The week is just about over. Soon we will be home relaxing, preparing to work around the house and possibly watching the Super Bowl. Yes, I will be watching the Super Bowl. Although this week went by quickly we discussed some interesting topics. Did you miss any? If so, here is the weekly summary. I encourage you to read the articles that you may have missed and add your thoughts to the comments.
We started the week off with a bang as we looked at chain reactions. The domino effect of one good thing turning your day/week/month/year around as positive things begin to build on top of one another. Also, this was my two year anniversary which continued my own chain reaction. Many of you shared the positive things happening in your life. If you need a pick me up or a little positive energy I recommend this article and the comments.
Tuesday we tackled the topic of what is truly the hardest part of an author's life. Although many agree that patience would rank right at the top there were other equally difficult obstacles to overcome. One of our fellow authors commented that self discipline was the hardest. This is true because, in my opinion, self-discipline and patience go hand-n-hand. This topic was elevated to another level when a comment pointed out the difficulties of being a dyslexic author.
It is amazing how many obstacles are set in our path but none are deterred from our passion. It is a pure example of what we can do when we put our heart and mind to something.
Wednesday was a busy day. In the overflow of things to do and deadlines an article was not posted.
Thursday was a fun article. The idea came from a fellow author a few weeks back. The topic of who influenced your writing style is really something to think about. If only to be aware of the possible comparison in the future. The comments for this article were really interesting as many pointed out different authors, genres and forms of media such as television shows that influenced them and their writing style. Perhaps you have not found your style yet. Maybe this article and the comments can help you in your search.
What can we look forward to next week here at the New Author? I have a list of topics and material ready to be posted. We will be looking at some mistakes to avoid when self publishing your book as well as some topics concerning the anatomy of a manuscript. I believe it will be interesting and entertaining.
As of today there are two entries in the New Author Writing Contest. I will update you at the end of each week until the contest deadline so keep them coming.
Have a safe weekend and happy writing.
WELCOME
Jan 30, 2009
Jan 29, 2009
Your Influence
We have discussed what inspires us to write. Have you ever thought about who influenced your writing? I'm not talking about the authors of all the books you read. You know the ones that left you thinking - that was a great book. I wish I could write like that. For most of us that list would be as long as our arm. No, I'm talking about the author(s) who truly influenced your writing style.
There are thousands upon thousands of authors throughout history so chances are there is at least one author that you have read or have been compared to at some time. In which case you picked up one of his/her books and read it to see if the comparison was accurate. Many times we don't even realize that our style of writing has been influenced by another until it is pointed out. Granted, being compared to an author is not really being influenced by that author. Unless, after you realize the comparison is true, you take notes from that author and really study the details of his/her style.
Is it a bad thing to be influenced by an author? I would think not as long as your writing is your own in your own style. Being influenced does not mean that the two styles are direct copies of each other. Take for example Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. His style was raw and delivered in an uneducated manner. He used slang and country accents. All of which made for a classic novel. Now let’s say you, a new author, absolutely love to read Twain's books and decide to write your own. Your manuscript contains country accents and has a slight rawness to it. You may not realize it but Mark Twain had an influence on your writing style. This may be a poor example but I believe you get my point. If any of you get compared to Mr. Twain I would like to know. That would be counted as a great compliment.
Perhaps a genre influences your style and a particular author magnifies that style for you. Take Sci-Fi Fantasy for example. Most books in this genre not only develop characters in detail but entire planets and universes. I believe the authors that have the most influence on my writing style come from this genre. Authors like Terry Brooks and Raymond Fiest not only develop planets and characters in detail their plots are believable. You can easily connect with the characters. Amazingly they give a lot of detail but leave enough out for you to use your own imagination. Instead of show versus tell they show but not everything.
So what is your style? Do you like to write with very little detail like Tom Clancy or do you like to include so much detail in your writing that a clear picture is painted like Robert Jordan? Perhaps you are somewhere in between. Maybe you have not discovered your style yet therefore you do not know who influences you. Maybe you are in the middle of trying out different styles. Those authors I mentioned above influenced my writing style but, like you, my style is not completely developed.
There are thousands upon thousands of authors throughout history so chances are there is at least one author that you have read or have been compared to at some time. In which case you picked up one of his/her books and read it to see if the comparison was accurate. Many times we don't even realize that our style of writing has been influenced by another until it is pointed out. Granted, being compared to an author is not really being influenced by that author. Unless, after you realize the comparison is true, you take notes from that author and really study the details of his/her style.
Is it a bad thing to be influenced by an author? I would think not as long as your writing is your own in your own style. Being influenced does not mean that the two styles are direct copies of each other. Take for example Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. His style was raw and delivered in an uneducated manner. He used slang and country accents. All of which made for a classic novel. Now let’s say you, a new author, absolutely love to read Twain's books and decide to write your own. Your manuscript contains country accents and has a slight rawness to it. You may not realize it but Mark Twain had an influence on your writing style. This may be a poor example but I believe you get my point. If any of you get compared to Mr. Twain I would like to know. That would be counted as a great compliment.
Perhaps a genre influences your style and a particular author magnifies that style for you. Take Sci-Fi Fantasy for example. Most books in this genre not only develop characters in detail but entire planets and universes. I believe the authors that have the most influence on my writing style come from this genre. Authors like Terry Brooks and Raymond Fiest not only develop planets and characters in detail their plots are believable. You can easily connect with the characters. Amazingly they give a lot of detail but leave enough out for you to use your own imagination. Instead of show versus tell they show but not everything.
So what is your style? Do you like to write with very little detail like Tom Clancy or do you like to include so much detail in your writing that a clear picture is painted like Robert Jordan? Perhaps you are somewhere in between. Maybe you have not discovered your style yet therefore you do not know who influences you. Maybe you are in the middle of trying out different styles. Those authors I mentioned above influenced my writing style but, like you, my style is not completely developed.
Jan 27, 2009
The Hardest Part
You are an author. What is the hardest part of being one? Is it sitting down to write? How about finding an agent? There are so many aspects out there about being an author that you can pick a number of things and say "that is the hardest part." For example, some of you may say finding time to write is the hardest part or even finding a topic to write about is the hardest part. I agree that these, like many, are difficult obstacles to overcome.
In my opinion, the hardest part in an author's life is not necessarily something that occurs during the writing process. Perhaps the hardest part of living the author's life happens after the writing is done and the book is being published.
What are you talking about? Once you have your book complete and it is being published the hard stuff is over. Wait a minute. You must be talking about promoting and marketing. Now that is really the hardest part. Is it really? Are these two enough to cause you so much tension and stress you will want to stop writing? Granted, these two are major obstacles to conquer without a doubt. However, I am thinking of a different answer.
In my opinion the hardest part of the author's life is very close to any other life. The hardest part is small and silent but equally devastating. I think having patience is the hardest part.
Writing a book can take a long time. Authors can work on their books for years before they see the light of day. The publishing company is not exactly in the fast lane either. After working on your book for an eternity, it just feels that way, you get to wait another six months to a year before it is published. This waiting is bearable though because at the end you first have a finished manuscript in your hands and then have a published hard back book to hold.
Where your patience is truly tested is after your book hits the bookstores and/or it is announced for sale on the Internet. Why? Let's look at an example. You have a newly published book on the market, you have a blog and website that you advertise on and you are promoting your book hard. You have collected positive book reviews and planned book signings. Everything is going well until you check the numbers and your total sales are very low. You have worked so hard for years only to sale ten books. This will test not only your patience but also your desire to be a writer.
My friend has recently experienced this. That is why I am writing about it. At times like this it is important to remember why you are a writer to begin with. We all have a reason for writing. I am confident that making money is not the number one reason for most of us. We write because we want to; we need to. It is a passion within us that will not go away until it is completed on paper. It is also very important to have friends in the writing world to lean on during these times. Those friends will be quicker to point out why you write then you will be to remember it.
We need to be aware that there are more challenges in this business then finding an agent and getting published. There are challenges that we will face which will test us in different ways. The good news is that we have a community to lean on for support. We each have a need to write that will not be denied by any impatience on our part.
Now, hold your head high and have fun writing. What is the hardest part of the author's life in your opinion?
In my opinion, the hardest part in an author's life is not necessarily something that occurs during the writing process. Perhaps the hardest part of living the author's life happens after the writing is done and the book is being published.
What are you talking about? Once you have your book complete and it is being published the hard stuff is over. Wait a minute. You must be talking about promoting and marketing. Now that is really the hardest part. Is it really? Are these two enough to cause you so much tension and stress you will want to stop writing? Granted, these two are major obstacles to conquer without a doubt. However, I am thinking of a different answer.
In my opinion the hardest part of the author's life is very close to any other life. The hardest part is small and silent but equally devastating. I think having patience is the hardest part.
Writing a book can take a long time. Authors can work on their books for years before they see the light of day. The publishing company is not exactly in the fast lane either. After working on your book for an eternity, it just feels that way, you get to wait another six months to a year before it is published. This waiting is bearable though because at the end you first have a finished manuscript in your hands and then have a published hard back book to hold.
Where your patience is truly tested is after your book hits the bookstores and/or it is announced for sale on the Internet. Why? Let's look at an example. You have a newly published book on the market, you have a blog and website that you advertise on and you are promoting your book hard. You have collected positive book reviews and planned book signings. Everything is going well until you check the numbers and your total sales are very low. You have worked so hard for years only to sale ten books. This will test not only your patience but also your desire to be a writer.
My friend has recently experienced this. That is why I am writing about it. At times like this it is important to remember why you are a writer to begin with. We all have a reason for writing. I am confident that making money is not the number one reason for most of us. We write because we want to; we need to. It is a passion within us that will not go away until it is completed on paper. It is also very important to have friends in the writing world to lean on during these times. Those friends will be quicker to point out why you write then you will be to remember it.
We need to be aware that there are more challenges in this business then finding an agent and getting published. There are challenges that we will face which will test us in different ways. The good news is that we have a community to lean on for support. We each have a need to write that will not be denied by any impatience on our part.
Now, hold your head high and have fun writing. What is the hardest part of the author's life in your opinion?
Jan 26, 2009
Chain Reactions
It is wonderful how things work out at times. I'm sure you have experienced a random connection of two or more events that really got the ball rolling for you. Take for example, you have the worst day ever only to be met at the door, when you come home, by a smiling child with a really good report card. This one moment turns your whole week around. Maybe you are fortunate enough to have two great things roll right in line with each other. For example, you purchase a new home for less then asking price and the next day at work you get a raise. Just the thought of that one will put a smile on your face. I think of these events as chain reactions.
We cherish these chain reactions because they don't happen every day. They inspire us, as authors, to write as well as look at life, for a short time, a little differently. Chain reactions like these are meant to be shared with family and friends.
Well, I am experiencing a chain reaction right now and would like to share it with you. On Friday, as you know, I posted my 100th article. Saturday saw an explosion of excitement, buzz and comments concerning the New Author Writing Contest. Sunday was Church day, a really good session of writing and the first entry to the writing contest. Today, my fellow writers, I am celebrating my two year wedding anniversary. In my opinion, that is a chain reaction.
The events of Friday through Sunday are enough to get many through the toughest of weeks. For me, starting the week off celebrating my marriage with my wife is icing on the cake. She supports me in life and in my writing. She is my best friend, my confidant and I can honestly say I feel like a high school boy with a crush when our eyes meet. Our marriage is nothing short of a blessing. Yes, I am boosting.
Many of you have shared with me what inspires you to write. Well, two events occurred in my life that inspired me to really focus on writing. I am celebrating one of those events today. The other event I will share in the future.
Have you experienced a chain reaction in your life recently? A negative experience turned around by a positive one or something good followed by something even better?
We cherish these chain reactions because they don't happen every day. They inspire us, as authors, to write as well as look at life, for a short time, a little differently. Chain reactions like these are meant to be shared with family and friends.
Well, I am experiencing a chain reaction right now and would like to share it with you. On Friday, as you know, I posted my 100th article. Saturday saw an explosion of excitement, buzz and comments concerning the New Author Writing Contest. Sunday was Church day, a really good session of writing and the first entry to the writing contest. Today, my fellow writers, I am celebrating my two year wedding anniversary. In my opinion, that is a chain reaction.
The events of Friday through Sunday are enough to get many through the toughest of weeks. For me, starting the week off celebrating my marriage with my wife is icing on the cake. She supports me in life and in my writing. She is my best friend, my confidant and I can honestly say I feel like a high school boy with a crush when our eyes meet. Our marriage is nothing short of a blessing. Yes, I am boosting.
Many of you have shared with me what inspires you to write. Well, two events occurred in my life that inspired me to really focus on writing. I am celebrating one of those events today. The other event I will share in the future.
Have you experienced a chain reaction in your life recently? A negative experience turned around by a positive one or something good followed by something even better?
Jan 24, 2009
About Me
Hello and welcome to 'The New Author.' Since you've found this page I think I should use it appropriately and share a little about myself. Many of you know me in regards of being the creator of this blog, an aspiring author and hopefully a friend.It is true that my intention for creating this blog was to facilitate learning about the art, craft and business of the publishing world I soon discovered that meeting fellow writers is equally invaluable. I had no idea how much I would learn from the different opinions and perspectives of others who have joined me on this long journey.
Currently I am working on my second novel. My first novel is being reviewed by a publisher and I hope to hear positive news regarding that soon. I just recently had my first poem published in Dream Chaser's Magazine, November issue. That was very exciting news and I am thankful to have that issue in my office. I am also working on an article for a second magazine and hope to be able to share news of being published a second time in the very near future.
Aside from 'The New Author,' I am also co-founder of Premium Promotional Services which will celebrate its one year anniversary soon. I truly enjoy helping other authors gain the exposure they deserve by providing the services we do at PPS.
My full time job, as if this wasn't enough, is with a civil and environmental engineering company. I am most thankful for this job and the people I work with because without it and them the bills would be very hard to pay.
Last but certainly not least, I have been blessed with a wonderful and supportive wife, two children and a great church.
Jan 23, 2009
The New Author Writing Contest
This is the 100th article for the New Author! As excited as I was about my 50th article I am more so for this one. This has been such a great journey. Although I have really enjoyed writing these articles my greatest joy has been meeting and getting to know all of you. In my opinion, we have developed a nice community of new authors here. That is something I am very proud of. I look forward to continued growth.Now for my surprise. To celebrate this article and this community I am holding the First Annual New Author Writing Contest. It is my hope that this contest will draw attention and exposure to your work. There will be two categories - the short, short story category and the poetry category.
There are a few rules.
- The short, short story must be 1500 words or less.
- Your poem must be limited to one page.
- Your name and the title must be on each page (in case I get clumsy).
- E-mail all entries to sb.knight@live.com.
- Include 'writing contest' in the subject line.
- You may enter a maximum of two short, short stories and two poems.
After all the stories and poems have been posted I will have a poll on the site at which time you, the readers, will vote for the winning story and poem. This will truly be an award given by your peers.
What will you win? The winning authors will receive an award to display on their blog or site. The picture above will be the background; however, I will add wording to it for the story and poetry award.
I will be accepting entries for the contest until March 31st. I encourage you to showcase your work. My goal is to have this contest every year around this time. I believe we could have a lot of fun with this. Feel free to invite your friends to participate as well.
What are your opinions about the First Annual New Author Writing Contest?
Jan 22, 2009
Week End Round Up
Hang on. Don't check your calenders. It is not Friday yet. I will explain why I am writing my week end round up today instead of tomorrow in a moment. Before I get to that lets take a look at what we discussed so far this week.
Monday's article was one I thought about for some time. We looked at the topic of reaching out to help other people through our writing and our blogs. This is a feel good article. I hope each of you have read or will read it and feel inspired to reach out. Small Footprints included a link to other good works in the comments so check those out as well.
Tuesday we looked at incubating your story prior to writing or while you write. This is an interesting topic. Based on the many comments this article received there are many ways to incubate a story. If you have not read this article I invite you to. Remember to read the comments as well. They are a great extension of the article. I also encourage you to share your thoughts.
Wednesday we looked at the impact of having a picture on your blog or website. To be honest I was not sure how this article was going to turn out or how it would be received by all of you. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments this article received. There are many different opinions on this topic which is a good thing. I also encourage you to read this article and the comments. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us, if you like.
Alright, now for the announcement. The reason I wrote the week end round up today is because tomorrow will be my 100th article! It feels like last week I was writing my 50th article but time flies when you are having fun. To celebrate this I have something special planned that I really believe you will enjoy. Come back tomorrow and join me for my 100th article. I will share all the details of my special plan then.
Monday's article was one I thought about for some time. We looked at the topic of reaching out to help other people through our writing and our blogs. This is a feel good article. I hope each of you have read or will read it and feel inspired to reach out. Small Footprints included a link to other good works in the comments so check those out as well.
Tuesday we looked at incubating your story prior to writing or while you write. This is an interesting topic. Based on the many comments this article received there are many ways to incubate a story. If you have not read this article I invite you to. Remember to read the comments as well. They are a great extension of the article. I also encourage you to share your thoughts.
Wednesday we looked at the impact of having a picture on your blog or website. To be honest I was not sure how this article was going to turn out or how it would be received by all of you. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments this article received. There are many different opinions on this topic which is a good thing. I also encourage you to read this article and the comments. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us, if you like.
Alright, now for the announcement. The reason I wrote the week end round up today is because tomorrow will be my 100th article! It feels like last week I was writing my 50th article but time flies when you are having fun. To celebrate this I have something special planned that I really believe you will enjoy. Come back tomorrow and join me for my 100th article. I will share all the details of my special plan then.
Jan 21, 2009
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what does your picture say about you?
Actually this came to mind as I was browsing through some blogs and reading articles about book publishing. I, like many of you, have read a few articles about having your picture on your site or blog. The thought is that visitors to your site will connect better with you if they can place a face to what they are reading. By doing this it will generate loyalty and more visitors to your site. Is this true? Can a picture on a site or blog actually draw more people to, and back to, your site?
In my opinion people will feel a connection with you if they have a picture to place with the text. I can agree with that because the reader can connect your image to the personality and emotion in your writing. Once that happens the reader, most likely, will feel something like a friendship building each time they read your article. So, yes, I can also agree that this connection will cause the reader to be loyal and want to return. That is a really good thing. We want our articles read. That's way we write them. We want visitors to return. That's how we build a network of peers.
What about drawing new visitors to your site? Will simply adding a picture of you increase that? I really don't think so. I believe a new visitor will like that they can see a picture of you but the quality of your site and content will grab them first and foremost. Your interesting, fun and gripping article(s) is the reason for the visit. Once they get hooked by your writing then the photo can take over to help generate loyalty.
There are things to consider before placing a photo on the Internet. Your pose is something to think about as well as what you are showing. Unfortunately there are people in the world who could get way too connected to your picture and therefore attempt to get closer to you. This could lead to serious problems. With a simple profile picture or a full face picture this problem can be avoided. Others do not want a photo on their site for fear that their friends or family may see it. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with shyness at some point in time, when we get published, your picture will be every where. That is an exciting thought.
Wait a minute now. You do not have a picture of yourself here on the New Author. You have readers that regularly visit, read your article(s) and comment. This is all very true. I am very thankful for that also. This does raise another situation. All of you have read a number of my articles and you have possibly developed an idea of who I am by my writing style, emotion, and the personality I inject into these articles. If I uploaded a picture of me and that picture did not match your idea of me would that take away from my writing in your opinion? By no means am I saying that a person's image impacts their ability to be a good writer. It is something to think about though.
Even though this is an interesting topic to think about it is important to remember that your writing and the overall concept of your blog/site are the most important things. The ultimate goal is to generate a connection with others through your writing. Once this is done you have what one of my friends refers to as blogger buds.
Why is there not a photo of me here? The simple answer is that I have not decided which one to add. I do believe that I will soon though. What are your thoughts on pictures and how they impact your blog or site? Do you feel a stronger connection with someone if they have a picture on their site?
Actually this came to mind as I was browsing through some blogs and reading articles about book publishing. I, like many of you, have read a few articles about having your picture on your site or blog. The thought is that visitors to your site will connect better with you if they can place a face to what they are reading. By doing this it will generate loyalty and more visitors to your site. Is this true? Can a picture on a site or blog actually draw more people to, and back to, your site?
In my opinion people will feel a connection with you if they have a picture to place with the text. I can agree with that because the reader can connect your image to the personality and emotion in your writing. Once that happens the reader, most likely, will feel something like a friendship building each time they read your article. So, yes, I can also agree that this connection will cause the reader to be loyal and want to return. That is a really good thing. We want our articles read. That's way we write them. We want visitors to return. That's how we build a network of peers.
What about drawing new visitors to your site? Will simply adding a picture of you increase that? I really don't think so. I believe a new visitor will like that they can see a picture of you but the quality of your site and content will grab them first and foremost. Your interesting, fun and gripping article(s) is the reason for the visit. Once they get hooked by your writing then the photo can take over to help generate loyalty.
There are things to consider before placing a photo on the Internet. Your pose is something to think about as well as what you are showing. Unfortunately there are people in the world who could get way too connected to your picture and therefore attempt to get closer to you. This could lead to serious problems. With a simple profile picture or a full face picture this problem can be avoided. Others do not want a photo on their site for fear that their friends or family may see it. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with shyness at some point in time, when we get published, your picture will be every where. That is an exciting thought.
Wait a minute now. You do not have a picture of yourself here on the New Author. You have readers that regularly visit, read your article(s) and comment. This is all very true. I am very thankful for that also. This does raise another situation. All of you have read a number of my articles and you have possibly developed an idea of who I am by my writing style, emotion, and the personality I inject into these articles. If I uploaded a picture of me and that picture did not match your idea of me would that take away from my writing in your opinion? By no means am I saying that a person's image impacts their ability to be a good writer. It is something to think about though.
Even though this is an interesting topic to think about it is important to remember that your writing and the overall concept of your blog/site are the most important things. The ultimate goal is to generate a connection with others through your writing. Once this is done you have what one of my friends refers to as blogger buds.
Why is there not a photo of me here? The simple answer is that I have not decided which one to add. I do believe that I will soon though. What are your thoughts on pictures and how they impact your blog or site? Do you feel a stronger connection with someone if they have a picture on their site?
Jan 20, 2009
Do You Incubate Your Story?
You can stop scratching your head. I used the word incubate when talking about writing. The word incubate, as used here, means to form or develop something such as a plan or an idea slowly and quietly over a period of time, or be formed or developed in this way. This is the point behind the following rule.
"To write a story you need five or six days, during which time you must be thinking about it every moment, otherwise you’ll never be able to frame good sentences. Before it reaches the page, every sentence must spend two days in the brain, lying perfectly still and putting on weight. It goes without saying, of course, that I’m too lazy to mind my own rule, but I do recommend it to you young writers, all the more so because I have experienced its beneficent results firsthand and know that the rough drafts of all true artists are a mess of deletions and corrections, marked up from top to bottom in a patchwork of cuts and insertions that are themselves recrossed out and mangled.
—Anton Chekhov in How to Write Like Chekhov, edited by Piero Brunello and Lena Len?cek."
To allow your story to float around in your mind for five or six days will allow you to look at it from many different angles. After thinking on your manuscript for this length of time you should be comfortable with the direction, plot, characters and settings. This in turn will assist you in framing better sentences. I have to be honest, after reading the above rule, this sounds very difficult. Perhaps it is the way the rule is written. In my opinion there are different approaches to this rule that will have the same results. Like what? Let's take a look.
One way authors incubate their stories is by taking notes or keeping a journal. This person will write down ideas when they come to mind. After a few days or weeks of note taking a story begins to develop. Some take so many notes that the story is looking back at them when they review the notes. Others write notes until the major questions are answered then fill in the blanks when they start writing the manuscript. Whichever way you write your notes you are incubating your story. Although, in my opinion, your sentences will have added weight if you have a lot of notes to refer to.
The second way is the way I believe most of us write. This type refers to the last part of the above mentioned rule. We develop a story in our mind and start writing. The words flow and the page count grows. When we are through we either put the book away to cool down or we go back and read our work. This is when the incubation process starts. As the words are flowing we really don't pay much attention to structure or sentence weight; however, once we begin reading it we start thinking "can I reword this to sound better?" "This paragraph does not make sense." After rewriting a few times we finally get it the way we want it. This is a form of incubating the story.
I would think the scenario of writing a manuscript with lots of notes too refer to seems the most efficient. Actually, I have combined all of them. I am incubating the first manuscript the second way. My other manuscript ideas follow the first. Even then I have one manuscript practically written from my notes and another with just the major points.
I believe it is important for each author to identify which way they incubate their story. You may not work well with writing notes or you may not be able to write at all without notes. Maybe a combination of the two works best for you. Maybe you have your own way of incubating your story. Once you have identified the most efficient way for you to incubate your story the easier it will become to write your manuscript with fewer revisions.
How do you incubate your story? What way works best for you?
"To write a story you need five or six days, during which time you must be thinking about it every moment, otherwise you’ll never be able to frame good sentences. Before it reaches the page, every sentence must spend two days in the brain, lying perfectly still and putting on weight. It goes without saying, of course, that I’m too lazy to mind my own rule, but I do recommend it to you young writers, all the more so because I have experienced its beneficent results firsthand and know that the rough drafts of all true artists are a mess of deletions and corrections, marked up from top to bottom in a patchwork of cuts and insertions that are themselves recrossed out and mangled.
—Anton Chekhov in How to Write Like Chekhov, edited by Piero Brunello and Lena Len?cek."
To allow your story to float around in your mind for five or six days will allow you to look at it from many different angles. After thinking on your manuscript for this length of time you should be comfortable with the direction, plot, characters and settings. This in turn will assist you in framing better sentences. I have to be honest, after reading the above rule, this sounds very difficult. Perhaps it is the way the rule is written. In my opinion there are different approaches to this rule that will have the same results. Like what? Let's take a look.
One way authors incubate their stories is by taking notes or keeping a journal. This person will write down ideas when they come to mind. After a few days or weeks of note taking a story begins to develop. Some take so many notes that the story is looking back at them when they review the notes. Others write notes until the major questions are answered then fill in the blanks when they start writing the manuscript. Whichever way you write your notes you are incubating your story. Although, in my opinion, your sentences will have added weight if you have a lot of notes to refer to.
The second way is the way I believe most of us write. This type refers to the last part of the above mentioned rule. We develop a story in our mind and start writing. The words flow and the page count grows. When we are through we either put the book away to cool down or we go back and read our work. This is when the incubation process starts. As the words are flowing we really don't pay much attention to structure or sentence weight; however, once we begin reading it we start thinking "can I reword this to sound better?" "This paragraph does not make sense." After rewriting a few times we finally get it the way we want it. This is a form of incubating the story.
I would think the scenario of writing a manuscript with lots of notes too refer to seems the most efficient. Actually, I have combined all of them. I am incubating the first manuscript the second way. My other manuscript ideas follow the first. Even then I have one manuscript practically written from my notes and another with just the major points.
I believe it is important for each author to identify which way they incubate their story. You may not work well with writing notes or you may not be able to write at all without notes. Maybe a combination of the two works best for you. Maybe you have your own way of incubating your story. Once you have identified the most efficient way for you to incubate your story the easier it will become to write your manuscript with fewer revisions.
How do you incubate your story? What way works best for you?
Jan 19, 2009
How Far Will You Reach?
We, as authors, have a wonderful opportunity to reach out to people all over the world. We, through our writing, can provide them a momentary escape from their tough day, give them hope, courage and provide them with an idea to change their own life. That is the true power of writing. That is why the pen is mightier then the sword.
Would you like to know something else? We have another opportunity to reach out to even more people. We have the opportunity to really change the life of people all over the planet. We have the Internet. We have our blogs and the communities involved with those blogs. The opportunities on the Internet, like the horizon, have no end.
The New Author was expanded for many reasons and this is one. A couple weeks back I stumbled across the rice for food game. Granted, this game has been around for awhile; however, this was the first time I really noticed it. I clicked on it and read that for every correct answer ten grains of rice was donated to a hungry nation. The quiz was vocabulary, although there are other quizzes you can take. I thought, as I played, how great this would be on the New Author. We, as new writers, could learn new words and feed hungry people at the same time.
I did a little research to verify that this was legitimate. From what I read it is legitimate. In fact there are a many articles about this game. NBC did a story on it not to long ago. As a side note, I read an article stating that the donations from this game have fed one hundred thousand people. I also found this Snopes article about hunger sites which confirmed these Charity Sites as legitimate.
Based on this research you will now see the New Author Charities on the right hand side of the site (about half way down). I encourage all of you to take a moment and click on the two charities. I chose the rice game so we can learn new words while providing rice and also a charity for literacy which provides books to children all over the world in an effort to teach them how to read.
I also encourage you too visit the charity link above and find one that you would like too add to your site. The impact we generate today could benefit the authors, doctors and scholars of tomorrow.
Would you like to know something else? We have another opportunity to reach out to even more people. We have the opportunity to really change the life of people all over the planet. We have the Internet. We have our blogs and the communities involved with those blogs. The opportunities on the Internet, like the horizon, have no end.
The New Author was expanded for many reasons and this is one. A couple weeks back I stumbled across the rice for food game. Granted, this game has been around for awhile; however, this was the first time I really noticed it. I clicked on it and read that for every correct answer ten grains of rice was donated to a hungry nation. The quiz was vocabulary, although there are other quizzes you can take. I thought, as I played, how great this would be on the New Author. We, as new writers, could learn new words and feed hungry people at the same time.
I did a little research to verify that this was legitimate. From what I read it is legitimate. In fact there are a many articles about this game. NBC did a story on it not to long ago. As a side note, I read an article stating that the donations from this game have fed one hundred thousand people. I also found this Snopes article about hunger sites which confirmed these Charity Sites as legitimate.
Based on this research you will now see the New Author Charities on the right hand side of the site (about half way down). I encourage all of you to take a moment and click on the two charities. I chose the rice game so we can learn new words while providing rice and also a charity for literacy which provides books to children all over the world in an effort to teach them how to read.
I also encourage you too visit the charity link above and find one that you would like too add to your site. The impact we generate today could benefit the authors, doctors and scholars of tomorrow.
Jan 17, 2009
The Winner Is......
First I want to thank everyone that participated in the contest. Before I announce the winner I would like to thank Cathy Bryant for awarding the New Author the Well Worth Watching Award. I will hand out the award next week to other bloggers. It will be hard to decide who to hand them out to though.
Also, I wanted to point out the top of the site under the title. This is the link bar. I have already added a link to the the New Author Book Store. This book store contains books from authors interviewed on this site. If your book is sold through Amazon.com and you have been interviewed here then you should find it in the book store. My hope is to bring further exposure to new authors and their books. This store is one way of doing that. I encourage you to browse the store and let me know what you think. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books you can do so right there.
I will be adding additional links in the future so stay tuned.
Now, the moment we have been waiting for, the winner of the interview contest is.....
Angela from Angstorycorner!
Again, thank you to everyone who participated.
Also, I wanted to point out the top of the site under the title. This is the link bar. I have already added a link to the the New Author Book Store. This book store contains books from authors interviewed on this site. If your book is sold through Amazon.com and you have been interviewed here then you should find it in the book store. My hope is to bring further exposure to new authors and their books. This store is one way of doing that. I encourage you to browse the store and let me know what you think. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books you can do so right there.
I will be adding additional links in the future so stay tuned.
Now, the moment we have been waiting for, the winner of the interview contest is.....
Angela from Angstorycorner!
Again, thank you to everyone who participated.
Jan 16, 2009
Week End Round Up
What a great week here at the New Author. This week, while looking at topics about writing, we found inspiration. I must confess that the week turned out better then I thought. I started this week with an avalanche of ideas and thoughts. Did you miss an article this week? No worry, here is a run down of the past week.
Monday, like I mentioned above, was a day of thoughts and ideas. Too many thoughts and ideas actually. Where to begin was spawned from that avalanche. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments received from this article. It really is a good feeling to know that you are not alone when dealing with different situations.
Tuesday was a fun day as we looked at advice passed down from writer to writer. Was the advice in the article helpful or a hindrance? That was the question. Your comments on this topic was informative and interesting. The additional advice you shared is very much worth reading.
Wednesday and Thursday we had the pleasure of reading the Saundra McFarland interview. This was an interesting, entertaining and inspiring interview. It contained many highlights such as the strength of ones faith and using a tough, difficult situation to produce emotional, inspired writing. As a side note, this is the last day to enter the contest for her book - Good News Jesus Loves You. Simply comment on the interview to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow.
What do we have to look forward to next week? I have a few ideas. I will unveil something that I think all of you will enjoy. Also, we will look at a topic that will move us from the realm of writing to the blogging world. There will be other fun, informative things going on as well.
Now, as we look forward to the weekend, a little something to think about. What inspires you to write? What gets you into that zone where words just flow out of you onto the paper?
Happy writing.
Monday, like I mentioned above, was a day of thoughts and ideas. Too many thoughts and ideas actually. Where to begin was spawned from that avalanche. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments received from this article. It really is a good feeling to know that you are not alone when dealing with different situations.
Tuesday was a fun day as we looked at advice passed down from writer to writer. Was the advice in the article helpful or a hindrance? That was the question. Your comments on this topic was informative and interesting. The additional advice you shared is very much worth reading.
Wednesday and Thursday we had the pleasure of reading the Saundra McFarland interview. This was an interesting, entertaining and inspiring interview. It contained many highlights such as the strength of ones faith and using a tough, difficult situation to produce emotional, inspired writing. As a side note, this is the last day to enter the contest for her book - Good News Jesus Loves You. Simply comment on the interview to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow.
What do we have to look forward to next week? I have a few ideas. I will unveil something that I think all of you will enjoy. Also, we will look at a topic that will move us from the realm of writing to the blogging world. There will be other fun, informative things going on as well.
Now, as we look forward to the weekend, a little something to think about. What inspires you to write? What gets you into that zone where words just flow out of you onto the paper?
Happy writing.
Jan 15, 2009
Saundra McFarland Interview Part II
This is Part II of my interview with Saundra McFarland.
6. Can you share with us your experience with publishing through Publish
America?
Brian, one day I prayed for God to provide a way for me to publish
Material Things Don't Matter. I ran across a friend who had a
book published with Publish America and she gave me all the
information. I sent in my information, and within two weeks they
ask for my manuscript. Soon all the rushing around getting all
the poems ready, index material, my synopsis; I was truly
surprised with what all was required. Publish America was
very understanding with my questions, the only thing that I
didn't like was that you could only communicate with them
through email. But soon I got the acceptance letter, and my
contract. I was on cloud nine. Many say that Publish America
is not a good company to publish through, but I feel they did a
wonderful job. They did a lovely cover, and I just feel they gave
me the chance I may not have been able to get any where
else. I worked really hard on promoting the book, and then
published Good News Jesus Loves You six months later. Lately
I have not been promoting, that is a mistake. I need to
promote more, because that is an essential part of the job.
7. With the circumstances surrounding your first book how were you able
too write with such inspiration and emotion?
I feel that God used me as His instrument to write down the
words that He needed to be spoken. He gave me the talent to write
poetry and He also provides my material. I feel that is such a great
gift from our Father in Heaven. In many of the poems I just
completely poured my heart out. I know many tears were shed
during those months. But they were tears of release,letting go of
my pain and sorrow.
8. What are your future plans?
I plan on writing more books, but this time I plan on making
them free. I have published one this year on a site that does free
e-book publishing. The title of that book is Jesus Is Coming Soon.
The reason for this decision is because I want to reach more
people, and don't want to charge for the books. I have given away
many books because people couldn't afford them. God provided
the money for me to buy them so I don't mind to give them away.
9. Would you like too add any final thoughts?
Brian, Thank you for allowing me to do the interview. Also I do a
blog, it is named after the second book Good News Jesus Loves
You. I put daily devotions on at least four to five times a week. I
always try to include a poem with the devotion. Also soon I want
to do a book titled Tomorrow May Never Come. We have lost two
family members one month and one day apart. My husband
Anthony lost his baby brother Jason Nov. 7,2008. Just one month
and one day later his dad passed away. Both were saved, but it
showed me just how short life is. There are many out there that
don't know Jesus. I want to write of His love, not condemn others.
I want them to know that they have options. That when they are
at the end of their rope, Jesus loves them, and will save them.
If you would like to know more about Saundra I have included a few links. Also, anyone who comments on this interview will be entered into a contest to win a hard copy of - Good News Jesus Loves You.
Saundra McFarland Site
Purchase Material Things Don't Matter
Purchase Good News Jesus Loves You
6. Can you share with us your experience with publishing through Publish
America?
Brian, one day I prayed for God to provide a way for me to publish
Material Things Don't Matter. I ran across a friend who had a
book published with Publish America and she gave me all the
information. I sent in my information, and within two weeks they
ask for my manuscript. Soon all the rushing around getting all
the poems ready, index material, my synopsis; I was truly
surprised with what all was required. Publish America was
very understanding with my questions, the only thing that I
didn't like was that you could only communicate with them
through email. But soon I got the acceptance letter, and my
contract. I was on cloud nine. Many say that Publish America
is not a good company to publish through, but I feel they did a
wonderful job. They did a lovely cover, and I just feel they gave
me the chance I may not have been able to get any where
else. I worked really hard on promoting the book, and then
published Good News Jesus Loves You six months later. Lately
I have not been promoting, that is a mistake. I need to
promote more, because that is an essential part of the job.
7. With the circumstances surrounding your first book how were you able
too write with such inspiration and emotion?
I feel that God used me as His instrument to write down the
words that He needed to be spoken. He gave me the talent to write
poetry and He also provides my material. I feel that is such a great
gift from our Father in Heaven. In many of the poems I just
completely poured my heart out. I know many tears were shed
during those months. But they were tears of release,letting go of
my pain and sorrow.
8. What are your future plans?
I plan on writing more books, but this time I plan on making
them free. I have published one this year on a site that does free
e-book publishing. The title of that book is Jesus Is Coming Soon.
The reason for this decision is because I want to reach more
people, and don't want to charge for the books. I have given away
many books because people couldn't afford them. God provided
the money for me to buy them so I don't mind to give them away.
9. Would you like too add any final thoughts?
Brian, Thank you for allowing me to do the interview. Also I do a
blog, it is named after the second book Good News Jesus Loves
You. I put daily devotions on at least four to five times a week. I
always try to include a poem with the devotion. Also soon I want
to do a book titled Tomorrow May Never Come. We have lost two
family members one month and one day apart. My husband
Anthony lost his baby brother Jason Nov. 7,2008. Just one month
and one day later his dad passed away. Both were saved, but it
showed me just how short life is. There are many out there that
don't know Jesus. I want to write of His love, not condemn others.
I want them to know that they have options. That when they are
at the end of their rope, Jesus loves them, and will save them.
If you would like to know more about Saundra I have included a few links. Also, anyone who comments on this interview will be entered into a contest to win a hard copy of - Good News Jesus Loves You.
Saundra McFarland Site
Purchase Material Things Don't Matter
Purchase Good News Jesus Loves You
Jan 14, 2009
Saundra McFarland Interview Part I
Today is Part I of my interview with poet Saundra McFarland. She is a Christian poet with two published books. Now for the interview. (Saundra's response is in bold.)1. Can you share with us a little about yourself?
I am forty years old and raised in Tennessee. I married the love of my life, Anthony McFarland, at the age of 19. I moved to Kentucky, and began working. After our daughter Laura Beth came along I quit working and became a stay at home mom. I stayed home until she was nine, until Anthony became disabled and could no longer work. I worked several jobs over the years, one day after so much stress from working in a nursing home I prayed for God to please give me a new place of employment. God granted my prayer, I started a new job on our daughter's birthday. Anthony and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary in March. Our daughter Laura will graduate from High School this year and turn 18 at the same time.
2. You began writing - Material Things Don't Matter - after your mom passed away. Did you find writing your poetry difficult at that time or therapeutic?
After my mom passed away my whole life changed. I was so filled with grief that I really didn't know what to do. I would wake up with the void and empty spot in my heart. I had just faced so many obstacles after her death that we were completely lost. After doctors told us that Anthony may have Multiple Sclerosis I completely fell apart. That is when my faith became so small. Then I prayed for God to take control of everything. There was nothing that I could do. I prayed for Him to give me a job to do to take my focus off of my grief and worry. Soon I begin writing the poetry and it was such a great therapy. I was able to release all my feelings into my writing. I was able to express my overwhelming grief. I got to write for God. He used my sorrow to bring me to where He needed me to be. It was difficult writing some of the poetry, but it helped me heal. I cried many tears when I would read the poems, but it was a good release to cry. After I turned everything over to God on Dec.16,2004 my husband was found not to have MS and everything else fell into place.
3. How is your second book - Good News Jesus Loves You - different from
your first book?
Material Things Don't Matter is like my first baby but Good News Jesus Loves You is the message that I want to tell the world. That Jesus died for everyone. That He loves us no matter what. When everyone else thinks we are a lost cause, Jesus wants us to know that He loves us so much. I want to spend the rest of my life telling others about Jesus.
4. You have been writing since an early age. Did your writing change or
evolve when you began writing your first book?
Brian, I began writing poetry when I was fourteen years old. It helped me express myself even then. I would write about lost love, feelings of abandonment felt by not having my dad around. I wrote many positive items. In later years I had completely drifted away from writing, unless I was dealing with major issues in my life. After mom passed away, I came across one of the poems I wrote for her. It was a Christian poem and she loved it. I let God lead me and He gave me so many words to write down, to bring praise and glory to His name. I was totally amazed. I know God gave me the talent to write, and now He is using that talent to reach the lost.
5. Your poetry has been well received by readers. Did you have any
reservations prior too publishing your first book?
Yes, because there are many who do not like Christian books. I have found that you will have some that love the material, and others who are very critical of your writing. I feel that if I am satisfied it is okay. I accomplished a dream of being published with God's help.
Come back tomorrow for Part II of this interview. Saundra answers questions about publishing, writing with inspiration and passion, and an example of her work. Also, everyone that comments on this interview, either today or tomorrow, will be entered to win a free copy of her book - Good News Jesus Loves You.
Jan 12, 2009
Where To Begin?
Today we will start with a question. Have you ever had difficulty finishing a project due too all the thoughts and ideas running through your mind? I'm sure you have. Welcome to my Monday. The great thing is that most of these thoughts are centered on writing. Then again that could be a bad thing since I should be getting work done.
This brings us too the topic of today. An important aspect of being a writer, even more so for us new authors, is priorities. I'm not talking about time management for our everyday life. I posted about that earlier in - Time versus the Author. I'm talking about when your mind is busting at the seams with all these writing ideas. I believe it is safe too say that we all write down notes, keep a journal or even put together a few chapters for those ideas. How do you prioritize those ideas and thoughts? Which do you write first? Which will benefit you more when looking for an agent?
This came to mind over the weekend. Of all the places for ideas to pop in my mind they decided too while I was in the shower. Yes, as soon as I was done I grabbed my journal and wrote down all the ideas for the different story lines and thoughts to build upon those story lines. Now I have six ideas for short stories and three ideas for novels. Did I mention the first draft of my first novel is half way complete? I don't think I am alone with this experience.
Well Brian, finish your first draft and just pick one of your ideas too work on. This is a logical thought but then again we are new authors. When it is time too send out those query letters we should include our credentials. With that said, does it make more sense to write a few of those short stories and submit them? At best we have our work published and thus build credentials. At a minimum we get practice with writing query letters and experience following the submission guidelines. This will prove useful when we submit our novel. Hopefully it will give us a leg up on the competition. A taste of what it feels like too receive a rejection letter will help get us prepared for the time when we are really pushing our manuscript.
Granted we should always focus on writing and developing our skills; however, somewhere in the back of our minds we should be making some sort of road map toward looking our best for agents and publishers. In my opinion that would call for us too pause for a moment and think about our approach to becoming a full time writer. The good news, once we become a full time author with credentials we can write whatever we want to a certain degree.
My plan? I plan too finish my novel first. Then take a little time to write a few short stories. These I plan to submit while my novel is resting. Hopefully when my revisions are done on the novel I will have a few credentials too add to my query letter.
What is your plan? What do you plan too write in the future? What are your thoughts on this topic?
This brings us too the topic of today. An important aspect of being a writer, even more so for us new authors, is priorities. I'm not talking about time management for our everyday life. I posted about that earlier in - Time versus the Author. I'm talking about when your mind is busting at the seams with all these writing ideas. I believe it is safe too say that we all write down notes, keep a journal or even put together a few chapters for those ideas. How do you prioritize those ideas and thoughts? Which do you write first? Which will benefit you more when looking for an agent?
This came to mind over the weekend. Of all the places for ideas to pop in my mind they decided too while I was in the shower. Yes, as soon as I was done I grabbed my journal and wrote down all the ideas for the different story lines and thoughts to build upon those story lines. Now I have six ideas for short stories and three ideas for novels. Did I mention the first draft of my first novel is half way complete? I don't think I am alone with this experience.
Well Brian, finish your first draft and just pick one of your ideas too work on. This is a logical thought but then again we are new authors. When it is time too send out those query letters we should include our credentials. With that said, does it make more sense to write a few of those short stories and submit them? At best we have our work published and thus build credentials. At a minimum we get practice with writing query letters and experience following the submission guidelines. This will prove useful when we submit our novel. Hopefully it will give us a leg up on the competition. A taste of what it feels like too receive a rejection letter will help get us prepared for the time when we are really pushing our manuscript.
Granted we should always focus on writing and developing our skills; however, somewhere in the back of our minds we should be making some sort of road map toward looking our best for agents and publishers. In my opinion that would call for us too pause for a moment and think about our approach to becoming a full time writer. The good news, once we become a full time author with credentials we can write whatever we want to a certain degree.
My plan? I plan too finish my novel first. Then take a little time to write a few short stories. These I plan to submit while my novel is resting. Hopefully when my revisions are done on the novel I will have a few credentials too add to my query letter.
What is your plan? What do you plan too write in the future? What are your thoughts on this topic?
Jan 10, 2009
Week End Round Up
This has been a busy day here at the New Author. To start the year off fresh I thought I would change up the look a little. Think of it like early spring cleaning. Actually, I expanded the layout because of future plans I have for the site. This layout will do nicely too meet those plans.
Let me know what you think of the new layout. Should I change anything? Add anything?
Now, we had a great first week of 2009 here at the New Author. I hope you had a chance too read all the articles. Why? Well, Monday and Tuesday Leslie Johnson provided us with a great article about giving and receiving a critique. The comments are informative and fun as well. Wednesday we looked at the topic of the query letter. This was a fun article too right and comment on. Thursday brought us an informative and interesting article about manuscript revisions thanks to a book exert on the Writer's Digest website. Friday, by request from a fellow writer's comment, we took the research from query letter to synopsis. That crash course in research was fun and informative as well. Again, the comments for each of these articles add a lot to the article's topic.
Also, my review of C.A. Milson's book- The Chosen - has been posted on his site. I am very excited about this. It's the first review I have ever been asked to write. I really enjoyed that experience and hope to write more in the future. I have included the link for you too read. Let me know what you think. The Chosen Book Review
Enjoy your weekend and happy writing.
Let me know what you think of the new layout. Should I change anything? Add anything?
Now, we had a great first week of 2009 here at the New Author. I hope you had a chance too read all the articles. Why? Well, Monday and Tuesday Leslie Johnson provided us with a great article about giving and receiving a critique. The comments are informative and fun as well. Wednesday we looked at the topic of the query letter. This was a fun article too right and comment on. Thursday brought us an informative and interesting article about manuscript revisions thanks to a book exert on the Writer's Digest website. Friday, by request from a fellow writer's comment, we took the research from query letter to synopsis. That crash course in research was fun and informative as well. Again, the comments for each of these articles add a lot to the article's topic.
Also, my review of C.A. Milson's book- The Chosen - has been posted on his site. I am very excited about this. It's the first review I have ever been asked to write. I really enjoyed that experience and hope to write more in the future. I have included the link for you too read. Let me know what you think. The Chosen Book Review
Enjoy your weekend and happy writing.
Jan 9, 2009
Query Letter? I Need too Write a Synopsis!
You have your query letter prepared and your manuscript has been through a countless number of revisions. Proud of your work you momentarily stare at them in your hands. You are ready too take the next step. The research for the agent has been done and you are bouncing off the walls to get your package in the mail. Making sure everything is in order you double check the address, the spelling of the agents name and your reread the required information requested by this agent. There it is screaming at you, hidden until now. You need too include a synopsis.
I am not sure if this has happened to any of you but it could. An agent or editor could require just a query letter or a synopsis or they just might ask for both at some point in time. What is a synopsis? What in the world do you include in a synopsis? I think we should find out right now.
In short a synopsis is a concise description of your manuscript. It can be one sentence, one paragraph, one page or an extended edition which can be twenty pages. Of course the longer the synopsis the more detail you include. What is important is too include the right kind of detail. While writing a synopsis you want too cut away just about everything too get to the core of the story. Want a perfect example of a synopsis? Read the back of any novel in the bookstore or on your shelf at home. That is a synopsis. The purpose of writing a synopsis for an agent and/or an editor is too entice them too publish your book. Much like the synopsis on the back of the book you read is meant to entice you too purchase that book.
Okay, I understand why I need too write a synopsis but what do I include in one? Before you write about your manuscript make sure you include your name, address, and the title of the book somewhere at the top of each page. That way if the agent of editor were too drop it or the sheets get scattered it can be put together again. Now to the heart of the matter. Your synopsis is a vehicle too introduce the main character(s), the main character's conflict, what is at stake, what happens if the hero fails and the conclusion of your manuscript. Your synopsis should paint a clear picture of what your manuscript is all about in the minds of the agent/editor. Yes, you have to include the ending. Agents/editors do not like cliffhangers but instead want to know that you can conclude the manuscript.
Alright, it's time too write that synopsis. Did you cover all the bases? Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind that may help you with both your manuscript and synopsis. Do you have a hook in your opening paragraph (of the manuscript)? Can the readers connect with your characters? Are the conflicts of the main character clearly defined? Did you include the major scenes? Were those conflicts resolved? Last but never least you want too avoid spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
Have any of you prepared a synopsis? What did you learn from that experience? This, like many of the topics we look at here, is a topic with many tips and recommendations. In researching this I was attempting too address some of the more prominent points. Should you have more tips and/or recommendations please share them in the comments.
Here are a few links for more information about writing a synopsis.
Fiction Writers Synopsis Tips
Writing World Synopsis Tips
Writing a Synopsis - The Basics
Happy writing.
I am not sure if this has happened to any of you but it could. An agent or editor could require just a query letter or a synopsis or they just might ask for both at some point in time. What is a synopsis? What in the world do you include in a synopsis? I think we should find out right now.
In short a synopsis is a concise description of your manuscript. It can be one sentence, one paragraph, one page or an extended edition which can be twenty pages. Of course the longer the synopsis the more detail you include. What is important is too include the right kind of detail. While writing a synopsis you want too cut away just about everything too get to the core of the story. Want a perfect example of a synopsis? Read the back of any novel in the bookstore or on your shelf at home. That is a synopsis. The purpose of writing a synopsis for an agent and/or an editor is too entice them too publish your book. Much like the synopsis on the back of the book you read is meant to entice you too purchase that book.
Okay, I understand why I need too write a synopsis but what do I include in one? Before you write about your manuscript make sure you include your name, address, and the title of the book somewhere at the top of each page. That way if the agent of editor were too drop it or the sheets get scattered it can be put together again. Now to the heart of the matter. Your synopsis is a vehicle too introduce the main character(s), the main character's conflict, what is at stake, what happens if the hero fails and the conclusion of your manuscript. Your synopsis should paint a clear picture of what your manuscript is all about in the minds of the agent/editor. Yes, you have to include the ending. Agents/editors do not like cliffhangers but instead want to know that you can conclude the manuscript.
Alright, it's time too write that synopsis. Did you cover all the bases? Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind that may help you with both your manuscript and synopsis. Do you have a hook in your opening paragraph (of the manuscript)? Can the readers connect with your characters? Are the conflicts of the main character clearly defined? Did you include the major scenes? Were those conflicts resolved? Last but never least you want too avoid spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
Have any of you prepared a synopsis? What did you learn from that experience? This, like many of the topics we look at here, is a topic with many tips and recommendations. In researching this I was attempting too address some of the more prominent points. Should you have more tips and/or recommendations please share them in the comments.
Here are a few links for more information about writing a synopsis.
Fiction Writers Synopsis Tips
Writing World Synopsis Tips
Writing a Synopsis - The Basics
Happy writing.
Jan 8, 2009
The Dreaded Manuscript Revision
How many of us have at least a portion of our manuscript completed? How many have a completed manuscript? Now, how many of us cringe when we think about revising that manuscript? I am pretty sure, like me, you are nodding your head. I think dread is a very accurate word when thinking about and completing revisions.
However, my fellow writers, there is a silver lining around that dark cloud. A light at the end of the revision tunnel. James Scott Bell author of Right Great Fiction - Revision & Self Editing has listed a few Tips For Revising Your Manuscript. The exert I read was from Chapter 15 - The First Read Through. In this chapter he offers many great tips that can help a writer better handle the tedious job of revising their manuscript.
We have read from multiple sources too put our manuscript away for a time then take it out and read it again. This is referred too in the chapter as the cool down phase. It makes sense to hide the manuscript for two maybe 3 weeks, four if you can, before looking at it again. This will give you time to purge your mind of this manuscript as you start another project or just take a break from writing. The goal here is too make the manuscript fresh, clear and crisp when you look at it again. You want too be a reader of your book at this time; not the author.
The preparation phase takes this concept one step further. By making a title page for your manuscript it adds to the feel of being an actual book you are about to read. Even with this though you may still have thoughts of dread floating in the back of your mind. I know I did when I started on the first half of my novel. What can you do should this happen? Motivate yourself. Include with that title page a list of motivational things such as: this will make my manuscript better, this will make me a better writer, and/or practice makes a good writer but good practices make a great writer. Stay the course and you will fly through.
Now we get to the fun part. When you read a book do you read it on a computer screen? I feel confident that the majority of us would say no. Why then would we want to read our manuscript on the screen we wrote it on? Our goal is to read the manuscript like a book we purchased from the store. Print out a fresh copy of your manuscript, sit down in the place you normally read books and enjoy.
But we are revising our manuscript. Should I have a pen, highlighter and/or something for notes or corrections? Yes and no. Right now the goal is to read the entire manuscript as a new reader. Read it in as few sittings as possible. This way you can get a feel for the whole story.
After you have read the entire manuscript think about what you just read. Now get your pen and/or highlighter. It is time to go back and make your notes on what to change, delete, revise etc.
A couple thoughts to keep in mind while making your notes. Did your characters come alive? Did your story make sense and was it believable? What about the flow? Was it climatic with a good build up? Could I see where the characters were? These are just a few but I am sure you get the idea.
I know this article is about self editing but, in my opinion, I would not turn down the opportunity too have a person I trust read my manuscript and offer their comments. The most important word being trust. Which is way it is such a great thing to have a network of friends here. Who better to help then a trusted blog buddy?
In closing, do not get discouraged no matter how your first revision goes. Good or bad it is a work in progress. Keep your chin up and keep writing because that is what we do as authors.
How do you revise your work? Are you dreading revising your manuscript?
However, my fellow writers, there is a silver lining around that dark cloud. A light at the end of the revision tunnel. James Scott Bell author of Right Great Fiction - Revision & Self Editing has listed a few Tips For Revising Your Manuscript. The exert I read was from Chapter 15 - The First Read Through. In this chapter he offers many great tips that can help a writer better handle the tedious job of revising their manuscript.
We have read from multiple sources too put our manuscript away for a time then take it out and read it again. This is referred too in the chapter as the cool down phase. It makes sense to hide the manuscript for two maybe 3 weeks, four if you can, before looking at it again. This will give you time to purge your mind of this manuscript as you start another project or just take a break from writing. The goal here is too make the manuscript fresh, clear and crisp when you look at it again. You want too be a reader of your book at this time; not the author.
The preparation phase takes this concept one step further. By making a title page for your manuscript it adds to the feel of being an actual book you are about to read. Even with this though you may still have thoughts of dread floating in the back of your mind. I know I did when I started on the first half of my novel. What can you do should this happen? Motivate yourself. Include with that title page a list of motivational things such as: this will make my manuscript better, this will make me a better writer, and/or practice makes a good writer but good practices make a great writer. Stay the course and you will fly through.
Now we get to the fun part. When you read a book do you read it on a computer screen? I feel confident that the majority of us would say no. Why then would we want to read our manuscript on the screen we wrote it on? Our goal is to read the manuscript like a book we purchased from the store. Print out a fresh copy of your manuscript, sit down in the place you normally read books and enjoy.
But we are revising our manuscript. Should I have a pen, highlighter and/or something for notes or corrections? Yes and no. Right now the goal is to read the entire manuscript as a new reader. Read it in as few sittings as possible. This way you can get a feel for the whole story.
After you have read the entire manuscript think about what you just read. Now get your pen and/or highlighter. It is time to go back and make your notes on what to change, delete, revise etc.
A couple thoughts to keep in mind while making your notes. Did your characters come alive? Did your story make sense and was it believable? What about the flow? Was it climatic with a good build up? Could I see where the characters were? These are just a few but I am sure you get the idea.
I know this article is about self editing but, in my opinion, I would not turn down the opportunity too have a person I trust read my manuscript and offer their comments. The most important word being trust. Which is way it is such a great thing to have a network of friends here. Who better to help then a trusted blog buddy?
In closing, do not get discouraged no matter how your first revision goes. Good or bad it is a work in progress. Keep your chin up and keep writing because that is what we do as authors.
How do you revise your work? Are you dreading revising your manuscript?
Jan 7, 2009
The Query Letter
Before I get to today's article I wanted too thank L.J. once again for the very interesting critique article he prepared for the New Author. I believe we all learned a little something from that.
This past weekend I walked into the local Walden Books. After a brief survey of their magazine selection I decided on the Writer's Yearbook 2009 which is a special issue from Writer's Digest. Once I got home the magazine was promptly read. I was simply amazed at the article titled Query Madness. Simply put this article points out a few things NOT to do when submitting a query letter. Sharlene Martin, an agent, wrote this article and too get her point across she used actual query letters she received.
What can we learn from these letters? What are some rules or things to avoid when attempting too draw the attention of an agent? Lets have a look.
First (and possibly foremost), never insult them. How many of us actually receive what we want by insulting or badmouthing someone? Even though writing is our passion and we dream of being published the bottom line is that this is still a business. We must always be professional. I was very surprised too read queries that insulted the agent's intelligence and contained cussing in the body of the letter.
This article also shined a very bright light on an important point. The purpose of a query letter is to draw positive attention to you and your manuscript. You want too show the agent you have the goods to deliver a really good manuscript, you can handle deadlines, you are serious about your passion to write and you present yourself as a professional. Think of a query letter like a resume. I don't believe any of us would present ourselves to an agent as cocky, arrogant, unprepared, a complainer, or possibly needing medication. However, Sharlene has letters in this article doing just that.
How should a query letter read? What should I write in my query letter?
In my opinion a really good first step is too use common sense. Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your letter should present your ideas in a clear and accurate manner. Keep it professional. I would also recommend not telling the agent what he/she maybe feeling or thinking. Leave that up to them.
Your letter should include a word count for your manuscript, a concise description of your manuscript, the genre, who your targeted audience is and why you should write the book. Your description should be short and crisp. How would you describe your book in thirty seconds? There is your description. It's not easy getting it crisp but it can be done. When writing about yourself use caution; present yourself and your credentials in the best possible way.
One very important aspect about query letters too remember. Research the agents that represent the genre you are writing in. Do your homework on those agents before submitting. You will leave a lasting impression on the agent if he/she knows you did your homework prior too submitting the query letter to them.
I will share my experience with you concerning this. Soon I will be preparing query letters too submit. Have any of you submitted a query letter? What was your experience like?
Happy writing.
This past weekend I walked into the local Walden Books. After a brief survey of their magazine selection I decided on the Writer's Yearbook 2009 which is a special issue from Writer's Digest. Once I got home the magazine was promptly read. I was simply amazed at the article titled Query Madness. Simply put this article points out a few things NOT to do when submitting a query letter. Sharlene Martin, an agent, wrote this article and too get her point across she used actual query letters she received.
What can we learn from these letters? What are some rules or things to avoid when attempting too draw the attention of an agent? Lets have a look.
First (and possibly foremost), never insult them. How many of us actually receive what we want by insulting or badmouthing someone? Even though writing is our passion and we dream of being published the bottom line is that this is still a business. We must always be professional. I was very surprised too read queries that insulted the agent's intelligence and contained cussing in the body of the letter.
This article also shined a very bright light on an important point. The purpose of a query letter is to draw positive attention to you and your manuscript. You want too show the agent you have the goods to deliver a really good manuscript, you can handle deadlines, you are serious about your passion to write and you present yourself as a professional. Think of a query letter like a resume. I don't believe any of us would present ourselves to an agent as cocky, arrogant, unprepared, a complainer, or possibly needing medication. However, Sharlene has letters in this article doing just that.
How should a query letter read? What should I write in my query letter?
In my opinion a really good first step is too use common sense. Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your letter should present your ideas in a clear and accurate manner. Keep it professional. I would also recommend not telling the agent what he/she maybe feeling or thinking. Leave that up to them.
Your letter should include a word count for your manuscript, a concise description of your manuscript, the genre, who your targeted audience is and why you should write the book. Your description should be short and crisp. How would you describe your book in thirty seconds? There is your description. It's not easy getting it crisp but it can be done. When writing about yourself use caution; present yourself and your credentials in the best possible way.
One very important aspect about query letters too remember. Research the agents that represent the genre you are writing in. Do your homework on those agents before submitting. You will leave a lasting impression on the agent if he/she knows you did your homework prior too submitting the query letter to them.
I will share my experience with you concerning this. Soon I will be preparing query letters too submit. Have any of you submitted a query letter? What was your experience like?
Happy writing.
Jan 6, 2009
Critique: Give and Take Part II
This is Part II of Leslie Johnson's article about giving and receiving a critique. Yesterday we focused on receiving a critique. Today we look at giving a critique. Now to the article.
A lot of authors will say that to be a writer you need to do two things; read everything and write everyday. Pretty good advise, especially the reading part….and the writing part. I believe that reading critically is more important than just plain reading, that’s where giving a critique comes into play.
Here are a few steps that I follow when reading and critiquing a piece.
Reading: All of the submissions for review that I have read have come to me in electronic form; e-mail, PDF, MS Word Document, or as a post on a forum. Before I read them, I always print them out first. Having the words on a page helps me read more clearly, take notes as I read, and most importantly it allows me to read the piece when I have enough time to dedicate 100% of my attention to it. No tabbing over to The Drudge Report.
First, I like to read the story as a whole without taking any notes. This allows me get a feel for the styling, voice of the author, and the plot before I jump to any conclusions. After I have read it from start to finish, I will read it again with pen in hand. I make notes to myself in the margins and may highlight parts that I want to concentrate on. Here are a few things I always look for:
First Paragraph Strength, Voice and Structure, Pace, Showing vs Telling, Plot, and Character Development. I very rarely comment on styling unless it plays a major role in the structure.
The Critique: The first thing I like to do is make a little summery in the following format:
SPAG (Spelling Grammar And Punctuation):
Character Development:
Plot:
Pacing:
Overall Execution:
I will usually write a one or two sentence summery for each of these categories, and then move on to the main body of the critique. There are three things that I have always valued in a critique, so I try and keep those in mind while writing one myself; be specific, be honest, and offer suggestions.
In the main body of the critique I will copy and paste specific lines from the piece that I either had trouble with or I thought were really great, and then I will go into detail about what problems may be present or why I thought the part was so good. Be honest, but fair. Blowing smoke up someone’s behind does not help anyone. I will copy and paste as many lines or paragraphs as necessary along with my comments, then I will move onto the end summary.
In the “end summary” I give a break down of my overall impression of the piece, and try to offer any suggestions. In this area of the critique I feel that it is important to stay positive and point out things that could be better in a constructive way. At the end, I always offer to read a second draft.
What are some other things that you do to aid in the critiquing process? What has writing critiques taught you about your own writing?
-Leslie Johnson
The Long Downward Spiral
For more information about critiques I recommend reading Jo-Anne Vandermeulen's critique post. I hope you enjoyed and learned something from Leslie's article. I know I did.
A lot of authors will say that to be a writer you need to do two things; read everything and write everyday. Pretty good advise, especially the reading part….and the writing part. I believe that reading critically is more important than just plain reading, that’s where giving a critique comes into play.
Here are a few steps that I follow when reading and critiquing a piece.
Reading: All of the submissions for review that I have read have come to me in electronic form; e-mail, PDF, MS Word Document, or as a post on a forum. Before I read them, I always print them out first. Having the words on a page helps me read more clearly, take notes as I read, and most importantly it allows me to read the piece when I have enough time to dedicate 100% of my attention to it. No tabbing over to The Drudge Report.
First, I like to read the story as a whole without taking any notes. This allows me get a feel for the styling, voice of the author, and the plot before I jump to any conclusions. After I have read it from start to finish, I will read it again with pen in hand. I make notes to myself in the margins and may highlight parts that I want to concentrate on. Here are a few things I always look for:
First Paragraph Strength, Voice and Structure, Pace, Showing vs Telling, Plot, and Character Development. I very rarely comment on styling unless it plays a major role in the structure.
The Critique: The first thing I like to do is make a little summery in the following format:
SPAG (Spelling Grammar And Punctuation):
Character Development:
Plot:
Pacing:
Overall Execution:
I will usually write a one or two sentence summery for each of these categories, and then move on to the main body of the critique. There are three things that I have always valued in a critique, so I try and keep those in mind while writing one myself; be specific, be honest, and offer suggestions.
In the main body of the critique I will copy and paste specific lines from the piece that I either had trouble with or I thought were really great, and then I will go into detail about what problems may be present or why I thought the part was so good. Be honest, but fair. Blowing smoke up someone’s behind does not help anyone. I will copy and paste as many lines or paragraphs as necessary along with my comments, then I will move onto the end summary.
In the “end summary” I give a break down of my overall impression of the piece, and try to offer any suggestions. In this area of the critique I feel that it is important to stay positive and point out things that could be better in a constructive way. At the end, I always offer to read a second draft.
What are some other things that you do to aid in the critiquing process? What has writing critiques taught you about your own writing?
-Leslie Johnson
The Long Downward Spiral
For more information about critiques I recommend reading Jo-Anne Vandermeulen's critique post. I hope you enjoyed and learned something from Leslie's article. I know I did.
Jan 5, 2009
Critique: Give and Take Part I
The post for today and tomorrow was written by Leslie Johnson from The Long Downward Spiral. Now, without further adieu, let's get to this great article.
"Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done, no shortcut. The young writer would be a fool to follow a theory. Teach yourself by your own mistakes; people learn only by error. The good artist believes that nobody is good enough to give him advice. He has supreme vanity. No matter how much he admires the old writer, he wants to beat him."
-William Faulkner
That is one of my favorite quotes, but what does it mean to us, the writers? I don’t think there is any one clear answer to that because we could all interpret it differently, but one thing is for sure: we do learn by error. One of the best tools I use to find errors in my work is to have it critiqued by my peers, and also critiquing work written by my peers. Submitting one’s work for review can be an eye opening experience, and working through someone else’s work line-by-line can also train you to spot errors easily. Additionally, it can train the aspiring author to notice changes in pace, description usage, structure, and clarity in their own work.
There are a few ways that I find people to critique my work, and also obtain new pieces to review myself. Writers forums, and writers blogs are a great place to start. I will address writers forums first.
So called “writers forums” are places where authors can post their work for critique, and also post critiques of other people’s work. As much as these can be fantastic places for feedback, one must take all advise with a grain of salt. One thing to think about is that everyone who will take the time to critique your work is looking for errors. Nine times out of ten these people are authors, not readers. So, they will rarely take the piece for what it is, but rather look for what it isn’t. Because of the inherent issues with having a sundry of different authors with different literary tastes critique your work, one must define clear goals for the kind of critique one is looking for.
If you are trying to work on your pace, for example, it would be wise to state that in an “author’s note” at the beginning of your post. I usually post something like this : [AUTHORS NOTE: I am looking for constructive criticism with an emphasis on the stories pace and structure, but as always, all other criticism is welcome.]. That lets potential reviewers know what you are looking for, and they can gear their critique around those specific needs. The point here is to narrow down the kind of advise you want, and the resulting reviews will be much more helpful.
Another way to get more criticism on your work is by networking with other authors. I do this by finding people on forums that have given me good advise in the past, or by reading and contacting fellow bloggers who are also aspiring authors. I will usually send them a quick e-mail to introduce myself and ask if they would be interested in swapping critiques. Don’t just send them your story. Usually these critiques are of a better quality because the reviewers are more or less hand picked and may share your same literary tastes. If you write mysteries I would not send your story off to someone who writes fantasy novels. I have been lucky enough to have built a pretty good network of authors that I correspond with, and have been sent some fantastic pieces to read and review including two full manuscripts.
So now you have some feedback. Don’t climb into a hole. Put the razor blade down, it’s not the end of the world. Its very important not to take criticism personally. If you do, chances are that you will be upset or defensive and all the work that has gone into critiquing your work will be in vein. I read each critique carefully and try to put myself in the shoes of the reader. I go back to parts of the story that the reviewers referred to and re-read them. I try to take all advise in a positive manner, but if I don’t agree with them I still thank them for taking the time to read my piece—then forget it. I let it roll of my back. That may sound bad, but in my opinion one must have enough confidence in their work to know when they are right, and to stay true to their vision. Take the good advise and forget about the rest. Realize your faults and work on them, while keeping your voice as an author intact. Be prepared for people that wont like your work. Have thick skin. It will come in handy.
How and where do you get your critiques? Have you ever had your work critiqued by anyone? If so, what have you learned about the critiquing process?
-Leslie Johnson
The Long Downward Spiral
"Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done, no shortcut. The young writer would be a fool to follow a theory. Teach yourself by your own mistakes; people learn only by error. The good artist believes that nobody is good enough to give him advice. He has supreme vanity. No matter how much he admires the old writer, he wants to beat him."
-William Faulkner
That is one of my favorite quotes, but what does it mean to us, the writers? I don’t think there is any one clear answer to that because we could all interpret it differently, but one thing is for sure: we do learn by error. One of the best tools I use to find errors in my work is to have it critiqued by my peers, and also critiquing work written by my peers. Submitting one’s work for review can be an eye opening experience, and working through someone else’s work line-by-line can also train you to spot errors easily. Additionally, it can train the aspiring author to notice changes in pace, description usage, structure, and clarity in their own work.
There are a few ways that I find people to critique my work, and also obtain new pieces to review myself. Writers forums, and writers blogs are a great place to start. I will address writers forums first.
So called “writers forums” are places where authors can post their work for critique, and also post critiques of other people’s work. As much as these can be fantastic places for feedback, one must take all advise with a grain of salt. One thing to think about is that everyone who will take the time to critique your work is looking for errors. Nine times out of ten these people are authors, not readers. So, they will rarely take the piece for what it is, but rather look for what it isn’t. Because of the inherent issues with having a sundry of different authors with different literary tastes critique your work, one must define clear goals for the kind of critique one is looking for.
If you are trying to work on your pace, for example, it would be wise to state that in an “author’s note” at the beginning of your post. I usually post something like this : [AUTHORS NOTE: I am looking for constructive criticism with an emphasis on the stories pace and structure, but as always, all other criticism is welcome.]. That lets potential reviewers know what you are looking for, and they can gear their critique around those specific needs. The point here is to narrow down the kind of advise you want, and the resulting reviews will be much more helpful.
Another way to get more criticism on your work is by networking with other authors. I do this by finding people on forums that have given me good advise in the past, or by reading and contacting fellow bloggers who are also aspiring authors. I will usually send them a quick e-mail to introduce myself and ask if they would be interested in swapping critiques. Don’t just send them your story. Usually these critiques are of a better quality because the reviewers are more or less hand picked and may share your same literary tastes. If you write mysteries I would not send your story off to someone who writes fantasy novels. I have been lucky enough to have built a pretty good network of authors that I correspond with, and have been sent some fantastic pieces to read and review including two full manuscripts.
So now you have some feedback. Don’t climb into a hole. Put the razor blade down, it’s not the end of the world. Its very important not to take criticism personally. If you do, chances are that you will be upset or defensive and all the work that has gone into critiquing your work will be in vein. I read each critique carefully and try to put myself in the shoes of the reader. I go back to parts of the story that the reviewers referred to and re-read them. I try to take all advise in a positive manner, but if I don’t agree with them I still thank them for taking the time to read my piece—then forget it. I let it roll of my back. That may sound bad, but in my opinion one must have enough confidence in their work to know when they are right, and to stay true to their vision. Take the good advise and forget about the rest. Realize your faults and work on them, while keeping your voice as an author intact. Be prepared for people that wont like your work. Have thick skin. It will come in handy.
How and where do you get your critiques? Have you ever had your work critiqued by anyone? If so, what have you learned about the critiquing process?
-Leslie Johnson
The Long Downward Spiral
Jan 2, 2009
Week End Round Up
Another week is coming to a close here at the New Author. Is it just me or did everyday feel like a Friday? I know one thing, today has been a long day but enjoyable as all Fridays are. So, did you miss an article during the celebration this week? No worries, here is a review.
On Monday we looked at the topic of show versus tell. What a interesting topic this turned out to be. The comments are a great extension of the article itself. I highly recommend reading the comments after the article. You can also leave your own thoughts as well.
Actually, a comment I received on Monday was the foundation for Tuesday's article about the pace of your manuscript. This is also an interesting topic that I enjoyed writing about. Pace is something too think about while writing and this article touches on the importance of that.
Wednesday brought us to the edge of a new chapter. The fresh start that many of us needed. On Wednesday night we said good bye to 2008 and welcomed 2009. I enjoyed reading about your goals. If you haven't shared your goals and would like to feel free too do so. I look forward to reading them.
Thursday I was celebrating the first day of the New Year with my family. I hope you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends on the first as well.
What will next week have in store for the New Author?
Monday and Tuesday I will post a two part article about giving and receiving a critique. This article was written by Leslie Johnson and I am excited about posting it here. I have plans for the rest of the week but Monday and Tuesday deserved an announcement.
I am also preparing interviews for the near future so keep a look out for those. I will share more details about those a little later.
Now for something to think about over the weekend. What is one thing you learned or experienced in 2008 that will impact your 2009?
Enjoy your weekend. Happy writing!
On Monday we looked at the topic of show versus tell. What a interesting topic this turned out to be. The comments are a great extension of the article itself. I highly recommend reading the comments after the article. You can also leave your own thoughts as well.
Actually, a comment I received on Monday was the foundation for Tuesday's article about the pace of your manuscript. This is also an interesting topic that I enjoyed writing about. Pace is something too think about while writing and this article touches on the importance of that.
Wednesday brought us to the edge of a new chapter. The fresh start that many of us needed. On Wednesday night we said good bye to 2008 and welcomed 2009. I enjoyed reading about your goals. If you haven't shared your goals and would like to feel free too do so. I look forward to reading them.
Thursday I was celebrating the first day of the New Year with my family. I hope you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends on the first as well.
What will next week have in store for the New Author?
Monday and Tuesday I will post a two part article about giving and receiving a critique. This article was written by Leslie Johnson and I am excited about posting it here. I have plans for the rest of the week but Monday and Tuesday deserved an announcement.
I am also preparing interviews for the near future so keep a look out for those. I will share more details about those a little later.
Now for something to think about over the weekend. What is one thing you learned or experienced in 2008 that will impact your 2009?
Enjoy your weekend. Happy writing!
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