Rules For Writers

 I ran across today's poster this morning, and it made me stop and think about my writing life. And yours! Rules for Life can be applied to anyone, but today, let's consider them for writers. One by one.

See Failure As A Beginning, Not An End:  What about all those rejections you've received over the years? Have you considered leaving the writing world because of them? Ever beat yourself up by telling yourself you're not a very good writer? Easy enough to do. Instead, put all that behind you and move on. Make this day the beginning of your writing career. 

If You Don't Go After It, You Won't Have It:  I definitely agree with this. You can't merely sit at your desk and vegetate. You need to be proactive. Don't sit and wait for good things to happen in your writing life. Get out there and help those good things to happen. Go to a workshop. Attend a conference. Read and read some more about writing. And, spend some time writing every day. As little or as much as you can find.

Always Do More Than Is Expected Of You:  Remember teachers giving extra credit work? If you did that extra assignment, you got more points, upped your grade. The same goes for your writing. Don't do just enough to get by. Put in some extra effort. If you're taking a writing class, do the assignment but put a little more into than only trying to finish. It pays off in the long run.

Teach Others What You Know: If the opportunity comes up for you to teach a workshop or serve on a panel at a writing conference, don't shy away from it. Share what you've learned with others. If you're not asked, volunteer your services. Let someone in charge know you're willing to help. I've gained as much as I've given in leading workshops.

Assume Nothing And Question Everything:  Isn't this how we learn? If you're stuck on a writing project, there's no shame in asking another writer for some help. They can be more objective than you. 

Make Peace With The Past Or You'll Pay For It:  We've all had difficult times in our writing lives. Don't let it become that nasty little voice whispering in your ear about your failures. Move on, or dwelling on past problems will drag you down.

Stop Thinking So Much And Start Acting: What good advice this is! How often do you get a story idea and mull it over in your mind. And over, and over, and... Stop thinking about it and start on that first draft. 

Never Compare Yourself To Others:  This may be the last in the list but certainly not the least. I am me. Kristin Hannah is herself. John Grisham is himself. YOU must be yourself, not like any other writer. 

I like lists, and this is a great one for writers. 

Writers and Discouragement

 

We love to post our successes on social media. It allows us to share with others and perhaps give them a link to reading our newest publication, be it a book, short story, personal essay or any other kind of writing. Letting others know about our successes is part of building a writer's platform. 

But what about the rejections we get and the frustrations we often face as writers? Do we want to share those on social media? I don't, and you don't either. That part of our writing life we generally keep private. Who wants to blow their horn about the twenty rejections received on one story? 

We often get discouraged when a writing project doesn't go well. We saw it in our mind so clearly. Knew what we wanted to accomplish. Then, the actual writing doesn't go as well. What do we do? Our choices run from scratching the project altogether to spending a great deal of time revising and editing until the piece becomes what we'd envisioned in the first place. 

If we want to find some success in our writing life, we need to keep working until we are satisfied enough to be ready to submit to a publisher. 

Years ago, I made a lot of my daughter's clothes. Every pattern comes with step-by-step directions. Occasionally, something didn't go right, and I knew I couldn't continue to the next step until I figured it out. I'd become frustrated. What to do? I found that if I walked away for a day or two, then came back, the answer was there, and I could move on with the project. We can do the same when our writing isn't working out to our satisfaction. Walk away for at least a day, maybe longer. What seemed so complex earlier might suddenly look easier.

That old adage 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' comes into play when we get discouraged in our writing life. One other way you can try again is to visit with a writing friend. There's no shame in asking for help. Another person can see the problem what the writer cannot. They are objective, while we, as writers, are often not. 

Our poster today tells us that it is often the last key that opens the lock. We have to keep trying until we find the key that makes our writing projects ready for submission. 

Read and Study the Writer Guidelines!

 

The writing, revising and editing are done. What a relief! Now, it's time to find a place to submit your latest story, essay, article, or poem for publication. More steps to take in the marketing process. Today, I'm going to concentrate on one of those steps. Guidelines! 

I can't stress enough how important it is to read and study the guidelines of whatever publication you plan to submit to. Note those two words--read and study.

Before you can do that, you must find the guidelines. You'll find a wide array of the way publications give guidelines. Some give none at all. They do themselves and you a disservice. They probably get many submissions that don't fit their template. You waste time and effort by submitting without knowing what the guidelines are. 

Some give a few requirements and others offer extensive guidelines for the writer. Those who do help the writer and themselves, as well. They aren't going to receive submissions that don't fit their publication. Oh, maybe a few from writers who don't pay attention to guidelines, but they won't be inundated by submissions that will get an automatic rejection because the writers did not 'read and study' very well. 

Two publications that I have found with the lengthiest and most detailed guidelines are Knowonder! magazine for children. I don't believe they are still publishing, but when they did, the writer knew exactly what they were looking for. They even gave writing examples to illustrate their requirements. 

The other publication that offers a long list of guidelines is Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. When I want to submit to one of their books, I read the guidelines, even though I have had many stories published by them. I read them to refresh my mind and to check to see if my story fits within the parameters they set. These editors not only tell you what they want but also what they do not want. 

Sadly, many writers do not bother with reading the guidelines. Yes, it takes a little time but will help you decide whether to submit to that publication or move on. 

One thing I always look for is whether the publication takes reprints. It's great to be able to sell a piece more than once. Often, the pay is less, or even no pay, but it is one more publication for you. If they don't specify, it's probably not a good idea to submit an already published piece. Some will say 'no previously published work' while a few others will state 'reprints accepted'. 

Take the time to read and study those guidelines. It will be of great benefit for you to do so. 

Writing Brings Blessings

Today's poster tells us to look for the blessings of each day. We can relate that advice to our writing life, as well.

For some reason, we seem to allow the more difficult times of our writing world to take precedence over the good parts. Why do we want to drag ourselves down with wallowing in our problems? Perhaps it's one of the human failings we all must deal with. 

Wouldn't it be better to remind ourselves of the many pluses in our writing life? How about making a list of the blessings, or good things? I've made a list below. Check the ones that apply to you and add any others I may have missed. 

A. The many people my words have reached

B. The people I have met through my writing, both writers and readers

C. The knowledge I have gained through reading about writing

D. All I've gleaned from the workshops and conferences I've attended

E. The growth I've seen in my writing over the years

F.  The joy I feel when my writing is published

G. The satisfaction I get when a writing project is completed

Isn't it better to dwell on the components of this list rather than the late hours you've used to write, or the multiple rejections, or the problem of making a story work and so many more negative parts of our writing life. 

Today, dwell on the blessings in your writing life. Doing so might give you a lift, make you smile, and encourage you to write something new. 

Write about Mardi Gras!

 Shrove Tuesday is coming up in a couple days. Mardi Gras celebrations are going on in many places in our country. The final days of fun and frivolity before Ash Wednesday, which happens to fall on Valentine's Day this year. The most well-known Mardi Gras celebration takes place in New Orleans, but many other cities have their own, albeit smaller, celebrations.

For a writing exercise, try writing a paragraph or more highlighting the Mardi Gras celebration. Consider the colors that represent this time. Purple, Green, and Gold. What about traditions, the parades, the foods. And more? Do a little research about this celebratory time. Check your favorite search engine for facts and customs.

Instead of writing nonfiction about Mardi Gras, try writing a short story with Mardi Gras as the setting for your characters. The possibilities here are endless. A mystery perhaps with a body falling from one of the famed balconies in the French Quarter. A poisoning in one of the famed restaurants in New Orleans. A love affair gone wrong. A new love. A dog getting lost in the French Quarter. Get creative!

Write about the foods connected with Mardi Gras time. Do a bit of research, then start writing. Researching first makes sure you're accurate in what you write. 

How about the many masks worn by revelers? They range from plain to fancy to amazing. Check a website for more information on the masks. 

Laissez le bon temps rouler! It's the common greeting during Mardi Gras. Translated to English, it is: Let the good times roll! Incorporate this phrase into your writing exercise. 

In this exercise, you will do some research, learn a few things you might not have known before, tried to write interesting, detailed paragraphs about the many facets of Mardi Gras, or write a short story. Don't forget to use sensory details, show instead of tell, and other good mechanics of writing. You might have a little fun along the way!

Try Writing a Wee Bit of Memoir

 

This post was published on Kathy Pooler's memoir website several years ago. It's still pertinent today. 

How About Only a Wee Bit of Memoir?

You’ve been through a traumatic period in your life or an event that just won’t stop invading your heart and mind. You decide to write a memoir. Big decision. Big story. Big job.

You begin the first chapter with the enthusiasm of an athlete who knows she’s at the top of her game. Confident with a goal of reaching the trophy at the end. And then, the idea of writing an entire book about what occurred somewhere in your life becomes a bit frightening, even overwhelming. I’ve noted memoir writers who confess that they have never written before but felt the story needed to be told. How do it can be a big stumbling block.

If you’re a newbie writer, it stands to reason that this great undertaking might be too much to handle. Even if you have some writing background, a whole book can be daunting. What to do?

Try writing short memoir pieces. A lot of personal essays and stories in anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul can be classified as memoir. I’ve written dozens of them, and let me tell you, a 1200 word memoir story for an anthology is a lot easier to write than a 300 page book. 

If you’re thinking that you couldn’t possibly get all that happened into 1,000 to 2,000 words, you’re right. The short memoir is merely a snippet of what you’d include in a full book. 

Think about the meaning of the word memoir—a memory or reminiscence. The first short memoir I had published was about my dad making a valentine box for me to take to school when I was in the second grade. Making the valentine box wasn’t the important part. That came when I, only 7 years old, realized that my daddy, who had little spare time to devote to me, loved me. We take things like this for granted but this particular day, the fact settled over me like a warm comforter. The story is a mere sliver of memoir. I couldn’t write an entire book about that valentine box, but I could include the story within a lengthy memoir about the love/hate relationship that developed between us as the years slid by. 

Many a personal essay begins with a memory and finishes with a universal truth or a lesson learned. Basically, it is a short form memoir, but for some reason, we tend to think of memoir as a full book. If you want to write short memoir pieces, you’ll need to change your mindset. Once you do, there’ll be no problem in continuing to write these wee little bits of your life. 

Consider this. Once you have a file filled with these short stories, you can piece them together like a quilt top and create a full-length memoir. In addition, if you can publish some of these short memoirs, you might still use them in your full book, as long as you retain the rights to the stories.

There are writing contests that use Memoir as a category. My state authors group has found this contest category to be one that receives the most submissions. The word count varies from year to year—sometimes 1500 words or less, but never over 2,000. 

When writing the short memoir, remember to give the facts but also your feelings and what you may have learned. Use all the writing tools in your kit, such as sensory details, similes and metaphors, active verbs and more exactly as you would with any other type of writing. 

Give short memoir a try. That wee bit could lead to something much bigger. 

 

How To Tell A Story

Sometimes, it's the simple things that help us become better writers. Our poster today makes a good point. Susanna Kearsley, author of several novels, tells us we should learn to put a story on paper in the same way we'd tell it to a friend. Perhaps over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. 

We'd tell our friend the story using the same voice we always do in conversation. Writers too often consider writing the story with every i dotted and t crossed, or in other words, in perfect grammar. We don't talk the way grammar gurus tell us we should write, do we? When you and I are having a conversation, we use contractions. A lot! We use a bit of slang now and then. We use fragments of a sentence once in a while. It's our everyday way of speaking. In writing a story, putting it in print the way we talk will make your reader comfortable. It will take away some of the stilted language we use when writing with perfect grammar and word usage. 

Don't get me wrong. I am not telling you to never write the way the textbooks tell you. We should to a certain extent. We should also try for a familiar use of words and sentences, as well. Where do you draw the line? That's up to the writer. 

Ms. Kearsley goes on to say we shouldn't 'imitate' others. Louise Penny has her voice, or style of writing. John Grisham has his. Charlotte Bronte doesn't sound like Ernest Hemingway. They each tell a story in their own style. The worst thing a writer, especially a newbie writer, can do is to try to sound like an already well-known author. Instead, aim to sound like yourself. Like you'd talk to a friend during an in-person chat. 

Make it a goal to tell your stories like yourself. Use the kind of sentences you would use when talking to someone. It's a small point when you consider all the other points we're told are very important when we write. Even so, it will add a great deal to the story you are writing.