"We wanted to see how far we could go..."
~from Salem Falls
So we're supposed to get hit with a nor'easter this weekend, Sunday into Monday. And maybe lasting until Tuesday. What?? In mid-April? I know, I know, it isn't unheard of, but still. I've had my fill of snow and sleet and temps that chill you so you never really get warm.
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Anyone looking for a good read should check out Jodi Picoult's novel Salem Falls. I'm a fan of her writing, though the last couple novels didn't blow me away. But SF is a great modern twist on the Salem Witch Trials...the story of what happens when a group of teenage girls decide to see how much they can get away with in accusing a newcomer to their town of rape. Suspenseful, great character development, and enough twists en route to the end that will keep you guessing!
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There's a discussion going around on the Samhain Author Loop about Myspace. Many, many authors have pages to promote themselves, I know. They connect with "friends," display their covers, blog about their writing. And many people believe it's the #1 way to promote yourself these days.
I, however, do not have a Myspace page and really never plan to. My reason? All my high school students do, and from the start I believed that it was more a place for the younger crowd to socialize than anything else.
I haven't heard authors say that Myspace necessarily translates to more sales, just a wider base of people who know you. I suppose that's the purpose of promotion, anyway. Still, I can't bring myself to give in. Any site where my students hang out on off hours isn't really a place I want to be. Sort of like the mall arcade, or one of their basements.
But does anyone feel differently? Am I really "missing the opportunity of a lifetime" (one of the Samhain author's claims) if I don't have a Myspace page??
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday's Feast
"Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us."
~Paul Theroux
Anyone care to join me and play along?
Appetizer
When you were a child, which crayon color was your favorite? Cornflower blue…and I have no idea why I remember this. I think I liked the name as much as the color!
Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how likely would you be to change jobs if it required you to move? Well, I like to travel, like to live in different places and have done just that for a job, so I guess it would depend on the job and the location. If it were Maui, I think I might wash dishes just for the opportunity to see those sunsets on a regular basis!
Salad
Salad
Take all the numbers in your birthday and your phone number and add them up, one by one. What’s the total? Are you kidding? Math, this early in the morning?
Main Course
Have you ever “re-gifted” anything? If so, what was it and who did you pass it on to? Actually, no. I hate the idea…and I hate magazine articles that talk about “what to do with the worst gift you ever received.” Gifts aren’t material items; they’re gestures. I try always to appreciate the gesture, not the form it comes in.
Dessert
Name something you need from the store. I don’t think there’s anything I actually need, unless it’s more fruit. I love fruit. Never have enough of it. In fact, sometimes on vacation if we're eating out a lot, I'll have to find the local grocery store and buy some apples or bananas or grapes just to have in the hotel room so I don't go through withdrawal. Is that weird?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
And the Award Goes To...
Congrats to NJ Walters, who was the winner of yesterday’s Writers’ Wednesday drawing for the Amazon gift certificate!!
I’ve been slightly remiss this week, for on Tuesday Marianne nominated me for a lovely award:
I’ve been slightly remiss this week, for on Tuesday Marianne nominated me for a lovely award:
The rules:
1. If, and only if you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display your "Thinking Blogger Award."
So I’m supposed to tag 5 other people whose blogs make me think. Can I tag people who’ve already received the award? Well, I’m claiming latitude (or ignorance) and saying yes when I tag Marianne right back. Here are my other 4, in no particular order:
Annie
Bunnygirl
Fred Charles
Irish Scribbler (make sure to scroll down and see the YouTube video she linked to on April 10)
And speaking of food for thought, here’s a link you must visit: Brenda Novak’s online auction to benefit diabetes research. There are well over 100 items up for auction, some awfully tempting for writers (books, goodie baskets, agent reads, editor critiques of your ms., etc).
Check it out!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Writers' Wednesday: How To Make the Most of Writing Contests
Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Remember, to be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon gift certificate, all you have to do is post a comment!
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Have you ever entered a writing contest? Have you ever placed in the top 3? Or won the whole contest outright? Maybe you’ve thought about entering a contests but been too afraid to try. Or maybe you didn’t know where to start looking.
Well, writing contests can be a valuable tool for aspiring writers. They can be a great way to get feedback on your writing from external readers /judges /editors /agents. And they can be an equally great way to start building a writing resume, to begin promoting one’s name as a published author.
But where to start? How to choose the right contest for you? How to prepare the perfect entry?
Here are a few things to keep in mind, both before you enter a contest and after you receive the judges’ final decision.
1. Choose contests based upon their end results. Consider what you’re hoping to get out of entering a contest. Is it prize money? Is it publication? Is it the chance to get your work in front of an editor or agent? Or is it simply the chance to have an external reader review your work? Think about your end goal, and choose your contests appropriately. The Writing Show First Chapter Contest awards 750 words of feedback from industry professionals. The FirstGlance Films Screenplay Competition sends its top 3 winners to be read by Hollywood producers. The 2007 Marjorie Wilson Best Poem Contest awards $2500.00 to its top winner. You get the idea.
2. Choose contests for which your work qualifies. This seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised. Don’t enter a 10K word short story into a flash fiction contest. Don’t enter a novel into a screenplay writing contest. Don’t enter your paranormal erotica opening into a contest run by Avalon (a “sweet” publisher) just because you see the word “romance” in their guidelines.
3. Choose contests for which the odds are in your favor. This one’s a little harder to figure out, but if you do a little digging, you can uncover contests for which either the number of entries is limited, improving your odds, or the number of prizes given includes more than the top 3. The Short Story Award for New Writers, for example, is a contest open only to writers whose fiction has never appeared in a publication with a circulation over 5,000. The WOW-Women on Writing Quarterly Contest names 3 top winners, 7 runners-up, and 25 honorable mentions…and every one of those writers receives a prize and a mention on the WOW website.
Once you’ve chosen a contest to enter, how do you increase your chances of winning or placing?
1. Follow all the rules. Carefully. If they want 3 copies of your opening chapters, make sure to include 3. If they ask you to secure the pages using a binder clip, don’t use a rubber band. Make sure you’ve put the information they want into the header or footer of each page. If they ask for a SASE, make sure to include enough postage to cover the costs of returning your entries. Also, check their rules for deadlines: most will say the entry must be postmarked by a certain date, but others will say the entry must be received by a certain date. There’s a difference!
2. Revise, revise, revise. Before submitting your entry, make sure it’s your best work. Read over as many times as it takes. Share with your writers’ groups or critique partners to get objective feedback. Don’t let careless errors undermine your chances of winning.
3. Read prior winning entries. Many organizations will include the top winners on their websites. A winning entry in one short story contest might look very different from a winning entry in another.
A few last thoughts on writing contests:
Consider the judges’ feedback carefully. If you can expect comments from the contest judges, be careful how you read those comments. Don’t just take the positive ones that praise your brilliance as a writer and disregard the rest. Sometimes the negative/constructive criticism can be just as helpful in revealing areas of our writing that need work. However, if 3 or 4 judges from a couple different contests tell you that your dialogue is fresh and realistic, and 1 judge tells you that your dialogue is stilted and untrue, you may want to take that single comment with a grain of salt. Most of all, don’t let contest feedback get you down. Remember that these judges are people, with their own values and biases and opinions, just like you. And speaking of that…
Sign up to judge a contest. Really! Many local writers’ groups run contests, with their members doing first-reads on entries. You do not necessarily need to be a published author, or past winner, to judge. All you have to do is read with a careful eye and open mind. By judging, you get a glimpse of the other side. You learn about how other writers put entries together. You discover how difficult it is to put a number on certain elements of a creative endeavor. And ultimately, you become a better writer yourself for the experience.
Don’t let contests keep you from finishing your work. Many novel-writing contests, especially in the romance genre, ask for the first 3 chapters. As a result, it becomes easy to polish those first 3 chapters over and over again, until you have a near-perfect entry. But what happens to the rest of the novel? What if you win a contest, and the final judge, your dream agent, requests the full manuscript for review? What if all you have are the first 3 chapters? Unfortunately, I know a few authors who have turned into “contest junkies.” They become obsessed with the idea of entering as many contests as they can, and they often final or win because they’ve put so much time into their entry. However, they have no complete works to speak of. Ideally, writing contests are a means to an end, a way to motivate you to keep writing while giving you some feedback along the way.
Good luck, and if you know of any writing contests you‘d like to praise or recommend, leave a comment and let me know!
###
Have you ever entered a writing contest? Have you ever placed in the top 3? Or won the whole contest outright? Maybe you’ve thought about entering a contests but been too afraid to try. Or maybe you didn’t know where to start looking.
Well, writing contests can be a valuable tool for aspiring writers. They can be a great way to get feedback on your writing from external readers /judges /editors /agents. And they can be an equally great way to start building a writing resume, to begin promoting one’s name as a published author.
But where to start? How to choose the right contest for you? How to prepare the perfect entry?
Here are a few things to keep in mind, both before you enter a contest and after you receive the judges’ final decision.
1. Choose contests based upon their end results. Consider what you’re hoping to get out of entering a contest. Is it prize money? Is it publication? Is it the chance to get your work in front of an editor or agent? Or is it simply the chance to have an external reader review your work? Think about your end goal, and choose your contests appropriately. The Writing Show First Chapter Contest awards 750 words of feedback from industry professionals. The FirstGlance Films Screenplay Competition sends its top 3 winners to be read by Hollywood producers. The 2007 Marjorie Wilson Best Poem Contest awards $2500.00 to its top winner. You get the idea.
2. Choose contests for which your work qualifies. This seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised. Don’t enter a 10K word short story into a flash fiction contest. Don’t enter a novel into a screenplay writing contest. Don’t enter your paranormal erotica opening into a contest run by Avalon (a “sweet” publisher) just because you see the word “romance” in their guidelines.
3. Choose contests for which the odds are in your favor. This one’s a little harder to figure out, but if you do a little digging, you can uncover contests for which either the number of entries is limited, improving your odds, or the number of prizes given includes more than the top 3. The Short Story Award for New Writers, for example, is a contest open only to writers whose fiction has never appeared in a publication with a circulation over 5,000. The WOW-Women on Writing Quarterly Contest names 3 top winners, 7 runners-up, and 25 honorable mentions…and every one of those writers receives a prize and a mention on the WOW website.
Once you’ve chosen a contest to enter, how do you increase your chances of winning or placing?
1. Follow all the rules. Carefully. If they want 3 copies of your opening chapters, make sure to include 3. If they ask you to secure the pages using a binder clip, don’t use a rubber band. Make sure you’ve put the information they want into the header or footer of each page. If they ask for a SASE, make sure to include enough postage to cover the costs of returning your entries. Also, check their rules for deadlines: most will say the entry must be postmarked by a certain date, but others will say the entry must be received by a certain date. There’s a difference!
2. Revise, revise, revise. Before submitting your entry, make sure it’s your best work. Read over as many times as it takes. Share with your writers’ groups or critique partners to get objective feedback. Don’t let careless errors undermine your chances of winning.
3. Read prior winning entries. Many organizations will include the top winners on their websites. A winning entry in one short story contest might look very different from a winning entry in another.
A few last thoughts on writing contests:
Consider the judges’ feedback carefully. If you can expect comments from the contest judges, be careful how you read those comments. Don’t just take the positive ones that praise your brilliance as a writer and disregard the rest. Sometimes the negative/constructive criticism can be just as helpful in revealing areas of our writing that need work. However, if 3 or 4 judges from a couple different contests tell you that your dialogue is fresh and realistic, and 1 judge tells you that your dialogue is stilted and untrue, you may want to take that single comment with a grain of salt. Most of all, don’t let contest feedback get you down. Remember that these judges are people, with their own values and biases and opinions, just like you. And speaking of that…
Sign up to judge a contest. Really! Many local writers’ groups run contests, with their members doing first-reads on entries. You do not necessarily need to be a published author, or past winner, to judge. All you have to do is read with a careful eye and open mind. By judging, you get a glimpse of the other side. You learn about how other writers put entries together. You discover how difficult it is to put a number on certain elements of a creative endeavor. And ultimately, you become a better writer yourself for the experience.
Don’t let contests keep you from finishing your work. Many novel-writing contests, especially in the romance genre, ask for the first 3 chapters. As a result, it becomes easy to polish those first 3 chapters over and over again, until you have a near-perfect entry. But what happens to the rest of the novel? What if you win a contest, and the final judge, your dream agent, requests the full manuscript for review? What if all you have are the first 3 chapters? Unfortunately, I know a few authors who have turned into “contest junkies.” They become obsessed with the idea of entering as many contests as they can, and they often final or win because they’ve put so much time into their entry. However, they have no complete works to speak of. Ideally, writing contests are a means to an end, a way to motivate you to keep writing while giving you some feedback along the way.
Good luck, and if you know of any writing contests you‘d like to praise or recommend, leave a comment and let me know!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Adventures in Arkansas
If you live north of the Mason-Dixon Line or west of the Mississippi, there’s a good chance you might not know much about Hot Springs, Arkansas. You may not ever have heard of the place, despite its claim to fame as the boyhood home of Bill Clinton or the site of some of the most healing waters in the country.
But when hubby and I decided to explore someplace different over spring break, that’s where we headed. Turns out that Hot Springs, located 60 miles from Little Rock, 200 miles from Memphis, 300 miles from Oklahoma City, and a stone’s throw from the Texas border, is a pretty neat place to visit.
First of all, it’s the oldest and smallest park in the National Park Service and home to 47 hot springs. Although most of the bathhouses originally established on the famous Bathhouse Row are now closed, visitors can still enjoy a traditional bath at Buckstaff Bathhouse. There, you’ll be treated to a whirlpool bath in the mineral-rich waters, a stay in the steam room, a needle shower, and if you’d like, a massage to finish it off. Decadent!
Then horse racing enthusiasts can head over to the Oaklawn Racetrack (we didn’t), or tourists can take in any number of sights on Central Avenue, downtown. The first Friday of every month features a “Gallery Walk,” too, which we were lucky enough to enjoy. Arkansas has some great local talent, that’s for sure! And with crystal and diamond mines nearby, you can find some terrific jewelry made of native stones and minerals.
Speaking of the diamond mines, since its featured appearance on the Travel Channel, Crater of Diamonds State Park in nearby Murfreesboro has seen an upswing in visitors, all hoping to find the next big sparkler and head to early retirement. We followed the crowd, purchasing our tickets to dig and renting shovels and screens to sift through the dirt along with the rest of them. Beautiful day - but no diamonds for us! The soil is pretty sticky and clay-like, tough to sift and challenging to work through. Still, we had fun and found a lot of cool rocks. You can take home whatever you find.
Finally, since Little Rock is only an hour away, and since we flew in and out of that airport anyway, our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Clinton Presidential Library. Established in 2004, it’s a beautiful, environmentally friendly building with a huge collection of artifacts, documents, and video clips about the Clinton Presidency. Whatever your political beliefs, it’s still great to see a slice of history, up close. The Library is situated right on the Arkansas River and the Riverwalk area, too, with a wide variety of restaurants within walking distance.
If only the weather had cooperated more (it was the middle of that cold front that swept the country over Easter weekend) - or if only we’d packed more long-sleeved shirts and fewer pairs of shorts. Still, it was neat to visit a state we’d never been to before. We enjoyed our 4 days in Hot Springs thoroughly!
But when hubby and I decided to explore someplace different over spring break, that’s where we headed. Turns out that Hot Springs, located 60 miles from Little Rock, 200 miles from Memphis, 300 miles from Oklahoma City, and a stone’s throw from the Texas border, is a pretty neat place to visit.
First of all, it’s the oldest and smallest park in the National Park Service and home to 47 hot springs. Although most of the bathhouses originally established on the famous Bathhouse Row are now closed, visitors can still enjoy a traditional bath at Buckstaff Bathhouse. There, you’ll be treated to a whirlpool bath in the mineral-rich waters, a stay in the steam room, a needle shower, and if you’d like, a massage to finish it off. Decadent!
Then horse racing enthusiasts can head over to the Oaklawn Racetrack (we didn’t), or tourists can take in any number of sights on Central Avenue, downtown. The first Friday of every month features a “Gallery Walk,” too, which we were lucky enough to enjoy. Arkansas has some great local talent, that’s for sure! And with crystal and diamond mines nearby, you can find some terrific jewelry made of native stones and minerals.
Speaking of the diamond mines, since its featured appearance on the Travel Channel, Crater of Diamonds State Park in nearby Murfreesboro has seen an upswing in visitors, all hoping to find the next big sparkler and head to early retirement. We followed the crowd, purchasing our tickets to dig and renting shovels and screens to sift through the dirt along with the rest of them. Beautiful day - but no diamonds for us! The soil is pretty sticky and clay-like, tough to sift and challenging to work through. Still, we had fun and found a lot of cool rocks. You can take home whatever you find.
Finally, since Little Rock is only an hour away, and since we flew in and out of that airport anyway, our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Clinton Presidential Library. Established in 2004, it’s a beautiful, environmentally friendly building with a huge collection of artifacts, documents, and video clips about the Clinton Presidency. Whatever your political beliefs, it’s still great to see a slice of history, up close. The Library is situated right on the Arkansas River and the Riverwalk area, too, with a wide variety of restaurants within walking distance.
If only the weather had cooperated more (it was the middle of that cold front that swept the country over Easter weekend) - or if only we’d packed more long-sleeved shirts and fewer pairs of shorts. Still, it was neat to visit a state we’d never been to before. We enjoyed our 4 days in Hot Springs thoroughly!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Unplugged and Loving It
“I want young people to see not only what I did with my life, but what they can do with their lives.”
~Bill Clinton
First my good news: I opened up my email inbox Easter Sunday to find a contract offer from The Wild Rose Press to publish Lost in Paradise in their Champagne Rose line! Very, very exciting news, especially since this was the novel I pulled from Virtual Tales a few months ago because I wanted to find a different home for it. It’s always nice when you take a gamble and it pays off.
TWRP publishes everything longer than 55K words in print, so this one should be available from Amazon sometime in 2008, I’m guessing. Stay tuned for the details!
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Well, as those of you who visit my blog regularly know, I was away for a few days last week. I was away in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to be specific, for a Spring Break getaway with hubby.
Why Hot Springs? Well, I’m not one to pass up the opportunity to bathe in 100-degree mineral water, en route to a steam bath and killer massage, in the tradition of men and women from centuries past. And hubby wasn’t about to let the chance to go diamond mining pass us by. After all, if it’s featured on the Travel Channel, it must be an adventure worth pursuing, right? And the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock is an impressive collection, well worth seeing if you're ever down that way.
I have pictures that I'll post, hopefully tomorrow, because today Blogger doesn't seem to be cooperating.
Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. But here’s the interesting thing: I didn’t check email or voicemail the entire time. Nope, not once. First of all, I didn’t have any Internet access. There was one cafe in downtown Hot Springs where you could buy time online for $.10/minute, but I decided to spend my money on a latte instead. So for 4 days, I didn’t read blogs. I didn’t check my inbox. I didn’t follow the Samhain Yahoo group discussions. And I forgot the charger to my cell phone, so the battery died the first day and I couldn’t have checked my telephone messages anyway.
The first 24 hours were a little weird, I’ll be honest. I’m online just about every day. So to go 4 days without any electronic contact felt a little strange, at first. But by the last day? I didn’t miss it. In fact, I was home for almost 24 hours before I turned on the computer at all. And it made me wonder just how dependent we are on our electronic connections, after all.
[The best unintended effect of my unplugged 4 days? I got an idea for a brand new 24-hour novel. Love the concept. Love the characters. Love the complexities that kept popping into my head as the day went on. Only thing I did not love? Trying to scribble down the idea on my 2x3” notepad while a flight attendant spilled ginger ale on my lap.]
So anyway, how plugged in are you? C’mon, be honest. How much time do you spend on the computer each day or week? And how long would you be able to go without?
~Bill Clinton
First my good news: I opened up my email inbox Easter Sunday to find a contract offer from The Wild Rose Press to publish Lost in Paradise in their Champagne Rose line! Very, very exciting news, especially since this was the novel I pulled from Virtual Tales a few months ago because I wanted to find a different home for it. It’s always nice when you take a gamble and it pays off.
TWRP publishes everything longer than 55K words in print, so this one should be available from Amazon sometime in 2008, I’m guessing. Stay tuned for the details!
###
Well, as those of you who visit my blog regularly know, I was away for a few days last week. I was away in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to be specific, for a Spring Break getaway with hubby.
Why Hot Springs? Well, I’m not one to pass up the opportunity to bathe in 100-degree mineral water, en route to a steam bath and killer massage, in the tradition of men and women from centuries past. And hubby wasn’t about to let the chance to go diamond mining pass us by. After all, if it’s featured on the Travel Channel, it must be an adventure worth pursuing, right? And the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock is an impressive collection, well worth seeing if you're ever down that way.
I have pictures that I'll post, hopefully tomorrow, because today Blogger doesn't seem to be cooperating.
Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. But here’s the interesting thing: I didn’t check email or voicemail the entire time. Nope, not once. First of all, I didn’t have any Internet access. There was one cafe in downtown Hot Springs where you could buy time online for $.10/minute, but I decided to spend my money on a latte instead. So for 4 days, I didn’t read blogs. I didn’t check my inbox. I didn’t follow the Samhain Yahoo group discussions. And I forgot the charger to my cell phone, so the battery died the first day and I couldn’t have checked my telephone messages anyway.
The first 24 hours were a little weird, I’ll be honest. I’m online just about every day. So to go 4 days without any electronic contact felt a little strange, at first. But by the last day? I didn’t miss it. In fact, I was home for almost 24 hours before I turned on the computer at all. And it made me wonder just how dependent we are on our electronic connections, after all.
[The best unintended effect of my unplugged 4 days? I got an idea for a brand new 24-hour novel. Love the concept. Love the characters. Love the complexities that kept popping into my head as the day went on. Only thing I did not love? Trying to scribble down the idea on my 2x3” notepad while a flight attendant spilled ginger ale on my lap.]
So anyway, how plugged in are you? C’mon, be honest. How much time do you spend on the computer each day or week? And how long would you be able to go without?
Sunday, April 08, 2007
I'm Back!
"Easter is the demonstration...that life is essentially spiritual and timeless."
~Anonymous
Here's wishing everyone a peaceful and wonderful holiday season (even if you are looking at snow this Easter morning, as we are).
I'm back from a brief getaway to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and have news and pictures to share, though I'm saving that for tomorrow or the next day as we are off to celebrate Easter with friends today.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by for Writers' Wednesday, especially those who commented and ESPECIALLY those who played along by revising the sentences (check out Charity's revision, who turned one sentence into an entire scene).
Finally, congratulations to Jess, who is the winner of the $5 Amazon gift certificate! Make sure to stop by this coming Wednesday and post a comment, for another chance to win!
~Anonymous
Here's wishing everyone a peaceful and wonderful holiday season (even if you are looking at snow this Easter morning, as we are).
I'm back from a brief getaway to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and have news and pictures to share, though I'm saving that for tomorrow or the next day as we are off to celebrate Easter with friends today.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by for Writers' Wednesday, especially those who commented and ESPECIALLY those who played along by revising the sentences (check out Charity's revision, who turned one sentence into an entire scene).
Finally, congratulations to Jess, who is the winner of the $5 Amazon gift certificate! Make sure to stop by this coming Wednesday and post a comment, for another chance to win!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Writers' Wednesday: Showing vs. Telling
Welcome to Writers’ Wednesday!
I’ll be away for a few days, so you’ll have some extra time to post your comments. Remember: anyone who leaves me a comment will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon gift certificate!
The winning name will be drawn and announced on Easter Sunday, April 8.
By the way, I’m always looking for guest bloggers, so if you have an idea for a Writers’ Wednesday post you’d like to write, email and let me know!
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We hear it time and time again, in all the writing advice books and columns: Show, don’t tell.
But sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially for new writers. So how do we identify the difference in our writing, and how can we spice up scenes to “show” the reader what we mean, rather than “tell” the reader? Let’s look at some examples…
Mary was spoiled rotten.
This is pure telling. How do we know she is spoiled? Why should we believe you?
Mary stomped her feet and screwed up her face as she wailed, “But I want the pony! You told me I could have whatever I wanted for my eighth birthday!”
Okay, much better. Here, we see Mary’s age, her behavior, and her demanding tone of voice. The author doesn’t need to tell us that Mary is spoiled. In fact, the author doesn’t use the word “spoiled” at all, yet we can figure it out easily enough through the child’s words and actions.
I was miserable after Edgar left me. All I thought about was him. All I dreamt about was him. I missed him so much that I thought I’d never be happy again.
Well, we get the general idea here that the narrator is sad. But all four sentences really say the same thing, and all four sentences tell much more than they show.
For a solid week after Edgar left, I didn’t get out of bed except to find more tissues to blow my nose and wipe away my tears. When I managed to sleep, I found myself in dreams with him, revisiting days long-gone when we ate dinner by candlelight and made love by moonlight. When I awoke alone, the agony that twisted my stomach inside out almost choked me. The telephone rang, and I ignored it. My mother stopped by with soup, and I told her to go away. The sun came up and went down again, and all I wanted to do was grab it by the throat and tell it to stop. If I couldn’t be happy, then time might as well stop altogether.
Notice that in the above revision, there is no one sentence that tells us the narrator is miserable. Rather, through her thoughts and actions, we deduce her feelings of despair. Trust that your reader is intelligent enough to figure this out.
Some Tips to Keep in Mind:
1. Use details that appeal to the five senses. Make the reader feel as if he or she is actually in the scene. Is your hero nervous because he’s just proposed to the heroine? Don’t tell us that. Instead, show us the weather outside, the wail of the wind that echoes the doubt inside his mind. Show us the food in the restaurant where they‘re eating - maybe it tastes like sawdust because nerves have dulled his tongue. Show us the rough fabric of the suit he bought to wear for the occasion, that brushes against his knee as he taps one anxious foot on the floor. Show us the quick pulse in his wrist as he waits for the heroine to make her decision.
2. Use dialogue. I’ve found this to be one of the best ways to get away from telling. When your characters speak for themselves, they naturally show us their temperament, opinion, even vocabulary level and method of communicating.
3. Use actions to show us the characters’ personalities. Have a neighbor who’s a busybody? Don’t tell us. Show us the ways in which she peers through her blinds, goes through her neighbors’ garbage, listens in on telephone conversations. The more active, interesting examples you can sprinkle through your plot, the better. Here’s a challenge for you: write down a list of the 3 adjectives that you think describe your protagonist or antagonist. Then go back through the scenes you’ve written and make sure those words never appear. Find other ways to reveal those character traits. Now you’re showing!
4. Trust your reader. When you create a scene, don’t give in to the urge to tell us how the characters are feeling. Show us instead, through their words and thoughts and actions.
5. Finally, consider using animals/pets to reveal something about your characters’ personalities. I won’t go into it on this post, but I wrote an article on this technique that you can access here. I’ve found that using animals in my storylines, no matter how briefly, can do wonders to show us something about the characters and move away from the boring habit of telling.
Sometimes it’s tough to get used to showing rather than telling in your writing, but once you get the hang of it, your work will come to life. And just for fun, here are 2 sentences you can use to practice. Can you change these both from telling to showing? Leave me your revisions in your comment, or link to your blog.
Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!
#1. Sherry was sick and tired of her boss’s advances, and she told him as much one night after work.
#2. Kendra and Bill took the path that led away from the house. They agreed that although it might be dangerous, they needed to investigate the child’s disappearance without the police following them.
I’ll be away for a few days, so you’ll have some extra time to post your comments. Remember: anyone who leaves me a comment will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon gift certificate!
The winning name will be drawn and announced on Easter Sunday, April 8.
By the way, I’m always looking for guest bloggers, so if you have an idea for a Writers’ Wednesday post you’d like to write, email and let me know!
###
We hear it time and time again, in all the writing advice books and columns: Show, don’t tell.
But sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially for new writers. So how do we identify the difference in our writing, and how can we spice up scenes to “show” the reader what we mean, rather than “tell” the reader? Let’s look at some examples…
Mary was spoiled rotten.
This is pure telling. How do we know she is spoiled? Why should we believe you?
Mary stomped her feet and screwed up her face as she wailed, “But I want the pony! You told me I could have whatever I wanted for my eighth birthday!”
Okay, much better. Here, we see Mary’s age, her behavior, and her demanding tone of voice. The author doesn’t need to tell us that Mary is spoiled. In fact, the author doesn’t use the word “spoiled” at all, yet we can figure it out easily enough through the child’s words and actions.
I was miserable after Edgar left me. All I thought about was him. All I dreamt about was him. I missed him so much that I thought I’d never be happy again.
Well, we get the general idea here that the narrator is sad. But all four sentences really say the same thing, and all four sentences tell much more than they show.
For a solid week after Edgar left, I didn’t get out of bed except to find more tissues to blow my nose and wipe away my tears. When I managed to sleep, I found myself in dreams with him, revisiting days long-gone when we ate dinner by candlelight and made love by moonlight. When I awoke alone, the agony that twisted my stomach inside out almost choked me. The telephone rang, and I ignored it. My mother stopped by with soup, and I told her to go away. The sun came up and went down again, and all I wanted to do was grab it by the throat and tell it to stop. If I couldn’t be happy, then time might as well stop altogether.
Notice that in the above revision, there is no one sentence that tells us the narrator is miserable. Rather, through her thoughts and actions, we deduce her feelings of despair. Trust that your reader is intelligent enough to figure this out.
Some Tips to Keep in Mind:
1. Use details that appeal to the five senses. Make the reader feel as if he or she is actually in the scene. Is your hero nervous because he’s just proposed to the heroine? Don’t tell us that. Instead, show us the weather outside, the wail of the wind that echoes the doubt inside his mind. Show us the food in the restaurant where they‘re eating - maybe it tastes like sawdust because nerves have dulled his tongue. Show us the rough fabric of the suit he bought to wear for the occasion, that brushes against his knee as he taps one anxious foot on the floor. Show us the quick pulse in his wrist as he waits for the heroine to make her decision.
2. Use dialogue. I’ve found this to be one of the best ways to get away from telling. When your characters speak for themselves, they naturally show us their temperament, opinion, even vocabulary level and method of communicating.
3. Use actions to show us the characters’ personalities. Have a neighbor who’s a busybody? Don’t tell us. Show us the ways in which she peers through her blinds, goes through her neighbors’ garbage, listens in on telephone conversations. The more active, interesting examples you can sprinkle through your plot, the better. Here’s a challenge for you: write down a list of the 3 adjectives that you think describe your protagonist or antagonist. Then go back through the scenes you’ve written and make sure those words never appear. Find other ways to reveal those character traits. Now you’re showing!
4. Trust your reader. When you create a scene, don’t give in to the urge to tell us how the characters are feeling. Show us instead, through their words and thoughts and actions.
5. Finally, consider using animals/pets to reveal something about your characters’ personalities. I won’t go into it on this post, but I wrote an article on this technique that you can access here. I’ve found that using animals in my storylines, no matter how briefly, can do wonders to show us something about the characters and move away from the boring habit of telling.
Sometimes it’s tough to get used to showing rather than telling in your writing, but once you get the hang of it, your work will come to life. And just for fun, here are 2 sentences you can use to practice. Can you change these both from telling to showing? Leave me your revisions in your comment, or link to your blog.
Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!
#1. Sherry was sick and tired of her boss’s advances, and she told him as much one night after work.
#2. Kendra and Bill took the path that led away from the house. They agreed that although it might be dangerous, they needed to investigate the child’s disappearance without the police following them.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Frustrations
"I work continuously within the shadow of failure. For every novel that makes it to my publisher's desk, there are at least five or six that died on the way."
~Gail Godwin
So yesterday I was working on my latest WIP, One Night in Memphis, and I had a realization.
My heroine is boring.
Really. She’s fairly one-dimensional. Predictable in behavior. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t know what her growth is supposed to be in the story. From the start, this novel was much more about the hero’s growth than the heroine’s. But that doesn’t really make for a great romance, so I had to rethink. A lot.
First I got frustrated. I thought about abandoning the project and starting something brand new. Still, I’m 37,000 words in, and I’d hate to throw it all away.
So I sat down and tried to work through who she is, where she’s going, what motivates her, and how I want her to change by the end. I finally got some decent ideas, though I have to admit that I’m still not crazy about her.
I went back through a lot of the earlier chapters and added some stuff, deleted other stuff, until it feels a little stronger. I’m still not sure. I don’t know if I’ll like this story or think it’s marketable when I finish it. I’d hate to think I spent well over a year on it, only to have it turn out a project that’s better shelved than living in the light of day.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever given up on a story halfway through, or tried to resurrect it only to find you couldn’t? Do you have manuscripts hidden away that will probably never make it into a query letter? Or do you have tips for performing major surgery on a story to save it from that fate?
I suppose it’s a learning process. But it’s still frustrating. Sigh.
###
In other, much better news, the Cleveland Indians won their season opener! Those of you who are observant will notice that, yes, I do live roughly an hour from Yankee Stadium. And no, I do not cheer for the Yankees. I didn't discover pro baseball until I was in graduate school and living in Cleveland, and so for better or for worse, I'm an Indians fan for life.
Thank goodness for brand new seasons!
~Gail Godwin
So yesterday I was working on my latest WIP, One Night in Memphis, and I had a realization.
My heroine is boring.
Really. She’s fairly one-dimensional. Predictable in behavior. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t know what her growth is supposed to be in the story. From the start, this novel was much more about the hero’s growth than the heroine’s. But that doesn’t really make for a great romance, so I had to rethink. A lot.
First I got frustrated. I thought about abandoning the project and starting something brand new. Still, I’m 37,000 words in, and I’d hate to throw it all away.
So I sat down and tried to work through who she is, where she’s going, what motivates her, and how I want her to change by the end. I finally got some decent ideas, though I have to admit that I’m still not crazy about her.
I went back through a lot of the earlier chapters and added some stuff, deleted other stuff, until it feels a little stronger. I’m still not sure. I don’t know if I’ll like this story or think it’s marketable when I finish it. I’d hate to think I spent well over a year on it, only to have it turn out a project that’s better shelved than living in the light of day.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever given up on a story halfway through, or tried to resurrect it only to find you couldn’t? Do you have manuscripts hidden away that will probably never make it into a query letter? Or do you have tips for performing major surgery on a story to save it from that fate?
I suppose it’s a learning process. But it’s still frustrating. Sigh.
###
In other, much better news, the Cleveland Indians won their season opener! Those of you who are observant will notice that, yes, I do live roughly an hour from Yankee Stadium. And no, I do not cheer for the Yankees. I didn't discover pro baseball until I was in graduate school and living in Cleveland, and so for better or for worse, I'm an Indians fan for life.
Thank goodness for brand new seasons!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Finding Ideas
"If you wrote from experience, you'd get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy."
~Nikki Giovanni
It’s BAFAB Week!
Go out and buy a friend a book…for no good reason other than to share the love and the power of the written word. And if you have any favorites you plan on buying, let me know! I’m always up for a new recommendation.
Speaking of books, it’s always amazed me that some people have no trouble at all thinking of plotlines. They churn out short stories and/or novels with fresh, interesting characters and conflict on a regular basis.
Me? Well, it’s a little harder for me. When I first began writing, I figured I had about 2-3 good ideas. After that, I was stumped.
Well, not anymore. I don’t know if it became easier as I wrote, or I honed my senses for sniffing out good ideas in the world, but now there seems to be no shortage of ideas running through my head.
Some come to me in dreams. Some in the shower. Some while I’m running. Others still come straight from the headlines, like these (all from the last 7 days):
Husband Kills Wife's Lover; Wife Charged
Leave Me Be, 98-Year Old Woman Tells Young Admirer
Hired Killer Warns, 'Your Husband Wants You Dead'
Shower Reveals Inmate is Really a Woman
Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.
What about you? Where do your ideas come from?
~Nikki Giovanni
It’s BAFAB Week!
Go out and buy a friend a book…for no good reason other than to share the love and the power of the written word. And if you have any favorites you plan on buying, let me know! I’m always up for a new recommendation.
Speaking of books, it’s always amazed me that some people have no trouble at all thinking of plotlines. They churn out short stories and/or novels with fresh, interesting characters and conflict on a regular basis.
Me? Well, it’s a little harder for me. When I first began writing, I figured I had about 2-3 good ideas. After that, I was stumped.
Well, not anymore. I don’t know if it became easier as I wrote, or I honed my senses for sniffing out good ideas in the world, but now there seems to be no shortage of ideas running through my head.
Some come to me in dreams. Some in the shower. Some while I’m running. Others still come straight from the headlines, like these (all from the last 7 days):
Husband Kills Wife's Lover; Wife Charged
Leave Me Be, 98-Year Old Woman Tells Young Admirer
Hired Killer Warns, 'Your Husband Wants You Dead'
Shower Reveals Inmate is Really a Woman
Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.
What about you? Where do your ideas come from?
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Happy April Fool's Day!
Well, I was never a big one for "celebrating" this day - I'm not really a prankster by nature, and I can't remember a time when someone really got me.
Still, in honor of this day, you might be interested in reading the History of April Fool's Day.
If you're feeling smart, take this April Fool's Day Quiz.
And here's an interesting site to peruse: The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time.
Finally, here's a good April Fool's gag on Hollywood Squares host Tom Bergeron:
Still, in honor of this day, you might be interested in reading the History of April Fool's Day.
If you're feeling smart, take this April Fool's Day Quiz.
And here's an interesting site to peruse: The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time.
Finally, here's a good April Fool's gag on Hollywood Squares host Tom Bergeron:
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Why The Rush?
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once."
~Albert Einstein
I guess it isn’t news to anyone that we live in a fast-paced, high-tech world that only seems to get faster with time.
Yesterday, I read an article about a mother who admits to cheating at Candy Land and Disney Monopoly with her daughter so the games will be over faster. And apparently, she’s not the only one.
Hasbro has announced it will release a “streamlined” version of the game of Life that includes a Visa card rather than cash and a “LifePod” that keeps track of points so players don’t have to. They’re also creating “Express” games: Scrabble Express, Monopoly Express, and Sorry Express, so players can have a “quick resolution” to the games.
What?
Have we really gotten to the point where we have to rush through the very activities that are supposed to make up our leisure time? Why? Where are we off to? Why are we rushing through games, for God’s sake?
Is it because no one has the attention span to devote to an activity that lasts longer than ten minutes? Or no one has the free time?
I’m all for convenience: I like drive-through banking, and I’ll pick up a pre-cooked meal for dinner sometimes. I have an automatic hot drink maker that brews a latte in under a minute, and I don’t know what I’d do if I had to go back to a dial-up Internet connection.
But games? Really? Isn’t there a point where we should slow down? Isn’t there still pleasure in devoting the time to creating or enjoying the languorous unfolding of something?
Because honestly, we Americans move faster through life than any other citizens in this world, and yet I wouldn’t say we’re much happier (or wealthier or healthier) than people in many other countries.
Plus, if we’re raising children who don’t have the time or attention to focus on a complete board game that might last up to 30 minutes or more, than why on earth would we expect them to sit down and read for an hour? Why would we expect them, when they become middle and high schoolers, to devote multiple hours each week to learning schoolwork? And why, then, are we surprised when American children fall behind on test scores and suffer from an inability to master knowledge that, sometimes, requires more than an “express” memorization of facts?
What do you think? Have we become too fast-paced as a society? Would you be able to sit through an entire game of original Scrabble or Monopoly, even if it lasted over an hour? Are you able to enjoy a leisure activity without looking at the clock or thinking about what you’re going to do next?
Or is that kind of lifestyle something we’ve lost?
~Albert Einstein
I guess it isn’t news to anyone that we live in a fast-paced, high-tech world that only seems to get faster with time.
Yesterday, I read an article about a mother who admits to cheating at Candy Land and Disney Monopoly with her daughter so the games will be over faster. And apparently, she’s not the only one.
Hasbro has announced it will release a “streamlined” version of the game of Life that includes a Visa card rather than cash and a “LifePod” that keeps track of points so players don’t have to. They’re also creating “Express” games: Scrabble Express, Monopoly Express, and Sorry Express, so players can have a “quick resolution” to the games.
What?
Have we really gotten to the point where we have to rush through the very activities that are supposed to make up our leisure time? Why? Where are we off to? Why are we rushing through games, for God’s sake?
Is it because no one has the attention span to devote to an activity that lasts longer than ten minutes? Or no one has the free time?
I’m all for convenience: I like drive-through banking, and I’ll pick up a pre-cooked meal for dinner sometimes. I have an automatic hot drink maker that brews a latte in under a minute, and I don’t know what I’d do if I had to go back to a dial-up Internet connection.
But games? Really? Isn’t there a point where we should slow down? Isn’t there still pleasure in devoting the time to creating or enjoying the languorous unfolding of something?
Because honestly, we Americans move faster through life than any other citizens in this world, and yet I wouldn’t say we’re much happier (or wealthier or healthier) than people in many other countries.
Plus, if we’re raising children who don’t have the time or attention to focus on a complete board game that might last up to 30 minutes or more, than why on earth would we expect them to sit down and read for an hour? Why would we expect them, when they become middle and high schoolers, to devote multiple hours each week to learning schoolwork? And why, then, are we surprised when American children fall behind on test scores and suffer from an inability to master knowledge that, sometimes, requires more than an “express” memorization of facts?
What do you think? Have we become too fast-paced as a society? Would you be able to sit through an entire game of original Scrabble or Monopoly, even if it lasted over an hour? Are you able to enjoy a leisure activity without looking at the clock or thinking about what you’re going to do next?
Or is that kind of lifestyle something we’ve lost?
Friday, March 30, 2007
TGIF!!!
Today, since it’s been a long week, a Friday Feast:
Appetizer
What are you proud of?
Probably my professional accomplishments as a teacher. It's that time of year when, though I want to strangle some of my students for their senioritis and spring fever, I also love how much they've grown. I love watching them discover the power of writing. I love watching them discover the power of *themselves.*
Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?
Two things tie here, both related: First, tickets to a baseball game during the years that the Cleveland Indians sold out their home games ALL THE TIME and finding tickets was like winning the lottery. And second, at said game, my friends and I won a prize given by some contact lens company to "improve your view" and we were moved from the bleachers to behind home plate. Very cool.
Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.
Ooh, lately, play Goldminer.
Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?
Hmm...I'm going to say 26, only because that's when I left Cleveland and moved to my current hometown. Started my current job and met my future husband.
Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?
A lake in the middle of rural Ontario, Canada, that fewer than 100 or so people know about. My family used to vacation there every summer when I was growing up. Most peaceful place ever. It's the place I go back to in my mind whenever I'm stressed beyond belief.
Want to play? Leave me a comment if you do...
Appetizer
What are you proud of?
Probably my professional accomplishments as a teacher. It's that time of year when, though I want to strangle some of my students for their senioritis and spring fever, I also love how much they've grown. I love watching them discover the power of writing. I love watching them discover the power of *themselves.*
Soup
What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize?
Two things tie here, both related: First, tickets to a baseball game during the years that the Cleveland Indians sold out their home games ALL THE TIME and finding tickets was like winning the lottery. And second, at said game, my friends and I won a prize given by some contact lens company to "improve your view" and we were moved from the bleachers to behind home plate. Very cool.
Salad
Name something you do that is a waste of time.
Ooh, lately, play Goldminer.
Main Course
In what year of your life did you change the most?
Hmm...I'm going to say 26, only because that's when I left Cleveland and moved to my current hometown. Started my current job and met my future husband.
Dessert
Where is a place you consider to be very tranquil?
A lake in the middle of rural Ontario, Canada, that fewer than 100 or so people know about. My family used to vacation there every summer when I was growing up. Most peaceful place ever. It's the place I go back to in my mind whenever I'm stressed beyond belief.
Want to play? Leave me a comment if you do...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
And the Winner Is...
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”
~Robert Cormier
Congratulations to the winner of yesterday’s drawing: Pam! Enjoy your Amazon gift certificate :)
Tune in next Wednesday for another chance to win (yeah, it’s going to be a weekly thing…)
Today, I’m blogging over at Samhain. Come take a look!
~Robert Cormier
Congratulations to the winner of yesterday’s drawing: Pam! Enjoy your Amazon gift certificate :)
Tune in next Wednesday for another chance to win (yeah, it’s going to be a weekly thing…)
Today, I’m blogging over at Samhain. Come take a look!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Writers' Wednesday: How To Deal With Rejection
Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'll be entering the name of everyone who comments into a drawing to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate. I look forward to hearing from you!
***
If you’re a writer, and if you dream of someday publishing a short story/novel/article/best-seller that will lead you straight to The Oprah Winfrey show, you’ve probably received a rejection letter from an agent/publisher/editor.
And if you haven’t, you will.
Sorry. Didn’t mean to dash your hopes. But the chances of having your work contracted by the first person you query are small. Not impossible, of course. Just small. And even if you’ve had the joy of hearing that first “Yes, we love it, here’s a contract,” your next work may not be as well received.
So how do you deal with rejection in the writing world, and how do you use it to make your next effort better?
1. Don’t take the rejection personally. Except in very, very few cases, you will not know the person to whom you are addressing your query letter. Nor does that person know you. The agent/editor/first reader is not rejecting you as a person. He or she is not telling you that you will never amount to anything in the publishing world. Or in any world, for that matter. He or she is simply saying that, for whatever reason, the work is not right. Not for them. Not now. That’s all.
2. Send out another query. Soon. This is crucial. Continue to query until you’ve exhausted your list. If you’re querying agents, http://www.agentquery.com/ is a good place to start, along with http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/. The annually published Writer’s Market is a nearly exhaustive list of agents, publishers, and other markets for your writing. Make a list of your top targets and work your way through to the end. Then make another list.
3. Read your rejection letters carefully to see if there’s anything you can take away and use to improve your manuscript. Most people will receive a form letter. If you manage to glean a personal comment on your work, that’s good! “I would have liked a better reason for Sally to return to her hometown” can help you take another look at your heroine‘s motivation. “I have two teenagers, and they don’t talk like that” can help you refine your dialogue. “Paul and Perry meeting in chapter twenty was too predictable” can help you amp up your conflict. Even “Sorry, not right for us” can encourage you take a more careful look at submission guidelines.
4. Keep writing. If you must, put the work that you queried away for a while. Sometimes it’s too tough to go back through and think about revising. That’s OK. Have another project in the wings. Maybe it’s your next novel. Maybe it’s an article for that gardening e-zine you’ve had your eye on. Maybe it’s a fun short story in a different voice or genre than you usually target. Maybe it’s a letter in longhand to your niece who just went away to college. Remind yourself why you write in the first place: because it’s a creative itch that just won’t go away. And it’s fun. It is, right?
5. Find a creative place, or way, to store your rejection letters. Stephen King used to hang his from a nail (later replaced by a spike, to hold the weight) hammered into his bedroom wall. Another author I know uses hers to make papier-mâché bowls. After they’ve dried into place, she paints them bright colors, and they make great additions to her living room décor! I’ve kept every rejection letter I’ve received. Right now, they’re just stored in a big (BIG) folder, but I plan to turn them into a giant display the day I become a NY Times best-seller and do a book-signing that draws a crowd of hundreds.
6. Comfort yourself. Really. Allow yourself the candy bar you usually don’t. Bake something delicious. Sleep in. Leave the laundry for another day. Go shopping. Play tag with your kids. You are a valuable being, and in writing and submitting your work, you’re living the dream that many people talk about but never achieve.
7. Find inspiration from these famous authors, all of whom were rejected multiple times before publishing:
Richard Bach, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (26 rejections)
John Grisham, “A Time to Kill” (28 rejections)
Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul Series (31 rejections)
Robert M. Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (121 rejections)
Rejection is tough. But it does not mean the end of the world for you as a writer. Just the opposite: it means that you have the guts to send your work, your baby, out into the world for strangers to review. Think of how many people never even take the chance!
***
If you’re a writer, and if you dream of someday publishing a short story/novel/article/best-seller that will lead you straight to The Oprah Winfrey show, you’ve probably received a rejection letter from an agent/publisher/editor.
And if you haven’t, you will.
Sorry. Didn’t mean to dash your hopes. But the chances of having your work contracted by the first person you query are small. Not impossible, of course. Just small. And even if you’ve had the joy of hearing that first “Yes, we love it, here’s a contract,” your next work may not be as well received.
So how do you deal with rejection in the writing world, and how do you use it to make your next effort better?
1. Don’t take the rejection personally. Except in very, very few cases, you will not know the person to whom you are addressing your query letter. Nor does that person know you. The agent/editor/first reader is not rejecting you as a person. He or she is not telling you that you will never amount to anything in the publishing world. Or in any world, for that matter. He or she is simply saying that, for whatever reason, the work is not right. Not for them. Not now. That’s all.
2. Send out another query. Soon. This is crucial. Continue to query until you’ve exhausted your list. If you’re querying agents, http://www.agentquery.com/ is a good place to start, along with http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/. The annually published Writer’s Market is a nearly exhaustive list of agents, publishers, and other markets for your writing. Make a list of your top targets and work your way through to the end. Then make another list.
3. Read your rejection letters carefully to see if there’s anything you can take away and use to improve your manuscript. Most people will receive a form letter. If you manage to glean a personal comment on your work, that’s good! “I would have liked a better reason for Sally to return to her hometown” can help you take another look at your heroine‘s motivation. “I have two teenagers, and they don’t talk like that” can help you refine your dialogue. “Paul and Perry meeting in chapter twenty was too predictable” can help you amp up your conflict. Even “Sorry, not right for us” can encourage you take a more careful look at submission guidelines.
4. Keep writing. If you must, put the work that you queried away for a while. Sometimes it’s too tough to go back through and think about revising. That’s OK. Have another project in the wings. Maybe it’s your next novel. Maybe it’s an article for that gardening e-zine you’ve had your eye on. Maybe it’s a fun short story in a different voice or genre than you usually target. Maybe it’s a letter in longhand to your niece who just went away to college. Remind yourself why you write in the first place: because it’s a creative itch that just won’t go away. And it’s fun. It is, right?
5. Find a creative place, or way, to store your rejection letters. Stephen King used to hang his from a nail (later replaced by a spike, to hold the weight) hammered into his bedroom wall. Another author I know uses hers to make papier-mâché bowls. After they’ve dried into place, she paints them bright colors, and they make great additions to her living room décor! I’ve kept every rejection letter I’ve received. Right now, they’re just stored in a big (BIG) folder, but I plan to turn them into a giant display the day I become a NY Times best-seller and do a book-signing that draws a crowd of hundreds.
6. Comfort yourself. Really. Allow yourself the candy bar you usually don’t. Bake something delicious. Sleep in. Leave the laundry for another day. Go shopping. Play tag with your kids. You are a valuable being, and in writing and submitting your work, you’re living the dream that many people talk about but never achieve.
7. Find inspiration from these famous authors, all of whom were rejected multiple times before publishing:
Richard Bach, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (26 rejections)
John Grisham, “A Time to Kill” (28 rejections)
Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul Series (31 rejections)
Robert M. Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (121 rejections)
Rejection is tough. But it does not mean the end of the world for you as a writer. Just the opposite: it means that you have the guts to send your work, your baby, out into the world for strangers to review. Think of how many people never even take the chance!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Mid-Way Blues
"The easiest thing to do on earth is not write."
~William Goldman
Well, it’s happened. I’ve officially hit the mid-point of my latest WIP, One Night in Memphis, and I want to be anywhere but there.
I’m just about half-way, and I’m at that point where my characters are starting to bother me, and I see an uphill climb of plot ahead of me. I’m bored. I can’t believe I ever thought this was a good story to begin with. I have about 3 other stories percolating in the back of my brain, wanting attention. Now.
One of the pieces of advice I always give to new writers is to soldier on, to finish what you start, because we all know there are oceans of aspiring authors who don’t.
But what happens when it’s hard to take your own advice?
I procrastinate. I work on promotional ideas for One Night in Boston. I blog-surf. I play games. And then, when I’ve killed as much time as I possibly can, I turn back to the manuscript. I sigh. I curse. I mess with the formatting or change the characters’ names.
Eventually, I do slog on. I muddle through another scene. I produce a decent word count (though not as much as I should), and I hope that the end is somewhere in sight. You know the one I’m talking about: that shiny, happy resolution where suddenly, you like your characters again, you believe in your story, and you’re sorry to see it end.
I have to believe that it’s out there. I have to believe that my characters will get me there.
But man, those mid-way blues are hard to beat sometimes. Anyone have a remedy or two they’d like to offer up?
P.S. Tomorrow is Writers’ Wednesday, and I’ll be blogging about how to deal with rejection in the publishing world. Make sure to stop back and comment (there’s an incentive…)!
~William Goldman
Well, it’s happened. I’ve officially hit the mid-point of my latest WIP, One Night in Memphis, and I want to be anywhere but there.
I’m just about half-way, and I’m at that point where my characters are starting to bother me, and I see an uphill climb of plot ahead of me. I’m bored. I can’t believe I ever thought this was a good story to begin with. I have about 3 other stories percolating in the back of my brain, wanting attention. Now.
One of the pieces of advice I always give to new writers is to soldier on, to finish what you start, because we all know there are oceans of aspiring authors who don’t.
But what happens when it’s hard to take your own advice?
I procrastinate. I work on promotional ideas for One Night in Boston. I blog-surf. I play games. And then, when I’ve killed as much time as I possibly can, I turn back to the manuscript. I sigh. I curse. I mess with the formatting or change the characters’ names.
Eventually, I do slog on. I muddle through another scene. I produce a decent word count (though not as much as I should), and I hope that the end is somewhere in sight. You know the one I’m talking about: that shiny, happy resolution where suddenly, you like your characters again, you believe in your story, and you’re sorry to see it end.
I have to believe that it’s out there. I have to believe that my characters will get me there.
But man, those mid-way blues are hard to beat sometimes. Anyone have a remedy or two they’d like to offer up?
P.S. Tomorrow is Writers’ Wednesday, and I’ll be blogging about how to deal with rejection in the publishing world. Make sure to stop back and comment (there’s an incentive…)!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday's Movie Meme
"I dream for a living."
~Steven Spielberg
Snagged this movie meme from Marianne:
1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. Probably The Sound of Music - you know, the annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast. Other than that, I don’t watch repeats that often.
2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Brokeback Mountain. Hmm…why do I go back for all the heavy, depressing ones? Catharsis?
3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie. I don’t know of anyone who’d be a HUGE draw. I like Mark Wahlberg and Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz too.
4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie. Jim Carrey. Can’t stand him. Sorry!
5. Name a movie you can and do quote from. When Harry Met Sally.
6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Many, thanks to growing up with parents who owned umpteen movie musical records. Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, The Robber Bridegroom, West Side Story, The King and I, Carousel, Bye Bye Birdie…
7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with. See above!
8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. The recent animated film Cars. Perfect for any age.
9. Name a movie you own. Lots. Without looking at my collection, I know there’s American Graffitti, Cars, Brokeback Mountain, The Lake House, Austin Powers, Dodgeball. At school, I have a stack of teacher movies, including Radio, Hoosiers, Mean Girls, Coach Carter, Music of the Heart, Stand and Deliver.
10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Mark Wahlberg (see yesterday’s post).
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? Yes, though not ‘til I was in my 20’s. There weren’t any around where I lived as a child. Last summer, we saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2 at a drive-in.
12. Ever made out in a movie? Um…yes. C’mon, I was a teenager once!
13. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet. The Pursuit of Happyness.
14. Ever walked out of a movie? No.
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. Oh, many. I’m a softy when it comes to that. Most recently, The Lake House.
16. Popcorn? Depends. Sometimes.
17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)? Maybe every couple of months. Too expensive!
18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? Actually, hubby and I just saw Shooter over the weekend.
19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Romantic comedy, though I will take in a scary movie (with someone other than hubby…he refuses to watch them!)
20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Can’t recall.
21. What movie do you wish you had never seen? Point Break, with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Not good and went on for far too long.
22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? What constitutes weird?
23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Nightmare on Elm Street - it was the first R-rated movie I saw in the theater (I was a pre-teen), and I couldn’t sleep for days afterwards.
24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Hmm…probably the Austin Powers series: Mike Myers at his best.
Want to play? Turns out you can tell a lot about a person by the movies they like...
~Steven Spielberg
Snagged this movie meme from Marianne:
1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. Probably The Sound of Music - you know, the annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast. Other than that, I don’t watch repeats that often.
2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Brokeback Mountain. Hmm…why do I go back for all the heavy, depressing ones? Catharsis?
3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie. I don’t know of anyone who’d be a HUGE draw. I like Mark Wahlberg and Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz too.
4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie. Jim Carrey. Can’t stand him. Sorry!
5. Name a movie you can and do quote from. When Harry Met Sally.
6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Many, thanks to growing up with parents who owned umpteen movie musical records. Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, The Robber Bridegroom, West Side Story, The King and I, Carousel, Bye Bye Birdie…
7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with. See above!
8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. The recent animated film Cars. Perfect for any age.
9. Name a movie you own. Lots. Without looking at my collection, I know there’s American Graffitti, Cars, Brokeback Mountain, The Lake House, Austin Powers, Dodgeball. At school, I have a stack of teacher movies, including Radio, Hoosiers, Mean Girls, Coach Carter, Music of the Heart, Stand and Deliver.
10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Mark Wahlberg (see yesterday’s post).
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? Yes, though not ‘til I was in my 20’s. There weren’t any around where I lived as a child. Last summer, we saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2 at a drive-in.
12. Ever made out in a movie? Um…yes. C’mon, I was a teenager once!
13. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet. The Pursuit of Happyness.
14. Ever walked out of a movie? No.
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. Oh, many. I’m a softy when it comes to that. Most recently, The Lake House.
16. Popcorn? Depends. Sometimes.
17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)? Maybe every couple of months. Too expensive!
18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? Actually, hubby and I just saw Shooter over the weekend.
19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Romantic comedy, though I will take in a scary movie (with someone other than hubby…he refuses to watch them!)
20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Can’t recall.
21. What movie do you wish you had never seen? Point Break, with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Not good and went on for far too long.
22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? What constitutes weird?
23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Nightmare on Elm Street - it was the first R-rated movie I saw in the theater (I was a pre-teen), and I couldn’t sleep for days afterwards.
24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Hmm…probably the Austin Powers series: Mike Myers at his best.
Want to play? Turns out you can tell a lot about a person by the movies they like...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Shooter
"The eyes say a lot more than anything."
~Mark Wahlberg
So last night, hubby and I went to see the movie "Shooter" - it was his turn to choose, since lately we've been watching A LOT of romantic comedies (my choice, of course).
And while the body count was too high for my taste, the plotline, a government conspiracy story, was pretty good.
The best part, of course, was Mark Wahlberg. Anyone else find him as yummy as I do? He seems to be everywhere in the movies these days: we've watched him in "Invincible" (terrific, by the way), "Four Brothers" (again, too violent for me), and I know he was in "The Departed" as well (haven't seen it).
So for a lazy Sunday afternoon, let's pay a little homage to this good-looking guy who has great acting chops and also fought his way to stardom from a really troubled adolescence and a modeling/music career that could have faded. Hey, I'm all for rehabilitation!
~Mark Wahlberg
So last night, hubby and I went to see the movie "Shooter" - it was his turn to choose, since lately we've been watching A LOT of romantic comedies (my choice, of course).
And while the body count was too high for my taste, the plotline, a government conspiracy story, was pretty good.
The best part, of course, was Mark Wahlberg. Anyone else find him as yummy as I do? He seems to be everywhere in the movies these days: we've watched him in "Invincible" (terrific, by the way), "Four Brothers" (again, too violent for me), and I know he was in "The Departed" as well (haven't seen it).
So for a lazy Sunday afternoon, let's pay a little homage to this good-looking guy who has great acting chops and also fought his way to stardom from a really troubled adolescence and a modeling/music career that could have faded. Hey, I'm all for rehabilitation!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Goodies for You
Happy Saturday!
Thought instead of posting any writing news or pearls of wisdom ;) today, I'd let you in on a few freebies that are out there for the taking:
1. Julie Cohen is giving away a copy of her newest release, Driving Him Wild.
2. Carly Phillips is sending bookmarks and autographed bookplates for her 2 upcoming releases to anyone who mails her an SASE.
3. And while you're at the above link filling out Carly's information, check out the blog space for rent that Alison Kent is offering. She claims to get 1000 visitors/day, so if you have anything to blog about or promote, that's a great opportunity!
4. While this one isn't totally free, you can celebrate the up-coming Buy a Friend a Book week and share your love of books and reading. And hey, you might just get a book in return. Karma, you know. (Thanks, Judy, for the link!)
5. Visit Marianne's site for a few more freebies...
Okay, I'm off to write (and clean the house...in-laws coming this weekend).
Have a great one!
Thought instead of posting any writing news or pearls of wisdom ;) today, I'd let you in on a few freebies that are out there for the taking:
1. Julie Cohen is giving away a copy of her newest release, Driving Him Wild.
2. Carly Phillips is sending bookmarks and autographed bookplates for her 2 upcoming releases to anyone who mails her an SASE.
3. And while you're at the above link filling out Carly's information, check out the blog space for rent that Alison Kent is offering. She claims to get 1000 visitors/day, so if you have anything to blog about or promote, that's a great opportunity!
4. While this one isn't totally free, you can celebrate the up-coming Buy a Friend a Book week and share your love of books and reading. And hey, you might just get a book in return. Karma, you know. (Thanks, Judy, for the link!)
5. Visit Marianne's site for a few more freebies...
Okay, I'm off to write (and clean the house...in-laws coming this weekend).
Have a great one!
Friday, March 23, 2007
With Friends, or Going Solo?
"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. "
- Flannery O'Connor
Last night I met with a sub-group of my local RWA - basically 4 of us who live within the same 20 square miles. And it was nice. We exchanged sample pages, talked about the sample pages we’d shared last month, enjoyed some coffee (and beautiful weather outside - almost 60 yesterday!), and watched the Borders customers browse.
(Interesting side note: at one point, a couple who looked to be in their late 30s sat down in a chair in the lounge/coffee shop area, near our table. The woman hopped onto the man’s lap and began gyrating and kissing him. It lasted all of 30 seconds or so, still, the 4 of us were sort of left with our mouths hanging open. Never know what you’ll see when you head to the mall…)
Still, I left the evening thinking, well, it sure is nice to have fellow writers to sit down with. To talk about the industry and contests and conference news with. To share writing struggles and frustrations. To bemoan rejection together.
And yet.
It’s always a little frustrating for me when someone gives you a writing sample, asks for your feedback (which takes time), and then defends every comment or criticism you make. “Well, but that’s how I want the hero to behave.” “Well, I know people who talk that way.” “Well, many authors write from multiple characters’ POV.”
I sort of feel like, well, don’t ask if you’re not going to change anything or at least take suggestions under consideration. I like writers’ groups and critique partners for so many reasons. They are the reason my writing improved to publishable quality and the reason I picked myself up after so many rejections over the years. Still, occasionally, I’m reminded of why I go it alone as often as I share my work with others.
Anyone else ever experience frustration in working with other writers?
- Flannery O'Connor
Last night I met with a sub-group of my local RWA - basically 4 of us who live within the same 20 square miles. And it was nice. We exchanged sample pages, talked about the sample pages we’d shared last month, enjoyed some coffee (and beautiful weather outside - almost 60 yesterday!), and watched the Borders customers browse.
(Interesting side note: at one point, a couple who looked to be in their late 30s sat down in a chair in the lounge/coffee shop area, near our table. The woman hopped onto the man’s lap and began gyrating and kissing him. It lasted all of 30 seconds or so, still, the 4 of us were sort of left with our mouths hanging open. Never know what you’ll see when you head to the mall…)
Still, I left the evening thinking, well, it sure is nice to have fellow writers to sit down with. To talk about the industry and contests and conference news with. To share writing struggles and frustrations. To bemoan rejection together.
And yet.
It’s always a little frustrating for me when someone gives you a writing sample, asks for your feedback (which takes time), and then defends every comment or criticism you make. “Well, but that’s how I want the hero to behave.” “Well, I know people who talk that way.” “Well, many authors write from multiple characters’ POV.”
I sort of feel like, well, don’t ask if you’re not going to change anything or at least take suggestions under consideration. I like writers’ groups and critique partners for so many reasons. They are the reason my writing improved to publishable quality and the reason I picked myself up after so many rejections over the years. Still, occasionally, I’m reminded of why I go it alone as often as I share my work with others.
Anyone else ever experience frustration in working with other writers?
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