Laurel House’s fourth book, QuickieChick’s Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion and Finance on a Less than Fabulous Budget, is being released today by St. Martin’s Press. In this Write On Q&A she talks about her writing process, getting published, mixing up mediums, and more.

What inspired you to start writing?
I have always been a writer, but I used to just write for myself—in my journal—and I would write cards for people. Whenever it was a holiday or special occasion, or just because I was thinking of someone, I would write these long novelic notes to people, letting them know exactly what they meant to me and how they touched me. I never considered actually being “a writer” until my mentor—Hollywood’s Michael Ovitz—told me when I was 19 years old that, instead of my goal of being “the most powerful woman in Hollywood,” I should be a writer. Now that I’m a writer by trade, my cards just day, “xx Laurel.”

Why did you write Quickie Chick’s Cheat Sheet?
Like many women, I have always been a “do-everything” chick, but I don’t always have the time to actually do EVERYthing. So I am constantly challenging myself to figure out the most effective and efficient ways to get things done. As a magazine writer covering lifestyle (basically everything from fitness to diets, travel to sex), I have had the opportunity to pack a lot of life into my 34 years, essentially being paid to experience, test, and write about how to be a fit, well-fed, awesomely traveled chick. Beyond writing, I am a collector of knowledge—experience-based knowledge to be exact. From getting married (and divorced) at a young age to leaving the corporate world at 23 to become an entrepreneur, I have never been afraid to push the limits, take risks, prove myself and others wrong (or right), and make mistakes. For years I have said that the great thing about the mistakes I have made is that there is always a lesson! Finally, I am taking those lessons and living… But, one of the things I also love about learning is then teaching- paying it forward. QuickieChick’s Cheat Sheet is like the Cliff Notes version of life for chicks.

The very first quickie, however, was my own personal workout: a Quickie Workout in Bed (yes, a real workout that’s just done on a bed), that I shot, uploaded onto YouTube, and got a million views on in a couple of days. I expanded the “Quickie” concept into videos about Bites with Benefits (recipes), Refrigerator Facials (beauty tips), and dating advice… there’s a quickie for everything. Soon it was sold into a book and now my videos have over 7 million views!

What was your writing process? In what way was it different from writing your previous books?
QuickieChick’s Cheat Sheet is my fourth book! But this is the first one that is really mine. The first was a book about stress reduction that I wrote with my mom. The second and third were fitness books that I wrote with personal trainers … in their voices. This is really all me. It is sassy and fun and tongue-in-cheek, but still informative and actionable. It was actually much easier to write than the others, because it was coming straight from my head. I would have an experience, then I would write it down. Or I would talk with my friends and recall old experiences or delve into a topic that other chicks struggle with and it would spark a new section in the book. I would see how fans were responding to YouTube videos, what types of comments they were leaving, what types of videos they were requesting, and that would give me another idea. This book was so much fun to write because it was active. I feel like it had a life of its own. I never felt like it was work.

What was your favorite part of writing this book? The greatest challenge?
My favorite part of writing this book was when I would read certain parts to other chicks—or send it off to my 26-year-old sister—to read, and they were immediately engrossed, asking more questions and telling me how relevant it was in their life at that exact moment. Seeing the possibility of it inspiring, helping, igniting passion, and even changing the lives of other chicks… I loved it!

The greatest challenge was probably editing myself. I have a lot more to say, but this book covers so many different topics that I couldn’t dig quite as deeply into any one. Hopefully there will be more QuickieChick books, each with a specific focus so that I can really dig into the topics without having to cut myself off. It may be about “quick” but there are LOTS of tips that are quick.

How did you get a publisher?
I have an agent who is amazing—Marcy Posner! She is actually my fourth agent. I have had a different agent for each book. But I am sticking with her. She gets me as an author, as opposed to as a book. She also helps to focus, and, yes, to edit me. I tend to be an idea machine. She encourages my ideas, but, like a dam, keeps them from getting spastic and flowing all over the place. I wrote a book proposal, then Marcy sent it off to editors and various publishing houses. Several houses wanted to have meetings, so I flew to NY and met with the houses that seemed like the best fit, and I loved St. Martin’s. Like Marcy, they were interested in me as an author as opposed to just a one-off book. I also loved their enthusiasm. They really got the book.

How do you blend video with your writing? In what ways does it help you reach more people?
I let the writing and videos feed off of and inspire each other. Not everyone wants to read, so I will often “talk a post”—in other words, take the concept of the written post and do a video of me talking about it. Of course social media is also a big part. I tweet, facebook, pin, and tumble my posts and videos. I also have developed relationships with other bloggers who will post about me. Being a writer isn’t just about writing anymore. It’s about being an entrepreneur. I wear a lot of hats and I am constantly juggling. It’s my full-time job.

What are your three favorite tips from the book that relate to writers?
Sell yourself. Being good at a trade is one thing. Letting people know that you’re good at a trade is another. There are SO MANY writers out there. Sometimes a writer doesn’t have to be anything but a writer (in other words, they don’t have to do the social media or the videos or publicizing and marketing) and they will get a lucky break. But it’s easier to draw attention to yourself, tell people that you can write and then prove it.

Swallow Your Ego. So I said that it’s “easier” to draw attention to yourself. Easy isn’t exactly accurate. In fact, it’s often counter-intuitive to the traditionally hermit-ish, introspective nature of a writer. You have to make the decision to put yourself out there. I say that you need to “fake it” or “divorce yourself from yourself.” Create a persona who is outgoing and isn’t afraid to stick her neck out. That’s what QuickieChick is. She has the 3Gs that are essential to success: Gumption, Grace, and Guidance. She has the Gumption to stick her neck out, but she tempers it with Grace, then she Guides other people and teaches them the way.

Diversify. I still write for blogs for free. I always have. I write about a lot of different topics in a lot of different styles. I also do, as I mentioned, the social media, the videos, the guest posts on other people’s sites with links back to mine—all for free. If you want to get noticed, you have to get out there.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?
I wish I had honed my focus and ran with a concept years ago. I feel like I am running a race right now, building the QuickieChick brand and getting attention to it. I wish I had figured out the QuickieChick concept 8 years ago and ran with it, building a following gradually, digging roots into social media at the beginning. But… QuickieChick is all about live and learn. So I guess I still had experiences to collect that I could then translate into quickie tips.

Any additional advice?
Right now, start thinking about who you are, who you want to be, where you want t your career to go, what you’re good at, what you know, what our destination is. Then start taking the steps to get there—now. Create brandable name. Buy the domain, sign up for it on all of the social outlets and start getting that name out. You will develop it as you go, as you get feedback, as you grow. If you end up not liking it, no problem. Start over. Just start.

Today’s Q&A is with Susan Kouguell, author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! (use discount code G22GAZPD for $1 off) and The Savvy Screenwriter: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself) Without Selling Out! Kouguell is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, who teaches screenwriting and film at Tufts University, and is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a motion picture consulting company founded in 1990.

Kouguell talks about her background in screenwriting and filmmaking, offers advice on writing and creating great characters, shares her favorite writing exercise, and more.

How did you get your start writing about screenwriting/filmmaking?
I began screenwriting and making films while I was an undergraduate at SUNY Purchase. I collaborated with a fellow student and over the next six years we made six short films. Our second film was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection and all six films were acquired for the MoMA archives, won international film festivals, and were included in the Whitney Museum of American Biennial, as well as other notable exhibitions.

Soon after the collaboration ended, I had the great fortune to work with the late French film director Louis Malle on his documentary And the Pursuit of Happiness. In addition to doing the research, production coordinating, and working on the small crew, I had the great opportunity to work closely with Louis on writing and editing the voice-over narration. Towards the end of this production and through contacts made on this film, I was hired to write my first feature.

Before and after working with Louis, I also worked at a number of production companies and studios, including the story and casting departments at Paramount Pictures and for Harvey Weinstein at Miramax as a story analyst, story editor, and writer. All of these experiences with companies provided me with a strong education into the business of screenwriting and filmmaking.

How do you balance teaching, writing books and articles, etc?
As a member of the overachievers’ club, not to mention a mom of a teen, I have refined the art of being a good juggler and functioning on little sleep! Seriously, the balancing act is challenging but I love to write and I love teaching and consulting. I’ve always been self-motivated and self-disciplined so I manage this balancing act by keeping organized and maintaining my sense of humor.

What was your process for writing Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays? How did you go about getting it published?
It was a very long process to write Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! I had written The Savvy Screenwriter! about 10 years earlier and had self-published it, and then the book was picked up by St. Martin’s Griffin a few years later at which point I was hired to write a new edition that included updated reference material and more templates for queries, synopses, and so on. I started writing Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! about six years ago and, as with my previous books, I was inspired to do so by my Su-City clients and students, who suggested I write another screenwriting book, but this time focusing on crafting characters and specifically how characters function in all the essential elements of structure, plot, genre, and so on—and to include writing exercises and examples from films just like I do in my classes and workshops.

I began the process by sifting through and organizing all my lecture notes from classes and workshops, and outlining the topics most commonly addressed and asked by my students and clients, and proceeding from there. Then, as I started rereading my lecture notes about films, I admittedly got just a bit carried away—and the initial dozen or so films I intended to reference for the book grew to over 220, and then I realized that only a dozen writing exercises were not enough, so that grew to 34, and then I realized that another great tool from which to learn is to have templates to reference, so I wrote six templates from fictional scripts to provide hands-on assistance with constructing characters. In other words, I became just a bit obsessed!

When I completed the book I had a book agent but when I submitted the manuscript to her she had just shifted her agency to representing a specific fiction genre only. I queried some big publishers and received some equally big bites, but the process was taking too long and the economy was poor, and the reality was that I no longer had the patience to wait for a decision, receive just a nominal fee for all my years of work, and sign away copyright ownership. Call me a control freak—I decided to self-publish once again. It was not such as an easy decision though given the amount of work it takes to promote a book, and so on, but I felt that I already had an initial built-in audience with my Su-City clients, students, Savvy Screenwriter fans, and followers of my articles.

What are the three biggest mistakes screenwriters make when creating characters? How can they fix them?
These top three mistakes are in no particular order. (There are more tips in my book!)

1. Lack of character development. This occurs when screenwriters don’t take the time to develop their characters and the result is that their characters are not distinct and become interchangeable with other characters. Readers must understand what makes characters tick! One suggestion to fix this problem is to write character biographies in each character’s voice from his or her point of view.

2. Characters lack empathy. Often I read scripts in which characters are not empathetic (and I don’t mean that they are not sympathetic)–I mean that I just don’t care enough about them to root for them to succeed or fail. Generally, this issue stems from the fact that screenwriters actually do know who each character is but it is not translating clearly onto the page (the characters are inside the screenwriter’s mind but have remained there)–or that the screenwriter isn’t really sure who their characters are, which generally highlights the fact that screenwriters don’t really understand what their screenplay is about. One way to remedy this situation is to get constructive and objective feedback on the script.

3. Characters and plot must be true to the genre. Each character’s function in a script must somehow advance the plot and be true to the story that the writer is conveying. Understanding the genre conventions for your plot is vital. One solution is to see movies in the genre you’re writing.

How important is it for a writer to have a niche/specialty? Do you recommend writers develop their own specialty? Or are they better off diversifying into various genres and mediums?
I don’t think there is a “one size fits all” answer. In my experience as a script consultant and teacher, I continue to see that what works for one screenwriter may not work for another. In a perfect world, if a screenwriter can write a script in different genres to show potential agents and companies his or her diversity, that’s a bonus, but if a screenwriter feels, for example, that he or she is a great comedy writer and understands the conventions of the genre and can successfully deliver on this, then the screenwriter should stick to that. I feel this also applies, for example, if a screenwriter’s niche is screenwriting but he or she feels that it’s time to branch out into writing fiction, then give it a try but if it’s not the right fit, that’s fine, then just focus on screenwriting.

My feeling is that writers should write what they are most passionate about and in the medium in which they feel the most comfortable. It definitely can’t hurt to try something new and out of your comfort zone, but don’t place unnecessary pressure on yourself –it can be challenging enough just to write in one specialty.

What is your favorite writing exercise?
The following exercise is an excerpted version from Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! My Su-City Pictures East clients and Tufts students have also told me this is their favorite, as it is mine–and I believe why this one has become so popular is that the writer is putting a character in a specific scenario and the interview questions I provide are specific to help guide the screenwriter to painlessly delve into their characters.

Picture your character being interviewed on a talk show. (For some characters, being in the spotlight is an opportunity to get the attention they have always wanted, but for other characters, this might be a frightening scenario if they are terribly shy or phobic.) Or, put your character on a therapist’s couch; perhaps this is the first time that he or she has gone into therapy or maybe your character has been in analysis his or her entire life. Choose a scenario that will enable you to delve into your characters’ minds. Whether it’s a television talk show, a therapist’s office or another scenario, envision the setting and the person interviewing your characters, as you incorporate your characters’ emotions and reactions to their responses. Your characters can answer some or all of these questions, and you can invent some of your own.

Additional advice for screenwriters?
Always keep in mind that the film industry is just that, an “industry”–it’s a business. You must be absolutely passionate about your project. If you are not passionate about your project, this will come through to the film executives to whom you are pitching, submitting your work, and so on. Develop a tough skin so you are prepared for rejection, and surround yourself with experienced people who are as passionate about your project as you are. Immerse yourself in the business, read the trades and network, and continue to write and improve your writing.

Finally, when engaging in any business arrangement, get a contract and make sure your rights and expectations for the project are clearly spelled out. Don’t submit your script to anyone unless it’s absolutely ready; if you’re sick of rewriting or believe that just because bad movies will get made, mine is good enough to send now—be prepared for a quick rejection of your work. Your script is your calling card; it represents your talent and hard work, so take your time and write the best script you absolutely can.

Do you have any advice for non-fiction writers?
This advice is similar to what I offer to screenwriters. Just as in screenwriting, when you are developing your characters, plot and settings, know your subject matter and do thorough research. Do not submit your work for consideration to anyone unless it is absolutely ready to send. Make sure that you have someone (preferably a professional) provide you with objective feedback and not only be open to criticism, but be willing to take the time to make any necessary revisions.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?
I wish I knew more about the business of screenwriting and that the film industry is named “industry” because it is indeed a business. I learned that being a professional writer and screenwriter means feeling confident about expressing one’s expectations and visions, in order to create a more productive and creative work environment, and not to be afraid to ask for a contract (which is an absolute must). Trusting your gut instincts are important and if someone wants to enter into an agreement based on only a handshake or oral agreement, remember the adage that a handshake is only as good as the paper it’s written on.

Today’s Author Q&A is with Natalie MacNeil, an EMMY Award-winning media entrepreneur and the Author of She Takes on the World: A Guide to Being Your Own Boss, Working Happy, and Living on Purpose. (Buy today and receive $500 in bonus gifts from successful women.)

MacNeil talks about her experience writing and offers tips for business and writing success.

Why inspired you to first start writing?
Four years ago I thought my experience of building my own business from the ground up, while traveling the world, could inspire others to pursue their dreams. After writing the blog for awhile I decided a book was the next step. I have a real passion for helping women build businesses around what they are passionate about.

Why did you launch SheTakesOnTheWorld.com?
I was inspired to create She Takes on the World because I felt there were a lack of female voices in business blogging. I had a hunch that there more women out there who were hungry for practical advice and inspiration for building a business and my hunch was right.

What was your favorite part of writing your book? The greatest challenge?
My favorite part of writing was organizing all the notes, lessons learned, stories, and journals I’ve kept.

The greatest challenge for me was the editing process. It required a lot of patience. I learned a lot from working with a world-class editor though. It was amazing to see everything come together in the end!

How do you balance all your different projects?
I strive for focus, not balance. I set five major goals for the year with five milestones for each one. I look at these almost every day which keeps me super-focused. Balance is not something I strive for because I know too many women who stress themselves out trying to maintain a perfect equilibrium.

What is your best piece of advice for multitaskers?
Make sure you’re actually being productive and completing tasks. Multitasking is only bad when you jump from one task to another without ever finishing anything. I consider myself to be a fantastic multitasker (which most multitaskers probably think ha ha) but I must admit that I’ve been more productive since focusing each hour of my day on one thing.

Advice for non-fiction writers?
Build an audience for your book before writing it. Make sure you have a blog on the topic you want to write about, and build credibility in your niche by sharing relevant content on Facebook and Twitter. Publishers want to see that you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field and have an audience that would buy your book.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?
I wish I realized earlier in the writing process how beneficial it is to go on “writing trips.” I wrote nearly half my book on a one week trip to Sacred Valley in Peru. Changing my environment helped to clear my head and writing was the only thing I had to focus on. During the final edit I took a three day trip to a secluded cottage up North in Canada and I did more work in those three days than I had in the previous three weeks! Your environment is so important when you’re writing.

Every now and then, I like to mix things up and have interviews outside the realm of traditional writing. Today is one of those days.

Write On! speaks with Lorena David Esguerra, who, along with Mark Roberts, is executive producer of My Ride Rules. The car-themed reality show filmed four episodes in Dallas and Los Angeles and five episodes in Atlanta; four owners compete against each other for a $1,000 cash prize and the “My Ride Rules” trophy.

Starting tonight, episodes air back-to-back every Tuesday at 10pm PST/EST on the SPEED channel.

Why did you create My Ride Rules?
ITV Studios asked my partner, Mark Roberts and I to come up with a show based on the format of their enormously successful UK hit Come Dine With Me, but for the SPEED Channel. In Come Dine With Me, four people give each other dinner parties and they all score each other. In My Ride Rules four people show their cars to each other and score each others’ cars.

How did the elements come together?
We knew we wanted a cars and owners that had a lot of personality, as well as people who had a special connection to their cars. So that’s what we looked for during casting.

Then we knew that we had to cover the interior, exterior, and engine for every car, so we created the “car tour” section for each car. We wanted everyone to drive each other’s cars so they could properly judge performance so we added a Test Drive part.

As the format from the UK did not have a host, we do not either. However, like that show, we have a voiceover to move the competition along. We also knew that having a hot girl was important to car fans. so we added a trophy girl to hand out the prize.

What was your favorite part of the process? The greatest challenge?
My favorite part is the car tour and test drive, as you can see people learning about and appreciating other cars in an authentic way. The greatest challenge was how to reveal the winner. The other format had a very simple reveal and we wanted a bigger, more fun reveal, so we built an outdoor set and put them all behind the wheel. Without a host it was hard to announce the winner, but we figured it out.

How much writing and preparation goes into each episode?
A lot of work goes into prepping for who these contestants are and what kind of story we want to tell about them. That is the work that the field producer does prior to shooting. Then there is the voiceover, which we work on along with a story producer usually after we have shot the show.

What is it about America’s fascination with cars?
I think cars represent independence and freedom. They allow us to go where we want to be, which is very liberating (just try not having a car). Cars also give us the chance to display our wants and desires along with who we are … or who we want to present. We don’t have to take advantage of that ability; lots of people just buy comfortable, efficient cars, which is fine. But our show is for those who want to show off or just be a little more defined.

Advice for those looking to create/produce a reality show?
Make sure you have a tone that is solid and carried throughout. Also, make sure you are presenting entertainment. We have a rule that our show is a balance of four C’s: Comedy, Car information, Competition, and Conflict. If there is a piece in our show without a C, we know to cut it.

What are the biggest mistakes people make when creating or trying to create a series? How can they remedy them?
Its hard to say, as we were incredibly lucky, but I would say make it unique, make sure it has a niche audience, make sure its entertaining, and make sure you know what happens at every minute of your show.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started this project?
That our weather was going to be a big problem. When we got picked up for 13 more episodes, we were so excited, we just got going, not realizing that shooting in Atlanta and Dallas in the winter would be very cold and often rainy. Bad weather is not conducive to photographing cars beautifully. That’s what we get for growing up in LA!

Christopher Drozd is the author of FITNESS, Straight-Up: How to be a better athlete, or at least look like one. He is a fitness coach, as well as a freelance journalist and hypnotherapist.

Drozd shares his reasons for writing the book, as well as his process, in this Author Q&A.

Why did you write Fitness, Straight Up?
As I describe in the first section “Why You Need to Read This Book,” fitness is our birthright. Problem is we’re conditioned to believe otherwise, so our expectation is that we’re in a constant process of degradation, as a matter of course. There are some who prove otherwise, well into their senior years. In fact, Fauja Singh broke the world record for the oldest runner (100 yrs) to complete a marathon. The same week, he broke eight other track records in events between 100 and 5000 meters. My point is that fitness is ours to lose … or use.

What was your process for writing it?
Once I completed my hypnotherapist training (12 months worth) I immediately set to work on writing. I treated it like a job, paid myself an “advance,” and wrote and rewrote daily. If I were on a roll, I stayed up all night writing. I was motivated. I had something to say.

What was your favorite part of writing it?
I loved wrestling and re-wrestling even a single sentence into expressing exactly what I wanted to say. Then, sometimes months later, restating that same thought again, making it better still. It’s a stylistic thing.

The greatest challenge?
The hardest part of writing Fitness, Straight-Up was to stop writing. For a couple of months four of my friends had been saying, “You’re done!” But, I’d could still be re-writing now.

What are your three favorite tips from the book?
Fitness is our birthright. Because we live in this modern world of convenience where our culturally ingrained expectation has us buying into the errant notion that exercise should be quick and easy, as a society, we now tend toward being a bit too corpulent, soft, and weak. What if we were to realize that our health, fitness, and well-being are intrinsic to our humanity, instead of being dependent on some device, diet, or deceit in pill form?

Eat like your life depends on it. I presuppose that those reading my book are at least as smart as I am. So, aren’t we all intelligent individuals capable of making rational decisions about the foods we consume, rather than giving in to, or being controlled by juvenile or emotional impulses?

Align action with intent. Since we go into and out of hypnotic trance all day, why not use the self-hypnosis process to specifically harness it to get the fitness results we want?

What do fitness writers need to know about writing in this genre?
Quite a few fitness books are compilations of others’ research and some are ghostwritten. I think a personal account of fitness experience, successes and failures, can be a more authentic representation of the state of real-world health and fitness.

It took quite a while for me to gain the perspective that allowed me to write Fitness, Straight-Up, but it’s genuine. Fitness, Straight-Up is what I know to be true because I’ve done it, and because I’ve taught it. Find what you know to be true, and start writing.

Advice for non-fiction writers?
When I do a reading at a booksigning, I make sure to read the entertaining anecdotes. Reciting the nuts and bolts of strength training or aerobic conditioning is treacherous in mixed company. It’s not much better reading it. It’s probably useful to punctuate the dry information with humor, cynicism, and irony if you can.

I always say that writing is like exercise. Do you agree?
Yes, exactly, Debra. I came off of a year of study and had written about eighty essays on various aspects of hypnosis. I was “in-shape” so to speak, and was already in the routine. As well, last spring I had several adventure travel articles to write, and again, because I was already in the groove, I could just knock them out in a week. But, I recall, back in late 2007 or 2008, when I hadn’t been writing near as much, it took a couple of weeks to even get a passable draft of a single surfing story.

By maintaining a base level of writing fitness, that is, writing something—anything—every week it’ll be a much less jarring experience when the intensity is turned up.

Sandy Frank, author of The Inner Game of Screenwriting: 20 Winning Story Forms, was briefly a Park Avenue lawyer before quitting to write for Late Night with David Letterman. He went on to write sketch, sitcom, drama, and features. And now, non-fiction.

Enter the October Challenge for your chance to win a copy of The Inner Game of Screenwriting from Michael Wiese Productions.

How did you make the jump from lawyer to comedy writer?
My law firm’s offices were in 30 Rock, a few floors above NBC, and one of my best friends from college (and from the humor magazine we both wrote for) had become the head writer of Late Night with David Letterman, so we ran into each other all the time. One night, he and I were having dinner, complaining about our jobs, when he said if I were really tired of being a lawyer he thought I could write on the show. He helped me get my material together, and I ended up quitting my law job and writing for Dave for four years, during which we won four Emmy Awards for comedy-variety writing.

Why did you write The Inner Game of Screenwriting?
Having been a math major, computer programmer, and lawyer, I always took an analytic approach to writing. As I went from comedy-variety to sketch to sitcom to drama to features, I always wanted to know, ‘how do I do this?’ Then, a couple years ago, I woke up and realized that I finally got what it was all about, how it really works. And I thought it would be great to help other writers get it, too.

What was your process for writing it? Why did you choose the story forms format?
As I wrote about Inner Story, I ended up cataloging and analyzing all its types, and they became the story forms in the subtitle. So the format arose quite organically from the material.

What are three things screenwriters need to know?
My book is really about the one thing that all screenwriters – up-and-coming or other wise – need to know: that the Inner Story is the most important element of any screenplay. Maybe you’ve heard of Isaiah Berlin’s essay about the hedgehog and the fox: the fox knows many little things; the hedgehog knows one big thing. Most screenwriting books teach many little things: how to write dialog, how to craft scenes, where to put your act breaks, etc. My book teaches one big thing: how to write an emotionally satisfying Inner Story.

What was your favorite part of writing this book? The greatest challenge?
Writing non-fiction is hard. You stare at your screen and think, this made so much sense when I thought it, how come it’s so confusing the way I wrote it. But the great part is it really forces you to think your hypotheses through. The old saying is true: you don’t really understand something until you can write it down clearly enough for someone else to understand it.

Additional advice for screenwriters?
Learn to gauge your emotional reactions as you watch movies or read screenplays. Are you fascinated? Are you bored? Then try to figure out why.

Advice for non-fiction book writers?
Clarity is the most important goal. Get it down, then read it with a fresh (ignorant) eye and revise it till it’s clear.

What do you know now that you wish you knew at the beginning of your writing career?
That what makes a screenplay successful is the emotional Inner Story. It’s easy to tell screenwriters that the main character has to want something and has trouble getting it. But what really determines a screenplay’s success is what’s going on inside the characters. That’s really what The Inner Game of Screenwriting is all about: it’s everything I’ve finally learned that I wish I knew years ago. To me, it’s the key that unlocks the art of screenwriting.

I had the pleasure of interviewing best-selling author Jackie Collins at the West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday. We talked about her latest book, Goddess of Vengeance, writing, and more. Here’s a snippet from the interview where she offers a great tip for writers. Write on!

Carol Quinn is the author of Follow My Lead: What Training My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Love, and Happiness. A strategic advisor at her company ProjectQuinn, she is also an adjunct faculty member at USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism.

Quinn talks about how she got published, writing from personal experience, and more in this Write On! Q&A.

Why did you write Follow My Lead?
So many of us have close relationships with our dogs, and we rely on them for love and companionship. For me, the experience of training my dogs in agility brought a deeper understanding of the nature of dogs, and it led me to look at my life in a different way. From a dog’s point of view, I was doing everything all wrong.

I’ve always been interested in the fundamentals of personal transformation; what are the right conditions for change, what are the necessary ingredients? It became clear to me during my agility classes that my relationship with life—and the man in my life—were both in need of a radical adjustment. Applying the training I was learning from my agility teacher to my own life worked to bring about that transformation for me. And my dogs, Nairobi and Sheila, became my guides in the process.

When I looked back over the experiences I’d been through, I thought the story about learning from my dogs might appeal to readers, and be something many people could relate to. The book evolved from there.

What was your process for writing it? Getting it published?
I got the idea for the book, wrote a proposal, worked with an editor whom I’ve collaborated with for years to get things just right, and sent it to my agent. He called two days later, made a few suggestions, and then he started sending out the proposal to publishers. Of course, I got a few rejections. That’s never a good feeling. I was in NYC with my best friend when I got a call from the editor at Seal Press. She loved the proposal, I was thrilled, and that was that.

For the proposal, I had already completed five chapters and an outline. When I began writing the book, I rewrote and extended the material quite a bit. Structuring material for a book proposal is far different from writing a book. Proposals are really short sales pieces.

I finished the manuscript in three months, turned in my first draft, and then began working with my editor at Seal Press, Merrik Bush-Pirkle. The first draft, for me, is an indication of the final material. Everything I want is in the manuscript, but it’s in need of rearrangement and finesse.  I have never written a perfect first draft, and I don’t even try. There’s still a missing voice in the process—the editor. Once you get a chance to learn how your editor “hears” your writing, it’s really the first time you get feedback on what you’re trying to create. Merrik and I spent another three months working chapter by chapter, incorporating her notes into my rewrites before I turned in my final draft.

When writing from real life, how did you decide what to include and what to eliminate?
My main concern was protecting the people in my life while telling the truth about my experiences. This is, after all, my story, and I had to tell it from my point of view. I tried to give enough detail for the reader to understand the characters in my book, particularly Henry and Irina, but I focused on their effect on me. I did not focus on why they did what they did. That’s their story.

It’s a tricky process, though, I have to admit. I trusted my editor implicitly throughout. If something I wrote made her uncomfortable, I deleted it. If she didn’t grasp an emotional flow in a scene, I rewrote until she did.

What was the most your favorite part of writing it? The greatest challenge?
I love writing so much it’s hard for me to pinpoint my favorite part of the process. Beginnings are wonderful because you aren’t hampered by anyone’s opinion. The editing process is exciting because you get the chance to clarify and improve your writing. Ending the book is glorious.

The greatest challenge for me was “track changes.” I like reading editorial notes on a printed manuscript. It’s very hard to do it onscreen—and frustrating.

Advice for dog lovers who want to write?
There are wonderful dog books out there. It’s a great category, and I would encourage anyone who thinks that they have a great story—tell it! Blogs to books are a great way to go, and there is a great community of pet bloggers on http://www.blogpaws.com/

Advice for non-fiction writers?
This was my first non-fiction/memoir, and I would have to say the mechanics of structuring a good story are the same. Finding the dramatic arc, though, takes a bit of work. Life doesn’t always present you with the right beginning, middle and end. I ended up going back and forth in time to create the narrative.

For anyone writing a memoir, it’s important to create a distance between your emotional experience and the story you want to tell. Not every aspect of your emotional experience may translate into a narrative form or resonate with readers.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started writing Follow My Lead?
I’m not sure I would have wanted to know this beforehand, but it’s very hard to get people’s attention these days. Everyone is swamped, busy with their own projects and fielding requests left and right. And the social media and traditional media clutter is intense. It takes a lot effort to entice someone to sit down and read a book, let alone write an Amazon review!

That said, it’s a lot of fun to make connections with readers and reviewers whenever—and wherever I can. And it’s an amazing feeling when someone has been touched by the book. For me, that’s the whole point of writing.

In honor of social media week, today’s Write On interview is with Sukhraj “Suki” Beasla, Eat Suki Eat, a social media addict, freelance writer and food blogger.

Beasla is a great example of someone who took her passion and started developing a blog around it.

What first inspired you to start writing?
I’ve been writing since an early age. I blame my grandfather. He was a poet and an avid reader. I wrote stories about my life on the farm in a diary, which evolved into an online diary about my life in college – and then later blogging.

Why did you create Eat Suki Eat? What makes your blog so successful?
The idea came to me in December while having takeout pizza. It became as a way to chronicle my way around the kitchen as I learn how to cook, but has no evolved into everything food. It’s not quite the success I want it to be yet, but one day I hope it really becomes something and a journey about food around the world. I would love to travel and eat.

How does someone become a food blogger?
Anyone can talk about their food journey. It’s one thing that doesn’t really require any … extensive background. If you love food, you can talk about it.

What is your process for deciding what to write/when/schedule?
I talk about everything involving food that inspires me. I share those stories when they come to me on a weekly basis.

What is your favorite part of being a blogger? The greatest challenge?
Sharing my experience and having others relate or comment. I love engaging the reader. The greatest challenge is drawing an audience but I think every blogger faces that in the beginning.

What are the biggest mistakes newbie bloggers make?
They aren’t consistent, they rush out a blog post, or they don’t really know what their blog is about.

And your recommendations for correcting them?
Before starting a blog, make it your priority. It doesn’t have to be your life, but make some time for it and really commit to your subject matter and your potential audience.

How important is it for bloggers to do video?
Video isn’t for everyone. It’s important, but if it doesn’t fit your strategy then you’ll be lost. Figure out what you’re doing and how you can incorporate it. I use video to demo what’s in the kitchen – success and failure.

Additional advice for bloggers?
Be passionate about what you’re doing and talking about. Engage your audience with the idea of you.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started your blog?
To be consistent and have a clear message.

Designer Ethan Bodner, a senior at Hartford Art School, is the author of Creative Grab Bag, a collection of work from artists, illustrators, and designers from around the world. Bodnar created more than 30 unique tasks and gave each contributor a task that different from his or her typical work. The book, which contains images of each artist’s creative task, typical work, and a biography with a short reflection on their creative process, captures the spirit of exploration and innovation and challenge readers to break out of their usual work.

What inspired you to write Creative Grab Bag?
Creative Grab Bag is about exploring your creativity and I think that is what I did by pushing myself further to make and publish a book. I had been seeing people launch book projects online that involved a diverse group of contributing artists for their books. From there I just decided that I wanted to make a book. The idea of actually doing something that could be tangible was really inspiring.

What was your process for writing/compiling it?
The first thing I did was create a very long list of artists, designers, illustrators, and all sorts of creative people who I had been bookmarking or looking at their work online. Then I created a website and sent out emails to them all inviting them to be part of the book. So many amazing people said “yes” and I am grateful for their support and contributions.

How did you go about getting it published?
I looked own my own bookshelf to figure out who published the design books that I had. From there I did some more research on the internet and found that all the publishers had contact information and instructions for pitching a book. So I emailed them all to see if any were interested, and HOW Books was!

What was your favorite part of making Creative Grab Bag?
The best part about putting together Creative Grab Bag was the amazing artists that I got to work with. It brought me so much happiness to check my email and see a new piece of work come in it that someone had created specifically for my book.

Advice for non-fiction writers and artists?
Just start writing and making your book, email lots of people, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.

What are some things that you feel stop people from being creative?
Everyone is creative, I think the fact that many people don’t realize that is the main thing that stops people from being creative. You don’t have to be an amazing painter or something visual, creativity comes in many forms.

What do you know now that you wish you knew at the beginning of this project?
The most important thing is to just connect with people. It’s so easy to just send someone an email and reach out, many times people will respond to you.