In the past few days, I’ve encountered two completely diverse situations that speak to the lack of commonality of this enormous, diverse community and how we perceive ourselves within that loose fellowship.

The first came up during my talk with a wonderful novelist. She sold  her first book to an online/POD publisher and subsequently joined its author community via blogging and blog commenting. Problem is, she feels isolated within this group, which she specifically joined to enjoy that wonderful sense of connection we all seek with our fellow writers and authors. Their writing goals and process seem so  different from hers.  The only common ground she can find is their mutual affection for the publisher and desire to get their stories down in writing.

I noticed the second situation in a LinkedIn group discussion as I read over the various answers to a question about the writing industry and thought about my own perspective on the topic. I admit it: I’m ever the optimist. I look at a problem and, like a Ferengi, I suppose, see opportunities and possibilities, not gloom and doom. Yes, the writing and book worlds have changed, enormously. But they haven’t ceased to exist–they’ve merely become different, and I don’t think the answer to “better pay for better writing” is in legislation, but in our individual selves.

So what is the point of this blog? I guess just to point out that writers come in all flavors. That our vast conglomerate of folk never has been and never will be a one-size-fits-all. Writing is so darn individualistic, it cannot and should never try to be stuffed into round holes. We are the last, great independents in a world hellbent on conformity.

Few will remember Gary Cooper or Alice Cooper in 100 years, but they’ll still know Dickens, Austin, and Rowling. And maybe, just maybe, you and me.

And, with nods to Dr. Who, Agatha Christie.

It starts Tuesday, April 5 at 4:30 Pacific time and runs through Tuesday, May 31. Nine days of fiction-writing concepts and perspectives I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never heard presented this way.

I’ll be team-teaching with J.D. Moore, a Certified Ghostwriter who specializes in fiction. Together, we’re going to show you light-bulb popping ways to look at your manuscript, your approach to writing, and your finished product.

Think you know everything about plot, character, premise, and construction? Ha! Think again — then join us to discover the thought processes of those who actually “fix” novels for a living.

It’s gonna be a fast, fun, informative 9 weeks. Details and registration at http://wambtac.com. Got questions? Write to me directly at claudiasuzanne@gmail. com or call toll-free 1-800-641-3936.

(To download PLOT Y OUR NOVEL IN 15 MINUTES OR LESS, just fill in your name and email address under SUBSCRIBE in the right column and hit submit.)

Got another free eBook coming soon: HOW GHOSTS GET THEIR GIGS. This will be a compilation of stories by actual, working ghostwriters. The eBook should be ready around the time the next Ghostwriter Certification Training (GCT) classes start in January, and will be free to all GCT students, past and present (and possibly available for a small fee to you aspiring ghosts…)

Why a HOW GHOSTS GET THEIR GIGS eBook? Because if you don’t take the training but still want to break in to the business, you’re going to need a helping hand. As one recent student said, ghostwriting isn’t  easy. But it is one of the fastest growing and most in-demand freelance-writer opportunities available.

Also–and take heed, shameless self-promotion ahead–check out the new Press page in the left column to see what people (only one is a student) are saying about ghostwriting and GCT. That’s it: shameless self-promotion officially over.

I am a ghostwriter; it’s my job to keep reading. Imagine if I was a literary agent or acquisition editor — I would never have pushed through as far as I did. And in both cases, the fault lay in accuracy; both novelists assured me “this is what really happens.”

Bully. “What really happens” is the stuff of news reports and nonfiction. Not novels.

Novels are fiction; i.e., “made up” or “pretend” or “not real.” People who read novels are looking for a protagonist they can either pretend to be, enjoy reading about, or at least root for. Granted, despicable characters can be a lot of fun to write. Where would fiction be without rapists, murders, and thieves? They challenge the protagonist, create undeserved misfortunes, and provide dramatic tension. But regardless of how much depth and backstory you provide for them, they cannot be the main character.

We have to like the main character.

Got a really juicy bad guy? Great! Set him up to drive an equally enticing good guy nuts. Let that delicious queen of unrelenting evil needle and aggravate the flawed but lovable protagonist princess to distraction. Maybe you’ve got a kamikazi pilot bent on killing as many Americans and Brits as possible–no problem. But either he’s a guy torn between duty and morality or he’s got to go up against an Allied hero. And even if the  hero doesn’t survive, the kamikazi has to somehow lose.

Bottom line: fiction needs to be satisfying; real history seldom is.

So unless you can figure out a way to make them sympathetic or redeeming, don”t offer a rapist, murderer, drug dealer, pimp, hijacker, or (ugh) politician as your protagonist. Flip the story around and make them the villain.

Your readers will thank you.

Questions? Call 1-800-641-3936

Furthermore (the discussion goes on) the main character, aka “protagonist” in literary parlance, has to be sympathetic enough for the reader to want to read about them, even root for them. That protagonist then journeys through the plot, undergoes a character arc, and ends the story at least slightly changed, hopefully (but not necessarily) for the better.

Finally, the conversation concludes, the book opens and closes on the protagonist, not on a secondary character or subplot.

These concepts aren’t “rules” so much as they are accepted realities for communicating with a cold reader. When someone in a totally different state who has never heard your name before picks up a book you’ve written, you want to have a better-than-fair chance of capturing their attention and getting them to read your story.

If the fundamental “rules” of fiction are 1) it must be compelling and 2) it must be plausible within itself, then keeping the above simple guidelines in mind will help you achieve those two goals.

It’s simple. And complex. Like all writing.

Questions? Call 1-800-641-3936

Ergo, I blog.

While I admit certain things are still missing from the textbook because I am STILL in the process of doing that rewrite, nevertheless the class worked. Plot mapping and character study tools were explained and utilized. Book plotting tool was used to the delight of all. We took a “I can’t read through this thing” story and turned it into an exciting, I-want-to-ghost-it project.

Gadzooks, I love doing this stuff! And I love teaching it to people who end up loving to do it!

Writers are the best people in the world — and (good, qualified) ghostwriters are the bestest of the best.

Not that I’m biased or anything … It’s merely my entire life, that’s all.

Whether you want to ghostwrite a single book or you’re interested in a career as a ghostwriter, these are the the basic things you need to know:

• How to do an A&R
• How to find the “gold” in any manuscript
• How to determine BISAC selection
• How to advise the three types of authors on publishing options
• The scope of responsibility for the various ESPs
• The variances between the author’s writing process and the ghostwriting process
• How to chart nonfiction
• How to apply a content template (not MS Word formatting)
• How to maintain the author’s voice
• How to do multiple “spins” (while maintaining the author’s voice)
• The variances between passive, static, and active voice; when and how to convert; and when to not
• The variances between and basic principles of line and copy editing
• How to build a nonfiction proposal and query letter and research a submission list
• The variances between plot and character driven novels
• PMA+A
• The elements of fiction writing
• The parameters of fiction A&Rs
• How to map a plot w/characters
• Meet-in-the-Middle
• How to ghostwrite supplemental scenes while maintaining the author’s voice
• How to ghostwrite full novels while maintaining the author’s story, characters, vision, premise, theme, intent and “tells”
• The variances between “show” and “tell”; when and how to convert; and when to not
• How to create a compelling submission synopsis and query letter and research a submission list
• How to create a personal resume and credit list while maintaining client confidentiality
• How to set reasonable fees, bid projects, and write equitable contracts
• How to assess clients and control the initial contact to land the gig
• How to establish and maintain authority and avoid or handle problems as they arise

This is just a bare-bones list, of course. There’s a lot more underneath every one of those points. And there’s only one way to acquire all of the above in one place: in my Ghostwriter Training class.

It’s a single semester, it’s a lot of intense work, it’s extremely hands-on, and it’s serious fun. What you’ll learn will affect the way you write, the way you read, and the way to view your family, your friends, and the people you meet on the street.

Warning! This class is often a life-changing experience.

Ghostwriter Training is equivalent to a 3 unit upper-division/post-graduate course. Non-accredited; credits do not transfer. $930 including materials. No refunds; missed classes may be made up by arrangement with instructor. Class size limited; first-come, first-served. No warranty or guarantee stated or implied. All students must sign non-disclosure agreement.

New online class starting soon. Click on the Ghostwriting Training link for more information and registration.

Learning to ghostwrite will change how you look at the written word, expand your career, and increase your revenue streams. That’s all. No big deal.

• How to do an A&R
• How to find the “gold” in any manuscript
• How to determine BISAC selection
• How to advise the three types of authors on publishing options
• The scope of responsibility for the various ESPs
• The variances between the author’s writing process and the ghostwriting process
• How to chart nonfiction
• How to apply a content template (not MS Word formatting)
• How to maintain the author’s voice
• How to do multiple “spins” (while maintaining the author’s voice)
• The variances between passive, static, and active voice; when and how to convert; and when to not
• The variances between and basic principles of line and copy editing
• How to build a nonfiction proposal and query letter and research a submission list
• The variances between plot and character driven novels
• PMA+A
• The elements of fiction writing
• The parameters of fiction A&Rs
• How to map a plot w/characters
• Meet-in-the-Middle
• How to ghostwrite supplemental scenes while maintaining the author’s voice
• How to ghostwrite full novels while maintaining the author’s story, characters, vision, premise, theme, intent and “tells”
• The variances between “show” and “tell”; when and how to convert; and when to not
• How to create a compelling submission synopsis and query letter and research a submission list
• How to create a personal resume and credit list while maintaining client confidentiality
• How to set reasonable fees, bid projects, and write equitable contracts
• How to assess clients and control the initial contact to land the gig
• How to establish and maintain authority and avoid or handle problems as they arise

This is just a bare-bones list, of course. There’s a lot more beneath every one of those points. And there’s only one way to acquire all of the above in one place: in the Ghostwriter Training, or Secrets of Making $$ as a Writer, or whatever-I-finally-end-up-calling-it class.

It’s a single semester, it’s a lot of intense work, it’s extremely hands-on, and it’s serious fun. What you’ll learn will affect the way you write, the way you read, and the way to view your family, your friends, and the people you meet on the street. Classes are very, very small, so Register Now for the Winter/Spring semester as 2009 Classes