Warning: This post was written while under caffeinated. Oh, it is SO a two cup morning.
So as I’ve been working on my marketing plan for Forsaken By Shadow, I’ve been giving some thought to how I can expand the appeal of this blog to not just writers but readers as well. You may have noticed I now have a free sample of FBS in the nav bar up there. Which is all well and good, except quite a few of you have already bought the novella (:bows: for which I say thank you). It’s fine for someone who just randomly stumbles over my site and stays a little while to browse. But I really want to do something with actual content.
A few things I have considered:
- Character interviews: With my background as a therapist, I have been known to sit my characters on my metaphorical couch to talk about their issues. I even started a separate blog just for that (though I never maintained it). I also sometimes will tackle a scene in the first person to really get into the head of a character before I go back and rewrite it in third (which most of you know is my preferred POV).
- Dunce Hat Days: From time to time I have shared funny stories about the idiocy perpetrated by my students. There is usually fodder enough for a weekly post of this nature. I have to laugh, or I’ll cry about the state of education.
- Inspiration Days: I know readers are always fascinated by the question of where writers get their ideas. I’m not comfortable talking about where the inspiration came from while I’m actively working on a project, but I could either go back and talk about it when a project is finished and out there or I could take a random stimulus/snip of information/whatever and talk about what my brain thinks of doing with it. Just as insight into how my brain works.
- Interviews: As so many people have been so kind as to let me come to their blog with a guest post or interview, I’d like to return the favor in a pay it forward kind of way and do the occasional interview.
Any other suggestions? Thoughts?
3 thoughts on “Pontificating Changes and Additions”
oooh I think I’ll start doing character interviews and inspiration insight sometimes too!
I particularly like it when you write on the blog or Twitter about your relationship with your characters and whether or not they are talking to you, and maybe a little bit of what they are saying. Not necessarily what they say in the book, but what they are saying to you. : )
Interesting challenge. One option is to broaden the subject matter of your blog – which is what I’ve done. It has some benefits – I’ve encountered some great people over the web and found important support and encouragement. On the other hand I may have diluted things too much and become too general.
But if you are broadening things – funny stories are always good.