Do you want to write a Best-seller? (Part 3)Written by Arthur Zulu
Continued from page 1
Translate your work When your book starts selling, course of wisdom is to make it available in many languages. J.K. Rowling took advantage of that after she "arrived." Now first five Harry Potter books have been translated into 61 languages making it possible to be read in 200 countries. How about that? In translating your book, use languages that serve large populations like Arabic, Chinese, French, and Hindustani. If you could make that happen, then world is your oyster. You could be listed among first five richest people in world. These things are practical. They have worked for 20 percent who have tried it; but 80 percent who know all things on earth that don’t work have continued to live miserable, wasted lives. But “you can do what you want,” says B. Catland. And he added a proviso: “If you don’t think you can’t." So, how deep is your desire? The Wright brothers failed 99 times before flying an airplane. They had deep desire. Yuri Gagarin flew in space. He desired it. Neil Armstrong landed on moon (what a lonely place!) Because of desire. Bill Gates hit fame and fortune with computer. Because that was what he desired. And J.F. Kennedy ran about a dozen times for office before becoming thirty-fifth president of United States. Because he was ambitious. But desire alone is not enough. Back your desire with positive action. Start writing your best-selling book today! Burn all bridges that stand between you, and your desire. Do not say: “I can’t.” An army general crossed sea with his fleet of soldiers to an enemy territory, and had all his boats burnt. Why? He told his soldiers: “See, all our boats are gone. So, if you don’t fight to win this battle, there is no escape for us, for we shall all be dead men.” The soldiers were inspired. Because there was no going back. Because they had no option than to fight till very death! They fought hard. They won! William Blake said: “He who knows not his own genius has none.” Thomas Wolfe agrees. Said he: “If a man has talent and cannot use it, he has failed…." And hear Erica Jong: “Everyone has a talent. What is rare is courage to follow talent to dark place where it leads.” Those are memorable words from men who have a right to know. Men whose names have been immortalized. What about you? You can write a best-seller. Many unknowns have done so: Margaret Mitchel (Gone with Wind), James Jones (From Here to Eternity), Colleen McCullough (The Thorn birds) and Norman Mailer (The Naked and Dead). Why don’t you now go on to write and publish your echo Bible? And then your book will make it to best-seller lists of world’s most prestigious newspapers. And you, now celebrated writer, will end up in a popular American TV Talk show, name them: Oprah Wimfrey, Larry King Live, Sean Hannity and many others—the precursor for a cover appearance on Time, or Newsweek, magazine. Or find yourself appending your signature on a million dollar contract document in Hollywood, entertainment capital of world, for movie right of your blockbuster. And just in case you do not know how to spend your millions, I recommend you to buy a yacht and sail Mediterranean. Or jump into next space ship and become first writer to travel to final frontier. Or better still; buy a country home, and write your magnum opus, titled: How I Made My Millions. And live happily ever after. . . . (Concluded) Excerpted from How to Write a Best-seller by Arthur Zulu Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many other works. For his works and FREE help for writers, goto: http://controversialwriter.tripod.com Mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com Web search: Arthur Zulu
Arthur Zulu is an editor, author, and book reviewer.
| | Do you want to write a Best-seller? (Part 1)Written by Arthur Zulu
Continued from page 1
You will be at home here. And you are probably familiar with stories of that sort. Like man who married a woman and divorced her after having 7 male children for him. (He badly needed female children to pay off his debts from dowries on their wedding day.) His divorced wife remarried and got a baby girl while man married a second wife and had a male as well. They divorced again and remarried and had a ninth boy. And man sold all boys to pay his debts. Why don’t you give story a new angle? The world has had stories of Siamese twins. But have they had of birth of a seven-headed baby girl by a desperate parent who sought assistance of a witch? Don’t miss an opportunity to write a best-seller from great news events. Such stories present little research challenges. Do you remember British boy who wanted to be famous, climbed wall of Buckingham Palace and made his way into queen’s bedroom? When cops came to rescue they met him helping himself with a glass of wine and chatting with queen. And police, thinking of what offence he has committed, thought of charging him of stealing a bottle of wine. (Did boy say that queen was her lover?) There is a similar one of an American boy who shot former president Reagan. Best-sellers are made of such stuff. Master your subject You can’t do a good story if you do not know your topic. You will even find it difficult to communicate because you will be groping for words, qualifying every word, or reaching out for every figure of speech and idiom in book. Bad writing! A good reader will find out that you are not a master of your subject, and you are done in. You have every opportunity to research your story. You have libraries. And thank God, there is Web. Why not take advantage of it? This is very important if you are writing a factual story. But even then that word “factual” has changed meaning. But there has to be a measure of credibility in your work. Writers don’t just write. They educate. Would reader find something to learn from your story? Know your audience This is one of first things for you to consider before you begin writing your book. For example, are you writing for men / women; boys / girls; youths / adults; learned / general, reader? When J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Porter, she had youths in mind. Youths are, however, fast in spreading words about a book that they enjoyed reading. But Harry Porter happened to have a subject matter that interests adults as well. Now readers in two worlds read book. So ask yourself this question if you have not already done so: Who will read my book?(To be continued) Excerpted from How to Write a Best-seller by Arthur Zulu Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many other works. For his works and FREE help for writers, goto: http://controversialwriter.tripod.com Mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com Web search: Arthur Zulu
Arthur Zulu is an editor, author and book reviewer.
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