Expert tips from a nurse-turned-writer

Hello writers,

I got to have an in person chat over tea with a good friend from South Africa last week. I met the incomparable Shân Osborn a few years ago on (you guessed it) LinkedIn. Shân has been such an incredible encouragement to me in my writing career and I can’t believe I got to meet her in real life!

Have you ever met an online friend IRL?

Talk soon,

WRITING TIP OF THE WEEK

Make your 1st sentence earn the 2nd

What on earth does that mean? Well, this writing principle describes how you structure your sentences and entire piece so it keeps your readers engaged to the last sentence.

This is true for your intro and first sentence, but could also apply to every sentence you write. (No pressure, huh??)

Even if you craft news articles using the pyramid method and often give the full picture in the first paragraph, your sentences should still entice the reader to get more details.

For example, look at these two:

Most people think memory fades. Memory is important for everyday life.

The second sentence doesn’t build on the first —it just makes a related statement that stands on its own. Now check out this version:

Most people think memory fades simply because we get older. In reality, your daily habits have a far bigger impact than age itself.

The first sentence raises a belief the reader may share, and the second overturns it and stokes curiosity.

Sentences should rarely stand alone. More often, they need to relate to the sentences before and after, connecting ideas and sparking interest. If you write like this, your work will be irresistible!

TRIVIA-PALOOZA

Amazon’s first book

Your trivia question for the week is…

💡What was the first book ever sold on Amazon?💡

(The answer’s at the bottom!)

FREELANCER/INDIE AUTHOR CORNER

My self-publishing journey

I self-published my first novel in May, and here’s how it’s going so far:

Publishing was SO SCARY

Putting my book out there felt terrifying. Like vomit-inducing, heart-racing, crawl-into-a-hole scary. But exhilaration laced that fear, and I’m so happy I took the leap.

The first month rocked

I did $140 in sales the first month, which felt great to me! I obviously can’t quit my day job for this kind of moolah, but I’m ecstatic and shocked whenever anyone even gives my book a try, so this felt big.

Sales have dropped. Off a cliff.

Some people “pants” their novel-writing, but I decided to pants the marketing, I guess. And have watched my sales steadily drop.

Since May, I have learned about a billion things about self-publishing I didn’t know before I started this process. Pretty important things. (Oops!) But I knew from the start this adventure would be more of a learning experience than a wild literary success.

I’ve started outlining my next book

While I still hope that Paradise Falls will find its way into thousands of hands, I’m already getting excited about my next book project! I’ll be documenting the experience on my TikTok and Instagram pages, so follow me there if you want to stay in the loop!

To anyone who has read Paradise Falls, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! Leave a review on Amazon if you feel up for it (it helps a TON with promotion and sales). And if you’re interested in a survival thriller with lots of tension and family drama, check it out!

‘Til next time

Thanks for reading and see you in a few weeks!

Share with friends and fellow writers so they can subscribe!

View my work on Authory or my website

MY AUTHOR BOOKSHELF

💡 Find the trivia answer HERE 💡