I wrong, folks?

If you’re suffering at all and if suffering is your thing, you’ve certainly got me beat. I actually find writing fun.

But if you find it a “slog,” why bother writing at all? Why put yourself through all that (whatever “all that” is)? Why not just go find something fun to do?

Of course, if you only want something to gripe and get all dramatic about, I guess that’s fine. It’s your life to waste. But there are many, MANY things a great deal more important than writing about which you could pitch a fit.

And with almost anything else you could present a much more dramatic case than, “Oh woe is me! Writing is such a slog! It’s such terrible drudgery!”

Really, even if you only want to throw a “poor me, look at what I’m enduring” pity party and open it to the whole world, for pete’s sake come up with something better than faking that you’re somehow forced to slave over a story day after dreary never-ending day.

Seriously, get a hobby or something. At a minimum, read a news report about the invasion of Ukraine or a story about refugees or boat people. Visit a homeless shelter.

But put down that pen or pencil. You could put an eye out.

Writing Sales Copy

In “Of Interest” is a link to an article titled “How to Hook Readers with a Better Book Description.” That, my friends, is sales copy.

I included the link just in case you might find something useful, but what I really recommend is that you skip the article and buy a copy of Dean Wesley Smith’s How to Write Fiction Sales Copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1561466476.

It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made, and I can pretty well promise it’s all you need, no matter your genre(s).

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

See “Good News! Amazon Changes Ebook Return Policy” at https://killzoneblog.com/2022/09/good-news-amazon-changes-ebook-return-policy.html.

See “A man once asked me” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/a-man-once-asked-me/.

See “A Writing Career Returns from the Grave” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/a-writing-career-returns-from-the-grave/.

See “How to Hook Readers with a Better Book Description” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-to-hook-readers-with-a-better-book-description/. Um, skip this and buy Dean Wesley Smith’s

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………………… 530 words

Writing of Carmen Morales (novel, tentative title)

Day 10… 3375 words. Total words to date…… 31839

Total fiction words for September……… 35116
Total fiction words for the year………… 101547
Total nonfiction words for September… 21900
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 150130
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 251677

Calendar Year 2022 Novels to Date…………………… 1
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… 0
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 67
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 217
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31

Disclaimer: In this Journal, I discuss various aspects of the writing craft. I advocate trusting the characters to tell the story that they, not the writer, are living. This is by far the easiest, most liberating, and most fun way to tell a story.