Odd Ducks & Rare Birds – Page 2

In Praise of Robert McKee’s “Story”

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Joel D Canfield

In the past few years I have started, but not finished:

A coming of age story with a strong musical element
The first mystery in a new series with a rather artistic protagonist
The first mystery in a new series with a female protagonist
A Jeeves & Wooster/P. G. Wodehouse-inspired light comedy with a mysterious twist.

They are unfinished, not because they aren’t good, but because I didn’t know how to make the last 1/3 (or 1/2 or 2/3) as good as what was already written.

Not because I don’t know how to use words. Never been a problem. I was reading at college level when I started Kindergarten back in the Jurassic Era.

What I didn’t know was, once you start building a bridge of story from over here and it spans half the chasm, how do you keep it from collapsing into the ravine until you can make it land over there?

In other words, what is the structure of a story?

… more … “In Praise of Robert McKee’s “Story””

Standing Next to Smart People

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Joel D Canfield

[image: standing next to the smartest person in the room]I used to try to be the smartest person in the room.

What that means is I made sure that others knew how smart I was, and if someone knew something I didn’t, it was intimidating so I avoided them.

These days I like to go stand next to the smartest person in the room. And learn from them.

… more … “Standing Next to Smart People”

Another Structure: Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

As a story structure geek, I’ve been thrilled to learn from Larry Brooks over at Storyfix.

And just as thrilled to discover the work of Shawn Coyne, by way of Steven Pressfield’s site.

An acquisitions editor for a million years, Shawn knows what it takes for a book to succeed. He knows what makes a story work, which is, as Larry keeps saying, the bare minimum, the ante, for this game. And he’s teaching it, a bit at a time, at StoryGrid.com.

The image below is the story grid for Silence of the Lambs which, though I have not indulged in either book or movie, is a classic example of story done right, according to Shawn.

… more … “Another Structure: Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid”

Back Into Your Ending

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: reverse]The world would not be complete without Jeeves and Wooster.

Most of you know Hugh Laurie as the irascible Gregory House, doctor extraordinaire, human being just barely. But years ago he and his best bud and comedy partner Stephen Fry played the leads in A&E’s televisation of some of P. G. Wodehouse‘s Jeeves and Wooster stories. Track them down if you like a good story and some 1930s English wit.

In one adventure, Bertie (that is, Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, whose last name was, in the mists of the distant past spelled “Worcester” like the shired sauce you put on your burger) and his greatest detractor, Sir Roderick Glossop, are both in black face (as in, we were going minstrelling down the pub with Al Jolson) hiding in the shrubbery outside Glossop’s own house, tearing and dirtying their formal dinnerwear (that would be tuxedos.)

How in blazes did they get there? … more … “Back Into Your Ending”

Who’s Your Mentor?

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

I was born precisely 9 months after Raymond Chandler died.

Perhaps there was only room for one of us at a time.

Perhaps that’s a stretch.

His books are what made me want to write. It took me ages to get a bunch of business books under my belt and develop the courage to try mysteries.
[image: Raymond Chandler]
I am particularly proud of my latest effort, A Long, Hard Look. It has been compared to Chandler, though once again, modesty (fear?) forces me to wonder if it’s a stretch.

I call what I write “Chandleresque cozies.” … more … “Who’s Your Mentor?”

Why Do You Write?

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: A Long, Hard Look – a Chandleresque cozy]Pressfield nails it again. Today’s post is about finding why, about asking yourself why you write, what you expect to happen.

And it’s about letting go of the stuff you simply cannot control.

He suggests asking yourself these questions:

Was this a worthy effort?
Did it call upon you to give more than you believed you had in you?
Did you conduct yourself honorably in the enterprise?
Did you give it all you had?
Did you succeed according to your own standards, the measures that only you know and only you can define?

I intend to market A Long, Hard Look as well as I can.

I intend to accept whatever level of commercial success it achieves, because I can answer “yes” to those 5 questions, and that’s what matters.

6,000 Copies Sold: But How?

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: Alex Zabala]Yesterday’s post had a single question about marketing. Today we get under the hood.

What did you try that you wouldn’t try again?

I don’t like sitting in a booth all day long trying sell books and getting abused by the public. I sold the same amount of books on Amazon, sitting at home drinking beer.

Okay that sounds silly, but my point is, Amazon is a monster seller. Why would I sit all day long in a booth attempting to sell books when Amazon is doing it for me electronically? My blogs, my website and my online presence in Amazon are the biggest selling machine.

Don’t get me wrong, I would like to do future promotions in person but in an atmosphere conducive to selling books.

… more … “6,000 Copies Sold: But How?”

6,000 Copies Sold: Interview with Author Alex Zabala

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: Alex Zabala]Treasure of the Mayan King has sold 6,000 copies. Though Alex Zabala claims there’s no “secret”, you’ll see a theme in his answers: persist in doing good work.

You’ve already met him on my Success Stories page so it’s time to dig into Alex’s success. He’s agreed to answer a few questions. For a talkative witty guy, his answers are uncharacteristically brief and informative. Must be the word “interview”, eh?

… more … “6,000 Copies Sold: Interview with Author Alex Zabala”

Wanna Sell Books? Learn Marketing from the Master, Seth Godin

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

Most of you don’t know how marketing should be done.

It’s not your fault. You’ve seen it done wrong your whole life (especially if you’re my age and grew up in front of a television.)

We confused the possible correlation between Coke ads on TV and the Coke in our fridge with a causation: ad => purchase.

If you intend to sell books, you’re going to do marketing.

In order to succeed, you have to do marketing right.

Nobody knows marketing like Seth does. Nobody.

He’s doing his second online Skillshare marketing class soon. Read about it at his website or at Skillshare.

For $16 you can get a million dollars’ worth of knowledge. Learn at your own pace. Soak in it.

The Modern Marketing Workshop

An Online Skillshare Class by Seth Godin