Dogs and Cats--Stories Needed

It seems that people love stories about dogs and cats. Notice that I put 'dogs' before 'cats' in the previous sentence. That's because I am a 'dog' person. We had dogs before children and dogs while children were growing up. And now, we have 4 granddogs and, yes, one great-granddog. 

That's not to say that I am completely averse to cats. On the contrary. I lost my heart to a white cat that belonged to my daughter. I even wrote a story about Ming (and two dogs) that landed in an anthology. 

It does seem that most people are dog lovers or cat lovers. That is obviously the reason that Chicken Soup for the Soul editors publish one for dogs and one for cats at the same time. They don't play favorites, and they know there is a tremendous audience for both. That is why they have a call for stories for books titled The Magic of Dogs and The Magic of Cats. The deadline for each is January 15, 2020. That gives you 3 1/2 months to come up with one or several stories to submit to either or both books. 

This is a portion of what they say about the stories and poems they seek for the two books. This one is for the dog book, but the cat book says exactly the same thing with cat subbed for dog:

We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your dog or the magic of a dog you know. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and magical stories you have about a dog and the magic that dog brings to your life or the life of your family!

Go to this page, scroll down to almost the end to find more helpful suggestions on stories about the magic of cats and dogs. Surely something will trigger a memory of a favorite dog or cat. Don't forget that poems are sought as well as 1200 words (or less) stories. Before you write your first draft, check the Guidelines page. When you think your story is finished, check the Guidelines page again before submitting. This anthology group is very strict about following the Guidelines. (As you're scrolling down the page for stories needed, take a look at the others, too. 

Here's the story I wrote about a cat named Ming and two dogs named Max and Riley. It all happened quite some years ago but is not to be forgotten by this writer. 

Top Dog 

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.

Max, who looked just like  his brother, Riley

                                                                                                                          Ming Kitty

Writing Contests--Things To Consider

Last of the Summer flowers

Today's post is a repeat of one from some time ago. The topic is contests and what you should consider before entering. You'll find some questions to go over before entering a contest and a list of good reasons to enter. Check your favorite search engine for Writing Contests and watch your writing newsletters for announcements of upcoming contests.

Writers are often urged to enter contests. Somebody has to win so why not you? Take a chance along with a thousand or more other writers. What are the odds you'll win? Should you try? Or not? 

There are things to consider when you enter your work in a writing contest. Here are just a few:

• If  I enter my story in the contest that will not announce winners for 6 months, then I cannot submit it for publication. Do I want to tie up my work for that long?
• How do I know the type of writers that enter this contest? Can I actually compete with them?
• Is there a fee to enter?
• How much is the fee? Is it exorbitant? 
• If I enter 5 contests and pay an entry fee for each but win nothing, where am I? 
• Do I know if the contest is legit?
• Have I checked for the validity of the group behind the contest?
• Does the contest pay winners? Or just publish the winning entries?
• If they only publish, not pay, winners, why am I paying a fee to enter?
• How high a fee should I  be willing to pay? 
• How many contests per year should I enter? The free ones? The ones with entry fees?
• Should I enter smaller contests first and progress to the bigger ones? 
• Should I skip the small potatoes contests and aim for the big one with the big prizes? 

There are also good reasons to enter your work in a contest. Ponder these:

• If I place, it's a good thing to be able to tell an editor later when I submit the same story for publication
• It's good practice for submitting to editors later
• You might actually win first, second, third or an Honorable Mention
•  Enter the no-fee contests and you have lost nothing, but they usually have lower amounts for prizes. 
• You can't win if you don't enter
• Winning a writing contest looks mighty nice in your bio
• It's fun to take a chance and see how your work stands up to others (We sometimes forget that writing should have some fun in it)

As for no-fee or fee to enter, that is something each person needs to determine. I have entered both types of contests, have placed in some, and got nothing in many. If you do enter your work in a contest, be sure to read the guidelines and know for sure that your piece fits. Best of luck to all who give it a whirl.

Autumn Thoughts For Writers

Autumn Gold

Autumn Red

The first day of fall, or autumn, slipped in earlier this week. Here, in Kansas, we are still experiencing summer-like temps. Those south of us are the same, but the northern parts of our country are showing real signs of the season. If you polled everyone in the USA as to their favorite season, I'm guessing fall is going to come out a winner. 

For a writing exercise, use the photos above and the prompts below to get your creative juices flowing.  

• What were the first signs of fall where you grew up?
• How did your wardrobe change?
• Did your mom begin to cook different kinds of meals than the summer fare?
• Did you have a garden with fall crops?
• Can you write a descriptive paragraph for each of the photos above?
• What changes in your daily routine came with fall?
• Do you remember burning leaves?
• What about raking leaves and jumping in the pile?
• Autumn holidays
• Do you say 'fall' or 'autumn' and why?
• Did you take a day trip every fall? Where? 
• Did your chores change during autumn?
• Do you know anyone named Autumn?
• 
  

Writers--Dream Big, Keep the Dream Alive

How many of you have wished upon a star in your childhood years, and even later? A good many of us, I'm sure. Maybe your wish covered several things, or maybe it was always the same. 

My second oldest granddaughter is a Junior at the University of Arkansas, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She's had a dream and wished on a star for many years, and yesterday, a big step toward realizing it came true. She was awarded an internship at Disneyworld for the second semester.

She wrote the following on Facebook. Needless to say, we are happy for her and proud of her; Gracen said:

 If you know me at all, you know that since I was 7 years old, I have wanted to be an engineer for Disney. Although it’s normal to abandon childhood ambitions, I always held mine close. It was something to look forward to, it was a happy thought in times of sadness and stress, it was a dream. Well, wishing upon those stars every night is FINALLY paying off and step one of this dream is FINALLY coming true. In January, I will be moving to Florida to participate in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World!!! I’m still in absolute shock and also on Cloud 9!! Thank you to everyone who has ever supported me or encouraged me. 💚 

I'm sharing because many writers have lived with a dream since childhood or young adulthood, and on to maturity. Note Gracen's line it's normal to abandon childhood ambitions,...Writers are people who have not abandoned their childhood ambitions. If anything, they have grown stronger with the years.

Most of you know my keywords, patience and persistence. My granddaughter practiced both, and if you have a special dream as a writer, you have and will continue to do so, as well. If your dream is real, you're going to hang on until it is realized.

Is it easy? Certainly not. As we've explored many times, a writer's journey is filled with potholes as he/she progresses along the path. Potholes, roadblocks, storms and more. If your writing dream is strong, you'll hang on and move past those glitches, one by one.

You may feel like you take two steps back for every one forward. There are times like that. It's when you have to keep that dream in your mind alive. Think about the dream each time you hit a problem.
I admit, if you get five rejections in a row, it could be pretty difficult to see that dream. A big, black cloud might slide across it temporarily. Note, I said 'temporarily.' 

Who can keep your dream alive? Others can encourage you, but it's only you who can hold onto the dream and keep it growing. Our Gracen is 20, so she kept her dream going for 13 years. Some of us will take even longer. If what you are striving for is truly important to you, that won't matter at all.

I

Clarity in Writing

Look at the glass of water in the photo. You see right through it. Nothing obscures it. It's plain for all to see.

How nice it would be if our writing had the same kind of clarity. As writers, we know what we're attempting to convey, but the reader doesn't always get it because of the way we write.

In our head, it's perfectly clear, but once we write the words, it might be just plain cloudy.

If I'm writing about my great-aunt's farmhouse, I know exactly what it looks like. I've been there. I can see it in my mind's eye. To convey the picture of that house to you, the reader, I need to be quite explicit. To tell you about the time Aunt Jane killed a rattler by the cellar door, I need to let you know that the door was outside and only inches from the ground on a slant. Once opened, you needed to go down a flight of steps to reach the cellar itself. If I didn't explain that, the reader might consider a door in her kitchen leading to the cellar. A strange place to kill a rattlesnake. I can see it, but my job is to make sure you, the reader see it, as well.

Using too many pronouns leads to confusion, as well. It may not be clear which him, her, they the writer is referring to. One way to fix that is to use the person's name and the pronoun when writing in the same paragraph. It's boring to constantly use the actual name, and it's confusing and also repetitive to use the same pronoun over and over. Intersperse them and make sure your pronouns are clear in which noun they are replacing or referring to.

One of the problems with readers getting confused is that many writers tend to write overly long sentences. The reader is then left to sort it out. Sometimes they do, and other times, it's a muddle. A simple fix is to put the same information into two or three shorter ones. The reader's brain can absorb those three short sentences more easily than an exorbitantly long one.

I was recently critiquing a submission in my online writing group. The paragraph opened with two sentences both using the word 'man.' But, it was not referring to the same man. I read it twice feeling confused, then realized what the writer was saying. A simple fix was to use 'artist' in the first sentence and 'man' in the second one which showed she was referring to two different men.

When you edit your drafts, ask yourself if you have made things clear to the reader. Or are you taking too much for granted that they know what you're talking about? If you have let your draft sit and rest for several days, then read through it, you are more likely to see places where clarity is a problem.

Clarity is every bit as important as grammar and description and sensory detail and all the other things that go into our writing. Yet, clarity is not an issue I see addressed very often. Be aware of it. N

Take One Cup of Courage and...

Sounds so simple, doesn't it? All you have to do is begin if you want to capture success.  Even so, taking that first big step to begin your journey isn't always so easy. We can feel like our feet are stuck in a muddy muck, and we can't pull one out to take that very first step. 

Has your dream been to write a book? Many writers start small but keep that special dream in place. You know you can write 1000 word personal essays or 2500 word short stories, but what about a 30,000-word novel? Or your memoir? Whew! You'll never know if you can do it unless you take those first steps. Take a cup of courage, add some hard work, and you may be surprised at how well things turn out.

I've always found that, once I get started on a writing project, the path becomes easier. The ideas and words flow better as I move from paragraph to paragraph after writing those crucial opening lines. 

If you have the idea for a novel or memoir that swirls through your mind on a daily basis but do nothing about it, what's the result? A big fat zero. No one else can read your words in your head. If that idea keeps haunting you, it's time to do something about it. 

It's time to start making an outline, creating characters, or sitting down to write your first chapter and see where it goes. It's only a first draft. You don't have to write something perfect initially. No one does. The important part is to get something written that you can look at, revise, and edit until you have a finished product. 

I've heard of far too many writers who tell themselves that they will spend a year writing the book. The year is up, and they might be halfway through the first draft or have finished one revision. It's far too difficult to set a timetable in the beginning as you don't know what glitches you'll run into. 

The important thing, to me, is to work continually. Don't work like you're driven for a month, then move on to something else. The longer you wait to return to the book, the easier it is to put it off even longer. Part of us fears what lies ahead, but remind yourself that, if you could begin, you can also finish. 

Have you ever read an article by a writer who mentions something like he/she has published 3 books and has 4 other unfinished novels gathering dust? If they've been successful already, why not pursue finishing those others? Of course, everyone has reasons for individual situations.

What if you use your cup of courage to begin this big project, then you run out of steam? You give up. It happens to some people, but it's not the end of the world. Life goes on; your writing life can go in other directions. Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't come out the way you dreamed. 

No one but another writer can understand that it does take a bit of courage--more than a bit sometimes--to start a writing project. We factor in so many little problems that we allow to hold us back. Of course, some writers have an idea and forge ahead like they have a deadline in only days. More power to them. We're all different people who approach our writing in various ways. That's quite alright. It would be boring if we all followed the very same formula for each new project. 

As the poster indicates, if you have the courage to start, you'll have a fine chance at being successful. 

Hope and Despair: A Writing Exercise

When we write about feelings, we shouldn't skim the top and move on. It's quite easy to do that. Why? We don't always want to dig deep to see what we find about our feelings, especially the negative one. Writing about our feelings helps us face them and act upon them. We might want to tone them down a bit or rev them up, depending on what kind of feeling you're viewing.

Learning about our own feelings and how we deal with them can only help with the characters fiction writers create, the ones that memoir writers feature, or the people in our family stories.

The weekend is upon us. Maybe you'll have a little more writing time. For an exercise do a freewrite on the two feelings in the signpost above. Hope and Despair. Two opposites, for sure.

To freewrite:  Put the word first, then let your fingers fly across the keyboard or with your pencil and let all thoughts about the word spew forth. Don't stop to think. Keep writing even it seems like gibberish. When you do it this way, thoughts from the inner recesses of your mind will be found. Set a timer for 10 minutes, but if you're still going strong then, just keep going. You might be very surprised at what you have when you stop. No one but you will see this, so don't spare your own feelings; let your thoughts emerge.

My online writing group does a freewrite exercise each week. One member chooses the 4 or 5 words for the month, sends them on the weekend, and those who choose to do them take off. Doing two freewrite or, as we call them Random Word, exercises a month count for one submission. Let's face it, anyone can spare 10 minutes out of the day to do a simple exercise like this. Many of us have expanded on our exercise and written full stories or essays.

Hope prompts:  Think about the hopes you may have had as a child or a teen. What about your hopes for now and in the future? What is hope? How does it figure in your daily life?

Despair prompts:  When were you filled with despair? What did you do to change? Did you ever enjoy the feeling of despair? How can you keep despair out of your life?

The prompts above are only to help you get started. You'll come up with plenty more. Have fun with this, then try applying some of what you found for your characters.

Book Series, Writers and Readers

An author writes a book that becomes popular, even a best seller. Their readers clamor for more. And so a series is born. We began reading series of books back in our early reading days. Did you read two or more of the following children's series books? 

• The Hardy Boys
• Little House on the ....
• Bobbsey Twins
• Junie B. Jones (one for today's kids)
• Boxcar Kids
• Sue Barton, Nurs
• Cherry Ames, Nurse
• Nancy Drew
• ___________Shoes (Ballet, Theater, Circus etc)
• Harry Potter

As an adult, some of us found a series that we liked well enough to continue reading as each new book was published. I could offer a very long list here but will offer just a few: 

• George R. R. Martin--The Game of Thrones series
• Diana Gabaldon--Outlander series
• Daniel Silva series about Gabriel Allon *
• Louise Penny series about Inspector Gamache*
• Stieg Larson--The Girl With The ....series
• Janet Evanovich--Stephanie Plum series
• Hilary Mantel--The Wolf Hall series
• Kate Burkholder--Amish mystery series
• Sherry Thomas--The Lady Sherlock series
• ...and many more

Why do we like to read a series written by the same author along the same vein? When we read one of the series, preferably the first book, we get to know and like the protagonist character. We get to peek into his/her life, get to know the place where he/she lives or travels, and if we like the character, we want to know more. We watch the book lists to know when a favorite series author has published a new book in the series. 

The two book covers (starred in the second list) are from two of my favorite mystery series. I just started reading Louise Penny's latest book about Inspector Gamache, a police superintendent who lives in the Quebec area. As the series moves steadily along, Armand Gamache and his wife move to a small village outside the city, almost hidden away in the forest. The 'characters' who live in this village occupy a great deal of Armand's life. Louise Penny is a fine writer. With every one of the books in the series that I have read, I hated to see the last page. I opened the new book last evening with great anticipation of good things to come. 

Daniel Silva's newest suspense-thriller featuring Gabriel Allon, art restorer, and Israeli spy was as satisfying as all the others. Nearly 500 pages, but I raced through it last week as the twists and turns kept me turning pages. Not only are the stories excellent, but I have also learned a great deal about the life of an art restorer, as well as those who are spies. 

What about the authors who write a series? Writing a series takes great commitment from an author. Once a new book in a series is finished, he/she must come up with a new plot using the same main characters. It has to equal the first book(s) or readers will be lost. I have found that the succeeding books are often better than the first. 

Add to that, the need to keep the books coming on a fairly regular basis, and the author is under more pressure than when writing individual books that have no future additions. But wouldn't that be a good feeling for an author to know that their readers are eagerly awaiting another book?

Information about happenings in the earlier books needs to be woven into the current one so that it can stand alone. Some readers might start with book #5 in a series, and once they get some of that earlier info would want to go back to Book 1 and start from the beginning. If I like a book in a series, I will go back and read them in order.

I remember feeling like the kids in those children's series were my friends. I cared for them, worried when they inevitably got into trouble, cheered silently when they came out alright. I kind of feel that way with some of the protagonists in the adult series I read. 

How often have you read a book and upon closing it, thought I want more!

Writers--how would you feel about writing a series? Readers--do you like or dislike reading series? 

Do Writers Have To Follow The Rules?

I'm one of many bloggers who write to help and encourage writers. Besides the bloggers, there are a large number of how-to books written by authors. Every writer should be thankful to have both sets of writers whose aim is to help other writers by sharing their expertise. 

We urge writers to read these books and blogs so that they can soak up as much information on 'how to be a writer' as possible. I am one of those who tell writers to read all they can about our craft. 

Our poster for today makes a good point. We are all individuals, and not everyone fits into the same file drawer. Some are rebels who prefer not to adhere to the rules. Some merely march to the tune of a different drummer. Cliche, it may be, but it's quite true that not everyone follows the rules of our craft. For whatever reason, we are not little robots popped off an assembly line.

If you feel that a certain method of writing is not the one for you, so be it. There are no laws saying you must write this way or that way. 

I do, however, strongly suggest that you read some of those books and blogs about writing. They are, after all, meant to help you. Some might say they are scared to death after reading a writing reference book. It's too much to write like those authors tell you. Even if you don't want to follow the unwritten rules other writers offer, at least learn what they are. Be aware of what the norm is. Then, break away if you feel you must. 

Be flexible. You can write like the books tell you but maybe not 100%. If there's an area you shake your head at, then do it your way. 

One thing to remember is that the people who write how-to books on writing have been successful in the field. For me, that says I should sit up and pay attention to what they are telling me. It doesn't mean I have to follow at the 100% level. 

Why Should We Write Memoirs and Family Stories?

Memoirs are popular now, and so are family stories. Both illustrate our poster quote today. Write what should not be forgotten.

Another quote that has stayed with me is one that says we write about our memories to taste life twice. We do like to savor the happy times and the people we cared about in our past. We write about the warmth of family, the gathering of all the relatives for a holiday dinner or a summer reunion. We pen words about our school experiences, our 'best friend forever' people, our first romance and more. These are the people and the moments we want to keep close in our memory bank.

Some memoirists will tell you they wish they could have forgotten what they ultimately wrote about. It's easy to write about our good memories. The bad, or sad, ones give the writer some problems but what happened has added to making you the person you are. I firmly believe we should not forget those difficult times in our life, but we can eventually put them into the background and move on with life. We can't erase whatever occurred, but we can face it and then move on. 

I think many memoirists will say that writing their book helped them deal with the situation, allowed them to face it and then move it into the past. That's one reason we write memoirs and family stories--to help us heal the hurt so we can get on with life.

As I mentioned above, all the good things and the hard to deal with experiences are what made you the person you are today. Write memoir stories and full books. Write your family stories. Not only should your memories be kept for you but also shared with others. What happened to you can be comforting to others who might have had the same kind of experience. Your family stories can trigger your readers' own memories. 

Online Writing Critique Groups

Some of the women in my critique group

NOTE:  Before getting to today's topic. This blog is at Ranked Blogs--the Top 45. Each blog receives votes to move up the ladder. Yesterday, Writer Granny's World was #1. Wow! It shocked me. I'd love to stay in that top tier. If you have not already voted, would you give me a vote at this web page? 

The photos above were taken at the last conference sponsored by my online critique group. Mine is an international group for women. We run around 24 to 28 members. Some come and stay a short time, while others have been in the group for many years. They form the core that makes this group sing. Not all members are shown here. I was missing from this last conference as were some others.

We are all ordinary women who live in differents parts of the USA, Canada and a few across the sea.

The woman in the top photo on the far left in the back row is Joyce. She is our Moderator, or Mother Hen as we refer to her. Recently, Joyce asked the members what they wanted from a critique group and what they had received from our group.

Here are the answers I gave to her questions: 

What I want from an online group:

1.  to help polish my work so it is submittable

2.  to give me both praise where due and criticism, also where it is due. I like to know both the good and bad areas of what I sub

3.  to develop friendships with other writers on an informal, even tho online, basis

4.  to receive marketing suggestions

What I get from our online group:

1.  honest and fair crits

2.  praise as well as helpful criticism

3.  friendship

4.  marketing suggestions

5.  opinions on many phases of writing

6.  exposure to all types of writing

7.  a chance to attend a super good conference now and then

8.  a chance to learn from reading the crits of other members

One of the nice things about an online critique group is that you can attend any time, wearing your pajamas or your best dress. My inbox is filled with emails from individuals in the group--submissions, critiques, OT (Other Topic chats), helpful marketing tips, and brags from those who have had publishing success.

There are myriad online writing critique groups. Check your favorite search engine to find them. Check out this page for just a few. Some are for all genres of writing while others are more specific, such as memoir or poetry only.

Not every person who critiques your work will feel the same way. Some will praise while others point out places where you might revise for clarity, to add a bit of humor, or more sensory details, or to add tension. When more than one person tells me a certain section needs this or that, I pay attention. If five people zero in on the same trouble spot, you'd better be ready to make some changes. If only one person out of ten who do a critique suggests a change, consider it but keep it as is if you feel strongly. Sometimes one opinion is not necessarily the right one. Or it might be! Like all things, we need to sift and sort. You are the one who decides what should or should not be changed.

You might not find the right group for you on the first try. There is nothing wrong in joining a group and then leaving it if you don't feel comfortable. You might need to try several before you find a place where you feel there is a good fit. 

If you're a beginning writer, your group needs might be different from what a seasoned writer looks for. Some groups are public and others are private. Mine is private and membership attained by application and a writing sample, then approval from a majority of the group. It is also not for beginning writers. I started many years ago in a critique group that allowed writers of all calibers. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from writers who were much farther along on the writing journey than I was. 

If you join a group that does nothing but toss out praise because they don't want to hurt your feelings, move on. You will not learn from that type of group. If you have trouble accepting criticism, perhaps an online critique group is not for you. If this is the case, I'd urge you to work on being able to take criticism of your work. It's the only way you will grow as a writer. Keep in mind that those people are not attempting to make you miserable. They are trying to help you on your way to publication.

When Bad Times Arrive For Writers

Writers might get a blue ribbon for getting discouraged far more than some other people in this world. We ride a roller coaster with the ups and downs we traverse on our writing journey. 

We work hard on our stories, essays, article, and poems. That old cliche--blood, sweat, and tears--is not out of line when describing the writing life. Submit and wait. Submit and wait. Submit and wait some more. Finally, news comes, but it might not be what we were hoping for. 

It's then that today's poster would be quite appropriate. I have plenty of friends who would hug me, quite a good many who might give me chocolate, but I've yet to meet one that will soothe my ruffled feathers with a gift of 6 million dollars. If any of you have a friend who would do that, please do tell us about it in the comments section. 

Writers run the full course of good times and bad. What we need to do is push the bad times aside and dwell on the good. We've all got some good things to make us feel better when rejections flow back to us. 

We get down when a writing project goes from bad to worse. Nothing we do seems to make it work. It's best to walk away for a while. Let it simmer, let your mind renew itself.

What we need to do when a rejection arrives is to say something like OK, this stinks. But I was invited to speak at a Library Luncheon last week. People treated me like a celebrity. In other words, don't let the frustrating moments take over. Always keep positive things at the top. It takes a bit of practice, but you can do it. Like yesterday's poster said Yes you can!

Meanwhile, enjoy the hug, savor the chocolate and keep an eye out for that 6 million dollars.

Writers--Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Athletes train and condition themselves always aiming for the big event. Whatever they do in practice is done with their eyes on the prize. It's their focus point. The ones who are successful are those who kept that focus point. All that they did in practice, in games, studying playbooks and film--all those things allowed them to win the prize. They became successful in their field.

As writers, we are much the same. The prize we're centering on is publication. Not only one story published, or one book, but a continuation of that goal we've dreamt of. 

We have a lot to do before we claim the prize, however. Just like the athlete, we train and condition by learning all we can about our craft. We attend workshops and conferences, read books on writing, and talk with fellow writers to continue our writing education. 

We practice by writing draft upon draft. We begin by writing stories and poems and essays that will probably never be published. Hopefully, with each one, we get a wee bit better. The inchworm gets where he's headed a little at a time. He may be slow, but he makes it to his focus point. We can, too.

The athlete has successes and failures on the road to the prize. We do, as well. We need those rejections we get to inspire us to keep going until we have an acceptance, and then farther. We have writing projects that seemed so good when they were swirling in our heads, but once the words were in print, they seemed to sag rather than shine like we'd hoped. It's alright. It's experience. The more experience we attain, the better the writer we will be. 

Doing writing exercises is part of our practice. They usually take only minutes but much can be gained. You might even have a few 'aha!' moments when doing a writing exercise.

When reaching that prize takes far more time than we'd thought, we get discouraged. That's part of this writing world. It happens to athletes, too, but the good ones will continue to keep their eye on the prize. How about you? Will you focus on the prize? Yes, you can! 

Q &A On Writing Family Stories

Have you thought about writing your Family Stories one at a time, then assembling them into a book? It needn't be a hardcover like the one shown above. Today, we have the ability to go to someplace like Staples and create our own book. It can be softcover, spiral-bound, or even in a looseleaf binder. 

I like the looseleaf binder because it is easy to add new stories as you finish them. I made a book just like that for each of my brothers. The youngest one came along when I was nearly finished with high school. We had two other brothers between us. Somehow, Jim (the youngest) missed out on a lot of the family stories. I assembled the ones I'd written into a book for him for his 60th birthday. Then, I started thinking that maybe our other brothers might like to have one, too. So, it ended up with each of them receiving one. Yes, it took some time and effort, but they were all so appreciative that it made me feel all I'd done was worthwhile. The two middle brothers passed away last year, so now the books will pass on to their children.

Some questions and answers regarding writing your family stories:

Should you include a Family History in your Family Stories book? I think it is a nice addition if you have a section with dates of births, marriages, deaths, immigration dates (if appropriate), perhaps a little about the employment and education of the various family members. 

If you want to search for birth and death dates and other statistics about your family, one of the places I've found to be easy to use and very helpful is Family Search. It's a genealogy website offered by the Mormon church. There is no charge, and once you create an account (also free), they will send new information occasionally. It's always such a treat when I receive an email from them telling me some new bit about one of my ancestors. I do want to warn you that, once you get started at Family Search, it's difficult to stop. Allow a certain amount of time to devote to checking information and stop. 

There's always another day. 

Do your family stories need to be arranged chronologically? That's not necessary. You can put them in any order you like. If you want to arrange the stories by years, that's fine. The point is that there is no set way. When you're the person putting the book together, you have free license to do whatever you want to.

Should you use a formal format? I think that being conversational is better. Tell the story as if you were sitting across the table having a cup of coffee with a friend or a grandchild. 

Should you include just the facts? What happened is, of course, important, but the little extras are what make the stories come alive. Use sensory details and some description of the places where the stories took place. 

What about including dates? If you know the approximate time the story happened, it would be a nice addition.

Should tragedies or bad situations within your family be a part of the collection? I am a strong proponent of adding the good, the bad, and the sad stories. Why" They are a part of who you are, what your family is all about. If a family member had a disease or a handicap, future generations should know this. Medical histories are of great importance. If someone lived through a tragedy of some kind, their story will help others understand. If a family member ended up in the court system, don't try to hide it. Again, his/her story influences others in the family, too. You can write about it without being judgemental. 

I think one of the nicest parts about putting together a book of family stories is that you have free rein. It's your decision how to assemble it, what to put in, how to write the stories. Don't think of it as work, enjoy and have fun with your Family Stories book.

Writing Area Clean-up

I write on a laptop on a computer desk, printer set up to the right on a matching file cabinet. On my left is a three-tiered small shelf unit that is actually for a gardener's use. It's chock full of writing-related materials. A landline phone, a pencil holder, and modem take up some room to the right of my laptop. 

Besides those items, there is a pile, and I do mean 'pile' of papers. Small note papers where I jot things down that I don't want to forget. Full-size papers that range from works in progress to committee reports and more. 

Another item on my computer desk is a black stone coaster with words I love. Words are the voice of the heart. I also have a pretty purple feather pen with a tiny bottle of ink that my granddaughter brought home from Italy for me this summer. A very small stuffed animal rests against my printer. He is a souvenir of one of my online writing group's conferences. We're called 'writersandcritters' so what better gift than a tiny little critter? A lovely gift box with a painted picture of roses, a teacup, two butterflies and a postage stamp complete the picture. It's a box a friend sent with a gift inside, and I loved the box so much that I wanted it where I could see it daily. 

So what's the topic here? One word that covers it is clutter. Some people live in clutter on a daily basis and have no problem with it. Others are bothered a great deal when the clutter seems to grow. 

Every now and then, we need to clean up our writing area. When I go through that stack of papers, I'll be sure to find a few surprises. Things I put there weeks, months ago have been forgotten. There are probably some old drafts that I fully intended to work on, but they managed to get buried. The same goes for the three-tiered shelf unit to my left. I can see what is on the top part of each section, but who knows what lurks beneath those items? Maybe it's something useful. Or could be a few throwaways hiding there.

It's alright to be surrounded by clutter in your writing area. Just don't let it accumulate to toppling- over phases. I do take time now and then to go through those piles of papers and whatnot. I straighten up the entire area, even dust the desk. I love the neat look left when I am finished. And I am happy to find certain papers I'd forgotten. I'm sorry to say that it tends to accumulate again and the cleaning out process must be repeated.

Make it a rule to clean up your writing area at least once a month. Make it a job to do on the 1st day of the new month, or the 15th or the last day before you turn the calendar page. Just choose a set time and it becomes a habit. Your surroundings will look nicer, and you might find some treasures as you plow through the papers. Leave all those little mementos if they mean something to you, bring a little comfort and don't get in the way. 

What's your writing area like? Cluttered? Disastrous? Neat and orderly? 

Editing Your Writing

When you've finished writing a first draft, wouldn't you like to sit back and say It's finished! and then move on to a brand new project?

I think we all wish we could do exactly that. Instead, we know that editing is important. An editor who receives a first draft and proclaims it a keeper is probably a fictional person. Rare would be the writer who can produce a polished product on the first go.

There are a few things to remember when you edit:

• Let the first draft rest for a few days, or more, before your first edit. *
• Look for repetition of thoughts and words
• Check the verbs to see where you can exchange a passive one for an action verb.
• Look for redundancies in the information given.
• Watch for overuse of both adjectives and adverbs. Less is always better than more.
• Check punctuation.
• Do a spell check.
• Watch for clarity throughout.
• Look for places to add sensory details.
• Check to see if emotion comes through.
• Check that you have been consistent in use of tense. 
• Is the title the very best? Have you played with several before choosing one? 
• What about spacing, indenting--the way your piece of writing looks at a glance?
• If there is dialogue, is it natural? Interesting? 
• Would a few similes and metaphors add to what you've written?
• If it's fiction or memoir, have you given a sense of place?

You probably noticed that I put the first selection in bold and starred it. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. If you attempt editing immediately upon finishing the first draft, you'll catch some things that need correcting. If you wait for days or even weeks, you'll look at your draft with a different view. You'll catch many more problems. You'll feel like you're reading something new and will be surprised at what you find. 

New writers often ask how many times a writer should edit. Good question. My answer is that you should edit until you feel satisfied. Again, let the piece rest a while between edits. There are writers who would edit over and over and over and over again. Too much of anything is not good. There must come a time when you say OK, that's enough.

(Monday post on Sunday evening)

Writers and Perspective

Ever find yourself writing something that isn't working out very well? I'm pretty sure no one answered No, not ever! 

The story idea may be fine, but viewing it through one character's eyes doesn't feel right to you. Go back to square one and choose a different character and write the story from their viewpoint. I've seen exercises that ask you to do something like rewriting Little Red Riding Hood using the wolf as your viewpoint character. It's going to be quite a different story, isn't it? Yes, the 'this happened, then this happened' part will be much the same, but the perspective will be completely different.

It works the same when writing a family story. Most writers will write the story from their own view. Try writing it from your grandmother's perspective, or a hired hand on the farm, or the teacher who infuriated your uncle. One point about writing family stories is that we write them from what we know or witnessed. Consider interviewing someone else who figures in the story and get their side, then try writing the story again. 

You and I can go to a movie together and leave the theater with completely different thoughts. Each of us is watching the story on the screen from a different perspective which involves our life experiences, our prejudices, our attitude and more. 

If I write an article on the use of make-up for young girls, my perspective will be a whole lot different than if a sixteen-year-old girl writes the article. 

If you're writing a war story, which side you're looking from makes a whale of a difference. In our own present-day political world, perspective plays a huge part in the opinions formed, the op-ed pieces written and read. 

How we look at things makes a difference. How we write a story can also make a big difference. Writing the same story again using the viewpoint of two, or even three, different characters can be pretty enlightening. It also takes more time, but if your aim is to write the best story possible, wouldn't it be worthwhile to give it a try? 

Advice From Technology Tessie

Last night, I was answering a message on Messenger in my Facebook program when my browser started doing funny things and then it turned up blank with a photo of me in the center. What now? was my first thought. I could almost feel my blood pressure rising.

I fiddled around with this and that and had no luck. I turned my laptop off and decided to worry about it in the morning. The problem was that I started worrying about it as soon as I went to bed. Then, I woke up and worried some more at 2 a.m. Was it a virus? I have a good anti-virus program and malware program. Fell asleep finally, then woke up worrying at 5 a.m. That was the end of the night for me. I got up shortly after and finished reading a book, then the newspaper, breakfast, started laundry, showered and dressed. Anything to avoid turning on the computer. By then, I decided it was time to face up to the problem.

It turned out that I had been locked out of my google account. I haven't the slightest idea why it happened. Set a new password, got verification via my phone and I was back on board. Whew!

During one of those 'worry' periods overnight, I started thinking about how much we writers depend on our laptops, tablets, phones or whatever means we use to type our words, store our work in files, exchanges with fellow writers, email with writers and regarding writing. Face it, we are chained to these technology tools. 

We all hear constantly about the importance of backing up our files. We know it, but do we always take time to do it? I'm good about maybe three-fourths of the time. When I have a scare like last night, I chastise myself. Until this morning, I feared it was a virus wiping out more than I care to think about. I should have known better as nothing but google chrome was affected. Everything else worked fine. Being frightened and worrying does not always make for clear thinking. 

Some writers are also good technology people. I envy them. There are many others who, like me, have learned to handle a number of things but still don't feel 100% confident. I've been using a computer for 20 years, and I was self-taught. Learned through trial and error. Many errors! One of the best lessons I ever had came from one of my granddaughters. She was about 9 and had made something for a school project. I asked her where she learned to make the item. Her answer then is my motto now. Just google it, Grandma! Google is my search engine of choice, and it has served me well. There are many others, and you'd be wise to make good use of any one of them. 

Normally, when something goes wrong with my computer, I don't panic, but I had a lot of things on my agenda today that all involved using my laptop. Broke my own rule and worried all night long, which was foolish since it turned out to be an easy fix once I figured out what the problem was. 

In review, when something goes wrong with one of your technology tools:

• Don't panic
• Stay calm
• Walk away and come back to figure it out later
• Don't be afraid to ask for help
• Ask yourself what it might or might not be; eliminate problems one by one
• Be sure your anti-virus and malware programs are up to date and running
• Use a search engine for help
• Spend a little time (later) learning about your laptop, notebook or whatever tool you use
• If something doesn't get done today, there's always tomorrow or the next day. The world will not end if you don't finish your tasks. 

More writing tips tomorrow when I give up the title of Technology Tessie to be Annie Advice once more. My heart rate is back to normal now that the issue has been taken care of, and I feel like Silly Sadie. 

10 Steps To A Writer's Dream

This poster quote seems made for this blog. Note my two keywords within the text--patience and perseverance. 

Look at the separate parts of the advice here. Sometimes, we read something like this in its entirety, get the gist of it and quit. Take it apart a bit at a time, and you'll find greater meaning.

1.  It starts with a dream.  We all know about that. Every one of us has had a dream related to our writing journey. Maybe several dreams.

2.  Add faith,  Faith is something we must all have. By that, I mean faith in ourself. If we don't have that, we can get lost very easily.

3.  and it becomes a belief  One of the most important things a writer must do is to believe in him/herself. If you don't have that belief in yourself, no one else is likely to have the same. 

4.  Add action,  Yep. We can't merely sit around and wait for the good stuff to happen. We have to make a plan and execute it. 

5.  and it becomes a part of life.  When we create a habit of being active rather than sitting around thinking about the dream we have, we'll see results. They might not come in explosive fashion, but maybe a little at a time. In small steps as I wrote about in yesterday's post.

6.  Add perseverance,  There's that pet word of mine. Perseverance versus giving up after trying a time or two is what is going to bring you closer to that dream. 

7.  and it becomes a goal in sight.  Keep working, continue with the small steps and that dream is not going to be nearly so far away.

8.  Add patience and time,   Patience is a needed quality in your journey. The trip down the writing path to your dream will take time. In the end, you'll be glad you were patient and didn't rush.

9.  and it ends  Any sensible person knows that everything comes to an end eventually. It might not happen when we'd like it to, but it will happen.

10.  with a dream come true.  I sincerely hope that your dreams come true and mine, too.

By looking at each part of the quote, we can gain more than when reading it in a flash.

Small Steps Benefit Writers

In keeping with today's photo quote, I fear too many who start writing, or even those who have written for some years, want to skip the small steps and move right into the bigtime arena in this circus we call our writing world. 

We're told to set goals, and most of us do. Setting a goal does not mean you'll reach it in a matter of days. We move toward achieving a goal one step at a time. And sometimes, those steps seem mighty small. You feel as if you're inching along when you'd much prefer moving like a jackrabbit. 

Patience has always been one of my keywords and probably will stay in that slot as long as I am writing. By nature, I've always been an impatient person. Writing has helped me learn and hone that trait. Not all at once. No, it happened by small steps. I cannot count the times I've had to remind myself to be patient. 

I've mentioned here in the past that memoir writers would benefit by writing small snippets of memoir before tackling a full book. Take small steps to reach your goal of writing and publishing a full memoir.

Write short, simple poems before trying those that have myriad verses. Writing short lets you get a feel for writing poetry. Small steps with small poems. You'll know when you're ready to move into longer, more involved works. 

The short stories you write are small steps to writing a novel. If the novel is your objective, move slowly with short stories until you feel ready to try the big project. 

Your small steps can include learning all you can about the craft of writing. Read books and articles about this skill. There are plenty that have been published for people like us to read. Another small step in your writing journey can be attending workshops and conferences about our craft. 

Many small steps will take you where you're headed more steadily than if you attempted to get there with one giant leap. 

Background Music In Writing

Just like that, August is done and September has slipped right in to take its place. It's a transitional month with three weeks still summer, and the last ten days or so bring the beginning of autumn with colors like the photo above, at least in some parts of the country. 

Ken and I were watching a movie on tv the other day, and I mentioned to him how nice the background music was and how it really enhanced the story. Being the good husband he is, he agreed. The story could stand on its own, but the accompanying music made it so much more enjoyable.

That got me to thinking about what might be the 'background' music in the stories, essays, articles, and poems we write. Our background music is made up of all the small things that make good writing even better. 

We've got a story to tell or information to give to readers, and our first goal is to get that story written in a first draft. The main points of the story or poem or whatever. We have the bones, and, as we edit, we flesh it out to give our readers something even more interesting to read. 

This is a partial list of what makes up our background music: 

• similes and metaphors
• sensory details
• description
• interesting dialogue
• active verbs
• showing instead of telling
• emotion

What other things would you consider the background music in what you write?