The last time we did this topic was way back in 2021 here’s the link to Episode 130. We think maybe we’ve learned something since then. Born out of the “be mean to your characters” necessity, “what could be meaner than making your characters make decisions, do something, take responsibility, and live with consequences of their actions?”

• According to this link by Meg LaTorre at Savvy Authors, “agency” means the character is more proactive than reactive in the story. The character does stuff instead of stuff just happening to him/her.
• To give characters agency, ensure they drive the plot through active choices and pursuit of clear, motivated goals, rather than passively reacting to events. This involves providing meaningful choices, showing consequences for their actions, creating internal and external conflicts that require decisive action, and allowing for character growth based on their decisions. (thanks, AI and this link)

How do you do it? Check out this link (summary below):

• Active, Not Passive: Your protagonist should be the driver of the plot, making decisions that shape the story, not just having things happen to them.
• Clear Goals: Give characters specific, achievable goals rooted in their desires and motivations.
• Strong Motivations: Explain why a character takes action, linking their choices to their values, beliefs, and internal struggles.
• Meaningful Choices: Present dilemmas where characters must make difficult decisions that reflect their personality.
• Consequences: Show the tangible positive and negative outcomes of their decisions, reinforcing their impact on the story.
• Conflict as a Catalyst: Use obstacles and conflicts to force characters to act and make choices.
• Show, Don't Tell: Reveal agency through actions and dialogue, not just narration of thoughts or feelings.
• Character Arc: Allow characters to change and develop as a result of their experiences and choices.
• Avoid Deus Ex Machina: Don't resolve conflicts randomly or through external forces beyond the character's control.

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Finding the right event, getting the vendor license, and packing all your stuff to go over there and sell is all part of the prep. The South Carolina Artisan license can be found at the SC Department of Revenue (link).

Some expected costs: Table ($50-200), vendor license (maybe), travel -- if you have an LLC, you can consider all of these business expenses.

Some preparation consideration: Table aesthetics - what will get people's attention? How can you display your logos and branding? What props will you use to lure people? Rex has foam boards of the book covers, Kasie has QR code displays. Rex has a foam baby eating a rat, it was a Halloween store buy. What giveaways will you have? We've used candy and we've used stickers. Match the stickers to the event. Book display stands are available at Amazon and the foam board displays will have theirs in the purchase price.

Some of the vendors we mentioned for giveaways: DiscountMugs.com, VistaPrint, 24HourWristBands.com

Tote bags - people walk around with the bags and advertise for you. This is a good onsite investment.

Book pricing can and should be related to the people at the event. Consider charging what you think the people will pay. All the authors charging the same thing may not sell anything. But when Rex charges what he thinks the people will pay, he undercuts the other authors. Volume is what matters here, he says, so the more books you can put out in the world the better.

How to present yourself at the table: look professional, a jacket and a nice shirt, something relevant for the event, put out a select number of books so that people can peruse them individually. Engage with people, talk to them, don't be nervous. Know something about the subject.

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Heather has been with us before. She visited back on Episode 261: Edit Like a Pro. Here are some details about Heather: Heather Harris-Bergevin is an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she has an upcoming children’s picture book with Lucky Rabbit Press, based in Columbia, SC.

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it.

Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes.

This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list:

1. Join a writers’ group
2. Go to a writers’ conference
3. Be a loyal customer to your local indy bookstore
4. Write reviews for your favorite indy bookstores
5. Attend author talks and book signings
6. Send than you letters, notes, and messages to authors
7. Like, comment, share, subscribe to authors’ digital content
8. Post reviews for books you enjoy
9. Go to book festivals
10. Be the “in conversation with” host
11. Be a library patron, better yet, a Friend of the Liberary
12. Support literary journals and magazines
13. Be a literacy volunteer at your local schools
14. Donate books to the Little Free Liberaries
15. Join the Authors Guild
16. Join a book club
17. Join Authors Against Book Bands
18. Advocate for the rights to read and write freely
19. Chronicle the times in which you live
20. Support the arts and your fellow creatives
21. Be a literary tourist
22. Read.

Read more on the blog

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it.

Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes.

This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list:

1. Join a writers’ group
2. Go to a writers’ conference
3. Be a loyal customer to your local indy bookstore
4. Write reviews for your favorite indy bookstores
5. Attend author talks and book signings
6. Send than you letters, notes, and messages to authors
7. Like, comment, share, subscribe to authors’ digital content
8. Post reviews for books you enjoy
9. Go to book festivals
10. Be the “in conversation with” host
11. Be a library patron, better yet, a Friend of the Liberary
12. Support literary journals and magazines
13. Be a literacy volunteer at your local schools
14. Donate books to the Little Free Liberaries
15. Join the Authors Guild
16. Join a book club
17. Join Authors Against Book Bands
18. Advocate for the rights to read and write freely
19. Chronicle the times in which you live
20. Support the arts and your fellow creatives
21. Be a literary tourist
22. Read.

Read more on the blog

We’re in the dog days of summer which can lead to a slow, reluctance to turn to the screen or the page and get new stories generated. Why do we feel this?

What can we do about it?

This writer offered a few tips and tricks:

• Read, read and read again – other writers can gently or violently shake something free in us
• Surround yourself with other writers – group, conferences, readings, book stores, go where the writers are
• Be open to conversation – you might avoid too much socializing when you’re focused, but right now you need conversation, so seek it out
• Spend time elsewhere – travel or retreat, get into a new space to shake yourself out of mundaneity

Our AI answers also suggest immersing yourself in the world. But being intentional about it is what matters. Don’t just move through the world, observe and record what you’re seeing and let those observations light the fuse to new stories.

Segment 2

Let’s talk about creativity as an inspiration. Do you watch other stories? Veer into nonfiction books? See concerts or artwork?

Some image or phrase might inspire you to write the backstory or the what-happened-next. Sometimes movies can have a side character that makes you want to write what that character might be doing otherwise.

Can you be spontaneously inspired? What are the results of such experiences? Novels? Short stories?

Segment 3

Planned writing exercises? Yes, please. Some prompts might start a new story or inspire a character or longer work.

I like a writing prompt exercise but sometimes others’ prompts are dumb. Where do you get writing prompts?

Google AI. For real. Just ask it for writing prompts for adult writers. Otherwise you’ll get a bunch of elementary school prompts like “how was your summer vacation?”

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It’s been a while since we did the grab bag thing. Here are some place to start but we’re sure to wander off and just riff a bit. I asked Gemini “What are Writers asking AI?”

• How can AI assist with research and brainstorming? AI can help writers research topics, generate outlines, and brainstorm ideas for stories or articles.
• Can AI help with editing and proofreading? Yes, AI writing assistants can offer real-time suggestions for grammar, style, and structure, improving the overall quality of writing.
• How can AI be used to enhance creativity? AI can generate prompts, scenarios, and alternative perspectives to help writers overcome creative blocks or explore new ideas.
• Can AI tools be used to tailor content for different audiences? AI can assist in analyzing audience demographics and preferences to customize the tone, style, and content to specific segments.

Some writers are worried about AI. They ask:

• Will AI replace human writers and artists? This is a significant concern, especially in fields like scriptwriting and content creation, where AI could automate tasks traditionally performed by humans.
• How will AI affect writers' income and compensation? Writers worry about the potential for downward pressure on wages due to the increased competition and automation offered by AI.
• What are the ethical implications of using AI in content creation? This includes questions about copyright infringement, plagiarism, biases in AI models, and the transparency of AI-generated content.
• How can intellectual property be protected in an AI-driven world? Concerns exist about AI systems being trained on copyrighted material without compensation or permission, leading to legal challenges and uncertainty about ownership of AI-generated content.
• How can the uniqueness and value of human-written work be preserved? Writers and industry professionals are exploring ways to differentiate human creativity from AI's capabilities and ensure fair compensation for human artists.

On X:

One writer asked, what are you writing that no one seems to want? – i.e. the MSWL for agents and publishers may not include your WIP.

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We took last week off for the holiday weekend but we’re back this week to finish the Seven Deadly Sins series. Remember we did this one before, but it’s been a couple of years. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them.

The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas.

The sins are:

• Pride
• Greed
• Lust
• Envy
• Gluttony
• Wrath
• Sloth

Like I said, we’ve done these before (episodes 151-157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors.

This week’s focus is Gluttony. What do we know about gluttony? Let’s ask AI.

Gluttony is often associated with overeating, but it can also refer to overconsumption, such as drinking too much or bingeing on Netflix. A gluttonous character may prioritize their own pleasure and satisfaction over their health or responsibilities, and may struggle with self-control and moderation. A primary goal for the gluttonous is comfort, and they may seek an overabundance of any item that's pleasurable to achieve constant pampering.

Some examples of gluttony in literature include:

• Beauty and the Beast: Gaston eats five dozen eggs every morning
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The mayor, Bruce Campbell, keeps getting fatter as he gets more corrupt
• Jabba the Hut from Star Wars
• Falstaff from Henry V

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