Chris Eboch's Blog

2025 Inkers Con Digital Conference runs from June 7–20.
Inkers Con is a 10-day online conference created for independent fiction authors who are motivated to advance their careers.

I've heard good things about this online conference. It’s not cheap, but use my affiliate code as you can get $50 off. People who’ve gone have said it really helped them get more professional. There are workshops on mindset, marketing, Amazon and other ads, craft topics, and more. You can access everything for six years, but if you sign up before it starts you can join the networking events.

Just a few of the writing workshops titles:
Advanced TikTok for AuthorsSupercharging Your Mailing ListMarketing Your Audiobook Like a Pro (Panel)How to Add the Steam and SizzlePacing Your Dialogue to PerfectionHow to Dictate Your NovelThe Technical Creation of a Facebook AdBookBub AdsPlus roundtables, networking events, and author Q&As Sign up here . Use code CHRIS25 to get $50 off the price (normally $249).

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If you read ebooks so much your wrists or other body parts start to hurt, you may benefit from these tools! (Prices/discounts are from the time of this writing.)

NKV Pillow Phone Holder, for Sofa, Bed and Desk - Phone Soft Pad Dock Compatible with Phone/Kindle, E-Reader -15% now $17

Viozon Tablet Stand Pillow , with cupholders (in white or black), great for in bed or relaxing on the couch -5% now $37.99

Remote Control Page Turner: Read in bed and hands-free with this remote for Kindle and Kobo eReaders, Camera Camcorder, iPad -20% now $16

In honorof NationalWomen's Health & Fitness Day (September 25, #NWHFD #fitnessday), Iwanted to share some lessons I learned from running.

 

In Marchof 2011 I started jogging. Despite the occasional illness, injury, and ‘I don’twanna,’ I’m still getting out regularly. On one long and rather tedious solorun, I started making connections between jogging and writing and life.

 

Get Some RunningBuddies

 

It helpsto have inspiration. I started jogging with a Couchto 5K group that met twice a week. Having the regular schedule kept us ontrack. The program helped us pace ourselves, starting with short runs andfrequent walks, and working up to a 45 minute run. We also had an experiencedleader to offer advice.

 

Severalof us continued running together after the program ended. I wouldn’t get outthere as often if people weren’t waiting for me. I’d be tempted to stop early,if I didn’t have the encouragement of the group. Hey, peer pressure ispowerful! You might as well make it work for you. Plus, it’s more fun to runwith other people.

Forwriters, it’s important to find the right peer group for your needs. For many,this is a critique group. They may be large or small, meet in person or online,have open or closed membership, get together weekly or monthly or as needed.Finding a group that suits your needs is invaluable.

 

Otherwriters share goals and deadlines, checking in with a friend daily or weekly toreport progress. There’s that peer pressure again! Even a non-writing friend canhelp hold you accountable. (But choose carefully. Most people don't understandwriting or the publishing business and have no idea how long it takes to getsomething published. Many people don't even realize that you may never sell amanuscript. You don't want someone making you feel bad because you haven'tfinished and sold your novel within six months.)

 

Finally,social groups can provide camaraderie and networking. I live in a small townwith a science and engineering college; I know far more computer geeks thanwriters. But by making monthly trips to Albuquerque to attend a writingmeeting, I’ve made many friends who understand what I do. I’ve also madeconnections by teaching workshops and guest speaking for groups like Sisters inCrime. For those who can’t attend in person, online discussion boards,listserves, and online classes offer information and a sense of connection.

 

It’s Distance, Not Speed

 

It reallyis about the journey, not how fast you get there. Pace yourself, and enjoy thejourney, or you might burn out along the way. If you can see the end, or atleast imagine the cheering crowds and free food, it might give you the extraboost you need to keep going. But take time to enjoy the sights, and theexperience will be a lot more fun.

 

As awriter, don’t focus so much on the response to your query letters. Sure,celebrate successes, and try to learn from disappointments, but put most ofyour energy into enjoying the journey. (That works for the rest of life, too.)

 

Robin LaFevers had a post at Writer Unboxed about keeping creativeplay in your writing .

 

But Keep Moving

 

A slowpace may get you there, but if you have a long way to go, you might as well doit running. A marathon will take a lot longer at a stroll than at a jog, even aslow jog. Run when you can, walk when you need a rest, but keep moving. That’sthe only way to reach the end.

 

Take thetime you need to learn and practice your writing craft. Do as many drafts asyou need to polish your novel. Don’t rush, but do keep working. Write a page aday, and you’ll have a complete draft in a year. It may not be perfect, but itwill be more than what you started with.

Practice Makes Perfect, or At Least Lessens the Pain

 

If you’re training, you need to get out regularly. Running once a month will just leave you sore and frustrated each time, and you won’t see any progress in your fitness.
It’s the same with writing. Establishing habits and sticking to them will keep your mind fit. Writing several times a week will hone your skills and make it easier to get started next time.
Beware of Shortcuts

 

If I map out a 5K run, but take every shortcut, that could cut the distance down to 3 1/2K. Easier, sure, but that won’t prepare me for running a 10K. It’s the same with life. Whether you’re trying to switch careers, meet the right man or woman, or finish a novel, some shortcuts may help, but others may do more harm than good.

 

I workwith a lot of writing students. The beginners want to know if they’ll getpublished after taking one course. Nobody wants to spend 10 years learning howto write, but you need to do the work in order to earn the reward at the end.If you beg your friend to send your rough draft to her editor, you’ll blow yourchance to make the best use of that connection. If you self publish your workbefore it’s ready, you’ll waste time that could be better spent working on yourcraft.

 

Sometimesthe long, hard path is the only one that gets you where you want to go.
Push Yourself Sometimes

Withenough practice, you should get better. When I started jogging, it was astruggle to go for 10 minutes without a break. Six months later, I could makeit through 45 minutes without stopping.

 

And thenI plateaued. Jogging had become comfortable, if not easy. Why cause more painby trying to go farther or faster?

 

Because that’s the only way to get better. And mostlikely, it’s the only way to stay interested. Fortunately, one of my joggingpartners is great about coming up with new workouts. We add in some sprints oneday, do hills another day. We choose different routes on different terrains.Variety keeps it interesting, which makes it easier to work hard.

 

With mywriting, I find that I get bored if I become too comfortable with something.After publishing a dozen children’s books as ChrisEboch, I wanted a change. I began writing romantic suspense for adults,using the name Kris Bock. This broughtnew challenges – writing books two or three times as long as what I was usedto, exploring romantic subplots, delving deeper into character. I didn’t alwaysget things right the first time, but I became a better writer – and I renewedmy interest in writing.

Online, on-demand writing courses

 

Start whenever you want and work at your own pace. Pleasenote:
When you are new to EzyCourse, you will need to sign up and get a password first. Then return to the course page to enroll and pay. You will not have access to the course until you "Complete Purchase."  

 

Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning: Learnadvanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Take this onlinecourse at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes andmore resources for $100.  GetAdvanced Plotting here.

 

You Can Write for Children:Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, ageranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. Watch thisthree-session video course at your own pace. It's five chapters for $60.  Get   YouCan Write for Children here . 

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for theEducational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are youwilling and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, gradelevel, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work forhire! 7 chapters, 14 lessons, $150 or the $350 subscription optionlets you send your work to me for feedback.  Get the Ed Pub course here .

I've done a few posts on  writer comfort  - tools that can make it easier to write (and do other work and read). Now with Amazon's big Labor Day deals event (August 26 - September 3, 2024), there's a chance you'll find something great at a fantastic price! 

Writers can improve their ergonomics with  Standing Desks , a High-Back Gaming Office Chair, the WAOAW Seat Cushion (which makes my back so much better) and Ergonomic Split Keyboards. 

Travelers will enjoy the Roost Laptop Stand (great for writing retreats) and the  Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow . 

Book lovers might want a  Amazon Fire HD 10 inch tablet  to pack full of books, with a  Pillow Foam Stand Holder  or  LUXURISM Adjustable Book Stand  to hold the e-reader. 

Now I want to mention a product I've really appreciated. It's not directly related to writing or reading – except that a good nights sleep makes us better at just about everything, and this helps me sleep. 

If you tend to be too hot at night (due to menopause or in general), try a personal bed cooler. It's like a mini air conditioner that circulates cold water to a pad under your sheet. I like it so much I take it with me for overnight trips that last more than a night or so. We'll make back the cost of the cooler with what we save in electricity for the house AC, and my husband likes it because he doesn't freeze at night!

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out the previous posts on writer comfort or click on the highlighted product names above for more useful tools for writers and readers! 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café, and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the names Chris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier are inspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

If you are a writer – or if you work at any job that keepsyou at a desk all day – you may be dealing with pain in the spine. I’ve beencollecting and sharing items my writer friends and I use for managing,soothing, or eliminating that pain.

My friend Teresa says, "I can work only at atable—doesn’t have to be big but it must be a table which makes the laptopmonitor low and that hurts my neck… so for at least eight years I’ve used aroost laptop holder—collapses down to about four 12 inch sticks stuck together,comes with a small bag carrying case." This Roost Laptop Stand is well rated, but you can also find cheaper versions.

Meanwhile, my friend Kimberly has been dealing with severehip pain. She says, “I bought aNaipo hand-held electric cord massager about 5 years ago that really helps if Iuse it for at least 10 minutes, the tight muscles will relax enough so that Ican sleep.” I didn’t find the Naipo, but Amazon has tons of Massage Guns at various prices. Be sure to check outthe reviews! Kimberly recommends using a heating pad to warm your muscles before using the massager.

Siting at a desk can contribute to CirculationProblems While Working, as this article shows. Be sure you get up andmove every hour! You might also find some ways to reduce the strain on yourbody at your desk.

Standing Desks let you switchbetween standing and sitting without even leaving your desk. You can schedulean alarm to remind you to switch – or do some stretches. While there are veryexpensive options, some of these are around $100.

If you’re standing while you work, you probably want an Anti-Fatigue Mat .These help cushion your feet to reduce foot and joint pain. They’re good if youdo a lot of standing in the kitchen as well! They come in several designs and some fun styles. 

You can also try changing your chair. I mentioned some options in a previous post, but you might try a kneeling chair, balance ball chair, orergonomic stool for “active sitting,” which engages your muscles more topromote core muscle strength, good posture, and blood circulation. Here are someActive Sitting Chair options.

Teresa also recommended the Desk Cycle Ellipse , which sitsunder your desk so you can peddle while you work. What a great way to burncalories, build up leg strength, and keep your blood moving! It has greatreviews, with almost 1800 ratings and a 4.7-star average.

Ihope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out the previous postson “Writer and Reader Comfort” and  “Comfort at Your Desk” as well. I may have more as I discover useful tools for writersand readers! Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments. As an AmazonAssociate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free AccidentalDetective short story and bonus material, a free30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café, and aprintable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Krisalso writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrotethe original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The FelonyMelanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends adecade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

At a writer’s retreat, we all shared the tools we used to make our writing and reading time more comfortable. It’s amazing all the things you never knew existed that you desperately need! It’s not mere shopping mania though – these tools can help keep you comfortable so you can write your next masterpiece or simply read for hours. 

Imade previous posts on “Writerand Reader Comfort” and “Comfortat Your Desk.” Today I’m covering items that can relieve or preventneck pain.

Easing Neck Pain

Youcan find dozens of pillows designed to relax your neck and keep its naturalcurve. There are more expensive versions, but a simple tube works surprisinglywell. One of the retreat attendees sleeps on it, whether sleeping on her backor on her side. I use mine for a few minutes before bed and a few minutes inthe morning and that’s enough to help work out the knots.  Cervical Neck Roll Memory Foam Pillow

Thisone’s more complicated, with a firmer foam to support your neck. It has over60,000 ratings and a 4.2-star average! At the time of this writing it's less than $20, which seems like a great bargain if it might help relieve chronic neckpain: RESTCLOUD Neck and Shoulder Relaxer 

Thisone is designed specifically for sleeping. How old is your current pillow? Maybeit’s time for an upgrade. This claims to work for people who sleep on theirsides, back, or stomach. With over 40,000 ratings, clearly neck pain andsleeping well are big problems:  Elviros Cervical Memory Foam Pillow for Sleeping

Andhere’s a version you can twist into different shapes. You can use it as aregular cervical pillow at night, wrap it around your neck while napping on aplane, or bend one side up to cushion your head against the window if you’re acar passenger. Plus a comes in multiple colors! Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow 

And finally, if you still need somepain relief, this gel offers topical relief. I used to get it from my parentswhen they bought it in Mexico or got a prescription. Now you can get it overthe counter! It’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory gel that people use forarthritis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain. It doesn’t erase the pain butit quickly knocks it down a couple of notches: Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel 

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out my previous post on tools for comfort, and I have more coming up with useful tools for writers and readers! Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the FurreverFriends cat café, and

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas JEboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama.The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and theirfriends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

I was recently at a writer’s retreat where we spent an evening sharing the tools we found to make our writing and readingtime easier. I decided others mightappreciate learning about some of these tools. I’ve also added a couple more ofmy own favorites. ( See part 1 of Writer and Reader Comfort here .)

Comfort at Your Desk

If you spend a lot of timeat your desk, a good chair is invaluable. I ordered the OFM ESS Collection Racing Style Bonded Leather Gaming Chair in 2020. I like the padded seat, armrests that can go up out of the way, adjustable height and swivel. It’s “currently unavailable,” but this one is similar and surprisinglyaffordable: High-Back Gaming Office Chair 

And here’s the “Executive” version if you're feeling fancy: Homall Executive Gaming Chair. 

A good keyboard is also key for writers. I was having painin my right shoulder, likely due to reaching out to use the rollerball mouse.This left-handed keyboard has the number keypad on the left side, which allowsme to keep my mouse closer on the right side. (I’m not actually left-handed.The primary difference is the position of the number keypad.) Getting used toany new configuration takes a little time but is worth it in the long run. Ergonomic Left Handed Keyboard 

If you don’t have a problem with the number keypad positionbut suffer from pain in your hands or wrists, you might prefer a split keyboard.I used this one until I decided to get the left-handed keyboard: Ergonomic Split Keyboard 

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this seat cushion,and I think most of the people at the writing retreat ordered their own. I havechronic back pain and can’t bear to sit on hard furniture. If you get one thing on thislist, I recommend this! WAOAW Seat Cushion 

I wanted something I could take with me when I might be required to sit on a hard chair. Yes, I bring this to friends’ houses and I used it at the writing retreat not only at the desk in my room but at the dining room table. It’s so nice I also use it on my padded desk chair. My husband ordered one too. 

Or if you need more lumbar support, check out the pillow combosthat have a back section as well as a seat cushion. Here’s an example:  Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion and Lumbar Support Pillow Combo

It's important to take care of our backs. That might mean yoga, visiting a chiropractor or acupuncturist, pain relief, or some combination of those things. It should also mean making sure you have a great ergonomic desk set up. 

Good ergonomics means you should also have your desk andchair at the right height so your feet are comfortably on the floor. It’s noteasy to change the height of a desk, however. Instead you can use a footrest.The first one I ordered was a little too high for my setup, so I passed it onto my husband. This shape adds a bit more flexibility: Everlasting Comfort Foot Rest for Under Desk 

I hope you find something here that makes your life easier. Check out my previous post on tools for comfort, and I’ll be back with a post on “Easing Neck Pain,” and possibly more as I discover useful tools for writers and readers! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kris Bockwrites novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles thechallenges of turning fifty. . Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employeesand customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, whichcauses as many problems as it solves. Sign up for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free short story and bonus material, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the FurreverFriends cat café, and

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas JEboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama.The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and theirfriends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at all E-book retailers.

Kris has over 100 books for children published under the namesChris Eboch and M. M. Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventureused in many schools; and The Genie’sGift, a middle eastern fantasy. Jesse Owens:Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier areinspiring biographies focused on them as children and young men.  Learn more here . 

An orphan explores his magical powers at a school for wizards. Twins discover they are really genies. Death narrates a World War II story. The young descendants of Sherlock Holmes tackle one of his unsolved cases. 

A hook—in this case the “high concept” idea—can grab the reader’s attention and make a book stand out. Here are the books with the above hooks.
        Harry Potter series, by J. K Rowling        Children of the Lamp series, by P. B. Kerr        The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.         The 100-Year-Old Secret, by Tracy Barrett       Do you need a hook? Well, in today’s competitive market, it can definitely help. It’s a quick way to summarize your idea for an editor or agent, handy for writing conferences. So how do you figure out what yours is—or if you have one?
One option is comparisons—I So Don’t Do Mysteries was described as Nancy Drew with a Devil Meets Prada makeover by the publisher sales team trying to sell the book to bookstores and libraries. After Die Hard, action movies were often described as “Die Hard on a plane” or “Die Hard on a boat.”
On the jacket flap, books often used an “except” or “but” twist. The second part is the twist on a common plot. — A woman thinks her ex-husband is going to try to kill her, but he kidnaps her daughter instead.
If your book isn’t trendy, don’t despair. What hooks the reader is individual to that reader. Some may read any book set in a certain time or place, or love talking animals. Don’t try to make your book sound like it fits some hot trend, if it doesn’t. Instead try to hook your readers. Who are your target readers, and what will draw them to this book?
A good hook is simple and short—sometimes it’s referred to as a one-sentence synopsis or an elevator pitch (from the idea that you might have 30 seconds in an elevator to grab an editor’s attention). It’s not long-winded, where you are trying to cram everything into one run-on sentence. The hook doesn’t necessarily tell you the plot, but it gives you the flavor of the book and arouses interest. It may be simply the premise.

For example: In TheAccidental Detective humorous mystery series , a wittyjournalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turningfifty. 

This sentence identifies the MC as a journalist turning fifty, it says she'll solve crimes, and it identifies the setting of Arizona. "Witty" suggests this will be humorous (as does calling the series a "humorous mystery series"). 
There is no specific plot in that series pitch. Here's the pitch for Book 1, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven: 

When patients aredying at an Alzheimer’s unit, a former war correspondent must use herjournalism skills to uncover the killer and save her mother. 
That sentence identifies the MC and her challenge, with high stakes, since her mother is one of the people in danger. 
You can find books similar to yours on Amazon, Goodreads etc. and look at the first sentence of the book description, which may be in bold or italics. This is often a good hook. For example:

Fatima Tate Takes the Cake, by Khadijah VanBrakle: 
Fatima Tate wants to be a baker AND enjoy some innocent flirting with her hot friend Raheem—but her strict Muslim parents would never approve of either.

Bunnybirds #1, by Natalie Linn:
Princess Aster must leave home to discover why her people are disappearing—even if it means journeying over the rim of the world itself—in this animal fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of blockbuster series like Warriors and Wings of Fire.

This works for picture books too.
Too Much: My Great Big Native Family, by Laurel Goodluck, illustrated by  Bridget George: 
A little boy wants a chance to shine on his own but discovers that being apart from his large and lively Native family isn’t necessarily better in this heartwarming and humorous picture book.

(Note that it can be risky to compliment your own work in a query. I might call my own book humorous, but I wouldn't claim it's "laugh out loud funny." Leave the big praise for marketing.)

EXERCISE: For practice, name a favorite or recent book—how would you describe it to a friend? Would you pick it up if you heard that description? Then check the opening of its marketing description. Is that a good hook? Why or why not? Try this a few times.
EXCERCISE: Write a simple synopsis of your work. Don’t worry about length or clarity. Jot down the who, what, when, where, and why. Now you have some idea of the most interesting and important aspects of the work. Turn it into a one-sentence synopsis with your hook.
To start focusing on your hook, ask, What is the conflict, in terms of X versus Y? Once you have your hook, you can expand upon that one-sentence pitch for a query letter or longer conversation. (Please note that it's better to have two or even three short, snappy sentences than one very long sentence where you try to cram in everything. A good hook is one you can remember and share verbally fairly easily, without worrying about getting exactly the right word in the right place.)
More examples:     In The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power.       The Genie’s Gift : Shy, thirteen-year-old Anise resolves to find the Genie Shakayak and claim the Gift of Sweet Speech, but the journey is full of challenges, both ordinary and magical.      The Eyes of Pharaoh : When their friend disappears, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty,and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secretpolice. 
      Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café : Kari doesn’thave time for love when she’s opening her new cat café. But when a sexymaster baker walks in, how can she resist?
     The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas : Carly has crushed on Josh for years, but when he wins afortune in the lottery, how can she prove she wants him for himself? 
     TheTeenage Adventures of Felony Melanie: Meet teen “Felony Melanie” years before the movie SweetHome Alabama and follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and theirfriends as teens in this fun-filled romantic comedy series. (This one is more vague, because it relies on the movie as the hook for the series. FYI, I cowrote this series with my brother who wrote the original screenplay for the movie, which is why we were legally able to do this.)More advice on writing a pitch:

How to Write aBook Pitch (and Why it Matters) at The Novelry.

Howto write a killer one sentence pitch (or logline) for novels and memoirs, byNathan Bransford

Howto Pitch a Book – Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Book Pitch, by AlyssaMatesic

Chris offers online, on-demand courses (start whenever you want and work atyour own pace) 

Advanced Plotting—Keep Those Pages Turning: Learnadvanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Take this onlinecourse at your own pace. It includes six videos plus handouts with notes andmore resources for $100.  GetAdvanced Plotting here.  

You Can Write for Children:Learn about children’s publishing—opportunities and challenges, genres, ageranges, book and magazine markets, and resources to keep you going. Watch thisthree-session video course at your own pace. It's five chapters for $60. Get YouCan Write for Children here. 

Educational Publishing: Make Money Writing for theEducational Market: Do you want to make money from writing? Are youwilling and able to write on assignment if given a topic, word count, gradelevel, and deadline? Then you may be perfect for educational work forhire! 7 chapters, 14 lessons, $150 or the $350 subscription optionlets you send your work to me for feedback. Get the Ed Pub course here.

The Ten-MinuteWriter offers short videos to help writers improvetheir craft quickly. See videos on The Promise of the First Chapter, FastStarts, Characters in Conflict, Secondary Characters, Villains, and a quickpeek at Cliffhangers. 

ChrisEboch is the author of over 100 books for children, including nonfiction andfiction, early reader through teen. Her novels for ages nine and upinclude The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; TheWell of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and TheGenie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Her writing craft booksinclude  YouCan Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books forKids and Teenagers , and  AdvancedPlotting . Learn more at  chriseboch.com . 

Chris writes mystery and romance for adults as Kris Bock. Learn more at KrisBock.com. In theAccidental Detective series, a witty journalistsolves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. TheFurrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranchingfamily wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as itsolves. Signup for the Kris Bock Mystery and Romance newsletter and get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material, afree 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café,and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas JEboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. TheTeenage Adventures of Felony Melanie follows thecrazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events ofthe movie. Signup for the romanticcomedy newsletter to get a short story preview

I've been using voice recognition for about twenty years. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the gold standard, but it's expensive and only really works well on my desktop computer. I've struggled with it on my laptop and I don't think there's a phone app. Even on the desktop, I have to shut down and restart after dictating a couple of pages, or the Dragon files get so big they crash the computer.

I decided to try this new app, Flipner AI, to see if I could use it on my phone for speech to text. It's only $39 for lifetime use right now (versus $150-200 for Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and you may have to buy a new version to get future updates), and it works better than other dictation apps I've tried. Plus I can dictate on my phone and then go to to the app my computer, where I can download or copy the text and paste it into my document! This makes it much easier to move from phone dictation to a draft on my computer than anything else I've tried.

You can also use the AI function to rewrite the text. I wouldn't recommend anything other than the original transcript or the slightly cleaned up "Clear and Simple" style, but it's entertaining to see the other versions. Here's an example:

Original transcript:

The garage door was open in the house across the street period. Two people got into a car and backed out period. It was hard to get a good look at them through the glare on the windows period. The garage door closed and they drove off down the street period. They're acting like it's their house Bob grumbled.

Note: Obviously I don't need to dictate the periods; I'm just used to dictating punctuation with Dragon. I tried some other text and it did a good job of figuring out where the punctuation should be, although it did not use proper paragraphing for dialogue. But basically this worked very well to get down a rough draft of a scene, which I can clean up later!

Simple & Clear style:

The garage door was open at the house across the street. Two people got into a car and backed out. Because of the glare on the windows, it was hard to see them clearly. The garage door then closed, and they drove off down the street. "They're acting like it's their house," Bob grumbled.

Note: You can see that it cleaned up the punctuation and recognized dialogue. It made a few minor changes, which I could either keep or go back to my original. I always edit my dictation anyway, so I can use the version that's closest to what I want to say and tweak it.

Then it has additional styles, including...

Conversational & Friendly style:

So, let me tell you what happened earlier today. I was just hanging out, minding my own business, when I noticed that the garage door at the house across the street was wide open. You know, the one with the blue shutters? Anyway, I saw two people getting into a car that was parked inside the garage. They backed out slowly, but the glare on the windows made it really tough to see who they were. I squinted and tried to get a better look, but no luck. Then, just like that, the garage door started closing, and they drove off down the street. 

Bob, who was standing next to me, couldn't help but grumble, "They're acting like it's their house."

Output snippet in Fictional storytelling style:

The portal to the domicile across the thoroughfare stood ajar, revealing a glimpse of the world within. A duo of figures, shrouded in mystery, embarked upon a metallic steed, their forms barely discernible through the harsh, reflective sheen of the glass panes. With a mechanical groan, the gateway sealed itself, swallowing the secrets it had briefly exposed. The vehicle, now a vessel of enigma, retreated from its berth, disappearing into the labyrinth of the urban jungle. "They parade around as if they own the place," Bob muttered, his voice a low rumble of discontent.

So I'd call Flipner AI worthwhile, and the simple and clear style seems useful. But let's not bring back 19th-century "fictional storytelling"!

Learn more about Flipner AI (affiliate link).

Kris Bock writesromance, mystery, and suspense. In TheAccidental Detective humorous mystery series , a wittyjournalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turningfifty.

Inthe AccidentalBillionaire Cowboys series , a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery. Whowouldn't want to be a billionaire? Turns out winning the lottery causes as manyproblems as it solves. Her Furrever Friends SweetRomance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in lovewith each other and shelter cats.

Signup for the Kris Bocknewsletter and get a free 30-page story set in the world of the FurreverFriends cat café, a printable copy of recipes from the cat café, and an AccidentalDetective short story. Then every two weeks, you’ll get fun content about pets,announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Krisalso writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrotethe original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The FelonyMelanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends adecade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romanticcomedy newsletter to get ashort story preview, or find the books at Amazon US or All E-book retailers .

Learnmore at www.krisbock.com or visit Kris Bock’sAmazon US page or Amazon UKpage.(For other countries click here.)