Growing Great Writers From the Ground Up

Get a Writing Credit: Write a Review

2012-01-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

I just got an email from editor Suzann Holland, who, along with the staff of Key Publishing House, is offering writers the chance to review the soon-to-be-published anthology Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing (click here for the Facebook page), which has gotten a much nicer book cover design.

This is a great chance to accrue a writing credit for the resume paragraph necessary for all query letters, while also getting to read a great book about writing. While win-win is cliche, the phrase is applicable in this case.

Lastly, if you'd like me to guest blog on your site regarding the topic of my article in the anthology — How to Write About Family Without Getting Sued, or Shunned — or any other aspect of writing nonfiction, let me know. I'll be happy to contribute a piece that's suitable for your blog community.

If you're interested in reviewing the book, here's some contact info. (be sure to say you heard about the book here!):

• Suzann Holland, co-editor of the anthology, (suzann@suzannholland.com)

• Carol Smallwood, co-editor (smallwood@tm.net)

• Heather in the Media Department of Key Publishing based in Toronto, Ontario

Happy writing!

Post Your Work! New Websites That Help You Gain Exposure

2012-01-16T12:35:00.001-08:00

I recently got a message from a fellow writer about a new website where writers can post their writing. This is yet another example of how the shared writing phenomenon has grown over the past five years.

No longer do writers have to force their way through the intensely narrow, subjective doors of literary gatekeepers, agents and editors who pick and choose a few pieces from the thousands received each month. Instead, writers can post their work, thus appealing to readers directly.

In celebration of this exposure, here's a list of such websites, should you choose to follow others' example. Note that the blurbs below are from the "About Us" sections of the various organizations, so as always, check out the site carefully before uploading your work. As far as I can tell, all of the following sites are free to join:

Wattpad

On Wattpad you’ll discover a new form of entertainment where you can interact and share stories across text, video, images and through conversations with other readers and writers.

Smashwords

Smashwords is an ebook publishing and distribution platform for ebook authors, publishers, agents and readers. We offer multi-format, DRM-free ebooks, ready for immediate sampling and purchase, and readable on any e-reading device.

At Smashwords, our authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works.

Smashwords is ideal for publishing novels, short fiction, poetry, personal memoirs, monographs, non-fiction, research reports, essays, or other written forms that haven’t even been invented yet.

eSnips.com

eSnips is a social content-sharing site, where you can publish and share any media type.

eSnips offers one account that allows you to share anything with anyone - giving you options on who and how you want to share with. You can create as many folders as you like, each for a different topic. Then you can decide what audience can view each folder

Scribd

Scribd is the world’s largest social reading and publishing company. We've made it easy to share and discover entertaining, informative and original written content across the web and mobile devices. Our vision is to liberate the written word, to connect people with the information and ideas that matter most to them.

Scribd’s patent-pending conversion technology has democratized the publishing process. Now, anyone can instantly upload and transform any file -- including PDF, Word and PowerPoint -- into a web document that’s discoverable through search engines, shared on social networks and read on billions of mobile devices.

Booksie

As soon as you join this free site, you can upload your work.

If anyone has uploaded their work via such sites and you're willing to share your experience, please email and I'll be happy to include your wisdom for those who'd like to try this approach, but would like to hear more about the process.

Happy writing!

Kate Whouley's New Book: A Mother/Daughter's Emotional Journey

2011-12-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got a great email from fellow author Kate Whouley about her new book, Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words: Travels With Mom in the Land of Dementia (Beacon Press 2011).

For those of you who don't know, in Growing Great Characters I featured a segment of Kate's writing from her previous nonfiction book, Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved! In that very charming book, she recounts finding, purchasing and moving a tiny beach cottage for the purpose of using as an addition to her Cape Cod home.

For those of you who would like to follow in Kate's footsteps regarding a memoir, but are worried the family issue you're writing about is too serious and depressing and may turn off readers, consider following Kate's lead, which she explains in her email:

Remembering the Music is a memoir, with my mom--you may remember her as the over-the-top Santa collector in COTTAGE--at the heart of the story. She suffered with younger onset Alzheimer's. Before you hit NEXT on your e-mail list, let me assure you this isn't a depressing book or a litany of "poor-me," but rather a story that affirms life, love and connection. It's peopled by some of the same "characters" I wrote about in COTTAGE--and not to give anything away, but I gain an honorary niece in this one, too. You'll also meet several members of a community band where I play--they provide much of the MUSIC in the title. All in all, I feel like I can pretty much guarantee that if you enjoyed the COTTAGE adventure, you'll be glad you came along for this journey too. Also, I can promise you at least a few laughs.

Feel free to help Kate get the word out about her new book by either purchasing a copy or requesting one from your library. Don't forget to write a quick Amazon review!

Lastly, when I initially called Kate some years ago to request permission to include the segment of her book in my book, she was very kind. My guess is that if you contact her via her website to ask advice about the memoir you're writing, and are courteous and patient, she'll be happy to answer your questions.

Happy writing!

New Press Publishes Fellow Writer, Encourages Others to Submit

2011-12-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

Writer and editor Carol Smallwood recently sent me the wonderful news that her new book of poems titled Compartments: Poems on Nature, Femininity and Other Realms was just published by Anaphora Literary Press.

Before I tell you the market information for that publisher and two others, I'd like to congratulate Carol and encourage you to buy her book of 89 poems, which are tantalizingly grouped under the headings of nature, femininity, society, science, home, school, town and mortality.

As Carol states in the preface:

I've always regarded writing poetry as beyond me until realizing I had nothing to lose by exploring this greatly admired world... Compartments is a serious and whimsical blend of free verse, phantoms, sestinas, triolets, villanelles, chinquapins, and other forms.

Most, she adds are short as in Prologue:

I Read That Between
the highest mountain
and the deepest ocean
measures twelve miles

We, by volume 89-93%
water, live in between

In a review of the poetry, Dr. Christine Redman-Waldemeyer, founder and editor of Adanna Literary Journal and author of Gravel (Muse-Pie Press), states:

Carol can envy and love what is wild. She can shed light on what is cultivated and domestic where there is rain and gray sky. She does not disappoint and will keep your ear tuned to what is outside your window and what enters.

Promised Publishing Info

While helping Carol to spread her good news, I've just listed three new markets you can check out:

Anaphora Literary Press

This small publisher began as an academic press in 2009 when it published the Pennsylvania Literary Journal. Within the last year, Anaphora has published a dozen book-length works of fiction and nonfiction. The press is actively seeking book-length submissions in the following areas:

• poetry

• novels

• short story collections

• nonfiction (academic, legal, business, journals, dissertations, biographies and memoirs)

The press splits the profits 50/50 with writers, who do not have to pay anything to have the book published, which is what it means to be published by an independent press, rather than to be self-published, in which case the author pays part or all of the publication costs. Interestingly enough, Anaphora uses Lightning Source and distributes books via Ingram.

For further details, check out the submissions guidelines.

Adanna Literary Journal

According to the website, "submissions to Adanna must reflect women’s issues or topics, celebrate womanhood, and shout out in passion."

The submissions guidelines state the journal, which is published in hard copy, accepts poetry, short stories, short plays, essays, book reviews and interviews.

Muse-Pie Press

R.G. Rader began this press in the 1980s. The website states the publisher is known for:

...the publication of award-winning poetry and poets and has developed a reputation for being open to all styles and genres of the poetic voice, including haiku, experimental work, spoken word poetry and confessionalist, narrative, academic, philosophical, formalist, or other contemporary styles and genres. If it is good poetry, with technical proficiency and emotional appeal, Muse-Pie takes it seriously.

Currently the press does not accept unsolicited book-length manuscripts, but does encourage writers to check back or request to be placed on an email list in order to receive announcements about contests that can apparently lead to publication.

The press is, however, seeking submissions for its two on-line poetry journals, the first of which is Shot Glass Journal (submissions).

The second is The Fib Review, which specializes in the Fibonacci poem, or poems that "adhere to the Fibonacci number sequence whether in syllable count, word count or any other experimental genre yet to be created."

Still don't understand? Fortunately the publisher explains:

For those unfamiliar with the Fibonacci Sequence, it is a mathematical sequence in which every figure is the sum of the two preceding it. Thus, you begin with 1 and the sequence follows as such: 1+1=2; then in turn 1+2=3; then 2+3=5; then 3+5=8 and so on. The poetry sequence therefore consists of lines of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and so on with each number representing the number of syllables or words that a writer places in each line of the poem. As a literary device, it is used as a formatted pattern in which one can offer meaning in any organized way, providing the number sequence remains the constancy of the form.
The subject of the Fibonacci poem has no restriction, but the difference between a good fib and a great fib is the poetic element that speaks to the reader. No longer just a fun form to write as a math student, the poets who write good Fibonacci poems have replaced the 'geek' with the poet.

Happy writing!

The 3 Independent Publishers That Produced 3 National Book Award Biggies for 2011

2011-11-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already heard, Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones recently won the coveted National Book Award for fiction.

The book was published by Bloomsbury, the independent London-based press founded in 1986 and most famous for publishing the Harry Potter books. The company does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

I was also very heartened to learn that two of the four finalists were published by independent publishers:

Andrew Krivak's The Sojourn was published by Bellevue Literary Press. This is the same press that published Tinkers, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction.

Founded in 2005, BLP is a nonprofit project of the New York University School of Medicine and publishes fiction and nonfiction that combines the literary with the scientific, with a special emphasis on medicine.

BLP does accept unsolicited fiction manuscripts and nonfiction proposals both by mail and email. Be sure to check out the submission guidelines.

Lastly, Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision was published by Lookout Books, an imprint of the Department of Creative Writing at the North Carolina - Wilmington.

The press, which publishes fiction, nonfiction, memoir and poetry, was founded by the director of the university's Publishing Laboratory, where students learn the publishing process, and the editor of Ecotone, the school's literary magazine that focuses on literary stories that have a scientific slant.

While Lookout Books does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, authors can apparently get a shot at submitting their book-length manuscripts by first getting work published through Ecotone.

Interestingly enough, all of the books in the other NBA categories of nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature were published by major houses.

For those of you who don't know, last year's NBA winner for fiction, The Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon, was published by independent publisher McPherson & Company.

Hopefully this year's strong showing for independents sends a strong message to major houses that having the guts to publish high-quality fiction, despite lacking a 100%-guaranteed bestseller status, is worth the risk.

Happy writing!

No Need to Reinvent the Wheel: Agent Michael Larsen's Online Nonfiction Book Proposal Guidelines

2011-11-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, Michael Larsen is an agent at Michael Larsen - Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco. He's also the author of How to Write a Book Proposal.

He also happens to list all the basics on his website under Proposal Guidelines.

He lists all the necessary components along with links to the explanations of each:

1. cover

2. title page

3. what people are saying about the author and his/her work

4. proposal contents

5. the pitch

6. the book

7. the audience

8. the competition

9. the author

10. the author's promotional platform and plan

11. book contents and specifications

12. chapter summaries

13. sample chapter

This a good point at which to remind writers that agents expect such a detailed proposal for any nonfiction book, whether for essays, memoirs, histories or how-to books.

Happy writing!

Creator, Know Thy (Intellectual Property) Rights

2011-11-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

The idea behind intellectual property rights is that if you go to the trouble of creating something original, you should not only get credit for it, but also be able to make money from it.

If you write an original fiction or nonfiction story, for example, the work is an intellectual property for which you're automatically granted a copyright.

That copyright is one of four intellectual property rights — along with patents, trademarks and trade secrets — that are discussed in a new book titled Idea Rights: A Guide to Intellectual Property (Carolina Academic Press) by fellow writer Howard Anawalt, a Santa Clara University professor emeritus of law.

He recently sent word of the book's recent publication, along with a link to a YouTube video of a presentation Howard gave at Google. He starts by mentioning Johnny Depp and his famous portrayal of a pirate, so you know it's a juicy talk.

But seriously, intellectual property is a topic in which all of us writers should be well-versed.

That and his book is an example of the books produced Carolina Academic Press. If you think you've got the makings of a great nonfiction book concerning one of the 15 subjects posted on the press's website, now you've got a new market to explore.

Happy writing!

1 New Publisher, 2 Calls for Submissions, 1 Contest, 1 Challenge

2011-10-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

I've let several new market-related news treats collect in my goody basket for handing out on this Halloween day:

1 New Literary Imprint

Literary Agent Ann Rittenberg has posted that her client, Dennis Lehane — the author of Moonlight Mile, Mystic River, Shutter Island and The Given Day — will have his own imprint titled Dennis Lehane Books. The author will work with editor Claire Wachtel to acquire "literary fiction with a dark urban edge" under the auspices of William Morrow, which is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing.

In the official press release, Lehane states:

My goal is to call attention to worthy writers, who for some unknown reason aren’t as popular as they deserve to be. That’s a reason to get out of bed every morning. My background—where I grew up in Boston, the kinds of novels I like to read and write, my time spent as a writer on ‘The Wire’—will influence the kinds of books I acquire. But I just want to publish good work—an enthralling story gracefully told.

No submission guidelines are given, which means If you've got a manuscript that fits that description, you'll have to submit it via an agent.

2 Literary Journals

I got emails from the following two journals stating they're happy to receive submissions.

Ginosko Literary Journal

• Editor Robert Paul Cesaretti out of Fairfax, CA
• semiannual online journal, circulation 6,500 with website traffic of 500-750 hits/month
• accepting short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, social justice concerns and spiritual insights via snail mail or email
• "Also looking for books to post on website, spoken word recordings, and links to exchange"
• Short fiction contest with a deadline of May 1 (entry fee of $12, prize of $500)
• Check out the journal's style by reading past issues and submission guidelines online

Construction

This is a very new, clean, sleek online magazine "of politics, culture, and literature" that features some great photos and the introduction of a new blog titled Additions where writers can add their two cents about our current culture.

• accepting fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or reviews via the email submission guidelines
Gotham memoir contest

If you're interested in acquiring experience on a literary journal, the magazine is looking to hire:

Without thinkers, strategists, editors, and writers—without people and their ideas—we would not exist. If you are interested in becoming part of the magazine, email us a proposal at editors@constructionlitmag.com

1 Memoir Contest

Nov. 30 is the deadline for the Gotham Writers' Workshop Essay and Memoir Contest:

• submit 1,000- to 1,200-word unpublished essays or memoirs online (I asked if I could submit an excerpt from a book-length memoir and the contest contact person told me yes, but that the segment should be able to stand on its own.)

• $10 entry fee

• first prize is $1,000, publication in The Writer and admittance to a 10-week Gotham Writers Workshop

1 Writing Challenge

I decided to submit a segment of a memoir I'm working on. Unfortunately, the segment I wanted to submit was 2,400 words.

Just for the challenge of it, I decided to try cutting the word count by half to determine the difficulty and outcome of the task.

Here are the results:

• The task took me eight passes with the paring knife.

• I did lose one passage that did not have to be in this version, but that I'd add back to the book-length manuscript

• The segment turned out much, much clearer and more concise, the exercise once again convincing me of the need for merciless editing.

I'd love to challenge you to do the same. Take a piece you're working on, duplicate it so you'll know you've still got the original to fall back on, then purposely slash and burn the word count by half.

If anybody actually takes up the challenge, and feels like letting me know the results, please do!

Happy Halloween and happy writing!

A New e-Publisher That Might Be Right for You

2011-10-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Our very own GGW member, Joylene Nowell Butler, let me know recently that her suspense thriller Dead Witness, which was published in 2008, will soon be released as an e-book through Canadian e-publisher MuseItUp.

MuseItUp opened for business in March of 2010 and offers a host of new releases by authors located around the world in the following areas:

• romance
• paranormal/fantasy
• mystery/suspense/thriller
• young adult and books geared toward 10 - 14 year olds
• horror and dark fiction
• science fiction
• erotica

If you think MuseItUp publishes the type of books you write, the company will be accepting submissions of manuscripts until Dec. 1, after which the reading period will end until Feb. 1, 2012.

As always, make sure to follow the submission guidelines. You can also learn more by reading the MuseItUp blog.

Congratulations Joylene, and to everyone else, happy writing!

Publishing Your e-Essay

2011-10-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Fellow writer, adventurer and PR whiz Marge Offer of Washington recently sent a link to Behomia: An Essay that her daughter, Susan Offer Szafir, wrote and that won first prize for the 2011 Pacific Northwest Literary Contest — Adult Short Topic.

What made this particular email announcement so interesting is that the essay has been made into a downloadable e-essay available through Kindle for 99 cents.

For those who don't have Kindles, Marge stated readers can get free apps for the Macs, PCs or other e-reading devices:

• Kindle for PC

•Kindle for Mac

•Kindle for iPhone

•Kindle for iPad

•Kindle for Blackberry

•Kindle for Android

•Kindle for Windows Phone 7

Marge sent me the link about the same time I checked out the e-essays on Byliner.com. Unlike those, however, Susan's essay is self-published and as professionally rendered.

Therefore, by purchasing the essay, you'll further the career of another writer and gain experience downloading electronic literature.

More importantly, however, you'll hopefully begin to think about following Susan's lead and self-publish your own essays.

Happy writing!

Byliner Originals: New e-Short Story/Novella/Essay Opportunities

2011-10-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I read about Byline.com, an e-publishing and social networking website that publishes nonfiction under the minimum book length word count of 70,000 words. The site also helps readers find stories based on their interests, follow favorite authors, leave leave comments about pieces and make recommendations.

Here's the website's description:

Byliner publishes original narratives by some of the most accomplished writers working today, at lengths that allow them to be read in a single sitting. Called Byliner Originals, these stories typically range between 10,000 and 35,000 words and are available in digital form, with select titles also available as audio or print-on-demand books. They tackle compelling stories from the worlds of culture, technology, politics, business, sports, science, crime, adventure, and more.

Some other titles:

• The Cartel by Taylor Branch, an expose about college sports

• The Getaway Car, a memoir by Ann Patchett about the writing life

• I Hope Like Heck, 50 "hilarious" poems found among 24,000 recently-released Sarah Palin emails

I decided to make a purchase from Byliner Originals to 1. check out the download experience, 2. study the production quality of the material (layout, font, etc.) and 3. read an entire piece on the iPad my husband bought several months ago, and 4. see if this market might be for me.

The Results

I chose Jon Krakauer's Three Cups of Deceit ($2.99) about the reprehensible shenanigans pulled by Greg Mortenson, author of the popular book club book, Three Cups of Tea about the foundation he created to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The price of $2.99 seemed reasonable for the well-researched 70-page piece that includes another 10 pages of end notes. The download experience was smooth and the reading experience so easy I look forward to reading a lot more books on the iPad. And this from a diehard hard copy lover.

In terms of a possible market for me, however, I'm not, as yet, well-known enough. The pieces are, as the description promises, by top honchos in their fields. Judging by their work, their reputations seem well deserved, in that the often-controversial pieces of national interest are well-researched.

If you think your work is on par with the quality of these works, make sure by reading a few pieces, then check out the website's Writer Inquiries:

• Published writers can find out if and how to get their work published on Byliner.com.

• You can join the Byliner.com directory "to engage your fans or promote your work."

• Byliner commissions a lot of their pieces, but they also accept unsolicited submissions consisting of a query letter and writing sample, both of which can be submitted via an online form.

Happy writing!

A New Copyeditor to Recommend

2011-10-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

We all know the necessity of producing a manuscript clean of errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar. If we don't, we risk having our work dismissed by agents or editors as too amateurish to consider.

If that's not bad enough, think how terrible it would be to decide on self-publication, only to have the book printed and then realize all the mistakes that never got caught. The only thing worse would be to have our readers point out the errors.

Finding competent copyeditors, however, can be a real trick. The best strategy is to find out who our fellow writers use, then do our own research by checking out the person's website, credentials and price structure. Most legitimate copyeditors will provide a free sample critique of 1 to 10 pages.

Along those lines, I've just connected with Beth Bolwerk of San Diego, CA. I received her name through a fellow writing friend and thought I'd pass along her information:

BETH BOLWERK, Copyeditor
(619) 246-8141

BACKGROUND
Beth has been copyediting professionally for six years. Her early career included stints as an ESL instructional aide, paralegal, librarian, as well as several years working on websites for MSNBC, Microsoft and various Seattle start-ups. More recently, Beth has edited and written for UC San Diego Publications, Rady School of Business at UC San Diego, Sharp HealthCare, The San Diego Foundation, PETCO, and many other companies and individuals. She has edited websites, novels, science textbooks, PhD dissertations, marketing collateral, white papers, annual reports, journals, newsletters, screenplays and television pilot scripts. Beth holds a philosophy degree and a paralegal certificate from UC San Diego.

RATES

Free sample edit of 1,200 words for first-time clients.

Basic Proofreading
Editing for typos, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, layout.
2.4¢ per word
$6 per pg (at 250 words/pg)
$24 per 1000 words
$60 minimum

Copyediting w/ comments
Includes basic proofreading, plus editing for consistency, dialogue, word choice, verb tense, sentence structure, clarity and overall flow. Comments explaining issues for the author to address will be included.
3¢ per word
$7.50 per pg (at 250 words/pg)
$30 per 1000 words
$75 minimum

# OF WORDS DISCOUNT
10,000-19,999 5%
20,000-49,999 10%
50,000-99,999 15%
100,000+ 20%

Happy writing!

Help for Women Writing About Family: Pass the Word

2011-09-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

I just received the press release from The Key Publishing House about the publication of Women Writing on Family, an anthology of how-to articles for female writers who need help navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of family relations in order to write memoirs, essays and creative nonfiction that involves family members.

If you'd care to share the information on your blog or with writer friends, please let me know and I'll forward the press release. Here's the official description:

Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing provides guidance and insight for women who write about family. Award winning women writers from all walks of life share their experiences in planning, composing, editing, publishing, teaching, and promoting work in a variety of writing genres. Readers will learn to tackle sensitive family issues and avoid pitfalls in memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and others. Filled with tips, exercises, and anecdotes, this anthology is appropriate for both well-seasoned writers and those just beginning

.

My essay is titled Family Secrets: How to Reveal What Matters Without Getting Sued, or Shunned. Other articles include:

• The Parent Trap: Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Essays about Family by Anne Witkavitch

• Today’s Freelancing Momma: A Look Into the Dual Career of Writing and Motherhood by Daphne Butas

• Using Writing as a Means of Surviving and Transgressing Family Violence and Trauma by Anna Saini

• Mothers and Daughters: Telling Shared Stories by Diane LeBlanc

• From Memoir to Fiction by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

• The Roles of Women in Narrative by Mary Rice

• Potential Markets for Family Writings by Rebecca Tolley-Stokes

• On Believing What You Have to Say Is Worth Writing by Sheila Bender

Though the publication date is Jan. 10, 2012, feel free to pre-order through the publisher, The Key Publishing House, or amazon. This book will make a great belated present for all those thousands of women writers out there who are attempting to write their life stories.

Thanks for help spreading the word.

Happy writing!

Sept. 17 Book Fair Raises Money for Math Scholarship

2011-09-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'll be selling copies of Growing Great Characters and The Wind Thief tomorrow, Sept. 17, at a book fair that raises money for a math scholarship at San Jose State University in San Jose, CA:

The Paul F. Byrd Autumn Book Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 17
Divine Science Community Center
1540 Hicks Ave., San Jose, CA

Money raised through used book and CD sales will fund the scholarship, named after a former SJSU math professor.

The festival will include:

• free kids' books for kids 14 and under
• book giveaways
• author appearances

If you get a chance, come out to support a good cause.

Happy writing!

The Inner Critic: Tell It to Shut Up

2011-09-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

On my fitness blog, GiraggeEggs.com, I just posted an article about My Stroke of Insight by brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor, who at the age of 37 suffered a massive stroke due to a malformation of the blood vessels in her brain.

The point of the post was to pass along what Ms. Taylor learned during her recovery, that when you think positively, your brain will secrete the chemicals — adrenaline, endorphins, testosterone (yes, women have it, too) — necessary to help you reach your goals.

I realized this is a message we writers should be shouting from the rooftops to help ourselves and others reach goals that otherwise seem impossible.

To plagiarize my own article...

The trick, Ms. Taylor writes, is to consciously decide you want to stop thinking in a negative manner — one that floods your body with chemicals that lead to failure — and then actively coach your brain toward a mindset that encourages success.

Here are some other tidbits she talks about regarding the mind's ability to shift quickly from the negative to the positive:

• The chemical surge caused by a basic emotion such as anger can be flushed from the body within 90 seconds: "If, however, I remain angry after those ninety seconds have passed, then it is because I have chosen to let that circuit continue to run."

• Due to the right and left parts of the brain, there are at least two ways to perceive any given situation: "If you approach me with anger and frustration, then I make the choice to either reflect your anger and engage in argument (left brain), or be empathic and approach you with a compassionate heart (right brain).

• By paying attention to the left brain's internal chatter (our internal critic), which, as we writers know, can be unfairly loud, persistent and harsh, a person can then decrease the extent and substance of those thoughts: "In my opinion, making the decision that internal verbal abuse is not acceptable behavior is the first step toward finding deep inner peace."

So the next time you're thinking you'll never get an agent or that a certain story will never get published or that you'll never achieve the skill necessary to become a great writer, let the 90 seconds of anger and frustration pass (preferable while you let a square of chocolate melt in your mouth), then sit your left hemisphere down, and in a soothing, compassionate voice, say, "I know you're attempting to point out the practical aspects of the situation, but now it's time to shut up!"

Someone recently sent me the link to Ms. Taylor's TED talk (TED is a lecture series devoted to "ideas worth spreading").

Happy writing (and thinking positively)!

Synopsis Writing Made Easy

2011-08-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

Fellow writer and GGW member Maryellen Cameron asked another great question:

Would you discuss the elements of a great synopsis?

Before I talk about the elements, let's talk realities:

• A synopsis is only necessary if you're attempting to get an agent, who is necessary for approaching big publishers and most medium-sized and small, but prestigious publishers. If you're planning to self-publish or work with a small publisher, you're home free.

• A synopsis is of modest importance for these reasons: 1) A synopsis is only requested by a small number of agents (I'll estimate no more than 10%). 2) Even if it's the greatest synopsis ever written, what matters most to agents is if they love the storyline and writing and if they feel they can sell the book.

• A synopsis should be no more than 2 pages. Agents don't have time to read any more than that. If you have a 2-page synopsis and an agent requests 1 page, don't sweat the small difference in length. Send what you have. Again, a synopsis is of limited importance.

• A synopsis should be written in present tense to give the story a sense of immediacy, i.e., "Eleven-year-old Darcy Wiggins is hauled out of science class by the principal one afternoon and told by an FBI agent that she's got 10 minutes to save the world..."

• The point of a synopsis is to state how the story ends. I say that because many writers — including myself at one time — seem to think the goal of the document is to pique an agent's interest, whereas that's the point of the query letter.

Now for the basics...

Elements of a Great Synopsis

1. Paragraph 1: State the Basics

The first paragraph should be your back-cover blurb — also known as the elevator pitch — in which you state who the main character is, what she must do over the course of the book and what will happen if she doesn't. Include clues about the basics: the type of book (mystery, romance, memoir, etc.), the era (contemporary, historical, futuristic) and the setting (a farm in Iowa, a planet in a far-off galaxy, another country).

This is the paragraph that's most important, not only because it's first, but because this is the paragraph you should include in your query and the one that could wind up on the back cover. The point is to pique the reader's interest while telling him or her everything he/she needs to know about what type of book this is.

Therefore, spend 90% of your time crafting this paragraph so that it's informative, easy to read and titillating.

2. Paragraphs 2-6: Expand a Little

Use these paragraphs to mention other main characters and how they fit into the character's journey. This is where you'll be tempted to start a laundry list of "this happened, then this, then this." Don't. Fit in all the basic threads in a writing style that reflects that of the story. Feel free to include a few snippets of fantastic, conflict-ridden dialogue.

Include any out of the ordinary writing elements, i.e., "While the story is told mostly in Perry's point of view, those of Harold and Mr. Tx are also included to provide a rich contrast between...." or "Though the timeline is mixed, readers are taken from the past to the present in a seamless rhythm that shows the events in Louise and Harvey's youth that led to their eventual love as adults...."

Use the last paragraph to tell how the story ends, i.e., "Though Harvey rushes to the hospital, he's too late. Louise is dead."

3. Paragraph 7: Conclusion

Use the last paragraph to reiterate the theme of the book and why that theme is so marketable, i.e., "Caught between two warring families, the sweeping tragedy of Louise and Harvey's forbidden love is as relevant today as when William Shakespeare first addressed the terrible error of attempting to control the love between two people..."

In Conclusion

The above is all gleaned from my almost 20 years of fiction and nonfiction writing. But I don't assume to know everything, so you shouldn't, either. Therefore I'll suggest that you check out at least 10 other sources, choose what makes sense, then start writing. Be sure to run your attempts past another experienced writer to gain the necessary feedback regarding clarity. Here are some resources to get you started:

How to Write a Synopsis by writer and former agent Nathan Bransford

Writing a Novel Synopsis from Fiction Writer's Connection

How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel by Glen Strathy

And as always, if you've got information to add, please do! I'll include it in the next blog post.

Happy writing!

Crisis Counseling for Your Characters: Online Chat on Sat., Aug. 27

2011-08-25T14:49:00.001-07:00

Do you have characters who are giving you serious grief? Side characters who are so interesting they threaten to overtake the main characters? Main characters who strike readers as out-of-focus? Characters you stick into the story to complete certain necessary tasks, but that obviously seem like cardboard cutouts?

If so, attend my online chat in which I'll be helping participants trouble-shoot problems with character development:

Psychotherapy for Your Characters:
Curing the Woes Caused By Those You're Writing About

1 - 3 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (4 - 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time)
Sat., Aug. 27

The chat is part of the 5-day Savvy Authors Summer Symposium. Though the writing conference started Aug. 24, there's still time to register, especially since the event only costs $30.

I hope to see you there.

Happy writing!

Gatekeepers Post: Example of Blog Building Before Publication

2011-08-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I got an invitation from Jeff Rivera to answer questions regarding character development for his blog, The Gatekeepers Post. He just posted the interview.

While I could suggest you take a peek to see my titillating replies, a better reason is to check out the extent of his blog and the fact of how hard he's working to gain readers in advance of the November publication of his graphic novel, Forever My Baby.

The key word here is "in advance," the step that many of us authors fail to accomplish.

Jeff apparently cruises blogs weekly, if not daily, looking for guest bloggers to feature. Therefore, if you'd like to guest blog — as a way to promote your upcoming book — consider contacting jeff via his blog to ask for the opportunity:

Happy writing!

Wikipedia Wandering: A New Way to Tell Stories?

2011-08-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Recently my son spouted off a number of interesting details about a certain subject. I asked him how he knew so much and he said by looking up a Wikipedia page about the general subject and then following the links. Then he asked if I ever did that, just kept following the trail of links? Immediately the term came to mind, one that describes what he means: Wikipedia wandering.

Later that day in PW Daily I read about what Brooklyn-based independent publisher Melville House is calling a HybridBook Project. The idea is to publish 5 famous novellas in print form and then offering a lot of extra material — enhanced features — in digital form:

Each book in the HybridBook program features not only the core text of the novel, but extensive additional material rendered in digital form—the Melville House Illuminations. The Illuminations consist of highly curated text, maps, photographs and illustrations related to the original book.

The idea seems to be to keep print books competitive with enhanced e-books, which offer extra material by clicking on links for further information.

Like the movie industry, which has been offering extra material for years via actor/director commentaries, outtakes, information about how the movie was made, etc., the publishing industry seems to have picked up on the fact that when we humans find something interesting, we'll be happy to learn more when the information is conveniently offered.

That last notion and my son's comment got me to thinking that the way we read has already shifted. Rather than reading continuously, we're already used to jumping from one link to the next. Therefore, maybe stories will soon change to reflect that, so that instead of seeing a story flow from one page to another — either physically or virtually — maybe tales will be told through a series of clicks.

While some might find that idea distressing, for those of us who like to experiment, the time seems ripe to do so. Is anybody taking the leap?

Happy writing!

Two New Markets and A Reminder

2011-07-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

My fellow writer, public speaker and musician Martha Kendall was happy to report two weeks ago that her article was accepted by a publication some of you might want to try:

Active Over 50
A magazine for active older adults in Silicon Valley that's published in print and online by Larry Hayes

Remember that you don't have to live in Silicon Valley to submit an article. Rather, take whatever subject you're interested in and include details specific to those within the readership. If you're an avid walker who happens to live in Wisconsin, for example, you could write an article about some favorite hikes you did while visiting this area.

That approach — of taking a general topic and localizing it to reach a lot of smaller markets — is a great way to promote your area of interest or book aimed at that subject, a lesson strategy Martha knows well.

The Reminder

Martha wrote her article as part of her ongoing promotion for her nonfiction book, Full Cycle, about her family's bicycling trek across Spain. Along with the article, she submitted a bio that includes the book title. Such a mention goes a long way toward reaching those in an author's target market, a necessary task discussed in the post previous to this one.

When Martha's article was published this week, however, she found that her book's title was accidentally omitted. Martha said that's led to a refinement in her procedure for dealing with those who publish her work. Next time, she says, when she thanks someone for accepting her work for publication, she'll provide a gentle reminder to include her writing credentials.

Thanks for the great advice, Martha.

Second Market

I just received an email advertising Ecotone, a literary magazine put out by the University of North Carolina (Wilmington) Department of Creative Writing. I get a lot of such emails, but what caught my eye were contributors, many of them heavy hitters like former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, novelist Ann Beattie and nonfiction writer Peter Trachtenberg.

Founded in 2005, the magazine's website states:

Each issue brings together the literary and the scientific, the personal and the biological, the urban and the rural. An ecotone is a transition zone between two adjacent ecological communities, containing the characteristic species of each. It is therefore a place of danger or opportunity, a testing ground. We embrace and celebrate these ecotones by breaking out of the pen of the purely literary and wandering freely among the disciplines.

The submission period starts Aug. 15 and goes through April 15, so you might check out the archives to see if what the magazine publishes is similar to what you write. If so, here are the submission guidelines.

Happy writing!

How Authors Find Their Audience

2011-07-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Maryellen Hess said she self-published her psychological thriller, Come and Get Me, which she describes as fiction with a social message, i.e., the wounds left by domestic violence.

She writes:

Now I have the difficult challenge of finding those readers who want engaging fiction that also reflects society's flaws. Can you offer any advice as to how I can target those readers?

Here are my ideas:

Hire Someone

While this suggestion might seem glib, not to mention insensitive to those who don't have a lot to spend, it isn't. Instead, this is my attempt to make writers realize they are business people who have taken the time, energy, and in the case of self-publishers, expense to create a quality product. The next step is to actually hire those who can help market and sell the book, the first step of which is to find all possible markets.

Rather than hire an expensive, full-service marketing and sales agency, authors can choose to consult with specialists who can help the author develop a marketing and sales plan that authors can then follow to reach those who might be interested in the book.

Research

Authors should make a list of every possible subject the book touches upon — messages, places, themes, historical events, activities — which will tell you who the book might appeal to.

The under each subject, list every group, organization, association that might be interested in that subject. Don't forget to include those groups that might be interested in you, the author, such as alumni organizations, clubs you used to belong to, places you used to work, etc.

By way of example, let's look at the description of Maryellen's book:

After two years in prison Ben Rice is ready to re-unite with his wife Kate. Their divorce means nothing. He owns her, and always will.

Kate's marriage to Ben buried her for years. One especially brutal night finally cracked the layers of shame and hopelessness. For her own life and that of their small daughter, Kate's testimony to years of abuse put Ben in prison.

Kate rebuilt her life and her dignity. Life has become normal, and she believes she is free of Ben at last. Then she learns Ben is out and Emma is gone. Kate must play this new game by Ben's rules. He plays a game of come and get me, dangling his daughter as the prize Kate must win.

That is when Ben makes one final and inexplicable demand. Blindly Kate must make a choice that could end in horror, or that will renew her own will to survive.

Here's a possible list of subjects, and subsequently, possible audience:

• those who have, or had, a loved one in prison

• anyone who's divorced

• victims of domestic violence

• people who enjoy thrillers, including book clubs themed around that genre

• those who volunteer for child abduction organizations

• those who read books like Maryellen's (she can go to Amazon, look up books like her own, then go to the websites/blogs/Twitter of those authors to find the readers who have joined the site or follow the author)

Maryellen said she's also worked at various social service agencies, which invariably have regional, state and national offices that have websites, newsletters, etc.

Participate

Whether you hire someone to find your audience, or do it yourself, the last step is to interact with those possible readers. This can mean:

• writing guest posts for blogs

• writing articles for magazines, newspapers, newsletters

• taking part in book groups formed around those various subjects

• speak to groups — either via online chats, local or regional radio stations or in person — about how your book relates to the topic they're interested in

• offer workshops related to the theme of your book and offer your book for sale

Plan for the Next Book

Ideally authors will find their audiences before a book is published. If you happen to be a cart-before-the-horse author, as many of us might be, use this post-first-book round of promotion to get your feet wet. Record every step you take. Once you've established a system, and more importantly, the many contacts you establish, you'll have an excellent structure from which to launch your next book.

Don't forget to consult industry standards, like John Kremer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Book (he has a tremendous website titled Book Marketing and Book Promotion dedicated to this topic) and Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book.

I hope that gets you started, Maryellen, and helps anyone else on the road to publication.

Happy writing!

New Thriller Book Trailer: What Can We Learn?

2011-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

In my writers group this week, we were talking about book trailers when I conveniently got an email from our very own GGW member Joylene Nowell Butler announcing the book trailer for her thriller, Broken But Not Dead.

The video was produced by her publisher, Theytus Books. Take a look to get an idea of what you might want when the time comes for your book to be published.

And Joylene, if you have time, let us know whether your publisher weighed in with you regarding the look, feel and content of the video and what you think of the finished product. I liked the music and the eerie mood shots of the forest.

For others, what value do you, as a reader, place on book trailers? Do you ever watch them for other books you'd like to read?

And for those who are just entering the realm of the internet and all its possibilities, many of which are fast becoming staples of book marketing, consider perusing the book trailers posted on BookTrailers.com.

Which do you think succeed and why?

Happy writing!

Small Press for Literary Novels With Social Message

2011-07-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who write literary fiction that pertains to social issues, whether the modern slave trade, difficulties of indigenous people, or foreign involvement in other countries' governance, consider checking out Harvard Square Editions.

The 3-year-old press is run by Harvard alumni who live worldwide. Like other small presses, HSE doesn't pay advances, but works closely with writers to edit manuscripts. Unlike other small presses, HSE offers authors the prestigious Harvard name.

So far HSE has published six titles, including Travelling Light about the modern slave trade, and A Weapon to End War, a nanotechnology thriller. If you want your book to be the seventh, check out the press's submission guidelines, which fortunately do not require authors to submit via an agent.

Happy writing!

Fast, Easy Website for the Grammatically Challenged

2011-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Every month or two, people who did not have my tenacious, exacting eighth-grade English teacher, for whom diagramming sentences was an art, will ask what resources they can use to help them copyedit their own work so they don't have to spend a lot of money on a pro.

I've just come across one such site, the HyperGrammar page of the University of Ottawa's Writing Centre.

The site not only explains all the parts of speech — verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections, etc. — but also explains how and when to use each followed by more complex techniques, such as building clauses, writing paragraphs and checking spelling. Examples are used to demonstrate the concepts. There's even an option to read the website in English or French.

While hiring a copyeditor might be faster and more thorough, and is definitely the correct course if you know you have a serious problem with grammar, punctuation and spelling, yet you want to make sure your manuscript comes across as professional to the agent/editor to whom you're submitting, I'm a big advocate for encouraging writers to learn as much as they can about the written use of language. No doubt you've heard this all before, but it's worth repeating: the better we writers know the tools of our craft, the better writers we'll be.

Happy writing!

Dropping Readers Into Another World: WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel

2011-07-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Maybe one of every 30 books I read has what publishers refer to as "a great voice." I've just added Wolf Hall to that category.

While some authors try too hard to sound unique, the result overwhelming, that's not true of Hilary Mantel's fictionalized story of the real Thomas Cromwell, an English statesman who helped engineer the English church's break with the Roman Catholic church in 1534, which allowed King Henry VIII to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine, so he could marry Anne Boleyn.

The book begins in Putney when Thomas is a boy and taking yet another beating by his father:

"So now get up."

Felled, dazed, silent, he has fallen; knocked full length on the cobbles of the yard. His head turns sideways; his eyes are turned toward the gate, as if someone might arrive to help him out. One blow, properly placed, could kill him now.

Fearing he may not live much longer if he sticks around, young Thomas leaves home to make his way in the world and the story picks up again when Thomas is in his forties. He's a lawyer and a close confidante to Cardinal Wolsey, a relationship that brings Thomas to the attention of Henry at one of the most famous and fascinating times in English history.

Mantel tells the story of Cromwell's rise to become Henry's right-hand man in a tone that's simple and delightedly void of explanation and interpretation.

The effect is twofold. The first is the achievement of an intense realism. The narrator never pulls readers aside to say "this is what ___ means and that item is used for ___ ," a technique many of us authors use and that many readers appreciate for help in understanding the story. The disadvantage, however, is that such explanations often pull readers out of the narrative by pointing out they're not of that time period.

By treating us as though we are of Thomas Cromwell's era, however, Mantel allows readers to truly sink into his time and world, one so real I felt I was within arm's reach of Thomas, whether in his study at Austin Friars or while walking the stone corridors of Henry's palace.

The second effect of being dropped into a story told without footnotes within the prose is that of feeling trusted by the author to glean what's going via the clues we're given, which is marvelously challenging for people who like to puzzle over what they're reading, especially when they feel they're being given the components necessary to put the picture together.

If I have any criticism of Wolf Hall is that there's a consistent tendency toward pronoun confusion: there are countless scenes in which more than one man is present, so that figuring out who Mantel means by "he" can be challenging.

Happy writing!

Video Pokes Serious Fun at Common Plot Devices

2011-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Fridays are perfect days for a bit of a laugh, and today's ha-ha comes from the makers of a very short video titled Plot Device.

While Seth Worley directed the film, which he co-wrote with Aharon Rabinowitz at Red Giant, as a sales tool to demonstrate the attributes of editing software, the men manage to hit that proverbial nail on the head when it comes to the various themes that cycle through literature.

So treat yourself to a good-humored last day of work before a long weekend, during which you'll hopefully have plenty of time to work on your own story's plot device, one that's no doubt truly unique.

Happy writing!

Evolving Into All-Involving E-Books

2011-06-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

You got to love the above title, which is not only snappy, but turning out to be very true.

According to a recent PW Weekly article by Claire Kirch, e-books are changing the traditional reading experience — of words fostering readers' imaginations — into multi-media events somewhere between books, movies and video games where readers can click on various links, look at illustrations and listen to theme music.

This trend toward a movie-like metamorphosis has been approaching over the last year or two and producing rapid changes that are both unnerving and fascinating to witness:

FlyingWord, a Minnesota company that began in 2010, has announced it has developed an interactive e-book platform designed to enhance the experience of reading for 21st-century tween, teen, and adult readers. (“Reading plain text is so 16th-century,” the company proclaims on its Web site.) Co-founder and CEO Joe Weber described FlyingWord’s products as books you can “see, hear, and touch.” FlyingWord is partnering with

book publishers, authors, and illustrators to make e-book artwork and illustrations multi-dimensional through audio, 2-D and 3-D graphics, animation, and touch interactions. The audio is fully synchronized with the text, even when a reader pauses and takes up later where he or she left off.

While FlyingWord has published children’s books like ’Twas the Night Before Christmas and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, going forward it intends to specialize in publishing full-length novels as enhanced e-books. Treasure Island and The Wizard of Oz have already been issued as enhanced e-books, with four more enhanced e-books are still in production (release dates have not set). Weber says FlyingWord products are produced per the specifications of the partner on each project, and are compatible with all e-book platforms.

Happy writing!

Shut Up, Skinny Bitches: An Authors' Panel You Won't Want to Miss

2011-06-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'll cop to the ploy of using the provocative part of Shut Up, Skinny Bitches: The Common Sense Guide to Following Your Hunger and Your Heart by Greg Archer and Maria Rago to bring attention to an authors' panel I'll be participating in from 1 - 3 p.m. Sat., June 25, at Barnes & Noble, 3600 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose.

But come on, you've got to admit such teasers work. Now I'm excited to go learn more about Mr. Arche'sr and Ms. Rago's book, especially since the authors really do seem to have the credentials to admonish skinny bitches:

Stop dieting and start loving yourself! If you can't stomach one more day of being told you're too fat, then you're ready to try some delicious new brain candy. Skinny is not the cure! Thin is NOT in. There's nothing wrong with you! There never was. Authors Maria Rago, PhD and Greg Archer want you to do one thing: Shut up, and eat! And have fun doing it. Let compassionate guides Maria and Greg show you how listening to your hunger and fullness cues, eating foods you love, and honoring yourself are the best nutrition for your body, mind, and soul.

The book sounds as tantalizing as Dr. Carter Multz's How to Treat Arthritis With Sex and Alcohol.

Both books will be discussed during this wonderful, free event where eight authors will sign copies of their books and answer questions, including me, who will talk about Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up.

The panel was organized by June Chen, author of Seeing the Light.

Also featured will be:

• Memoirist Betty Auchard, who wrote Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood and The Home for the Friendless: Finding Hope, Love and Family

• Robert Balmanno, author of The Runes of Iona

• Audry Lynch, author of Steinbeck Remembered

• Timothy Fitzgerald, author of The Wawona Brotherhood: The San Jose State Campus Revolt

If you're local to me, come on over to say hi.

Happy writing!

Alert to Thriller Lovers: Joylene Butler's Second Book Has Just Been Published

2011-06-15T16:29:00.001-07:00

One of our very own GGW members, Joylene Nowell Butler of central British Columbia, has sent the happy news that her new thriller, Broken But Not Dead has just been published.

The book is available for $18.95 CAD ($17.95 USD) through the publisher, Theytus Books and independent bookstores across Canada.

Congratulations Joylene!

For those of you who don't know, she's also the author of Dead Witness.

Book Blurb

Brendell Kisêpîsim Meshango is of Métis heritage and a PhD university professor in Prince George, British Columbia. When Brendell resigns from the university and retreats to her isolated cabin to repair her psyche, she is confronted by a masked intruder. His racial comments lead her to believe she is the solitary victim of a hate crime. However, is all as it appears? After two bizarre days inflicting a sadistic captivity, the intruder mysteriously disappears.

Taught by her mother to fear and distrust the mainstream-based power structures, and with her stalker possibly linked to a high level of government, Brendell conceals the incident from the police. But will keeping quiet keep her safe?

Then her beloved daughter, Zoë, is threatened — and Brendell takes matters into her own hands. To save Zoë, Brendell searches for the stalker and confronts not just this a depraved madman but her own fears and prejudices.

A First Review

Martha A. Cheves, author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat, writes:

Broken But Not Dead is written without the “fluff” that’s found in many books. Joylene Nowell Butler gets straight to the story, taking you from one happening to the next and keeps you turning the page. The characters of Brendell and her determination, Zoe and her stubbornness, the mental instability of the “intruder” is written with such possibility that the book is very believable. Now that I’ve read Broken But Not Dead, I can’t wait to read Dead Witness also written by Joylene Butler.

Pep Talk

We writers know that when we get our work published, yes it's very nice to receive congratulations.But what we really want is for people to buy our books. When they do, publishers are impressed and while we authors may make a little money, we more importantly establish a track record and so increase our chances of getting published again.

Not only is Joylene a great writer, but she's a great person who thoroughly supports other writers, so if you've got birthday presents to buy or simply want to reward yourself and the readers in your life, consider purchasing a copy of Joylene's book, or two, or a whole stack. Then don't forget to write those ever-important book reviews that encourage others to buy the book, too.

And if anyone else has such good news to share, please do.

Happy writing!

113 Degrees Published

2011-06-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note today to say my short story, 113 Degrees, was published this week in Mary: A Journal of New Writing. Feel free to take a look.

And lest this Friday pass without a little jocularity regarding the often grave side of writing, by which I mean the business end, I'm including a graphic my waggish, if mildly sardonic, husband emailed me:

Happy writing!

Fiction Writers: Tired of Rejection? Write Nonfiction

2011-05-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I come from a journalism background and so understand the demand for nonfiction, a flood of which is published every day in thousands of venues, from news to essays, reviews and opinion pieces in blogs, books, documentaries and on and on.

Yet every once in awhile I stumble upon yet another anecdote that drives home the point of how much more nonfiction is published than fiction.

I discovered just such confirmation when I happened upon the website of Jodie Rhodes in La Jolla, CA.

She writes:

To give you an idea of how well nonfiction sells vs fiction, we sell 70% of all the nonfiction books we represent (and can do so on the basis of just a short proposal), 25% of YA/Teen books and 5% of adult novels.

Of 300,000 books published in 2009 (Bowker Book Industry statistics for 2002-2009), all but 60,000 were nonfiction. Consider this Goodreads.com list of popular nonfiction for 2010.

So the moral is that you're struggling to write fiction, consider taking a break to write nonfiction in order to accrue writing credentials while also giving a life-giving shot to morale.

Happy writing!

More Blogs for Budding Memoirists

2011-05-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

(Why Memoirists Need to Fully Employ Character Development: Part I, II and III)

The best part about writing guest blogs is that the opportunity allows me to enter into others' writing communities while learning more about some excellent sites that offer specialized information

In the most recent case, writer, workshop facilitator and blogger Matilda Butler, who with Kendra Bonnett co-wrote Rosie's Daughters: The 'First Woman To' Generation Tells Its Story led me to two great sites for memoir writers when she asked me to write about the following for her and Kendra's blog, Women's Memoirs:

I would love to have you write a post about your book Growing Great Characters from the Ground Up with an emphasis on why it is important for memoirists to have "great characters." Kendra and I find that memoirists frequently ignore the characters (the people) in their stories in terms of making them vivid. They often create one or two dimensional people -- something they would never do if they were writing fiction. When we teach, we talk about this contrast between fictional characters that we feel we know and real people in memoirs that are forgettable.

I sent her Why Memoirists Need to Fully Employ Character Development. She posted Part I on Telling Herstories: The Broad View, a blog by "a group of women writers sharing our passion for the art and craft of life-writing. The blog is is part of the Story Circle Network, a project started in 1997 by Dr. Susan Wittig Albert to help women share their stories and awareness for the importance of doing so:

We carry out our mission through publications, a website, classes, workshops, writing and reading circles, and woman-focused programs. Our activities empower women to tell their stories, discover their identities through their stories, and choose to be the authors of their own lives.

Matilda then posted Part II and III of my article on Women's Memoirs.

Besides offering in-person and online classes, editing services, workshops and a host of memoir-writing books and DVDs, Matilda and Kendra put together a free weekly digest of the wisdom garnered from various women's memoir blogs.

If you've got other great memoir-writing blogs to recommend, please do. It's been wonderful to watch this kind of creative, personal nonfiction burgeon as people uncover and share the unique experiences of their lives.

Thanks Matilda and Kendra.

Happy writing!

Good News From MARY: A Journal of New Writing

2011-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

I got the good news this week that my short story, 113˙, will be published in the summer 2011 issue of MARY: A Journal of New Writing.

For those looking for a new market, consider this journal, which is produced by the students of the MFA Program of St. Mary's College of California. Unlike most literary journals that only pay in contributor copies, this journal pays a welcome $50 honorarium, which is plenty with which to go out and celebrate with friends. Best of all, the publication pays close attention to quality material (ficiton, nonfiction, interviews/reviews, visual arts and poetry), as can be seen by reading past issues posted in the online archives. (The above artwork, titled Underwater Fire, is by Jim Fuess.)

Submissions can be sent by email or snail mail according to the submission guidelines posted online.

Happy writing!

And the Point of Reading Is...?

2011-05-03T15:07:00.001-07:00

That question came to mind after I finished reading a Wall Street Journal article my dad sent about writer Harry Hurt III, who seems to be at the cutting-edge of self-publishing.

To fund his newest travel memoir e-book, he's accepted the products and funding of various companies in exchange for product placement within the story itself, both through links to products and glowing reviews. He's using the same strategy to pay for his book tour, which will be subsidized by camping gear from Coleman and a $1,000 worth of hotel rooms from Best Western.

Mr. Hurt is quoted as saying:

Our economy is down and the traditional book publishing industry is down, so it's either cry in a corner, or do something about it.

I tend to agree with Mr. Hurt, in that innovative thinking is called for within this hostile publishing climate. I have to assume that in our consumer-oriented culture, Mr. Hurt's strategy will work, especially since he's got a high profile himself as a long-time journalist and the author of previous nonfiction books.

At the same time I'm reminded of the scene in the movie Minority Report where Tom Cruise (Chief John Anderton) is walking into a mall and each enormous billboard on either side of the walkway electronically recognizes him and flashes huge ads specifically targeted at his demographics (age, sex, political affiliation, income, etc.) and, I assume, past purchasing history.

The movies is based on a Philip K. Dick short story based on the concept that "In the future, criminals are caught before the crimes they commit..."

My immediate thought after reading the article about Mr. Hurt's endeavor is that in terms of publishing, in the future, readers are distracted before they can read.

Besides Mr. Hurt's consumer-oriented content, the WSJ article goes on to say that new versions of the Kindle will come with display ads and sponsored screensavers, or those featuring companies, brands, products and services. Then there's the ability of many e-readers to underline, highlight and look up words in the dictionary.

Whether these features are laudable and appreciated or not, the upshot seems clear: the future of reading will include more opportunities than ever for reader to get distracted.

Which brings me back to my answer to today's question:

The reason I love to read is because it's the one place my mind can escape from life's distractions. When I open a hard copy of a book, I know this physical object has no capability to draw me out of the story and back into a world where I have to do something. I won't receive a sound or symbol alerting me to a new email that will inevitably add to my to-do list. The book won't vibrate, ring or otherwise tell me someone is calling about something that will require action. No advertisement will blink at me, dim the lighting or otherwise block my reading experience until I close the popup box.

I figure that 80% of my waking day is spent in a state of distraction where my attention bounces from one source of stimulation to another, so that the only chance I get to sink into restful, meditative thinking is when I 1) write, 2) have an uninterrupted conversation longer than a few minutes (which is rare), and 3) read.

So that's my question for you today:

What, for you, is the point of reading?

If you're feeling extra contemplative:

What do you think about authors like Mr. Hurt who are using whatever means are necessary to succeed in the current and future publishing industry? Should we do as Mr. Hurt advises and stop whining and instead follow where publishing is headed?

Happy writing!

Should Female Writers Adopt Male-Sounding or Androgynous Pseudonyms?

2011-04-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted that very question after the topic came up in my writing group. One woman forwarded an article titled On Breaking the Literary Glass Ceiling . The piece was written by Jessica Crispin in response to a previous article, 'Numbers Don't Lie': Addressing the Gender Gap in Literary Publishing about statistics produced by VIDA: Women in Literary Arts showing that more men than women — 25 - 75% more — get published in literary publications (as opposed to romance or other genre publications) such as Granta, the London Review of Books, The Threepenny Review, The Atlantic, Poetry, etc.

That got me to thinking about all the instances of now-famous female author who used, or have used, male or androgynous-sounding pseudonyms:

1. J. K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling of Harry Potter fame)

2. James Tiptree, Jr. (science fiction Nebula Award-winner Alice Bradley Sheldon

3. S. E. Hinton (Susan Eloise Hinton, who wrote the classic The Outsiders)

4. George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans, the English novelist who wrote Middlemarch, along with other classics)

5. Andy Stack (true crime writer Ann Rule, who wrote The Stranger Beside Me about her friendship with Ted Bundy before learning he was a serial killer)

And that got me to thinking about those who've served as U. S. Poet Laureate, an honor that's been appointed annually by the Librarian of the U. S. Congress since 1937 and now includes a stipend of $35,000 and the opportunity to lecture and give readings as the nation's poetry spokesperson:

Women: 7

Men: 40

Now consider this mind-twisting statistic:Bowker, which supplies ISBN numbers as well as book industry stats, states in its 2010 report that women buy 64% of all books.

That last is something of a cheat, however, when you realize that most of those books being sold are either nonfiction or genre fiction.

And that last, I think, is the crux:

If you write genre fiction, especially romance, detective, mystery and thrillers, your readership — and probably those involved in producing the books, including agents and acquisition editors — are female, thereby implying there's little pressure on the part of female authors to use male or androgynous-sounding pseudonyms.

But what if you write literary fiction? Should you change your name from Samantha to Sam to deal with a serious bias?

The idea is certainly tempting, especially given the intense competition in the literary market given there are a lot of people who want to get their literary work published, yet there are few people who read literary stories, which in turn means the amount of literary work published every year is a tiny (tiny!) fraction of the 500,000 books published every year.

If you're still trying to decide on whether to change your name on the next manuscript you submit, consider reading Kirsten Anderberg's article Women Writers in Alternative Media Using Male Pseudonyms. One of her most intriguing points is that using pseudonyms — whether you're male or female — can be a good thing, and given the topic you're writing about, more appropriate than your real name.

What do you think?

Happy writing!

Good News for Women Who are Writing About Their Families

2011-04-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've just gotten the word that women who are writing family-related stories — whether histories, memoirs or novels based on real life — will have a great resource come September when Key Publishing House introduces:

Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing

The anthology of how-to articles offering practical advice is being co-edited by Carol Smallwood and Suzann Holland and will feature my article titled Family Secrets: How to Reveal What Matters Without Getting Sued, or Shunned. The book is already available for pre-order on Amazon.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you out there are currently writing stories related to family? If so, what are you writing about?

Show, Don't Tell Workshop on April 16

2011-04-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here's just a quick note that I'll be teaching Enough With Show, Don't Tell Already! What Does It Mean, Why is It Necessary and How Do We Do It? from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sat., April 16 at Book Passage in Corte Madera (just north of San Francisco).

Here's the blurb:

“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most oft-spoken, yet frustrating phrases in all of writerdom. If you don’t want to be confused anymore, come to this workshop with 10 pages of your current writing project. You’ll learn how much you’re showing vs. telling and if the ratio is successful, or not.

If you can make it, I'd love to see you there.

Happy writing!

Submitting Your Writing: Numbers to Rattle the Brain

2011-04-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

In the past week I've come across some fascinating numbers regarding the literary submission process:

• Some literary agents are reporting 300 submissions per week (1,200 per month).

• Writer Amy Deardon said she recently read an online essay by a literary agency assistant who assigned to reading about 50 submissions a day. (The article includes his observations about query letters, which is enlightening.)

• Perusing a sampling of some 30 agencies in Writer's Market, about 20% require that queries be sent by mail; another 30% allow mail and email submissions; while the remaining 50% require email submissions only.

• In her Publishers Weekly article (Feb. 2010) titled Slush Pile Queen, Agnes Birnbaum, founder of Bleecker Street Associates, writes, "I estimate an increase of about 30% in slush with the advent of technology, as more would-be writers can find us online and send off a query with the click of a mouse."

• In his illuminating article What It Takes to Publish a Book, which is funny, empathetic and very depressing, suspense writer Jack King lists his query statistics for his first manuscript:

Submissions to literary agents: 423 (200 snail mail, 223 electronic)

Results: 6 requests for the manuscript, no contracts offered

(For those ready to tear their hair out, Mr. King attended a major book conference where he connected with an editor at a major publishing house. Mr. King sent his manuscript to the editor, who then offered a contract. He subsequently went on to write Ditch the Agent for writers who would like to do so.)

• Whereas literary agents (even the prominent ones) used to provide an approximate date by which they'd respond, submission guidelines now often give a non-response date: if you don't hear from them within that stated time, you're not going to.

Lessons Learned?

1. Email submissions are free, quick and easy — they don't require a trip to the post office and can be sent from anywhere around the world — but they're also quick and easy to lose and delete. And while many agencies say to send only a query letter by email, they'll often say you can include sample pages if you send via snail mail.

2. If it seems like you're having to query twice or three times the number of agents you did on any past occasions, you're probably correct.

3. If the "we'll respond if we're interested" makes you feel like you're in limbo, you are.

4. If you're overwhelmed by the submission process, consider 1) doing what freelance writer Rebecca Sebek does by setting a number of queries to send each month, 2) doing what Mr. King did by connecting directly with the publishing house editors who work on books like yours, 3) submitting directly to small publishing houses like McPherson & Company (publisher of this year's National Book Award winner, The Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon) that allow author submissions, or 4) go the self-publishing route.

5. Do your best to remember that the submission process is the most difficult task of the writing business. It's easy to lose perspective. If you're having trouble finding that perspective, while you submit, commit to working on a piece of writing that brings you joy and delivers you, at least for awhile, from the brutal realities of the publishing world.

Happy writing!

To Learn: Read a Book Like the One You're Writing

2011-03-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

In past posts, I've mentioned the power of learning from authors who write the books you love to read. GGW member Don Bowyer says he's doing just that and has the following title to recommend for fantasy writers:

I’m working on 2 books right now, with another one taking shape. Also I’m reading an outstanding new author, N.K. Jemisin (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms) The Inheritance Trilogy. When you can’t wait to keep reading the book, you know it is good. I’m learning from her, too.

Thanks for the recommendation, Don.

In my next post, I hope to address the following question:

Should female authors use a male, or at least androgynous, pseudonym to increase their chances of getting published? (Consider the name of today's author, N. K. Jemison.)

What do you think?

Happy writing!

Micole Writes Romance, and About Me!

2011-03-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Aspiring romance writer Micole Black, whom I've had the pleasure of having in several of my workshops, has been kind enough to publish her interview with me on her blog, Micole Writes Romance. Feel free to check it out and leave a comment for her community of writers.

Micole is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and specifically the Yosemite Romance Writers chapter. She's a very friendly soul, so if you've ever thought of writing romance, but were unsure of how to start, she's your woman! She's an avid learner who has learned a lot in the past few years and is willing to pass on what she knows via her blog.

Thanks Micole.

And to everyone else, happy writing!

New Crime Fiction Imprint

2011-03-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

For all you crime fiction writers, Pegasus Books has created Pegasus Crime, a new imprint that will publish crime fiction, mystery novels, police procedurals, espionage thriller and paranormal suspense, according to Publishers Weekly.

Pegasus already publishes history, philosophy, memoirs, literary fiction and noir thrillers. The company will debut its crime fiction line in April with a translation of The Preacher by Swedish writer Camilla Lackberg, who wrote The Ice Princess, an international bestseller. Holly Luhning's gothic thriller Quiver is next, followed by Call Me Princess by Danish writer Sara Blaedel.

The plan is to publish twelve titles a year.

If it'll be awhile before you're ready to submit your crime novel, consider sending something shorter to this new journal, which sent me the following informaiton:

The editors of Construction, an online journal prepared to launch this spring, are calling for submissions. Construction was conceived in Brooklyn and South Korea in October 2010 by four graduates of The City College of New York creative writing MFA program, and seeks to use art, fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, and book reviews to create and support a cross-cultural community.

Please submit a story, 5-7 poems, or a personal essay to constructionlitmag@gmail.com by attaching it as a .doc or .pdf file. We strongly encourage works in translation, but please indicate if it is a translation in your submission, and confirm that you have obtained the rights to translate/publish the piece. If you are submitting art or photography, please send in a jpeg file. For journalistic essays, interviews, or book reviews, please email a query letter.

Happy writing!

No Such Thing as "Luck"

2011-03-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City.

His premise seems to be this: the type of reception our writing receives is usually a direct reflection of the writing itself. That means, much as we'd like to blame too much competition, a poor economy, not enough access to major publishers and close-minded agents/publishers who can't see genius, the bottom line is that our writing is mediocre. That's a bitter pill to swallow, which is probably why most of us work so hard to point the finger at some other reason.

In the nineties, when the publishing industry became a lot more hostile due to the consolidation of major publishing houses and the demise of smaller ones, I remember getting angry with a book critic — I've forgotten which one — who more or less wrote a good riddance to the concept of the mid-list author. The very fact that they're mid-list means they're work is only okay. Why boo-hoo the disappearance of mediocrity? Why not look for and reward the exceptional?

The implication is that while many of us may be good writers, we're not great writers, not only because we lack the tools with which to create a fantastic story — we might be very good in plot and dialogue, for example, but lousy in character development and setting scenes — but we don't seem to know we lack those tools, or if we do, we're too lazy to take the steps necessary to do the job not just right, but beyond our expectations and those of our readers.

How can we be sure that might be our situation? By looking at how people react to our stories. If our stories are exceptional, they'll not only sell, but start a word-of-mouth wildfire, what Mr. Maass considers the premier indicator of a breakout novel.

That kind of excitement by the reading public is not the product of luck, Mr. Maass argues, but rather of writers who acquire the skills necessary to create exactly the effect they want:

To write a breakout novel is to run free of the pack. It is to delve deeper, think harder, revise more, and commit to creating characters and plot that surpass one’s previous accomplishments. It is to say “no” to merely being good enough to be published.

It is to a commitment to quality.

What do you think?

Happy writing!

"There's a fun aspect to marketing...": Say What?

2011-03-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

Intrepid GGW member, artist and author Ara Hagopian recently emailed that very sentence, which I read with amazement, as most writers I know would, too.

After thinking about how anyone — other than those who have gone to college to learn how to market properly and are paid handsomely to do so — could state such a thing, I decided to go back and reread his entire response. If he can find the process fun, maybe he can teach me a thing or two.

As a word of background, Ara has put together a basic concept called The Literate Show: each of his striking works is accompanied by an essay that helps the viewer interpret his abstract pieces. His goal now is to secure a showing of his work at a major gallery or museum.

I've bolded the parts of his response that point to the steps the rest of us can follow to make peace with a necessary part of our writing careers:

Getting the press pack ready, that is, (1) the right envelope, the press release correctly written, formatted and printed, a perfect 8x10 printed on art paper, an inserted handwritten card if I know the person or would like to write an introduction to a new person... and a cardboard stiffener to keep the envelope from being crushed. Once the packet is addressed and sealed--and I'll (2) send up to forty packets per release, maybe fifty this year-- then they're mailed. THAT'S when it gets exciting. Because it's a great feeling knowing that (3) in 2-3 days, each of my little messengers is going to do its best to deliver the goods.

Each envelope, as delivered to its respective address, has its own story... which I will never know (but can imagine). Who handles the packet? Who opens it? What's their reaction? Is the envelope even opened at all? Is it tossed in the trash? Does someone eat their lunch on it? Is it looked at by an intern, who alone is making the pass/fail decision? I know that many packets fail to reach the addressee. (4) But a few fish make it upstream. When the director of the Guggenheim wrote me a nice letter last year, I knew the marketing efforts were worth it.

Lessons Learned

1. Do the job right: Critique any written materials, turn guest blog posts in on time, submit proposals that include all necessary information

2. Think big: Instead of sending one press release at a time, start thinking about how you can post information about your book or writing project to a wide audience through Facebook, GoodReads.com, Twitter, college networks, those who attend your workshops or speeches, etc.

3. Prep to act: When the responses start coming in, make sure to respond appropriately and in a timely way by adding people to your email lists, directing them to your upcoming events, providing them with extra information, proposing new events/lectures/workshops.

4. Keep perspective: Marketing seems most palatable when we're consistent and keep the long view in view. Talking with fellow writers, those who are most successful with their marketing efforts are those who understand how much they can handle without risking their good mental health and then plod along, carrying out those efforts at a modest, but consistent, pace rather than sprinting and burning out.

One such author is Joylene Nowell Butler, author of Dead Witness, who will be interviewed at noon (PST) on March 9 on the BlogTalkRadio program Book Talk, Creativity and Family Matters hosted by Anjuelle Floyd. Joylene's blog currently features the marketing must-dos of writer Phyllis Zimbler Miller, so feel free to take a look.

Thanks Ara and Joylene for being such great role models.

Happy writing!

Online Character Development Class to Start March 7

2011-03-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

I just got the news that my online, 8-lesson GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP workshop through SavvyAuthors.com will begin Mon., March 7, so feel free to register.

It's a $120 workshop for only $30, so you can't beat the price.

But I'm a memoirist, so I'm not sure I need a course on character development...

Yes you do! Or at least, I, as a reader, think you do. My favorite memoirs are those where the characters are richly developed, a task that can sometimes get lost in our attempt to portray a communal, agreed-upon truth, when really a memoir is about the author's personal perception of what happened.

So memoirists, romance writers, thriller enthusiasts and all other scribes, come join me if you can.

Happy writing!

Critique Class Starting March 5

2011-03-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Only a quick note today:

I'll be leading a 4-session critique workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays starting March 5 at BookSmart in Morgan Hill, CA. To make a reservation for the class, which is $100, call the community bookstore at (408) 778-6467.

I just sent an offer to those on my mailing list that I'd like to extend to everyone:

Any writing organization/group of 10 writers or more is welcome to contact me directly to arrange a workshop (partial or all day) that meets the needs of that particular group, both regarding age level (teens through adults) and type of writing. My workshops are listed on my website, so feel free to take a look.

Happy writing!

Essays by Women Sought for Writing Book: ASAP

2011-02-27T15:23:00.001-08:00

Not long ago I submitted an article, that was subsequently accepted, for a writing book titled Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing that's being compiled by fellow writer and editor Carol Smallwood.

She's recently found a publisher — The Key Publishing House Inc., publisher of academic and non-academic books in Toronto, Ontario — and is now seeking submissions for articles to complete the anthology.

Ideally she'd like the submissions by this week, but if you contact her directly (smallwood@tm.net), she might offer an extension based on your idea and how quickly you can get it to her.

Here's the other info she listed in her email to me:

• project: anthology about writing and publishing by women with experience in writing and publishing about family

• possible subjects: using life experience; networking; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; self-publishing; teaching tips; tips on writing about family when writing creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, nonfiction, novels

• format: practical, concise, how-to articles of 1,900-2,100 words with bullets/headings (please avoid writing too much about "me" and concentrate on what will help the reader)

• submission guidelines: send 2-3 possible topics you would like to contribute, each described in a few sentence, along with a 65-75 word bio. Please send in a .doc Word file using FAMILY/Your Name on the subject line to smallwood@tm.net. No previously published, co-written, or simultaneously submitted material. Authors whose work is chosen for publication will receive a complimentary copy as compensation.

The book will be co-edited by Carol Smallwood and Suzann Holland.

Happy writing!

The Nag: Is There Something More I Could Do to Improve My Story?

2011-02-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Martha's motto: If you suspect there's something more you could do to make a story better, there is! Pay attention and do it!

We're ready to send a manuscript to an editor, publisher or members of our critique group. We've written the email and attached the document. Once we send the material, we're done, off the hook, free to relax now that this weighty matter is out of our hands.

Yet our cursor hovers near the send button.

This is the moment I call The Nag.

Definition of The Nag

The Nag is when we've done everything we can think of to improve our piece, except perhaps for that one last tiny thing we suspect is probably no problem at all, but that could be. Then again, it's just one thing and it's so small and the temptation is outrageous, to just send the manuscript, because we've been working on it so hard and are dying to be finished, and it's just one thing...

Most of us steamroll over such doubts in order to get to that moment of immense relief at getting the story out the door, a feeling that lasts for a good day or two, after which we start waiting anxiously for the response.

But if we ignore The Nag, that wait becomes a lot more anxiety-ridden as the significance of that one thing settles in. At some point, we realize the doubt is a legitimate concern that might not have taken long to correct and could have made the story better. Or we realize the hunch was our subconscious trying to tell us the problem was not, in fact, small, but a real oversight that will count against us in our readers' eyes.

I had that very situation occur only recently. I sent a manuscript to an editor and in less than 24 hours, started doing what I should have done before sending the piece: I played with a suggestion the editor had made, and in so doing, realized how I could make the ending so much better. Doh!

How to Identify The Nag

The most effective way to identify The Nag is by using a rewrite journal to go over your thoughts regarding the manuscript you've just finished. You can remark on what you think you did well and how the story will be received. You can also note how relieved you'll be when the piece has been sent.

Once your desperation to be done is realized, you can admit that you may have hurried past one or two nagging items. Those doubts can them come to the fore and you can deal honestly with the fact that they are, in most cases, actual issues you'll have to correct.

How to Negate The Nag

Ideally you'll locate and deal with the problems before sending the manuscript.

If you fail to refrain yourself from hitting the send button, however, there's no disgrace in following up with an email to your editor, publisher or critique group, asking them to throw out the version you've sent and that you'll send a better version. If you do this often, it usually means you've got a glitch in process you use to edit your work.

If that better version takes you longer than expected, so be it! That beats wasting the readers' time making comments about what you already know is a problem. They'll be less frustrated and get a more enjoyable read, while you'll get feedback based on how you know the story should really go.

I'm off to send an email to me editor, one that reads, "Please disregard that last version..."

Happy writing!

Beware of this Question: "Is my story good?"

2011-02-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

A fellow writer sent me a segment of his writing this week along with this question:

Is it good?

I responded about why the question is so potentially harmful to writers. Then the more I thought about the question, the more I wanted to share my warning with other writers:

First of all, "Is it any good?" is too open to individual interpretation and taste to be useful. Someone might say it's good simply to please you. Someone else might not think the story is good because it's not what he/she likes to read. Someone else might say the story is good, because she thinks good means okay, as in mediocre, when what we hear is good as inready to submit!

Secondly, whereas all stories have the potential to be excellent if given the proper treatment, most stories are not particularly good until we work on them, a lot. If we ask "Is it good?" too early in the story's development, the answer might be, "No," which might discourage us from continuing the rewrite.

If We Ask the Question, What Responses We Can Expect?

Yes!

The odds of this response occurring are 1000 to 1, yet writers hope against hope to hear that very word, which I think is the biggest reason they ask the question. Google, for example, lists hundreds of thousands of entries from writers who have posted their work and asked, "Is it good?"

If they do hear that response, the odds are 1000 to 1 the responder is someone who loves the writer and wants her to be happy, or at least not mad. While a touching and understandable white lie, this kind of false opinion may give the writer the idea no further work is necessary. She'll send out the work before it's ready and thus foil her chances of getting the piece published.

No.

While this answer seems straightforward, it isn't. What we're asking the person to do is read the piece and judge it according to his perception of what's good and bad. Unfortunately, we don't know what standard he's judging us against. We could have handed him a conceivably award-winning literary book, but because he enjoys hard-boiled detective novels that fit within a certain well-loved know-what-you-get formula, he finds our book boring.

I don't know.

This response seems equally straightforward, but isn't. The person may instinctively appreciate that the word good is vague, and so not understand how we want her to interpret the term (i.e., good in what way?). Or she may not have any interest in reading, and so have few samples by which to compare our book.

This tends to also be the response given when a person has a strong negative opinion she doesn't want to share for any number of reasons, including: she doesn't want to discourage the writer; she assumes others will have an equally positive review and so render her opinion moot; or she doesn't believe she's got the credentials to properly evaluate the story.

I don't read that kind of thing.

At least this response is honest, unless the person fits the above category and is looking for an acceptable excuse for hiding a negative opinion. But it does at least acknowledge that one person's good is another's nightmare.

What do you mean by good?

This is the best response we could hope for and indicates the reader realizes he does not have enough information to properly answer the question.

The question can also lead to a helpful discussion that results in a more specific question that then leads to a more accurate and helpful reply.

For example, when I asked my writer friend what he meant by good, he said he was looking for a strong response, either positive or negative, rather than indifference. Therefore the revised question would be, "Do you feel strongly about what you've read, either positively or negatively?" That would give the responder the leeway to determine if she felt strongly, and if so, in what way, and if not, why not.

The Moral

Protect your writing and your psyche by asking a specific question rather than one that may set you up for failure.

Happy writing!

Manuscript Format: What Should NOT Be Included and Why

2011-02-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

I had a not one-, not two-, but rather a three-part epiphany about why writers attempt to include various no-no's to their manuscripts format (as I once did).

Epiphany: Part I

Writers simply don't know any better. They're new to writing and submitting and don't realize that manuscripts for novels, short stories, screenplays and poetry should be submitted according to certain guidelines.

Epiphany: Part II

Word processing programs invite creativity. They overflow with font sizes, colors, types. They allow the inclusion of graphics, photos and interesting borders. They invite writers to turn text sideways and otherwise wow agents and publishers.

What's not to love!

Epiphany: Part III

The urge to use such gimmicks to "sell" the story is usually a direct reflection of a writer's confidence. The lower a person's belief she's got the ability to convey her story through words, the more likely she is to use various means to aid her endeavor.

I've fallen into all of these traps, partly out of ignorance and partly because I didn't understand the reasoning behind guidelines I found to be uncomfortably restrictive.

So here's my attempt to provide that reasoning:

Martha' List of What Should NOT Be Included in a Manuscript and Why

• fancy fonts (anything other than 12 pt. Courier or Times): hard to read

• colored fonts: hard to read

• anything other than white typing paper: hard to read, especially if the paper is colored or has borders

• any spacing other than that described in proper manuscript guidelines (take a look at William Shunn's proper manuscript format for a short story): hard to read

• cute symbols used at chapter headings or to separate writing segments: visually distracting and possibly off-putting if the reader doesn't share the writers taste in such decorations

• graphics/photos that demonstrate what the writer has explained in the text: implies the writer is not confident about the description he's given (any graphics/photos that are necessary should be submitted as an addendum to the manuscript)

• the word copyright: implies the writer doesn't know his/her work is copyrighted at the point of conception (Understanding Rights and Copyright)

• underlining and ALL CAPS: italics convey emphasis without shouting at the reader

The Reasoning: Condensed

The reasoning for axing all the "fun stuff" from manuscripts comes down to two points:

1. The manuscript has to be easy to read.

2. The manuscript has to sell the story through words. If you can't do that, you won't convince the agent or editor you know how to write.

Now that you know what not to include, here are a few resources to help you do the job right:

Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript, Cynthia Laufenber

The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style, Christopher Riley

The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators, Anita Silvey

Happy writing!

New Words for 2011: Long Live Our Living, Ever-Changing Language

2011-01-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

In the past I've highlighted new words that enter our vocabulary, proving again that language is a living thing and needs the freedom to morph as needed culturally, emotionally and intellectually.

Here are some of the more colorful words to begin our new year, via Mirriam-Webster's New Words:

• mouse potato: a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer

• soul patch: a small growth of beard under a man's lower lip

• polyamory: the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time

And from WordSpy: The Word Lover's Guide to New Words

• mom cave: an area of a house that a woman can decorate to her tastes and be alone to pursue her own projects and interests

• gallery rage: extreme anger displayed by an art gallery patron when a visit is marred by huge crowds or rude gallery staff

• cheapuccino: an inexpensive, low-quality cappuccino, particularly one from a vending machine; a cappuccino made from brewed or instant coffee

• garden-to-fork: describing or relating to food grown in a person's own garden. Also: garden to fork

• flunami: an overwhelming number of flu cases in the same area at the same time. Also: flu-nami

And from Double-Tongued Dictionary:

• sorry gift: "Because guilt over spending is playing a big role in the sales downturn, he teaches salespeople to suggest a “sorry gift”—of another timepiece—for a wife who might be disappointed that her husband just dropped a sizable sum on his own wrist."

• hair crush: "OK guys I am not going to lie here, I do this thing that I like to call my “hair crush.” My hair crushes are people with fab hair that I personally would kill to have."

• seagen: "A vegan that eats seafood."

Long live language, our word-oriented means of communication that changes as necessary, whether we want it to or not!

Happy writing.

Ten Reasons Why "Show, Don't Tell" is a Dumb Rule of Thumb

2011-01-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

From 2 to 4 p.m. this Sat., Jan. 22, I'll be teaching a workshop at BookSmart in Morgan Hill, CA, titled Enough With Show, Don't Tell Already: What Does It Mean, Why is It Necessary, How Do We Do It?

I developed this workshop based on my desperate search for information that could deliver me from the hair-pulling purgatory of show, don't tell, one where I'd hand a novel segment to my seven-person critique group and in return get seven opinions ranging from "You don't show at all," to "You don't tell at all." How could one segment of writing excite such a disparity?

Clearly I was missing something. When I took a closer look at what that might be, the famous Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? saying floated to mind like a sledgehammer, the personalized version being, How am I an idiot? Let me count the ways...

To save you from such confounding damnation, or at least limit your time there, I'm including a list of my ten epiphanies about why show, don't tell is hogwash that simply confuses writers and allows them to fall victim to bad critique advice.

Ten Reasons Why Show, Don't Tell is Hogwash

The phrase:

1. assumes way too much

Show, don't tell assumes writers know what show and tell mean.

2. offers no definition

Without a definition, writers — rightly and wrongly, though mostly wrongly — create their own definitions, which means they write what sounds good to them instead of dissecting their sentences to understand what words tell and which ones show. Writers may think they're showing, for example, when really they're telling, or vice versa. For our purposes, I'll define showing as the conveyance of factual information that could be confirmed by outside observers (i.e., The sun is out today.), while telling means giving readers an opinion, explanation or interpretation (i.e., I don't like sunny days.).

3. implies telling is bad

4. when telling is actually good

Telling is necessary to draw readers closer to the characters by conveying their biased thoughts.

5. allows stories to fall into that problem of too much of anything...

Without any telling, a story of all showing may leave readers confused about characters or feel the writing style is too sterile (how many people love all-showing virtuosoErnest Hemingway unconditionally?).

6. wallows in vaguenss

Once writers understand that some telling is important, show, don't tell is too vague to offer an idea of how much writers should show and how much they should tell

7. doesn't take into account the type of story you're writing

How much writers show or tell really depends on what kind of story they're writing and what their readers expect. Lovers of genre books expect a lot of telling, for example, while those who read literary novels prefer a lot less.

8. leaves writers vulnerable to bad critique advice

When working from such a vague rule, those critiquing our work may invariably offer opinions based on what they like, which if they don't read stories like yours are not worth much. This is also the reason we can get that huge difference of opinion regarding how much we should show and tell.

9. does not encourage writers to learn

Show, don't tell doesn't encourage writers to understand, study and practice showing and telling.

10. does not lead writers to master writing

Only when writers learn how to show and tell, and more importantly, learn when to do which, do they gain the control necessary for creating exactly the reaction they want readers to have.

The moral of the show and tell story is that until you thoroughly understand the concept of showing and telling and make conscious decisions about the purpose of each sentence (to show or tell?) will you be delivered from the Land Where Everyone Has an Opinion About Why Your Work Doesn't Show/Tell Enough But No One Has an Answer About How to Fix the Problem.

Happy writing!

"Do Literary Agents Represent Overseas Writers?"

2011-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

I recently got an interesting question from a writer named Yadam:

I'm author from India published few books in india looking for literary agents for my fiction works in UK. Can you help me in searching by providing some information who accepts authors from India.

My initial response was no, primarily because I don't live in the UK. That and several years ago I asked a U.S. literary agent if agents might be willing to represent clients who live in other countries. Her rather horrified response was something like, "Agents have enough trouble selling the work of domestic writers. Why would they take clients from other countries?"

But the publishing world has changed so dramatically in the last several years, and readers seem to be getting thirstier for stories from other countries, that I began to wonder if agents in one country are more open to representing writers from other countries.

From what little I've been able to find about the topic, I still think most agents prefer to represent writers who live in the same country. But here's an exchange on Yahoo Answers that may signal that the times, they are indeed a-chanin':

Question: I am currently living in Botswana,Africa and I am wondering if literary agents overseas represent african writers? I am writing a Young Adult fiction. I can't seem to find any literary agents here, not even in south Africa, I have only found one in South Africa and it does not seem of good quality, plus it only has two authors. Any advice?

Yes, they definitely represent authors from other countries. Well, there may be some who don't, but they should say on their websites. However, I have read many interviews with agents where they say they don't care where the writer lives, just whether their work is good and marketable.

As long as your work is written in English and could appeal to the U.S. market, you could submit to U.S. agents. The same goes for agents in the UK, and I imagine in Australia as well (though I know less about the Australian industry).

Many agents these days accept queries and manuscripts over email, so there shouldn't even be any postage issues. And if you run across an agent who says snail mail only, I would suggest writing an email stating you're in Botswana and ask if they can make an exception for you.

One place to start looking for an agent in the US is AgentQuery.com where you can browse by genre and audience, and you can also filter to only show agents accepting email submissions.

Here's another exchange on AbsoluteWrite.com:

Question: Just wondering if it is the normal to query agents from different countries to represent you, or just stay in your own country to get an agent to take a chance on your manuscript.

Answer: It is completely dependent on the manuscript you are marketing. If it works in markets worldwide then why not query agents in other markets.

Helpful Factoids About Agents in this Country and Elsewhere

Some countries have professional literary agent organizations. Here are a few:

• U.S.: Association of Authors' Representatives, based in Manhattan (about 2,500 members are listed along with very helpful profiles)

• U.K.: Association of Authors' Agents (about 90 members, whose names are linked to their respective agency's website)

• Australia: Australian Literary Agents' Association

Other countries have agent directories provided by writers unions, while WritersNet does a great job of listing agents in every country:

• Canada: The Writers' Union of Canada

• China: WritersNet, a website for writers, editors, agents and publishers, lists about 10

• India: Similar to the above, WritersNet lists dozens of agents in India

If you have more information to share on this topic, send it along.

Happy writing!

Children's Literature Editors

2011-01-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Carrol from the San Francisco Bay Area wrote with the following question:

"I'm a student of yours from a few years back. I just finished writing my first children's picture book. I would love your help getting it edited. Can you a) meet me for coffee and/or b)refer me to a friend in the children's book area?"

To be effective, an independent editor in charge of helping you develop and/or refine your work before its submission to agents and publishers should be extremely aware of the current market regarding the genre of your book. That way he or she can help you shape your story to make the most of what your book has to offer in today's publishing world.

While I read about the publishing industry daily to learn what's selling in adult fiction and nonfiction, children's picture books are far enough outside that realm. Therefore I told Carrol she'd be better served to find someone who specialized in children's literature.

I asked her to give me a few days to collect some helpful leads, and lo and behold, within an hour I received an email update from a fellow wordsmith who happens to be a children's literature writer and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

When asked, she suggested the following writing professionals based on those she's met in person:

• Summer Dawn Laurie: Her web listing on JacketFlap states she's an independent editor who worked in children's publishing for 10 years, first at Chronicle Books for Children, then at Tricycle Press, the kid's division of Ten Speed Press. The listing states she's edited more than 50 published books ranging from board books to picture books as well as middle-grade novels and nonfiction.

My writer friend said about Ms. Laurie:

She provided an individual 30 minute consultation and critique of 20 pages of my project during a conference. I found her to be very helpful, offering feedback, insights and suggestions about the further development of my project

• Nancy Lamb: A freelance editor, Ms. Lamb is the author of The Writer's Guide to Crafting Stories for Children as well as The Art and Craft of Storytelling. Her writing credentials list over a dozen published children's books, many of them through Simon & Schuster.

My writer friend said of Ms. Lamb:

I was in two small-group, highly individualized critique/feedback meetings which she led. I found her to be very knowledgeable and believe that she would be very thorough in her feedback.

• Martha Alderson: A plot consultant, Ms. Alderson is the author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure & Simple.

My writer friend said of Ms. Alderson:

Martha Alderson is a plot consultant, but I also found her to be knowledgeable about character development and theme. I was in two small-group, highly individualized workshops on scene tracking and plot planning. I found her to be very easy to understand. She simplified what had seemed complex about the structure of a book.

I also found an eHow article by K.E. Solis titled How to Find a Freelance Editor to Critique a Children's Manuscript, which is loaded with great advice, the first step being to join SCBWI.

Thanks to Carrol for the question and to our dedicated children's literature writer for the recommendations.

Happy writing!

Main Character Dead On in DEAD WITNESS

2011-01-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of reading Joylene Nowell Butler's thriller, Dead Witness, over the holiday break. It's a fast-moving story about a Canadian woman who, while on a trip to Seattle, witnesses the murder of two men, an incident that then exposes her and her family to the possibility of being murdered.

The best thing about the book is that Joylene immediately establishes, via action, what makes the main character tick and the main problem with which she'll have to contend.

The Situation

Valerie McCormick lives outside of Prince George, British Columbia. She and her husband own a small logging business and are the parents of three daughters, ages 18, 17 and 12. Valerie's girls write a paragraph about their mother for a Mother's Day contest and consequently win her a free two-day trip to Jasper, Vancouver or Seattle.

She chooses the last city at the request of her husband, who in an attempt to woo a new client, wants Valerie to photograph a luxury boat the client is interested in buying, but is too busy to view in-person at the Seattle harbor where the vessel is berthed.

Valerie is on her way to photograph the boat when she witnesses the murder.

The Problem

For me, the following are clues as to what drives Valerie:

• Valerie didn't have to do as her husband, Ed, requested, but she does.

• Her husband did not have to request that Valerie choose her destination or use her time to take care of a business task, but he did.

• Ed did not go with Valerie on this getaway.

• After Valerie witnesses the murders and manages to escape, Joylene writes:

To calm herself she thought of her precious daughters... God, how she loved them. So much so that her heart hurt.

How she loved them, her daughters.

Marvelous! Now I know Valerie. Rather than clunk us readers over the head by telling us that Ed is a lout, Joylene instead shows us Valerie's grace and loyalty. Valerie does as her husband asks because he's the father of her three girls and is trying hard to earn the money necessary to keep them safe and happy.

By cutting Ed out of Valerie's thoughts during moments of duress, Joylene communicates that above all else, Valerie loves her daughters and will do whatever is necessary to keep them safe.

The question, of course, is how far will she have to go to keep her daughters safe? And thus the story takes off like a shot.

Two Unique Aspects

Lastly, I love books that teach me something new or take me somewhere new. Joylene's book does both.

In terms of the first, Joylene hits upon a unique angle by highlighting the legal and jurisdictional difficulties, obligations and issue surrounding a situation in which a citizen of one country witnesses a crime in another.

In terms of somewhere new, Joylene describes many landscapes as the story moves from place to place, from Canada to the U.S. to Mexico. The landscape that's most beautifully described, however, is that of the British Columbia countryside.

Nicely done, Joylene!

Every Story is Conflict

2010-12-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

Someone recently asked me if all stories are conflict and I said yes. Even nonfiction how-to books and articles are, indirectly, about conflict, or a state of disharmony.

If you buy a book about how to manage your finances, for example, the implication is that you're not that good at it, which is causing problems. If the newspaper article is talking about how a local soup kitchen is feeding the homeless for Thanksgiving, the message is that homelessness is a problem.

I was reminded that conflict is necessary in every story just yesterday when I started taking an online traffic school course as a result of getting a speeding ticket while driving the coast north of Morro Bay, CA.

When I got the ticket, it was a beautiful day of vacation in which I was with a few of my favorite people, my mom and sister. We'd just stopped to dine on fresh cheese and bread while watching the waves roll in as the sun lowered in the west, the breeze mild and the mood — after a lovely weekend tooling around the Santa Barbara area — magnificent.

Such a Happy Day

By now, you see the problem with a story where everything is going too well. We get to a point where we say, "Yes, yes, but what happened?" by which we mean, What's the problem? by which we mean, Where's the conflict?

That's where my driving course comes in. The first section is called Driver Attitude, which points out:

Your emotional state will dictate your actions in the car. The fewer problems you bring in, the fewer problems you will experience on the road... A person's mental and emotional state cannot be separated from the physical one.

Which was exactly the reason I got the ticket.

Such a Happy Day Takes a Turn for the Worse

Getting the ticket could have been the obstacle/conflict that changed my mental state from happy to unhappy.

In this instance, the real obstacle is that while on that idyllic beach, I called my daughter, who aired a grievance that upset me. My emotional state moved from happy to annoyed and distracted, so that when coupled with the prospect of looking for the right route and having three conversations going at once, as only two daughters and a mother can manage, I whipped along that two-lane highway so fast I failed to notice the police car coming from the other direction. He apparently turned around and came back for me.

The ticket, therefore, was the result of the obstacle, as opposed to the cause of it.

Further Wisdom From TrafficSchool.com About Conflict

Everything the traffic lesson points out is amazingly applicable to writing and useful to writers as they lay out the storylines for their stories, whether fiction or nonfiction, short-shorts or how-to books:

Everyone differs in what is stressful or potentially stressful. What for one person might seem to be a catastrophic event may be a minor setback for another. The following are some common causes of stress:

Physical Fears—examples include working with heavy/dangerous machinery, exposure to toxic chemicals and dangerous/congested traffic situations.

Psychological Fears—such as failure, not being able to get the job done and inability to manage debts.

Uncertainty—In each person’s life there are uncertainties that can cause stress. The change of a job may necessitate many other changes in the life of a person or family members. Trying to sell a home and buy another in the new location may be stressful. Logic and informed predictions have a place, but often stress piles up because there are so many “unknowns” in such situations. Life is filled with uncertainty. It is discomforting not to know what is going to happen, particularly if your control of the situation is impeded by weather, market fluctuations, illness or traffic accidents.

Attitudes—A positive or negative attitude influences a person’s reaction to stressful situations. For example, if you feel your job is worthwhile, you may see some of the problems you encounter as challenges. Seen as pluses, the problems or potential problems become motivators. However, if you resent your situation or feel “stuck” in your job, similar experiences create stress, a stress that frustrates instead of motivating you.

Perceptions—Past experiences and the resources you feel you have available to meet life’s demands will affect the degrees of stress you may experience. The degree of stress experienced will be affected by your perception of your ability to meet the particular demands. How you perceive the situation determines if it is or is not stressful. Perception can be broken down in the following ways:

Self - Your sense of competency, self-esteem, values, interests and needs.

Personal resources - Past experience in handling stress and your health.

Material resources - Finances, equipment and storage.

People resources - Other people who can assist you, such as friends, coworkers, family members and professionals.

Change—All change produces stress, even positive changes. Marriage is a positive change that is also a period when adjustment is necessary. For some people, this adjustment can be stressful. A vacation may also be stressful; arrangements must be made for the trip and for work, and there is always a tendency to plan too many activities.

Negative changes are not as difficult to identify as stress-producing. These are situations you would not like to occur, such as children leaving home to start careers, economic recession causing financial crisis, or loss of a valuable possession.

Change demands your adjustment to the particular situation, whether you desire the change or not. Developmental changes that you are able to plan for— pregnancy and birth, children growing up, the aging process—may still be stressful even though anticipated.

So true! Finding such a succinct way to describe conflict and the stressors that bring it about — an apt lesson for any level of writer — was almost worth getting the ticket.

Almost.

Happy writing!

"Hi. My name is Martha. And what's your addiction?": A Not-to-Be-Taken-Seriously Post

2010-12-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm going to my critique group's annual holiday meeting. Instead of going to our beloved coffeehouse with The Best carrot cake, we're going to an Italian restaurant. And instead of sticking to our normal format of critiquing two pieces of work, we'll be sharing literary work — our or someone else's — related to a certain theme.

This year's theme is addiction, as in "an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences."

We all know addictions can ruin people's lives and are not to be taken lightly. We also know there's a wealth of great literature that depicts the ravages caused by obsessive behavior.

This is not a post about either.

Instead, it's a lighthearted if-I-were-an-alien-looking-down-on-this-weird-life-form-know-as-homo-sapien (Latin for "wise man," a rather large cosmic joke) listing of material I'm going to bring to a light-hearted event:

Wacky, But Real, Addictions

• Tanorexia: addiction to tanning; may increase endorphins, causing a “runner’s high”

• Pagophagia: obsessive need to chew ice; can be a sign of low iron

• Geophagy: addiction to eating dirt; common in economically depressed societies where diets are scant in minerals

• Trichotillomania: obsessive need to pull hair anywhere on the body; physical stimulation that relieves anxiety

My Addictions

I listed the above addictions for the obvious cheat of making my own appear less-so:

• Scribophagia: an addiction to writing; increases endorphins, causing a “runner’s high”

• Earlyaverseomania: the strong aversion to being even a few minutes early to anything; often results in being a few minutes late, causing an increase in endorphins that results in a “runner’s high”

• 7-Eleven Cheap Cappuccinonphagy: an addiction to 99-cent cappuccinos from a machine that whirs loudly and manages to froth the highly-sugared hot beverage in a most satisfactory way; knowing the drink did not cost $4 or require standing in a long line at a high-end coffee shop increases endorphins, causing a “runner’s high”

Fodder for Character Development

Needless to say, such oddities in ourselves and those around us provide a fantastic source of comic — or serious — material for developing characters. Before you start writing your story, ask what addiction each of your characters possesses, because if each of us has at least one — even if we don't admit it — our characters probably do, too.

Happy writing!

Good News From Fellow Writers

2010-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Three fellow writers have recently sent word about the publication of their books, the type of fantastic news I'd like to pass on:

Full Cycle: A Family's Ride Across Spain

Martha E. Kendall has just published her nonfiction book telling all about her family's fascinating adventure.

Martha is also the author of a number of other nonfiction books, including The Erie Canal and Alive in the Killing Fields: Surviving the Khmer Rouge Genocide, both published by National Geographic Children's Books.

The Peacock Throne

Daphne Olivier of South Africa wrote to say her young adult novel, The Peacock Throne, has just been published as an e-book by Wild Child Publishing.

The blurb reads:

A gift from a dying man holds the key to a jewel-studded throne that disappeared two hundred years ago, when the Grosvenor went aground off the South African Wild Coast. Greg Harvey sets out to recover the treasure, unaware that his quest will expose a terrible secret, or that once he retraces his grandfather's footsteps, there will be no turning back.

Daphne included the following note:

If anyone would like to write a review I wil be happy to send a PDF copy in a week or two's time (dafol@mtnloaded.co.za)

Running Without Lights

Dixon Long, author of Markets of Paris and A Very Rich Man

The back cover blurb reads:

Arthur Hirschman is a talented and ambitious young professor of politics at Mead College in New England, specializing in Japanese government. His graduate school colleague, Victor Malinowski, now an analyst at the National Security Council, persuades Arthur to go to Tokyo to find out who may be collaborating with Sewall Travers, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, to secretly provide advanced aircraft and tactical nuclear weapons to the Japanese self-defense forces. Travers in convinced this step will ultimately lead to the destruction of the network of military alliances around the world, freeing the United States to establish a secure conservative culture in Fortress America. The President is dying, the Vice President resigns under a cloud, and Travers believes he will succeed to the highest office in the land. All the elements of an international and constitutional crisis are present as the story hurtles forward in Tokyo and Washington.

Congratulations to all three.

If you have good news, let me know!

Happy writing!

The Espresso Book Machine: Yet Another Boost for Self-Publishers and Small Presses

2010-12-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Are those of you who have self-published your books, or had them published by small publishers, tired of getting dissed by bookstores? Forget about them!

In the Dec. 5 Publishers Weekly daily newsletter there's a short article about a company called On Demand Books that's so far installed 53 Espresso Book Machines in libraries, bookstores and cafes such as the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse in La Cañada Flintridge, CA, and the American Book Center in Amsterdam.

Ordering books via the machine is apparently similar to looking up books at the library, by title, author, subject, etc. Instead of going to the shelf to find what you want, however, you specify the language you want the book to be printed in and punch the print button, so to speak. In about four minutes you'll get the book you requested in paperback format.

ODB, founded by Jason Epstein and Dane Neller, works in partnership with Xerox to sell and service the machines, which according to the ODB website was invented by Jeff Marsh of St. Louis.

The first machine was installed in Washington, D.C., in 2006.

Other tidbits from the ODB website

• "A single machine operating 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, can produce over 60,000 books per year with minimum supervision."

• The machine runs on EspressNet software that connects the machine to books that are digitally stored, which means those publishers and self-publishers can make their titles accessible for download to the machines, thus cutting out the need to plead with bookstore owners for inclusion on the shelves. The software also tracks sales and pays publishers or those who own the content.

• The EBM’s growing digital library (its “catalogue of catalogues”) will include nearly 800,000 in-copyright titles from 8,000 publishers through Lightning Source, Inc.™ and millions of public-domain titles through other content aggregators," such as Google Books and Internet Archive.

Lightning Source, Inc.™ is the print-on-demand distribution arm of the Ingram Book Group, the biggest wholesale book distributor in the world.

• Authors who have their books available digitally, but would like a certain number of hard copies made, can also use the EBM.

Publishers who want to participate — both those who already have their book title files with Lightning Source, Inc., and those that don't — can check out the ODB FAQ page for contact information.

Has anyone used one of these machines?

Happy writing!

If You Love Authors Who Play With Words

2010-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

If you love writers and/or artists — writer artists, if you will — who literally play with words, check out my review of Paul Siegell's poetry-at-play books, jambandbootleg and wild life rifle fire in the December issue of Gently Read Literature.

I featured the wild life rifle fire book trailer several months ago, though it's worth viewing again.

If you're looking for other writer artists who use words — and punctuation of all kinds — to create visual art akin to concrete poetry, here are a few more suggestions:

• Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

• House of Leaves and Only Revolutions by Mark Z. Danielewski

• Vernon Fisher (photo of gallery exhibit)

• Faith Ringgold (Unity Makes Us Stronger artwork), who also wrote the children's book If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks

Happy writing!

Four Submission Opps: Two With Dec. 1 Deadlines

2010-11-29T16:00:00.001-08:00

If you've got something to submit, you'd better hurry up little doggy, because at least two of the opportunities below have Dec. 1 deadlines:

Motherwell Prize (Dec. 1 deadline)

Fence Books, which is connected to Fence Magazine, awards the Motherwell Prize to a female poet writing in English for a first or second full-length collection of poems between 48 and 80 pages long.

This is no namby-pamby prize, either, but rather $5,000 and more importantly, publication in 2012. The entry fee is $28. Take a look at the submission guidelines.

Mary Magazine (Dec. 1 deadline)

Published by St. Mary's College of California's MFA in Creative Writing program, this online publication is looking for poetry, prose and new media arts for its next issue. The current online issue features all of those including some fabulous art by Jim Fuess (featured above) and an interview with the artist.

Unlike most literary magazine's, Mary actually pays $50 most of the time, by which I mean, in a strange twist to standard pay or don't-pay policies, the magazine does not pay those published in the NouVeau section, which is dedicated to helping emerging writers gain exposure.

The submission guidelines ask that all submissions be emailed to mary@stmarys-ca.edu as Word docs, or from artists as jpgs or gifs. There are a few more guidelines, so be sure to send check them out.

Note that this publication and Mary: A Literary Quarterly appear next to one another in google but are not the same. The latter publication is both a print and online magazine that also happens to be seeking publications, though this magazine is looking specifically for prose, poetry and essays relating to homosexuality . Submissions should be no longer than 5,000 words and can be emailed to maryliterary@gmail.com.

Ginosko Literary Journal

This online publication out of Fairfax, CA, says it gets 500-700 hits a month and has a mailing list of 3,300. Ginosko is currently looking for poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction, , which, according to the submission guidelines, can be either snail mailed or emailed to GinoskoEditor@aol.com. The publication also features music and art, like that by Justine Tatarsky (featured here).

The perk here is that work from each issue is selected for publication in an anthology.

If you're lucky enough to have something published through these opportunities, make sure to pass along the good news.

Happy submitting!

If the Protagonist Dies, Does That Make Him/Her a Loser?

2010-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Daphne from Marin County, CA, recently asked a great question that other writers have asked:

For the climax, does the protagonist have to face and overcome her greatest fear?

The simple answer is yes, which leads to the follow-up question: What if the protagonist dies? As Daphne points out:

Doesn't that make the protagonist a loser?

Not if the protagonist — the character who takes readers on a journey — confronts and overcomes his/her greatest fear, resulting in a life-altering epiphany, before he/she perishes. That climactic moment is what readers wait for. If the protagonist gives in to his/her fear, readers are inevitably saddened and frustrated, the feeling that of, Why did I bother reading this story anyway?

A great example of a protagonist who confronts his greatest fear and then dies is Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. A novel that takes place during the French Revolution, Sydney Carton sacrifices himself for his unrequited love, Lucie Manette Before he dies, however, he experiences the epiphany that transforms him from a self-involved, greedy man into a person of integrity, leading to one of the most famous sentences in all of literature:

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.

But what if your protagonist does not experience that transformation?

That's what a writer asked me a few months ago. She said her protagonist's greatest fear is of losing her husband's love, which she does. Rather than overcome that fear, however, she succumbs to it and kills herself. The story then continues to the point where the husband experiences the epiphany that leads him to understand the error of his ways.

The writer began to see that either the husband is the true protagonist, or if the writer wants the female character to be the protagonist, she's the one who needs to overcome her greatest fear. She can still die, but not before undergoing that transformation.

I'm always up for a good conversation, though, so if you know of books where the protagonist does not experience a fundamental change, let me know.

Happy writing!

Great Thanksgiving Request: Buy a Book for $1.95

2010-11-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

My fellow writer, Cynthia Hepner, author of two romances (Jack and Love's Journey Home), recently sent the following request:

As most of you know, my son Bobby has been recently diagnosed with Autism. He is twenty-seven years old and a blessing to his dad and me. A few months ago, Bobby wanted to go to work with his dad and be on his Security team at the hospital. We had to let him down...ever so gently. But, after much thought, Bobby decided if he couldn't take after his dad, then he would just have to take after his momma and be a writer and publish a book! He has been working very hard on his story and with some spelling and punctuation help, it is now ready to be published as an E-book. What makes this so incredible is that when he was 6 years old, we were told that he would never read or write...that our main concern should be that he is "socially acceptable". Thank God for homeschooling! What I want from my family and friends, is for you all to support him in this if you can and purchase his book (via Smashwords.com). It is only $1.95 and would really make him feel as though he has succeeded in his goal.

I thought others might enjoy Cynthia's email, both because many of us have friends and family members who are autistic, and because her story provides a great look at one family's ability to encourage writing as a great outlet for creativity and source of confidence-building and coping.

Happy writing!

Congratulations McPherson & Company: The Little Publisher That Could

2010-11-19T16:24:00.001-08:00

A big, huge, heartfelt congratulations goes out to McPherson & Company, which, though being a small independent publisher, managed to turn out Lord of Misrule, the 2010 National Book Award winner for fiction. The book, by Baltimore native Jaimy Gordon, was officially published on Nov. 15 and then only two days later won the award.

McPherson, which was founded in 1974, publishes about 100 books a year in the following areas: "contemporary American and British fiction; translated Italian, French, and Spanish fiction), books in the arts and general culture, and a rediscovery series, Recovered Classics."

According the The Wall Street Journal, McPherson, based in Kingston, NY, typically only prints 2,000 books for a first run, but has jumped that number to 10,000 now that Ms. Gordon's book has been named for America's top prize in writing.

The book beat out:

• Great House by Nicole Krauss (Norton)

• Parrot and Olivier in America by two-time Booker winner Peter Carey (Knopf)

• So Much for That by Lionel Shriver (Harper)

• I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita (Coffee House, which is another small independent)

According to Poets & Writers, those of you who are now hot to submit to McPherson can apparently do so by emailing your queries to bmcphersonco@gmail.com.

Moral of the 2010 NBA Story

The happy moral of this news is that if you're having books published by presses far outside the big six publishing houses, apparently you, too, have a shot a the NBA. Just make sure your publisher submits your title for next year's award!

Happy writing!

Twelve: The Tangled Web of Publishers

2010-11-17T08:53:00.001-08:00

I've been researching publishers of late and decided to take a closer look at Twelve, a publishing house that successfully and spectacularly publishes only 12 books a year while managing to attract big-name personalities/authors and garner national attention and reviews.

That sounded way, way too good to be true.

First, small publishers — let's say those that publish 12 or fewer books a year — have a notoriously tough time getting any attention for their books, primarily due to low budgets.

Secondly, they typically have websites that while generally pleasant, are often rough around the edges, indicating they have not been professionally designed or maintained, unlike that of Twelve, which is sleek and very well designed.

Thirdly, small publishers rarely get the opportunity to publish the work of famous people. Twelve, on the other hand, publishes books by such well-known personalities as Jerry Weintraub, the Hollywood producer who wrote When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead, War by Sebastian Junger and Hitch 22 by the controversial Christopher Hitchens.

Lastly, when I searched for submissions guidelines on the Twelve website, there was no information. The only avenues for contacting the publisher were for sending bookseller and media inquiries, offering feedback or sending notes to authors.

That complete avoidance of how to submit implies a publisher only takes agented material, which is unheard of for publishers that put out only 12 books a year. And indeed, upon reading the acknowledgements section of Ms. Pomerantz's book, she thanks her agent, Bill Clegg (a big name in the industry). Why would an agent go through the trouble of placing a book at a small house that would be unable to pay much of an advance, meaning the agent would make no money?

What I discovered was that Twelve is actually an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, which is an imprint of none other than the Hachette Book Group, one of the big six publishing house giants. And indeed, at the very bottom of the Twelve website is "Copyright 2010 by Hachette Book Group USA."

So if the mystery of how a small independent publisher could offer so much to its lucky authors was keeping you up at night, you can now rest easy.

The answer is, a small independent publishing house couldn't. In this case, David is really another Goliath.

Happy writing!

Betty Auchard: A Great Character

2010-11-13T07:44:00.001-08:00

I went to hear Betty Auchard talk about her second nonfiction book, The Home for the Friendless: Finding Hope, Love, and Family, a memoir about growing up in a family of three kids born to two parents who loved one another, but couldn't figure out how to stay together. She believes one of the main problems was that her mother was almost certainly mentally ill in a time when such a thing was never diagnosed, much less treated.

Unlike many memoirs in which the twisted and loathesome are staples, Betty, who also wrote Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood, said that while she and her sister and brother had a chaotic childhood, they were cared-for and loved, despite being poor and shuttled from one relative to another or staying for periods of time at a home for abandoned kids called the Home for the Friendless in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In fact, she said, it was just that chaos sans abuse that made and her siblings into the interesting, creative people they became.

At one point she said, I can't help it. I like myself.

As a character development junkie, I can't help but admire memoir writers like Betty who understand two things:

1.The author is the main character of the story. Even if the author is writing scenes or chapters about other people, ultimately the author is the one who takes readers on a journey and eventually experiences the epiphany.

2. The number, variety and unusual nature of the author's experiences is what creates the deep pool of very specific details from which the author draws in order to write scenes that show readers how and why she changed.

Details such as:

• Betty once got a gift referred to as toilet water, only to learn she was supposed to put some on her neck to make her smell good.

• One winter when she and her family didn't have enough fuel to heat their small house, the kids wore a uniform of long johns, over which they pulled brown ribbed stockings that came to the knees and were held up by garters that attached to the bottom of their underwear, which they wore on the outside of their long johns.

• Her mom asked her young sister if she had to go to the bathroom, to which she said, "I don't have to she-she."

Such details, which create a great visual while also show the era, region and cultural, were so numerous, all I had to do to find them was to open the book to random pages and set down my finger.

Fiction writers attempting to make their characters great should consider studying Betty's books and those of other memoir writers to see how, by simply and consistently dropping in specific details, they show readers who they are and what makes them great, by which I mean consistent, believable and admirable.

Happy writing!

Antagonists: A Who or A What?

2010-11-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

Romance writer and fellow wordsmith Micole Black wrote a few days ago, saying she just finished my book, Growing Great Characters, and wanted to make sure about the following:

Can an antagonist be a thing or does it haven't be a person? My protagonist which is my hero is recovering from an injury. And I was wondering if his disability is the antagonist since that is what is pushing him towards conflict.

My Reply

An antagonist is the person or thing that opposes the protagonist. In terms of a thing, think of Stephen King's Christine about an evil car. Another is the dead wife, Rebecca, in Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, whose aura continues to haunt her husband's new wife.

So yes, Micole's protagonist's main antagonist could be his disability.

My friend, Martha Alderson, reiterates the concept in her book, Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple. She lists the six main antagonists as (the examples are mine):

1. person against person (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)

2. person against himself/herself (Catcher in the Rye)

3. person against nature (Moby Dick)

4. person against society (Wild Swans)

5. person against god(s) (The Odyssey)

6. person against machine/technology (The Terminator)

Happy writing!

When Editors Complain That "There's Too Much Telling"

2010-11-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

In my recent online workshop regarding showing vs. telling, a participant sent in her homework, which entailed submitting a segment from a book by her favorite author, along with how many sentences were showing and how many were telling.

She wrote:

One show, thirteen tells.

If I'm correct and this author begins with this much telling, I don't understand why editors frown upon beginning writers for doing the same thing.

Here's my reply:

If you analyze a published story that's similar in genre and style to your own, only to learn the number of sentences that show (i.e. state a fact such as, "She brushed her hair.") and those that tell (i.e., convey opinion/interpretation or explanation, such as, "She didn't like brushing her hair.") are roughly equal to that of your story, there are three possibilities if your work gets dinged for too much telling:

1. That particular editor/publisher (or critiquer) may not be qualified to evaluate your book.

Every type and genre of book has a different standard regarding how much showing and telling is appropriate. If the editor/publisher is applying the wrong standard to your story, maybe because he likes thrillers and your story is a romance — your story can't help but fail in comparison.

2. You might not be using high-quality telling, by which I mean carefully choosing and placing just those details that lead readers to the right conclusion. Instead, you might be restating information that's already been better communicated through dialogue, description or characters' action (i.e., She accepted the engagement ring and smiling through her tears said, "I'm so happy.")

3. The editor/publisher is looking for an excuse to reject the work for some reason outside the writer's control.

The best defense is to do as my class participant did and carefully evaluate your story based on that of a published story that's very similar. That will tell you if you're on track or need to do more/less of either.

What say you?

Happy writing!

Who You Know, and Who I Know are Way Cool

2010-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

I attended the Redwood Writers Conference in Santa Rosa, CA, yesterday, Oct. 30. I was supposed to be manning — womanning — the San Francisco chapter of the Women's National Book Association table, which I did.

But the most important take on the day was going from one excellent conversation to another. To say the writers I talked with know their stuff and are willing to help their fellow writers advance is a huge understatement.

I'll be disseminating the advice throughout the week. To start, though, here's a list of hard-working author friends who know how to promote and are out there spreading the word:

• Teresa LeYung Ryan, who, after eight years is still making sure her novel, Love Made of the Heart, is selling strong.

• Victoria M. Johnson, who said her second nonfiction book about grant writing is now off to the publisher (McGraw-Hill), her romance novel was bought by Avalon and her short film, Still Life, has just received an award.

• Patricia V. Davis, author of author of Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss and Greece, will have her next book, The Diva Doctrine, published in the spring by Cedar Fort.

• mystery writer Terri Thayer, who has eight craft-related mysteries (the Quilting Mystery series and the Stamping Sisters series) out.

• Linda C. McCabe, past president of the Redwood Writers, a chapter of the California Writers Club.

• Elisa Southard, author of Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message

(photo from left to right: Victoria M. Johnson, Terri Thayer, me, Linda C. McCabe, Patricia V. Davis)

Happy writing!

THE WIND THIEF Available as Kindle E-book

2010-10-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

My publisher at Alondra Press recently told me my novel, The Wind Thief, is available as a Kindle e-book.

As writers, we know that electronic readers are our future, so it's important to keep up on the technology. Having said that, I have not yet read an entire book on an electronic device. If you've done so, let me me know what you like/don't like and what improvements have been made.

Toward keeping ourselves apprised of the innovations in this realm, here are some very interesting articles:

• 5 Things That Will Make E-Readers Better in 2010 (Wired's Gadget Lab)

• E-Book Sales in 2010 Increase 172.4% Over Past Year (Taxi)

• Sellers Say eBook Readers Impact Book Sales (Auction Bytes)

Happy writing!

When It's Good to Be Compared to a Scary Fish

2010-10-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

A fellow writer friend did me the honor of comparing me to an Anglerfish, which according to Wikipedia (remember, if it's on the Internet, it must be true) states:

They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the fish's head (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure; this is considered analogous to angling.

Such a comparison is a high compliment, indeed. On many writing days, I feel exactly like this fish: my bones thick and tough from years of criticism good, bad and ridiculous; the forehead flashlight necessary for waking up at 5:15 a.m. to get my daily dose of meditation (writing); my sharp teeth ever ready for a tasty morsel of news about agents, writing opportunities and changes in the publishing industry.

My extremely sensitive predatory talents lead me to all types of new experiences, one of which will the the Redwood Writers Conference on Oct. 30, in Santa Rosa, CA. Specifically, I'll be hosting a table for the Women's National Book Association, of which I belong to the San Francisco branch.

The organization is cool for many reasons, the first of which is the acronym, which if you tell people you belong to the WNBA, they'll almost certainly think you mean the Women's National Basketball Association. The WNBA (the WNBA) was founded in 1917 and promotes literacy via such events as National Reading Group Month.

If you're in the area, come visit your fellow Anglerfish, all of us swimming around, spotlighting one another's talents. And if you're not in the area, consider joining WNBA, which encourages literacy, thus ensuring there will be plenty of people to read what we write. That and what fun to see the expressions on people's faces when we tell them we stars of the WNBA.

Happy writing!

Advanced Scene Workshop: What Helps You Most

2010-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend I've been putting the final touches on Growing Great Characters: Advanced Scene Writing, a new workshop I'll facilitate from 10:40 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 6, at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA.

Here's the blurb on the Book Passage website, which allows people to register online:

Intermediate to advanced writers who are serious about creating fantastic, dynamic scenes in which every sentence pops are invited this workshop. Each participant will bring a scene from her/his current work-in-progress, with the intention of putting the scene under the microscope to discover the multitude of tiny factors that if handled properly, create tremendous impact.

Through writing exercises, discussion and mini-critiques, we’ll talk about: where a scene begins and ends; how to track every emotional shift; what it means if we get stuck; how to interpret feedback; and how to check for the factors that should be in every scene, thus ensuring consistency.

Your Experience

Given how much experience we've got amongst us, however, I thought I'd ask what helps you most in writing crisp, tension-filled scenes.

I'd also love to know what scenes you remember clearly from favorite books. One of my favorite scenes is when Scout is wearing the ham costume while walking home from the Halloween pageant with her brother in To Kill a Mockingbird.

I also remember a single moment in Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier where Innman must go off to war. He goes to say goodbye to Ada, the woman he loves, though the two are not lovers. His goodbye said, he turns away from her, then turns back to find that she's started to turn away, too.

The beauty of the moment is that without any dialogue, the author conveys Innman's disappointment. He'd thought she would watch him go, a gesture that would have conveyed she had significant and deep feelings for him. Instead, she almost immediately turned away. He'd thought she loved him, but now is not sure. And in that state of limbo, he leaves.

What about you? Send your thoughts.

And if you're nearby, come join me for the workshop.

Happy writing!

Alice Walker and Other Recommendations

2010-10-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of great recommendations lately from writers regarding writerly matters. Now it's time to pass them along to you:

About Alice

Bette from the San Francisco Bay Area said she recently had the opportunity to hear Alice Walker, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple, speak at Google. Bette highly recommends that other writers read Ms. Walker's blog for inspiration. Ms. Walker not only shares the thoughts that move her to write, but also generously shares her poetry along with parts of her many essays.

Carol Hides for No One

Carol Novack, New York City maven of the marvelous, multimedia Madhatters' Review will soon launch a three-city book tour of her fully illustrated poetry collection Giraffes in Hiding: the Mythical Memoirs of Carol Novack (Spuyten Duyvil Press).

Carol published one of my wacky pieces and never fails to amaze with the freedom of her imagination, a highly -complimentary opinion reflected in this promotional blurb by Mary Mackey:

In “Giraffes in Hiding” Carol Novack proves once again that she is the all-time champion of wild, wigged out, original prose/ poetry and poetic prose. The first full-length collection of her work, subtitled “The Mythical Memoirs of Carol Novack,” is a feast of fusions, inventions, myths, dreams, forms, and possibilities. There’s no one like Novack, and here she is at her best as she chases her ontological tail round and round the intelligible, unknown worlds of her subconscious (and ours). Think Alice in Wonderland on acid simultaneously dancing with Tristan Tzara, Rimbaud, Oedipus, Pandora, Gertrude Stein, Proust, Kerouac, and that weird kid next door who ate all of the heads off your Barbie Dolls and you’ll begin to get a feel for what she’s up to.

Our PR Man Shows Us the Way

Our very own GGW member Ara Hagopian of the Boston Area once again shows us the way in how to get our work noticed. He recently sent a press packet to his local paper regarding The Singers on Live Old Radio, an addition to his growing collection of prints, each of which includes an essay about the work. His local paper picked up the piece, which resulted in a very nice article.

A senior marketing communications writer, Ara regularly applies his professional talents to his artistic endeavors by sending out dozens of polished press packets. More importantly, he then follows up to make sure the information has reached the appropriate person.

Mary Magazine Wants You

I recently received an email from Paul Barrett, managing editor of Mary Magazine, the online literary journal sponsored by Saint Mary's College of California's MFA in Creative Writing program. Paul said he's looking for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction to fill his winter 2010 issue.

Here are the specifics:

There is no fee to submit to Mary. Writers selected for standard publication are awarded $50. Those who are chosen for our Nouveau section, which is dedicated to emerging writers who have not yet been published, are not paid. Please visit www.maryjournal.org for more information and submission guidelines. When you’re ready to submit, send work to mary@stmarys-ca.edu. The deadline for our Winter issue is December 1, 2010. Thank you for your time. We look forward to reading your work!

New York Journal of Books

Lastly, not long ago I mentioned that writer Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at Gerald Ford, is a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books. She recently sent an announcement that the publication has just launched its new website.

The writerly angle: The website includes submission guidelines for books you'd like to have reviewed. If you'd rather review, email info@nyjournalofbooks.com.

And that's enough — more than enough — for now.

Happy writing!

Teen Writers: A Step Toward Publication

2010-10-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

A friend recently told me her daughter has completed a novel, about which she's received some very positive feedback from friends.

The gist of the mother's question was this:

My daughter would like to get her book published. How does she go about that?

The mother then mentioned how one of her own friends has sunk thousands of dollars into having her book edited, and wants to avoid that financial burden, yet encourage her daughter toward publication.

The Myth

When it comes to writing, the temptation to believe in the fantastical is huge. We love the idea that we can write our very first story, and after a few touch-ups, get it published.

The temptation is even stronger to believe such a thing can happen with teens, considering that in our culture, youth possesses a certain magic that seems to transcend reality.

Reality, however, is reality, which means that while a writer's first attempt may be pretty good, there's almost no chance the story will be published.

Why?

Because pretty good is not good enough to get published. To get published, the writer has to not only improve the manuscript via lots and lots and lots of rewriting, but also learn how to write better.

Which leads to the second point...

The Money

I once read an article by a very irate writer who related a conversation he had at a dinner party. He was talking with a neurosurgeon, or some other highly-trained professional, who said that when he got some time off in the summer, he wanted to write a book.

The author's indignity stemmed from the neurosurgeon's attitude that anybody could write a book and get it published. While the first may be true, just as anyone could attempt to be a neurosurgeon, the second part is not. Just as highly-skilled professionals must study long and hard and acquire a huge set of skills and broad base of knowledge, so writers must do the same if they hope to achieve publication.

Most of us know that and assume the same is true for anything, whether you want to be in the NFL some day or have your artwork hung in famous museums. To achieve such results, it's understood that money — and a lot of it — must be spent on lessons, schools, costumes, coaching, materials, etc.

For some reason, however, people think they can learn to write on their own without spending any money. Again, they're correct regarding the first. People can learn to write on their own. But to achieve excellence, they, too, have to take lessons and buy books and attend conferences and hire editors and writing coaches.

Therefore, if you're a parent and your kid shows an interest in becoming a writer, consider treating the situation like you would if your child took an interest in anything else. Determine how much you can spend to help increase your child's skills, then sign him/her up for introductory writing classes or buy them some books. If interest soon wanes, the exploration itself was worthwhile.

If your kid's passion for writing grows, then that's the time to look into more comprehensive skill development. Just as gifted science-minded kids might attend a prestigious science camp, or soccer junkies attend competitive soccer camps, so serious teen writers can branch out via a variety of writing opportunities that will help them rework their stories, develop their skills and teach them about the business of writing.

Again, unless they're paying for these opportunities themselves, or contributing to the pot, they should understand they have to work within your budget.

Educational Opportunities

If you're unfamiliar with the educational opportunities available to young writers, here's a list to get you going:

1. In-person and online classes and workshops like those offered through the well-knownGotham Writers' Workshop

2. Writing conferences, like those hosted by local/regional/state writing organizations

3. Youth writing contests, like that offered by the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club. These contests often have a nominal fee or are free and can get the writer's work into a public forum.

4. Any and all writing books

5. Websites like Teen Ink that help teens connect with one another, share their work and find writing opportunitiess. Education-Portal.com has a great list titled 40 of the Best Websites for Young Writers. Another reader of this site also suggested Inkpop.com.

6. Critique groups, which kids can form for free, often using safe public meeting spaces such as libraries

7. Literary events, such as poetry slams (be warned that the language is often crude), author readings and open mic nights where kids can read their work in public

There's a lot of experience among us, so if you have more ideas, let me know

Happy writing!

Typewriter Keys: The Perfect Gift for Any Writer

2010-10-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

On occasion I reserve the right to jump ship regarding serious writing matters and follow caprice. Today is one such time.

While at an arts festival recently, I was perusing the dozens of booths displaying all kinds of jewelry when I happened upon Renee Berglund of Monkapaws, who managed to surprise me by not only having a number of unique items, but one that struck me as the perfect gift for your favorite writing homie:

Bracelets and necklaces made of typewriter keys.

Not just any typewriters, however, like those soulless, electric IBM electric typewriters, but rather those little black ones from the 1930s and '40s that Lois Lane types used to literally pound out their stories by punching those keys, hard. In turn, the striking caused a terrible, and terribly satisfying, racket that told everyone the writers were doing terribly important work.

I bought a bracelet. Any time I wear it, I find myself fitting my fingers into the lovely, smooth, finger-indented black keys, which Renee told me are made of porcelain.

Durable, symbolic, historical, and think what a talking piece my bracelet will be the next time I attend a writers conference:

Young person: "OMG, dude, what's that gnarly bracelet made of? Sharks' teeth or something?"

Somewhat older person: "Typewriter keys! My granddad had a typewriter like that in his attic. I used it as a doorstop."

A person of notable longevity: "That's when writers were writers! None of this namby-pamby laptop-iWhatever-weak-fingered-tapper-mabobs."

Happy writing!

New York Journal of Books

2010-09-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

I just received great news from fellow writer Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot Gerald Ford.

Last year after reading my post about a new publication called the New York Journal of Books, which was looking for reviewers, she contacted the organizers.

She writes:

New York Journal of Books has stormed the book publishing industry. I've reviewed nine books for them so far. Out of the four thousand applications they have received so far, I think they have fewer than 300 reviewers.

However, they are launching a major new Web site October 1 and have just about every publisher lined up already. I get any review copy I'm qualified for via NYJB. They are getting exclusives as well.

The CEO, Ted Sturtz, left his Wall Street Financial Analyst job with Lehman Bros. last year... and decided to begin this new business as he loves books and wanted to give more visibility to writers.

Rick and I met him on our last trip to New York and we had lunch with Ted and his wife. He is a very personally powerful guy. He has taken an idea and built a major company.

What should be noted here is that Geri saw an opportunity and took it. If you'd like to be such a person, here's what she says about...

Becoming a reviewer

Reviewers must have credentials regarding the type of books they review. Geri, for example, said she's qualified to review nonfiction in the following areas: political, general, current, and in some cases, historical--recent history. There are 500 total genres, sub-genres and sub-sub genres.

But don't attempt to send her your book! Instead, follow the right submission procedure, which leads us to...

If you want your book reviewed

Here are the NYJB guidelines:

To request a review please email us at nyjb@nyjournalofbooks.com with a brief description of the book. Include publisher/publicist contact info. No self-published books currently considered for review. In general, books should be submitted a minimum of four weeks ahead of release.

Geri also adds, "Finally, of course you understand, (there are) no guarantees on what the reviewer will say."

Thanks, Geri, for the great information and for encouraging others to make the most of opportunities that come our way.

Happy writing!

New Publisher: Great Authors

2010-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

We writers are ever in quest of new publishers, and even better if those new publishers are outside-the-box thinkers dedicated to promoting and selling their authors' books.

So when a friend of mine held up a very chic hardcover book titled Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz, my friend's college buddy, my ears perked up.

They perked up even more, however, when my friend said the book has gotten major reviews and national marketing. I assumed the author had landed a sweet deal with a big publishing house, so my poor ears almost fell off when my friend said the book was published by Twelve, a publishing house that opened in 2005 and publishes only 12 books a year.

Yet look at these accomplishments the press has already accrued:

• of 37 books published, 19 have made the New York Times bestsellers list

• authors include such big names as Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub, The Perfect Storm author Sebastian Junger and that guru of controversy, Christopher Hitchens

Alas, no submission guidelines are listed on the Twelve website, which means the publisher may only take agented material. I plan to find out, however, and will keep you posted.

Happy writing!

My Interview on Page Readers

2010-09-17T13:21:00.001-07:00

Today at 9:50 a.m. sharp (PST), I called the phone number to the BlogTalkRadio switchboard and was connected to Nanci Arvizu, who hosts the internet radio program Page Readers.

She let me know when we'd go live, while using the remainder of the time to clarify information regarding my website and books. I perused the list of questions she'd sent earlier in the week, which helped me organize my thoughts. At the correct time, we were broadcast live and away we went.

The interview lasted about 30 minutes and allowed me to not only plug and read from my novel, THE WIND THIEF, but also to talk about the novel I'm working on and my upcoming online class, The Art of Rewriting.

If you get a chance, take a listen. Feel free to offer feedback.

And if you arrange an interview for yourself, let me know. I'll be happy to listen.

Happy writing!

I'll Be on Internet Radio Tomorrow, and You Could Be, Too!

2010-09-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

At 10 a.m. PST (noon Central and 1 p.m. on the East Coast) tomorrow, Fri., Sept. 17, I'll be interviewed talking about my literary novel, THE WIND THIEF, with Nanci Arvizu from Scottsdale, AZ, who hosts an author interview program called Page Readers.

The internet radio program is aired live via BlogTalkRadio, after which the interview is available as a podcast.

I'm telling you this, because this is a gig all you other writers can create for yourself, just as I did when a fellow writer and GGW member Joylene Nowell Butler sent me information about her interview with Nanci.

This Gig is Great Because...

• The interview is free.

• Nanci allows you to read a portion of your work.

• She's open to both traditionally-published and self-published books.

• You can provide a link to the interview on your website/blog.

• The opportunity gives you a great chance to practice your public speaking.

Here's How the Gig Works

1. Contact Nanci via the Page Readers homepage.

2. Choose a time and date to be interviewed. She offers a calendar with available slots.

3. Send her a bio, a JPG of your book cover and any pertinent links (website, blog, GoodReads, Facebook Fan Page, etc.), which she'll post in advance.

4. About a week before the interview, she'll send you a basic list of questions she'll be asking, which gives you the opportunity to prepare your answers.

5. She also gives you the chance to plug upcoming events, such as the publication of a forthcoming book, a reading you'll be doing, etc.

6. The day of the interview, you call the phone number she gives you about 10 minutes before the start time. You'll get on the line together and when the time comes, go live. Anyone listening can then call in with questions.

Has anyone else done this?

If you haven't, give it a try and let the rest of know what you think. Next week I'll give you skinny on my experience.

And if you're available tomorrow and can listen to my interview and call in, please do.

Happy writing!

What's Important About THE SHACK (No, Not the Book)

2010-09-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

In October I'll start The Art of Rewriting, an 8-lesson online class hosted through Savvy Authors.

In preparation, Sharon Pickrel, who's in charge of Savvy Authors workshops, asked me to guest blog about the subject of rewriting. So I wrote about not just a shack, but the shack, the one we create the first time we write a book.

Please stop by Stripping Down: The Rewrite Challenge, and then if you're like all the rest of us shack-builders, join the class ($20 for premium members, $30 for basic and non-members).

Happy writing!

Watch Those Apples and Oranges: Comparing Your Book to Others

2010-09-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Karen from Silicon Valley emailed an interesting question today:

I'm about to begin the 2nd draft of my romance novel... I've been reading (E. L.) Doctorow and (John) Updike, and I see that they do a lot of narrative.

That means, she wrote, that John Updike's books, which are considered to be literary, often have 3 - 4 pages of writing that's largely description, explanation and internal thought, followed by 4 -5 sentences of dialogue. Which leads to Karen's question:

Would it be all right, and acceptable, for me to write my chapters in that style?

Why We Need Models to Follow

It's a great idea for us writers to look for published books we can use to help guide us in how to write our stories. Doing so gives us important information about:

1. what topics publishers are looking for

2. manuscript length

3. the structure and format, which tend to go in and out of fashion, i.e., short chapters, multiple segments within each chapter, stories with first-person narrators, multiple points-of-view, etc.

Apples to Apples

When choosing books to emulate, however, writers should choose stories like their own.

For example, if Karen is writing a romance, rather than choosing to emulate books by literary authors, I'd suggest she visit the Romance Writers of America website, which explains the various types of romances that make up the romance writing market along with links to publishers that print romances. Those publishers usually list their submission guidelines, which give a lot of helpful information regarding manuscript word counts, subjects, writing styles, etc.

Then I'd suggest that Karen choose a romance printed by one of those publishers, and particularly, a story like her own. That will tell her what her future audience wants.

Romance writers, for example, tend to appreciate stories that:

• have a very clear writing style that does not require much analysis to understand

• introduces the main character and his/her future love interest, along with the main character's basic dilemma, within the first chapter

• chapters that are relatively short and include a lot of dialogue

The last answers Karen's question: pages of narrative with little dialogue are probably not appropriate for a romance audience.

Generally, if we love certain types of books — thrillers, romances, memoirs, literary like those people read in book clubs, etc. — we should seriously consider writing in that vein. The type of books we like to read indicate the way our brains work. If we write the type of books we like to read, we're much more likely to write stories that appeal to those audiences, meaning people like us!

If Karen likes literary books, she could, for example, decide to make her book a literary love story along the lines of Cold Mountain.

Lastly, choose books that have been published recently, because those are the ones that reflect what publishers want now, as opposed to what they wanted three years ago, 10 years ago, decades ago, etc.

Thanks for the question, Karen.

Happy writing!

I Dare You: Set Your Manuscript Aside

2010-09-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

We humans can hear a piece of advice 500 times before we actually take it.

Such was the case with me. I'd heard famous writer after famous writer talk about setting a manuscript aside after the completion of a first draft or major rewrite to gain enough distance that when re-reading the manuscript, problems will jump out at you. I decided to try the method.

I set my manuscript aside on Aug. 8. Over the next month I did many other things I hadn't done for the last 36 months, like spring cleaning my house a year late and taking my son to lunch for his 15th birthday (he turned 16 in June). All the while, I both itched to take a peek at the manuscript and loathed the idea, the problem stated as this question:

I love the story, but what if, after such a time investment, I still hate the way I've written it?

Unable to take the suspense any longer, on Fri., Sept. 3 — admittedly, more than a few days shy of a full month — I created a document titled "rewrite notes 9/10."

My goal

To read through my manuscript within a few days to get a sense of:

1. organization

2. pace

3. believable and organic change within characters

4. consistent, escalating tension

My two rules

1. To write all my comments and suggestions for change on the rewrite document

2. To keep my cursor out of the story instead of allowing myself to start making changes, and so get bogged down

How I faired

I finished the manuscript Monday morning.

• I failed miserably at rule number two and had to keep slapping my own hand, the urge to tweak tremendous.

• All the painstaking effort to thoroughly structure each scene paid off. Except for three chapters that require some reorganization, the story flows as it should.

• I compiled 10 pages of comments about specific aspects. General comments boil down to these: There's way too much mention of beating/racing hearts and bodily shaking. In a number of places I still have too much telling. I caught about five cliches. Sometimes I fail to successfully describe where people are in relation to one another. The motivation behind certain gestures and responses is unclear.

Now that I know I haven't completely failed, I'm once again up to my elbows in the writing, which is like dessert 24/7. Mm.

Who else has done this before?

Do tell, and while you tell, tell what you found.

Happy writing!

How Much Time Per Week Do You Spend Writing?

2010-09-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

About a year-and-a-half-ago when I was restructuring my writing process, part of the exercise involved keeping track of how much time I spent on each aspect of writing: education, marketing, my writing/editing.

At a recent critique group meeting, we got to talking about "just doing it," or sitting down to get the job done. That got me thinking about my time journal. I wondered if I now spend more or less time than I did back then. I decided to go back and take a look.

Before I did, I jotted down my impressions...

1. I'm not spending as much time as I once did, even though I try.

2. Constantly-changing circumstances in my life have forced my productivity to rise and dip.

Here's what I found...

• the week of Dec. 13 - 19, 2008: 24 1/4 hours

• the week of May 29 - June 3, 2009: 24 1/4 hours

• the week of Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2010: 22 3/4 hours

What a surprise to find out I've remained that consistent despite the major distraction known as life.

What I've taken from this is...

1. Trying really does matter. The more aggressive you are about "just doing it," the more likely you'll be to do just that.

2. By forming a regular writing habit, writing can become the one constant that serves as a real stress-buster in our chaotic lives.

3. Knowing exactly how you spend your writing time forces you to consider if your time is being well spent, by which I mean taking you toward your goals.

Which leads me to ask...

Do you know how much time you spend on writing per week?

If so, how do you spend that time?

If not, would you be willing to keep a journal for awhile in order to find out?

Happy writing!

How People Teach Me to Succeed

2010-08-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

This week I had the honor of being invited to speak to a small group of women who are members of the American Association of University Women.

These particular women are part of a sub-group called Yes, I can!, the goal of which is to share information and help one another meet personal goals. I'd been invited by a member who'd attended one of my past workshops. She asked me to speak about how I reach my goals as a writer.

While talking over the course of an hour, I found the answer: I reach my goals by sharing what I'm doing and asking other people what they're up to.

The process is this: people give me ideas; the ideas I like become goals; people offer the know-how that allows me to follow through. If I didn't actively take an interest in others, I wouldn't be half as successful.

By talking to these AAUW women, for example, they did me the greater favor by allowing me the opportunity to express ideas that had, until that point, only been half-formed. They asked questions that forced me to solidify my thinking regarding what I want to do and by when, an a-ha process that never fails to amaze me.

Here's what the women helped me understand more clearly:

4 Ways to Advance Your Writing Instead of Doing the Same Old, Same Old

1. Say yes to projects that take you where you've never been before.

By accepting a speaking engagement you've never attempted, or writing in a new genre, or embarking on a longer work — a novella instead of a short story — you'll keep yourself challenged and learning new things.

Obviously we have to continue practicing certain skills in order to master them. The point is to reserve a percentage of our energy for sticking our toes into uncomfortably cool water that'll get our hearts pumping and our minds working in ways they haven't before.

Taking risks takes guts. If you're nervous about what you've signed on for, do as much research and preparation as possible. The more prepared you are, the less nervous you'll be.

2. Listen to people.

Listening means you actively stop thinking about yourself during a conversation. Instead, you allow your curiosity to take over and focus fully on the other person/people.

When people sense you're not simply waiting for a pause in which to turn the conversation back to yourself, they'll tell you the kind of information that's absolutely necessary for becoming a better writer: why people do what they do.

3. Don't whine about not having enough time.

Instead, look at how you spend your time. Decide what you don't have to do and get rid of that which you can live without. If you take on something new, get rid of something old.

If you don't make time for writing on a regular basis, by which I mean enough time for you to reach your writing goals, it's probably not because you don't have the time, but rather, some part of you doesn't want to make the time, which is perfectly fine, so long as you realize that.

Generally, people who really want to do something usually find a way to succeed.

What are Your Writing Goals?

Attempting to reach goals means you've got to have them in the first place.

What are your writing goals, both those that fall into the realm of possible and pie-in-the-sky?

Here are a few of mine:

• get my current manuscript accepted by a major publisher and launch the book in a completely new way that's still in my head, but very cool if I manage to pull it off

• get my current books turned into e-books

• teach at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival

• teach on a writing cruise (Think I'm kidding? Look at the gig Randy Ingermanson got himself a few years ago.)

Happy writing and goal-reaching!

Poets Arise! Call for Submissions

2010-08-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Carol Smallwood, who co-edited the anthology listed below on this blog — Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages (All Things That Matter Press, 2010) — emailed recently, saying she's looking for female poets who would like to contribute articles for another anthology titled Women and Poetry: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing by Successful Women Poets.

The best part of this deal is that the book proposal has already been accepted by McFarland, a North Carolina-based company that's published 4,100 books since 1979. If Carol or her co-editor, Colleen S. Harris, accept your article, you're guaranteed publication.

Here's the description:

Contributors needed for articles about: websites for women poets, using life experience, magazine markets, networking, managing family, blogs, unique issues women must overcome, lesbian and bisexual poetry, continuing education, queries and proposals, anthologies, conference participation, contests, promotion, self-publishing, teaching tips, and other areas women poets are interested.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful. Please avoid writing too much about "me" and concentrate on what will most help the reader. No previously published, co-written, or simultaneously submitted material.

Please send 2-3 topics you would like to contribute each described in a few sentences and a 65-75 word bio using the format of the bio's above. Please send in a .doc Word (older version) file by September 30, 2010 using POETS/your last name on the subject line to smallwood@tm.net. You will receive a Go-Ahead with guidelines if your topics haven't already been taken. Contributors will be asked to contribute a total of 1900-2100 words. Those included in the anthology will receive a complimentary copy as compensation.

Happy writing, and submitting!

One Writer's Duke-Out With Dialogue

2010-08-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

Writer William Stong participated — heart and soul — in one of my online critique class last year.

(Pardon this short, brazen interruption, but I'll be teaching a "Show, Don't Tell" tell-all online class via the Yosemite Romance Writers starting this September. The details are posted farther down under Upcoming Workshops.)

During the online class, William had an epiphany regarding dialogue as the result of a particular writing exercise. In particular, he was able to see that most of his characters sounded alike.

He has since jumped into the task of discovering how to make each character sound different. Please feel free to take a look at what he's learned via his blog, Phoenix Hall Writer's Blog.

I was planning to teach a course about this very subject at the East of Eden Writers Conference in September in Salinas, CA. But alas, the event has been cancelled due to low registration.

Therefore I'll pass on one of the main points I'd planned to emphasize:

Wanting to change an aspect of our stories, such as dialogue, is laudable. Usually we start with good intentions. We pay extra attention to that particular point for awhile, but then we get excited with the story and lose track of that area of detail. It's hard not to do otherwise when there are so many aspects we need to focus on.

What I suggest is that for every aspect of each scene — dialogue included — you make a template, or a list of questions. Then you fill out that template by answering each question in detail. For example:

Dialogue

Character:
Main influence on how he/she speaks:
Socioeconomic background:
Cultural influences regarding speech:
Mood in this scene:

Make the list as long as is necessary to guarantee you understand how this character differs in dialogue/action from other characters. Then fill out the template for every character participating in each scene.

That's the way I keep myself from getting lazy, so maybe it'll work for you.

If you've got another strategy, let's hear it!

Thanks, William, for passing on your words of wisdom.

Happy writing!

Making Nonfiction Read Like Fiction

2010-08-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in making your nonfiction story read like bestselling fiction, but are unsure how, considering picking up a copy of Red November: Inside the Secret U.S.-Soviet Submarine War, a book by W. Craig Reed and published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The Morgan Hill, CA, writer is a former submariner who's also the son of submariner William J. Reed, "who helped devise and deploy the top-secret Boresight program."

Rather than dump a lot of chronologically-organized facts onto the page, Reed wrote this tale of underwater subterfuge in the manner of a thriller that proves fascinating due to the firsthand technical knowledge and depiction of so many tense moments.

Specifically, Reed:

1. made his father the main character, who had to operate under extraordinary pressure

2. wrote the story in scenes that take readers into the submarine at moments when life-and-death decisions are being made

3. builds tension throughout by folding in information rather than allowing the story to sag due to long flashbacks or too much technical information delivered all at once

My guess is if you contact Mr. Reed via his website, he'll be happy to divulge how he got such a marvelous blurb by bestselling thriller writer James Rollins:

If Tom Clancy had turned The Hunt for Red October into a nonfiction thriller, Red November might be the result... Not to be missed!

As an important aside for aspiring writers, Mr. Reed said that though the book was published by a major house that's promoted the book to a fair degree, he hired a book publicist to make sure his story gets the type of major media coverage and reviews it deserves.

Congratulations, Mr. Reed!

Happy writing!