Creating Characters We Want to Know (the Marvel Way)

I was watching the bonus material that came with the Target Blu-ray set of The Avengers and thought there was a great 'Aha' moment that writers can take and apply to their writing. In the 90 minute video "Assembling the Avengers" - they interview the actors, producers and others about how they came up with the franchise and why it's been so successful. They interviewed Stan Lee (one of the main guys who invented most of the superheroes that Marvel made famous) and he brought up the idea that the reason their heroes are so popular comes down to one concept.

The characters in their comics are people we would want to know who just happen to be superheroes.

So basic and yet so brilliant.

Word Count: A Numbers Game You Can Win!

Every writer struggles with it. From young adult sagas to historical trilogies to romance one nighters and erotic phenoms like Fifty Shades of Gray - every author has a love/hate relationship with their word count.

Not enough. Too much. Or worst of all...zero.

The blinking cursor hovers with it's mocking sense of purpose. It keeps us going and terrorizes along the way.

But there are some basic facts about word count that EVERY writer needs to consider:

• Blog Posts are typically 400-1000 words long. This is for ease of reading but depends on the material. There is no set rule.

Good Writing Comes from Good Reading...ALOUD!

Perhaps you're a writer who's penned a 250 page novel...or a short story...an email...even a tweet encompassing all 140 characters. Odds are we've all done some kind of "writing." You've enjoyed the sounds of your fingers tapping along the keyboard breathing black and white life into your thoughts. But before your hit submit or save or send - take a moment to read your ramblings ALOUD.

Why?

Well, when it comes to short writing moments (like email, letters and social media posts), reading these aloud will help you more easily identify tone and inflection in your choice of words. This can ensure that your writing efficiently communicates what you want to say...and of course prevent you from saying something wrong.

Book Review: Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler

Summary - From GoodReads.com

"I've been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized, I've been Cole-Portered and farmer's-daughtered, I've been Led Zepped and 12-stepped. I'm a rhyming fool and so cool that me, Fritz the Cat, and Mohair Sam are the baddest cats that am. I have so many outrageous stories, too many, and I'm gonna tell 'em all. All the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex & drugs, transcendence & chemical dependence you will ever want to hear." 

Book Review: The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen

Plot Summary - From GoodReads.com

For almost a century, Imperial Russia has captivated the imagination- the ruthless execution of the royal family, the disputed survival of the heir: it's a cinematic chaos that the masterful Dora Levy Mossanen unravels for her readers. Taking readers deep into tarnished grandeur, The Last Romanov follows Darya, a wise old beauty whose time spent with the Imperial family has haunted her entire life. When the murderous events unfold, Darya is plagued by the prophecy made by the Empress's advisor, Rasputin. She must find the missing Tsarevich Alexis Romanov and restore the monarchy or risk losing her own life.