Thinking About Theme

Summer Flowers

Today's post is another from the past. It addresses the subject of 'theme' which can be confusing.

Writing is a gift given by God to only a few people.

The craft of writing can be learned by anyone with a desire to write.

Some truth rings in each of these statements. There are definitely people who seem to have a natural ability to write prose that sings, but with study and practice, along with a desire to learn the craft, anyone can write prose that is worthy.

It does not necessarily follow that because you can speak, you can write. Good writing comes down to identifying what tools you need to learn the craft and putting them to use.

An understanding of theme is one of those basic tools.

Theme is often misunderstood or even ignored by the beginning writer and also by some who claim experience in the writing world. In her book Write Away, Elizabeth George says “…most novels are unified around their theme. This—the theme—is the basic truth about which you are writing, the idea you’re playing with..., or the point you are attempting to make.” This internationally best selling novelist goes on to say that even if the theme isn’t addressed directly, the unification of the subplots will make it clear to the reader.

The theme in fiction and nonfiction is the central idea, or focus, that runs through the entire story.  For instance, most fairy tales use the theme of good vs. evil. We select a theme from both good and bad principles of life—guilt, greed, revenge, kindness, service to others, and unconditional love are all possible subjects for a theme in a story. Try making a list of conceivable themes for future stories.

The story you write should illustrate the theme without preaching to the reader. Few readers want to be told what the theme is. It’s much more fun to figure it out as you read. The theme should come through in subtle ways. If it doesn’t, it’s time to go back, rethink and revise. Ask yourself what message you want the reader to take away.

Some people confuse theme and plot. An author friend who writes historical fiction says that what your characters do in a story is your plot, but what they learn is the theme. The plot should illustrate your theme and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Do you select a theme and write a story around it? Or should you write a story and see a theme emerge little by little? There is no set rule. Either way works, but you must be careful that you don’t scatter too many themes throughout the story. All that it does is to confuse the reader who might think: What in the world is she trying to tell me? Pick a theme and stay with it.

When you pick up a book for your own pleasure, read with a critical eye. Look for theme in every piece you read. Search for the message the author sends and ask yourself if the plot of the story brought out the theme. With practice, you’ll find it easier to mentally critique the stories you read, and writing your own stories with a theme in mind won’t be nearly so difficult.

Some Points To Remember

1. Theme is the central idea, or focus, that runs through the entire story.

2. The story should illustrate the theme.

3. What characters do is a plot, but what they learn is the theme.

4.  Let the theme come through the story in subtle ways; don’t preach.

- October 18, 2018 (original publication date)  

 

Writers--Tight is Right

 

When we look at a blank page, be it in a book to use for journaling or on our computer screen, we can write anything we want to. And any way. It's our choice. No holds barred. But wait...

We do have to stay within certain perimeters if we want to see our work published. Editors set word counts. They tell us to send a 'story' not an 'essay' or they tell us what we send must be fiction, or sometimes true. They also don't want writers rambling all over the page. Instead, we're urged to 'write tight.' So many guidelines that fence us in a bit.

To be published, we must follow those rules set by the people who have the final say as to whether your story will be seen by the public or not. 

Let's look at the art of writing tight. Our aim in anything we write is to grab the reader's attention and keep it. If we ramble like a herd of cows on the prairie searching for ever-sweeter grass, we're going to lose our reader in a hurry. 

Master the following and you'll never have a problem being told to write tighter:

1. Eliminate unnecessary words like just, really, quite, very. They do nothing but take up space. 
2. Use active verbs to replace the 'to be' passives like was, is, had been, are. To do this, you may have to flip the order of the sentence. Don't just try to insert the active verb where you had the passive one. It doesn't always work.
3. Practice writing flash fiction; enter flash fiction contests. You want to try the ones that ask for 100 to 300 words, or even less. There can be no extras in this kind of writing. 
4. Delete words wherever you can. If your max word count is 1200, and you have 1357 words, don't despair. You can cut those extra words and not lose anything in your story. I've done it many times, and you can, too. Look for ways to reword a sentence so that it uses fewer words but still gets the same idea across. Cut those unnecessary words. Do all the things mentioned in this list, and you'll be surprised at how many words you can cut. 
5. Get rid of dialog tags by using merely an action to show who spoke. Jane slammed the book on the table. "I will not read anything this woman writes again!" There is no need for the usual 'she said' It's perfectly clear who said it.
6. Use clear and to the point sentences. Don't embellish with lots of adjectives and adverbs.
7. Read a lot of poetry. Why? Poets are masterful in economizing on words. Note how they write and try it in your prose.

Can you write 'too tight?' Yes, and you want to be careful that you don't cut down and out so many things that you've lost your story and will surely lose your readers. 

Keep in mind that 'tight is right.'

Writers Need To Let Inner Thoughts Emerge

The poster advice for today sounds so simple, doesn't it? Go ahead, sit at your computer or on your sofa with notebook and pen, then write with all the 'awesome' you can find. 

Too often, we writers keep that 'awesome' stuff on a tight leash. Yes, we try to write with emotion and often succeed but what if we unclipped the leash and let our deepest thoughts emerge into whatever we are writing? 

If we could do that on a regular basis, we'd be writing some terrific pieces. Instead, we let our inhibitions take over and we write as well as we can without unleashing that 'awesome.' I'm not saying none of us ever write good stories and poetry and essays. Not at all. What I am saying is that, if we could let go of our learned-over-a-lifetime hidden feelings, our writing might be even better.

Ernest Hemingway was known to drink heavily. Maybe he was an excellent writer partly because, when he drank, he didn't care what he said or did. His inner-self rose to the surface and poured into his writing. I'm not advocating writing with a bottle sitting next to you. Not at all. 

Why do we keep part of who-we-are buried within? Maybe we're afraid of what others might say if we expose our true selves. We shouldn't be. Perhaps, there is the fear that if we really let the best writing we have emerge, we will have to keep to that standard and that's hard work.

Of course, we are all different people and the reasons we keep the best hidden deep inside are varied, as well. 

One way you can begin to 'unleash your inner awesome' is to do those free-write exercises that I promote and that so many writing books offer as a tool to work your way to good writing. Why? Let's define the freewrite exercise first. Choose a word or a phrase in any way you like. If nothing else, close your eyes and point to a word in a book, then use it for your exercise. Set a timer for ten minutes. Write the word, then start writing without thinking and without stopping. Let your fingers fly across the keys or holding your pen and write whatever comes to mind. It does not have to make sense. Often, it doesn't but many times the bones of a new story or essay will come forth like a butterfly from its cocoon. The best part is that sometimes thoughts from the inner recesses of your mind spew into what you have written and surprise you.

Another help would be to 'give yourself permission' to write whatever lies buried within. Sound silly? It's not. Our human mind is a wonderful but strange part of us. It's perfectly alright to tell yourself to go ahead and open the dam, let the thoughts flow into your writing.

Building your confidence a little at a time is also going to help you unleash that awesomeness.

We do want to put emotion into what we write; we hope that the reader will feel the emotion. The looser that leash on awesomeness becomes, the more we will be able to put into our writing, the better chance we will have to be published and the more satisfied we will feel. 

Regarding the free-write exercise. Marlene Cullen has a blog that offers free-write prompts on a regular basis. You might take a look at she does on her short but sweet blog. She offers prompts that are more than just single words or a simple phrase. What a great practice for all writers.

Put Yourself Into Your Writing

The poster above refers to artists but we writers are artists who paint with words. The quote made me think about finding topics to write about. It often seems that whatever we consider for a story plan or an essay or a memoir has already been done. And done and done! 

Let's face it. There are only so many story plots, only so many life problems to write in a memoir, only so many essay subjects. Yes, readers are looking for something fresh and new. We writers are also looking for a never-been-done-before topic to write about. 

We can give the readers that 'fresh and new' by pursuing a topic already written about by others but using a new angle or a different perspective. We do that by using our own voice, not copying what another writer has done. 

We dig deep into our own soul to put our own nature into the piece of writing, just as the quote for today tells us. Line up twenty writers, give them a topic to write about and you're going to find twenty different stories, twenty different approaches, twenty different viewpoints. 

Many contests ask participants to write to a theme. Each entrant will interpret the theme using their own experience and imagination--those same two things I talked about yesterday when doing a photo prompt exercise. Each writer will put something of herself/himself into the entry. It's up to the judges to determine who has done it best.

Some of you are going to think that, if this or that successful author has already written on a certain topic, what makes me feel like I can do it better? Maybe it doesn't need to be better. It might work because you have a different experience than that popular writer; you have your own voice; you have creative abilities that others do not. 

Go ahead and write on any topic putting yourself into what you produce. Don't skim the surface. Instead, really look into your own soul and bring it to light through what you write. 

One Special Ingredient In The Personal Essay

Today's quote is the perfect suggestion for a personal essay. In this kind of creative nonfiction, we highlight an experience, but there's a bigger and more important part. The primary purpose of the personal essay is to share what you learned with others. 

We've all been through hurtful experiences, whether long ago in our childhood, or as a young adult or perhaps as a senior citizen. Writing about it is one step in the healing process. Even more important is to write about what positive knowledge you took away from the experience. If you don't include this, then you end up with nothing more than an anecdote. The reader might get to the end and say So what? Why should I care?

Did you learn something about life in general? Did you figure out the personality flaws in others? Or yourself? Did you suddenly realize some universal truth about life that you'd never seen before? It doesn't need to be something earth-shattering. Even small revelations have meaning.

Your personal essay topic does not need only be about something that hurt you in the past. Happy times teach us, as well. Other parts of our past serve us in selecting personal essay topics, too. Did you ever witness a disaster? Did you ever meet a celebrity? Were you ever a bully? Were you bullied? Were you so shy it almost made you sick at times? Did your family go on a special vacation--one you've never forgotten for one reason or another? Was one of your relatives a big part of your childhood? 

What about the place where you grew up? How did it affect your life? Did you have a birthday that stands out for one reason or another? 

I could go on and on. Writers have a wealth of subjects to use as the base of a personal essay. Remember to use your experience to tell readers what you learned. You needn't use a specific sentence that begins with I learned... Weave that bit of knowledge or eye-opening revelation into your story. It does not have to come at the conclusion in a 'wrapping-up' way. Intertwine that golden nugget in any part of your story, or in several. Perhaps you can let your reader discover it just like you did. 

It appears that personal essays are presently in the spotlight, so why not take advantage of the trend and write your own. One step in learning to write good personal essays is to read ones others have written. Read with your 'writer's eye' and do a little analyzing when you finish. What did the essayist do, or not do, that you'd like to emulate?  

Opening Paragraphs Could Use Some Pixie Dust

On the way home from our Thanksgiving visit to our son's family, Ken was driving and I was glued to the passenger seat, scrolling merrily through what seemed like thousands of facebook messages and articles on my phone.

It suddenly dawned on me that I was reading the opening paragraph and either continuing to read or clicking right back to the main page and continuing scrolling. If those opening lines didn't catch my interest, I was flying right on by. If you're a facebook user, you know that you can spend way too much time there. I decided to use my time wisely and read only interesting articles, even though I was stuck in the car and had little else to do. A quick scan of the opening let me know immediately which path I would take. 

Every book about writing addresses the topic of Opening Lines or Opening Paragraphs and the importance of having one good enough to hook your reader.

Grab your reader in your opening! We've read it. We've heard it in workshops. We've listened as people in our critique groups say it. The big question is When we write, do we always try for the opening that will pull our reader in? Maybe we need some of that Pixie Dust our quote above mentions. 

Most writers will agree that the beginning of a new story or any writing project is not easy. You may have the bones of the whole piece in your mind but exactly how to begin is not always clear. The important thing is write something. Anything! When you do your revisions/editing, you can fix up that opening or even write a completely new one. You have to start somewhere so let the thought in your head flow to your fingers and get it written. 

Too often, writers use that opening paragraph trying to introduce the topic or set the scene or give way too much factual, and probably boring, information. 

Action! That's one of the best ways to begin. Let your reader see someone doing something. Let them hear a huge explosion in a city building or a speeding train unable to stop for a truck stalled at a crossing. 

Make something happen that leaves your reader with a question in their mind so that they will want to continue reading to find the answer. Open with someone walking on a lonely train platform at night; they hear the tap, tap of a cane from someone behind them. Right away, you wonder who is the person with the cane? Are they to be feared or someone to be helped? 

Whether you're writing fiction or creative non-fiction, that opening paragraph is crucial to the entire project. It's even important when writing a news article or column in a newspaper. Doesn't matter what you're writing, grab a handful of that Pixie Dust and sprinkle liberally over your opening paragraph. 

Can You Smell That?

A Happy Smell

A Nasty Smell

I read an article about memoir writing the other day. One small section has stayed with me, keeps popping into my mind off and on. It's a very small part of writing memoir that could be applied in fiction writing, personal essays and poetry, as well.

Smell! That's what has been on my mind. Writers know that the sensory details they include bring life to their writing and allows the reader to relate easily. Narrow it down to smell for today. 

When you reach  back into your memory bank, what smells from you childhood do you think of? Which ones, good and bad, stand out? Is it the perfume Great Aunt Nettie always wore? Or the smell of the barn that Grandpa carried with him through his work day? What about the aromas in your mom's kitchen on Thanksgiving Day? Did your grandmother use a certain floor cleaner that you can smell to this very day? 

Here's a list of smells, odors, or aromas that I remember from years ago:

• the big jar of paste at school that the teacher used to fill smaller jars
• chlorine at the swimming pool
• baking in my mom's kitchen--cookies, pies, yeast breads, cakes and more
• gasoline at the station when Dad filled the gas tank in our car
• a red floor oil tht my Great Aunt Jane used on her wood floors
• the real Christmas tree we had every year
• meat roasting in the oven
• the fresh smell after a spring rain
• carnations--they had a sweet, spicy scent unlike the ones today that have no aroma
• sheets dried on a clothesline
• Vicks Vapo-rub that Mom rubbed on our chests when we had a cold
• the special aroma found the minute we walked into a Fannie Mae chocolate shop
• old books
• coffee that my parents drank daily
• a mingling of wonderful aromas in the back room of my grandma's bakery
• the after-smell of a cap gun being shot
• bubble gum
• bleach and bluing my mother used in the laundry
• disinfectant used in the restrooms at school
• ink used in a mimeograph machine
• baby brothers' diapers
• leaves burning in the fall

Make your own list. I'm sure you'll duplicate some of mine but also add others. Your list may trigger memories that can be used when you write a new memoir piece, a personal essay or even a fiction short story. Include the way the smell affected you and your reaction.

Exercise for Today:  Take note of smells as you go about your daily routine. How many different ones have you encountered in one day? Keep a list, then write something about each one.

Writers Use Memories and Life Experiences

I was reminded of this quote when I read a new submission from one of the women who belongs to my online writers group.She wrote a wonderful piece on moving that was filled with emotion and painted a fine picture of all that comes with moving from the safe to the unknown. 

She wrote about this life experience because it is a memory from decades ago. Her husband had just finished graduate school and now they are retired folk. The life experience was filed away in her memory bank, then drawn out to write the story. 

I attended a workshop on memoir a few years ago. The leader, Carolyn Hall, said something in reference to memoir writing that stayed with me. We write to taste life twice. and another quote from the same person is also memorable for me. Go into the attic of your mind. 

We do taste life twice when we write memoir or even when writing fiction or a personal essay based on a life experience. Or a poem. The poems in Ronda Miller's fine book of poetry, Moon Stain, which I reviewed here recently, are about her life experiences, good and bad. In fact, I used life experience in the title of that post. 

Why do we want to go back and relive an experience? If it's a good one, there's not much doubt as to why we want to relive it. If it's a darker event in our life, we may need to look at it again from a different perspective--years later. Writing about a bad experience sometimes helps us understand it better, as well as ourselves.

I definitely loved the quote about going into the attic of your mind. What a picture that gives us. Our life experiences are stored away at the uppermost part of our mind, just like the old photo albums and special dresses safely put away in trunks in your grandparents' attic. They reside there without bothering anyone. One day you suddenly feel a need to visit the attic and look at your life experiences. They formed you into the person you are today, both good and sad happenings. 

Fiction writers often use a snippet of their own life to add to their novel. They let a character experience something they had done in their growing-up years or college days. Poets do the same at times. Some do it subconsciously while others are perfectly aware that they are dragging something from their past out of the attic of their mind. 

Your life experiences and mine are completely different. It's one reason we write stories or essays or poems that are worlds apart. Our memories can be the fuel that ignites our creativity. 

Take time to visit your mind's attic and see what you find. 

Want To Write? Try This

I liked this quote by Theodore Roosevelt. Wise man. April is National Poetry Month so why not believe you can write a poem? As Teddy told us, if you believe you can, you're on your way. Who doesn't know the story of The Little Engine That Could ? Most of us have read it aloud to children or grandchildren. It's the children's version of the poster above.

Believe you can write a short story, a novel, a chap book, or an essay. Yes, even a poem. Believe it and I'm willing to bet that you'll do it. Does it mean it's going to be worthy of a Pulitzer? Not by a long shot. Those first efforts are rarely masterpieces. The big deal about it is that you wrote it.

If you write one essay, poem or story, chances are you'll write others. Of course, the more you write, the better writer you'll become with a few stipulations. Don't build a defensive wall around your writing world. Invite the people who are knowledgeable about writing to come in. Ask for critiques and accept them with grace. If it is returned to you with editing remarks everywhere, just like some of those high school English essays, don't be offended. Rejoice! Well, maybe not quite that but do be appreciative of this great opportunity to learn.

If you don't feel ready for a full crit group, look for one person to be a Writing Buddy. That's the way I started and, to this day, I am filled with gratitude for the many things I learned from my writer friend, Barb.

Other eyes see our work objectively. Other writers will see problems, and also the great parts, much more easily than we do ourselves. I've heard it over and over again in my critique group. Why didn't I see that? is the common response after a crit.

Have you always had a desire to write but are afraid of trying because you think you'll never be able to get published? Do whatever it takes to believe in yourself. It's the best way to get started in the writing world.

Five Traps Writers Should Avoid

Nancy Julien Kopp

This is a guest post I did for Michelle Rafter's Word Count blog awhile back.

Writers are urged to write often, to write voraciously, to write, write, write. Even so, to win the prize — publication — there are myriad things you must do besides putting words on your computer screen.

Non-writing tasks such as reading about writing techniques or joining critique groups are beneficial, even essential. But if you're not careful, those non-writing tasks become traps. You can become caught in a spider web of good intentions that eat into writing time.

The key is to maintain a healthy balance. Review your writing-related activities occasionally to make sure you aren’t falling into a time trap. When you produce fewer and fewer pages, it may be time to step back assess why.

Here are five common writing-related activities and how to get the most out of them without letting them cut into your writing time:

1. Books on writing.  Writers buy or borrow dozens of books on the keys to good writing. But read too much and you risk becoming so busy learning that you forget to apply what you learn. Use books to teach yourself the craft of writing, but be selective.

2. Writing websites and newsletters.  Writing websites, blogs and newsletters offer articles and classes. They also showcase markets, present contests, offer writing prompts and exercises. Many writers subscribe to several, sometimes many more than several. Though these resources offer excellent information, they take precious time to read. Pick the ones you like best and unsubscribe from the others.

3. Critique groups.  A face-to-face critique group is a great place to get constructive criticism and praise for your work. It also provides an opportunity to network with other writers. While writers can profit greatly from them, critique groups also take time. Ask yourself if belonging to one is worth the hours you might otherwise spend writing and if it works into your writing schedule or your home schedule.

4. Research. For many writers, research and reporting is a necessary part of what they do, and for some, it's pure joy. But don't get so involved in the process that you spend far more time than is needed. Practice determining the appropriate amount of time to give to the research end of a story or article.

5. Writers' organizations.  Joining a local, state or national writers group such as the Online News Association or American Society of Journalists and Authors offers networking possibilities with other writers, and can connect you with new-to-you markets and publishers. Being a member also is a way to keep up with the latest trends in your field. However, along with all that, some of organizations require members to become officers, committee chairs and or serve on committees. Before you join, know what you're getting yourself into. Keep your membership to a select number of groups and limit your participation to what you can handle.

Financial experts advise clients to take money out of their paycheck for savings before spending it on anything else. Writing is no different. Those 1,000 words a day take precedence over all other writing-related aspects of your life. Now that you know what the traps are, practice self-discipline to avoid them. Your greatest benefit will be more time to write.

Writer Or Reader? One or Both?

Someone was asking the other day what traits a writer should have and what kinds of things should they do to learn more about the craft. There are many but today I'd like to concentrate on one very important thing all writers should do. 

READ!

We're told to read books about writing and I fully agree with that. As important as that is, I'd add something else, maybe even above that in a list. Read as often as you can. Read the books in the area in which you would like to write. If you want to write Historical Fiction, drown yourself in books of that genre. Make a comparison of the various well-known authors who write this type of novel. Read more than one book by an author. Find the ones you like best and read as many of their books as possible. As you read ask yourself why this person's books appeal to you. What is in them that captures your attention? What makes you come back for more? Is their style one you like or does it put you off?

If you're a poet, wallow in poetry books and magazines. Find the poets you like best. Figure out why you like them. What is in their poetry that speaks to you? 

Do you write memoir? There are plenty of memoir short stories and full length books as this has become a very popular genre. Look at the ways in which the various authors present their story. What did they do that stands out? What parts of the book will you remember for a long time? 

How about sci-fi and fantasy writers? Or Bodice Ripper romances and erotica? If that is what you want to write, read lots of it. Same way with those who want to write for kids. Go to a bookstore or library and read dozens of kid lit in the age group for which you want to write. They change with time. A number of years ago, mood books were huge, and then they slid off into the night, seldom to be seen again. Read the newest ones, read the classics and learn what is appealing about each.

All readers need not be writers but I firmly believe all writers should be readers.

I do know one writer who actually dislikes reading. She'd rather write ten stories than read one. As much as I love her and the stories she writes, I don't understand why she doesn't read. I suppose there are a few others like my friend, but they surely are in the minority.

The one problem I find about reading a lot of other writers is that time becomes a problem. I dearly love to read but I know that it takes away from my writing time. Even so, I wouldn't give it up. And neither should you.

One more thing read for sheer pleasure!

No, You're Not Too Old To Begin Writing

I spent Sunday afternoon at a district meeting of our state organization for writers. During the opening moments of the meeting we told a bit about ourselves and the kind of writing we do for the sake of a new member. One of the women had been at our December meeting but I hadn't learned much about her then so I was pleased to have an opportunity to get to know her better.

She told us she'd done a little writing related to her job a number of years ago and bits and pieces here and there. She would be retiring in a few years and she joined Kansas Authors to see if it might inspire her to begin writing again and perhaps pursue it further in the upcoming years of more freedom and time.

I couldn't help but admire her. Many people who had limited writing experience may have been reticent in joining a group of people who have a longer writing history and write on a regular basis. This woman has hopes of returning to writing. She has a goal and perhaps she is fulfilling a dream, too. She joined in the discussion, asked questions and was definitely a participant, not an observer. I feel quite certain she will attain her goal.

We don't have to jump into the writing world in our twenties or even thirties. It doesn't matter how old we are when we take that leap and pound a keyboard putting words together that we hope someone will read someday. No matter what our age when we begin, we all start with those beginning baby steps and move on.

I was one of those who waited to realize the dream of being a writer. Do I wish I'd started earlier? Absolutely! I've spent just over twenty years pursuing my goal but I've never felt like I was too old to continue. I haven't achieved all the things I'd like to in my writing world. I hope that I'm still writing and setting new goals in my eighties and nineties. As long as I can think and my writing is coherent, I'll continue.I want to keep learning right into my final days.

What about you? Did you ever feel like you were too old to start a whole new project, an entirely new field? It would be easy to talk yourself out of trying. I'm too old is a phrase easily plucked out the clouds whenever fear sets in. We all fear failing when we attempt something different, something we have only a small amount of knowledge about. If we set our minds to giving it a try, we just might find out we can be successful and keep on learning.

Slash, Cut, and Destroy

A writer friend who lives in sunny South Africa shared this poster on facebook today. I found only one thing wrong with it. The man is smiling while he's deleting precious words he'd written in his first draft. Why, oh, why do you think he'd smile about this? He must have a loose screw somewhere, and I don't mean in his computer.

Writing a first draft is hard work. All you have to start with is an idea--totally abstract. Putting words on the screen or paper makes it concrete. It's there. You put all those words together to form a sensible (hopefully) piece of writing, be it an essay, fiction story, memoir or a poem. You let it simmer awhile and then go back to read it. You might find you've gone over the maximum number of words for the market you're aiming at. Or you see that much of what you've written is repetitious or doesn't fit with the theme at all. Time to cut.

When we are newbie writers, cutting anything we've written is absolutely painful. How can I destroy something I've created? It's well worth dumping those redundant, overflowery, off the subject parts of what you've written. We all tend to overwrite in our first draft of a new project. I wonder sometimes if too much enthusiasm for a new piece of writing is partly responsible. We get excited when beginning a new project. We're happy. We're filled with satisfaction. We are ready to plunge ahead in a hurry.

Offering your first draft to a critique group or a trusted writer friend often results in the writer hearing that a great deal of what he/she has written must be deleted. Scratched. Cut out. Destroyed. Doesn't matter what word you use, it must be done if the writer wants a publishable story. Once we accept that doing so is necessary, then we can slash words without any pain whatsoever.

In the early days of my writing life, I could have worn a crown as The Queen of Unnecessary Words. I thank my first online critique group for admonishing me over and over to get rid of those words that added nothing to the story or were redundant or those adjectives that were too many in number. They taught me to put nothing into a story that didn't move the story along, they encouraged dumping long descriptions that made no difference to the story plot. I learned that if I cut all those unnecessary words, my finished product felt exactly that--finished. It was tighter writing, it was stronger, it was more likely to be published.

Maybe I'm wrong in wondering why the man in the poster is smiling as he slashes his way through a first draft. Maybe he is delighted with the end result. Yep, that must be it. He has made his peace with cutting parts of his first effort. So why not smile?

Atychiphobia Begone!

A couple days ago my post addressed fear of rejection along with procrastination and lack of self-confidence. If you didn't read it, check it out here. Let's talk about that fear of failure a little more today. That dictionary word above is one you don't want used as a label for you.

It's a lot more common than we might think.It happens to newbies and to those who have published for many years. There are a lot of writers who have it but don't want to admit it, even to themselves. The first step to overcoming this fear is to admit it. You don't have to shout it to the mountaintops or put an ad in the local paper, but be honest with yourself. When you've finished a story and edited it, are you eager to send it to an editor or do you set it aside and play Scarlett O'Hara whose famous line was I'll think about that tomorrow. That illustrates fear breeding procrastination, doesn't it?

Steps in facing fear of rejection include the following:

1. Admit this fear to yourself

2. Don't procrastinate, meet it head on

3. Make an honest assessment of why you have this fear

4. Educate yourself about the underlying factors--books and articles address this, help is there if we look

5. Take it one step at a time

6. Do all you can to boost your self-confidence--read what experts say to understand your feelings or talk to another writer

7. Start small--don't write a novel as a first project, don't send your first work to a top literary magazine, work up to it

8. Accentuate the positives in your writing life

9. Keep a list of your successes--a great confidence booster

10. Look for a mentor so you're not swimming in deep water by yourself

So don't wear the hat of one who has  atychiphobia. Make yourself good enough by growing as a writer. The better writer you become, the more you can push that fear of rejection behind you. I won't say it will be gone forever because I think we all have it in some degree. The goal is that you don't want to let it rule your writing life. Look at that pronounciation guide for the word and then say the word a few times. Might be a good idea to end with Atychiphobia begone! 

Call For Submissions On A Snowy Day

This morning we are seeing the aftermath of last evening's snow. Only a couple of inches for us but a whole lot of folks across the northern and middle tiers of the USA are getting buried in the cold beauty. It is truly beautiful to look out your window right after it snows--pretty as a picture as the old saying goes, but for me, pretty goes just so far. I much prefer summer, even when it hits 100'. As long as I'm in the A/C of course. Nothing spoiled about me, is there?

Snowy days provide us time to stay indoors, if we're fortunate not to have to go to work elsewhere, and give us time to devote to our writing. To kick off the new year, I've got a few calls for submissions for you to look into. Go through your files and see if you have something that might work. Or better yet--maybe you'll be inspired to write something new to send to one of these places. 

For those who have never submitted their writing for publication, it's a daunting process at times and it takes some learning as you go. But every writer started with that very frist submission at some point. If you don't take that first step, you'll never make progress on the path to publication. Now, for today's list. Click on the highlighted print to get the link to read more. Read guidelines carefully.

1.  Whispering Prairie Press  Based in Kansas City, this magazine for the arts and literature is not limited to Kansas City writers. Anyone can submit to Kansas City Voices  

2.  Carte Blanche a literary magazine

3.  Chicken Soup for the Soul  This page will show you the books that need stories. Be sure to visit other pages on the site to get guidelines 

4.  Tablerock Poetry Festival Anthology  Deadline is February 6th--looking for poem about dogs and cats

5.  The First Line  An interesting website that gives the first line and asks writers to finish the story. Check the website and then go to submission page

6.  Fun For Kidz magazines  For children's writers. Several magazine under one publisher. Spend time looking over the website and guidelines

Baby Steps Are Best

"I'm going to be a writer." How many of you have said that at some period in your life? I'm willing to wager that the numbers are pretty high. Saying it and doing it are two distinctly different things. We don't declare something like this that will affect our entire lives and then expect it to happen in the manner of a fairy waving her magic wand. Poof! You're a writer. If only!

No, it begins with tiny steps. I can't tell you how many writers I know who startred out by writing a novel to pursue a dream. But guess what? Writing a novel is an enormous step. Starting out with a huge project like that often leads to frustration, failure and giving up.

In your first year of life, you were pretty helpless at the beginning, dependent on others to feed you, change you, turn you over, bathe you and more. You learned a lot that first year--you smiled, turned over, sat up alone, crawled, said a word or two, and you finally learned to walk. But you walked with baby steps. By the time you were two, you ran and jumped and did so many more things that brought clapping of hands and praise from Mama and Daddy.

Beginning a career, or even a hobby, as a writer should progress in much the same way. Start small and move along in baby steps. Write lots of short stories before you attempt a novel. Write short poems before you tackle the epic narrative. Write snippets of memoir before you try a full-blown memoir story. Then consider a nonfiction book in the memoir genre.

That fairy with her magic wand can rarely be found, so it's up to you. Start with those baby steps to reach your goal. The important thing is to make that first move. The more steps you take in your writing life, the easier it is and the better you write. Start small; aim high.

You Can Write A Travel Article

If you're a writer and have traveled anywhere, you can write a travel article. I've written several, some of which have been published. St. Patrick's Day, being tomorrow, brought to mind a wonderful trip to Ireland. While browsing in a gift shop, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and there was my husband looking like a leprechaun. It was so surprising to see him in the green hat and beard that I laughed so hard, I had tears coming and no words. 

But that memorable moment was not what I wrote about. Instead, I chose to write about our visit to Blarney Castle. "Kissing The Blarney Stone" has been published more than once and also won a contest at womens' memoir website.  

I wrote a piece on the town in Germany where one of my husband's grandfather's grew up. "Grandpa's Town"  was published at Dave's Travel Corner. I'd entered it in one of his contests. It didn't win but was published in his ezine. 

The first story about Blarney Castle put a personal spin on a tourist attraction, while the one about Ken's grandfather's hometown was more of a personal essay with a travel angle.

There are many different approaches to travel articles. The personal essay travel piece has gotten more popular in recent years. And I think they are more fun to write. There is a place for the non-personal travel article, too. 

You don't need to give a day by day description of your trip. Select one part of the trip and enlarge upon it.  Let readers see a place through your eyes. Think about trips you've taken. I bet there are lots of things that would work in a travel article. Make it current. Make it personal. Make it fun.