Author Archives: Ace Jordyn

This month we’ve been reading about story in non-fiction and how we can make money from it, and we’ve even got some tricks and tips to write non-fiction. So today, let’s do a something different.

Let’s apply a little of what we’ve learned so far.

First, read a piece of non-fiction. This can be a newspaper or magazine article on a subject or a news story, the blurb on a book’s back jacket, or an advertising article. Now, answer the following questions:

Do the first lines draw me in?
Is the article boring or interesting? What makes it so?
What is my emotional response to the article – happy, sad, excited, bored out of my skull, interested (want to read more)?
Is the conclusion satisfying?
Do the accompanying artwork and photographs enhance or detract the piece? How?
Is the title captivating? Informative? Does it have too much detail or not enough? Is it too long?

Every article or story must capture the reader’s attention by creating interest. The title and first lines are critical as are any photographs or art work. This is no different in fiction. Title, first lines and book jacket artwork are what intrigues a potential reader to buy your book.

The hook, the ability to draw the reader in emotionally, whether to solve a problem, or tell a story as with news reporting, is what sells newspapers and magazines, gets people subscribe to blogs, read and reading information based advertising.

All the things we’ve talked about, the hook, the title, telling a good story, emotional impact – are story elements that are told without a strongly embellished plot, sometimes without a plot, sometimes without a protagonist (unless it’s an interview, memoir, or article about a specific person), without dialogue, without world building – without many things we use to create fiction, yet good non-fiction can captivate and move us just as much.

So now that we understand how the tactics of fiction and non-fiction writing are similar, let’s answer the question the title asked: How does non-fiction writing improve my fiction stories?

Non-fiction can improve our fiction writing because through it we learn to tell a story about elements we normally take for granted in our world building. It increases our observational skills, our ability to impart aspects of life we may normally consider mundane in a way that is interesting. Making the ordinary interesting, finding the story in the non-fiction aspects of our worlds, all of this adds depth to our story and enhances our characters interactions with their world. Non-fiction also teaches us to write to our target audience and to express that information in an informative yet entertaining way.

So read non-fiction, even try your hand at writing it, and watch your fiction blossom.

An Interview on Interviewing

November 23, 2015

Ace Jordyn

An interview with Celeste A. Peters.

Interviews can be entertaining, informative or a disaster. There are three types of interview styles: personal audio/visual (podcast, television, radio); written (email communications); and personal converted to written. It isn’t the type of interview that makes it good – it’s the ability to conduct the interview, to transform what you’ve learned into an appealing story. To learn more about how to conduct a successful interview, I asked Celeste A. Peters about interviewing tricks and techniques. She’s interviewed a broad spectrum of people including politicians, scientists, farmers and medical patients.

You’ve interviewed an array of people from different professions and in different walks of life. How do you handle your nerves when you’re interviewing someone you admire, someone who in your mind has great status or authority? Is there a difference in how you approach that person versus someone else?
I’ve found that conducting an interview with respect and an air of confidence garners the best results, regardless of the status of the person being interviewed. Sure, it can take time to develop your confidence, though. To do so, conduct all of your interviews as though the person you’re interviewing is a head of state. Just don’t tackle an actual high-level interview your very first time out.

You’ve done your prep, you’ve got your notes and your questions, yet the interviewee takes you off on a tangent. What do you do?
If the tangent seems littered with material that’s relevant to your other questions, it might be worthwhile to let the person ramble for a while. Sometimes they provide valuable material you never thought of asking about. On the other hand, if you’ve got limited time for the interview, you might interrupt and say something like, “That sounds so interesting, but I’m afraid we’ll run out of time if we go there right now. We were talking about X…” The interviewee usually gets the hint.

How do you prepare your questions? And how do you ask them? I mean, is it a good idea to ask personal questions first to become comfortable, a mix of light hearted questions and pointed questions, or do you just get to the heart of the interview, the nitty-gritty?
Before the interview, determine why you need it; is it to collect information, obtain someone’s opinion on a topic, or a mix of both? Also define your target market for the resulting written piece. This will determine the depth of the questions you prepare. Next, research what material is already easily available on the topic or individual. What unique angle can you bring? If you’re doing an on-spec piece, this will be critical. If you’re writing on assignment, the nature of your questions might be determined by your employer. Then prioritize your list of questions: know what information you absolutely must not come away without. And, finally, arrange the order of your questions. Lead with one or two easy, perhaps light-hearted questions, followed by the meat of your interview, then any questions you deem a ‘bonus’ if answered. And be certain to arrange with your interviewee beforehand—preferably when you book the interview—how much time is available. If it’s less than you expected, you’ll need to pare down your list.

What is the most challenging interview you’ve conducted and how did you handle it?
No single interview stands out as ‘most challenging’. I have had to interview what I’d call ‘reluctant’ interviewees, though. I once was hired to write the big, glossy PR book for the Canadian branch of a multinational company. Some of the department heads only granted an interview because they were ordered to. I eventually got all the information I needed by remaining serious in demeanor and strictly professional in approach, and by asking for the name and number of someone else in their department who could flesh out material they decided they didn’t have the time or inclination to cover.

Time has run out and there are still unanswered questions. What’s the best way to handle that situation?
If you don’t finish the interview within the specified time, you might want to estimate how much more time is needed and request the interview keep going if convenient or request another meeting. Neither of these moves is optimal though; this is where prioritizing your questions beforehand comes in handy. Are the ones still unanswered just your bonus questions or do they include one or more of your critical questions?

What are your thoughts on an interviewee wanting to see the final product before it’s released?
If you’re writing a piece of journalism, politely, but firmly, decline. Period. Some employers even forbid it outright. The interviewee has said what they said—you should have a voice recording or, at very least, detailed notes to prove it. How you incorporate it into your work is up to you. If you have any doubt whatsoever you’ve understood what they were saying, ask them to verify the quote or clarify the piece of information you are planning to use—and nothing more. If you’re writing something other than a work of journalism, use your judgment. For example, on my first book I worked closely with a leading researcher in the field of Seasonal Affective Disorder; his feedback on my first draft was essential.

Is any question ever too big or too small?
Depends on the scope of what you plan to write as a result of the interview. For example, you don’t want to ask someone to summarize their entire life if what you plan to write will focus on a single incident.

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you want readers to know?
Check your ego at the door. No matter how much you personally know about a topic, ask questions from your least educated reader’s point of view. This means you will need to ask questions that might make you look ridiculously uninformed in the eyes of your interviewee, but this way you get the answer in their words, from their point of view, not yours. Sometimes, I’ve even found my preconception of what their answer would be was way off track. Those were humbling learning moments.

Now for the big question: What style of interview did I use to interview Celeste? Was it personal audio/visual (podcast, television, radio), written (emails), or personal converted to written?

For this blog, Celeste A. Peters called on several decades’ experience in journalism,

public relations, and non-fiction book writing—-now all in her past. Today she focuses on developing her skills in the wonderful world of fiction. Successes have included publication of short-stories in the Aurora Award-nominated Urban Green Man anthology, the Amok: Anthology of Asian-Pacific Speculative Fiction, the inaugural issue of Enigma Front anthology and in the chapbooks of winning entries for the 2011 and 2015 Robin Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest. Celeste is Senior Editor for Enigma Front’s upcoming second issue and she can be found at www.celestepeters.com.

How to Write Non-Fiction Books for Profit

November 13, 2015

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Non-fiction writing 1 Comment

How-to, self-help and inspirational non-fiction books abound. People write a non-fiction books because it’s faster than writing fiction, people pay money for information and they have something to share. But where does one start?

FIND THE PERFECT IDEA
Finding the perfect idea means knowing what kind of information people will pay money for. To find this idea you can:

find one question people really want answered. What is a frequently asked question that doesn’t have an adequate answer?
ask or survey your readers, friends, an interest group, fellow hobbyists. Ask what concerns them, what their problems are, and what they want to know.
participate on forums, ask questions, find out what the target group really wants to know, debunk a myth or misinformation.
do a how-to. Whether it’s cooking, software, athletics, fitness, weight loss, crafts, arts, writing, we all want either learn or improve upon skills.
find a blog topic that has lots of frequently asked questions. It may be opportune to have all those questions asked and answered in one spot.

KNOW WHAT’S SELLING AND WHAT ISN’T
Now that you’ve got an idea, it’s time to test it. Writing a non-fiction best seller means you must do the market research, understand the problem or knowing what people are willing to pay for. After all, you want to target those people who need your information.

Study the niche and the bestsellers within your niche either at a bricks and mortar book store or online. Look at covers – what’s appearing on the covers of those ranking highest in sales? Who are the pictures of men, women, abstracts, pets, food appealing to? Analyze everything you can see – title length, font. The high ranking books will tell you as what appeals to buyers. Read the table of contents, tags and any information you can find. Most importantly, read the reviews! People will say why they liked a book but also why they don’t and knowing why they don’t may provide the best insight on what you should offer.

Check how many similar books there are and their rankings. If your idea has been done a million times before and the books aren’t popular, scrap it. There may not be a desire for such a book, but if you’re determined to write it, make sure you have a unique twist on it and that you’re answering a problem that customers have. Otherwise, it isn’t worth your time and energy to rank at 256,000.

WORK THE IDEA
You’ve got an idea now but aren’t sure where to take it. You’ve done your preliminary research, seen what the market is responding to, now what? Start writing. Ask more questions. Ask your target market more in-depth and specific questions. This may be in the form of a blog post, a survey or interviews to test the idea. Their responses will help you find the gaps in your information, broaden or narrow your focus and they will, most assuredly, ensure that you’re giving them information they need and are willing to pay for. Most importantly, you’ll be keeping them engaged in the process, anticipating the final result and they’ll be your first buyers.

GIVE THE IDEA FORM
Study the best sellers to understand not only what they’ve said, but how they’ve said it. Although I’m interested to see how movie stars and high profile people have written their books, I know that readers will give them more leeway when it comes to paragraphs of dribble and useless information. I personally don’t like how-to books filled with pages of blah, blah, blah. Expand on a point and explain a concept to be sure I understand it and its context, but drivel for the sake of drivel, doesn’t work.

give it context and your personal touch by saying why you’re writing this – is there a personal story in this that will make it easier for people to relate to you and the book?
answer the question (s) by providing useful, helpful content. People buy non-fiction for the information, not for reams of literary prose. If you don’t know it, don’t make it up.
expand your answer with examples. Examples can be in the form of case studies or personal stories. Are there real examples from people you have helped or from someone who has solved the problem? Examples serve to motivate and inspire.
consider using step by step methods to provide solutions, graphs and charts to explain.
write with a view to entertain, don’t be dull and boring. A book that is easy to read, easy to scan with good grammar and editing sells better.

ENJOY THE PROCESS
Fiction or non-fiction, people will glean your enthusiasm for the subject in how you write. The more excited you are, the more fun you’ll have with the market research. Your enthusiasm will become infectious and people will want to buy it because they want to know what all the excitement’s about!

The key to writing a best selling non-fiction book is to know your market and to keep it simple while solving someone’s problem. And that problem may be as simple as fixing a bathroom sink or wanting your grandmother’s recipe for pickled beets. But no matter the topic, enjoy the process – enthusiasm is infectious!

Grants – Money to Write

November 11, 2015

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Business No Comments

Big grants, small grants, grants for individuals or groups, writing, editing, professional development, retreats, workshops, literary festivals, delivery of and promotional activities – there are many grants writers can access. Applications for writing grants may not appear as formal as for other granting projects but the principles are the same. The following points will help you navigate through ambiguous jargon such as provide a summary of your creative purpose for using this grant, and how you will use these funds to assist in this process.

1) Follow the guidelines exactly. You can’t make the program fit you – you have to fit the program and that’s where the work in writing the grant comes. Never be creative on the format, too wordy, general, or too familiar. It’s a formal document and, like with editors and publishers, being silly or sloppy or not professional is reason for a rejection.

2) Answer only what is asked for. For example, the proposal may ask for your resume or your organization’s history. Focus only on that. This is not the section to talk about the problem and your solution to it, or how, in doing this project, you or the community will benefit. In the history/resume section, the funder is looking for experience, reputation, if your mission aligns with the funder’s values. So as an artist or writer, what have you done and accomplished that makes you a worthwhile candidate?

3) Current programs and activities. Focus only on what you’re currently doing. They want to know what you’re doing on a daily basis, the operational information that is relevant to the project you’re proposing. They want to know if you have the capacity to follow through on the grant monies. Don’t list programs/projects that aren’t current, weren’t successful, have no relevance or received negative reviews.

4) Target groups. If you must define your target groups, always be specific, never general and use charts and graphs if you can. If the funder targets a specific group, it’s because they’ve already determined there is a need and will know if you haven’t done your homework. As a writer, you may need to say what age group you’re writing for, what makes it unique from the current offering and if it’s for promotional purposes, what schools you’re targeting, age groups, etc.

4) Partners. A funder looks for the impact of individual and collaborative efforts, representation of the target population, and monetary or in-kind contributions. These are your partners. As part of a community group, your partners are obvious. As an individual, your partnerships are less obvious. Do you belong to writers’ groups? Is there any benefit that you can extend to them by what you’re doing, or that you can teach? You may not have project partners per se, but partnerships can be informal, in-kind like partnering with schools, book stores and writing groups as part of a promotional plan. Fatal flaws: non-existent partners, no letter of support from the partners, overstating a partner’s role.

5) Project description. A project goal is what you’ll finish between the start and end dates, and this may not be a product finished in its entirety. Objectives are the milestones that allow you to achieve the goal and form the program design.

A project description can be as tricky as a query letter. Not only must you describe planned activities with timelines and expected results/benefits, you must be concise yet speak to who you are as an artist. What are you aiming to achieve? What is your artistic process? How will this grant benefit you as an artist?

You may wish to start with a summary (a short paragraph) which addresses who you are as an artist, what you’re planning to do, why you want to do it, how much funding you’re seeking.

Be clear, detailed, yet precise. Ensure that your goals and objectives are realistic. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing grant, you’ll need to discuss the target audience, specific media and promotional strategies to reach that audience, if it involves travel (dates, location, promotional plans for those appearances,).

6) Expected results and benefits. For some granting agencies, this is where you set the scene by giving a brief profile of yourself to provide a paragraph resume about yourself to set the context of the application. This may include whether you are emerging or professional, which includes a brief synopsis of what you’ve done to date. What about you will give this project a reasonable chance of success and, how will it enable you to develop your craft or skills? Note: you may still be required to provide a more detailed resume.

7) The budget. Some funders give a small sum for development and don’t require a line by line account. But if they require line by line items, you must be able to explain and justify every item. Make sure every line item matches the objectives and meets the guidelines. For example, if travel is required, research airline, hotel and meal costs. If there are costs to research in a specific archive or museum, include them.

8) Support materials. Here, you sell yourself through the eyes of others. Supporting materials are memorandums of understanding from partners or collaborators, letters from experts in your field who can vouch for you and your work, or other materials such as scripts or story boards.

9) Other key points:

Project Start date – in some cases, activities can’t begin before the application is submitted.
Make sure you meet basic program eligibility guidelines such as geography/residency, discipline, target population (emerging, professional).
Allow yourself enough time to research and prepare your application.
Granting agencies may have consultants or they may give you examples of successful applications. Use them!
Jurors have limited time, so be as succinct as possible and follow the guidelines for the required information which includes formatting and number of copies.
Get a PROOF READER! Whether it is a spelling or grammatical error, an unclear statement, any minor thing alleviated is one less reason to deny the application. Questions a proof reader should ask (a juror will): Is the purpose clear? Is it clear how the money will be spent and is it concisely stated? Do the goals provide a solution for the needs presented? Are the goals and objectives realistic? Are the objectives measurable?

Grants can be a big boon to your writing time and career. They are a lot of work to do well, but the rewards are well worth it.