Your Author Bio and Readers
Your author bios are an important part of your book marketing package. Your bio is your introduction to the world as an author. Think of it as a news story not a memoir. The main point of your author bio is to get new readers for your books.
Your bio will be read by a number of different audiences. Each of those audiences is looking for information in a different way. Having a set of author bios is the best way to address the needs of those varying readers. Author Bios not One Bio
Every author needs four biographies of different lengths.
Biotemplates illustrates two examples of short bios that reflect the tone and style of the author. Norman Langford grew up spying on the neighbours and taking notes in a little black book. No surprise that he ended up writing spy novels!
2. Short: 50 word bio - Used for guest blogging, at the end of your own blog posts, or a press release for a new book. Who you are, your genre, and a title or two.
3. Medium: 100 word bio - Contributor pages in a print publications, social media profiles, etc. Who you are, your genre, a title or two, and a pertinent to your writing fact. 4. Long: 400-600 word bio - About me on your website. This is your opportunity to illustrate the theme of your writing as well as list your all your books and literary achievements and awards. 
Author David Amerland uses a theme based bio on his website written to intrigue readers with his line of books.
You can augment the about me biography with videos based on your protagonist. Crime writer Adrian McKinty mixes the favorite drink of his character, Sean Duffy.
If you plan on speaking either before large groups on on radio or television the best bio length is a 250-300 speaker introduction. Put in the basics and a few intriguing details (why people would want to hear your speak) but not as much detail as the Long bio. This length also works for your publisher author pages like Amazon, Nook, iBooks and the like.
The Malleable Bio - Change the Bio to Meet the Audience
I was chatting recently with award winning thriller writer Laurence O’Bryan about various places writers use their biography. I told him I have what I call my Malleable Bio. It’s the one I use most frequently which is the short 50-word bio.
Your bio is a marketing tool. In all marketing the buyer comes first. Using the base biography you can tweak it to the audience. For example, if you are guest blogging, take a look at the blog’s author’s readers. The target message for general book readers will be much more generic than for a thriller or romance oriented audience. You can add just a couple of words to zero in on that blog’s reader audience. The same goes for a bio for journals or newspapers in a press release. Or an audience for a speaking engagement. As long as you have the base bio written, a few minutes and a few words will help your bio hit home with readers. The Instant Marketing Tool
Modern literary criticism is based solely on the work itself without any details about the author. But readers love to know about you, the author. Give them a taste of your talent and personality. They don’t have to like you as a person, but they do need to be intrigued.
Wherever you are in your author journey, your author bios help you connect with your readers. If you don’t know where to start, read several bios by authors in your genre to get an idea of how to represent yourself. If you write in pen names in several categories, you need to create a set of bios for each of your names. If your book is not released yet, now is the time to create your bios. Get all your bios written. You can go back and tweak later. The main idea is to have those bios ready when someone asks. Zara Altair Zara Altair writes mysteries set in ancient Italy. Argolicus thinks he has retired, but he and his tutor, Nikolaos are drawn into puzzles, politics, and murder. |
Brainstorm First, Organize Later
Writers want a story that is unlike any other. Brainstorming your scenes is a creative way to capture the essence of your story. The ideas go straight from your head into story scenes. Use old-fashioned 3x5 cards, tools like Scrivener, or just list them out in a document. Keep adding scenes until you have all the scenes of your story.
You can move them around as you add scenes, but don't focus on this too much. The concept is to write down as many scenes as you can that will be part of your story.
The key to this process is that it is a brainstorming exercise. No judgment. If a scene comes to mind, add it to the list. You'll organize them later.
You can move them around as you add scenes, but don't focus on this too much. The concept is to write down as many scenes as you can that will be part of your story.
The key to this process is that it is a brainstorming exercise. No judgment. If a scene comes to mind, add it to the list. You'll organize them later.
Structure Time
After you have written your scenes, it's time to structure your story. It doesn't matter if you use The Hero's Journey, Save The Cat beats, or any one of a number of story structure devices. Different structures work best for different writers.
Get your basic plot points. Here is novelist Kristen Kieffer's basic list.
• Exposition. The necessary character, setting, and background details readers need to understand the context of your novel. (Note: exposition is *not* the beginning of a novel, though most often exposition is revealed during the first few chapters in order to set the scene).
• Call-To-Action. The moment when the hero is called to leave the ordinary world to take part in an otherworldly adventure. Usually found in fantasy and science fiction novels.
• Rising Action. The series of events leading up to the climax of the story.
• Crises. Peaks in tension or conflict that occur throughout the rising action of the novel.
• Climax. The most intense crisis found in the narrative, though not necessarily the final crisis.
• Falling Action. The series of events after the climax of the story where questions are answered and any remaining crises occur and are resolved.
• Resolution. The final moments of a novel where any remaining threads of tension are resolved and a new reality is established.
What matters is that you choose your structure so you can start adding scenes.
Get your basic plot points. Here is novelist Kristen Kieffer's basic list.
• Exposition. The necessary character, setting, and background details readers need to understand the context of your novel. (Note: exposition is *not* the beginning of a novel, though most often exposition is revealed during the first few chapters in order to set the scene).
• Call-To-Action. The moment when the hero is called to leave the ordinary world to take part in an otherworldly adventure. Usually found in fantasy and science fiction novels.
• Rising Action. The series of events leading up to the climax of the story.
• Crises. Peaks in tension or conflict that occur throughout the rising action of the novel.
• Climax. The most intense crisis found in the narrative, though not necessarily the final crisis.
• Falling Action. The series of events after the climax of the story where questions are answered and any remaining crises occur and are resolved.
• Resolution. The final moments of a novel where any remaining threads of tension are resolved and a new reality is established.
What matters is that you choose your structure so you can start adding scenes.
Place Your Scenes in the Structure Format
Now you can place your scenes in story order, according to your chosen plot structure. Use a cork board, software, or a document to order your scenes.
Story Structure: The Container for Your Scenes
At this stage two things can happen:
Now it's time to refine your structure. If important scenes are missing you can add them to complete the full cycle of your plot.
Take a look at those scenes that don't fit in the story structure. If you don't find a place for the scenes to move the story forward, it's time to let them go.
Now it's time to refine your structure. If important scenes are missing you can add them to complete the full cycle of your plot.
Take a look at those scenes that don't fit in the story structure. If you don't find a place for the scenes to move the story forward, it's time to let them go.
Video Tutorial
Slideshow of Basics
Rewards of Brainstorming and Structure
With the scenes in line with the structure, it's time to start writing.
The immense benefit of brainstorming the scenes is that you already know what happens. You don't have to stall wondering what comes next. You've already envisioned the scene.
You'll find that you can focus on writing, and that the writing will go swiftly.
The process also eliminates spending hours of writing only to find your story has led to a dead end or you've boxed yourself in. The scene process, saves hours of rewrite time from writing "freeform."
You won't get lost. You can write the scenes in any order as your mood strikes, but in the end you'll complete your story without false starts or material that bogs down the story. Because you write more quickly, you'll save time creating your entire story.
Zara Altair
The immense benefit of brainstorming the scenes is that you already know what happens. You don't have to stall wondering what comes next. You've already envisioned the scene.
You'll find that you can focus on writing, and that the writing will go swiftly.
The process also eliminates spending hours of writing only to find your story has led to a dead end or you've boxed yourself in. The scene process, saves hours of rewrite time from writing "freeform."
You won't get lost. You can write the scenes in any order as your mood strikes, but in the end you'll complete your story without false starts or material that bogs down the story. Because you write more quickly, you'll save time creating your entire story.
Zara Altair
Author
Zara Altair writes mysteries set in ancient Italy. Argolicus thinks he has retired, but he and his tutor, Nikolaos are drawn into puzzles, politics, and murder.
She consults with a select group of writers as The Story Bodyguard.
She consults with a select group of writers as The Story Bodyguard.
