Sparking Story Ideas by Amber Schamel

Normally, writers have more stories in their minds than time to write them, but on the occasion that the opposite is true, author Amber Schamel provides some tips to send that spark of an idea flaming into a full-fledged story. -- Sandy

Amber: Gotta admit, we writers are kinda strange birds. We talk to people that exist only in our heads. We stare off into the distance for long periods of time. We hide out like hermits, and pound away on keyboards. We study ways to escape a prison camp, sicknesses and the most tragic way to die.

But I think one of the hardest things for folks to understand about me as a writer is the way inspiration, creativity and stories bombard my mind. Of course, there are other authors who can craft a wonderful story, and carry it through to the end but have a difficult time sparking ideas. For those of you that fall into this category, I thought I would share some of the places (and things) where I find inspiration in hopes that it will help.

The other day I was driving down a back country road in the Ozarks when I passed a mailbox with the last name of Brittain. In this mailbox I found a story. I saw a boy by the name of Thomas Brittain who had moved from London to rural Missouri with his family.  His parents are proud of their British roots, but Thomas just wants to be like the other southern kids at school. At home, he is Thomas the Brit forced to be proper and drink his hot tea. But at school, he's just Tom, a boy who tries to mold his English accent into a southern one, drink sweet iced tea and runs into all kind of mischief trying to be someone he's not.

All that out of driving past a mailbox...I told you writers are weird. lol.

Okay, Amber, that's a nice story. But how is that supposed to help me?

What I'm trying to say is don't be discouraged. Story ideas are everywhere, it's just a matter of seeing them. Sometimes it's easy to think that the story idea just isn't there...but it is! Here are some tips for finding inspiration and story ideas.

1) Look for them. In everything.
Get into a habit of looking for stories everywhere. You can't find something you're not looking for. Look under your bed. Look in your best friend's eyes. Look at the people at the park. Pay attention to your surroundings and look at them through your writer's glasses. News and history books are also a great place to look.

2) Keep it simple.
You don't have to know their dark moment, character arc and greatest fear from the start. A story idea is incredibly simple. Think GMC: Goal, motivation and conflict. You need somebody who wants something but can't have it because...WHAM there's your story idea.

3) Decide what you're looking for.
 What type of story do you want to write? Historical? Mystery? Romance? A story about a young girl? Or a story about an old man? If you narrow down what type of story you're looking for, it will make finding it much easier. Can you imagine finding Waldo if you didn't know what Waldo looked like?

4) Exercise your creativity muscles.
Google story games and play them. It's fun and helps exercise your story-conceiving muscles. Here's a game we enjoy.  We'll pick a minor character from a book or movie and think...if we wanted to make a story about this person, what would it be? Practice brings lots of creative ideas!

Which writer are you? Are you bombarded with story ideas? Or do you struggle for an idea? What are tips  you use for  inspiration?

~~~~~~

Multi-published author Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft and is now the author of over half a dozen books. Between ministry, family and working in their family-owned businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites.  Amber is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.

http://amberschamel.com/
Blog: http://www.stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberSchamel
Twitter: @AmberSchamel
Pintrest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073165.Amber_Schamel

Launch Teams, Part Two by Amber Schamel

Author Amber Schamel is back to provide more wonderful advice about book launch teams. If you missed Part One, be sure to check it out here. -- Sandy

Amber: Hello everyone! Amber Schamel here again and I'm so happy to be back on Seriously Write with you today to share more about the incredible marketing asset of Launch Teams. If you missed the first post on October 9, be sure to check it out. I got some really good questions from you and I'm  going to answer as many of those as I can.

How do you communicate with a Launch Team?

You can set up your Launch Team as a facebook group, email loop, yahoo group, or many other methods, but I've found that the Facebook Group works best. From there you can list events, blog appearances, answer questions, and talk to your team.

What's in it for them?

In order to entice people to be a part of your launch team and to keep them engaged, it's a good idea to offer something special to your team members. This would usually be a free copy of your book (so they can read, rant and review) and can also include things like a drawing for a gift card or basket, a little something that relates to your book/genre, something you handmade (if you're crafty) etc.  It's also good to mention that they will get exclusive access to the author and behind the scenes tidbits. You can share these tidbits, etc in your group. Be creative, experiment a little, and find what works best for you and your budget.

How long do you keep your launch team?

That's really up to you. You could give them a range of dates for the launch, or you can keep them indefinitely. With my team, I told them that most of the action would be during these certain months, then when my next book comes out, I'll give them the option to leave, or stay on board.

Keeping your launch team engaged.

Just like with any team, you'll have your superstars, then you'll have those that aren't engaged. Probably only 20% of the team will be actively engaged. With that said, there are some important elements towards holding your team's attention and giving them an enjoyable experience.

1) Be the leader. They are looking to you for instructions on what they should do, how, when etc. Initiate conversation with those on your team. Ask them questions about themselves, their likes. Lead them in a prayer at  the beginning of every week.

2) Give the group a team feel. Some ideas for this would be to allow everyone to introduce themselves, and then ask them all a question every week that they can discuss and answer. I also think it's a great idea to post prayer requests not just for you, but also for your team. Another thing I did was make a special button for their website/profile that identifies them with us. It's kinda like a cyber-jersey. :)

3) Give them simple, step by step instructions. For example: Today we have a blog interview! Please stop by and leave a comment for my host, and share with your friends.

I hope you've enjoyed this series on Launch Teams. Are there any questions I've missed answering?

~~~

Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO. 

Launch Teams, Part One

In July, I ran Amber Schamel's book trailer for The Healer's Touch on my personal blog. The traffic that came from it blew me away. When I asked about it, she said she'd put the word out to her book launch team. So of course, I asked Amber to share her experience with launch teams on this blog.--Sandy

Amber: Several months ago I assembled my very first launch team. My team has become an invaluable asset to me and Sandra has asked me to share a little about what I'm learning. There is a lot to cover on this topic, so we're splitting it up into two posts. Be sure to catch part 2 on October 23.

What is a "Launch Team?"

This was my question several months ago when I first heard the term. I did some searching and interviewing and was able to glean a lot of information that I'll attempt to share with you.

A Launch Team is basically a special group of people who support you and your work and are willing to talk about it, give you a review, host you on their blog, follow you around to all your media appearances (and sometimes book signings and whatnot), and share social media posts with their friends. A Launch Team can consist of family, friends, readers or fans, and yes, even other writers. However writers do tend to have less time, so the best Launch Team members are usually just friends and readers, however writers do have bigger blogs which can also be a benefit.

How big is a Launch Team?

Your team can be any size you want. Mine consists of about 20 people, but not all those people are active all the time. I have talked to some writers whose teams are as large as 100-200 people.

How do you gather a Launch Team?

Just ask! I sent out an email/facebook message to some select friends asking them specifically if they'd like to be a part. I also put a post on my facebook page letting my friends know I was looking for people to help me. The response was tremendous. The key is to keep the invitation casual and easy-going. Don't make people feel like they can't be your friend if they don't help you. ;)

What are the benefits of having a Launch Team?

So many! Here's a few:

·         A loyal group of people to post positive reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.

·         A group to go along to all of your media appearances. This is HUGE. Basically, they make sure you never show up to a party by yourself. There's nothing more lonely than guesting or interviewing on a blog and there's no one there but you and your host. A launch team will drop by and leave comments, initiate conversation and make things fun.

·         A team that will share about you and your book on their social media and/or blogs to create a buzz around you and your book.

In the next post we'll be discussing the mechanics of a Launch Team and some tips on making it successful. 

Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer in the next post?

~~~

Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO.