The Heart Of Fiction: How To Be One Of The Authors That Sells Over 500 Copies

I've spoken about what makes a good book. I've spoken about what it takes to be a good writer. I've also spoken about the importance of brand awareness. The best writers out there have failed numerous times. It is important to remember that a minute number of writers survive making a career as a full time author. It is a fact that out of the almost one million books published worldwide each year, only 10% of them sell over five hundred copies. Even if you self publish and incur all costs yourself and receive all the profit then you will likely make no more than three dollars per copy. Fifteen hundred dollars for a huge chunk of your time and effort is a resounding disappointment to say the very least.

Sure, you can go with the traditional publishers, if they are willing to the risk. You might get a 10,000 dollar advance if you've got something decent. Hardly a living wage. More than that if your skill and marketing and brand all line up in the right way. My point is that if you want to be a full time writer, which at least half of the authors out there desire to be, then having thick skin and a hell of a bag of creative tricks up your sleeve is essential to building that career of your dreams.

The future of writing lies in self published geniuses with endless writing endurance and boundless creativity. Not to mention a solid online presence and multi-layered advertising skills. In my opinion, the overall number of authors in the world will eventually diminish greatly. I believe that time will begin to show just how difficult it is to thrive as an author in a world of visual engagement. They will exist but the backdrop will be far different than today. I can only guess what the world of writing will look like in another fifty years.

Getting back on track, I am here to break you down and build you back up into a lean, mean, creative writing machine. I will go another extreme step further and say that half of the books written are garbage. Yes. I said it. Poorly written, devoid of creative substance, and full of wasted banter and fire pit worthy plots and characters. Movies over the years have had to push the limits that were once looked at as edgy. What makes books any different. The entire psychology of the minds of readers is changing.

There will always be a place for romance and smut in our world stuffed to the brim with sin and desires. But for those who yearn to be thrilled, horrified, mystified, and enthralled in their diet of paper dreamscapes; It is our duty as writers to bring it to the next level. There are writers who only do it part time just to be able to say they have their name on a cover and don't care about the money(or lack thereof). But, there are those, like myself, who live for being able to spin and twist our imagination matrix into myriads of musings for all the world to read. Getting paid some big bucks one day is certainly a goal of mine. I have been waiting all my life to be able to set myself loose in the writing world. I will NOT squander my shot at success. I talk a big game but as my books are released, that game will be backed up in big ways.

In closing, for those who have read all my posts thus far, take them all to heart. And place in the fore of your mind that all of the topics discussed in my blog are required in order to make your books a success. That number is articulated at between 5,000 and 10,000 copies or more. Another important fact to remember is that quality over quantity will create a life for a skilled writer that is far easier than someone who spits out ten books a year filled with dribble that each sell next to nothing. Like an old friend of mine always told me, "Work smarter, not harder." So goes in the writing world. Except the smart part equates the amount of imaginative energy you can output as your fingers glance the keys.

By Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"


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World Building: Mechanics & Tactics To Feed Your Creative Monster

Depending on your own personal taste of reading, the science of surroundings is taken on in a variety of ways by writers of all genres and styles. Whether you're writing non-fiction or fiction, there are a few guidelines that might help you create the kind of ambiance in your readers' mind that keeps them interested enough to continue turning pages way past dinner time. I will also go over other examples as well that cater more to both fiction and non-fiction, specifically.

The first thing to remember when building worlds, whether real or fictional is that if you spend too much effort in painting a picture, you rob your reader of their own imaginative fuel. If you take ten pages to describe the architecture of a front porch then it is easy to create lack of interest in your reader due to imposing upon them a sense that their way of imagining the porch is inferior to yours. Remember that great books are made not by the surroundings of the story but the characters that animate those surroundings. People want to relate to the humanity of a situation and be granted a certain sense of wonder in their own mind space.

Another topic in world building that bridges the gap between fantasy and reality is the use of colors and shapes. While numbers and letters are more uniform and need to be dictated, colors and shapes can be issued analogies and loosely fitting descriptions that, once again, grant your reader a sense that they also have some creative control of the story. I am the first one to admit that my stories are like my children and I want to protect them. But, I am also a firm believer in allowing my babies free room to sprout and branch out in a number of ways. For instance, when describing a leaf that has fallen from a tree,; Instead of taking three paragraphs to describe the tinges of progressive browns and lifeless reds left to die on the frost bitten tomb hidden on an open field, you could say that the veins of the leaf called out to the wind to carry it toward a neighboring pond in effort to lend it one more chance at finding life. Let the reader decide what color and shape the leaf is and what kind of tree it came from.

The mood of the stories surroundings is something else that is dictated far too much in writing. The weather is the best example of this. One good paragraph is sufficient when describing the weather in a story for a particular day. Going on for pages about it is unnecessary unless it is directly being related to the characters themselves. The unifier in all of writing should always be the emotions of the characters. The ambiance can be detailed if it is used as a lead in toward relating to the characters in the story. It provides depth and allows your reader to feel connected to the story in a far more intimate way. Create connection from the characters to the reader and you will often find yourself successful.

More specific examples of world building in a non-fiction story is to keep the pictures painted short, sweet, and poignant. Far more so than in fantasy and fiction overall. People read fiction to be informed, so unless your book is about architecture or agriculture or gardening then a very brief one or two sentence description of the scene is plenty when getting into the world of the story being told. As the scenes themselves change then feel free to give a little more depth in the backdrop. If it creates emotion then it will likely not be words wasted. Just remember that non-fiction is about being informed. Anyone who picks up a non-fiction book expects to be told a story with no fluff or bullshit. The less filler the better. Stick to the facts of the story whenever possible in non-fiction and try to never veer off topic into lengthy descriptions of buildings and surroundings.

In terms of fiction and fantasy world building, there is far more freedom involved. However, it is easy to get lost in trying to construct a detailed realm and all of the things that fill it and forget about the beings that inhabit that world. People want uniqueness and creativity most certainly, but as I stated earlier; They want a certain amount of control over the intricacies of those worlds. Focus on the generalities of your realms and landscapes rather than the specifics of the blueprints you want to download into the minds of your readers. Telling stories is all about creating bonds through the adversities and triumphs of the beings in the tales that we, as authors, crave to weave. So many of us are ripe with ideas about the next coolest sci-fi invention that hasn't been thought of yet or an improvement on someone else's idea. What the best writers understand is that those spats of creative brilliance are but the icing on the cake. It's our characters and their dialogue and the situations we place them in that make for exciting reads.

In closing, the history of literature has taught the greatest writers that it is the emotions, actions, words, and trials of our characters that create the worlds our readers immerse them in. It is best to bait the proverbial creative hook with glints of scenes and backdrops and allow our dialogue and unique stories to reel in the reader and make them eager to drop another line in your pond of imagination.

-Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"

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Steven King: Master Of Modern Horror

The next writer being featured here in my writing series is someone who needs no introduction. Anyone who reads or watches any amount of movies has at least heard of the man. A man who is often touted as the undisputed master of the horror genre. He is certainly not the only one. Writers like John Carpenter and Peter Straub have created some nerve tinging tales as well. But King has created characters and stories that will live on well past the time he meets his maker.

Much of what he has written have became instant classics. Carrie, Cujo, It, Pet Cemetery, The Shining, Firestarter, and Christine are just a few that accomplished just that. King has a unique ability to pull us into his stories and draw not just on our fears, but our curiosities as well. He is like a burglar who breaks into our minds and steals our secrets and then uses them against us in order to keep us coming back for more. His books have a certain mysticism to them. His personality and overall voice reaches his readers in a way that make them open their minds to possibilities that things might just exist beyond our physical world who want to devour some part of our being. Be it our flesh, our minds, or our souls.

What makes Mr. King such a cut above the rest is his natural knack for keeping you glued to the page. His descriptions of both his characters and their surroundings along with dialogue that is often inviting as well as quirky gives you the impression of knowing them in some way. Consciously or subconsciously his characters feel like people we have met at some point in your life. This makes for a more enriching story, regardless of the plots they are involved in.

Another trait of his that speaks to us all is his uncanny ability to vividly describe literally anyone or anything in such a way that comes across as poetic at times. The visions that are imprinted are ones that paint a scene which immerses us in a world away from our own, yet parallel and believable. Yet more evidence of the makings of a true original to the craft of storytelling.

Any writer, new or old, who needs to "up thier game" for any reason and play with the big kids must read King's work. Without it you will miss out on valuable methods and compelling style that is surely to enrich any writers repertoire of unreason. No matter what genre you write in, if you read King then you are sure to glean copious amounts of input on how to build characters and worlds, whether they be fictitious or real. Steven King truly is the King of horror for a reason. Without being immersed in his books, you will be left out in the cold with a fireplace poker in your eye and a madman searing your kidneys with a hint of garlic and olive oil on an open flame in some remote wilderness.



-By Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"

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Character Building: Learning To Mold Your Creations In Ways That Spark Intrigue

We all have our favorite heroes, villains, cartoons, leaders, parents, and gurus. Some of them happen to be fictitious and some of them happen to be real. In this message to all the hungry writers out there, I am going to touch on what traits make characters popular and methods to make them both believable and unique. As with any of my work, to fully grasp the scope of my advice; You must let go of anything related to a rule or belief. At least for a little while...

Regardless of what type of character you want to create, you must practice patience when introducing them to your audience. If you just blurt out all their characteristics in one chapter then it becomes too much for your reader to take in and inside the next couple chapters they will become uninterested because they find your characters to be too predictable and boring. Take your time. Tease your readers. Give them the physical traits enough to where it draws a picture in their mind but leave a few things to the imagination. This is especially true if you are writing a series where the character will be reoccurring. Leave some details in waiting until the perfect surprise scene comes that is just right to wow your audience.

Another equally important aspect to remember is that almost everyone wants to feel like they know their characters closely. Their words must pull the reader into their world, making every street they turn down and every enemy they fight seem as if they are in danger as well. This requires keeping boundaries infinite in your thoughts as you write. If you impose any predispositions to your beliefs then it is sure to hinder your story. Capturing your readers attention with every sentence as best you can, making them take the book into the bathroom with them and staying up hours and being late for work is what any successful author instills in their fan base.

In terms of personality, it is important to exacerbate their traits and make them stand out in unique ways. Add in mannerisms that add extra poignancy to their minds. If your character is evil then make them have a hobby that disgusts the reader and create malice within your fans. Make a victim so shockingly vulnerable and lovable that when they fall prey to your villain that a sincere sense of loss is birthed in the minds of your fans.

                                                                           If your character is a hero then make them have a life that oozes peace and justice in all they do. You don't have to form a new superhero to make them loved. You simply have to make all their actions and words compliment the story you are telling and create a sense of compassion and make your readers wish the character was a real life person. It doesn't matter if they are children, teens, adults, or senior citizens; Heroes, or villains for that matter, need to be introduced over time and their deeds done in ways that build tension and make the reader wonder what they are going to do next.

For characters that are not central to your story, it is good to focus on their appearance or make one specific trait stand out above all the rest of them. This makes them memorable without clouding the rest of the story with questions or details that make it feel that something is missing by the time the book is over. There are exceptions of course. Such as in mysteries or crime novels, it is important to have other characters who are candidates as suspects for the crimes or scenes in question. Even then it is good to give them a trait which makes them memorable without the need to keep them in constant interaction with central characters.

From a twitchy wink in an alluring femme fatales' eyes to a nefarious love for collecting children's fingernails; Building characters in your story should always be the number one focus of your writing endeavor. Without them, the story is but a scene without words. A world without personality. Remember that when your fans want to marry your superhero or slowly torture your villain it makes them come back for more and tell their friends about the book they just read and threw against the wall multiple times because they couldn't believe what they just read.

By Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"

Post Script: If you enjoy my work and want to learn more about the growing interest in global corruption and the problems that affect us now as well as the threats that will affect our children in the future then check out my other blog, Stormcalling.

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The Fearless Voice vs. The Ulterior Motive: War of the Words

Sifting through the ashes of burned out dreams and wading through the mire of cliche plots, dull diatribe, and copycat garbage is becoming more and more a daily fight for even the most sporadic reader these days. In performing these tedious tasks, it is making super expectations and critical eagle eyes out of the most attention span deprived readers. Unfortunately, it is making it that much more difficult for even the most seasoned writer to stand out from the crowd without being accused of poor practices of one sort or another.

What most writers fail to realize is that writing requires far more consistency in having a unique voice that rises above all others which separates them from those who write purely for content that they believe will sell more copies and increase the bottom line. The average reader these days is practiced in knowing the motive for the writer who creates their respective works for their faithful customers.

I've spoken of bravery in supporting work that you believe in. Now, I am speaking of bravery in finding your warrior voice that will carry you out of the realm of unknown and into the realm of the up and comers. This voice comes not from asking what people want to hear from you but what your characters want to tell those who venture into the world you build for them to get lost in. The best advice I can give is to allow your story to create itself and not to rely so much on outlines and rules. Creativity is natural and like a beast in the wilderness. Trap it and it can not express its true nature. Set it free and it lives and grows in a manner that nature intended it to. Adaptable and wild. Able to see things from all angles. It makes the imagination wander in ways that do nothing but assist in your ascension of being a creator.

Readers want realism, even in the most fantastic of settings they want to be able to relate to the characters they watch come alive inside their minds. They want their worlds to grow with the story and not be spilled out in the confines of a single chapter. I like to think of writing fiction like raising not a child but an entire planet, all with the understanding that trusting your characters to make that planet as synergistic as possible, regardless of what kind of chaos may ensue or what tales creep up inside the freedom you allow it to have. Drop your expectations and allow your mind to flow the scenarios freely in a way that creates organic growth and your voice will emerge in a profound way that is sure to set you miles apart from the rest.

Patience is key to understanding and accepting the fact that greatest writers are not found within the ranks of Harvard or Yale. They are found within the pages of their mind that spring from a dream they had that woke them in a pool of sweat at three a.m on a Wednesday morning. Confidence comes from knowing that thinking produces boring stories while dreaming produces magnificent wonders that enthrall the masses by forcing them to open their minds and not just think outside the box but to create outside the sphere.

Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"

Namaste<3

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The Importance of Brand Awareness In Modern Marketing and Publishing

In a competitive business such as writing it takes creativity that reaches above and beyond content. The greatest content can be down on paper, but if people don't feel a connection to the surface of your product then you might as well throw away your dreams of becoming successful in the world of words. It's no secret that we live in a visual world far more today than even ten years ago. It takes memorable elements added to great writing skills in order to excel in the business.

People want to be able to relate to the person they are reading. They want to feel a vested interest before making the decision to buy your book. First and foremost, your cover must grab their attention within one to eight seconds if you are to stand much of a chance. It must appeal to their sense of intrigue in some way. Obviously, as everything else in life, you can not please everyone. Your cover is a representation of your book. So, if it appears that you didn't place much thought or creativity into it then that is going to be the message to the observer. This is guaranteed to effect your sales.

The title of your book is an all important element as well. It must describe the depth or emotion of your book in a compelling way without seeming too cliche or conveying a theme that has been overused. The font used must be bold without overtaking your cover as to detract from its message. The color used also needs to stand out without overriding the image on the page. The synopsis on the back cover is something that many authors disregard or fail to place much effort into. It needs to describe, in a compelling manner, the overall theme of your book while creating within the prospective reader a sense of interest that makes them want to know more about what is inside. In terms of content, as many authors already realize, books that offer a chapter or a few pages of text on Amazon(a must for any book seller) always gain much more of a fighting chance than books that do not offer this benefit. This is a chance to show off your work and make the reader want to be able to finish the book. If you do not deliver on this then hang it up. Your words back up your name, which brings me to my next point.

Your name and brand as an author is the single thing that is one hundred percent unique to you. All other concepts and plots, covers, colors, and themes will always overlap with another work in some way. However, your name itself, along with your photo is what differentiates you from all other writers out there. If you practice consistency and use the same image among all social media sites as well as your books then, over time, your face and pen name become what is known as a brand. Steven Kings' face and name is one of the most well known faces in all of literature. He has been consistent and his work has become well known. His face pops up in cameos in the movies filmed from his books. People love what he does and his brand is known the world over.

If you want to take one step further, some authors use a quote to go along with all their books that might compliment their theme or brand that they build. For instance, Danielle Steel always uses the quote, "She'll keep you up all night." This creates a sense of what she writes about as well as etches into her readers minds something to make them remember her by. Although I am just getting into the business, my brand is something i am being consistent in. My theme is something that relays a personal story about my life. My quote that will be seen with all my books is, "He strikes your heart and drenches your soul." It not only tells potential readers about my work; It relays something intimate about who I am as a man.

No matter what you do or are doing to build your brand; The trick is to be consistent. Change things up if you feel the need to but try your best to find something that resonates with you as a writer. Something that builds a sense of excitement and allows those who come to know your work to be able to keep a marker or image in their minds of who you are and what you write about. The better the connection you are able to create with your reader; The better chance you have of them coming back to read the next book or blog that you write. Never allow yourself to be discouraged by low sales or lack of clicks because, one day, the right domino may fall that spreads your words across the globe like wildfire. What we deliver is something that never needs to be redone again. Once you create something, it doesn't need to be renewed. It is there for all time as a representative of what you love to do.

By Christopher Storm
-aka-The Stormcaller

Post Script: If you want to know the truth about what goes on behind closed doors in the rooms of the elite and what we as united spirits can do about it then check out my blog, Stormcalling

J.R.R Tolkien: Founder of Modern Epic Fantasy

Many know him and love his work. Some have never read any of his books, yet have seen all the movies. Regardless, Tolkien's work inspired a movement of modern writers who opened up their minds to a world of elves, dwarves, trolls, and the war between good and evil. Of course there were others before him that approached the subject but, Tolkien pioneered into the realm of blatancy in regards to such things. His work inspired many great writers of today. Science fiction evolved because of his work as well. When anyone wants to pursue a career in writing fiction; Tolkien is a required read in order to establish a solid foundation of getting the creative juices flowing.

The undertones and overtones of the spirit world and all the things heavenly and hellishly go hand in hand with the world that he brought to us all. He was initiated into the occult and his work reflected this. The occult receives many misinterpretations. The occult simply means things unknown. I could go on and on about religion and how the occult ties into it but I digress.

His writing style is outdated by today's standards, but his message is resoundingly complex and full of imagination and pure creative, yet wise symbolism. When I write fantasy; I feel almost as if I am channeling from another dimension a force that is sending a message through me. I feel that Tolkien felt much the same way when he was writing. Fact of the matter is that some people are literally born with a predisposition to write and create in certain ways according to the influence of stars themselves. I realize this may not be believed by the vast majority of the world but, I have free will to believe what my own spirit guides me to.

Tolkien's stories are the epitome of a true mastery of story weaving. His allusions to the real world have been studied by many and philosophies have been examined from his work. Whether or not you are a fan of his; the effect of his work on our society is impossible to deny. The idea of super beings stemmed from his books. It is my opinion that his ideas were the basis of influence that created comic books. Comic books were the basis of video gaming. Just like any other concept; it only takes one domino to fall in order to spark a movement. His works are a perfect example of this.

Whether you write non-fiction or mystery. fantasy or how-to books; I highly recommend reading Tolkien's works. You just might be inspired to create a work of your own that emphasizes your inner writer in ways you never thought possible.

By Christopher Storm
-aka-The Stormcaller

One Wild Write: The Depth of What Is Required In Today's Competitive World of Writing

With the advent of the ebook revolution, many things have shaken the once well defined writing field to its foundations. Now, its time to bring in the bulldozers and backhoes because the game has changed forever. The days where the publishing companies, with their piles of manuscripts, would throw half of them in the garbage with not even hardly a glance are going the way of the ancient history. Those same publishers realize the threat of self publishing and now have no choice but to step up their approach.

The days of innovative, engaging, and, yes, personal marketing have arrived. Readers want to feel important, too. Technology has opened up a whole new world of interpersonal communication via social media. So many so called marketing gurus claim that numbers do not matter. This is only true if you don't use them to your advantage. If you fail to engage with your followers then they will fail to support your endeavors. Anyone who says having a million followers doesn't matter is delusional. Anyone who believes that they can write a book, place it on Amazon, and send out a few posts to their circles of a few hundred people and expects to sell thousands of copies their first day has also set themselves up for a rude awakening.

Talent is important. No argument there. But, if you have just written the next smash hit book of the century and you don't place your faith in it in tangible ways then nobody will buy it because they will not know its even there. I have a belief that 70% of all authors fail to do hardly any sales due to either poor writing ability, lack of investment, and lack of engagement with potential readers, or a combination thereof. I also believe that the next 20% sell books but far from enough to make a living writing full time. Lastly, I think the numbers sit around 9.5% of writers who make anywhere from a modest living to a comfortable living. The final .5% make a killing or at least enable what might be called a "rich" lifestyle.

I believe that if you have some natural talent and are not afraid to invest heavily in your work then you are ahead of the the curve. The rise of the indie authors will eventually filter down to those who have ability because those without talent will have no choice but to give up due to lack of sales. I think the giant wave of writers will eventually be hacked down by a large number. It might take ten years for this to happen but I feel it is inevitable. To get yourself in that top 10% you have to put in time and money. Plain and simple. There is no choice but to organically and financially diversify your social media endeavors to include a couple hours of engagement each day. If you have a day job then create time to write. Even if its just for an hour a day or night. You will eventually yield results. Be patient but, most importantly, be consistent.

I am full of advice and am just now getting to the point where I can back up my words with action. This blog is not to brag about my writing prowess. It's here to give a fresh, reality check style take on becoming a writer. Writing is my absolute passion. My one true love. It is my solace and outlet for all that will become my future in life. My drive and willpower is unstoppable. I have the talent and the dedication to live my dreams. In order for any of us to become highly successful at what we do; We must love every facet of what we do and feel it to be fun and something that brings us true joy. For me, writing fills me with that everlasting river of all encompassing wonder and excitement. If you do not love to read and write then I will tell you that failure is certain. If you feel it to be just a job that may or not pay the bills then I guarantee your failure. But, if you have a love and appreciation for the craft then you have just as much a chance for success as myself or any number of other authors out there.

So, garner an army of followers across all social networks. Communicate with them. Compliment the posts you enjoy. Begin conversations with others writers and, more importantly, other readers. Don't be afraid to ask them what they would love to see in their favorite genre. Ask hundreds. Create polls. Be ruthless in your pursuit of knowledge. Gather statistics about successful books and what makes them great. Follow the exploits of great authors. Cross reference your data and combine it with current trends and make sure you are getting honest feedback from your targeted demographic. Knowledge truly is power. Wisdom comes from knowledge of yourself. So, reach deep inside yourself and pull out the roots that spread any doubt in your capabilities. Do not bite off more than you can chew, though. Do not make promises to your fans that you can not keep. Once you have a following, even if you have not yet written a book, those followers count on you to deliver when you say something. Lose that and you lose your trust that took you so long to build with them.

Competition is fiercer than ever. There are plenty of hungry writers out there. Waiting to take your place in the market. If you do not attack it with every molecule of your being then your place will be lost. Your pen must become an extension of your hand. Your fingers an extension of your keyboard. Your mind must become a wealth of imagination and an extension of your wildest dreams. There are zero rules to content. The plot and characters and their worlds and surroundings are begging to be birthed onto paper and screen. New ideas and concepts are waiting to be expressed in the latest non-fiction that sparks a revolution of much needed growth in our world.

Thank You & Namaste <3
Christopher Storm


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