Advanced Writing Techniques: Secrets to Make Your Story Stand Out

Praise for Advance Writing Techniques "Victoria Schmidt’s ‘Advanced Writing Techniques’ is PACKED with insight that beginning or seasoned writers can use immediately. Follow her advice, and you will have a manuscript that stands out. Highly Recommend!" – Barbara D. (Writing Professor) “This book will provide you with the tools missing from most writing programs. I wish I got it before I wrote my thesis script!" – Michael C. (UCLA Student) “It’s like getting a $1,000 writing course in a book, Victoria shares it all” – Kendall R. (Writer) Book Description Victoria gives Secrets into what the Pros do to make their stories stand out and how they keep their readers coming back for more. This is how you build a REAL writing career – voice, details, style. Once you have the basics down, the real work of making your stories unique, giving them a strong voice, capturing your readers and wowing publishers and agents start. While Victoria has been writing since she was 9 years old, she has been studying writing deeply for the past 10 years and uses her techniques and research in her courses at several major universities with much success. Some of her students have gone on to become bestselling authors and have won literary awards. Unlike most writing books, this book is grounded in solid experimental work and is the only one to cover advanced techniques, giving away the secrets the pros use (and mostly likely are not aware they are using them). “I hope readers will realize how vitally important it is to think deeply about all of the decisions they are making when writing. Don’t just set a scene in a coffee shop because that’s the most logical place or how it’s always been done… consider other options and see just how much more alive the scene will feel for it.” Victoria Lynn Schmidt Q&A with Author Victoria Lynn Schmidt, PhD What inspired you to devote much of your career to creativity & Writing? I have been creative since birth I’m told! My mom still has pictures I painted in kindergarten because everyone can’t believe a child created them. Once I started reading mysteries I was hooked on writing and knew that would be my creative focus. What do you hope readers will get from Advanced Writing Techniques? I hope that readers will realize how vitally important it is to think deeply about all of the decisions you are making when writing. Don’t just set a scene in a coffee shop because that’s the most logical place or how it’s always been done… consider other options and see just how much more alive the scene will feel for it. What piece of advice have you received over the course of your career that has had the biggest impact on your success? All of the famous authors I have met have basically said the same thing “Great writers are great readers.” You need to keep your muse well fed. Read a lot, including non-fiction. Read about places you have never been or cultures you are unfamiliar with, you never know what types of ideas it will spark. You don’t have to write what you already ‘know’ about. As you will see in the book, changing the setting can change everything and make your story stand out. What message do you find yourself repeating over and over to writers? Don’t worry about making things perfect the first time out, just get your story down on paper and then go back and make it perfect. So many writers try to re-write before getting the first draft down, which only stops the creative process. There are a thousand ways to write every scene! Just pick one and get that first draft done. Any final thoughts? Write because you love it. Write for yourself. If you write, you are a writer whether you get published or not. I have had students tell me “Writing is my identity, if I can’t get this published then who am I?” But they are writers if they keep writing. Becoming a published author is something different. Don’t confuse the two or your whole identity is about getting published instead