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
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Goals
To follow up on Cynthia's post the other day, I've decided to experiment with setting a daily word count goal for myself in order to keep myself focused and moving ahead with my novel, despite all of the daily distractions in my life.
My first thought was to try for 1500 words a day, but after trying that on day one (yesterday) and only managing 861, I've decided that perhaps 1500 is too lofty a goal. So, my adapted plan is to get 800-1000 words down every day - weekends included. I'm going to try this for the next week and see how it works for me.
The words may be painful to read or they may flow beautifully but either way there will be at least 800 words there that weren't there yesterday.
Wish me luck!
Sara
My first thought was to try for 1500 words a day, but after trying that on day one (yesterday) and only managing 861, I've decided that perhaps 1500 is too lofty a goal. So, my adapted plan is to get 800-1000 words down every day - weekends included. I'm going to try this for the next week and see how it works for me.
The words may be painful to read or they may flow beautifully but either way there will be at least 800 words there that weren't there yesterday.
Wish me luck!
Sara
Friday, November 20, 2009
All Good Intentions
After each DWO meeting I am pumped and eager to continue writing my novel, but ( I really hate the word 'but'!) my good intentions fall the wayside of other things. Work is a necessary evil and when I get home I must make meals and clean the house. After supper I catch up on emails and/or phone messages. Of course I can't miss my favourite TV shows and suddenly it's time for bed and another day without writing is behind me.
One of my female writer friends insists she doesn't clean the house while she writes her great Canadian novel. I don't know how she does it. There is no way (unless I borrowed a pair of blinkers from a horse) that I could write in a filthy house. Don't get me wrong, the house doesn't need to be spotless--just tidy and relatively clean. Then I can sit down and write.
Juggling chores and leaving enough time for writing is another issue. I usually tell myself that I'll get this and that done before sitting at my computer. Sometimes this and that take longer than I thought they would and the writing gets put aside for another day.
I intend to write today after I do some Christmas shopping, exchange a camisole at Reitman's and get my hair cut. How do I know I'll get to my writing today? I have a couple of little incentives planned. Sometime this afternoon I'll sit down at my computer to write the next chapter with a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate.
The scene is already playing through my mind and I'm looking forward to putting it down on paper, or should I say on the screen?
Do any of you have any proven techniques of accomplishing your writing goals? I'd love to hear about them.
Cynthia
One of my female writer friends insists she doesn't clean the house while she writes her great Canadian novel. I don't know how she does it. There is no way (unless I borrowed a pair of blinkers from a horse) that I could write in a filthy house. Don't get me wrong, the house doesn't need to be spotless--just tidy and relatively clean. Then I can sit down and write.
Juggling chores and leaving enough time for writing is another issue. I usually tell myself that I'll get this and that done before sitting at my computer. Sometimes this and that take longer than I thought they would and the writing gets put aside for another day.
I intend to write today after I do some Christmas shopping, exchange a camisole at Reitman's and get my hair cut. How do I know I'll get to my writing today? I have a couple of little incentives planned. Sometime this afternoon I'll sit down at my computer to write the next chapter with a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate.
The scene is already playing through my mind and I'm looking forward to putting it down on paper, or should I say on the screen?
Do any of you have any proven techniques of accomplishing your writing goals? I'd love to hear about them.
Cynthia
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