Procrastination Gets a Bum Rap

Today I will answer a question found on the Discussion Forum.

Help! *`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' The first line won't come and I sit and stare at the blank screen!

Alice: `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
Cheshire Cat: 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to'
Alice: `I don't much care where--'
Cheshire Cat:`Then it doesn't matter which way you go'
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll

Now, most would advise this writer to just write anything to get some words up there. Even if it’s ‘I want to write but can’t think of anything!’ about a hundred times. That’s supposed to unblock the imagination so the story hidden deep inside can come out. I’m not going to say that. I’ve tried that logic, but found it got in the way of procrastinating so I don’t advise it anymore. Procrastination is a good thing, and we should learn to appreciate it more. It’s been getting a bum rap for too long.

I’m a pretty good procrastinator, but only if I have a deadline, such as this newsletter. Without a job to put off, procrastination has no purpose. The first and most important requirement is your promise to do something.

Don’t become frustrated because you can’t begin your story today, there's always tomorrow. Go vacuum the floors or wash the cat, and while doing that, think about the story.

Stay positive. Instead of saying, "I can't...," "I should...," or "I have to..." say, "I want to vacuum first...", "It would be a waste of time to start without researching..." and "I don't want to." Being honest with yourself is always a confidence builder.

Here are some ways I've used my computer to procrastinate almost any chore.  They all work well.

Take the side of the computer off, and get out a blower of some kind, I use the air pump that came with a air mattress I bought about seven years ago.  the mattress didn't last long, but the pump was worth the money!

Blow away all those dust bunnies that clogs up the air vents and fans.  You'd be surprised at how dirty it gets in there.  When you're finished, trying to find the screws to put the side back on takes another hour or two.  (I never did find mine).  None of my computers have their sides on.

Clean inside the system of your computers. Those registry cleaners are powerful! If something is 'cleaned' that you find you really needed, you get to find it again. Woo!

Study your system devices. Some may actually need updated drivers and searching for them can take loads of time..

Defrag your hard drive. I gained a whopping 3% in my disk.

Clean out the internet history and cookie folders in the windows directory. Do it one file at a time, checking each.

Read your e-mail.

To help your self-esteem, (depending on the final score) exercise your memory while procrastinating, try this one. Keep score. Erase the passwords you stored in the auto-log on of all your browsers. See how many you can remember on your own before clicking ‘forgot password’.

Clean out the windows temp file one file at a time. Open them to be sure there's nothing you want to save. This is also good for the memory. "Where did that file come from and what was I supposed to do with it" is kinda time wasting.

Real procrastinators don’t need excuses, but having a real one might save you some irritation. "I didn't finish the story on time for the contest because my computer broke’ is a good one. This is especially useful for contest judges. And it will be the truth after messing with the settings all day.

Changing your handle to 'without internet' or 'computer broke!' will alert all who are concerned what you've been up to. "ah, procrastinating again, huh?"

Search the web for anything.

Call it research rather than surfing though. Keeping a writer's mindset by using a writer's word is good for warding off your guilt complex. Researching the net is informative and can be very useful in wasting time and putting off what you don't want to do today.

Clean out the crumbs that's accumulated between the keys on the keyboard.

Read your email again..

Repeat for as long as it takes.

Now you're ready and able to start your short story or submit your newsletter.

According to an e-mail notice, my deadline has arrived.

Happy procrastinating!

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Read With Skill

Learning to review depends largely on how well you’ve learned to read. When readers read a story, they bring along their own experiences and understanding. The author tries to guide the responses, but inevitably each reader will perceive it in their own individual way. Ethnic background, education and life experience all contribute to the images they see and their response to the story.

As reviewers, we can and should make an effort to understand what an author seems to be getting at. Writers can tell a great deal, but they cannot and should not tell us everything. They write for an audience they assume will know at least as much as they do about the topic; and they depend on their critiquers to know how to read with a certain, basic skill. 

Learning to read comprehensively and to make reasonable inferences will pull the reviewer beyond his own experience level and he will be better equipped to read with understanding even those works out of his familiar genre. Read with common sense and make notes. Ask yourself if that gap you noticed is important to the story; if not, it isn’t a mistake. It’s indeterminate and the reader is free to fill it with his own images.

For example:

If a story is written of two women, one younger than the other, will not knowing their ages matter? Are their physical looks relevant to the story? It completely depends on the context. If the information is needed, you should be able to draw it out by making a reasonable inference. Listen to the sound of their voices. Their choice of words will help show personality and ages. You won't have to be told. If it isn’t needed it only adds wordiness to a story.

If one character calls the other “Aunt” and her parents are never mentioned, we may wonder where her parents are, but perhaps it isn’t any of our business. We can draw our own inferences. They are possibly dead or on a long trip. If not knowing doesn't interfere with the plot, there isn't a need to know. 

Stories include indeterminacies (passages that are open to interpretations) and gaps (things left unsaid; such as why an aunt rather than the mother is caring for the young woman). If the aunt is referred to as ‘stately’ at one point, we should be able to comprehend she is from a well-off family, and probably past middle-age.

As we read, we keep re-evaluating what we have read, pulling the details together to make sense of them. It’s a process called consistency building. By the dialog and action we will be able to determine which woman is the older. Readers will begin to see their physical appearances through their personalities, dialogue and emotion, and their personal (readers) experiences. They want to see themselves or someone they know. They want to put themselves in the writers world. Experiment by not describing the main character by specific physical attributes; use the personality - the attitude and voice. Give readers the opportunity to become the main character and they'll love your story.

Learning to read comprehensively and drawing reasonable inferences are skills that will make reading more enjoyable for you and the author you’re reviewing. If you finish the read with unanswered questions, mention them in your feedback. They may be intended 'indeterminate gaps', but the story should be understood. The reader needs to know as much as the main character knows, or some details are missing.

© Copyright 2006 

Getting Read,Reviewed and Rated

With excitement you think: “Will anybody read it? Will they like it?”

You’ve decided to join a writing workshop to show your work and hone your skills. You’ve read in the ad’s that, ‘members read and give constructive reviews,’ and you definitely want to be read! Did you quit reading before the end of the sentence?

With excitement you think: “Will anybody read it? Will they like it?” Then, you take the plunge and, Merry Christmas! It was read! And it was critiqued. Oops.

“ but I did'nt expect anyone to rate my things! the "SPELLING & GRAMMAR POLICE"sent me a low rate!”

I’ve had more then a few express surprise at actually being reviewed. They don’t think to proofread or check their formatting, then they’re hurt when they receive a low rate.

Being critiqued is not easy to take by anyone, but especially for beginning writers. Writing is our personal thoughts and feelings, our ‘babies’- and we want to protect them for as long as possible. But remember, reviewers are not judging you. I know that’s hard to accept, and you won’t believe it at first. Your words are you, right? You’ve poured your heart and soul into them. You’ve looked forward to being read and enjoyed - praised. Believe me, I know.

If someone gives you an honest opinion of where your story isn’t working for them, try to be gracious. Don’t slam the reviewer or make excuses. Try to view your story through the eyes of the reader and understand for yourself why your point isn’t getting across. Read what the reviewer had to say.

Don’t edit or delete your work simply because one reader didn’t understand it or your feelings were hurt. I have done both to my regret! Wait to see what other reviewers say. By clarifying what you meant to say, you don’t need to change the story - only the way you chose to tell it. If one reviewer makes a suggestion, and you don’t agree, then leave it alone. It’s your story. If several make the same suggestion, it would be to your advantage to at least take another look at that area.

The opportunity to have someone look at where your story is going wrong and offer advice should be treasured. Learn from the reactions of your readers; they are your future audience. That’s why we’re here.

The Excuse

“but it’s supposed to be slow-paced. I wanted the reader to think.”
“ my character is supposed to be inconsistent.”
“ you weren’t reading it right. You didn’t get it.”
“ but I wanted to leave the readers in suspense.”
“I intended to write with ambiguity.” (New writers love that one, and they accomplish it well.)

There’s nothing wrong with your story containing any of these elements. What is important is that the reader must be able to understand why you wrote it that way.
A writer who needs to make excuses for his or her writing is missing the point. The idea of writing a story is to take readers into your make-believe world for awhile, and make them believe it. Write so your words are clear enough to carry the images from your mind into the minds of your readers.

If you feel the need to explain, then you haven’t achieved the goal yet. No one said it was going to be easy; in fact, it’s very hard. You’ll cry and tear up more than one writing during the journey. Just be sure you always keep the original. After a while, you’ll go back to it one day and see it in a new light. You really will.

New writers make excuses for their work. We all did. The best way to get over doing this is to read and review other new writers. You'll learn to revise, tighten and polish until every word shines. Keep practicing - it's good practice, and, it works.

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Paul Smith -- Typewriter Artist

Hate Has Become the In Thing

It seems that the country has turned its negativity into political power, and it's so magnetic that it's slowly pulling us all in.  I can't believe what I hear and how easy it is to divide into groups, one against the other. 

This division has no purpose but to grab more votes from those who are easily led.  Why do they fall for it?   So many just do not have the capacity to think for themselves, or to think logically.  The lies are blatantly 'in your face', but the blind, deaf, and needy don't want to see or hear or even have to think too hard.  They're so easy to persuade to jump from the cliff.  Why do they have to drag the rest of us down with them?  Why do they have so much hate in their hearts?

Many citizens forget (or were never taught)  who is supposed to be in charge, and are freely tossing away all their rights.  For what?  What will be their reward?  Embracing miserable poverty and complete domination.   Who really wins?

 

 

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Is it okay to dream of becoming an amateur writer?

Many people write for fun only and are content to be called amateurs. Even amateurs should aspire to write the right way, and that is where I stand at this moment.

Today’s internet opens the doors to e-magazines, blogs, and web sites to help writers get started. Online writing groups allow you to post your writing and receive feedback on it. Honest feedback will help you learn what you don’t know, so be sure the group is made up of writers of different skill levels. In other words, at least a few should have more skill than you have.

Do you dream of becoming a published author?

Do you want it more than anything and willing to set aside your ego and work for success? That’s the huge first step that I’m still wrestling with.

The next step is finding out what you don’t know, and practicing with all your heart to learn the craft of writing. There are rules that can be broken only after you learn to use them correctly; there are rules that can never be broken, and they are important. I’m finding out those things I don’t know, but it’s a slow go.   One of those things is finding that my biggest fear in writing is posting my work publicly.

It’s the rockiest path I’ve ever tried to walk.

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Cheapskates Avoid Stress Better

I like cheap, the cheaper the better. I use yard sales and thrift shops a lot.

As young parents with little money, we learned to make-do, to get along with what we had. I have completely furnished a two-bedroom house for fifty dollars, and it looked good. My husband painted and re-glued while I cleaned and polished. Authentic old furniture magically appeared as antiques to friends and family. They eyed it greedily and we glowed.

Our house was always filled with a passel of kids, so nicks and scrapes were common to our furniture. I didn’t stress over them because I knew furniture was replaceable. And cheap. Another bonus is that old furniture was better made than the new, lower-end stuff. I’ve owned both and believe me, low-priced new furniture is pure junk! You’re wasting your money.

As the children grew older and our finances improved, we bought new stuff and it was nice, but we didn’t enjoy it as much. Is that strange? Not to me. Kids can’t romp and play on new furniture. They can’t bring a snack into the living room and enjoy family conversation or games when Mother is worried about stains and scratches. The fun is taken right out of the day when a child is banished to the kitchen. Kids are more important than ‘stuff’ and they give hugs. Mine have good memories of their childhood and I’m glad to say I helped.

Now that we are retired grandparents on Social Security, we’re back to the thrift shops. This time for yard toys. Slides, swings, rocking horses and tricycles - even a Little Tyke playhouse was added to the backyard for five dollars. These are good, top-of-the-line toys that other kids have outgrown. The cost is minimal. The memories the kids will have of visiting their Grandparents will be priceless.

I don’t see the sense of spending hundreds of dollars for toys that will be outgrown or forgotten too soon. I would rather spend as little as possible and do without the stress if something breaks. Wouldn’t you? Of course you would.

If the kids are old enough, they can help clean the new toys, maybe paint a trike for a younger brother or sister - apply some decals. They will develop pride and self-esteem through their artistry, they really will. Do you see those runs in the paint? Dab their length with a bright candy color, or gold. Bring them out to be noticed. They’re supposed to be there!

And, in my opinion, anything that aids brothers and sisters to get along and like each other is a huge bonus and stress-reliever for everyone.

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Consider Publishing Fillers

Technorati Tags: writing, critiques, family, life, flash fiction,


Think About Writing Fillers--No, Seriously!

Even writers who don't like kids might be interested in this one. You don't have to write kids-lit to cash in on these ideas--you only need to be imaginative.

The childrens genre is one of the most versatile of all genres, and gives the creative writer many more opportunities to publish than just writing a piece of fiction. If you're ready to submit your work, think seriously about magazines. There are mags for every subject imaginable and the ones in my copy of the Children's Magazine Market accept a percentage of their work from non-published freelance writers. If you don't have expertise on a subject, research thoroughly and appear as if you do.

Don't think you must stick to children's magazines. Are you familiar with Hot Rod? Many of their readers are in the YA bracket. Ever know a teen who wasn't interested in cars? Not me. Maybe you have tips on easy detailing of cars? Do you have knowledge of low-cost modifications that work? Topics include hot rod cars, repairs, racing, and collecting. They're looking for writers with a strong knowledge of hot rodding who can write with an active voice. How does $250.00 to $300.00 a page sound?

Most everyone has a hobby that could be simplified for children. Sewing simple projects are seen often. It was suggested to me long ago to detail simple quilting techniques for children, but I didn't take it on. Remember what you enjoyed as a child and work a project around it. Write step-by-step instructions simply and clearly, and include photos or drawings of the steps. Most will want a model included (if applicable).

Are you or your child left-handed? Love horses? Pets? Home school? Also, check out any regional historical mags your state, county, or hometown publish.

Visit the children's section in your library and spend time looking through magazines. Read the articles and how-to's to get familiar with the style and voice each uses. They will expect the author to know what they want.

While you're there, find the Children's Magazine Market Sourcebook published by The Institure of Children's Literature. If you haven't seen it in a while, you'll be surprised at the number of magazines that accept children's genre articles. It's a pretty handy thing to subscribe to.

A few more ideas:

Preschool and Kindergarten craft projects that use materials found around the house, like egg cartons, cardboard, paper, boxes, string, crayons, paint, glue, etc. Include instructions to show how to combine paint to make all the colors of the rainbow.

Can you draw? What about a picture book formatted as a colorbook that the kids can color to suit themselves? It keeps the kids and their crayons away from Mom's books for a while.

Magazines always need good column fillers. The shorter the better to leave room for more ads. Realistically, it's the money from the ads that pay the authors.

I was sitting in my Doctor's waiting room one day and picked up a colorful locally published brochure. It was filled with ads, jokes and tidbits of both serious and humorous information. The headliner was a short non-fiction parent-child related article. I opened it to the middle spread and realized I'd read the piece somewhere. Looking at the ending, I found it was written by Jessiebelle™  . Imagine my delight to find something published by one of our own WDC'ers right here in my little hometown. Priceless!

By the way, Jessie, the brochure doesn't come any more. What did you say to them besides demanding your Author copy?

Rebus Rhymes are popular and fun.
Rebus Picture Puzzles.
Word Puzzle Games.
Dot to Dot's.
Themed Poetry.

Are you a writer of Tongue Twisters?

Crisp crusts crackle and crunch.

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, "Let us fly!"
Said the fly, "Let us flee!"
So they flew through a flap in the flue.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/Twisters.shtml

Kids and parents love interactives that keep kids busy and happy.

The best tip I can give today is to visit your library and read the magazines that publish stories, both fiction and non-fiction. But don't stop with stories, check out what else is being published. You can find most submitting guidelines on the net, but you must hold several issues of any magazine in your hand to study them. It's important to write in the style and voice that they publish if you want them to accept your work. There aren't any shortcuts.

Consider magazines when you're ready to send your stuff in; you just might find your
niche and a few clips to boost your self-esteem and the agent's interest when you're ready to query that book.

Keep writing and good luck reaching your goal!

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A weed Beside a Long, Dirt Road

Instead of a daily post, it becomes a whenever I can post. I've been busy though. I've new stacks of yardage to turn into patchwork quilts. I think I'll try a patchwork table cover this time. I have a breakfast room that would look nice with a bright new cover on the table. I've actually covered my dining table with a quilt just for the color, and I liked the look.

It's been a tiring year, emotionally. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. I've been going over some of my early writings and found peace in the memories. I've remembered that I love dirt roads. Where can one find a quiet dirt road anymore? I need one now. Walking a simple dirt road gives the mind time to think and wonder. There is so much to see, such as lizard tracks in the powdery dirt. I'd forgotten how beautiful they are in their precision.

Looking up into the sky exercises the imagination. There's no one to watch and question your every move or word. Such freedom! Being alone on a dirt road is being one with nature. Wildflowers scattered here and there blend their color among the brown and green weeds, and they are compatible. There is no one to look at the weeds and say, "No, no! You don't belong in my back yard."

I've felt much as I imagine a weed must feel lately. A nuisance in the wrong place, wrong neighborhood, wrong back yard. I can't fit in among the planned, landscaped beauty of flowers rooted in a greenhouse. I've tried my best to disguise my roughness, but the flowers know and delicately turn their faces away. I feel I'm being pulled up by my roots from my favorite place, and there's nothing I can do.

To remember the serene quietness of walking a long, dirt road is my inspiration. Being alone is not lonely there. Where can one find such a place now?

By being quiet and setting my mind free,

it'll find the place I yearn to be.

Love Me, Love My Writing.

I couldn't resist posting this. Forgive me, friend. It speaks volumes about those who love to write.

"I have been interested in writing since grade school, where I wrote innocent stories of heroic talking animals. My adult years have produced several short poems, some of which have been published in an anthology. In my marriage, my creative expressions were often ridiculed or demeaned and thus shelved.

Since my divorce..."

Got Webrings? Still? Why?

Woe to he who offends anyone who's had a tiny taste of authority over others and found it sweet.

Who loves WebRing? Stand up and be counted or forever keep mouth shut. I used to enjoy going in to the forums and chatting with the Ring Masters and members . Remember when they used to design Nav Bars and then members could vote to  choose one as Nav Bar of the week? Have you seen any of that creativity in the last few years? Nope. The bars are identical pieces of crap.

Oh, I just thought why! It's the old PC crap again, the reason kids wear uniforms to school. No Ring is to appear better run than the next. System run rings can look just like the good rings that are managed by real, live people. I should have known that. See, when you write your thoughts about stuff, you can figure it out by yourself. Blogs can be useful.

Then they decided to animate them! The words bounce and bump along the skinny bar , back and forth, back and forth. What imagination someone had. At lest it doesn't blink. Many members, myself included, have asked, begging, them to at least make the animation optional. They ignored the masses. They say, "but it attracts attention to the rings!" Yes, it does do that, but that's backwards.  The Ring is supposed to attract people to the Site. That's the original purpose of WebRings.!

This moving monstrosity takes their attention off the pages. It causes them to escape as fast as they can because nobody can stand anything constantly moving in the corner of their eyes.

Anyway, I spent hours and hours trying to get the code for a new ring onto one of my site pages. The damn thing just wouldn't work..Of course Support said it was my fault; so much for Help from the High and Mighty. I didn't ask for help until hours later, and by then, my head hurt. I didn't want to bother them with something I should be able to figure out. I went over the HTML code line by line, and know what I found? the word --community-- was spelled --communty-- The code is written by the gurus of WR, not me. I told support of the error, corrected it in my copy and the nav bar finally showed, but it still didn't work.

I told them I'd fixed the error in my copy, but their posted code needed to be checked for more errors because I don't know HTML, and they are the experts, right? After a few e-mails back and forth someone got cranky and another got uppity and offended. After being auto-accepted into the ring, this cranky someone was promptly un-accepted because of a perceived lack of team spirit. Can you imagine the reaction of this someone? I was seeing red!

It seems in the last e-mail I'd sent to this helpful, Support person, I'm made a remark about the ring being only a system run ring, and if she couldn't spend a lot of time on it to fix it, don't worry about it. I'll get it some other time. (since it had no full-time manager) and anyway, I'd been working a long time and didn't want to mess with it anymore at that time. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you?   I certainly didn't intend to offend the system, after all, I've had two other sites in this particular ring for years.  I was simply adding a third.

She whipped a long-winded message back to me and let me know that though she loved my site, and even took time to read one of the pages, she was going to have to deny my application. She couldn't take someone who didn't have a 'team spirit' and I shouldn't have called the poor ring 'only' a system run ring. It was as good or better than most. I sat there with my mouth open for a minute till I remembered I was the customer.

Keep in mind these rings deal with websites, not the people behind them. All that needs to be done is to attach a single piece of code on a site and be sure the site is relevant.  No personal interaction is necessary - ever. What my attitude has to do with anything, I can't figure out. The only thing I know is she said SHE was 'put in charge' of that system run ring, and she intended to ride it to the stars. It was gonna be the bestest and the shiniest ring that WebRing had ever seen and her name was gonna be in lights. Well, I sorta paraphrased, but that's the main idea.   This doesn't sound like teamwork to me; it sounds like I'm gonna be the best and you'll be sorry.

She was offended with my choice of words, 'just' a system-run ring' and she let her pride get in the way of business. Will she rise to the top as a manager with her own name someday, or will she forever remain known as System?  On second thought, she'll probably succeed. There's a lot of easily offended stupids, err, Systems out there. Authority given to little people is dangerous.

I'm saving her message and will add it to my book of the various ways to hang yourself with your own pride, or something like that. I just thought of it. Some people shouldn't be encouraged.

The telling thing about the whole fiasco is she told me she liked the piece she read. She is such an amateur, thinking that would make me feel bad and I'd 'really' regret offending her. Ha! She don't know my background. I can see through false flattery in an instant.  I raised five kids and a husband.

That's okay with me. I like to write rants and she handed me a bucket-full of inspiration. Many, many members are dissatisfied with the way WebRings is being handled. I expect this piece to be a hit when it hits the circles of rings.

And besides, their choice of having a transparent nav bar is way ugly. Just like people, individual Nav Bars are beautiful in their variety of differences. Who wants to be a clone of everyone else?

Oh, the misspelled word ---community---in the code? It was never fixed. I checked while I was getting more WebRings. Pride and Stupidy; hang yourself WebRing.

Anyway, I'm not the proud owner of a particular ring.

This is going out on the WWW and it will be found by surfing a few WebRings. I wonder how mad they'll be?

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Is a Book of Cardboard, Copy Paper and Staples Worth $19.95?

Is it jealousy that makes us emotional at the news of another author being published? Is it so wrong to be envious that it isn't us instead? I don't think it's jealousy if we can admit we're envious. But, what if we go on to point out it was published by a vanity house? Or, that we read the first page and found noticeable problems? Are we jealous if we point to the errors? Probably. That anyone can publish a badly written book is one thing, but to put it up on Amazon asking for money makes me slightly angry, It's like a person cutting to the front of the line; jumping ahead of all the suckers working hard to get it right. It leaves a bad odor on all self-published authors, some of which are very good. One bad apple stinks up the whole barrel and the process keeps its bad reputation a little longer.

I wanted to be able to set some of my short stories together, in between two seven or nine -by -five inch sheets of hard cardboard, disguised by a nice covering of contact paper. I wanted words across the front that hinted of the stories inside. I wanted my name at the lower margin, and I wanted my family to love them; to read them. I wanted them to be proud that the stories contained some of my memories of them. Have I asked for too much? But, I will never write perfect enough for publication I will never be good enough to be chosen and sometimes I feel I know nothing about writing. I'm in a deep, dark valley and wonder if I really want to climb out. It's comfortable here. At this point, crafty cardboard, copy paper, and staples are good enough and they're cheap.

I will most likely give Lulu a visit someday; and order a couple dozen copies. At least I wouldn't have to pretend they chose me.

I wish I were more like some of these self-published writers; blissfully unaware of the errors, inconsistencies and plain 'bad writing' in my own work. I don't expect perfection from anyone but me, but I'd be embarrassed to put a price on anything less.

Yeah, I'm most likely just jealous of one more writer who had enough nerve to grab his dream, without slowing for a moment to ask for a good proofread.

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Are you a Real Writer?

I love to write. A few people know I wrote kids-lit for my grand-kids, home made just for them. I write for fun. I have also written some rants, just random thoughts. I write nothing fancy, PC (punctuated correctly), or of novel length.

Since I became a member of a writing group, I’ve tried my hand at other genres, thanks to the prompts. My stories are short and quick to read. No novel is planned for ‘down the road’, no plans for publishing.

Can I then call myself a ‘real writer’? Am I serious enough about writing?

Writing this newsletter has required me to do a lot of researching on the Craft of Writing. Most of what I've learned is because of this newsletter. I read and study in preparation for the letter, and believe it or not, some of it sticks. I've read lots of new writers over the last five years, and believe me, that's an education in itself.

A paraphrased list I came across somewhere of writer’s tips.

A real writer is serious about writing, driven, and writes daily.
A real writer lets nothing come in the way of finishing the novel.
A real writer has a neat desk and keeps everything in the correct folder.
A real writer keeps a notebook with them at all times.
A real writer is well educated.
A real writer writes, he won't edit until the story is told.

Would this describe you? It doesn’t me. Does that mean I’m not a real writer? No, I don’t think so. Real writer’s write for themselves too. I write because I like to. I’m serious about the piece I’m working on, and I want it to be the best it can be. I’m not driven and I don’t feel the need to write daily.

My desk isn’t neat; it isn’t organized in the traditional way. Shoot, it isn't organized in any way. I can find what I need though. Usually.

The most important ‘tip’ I know is ‘write for the joy of writing’. Write for yourself, for those you love. The publishing will happen if you research well and submit to the right place at the right time. From what I’ve read, it’s mainly a matter of luck. I know editors have turned down best sellers. If an author has a good story and is persistent with submitting, it will be published someday.

I have included this excerpt of an article because I think it is important. It is the direct opposite of everything I have read on the subject. I was glad to find it because it validates my feelings. It makes a lot of sense.

Real writers write every day. You've read this advice in every writing magazine, so it must be true, right? Real writers either dedicate a certain number of hours per day to writing, or don't stop until they've completed a certain number of pages. If you don't write every day, your writing muscle will get "flabby." If you don't write today, it will be harder to write tomorrow, and almost impossible the next day. Or so you're told. Alas, I can't recall where I read an article that beautifully punctured this myth, so I'll paraphrase: Do doctors see patients every day? Do sculptors sculpt every day? Do pastors preach every day? No! Folks with ordinary day jobs don't "work" every day, and neither do writers. Indeed, if we do not take time to relax, refresh, walk around, and interact with the world outside our keyboards, we are likely to lose our ability to remain "fresh" as writers -- not to mention the fact that we won't find very much to write about! That doesn't mean that a regular writing schedule isn't important; it is. But a regular "living" schedule is important too. If you're trying to write every day just because you think you must, writing will soon become a joyless chore, empty of passion or inspiration.

Copyright © 2001 Moira Allen
This article originally appeared on Inkspot.

Newsletter editors are real writers too!

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You don’t have to get it right the first time!

Self-Confidence

Do you ever doubt your abilities as a writer? Many of us require constant assurance that our work is good. We need the praise of our families and friends to boost our confidence back up when it slips, and it will slip.

While it is natural and important to value praise, you must develop motivation within yourself and work to build your self-confidence. Remind yourself that you can improve your writing skills, that no one is ‘born’ a good writer.

You need to discard negative thoughts about your potential as a writer. Wad them up and throw them in the trash can. I read this wonderful quote on a Writer’s Forum, posted by several members at different times. I don’t know who the originator was, but I believe it is very encouraging and should be written on a sticky note and attached to the monitors of all who doubt themselves.

You don’t have to get it right the first time.

Isn’t that good news? Say it three times out loud and remember it.

Apprehensions may have developed because others were critical of your work or perhaps you were too critical of yourself. Maybe someone told you to scrap everything except that one great sentence.

Most of us grew up being taught not to brag. We were told “Don’t toot your own horn, let others do it for you.” That may be okay in a workplace where what you do is seen by others.

But writing is a solitary act. No one sees the amount of effort and time you’ve invested, or the tears and emotion wrung from your being. We need a little recognition and praise once in a while just to keep from giving up.

Where do we get it? Readers can’t give it until the book is published, reviewers give it along with the criticisms necessary to get it published. The one person best to give you praise along the way is yourself.

You will need this ability, especially when you feel discouraged or frustrated by the reactions of friends or reviewers.

Taking pride in your achievements is not bragging. Instead of focusing on the negatives, take a moment to congratulate yourself for that particularly fine descriptive scene you wrote, or that wonderful character only you could have created. Hey, you wrote a great sentence! Celebrate!

Praise yourself for being able to enjoy your work.

Write for the joy of writing. Write only to please yourself. Your writing will reflect the pleasure you’re taking. You’ll be amazed at the confidence you gain, and it is that confidence which will soon become evident in the quality of work you churn out.

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Avoid Writing a Weather Report

Have you ever been told by a reviewer that you're writing a ‘weather report’ and wondered what it meant?

Novice writers often make the mistake of becoming a Meteorologist. Or they take on the job of the narrator at a Fashion Show, or Travel Guide - even Real Estate Agent. In other words, all these things are done to fill up that most important area - the opening of your story. By the time the weather is established and the characters are fully dressed, the reader may be gone.

Too much description is boring, and many readers will skip over it. Be sure to open your story with the story. Hook the readers and hold them with hooks of the story. They can view the countryside or the room, or whatever setting you’ve chosen, from the eyes of a character as they experience the weather. A character can simply choose a blue tee shirt because they know it matches their eyes. You’ve established their clothing and their eye color with few words. Make sure descriptions fit in naturally and unobtrusively, like a movie image, not as a narrator.

Don't skimp on details, but make each detail count. It’s not easy, but with practice, each attempt will be better. And don't forget to notice how other's do it while you're reading a favorite book. Even experienced writers get caught up with too much description sometimes, and have to cut during revisions. The old saying; Less is More - is true.

Avoid writing ‘weather reports’ and get on with the story.

critt

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Lost for Story Ideas? Harvest Your Family Tree.

I’ve sat and watched the cursor blink on the clean white page for a week. What shall I write about? Yes, Louise, even newsletter editors lack inspiration at times.

Having no direction, my mind wandered toward the family. Natural, eh? I skimmed my genealogy page and wham, the proverbial ton of bricks fell. Of course! Use real people and you can write about anything.

I picked up a few lines here and there and my goodness! I found a writer’s jackpot, and you all have one. It sits neatly among the limbs of your own Family Tree. Have you discovered it yet? Think of the many genres and topics a good writer could get out of this!

Richard Pace, 1483

Richard, (Pace) known as the Tudor diplomat, worked along with Cardinal Woolsey and Erasmus. It is said that Cardinal Woolsey was somewhat jealous of Richard and used his influence to keep him on the European continent as English Ambassador to Italy, working for the Kings cause and away from the court. Richard was an official in the Church and wrote an opinion or took a stand in favor of Henry VIII, divorcing Catherine of Aragon. He helped write the Kings James version of the Bible, working primarily on the Book of Psalms.

John the Jester - Brother of Richard

Although a scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, in 1539, and being a Master of the Arts, he was soon attached as the Jester in the household of the Duke of Norfolk before Henry VIII’s death, and in Elizabeth’s reign, he was transferred to the court.

That a man of education like Pace should have voluntarily assumed ‘the fool’s coat’ often excited hostile comment. To such criticism Pace’s friend, John Heywood, the epigrammatist, once answered that “It is better for the common weal for wise men to ‘go in fools’ coats’ than for fools to ‘go in wise men’s gowns’”
Camden, Remaines,ed.857 p314

Another Richard founded Paces’s Paines across the river from Jamestown. Chanco, an Indian youth who resided with Richard as a son, learned of King Opechankanough’s plan in March of 1622, to massacre all residents of Jamestown. Because of Chanco’s bravery in telling this plan to Richard, many residents were saved. Courtesy of Colonial Surry, by John B. Boddie

CARBONDALE, IL - It took 112 years to get Priscilla's hollyhock seed from Georgia to Oklahoma, according to John W. Allen, curator of history of Southern Illinois University Museum.

I found stories of Priscilla, a young girl of ten or eleven, who gathered the seeds of the hollyhock plant to take with her from (some versions say Georgia) North Carolina to her destination in Oklahoma during the tragic Trail of Tears era of 1838-39.

She was befriended and adopted by my husbands ancestor, Basil, during a rest camp on Dutch Creek, in Illinois. Today, Priscilla Hollyhocks are known by their unusual red color and small size.

I found a story of a hanging that failed during the civil war Confederate raid. The raiders wanted information of a ‘supply’ location. A relative was among those hauling supplies for Col. Mulligan at Lexington. He was the only one found that day and he wouldn’t talk, so the raiders hung him by the neck and left. The knot slipped, he fell to the ground and wormed his way up to the house where Grandma Davis cut the rope. To his death, Jimmy had a knot on the side of his neck and could never straighten it again.

Way back in history I roamed and found reference to a family named Rolfe and Pocahontas. Everyone knows who Pocahontas was.

The John Wayne movie, Rooster Cogburn, carries both of my mother’s family names and was set in Arkansas, her birthplace. I have an old picture in my album of a man with the name ‘Rooster Cogburn’ written across it.

I believe we each have so much history bound up in our family trees, we should never run out of ideas or inspiration. I’m lucky to have a genealogist brother to do all the searching and verifying, it’s more work than I could handle.

Love you, Lee.

http://www.rootsweb.com/

Go directly to the Message Boards and type in your family name. It's free and it's fun to read others looking for the same information - your family. This is not a site to do research unless you want to pay. If you do, it's very good, one of the best. But, free information is abundant.

If you don’t have time to do a thorough search, just visit a genealogy site and search your family names. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, and you may decide to work on your own history.

Write your fiction based on true events but don’t worry about keeping them factual. That’s what makes good fiction.

A Tip for Beginning Writers

You want to write a novel. An idea has been wandering in your mind for days, weeks, or even years and you finally decide to sit and write it. But, when you try to write the first sentence your mind goes blank and you don't know where to start. Frustrated, you begin to think you're not destined to become a writer after all.


Stop, back up, and start over. Everyone has a story to tell, and it will demand to be written sooner or later, but only when it’s ready. Experienced writers have a difficult time forcing the story from their mind to their fingertips; new writers find it almost impossible; and most important: no one gets it right in the first draft. My advice? Don't worry about it. Relax and let it happen naturally, one paragraph at a time. Literally, one paragraph at a time.


I suggest beginning with a scene. The 55 word contests found on writing sites are excellent practice for writing complete scenes. They usually give you a prompt, but you can always continue it on your writing program to suit yourself. They give you a boost in starting, take advantage of them. Then, write another. Before long you’ll have enough for a chapter. Don’t think in terms of chapter though, because then you’ll worry about keeping the action in order. Write the end first if you know how you want it to end. Write the battle from the middle of the story.



Don’t be afraid to make changes; as the story evolves, you’ll discover new ideas. Chances are you don’t have the story in sequential order in your head; you only have vague ideas of the characters or theme. Maybe all you know for sure is the setting, describe it by way of a scene. Write each scene on separate pages and title them by topic - not by the page number or proposed book title. Keep them simple and clear so you know exactly which scene you’re about to open in your writing program.


Instead of thinking in novel form, which is a huge undertaking; think of a paragraph scene. Keep it short and work on that paragraph until you can see and feel everything it contains. The point is to write as you see it in your mind, and only that small block that you see clearly. Don't try to expand it beyond what you are imagining. Novels begin with a single idea and go from there. A pleasant bonus of perfecting a paragraph or scene is you may find yourself suddenly on a roll and before you know it, a whole page is born.

The reason for writing a great paragraph is because as you learn to perfect it, the story begins to grow stronger in your mind. You will begin to see a character in the setting. Write freely and don't stop to count the spelling errors. For many writers, this will immediately stop the imagination from flowing.

Begin with writing down the basic idea. What kind of story will it be? What the character intends to accomplish in the end, and maybe a few of the obstacles he runs into. What kind of setting or world you will create. You already know the answers since you've been thinking of it for a while. Write naturally at this point, scribble or use chat-speak, don't attempt to use story format unless you're comfortable with it. You'll learn that later.

What you are doing is writing an informal outline for your eyes only. Depending on how extensive this outline is, it also helps to keep the story on track. You can look back and see if you've veered off the path. This helps you stay consistent and keeps events in sequential order. Adding character profiles can help too. For beginning writers, outlines help a lot in the technical department, but surprisingly, they get your fingers moving and your imagination wakes up .