As you may also know, I made a book trailer to whet your appetites, and as usual, I’m so gratified that you guys seem to like it.  Everyone also seems to be curious about how it was made, so I present to you:

How I made my second book trailer, for around $70

            Obviously, given the title, this is not my first book trailer.  And for the basics of making your own book trailer, I wrote that blog too – if you haven’t already, go give it a read and then report back.

Everyone back?  Good.  Now, I can tell you what I learned in the process of creating my second book trailer is that the basics haven’t changed.   The idea is still the most important thing, and having it line up with your abilities to execute it crucial.  I still wrote out a beat sheet of what I wanted to have my book trailer look like, and I planned exactly what I would need ahead of time to make a stop-motion animation trailer with construction paper.

But, here’s the thing I learned from both my book trailers, but especially this second one: no matter how prepared you are, you have to be ready and able to go with the flow.  For example:

While shooting this book trailer, I had taken my still, digital camera and put it on a tripod.  But I need it to shoot directly at a flat surface, not from an angle.  So I ended up scouring my apartment, finding some painter’s tape, and taping the camera to a table, aiming the camera to the floor, where I place the blue background.

Also, the dots that connect England to Venice?  Thought of in the moment.  It was originally going to be a cut-out drawing of a ship, moving in each stop motion frame.  But the ship was not reading very well on camera, so we (my friends Natalie and Erica helped me with the animation) took some construction paper and a three-hole punch, and voila!  Little colored dots.

Now for what you’re really curious about – money.  I spent about $70 on making this trailer.  Up from the $5 I spent on my last one, but still, pretty fiscally conservative when it comes to book trailers.  I spent, according to receipts, $28.56 on paper supplies and printing (I might have bought a fancy sparkle pen for fun as well and threw that cost in there) and $39.99 was spent on a royalty-free version of the Minute Waltz.  (I was unable to find a free royalty piece that suited my needs this time around.) Still, a pretty good return on investment.

I think it turned out well.  I hope you like it.  And as always, until next time, happy reading!

p.s.  and if I had to do it over again, I would only change one tiny thing:  I would properly white-balance the camera.

Now, I do have some experience with book trailers, but each effort is it’s own challenge, and I had a lot of fun with this one.  So here it is — enjoy!

Noble’s latest enchants with a tale that touches readers on many levels. The growth of her characters, the romantic setting and the addition of music to her deliciously passionate world demonstrates why Noble is a fan favorite. For those seeking a wonderful, meaningful love story, Let It Be Me is it.

I mean, come on.  That’s pretty great.  You know what is also great?  Announcing new winners in my website contest.

I missed the drawing last week, as I was out of town, but I am making up for it by drawing TWO winners!  And without further ado, said winners are…

KATIE RICHMOND and CHRISTY CAUGHIE!

Congrats to you both!  You have each won an autographed copy of If I Fall.  We’ll email, it’ll be awesome.  You know the drill.

As for everyone else, this contest is going to close soon, but very, very soon, there will be another!  So keep your eyes open for it.  And also keep your eyes open for some new updates and information on the website!  I’m going to be posting some events, and some tantalizing new Let It Be Me info in the coming days.

Until next time sweets, happy reading!

Yes, that’s right.  FIVE.

So without further ado, here they are!

ALANA ABBOTT

and

JENNIFER ARNOLD

and

SHERRILL HUTCHINSON

and

ANNA AUER

and

ANDREA PRICE

Congrats everyone!  You will all receive autopgraphed copies of If I Fall (where you’ll first meet Bridget Forrester, the heroine of Let It Be Me!)  We’ll email, I’ll make runs to the post office, it will all be marvelous.

As for everyone else, fear not – I’m leaving the contest open a little while longer, and will be drawing more winners with hopeful regularity.

That’s all for today – I hope everyone is sitting back on the couch with some happy juice and the TV on, gearing up for the spectacle of commercials and a Beyonce show that’s surrounded by some football.

Until next time, sweets – happy reading!

Here’s something to make that first day back at the office a bit more cheerful.  The German covers for Revealed and The Summer of You!  I think they are both lovely and evocative.  And if you can read German, I highly recommend these for an idyll.

Revealed (the title translates to “A Spy in Illustrious Society”) is out now, while The Summer of You will be out in May.

A lot of people have asked me the difference between writing for the screen and writing novels, and how I split my time between each.  Well, as to the latter question, I don’t find splitting my time an issue, as it is I tend to always be working to the minute of my deadline no matter what (insert sheepish grin).  But as to the first question, I have found two major differences between writing for LBD and my books.

1.  Collaboration

Most people outside of the writing profession think of writers as solitary creatures, locked away in our rooms, attempting the Herculean task of wrestling our ideas out of our heads and onto the page.  And this may be true (we may also be playing a lot of Angry Birds, but I digress) for the individual novelist, but for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, there are six writers.  And when we are breaking the story, we all do it in a room together.  Once we figure out what each episode is going to be, they are assigned to specific writers, and then we go off and do the Herculean wrestling on our own.  But even then, the scripts we turn in are subject to notes and opinions from our showrunner, Bernie Su, and other producers.  In fact, you are not trying to write the episodes in your own voice, but instead trying to write in the voice of the show, the tone of which is set by the showrunner.  (Just for the record, Bernie is awesome, and a great showrunner.  Hi Bernie!)

As for the second difference…

2.  Money

By money, I do not refer to my paycheck.  I am referring instead to the limitations of money.  (Money? Limiting?  How very odd!)

When writing a novel, the only limitations I have are my imagination. I can set scenes in the grandest of palaces, a ballroom full of guests.  Heck, I can set it in space, if I want to.  But when writing for a show, you have to bear in mind what the show is capable of producing.  And that is almost exclusively limited by what you can afford.  Every extra, every prop, every set, every actor, costs.  Take for example Episode 38, Tale of Two Gents, which I wrote.  I wanted to have a whiteboard, on which Lizzie would keep score between the two men.  It was actually cheaper for us to add the tally as an editing effect than to go out and buy a whiteboard, which is what we did.

Here's the cover of Let It Be Me -- you know, in case you forgot...

In many ways, the constraints of a budget make the writing better – it forces you to get creative.  That scene that was going to be in a grand ballroom between your hero and heroine?  It would be cheaper – and possibly more intimate, tantalizing – to set it in a darkened hallway, before you get to the ballroom.  Sometimes, I find it highly effective to think a bit more about how the novel would be produced as a movie (not that it ever would be) and how that would affect the story I’m telling.

There are of course other differences.  The format, the amount of prose versus the amount of dialogue, the RITA vs. the Streamy, etc… but all in all, I find that storytelling is storytelling.  And I hope you’re enjoying The Lizzie Bennet Diaries as much as I am… and anticipate the arrival of the next novel Let it Be Me, as well!

Until next time sweets – Happy reading/viewing!

…JULIE-ANN FORD!

Congrats, Julie-Ann, you have won an electronic copy of my eNovella, The Dress of the Season!  We shall email, but if you didn’t win, don’t worry, there is still one more chance left!  I’ll be drawing another winner before new years!  (And if you haven’t entered, better get on that…)

As for everything else, well, I’m thisclose to being done with my holiday preparations.  I’m eagerly awaiting Christmas vacation, and taking a minute or two to snuggle up and watch a movie, and then gather all my energy and direct it towards some fun and exciting projects I have for the new year!

Until next time, sweets – happy reading!

The gondola!  The green dress!  The parasol!  The Venice!  Its just so perfect, I can not describe it.

I’m very excited for you to read, so why don’t you head on over and check out the sneak peek?  And then maybe check out my contest?

Until next time, sweets, Happy Reading!

I always enjoy skyping into book clubs, and if you are interested in having me virtually visit yours, please feel free to email me.  But right now, it’s time to draw a new winner in my website contest, so get ready, because the winner is…

Mary Chen!

Congratulations, Mary!  You have won a copy of my e-novella The Dress of the Season!

For those who did not win, take heart, there‘s still plenty of time left in the contest, and if you entered, you’re still entered.  (And if you haven’t entered, why ever not?  Get on that, would you?)

That’s all for me this week – I’ve got lots of irons in the fire and I hope to be able to share a few with you soon, but until then, Happy Reading, sweets!

TIFFANY SMITH!

Congratulations, Tiffany!  You have won a download of my eNovella, The Dress of the Season! We will email to set it up, and I hope you enjoy!

If you didn’t win – fear not, there is still plenty of time, and if you’ve entered, you will remain entered for the length of the contest.  (And if you haven’t entered, what are you waiting for???)

That’s all for now – short and sweet and time enough for us all to get back to our families and the football.  If you’re traveling, stay safe.  If you’re hosting, stay sane.  And for everyone – happy reading and Happy Thanksgiving!