The Power of Writers’ Conferences

I’ve recently returned from the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference, near Santa Fe, NM, where I was able to get face to face with editors and agents. In addition to the many classes on topics of interest to writers, attendees had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with those in the industry. Somewhat like speed dating, I guess, we had fifteen minutes to pitch our stuff to an editor or agent before the whistle blew, indicating that our time was up. Nine appointments back-to-back gave me whiplash, but was a wonderful opportunity to see what editors and agents are looking for.

This was my third time to this conference, and it was great to reconnect with those I had met before or people I’ve chatted with in online writers groups. Now the hard work begins as I send my book proposal to editors and agents who asked to see it, and as I write articles to send to editors I met. However, instead of sending my writings unsolicited, I can now add the coveted “Requested Materials” to the outside of the envelope or in the subject line of email submissions.

If you’re serious about writing, I urge you to attend writers’ conferences. The contacts you make and the information you gain can be just what it takes to put your writing career into high gear.

Anita C. Lee, instructor for “Your Life, Your Story”
Personal Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer
"Helping You Become the Person You Were Created to Be"
www.AnitaCLee.com

The Writer's Almanac

I don’t know how many of you are aware of The Writer's Almanac. It is a daily audio piece on writing that Garrison Keillor does for public radio, but you can also subscribe either through email or podcasts (i.e., iTunes). The email edition has a link to the audio and also provides a text transcript, which is nice.

It is always good and sometimes quite special (like this one for last Sunday).

The format is simple. There is always a poem of the day (the project is sponsored by the Poetry Foundation), then there are brief bios/descriptions of writers born on that day (e.g., today has Anne Tyler, John Berryman, and Pablo Picasso, and last Sunday was the English Romantic Poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge).

It will sometimes mark days of significance as well (e.g., last Sunday was the day Edison discovered how to make electric light).

To subscribe for the daily email newsletter (which is what I do), click here. To subscribe to the podcast, click here. Currently, it doesn’t have an RSS feed.

Enjoy!

I've Got Rhythm!

I've never been a read-your-manuscript-out-loud advocate, but today, I've done just that. (In spite of what the pros say, I've always figured a great voice can make even a lousy manuscript sound good.) Well, today I decided to see if it really works. It does. I've spotted clumsy sentences, bad transitions, holes, and a lot of repetition. I mean, how many times can a hero run his fingers through his hair before he goes bald? How many times can a heroine laugh before she starts to come across just a little deranged? Reading aloud has been a tremendous help so I take back every negative snarl.

I've also learned a little about myself. Mainly that I don't know as much as I think I do. In my defense, let's say I've forgotten much of what I've learned over the years. I know that dialogue can show the reader a lot about a character's personality. I know that dialogue shows action instead of telling about it. I wouldn't have a problem writing a novel using all dialogue since that's what I like to write and read. What I don't understand is just how much narrative is too much narrative? And who made up this rule of too much or too little? I've seen books that have barely any dialogue. Those are the ones I put back on the shelf.

I can't help but think that writing is somewhat instinctive. Yes, we have to know structure and yeah, gotta know the rules before we're allowed to break 'em, but we each have our own style of dress, our own quirky sense of humor (or not), our own likes and dislikes. We each have our very own rhythm in the way we talk and walk, and all of that bleeds into our writing, creates our voice, our style. We should listen to that rhythm in our soul. Our instinct. Our intuition. That gut feeling. We need to listen to that basic deep-down beat and we'll know if we have too much narrative.
Right?
Right!
Sure there are people who have absolutely no rhythm, no beat at all in their talk, walk or soul. When we read their writing--published or unpublished--we recognize their loss.

As much as I dislike the word organic, I guess that's what it comes down to. How much narrative? That's up to me. I plan to listen to that rhythm in my head, and in my heart. And I might even label it passion.

Check out our classes. We've all got rhythm...and passion. :)
~jess

Quotes

Getting and including the right quotes is key to a well-written article. Even the dullest material can be brought to life when sprinkled with interesting and well placed quotes.

"One must be a wise reader to quote wisely and well," Amos Bronson Alcott said. I would add that one must also be a wise interviewer.

Brendan Francis also understood the value of a good quotation. "A quotation in a speech, article or book is like a rifle in the hands of an infantryman. It speaks with authority," he said.

Beginning writers sometimes struggle with deciding on what quotes to use, if any, and getting quotes that will add interest to their article. Fortunately, this important skill isn't one you need to be born with -- it is easily taught and can be easily applied to all types of article writing.

Carol R. Thomas -- Write Magazine Articles That Sell!

What’s the point of writing anyway?

What’s the point of writing if all it does is sit in your notebook or on your hard drive? I have been writing poems for almost twenty years and have never tried to have anything published. There are many reasons for that (mostly that I have a dissertation that desperately am trying to finish, and time spent looking for publication outlets is time that should be spent on that dissertation).

However, at the same time, I have an email distribution list of over 200 people that I send new poems to when they are written, and I have always figured that more people read my poems that way than would if I actually did publish them. Also, as my dissertation approaches the finish line, I am starting to think more seriously about publication.

That being said, I had a very interesting experience last Wednesday. I was invited by Sue Walker, the Poet Laureate of Alabama, to be a featured poet at a Poetry Theatre event at the University of South Alabama. There were over fifty people crammed into a smallish room, and everything went wonderfully.

No one threw anything. There weren’t even any boos. I didn’t fall down. And even though there were a couple of words that I stumbled on (which isn’t too bad considering I was on stage for close to 25 minutes), I didn’t drop any expletives out of disgust with myself when it happened. So, all indications suggest it was a pretty successful evening…

I have always thought my poetry was good, and everyone on my distribution list would seem to agree, but I was never terribly confident that people who knew poetry but didn’t know me would feel the same way. Well, of those 50+ people at the reading, I only knew about ten of them, and all seemed very pleased. I was even asked to do an encore at the end of the evening.

The point is that if you are going to go to the trouble to write something, go to the trouble to share with others.

Capturing Your Story

Where are you in life right now? Sometimes we’re so focused on the past (which we cannot change) or the future (worrying about what might never take place) that we fail to fully experience the present.

Keep a list for a week or so of all the things that come your way that bring unexpected pleasure. Look for the good things—the little things. Celebrate the joys. And yes, make note, also, of the unexpected struggles you encounter. If at some point you are able to see how the difficulties helped you to grow in some way, include that information, too.

Some people keep regular journals, recording every detail of their lives, and enjoy looking back after awhile to remember their past experiences. But even if you’re not a journaler, taking the time to record events and feelings from time to time can help you later to see how you’ve grown over the years.

Happy writing—
Anita C. Lee, instructor for “Your Life, Your Story”
Speaker, Writer, Personal Life Coach
Helping you Become the person You Were Created to Be
www.AnitaCLee.com

Wise Words

I write for a couple of hours every day, even if I only get a couple of sentences. I put in that time. You do that every day, and inspiration will come along. I don't allow myself not to keep trying. It's not fun, but if you wait until you want to write, you'll never do it. ~ Dave Barry

The way a long work is completed is by daily tapping the first imaginative impulse. That's got to be so strong that it never dies in the course of the whole performance.
~Paul Horgan

We work in the dark--we do what we can--we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art. ~Henry James

Do not think of your faults; still less of others' faults; look for what is good and strong; and try to imitate it. Your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes. ~John Ruskin

We have no need to dwell on the negative. ~ Susan Shaughnessy

~Jess

Double and Triple Check your Manuscript

In my last post I included a cute snippet showing how what our eye sees on the paper is translated by our mind into what should have been written. Another thing to check before submitting a manuscript is all the facts: names, dates and contact information that will appear in your article.

Even after twenty years of writing for magazines, I still faithfully follow this advice. For the article with the cute camel lead that I blogged about I double and triple checked everything, especially the difficult spelling of the subject's last name. So, when I recevied an email from the people on the day the article came out, I eagerly opened it and expected to read the usual accolades for a job well done.

For the first time in my writing career the person was very upset -- I'd spelled her name wrong. Not the complex last name... I'd triple checked that. I'd spelled her first name wrong. Actually, it was worse than that. The name was spelled correctly. I'd just used the wrong name!

So, another lesson learned... the hard way. In my course, I'll teach you other ways to proof read your manuscripts so you can avoid embarassing mistakes when you submit your work.

Carol R. Thomas - Write Magazine Articles That Sell!

Getting into arguments...

I have always believed that everything that is worth writing (or worth reading) has an argument, a main purpose for having been written, a main point that it strives to communicate.

I am sure that you probably learned in high school, or even a freshman composition course, that an essay must have a thesis, which should be a statement of its argument, but you’ve probably never thought how that rule should also apply to other forms of writing as well.

Yet it does. All good writing must have an argument, and therefore a thesis of some kind.

That being said, poems and novels, of course, go about constructing their arguments differently than a five paragraph essay (and it's a good thing, because if poems were anything like five paragraph essays, I would not have any interest in reading or writing them), but it's primarily a difference of form, not content.

The thesis of a literary work isn’t going to be as explicit as an English 101 essay, but rather will be implied. Nevertheless, literary works need theses as much as any other kind of writing.

You might consider thinking of a poem's argument as analogous to its meaning (although there's nothing deep and hidden about it—the only thing between the lines is empty space, and perhaps the reason we're so afraid of poetry is that it's been mystified to death by a bunch of meaningless clichés).

In any case, if you practice reading poems (and novels) for their argument, you'll start to get pretty good at it. You'll also get pretty good at reading most everything else.

Adding Color to Your Memoirs

As the leaves begin to change and autumn is in the air, I’m reminded of how important it is to tap into the senses, adding color, sounds, and feelings to our memoirs. Make your story come alive and jump off the page for your readers.

To add life to your writing, start by making lists of all the things that come to mind when you think about the event you’re writing about. At the top of a page write sight, sound, touch, and taste, then under each write down as many words as you can that relate to your story. You probably won’t use all the words in your final piece, but it will give you some ideas to choose from. Select the best, most descriptive words to tell your story. Nouns will be stronger than adjectives, so try to be specific—the “Cottonwoods,” rather than “the yellow trees.” Use adjectives sparingly but pointedly when needed. If you think your reader wouldn’t know that cottonwoods turn yellow in autumn, add the adjective and make it the best, most colorful it can be. “Golden” instead of “yellow” might more aptly describe your tree. “Cottonwoods the color of a sun-drenched hayfield” can give a richer experience for the reader. Try different descriptions on for size. Don’t stop at the first one you think of. Write and re-write until it sings.

Happy creating—
Anita C. Lee, Personal Life Coach, Speaker, Writer
Instructor for “Your Life, Your Story—writing memoirs that bring the past to life”
www.AnitaCLee.com – “Encouraging You to Be the Person You Were Created to Be”

A Word on Reading Poetry

I’ve always believed that there is something poetic in all good writing. I have also always believed that reading and writing are intimately related activities, and to do one well, you must be equally able to do the other. With that being said, my post for this week is going to focus on reading poetry.

Most of you have been taught, probably by your high school English teacher(s), that you cannot understand poetry. I'm not saying that they stood up there in front of the class and told you how stupid you are or anything like that. The process is much more subtle and sinister.

I have a theory that this is all a conspiracy to make English teachers look like the smartest people in the world. They've invented what I like to call the "DHM" (Deep Hidden Meaning) that only brilliant people (i.e., English teachers) can decipher. Well, I'm gonna tell you a secret: the only thing "deep" about Deep Hidden Meaning is that it's something you'll need to save your watch from.

The real tragedy of all of this is that most of us enter into the poetry reading process already defeated, convinced from the start that we'll never understand it, when most of it is pretty darn simple. The only really hard things in poetry are allusions (i.e., references to other literary works or historical events), and the important ones are usually footnoted.

The real thing that scares us, however, is symbolism. Don't worry about symbolism. There just aren’t that many poems that are utterly dependent on your knowing a particular symbol to understand it. That is not to say that symbolism is not important, quite the contrary, but it is not vital to accessing or enjoying the work. It merely adds to that access and enjoyment.

Also, don't worry too much about rhyme scheme and meter. These too are important, but worrying about them tends to just get in the way most of the time. When people start talking about things like that, it reminds me of a saying on those old Murphy's Law posters that were popular when I was in college:

A pipe gives a wise man time to think, and a fool something to put in his
mouth.

A lot of people hide behind rhyme and meter when they don't have anything else to say, which is unfortunate. There are a lot of things you can say about sonnets without ever getting around to talking about the sonnet at hand, and sometimes what you say will have some bearing on the sonnet at hand, but most of it is usually just bluster (i.e., something to put in a fool's mouth).

Just approach poetry like it intends to be approached: Enjoy it, take pleasure from it, and perhaps learn something about yourself and your world in the process. Mostly, though, don't be afraid of it. Sure, you're not going to understand everything about it; no one will. There are reasons that people are still writing books and articles on old literary works that should've been figured out centuries ago: they demand investigation. And they're worth it.