MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

WISHING YOU ALL PEACE, HOPE, HAPPINESS, ADVENTURE, FUN, TRANQUILITY, FAITH, AND LOVE.

Mental Fog

Mental fog, sleep pattern disrupted, and just adjusting to being home has taken longer than I ever thought it would despite the formula at one web site that calculated about twelve days to adjust for a trip like mine. I'm functioning now although my sleep pattern hasn't yet returned to regular.

In Bali at a restaurant with tables set up on the beach, we watched the tide roll in under the full moon. Bali is a special place. That's probably why every year they have the Ubud International Writers and Readers Conference. Conferences can be good places to meet other writers, learn some writing tips, and be inspired by other writers and by the location.

Right now is a good time to write. Write on anything for any length.

Jet Lag

Jet Lag

Back from Bali and Java. Now recovering from the long trip and jet lag. Wonderful trip full of sights, sounds, tastes, experiences, and the people that make travel worthwhile.

Vacation

Starting on vacation today. Some travel and rest but will keep notes for my Hillerman "shopping cart". It'll be about a month before I post here again.

It hasn't been as easy as it sounds to write often. But the key remains that if you want to be a writer, write. While I'm enjoying the sun, the ocean, other cultures, and seeing beautiful places, can you write every day for a month? Write anything, any number of words, any focus or no focus, just as long as it is everyday.

Writing more than anything else is a matter of doing.

Have fun. Enjoy the journey. jim

Writing Groups

Writing Groups

Writers’ groups can be lots of help, inspiration, and encouragement. Finding the right group for you may not be easy. The only way I know is by trial and error. Even in groups that may be more social than intense writing, you meet other writers and wannabes. There is always the possibility of connecting with a kindred spirit apart from the group to read each other’s work.

If you have a university near you, they often have short courses or enrichment courses, or community outreach courses in beginning writing. This can be a great way to start with a moderated critique group and to get some teacher feedback too.

Finding and choosing writing buddies or readers is a real art that depends a lot on different personalities and luck. Joining local writing groups, taking community enrichment courses at the local university, or even joining an on-line group are all possible ways to find other writers. Going to seminars and writing conferences can help connect you. A caution here to go slowly. If the group or writing buddy isn’t making you feel good about your writing, then keep looking. You’re not looking for false praise, but your group or writing buddy should energize you.

RUNNING NAKED IN THE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE

As you start to critique others, you learn more about how people read and look at your work. After you grow out of writer’s adolescence and the sensitivity to criticism and the need for validation subsides, you will find another very real problem.

Just as we are proud of ourselves to be able to let the praise and the criticism stay in perspective, we realize that our work reveals more about ourselves than we ever imagined, like running naked in the Fourth of July parade. Why would anyone want to do that? I sure don’t.

Maybe there is no solution to that. Perhaps it’s like getting a medical exam, just something you endure. Perhaps it’s more like a fan dancer, just keep moving the fans fast enough, nobody will notice or know what really is being revealed. Perhaps it’s like being in the Garden of Eden, everyone accepts it for what it is. Public writing is not like private writing and it may not be for everyone.

Writers, write. Write, right now.

Feedback

CRITIQUE

Critique, criticism, feedback, reading partners, and writing groups challenge the writer to view her work in new ways. Other new writers may find this part of the process as I did, difficult. Looking more for validation than improvement, any comment tends to be taken negatively. Signs that this was happening included feeling like the person missed the point of my story, didn’t understand the technique, or was just jealous. I found myself trying to explain my work or defending it; I had some growing to do. But just like the teenager, oversensitive to every pimple and dismissing all the positive comments, I grew out it, but not without pain.

This period of writer adolescence can be soften by joining a moderated group or an introductory writers enrichment short course at a local university. Find one that does group critiques. The teacher or moderator usually sets down guidelines to critiquing that try to eliminate comments that may be too destructive and can help sooth wounds when comments seem to strike at one’s core.

Writers need perspective on their work because usually they are too close to it to properly evaluate it. It is only through critique that perspective is obtained. This is an important part of the polishing of the writing.

Critique became more useful to me after I made up my mind to three things:

1. I would believe and enjoy the positive comments.
2. Never over react to negative criticism.
3. Keep an open mind.

Rejoice in favorable comments. These are easy to ignore because they don’t seem to tell us how we can improve. Really they are very important. After all aren’t we trying to reach an audience. How better to reach that audience than to write what they respond to and like?

Critiques are about the work not about you or your aspirations to be a writer. When negative comments result in us feeling self doubt, wondering why we continue to write when we have so little talent, we are over reacting. When we totally ignore negative comments, we are over reacting.

The balance point is to study the comments. Try to understand what they are saying and calmly evaluate what you can do to solve the stated problem. Rewrite the work to solve the problem even if you think it not worth the ink to print it. Of course, save the original. Then after a few days go back and read the two versions and keep the one that is best. Keeping an open mind will in the long run be easier on you the writer and will improve your writing.

I love all comments because they give me what I can not have by myself, perspective. You will probably find that the best parts of your best works draw the most comments, good and bad. Remember this and don’t be too ready to throw out a phrase or paragraph that draws a lot of negative attention. Often it seems to me that the very reason that some people find trouble reading a paragraph is the same reason why some people love it. Keep an open mind. Write a cure for each problem, then wait, review, and keep those that you the writer feel are best.

Really hurt or burned or angry with a critique? Wonderful! Write about it! Write with passion. Do it right now!

Lynette Rees

Lynette Rees

I’ve already recommended buying Lynette Rees’ e-book, CRAFTING THE ROMANCE STORY. This e-book is a great buy. It is directed at the romance writer, but all writers will benefit from it. It is clear, practical, and sound. Use it as a workbook carefully doing the exercises and reading the links. It will save you time and focus your effort. Your writing will improve.

For fun and relaxation or for a model to base your writing, you may also want to get her romances and mysteries. They sweep you up into them. Look for these: WATCHING YOU, A TASTE OF HONEY, IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER, and RETURN TO WINTER. They are packed with romance, mystery, and good humor.

Following her blog is interesting and worthwhile for any writer. http://www.nettiesramblings.blogspot.com/

Right now on her blog site are links to some of the ezine articles she has written like Develop a Killer Plot, Setting as a Character, Seven Ways to Inject Suspense into Your Novel, and Seven Ways to Keep Your Editor Happy. After reading her articles you may want to stay on the ezine site and browse awhile. It appears to have many many articles for writers.

All these things can maximize your progress, make the end result more certain, and make the journey more fun, but the bottom line remains that to be a writer, you have to write. Write something. Write anything. Right now!

Seldom Disappointed

It Ain’t Easy

Seldom Disappointed, a memoir by Tony Hillerman is dedicated:
“To Marie, who wanted me to do this
and to all you other writers, wannabes,
shouldbes, willbes, and hadbeens included,
I dedicate this effort. You’re the ones who
know it ain’t easy. May you get as lucky as
I have been.”

Hillerman’s detective stories featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are among my favorite reads. Seldom Disappointed gives us a look into what makes an author. Fans of Hillerman should not miss this book. Aspiring writers can learn a lot from it.

I especially like his image of the writer as a “bag lady pushing her stolen shopping cart through life collecting throw away stuff, which, who knows, might be useful some way some day.” In the book he shows how different experiences have shown up in his books.

His story is also encouraging to any writer who has been told his work is no good or who has been rejected. Even his own agent who had placed his non-fiction work told him to forget the fiction.

He tells his journalism students that the “power to persuade lies in the ability to make people see” and sends them out to bars and bus stations to spot differences in the people and describe them so that the reader can see those details that made the students conclude what they did. If a juror appears bored, what makes him look bored? If a bus patron is drunk, what tells you that?

What memories do we have of characters we’ve met? What stands out in our minds about them? How can we describe them so that other people will come to the same conclusions about them that we did? Write, write, right now.

Butter Pecan

NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY

Butter Pecan is my favorite ice cream What's yours? How does eating ice cream make you feel? What does your tongue feel? What do you taste? What do you see and smell? How do you eat ice cream? Is there a routine or ritual that you go through when you eat it? When do you eat it? How does writing compare to ice cream? Where do you buy it? At the grocery store? From a street vendor? From an ice cream shop?

What's your fondest moment and ice cream? What's your funniest moment with ice cream? What's your saddest ice cream story?

Do you ever use ice cream as a carrot? I'm going out to do some research after I write. Write right now.

Learning The Craft

LEARNING THE CRAFT

The craft is everything that helps us to effectively tell our story or get our message across. If we’re just writing for ourselves, it doesn’t matter because we know what we mean no matter how we write it down. If we are writing for others or to get published, we have to learn the craft. We have to make our writing clear, persuasive, and compelling.

Craft is important. Only the exceptional genius or the extremely lucky will be published if they lack the skills to put together an effective offering that meets the dictates of the publisher. Work that confuses or tires the reader is not going to get accepted.

Authors spend a lifetime learning their craft. Expect to do that. Do not be too anxious. Focus on the basics first. Books like THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE and THE WRITER’S RULES should be read and kept at hand as part of your basic writing reference library. For each publisher, get their writers’ guidelines and make sure your work conforms to them before making any submissions.

Many writers work too hard on craft. Beyond the basics, relax. Consider it a success if from each book, web site, conference, class, or blog, you pick up one useful tip, insight, or inspiration.

The priority is to write from your passion, love, and burning drive. Write! Write! Right now!

From THE WRITER’S RULES: The Power of Positive Prose -- How to Create it and Get it Published. HELEN GURLEY BROWN: “If you want to be a writer, write. Write something. Write again and again. If nobody sees your output for a while, that’s okay; write for you until it’s time to write for others.”

Targeted Writing

Let’s Write Short Stories

Let’s Write Short Stories by Ralph M. McInerny is great. When it was originally issued it was a course with a workbook and several cassettes and the buyer could send in his work to be critiqued. It had been a marvelous opportunity. This course is now difficult or impossible to find. Even without the critique service, it is a treasure.

Looking on the net for these tapes, I was unsuccessful. However Let’s Write a Mystery, Let’s Write a Novel, and Let’s Write Fiction-- 8 practical lessons were found at prices over a hundred dollars and one at almost two hundred dollars.

In Let’s Write Short Stories, McInerny leads the writer through the process of writing a short story, actually having the writer write along with him. If the writer follows diligently, he’ll have a short story.

McInerny defines the short story as: “The narration of a character’s attempts to extricate himself from a problem.” He also reminds the writer of his obligation to engage the reader because “no one owes you a reading.” Let’s hope that soon Ralph M. McInerny makes his practical approach available again.

Crafting the Romance Story - ebook 2009 by Lynette Rees

For romance writers, practical advice and guidance is here and now in Crafting the Romance Story - ebook 2009 by Lynette Rees. I call this a workbook because if you take your time and work through it, do the exercises, and read the linked articles, you’ll be rewarded with your own self written romance. You may even say, “Well, that was easy. What’s so hard about that?” Trust me, it’s a lot more difficult when someone isn’t holding your hand, guiding you along the way. Rees sheds light along a path to writing the romance story. Take your time, do the work, and you’ll be glad you did. She also details how to go about getting it sold.

Buy this ebook and carefully work through the exercises and read the linked articles. Here’s the link to buy:
https://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=7300519

Let me know what you think of it. I give it my highest rating -- buy it for your writer’s library.

You can find the romances of Lynette Rees at any of the major book sites like amazon.com, borders.com, bn.com, or abebooks.com. Or find them out at:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/it-happened-one-summer-paperback-p-3081.html

Writing Focus

FOCUS

If we want to write a novel or a short story or a magazine article, eventually we need to focus our writing on that. One way is to choose as our model the novel, story, or article that we like the best.

READ

For the aspiring author, writing-- regularly and often-- claims the top priority followed closely by reading. Read the classic authors and those outstanding in the type of writing you desire to do. Read first for pleasure then read to answer the questions that arise from writing. How does the author hook us, play us, and reel us in? Compare your favorite authors. Then try to imitate them. It is not so easy to imitate them.

If you’re interested in writing novels you may want to walk through the large print area of your library. It is like the rest of the library only smaller easier to walk through rapidly. Look for authors with lots of books. Pick one author and scan the titles. Choose the title you like the best or choose the thinnest book. Do this for five other authors. These authors have published many books that the library has bought; they must be doing something right. Read all of these books. Some may be books you don’t normally read. That’s good. Reading a romance, western, mystery, or thriller will shed light on writing the type of novel you want to write.

If you’re interested in short stories, choose five books of collected short stories. For magazine writing choose five of the best selling magazines. The idea is to gather examples of the successful popular writing in the form you have chosen.

How do these authors compare with your favorite author? How do they start? How are they trying to draw you into their story? Write the first paragraph of your story in the style of each of these five authors. Don’t spend a lot of time doing this. Just read their beginning paragraph; write a paragraph. Write, write, right now.

Warmimg Up

Warm Up

Call it warm up exercises or call it getting into the writer’s mind set, a daily free write is a good way to get started for the day. Just put the pen to paper and write whatever pops into your head and don’t stop until you’ve completed your page or time target. A page is good. It makes getting into whatever else you’re working on easier.

A good book that suggests a way to do your daily write is Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones --freeing the writer within-- @1986. I suggest getting the book on tape version read by the author herself. This book is full of ways to improve your writing, to get in touch with your inner writer, and to enjoy the journey. Listening to her read and then stop and comment on what she just read is a delight. This is an excellent book on the “how to” of writing daily. Listening to Natalie will stretch your mind and your writing.

Write. Write, right now!

Writing Types

TYPES OF WRITING

To improve, we need to write often. Don’t worry too much if what you’re writing is any good. It is a common worry that causes many to give up. Those that keep writing are often surprised by how good their writing appears to them after a few days. It is important to remember that it is the writing and, perhaps, especially the writing when we are struggling to put together a good sentence, that gets us where we are going. To gain this experience any type of writing will do. This is the first type of writing: writing for experience.

Targeted writing is the next type. Whether we want to write humorous essays, short stories, memoirs, creative non-fiction, family histories, novels, newspaper stories, non-fiction, or whatever, we need to do some writing targeted at that. I want to be a writer of short stories and novels. I need to practice that by writing short stories and novels. By trying to write a short story, I become aware of the short story.

Writing to learn the craft is the third type of writing. To learn the craft we need to expand our experience, challenge our thought patterns, and work on our weaknesses. The lessons learned here linger on in our other writings. Exercises may focus on our creativity(like challenging our senses or asking what ifs), our craft proficiency (like point of view or flashbacks), or on the mechanics (like grammar or punctuation).

Write your daily thoughts.

Write your heart’s desire.

Explore your creativity………right now!

The secret of becoming a writer

THE SECRET OF BECOMING A WRITER

By now we all agree with Augusten Burroughs: “The secret to being a writer is that you have to write. It’s not enough to think about writing or to study literature or to plan a future life as an author. You really have to…get to work.”

OK. We’re writing as much as we can. We’re not worrying if it is good or not nor are we worrying much about form or format, punctuation, or grammar. What’s the next step? Can we hurry this along?

Actually we’re there. We’re writers.

Ahh, well, but we’re not published.

So now we want to be in the big leagues and get out of the sand lot.

Writing is more a journey than a destination. If we don’t enjoy writing, we’re not on the right road. If we do enjoy writing then we’re going in the right direction. In time we’ll see how far and fast our dedication, talent, and inspiration takes us. This is a great adventure; be sure to enjoy the trip.

Yes, there are things that can move us along faster. We learn the craft from our own experience, but there is much we can do that will help us. Conferences, courses, books, web sites, blogs, schools, writers groups, critique partners, and other writers form a well of resources. It is our experience that determines how big a bucket we take to the well and how much we take away.

Write, write, right now!

Experience

EXPERIENCE

“Quantity gives experience. From experience alone can quality come.” Ray Bradbury, ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING.

Bradbury’s essays on creativity are a series of pep talks for writers. Few of us will have his talent, but we all can learn from his insightful advice.

He wrote at least a thousand words everyday from the age of twelve. Expect to do a lot of writing before you get published. I’ve heard several novelists say that it takes about three novels before one gets accepted. That’s a lot of work, a lot of words written and revised.

Back to work, writing. For now we’re focusing in on quantity. Writing a journal, stream of consciousness, family stories, short story attempts, descriptions, essays, or anything is good. Just write regularly and often. Make the habit; train the brain. Write, write, right now!

Still Writing

Still Writing

You have to hit a lot of balls to be a good golfer, tennis player, or baseball player. To be good, writers must write, write, write. This may sound obvious, just another “duh”, but it is the key to success.

Epictetus wrote almost nineteen hundred years ago, “If you wish to be a writer, write.”

ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING

Zen in the Art of Writing--Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury @1989 is a wonderfully inspiring book that aspiring writers need to read, not just once, but often. His enthusiasm leaps off the page and catches you. His practical tips and advice help immediately. Get this book, read it. It’s great.

One of Bradbury’s tips: “You will have to write …. a lot of material before you are comfortable… You might as well start now and get the necessary work done.”

A Good Place to Start

A GOOD PLACE TO START

For those thinking about becoming writers, the book Maybe You Should Write a Book by Ralph Daigh is a good place to start. Daigh, a well known publisher, relates stories about and advice from outstanding authors including James A. Michener, Isaac Asimov, Saul Bellow, John D. MacDonald, and others.

From Louis L’Amour, Daigh quotes the wisdom: “If you are going to be a writer the first essential is just to write; write whenever, wherever, however, but write.”

Daigh’s own advice to those who want to write a book is: “Say it and do it! Tell yourself privately and confidently, ‘I’m going to write a book, NOW!’”

Daigh also gives the answer to the question of how to start a novel: “…start writing…”

This book was published in 1977 and may be difficult to find, but well worth the effort.

Jim 6-5-2009

Write! Write! Right Now!

Write! Write! Right Now!

I want to be an author, a writer of short stories and novels. This is my journey. Along the way I will seek out and pass along to you the best advice. I will also ask you what works for you so that that too can be passed along.

To be an author:

write
write regularly and often
don’t wait; start right now.

Writing regularly not only hones your craft and develops your voice but also tunes you into your creative self. It does not even matter much if what you write is good or not. Even the bad stuff is taking you along the road. You will improve.

For me setting a goal to write something, anything, even one sentence, most days every week helped to develop the habit without it feeling like an onerous burden. Once the habit was established, daily time goals or word count goals were set. I found it was easier to aim for a minimum of five or ten minutes per day than two or three hundred words.

I found the biggest hurdle was the first word. Put one down now, any one, and just start writing.
---Jim 6-04-2009

Starting the blog

Starting this blog is not the first step, but it is a step in my great adventure down the writing road.

THE BLOG BASICS

Blog Wild! by Andy Wibbels (Penguin Books 2006) is a good book on blog basics. One of the book's headings is: the only way to start is to start. That's good advice for blogging, writing, or any new venture. Let's get started.