Take Your Time When You Self-edit

How do you edit your work? Do you write a paragraph and then go back and make changes? Or do you get to a halfway point in a story/essay, stop and go back to do a first edit? Or are you a writer who completes a first draft before starting to edit?

I prefer writing a complete first draft before doing any editing. Get the whole story written from beginning to middle to end. Then read through it once and put it away. Put it away? Yes, stash it in a file if you're composing on your computer. If writing in longhand, put the papers in a folder and out of your sight.

I can hear you say something like But I'm really into this now and I'd like to edit and send it out right away.  Big mistake. You may have the skeleton of a story written but it's nowhere near ready to submit even though it might sound pretty good to you once you've written it.

Wait a few days, even a week, and then read through that first draft. I promise that you will see things that need reworking immediately, problems that you would probably have overlooked on the day that you wrote the draft. It's alright though. You've got the base and now is the time to revise and do a line by line edit.

After you do your editing, put the piece out of sight again for another day or two.Then look at it with an objective eye. Are you satisfied? Or do you still see places where you can make improvements?

How many times can a writer edit one piece of work?  If you are such a perfectionist that you continue to edit over and over, you're liable to undo a lot of good that you did in that earlier first draft. How much editing is too much? That's hard to say but I'd say two, three times works well.

Have you ever watched a movie you liked again? Were there things in it that you missed on that initial viewing? I always get more out of a movie the second time I see it. Reading our initial draft and then the edited version is much the same.

Each time you edit, you see more that can be revised. Some writers want to add too much when they edit. Others are fearful of cutting. It makes me think of Goldilocks and The Three Bears story. You want to be like Baby Bear's porridge, chair and bed. They were just right for Miss Goldilocks. You want to get whatever you've written just right so take some time when editing. A rush job will not give you a polished product.

A Family Memory Christmas Story

Today's post is a Family Memory story I wrote  a couple of years ago. It might trigger a childhood memory or two for you. If it does, write the story for the Family Memories Book. Take time out of your busy day and do it while it's fresh in your mind. 

A Wish, An Angel, and A Big Baby Doll

By Nancy Julien Kopp

My bottom lip quivered when my mother laughed and said, “You’re too old for baby dolls.”

I didn’t think twelve was too old to play with dolls. My cousin, Carole, had the most wonderful baby doll, one the size of an actual infant. She wore real baby clothes. I coveted that doll more than anything I’d seen in my entire life. The one time of the year we got new toys was Christmas, so this was the perfect time to ask for one.

I took a deep breath. “Carole has one, so why shouldn’t I?”

   

 This time my mother didn’t laugh at me. She stopped rolling the pie crust dough. “Girls who are twelve and in sixth grade don’t play with dolls. Carole’s only eleven and in the fifth grade.” She started rolling the dough again.

    

Why did a year make such a difference? I only had one doll, a Shirley Temple look-alike given to me six years earlier. At twelve, I had perfected sulking, and so I proceeded to do so. I watched while my two younger brothers turned the pages in the Sears catalog writing their initials next to the toys they wanted. The catalog filled quickly with the letters H and P. It probably wasn’t worth putting any N’s there. I only wanted one thing, and it looked like I wasn’t going to get it.

Even so, I harbored a twinge of hope all through the weeks that led up to the big day. We lived in a small apartment with little storage space, so my mother wrapped the gifts she purchased immediately and stacked them on the dressers in the bedroom where she and Dad slept. She delighted in sending us in there on made-up errands so we could watch the piles grow.  I didn’t see a box that might hold a life-size baby doll. Maybe tomorrow…

    

Signs of Christmas were all around us. We listened to an episode of the The Cinnamon Bear on the radio every day after school. The same story about two children and a stuffed bear searching for a special star ran every year in December, and despite knowing the ending, I listened every afternoon after school while I snacked on the latest Christmas cookies that appeared daily, washing them down with cold milk. But I thought about the big baby doll.

    

Mom baked many kinds of cookies, storing them in gaily patterned tins. I helped frost the sugar cookies and sampled the others that came out of the oven as soon as they cooled. Tiny rolled-up rugelach, powdered-sugar-coated crescents, and of course, chocolate chip.  Cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, and frosted layer cakes made our holiday special. We had fudge every Christmas—so soft and gooey, it had to be eaten with a spoon. While the spicy smells of the holiday filled the air, I thought about the doll.

    

A few days before Christmas, Dad put up the tree and strung the colored lights. Next, we three kids hung the ornaments. Being oldest, I was in charge of the upper branches. Howard worked on the next tier, and Paul, who was only four, put ornaments on the

bottom branches. We finished with silver tinsel that shimmered in the Christmas tree lights. Christmas music played on our big console radio in the living room. If I got my doll Christmas morning, it would be a perfect holiday.

    

A special angel adorned every tree of my growing-up years. Mom pressed the angel’s pink satin dress, smoothed out her gold wings, and fluffed up her hair so she was ready to stand on top of our tree, watching over us. Dad waited until we decorated the entire tree, then he put the angel on the highest point. That year—1951-- I wondered if angels could grant special Christmas wishes. Just in case, I silently told her mine. She didn’t laugh or scold, just smiled sweetly while I inhaled the special aroma of the fir tree.

    

On Christmas Eve, we kids brought one of our everyday socks to the living room and Mom pinned them onto the back of an overstuffed chair since we had no fireplace with a mantel. We knew Santa would fill them with an orange, walnuts still in the shells and a few pieces of candy. Before we went to bed, Howard, Paul and I brought out all the colorful packages from the bedroom and watched as Dad arranged them under the tree.

    

It seemed almost magical with the lights, ornaments and the packages filled with secrets underneath, all watched over by the sweet pink angel on the top. All too soon, we were shooed off to bed with the annual reminder that the sooner we went to sleep, the sooner Christmas would arrive.

    

In the morning, my brothers found the gifts Santa brought them next to the tree, for Santa never wrapped his gifts. The boys knew immediately who they were from. Each of them received one of the items they’d marked in the Sears catalog weeks earlier. No

Santa gift for me. Twelve year old girls didn’t play with dolls and they didn’t get gifts from Santa either. I swallowed my disappointment and settled down on the sofa waiting for Dad to pass out the wrapped packages, one by one.

    

We opened many packages that held practical items like new socks or pajamas and others that had small toys and comic books, some jewelry for me. I noticed a good-sized box in the corner that I hadn’t seen the night before. When we’d opened all the others, Dad handed me the big box. I looked at him and Mom, then at the angel on the tree. Could it possibly be?

    

“Open it,” Dad said.

    

I ripped the paper off and removed the lid, and gazed down on the face of the big baby doll I’d hoped for. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or hug my parents. Instead, I lifted the doll carefully out of the box and cradled her against me.

    

I looked at my mother still in her bathrobe and slippers on this holiday morning. My bottom lip quivered once again, but I finally got the words out. “But you said I was too old for dolls.” 

    

“Sometimes mothers are wrong. Daddy and I decided that if it was something you wanted so very much, you should have it. You’ve never had a lot of dolls like some girls.”

    

I laid my treasure on the sofa and rushed to my mother’s side. I hugged her and thanked her and then put my arms around my dad and squeezed hard, whispering my thanks in his ear.

    

Everyone moved to the kitchen to eat breakfast, but before I joined them, I stopped to say a silent thank you to the pink angel on the treetop. I picked up my special Christmas gift thinking about the fun Carole and I would have later in the day when her family joined ours for dinner.

 

Looking For Inspiration To Write?

A Jack London website mentions that he wrote fifty books in a sixteen year period. Many of his books were based on his own experiences on the sea and in the wilderness. His quote impressed me. He didn't sit inside a warm, toasty house waiting for inspiration to strike. He created his own inspiration, or so it seems.

Perhaps too many writers sit in front of the computer each morning and wait for inspriation to come floating by, then drop down into their lap. Oh, if only it could be that easy. Where do we find inspiration for our stories, poems, essays and other writing? It is rarely found in your desk chair in front of your laptop.

I once had a friend comment that she couldn't understand how I could be a writer. You're such a social person and writers are introverts and often recluses. That was her personal interpretation of a writer. She went on to say she thought I'd be lonely spending so much time alone writing. I never consider writing time as being lonely. After all, I'm with the people I'm writing about and thinking about the ones I'm writing for. I can't say I've ever felt lonesome while writing.

Yes, I truly am a social person. I like being where the action is--with my friends, at meetings or conferences, with family, at sporting events. Besides the joy of being with others, that is often when I find inspiration to write. Something I see or hear will trigger an idea. There have been times when I've grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down a few words to jog my memory later on.

I imagine Jack London spent time with others who, like him, led an adventurous life. They must certainly have been an inspiration to him and I'm guessing thata many of his characters were based on people he'd actually met or observed somewhere.

People watching in a coffeehouse, at a sporting event or in an airport can inspire a writer over and over. Think of all the people you see in situations like that all the little slices of life you witness. Sitting in a pub listening to the tales others at the table are telling can be inspiring to a writer, too. We often rely on our own memories to help get us in the writing mode but the memories of others can also be an isnpiration.

If you want to write a baseball story, where is the best place to get some inspiration and background? Needless to say, it's a ball park. Looking to write a story about the life of a monk? Visit an abbey. Where are you going to find inspiration for an article on learning to be a chef? Maybe at a culinary school.

In other words, don't sit at home and research the topic on google. Get out there and find your inspiration. Nobody is going to come along and drop it into your lap. It's up to you.

Oh C'mon--Give A Book This Year

The Book Lover's Christmas Tree

Here we are in that awful decision making time of year. What shall I get for Aunt Martha? Would Mary Sue like these salt and pepper shakers or not?  Gift giving time has its pros and cons as we can all attest. 

For the readers on your list, definitely consider a book. You usually know the person well enough to figure out the kinds of books he/she likes. But what if they've already read it? you might ask. There are three solutions to that problem.

Solution  #1: Get a book that is just published. Odds are the person has not rushed out to buy it yet.

Solution  #2:  Give a gift card to a book store or for Amazon

Solution  #3:  Buy a book you think the person would like and include a gift receipt so that they can exchange it if they have already read it. Make it easy by not ordering online if you think the book might get exchanged. 

Where are you going to purchase these gift books?

 1. If the person lives in the same town you do, consider a local bookstore. Makes it easy to exchange and you're supporting a local business. 

2.  If the book is something you know will not be exchanged, try Amazon.com. Prices are definitely a draw here.

3.  One of the major bookstores like Barnes and Noble or Hastings that seem to be in most cities of any size

4.  Places like Target and Walmart have book sections and the prices are generally discounted.

5.  Even your local grocery stores often have book sections

6.  Library Used Books Shelf:  OK, this one is possibly a stretch but you can find books that look brand new. Only problem is that there is no return. Maybe this is a good place to 'gift' a book to yourself!

Have you read a book this year that you loved and would like others to read, too? Perfect gift for your book lover friends or relatives. Include some classics as well as newly published books. 

Definitely consider books for gifts for children. In this e-world we live in, we need to work hard to promote reading for pleasure to the younger generations. If you're not sure what books are the most popular, ask for help from a clerk or your local children's librarian. They have the knowledge and are usually happy to share. 

Lastly, shouldn't writers be the one group of people that supports reading and books in every way possible? Maybe the writer's slogan for December should be Give A Book! If you've been fortunate enough to have a book published this year, what better gift to give than an autographed copy of your own work? 

I couldn't agree more!

How Do You Rate Payment For Your Writing?

My latest Chicken Soup for the Soul Book

Reboot Your Life

We have a couple new members in my online writing group. They've spent some time reading the bios of the others in the group. Both asked about writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul after they noted that several of us have been published by the anthology and saw a call for submissions in our monthly marketing list.

One wondered if it was worth it for payment of only $200 when you could command a much higher amount by selling to a national magazine or some other venue that pays more. The other asked if we who have written for the anthology thought it had advanced our career.

In mulling over their questions, I came to the conclusion that it all comes down to perspective. If you're trying to make a living as a freelance writer, then the $200 isn't going to go very far in your living expenses. Freelancers who must live on what they make need a faster turnover than Chicken Soup gives and more compensation.

For hobbyist writers, which I consider myself to be, that $200 is fine and the exposure I've gotten has helped me move along in my writing world. I'm not famous, nor will I ever be, but having had stories in 15 Chicken Soup books certainly hasn't hurt me as a writer.

This anthology sometimes receives submissions in the thousands for each book and only selects 101 stories, so making it is a real upper for the writer. It allows a writer to preen her feathers just a little when the announcement comes sailing through cyberspace into the Inbox of the email program.

As for the amount of payment, that $200 and 10 copies of the book are a lot more than most other anthologies pay writers. I've had payment of $100, $50, $25 and even one at $10. The next question might be Why do you bother submitting to those that pay so little? Every writer has to make that decision for her/himself. Ask yourself if the payment is your top priority. Or is it the addition to your publications list? Or is it achieving success with one of your stories? Is it being able to share your true-life stories as a help to others? Is it just plain personal satisfaction?

As for whether my work in Chicken Soup has advanced my career--I think it has given me some recogntion which, in turn, triggered this blog to help other writers. It's also given me some satisfaction but I'm not writing to put food on our table. I can be satisfied with these pluses whereas a person trying to earn a living as a writer might not.

Years ago, a new member in our writing group told us that she'd quit her fulltime job to pursue a fulltime writing career. She was a good writer in many ways but she also had a lot to learn about the finer points of writing. She knew next to nothing about choosing markets, the submission process and more. Needless to say, she became discouraged in a short time. She kept at it for a few more months, then quit writing completely and started a business of a completely different type. She would have made a good hobbyist writer, using what she made as a supplement to her other income.

So yes--it's what side of the fence you're standing on as to whether writing for a publication like Chicken Soup for the Soul is worthwhile. Or any other low-pay but high-exposure publication. Knowing what you want and what you can expect from your writing will help you decide.

A Writer's List For Santa

Kids learn to make a list for Santa at a very early age. I ask my children and grandchildren to send me a list of things they might like to have for Christmas every year. Those lists are pretty interesting sometimes. 

For today's writing exercise, make a list for Santa of all the writing-related gifts you'd like to receive this year. Make it as long or as short as you like. Make it as minimal or as big as you like. Make it things that are definitely possible and some that are wild dreams. With Santa in charge, maybe even some of those wild dreams might come to fruition. There's nothing wrong with dreaming a little.

Here's a list I made for myself:

Dear Santa,

If it's not too much trouble, these are the things I'd really like to have in my writing life. Even one or two would make me very happy. I've been a good girl this year. I've tried to help my fellow writers with my blog. So Santa, here's my list:

1. An ebook of my own that sells

2. Stories accepted in several new Chicken Soup for the Soul books

3. More Followers on my blog

4. The ability to write better fiction for adults

5. To sell my juvenile novel to a publisher

6. Some new markets for my submissions

7. To go to two or more writing conferences in 2015

8. To sell a story/article to a major magazine

9.  To have a special new poem published

10. To appear on national TV to promote a book I've had published

11. Two weeks alone in a cottage by the sea to write to my heart's content

Now, it's your turn. What gift related to your writing world s do you want Santa to bring you? Share in the comments box. Your list might give the rest of us some ideas. 

Writing Time In This Busy Month

Oh wow! It's the busy month beginning today. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, you're going to wish you had some extra hours in each day.

It's easy to push your usual activities away and concentrate on all that comes with getting ready for and celebrating holidays. What if you didn't write anything for a full month? 31 days! Would you be quick to jump back into your writing life on January 1st? Possibly not.

Writing regularly is a habit. Once broken, habits are sometimes difficult to get re-established. But what's a busy writer to do?

Don't sweep your writing under the rug this month. Instead, cut back if you must but make a little extra time in your day to write something. It might only be a couple short paragraphs or a short poem but that's perfectly alright. You have written something! For me, it could be my daily post on the blog.

If you've started doing those Morning Pages discussed in an earlier guest post by Annette Gendler, you can still keep up with them if you get up even twenty minutes earlier. It might not be a writing project that you can end up submitting to an editor, but it's time writing, time to keep your writing habit going. Besides that, some interesting things come from writing those Morning Pages and can sometimes lead to a new story.

There are so many inspiring moments during the month of December. When they pop into your life, take a few moments to write something. Might be a cliche, but strike while the iron is hot works here.

Time is a gift that we can give ourselves. We might have to work a bit of magic now and then to do so but writers are pretty good at things like that. Don't move your writing life into a dark corner where it will gather dust. Keep it alive and well this month, even if you devote less time than usual. Less is always better than none.