I Read 37 Books On Writing To Learn These 3 Lessons.

Summary

In this video, a fantasy author shares the three biggest lessons learned from reading 37 writing advice books. First, outlining and structure are liberating and enhance creativity by providing a clear roadmap. Second, developing compelling characters is crucial, and character arcs are essential for creating engaging stories. Lastly, effective book marketing is integral to a writer's success, emphasizing the importance of genre, title, blurb, and cover. The author also offers insights into their story coaching program and the benefits of structured writing processes.

Takeaways

• 📚 Reading writing advice books can significantly accelerate a writer's development and change their perspective on storytelling.
• 📝 Outlining and structure are liberating for writers, allowing for creativity through planning and preventing wasted time on messy drafts.
• 🎯 A solid outline helps in character development and plot structure, providing a comprehensive view of the story for more efficient writing.
• 🚀 The speaker's personal experience shows that outlining reduced their first draft writing time from 360 to 60 days, enhancing coherence and resonance.
• 🔑 The seven key plot points in an outline include the opening hook, plot turn one, first pinch point, midpoint, second pinch point, plot turn two, and resolution.
• 🧵 Characters are not isolated but are part of a web of story elements that define each other, emphasizing the interconnectedness of plot and character.
• 🌟 Characters should be fluid and evolve over the story, with character arcs being central to creating compelling characters that readers connect with.
• ⚖️ There are three types of character arcs: positive, flat, and negative, each serving different storytelling purposes.
• 🤔 Crafting a character arc involves answering five key questions about a character's want, need, lie, truth, and ghost to drive their development.
• 🎨 Marketing is an essential part of a writer's toolkit, not just an afterthought, and should be considered from the inception of a book.
• 📈 Writing to market involves understanding genre demands and tailoring the book to meet those needs, increasing the potential for reader engagement and sales.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is the author's journey and insights gained from reading 37 writing advice books, focusing on three key lessons: the importance of outlining and structure, character development, and marketing strategies for writers.

Why does the author suggest that outlining is liberating for writers?

The author suggests that outlining is liberating because it allows writers to explore different directions for their novel efficiently, avoid wasting time on a messy first draft, and provides a bird's eye view of the story for better character development and plot structure.

How did outlining impact the author's writing speed and quality?

Outlining significantly reduced the time it took the author to write a first draft, from 360 days for the first book to 60 days for the second book, and improved the story's coherence and resonance.

What are the seven key plot points the author discusses?

The seven key plot points discussed are the opening hook, plot turn one, the first pinch point, the midpoint, the second pinch point, plot turn two, and the resolution.

Can you provide an example of how 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' incorporates these seven key plot points?

In 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', the opening hook introduces Harry's flaws and desires, plot turn one is Harry entering Hogwarts, the first pinch point is Harry's scar hurting when he senses Voldemort, the midpoint is Harry resolving to stop Voldemort from using the Philosopher's Stone, the second pinch point is the aftermath of the dragon incident, plot turn two is Harry realizing how to access the stone, and the resolution is Harry defeating Voldemort at the mirror.

What is the author's perspective on the relationship between plot and character in a story?

The author believes that plot and character are not isolated elements but are interwoven together, with characters defined through their interactions and the plot progressing through their actions.

What are the three types of character arcs the author mentions?

The three types of character arcs mentioned are the positive character arc, the flat character arc, and the negative character arc.

How does the author define a character's 'want' and 'need' in the context of character development?

A character's 'want' is what they desire in the world, while their 'need' is what they actually require to achieve inner peace and happiness.

What is the author's view on the necessity of marketing for writers?

The author views marketing as essential for a writer's success and longevity, emphasizing that it should be embedded within the product from the beginning, rather than an afterthought.

What is the author's advice on the order of operations when preparing to write a novel?

The author advises starting with defining the genre, followed by creating a marketable title, blurb, and cover design before beginning the actual writing process.

How does the author describe the process of 'writing to market'?

Writing to market is described as choosing an underserved genre with a ravenous appetite and giving that market exactly what it wants, ensuring that there are fans waiting to buy the book before it's even written.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Power of Outlining in Writing

The speaker, a fantasy author, shares their experience with the transformative effect of reading 37 writing advice books on their craft. They emphasize the importance of outlining and structure in writing, contrary to the common belief that it stifles creativity. Outlining is presented as a liberating process that allows writers to explore different directions for their novels efficiently, thus avoiding wasted time on messy drafts. The author's personal journey from a 360-day first draft without an outline to a 60-day draft with one illustrates the benefits of this approach. The summary also touches on the seven key plot points essential for a well-structured story, using 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as an example to demonstrate their application.

05:01

🌟 Developing Compelling Characters

The second lesson from the author's reading journey focuses on character development. The author explains that characters should not be seen in isolation but as integral parts of the story's plot, setting, and theme. They introduce the concept of character arcs as a central tool for creating engaging characters, highlighting three types: positive, flat, and negative arcs. Each arc type is exemplified with characters from well-known book series. The author also outlines five key questions to consider when crafting a character arc, emphasizing the importance of understanding a character's wants, needs, lies, truth, and ghost to create a compelling internal journey that aligns with the story's external plot movement.

10:02

🎯 Marketing as an Integral Part of Writing

The third lesson discusses the often-overlooked aspect of book marketing. The author challenges the notion that marketing is unartistic, arguing that it's essential for a sustainable writing career. They advocate for 'writing to market,' which involves identifying underserved genres and meeting the市场需求. The author shares their personal shift in approach from writing then marketing to considering marketability from the outset. This includes defining the genre, creating a compelling blurb, and planning an attractive cover before writing the book. The author's interactive fiction novel 'CJ Treblin' serves as a case study for this marketing-first approach, which has led to significant success. The summary underscores the importance of viewing marketing as a supportive element of the creative process rather than a separate, distasteful task.

15:03

🚀 Embracing Marketing for Longevity in Writing

In the final paragraph, the author reinforces the idea that marketing is not a separate endeavor but a crucial component of the writing process. They argue that getting the genre, title, blurb, and cover right constitutes 90% of the marketing effort, making it significantly easier to attract readers and reviewers. The author's experience with 'CJ Treblin' demonstrates that a well-thought-out marketing strategy can lead to substantial success, with the book selling over 13,000 copies in its first year. The author concludes by encouraging fellow writers to consider marketing as an enabler of their creative work, not a detractor, and to approach it with the same dedication as they do their writing.

Keywords

💡Outlining

Outlining refers to the process of creating a detailed plan or structure for a story before starting the actual writing. In the video, outlining is presented as a liberating tool that helps writers to explore different directions for their novels and avoid getting lost in a messy first draft. The speaker argues that outlining can actually enhance creativity by allowing writers to cherry-pick the best elements from multiple outlines, thus saving time and effort.

💡Structure

Structure in writing denotes the arrangement of the elements of a story in a coherent and logical order. The video emphasizes the importance of structure for character development and plot, providing a clear overview of the story through a 'bird's eye view.' The speaker shares their personal experience, showing how understanding structure significantly reduced the time it took to write a first draft and improved the narrative's coherence.

💡Character Development

Character development is the process by which a character evolves and grows throughout a story. The video explains that a solid outline helps nail character development by providing a comprehensive view of the story, allowing writers to identify areas that need more exploration or detail. It is one of the key struggles for new writers, and the video suggests that understanding and applying character arcs can greatly improve this aspect of storytelling.

💡Character Arc

A character arc is the journey a character undergoes, which includes their internal change or growth in response to the events of the story. The video discusses three types of character arcs: positive, flat, and negative, each serving different narrative purposes. Understanding a character's arc helps writers to create more compelling and relatable characters, as it reflects the fundamental nature of life as one of progression and change.

💡Writing Advice Books

Writing advice books are resources that provide guidance and tips on the craft of writing. The video's speaker has read 37 such books, which they credit with significantly influencing their development as a writer. These books are said to have the potential to accelerate a writer's journey by providing insights and techniques that can improve storytelling and writing skills.

💡Story Coaching Program

A story coaching program is a service that offers personalized guidance to writers to improve their storytelling skills. In the video, the speaker mentions their own story coaching program, where they work one-on-one with writers to refine their story structure and help them achieve their writing goals more quickly. This service is positioned as a way to gain clarity and improve the narrative quality of a writer's work.

💡Writing to Market

Writing to market is the approach where an author creates their work with an awareness of the target audience's preferences and the market demand. The video explains that this approach does not necessarily compromise artistic integrity but rather ensures that there is an audience ready for the book. It involves choosing a genre with a ravenous appetite and delivering what that market desires.

💡Marketing

In the context of the video, marketing refers to the strategies and activities used to promote and sell a book. The speaker argues that marketing should not be an afterthought but rather an integral part of the writing process. Effective marketing begins with understanding the genre, creating an appealing title and cover, and crafting a compelling blurb, which together form the foundation for attracting readers and generating word-of-mouth promotion.

💡Key Plot Points

Key plot points are the critical moments or turning points in a story that drive the narrative forward. The video outlines seven key plot points, using 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as an example to illustrate how these points are implemented in a successful story. Understanding and incorporating these plot points can help writers to create a more engaging and well-paced narrative.

💡Writing Dreams

Writing dreams in the video refer to an author's aspirations and goals related to their writing career. The speaker shares how reading writing advice books and applying the lessons learned have helped bring their writing dreams to fruition, indicating the importance of continuous learning and development in achieving success as a writer.

Highlights

Outlining and structure in writing are liberating, allowing writers to explore multiple directions efficiently and avoid messy drafts.

A solid outline provides a bird's-eye view of the story, helping to identify and enhance lagging or underexplored parts of the plot.

Outlining can significantly speed up the writing process and improve the coherence and resonance of the story.

Using a structured approach, the author reduced the writing time for a first draft from 360 days to 60 days between their first and second books.

Outlining aids in better character development and plot structure, crucial for new writers who often struggle with these elements.

The seven key plot points used in outlining are: opening hook, plot turn one, first pinch point, midpoint, second pinch point, plot turn two, and resolution.

Characters are interconnected with other story elements like plot, setting, and theme, forming a web that defines them through their interactions.

Characters evolve over the course of the story, experiencing a character arc that involves pursuing their desires and undergoing change.

There are three types of character arcs: positive, flat, and negative, each defining a different trajectory of character development.

To create a compelling character arc, consider the character's wants, needs, lies, truths, and their ghost, which is a traumatic past event.

Effective book marketing should be embedded within the product itself from the beginning, aligning genre, cover, blurb, and title with market demands.

Finding the intersection between what you enjoy writing and what readers enjoy reading is crucial for financial success and longevity as an author.

The best marketing strategy involves defining the genre, writing a compelling blurb, and designing an appealing cover before starting to write the book.

A reversed marketing approach, focusing on genre, title, blurb, and cover before writing, has led to the author's greatest commercial success.

The majority of marketing effort should go into getting the genre, title, blurb, and cover right, as these elements are critical to attracting readers.

Transcripts

as a fantasy author I'm obsessed with

trying to figure out how to write better

stories but I was still quite surprised

when I figured out that I've read 37

writing advice books over the past few

years all of these books have been

hugely important for my development as a

writer a good book much like a good

Mentor can really accelerate your own

writing Journey forward by months or

years of course you can't just be

Reading Writing advice books you have to

actually be writing as well but it is no

exaggeration to say that for me

personally there have been writing

advice books that have totally changed

my perspective on the craft of

Storytelling and have really helped

bring my writing dreams to fruition so

in this video I'm going to be sharing

the three biggest lessons I've learned

from Reading 37 books on the craft of

writing lesson number one is that

outlining and structure is actually

liberating when I'm talking to Young

Writers about the idea of outlining I'm

often met with quite a bit of resistance

and they often tell me I don't like the

idea of outlining it just feels like

that's going to sap my creativity the

thing is outlining your novel in advance

knowing what you're going to write

before you actually start that first

draft I would argue is more creative

than the alternative that's because you

could easily do five or six different

outlines over the space of one week and

explore all these different possible

directions for your novel and then just

cherry pick the bits that you like the

most from each of them and it saves

yourself from having to spend two years

writing a novel that is a mess that you

get to the end of that process and you

think oh that was a waste of time why

haven't I planned this out to begin with

outlining is a far more efficient and

creative approach and it's really a good

antidote and solution to prevent you

from writing something that is messy and

unreadable at the end of that process

perhaps the biggest benefit of outlining

though is that it really helps you nail

your character development and your plot

structure which are two things that a

lot of new writers really struggle with

and the reason it's so effective at

doing that is because a solid outline

gives you this bird's eye view of your

story it allows you to see the whole

thing at a glance and you can easily

pick up once you have that bird's eye

view ah this part of the story is kind

of lagging behind or this part over here

is more interesting but it's not

explored in enough detail let's go into

that let's move away from this thing an

outline just gives you more Vantage

Point more perspective on what you're

actually writing and it also helps you

write a lot far faster as well I know

that when I was starting out as a writer

my very first book that I wrote the Aeon

Academy took me 360 days to write the

first draft and that's because I had no

plan no outline no understanding of

story structure and then I read a bunch

of books about outlining and structuring

your novel and when I wrote my second

book cross broken stars that only took

me 60 days to write the first draft

instead of 360 days and the story was in

a much more legible coherent form as

opposed to my very first book the Aeon

Academy so for me personally outlining

was a huge game changer it meant that I

was able to write faster and I was able

to write something with more resonance

and more cohesion for the plot so if

you're in the camp right now where

you've never tried outlining before and

you have resistance to it I would

strongly encourage you to just give it a

shot maybe it won't work for you maybe

you will be better off just making

stories up by the city of pants you know

being a panther as it's called but if

you're anything like me the structure

the outlining provides might actually be

the tool that unlocks your true creative

potential so when it comes to my actual

outline lighting process it is something

that has evolved a lot over the years

I'm actually planning to probably make a

course a really detailed course and at

some point in the future so be sure to

comment down below if that would be

useful to you but at a broad level what

I'm trying to achieve with my outline is

an understanding of the following seven

key plot points so I'm going to run

through how these work and to show them

in action I'm going to go through Harry

Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and

show you how these seven key plot points

are present in this book so number one

is the opening hook this is where you

introduce the protagonist and especially

his flaws and Desires in a compelling

and interesting way in Harry Potter an

Orford baby is left defenseless at a

doorstep on a cold winter night by

Dumbledore a wizard number two we have

plot turn one which usually happens

around a quarter of the way into a book

this is where the protagonist is taken

from the Ordinary World and thrusts into

the extraordinary world so in the case

of Harry Potter this is when Harry

enters Hogwarts and in fact if you pick

up the first six Harry Potter books and

you literally flip through to the first

quarter Mark you look at the 25 of the

way through the story pretty much every

single book has Harry entering Hogwarts

almost on that exact page or if not on

that exact page very close to that

location number three we have the first

pinch point this is where pressure is

applied to the main character through

the introduction or a key action from

the antagonist so in Harry Potter Harry

scar hurts when he looks at Snape and he

senses the presence of Voldemort number

four we have the midpoint which happens

you guessed it halfway through the story

now this is where your protagonist moves

from sort of passive reaction to the

events of the narrative to active action

and they resolve to stop the antagonist

in Harry Potter this is when Harry

realizes that the Philosopher's Stone is

hidden at Hogwarts and the Voldemort

could use it to return to life number

five we have the second pinch point this

is where more pressure is applied to the

protagonist forcing them to their lowest

darkest moment in Harry Potter this

occurs when Harry and his friends are

caught exploring Hogwarts at night after

they try to smuggle a dragon out of the

grounds they become hated by the rest of

Gryffindor House after losing so many

house points and chapter 15 which occurs

literally after this scene literally

opens with the words things couldn't

have been worse number six we have plot

Turn 2 which usually happens at around

the 75 percent and this is where the

protagonist discovers or realizes a key

piece of information that helps them

defeat the antagonist in Harry Potter

this occurs when Harry realizes that

Hagrid has told someone how to get past

fluffy and gain access to the

Philosopher's Stone which means

Voldemort now has no obstacle standing

between him and the stone so Harry

resolves to stop him himself and then

lastly number seven we have the

resolution this is pretty simple it's

where the protagonist either succeeds or

fails in achieving his desire in the

case of Harry Potter this is where Harry

defeats Quirrell and Voldemort at the

mirror stopping Voldemort from coming

back to life figuring out the best way

to structure your novel and if your

structure is actually working is really

tough to do when you are beginning as a

writer which is why refining your story

structure is something that I go through

in great depth with writers in my story

coaching program just earlier today I

was actually doing a complete

developmental edit on one of my clients

books where I was essentially mapping

out in great detail what his structure

looks like currently and how we can make

a few small tweaks to fix the things

that aren't working with that story

structure and massively improve the

narrative inside my story coaching

program I work with you one-on-one to

help you most of the craft of

Storytelling and quickly achieve your

writing goals everything I've learned

from publishing three fantasy books and

a best-selling video game it's all in

this program which is designed to really

help you level up as a writer as quickly

as you possibly can for example I helped

one of my other clients Michael outline

and write a complete fantasy Novella in

just a couple of weeks of us starting

this program together and that Novella

has a really really cool magic system

it's set in this floating Japanese

inspired City and Michael is now in a

really excellent place to hopefully get

this book published in the next couple

of months every aspect of my rating has

been upgraded but I think for me the

biggest thing has just been being able

to get my head around everything that is

going on in my story and from outlining

to writing to editing

it's like it's like for years I've been

writing with a film over my eyes and

blurring my vision and now it's been

scrubbed away and for the first time I

can see my story and my writing with

clarity

and it makes me really excited apply for

my story coaching using the link in the

description down below and if I think

we're a good fit we'll get on a free

call to discuss your writing and the

details of the program so the second big

lesson I learned from Reading 37 books

on writing was how to develop compelling

characters developing great characters

is probably the most important but most

difficult challenge that all writers

must face but for me it became a lot

easier once I realized a couple of

things the first idea is that character

is not something that stands in

isolation the other elements of your

story like plot or setting or even theme

instead all the elements in your story

are woven together and that's why when

someone asks me what do you care about

more plot or character it's really tough

to give an answer to that because plot

is character characters can't really

exist outside of the plot that you've

created them for and likewise plots

can't really exist without characters

pushing them into progression and then

characters themselves are also defined

through their interactions with other

characters within the book as John truby

says in the anatomy of story to create

great characters think of all your

characters as part of a web in which

each helps Define the others in working

out the struggle between your

protagonist and antagonist the larger

issues and themes of the story unfold

the second big idea that really helped

me better understand how to write

compelling characters was this idea that

characters are not these static

unchanging entities but rather they are

fluid and they evolve over the course of

your story in other words they change as

a result of pursuing their desires now

what I'm talking about here is a

character Arc and this is perhaps the

Central Tool in constructing a

compelling character the reason why we

get so attached to characters in stories

and why we are absolutely hooked on

following along their struggles their

Journey their triumphs their defeats is

because the writer behind that character

has created a compelling and interesting

character Arc and this is fascinating to

us because life is fundamentally about

progression and change as heraclida said

no man steps in the same river twice for

it's not the same river and he's not the

same man there are three types of

character arcs a positive character Arc

a flat character Arc and a negative

character in a positive Arc the

protagonist will start out with varying

levels of personal unfulfillment and

denial over the course of the story he

will be forced to challenge his beliefs

about himself and the world until

finally he conquers his inner demons and

as a result probably his outer

antagonist as well and anti-zark having

changed in a positive way an example of

this would be Vin in the mistborn series

by Brandon Sanderson next we have a flat

Arc in a flat Arc the character is

already a hero and doesn't require any

noticeable personal growth to gain the

inner strength to defeat the external

antagonists these characters experience

little to no change over the course of

the story making their Arc static or

flat so these characters are often the

Catalyst for change in the story around

them and rather than them changing they

will actually Force the World to Change

around them instead a great example of

this would be Percy Jackson in Percy

Jackson and The Olympian series at the

very start of the first book Percy is a

brave individual who sacrifices himself

to save his friends and at the end of

the very last book Percy Jackson is a

brave individual who's continued doing

to sacrifice himself to save his friends

he doesn't really change in a noticeable

way throughout the story obviously he

matures and he grows older from 12 to 16

over the course of the story but his

fundamental beliefs about the world are

fairly consistent throughout the

narrative rather the focus is on how he

changes the world around him lastly in a

negative character Arc you basically

take a positive character Arc but you

flip it on its head so the character

starts in a good place and ends in a

worse place than they began the story a

fantastic example of this would be Leo

Dan Brock in the age of Madness Trilogy

by Joey Abercrombie he basically

experiences this tragic Arc where he

starts off as this idealistic

hope-filled heroic figure and then he

ends the series in a very different

place so those are our three types of

character arcs positive flat and

negative none of these are necessarily

better than the other it just depends on

what type of story you're wanting to

tell now on a more tangible level how do

you actually create this character Arc

fundamentally it comes down to five key

questions first is what is your

character's want what is the thing that

they desire in this world second of all

is what is your character's need what is

the thing that they actually need to

achieve inner peace and happiness next

you have what is a character's lie what

is a mistruth that they believe about

the world which is affecting the way

that they go about their life and then

compared to that number four what is the

character's truth what realization about

the world or new belief do they need to

come to accept in order to achieve peace

and happiness and then lastly number

five what is your character's ghost what

traumatic event in their past is

motivating their behavior and inspiring

them to change combined with a solid

understanding of story structure so

taking everything I've just said about

character arcs and then using it with

that seven plot Point structure I gave

earlier in this video you can develop a

seamless Fusion between a character's

internal journey and the external

movement of the plot and by fusing these

together you will craft a emotionally

compelling story about a character

changing as a result of their struggle

in the pursuit of their desires so the

third big lesson that I learned from

Reading 37 books on writing was the

right way to Market a book now if you're

anything like I was when I was starting

out the idea of marketing might make you

feel icky you probably got into writing

to be an artist not a businessman but

what I've learned over the years and

from reading a lot of books about story

marketing as well is that if you

actually want to be fulfilled and have

longevity and have the time and space to

actually write the stories that you want

to write it's not enough to just be an

artist but you also have to learn some

fundamentals about business and

marketing as well to support your

artistic career and Pursuits and

marketing certainly doesn't have to be a

dream this YouTube channel for example

this is a form of marketing but I find

it really enjoyable to actually put

these videos together to articulate my

thoughts on the craft of Storytelling

likewise when I've hosted podcasts in

the past those have also been a source

of marketing but they've also been a

great way for me to connect with other

authors that I super admire and learn a

bot a lot about writing for myself when

it comes down to book marketing as

useful as having a YouTube channel can

be or building a podcast can be as well

what I've learned is this marketing is

not something you can apply after your

book is done to make it sell rather

marketing must be embedded within the

product itself from the very beginning

as Chris Fox Says writing to Market is

picking an underserved genre that you

know has a racist appetite and then

giving that market exactly what it wants

it means that before you write word one

of your novel you already know you're

going to have fans waiting to buy it

there is absolutely nothing wrong with

writing an extremely esoteric space

fantasy novel about Amish kittens trying

to find romance or something extremely

Niche like that but the reality is that

there are going to be a lot less readers

eager for that book than there will be

reader's eager for something like a

classic Epic Fantasy story about

magicians and dragons and as a result

it's going to be easier to Market that

second book so writing to Market is not

about selling out it is a recognition

instead of the fact that if you want

financial success as an author which is

really critical to the longevity of you

being able to do this thing and for

giving you as much opportunity and

energy to pursue the craft of

Storytelling to master to the art of

writing stories as much as you possibly

can if you want to do those things then

you need to find the intersection

between what you enjoy writing and what

readers enjoy reading I failed to do

this with some of my early books early

on I just wrote whatever I wanted and

then once I was done I tried to figure

out how to market the thing but that all

really changed me when I figured that

I'd been doing my writing process

backwards see I'd been writing my book

then figuring out maybe the title then

getting a cover design for it then

writing a blurb then sort of figuring

out what genre it fit in and then trying

to you know get it out to reviewers get

readers interested in it that sort of

thing but after reading quite a few

books on marketing I realized that I was

looking at this in the total opposite

way to how readers actually experience

your book the way that readers actually

experience your book is they start by

being a fan of a certain genre such as

Epic Fantasy then they see a cool cover

and title then they read the blurb and

it's only then once they've gone through

those three steps that then they will

read through the opening pages and

chapters of your book and if your story

is good enough hopefully you hook them

enough to get a sale and get them

reading the whole story and of course

that last step is the most important

part of the marketing process because in

the long run the best marketing is to

write an incredible book that makes them

recommend it to all their friends word

of mouth so when it came to writing my

interactive fiction novel CJ treblin

this kind of reversed marketing approach

is exactly what I followed I started by

defining the genre that I wanted to

write Epic Fantasy and then the

associated tropes that I was interested

in exploring like sieges uh the costs

and Perils of leadership War magic all

of these sort of things that I was

really interested in exploring and that

I knew readers would like to explore as

well then once I had the genre sorted

then I wrote the blurb and it was only

once myself and my publisher had figured

out that this title this genre and this

blurb was marketable only then did I

actually start writing this story now

you might turn your nose up at that you

might think this is a compromised way of

writing a story and the good news is you

don't actually have to follow anything

I'm saying here there are lots of

stories about writers who just sort of

create whatever they want they don't

really care about the market and they do

lock into something they manage to still

get their books selling but those

writers are the rare exception it is a

lot harder to find success as an author

in that fashion because the thing is

you're going to spend one to two years

writing a book anyway wouldn't you

rather know that there are readers on

the other side of that process I know

for me personally I would and for me

personally just taking a couple of days

or even a few weeks to figure out the

blurb and the title and maybe a rough

idea of the cover before I start writing

a story doesn't detract from the

enjoyment I experience of writing that

book anyway it doesn't impede my

creativity if anything it's actually

this really good focusing agent because

now that I know what sort of emotional

experience that I'm working towards with

the story I can just keep the narrative

far more focused and coherent as I kind

of get towards that goal and bringing it

full circle back to Sea to Travelin that

approach really paid off because that

has been easily the biggest hit of my

writing career so far and it sold over

13 000 copies and it's only been out for

about a year when you get your stories

genre title blurb and cover right all

the other marketing involved is just so

much easier in fact those four elements

there I would argue that is ninety

percent of your marketing that's where

the vast majority of your effort and

marketing energy should be going into

because when you get that stuff right it

just makes it so much easier to appeal

to readers to get reviewers to check out

your book and promote it on their

channels and all your marketing efforts

don't feel like you're pushing this

boulder up a hill but rather like you're

rolling it down the hill instead thanks

for watching for those of you who are

alongside me in the pursuit of great

stories keep writing keep striding see

you in the next video

foreign

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