To all fiction writers, non-fiction writers, those of you that enjoy blogging or would like to improve, below is an old Wordpress/Medium article of mine that lays out ways in which a writer can develop his or her written works and brand at the same time. "Project Repurpose: How Blogging Can Help Your Fiction" points out five suggestions for refining your craft and creating an online presence. I originally published this on both Wordpress and Medium on May 30, 2017.
Those of us working toward a novel, short story, or screenplay sometimes find ourselves considering ways in which to capture and expand an audience before we complete and release our product to the world. A person may begin a blog venture to inform the masses of what’s happening in the life of a creator or share advice in relation to his or her niche of art.
A project like blogging may include benefits such as creating a following of people that may stick around to see your finished works and/or passive income. The only downside, it seems, is that blogging can start to feel very much like a chore — lengthening the time in which your work of art gets completed and published. A lot of times, the point of a blog is to deliver purposeful content…maybe even something your followers can apply to their own projects and creations.
When you feel passionate about your craft, though, and you want to blog to communicate with followers, gain new ones, and possibly use the blog as a portfolio…You’ll strive to lessen the blow of the downside. You’ll try to repurpose a time-consuming blog, ultimately, to work in your favor. Your work of fiction does not have to be left to the wayside while you blog and interact with others. I want to show you how to repurpose your blog to achieve that ‘simultaneous’ help. Your blog and your upcoming fiction will NOT have to suffer!
So, what do the following words mean, in relation to making sure blogging does not overtake the precious time you take to plan and write your current novel or script? Please heed the following points
Objective -– If you made the decision to write a blog post, make sure you’re clear on why you are writing the post (and all other posts that come after it) and what you intend for it to achieve. Establishing a purpose to any content you produce for an audience of readers complements the adage about using your time wisely.
Accountability — Your novel is begging to be done…Use some of your blog posts to tell your followers (and future readers) about your writing project. Make it known that you’ve not yet reached your destination, but that you’re on the road to a finished product, and what you’re doing while on the way to what you want. It communicates a sense of relatability.
You may end gaining a readership that will light a fire under you about the status of your written works of art. You may find that some followers may feel inspired by you in some way, and emulate your drive to create art.
Examination — Examine themes in your story and create a blog post about it. Examine any problems (be it plot structure, writer’s block, character creation, natural dialogue) you’ve had in different aspects of story writing. I’m currently examining things that concern my writing style. I’m exploring the effects of the point-of-view of the narrator, how to show displacement of anger in a character’s personality, and causes of jealousy between characters.
Currently, those themes are aspects of the novel I’m writing right now. I’m researching and trying the ways in which I can best explain the reason why some of my characters resort to retaliation or why I switch between first-person (journal writing style) and third-person (someone from the “outside”, looking in at what’s happening).
Networking — Mentions others’ blogs, videos, advice on subjects in prep, the act of creating written works, et cetera. This is something I’d like to do more frequently. Perhaps, you can scout out other writers that have helpful content on his or her own blog that you’d like to showcase from time to time.
You can also ask other writers to contribute some of their expertise to your blog, and vice versa. Essentially, this type of interaction can open your mind to different perspectives and ideas when it comes to writing impactful fiction.
Aesthetic — Make a post dedicated to the act of gathering pictures, words, books, videos, music — basically different pieces of multimedia that encompass the essence of your story. You can also make a post about what you’ve curated, and how what you’ve chosen relates to your story.
Maybe you have a story about what inspired your fiction. I had decided to compile any pictures, quotes, music, and art that reminded me of themes, the characters, and/or the settings I’ve created. Personally, Pinterest has been very helpful for me…I’ve gathered pictures that remind me of the futuristic city I created in my head, for my story.
