The Authorpreneur Mindset

What Is Story? [3-01]

WHAT IS STORY? [3-01] This is the first episode in Season 3 (2019) of the podcast and it focuses on Story and Storytelling. While this season will end up being a full length one *ahem* unlike season 2 *ahem*, with the rebranding of the company I’ll be rebranding the podcast as well. More on that in the podcast and over the coming weeks, but the changes are very exciting and will lead to a greater appreciation of story. And don’t worry if you’ve enjoyed the content up to this point, it’ll still be a great place for writers to find tips, tricks, interviews, and more! If you have a question you’d like to ask, there’s a button the right side of the website to make it easy!  Or, if you’re on mobile you can click here. [http://spdstorystudio.com/authorpreneurmindset#ask] The podcast is brought to you by Steam Powered Dreams Publishing but paid for out of my own pocket. If you’d like to show your support, there are many different ways to do it: * Buy a copy of Scrivener [http://spdstorystudio.com/scrivener] * Support us on Patreon [http://spdstorystudio.com/patreon] * Hire us to do your website [http://websites.steampowereddreams.com] As always, below is a direct copy of the show notes. They were written before the episode was recorded and are unedited but are here for reference and SEO. TOPIC: WHAT IS STORY? * Welcome to The Storyteller’s Mindset. A podcast that…wait, what? This is the Authorpreneur’s Mindset? No no no, they said to be here at 3 PM on Saturday, I know I’m in the right place. Maybe I’ll just go with it… * Okay, so this isn’t the Storyteller’s Mindset…at least not yet. * Later this year, the podcast, Instagram channel, and facebook group will be transitioning from The Authorpreneur Mindset to, as you probably guessed, The Storyteller’s Mindset. * This goes hand in hand with the changes that are happening over on Steam Powered Dreams and the transition from a Publishing House into a Story Studio. * So, with all the changes happening, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to talk about story, what it truly means, and why it’s so important. * New news about Me or Steam Powered Dreams * Before we get into story, a quick update on the rebranding and how it’s going. * I just recently completed an overhaul of much of the webpage, so if you haven’t been there in a while you should go check it out. * I also vastly upgraded our Service page, though there’s still more to do in that regard. * See, with this rebranding comes an…expansion of what we can offer, while also pulling back on a few things that weren’t working for us. * We’re still offering writer services, such as editing and formatting, as well as our two types of publishing, but we’re doing away with some of the other services for writers and replacing them with Writing Consultation. This essentially will cover anything that a writer needs that doesn’t require us to comb over the manuscript. * We’ll also be merging SPD Sites into the main site, as well as offering marketing and branding for storytellers * From here on out, everything we do will be with story and storytellers in mind.  * And I think that’s a great transition point into actually talking about story. * You’d be surprised at how few people can truly define what story means. * The official definition is “an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment”, and that makes sense, but by that definition, anything could be considered a story. * For the sake of this episode, let’s reword that definition to something more along the lines of an account of an event shared from one person to another that invokes your imagination and leaves you wanting more. * Even this definition doesn’t truly encapsulate what story truly is, so let’s dive deep. * A story is really a retelling of events that are designed to catch the attention of the audience. This retelling could be through the written word, sounds and words, visually, or even by touch or smell. * And if you don’t think you’ve ever experienced a story from a smell, I invite you to find your favorite childhood food or the perfume your grandmother wore and tell me it doesn’t invoke a retelling of events from your past. * You see, a storyteller doesn’t have to be an actual person, just as a story doesn’t have to be seen or heard. * I’d go even further to say that a story actually envokes multiple senses at once, at least a good story. * Thinking back again to your favorite food growing up, if you’re like most people just the thought of it, which is you retelling the event to yourself, might allow you to smell or taste it, even though it’s nowhere near you. * Now, I don’t want to get too far into the abstract idea of story and storytellers, but it’s good to understand this concept, since marketers are using these tactics more and more to sell products and services, and that’s not really a bad thing. * But, none of this explains why one story is great and another may fall flat. * That’s because a good storyteller knows that a story is more than just the senses that make it. * A truly good story also needs to do at least one of the following: Inform, Educate, or Entertain. * Let’s walk through each of these so we can get a good idea of how to effectively create stories around each of them. * Using a story to inform essentially means you’re using the words to tell someone about something. In marketing, this is usually a service or product, but could as easily be an event or situation. Maybe you’re trying to get the word out about your new copywriting service, so you tell a story about how you got started. * On the other hand, when you use story to educate, you have to give detailed steps, which might seem counter-intuitive for storytelling. However, everything you do has a story to it, even if it’s simply how to screw in a screw. * Finally, entertaining. This is what most people think of when they think of story, so I won’t spend much time on this, but your job is to evoke emotion from them in a way that they feel connected to what you’re saying or writing. * Let me give you an example: * When I was young I knew a boy named Jared. He looked up to me and just really wanted to be like me. * Now, I wasn’t a bully by any definition, in fact, I’d been bullied myself a lot prior to meeting Jared, but something about the way he treated me really brought out the worst. * Anyway, Jared was a nice kid but didn’t have many friends. I took him under my wing so to speak and, after a few months he would do pretty much anything I asked him to. * During class, if I didn’t do my homework, he’d give me his to copy. * At lunch, I’d ask him for some of his food, even though I had my own. * And if there was something that I needed during recess, I’d send him to do it instead of doing it myself. * This went on for a while and for some reason I started to take advantage of Jerad. Instead of asking him for favors, I’d command him. * Instead of seeing if he wanted to share his food, I’d just take it. * It got so bad that I nicknamed him my dog. * Sorry, I didn’t think telling this story would get to me, but it’s bringing back some really bad memories. * Poor Jared looked up to me so much and there I was, treating him worse than the people who made fun of him. * He put up with it for a while, because in between these things, I treated him like a friend. * But you can only push someone so far before they’ve had enough, and Jared finally had had enough. * We had this game we’d play where I’d trip him and throw him on the ground, then pick him up and do it again. * It was a rainy day when it finally happened. We were playing outside under cover during recess and I thought it’d be funny to trip him right into a puddle. What I didn’t think would happen is that he’d slip and fall not just into the puddle, but the mud next to it. * His pants, which were white by the way, were covered in mud. * I’ll never forget his face when he stood up and told me he’d had enough of me and lunged at me. * His shoes were so muddy, instead of being able to punch me, he slipped and fell. All the kids around us were laughing and I felt just horrible * I helped him up and told him I was sorry, but the damage was done. * Now, this story is simple but has a lot of elements to it. The first thing to note is that it actually does all three. * It informs the listener of an action or time in my life when I wasn’t as thoughtful as I am now. * It educates about the dangers of treating someone so poorly, as well as pushing someone over the edge. * And it entertains by bringing up emotions of anger against me, feeling sorry or sad for Jared, and it may have even been a bit fun to some. * This was an example of something more personal, but I think you can begin to see how the stories you tell are more than just the words written or said. * When you’re trying to determine how to go about creating your story, or editing it, ask yourself if it has these elements. * It’s also important to keep in mind that many stories are not meant to educate or inform, but almost all good stories incorporate at least a simple lesson in them. * That’s it for this weeks topic. * With storytelling becoming a much more important part in the podcast, and my life in general, I’m hoping to tackle more topics like this one and delve deeper into the elements of story. * If you have questions, there are two ways to reach me. The first is through the website at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset and then click on Ask A Question. * The second is to join our facebook group at facebook.com/SPDwritershelpingwriters * Don’t forget to check us out on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset * Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward. The post What Is Story? [3-01] [https://spdstorystudio.com/what-is-story-301/] appeared first on SPD StoryStudio [https://spdstorystudio.com].

Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Publishing

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING Did you know that machines can learn very much like humans? Well, they still need us to program them initially, but it probably won’t be long before they can program themselves. And where will that leave us? Luckily, that’s not the type of AI we’re talking about today. We’re talking about something that’s fast approaching, the use of AI for reading, writing, editing, and finding books. If you have a question you’d like to ask, there’s a button the right side of the website to make it easy!  Or, just click here. [http://spdstorystudio.com/authorpreneurmindset#ask] Episode Links: * Steam Powered Dreams Writer Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczoz-aTGqKehWroAFscnCT8DAHkppdj_n97n9vHh47VycTcA/viewform?usp=sf_link] * The Future of Barns & Noble Up In The Air [https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/11/07/barnes-and-noble-amazon-wh-smith-acquisition/] * The First Ever True Mini-Books [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/business/mini-books-pocket-john-green.html] The podcast is brought to you by Steam Powered Dreams Publishing but paid for out of my own pocket. If you’d like to show your support, there are many different ways to do it: * Buy a copy of Scrivener [http://spdstorystudio.com/scrivener] * Support us on Patreon [http://spdstorystudio.com/patreon] * Hire us to do your website [http://websites.steampowereddreams.com] As always, below is a direct copy of the show notes. They were written before the episode was recorded and are unedited but are here for reference and SEO. TOPIC: HOW ADVANCEMENTS IN AI WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE WRITE, READ, AND PUBLISH * Robots, algorithms and artificial intelligence run everything around us. * We rely on them to wake us up in the morning, get us where we need to go, and even do our job for us. * Yet, the publishing industry has been mostly untouched by this artificial intelligence, right? * Wrong. In fact, AI is becoming more and more important for publishing and will only continue to change the way we read and write. * At least until the inevitable robot uprising comes. * Steam Powered Dreams has an exciting announcement! * We’re doing an early run of specialty t-shirts for writers! We’re starting small, with 3 designs available around January, but the plan is to eventually expand to book and author quotes, as well as other gear like totes, mugs, and more. * Also, we’re running a survey to help us research writers habits. If you’d like to be part of it, just go to steampowereddreams.com/writersurvey to add your name to the list. * That’s about all I have to share right now, but we have some big announcements coming up next month, so stay tuned for those! * The future of Barnes and Noble is back up in the air as the deal with WH Smith fell through. https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/11/07/barnes-and-noble-amazon-wh-smith-acquisition/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/11/07/barnes-and-noble-amazon-wh-smith-acquisition/] * Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint, has just released its first batch of mini books, with a box set of novels by the best-selling author John Green. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/business/mini-books-pocket-john-green.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/business/mini-books-pocket-john-green.html] * When you think of artificial intelligence or AI, you probably envision some science fiction world where machines can do pretty much everything, but the reality is both a simple and exciting. * When it comes to AI and technology, many times the old saying is true, Reality is stranger than fiction. * Just a quick warning. This episode is going to get a bit technical, but understanding how this technology will help shape the future for writers and readers is important. * As a whole, we have seen amazing advancements over the past 40 years, from the creation of the internet to a world where everything is connected almost all the time. * We have machines that can not only play games of strategy such as chess but win against the world champions. The most recent of these AI chess-playing machines is named AlphaZero by Google and it wasn’t taught how to play, but instead learned how to play without human aid. * Oh, and did I mention it’s also a master Go and Shogi player? * The concept of a machine learning can seem strange, but the truth is it’s not too far-fetched if you understand the basics of machine learning. * Of course, even a full podcast dedicated to machine learning wouldn’t cover everything, just know that these machines learn by asking hundreds, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of yes or no questions in an instant. It then records this data and recalls it as needed. If what it recalls is not correct, or not good enough such as in a chess move, it goes through the process again and looks for another, better way. * How does this relate to you as an authorpreneur? It actually touches every single part of the process, but we’re going to focus on three main aspects in this episode: Editing, audiobooks, and algorithms. * If you’ve ever used programs like Grammarly then you’ve already had some experience with a computer “reading” and analyzing your writing. While this is a rudimentary use of AI, it still looks at the words, the order of those words, and a bit of the context around the words and gives you feedback based on this. * But, imagine an AI that can actually analyze and understand not just a word or sentence, but entire paragraphs, chapters, or books. That’s exactly what Google is doing with their Google Natural Langauge program. * So far, it’s been able to start to reveal the structure and meaning of a text. It actually can understand people, places, and events and how they relate together. It can offer suggestions on related texts without the use of human-inputted keywords, but more on that in a bit. * This process has the potential to change the way the editing process goes. Right now, the standard process is to self-edit, developmental edit or get beta readers, revise, copyedit, and done. * What Google’s AI has the potential to do is eliminate the need for a lot of the technical side to this, such as syntax, grammar, and sentence structure. While self-editing will always be important for the story, there may come a time when you can put your manuscript through an AI and it comes out with perfect grammar and syntax. While still far off, this could even replace copy editors altogether. * The one thing AI does not have, and may never develop, is emotional awareness. While AI can understand context and surroundings, there’s no way to program emotion and build a true connection with readers. * But, that doesn’t mean it can’t mimic the emotions you’re trying to convey out loud. * If you’ve been able to experience Google’s recent upgraded voice algorithms you’ll know that they are very lifelike. Ask Google a question on the Google Home and you’ll get a response in such a way that you almost feel like you’re talking to a person. * Not only that, but the update earlier this year made it possible to have a conversation, instead of just giving it commands. * Just ask Google Home to tell you a joke or a riddle and you’ll quickly understand where I’m going with this. * Google’s AI uses speech inflection, pauses, and more to mimic the sound of a human. While it’s not perfect, it’s come a long way in a short period of time. * Combine that with the Natural Language AI and the Real Time Translation AI, we will soon be seeing stories being read and translated, even complete novels, without a single human lifting a finger. * This may or may not excite you, and you may also be wondering about all those amazingly talented audiobook narrator. * Having an AI with the ability to naturally read a book won’t put them out of business. It goes back to the emotion and polish that AI just doesn’t have, and won’t have for the foreseeable future. * There will still be demand for high-quality, human-voiced books, just as there is still a demand for hardcovers despite them costing sometimes 10x more than an eBook. * What the future will actually hold for audiobooks is yet to be seen, though I am confident in saying we’ll start seeing AI recorded audiobooks in the next few years. * But, another aspect of using machine learning can be found on pretty much every book-related site out there, algorithms. * In fact, it’s not just book-related sites that use them, most of the internet does in one way or another. * Google Search is a perfect example of a very complex, yet still relatively rudimentary, machine learning algorithm. You put in a search term and you get a list of hundreds of thousands of pages back. * Google does this by sending their little robots to scan each and every page, seeing if it can determine what it’s about and if it has any value. * If it does, it goes to the top, and if it doesn’t, it goes to the bottom. * While Google’s search algorithm has come a long way from requiring websites to give keywords, it is only beginning to learn what it’s actually scanning, rather than just picking up on the words on the page. * Amazon is another example, and one more close to home for us. * We put our books up, pick a few categories, and the recommendation algorithms start to kick in. The more people who buy our books, the more the “also bought” algorithm works. * In theory, this sounds great. You most likely want to read more books like the ones you’ve bought, and readers can find your book based on the books they have read. * However, you’ll often see off-the-wall recommendations because the algorithm doesn’t understand what the books are about, only that there was a correlation, even if only a small one. * Have you ever bought a book as a gift and then soon after your recommendations were full of other, similar books? That may have been the only Science Fiction Romance involving inter-species relationships you had ever purchased, but now Amazon thinks that’s all you want. * OKay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Much like Google, Amazon’s algorithm is always getting better and cases such as the one I just mentioned are becoming more infrequent. * But a fully realized machine learning AI will change the way we search and the results we get back. Because it will not only see keywords and see your purchase history, but deeply understand what a book is about, it’ll be able to give real recommendations to you, and avoid that awkward moment when you open up Amazon in public to a page of Alien Erotica for all to see. * Unless that’s your thing, then share it with the world! * But maybe more than that, these advancements will be able to get your books into the hands of those who really want them. * Of course, Google isn’t the only one working on true machine learning AI for algorithms. There are other websites and services that offer early versions of more advanced systems, but Google and Amazon are sure to be ahead of the game, even if it isn’t apparent to us yet. * Whether you’re excited for AI or worried that it’ll be our downfall, machines that learn similar to humans are here and they’ll only get smarter. * I for one am excited for a time when I can pick up a book in any language and have it translated in real time and read to me. * Who knows, maybe one day we won’t even need to type anymore. We’ll just have a conversation with an AI and it’ll put those thoughts into coherent, meaningful sentences to complete our manuscript! * If you have questions, there are two ways to reach me.  The first is through the website at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset and then click on Ask A Question. * The second is to join our facebook group at facebook.com/SPDwritershelpingwriters * Where to find me: * The website is at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset * you can find me on Facebook at facebook.com/jeremylcollier * on Twitter at SoulScribbler, * and finally on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset * Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward. The post Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Publishing [https://spdstorystudio.com/ai-and-publishing-2018/] appeared first on SPD StoryStudio [https://spdstorystudio.com].

Interview With Daralyse Lyons [2-04]

INTERVIEW WITH DARALYSE LYONS [2-04] If you’ve been listening to this podcast for long you’ll know that I have a passion for helping others. Though this podcast, I want to give both practical advice and share the stories of others within the industry, and this week I get to do just that. About a month and a half ago, I was lucky enough to get an interview with the amazing Daralyse Lyons [http://www.daralyselyons.com]. She talks about her life and what made her who she is today. Among that, you can see her passion for writing and helping others and the path she took. If you have a question you’d like to ask, there’s a button the right side of the website to make it easy!  Or, just click here. [http://spdstorystudio.com/authorpreneurmindset#ask] The podcast is brought to you by Steam Powered Dreams Publishing but paid for out of my own pocket. If you’d like to show your support, there are many different ways to do it: * Buy a copy of Scrivener [http://spdstorystudio.com/scrivener] * Support us on Patreon [http://spdstorystudio.com/patreon] * Hire us to do your website [http://websites.steampowereddreams.com] As always, below is a direct copy of the show notes. They were written before the episode was recorded and are unedited but are here for reference and SEO. TOPIC: INTERVIEW WITH DARALYSE LYONS * When I started this podcast one of the things that I wanted to show was the struggle, the perseverance, and ultimately success of the writer’s life. * Of course, what this means is different for each author, but no journey is any less important. * This week I have an interview for you with the multi-talented Daralyse Lyons, who shares her journey and how she was able to claw her way out of the hole that life had dug for her. * But before we do that, just a quick update this week on Steam Powered Dreams. * We recently finished the First Draft series of blog posts. This means that we now have a complete guide on how to write, edit, and publish a novel. * This has been in the works for the past 3 years and it’s both a relief and a bit sad to finally be at a point where I feel like it can help writers. * I released a new post this week that sums up what you can expect, but if you’d like the whole list just head over to steampowereddreams.com and then under Writers click on How To Write a Novel. * Alright, that’s enough for today. Let’s get into the amazing interview. * My guest this week is Daralyse Lyons or Dara for short. She’s an author, speaker, yogi, and actress. If that’s not a full load, I don’t know what is! * But, maybe more important than any of that alone, she has found her purpose in life in her love of stories and desire to help people find happiness. * Welcome to the show, Dara, it’s great to have you here. * Why don’t you tell us a bit more about yourself? * On your website, you use the term, Transformational storyteller. Can you talk a little bit about what that means, both in your work and to you personally? * Alright, let’s talk about growing up. * Where were you born and raised? * What was your family life like? Parents? Siblings? * Did you read a lot growing up? If so, what genres most interested you? * Favorite book? * Let’s fast forward. * Married, children? when? * Is your main source of income currently writing? * If so, when did that become a reality * if not, what is? * Let’s continue down this path for a bit. I always find it interested, especially when a writer started young, in what else they’ve done. Before becoming an author, speaker, yogi, and actress, what other jobs or hobbies did you have that weren’t related to writing? * Let’s talk about your writing. You have over 10 books published on Amazon with more on the way. When did you get interested in writing and what is it that pushed you to become an author? * Okay, getting back towards writing. I was looking around your blog a bit and noticed you shared a lot of personal stories. I think it’s great and I try to do the same. Do you think it’s important for authors, or really any professional, to share both their strengths and weaknesses out in the public? * Your speaking and coaching topics seem to be on opposite ends from most of your writing. Do you find that to be true or are they two separate parts of your life? * How would someone who has an online presence but never done any real speaking or coaching go about getting started? * Knowing what you know now if there was something you could tell your younger self, advice you would give, on writing, what would it be? * One final question, and it’s a question I plan on asking every guest. If you had a mascot or avatar that represented what you’re doing right now in life, what would it be? * Where can you be found online? * Anything you’d like to tell the listeners? * Thank you so much for coming on the show and spending this time with us. * It was such a pleasure talking with Dara and I hope to have her on the show again in the future. * We’re also looking for new people to interview, as well as feedback on the show or what you’d like to see. Just head over to the website at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset and then click on Ask A Question. * Or join our facebook group at facebook.com/SPDwritershelpingwriters * You can find me: * On Facebook at facebook.com/jeremylcollier * on Twitter at SoulScribbler, * and finally on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset * Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward The post Interview With Daralyse Lyons [2-04] [https://spdstorystudio.com/daralyse-lyons-interview/] appeared first on SPD StoryStudio [https://spdstorystudio.com].

How To Create An Author Brand [2-03]

HOW TO CREATE AN AUTHOR BRAND [2-03] If you haven’t thought about your brand yet, this is a perfect time. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or already a little established, creating a brand for yourself and your writing is key to success. In this episode, I take a look at what branding is on a larger, company scale and how those same concepts can be applied to you, as an individual authorpreneur. While I cover the basics here, there’s a lot that can and should go into growing your brand. Give the episode a listen and if you have more questions, just drop me a line and let me know! If you have a question you’d like to ask, there’s a button the right side of the website to make it easy!  Or, just click here. [http://spdstorystudio.com/authorpreneurmindset#ask]   The podcast is brought to you by Steam Powered Dreams Publishing but paid for out of my own pocket. If you’d like to show your support, there are many different ways to do it: * Buy a copy of Scrivener [http://spdstorystudio.com/scrivener] * Support us on Patreon [http://spdstorystudio.com/patreon] * Hire us to do your website [http://websites.steampowereddreams.com] As always, below is a direct copy of the show notes. They were written before the episode was recorded and are unedited but are here for reference and SEO. TOPIC: HOW TO CREATE A BRAND AS AN AUTHOR * When you think of the suspense genre, what author comes to mind? * What about magic wands, spells, and incantations? * No matter if you thought of Steven King and J.K. Rowling or other authors, the reason those words brought that author to your mind is that that’s what they’re known for, it’s their brand. * For many years, an author could just write and never worry about who they were or what their fans thought, but that time has passed. * This is why it’s so important to build a brand alongside your writing. * As we get into today’s episode, it’s going to be split into two parts. * The first is going to focus on the rebranding of Steam Powered Dreams and what that means to both the company, you listening, and entrepreneurship in general. * The second half is going to be more focused on an author brand, what it is, and how to get started on yours now, even if you don’t have a book out there yet. * Because this episode is going to focus so much on Steam Powered Dreams I’m not having a formal update, since in a way the whole episode is kinda just that. * Part 1 * In the last episode, I mentioned that Steam Powered Dreams as a company has started to shift gears a bit. * We’ve decided that being billed as a Publishing House doesn’t do justice to what we’re trying to create. * We’re not just here to take a writers manuscript and transform it into a published piece of work, we’re here to tell amazing stories and grow the fantasy and science fiction community. * We have no plans to stop at just books, though that will still be our main focus. In the future, we have hopes of expanding into other mediums, such as movies, video games, and any other platform where a high-quality story can be told. * Hence why we have decided to transition into a Story Studio * Of course, just calling ourselves a story studio doesn’t make it true. In order to do this, we need to change the way people see Steam Powered Dreams, our brand. * Now, we’re still in our infancy, so doing this isn’t a huge feat as it would be for a larger company such as Apple or McDonalds [https://www.businessinsider.com/10-most-successful-rebranding-campaigns-2011-2#jcrews-sales-were-plummeting-now-michelle-obama-is-an-endorser-1] who have both gone through a rebranding of their own. * For us, the rebranding is about the content we put out there, the way we interact on social media, and in general our public persona. * Rebranding takes time and it often leads to a drop in engagement and/or profit at first. * However, a successful rebranding will bounce back quickly and those same metrics will increase. * So, what is Steam Powered Dreams doing to rebrand? * First off, we’ll be changing the way we interact on Twitter and Instagram, one that is more friendly and casual. We’ll be sharing more stories, talking with other authors, and more. * On our website, we’ll be featuring new stories as often as possible. Some of these stories will be done by in-house writers, while others are from the community. * Our newsletter will work hard to provide more content for readers (which means writers as well, since every writer should also be an avid reader!), including book giveaways, free stories, and even free books. * Another thing that I will be doing personally is continuing to build a creative community on the Mixer platform. I’ll be live streaming creative writing that can be influenced by the audience, reading short stories, playing story-based video games, playing narrative tabletop games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, and this podcast will be recorded live on there as well. * If you’re interested in participating on Mixer, you can find my channel at steampowereddreams.com/mixer * Part 2 * Creating a brand as a new writer is different, but the principals are the same. * You’re looking to create a public persona that, when people think about something, they associate it with you. * You won’t be known as THE fantasy writer right away, and may never reach the ranks of Tolkien or Rowling, but that’s not the point. * Your goal is that your fans know your brand and that, when they share your name, books, or other information, that brand goes along with it. * Before we get into practical ways to start and grow a brand, it’s important to point out that your brand needs to be genuine. * If it isn’t, you run the risk of getting caught up in your fake persona and being called out. * An example of this can be seen all throughout Instagram with fake or photoshopped pictures. Even some of the most loved celebrities, such as Beyonce, have been called out for using photoshopped images. * You don’t want to be in a position where you can’t be yourself in the public, and that’s something that so many people back themselves into when they first create their brand. * Once you understand this, you’ll want to then think long and hard about what your brand should represent, even down to some minor details you may not think matter. * Ask yourself, what is it that I want to represent? What cause or audience? Do I want to be known most for my fiction or non-fiction? Do I want to be known for looking at things in a different way than most, or maybe shedding light on subjects others avoid? * If you’re more focused on fiction, do you want to be known as a single-genre author or multi-genre? They each have their pros and cons, but the choice is yours. Well, the choice is mostly yours, but more on that in a bit. * You also need to think about your personality, since that will come out both online and in person. Do you cuss a lot or have a bad taste in jokes? Do you drink, smoke, or do drugs? * You shouldn’t hide these personality traits from the public. Some people, such as Entrepreneur Andy Frisella, embrace them and make them a core part of their brand. * In short, be genuine and be real. You don’t have to be totally transparent about all aspects of your life to your audience, but you shouldn’t hide anything, either. * So, now that you understand what a personal brand is and what to start thinking about, it’s time to get out there and actually start growing it. * Social Media is the fastest way to grow your brand, so make sure you’re on as many as you can handle. I suggest starting with 1 and adding more over time as you feel comfortable. * Personally, I am not active on more than 2 platforms at a time, but I do know some authors an entrepreneurs who are active on 4 or more. * Every post you make, every image you upload should reflect your brand. Think about what you’re saying, who you’re trying to reach, and why you’re posting it. The why can be as simple as “it’s entertaining”. * Make sure you’re interacting with your followers. When you’re just starting out, you should reply to every single person who comments on your posts, shares them, or anything else. * As you grow, you can pick and choose, but if someone took the time to write something meaningful, the least you should do is acknowledge it. * Your branding should run over into your writing, website, newsletter, and anything else you do. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting at home watching TV with a loved one, hanging out at the mall with some friends, or at an international convention, your brand is always present and you need to be mindful of it. * If you follow all of this advice, you’ll be well on your way to starting your personal brand, but what happens next is what branding is truly all about. * Once you’ve established this base brand for yourself, you’ll notice that it doesn’t stay consistent. * Little things will change here and there, sometimes daily other times yearly, but things will change. Your brand is not only who you are, but the outside influences as well. * Your audience influences your brand, and the bigger your audience, the more this is true. * This is why it’s so important to be genuine from the start. * Let’s take two examples from actors Samuel L. Jackson and Daniel Radcliffe. * Samuel L. Jackson’s brand is being a badass, cussing, loud MFer who gets things done through the strength of his voice. * Most likely this isn’t a brand he created for himself, but that was created for him due to outside influences. And now it’s hard for him to change that brand. * Could you imagine Jackson playing a part in a romcom or historical drama? Probably not. * Daniel Radcliffe, on the other hand, was able to break out of the branding that was pushed upon him by playing Harry Potter and start to forge something that is very much his own brand. * During his time with Harry Potter, that became who he was. Many even said that it would be hard for him to find acting jobs after the series is over due to this typecasting. This was a fear he shared, so what did he do? He broke away from this by showing both his acting skills and a bit too much skin in the Broadway show Equus. * More recently, he plays the part of a gun-wielding character in the upcoming movie Guns Akimbo. * The important part is, thanks to him taking control of his brand, he doesn’t seem out of place in this movie. * However, no matter how hard he tries, he will always be most associated with Harry Potter, and I would say that’s not really a bad thing. * To sum up what we’ve talked about today, creating and reworking your branding is important no matter what stage of a career you’re in. * Branding or rebranding is it’s all based on educated trial and error. If something doesn’t work, make sure you understand why it didn’t work and change your plan based on that. * Listen to your audience, even if that’s only one person, and consider what they’re saying. * But, the most important thing to remember is to always be genuine. * These things take time, but more than that they take perseverance. * If you have questions, there are two ways to reach me.  The first is through the website at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset and then click on Ask A Question. * The second is to join our facebook group at facebook.com/SPDwritershelpingwriters * Where to find me: * The website is at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset * you can find me on Facebook at facebook.com/jeremylcollier * on Twitter at SoulScribbler, * and finally on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset * Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward. The post How To Create An Author Brand [2-03] [https://spdstorystudio.com/create-an-author-brand-2-03/] appeared first on SPD StoryStudio [https://spdstorystudio.com].

The Ordinary World – The Hero’s Journey [Ep. 2-02]

It’s time to talk about my absolute favorite topic when it comes to storytelling, The Hero’s Journey. First popularized by Joseph Campbell, the idea behind The Hero’s Journey goes back much further and has had an impact on some of the greatest storytellers of all time, including J.R.R. Tolkien, George Lucas, and J.K. Rowling. In this first episode of a three-part series, I’ll be talking about the first stage of The Hero’s Journey and how you can use Campbell’s theories in your own writing to create a more dynamic, real story. If this type of content isn’t practical enough for you, don’t worry. Next week, I’ll be talking more about the rebranding Steam Powered Dreams is currently going through and how you can use branding to help you sell more books, or at least grow an audience. If you have a question you’d like to ask, there’s a button the right side of the website to make it easy!  Or, just click here. [http://spdstorystudio.com/authorpreneurmindset#ask] The podcast is brought to you by Steam Powered Dreams Publishing but paid for out of my own pocket. If you’d like to show your support, there are many different ways to do it: * Buy a copy of Scrivener [http://spdstorystudio.com/scrivener] * Support us on Patreon [http://spdstorystudio.com/patreon] * Hire us to do your website [http://websites.steampowereddreams.com] As always, below is a direct copy of the show notes. They were written before the episode was recorded and are unedited but are here for reference and SEO. ---------------------------------------- [http://spdstorystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TAM-iTunes-150x150.png] TOPIC: THE HERO’S JOURNEY [PART 1 – THE ORDINARY WORLD] * If you could unlock the secret of what makes some of the most popular books and movies succeed, would you take the time to learn and understand it? * If you could create stories as powerful as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Ender’s Game, Hobbit, Harry Potter, or the Matrix, would you want to know how? * That’s exactly what we’re talking about today, the secret to why these stories relate to us so much, and how you can tap into that in your own writing. * So much going on since the last SPD update back in Oct of last year * The company has grown in terms of freelance workers, with 6 more on board for various tasks, as well as a freelance designer. * Our Instagram has grown a lot. Check that out by searching for Authorpreneur Mindset and say hi * If you’re a listener from last year, Story Pulse has been explained a bit more on the blog * more on that in the coming months though * New clients and potential new authors under our banner. * And, maybe most importantly, a shift in focus. As of this episode, Steam Powered Dreams is no longer a publishing company. We are moving in a slightly different direction and will now be working as a Story Studio. * This is a big change for our branding and what we’ll prioritize, but our goal is the same, to help writers get published and get the profit they deserve. * If you’re curious about this, or branding in general, then you’re in luck. * The next episode of Authorpreneur Mindset will talk a lot about that. * As for me on a personal level, the past few months since I quit my job has been both…amazing and not so amazing. * During the initial month and a half, things were going pretty well. * I had a lot of work for new and old clients for freelancing * started revitalizing everything I had going before * and I was able to  back into the swing of things * However, just as fast, things took a turn south, and that’s a very common problem for anyone who is trying to make it non traditionally like authorpreneurs and entrepreneurs. * One week you have more work than you can handle, and the next nothing. It’s balancing both the money and the rollercoaster of ups and downs that help you be successful or at least get to a point where a week of no work won’t derail your life. * But, enough about that, let’s get into the episode and talk about one of my very favorite topics, The Hero’s Journey. * The hero’s journey is a concept popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces based on the concept that all stories throughout time can fit into a single concept. * He spent years trying to prove that every storyline in every book, movie, TV show and play are, essentially, exactly the same story. * And that every character can fit into a specific archetype. * He may have not been able to do this, but what he did find was very fascinating. * And if you take the time to understand his theories, it can help inform your own writing. * Alright, so before we get into the details of the hero’s journey, let’s define what scholars ultimately realized about what Joseph Campbell was studying; the story of a hero. * Not every story is a hero’s journey. * This is why not every story fits into his theories. * We can see this in many modern indie films such as Before Sunrise, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong. * In literature, books like The Catcher in the Rye, Lolita, and countless other classics fall in a similar category. * If you’ve never seen these movies or read these books, they’re more of a story about a single moment in time or events that happen to characters. There are no heroes or villains, no good or evil. * While these are all great stories that have a lot to offer, they don’t fit into The Hero’s Journey theory. * Another thing that’s important to understand that not every story goes through each of the steps outlined by Campbell, nor do all characters fall into one archetype neatly, some can even be multiple archetypes at once. * Alright, now that we understand that, let’s talk about what the hero’s journey is and why it works so well. * I’m going to mostly be referring to The Hobbit and Ender’s game here since they’re two of my favorite books. * Campbell broke the journey down into 12 stages over 3 sections. * This episode is going to talk about the first section, known as the Ordinary World. * The first stage shares the name of The Ordinary World and starts long before the story begins. It’s the life that the hero has lived up to this point. This is any and all backstory that you may or may not share about the characters and everything that has happened to make them who they are up to the start of the story. * The second stage is the Call to Action. This is where something changes and the hero is called to act. This could range from a direct threat to something more subtle. * In the Hobbit, the call to action is direct, when Gandolf asks him directly to join the dwarves on their adventure. * On the other hand, in Ender’s Game, Ender is invited to join Battle School. * In both of these examples, the Hero doesn’t realize at the time what is going to happen after that, nor do they realize the impact of their choices. * The third stage is the refusal of the call and a great example of how not every story follows every step. This stage can take one of two forms, either an inner fear that must be overcome or a physical block. * In the Hobbit, Bilbo turns Gandolf and the dwarves down. It takes him some time, with an inner turmoil playing out before he decides to join them. It’s his fear that holds him back. Hobbits aren’t meant to travel out of the shire! * On the other hand, Ender doesn’t refuse the call. Instead embraces it and goes head first into his journey. * An example of a physical block would be in Harry Potter. His uncle and aunt will do anything to stop him from accepting the call to adventure, i.e. the letters from Hogwarts and then Hagrid. * In each of these examples, fear does play a role. Ender does fear what his life will be like should he go to Battle School, and Harry Potter fears the unknown of the magical world. * The next two stages often times go together, and that is meeting a mentor and crossing the threshold into the second stage. * In fact, often times it’s the mentor that helps the hero overcome the fears they may have and take the step over the threshold. * In the Hobbit, it’s Gandolf, who influenced Bilbo, and knew he could count on him, even when he wasn’t sure he could count on himself. * In Ender’s Game, it’s Colonel Graff who cares about Ender and can see his potential. * So, let’s take a look at these 5 steps and think about why they work and why they’re important. * The Ordinary World is really all about the background of your characters and it’s very important to understand where they came from, even if you never use that in your writing. When you write your character’s story, understanding their background will help them develop as the story unfolds. * The call to action is where your hero realizes that there’s something that needs to get done, there’s some injustice in the world or problem that needs to be solved. This doesn’t always happen on the page, but if it doesn’t, it’s often referred to throughout the story. * Deciding whether to write this point in your hero’s journey should come down to how important it is for the overall story. For example, the death of a loved one that pushes the hero to ask “why” may not have a direct effect on what happens in the rest of the story and may be best suited referred to throughout the story. This can add depth to a character and even help build a relationship between two or more characters. * Another example is if the hero witnesses a horrific event and decides to act upon it in the moment. In one of my yet unreleased novels, the story opens with a young girl being raped on the street by an authority figure and the protagonist seeing how the people around them do nothing, and seemingly ignore what’s going on. This is important to understanding the story and why the character decides to act. Not only that, but the next 3 chapters take place as he nurses the victim back to health. * The important point about this is, no matter if it happens on the page or off the page, it happens, and you know what it is and why your hero is doing what they’re doing. * The refusal of the call is similar in that it may or may not happen on the page, but it still needs to happen in one way or another. We talked about how in Ender’s Game, Ender didn’t refuse the call outright, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t experience fear and uncertainty. He worried what would happen if he left his current life and his family. These fears make him who he is, and influence who he will become. * The 4th stage, meeting the mentor, is a unique one because many people misinterpret what it really means.  While often times the mentor is a physical person, such as Gandolf, it doesn’t always have to be. I could come in the form of a memory or even an animal or other non-human companions. What they provide also doesn’t have to be specific. They may provide insight, give an item of importance, or just believe in the protagonist and help guide them. * Without this stage, the hero will never get past their fears and cross over into the next section of the story. * Now, when you are planning out or writing this, keep an open mind. Your hero’s mentor may come in a form you never even thought of. In another of my novels, the mentor turns out to be the hero’s father, who was murdered a few years prior, yet he’s with her in memory and in the items he left for her after his death. * The end of the first section is the threshold leaving the ordinary world. Thanks to overcoming the refusal of the call and gaining the item and/or knowledge they need from the mentor, they’re ready to cross over into the unknown and actually start their adventure. * This is an exciting part of your character’s journey, but also one that isn’t easy to write. As the author, you may be enthusiastic and ready to go, but your character should be wary, even if they are confident. You know that everything will eventually work out, but from the protagonist’s point of view, the odds are against them. * So, when your character crosses this threshold, it’s an emotional time and your writing should reflect that. * Think about a time in your own life where you’ve had to make the leap into the unknown. You were probably a mix of excitement, anxiety, scared, and a whole bunch of other emotions and your character should be too. * Once the hero steps over this threshold, they’re now in the Special or Unknown World where the adventure really starts. * But, this is where we’ll leave it for this episode. * These episodes take a lot of planning and research, so the second episode for this will come in a few months, followed by two more about The Hero’s Journey before the end of the year. * This is by far one of my favorite topics to discuss, so please feel free to ask any questions which you can do through the website at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset and then click on Ask A Question. * Or join our facebook group at facebook.com/SPDwritershelpingwriters * You can find me: * On Facebook at facebook.com/jeremylcollier * on Twitter at SoulScribbler, * and finally on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset * Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward. The post The Ordinary World – The Hero’s Journey [Ep. 2-02] [https://spdstorystudio.com/ordinary-world-heros-journey/] appeared first on SPD StoryStudio [https://spdstorystudio.com].