Matthew BayanFeb 11, 20211 minBLAST RADIUS free this weekend only.This weekend only, Friday Freebies is expanded to start today and run through Monday. Read the thriller that has received 96% four and...
Matthew BayanOct 20, 20202 minInject Suspense into Your WritingI just watched THE INVISIBLE MAN on HBO. Not the original with Claude Rains, but the 2020 release. I didn’t have high expectations. Was I...
Matthew BayanAug 16, 20208 min7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How to Avoid Them)Here's a great article from James Scott Bell with which every writer needs to do a self-check. 7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How...
Matthew BayanAug 9, 20203 minANALYZING A MANUSCRIPT_____________________________________________________________ A great way to get and give feedback is to form what I call a Jump Start...
by Matthew BayanJul 29, 20192 minTough to find writing time?Today, a bestselling writer friend and I were discussing the recent disaster in my life. No, nobody died, though I don’t preclude the...
by Matthew BayanNov 25, 20183 minHow To Describe Without DescribingAs an editor, one of my pet peeves is the writer who thinks he needs to put every last detail on paper. It might be a place or a person....
by Matthew BayanSep 1, 20182 minAvoid Ho-Hum Dialogue - Flip the ScriptAVOID HO-HUM DIALOGUE - FLIP THE SCRIPT While doing research, I came across a story I think can be very helpful in writing dialogue....
by Matthew BayanAug 6, 20181 minHow to Write a Book Pitch that gets Noticed - Not ignored.Here's an excellent eye-opener on how to go about pitching your book from Lee Constantine, CMO of Publishizer.com....
by Matthew BayanJul 26, 20182 minRUN AWAY FROM QUERYING IN AUGUST!!RUN AWAY FROM QUERYING IN AUGUST!! Here’s why. All the big publishers and many of the medium publishers are headquartered in New York...
by Matthew BayanJun 24, 20183 minSo You're at This Writing Conference and an Agent Wants To Talk To You...How many times have you been told to develop an elevator pitch? A couple fast lines to capsulize your manuscript? So, you spend days,...
by Matthew BayanJun 8, 20182 minBLURB GOOD BLURBSQ: What’s a blurb? A: It’s a short explanation of the plot and characters of your novel, designed to hook the interest of an agent, an...
by Matthew BayanApr 29, 20182 minHow Strong Does Your Villain Need To Be?An effective way to match your villain to your hero is to create an asymmetrical relationship between their strengths and weaknesses....
by Matthew BayanApr 21, 20181 minHoly Moly, Batman! Writers Bewair, Bewear, Beware. The problems of their, there, and they're.OK, by popular demand, here's the skinny on how to get this straight. THERE is an indication of a place: Put the basket there. Go over...
by Matthew BayanApr 11, 20184 minMarketing for Writers 102Last month I explained push/pull marketing and promised to get back with more information on “pull” marketing, which can best be...
by Matthew BayanMar 8, 20182 minSHOW vs TELL - How much detail is enough?I want to talk about a coincidence that brought into focus an issue near and dear: showing vs. telling and how much detail is enough....
by Matthew BayanMar 3, 20183 minMARKETING FOR WRITERS 101Marketing for Writers 101 When most writers use the term “marketing” they really mean “selling.” The two are worlds apart. What is...
by Matthew BayanJan 3, 20182 minWHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER?WHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER? When you start a manuscript, you might only have a gut feel for the broad strokes of your main character. But...
by Matthew BayanDec 24, 20172 minSOPHIE'S CHOICE FOR WRITERSSOPHIE’S CHOICE FOR WRITERS I think it would be helpful to contrast two key elements of a story: setting and immediate scene. I’ve talked...
by Matthew BayanDec 24, 20172 minGET READY! BEST TIME TO QUERY IS NOW!Merry Christmas! A once-in-a-year opportunity for writers is here. Let me explain. Busy buying last-minute gifts? Cooking holiday meals?...
by Matthew BayanNov 12, 20171 min8 Novel Writing Tips From Successful AuthorsI like to pass along writing articles that catch my fancy. Here are some helpful comments, especially the one from JoJo Moyes. Click here>...