Comments on: Untangling Story Knots in Six Steps http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/ about the craft and business of fiction Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:56:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Five Strategies for Inspiring Creativity http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-131542 Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Five Strategies for Inspiring Creativity Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:07:56 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-131542 [...] plot-block. I knew the bones were there; I was missing something. In the end, I needed to follow my own advice (again), strip back the many ideas I’d grown to love to reveal a core truth, then start [...] [...] plot-block. I knew the bones were there; I was missing something. In the end, I needed to follow my own advice (again), strip back the many ideas I’d grown to love to reveal a core truth, then start [...]

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-131522 Therese Walsh Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:12:45 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-131522 Hi Colin, First off, congrats on your debut! That's a huge accomplishment. The rub with marketing and publicity is that there's rarely a way to connect efforts with sales, except through correlations. Yes, my sales were up while the Facebook ads were ongoing--and I did see plenty of links from Facebook directly to my website, which meant the ad was being viewed and people were responding to it. Did those views and clicks translate directly into sales? Or were sales coming from other ads, or as a response to interviews or articles or word-of-mouth? It's impossible to say. But because of the number of click-throughs to my site--especially in comparison to click-throughs from much more expensive sites where ads were also placed (Perez Hilton, Go Fug Yourself, etc...)--I believe the money was well spent. If nothing else, it increased the book's profile. And, yes, I would do it again. I hope that helps. Best of luck to you. Hi Colin,

First off, congrats on your debut! That’s a huge accomplishment.

The rub with marketing and publicity is that there’s rarely a way to connect efforts with sales, except through correlations. Yes, my sales were up while the Facebook ads were ongoing–and I did see plenty of links from Facebook directly to my website, which meant the ad was being viewed and people were responding to it. Did those views and clicks translate directly into sales? Or were sales coming from other ads, or as a response to interviews or articles or word-of-mouth? It’s impossible to say. But because of the number of click-throughs to my site–especially in comparison to click-throughs from much more expensive sites where ads were also placed (Perez Hilton, Go Fug Yourself, etc…)–I believe the money was well spent. If nothing else, it increased the book’s profile. And, yes, I would do it again.

I hope that helps. Best of luck to you.

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]]> By: colin t nelson http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-131512 colin t nelson Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:51:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-131512 Therese: I read your Dec blog about your adventures putting up an ad on FaceBook. Thanks for the informative article and for sharing your experience. Can you tell me how the ad campaign went? Do you think it was worthwhile? Would you do it again? Any advice you could pass on to me? I've got my first novel coming out in Sept, 2010. thanks for your time and advice, colin Therese: I read your Dec blog about your adventures putting up an ad on FaceBook. Thanks for the informative article and for sharing your experience. Can you tell me how the ad campaign went? Do you think it was worthwhile? Would you do it again? Any advice you could pass on to me? I’ve got my first novel coming out in Sept, 2010. thanks for your time and advice, colin

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]]> By: Glynis Smy http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-130816 Glynis Smy Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:06:43 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-130816 That was a useful post thanks. I am in a knot at the moment. .-= Glynis Smy´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.glynissmy.com/2010/01/doing-u-turn.html" rel="nofollow">Doing a U Turn</a> =-. That was a useful post thanks. I am in a knot at the moment.
.-= Glynis Smy´s last blog ..Doing a U Turn =-.

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]]> By: Melanie http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-130341 Melanie Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:51:55 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-130341 This is great -- thank you! .-= Melanie´s last blog ..<a href="http://melanieavila.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-have-new-gig.html" rel="nofollow">I Have a New Gig</a> =-. This is great — thank you!
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..I Have a New Gig =-.

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]]> By: Pamela Hanks http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-130164 Pamela Hanks Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:38:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-130164 Not about to give up! But the complexities of what I didn't think necessary for the reader to know, but did, threw me. Creating new characters and writing I didn't want to do. The knots, caused by ommision of information, have to be blended in and connected. Thanks Lynn for the pointers on how to blend and reweave. Not about to give up! But the complexities of what I didn’t think necessary for the reader to know, but did, threw me. Creating new characters and writing I didn’t want to do. The knots, caused by ommision of information, have to be blended in and connected. Thanks Lynn for the pointers on how to blend and reweave.

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]]> By: Is Your Story Turning into Crapola? « My Fiction Writing Tips http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-130161 Is Your Story Turning into Crapola? « My Fiction Writing Tips Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:46:25 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-130161 [...] this is because you’re trying to do too much, and there’s no theme or focus. At http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/ Therese Walsh offers a strategy for helping you machete your way through [...] [...] this is because you’re trying to do too much, and there’s no theme or focus. At http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/ Therese Walsh offers a strategy for helping you machete your way through [...]

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]]> By: hope101 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-129887 hope101 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:52:31 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-129887 Therese, despite your baking-induced high, yes, thanks, this makes sense to me. Thanks for the example. .-= hope101´s last blog ..<a href="http://cherrytart.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/the-commiseration-post/" rel="nofollow">The Commiseration Post</a> =-. Therese, despite your baking-induced high, yes, thanks, this makes sense to me. Thanks for the example.
.-= hope101´s last blog ..The Commiseration Post =-.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-129884 Therese Walsh Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:59:17 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-129884 Thanks for comments, everyone! Laura, I have a "cut scenes" file as well, and I agree with you that there's something comforting in knowing words aren't lost--even though you'll probably never use them. hope101, for me, "linking" meant ensuring a valid connection existed between necessary characters/plot points/themes and those nebulous (and often troublesome) components. More often than not, I find problems creeping into my stories through secondary plots and characters. An example from my mess in progress: A secondary character's sister became more and more present in the book. But this is not her story, and her plight was not linked strongly enough to the main plot or the themes of this book to warrant running with the thread. My solution? I didn't want to continue fighting with the character, so I eliminated her from the cast. Her story can unravel in another book. I hope that made some sense, as I'm still recovering from an overdose of Christmas cookies. Thanks for comments, everyone!

Laura, I have a “cut scenes” file as well, and I agree with you that there’s something comforting in knowing words aren’t lost–even though you’ll probably never use them.

hope101, for me, “linking” meant ensuring a valid connection existed between necessary characters/plot points/themes and those nebulous (and often troublesome) components. More often than not, I find problems creeping into my stories through secondary plots and characters. An example from my mess in progress: A secondary character’s sister became more and more present in the book. But this is not her story, and her plight was not linked strongly enough to the main plot or the themes of this book to warrant running with the thread. My solution? I didn’t want to continue fighting with the character, so I eliminated her from the cast. Her story can unravel in another book. I hope that made some sense, as I’m still recovering from an overdose of Christmas cookies.

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]]> By: Sandy Shin http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/22/untangling-story-knots-in-six-steps/#comment-129872 Sandy Shin Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:54:35 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/?p=2173#comment-129872 This is a great advice. Fixing everything would be a lot of work, but sometimes, willing to let go of certain plot points can make the story stronger. I am definitely saving this to try when things get knotty in my WiP. :> This is a great advice. Fixing everything would be a lot of work, but sometimes, willing to let go of certain plot points can make the story stronger. I am definitely saving this to try when things get knotty in my WiP. :>

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