Author be the Cop – WWYD

 

Author be the Cop – WWYD
Q: If you were Chief of Police, what would you do to stop / prevent crime?

What would you do?

 

The Single Best Trick for Originality in Your Fiction

This week’s video from one of our favorite’s K.M. Weiland, shares the most important question you can ask yourself about originality in your fiction and how to access it in every single scene.

Video Transcript:

Originality is an important quality test for fiction—although perhaps not quiteas much as we like to make out. Pulitzer-winner Willa Cather tells us,

There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they never happened.

But the fact remains that originality is, if nothing else, a tremendous marketing point for our books. So how do we find it?

I’ve talked before about how the most original thing you can bring to any story is yourself—your own unique views and experiences. But it does go a little deeper than that. There are definite techniques we can employ to seek out and take advantage of the potential for originality in our stories.

The biggest one comes as the result of the answer to the simple question:What is originality? Originality, I think we can all agree, is simply the unexpected. It’s something new. It’s something readers haven’t already experienced or thought up on their own before reading it in the pages of your book.

As such, the question you then need to ask yourself is: What would be unexpected in your story? And you need to ask this not just for the premise in general, but for every moment in your story.

George Armitage’s Grosse Pointe Blank is a good example of this. Aside from the generally original premise of a professional killer attending his high school reunion, you’ve also got very original choices at almost every juncture.

• Do we expect him to visit a psychiatrist?

• Do we expect that psychiatrist to keep scheduling him an appointment even though he’s refused to treat him?

• Do we expect the jilted high school sweetheart to kiss him the first time he sees her?

• Do we expect him to tell everyone the straight-up truth whenever he’s asked what he does for a living?

 

Write a Book Review That Helps, Not Hinders

Sooner or later, passion, generosity, or selfishness will push you to review someone’s book.

Passion: You either love or hate the book so much that you must tell the world.

Generosity: You know the book’s message will help others. Or, you want to help the author sell books and understand that reviews help sell books.

Selfishness: Your review of another’s book helps your own books when you sign your reviews “author of [your book title].” Most book buyers purchase more than one title on any given subject. So when they’re looking for a book on leadership, customer service, or whatever and see other titles mentioned in the book review section, which triggers them to take a look at your own. You can also draw attention to your speaking, training, or consulting business in that review. Finally, as a much appreciated content curator, you can post your book review of other books on your own social media and subscription sites.

With the following “Dos” in mind, you should be able to write a substantive review in 5-10 minutes. Offered from my earlier years of writing book reviews for the Houston Chronicle (business books and self-help), these guidelines work well for most categories of nonfiction and fiction.

 

To read more about it, click here – Write a Book Review That Helps, Not Hinders — Part 1

 

Fit@50 / week 17

Fit@50 / week 17
The more things change:

The last time I was in NYC was the early 1990’s working a wiretap for the DEA. My partner and I came up to join with the NYPD & DEA’s New York field office to track down criminals operating across country.

WOW, that was a long time ago, but coming back this week also included lots of concentration on crime and dastardly villains.

I’m presenting and attending International Thriller Writers Organization‘s ThrillerFest while on vacation. Everyone from Lee Child to Steve Berry to John Gilstrap to Liliana Hart (you had to guess that one), plus many more.

My hotel is a lot nicer than the shanties we were stuck in during surveillances and sting operations in the 90’s. Our food is sit down and eat, instead of grab it and go. And instead of a submachine gun strapped around my neck, I have a conference layard.

What I thought would be true, still very much is–I’d prefer the company of those men and women in blue who’d sacrificed so much if only to make the world a little safer for a brief moment in time.

I enjoy the embrace of writers who so meticulously craft stories about those same cops I’ve served with over the past 25 years. But if I had my choice, I’d be back behind the binoculars with a submachine around my neck waiting to snatch the next bad guy who surfaced from his hole.

It’s important to never, ever forget where you come from. Even if it meant long days and sleepless nights to get somewhere else.

Do good,
Scott

 

Law Enforcement Make Family First: Spending Quality Time With Your Loved Ones

A few years ago, I did some calculations and found that I spent a minimum of 60 hours a week at work when I summed working hours and commuting time. By the time I got home and ate dinner with my wife and kids, I only spent about 10 weekday hours with my children and maybe about five additional hours with my wife. This realization spurred me to make a change and figure out how to spend more quality time with my family.

Here are a few ways cops learn to improve family relationships:

Law Enforcement Make Family First: Spending Quality Time With Your Loved Ones

By Matthew Loux, criminal justice faculty member at American Military University

 

Prepare Your Spouse for a Law Enforcement Life

By Matthew Loux, faculty member at American Military University

Preparing for a career in law enforcement requires more than just preparing yourself—you must also prepare your significant other and your family for the realities of a law enforcement life.

Since junior high, all I ever wanted to be was a cop. So, after graduating college, I jumped at the chance to become an officer. When I got married, my wife knew how much I loved the job. We dated long enough for her to know my work schedule and my desire to hold different positions within the department; she even pushed me to go back to school.

The first few years were hard. I worked midnights and she worked days so we only saw each other for short periods of time in the evenings. Often times, I watched the kids while she worked and, when she got home, she would take over while I slept for a few hours. It made it even harder when I had to work double shifts to help make ends meet. The only thing that got us through those tough times was communication.

Read the rest of the story here

 

 

ThrillerFest X

 

Liliana Hart and I are heading out to ThrillerFest X this week. We’re both super excited to connect with so many friends and meet new folks who share a passion for writing.

We’ll try to keep you updated with the latest on what’s what, but I’m sure there’ll be a monster shopping spree for her, and I’ll find a cop to compare notes. While she thinks I’m Twitter crazy, I’ll use #TF10 as our trips hashtag. Please join us if you’re there or follow along if you wanted to be.

Thanks,

Scott

 

 

Author be the Cop – WWYD

WWYD:

Scenario –

You’re on uniformed patrol and passing through a parking lot in the middle of a sunny, summer afternoon. You spot movement from inside a parked car. There’s a small child strapped in the car seat, but the engine is off with no one around.

Author be the Cop – WWYD
What would you do?

 

Helping Writers Become Authors – K.M. Weiland

 

Most common writing mistakes – Great podcast.

We wanted to share her site because the content is consistently amazing. SilverHart puts the author first – this information helps you get there.

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, as well as Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic, the western A Man Called Outlaw, the medieval epicBehold the Dawn, and the portal fantasy Dreamlander. When she’s not making things up, she’s busy mentoring other authors on her award-winning blog. She makes her home in western Nebraska. For more information about her fiction, click here.

Helping Writers Become Authors – K.M. Weiland

 

Want to write SWAT, right?

SilverHart has an expert cadre of police professionals to assist you in making sure your details read like you’re in the SWAT stack with weapon at high ready. Write it like you lived it.

Want to write SWAT, right?