Thoughts and Help on Self-Publishing

There was a time when self-publishing a book was frowned upon. The term 'Vanity Publisher' was tossed about throughout the publishing world. Editors snickered, writers wanted to check it out and the people who ran these supposedly self-published operations were in it for the money and not much else. Not all, of course, but a good many. These people played on the ego of inexperienced writers, often telling them how good their book was. For X number of dollars, they would create the book in good style. Then, it was up to the writer to market his/her book.

Much has changed today. With the advent of online publishing, it's more of a do-it-yourself program now. There is help, places that guide you through the process step by step. There are also many articles in writing newsletters and writing websites. One I received this morning looks like it has a boatload of information. Women on Writing published excellent information and offers classes, contests and an opportunity to write for the Friday Speakout. Don't worry, gentlemen, you can read this information, too. You'll find it here.

An article I ran across at a Forbes site is titled How To Self-Publish Your Book Through Amazon by Deborah L. Jacobs, who is on the Finance Staff at Forbes Magazine. Read what she has to say here.
I thought it was a most informative article.

Some people get tired of always hearing about Amazon self-publishing. Yes, they are one of the top in the field. That name-recognition works so well, but they are far from being the only place that helps you publish your book. There are numerous others. This article names what the author considers the top nine self-publishers.

Researching various self-publishers will take time, probably a lot of time. You don't have to check each one. Take the five that appeal to you and read everything you can about them. Look for reviews from satisfied authors who have used the company. Check to see what percentage each place takes. Do they only publish online or do they also offer to print hard copies? Do they offer any editing/proofreading services?

Why is self-publishing online so big? You are in control. It's easy and takes less time than traditional publishing. You get to keep more of the income. You don't have to order huge numbers of books, only those that are sold.

Is self-publishing for the first time scary? You bet it is. I've looked into it more than once but haven't taken the plunge yet. I'm going to take my own advice here and do some research and give it a try. I thought I'd begin with a book of 5 stories for girls in the 8-12 age group. If I have any success, then I'll try with my middle-grade historical fiction novel.

How about you? Have you thought about self-publishing but haven't taken that final step? Or perhaps only thought about it and haven't researched it? Take some time and read the articles I've linked for you today.

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Family Stories, Memoir, Biography--What's the Difference?

Both readers and writers sometimes get confused about the difference between family stories, memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies. They're all about peoples' lives, aren't they? Yes, but there are also distinct differences in the four. In addition, they are all nonfiction.

Family Stories:  These are pieces of family history. Each individual story tells about a person and/or event. You might be writing about your grandfather who came to America on a ship in 1925. Or about your grandmother who had the biggest vegetable garden in the county. Or maybe your Aunt Nellie whose wedding was ruined by a tornado. Or your great-aunt Olivia who did animal impersonations. Or about Uncle Henry who suffered from depression. These stories will give younger and future family members a picture of their extended family or ancestors. They are usually written for the family to read, not for publication. Although, the person writing the family stories can assemble them into a book. They need not be chronological. Assemble them any way you want to. Occasionally, a family story can be submitted to a magazine or anthology, but that is not the number one aim.

Biography:  It's a look at a person's life from birth to the present or when death occurred. Another person writes the life story after interviews and research. Biographies are usually about a historical figure or a celebrity--a known name. We often read biographies of a person we've admired and would like to know more about his/her life. Authors of biographies want publication

Autobiography:  This kind of book is basically the same as a biography, but it is written by a person about his/her own life. To me, it feels more personal and appears that the reader is able to see the writer's own thoughts and feelings about the events in that person's life from birth to the present. Again, the author hopes for publication.

Memoir:  Memoir can be divided into two categories--long and short. The long, of course, is a full book while the short can be a 1000 word piece. Memoirs are narrower in scope than a biography. Instead of relating the story of a life in chronological order, it focuses on a situation, a problem, or a relationship. It is limited to a phase or time period and is based on feelings and memories. Memoir books appear to be quite popular today. For some reason, readers enjoy being privy to the life of another person, to see what obstacles they faced and how they did so. Short memoir pieces work well for anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul or for contests. Those who write memoirs are striving for publication. 

Write About The Sad Times and The Bad Times

As many of you know, one of my great passions in life is urging people to write their family stories. I've written about the topic, given programs and add to my own family stories on a regular basis. 

We write them so that our children, grandchildren and those that come after will know something of their family history, of the times during which we grew up and more. We write about the humorous happenings, the relatives that were a wee bit eccentric, the joys and the sorrows. 

It's those sorrows I'd like to address today. It's a rare family that hasn't had its share of that and maybe even tragedy. Many people who write their family stories think they shouldn't mention the dark parts of the family history. I firmly believe those stories should be included in your Family Stories book. 

Right or wrong, hurtful or infuriating--whatever happened is a part of your family history. You owe it to your family members to write about it and perhaps explain. Isn't that better than having false bits floating through the generations? We should bear no shame or guilt about anyone in our family. 

What kinds of things am I talking about? This list names only a few:

• someone sent to prison
• a child constantly expelled from school
• a murder
• the loss of a child (or children)
• a tragic accident
• teen-age pregnancy in a time when it was considered shameful
• a runaway child
• someone with a handicap
• a major financial loss
• addiction

Did you have an uncle who made you uncomfortable? Was there an aunt who was mean to you when your mother wasn't looking? Did you have a cousin who threatened you? These people were still part of your extended family. Maybe it was a sibling who didn't measure up to family standards. You can write about those people and how they made you feel. Besides being a part of the family history, writing about whatever happened can be a release and a help to you. 

Look at all the memoirs published today that address problems in families? Many are bestsellers. I'm not suggesting you publish all the unhappy events in your family stories. They are different because you are writing them for the people in your family now and those who will come later, not for the general public to read. Some prefer to wait until the person they are writing about has passed on so there will be no hurt feelings or confrontation.

We tend to shy away from the bad things that happen in a family. Stories that are sometimes only whispered. It's alright to talk about them, to write about those people or what occurred. The bad things, the sad things are all a part of our family history. Nothing says we have to like it but don't try to hide whatever happened.

My father often told us about how his father died in his arms having a heart attack on the driveway of their home. His dad was only 52, and he was a mere 14. Tragic, sad and allowing us to know some medical history in our family. My mother had an uncle who was an alcoholic, couldn't hold a job and lost his family because of it. It helped us understand why my grandmother, his sister, was vehemently against alcohol.

So, write about the happy times, the joyous ones and the interesting but also write about the difficult people or events in your family. As the quote above says, Family is a gift that lasts forever, and that includes the good and the not so good. This is, of course, your choice to include or not in your family stories.

An Idea Doesn't Always Become A Full Story

Looking for story ideas is a never-ending process for writers. Everywhere we go, we keep an observant eye open to what is happening around us. An overheard conversation in a restaurant can lead to a full story. It's not necessarily eavesdropping. In some places, the tables are so close, there is no way you can NOT hear what the people next to you are discussing. 

We ate at a barbecue place in Texas once where the customers all sat at long tables together. A woman across and down one seat was talking to a few men across from her. It was the most fascinating conversation ever. I've never forgotten that woman who ran a ranch single-handedly, scared rustlers off with her shotgun, killed a rattler by the back step and more. She'd be the perfect protagonist in a novel.

But that turned out to be just an idea, not a full story. We find plenty around us to write short snippets that never do turn into a finished project. We have lots of unfinished pieces in our files. We have a great idea, start out with a bang, then hit a major snag and quit. Maybe we have the middle of a story but can't quite come up with a good beginning or a smashing ending. Or, we might have a super beginning that ends up going nowhere.

I mentioned in a post several days ago that I have the beginning of a short story for middle-grade kids. It's a good beginning, but every ending I've come up with is pretty lame. No one wants a story that starts with a bang and then fizzles out like a 4th of July sparkler. 

What should you do with those ideas that come to you but aren't' a full story or essay or memoir piece? Don't get disgusted and toss them. Start a file for those bits and pieces. Some day, they could be very useful. One might end up as a chapter in a novel or the opening of a new short story. A description you wrote two months ago could be perfect for the memoir piece you are working on. All those small ideas or little bits of description might be very useful down the line. Save them! I've saved the story beginning I mentioned above. A good ending may come to somewhere in the future. I surely hope so!

One of my sisters-in-law is a writer. She writes supernatural/ghost stories for the YA group of readers. You may have noticed her blog title posted at the right side of my blog. It's called Ubiquitous Ghosts. Her posts are based on her writing life and the novels she's published. Earlier this week, we chatted via her Facebook page about the 'idea vs story' topic since she had written a post on the subject. Pondering on what she wrote and what we chatted about led to my post today. Do read her post regarding this topic here. Her name is Ophelia Julien, and while we write altogether different kinds of stories, we still have a lot in common as writers. Saving Jake was one of her earliest novels which received fine reviews. In this case, she had an idea that turned into a full story. Check it out at Amazon if you're looking for a book for your kids or grandkids to read on these hot summer days.

Keep watching for story ideas. Even if they don't pan out immediately, the day may come when they will inspire you to develop the idea into a full-fledged, publishable piece of writing.

The Right Way or The Wrong Way To Write

This poster and quote made me laugh. Wouldn't we all like to have the results in the woman's innovative way to find out her weight?

How about our writing world? Is there a right and wrong way to write? Are there hard and fast rules? There are definitely a lot of Do's and Don'ts to this craft, but I don't think there is any one right way or a specifically wrong way to get to the goals writers set. 

What is right for one writer could very well be wrong to another. Take the time you write, for instance. Books on writing often suggest you get up an hour earlier than necessary and use that hour to write. The house is probably quiet, your mind is fresh, so why not? I'll tell you why some people could never do it.  There are those who need more sleep than others or ones who are groggy for the first hour they are out of bed and on two feet. Even with a mug of strong coffee at their side. It's not right or wrong; it's the way it is. Conversely, if you try to stay up an extra hour and call that your writing time, you may or may not be successful. The night owls among us will find it the perfect time to write, while those who like to head to bed earlier than most would discover that their mind might be a bit too fuzzy if they extended their bedtime. No right or wrong. We each choose what works best for us.

What about submitting your work for publication? You can send out your writing one at a time, weeks apart perhaps. Or you could have a Submission Celebration Day and send a dozen pieces to editors in one day. Is one right and the other wrong? Of course not. Do what works best for you.

Some authors write the ending of a short story first, then fill in the rest. Others start at the beginning and move methodically on to the middle and end. I suppose there are even writers who have this wonderful scene in mind that should appear in the middle of the story, so they write it, then add a beginning and an end. Wrong or right? There is no wrong or right here. Again, do what works best for you. 

This brings me to books that teach us about the writing world. The writer who wrote the book is going to tell you what works for him/her. Yes, many are going to repeat the same advice--a lot of it. When I read the same basic advice over and over, I feel like I'd better pay attention. But, if a writer offers unusual advice, something that you've never encountered before, step back and give it some extra thought. It may work for that writer but not for everyone. Still, it is not wrong. It's his/her opinion. You might try it and find out that it is like Baby Bear's discovery in the Goldilock's and The Three Bears story. It's just right. 

Writers have to sift and sort the advice from writing books, writing newsletters, blogs and conference speakers. Find out what is right for you and what might be the wrong way for you to conduct your writing life. Then do what works, what feels comfortable. It might take some trial and error along the way, but you'll reach a place where you know what's best for you.

Writers Draw From Childhood Memories

Childhood Antics

When we were kids, we did things that we'd never attempt now. The middle child above is doing a handstand. I couldn't have done that as a child, and certainly not now. As writers, we dip into our childhood memories time and again when we create fiction, memoirs, personal essays, poetry and more. 

I've noticed lately that more and more memoirs are being written that put the spotlight on the author's growing up years. Family stories are most often events that happened when we were children or ones we learned about as children.

Why do we delve back into our early years? Some of us think of that period of our life as treasured times; they were years when life was good, we didn't have the same kind of responsibilities as we do as adults. Some writers travel back to those childhood moments to try to understand what made them the adult they are today. They have questions about their present self and seek the answers in years gone by. 

We know that writing can be a release for those dealing with grief. Maybe writing about what happened to us as a child can be a release for some guilt or regret we still deal with as adults. As stated above, It can also help us explain why we are the people we are now. 

In the old movies, we'd often see someone stretched out on a special couch in a psychiatrist's or psychologist's office. "Tell me about your childhood," the doctor would say. The patient would begin the story which suddenly became 'the movie.' A number of years ago, psychologists blamed lots of adult problems on the way their mother potty-trained them. Not a lot of people bought into that one. 

Most of the memoir authors who write books about their childhood are writing about the problems they had while growing up. Let's be honest. A book about an idyllic childhood is not going to sell many copies. It's just too....well, too nice. The problems can be with an entire family, one parent, another relative, siblings, world conditions at the time and more. Or the problem could be the author of the book who had a disability or faced a traumatic event. There are multiple situations that bear writing about to perhaps help other people and for some self-help. 

We use childhood experiences when writing fiction, too. If an author is writing a mystery which involves a kidnapping at a park playground, that author is most likely going to bring up his/her own experiences on playground equipment to write about them. The way he/she kept pumping their legs to make the swing go higher and higher. The way they ran alongside the merry-go-round pushing it to increase the speed before jumping on for the ride. The way they sat on the teeter-totter with a friend, got it going and then hopped off letting the other person down with a thud. Great fun, or so we thought at the time. When writing anything, it helps to have experienced it to put some life into the scene. 

Some write with yearning about those growing-up days. They'd give anything to be able to go back and experience them again. Impossible, but many do wish they could enjoy the good times of those years. Many poets write with real emotion about those lost times, remembering them with fondness. 

Whether you write the good or the bad about your early years, you have lots to draw from. 

Sensory Detail Writing Exercise

Try a writing exercise having to do with a couple of our senses. The alarm clock above might make two different sounds. Perhaps the ticking of each second is audible, and the bells make another sound when the alarm goes off. 

Write a description of the sound of the following:

• a team of horses
• train
• car backfiring
• crying baby
• jet
• waves on a beach
• a whistle
• alarm clock

Now, try the same with this list but using taste as the sense:

• dill pickle
• ice cream
• cough medicine
• coffee
• peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• toothpaste
• cinnamon roll
• buttered dinner roll

Mistakes in Writing Are Not a Problem

I love this poster. It makes a great point without saying something like Get off your rear end and get to writing. There is another piece of advice that says something like Apply butt to chair, fingers on keyboard. Write!

Yes, it does not matter if you are making mistakes, or not writing very well. It is more important that you're making the effort. Go ahead and let happen what will happen. 

There is no guarantee that what we write is going to be award-winning prose or poetry. Nope. My own theory is that the more we write, the better our work will be. I hate to use a cliche, but the practice makes perfect theory is right on. We should all realize that when we look at the results of our early writing days compared to the present. Some of what we wrote way back when is cringe worthy, I'm sure. 

What kind of mistakes do we make when we write, especially those first drafts? Here's a partial list: 

• repeating thoughts and words
• spelling errors
• tense mistakes
• point of view errors
• using too many passive verbs
• exceedingly long sentences
• information dump in fiction (sounding like a textbook in the middle of a fiction story)
• unnecessary words (just, really, very and others)
• punctuation (commas are problematic for many)
• weak opening paragraph
• weak concluding paragraph
• fiction too predictable

There are others, but that gives you enough to worry about. Hopefully, these kinds of mistakes are made in your first draft, and you correct them when you do your revising and editing. If you consider a story, essay or article finished, but it has many of the errors above, the end result is going to be a rejection rather than an acceptance if you submit your work in hopes of publication. 

Don't worry if you're making mistakes. As the poster tells us, it means you're writing and that is the number one activity we want to see. 

Writing for Children and an Interview

Several months ago a woman with the Institute of Children's Literature contacted me and asked if I'd like to be in the Winner's Circle on their website. The ICL is where I started my writing journey. My desire at the time was to learn to write for children who were in the middle grades. I applied and took the course which consisted of ten lessons to be done through correspondence over 18 months to 2 years. 

The lessons were sent by snail mail, and I had to wait a few weeks to receive my personal instructor's comments, which she mailed to me via snail mail, as well. Now, I'm sure it is done through email and far speedier. 

If you would like to read the interview, you will find it here. The ICL likes to feature one of their graduates who has been published. I felt very honored to have been asked since I had graduated quite some time ago.

I took the course around twenty-five years ago and loved learning and doing the lessons. My earliest publications were stories for children. One of the magazine covers in which my stories have appeared are above. I've also had stories in several other children's' magazines and on ezines in the USA and Canada as well as a children's magazine titled Red Squirrel published in China. 

Is it worth taking a course from someplace like the ICL? I think it is, especially if you are at the beginning of your writing journey. The ICL has been in business since 1969. That's 50 years which should say something about the quality of the lessons they offer. I'm sure there are other places where you can take a course to learn to write for children and some that offer lessons for those interested in various kinds of writing for adults--fiction, memoir, essays, poetry etc. Have your old friend, Google, help you find them. The Institute for Writers is a partner of the ICL but geared to adult writing.

Do some checking as to the quality of the course, how satisfied the graduates are, length of time the courses have been offered and what kind of help they give in helping you to become a published writer. 

There are people in this world who think writing for children is easy. Believe me, it's not. You have a lot to cover in a minimum number of words. Adult fiction can be thousands of words, but most children's magazine publications max at 800-1000. Even so, you are to tell a story with a beginning, middle and ending and solve whatever problem your protagonist might have. Writing for very young children allows for an even smaller word count. Each word holds importance. Nothing wasted here.

Write for teens or YA as it is termed, and your word count will increase considerably. Plots must be more involved, and those who write for this age group must write with all the same requirements as those who write for adults but need to gear it to their age group. The cardinal rule is to not write 'down' to kids. They nab it every time and quickly move on. 

I am the perfect example of a writer who learned to write for children, then expanded her horizons to include essays, memoir, nonfiction articles, fiction for adults and poetry. And blogging! If you learn the basics for any kind of writing, you can move into other genres. 

I still enjoy writing for children on occasion, although it is not my main thrust now. I recently started a new story called Henry and Boomer. I managed to get Henry into a nasty situation but haven't figured out the ending of the story yet. A half-finished first draft is simmering in my files. One of these days, the end will come to me, and I'll pull out the draft and work on it again. 

Have you ever walked through the children's section in your library or local bookstore? You should take some time and browse the collection. It's a big part of the publishing world. Getting a children's book or story published is not easy. It is every bit as competitive as the adult writing world.

Again, I hope you'll take a couple of minutes and read my interview. 

I had a 

Bits and Pieces and an Interesting Writing Exercise

Summer Garden

I received a newsletter with the notice of an annual poetry contest. What is interesting is that they will accept already published poems as well as ones that have not been published. $1 entry per poem which is doable for most people. Read the announcement and guidelines here. I have no idea what the prizes amount to as they are determined by a percentage of the entry fee monies. There are additional nonmonetary prizes, as well.

I have a request. If you like a post, please consider sharing it with other writers. It helps them find new blogs to read and helps me get new readers.

If you read and enjoy a blog, consider signing on as a Follower. This lets the blogger know that you like what you see. I know that not all blogs have a Followers section, but many do.

I very much appreciate those who have signed on as a Follower. Also, those who take time to comment either here on the blog or on a facebook page where they have seen it.

Now for the writing exercise. This is one I did quite some time ago and found to be a lot of fun. 

Writing Prompt: Write a still life with something ordinary and obvious, such as an aging car, a pile of laundry, a tired dog, a half-eaten bowl of cereal or a summer garden like the one pictured above. Try to personalize the object but not let us know what it is until the end.

This is the one I wrote:

It sits, tired and worn out, on my dining room floor. Sticks out like a sore thumb, as it’s not an item one normally sees amongst the china, silver, and crystal that fill my china cabinet. Nor would you see it resting on top of the glass dining table, or even on one of the chairs that surround the table. It’s cord is wrapped around its body, a thin layer of dust covers all. Once reliable, once acclaimed for all it accomplished, now it sits in shame, head (if it had one!) down. One too many temper tantrums and it became banished from my office. Out with the old, in with the new. And yet, I have a tiny piece of nostalgia resting within. That old printer served me well for a good number of years. It printed, copied, scanned and faxed whenever I asked. It gobbled more ink than I liked, but don’t they all? And here it is, on the floor, sad and forlorn. Maybe there’s hope for a new home. I’m looking for a place to recycle it. A repairman with patience and nerves of steel just might get it going again. It’s a foster child looking for someone to love it again.

Looking For Places To Market Your Writing

This woman wants to be a published writer. She works hard on her stories and essays, even writes a poem or two occasionally. She revises and edits until she thinks her piece is ready to submit. Then comes trouble!

Finding places to send our writing in hopes of publication is a major.....hmmm, what is the best word here...chore, task, pain in the rear, headache. Take your choice. Maybe it's a bit of all those words. I think we all agree that it is as hard to find the proper place to send your writing to as it is to write in the first place. No editor is going to call you and ask you to send your latest piece of writing. He is not going to steal through your window at night and slip that piece from your computer desk. No. It's up to you to send your work and up to you to find the best fit for your work.

Finding places to submit to isn't really difficult if you're alert and pay attention to what other writers say, what you see on social media, or hear at a writer's conference. 

One of the groups I found and joined on Facebook is Calls for Submissions. They add new content regularly. It's a wonderful place to visit on a frequent basis. If you're already on Facebook, go to the search box at the top of your home page and type in Calls for Submissions. It should take you to that page where you can then click on Join. Their new calls for submissions will then pop up on your own page off and on, or you can make a check every few days on their page. If you're not on Facebook, do consider joining. Yes, you hear all kinds of negative comments about this place, but if you use it to your advantage, to help you in your writing journey, it's going to be nothing but beneficial. All the people who do so will be miles ahead of you. This is not the only page for writing submissions. Again, just type in those three little words and you'll get a list of all the Facebook pages that have to do with the subject. 

As an example, here's a link to a website that has a list of 41 places where you can submit personal essays. It's a real treasure trove. Even when scanning the list, I found quite a few I want to go back when I have more time and read thoroughly. 

Use Twitter to your advantage, too. Many writers and editors and publishers tweet regularly. Follow some of them and watch for announcements about writing needed. 

I also received news of a call for submissions for a brand new Chicken Soup for the Soul book. The book title will be You Go, Girl. You'll find the details at the bottom of this page. 

When I went to google and typed in Calls for Submissions, this page is what popped up. You could spend hours going through the lengthy list. I find the best method is to scan that first page, click on the ones that interest me, then move on the next page and do the same. You'll find that, as you move farther along, the calls might be outdated. The early pages will have the most current needs. 

When you do a search, putting in a few more words will result in a narrower list that might be helpful if you're looking for a home for something specific. Maybe you wrote a personal essay about a medical issue in your family, so instead of putting just Call for Submissions, you should add something like 'personal medical issues' or whatever it happens to be. 

The more you search for places where you can send your writing, the easier ti will become. I'm always on the lookout for new places to find markets. You should be, too. Find them on Social Media, in writing newsletters, wrting websites, conversations with  other writers. Keey your eyes and ears open.

Appreciation for Those Who Write Books

I saw a funny photo on Facebook this morning. Hundreds of scrabble tiles were pictured tossed helter-skelter. The caption was Buying a book from Ikea! It made me laugh, and then I looked again at all those tiles with letters and started thinking about what a book it takes to create a book.

Then I remembered the photo-quote in my files that talked about what a book is. It's not only a cute drawing but some lovely thoughts, as well. I like the part where it says the ...an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Even though thousands might read the same book, each reader feels like the author is speaking directly to him/her. 

Back to the letter tiles. Consider the number of letters it takes to make the words that make up a book. While a carpenter who makes furniture is the master of his trade, so is the writer. Every author has to know how to put those letters together to make words, then how to put the words into sentences and paragraphs which have meaning and will hook readers and keep them reading. 

The successful author not only uses those letters to create an entertaining story, but he/she must do so using good mechanics of writing. Without them, even a fine story begins to get lost in a muddle. 

Maybe the quote above is a bit outdated because we can now read books on a Kindle or some other online place. Some readers love reading electronically while others much prefer holding that golden book in their hands. They love turning the pages. Count me as one of those readers. I have read a few books on my Kindle on my laptop, but it would never be my first choice. 

The author of a book starts the process, but then an editor and printer and marketer all step in and help a book come to its final phase where it is sold or loaned to someone who is eager to read those letters combined into words turned into paragraphs and chapters and... 

The next time you read a book give some thought to how it was created. For those who are writers, do the same. You are the ones who know the intricate details of how a book is created. I am in full agreement that yes, a book is an astonishing thing.

Writers--Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Yesterday, I ran across a sheet of journal prompts. Covered front and back, so there were lots of choices. As I scanned the list, one caught my eye and I stopped. It reminded me of an exercise that my online writing group did several years ago.

First. let me show you the prompt. You begin writing with the following words:

• My strengths are...
• My weaknesses are...

Of course, I am suggesting you do this in reference to your writing. Notice that the short list begins with a positive thought. Put humility aside. Write about as many strengths as you can think of. Then, bite the bullet, and admit to the places where you are weak. As the day goes on, you'll probably think of more to add to each one. When you do, stop and put it on the list. Do this for just one day or even a few. No doubt, you'll think of new points to add to what you wrote at the beginning. 

The exercise that my online writing group did was devised by a wonderful poet from Japan who now lives in the USA. She is a kind, thoughtful person. She suggested that we write (via email) to one another. She said we should tell the person what we liked about their writing, what stood out, what strengths they showed. She did not mention weaknesses; that might have been a bit difficult. 

I received a lot of emails that next week from members of the group telling me what they liked about my writing, what my strong points were. Not everyone wrote to every person. We selected the several we wanted to write to and did it privately. No one else in the group saw what had been written. We all like to receive compliments, but reading those emails was such an ego booster that my confidence level rose several points. Some compliments were things that I knew I did fairly well, but others surprised me. It was a kind of "Who? Me?" reaction.  Knowing what my fellow writers thought of me meant a lot. As I said, they graciously skipped the things they thought I needed to improve on. Those came across in a nice way when they critiqued my work. 

If you're in an online writing group, you might give thought to doing this exercise. Online is perfect as it is private, but if you are in a face to face group, ask members to write to one or more of the people in the group telling them what they like about that person's writing. At the next meeting, the papers can be given to the respective members. The only risk I see in doing this is that a few members may not receive any papers. Maybe, instead, draw names and write to that person only about the strengths in their writing, the things you like about their writing. 

When doing an exercise like this, honesty is necessary if the exercise is going to help you see how well you do in some parts of your writing life and where you need to improve. Every writer can contribute to both lists. No writer is strong in absolutely every facet of the writing world. 

Be proud of your strengths. Some parts of writing come naturally to certain people, while we struggle with others. Keep that list of strengths where you can be reminded. It's especially good to see it on days when nothing appears to be working right. Or two rejections pop up in your email.  You should also keep the weakness list where you can see it so you will continue to work on those items.

I intended to use an image of a strong person and one of a weak, exhausted one next to the first. I finally decided to use just the strong man as I'd much rather we strive to be like him. 

Many Moms Were the Family Doctor--Include Her Treatments in Your Family Stories

We write many things in our family stories and memoir pieces, both happy and sad. Have you ever included what your mother did for you when you had a bad cold or the flu or some childhood disease like measles, mumps, or chickenpox? Or an injury?

Our family stories serve as a history of our family as well as being informative and entertaining. Think back to your growing-up years. We all had an illness of some kind now and then. Write about the methods your mom used to help you feel better. Those of us who are senior citizens didn't have the benefit of all the miracle anti-biotics out today. 

Did your mom have any special treatments? Was there always a bottle of mercurochrome in the medicine cabinet? Campophenique? Calamine lotion? Vicks Vaporub? Did she make some awful concoction that smelled bad and tasted worse? 

When my brothers and I had a cold, my mother made us take a warm bath, then rubbed Vicks on our chests, covered it with a piece of flannel under our pajama top. "Hurry up and get in bed and pull the covers up," she'd say. The idea being that heat would make the Vicks work better and help to loosen the congestion in our chest. 

And yes, we had a bottle of mercurochrome on hand at all times. Any scrape or cut was washed with soap, then painted with the evil red liquid. Every kid in the neighborhood sported a blotch of red on a knee or elbow now and then. 

My dad's sure cure for a crying, teething baby was to rub a bit of whiskey on the gums. It worked, but today, he'd probably have been arrested for child abuse. 

Include pieces in your Family Stories book about the times you were very sick and what your mother did to make you feel better. Whenever I was sick enough to stay in bed, my mother came to the bedroom about mid-afternoon with a warm, wet washcloth. She'd wipe my face and hands and then brush my hair a bit. Not medicine but it always made me feel better for a little while. 

Many of us were given a bowl of good, hot chicken soup. "This will cure what ails you." That was the statement that often accompanied the soup. 

What did your mother do when you were sick? How were you treated? With home remedies or over the counter drugstore meds? Did she call a doctor, or was she the doctor of choice in your family? 

The one time a doctor made a house call for me as a child frightened me more than the medical problem I had--a severe mastoiditis in my ears. Why? Because my mom never, ever called a doctor to come to our house. I was sure I must be dying. Only that event would have moved her to spend the money on a housecall. 

Spend some time remembering those times when you had measles or mumps or a bad cut or a terrible cold. Then, write about it. 

Writers Benefit From Quiet Places

A few people might look at today's quote and say "Huh?" I think it's a pretty profound statement that fits our writing journeys quite well. 

Consider rejections. We all get them. We all hate them. If we stop ranting about getting yet another rejection, step back and look at what is actually happening. Is there a pattern of any kind? Are you getting rejections from the same kind of markets? Is it only with your fiction? Or your poetry? Or your family stories? Use some quiet time to assess the situation. None of those may be a factor, but they could be. At least, take the time to be quiet and look at the overall picture.

I've been to conferences where one or two people ask all the questions. They may be genuinely seeking answers, but some like to be recognized, toot their own writing horn a bit. Those are the people who could benefit from being quiet and listening carefully. 

If you're having difficulty in a writing project, take some time to slip away to a quiet place and do some thinking. Get away from your home surroundings, the people who are needing your attention, and head for the quietest, most peaceful place you know. Maybe it's your garden where you can sit and sip a cup of tea, drink in the summer blooms around you. Perhaps, it's by the side of a lake or a river. For some reason, being by water is soothing. Choose a secluded spot where there are no other people. Then sit and listen to what your own mind is telling you. The answer to a writing problem may come to you. If it doesn't, don't fret. Instead, drink in the serene break you've taken from your writing difficulty. It's possible that, when you return home, you'll see the way to fix whatever was wrong. 

Even going for a walk in a quiet place can be helpful. Go to an empty church and sit there by yourself. Pray if you wish, but it's not necessary. Or to a museum that is not filled with crowds, one that you can sit on a bench and absorb the beauty around you and listen to the stillness.

Be quiet and listen. You might be amazed at what you hear. 

Every Writer Should Be A Reader

 

The quote by C.S. Lewis made me smile and nod my head. I am an avid reader and have been since the days of learning to read with Dick and Jane, the popular reading series for new readers of long ago. Reading affords me pleasure, gives me quiet time alone, and helps me continue to learn about the craft of writing. 

The third reason is why the second quote today by Stephen King, one of the world's most successful writers, is so meaningful. The man doesn't sugarcoat his advice. Instead, he lays it out in very few words. I can almost see him shaking his finger at someone as he lets them know the importance that reading is to a writer. 

Even while reading for pleasure, your subconscious is soaking up many things about the way the writer has presented the story. I'm not suggesting you copy the way others write. You still want to develop your own voice, but you can learn a great deal about the tools needed to write by reading the work of others. 

The point here is that all writers need to be readers. Just recently a writer friend put a plea for help on books to read. What books did you enjoy? she asked. Readers responded with a list of their favorites. I have a feeling she'd already read several of them as they were books that were popular and stayed in that column even as the years after publication slipped by. 

You don't need to read only fiction. Biographies, memoirs, nonfiction--all should have a place in our reading list. A memoir writer benefits from reading the memoirs of others. A fiction writer finds little tidbits of treasure in the way others write fiction. A poet admires and learns from reading the poems of others. I am not suggesting that you copy the exact methods of the other writers whose work you read. Absolutely not! Read for the enjoyment but also to pick up little bits and pieces about writing. 

Do you have a list of favorite books you've read over the years? I'll list a few that I have especially liked below. They are ones that stayed with me long after I closed the book for the final time. 

• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
• The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
• The Rent Collectors by Camron Wright
• The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• The Nightengale by Kristen Hannah
• Life in a Jar by Jack Mayer
• Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman

Your list will probably be totally different from mine. Even so, I have gained a lot about the writing craft as I've read these and myriad other books over the years. Add the many, many hours of pleasure and it's a win-win situation. Don't ever feel guilty for using some of your writing time for reading. You'll enjoy the book but also be learning. 

Can A Prose Writer Write Poetry?

Our poster quote today is truly quite poetic, but coming from Carl Sandburg, one would expect that. I also saw a quote regarding poetry once that stayed with me. It was Wine is poetry in a bottle. Maybe I liked it because I also enjoy a glass of wine. 

I was thinking the other day about why we write poetry and what preparation should we give ourself to do so. I think that anyone who loves words should be able to write poetry. It's a fair guess that the vast majority of writers have an affinity for words and phrases. So, doesn't it stand to reason that any writer should be able to compose a poem? 

The keyword here is try. Many prose writers shy away from attempting to write poetry. They separate prose writers and poets into two distinct categories. I think all writers can write poetry. You're probably wondering why I think it is of importance that a prose writer attempts poetry. For one thing, it broadens your horizons. For another, writing poetry will make you a better writer of all kinds, expanding your vocabulary, learning to use metaphors and similes. adding sensory details and more. 

Writing poetry is a good practice for prose writers because they must use fewer words to get a concept or thought across. Instead of writing pages on one idea, the poet uses a handful of words. They'd better be words that convey a thought well and succinctly. The poet strives to pass on mundane words and passive verbs. He/she must do more with less than the prose writer does. Have you ever heard a prose writer criticized for being too wordy? We all have run across that situation. The poet cannot be too wordy. 

Should you read poetry in order to write it? I think it's a very smart idea to do so. The more poetry you read, the more you'll absorb how poets function. If you want to write haiku, read a plethora of them. They're really a lot of fun to compose. The same goes for narrative poems or rhyming verse or free verse. The more of the type you choose to read, the better chance you will have of writing your own in a similar vein.

The more you read poetry, the better you will appreciate it. Many poets have published short books filled with their poems. I enjoy reading them, seeing the different sides of a single poet. I've written reviews on several in the past. Take a look at an earlier post about a poetry book written by Ronda Miller.  And another about Tom Mach's So Runs the Water. Tom is also a novelist, having written a Civil War trilogy. He can write both prose and poetry, so there's no reason why you cannot do the same.

I always suggest that those new to writing poems begin with free verse. You needn't be concerned with meter or rhyme. All you need do is write from the heart. The previous sentence contains a very important point. Read it again. You'll pick up little tidbits as you progress and as you read other poets, learning where is the best place for a line break and more.

When you have a first draft, read the poem aloud. You'll easily see where you need to enhance or take away or change words. As a writing exercise try your hand at poetry. Start with something short. You might find that you enjoy writing poems. You won't know unless you try. Simply write from the heart. 

Stories About Cats and Dogs Needed

Those who write for anthologies are always happy to see a new call for submissions. Chicken Soup for the Soul has added two new titles to their Possible Books page.  One will be called The Magic of Dogs and the other is The Magic of Cats. You can find the details by scrolling all the way down the page. These are the last two in the list. 

There are suggestions for the kind of stories that will illustrate the magic that our dogs and cats weave through our lives. The deadline date is November 30th so you have plenty of time to write one or more stories to submit. Don't forget that they accept poems for every book as well as stories. Some of you could probably come up with a fine narrative poem about a cat or dog. 

We've had a few dogs over the years, but the one most magical was Rusty, an oversized male Golden Retriever. He came to live with our family when he was a pup and our youngest child only 5 months old. Rusty and Karen grew up together, and he turned out to be a wonderful nanny to her. No human nanny could have watched over her any better than he did. Once he....but maybe I should save that story to write and submit to the book on dogs. 

My daughter had a big white cat named Ming when she was living on her own. Marriage was in the cards before long. Her husband moved in with two boxer dogs. I wrote a story for another anthology, not Chicken Soup for the Soul about the relationship between the three pets. I was pleased that the story made it into the book. 

Start thinking about the pets you've had, the magic that they brought to you and your family. I'll print my story about Ming and the boxers below to get you started thinking. It appeared in an anthology titled Not Your Mother's Book on...Cats.

Top Dog

By Nancy Julien Kopp 

My daughter, Karen, and her fiancé spent lots of time making wedding plans and deciding how to blend their two homes into one. Furniture and cooking pans were the least of their concerns. More importantly, they needed to figure out how to get three pets to live harmoniously in one house.

Ming, a male cat, and Karen shared a townhouse and the big white cat liked life just as it was. When Steve became a regular visitor, Ming accepted this other man in his mistress’s life a little at a time.  He kept a wary eye on this man who spent so much time with Karen.

There was still one more critical step to their nuptial bliss--the pet introductions. Karen described the meeting to me in a lengthy phone conversation. She said that Steve arrived at the townhouse with his two brindle boxers in tow. I listened to her tale, fearing what the end of the story might be.

Karen told me that Max and Riley were big and muscular and a bit fierce-looking, even though they were usually pretty calm canines. Sides heaving, the dogs confronted Ming while the humans held their breath. Barking and snarling, Max and Riley advanced. Steve shouted to no avail. Karen kept her eye on Ming while Steve tended to the dogs.

Ming fled to the kitchen and leaped onto the countertop, dogs, and Karen racing behind. The cat paced, eyeing those two devil dogs who’d followed him. The attack cat was ready to rumble. In no time at all, he flew at them, claws out and a fierce expression on his usually tranquil face. Ming’s screeches and the dogs’ barking filled the small kitchen for an instant. Add in Steve and Karen’s voices trying to calm their individual pets and chaos reigned. When Max and Riley charged, Ming retreated to a place on the counter where he knew the dogs could not reach him but could still see him. Back arched and hissing, he waited just out of the intruders’ reach. The night of terror didn’t last long. Steve gathered his two big dogs and headed home leaving a worried Karen and a still angry cat alone.

Karen told me she had a talk with Ming after Steve and the dogs left, and no doubt, Steve reasoned with Max and Riley on the ride home. The five of them were going to live together and they would have to learn to get along. This engaged couple didn’t know it then, but they were in training for being parents. Handling kids would be a piece of cake if they managed to get the three pets to live peacefully together.

Weeks later, I spent a weekend with the newlyweds and their menagerie. I’d always been more partial to dogs, but Ming had worked his way into my heart long before. He often curled up next to me when I visited. That afternoon, Max and Riley stationed themselves in front of the sofa, one on either side of my legs, chins on the cushions, slobber included. Ming Kitty snuggled closer to me, not making a sound, but if looks could kill, we’d have been digging two big holes in the back yard for those sweet dogs.

That evening, the dogs were standing in the kitchen hoping for a scrap or two from dinner when I noticed Ming saunter by them. Without missing a beat, he whacked one of the dogs on the snout with his paw, then he kept right on walking. Max and Riley both looked a bit bewildered but left the cat alone. It was pretty obvious that Ming had established his spot on the family tree. And it was several branches higher than the dogs. It may have been the first time a large white cat claimed the title of Top Dog.

Another year passed and the first baby joined the family. Jordan was born in the afternoon, and after I’d had my turn doing all the silly things a new grandmother is wont to do when meeting a grandchild, I left the new parents at the hospital and went to their house to feed the animals and spend the night with them, as we’d prearranged weeks earlier. These three pets had learned to tolerate one another, even though Ming Kitty occasionally used the swat-on-the-nose method to keep the dogs in line. I wondered how they were going to accept this new family pet that would be coming home the next day.

I shouldn’t have worried as they all loved Jordan, and as she grew, she fit right in with the three of them. Once she started to crawl, she chased Ming daily with her eye on his long white tail. Luckily, he was faster than she, but I think he enjoyed the game as much as she did. Max and Riley lay on the floor watching, tongues hanging out. I knew they were cheering her on from the sidelines. If they could speak, they’d have been hollering, “Go Jordan, Get that tail!”

They lived in harmony, Ming reminding Max and Riley that he ruled with the occasional nose swipe. It wasn’t hard, more like he just wanted to bring up the fact that they were guests in his house and they’d better not start any trouble. He’d never admit that he’d come to like those two guys.

Max was the first of the trio to pass on. But Riley still had Ming and the cat seemed to sense his canine brother’s grief. They kept one another company and became good buddies. When Karen and Steve were at work, and Jordan at daycare, those two probably had a few good laughs together about the time they’d first met. That night of terror resulted in a long friendship even though Ming Kitty still wore the crown. Yep, he’d always be Top Dog of the feline world.
(c)

A List for Writers

We all have plans to do certain things, but life gets in our way. Whatever we were hoping to do gets delayed for longer than we'd like. Other needs in our writing world pop up and that great thought about this or that sits for a while longer. 

Then, there's another situation. We want to start a new writing project or something else writing-related but that old Fear and Doubt hold us back. Are you going to let those two monsters keep you from growing as a writer? None of us does it willingly, but it can happen. 

So today, ask yourself the question above as you examine your writing life. 

If not now, when...

• will you finish your novel?
• will you start the project that has been on your mind for months?
• will you start submitting your work for publication?
• will you read a book about writing?
• will you sign up for a writing conference? 
• will you start writing for a part of every day?
• will you do an edit and revision on all those first drafts you started and filed away?
• will you join a critique group?
• will you look in the mirror and say I am a writer?

I could add more, but you get the drift, I'm sure. The longer we put something off, the more difficult it is to step up and get it done. So, if not now, when? Once again, it's up to you.

Use Memories In A Writing Exercise

The 4th of July, 2019

We celebrate our nation's birthday today. It's done in various ways in different places in our country, but the idea is the same. We mark this day as a celebration of the free land we are privileged to live in. Perfect? No. But in the overall scheme of things, we are very fortunate people. 

Today, try the I remember... exercise. Close your eyes and think, or say aloud, I remember... As soon as something comes to mind, start writing. Let yourself go, no holding back on this one. 

A part of my own I remember...exercise says exactly what I feel about memories. I wrote:

Memories feed an old soul. Memories entertain the younger generations. Memories are treasures. 

Try this exercise and see what memories emerge from the recesses of your mind. My own result is below. When I concentrated on I remember, the first word that came to me was childhood. 

I remember childhood…

I remember so much about my childhood days. Incidents, events, people, and places return to me over and over, sometimes in my dreams. I so often am the age I am now, but the dream is set in someplace of long ago—a place where I might have been as a child. My childhood home figures prominently in my dreams and memories.

I grew up in a 3rd-floor apartment. Six of us crowded into a 2 bedroom apartment which also had a small kitchen, pantry, dining room (which is where I slept) and a living room with a small sunroom extension on it and one bathroom with a clawfoot tub, no shower. We also had an outdoor balcony, very small and scary when you leaned over the railing and looked way down below. We never had a chair or table on the balcony like people would today. It was a place we were seldom allowed to go, reserved for those Kodak moments.

We climbed the three flights of stairs to our door carrying so many things--laundry baskets, grocery bags, the live Christmas tree we had each December. Whatever we needed or wanted was toted up those three flights. The enclosed front stairs were carpeted, and as we climbed, we could smell dinner. Sometimes it was dinner cooking and sometimes it was a lingering odor from yesterday's dinner. We had to pass four other apartment doors to reach our floor, and the dinner smells from all four mingled. I often tried to single out the aromas to see who had eaten what that day. The back steps were outdoors and wooden. Up a big double set to the first floor, then split off to a single width set on either side, then onto another double set, and another single width set on either side leading to our floor. One more double set of steps and we landed on our back porch. There were four apartment doors on that big porch. And above the railing on our side ran a clothesline on a pulley. My mother often did hand-washing and hung the clothes to dry on that line. When there was an infant in the family, diapers fluttered in the wind every day of the week, drying quickly on summer days, and freezing to a cardboard stiffness in the winter.

I never knew what it was to be alone during my growing-up years. With three younger brothers and living in a small apartment, privacy came down to my allotted ten minutes in the bathroom each morning. The only place I can remember having solitude is when I walked to the library, which was at least once every week. Down the three flights of stairs with a load of books in my arms and away I went, past the conservatory in the next block, past the city park, and across the double set of railroad tracks. One was for freight trains, the other for Chicago Transit Authority "els" Once over the tracks, I turned onto a cinder path that ran behind the train station platform. I loved that cinder path. It made me feel as though I’d entered another world. The feel of concrete under my feet was the norm, but crunching along the cinder path brought me to another realm. The back of the train platform was to one side of me and a field of tall weeds bordered the other side of the path. Today, I would probably think it was no place for a child to be walking alone, but I did it myriad times over those years and never had a mishap. Maybe an angel walked with me.

The cinder path ended all too soon to suit me, and I skipped along the remaining block and a half until I reached my home away from home--the public library. While I made the walk to and from the library, my thoughts ran to so many things. I had time to think, to plan, to dream. I cherished that private time as much as the wonderful books I carried with me.

I remember so many good things my mother cooked and baked for us. Food was something to be enjoyed in our home, not just to eat to stay alive. Money was scarce, and Mother skimped on many things, but food was of primary importance, and we ate quite well. Steak appeared on our table only occasionally.  And we knew if we had steak one night, the next night was something like tuna casserole, or a pound of hamburger stretched in any way possible, and some never even thought of before. My mother baked a lot, and she passed the love of baking on to me. She had learned from her own mother who had a neighborhood bakery for many years.

Memories feed an old soul. Memories entertain the younger generations. Memories are treasures.

Yes, I remember so many things from those childhood years on Garfield Street in Oak Park, Illinois. They helped make me the person I am today, and they've made me appreciate all that I have as an adult, not least of all, the joy of having occasional private moments.__._,_.___

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