Category Archives: The Writing World

I love this time of the year, cuz I love food!!!  And most of your characters should, too.  Well, they don’t have to love it as much as I do, but they should especially like one particular food item.  Or better yet, make them hate one.  Food is something all readers can identify with.  If they also hate peas or love vanilla ice cream like your protagonist, then a reader will remember that.  And don’t we all want our writing to be memorable?  What if your villain and hero both loved the same food? Or what if your hero was allergic to tomatoes, but the villain lived in a tomato farm?  The villain could even blow up the local chocolate factory, causing a river of chocolatey goodness to flow right to my doorstep.  Mmmm….  Now that’s what I call a happy ending 😉

If you know some one that is a craft-o-matic with their writing, then I suggest you stick close to them.  I have a few of them, but one in particular soars above all others- author Bonnie Paulson, http://www.bonnierpaulson.com/.  She drags herself from bed in the wee hours to pound the keys and surf the net.  And I (feeling a little guilty) get to glean off of what she reaps.  She’s trying to build her craft.  She finds amazing sites, blogs and hints that show how an excellent story is crafted.  She doesn’t need all the info, and neither do I.  But, some of our other friends may.  So we share and email and text our findings and links.  Well, mostly she does it, I just pass it on where it’s needed.

You never want to believe you are the greatest writer, there is always someone better.  But seriously, if an author believes their work is flawless, then they can’t grow.  And growing, changing and learning is what the writing world is all about.  So striving to build your craft is essential. I’m thankful for my craft-o-matic bud, Bonnie.  Thanks for helping me grow!

Many authors I’ve spoken to have different ways of sending out queries.  Some do it once a day for a week.  Once they start getting rejections they send out a new query per rejection.  That way they always have the same amount out there.  Others have their list and just query everyone they possibly can.  Others send out in groups. Five to a dozen seems to be the common set.  Once nearly all of them return they send out the next set.

But, no matter how you query, just send those letters out.  At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. 🙂

If you’re not published can you still call yourself a writer? Or better yet, an author?

Here are a few examples that may set your mind at ease.  If you are writing daily, then yes.  And I’m not talking about journaling.  Many people journal, but they don’t go around claiming to be “writers.”  I have time set aside every morning to write.  And a couple more in the evening.  When company is hanging on the bell I can literally say “I need to go to work.”  Because that’s what it is.

Join writer’s groups and critique groups.  You think you’re good.  I know you do.  You might even be very talented.  But believe me, nothing is more humbling than joining a group and hearing directly from published authors what works and what doesn’t. These are people who are talented as well.  But you have to know how the writing world works to get through the iron curtain.

Enter contests.  If you can’t get published then start entering contests.  At least if you place you can finally call yourself an “Award Winning Author.”  It will boost your confidence.  And if you are swimming in rejections then that’s a boost you need.  And you never know what publishers or agents are judging your manuscripts.

Make connections.  Start a Facebook page, blog or twitter.  Better yet, do all three.  You don’t have to be on every day, though it helps, but at least you are out there and active.

If you’ve done these things then you can proudly proclaim yourself as a working writer.  Just remember to bounce back when you get knocked down.  Believe me, all those published authors have been there.  But they kept pushing through!

Keep writing friends!

This is something that keeps coming up. Plot. It’s a simple word.  Yet, when writing a synopsis or query after the several thousand words it may become lost to the author.

Plot has been presented to me in three questions: What does your character want?  What’s in their way to stop them? How do they overcome it?  Those are the three simple little questions agents and publishers want answered in your queries.  But, by the time you’ve reached the end your character will be more well-rounded. There will probably be more than one goal.  There are the inner goals; Matilda wants to find love. And the outer goals; Matilda’s dream is to make the largest hot fudge brownie sundae in the world. (I’m on a diet, give me a break!) In the middle east. Then she’ll win that treasure that will help pay the ransom for her kidnapped chihuahua.

Which goal is a little more driving?  The love or fulfilling her dream in a war-torn area so she can save her beloved pet?  Okay, maybe that’s a smidge overboard… But I do tend to focus more on the love (because those are the scenes I pour over) than the big huge elephant in the room.  Or tiny yapping chihuahua, whatever.

The best way to get around that inner and outer goal conflict? Write a little one page cheat sheet of where you expect your story to go.

What does the character want?  To create her dream dessert and save her pillaged pup.

What’s in her way?  The middle east and lack of money.

What helps her overcome it?  She’s unknowingly fallen in love with her dog’s kidnapper, the prince of the land. She doesn’t win, but she becomes a princess and gets the dog back anyway.  The prince names a day after her mountainous dessert and celebrates it yearly.

Now I can begin writing my tale.  Well, maybe not. But hopefully you get the hint. I think I finally have.