This document provides a summary of topics covered in previous weeks for establishing an online presence, including why write, writing for publication, and writing fiction and non-fiction. It then discusses finding the heart of a story by nurturing the original idea. This involves stating the idea in one sentence, focusing the idea from divergent to convergent thinking, and determining if it is just a story or has deeper intent. Developing the idea requires using who, what, why, where, when and how questions to expand the spark into a full narrative.
Breaking into the Nonfiction Market, Step-by-Stepggaldorisi
This workshop opens the door to the nonfiction market – a more diverse and far easier market to enter than fiction. It’s all about content. Attendees will learn the secrets of success including: What subject areas to pick, how to get started becoming an expert in a field, how to do market research, how to structure a nonfiction book proposal, and how to put together a query letter that will sell.
Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author 10-24-17Bob Mayer
Presentation to Writers Digest Conference. How does one make the leap from being a writer to a successful career as an author? It requires much more than just writing the book.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
3. Establishing an Online Presence
• Review of weeks one through four
– Why write – writing skills in general
– Writing for and selling for publication
– Writing and selling non-fiction
– Writing and selling novels
• What makes your online material unique?
• Beating the competition for “eyes”
• Balancing content and entertainment
• Doing-it-yourself…or…?
4. Recap of What We Covered In
Weeks One Through Four:
If You Haven’t Generated Quality
Content None of What Follows
Matters
5. Week One: Why Write?
• History is what writers say it is
• Picking your medium
• A building block approach
• Due diligence the easy way
6. “History is what the historians and writers
say it is.”
Norman Polmar
(Forty books – and counting)
7. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week One
• Telling stories is what we humans do
• Determining the “Five Ws” of writing
• Evaluating the universe of outlets for your writing
• It usually starts with what you read
• Due diligence – the internet and your library
• Do write that “family pass-down”
8. Week Two: First - and Essential - Steps
• Content-hungry media
• Recycling and building content
• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for
both parties
• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of
collaboration
9. “Writing has to have a purpose; it’s meant to
communicate something to someone. If you’re not
ready to write for the general public, then try writing
for a very specific audience, one you know will be
happy to hear from you.”
Robert Masello
Robert’s Rules of Writing
10. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Two
• Written and online media can’t exist without content
• Above all else – write what you’re passionate about
• John Boswell’s “rules of what to write”
• Getting started and “building up”
• Repurposing content and growing your expertise
• Doing something old & familiar and new & exciting
11. Week Three:
Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market
• Being - or becoming - the expert?
• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen?
• Scratching itches - or entertaining?
• How much to tell and what’s next?
12. “A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how
hard it is to be God.”
Sidney Sheldon
13. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Three
• The majority of published books are non-fiction
• The market is easier to enter than fiction
• This medium returns you to John Boswell’s “rules”
• Being of becoming the expert
• The art and science of query letters
• The full-on book proposal – your audition
14. Week Four: “The Great American Novel”
• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know
getting started
• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?
• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and
point of view
• Getting the sale
15. “For me, I gotta write, and it’s the adventure of it that’s
hooked me. As the writer, I can do it all. I get to be the
National Security Advisor who recommends the action
to the President who must commit the forces. I’m the
senior officer who sends his men into action and who
feels the pain if they don’t make it back. I’m the enemy
and the defender; logistician and staff planner. But
most of all, I’m a young man again, that fresh
lieutenant who must lead his men into battle.”
Dick Couch
“So you Want to be a Writer”
16. Recap of What We Talked About
in Week Four
• Non-fiction is mostly the “what”
• Fiction is primarily the “how”
• There are essential elements to any work of fiction
• We know what readers demand from a novel (DK)
• Plot and character should be your primary focus
• But you weave your style around that!
17. But first, as promised, let’s take a
deeper dive into fiction and focus
on:
Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Nurturing Your Original Idea
18. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Nurturing Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
21. Your Original Idea:
The Spark That Starts the Process
• The coolest thing about writing!
• Only you are the steward of your original idea
• Can you state your idea in one sentence?
• Ideas can be absolutely anything
• Outward vs. inward focus
• A few examples
22. Only You Are the Steward of Your Original Idea
• It is your idea and your idea alone
• You have to nurture it, don’t share it yet
• It is the foundation of your book
• Above all else, it is the spark of inspiration for you
• Don’t do too much, let it germinate
• Come up with another idea, is the first still the best?
23. Can You State Your Idea In One Sentence?
• If you can’t do this, start over and find a new one
• This one sentence ignites your creative focus
• It is often the core of the pitch to sell your book
• Remembering just one sentence keeps you focused
24. Ideas Can Be Absolutely Anything
• A high concept
• A theme
• A plot
• A character
• A “what if”
• A setting or scene
25. Outward vs. Inward Focus
• A situation idea is outward focused
• Your situation idea focuses on a plot and a problem
• A character idea is inward focused
• Your character idea focuses on character and intent
• The key to success is to have your book do both
26. Ideas Can Be A High Concept
• In a post-apocalyptic world, what if the top .1% is
delineated by length of life rather than wealth?
• Burners
27. Ideas Can Be A Theme
• What is more important? Honor or loyalty?
• Duty, Honor, Country
28. Ideas Can Be A Plot
• On the same day, six different years, the Time Patrol
must keep the shadow from changing our timeline.
• Time Patrol
29. Ideas Can Be A Character
• A housewife and female assassin must uncover the
truth of the men in their lives in order to uncover
their destiny.
• Bodyguard of Lies
30. Ideas Can Be A “What If”
• What if people going into the Witness Protection
Program really disappear?
• Cut Out
31. Ideas Can Be A Setting or Scene
• An international treaty bans weapons in Antarctica:
What if the U.S. put nuclear weapons there and lost
track of them?
• Eternity Base
33. New York Times, Publisher’s
Weekly & USA Today Best-
Seller!
What if a prince in a Middle
Eastern country wanted to get
the United States to attack
another country so his
country could later win a fight
with that country?
34. New York Times, Publisher’s
Weekly & USA Today Best-
Seller!
How does the commanding
officer of a U.S. Navy ship
keep the North Koreans from
capturing her crew after they
run aground on a small island
after losing a gun battle with
North Korean ships?
35. New this year from
Braveship Books
What if the most senior officers in the
United States military are so
dissatisfied with the President that
they concoct a scheme to have the
President direct a major military
operation, and then have that
operation fail in order to drive the
President out of office?
36. If you forgot your homework – or
the dog ate it – that’s okay…
….come up with any story idea and
jot it down in two minutes
38. Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Is your idea different?
• No? Now what?
• Every idea has been done before
• “It’s been done before” is the first hurdle
• Check out the Internet Movie Database for log lines
• Try Kipling
39. “Deconstructing” a Movie Log Line
The subject of the sentence will describe (1) an
imperfect but passionate and active protagonist. The
verb will depict (2) the battle. And the direct object will
describe (3) an insurmountable antagonist who tries to
stop the protagonist from reaching (4) a physical goal
on account of (5) the stakes, if the goal is not reached.
40. “Deconstructing” Your Idea:
Putting It On Trial for It’s Life
• Is there a plot?
• Are there a protagonist and an antagonist?
• Is the verb in your idea an active one?
• Is there an inherent conflict that needs to be solved?
41. I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Rudyard Kipling
The Elephant’s Child
42. Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Since every idea has been done before, now what?
• Your idea turns into a story as you fan the flame
• Fan the flame with Kipling’s help:
– What? Plot
– Who? Characters
– Why? What’s at stake
– Where and When? Setting
– How? Beginning, Middle, and End
• Your idea won’t change
• You are going to do it differently
44. Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Spend a lot of time on divergent thinking
– What if….
– A great time to bounce ideas off friends and colleagues
• Save plenty of time for convergent thinking
– These are not your children…you can favor one
– Work what you picked…unless it starts to bore you
45. Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• What are you selling?
• The “Intent”
– The “why” behind the “what”
– What do you want the reader to feel?
– Is there a beginning, middle and end?
– The payoff to the reader is the resolution
• The “Shiver”
– What excites you about your idea?
– What will excite those you tell it to?
– Is there emotion and passion?
– Can your reader relate to your plot and your characters?
46. Now Let’s Get to Work on That
Homework and Create a Log Line!
48. Pair Off and Put on Your Coaching Hats
1. Read your story idea aloud to your partner
2. Partner, ask questions if what was said isn’t clear
3. Work with the reader to construct a log line
4. Give yourselves only three minutes to do this
5. Switch roles
6. Repeat steps one through four above
49. “Deconstructing” a Movie Log Line
The subject of the sentence will describe (1) an
imperfect but passionate and active protagonist. The
verb will depict (2) the battle. And the direct object will
describe (3) an insurmountable antagonist who tries to
stop the protagonist from reaching (4) a physical goal
on account of (5) the stakes, if the goal is not reached.
50. Reading Your Log Lines
• Read the log line
• Name your protagonist and antagonist
• Coaches, jump in and sell it to the rest of us:
– Intent
– Sizzle
53. Establishing an Online Presence
• Review of weeks one through four
– Why write – writing skills in general
– Writing for and selling for publication
– Writing and selling non-fiction
– Writing and selling novels
• What makes your online material unique?
• Beating the competition for “eyes”
• Balancing content and entertainment
• Doing-it-yourself…or…?
54. Websites of Writers We Like
• Krista: Anne Tyler and Bill Bryson
– Tyler:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=anne+tyler+website&qs=AS&pq=ann
e+tyler+web&sc=8-
14&cvid=47EADE2A226042D38887F4751C9B77AB&FORM=QBRE&sp=
1
– Bryson: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/bill-bryson/1017933/
56. But first, what are you trying to
accomplish with the online “you?”
57. “There is only one recipe for a bestseller and it is a very
simple one. If you look back on all the bestsellers you
have read, you will find they all have one quality” you
simply have to turn the page.”
Ian Fleming
How to Write a Thriller
61. What Makes Your Online Material Unique?
• Are you providing something people can’t get
anywhere else or get as easily?
• Are you aiming at the right attention span of online
tourists?
• Determining the right level of effort in refreshing
your online content
• Balancing what you give away online and what you
want to sell to visitors
62. Beating the Competition for Online Eyes
• Above all else, when someone “Googles” your name
your website must pop up at the top
• It’s not just about getting that initial visitor – it’s
about getting him or her to keep coming back
• Most online visitors are taking a break from what
they have to do at work or home
• Think of your website the same way as what you
write – tell people a story
63. Balancing Content and Entertainment
• People will tire of the monotonous “professor”
telling them “like this damn you” (from Ian Fleming)
• People will tire of dancing bears, dwarfs throwing
rose petals and fireworks
• Achieving the right blend and balance is your online
presence style
• Press the “Easy Button” with your due diligence: Visit
the websites of writers whose work you enjoy
64. Doing It Yourself Or Having It Done
• Your website is “you” to people you will likely never
meet – but who you want to entertain
• There are cottage industries of books, seminars, tools
and coaches to help you build your own website
• There are legions of people and businesses who will
do it for you
• If you have the time and energy and want to use
your left and right brain – try doing it yourself
65. We’ll talk about engagement and
visibility next week
In the meantime, here is one source
for advice: www.fauiziaburke.com
66. Let’s look at some examples of
websites of people who write….
67. Some Writers Who
Have Done It Themselves
• Fauzia Burke
– http://www.fauziaburke.com/
• Jeff Edwards
– http://navythriller.com
• Janice Steinberg
– thetinhorse.com
68. Some Writers Who Have Had Someone
Else Build Their Website
• Dick Couch
– www.dickcouch.com
• Larry Bond
– http://www.larry-bond.com
• Your guide for this course
– www.georgegaldorisi.com
69. Some Ways to Find More Examples
• “Google” writers you enjoy
• Go online for advice about online presence
• Check with local businesses in Coronado
• Our library has additional resources
70. Website Constants Regardless of Who
Builds and Maintains the Site
• You will need to provide the content
• You will want to add content frequently
• You will want to use social media to drive people to
your website
• The longer you have your website the more it will
become your “professional persona”
73. Social Media-Challenges and Opportunities
• Developing a Book’s Plot and Narrative
• Social Media
– Everyone is doing it
– Vote early and often
– Building a following
– Sustaining momentum