Insecure Writer's Support Group by Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Co-hosting, Flagship Content and Interesting Developments #IWSG #amwriting

It’s October! Month of flowers, allergies and storms. At least where I am.

I’m also co-hosting the IWSG this month along with
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor 
Madeline Mora-Summonte   
Mary Aalgaard  

Learn more here.

So, I decided to follow Tim Grahl’s advice from his book “Your First 1000 Copies” and create flagship content.

Flagship content is any substantial piece of writing that can stand on its own, conveys a strong set of principles and is created and published in such a way as to encourage rapid sharing.

Hopefully I did it right in these posts.

The Art of Writing Dark Fantasy #amwriting
Writing About the Forgotten #folklore #mythology #amwriting
Magic, Faeries and Wonder #amwriting

Check them out and tell me what you think. You can also download my Writing Manifesto as a PDF.

I’ve seen some interesting things happening to my blog’s stats.

But before we get to that, one of my writing friends noticed that there’s a pop-up in the URL bar that says my site is insecure. After lots of searching and pestering my tech people, it turns out that if you don’t type my site’s address like this: https://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/ you’ll receive an insecure notice because the default is for some crazy reason to leave out the “s” in “https” in search results and when copying the URL. We’ll see how long it will take to get that permanently fixed…

Back to the stats… Since I’ve started to add my Bookish Stuff posts on Mondays, my views have gone up. Even the ones about my backlist. (Backlist posts have book club questions, buy links, cover, blurb and a book trailer.)

I also have loads of engagement on those posts. Interesting. Quite interesting.

The flagship posts did even better! Maybe I should rethink the way I blog…?

New Releases!

I’m so honoured to be included in the third Grumpy Old Gods anthology!

I only have the cover, but this is the Halloween edition! So it will be scary.

Coming soon…

If you would like to read and review this anthology (especially on Amazon, the Editors asked very nicely), fill in the form and I’ll contact you.

I’m also working on getting more reviews on my backlist titles. Looking at the categories on sites like BookSirens, it’s rather hard to find the right reviewer for flash fiction collections. Perhaps it’s because flash fiction is an acquired taste?

You can learn all about “Twisted Tales” here. 24 short pieces won’t take too long to read… though it might linger in your nightmares 😉

Anyhow, if you’d like to review “Twisted Tales” on Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads, online retailers, your blog, gorgeous graffiti on the wall you pass to work every day… *grin* …fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you.

Now on to IWSG business.

October 2 question – It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

Quite a mouthful!

I’ll answer that with a Stephen King Quote:

I’ll also say this: if you don’t know what is expected from your genre (for example: steamy romances from the 70s have different tropes than steamy romances from the 90s and their counterparts today – just look at the covers!), then you will disappoint readers and they won’t come back. (Google that if you want a better and longer explanation – the internet if full of websites dedicated to the art of writing.)

And: if you subscribe to Jung’s theory of a collective unconscious, you’ll know that nothing happens in a vacuum and that you aren’t a special little snowflake in an avalanche of twenty-first century literature. The only way to write that breakout novel (like Harry Potter, An Interview with a Vampire, etc.) is to be part of that collective consciousness and write about what connects us all: the human condition.

Besides, if you don’t like reading, why in all of Faerie do you want to slave away for a Muse who can be as loving as it can be cruel?

Right?

What do you think about this month’s question? Do you agree or disagree with me? Feel free to answer that, and don’t worry, I won’t send you an electronic curse! (LOL. You’ll have to read my flash fiction to get that one.) Do you have any thoughts about book trailers? Do you have any new books published?

Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free ebook. I won’t share your information and I’ll only email you once a month with updates on new releases, special offers, and a bit of news.

78 thoughts on “Co-hosting, Flagship Content and Interesting Developments #IWSG #amwriting”

  1. LOVE your post, Ronel, and the info on the flagship posts. Genius way to come up with content, which is something I always struggle with. And YES, a writer must be an avid reader to keep those creative thoughts churning. Thanks for co-hosint IWSG this month.

    Reply

  2. That’s great those posts bumped up your traffic.
    Thanks for the tip about the web address! One of our admins has been having trouble with insecure sites (including ours) and I bet that’s the reason.

    Reply

  4. Interesting info about the flagship posts. I’m always *thinking* about upping my blogging content, so I’ll check it out.

    I quite agree with Stephen King’s quote. This business of being “original” by not reading is delusional.

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  5. Congrats on the Grumpy Old Gods anthology. It looks good. I totally agree with King. He’s a master, so we should listen to him, anyway. Love his book On Writing.
    Thanks for co-hosting this month!
    Mary at Play off the Page

    Reply

  6. Hi,

    I have to admit that I need to get back to my blogging. Now that I have finally got my manuscript into submission stage, I will.
    I love Stephen King’s quote and agree with him wholeheartedly.
    And thank you for co-hosting.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    Reply

  11. They made that change from http to https in 2017 I believe. There is a WP plug in you can get to help with that. It is called Easy HTTPS (SSL) Redirection. I fixed on the site but it not affect all pages but when I added this plug it got all my pages to read secure with a lot less hassle.

    Loved your answer to this month’s question. Agreed.

    Reply

  12. Congrats on making into the anthology! I love and live by that Stephen King quote. And to answer this month’s question, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients.” So basically, my sources of inspiration is taken from my environment and my connections to people as well as from what I read.

    Thanks for co-hosting today!

    Reply

  13. Such a wealth of information here, Ronel! I love the idea of Flagship posts, and your examples are awesome and inspiring. Thanks for co-hosting!

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  15. I read about ‘flagship content’ back when I started (my guru called it ‘pillar posts’). I took it to heart and spent the first few weeks of blogging creating these. They’ve served me well as timeless, well-crafted pieces.

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  16. And: if you subscribe to Jung’s theory of a collective unconscious, you’ll know that nothing happens in a vacuum and that you aren’t a special little snowflake in an avalanche of twenty-first century literature. <<<That is very true!

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  17. Congratulations on your blog traffic and your publications!!!
    And, yes, I think we need to read. Or, at least I need to read like breathing, so … therefore everyone must? Just kidding. As a writing teacher and tutor, I see a direct connection between students who read and students who don’t. If a student struggles with dyslexia, I urge them to listen to audiobooks because they can gain a sense of narrative structure and language from that type of reading without having to struggle. One might think a tv show would be just as good, but it’s not. Audiobooks give us the full flavor of reading, and for those who are dyslexic and often more attuned to audio and oral studies, they really are a wonderful addition to the world of ‘reading.’
    So, yes, reading, somehow, someway, is a must.
    Happy IWSG day!

    Reply

  19. Congratulations on the anthology!

    I hate technical difficulties. Right now I’m unable to comment on blogger from my MacBook when the comment form is embedded, and I’ve yet to find a solution.

    Love the Stephen King quote!

    Reply

  20. I’m impressed with your commitment to your fellow writers, Ronel, and grateful for all your thoughts. In fact, your answer to the question makes a stronger point than my evasive/superficial/rushed post did. Jung and the collective unconscious resonates with me. Makes me think of Campbell’s monomyth.

    P,S, I get the insecure message but override it.

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  21. I’ve never heard the term “flagship posts”, and they sound like something I should look up! This is why it’s good I don’t write in a vacuum and I’m reading other blogs. Haha. Definitely agree with your answer to this month’s question. Thanks for co-hosting!

    Reply

  24. Your answer to this month’s question reminds me that it’s not the words that are important. The cover has to be just right these days and how do you know what kind of covers you need if you don’t read books?

    Thanks for cohosting this month!

    Reply

  26. Thanks for sharing all the things you’re doing for promotion. I can’t believe I’m not a special snowflake of 21st century literature. LOL
    I read and read and read. Going to read some more after I visit a few more blogs.

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  29. I’m fighting for some kind of change in my traffic, too. I may have to look into the Flagship Content idea a little more closely. Thanks for hosting, and happy IWSG day!

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  31. Thanks for co-hosting today. What an informative post. I’m not sure I’m ready to really focus on my blogging like I used too, just yet. I have other projects that are more of a priority, but should I decide I need a boost, I’ve got some direction on how to do that.
    I personally enjoy reading flash fiction, though I admit that writing it is still a WIP for me, at least I’m enjoying the process.

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  33. I’m always happy to help a fellow author out, so I signed up to give a review for the backlist story because I figured the timeline wasn’t as pressing as the one for Grumpy Gods, but if there is no hurry (I’ve got two in my queue already) then send me whatever and I’ll get to them as quickly as I can.

    I’ve found personal posts also get a bit of a spike. I’ve never done too many bookish posts because I worry I don’t know enough.

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  38. You are definitely giving me ideas—I know my blog is waaaayyyyy overdue for a make-over and shaking-up. I fully intend to take a look as some of your flagship posts, both for their own sake and to get more of a feeling of what that means.

    And yeah, I have to read. And I think a writer who doesn’t read is trying to type with no fingers.

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  39. Happy spring (as we enter a dreary fall) and thanks for co-hosting, Ronel! It sure looks like you’re figuring out quite a few important facts and stats with your blog and content. Good for you, for trying new ways and succeeding! And, figuring out the insecure message. Yes, reading and writing go hand in hand. That being said, I understand the need for a reading break for writers, when focusing on your own voice, story, and content. Wishing you success with the reviews!

    Reply

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