Using Color in Your Writing

One of the five senses is sight. One way a writer can bring a visual image to readers is by the use of color. Years ago, all the movies were black and white. When color was first used in films, it was a glorious experience for those sitting in a darkened theater. 

We live with color. Some colors make us feel happy while others bring a bit of gloom. Take a look around the place where you are reading this post. How many different colors do you see? Which ones draw your eye first? Which do you like best? Which the least? 

When you're writing a story, a novel, a memoir, a personal essay or a poem, make use of color in the words you pen. Mention it. Describe it. Use it in the description of a person, place or thing (namely a noun!) Use the name of the color, one little word, to bring a visual to the reader. His blue eyes drew my attention. That's more interesting than if you merely said His eyes drew my attention. 

Or write about something like a dress a young woman was wearing. Her dress reminded me of sunflowers, the deep golden shade of their petals. It's a bit more interesting than saying She wore a yellow dress. In the first example, your mind immediately sees a field of sunflowers. In the second one, yellow could mean just about anything.

How about The geometric shape in the middle of his tie looked like an over-ripe tomato had fallen on it. In this one, the color name is not mentioned, but every person who reads the sentence knows that the shape on the man's tie is bright red. I'd rather read a sentence like this one than another that says There was a red geometric shape in the middle of his tie. Both used color, but isn't the first one more interesting?

Color lends itself to similes. Red as a ripe cherry or white like a wedding gown  As an exercise, write a phrase or sentence using a simile for each color below:

• blue
• purple
• green
• mauve
• yellow
• white
• brown
• beige
• black
• gray
• orange
• peach
• pink

Writers Who Can't Get Started

Do you lay in your bed at night and dream up great ideas for your next writing project? Then, the next morning, life moves in and your ideas are put on hold. Again! 

Do you think about storylines but never get around to pursuing them? Or writing that first draft?

Do you plan to write a memoir or a  novel but can't get even an outline written?

Do you think about editing an anthology of stories many of your writer friends have written? Then, something else comes along and it's on the back burner once again. 

Do you plan to spend a day checking markets and submitting writing that has been completed but simply sits in a file? 

Do you know your last writing project needs a lot of revision and editing but somehow you can't make yourself do it? 

So, what's stopping you? 

It could be one of several things: 

• fear of finishing (yep, that's real)
• fear that it won't be good enough
• you know it's a lot of hard work and you're not up to it
• you let life get in your way (sometimes we have no control over that)
• lack of confidence
• afraid you can't measure up to other writers you know
• if you start, you will feel obligated to finish
• if you write it, and it's good, people might expect more of the same and you don't know if you can keep producing

I'm sure there are other reasons, too, but once again, you are in control. Ever give yourself a quiet mental lecture? Or a private tongue-lashing in your mind? Instead, how about a pep talk to yourself? List all the positives of the project you hope to begin. Stay clear of the negatives. They'll do you no good. 

Fear and doubt are two of the greatest enemies we writers must face. Don't let either one take over your writing life. Cliched as it may be, Nothing ventured, nothing gained seems to work in this instance. 

So, what's stopping you? Face whatever it is and get started. If not today, make it tomorrow for sure. 

Writers--Think Big, Start Small

I'm a proponent of starting with small projects and moving on, step by step, to the bigger ones. Many writers dream of publishing a novel or a full book memoir. Some will start out their writing journey by beginning the pursuit of that dream immediately. It's fine to have a worthy goal, but diving in the deep end before you know how to swim can bring big problems.

Start small. Write a personal essay or memoir about an occurrence, something that happened and had some meaning for you. Later, it might become a part of the book you hope to write. Those little snippets of memoir can grow into something much larger, as can your personal experiences that taught you a lesson, as we see in personal essays.

Novelists should practice their skill by writing short stories before attempting a full novel. Lots of short stories. Use all the tools you have as a writer to write a good short story, then submit it. If you have some success in selling your short stories, it could very well be time to begin writing the novel you've been thinking about for a very long time.

Many writers want to start with the big project, to write a memoir or a novel before writing anything else. They have read many books. How hard can it be? Some will begin by reading a book or two on writing novels (or memoirs), and that's fine. Others will not bother with reading a book about how to write a novel. They'll start with chapter one, page one. A few might do very well with this method, but most are going to run into one roadblock after another. At some point, the whole thing could become overwhelming. 

If that happens, step back and work on smaller projects for a while. Read some of those reference books on writing a memoir or novel. Attend a workshop about the same. Talk to other writers. Gather all the information you can before you tackle that big idea.

One of my keywords is patience. Don't be in such a hurry to tackle the big game plan. Take your time, learn as you go, but continue to keep the original goal in mind. Start on the big scheme when you feel ready. With some success at smaller projects, you'll have some confidence in your ability to take on the big one. 

If you'd like to read a post I did earlier on writing just a small piece of memoir, you can find it here.  There is a little more detail in it. Novelists will find some relative information, too. 

Don't Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

The photo above was taken north of Manhattan, KS, where I live. I used it today to share a bit of the beauty of the Flint Hills with you.

Today's topic is not the rolling hills and prairie grasses. It's writers being redundant. I'm an avid reader, and so often I will be engrossed in a story when I come across a paragraph that tells me something I've already been told. It irritates me when it happens more than once. 

I feel like the writer doesn't think I'm intelligent enough to understand what he/she said the first time. It's common knowledge that we learn by repetition, but there's no reason to hammer the reader over the head as if to say Get this! by repeating the same information. How many times do I need to be told that Glenna hated her father'? Or that Susannah loved beautiful rings? It's often the little things that are told again and again, not the major points in the story. 

I read a book by a very successful author several months ago. The basic story was a good one, but the writer said the same things over and over and over until I thought I would scream. I ended up reading the last chapter to see what happened to the protagonist and vowed never to read another book written by the same person. What is difficult for other writers to accept is that this author gets published on a regular basis. Hard to understand.

Another form shows up when writers are redundant within one paragraph. They will say something, then two sentences later, they make the same point with different words. Give your reader some credit. They do not need to be told the same thing twice, even if you don't use the exact same words. 

Repeating the same word numerous times in one paragraph makes for some boring reading. It's so easy for the writer to do this without even realizing it. The key here is to watch for word repetition when you edit. It's something that often stands out when I am critiquing the work of someone else. We see problems like this in the work of other writers far more easily than when rereading our own writing. 

When we're engrossed in the subject we're writing about, we don't pay much attention to the number of times we use those passive verbs like is, was, were and others in that family. Redundant, yes, but also makes for boring sentences. Of course, you'll use these verbs often, but, as you edit, replace as many as possible with action verbs. You'll lessen the repetition but also have stronger, more interesting sentences. 

If you're writing an article about a tourist spot like a cathedral or a vegetable gardener, it's difficult to keep from using the keyword numerous times. You can't always avoid it, but work on using synonyms rather than repeating the same keyword over and over. Or consider a pronoun occasionally, just not too often. 

Being aware and watching for redundancies are habits every writer needs to develop. We all do some of the practices written about here today, but recognizing that we do is step one to improving.

The next time you're reading a novel, enjoy the story but watch for repetition. You might be surprised at how often it occurs. 

Writers--Get Rid of Cliches

It's __________cats and dogs!

You all know what word to use in the blank above. It's one of the better-known cliches used in conversation and by writers. Yes, writers are guilty of using cliches. Why? 

For one reason, it's a whole lot easier to pull one up instead of coming up with something new. It's lazy writing. It also happens because we use cliches in our conversation quite often, so it unconsciously transfers to our writing. 

The dictionary gives this meaning:  a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought  Doesn't that make you cringe a bit? Not so much the 'overused' part but the 'betrays a lack of original thought' phrase. 

What are some synonyms for cliche? banality, bromide, commonplace, platitude, stereotype, truism, and my favorite--trite. 

When you come face to face with the meaning and some synonyms, it should make you want to avoid cliches whenever and wherever you can. 

Here's an exercise to help you trade a cliche for something better. Warning--thinking needed!

Write as many new phrases for each of the following cliches:

• white as snow
• red as a rose
• a bull in a china shop
• a bolt from the blue
• a bee in your bonnet
• a bird in the bush is worth two in the hand
• nothing ventured, nothing gained
• raining cats and dogs
• you can't judge a book by it's cover
• read between the lines
• play your cards right

In closing, I have a wee confession. When I first started writing, I was the Queen of Cliches. Breaking the habit became a goal. I credit my first online critique group for helping me. Have I given up cliches completely? No, but I'm much better at eliminating them. The problem is that they are so handy! 

How Long Should You Write Each Day?

Pressure?

Yesterday's post urged writers to start writing, not keep dreaming about a project they'd had in mind for a long time. Today's topic is pushing your self to keep working on your writing project.

Sometimes, we're so eager to get all those ideas swirling in our crowded minds into print that we work tirelessly and constantly. When inspiration hits, it's as if we were given a shot of adrenaline, so we keep writing. But is that the wisest way to work?

Consider the fact that we are humans who have bursts of energy but do wear out, feel tired. Are you going to do your best work when your eyes keep crossing, the yawns stretch your jaws, and your head keeps dropping as you type? It's quite possible that you'll be far more error-prone when you're tired than when you first sit down to write. 

So, is it worth making errors and not putting forth your best writing just to keep working as much and as fast as you can? I don't think so. Later, your editing and revising are going to take longer as you make corrections. 

One of the questions interviewers ask successful authors is How many words a day do you write? Or How many hours a day do you write? Most will say they aim for 1000 words a day or spend two hours. Some will work all morning, but is that nonstop? Who knows? I've never once read that an author tried to write 20,000 words a day. 

An athlete can overdo conditioning and wreak havoc on their body. If a writer overdoes, he/she might wreak havoc on their mind and creativity. 

Some writers will say that they keep going as long as they feel inspired. Understandable, but are they producing their best writing by the end of the session? I'm guessing probably not. I believe I'd rather write well for two hours than write well, then poorly for four hours. Of course, we are different people and some of us tire sooner than others. 

Find the pace that works best for you. Stop when you feel yourself making errors or hurrying rather than taking time to be sure you have written with clarity and feeling. If you have a deadline, start soon enough that you don't have to do a marathon write the day before your article is due.

Be a Writer, Not a Dreamer

Do you dream about the book you'll write someday? About the memoir that is taking up all the space in your mind, wanting to get out? Do you look forward to the day you'll finally be published? Is the perfect poem another dream you have?

There's nothing wrong with dreaming about what you hope will happen in your future writing world. These dreams are what inspires us. The problem comes when you spend all your time dreaming and never writing one word of that hoped-for project.

It happens to more writers than you might think. I've heard it said more than once that 'writers are dreamers' which may very well be true. We have to 'dream' up our stories, don't we? We're often thinking about what we want to write while in the middle of a family dinner or at a party or on the subway. So much so that we might miss our stop or not hear a question someone asks. 

One reason writers only think about a new writing project and don't start working on it is that old nemesis, fear. Mr. Fear can get such a tight grip on us sometimes that we feel we may never write again. Getting over that awful feeling is not always so easy. Keep reminding yourself that nothing horrible is going to happen if your dreamed-of book doesn't get published. It's crummy, but it's not the end of the world. There's no reason to fear failure. We learn through our failures. If this book doesn't make it, it's possible the next one will.

Nothing will happen unless you begin. How you do it is up to you. Is there a certain scene you keep thinking about that will be in your memoir? Then forget the beginning and write that particular scene. Write and rewrite until you're happy with it. Save it to put in your manuscript at the right time. If you like to write from an outline, make one. That's a fine beginning. 

If writing Once upon a time...will get the juices flowing, then start that way. Nothing says you have to keep it in the revision and editing process. Or give yourself a prompt like I remember...

Try the circle and spokes exercise. Put one word that describes what you want to write inside a circle. Then draw straight lines from the circle and write all the words that might relate to your topic. As many as you can think of. Hopefully, those words will be of some inspiration, a place to begin your dreamed-of project. 

Use any and all methods to help you begin. Once you get started, it's highly likely that you'll keep writing and keep writing until you have a first draft. The longer you spend dreaming about that book you hope to write, the less likely you are to actually sit down and do it.

Writers Helping Writers

Helping Hands

Recently, a reader contacted me asking if I knew of anyone in our town that might help read and critique her second memoir. Was there a writing group for memoir writers? It seems she and I live in the same community. Small world! I told her I'd check with another writer friend here and get back to her.

Yesterday, I happened to be in a group with that writer friend. I told her about the request I'd had, and she said her writing group was for novelists and also closed at this time. But, she offered to talk with the woman who had contacted me. Long story short, the emails flew later in the afternoon and the two of them connected and let me know what they had talked about. Writers helping writers! 

I'm always pleased to see writers helping other writers in multiple ways. Some might think we shouldn't do that because we're actually competing with one another. That's the wrong way to look at it. You're competing with other writers at all times and giving a bit of aid to one occasionally is not going to hurt your chances for publication. 

Giving a hand to another writer can be more beneficial than a hindrance. If you're in a writing group, you signed on to get some help to make your writing the best it can be. When you joined, there was also an unwritten agreement that you'd help others, as well. 

Have you ever been on a planning committee for a writing conference? Ever had to find speakers for the workshops and keynote address? I did that just last year. If I had not been a member of my state authors organization for nearly 20 years, I would have had a much more difficult job. I tapped people to speak from the organization, but I also found speakers whom I had met through my writing. I've found that the personal connection is most helpful in getting requests answered in the positive. 

I've met writers online and have developed a relationship with many. I've asked quite a few to post here as a Guest Blogger. Because they knew me and had read my blog, they were willing to answer my request with a yes. Where did I meet these writers online? Most of them through social media. There is no doubt that Facebook, Twitter, and similar social media sites are connectors. I joined them to promote my writing, not just to chat with personal friends and family. (I do that, too!) I have made numerous contacts with other writers.

When we're willing to give some help to other writers, we're going to benefit in some way at some time. Don't do it, however, only for the rewards you might reap, but because it is a kindness to give assistance to others in some way. In this turmoiled world we live in today, I'm all for spreading kindness whenever and wherever possible. 

A Principle To Help With Clear Dialogue

There are days we all feel like Maxine, but my answer to her is that I want more than that. I want Maxine and the rest of us to use the best tools we have to make our writing stand out from that of others. 

Today, I'm going to concentrate on one small, but important, part of writing dialogue. When I critique the subs at my online writing group, I point out one problem time and again. We know we want to show an action along with dialogue when possible. What I see writers do is to put the action after the dialogue. That's backward. Look at the example below:

A.  "Stop that!" Sally slapped his hand from her arm.

B.  Sally slapped his hand from her arm. "Stop that!" 

C. "Stop that!" Sally said. Sally slapped his hand from her arm.

Which is the best? The worst? I think B is best and C is the worst. In B, we see the action, then hear the words that go with it. In A, would Sally say the words, then slap his hand away? Your mind sees the action in B, then absorbs the words. And C? Adding the tag is unnecessary as the action tells you who is speaking. 

Another example but this time using feeling (or thought) prior to the action and dialogue. It's called the FAD Principle. FeelingActionDialogue

Susan knew Mary would take the biggest piece of cake. She stepped between her friend and the table full of cake slices. "I'll take this one."

It seems more logical that Susan would step in front of the table before she speaks. To me, action first, then dialogue seems the proper order and the way it happens. If I write this:  Sybil pushed the dog's head from her lap. "Just go away, Duke. I'm not in the mood for a walk now." Doesn't it seem normal that she is pushing the dog's head away, then telling him why first? You, naysayers, are going to tell me that the action and dialogue are happening at the same time. Quite possibly, they are, but you have to show one before the other, and I agree with The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing that the action should be shown first. Evan Marshall features the FAD principle in his book.

Even if you don't have the Feeling part in the dialogue, just the Action and Dialogue, put the action first, then the spoken words. Why? For clarity. Develop the habit of using the action prior to the dialogue. We aren't always going to have the Feeling included, but if you do, remember FAD.

Did You Choose To Be A Writer or.....?

Choosing

Did you choose to be a writer, or did writing choose you? There's a writing prompt for you. A full essay can be written in answer to this one simple question. 

I've run across references to our choice to be a writer a few times recently. The first one was the opening sentence of today's post. This weekend I read a book called The Book of Dreams by Nina George. One of the characters is a book publisher. A piece of dialogue stood out for me. She said:

    " Many people only discovered here in this city that they could--or had to--be writers. You cannot decide to become a writer. You either are one or you aren't."

A 13-year-old gifted boy later in the book says the following: 

     "A story found me in Oxford. That's what always happens:  stories find you."

Another one I found in a 1st Place Essay in The Writer magazine. Bonnie Hearn Hill said:

     "Now I know that we don't pick writing, writing picks us."

I thought about those comments after I finished the book (one I'd recommend, by the way. Read about it at Amazon ) I spiraled back to my first thoughts of pursuing the writing world, and I asked myself if I chose writing or if it picked me. Maybe the latter because there was always a desire to write from childhood on. I didn't follow up on that desire for a good many years, but the yen never left. Maybe my muse was following me all my life, tapping me on the shoulder, begging me to start writing more than school assignments. I ignored her much longer than I should have. I probably gave her gray hair!

We've all heard religious leaders saying they had been 'called' to serve, or teachers who have been 'called' to teach. It's very possible you and I have been 'called' to serve in the writing field. As writers, we do serve others as well as satisfy ourselves. 

If you're a writer who has slipped in and out of the writing world, you might ask yourself why you came back to writing. What was it that made you want to try again? Is writing so much a part of who we are that, once started, we can't totally leave it? 

The second quote above regarding stories finding us runs in the same vein. Sometimes, a story does find us, almost knocks us over the head. It's up to us to latch on and make something of it. 

So, what is it? Did you choose to be a writer, or did writing choose you?

Twelve Tips For Memoir Writers (and Others)

Carolyn Hamilton

I'm pleased to introduce Carolyn Hamilton, Guest Blogger, who shares twelve tips for memoir writers. There's some treasure for writers of other genres, as well. I met Carolyn through her facebook group. 

Guest Blog by Carolyn Hamilton

It’s probably as hard to give advice on how to write a successful memoir as it is to write the darn thing!

But I never let that stop me...   :)

When I think about it, here are my TOP 12 TIPS for writing a successful memoir:

1. Read memoirs similar in time or theme to yours.

In a writing group, I met a woman who was writing a romance novel, and when I asked her who her favorite romance author was, she said, “Oh, I don’t read romance, I read science-fiction. Doomed to failure, in my opinion. It’s imperative that you know something about the genre in which you’re writing. Read memoirs written by “regular” people, not by celebrities. Then ask yourself, what was compelling about their story? What was their theme, or the message they wanted to share?

2. Read books on writing, and specifically writing memoir.

“But I’ve never written anything before,” you say. Writing well is a skill you can learn. There are a myriad of books to choose from that can introduce you to principles of grammar, style, story-telling and editing.

3. Join a critique or brainstorming group, preferably one that specializes in memoir or personal essay.

You don’t have to share your writing at first, if you aren’t comfortable. Maybe you haven’t even written anything yet. You can learn a lot from listening to others read their writing and listening to the feedback that is offered. As you read about writing and begin to write your own memoir, you will have gained in knowledge along the way. This is a learning-by-doing journey!

4. To begin, think of how you would tell your story to a friend over lunch. The Who, What, When, Where.

Don’t get bogged down in the beginning with the intimidating things about writing that you think you don’t know. This is simply story-telling. When you approach it that way, organizing your thoughts becomes easier. You could even tape-record yourself telling your story to a friend, and make notes of the questions he/she asked along the way.

5. Keep it simple: short words, short sentences, short paragraphs.

Like it or not, we live in Netflix binge-watching world, and have since the advent of the newspaper, USA Today. They rose to fame on the premise that people want information in a simple, straightforward format. Short words, short sentences and short paragraphs add impact to the story-telling, and move the story forward at a can’t-put-the-book down pace.

6. Avoid passive voice and use active voice (verbs) as much as you can.

Any verb that ends in “ing” indicates that you are speaking in a passive voice. “She ran across the street” is much more powerful than “she was running across the street.” Likewise, “I was thinking about what he said to me and decided…” does not have the impact of “I thought about what he said to me and decided…” Can you hear the difference?

7. Don’t tell what others are thinking or feeling unless they told you.

You are telling your story from your first-person point-of-view. If you weren’t in the room, you don’t know exactly what happened. And we never know what others are thinking or feeling—unless they tell us. We can only accurately write, “It seemed to me that he felt…” Or “I had the impression she thought…” or “She told me she felt…”

8. Keep your “ly” words to a minimum.

Words that end in “ly” like suddenly, softly, boldly, aggressively, shyly, meaningfully, etc. don’t help the story and overuse can indicate lazy writing. Ask yourself how you can write something physical, or active, that can convey these impressions.

9. Don’t edit as you write your first draft. Get the whole thing done first. Just throw up on paper!

I know this is so hard for so many people. But putting words to paper the first time is not a marital commitment. They can be changed—later. The important thing is to write everything down as fast and detailed as you can remember. I promise you will feel a strong sense of achievement when you have completed your first “rough” draft.

10. Think of how you can tell your story in scenes so that you show, rather than tell, as much as possible.

Your reader wants to be able to visualize what you experienced, what happened to you. Little details and descriptive scenes with dialogue can make that happen. The happy result is that your reader “bonds” with you along the way and follows you, committed to the very end of your book.

11. Show us positive things as well as negative things. No person or experience was ALL bad.

A woman I know was a famous entertainer’s mistress for 15 years. She had New York “publishing connections” and still couldn’t sell her story. Agents told her she was “just too angry” and if it was all that bad, why did she stay with him for 15 years?

12. DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS WILL THINK!

In today’s world, you can’t leave the house and accomplish anything meaningful without someone lurking in the bushes waiting to criticize you. It happens. You can get past it.

BIO:

Carolyn V. Hamilton is an author and entrepreneur with an extensive background (30+ years in the world of “Mad Men”) in advertising, marketing, graphic design and direct response copywriting. She has published both fiction and non-fiction, coaches aspiring memoir writers, and is currently working on her second memoir. She also moderates the private Facebook group, Aspiring Memoir Writers.

Links:

Carolynvhamilton.com
SwiftHousePress.com

Writers--Don't Limit Yourself

Have you ever thought about a big writing project, got enthused, and then scratched it completely thinking that maybe it was too big a project to take on? If so, you aren't alone. Take a look at the poster for today. The last two lines are of prime importance.

It says limits you place on your own thinking. If you never start that long-thought-about piece of writing, you have no one to blame but yourself. 

Suppose you want to write a memoir, not a short one but book-length. You know what should go into it. After all, you lived through whatever it is you want to write about. Maybe a devastating divorce, or the loss of a child, or an addiction problem, or a number of years spent in missionary work. You know in your heart what points you want to make. You're itching to tell your story. Then you start thinking that you've only written short pieces in the past. Nothing this big. Thoughts like Maybe this is too much for me to do. I've never written anything of book-length before. There are a lot of things I should learn before I tackle this. 

Think things like the above and you're drawing a line in the sand. It's a line you're afraid to step over. What if I bomb out? What happens if I get halfway through the project and get stuck? Face it. We all get stuck sometimes. When that happens, we can seek some help from other writers or from writing books. We can also take a break from the project and work on something else for a few days. When you get back to the original project, it may look better to you, might go more smoothly. 

If you think I can't..., guess what is going to happen. You'll convince yourself that it's true and your book draft, however much is done, is going to grow whiskers and never see publication. 

Remember the story of Pollyanna, the little girl who was always happy and played the 'glad' game? Maybe we writers should take a lesson from her and stop creating limits on what we can accomplish. Think you can, and it's probably going to happen unless you come to a halt and start believing you can't finish what you started. 

Once again, it's all up to you. So often, there is no one to blame but ourselves for problems we encounter. Stay positive and you'll move right along in whatever it is that you're writing. 

This Blog is Ten Years Old Today

Ten years ago today I wrote my first blog post. I knew next to nothing about the ins and outs of blogs, but they were becoming quite popular. So was branding and building a writer's platform. Not being one to be left behind, I decided to take the plunge. What did I have to lose? I could always quit if I didn't like it, never found any readers, or found it to be interfering with my writing time. 

I started looking at blog hosts, and there weren't many to be found, unlike today. I settled on Blogger for two reasons--it was free and also user-friendly. It took some time to get my very own blog set up, mostly because I was a newbie. Then, on August 14, 2009, I posted for the first time. This is what I wrote:

I'm starting a new adventure, becoming a blogger. At age 70, I'm not about to let the world pass me by. I intend for this blog to be concerned with the writing world and also my personal world, now and then. Maybe others can learn something here, find a subject that they can relate to, or just enjoy getting away for a short visit.

Writing For Anthologies:

Much of my writing ends up in anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul. I'm proud to claim a spot in nine of those as well as a couple of Guideposts anthologies and the Ultimate series. It takes patience to submit to these places, for speed is not their strong point. It can be months, even more than a year before there is a response from an editor. And those responses arrive only if a story makes the finals. That still doesn't guarantee publication. More waiting. More wondering. If the story makes the final cut, a congratulations notice and contract/permission release agreement is sent. If not, you never hear a word. That's the part I really, really hate. Hey, I can take rejection, so send me a message saying something like "So sorry, but your fine story didn't make the final cut." That way, I know and can move on. But please, please, please tell me!

A lot has happened in those ten years.  

• I'm ten years older but still as passionate about writing as I was then.
• Instead of 9 stories in the Chicken Soup books, I now have 22, as well as many other publications.
• I post 5 days a week instead of the original 7. I decided everyone needs a little time off. 
• I now invite an occasional guest blogger. (one coming up this Friday)
• I added photos and poster quotes to the top of the page. 
• I've gained more readers over these ten years.
• I've made new friends in the writing world.
• I've practiced writing every day of the workweek right here on the blog.
• I've posted 2, 521 times which boggles my mind.
• I've helped other writers which is most satisfying to me.
• I've been asked to be a guest blogger on other blogs.
• I've continued to learn more about the writing world and the craft of writing.

I couldn't finish today's post without saying thank you to my readers and those who have graciously written posts as a guest blogger. What started as an experiment has become a very fond habit. 

Working on Story Ideas

Wish Upon A Star

Remember when you were kids and spent time outside on a summer evening? If the stars were out, you gazed into the night sky, picked out a special star and repeated this little rhyme:

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have this wish, I wish tonight

Yesterday, I'd been wishing for a special star to grant my wish for a story idea. But, we were driving home after visiting family in IL, and it was daylight, no stars to be seen. I've often written posts that tell you there are story ideas everywhere, and that's true, but this time, I had some specific guidelines to be followed for a contest I'd like to enter.

The requirements are that it must be historical fiction for 8-12-year-olds and no more than 750 words. Not so tough. Right? Wrong! 

I managed to come up with several different historical periods--they said anything prior to 1950. I thought about settings for all of them. I was well on my way, but when it came to the story itself, I hit a brick wall every time. Back to square one. Looked for more settings. Did I want the story to be in the Dust Bowl days of the '30s? Or should I choose the late nineteenth century? Or perhaps the Revolutionary War. 

Ken continued driving, the miles piled up, the scenery sped by me, and I kept coming up with more thoughts but no story plan. At one point, my husband looked over at me and said, "You're awfully quiet." "I'm thinking," I told him. And I was. 

We stopped for lunch, and an hour or so later we crossed the border between Missouri and Kansas. No sooner had we entered Kansas than my story popped into my mind, the time, the place, the boy, and the problem, even the solution. I spent the rest of the drive home working out the situation. A big question in my mind was if I could write the story in a mere 750 words. I knew I could do it if I wrote the first draft, then started cutting to the bone. The deadline to enter is mid-September so I have time to work it out. 

One more thing I've harped on numerous times is being persistent. Don't give up if the answer you're seeking to help you write a story or essay or article doesn't lay down in front of you and shout Here I am! Sometimes, you have to work at it for a long time, much longer than I did today. 

Story ideas aren't going to drop into your lap like a shooting star. Sometimes, we get a glimmer of an idea, but it takes a lot longer to work it out before you attempt the first draft. This writing business is hard work. Anyone who has attempted it learns that pretty quickly. It's also a great deal of fun, brings satisfaction along with the problems. If you're a true writer, none of the negatives will matter once you've got your story written.

Wish upon a star if you like, but that's not going to give you your story. 

Why We Edit Our Writing

(NOTE: I AM POSTING FOR FRIDAY THURSDAY EVENING AS I AM TRAVELING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. NEXT POST WILL BE TUESDAY, AUGUST 13)

I beg to differ here. You don't 'have' to write unless you want to, but if you're a writer, you might just feel like you do 'have' to right. But that's the lesser part of this post. 

What will happen if you write a draft, read it over and think it sounds pretty good? You might be tempted to start submitting it. And then? More than likely, it is going to bounce back with a rejection. 

There's a reason for editing. It's to make those first drafts a better piece of writing. Some writers edit multiple times. There are even some who keep editing and never submit. The fear factor comes into play in that case. 

More than once, I have urged you to put the first draft in a file and let it sit there while you move on to doing something else. Give it a few days, a week, or more before you make your first edit. Why? Because after that initial piece of writing sits and simmers, you are going to see it with different eyes than the day you finished the first writing. 

You'll see little mechanical errors that are easily corrected. You might notice that one or two areas need clarification. You could notice that your verbs tend to be passive rather than active. There are all kinds of things that show up after you've given that first draft a rest. 

Beginning writers are often eager to start submitting, so they want to skip that time-consuming editing process. My keywords for writers are patience and persistence. Writing a draft, letting it sit a while and then editing require a healthy dose of both those words. Take your time getting a piece of writing ready to submit. Don't rush. If you do, it is going to spiral back to you faster than a jackrabbit crosses the road. 

So, do edit because it is the right thing to do, because it will bring benefits in the long run, because you want to be the best writer you can be. 

Writing a Travel Essay

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Travel increases in the summer, mostly because kids are on break and families can vacation. Even so, travel happens at all times of the year. In the winter, people head to warmer climes. During autumn, they gravitate to areas where fall color is tops. In spring, travelers want to be where the early blooming trees and shrubs are at their best. 

For writers, travel should be a natural inspiration. The photo above was taken in 2001 when Ken and I spent time driving all over Nova Scotia. One of the places we visited was Peggy's Cove. It's a very small village with rugged coastal beauty but is also the site of the SwissAir jet crash. A memorial that will touch the hearts of all is a visitor feature. I was so taken with the little village and the story behind it that I wrote a travel essay.

I've written several other personal essays and/or travel essays. One thing I've found is that I need to take a few notes when certain emotions or images come to me when visiting a place. I also need to write the first draft very soon after we return home so that the memories are still reasonably clear.

People like to read travel essays. If you can't go there on your own, what better way to learn about a place and enjoy the high spots than to read about another person's trip? If you've never written a travel essay, you should give it a try. It needn't be an exotic place like Timbuktu or Iceland. Write it well, and a piece about visiting the largest ball of twine in the world in Kansas can be made interesting. (Yes, Kansas does have the largest ball of twine located in Cawker City)

Things to remember when writing a travel essay:

• Don't merely write a report of where you slept, where you ate, what you did each day. That may be part of your essay, but it needs much more to be interesting to readers.
• Highlight special places or events of your trip
• Use some humor in appropriate spots
• Give a bit of history but don't overdo
• Let readers know your feelings, how something you saw impressed you, hurt you, or stayed with you
• If the trip changed you in some way, be sure to include what it was
• Include things you learned that you had not known before
• Use description but don't go overboard. Actors and actresses sometimes 'overemote.' You don't want to do that with your descriptions. 
• Watch the passive verbs. They are the path to boring reading. Look for active verbs
• Include people you meet. It could be a hotel clerk or a waiter or a taxi driver, but if they are an interesting person and added a memory, feature them.
• Do the same with food but only what is special or unusual. A reader doesn't care if you ate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast unless there is something out of the ordinary about it. 
• If you were looking for something on the trip and did or didn't find it, that might be included.
• Photos you've taken are an added treat.
• Make it a personal story not a facts and figures article.
• Feature only one part of a trip. I wrote one that told about the food in the pubs in the UK and Ireland.

Is there a market for travel essays? Yes. Many magazines like travel essays. Airlines sometimes feature them in their company magazines you find in the seat pocket. There are websites that feature travel essays. Dave's Travel Corner is one with which I am familiar. Google travel essays or where to submit travel essays and you'll find other places, as well. I have even seen some travel anthologies when looking for places to submit. 

Can Dreams Inspire Writers?

It has been raining off and on here since the middle of the night. Thunder, lightning, heavy rain at times followed by a lighter, steady kind. It seems we are to have this off and on all day and into the night. One benefit is cooler temps. If it is a stormy day where you live, stay safe and dry. If you have sunshine, appreciate it. Now, on to today's topic.

Chicken Soup for the Soul keeps chugging along. They are producing one new anthology book after another. Yesterday, I received a notice from them about another new title. This one will be called Listen To Your Dreams, and the theme, of course, is dreams.

They seek stories about what dreams reveal to us and much more. Here's the list of suggested topics. Remember that their list is only to inspire you, perhaps trigger a memory so you can write a story. These are definitely not the only topics.

The list:

• Dreams about finding love
• Dreams that saved you or a loved one from danger/death
• Dreams that helped you face your fears
• Dreams that changed the direction of your life
• Dreams in which you communicated with a loved one, either dead or alive
• Dreams that caused epiphanies
• Dreams that changed your behavior
• Dreams that made you more adventurous
• Dreams that contained important warnings or medical information
• Dreams that gave you comfort or helped you forgive someone
• Dreams that made you more optimistic/happier
• Dream journaling and how-to-use your dreams more effectively
• Premonitions that came true or saved you from something bad
• Learning to trust your inner guidance [we may do a chapter about inner guidance even if it occurs during your waking hours.]
• Amazing coincidences and synchronicity [again, we may do a chapter about this even if these things occurred during your waking hours.]

I have a story in mind to submit that is a topic not in this list. It's about how writers can use dreams. I once heard a poet speak on this subject and found it most fascinating. She said that our dreams are great for writing inspiration. If you have a dream and remember it upon waking, go immediately to your computer or pen and notebook and start writing. Just write, no sorting out or rethinking. Just write as quickly as you can and see what comes of it.

As always, read the Guidelines page very carefully. I am quite sure many good stories are rejected because the writer did not follow the guidelines. The deadline date is February 28, 2020. It seems far away, but you know how fast the weeks slip by. Don't wait until the last minute. When the editors receive submissions they like early on, they'll keep them in a Final Cut list, so give yourself plenty of leeway.

The following are other titles that are open for submissions. Read the information on each here.

Laughter is the Best Medicine
Stories About Christmas
Stories about Self-Care and Me Time
The Golden Years or Second Wind
The Magic of Cats
The Magic of Dogs
You Go, Girl

Can I Write Something New and Different?

There are just so many plots and themes for fiction writers to use. And, yes, new and other writers sometimes have a concern that what they write will be too much of what has happened in other stories. 

It's almost impossible to write something that no one has ever done before, something that is 100% fresh. That's not to say it's alright to copy what another writer has given his/her readers. 

We can write similar kinds of stories, but the important thing is to look for a new twist or turn to the tried and true. Make it all your own using your 'voice' not that of some famous writer whom you happen to admire. Using your own voice will make a familiar tale appear altogether different. 

If you love the kind of story that Danielle Steele writes, and you want to write similar novels, that's fine. But add your own bit of personality to the story. If you're a fan of John Grisham and hope to write just like he does, that's alright, but put your own stamp on the story. You don't want to be known as a John Grisham look-alike. Nope, you want to be you and no one else. 

If you write personal essays, you might fear that an editor is going to tell you that they've already published something similar only months before. If your essay appears too much like someone else's, then you need to do some revising and add a new perspective. 

Write How-To articles? There are thousands of them. Read several on the topic you have chosen, then look for a new way to present the material or some new direction that was not brought out in the already-published articles. 

None of us can write something that has not been done before, but we can definitely write it in a different way to make it our own. Don't fear being too much like some other writer as long as you're not making a carbon copy.

Writers Must Promote Themselves

(NOTE:  I HAVE A VERY BUSY DAY MONDAY SO AM POSTING THIS SUNDAY EVENING)

I'm still wondering how August got here so fast this year. Or is it just that the months and years go faster as we grow older? Possibly. Maybe it is because we are busy people which makes the days feel shorter sometimes. Whatever it is, August is here, and we're well into the first full week of this eighth month of the year. 

I was reminded today of a problem that many writers have. Some of us take humility to the nth degree. Our replies to those who ask us about our writing can be far from the truth, but only because we are afraid to puff out our chest and say what we should and may want to. Too humble writers say things like I suck at writing fiction. (Actually said by a writer I know today) I write but others do it so much better than I. I've got a lot to learn. Oh, I do alright but nothing great. 

Instead, we should be heralding our own accomplishments. Writers should share all the positive things they can when talking to others about their writing. Let people know what your successes have been. They don't want to hear about the number of rejections you received. They want to know the number of publications you've had. Don't hang your head and say Aw shucks, I'm really not that good. 

There can be a fine line between boasting and sharing what you've done in the writing world. Perhaps, it's the manner in which you mention the positive things as to how others perceive you as a writer. We all know that we need to build a platform and brand ourself as a writer if we are going to continue to attract readers and have lots of pluses in our writing life. You don't do it by putting yourself down to others nor do you do it by being Boastful Betty. 

When we talk with an editor or publisher, we want to portray ourself as a confident, successful writer, one who is willing to work with editors to achieve the best writing possible. Start being negative and that editor is going to be turned off pretty quickly. 

In my profile on this blog, I mention being published in Chicken Soup for the Soul books 22 times. That's not bragging; it's letting you know what kind of writer I am. Yes, I'm proud of that accomplishment, but I'm not trying to lord it over other writers. I'm adding to my writing biography. It's an achievement, and it's been noted when I'm introduced as a workshop presenter or am giving a program to a group. It's part of who I am.

Your mother and mine taught us not to toot our own horn. Don't brag, that's what we were reminded of more than once. As a writer, you're not bragging, you're promoting yourself and your work. Do it with a smile on your face and your head held high.

Writing and Reading Poetry

Many prose writers also write poetry, myself included. Why make such a leap from lengthy prose to a few (or more) lines of poetry? 

One reason is that it is a welcome change from writing a thousand or more words in an essay or thousands of words in a novel. It's also a way to express your feelings and beliefs, your reaction to present-day happenings or to something beautiful that you observed. 

We can also read poetry as a break from reading full-length books. We read it for the beauty in the words, the images we are exposed to, and to learn the thoughts of the poets. 

Sometimes a poem is quite puzzling. We read it, then read it again and ask ourself What was that all about? There are poems which have meaning only for he/she who wrote it. In that case, we can still appreciate the words and images. Other poems have meanings that are quite clear. 

When you read a poem, don't read through it once and move on. Read it again or maybe three times. I always see more the second and third time. It's like watching a movie twice. I find that the second time around I see so many little things not noticed on the first viewing. 

we have naysayers who profess to not like poetry. I wonder if those people might begin to like it if they gave poetry a chance if they're willing to read more than one poem. I'd ask them to try reading a poem a day for a month and see if their attitude has changed any. 

I hope that young parents read poetry to their children from an early age. Many picture books are very poetic, and, of course, there are nursery rhymes. Immerse little children into poetry, and perhaps they'll find it easier to enjoy as an adult.

The poster photo above mentions Famous Poems. Are there some you especially like? A few that I like are:

• In Flander's Fields
• Fog (Carl Sandburg)
• The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)
• Moonstain (Ronda Miller)
• I'm NobodyWho Are You? (Emily Dickinson)
• The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe)
• I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

All of the above are old and well-known poems except for Moonstain, which was written by a friend of mine. Her poem has stayed with me ever since reading it and is now a favorite.

If you've never tried writing any poetry, there is no time like the present to try. Free verse gives you free rein, no rhyme or specific meter to worry about. Just pour your heart out in a poem. 

Write it, read it--either one or both, but do give it a try. 

My Hope For Writers This August

Summer seems to be slipping by awfully fast. I can't believe it is time to turn our calendar pages to the new month.

I liked this poster because it expresses something positive. I really do wish that something good happens for you this month, most especially in your writing world.

Maybe you'll get an acceptance from an editor. I saw a brand new writer on Facebook yesterday who said that she had made her first submission. It had been a month and she had checked the status. It said "in review' and she was quite excited. Her question to the writing group where she posted was how much longer she might have to wait to hear from the magazine. The advice in the comments below her post all gave her the same advice. Stop just waiting to see what happens for that first submission. Keep writing and keep submitting. I couldn't have said it better myself!

I've often mentioned the Submission Ferris Wheel. You need to submit your work on a regular basis if you have hopes of being published. Don't ever submit one piece, then sit back and wait to hear the result. You could grow old waiting as some editors don't respond if they don't want to publish what you sent. Chicken Soup for the Soul is one who notifies you only if your story is on the shortlist and then only if it makes the final cut. As much as I love the Chicken Soup for the Soul group, that is my one and only complaint. If my story didn't make it, I'd much rather know than wait. I have learned after a good many years that they usually publish a book about two months after the deadline for submissions. So, if two months have passed and you've not heard, you can consider it a No.

Almost every writing book ever published will tell you to start writing another story or article immediately after submitting an earlier one. Eventually, you'll know whether it's a go or not. Either way, you'll have something new to submit somewhere else IF you have kept on writing.

I hope those of you who have books published will have a big increase in sales this month of August. People are still looking for something to take on vacation or to while away the summer evenings on the porch.

May lots of story ideas pop into your head this month and I hope that maybe that trouble spot in the essay you've been working on will get resolved. My wish is that you will have a good conversation with another writer and that you'll get a critique with lots of complimentary comments from your writing group.

In short, I do want something good for all of you this month.