I start each morning with a cup of coffee and my guilty pleasure, The National Post.
There are many reasons why I love this newspaper. The writing is first class, the
ideas presented are thought-provoking and the opinions present both sides of the coin.
But beyond all that is a healthy respect for writers, with many articles on the craft,
etc. generally featured in their Weekend Post section,along with excellent book reviews.
Here are two articles that are must-reads and here's how to access them:
Go to: www.NationalPost.com and Click on Today's Archives.
In the Search Box, type in Saturday, February 5, 2011 (for the first article)
When the date appears, type Craig Davidson (the article's author)and the article
should appear: "It's Not About Writing".
For the second article:
Type Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in the Search Box
When the date appears, type Clark Whilton and the article appears: "So, I'm Like: "Whoa That is So Wow'"
Enjoy,
Tina
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Let the Games Begin
*waves* Hi everyone.
What do you do when your writing begins to feel like work?
From the corner of the room, Jack Torrance intones "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Uh...ok. *inches away* Er, yes. You could spiral into madness, if you wanted to, but I think that would be counterproductive. It tends to kill your writing. *Jack twitches*
*a-hem* Moving on now. When your writing starts to feel like work, go play! Here's a neat resource for word games I found. Pick a game that tickles your fancy and away you go.
http://scottwilliamcarter.com/games-writers-play/
In my personal opinion, 500 -1000 words per day (most days, anyway) is what I found to be my realistic goal. But if there's one thing I learned about the craft, it is do what feels right to you. Should you find you can only get the words flowing by standing on your head, I won't judge. If it gets you results, than go with it. There is no such thing as the right way to write so long as you get those words out and on the page.
I admit some of the games sound kind of oddball, but maybe one of these will trigger something for you.
Ozzy
What do you do when your writing begins to feel like work?
From the corner of the room, Jack Torrance intones "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Uh...ok. *inches away* Er, yes. You could spiral into madness, if you wanted to, but I think that would be counterproductive. It tends to kill your writing. *Jack twitches*
*a-hem* Moving on now. When your writing starts to feel like work, go play! Here's a neat resource for word games I found. Pick a game that tickles your fancy and away you go.
http://scottwilliamcarter.com/games-writers-play/
In my personal opinion, 500 -1000 words per day (most days, anyway) is what I found to be my realistic goal. But if there's one thing I learned about the craft, it is do what feels right to you. Should you find you can only get the words flowing by standing on your head, I won't judge. If it gets you results, than go with it. There is no such thing as the right way to write so long as you get those words out and on the page.
I admit some of the games sound kind of oddball, but maybe one of these will trigger something for you.
Ozzy
Sunday, May 2, 2010
A Day at Deer Creek
The day after attending a writers' conference is a time for reflection. I've spent this morning clearing the dust off my desk and the cobwebs out of my mind. So much information was gleaned yesterday and the time to implement new writing techniques is upon me.
The Ontario Writers' Conference at Deer Creek Golf Club started early and ended late. Here's a brief recap of my day.
8:30 a.m. Arrived and ate breakfast with members of DWO, Chris and Tina. Table hopped, greeting old friends and colleagues- Ruth Walker, Dorothea Helms, Gywnn Sheltema to name a few.
9:30 a.m. Went downstairs for my first workshop, An Editing Primer with Gwynn Scheltema, who is always a pleasure to hear. Gwynn's presentation concentrated on taking the completed first draft to the next level. She put us to work on three writing exercises as well as discussing how to edit a novel bit by bit.
11:00 a.m. Coffee and cookies. Yum!
11:15 a.m. Second workshop with Robert J. Sawyer's Science Fiction as the Literature of Ideas. Rob is a fabulous speaker and I wrote copious notes, but the most important thing that he said was: The most successful books are the ones that can be described in one sentence because, when editors are pitching ideas to publishers, they only have a few seconds to promote unknown authors. He also said that great books are about issues, not characters or plots.
12:45 p.m. Lunch buffet with speaker, Robert J. Sawyer. This time he spoke about Robert A. Heinlein's 1947 essay on writing rules, which are:
1) You must write.
2) You must finish what you start.
3) You must put it on the market.
4) Refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.
5) You must keep it on the market until it is sold.
Rob added one more rule to the list by saying that you must start writing something else while waiting to find an agent/publisher. He also said that out of the 100 writers in the room, only 50 would ever finish anything. From the 50 who complete a novel, only 25 would put it on the market. Of the 25 seeking prepresentaion, only 12 would keep it circulating and only 6 out of the 12 would sell their work. So those are the (not so great) odds we're up against, fellow writers.
2:00 p.m. Third workshop with Terry Fallis on Shameless Promotion. I had my Blue Pencil Session with Robert J. Sawyer at 3:00 and was quite nervous. He had good things to say about my four pages and told me to look for a US literary agent when it's completed.
3:30 p.m. Coffee and cookies again.
3:45 p.m. Publishing Panel upstairs in the dining room. Some useful questions and answers, but one of the speakers was too wordy for my liking.
We had a walk outside before dinner and admired the lovely wedding party.
6:00 p.m. Dinner with speaker Catherine Gildiner, a wonderful writer and speaker.
7:30 p.m. Author readings began with Wayson Choy. Our Chris won one of the door prizes! A lovely gift basket with two bottles of alcohol, chocolates and other goodies.
We mingled until shortly after nine and left, tired but exhilerated from a wonderful day.
Of course, I've left out lots of details that we'll discuss at the next meeting.
My blue pencil session with Robert J. Sawyer led me to believe that I have a winning novel. So I must buckle down and complete the first draft. Easier said than done!
Cynthia
The Ontario Writers' Conference at Deer Creek Golf Club started early and ended late. Here's a brief recap of my day.
8:30 a.m. Arrived and ate breakfast with members of DWO, Chris and Tina. Table hopped, greeting old friends and colleagues- Ruth Walker, Dorothea Helms, Gywnn Sheltema to name a few.
9:30 a.m. Went downstairs for my first workshop, An Editing Primer with Gwynn Scheltema, who is always a pleasure to hear. Gwynn's presentation concentrated on taking the completed first draft to the next level. She put us to work on three writing exercises as well as discussing how to edit a novel bit by bit.
11:00 a.m. Coffee and cookies. Yum!
11:15 a.m. Second workshop with Robert J. Sawyer's Science Fiction as the Literature of Ideas. Rob is a fabulous speaker and I wrote copious notes, but the most important thing that he said was: The most successful books are the ones that can be described in one sentence because, when editors are pitching ideas to publishers, they only have a few seconds to promote unknown authors. He also said that great books are about issues, not characters or plots.
12:45 p.m. Lunch buffet with speaker, Robert J. Sawyer. This time he spoke about Robert A. Heinlein's 1947 essay on writing rules, which are:
1) You must write.
2) You must finish what you start.
3) You must put it on the market.
4) Refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.
5) You must keep it on the market until it is sold.
Rob added one more rule to the list by saying that you must start writing something else while waiting to find an agent/publisher. He also said that out of the 100 writers in the room, only 50 would ever finish anything. From the 50 who complete a novel, only 25 would put it on the market. Of the 25 seeking prepresentaion, only 12 would keep it circulating and only 6 out of the 12 would sell their work. So those are the (not so great) odds we're up against, fellow writers.
2:00 p.m. Third workshop with Terry Fallis on Shameless Promotion. I had my Blue Pencil Session with Robert J. Sawyer at 3:00 and was quite nervous. He had good things to say about my four pages and told me to look for a US literary agent when it's completed.
3:30 p.m. Coffee and cookies again.
3:45 p.m. Publishing Panel upstairs in the dining room. Some useful questions and answers, but one of the speakers was too wordy for my liking.
We had a walk outside before dinner and admired the lovely wedding party.
6:00 p.m. Dinner with speaker Catherine Gildiner, a wonderful writer and speaker.
7:30 p.m. Author readings began with Wayson Choy. Our Chris won one of the door prizes! A lovely gift basket with two bottles of alcohol, chocolates and other goodies.
We mingled until shortly after nine and left, tired but exhilerated from a wonderful day.
Of course, I've left out lots of details that we'll discuss at the next meeting.
My blue pencil session with Robert J. Sawyer led me to believe that I have a winning novel. So I must buckle down and complete the first draft. Easier said than done!
Cynthia
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
This Made Me Laugh
Found this over at agent Janet Reid's site this morning:
How many agents does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Agent 1: Sorry, we're not accepting screw in light bulbs anymore. Bayonets only, and we only get them from the store.
Agent 2: We considered your light bulb but it's a bit too modern. Have you tried turning it into a candle?
A3: Loved your light bulb. Great light. Lots of illumination. Unfortunately, the agency's decided to remain in the dark indefinitely.
Sara
How many agents does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Agent 1: Sorry, we're not accepting screw in light bulbs anymore. Bayonets only, and we only get them from the store.
Agent 2: We considered your light bulb but it's a bit too modern. Have you tried turning it into a candle?
A3: Loved your light bulb. Great light. Lots of illumination. Unfortunately, the agency's decided to remain in the dark indefinitely.
Sara
Friday, January 22, 2010
A New Beginning
The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and resolutions. I ask myself: How much did I accomplish in the past twelve months? Should I make the same resolutions for this year or do a reality check and scratch a few things off the list? I never beat myself up if I haven't achieved last year's goals, mostly because I usually set too many!
I love to sit down during the first week of January and plan (on paper) what I want to accomplish during the new year. Not only my writing goals, but personal ones as well. This year I feel I have a good chance of attaining most, if not all, of my goals. Okay, I'll admit I usually feel optimistic about my writing in January, but pessimistic writers just sit at their desks and moan.
Personally, I would like more time to write and I hope to take some time off in the spring to do so. A month off work would allow me to get a good head start on the novel that needs to be completed. I have another completed novel that needs a little tweaking before I begin querying agents.
In the last week, I've heard from two of my editors in Great Britain, who publish my short romance stories in their magazines. I didn't write any last year, and subsequently, I didn't have any published, which was a major disappointment to me. I have a few ideas kicking around and I've added them to my list of goals.
There's another novel (actually it's a quartet) that I intend to start this year, regardless of my other goals--even if I have to start it on December 31st. It's the one that everyone keeps telling me needs to be written, including several psychics I've encountered throughout the years. How the heck they know about it beats me!
January is almost over and I'd better get cracking if I want to accomplish my list of goals.
I think I need to sit down and make a writing schedule. Or maybe I should just sit down and write!
Cynthia
I love to sit down during the first week of January and plan (on paper) what I want to accomplish during the new year. Not only my writing goals, but personal ones as well. This year I feel I have a good chance of attaining most, if not all, of my goals. Okay, I'll admit I usually feel optimistic about my writing in January, but pessimistic writers just sit at their desks and moan.
Personally, I would like more time to write and I hope to take some time off in the spring to do so. A month off work would allow me to get a good head start on the novel that needs to be completed. I have another completed novel that needs a little tweaking before I begin querying agents.
In the last week, I've heard from two of my editors in Great Britain, who publish my short romance stories in their magazines. I didn't write any last year, and subsequently, I didn't have any published, which was a major disappointment to me. I have a few ideas kicking around and I've added them to my list of goals.
There's another novel (actually it's a quartet) that I intend to start this year, regardless of my other goals--even if I have to start it on December 31st. It's the one that everyone keeps telling me needs to be written, including several psychics I've encountered throughout the years. How the heck they know about it beats me!
January is almost over and I'd better get cracking if I want to accomplish my list of goals.
I think I need to sit down and make a writing schedule. Or maybe I should just sit down and write!
Cynthia
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Happy Holidays!
Stumbled upon this very funny take on the joys of querying. I'm not quite there yet but I have enough friends who are in the trenches to have laughed out loud when I read this.
Sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Sara
Sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Sara
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Plan 'B'
By now you know that I did not get the OAC grant that I applied for this year. Disappointing--yes--but I'm a firm believer in fate. It wasn't meant to happen, therefore I must move on to Plan B.
I wasn't sure what Plan B was until a few weeks ago when I was surfing the web and found the name of an agent who likes ghost stories. You may recall that the novel before the one I'm currently writing was a supernatural novel in the style of Shirley Jackson. The agent said she likes to be 'spooked out'. With that in mind, I've added an element to the plot (devil worship) that was only hinted at and debunked at the end of the novel. The new element has brought a whole new dimension to the story.
So, here's a question I was wondering about while I was revising the manuscript: As wonderful as it is, would Shirley Jackson's novel, The Haunting, be snapped up by a publisher in today's market of Vampires and slasher novels?
Every time I read, The Haunting, I'm amazed at how Shirley Jackson was able to spook me out with very few details and no blood or gore, and I enjoyed writing my own supernatural novel. I did manage to get an agent to represent me, but she couldn't find a publisher for my manuscript. Unfortunately, she became ill and retired from the business and I've been unable to catch the interest of another agent.
This month I'll be busy revising my supernatural manuscript in the computer and sometime in January I'll query the agent who likes to be 'spooked out'.
Wish me luck,
Cynthia
I wasn't sure what Plan B was until a few weeks ago when I was surfing the web and found the name of an agent who likes ghost stories. You may recall that the novel before the one I'm currently writing was a supernatural novel in the style of Shirley Jackson. The agent said she likes to be 'spooked out'. With that in mind, I've added an element to the plot (devil worship) that was only hinted at and debunked at the end of the novel. The new element has brought a whole new dimension to the story.
So, here's a question I was wondering about while I was revising the manuscript: As wonderful as it is, would Shirley Jackson's novel, The Haunting, be snapped up by a publisher in today's market of Vampires and slasher novels?
Every time I read, The Haunting, I'm amazed at how Shirley Jackson was able to spook me out with very few details and no blood or gore, and I enjoyed writing my own supernatural novel. I did manage to get an agent to represent me, but she couldn't find a publisher for my manuscript. Unfortunately, she became ill and retired from the business and I've been unable to catch the interest of another agent.
This month I'll be busy revising my supernatural manuscript in the computer and sometime in January I'll query the agent who likes to be 'spooked out'.
Wish me luck,
Cynthia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)