Merry Christmas

I hope this Christmas is super special for you. Don't forget to hug your family and count your 2007 blessings. If you didn't accomplish all your goals this year, you have another chance starting January 1, 2008.

Don't forget to check out our Spring Classes.
~jess

Books for Writers

I've said that writers must be readers but what should writers read? There are a list of standards and of course you should read in the genre you want to publish in. So here's my list of suggested titles you might want to put on your personal Christmas shopping list -- a little present for yourself this year.

• Story by Robert McKee
• The Plot Thickens: Noah Lukeman
• Rotten Rejections: Andre Bernard. The Letters That Publishers Wish They'd Never Sent. These are stories about famous writers overcoming setbacks.
• How to Write Irresistable Query Letters: Lisa Cool
• Stein on Writing: Sol Stein
• How to Grow a Novel: Sol Stein

Carol R. Thomas, Write Magazine Articles That Sell!

Evergreens

With the Christmas season approaching you might think an "evergreen" is a beautiful tree, decked with ornaments and colored lights. Authors of magazine articles know that evergreens are also topics that are published year after year and seldom, if ever, go out of date.

Look at the cover of any popular newsstand magazine and you'll see what I mean. "Lose Ten Pounds Before the Holidays," "The Best Gifts for Mom and Dad," "What Not to do at a Holiday Party." All of these articles are evergreens.

If you have an idea for a evergreen article there are two main things to keep in mind. First, you need a new, refreshing twist on the recurring theme. Articles rehasing the same old, worn information will receive a quick rejection. Second, since magazine editors schedule their issues many months in advance, you should query six months in advance of the issue your article would likely appear.

So, although you might have just thought of a wonderful idea for a Christmas or Hanukkah article you're too late for this year. You should query now for summer evergreens and write yourself a reminder to send out the holdiay query next June.

Carol Thomas, Write Magazine Articles That Sell!

Gifts for Writers

This is the time of year you find out if you're a real writer. Your Christmas list will let you know: Everything I want comes from the office supply store or the book store. When husband, daughter or stepson asks what I want, I always say, "Just give me an Office Depot gift certificate." I've yet to get it. They just can't understand how I can walk into an office supply place and feel as if I'm in heaven. :-)

Here are some suggestions for you to pass on to your family:

A subscription to Writers Digest

A subscription to The Writer. For some reason I can't link to them so go to http://www.writermag.com/wrt/

If you're a poet, Poets and Writers is a must.

Writer Mamas are usually busy transporting kids to soccer games, basketball and football games and have nothing to do except sit on the bench. Check out the AlphaSmart. This little gizmo is fantastic. Mama can just toss it in her oversized purse and pull it out while she's waiting for the doctor, lawyer or dentist. No cords, light as a feather and it runs on batteries. The batteries in my AlphaSmart lasted for more than a year. Too, too cool!

Here's something neat. A writer friend owns the website, Writer Interrupted and she's designed t-shirts bookbags and other products with Writer Interrupted on them. Check it out. And you can even design your own at Zazzle.

I don’t know any writer who wouldn’t appreciate a gift certificate to a local or online bookstore. And of course there are literally hundreds of books for writers, depending on their area of interest. Make your list and give it to your significant other.

For your writer friends, create a personalized “Writer’s Survival Kit“, with fun pens & pencils, notepads, a coffee mug and some packs of cocoa or a gift card to Starbucks. And wouldn't printer cartridges be a great gift?

Of course, the greatest gift of all very well could be a Lamar WriteSite class taught by one of our instructors. Our spring classes will be posted soon.

Merry Christmas, writers!
Jess