Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Update
Hi all, Tom here. Lynn asked me to post this note if tropical storm Fay kept her from getting back online. I talked with her last night and she and her family are well and ready for the bad weather. Lynn will return to posting as soon as she can, depending on how long this storm lasts and when her power service is restored.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Winner & Off Again
It's good to know I'm not the only one going through a weird writer phase at the moment, and I appreciate everyone who shared theirs for the Just a Phase giveaway. We cranked up the magic hat, and the winner of the giveaway is:
JessieGirl
When you have a chance, JessieGirl, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get this package in the mail to you.
Also, I'm sorry that I have to bail on you guys again, but I've got to go out of town and will be incommunicado for a few days. I should be back either Tuesday or Wednesday; see you all then.
JessieGirl
When you have a chance, JessieGirl, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get this package in the mail to you.
Also, I'm sorry that I have to bail on you guys again, but I've got to go out of town and will be incommunicado for a few days. I should be back either Tuesday or Wednesday; see you all then.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Story By Name Game
This is a writing game I play with high school students to teach bare bones story plotting minus the usual headaches (teachers, it works best if you do it on the classroom chalk or white board with verbal participation from the class.)
1. Take your local phone book and find five random listings for couples and write down their first names, then select five surnames at random from different pages and assign them to your couples:
Gary & Priscilla Durkin
Terry & Carla Lindsley
Phillip & Dorothy Johnson
Hugh & Alice Cherveny
Clyde & Harriett Maples
2. Pick five major (as in life-changing) events that routinely happen to couples, and assign one to each of your couples (you can do this at random or by what feels right for each couple):
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny
3. Choose a primary conflict for each of your couples (this can be about the major event, the couple, or totally unrelated) and add that to your description:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress.
4. Now, add another complication, but this time choose one that ties the couple's major event to their primary conflict:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female; Terry reveals that she was biologically male before having gender correction surgery.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court; Dorothy discovers she is the only person in the immediate area who shares his rare blood type.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again; Priscilla must tell Gary that the new baby isn't his.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist; Harriet reveals that she has terminal cancer.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress; Hugh finds Alice attempting suicide.
5. Using the major event, primary conflict and complication, decide on a resolution for each couple's story:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female; Terry reveals that she was biologically male before having gender correction surgery. Carla divorces Terry, and then has Terry dress in male drag and use her former male identity so they may legally remarry.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court; Dorothy discovers she is the only person in town who shares his rare blood type. Dorothy donates enough blood to save Phillip's life; he gratefully gives her his power of attorney to handle things during his recovery. Dorothy uses it to take all of his assets, pay off the man she hired to sabotage Phillip's car, and leaves the country.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again; Priscilla must tell Gary that the new baby isn't his. Gary assures Priscilla that he still loves her and will stay with her, and then quietly blackmails the new baby's father into paying them a large monthly support check.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist; Harriet reveals that she has terminal cancer. Harriett suggests Clyde's other wife move in with them.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress; Hugh finds Alice attempting suicide. Hugh kills Alice, making it look like the suicide was successful, but is caught by the police when his frightened mistress blows the whistle on him.
At the end of the game, you've got the basic material for five stories. You can also use the Story by Name game for single characters, to add depth to your characterizations, or to create backstories. You can also adjust each step of the game according to specific elements that your story needs: the couple can be replaced by a protagonist and antagonist; the major event can be changed to a historic event; you can use multiple complications, etc.
1. Take your local phone book and find five random listings for couples and write down their first names, then select five surnames at random from different pages and assign them to your couples:
Gary & Priscilla Durkin
Terry & Carla Lindsley
Phillip & Dorothy Johnson
Hugh & Alice Cherveny
Clyde & Harriett Maples
2. Pick five major (as in life-changing) events that routinely happen to couples, and assign one to each of your couples (you can do this at random or by what feels right for each couple):
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny
3. Choose a primary conflict for each of your couples (this can be about the major event, the couple, or totally unrelated) and add that to your description:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress.
4. Now, add another complication, but this time choose one that ties the couple's major event to their primary conflict:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female; Terry reveals that she was biologically male before having gender correction surgery.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court; Dorothy discovers she is the only person in the immediate area who shares his rare blood type.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again; Priscilla must tell Gary that the new baby isn't his.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist; Harriet reveals that she has terminal cancer.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress; Hugh finds Alice attempting suicide.
5. Using the major event, primary conflict and complication, decide on a resolution for each couple's story:
Just married -- Terry & Carla Lindsley: Their marriage is about to be invalidated as both partners are female; Terry reveals that she was biologically male before having gender correction surgery. Carla divorces Terry, and then has Terry dress in male drag and use her former male identity so they may legally remarry.
Pending divorce -- Phillip & Dorothy Johnson: Phillip has a serious car accident on the way to court; Dorothy discovers she is the only person in town who shares his rare blood type. Dorothy donates enough blood to save Phillip's life; he gratefully gives her his power of attorney to handle things during his recovery. Dorothy uses it to take all of his assets, pay off the man she hired to sabotage Phillip's car, and leaves the country.
New baby -- Gary & Priscilla Durkin: Gary loses his job on the day Priscilla reveals that she's pregnant again; Priscilla must tell Gary that the new baby isn't his. Gary assures Priscilla that he still loves her and will stay with her, and then quietly blackmails the new baby's father into paying them a large monthly support check.
50th wedding anniversay -- Clyde & Harriet Maples: At the big anniversary party, Clyde is exposed as a bigamist; Harriet reveals that she has terminal cancer. Harriett suggests Clyde's other wife move in with them.
Midlife crisis -- Hugh & Alice Cherveny: Alice discovers that Hugh has a young mistress; Hugh finds Alice attempting suicide. Hugh kills Alice, making it look like the suicide was successful, but is caught by the police when his frightened mistress blows the whistle on him.
At the end of the game, you've got the basic material for five stories. You can also use the Story by Name game for single characters, to add depth to your characterizations, or to create backstories. You can also adjust each step of the game according to specific elements that your story needs: the couple can be replaced by a protagonist and antagonist; the major event can be changed to a historic event; you can use multiple complications, etc.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Just a Phase
Lately I've been reading through Monica Wood's The Pocket Muse: Ideas & Inspirations for Writing, a how-to/inspirational hybrid collection of advice, story prompts and writing exercises. The format is part faux scrapbook, part text, with plenty of illustrations and quirky fonts to hold the reader's interest and get the point across without giving a beginning writer a bad case of how-to-itis or a pro the yawns.
So far I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm Monica poured into this project, although part of me thinks I don't need books like this, as I'm someone who has been there/done that/bought the t-shirt/made the photo CD/forced everyone watch the slide show 40+ times now. Another part of me keeps buying and reading new how-to books and taking a great deal of pleasure in them. I blame this on the writer phase I'm currently going through -- The Battered Believer.
Phases happen throughout a writing career, and generally start with these:
The Heaven/Hell Rollercoaster: every yet-to-be-published writer who does not publish the very first thing they write takes at least one ride on this one. You write (heaven), you don't sell what you write (hell). Occasionally self-doubt makes the ride run backward: You write (hell), you don't sell what you write (heaven.)
Like a Virgin, Part I: A powerful state of euphoria in which the rookie writer usually lives after they sell for the first time. The rookie loves everyone and can do nothing wrong. Neither can Publishing. A certain phase-related blindness sets in and can occlude the writer's perceptions of the industry. Also known among writers as The Honeymoon phase.
The FIGMC Panic: (Named for the corresponding state in military service known as FIGMO) Post-euphoric hard crash that happens when the rookie writer suddenly realizes Eff, I Got My Contract and the enormity of what it means to be a published author descends with a vengeance.
Like a Virgin, Part II: A second surge of euphoria that occurs just before the writer's first published work is released, and everything about writing and Publishing is wonderful again. Until the first week's sell-through numbers come in and the lists are published, anyway.
The Honeymoon Is Over: Strikes after the writer's first release, which probably did not set sales records, make any of the lists, or otherwise set the Publishing world on fire. Aka The First Big Reality Check.
I've been through those and a couple of other phases. The one I'm in now is full of paradoxes -- faith and knowledge, experience and wonder, cynicism and hope -- and while frustrating, it's also pretty interesting. If a writer can be fire and ice at the same time, I'm there.
The next stage I see coming up fast is the Is It Still Worth It? phase that seems to hit around the 50 book mark. It can also be triggered by a hard-won career high or industry honor that was touted to be All That but turns out to be just another So What? For a writer in this phase, the temptation to go out on a high note must be overwhelming (as probably is the darker impulse to Quit in the Midst of a Huge Success to Show the Bastards They Don't Own Me or My Art.)
Whatever phase a writer is in, it's good to remember that they are, like adolescent acne or midlife crises, usually temporary. Being stuck in a phase could mean you haven't worked out what you were supposed to learn from it to move on. I think the paradox of The Battered Believer phase might just be the entire lesson -- that the writer can know better but still dream. If so, maybe it will help me skip the Is It Still Worth It? phase and head into the next, hopefully something I can refer to as my Totally Addicted to Chocolate period or What Can I Do With All These Millions? stage.
How would you describe the writer phase you're in? Post your answer in comments (or, if you're not sure, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. I'll draw one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner an unsigned copy of The Pocket Muse: Ideas & Inspirations for Writing by Monica Wood. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
So far I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm Monica poured into this project, although part of me thinks I don't need books like this, as I'm someone who has been there/done that/bought the t-shirt/made the photo CD/forced everyone watch the slide show 40+ times now. Another part of me keeps buying and reading new how-to books and taking a great deal of pleasure in them. I blame this on the writer phase I'm currently going through -- The Battered Believer.
Phases happen throughout a writing career, and generally start with these:
The Heaven/Hell Rollercoaster: every yet-to-be-published writer who does not publish the very first thing they write takes at least one ride on this one. You write (heaven), you don't sell what you write (hell). Occasionally self-doubt makes the ride run backward: You write (hell), you don't sell what you write (heaven.)
Like a Virgin, Part I: A powerful state of euphoria in which the rookie writer usually lives after they sell for the first time. The rookie loves everyone and can do nothing wrong. Neither can Publishing. A certain phase-related blindness sets in and can occlude the writer's perceptions of the industry. Also known among writers as The Honeymoon phase.
The FIGMC Panic: (Named for the corresponding state in military service known as FIGMO) Post-euphoric hard crash that happens when the rookie writer suddenly realizes Eff, I Got My Contract and the enormity of what it means to be a published author descends with a vengeance.
Like a Virgin, Part II: A second surge of euphoria that occurs just before the writer's first published work is released, and everything about writing and Publishing is wonderful again. Until the first week's sell-through numbers come in and the lists are published, anyway.
The Honeymoon Is Over: Strikes after the writer's first release, which probably did not set sales records, make any of the lists, or otherwise set the Publishing world on fire. Aka The First Big Reality Check.
I've been through those and a couple of other phases. The one I'm in now is full of paradoxes -- faith and knowledge, experience and wonder, cynicism and hope -- and while frustrating, it's also pretty interesting. If a writer can be fire and ice at the same time, I'm there.
The next stage I see coming up fast is the Is It Still Worth It? phase that seems to hit around the 50 book mark. It can also be triggered by a hard-won career high or industry honor that was touted to be All That but turns out to be just another So What? For a writer in this phase, the temptation to go out on a high note must be overwhelming (as probably is the darker impulse to Quit in the Midst of a Huge Success to Show the Bastards They Don't Own Me or My Art.)
Whatever phase a writer is in, it's good to remember that they are, like adolescent acne or midlife crises, usually temporary. Being stuck in a phase could mean you haven't worked out what you were supposed to learn from it to move on. I think the paradox of The Battered Believer phase might just be the entire lesson -- that the writer can know better but still dream. If so, maybe it will help me skip the Is It Still Worth It? phase and head into the next, hopefully something I can refer to as my Totally Addicted to Chocolate period or What Can I Do With All These Millions? stage.
How would you describe the writer phase you're in? Post your answer in comments (or, if you're not sure, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. I'll draw one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner an unsigned copy of The Pocket Muse: Ideas & Inspirations for Writing by Monica Wood. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Gratis Ten
Ten Things That Will Cost You Nothing
Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.
The recently released version 1.3.3 of Bean is a "small, easy-to-use word processor (or more precisely, a rich text editor), designed to make writing convenient, efficient and comfortable." Multilingual versions available (OS: Mac OS X)
Become the next Doonesbury with the online cartoon generator Create Your Own Comix Strip.
Golden Rules Organizer is a personal organization freeware with "several planning levels, actual effort tracking, mind mapping, and contact management, providing function-rich goal system" (no OS info specified but it looks like a Windows program.)
If you're interested in audio storytelling, check out the advice offered over at Making Great VoiceOvers, which includes a link to download Audacity freeware for Win and Mac and how to use it for your voiceover.
Create a timed quiz to entertain your blog or website visitors with the Make Your Own Timed Quiz generator.
Generate some fun fantasy names for your story elements with Namator (also has name generators for people, companies and planets.)
Scratch is "a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art, and share your creations on the web" (OS: Win2K / WinXP)
Because we can never have too many steampunk stories, the Steampunk Random Story Generator.
StorYbook, an open source program designed to help writers manage their manuscripts, has just released version 2.1.2 (OS: Windows XP/Vista, Linux.)
With customizable word and phrase lists, one-click word usage frequency stats and a displayed worcounter, WordFlood may be the best word-replacement editing freeware out there. If you're curious, watch the demo on the developer's link; it shows everything the program does (OS: Win NT/2000/XP/Vista.)
(Some of the generator links were pinched from Gerard over at The Generator Blog)
Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.
The recently released version 1.3.3 of Bean is a "small, easy-to-use word processor (or more precisely, a rich text editor), designed to make writing convenient, efficient and comfortable." Multilingual versions available (OS: Mac OS X)
Become the next Doonesbury with the online cartoon generator Create Your Own Comix Strip.
Golden Rules Organizer is a personal organization freeware with "several planning levels, actual effort tracking, mind mapping, and contact management, providing function-rich goal system" (no OS info specified but it looks like a Windows program.)
If you're interested in audio storytelling, check out the advice offered over at Making Great VoiceOvers, which includes a link to download Audacity freeware for Win and Mac and how to use it for your voiceover.
Create a timed quiz to entertain your blog or website visitors with the Make Your Own Timed Quiz generator.
Generate some fun fantasy names for your story elements with Namator (also has name generators for people, companies and planets.)
Scratch is "a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art, and share your creations on the web" (OS: Win2K / WinXP)
Because we can never have too many steampunk stories, the Steampunk Random Story Generator.
StorYbook, an open source program designed to help writers manage their manuscripts, has just released version 2.1.2 (OS: Windows XP/Vista, Linux.)
With customizable word and phrase lists, one-click word usage frequency stats and a displayed worcounter, WordFlood may be the best word-replacement editing freeware out there. If you're curious, watch the demo on the developer's link; it shows everything the program does (OS: Win NT/2000/XP/Vista.)
(Some of the generator links were pinched from Gerard over at The Generator Blog)
Friday, August 08, 2008
Off to Write
Create a sticky note online for your blog at Wigflip.com's sticky note generator, Superstickies (link swiped from Gerard over at The Generator Blog.)
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Sub & Residency Ops
Benu Press, "a small, independent press committed to publishing poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction" is accepting completed manuscripts for their Social Justic and Equity Award; winning author will be published by Benu with an initial print run of 1K plus $1,000.00 in addition to royalties. Download manuscript guidelines and entry form at the Benu website.
The James Merrill House Writer-in-Residency Program invites writers to live and work in James Merrill's Stonington, CT apartment rent-free for 5-month or 11-month terms. A stipend will be offered beginning September 2008; Application deadline January 15, 2009 -- see official website for more information.
Millay Colony for the Arts is accepting applications for residency on the "pastoral estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, in upstate NY." Those accepted can expect "room, studio, meals for month of uninterrupted bliss" at no cost except travel expenses. See official website for more information and applications.
The Kings English, an "online international literary journal" is looking for long fiction and personal essays; accepts fiction 11K-48K, personal essays/nonfiction 11K-48K, poems, book reviews 1K, $20/story or essay, $10/review, and $10/poem (maximum of $20/poet per issue), electronic subs only, see submission guidelines for more details on formatting and submission requirements.
Seal Press has an open anthology call for women writers exploring the relationship between women and horses, to be published in Spring '09. They're looking for strong, real-life stories 2K-4K in length about an extraordinary experience or deep connection with a horse. No other details or internet site link offered; contact Cornelia Durrant at WomenAndHorses@horizoncable.com.
All of the above listings were found in the July/August '08 print issue of Poets & Writers.
The James Merrill House Writer-in-Residency Program invites writers to live and work in James Merrill's Stonington, CT apartment rent-free for 5-month or 11-month terms. A stipend will be offered beginning September 2008; Application deadline January 15, 2009 -- see official website for more information.
Millay Colony for the Arts is accepting applications for residency on the "pastoral estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, in upstate NY." Those accepted can expect "room, studio, meals for month of uninterrupted bliss" at no cost except travel expenses. See official website for more information and applications.
The Kings English, an "online international literary journal" is looking for long fiction and personal essays; accepts fiction 11K-48K, personal essays/nonfiction 11K-48K, poems, book reviews 1K, $20/story or essay, $10/review, and $10/poem (maximum of $20/poet per issue), electronic subs only, see submission guidelines for more details on formatting and submission requirements.
Seal Press has an open anthology call for women writers exploring the relationship between women and horses, to be published in Spring '09. They're looking for strong, real-life stories 2K-4K in length about an extraordinary experience or deep connection with a horse. No other details or internet site link offered; contact Cornelia Durrant at WomenAndHorses@horizoncable.com.
All of the above listings were found in the July/August '08 print issue of Poets & Writers.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Some Post LB&LI Notes
#1 -- I have to apologize to our pal Darlene Ryan, the links to her LB&LI workshops were not coded correctly and thus did not work (and I think this is the second time I've done this to Darlene, so she has every right to kick my butt for it.) I'm going to backtrack and correct all the links, but if you bookmarked the nonfuctioning ones I posted, please changer them to the correct links, which are:
Editing 101 by Darlene Ryan -- how to tackle re-writes without getting stuck.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
Darlene, I'm sorry I messed that up.
#2 -- LJ Cohen has uploaded her Poetry: Tools for the Novelist workshops in e-book format to Scribd*; you can check it out here.
#3 -- Charlene Teglia has done the same with her The Business of the Business workshops; now available as an e-book on Scribd* here.
# 4 -- The e-book version of my LB&LI workshops is also now available on Scribd.* The Scribd link for the World-building workshops companion e-book, It Only Took God Six Days is presently this, but we're going to take it down today and try to reload the e-book again to try to get rid of the cover art problem. In the meantime, I will keep the mirror link here up (this one is in .pdf format only for download but does not have the weird white line problem.)
#5 -- Finally, I promised that I would let you all know when the negotiations were finished, and they are. So, sold to NAL: two new novels set in the Darkyn universe but featuring a new cast and storyline. We haven't finalized many details such as the titles and so forth, but I will tell you that two of the characters in the first book will be Lucan and Samantha from Dark Need, Midnight Blues and the Juliana trilogy.
*Note 9/3/10: Since Scribd.com instituted an access fee scam to charge people for downloading e-books, including those I have provided for free for the last ten years, I have removed my free library from their site, and no longer use or recommend using their service. My free reads may be read online or downloaded for free from Google Docs; go to my freebies and free reads page for the links. See my post about this scam here.
Editing 101 by Darlene Ryan -- how to tackle re-writes without getting stuck.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
Darlene, I'm sorry I messed that up.
#2 -- LJ Cohen has uploaded her Poetry: Tools for the Novelist workshops in e-book format to Scribd*; you can check it out here.
#3 -- Charlene Teglia has done the same with her The Business of the Business workshops; now available as an e-book on Scribd* here.
# 4 -- The e-book version of my LB&LI workshops is also now available on Scribd.* The Scribd link for the World-building workshops companion e-book, It Only Took God Six Days is presently this, but we're going to take it down today and try to reload the e-book again to try to get rid of the cover art problem. In the meantime, I will keep the mirror link here up (this one is in .pdf format only for download but does not have the weird white line problem.)
#5 -- Finally, I promised that I would let you all know when the negotiations were finished, and they are. So, sold to NAL: two new novels set in the Darkyn universe but featuring a new cast and storyline. We haven't finalized many details such as the titles and so forth, but I will tell you that two of the characters in the first book will be Lucan and Samantha from Dark Need, Midnight Blues and the Juliana trilogy.
*Note 9/3/10: Since Scribd.com instituted an access fee scam to charge people for downloading e-books, including those I have provided for free for the last ten years, I have removed my free library from their site, and no longer use or recommend using their service. My free reads may be read online or downloaded for free from Google Docs; go to my freebies and free reads page for the links. See my post about this scam here.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Omega Games & Winners
It's nice to finish up LB&LI on the same day one of my novels is released. No, I didn't plan it that way, but today my latest StarDoc novel, Omega Games, hits the shelves:
The winners of the VW#8 giveaway are:
Darkyn novels: Paige Maddison
Goodie bag: Jay Montville
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
Before I announce the LB&LI grand prize winner, a couple of things:
I would like to express my appreciation for all of the writers who held LB&LI workshops on their web sites and weblogs this year. You shared some terrific information on writing and the biz, you gave generously of your time and talent, and you made this little summer fling of mine into a real event. Thank you so much. You guys are the best.
A little later today I will be posting this e-book version of all my LB&LI workshops on Scribd*; stay tuned for the link. The LB&LI 2008 e-book containing all of the workshops on PBW is now available to read online, download and/or print on Scribd here, or just click on the cover art. *Note 9/3/10: Since Scribd.com instituted an access fee scam to charge people for downloading e-books, including those I have provided for free for the last ten years, I have removed my free library from their site, and no longer use or recommend using their service. My free reads may be read online or downloaded for free from Google Docs; go to my freebies and free reads page for the links. See my post about this scam here.
I do have one request to make of everyone who stopped in and made the rounds of the LB&LI workshops this year. If you found information that helped you, please share it with other writers. Also, if you'd like to say thanks to an author who hosted an LB&LI workshop, a great way to do that is to buy one of their books. You can usually find a bookseller link to their latest release on the sidebar of their weblog (mine are right over there, in case you want to show a little PBW love) or on a books page on their web site.
That about does it. Whoops, one more thing.
The winner of the LB&LI grand prize, a brand new AlphaSmart Neo, is:
Chris Redding
Chris, when you have a chance, send your ship-to info to LynnViehl@aol.com.
Thank you all for joining in and making this a wonderful week.
The winners of the VW#8 giveaway are:
Darkyn novels: Paige Maddison
Goodie bag: Jay Montville
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
Before I announce the LB&LI grand prize winner, a couple of things:
I would like to express my appreciation for all of the writers who held LB&LI workshops on their web sites and weblogs this year. You shared some terrific information on writing and the biz, you gave generously of your time and talent, and you made this little summer fling of mine into a real event. Thank you so much. You guys are the best.
I do have one request to make of everyone who stopped in and made the rounds of the LB&LI workshops this year. If you found information that helped you, please share it with other writers. Also, if you'd like to say thanks to an author who hosted an LB&LI workshop, a great way to do that is to buy one of their books. You can usually find a bookseller link to their latest release on the sidebar of their weblog (mine are right over there, in case you want to show a little PBW love) or on a books page on their web site.
That about does it. Whoops, one more thing.
The winner of the LB&LI grand prize, a brand new AlphaSmart Neo, is:
Chris Redding
Chris, when you have a chance, send your ship-to info to LynnViehl@aol.com.
Thank you all for joining in and making this a wonderful week.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Winners
The winners of the VW#7 giveaway are:
Lapquilt & books: Valerie Everhart
Goodie Bag: Virginia Lady
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
Lapquilt & books: Valerie Everhart
Goodie Bag: Virginia Lady
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
VW#8: Ask PBW Anything
Today I'd like to wrap up LB&LI with an open Q&A. I've gone through all the comments for the week and I think I've answered all the questions that were asked, but if I missed yours, please post it again here. Or, if you have any new questions about last week's workshops, anything writing- or biz-related, or you'd just like to toss your name in the hat for today's giveaway, leave a comment to this post before midnight EST today, August 4, 2008.
Today's giveaways are:
1) A complete signed set of all the Darkyn novels, including an author-generated galley of Stay the Night, my January '09 release and the final book in this series (the winner will actually be the first person to read it besides my editor and copyeditor.)
2) A goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi (hardcover)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle (hardcover)
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Fairyville by Emma Holly
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
The Way He Moves by Marcia King-Gamble
Kidnapped by Jo Leigh
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Charlene Teglia
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Blade Dancer, as well as some other surprises.
Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links --
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryyan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End, The Big Bang, The Expanding Universe, The Collapsing Universe (the fifth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
Today's giveaways are:
1) A complete signed set of all the Darkyn novels, including an author-generated galley of Stay the Night, my January '09 release and the final book in this series (the winner will actually be the first person to read it besides my editor and copyeditor.)
2) A goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi (hardcover)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle (hardcover)
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Fairyville by Emma Holly
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
The Way He Moves by Marcia King-Gamble
Kidnapped by Jo Leigh
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Charlene Teglia
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Blade Dancer, as well as some other surprises.
Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links --
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryyan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End, The Big Bang, The Expanding Universe, The Collapsing Universe (the fifth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Winners
The winners of the VW#6 giveaway are:
StarDoc series set: lxz (whose comment began with Thanks for your demonstration of how to put together an entire package of pseudonym, book title, web site title, series title, the brand.)
Goodie Bag: Lisa
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
StarDoc series set: lxz (whose comment began with Thanks for your demonstration of how to put together an entire package of pseudonym, book title, web site title, series title, the brand.)
Goodie Bag: Lisa
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
VW#7: Writing Life
(The winners of the VW#6 giveaway will be announced after noon EST today, so there's still time to enter if you haven't yet.)
I. A Day in the Life
You get up early one day, dress in old, ratty-looking comfortable clothes and grab a cup of coffee before you go to work. Before you leave, you apologize to your spouse, who says nothing, or complains, or makes a snide remark about your job.
At the office, your boss stops in to tell you the product you've just spent the last six months working ten hour days creating isn't right. The boss hands you a list of things to change, half of which you don't agree with, that will take at least a month to alter properly. The boss gives you only a week to fix them. Meanwhile, some stranger wanders into your office, looks at the finished products on your desk, spits on them, and wanders back out. Your boss shakes his head and leaves.
You work on the product. Payroll calls you to say another product you finished two years ago has made a little money, but they're going to hold your pay in case any customers return the product. You should get paid your share in oh, say six months or a year from now. If someone doesn't forget to process the check. Or loses the request for the check. Or whatever. Payroll is busy.
Another stranger wanders into your office, climbs on your desk, squats, and urinates all over it and the work you're trying to do, wipes their bottom with your nameplate, and wanders back out. You say nothing and try to keep working, but the smell makes it hard to focus.
You go to lunch with a couple of friends who commiserate and assure you that your products are solid and will sell well. Some co-workers stop by your table to congratulate you on your most recent sales. One mentions how inferior your product is and that he deserved the sales more. A stranger interrupts your lunch, demands to know if you and your friends are talking about her, and throws a tantrum when you say you're not. You go back to work, taking a break only to call the spouse, who complains about how useless you and your job are.
Another stranger kicks open the door to your office and starts waving a hatchet and screaming at you. You're not going to get anymore work done, so you walk around the stranger, dodge the hatchet, and head for the exit. You go home, feeling exhausted and a little defeated, to find your spouse has invited over your in-laws for dinner.
Over dinner, the in-laws observe how tired you look, how ridiculous your work is, and how much better things would be for your spouse if you would just quit and get a normal job. Your spouse asks if you got a paycheck, and when you shake your head, stomps out of the room. Because you feel guilty, you clear the table, wash the dishes, and entertain your in-laws, who think you're an idiot and spend a good hour telling you why. Finally you get rid of them only to discover your spouse has locked you out of your bedroom. You're couched for the night.
You try to get some sleep because you have to get up an hour earlier tomorrow to get into work and get more of those changes done. Your last thought before you go to sleep is that this wasn't a particularly bad day. You didn't get into a fight with the boss. You didn't let the various strangers get a rise out of you. You've got some money stashed away so you can make it until the next check comes in. You've actually had days that were a lot worse.
Why in God's name would you work a job like this? Because it's all you can do? Because a couple of other product-makers have been wildly successful, and you're hoping for the same? Because of how much it feeds your self-esteem? No, the truth is you work the job because you love making the product. Being a professional product-maker is the job you've dreamed of having your whole life. You never wanted to do anything else.
But if this is how your average work day goes, how long can you last before you lose your temper, get fired, or go nuts?
II. The Working Writer
If writing a book was the same thing as building a diesel engine from scratch, we would have a great big pile of story parts out in the garage to show for our efforts. We'd be covered in plot dirt and setting grease. We'd be hammering on lines of prose with power word tools and hoisting sagging characterizations with emotional chains. If writing were a tangible, visual occupation, it would be viewed as a legitimate job. To most people, work is only work when it can be seen.
Unfortunately about 90% of the writer's job takes place inside the mind. The most labor the other, non-writer people in our lives see us do is sit in front of a computer and rap on the keyboard, or print out a dozen pages. They might catch us reading a research book or editing a hard copy with the red pen. But the sad fact is that the non-writers around us never see what's going on inside our heads. They have no concept of how much work we do inside. And, unless they become working writers, they never will.
If you want to be a professional writer, you have to consider what that means. Very few people can do your job, so very few will understand what it entails. Unless you live with other writers, you probably won't get a lot of support or understanding at home. Writing pro means putting your work out in public and possibly subjecting it to the harshest criticism you can imagine from anyone who feels like cutting it to pieces. Odds are you and your work will be stomped on repeatedly; some of this will be fair, and some of it won't. You likely won't make any money for a few years, and if you do manage to hang in until you've built a decent readership, you'll face every-growing competition for your job. There will always be writers who are better, smarter, faster and more marketable than you.
Have I scared the daylights out of you yet, or do you still want to be a pro? I'm guessing door #2, so let's talk about how you can do this job and not crack up.
III. The Writer You
Author Susan Elizabeth Phillips gave me some valuable advice once. She said, "Above all else, protect the work." After ten years of working as a pro in the biz, publishing 40+ novels, and in the process being subjected to some of the worst experiences I've had at any job, ever, I think I'm qualified now to add something to that: Protect the Writer.
We constantly think about ways to protect the work, but do very little to protect ourselves. How many times have we seen writers quit or self-destruct because they couldn't handle the competition, the workload, the demands to do more than simply write, or any of the other ten thousand pressures involved with this gig?
How well you protect the writer you is directly related to how well you treat the writer you. Think about how much of your real life that you share with the writer you. The writer you sleeps in your bed, wears your clothes, eats your meals, reads your books and uses your computer. But where else is the writer you allowed in your life? Unless you're writing for a living, probably not at your job. How about with your family? Does the writer get to tell them all about the latest WIP over dinner? And how about when you're at a party with friends, or visiting relatives, or taking that dream vacation cruise? Is the writer you allowed to join in and have fun, too? Or do you stick the writer you in that little lock box in your head and pretend s/he doesn't exist?
If you the person and you the writer are leading completely different lives, and the writer's life sucks, you're not protecting the writer, you're hiding them. You probably do apologize every time you go to write. You're doing the same thing an alcoholic does when he stashes bottles of bourbon around the house. No wonder your family treats your job like it's something you should be ashamed of -- you're behaving as if you're ashamed of it. When was the last time your spouse or partner apologized to you for going to their day job?
Your writing is important to you, and you need to communicate this to your family and the people in your life -- not only by talking with them about what you're doing, but by regarding writing as you would any other job. A job is not something you ever have to apologize for. It's something to be proud of, from the time you write your first story to the first bestseller list you hit.
The writer you doesn't belong locked up and hidden away and apologized for like a shameful secret. If you don't want to be treated like a doormat, stop acting like one.
IV. Positive Charges, Negative Drains
Protecting the writer also means maintaining a productive writing life. Writing requires all kinds of energy: mental, physical, creative, practical. For the writer you to be at the top of your game, you need to keep all your energy levels high. Your mind should be clear, alert, and active. Your body should be in good condition and getting regular exercise. Your muse should be bugging the hell out of you all the time. Your writing skills should be sharp and always improving.
It would be great if we could take a writer vitamin that supplied us with all the energy we need to do our jobs, but until they invent one, we have to find alternative energy sources. We also need to guard against anything that drains our energy to the point of making us incapable of doing the work.
1. Mental Energy
An energetic mind is clear, disciplined and easily focused. It doesn't block the flow of energy we need for writing; it provides the open conduit from thought to page. Negative thoughts and emotions clutter the mind, and make it harder to concentrate. The writer you has to find a way to first clear out the existing blocks, and then keep the conduit open by keeping out anything that creates new ones.
The causes of negative thoughts and emotions are innumerable and all around us. The U.S. economy is taking a slow swan dive, and we're all paying for it. Politics are once more dividing the country. People are losing their jobs, their homes, their hope for the future. Taking Prozac is becoming as popular as drinking a Pepsi. Things in the Publishing industry aren't much better.
It's hard during tough times to fight depression and keep your spirits up. How can you be happy when everyone around you is worried, or complaining, or taking out their frustrations in a negative fashion? You'd have to be a stone not to be affected by what's happening in the world and at home, but creative people tend to be hyper-sensitive to their environments, so it hits us twice as hard.
I can't give you a solution to all the problems in the world, but I can tell you how I keep them from intruding on my writing life: meditation. Each morning I spend a minimum of thirty minutes outdoors in silent meditation. I think about what's bothering me, I accept what I can or cannot do about it, and then I let it go. Sometimes I'll finish meditation with a prayer, and ask for a little help from the Almighty, which also helps me get a good start on the day.
If meditation or prayer aren't your thing, try something else that clears you head. It may be taking a walk, listening to music, or relaxing in a hot tub; whatever it is, make a habit of doing it before you sit down to write.
2. Physical Energy
My biggest challenge as a writer is my physical condition, which is not great. My arthritis has forced me to change and adapt my writing habits to accommodate my physical limitations, and there will be more changes ahead. But despite that ongoing battle, I still do whatever I can to maintaining my physical energy. I stick to a healthy diet, exercise as often as I can, and take a holistic approach to medicine whenever possible. People often scoff at something as simple as drinking a glass of orange juice every day, but despite having a suppressed immune system (a side effect of my arthritis meds) I haven't had so much as a head cold for years.
Because writing is mainly a desk job that doesn't involve a lot of physical activity, writers tend to be overweight. I battle this problem, too, although as I've gotten older I've stopped worrying about the numbers on the scale and focus more on eating sensibly, getting daily exercise, and keeping my cholesterol level down, which is important at my age. By working with a nutritionist, and eliminating from my diet all the foods that aren't heart-healthy, I was able to shave 43 points off my cholesterol level in less than six months (as always, before you make any changes in your diet or begin an exercise regime, consult with your doctor.)
Many famous writers were alcoholics or used drugs, and there is still a certain creepy admiration for writers who are substance abusers. I never bought into this myth, and neither should you. Substance dependency and abuse is a terrible drain on your energy, your body, your loved ones and your life. If you're having a problem with drugs or alcohol, don't tell yourself it makes you a better writer. It doesn't. Get some help.
3. Creative Energy
I think the most common cause of writer burnout is caused by draining of our creative energy. No matter how powerful your muse is, or how deep your creative well goes, they can be flattened and emptied -- usually by something that has absolutely nothing to do with the work.
Because writers rely so heavily on their creative energy to do the work, it's the one that affects us the most when it's tapped out. Without creative energy, we run down. The writing that we love becomes an exhausting chore we hate. It can get to the point where the writer becomes paralyzed and unable to work (more commonly known as writer's block.) And no matter how long we've been writers, no muse is invulnerable, and no well is bottomless -- it can hit anyone at any time.
A creative energy drain can be something very simple, like constant distractions when you're trying to work: noise, phone calls, people popping in and out, etc. Few things test my patience more than being interrupted when I work. Every writer needs a writing space, and I believe that this space has to be sacred. Unless there's an emergency, no one should intrude on your writing space while you're working.
Talk to your family and ask them to respect your writing time and space. It takes a bit of training, especially if they've been distracting you for some time, but if you're firm about it they should get the message. If they can't or won't respect your space, consider writing somewhere away from home. Most public libraries have quiet rooms where you can work. I've often taken my laptop to a park during the week (they're usually deserted) and done my writing at a picnic table. Or, if you don't mind a little noise, hit the local bookstore cafe.
Another, more significant drain on creative energy is spending too much time on the internet in the wrong places. It's almost irresistible, having this incredible resource we can tap into any time -- but along with the resources come a lot of trolls, flame wars, hatchet jobs and author baiting. We've all seen authors who run around Googling themselves, searching out every review of their books and lurking around critic and hen party sites trying to see who's saying what about them (or worse, arguing with something that's been said.) You can almost see these authors pouring their creative energy down the internet drain.
An author does attract attention on the internet, especially if they become a success. Where you go will either charge or drain your creative energy. Most of the people you meet online are decent folks; readers and writers who just want to hang out, discuss books and talk shop. Then there are a few who for whatever reason are only interested in trashing you, baiting you, or doing whatever else they can think of to get a rise out of you. For them, negative attention = validation.
Whoever you decide to interact with, I think the best way to manage the creative drain potential is to limit your time on the internet. I work mostly offline, so I restrict myself to an hour a day, in 6 ten minute sessions -- and I use a kitchen timer every time I log on so I don't forget that rule. One bonus is that you really can't get into a lot of trouble in ten minutes.
4. Practical Energy
I think practical energy depends both on how willing we are to learn and how often we make an effort to improve. There is no such thing as a writer who can't learn something new, only one who won't. A writer who doesn't want to grow is destined to stagnate.
I'm always looking for ways to boost my writing, so I spend a lot of time reading books, articles and blog posts about writing. I experiment with my work to try out new ideas and concepts, and to push myself past my comfort zones. The more I learn about writing, the more knowledge I acquire, which translates into the practical energy I need when I try something new, or different, or risky.
A small but significant drain on practical energy are running into the rule-makers. These are people who have such a rigid attitude about some aspect of writing or the biz that they immediately instill doubt in you, especially if you're already doing something different.
Very often our writing instincts will throw up a warning flag about this sort of thing. If someone offers you an idea to try with your writing, you'll probably feel curious or interested. If someone tells you how you should be writing, you'll likely feel defensive or a sense of doubt.
To my knowledge no one has ever been named the absolute authority on writing. Until God appoints a paragon to this position, no one can tell you how you should be writing (including me.)
Another threat to your practical energy is when you compare yourself to other writers. You read a great book, but instead of enjoying it you compare your latest work to it and feel inadequate. Or, you see another writer you don't think is as talented as you are, but they're more successful than you've been. It all comes down to envy, the most efficient vampire in all of Publishing.
It's human nature to envy what we can't or don't have. It's why I've always wanted to be a tall blond -- because I've always envied my older sister, who is. In some cases, it drives us to achieve more with what we do. But in writers, envy is never a good thing. It poisons the joy you take in your work, and the satisfaction you feel for what you do accomplish. Nothing is ever good enough because someone else has more than you do.
I can't get rid of all the industry awards, the bestseller lists, or the blog traffic counters, so I'll give you the next best thing: narrow the field down to one. If you really want to compete with someone and have a chance at beating them, go look in the mirror. There's your competition looking back at you. That's the only writer you should be trying to beat. And when you do, you both win.
V. Living the Write Life
I thought being published would make me wildly happy, because that was always my dream -- to see my name on the cover of a real book. I believed meeting other writers and becoming part of their community would put an end to my loneliness. I thought if I kept working hard and trying to improve that eventually I would get the recognition I deserved for my efforts. I was so sure that writers would be as wonderful and noble as the books they wrote. I bought into every single unrealistic ridiculous expectation a writer can have about the writing life.
Publishing can be very efficient about some things, like squashing silly expectations. After three years of working this amazing job I'd worked so hard to get, I was unhappy, lonely, ignored and pretty much friendless. I wanted to quit, and I almost did.
My mom says you have to make your own happiness, and what has always made me happiest in my writing life is the work. I knew I was supposed to do this; I just couldn't do it the way I was being told to. So I began making serious changes in my writing life and quit doing everything that made me unhappy. Which was pretty much everything I was doing.
Instead of going to cons, which I hated, I went on research trips, which I loved. Rather than buy a lot of useless promotional junk for my books, I wrote free stories for my readers and gave them away. I stopped expecting the industry to discover my genius and present me with awards, and bought books to help me with my writing, and better computer equipment to work on, and set up a proper home office. Eventually I forgave Publishing for not living up to my expectations and found personal satisfaction in doing what I could to make things better for the next generation of writers.
Along the way I began journaling and teaching online, and found new friends who didn't care that I was just a nobody midlister. I worked for different publishers and soaked up as much as I could from each experience. Whenever I could, I talked shop online with people who really cared about the quality of the work. Before I knew it I was living the writing life I'd always wanted.
However you live your writing life, remember this: the only person who can make it better is you.
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A lapquilt, sewn and signed by me, along with signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Quicksand by Iris Johansen (hardcover)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Power Play by Dara Girard
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
The Way He Moves by Marcia King-Gamble
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Charlene Teglia
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 4, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and the other the lapquilt and books. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryyan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End, The Big Bang, The Expanding Universe, The Collapsing Universe (the fifth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
I. A Day in the Life
You get up early one day, dress in old, ratty-looking comfortable clothes and grab a cup of coffee before you go to work. Before you leave, you apologize to your spouse, who says nothing, or complains, or makes a snide remark about your job.
At the office, your boss stops in to tell you the product you've just spent the last six months working ten hour days creating isn't right. The boss hands you a list of things to change, half of which you don't agree with, that will take at least a month to alter properly. The boss gives you only a week to fix them. Meanwhile, some stranger wanders into your office, looks at the finished products on your desk, spits on them, and wanders back out. Your boss shakes his head and leaves.
You work on the product. Payroll calls you to say another product you finished two years ago has made a little money, but they're going to hold your pay in case any customers return the product. You should get paid your share in oh, say six months or a year from now. If someone doesn't forget to process the check. Or loses the request for the check. Or whatever. Payroll is busy.
Another stranger wanders into your office, climbs on your desk, squats, and urinates all over it and the work you're trying to do, wipes their bottom with your nameplate, and wanders back out. You say nothing and try to keep working, but the smell makes it hard to focus.
You go to lunch with a couple of friends who commiserate and assure you that your products are solid and will sell well. Some co-workers stop by your table to congratulate you on your most recent sales. One mentions how inferior your product is and that he deserved the sales more. A stranger interrupts your lunch, demands to know if you and your friends are talking about her, and throws a tantrum when you say you're not. You go back to work, taking a break only to call the spouse, who complains about how useless you and your job are.
Another stranger kicks open the door to your office and starts waving a hatchet and screaming at you. You're not going to get anymore work done, so you walk around the stranger, dodge the hatchet, and head for the exit. You go home, feeling exhausted and a little defeated, to find your spouse has invited over your in-laws for dinner.
Over dinner, the in-laws observe how tired you look, how ridiculous your work is, and how much better things would be for your spouse if you would just quit and get a normal job. Your spouse asks if you got a paycheck, and when you shake your head, stomps out of the room. Because you feel guilty, you clear the table, wash the dishes, and entertain your in-laws, who think you're an idiot and spend a good hour telling you why. Finally you get rid of them only to discover your spouse has locked you out of your bedroom. You're couched for the night.
You try to get some sleep because you have to get up an hour earlier tomorrow to get into work and get more of those changes done. Your last thought before you go to sleep is that this wasn't a particularly bad day. You didn't get into a fight with the boss. You didn't let the various strangers get a rise out of you. You've got some money stashed away so you can make it until the next check comes in. You've actually had days that were a lot worse.
Why in God's name would you work a job like this? Because it's all you can do? Because a couple of other product-makers have been wildly successful, and you're hoping for the same? Because of how much it feeds your self-esteem? No, the truth is you work the job because you love making the product. Being a professional product-maker is the job you've dreamed of having your whole life. You never wanted to do anything else.
But if this is how your average work day goes, how long can you last before you lose your temper, get fired, or go nuts?
II. The Working Writer
If writing a book was the same thing as building a diesel engine from scratch, we would have a great big pile of story parts out in the garage to show for our efforts. We'd be covered in plot dirt and setting grease. We'd be hammering on lines of prose with power word tools and hoisting sagging characterizations with emotional chains. If writing were a tangible, visual occupation, it would be viewed as a legitimate job. To most people, work is only work when it can be seen.
Unfortunately about 90% of the writer's job takes place inside the mind. The most labor the other, non-writer people in our lives see us do is sit in front of a computer and rap on the keyboard, or print out a dozen pages. They might catch us reading a research book or editing a hard copy with the red pen. But the sad fact is that the non-writers around us never see what's going on inside our heads. They have no concept of how much work we do inside. And, unless they become working writers, they never will.
If you want to be a professional writer, you have to consider what that means. Very few people can do your job, so very few will understand what it entails. Unless you live with other writers, you probably won't get a lot of support or understanding at home. Writing pro means putting your work out in public and possibly subjecting it to the harshest criticism you can imagine from anyone who feels like cutting it to pieces. Odds are you and your work will be stomped on repeatedly; some of this will be fair, and some of it won't. You likely won't make any money for a few years, and if you do manage to hang in until you've built a decent readership, you'll face every-growing competition for your job. There will always be writers who are better, smarter, faster and more marketable than you.
Have I scared the daylights out of you yet, or do you still want to be a pro? I'm guessing door #2, so let's talk about how you can do this job and not crack up.
III. The Writer You
Author Susan Elizabeth Phillips gave me some valuable advice once. She said, "Above all else, protect the work." After ten years of working as a pro in the biz, publishing 40+ novels, and in the process being subjected to some of the worst experiences I've had at any job, ever, I think I'm qualified now to add something to that: Protect the Writer.
We constantly think about ways to protect the work, but do very little to protect ourselves. How many times have we seen writers quit or self-destruct because they couldn't handle the competition, the workload, the demands to do more than simply write, or any of the other ten thousand pressures involved with this gig?
How well you protect the writer you is directly related to how well you treat the writer you. Think about how much of your real life that you share with the writer you. The writer you sleeps in your bed, wears your clothes, eats your meals, reads your books and uses your computer. But where else is the writer you allowed in your life? Unless you're writing for a living, probably not at your job. How about with your family? Does the writer get to tell them all about the latest WIP over dinner? And how about when you're at a party with friends, or visiting relatives, or taking that dream vacation cruise? Is the writer you allowed to join in and have fun, too? Or do you stick the writer you in that little lock box in your head and pretend s/he doesn't exist?
If you the person and you the writer are leading completely different lives, and the writer's life sucks, you're not protecting the writer, you're hiding them. You probably do apologize every time you go to write. You're doing the same thing an alcoholic does when he stashes bottles of bourbon around the house. No wonder your family treats your job like it's something you should be ashamed of -- you're behaving as if you're ashamed of it. When was the last time your spouse or partner apologized to you for going to their day job?
Your writing is important to you, and you need to communicate this to your family and the people in your life -- not only by talking with them about what you're doing, but by regarding writing as you would any other job. A job is not something you ever have to apologize for. It's something to be proud of, from the time you write your first story to the first bestseller list you hit.
The writer you doesn't belong locked up and hidden away and apologized for like a shameful secret. If you don't want to be treated like a doormat, stop acting like one.
IV. Positive Charges, Negative Drains
Protecting the writer also means maintaining a productive writing life. Writing requires all kinds of energy: mental, physical, creative, practical. For the writer you to be at the top of your game, you need to keep all your energy levels high. Your mind should be clear, alert, and active. Your body should be in good condition and getting regular exercise. Your muse should be bugging the hell out of you all the time. Your writing skills should be sharp and always improving.
It would be great if we could take a writer vitamin that supplied us with all the energy we need to do our jobs, but until they invent one, we have to find alternative energy sources. We also need to guard against anything that drains our energy to the point of making us incapable of doing the work.
1. Mental Energy
An energetic mind is clear, disciplined and easily focused. It doesn't block the flow of energy we need for writing; it provides the open conduit from thought to page. Negative thoughts and emotions clutter the mind, and make it harder to concentrate. The writer you has to find a way to first clear out the existing blocks, and then keep the conduit open by keeping out anything that creates new ones.
The causes of negative thoughts and emotions are innumerable and all around us. The U.S. economy is taking a slow swan dive, and we're all paying for it. Politics are once more dividing the country. People are losing their jobs, their homes, their hope for the future. Taking Prozac is becoming as popular as drinking a Pepsi. Things in the Publishing industry aren't much better.
It's hard during tough times to fight depression and keep your spirits up. How can you be happy when everyone around you is worried, or complaining, or taking out their frustrations in a negative fashion? You'd have to be a stone not to be affected by what's happening in the world and at home, but creative people tend to be hyper-sensitive to their environments, so it hits us twice as hard.
I can't give you a solution to all the problems in the world, but I can tell you how I keep them from intruding on my writing life: meditation. Each morning I spend a minimum of thirty minutes outdoors in silent meditation. I think about what's bothering me, I accept what I can or cannot do about it, and then I let it go. Sometimes I'll finish meditation with a prayer, and ask for a little help from the Almighty, which also helps me get a good start on the day.
If meditation or prayer aren't your thing, try something else that clears you head. It may be taking a walk, listening to music, or relaxing in a hot tub; whatever it is, make a habit of doing it before you sit down to write.
2. Physical Energy
My biggest challenge as a writer is my physical condition, which is not great. My arthritis has forced me to change and adapt my writing habits to accommodate my physical limitations, and there will be more changes ahead. But despite that ongoing battle, I still do whatever I can to maintaining my physical energy. I stick to a healthy diet, exercise as often as I can, and take a holistic approach to medicine whenever possible. People often scoff at something as simple as drinking a glass of orange juice every day, but despite having a suppressed immune system (a side effect of my arthritis meds) I haven't had so much as a head cold for years.
Because writing is mainly a desk job that doesn't involve a lot of physical activity, writers tend to be overweight. I battle this problem, too, although as I've gotten older I've stopped worrying about the numbers on the scale and focus more on eating sensibly, getting daily exercise, and keeping my cholesterol level down, which is important at my age. By working with a nutritionist, and eliminating from my diet all the foods that aren't heart-healthy, I was able to shave 43 points off my cholesterol level in less than six months (as always, before you make any changes in your diet or begin an exercise regime, consult with your doctor.)
Many famous writers were alcoholics or used drugs, and there is still a certain creepy admiration for writers who are substance abusers. I never bought into this myth, and neither should you. Substance dependency and abuse is a terrible drain on your energy, your body, your loved ones and your life. If you're having a problem with drugs or alcohol, don't tell yourself it makes you a better writer. It doesn't. Get some help.
3. Creative Energy
I think the most common cause of writer burnout is caused by draining of our creative energy. No matter how powerful your muse is, or how deep your creative well goes, they can be flattened and emptied -- usually by something that has absolutely nothing to do with the work.
Because writers rely so heavily on their creative energy to do the work, it's the one that affects us the most when it's tapped out. Without creative energy, we run down. The writing that we love becomes an exhausting chore we hate. It can get to the point where the writer becomes paralyzed and unable to work (more commonly known as writer's block.) And no matter how long we've been writers, no muse is invulnerable, and no well is bottomless -- it can hit anyone at any time.
A creative energy drain can be something very simple, like constant distractions when you're trying to work: noise, phone calls, people popping in and out, etc. Few things test my patience more than being interrupted when I work. Every writer needs a writing space, and I believe that this space has to be sacred. Unless there's an emergency, no one should intrude on your writing space while you're working.
Talk to your family and ask them to respect your writing time and space. It takes a bit of training, especially if they've been distracting you for some time, but if you're firm about it they should get the message. If they can't or won't respect your space, consider writing somewhere away from home. Most public libraries have quiet rooms where you can work. I've often taken my laptop to a park during the week (they're usually deserted) and done my writing at a picnic table. Or, if you don't mind a little noise, hit the local bookstore cafe.
Another, more significant drain on creative energy is spending too much time on the internet in the wrong places. It's almost irresistible, having this incredible resource we can tap into any time -- but along with the resources come a lot of trolls, flame wars, hatchet jobs and author baiting. We've all seen authors who run around Googling themselves, searching out every review of their books and lurking around critic and hen party sites trying to see who's saying what about them (or worse, arguing with something that's been said.) You can almost see these authors pouring their creative energy down the internet drain.
An author does attract attention on the internet, especially if they become a success. Where you go will either charge or drain your creative energy. Most of the people you meet online are decent folks; readers and writers who just want to hang out, discuss books and talk shop. Then there are a few who for whatever reason are only interested in trashing you, baiting you, or doing whatever else they can think of to get a rise out of you. For them, negative attention = validation.
Whoever you decide to interact with, I think the best way to manage the creative drain potential is to limit your time on the internet. I work mostly offline, so I restrict myself to an hour a day, in 6 ten minute sessions -- and I use a kitchen timer every time I log on so I don't forget that rule. One bonus is that you really can't get into a lot of trouble in ten minutes.
4. Practical Energy
I think practical energy depends both on how willing we are to learn and how often we make an effort to improve. There is no such thing as a writer who can't learn something new, only one who won't. A writer who doesn't want to grow is destined to stagnate.
I'm always looking for ways to boost my writing, so I spend a lot of time reading books, articles and blog posts about writing. I experiment with my work to try out new ideas and concepts, and to push myself past my comfort zones. The more I learn about writing, the more knowledge I acquire, which translates into the practical energy I need when I try something new, or different, or risky.
A small but significant drain on practical energy are running into the rule-makers. These are people who have such a rigid attitude about some aspect of writing or the biz that they immediately instill doubt in you, especially if you're already doing something different.
Very often our writing instincts will throw up a warning flag about this sort of thing. If someone offers you an idea to try with your writing, you'll probably feel curious or interested. If someone tells you how you should be writing, you'll likely feel defensive or a sense of doubt.
To my knowledge no one has ever been named the absolute authority on writing. Until God appoints a paragon to this position, no one can tell you how you should be writing (including me.)
Another threat to your practical energy is when you compare yourself to other writers. You read a great book, but instead of enjoying it you compare your latest work to it and feel inadequate. Or, you see another writer you don't think is as talented as you are, but they're more successful than you've been. It all comes down to envy, the most efficient vampire in all of Publishing.
It's human nature to envy what we can't or don't have. It's why I've always wanted to be a tall blond -- because I've always envied my older sister, who is. In some cases, it drives us to achieve more with what we do. But in writers, envy is never a good thing. It poisons the joy you take in your work, and the satisfaction you feel for what you do accomplish. Nothing is ever good enough because someone else has more than you do.
I can't get rid of all the industry awards, the bestseller lists, or the blog traffic counters, so I'll give you the next best thing: narrow the field down to one. If you really want to compete with someone and have a chance at beating them, go look in the mirror. There's your competition looking back at you. That's the only writer you should be trying to beat. And when you do, you both win.
V. Living the Write Life
I thought being published would make me wildly happy, because that was always my dream -- to see my name on the cover of a real book. I believed meeting other writers and becoming part of their community would put an end to my loneliness. I thought if I kept working hard and trying to improve that eventually I would get the recognition I deserved for my efforts. I was so sure that writers would be as wonderful and noble as the books they wrote. I bought into every single unrealistic ridiculous expectation a writer can have about the writing life.
Publishing can be very efficient about some things, like squashing silly expectations. After three years of working this amazing job I'd worked so hard to get, I was unhappy, lonely, ignored and pretty much friendless. I wanted to quit, and I almost did.
My mom says you have to make your own happiness, and what has always made me happiest in my writing life is the work. I knew I was supposed to do this; I just couldn't do it the way I was being told to. So I began making serious changes in my writing life and quit doing everything that made me unhappy. Which was pretty much everything I was doing.
Instead of going to cons, which I hated, I went on research trips, which I loved. Rather than buy a lot of useless promotional junk for my books, I wrote free stories for my readers and gave them away. I stopped expecting the industry to discover my genius and present me with awards, and bought books to help me with my writing, and better computer equipment to work on, and set up a proper home office. Eventually I forgave Publishing for not living up to my expectations and found personal satisfaction in doing what I could to make things better for the next generation of writers.
Along the way I began journaling and teaching online, and found new friends who didn't care that I was just a nobody midlister. I worked for different publishers and soaked up as much as I could from each experience. Whenever I could, I talked shop online with people who really cared about the quality of the work. Before I knew it I was living the writing life I'd always wanted.
However you live your writing life, remember this: the only person who can make it better is you.
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A lapquilt, sewn and signed by me, along with signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Quicksand by Iris Johansen (hardcover)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Power Play by Dara Girard
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
The Way He Moves by Marcia King-Gamble
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Charlene Teglia
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 4, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and the other the lapquilt and books. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Getting Started—Keeping Going by Darlene Ryyan -- Finding the time and the words to start writing and keep on writing.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Alpha and Omega: the Beginning and the End, The Big Bang, The Expanding Universe, The Collapsing Universe (the fifth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
VW#6: Brand Me
The winners of the VW#5 giveaway are:
MusicWish: ikkinlala
Goodie Bag: Big T
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, (ikkinlala, also let me know which CD you'd like for your MusicWish) and I'll get these prizes out to you.
I. There Can Be Only One
"The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind." --The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
This is a story some of you have heard before, but it bears repeating. About twelve years ago I read an interesting article in the newspaper about a marine biologist. There was a photo of the gentleman standing next to his Jeep, which had a license plate that read SEADOC. I don't usually care for the vanity-type license plate, but that one struck me as pretty cool.
A few days later I was taking a shower and thinking about a new title for my latest novel, a SF medical adventure. The working title, Border FreeClinic, was just not that exciting, and I wanted a stronger, conceptual title for the proposal I was sending out. I began running through the story's keywords: doctor, adventure, future, outer space, aliens, etc. I thought of Star Wars and Star Trek, two very powerful SF brands. And then I remembered the marine biologist's license plate, everything crystallized, and I jumped out of the shower. I grabbed a pencil and wrote one word on a piece of scrap paper and ran out, waving it over my head.
"This is it," I told him, "is it. This is the one."
He looked at it, handed it back to me, and said, "Sounds great. You're dripping shampoo all over the floor."
The word? StarDoc.
I was right about it, too. StarDoc became my first published novel, and to date the StarDoc series has been my most enduring success, with eight novels dating all the way back to 2000, still in print. Did the series brand do all that? Nope. Most of the blame goes to my readership, who kept the faith even when they were told by the publisher that the series was over. Did my brand help sell books? Probably no more than Isaac Asimov's Foundation, Frank Herbert's Dune, or Terry Pratchett's Discworld did for their series.
But there's also the 6th Law of Marketing according to Ries & Trout, The Law of Exclusivity: "Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind." And StarDoc is mine -- I coined it, I own it.
Since StarDoc ruined my shower, I've been slightly obsessed with creating one-word brands as series names (Darkyn), titles (Evermore), and even my online handle (for a writer with eight different pseudonyms, trust me, PBW was a Godsend.) The beauty of a strong one-word brand is that it's easier for the reader to remember than the two-word, the three-word, and so on.
If you are interested in longer brands, you don't have to search for the one-word brand. I would try to keep it as short as possible, though. Do you know why telephone numbers in the U.S. are seven digits in length (minus the area code?) According to George Miller, author of The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information, that's the max capacity of the human short-term memory.
II. To Brand or Not to Brand
If a writer views branding as strictly a marketing tool, the realm of sales people and copywriters, then they're probably going to have problems coming up with an effective brand for themselves or their work. This is a shame in my opinion, because of all the people in the industry, I think writers have the most talent and resources needed to create a great brand.
Another thing: this brand isn't going to belong to the sales people, the marketing people, or the copywriter. It's going to belong to the writer, and the writer's work. I don't know about you guys, but I like to be in control or at least seriously involved in anything that's going to be slapped on my work.
We writers are the masters of using words creatively. All the thought and care a writer puts into naming a protagonist or describing a setting or composing a killer line of dialogue is virtually indistinguishable from the effort required to create a great brand. Also, who knows the story better than the person who wrote it? Yet there are still writers out there who considering branding about as much fun as writing a synopsis.
I got over my dread of writing a synopsis by practicing writing them for other author's books. So why don't we try the same thing with brands?
III. Practice Branding
"[Words are] like sheepdogs herding ideas." -- Dr. Daniel Dennett
Since I'm doing this online, and I've already embarrassed a couple of colleagues, let's create a brand for an imaginary author. For this we'll need to put together a pseudonym, a novel title, a title of his web site, and a series title.
First, I'll take a name and words at random from the phone book and the dictionary, so we have something to work with:
Author: Peter C. Lawrence
Book Concept Keywords: Carry, Drive, Hiatus, Machine, Metal
This guy already sounds like a crime fiction author to me, so that's what we'll make him.
1. Pseudonym --
Baby Name book authors like Bruce Lansky suggest parents make a list of names they like and then by process of elimination from least- to most-liked determine what to name their newborn. The same method works great for creating a pseudonym. For Peter, however, I'm going to work off the name he already has and rearrange it (for the sake of the exercise, we'll assume his middle name is Charles.)
Peter C. Lawrence
Lawrence Peters
Pete Law
Pete Lawrence
P.C. Lawrence
P. Charles Lawrence
Charlie Lawrence
Charles Law
Looking over the list, I like Pete Lawrence best; it sounds like an author but isn't too stiff. P.C. Lawrence is my second choice, a bit more formal, probably more suitable for an older writer. P.C. used to be the abbreviation for police constable in the UK, if I remember correctly. Has a bit of a literary feel to it as well.
2. Book Title
Here's a novel premise using the random keywords: an ex-con courier transporting (drive) a package to a client at a holiday (hiatus) resort accidentally discovers he's carrying (carry) printing plates (machine, metal) stolen from the U.S. Mint -- a crime for which he's already been framed.
It already sounds a bit too much like the plot from the movie The Transporter, but since it's an imaginary book, we'll let that slide. What have we got to work with here: an ex-con, transporting stolen goods, counterfeiting, a holiday resort, framed for a crime he didn't commit. The two keywords that jump out at me are Drive and Machine. Some initial title ideas: Driven, The Money Maker, Greed Machine (okay, that one's a little silly.)
Since I think our writer's a Yank, and he's going to be marketing to an American audience, let's go with The Money Maker by Pete Lawrence. The Money Maker as a title ties in with the ex-con's job (obviously, he's doing this to make some money), the counterfeiting client (he's not going to use the plates as doorstops), and the plates he's transporting (printing plates make money.) Hopefully it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, too, and makes a bunch of money for Pete.
3. Web Site Title
You can always name a web site or a blog after the writer, i.e. Pete Lawrence. But I like interesting site titles, and I think Pete's Law would be a good name for our imaginary writer. He could take that, riff off Murphy's Law and make it an ongoing theme, i.e. Pete's Law of Bounceless Checking: never insult the agent's assistant who mails out your royalty checks.
If our imaginary author goes out under the alternative pseudonym P.C. Lawrence, I'd do some research and see how I could tie in P.C. with crime fiction to title the web site, maybe The P.C.'s Report or something along those lines.
So now we have Pete's Law, the official web site of Pete Lawrence, author of The Money Maker.
4. Series Title
The Money Maker will be the first book in a novel series, so we need to name that, too. I'd probably go for a brand that identifies the element common to all the books -- most likely the name of protagonist, our framed ex-con courier, as this is pretty traditional branding in the crime fic genre.
We know our protag is a patsy (someone set up to be the scapegoat or fall guy) and his story is likely going to be a quest for justice. For those reasons I'd name him Patrick Justus, which also associates itself well with the author's name, Pete Lawrence (if this protag is recurring, Justus for All would make a pretty decent web site or blog name, too.)
Now we have the whole package: The Money Maker, a Patrick Justus novel, by Pete Lawrence.
5. The Brand
As an author, Pete Lawrence has some decent material to work with now to create a brand. If I were him, I'd run with the protag's surname Justus. Justice is a key storytelling element in any crime fiction, and while no one can own the word, by using the protag's surname as a brand Pete has the next best thing.
As I mentioned before, Justus for All would make a great web site title. Just Us would work, too, maybe as a companion title for a blog. For a simpler brand, Pete can drop Patrick out of the series title and go out with The Money Maker, a Justus novel.
From here the marketing pretty much writes itself: Pete can send out a newsletter, Justus for Readers. He can do a release campaign with the theme of Looking for Some Justus? For promotional items, he can write up some killer tag lines based on famous quotations about justice, i.e.:
Justus is truth in action
Whoever fights, whoever falls, Justus conquers evermore
Without Justus courage is weak
I will be as harsh as truth and as uncompromising as Justus
IV. What Doesn't Work as a Brand
"The Law of Perception: Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions." --The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
It's important to test a brand on other people before you run with it. What you think is terrific and memorable could be ho-hum and dull to everyone else. I don't recommend going public on the internet with a brand because of the constant pilfering that goes on, and if you have a really great brand you don't want to toss it around until you get it in print. However you should test it out on family, close friends, and trusted colleagues to get their reaction to it.
You don't want your brand to become a joke (unless you write comedy, in which case, you're probably shooting for that) so don't go too overboard with puns, alliteration or strange spellings. Also make sure your brand isn't too similar to another brand that's already established on the market (and some paranoid authors actually do trademark their brands, so something that is identical could end up in a court battle.) The simplest way to check this is to do an internet search for your brand word(s). Don't ever "borrow" a brand word or idea from another writer, a reader, or anyone, either, without first obtaining their expressed written permission.
I like to do serious market research before I commit to a brand, because I always want something that fits in but stands out. Recently I researched all the series brands being used in a particular genre, and made a list. Some of them were pretty good, but most were too long and/or utterly forgettable. I noticed a couple of keywords that were being used over and over by different authors, which made their series sound interchangeable. I made note of those words as a "Don't Use" checklist, which helped me when I did coin the new brand for my series.
Look for brand flaws like difficult or unusual spelling (something like Vempyhray would be tough to remember), too generic (The Dark Vampire isn't going to be particularly memorable in a market glutted with dark vampires), or too long/confusing (if it's anything like The Midnight Desire of the Nosferatu Women of the Lost Templars Crusade Camp Followers, dump it.) Definitely say your brand name out loud a few times, or you might end up like the author whose brand name that when said out loud sounds like the joke we used to play on the clueless lady who made announcements over the P.A. system in high school.
Whatever brand you decide on, discuss it with your editor and agent. Both work with author brands on a regular basis, know what's out there on the market, and can provide some valuable feedback on whether you've come up with a winner, or you need to head back to the drawing board.
Some related links on branding:
Martin Jelsema's article, Creating a Unique Brand Name
Steve Strauss's article on creating a memorable brand, Grow a biz in tough times: 6 tips
John Williams article Image & Branding ~ Creating Sales Tools That Build Your Brand
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A signed set of all the StarDoc novels published to date, including Omega Games, my August 5th release
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi (hardcover)
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
Creepin' edited by Monica Jackson, with stories by L.A. Banks, Donna Hill, Monica Jackson, J.M. Jeffries and Janice Sims
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
Meet Phoenix by Marcia King-Gamble
At Risk by Alison Kent
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Evermore and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 3, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and the other the signed set of StarDoc novels. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Editing 101 by Darlene Ryyan -- how to tackle re-writes without getting stuck.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Navigating by the Stars, Rising and Setting - the Sun, Moon and Stars, Constant as the North Star, Instruments: Astrolabe, etc. (the fourth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
MusicWish: ikkinlala
Goodie Bag: Big T
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, (ikkinlala, also let me know which CD you'd like for your MusicWish) and I'll get these prizes out to you.
I. There Can Be Only One
"The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind." --The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
This is a story some of you have heard before, but it bears repeating. About twelve years ago I read an interesting article in the newspaper about a marine biologist. There was a photo of the gentleman standing next to his Jeep, which had a license plate that read SEADOC. I don't usually care for the vanity-type license plate, but that one struck me as pretty cool.
A few days later I was taking a shower and thinking about a new title for my latest novel, a SF medical adventure. The working title, Border FreeClinic, was just not that exciting, and I wanted a stronger, conceptual title for the proposal I was sending out. I began running through the story's keywords: doctor, adventure, future, outer space, aliens, etc. I thought of Star Wars and Star Trek, two very powerful SF brands. And then I remembered the marine biologist's license plate, everything crystallized, and I jumped out of the shower. I grabbed a pencil and wrote one word on a piece of scrap paper and ran out, waving it over my head.
"This is it," I told him, "is it. This is the one."
He looked at it, handed it back to me, and said, "Sounds great. You're dripping shampoo all over the floor."
The word? StarDoc.
I was right about it, too. StarDoc became my first published novel, and to date the StarDoc series has been my most enduring success, with eight novels dating all the way back to 2000, still in print. Did the series brand do all that? Nope. Most of the blame goes to my readership, who kept the faith even when they were told by the publisher that the series was over. Did my brand help sell books? Probably no more than Isaac Asimov's Foundation, Frank Herbert's Dune, or Terry Pratchett's Discworld did for their series.
But there's also the 6th Law of Marketing according to Ries & Trout, The Law of Exclusivity: "Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind." And StarDoc is mine -- I coined it, I own it.
Since StarDoc ruined my shower, I've been slightly obsessed with creating one-word brands as series names (Darkyn), titles (Evermore), and even my online handle (for a writer with eight different pseudonyms, trust me, PBW was a Godsend.) The beauty of a strong one-word brand is that it's easier for the reader to remember than the two-word, the three-word, and so on.
If you are interested in longer brands, you don't have to search for the one-word brand. I would try to keep it as short as possible, though. Do you know why telephone numbers in the U.S. are seven digits in length (minus the area code?) According to George Miller, author of The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information, that's the max capacity of the human short-term memory.
II. To Brand or Not to Brand
If a writer views branding as strictly a marketing tool, the realm of sales people and copywriters, then they're probably going to have problems coming up with an effective brand for themselves or their work. This is a shame in my opinion, because of all the people in the industry, I think writers have the most talent and resources needed to create a great brand.
Another thing: this brand isn't going to belong to the sales people, the marketing people, or the copywriter. It's going to belong to the writer, and the writer's work. I don't know about you guys, but I like to be in control or at least seriously involved in anything that's going to be slapped on my work.
We writers are the masters of using words creatively. All the thought and care a writer puts into naming a protagonist or describing a setting or composing a killer line of dialogue is virtually indistinguishable from the effort required to create a great brand. Also, who knows the story better than the person who wrote it? Yet there are still writers out there who considering branding about as much fun as writing a synopsis.
I got over my dread of writing a synopsis by practicing writing them for other author's books. So why don't we try the same thing with brands?
III. Practice Branding
"[Words are] like sheepdogs herding ideas." -- Dr. Daniel Dennett
Since I'm doing this online, and I've already embarrassed a couple of colleagues, let's create a brand for an imaginary author. For this we'll need to put together a pseudonym, a novel title, a title of his web site, and a series title.
First, I'll take a name and words at random from the phone book and the dictionary, so we have something to work with:
Author: Peter C. Lawrence
Book Concept Keywords: Carry, Drive, Hiatus, Machine, Metal
This guy already sounds like a crime fiction author to me, so that's what we'll make him.
1. Pseudonym --
Baby Name book authors like Bruce Lansky suggest parents make a list of names they like and then by process of elimination from least- to most-liked determine what to name their newborn. The same method works great for creating a pseudonym. For Peter, however, I'm going to work off the name he already has and rearrange it (for the sake of the exercise, we'll assume his middle name is Charles.)
Peter C. Lawrence
Lawrence Peters
Pete Law
Pete Lawrence
P.C. Lawrence
P. Charles Lawrence
Charlie Lawrence
Charles Law
Looking over the list, I like Pete Lawrence best; it sounds like an author but isn't too stiff. P.C. Lawrence is my second choice, a bit more formal, probably more suitable for an older writer. P.C. used to be the abbreviation for police constable in the UK, if I remember correctly. Has a bit of a literary feel to it as well.
2. Book Title
Here's a novel premise using the random keywords: an ex-con courier transporting (drive) a package to a client at a holiday (hiatus) resort accidentally discovers he's carrying (carry) printing plates (machine, metal) stolen from the U.S. Mint -- a crime for which he's already been framed.
It already sounds a bit too much like the plot from the movie The Transporter, but since it's an imaginary book, we'll let that slide. What have we got to work with here: an ex-con, transporting stolen goods, counterfeiting, a holiday resort, framed for a crime he didn't commit. The two keywords that jump out at me are Drive and Machine. Some initial title ideas: Driven, The Money Maker, Greed Machine (okay, that one's a little silly.)
Since I think our writer's a Yank, and he's going to be marketing to an American audience, let's go with The Money Maker by Pete Lawrence. The Money Maker as a title ties in with the ex-con's job (obviously, he's doing this to make some money), the counterfeiting client (he's not going to use the plates as doorstops), and the plates he's transporting (printing plates make money.) Hopefully it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, too, and makes a bunch of money for Pete.
3. Web Site Title
You can always name a web site or a blog after the writer, i.e. Pete Lawrence. But I like interesting site titles, and I think Pete's Law would be a good name for our imaginary writer. He could take that, riff off Murphy's Law and make it an ongoing theme, i.e. Pete's Law of Bounceless Checking: never insult the agent's assistant who mails out your royalty checks.
If our imaginary author goes out under the alternative pseudonym P.C. Lawrence, I'd do some research and see how I could tie in P.C. with crime fiction to title the web site, maybe The P.C.'s Report or something along those lines.
So now we have Pete's Law, the official web site of Pete Lawrence, author of The Money Maker.
4. Series Title
The Money Maker will be the first book in a novel series, so we need to name that, too. I'd probably go for a brand that identifies the element common to all the books -- most likely the name of protagonist, our framed ex-con courier, as this is pretty traditional branding in the crime fic genre.
We know our protag is a patsy (someone set up to be the scapegoat or fall guy) and his story is likely going to be a quest for justice. For those reasons I'd name him Patrick Justus, which also associates itself well with the author's name, Pete Lawrence (if this protag is recurring, Justus for All would make a pretty decent web site or blog name, too.)
Now we have the whole package: The Money Maker, a Patrick Justus novel, by Pete Lawrence.
5. The Brand
As an author, Pete Lawrence has some decent material to work with now to create a brand. If I were him, I'd run with the protag's surname Justus. Justice is a key storytelling element in any crime fiction, and while no one can own the word, by using the protag's surname as a brand Pete has the next best thing.
As I mentioned before, Justus for All would make a great web site title. Just Us would work, too, maybe as a companion title for a blog. For a simpler brand, Pete can drop Patrick out of the series title and go out with The Money Maker, a Justus novel.
From here the marketing pretty much writes itself: Pete can send out a newsletter, Justus for Readers. He can do a release campaign with the theme of Looking for Some Justus? For promotional items, he can write up some killer tag lines based on famous quotations about justice, i.e.:
Justus is truth in action
Whoever fights, whoever falls, Justus conquers evermore
Without Justus courage is weak
I will be as harsh as truth and as uncompromising as Justus
IV. What Doesn't Work as a Brand
"The Law of Perception: Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions." --The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
It's important to test a brand on other people before you run with it. What you think is terrific and memorable could be ho-hum and dull to everyone else. I don't recommend going public on the internet with a brand because of the constant pilfering that goes on, and if you have a really great brand you don't want to toss it around until you get it in print. However you should test it out on family, close friends, and trusted colleagues to get their reaction to it.
You don't want your brand to become a joke (unless you write comedy, in which case, you're probably shooting for that) so don't go too overboard with puns, alliteration or strange spellings. Also make sure your brand isn't too similar to another brand that's already established on the market (and some paranoid authors actually do trademark their brands, so something that is identical could end up in a court battle.) The simplest way to check this is to do an internet search for your brand word(s). Don't ever "borrow" a brand word or idea from another writer, a reader, or anyone, either, without first obtaining their expressed written permission.
I like to do serious market research before I commit to a brand, because I always want something that fits in but stands out. Recently I researched all the series brands being used in a particular genre, and made a list. Some of them were pretty good, but most were too long and/or utterly forgettable. I noticed a couple of keywords that were being used over and over by different authors, which made their series sound interchangeable. I made note of those words as a "Don't Use" checklist, which helped me when I did coin the new brand for my series.
Look for brand flaws like difficult or unusual spelling (something like Vempyhray would be tough to remember), too generic (The Dark Vampire isn't going to be particularly memorable in a market glutted with dark vampires), or too long/confusing (if it's anything like The Midnight Desire of the Nosferatu Women of the Lost Templars Crusade Camp Followers, dump it.) Definitely say your brand name out loud a few times, or you might end up like the author whose brand name that when said out loud sounds like the joke we used to play on the clueless lady who made announcements over the P.A. system in high school.
Whatever brand you decide on, discuss it with your editor and agent. Both work with author brands on a regular basis, know what's out there on the market, and can provide some valuable feedback on whether you've come up with a winner, or you need to head back to the drawing board.
Some related links on branding:
Martin Jelsema's article, Creating a Unique Brand Name
Steve Strauss's article on creating a memorable brand, Grow a biz in tough times: 6 tips
John Williams article Image & Branding ~ Creating Sales Tools That Build Your Brand
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A signed set of all the StarDoc novels published to date, including Omega Games, my August 5th release
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi (hardcover)
Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
Creepin' edited by Monica Jackson, with stories by L.A. Banks, Donna Hill, Monica Jackson, J.M. Jeffries and Janice Sims
Always a Knight by Wayne Jordan
Meet Phoenix by Marcia King-Gamble
At Risk by Alison Kent
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Evermore and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 3, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and the other the signed set of StarDoc novels. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Hitting the Wall by Larkin Rose -- tips on overcoming writer's block.
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
Editing 101 by Darlene Ryyan -- how to tackle re-writes without getting stuck.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Navigating by the Stars, Rising and Setting - the Sun, Moon and Stars, Constant as the North Star, Instruments: Astrolabe, etc. (the fourth in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
Friday, August 01, 2008
VW #5: Styling
The winners of the VW#4 giveaway are:
Art & Books: Nadia
Goodie Bag: CrystalGB
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
I. Three Sisters, Three Styles
Style is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as A quality of imagination and individuality expressed in one's actions and tastes. Style affects our choices and defines us to others, whether it's reflected in a whim of the moment or whatever footprints we leave in the Sands of Time.
My little sister has great style. She's one of those women who can snip a few holes in a dirty potato sack, draped it over herself, tie the waist with a length of frayed raffia and look as if she just stepped off a Paris runaway. She's tall, dark, and striking, and if that's not enough reason to hate her, she has that thing we call physical presence. When she walks down the street, even in a dirty potato sack, people stop in their tracks to admire her.
Now if I tried to do that, people would probably stop, too -- long enough to offer me their spare change and tell me where the nearest homeless shelter is.
My older sister is seriously charming. If you're at a party, and there's a cluster of smiling people standing in a circle, my sister is the one in the middle. She's tall, fair, gorgeous and smart, and yet to my knowledge no one has ever hated her because they're too busy listening to every word she says. If she had ever gone into politics I think she'd be running the country by now.
I've tried to be serious and charm people a few times at cocktail parties, but my nerves always kick in. If I don't end up tying my tongue into a square knot, I run and hide in the bathroom or kitchen.
As a short, chubby belligerent redhead, I did get the short end of the sister stick. I'd love to be a clothes horse or a world class charmer like my sisters, but I'm not, and I'm realistic: I never will be. In fact, because I was such a shy, forgettable klutz, I never tried to impress people or charm them. I settled for the one thing I could do (other than fade completely into the wallpaper), which was make them laugh.
In my family, I've always been the one who tells the funniest jokes, who can do the best imitation, and who sees the ridiculous in everything. I can't tell you how many detentions I wriggled out of in school because the dean was too busy trying not to laugh while I mimicked whatever teacher sent me to the office (usually for disrupting the class.)
When writers talk about style, we generally refer to an author's personal writing style or "voice." If a writer's style is distinctive and strong enough, their work is instantly recognizable, even if their name isn't on it. That's the sort of writing style everyone wants (except maybe anonymous trolls looking to start flame wars.)
But what is personal style, and how can we use it to market the work?
II. Writers with Style
I'm going to embarrass a couple of my peers here to illustrate some excellent examples of a writer's personal style. To keep it fair, I'm going to pick on two writers I've known from the blogosphere for years, and two I don't know from Adam but who I feel have a strong, recognizable style:
Alison Kent -- Kinetic Energy
If I had to pick one word to describe Alison Kent, it would be powerhouse. Her style is vibrant, well-defined and sizzling with energy. She leaves her personal mark on everything she does, from her writing to her blog design. Her enthusiasm for the biz is not the cheerleader pom-pom variety, though. At times Alison has been more controversial than I am (and believe me, that takes some doing.)
Alison is quite down to earth; she asks tough questions and doesn't pretend she knows all the answers. She's involved in at least ten thousand things at the same time but always manages to make it look effortless. Sometimes I wonder if she's a writer or a force of nature.
Alison's personal style is bright, focused, and very magnetic. She makes everything sound like fun, and what's more important, she has fun with everything.
Gennita Low -- Clear Identity
Someone told me there was a romance writer out there who also works as a roofer, which led me to Gennita Low's weblog, A Low Profile, and one of the best examples I've seen of capitalizing on identity as style.
The weblog title is a play on Gennita's name, and offers an easy-going writing style and casual sense of fun. Rather than downplay the fact that she's a roofer (an occupation I've always associated with big, beefy guys who aren't clumsy, or aren't roofers for very long), she incorporates it as an integral part of her style. She also uses the acronym GLOW to identify herself, which is as brilliant as the word itself.
Gennita Low's style may seem humble, but in a business choked by too many writers with homogenized, interchangeable styles, hers stands out like a beacon. The fact that she does it simply by being who she is is what really makes her glow.
Lilith Saintcrow -- Unforgettable Impact
Has there been a writer who has come on the publishing scene with a more imagery-rich pseudonym than Lilith Saintcrow? I don't think so, at least not in the last ten years. The first time I saw her byline, I thought "Wow." I have a lot of nerve, but even I'd be hesitant to go out with a handle like that.
I also don't know Lilith Saintcrow personally, but I have read a few of her novels, and she's one of rare souls out there in WriterLand who actually delivers on what her name promises. She is dark and dangerous, and has a lot of nerve (in the best sense of the word) and she uses it in her work as well as her weblog, Writer on the Dark Side.
Lilith Saintcrow is as direct as her style, and even better, she's unapologetic about it. Her name fits her like a glove and sticks in your mind. As styles go, this one is unforgettable.
Jordan Summers -- Subtle Edge
If you've ever visited Jordan's weblog, you know how open, friendly and calming she is (whenever I get ticked off at the internet, I go hang out at Jordan's. She's better than a weekend in the Keys.)
Jordan is thoughtful, kind, and different. She is ethereal and edgy at the same time, if that's possible. When we talk shop, she always brings something new to the table. She makes you wonder. She makes you think. And then she brings you back for more.
I had the hardest time naming Jordan's style because it defies definition, and then I knew why. For all her friendliness and philosophical attitude, Jordan remains an enigma to me. She can't be easily defined, and her style is that aura of subtle, edgy mystery that surrounds her, and that she instills in everything she does.
III. Determining What Your Style Is
The word style actually comes from the Latin word stylus, which mean "a pointed instrument used for writing."(1) So long before the fashionistas and interior decorators claimed it, style belonged to the writers of the world.
You may already have the same kind of handle on your personal style, but if you don't, you need to determine what it is. I think writers tend to be more clueless about style than other professionals because ours is such a solitary profession. We're alone a lot, and usually too busy writing or obsessing about writing to pay attention to things like personal style. We like to take online personality quizzes like this one, in reality they aren't specific enough to really help us.
The first step in determining your personal style is to think about what you enjoy most. This can encompass so many things it can be a bit confusing, so you'll need to prioritize. We'll assume you love to write. What else do you love to do? What makes you happy? Where are you most comfortable with yourself? Answer these questions and make a list of your top ten answers.
Once you've made that list, go in the opposite direction and answer these questions: What do you hate to do? What makes you unhappy? Where are you the least comfortable with yourself? Write up a second list with your top ten answers.
For the third step, you'll need to poll family, friends, and/or people who know you well (and pick people who will be honest with you.) Ask ten of these people what they think your biggest strength is, and make a list of their answers. Don't be surprised if they tell you something about yourself that you didn't know or consider a strength.
Now, if you can do this without getting into a fight, also ask your people what they think your greatest weaknesses is, and make a list of those as well (this is hard to listen to, but it's just as important to know as your strengths are.)
Once you've got your four lists, sit down and compare them. Here, for example, are mine:
What I Enjoy
Humor
Reading
Organizing
Outdoors
Listening to Music
Exploring Art
Discussions
Creating Anything
Meditation
Teaching
What I Don't Enjoy
Bigotry
Being in Crowds
Having Arguments
Wasting Resources
Negative Thinking
Vindictive Behavior
Ass-kissing
Group-Thinking
Posturing
Pointless Debate
My Strengths According to Others
Humor
Patience
Productivity
Communication
Organization
Leadership (eek! I don't want to be a leader)
Independence
Absorption (apparently I'm a great concentrator)
Problem-Solving
Creativity
My Weaknesses According to Others
Stubbornness
Contrariness (oh, yeah, that's a big one.)
Not a Team Player
Too Organized (Not quite at Monk OCD level, but, evidently, pretty close.)
Impassive/Unemotional
A Sucker for Strays
Defiant of Authority
Impolitic
Irreverent
Infuriating (or, to quote the source, "You have a gift for pissing off people.")
It took a lot of trial and error on my part, but I think over the years that I've worked in the biz I've learned how to use my strengths and what I enjoy to develop a recognizable style. Humor has definitely been the main factor; the more I've relied on my sense of humor, the easier it's been to communicate with my peers, talk shop and navigate through the prolific amount of crap Publishing throws at an author.
As for my weaknesses and what I dislike, I've probably used them just as much but on a more subconscious level. I genuinely don't like crowds or vindictive behavior; I'm not a "team" player and I do piss off people on a fairly regular basis. So while I was brow-beaten about the importance of going to writer conferences, my dislike of them grew to the point that I stopped going to them. I think that's been a plus for me and for the con-lovers as well (who wants to hang with a surly, unhappy author at a con?)
When you compare your lists, put together your strengths with what you enjoy, and think about how they affect your personal style. Do that same with your weaknesses and dislikes. You should be able to get a handle on what your personal style is and, of equal importance, what it isn't.
V. Styling Your Marketing
“A good style must, first of all, be clear. It must not be mean or above the dignity of the subject. It must be appropriate.” – Aristotle, from Rhetoric, III, 322 BCE.
I have to agree with Aristotle, above all else, style should be appropriate to you the writer before you try to use it for marketing your work. You can't force style -- believe me, I've tried -- and imitating someone else's style only makes you come across as unoriginal or a camp follower. It's hard to put aside what you wish you had and use what you've got, but once you make that decision you give yourself permission to be who you are.
It's time to go back to your four lists. First, for each of the things you enjoy, list a personal strength that compliments it, and then imagine a way to use both to market your work.
Here are mine:
1. Humor/Communication -- write humorous blog posts and Dear Reader letters for booksellers.
2. Reading/Humor -- lead a fun discussion about books with a group of readers.
3. Organizing/Productivity -- share organizational tips with a business women's group.
4. Outdoors/Organization -- use nature photographs to illustrate a writing concept blog post.
5. Listening to Music/Independence -- arrange an interview with a local radio station.
6. Exploring Art/Creativity -- do a booksigning at a museum or an art festival.
7. Discussions/Problem-Solving -- get involved in a discussion on someone else's web log.
8. Creating Anything/Patience -- hand make OOAK promotional items.
9. Meditation/Absorption -- write a nonfiction piece on the benefits of meditation for writers.
10. Teaching/Leadership -- give a writing workshop at a local school or university.
I have actually done all of the above except #5. In the past I've been invited to do a couple of radio interviews, but I've always been self-conscious about my voice, which is on the high/nasal side and sounds a bit like Minnie Mouse when it's recorded. Still, if I ever get over myself, someday I'd like to try it.
Once you've put together the things you enjoy with your strengths, do the same for your dislikes and weaknesses. This list will be more nebulous, but it should still give you a rough idea of what types of marketing and marketing-related situations you should avoid. Here are mine:
1. Bigotry/Stubbornness -- don't support any writer organization that discriminates in any fashion (which is basically all of them.)
2. Being in Crowds/Not a Team Player -- don't go to industry conferences or participate in author panels of any kind.
3. Having Arguments/A Sucker for Strays -- don't get involved in public discussions of volatile industry issues.
4. Wasting Resources/Too Organized -- stop trying to plan every moment of every promotional project down to the nanosecond.
5. Negative Thinking/Irreverent -- don't trifle with the narrow-minded, the disgruntled, or the hateful online.
6. Vindictive Behavior/Impassive/Unemotional -- don't respond to author baiting.
7. Ass-kissing/Defiant of Authority -- avoid the asses who expect to be kissed.
8. Group-Thinking/Contrariness -- don't join a group blog.
9. Posturing/Infuriating -- stay away from anyone who Googles themselves incessantly.
10. Pointless Debate/Impolitic -- don't get sucked into online flame wars.
It may take you some time to work out your style and how your style can work for you. Again, the best thing you can do is to be yourself. You are one of a kind, an original, and the genuine qualities that make you who you are are the ones you'll find most valuable to you when you market your work.
1. From What is Style?, an article on writing style by Richard Nordquist.
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A MusicWish (any CD of the winner's choice which is available to order online, up to a max cost of $30.00 U.S.; I'll throw in the shipping)
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Talyn by Holly Lisle (hardcover)
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati (hardcover)
The Hob's Bargain Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
At Risk by Alison Kent
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 2, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and grant the other a MusicWish. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Planetary Primer, The Inner Planets, The Gas Giants, Planetoids: Pluto and the Asteroids (the third in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
Art & Books: Nadia
Goodie Bag: CrystalGB
Winners, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get these prizes out to you.
I. Three Sisters, Three Styles
Style is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as A quality of imagination and individuality expressed in one's actions and tastes. Style affects our choices and defines us to others, whether it's reflected in a whim of the moment or whatever footprints we leave in the Sands of Time.
My little sister has great style. She's one of those women who can snip a few holes in a dirty potato sack, draped it over herself, tie the waist with a length of frayed raffia and look as if she just stepped off a Paris runaway. She's tall, dark, and striking, and if that's not enough reason to hate her, she has that thing we call physical presence. When she walks down the street, even in a dirty potato sack, people stop in their tracks to admire her.
Now if I tried to do that, people would probably stop, too -- long enough to offer me their spare change and tell me where the nearest homeless shelter is.
My older sister is seriously charming. If you're at a party, and there's a cluster of smiling people standing in a circle, my sister is the one in the middle. She's tall, fair, gorgeous and smart, and yet to my knowledge no one has ever hated her because they're too busy listening to every word she says. If she had ever gone into politics I think she'd be running the country by now.
I've tried to be serious and charm people a few times at cocktail parties, but my nerves always kick in. If I don't end up tying my tongue into a square knot, I run and hide in the bathroom or kitchen.
As a short, chubby belligerent redhead, I did get the short end of the sister stick. I'd love to be a clothes horse or a world class charmer like my sisters, but I'm not, and I'm realistic: I never will be. In fact, because I was such a shy, forgettable klutz, I never tried to impress people or charm them. I settled for the one thing I could do (other than fade completely into the wallpaper), which was make them laugh.
In my family, I've always been the one who tells the funniest jokes, who can do the best imitation, and who sees the ridiculous in everything. I can't tell you how many detentions I wriggled out of in school because the dean was too busy trying not to laugh while I mimicked whatever teacher sent me to the office (usually for disrupting the class.)
When writers talk about style, we generally refer to an author's personal writing style or "voice." If a writer's style is distinctive and strong enough, their work is instantly recognizable, even if their name isn't on it. That's the sort of writing style everyone wants (except maybe anonymous trolls looking to start flame wars.)
But what is personal style, and how can we use it to market the work?
II. Writers with Style
I'm going to embarrass a couple of my peers here to illustrate some excellent examples of a writer's personal style. To keep it fair, I'm going to pick on two writers I've known from the blogosphere for years, and two I don't know from Adam but who I feel have a strong, recognizable style:
Alison Kent -- Kinetic Energy
If I had to pick one word to describe Alison Kent, it would be powerhouse. Her style is vibrant, well-defined and sizzling with energy. She leaves her personal mark on everything she does, from her writing to her blog design. Her enthusiasm for the biz is not the cheerleader pom-pom variety, though. At times Alison has been more controversial than I am (and believe me, that takes some doing.)
Alison is quite down to earth; she asks tough questions and doesn't pretend she knows all the answers. She's involved in at least ten thousand things at the same time but always manages to make it look effortless. Sometimes I wonder if she's a writer or a force of nature.
Alison's personal style is bright, focused, and very magnetic. She makes everything sound like fun, and what's more important, she has fun with everything.
Gennita Low -- Clear Identity
Someone told me there was a romance writer out there who also works as a roofer, which led me to Gennita Low's weblog, A Low Profile, and one of the best examples I've seen of capitalizing on identity as style.
The weblog title is a play on Gennita's name, and offers an easy-going writing style and casual sense of fun. Rather than downplay the fact that she's a roofer (an occupation I've always associated with big, beefy guys who aren't clumsy, or aren't roofers for very long), she incorporates it as an integral part of her style. She also uses the acronym GLOW to identify herself, which is as brilliant as the word itself.
Gennita Low's style may seem humble, but in a business choked by too many writers with homogenized, interchangeable styles, hers stands out like a beacon. The fact that she does it simply by being who she is is what really makes her glow.
Lilith Saintcrow -- Unforgettable Impact
Has there been a writer who has come on the publishing scene with a more imagery-rich pseudonym than Lilith Saintcrow? I don't think so, at least not in the last ten years. The first time I saw her byline, I thought "Wow." I have a lot of nerve, but even I'd be hesitant to go out with a handle like that.
I also don't know Lilith Saintcrow personally, but I have read a few of her novels, and she's one of rare souls out there in WriterLand who actually delivers on what her name promises. She is dark and dangerous, and has a lot of nerve (in the best sense of the word) and she uses it in her work as well as her weblog, Writer on the Dark Side.
Lilith Saintcrow is as direct as her style, and even better, she's unapologetic about it. Her name fits her like a glove and sticks in your mind. As styles go, this one is unforgettable.
Jordan Summers -- Subtle Edge
If you've ever visited Jordan's weblog, you know how open, friendly and calming she is (whenever I get ticked off at the internet, I go hang out at Jordan's. She's better than a weekend in the Keys.)
Jordan is thoughtful, kind, and different. She is ethereal and edgy at the same time, if that's possible. When we talk shop, she always brings something new to the table. She makes you wonder. She makes you think. And then she brings you back for more.
I had the hardest time naming Jordan's style because it defies definition, and then I knew why. For all her friendliness and philosophical attitude, Jordan remains an enigma to me. She can't be easily defined, and her style is that aura of subtle, edgy mystery that surrounds her, and that she instills in everything she does.
III. Determining What Your Style Is
The word style actually comes from the Latin word stylus, which mean "a pointed instrument used for writing."(1) So long before the fashionistas and interior decorators claimed it, style belonged to the writers of the world.
You may already have the same kind of handle on your personal style, but if you don't, you need to determine what it is. I think writers tend to be more clueless about style than other professionals because ours is such a solitary profession. We're alone a lot, and usually too busy writing or obsessing about writing to pay attention to things like personal style. We like to take online personality quizzes like this one, in reality they aren't specific enough to really help us.
The first step in determining your personal style is to think about what you enjoy most. This can encompass so many things it can be a bit confusing, so you'll need to prioritize. We'll assume you love to write. What else do you love to do? What makes you happy? Where are you most comfortable with yourself? Answer these questions and make a list of your top ten answers.
Once you've made that list, go in the opposite direction and answer these questions: What do you hate to do? What makes you unhappy? Where are you the least comfortable with yourself? Write up a second list with your top ten answers.
For the third step, you'll need to poll family, friends, and/or people who know you well (and pick people who will be honest with you.) Ask ten of these people what they think your biggest strength is, and make a list of their answers. Don't be surprised if they tell you something about yourself that you didn't know or consider a strength.
Now, if you can do this without getting into a fight, also ask your people what they think your greatest weaknesses is, and make a list of those as well (this is hard to listen to, but it's just as important to know as your strengths are.)
Once you've got your four lists, sit down and compare them. Here, for example, are mine:
What I Enjoy
Humor
Reading
Organizing
Outdoors
Listening to Music
Exploring Art
Discussions
Creating Anything
Meditation
Teaching
What I Don't Enjoy
Bigotry
Being in Crowds
Having Arguments
Wasting Resources
Negative Thinking
Vindictive Behavior
Ass-kissing
Group-Thinking
Posturing
Pointless Debate
My Strengths According to Others
Humor
Patience
Productivity
Communication
Organization
Leadership (eek! I don't want to be a leader)
Independence
Absorption (apparently I'm a great concentrator)
Problem-Solving
Creativity
My Weaknesses According to Others
Stubbornness
Contrariness (oh, yeah, that's a big one.)
Not a Team Player
Too Organized (Not quite at Monk OCD level, but, evidently, pretty close.)
Impassive/Unemotional
A Sucker for Strays
Defiant of Authority
Impolitic
Irreverent
Infuriating (or, to quote the source, "You have a gift for pissing off people.")
It took a lot of trial and error on my part, but I think over the years that I've worked in the biz I've learned how to use my strengths and what I enjoy to develop a recognizable style. Humor has definitely been the main factor; the more I've relied on my sense of humor, the easier it's been to communicate with my peers, talk shop and navigate through the prolific amount of crap Publishing throws at an author.
As for my weaknesses and what I dislike, I've probably used them just as much but on a more subconscious level. I genuinely don't like crowds or vindictive behavior; I'm not a "team" player and I do piss off people on a fairly regular basis. So while I was brow-beaten about the importance of going to writer conferences, my dislike of them grew to the point that I stopped going to them. I think that's been a plus for me and for the con-lovers as well (who wants to hang with a surly, unhappy author at a con?)
When you compare your lists, put together your strengths with what you enjoy, and think about how they affect your personal style. Do that same with your weaknesses and dislikes. You should be able to get a handle on what your personal style is and, of equal importance, what it isn't.
V. Styling Your Marketing
“A good style must, first of all, be clear. It must not be mean or above the dignity of the subject. It must be appropriate.” – Aristotle, from Rhetoric, III, 322 BCE.
I have to agree with Aristotle, above all else, style should be appropriate to you the writer before you try to use it for marketing your work. You can't force style -- believe me, I've tried -- and imitating someone else's style only makes you come across as unoriginal or a camp follower. It's hard to put aside what you wish you had and use what you've got, but once you make that decision you give yourself permission to be who you are.
It's time to go back to your four lists. First, for each of the things you enjoy, list a personal strength that compliments it, and then imagine a way to use both to market your work.
Here are mine:
1. Humor/Communication -- write humorous blog posts and Dear Reader letters for booksellers.
2. Reading/Humor -- lead a fun discussion about books with a group of readers.
3. Organizing/Productivity -- share organizational tips with a business women's group.
4. Outdoors/Organization -- use nature photographs to illustrate a writing concept blog post.
5. Listening to Music/Independence -- arrange an interview with a local radio station.
6. Exploring Art/Creativity -- do a booksigning at a museum or an art festival.
7. Discussions/Problem-Solving -- get involved in a discussion on someone else's web log.
8. Creating Anything/Patience -- hand make OOAK promotional items.
9. Meditation/Absorption -- write a nonfiction piece on the benefits of meditation for writers.
10. Teaching/Leadership -- give a writing workshop at a local school or university.
I have actually done all of the above except #5. In the past I've been invited to do a couple of radio interviews, but I've always been self-conscious about my voice, which is on the high/nasal side and sounds a bit like Minnie Mouse when it's recorded. Still, if I ever get over myself, someday I'd like to try it.
Once you've put together the things you enjoy with your strengths, do the same for your dislikes and weaknesses. This list will be more nebulous, but it should still give you a rough idea of what types of marketing and marketing-related situations you should avoid. Here are mine:
1. Bigotry/Stubbornness -- don't support any writer organization that discriminates in any fashion (which is basically all of them.)
2. Being in Crowds/Not a Team Player -- don't go to industry conferences or participate in author panels of any kind.
3. Having Arguments/A Sucker for Strays -- don't get involved in public discussions of volatile industry issues.
4. Wasting Resources/Too Organized -- stop trying to plan every moment of every promotional project down to the nanosecond.
5. Negative Thinking/Irreverent -- don't trifle with the narrow-minded, the disgruntled, or the hateful online.
6. Vindictive Behavior/Impassive/Unemotional -- don't respond to author baiting.
7. Ass-kissing/Defiant of Authority -- avoid the asses who expect to be kissed.
8. Group-Thinking/Contrariness -- don't join a group blog.
9. Posturing/Infuriating -- stay away from anyone who Googles themselves incessantly.
10. Pointless Debate/Impolitic -- don't get sucked into online flame wars.
It may take you some time to work out your style and how your style can work for you. Again, the best thing you can do is to be yourself. You are one of a kind, an original, and the genuine qualities that make you who you are are the ones you'll find most valuable to you when you market your work.
1. From What is Style?, an article on writing style by Richard Nordquist.
Today's LB&LI giveaways are:
1) A MusicWish (any CD of the winner's choice which is available to order online, up to a max cost of $30.00 U.S.; I'll throw in the shipping)
2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned copies of:
Talyn by Holly Lisle (hardcover)
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati (hardcover)
The Hob's Bargain Patricia Briggs
Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti
Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
At Risk by Alison Kent
Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
plus signed copies of my novels Omega Games and Twilight Fall, as well as some other surprises.
If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, comment on this workshop before noon EST tomorrow, August 2, 2008. I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the goodie bag and grant the other a MusicWish. Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on August 5, 2008 for a brand new AlphaSmart Neo. All LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day)
Worldbuilding with a Wiki by Sandra Barret -- Architecting your world using a free wiki.
Brainstorming by Jove Belle -- A discussion on brainstorming.
E-Courtesy by Joely Sue Burkhart -- Simple ways to protect yourself with courtesy on the internet.
The Anatomy Of Sex Scenes by Jaci Burton -- Writing sex can sometimes be the most uncomfortable part of writing the book. But it doesn't have to be. A few key pointers that may help charge up your sex scenes and drag the writer out of their 'discomfort' zone.
Creating Great Beginnings - the Why and How by Sherryl Clark -- If your beginning works, the rest will follow. We're going to look at why it's crucial, what is the contract with the reader, Dos and Don'ts (and why/why not), story questions vs hooks, situating the reader, and writing backwards. I'll also invite readers to send in their first 200 words for feedback.
Look for the Music--assess your prose by LJ Cohen -- a week of workshops using poetry and poetic techniques useful for novelists (tune in each day this week as LJ presents different poetic tools with examples of how to use them in your own writing.)
Gender Differences for Writers by Cheryl Corbin -- Male and female body language, speech and thinking differences.
Research for Writers by Bianca D'Arc -- a librarian/writer's view of where to find the best information and strategies for how to use it.
Marketing on a Budget by Moondancer Drake -- How to make the most of marketing your book on a limited budget.
Writing Effective Description by Karen Duvall -- a week of workshops on how to write vivid description using all the senses, covering one for each day of the week.
WRITING PROCESS: Conceive, Develop, Write by Jamal W. Hankins -- An overview of my writing progress from story concept to actually writing a story.
The Voices in Your Head by Alison Kent -- When discussing "voice," where and how do character voices fit in?Also: All Authors Should Be Wordsmiths
Voulez vous écrire avec moi, ce soir? (Working with foreign languages in your writing) by Kristi -- A technical discussion of features you can use to make non-English text read correctly in your writing. Mainly focused on features in Microsoft Word, with a few resources that can be used regardless of platform.
Everyone has to Edit by Belinda Kroll -- Five steps to edit: putting the first draft away, being brutally honest, showing not telling, telling not showing, and focusing on those nitty gritty details.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing by Dawn Montgomery, Kim Knox, and Michelle Hasker -- How to write a 1000 words in the zen of toddler meltdowns. Motherhood is a full time job and holding a family together is only half the battle. How do you find *your* time to write without losing your mind?
Self-Editing by Emma Wayne Porter -- The things your editor secretly wishes you'd do before submitting, and how to survive Track Changes afterward. Checklists and Stupid Word Tricks included.
Not Going to Frisco Workshop by Joan Reeves aka Sling Words -- Writing Biz Reality
Cover Art: From Form to Finish by Mandy M. Roth -- Tips and tricks for filling out your cover art forms, the steps and stages a cover goes through, the finished product and a walkthrough on using your cover to make your own static banner ad.
When Only the Right Word Will Do by Shannon Stacey -- Using word choices to add humor, help you show instead of tell, strengthen your voice and heighten characterization in deep POV in your second draft.
Hey Fatty (Or Does Your Character Need That Flaw) by Amie Stuart -- I’ll be blogging about Characterization, flaws and motivation all week, using TV, movies, books and my own writing for examples.
Astronomy for Writers: Look to the Sky
by Suelder -- Planetary Primer, The Inner Planets, The Gas Giants, Planetoids: Pluto and the Asteroids (the third in a five-part workshop series on basic astronomy and how to think about it from a writer's perspective.)
Time Management by Charlene Teglia -- the third in Charlene's workshops this week on the business of the business.
Short Stories & Novellas- Workshop Day II - Characterization by Shiloh Walker -- the second in a series on writing short stories and novellas.
VOICE: The Magic Behind The Words by Sasha White -- Advice to help you discover and strengthen your personal voice and style, and show you the way to the magic behind the words.
Workshop is in 5 sections. A new section each day this week.
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