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Showing posts with label Catherine F. Olen. Show all posts

Sharing your experiences with your readers, guest post by Catherine Olen

As an established author I had written several books on non-fiction topics, The Upside of Undertaking as a memoir and The Final Curtain, Celebrity Deaths as a biography of the great people of Hollywood. Both of these books were written with an outline of the chapters and traditional writing methods. The Great Disneyland Scavenger Hunt I realized from the beginning this would be a completely different experience.

As a writer I have found we are in constant need to updating out writing skills as well as being flexible about the structure of our writing. It would have been nearly impossible for a traditional outline to be used when creating a book of questions and answers with facts pepper throughout the chapters. It was part of my learning process to determine the easiest way to communicate the information about Disneyland resort without falling back on using format of my previous books.

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Part of the process of any writer is to research other works in the same genre to see what other authors have used in their books, then determine which have been effective and which fell short of their target.

Your writing style should always reflect your personality but, as writers, it is more important to consider the needs of your readers. If you are writing a book of lists, it would become quite boring for the reader to see page after page of bullet points. How can you convey the information while engaging the readers interest through the last chapter?

With The Great Disneyland Scavenger Hunt I have engaged the reader by having a questions and answer format, rather than just a question. This allows the reader to engage in finding the material but giving them clues with having a set number of answers to choose from. While this has proven to be very effective, I was still concerned with the possibility of a reader becoming stuck on a question. It was my decision to create a QR code and the end of each chapter leading the reader to my website where clues can be found to assist them with their quest.

As we know as readers, it is very easy in this fast paced era we live in to lose the attention of the reader quickly. This requires us to think even more about how to keep the attention of the reader. It is even better if you can achieve this in a way and market your other offers at the same time, even better. This creates a win win situation for you and your reader.

With The Great Disneyland Scavenger Hunt, the QR code gives the reader the added assistance they need when stuck, keeping them engaged and present and at the same time sending them to my website where they will see additional books, iPhone apps and other products they may be interested in now or in the future. The reader not only receives the assistance they need but they also get the opportunity to see additional products that will enhance their reading experience. Never be afraid to show your readers how you can continue to entertain and inform.

As a writer it is your responsibility to share your experiences with the readers, this includes innovative ways to keep them interested in you as a writer. Traditional marketing methods are still valid but limiting in speaking to a broad audience. The social media wave has given authors great new methods of getting their word out to the reader. Having a Facebook page or Twitter account is not even enough to get in touch with the greatest number of potential readers. Do you have a Youtube channel? Perhaps a Vine account? Not only will your creativity be stretched in new directions but it will give you inspiration for new literary projects in the future.

Catherine Olen has enjoyed a love affair with the magic of the Disney theme parks for as long as she can remember, counting herself among Disneyland passholders for the last twenty-five years. Previously, Olen owned and operated Hollywood Grave Hunter and is the proud author of The Final Curtain: Celebrity Deaths and The Upside of Undertaking, chronicling her previous career experiences. She has been a correspondent to Entertainment Tonight (US and France), The Biography Channel, Reelz Network, and the Mark & Brian radio show.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

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