Writer's Block?

To me, writer's block is laughable. Writers write. Period. That's what we do.

 

Can you imagine going in for an operation and the doctor says that he isn't in the mood to remove your gallbladder today, so he did a few surgery exercises like practicing stitches, and now you have a nice scar or two on your knee? Sorry, I don't buy writer's block.

 

I don't buy mindless writing exercises and writing prompts. I don't buy that any writing is writing and these things are meant to prime your creative pump. Writers write. Quit acting like this is a hobby, unless it is. Turn off the telly, put your bum in the chair, and get to work; that's what professional writers do.

 

In addition to writing, spend time every week learning about the craft. Set aside time to learn about the industry. And, learn about your audience. Who are these people?

 

Getting published isn't an entitlement. If you want someone else to put their money into publishing your project, then you need to put on the professional mindset and get to work.

 

I know someone who has been working on a novel since 2001. True story. I know they're busy, but I can't believe there is much committment to being a writer. When we were kids, being a writer is all she talked about. (I was going to grow up to be a nurse, like my mother.)

 

I guess neither one of us grew up to be what we thought, but I don't join "Nurse groups" who meet monthly and talk about nursing. I don't tell people that I'm working on being a nurse and have a nurse kit on my desk. (I don't know what a nurse kit is, but I don't have one.)

 

The point is, being a writer is a profession like anything else. Writer's block is a myth. Writers write. Go write something wonderful.

How to become published

For the millionth time, I don’t agree with the idea of reading fiction to become a good writer. Basically, that results in mimicking the masters with little understanding of what made their writing great. (Driving a car doesn’t make me a mechanic.)

To become successfully published a writer needs to have a knack for storytelling; interesting stories. For the most part, that doesn’t include therapeutic writing to get over something in one’s past. Put that in a journal and don’t subject the rest of us to it.

Armed with a natural storytelling ability, which includes an awareness of the audience, the best thing an aspiring writer can do is study writing. Take accredited courses at a local college or university. Read books about writing, about character development, about plot, and so on. Put some effort in learning to write well. Join writing groups. If one is interested in a specific genre, then join writing organizations and [professional] associations that are specific to that genre. Become a writer.

Learn about the industry. It is complex. There are support people like literary agents and specialists for hire, such as editors. Keep in mind that not all are created equally. Make sure the Lit agent has a track record in selling the genre you write. Check to see if they are members of their professional association. It doesn’t mean they are a fraud if they aren’t members, but aim to start with accredited people. Learn the ins and outs of the industry. You don’t need a lit agent to query a small publisher. You shouldn’t pay them anything, they work on commission. Postage is a business expense. If they can’t afford postage, then need to find something else to do.

The industry is quite interesting, learn about how it works inside the large publishing houses; what are editorial meetings, what happens to an ms from query to published book.

Finally, if your mom, girlfriend, or high school English teacher says that your ms is the next Great American Novel, but all your query letters are getting rejections, then go back to basics and learn to write better. Hiring a book doctor, editor, proofreader or whatever else you find on the internet is not the solution. If you want a publisher to spend money on your book, then make it worth their investment. And please, don’t write “fiction novel” in your query letter. Novels, by definition, are fiction.

Okay, go write better. Write right.

2241 times

You get one shot at a good first impression. I've written about query letters and there are several awesome websites and blogs that have more details about writing a good query.

 

I've written about the format and content of the synopsis. Again, there are awesome websites and blogs with information about writing a killer synopsis.

 

I've written in general terms about the format of a manuscript. Besides the obvious of great writting, let me say that neatness counts.

 

It is very off putting to get a sloppy ms. Writing is a lot like vomiting -- hard to stop once it starts. Nonetheless, take a few minutes before you start the next Great American Novel, or before you send it out with the perfect query letter, and clean it up a bit.

 

Of course, I can't say what others want to see, but if my dreams would come true, I would want the following: (strong hint -- do this before submitting to Cactus Rain Publishing and you'll earn points.)

• Use MS Word, not something else converted into Word. The conversion rarely works as well as the real deal. I will notice when it comes to formatting an ms into a book. 
• "Select all" and get rid of the widow/orphan command. I'd rather see widows and orphans in the ms than bother to remove the command. This might not be true of other small publishers.
• Use the page break command between chapters. Yes, I will know if you use a ton of "enter" key strokes.
• You really, really don't need to use ellipsis in fiction. It is probably being misused. Stop it...
• In literature, there is only ONE space between sentences and NONE after the last sentence in a paragraph. None. Fix that.
• The first line of every chapter is flush with the margin.
• I like the tab set at three character spaces. Do not EVER use the space bar in place of a tab command.
• Quote marks are NOT just for sissies. Use them and indent (tab set for 3 spaces, please) every time someone talks.
• Please don't use dialogue to have the main character set off on a boring and long rant on religion.
• Not every noun needs two over-the-top, out-of-this-world adjectives. (Get it?)
• You are allowed only two exclamation marks in the entire ms and they better not be next to each other!! (You win points with me if you use zero exclamation marks.)
• You know that slick trick of having a blank line between paragraphs automatically appear and every paragraph flush with the margin? Don't do that in mss submitted to Cactus Rain Publishing. I hate it. That means when I turn it off, I have to put in the tabs for each paragraph. The reason for this post is that I just spend the better part of a day inserting tabs for each paragraph in a very long ms.

• It is a BIG deal to add tabs to paragraphs when there are 2241 paragraphs in the ms that I'm working on at the moment. This really annoys me and it better be the world's best ever story...

I'm glad we had this little chat. Carry on with writing the next Great American Novel.

Where is this story heading?

When a manuscript (ms) is being considered for acquisition, the reading is focused. It is nothing like reading for pleasure. A matrix of evaluation questions are processing while the sample chapters are read, and on the odd occasion, when the full ms has been requested.
 

During this intensely focused reading, it is a jolt when someone's name changes three-quarters into the book. The same thing happens with weather, holidays, and people's age. It can be spring one minute and two pages later the season or weather involves leaves turning or walking through new fallen snow when the storyline has only progressed a few days.
 

It is very important that details that are added to create depth to the story do not detract from the reader’s enjoyment. The writer has to take the reader with them as they progress through the story, rather than jerk them around with gaps. The best thing to do is to write straight through, beginning to end because that is how the reader will approach the story. After the first draft is completed, then go back and do rewrites. The first draft provides the framework on which to build.
 

When I write, I do not allow myself to think about the story, unless I'm at the keyboard. It is too easy to let the story advance in one's mind and leave the reader out of the process. It creates jumps. Jumping around in the timeline is just plain sloppy writing. Yet quite a few people do it.
 

Organic writing flows better than working off of a strictly detailed outline. We will simply pass on the acquisition if the writing is mechanical, stiff, or weak. Write your best story. Submit your best draft.
 

I noticed this. Check it out.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/how-to-structure-a-story-the-eight-point-arc/

Query Letter

I have been nearly worthless since just before Thanksgiving through the Christmas and New Year holidays having a grand time with my kids.

 

I said "nearly" not totally worthless. I did write a blog post, check email, and the odd book order or two from the printer.

 

With a dose of Catholic school gilt (yes, Sister, it still works after all of these years), I decided to ease into the week by reading a few query letters this evening. Considering the abandonment and fun-having, my brain was in a bit of a lull.

 

I've said it a million and one times, if you want your ms sample chapters read, write a great query letter.

 

So this guy writes a query letter. It starts with a remark that seems benign, but at the same time has a bit of intellectual tongue-in-cheek humor. I don't recommend this if it doesn't come naturally. But the guy had me. I read the letter and I'm not sure I would be otherwise interested in the ms if his query letter hadn't been so well written. It was professional. It was to the point. It was slightly relaxed, too. It made me like him. And most importantly, it did its job. It made me read his sample chapters when I wasn't really-truly going to work since it is Sunday evening.

 

The point is that it is important to put effort into learning how to write a killer query letter. How else are you going to get someone to read that fantastic manuscript that you wrote?

 

Search the Internet for query letter samples or search this blog for what I've said about them in the past.  It is worth your time and effort to bang out a great query letter.

Happy writing...

Getting Published

Minutes before I left the office on Friday a friend emailed that they had a client who had written a book... The rest is obvious.

 

How to get published? There are no shortcuts. I recently bought a book from Amazon. When I hastily checked "Look Inside" I should have spotted that it was homemade, and not very well done at that. The book was to be a gift, but when it arrived, one look and it went into the recycling bin.

 

For some reason people think that writing doesn't require more than a computer or iPad. Besides imagination and the ability to tell a good story, it requires skills of the craft. As I've said before, reading books doesn't teach writing. It exposes an aspiring writer to writing, but doesn't teach the skills. Let's face it, I drive a car, but that doesn't make me a mechanic. It makes me a driver.

 

With the ease of the Internet, there is no excuse for an aspiring writer not to learn the craft. Better yet, take writing classes at the local university. A writer should KNOW plot, character development, pacing, voice, tense, point of view, grammar rules (there are eight parts of speech and one of them is prepositions -- there are 48 prepositions), learn this stuff; the list is even longer.

 

In the digital age, an aspiring writer must know more than the basics of using a computer. Purchase MS Word. I'm not promoting Microsoft, but the free programs that convert text documents to Word are faulty. Word is the common language of the industry, invest in it. A mechanic isn't going to use a screwdriver when they need a wrench. Aspiring writers should invest in the craft and use the correct tools.

 

Learn the correct format for the document. A manuscript has double spaced lines. Use page breaks at the end of each chapter rather than the enter key a whole bunch of times. Use one space between sentences, not two. A synopsis is single spaced lines and no longer than two pages. It tells the whole story. Don't be coy and leave the end a mystery. Give an overview of the main character's progression from first paragraph to the last line in the manuscript. Practice writing a professional quality query letter. Practice some more.

 

Research literary agents and publishers. Know what genre you write. Avoid being uppity. You're only a writer asking someone to invest time and money into your project. Don't be pathetic either. Why would someone invest their money if you don't believe in the value of your manuscript?

 

There are alternatives to traditional publishing. Learn what they are if you aren't going the traditional route. Self-publishing is a whole new adventure and it requires due diligence to avoid disappointment.

 

Your best friend, family member, or Grammar geek is not the same as a certified proof reader. If you're serious about becoming a published author, print your manuscript and read it aloud. If you short cut this rule, then don't be disappointed with a lack of success in the industry.

 

Be patient. Unless you self-publish, expect the process to take up to two years to see your ms converted into a published book. Realize that effort and expertise is being added to the value of your ms. Be thankful that someone who knows a lot more about publishing than you do is investing in your manuscript. Success requires effort.

 

Check out part 1 and 2 of this article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

And this:
http://www.salon.com/2010/02/24/readers_advice_to_writers/
 

Movie Oops!

Ever viewed movie mistakes for a chuckle? When we were kids, we'd watch for the actor who forgot to take off their wrist watch in a period movie.

Basically, that is what a content editor does. They look for flaws in the timeline, people who teleport to another location, and it isn't SciFi or Fantasy. They look for name, eye color, and hair color changes. And, a million more things like would that word [a recently born word] be used at that time, or by that person. There is fact checking and the critical eye for oops moments that an astute reader would catch.

My husband was discussing the "it" book of the week with his great aunt. She had read it, or had started to read it. When the main character went for a walk at 2 AM and the moon was rising, she threw the book in the lit fireplace. The topic of conversation rapidly changed course. Later one of our boys asked why she had thrown the book in the fire. Little boys don't know that the moon doesn't rise at 2 AM, neither did that writer, or their editor.

Inexperienced writers who upload their book on one of many free publishing sites rarely seem to have had their manuscript in the hands of a content editor. Some seem to think their high school English teacher looking it over is sufficient. Well, it isn't.

I rely heavily on the Certified Proof Reader [line editor] at Cactus Rain. She knows grammar rules that I've never heard of, and probably wouldn't understand. But she is the first to tell her private clients that she does not do content editing.

What a writer should do, and usually won't, is print two copies of their manuscript, find a willing helper, and read the whole thing aloud. The helper should follow along and catch things that were read differently from the print. Also, if they are honest, they will say when something doesn't make sense, is repeated too often, or is simply flat out wrong.

So that's the tip for the day. Read your ms out loud from a printed copy. You'll be amazed. And, your manuscript will be greatly improved. Happy writing and editing.

Spammed

First Draft has always had a bit of spam comments because the comment section was wide open. That was a decision made when we had the Blog Party.

In the beginning, the spam comments were few and far between. It became increasingly frustrating to remove the comments as they increased. By the time I was thinking of abandoning the blog all together, there were around 30 spams daily.

My web designer handled the situation more calmly than I did. However, I had been with it for a while before I said anything to her.

The point is, we seem to have it fixed. Nothing I did worked, so I won't really take any credit. However, at this point, I don't know if anyone can post comments.

My web designer suggested adding writing tips to my sites. You can find them here: http://nadinelamanbooks.com/writing_tips.html and here: http://www.cactusrainpublishing.com/writing_tips.html. And always, this blog can be searched from the sidebar using the search function.

Happy writing. Have a good week.

The End

A story has to have a beginning, middle, and end. It needs to go from Point A to Point B in a believable way with entertaining characters.

The beginning is the introduction of the main character, the protagonist, a few friends, and the antagonist along with the setting (time and place). It needs to hook the reader with the first line and hold them long enough for the reader to care what happens to the protagonist so they will read to the end.

The beginning can be a slow start (boring) with lots of explaining (telling) which is the mark of an amateur. Personally, I don’t like prologs. My thoughts on prologs are simple: If the information is essential put it in the story.

Of course, something does happen to the protagonist and the bulk of the story is spent resolving the conflict. In life we spend a great deal of effort to return things to the way they were when we were comfortable, happy, and safe – or to improve our situation to be comfortable, happy, and safe. Sometimes our hero sets out to improve someone else’s situation, or even the state of a group of people.

On this journey, real or figurative, there are setbacks, failures, obstacles, and the occasional gain. There are also those who help and those who don’t. The protagonist is pursued by a person or situation (maybe a natural disaster or a pending manmade disaster) or they are running to something (maybe a race against time, which can be a fixed, unyielding foe).

To be interesting, the middle doesn’t go in a straight simple line. An experienced writer uses literary devices to move the story forward, and the middle is where this is most evident. Most people do fairly well with the middle. They get on a roll and the story "nearly writes itself" as they type.

The end seems to be the difficult piece for people to write. Once the writer figures out the ending, they rush to it and through it.

Most of the minor conflicts are resolved during the middle. The end is the final resolution of the primary conflict. However, it is not the place to add new characters or new information. Think of Apollo 13, the conflict can only be solved with the materials already onboard.

Keep the reader in mind while writing. Think about what will be a satisfying ending to a stranger who has spent time reading to the endpoint. It cannot disappoint in the end.

To learn more about literary devices, check this site: http://literary-devices.com

"Take Five"

Barely able to play the radio and certainly not a musical instrument, I admire musicians like one would expect of a non-musical person.

One person I really admire is Dave Brubeck, the jazz genius. Dave died today, as we all will. However, his idea that jazz should be 5/4 time has always fascinated me. He said that if we didn't play something unconventional once in a while, we don't move forward in Jazz.

The argument could be made that the same is true of most things. There is one person on the Cactus Rain team who has, what I believe to be, a nearly photographic memory. She reads mss for me, and the most important asset is that she points out when someone is borrowing from another work.

In whatever you do, dare to be unconventional. Be your authentic self in your writing [or music].

Watch Dave here:  http://vevo.ly/h1AzVG