Writing Workshop

Austin-area writers at all stages looking for an opportunity to establish or expand their professional writing lives can register now for a one-day workshop, “On Being a Writer,” from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., November 15, at Hope Bible Fellowship in Round Rock, Texas. 

This workshop will serve as your personal writing coach for the day, exploring the writing life you want and the writing life you already have and providing you with the tools to bridge the two. The workshop also would be an excellent outing for writing groups to attend together for professional development and further conversation about the writing life.

The cost for the workshop is $50, which includes all sessions and lunch catered by Bee’s Knees Bakeshop. Groups of 10 or more can register together and receive a $5 per person discount. Cost for full-time students at any level is $35.

Visit the link to find out more and to register.

Putting Off Procrastination.....

....is what I really should be doing. 

I have made a cup of coffee, updated my calendar, checked future travel plans (hello, WLT retreat!), did a load of laundry, made another cup of coffee, sent some text messages, Edmodoed my students and updated my Facebook status.

It was about beer-had some fun at a local brewery this weekend-but it should have been an excited post about how I was soooo close to finishing my manuscript I can taste it. But it wasn't, because I'm not. Close that is.

http://www.thewriteratwork.com/site/archives008.asp

I can taste it-kinda like a sour bile at the back of my throat.

I thought I was close. Like, two chapters to go close.

Then, I had the brilliant idea to outline my story arc for each of my characters and realized I have some gaping holes to fill in.

Why didn't I do this earlier? Did I not learn that making an outline was VERY important in the planning phase?

Well, yes, I did learn that. And I did make an outline. It's just that when I went back to really analyze my characters, I realized that their climaxes are not strong enough. OR maybe its that the 'costs' are not clearly established.

BHA! Either way, I am face with taking a good look at the details of my story and making sure that what is important is thoroughly explained, examined, existentialised-whatever!

This hurts. But, its a good pain. Once I am done, by book will be that much stronger and I will have an even better grasp of the characters and the story.

This way, once its published and I'm famous and people are dying to do interviews with me, I will have some really clever, in depth, awe-inspiring answers for my readers!

The Traps in the Pages

Apparently, there are just so many things agents can tolerate before they put your pages away, and out of their minds, forever. They have been so kind as to share the most irritating openings with us, the authors. 


Lan and I have compiled a few of the 'traps' that we are diligently avoiding in our first pages. We do NOT want our stories to become casualties in the trash file.

NO dreams-this offers the reader a fake sense of the reality of the book an they can feel cheated when the dream ends and the story begins.

NO mirror contemplation- "I looked into the mirror, toothbrush hanging from my mouth, and was horrified to see that I had a black eye. My normal glowing complexion was marred by nicks and scratches. My sky blue eyes were dulled to a meager grey and my long silky tresses were missing. I was completely bald."

Which leads into NO getting up in the morning. No one cares that the character hits the snooze button or needs coffee right away.

Do NOT characterize by using items of clothing-either holy, or expensive, promiscuous, or tame. 'She pulled on her *insert expensive shoes here* and click clacked out the door.'

Absolutely do NOT write a prologue. Make it the first chapter if it really has to be there, otherwise cut it. I found I have to do this. I tend to write the first chapter for myself anyway-just to get the ball rolling. It doesn't really belong in the book.

NO long drawn out explanations-if the facts must be presented right now, then find a way to do it through action or dialogue. 

No one cares about the weather. Ever.

NO common characters-give them someone who is uncommon.

Do NOT start out 'on a sleepy little town where nothing ever happens' because there is no story there!

But, do NOT use tricks and scandalous actions just to get attention.

What the Heck is the Difference Between Tone, Plot, and Theme?

Tone is what the author wants the reader to feel.  This means words usage, grammar, voice, and interactions between characters.

Wistfully-It was the last chance I would have to travel with my family, gone, in the blink of an eye. It was fate that drove us off that bridge. It was death who took them from me.

Guiltily-They died that day. It was my f-ing fault. I wish above all else that I had only taken better care when coming around the curve. I could still hold my little boy and kiss my wife. But I ruined it all.

The tone of the book can change

You have a character who was down on his luck through the whole book, noting went right.  He lost the house, his car was repossessed, his wife left him and took the kids. Now he lives with his mother. Then, he  he spends his last 5 dollars on a winning mega million lottery ticket. The tone will change from sad and depressing, 'why am I living', to hopeful with a new start.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plotmountain.jpg

Plot is driven my the motivations and actions of your characters-what they want to accomplish throughout a story, what the characters do to make their desired goals come true.  Plot is the exchange of high and lows which drive a story and the changes in the characters.

Try this plot generator just for fun.

The theme of a book is the over arching idea of what the writer wants to purvey to the reader.

• love concurs all 
• heroes journey
• revenge in not the answer (dig two graves, one for them and one for you), 
• blood in thicker/family ties

How not to start a novel.

Here is a link for what agents don't want to find in your first chapter. I am guilty of one of these. Back to rewriting. ;)

This is BIG, Andrea Hurst is accepting unsolicited queries!

This alert from established literary agent Andrea Hurst (Andrea Hurts & Associates): “I am reopening my submissions this summer to unsolicited queries from June 1 – September 1, 2014.” This is a great opportunity for writers everywhere who are writing genres & categories that Andrea accepts. She is not always open to submissions, and wanted writers to know. More info below.

She is seeking: “I am looking for upmarket, book club women’s fiction, commercial women’s fiction/romance (contemporary or historical), young adult fiction, and most areas of nonfiction (authors with a substantial platform who have already developed a solid, highly polished proposal – this includes memoirs, health/wellness, business, self-help/personal growth, memoir, cookbooks, pet books, spirituality). As of 2014, we are now accepting middle grade contemporary fiction as well.”

How to submit: Submit by Sept. 1, 2014. No attachments. Absolutely no phone calls or regular mail contact, please. E-query andrea [at] andreahurst.com.

Learn more about Andrea: http://www.andreahurst.com/literary-management/about/andrea-hurst/

Thanks to writersdigest.com for this excellent heads up. Their link can be found to the right under favorite links

Writing for Young Adults

Here's an amazing article from writersdigest.com on writing for young adults.  I found it very informative, click here. 

New Agent

About Rachael: Rachael Dugas (@RachaelDugas on Twitter) joined Talcott Notch Literary as an associate agent in June 2011. She earned her BA in English from Ithaca College in 2010 and worked as an intern at Sourcebooks and at online food magazine www.poortastemag.com before assuming her current position.

She is seeking: Rachael represents cookbooks and young adult, middle grade, and adult fiction in the contemporary, paranormal, women’s, and romance genres. She would love to receive more cookbooks(especially with a unique perspective, distinct voice and sense of place, and stellar marketing platform), beautifully written historical and/or literary fiction, really terrific memoir, and fun, contemporary YA or adult fiction, especially pertaining to food or the performing arts.

How to contact: The best way to reach Rachael is via editorial (at) talcottnotch.net, with ATTN: Rachael Dugas somewhere in the subject line (and we ask you do include your first 10 pages in the body of the email). Please visit www.talcottnotch.net for additional information regarding submissions.

Thanks to writersdigest.com for the new agent information. You can find their link to the right under favorite links.

New Agent

About Renee: Several years in the editorial department at Random House’s Colorado division provided Renee with the opportunity to work with bestselling and debut authors alike. After leaving Random House, she came toKT Literary in early 2013 to cultivate her passion for YA literature. Drawing on her editorial experience, she loves digging into client manuscripts and helping authors shape the best story possible. You can follow her on twitter @Renee_Nyen.

She is seeking: Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. “I’m always interested in YA historical fiction, mystery, sci-fi, and thrillers, but genre is not as important to me as strong prose and compelling characters.”

Submission Guidelines: Please submit a query letter with the first three pages of your manuscript pasted in the email to queries (at) ktliterary.com.

Thanks to writersdigest.com for the new agent information. You can find their link to the right under favorite links.

Building Your Platform

Thank you to writersdigest.com for the following article. You can find their link to the right under favorite links.
A major buzzword floating around the publishing world these days is “platform.” There’s a lot of question about what it means and whether or not authors really need to have one. Writer’s Digest publisher Phil Sexton says theimportance of having a platform ultimately depends on your goals for your book.

If you’re a writer who strives for commercial success and a wide audience of readers, then, yes, platform most certainly matters. It makes no difference whether your ultimate goal is indie or traditional publishing; if you want your book to be competitive in the marketplace, you must consider how you can reach out and generate excitement among readers. Having a platform will help you do just that.

Essentially, your author platform is the means through which you are able to spread your message. It’s based on your connections and influence. Therefore, building your platform involves fostering relationships, establishing your expertise, and building an effective means of communicating with your target audience.

There are many ways to go about this. And the path you take should depend on your own set of skills, the message you want to share and the specific audience you want to reach. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Build a Website and Blog: Carve out a space online that’s all your own. Use your author website and blog as a place to post articles that establish your expertise in your field. Share news about your book, speaking schedule, upcoming interviews, etc.
• Be Active on Social Media: Developing a social media network is critical to establishing an ongoing method for communicating with your target audience. Whether you choose to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or all of the above and more, just be sure you’re taking full advantage of at least one of these incredible online relationship-building tools.
• Network at Industry Events: Try hosting a book signing or putting your title on display at book fairs and other events. By giving yourself the opportunity to get your book circulating and to interact directly with new readers, you can start to gather a network of fans.

Punctuating Dialogue

So, today in our writing group, a question on how to punctuate dialogue came up.  Follow this link, and it may answer some of the questions you may have.

Lady of the Links

It's official! Lan's new name is now the Lady of the Links.

Here are a few of the beauties she sent our way:

Contest and Agent News

What Agents Want

And a lingering question out there is-What is steampunk, again? Help us out with by commenting with your answers and perhaps links to sites with great explanations of genre (we know there are millions of them-genres-out there).

Welcome New Members

What a fantastic meeting of the minds we had today! Here is a quick recap.

Source http://myquoteshome.com/

Jenny has met with us once, but we are going to count this as her official return! She has been furiously, or at least maddeningly, editing thousands of words out of her YA manuscript.  Her goal is to make the transition from YA to middle grade. 

Ryan shared the concept of story engineering and the three layers of a story-or was it a character?  I missed it... hopefully he can share that here as a post or a comment. His kids are a great inspiration for him and we all agreed writing with his kids as character is a lovely idea.  He is currently planning two very different stories.

Lan just entered her synopsis and first ten pages into the Writer's League of Texas' manuscript contest.  We wish you luck, but your work stands for itself and we know your agent/author review will be fantastic-AND you will be a winner!

Katie is about three quarters through with her YA manuscript and is happy to see the end in sight.  She needs a swift kick in the butt to keep going!

A couple topics to keep up with:

picture from amazon.com
 illustrations by Valerie Bouthyette

• Contest sponsored by Writer Digest-15th Free Dear Lucky Agent Contest 
• Using professional editors before sending queries and pages to agents
• Self publishing using Kindle (woot woot Ryan!) Isaiah the Dinosaur Hunter by Ryan Bender
• Adding a second meeting each month (now the 2nd and last Sunday) and may change the location to the European Cafe on Fort Hood Rd.

Shout out: please share your favorite writing website/writer's tool as a comment. I've added mine to the links list on the right. Yours will be added there as well.