Three Tips: shy writers, summer journals, a writing prompt
Posted: May 24, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ask Me, Blogalicious, Diane Lockwood, Funds for Writers, Hope Clark, literary journals, The Shy Writer Reborn, websites for writers, William Stafford, writing prompt, writing prompts Leave a comment »Here I offer three quick tips you can read and use without taking too much time out of your writing. If you have suggestions for books, websites or writing prompts, please include them in a comment or email me at sufalick@gmail.com
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The Shy Writer Reborn by C. Hope Clark. Are you an introvert? Do you find that you’re comfortable at your desk but would rather get your teeth cleaned than go out into the world to sell your writing? In this all-new edition of an older book, Hope Clark, the Funds for Writers.com guru and author of the Carolina Slade mystery series, tells us how to work around our fears to succeed at the writing business. Lots of good advice here.
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Diane Lockwood’s “Blogalicious: Notes on Poetry, Poets and Books” offers a fabulous list of literary journals that accept submissions in the summer.
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Start with the words “Ask me” and continue writing a poem, essay, article, short story or whatever comes to you. Thanks to William Stafford’s poem for the inspiration.
Now Go Write
Three tips: writer advice, breakout novels, changing perspective
Posted: May 9, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: advice for writers, Carol Tice, Donald Maass, Fire in Fiction, inspiration for writers, Make a Living Writing, query letters, The Breakout Novel, The Breakout Novelist, writing, writing prompt Leave a comment »Here we are again with three quick tips for writers. The idea is to give you something you can use right away and then get back to your writing. If you have suggestions for websites, books or prompts to list here, please add them to the comments.
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Literary agent Donald Maass knows how to produce books that sell, and he shares that information in his books for writers: The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Career Strategies for Fiction Writers; The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great; and The Breakout Novel. His books cut through the gobbledygook and tell you what it really takes to succeed as a novelist.
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The web is riddled with writers giving advice to other writers (I know, I’m doing it, too). But Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing site is truly helpful. Recent posts include how to write pitches and queries that actually work, what kinds of assignments writers should NOT take, and how to sell that piece you haven’t been able to sell.
Try this
Click on a random photo you have stored in your computer or other device.
1. Write a poem or prose piece about what was happening when that picture was taken. Describe the scene, the emotions, and what was happening before or after.
2. Now tell it from the point of view of somebody else who was there or a fictional character that you invent. Use your imagination.
Now Go Write
Cast Out Your Nets Once More
Posted: May 2, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: fishing and writing, inspiration for writers, persistence in writing, writing as a gamble 2 Comments »(I’m taking a break from “Three Tips” this week to offer a sermonette. More tips next week.)
At church recently, we heard the Gospel where Jesus appears to the disciples who have been fishing all day and caught nothing. He tells them to cast out their net one more time. And they say, “Lord, there’s no fish out here. We’ve tried and tried.” He says, “Well, try it once more.” And boom, the net comes up full to bursting with fish.
Somehow, that Gospel reading made me think about my writing. God knows I get rejections just like all writers. They always seem to come in bunches. I think I got seven in the first two weeks of April. It’s like everyone wants to finish their contests and clear out their submissions by April 15. The rejections all came by e-mail. I miss the days of paper rejections where at least you could wait until you picked up the mail instead of having rejections arrive on your computer while you’re writing. Right now as I write this, I have an Internet blocker, Freedom, going, and I try to always keep sound off so I don’t get that little ping that signals I have a new e-mail and tempts me away from the work at hand. I recommend you do the same. Getting a big old “no” can scare the muse away in a hurry.
But like the fishermen, real writers will keep trying. There are incentives, whether it’s the fish that just swam by a near-acceptance or placing in a contest. Recently I’ve had work that placed as semi-finalist, finalist or won honorary mention in prose and poetry contests. I’ve had editors says, “We can’t use this, but try us again.” But I have also won contests, and I have had editors say yes before. I know it can happen again, but only if I keep trying. Writing is a gamble. I don’t play the lottery; I’m a writer instead.
So, let’s all try it one more time. Cast out your net and see what comes up. Of course, you have to use the right bait, and you have to fish in the lake or river most likely to yield a good catch, just as you need to send out good writing to the markets most likely to use it, but if you keep trying, you will catch a fish and you will get your work published.
Three Tips: Writer’s Workout, weekly feast, try this
Posted: April 26, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: books for writers, Christina Katz, inspiration for writers, opportunities for writers, Writer's Workout, Writers Weekly, writersweekly.com, writing prompt Leave a comment »Once a week I offer three quick tips that you can use right away. For those of us who would rather be writing than reading blogs, this is a place you can grab something useful and get back to work. If you have suggestions, please share them in the comments section.
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Not sure what to do next in your quest to be a successful writer? Try a page from The Writer’s Workout by Christina Katz from right here in Oregon. Katz, writer, teacher and platform powerhouse, has put together 366 tips, tasks and techniques to get you going. Writing, network, marketing, climbing out the swamp when you can’t write–it’s all here.
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I just clicked on WritersWeekly.com and almost didn’t come back because there were so many great things. Markets, how-tos, comparisons of the different print-on-demand publishers, trivia, and more! Subscriptions are free.
Try This
Finish this sentence: “After he ___________________”
Now Go Write
Three tips: self-publishing insights, flash nonfiction, a new point of view
Posted: April 18, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alison Baverstock, Brevity, Dinty W. Moore, Flash nonfiction, point of view, self-publishing, writing exercise, writing prompt Leave a comment »Once a week I offer three quick tips that you can take and use right away. For those of us who would rather be writing than reading blogs, this is a place you can grab something useful and get back to work. If you have suggestions, please share them in the comments section.
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Alison Baverstock’s “Ten Ways Self-Publishing has changed the Books World,” published in the UK’s Guardian online last week, offers a great overview of the changes wrought in publishing by the emergence of self-publishers. As an author who has some books that are self-published as well as others published traditionally, I find it both fascinating and comforting.
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The Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction, edited by Dinty W. Moore, The Rose Metal Press, 2012. “Flash” writing is hot these days. If you can writing something powerful in under a thousand words, you’ll find a lot more markets than you will for longer works. Dinty W. Moore, editor of the long-respected webzine Brevity, has put together essays from some of the best writers of short creative nonfiction. Each author talks about the craft, offers examples, and gives a writing exercise that will get your pen moving or your fingers dancing on the keyboard.
Try This
“I had a blood test thing morning.” “You had a blood test this morning.” “She had a blood test this morning.” It’s surprising what changing one pronoun can do. Shifting the point of view from its original first, second or third person can bring new life to any kind of writing. Take a poem or bit of prose that you have written and rewrite it in a different point of view and see if that doesn’t give you a whole new perspective.
Now Go Write
Three tips: Writers, get your wounds right
Posted: April 11, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Body Trauma, David W. Page, prompts, Scriptorium, Sherry Ramsey, writing about wounds and injuries, writing ideas Leave a comment »Once a week I offer three quick tips that you can take and use right away. For those of us who would rather be writing than reading blogs, this is a place you can grab something useful and get back to work. If you have suggestions, please share them in the comments section.
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Want to know what it’s like to have a broken leg without actually breaking your leg? Ever wonder what a bullet does when it enters the body or what injuries your character is most likely to sustain in an auto accident? Check out Body Trauma by David W. Page, M.D. It gives you the nitty gritty about all kinds of injuries and wounds so you can get them right in your writing.
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The Scriptorium is back. At this site, Sherry Ramsey offers articles, prompts, links, quizzes and more to educate and inspire writers. See it all at http://thescriptorium.net.
Try This
Finish this sentence. “I wish ____________________” then use it to start a poem, short story, essay, article or script.
