THE FEAR DOCTOR by Vince Stevenson

12/26/2020

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY, UNDERSTAND THE MIND/BODY RELATIONSHIP, FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE & MAKE AN ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ SPEECH

Multi-volume author, Vince Stevenson introduces us to his second of three non-fiction books, “The Fear Doctor”:

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY
UNDERSTAND THE MIND/BODY RELATIONSHIP
FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE & MAKE AN ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ SPEECH

In The Fear Doctor, Vince Stevenson discusses issues that can throw you into a spin. Vince describes himself as a ‘recovering speaker’ following a panic attack in front of a Board meeting in the mid-80s and discusses how just a few years later he was applying for top salaried jobs in an international training role. The journey is rocky and fun too. Vince shares stories of his egotistical early days as a cricketer and a successful footballer: how one silly decision lost him the opportunity of possibly going professional and, most importantly, what he learned about life, business and how to accelerate achievements by getting out of his own way.

Confucius said, ‘Find an occupation you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ When Vince found his vocation as a trainer, he never looked back. Thousands of hours in the classroom with thousands of talented graduate students helped him to forge his message and stay on top of this highly competitive profession. Using self-deprecating humour as a shield and armed with a philosophy of respect, humility and empathy, Vince has worked from Brazil to Bangladesh with some of the world’s top consultancies and NGOs.

What this book reveals is how to:
- Manage anxiety
- Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want
- Understand your thoughts
- Understand your body
- Understand the mind/body relationship
- Focus on your audience
- Deliver an out-of-this-world speech

We all struggle with fear and anxiety at one level or another. This book is full of practical tips, quotes and wisdom to live a more enjoyable and relaxed life.
The methods the author shares are not limited to helping a person make a better speech; these proven techniques are of great value, and useful in any part of life. He has the experience to back up his claims and knows what he is talking about having been a corporate trainer and professional speaker for many years.
What is even better is that Vince shares so many videos that can help a person relax and gain better self-control when speaking in front of others.
I have taken the Dale Carnegie course in effective public speaking, he mentioned and it helped me overcome a stammering problem quite a bit. I learned that being in control is fun and enjoyable, but only when you have planned, prepared and practiced properly. Vince makes it seem like pleasurable.
I award Vince’s book, “The Fear Doctor” a score of 4.9 stars.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/the-fear-doctor
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-fear-doctor
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FEAR-DOCTOR

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/vincestev
https://twitter.com/ttruck1995
https://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/vince.stevenson.5
https://www.linkedin.com/in/collegeofpublicspeaking

I have reviewed another of Vince's books, "Anxiety Quick Wins": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/anxiety-quick-wins

Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

96 Comments

Vincent Stevenson link

12/26/2020 01:23:49 pm

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the review. I appreciate it.

Mark Schultz

12/26/2020 06:12:42 pm

You are very welcome. I really enjoyed your book. It is quite a resource with all of the videos in the e-book.
First questions.
What inspired you to write this book?
Are you in the writing business for love of writing or for money?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/26/2020 06:53:41 pm

I've written for many years, mostly for recreational and mindful purposes. When I moved to London and lived alone for the first time in my life, I seemed to have a lot more free time. I'm not a massive fan of TV, so I started reading arguably the 20th century's great writers: Greene, Hemingway and Marquez. I travelled a lot for work, so these writers (and others) were ever-present companions. I then started writing short stories for computer magazines with reasonable success. I have since written and maintained multiple websites and content, so writing and communication became my company's lifeforce. My work, pre-internet revolved around professional communication and lots of dictionaries and thesauruses, so I found that incredibly absorbing.

In 1997, I met my wife, and for one reason or another, the muse for writing dwindled. I started writing The Fear Doctor in 2013, following a couple of exciting life/work occurrences. An influential client advised me that I needed a book to support my work, and I thought it would provide essential background material to those who attended my courses. But as the company grew exponentially, I never found the time for its publication. If there is a positive spin to Covid-19, I have managed to publish my books, and a consortium invited me to co-author 'The Successful Mind' book, which became an Amazon bestseller in September 2020. I have devoted 2020 to writing projects, and I've loved the fact that I can use my time creatively in the form of writing books and articles.

Mark

12/26/2020 07:09:06 pm

A nice pivot during the lockdown mess. You made excellent use of your time. Is that when you made the videos for your book or was that earlier?
Congratulations on co-authoring that book, "The Successful Mind.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 06:58:22 am

Why The Fear Doctor? It's simple. Most people can't remember my name. Vincent Stevenson is far too many syllables to remember on a busy day. In the UK, we have celebrities who use 'marketing handles' like Mr Motivator and Super Granny. If you can't remember Vince Stevenson, The Fear Doctor is much more comfortable, and I like it a lot.

Amazingly, I designed the book cover for The Fear Doctor, but I have a digital designer, Jayne, who put it together professionally for me. I use the phrase 'making an out of this world speech' regularly in my work. It's a goal. I read a book by an award-winning advertiser who said that millions of dollars are wasted every year by advertising agencies who try to be too smart. Keep it simple, she said. The idea of the moonscape background came within a minute. On my introductory page for my fear classes, I have a short video of me talking to the camera, with the moonscape behind me. The call to action, 'Come on the course and learn to make an out of this world speech.'

Many years ago, our business advisor told me that I needed to create videos for the website. I was reluctant to do that. I don't particularly appreciate looking at myself with my twisted nose and big ears. The business adviser told me to get out of my own way. I made some videos and put them on the website. At the time, I was regularly running a retreat in Canterbury. The day before class, I arrived in Canterbury mid-afternoon to buy some fruit at a supermarket when an enthusiastic young woman approached me in the car park. 'Oh My God,' she said. 'It's Vince. My name is Sophia. I've just arrived from Kiev. I'm on your course tomorrow.' She already felt a sense of connection with me even though we were strangers.

I recorded the videos featured in the book over three years, and I had a lot of fun in their production. Videos allow you to share your personality, energy and passion. So, I think they're an invaluable complement to the book.

Mark

12/27/2020 09:45:14 am

I do like the out-of-this-world hook for a tagline and the cover. Such a good match.
Most people do have problems remembering names attached to faces. We rely on our visual sense and memory a great deal. It takes effort to commit a name to memory with a face.
Video is a powerful tool and I enjoyed the videos a lot. That is one area that I haven't conquered yet. The lack of energy from the audience seems to be an issue, I also think I need to practice more.
New questions.
Your book is available as an e-book and a paperback. Are you planning any other formats?
What other books and genres have you written?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 10:24:21 am

At the moment I'm writing a memoir of a five month trip to South and Central America in 1995. The dark ages - pre-internet. Almost a different world. It's called The Truck 1995, and there'll be parts 1 & 2. I found myself at a crossroads in my life. https://thetruck1995.com Work wasn't fulfilling, I'd worked away from London (my home for two years), I'd had a string of unhappy relationships in the build-up, and I felt ready for a significant change of scenery. The trip had many problems, and my travel companions drove me crazy most of the time. Learning to manage that was my most outstanding achievement. I came back rested, I'd lost a lot of weight, and spring had arrived in London.

I'm currently spending eight to ten hours per day on the project because, by March, I'm hoping that I'll be able to resume my public speaking career. If that happens, I'll have a lot less time than I do now. That said, this Covid hiatus has introduced me to some wonderful colleagues in the writing world, Mr Shultz, at the top of it, and I have more experience and confidence in my writing.

On completion, I would like to do an audiobook of one of my books. I need to give that a lot more thought.

Mark

12/27/2020 11:17:44 am

Your truck book sounds exciting.
In 1974 I traveled across the Atlantic and spent a summer backpacking around Western Europe. The Cold War was on and a wall was still up in Berlin.
I hope you can complete the series.
An audio book is a good choice. Audio book use is exploding worldwide. In so many countries around the world English is taught as the official language or as a second language. Millions of those citizens only have a smart phone to access the internet and most of them want to improve their skill with the English language. I had the privilege of interviewing a narrator during the interview with the author. Here is a copy and paste link: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green You can also use the search box below for the book title or the narrator's name.
Another good source of audio book information are many of the podcasts by Joanna Penn, a fellow Brit. Put her name or the topic in the search box below. She had one podcast where she talked about her DIY experience of creating her own audio book.
Thanks, I appreciate being on your list of favorite people in the writing community. I have had a similar wonderful experience of meeting so many great people.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 12:19:30 pm

The day I found Reedsy, there was a deadline for a fiction competition that evening. So I took the bones of an old story, reworked it and without any surprise at all - nothing. Was I disappointed? No. I've only a tiny amount of experience in fiction, and I think you have to put a lot of focus into whatever you do if you're seriously looking for results. I enjoyed the experience and read the subsequent winners and learnt a lot from the process.

The Truck 1995 - though not fiction, gave me a great deal of latitude with my point of view. Had I written it 25 years ago, it would have a been a straight A-Z story. Having studied psychology extensively during that time, I feel there's a lot more depth in understanding behaviors and their resulting actions. The group had 28 people, supposedly on a pleasure trip of discovery. However, the behaviors of the minority created factions which split the group into multiple shards of influence. I describe it as Animal Farm meets Stockholm Syndrome. Hostility brewed just under the surface most days.

Mark

12/27/2020 01:36:58 pm

You make several good points, failing to plan likely means you are planning to fail. More importantly, perhaps, we can learn more from our failures than our successes.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is reported to have said, "Easy reading is damn hard writing." He is correct. The more work a writer puts into a book or story, the more drafts and editing that is done, the easier it will be for the reader, the consumer. As a proofreader that is my goal to help authors make their book read smoothly.
Behaviors and subsequent actions, or as I like to put it, choices and consequences make all the difference in the world. Everyone has different desires, needs and choices, so a pleasure trip with 28 people can easily deteriorate into groups or even factions with cross purposes. Everyone wants to lead and see their desires met.
What a powder keg! I bet reality was wilder than fiction in this case.
New questions.
Have you thought about writing fiction short stories or a novel?
What genre do you think you would start with?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 03:01:26 pm

I've recently joined my local writers' club in South London and in recent years they have published an annual anthology of short stories. I bought a couple and felt inspired by the quality and diversity of their work. I want to participate in that event next year if they think I'm of a high enough standard.
I recently read a crime thriller based in Virginia. What first made it compelling reading was the behaviour of these wannabe underworld villains. They're all uneducated, addicted to one thing or another, greedy, jealous, disloyal and incredibly violent. Throw some bad blood between families into the mix and phone the emergency services. It becomes a little predictable because you know that they're going to self-sabotage and try and bring everybody down with them. It's a race to the bottom.
I've already jotted down some ideas for a few short stories. I'll let you know if I can bring my bad boys to life.

Mark

12/27/2020 03:18:55 pm

I would be surprised if a story you wrote did not get published. I am speaking of a well-polished draft, of course. I have seen a few writers self-publish a first draft. It was a mess, which a first draft is supposed to be.
Rush to publish is why e-books have a bad reputation for many readers. In the early days of e-books many authors wrote stories as fast as they could to take advantage of the boom and uniqueness of electronic books. A lot of bad writing was published and spoiled the concept for many readers who vowed to never go back.
One of the funny and wonderful things about writing is that given the same writing prompt or idea, a dozen writers will write a dozen different stories. There are only a handful of original plot ideas, but an infinite number of ways to work them. I am very thankful for that.
New questions.
You have quite several non-fiction books to your credit. Are you going to write more non-fiction, after you finish your 1995 Truck series?
What are the Amazon categories chosen for your book, The Fear Doctor?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 03:38:10 pm

Non-fiction or academic material comes quite easily to me. I'm a researcher who turns that research into training modules. Then my job is to bring it alive in the classroom and present my students with thought-provoking material. That's where I've lived most of my working life. It's a wonderfully diverse field, full of emotional disciplines. It would be silly of me to ignore anything that I enjoy presenting, as I know, I have developed a subjective angle on all my work. Time permitting, I'm sure I'd like to explore and publish something new in the non-fiction world.

The Kindle categories are Stress and Self Help Stress. I'm not too worried about these categories, because the book complements my classroom work. Ex-students have already bought over 100 copies. Once I return to the classroom, I'm confident they'll be many more.

Mark

12/27/2020 04:44:38 pm

Your content is very likely to remain useful for a long time. You are likely familiar with the term evergreen content. So called, because the material continues to be relevant for many years, it will not need much updating for quite a long time. Unlike say, quantum physics and dark matter.
I think you are right. If I was your student I would definitely be buying the book. Let me know if you ever come to Portland, Oregon.
New questions.
Every genre's fans have expectations about what they are going to want to read. Fans of cozy mysteries have a set of expectations that can differ greatly from the expectations of fans of hard-boiled murder mysteries.
What expectations do fans of the self-help genre have in mind, when you think of that type of literature?
If you were going to launch into a different field, which one interests you the most?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/27/2020 05:10:44 pm

Evergreen material - that's an interesting one. I talk about Aristotle and his framework for persuasion to my graduate students: Ethos, logos and pathos. I introduce my students to this because it's a known model with 2300 years of experience, and nobody has improved on it yet, and I utilise the concepts in my work daily.

As an avid reader of non-fiction, I am clear about my motives for buying and reading the book. I'm looking for a solution that will bring me better outcomes than I am experiencing now. It could be a sales, marketing or negotiation book. These are subjective disciplines, and you have to adapt your context and personal parameters to the material. I have over fifty public speaking books at home. I'm sure I've learnt something useful from every one of them over the years. The other thing is that we forget a lot of material, so it's helpful to have a regular reminder; it's easy to forget what we once knew.
Knowing material is one thing: applying it is another. So again, there need to be vital elements of planning, preparation and planning, and the application of the new knowledge/skill.

If I were to move into another training field, it would be in one of two areas; leadership and management, or mental health in the corporate world. I think they're huge and fascinating disciplines, and I'd love to contribute to that work.

Mark

12/27/2020 10:11:11 pm

You have an evergreen foundation, no doubt about that.
My wife and I used to teach a class called Marriage Enrichment. In an early section of the course we introduced several, different, Greek words used for love: storge, phileo, eros and I think I am forgetting one. It was from the last century. My phonetic spelling may be less than perfect also. Those words were very useful over the length of the course.
You are right. We need reminders of important facts. I used to tell my kids practice makes perfect until I realized that I was wrong, practice makes permanent.
New questions.
I noticed that your book is in Kindle Unlimited. How is that working out for you?
How many books have you put in KU?
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/28/2020 05:27:56 am

I only have The Fear Doctor out on Kindle University at the moment, which was part of a book promotion in August. It's not always clear where book sales are coming from. I've had many sales in India where I did numerous webinars in May, so it dovetailed nicely with the book's publication in June.

After delaying the publication by seven years, I went straight into indie authorship, not knowing the length of this Covid window. As previously mentioned, the book's purpose was to supplement my classes and as a lead magnet; something I could put on the website to attract students. I'm proud of the book because only authors (and those in the publication business) know how much work, love and energy goes into its creation. Many people have dreams, but not everybody can pull it together and make it happen. My dream's delay sat with me for a long time. I felt that if I went into querying the whole process could take too long, and I would lose the opportunity of putting it out there. I still see myself in the infancy of my publishing career, and I still have lots to learn, but with all the encouragement I've received, I like to think I'm taking tentative steps on the correct path.

Mark

12/28/2020 09:49:28 am

I think you made a wise choice by indie publishing. An author gives up so much control over their book when they traditionally publish. They also give up some control with independent publishing, but not nearly as much unless a scam publisher has been contracted.
With self-publishing an author gets all the responsibility and all of the profits. The author must contract out whatever they can't do for themselves, including editing, proofreading, formatting, cover making and more.
With the collapse of the traditional publishing industry, one of the slowest train wrecks in history, profits have mostly evaporated. The profit margin is so slim, trad publishers rarely take a chance on an unknown author. Advances are so slim and must be repaid out of book sales before the author sees a share check. Book promotion is a thing of the past. That responsibility lands squarely on the shoulders of the author.
Besides all of that, if the author doesn't have a lawyer familiar with intellectual property law then they can easily lose their rights to other licensing opportunities. Those licensing opportunities are key to the long-term financial security of every author.
Kristine Rusch has written a fascinating series about the future of publishing and touches on licensing and IP rights quite a bit. I have links to a number of her blogs, use the search box below to find her blogs, the title is Business Musings.
New questions.
Do you think independent publishers can produce a book as good as mainstream publishers?
What are the three most important considerations for an independent author to be certain of when signing a contract with a publisher?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/28/2020 11:37:58 am

Can an Indie author produce a book with the same quality as a traditional publisher? Yes. Although it would probably be a team effort. The Fear Doctor book benefited from an editor, a digital designer, and a colleague who formatted it for Amazon/Kindle and a hard-working author pulling it all together. So, I like to think that the quality is commensurate with a traditional publisher.

I would suggest that any author looking to work with a publisher where you're paying them to deliver the book, should do a thorough due diligence exercise before signing up with them. Can I suggest a google search that looks like publisher company name followed by the word scam? If anything comes up, do thorough research on their activities and read as many customer reviews as you can before making a decision. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is. Companies that offer line editing/marketing/advertising/conference /convention/book signing options come at a high price and as a high-pressure sale without guarantees of results. You may also find yourself losing your intellectual property rights and not receive any royalties.

Some companies' authors' works appear on bootleg websites. How do the bootleggers get access to their books? With e-books becoming ever more popular, you may well find your work on one of these sites probably with a different cover to the original. They'll be selling your work below market price, and of course, your name is on the book, and you won't receive a cent. Only work with trusted companies and ideally from a trusted writing colleague.

Mark

12/28/2020 01:48:32 pm

Even a traditional publisher has a team in place for publishing a book. As a freelance or independent author you are responsible for assembling your own team. There are great freelance providers of all the services that an author needs. On my Twitter page I have lists of many different services an author is likely to need. Prudent and thorough research is highly recommended before committing to using any of the members of these lists.
That is great advice. You said it quite well. There is a worthwhile source of current information about scams, look for the blog Writer Beware, I have a link to at least 6 issues of this blog elsewhere on my website. Put the title in the search block to find them.
New questions.
Are you self-publishing now, or do you use an independent or hybrid publisher?
Have you started your own imprint? Here is a good article about that idea: https://www.janefriedman.com/why-self-publishing-authors-should-consider-establishing-their-own-imprint

Vincent Stevenson link

12/28/2020 02:46:36 pm

I am a self-published author.
As previously mentioned, I consider myself to be the new kid on the block. My books both have ISBNs and the Successful Mind Book too. Some of my US friends have imprints; some do not. I get the impression that there''s a lot to this subject, and it's all to do with your future intention. This issue will be coming up in a podcast in 2021. I'm looking forward to seeing what's under the bonnet and finding out the most contentious issues.

Mark

12/28/2020 03:31:21 pm

Do you have your own podcast or are you going to be a guest on a podcast?
I have tried my hand at a video blog and the results were very disappointing to me. I have done some public speaking and find that the audience gives me a lot of energy that helps me to overcome my stammer. I have not been able to achieve a similar result in my video blog. I don't have an answer for that at this time. Even trying to edit out the worst of the pauses, my speaking comes across as very stilted and awkward. I will tackle that again when I have more time. right now, proofreading and book promotion absorb all of my time.
I think having an imprint lends a greater aura of credibility and respectability to an author.
New questions.
How was the experience publishing your book with Amazon?
Is using Twitter and other social media part of your marketing strategy?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/28/2020 03:45:55 pm

Amazon revolutionised publishing and Kindle followed up brilliantly. For somebody who worked sixty or more hours a week in an office miles from home, visiting the bookshop and enjoying the experience was a rare occurrence. Being able to shop e-books and real books from home/work was a game-changer. Just like food shopping online. In the old days, I'd have to give up fee-earning time to do my shopping (when I was single) or starve. With online shopping and home delivery, the food pays for itself.

I have a team member who is an expert publisher on Amazon/Kindle, and she is such a trusted friend/colleague/team member, I pass everything her way.

Social media-wise I am a big fan of Twitter @vincestev & @ttruck1995. I do a little Facebook and some Linkedin. I've found Twitter the most accessible avenue. Indeed it's where I stumbled across Mark.

Mark

12/28/2020 04:24:51 pm

Right again! Not only did Amazon revolutionize the publishing industry, it turned the entire process upside down and inside out. The traditional gatekeepers are no longer in charge. Anyone can publish a book. That is the good news and the bad news, anyone can publish a book. There are a lot of first-draft books that should have never been published as they were first written.
Probably the biggest unintended consequence is the sheer volume of books published, a million books each year now. That makes it really hard for authors to get their book noticed. Amazon has been brilliant, they capitalized on that issue with their ad fee structure. How much will an author pay every time someone clicks on their book ad? That is merely a better look at the cover, reading the blurb or reviews. The 'Zon is making money hand over fist.
Shopping online can be a wonderful thing, the selection is pretty much unlimited in so many categories.
You have surrounded yourself with important and necessary people, those that can do what you can't do for yourself always. A very smart move.
We both love Twitter. I have found all of my clients on Twitter. I have a Facebook page and LinkedIn also. I keep those pages just for a touchpoint for authors as they build their own social media following.
I have a page on Instagram, which I have abandoned for all practical purposes. I should shut it down.
New questions.
Did you use ads on Amazon or other platforms such as Facebook or Bookbub?
Do you subscribe to any author newsletters?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/28/2020 04:47:28 pm

My business uses Google Adwords, Facebook and Bing Ads extensively. Google is the major player. Facebook is beneficial at remarketing (following up on people who had previously shown interest without making a purchase). If you know what you're doing and present an engaging, relevant and compelling offer, you'll do well. Again, my business has a social media resource which looks after this for us. We give them a broad outline of what we want to achieve, and they make it happen.

Since June, I've been promoting my work extensively on Twitter, and I have stumbled across the writers' community chat show, a biweekly podcast in the UK. They interview successful indie authors, and we find out about their journey, what worked and what didn't. What would they do differently? Given the support they've shown me and the social connections I've made with other authors, I have bought several e-books across genres to read what my friends' work is like. I've found this incredibly inspiring as previously, I'd never met a full time author, and now I know many.

Life as a writer can be a little bit lonely, so making friends and supporting each other's work on Twitter gives us a fighting chance of making a breakthrough.

Mark

12/28/2020 06:38:28 pm

You are the first author that uses Google Adwords, that I can recall. That must be working well for you. Some authors I have interviewed love Amazon ads and found Facebook ads to be profitless. Other authors have had an opposite experience.
I did not know that Facebook does remarketing. They must get a cut of the sale. I think it's a great idea. Completing the conversion is everything.
There are so many talented and accomplished authors out there. I have read many amazing books also. A few weeks ago I tried to choose my favorite book of the year, I read almost 70. The best I could do was my top 6, in no particular order:
Double Trouble by Veronica Cline Barton @VClinebarton
Sons of Godwine by Mercedes Rochelle @authorrochelle
The Life and Times of Clyde Kennard by Derek R. King @DerekRKing2
A Bloody Hot Summer by Trevor D'Silva @TrevorDAuthor
The True Story of the Perfect 36 by Veronica Tabares @veronicatabares
Those Deep Below by John Noyes @JNoyes16
Those are their Twitter handles. I reviewed all of these books and had the pleasure of interviewing all of the authors except one.
Writing the first draft is the most solitary experience a writer must endure because no one else can get it out of his or her head. After that the gathering of the team begins, starting with alpha readers, then beta readers. Followed by a critique group or partner. Editor and proofreader are next and so very essential. All of this involves multiple drafts, then the preparation for publishing. It is easy to have at least a dozen people on your team.
Writers need to stick together and help each other out. The only real competition a writer has is the person in the mirror. To make each book better than the last.
New questions.
There are so many ways to put out a newsletter. Do you have a newsletter you send out to fans? Why or why not?
If you do have a newsletter, which mailing service do you use? Is it the same one you started with or not? Why?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/29/2020 05:00:46 am

My business uses a product called ActiveCampaign, and it's incredibly flexible. There are signup options on outgoing messages, and as people signup, they get added to the distribution list. GDPR allows them to unsubscribe too, of course. So long as you're sending material relevant to their signup options, people can become incredibly loyal when they've had a good experience with you, for example, as a student.

For that reason, I wouldn't advertise my Truck books on here, although they're both non-fiction, they're nothing to do with public speaking, although a lot to do with psychology. I need to find a new audience, that of travel readers, a broad and diverse market looking for adventure, travel, and romance mixed in.

Mark

12/29/2020 09:42:11 am

Relevant content is key to reader loyalty. Building a fan base is another important factor for authors. Ideally, an author launches a website at least a year before they publish a book. They start finding fans through social media and direct them to their website. On social media they can post snippets of the WIP to entice people to go to their website. The author then uses email to bind the readers closer through offering a short, side story as a reward for signing up. The author can use surveys and contests to maintain excitement. I know one author who liked to edit on a hard copy of the book. She offered an editing version of her book as a reward to the fan that shared her website the most on social media. Some authors use art, alternate covers and character naming as awards for fans.
Many authors who write in multiple genres struggle with the same issue. How to introduce fans of one genre to another, getting crossover without losing fans in the process. Some readers are happy to jump genres and some are not. At least one author has a separate landing page for each genre, with two options for the visitor, one option keeps them within the genre and the other allows them to explore the other genres.
New questions.
Do you have a reader magnet to get people to sign up for your newsletter?
In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?
Speaking of marketing, why did you pick me to help promote your book?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/29/2020 12:29:44 pm

My involvement in training spans twenty-five years. First, in the incredibly competitive field of IT, and now in personal development. My first two books are work-related, and I didn't have too much time to strategise when the books hit the market. It was all a shock. So, I used my options on Twitter and ActiveCampaign to spread the message.

I had tried some other book marketing alternatives with limited success. I use Twitter mostly, and I'm willing to try what's out there. I remember when I first went to your website that I liked the detailed articles and the quality of their presentation. Then we spoke online about some projects of mutual interest. I enjoyed your relaxed, no-nonsense manner. You could have tried to sell me any of your packages, but I didn't feel any pressure when we spoke. You said I'd have to wait almost a year for this opportunity which tells me you're good at what you do. I'm not too fond of high-pressure sales, but I do like people of substance who are committed to their work.

Mark

12/29/2020 03:24:04 pm

IT is an extremely competitive field, I learned that without ever being a part of it. So many people wanted a piece of the IT pie, quite a few as programmers, they saw big bucks in their future. Others were attracted to being a service tech, reliable employment may have been a factor. Still others were attracted to sales, that held a certain amount of attraction for me because I like to help people. I pursued a career in consumer goods retail for nearly 20 years.
Thank you. As I mentioned, I like to help people, to help them solve a problem. I learned a long time ago that pressure never lasts, unless a customer has signed a contract a rescission is near at hand. I want to develop long-term relationships with my clients, if I cannot help them personally I try to point them to a solution to their problem.
I do have a lot of repeat clients and I treasure each one. Many contacts lead to a developing personal relationship and that is a source of pleasure. Every person wants to be known and accepted for who they are, I am no exception.
My waiting list is still pretty long, but I have instituted a plan and it is slowly shrinking.
New questions.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Have you thought about offering a large-print edition of your books?

Vincent Stevenson

12/29/2020 04:53:08 pm

I think there are many newbies like myself coming into the writers' world and we don't know much other than we have a desire to share something of our value with our audience. If you're enjoying the process and you're flexing your creative muscles, just like all other industries, there are people out there would love to fleece you. Just be wary, be cautious, if an opportunity looks too good, ask the providers, how can they measure the success of their project? We all want great sales, that's a good measure, but the digital marketing world looks at much more. If you're negotiating with a salesperson, they will answer yes, yes, yes to your questions. Their objective is to make the sale. Their colleagues work in silos; the service providers are the people you want to talk to and precisely determine the market's difficulties. Communication is often inadequate or non-existent. Make sure you know what's happening through the product cycle. Read the small print carefully. Then reread it.

I haven't thought about large print books yet. That's a consideration for 2022 possibly.

Mark

12/29/2020 04:54:06 pm

You are so right about new writers entering the market every day. Many have dreamed of being a writer and are so starry-eyed that the first person who wants to publish their book is worshipped. With eyes shut tight they don't consider the business side of writing. The more small print there is the more a lawyer is needed.
Amazon tries hard to keep a writer exclusive to them. And they have done a good job of that. While Amazon is truly the major player in the publishing world now, it's to a writer's long-term detriment to put all of their eggs into the 'Zon basket. By publishing wide an author protects themselves from any glitches on the sole platform they are selling on.
This was a very painful lesson that many authors learned a few years ago. Amazon went on a book review purge, bad players were gaming the system with fake book reviews. A cottage industry arose on Fiverr and other similar platforms, a book review for a very small fee. Some demanded more money for a good or best review. Seldom was a book actually purchased and almost never read. Others wanted bad reviews placed on the books of competitors. It was a nasty environment. Amazon walked in and set off bombs, wiping out reviews in a somewhat random manner. A lot of good reviews were gone and the reviewer was even banned at times. Some people had their account closed, I do not know if they ever got their money in the account back or not. Books were banned at times. The $50.00 purchase rule was put into place to weed out the many fake accounts.
Somehow, I created a second account and that almost got me kicked off of Amazon. All of my purchases were on my main account. I could not even see the second account. It took several lengthy conversations with customer service to get that straightened out. I could not post any reviews for several weeks.
Alternate formats are another good way to build towards financial stability as an author.
New questions.
Have you thought about trying to get your book into libraries?
Have you thought about doing an audio book?
Who would you pick to do the audio book?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/29/2020 05:06:21 pm

With so many writing projects bubbling since the UK lockdown, I've concentrated on writing and building a learning momentum for the craft. I have a long list of potential marketing strategies that I'd like to implement once Covid is defeated. That will be when I have more time than I have now and slot those activities around my regular work. One of my students has had her children's book accepted by Waterstones, the UK's biggest bookshop. Because she works for the NHS, she's too busy/tired to discuss how she did it. But I'm looking forward to that conversation.

Yes, I've thought about an audio book read by Christopher Eccleston, a famous actor and former Doctor Who.

Mark

12/29/2020 06:37:35 pm

Good to hear you are focusing on learning the craft of writing. There is always room for improvement. You are ahead of many other writers. So many of them have found it really hard to connect with their muse. Their writing has suffered commensurately. Many of my proofreading clients have asked for delay, for that very reason.
The Covid lockdown has curtailed so many of the normal book promotion activities including signings, reading, book fairs and flea markets that some authors like to rent a table at. Many authors enjoy connecting with readers and other authors. I know that I do also.
Congratulations to your friend, getting shelf space in Waterstones is quite an achievement. Something like that usually requires being traditionally published or great reviews from NetGalley or similar.
In the not-too-distant future, you might be able to rent Eccleston's voice in the form of an Artificial Intelligence computer program and have your audio book produced for less than what you would pay now for an average mid-level voice talent.
New questions.
For reading fun or pleasure, what is your favorite genre?
Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/30/2020 04:57:22 am

Since I started as a trainer 25 years ago, I have barely read any fiction. However, once I'd finished my second book, Anxiety Quick Wins, I was determined to start rereading fiction. I have met lots of authors from the writing community, so I started with their books. I have read three books in the last few months about children growing up in the second world war. Wow, some diverse perspectives. My mother was separated from her parents when evacuated during the war, and she worked on a farm in the countryside. She became a 'Land Girl', working to defeat Hitler. My mum always had library books about children's plight during this highly emotional, transitional and tragic time. I've also read a few fun detective novels, a couple of paranormals, two fantasy and a few books about South America. I will endeavour to read more for fun from now on.

I've already mentioned my youth's favourite authors: Greene, Hemingway and Marquez, and more lately Douglas Adams, David Hodge and Tom Sharp. Notice a lack of female authors on my list? I have read a lot of female work recently, and it's scintillatingly beautiful.

Mark

12/30/2020 09:12:46 am

That genre used to be extremely popular quite a long time ago. It still lives in the very popular series by C. S. Lewis, "The Chronicles of Narnia". What a lot of people don't realize is that Lewis was quite a prolific writer, he wrote more than 30 books, in pre-computer days. He is also well known for writing "The Screwtape Letters" and science fiction, "The Space Trilogy". The protagonist in The space Trilogy is patterned after his close friend, J. R. R. Tolkien, you might have heard of him also.
Being separated from home and parents had to be extremely traumatic for all involved, especially if they wound up with strangers rather than family.
One of my favorite authors currently is Veronica Cline Barton, she writes a marvelous, modern series set in England based on the making of a TV series similar to Downton Abbey. She makes me laugh quite a bit.
There are many more very talented authors who are women, Joyce Serrano comes to mind with a stunning and unusual takeoff on vampires.
New questions.
Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?
Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/30/2020 12:33:55 pm

I have read several books numerous times. They're like old friends who never let you down. Our Man in Havanna – Graham Greene, The Old Man and the Sea – Hemingway, A Hundred Years of Solitude - Marquez, Nostromo - Joseph Conrad. Conrad's books are incredibly inspiring when you consider that English was his third language, and they're not translations.

I should say The Fear Doctor, but though I wrote it seven years ago, it is of an evergreen nature. My favourite book is the one I'm writing now. The Truck 1995 - Part 1. It's my favourite because it consumes my thoughts most days. I've rewritten multiple sections at least three times. It's a considerable investment in time, and it's great. I think because it all happened twenty-five years ago, I can evaluate the events through a different prism of thought.

Mark

12/30/2020 01:05:55 pm

I guessed you would pick Truck. Those memories bind it to you so closely. You are writing it for yourself first, then others.
Wisdom comes with age and experience. Experience comes from bad choices and the inevitable consequences. We all get to enjoy the consequences of our decisions, and that repeats until we learn each lesson that is offered. Some of us learn faster than others.
New questions.
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired at the end of a good writing session?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

Vincent Stevenson

12/30/2020 02:48:32 pm

In my book, Anxiety Quick Wins, I talk about my three hobbies: writing, walking and gardening. When the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, I had a few weeks of work involving my business's marketing. When that ended, I had a substantial chasm in front of me. What am I going to do to fill that void?

We have a large communal garden, and the weather was fantastic. My wife and I did lots of exciting projects this year. Under lockdown, we were allowed to take a local walk of about one-hour duration.

But the thing that has come to my rescue is writing. I've worked on three online courses, read many books, and my written output has been prolific. I've found writing incredibly therapeutic. I love studying, I'm a researcher, and I like expressing myself one way or another. So, Covid has given me this opportunity to extend and develop myself as an author, and it's been an unexpected pleasure.

Is it necessary to tap into the emotions of the characters?
It's essential because a character has to have a point of view, a desire, and energy to achieve something. What makes a great character is how he/she manages the obstacles that present themselves. What is it that makes them human and relatable to the audience? Are they risk-takers, or are they blown along on a tide? Whether you're James Bond or a nun in The Sound of Music, you have a perspective. As a child, I remember the nuns pulling the starter motor out of the Gestpo's car, allowing the von Trapp family to escape. It wasn't only Maria they had a problem with.

Mark

12/30/2020 02:50:40 pm

Most authors report feeling energized after a good writing session. They are likely to be tired and need a break, but overall they feel quite good about their progress.
You are right. Every character, good or bad, major or minor, must have a goal in the plot, they must have something at stake. For the major characters, achieving or failing at the goal must be a life-changing experience. Transmogrifying is my new favorite word, I have been seeking to use it more and more. It means to be unalterably changed. There is no going back.
New questions.
What was your goal in writing this book? Did you achieve it?
Has your life turned out differently than expected or planned?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/30/2020 05:23:17 pm

Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway wrote a lot about travel. They went out of their way to experience and report on the truth of danger. Although I am no Greene or Hemingway, I have led an active life and love a physical challenge. So this event, which I came across at incredibly short-notice, created many challenges. There were many conflicting and awkward characters (myself included), and we all had different ideas on what was acceptable behaviour.
From the word go, I had responsibilities and dilemmas that I had to overcome before I stepped on the plane. I felt a lot of expectation from my family, my partner at the time and from my work. I did the unspeakable. I did it my way, for once in my life, I broke the mould and found myself. It was a genuinely transmogrifying experience not to ask everybody for their views or their permission. Trying to be the ideal, son, brother, colleague, partner is a challenging task. This trip of adventure was a long time coming, and it changed everything. I came back a better person. More relaxed, more tolerant, knowing that I could achieve beautiful things once I unlocked my chains.

You never know what to expect. But yes. Before the trip, I felt unsettled with my work (always away from home), my partner (the same), and always trying to please. This trip drew a line in the sand, and there was no returning to the old Vince. I met a witch in La Serena, and she read my palm. She gave me 1000 days before I married. She was correct. Eighteen months after my return, I met my future wife. Fifteen months later, we were married. I have never been happier. I'm a great believer that everything happens for a reason. The good the bad. Every challenge is a lesson. When I met my wife to be, I was ready to accept her into my life, and it's the best decision I've ever made.

Mark

12/30/2020 05:24:03 pm

Travel will certainly do that to a person. Especially if you are on your own or traveling with friends on the road, AKA strangers.
My summer-of-74 trip proved to be life-changing for me also. So many challenges and I was on my own for solutions almost all the time. The Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona and an overnight stay in Morocco were amazing moments within the whole trip.
Mrs. Wordrefiner would say, that is so romantic about meeting and marrying your wife. We got married in 1976, a couple of years after my trip to Europe.
New questions.
Have you ever done NaNoWriMo?
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer? When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/30/2020 05:25:46 pm

I've never attempted NaNoWriMo. It sounds like a good idea, but I suspect that I'm not quite ready for it. I think they're looking for young writers too. These questions have made a thought-provoking impact, and I went to bed last night dreaming about south London's petty gangsters and how could I bring them to life? I made some potential story lines earlier.

My first draft of The Truck 1995 - Part 1 was short on words. Not deliberately. There were some things that I felt were too personal between myself and my partner. However, I haven't seen her for twenty-five years, and we didn't keep in touch, and I have done my best to conceal her identity, only a handful of people knew that we had a thing going. I say some beautiful things about her, and I talk about what behaviours made me not want to be with her. I was praying for a partnership, not a takeover. Now it's on paper; it's not unkind; it explains what caused the rift between us sometime before the trip came along. There were many things that we never discussed, even after signing up for the journey. Had I been 100% committed to her, I would never have left her, my job or my country. I didn't feel bad going. Quite the reverse. She had made similar trips previously on sabbatical before we met. My life was at a crossroads, and I needed a significant break.

Mark

12/30/2020 05:43:04 pm

I have not attempted NaNoWriMo either. I can see the value in it for writers. So many people have quite a few misconceptions when they start writing. One of those most common thinking errors is that a first draft is going to be perfect. That is simply not going to happen.
The first draft has only one reason to exist, that is to get the story out of the writer's head. It is impossible to edit a story before it is on paper, literal or otherwise. The first draft is going to be a pile of dung.
NaNoWriMo only requires 50,000 words of a first draft to be written in 30 days. Less than 2,000 words each day. It gets writers used to the idea of just writing.
One of the big sources of writer's block is getting hung up on details before the story is written down. The first paragraph must be perfect, the first page must be perfect, no, the first chapter must be perfect. This leads to the loss of the creative impulse and valuable plot points. They evaporate into thin air. This is assuming the writer is a pantser, not a plotter.
A lot of people think they can't plot a book out ahead of writing. Plotting is not set in stone, it is merely an aid to help you reach the finish line in a timely manner. There are going to be changes, no question. That is how writing goes.
One of my guest bloggers, Rick Hall, wrote a great piece about non-linear writing. He proposes that the last chapter should be written first. Then write the easy chapters next. Working progressively to the hardest chapter. It is all quite a bit easier when you are aiming for the target that you can see.
Your struggle with Truck is one I have heard before. How much of that reality do you share? Your choice is common, disguise the person involved while leaving the conflict issues in place. Protecting a person you once loved is a good idea.
New questions.
What type of material did you add most often, action, description or dialogue?
Do you prefer dialogue tags or action beats in your books?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/31/2020 11:10:23 am

In The Truck 1995 - Part 1, initially there's a lot of trekking and reaching the summit after physical slogs. The focus is on my trekking partners and my interactions with them while they are still practically strangers. Not too much dialogue, mainly because I'm catching my breath, they're so far ahead of me. I had lost my fitness, put on weight, and spent too much time in the pub with my freelance friends with working away from home for years. We all had four evenings per week to kill—some sadness and reflection on the person I wanted to recapture. I couldn't tell my housemates how bored I was with the situation now I was in my third year of living away.

My meeting with Breeze, a remarkable Canadian Classics lecturer, is a funny dialogue. We meet in unusual circumstances; we fall in love and share a strange sexual encounter in a sweaty youth hostel in Santiago. She's flying home tomorrow having broken up with her gay partner, and I'm heading north on the bus because the truck has broken down again. It's not sexy, but it is funny because she's incredibly smart and somewhat inexperienced with men. She has many questions for me, and she's slowly releasing information about her hidden agenda. The beauty of good dialogue sets a tone and intention and reveals the personality of the characters. As I'm writing in the first person, I don't have narrative access to her thinking. I can only work off the cues from our slightly strange conversation. So not too many dialogue beats and I try to reduce adverbs.

I had a few dilemmas explaining the numerous factions that emerged and the personal politics that mushroomed. With twenty-eight people on board, it's impossible to introduce so many characters and maintain reader interest. I had a nucleus of about ten friends and a smaller group with whom I travelled and shared rooms/tents. So the rest became peripheral characters, and essentially I use them as the baddies. My confidence with speech tags grows as my friendships develop, and intentions emerge through speech. Initially, it's mostly action/description and perception of the possibilities. Speech develops as I become more comfortable with who they are.

Mark

12/31/2020 11:10:51 am

Writing in first person is difficult for a lot of authors, head hopping is common unless the author takes care to avoid it. I love first person POV when it is done well. I have noticed that some authors devote a chapter to a character's point of view, then they switch the focus in the next chapter. I like that also.
It almost sounds like your book starts as a travelogue and slowly changes focus to the relationships. It sounds very interesting.
Traveling with such a large group would be challenging to write about.
New questions.
What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories? How do you give them depth?
Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/31/2020 11:43:18 am

I'm doing my best to be true to what I witnessed and portray them in a natural light: the good and the bad. However, if I only focused on the good, it wouldn't be sufficiently contentious to want to know what happens next. The only thing you can ever know about a person is their behaviour. We all talk a lot, but actions speak louder than words. People operate on the level of their self-interest, and not everybody sees life and situations the same as me, and that's where the bust-ups occurred. I wanted to remain loyal with my tent partner who'd had a catastrophic loss - he's a photographer and his bag with cameras, and seventeen roles of film were stolen. After that event, he was inconsolable and had to survive on a limited budget that forced him (and me) to make many bad/potentially dangerous compromises.

I like to describe my colleague's physical characteristics positively and encourage them when we're running smoothly. But when it turns sour, and you're sharing a tent with that individual, proximity can be the last thing you need. Sometimes you need your personal space. I think the bouncer at the nightclub in Arequipa appears quite gruesome, but following my unexpected guinea-pig dinner and bottles of wine, I may have been a bit tough on him.

Pace and flow: I was away for 150 days. I don't try to cover every day in detail. I have set out the camp routine regarding communal activities and then focused on what happened differently, unusually or not at all, and what caused it and the consequences. Considering we were all adults, there was some bizarre behaviour which caused angry scenes and significant delays. The days where we climbed mountains and volcanoes, white-water rafted and conquered Machu Picchu were the memorable experiences that brought us together, that and a week in the Bolivian jungle and four days tackling Mount Roraima in Venezuela. Some of us love doing things and making memories; others missed out on all the meaningful events and abstained from the trip's entire ethos.

Mark

12/31/2020 01:03:41 pm

Some great observations about human nature. We all put our self interest first, in most situations, often without even thinking about it. A definite effort is required to do otherwise.
Actions do speak louder than words, that is why our internal discontinuity can be observed by people who know what to look for in physical tells. The rest of us may feel like the person is not being completely honest with us.
New questions.
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?
Do you write in a straight line or do you write whatever the muse provides for you at a given moment?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/31/2020 03:12:37 pm

My style depends on the project and how long it takes and how long I have for work. I try to stay active with my wife and daughter and don't want to lock myself in a room for hours. I'm also writing short stories and articles in between The Truck 1995. Generally, I like to write in the morning, as early as I can, then through until about 11 am. I then want to go for a walk with my wife. Then it's lunchtime, and then I'll be back at my desk shortly afterwards. I also read books while I'm writing and usually have four books open at once (there's a good reason but this is the wrong time to discuss it), and I'm always on the lookout for strong vocabulary - active words/verbs - that lift and enhance what I've produced. I have a strong memory for my work, and I can search through the text looking for a context where I can apply the strengthening word.

I tend to write a basic skeleton of the plot/events, and I spend a lot of time thinking around it over time. Words come to me in various places. When I'm walking, or listening to the news, or reading an article on the web, or when I'm in a conversation. I make notes on my phone. Any time is a good time to study and then bring the fruits of that study forward into your written work.

Mark

12/31/2020 04:17:04 pm

I am with you there, I do my best work in the morning.
Reading a lot, especially widely does help improve a person's vocabulary. I remember as a boy growing up on a non-working farm I did a lot of reading. There wasn't much else to do, most of the time. I read my parents' magazines, my mom's Readers Digest Condensed Books and anything I could get my hands on. When I found a word I didn't know it was off to the dictionary. A monster Webster's Unabridged dictionary, that thing was at least 10 pounds. I would look up after a bit and discover an hour or more had gone by. I loved browsing the dictionary or encyclopedia.
Plotting out the basics of a book can go along way towards saving time. People who write by the seat of their pants, pantsers, find themselves often enough having to make big changes in the first part of their book because of an unplanned plot twist.
I heard of one author who plotted out each chapter after he wrote it, it made finding things easier to find as he brought the story to a close.
New questions.
Do you ever experience writer’s block and what do you do if you get stuck?
Is there a particular place in a story or type of writing that brings the block on?

Vincent Stevenson link

12/31/2020 05:49:21 pm

So far, I guess I'm lucky that I have never experienced writers' block. The reason for that I believe is that I mix my work up. Articles, blogs, short stories, books, I'm always writing something, and I'm reading when I'm not writing. I like to think that that keeps me fresh and alert and whenever a new project comes in, I know I'll find the time for it.

If I did feel that I had writers' block, I don't think I'd worry too much about it. I'd go for a walk in the park or the countryside. I might go for a drive if it's ok under covid rules. I'd go and rework an old story perhaps and find some appropriate vocabulary or add something new. I might say to myself that I need to sleep more. Either way, I don't feel that putting pressure on yourself makes you a better writer.

Mark

12/31/2020 08:17:32 pm

You are ready to practice most of the advice I have for writers who are feeling blocked. Those are all good things to do. Almost anything to get your mind off of the problem is the place to start. Utilizing the creative juices on a different project is genius. I always recommend that an author have more than one project in progress to switch to. Whether it be a side story, prequel, different series or poetry. Most anything is useful to not think and worry about the problem passage.
Many authors have reported different activities that help them solve the issue. Some of the activities are ordinary parts of their lives. Sometimes it is as easy as a simple household chore, like ironing, raking leaves, gardening, mopping the floors. Something that doesn't tax the creative side of your brain.
Physical activity is good also, you mentioned walking, there is also bike riding, exercising or swimming.
New questions.
Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?
Did your writing process change much from your early writing to your current book or did it stay the same?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/1/2021 04:26:27 am

The thing to remember for me is that I'm not a novelist - yet. Non-fiction is different as I'm writing about something I'm already familiar with, but stamping my point of view or spin on it. If my colleagues wrote their version of The Truck 1995, I do not doubt that their perspective would be different to mine. We can all watch the Superbowl simultaneously in the same stadium, and we'd all perceive it differently.

I think I have a few more tools now, and as I continue learning about writing and publication, I can already feel an improvement in my confidence. I'm enjoying the journey and not trying to put too much pressure on myself. My friends/colleagues who've read my books tell me that I have a distinctive voice. If I can work on that and keep my 'truth' flowing, I hope to enjoy my creative endeavours in the coming years.

Mark

1/1/2021 09:55:21 am

True, you are not a novelist, at this time. However, I think it is only a matter of time. Truck 1995 is memoir, but you are already making choices like a novelist would. You understand the necessity for conflict and the choices that are made on a quest. You are well on your way to being a novelist if you have that desire.
Your skill will continue to improve, regardless of which direction your writing takes. I have no doubt that your friends and colleagues have rightly judged and I agree with them. Your orientation towards reality will serve you well.
New questions.
What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?
Are there any authors that influenced you into becoming a writer?
If you could meet your favorite author, what would you ask them?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/1/2021 12:13:52 pm

In terms of The Fear Doctor and Anxiety Quick Wins, the message is that whatever your thoughts, always make your intention to action positive. Whatever is happening between your ears will always determine your outcomes. If you're focused on positive results, you have a greater chance of making things happen.

With The Truck 1995, it's a similar answer. You can choose to be a spectator who drags their feet and complains about everything, or you can be a contributor who focuses on making things happen. Sadly, these two factions often came into conflict, resulting in bitter arguments, swearing and anger.

We had a compromised leadership from day one. Within three weeks, we knew that we could forget the schedule, we were so far behind, we'd never catch up. This created a lot of disruption and contention, with people spending time in hotels for which they had no budget. With the travellers' diversity, we were always on a collision course for one issue or another. The meat-eaters and the vegetarians probably had the biggest running battle, because vegetarian cooks (we all took turns) would not handle or cook meat, and they were determined to enforce that.

My favourite author growing up was Graham Greene. His short stories took me to beautiful and dangerous places and made me see the truth of life through his words. He wrote books about Panama and Mexico, and I have visited places and cities, to stand where he had stood. In 1991, I was coming home from work, and I bought the London Evening Standard and read of his death. It was a huge shock, and it felt like I had lost an old friend.

What would I ask him? I'd ask him if I could buy him drink, knowing that he'd probably say yes. Then I'd ask him about his time as a spy and talk about his work as an Air Raid Warden on Vauxhall Bridge Road during the war. Most of all, I'd like to thank him for turning me on to literature as a schoolboy.

Mark

1/1/2021 01:23:15 pm

To put it into other words, we are responsible for our reactions to what happens around and to us, we cannot control what happens to us much of the time.
Those two groups of people are always with us, those who want to do something and those who want something done for them. It can be a difficult balancing act at times.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
How do you keep track of all the characters and events in your books?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/1/2021 01:44:37 pm

I have been writing reports and articles for the web for years. The first writers' automation tool I saw was Hemingway. It was a huge step up from Word, which is ok for spelling mistakes, but was not so good for grammar years ago. MS Word has improved over the years, but it still has holes in it.

I have moved on to Grammarly in recent years, which I think is a big step forward. It still has holes, but it's improving all the time. With English being such a vast and complicated language, I don't think it will ever catch all of the potential errors we input.

In The Truck 1995, I made extensive notes of events every day, handwritten in notebooks. I also had my laptop for a month or so before the humidity drowned it. When you spend four months close to your colleagues, and you're with them twenty-four hours per day, you get to know them, their humour, moods, and triggers exceptionally well. For the last twenty-five years, every mid-November I take out my photo-albums and my notebooks and read through. It helps to keep my memories alive.

Mark

1/1/2021 03:14:01 pm

When word processors first hit the scene I thought I might be out of work as a proofreader. It didn't take any amount of time for my fears to be allayed.
MS Word has improved, but it is quite random in many aspects. I have tested Grammarly and have found it to be wanting, though it's pretty decent to sit in the background for posting on websites and emails. I use another program called Ginger. It alerts the user to some spelling errors and grammar problems. But it is wrong at times and misses a lot of what I catch. I particularly like it over other programs because it goes through a manuscript one sentence at a time. It pauses whenever it finds something that it judges to be wrong. Occasionally it shows me something I miss in my first pass.
I am not worried about being replaced by technology. Even AI will not replace me anytime soon, because the learning process for AI will include consuming many thousands of books and most of those books contain spelling errors.
New questions.
Were you planning on writing a book when you were on that trip in 1995?
I know there are many ways to build the outline. Do you do it all on the computer or do you get analog at some point with post-its or note cards?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/1/2021 03:44:11 pm

In 1995, I wasn't planning on writing a book. That would be far too ambitious a project for me then. As mentioned, there were many mountains, glaciers and volcanoes to climb, and other enjoyable physical pursuits. I wrote those as excerpts and sent them to computer magazines talking about my 'sabbatical'. It was a simple A-Z story.

The Truck 1995 pulls these excerpts together, provides a back story and introduces you to the main protagonists with psychological insights into various recognised errant behaviours. People's motivations and actions are fascinating and fit in with a good story that needs conflict, contention and rivalry.

There was usually strong camaraderie for those who participated in the pursuits because we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere without any backup. Some of the older guys had mobility issues, so we offered to carry some gear like tents, water or rucksacks, giving the guys every opportunity to succeed.

Once off these projects and back on the road, I found it interesting how quickly people reverted to their unhelpful type.

I do and always have done my planning and writing on a laptop. My nickname on the trip was 'laptop'. I would have preferred it if my colleagues had called me 'mad axe murderer'. I would have felt less demonised.

Mark

1/1/2021 04:17:40 pm

A diary of sorts, bragging to all of the others still stuck in the office. I like it. The publishing seed was well established back then.
It is interesting how the serialized adventure morphed into a book. It could also become a graphic novel or an audio book with good results. If you have lots of pictures another form could be offered, a lush coffee-table book. Each of these iterations could be funded in part or whole by crowd funding.
Graphic novelists have been doing this for sometime. Writers are starting to discover this alternate means of funding publication also. The author can maintain full control of the copyright and licensing thereby.
Here is an excellent blog about what can happen, admittedly this is extreme, but it shows the possibilities, copy-and-past time: https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/
New questions.
Do you have defined space for writing at home, or are you a coffee-shop writer, if we weren’t dealing with the covid thing?
Do you listen to music or have the TV on when writing at home, or do you need quiet?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/1/2021 05:02:37 pm

I prefer writing in the bedroom. My wife and daughter tend to dominate the living room, which is fine. We have a table/desk, and my daughter is doing her school lessons at home between my wife's piano lessons. The bedroom is at the back of the house overlooking the garden, so it's quiet.

I can't work with music or the TV on, or with people talking. I guess I could never go back and work in a noisy office, all those people chatting. I've always had to concentrate on what I'm doing, and I find the interruptions challenging to overcome.

Mark

1/1/2021 07:22:25 pm

I am in a separate room also. I have taken over the third bedroom as my office. My wife likes to watch TV downstairs, we live in a townhome.
I can read anywhere from my early school days. I can block everything out when I am in a good book.
Proofreading is another matter, I need quiet so I can concentrate. No radio or music playing in the background.
New questions.
Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?
Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 04:35:22 am

Action, Dialogue or Narrative?

I find the narrative is the easiest to write; effectively, it's the story's outline. As the author, it's your job to lead the audience to where the critical action occurs. The narrative sets the scene.

Whether you're writing in the first or third person, all action and dialogue occur now. Describing what happened in the past tense, makes a lot of sense, but it's not compelling. If you're telling the story of a demonstration, a love scene or a battle from history, action and dialogue must bring it into the now.

Even in science fiction, where the author creates futuristic issues written in the past tense, the action and dialogue happen in the now.

Mark

1/2/2021 11:39:55 am

You are like a lot of other authors, most choose narrative also. The author is the guide, no question about that. The trick for some new authors is to avoid too much narrative. After doing a bunch of research the urge to share all of this newfound knowledge is strong. That results in the dreaded info dump and will bore most of the readers. There are a few readers like me that enjoy the details, but the story does get left in the dust.
Action and dialogue put flesh and skin on the narrative bare bones, absolutely. Personally, I love the intimacy of first person point of view. As long as I don't have to figure out whose head we are in, I am good. Head hopping can be very confusing. I reviewed an exciting, first-person, YA, dystopian story a few years back, The Divinity Bureau. The author devoted each chapter to one character's POV. The chapters carried the action continuously quite well. The climax of the story was told in separate but contiguous chapters from the two main characters' POV, so the climax was told twice. Unusual, but I enjoyed it.
Even in third person past tense, the reader experiences it as a now event. Very good point. I hadn't thought of that previously.
New questions.
Have you ever participated in theater in some way, acted, behind the scenes or written a play?
If so, do you think your experience in performing arts has helped you as a writer?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 11:49:24 am

Have I ever participated in the theatre?
One of my biggest regrets is that as a young man, I was an avid soccer player. Soccer took up my entire life and world view. It gave me something to look forward to; it kept me fit and healthy; it gave me opportunities to travel the world. It also killed off every artistic possibility that I may ever have entertained.

When I moved to London in 1987, I knew nobody, and I had to start making friends from scratch. Half a mile away is Bromley Little Theatre, and every Monday night they ran a Theatre Workshop night. It involved exercises, vocal projection, exploring accents, humour, spontaneity, improvisation - but not acting. I attended for about six months, met some people locally and then started working away from London, which I found incredibly unsettling having only just moved there.

I thoroughly enjoyed the theatre workshops, but the rehearsal time required for their eight productions a year would have been incompatible with my work and travelling, so I'm sad to say that I had to let that option pass.

That said, I've done a little performance poetry and writing poems for platform delivery. I once memorised Hamlet's To be or not to be speech and delivered it with fire and conviction in class. I always thought I had a terrible memory, but it's amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to a project. That said, I wouldn't want Hamlet's part, as it's one of the most difficult and technically challenging with 1500 lines. All credit to actors who devote their careers to these texts. They have my admiration.

Interestingly, my niece and nephew both work full time as directors in the theatre and have won many awards. My younger brother was a stalwart of amateur dramatics, and his children fell in love with it. They started their own theatre company three years ago and have run two new stage plays—nothing alas in 2020 with the restrictions.

Has performing arts helped me as a writer?

I think all life experience helps you as a writer. I have seen some Greek tragedies in my work experience, a few Romeo and Juliets and not quite a Thelma and Louise, too many Gordon Gekkos and managers who think they're Al Pacino and Robert de Niro. Over Christmas, I've been watching some serialisations and observing the dialogue.

It's difficult to say how well I'm doing, but I'm enjoying the process.

Mark

1/2/2021 12:16:00 pm

It is very interesting how much we live in the moment when we are young. It is all we know at that time. We gain perspective ever so slowly. More when we start to enjoy the consequences of our choices in adulthood.
You made a good choice for soccer at that time.
Going to that workshop was a great way to meet people and learn new things. It gave you a taste of possibilities and a foundation for you as a trainer and speaker.
I didn't realize that Hamlet had so many lines. That is an impressive feat.
The theater runs in your family most definitely.
We have all met our share of people who think they are more important than others. It is a weakness in the human condition.
New questions.
Do you have a favorite song, band or type of music?
How did you know when your book was finished?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 02:19:32 pm

When I was a child, I was a big fan of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Elvis Presley's death was disturbing, to have all that talent, loved world-wide, the trappings of money, fame etc. and nobody to look after him. John Lennon's death in New York was a terrible shock. I get very emotional when I hear their songs because it reminds me of my childhood, which had many happy/sad themes running through it. When I was a teenager, I loved Abba and still get very emotional when I hear their songs. The words are so simple but go straight to my heart. I was, and still am a big Leonard Cohen fan. I remembered that the songs seemed quite depressing as a child, but I could read positivity between the lines when I heard them as a twenty-something. I still love his work now.

REM had a significant impact on me in the 1990s. I listened to their albums extensively during my travels up and down the country. These days, I'm a big fan of Coldplay, Viva La Vida. The Script's, much loved, The Man Who Can't be Moved, wrecks me. Perhaps I'm not very romantic, but the prospect of sitting on a street corner, the place where you once met your lover and hoping that she might come back and find you, fills me with tears.

How do you know when your book is finished?
Yes, it is a tricky one. With my first two non-fiction books, I wrote what came into my head and similarly discussed things in class. I had a template of what I believed would cover the essentials and a little bit of gloss for fine measure.

The Truck 1995, has been finished twice, and on both occasions, I pulled back because I couldn't sleep. Something was missing; the balance didn't feel right, and the missing items should have been foundational pieces. That meant a lot of rework and adjustment. The plan was to have the book published by 18th November 2020, exactly twenty-five years after leaving for Ushuaia. Once I had missed that deadline, I've been studying and improving the vocabulary daily. I haven't changed the story, but I've added more substantial language to make it more evocative.

Mark

1/2/2021 02:51:39 pm

Everyone listened to music when I was in high school. I did also. There was no classic rock in the late 60s and early 70s. It was all new. As I started college and working I had less time to focus on music, it became part of the background for me, books were a higher priority.
I think ending a non-fiction book is easier than a fiction book. The conclusion of the former follows the logic. In fiction, everything is in the hands of the author. The conclusion really dictates the rest of the book, some authors write the last chapter first, whenever possible, because the rest of the book works towards that ending. Hitting the target is much easier when it is in plain sight.
Your memoir is going to be much improved, I am sure.
New questions.
Did anything in The Fear Doctor come as a surprise while you were writing?
How long does the research process take before you start to write a book or do you do the research as you write the book?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 03:32:47 pm

The biggest surprise with The Fear Doctor was the seven years it took before I finally had it published. I didn't initially have any deadlines, but I wrote most of the book over two years. I had the book professionally edited twice during that time. In March 2020, I decided to make some changes, and now I have a team member with fantastic skills to publish on Amazon/Kindle. It's a great feeling with the final amendments applied, and then it goes for publication. To have a book in your hand after seven years was a wonderful feeling, and I sensed my family's pride too. Talk is cheap (I'm a speaker), but action is what makes the world revolve.

The Fear Doctor is a collection of articles about psychology, physiology, neuroscience, and hard work. There is also a collection of personal stories where I screwed up in my life. I was lazy; I ignored good advice; I was quick to blame everybody except myself. I became a successful man when I stopped blaming the world and took responsibility for my studies and made things happen. For years, I was an attentive follower who got nowhere. When I became a leader (self-leadership and classroom leadership), I built a following, and things started to shift. I became more ambitious and followed through with my plans.

The Fear Doctor's research started over ten years ago, and I've been accumulating material ever since. It's a fascinating discipline that brings me great joy to deliver to people who are anxious about their professional careers and those who have social reasons for wanting to improve.

Mark

1/2/2021 04:27:29 pm

I have heard from many authors about the thrill of publishing your first book. It sounds wonderful and slightly akin to the birth of your first child, but to a lesser degree.
Seven years is a long time, but not at all unheard of. There are a lot of writers who never publish, they are afraid that the reality will be much less than their dreams, so they are always going through one more round of edits, or some other delaying tactic like a new cover.
You are well due congratulations for having several books published and more to come.
Your book would have been interesting without your personal stories, but it is so much better with those tales. Helping other people achieve their dreams is a wonderful thing, and we are both in that business.
New questions.
How much time passed from when you got the idea to write your book; then actually starting to write the book?
How long did it take you to write the first draft?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 04:54:57 pm

One Monday morning I received a phone call from a woman who works for a big UK TV station. A recent promotion had caused her great consternation. It was a managerial role, and she had a team of twenty researchers to look after. She seemed like a competent woman, but she suffered from imposter syndrome. Our session came to an end, and she said how much she'd enjoyed it. I said, as I always do that I'll send complementary notes for the session. Then she asked me if I had written a book because she could get me on the sofa during a breakfast TV show if I had.
I started writing the first chapter of the book the following morning. In three months, I had 20,000 words, and I imagined I'd require about 75,000. The book didn't follow the path I imagined. I found that writing spontaneously worked better for me rather than sticking strictly to a plan. I use many stories, metaphors, case studies, and examples from well-known celebrities to make my points. I'm lucky that I have worked with and assisted so many incredibly talented people. I am indebted to them for giving me their permission to use their stories in my book.

The first full draft took less than two years, and I felt delighted and exhausted when I printed it off and sent it to a colleague to read (he's not into computers). It's amazing what you miss and why it's so important to have your work checked professionally.

Vincent Stevenson link

1/2/2021 05:15:44 pm

'No book can ever be finished' - Karl Popper

Mark

1/2/2021 06:13:37 pm

Good story! I hope you got on her show eventually. But after so much time she was likely elsewhere.
For a person in a service industry, having written a book lends a great deal of weight and credibility to the person. Gravitas might be the word I am looking for.
I think everyone suffers from the imposter syndrome. I call it the inner liar. That voice that will likely sound like your own, telling you what a fraud you are and you will never make the grade. It must be struggled against constantly.
The first draft is just the beginning, getting it out of your head is crucial. Mr. Popper is right, but you still have to hit publish at some point. A team of professionals can make it so much better.
New questions.
How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?
Do you get ideas for future books or stories while writing a book?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/3/2021 07:59:44 am

I would say three drafts is enough; otherwise, I'll never finish the book. It felt like a huge relief to finish The Fear Doctor after so many years, but then as I read through the first online drafts, I came across passages that didn't read too well. Working on an MS Word draft and a pdf seems completely different. It's the same text, but the look and feel is so much more final on the pdf. My Amazon/Kindle team member has been incredibly supportive of the process. She knew I was a first-time author and that patience and support gave me a lot of confidence. One suggestion I would offer to first-time authors is not to update the manuscript while the book is in compilation on Amazon/Kindle. Unless you have an incredibly supportive and flexible team member, or you're making those changes yourself, you only want to make minor amendments once the book is online. Make sure that your spelling is consistent and accurate - makeup, make-up and make up, depending on the context and that place names like Calle Murillo are correct, I had misspelt Murillo twenty-five times. If you're paying individually for edits, that can cost you a lot of time, money and frustration. It's important to iron out these problems before the first draft is submitted.

Yes, I have been thinking through what happens when I finish The Truck 1995 - Part 2, because the group socialised in London frequently and sometimes there'd be a party at one of the guy's houses for the weekend. So there were still relationships forming, off the truck. Many of the group felt like they were under the microscope when travelling, and they felt freer to be themselves when the adventure ended. There were exciting and unexpected incidents of post-adventure. I might develop those incidents into short stories.

Mark

1/3/2021 09:28:50 am

Drafts of a book are an interesting concept, there is not a uniform definition among authors. Some authors constantly massage the first draft, they count it as one draft, in their mind. Other authors count making changes all the way through the book as a draft. They might send the 3rd draft to beta readers and after incorporating the useful suggestions declare that the 4th draft. If they use an editor, then a proofreader those could be the fifth and sixth drafts. Sometimes an author will put the manuscript away for a couple of months, in the middle of the process, and create yet another draft. Someone once said, a good book isn't just written, it is written many times.
Makeup, make-up and make up are a good example of homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. They are my specialty along with typos as the Hyper-Speller. I have written quite a few blogs about both topics.
Follow-up stories could be quite interesting, it will be fun to see how that plays out.
New questions.
When does inspiration strike for you?
What do you do to preserve these ideas?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/3/2021 04:56:52 pm

Inspiration
I have mentioned the term 'truth' a few times in this interview, and I mean that. Hemingway said that if you're struggling for inspiration or can't get into the flow of writing, write down a simple truth. It doesn't matter what it is, write it down. Neil deGrass Tyson, one of the world's greatest astrophysicists, talks about personal, political and objective truths. I love my wife and daughter (personal). I dislike the leaders of party X (political). The square on the hypotenuse (objective). I could run with any of those three truths and turn it into an article/story. Your lover betrays you (personal). I hated my boss and the way he ran the company for ten years (political). I missed twenty years of pension contributions due to a rare illness. I'll struggle when I retire. (objective).
There's an inspiration and a story wherever you look. Some of these issues might take a little research, but you could weave something into it.
If you're a novelist, you make it up and ignore anything you don't find valuable or interesting. It's the best job in the world.

Preservation
If I'm writing non-fiction and have an idea for a fiction piece, I write it down in Notes' text document. It may be some time before I find an opportunity to use it, but at least I can't forget it once it's in the document. I keep those notes on my phone and add to them as I go along. There are dictation apps that you can use too, which convert your voice message to text. Then you cut and paste them into the file. Never miss out on your good idea.
I have a terrible short-term memory. My wife will ask me to buy something on the way home, and I'll forget. It's much better if she texts me and sends me a reminder. Thoughts are transient; they come and go. Occasionally, thoughts/ideas come to me when I'm sleeping, and I note them on my phone.
My long-term memory is exceptional because I have learnt how to work it well. Discussion is one of the most valuable tools to explore the possibilities of many people's issues (as a trainer, you have access to everybody's thoughts in class). You get to know the pros and cons of the argument and then suggest issues which sometimes do not emerge.

Mark

1/3/2021 04:59:08 pm

Truth is a serious issue and as you ably pointed out there is more than one kind of truth. For so many people truth has become very subjective and subjective truth, their truth, is the only one that matters to them. Anyone who doesn't agree with and follow completely behind their banner of truth is castigated and maybe cancelled.
Objective truth has been cast aside by very many people. The repercussions of that are now being felt in ever increasing intensity and volume. Much of our current social unrest can be traced to the shunning of objective truth.
Keeping notes on your phone is a good idea. I struggle with short-term memory also often. I can remember up to three things on an errand, more than three then I should write it down or have her text it to me.
New questions.
A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. Because, after the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important.
Do you have alpha-readers and/or beta-readers to help you smooth out some of the wrinkles before publishing? If you don’t, why?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/3/2021 05:24:09 pm

Whenever I make amendments to a paragraph, I always read the previous and next sections too. Sometimes a vocabulary change can have an impact on the overall coherence of the work. It's time-consuming, but it's necessary.

I have some trusted colleagues who are bookworms, and they help sift through the text and find my literary blemishes. As previously mentioned, I feel lucky that I've built a trusted team, and they're incredibly supportive and patient. I tend to know which passages are the stickiest, so if they're short on time, I point them in the right direction. I don't have a problem with feedback, good or bad, so long as I trust their objectivity. If it works, great. If it doesn't, then it needs reworking then I am ultimately responsible.

Vincent Stevenson link

1/3/2021 05:00:18 pm

Pace and flow.
You can affect the pace and flow by varying the length of a sentence. You can use longer and descriptive sentences to set the scene, but it needs shorter sentences and minimal description once an action scene begins.
I regret to say that I can't remember where I picked this up from, but I made a note in my notes because I thought it was valuable.

Why would you slow down the pace of a story?
To simplify a complex situation
To create suspense
To focus on an emotional truth

Varying sentence length creates the music and rhythm of the story.

The comments above were taken from a book called Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark which I highly recommend.

Mark

1/3/2021 06:10:47 pm

Checking around the area of a changed or contentious passage is a wise move. Simple spelling errors are so easy to slip through. I have discovered names that change spelling midway through a book, that is more common with books that have unusual names for characters. I check for easy alternate spellings of names like that.
You are a fortunate man to have colleagues who will beta read for you. Trust is very important up and down the line.
The buck stops on your desk.
New questions.
Do you ask the beta readers to read through more than one draft of the manuscript?
At what stage in your writing process do you bring in the readers?
Do you give them an e-version like a PDF, access to Google docs or a hard copy you printed?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 08:34:59 am

I have one friend who'd read through every draft I sent her. However, it's not fair to use a loyal friend's time like that. However, if a close friend is interested in what I'm working on and asks to review the manuscript, it would be churlish not to offer them the opportunity. If they have observations on the work, I ask for the page/paragraph number, and a short note on what's not working.
I don't generally release to the public until there's an absolute necessity to do so. Once again, the moment it's released, I start finding phrasing that I'm unhappy with, but my readers tell me it's ok.

Mark

1/4/2021 09:26:25 am

Unless a person is very invested in the story or information, I agree that a single round of beta reading is probably sufficient. Although, it wouldn't hurt to have two groups of beta readers to run a manuscript through consecutively.
New questions.
What kind of questions did you ask them to get the feedback you wanted or do you let them provide feedback without particular questions?
Will you seek out new beta readers or work with the same ones as before?
Do you reward the alpha/beta readers in any way particular?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 09:35:23 am

I don't like using Google docs for publishing material, it's too easy for somebody to delete something valuable. I usually backup my manuscript when I feel I have completed a section, if not every two weeks. I send pdfs to my readers, I like the presentation format which is so different from MS Word.

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 09:57:29 am

I think having an untainted and objective eye is invaluable. I know one of my beta-readers who knows me well, and he feels uncomfortable with a couple of sex scenes I've written (not that there's anything shocking or distasteful about a man and a woman getting it together), he doesn't like to imagine me naked - neither do I for that matter. I'm possibly twenty-five years older than him, and we've had a great professional and personal friendship. He lives 100 yards away. I think he has a picture of who I am in his mind's eye and what he reads is too much of a stretch from the Vince he knows well. Doesn't your wife mind you writing this, he asked? The answer is no. Interestingly, I have a few female readers who have seen me positively and in a different light since they read it. They like my sensitive side, it seems.

Rewarding beta-readers - that's a tough one this year. Ideally, I would like to take them out for dinner and talk to them together to hear their perspectives. My digital designer lives close by, and we often have dinner regularly anyway and talk about business, and she's become a great support as a reader. I think male/female perspectives are crucial. So this year is little different, I've sent them e-gift cards.

Mark

1/4/2021 10:30:27 am

The nature of our different relationships with friends are enabled and encumbered by many factors. Your younger friend might view you as a father surrogate and mentor in some ways. His discomfort with the sex scenes is reasonable and understandable.
Women seem to have a much different view of sex than we do. Their frankness can be startling at times.
Rewarding the beta readers is far more difficult now to keep personal. Gift cards are a good substitute.
New questions.
What advice would you give a new author who is about to send their book to a publisher, traditional or independent?
Do you belong to any writing groups, virtual or otherwise?
Are there any writing groups for the genre you write in?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 11:26:42 am

On Twitter, a young author said he was ready to send his manuscript to a publishing company a year ago and how naturally excited he was. He asked his followers if anybody had any final suggestions before he sent it off. The general response was along the following supportive lines: good luck, well done, all the best, go for it, smash it etc. etc. There were lots of RTs on these messages, and why not?

My response was: Good luck, check your proposal and manuscript for spelling, grammar, remove any passive voice, look for and remove any cliches and tautologies, remove any redundant words - words that are not dependent on the context.

It felt like I had thrown ice on the party, but that was not my intention. My comments had the intention of support; a simple checklist of things to wrap it up when you feel that you’ve done all you can. Why wouldn’t you want to give yourself every opportunity for success? Yes, there’s a ton of hard work, but that is the nature of writing. It’s hard work, and it’s incredibly competitive, so go that extra mile. When I see people posting news of their rejections, I wonder if they have a clearly defined process?

Your prose may be as polished and phenomenal as they come, and there’s still no guarantee your work will be accepted. So please give yourself every opportunity for success. Get the basics right. Don’t fall at the first hurdle because you were too eager to send it off without a thorough checking.

I am a keen follower of the Writing Community Chat Show, where I have met and mutually support other Indie authors. They have two interactive podcasts per week, Wed/Fr 8pm UK time. I like the informality of the discussions with successful indie authors.

I have also joined a local writers club in Bromley, south-London, and I'm enjoying the sessions with them. They seem to have a highly accomplished group of writers, so I'm hoping to keep up with them.

I have no idea whether there's a support group for non-fiction or travel, but that's a fantastic suggestion. I would love to be part of a travel writers group. I will take a look at that one in the next few days.

Mark

1/4/2021 02:48:33 pm

That is important advice. So important that it cannot be emphasized enough. For those seeking a traditional publishing contract, it is supremely important to follow instructions for each agent and publisher that queries are directed to. Any deviation from detailed and simple instructions is an automatic rejection. If you cannot get past the first cut your book will not go anywhere. Publishers and agents are already overwhelmed and look for every opportunity to lighten their workload. Much of the time the anxious writer will not get an answer back or merely a form letter of rejection with no reason as to why. Your advice was top notch!
Joining a writers group sounds like it has been very good for you. Meeting similar minded people is always encouraging and stimulating. I hope that there are opportunities to share work and receive constructive criticism, to foster professional growth as a writer.
New questions.
Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?
How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 03:26:26 pm

When I went to school, you had to write things with real handwriting. There were no computers at school or at work in the late '70s. My first job was as a Civil Servant, and I had to write to people in a 'clear' hand. Every letter was different depending on who I was talking to. I was also encouraged to make the points in less than one page of A4. I had a big dictionary and a thesaurus on my desk, so that was perhaps when I became interested in words. I would write the letters out in draft format first and then do it a second time in an 'even' hand. I don't remember writing anything, incredibly creative at that time.

I enjoyed History, Government, Economics and Politics, and English Language and English Literature at school. At an early age, I realised that if you work on honing your literacy skills, it provides future options. I enjoyed the reading aspect but didn't pay too much attention to the writing aspect. When I moved to London and lived alone for the first time, I suddenly started wanting to express something in my writing. It came out eventually as short stories, mostly for personal amusement, but with a little tweaking, I could fashion them into material for computer magazines. I remember my first cheque of £100 for a computer magazine 30 years ago which was a lot of money. That was probably the catalyst, but I was 30 years old by then.

Mark

1/4/2021 03:39:04 pm

My cursive handwriting was not very clear, unless I took considerable care and time. I began using a typewriter in high school, and discovered it was easier in the long run to hand write my thoughts before typing.
Getting paid for an article put you into a professional writer classification. I bet that was a very exciting moment for you.
Last questions.
What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?
What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 04:02:34 pm

The most important thing about my book.

Stay focused. Write something every day, and never stop for the evening at the end of a paragraph or a chapter. The reason for that is, I find it hard to start the flow again. If I have a paragraph to finish, I'll often be thinking about it overnight, and it brings me straight back into the creative flow next day.

That said, I take the occasional day off, and think of it as a writing detox. Some days I'll pick up any three of a thousand books at home and start reading in random places. Occasionally, I'll find a brilliant word that I can use in the book. If you're always looking to improve your technique or vocabulary, it's difficult not to feel inspired.

As previously mentioned, somehow reading a book in pdf format gives it a completely different complexion. I feel like I'm reading closer to the finished article. I may have to go through the book three times before I sense that it's close to completion.

If COVID-19 has been beneficial to my writing, it's given me this long period of focus, strictly on writing and improving as an author. I think the situation has taught me to be patient. I'd prefer to create a book that I'm proud of, rather than bang out a book because some other authors tell me that that's the way it works. I've talked about creating a truth, and in the broadest sense, that means that I have to be invested in every word and every aspect of the book's delivery. The book wouldn't have integrity otherwise.

"Writing a book is an adventure to begin with, it is a toy and an amusement, then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling it out to the public." Winston Churchill

Mark

1/4/2021 04:43:19 pm

It has been said many times, a good writer must also be a good reader. I completely agree with that.
I also have heard the writing tip about stopping in the middle of a chapter rather than the end. More than one author has said it's easier to reconnect with their muse that way.
Patience is very important. If you are not proud of the book it is not ready to be published. The readers will know.
That is a great quote from Churchill! I love it.
Thank you, Vincent, you have been a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel. You have been candid, honest and humorous. Any host couldn't ask for more than that.
I have another promotion that starts tomorrow.
Until we meet again, keep on writing.

Vincent Stevenson link

1/4/2021 04:45:59 pm

Hello Mark,
It's been a wonderful experience as your guest. I have found the questions both challenging and thought-provoking, and you've helped me enormously to think about where I am and what I'm doing as an author. It is probably the best exercise in Socratic questioning that I have been through. I know myself a lot better, and I know that I have to improve in many areas. Thank you also for your patience this last week when I wasn't available. Keep up the excellent work, and I wish you every continuing success.
Regards Vince

THE FEAR DOCTOR by Vince Stevenson

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY, UNDERSTAND THE MIND/BODY RELATIONSHIP, FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE & MAKE AN ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ SPEECH

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