Archive for December, 2009
Your Writing Resolutions
Yes, it’s a little cliché – a New Year’s weblog entry during this week of champagne and celebration. Lest, we don’t forget, as the calendar turns over, tradition tells us that the time is now to buckle down and define what the new year will hold for us.
As you begin to define your resolutions – your writing resolutions – think about what can be done realistically and you may find that your writing resolutions mirror your other resolutions.
Slim Down
Beautiful text and rhythmic devices does not always translate to impactful writing. Challenge yourself to lose a sentence or two, a paragraph or two or a page or two with each piece you write. Get in the habit. Resist the temptations. And don’t “reward” yourself by letting it go from time-to-time. The reward will come when your readers cannot turn their eyes away from your slim and impactful writing.
End Procrastination
The technology age and the creative generation have given rise to new avenues and increased competition. Blogging, self-publishing and writing empowerment in general are creating a new environments for writers. Get off the couch (unless that’s where you write) and get moving.
Quit Bad Habits
Every writer has one … some have two or three. Do you have the tendency to repeat yourself? Have issues with successes, tones, themes or characters. Or maybe comma use is your vice. Don’t deny it, you know what they are. Now is the time to make a conscious effort to kick bad habits.
So now you have your 2010 writing resolutions, how do you make certain you follow through? Be sure to write them down and put reminders in places where you’ll see them.
Good luck and happy New Year!
Melissa
A Writer’s Friend: Brainstorming
Let’s face it. As writers we all tend to get stuck from time to time. Stuck facing a half filled page and watching the blinking cursor taunt in repetition. Or maybe stuck with the confusion of your character’s next move and the overall direction for your storyline. It happens to us all. In fact, it may be happening to me right now.
I am walking and talking myself through what it is I am intending to say — my purpose for what I am writing. I jot down ideas at the lower end of my page, add comments to the sides of my work and highlight words in question, all for the search of an idea.
Where can we go for ideas? And what can we do to amplify each idea to its fullest potential?
The answer is so simple yet it is the most powerful technique to generate thought and reach for creativity in our ideas — Brainstorming.
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Brainstorming: (noun) a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc.
The idea behind brainstorming is separate from simply thinking as you go. You must sit down with the intention to brainstorm. Write down each and every idea that comes to you, no matter how far fetched or out-of-the-box — as these wild ideas will create a spectrum to filter through and generate new ideas. Talk aloud to hear and feel each thought. Once you get the ideas flowing, you are left with a pool to select from and develop.
Take advantage of the minds of others through group brainstorming. You have heard the phrase, “two heads are better than one.” Whether you incorporate a writer’s group, friends, family or strangers, asking the ideas of others will break you out of stale thinking patterns and offer the freshness from those around you. As a group, spontaneously share ideas back and forth to build from one another’s thoughts and inspire new directions.
Individual brainstorming practices range widely in their technique. Utilize http://www.bubbl.us/ to create online mind maps in which you can share with others and brainstorm online.
Visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/brainstorming.html for a variety of brainstorming exercises aimed at reviving your current project or setting your new writing task in motion.
The skill of writing is challenging as you and I search for ways to heighten our creativity and our ability. It all begins with a little brainstorming.
Need help brainstorming? Leave a comment and let’s see what we can discover.
Melissa
The Rambling Story Part 2: Six Word Memoirs
Yesterday I talked about not being a rambling writer and instead focusing on being concise. Today I want to extend that thought and present you with a challenge – write your life story in six words. Sound impossible? It’s probably easier than you think.
I first heard about six word memoirs from a story on NPR about a year ago. Apparently, it all started when Ernest Hemingway was once asked to write a short story in six words. His famous six words were: For sale: baby shoes, never worn. Intriguing? Yes, I think so. A glimpse into his life? Definitely.
Telling a powerful story or giving a glimpse like Hemingway did is the whole point of six-word memoirs. Larry Smith, founder of the online SMITH magazine, took the idea of short storytelling to the masses in 2006 when he started asking famous and not famous people to post their memoirs on his Web site, smithmag.net (a precursor to Twitter perhaps?). He eventually took the best posts and put them in a book – Not Quite What I Was Planning – which ended up on the New York Times bestseller list. Two “sequels” Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak and I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure have since been released.
Now that you have some background on what six-word memoirs are, my question to you is, could you write your life story in six words? Could you sum up the plotline of your book in six words? I challenge you to try. Take a few moments, think about your life, think about your book, play with some words and see what you get.
In an interview with School Library Journal, Rachel Fershleiser, editor/curator of SMITH magazine offered some tips for writing great six-word memoirs.
- Be specific
- Be honest
- Forget the thesaurus – choose interesting words that come naturally to you
- Use your speaking voice
- Experiment with structure – one statement vs. six separate ones, two three-word sentences, etc.
- Stop trying too hard – just start scribbling and see what happens!
(Read the full interview at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6678973.html)
And, in case you’re still stuck, here are some six-word memoirs to get you started:
- Be patient with me. I grow
- Build my coffin out of books.
- Doing everything in my life backwards.
- Muddled through. Broke even. Future hopeful!
- Tell me, who should I be?
*Taken from www.smithmag.net – the original home of six word memoirs.
We’d love to read what you come up with to describe your life or your book or both. Post them in the comment section below.
Happy writing all day every day,
Kate
The Rambling Story Part 1: Why rambling is bad for your book and what you can do about it so your book doesn’t go on and on and on…
Let’s pretend for a moment that you ramble on and on when you write. Your writing style consists mainly of long flowing descriptions of scenery and weather, intricate details about each character and flowery dialogue that goes on for pages.
Unless you’re writing epic poems (and even then there are limits when it comes to readability) or you’re Charles Dickens (who never met a period he actually liked) rambling should not be your friend. Rambling, particularly in novels, slows your story down and leads to reader confusion and loss of interest.
Think about your own reading experiences. Do you actually like reading huge blocks of text in novels? No, I didn’t think so. Thank goodness for dialogue in books or else there would be a lot of books out there I would have skimmed my entire way through, if I even finished at all.
Breaking up those big blocks of descriptive text is not easy. You may feel tied to those scenery descriptions that mention every cloud and flower for miles. You wonder, “How else am I supposed to describe her hair that shimmered and glistened with golden light in the bright afternoon sun beaming in through the sparkling windows?”
For the sake of your book and your readers, learn to be concise. Trust your readers to know what you mean when you say “her golden hair” rather than use the description above. Granted, there may genuinely be times in your writing that you need a lengthy description of a scene. However, in those few times, limit yourself to only writing about the most crucial elements and use dialogue and narration from your characters to fill in the rest. Learning how to write good dialogue will help you cut back on rambling descriptions and move your story along
Admitting that you have a rambling problem is the first step in learning how to be more concise. Then, be ruthless with your writing. Examine every sentence, every word if you must, to ensure that everything fits together and aids the progress of your story
Have you examined rambling in your writing? Share your own tips for being concise in our comments section. And, check back tomorrow for The Rambling Story Part 2: Six Word Memoirs. Could you write your life story in six words?
Happy (concise) writing,
Kate
Marketing Your E-Friendly Book
It’s no secret that our society has evolved from the days of telegraphs and the pony express to instant everything. Imagine waiting weeks, even months, to receive a letter. In our world of instantaneous information, the thought of waiting so long for something is unfathomable.
Not only has technology changed over the decades, but how people respond to it has changed too. As authors, we must adapt to changes in technology or risk the loss of current and future readers.
Each shift in value-added technology to consumers opens new opportunities for you as an author. New ways to present your work — your book — to a hungry universal audience beckoning for convenience. Whether you think this is unfortunate or not, the traditional bookstore browsing is now reserved for Sunday afternoons and vacations, but newer E-book trends are available anytime, anywhere. The E-book marketplace is here and you must respond or be left behind. Authors must be business people too, responding to current industry trends.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the E-book trends, but you don’t need to be. Here are some helpful, easy ways to electronically market your book.
Target E-Readers. Growing technology and popularity of mobile devices paired with active consumers equals opportunity. Make your book available in E-book format for access and readability through electronic avenues such as Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader. Reach out to this increasing segment of readers.
Online Book Samples. Offer free downloads of sections or chapters of your book as a sample to browsing readers. An electronic sneak peek posted on your bookstore page, Author Web site, or blog entices further reading and leads toward the purchase of your book. You may also check out a service Wordclay offers – the Barnes and Noble See Inside the Book feature for an even more in-depth look inside your book. Apart from the standard book synopsis, posting a selection of your favorite scene or a twist in your storyline is also a good way to draw in readers.
Upload a Video Promo. Creation of a video book trailer gives life to your book. Utilize the creative and differentiating elements of your story in a visual presentation mapping the meaning within your writing. You may also create an author video introducing and personalizing your work through an interview style presentation. Include your videos on your bookstore page, author website, blog and e-mail campaigns. Additionally, you can post your video on YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites.
As our electronic era continues to grow and change, making your book E-friendly is vital. This means staying current with industry trends and the lifestyles of your readers and making your book available through the most convenient means for your readers.
- Melissa
Where’s Your Inspirational Notebook?
Write. Write often. And write by hand. Fuel your creativity through the jotting of tidbits seen, overheard, or simply thought into a notebook — any kind of notebook — your inspiration notebook.
An inspiration notebook is not a journal and does not contain complaints or venting. Rather, it’s a gathering place of ideas — the capturing of life’s remnants and the collection of sights, sounds and smells of the world around you. It is a catchall of discovered words and phrases, borrowed lines, and observed moments, which indulge the imagination and inspire thought — an eclectic collage of life observed.
Fill your notebook with overheard snippets of passer-bys … “You know what that means don’t you? We are in love.” Jot down personal reminders of the changing seasons and altering times. Describe the person across from you on the bus that looks like he could be one of your characters. Glue in photos, postcards, a poem, or advertisement that grabs you. Scatter names, dates and quotes. Detail your location, whether you are at a park or in the grocery store to further understand your setting. Listen to any background noise and add little pieces. Include your list of books to read and movies to watch. Practice writing exercises and sketch ideas.
As you harvest little inspirations, your notebook is also a place for memory. Recall tender moments and uncover the driving feeling. Remember the spiral shape of grandma’s staircase and how the center curve was the perfect location to set up the plastic figures ranging from animals to green army men just in case they needed to retreat up or down the mountain. Your notebook will keep you in touch with your inner resources. Write close to your heart about topics that fascinate you.
Use your notebook to look out at the world, noticing and listening to the stories separate from your own. Deliberate awareness encourages artistic sensibilities. It allows you to see the gems in small moments that radiate all around us. Understanding life and depths outside of your own will embrace the realness of spirit and give clarity to your thoughts.
Capturing inspirations and memories is a way to keepsake life and is the simplest means of heightening your craft. Writers are collectors, and your inspirational notebook becomes a source for your writing — a collection of life and a reminder to live as a writer, and to embrace the daily proof that the world is complex, heartrending and completely delightful.
- Melissa
Wordclay’s Parent Company Issues Press Release
On Monday, Author Solutions, the parent company of Wordclay and the world leader in indie book publishing, issued the following press release:
Author Solutions President and CEO Kevin Weiss Issues Statement about Choice and Opportunity in Book Publishing
Bloomington, Ind. (PRWEB) December 7, 2009 — Kevin Weiss, president and CEO of Author Solutions, the world leader in indie book publishing, issued a video statement Monday addressing the importance of providing expanded choice and opportunity in the book publishing industry.
During the three-and-a-half-minute statement Weiss addresses concerns that the rise of self-publishing, including ASI’s groundbreaking partnerships with leading traditional publishers, signals the destruction of the industry. Rather than the end of an industry, Weiss views these new alliances as signs the industry is adapting to new realities.
“The publishing industry has been around for many, many years, and it will continue to be around for many years into the future, but what it looks like will be different,” Weiss said. “And that’s the thing that’s difficult for people today. Change is hard. You can either be impacted by change or you can embrace change.”
Weiss also addresses protests lodged by writer’s guilds in response to last month’s announcement of a publishing partnership with women’s fiction publisher Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Weiss takes exception to these guilds’ position that only traditionally-published books can succeed.
“There are plenty of books in traditional publishing today that just don’t make it; it’s a hits business,” Weiss said. “It’s why the publishing industry is going through a transformation today and the consumer has everything to say about what is good content and what isn’t good content. To say that in order for a book to make it in the marketplace it has to blessed by a traditional publisher doesn’t make any sense in 2009.”
To view Weiss’s full statement, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT6ynw614G0. For more information on how Author Solutions and indie book publishing are increasing the number of opportunities and choices for authors, readers and publishers, log on to authorsolutions.com.
About Author Solutions, Inc.
Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI), an Inc. 5000 company, is owned by Bertram Capital and is the world leader in indie book publishing–the fastest-growing segment of publishing. ASI’s self-publishing brands–AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, and Wordclay–have helped more than 85,000 authors self-publish, promote, and bring to market more than 120,000 new titles. Through strategic alliances with leading trade publishers, ASI is making it possible for publishers to monetize unpublished manuscripts, develop new literary talent efficiently, and provide emerging authors a platform for bringing their books to market. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, ASI also operates offices in Indianapolis and Milton Keynes, England. Visit authorsolutions.com, or call 1-888-519-5121 x5238 for more information.
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Wordclay Author Reviewed in ‘The Gay & Lesbian Review’
We’re excited to announce that Wordclay author A.J. Walkley was featured in the November/December 2009 issue of ‘The Gay & Lesbian Review / Worldwide’ for her book, Queer Greer.
The review by Sheela Lambert entitled “The Young and the Bi”, highlighted three books each portraying a teenage girl struggling and accepting her bisexuality. Lambert praised Walkley’s realistic portrayal of Greer’s struggle with her torn feelings for both a boy and a girl. Lambert also stated, “All three authors have a good ear and create an authentic teen voice in their narration and dialogue. All three successfully capture the angst of adolescence: the pressure on teenage girls to be thin and feminine and to have a boyfriend; the loneliness, isolation and confusion experienced by teens who are different; and so on.”
Published in early 2009, Queer Greer chronicles the life of Greer MacManus, a teenage girl trying to navigate high school while having feelings for a boy and a girl. As she begins to experiment with drugs, self-mutilation and her own sexuality, she finds herself alone. Throughout the entire book she learns how to be comfortable with her bisexuality and embrace who she truly is.
A.J. Walkley is a reporter, freelance writer and novelist from Fairfield County, Connecticut. She graduated from Dickinson College in May 2007 with a degree in English and minors in creative writing and film. After spending three months in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Walkley returned to the U.S. and now works as a media correspondent in the United Nations.
Has your book been featured in a publication? Let us know! We would love to feature you here on our blog. To submit press about your book, please visit the Press Breaks section on our Bookstore home page.
Happy writing,
Kate
Make Your Priority List and Check It Twice (a month)
As a blanket of ribbons and wrapping paper cover our thoughts, it is also the perfect time to evaluate, prioritize and create an action plan for the New Year — not to mention what else you can accomplish just in time for the holidays. The countdown has begun. Never mind ideas of resolutions — Put it on Paper.
There’s not enough time in the day — a commonly spoken phrase. But, the holidays — life — won’t grant more time, so where do we all begin? Begin with the idea of a list — a carefully designed plan detailing a direction, opportunity and the prioritized efficiency that increases your performance and productivity.
Consider the following when creating your list of priorities and maintaining your plan:
Vision — Your overall image, or visualization, of what it is you are working towards and who it is you want to become. Keep your vision on the grand scheme of things but also realistic. Recognize each avenue of opportunity as it branches out from your visual map.
Accomplishments — Assess where you are now. Review your previous goals and compare those to your current standing. Did you accomplish anything outside of your initial target? In what time frame did you reach each accomplishment? Note any goals being carried over and understand why they have not yet been met.
New Direction for Goals — Recognize any new opportunities. This may be due to personal progress or a change in the industry and its trends.
List Your Priorities — What are you currently working on? Working towards? List all projects in motion as well as the anticipation of future projects. Note the level of importance for each task and rank them from high to low priority.
Create Due Dates — Assign a date of completion for each task. If your goals have sub-tasks, create a due date for those as well. Build a type of schedule to help navigate your progress as well as prioritize each task and goal.
Consider Consequences — Not all tasks are created equal. Some tasks have minimal results or consequences while others significant. Should your schedule ever call for it, or if a new opportunity presents itself, tackle the significant tasks first. It may seem obvious, but we tend to think we can get the easy ones out of the way quickly so we may concentrate more thoroughly on the higher stake. Prioritize means the most important or impacting comes first.
De-Clutter — On the flipside, most lists will contain a variety of smaller tasks that require little time but also anchor your progress. Schedule a day to de-clutter your list. Work your way through the little things and free your time for more beneficial tasks.
Reassess — Change is constant with priorities and opportunities. Depending upon the intensity of your schedule, reevaluate your list weekly to monthly. Stay on track of your progress and keep up with the shifts in your priorities.
Give yourself the gift of course. Planning and preparation will set personal guidelines and keep your progression headed towards your goals. Prioritizing helps to manage your work and adds professionalism to your name.
- Melissa
