So, have you heard about James Erwin, the writer who made it famous from Des Moines, IA, because his Reddit post landed him a writing gig for Hollywood?
Mashable wrote an article about him earlier this week (which is why I didn’t wait until next Thursday to post).
In short, from the article:
During a lunch break last August, Erwin joined a Reddit thread and laid down the first installment of a sparse, noir-ish narrative addressing whether a modern American marine battalion could defeat the entire Roman Empire. Fellow Redditors were immediately hooked. They demanded more with up-votes and comments, pushing his work to the site’s front page. By day’s end, Erwin had an offer for representation from the talent management firm Madhouse Entertainment. Two weeks later, he had an offer from Warner Brothers to do a full screenplay.
Yea, tell me about it …
But the thing I wanted to emphasize here, is the power of social media for writers, if used correctly.
Erwin is no everyday Joe. Personally, I think the man is brilliant. According to Mashable, he’s written TWO encyclopedias and is a two-time Jeopardy winner. But that’s not why I think he’s Einstein.
Erwin understands the power of “the tease,” and the psychology behind using social media to peak others’ interests. Of course, you can’t count out luck … but you have to give the man SOME credit.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Was Erwin just plain lucky, or was his social media strategy planned to get some attention? How does this story make you re-think your antics to garner exposure, as a writer?
[Stay tuned! Two Thursdays from now, I'll share the SECRET I've discovered to get more readers and followers, using social media! Don't miss it; subscribe for blog updates via email, in the upper right-hand corner.]
I’m very excited to have been invited as a regular contributor—or “Featured Anthem Author”—at the Anthem Exposition. And my first post was featured this weekend, as such, “From ‘That Skinny Girl’ to Weight Watchers” (if you want to hop over and read it … I think you’ll enjoy it!).
I also wanted to let you know they’re currently seeking new essays for publication!
And since many of you are writers, I highly recommend heading over and reading up on submission guidelines. I know many of you have awesome stories to share that would fit perfectly in the Anthem Exposition.
And, one more small reminder that I’ll be publishing on Rogue Writer every OTHER Thursday, moving forward. As life allows, I’d like to eventually go back to posting every week. Until then, however, look for fresh posts every two weeks on writing tips, funny stories, media strategies for promotion, and industry news!
Hellooooo! It feels so good to be back from my blog hiatus (although I’m now posting every OTHER Thursday) … and I’m swinging into full gear with a special guest post today.
Jessica McCann is a new author who just launched her first historical fiction novel a year ago, All Different Kinds of Free. Personally, it’s on my bookshelf and I CAN’T WAIT to read it, as Jessica’s book has received raving reviews so far.
But today, she was kind enough to share some insights on reaching success as a writer and author. Not to mention, we live in the same city (Phoenix, Ariz.), so I was pumped to have Jessica write a post for Rogue Writer.
Is Your Writing Ready to Take on the World?
GUEST POST BY JESSICA MCCANN
Writing is a lot like parenting. It’s hard to know when it’s time to let go. It doesn’t matter if the writing is a magazine article query or a novel manuscript, it can be difficult to send it out into the big, bad world alone.
How do know if you’ve done all you can? How do you know if it’s ready? The short answer is, you never know for sure. That unknown can be intimidating, and it holds many people back. It locks them into the “I want to be a writer” mindset rather than letting them move into the “I am a writer” mindset.
If you’ve provided your writing offspring with unconditional love, a balanced education, steady discipline and a chance to mature, then it’s time to stare down the fear and let it go.
Love
It all begins with this, in my experience. You must love your writing, warts and all, if it is to ever thrive and be loved by others. Don’t hold back. Write your passions. Let your first drafts flow unbridled. Consider reading Wild Mind: Living The Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg, one of my favorite tomes on being a writer, for encouragement and inspiration.
Education
Does your writing have a balanced education? Know your subject matter inside and out, whether it’s gardening, personal finance or the hometown of your fictional characters. Do your homework, and infuse your writing with facts. Authenticity shines in both fiction and nonfiction.
Discipline
Make your writing behave through firm, consistent editing. Introduce it to William Strunk and E.B. White’sThe Elements of Style. This slim book is loaded with writing and editing gems. Among my favorites? “Avoid qualifiers (rather, very, little). They are leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.” Nice.
Maturity
Give your writing a chance to mature. Once I’ve researched, composed and revised, I let my writing let sit for at least a day or two, longer when possible. I let it age. Coming back to it with fresh eyes helps me assess whether it’s ready to leave the nest.
Ok, so you’ve loved and nurtured your work. You’ve learned and grown and matured right along with it. Now it’s time to let go. Like parenting, it can be scary as hell sometimes, but you’ve got to have faith. No one can soar without taking a leap.
Are you ready to let go?
If not, what do you think is holding you back?
Jessica McCann, a professional freelance writer and novelist, lives with her family in Phoenix, Ariz. Her nonfiction work has been published in Business Week, The Writer and Phoenix magazines, among others. All Different Kinds of Free (
http://www.AllDifferentKindsOfFree.com ) is her award-winning debut novel. She welcomes interaction with readers and writers at her website (
http://www.jessicamccann.com ) and on Twitter (@JMcCannWriter).
Watch the book trailer to All Different Kinds of Free
So, have you heard about James Erwin, the writer who made it famous from Des Moines, IA, because his Reddit post landed him a writing gig for Hollywood?
