Reflections on Style

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 / lmkling / Leave a comment

No two writers will ever write the same; unless they copy each other’s work.

As we write our history emerges. Our birthplace and early childhood lay down the roots of our language, the words we use and how we say them. Education hones our writing skills, providing the rudiments of spelling, grammar, clarity and brevity. The extent of our education is reflected in our vocabulary, knowledge and understanding.

Life, with all it’s trauma, joys, grief and love add a layer of personal experiences that shines light on, or clouds, our perceptions.

Writers of fiction take the written word further. In ignorance or awe, they craft words into edifying entertaining stories. They create worlds in time and place with characters who are as unique and exceptional as real people. The process is magical.

Style is the author’s choice that allows their personal history to shine through the story. The summation of a singular life; bent by beliefs, passions, opinions, encounters and events.

Style is a matter of establishing the mood of the story, the best tense to tell the story, what word choices capture the emotions, which character can tell the story in the most effective way.

Style can come down to sentence length, grammar and spelling. Dialogue can add history and dialect with a character’s utterances which shape their relationships and place in society.

Style can be manipulated by writers to provide rhythm and metre.

Style can be transparent and easy to read, enhancing a strong story. Dense prose may hide the story behind word smithing or complications that may entrance or offend.

Purple prose, too much of everything, isn’t recommended.

But what about the reader?

I liken literature to the composition of music.

Some composers write for the entertainment of their listeners. They want to transport the listener on waves of sound that draw out emotions and memories. Good music can bring tears, stir resolve or just provide a wonderous relaxation. Music can move people from the humdrum to the fantastic, and it is pure entertainment.

Some composers, especially those before technological devices, wrote music for players of musical instruments. Their compositions were to build skills, challenge and inspire. They incorporated complications and tests of dexterity, difficult techniques to build confidence and proficiency in fellow performers. They didn’t write for the entertainment of ordinary listeners.

But some composers both entertain listeners and challenge musicians. They achieve immortality.

But what about the reader?

As writers, like composers, we need to consider our audience. Are we writing to provide our readers with entertainment? A good story, easily read that delivers our ideas and characters simply and clearly. A bestseller, one among many, distracting, diverting and providing pleasure; for a short time.

Or are we writing to impress and challenge aspiring writers? To build the writing craft and stretch the boundaries of our fellow wordsmiths. Do we want to craft a style that may be dense and hard to read for the average reader? That needs re-reading. That stirs love or hate, or both in equal measure.

Or do we dare to become immortal?

Cheers

© Elsie King 2025

Feature Photo: Two Hands © Alison McDonald 2008

The Journey of a Novel

December 8, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

From Draft to Print

In 1986, all pumped up from a successful finish to my university degree, I began writing my “Great Australian Science Fiction” novel. I chose Science Fiction because I thought it would be easy to write.

Hah!

At every opportunity, I inflicted the latest chapter of this rough and raw work on my friends.
Below are the first few paragraphs of the very first draft of “Mary’s Story”, which 30 years later would be Mission of the Unwilling, written in 1986. The reason the title changed? Well, frankly, my writing mentor at the time thought the title, “Mary’s Story” was a bit lame. So, the book title had to change to something that would grab the reader. As a result, the main character had a name change.

*[Photo Scan 1: First page of MOU © Lee-Anne Marie Kling]*

Here I am inflicting this piece that needs a great deal of TLC to polish it into shape, so you can see that I was just like any other hopeful author, making all the mistakes common to novice writers. Have a look and see what you would’ve changed to improve this piece.

Twenty years passed. The manuscript languished in the cupboard. Unfinished. I had progressed halfway through. Lost my way. Lost in space and time, you could say.

Then a spark, and an idea. The story changed and continued to its end. As technology had progressed from Commodore and floppy disks to Windows PC and CDs, I had to rewrite the whole novel. Not a bad move, actually.

After printing off the reams of paper that made up the book, I took it to my uncle who was in the writerly business.

Suffice to say, he was not amused and gave feedback: Basic errors like no page numbers and glaring grammatical mistakes to using a ridiculous amount of speech attributions. It would seem that my years of motherhood had been detrimental to my writing craft. Bad habits in my writing had developed. He recommended joining a writers’ group.

Writing is a craft that requires honing skills and words to impact the reader in a positive way. Test readers, editors, fellow writers are essential to a manuscript developing from a rough draft to a polished piece ready for publishing. There is no shame in reworking or rewriting a story.

*[3. Sample of MOU after reworking from writers’ group feedback, before my mentor gave her feedback]*

I recall my writers’ group mentor saying that with feedback: listen to it, consider it and if it works for you, implement it. If not, put the suggestion aside. It’s your writing, it’s your voice.

You may see in the sample 4 and 5, that I took most of what my writing mentor advised. There were suggestions further on in their manuscript appraisal, that I didn’t agree with. One was the use of the expression “Man!” which they said wasn’t used in the 1980’s that it was only an expression that turned up in the 1990’s. I begged to differ, as I lived through the 1970’s and 1980’s as a teenager/young adult and behold, I remember the expression “Man!” being used; not just locally in Adelaide youth circles, but also on the television.

[4. Sample of mentor’s feedback]

My mentor stressed that we need to consider our readers. Who is our audience? What do you want your story to say to them? Is the story for entertainment? Or do you have a point to make? In the end, you won’t be sitting alongside them and being able to point to a word and say, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that—this is what I did mean.”

Our written work needs to stand on its own literal two feet and make sense to the reader without the author having to be the virtual translator, and thus committing the mortal writing “sin” of “author intrusion”. Author intrusion is when the author tells the reader how they should see, think and understand the narrative. For example, think of “author intrusion” like explaining the punchline of a joke.

[5. After many more drafts, and 30-years later—Mission of the Unwilling, those paragraphs as they were, published in 2015.]

The editing process never ends. More changes in 2022: A cover aligning with the War Against Boris Series, a new “preamble” chapter, more proof corrections and formatting done to make a second edition. check out Mission of the Unwilling as it looks now.

The final result is about refinement of the work: sentence tightening, word tweaking, word cutting and polishing the prose. All through revising and proof-reading.

Now I know you’re all hanging out for the nitty-gritty; the how do I make my writing good? Make it shine? How do I make my story clear and interesting for my readers?

For a start, invest in a good “How to Write” or “Grammar and Spelling” book. The reason we have and learn this language tool of grammar is to keep us all speaking and writing our particular language on the same page. It’s like a cake recipe. Follow the recipe, the cake bake is a success. It’s so that we understand each other. Adhering to the grammar and spelling rules helps readers understand what you have written. Not misunderstand. Of course, rules can be broken for effect, but you need to know the rules of your writing craft well to have the skill to know how to bend (or even break!!) them.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the World Wide Web is full of resources for writers. So, no need to “reinvent the wheel”. I have mentioned Microsoft Word Editor and Grammarly but there are other websites out there you can search for and find.

Our own Indie Scriptorium’s Mary McDee has some good grammar tips which you can look at. Click on the link here on her post on the Little But Important Words as an example.

I come back to the lesson I learnt from my dad: Keep It Simple.

Use basic sentences. Avoid purple prose. Use strong verbs and choose words that are understood by most readers. Be consistent.

After all, the aim of reading is for the reader to have an experience they find enjoyable and worth their time.

Writers’ Resources

November 3, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

Resources for Writers

Writing a book is difficult enough, but getting it edited, published and marketed adds three additional jobs to the process. A new author must go through a tremendous learning curve and expend a lot of time and effort to get their book completed to a professional standard. Luckily, there are some places to turn to for help. I have listed three organisations I have used for support, advice and information.

The Institute of Professional Editors IpEd

“Editors work with writers for the benefit of readers. They help writers get their message across with greater clarity, elegance, forcefulness and insight.”

The Institute of Professional Editors encompass editors, of all types from both Australia and New Zealand. They offer some excellent services for writers.

Check out their website for helpful articles about what editors do, the three types of editing and how editors are trained and accredited. They also cover the skills needed to be an editor. They even have advice on self-editing.

The IpEd. web site offers information about how to brief an editor and how to make a contract with one.

The Find an Editor Service is an invaluable way of finding the right editor for your project, whether it’s a romance, a history book or an academic paper. The search engine asks you some simple questions and then provides a number of editors that will fit your criteria.

I have used this service and found a wonderful editor who whipped my two novels into shape.

For more information go to the web site: Click on the link here.

The Australian Society of Authors (A.S.A.)

This professional organisation has been established for over forty years. A.S.A. provides services to aspiring, emerging and established authors and illustrators.

Services Include:

• On-line courses on a wide range of topics.
• Providing advice on subjects such as copyright, royalties and contracts.
• Supplying information about fair rates of pay for authors and illustrators.
• Offering mentorships and manuscript appraisals.
• Providing guidelines and templates for contracts.
• They make submissions to Parliament about issues affecting authors and illustrators.
• A find service for creators and illustrators.
• Speed dating – 3-minute sessions to pitch your work to an agent or publisher. ($30 fee)

Annual membership fees (2024)
Associate – $160
Full member – $215

Contact information:

Website: https://www.asauthors.org.au/contact-us/

E-mail: asa@asuthors.org

Phone: 2911 1000

Writers SA

This is a state wide service for authors, both aspiring and published. They are located in the Institute Building on the corner of Kintore Road and North Terrace. Right next door to the State library.

People can join for an annual fee of $98. Concession card holders and young writers can join for $60.

They offer courses, workshops writing festivals and other activities both on-line and in-person. There are fees for all activities but members get a 30% discount.

In addition, Writers SA provide manuscript assessments, pre-submission assessments, mentorship programs, feedback, consultations and synopsis audits. All these services are provided at a cost. The fees are negotiable depending on the scope of the service and size of the manuscript.

It is certainly a good idea to browse through Writers SA web site. Look at Opportunities to discover competitions and publishers seeking submission. They also have a list of Writer’s groups throughout South Australia. You can also subscribe to their free newsletter and read their blog.

If interested in joining Writers SA contact them on 0476999002

E-mail: info@writersa.org.au

Website: https://writerssa.org.au

They are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Postal address is Box 43 Rundle Mall, Adelaide 5000

Happy Writing

Missing Out…But not always

October 27, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

When We Don’t Sell

“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.” – Vincent Van Gogh. “I can’t change the fact that my paintings don’t sell. But the time will come when people will recognize that they are worth more than the value of the paints used in the picture.”

*[The Sunflower; a Van Gogh icon (c) L.M. Kling 2018]*

A current example of those discouraging times when our books don’t sell; I recall my experience during two years in art exhibitions of not selling—not one, not even a cheaper unframed painting. So, at the time, I could relate to Vincent Van Gogh.

As writers we too feel disheartened when our books don’t sell. We’ve spent hours, weeks, months, maybe years writing, refining and producing our “babies” just to see them sit there on the shelf, unloved, unwanted, buried under millions of competing books in the Amazon ranking list.

Perhaps you were one of those authors who attempted to take the traditional route, sending query letters to potential agents or big-name publishers, only to receive the rejection letter months down the track. And this happened over and over again.

Or maybe like me, you saw the writing on the wall, bypassed all that palaver; went straight to Amazon, Draft to Digital, (or some other online publishing service) and self-published. Whichever way, the result is the same, the product must be sold. Even in traditional publishing, we are selling our books to the publisher then, if we are successful, they expect us to promote our books at book launches, speeches and signings.

Advertising, it’s all about marketing and advertising.

So, here I was, I had my “baby”, (actually “babies” — five books now), and to advertise, I have my blog, my website and most recently, Indie Scriptorium Self-Publishing Collective. Week in, week out I blog and post. I try and keep up with my followers by reading, liking, and following their blogs. Sometimes I offer my books for free on Kindle. I’ve tried a bit of advertising too. Slowly my contingent of followers has grown.

Yet, I see my friends or associates on social media pumped up with successes and bestsellers to their name. There’s influencers who have monetised their websites and now own a portfolio of properties. Then there are the bloggers who have 100,000-plus followers.

How do they do it?

All the while, here’s you and me, the wallflowers, missing out.

Believe me, being a wallflower is discouraging.

But, fellow wallflowers, don’t be discouraged.

Don’t give up.

Persevere.

I keep reminding myself that those success-stories often start with struggle. The people who are successful in sales, most often put themselves and their products out there. They spread the net far and wide, so to speak. They don’t give up when faced rejection. They keep on going. They have goals. And when they fail, they pick themselves up and keep on running.

True, there are some for whom success falls in their laps. But for most of us, we need to make the effort to reap the rewards.

The comment Van Gogh makes resonates with me. Although he sold only one painting in his life, he believed in his work, and the timeless quality of his art, as one can see from his quote at the beginning of this post.

I believe that’s how it is for me when I am writing, and also painting. I feel alive. And echoing what so many of my fellow “creators” say, I would rather be creating than getting bogged down in all the marketing and advertising. Like Van Gogh, I can’t change the fact that my books or paintings don’t sell…

But one day, the time will come…

© Lee-Anne Marie Kling 2024

Feature Photo: The Sunflower; a Van Gogh icon © L.M. Kling 2018

Further Education in Writing

September 22, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

University Options for Creative Writing

I was fortunate enough to attend a session curated by Associate Professor of Creative Writing, Amy T. Mathews at Flinders University at the 2024 Romance Writers of Australia conference. Called Romancing Academia I was intrigued to find out how a university course tackled the most popular form of fiction, romance.

It was an amazing revelation. Doctor of Philosophy doing romance?

The presenters were brilliant speakers who spoke passionately about their PhD. topics. Their analysis of the tropes used in Romance was entertaining, enlightening and inspiring.

It became obvious that Romance was much more than light entertainment to these academics. One session delved deep into the sociological, historical, psychological value of strong independent romantic heroines. It discussed how feminism is portrayed in popular literature.

Another session looked at the ways writer’s avoid incorporating characters of ethnic diversity or Indigenous characters for fear of getting it wrong.

The issue of informed consent in romantic relationships was another lively topic for a thesis.

Another speaker examined the arranged marriage trope which was contrasted with the reality of arranged marriages in many modern societies. It was explained that arranged marriages can be culturally acceptable and a welcomed way for single people to meet potential partners.

Romancing Academia was informative and enjoyable. It also highlighted for me the opportunities available for writers who want to hone their craft.

I’ve been writing for five years and have produced two historical romance novels. I’ve learnt lots by researching and writing blogs for Indie Scriptorium. I’ve honed my skills as I’ve analysed the work of other writers in my critique group. I’ve acquired information about writing romance from the Romance Writers of Australia articles and wonderful sessions at RWA conferences.

Looking back, it’s amazing how much my writing craft has developed. When I started my first novel, I didn’t have a clue about what I even needed to know. Luckily, I had two university degrees and a career in social work so I could portray characters well and understood the motives that drive people. I relied on good beta readers and editors to get my ideas into readable prose.

But do I need more? The more I write the more I realise I don’t have the skills to adequately portray the ideas, themes and goals that I want to write about. The Romancing Academia session made me think more carefully about what I write. I’ve come to realise that my passion is portraying realistic history in the format of entertaining fiction. I love history, especially neutralising the misogynist and racist biases that have been offered up over time. To do this with authenticity in fiction is not easy.

Romancing Academia opened my eyes to the possibility of enrolling in a university course that focuses on creative writing. A way of fast tracking the knowledge and skills I need to become a better writer.

In South Australia, all three of our universities offer undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Creative writing.

University of South Australia offer:

Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing and Literature)
Bachelor of Creative Industries
Graduate and Masters degrees

For information contact 8302 2376 or you can submit an on-line enquiry. Visit their web site https://study.unisa.edu.au for more information.

University of Adelaide offer:

Bachelor of Arts majoring in Creative Writing

For more information phone 8313 7335 or 1800 407 527 or visit their website https://adelaideuni.edu.au/study/degrees/bachelor-of-arts-creative-writing

Flinders University offer:

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing)
Bachelor of Letters (Creative Writing) (Graduate Entry)
Bachelor of Creative Industries (Writing and Publishing)
Master of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) and other Post Graduate Degrees.

For more information contact 1300 345 633 or visit their web site: https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/creative-arts-media/writing

For me, this is an option I’m considering.

Feature image: Graduation Cap © Shutterstock image 2024

Synopsis Revisited

August 25, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

A synopsis is like describing a photo and including every detail that the eye beholds in a couple of paragraphs. It has to be succinct, engaging and include the style and themes of the novel. A pitch is a very short synopsis. An elevator pitch even shorter.

A synopsis is mostly used to sell your novel to an agent or a publisher. It is also useful to summarise your novel for presentations and marketing. However, don’t use a synopsis with potential readers or you will be giving away too much information.

My critique group has recently tackled the difficult issue of writing a synopsis and it spurred me on to revisit this topic. A 300–800-word synopsis is a document that sells your work, hooks the agent/publisher and gets your manuscript out of the slush pile.

So, where do you begin? Start by defining what is happening (the status quo). Bring in the inciting incident, the developments leading to the crisis and finish with the resolution of the crisis.

When writing a synopsis, it is important to include:

A clear outline of your plot including the hook at the beginning, big moments in the narrative, plot twists and the ending. You are giving the publisher/agent a full account of your novel so don’t hide anything as they want to know everything and especially that you have a satisfying ending.
You should give a description of your main protagonists and reveal how they change and grow throughout the book. Character names can be underlined or made bold, so their importance is shown.
Start your synopsis with a strong hook.
Showcase how your novel is different with strong themes and unique ideas.
Write the synopsis in the 3^rd person, present tense and use clear, easily read sentences with immaculate grammar and spelling.
Make sure the synopsis document contains your name, the title and synopsis so it is easily found by the agent/publisher.
Also include the genre, word count and who you think will be your readers.

Of course you cannot possibly publish the synopsis for your own novels. So, I decided to do a synopsis of a book that most people have read or know the ending through multiple movies and television shows. With abject apologies to Jane Austen, I will attempt a synopsis of Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice – Long Synopsis (462 words)

A historical romantic novel of 122,189 words. Suitable for readers of refined literature.

Elizabeth Bennett (Lizzy) is the second eldest of five unmarried sisters whose financial circumstances leaves them all in the unenviable position of needing to marry into money. Lizzy is bold, intelligent, reads extensively and declares she will not marry unless in love.

Mr Darcy an extremely rich, handsome, gentleman accompanies his friend Mr Bingley to Netherfield. The arrival of two eligible men rouses excitement in the Bennett household. While Bingley forms an attachment to older sister Jane, Lizzy quickly concludes that Darcy is cold and proud, and she spurns him despite his large fortune.

Jane and Bingley fall in love and a proposal is expected, then Bingley mysteriously leaves for London. Jane is heartbroken and Lizzy incensed by her sister’s rejection. Her anger intensifies when she is expected to marry her cousin, the incorrigible Mr Collins. She refuses and Mr Collins finds solace with Lizzy’s best friend.

The arrival of the militia to the district brightens the lives of the Bennett sisters. Lizzy meets Wickham an exceedingly handsome but poor Lieutenant and the son of Darcy’s late steward. Wickham accuses Darcy of cheating him out of a legacy. This firms Lizzy’s prejudice against Darcy.

While visiting Mr and Mrs Collins, Lizzy again encounters Darcy who is visiting his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bough. Lizzy is discombobulated to receive an ill-considered marriage proposal from Darcy. She angrily rejects him because he admits that he stopped Bingley marrying her sister.

Darcy realises too late that he has fallen in love with Lizzy. He makes such a hash of his proposal that he fears he has lost any chance of overcoming her prejudice. He does warn her about the sleezy Wickham who’d tried to elope with his younger sister.

An unexpected holiday in Derbyshire with her uncle and aunt allows Lizzy to visit Pemberton, Darcy’s stately home. She is mortified when Darcy arrives and finds her there. This second chance allows Darcy to reveal his love and admiration for Lizzy and her preconceptions mellow. During this renewed courtship Lizzy learns her youngest sister Lydia has absconded with Wickham and her family face ruin. Darcy forsakes Lizzy and their romance seems doomed.

But Darcy searches for, and makes Wickham marry Lydia. He apologises to Bingley for interfering in his courtship and encourages him propose to Jane. Bingley proposes and Jane accepts. Darcy’s actions prove to Lizzy that he loves her.

A visit from the formidable Lady Catherine de Bough, warns Lizzy that Darcy is contemplating marrying her against his family’s wishes. Lady Catherine claims Darcy is engaged to her daughter and demands Lizzy reject her nephew. Lizzy refuses and realises she has fallen in love with Darcy. When he proposes she gladly accepts.

Short Synopsis – 256 words

Historical romantic novel. 122,189 words.

When Mr Bingley brings his friend Mr Darcy to his new country house, Mrs Bennett expects one of them will marry one of her five unmarried daughters. Jane and Mr Bingley are attracted but Lizzy finds Darcy’s proud contempt insufferable.

Jane is jilted by Bingley leaving Lizzy incensed. Her mood intensifies when she is expected to marry her odious cousin, Mr Collins. Despite Mrs Bennett’s pressure, Lizzy resists, Mr Collins and he marries her best friend instead.

The arrival of the militia to the district brightens the lives of the Bennett sisters. Lizzy is attracted to Lieutenant Wickham, the poor son of Darcy’s steward. Learning that Darcy withheld an inheritance from Wickham firms Lizzy’s prejudice.

A visit to Mr and Mrs Collins forces Lizzy to again spend time with Darcy. He’s fallen in love and proposes but his admission that he stopped Bingley marrying Jane ruins his chances. He warns Lizzy Mr Wickham has a penchant for very young girls.

While holidaying in Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle, Lizzy visits the Darcy stately home. Darcy arrives unexpectedly and Lizzy is mortified but this second chance allows Darcy to court Lizzy. Her preconceptions mellow. Just as the romance blossoms Lizzy learns that Wickham has run off with her youngest sister. This means ruination for her family and Darcy abandons Lizzy.

But Darcy searches for Wickham and makes him marry Lizzy’s sister. He encourages Bingley to propose to Jane. His actions prove his love for Lizzy. When he proposes she gladly accepts.

Elevator Pitch – 19 words

A regency romance revealing that first impressions can be misleading and true love can overcome both pride and prejudice.

Shorter Elevator pitch – 3 words.

Love overcomes prejudice.

Jericho Writers has an excellent web site: How to Write a Novel Synopsis. It includes step by step instructions and clear guidelines.

Cheers!

© Elsie King 2024

The Trouble with Technology

July 21, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

[After another debacle involving technology last Friday which sent the world into a tailspin, I have brought Elsie King’s “rant”, I mean, reflections on her tussle with technology, forward one week. It was my turn, but after my own wrangling with Windows 11 in the midst of the aforementioned debacle, while producing my art group’s newsletter, I had had enough for one week…so here’s Elsie’s take on technology. ~ Lee-Anne Marie Kling ]

Technology Roadblocks

I came to computing later in life. When I went to university, we didn’t have computers and had to do all our research in libraries from books or journals. I wrote my first novel on an electric typewriter. I probably bought my first computer when I was in my forties.

I started using computers at work, then got a home computer and I slowly got more confident at using one. Then came the smart phones, social media, Google, on-line banking and passwords, passwords, passwords.

Sometimes it feels you only have to blink and something new appears. We now have AI and everything is linked and we can talk to technology and get our heater turned on when we are on the bus home. It seems to me that younger people who grew up with technology fare better with these rapid changes, better than people who didn’t.

Technology makes so many things easier for an author. Research is amazingly fast, getting a book self-published to Amazon, a website on WIX or having an author page is complex but doable. However, technology can also cause so many problems for the unwary.

I have recently self-published my second novel A Suitable Bride. It should have been a joyous occasion but problems with the technology wasted my time and caused distress. My first problem occurred when I decided to get an author page on Meta (I still call it Facebook). I set up one, was happy with the result but then tried to publish my blog from my website on the new author page. Didn’t work.

I’ve never had problems before with uploading a blog to Facebook and I needed to blog to market my new novel. I tried to sort it out with Meta but had no idea what the first step was. I found out the new Facebook business page is set up for marketing and once they have you hooked, they won’t easily let you go. I googled, explored my Facebook account and got into a chat line but couldn’t find the delete button. After hours of wasted time, a friend suggested I try unsubscribing. Finally, back to my old classic Facebook page.

Tried again to get my WIX website blog onto Facebook. No luck. After many wasted hours I found a phone number. Yay a lifeline for the technologically challenged. WIX represented by Jerry in America proved to be magnificent. I’m on an Apple she was on a PC which brought in another level of complication but after an hour we got it sorted. However, a week later and another blog and couldn’t post it again. Back to WIX helpline when I have the time.

My third technology glitch occurred when I uploaded my novel to Amazon. I have previously published with Kindle Direct Publishing, and I have sold a few copies of my novel on-line. I have a wonderful ASIN link for my first novel A Suitable Heir https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CB52VT16

It works. Try it, just press the link and like magic you get to the Amazon page, and you can purchase my novel. Yay.

I was provided with another link for my second novel A Suitable Bride

And guess what? It doesn’t work.

I have no idea why? I have no idea how to fix it and finding help that doesn’t go round and round in a useless chat appears to be beyond Amazon.

IF ANYONE WHO READS THIS CAN HELP, PLEASE MAKE A COMMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG.

Not being able to get usable links for my book means readers who want an e-book from Amazon can’t be linked from my website. I have been invited to release my book on various platforms but as I don’t have a usable link, I’ve put on-line marketing on hold and I’m concentrating physical book sales of author copies for family and friends.

You can get a print copy and an e-book through Draft2Digital whose links work worldwide. So, if you wish to order A Suitable Bride, please use the D2d link.

books2read.com/u/3L8l7D

Thanks, Draft2digital because your link is working just fine.

Modern technology is brilliant and awful. When it works well it is time saving, easy and helps authors get their stories and ideas into print. When something goes wrong it is a time- wasting nightmare and definitely acts as a roadblock when trying to market your book. The services for getting help are difficult to negotiate and much of the language and instructions used expects a much higher level of computer competence than is available to this little black duck. I will keep on trying to sort this out, but it has been a series of roadblocks that is making my journey much more difficult than expected.

Not so cheerful

Photo attributed to Creative Commons – artist unknown

Encouragement for Bloggers–Buried Gold

July 7, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

[Our Indie Scriptorium team have been putting together an anthology of some of our posts over the last two years. As I hunted around my messy computer filing-system for a number of these cheeky posts that went hiding, I came across this gem that somehow got buried in the vast layers of time. Amazing what one finds when searching for something else. So, with a few changes, here it is…Enjoy and be encouraged.]

BURIED GOLD

People spend their lives building their own kingdoms. As creators, we often measure success by how far our name-brand spreads over the “Empire” of the internet, world, community, and how much “gold” (money) we’ve amassed through the sale of our product.

When I first started exhibiting my paintings, friends, family, and fellow artists asked, ‘Have you sold?’ and ‘How many paintings have you sold?’

The fact that I had sold made me an authentic artist.

Same can be true as an author of two self-published works of fiction. Again, like a broken record, those interested asked, ‘How many books have you sold?’

Answer, ‘Er, um…not that many.’

Then the implication I should have gone through the traditional route of getting a publisher.

Yup, maybe, probably…still deciding if I’ll do that with future books, especially the travel ones that have colour photos on glossy pages—the coffee-table variety. Not sure how I’d go…I mean, I’m not an unpublished “virgin” since I’ve gone ahead and self-published on Amazon. I got impatient, afraid I’d remain invisible with a pile of rejection letters, and my novel manuscripts languishing as a PDF-file on my computer hard-drive (the hard copies stored in a box in my closet).

So, I published The Hitch-hiker (a novella) and Mission of the Unwilling (novel), on Amazon. Check them out. You can download them for the cost of a cup of coffee and find out what mischief Boris gets up to.

*[Photo 1: The Hitch-Hiker (c) L.M. Kling 2015]*

After publishing, having a little launch in our South Aussie pre-Christmas summer sweltering in 40 degrees Celsius, then a DIY advertising with bookmarks, flyers and emails, I decided to do research on how other Indi-authors built up their e-book kingdoms. There must be a secret method for digging up the buried gold of success in sales.

*[Photo 2: Mission of the Unwilling (c) L.M. Kling 2015]*

I discovered a mine of information lighting up my computer screen. I also discovered a precious nugget in an old Australian Artist Magazine—stand-out quality. In today’s language, I assume that means “brand”.

So, when at our SALA exhibition launch, a friend told me they knew which paintings were mine, that I had a unique style, I thanked them. I was on the right track with my “brand”.

But my books? Well, there’s Boris…albeit swamped by millions of other characters on Amazon.

Then, I discovered a gem—blogging. Not in the way I anticipated, though. I was optimistic. With my blogging presence, out there, I expected sales to rise and hundreds of instant visitors to my blogsite. My works were brilliant, right?

My posts drowned under the deluge of millions of other posts, tweets, Facebook pages, and other more successful blogs. For weeks, I remained South Australia’s best kept secret. Even my mum couldn’t find me—not even with my help on her computer.

Fellow writers at my writers’ group suggested I needed to post articles more frequently, get those WWW- “neural”-pathways (Algorithms) working by increasing traffic. Still, the site remained as lively as a cemetery.

Over time, I gathered a band of followers: friends, family, colleagues from church, writers’ and art group. Interest ensued—all Australian—no likes.

Undeterred, I wrote and published posts once or twice a week. Writing, my therapy. The articles available for free, my gift to the world. I prayed that there’d be others out there who’d find my words, and consider them useful, inspirational, amusing.

Week by week, comments and likes (mostly from mum) trickled in. Then, a comment from someone I didn’t know…and a visitor from the United States. Oh, what joy!

A friend encouraged me. I’d improved since they first started reading my blogs. Yes, writing is a craft; the discipline and practice refined my skill to communicate.

I read posts from other bloggers. I liked the posts that resonated with me. I knew I must start commenting. Friends who had websites and blogs said that’s how you make your presence known in the blogging community. I usually read WordPress articles late at night and was concerned my comments would come across as sleep garbled. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to comment. My first comment was about cats.

Each month, slow and steady, the number of followers, likes and visitors grew. My site on WordPress, the first place I visit each day when I open my computer. What countries have visited today? Check the emails. Who has liked me? Who’s following? I visit their sites and see what gems of writing, stories, photos, or paintings they have.

My world has opened; I read stories from every continent…and my stories shared around the globe.

*Photo 3: Screenshot, My Stats for the Year (c) L.M. Kling 2024*

The treasure I found by entering the world of bloggers, is not the gold I collect in my bank account for my own kingdom from my own works, but the cities of gold we share collectively as writers and artists. We put our stories out there and celebrate each other’s works.

So, a heart-felt thank you for all you who have followed, liked and visited my humble site—and thank you all for your stories, insights, artwork and photography.

*Photo 4: Screenshot, visitors from all over the world (c) L.M. Kling 2024*

So, if you’ve started up a blog/website and are waiting for it to be noticed, don’t give up. Keep writing, reading, commenting, liking and following and watch your readership grow.

Feature Photo: Orange-Golden Sunset (c) L.M. Kling 2024

Story Writing Tips–Fab First Lines

June 30, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

Fabulous Opening lines.

It’s my opinion a good opening line isn’t essential for your story or novel, but it won’t do it any harm.

My critique group decided to revisit the essentials of writing as a way of everyone learning from the same page and improving our collective efforts at finding the right words for our various projects.

First topic – opening lines.

I realised that when I read a novel I don’t get put off by the opening line hence my opinion that a good opening line is not essential is from my personal experience. However, I love books written in third person in past tense so if the first line has an omniscient POV and is written in the present tense I tend to put it back on the library shelf.

So, what makes a good opening line?

I googled the above question and found some great information.

The Literary Hub presented an article by Allegra Hyde.

Literary Hub

What Makes a Great Opening Line?

A good opening line “should capture your characters voice, it should carry your style, and it should be relevant and meaningful enough to engage your readers and entice them to read onto the next line.” An, “elegantly balanced dose of clarity and curiosity.”

However, it should not be “so heavy that it weighs on you or so literary that it chases away or confuses the reader.”

Allegra also suggests that the opening lines clarity should provide a sense of time, place, character and plot. The curiosity can involve the element of tragedy, conflict, mystery that fuels your story.

Jericho Writers
Jericho Writers

https://jerichowriters.com › good-opening-sentences

Suggest a short clear sentence that grabs the readers attention.

Use verbs correctly and adjectives sparingly.

Use words that add weight.

It doesn’t have to be loud; subtlety can be effective.

After doing this research I decided that for me a good opening line:

Is a short sentence where every word has weight and substance.
Intrigues the reader
Clarifies if the novel is written in first person, third person or omniscient.
Provides the tone of the book
Pulls the reader into the situation
Infuses them with curiosity about what comes next.

I then found some examples of opening lines I loved:(you can’t beat the classics)

Albert Camus – “Mother died today.”

Jane Austen – “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (apparently the most famous opening line ever)

Charles Dickens – “Marley was dead: to begin with.” (love this one)

So, putting the new knowledge into our own writing I have selected to test out some ideas for my new romantic short story Honeygate.

He stood at the back of the hall his face shrouded by a deep hoodie. (Does capture the tone of the story but too descriptive with no hook)
Magical, menacing mesmerising. (Fuels the curiosity but doesn’t provide any clarity about who’s talking or the situation)
I couldn’t see his face but his gaze stole my well-rehearsed words and left me floundering. (clearly defines the characters point of view, raises curiosity, puts it into a context and suggests the potential conflict between the protagonists)

Just doing this exercise has raised my awareness of the importance of an opening line and given me some directions so I can play around with various types of lines and find the best one.

What I found particularly helpful is that using a first-person POV would work well for this story. My heroine has felt the impact of the hero’s gaze and is discombobulated enough to forget her speech she can have the stage from here on and tell us her story from her perspective.

Hope this makes sense

The illustration is attributed to an Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

Publishing vs Printing–Clarifying Confusion

May 26, 2024 / lmkling / Leave a comment

CLARIFYING A CONFUSION (I HOPE!!!)

Some time ago we told you the sad story of friends of ours caught up by a so-called “vanity publisher”. When their work was accepted (with a great deal of enthusiasm!) by this publisher, they were over the moon. Slowly, however, joy turned to frustration and financial loss to the tune of more than $30,000-oo. With nothing more to show for it all than only one single copy of their book they were hugely ashamed and embarrassed – not at all surprising as they are very savvy and have always dealt with life in a business-like way.

Fortunately, this bitter experience has not killed the urge to write. But it could well have done so.

However, we have become aware of the fact that, as well as this vanity publishing racket, there are a number of other matters connected with writing that are causing a degree of confusion among those of us who dream and scribble and dream some more.

The two words we want to deal with today are “printing” and “publishing”. They are not the same and they are not inter-changeable. Let me repeat that so you get the message –

THEY ARE NOT INTER-CHANGEABLE

Printing is something you can do yourself. All you need is a laptop; a ream of plain paper; a printer attached to your laptop; card for a cover and a good strong stapler or comb binding machine. Your magnum opus won’t look all that professional, of course, but it will be printed. If you require a better-looking job, you can source a printing business, make an appointment to discuss the details of exactly how you want your book to look; how many copies you would like and how much it will cost. End of story.

You may have ordered only a few copies to give away, in which case you pay up; collect; distribute and (hopefully!) bathe in the glow of all the congratulatory comments. End of story. On with the next.

On the other hand, you may have ordered a hundred copies with a view to selling them. Have you decided on a marketing plan? How do you intend to publicise your book so eager buyers will be aware that it is available for sale? Do you have a list of bookshops that might be willing to stock your deathless prose?

If you decided to jump on this bandwagon, you have now become a publisher. Congratulations!! I really hope you succeed and make at least enough money to cover your costs and maybe have a celebratory dinner as well.

Bottom line: publishers are businesspeople whose essential business is to produce books, market them and make a profit. They do not author books although some do occasionally commission a book on a particular topic from an author they know and believe in. Once they have found a book they consider marketable, the author is offered a contract. After this is signed the publisher works hard to ensure a profitable outcome; hard work that involves, among other things, editing, proofreading, printing and marketing – and that printing is done by a printing firm; a separate business.

Publishers are not printers and printers are NOT publishers. Not a case of “never the twain shall meet”. Far from it. Much more a case of mutual dependence as each cannot function without the other. Think of it as complementary co-existence.

Indie Scriptorium — Self Publishing Collective

Helping Each Other Publish

books

Further Education in Writing

University Options for Creative Writing

Publishing vs Printing–Clarifying Confusion

CLARIFYING A CONFUSION (I HOPE!!!)

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From Draft to Print

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Resources for Writers

The Institute of Professional Editors IpEd

For more information go to the web site: Click on the link here.

The Australian Society of Authors (A.S.A.)

Writers SA

If interested in joining Writers SA contact them on 0476999002

E-mail: info@writersa.org.au

Website: https://writerssa.org.au

Postal address is Box 43 Rundle Mall, Adelaide 5000

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When We Don’t Sell

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University Options for Creative Writing

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Technology Roadblocks

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BURIED GOLD

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Fabulous Opening lines.

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CLARIFYING A CONFUSION (I HOPE!!!)

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