WEBVTT 1 00:00:12.700 --> 00:00:21.449 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Welcome everyone to another fantasy writers. Week session. If you can see and hear me, please drop your name and location in the chat. 2 00:00:22.390 --> 00:00:28.130 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: We love to see where everyone is joining us from. Hi, Shelby from Arizona. 3 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:38.520 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Julian from Ohio, Lily from Connecticut. Oh, it's moving quickly now. I see Chicago, California, Oklahoma, Arizona. 4 00:00:38.610 --> 00:00:42.180 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Everyone can see and hear me. Just fine fabulous. 5 00:00:42.220 --> 00:00:50.220 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: I'm going to drop some special links for you in the chat now, and we will get going with this session in just a moment. 6 00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:53.909 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: I just want to go through a couple of housekeeping items 7 00:00:54.080 --> 00:01:19.300 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: with you. So, as always, your replays are on the fantasy writers week Hub, and you can access those. They are posted as soon as they're done processing from Zoom. So if you check back later today this replay will be available for you already. We also have special offers from our speakers as well as links to the audio. Transcripts and slides are all now there, too. 8 00:01:19.810 --> 00:01:42.730 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: and these replays are also going to be posted to our community page for all members to view by May third, so you will still be able to view them on the hub for a little while, but you can also view them on the community, which will be great because they'll just live there indefinitely. And you can also see replays from previous writers. Weeks, we've done so. There's a ton of video content there for you to view. You just have to be a community member which is free. 9 00:01:43.430 --> 00:01:54.949 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: So tomorrow is our premium day, that is, for premium and premium pro users of pro writing aid only. And if you're not sure if you have a premium or premium pro account. 10 00:01:54.950 --> 00:02:15.410 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: we'd be happy to answer that question for you. You can email hello for writing a.com but it is just if you have a paid account, you can come whether it's premium or premium pro, and you'll receive an email tomorrow morning with instructions to access tomorrow's sessions. So please check your email for those links that you'll need to attend with us. 11 00:02:16.270 --> 00:02:44.190 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: If you would like to attend, but you do not yet have a paid account. We do have a special offer for you for attending fantasy writers Week, where you can get 25% off your first year of premium or premium pro. That offer is good until May tenth. But if you would like to attend premium day sessions live with us. You can upgrade anytime by tomorrow morning, and then you will also receive the email with those links that you need. So if you have any questions about that. 12 00:02:44.190 --> 00:02:55.789 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: the offer is on the hub that will take you to the link where you can access everything, and if you need any help, drop your drop a message in the QA. For me here today, or you can email, Hello, prorating Aidcom. 13 00:02:56.410 --> 00:03:23.699 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: If you would like to keep talking fantasy, writing, and also view these replays indefinitely. Please join us in our online writing community. We have a lot of lively conversation happening regarding fantasy writing right now in our live event Chat. And it's a lot of fun we'd love to have you join us. It's free. You can use this link provided here, and you just log in with your pro writing aid account. Information is very simple, and I'm dropping those links again for you in the chat right now 14 00:03:24.470 --> 00:03:48.533 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: reminders for this session today. If you have a question for our speaker, please use the QA. Box, so they do not get lost in the chat. You will find that button in the center of your zoom screen if you'd like to chat with other viewers today. Please do so use the chat for that, and make sure that the little dropdown menu next to 2 is set to everyone. Otherwise, by default. Your message will just come to us, so 15 00:03:49.500 --> 00:04:01.159 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: feel free to chat and links to all of the offers from this week are available on the Hub. So be sure to check out the fantasy week, Hub, for everything you need regarding Fantasy Week. 16 00:04:01.510 --> 00:04:27.889 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: So thank you again for joining us. We love having you here, and I am so excited to introduce our next speaker, Laura Ferrari. She is an Instagram marketing specialist who's helped over 100 authors grow and engaged community of readers online and helped them have fun doing it. After a passion for marketing, landed her career in copywriting, and a love of books led to developmental editing. Laura eventually managed to combine both areas of expertise and find her true purpose. 17 00:04:27.890 --> 00:04:39.139 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: After successfully using Instagram to build her own business, she now channels all her energy into helping authors charm the social media algorithms and share their stories with the readers who love them most. 18 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:42.499 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Thank you for coming, Laura. We're so happy to have you back. 19 00:04:43.250 --> 00:04:55.540 Lara Ferrari: Oh, thank you so much. I am thrilled to be here. I've just been chatting to people in the chat so almost missed my queue. But yeah, thank you very much for having me. I'm very excited. 20 00:04:55.770 --> 00:04:59.959 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Absolutely. I will just hand the reins over to you, and I will be back at the end. 21 00:05:01.840 --> 00:05:09.619 Lara Ferrari: Awesome. Thank you. Sorry. I was just checking, because I saw a few people say that they were having trouble with the the quiz link 22 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:17.619 Lara Ferrari: which I did test today. So I'm really sorry about that. I can't really test it right now, as I'm about to start sharing my class. 23 00:05:17.965 --> 00:05:28.449 Lara Ferrari: But I will send a message to my team and and get them on that for you. So sorry about that. If you've already tried hopefully. By the end of the session, we'll have sorted that for you. 24 00:05:29.330 --> 00:05:34.239 Lara Ferrari: Okay, so I'm gonna start sharing my screen. 25 00:05:38.910 --> 00:05:40.290 Lara Ferrari: Okay? 26 00:05:40.320 --> 00:05:43.010 Lara Ferrari: So if you could 27 00:05:44.130 --> 00:05:50.769 Lara Ferrari: just let me know. Can you see my title screen? Just give me a thumbs up or a yes, just so that I know that at least that text. 28 00:05:50.770 --> 00:05:51.140 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: You are 29 00:05:51.590 --> 00:05:57.189 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: center mode instead of the presentation. So I think you'll want to share differently. 30 00:05:58.808 --> 00:06:02.301 Lara Ferrari: Oh, oh, I'm stopping right? Thank you very much. 31 00:06:02.970 --> 00:06:04.190 Lara Ferrari: thank you. 32 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.110 Lara Ferrari: Let's see. 33 00:06:10.640 --> 00:06:15.150 Lara Ferrari: Okay, there we go. That is that any better. 34 00:06:15.310 --> 00:06:16.560 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Yes, that's perfect. 35 00:06:16.918 --> 00:06:18.711 Lara Ferrari: Thank you so much, Michelle. 36 00:06:19.450 --> 00:06:21.030 Lara Ferrari: Okay, alright. 37 00:06:21.590 --> 00:06:22.710 Lara Ferrari: Well. 38 00:06:23.403 --> 00:06:34.420 Lara Ferrari: thank you so much as I said for joining me and welcome to social media magic. We're gonna talk about the 12 fantasy writer archetypes 39 00:06:34.690 --> 00:07:04.129 Lara Ferrari: that are gonna make your life so much easier online, especially when it comes to content creation and attracting the right readers. Now, if you did come to my talk at the Pro Writing Aid Romance writers week back in February, I know we're a lot of romantic read. Writers there, you will already be familiar with the techniques that I'm about to share with you. But this time it is fully fantasy focused. I've created 12 brand new fantasy writer archetypes which are basically personality types. 40 00:07:04.130 --> 00:07:10.360 Lara Ferrari: And as a bonus, as I said, I have created this personality quiz to help you discover which one you are. 41 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:25.660 Lara Ferrari: Also that you can create online content to promote your book in a way that aligns with your personality, your style, your interest, your passions, so that you can connect with the right readers, and they will be enchanted by you. 42 00:07:25.750 --> 00:07:32.460 Lara Ferrari: And speaking of making social media magic. I would love to connect with you on Instagram. You can find me at Lemon Friday. 43 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:46.940 Lara Ferrari: and if you take a photo during this session, and then you share that photo to your Instagram story. I would love to repost your story to my story so it could be a photo of your screen. As you're watching this presentation, it could be viewing setup, your notes, your 44 00:07:47.010 --> 00:08:01.519 Lara Ferrari: snack or drink of choice it could be Selfie. It could be a cute pet who's keeping you company. I would love to see it, and I would love to repost it. So just remember to tag me@lemon.friday, when you do so that I don't miss it. 45 00:08:02.280 --> 00:08:03.579 Lara Ferrari: Okay? So 46 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:07.520 Lara Ferrari: why is knowing your fantasy writer? Archetype useful? 47 00:08:07.820 --> 00:08:20.310 Lara Ferrari: Because it is really hard to know what to post online. As a writer promoting a book, especially a book that may not even be published yet is very different from trying to sell pretty much any other product. There's so much advice out there. 48 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:28.129 Lara Ferrari: You might have noticed that, like 99% of that advice is for businesses. It's for coaches. It's for influencers. 49 00:08:28.290 --> 00:08:30.480 Lara Ferrari: and you're probably thinking 50 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:35.550 Lara Ferrari: that you're none of those things. You are a writer, and you just wanna write right? 51 00:08:35.950 --> 00:08:58.039 Lara Ferrari: So let me know in the chat. If that sounds like you just type me. If promoting your book on social media sometimes just feels really awkward or unnatural. Just difficult, like, you know, you sit down to write a caption for a post, and you don't have any ideas, or you're making an effort to post really trying. But you're just not getting the kind of reactions that you want, the engagement that you know you should be getting. 52 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:08.199 Lara Ferrari: Yep, I can see a lot of okay. Some people are warming up slow waves, hands wildly. A lot of means. Introverts, yes, awkward, yes. 53 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:21.320 Lara Ferrari: totally relate to all of these things fear of engagement. Oh, no, engagement is not a thing to be feared. It's a wonderful thing, and that's what we're gonna try to get more of. But in a way that's gonna make you feel comfortable and confident hopefully by the end of the session. 54 00:09:22.010 --> 00:09:23.050 Lara Ferrari: So 55 00:09:23.150 --> 00:09:33.989 Lara Ferrari: if you want to be able to spread the word about your book and entice people to read it. But without that stress and overwhelming confusion that so often comes along with creating posts for social media. 56 00:09:34.385 --> 00:09:37.490 Lara Ferrari: Coming up in this presentation, I am gonna share 57 00:09:37.650 --> 00:09:49.900 Lara Ferrari: how you can identify your own personal, like secret, special source, not by trying to copy what other authors are doing, but by discovering your own specific author, archetype. 58 00:09:50.140 --> 00:10:10.960 Lara Ferrari: and how you can use that knowledge of what makes you so special? What makes you so interesting and super appealing to create posts that attract the right. Readers start conversations, as I said, get that engagement, build relationships, and all of that is going to lead to sales, but without crucially ever being or feeling salesy. 59 00:10:11.300 --> 00:10:28.389 Lara Ferrari: And then at the end, we're hopefully gonna have time for a QA. So please do drop your questions. As Michelle said in the QA. Box as you go as you think of them. We can chat about specifically how you can show up online on social media in a really just, genuine and comfortable and fun way. 60 00:10:28.750 --> 00:10:29.989 Lara Ferrari: does that sound good? 61 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:32.870 Lara Ferrari: Okay, here's the thing. 62 00:10:33.550 --> 00:10:39.129 Lara Ferrari: Apart from a very few lucky, lucky authors who get big book deals with fancy publishers. 63 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:43.659 Lara Ferrari: Most authors do have to do some, if not all, of their own marketing. 64 00:10:43.670 --> 00:11:04.640 Lara Ferrari: but it does not have to be complicated. Okay, today, we're gonna focus, not on marketing, but simply on building relationships with readers. And that is because all this who can connect and build genuine, strong, positive relationships with readers on social media have a much better chance of getting their books in front of a larger audience. 65 00:11:04.730 --> 00:11:07.970 Lara Ferrari: which is obviously going to lead to more sales. 66 00:11:08.020 --> 00:11:11.969 Lara Ferrari: because people simply hearing about your book. That is just Step one. 67 00:11:12.050 --> 00:11:14.110 Lara Ferrari: There are hundreds of thousands. 68 00:11:14.770 --> 00:11:28.390 Lara Ferrari: probably millions. My maths is not great millions of books currently being promoted online. Now, these books are not your direct competitors, but it does mean that you have to get strategic about making sure that your book stands out from the crowd. 69 00:11:28.500 --> 00:11:32.369 Lara Ferrari: So this is where the relationship aspect comes in. 70 00:11:33.280 --> 00:11:39.130 Lara Ferrari: Your readers aren't interested in being sold to. Okay, let's just get that straight. 71 00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:43.029 Lara Ferrari: They want to be charmed right. In other words. 72 00:11:43.140 --> 00:11:48.729 Lara Ferrari: you wanna make them feel like they just met a kindred spirit, not somebody who's just trying to sell to them. 73 00:11:49.410 --> 00:11:52.889 Lara Ferrari: How exactly do you charm them? How do you win them over? 74 00:11:53.090 --> 00:12:03.269 Lara Ferrari: You simply show yourself to be someone who shares the same interest, the same values as them, somebody they can relate to someone essentially, that they would just really like to be friends with. 75 00:12:03.350 --> 00:12:07.890 Lara Ferrari: because readers are a lot more likely to buy a book written by an author, friend. 76 00:12:07.940 --> 00:12:16.179 Lara Ferrari: friend, who they like, who they trust, who they admire. Then a book by some random stranger on the Internet who's just constantly trying to sell to them. 77 00:12:16.310 --> 00:12:24.659 Lara Ferrari: And I know that you don't like that when it's kind of aimed at you. And I know that you don't want to be that person for anybody else. Right? 78 00:12:25.300 --> 00:12:32.939 Lara Ferrari: So you need a way to build the kind of relationships that are going to help you sell your book in natural, comfortable, and yes, even fun ways. 79 00:12:33.090 --> 00:12:36.540 Lara Ferrari: That is where the 12 author archetypes come in. 80 00:12:36.940 --> 00:13:03.970 Lara Ferrari: because there are 2 main problems that I see authors struggling with on Instagram. Firstly, as I said, so much of the social media advice out there has been created for businesses, not authors. So you are not the problem. Okay, that the advice is the problem. It is all about educating your audience or helping them overcome problems or addressing their pain points like this kind of jargon sound familiar. It's all about kind of selling some sort of solution. 81 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:05.930 Lara Ferrari: and none of that applies to you 82 00:13:06.310 --> 00:13:07.570 Lara Ferrari: or to your readers. 83 00:13:08.160 --> 00:13:17.869 Lara Ferrari: They just want to escape into a lovely or not so lovely. But they want to escape into another world for a few hours, and that is what you can do for them. 84 00:13:18.520 --> 00:13:37.030 Lara Ferrari: And then, secondly, even if you do manage to come across marketing advice, that is, for authors, there are so many different types of authors out there writing different kind of books for different kind of readers. So what works for one author, it still won't necessarily work for you. There is no one. Size fits all. 85 00:13:37.520 --> 00:14:05.010 Lara Ferrari: On the other hand, these 12 author archetypes were created specifically to help you as a fantasy author, promote your books, and they are highly personalized. I mean, there are 12 to choose from. Each has their own specific strategies for connecting with readers online and forming personal, meaningful connect connections and relationships that work with your areas of interest and in your zone of comfort. 86 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:22.540 Lara Ferrari: And speaking of areas of interest, as you know I am an author marketing specialist. That means I spend pretty much all my time trying to figure out how to help authors like you to spread the word about your books, and, even more importantly, actually, get those books into the hands of the readers who are gonna love them as much as you do. 87 00:14:22.730 --> 00:14:42.350 Lara Ferrari: One way I do. This is by creating caption kits for writers on Instagram. In each of these kits there are 150 caption prompts, and then personalizable caption templates to save you time and creative energy, so that you can build an audience online and generate that book, buzz among your readers without sacrificing all of your precious writing time. 88 00:14:42.390 --> 00:14:50.360 Lara Ferrari: So I currently have kits for writers of all genres, writers of romance, and a kit for writers specifically of fantasy and sci-fi. 89 00:14:50.550 --> 00:15:00.700 Lara Ferrari: Each kit is tailored to different genres of books and different audiences. But what is the same, and why I am mentioning this to you right now is that across each kit 90 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:11.750 Lara Ferrari: these 150 captions they're split into 3 caption categories that each serve a specific purpose. There are captions, too, intrigue. 91 00:15:11.870 --> 00:15:23.539 Lara Ferrari: Now these help you to talk about your book, your story, your characters, your world, in just really fun and creative ways that are. Gonna keep your readers curiosity and get them excited to read more. 92 00:15:23.750 --> 00:15:33.290 Lara Ferrari: Then there are the captions to cultivate community. These help you get more eyes on your posts and help you to spread the word about your book more widely. 93 00:15:34.030 --> 00:15:37.330 Lara Ferrari: and then finally, there, there are the captions to connect 94 00:15:37.530 --> 00:15:57.659 Lara Ferrari: these other captions that help your readers get to know the writer behind the books. These captions. They're more personal. They spark conversations, they encourage engagement, and they get more interaction. Now each of these categories are important, as I've explained, they each serve a specific, distinct purpose. 95 00:15:58.110 --> 00:16:01.849 Lara Ferrari: but if I had to choose just one. 96 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:03.929 Lara Ferrari: it would be the captions to connect. 97 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:05.470 Lara Ferrari: and I will tell you why. 98 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:09.950 Lara Ferrari: First let me ask you a question. 99 00:16:10.770 --> 00:16:13.290 Lara Ferrari: Have you ever been talking to a friend in real life 100 00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:33.379 Lara Ferrari: about someone you follow online, maybe someone you follow on Instagram. And have you ever be honest here? Have you ever referred to that person you follow as something like this girl I know, or even this friend of mine, as in this girl I know, just went on the coolest writing retreat. 101 00:16:33.400 --> 00:16:37.530 Lara Ferrari: Or, Oh, my gosh! This friend of mine just got the most adorable little kitten. 102 00:16:38.650 --> 00:17:00.970 Lara Ferrari: If you want, you can drop a big old caps. Yes, in the chat, so they know it's not just me or all of the writers who came to the Romance summit, who confessed to me that they also do this to. Yep, I can see. Okay. Happens all the time. Yes, a few knows. 103 00:17:01.350 --> 00:17:04.960 Lara Ferrari: but somebody saying they were too boring for that. I don't believe that. 104 00:17:05.800 --> 00:17:22.879 Lara Ferrari: But yes, if you are one of these people to that feel a connection, with other people online, to the point that you kind of, you feel like you know them. You don't actually know this girl or this guy. But just for a second you forget that because it feels like you do. 105 00:17:23.790 --> 00:17:24.869 Lara Ferrari: Well. 106 00:17:25.102 --> 00:17:29.319 Lara Ferrari: there definitely are few who are on the same page. Let me let you in on a little secret. 107 00:17:30.040 --> 00:17:35.110 Lara Ferrari: That is the kind of relationship that you want your readers to feel like they have with you 108 00:17:35.490 --> 00:17:43.249 Lara Ferrari: starts with letting them know, letting them get to know who you are, beyond just the books that you write. 109 00:17:43.580 --> 00:17:48.220 Lara Ferrari: I am talking about sharing your opinions, your life experiences, your passions. 110 00:17:48.450 --> 00:18:06.410 Lara Ferrari: these are the essence of captions that connect. Now we are, gonna get into specifics of what that could look like for you, but so that you know what to focus on. First, I want you to have a think about which of these 2 types of authors sound. Most like you. Okay. 111 00:18:06.820 --> 00:18:18.219 Lara Ferrari: now, type in A into the chat box. If you find it difficult to talk about yourself online, if you are ever uncomfortable or awkward kind of sharing your personal thoughts, or your opinions, or your 112 00:18:18.270 --> 00:18:20.180 Lara Ferrari: like the details of your life. 113 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:25.729 Lara Ferrari: Maybe you think you have nothing to say. Maybe you worry about offending people. 114 00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:28.860 Lara Ferrari: Maybe you think like, your personal life's just kind of irrelevant. 115 00:18:28.890 --> 00:18:37.689 Lara Ferrari: Just type, the letter, a okay, like multiple letter. A's, yeah, lots and lots and lots of A's. I'm scrolling through lots and lots and lots of A's 116 00:18:39.760 --> 00:18:41.660 Lara Ferrari: type A, B. 117 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:56.139 Lara Ferrari: If you are kind of the opposite, maybe you sometimes share a little bit too much. That is a type B, the type B maybe has 0 filter. You just say whatever pops into your head in that moment. 118 00:18:56.170 --> 00:19:03.609 Lara Ferrari: In fact, sometimes, maybe you share so many different aspects of your life that, readers, they might forget that you're even a writer. 119 00:19:03.860 --> 00:19:32.189 Lara Ferrari: Your Instagram probably feels more like personal account for your friends and your family as like a place to just keep them updated with your life. Not really a strategic author account that you use to connect with readers and promote your books. So that would be an option be, will there be a see? Neither? Okay, that's a good. That's a good sign. I think if neither of these sound like you, I'm hoping that that means you are 120 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:42.050 Lara Ferrari: super confident, and you've got the right balance, but I can see a lot of A's. And I did see a lot of B's, and even a few who are kind of a combination of the 2, which is interesting. 121 00:19:42.540 --> 00:20:02.309 Lara Ferrari: Okay. Now, whether you feel like more of a type, A or a type B or a combination awkward author. It usually boils down to basically the same 3 problems. One. You don't have a clearly defined author personality that you feel comfortable and confident, sharing online 122 00:20:02.520 --> 00:20:15.219 Lara Ferrari: 2. You doubt your own appeal as an author, and that usually just means that you haven't yet worked out what it is that makes you special and what it is that is going to draw the right readers to you 123 00:20:15.340 --> 00:20:24.610 Lara Ferrari: or 3. You just don't have time to figure this all out. You want to spend your creative brain power writing your books, not trying and testing marketing strategies that might not even work. 124 00:20:25.450 --> 00:20:27.950 Lara Ferrari: So, knowing all of that. 125 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:34.320 Lara Ferrari: now feels like the right time to introduce you properly to your 12 fantasy writer. Archetypes 126 00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:53.130 Lara Ferrari: meet your new and see Muses. Each of these cards represents a specific author personality with their own strengths, their own appeals, their own secret source for attracting the right readers. And this is why I created them for you, because it can sometimes be really hard to recognize these things in ourselves. 127 00:20:53.290 --> 00:20:56.310 Lara Ferrari: But if you have a starting point. 128 00:20:56.370 --> 00:21:03.470 Lara Ferrari: let's say a muse that you can connect with that. You can see elements of yourself in. 129 00:21:03.520 --> 00:21:11.969 Lara Ferrari: if you have it literally written out in black and white. This is what makes you so great, or this is what makes you special. 130 00:21:12.270 --> 00:21:16.909 Lara Ferrari: This is what is in you that is, gonna draw readers to you. 131 00:21:17.090 --> 00:21:25.480 Lara Ferrari: My hope is that you will feel more comfortable, more confident, accepting these things about yourself and embracing them 132 00:21:25.620 --> 00:21:41.699 Lara Ferrari: because your strengths, your unique appeal. It is so important to be aware of these things when you're building an author brand and thinking about how you want to show up, and what elements of your personality you want your readers to see. 133 00:21:42.020 --> 00:21:55.539 Lara Ferrari: That's essentially what a brand is. You might have heard that really famous definition, maybe even from me. I quote it quite a lot. About a brand simply being what people say about you when you're not in the room. In other words. 134 00:21:55.770 --> 00:22:05.120 Lara Ferrari: like based on everything they know about you, everything they've experienced with you, how they would describe you if they were describing you to another friend. 135 00:22:06.130 --> 00:22:13.710 Lara Ferrari: So I made these writer archetypes as a fun and easy way to identify what it is that you have to offer, and why readers should follow you. 136 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:28.949 Lara Ferrari: All you have to do is pick the one that you most identify with. Now, I'm gonna really quickly introduce you to each. But, as I mentioned, I have also created that quiz to help you identify your fantasy writer, archetype. And you can get that 137 00:22:29.150 --> 00:22:32.370 Lara Ferrari: supposedly by going to this link. 138 00:22:32.745 --> 00:22:35.425 Lara Ferrari: So like, I said, I still have to. 139 00:22:36.190 --> 00:22:43.030 Lara Ferrari: I have to check that with my team and make sure that that link is working because I have no idea what it why, it wouldn't be but 140 00:22:43.530 --> 00:22:46.300 Lara Ferrari: hopefully, by the end of this session we'll have sorted that out. 141 00:22:46.580 --> 00:23:06.129 Lara Ferrari: because when you go to this link and you put in your email address, you should get an email that comes with a written summary of each type like a guide to all of the types. So you can go through the more in detail in your own time. All you have to do is put in your email address like I said, so that I can send it to you. 142 00:23:06.130 --> 00:23:22.580 Lara Ferrari: So 12 fantasy writer archetypes that might seem like a lot. But I wanted to get really specific, so that each relationship building connection, making strategy is as specific for you as possible. 143 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:31.080 Lara Ferrari: have also broken down into 4 broader categories. So we have earth, fire, water, and air types which I thought was just kind of. 144 00:23:31.390 --> 00:23:35.149 Lara Ferrari: I know just fit really well with the whole fantasy theme. 145 00:23:35.760 --> 00:23:38.420 Lara Ferrari: Earth types tend to be, as you might imagine. 146 00:23:38.490 --> 00:24:01.369 Lara Ferrari: the most grounded storytellers. They work from strong foundations, whether that's their story world, their themes, or their characters. They are detail oriented. They're drawn to intricate settings, complex social dynamics, rich histories, and backstories. They can be very practical and meticulous about these details, which requires a high level of patience and dedication, which luckily they have loads of. 147 00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:10.850 Lara Ferrari: and just as gardeners tend their plants. Earth types nurture their stories, their characters, they often form very strong emotional connections to their characters. 148 00:24:11.070 --> 00:24:19.260 Lara Ferrari: Earth types also usually place a high value on tradition, drawing inspiration from the past, whether it's historical settings, folklore, ancient myths. 149 00:24:19.730 --> 00:24:23.100 Lara Ferrari: but rather than chasing literary trends. 150 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:38.579 Lara Ferrari: These types, they tend to feel a very strong connection to their stories, cause whether that is their core theme or their style, or their preferred structure, they tend to stay true to those core beliefs and vision for their stories. 151 00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:49.770 Lara Ferrari: Now fire types. On the other hand, they are trailblazers, they are passionate, they're ambitious, their stories burn bright either with action or with emotion. 152 00:24:50.500 --> 00:25:06.800 Lara Ferrari: Both are as intense as they are inspiring, because fire types are not afraid to push boundaries, to explore new concepts or go into uncharted territory. In fact, as you might expect these writers, they like to stoke the embers of drama 153 00:25:06.810 --> 00:25:07.850 Lara Ferrari: or romance. 154 00:25:08.460 --> 00:25:13.430 Lara Ferrari: And this is how they mesmerize readers with vivid characters 155 00:25:13.690 --> 00:25:21.239 Lara Ferrari: and action, packed plots fueled by power, action, urgency, all of that, all that good stuff. 156 00:25:21.760 --> 00:25:28.330 Lara Ferrari: and just like a flame that transforms everything it touches. These writers specialize in conflicts and journeys that 157 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:32.660 Lara Ferrari: essentially reshape their characters in really profound ways. 158 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:39.369 Lara Ferrari: Now, water types are possibly the most intuitive with the most. 159 00:25:39.390 --> 00:25:41.469 Lara Ferrari: I would say emotional depth. 160 00:25:41.790 --> 00:26:00.069 Lara Ferrari: They really excelled at creating stories that explore complex relationships or profound experiences. They have a highly developed emotional intelligence which they use to explore their characters like inner lives, their motivations, their desires, their their challenges. 161 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:08.689 Lara Ferrari: and there's often a a delicate kind of subtlety to the stories of water types. They can be dark, they can be light. 162 00:26:08.750 --> 00:26:15.485 Lara Ferrari: There is a vast range of styles or forms within the type. Some are mysterious, some are whimsical. 163 00:26:15.990 --> 00:26:19.659 Lara Ferrari: some write stories that are more poignant, some that are more 164 00:26:19.830 --> 00:26:36.799 Lara Ferrari: chilling, I guess, is the word. The thing that water types have in common is, thanks to their emotional intelligence and their intuition. Their stories often revolve around, revealing unseen depths that lie beneath the surface of what we know or what we think we know. 165 00:26:37.870 --> 00:26:47.690 Lara Ferrari: And finally, air types. Like all writers, they're imaginative, but their imagination is characterized by being like, particularly intellectual 166 00:26:47.730 --> 00:27:00.380 Lara Ferrari: air types can really be defined as being clever, being inquisitive and being innovative. They're quick thinkers. They're eager learners. They are constantly exploring and adapting new ideas. 167 00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:07.610 Lara Ferrari: whether they're breathing new life into ancient myths or rewriting history or imagining a different future. 168 00:27:07.970 --> 00:27:15.930 Lara Ferrari: Yeah, these types are always asking questions. They're doing the research because they want to know more 169 00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:21.119 Lara Ferrari: because they want to elevate themselves and their stories to the highest possible level. 170 00:27:22.020 --> 00:27:37.590 Lara Ferrari: Okay. So now, just from these introductions, I wonder if you instinctively feel a connection with any of these 4 broader categories? Just type a earth via what? Or into the chat. If you think you might already know which character 171 00:27:37.710 --> 00:27:46.900 Lara Ferrari: category your author archetype, is gonna be in. Even without taking the quiz. I can see a bunch of you feel like an affinity already. Yeah. 172 00:27:47.070 --> 00:28:09.250 Lara Ferrari: you I can see. Oh, a mix of fire and water mix. Yeah, this I fully expect there'd be a couple of mixes. There's definitely some overlap between them. I think I saw somebody saying they don't like to be pigeon hold, which I totally get. This is not about that at all. It's about even finding, like a combination that you feel kind of you most identify with, and what you 173 00:28:09.270 --> 00:28:14.720 Lara Ferrari: find most helpful, really. So, Earthwater and fire? Sure. 174 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:18.020 Lara Ferrari: Okay, for those of you who don't yet know. 175 00:28:18.380 --> 00:28:22.119 Lara Ferrari: That's fine. I would not expect you to know from that that's really just an introduction. 176 00:28:22.860 --> 00:28:33.969 Lara Ferrari: Now, we're going to break down these personality types even further, because, although they share some overarching similarities, some of the actual archetypes within these categories you're going to see they're pretty different. 177 00:28:34.100 --> 00:28:39.750 Lara Ferrari: And like, I said, if you have any questions as you go, please do drop them into the Q&A box 178 00:28:40.371 --> 00:28:46.120 Lara Ferrari: and then we'll hopefully have a chance at the end to go through them. And I can answer them specifically for you. 179 00:28:46.530 --> 00:28:48.130 Lara Ferrari: So let's start with the F types. 180 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:52.030 Lara Ferrari: We have the world builder, the elementalist, and the bard. 181 00:28:52.120 --> 00:29:03.769 Lara Ferrari: The world build that likes to plant seeds and then let them grow sometimes wild, sometimes carefully cultivated, but the end result is inevitably like or inspiring. It's intensely intricate. 182 00:29:03.860 --> 00:29:18.729 Lara Ferrari: And it is among this flourishing of creativity that they produce essentially a portal between the familiar and the revolutionary, the ancient, the yet to be discovered, something entirely new, but richly planned out. 183 00:29:18.810 --> 00:29:39.980 Lara Ferrari: Because of all of this. It's very common for world builders to be drawn to epic or high fantasy. So you might just be a world builder if you often find yourself thinking on a vast scale, like getting caught up in detail upon detail, making connections, seeing patterns, just thinking about the biggest of big pictures 184 00:29:40.620 --> 00:29:54.550 Lara Ferrari: they now the elementalist. They share some of these trades, but their focus tends to fall more on the natural world. So they're typically inspired by sense of wonder or respect for the environment, whether that environment is familiar to us or 185 00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:55.590 Lara Ferrari: unfamiliar. 186 00:29:56.590 --> 00:29:58.209 Lara Ferrari: And this, I think. 187 00:29:58.310 --> 00:30:08.150 Lara Ferrari: stems from the fact that elementalists are typically more reflective types. They value balance, and to illustrate that, or maybe to explore that concept. Maybe 188 00:30:08.210 --> 00:30:26.130 Lara Ferrari: elementalist plots often feature conflict between or involving symbolic factions. Now, whether that is different societies with very clear defined values or different groups of people with specific abilities. 189 00:30:27.090 --> 00:30:30.140 Lara Ferrari: You might be an elementalist 190 00:30:30.150 --> 00:30:37.239 Lara Ferrari: if you are interested in essentially trying to understand your place in the world or make sense of it all. 191 00:30:38.030 --> 00:30:45.109 Lara Ferrari: And then we have the sweet sweep. One of my favorites, empathetic community focused. 192 00:30:45.650 --> 00:30:49.649 Lara Ferrari: I mean, the bard is basically like like a warm hug in book form. 193 00:30:49.940 --> 00:30:59.459 Lara Ferrari: Their cozy stories are full of companionship, quirky characters, simple adventures, and they just sprinkled with this like 194 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:02.829 Lara Ferrari: dusting of of charm and imagination. 195 00:31:03.380 --> 00:31:07.249 Lara Ferrari: they somehow always manage to create stories that feel like this 196 00:31:07.560 --> 00:31:22.650 Lara Ferrari: sweet escape from the trials and tribulations of real life. So this could be your type. If you like to keep things, keep things light, keep things uplifting. If you write stories full of whimsy and eccentricity and and humor. 197 00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:36.420 Lara Ferrari: Now, as I said, this presentation is an introduction to how you can use these archetypes to understand your own style and your unique allure for fantasy vans. You can get the full strategy in the Quiz Booklet. But 198 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:48.199 Lara Ferrari: let me give you a few examples right now, so that you can get an idea of the kind of content that you can create to entice the right readers once you know what archetype you align with. 199 00:31:48.540 --> 00:31:53.680 Lara Ferrari: So let's just say that I challenge you to write a caption that introduces your readers to your world. 200 00:31:53.770 --> 00:31:57.280 Lara Ferrari: Now, if you identified as a world builder 201 00:31:57.740 --> 00:32:03.530 Lara Ferrari: like you know more about your world than you could ever fit into one book. Right? 202 00:32:03.540 --> 00:32:12.740 Lara Ferrari: So you could share some of that research that you have found super interesting, but probably won't make it into the final version. 203 00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:14.939 Lara Ferrari: If you're more of an elementalist. 204 00:32:14.990 --> 00:32:35.260 Lara Ferrari: you could invite your readers to, for example, like comment below. If you're interested in finding out your place in my world right? So kind of like a simple version of what I'm doing with you right now. You could ask your readers to pick a like a preference from a list of options, and then you could reply by telling them 205 00:32:35.260 --> 00:32:46.609 Lara Ferrari: what power they would probably hold in your world, or or what faction you think they would belong to that kind of thing, basically like another Mini personality quiz. 206 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.870 Lara Ferrari: And if you are a bard. 207 00:32:49.910 --> 00:33:09.099 Lara Ferrari: you're gonna wanna keep things cozy. Right? So I have suggested here that you could share recipes from your world. But food or drink with special significance related to the people, or the culture or the events of your story, so that you can include a little backstory and a little intrigue along with your treats. 208 00:33:09.810 --> 00:33:35.229 Lara Ferrari: Do you see how, knowing your archetype can help to guide your content and your caption themes and attract readers who care about the same things, instead of just trying to do what everybody else is doing. Just drop an emoji any emoji into the chat if you're following along. If this makes sense, I know I'm going quite fast. But this is a lot to cover. If you aren't able to use emojis, just type a word. Just let me know if you're following along 209 00:33:35.546 --> 00:33:43.150 Lara Ferrari: rhino emoji. That isn't a not often seen, Emoji, I appreciate that. I do like the cocktail as well. That's one of my favorites. 210 00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:46.529 Lara Ferrari: Okay, cool. All right? We're sounds like we're on the same page. 211 00:33:47.050 --> 00:34:00.550 Lara Ferrari: So the next category is the fire types. Now remember, this type brings the drama. They are all about intensity of emotion. So in this category we have the alchemist, the spellcaster, and the voyager. 212 00:34:01.520 --> 00:34:11.909 Lara Ferrari: the alchemist, and the clue is in the name. The alchemist transforms the mundane into the magical or the familiar into the extraordinary. So think 213 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:18.009 Lara Ferrari: urban fantasy, our world, but with a hidden side or a world within a world. 214 00:34:18.710 --> 00:34:30.320 Lara Ferrari: Alchemists write modern day fairy tales with an edge kind of type stories typically swapping the forest for the city or the big, bad wolf, for, like a 215 00:34:31.139 --> 00:34:33.740 Lara Ferrari: handsome, dangerous love interest. 216 00:34:34.010 --> 00:34:43.830 Lara Ferrari: So they have danger, they have intrigued, but it's like stepped up a gear, for just like thrilling, fast paced action oriented plots. 217 00:34:44.350 --> 00:34:54.000 Lara Ferrari: Let's be honest, you are probably an alchemist. If you are drawn to the shadows, or if you enjoy rewriting classic stories in just a new and modern way. 218 00:34:54.800 --> 00:35:14.499 Lara Ferrari: spell casters. They are all about the romance, so whether that is romantic fantasy, fantasy with romance, or just straight up romantic, they are intensely passionate, and they're in tune with their emotions. They're just the dreamy, they're expressive, they're they're idealistic. And their stories reflect that. 219 00:35:14.820 --> 00:35:21.939 Lara Ferrari: So if you think that the only thing better than a love story is a fantasy love story. 220 00:35:21.990 --> 00:35:25.630 Lara Ferrari: There's a good chance that you are a spellcaster at heart. 221 00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:32.920 Lara Ferrari: And then our third fire type is the voyager, the ultimate adventurer, even if it's only on paper. Right? 222 00:35:33.240 --> 00:35:37.210 Lara Ferrari: Curious, enthusiastic, often spontaneous 223 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:43.239 Lara Ferrari: voyages have trouble staying in one place, even if that's just, you know, in their mind. 224 00:35:43.880 --> 00:36:03.310 Lara Ferrari: Similarly, they're not really confined to one genre, but their stories do typically involve some form of exploration or travel, and, like the inevitable excitement and adventure that comes with that. So you could be a voyager if all of the above sounds like you. 225 00:36:03.540 --> 00:36:07.739 Lara Ferrari: and you understand that the journey is more important than the destination. 226 00:36:08.690 --> 00:36:14.829 Lara Ferrari: So caption examples for fire types. Let's say the caption, prompt is a very basic general. 227 00:36:15.596 --> 00:36:22.369 Lara Ferrari: Kind of boring. Just get to know the author type, post or ha could be boring. I should say. 228 00:36:22.970 --> 00:36:24.829 Lara Ferrari: if you are an alchemist. 229 00:36:26.080 --> 00:36:37.020 Lara Ferrari: we're not going to be boring at all. Okay, you could talk about a city that has either inspired you or or even a city that has shaped you in some way shaped your personality. 230 00:36:37.120 --> 00:36:42.329 Lara Ferrari: You could highlight your favorite spots. You could share local history 231 00:36:42.490 --> 00:36:51.269 Lara Ferrari: even better. If you can tie some of those facts, some of those details, our locations to maybe places or events in your book. 232 00:36:51.400 --> 00:37:00.429 Lara Ferrari: and then you could ask your readers what their favorite city is, or what city they would love to see featured in a fantasy novel. 233 00:37:00.890 --> 00:37:06.719 Lara Ferrari: If you are a spellcaster, you could reveal your ultimate list of red flags or green flags. 234 00:37:07.087 --> 00:37:09.630 Lara Ferrari: When it comes to your fictional love interests. 235 00:37:09.700 --> 00:37:19.920 Lara Ferrari: so perhaps you could share a few examples of that, or you could talk about the traits that you just love in a book boyfriend or a book girlfriend 236 00:37:20.523 --> 00:37:26.170 Lara Ferrari: those traits that you just love on paper that you would never put up with in real life 237 00:37:26.280 --> 00:37:35.310 Lara Ferrari: that kind of thing, and then you could invite your readers to add their preferences or their requirements to that list to just kind of keep it going. 238 00:37:36.040 --> 00:38:01.329 Lara Ferrari: And if you're a voyager, an example could be. You could write a list of your dream, travel destinations, and explain why you would love to visit so they could be real places. They could be fictional places as long as they mirror that spirit of adventure in your story. So same super general, prompt, but 3 very specific captions for 3 different kinds of writers 239 00:38:01.370 --> 00:38:03.209 Lara Ferrari: and readers. Right? 240 00:38:04.040 --> 00:38:10.299 Lara Ferrari: Do you see how none of these captions are talking directly about your book? 241 00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:29.150 Lara Ferrari: Or like they're not promoting your book. None of them feel pushy. None of them feel salesy. Instead, they're just about letting your readers get to know you as a person about connecting with them on subjects that they are interested in things that they care about, so that you can basically get them to say 242 00:38:29.430 --> 00:38:33.809 Lara Ferrari: me, too. That's me, like we're the same. Let's let's be friends. 243 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:57.619 Lara Ferrari: Yes, somebody say, I like that part, not being pushy, not being, says it. Yeah, I think there's definitely this confusion when people think about showing up online to as an author to promote your books. It has to be just like marketing. Speak all the time, and you kind of forget that these are just people who want to connect with you and and find other people to geek out about the same things that they love geeking out about so 244 00:38:57.930 --> 00:39:00.279 Lara Ferrari: hopefully. This will give you a few ideas. 245 00:39:01.310 --> 00:39:06.510 Lara Ferrari: So water types. Remember now, these are for writers who are all about the emotions. 246 00:39:06.570 --> 00:39:14.530 Lara Ferrari: But, as you will see, very different ways, because in this category we have the dark wizard, the free spirit, and the seer 247 00:39:14.790 --> 00:39:17.170 Lara Ferrari: first up the dark wizard. 248 00:39:17.200 --> 00:39:22.380 Lara Ferrari: now introspective and analytical, just like the rest of the water types. 249 00:39:22.650 --> 00:39:29.160 Lara Ferrari: This writer relies less on research and planning, more on intuition to guide them. 250 00:39:29.460 --> 00:39:36.069 Lara Ferrari: and as the name implies, they are not afraid to explore the dark side of human nature. 251 00:39:36.330 --> 00:39:48.389 Lara Ferrari: so this often results in highly complex, morally gray heroes or anti heroes. Probably more likely. Because this type is most likely to write 252 00:39:48.450 --> 00:39:51.609 Lara Ferrari: dark fantasy, or even grim, dark fantasy. 253 00:39:52.270 --> 00:39:54.489 Lara Ferrari: how to know if you are a dark wizard. 254 00:39:54.920 --> 00:40:01.349 Lara Ferrari: Well, as I've said, think of it this way. If you are writing a battle between good and evil. 255 00:40:01.850 --> 00:40:09.269 Lara Ferrari: if you find yourself more drawn to writing the point of view of evil. You're probably a dark wizard 256 00:40:10.270 --> 00:40:13.520 Lara Ferrari: now, in terms of tone and theme free spirits. 257 00:40:13.860 --> 00:40:17.360 Lara Ferrari: They're pretty much the opposite total opposite to the dark wizards. 258 00:40:17.370 --> 00:40:20.850 Lara Ferrari: They are just as intuitive, but with none of the darkness. 259 00:40:21.020 --> 00:40:36.420 Lara Ferrari: Free spirits. They're unconventional. They're eccentric. They follow or write their own parts. They are most likely to be found retelling a favorite fairy tale, or spinning their own flipped around version of a well known 260 00:40:36.680 --> 00:40:38.170 Lara Ferrari: the folk legend. 261 00:40:38.860 --> 00:40:46.740 Lara Ferrari: you're probably a free spirit if you appreciate nostalgia, but you can't resist adding your own twists to create something just 262 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:49.030 Lara Ferrari: refreshingly unexpected. 263 00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:58.139 Lara Ferrari: Now see, as again, they're similar, but they focus less on retelling familiar stories and more on simply looking at the world around us 264 00:40:58.430 --> 00:41:00.459 Lara Ferrari: through a more magical lens. 265 00:41:00.700 --> 00:41:06.830 Lara Ferrari: So, like alchemists, they blur the boundaries between the mundane and the mystical, but in 266 00:41:06.860 --> 00:41:13.220 Lara Ferrari: much gentler and more subtle ways. So think magical realism. 267 00:41:13.580 --> 00:41:24.939 Lara Ferrari: Their stories have these elements of magic, these elements of wonder. But they're not the main event. They are just this beautiful mix of observant and insightful 268 00:41:25.090 --> 00:41:30.820 Lara Ferrari: Sears are able to find magic in just ordinary, everyday things 269 00:41:31.260 --> 00:41:41.300 Lara Ferrari: so essentially, you might be a seer if you believe that any story would be made better with just just a pinch of the impossible 270 00:41:42.990 --> 00:41:51.340 Lara Ferrari: for caption examples for water types. Let's say that the caption prompt is to share the stories that have inspired you. Now, if you're a dark wizard. 271 00:41:51.470 --> 00:42:18.790 Lara Ferrari: you could obviously talk about your interest in villains right? Specifically, all of those villains that you read about, and that you just wanted to know more about, because I bet there are many anytime that you thought this story just seems too simplistic. What made them the way that they are? You could even turn this into a series where you could share your theories on what made them the way that they are, and then invite your readers to, I know, like 272 00:42:18.940 --> 00:42:21.679 Lara Ferrari: request, who you cover next? 273 00:42:22.025 --> 00:42:27.829 Lara Ferrari: And again, you're going to get that extra engagement. You're making this more of a conversational back and forth. 274 00:42:28.100 --> 00:42:36.330 Lara Ferrari: If you're a free spirit. You could talk about your favorite fairy tale growing up. But more importantly, and maybe more interestingly. 275 00:42:36.450 --> 00:42:44.900 Lara Ferrari: you could talk about the problems that you had with it that thing that just didn't sit right with you, that one aspect that you just wished was different. 276 00:42:45.180 --> 00:42:50.709 Lara Ferrari: And then you could talk about how you would fix them. If you were writing them 277 00:42:50.870 --> 00:42:55.600 Lara Ferrari: so, you could ask your readers what their favorite childhood stories were, or 278 00:42:55.890 --> 00:43:01.039 Lara Ferrari: if there are any that they now see, maybe a little bit differently now that they've grown up. 279 00:43:02.360 --> 00:43:06.900 Lara Ferrari: and if you are a seer I am betting that you have collected 280 00:43:06.960 --> 00:43:24.740 Lara Ferrari: a fair few family anecdotes over the years about my mysterious experiences or unexplained events. Or maybe you overheard some some pretty creative explanations given to children to help them make sense of like grown up things 281 00:43:24.740 --> 00:43:49.360 Lara Ferrari: so you could share these word of mouth tails along with any ideas that they sparked for you. And don't forget, as I said, our priority is to make connections with reader so sharing personal stories, that's not enough. We want them to feel included. So in this case you could ask them like you could follow up with a question about if they have any family folklore that has been maybe passed down 282 00:43:49.600 --> 00:43:51.170 Lara Ferrari: through their generations. 283 00:43:51.950 --> 00:43:58.419 Lara Ferrari: And then, finally, we have our air types, the inquisitive intellectuals, the archivist, the lawkeeper, and the changeling. 284 00:43:58.490 --> 00:44:06.000 Lara Ferrari: The archivist is the detective of the fantasy world. They are most at home in a library or a museum anywhere where they can just get lost in their research. 285 00:44:06.220 --> 00:44:13.180 Lara Ferrari: Like the World Builder. They're detail oriented. They're persistent, but they're also committed to authenticity and accuracy. 286 00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:19.709 Lara Ferrari: That is why archivists are most likely to write historical fiction. Sorry historical fantasy. 287 00:44:20.750 --> 00:44:29.729 Lara Ferrari: So I've said here that you're probably an archivist. If dusty pages is your favorite candle sent, let me know if that sounds like any of you here 288 00:44:29.990 --> 00:44:35.640 Lara Ferrari: somebody saying, Oh, no, I'm an archivist. I hope that doesn't. I hope that's not a bad thing. They're wonderful 289 00:44:36.252 --> 00:44:41.229 Lara Ferrari: archivists. They would probably have a lot actually to talk about with lawkeepers. 290 00:44:41.330 --> 00:44:57.319 Lara Ferrari: the lawkeepers. They are part scholars, part dreamers. They're equally thoughtful, knowledgeable, respectful, and in their role essentially as the cultural custodians of myths and legends. They collect stories that have been handed down through generations 291 00:44:57.630 --> 00:45:01.823 Lara Ferrari: where they differ from archivists, though, is their attachment. 292 00:45:02.780 --> 00:45:09.720 Lara Ferrari: no, I should say their lack of attachment to verified sources and like documented proof. 293 00:45:10.270 --> 00:45:20.620 Lara Ferrari: And they do this because lawkeepers feel called to preserve those like precious stories that lie outside the domain of accepted history. 294 00:45:21.110 --> 00:45:26.370 Lara Ferrari: And then, finally, we have the changeling. And this is where fantasy meets science. 295 00:45:26.400 --> 00:45:44.150 Lara Ferrari: experimental and visionary, the changeling rights sci-fi. But that's still woven with that magic. With that wonder. They defy genre boundaries. They are tech, savvy? And they're scientifically, scientifically curious enough 296 00:45:44.160 --> 00:45:50.289 Lara Ferrari: to blur the laws of physics and create these futuristic worlds where just anything is possible. 297 00:45:50.870 --> 00:45:53.709 Lara Ferrari: So this could be you, if essentially 298 00:45:53.770 --> 00:45:59.790 Lara Ferrari: you can't choose between fantasy and sci-fi. And honestly, why should you have to? Because they're both awesome. 299 00:46:00.410 --> 00:46:11.649 Lara Ferrari: So caption examples for air types. Let's say the caption prompt is to reveal an important part of your writing process again, keeping these very vague prompts, but hopefully showing you how you can make them specific. 300 00:46:15.150 --> 00:46:16.490 Lara Ferrari: As an archivist. 301 00:46:16.600 --> 00:46:20.570 Lara Ferrari: Now, I'm sure everything everything you research is fun 302 00:46:20.620 --> 00:46:33.299 Lara Ferrari: to you. But think about how you could share it with your readers in ways that's fun for them, too. So like you could hide fun facts in a multiple choice quiz, and then like challenge them to see how many they get right. 303 00:46:33.450 --> 00:46:48.460 Lara Ferrari: If you're a lawkeeper, if you like to write to music to just help you get in the right mood or the right headspace, you could share your playlist with your readers so that they can also get a sense for those kind of emotions that you're channeling as you're writing. 304 00:46:48.770 --> 00:47:00.230 Lara Ferrari: And similarly, if you're changing, you could share any artwork that you found, or artwork that you've maybe created to help you envision any of these futuristic elements of your story. So anything visual like 305 00:47:00.340 --> 00:47:15.850 Lara Ferrari: mood boards, like, I said. Here, maybe even like technical guides, technical drawings, anything that can really help your readers to see what you're seeing, and just bring them on the journey with you. While also, as I said, building intrigue for your story. 306 00:47:16.370 --> 00:47:25.389 Lara Ferrari: When you really lean in and embrace your archetype, and you start creating content in this really specific way, you will attract readers. 307 00:47:25.540 --> 00:47:33.369 Lara Ferrari: and you will put off readers. And that is okay. That's actually a really good thing, because the readers that you attract will be the right readers. 308 00:47:33.450 --> 00:47:52.924 Lara Ferrari: And by right readers. I just mean the readers who keep going to buy and enjoy your books, and then the readers who you lose. They were the wrong readers readers who were never gonna buy your books anyway, because they're not for them. So we don't want them around. We don't want them scrolling past your post just kind of dragging down your engagement levels. 309 00:47:53.250 --> 00:48:03.249 Lara Ferrari: so don't be afraid to lean in to whatever archetype or archetypes you choose, and then just watch the makeup of your audience shift in the right direction. 310 00:48:04.190 --> 00:48:13.389 Lara Ferrari: So I hope this is giving you a few ideas for how you can reveal more of who you are and what your approach to writing fantasy is. 311 00:48:13.847 --> 00:48:37.809 Lara Ferrari: Remember, you can get the quiz. I'm as soon as this finishes. I'm gonna immediately go to my email management system. And I am gonna check what is going on with that and make sure that you all get the quiz that you signed up for, because in that booklet you will also get this full breakdown of all of the archetypes like, I said, and also some like real life, examples of office in these archetypes. 312 00:48:39.270 --> 00:49:06.340 Lara Ferrari: and one last piece of advice you like, I said before. Just remember, you can absolutely mix archetypes. You might very well find that you are drawn to more than one that they could more than one could accurately apply to you. So maybe you're an alchemist and a spellcaster. You write fast paced action, driven urban fantasy romances. Maybe you're a world builder and a lawkeeper, because you like expansive story settings, but you like to root it in. Maybe, like ancient mythology. 313 00:49:06.440 --> 00:49:13.359 Lara Ferrari: or you could be a free spirit and a bard. You just write the coziest of fairytale retellings. 314 00:49:14.020 --> 00:49:26.339 Lara Ferrari: so feel feel free to use the content ideas and the connection strategies from your guide for both archetypes, because this is just going to make your content even more unique and like, doubly relevant to your readers. 315 00:49:26.740 --> 00:49:50.180 Lara Ferrari: Once you know your author archetype, you can figure out what kind of content comes most naturally to you, whether you're an eccentric free spirit or a scholarly archivist. You can really focus on the topics that excite you and and feel genuine to you, which means you don't have to show up anymore, feeling really awkward or like in unnatural ways. Just because you think that is what you should be doing. 316 00:49:50.490 --> 00:50:06.040 Lara Ferrari: knowing your specific archetypes is also gonna boost your confidence when it comes to sharing your unique strengths and your quirks cause when you're really able to lean in to what makes you special more of the right readers are gonna be drawn to you, and you're gonna get more of that engagement. 317 00:50:06.540 --> 00:50:32.199 Lara Ferrari: And then finally, as I said, Now that you have this kind of content compass guiding you, you can make sure that all of your posts feel aligned and connected, and move those readers in the right direction, which is toward your books. Obviously, because they're gonna know that if this is the kind of stuff that you talk about, if this is the sort of personality and style that you bring to your stories. Well, then, they're gonna love those stories, because this is what appeals to them. 318 00:50:32.280 --> 00:50:37.660 Lara Ferrari: which means that you don't have to work so hard to sell those books 319 00:50:38.580 --> 00:50:47.940 Lara Ferrari: so that wraps up the presentation. I think it took a little bit longer than I planned, but I would love to try and answer as many questions as I can for you right now. 320 00:50:48.238 --> 00:51:04.120 Lara Ferrari: If we don't get to your questions, please send them to me on instagram@lemon.friday, and I would love to send you a voice note back and like, give you that personal feedback because I I don't want to cheat to you off that of that time. I realize I have. 321 00:51:04.270 --> 00:51:23.849 Lara Ferrari: I have gone a little bit long. So yeah, like, I said, if you wanna continue and the chat make sure you're following me@lemon.friday. I also share a ton of other tips and resources for growing your audience of readers and building book buzz before your book is even published. So that is the best best place to connect with me 322 00:51:24.290 --> 00:51:24.820 Lara Ferrari: of. 323 00:51:24.820 --> 00:51:37.230 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Thank you so much. That was great. With the quiz. It looks like the link is working, but folks are having a hard time getting the quiz to their email afterwards. So that seems to be the issue. 324 00:51:37.600 --> 00:51:52.469 Lara Ferrari: Hey? Great to know. Thank you for that. Thank you for letting me know. I will double double check that I can apps. I can see what the problem is right now that is on me. I'm sorry, but it's very easy to fix, at least, so 325 00:51:52.470 --> 00:52:11.980 Lara Ferrari: that should be winging its way to you very soon, and once you take the quiz once you know what your archetype is, or your mix of archetypes, please let me know I would love to know what you actually come out with. And if you feel like this actually does reflect you and gives you ideas for how you can show up on social media. 326 00:52:12.950 --> 00:52:19.070 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Great. So do they need to resubmit? Or will they just automatically receive if they already. 327 00:52:19.303 --> 00:52:27.010 Lara Ferrari: I'm pretty sure you should automatically receive these. Like, I said. I will keep an eye on it. If not, I will manually. Send them out, so don't worry. You'll get them. 328 00:52:27.730 --> 00:52:37.729 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Okay? We do have some questions. First, Katie asks any tips for dealing with trolls or negative people when engaging on social media, particularly as a woman. 329 00:52:39.217 --> 00:53:06.220 Lara Ferrari: I'm first of all, I'm really sorry if you've ever had this experience. I know a lot of authors have this fear of this happening to them. I have to say I have been maybe very lucky. This has never happened to me, maybe in part because I curated my audience. Really? Well, I'm very intentional about who I follow, but also about making it very clear who my space is for who I want to attract, and I do that with my content. 330 00:53:06.240 --> 00:53:18.189 Lara Ferrari: So hopefully, this will give you some ideas as well. But obviously, ultimately you can't completely control that, and you may very well find some horrible people finding their way to you. 331 00:53:18.210 --> 00:53:21.869 Lara Ferrari: My advice, honestly, is simply to block. 332 00:53:21.890 --> 00:53:36.009 Lara Ferrari: just delete and block and move on, and know that it has nothing to do with you is 100%. Whatever is going on in their life that they are just projecting. It is not personal. They are just not your people. 333 00:53:36.610 --> 00:53:41.050 Lara Ferrari: I know that's easier said than done, but honestly, just don't even give them space in your head. 334 00:53:42.100 --> 00:53:46.990 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: It looks like everyone is now getting the quiz in their email. So that seems to have fixed the issue. Thank you. 335 00:53:46.990 --> 00:53:51.589 Lara Ferrari: I'm very, very sorry about that will of you. Thank you so much for your patience. 336 00:53:52.590 --> 00:53:58.569 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Bria asks, how does social media work when you want to use a pen name or have 2 different genres. 337 00:53:59.814 --> 00:54:15.140 Lara Ferrari: Yeah, I do know. A bunch of authors who do this, either because, as you say, they write in different genres, or actually, I know quite a lot of people like teachers in the Us who aren't allowed to have social media. So yeah, they absolutely have 10 names. 338 00:54:15.260 --> 00:54:16.150 Lara Ferrari: Now 339 00:54:16.370 --> 00:54:17.490 Lara Ferrari: this 340 00:54:17.510 --> 00:54:24.390 Lara Ferrari: for whatever depending on your reason for having this pen name, it might mean that you can't be quite as 341 00:54:24.550 --> 00:54:28.739 Lara Ferrari: like upfront visually like showing your face online? 342 00:54:29.365 --> 00:54:40.329 Lara Ferrari: In which case it's even more important to make sure that you really nail your author voice in your content. The way that you speak like in your captions? 343 00:54:40.632 --> 00:54:51.819 Lara Ferrari: The way that you come across like making it very, very clear, specific about what it is that you have to offer. What your personality is, what you're interested in, what you're excited in and and engaging with your readers. 344 00:54:51.880 --> 00:55:14.160 Lara Ferrari: But otherwise yeah, there's absolutely no problem with having potentially multiple accounts or just making up a pen name and and using that just, I would say, try to make sure that that name is consistent across all of your platforms as well, so that people can find you easily, and when they find you on one place they they can connect in their mind with you on another place. So just does that make sense? Does that answer your question? 345 00:55:16.200 --> 00:55:29.589 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: We have an anonymous question. While I'm still writing my book, I understand I can start building relationships with future readers. Now, can you give a few examples of what I can talk about in my social media post. That isn't just like, here's what I wrote my character doing today. 346 00:55:30.030 --> 00:55:53.460 Lara Ferrari: Oh, my gosh, I could talk about this. I could do a whole other class on this because, essentially, as I said, I have actually created caption kits for this very reason. So I have caption kits, for, like all genres, and for specifically for fantasy authors, there are 150 of them. But like I said, I've broken them down into 3 main categories so that might help you to think about ideas 347 00:55:53.733 --> 00:56:08.220 Lara Ferrari: for things that you could talk about if you think of it as captions to connect, and these are the captions that help your readers get to get to know you the person behind the books. We share a bit about your writing process, about your life by your inspiration, things like that. 348 00:56:08.290 --> 00:56:28.360 Lara Ferrari: Then you have the captions to intrigue, and that is, gonna be about your your your characters, your world your plot, any kind of dilemmas they might be fo facing. You can get really creative with these. Like, I said, it's very hard to me just the moment I've have. I've got hundreds of them literally in my caption prompts. 349 00:56:28.360 --> 00:56:55.559 Lara Ferrari: And then you have the captions to cultivate community. And this is where it's really about relationship building. It's really about inviting other readers and even other writers into your space about collaborating with people getting in front of different audiences. So if you try to think of your content and kind of at least try to do one post for each. Say a week. Then you're kind of you're going to be hitting most of the right basis a bit about yourself a bit about your book, and then a bit about your community. 350 00:56:55.770 --> 00:56:57.959 Lara Ferrari: That's the very, very short answer. 351 00:56:58.480 --> 00:57:01.866 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: And to piggyback on that Jace asks 352 00:57:02.420 --> 00:57:09.369 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: how or why have a social media presence if I'm not published yet, so I have nothing to offer. Where can I direct them? 353 00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:11.600 Lara Ferrari: Okay. So 354 00:57:11.700 --> 00:57:34.959 Lara Ferrari: what I always say is, when you launch your book, you want it to be. I mean, it is gonna be one of the most exciting days of your life right? And you want it to reflect that I always say people like you should throw a party on your book birthday. There should be balloons. There should be cake. There should be like a beverage like a bubbly beverage of your choice. Okay, you should have friends to celebrate with you. It should be a big event. 355 00:57:35.620 --> 00:57:45.140 Lara Ferrari: and that includes for your readers that day that everybody gets your book that's out in the world. You want buzz, you want excitement, you you do not want to launch 356 00:57:45.230 --> 00:57:50.939 Lara Ferrari: this amazing day, this thing you've been working towards for years potentially to just crickets. 357 00:57:51.250 --> 00:58:17.210 Lara Ferrari: And that is what will happen if you haven't started early building that excitement building relationships with readers. So I would say that the best time to start promoting your book on social media was yesterday. But the second best time, as they say, is today. Because you not only can you build those relationships with people build trust with readers over time 358 00:58:17.490 --> 00:58:40.669 Lara Ferrari: and the excitement for your book. It's also just a really good way to practice to get comfortable cause. Once you launch your book. You do not want that to be the time when you're like. Now I have to figure out social media. Now I have to learn all of these new skills. So when you start early, you can practice to a small audience and build up. And, as I said, you have so much to talk about, because everything you do is magic 359 00:58:40.670 --> 00:58:50.250 Lara Ferrari: to non-writers. Everything you do is interesting, and you might not think that you might think it's boring because you do it all day every day. But to non writers 360 00:58:50.250 --> 00:59:06.709 Lara Ferrari: to know what goes into the making of a book. If you can pull back the curtain on that. It is so cool to get a peek into that kind of behind the scenes, and it really makes them feel included and kind of like in on the secret, which is very, very cool, and they love that. 361 00:59:07.990 --> 00:59:14.769 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Tammy asks, do you recommend having a writer's account and a personal account? Or is it better to have everything in the same one. 362 00:59:15.530 --> 00:59:34.069 Lara Ferrari: It really depends how you want to use your personal account. If it is just a way to stay in touch with old school friends and your you know, your Aunt Jane, or whatever. And you know you wanna post you what you had for dinner, and like just that that sort of thing or your family holidays. Then? Yeah, absolutely have a personal account. That's just for them. 363 00:59:35.082 --> 01:00:03.139 Lara Ferrari: If it's just that, you know. Occasionally you like showing where you went on holiday, or the books that you're reading, or you know your cue, pet, or something like that. Then I would absolutely say, to weave that into your author account, because that again, it's part of showing the author behind the book being more personal, kind of opening up the parts that you're comfortable, opening up with and sharing that with your readers, that they get to see you as a real person, and start to think of you as a friend. 364 01:00:04.870 --> 01:00:15.550 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Lj. Asks, I've been trying to use my social media platforms as a book. Fluent book influencer platform, as I'm told. That's the best method, but I only attract fake accounts. Any tips. 365 01:00:16.170 --> 01:00:19.420 Lara Ferrari: Yeah, bots are kind of getting a bit out of control, aren't they? 366 01:00:20.095 --> 01:00:21.994 Lara Ferrari: Yeah, that that is 367 01:00:22.690 --> 01:00:24.549 Lara Ferrari: that is annoying. 368 01:00:24.900 --> 01:00:48.249 Lara Ferrari: I would say that just growing an audience at the moment is harder than it has been in the past, particularly for books to Gram, you know, it's got so massive. There's just so many other accounts out there. So I would say that one of the best ways to do that is, through collaborations. So, finding other authors who are also doing a similar thing to you, and reaching out to them and promoting each other. 369 01:00:48.250 --> 01:01:13.110 Lara Ferrari: So you share their post. They can share your post. You could even do a joint like a collaboration post together. You could do a joint live if that's something that you feel comfortable, doing kind of getting in front of their audience, which you, you know, are probably filled with more genuine readers, especially if they may be like a little bit more established. So again, I'm trying to keep these answers like to the the shortest, as I can to get through as many. But that's my short answer is 370 01:01:13.416 --> 01:01:23.819 Lara Ferrari: to try to collaborate with other authors who are in a kind of a similar situation, have a similar audience type to you as a way to grow right now. That's that's one of my favorite things to do. 371 01:01:24.730 --> 01:01:34.039 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Okay, I think we have time for one more question. Mary asks, I am loving. This. One thing I do struggle with is, what images do we use with our captions? 372 01:01:34.410 --> 01:01:51.139 Lara Ferrari: Okay. So now there are a bunch of free stock photo sites out there that you can use. So unsplash is a really good one at pixels is another one. They even have like videos that you can use as well. Canva has a whole library of stock photos and videos. 373 01:01:51.330 --> 01:02:08.159 Lara Ferrari: But what I would say is that actually, I have been seen a trend toward more text based images, and that can work really well as a writer. Obviously right. So if you are sharing, maybe a a quote from your book, a snippet, even a review that somebody has left 374 01:02:08.350 --> 01:02:17.870 Lara Ferrari: canva is amazing. For this. There are so many templates that you can use. You can go in and you can create a graphic. You can use your brand colors, your fonts. 375 01:02:18.174 --> 01:02:31.830 Lara Ferrari: You can combine image and text if you want. But yeah, I would say, look at those free stock photos, sites for images, and then check out canva as well to just make the either image or text based graphics and carousels as well. Don't forget them. 376 01:02:33.130 --> 01:02:59.230 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Alright, we are sadly out of time. We still had 35 open questions. There's so many coming in so much great feedback in the chat, but everyone follow Laura on Instagram and check out her her quiz and the replay and all the links will be on the hub for you to view at your leisure. So thank you for coming today, and thank you, Laura, for returning for another presentation. This was lovely. 377 01:02:59.230 --> 01:03:11.170 Lara Ferrari: Thank you so much. Thank you all for joining me. I'm so sorry I didn't get to them. I wish I could get to them all. As I said, though please resend those questions that I haven't answered to@lemon.friday on Instagram, and I will get back to you. 378 01:03:11.770 --> 01:03:16.229 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Alright! See you all in just under an hour for our next session. 379 01:03:16.550 --> 01:03:17.500 Michelle @ ProWritingAid: Bye, all.