NouveauWriter

So You Want an Online Book Tour: An Author's Guide to Online Book Tours by Jaime McDougall

2012-01-18T14:39:00.000-05:00

So You Want an Online Book Tour: An Author's Guide to Online Book Tours by Jaime McDougall
InkyBlots Publications
Published: Oct 26, 2011
Ebook, pdf format, 30 pages

Every author wants great exposure for their book. Online marketing is currently bursting with innovative ways to market a book. As both an author and a book blogger myself, I see first-hand the evidence of how creating a buzz online will boost sales and excitement for the author.

Online book tours have become very popular in the last few years and I think every author should experience this kind of tour. Jaime McDougall has written the second book in her So You Want series for authors who aren't familiar with online book tours or just want to know more about them before signing on with a tour company or coordinating their own.

This Smashwords ebook edition is a simple but effective guide for authors who want a quick run-down of what online book tours are and how they work. Although I coordinated my own online book tour for my book Daughter of Mine and I'm a host for several tour companies, I still learned a few things I didn't know. This guide is short and ideal for the author who doesn't want to read a thick book about online marketing but just wants a compact, easy-to-read guide only about tours at the very affordable price of 1.99$. I easily read it within a couple of hours.

McDougall adopts a friendly tone as she writes. She guides you on what to do before, during and after a tour. She includes a Link Index for easy access to tour companies, blog directories, podcast/chat/radio sites and book trailer companies. She also includes a FAQ at the end of some chapters that are helpful. Best of all McDougall is honest and this allows for the author to decide what is best in his case--to go at it solo or to hire the services of an online book tour company.

If you are an author contemplating an online book tour or you're a book blogger who wants to know more about online book tours, this book is a good guide.

You can buy the Kindle version or Smashwords edition.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

A New Year, A New NouveauWriter...Change Ahead

2012-01-07T13:17:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. Okay, two months to be exact. (There. I said it. *phew*) In the blog world, a stagnant blog becomes a dead blog. I don't want that to happen to NouveauWriter. Not after all the hard work I put into it!

Back in September, I experienced some changes in my secular working schedule, namely I lost a lot of free time. Besides being a writer, I'm a Special Care Counsellor now working more in the field with seniors experiencing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. I've got two young kids. I teach and I also volunteer. My days are full. Initially, I thought it would be best to give up NouveauWriter altogether but as time passed and my follower list grew, (how did that happen?) I realized that what I really want to do is bring about changes to NouveauWriter that better reflect what I am currently doing.

In the last year,

I have been working more closely with publishers, publicists and authors. This has allowed me to see new trends in writing and publication. Are you keeping up?
I am reading more books and posting the reviews on my other blog Library of Clean Reads and other review sites.
I am now also part of Montreal Book Bloggers and have designed our website. We are a group of bloggers who get together regularly, talk about books and publishing news, and support authors. You can connect with us on our Facebook page.
I am hosting reading challenges to discover more of the books I love and to push myself to read different genres. You can learn more about the challenges by visiting Time Travel Reading Challenge, Short Story Reading Challenge and the I Love Italy Reading Challenge. I hope you join me in challenging your reading!

So what are the changes I want to implement? In the next couple of weeks I will:

revamp this blog to reflect these changes
post articles not only geared to new writers, but also authors and readers
make this blog more personalized, post more about my reflections as an author
still accept guest posts
make an effort to post on a regular basis, aiming at once or twice a week

I'm excited about this change! I hope those of you who have faithfully followed my journey will continue to support me and benefit from these changes.

Here's what's coming up in the next week:

The Savvy Reader Book Pledge
So You Want an Online Book Tour: An Author's Guide to Online Book Tours (Book Review)
Guest Post

Feel free to tell me what you think of all this. I always love to hear from my readers.

Young Adult Novel Discovery Competition!

2011-11-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

Get in Front of Top YA Editors and Agents with

ONLY the First 250 Words of Your YA Novel!

No query? No pitch? No problem!

Serendipity Literary Agency, in collaboration with Gotham Writers' Workshop, is hosting its Third Annual Young Adult Novel Discovery Competition for a chance to win a one-on-one consultation with one of New York's leading YA literary agents!

If you've written a novel for young adults—or have an idea for one that you would like to write—we invite you to enter our contest. Simply submit only an enticing title along with the first 250 words from the opening of your original YA novel. http://bit.ly/YAContest

GREAT PRIZES

The Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to submit an entire manuscript to YA literary agent Regina Brooks and receive a free, 10-week writing course, courtesy of Gotham Writers' Workshop, plus a collection of gourmet teas from Possibiliteas.co.

The Top Five Entrants (including the Grand Prize winner) will receive a 15-minute, one-on-one pitch session with Regina Brooks, one of New York’s premier literary agents for young adult books. They will also receive commentary on their submissions by editors at Scholastic, Disney, Harlequin Teen, Random House, Viking, Roaring Brook Press, Sourcebooks, and Kimani Tru and receive a one-year subscription to The Writer magazine.

The First 50 Entrants will receive a copy of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks.

Enter to win at http://bit.ly/YAContest

Hurry contest ends November 30, 2011!

10 Things You Need to Know About Virtual Book Tours

2011-08-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

I came across this insightful article by Dorothy Thompson, CEO & Founder of Pump Up Your Book, a company that helps authors promote their books through virtual book tours. If you're wondering if having a virtual book tour is worth it, read on.

10 Things You Need to Know About Virtual Book Tours

By now, most authors know what virtual book tours are or at least have heard of them. They’re that wonderful marketing tool that should be a must have in every new book’s campaign. With each new book I write, I’m making a game plan before the book is even published and a virtual book tour is the first promotional venue on that list.

While most of us know what they are, there are still a few new authors who might have heard of them but have no idea what they involve. I give you my top 10 things you need to know about virtual book tours so that you will know what to expect.

1. Virtual book tours are the BEST way to get the MOST online exposure for your book. Not only are you presenting your book and yourself to thousands of people, all of your interviews, guest posts and reviews are archived which means months down the road, you’re still selling your book because of that one tour.

2. Virtual book tours ARE a lot of work. Not only are you searching for the perfect blogs to host you, you are acting as the middle man between you and the blogger unless you are using a paid service such as Pump Up Your Book who will do all the work for you. Even if you do sign up with Pump Up Your Book, there is still lots of work to do completing assignments – filling out interviews and writing guest posts unless you choose an all review tour. Even though it requires a little bit of your time to fill out interviews and write guest posts, it’s well worth it.

3. You will learn more about your book than you ever did. I had an author tell me that through the interviews and guest posts she had to complete, she never learned so much about her book which caught her off guard. Now when she is interviewed on radio shows and makes television appearances, she is better prepared.

4. Virtual book tours will build up your author platform. No matter if you’re a fiction author or a nonfiction author, virtual book tours will build up your author platform using your key search words

5. Your reviews are guaranteed. Offline publicists while they mean well do it all wrong. They query a book blogger, make arrangements to send the book, then that’s where it stops. The review is not a guaranteed thing. The reviewer can post the review anytime they see fit. With virtual book tours, your review is guaranteed on a certain date unless the reviewer jumps ship which rarely happens. I had an author tell me she signed up with an offline publicist who sent out many books and only one or two reviewers actually came through for them. That was money loss for the author. Books don’t come cheap these days so coming up with a date you and the reviewer can agree upon guarantees that review will be a given thing.

6. Many reviewers now take ebooks which save you money. Thank goodness someone was smart enough to invent a device that automatically loads a book in a few seconds (no waiting to go to the book store anymore my friend) and makes it fun to read. When Amazon lowered their price of the Kindle, sales soared and book lovers started talking about getting one. What that means is that it opened up a wonderful way to get these books to the book reviewers quickly and less expensively. Have you noticed how much books are and how much it takes to ship them? Not saying all reviewers will take ebooks, but as time goes on, most will have an e-reader and, as a matter of fact, will prefer an ebook.

7. More website hits, more blog hits, more Twitter hits and more Facebook Fan Page hits. All authors should have a website or blog and accounts at Twitter and Facebook. No matter if you think they’re all a waste of time. A virtual book tour will definitely give you more hits at all places as long as your links are in your bio.

8. Going on a virtual book tour raises your Alexa rankings. What is Alexa? Alexa measures how well you are doing in the search engines. By going on a virtual book tour, and including interviews and guest posts during that tour, your website and blog links are included in every bio (or should be!). Those are incoming links which Alexa uses to measure your ranking. The more your website or blog link shows up on other sites, the more valuable your site is to them and thus, your rankings soar.

9. You will learn how to sell your book through media exposure. Not all authors take advantage of their interviews and guest posts by gearing them toward their audience, thus luring them to their book and/or website/blog. I’ve had many authors on tour and the ones who really take the time to make their interviews and guest posts effective selling tools are the ones who profit the most. The key thing here is to make your audience curious. One liners in the case of interviews may not cut it. Of course there are only so many ways you can answer “What’s your book about?” but take your time and get your audience’s curiosity peaked so that they do make your way over to your website or your book’s buying link.

10. Virtual book tours teach you how to connect well with others. There is no better way to learn how to network. All these wonderful book bloggers who agree to host you are your new friends in your extended network and they will be there for you the next time you have a book to promote (unless they completely hated it of course). You’ll also learn how to use the social networks effectively as you study how to get people over to your stops by persuasive wording. Remember to talk to your audience, not at them.

There you have it. 10 reasons I feel you need to know about virtual book tours in a nutshell. If you have a tour coordinator as opposed to setting one up yourself, she will walk you through it so that it will be a fun experience for all. Your book will thank you for it.

Dorothy Thompson is CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book publicity. You can visit her website at www.PumpUpYourBook.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pumpupyourbook and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pumpupyourbook.

Free Ebooks from Writer's Digest

2011-08-17T08:20:00.000-04:00

I came across this news and thought you would want to know. Writer’s Digest has picked out the best selection of eBooks for back-to-school learning for FREE! The titles include:

Grammatically Correct: The Essential Guide to Spelling, Style, Usage, Grammar and Punctuation
The Portable MFA in Creative Writing: Improve your Craft with the Core Essentials thought to MFA Students
Robert’s Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know
I’m An English Major—Now What? How English Majors Can Find Happiness, Success, and a Real Job

And more! Find all details here: http://bit.ly/pAfhbz

This special offer runs from today, August 16 through August 22nd. Take advantage of these free eBooks and share with your friends!

Worthwhile Tutorials on the Web

2011-08-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

Here are some worthwhile tutorials on the web that might interest you:

1) Writers Digest offers a great variety of podcast tutorials that you can subscribe to listen to. This is how they describe these tutorials:

Writer’s Digest Tutorials was launched in 2010 to provide online writing tutorials from experts in the industry on everything you need to know to help improve your craft and get published. The tutorials are streamed to Writer’s Digest Tutorial members so that they can be viewed 24/7 from any computer with a high-speed internet connection without requiring software downloads. You can choose to purchase a membership to all of our tutorials for either a 1-month, 6-month, or 12-month period.

Some of the topics they offer are:

3 Essentials Paths to Self-Publishing

How Do I get my Book Published?

How to Land a Literary Agent

Query Letter Basics for Books

What Are My Rights?

For more information on these tutorials, visit:

http://tutorials.writersdigest.com/c-2-tutorials.aspx#

2) Donna Hatch, an author whose work I've read and enjoyed is teaching a FREE online workshop on the subject 7 Secrets to Building Tension.

Tension creates page-turning novels. She will share tips and tricks to create a fast paced, tension-filled novel. She'll reveal how you can use characters, time lines, sentence structure, and chapter hooks to keep your readers up at night! The workshop is offered on these dates:
August 18, 2011 at 01:30PM Eastern Time
August 30, 2011 at 07:30PM Eastern Time
For more information visit:
https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/live_events/7-secrets-to-building-tension

3) And if you live in Montreal the Canadian Authors Association if offering the workshop:

HOW TO GET YOUR WORK PUBLISHED
with Author Ken Kalman
Learn all the ways to be published, including self publishing. Learn how to get publishers to read your manuscript, including the use of query letters.
Non Members $15. Members $10
Thomas More Institute 3405 Atwater Aug 16 6:15 pm sharp
For info or registration : Ken at kenkal60@yahoo.ca
You must register in advance.

Causing a Buzz on the Montreal Book Scene

2011-07-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Did you know there is a group of bloggers who have been creating a buzz about books in Montreal? Myself included? We are currently 15 book bloggers and counting. With the aim to support Canadian authors as well as our favourite authors and to turn the Montreal book world on its ear, we've been working closely with publishers, publicists, authors, and book stores for the past few years and blogging about books, author events, and anything related to the book industry.

I invite you to check out our Website and to connect with us on our Montreal Book Lovers Facebook page. We know there are other Montreal book bloggers out there, so if you're one of them, join us!

Two weeks ago we decided to meet up and 13 of us met for lunch downtown. We traded books, got to know each other and brainstormed about how to connect with other Montreal bloggers, authors and publishers, as well as how to get more big-name authors in Montreal. You can read about our recent meet-up here.

We look forward to meeting and getting to know other publishers, book bloggers and authors!

So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author's Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging by Jaime McDougall (Book Review)

2011-07-06T11:13:00.000-04:00

So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author's Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging by Jaime McDougall
Published by Jaime McDougall 2011
Ebook pdf format, 26 pages

Authors are always looking for creativeways to promote their books whether they are published traditionallyor independently. Yup, long gone are the days when authors wereelusive superstars we admired from afar. Now both the bestselling andthe fledgling author has his own website and blog, chatting with hisreaders and twittering about his books.

As both an author and a book blogger Ihave seen an increase in guest blogging by authors. I have writtenguest posts as an author when my book Daughter of Mine, was on tourand I have hosted other author's guest posts on my review blog. So Iwas curious to know what Jaime McDougall, a virtual book tourco-ordinator, would give as guidelines for guest blogging. Okay, Iwas more than curious; I wanted to know if I had done it right!

So You Want to Write a Guest Post is aneasy, quick read that will take you less than an hour to finish. Itcovers how long a guest post should be, how to query book bloggers,if it's okay to use the same guest post more than once and what to doafter the post is live. The author also includes a Do and Don't List(which basically summarizes the book), links to some great guestsposts, and a list of ideas for guest posts.

As a blogger who has read many guestposts throughout the blogosphere and received queries, I knew much ofthe info in this book, but for the new author with little Internetmarketing experience, this ebook provides basic info on how topromote a book successfully through guest posts. However, the info isbasic, too general, and short. Smashwords states this book has about7500 words which amounts to approximately 10 pages.

With the Internet providing free andinstant access to just about anything under the sun, I expected moredetails from this ebook, especially on how to research potential bloghosts (taking into consideration SEO and Alexa rank), how to write apost suited to the blog host, and tips on writing guest posts,including catchy titles, which can make the difference on whether areader will actually stop to read the post.

I also think that including usefullinks such as to blog directories, blogging tips articles, onlinegroups, message boards, and book tour sites (which are a goldminebecause of all the links to book blogs that are tour hosts) wouldhave added more value to this book. If I could have all the info onguest blogging in one handy book, instead of being told to go lookfor it, I would consider it a good reference.

So if you are an author with littlemarketing and blogging experience, then this book will give you thebasics on how to guest blog properly. However, if you are a savvyresearcher and a regular visitor of book blogs, you may already knowto query and write a guest post, and this book would give you a fewadded tips, at best.

About the Author:

Jaime McDougall is a citizen of the world, currently loving life in beautiful country Victoria in Australia. She loves eating sushi, kidnapping her husband and naming her pets in honour of science fiction authors. (So far, a cat named Asimov and a puppy named Brin.)

A love of fiction has always coursed through her veins and she told stories as a child even before she knew how to write them. Settling into one genre was never her style and she has plans for novels in women’s fiction, urban fantasy and more – all with a touch of romance.

She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: High School: The Real Deal and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. She has also enjoyed writing a column called ‘The New Australian’ in local newspapers as well as various articles online.

Her fiction work and poetry has been published both online and off in places including The Oddville Press (no longer running) and The Filth zine.

So You Want to Write a Guest Post is her first ebook and is available on Kindle and at Smashwords.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this e-book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

2011-06-15T11:17:00.035-04:00

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and add your link to Mr. Linky on Kathy's blog!

This week the new words I encountered were from The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan. I used Urban Dictionary online for the definitions.
___________________________________________________

1. verklempt

Before I can get too verklempt, the Volvo pulls into the Bergman's gravel driveway. (p.208)

Verklempt: choked with emotion. Also spelled verklemmt. I would never have guessed this one.
___________________________________________________
2. verboten

She embraces me, and then says, "Marissa, I should warn you: That word is completely verboten in this house." (p. 209)

Verboten: excluded from use or mention. Derived from the German word meaning forbidden. I had an inkling about this one but looked it up anyway to be certain.

What new words have you encountered in your reading this week? Do share!

How to Write and Sell Your Memoir: Free Webinar from Writer's Digest

2011-06-10T19:16:00.039-04:00

If you've been itching to put your life experiences to paper, take a moment to learn more about this latest release from Writer's Digest Books.

About The Book

There's more to writing a memoir than just writing your life story. A memoir isn't one long diary entry. Rather, it's a well-crafted story about a crucial, often exceptionally difficult, time in someone's life. This book talks readers through the process of telling their most personal stories in a compelling, relatable, and readable manner. Unlike other books dedicated to the art and craft of writing memoir, it teaches readers how to approach the genre with love, respect, and know-how without sentimentalizing it. Drawing on her experience working with New York Times best-selling memoirists, literary agent Paula Balzer carefully explores the genre and provides readers with step-by-step instruction on how to:

1. Identify strong opening and closing points
2. Find and develop a strong central hook that readers can relate to
3. Structure a memoir to maximize readability
4. Use dialogue and pacing to enhance intimacy
5. Approach honesty and truthfulness
6. Build a successful author platform around their memoir
7. Get an agent's attention

About the Author
Paula Balzer has been a literary agent for New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Robbins, Oscar-award winning writer Diablo Cody and American Idol judge Randy Jackson. She has also worked in some of New York's best literary agencies where her authors included Dava Sobel, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Linda Greenlaw.

Read an excerpt

Paula is also hosting a free Webinar on June 20, 2011 on the topic How to Write a Marketable Memoir.
Here's the link where you can sign up.
http://writersdigest.com/article/writing-memoir

Writer's Digest Books, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59963-135-6
$17.99, paperback, 240 pages

Are you a Montreal Book Blogger?

2011-06-02T10:45:00.010-04:00

I've teamed up with Cindy from Cindy's Love of Books to organize a meet up and future events for Montreal bloggers. We've met some great bloggers where we live and we'd like to meet more! Since I'm an author and I recognize the value of book bloggers from both sides of the coin, so to speak, I would love to be able to better expose the enlightening world of book blogging to Montreal authors, publishers and publicists.

So...if you are a book blogger who lives in Montreal and the surrounding area and would like to meet us and other local book bloggers, please, please fill the form below. Leave your email address in the comment section of the form. Either Cindy or I will be in contact with you. If you've already filled out the form on Cindy's blog, there's no need to fill it out here too. If you want to simply find out more about this project, you can also leave a comment.

Looking forward to making more book blogging friends!

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The Only 12½ Writing Rules You'll Ever Need

2011-05-19T06:10:00.000-04:00

I came across this poster and I couldn't help sharing it with you!

The Only 12½ Writing Rules You’ll Ever Need. Source: http://bit.ly/12wrul

Visit AllPosters.com to buy this poster for you or a writer friend.

I think this would look great in my home office: a no-nonsense inspirational reminder of what I'm supposed to be doing every day!

Are there any rules you follow that are essential to getting your writing done? Do share. Mine is this: Be true to yourself. Develop your own style and voice.

Book Review: The Pun Also Rises by John Pollack (TLC Book Tours)

2011-05-11T00:16:00.031-04:00

The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics by John Pollack

Gotham Books

ISBN: 978-1592406234

Published April 14, 2011

Hardcover, 240 pages

This book is an absolute delight to read! On the day it arrived, I began reading it and couldn't put it down. I gave it to my hubby that same night and could hear him chuckling as he too was caught up with the author's captivating introduction. The book continues by describing the different types of puns (who knew?), their history (they go way way back), the fascinating way our brains process puns (loved this), and how important and prevalent it is in languages.

If you are a lover of languages, this book will appeal to you. Puns are witty and add a new dimension to language whether we are aware of it or not. Right from when we are children, we fall in love with the humble pun:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Isabelle.
Isabelle who?
Isabelle necessary on a bicycle?

Remember those? My children who speak three languages absolutely love exploring jokes and puns in the languages they know, and this book gave me insight as to why that it. Relate a knock-knock joke to a child and the look of delight when they “get” the double meaning or play on words is priceless. Continuing to experience that “delight” comes from the more sophisticated puns adults create. Pollack reminds us of this when he dissects the pun, and we come to understand how utterly beautiful and complex language really is. It's what differentiates us from the animal kingdom and leaves us in awe of the incredible human brain and its capacity to learn, speak, and wordplay in various languages.

Punning is fun and funny. It requires a quick wit and a mastery of language. It adds so much to our speech and writing. In the days following my reading of this book I began to notice the different kind of puns in the material I read, and I grew to have an appreciation for the spice it adds to life.

The book also contains extensive endnotes and bibliography attesting to the amount of research Pollack dedicated to his favourite topic. Because of the amount of information in each of the five chapters, I think a few more sub-headings would have helped break it down into more manageable chunks for easier reference. Sometimes I found myself trying to find a specific passage and couldn't pinpoint where in the book I had read it.

Pollack's narrative is infectious, however, as he peppers his content not only with puns (such as in his title which contains homophonic puns) but examples of them as he delves into its history and semantics. Truly a fascinating look at the humble pun.

Read my interview with John Pollack and enter my giveaway for this book on Friday, May 13 at Library of Clean Reads!

Buy this book on Amazon.com.

About the Author:
John Pollack is a journalist, author, and former Special Assistant and Presidential Speechwriter to Bill Clinton. He has written for publications such as the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Advertising Age, and the Associated Press. He was named the World Pun Champion at the 1995 O. Henry World Championship Pun-off and has written speeches for corporate and public-sector leaders such as Jeffrey Katzenberg, Carly Fiorina, John Glenn, David de Rothschild, and actress Goldie Hawn. He currently works as a speechwriter and consultant for ROI Communication, an internal communication consulting firm. He lives in Manhattan.

Disclosure: Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Gotham Books for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Think You're Bad? Top 5 Writing Superstitions of the Greats

2011-05-08T17:38:00.005-04:00

Guest post by Mariana Ashley

I don't know about you, but as educated as I like to think I am, I can be highly superstitious. And even though I don’t believe in any of the superstitious things I tend to engage in, my pre-writing practices are sacred, even the ones that have nothing to do with writing. And to console myself about this silliness I often turn to the writing greats who indulged in the same thing. While not all of these are throw-salt-over-your-shoulder type of superstitions, here are some good ones that you may consider picking up:

1. Pretending like you're going to work with all the other 9-5ers, John Cheever.
According to Tobias Woolf in a Paris Review interview, Cheever would put on a suit, get in the elevator of his apartment and pretend to be going to work with every other guy who lived in his building. While the rest got off on the ground floor, Cheever went to the basement where he would take off all his clothes because of the heat down there, then during lunch he'd put the suit back on and go home. He'd return again to work and would stop when the rest of the regular workers finished.

2. Standing when writing, Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway has famously noted many aspects of the writing process, which is slightly ironic considering he claimed to be superstitious about talking about the process in the first place. One of his signature habits was writing when he stood up, justifying it by saying, "Writing and traveling broaden your ass if not your mind, and I like to write standing up."

3. Being obsessively consistent with your writing tools, Walter Benjamin
Although Walter Benjamin wasn't a novelist or poet, he is one of the greatest literary critics and essayists of all time. According to an article featured in Inside Higher Ed, Benjamin was neurotic about using the same utensils. Benjamin noted, "A pedantic adherence to certain papers, pens, inks is beneficial. No luxury, but an abundance of these utensils is indispensible." Roland Barthes was likewise obsessed with buying different pens, although he eschewed the Bic pen, saying it was used only "just for churning out copy."

4. Picking one date every time you start a new project to begin, Isabel Allende
This is perhaps the most superstitious of the bunch mentioned here, although Allende admits herself that she wasn't always able to keep it up when she had added responsibilities like book tours. In an interview with Big Think.com, Allende noted that she always began her novels on January 8th whenever she could.

5. Writing in a country where you don't really speak the language, Tobias Woolf
This superstition is perhaps more of an idea that aids the writing process. According to Woolf in the Paris Review interview mentioned earlier, he moved to Italy only because having to struggle a bit with getting around using limited language communication skills placed him in an interesting bubble that made distractions less possible.

Now that you know that even the greatest of writers have their quirks when it comes to writing, what are some of yours? Do they work all the time?

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

2011-05-04T11:07:00.068-04:00

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and add your link to Mr. Linky on Kathy's blog!

This week the new words I encountered were from Far to Go by Alison Pick. I used Merriam Webster's online dictionary for the definitions.

___________________________________________________

1. pogrom

In the face of everything: the pogroms, Kristallnacht, the acts of violence and betrayal both small and enormous. (p.84)

A pogrom is an organized massacre of helpless people. It is Yiddish in origin from Russian and relates specifically to a massacre of Jews. Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom.

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2. slivovitz and absinthe

But Annaliese said, "The slivovitz?"
"The absinthe." Pavel paused. "You won't embarrass me like that again." (p. 91)

There was absolutely nothing in the context before or after these sentences to clue me in as to what these words meant. Curiosity was begging me to look them up.

Slivovitz is a dry usually colorless plum brandy made especially in the Balkan countries. Absinthe is a green liqueur which is flavored with wormwood, anise, and other aromatic herbs and commercial production of which is banned in many countries for health concerns.

3. yarmulke

When the priest turned around Marta saw that he had a bald patch on the back of his head the exact size and shape of a yarmulke. (p. 97)

A yarmulke is a skullcap worn especially by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish males in the synagogue and the home. I've always wondered what they were called. Now I know!

What new words have you encountered in your reading this week? Do share!

Guest Post with author Brunonia Barry and Giveaway!

2011-04-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

Today, I have a special post from best-selling author Brunonia Barry. Her latest novel The Map of True Places was published in March 2011 and the publishers have offered me a copy to give away to my readers! Entering is easy. First, read Barry's article below and leave a comment. Your comment will count as your first entry. Then head over to Showers 2 Flowers Book Hop and follower the entry rules.

The Mess in the Middle
By Brunonia Barry,
Author of The Map of True Places

One year into a two-year book deadline, I have reached page 165 in my manuscript. So far, my characters have obediently done everything I've asked of them, but today something changed. This morning, they couldn't seem to take a step without tripping over their feet. So they decided to stand still. I couldn't make them go forward, and I couldn't make them go back. When I asked what the problem was, they told me they were confused.

I'd be panicked about this situation except that I've been here before. Twice. And even more if you count the screenplays I wrote when I lived in LA or the books I've written for ‘tweens. While I don't like it, I have come to expect that there are times when characters just won't move.

For me, this always happens in the same place, maybe not always on page 165 but some place close to it. It's always in the middle of the book. "What was it you wanted me to do?" seems to be the question my characters ask, and when I tell them, they become skeptical. Since I trust characters over plot every time, I tend to listen when a character tells me "I wouldn't do that kind of thing." And the middle of the book is always where they seem to doubt their motivation.

There's a name for this. It's called the mess in the middle. It's an expression I first heard when I was enrolled in one of Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops. I was writing a comedy called Sluts, a sort of West Coast Sex in the City with an edge, when my characters refused the adventures I was trying to send them on and threatened to infect me with a case of writer's block if I persisted in giving them directions. They were angry with me, and who could blame them? As a relatively new writer, I was lost and confused.

Confusion, in itself, doesn't bother me. I honor it as part of the writing process, a byproduct of communing with the muse. It is a frequent ailment, but not a serious one. Unfortunately, the mess in the middle is a different illness. If left unchecked, it can be fatal. I'm willing to wager that this midpoint is where most writers abandon their projects. I know it has been true for me. I have several unfinished manuscripts sitting in drawers, including that screenplay. One day, knowing what I know now, I may open the drawer and dust off those stories. Meanwhile, I'll tell you exactly what the mess in the middle is, and what you can do about it.

I'm sure you've heard that old story about the mountain. You are climbing a tree lined mountain trail in an effort to see the view from the top. You've been walking for quite a while. About halfway up, you realize that you don't have any idea where you are. You can no longer see the bottom of the mountain, and you cannot yet see the top. You begin to panic. If it were up to you, you'd just quit, but you can't. You're halfway up the side of a mountain for God's sake.

So what do you do? If you've prepared for the hike, you've been smart enough to bring a map. Though it's an exercise in blind faith, you have no choice but to follow it.

In writing, my map is my step outline. Though I write free form for quite a while when I'm starting a project, I am not a pantser. I believe very strongly in outlines. Once I've captured the voice of the characters and know them well enough to ask that first what if question that propels them forward, it is time to create a step outline.

My outline is simple enough. It contains only the major steps of the story. Sometimes it's a sentence or paragraph, sometimes a list of bullet points. I spend more time on it that any other aspect of my writing, because it's the only tool that allows me to see the big picture. It particularly helps with pacing and with the progression of character changes. If I follow it, I seldom get into trouble.

The problem is, sometimes I don't follow it. I am moving along so fast, and the story is going so well, that I just keep writing. This is exactly what I discovered this morning when I went back to look at my outline. A few days ago, I was writing so furiously that I skipped a step, and, as a result, my characters missed an important turn. If they had reached the impasse immediately, I might have spotted my omission. Unfortunately, the dead end hadn't come until the following chapter, several turns later.

If I hadn't taken the time to create my map, I might never have found my mistake. The manuscript might have ended up in that drawer with my screenplay. Luckily, with my step outline and just a bit of work, I was able to get my characters back on track. They are now happily moving forward.

How are your story maps constructed? Do you outline? Have you experienced the mess in the middle?

As originally published on "Writer Unboxed"

© 2011 Brunonia Barry, author of The Map of True Places

Author Bio
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Brunonia Barry, lives in Salem with her husband and their beloved golden retriever, Byzantium.

Barry is the first American Writer to win the Woman's International Fiction Festival's 2009 Baccante Award (for The Lace Reader). Her second novel, The Map of True Places is out now.

For more information please visit http://www.BrunoniaBarry.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Current and Upcoming Literary Events in Montreal

2011-04-27T22:34:00.003-04:00

There's lots happening in Montreal in the next couple of weeks! Here are some notable events for those of you living in and around our beautiful city:

The 13th Blue Metropolis Literary Festival will take place from April 27 to May 1, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Select Montreal Centre-Ville. This year’s event features close to 200 activities and more than 200 writers and artists, representing 12 countries and seven languages. To learn more about the festival, visit www.bluemetropolis.org.

TD Canadian Children's Book Week takes place from April 30-May 7th 2011. This event is the country's largest children's literature festival. Five authors will be giving presentations that will take place in schools, libraries, community centres and bookstores across Quebec. For a list of authors touring in your province and across Canada, visit Book Week 2011 Public Presentations List.

Montreal Screening -- Library of the Early Mind: A Grown-Up Look at the Art of Children’s Literature

Thursday, May 19th at 7 p.m.
Selwyn House School -- Coristine Hall
95 Cote St. Antoine Road, Westmount
Admission: $10
Tickets are on sale at the three following locations:
Babar en ville, 1235 Greene Avenue, Westmount
Livres Babar, 46 St. Anne Street, Pointe Claire (in the Pointe Claire Village)
John Abbott College, Information and Library Technologies Dept., Room HO-146 (Hochelaga Building)

Synopsis:
The film is an exploration of the art and impact of children’s literature on our kids, our culture, and ourselves. From the first stories we hear told to us to those childhood heroes that stay with us a lifetime, the impact on our culture runs deeper than what we might expect. “No one suspects the children’s writer,” says author and illustrator Mo Willems, a former ‘Sesame Street’ writer. The film features nearly 40 prominent authors and illustrators talking about their work, its genesis and its impact. The number of books in print by the authors in ‘Library of the Early Mind’ exceeds 240 million.

Trailer: 'Library of the Early Mind' from Backspace Productions on Vimeo.

The screening will be followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer period with one of the film's co-producers.

To learn more about the film, visit www.libraryoftheearlymind.com.

Contact Carol-Ann Hoyte, Assistant Librarian, Selwyn House School, at 514-931-9481 x2241 or hoytec@selwyn.ca for ticket and general information.

The Story Behind "Secret Daughter"
Lecture with Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Thursday, May 19 at 7:30 pm
Jewish Public Library
5151 Cote-Ste-Catherine
Admission: $10

Shilpi Somaya Gowda will discuss her path to becoming an author and the inspiration behind her debut novel, Secret Daughter, which was a bestselling novel of 2010. I'm currently reading her novel and I love it. Can't wait to meet this author!

If you know of any other exciting literary events happening around town, feel free to mention it in a comment below.

Winner of The Breakout Novelist!

2011-04-24T16:29:00.000-04:00

And the winner for The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass is....

#14 Glynis

Congratulations Glynis!

The winner was chosen using Random.org and was sent a notification email. A big thank you to all participants and those of you who have become new followers. Last, but not least, thank you to Rubi Mansuri from FSB Associates for offering this book as a giveaway.

I have another giveaway happening in May, a new release for lovers of language...stay tuned!

Wondrous Words Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:42:00.000-04:00

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and add your link to Mr. Linky on Kathy's blog!

This week the new words I encountered were from Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. I used Merriam Webster's online dictionary for the definitions.

___________________________________________________

1. boffin

He turned and strode from the room, the head boffin leaving with him. (p.146)

A boffin is a scientific expert, especially one involved in technological research. This is chiefly a British term and I would never have guessed its meaning.

___________________________________________________

2. morganatic

The official term was a morganatic marriage, which had always sounded like disease to Alek. (p. 220)

A morganatic marriage means a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of the parent of higher rank. I could have guessed this one from the context but I wanted to be sure.

What new words have you encountered in your reading this week? Do share!

Guest Post: The Marquis Went Out at Five: Questioning What We Write and Why

2011-04-17T22:16:00.001-04:00

Article by Katheryn Rivas

If you've ever participated in a writing course or taken a literature class in college or high school, you may have heard the one about the marquis. It goes like this: Paul Valery, a French poet, essayist, and philosopher, famously noted that he could not abide most fiction writing of his day because of its seeming randomness. He said something to the effect of, "What do I care if the marquis went out at five?", essentially poking fun at the fact that so many stories begin with a subject, an action, and frame of reference, all being essentially meaningless and contingent.

As writers, whether of fiction or nonfiction, how do we come to terms with this narrative problem? What, Valery essentially asks us, is our point? Most writing advice out there focuses on style or craft, on questions of how to write, but we are very seldom provoked with the problem of what to write, because, ostensibly, we think we already know. Of course what I have to say is important, you may think, otherwise I wouldn't have already written what I have.

At the same time, however, it behooves us to take a step back from our writing projects to understand the nature of what we are setting out to do. In order to write something, we are faced with a multiplicity of choices. Although the impulse to write is certainly a natural one, and the characters, situations, and underlying themes we choose are inevitably picked because they suit our moods, our interests, our conception of the world, we should always ask ourselves why.

Why did we choose what we chose? Why will my audience think it important? Am I selecting at random my subject, style, etc., for any ultimate purpose, and if not, am I overlooking other choices that would be possible, that would defy convention, and in so doing, create something truly remarkable?

In his memoirs, Valery notes: "Perhaps it would be interesting, just once, to write a work which at each juncture would show the diversity of solutions that can present themselves to the mind and from which it chooses the unique sequel to be found in the text. To do this would be to substitute for the illusion of a unique scheme which imitates reality that of the possible-at-each-moment, which I think more truthful. It has sometimes happened that I have published different versions of the same poem: some of them have been contradictory, and there has been no lack of criticism on this score. But no one has told me why I should refrain from such variations."

Of course, you may be wondering how questions posed by an early 20th century poet and philosopher could apply to your writing, which may be more along the lines of blog articles or freelance journalism, and not necessarily a novel that aspires to what Valery says would make "great literature". At the same time, however, when writers of all stripes question what they are writing and why they are writing it, it helps to redirect their passion. Especially when you are running out of steam, when you encounter the inevitable "writer's block," your problems may arise from the fact that you don't have a specific direction, a justification for your work that is driving you to keep on going.

We are, after all, creatures whose brains are hard-wired to seek meaning in everything. If we don't have a reason that frames every one of our writing choices, then we don't have anything. We have only a marquis who went out at five.

Katheryn Rivas is a freelance writer and blog junkie, who blogs about online universities. She particularly loves connecting with her readers, who can direct any questions or comments to: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.

Book Review and Giveaway: The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass

2011-04-07T16:23:00.001-04:00

The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers by Donald Maass
Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: 978-1582979908
Published March 14, 2011
Spiral-bound Hardcover, 352 pages

My Thoughts:

There are many resources for writers on the market. Finding the book that is right for you, that inspires you and gets you moving to write that breakout novel and to improve your craft is not always easy to find. When I first read the introduction to this book, I felt that the author--experienced literary agent Donald Maass--was talking to me. I mean really talking to me. As an author I understood immediately what he was referring to, and I felt he understood exactly what I, as an author, needed to hear.

Out came my yellow highlighter, as I delved into page after page of things I needed to work on, things I already knew yet didn't know enough of. Everything I have read about novel writing, even taught in my workshops, Maass takes to a new level. I felt like I had a mentor, giving me meaty concepts to think about and apply as I typed away at my novel. Every time I picked up this book where I left off, it was like meeting with Maass at a café where I envisioned him sitting in front of me with piercing, intelligent eyes, pushing me to write not just any old story, but the breakout novel.

Sure, Maass deals with all the elements of a good novel—characterization, plot, setting, pace, ending, etc., but in ways that had me analyzing my manuscript constantly. The wheels in my head were turning so fast, I felt almost overwhelmed as I was drinking it all in. This is not a book to be read once. No way. Every page is good. And there are 343 pages of it. To illustrate the point being discussed, plenty of examples were drawn from books of various genres, some of which I had read and a lot of which I hadn't. And so I took notes.

This book was reflective for me as well as instructive. Today, with print-on-demand, almost anyone can publish a book. But as an author, you just don't want to publish a book for the sake of publishing a book. It's not enough. You want to publish a novel readers will care enough about, not only to read, but to talk about afterwards, a novel about something close to your heart, a novel you will slave after because it matters, a novel that is the breakout novel.

As a book reviewer, I read about 100 books a year, and I quickly understood what Maass was talking about as in my mind I could mentally pick out the books that really stood out to me as breakout novels, no matter what their genre or topic. That's the kind of book I want to write. If you're looking to write a great novel, a breakout novel, then this book is the one you need to read. Now. Highly recommended for any and all writers, experienced or not.

About the Author:

Donald Maass, author of The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers, heads the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City, which represents more than 150 novelists and sells more than 100 novels every year to publishers in America and overseas. He is a past president of the Association of Authors Representatives, Inc., and is the author of several books.

For more information, please visit http://www.maassagency.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Check out this Writer's Digest Q&A With Donald Maass

And now for the giveaway!

Thanks to the publicist at FSB Associates, I have one copy to give away. Entering is easy.

Here are the rules:

1. Leave a comment about why you think you need this book. Include your email address.
2. For an extra entry, leave another comment stating if you are a follower, new or current.
3. Open to US and Canada only.
4. Giveaway ends April 21, 2011.

Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified on April 22. Thanks for participating!

Disclosure: Thanks to Ruby Mansuri from FSB Associates for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Psychology in Writing: The Economics of Social Issues In Writing

2011-03-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

Article by Vasilios Moudilos

In June of last year, during the last class of a writing workshop, the guest speaker, Donna Yates-Adelman, author of the book Yes, Sister discussed personal experiences that culminated in the publication of her book.

Part of her conversation involved an article written about her struggles with breast cancer in which she solicited a high profile magazine to publish her piece. She was told that there were already too many such stories in print. Not giving up, her article was published in the 'Stories of Courage' section of a local newspaper.

Often the constitution of a writer's mind is such as to take snippets of information from the environment wherein they lie dormant for months, perhaps years, before some trigger stirs them to consciousness, begging to be analyzed and communicated in writing. Such was the case with me as I pondered Donna's story about breast cancer.

Who has the moral authority to determine when the limit has been reached regarding publishing articles that involve social issues and that raise social awareness? I asked myself.

From a business perspective, readers may "have had enough" of the same topic, but is it the same topic? Every incidence of breast cancer stands alone in terms of personal tears, pain, and determination. As each cancer patient stands unique, her story is also unique.

As writers we are fueled by emotion, by devotion, and by a higher purpose to write. The publisher's ledger of supply and demand does not enter into the creative equation.

Breast cancer is but one social cause that touches the hearts of writers. Social advocacy, through writing, addresses the diminishing rainforest, the terrible treatment of animals (both domestic and wild), the preference of funding wars over funding hospitals, abortion, the moral decline evident on both a familial and societal level... The list is endless.

The writer's purpose, through fiction or nonfiction, is not only to entertain, but to bring attention to social causes which he/she holds dear to the heart. From this passion, creativity is ignited and sustained. There is never too much to be written about ongoing social issues as long as they clash with our sense of morality. Only in resolution can it be said that enough has been written.

In finding your social issue and raising awareness, you may take the direct route of making it the main plot of your book, but it can also be manifested in other ways. It can take on the form of a subplot running throughout the book. The main character or a secondary character may have, as one of his/her attributes, the favoring of a social cause that is introduced indirectly into a novel with an entirely different main plot.

Take the example of an action novel wherein our main character, a detective, is sitting down for breakfast with his wife:

The snitch would be waiting for him at the pool hall in an hour, Devereux thought, as he sat down to breakfast. Margret, his wife of ten years, was unusually quiet this morning.

"What's on your mind, Margie?" he smiled.

"Dan, the results came back from the hospital. It's cancer. Stage 3."

Devereux was hit by an invisible bullet to the heart. "What? Cancer? What are you saying, Margie? You're only thirty-five."

"I'm saying that after the mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy, I have a 40 to 50 percent chance of seeing my fortieth birthday." She began to cry softly.

He jumped from his chair and held her tightly. Nothing else mattered now.

The greater the number of readers you are able to touch on an emotional level the greater the possibility that one reader, somewhere and sometime, will read and remember that part of the story, perhaps to the point of proactive initiative. Your book then finds a place on the library shelf or in the home study room for generations. The issues it addresses and emotions it evokes remain timeless.

Embrace the social issue you hold most at heart and mold it into a story. Create the settings and characters that will show, not tell, the tale. Each story is indeed as unique as the tears that well up in a victim's eyes; human or animal. Do not be concerned about the saleability of your work. Donna Yates-Adelman was not. She did not give up and her story was told.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not in October for the writer. It is on each and every day of the year. What you advocate in writing can, at the very least, influence donations for a cure and ultimately fuel, through inspiration, the drive towards the cure.

Self-Editing Part 3: Character Development

2011-03-17T09:28:00.005-04:00

Article by Kathy Teel

In our drive to finish a manuscript, we can lose a lot of focus, especially with our characters. I remember once I wrote a scene where the male protagonist was yelling at some hospital personnel. The female protagonist told him that yelling wasn’t going to help, and she turned to the clerk and asked him nicely for what they wanted. Fine…except my character never asked nicely for anything. I was so caught up in the drama of the hospital scene that I lost sight of my character’s true self. For a minute, I actually wrote her as though she were me.

And that’s the problem—we easily slip out of our character’s voice and into our own. But getting into character for a writer is a very similar process to getting into character as an actor. It’s a whole different head space, and it’s hard work to maintain. I can almost guarantee that you can’t maintain it for an entire first draft…you slip out of character and back into your regular self.

As subtle as they are, those are the places in your writing you have to identify. Once I realized that my character, eager to help the man she loved, would have dealt with a bureaucrat by putting a knife to his throat, the scene got back on track—including the tension between the protagonists (he didn’t really approve of her straight-to-weapons approach to life).

So when you go back to your manuscript to revise, here are some questions to ask of your characterization:

• Era-appropriate. Those of us who read historical romances know this error well. How many strong-willed, independent 21st century women are stomping around Regency England asserting their equality? It’s not that women didn’t have strong opinions two hundred years ago; it’s that they never would have gone around asserting those opinions in the same way the women we know do it. You have to let them be themselves, not you in armor or a ballgown. Check to make sure that a character would have done in his time period the things you have him doing.

• World view. How does your character view reality? Is it basically good, with a few unfortunate events? Are the universe and the natural world full of meaning, or essentially meaningless? Is science their guideline for reality, or do they accept supernatural revelation? You have to clarify big-picture questions like this, because if you don’t, your character falls into your worldview. I believe in God and the possibility of meaning in history…but not all my characters do. I have to make sure that I don’t fall into letting my voice speak through their bodies.

• Past experiences. It’s important that you know far more about your character’s past than will ever be revealed in your book, because the past always affects the present. Say that a young lady travels to care for her dying uncle. Is he the beloved father-figure who took care of her after her parents died? Or is he the molester who made her childhood a living hell? That one distinction will affect her thoughts as she wipes his brow, changes his sheets, or spoon-feeds him broth. And really, the reader never has to know, but it will be clear that something is going on when we see how she holds her hands, her facial expressions, and her tone of voice.

• Mannerisms. Most of us start out with a clear idea of our characters’ mannerisms—perhaps he taps his fingers on the desktop when he’s angry, or perhaps she picks at her nails when she’s insecure. But those mannerisms often fall by the wayside in about the third chapter. I’m not saying that we need to see him finger-tapping in every scene, but non-verbal communication is every bit as important as verbal, and much of it tends to be particular to the character. Establish early on what mannerisms express what emotions, and then let us see those expressions throughout.

• Background. Characters don’t spring out of nowhere, and where you came from affects where you’re going. There are other good articles on this site about how upbringing and geography influence character development—check out March 2, 2011, and November 5, 2010. The important thing to remember is that people don’t exist in vacuums. If you’re writing someone who could exist as she is in any time or place, you haven’t done enough character work. Character traits are universal—greedy, generous, angry, vengeful, caring, insecure—but the way those traits are lived out is very specific to one place and its culture. Make sure your character’s gestures, attitudes, rhythms, and actions conform to his culture and region.

To do all that deep character work, you might want to take a look at a book called Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors, by Brandilyn Collins. It’s perfectly understandable if your character is a little blurry around the edges when your finish your first draft. Just apply these tips and you’ll end up with characters that are sharp, memorable, and live on in your readers’ memories.

Guest Post: How to Keep on Going as a Freelance Writer

2011-03-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

Article by Lauren Bailey

Freelance writing is not an easy profession by any means. It requires independence, motivation, and hard work in order to research and craft an article. Even then, there is still no guarantee that the article will even be published, so freelance writers need to have an almost superhuman ability to roll with the punches as well, especially when it comes to getting articles and pitches rejected time after time. Though it may be tough to keep on going after numerous setbacks, it is important that you learn to move on past rejection in order to succeed as a freelance writer.

Something you should keep in mind when dealing with a rejected pitch or story is to understand that hundreds of talented freelance writers go through the same thing every week. Rejection is a big part of a freelance writing career, so you should not allow it to make you feel discouraged or inadequate. Most freelancers, in fact, will go through numerous rejections before receiving a single approved pitch or article.

These rejections can occur for a number of reasons, too. Some editors reject articles that are similar to ones they have already published. Other pitches and articles may be rejected because they simply do not fit in with the publication's tone. Some publications may even have previously granted another freelance writer permission to do a story similar to your proposed one, resulting in a rejection for you. In other words, do not always take rejection too personally.

Something else that you can do to help yourself move on after rejection is to use each rejection as a learning opportunity. If one of your pitches keeps getting turned down from every publication you submit it to, consider making some changes to it. You can make your pitch more specific if it was initially a broad idea, or make it more general if it was initially too specialized. You can also rewrite your pitch letter to explain more of your idea too, if you think that your explanation may be the culprit behind all of those rejections. Each publication should also receive a customized pitch. Remember, even if you are pitching the same general article idea to five different environmental magazines, each of those magazines still has a unique tone and voice that you should consider in your pitch letter.

Rejection of an idea or article from an editor is never going to be an easy thing to get over. In fact, one of the reasons behind why rejection hurts so much is because your body physically responds to rejection by actually stopping your heart for a second, according to research conducted by University of Amsterdam. When faced with rejection from a peer, such as an editor, your heart rate temporarily plunges, which explains why the sting of rejection never seems to fully disappear, even for those who have been freelance writing for years. The best thing to do, however, is to simply force yourself to keep trying, even after the literal heartaches you've endured. After all, only when you keep pitching and writing will you ever establish a successful freelance writing career.

Lauren Bailey contributed this guest post. She pursues freelance writing projects in the online colleges niche. Questions or comments can be sent to: blauren99 @gmail.com.

Psychology in Writing: Using Setting to Reinforce Character Development

2011-03-02T09:46:00.001-05:00

Article by Vasilios Moudilos

All written works require setting: an environment in which your characters will interact. It can be a single setting or many settings depending on the nature of your plot and how it will best be conveyed to the reader.

It is no mistake that one of the most popular settings is that of the hospital. We have only to look at popular TV shows such as House and Grey's Anatomy to find the inherent drama of life and death decisions made by doctors turned detectives, fighting the unseen enemy known as disease. Who will win keeps us watching.

In written form, the hospital setting, unlike with TV, requires description. If you are contemplating a short story or a chapter in a longer novel which unfolds in a hospital, there are considerations to be made in how this setting will be constructed and so experienced by your reader.

Keep in mind that environmental influences are processed uniquely by individuals. Still, there is a universality in how specific visual, olfactory, and auditory stimuli are interpreted. The smell of iodine may cause one individual's eyes to tear yet, in another person, may trigger a nostalgic memory of a scraped knee in childhood.

Unlike House or Grey's Anatomy, we cannot smell the antiseptic nor does the paint peel from the walls. The visual media's portrayal of hospitals tends to stereotype them as pristine with the latest in medical equipment, one patient to a room, the doctor always nearby, and the nurses physically attractive. There is no yelling of patients from nearby rooms nor are janitors seen mopping the hallway floors.

As a writer, you must construct the stage for the hospital and, in doing so, understand the importance of your character's unique perception of this environment. In creating this specific mood, the reader's feelings will identify with the character's and this will sharpen the intended plot's delivery.

If the plot involves a husband visiting his dying wife, then such stimuli as the smell of feces from a passing room or the yelling of a restrained patient in the hallway will be in harmony with the character's demeanor. The hospital is old, the nurses do not smile and the doctor is nowhere to be found. The lingering odor of dinner mingles with the odor of bathroom stalls and bleached floors. The large window reveals a stark, January night.

As our character is in a state of stress, he will more likely experience the negative aspects of his surroundings and the reader will be compelled to feel this same sense of despair.

Conversely, a husband visiting his wife and newly born baby, smells the fragrance of newly delivered flowers from a passing room, trades smiles with an attractive female nurse and walks down a hallway whose walls are decorated with murals of cartoon characters. The open window carries the delicate fragrance of lilacs blooming in the afternoon warmth of Spring.

The reader's mood shifts to optimism and the cartoon murals may bring specific characters to mind, just as the smell of lilacs will trigger pleasant and personal memories for the reader.

The writer makes use of the premise of "what we see depends on how we feel" by replicating a reality onto paper with specific descriptive words. In painting the canvas of the setting to further enrich the vision of the character, the reader experiences the desired empathetic response.

As a writer, do you want to idealize your setting or to make it realistic? This will depend on your plot's objective. Still, as much as you stay neutral in describing the setting, realize that it is not neutral, as it is being derived from the POV of you, the writer. You are describing only what is relevant to the plot and not every single feature of a setting.

Observation of these social environments can better hone our writing skills in terms of settings. Why it is that surgeons wear green apparel, that strangers talk more freely to each other, or that humor amongst hospital workers is exaggerated? The answers give the writer the unique vision from which to reproduce a hospital setting conducive to an intended plot.

The result is overwhelming the reader's senses and effectively drawing him/her into the story. When both reader and character are experiencing a congruency of emotional states, the intimacy essential to a bonding of reader and character has been accomplished. The character has emerged from your imagination to a reality and the novel becomes a shared universe for both.

Where oh where is that file?

2011-02-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

Picture this: I was working on my laptop when my daughter called me to help her with an important school project. As I turned to go to her, with my head still on the article I was writing, I tripped over the cord that connected my laptop for recharging and...you guessed it, my laptop came crashing down. Yup...I lost my hard drive and EVERYTHING in it.

Did I tell you I hate computers?!

Well, my hubby came to the rescue and got me a new hard drive and re-installed all my programs. The beauty of starting over (no, I'm not kidding :-)) is that you can organize all your files right from the very beginning. But what if you tend to procrastinate in this department and keep putting off cleaning your computer and organizing your files? If you're a writer, you can appreciate by now how essential it is to be organized, to be able to find your files presto, and to keep a hand on all that research dumped onto our computers.

Signs that your computer needs a good cleaning:

- It's painfully sloooowwww....

- While looking for a file you find your ex-boyfriend's high school book report you did for him way back when.

- It takes two hours to go through your overflowing inbox just to find that request for a guest post.

- You can cook a meal in the time it takes to start up your computer.

So how DO you clean out your computer? Here are some great tips I found on the Web:

How to Keep Your Computer Safe, Clean and Backed Up in 2011

Useful PC Clean Out Tips

Any tips or sob stories about your computer that you want to share?

Free Event: Work at Home Career Summit

2011-02-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

I came across this opportunity for writers, and I wanted to share it with you:

On February 19th You Can Learn About 8 Work-at-Home Careers that Will Allow You to Start Working from the Comfort of Your Own Home this Year!

This is your invitation to join in absolutely FREE.

With so many great work-at-home career opportunities out there, it can be difficult to choose the one that’s right for you.

That’s why on February 19th American Writers & Artists Inc. will host its first-ever FREE virtual event to help you decide once and for all which path you’ll take.

Work-at-Home Career Summit

February 19th 2011

During this free online event, 8 different work-at-home professionals will share with you their chosen path, and give you insights into what they do, how they got started, and what you can expect if you choose the same path.

You can learn more and claim your free registration here.

P.S. This first-ever virtual event is limited and will only be available to those who sign up before the event starts. Don’t miss out on taking advantage of the best work-at-home career opportunities for 2011.

Claim your free VIP pass now.

Self-Editing Part 2: Writing Style

2011-02-15T10:39:00.005-05:00

Once you’ve polished up the mechanics (see previous article on self-editing your mechanics), you have a second level of self-editing to do. Here are some common stylistic errors writers make and the techniques to use to balance them out.

• Passive voice. This kind of passive sentence construction occurs when the author pulls his punches and will not commit to the action, emotion, or choice he gives his character. It’s characterized by phrases such as “I found myself,” “My hand reached out,” or “He felt himself getting angry.” One of my favorites was a story where the heroine “found myself naked under the Christmas tree.” That must have been quite a shock. Instead of telling us what you found yourself doing, just do it. “He felt himself getting angry, his hand reached out and he found himself hitting her,” could more dramatically turn into, “Anger burned through him, and he clenched his fists, desperate to control it, but it didn’t help. Pain and fury coalesced in his strong hand, and he lashed out at her, forcing all the pain of her betrayal into the strike.”

• More passive voice. Do a search in your document for the word “was.” Is it connected to another verb? Sometimes you need this word, especially when you want to show that two things are happening at the same time, or one action interrupts another: “He was eating his mom’s chocolate chip cookies when the windows exploded.” Other than that, you don’t really need it, so get rid of it. “He was sneaking carefully in the back door,” should just be “He snuck carefully in the back door.” Use the simplest, most active, most direct, least qualified verbs available—otherwise you dilute the action and the power of the passage.

• Qualifiers. Excise these words: very, somewhat, rather, fairly, really, pretty (as in “pretty good”), a bit, a great deal, a large amount, kind of, sort of, quite. I don’t care about a character who is “somewhat disturbed,” or “rather beautiful.” But give me someone who’s beautiful and disturbed—that’s scary. Qualifiers are another way to back away from your words. Don’t. A fairly dark night holds no interest but a dark night can be frightening, romantic, or a perfect opportunity to put plans into action.

• Hypnotizing rhythms. It’s easier to read paragraphs where the sentences are mixed up: shorter and longer, simple and complex. Too much of one style makes it hard to absorb the meaning, and the reader gets bored.

• Head-hopping. The 3rd person omniscient point of view is fun because you’re allowed to get inside anyone’s head—you know all, and can say so. But that doesn’t mean you can jump in and out of multiple characters’ heads in the course of a single scene. Your reader needs to know where he or she is standing in any given scene; she gets used to watching the scene from that perspective. Stick with one character’s POV for a whole scene. If you really must switch POVs within a scene, only do it once, and spend significant time in the second POV. Do not do quick, back-and-forth switches, or changes of short endurance. Readers don’t like to be tossed round all over the place.

• Telling, not showing. “Donna had a meaningful conversation with her little brother, Joe, and she realized that Joe was really growing up. She should consider giving him access to his trust fund.” If that’s an important relationship, that’s not going to cut it. What was the conversation? What made her think Joe could handle the responsibility of a trust fund? How is Joe growing up? In contrast to what? What made the conversation meaningful, rather than just, say, pleasant? If it’s not an important relationship, then we didn’t need to be bogged down with those sentences. If a principle is important enough to state, it’s important enough to demonstrate. “Jenny hated broccoli,” isn’t as compelling as, “Her mother was serving broccoli again. Jenny sighed. ‘I have to go the bathroom,’ she said around a mouthful of the disgusting green stuff. She didn’t wait for her mother’s permission, but ran to the bathroom and spit it all into the toilet. ”

• Antecedents. Just make sure all your subjects and verbs connect. I have a friend who likes the “Doing this, she did this,” construction of sentences. “Opening the car door, she looked back over her shoulder.” But in the attempt to portray two simultaneous actions, you can lose track of who’s doing what. “Hanging up her coat, it missed the hook and fell to the floor.” That means that “it” was trying to hang up someone’s coat, but instead fell down. It doesn’t mean that “she” was hanging up her own coat but dropped in on the floor instead, which is what the author intended.

• Wordiness. I give this advice to all authors, but especially to new ones. Cut 100 words a chapter. At least. You put in words you didn’t need. I promise. Your writing will be stronger, tighter, and more compelling for the cull. In fact, make it 200.

Next month: Self-editing, part 3: Character Development.

Kathy Teel is a freelance writer and editor. She has been writing for NouveauWriter since July 2010. Are you thinking of self-publishing your novel? Kathy Teel runs No Disclaimers Beta Services, and can help you get your manuscript ready for publication. NDBS can even help you market it once it’s out there.

Guest Post: How to Achieve Professional Success as a Writer

2011-02-02T13:48:00.001-05:00

Article by April Davis

If you asked me how to learn to write, I would tell you that writing is an innate skill – you either have it or you don’t. Of course, you can do much to hone your writing and sharpen your creative edge, but the basic talent has to be there for any additional work to be done. So if you’re looking for success as a writer, it’s essential that you be a writer first – you must be able to string words together naturally and without struggling too much; you must be inspired by your passions and be driven to write; and you must enjoy writing and know that your writing will find appreciation. Once this has been established, here’s how you go on to finding professional success as a writer:

Find your niche: Not everyone is the next JK Rowling with a bestseller in the wings, and not every success story in writing is as large as hers or connected to books. You can find success only when you know your writing niche, the genre in which you’re most comfortable. You can do this by experimenting with different kinds of writing – short stories, articles for newspapers, magazines and the web, poetry, technical writing, copywriting, books – there’s a whole lot of choices out there. Once you find the niche that suits your writing style, then you’re all set to go.

Play to your strengths: Some writers are at their creative best in the mornings; others are night owls who work through the dark hours and into the rising sun. Know when your concentration and creativity are at their peak, and use these times to produce your best writing. Writing is not a nine-to-five job that you can do monotonously and routinely – you need to be in the mood if you want to create written text that’s appealing and enthralling. So play to your strengths instead of aping other writers and following their method of doing things.

Try to make a living out of it: There’s no point to being a struggling writer and trying to make ends meet as you faithfully churn out pages of what you hope will be a bestseller and catapult you into instant stardom. If you can’t make a decent living with your gift, you’re abusing it and letting it waste away. So even if you’re trying to write a novel, take on temporary writing assignments that allow you to make money and which make working on your book much easier.

Continue to write: There will be times when you’re unable to write, when words fail you and when you hate every single thing you’ve written. The best way to get over these dry spells is to keep at it, to try and write at least a few lines every day. A short break from your routine could help shake you out of your rut and leave you refreshed and energized; however, the longer you stay away from writing, the harder it is to get back into the groove. So continue to write – the more you write, the better you become.

Continue to read: Most writers are voracious readers – they love the sight of the written word as much as they love penning them down. When you become a full-time writer, you often don’t find the time to read. But when you don’t read, you tend to stagnate and suffer from writer’s block. So set aside some time to read every few days – it boosts your confidence, provides you with additional insight, and keeps you informed about all the things that are going on around you.

Finding professional success as a writer depends on your skills, your dedication, your professionalism, and your determination to grow and evolve as a writer with every new assignment or task.

This guest post is contributed by April Davis, she writes on the topic of Accredited Degree Online . She welcomes your questions and comments at her email id: april.davis83(@)gmail(.)com.

What did C.S. Lewis do to keep writing?

2011-01-30T22:02:00.001-05:00

Did you know that to avoid procrastination Victor Hugo stripped down so that he would be less tempted to go out and instead stayed home and wrote? It worked because he created masterpiece literature such as Les Miserables, one of my all-time favorite classic reads. I read about this in a post titled 20 Acclaimed Authors and Their Unique Writing Rituals.

Yeah...I know. Most writers can relate to having some writing ritual they follow. Did you know C.S. Lewis was very self-disciplined?

The article goes on to say that he "kept an incredibly obsessive schedule. He allowed himself short, periodic breaks, but otherwise planned every minute of every day in order to maximize productivity. A rigid series of rules dictated everything from appropriate times to take a beer to when visitors were allowed to stop over."

I got a kick out of reading the unique writing rituals of the other well-known authors. It got me thinking of my own writing ritual. I'm a little obsessive about having space to write with no clutter around and to have necessary things on hand, such as my research and something to drink and eat. And no, I definitely do not strip down. I would be too cold and uncomfortable! What about you? Any unique, bizarre or quirky writing ritual you dare share with us?

Psychology in Writing: Adding Sound Effects to Your Writing

2011-01-27T10:45:00.000-05:00

Article by Vasilios Moudilos

There exists, unique to each language, a class of words that have developed from the mimicking of sounds in our environment. A common example is the English word tick tock in reference to a mechanical clock. The usage of these words is known as onomatopoeia.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, onomatopoeia is defined as "the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss)." Onomatopoeia is further described as a rhetorical device: a linguistic strategy that creates an effect for the reader.

Onomatopoeia is classified as being derived from three broad sources:

1. Animal noises: the barking of a dog, the braying of a donkey or the hissing of a snake. An example would be "The Sergeant barked out new orders to the assembled platoon."

Purr is one example of onomatopoeia; the pleasing sound made by a cat. Using purr in a sentence evokes the imagery of a cat. So, in using this one word, both a sound effect and associated imagery are attributed to the character you attach this term to.

Take for example the following sentence: She turned towards him and said, “I think I'm falling in love with you.” Now let’s add more atmospheric depth by using the word purr: She turned towards him and purred, "I think I'm falling in love with you." Adding purr gives the dialogue greater depth in the acoustic quality of the word and in introducing feline characteristics to the character. As with the cat, we think of qualities such as softness, femininity, cuddliness, and seductiveness.

2. Body functions: examples include the sounds of sneezing: achoo or the sound of one's heart: lub, dub. Consider the following example: "Ignoring the eating utensils, he grabbed his food from the plate and in a single gulp it was gone."

3. Physical reaction onomatopoeia: those words taken from the external world, from the bang of a gun to the whish of the wind. This category is a dynamic ongoing list fueled by individual writers inventing new onomatopoetic words to add unique effects to descriptive scenes. From the new worlds of science fiction to the imaginary kingdoms of childhood tales, these new words are introduced into the English language.

Within this category of physical reaction onomatopoeia, we can further subdivide these into the following categories:

- Mechanical onomatopoeia describing the sounds that machinery make. Words such as buzz or beep.

- Fast motion onomatopoeia describing movement as with whoosh or zoom.

- Musical onomatopoeia based on instrumental sounds as in the twang of a guitar or the blaring of wind instruments.

- Cooking or eating onomatopoeia includes words such as splatter or nibble. As an example, "The bacon sizzled in the pan, splattering oil on his suit."

- Finally, the fighting onomatopoeia, which thrives in the comic book industry and includes words such as pow, whamand bam.

With onomatopoeia we also allow ourselves an alternative to the overused he said-she said format. Instead of purring consider the word cooing relating to a dove's call giving the sentence a more amorous sound: She cooed into his ear, "I think I'm falling in love with you." Onomatopoeia allows you to create a distinctive texture relevant to the emotional reaction you wish to evoke from the reader.

Some onomatopoetic words have become common or overused as with the pitter patter of tiny feet, but can still inspire a creative variation as in the following: The clickety-clack of well rehearsed bureaucracy was set into calculated motion. This adds a mechanical quality in how bureaucrats function. We've taken clichéd onomatopoeia and changed its structure to describe a setting with richer depth.

New onomatopoetic words are common in the marketing world with the creation of slogans as with the snap, crackle and pop of Rice Krispies or the Mmm Mmm Good associated with the Campbell's Soup Company. Writers can incorporate these marketing slogans in their writing. An example would be: She carried herself so well that he could only gaze in wonderment, thinking Mmm Mmm Good.

You can browse a list of onomatopoeia here and here.

Although often employed in poetry and in the genres of science fiction and children's books, onomatopoeia has a place for writers in other genres. Whether to enrich dialogue, develop a more distinctive character sketch, or add deeper texture to a setting, onomatopoeia provides additional assets for the writer — that of creating special effects on the written page.

Clean Out Your Inbox Week

2011-01-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Are you drowning in emails that flood your inbox as you try to stay up to date on writing, publishing and marketing news for writers? Sometimes, when life gets busy, I fall behind on staying on top of my emails. And once they start pouring it, it can get overwhelming. This week, Jan 24-28, is Clean Out Your Inbox Week. I came across some great articles that share smart tips on tackling your inbox. Whether it's Gmail or Outlook you use, check out these useful posts:

20 Handy Tips for Organizing Your Gmail Inbox
10 Ways to Control Your Inbox in Outlook 2010
11 Tips for Keeping Your Inbox Clean

Be sure to let me know by your comments if you found any of these tips useful. Happy inbox cleaning!

Bloggiesta Time!

2011-01-21T07:58:00.001-05:00

It's time to start the Bloggiesta! Some of you may be asking what is Bloggiesta? In short, it’s a blogging marathon hosted by Maw Books Blog. It runs from January 21-23. It's an opportunity to cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our mascot Pedro stands for: Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize.

I have designated January as my uncluttering and organizing month--my house, my bookshelf and my blogs. That's why I love the idea of Bloggiesta, although this is my first time participating. Here is what I am working on:

Clean up tabs link
Edit my About Us page,
Write a copyright policy
Organize labels
Improve blog template by cleaning up sidebars, removing old pics, etc.
Prepare blog posts for future posts
Remove old posts, such as old giveaways and announcements

Since I am also owner of another blog, Library of Clean Reads, which is participating in Bloggiesta as well, I do not want to overwhelm myself. Once I get started though, I know I will have the incentive to do more even after the Bloggiesta is finished. My overall goal is to have a clean, uncluttered look with easy navigation for my readers to find the info they came looking for.

Happy Bloggiesta to all participants!

Self-Editing for Writers: Part 1, Mechanics

2011-01-19T09:41:00.002-05:00

Article by Kathy Teel

There are two opposing truths I want you to hold in your head at the same time. Ready?

1. The mechanics of writing matter enormously. I’m talking commas, semicolons, grammar, spelling, etc. It matters.
2. You will seldom be rejected by an agent, publisher, or acquisitions editor because of mechanics if your story is really good.

The last thing I want you to think right now is, “If I won’t be rejected because of mechanics, then I don’t have to worry about it.” You do have to worry about it. Mechanics are the tools of your craft, and if you don’t have the right tool, you don’t have the right story. Imagine a painter approaching a landscape and saying, “That’s not exactly the color blue I wanted for the sky, but it’ll do.” If it’s the wrong blue, the wrong tool, then it’s not the picture he really wanted to create, right? Neither is your story the story you wanted to create if you don’t have the proper tools.

But it’s also true that some writers have brilliant stories in their heads, full of action, meaning, and emotion, but these writers have never been able to grasp the difference between a run-on sentence and a comma splice. Those writers won’t be turned out in the cold, because publishers, editors, and readers want stories like that. Mechanics can always be repaired if necessary.

It’s frustrating as an editor to have to correct every little bit of punctuation, though. I had one author (who is, yes, now published) who seemed to have confused periods and commas, letting sentences go on when they should be complete, and stopping incomplete clauses for no reason. It was very tedious to go through her manuscript and delete commas to replace them with periods, do the same for periods, and modify the corresponding capitalization.

The bottom line is that as an author, you are not just responsible for the story, but for the readers’ experience, and bad mechanics distract the reader--even if the reader is just an editor, and not one of the millions who will buy your book once it’s out. You have a duty to make your manuscript the best it can possibly be, and that includes mechanics as well as character and plot development.

Even if you’re not a grammar Nazi, like most editors are, you can still get your manuscript clean and presentable by doing the following things.

• Buy a copy of a good manual of style. The illustrated Strunk and White is both useful and amusing, and it will give you everything you need, but there are other good ones. Most fiction publishers use the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, and most non-fiction publishers use either AP style or (if it’s really academic) Turabian or MLA. I suggest that fiction authors stick to Strunk and White, though; it’s clear and easy and will keep you out of trouble.

• Read other books. A lot. One thing I ask myself when editing a particularly challenging manuscript is, “When has this author ever seen dialogue written like this?” Maybe it’s not dialogue, maybe it’s something else, but the point is, if you pay attention to how things look in other books, you’ll get a sense for how they should look in yours.

• Read your book out loud. Part of what punctuation and grammar do for writing is to establish a sense of rhythm. Read your chapters out loud—what’s the rhythm like? Did you stop when you meant to stop, and did you mean to have such long rambling sentences? Do things flow, do they make sense, when you read them out loud?

• Learn the rules. Rules do not stifle your creativity; they free it. Think about the jazz greats and their soaring improv—you can’t riff on sax, guitar and piano like that, straight from the heart, without thousands of hours of scales, exercises, and study. I’m not suggesting you go back to third grade and start diagramming sentences again (although that’s an incredibly useful exercise). Just find a good grammar site (try Grammar Girl and The Oatmeal) and master one rule at a time. It doesn’t take long before you are doing it right without even thinking about it. My suggestion is that you begin with the rules of punctuation around dialogue, since more mechanics mistakes are made there than anywhere else.

Of course, even grammar can be subjective, and after all your hard work, an editor might change all your ellipses to em-dashes anyway. But a manuscript that offers clean mechanics is worth its weight in gold to an editor or publisher for two reasons: it’s less work for them, and it leaves them free to enjoy the story. And isn’t that what you want for all your readers?

Coming soon: Self-Editing Part 2, Writing Style

Kathy Teel is a freelance writer and editor. She has been writing for NouveauWriter since July 2010. Are you thinking of self-publishing your novel? Kathy Teel runs No Disclaimers Beta Services, and can help you get your manuscript ready for publication. NDBS can even help you market it once it’s out there.

Winner of the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop!

2011-01-18T12:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, this has been quite the giveaway with 38 entries! Well, without further ado....the winner of The Nighttime Novelist by Joseph Bates is....

#18 JHS

Congratulations JHS!

The winner was chosen using... Random.org and has been emailed. A big thank you to all participants and those of you who have become new followers, as well as Kathy from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Martha from Reviews From Martha's Bookshelf who organized such a fun giveaway. Last but not least, thank you to Leyane Jerejian from FSB Associates for offering this book for the giveaway!

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

2011-01-13T23:20:00.001-05:00

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

January 14th to 17th

Hosted by Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

What is a giveaway hop?

Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.

For followers that means lots of chances to win free books.

So dear followers, here is the chance to win this resource book to help you get going with that novel you're struggling to write:

The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates

read my review here

Product Description

Franz Kafka was an insurance agent. William Faulkner was a postmaster. Stephen King taught high school English, John Grisham was an attorney, and Toni Morrison worked in publishing. Though romantic fantasies of the writing life don't often include a day job, the fact is that most writers have one.

If you find yourself among them, stealing moments late at night, early in the morning, or on your lunch break to write, The Nighttime Novelist is your guide—on call any hour to help. Divided into quick mini lessons to make the most of your precious writing time, this book offers:

- Technique instruction that breaks down the elements of the novel—from crafting your protagonist to successful plotting and pacing

- lessons that help you anticipate and overcome roadblocks, so you can keep your productivity and your story on track

- Going Deeper explorations that provide guidance on the more nuanced aspects of storytelling, so you can take your work to the next level

- Try It Out assignments and more than 25 interactive worksheets that help you apply the lessons to your own project

Whether you're just beginning your novel, wondering how to navigate its middle, or bringing it to a close, you'll find the instruction, exercises, and support you need to keep your story moving forward every time you sit down to write.

About the Author
Joseph Bates's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The South Carolina Review, Identity Theory, Lunch Hour Stories, The Cincinnati Review, Shenandoah, and Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature and fiction writing from the University of Cincinnati and teaches in the creative writing program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

How to enter giveaway:
1. Leave a comment with your email address.
2. Leave another comment if you are a follower new or old.
3. Open to US only.

Thanks for participating!
Contest now closed. Winner will be announced later today.

The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates

2011-01-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates
Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: 978-1582978468
Published September 2010
Hardcover, 272 pages

Many writers have full-time jobs, take care of a household and children, and usually write in their spare time—such as early in the morning or late at night. I have done both. When I had the chance to review The Nighttime Novelist, I was curious if it would be different from the slew of writing resource books I've read in the past two years since I've published my first book.

The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous layout. This book has a spiral-bound binder format and contains colourful pages, charts, and worksheets. It's divided into three parts, Beginnings, Middles, and Endings, with a Coffee Break section after each part (which I thought cute and practical) that helps you to check how you're doing thus far. It's a book that covers all the basics—developing ideas, character development, plot planning, narration, description and setting, pacing, building suspense, climax and good endings.

All the chapters focus on the “technique”, “hurdle”, and “going deeper” of each topic introduced. And it's all colour-coded. Some may find this distracting but I liked it. Most of the content was not new to me. However, I liked the author's voice and his explanations: simple, to the point, told with good and appropriate humour. Whether we are new or more experienced writers, reminders of the basics and their deeper points is never a bad idea. All writers have their strengths and weaknesses. But for some it may still be too basic.

Bates makes good use of questions to get the writer thinking. Whatever the topic, these questions had me thinking about my current novel in progress. This was good. I learned a few things I could work on. I particularly appreciated the chapter on Narration where the author explains well the various POV options and how to find one's voice. This is by far one of the most confusing things for new writers and I get asked about this constantly when I give workshops. Bates' experience as an editor shines through in this book, although he himself has not written a novel.

If you dream of writing a novel or are struggling with the one in progress, know that you can do it even if your time is limited. Bates keeps with the theme of the nighttime novelist, who steals time to write, by offering a book that is easy and quick to read, to reference, and from which to learn.

Here is an excerpt from this book:

Components of a Good Opening Scene
By Joseph Bates,
Author of The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time

In The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, writer and former literary agent Noah Lukeman claims that the amount of time you have to grab your reader’s attention -- including that of an agent or editor -- is, you guessed it, five pages. Lukeman may’ve been a bit generous in this; other testimonies I’ve heard put the number closer to one page. Or half of one.

Whatever the actual number, and no matter how intimidating it ends up being, the message is undeniable: Your story has to start with a strong opening scene. And despite the fact that all of us will be writing very different novels, on varied subjects and in divergent styles, there are a number of components that all good opening scenes have in common.

A good opening scene:

1.    Has a compelling hook. A hook is an opening line that entices the reader into your story by (1) beginning in a clear moment of action or interaction and (2) serving as a tease, revealing just enough information to ground the reader in the moment while maintaining enough mystery -- through the careful omission of certain information -- to keep her reading.

By moment of action, I don’t mean that you begin with a bomb ticking,or someone running for his life, or a massive explosion. Rather it means that you avoid synopsis, stage direction, and backstory by dropping us directly into a scene in progress so that were in the midst of the action, or in medias res. (Such a direct opening can be particularly difficult for the meticulous writer, who's thought so much about her protagonist and his backstory that she's not really sure where to begin.)

Likewise, the tease of a compelling hook is not about intentionally hiding things from the reader, making it difficult for her to figure out what's going on. Inexperienced writers often confuse abstraction for mystery, and they'll believe that an interesting opening scene is one where the reader has no clue what's going on and has to figure it out for himself, as when the reader is dropped into the middle of a dream, or a drug trip, or a riot, or the ocean, or whatever. ("What was that? Who's talki -- wait, something was touching her now -- Is that a voice she heard? Who's talking? And what was touching her on the leg? And is that a white glowing mist in the distance -- ?") The result, as you can see, is less one of mystery than frustration, which is obviously not what you want your reader to experience -- on page one or anywhere else.

So let's consider what we do mean by a compelling hook. Let's say your opening scene takes place in a dentist's office, with your protagonist going in for a root canal. Probably your first inclination would be to begin with some straight-up information getting the character there: "Barbara Morris walked into the dentist's office and up to the receptionist's window to sign in for her root canal." But while that's very informative, it's also a bit of a bore. How, then, might we convey the same basic information -- we're in a dentist's office for a procedure -- that begins in the action of the moment and also holds enough mystery to convince the reader to keep going?

Maybe something like this: "Barbara Morris breathed in the hissing gas and immediately felt her face sliding off her skull."

At the baseline, this conveys the same basic information as the previous first line we tried. But it puts us in the moment, with the reader feeling as if he has that little hissing mask on his face, too, already an improvement over the first. Plus, in the first line we tried out, there's very little mystery involved; we know what's likely to come next (the character is going to speak to the receptionist). But in the second one, we get the feeling that anything might still happen: Barbara Morris might panic and try to take the mask off; she might accidentally reveal her darkest secret while loopy on gas; she might look at those two hairy dentist's hands coming toward her and suddenly realize she's in love. We don't know what'll happen next, but hopefully we're intrigued enough to read to the next line to find out.

And all of this is accomplished by starting with something fairly general (going to the dentist), considering what exact moment there we might focus on to begin, and finding a first line that conveys the moment in an interesting way and makes us, as authors, want to write the next line.

2.    Grounds us in the protagonist's perspective. It's good to begin in a moment of action or interaction, something to grab the reader's attention right away, but it's important to remember that your reader experiences your fictional world as your protagonist does. Thus a good opening scene is one that grounds us in the main character's perspective, shows us the world through his eyes, from the very beginning.

Immediate action that's not grounded in character is just Stuff Happening and can be disorienting for a reader. As an editor and teacher I see this quite a bit: stories that begin with a gun battle, for instance, with characters barking out orders and bullets flying and lots of Stuff Happening -- high action, the author thinks, this'll hook a reader -- but that offers no way for the reader to know whom to root for, whom to run from, what's important and what's just chaos. And our reaction to such a scene at the beginning of a novel is much the same as if we'd been dropped into a gun battle in real life: Get me outta here.

This is the double burden of a solid opening: introduce the character and get us into his head and heart while simultaneously engaging us in action. But when you find that opening that does both of these things well, the chances are good that your reader -- not to mention your potential editor and publisher -- will be drawn into the story and will feel compelled to keep going.

NOTE: The use of the third-person omniscient narrator for a novel with a large cast (e.g. the example on pages 75–6 from Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) might seem like a possible exception to the "protagonist first" rule, but if you go back and take a look at those introductory lines, you'll see that we're still grounded by a particular perspective and personality from the start: that of the omniscient- narrator-as-storyteller.

3.    Has a complete arc of its own but also urges us toward the next. Your opening scene has an arc of its own: We have our protagonist, who we understand has a clear internal motivation because we're grounded in the protagonist's perspective; we have a conflict, which comes up against the character's motivation or want; and finally we have a resolution that's satisfying by the scene's end -- though the way the arc plays out should raise a number of related questions that keep us reading, to see how those questions or problems play out.

It's tempting to think of your opening scene as an introduction, something that's slyly moving pieces into place that'll become revelatory later, and in a sense this is what an opening scene does (as we'll discuss in just a moment). But your first scene can't merely be a scene that delays, that promises something more important coming later on if you'll just keep reading; we need to see stakes right away. Making sure your scene has a complete arc is one way you assure the reader has a sense of something at stake immediately, even if what's at risk in this first scene is relatively minor in relation to what's coming up (as you get to the first act's Inciting Incident and Plot Point 1 that leads us to the second act, both of which raise the overall stakes even more).

But while the arc we see play out in the opening scene must be, in relation to what's coming up, minor, your opening scene can't simply be a throwaway scene, just a quick conflict for conflict's sake; in fact, this first minor arc and how it plays out will resonate throughout the rest of your book. And that's because a good opening scene . . .

4.    Contains or suggests the end of your novel. What's that? We have to start thinking about the end so soon? Actually, yes. There are really two closely related arcs launched at the beginning of your novel: one that plays out and resolves itself by the end of the opening scene (the external motivation and conflict of the particular moment), and one that plays out over the course of the book (the character's internal motivation and conflict: what's revealed about what he wants in the longer run). Thus, an important consideration in crafting your opening scene is to begin thinking about and crafting the end of your novel, planning for how you believe the story will resolve, and then making sure that whatever ending or resolution you have in mind is established in the beginning.

Think back, for example, to the overall arc of The Wizard of Oz. We begin and end that story in the same place, Kansas -- I defy you not see it in black-and-white -- though the scenes we have in the beginning and end are poles apart from each other, showing the far ends of Dorothy's arc. In the beginning we see Dorothy feeling unwanted and unsure she belongs, wishing she were someplace else; at the end, we see her knowing that this is home, the place she belongs. That ending scene is the completion of what we see of Dorothy's arc from the very first scene. In the beginning of that story is the end.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Author Bio
Joseph Bates's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The South Carolina Review, Identity Theory, Lunch Hour Stories, The Cincinnati Review, Shenandoah, and Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature and fiction writing from the University of Cincinnati and teaches in the creative writing program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

For more information please visit www.nighttimenovelist.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: Thanks to Leyane Jerejian from FSB Associates for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Coming up this month on my blog...

2011-01-08T16:13:00.000-05:00

After blogging for two years, I've learned a few things about myself, the blogging community, and writing, of course! I want to take the opportunity to thank you, my loyal readers and commenters, for your support and enthusiasm regarding my posts. You rock!

This year I am trying to focus on completing my second novel, posting once a week, replying to comments, and organizing my blog a little better. On that note, here are some of the things coming up on NouveauWriter:

January 14-17 - Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
January 21-23 - Bloggiesta 4th Edition hosted by Maw Books Blog. I will be making improvement changes to my blog, getting rid of clutter and creating pages and better labels for my posts. Join the fun!
Guest post by April Davis

What's happening on your blog? Feel free to share your blog events by commenting.

Interview with K. Mathur, author of Never Mind Yaar

2011-01-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome K. Mathur, whose book Never Mind Yaar explores what I thought to be thought-provoking Indian themes. My interview with her proves to insightful and interesting. Read on!

1) Your book is set in Mumbai, India. Why did you choose this setting?
I was born and brought up in Mumbai and have always felt a connection to the people and the city. I know Mumbai well, warts and all. Graeme Lay, a well respected New Zealand editor, and at various times, Reviewer of the Year at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, Books Editor for North and South magazine and secretary of the Frank Sargeson Trust had this to say about my observations on Mumbai, "Mumbai is not romanticized, yet the author's perspective and insider information draw in both, the Indian and Western reader." As and when "Never Mind Yaar" becomes better known I would be keenly interested to know what the people of Mumbai feel about my depiction of their city.

2) Your book can be classified as young adult literature. Why did you choose this audience?
I have, no doubt, written about three young girls from different backgrounds who meet and become friends at college, but the category for "Never Mind Yaar" is Contemporary Fiction and not "Young Adult" where one expects action from page one.

"Never Mind Yaar" begins with a description of Gyan Shakti College, the first day of college and how the young girls meet (see the "look Inside the book" feature on Amazon.) The synchronised bombs that go off in Mumbai, the aftermath of riots between communities and what the principal of the college says to replace the hatred with healing is something a varied audience would enjoy. I daresay young adults would enjoy it too as they would the romance between Shalini and Bhagu, as well as Binny and Lou's improbable schemes to bring the two lovers together and Mem's determination to find her the best catch in town. One of my reviewers said she loved the folklore we were brought up with and that are woven into the story. My editor, Graeme Lay, did say that traditionally, these tales would be at the end of the book so as not to interrupt the flow of the story. But I felt I wanted them and the snippets of information where they were more relevant. I wonder what my readers think.

3) Your book explores arranged marriages. What did you want your readers to understand about this arrangement? Have you experienced an arranged marriage?
Arranged marriages and love marriages have always co-existed in India. Take a young girl like Shalini, the main protagonist from "Never Mind Yaar" who is from a traditional, Hindu background. Under normal circumstances she would have no problems accepting her parents' choice of partner for her. The problem arises when, without intending to, she falls in love with Bhagu. She is torn between giving in to her emotions and resisting them. Her grandmother, Mem, wants a grand match for her and has chosen a space scientist from Sriharikota, the Indian space research centre. The tussle between Shalini and her grandma as well as the battle that rages within her, as her emotions fight her traditional upbringing, are dilemmas that many a young Indian girl faces today and make for a story relevant to contemporary India.

As for my having witnessed an arranged marriage first hand, I can honestly say I have. I might even add, when I first saw the young bride I happened to catch the softest of glances she bestowed upon her new groom when she thought no one was looking. Although it was an arranged marriage, she was in love.

4) I loved Mem's character, the matriarch of Shalini's family. What does she represent in contemporary India?
In a traditional Hindu family, mothers-in-law play a very important role in a new, young and vulnerable daughter-in-law's life. As she gets absorbed into the groom's extended family, the young bride has to adjust to a completely new environment and routine. More often than not, her husband goes off to work every day as she stays behind with her mum-in-law. Every family is different but the kitchen is where a large percentage of the women tend to spend a lot of their time. Simultaneously, the young couple are learning to adjust to each other, not the easiest of things to do anywhere in the world. It is a happy, yet stressful time for them and an understanding mother-in-law can only help.

In Shalini's case her grandmother happens to be a strong personality who, no doubt, dotes on her grandchildren but isn't too fond of her daughters-in-law. It is up to her sons to tactfully ascertain they show respect for their mum, the un-declared head of their household, and at the same time, ensure their wives don't suffer because of her strong personality. Once the wives, including Shalini's mum, understand where their husbands are coming from, they too are better able to handle Mem's strong personality.

5) Bhagu wants to bring about societal change. How important is it for you as a writer to relay this needed change in India?
We are a country of contrasts with huge problems. Of course there is happiness, strong family ties, creature comforts and prosperity for many but the problems as I see them are:
* A multitude of different communities with their own languages and traditions living side by side since centuries. For most of us this creates no problems at all but, as the world is finding out today, we face racial (or communal) intolerance from a few.
* Stark differences between the rich and poor.
* Overcrowded cities; villages that lack infrastructure.
* Extreme corruption in our government. The latest scam in the papers was the biliions of dollars siphoned off from the Common Wealth games budget.

How do we overcome these problems? Some of us try to make a difference through NGOs and other charitable organizations. Yet others are overwhelmed by the nature and scale of the problems. Their solution is to feel defeated and move on with a sigh and a "Never Mind" hence the title of my book. "Yaar" simply means friend or pal in India.

I feel it is best to get involved and unite to be able to make a difference. After all, whose voice is more audible? A billion lone individuals or a billion strong force?

6) What writing project are you working on next?
Right now I am involved with "India Redefined" and in making my book available in India. I find Amazon's international shipping rates quite steep and have been assured by them that they are aware of this problem and looking into it.

7) What was the last great book you read?
"Wings of Fire", an autobiography of Abdul Kalam, India's former President. The story is about how he established the Indian Space Research program - an absorbing tale and surprisingly warm and entertaining (as opposed to dry and highly technical) - a must read for anyone interested in India.

Thanks for this interview, Khoty!

Psychology in Writing: Movies That Get You Thinking

2010-12-26T16:09:00.000-05:00

I was contacted by Kaitlyn Cole, a writer of the Career Overview Blog, about an article she thought might interest my readers. If you feel stuck in your writing career or if you're experiencing a creative block, this article might point you to a movie that will prove inspirational. Here's the article:

15 Excellent Movies for Psychology Majors

When I read it, it got me all curious about 8 1/2 (1963) directed by Frederico Fellini. Have any of you seen this movie?

I also spotted another article women writers who are also stay-at-home moms will smile about. You can access it here:

15 Incredibly Successful Women Who Were Once Stay-at-Home Moms

Let me know if any of these articles were helpful.

Guest Post: 4 Reasons Every Novelist Can Benefit From Writing a Screenplay

2010-12-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

Article by Kate Willson

While writing a novel or short story, it can be easy to become lost in the story itself. We often become so involved in our main characters' drama, that we lose the characters' voice and storyline in place of our own. Then, before we know it, we become stuck, our characters no longer do or say anything interesting, and we lose focus on our original story altogether.

As frustrating as this common writing crisis can be, there is no better way to get back to the basics of storytelling than to look at our characters from a different point of view. An excellent option is taking a class in screenplay or play writing for film or theatre. Although a completely different medium, working briefly in the realm of theatre and film can be beneficial in many ways for the fiction novelist. The process can help you:

1. Reexamine the story you are already working on.
Select a course that will not only cover the principles of playwriting, but will also allow students to create their own work or receive criticism on existing material. As a fiction writer, you will have the chance to take that plot line that has been circling in your head and work on it in a different context. Even if you are assigned criteria that does not fit in with your story, you can always take elements from your own work and further examine them in class. For example, if your assignment is to write a short scene set at a restaurant, put the main character of your novel in the restaurant and see what happens. Regardless of the specific course guidelines, you as a student can always examine your own work in some way or another.

2. Remind you of your audience.
One of the problems inherent in any composition course is the student's lack of feel for an audience, states Gilman Tracy, Associate Professor of English at University of Southwestern Louisiana. One thing that helps, he claims, is doing playwriting exercises. Students are able to see the cause and effect of their writing on a tangible audience and have the opportunity to feel out nuances in tone, delivery, and timing that they do not have access to while writing on their own. The same method can be applied for fiction novelists. In adapting your own fiction work to a screenplay, you will have the opportunity to consider the reaction of your peers to your storylines and characters in a different context.

3. Refine your characters.
The main difference between a screenplay and fiction writing is the voice of the narrator. A screenplay is written by someone seeing things from the outside. Writers of plays and screenplays can only include things that can be seen and heard on stage or film. They cannot include how the character feels or what the character is thinking; they must instead think of a way to convey that through action and dialogue. Honing this technique as a novelist will make it easier to portray characters through action and reaction rather than relying on omnisciently delving into your main character's inner dialogue. Thinking about what a character is actually doing at all times, and in many different circumstances, leaves novelists with a richer set of characteristics to draw upon in their work and may lead to unexpected insights into their own characters.

4. Think through situations in your story from beginning to end.
Part of the fun of writing and reading fiction novels is the fact that they can jump around from one perspective and storyline to another. Writers can jump from the thoughts of one character to the flashback of another, from present day to the future, then back to the past. While these storytelling characteristics can create valuable and interesting fiction, it can also be tempting, when writing, to forget about the basic progression of the characters in the scenes and rush to the ultimate conclusion.

In the book Acting For the Camera, author Tony Barr discusses an acting technique he calls crossing the bridge. The basic premise is allowing oneself, as an actor, the time to come to a real feeling and then act out of that place. The audience, he claims will always wait as long as the emotion is genuine. Jumping the gun on an action before allowing that emotion to fully arise will, in fact, turn the audience off. Writing in the context of a screenplay forces novelists to create tangible scenes that have a beginning and an end. Writers must think about things like how a conflict starts, what the entire conversation will be, where the characters are, and how it ends. Even if these facts are not included at all in the final work, being forced to hash these things out with every scenario and interaction in the novel gives writers a rock-solid knowledge based of their own story and allows the audience to fully believe every character's experience.

Kate Willson regularly writes on the topic of top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.

The Nighttime Novelist - How to Get Writing When Life is Busy

2010-12-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

So NaNoWriMo month is over... If you participated or were simply caught up in the writing frenzy last month you may be asking, "Now what?" Or you might just be wondering how to finish up and polish your novel.

I am currently reviewing The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates, and I wanted to share an excerpt from the book with you. As a matter of fact, I will share several excerpts throughout the month of December until I post my review at the end of the month. The following excerpt is about plot--creating a solid plot, that is. I think you will find it practical and useful. Take a look:

Checking for Plot Holes

By Joseph Bates,

Author of The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time

There’s a famous story that illustrates how even masterful storytellers can end up with glaring holes in their plots. It concerns Raymond Chandler’s classic detective novel The Big Sleep in which the killing of a chauffeur helps launch a series of complex mysteries involving drugs, pornography, blackmail, and murder that Chandler’s hero, Phillip Marlowe, must solve. When the novel was later made into an equally classic film starring Humphrey Bogart as Marlowe -- with a screenplay by William Faulkner -- the crew realized during production that there was one last question to resolve: Who killed the chauffeur? As the story goes, director Howard Hawks first called Faulkner wanting to know, who had no idea, so Hawks wired Chandler, the source, and asked him who killed the chauffeur. Chandler’s response, as he later recalled, was to-the-point: "Dammit, I didn’t know either."

To make sure your plot is as solid as it can be -- before some legendary film director discovers a plot hole while trying to adapt your work -- consider the following questions and see that you have them answered in your novel.

• Have all subplots and supporting character arcs been concluded? You might want to go back through the novel and mark those moments with subplot and supporting cast that seem to demand revisiting later . . . and make sure you did revisit and conclude them in some satisfying way.

• Do you find any of your characters indulging in excessive monologue toward the finale? Late-novel monologues often indicate that certain information should have been introduced earlier but wasn’t -- and now your character is trying to catch the reader up on that omitted information in one big breath. These one-breath wonders suggest a hole in the plot that the character is now trying to plug, poorly. Be aware of any such information dumps you come across, and consider how you might plug the hole yourself earlier in the text.

• Do the events in your novel follow the rules of the story as you’ve set them out? We already discussed rule breaking in terms of the "twist" ending, but the same applies to every turn your story takes. If your protagonist is launched on his adventure when he saves a young woman from drowning, but then at Plot Point 1 he lets the antagonist get away because he’s not a very strong swimmer, that’s obviously a problem, and everything that comes after that point will be looked on with suspicion by the reader (if he's still reading at all).

• Do the events in your novel follow, and account for, the rules of logic? If it's revealed at the end of your novel that your time-traveling hero has fallen in love with his own grandmother and is now his own grandfather, your reader will likely either scratch his head or kick your novel across the room, depending on what kind of day he's having. It's absolutely true that, as an author, you control the powers of time and space in your book -- see the section on pacing on page 147 -- but even so you're still bound by the general rules of logic; what you do has to make sense. Thus anything that doesn't seem possible, or at least believable, is a problem you'll need to fix.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the momentum of our story, in the fun of telling it, that we forget to properly account for, explain, or excise inconsistencies along the way; even Raymond Chandler can let a dead chauffeur slip past him. But the smallest plot hole might still be big enough for your reader to fall straight through, so be mindful that your plot be as solid as it can be. And if there's anything in the story you can't reconcile, you may want to consider what the offending element is doing there in the first place.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2010 Joseph Bates, author of The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time.

Author Bio
Joseph Bates's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The South Carolina Review, Identity Theory, Lunch Hour Stories, The Cincinnati Review, Shenandoah, and Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature and fiction writing from the University of Cincinnati and teaches in the creative writing program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

For more information please visit www.nighttimenovelist.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

Psychology in Writing: Front Page News

2010-11-25T08:38:00.000-05:00

Article by Vasilios

When searching for new ideas for your writing projects, the creative spark may lie in a newspaper on your coffee table or buried in a pile of dated magazines in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Your writer's instinct may sense the potential of expanding an article into a larger work of nonfiction, or you may want to take specific elements within the story to serve as the foundation for a work of fiction. What begins as a news article can become a novel, a screenplay, a short story, or a collection of poems, whose theme is based on this one article.

The date was November 16, 1959, when writer Truman Capote was going through the New York Times where, on page 39, he read an article titled "Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain". The result was the novel In Cold Blood, a 1966 bestseller which became the harbinger for the nonfiction true crime genre. In Cold Blood would go on to be made into a 1967 movie, a 1996 TV miniseries and the novel's development would be the basis for two additional films: Capote (2005) and Infamous (2006). This, because Capote's instincts sensed a greater potential in a buried news article; something that begged to be explored further and culminating in a classic novel.

To assume that Capote's book is pure nonfiction is to assume wrong. With the best of intentions, a writer can only offer a personal interpretation of a real event since no two people can describe, in dispassionate terms, the exact manner of how a book is researched or which points are emphasized. Our individual writing styles make this impossible.

Peter Benchley's novel Jaws published in 1974, began as an article Benchley read ten years earlier, about a two ton Great White shark caught off the shores of Long Island, New York. Allegedly, an earlier shark attack in 1916, which claimed the lives of four people, off the coast of new Jersey, also contributed to developing the novel which, though fictional, has its basis in real life events.

Another Maritime favorite, author Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851), also a tale of fiction, draws inspiration from two real events. One was the ramming of a whaling ship in 1820 by a large Sperm whale. The second was the killing of an albino Sperm whale nicknamed Mocha Dick whose body was pierced by dozens of harpoons from previous attempts to kill it. Mocha Dick was also known to ram whaling ships. Moby Dick, a fictional novel, was subsequently developed from these two real life events.

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1934) was based on the real kidnapping and murder of the Charles Lindbergh baby in 1932. It was referred to as the Armstrong Kidnapping Case in this fictional novel. Christie had experienced traveling on the Orient Express in 1928 and heard that the train had been trapped by snow some months later. This was also incorporated into her novel.

Today your computer takes you to current events from around the world and offers you the same stories from diversified angles. A trip to the local library may reward you with magazines reporting past and present stories for you to evaluate. At home, you may also have magazines and DVDs waiting to be rediscovered.

True life crime stories have a proven track record of attracting significant public attention. Many such events are best treated as nonfictional works while others may form the basis for a fictional work in taking certain aspects of the story and giving them a new outcome.

For example, take the case of Anthony Sowell, aged 50, a resident of Cleveland, who killed eleven woman and kept them in his house while they decomposed. The convicted sex offender was clearly not bothered by the smell nor did his neighbors think much of it. Here is a story that appeals to the horror fiction genre but may also be treated as a nonfictional account of a study in psychological and sexual dysfunction.

As an aspiring writer you should be alert, allowing the environment of reality to bring you these real life stories. Eventually, one such story will trigger your dormant imagination and ring the alarm inspiring you to write.

It may be that curiosity killed the cat but you, the writer, with the same curiosity must now ask how the cat was killed as well as why, when, where and what. This is your calling.

Guest Post: Degree Options for Aspiring Writers

2010-11-18T08:50:00.001-05:00

Degree Options for Aspiring Writers

Article by Brian Jenkins

Why should aspiring writers take a college writing degree program? Because these programs provide expert advice on craft and technique that will educate, inspire, and bring out a writer's full potential.

Degree programs in writing cover a variety of subjects including grammar, literature, creative writing, and paragraph structure. Students in graduate degree programs can specialize in their chosen field. Many schools provide classes that emphasize fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Several online writing schools provide courses specifically for fantasy and science fiction writers.

Here's a list of writing degree options available on-campus and online:

Associate of Arts in Creative Writing

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Bachelor of Arts in English with a creative writing concentration

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a creative writing concentration

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing

Master in Fine Arts in Professional Writing

Full-Residency Programs

Full-residency programs provide immediate feed back via workshop-style classes. They also allow for a tight-knit community of fellow writers who get together to discuss writing issues.

Low-Residency Programs

Writers in low-residency programs can obtain their education and degree without having to spend a lot of time on a particular campus. In some programs, students work individually with faculty members to develop reading lists and complete and revise creative work. These programs usually require students to spend one or two weeks on campus, twice each year, to attend seminars.

Poets & Writers provides a database which includes information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries around the globe.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Students in these programs typically read authors of classic literature to learn their styles and how they can integrate these styles into their own writing. Students write extensively and receive feedback from instructors and from peer-review sessions. Programs typically include courses in craft and technique and provide workshops, exposure to other writers work, feedback on writing, and the opportunity to meet established writers. Some programs also provide opportunities to meet editors, agents, and publishers. The programs usually take two to three years to complete.

MFA Popular Fiction programs

There are at least a couple of low-residency graduate creative writing programs that specialize in writing popular fiction. The MFA program offered by the University of Southern Maine includes a popular fiction option. Students write and attempt to sell thrillers, mysteries, horror, historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy.

Seton Hall University offers a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction. The program's objective is to teach students how to write marketable novels in popular genres such as romance, mystery, horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Students can also specialize in children's and young adult fiction. (It should be noted the author of this article has no connections with these schools.)

Online Writing Programs

Online students complete writing and reading assignments at their convenience and have access to their instructors via email, chat rooms, and telephone to ask questions. Student's can complete their degrees at their own pace. In some programs, the online degree can be obtained significantly sooner than in a similar on-campus program.

Free College Writing Online Courses

MIT provides materials from online courses taught in the past for free via OpenCourseWare. The Creative Spark was provided in 2004 and taught by Professor Karen Boiko. MIT offers other free courses in fictional and non-fiction writing at the MIT Writing and Humanistic Studies department website.

Here's a list of other colleges offering free online writing courses:

Utah State University: Writing academic prose, intermediate research writing, and technology for professional writers.

Open University: Fiction writing courses, descriptive writing courses, and essay writing courses.

University of Utah: Introduction to Shakespeare and an introduction to creative writing.

Western Governors University: Rhetorical and critical writing, language and communications, and literature courses parts I and II.

Purdue University: Pattern and variation in poetry, proofreading your writing, and conquering the comma.

Undergraduate and graduate writing programs provide aspiring writers the opportunity to receive expert advise, collaborate with fellow writers, and concentrate on their writing. Getting to know faculty members and other writers can lead to networking opportunities.

Brian Jenkins is a member of the braintrack.com writing team. He writes about a number of college and career-related topics.

5 Ways to Support Green Publishing

2010-11-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris invited me to be part of the Green Books Campaign. For those of you who haven't noticed, today Nov. 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers (including me) simultaneously published reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper.

By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. This year’s participation of both bloggers and books has doubled from the event’s inception last year.

The 200 books reviewed are in a variety of subjects including cooking, poetry, travel, green living, and history, and come from 56 publishers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that are participating in the Green Books Campaign. This diversified group of publishers includes both small and large presses who all print books on recycled and/or FSC-certified paper.

As a writer, (and a reader, no doubt) this is a topic that may concern you as the world turns to preserving our beautiful planet. So what can you do to support green publishing? Here are five ways:

1. Increase awareness: You can do this by visiting my book review blog and reading my review of Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart that I posted as part of the Green Books Campaign. Please leave a comment! I really appreciate your support.

2. Visit the Green Books Campaign website. Check the reviews of books on the campaign's list that look interesting to you and add your comments to their reviews.

3. Buy a green book: See a book on the campaign's list that you would like to read? Buy it for yourself or as a green gift to someone you care about. You're also invited to look for it on your local library! Also, check out the unique search feature of Indigo Books & Music that enables you to identify books that are printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper.

This year’s campaign is supported by Indigo Books & Music, the largest book retailer in Canada, as part of its efforts to draw attention to the need for more environmental paper in book publishing. This is a core goal of Indigo's environmental program, reinforced by Indigo's industry leading environmental paper policy. Michelle White, Director, Sustainability at Indigo Books & Music said, "Indigo provides information online and through in-store kiosk that allows consumers to make informed decisions about where the paper content of their book comes from".

4. Tell your friends: Tweet the campaign (you can also follow it on twitter). Post it in your Facebook status update and join the conversation on the campaign's Facebook page.

5. Learn more about why it is important to print books on eco-friendly paper by visiting the campaign's resources page.

Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices in the industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. To achieve these goals Eco-Libris is working with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores, and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris has balanced out more than 150,000 books, resulting in more than 165,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries. To learn more visit http://www.ecolibris.net

Guest Post: NaNoWriMo: Inspiring or Counterintuitive?

2010-11-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

Article by Alvina Lopez

November is finally here, and that means colder weather, the anticipation of the holidays, and what could be the inspiration every budding novelist needs National Novel Writing Month. If you haven't yet heard of it, NaNoWriMo is an international writing event that started as a simple idea. One writer, Chris Baty, decided he could use a little more community in his novel-writing efforts. The first NaNoWriMo he organized had only 21 participants. Now the event has worldwide following. Last year over 170,000 people participated, writing over two billion words in total.

The idea behind NaNoWriMo is simple. Write a novel of at least 50,000 words in length, and finish it by the end of the month. The National Novel Writing Month websites enables participants to sign up and join a supportive, interactive community. Various cities hold kick-off parties and events at the end of the month to celebrate successes.

The event and organization, however, has its fair share of detractors. Laura Miller recently penned an article in Salon.com arguing against it. She noted:

"Nothing about NaNoWriMo suggests that it's likely to produce more novels I'd want to read. (That said, it has generated one hit, and a big one: "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, who apparently took the part about revision to heart.) The last thing the world needs is more bad books. But even if every one of these 30-day novelists prudently slipped his or her manuscript into a drawer, all the time, energy and resources that go into the enterprise strike me as misplaced."

While Miller makes excellent points in her article, I don't think any serious writer would embark on the NaNoWriMo journey in order to finish a novel and send it straight to publishers. To me, the idea behind NaNoWriMo hinges on the fact that most writers struggle with a case of procrastination that is so deep-seated that they'll never finish anything.

NaNoWriMo enables writers to simply go through the process of writing a novel, to find out for themselves exactly how the structure works. Participants who are serious about writing should then, at the end of the month, either work several months afterwards on editing and revision, as Miller suggests. Or, they can throw it out and begin anew, now armed with the assurance that yes, finishing a novel is indeed possible.

So if you've been tossing a novel idea in your head for awhile, but have yet to come up with any actual text, give the event a try. Or, take a leaf out of the organization's book, and start your own novel writing marathon on your own time frame with a group of writers. As anyone who's tried it knows, writing a novel is a daunting task, no matter how many times you've done it before. If a community and a time frame can serve as the inspiration you need, then go for it.

This guest post is contributed by Alvina Lopez, who writes on the topics of accredited online schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com.

Feature Article: Where You From? The Influence of Setting on Character

2010-11-05T23:16:00.002-04:00

Article by Kathy Teel

I’ve recently been rereading an excellent writing book, Dynamic Characters: How to Create Personalities that Keep Readers Captivated, by Nancy Kress. It’s one of those books that make you realize that you actually already know this stuff, or at least all the component parts of it. You’ve just never quite put it all together like this.

One of the component parts that Kress talks about is setting. She spends one of the earliest chapters on this important aspect of character building—where a character is from has a huge influence on who the character is. One of the earliest exercises you have to do when exploring a character—right after name and general appearance—is geographical background. What country, region, state, or town is that character from?

Of course, within geography there are more things to be discerned. Did the character like or hate living there? What social class was she part of? Does she have an accent, and in what context? For example, there really is no “Southern” accent—for one thing, Southerners think it’s everyone else who has the accent, and for another, there are discernible differences in the accents of social classes and various locations. A Vidalia onion farmer doesn’t sound quite like a Mississippi lawyer or a New Orleans street performer.

One mistake that authors make, especially new authors, is that they fail to explore the influence setting has on their characters. Most characters simply reflect the author’s own values and modes of expression. Those of you who read historical romances, how many dozens of books have you read that show a spunky, strong-willed proto-feminist heroine insisting on equal standing with her man…in 1803? But that makes no sense… “strong-willed” wasn’t exactly a feminine virtue in 1803. These authors aren’t letting the character’s cultural setting form the character—instead, they take characters formed by 21st century North American norms and plop them down in Regency England. Where they don’t belong, and don’t fit.

I recently edited a manuscript in which the heroine was a young woman in her 20’s who had moved from the Midwest to California. Every couple of chapters this heroine would fly back home to visit her parents in the small town she grew up in, and everything would be wonderful and happy. I didn’t buy it. Midwesterners don’t just move to California without a very good reason. And once they get there, they either think, “What planet is this?” or “Finally, somewhere I fit in!” But this manuscript held no indication that being a single professional woman in California was any different from being one in Kansas…and it is. Her character would know it… it was why she left Kansas in the first place!

Nancy Kress points out that once you do this work on setting, dozens of different plot threads can open up. Every place and every time has its own cultural conflicts, and those could be expressed as internalized conflicts in the hero or heroine. For example, what if California Girl above falls in love with a man she meets while visiting her parents in Kansas?

Nora Roberts explores this exact quandary extremely well in her book, Born in Shame, in which American hot-shot ad exec Shannon Bodine makes a trip to Ireland and falls in love with earthy Irish farmer, Michael. He’s as Irish as the hills of Tara, but she’s got a fast-moving career back in the States—how will they resolve it? The places they were born, raised, and come to claim as home are a central influence on the conflict, plot, and above all, character development.

So, the next time you’re struggling with your character or plot, try this exercise. Sit down with your character, pen in hand or fingers poised over your keyboard. Then ask them, as we’d say here in the Missouri Ozarks, “Where you from?”

A writing hiatus that turned inspirational?

2010-11-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't blogged much in the last month, although I really wanted to! There have been some changes in my schedule. I am back at work on a part-time basis, and working in a field I love. In the past, I focused more on child psychology but this last year has led me to explore social services in the gerontology field.

I have been hired to work with support services on a government grant that wants to lead the field in providing stimulating activities for seniors who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or MCI (mild cognitive impairment). It's exciting, innovative and ... yes, scary. It made me question if I was doing everything I wanted to do with my life before it might become too late.

So...what with work, helping the kids deep into school studies, volunteering, leading workshops, book reviewing, after school activities, teaching, housecleaning, and cooking, my time is seriously compromised! BUT, and this is a big but, I find that I am more inspired than ever. People contact, that is: talking, brainstorming together, laughing, hugging, and doing things together with different people in one's life is so essential in gathering the experiences that makes one's writing good, so good in fact that others want to read it. Including yourself.

Are you stuck? Tired? Unmotivated? Take the needed time off. It's okay. I repeat. It's okay. And necessary sometimes. Get out there and do what you've always wanted to do. Take risks. Do things differently. Challenge yourself. Call that friend you've neglected lately. Visit your mom and dad. Listen to their stories. Listen to your kids. Say good morning to that grouchy neighbour. Buy your wife some flowers or chocolates or both! Ask your hubby out on a date. Okay, I think you get where I'm going with this. And if you don't, then you might need that writing hiatus more than you think. Anyone else experience the writing hiatus inspirational moment? Yes? Do tell.

Back by Popular Demand - Bloggin' About Books Workshop

2010-10-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

Some of you were not able to make it to my last workshop on Bloggin' About Books. Because it was successful I have decided to give another one on Saturday November 6, 2010 for those of you who asked if I was giving it at another time. So, here is all the info! Hope to see some of you there.

Book blogging has opened up to me the world of publicists, virtual book tours and seeing first hand how publishers deal with book bloggers who are affecting book sales. Visit my book blog Library of Clean Reads to see this first hand.

So, how about you?

Do you want to:
- Keep up with the latest trends in publishing and marketing?
- Know how to get free advance review copies from publishers?
- Know how to start your own book review blog?
- Be part of a community of book bloggers?

If you answered yes, keep reading.

By taking this workshop you will gain a whole new perspective of what it’s like to open up a new book just off the presses and read it before it even hits the bookstores. This 3-hour workshop will teach you step-by-step how to create a book review blog and establish yourself as a book blogger. What is a book blogger? Someone who reads books (bought, sent by publishers, or borrowed from library) and reviews them on their own blog or a review blog. A book blogger also has the opportunity to interview authors and take part in promoting books for authors via book tours. It’s a fun workshop! Sign up today.

Where: Saul Bellow Library (Salle Hopkins) in Lachine (Montreal, Quebec)
When: Saturday, November 6, 2010 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Cost: $15
To register: Email me (laura at laurafabiani dot com). Seats are limited and will be reserved on a first come first served basis.

Laura Fabiani is the author of Daughter of Mine, and founder of the book blog Library of Clean Reads. She reviews books for Penguin Canada, Scholastic Canada, Sourcebooks, Second Story Press, Owl Kids, Bethany House and ReviewTheBook.com. For more information about this author and her writing, visit www.laurafabiani.com.

Daughter of Mine Giveaway on Squeaky Clean Reads!

2010-09-29T08:01:00.000-04:00

I'm sure that most of you know that besides being a writer I am also a published author. For those of you who haven't read my book Daughter of Mine, you can now win a copy! Head on over to Squeaky Clean Reads and enter to win. For those of you who have read the book, please consider rating it and writing a brief content review on that same site. Thanks for supporting me, my fans and fellow bloggers!

Guest Post: Why Do We Write?

2010-09-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Article by Tim Handorf

In one way or another, I've been hacking away at this writing thing for a while. I don't really think about it all that much anymore. As a part-time freelancer, I find a new writing gig, and I get cracking, or sometimes I'll work on short story or poem whenever the spirit so moves me.

But ever so often, in a fit of introspection, I'll pause and think--wait a minute, why am I doing this again? Of all the things I could spend my time doing, whether it's hanging out with friends, going for a run, or watching television, I'm instead sitting at my computer, stringing together words with varying degrees of success.

Sometimes I enjoy it, other times I don't. Sometimes it's easy, and sometimes it's the most difficult thing I've ever attempted in my life. If you, too, are a writer, you'll know what I mean by these ups and downs. Writing is a solitary act that's filled with phases of trial and error, tripping, falling, and getting back up again. And most of us barely eke out a living, if it happens to be our chosen vocation. But we keep doing it. Why?

If you are familiar with the poet Dylan Thomas, you may have read his poem, "In My Craft or Sullen Art." In just a few stanzas, Thomas perfectly captures why we commit to an act that gives us so few tangible rewards in return. Thomas writes:

"...I labor by singing light

Not for ambition or bread

Or the strut and trade of charms

On the ivory stages

But for the common wages

Of their most secret heart.

Not for the proud man apart

From the raging moon I write

On these spindrift pages

Nor for the towering dead

With their nightingales and psalms

But for the lovers, their arms

Round the griefs of the ages,

Who pay no praise or wages

Nor heed my craft or art."

In this sense, writing is a communicative act, whether or not anyone reads what we write. It speaks to an audience that exists out there somewhere; it takes the world in, processes it, and spits it back out on paper so that we can understand it afresh.

So next time you write, if you are encountering some sort of difficulty and you are on the brink of giving up, ask yourself why you're doing what you do in the first place. Is it for praise or money? Considering the rejections we so often face, probably not. Writing is a demanding activity, but it's a rewarding one, simply because it requires a deep and abiding love for the world and all its glorious details.

It may not be easy, but just remind yourself--in the end, it's all worth it, even if you don't achieve immediate material success.

This guest post is contributed by Tim Handorf, who writes on the topics of online colleges and universities. He welcomes your comments at his email Id: tim.handorf.20@googlemail.com.

Winner of the $40 CSN Gift Certificate!

2010-09-14T16:01:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to meeyeehere (Rachel)! You are the winner of the $40 Gift Certificate from CSN Stores!

The winner was chosen using Random.org and has been contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to claim the gift certificate. For participants who commented on posts from August 30th to September 13, 2010, your comments were added as extra entries in this giveaway. Thank you to all participants and to CSN Stores for this great giveaway!

Former Booker Prize Judge Proposes Writing Contest on Twitter

2010-09-13T12:42:00.000-04:00

Author Frank Delaney's publicist sent me this email announcement and I thought you would be interested in participating. Check it out!

What's this writing contest all about?
Master storyteller and former Booker Prize judge Frank Delaney, (@FDbytheWord) is launching his second Twitter Writing Challenge on Monday, September 13: write the best, most arresting simile you can in 140 characters or less. "Similes add flavor and clarity; they fix an image in the reader's mind. A good simile in a passage of writing is like a raisin in a cake -- sweet, and separately memorable, it heightens the relish,” the bestselling writer and former BBC broadcaster explains.

And to encourage, Delaney instructs, “A good simile in a passage of writing is like a discreet and expensive jewel on a frock -- it startles at first sight, improves on closer scrutiny, but the overall effect is to add class to the whole picture. A good simile in a passage of writing is like a lovely trumpet riff -- it helps to make the point but has its own particular resonance. Given such beliefs, how can I not enjoy the prospect of a Twitter Twallenge for the best simile?”

What do I win?
The prize for the three best simile writers is lunch with Frank Delaney in New York City, whenever the winner is in town (and barring scheduling conflicts,) or a signed copy of the Advanced Readers Edition of Frank’s next novel "The Matchmaker of Kenmare" (Random House, February 2011.)

What are the rules?
You can find all details of the rules here.

In Delaney's first Twitter Writing Challenge, he asked people to tweet the first 140 (or fewer) characters of a novel they wanted to write, inspiring prose such as "She was out swimming the night Carrickton burned." by @ealvarezgibson, one of the winners. Delaney offers a daily writing tip on Twitter—a mixture of practical, psychological, and funny pointers on creative writing, non-fiction, and travel writing—as well as much lively and literary conversation with his fans.

More about Frank Delaney:
Frank Delaney, known for his gift of language, is the best-selling author of more than 21 books. Read our review of his latest novel, Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show.

On Bloomsday 2010, Delaney returned to his broadcasting roots—he hosted such BBC radio and TV shows as “Book Shelf,” “The Book Show,” “Frank Delaney,” and “Word of Mouth”— and launched Re:Joyce!, a short weekly podcast on "Ulysses." It’s been downloaded (for free) over 13,000 times so far, and has been heralded as "the People's Ulysses" and "a grand addition to Joyceana" by listeners around the world.

Visit him at www.frankdelaney.com.

New Workshop! Bloggin' About Books

2010-09-09T09:15:00.002-04:00

Every writer is a reader. A great writer is a great reader. Reading books is a passion that for some writers has extended to book reviewing. This has become my passion that led me to create Library of Clean Reads. Book blogging has opened up to me the world of publicists, virtual book tours and seeing first hand how publishers deal with book bloggers who are affecting book sales.

Do you want to:
- Keep up with the latest trends in publishing and marketing?
- Know how to get free advance review copies from publishers?
- Know how to start your own book review blog?
- Be part of a community of book bloggers?

If you answered yes to anyone of these questions, then you will gain a whole new perspective of what it’s like to open up a new book just off the presses and read it before it even hits the bookstores. This 3-hour workshop will teach you step-by-step how to create a book review blog and establish yourself as a book blogger. What is a book blogger? Someone who reads books (bought, sent by publishers, or borrowed from library) and reviews them on their own blog or a review blog. A book blogger also has the opportunity to interview authors and take part in promoting books for authors via book tours. It’s a fun workshop! Sign up today.

Where: Saul Bellow Library (Salle Hopkins) in Lachine (Montreal, Quebec)
When: Saturday, October 2, 2010 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Cost: $15
To register: Email me (laura at laurafabiani dot com). Seats are limited and will be reserved on a first come first served basis.

For those of you who can make it, I hope to see you there!

Guest Post: 10 Ways to Rock on Social Media and Still Have a Life

2010-09-07T09:05:00.000-04:00

Article by Penny C. Sansevieri

It's true: social media is here—and there goes your life! Well, maybe not entirely but it sure seems that way sometimes, doesn't it? If you've held off joining the social media party because you were worried about what a time suck it would be, take heart! There are a lot of authors who feel the same way. I speak at conferences all the time and at almost every event I get at least a half a dozen people who insist they don't have time to devote to social media. Well, the fact remains you don't have time not to! But if you are still worried about the time commitment, let's take a look at how you can do this without dumping too much of your time into this effort. I mean an author's still gotta write, right?

When it comes to social media, understand this: sometimes more is not better; it's just more. You don't want to push yourself to too many sites because that can lead to fragmenting yourself too much online and, when you get fragmenting, you often get site abandonment. Meaning that you populate content on a (social media) site, only to forget it even exists.

1. Skim: the first phase of online promotion is often reading. This can be anything from Twitter posts to Facebook updates, blog posts and online articles. Here's a tip: skim. You'll want to be very selective with anything that you feel is worthy of an in-depth read. Save your time for the real important stuff and skim the rest.

2. Subscribe to RSS feeds, but only those you actually read: it's tempting to subscribe to a whole bunch of RSS blog feeds (just like it's tempting to get an email box full of newsletters but save yourself the hassle and only subscribe to content you can actually read). The same goes for people you follow on Twitter, if they don't add value, let them go. You don't need the noise.

3. Keep a timer nearby: if you are allocating time each day to your online activities, it's safe to assume you'll go over time unless you really police yourself. Get a kitchen timer and keep it near your desk, when the buzzer goes off, stop!

4. Automate whenever you can: automating can be the key to your online happiness. When you have autoresponders or auto content generators in place they can save you scads of time. An easy and quick way to implement example of this might be your newsletter sign ups. There are a variety of systems, one of them via Constant Contact that will allow you to easily automate sign ups. Even if you have a giveaway for signing up, the system can handle this too!

5. Consolidate your online presence: when you use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Squidoo, you can really consolidate what you're doing online. Why? Because these three sites "talk" to one another, what that means is that if you update one, they all update. Makes it easy, doesn't it? While you still should visit each of these to populate them with content, you can also plug your information into one source and have it update all your properties. The 'source' can actually be your blog too. Using a site called Twitterfeed can update your Twitter account each time you update your blog, and there are widgets in Facebook and Squidoo that will do the same.

6. Get a routine: get yourself into a social media routine. You'll want to identify the best times of the day for you to blog, get active on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and then don't diverge from that. Stick to a schedule and a routine.

7. Cross-pollinate your stuff: much like my section on consolidating, you'll want to also cross-pollinate your content. Syndicated online articles are a good example of that. You can link to these articles from a variety of places. Your Twitter account for one will really benefit from this content, and you can also upload it to Facebook and Squidoo.

8. Do only essential things: you can waste a lot of your time online. By now you know that a million things can distract you; it's important to keep to the essentials. This means that you define what pushes your campaign forward and what doesn't. By doing this you will gain a better sense of where it's best to spend your time. For example, if blogging seems to get you a lot of new newsletter sign ups, continue doing it.

9. Don't follow the leader: while there are a lot of folks out there telling you what to do (including moi), you want to do what's right for you and your campaign, not what's popular. Twitter, for example, might make no sense for you at all. So don't just follow advice because you trust the source. Listen, learn, then do what will have the biggest impact on your campaign.

10. Create a plan: without a direction, any path will do. Make sure you have a plan for going online, don't just do it because it's "hip" or everyone else is. Make sure you spend some time creating a focused outline of what you'll do, what your goals are and what you need to attain to accomplish these goals. A plan will not only keep you focused, but also stay better on track with your marketing. A plan should include goals and a to do list so you make sure and sift through all the action items you need to create a rockin' online campaign.

These days, social media is a must for anyone promoting anything. But it doesn't have to mean that it's a time suck too. Keeping a social media presence also means managing it carefully. Know where to spend your time, what needs to be limited and where your efforts need to be expanded. Sometimes the quickest way to grow traction online is to isolate your efforts, while everyone is throwing it all "out there," you can create a focused plan that will not only gain you momentum, but readers as well.

Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert and an Adjunct Instructor with NYU. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the “road map to publishing success.” AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, micro-blogs, ezines, video sites, and relevant sites to push an author’s message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book’s topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her website at http://www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com Copyright © 2010 Penny C. Sansevieri

Psychology in Writing - Finding What Isn't There: Getting Ideas by Looking Beyond the Obvious

2010-09-02T10:59:00.001-04:00

Article by Vasilios

Often, the idea for a work of fiction is sparked by something which is missing from the picture. This is best illustrated in a poster that I saw on the wall of a health clinic. It was a poster promoting public awareness of depression.

The illustration depicts a beach towel hanging on a clothesline on which is a picture of a woman, sitting on the floor resting against her bed, sunglasses scattered on the floor. Her apparel and furniture are indicative of a middle class standard. Her face is buried in her hands, but she is clearly portrayed as Caucasian and in her thirties. The name Cuba is printed on the beach towel and underneath the caption reads Depression Is No Vacation.

Most people that happen by the clinic will not see this poster; distracted by their cell phones, mp3 players or caught up in personal thoughts. The writer, however, looks at the poster and observes what is there and what is not.

Why is a woman chosen; a woman in her thirties? Why not a woman of advanced years or a university student? Why even a woman and not a man? Is the poster saying that depression is a disease that afflicts only young Caucasian women who are of a middle class income level? Are Asian and Black women less likely to fall victim? Why is Cuba the island that is mentioned?

Granted, a poster can only present limited information and yet what is chosen communicates latent messages to the observer. One could argue that the concept of women being the weaker sex is reinforced in this depiction; that non-Caucasians, senior citizens, teenagers, men and the working class population do not suffer from depression. Finally, one can deduce that Cuba is mentioned as a vacation destination because of its present popularity with tourists.

What if the poster was divided into four quadrants in which a Black female teenager, an Asian widower, a Caucasian man in his thirties and a Hispanic doctor were shown? Instead of Cuba, the generic Paradise Island is chosen as the vacation destination?

That this is not the case displays the artist's value system: that which is depicted and, more importantly, that which is omitted. It is in the omissions that the writer finds inspiration and motivation to illuminate what is hidden and turn it into creative work.

The poster may provoke the writer to choose, as a main character, a 52-year-old unemployed man, suffering from depression. The writer may choose to delve further into why women are often the symbolic target of various afflictions and write an essay or commentary to this effect. Omitting the working class and minorities also begs for a sociological treatise. Finally, why the decision to name Cuba? We can postulate that it is a popular hot spot for vacationers and would make for an interesting article in a travel column.

Intentionally withholding certain information essential to a story's plot can peak interest and momentum, like with the mystery novel, when the missing pieces fall into place during resolution. In the real world, it's what is not seen or mentioned that the writer should be aware of. That which is hidden to the average person can be revealed and interpreted by the writer in the form of a literary work.

Finally, it is not only in posters that we find what isn’t there. On the daily news and in the newspapers, observe parts of the story that remain unreported and ask yourself why that is so. On TV and in theaters, take note of what types of shows and movies are popular and which ones become failures. In bookstores, what genres of books are displayed most visibly? Is there a topic or even a new subgenre, not displayed, waiting for you to develop?

In searching for that which is not there, you are accessing the hidden world that the majority of people cannot or will not see. Therein lies the heart of a story begging to be noticed and waiting to be told.

Winner of The First Five Pages!

2010-08-30T21:01:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Sandra! Your name was drawn for the giveaway of The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman.

The winner was chosen using Random.org and has been contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to claim the book.

Giveaway: $40 Gift Certificate from CSN Stores!

2010-08-30T10:02:00.001-04:00

Take a break from your writing and enter this $40 gift certificate giveaway courtesy of CSN Stores. Never heard of CSN Stores? They are one of the biggest online stores where you can find practically anything, from furniture such as end tables to shoes, bags and kid's stuff. Entering is easy. Just follow the rules:

Giveaway rules: Read carefully. If you are not a follower or do not leave an email address your entry will be disregarded.CONTEST NOW CLOSED

1. Open to Canadian and US residents.
2. Must be a follower of this blog, new or current. Click on Google Friend Connect found on the right sidebar to follow or state if you are already following and under which name.
4. Leave a comment with your email address. For example: laura (at) aol (dot) com
5. For an extra entry post this giveaway on your blog (on the sidebar) and leave me the link.
6. Giveaway ends September 13, 2010.

I love hearing from our readers, so I will reward those who take the time to visit regularly and leave a comment. For every comment you make on all posts published from now to September 13, an extra entry will be added for this giveaway!

Last day to enter The First Five Pages Giveaway!

2010-08-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

Giveaway for The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman ends tomorrow August 27. Click to get more information and to enter.

First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript by Karen S. Wiesner

2010-08-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript by Karen S. Wiesner
F+W Publications, Inc
ISBN: 978-1582972961
Trade Paperback, 222 pages

I wish I had this book when I was writing my first novel. Although I was organized and had some sort of outline, the advice and worksheets of this book would have come in handy. A manuscript is a long document and unless you’re very well organized, keeping a tab of all your characters, settings and plot threads can get tedious. Have you ever flipped through your first draft just to confirm that the secondary character you introduced in chapter three still has that limp when he reappears in chapter six?

First Draft in 30 Days shows a writer how to create a flexible and customizable outline that is detailed and complete. The author states in her introduction that her book “teaches you how to become a systematic, self-disciplined, productive author—no matter your genre or level of experience.” Now that’s a heavy promise. Does she deliver? Yes.

When I began reading it, I was excited and inspired to write my second book. I could relate to almost everything she was saying and I was able to recognize what I needed to work on as a writer. You can follow the 30-day method meticulously or simply use it as a reference to improve your own style and technique. It is especially useful if you are writing mystery and suspense novels as you need to keep track of all your characters’ motives and alibis—the crime timeline, as Wiesner refers to it. I love the book’s layout. It’s easy to read and it includes dozens of worksheets to fill out as well as sample worksheets that dissect the character, setting or plot of best-selling novels. In addition, there are goal sheets to get your writing career going and a glossary and index.

If you’re seriously thinking of writing a novel, but are having trouble putting it all together or you’ve written a first draft but it needs revision and some major work regarding plot or character development, this book will definitely help you. I have used it as a basis for my How to Write a Book workshops. The practical tools this book provides will help identify your weaknesses and strengths as a writer. It is an excellent reference and useful workbook for writers who want to improve their craft.

Disclosure: I bought this book through Amazon. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

Guest Post: Beware the Eyes That March... What Eyes Can and Cannot Do in Fiction

2010-08-23T19:35:00.000-04:00

Article by Matt Teel

There. I've done it. I've finally made an appointment with my optometrist. After years of editing fiction, I've come to understand that there is something seriously wrong with my eyes.

Client after client describes for me characters whose eyes smolder and joke and play and triumph, yet my eyes don't do any of these things. My eyes look around. And sometimes, if I'm paying attention, they actually see things. But that's all.

I'm pretty sure they're defective.

I noticed how much other people's eyes are capable of a few years ago, when I was editing a science fiction story. The main character, an elf-maiden-warrior-princess, held her sword plaintively in her hand as her eyes marched around the walls.

This was a revelation! First, I didn't know you could hold a sword plaintively. That's no mean trick: those things are heavy. But second, my eyes have never marched. Not once, unless they did it behind my back. Here was an author whose character's eyes marched. My eyes didn't so much as skip.

My eyes do register surprise sometimes—I have photographic proof of that, from the time my daughter jumped out from behind the couch with her camera. And they glare. Boy, do they glare! Just yesterday they glared at a man in the express lane, who had twenty items when the sign said no more than seven. My eyes glared quite intently. I was proud of them. But the man didn't hurry up. No chill traveled down his spine, causing him to look around and scurry away. That's what I wanted to happen. Mostly, he just ogled the women on the magazine covers.

(That's something my eyes do too: they ogle. Sometimes they ogle when they're not supposed to, which usually gets me in trouble.)

I stood at the mirror the other morning and tried to get my eyes to smolder. Nothing. I tried to get them to deny others their happiness and belittle them, and exult over the death of people I hate. I tried to get them to say something, because people's eyes are always saying something. “His eyes said that he didn't like pizza, but he could learn to like it if it meant that much to me.” But it was too strenuous; I had to take a nap. I know it's possible to do these things, because my clients have apparently met people who can. I just don't know that it's possible for me to do them. I think I need contacts.

One of my clients had a character whose eyes burned. Not 'burned with desire' or 'burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.' They just burned. There's an ocular nightmare for you. They burned when she was angry, they burned when she was envious, they burned when she felt sexy. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about the story—but the image of those burning eyes is still with me. Especially on dark nights when the wind rattles the windows. Sounds like a campfire story: “And then, he opened the door. Standing on the porch was the woman with the burning eyes, and she was envious!” Yikes!

But it's not just that eyes perform all these amazing tricks; it's that everyone seems to notice a lot more about other people's eyes than I do. It amazes me, for example, how many women notice the little flecks of colors in a man's eyes. I didn't even know about eye-flecks until I started editing fiction. I assumed an eye-fleck was that cobwebby thing that floats into your line of sight and makes you rub your eyes. Little did I know, women are trained from an early age to fall in love with men who have colorful flecks in their eyes. One man has steel-blue eyes with brown flecks; another has hazel eyes with flecks of green that make them appear almost gold when he stands with a woman on a beach at sunset.

I don't think I could tell you the color of a woman's eyes thirty seconds after she walks out of the room. I guess I'm too busy ogling her.

So, obviously, I have a problem. But I am doing something about it. I've got an appointment with the doctor Thursday at 3. I plan to ask him for some smoldering eyes with red and green flecks: the kind that march triumphantly around a room and really command people's attention; the kind that say to a woman, “I think dieting is a great idea for others, but not for me;” the kind that say, “Do you have a cat? Because I'm really more of a dog person.”

I just hope he doesn't have any of those burning eyes. Of course, I could always pull them out on camping trips.

Matt Teel is a freelance editor and writer. He is currently a resident writer for Online Schools, which researches areas of higher learning, how to pick an online college, and education. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to classical music and reading biographies of composers.

Dialogue Issues Part II

2010-08-19T09:41:00.000-04:00

Article by Kathy Teel

In my last article Dialogue Issues Part I, I discussed some of the worst problems concerning dialogue and the solutions to them. Here are a few more:

· You can't say that.

This refers to words that describe something the speaker was doing at the time—but the words are being used as dialogue tags. The only problem is, they aren't. They are actions, and can't be used to describe speaking. You can't "say" that.

Here are a couple:

"You're not my real dad," he shrugged. "I don't have to do what you say."

"You make me happy," she smiled. "Is that so hard to believe?"

But you can't shrug or smile words. That leaves two ways to fix this. You can add the action –shrugging or smiling – to the dialogue tag, or you can let the description of the action stand alone. Like this:

"You're not my real dad," he said, shrugging his bony shoulders. "I don't have to do what you say."

"You make me happy." She smiled. "Is that so hard to believe?"

· Out-of-character dialogue.

I read a lot of YA fiction, and this gets through sometimes—but it's definitely there in the manuscripts I edit. Teenagers don't talk like adults, so don't put adult dialogue in their mouths. For that matter, pseudo-humans made from stolen corpses don't talk like medieval philosophers (I'm looking at you, Mary Shelley), so don't put philosophical language in their mouths.

Here's the kind of thing I've dealt with a lot recently:

"In the days of yore," Brian began,"when men and gods believed that the gift of prophecy did from time to time alight on a chosen servant of Truth, one such prophet arose from among the ancestors. She was a queen, much loved by her people, and looked to for wisdom and guidance. She told few of her terrible gift, but put quill to parchment and recorded all that her inner eye revealed to her. In time, she passed these records down to her own child, who kept the prophecies concealed from all harm that would befall. The documents were passed down for generations, and their secrets guarded, until the ones they revealed should step forward to claim their birthright, as rulers, guides, and seers among their people. Those ones, my dear sister, have been revealed this day. We, unlikely as it may seem, are they."

Now in the mouth of the right character, that's probably something you could go with, right? But what if I told you that Brian is a 17-year-old American high school junior in the year 2010? Should we tweak it a little? Here's my offering, though you might have fun coming up with your own translation.

"Dude," Brian began, "you would not believe what I found out. A long time ago, there was this queen, and she was cool and everyone loved her and all, but she also could, like, see the future and stuff. So she has all these visions and she writes them all down, right? But she's got enemies, too, so she keeps them a secret and passes them down to her kid, and they get passed down through a whole bunch of generations, 'cause they say all this stuff about these two people who are supposed to, like, claim this birthright deal and take the throne and see all sorts of freaky stuff in the future just like she did. And, dude, guess what? You will not believe this, but it's totally us!"

"No. Way," Brianna said, her mouth dropping open and her eyes popping wide.

"Way," Brian said solemnly.

My point being, of course, to make sure your characters are choosing words, phrases, and rhythms apporpriate to them.

· Thesaurus-itis.

Nine times out of ten, maybe more, "said" is all you need. Some authors get bored with "said," and think they need to find more interesting substitutions, but try to resist this temptation. Any other word calls attention to itself, and therefore away from your dialogue. "Said" is invisible, and allows readers to remain in your literary moment.

For example:

"This is crazy," she ruminated.

"I know, right?" he responded.

"But you just can't be my long lost twin brother!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't think so, either," he acknowledged.

"But it appears you are, nevertheless," she concluded.

Using "said," keeps the focus where it belongs.

"This is crazy," she said.

"I know, right?" he said.

"But you just can't be my long lost twin brother!" she said, shaking her head incredulously.

"I didn't think so, either," he acknowledged.

"But it appears you are, nevertheless," she said.

Aside from the obvious rhythm in that example, using "said" more often allows for the inclusion of the occasional synonym, but keeps the expression of emotion where it belongs—in the dialogue and action.

Those aren't the only examples of what can go wrong with dialogue, but it's enough to be going on with. If every author fixed each of those errors in their own manuscipt, editors would be much better rested!

Kathy Teel is a freelance writer. She is currently a resident writer for Online Schools, which researches areas of higher learning, accredited online schools, and education. In her spare time, she enjoys watching A&E programs and lamenting how fast her children grow.

Dialogue Issues Part I

2010-08-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

Article by Kathy Teel

"Can we talk about dialogue?" she asked in her headline.

One of my many jobs as a freelancer is editing—in particular, editing fiction. I work independently with authors who know their manuscript needs help before they can consider submitting it to an agent or publisher, and I also work for a small publisher, preparing manuscripts for the public eye. There are a lot of recurring issues that most new writers struggle with, but few are as problematic or as consistent as issues concerning dialogue.

So, speaking as an editor, I'd like to offer you a peek at some of the worst problems concerning dialogue, and then give you the solutions to them.

· Punctuation and capitalization around dialogue.

Do you know, just by looking, what's wrong with these sentences?

"You need to get off my porch." The man said menacingly.

"I can't do that." the woman responded tearfully.

"You have to; it's my property." He said.

"You're standing on my skirt, she said."

I see each of those incorrect forms every day. The most common error is putting a period at the end of the spoken sentence (examples 1-3), when in fact the sentence is not complete until the dialogue tag has been added. That leads to the error of capitalizing the dialogue tag ("he said," "she responded") as though it were a new sentence. Of course, if there's no dialogue tag, there's no comma, and the complete thought is ended with a period. Correct punctuation and capitalization would look like this:

"You need to get off my porch," the man said menacingly.

"I can't do that," the woman responded tearfully.

"You have to; it's my property," he said.

"You're standing on my skirt."

It gets a little more confusing when you add question marks and exclamation points, but just think of them taking the place of the comma or period at the end of the quotation. It might look like this:

"You need to get off my porch!" the man said menacingly.

"How am I supposed to do that?" the woman responded tearfully.

"You have to! It's my property!" he snapped back.

"But you're standing on my skirt!"

· Unclear speaker.

Some writers get so involved in the drama of their scene that they can hear the dialogue flying fast and furious. Two or more people have something to say, and it flies by so fast the author doesn't want to interrupt the rhythm, but it's easy for the reader to lose track.

"No more television," Mom snapped. She marched into the living room, Dad a pale shadow behind her, and shoved her finger against the off button on the TV. Dad just sighed and gave me a pitying look.

"I've told you before that TV rots your brain."

"Yeah, right, whatever."

"Don't argue!"

"I wasn't arguing. I just don't feel like my brain's rotten, that's all."

Mom and Dad exchanged an exasperated look. "Well, you wouldn't be able to tell if your brain was rotten, now, would you?"

In the above example, a whole family dynamic might depend on who spoke the above lines—Mom or Dad or the kid or some combination of them all. Play around with dialogue tags in that short exchange, and I bet you can come up with a dozen different ways the relationships play out. But if it's your story, it's your family dynamic, and you need to decide who's saying what and communicate that to the reader.

· Misplacement of dialogue tags.

Dialogue tags should come early in the sentence, after the first clause or the first pause. Misplacing these tags is an extremely common error for new writers, but it has at least two implications. One is that this is a placement that facilitates a readable rhythm. The other, of course, is that we know who's speaking as early as possible. Consider this problematic piece of dialogue:

"Look, I don't want to upset you, but we have to deal with this. The baby has a horn, Margie. I don't know if she's some sort of unicorn or what, but it has to be addressed. Your refusal to acknowledge the problem is only making things worse," Roger said, thrusting a hand through his hair as he paced across the hospital room.

In this example, we have words and actions happening simultaneously, but the placement of "Roger said," doesn't make that clear. But there are two better choices for this quotation that might make the meaning, emotion, and pacing clearer.

"Look," Roger said, thrusting his hand through his hair as he began pacing the room, "I don't want to upset you, but we have to deal with this. The baby has a horn, Margie. I don't know if she's some sort of unicorn or what, but it has to be addressed. Your refusal to acknowledge the problem is only making things worse."

"Look," I don't want to upset you," Roger said, thrusting his hand through his hair as he began pacing the room, "but we have to deal with this. The baby has a horn, Margie. I don't know if she's some sort of unicorn or what, but it has to be addressed. Your refusal to acknowledge the problem is only making things worse."

Look for Part II of this article that will be posted on Thursday.

Kathy Teel is a content writer for Online Schools, where you can learn about various online education ideas to find top online schools to meet your needs. In her free time, Kathy enjoys making lists and writing short stories.

Book Giveaway! The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

2010-08-13T07:12:00.000-04:00

In his introduction to The First Five Pages, Noah Lukeman states: “There are no rules to assure great writing, but there are ways to avoid bad writing. This, simply, is the focus of this book: to learn to identify and avoid bad writing.”

If you are an aspiring writer, this book is for you. I have used it in my workshops, referred to it when writing, gained confidence by applying its tips and learned much about the publishing field. You don’t have a copy? Here’s your chance to win one! Simply leave a comment with your email address and follow this blog through Google Friend Connect. That's it!

More about this book:
Whether you are a novice writer or a veteran who has already had your work published, rejection is often a frustrating reality. Literary agents and editors receive and reject hundreds of manuscripts each month. While it's the job of these publishing professionals to be discriminating, it's the job of the writer to produce a manuscript that immediately stands out among the vast competition. And those outstanding qualities, says New York literary agent Noah Lukeman, have to be apparent from the first five pages.

The First Five Pages reveals the necessary elements of good writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry, and points out errors to be avoided, such as

* A weak opening hook
* Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
* Flat or forced metaphors or similes
* Melodramatic, commonplace or confusing dialogue
* Undeveloped characterizations and lifeless settings
* Uneven pacing and lack of progression

With exercises at the end of each chapter, this invaluable reference will allow novelists, journalists, poets and screenwriters alike to improve their technique as they learn to eliminate even the most subtle mistakes that are cause for rejection. The First Five Pages will help writers at every stage take their art to a higher -- and more successful -- level.

Giveaway rules: Read carefully
1. Open internationally.
2. No P.O. box addresses.
3. Must be a follower of this blog, new or current. Click on Google Friend Connect found on the right sidebar to follow or state if you are already following.
4. Leave a comment with your email address. For example: laura (at) aol (dot) com
5. For an extra entry post this giveaway on your blog (on the sidebar) and leave me the link.
6. Giveaway ends August 27, 2010.

7 Tips to Juggling Motherhood and Writing

2010-08-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

Some believe that trying to write a book or launch a freelance writing career while juggling the many responsibilities of motherhood is too difficult. Well, guess what? It is difficult, but not impossible. I wrote my first novel while parenting my two young children. Afterward, I began the time-consuming book marketing and networking that is essential for new writers to get noticed in today’s saturated literary world. Oh, and add to that the daily tasks of cooking, cleaning and volunteering. Granted, life was busy and still is as I write my second novel.

Some have asked me how I got it all done with children so young. It wasn’t easy, and now that they are of school age, the challenges are different but nonetheless present. I've learned a few things along the way. With good planning, a positive attitude, and some creative ways to get the writing done, anyone determined enough could accomplish it, as I did. Here are 7 tips for “mommy writers” who are either contemplating how to do it or struggling to get it done.

1. Know your children’s needs and fulfill them. Writing is time consuming and it becomes easy to neglect the kids when we are deep into it. Every child is different and will respond differently to a mom who is busy writing and researching. Adapting your schedule, method of parenting and ways of handling disputes can make a huge difference in your child’s cooperation and in your energy and creativity level.

2. Assess your situation periodically. (It changes as the children grow.) Do your children need a lot of attention or can they occupy themselves for an hour on their own? Do your children still nap? Can you plan activities for them in the morning and plan quiet time in the afternoon? If possible, write early in the morning and/or late at night when the children are still sleeping. The boisterous, loud, stomping atmosphere cannot always be blotted out and quiet writing time is precious.

3. Always bring pen and paper or a notebook wherever you go. I wrote entire chapters while supervising my kids at the jungle gym, at the park, at the pool. Moments of inspiration can happen anywhere and are easily forgotten once back home and the laundry, cooking and cleaning are waiting to get done.

4. Swap babysitting services with other mothers and take advantage of the free time to write. Do not do anything else! Just write and don’t feel guilty. Remember, the kids are having fun.

5. Tell your children about what you are writing. Let them know how important it is to you. This prompted my kids to respect my work and take out their markers and create their own books while I was writing mine.

6. Establish a writing corner or place and let the children know that when mommy is sitting and writing she cannot be disturbed. Promise to reward them with a game you’ll later play together, an outing, or an activity. Make sure you follow through.

7. Know that there will be days when it just doesn’t work. For example, your child may be coming down with a cold or the flu and is cranky or clingy. (Or you may be feeling under the weather too.) Take a break.

Many successful writers are moms. With determination, organization and a good assessment of your own situation, you too can plan out how to best juggle motherhood and writing!

Becoming a Gender-Neutral Author/Authoress

2010-08-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

Article by Vasilios Moudilos

Gender-bias in creative writing occurs when a mailman delivers an important letter to our main character or a secondary character is arrested by a policeman. When using male-dominated language, writers should understand it can be antagonistic given today's changing male-female social roles.

Historically, gender-biased writing reinforced the notion that differences between men and women were factors in their abilities to perform social functions and thus predetermined their future vocations. This discrimination fostered a perceived superiority of one gender over the other. It was realistic to allow characters to be labelled firemen or policemen because it was men who put out fires and arrested criminals.

Male-dominated social institutions indoctrinated both sexes towards usage of the masculine 'he' or 'his' as default attributes in literature. This also resulted in assuming a male identity in gender-neutral occupations such as doctors or lawyers. Conversely, nurses and grade school teachers were occupations assumptive to women.

This gender-bias practice is in part due to the English language not having a singular neutral pronoun to replace 'he' or 'she' and, by default, the masculine is employed. Today's reality challenges the writer to find gender-neutral language that infers a man or woman is referenced when introducing such characters into literary form. The fireman then becomes the firefighter and the policeman becomes the police officer.

The following are helpful grammatical strategies to give gender-biased terms neutrality:

1. Changing the sentence from singular to plural allows the noun to become gender-free. Take the example, "The politician wanted to be elected, so he resorted to deception". The plural form becomes, "The politicians wanted to be elected, so they resorted to deception."

2. Using his or her or his/her but sparingly since the overuse will disrupt the flow of the story. You may write "If the student cheats during the exam he or she will be given a failing grade." But to avoid over usage of he/she, consider "If the student cheats during the exam, the result will be a failing grade."

3. Omitting a gender-based pronoun as in: "Each defendant is allowed complete privacy with his attorney" and changing it to "Each defendant is allowed complete privacy with an attorney."

4. Using your own innovation or a dictionary or thesaurus to change a mailman to a letter carrier or a postal worker. A foreman becomes a supervisor.

5. Pronouns contrary to prevailing stereotypes can also help as in "The surgeon spent time in post-op to check up on his patients" becoming "The surgeon spent time in post-op to check up on her patients."

6. Changing the third person point of view (POV) to the second person POV, makes it possible to take "Each student will be asked to present his oral presentation today" and present it in the gender-neutral form, "You will be asked to present your oral presentation today."

7. Avoiding the use of modifiers such as male or lady in favour of gender-free titles avoids a sense of patronizing. The lady judge or the male nurse involves gratuitous modifiers. Clearly, the sex of the judge or nurse can be ascertained in subsequent sentences when he or her will establish gender.

8. Introducing a relative clause can also help as "When a police officer arrests someone, he must follow strict procedures" being changed to "A police officer who arrests someone follows strict procedures."

There exist other occupational titles, inherently gender-based, and hard to neutralize. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, actor refers to both male and female genders whereas actress is strictly female. The waitress linguistically evolved into the genderless server and, in the 1980's, the term waitron was introduced.

Not all gender-biased words refer to social occupations. Words such as man-made and mankind can be replaced with synthetic and humankind respectively. Similarly, with manpower a thesaurus will turn up personnel or staff.

There are exceptions, of course, such as in the development of a male character whose nature is to display prejudice towards women. Novels written as period pieces need to reflect men and women in social roles from that era for authenticity. In the science fiction genre, we may have societies that are either male or female dominated. In such cases, the bias belongs, not to the author, but to the plot.

Contemporary writing should promote progressive movement away from past male-dominated social norms by employing gender-neutral terminology. Consider that an editor who happens to be a woman may read your literary submission. As a man, it makes good business sense to practice gender-neutrality.

Eye-Opening Changes in Book Publishing and Marketing

2010-08-02T07:43:00.001-04:00

Article by Laura Fabiani

If someone asked, Is the book publishing and marketing industry changing? most of us would know the answer to that question. However, a recent email from world-renowned publicist Arielle Ford alerted me to the latest changes. In it she included quotes of what some of the smartest folks in publishing are saying and what they will be discussing at the 21st Century Book Marketing event. I thought I would share them with you. I think you will find them enlightening.

“Oprah doesn't work anymore! Her overall viewership is down, and we don't see results from author interviews unless Oprah goes *NUTS* about a book - and a publicist doesn't have any sway when it comes to her personal taste, so this booking doesn't mean what it used to.” Heidi Metcalfe, Sr. Publicist Simon & Schuster

“YouTube recently mentioned that "Subscribers are the currency of YouTube." More than half of all views on YouTube come from subscribers to channels. I'll show how the automation of subscribers is both possible and still "within the rules" for what YouTube allows/requires.” Paul Colligan

“The hottest thing going right now for books, especially self-published books, are low-priced Kindle editions. Those are out-selling printed books by 500%. My guess is that the Apple iPad will also soon account for many sales of ebooks as well.” John Kremer, publishing expert

“A client of mine recently sold $11,000 worth of books during ONE book signing by offering a free service with a certain amount of book purchases.” Jill Mangino, publicist

“In the last 6 to 8 months we have noticed that reporters are being asked to provide more content than ever before to a variety of platforms: online, print, social media venues, etc. It is not uncommon for some reporters to turn 7 short pieces a day for internet sites. What does this mean for you, the author? You need to be available at a moment's notice. More often than not, the authors who are extensively quoted in the media are not necessarily the best or only experts in a particular area. It's the ones who are responsive to reporters who get the buzz! Be available, peddle your content and say yes to every media opportunity.” Carmine Gallo, communications coach

“48% of consumers today purchase a product because it has social media recommendations and a smartphone app that is simple and convenient with the smartphone app being 2/3 or the reason they transact. Every Author needs a branded app!” Chris Snook, Editor-in-Chief, No Limit Publishing

Looks like the best way to market our books, especially upcoming books is to keep up with technology and make the best use of it!

Interview with Leslie Albrecht Huber, author of The Journey Takers

2010-07-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I reviewed the The Journey Takers by Leslie Albrecht Huber. You can read my review here. Her research and compelling way of writing non-fiction sparked my interest. And if you think you don't have time to write because you have kids and life is busy, read on. Please help me welcome Leslie as she tells us more about herself, her writing and her book.

1) Tell us about yourself and what you do.

My first book, The Journey Takers, just launched on July 1st. So, lately about all I do is book stuff. Before my book took over my life, I used to write for magazines, mostly history and family history magazines, as well as some family magazines. Some of the publications I have written for include The History Channel Magazine, Family Chronicle, Ancestry, Family Tree Magazine, History Magazine, and Family Fun. I also speak to genealogy and history groups. By the end of 2010, I will have spoken in fifteen states! I love writing and I really enjoy speaking too.

I live in a small town in western Massachusetts in a cute, old, red farmhouse. I have four children, ages nine months to ten years. Between kids and writing, there isn’t much “spare” time left over!

2) How long have you been writing?

I have wanted to be a writer since I was five years old. I started writing for magazines nearly eight years ago and have written about 100 articles. I actually started working on my book before that…It’s just been a long time in coming.

3) Where do you get your inspiration to write?

I love doing research about different times and places. As I learn more about people in history, my mind often fills with ideas and thoughts about what their lives were like.

4) Where do you like to write? What type of writing schedule do you follow?

With four children, my schedule has to be very flexible! I usually write at night for a couple of hours after my children go to sleep. I also try to write a few hours on the three mornings a week that my third oldest goes to preschool (if it happens to coincide with the baby’s nap.)

I used to have an office, but that got converted into a nursery when the fourth was born. Now, I often just sit on the living room couch with my computer.

5 ) What genre do you write and why?

I write nonfiction. My book is narrative nonfiction, so in some ways it is very similar to fiction. It tells a story and has emotions and characters. When I write for magazines, it is more how-to or informative nonfiction.

6) Tell us more about your book The Journey Takers and where it is available for purchase.

My book is called The Journey Takers. The description on the back cover states: Leslie Albrecht Huber’s ancestors were journey takers, leaving their homes in Germany, Sweden, and England behind to sail to the US and start new lives here. Huber sets out to trace these journeys and to understand her family – who they were and what mattered to them. But as she follows in their footsteps, walking the paths they walked and looking over the land they farmed, she finds herself on a journey she hadn’t expected. Based on thousands of hours of research, Huber recreates the immigration experience in a way that captures both its sweeping historical breadth and its intimately personal consequences.

You can learn more about it at my website: www.thejourneytakers.com. It is available through my website, on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, or at local bookstores (ask them to order it in if they aren’t carrying it.)

7) What have you done to promote your book?

Basically – everything I can think of! I set off on a cross-country book tour on July 5, driving from Massachusetts to California. Along the way, I did book lectures and signings in Pittsburgh, Madison, Des Moines, Burbank (CA), and Bakersfield (CA). Currently, I am speaking at the BYU Family History Conference. Throughout the month of August, I am doing other lectures and book signings in Utah, Nevada, and Tennessee, before returning home in time for my kids to start school. I have more lectures booked for the fall. I have also sent the book out for review, arranged to write articles for magazines about it, and even had the opportunity to do a brief television interview.

8) Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you to overcome it?

I actually feel like I don’t get writer’s block very often. I usually have more ideas in my head then I have time to write them. However, I do sometimes get stuck on a certain passage or section. When this happens, I skip to another part and start writing there. I never write anything from start to finish. In fact, I wrote the chapters of my book out of order, and have answered these questions out of order too!

9) If you are self-published, why did you choose this option instead of traditional publishing?

I chose to work with a distributor (actually a couple of distributors) instead of a traditional publisher. It allows the book to get into the “regular” distribution channels, but also makes it easy for me to sell it at my lectures and other events which works out nicely.

10) What is your next project?

Right now, I am very focused on spreading the word about The Journey Takers. However, I do have some ideas for the future stirring around in my head. I have done some work on a historical fiction novel.

11) What advice do you have for new writers?

Don’t give up. Gain as much experience as you can by writing other things besides your book. Also, get feedback from others so you can improve your writing. Join a writing group, attend a conference, or take a class. Keep working to improve your skills.

Thanks for sharing all this with us, Leslie!

Fiction vs Freelance: Can a Writer Have it All?

2010-07-26T08:34:00.003-04:00

Article by Kathy Teel

I have a small, online writing group. We're just a half a dozen friends in various stages of our writing careers—two of us have novels in publication, four of us are working freelancers—depending on our writing for a living. For those of us who freelance, it's a great life, if sometimes precarious financially, but there's one major frustration: We don't have time to work on our fiction.

We freelance because we're good writers and because it fits our lifestyles—between us, we have kids, health problems, and economic realities that make working from home and setting our own schedules a great choice. But between the articles, press releases, e-books, and blog posts, there's something else. There are stories, waiting to be explored, developed, and written.

The stories in our imaginations clamor for attention like puppies who haven't been walked all week, but time after time, we have to tell them, "Not today. I have an article due. I have to finish this report. The mortage is due next week, so I have to take on some extra assignments. I'll get to you tomorrow, next week, as soon as this project's over..." Sometimes they whimper a little but sit down to wait, and sometimes they hang their heads and walk away, never to be heard from again.

The freelance writing life is not 9-to-5. It's project to project, and you can't let up, or the money stops coming in. But the stories, the characters and conundrums, don't let up either. I have only found one way to make this work, to have both your freelancing career and your fiction fix. I wish this solution were more magical, but it's not.

Here it is:

Find the Time and Guard it Ferociously

Seems like a no-brainer, right? It's not. Any freelancer will tell you it's nearly impossible to do. And if you do manage to do it, you're often so swamped with guilt that you're not "working," that your time isn't productive anyway. So, I'm offering a set of correlary rules, designed to support you in your pursuit of that one rule up there, which is, of course, designed to help you give life to the stories in your mind.

1. Repeat to yourself: Writing fiction IS work. Writing fiction IS work. Say it 28 times (the number of repetitions required to turn an action into a habit). Say it 28 times a day for 28 days. Writing fiction is work.

2. Declare your fiction time a guilt-free zone. No freelance projects are allowed to intrude in your thoughts, whether they're completed or not. There's nothing else you should be doing. Remember, writing fiction is work, not a leisure activity, and if you can just finish a book, you'll earn some money from it.

3. Get off line. My husband has an old laptop with no internet connection that he writes his fiction from. I set email times on writing days and force myself to stick to them. If a client has emailed, they can wait for an hour. Don't let the Web tempt you away from your fiction.

4. Nothing is as important during dedicated fiction time. Nothing. Possible exceptions must involve fire or blood, nothing else. No phone call, no appointment, no project, no volunteer work (when you work at home, people always think you're free during the day), nothing can supercede that time slot. Think of it this way; if you were running your child to the ER, would you stop to email a client? Of course not. It sounds extreme, but this is what I meant by "guard it ferociously." The only thing that should take precedence over your fiction in that time slot is running your real child to the ER.

5. Fiction work doesn't need to result in a word count. Many people measure their fiction progress by words, which is fine, but fiction takes more work than that. Allow yourself not only to write, but to research, plot, or develop character traits. Doodle in a notebook or jot things down on notecards. Listen to mood music or craft a detailed outline. That's an integral part of fiction writing, and chances are you don't allow yourself the mental space that artistic creativity requires at any other time.

6. Build in accountability. Is someone waiting to hear your new chapter, or to tally up your word count? It helps to have someone to report to, so that you won't get away with the excuses we all make to avoid our writing time.

7. Reward yourself. As with any goal that you meet, give yourself some positive reinforcement. Every 10,000 words or every 5 chapters or every 8 weeks of keeping faithful to your fiction writing plan...whatever it is, pat yourself on the back, and give yourself something to work for in the next stretch.

Just so you know, my husband works on his novel every morning from 9:00 to 10:30. He used to work on it from 5:00 to 6:30 in the morning, and he might go back to that again once school starts back up. I work on mine on Friday mornings from 9:00 to noon. In the past, it's been Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 and early mornings from 5:00 to 6:30 (which never lasts long for me—I'm just not a morning person). Others I know work on their fiction on the weekends.

The stories in your head deserve to be born, no matter how tight money is or how hard you're working on other things. You don't have to give them much, but give them something.

Kathy Teel is a content writer for Online Doctorate Programs and Online MBA, who gives advice on writing, the pursuit of education and living a healthy life. In her free time she likes to watch classic movies, read, and snuggle with her babies.

Please help me welcome a new team member!

2010-07-24T13:11:00.003-04:00

Some of you readers may have noticed that the writer, Nereida Fernandes, whose pseudonym was Hannah Gilead no longer writes for NouveauWriter. She has fulfilled one of her desires to cover the music industry and is now a freelance music journalist reviewing the latest music for Exclaim! Canada’s Music Authority and Rover Arts. She is also the Assistant Music Director at CJMQ 88.9. You can find her blogging about music at The IndieBirds.

Vasilios is covering the Psychology in Writing articles and I continue to manage this project even as I divide my attention between my own writing and blogging about books at Library of Clean Reads. I have learned a great deal about book marketing as I correspond with publicists and authors alike. Readers, especially book bloggers have not only changed the way books are marketed but how they are perceived and sold.

NouveauWriter has also changed from a fledgling Website to a Weblog platform allowing followers to read and comment on our articles. After Hannah moved on, I have been on the lookout for a talented writer who would embrace our philosophy and contribute her/his writing advice to my loyal readers. And I found her! Please help me welcome Kathy Teel, a freelance writer and editor. She is currently a resident writer for Online Schools, which researches areas of higher learning and education. She also recently launched a beta service to help new authors perfect their work and prepare it for submission to publishers, called No Disclaimers Beta Services.

NouveauWriter looks forward to working along with Kathy to continue bringing you practical information to help you keep writing. Look for her next article Fiction vs Freelance: Can a Writer Have it All? which will be posted this Monday.

CSN Bookshelf Review

2010-07-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

About three weeks ago I posted that CSN Stores contacted me about reviewing one of their products. I chose a bookshelf since I really needed one now that my book pile has grown. So I ordered the Winsome Espresso Wide 3 Section Storage Shelf.

It was delivered 13 days later which is very good for international shipping (US to Canada). It was well-packaged and arrived intact. My husband put it together in 20 minutes because it was easy to assemble. For the finishing touch we noticed one of the wood plugs (to cover the screws) was a tad larger than the others and did not fit into its hole. But it was a minor problem that was quickly rectified by sanding it down a little and gently hammering it in.

This wood bookcase is sturdy and looks very good in my living room corner. It can hold books of various sizes, and I could still put some small paperbacks in front of the books since the shelves are wide enough. I like the look of it and the fact that you can mix and match with the other bookshelves—both narrow and wide—in this collection. You can even purchase storage baskets to change the look and function of this product.

This bookcase currently sells for $79.99 USD and the shipping is free. I ordered it with a gift certificate and although the product and the shipping was free I still paid $1.45 tax and $29.01 international fees. So my total cost was $30.46 USD, ($32.34 CAD) which is 38% of the product price. In view of this, I think the international fees are not advantageous for those living outside the US.

Apart from this drawback, this bookshelf is a great addition to my home and a perfect place to hold my beloved books!

Giving "It" a Name

2010-07-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

Whether it's a poem, a short story or a book, you'll be faced with giving your written work a title. This can be quite challenging for some writers and second nature for others. More than just serving to label one work from another, a title serves as a doorway to your story both in sparking reader curiosity and inviting emotional anticipation. In submitting your work for publication, the title may entice or repulse a publisher. In a matter of mere seconds, your title may determine the story's fate.

When choosing a title, Nina Munteanu recommends these guidelines as stated in her article Choosing the Best Title for Your Story:

1. It should be original. Although titles are not protected by copyright, your title should be unique. Do a search on your computer to determine if your title is "a first".

2. Read your title out loud to hear its acoustic attributes. Evaluate the sentence stress to determine if it produces a rhythm or beat in accentuating certain words. If easily pronounced, it will be memorable. Titles are typically no more than three words in fiction but, depending on the theme of your project, a longer title may work to your advantage. James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is such an example, although all his other titles were of one or two words.

3. Make your title appropriate for the subject matter. If it’s a romantic piece, then True Endings will be more in keeping than The Thing which is more in line with a sci-fi piece.

Author John Floyd, in his article, Choosing the Right Name for Your Story suggests twelve approaches to find that special name for your written work:

1. Deriving your title from a popular expression, as with Joseph Heller's Good as Gold or The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford.

2. Taking a popular expression and putting a twist on it (word play) as with Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice or The Cancelled Czech by Lawrence Block.

3. Choosing a title with a hidden meaning revealed as the story unfolds as with The Green Mile by Stephen King or his novel The Dead Zone. Five Easy Pieces by Carole Eastman is another example.

4. Selecting an existing literary work from which a phrase is taken for the title. Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls is from a literary piece by John Donne called Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men is taken from a poem by Robert Burns.

5. A main character's name can become the title. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet or Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago are classic examples.

6. The name of a place may suffice to stand as the title. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious is a well remembered town.

7. The possessive may be employed in coming up with a title as with Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint or William Styron's Sophie's Choice.

8. Associating different ideas from within the story into the title have resulted in titles such as Lie Down with Lions by Ken Follett or Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

9. The title can express action as with Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner or The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

10. Taking an eloquent or pivotal excerpt from the story itself can suffice to become a title. Take Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird or The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins.

11. A longer title with a pleasing memorable rhythm might include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. The benefit of exceeding the three-word limit for the sake of an aesthetically pleasing title may work in your favor.

12. A title can be simple and short if it is representative of the story being told. Peter Benchley's Jaws or Stephen King's It are good examples.

It's important to point out that non-fiction books follow a different approach in that the majority are "How To" books and longer titles are necessary. Still, avoiding the overused How To... or A Guide To... invites innovation. The successful For Dummies books or The Complete Idiot's Guides series reflects this creativity.

Writing for the Internet requires a different approach when choosing a title. Unlike print publications, where exaggeration or embellishment is embraced, the online story requires clear and exact wording in titles to make it easier for readers to find your work. Using search-friendly words in your title will make it easier for readers to find your literary pieces with a search engine such as Google.

Established writers have the luxury of following a specific "signature" in the titling of their works. John Sandford's titles include the word prey: Silent Prey, Mind Prey, Mortal Prey. Janet Evanovich uses numbers: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, and Sue Grafton uses letters of the alphabet: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse. Well known writers do not have to be as concerned with title choices as their very name promotes marketability, as we refer to the latest Dan Brown novel or the new release by J.K.Rowling.

For the aspiring writer, choosing a title that will attract an agent or publishing house is important, but once accepted, your title is likely to be changed if an editor or publisher determines another title will sell better.

Picking that special title requires a personal reflective journey of your imagination. You can rely on your friend's feedback, but ultimately you alone must determine if your title conveys the essential meaning of your story.

Article by Vasilios Moudilos

Winners of The Pearls of the Stone Man!

2010-07-07T08:24:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Maria and Debbie for winning a copy each of The Pearls of the Stone Man by Edward Mooney Jr! The winners were chosen using Random.org. They have been contacted and have 48 hours to reply. Thanks to all who participated and to Kristin from Sourcebooks for offering this giveaway.

Guest Post: Titles Versus Text: What Can I Use Without Permission?

2010-07-06T08:53:00.016-04:00

Because so many of us find other artists' works important to our own creative process, it's natural that our characters do, too. So, our heroine might hum a song as she gets ready for work, or our hero might remember an inspiring passage from a book he read. But those songs and books, as well as TV shows, movie dialogue, and even web content and photographs, might be copyrighted material. If it is, you'll be expected to undergo the long process of getting permission to use it.

What can you use in the text of your story without worrying about copyright?

Titles. Titles can't be copyrighted, so chances are that if you say that your character was reading a book called Mystic River, Dennis Lehane can't do anything about that. So, if you want to name the song your character is humming, you can. You just can't quote the lyrics without permission.
Words or passages from the public domain. A copyright expires after 70 years (with some exceptions, see here), so after that, the content of the song, show, or book is fair use unless the copyright holder gets it renewed. That's why we can have books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; the original Jane Austen novel has moved into the public domain. Here's a site that can help you find out what books are in the public domain, and here's one for songs.
Things you made up. Why not avoid usage issues altogether and make up the lyrics to your song, or write for yourself the important book passage? If your character is rocking out to that classic hit, “I Love Vampires and They Love Me,” you can say so much more than you could with someone else's words.
Passages you have permission to use. Whether it's a song or book, you need to contact the publisher and explain what you want to do with their work.

What's not allowed?
This one's easy: everything else. You can't use someone else's text unless you have permission from that author/band/songwriter/photographer...whoever holds the copyright. You must contact the publisher to get that permission.
Not even if:
· You met the lead singer backstage at a concert last year.
· You give them a shout-out in the acknowledgments of your book.
· You make it clear that these words are their property, not yours.
· You change a word here and there, making it not quite the same as the original.

Think of it this way; you're a writer, right? You wouldn't want someone just using your words without your permission. You might be flattered, but you didn't work your butt off for flattery. All artists and their representatives get final control over what happens to their work—and so will you, when your writing is published, too.

Kathy Teel is a freelance writer and editor. She is currently a resident writer for Online Schools, which researches areas of higher learning and education. She also runs a beta service to help new authors perfect their work and prepare it for submission to publishers, called No Disclaimers Beta Services.

Need something?

2010-06-29T14:46:00.001-04:00

When the going gets tough ... and we writers know it DOES get tough ... the tough go shopping! Actually, I am not a big spender but when I'm feeling the blues or uninspired to write, getting a new product (that I truly need but don't have time to shop for) is a great way to lift my spirits.

And so I was very excited when CSN stores contacted me to review one of their products! I was astounded by the wide range of products they sell from lighting to dining room sets. Would they have something particularly interesting to a writer? Check out their 200 + websites, and you will surely find a product (or several) that will help you set up the perfect space to inspire you.

After browsing their endless variety of products and brands, I chose something that every writer and book lover has, wants and always needs. Can you guess what it is? Stay tuned for my review in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, take a look at the CSN online stores, and feel free to tell me what you think!

Guest Post: The Killing Curse by Alexis Montgomery

2010-06-02T07:56:00.002-04:00

You start with a great idea, a subject that you are passionate about. Through hard work and dedication you devise a method of getting your message out to the masses – via blog. Everything is going along fine; you come up with daily topics, and the words flow like wine at a Dionysian feast. Even better, people are flocking to your blog like every entry is the Sermon on the Mount. And then, it happens.

You sit down at your keyboard, coffee in hand, thinking of the book you will one day publish about your wildly successful blog and the lucrative movie deal that is sure to follow. You look at your blank screen, full of promise, and then…the tune you are whistling dies on your lips. Your hands hover above the keyboard, ready to start their daily journey into the unknown, but your mind is blank. Utterly, hopelessly blank. You panic as you realized what is happening. Will it last minutes, hours…years? You begin to sweat as you nervously click a few random keys, only to frantically reach for the backspace button. Oh, the humanity! You’ve heard of it happening to others, breathlessly whispered behind the hands of giggling socialites at intellectually elitist wine-tastings, but you never thought that you, YOU, would suffer from blogger’s block!

Relax. It happens to the best of us. Even veteran writers who know all the tricks in the book are sometimes forced to walk away or risk the psyche-out of the proverbial tabula rasa. But beating blogger’s block can be difficult, especially if it goes on for awhile. As the pressure mounts to write something, anything, you may get farther and farther from your goal. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can stuff up your sleeve to help you through a rainy day. The best thing you can do is take some time off. Engage the out-of-office reply on your email, and spend the day reclining on a deck chair at the community pool, or go see an afternoon movie. Basically, anything that lets you forget your troubles will fit the bill. Just put it out of your mind, and come back fresh the next day.

Unfortunately, some of us are on a deadline. So, if you feel like you can’t take a day (or even an hour), it’s time to find a solution. Jump on the Internet and begin searching. Look at other blogs, news feeds, heck, even YouTube. Find something that stimulates your brain in a new and different way. Inspiration can come from anywhere, so visit sites you never thought of.

If you’re purely intellectual and your first instinct is to head for something serious like CNN, inch a toe outside your comfort zone and see what’s happening on TMZ instead. Maybe you’ll find a juicy “news” item that you can cross-over into your blog. You never know what will click in your head and get the creative juices flowing, so be open to new experiences.

You can also listen to music, watch TV, or read a book. Absorbing the creativity of others is a great way to get back on track. Still not feeling it? Go to one of the many websites that offers writing prompts. Sit and write a short story for a bit. Just filling up the page should get you back in the game.

Remember that a writing block is temporary, and it can be overcome. It is simply a challenge, like any other. It is solely within your power to live, to think, and to write. Sometimes you just need to get tough, pull out the Writer’s Raid (the poison pen) and kill your blogger’s block.

Alexis Montgomery is a content writer for Online Degrees, where you can browse through various online degree programs to find a college that suits your needs.

The Importance of Setting in Relationship to Character Development (Book giveaway included!)

2010-05-27T14:13:00.004-04:00

Is setting really all that important when developing characters in a novel? Most definitely. I can't stress this enough in my workshops that character and setting go hand in hand. When students start talking to me about their characters, and after a few questions from me realize they haven't developed them well, it's usually because they haven't thought enough about their setting. Just as we are affected by our environment so are the characters we develop. It's important to know where your characters comes from, where they currently live, work, hang out or spends their recreational time.

Today, I want to introduce to you author Edward Mooney Jr. and his novel, The Pearls of the Stone Man, which in Japan alone has sold more than 30 000 hardcover copies.

The Pearls of the Stone Man is an inspirational novel with plot elements that touch both older and younger generations. Main characters Joseph and Anne Marino are rare. They're still in love after 53 years of marriage and with little time left, Joseph's priority becomes finishing the stone wall that Anne requested years ago, a special reminder from her childhood. Needing the help of someone younger, Joseph turns to his son, estranged for five years, in hopes of rebuilding a severed relationship as well as the wall. Two teenagers also come to Joseph's aide, and he to theirs, as they all work to finish Joseph's promise to Anne.

The Pearls of the Stone Man was written in the town in which the book is set: Pine Mountain, California. The settings in the novel are real locations and Mooney takes groups of readers there regularly. How important is this setting to the novel? Mooney has filmed 5 short video vignettes highlighting the real settings of his novel. I encourage you to view them:

Episode 1: The Letter
Episode 2: The Marino Home
Episode 3: The Forest (see below)

Episode 4: The Stone Wall
Episode 5: The Village

Motion picture and television rights have also been acquired from Mooney, a school teacher by trade. A recent press release stated: "Edward Mooney’s dedication and passion for teaching and educating teenagers is not only represented at his job, but also through his writing. The Pearls of the Stone Man is a beautiful and poignant message about relationships, responsibility and taking care of neglected youth."

Doesn't this book sound like a great read? You'll be happy to know that Sourcebooks is giving away 2 copies of this beautiful book! Entering is easy. Follow the instructions below and you could be the next winner.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US and Canadian residents only.
2. No P.O. boxes.
3. Watch one of the videos and tell me briefly what the author highlights about the setting that is important to the story. It could be several things, so whatever you think it is....(videos are only 2 minutes long)
4. Make sure to leave an email address with your comment. To prevent scam you may write it like this: laura (at) aol (dot) com
5. Must be a follower of this blog.
6. Giveaway extended to July 6, 2010.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Taking Creative Writing Workshops

2010-05-19T08:12:00.002-04:00

Taking a workshop can be very rewarding. If you are a writer who wants to improve your craft, there are many specific workshops that target the different elements of novel writing, short story and poetry. Today, it is convenient to take online workshops and to learn without having to change out of your pyjamas.

However, taking a workshop at your local library or through a writer’s association allows you the added benefits of meeting other writers and getting critical and constructive feedback from a group of like-minded individuals. Usually, participants come away inspired and motivated to continue writing. They are no longer alone. They are now part of a team of other writers who have similar goals.

Having given several workshops over the past year, I have pinpointed a few helpful suggestions for the writer taking a workshop or contemplating whether to take one. Here are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to workshops:

Do’s

- Do read the course outline and/or speak to the workshop leader to make sure you understand what to expect and the work involved.
- Do the assigned exercises and homework.
- Do have an open mind.
- Do give constructive feedback in a kindly manner, when asked.
- Do be a team player. When in a group, you make up a part of the group’s dynamics and inevitably you send out positive or negative vibes to others.
- Do follow the rules when it comes to homework, class exercises and group discussions. There is a reason why the leader may request a specific subject or limit the word count for an assignment.

Don’ts

- Don’t expect a subject to be covered when it is not in the course outline.
- Don’t ask irrelevant questions or bring up an unrelated topic. It will slow down the rest of the class.
- Don’t get defensive if another writer points out what he didn't like or understand about your writing. Instead, listen, thank the person and decide if you want to accept or reject the counsel.
- Don’t expect the leader to read your other written material that is not part of the course, if he has not invited you to do so.
- Don’t talk out of turn. It can become frustrating for the leader to listen to a participant when others are talking at the same time.

And finally DO put into practice what you have learned and DON'T forget it. Workshop leaders put much thought and time into preparing the course material. Get your money's worth by reviewing your notes and material until you see a marked difference in your writing. Enjoy the learning process, make friends and get writing. Haven't ever taken a writing workshop? Choose the right one for you and try it!

Guest Post: Interview with Michael Mirolla by Claudia Del Balso

2010-05-04T08:07:00.002-04:00

Montreal writer Claudia Del Balso has interviewed Michael Mirolla, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Guernica Editions. We're very excited that she has chosen to guest post about it on NouveauWriter. Michael Mirolla has not only taken over Guernica, but he is also the author of two novels, Berlin and The Boarder; two short story collections, The Formal Logic of Emotion and Hothouse Loves & Other Tales, and a poetry collection, Interstellar Distances/Distanze Interstellari.

1) Why did you decide to take over Guernica Editions?

I have always wanted to run my own publishing house as I explained in my article for Roverarts.com. When the opportunity to buy Guernica came up, my partner, Connie McParland and I considered it for a year or so. The price was right and the opportunity was there to take over a press that had always strived to make a difference in Canadian publishing. So, rather than retiring (yeah, right), I plunged right in. An inspired folly, as George Bernard Shaw would say.

2) Has it been challenging to fill in Antonio D’Alfonso’s shoes?

Antonio is one of the seminal figures in Canadian culture. He has spent more than three decades trying to bring the margins to the centre, trying to give a voice to those who don't usually get a chance to have themselves heard. Naturally, it is challenging. And the workload is never ending. One wonders how Antonio did it by himself all this time. At the same time, we know that we need to bring Guernica into the 21st century if the press is to survive. And that is also going to be a challenge.

3) In an interview with Linda Rogers, Antonio D’Alfonso said: “If I were twenty-five today, I would never have started Guernica Editions.” To me his comment sounded more like it was not worth the effort for such a labour of love. Do you think he was wrong to say that?

By the time Antonio was ready to give up Guernica, he was burnt out and he said things that, upon reflection, were probably not one hundred percent true. Sometimes we have these downer feelings that make us say such things. Also, he was probably trying to get across the point that he would have probably produced more of his own writings if he hadn't taken on the running of Guernica. But it is definitely worth the effort even if sometimes the writers themselves don't seem to appreciate it. But of course most writers don't know what it takes to run a press like Guernica. Each writer demands personalized attention—the hell with anyone else. It's a balancing act keeping everyone happy. In the end, that's what I think did Antonio in more than the day-to-day hard work involved.

4) Mr. D’Alfonso said: “I do not believe in the term small press.” As Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, is expanding in any of your plans for Guernica?

I think what Antonio meant (and I can't really speak for him) is that "small press" doesn't really define what a press does and the impact it has despite not being a multi-national. In fact, most of the really creative, innovative and cutting edge writing comes from "small presses" as they are more willing to take chances. As for expanding, this is something that Connie and I have discussed, but we haven't really as yet made any concrete plans.

5) In your homepage you say: “We named our press Guernica with the hope that the books we publish will make this world a better place in which to live and love.” Do you think Guernica still stands by this motto?

Most definitely. And with a greater variety of writers. In the beginning, Guernica focused on Italian-Canadian writers and that was great. Later, it expanded to include writers from a variety of places and writing in a variety of genres. But always with the same mandate: to expand the pluri-cultural writings in Canada and to give marginalized writers a voice.

6) How does Guernica help the authors when it comes to marketing? You told me you were looking "for a publicist or marketing manager to help in our promotional efforts.”

Right now, most of the marketing is done through the web site, through our Facebook fan page, through Twitter, through a monthly email newsletter, and through the various launches that we hold when new books are published. We are looking for a publicist/marketing person to expand this and to push through to the larger media outlets so that Guernica produces a larger cultural footprint (without any carbon residue!).

7) I understand you still teach and write besides being editor-in-chief. How do you divide your time among your three jobs?

Well, it's all a matter of having a steel trap logical to the second degree mind with an IQ of 300! The truth? It's pretty much picking up the next task that comes along and doing that for a while until I get distracted and sidetracked and head off in another direction until I get back to the original task. In other words, it's not very regimented or standardized. After a while, you get to know what you have to do to get things done. Most of my time is taken with the press (especially now that we're just starting out). I'm lucky to have Connie who has run her own successful businesses and who knows what it takes to keep a business on the rails. Even more important, she knows the value of proper bookkeeping, invoicing, tracking payments, etc. And she has experience in the planning and event side of things.

8) If you had to pick among publishing, editing, writing, and teaching, which one would you choose?

Ah now, that's a loaded question. It is also a question that, in an ideal world, would be answered in a flash. There is nothing like writing. I have been writing since grade school. I was doing creative writing in high school when I was supposed to be answering exam questions on Keats' and his urn. I can't imagine myself as someone who didn't write.

9) What do you think of the publishing industry’s future? Is technology a friend or a foe?

Technology is what we make of it. Some people forget that Guttenberg's printing press was technology (McLuhan reminded us of this). Technology is what has allowed us to survive on this earth to this point (or else we would have been done in by the larger, swifter, meaner, more efficient predators a long long time ago). However, technology is also a curse and one that will eventually lead to the demise of humans—at least on Earth. So the publishing industry's future palls compared to the tentative future that all humans face. If you're asking whether physical books will survive and what that will do to the publishing industry, well let's say that information, knowledge, creativity, the passing of words from one person to the other—all these things can be done just as easily with an i-Pad as with a physical book.

10) As an aspiring writer, I often see pettiness and cattiness in this business, how do you deal with it? What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Pettiness and cattiness are part of any business and aren't restricted to writing. When I was an aspiring writer (whatever that really means), I wasn't aware of anything else around me except my own writing. I was focused on what I was putting down on paper at the time. I didn't see that back-stabbing, the innuendos, the cruelty in some cases. All that counted was the writing, the words on the paper. My advice to "aspiring writers" is to do just that. Ignore the cattiness and pettiness. Establish friendships with other writers. Find mentors. And continue to write.

11) Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

I find inspiration in one place: within myself. I don't believe in the "golden-flowers-in-a-field" theories of inspiration. Or muses. Or divine inspiration. A writer creates, not recreates. A writer constructs his or her own world. He/she doesn't take from a ready made world. Even the most naturalist of writers (Flaubert, for instance) was basically using words to construct worlds phrase by phrase. That the worlds he constructed were similar to the world we see outside ourselves daily was simply due to the fact that his audience wouldn't allow him to construct other more fanciful worlds. It's a bit like the notion that three dimensions is all there is. That might be all there is in our view of the physical world but it certainly isn't all there is in the construction of theoretical worlds. The same thing with metaphors: the sky's the limit.

12) Who is your favourite author(s)?

Ah, that's easy: Kafka, Joyce, Beckett.

13) Are you working on a personal project (a book)?

Oh yes. All the time. A novel about a man, a chemist, who suddenly leaves his loving family to confront a past that could include a transexual grandmother; a collection of short stories titled "Lessons From Relationship Dyads"; and a poetry collection about my parents and the house they have lived in for 40 years (or had lived in together until my father died last October).

14) Do you consider yourself an edgy writer?

Edgy? I'm not sure what that means. I like to dabble in meta-fiction. I like to mix genres such as fiction and criticism. I like to write some speculative fiction of a literary type. I like surrealism. And I'm nuts about magic realism. If that makes me an edgy writer, then so be it.

15) In such a competitive business, what advice would you give aspiring writers?

Well, the first thing I would say is that, unless you want to become a freelance writer and plan on earning a living at it, the word "business" is not the best description of this area of endeavour. Very few writers actually can survive on just their writing. My advice would be for an aspiring writer to work on establishing a voice, a vision, a way of looking at the world. I would also suggest that aspiring writers learn everything there is to know about their craft—and that doesn't just mean knowing where to put the commas and semi-colons but also what has been done in the past, the experiments, the genius, the approaches of the giants. Without that, a writer will be constantly floundering, constantly thinking that he or she has succeeded in creating something when it turns out to be simply "been-there-done-that". Not very practical advice, is it? But then who the hell said this was a practical sphere of endeavour? Not me.

Claudia Del Balso is a part-time Book Publicity Marketing Assistant for Substance Books. In her spare time, she writes short stories. She is finishing up her own anthology and her first novel. She has published five short stories; one of them received the Award of Excellence in the Anthology Summer Tapestry, 2009 and her other one was published in The Golden Road, 2010. She has edited two books for Garev Publishing International. She currently blogs about writing and publishing at http://www.claudiadelbalso.blogspot.com.

And we have a winner!

2010-04-27T12:32:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to misusedinnocence! Your name was drawn for the giveaway of The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman.

The winner was chosen using Random.org and has been contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to claim the book.