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Showing posts from September, 2010

When Not to Write

Okay, so you’ve all heard that a writer can write anytime he or she darn well pleases. And that writers should write whenever they can. But what about times when writers shouldn’t write? Are there any rules for that, or is this just an excuse to use when there’s a deadline looming? Sure, procrastination can be detrimental to your career. But maybe there are times when it’s not such a bad idea? That maybe stepping away from the computer can benefit your work? Here’s a list of times when I know I should NOT write for fear of losing the Muse and my mind. 1. After I’ve submitted a manuscript. This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s not. When you submit a manuscript, or an article or poem or hey, even a blog post, it’s time to celebrate! Time to focus on a job well done. Don’t start another novel. It squelches your current glory, well, at least mine anyway. Enjoy the satisfaction of hard work sent off into eager agent’s/editor’s hands- and then write. 2. After I’ve been out

Characters That Work

I’ve heard countless times that agents when looking for the next great manuscript (and readers who want a great book), want compelling characters. But, what does this mean? Compelling? And why have I never thought of characters as compelling when I can’t put the book down? Sure, these characters are amazing and sometimes I want to be in the middle of the stories as if they were my own experiences. But why? Compelling characters make me --force me-- to be in love with them as they find their way through trials or charge fearlessly down hidden hallways and dark forests. This makes for wonderful literature and for fascinated readers. But how do we do this? How do authors create compelling characters -- ones that not only we want to read but others too -- and convince our readers that they should care about them? Here’s a tiny list by which I try to strive: Make them human: This is a given. And most writers would tell you this is. Give your character flaws that lots of people have

Posting Productivity

For all of you procrastinating, I’ll-do-it-later, just-leave-me-alone people who are trying to find a way to become productive in your own life -- and a more organized member of your family-- perhaps I have the answer you’ve been waiting for. This may come as a complete shock, but if you’re willing to buy a pack of Post-It Notes©, and a pen or pencil - anything that will create tangible writing (no, the computer monitor doesn’t count -- you need something you can actually scroll a pen over) you will find yourself fast becoming productivity’s friend. Are you ready? This is what you need to do: Write down all the important things you need to do today. Now, I can hear you thinking, “Whoa, hold on there. Don’t you think that’s a little too simple? I mean, lists? Come on, I thought you were going to give me a life-changing idea.” But, I have. See, if you’re anything like me, I feel productive when I’ve accomplish something worthwhile to myself; something I place value in doing. I

From Not to Net

Networking. It's a tough job. And it’s a job that sometimes, though very beneficial, doesn't feel like it counts for much. After all, as my "punny" husband so kindly pointed out, there's only one little letter that turns "networking" into "notworking." That got me thinking: Is networking really me not working ? Then I asked myself - while I was busy throwing dagger-like glances at my husband: Just because I don't get paid for this, is it still considered real work? I'd like to think that this work of finding people with similar interests to not only be friends with but become fellow blog followees, has helped me with my writing career; one that could potentially pay me a few dollars. As of now, it's all free; all my time and energy isn't compensated for. So in order to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile, I prefer to think of my time spent networking without pay as an internship; the whole paying-my-dues-before-I-g

A Happy Medium

Ah, the paper and pen: that duo is such a powerful and magnificent reverence to our literary past. So much so for me, that I used to write only long hand in the early days of my "authorship." It’s how I thought true writers really should write because in all honesty, there’s something to be said for feeling the words lick off the ink or lead, throwing caution to the wind, and getting those words out at which to marvel. But, this was erroneous thinking, and the error was believing it was the only way to write. I changed my thinking about this a few years ago when writer’s block was having at it with me. I decided to sit at the computer and write something, anything , that didn’t have to do with what I was currently stuck in with my paper canvas. Lo and behold, after typing away and finding paragraphs and pages of quick, good material appear, I realized I was beginning to understand how people wrote books solely on the computer. It was remarkable. What I first thought to be