Paul Theroux's Advice to Writers

Finding the Genius Within: A Writer's Guide

Finding the Genius Within: A Writer's Guide
By Rob Parnell

This is a three-stage process.

First, you need to break down your preconceptions about what you think being a genius is.

When you call someone a genius, what do you mean?

That they seemingly display characteristics to be above the common herd? That they think ahead of their time? That they seem to be able to create perfect art with little or no effort?

Einstein was a genius they say. So were Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Beethoven and Van Gogh. Why? Because they displayed a unique way of thinking that separated them from the mainstream.

Did genius just bestow itself upon these individuals?

No, every so-called genius is a craftsman first. They learn the basics. They study them, copy them until they are implicit. So that when it's time to create for themselves, they know and understand their influences.

Good artists express themselves with honesty and skill. They also learn—and keep learning—from other artists. No influence is a bad influence. It all helps.

Genius is a not a thing in itself. It is merely a qualitative judgment made by individuals and critics—usually after the artist is dead!

What marks you out as a "genius" is your willingness to be true—to yourself and to your art. In other words, genius is really about having the courage of your convictions—the courage to be yourself.

Stage two: some practical advice now.

Clear your mind. To do this, meditate or go for a long walk in the country, undisturbed.

First, try to visualize nothing. No feelings, influences or distractions. Try to find that inner essence that is pure calm, joy and strength. It’s there, inside all of us. Get in touch with it.

Then, calmly tell yourself you’re a genius. Repeat the phrase to yourself until it becomes almost meaningless.

I am a genius.

Do this about three to five times a day for five days. (You can do this with any phrase you want your subconscious to believe.)

For stage three, when you’re ready, take the plunge and write.

Write a paragraph or two about a character or a situation that you totally believe in—even if it’s fictional. Edit it afterwards until all the words represent that particular view of reality, as if it IS true, 100%.

Read it back. Is it convincing? If not, keep rewriting until the logic of each word and sentence is, in your mind, incontrovertible.

That’s the trick. Make your work totally convincing TO YOU on your own terms. Do not write for others. It doesn’t work. Be true to yourself and others will follow.

In the end, it's about how much you believe in your own vision of the world. If you don’t really believe in something then neither will your reader, no matter how clever you are with words.

In brief, to be a potential "genius" you must trust your instincts, believe in yourself and write from the heart. To do any less is to cheat yourself—and your readers.

Rob Parnell is a prolific writer who’s published novels, short stories, and articles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and a teacher who’s conducted writing workshops, critique groups, and seminars.

Please visit Mr. Parnell’s Web site at:

http://easywaytowrite.com
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David Farland's "Kick in the Pants" Advice for Writers: Agents

Tip of the Day: Literary Focus

Literary Focus
By Will Greenway

Focus in journalism is assumed, but many writers don't realize that it is of equal importance to fiction. In journalism, the focus is on facts and instilling knowledge. Extraneous words and ideas get in the way of the message the author is conveying. In a world of waning attention spans, the material must be catchy, evocative, and pull the reader in right away. In this media-saturated world, there are dozens of alternatives to whatever it is you are presenting. You must the hook the reader, or he will move on. This particular truth applies to ALL writing—YOUR writing.

When we consider letting others read our work, we turn our creative efforts toward polishing, and that's when focus comes into play.

Expanding Within Your Niche

Expanding Within Your Niche
By Patricia Fry

Do you have a pet subject that you would like to write about? Or maybe you are already doing some writing on your favorite topic. Are your efforts paying your way? Or do you feel that maybe you’re just spinning your wheels without monetary results? Maybe that’s because you are trying to write with a focus that is just too narrow. Are you aware that you can expand your horizons even if you want to stay focused on one basic topic?

So what is your topic? Pets and animals (a very popular one), aviation, the environment, horses (this is the subject I wrote about when I started my writing career over 30 years ago), quilting, cooking, relationships, parenting… Do you feel as though you have exhausted all of the article/story possibilities related to this topic? If so, I have two things to say in response: I seriously doubt that you have written on your topic from all angles and perspectives. And if you absolutely have, you’ve probably been writing on this subject for a thousand years, so just start all over again—recycle those early articles. I’m going on the assumption that you have not tapped all of the ideas and resources available on your subject and I will throw out some suggestions for you to consider when formulating your next 100 articles on your favorite topic:

• Write about what you know related to your topic—your experiences with it as a participant and as an observer.

• Write about what you want to know with regard to your topic. In other words, do some research to discover aspects of it that you have wondered about.

• Interview experts as well as novices who have had experiences different than your own. Form articles around these interviews.

• Use what you discovered in the interviews to come up with new article ideas.

• Explore the many facets of your subject. If it is pets and animals, just look at the number of different types of animals you can study and write about. Multiply that by the number of issues around each of these types of animals. If your subject is quilting, just imagine how many different types of quilts there are—each with a story behind it. Likewise, how many quilters are there? Can you see how these two topics could keep a writer busy for several lifetimes?

• Consider all of the angles related to your topic: the history, the personalities, the businesses established around it, the hobbies, the organizations, the events. What about celebrities involved in this topic, the laws pertaining to it from country to country and so forth.

• Widen your horizon when it comes to placing your articles and stories. Of course, you are aware of the traditional, well-known magazines of the trade. But are you also submitting to appropriate newsletters and websites? And what about publications not related to the topic? Consider submitting your piece featuring an older celebrity and his pet llamas to AARP The Magazine, for example. A general interest magazine might be interested in your piece on flying as the new high for young pilots, your article on unique ways with legumes as a way to save money in these difficult economic times or one featuring quilting as a stress-reliever.

If these few suggestions didn’t give you new ideas for presenting your niche topic, you are either already practicing excellent skill as a freelance writer or you have closed your mind to the huge array of possibilities. Do yourself a favor. If you want to get more work writing in your field, open your mind and allow your success in.

Patricia Fry is a full-time freelance writer and the author of 29 books. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Entrepreneur Magazine, Cat Fancy, Your Health, The Toastmaster and many others. View her collection of books at http://www.matilijapress.com. And visit her informative publishing blog often: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.

Spotlight Interview from the Archives: Jenna Glatzer/Part 3

(An oldie but goodie from the archives)
Jenna Glatzer, Writer/Editor/Author

Jenna Glatzer is an award-winning writer who has authored several books, including Celine Dion’s authorized biography, a Marilyn Monroe bio, and exclusively for writers Outwitting Writer’s Block and Other Problems of the Pen; Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer; and The Street-Smart Writer.

She’s also written for countless magazines and online publications and is a contributing editor at Writer's Digest, as well as the founder and former editor in chief of the infinitely respected writers’ resource site, Absolute Write (http://www.absolutewrite.com/).

To learn more about Ms. Glatzer, please go to her site at:
http://www.jennaglatzer.com/

The following is an exclusive interview I conducted with Jenna several years ago:

Mike: What’s been your strategy for successful freelancing?

Glatzer: I don’t look at how much I’m getting per word, as much as how much total time it takes me from start to finish with a story, including the editing process. In other words, if I was getting $1.50 or $2 a word for a story, but it was being edited by a committee of editors and they wanted a bunch of rewrites and were essentially being a pain in the butt, it’s not worth it to me. It’s too time consuming, and for a freelancer time is money.

I like things that I can bang out in two hours, rather than two weeks, and have fun. I also like things that I can sell again and again.

I sold one essay 18 times to various magazines around the country. It was about a 10-year-old boy playing one of those crane machine games, trying to win a little a stuffed monkey. He kept putting in quarter after quarter, and ultimately won the toy and gave it to his sister.

So when I do essays now, I think of universal topics that I know can land them in a lot of places.

Mike: What are some of your favorite writing books, especially ones that made a difference?

Glatzer: 1) Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. It’s totally about the life of a writer, and was so much fun to read, because it was someone else who understands how I feel.

2) Championship Writing by Paula LaRoque. She’s terrific at teaching how to make your writing effective.

3) Story by Robert McKee. This is a book every writer should read, whether they’re a screenwriter or not.

4) The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman.

5) Journalution by Sandy Grason. It has some juicy prompts that open up new avenues of thought—even if it’s a little abstract at times.

And I’m going to add one about the ugly underbelly of scams in the writing business:
Ten Percent of Nothing: The Case of the Literary Agent from Hell, written by a former FBI agent named Jim Fisher and about how writers are taken advantage of by fake literary agents.

Mike: What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever gotten?

Glatzer: “Kill your darlings.” Which means you should think about cutting the pieces of your writing you think are the most brilliant. It hurts so much to do it. Often those are the lines that you’re so proud of. But if you’re not furthering the message of the piece and keeping the readers’ attention, they need to go.

Communicate clearly, not with flowery prose. I had to learn that, to use more nouns and verbs to get my point across.

Mike: What’s your best advice for the beginning freelancer to break in and make it as a pro?

Glatzer: Get those first clips any which way you can. Even if it means writing for free or for something like $10—but only do that in the beginning.

Build your skills, as if you were taking an apprenticeship. Get some professional experience. Learn how to meet a deadline. After you get your first five good clips, which should take around six months, stop writing for free or little money and go after the bigger markets.

On that point, let me say that it breaks my heart to see people writing a ton of articles for online sites that pay $5 a story or by the click. I know writers get worn down sending query letters all over the place and not getting anywhere, receiving rejection letter after rejection letter. And I know that these low-paying sites offer easy acceptance and can build your ego. I understand that, I really do. It feels nice to be accepted. But please, please don’t get so comfortable at these low-standards markets that you forget to look beyond them. Otherwise, you’ll get complacent and into bad habits, like getting too used to not being edited. You will start thinking that this is what writing is all about. You won’t learn, grow.

Writing is a real craft. For you to become an effective, well-paid writer, you will need to have some good editors along the way, people who’ll be tough on you and whip you into shape. It may be hard the first few times. It might crush your ego into a million bits when you get back your articles full of red pen. But it’s valuable and it’s training. You’ll finally see your weaknesses.

Write a few articles for these low-level places if you want, then pat yourself on the back and feel good about it when they appear, but quickly move on.

The Five Myths about Freelance Writing

The Five Myths about Freelance Writing

Let me start with a pet peeve, something that continues to boggle my mind—and that’s how much misinformation there is all over the Net about freelance writing.

It makes me roll my eyes, shake my head, and even chuckle sometimes.

But mostly, it makes me terribly sad, because I keep thinking about all the aspiring freelance writers being led astray, thrown wildly off course, maybe forever.

During my weaker moments, it infuriates me enough to where I rant about it occasionally on here or Twitter, even though I know that ranting does little good.

So, what I promise you is this: that at least in this space, I will try to make up for all wrongs out there, replace the bad advice with sound advice.

To that end, I give you:

The Five Myths about Freelance Writing

Myth #1: It's all about query letters, pitching ideas, and resumes.

Fact: In my entire freelancing career, which has produced over 8,000 published stories in mostly big market publications, I've gotten less than a handful of assignments from this approach, as have most of my peers. It's really about having good contacts, a broad network of editors as allies (people you can easily chat up on the phone with an ideas or ideas), and ultimately a great reputation (a writing style that’s both vibrant and unique, an ability to work well with editors and always hit deadlines, etc.). Mind you, this DOESN’T mean you SHOULDN’T query, pitch, or send resumes. I’m a strong believer in throwing as many strands of spaghetti as possible against the wall to see what sticks. Just don’t build all your hopes around getting an assignment upon those approaches alone.

Myth #2: It's impossible to make a living at it.

Fact: I won't lie. It's not easy. I've seen depressing stats about 86% of freelancers earning less than $30,000 a year—and I’m sure that in this economy, the percentage is likely much worse. But if you're talented, work hard, network like crazy and keep building your rep into something sterling, you can definitely break through and beat the odds, making as much as $3 a word or as high as $5,000-10,000 a story. Believe me, it’s possible!

Myth #3: Once you make it, it's a glorious life.

Fact: I'll admit that when it's going well and you're hot, it can be a dream of an existence—prime assignments, awesome travel, no boss hanging over your shoulder, waking up and going to bed when you please. But...on the bad side, it has no 401K plan, no paid health benefits, and no guaranteed income. When things cool off (and, believe me, even for the best of freelancers, it occasionally does), you sweat out paying the phone bill and the rent. Not fun. If you don't have the stomach for that, you need to get a staff position or a day job outside of writing.

Myth #4: It's a constant hustle.

Fact: At the beginning, it most definitely is. But if you're really good, you can move within time into that exclusive realm of “contract freelancer”—or what’s known as GUARANTEED MONEY. If you look at the masthead of magazines, you'll see the categories of “Contributing Writers” or “Contributing Editors” or “Writer at Large.” Those are almost always the contract freelancers, and they're the divas of magazine publishing, getting the most money for the hours they put in. A typical contract guarantees the writer a certain amount of money (as much as six figures) for doing a certain amount of stories in a given year. This is the top of the top of the food chain for a freelance writer, and if freelancing is what you want, then this is the prize you should always have your eyes on. It takes the struggle out of it.

Myth #5: One of the best ways to get freelance work is through online freelance job sites.

Fact: I never did this once. Nor have any of the many major freelancers I know. But if you remember from above, I’m a spaghetti-against-the-wall man. So, please, with my blessings, go for it and good luck!

Best always and stay positive,

Mike

Ann Bogle: Cut It Up

Cut It Up
By Ann Bogle

This exercise in prose, poetry, and revision has three parts.

Write a letter to someone you know well or someone who inspires you to write well. It could be an editor or agent or teacher or love interest. It could be someone with whom you’ve had a falling out, someone you might never see again, or someone you miss. There may be deep respect or erotic feeling to it. You may be enamored because of something you wish to gain—such as favor you wish to curry—or something you lost.

Write two pages double-spaced or one page single-spaced. Write freely because no one besides you will be looking at it. When you are satisfied, save the file, print it out, and cut it into phrases.

Cut at each comma, period, semi-colon, colon, and dash and at each line ending. Pile your phrases in a bowl then draw one out and transcribe it on a new page. Draw another and transcribe, another and transcribe until all the phrases are used. This is your new letter. Your cut-up should give you camouflage.

Once you have studied its new meanings, try it a different way. Print out the original letter again, cut it in one-line strips, and section each strip using your scissors into one-, two-, three- or four-word units. Put those in a bowl. Transcribe them on a new page, one unit at a time.

The second cut-up will likely be more abstract and may suggest meanings you didn’t imagine. You may wish to run the phrases and units as lines in a poem or as dialogue in a short play or as prose.

Save both cut-ups.

Finally, print out the original letter again. This time rewrite the letter based on things you learned in arranging the cut-ups. You may move sentences and paragraphs in any direction you wish, but try to stick to the original thoughts as much as possible, crossing out a sentence once you’ve recorded it.

This new version should be tight as a drum and devoid of excesses and looseness allowed in the first version.

You might even wish to mail it.

Ann Bogle has published short stories, prose, and poetry in many literary journals in print and online. For a listing of her publications and a sampling of her writing visit Ana Verse at:

http://annbogle.blogspot.com
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Need Ideas to Write About?

Need Ideas to Write About?
By Patricia Fry

I taught five workshops on article-writing one year at the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference. And I received the same questions that I get from freelance writers everywhere I go: “Where do article ideas come from?” “How do you come up with all of those article ideas?”

Novelists are sometimes stumped when it comes to ideas to incorporate into their stories—you know, those little sidebar events, activities, happenings, comments or a different perspective that can add interest to a story.

Here’s one way to find the ideas you need in order to create more interesting articles and stories:

Start by getting up off the sofa and out into the world. Well, you have my permission to sit on the sofa long enough to look through the calendar section of the newspaper. Or use your computer to locate activities and events near you. Find out what’s going on in your neighborhood, town or county, and then plan an outing for yourself and your dog, a friend or take your hubby and kids to explore some of the happenings happening around you.



So where will you go, what will you see and how could this possibly compute into article ideas or a side story for your stalled novel? Oh, my gosh, the possibilities are endless. There are quilt shows (each quilt has a story and each quilter is eager to tell it), cat shows (if you’ve never been to one, you’re in for a walk through a wonderland of fur) and motorcycle rallies (chat with some of the women riders, you might be surprised at their rather mundane or even high-power day jobs). See plays at your community theater, watch dance recitals for preschoolers, attend tee ball tournaments and talk to some of the world’s future athletic stars. Go to a popular recreation area, amusement park or zoo and just observe with pen and paper handy. If you have a writer’s heart, you will be jotting down ideas. Here are a few:

• Tips for families: play together and stay together.
• Exercise tips for promoting family togetherness.
• How to stay safe on and around the lake or ocean.
• Quick and healthy meals to take along on a family outing.
• How to prevent heat ailments in your pet this summer.
• How to choose the best family dog.
• Traveling with cats.
• Grooming tips for people who like to adventure with their pets.

Write about some of the activities and events themselves:

• What goes on at a quilt show, cat show or cooking competition?

• High dive finals make a splash in Daisyville.

• All ages enjoy glass blowing exhibit.

• Fishing derby separates the anglers from the tanglers.

• The local health fair is not for wimps.

• The Special Olympics brings out the best in everyone.

Let the activities spark some ideas:

• Teaching tee ballers a lesson in sportsmanship.

• How safe is your local amusement park?

• What inspires Special Olympians?

• A day in the life of a show cat.

• What are the fish in your area biting on?

• What percentage of people attending a health fair are diagnosed with an illness?

When you’re looking for a story, don’t miss the county fair, your city’s annual flea market, a book festival or a carnival, where there are hundreds of interesting things going on at once.

Go for the experience. Have you ever been to a marine animal park or oceanarium with a group of therapy animals (cats and dogs used in pet therapy)? What about an air show? Get an assignment beforehand and maybe you’ll land an interview with a pilot or, better yet, a ride in a stunt plane or jet.

What’s going on in your region or those areas you plan to visit this year? There are hot air balloon rides, bungie jumping, parachuting, fly fishing, white water rafting, pet parades, wine festivals, estate sales (just walking through some of these homes will awaken a flood of ideas), animal shelters, book signings and just so many other idea-rich activities and events.

One writer friend used to sit on the local pier watching people, animals, birds, inanimate objects (which sometimes become animated in the ocean breeze) and then she’d go home and incorporate what she saw and experienced into her latest short story. I remember her reading about a “cart-wheeling newspaper” at our writing group once. This idea developed one breezy day while she was sitting on the pier.

This week, shove the cat off of your lap, get out of that computer chair and go where the ideas are. Don’t miss an opportunity to have fun and to get the ideas you need for your story or articles.

Patricia Fry is the author of 25 published books, including, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,” “The Author’s Repair Kit,” and her latest "Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats.”

She is also the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network, www.spawn.org).

Visit her publishing blog at:

http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/
Click here

Ms. Fry’s free guide to writing a Post-Publication Book Proposal can be requested by emailing her at:

PLFry620@yahoo.com

100 Free Lectures That Will Make You a Better Writer

100 Free Lectures That Will Make You a Better Writer

Being a writer means you constantly evolve and grow in your writing knowledge. One way to aid in this evolution to becoming a better writer is by learning from what others have to offer. The following lectures cover a wide range of fields including literature, speeches from current writers, lectures from Nobel Laureates in literature, lectures about fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, and even entire classes on writing.

To read the rest of this:

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Journey with Journaling

How Well-Known Writers Used Their Journals: And You, Too, Can Keep a Journal to Write Better
By Ruth Folit

"Don't get it right the first time," James Thurber advised. "Just get it written." The journal is the perfect place to let your ideas pour out—to have the space to work that allows you full freedom to write just for yourself. In this writing environment—where there is no audience to please—you can let your words flow. Keep a journal to stay loose, invent fresh material, and find your voice.

Virginia Woolf used her diaries to sort out her feelings about the writing process. She reported her doubts as well as her confidences about her books, and also detailed her worries about how the reviewers would respond. Expressing how you feel about your writing process may free you to write with greater ease.

Notebooks that Dostoevsky kept while writing Crime and Punishment are notes to himself about how to write more convincingly. For example, he wrote "in giving it artistic form, don't forget that he is 23 years old." You may want to use your journal to coach yourself about guiding principles to remember when writing a piece.

Graham Greene used his journal to store all kinds of information that he might later include in his writing: the big picture of a plot, anecdotes, and minute details. About how he utilizes this information, he remarked in a footnote in one of his journals: “The economy of a novelist is a little like that of a careful housewife, who is unwilling to throw away anything that might perhaps serve its turn. Or perhaps the comparison is closer to the Chinese cook who leaves hardly any part of a duck unserved.” Use your journal to capture overheard conversations; observations of details of everyday life; and fresh perspectives when traveling.

Allan Ginsburg re-worked the prose he had written in his journal and changed where he broke the lines and then created poems. Re-read journal entries and find the gold. A unique phrase/idea written in one venue can be used more than once.

Writers as diverse as Robert Louis Stevenson, Amy Tan, and Spaulding Gray credit their dreams as inspiration for their stories. Keep a notebook by the side of your bed so you can write notes about your dreams before you fully wake up and the dreams have evaporated.

Eavesdrop shamelessly. Maeve Binchy, author of Circle of Friends, describes in an essay in The Writer magazine how she purposefully goes to particular places to overhear dialogues that overlap with what she is writing. If, for example, you are writing a conversation between eight year old boys, spend time in a nearby park or school playground. Listen astutely and you'll learn not only what people are saying, but also speech patterns, slang phrases, and the rhythm of the conversation. Use your journal to record what you hear.

F. Scott Fitzgerald used a special notebook exclusively to write possible titles for his works.

Create a journal entry called "Possible Titles" and add to it whenever an idea surfaces. You'll have a plethora of possibilities handy next time you are looking for a title and/or an idea for a piece

Ruth Folit, a longtime journal writer, is the creator of LifeJournal for Writers.(writers.lifejournal.com), journal software. LifeJournal is unique, innovative, and interactive journal software that provides both a structure and flexibility for writers’ journals. Download a free demo at writers.lifejournal.com/download.

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5 Tips for Creative Writing

5 Tips for Creative Writing
By Kelly Kilpatrick
http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/
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Creative writing is writing that expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings in an imaginative, often unique, and poetic way. It could be fiction, poetry, biographies and non-fiction. Creative writing can often be very challenging but it can also be a lot of fun and the sense of satisfaction that arises from a finished piece is indescribable. Here are some tips for creative writing.

1) Always carry a small notepad and pen. It often happens that the most creative of ideas pop up at the most unexpected of times. You may be making yourself a cup of tea, or you maybe changing your baby’s diaper or you may be in the midst of watching a sitcom. It would do you good to note down that idea immediately on your notepad so that you don’t forget it and you can bring it up for future reference.

2) Write at that time of the day when you are most creative. For most writers, this is the first thing in the morning when the mind is calm and relaxed, before the demands of the day jostle for attention. For a few others their creativity is best late at night when regular chores are done and the rest of the family has gone to bed. Many writers feel that following the uncluttered mind in the early morning and writing down whatever one feels like then, inspires a lot of creative thinking.

3) Find a workplace that fosters creative thinking. It is important that the place in which you work is quiet and peaceful where nothing or no one disturbs you. But you must remember that the ‘same place-same time’ routine may not be the best way to come up with creative ideas. Also typing away at the computer or the typewriter may get very boring and monotonous. So an occasional change in place like a bench at the local park or the sands of a beach maybe needed to spark some creativity.

4) Increase your personal reading of newspapers, magazines, books (fiction and non-fiction) and newsletters. Reading helps you to learn new thoughts and ideas, and increases your learning experience. You feel that much more learned and confident to be able to present your own thoughts in a creative and original manner. Reading also helps in that it exposes you to various topics and styles of writing and thus helps you develop a style of your own.

5) Take time for hobbies and doing things you love to do. Doing those activities that are close to our heart can make your imagination soar wildly. Taking a break from regular routine to do things like gardening, walking, bike-riding, flying to a holiday resort etc. can keep your mind calm, anxiety-free and more open to new and creative ideas.

Advice for Aspiring Writers

Michael Connelly: Write everyday, even if only for a few minutes. To even accomplish a few minutes of writing you have to think about the story and the characters. Writing everyday keeps them fresh in your mind. When they are in your mind you are constantly working the story. A lot of writing takes place away from the computer or the pad and pencil. This little trick keeps that creative process going.

Liza Dalby: Write about what obsesses you.

Dianne Day: My advice is to write what you most like to read. And read, read, read. Then write, write, write. Be realistic: this is not a glamorous business. It’s damn hard work, that you do alone, in the absence of anything like immediate feedback; when and if you do get feedback you have to wait a long, long time for it. I shudder to think how long you have to wait for the money! If delay of gratification is not your thing, you’ll probably be unable to tolerate the realities of this sometimes-brutal business. There is only one good reason to have, and to stay with, the impossible dream of being a published writer: If once you’ve written that first book, whether it sold or not, whether it got you an agent or not, you feel you can’t live without writing another. Which becomes another and another and another...because your life seems empty when you don’t have plots and characters in your head...and eventually they have to be emptied out of your head onto the page or else you’ll explode. At least, that’s the way it is for me.

Jeffery Deaver: There are only two rules I’d give to aspiring writers: one, write what you enjoy reading and, two, never, ever, ever give up; rejection is a speed bump, not a brick wall.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: I’m not sure I would presume to give advice, but here are some things I tell myself: If writing is important to you, you must be prepared to work hard at it, and simplify your life so that you can give your art the time and energy it requires. Read widely, practice for long hours. Like a potter, you must be willing to throw away misshaped pieces. You must be willing to take risks, try new forms, grow with each thing you write. You must try to tell the truth as best you are able.

Wayne Johnson: Try, as much as possible, to pour your life into those things you love.

Molly Jong-Fast: I think the advice that helped me most was just that you have to write and read, and not take no for an answer.

Reggie Nadelson: Aspiring writers? Enjoy it. And rewrite it. And read a lot. It’s the only way to learn the trade - for my money, it’s probably more useful to read non-genre books, novels, biographies; but if you read too many mysteries, you’ll start copying and lose your own voice.

John J. Nance: Well, first, please forgive the "wannabe" reference above if you’re a serious student of the craft. If your heart demands that you write regardless of economics, then write what you want. But, if your financial interests also demand that you seek remuneration for your efforts, then learn the basic business realities of writing today. It’s a far different business than just fifteen years ago, and one that demands different things of you in return for financial success. There may be a few critics and university professors out there searching for the great American novel, but no mainstream publishing houses have any rational mechanism to discover such a beast, let alone publish and promote it (in the absence of a movie deal with Robert Redford or someone in Hollywood to wag the dog and promote the book from the movie). What the reading public demands is entertainment, and it is the writer’s responsibility to give great value on that level as well as incorporating those elements which are important to the writer and his or her muse, all of which must be economically viable to a targeted market. It sounds depressing, but the good news is the publishing world is always looking for the next overnight success that took fifteen years to happen. Do your homework, pay your dues, and never give up. (Also, remember the three basic rules: Get an agent, Get an agent, and Get an agent). And, once you’re published, never forget for a second who’s paying your salary and making you a hit: Your reader - your customer. Be faithful to your readers, give them an ever improving product with the respect and appreciation they deserve, and they’ll stick with you.

Laura Zigman: The best advice an aspiring writer can receive is this: keep writing. No matter how daunting, impossible, or difficult and painful it seems, keep doing it. It’s worth it.

10 Pieces of Advice for Aspiring Writers

Advice for Aspiring Writers

Laurie Halse Anderson: Read everything you can get your hands on. Be kind to your English teachers --- they know more than you realize (the good ones). Please don’t be one of those people who just talk about being a writer... BE a writer. Write something! And never give up --- never, never, never, never.

Martyn Bedford: My advice to aspiring writers is to write as much as you can as regularly as you can --- every day, ideally. Don’t wait for the mood or the muse to strike, just write. Write because you want to write rather than because you want to be a writer. Be original or don’t bother.

Elizabeth Berg: Trust yourself above anyone else. Writer for yourself first, then worry about what to do with it. Don’t try to imitate anyone else --- instead, cultivate your own unique voice. And if you’re really interested in learning what I know and I believe about writing, take a look at a book I wrote called Escaping Into The Open: The Art of Writing True. It’s available in paperback, and it’s for anyone who wants to write for any reason. It has everything I know and believe about the craft, and a bunch of exercises, too. (Also, a bunch of recipes, which are really good. A woman came to a reading the other night and told me how much she liked that book. Then she showed me the stains she got on the page when she made the recipe for chocolate cake. It was good, she said. And it is.)

Maeve Binchy: I would advise anyone to write as they speak, and on the subjects that they know about.

Ana Castillo: Write, write, write! Read, read, read! Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Share it with a few people you trust, who can give feedback you’ll respect. Send it out. Don’t be afraid of rejection. Everyone gets rejected and will be rejected throughout their lives at one time or another. Do it because you must, because you want to, need to, couldn’t live with yourself otherwise. If you do it for the fame and glory, you may fall hard on your face.

Carol Higgins Clark: Keep writing. Join a writer’s group or writing class. If you have something that you can send out, try to get an agent. Go to the library and look up in Literary Market Place the list of agents, and send out letters to agents. The most important thing is to keep writing.

Judy Blume: Don’t let anybody discourage you!

Christopher Bohjalian: Read lots and write often. And, truly, savor the process of writing. I had amassed over 250 rejections before I sold my first short story (to Cosmopolitan) when I was 24, so it’s important to enjoy those moments when you are, literally, crafting sentences.

Terry Brooks: Don’t quit the day job! I gave a talk at Maui this year on ten things every writer should know: Read. Read. Read. Outline. Outline. Outline. Write. Write.Write. Repeat. That’s it!

Christopher Buckley: Write. But seriously --- 1) get some reporting experience early on. There is no better training. 2) Read Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. 3) As my writing professor, the great William Zinsser, used to tell us, "Be grateful for every word you can cut."

How to Finally Build a Freelance Career…Or Finish That Writing Project

How to Finally Build a Freelance Career…Or Finish That Writing Project
By Patricia Fry

Are you ready to take your writing business to the next level? Will you finally complete that novel this year? Despite years of putting off you’re your dream, you can succeed. You can earn a living as a freelance writer. You can experience the joy of authorship. Here are some suggestions to help you move closer to your writing goals.

1: Schedule time each day to write. Make writing a priority just like you do feeding the dog, working out and going grocery shopping. You might be surprised at how much you can accomplish in smaller pockets of time. I once wrote a 200-page book in eight months while writing for only two hours per day.

2: Do five things every day toward your writing goal. For examples:
Write five paragraphs or five pages of your novel.
Come up with five article ideas (or send out five reprints).
Make five book promotion contacts (book reviewers, booksellers, book festivals, etc).

3: Spend time at least once a month promoting your writing business. Develop a marketing letter and send it to potential clients or introduce yourself and your expertise to new editors, for example.

Last year, when my business slowed down, I sent letters to half dozen local businessmen and women reminding them of my editorial services. I promptly landed two good assignments.

4: Get creative when it comes to your writing business, article work or book promotion.

Find new ways to work with clients: writing resumes, creating brochures or rewriting employee manuals for corporations, for example.

Expand your article base. Tweak old articles to fit very different kinds of magazines, seek out new magazines and come up with new article topics for familiar editors.

Seek book reviews. Visit bookstores personally with your book. Schedule speeches to promote your book. Send press releases to libraries.

5: Stay positive. As a writer, you are constantly setting yourself up for rejection. Your articles are rejected. Your writers group is critical of your work. You criticize your writing. It’s hard to come by positive feedback.

Here’s how I conquer this writer’s curse.

I display things in my office that make me feel accomplished and loved. My books, of course and then there are family photos, treasured gifts from friends, certificates and ribbons I’ve won and some of my best photography.

I connect often with my most positive and supportive friends and family via brief emails or a quick phone call.

I take mini-vacations almost every day. I spend an hour walking amidst stands of oaks, along a nearby river, around a lake or at the beach.

I frequently engage in something creative outside of writing. I spend time in my garden or working on a needlework project.

If you’d like to establish yourself as a freelance writer or if you’re tired of looking at that unfinished manuscript, make this your year of achievement. Incorporate these ideas into your lifestyle now and you, too, will do yourself proud.

Patricia Fry is the author of 25 published books, including, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and The Author’s Repair Kit. She is also the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network, www.spawn.org).

Visit her publishing blog at:

www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog

Ms. Fry’s free guide to writing a Post-Publication Book Proposal can be requested by emailing her at:

PLFry620@yahoo.com

The No-Fail Way to Crack Writer’s Block

The No-Fail Way to Crack Writer’s Block

Okay, guys, are you ready? Here it is:

Simply write about the writer's block.

That's right.

Just let out all those impotent, hopeless, corked-up feelings flow all over the page.

That can't help but work, right?

Because once you're writing, you're not blocked anymore.

See?

Another great way to help avoid writer's block is merely to stop using the phrase altogether.

I mean, my god, it's such a negative thing. Why are you putting that obstacle into your head in the first place?

Try erasing that phrase from your brain and just do your best to have fun with the process.

Revel in the delight of your self-expression.

You won't always be perfect. But so what? That's the challenge. There's a wonderful joy in polishing a formless piece of work into something beautiful.

The truth is, if you're really a writer, you can write pretty much all the time, even if it means making yourself sit in the chair for hours and hours fiddling until suddenly the words pour out of you.

Or as Quincy Jones once put it, referring to Michael Jackson's special magic in producing great music, "ass power."

In other words, the power to force yourself to sit your ass down to do the work.

Don't let yourself suffer from low-frustration tolerance and give up so quickly.

Write.

Write badly, in fact--allow yourself that cushion, that freedom.

As Hemingway once said, "All first drafts are sh-t."

And, other than with Mozart's compositions and a few other exceptions, Papa Ernest was absolutely right.

Our job as writers is to sculpt away, refine, polish, until we feel we can let it go, or until we reach our deadline.

It won't happen to our satisfaction, or to our editors and readers, every time out.

That's okay.

Try again the next time, and time after that.

But, please, if you're blocked too often, you may want to reassess your choice on being a writer.

Maybe you're not blocked at all.

Maybe you just have nothing to say.

Demystifying Literary Agents

Seven Essential Points on Literary Agents
By Jill Nagle
Reprinted by permission from author

(An excerpt from the no-longer-for-sale e-book, “How to Find A Literary Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar.”)

As an aspiring author, you may have heard, “if your work is really good, you can get an agent. Getting the work into shape is the hard part. If you get the work into shape, the right agent will follow.” Is it really that simple? Well, yes and no.

The seven essential points below prepare you for what to expect when seeking an agent, or literary representative.

Point 1: Fiction or nonfiction? Differences in approach

As a novelist, or fiction writer, you need to complete your whole book, format it properly, and find an agent who specializes in selling novels. If you write nonfiction (self-help, how-to, memoir), forget about writing the whole book, unless you want to self-publish. Instead, write your book proposal.

A book proposal is like a business plan for your book. Its job is to convince the publisher to part with money so you can get paid to write your book.

In either case, to minimize your chances of rejection, you’ll need to have your proposal or manuscript polished before approaching an agent.

Point 2: That someone calls themselves an agent says nothing about what they can do for you

Some things haven’t changed in the century since the first literary agent was born. Today, anyone can still hang out a shingle and say they’re an agent—many people do. Not all agents are effective, ethical, or even sell any books.

Jill’s Guerilla Caveat
Don’t settle for just any agent. Agents vary tremendously in their effectiveness and in what they sell well. Get your proposal (for nonfiction writers) or manuscript (for novelists) into tip-top shape, then go for the agent who has a proven track record selling work similar to your own.

Point 3: Membership in the Association of Author’s Representatives (United States) indicates that the agent has agreed to abide by the AAR’s code of ethics

This professional guild for agents requires, among other things, that an agent:

* has sold at least ten literary properties (i.e. books) in the eighteen months prior to application for membership; and
* does not charge any fees for reading or evaluating authors’ work.

However, not every legitimate US agent belongs to the AAR. Many extremely successful agents opt out of AAR membership. A comparable agency called the Association of Author’s Agents operates in Britain.

Point 4: Legitimate agents earn their living by selling to legitimate publishers the rights to publish authors’ books

In return for writing your book and granting a legitimate publisher the rights to print it, the publisher gives you, the author, a percentage of whatever the book makes, otherwise known as a “royalty.” In return for brokering the deal and acting as your advocate, you in turn give your agent a percentage (usually 15 per cent) of this royalty.

This is how legitimate agents make their money. They pick good literary prospects for the publishers to consider, who rely on them to reduce the time and energy it would otherwise take to wade through the enormous amount of submissions the publishers receive.

Publishers know the legitimate agent’s living depends on being able to separate the wheat from the chaff, so they tend to look more seriously at submissions from reputable agents.

To reiterate, legitimate agents get paid through commissions on book rights only, period. If an agent charges you any money, except a small fee for expenses (and many people believe agents shouldn’t charge authors even for those; they should simply be considered the cost of doing business), they have little incentive to sell books.

Successful agents use a well-established network of relationships with editors in legitimate publishing houses. They know the right editors to call for the particular projects that come their way. They don’t have time to do anything but sell book rights, because selling book rights is how they make their money.

Aside from selling the rights to publish your book in your own country, many other possibilities exist for making money from your book both within your own country and abroad. These include translating the book and selling it overseas, making an audio recording of the book, or having the book used as the basis for a movie. The legal permission to do these things is called foreign rights, subsidiary rights and options, respectively.

To help you make the most money possible from your book, your agent should be able to negotiate for the subsidiary and foreign rights to remain with you, and then work either on their own or with someone else, to help you sell and make yet more money on sales from those rights.

Jill’s Guerilla Caveat
Apart from those agents who are simply mediocre, watch out for scammers – there are plenty! Apart from trusting your gut, and not paying an agent, avoid any agent who:

* insists you hire a particular editorial or consulting service (this is different from making a referral, or even better, two or three referrals and letting you interview them and make up your own mind);
* refers you to a publisher who wants to charge you money;
* suggests representing multiple works of yours simultaneously (unless they have a really good reason for thinking this is a good idea).

Agents who profit from upfront fees for reading or handling manuscripts, who affiliate themselves financially with editorial, coaching or publishing services, or who claim to need your money for any other purpose probably aren’t selling the rights to your book for a living.

Why should they, when aspiring writers who don’t know any better are kind enough to bankroll their other enterprises?

Point 5: At their best, agents advocate for author interests, and earn their commissions by:

* using their inside information, reputations and well-oiled relationships with editors to approach just the right publishers for your book – especially the increasing number of those publishers who won’t take un-agented submissions;
* applying their contractual and negotiating expertise to garnering higher advances, more rights and a lot of other stuff you might not be aware of;
* helping you refine both the form and content of your book so that it appeals to the publishers they plan to approach;
* intervening on your behalf if you get into a disagreement with the publisher;
* assisting you with making long-term decisions about sequels, options, subsidiary rights, next steps and other aspects of your career.

Point 6: Agents reject 99 per cent of all material that comes their way

The best and most reliable way to up your odds of getting published is to a) research your market, b) know and communicate to the agent via a perfect query letter how your work fits in with and stands out from others in its class, c) deliver an original, well-written, impeccably formatted manuscript or proposal, then d) choose an agent who is obviously interested in and has a record of selling work like yours. Read that again.

Point 7: Don’t initiate contact with a phone call – really. Approach an agent with a query letter instead

Unless you are famous (and even then), approach an agent with a query letter. A query letter introduces you and your book idea, and invites the agent to see your book proposal or manuscript.

Don’t email unless the agent specifically states somewhere in print or on the internet that they welcome email queries. Also, don’t call with general questions about their qualifications.

Agents who haven’t expressed interest in representing your work generally will not consent to have you interview them unless you’re a journalist calling to give them publicity.

Once an agent has expressed interest in your work, you can and should ask questions of them, then take up to a week (or longer, by mutual agreement) to decide whether to accept their offer of representation.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations—you now have a solid introduction to agents, a crucial piece of the mainstream publishing world. However, as you might guess, finding exactly the right agent for your work, so you can beat those 99 per cent rejection odds, takes a bit more effort.

Jill Nagle, an author as well as a writing coach and consultant, has been helping writers get published for over a decade.

Interview with Poet W. S. Merwin

10 Quick Thoughts on Freelance Writing

10 Quick Thoughts on Freelance Writing

1) Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride. Even if you're talented, the work sometimes comes in great waves, then dries up suddenly.

2) You must be disciplined. If you can't force yourself to put in at least five hours a day either writing or researching, or pitching ideas to editors, or interviewing people, or studying the craft and business, forget about it.

3) While you're doing one story, you must be securing the next one. You have to continue hustling and keeping the stories and money coming in.

4) You must get paid by the word (not the story), fight for more money per word (you should never settle for less than 50 cents unless you have little or no talent or little or no experience), and pose to do stories for as many words as possible.

5) You must get chummy with editors. Establish a network of them that you can call on the phone easily. Editors control your fate.

6) Develop an expertise, but also try to be versatile at the same time.

7) Shoot high (or as high as your experience allows at the time). Don't keep trying to publish stories in obscure places that pay little or no money. Go for things that even your friends outside of writing know. No matter what, keep moving higher and higher, stretching your writing talent more and more.

8) Don't be discouraged. Everybody gets rejected. Just keep moving forward, leaping over all obstables to the next editor or publication.

9) Brainstorm ideas constantly. Your lifeblood is great ideas. You should always have more great ideas than the competition.

10) Don't be another begging freelancer, but a contract freelancer. Big difference. A contract freelancer is the cream of the crop and, pound for pound, gets paid way higher than staff writers. Once you've published five stories with one publication and have been met with rave reviews by the editors, you should press for a contributing contract deal. That'll separate you from the rest of the starving freelancer pack.

Good luck!

Interview with Lee Gutkind

Lee Gutkind, Editor/Writer/Teacher

Lee Gutkind is the founding editor of the anthology series Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality, a teacher, filmmaker, and an award-winning author/editor of over a dozen books. He’s often been called “The Godfather behind Creative Nonfiction.”

Here is my exclusive interview with Mr. Gutkind:

Mike: What is the best piece of writing advice you ever heard?

Gutkind: That you need to build a habit of writing. To write every day and on a schedule.

Mike: Should you edit your work during the process or after you’ve finished?

Gutkind: Every writer has his or her own way of doing it, a way they’re most comfortable. But I would suggest you be like a sculptor. First get your big block of clay on the table and let your imagination run wild. Be expansive. Go off on tangents. Be creative. Experimental. Just let go. Don’t worry about editing. Just make it come alive. Then, once everything is there, slowly chisel it down piece by piece.

Mike: What quick hits could you give to my members so they can improve their writing immediately?

Gutkind: Everybody wants quick hits today. The thing is, Hemingway didn’t learn from quick hits. He learned by reading the great works. Unfortunately, all the quick hits, like reading as much of the great works as you can, take a long time. But it’s very important that you learn to read not just as a reader but as a writer. I focus on this in my workshops. By this, I mean to look at it through the eyes of a writer. With a critical eye.

Mike: What books have influenced you the most?

Gutkind: Thomas Wolfe’s and Ernest Hemingway’s books struck me during my youth. Hemingway’s ability to tell a story, as well as to go back and forth from fiction to non-fiction, using the techniques of each in doing the other, was just amazing to me. Later, Gay Talese’s “Fame & Obscurity” changed the way I viewed nonfiction writing. It’s like a Bible to me now.

Mike: What makes great creative non-fiction?

Gutkind: The passing along of information using great storytelling and poetic writing. To write in scenes. For storytelling techniques, I’d advise your members to read my book, “The Art of Creative Nonfiction.” For poetic influences, read the works of Diane Ackerman, Annie Dillard, and the first parts of Talese’s “The Bridge” or his incredible piece, “Sinatra Has A Cold.” Contrary to popular belief, poetry is closer to nonfiction than one might imagine. On the most basic levels, poems are, in essence, nonfiction: spiritual and literal truth told in free form or verse.