by Katherine Harms
Someone wiser than I once said that real achievement is 90% perspiration and only 10% inspiration, or something like that. I am mathematically challenged, so I may have the precise numbers wrong, but the concept is clear: any achievement is about hard work.
_However, achievement really does require inspiration as well; otherwise, hard work is merely drudgery, work that must be done for no heartfelt reason. There may be times when writing is, in fact, drudgery. When Mother requires a child to write a thank-you note to Grandma for a pair of yellow pajamas with lambs on them, the child who despises both the color yellow and anything to do with a sheep may consider the job of writing that note to be real drudgery. It is to be hoped that none of us who feel that God has gifted us with writing skill and called us to use that gift in service to others feels that writing is drudgery.
_In my experience, the writing life is about achieving a balance between the joy of those delightful moments when inspiration lights up the road ahead and the anguish of those painful hours when the road ahead seems to be nothing but a deep, muddy swamp. It can be a real challenge when inspiration shows more than one pathway without clarifying any way to choose among the options. I recently had the joy of a couple of inspirations coupled with a strong sense of calling in both directions. I felt torn, because I could not see how to answer both calls at the same time.
_I write on the subject of the life of Christian faith. Sometimes I write about teachings. Sometimes I write about faith disciplines. I have recently felt led to write on the subject of Bible study principles and techniques, because of questions people have asked me. I had the good fortune to fall into a class on hermeneutics taught by a seminary professor, and during that class _I began to solidify the structure of a series of Bible study guides. At the same time, I was experiencing a strong sense of calling to write and teach about the importance of Christian testimony. Cultural chaos, economic crises, social problems and a political climate of real aggression against religious expression made me feel that it is important for people of faith to speak up and live their faith publicly lest the Constitutional principle of freedom of religious expression in the USA be lost. Then one morning I found myself meditating on a Bible verse that said, “Do not be afraid.” It was addressed to the disciples Jesus sent out early in his ministry to announce, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” It became clear to me that this theme was the right focus for my work.
_Most people have trouble enunciating any heartfelt principle, whether or not it relates to their religious faith, because of fear of the consequences. They may fear the scorn of others, or they may fear that they cannot defend their point of view in an aggressive debate, or they may fear social or even political punishment for their viewpoint. It may be simple shyness. In the case of religious faith, those fears can impede a person’s ability to live and speak the faith with confidence. When I read the words, “Do not be afraid,” I realized how often God has given his people those words when he commissioned them to speak for him. The Bible is full of such reassurance. I needed to pull that message out and make it clear for myself and others in order for us all to feel confident and strong in our public expression of our faith. I do not see this expression as an attempt to convert other people; rather, I see it as speaking and living truth in public. It is not about judging people who are not Christians; it is about living with integrity and honestly confessing to the source of our life principles.
_To write a series of Bible study guides and to write blogs/articles/book on the subject of fearless, truthful expression of our faith were two very big projects. I was overwhelmed. How could I do both things? How could I achieve the focus required for either project while giving the required energy to both of them? The answer proved to be another moment of inspiration.
I had begun my research on the subject “Do not be afraid” using library software where I have stored multiple books and references on the Bible as well as multiple translations of the Bible. The search feature allows me both rigid and fuzzy searches using specific words and topics. I pulled up a search on my basic phrase, “Do not be afraid” and copied the resulting list for study. Then is when the light dawned. I would, of course, study the texts I found using the best principles and techniques I know for Bible study. Therefore, as I did the research for the work on Christian testimony, I would be creating examples of good practice in Bible study. One line of work would clearly provide the foundation for both writing projects.
_Now I have the inspiration I need to get both projects done. That inspiration must sustain me as I slog through the mud of research. I will study biblical texts in various translations. I will search commentaries, historical resources, and many other books and web resources. I will use specific principles of biblical interpretation to determine what I keep and what I discard. The analysis and record-keeping required for these projects will be all perspiration. That 90% perspiration part that we all must get through somehow. I think I can do it, because I believe this is what I was created to do.
_I have been writing lots and lots of words ever since I first learned how to do it. In grade school I organized a writing club. In high school I won writing contests. I have piles and piles of written work cluttering up my space. Writing lots of words is easy. Nevertheless, writing with discipline and writing to specific standards is not so easy. It takes a lot of inspiration to support the production of that perspiration, but I will do it. There. I said it. You can hold me to this promise. Check back with me in six months. I need to know that you expect some results. Please let me know that you are counting on me. I am counting on you.
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Working With An Editor
Whether you write articles or books, screenplays or news reports, if you are lucky, you will one day work with an editor. If you never work with editors, it means that nobody is buying your work. Failure to sell is a bad thing. Working with an editor is a good thing. No matter how frustrated you feel about the editor’s attitude toward your masterpiece, if the editor is talking, you are wise to listen, because the editor is the gateway through which your work transitions from your heart to the eyes of the public.
If you want the chance to work with an editor, you must get out of the slush pile and onto the desk. This means that your book manuscript or your proposal for a book or an article must at a minimum comply with the editor’s submission guidelines. Always read the submission guidelines before you submit. After you complete your first draft, read those guidelines again, and tweak anything that must change in order to comply. Refer to the guidelines as often as necessary to assure that every document in your submission package complies with the submission guidelines for the publisher. It is easy to feel annoyed that publishers are not all alike, but varieties of publishers and editors provide broad opportunities for many different kinds of writers.
The easiest way to irritate an editor who does select your work is to refuse every suggestion for revision or (dare I whisper it?) improvement. Any honest writer knows that we all have room for improvement. An editor may see opportunity for improvement in any number of directions, and the wise writer will thank her lucky stars if she gets a chance to make those improvements. When an editor sees promise in both the writer and the concept of a piece, there is hope that editor and writer can work together to produce a book or an article that will attract readers and delightfully surprise them with something even better than they expected.
A good way to prepare for working with an editor is to participate in a critique with other writers. There are several online sites where you can do this in forums. You might explore http://christianwriters.com/ and http://www.writing.com/ . There are also many online groups for writers where there is informal or formal opportunity to help each other by means of constructive critique. Of course, the time-honored method of joining a face-to-face group that regularly engages in critique is hard to beat. In such venues, you will mature as a writer and develop specific techniques for dealing with pesky problems such as spelling and grammar as well as more subtle areas like syntax and diction. You may even get insight into content problems such as point of view, logical argument, or plot development. You will learn to value the professional growth that emerges when two (or more) creative minds tackle a problem.
Of course, the big payoff is the letter that says, “We want to buy your work,” or something like that. In the elation of receiving an acceptance letter, it is easy to miss details. However, a second reading may reveal that the editor wants some changes. Perhaps, instead of the 1000-word article you proposed, full of tips and tricks for job search in a depressed economy, the editor would like for you to reduce the count below 800 words. It is tempting to rail against the poor taste and ignorance of someone who fails to show proper respect for your compliance with the word count published in the guidelines. However, if you insist on your standards, you will need to make your case to someone else. No matter what the guidelines say, this publisher at this time needs 800 words. (Do remember the difference between guidelines and requirements.) The first time an editor made such a request of me, I was irritated. However, after I found 200 words I could do without, I discovered that the piece had a tighter, more coherent feel. I was more pleased with my work, and my bank account was happy, too.
In general, magazines prefer a query that contains a proposal to a completed article. The same is true for non-fiction books. You may propose one article or a series, or you may propose a book series. If your proposal is intriguing and your style is captivating, you may actually hear from the acquisitions editor. When you open the letter, you shout “Yes!” and do the happy dance. Then you read the letter again.
If any author has ever had a manuscript or a proposal accepted without any revisions, I have not had the pleasure of hearing about it. Writers want to receive acceptance letters, but most of them discover in the letter that some changes are required. How dare they! Your proposal is a solid concept. Your manuscript is crafted like a Rembrandt painting. What change could possibly improve it?
Perhaps you have proposed a series of articles and the editor wants you to compress your wonderful series into a single comprehensive piece. Maybe you proposed book on camping vacations, but the editor needs one focused tightly on camping in the Northwest. Alternatively, the editor loves your coverage of camping, but reader surveys indicate a growing interest in hiking venues. When your editor asks for change, be prepared to respond with a “can do” attitude. I once wrote an article about navigating a sailboat in the fog in which I focused on our personal development and growing self-confidence. The editor who expressed interest in the article asked if I could concentrate on the sailing skills and safety strategies required due to our lack of radar. This change in focus was a better fit for the magazine. Imagine that you have written a masterful article about negotiating, built around your experience helping your fifteen-year-old daughter live within a budget. Your editor may recognize a real bonanza in your tips and tricks for creating a fashion statement from items in discount stores and thrift shops, and that may be the article you actually sell. If you demonstrate that you are writing to serve the needs of the publisher and its readership rather than your own ego, you can build a relationship that may serve you well in your writing career.
Never forget that the editor is just as committed to your success as you are. Both of you have a lot to lose if your book or your article bombs. Your interaction with the editor of a magazine may be brief and intermittent, but very important nonetheless. If you sell a book project, then you will work with an editor for several months. In the books I read, authors often compliment their editors for their help in making the book better and making the author look good. They probably did not feel that way in the middle of the project.
One afternoon I boarded an airplane. When I found my seat, I noticed that my neighbor had a thick pile of papers on her lap and a cell phone to her ear. As she talked, she rummaged through the papers and scribbled notes. I could hear everything she was saying, of course. I heard some anxiety in her voice as she held up one page and said, “Take out the argument? Last week you told me I needed an argument to build the scene!” She was silent. “Then how will I get her to slam the door? She needs to slam the door to clinch the drama.” More silence. “I like the sound of a door slamming. I don’t want to invent some other device.” Papers rustled as she rummaged through them. “Well, thank goodness. I’m glad you liked that.” Suddenly she looked agitated. She moved her finger across the page as if she needed help reading. Suddenly she stabbed at a word. “I can’t believe I missed that! I know I checked the spelling, but there it is. Aaaggghhh!” She drew a large, black circle on the page. More silence. “Yes, but if I spend too much time describing that cave, the reader will forget why we are there. I thought it was more important to get him through the bottleneck.” A pause. “Hmm. Cold, wet, dark. Thank you for your confidence, but I can’t imagine how to increase the imagery while keeping the verbiage lean.” Eventually the conversation ended. I brazenly introduced myself and learned what I had suspected. This writer was working on her novel with her editor, streaking toward a deadline to run the galley proofs.
If you pay attention to this interchange (or at least the half I could hear), you will see that the dialogue shows two creative minds at work. The writer and the editor both want this book to succeed, and they have somewhat different ideas about what it will take. The writer who feels that this work is a finely polished jewel may not want to chip at it anywhere. The editor, with years of experience identifying books that sell, wants to chip anywhere and everywhere that will make that jewel shine more brightly. Every time I read a book that completely engulfs me, I know that it is the result of exactly this kind of creative friction, a dialectic from which emerges something better than either person could have done alone.
If you know that you were created to be a writer, know also that some people were created to be editors. Readers are deeply indebted to both. Your books and articles will connect with readers and build your relationship with readers only if you learn how to work successfully with editors.
© 2009 Katherine Harms
If you want the chance to work with an editor, you must get out of the slush pile and onto the desk. This means that your book manuscript or your proposal for a book or an article must at a minimum comply with the editor’s submission guidelines. Always read the submission guidelines before you submit. After you complete your first draft, read those guidelines again, and tweak anything that must change in order to comply. Refer to the guidelines as often as necessary to assure that every document in your submission package complies with the submission guidelines for the publisher. It is easy to feel annoyed that publishers are not all alike, but varieties of publishers and editors provide broad opportunities for many different kinds of writers.
The easiest way to irritate an editor who does select your work is to refuse every suggestion for revision or (dare I whisper it?) improvement. Any honest writer knows that we all have room for improvement. An editor may see opportunity for improvement in any number of directions, and the wise writer will thank her lucky stars if she gets a chance to make those improvements. When an editor sees promise in both the writer and the concept of a piece, there is hope that editor and writer can work together to produce a book or an article that will attract readers and delightfully surprise them with something even better than they expected.
A good way to prepare for working with an editor is to participate in a critique with other writers. There are several online sites where you can do this in forums. You might explore http://christianwriters.com/ and http://www.writing.com/ . There are also many online groups for writers where there is informal or formal opportunity to help each other by means of constructive critique. Of course, the time-honored method of joining a face-to-face group that regularly engages in critique is hard to beat. In such venues, you will mature as a writer and develop specific techniques for dealing with pesky problems such as spelling and grammar as well as more subtle areas like syntax and diction. You may even get insight into content problems such as point of view, logical argument, or plot development. You will learn to value the professional growth that emerges when two (or more) creative minds tackle a problem.
Of course, the big payoff is the letter that says, “We want to buy your work,” or something like that. In the elation of receiving an acceptance letter, it is easy to miss details. However, a second reading may reveal that the editor wants some changes. Perhaps, instead of the 1000-word article you proposed, full of tips and tricks for job search in a depressed economy, the editor would like for you to reduce the count below 800 words. It is tempting to rail against the poor taste and ignorance of someone who fails to show proper respect for your compliance with the word count published in the guidelines. However, if you insist on your standards, you will need to make your case to someone else. No matter what the guidelines say, this publisher at this time needs 800 words. (Do remember the difference between guidelines and requirements.) The first time an editor made such a request of me, I was irritated. However, after I found 200 words I could do without, I discovered that the piece had a tighter, more coherent feel. I was more pleased with my work, and my bank account was happy, too.
In general, magazines prefer a query that contains a proposal to a completed article. The same is true for non-fiction books. You may propose one article or a series, or you may propose a book series. If your proposal is intriguing and your style is captivating, you may actually hear from the acquisitions editor. When you open the letter, you shout “Yes!” and do the happy dance. Then you read the letter again.
If any author has ever had a manuscript or a proposal accepted without any revisions, I have not had the pleasure of hearing about it. Writers want to receive acceptance letters, but most of them discover in the letter that some changes are required. How dare they! Your proposal is a solid concept. Your manuscript is crafted like a Rembrandt painting. What change could possibly improve it?
Perhaps you have proposed a series of articles and the editor wants you to compress your wonderful series into a single comprehensive piece. Maybe you proposed book on camping vacations, but the editor needs one focused tightly on camping in the Northwest. Alternatively, the editor loves your coverage of camping, but reader surveys indicate a growing interest in hiking venues. When your editor asks for change, be prepared to respond with a “can do” attitude. I once wrote an article about navigating a sailboat in the fog in which I focused on our personal development and growing self-confidence. The editor who expressed interest in the article asked if I could concentrate on the sailing skills and safety strategies required due to our lack of radar. This change in focus was a better fit for the magazine. Imagine that you have written a masterful article about negotiating, built around your experience helping your fifteen-year-old daughter live within a budget. Your editor may recognize a real bonanza in your tips and tricks for creating a fashion statement from items in discount stores and thrift shops, and that may be the article you actually sell. If you demonstrate that you are writing to serve the needs of the publisher and its readership rather than your own ego, you can build a relationship that may serve you well in your writing career.
Never forget that the editor is just as committed to your success as you are. Both of you have a lot to lose if your book or your article bombs. Your interaction with the editor of a magazine may be brief and intermittent, but very important nonetheless. If you sell a book project, then you will work with an editor for several months. In the books I read, authors often compliment their editors for their help in making the book better and making the author look good. They probably did not feel that way in the middle of the project.
One afternoon I boarded an airplane. When I found my seat, I noticed that my neighbor had a thick pile of papers on her lap and a cell phone to her ear. As she talked, she rummaged through the papers and scribbled notes. I could hear everything she was saying, of course. I heard some anxiety in her voice as she held up one page and said, “Take out the argument? Last week you told me I needed an argument to build the scene!” She was silent. “Then how will I get her to slam the door? She needs to slam the door to clinch the drama.” More silence. “I like the sound of a door slamming. I don’t want to invent some other device.” Papers rustled as she rummaged through them. “Well, thank goodness. I’m glad you liked that.” Suddenly she looked agitated. She moved her finger across the page as if she needed help reading. Suddenly she stabbed at a word. “I can’t believe I missed that! I know I checked the spelling, but there it is. Aaaggghhh!” She drew a large, black circle on the page. More silence. “Yes, but if I spend too much time describing that cave, the reader will forget why we are there. I thought it was more important to get him through the bottleneck.” A pause. “Hmm. Cold, wet, dark. Thank you for your confidence, but I can’t imagine how to increase the imagery while keeping the verbiage lean.” Eventually the conversation ended. I brazenly introduced myself and learned what I had suspected. This writer was working on her novel with her editor, streaking toward a deadline to run the galley proofs.
If you pay attention to this interchange (or at least the half I could hear), you will see that the dialogue shows two creative minds at work. The writer and the editor both want this book to succeed, and they have somewhat different ideas about what it will take. The writer who feels that this work is a finely polished jewel may not want to chip at it anywhere. The editor, with years of experience identifying books that sell, wants to chip anywhere and everywhere that will make that jewel shine more brightly. Every time I read a book that completely engulfs me, I know that it is the result of exactly this kind of creative friction, a dialectic from which emerges something better than either person could have done alone.
If you know that you were created to be a writer, know also that some people were created to be editors. Readers are deeply indebted to both. Your books and articles will connect with readers and build your relationship with readers only if you learn how to work successfully with editors.
© 2009 Katherine Harms
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Really bad opening lines ...
'IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT'
The ever-popular Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which praises bad opening lines, is accepting entries for 2009, though the deadline is up in the air: "The official deadline is April 15 (a date that Americans associate with painful submissions and making up bad stories). The actual deadline may be as late as May 30 (the 2009 results will be released by mid-June)."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source
Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter
University of Dayton
January/February 2009
Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
The ever-popular Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which praises bad opening lines, is accepting entries for 2009, though the deadline is up in the air: "The official deadline is April 15 (a date that Americans associate with painful submissions and making up bad stories). The actual deadline may be as late as May 30 (the 2009 results will be released by mid-June)."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source
Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter
University of Dayton
January/February 2009
Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Author Robert Schimmel
HUMOR AND HEARTBREAK
Comedy Central named Robert Schimmel one of its best 100 comics. He needed a sense of humor to stay sane through divorce, cancer and the death of child. He writes about it in his new book, Cancer on $5 a Day: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. Hear the NPR story here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source - Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter
University of Dayton
January/February 2009
Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
Comedy Central named Robert Schimmel one of its best 100 comics. He needed a sense of humor to stay sane through divorce, cancer and the death of child. He writes about it in his new book, Cancer on $5 a Day: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. Hear the NPR story here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source - Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter
University of Dayton
January/February 2009
Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Make 'em Laugh
“MAKE 'EM LAUGH"
PBS's new six-hour documentary, broadcast in three parts, looks at the history of American comedy in the 20th century -- funny people talking about what's funny and why.
(source Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter, University of Dayton, January/February 2009)
PBS's new six-hour documentary, broadcast in three parts, looks at the history of American comedy in the 20th century -- funny people talking about what's funny and why.
(source Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Newsletter, University of Dayton, January/February 2009)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Reminder - Get answers to your writing questions...
Professional freelancer Peggy Frezon is willing to share her experiences and answer any questions you might have about writing, marketing, and publishing. Her book credits inclue numerous Chicken Soup editions, Matters for Mothers, Miracles Everyday, A Christmas Wonderland, and others. Her magazine credits include: Guidepost, Positive Thinking, Sweet 16, Pockets, Teaching Tolerance and many more. An award winning writer Peggy can be found here:
http://peggyfrezon.googlepages.com/home
Please email your questions to: patriciapunt@comcast.net
http://peggyfrezon.googlepages.com/home
Please email your questions to: patriciapunt@comcast.net
Monday, November 3, 2008
"I quit my job and launched my freelance career..."
Joy Perrino Choquette is a full-time freelance writer whose work has appeared in E/The Environmental Magazine, Listen Magazine, and Liberty Magazine. She has upcoming articles in Vermont Magazine and Grit Magazine. She also writes regularly for a number of regional publications. Joy is particuarly interested in writing about environmental, social and animal welfare issues and hopes to someday publish a book on one of these topics. In the meantime, Joy is working on a fictional young adult novel.
Many people grow up knowing just what it is they want to be when they get older: Be a doctor. Fly commercial airplanes. Work as an executive accountant. Be a stage actress.
I never knew what I wanted to do. When I was very young I wanted to be a wife and mother, or maybe a baker. When I got older I decided I wanted to be either a veterinarian or a photo/journalist for National Geographic magazine. I struggled enough in my freshman college year of biology to realize that a veterinary degree was going to be awfully hard to come by. I had also taken a year to work at a vet’s office after high school and realized that I would have to deal with people a lot more than their pets in a veterinary practice.
So, I ended up getting my degree in psychology. My intent was to continue my education and become a marriage counselor. Instead, I finished my bachelor’s while working full-time in human services. I stayed in that field for seven years. Seven loooooong years. I changed jobs so many times within the field that it was getting to be a joke among family and friends. People would ask me "So, where are you working now?" as soon as they saw me. I think I had something like 10 jobs within those seven years. I hated working in an office. I quickly burned out listening to so many horrible, sad, stories. I felt like I was constantly applying band-aids to gaping, gushing, wounds. There were the elderly people who were so lonely they never wanted me to leave. The mothers who were drug addicts and had lost their children to the foster care system. The men who were out of work and depressed. It was a very hard career and it was not a good fit for me. But each time I changed jobs, I thought "This will be it! This job will be the one. I will work here and tough it out no matter what." Six months later, I would be zipping around the employment websites, looking for a way out.
Finally, after losing my last job, I took a temporary position as a receptionist in a small, family owned company. I knew before accepting the temporary-to-permanent position that it was not going to be permanent for me. But I needed a place to rest, to gather my strength, and to figure out what I was going to do with my life. I was interested in graphic design and researched that for several months. However, there were parts of the work that seemed tedious to me, and other parts that seemed frightening (like finding and retaining all those clients on my own). There was also the investment in graphic design software and a new computer which would not be inexpensive.
I kept researching and kept my eyes and ears open. "Write." That’s what I kept hearing but I pushed it away. To be honest, I had heard that idea before but never pursued it. My oldest sister is "the writer" in our family. And in a family with four girls, you learn early to stay out of other sister’s territory. Still, the idea kept popping up. "Write." Write what? How could I write for a career? I didn’t have any experience or background. I had no idea what I was doing. But still the voice kept chiming in, "Just write." Finally, I said a prayer (okay, it was about 345 anguished prayers) and starting writing. First, I just wrote down my thoughts, like I had for all the years growing up when I kept a journal. Then, sort of by accident, I found a part-time job writing human interest stories for a local paper. Later, I found more writing work through a monthly business journal, then a local art publication and a national magazine.
Six month later, after socking away extra money and writing before and after my work day at the office, I quit my job and launched my freelance career. It’s been 11 months now, and even on the very worst days, I have not regretted my decision. Each time I feel tempted to give up and throw in the towel, ("I’ll never make enough money doing this!") something happens to keep me going. Sometimes it’s a check I forgot was coming, or a kind word from an editor. Other times it’s my writing friends telling me not to give up.
And finally, finally, I can say without a doubt, that I have found the career that I was called to. The work that I am meant to be doing. It’s taken me a lot of years, but it’s been worth the wait.
Many people grow up knowing just what it is they want to be when they get older: Be a doctor. Fly commercial airplanes. Work as an executive accountant. Be a stage actress.
I never knew what I wanted to do. When I was very young I wanted to be a wife and mother, or maybe a baker. When I got older I decided I wanted to be either a veterinarian or a photo/journalist for National Geographic magazine. I struggled enough in my freshman college year of biology to realize that a veterinary degree was going to be awfully hard to come by. I had also taken a year to work at a vet’s office after high school and realized that I would have to deal with people a lot more than their pets in a veterinary practice.
So, I ended up getting my degree in psychology. My intent was to continue my education and become a marriage counselor. Instead, I finished my bachelor’s while working full-time in human services. I stayed in that field for seven years. Seven loooooong years. I changed jobs so many times within the field that it was getting to be a joke among family and friends. People would ask me "So, where are you working now?" as soon as they saw me. I think I had something like 10 jobs within those seven years. I hated working in an office. I quickly burned out listening to so many horrible, sad, stories. I felt like I was constantly applying band-aids to gaping, gushing, wounds. There were the elderly people who were so lonely they never wanted me to leave. The mothers who were drug addicts and had lost their children to the foster care system. The men who were out of work and depressed. It was a very hard career and it was not a good fit for me. But each time I changed jobs, I thought "This will be it! This job will be the one. I will work here and tough it out no matter what." Six months later, I would be zipping around the employment websites, looking for a way out.
Finally, after losing my last job, I took a temporary position as a receptionist in a small, family owned company. I knew before accepting the temporary-to-permanent position that it was not going to be permanent for me. But I needed a place to rest, to gather my strength, and to figure out what I was going to do with my life. I was interested in graphic design and researched that for several months. However, there were parts of the work that seemed tedious to me, and other parts that seemed frightening (like finding and retaining all those clients on my own). There was also the investment in graphic design software and a new computer which would not be inexpensive.
I kept researching and kept my eyes and ears open. "Write." That’s what I kept hearing but I pushed it away. To be honest, I had heard that idea before but never pursued it. My oldest sister is "the writer" in our family. And in a family with four girls, you learn early to stay out of other sister’s territory. Still, the idea kept popping up. "Write." Write what? How could I write for a career? I didn’t have any experience or background. I had no idea what I was doing. But still the voice kept chiming in, "Just write." Finally, I said a prayer (okay, it was about 345 anguished prayers) and starting writing. First, I just wrote down my thoughts, like I had for all the years growing up when I kept a journal. Then, sort of by accident, I found a part-time job writing human interest stories for a local paper. Later, I found more writing work through a monthly business journal, then a local art publication and a national magazine.
Six month later, after socking away extra money and writing before and after my work day at the office, I quit my job and launched my freelance career. It’s been 11 months now, and even on the very worst days, I have not regretted my decision. Each time I feel tempted to give up and throw in the towel, ("I’ll never make enough money doing this!") something happens to keep me going. Sometimes it’s a check I forgot was coming, or a kind word from an editor. Other times it’s my writing friends telling me not to give up.
And finally, finally, I can say without a doubt, that I have found the career that I was called to. The work that I am meant to be doing. It’s taken me a lot of years, but it’s been worth the wait.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
If you have a novel idea you're invited to join NaNoWriMo for a breath taking month of writing. Think first draft ... quantity vs. quality ... a chance to write the novel you have been putting off. Forget editing as you go, instead the goal is to create a 175 page (50,000 words) first draft. Its free, the website is great, and there is round the clock support online.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/
http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I Don't Always Get To Write What I Want, But...
Kate Wicker is a wife, at-home mom and writer. When she's not working on several "almost finished novels and short stories, she dabbles in the personal essay market, Christian parenting and health writing. Some of her credits include Atlanta Parent, Faith & Family, Inside Catholic, Pregnancy magazine, and Woman's Day.
When I graduated with a journalism degree in 2000, I thought literary writing was the only thing worth doing. I wanted my writing to enlighten, to touch people deeply and maybe even to change the world one word at a time. I was also in my early twenties, so of course I knew absolutely everything. Now several years later I know otherwise. Today I'm a successful freelancer, but how I became one was not as idyllic as I had supposed. Everything I write isn't artsy, nor am I up for a Pulitzer Prize, but my words are being published and I'm getting paid to do what I love (yippee!), and all you other dreamy idealists can too, but you may have to readjust the way you look at your writing.
Here are some lessons that have helped a pensive scribe like myself along the way:
Be sneaky if you want to enlighten. In most writing markets, you can choose to edify your readers in which case a lot of them will stop reading, or you can choose to talk to them on their own level, snag their interest and marble in a surprise here and there to intrigue them and make a handful of them think further. It's sort of "stealth edification." I learned this lesson the hard way. I landed my first job as a writer in the marketing department of an academic medical center. I hated writing generic health articles like "how to lower your cholesterol," so I desperately tried to write more substantive and creative pieces...that is until my boss told me I needed to stick to the basic facts and write at a middle school level. At first I was appalled, but then I realized she was right. The audience I was writing for wanted to sink their teeth into quick, healthy bites of information. They weren't looking to leisurely sit down and read Faulkerian sentences or Proust prose.
Learn to let go. I used to hate to cut anything from my writing. I was so attached to my words that slashing them was like severing a limb. However, I learned that it was easier for me to edit my work than for it to either not sell or for an editor to change it so much that it didn't even seem like it was mine any longer. It may hurt a little at first, but take a deep breath and let go of any words and sentences that aren't absolutely necessary, especially if you have a strict word count to meet (750 words means 750 words). If you're fond of a particular image ("the trees reached up to the sky like gnarled hands"), then jot it down in a notebook and save it for another piece. Sometimes a sentence or idea may not work for a particular publication (or audience), but it may be perfect for something else.
Never lose sight of why you're writing. Do you have a good idea? Is there a point of view you want to promote? Do you want to convince someone to think as you do? Do you want to comfort someone, inspire them, reassure them, horrify them, urge them into action or maybe make them laugh? Whatever it is that you (and the editors - you can never lose sight of their needs) want to accomplish, use the language that will get the job done. That's all that matters. Anything else is like contemplating your navel.
Finally, don't take yourself too seriously. Sometimes I get in these ridiculously contemplative moods. I might fill a page with a wordy description of one, stinkin' leaf or I might ponder Communism, vegetarianism, antidisestablishmentarianism or some other 'ism. When I'm writing about it, it all seems to make sense. Yet, sometimes I have to take a step back and say, "Whoa, wait a minute. What is this? Will others really enjoy reading this?" If the answer is no, then it's time to move on. If the answer is yes or even maybe, then I can try to sell it. If it sells, hooray! Bring out the champagne. If it doesn't, que sera, sera. There's always another market, another editor looking for the right query, another day, another leaf and another 'ism.
At the end of the day, if I'm not enjoying what I do and am sweating over every single word or rejection, then it's not worth it. There are too many writers out there who end up sequestered in a little cave with a row of empty gin-and-tonics with an "almost finished" novel and queries that never made it to the outbox. Even if I can't always write exactly what or how I want, I don't intend to join that society anytime soon. Neither should you.
She blogs at http://www.katewicker.com/.--
This article was orginally published at WritersWeekly.com. Thanks Kate!
When I graduated with a journalism degree in 2000, I thought literary writing was the only thing worth doing. I wanted my writing to enlighten, to touch people deeply and maybe even to change the world one word at a time. I was also in my early twenties, so of course I knew absolutely everything. Now several years later I know otherwise. Today I'm a successful freelancer, but how I became one was not as idyllic as I had supposed. Everything I write isn't artsy, nor am I up for a Pulitzer Prize, but my words are being published and I'm getting paid to do what I love (yippee!), and all you other dreamy idealists can too, but you may have to readjust the way you look at your writing.
Here are some lessons that have helped a pensive scribe like myself along the way:
Be sneaky if you want to enlighten. In most writing markets, you can choose to edify your readers in which case a lot of them will stop reading, or you can choose to talk to them on their own level, snag their interest and marble in a surprise here and there to intrigue them and make a handful of them think further. It's sort of "stealth edification." I learned this lesson the hard way. I landed my first job as a writer in the marketing department of an academic medical center. I hated writing generic health articles like "how to lower your cholesterol," so I desperately tried to write more substantive and creative pieces...that is until my boss told me I needed to stick to the basic facts and write at a middle school level. At first I was appalled, but then I realized she was right. The audience I was writing for wanted to sink their teeth into quick, healthy bites of information. They weren't looking to leisurely sit down and read Faulkerian sentences or Proust prose.
Learn to let go. I used to hate to cut anything from my writing. I was so attached to my words that slashing them was like severing a limb. However, I learned that it was easier for me to edit my work than for it to either not sell or for an editor to change it so much that it didn't even seem like it was mine any longer. It may hurt a little at first, but take a deep breath and let go of any words and sentences that aren't absolutely necessary, especially if you have a strict word count to meet (750 words means 750 words). If you're fond of a particular image ("the trees reached up to the sky like gnarled hands"), then jot it down in a notebook and save it for another piece. Sometimes a sentence or idea may not work for a particular publication (or audience), but it may be perfect for something else.
Never lose sight of why you're writing. Do you have a good idea? Is there a point of view you want to promote? Do you want to convince someone to think as you do? Do you want to comfort someone, inspire them, reassure them, horrify them, urge them into action or maybe make them laugh? Whatever it is that you (and the editors - you can never lose sight of their needs) want to accomplish, use the language that will get the job done. That's all that matters. Anything else is like contemplating your navel.
Finally, don't take yourself too seriously. Sometimes I get in these ridiculously contemplative moods. I might fill a page with a wordy description of one, stinkin' leaf or I might ponder Communism, vegetarianism, antidisestablishmentarianism or some other 'ism. When I'm writing about it, it all seems to make sense. Yet, sometimes I have to take a step back and say, "Whoa, wait a minute. What is this? Will others really enjoy reading this?" If the answer is no, then it's time to move on. If the answer is yes or even maybe, then I can try to sell it. If it sells, hooray! Bring out the champagne. If it doesn't, que sera, sera. There's always another market, another editor looking for the right query, another day, another leaf and another 'ism.
At the end of the day, if I'm not enjoying what I do and am sweating over every single word or rejection, then it's not worth it. There are too many writers out there who end up sequestered in a little cave with a row of empty gin-and-tonics with an "almost finished" novel and queries that never made it to the outbox. Even if I can't always write exactly what or how I want, I don't intend to join that society anytime soon. Neither should you.
She blogs at http://www.katewicker.com/.--
This article was orginally published at WritersWeekly.com. Thanks Kate!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Simple Plan
Ideas. Where do they come from? Its a familiar question, one that authors are often asked during a book signing or when being interviewed. All writers know that ideas come in all shapes and sizes and are everywhere, in the people we meet, in the things we hear on TV and read in the newspaper, and in our past experiences or those of others.
The truth is ideas are all around us. All of us are bombarded with ideas each and every day. Successful writers however, have trained themselves to recognize these nuggets and know what to do with them. Published authors are willing to spend the hours it takes to put these ideas, these nuggets to work. They begin by asking "what if"....
The idea: what if three men find $4 million dollars in unmarked bills and decide to keep it. What if these same men agree to a plan that will let them safely keep the money?
A Simple Plan is a film about three men, Hank, (played by Bill Paxton), his simple-minded brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), who find a bag full of money in a downed plane and decide to keep it. The plan is that Hank will hide the money in his house until winter ends, and then the three of them will divvy up the cash and move away. They promise to tell no one.
Plotting the story: What if things go wrong, horribly wrong. What if the sheriff shows up. What if the secret is shared. What if someone else wants the money. What if someone dies?
A writer can learn a lot about motivation and character development by watching this film. A questionable decision is the basis for this film and layer by layer the story is revealed.
What if you sit down and spend some time asking your character what if? It really is a very simple plan to use when writing your next novel.
The truth is ideas are all around us. All of us are bombarded with ideas each and every day. Successful writers however, have trained themselves to recognize these nuggets and know what to do with them. Published authors are willing to spend the hours it takes to put these ideas, these nuggets to work. They begin by asking "what if"....
The idea: what if three men find $4 million dollars in unmarked bills and decide to keep it. What if these same men agree to a plan that will let them safely keep the money?
A Simple Plan is a film about three men, Hank, (played by Bill Paxton), his simple-minded brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), who find a bag full of money in a downed plane and decide to keep it. The plan is that Hank will hide the money in his house until winter ends, and then the three of them will divvy up the cash and move away. They promise to tell no one.
Plotting the story: What if things go wrong, horribly wrong. What if the sheriff shows up. What if the secret is shared. What if someone else wants the money. What if someone dies?
A writer can learn a lot about motivation and character development by watching this film. A questionable decision is the basis for this film and layer by layer the story is revealed.
What if you sit down and spend some time asking your character what if? It really is a very simple plan to use when writing your next novel.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Dialogue, To Give or Get Information
The idea behind "Dialogue" is my desire to stay in touch with former students, clients, and other writers. Being part of a writing community has always been important to me. I've encouraged class members to join or create a writers group for support. Some have stayed in touch, some haven't. Perhaps this blog will become part of the journey for all of us. "Dialogue," a place to offer support, suggestions, share news, and ask questions. A place to talk about new books, and old ones. "Dialogue," a place to give and get information. Think fiction "dialogue is vital to the story, it delivers information and reveals character." "Dialogue" gives life to the work.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Welcome
My first writing job was putting together a weekly Happenings Column in the late 1970s for The Community Times, a mid-size county newspaper. Happenings, for the uninformed are neighborhood events such as, car washes, PTA meetings, bake sales, first birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, and out-of-town guest. The pay was meager, definitely sub-minimum wage, but the benefits for an inexperienced beginner were tremendous. I quickly learned how to gather the necessary news to fill my column, I also learned to write tight, and meet a deadline (I stuffed my typed copy into the mailbox of a fellow reporter every Sunday evening - we never met) and act like a professional. I worked every day and once a week I was rewarded with seeing my words, my picture, and my work in print. Until that Thursday afternoon when I eagerly snatched the folded paper from my front yard and read: "Last Edition." The paper folded, I was out of work (no one told me), but it was too late, I was hooked.
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