HW#2 - John Hundley
Woof! This was truly overwhelming. Definitely not something I could complete in one day. Lots of gaps to fill in later:
Homework For Thomas’ Talk
Step 1 - Look in the Mirror
What are your strengths?
● Craft wise, I’m good at dialog.
● I’ve developed a perspective on life where I can laugh at myself.
● The Red Wolf Universe that I write in, intrigues people ( I took Jim’s suggestion of checking underlines in one of my books in kindle), an alternate history of Earth where aliens (the Fae) have used it as a vacation spot and decided to exterminate the natives.
What are you the best in your world at?
● I’ll go back to the dialog thing. I show much better than I tell.
Why do readers pick other authors over you?
● They’re looking for something else.
● They know them better.
Why do people read other similar stories rather than your story?
● They know the author better.
● Hey, there’s some great stuff out there, stuff I’d rather read myself!
What do you do that exhausts you?
● Maintaining my Facebook presence.
What are your unfair advantages?
● I’ve been through some of the emotional hells my characters go through and survived them. Maybe I have that survivor’s perspective.
What gives you the authority to write on the subject you’re writing on?
● I’ve written eight novels in the Red Wolf Universe. I know it pretty well.
What gives you the authority to explore the themes in your writing?
● Seventy-three years of living and trying to answer the question, ‘why?’. Two marriages, parenthood, growing up in a time of rapid change, and accepting the basic goodness in human nature despite all the horrible things we manage to do.
Step 2 - Look at Your Readers
Who is your target reader?
● Predominantly female (well, most readers are). Single (divorced, separated, widowed). They probably work at a low-level job that is not necessarily boring, but stressful. They like to escape into a book with a character they can relate to and cheer for.
What does your target reader read currently?
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How is your target reader different from other readers?
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Why does your target reader read books?
● Mainly escape.
How can you thrill your target reader?
● Good characters, dialog, and plenty of action and romance.
Step 3 - Listen to Your Readers
What do readers like about you?
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What are the themes and topics that come up?
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What words do they mention in their reviews?
● Interesting characters
● Characters and dialog were excellent
● Looking forward to the next book
● Fast-paced read, plenty of action
● Enjoyed the humor
● Clever mix of sci-fi and fantasy
● Fun
● Endearing hero
● Highly imaginative
What do people say about you when they talk to each other?
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Step 4 - Look in Your Reader’s Mirror
What does my brand let my readers say about themselves?
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What tribe does this brand give me access to?
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Who are your outsiders?
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Homework For Jim’s Talk
What is the promise you are making your readers?
● You can escape into a fast paced adventure in an imaginative world with endearing characters, good dialog, and some romance.
What comes to mind when people think of you?
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What is the empathy you have for your readers?
● They’ve been through a lot of the emotions in the story, so they can identify with the characters. They’re going to want to see how the characters make it through.
What is the authority you have for your readers? What gives you the authority to write on the subject you’re writing on?
● Life experience. Plus, I’ve written eight novels in the Red Wolf Universe, an alternative history (and future) of Earth where aliens (the Fae) vacationed here for billions of years and have decided to exterminate the native human upstarts.
What gives you the authority to explore the themes in your writing?
● Life experience.
Find a website that makes it about them, and brainstorm how you would change that website to make it about the website visitor. What are two things you would change?
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Who is your target reader? Describe them in one sentence:
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To stand out, we must shock/surprise/delight Broca on a regular basis. How have you, or how are you going to, shock/surprise/delight Broca during the next three days?
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You know your brand has to be organic. What is different, unique, quirky, surprising about you that can/does define you as a person? How are you organically compelling?
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In what areas do you need to give yourself permission to be you?
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In what two areas are you going to focus on where you’ll make your content surprising/entertaining/provocative/engaging?
● Newsletter
● Blog