Monday, January 31, 2022
Flowers and Questions For Writers
Friday, January 28, 2022
Unfinished Pieces of Writing
I only like the first part of today's poster quote. Keep calm. That's good advice for almost any situation and definitely for writers. The second part--and let karma finish it--is passing the buck to someone else. It's you and me, the writers, who need to complete the tasks we have before us in our writing journey.
Once again, we're saying 'it's up to you.' I have a good many friends who are writers. I know I can call on them for an opinion or thoughts on how to solve a problem within a piece I'm writing, but there is no way I can ask them to finish my project. They might laugh or roll their eyes or give me an outright "What?" answer. I would never expect that another writer would finish what I've started, and I also would never ask. It's up to me to complete any writing project I've started.
How many unfinished pieces of writing are gathering dust in your files? You've probably put in a lot of time and thought to each one. Then something stopped you from finishing, or revising and then completing. It's often wise to set a piece of writing aside when you have reached a problem area. In fact, it is recommended, but beware of letting it sit far too long, of never going back to solve the problem. I find that the longer I let a draft sit, the easier it is to let it stay right in that file waiting for my attention.
Why not spend a day looking over those unfinished projects in your files. Does one reach out to you more than the others? If so, that's the one you should work on, revising and polishing so it is ready for submission. Or ready to be included in your Family Stories book. Or ready to send to a contest.
If you resurrect some of those languishing drafts, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment. You'll also have something to submit to a publication or writing contest. Hooray!
Some writers rarely finish. They would rather begin to write a brand new story, or essay, or poem. It's the idea of writing they like more than completing a project and then moving on to a new one. Fear also plays a small part. The subconscious mind can tell the writer she/he will have to submit if the story is finished, and who knows what might happen? Good grief, it might be rejected! Well, many of those submissions will be rejected, but some might find acceptance. You won't know unless you make the effort to finish and submit.
Set a goal to work on at least one unfinished piece per week, or even one a month. January is known to be the month to clean up all kinds of things in our lives. Our writing life needs some cleaning out, too.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Goals and Determination for the Writer
Our photo quote today brings to mind the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. The outcome of the race they ran together is legendary. The tortoise never stopped, although he moved slowly. He had a destination and the determination to reach it. The flighty little hare thought he was so far ahead that he could stop and rest, and, well--you know the rest of the story.
Shouldn't we writers be like the tortoise in that we have a destination and should use determination to get there? If we have no goals, we will most likely not drum up the determination needed.
If you haven't set any goals in your writing life, pause and give some thought as to what it is you hope to accomplish on your writing journey. Do you want to eventually write a book? Is it in your mind to have a collection of many of the poems you've written? Maybe you want to write a memoir or enter X number of writing contests this year.
One writer can have multiple goals, and they can be widely varied. Some might be as simple as marking off an hour each day to write, or as complicated as the intention to publish two books this year. My personal feeling is that we need to make sure that the goals we set are attainable. Better to move up in steps than to leap from step one to the top tier in a short time. That's an easy way to come tumbling down only to need to start all over again.
How about that determination?? Writing goals can often go the way of New Year's resolutions. We mean well when we make those promises to ourselves, but little by little they slip-slide away. One way to keep your determination strong is to write your goal on a paper or poster board, and place it in your writing area so that you see it on a daily basis. You might begin to feel like it is nagging at you, but just consider it as a fine reminder of where you want to go.
If you haven't already done so, set a few goals (not too many) for this year and perhaps a couple of long term goals, as well. Then pour yourself a cup of determination and start moving. Choose the speed that suits you best. The tortoise did, and look what he achieved!
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Writing to a Theme For Contests
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
You are in Charge of Your Writing World
On many posts, I end by saying something like 'It's up to you." I've repeated words like that or similar more times than I can count. We are the pilot of our writing journey. Not your writing class teacher, not your writer friends, not your family, not anyone else. We are in charge.
It is up to us to make decisions regarding our journey. We can ask for advice from others. No doubt about that. The final decision, however, comes down to each of us.
What about motivation? We can be inspired by others, but it's up to us to act upon whatever inspired us. It's up to us to put our rear end in the chair and begin writing. It's up to us to act.
How about submitting to a contest or publication? We cannot ask someone else to do that for us. It's our responsibility to research the market and then make a submission. You--nobody else.
Will editing be entirely on your own, or can you hire someone to do that for you? Yes, you can find someone else to edit your work, but even so, you are the one who must make the move to do so. There are conflicting viewpoints on whether a writer should do their own editing or hire a knowledgeable person. Money is a factor here. Can you afford to hire someone? Do you want another person changing some of your writing? Do you feel the need of having other eyes on your work? In the end, that decision is up to you. You're still in charge.
We run into quandries about whether we should move from short stories to writing a novel. Or should we try longer poems than what we have been writing? Should we change genres if we've been having some success with what we're writing now? Yep, that's up to you. No one else can make that decision . They might give you their thoughts, or some advice, but you are the one who must decide.
Our photo quote today says "As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move." It was actress, Katherine Hepburn who said this. In her long career, she surely learned this early on.
So, yes, it is up to each one of us to pick up that paddle and move our canoe through the writing waters. It is our choice whether to paddle slowly or go at breakneck speed. The point is to pick up your paddle and make headway into your writing world.
Monday, January 24, 2022
Fine Advice From Writers
The woman in our photo today looks a bit frustrated. Haven't we all been there sometime along our writing journey? Today's post is a series of quotes by writers that might lift you from the doldrums if you're relating to our frustrated lady writer. Take some time to read the short quotes, each of which gives writers a tidbit of advice. Read them and then go back and read them again. Some may speak to you more than others. Copy the list and put it in your writing space to refer to now and then.
"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that."
--Stephen King
"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect."
--Anaïs Nin
"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."
--Mark Twain
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
--Toni Morrison
"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple."
--Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
--Benjamin Franklin
"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write."
--Saul Bellow
"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."
--Robert Frost
"Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window."
--William Faulkner
"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you."
--Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
"Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they'll go through anything. You read and you're pierced."
--Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."
--Henry David Thoreau
"I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn."
--Anne Frank
"A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people."
--Thomas Mann, Essays of Three Decades
"Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences."
--Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
Friday, January 21, 2022
7 Thoughts on Writing
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Little Things to Add in Family Stories
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Thoughts On Writing Family Stories
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Heed Those Stories in Your Mind
Monday, January 17, 2022
Last Minute Writers
Friday, January 14, 2022
Encouragement for Writers
Those of you who are subscribers here know that under the title of the blog, it says: My writing world with tips and encouragement for writers. That sentence covers everything this blog is. I'm here to talk about my writing world, to give tips to other writers, and also to encourage other writers. That last part is what today's topic covers.
ENCOURAGEMENT
My aim is to encourage other writers to grow as writers, to publish more often if that is a goal for them, and to let them know they aren't alone in this wild world of writing. Don't we all like to have a friend back us up in whatever we choose to do?
Writers have emotional ups and downs on a regular basis. That goes for the beginners, middle level and those who are old pros. It's human nature and also a part of the creative craft we pursue. Usually, artists, sculptors, musicians, and writers are by nature emotional people. It's that emotion that comes through in what we create.
When our emotions and our writing world pulls us on a downward spiral, we need the encouragement of others. Parents, siblings, and friends can offer that needed lift, but when it comes from another writer, it might mean a bit more. Why? Because only another writer knows what we're going through. They've been there, done that! They understand how rejections feel, how frustrating it is when a story doesn't work right, or how time constraints hinder our progress.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to encourage other writers as they move along on their writing journey. It helps to have someone in your corner urging you on just like the boxers we see in movies. Between rounds, someone is there to encourage them to get up and go back to fighting even though they may feel like crawling home.
Should writers actively seek encouragement from other writers? I see no problem in doing that. Joining a critique group, whether in person or online, is one way to find encouragement from other writers. Yes, they are going to show you where you need to improve, but they should also give you a boost by pointing out the good things in whatever you have subbed for critique.
Should all writers give encouragement to other writers? I think it is a great thing to do, Many of the 'how-to' books on writing are written by veteran writers. They give the rest of us encouragement by sharing their knowledge in a book we can read. Some writers agree to mentor other writers, and what is that but encouragement? Christina Hamlett, yesterday's Guest Blogger, is a perfect example of an experienced writer doing what she can to encourage other writers.
We all like to be encouraged, but it's just as important to pass it on to other writers, as well.
Thursday, January 13, 2022
The Pitch-Perfect Query
My Guest Blogger today is Christina Hamlett whose long experience in the writing world brings us some good advice about the art of querying.
THE PITCH-PERFECT QUERY
By Christina Hamlett
As we ease into a new year, thoughts often turn to dusting off pitch letters or composing fresh ones to agents and publishers. How can you make yours stand out from the competition and garner a green light to submit your work? Consider the following tips.
PRELIMINARIES
Is your book actually finished? When agents and editors get excited about the promise of your pitch, the last thing they want to hear is that you haven’t finished writing it. Their needs and interests may change six months from now. Don’t give them a teaser you’re not prepared to deliver now.
Do you have a website? It’s not too early to start thinking about one. It demonstrates you’re not just a hobbyist but that you take your writing career seriously. Your website should contain a professional headshot, brief bio, links to published writing samples, mention of any awards you’ve won, an excerpt from your book and—if you feel especially ambitious—a weekly/monthly blog reflecting your interests and expertise.
Do you have a professional email address? Hottie247, willworkforchocolate, myexesregret may work fine for your personal account but is this really how you want to be known in the business world?
What is your marketing platform? This is a question you can expect to be asked prior to being offered a contract. Do you plan to do interviews, book speaking engagements, participate in writers conferences, offer workshops, have a social media presence?
THE SUBMISSION
Agents and publishers are quite specific in how much or little they want to see in an unsolicited inquiry. Follow these instructions to the letter. If they request only the first 10 pages, do not send them 11…or the entire manuscript. The sample size isn’t just to assess your skill as a storyteller; it’s also to test how well you can follow instructions.
A query letter should be no more than a single page and preferably comprised of three paragraphs. The first paragraph is the hook to entice them to read on. (If written well, it could easily be the back cover blurbage to persuade someone in a bookstore to buy it.) The second paragraph addresses the commercial appeal of the book and why you believe it’s a smart fit for their agency or house. (You’ve done your homework on this, right?) The third paragraph focuses on why you’re the best qualified person to have written this book. If, for example, the setting of your story is Alexandria, Virginia and your family has lived there for five generations, you’re pretty likely to know what you’re talking about. Likewise if your protagonist is a nurse, a prison warden, a horticulturist, a model, an attorney or a cruise ship director and you have personal experience with these professions, a rep will appreciate you didn’t glean all your research from watching bad television.
If a separate synopsis is requested, it should be a through-line which demonstrates how the theme is carried out from start to finish, identifies all of the main characters, and highlights the major plot points.
Be sure to include your contact information along with your phone number. Add your website as part of your signature.
RED FLAGS
While many reps and publishers now utilize email as part of their submission process, this should never translate to sloppiness or informality on your part. Not only should your email be as thoroughly proofread as the manuscript you plan to submit but you must also eschew the temptation to address anyone by their first name unless/until you’re invited to do so. And please leave off the smiley faces and LOLs.
If you’re younger than 20 or older than 65, do not admit your age. For that matter, why is your age relevant at all? Ageism is alive and well in today’s publishing industry. Unless you have several projects already in the works, agents and publishers are reluctant to take on a newbie they perceive (however wrongly) to be past their prime. Conversely, an aspiring author who declares, “I may only be a teenager but—” is broadcasting his/her fledgling work needn’t be taken as seriously as someone "mature.” If a business relationship subsequently develops, let them find out all in good time how young/old you are.
Never reveal how long it took to write your novel; i.e., “I started this back when I was in college but, well, life got in the way.” There seems to be an inverse expectation that the more time one has invested in a project, the quicker it should be grabbed up. Nope. A book which has been in gestation for decades carries a likelihood of already being stale. Secondly, if it has taken this long to complete the project being pitched, how long would an agent or publisher have to wait for the next one? It’s hard to successfully “grow” an author’s career if s/he has only one book that was years in development.
Unless you’re already well known, have acquired the rights to someone else’s story, or have survived an experience which can be profoundly inspirational to others, do not boast that your book is based on true events. Just because something actually happened doesn’t automatically make it commercially viable. Some of the worst offenders are first-time novelists who allude to their plots being “semi-autobiographical.” Catharsis may be good for the soul in these passion projects but if there’s not a sustainable storyline and excellent writing, agents and editors can’t be guilted into reading it, much less getting it published.
Do not disclose this is your first book. Why? If literary reps are impressed with your wordsmithing, they can easily look you up to see what else you’ve done. Informing them outright that this is your first effort is akin to someone on an operating table being told by the doctor, “This is my first brain surgery but, hey, I’m feeling optimistic.”
Bio: Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author whose credits to date include 44 books, 256 stage plays and squillions of articles. She is also a script consultant for stage and screen and a professional ghostwriter. www.authorhamlett.com.
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
A Blank Page Calls For Freewrite Exercise
Our photo today is of a book, maybe a journal, opened to a blank page. The blank page can be a blessing or a bane. Your attitude is what determines which of those you are looking at.
Those who feel the blank page (or screen) is a blessing probably produce more stories, essays, and poems than the ones who consider it a bane. They are the ones who look at the blank page and sigh, change positions, keep looking at the blank page, change positions again, sigh and.... Obviously, that blank page does not motivate them.
When confronted with a blank page, and you have no story idea, the freewrite exercise can be of help. I can see a few of you rolling your eyes at me like a teen-age girl who can't handle something her mother has said.
A few days ago, my online writing group received the word for the week to do the freewrite exercise. We call it a Random Word exercise, but it's the same thing. The how to: Open a book, close your eyes and put your finger on the page. Whatever word your finger is on will be the word you use. The word given in our exercise last week was 'lost.' Set a timer for at least ten minutes, 15 or 20, if you like. Use the word and start writing about whatever comes to your mind. Don't stop and think, just keep writing. It doesn't need to make sense; it doesn't need to stay on one thought; it doesn't need to be grammatically correct. Just write!
When you read your effort at the end of the set time, you might find some gibberish, or you could see something that makes you want to continue. An idea for a story, or an essay, or a poem is often within those words you pounded out in ten minutes, all relating to the word given. You can write something about the word and keep going with another thought altogether. Whatever that word brings to the forefront of your mind. Your subconscious will be at work with this exercise, too.
Case in point: A few days ago, I was reading the week's freewrite exercise of several people in my online writing group. I found one especially good. I replied to that person who is basically a poet. I told her how much I enjoyed her exercise and that I thought she had the bones of a fine essay or poem. She wrote back to me saying I was a mind reader because she'd been considering turning what she'd written into a poem. No blank page for her!
Not every freewrite exercise will end up being worthy of continuing, but many will. Sometimes, one or two lines can be lifted and enlarged upon; occasionally the entire thing.
What I especially like is that, when a group of people use the same word, they all write something different. It can be whatever the word triggers, or the word itself.
Marlene Cullen moderates The Write Spot Blog. She has a good explanation of freewrites. On the right side of the page, you'll find a menu. Click on Prompts for some samples. She uses more than one word for the prompts, but it's basically the same idea.
Check this list of words, choose one, or more, to try the freewrite exercise:
shovel
trigger
duck
patriot
pet
blue
gullible
Did you notice that some of the words could be either noun or verb?
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Titles--Tough, Tricky, and Troublesome
Monday, January 10, 2022
Writers Must Make Choices
Siri gives us choices when we’re using our phones. We must decide which of the options given that we will choose Most of us do it in a flash.
What about the choices we must make in our writing world? There are many.
Should I give up some social time so I can write more?
Should I take a writing class that is expensive?
Should I use violence, sexual encounters, or cursing in my stories or books?
Should I name people in my memoir?
Should I attend a writers’ conference?
Should I take time to edit my writing or use my first draft as the completed project?
The questions above are only a few of the choices a writer makes. There are many others that pop up on a regular basis
Some writers are able to make the decision rather quickly when choices arise. They mentally sift and sort the situation or the information, then choose what they feel works best for them.
Others agonize over the choices the writing world offers. They fret; they fuss; they fume. They stall. They sometimes ask others for help in making the choice.
Most choices put before a writer are not earth shattering They are not life-changing. Instead, they can either help you grow as a writer, or they can keep your writing life stalled.
When faced with a choice in your writing life, ask yourself what the result could be. Consider whether the odds are favorable to make you a better writer. Ask if the choice you make is more than you know you can handle. Most of the choices we make as writers are not going to ruin our writing life. If we choose something that doesn’t work out, we can backtrack and do something different
Friday, January 7, 2022
Writers—I Believe in You
I borrowed today’s photo from a Facebook post. The simple sentence is powerful. It says ‘I believe in you.’ Words that comfort, build confidence, and inspire.
If I could, I would visit each writer who reads this blog and say “I believe in you.” What would your reaction be? Maybe you’d smile and stand a little straighter. Perhaps inspiration to write something would enter your mind. You might want to express your thanks.
Every time one of your submissions receives an acceptance, an editor or editorial team is saying “I believe in you as a writer.”
If you enroll in a writing class and the leader writes a compliment on one of your assignments, he/she is saying “I believe in you.”
Even more important than others believing in you, the writer, is you believing in yourself. To find success in the writing craft, you need confidence in your ability to write publishable material. A positive attitude will help build your confidence. The act of submitting your work to a contest or publication shows self-confidence. It may not guarantee a winner or an acceptance, but it does mean you do believe in your ability as a writer.
If you have a writer friend whom you admire, tell them. Don’t merely think it. Give them the gift of letting them know you think a lot of their writing. By doing so, you’re saying “I believe in you.”
By Nancy Julien Kopp. January 7, 2022
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Writers Are Artists
The next time you’re at a florist or home decor shop, have a deeper appreciation for what artist created when making a floral wreath.
Writers go through the same process as the person who put the wreath together. We start with an idea—the frame for that wreath. We put words together, then change some of them. We work at arranging those words in the best way we can. We leave our project for a while, then return to edit and revise once more
The wreath maker is an artist, and so are we. The process is much the same. Both aim for the best product he/she can produce. Writers can feel a real sense of accomplishment with each finished writing project
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Writers and Goal Settings
You knew this was going to be a topic this week, didn’t you? We talk about setting goals every year in early January. Why?
We’re at a new beginning, the entire year stretches out in front of us. It’s the perfect time to give thought to our writing world. It’s a great time to ponder where we are in our writing journey and to give consideration to where we want to go and how to get there.
The goals a beginning writer has will differ from the ones a veteran sets. The longer you write, the more complex the goals become. It doesn’t really matter ‘what’ your goals are. Instead, how you work toward achieving them is what should be most important.
We all know how quickly New Year’s resolutions slip away and are forgotten. Your writing goals for 2022 should stay front and center each and every month of the year. One way that helps is to make a list of your goals and post it where you will see it quite often. Somewhere in the vicinity where you write is ideal. Having those goals in front of you on a daily basis can serve as inspiration.
Be cautious in the number of goals you set Too many, and it can become overwhelming or even depressing. Also, don’t set unrealistic goals. A beginning writer should not set a goal of receiving a Pulitzer Prize this year. The odds are against it.
Spend some time setting a few writing goals this week. If there were some 2021 goals you didn’t achieve, go ahead and add them to this year’s list a goal is something to aim at. Nothing says you absolutely must be successful, but it’s so very nice when it happens
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
January Clean-up for Writers
The Christmas wreath in today’s photo is still on my front door, but for all practical purposes, Christmas is over. It’s time for January things.
Sunday, January 2, 2022
For Readers and Writers
I had a real treat this past weekend. I discovered a book in the New Fiction section at our public library called A Place Like Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. She is a favorite of mine. I knew she had passed away, so was delighted to find this book of her short stories. None of these warm, romantic tales had been published in book form before.
This very popular UK writer is best known for her novels, and in particular, the one titled The Shell Seekers. One of my all-time favorites
As I read the short stories this weekend, I once again admired Ms Pilcher for her storytelling but also for the wonderful way she used words I started pondering the way she set a scene or described a place using a smattering of words that managed to transport this reader into the story.
I copied a few sentences or phrases from the book and put a very plain sentence first to show the difference
A. There was a bridge over the river.
B. A bridge curved over a ribbon of water
A. It smelled clean.
B. There was a cool, scrubbed smell, rather like we’ll-kept dairies.
A. She looked up at the sky.
B. She looked up through the leafy boughs of the trees, to the infinite misty arc of the evening sky.
A. It was a nice morning.
B. The morning air was sweet and cold and smelled of the sea.
Notice that the A sentences tell us something, but the B sentences, written by Ms Pilcher, show the reader so much more. Her sentences bring the reader a clear picture.
When we write our stories, we should strive to write the kinds of sentences that Rosamunde Pilcher offered her readers
I finished reading the last story yesterday, and I closed the book with regret that I had come to the end. Wouldn’t we all like our readers to feel the same?
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