The Easy Way to Write

AnneMarble · May 19, 2007

Is anyone familiar with the Easy Way to Write site?
http://easywaytowrite.com/

Who is Ron Parnell, and how are his courses? I'm not saying I necessarily want to buy one, but I'm curious. His site offers courses in a lot of genres, and few authors have expertise in that many genres. What is his expertise? Does he give good advice? What about the extras (such as feedback) offered with some of the courses? Worth it, or would I be better off using Share Your Work or using fmwriters, critters.org, etc.?

Note: I don't subscribe to the theory that you must be an acclaimed author in order to give authors good advice in their genre. Maybe I'm biased because I published articles on writing before having actual sales.

And I have read helpful articles from unpublished articles, whereas I've read articles from published authors that were horrid.

Chris Grey · May 19, 2007

Well, seeing as Mr Parnell's name turns up nothing at wikipedia or Amazon, I can only assume he's a world-famous author.

I do, however, know who James D Macdonald is, and I know his course doesn't cost anything.

AnneMarble · May 19, 2007

Chris Grey said:
Well, seeing as Mr Parnell's name turns up nothing at wikipedia or Amazon, I can only assume he's a world-famous author.

Maybe he's only famous for having that web site.

I figured as much but wanted to check.

Chris Grey said:
I do, however, know who James D Macdonald is, and I know his course doesn't cost anything.

And he has an entry on Wikipedia.

Although ironically, I think the article may have been started by someone attacking him for attacking scams.

job · May 19, 2007

The website is full of awkward usage and strange punctuation.

This looks like a huckster with a self-published book.
A huckster who cannot write.
And the book costs $50.

For about the same price you could buy all of these ...

Stephen King, 'On Writing'

Robert McKee, 'Story'

Anne Lamott, 'Bird by Bird'

William Zinsser, 'On Writing Well'

Donald Maass, 'Writing the Breakout Novel'

and that is what I would recommend folks do.

Are you associated with Ron Parnell? I will be more tactful if this is somebody you know ...

Linda Adams · May 19, 2007

It looks like a typical marketing/motivational site, right down to the color--they always seem to be that particular shade of green. There's a lot of focus on how you can be successful if you take his courses so you "Start making money from your writing within days, tell your boss where he can put his job, and start living the life of your dreams." Very typical motivational marketing to get people to spend money. Since when could you start making money writing in a couple of days? It might takes weeks or months to write something, send it off to magazines, wait for months, get a rejection, resubmit it elsewhere ... That quote alone suggests he doesn't know much of anything about the publishing industry.

The free writing articles are more about success and motivation than writing. I looked at the one about romance writing and thought it managed to say a whole lot without really talking much about the subject. I kind of thought "Romance Writing that Publishers Want" would ... well, discuss romance and publishers. Those articles that actually talk about writing seem pretty generic, though with a motivational spin to them.

And I have read helpful articles from unpublished articles, whereas I've read articles from published authors that were horrid.

I've seen actors who were horrible when they had to make a personal appearance on stage to talk to audience--but great as actors. Sometimes the creativity doesn't always translate into other areas.

Red Robin · May 19, 2007

Agreed, "Easy way to Write" is a scam. It reeks of infomecial.

Jamesaritchie · May 19, 2007

Easy

If you have to ask "Who is he, you probably don't want him teaching you an easy way to write.

BenPanced · May 19, 2007

AnneMarble said:
Worth it, or would I be better off using Share Your Work or using fmwriters, critters.org, etc.?

Well, since you're already here and considering the number of posts you have, I'd say save the $50 and spend it all on comic books and bubble gum, and get the advice free here.

Dancre · May 19, 2007

In this brand new and original ebook, you get the facts.

Click to expand...

Oh, man, it's an ebook!! He wrote an ebook to tell us how to get published with a traditional publisher!! Oh, dear. Have to catch breath now.

kim

Josie · May 19, 2007

Hi

Have any of you seen this today?
from PW Daily
"Authors, Agents Protest S&S Rights Grab
by Jim Milliot
In an alert sent to its membership yesterday, executive director Paul Aiken writes that S&S's new contract language gives the publisher the ability to retain rights to a book for the entire length of copyright, even if the book is not in print but remains in S&S's electronic database. Under its old contracts, rights to a book would revert to the author if sales reached an agreed upon low level or the book was declared out of print. "This is an electronic warehousing of rights," Aiken said. Agents sided with Aiken and were troubled that S&S was altering longstanding industry practices."

Is this a new "nailed to the floor" method to rip off writers or nothing new?
Or a bad dream?

Josie
Oops
P.S. I guess I should make this a separate thread?

Josie · May 19, 2007

Also, Ann was it? The Easy Way to Write. I did once get the writing romance for 1/2 price from Parnell, but I guarantee you, without insulting Easy Way and Parnell, it is not the way to go. Waste of time and money. The whole thing is a mirage

Cheers, Josie

P.S. It's all full of hot air !!!

The Lady · May 19, 2007

The very fact that he's saying "easy way to write a novel" is suspicious. I don't think many published novelists call it easy. They call it many things but easy doesn't seem to be a popular choice of word.

Here's a quote from a testimonial.

but yesterday, over lunch, I wrote the entire outline of my new novel.

Yeah!

You go girl, but I've a feeling she may discover in just a little while, she'd just jotted down a few ideas for a book. Oh yeah, when she's 15 or 20 k in, she may discover the big swampy middle along with a few other difficult novel writing issues.

JBI · May 19, 2007

You can't be taught how to write a great novel; you have to make your way through that jungle alone. All those how to books just teach you how to write someone else's books, or give a little insight onto how they form ideas. Whereas, if you go beyond that, try writing by yourself, discover your own style, then write, you will find yourself more satisfied with your work.

AnneMarble · May 19, 2007

job said:
Are you associated with Ron Parnell? I will be more tactful if this is somebody you know ...

Nooo.

This was more a case of morbid curiosity than anything else. But I wanted to make sure the site wasn't better than it looked.

Linda Adams said:
...Since when could you start making money writing in a couple of days? It might takes weeks or months to write something, send it off to magazines, wait for months, get a rejection, resubmit it elsewhere ... That quote alone suggests he doesn't know much of anything about the publishing industry.

Maybe it reflects his experience with his e-books and courses. I'm sure it doesn't take weeks or months for him to write them.

Linda Adams said:
The free writing articles are more about success and motivation than writing. I looked at the one about romance writing and thought it managed to say a whole lot without really talking much about the subject. I kind of thought "Romance Writing that Publishers Want" would ... well, discuss romance and publishers. Those articles that actually talk about writing seem pretty generic, though with a motivational spin to them.

Hmm, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of their courses sound alike. It's probably easy to cut and paste the motivational text and then put some other general stuff in there... That's probably the way a lot of those "Make Money Now" ebooks are written, after all.

Dancre said:
Oh, man, it's an ebook!! He wrote an ebook to tell us how to get published with a traditional publisher!! Oh, dear. Have to catch breath now.

Well to be fair, some real authors (with books in Amazon and everything) have published e-books about writing and publishing. But they aren't talking out of their ... uhm... asparagus.

Dancre · May 19, 2007

But they aren't talking out of their ... uhm... asparagus.

Oh, Ann, please don't make me laugh after I just did a bunch of pilate stomach exercises!! LOL!! too funny. Ouch!!

kim

Scrawler · May 19, 2007

I love the header on his writer2writer website:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]

Do you forever DREAM that one day
you will have enough
TIME, energy and commitment
...to write a novel?

Dream no more!

[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]

Dream no more! LOL It almost sounds something like "compare our prices before buying elsewhere."

Andre_Laurent · May 19, 2007

The dude is a con IMHO. I ran across a web site by a buddy of his and it talked about how Parnell was trying to get some of his work published. Parnell had some stuff there and one of the items was on "how to spin". Told me all I needed to know about the guy. Google him and see what turns up...it won't be published work.

Cassiopeia · May 20, 2007

I have to say that I have bought so many how to write books and NOT one of them has helped me as much as people in the Flash Fiction section where we write short stories and then critique them.

Yep you too can become a FF junkie every sunday night at 9 pm EST.

Or try the Sudden Fiction forum, now THERE is a challenge.

But writing and working are the name of the game and if someone needs to be told more than that well, then, I don't know what to say.

The Easy Way to Write

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan

Chris Grey

Vagrant Story

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

Red Robin

Veni Vidi Scripsi

Jamesaritchie

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Dancre

Just have fun.

Josie

Josie

The Lady

Critical Member

JBI

AnneMarble

Nefarious Ghost Fan

Dancre

Just have fun.

Scrawler

Bored fanatic

Andre_Laurent

Cassiopeia

Otherwise Occupied