Monday, June 26, 2017

Dave Tomlinson discusses his new book, “Around the World in 80 Tales”

For Dave Tomlinson, the greatest fulfillment in being a travel writer is the potential to inspire the wanderlust that others may see the world for themselves.  If the world is a book, Dave wants you to read more than just the page you are on now.      Dave has passion for travel, outdoor adventure and cultural understanding.  This has seen him explore over 50 countries across 5 continents of the world.  He’s used his love of travel to create a website and write two books.  Travel Unravelled is a guide book for travelling the world on a budget and Around the World in 80 Tales is a collection of his experiences doing exactly that.


D.O: Thanks for joining us today on Authors' Curtilage Book Dialogue, and welcome.

DT: Thank you, it’s nice to be here.

D.O: The audience would like to know which part of the world you’re joining us from.

DT: Down under.  I’m originally from the south island of New Zealand but now living in sunny Brisbane in Australia.  

D.O: Thanks for joining us. When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

DT: When I realised that I could string words together in a way that informs, educates and entertains readers.

D.O: What are the various craft you've studied before you came into the entertainment industry or do you just possess some natural tendencies to write stories?

DT: I think travel and writing are intrinsically linked.  I always feel inspired to tell others about the people, places, the unique cultures and experiences that exist beyond their own horizons.   

D.O: What are the steps you took to develop your book from a rough draft into a published novel?

DT:  The interesting thing about this book was that originally it never going to be a book.  It evolved from a series of true stories I was writing based on my adventures.  When the title of Around the World in 80 Tales occurred to me, the book was developed from that. 

D.O: What did you do differently in your book to make readers feel fear, concern, sadness, love and laughter?

DT:  I felt a sense of obligation to describe my travels in the most real way that I could.  Like painting a picture that makes people
realise that for all the wonderful rewards, there are also some gritty realities that I’ve experienced along the way.     

D.O: What sensitive materials does your book deal with?

DT:  A couple of my stories shine a light into some of the darkest events in our history.  I relate my experiences of visiting the Killing Fields in Cambodia and the museums dedicated to the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan.  These were emotional experiences and that I’ve described objectively and didn’t sugar coat.         

D.O: That’s good. What's the subject matter of your book?

DT:  The highs and lows of travel through five continents of the world.  Through 80 unique tales, I’ve written about a diverse range of experiences in no particular order.  This makes for light, easy and enjoyable reading.   

D.O: What is the underlying theme that explored truth or moral in your book?

DT: The theme of the book is adventure that embraces the good, bad and ugly of travel.  It’s an insight into the life of a backpacker as he makes his way from one experience to the next.  Not always comfortable but always loving the journey.   

D.O: What town or city does your book story portray and what is the feeling we have in this dwelling places?

DT: A range of different towns, cities and places, each with their own atmosphere and daily rhythms.   

D.O: Having a unique point of view in telling a story provides your story with intention. From how many characters' viewpoint is your entire book seen from?

DT:  This is the world seen through my eyes. 

D.O: What do these points of views infuse into each of the chapter in your book?

DT: By nature, I’m an optimistic and happy person and I think that’s reflected in my writing.  I always try to see the good in people and places but feel it’s also important to be honest in my opinions.

D.O: What does the lead character of your book want most in the world?

DT:  To feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment through his cultural exchanges and experiences.  

D.O: What does he do to achieve this goal?

DT:  Travel the well-established tourist trails and also to some remote corners beyond them.  Often the most memorable experiences are gained on the road less travelled.    

D.O: How do you think your book will influence reader’s growth positively?

DT:  For me, the greatest fulfilment in being a travel writer is the potential to inspire the wanderlust others that they may see the world for themselves.  If the world is a book, I want them to read more than just the page they are on now.      

D.O: Any hint about your next book?

DT:  Around the World in Another 80 Tales?  No, I’ll probably need to create something different but I’m sure that the spirit of adventure will stimulate that.

D.O: [SMILES] definitely it will. What better effort do you suggest writers, put into their writing to have great sales in the ever-changing economics of the entertainment industry?

DT:  Pay attention to the detail of spelling, grammar and general readability.  Be professional in your approach and you’ll be rewarded accordingly.  

D.O: Thank you once again for joining us on Authors Curtilage Book Dialogue. We
wish you the publishing best and hope that all good things come your way with your book.

DT:  Thank you.  It’s been a pleasure and I appreciate the opportunity.  Best wishes to you also.  


Dave Tomlinson joined Authors’ Curtilage Book Dialogue via email from Sunny Brisbane in Australia.

Friday, June 2, 2017

My Sincerest Apologies

Dear Authors, Publishers and Readers,

I wanted to offer my sincerest apologies for not posting or replying to your emails for a longer while now. I am currently overbooked and crammed with job, career and schooling. I understand your frustration at not being responded to in timely manner, and your even greater frustration for not getting any response at all.

At Authors’ Curtilage, I pride myself on giving my 100% every day to ensure that your bookish needs are being met. I know that I have let you down, and for that I am very sorry. I am going to make sure that all of your requests are tended to one after another.

I would like to thank you for choosing Authors’ Curtilage and for your patience. I am always looking for ways to improve my service, and your feedback is an invaluable part of that process.

Should you have any suggestion in the future to improve Authors’ Curtilage, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, and I will be very happy to receive your input.

Sincerely,
Damilola Ogunremi
Publicist

(+234) 817 076 8650
authorscurtilage@yahoo.co.uk

Can The Same Sales Letter be Effective 28 years later?

I’m sure you’ve heard of The Wall Street Journal, but did you know that there was one single sales letter that was mailed for over 28 years, the exact same one, which eventually turned The Wall Street Journal into the success it is today.

And that is just one example of how powerful copywriting can completely flip the script for both publishers and the companies they write for.

There is a secret though, the writer of this letter, Martin Conroy didn’t come up with the copy on his own, he used a trick that hardly anyone knows, a cheat that gave him the edge in his copywriting.

Let me take a moment to introduce John A. he’s unlocked the secret to powerful copywriting, and has had amazing success with it.

One campaign he ran pulled in over 25 million, and another he did for a client produced 14 million.

Pretty impressive, right?

Today, he’s sharing this knowledge with fellow writers, he wants everyone to be able to understand this “secret” to copywriting to catalyze their own publishing into the next level.

Whether you’re writing copy for your own business, or do it as a living for others, having the knowledge to boost current sales is what every writer wants.

So, stop scratching your head on how to craft powerful, successful copy and check out what John has to share in his new Copywriting Crash Course.


To your future in copywriting!
Trent Steele, Editor
Write Street Newsletter
http://www.writestreet.com/
Part of the Self Development Network


Show Don't Tell, A New Masterclass


Hi Writer,

There comes a time in every fiction writer's career when the "Show Don't Tell" question rears its head.


I remember when it happened for me.

I'd already written a lot - and I mean plenty.

Two and a half novels, maybe thirty short stories...

In fact, I'd been writing fiction for over two decades before I asked myself: What is this "show don't tell" thing?

The first time I looked into it I thought, well, I THINK I do that...

But - the more I thought about it - the more I realized I was kidding myself.

I tried to ignore the gnawing sensation I'd perhaps been getting the craft of storytelling wrong for years!

Finally it dawned on me. I wasn't showing my stories at all.

No, I was relying heavily on my author's voice to to TELL my stories - which is actually the very WORST thing you can do!

SHOWING hit me like an epiphany.

Once I understood the concept, there was no going back.

And it's been like that ever since.

Now I always SHOW - that's where it all starts, how it continues until the end of the story writing process.

Once you truly understand what showing instead of telling actually means, you wonder why you couldn't see the OBVIOUS.

Because SHOWING is the ONLY WAY to tell a story well.

The issue is super important, whether you realize it now or not.

And seriously, once you GET IT, you'll wonder why you wasted so much writing time!

Honestly, this is something you MUST KNOW if you're going to be writing GREAT stories, getting them read, loved, and sold.

It's FUNDAMENTAL stuff.

As a consequence, Robyn and I have put our heads together and created a Show Don't Tell course at my Writing Academy.

It's full on and will help you in every area of your fiction writing: idea creation, characters, plotting, editing.

The best part is that there are dozens of examples from bestselling books to illustrate exactly how other authors do it.

This approach is unique I believe, because it's rare to see writers brave enough to analyze other top selling author's work.

The course is great. And it's written by two people who have created over 100 bestsellers of their own, fiction AND nonfiction.

You'll benefit, of that there's no doubt.

Also there's a couple of quality bonuses. Complete e-books about Creative Writing, one from Cambridge University and the 7th Edition of a "must have" manual on the craft.

Rob Parnell's Writing Academy
Sincerely,
Rob Parnell's Writing Academy
rob@easywaytowrite.com
531 Church Road
Warnertown
Port Pirie SA 5540
AUSTRALIA 

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