The Glens Falls Writers' Group

Location Change for Tonight's Meeting!

2011-10-20T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hello writers! Due to lack of room availability at Crandall Library, tonight's meeting has been moved. We will be meeting at Michelle's place, which is just a few blocks from the Library. Directions have been emailed; if you didn't get the email, please shoot Michelle a message at michelle.galo@gmail.com so she can send them to you!

Thanks for being flexible, and hope to see you tonight.

R.L. Stine on Writing, Writer's Block and a Touch of Humor

2011-07-28T22:54:00.003-04:00

I read an interview recently with the great R.L. Stine,* author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series. And all I can say is he continues to surprise me. Did you know he wanted to be a comedy writer? Yeah, me neither, until I saw him speak this past January at the SCBWI Winter Conference. It began a list of surreal similarities between us:

R.L. Stine actually worked as a comedy writer for 10 years, with Scholastic. I worked as a comedy writer for years, too. Humor was his life's goal, and for a long time, it was mine.
In the interview, he says he’s never had writer’s block. Ever. Me neither. But I know what he means when he says, “Some days the writing isn’t as easy or pretty as other days. But you just keep going. You know you can go back and fix it.” He’s absolute right, of course. Get that first draft done! I always say editing is easier than writing. Up to a point, anyway (but that’s a different post).
Mr. Stine maintains that “The easiest way to avoid writer’s block is to do a lot of preparation first.” He makes chapter-by-chapter outlines and a character list (including write-ups on their appearances and traits). I was happy to hear this because I, too, do this. Of course, don’t treat an outline as dogma, but man, does it come in handy if a story starts getting bogged down.

So how is it that R.L. Stine, the Stephen King of Kidlit, move from humor to horror? An editor asked him to try it. Which is how I started working on middle grade – an editor suggested it.

Now I can only hope Mr. Stine and I share one more similarity: success. He has sold 350 million books… and I'm 350 million behind him.

But I’m working on it.

*Interview appeared in the Gotham Writer’s Workshop

Originally published at John Briggs Books.

List of Writing Contests

2011-07-11T08:48:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,

Great meeting last Thursday. Good to welcome new members in Gretchen and Jo (a transfer from the morning group), and to see some old diehards come out in the July heat (I'm talking to you Sandy, Sherry, and Zack).

Sandy forwarded a list of writing contests, some of which we discussed at the meeting. Hope you find these helpful (and thanks Sandy!).

Writing Contests

http://writersdigest.com/competitions/

http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/

Poetry:

http://www.kent.edu/wick/competitions/first-book.cfm

http://www.freelancewriting.com/writingcontests/053011-poetry-international-prize.php

For someone with 3-5 books published:

http://www.stfranciscollege.edu/literaryprize

WRITING COMPETITIONS

Writer's Digest sponsors several writing competitions annually. To read more about our competitions, see below.

Writer's Digest Annual Short Short Story Writing Competition

The 12th Annual Short Short Story Competition is now accepting entries. Win valuable exposure for your your short fiction as well as cash and prizes. The names will appear in the July/August 2012 issue of Writer's Digest and the Competition Collection containing the top 25 stories will be published at that time.

www.writersdigest.com/short

Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Competition

We are now accepting entries in the 7th Annual WD Poetry Awards. Regardless of style, we want to see your best poetry. Just make sure it is 32 lines or fewer. This is your chance to gain attention for your writing as well as win cash and prizes. Winners will be announce in the July/August 2012 issue of Writer's Digest and the top 50 will be published in a special Competition Collection.

www.writersdigest.com/poetryawards

The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards

The 19th Annual Self-Published Book Awards final deadline was June 3, 2011. We are no longer accepting entries.

Winners will be notified by October 14, 2011 and will be announced in the March 2012 issue.

Your Story

Every other month, Writer's Digest presents a creative challenge for fun and prizes. We'll provide a short, open-ended prompt. In turn, you'll submit a short story of 750 words or fewer based on that prompt. You can be funny, poignant, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story. The winner will receive publication in an upcoming issue of Writer's Digest.

For rules, prompts, deadlines, voting and other details about the Your Story competition, visit:
www.writersdigest.com/yourstory

For past winners, visit:
www.writersdigest.com/yourstorywinners

Good luck!

France establishes ‘fixed price’ model for e-books

2011-05-06T11:06:00.002-04:00

Le Monde reports that France has become the first country in Europe to impose a ‘prix unique,’ or fixed price, on e-books. This gives publishing houses the power to set a single price for e-books at which all book sellers must sell each digital copy. The idea of the ‘prix unique’ is to eliminate the ability of large booksellers to undercut smaller ones.

Since 1981, France has had a ‘prix unique’ for physical books. The UK Guardian books podcast notes that there are nearly 800 independent book stores in Paris as compared to only 10 in New York City.

Contests

2011-04-19T16:02:00.000-04:00

-The Absent Willow Review 2nd Annual Short Story Contest. Must be horror, fantasy or science fiction. Deadline June 30, 2011. For more info, click here.

-Writers Digest hosts a number of contests, which are detailed here.

-This Wordpress website lists a number of creative writing contests.

-Kent State University is offering the Stan and Tom Wicks Poetry Prize for a previously unpublished first book of poems. Deadline is May 2, 2011. More info.

-Poetry International's contest offers publication and prize money for its contest for a single poem. Details are here.

Writing press review

2011-04-18T00:41:00.001-04:00

-NPR has a piece on children's book apps.

-Writers Digest has advice on variety in dialogue and on how to start your story better.

-A column in Salon.com warns against too much description of setting.

-A piece in The Atlantic rails against writing how-to manuals.

-Copyblogger.com explores 5 crippling beliefs that hold back writers.

Highlights of the Empire State Book Festival

2011-04-03T22:44:00.002-04:00

The 2nd annual Empire State Book Festival escaped bad weather but not poor attendance. At least it appeared that way to me; I suppose we'll have to wait for official numbers.

Which is too bad. There were plenty of great authors in attendance, including Ann Martin (of The Baby-Sitters Club), who gave the opening remarks, and Rosanne Cash, who gave the keynote address. In between there was plenty to do, for book buyers, lit lovers, and aspiring authors.

Empire State Book Festival Highlights

My own personal list:

The Illustrator's Panel. Artists discussed their approach to picture books in the Picture This presentation. Featuring Julia Gorton, Daniel Kirk and Steven Petruccio (and a host of technical problems), I found this the most informative of all the panels I attended. Julia Gorton is probably the most experimental of the three, and Steven Petruccio rich, detailed work impressed me greatly. I've long been a fan of Daniel Kirk's Library Mouse books. I found his approach to his work similar to mine, even if his art is far better. But then that's why I attended this panel.
Words Come First. A panel featuring two writers (Susanna Hill and Amy Axelrod) and one writer-illustrator (Iza Trapani, who I saw last year as well), on that idea that story comes first. And while there are some exceptions to this (Mo Willems created the drawing of Pigeon before he ever wrote a word), I generally agree with the premise here. The writer writes and the illustrator gives it added life. Examples of artistic disagreements and wonderful working relationships abounded here. Spoke briefly with Susanna Hill afterword, because I like both Punxsutawney Phyllis and Can't Sleep Without Sheep. Looking forward to getting her new book April Fool, Phyllis.
Rosanne Cash. Her speech was heartfelt but full of the a seasoned performer's tricks (audience participation, a brief break into song, etc. -- plenty of ways to keep people engaged). Best of all, she didn't use a PowerPoint presentation. Authors always seem to rely on visual gimmickry rather than words to hold their audience. Long been a pet peeve of mine, and I often wonder if my writing career gets to the point where I'm doing presentation if I'd rely on such technology. Have audiences come to rely on it, too? Can the power of words alone hold them? Is there a fresh way to do this? Or like Rosanne, would I rely on the tricks of a seasoned performer? Great to watch her work.
SCBWI Members. Ran into a few Eastern New York SCBWI members, some presenting, some buying, all supporting each other. Picked up a copy of Liza Frenette's Dead End, and spoke briefly with Coleen Praratore (hopefully you'll soon see her The Wedding Planner's Daughter as a TV movie). I also greatly enjoyed talking with young adult writer Eric Luper and getting his thoughts on my agent situation, the business, etc. I'm forging relations with some of the same people with whom he regularly works. Eric graciously answered my questions, and I guarantee I will be picking up a copy of his newest book, Jeremy Bender and the Cupcake Cadets when it comes out in May. It will be a summer reading project for Johnny K.

While I still believe the Empire State Book Festival is a worthwhile cause, it was not without its problems. Authors only receive one hour to sign books, a move perhaps limited by space, but one that seemed to frustrate some of them. They would have gladly enjoyed staying throughout the day to meet readers and fans, and still take time off to do their presentations. This is the way most book festivals operate and odd that this one does not. Also, some authors are scheduled to sign books after the keynote address. A keynote speech generally means the end, so walking down the hallway afterward was depressing. The booksellers and vendors had all packed up, making the Egg feel deserted. A long line waited to see Rosanne Cash, but the other authors were largely ignored. Some earlier authors had signings schedule right after their presentations (which makes sense), but others did not. There was no feeling of immediacy, of striking while the iron is hot.

All in all, I like this festival. The talent is amazing, the vendors varied, non-profits are encouraged to attend (had a wonderful time talking with The Children's Literacy Connection), and it's great for downtown Albany, but a few kinks need to worked out. Hopefully come season three.

I'll be there.

*Originally published at John Briggs Books

Writing press review

2011-03-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

-The Millions website has a good piece about Writing Across Genders

Several good articles from Writers Digest and their affiliate sites...

-The Biggest Bad Advice About Story Openings

-Tips on writing good dialogue

-Three secrets to great story telling

-Five ways writers kid themselves... one of our members certainly has no delusions about #2.

-Creating a memoir that's bigger than me, me, me

Learning to Write From the Ides of March

2011-03-16T16:37:00.003-04:00

It’s March 15, the famous Ides of March, the day of Julius Caesar’s death. The day when we recall high school English teachers bemoaning half-hearted attempts at Shakespeare with “Et tu, Brute?” as if we'd stabbed them heart.

Well, turns out Caesar may never have said that, but that’s good writing. Of course, it may not have been Shakespeare’s writing. This does get confusing.

Some historians say that upon being stabbed by Brutus, Caesar called out (in Greek) “Kai su, teknon?” (You too, my child?) or (Latin) “Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi?” Some say he said nothing (as he was being stabbed). I believe he simply cried out in agony.

What I’ve Learned About Writing From The Ides of March:

1. Writing is about simplicity. “Et tu, Brute?” is far more memorable than “Tu quoquoe, Brute, fili mi?”. Even people who never had a day of Latin class, who routine butcher e pluribus unum and ex post facto know Et tu, Brute.
2. Simple words can still convey complex ideas. Shakespeare again. Does anything say it better than “To be or not to be?” or “Out, out, damn spot!” How about FDR’s “All we have to fear is fear itself”? The words of philosophers found in the mouths of three year olds.
3. It doesn’t have to be English if it fits. A good phrase is a good phrase. People repeat “Ich bin ein Berliner” even if it could mean “I am a jellyroll.” OK, it doesn’t, but that’s a long-standing joke. And people sing La Bamba and La Cucaracha without knowing another word in either song. Either they’ve just gotten married in Mexico or like cockroaches.
4. You don’t have to write it. Shakespeare wasn’t the first to write “Et tu, Brute.” It was in common usage and had already appeared in two other plays prior to his. If you’re more famous, it becomes your line. John F. Kennedy wasn’t the first to say, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It was the Roman poet Juvenal, who nobody remembers. You don’t have to be first, you have to be the best. By the way, I don’t like this lesson, I’m just saying. Which, of course, is a saying I can’t take credit for. It’s already in common usage. See how that works? But if you’re Shakespeare, it’s yours, lock, stock, and barrel.
5. Leave emotion open-ended. I’ve always been a big fan of this. I’ve been criticized for not writing how my characters say a line. Are they upset? Angry? Etc., etc. I prefer to leave it to the reader’s imagination. I think writers who routinely overemphasize a character’s emotions don't trust (respect?) their readers. After all, it turns out when Caesar said “Et tu, Brute” (or “Kai su, tekron”), he may not have been surprised by Brutus’ betrayal but rather cursing him, as in “Et tu, Brute!” Maybe Shakespeare should have given his actors a choice. Imagine the difference in that scene.

So if you’re looking to apply these lessons to children’s books: keep it simple, don’t be afraid to present complex issues (bullying, divorce, disabilities, etc.), foreign words and phrases are OK (especially if you’re trying to teach), common phrases are fine in dialogue, and you don’t need to stress every emotion (of course, in picture books, the illustrations can do that, but this rule holds for young adult, mid-grade, and early chapter books).

Your goal (and maybe this is a good writing assignment) is to make a line sleeker, memorable, rhythmic, yours. It’s not likely any of us are Shakespeare (or Juvenal, for that matter, though juvenile maybe), but the tricks work just the same. Make lines simpler and dialogue friendly, whether in chidlren’s books or adult stories.

It worked for writers of their caliber. Why not for us lesser talents?

So think about your favorite lines. Can they be rewritten according to this formula?

P.S. ( I may have to explore this idea further. By formula, one should know if a line is good. It should hit you. Yet too many writers take twisted, convoluted – dare I say gobbledygook – to be good writing. Shouldn’t be a problem in kidlit, but you’d be surprised. Sometimes I wonder what the heck I was thinking. And that’s the problem with formulas or as Caesar and Juvenal would have said, formulae…)

*originally published at JohnBriggsBooks.com

Writing press review

2011-02-01T17:20:00.000-05:00

A selection of articles on writing from around the Internet...

-How to Improve Your Writing Style in 10 Minutes or Fewer (Writers Digest)

-On good dialogue (The Paris Review)

-How to Balance Action, Narrative and Dialogue (WD)

-The 7 Tools of Dialogue (WD)

-Creating Backstory (Writers Digest Conference)

2011-01-26T20:27:00.004-05:00

SCBWI 2009 Conference
by Rita Crayon Huang

As the saying goes, writers write. And they should write down everything, including a writers conference checklist. I’m two days out from leaving for the SCBWI Winter Conference and here’s what I’ve done so far…

Written a one-line pitch for every book. This is a pitch. Keep it short and hook ‘em right away. I’ve seen editors and agents drift away (not to mention potential readers and buyers!) as authors launch into some long-winded description about their book. "It's about a boy, um, raised by wolves after his parents died, only his parents are actually living with a clan of bears, which is a problem because the humans, who live in a nearby village, have turned to their spirit gods to forever separate man and animal, and..." Bored yet? So are most people, even if they listen politely. Get to the point. Every manuscript can be described in one line, two at most.
Written a three-line pitch for every book. If they’re intrigued after one line...
Read interviews with some of the attendees. A few are on the SCBWI blog, a few in other places. Unlikely I’ll meet any of these people among the thousands in attendance, but you never know. One of my favorite PBS hosts (John Forde, Mental Engineering) sat at my table during a media luncheon. He was impressed that I knew who he was (and that I genuinely loved his show). We hung out for three days after that. Be ready.
Memorized pictures of people I hope to meet. OK, this sounds creepy, but I want to know what they look like, not, “So that's what you look like. I should have been warned about that scar…” and I definitely don’t want to walk around looking at everybody’s chest trying to read their nametag. Turns out, that’s creepy, too. I blunt this one by saying "hope to meet." Otherwise it’s stalking (and editors and agents hate that).
Figured out what I’m going to say to the people I have scheduled to meet. Work ahead. If you can meet someone, do it. What has an editor worked on? Who does an agent represent? Read something of theirs. Even a snippet is better than nothing. But know what you’re going to say when you get there. Like the one-line pitch…
Made two copies of my hotel and conference registrations. I will lose one. I promise.
Cleaned out my portfolio. It gets messy in there. Taking only what I need. A few stories, a pen, paper, and business cards that are easy to pull out. Be quick. Like the one-line pitch.
Found my extracurricular activity. I always make plans to do one outside – yet writing-related – activity. In this case, visiting Scholastic’s bookstore. It’s legendary. Perhaps the best children’s bookstore in the country. It’s like Mecca for me, only in SoHo . I want to experience it, see it, feel it. And maybe send good karma my way as they considering two of my manuscripts. OK, I don’t believe in karma, but rather hard work and diligence, but like throwing salt over your shoulder, it can’t hurt.

Well, that’s some of what I do for every conference and some of what I’ve done specifically for this one. I’ve had good luck at conferences. I plan ahead but also keep no rigid schedule (except as need be). The subject of another post, I suppose. My credo at these events? Be loose yet diligent, fun yet practical, and be ready to talk with everyone. You don't have to always be "on" like a bad comic, but be prepared like a Boy Scout. Oh, and have the work to back up your words. Oral and written. Why pitch if you can't provide?

I’ve been to several small SCBWI conferences, but New York is huge. I hope the results are, too.

So, how do you prepare for a conference? Any tips? Any advice?

*originally published @ JohnBriggsBooks.com

Ok, ok, I get it!

2011-01-14T10:28:00.008-05:00

The last time I submitted something to the group for critique (for newer members, yes it's happened!), something unusual happened. The brief discussion was centered almost entirely around the formatting of my piece, virtually nothing about its content. My sin? I used double spacing after a period and each new paragraph started at the far left margin; this is the same formatting that this blog uses.

This is not the standard format for submitting manuscripts to agents and editors, but it seemed fine for an informal writers group. But Farhad Manjoo of Slate.com furiously disagrees.

In this piece, he insists unequivocally that "you should never, ever use two spaces after a period" under any circumstance because it "is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong."

No room for misinterpretation there!

I never expected that this would excite people so much. But suffice it to say, I was sufficiently chastened that I will never submit another piece for critique the "wrong" way ever again. This blog's format, however, will remain unchanged.

Writing Without Resolutions

2010-12-31T15:07:00.001-05:00

In the 1920s, a shampoo company was looking to boost its revenue. One of the salesmen suggested adding the word "Repeat" to the directions. It worked. People started using twice as much shampoo.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

We know it by heart. It's the subject of parodies and comic relief, and rightfully so. And I still repeat, even knowing that story. One simple direction works.

Write. Edit. Repeat.

It doesn't work as well, but it should. The basic steps are there. Write. Edit. Repeat. Until you get it right. By following those three simple steps as often as you bathe, you'll be amazed at how much writing you get done.

Now, sure Write. Edit. Repeat has its problems:

You only repeat shampooing once. Writing can be four, five, six (or more) drafts.
No one tells you you're washing your hair wrong. Writers, readers, and editors will have suggestions for you. Your mother will praise you, but that's also how she got you to wash your hair.
Try not washing your hair for a week and you'll reproach yourself. Try not writing for a week and you'll make excuses.

The point is, it's a simple formula -- three words that are three separate sentences. Say them often. Write them down. Stay motivated without New Year's Resolutions. Say them when you wake up in the morning and mumble them as you drift off at night. Attach them to your shampoo bottle so they stare at you in the shower.

And if need be, get someone else to give you the order. It worked for shampoo.

Have a Happy New Year, and may you meet your writing goals!

*originally published at johnbriggsbooks.com

First Thursday Preview

2010-12-01T21:13:00.002-05:00

We begin December with a full complement of stories and more. We'll cover writing news and delve into our topic of the biweek: formatting. Kay provided two links to check out: Science Fiction Writers of America and Wikipedia. My notes regarding formatting will be posted to this site if you don't catch everything, and for Billy, who suggested the topic but won't be able to attend our meeting.

We'll also be reviewing Zack's ongoing thriller, The Dead Machine; Jerri Lynn's memoir; poetry from Harmony/Montana; and a picture book from me.

Our email experiment has come to an end. Please bring at least 10 copies of any manuscript you submit. Or, as Kay has pointed out, 12. That would be better.

See most of you tomorrow night!

Details: 7-9pm, small meeting room, Crandall Library, with optional social afterward.

On translation

2010-11-18T22:39:00.002-05:00

I once wrote a essay in French called C'est comme ca chez nous ("That's the way it is here"). It read like a short story but it was a factual (or at least as much as my memory would allow) account of something that happened to me in the Peace Corps in Guinea. I wrote it in French because it was easier for me, since the events happened to me in French.

At some point, I decided to translate it into English so I could share it with friends and family. That was a revelatory experience.

Much of it was straight forward but other parts of it were difficult. Writers are, by our nature, perfectionists, always striving for exactly the right word or phrase. Even a simple French word like etranger, did it mean stranger? Foreigner? Outsider? Any of those could have worked in my piece. They are all similar but with slightly different nuances depending on context. Which one was the *right* one? I was the author and I struggled greatly with this.

And it really made me appreciate the work done by translators of literature, as well as those of things like political documents and the like. When I translated my account, it was only 7 pages long. It was written in ordinary, contemporary French. And most importantly, I knew exactly what the author meant, what was going on in his head, because I was the author.

If I had that much of a challenge translating my own brief work, from a modern foreign language into my native tongue, how hard must it be for those translating someone else's work? Let alone the work of someone who is no longer alive to consult regarding intent. Let alone someone writing in an ancient version of a foreign language that's barely recognizable today.

In many ways, a translated work is almost as much the creation of the translator as it is of the original author. Except the translator doesn't really get much credit for that Herculean task. Just the small exercise of translating my own brief work made me appreciate that.

Third Thursday Preview

2010-11-17T21:45:00.002-05:00

A week before Thanksgiving finds us at our Third Thursday meeting. We'll review our experiences at The Chronicle Book Fair on Nov. 7 regarding recruiting, seminars, and the launch of Ari Publishing. Zack should, far and away, have the best news for us.

No business or craft of writing topic has been selected yet, so if you have questions, please bring them. If there's something you want to explore, try to email Kay before the meeting.

We have everything from adult thrillers to children's books to review (has anyone noticed we seem to be doing more of these? Hmmm...).

Once again, we'll be in the small room next to Holden. See most of you there!

Details: 7-9pm, Crandall Library, with optional social afterward.

Book Fair

2010-11-08T13:44:00.001-05:00

Zachary Richards, Kay Hafner, John Briggs (and friend) at the 2010 Chronicle Book Fair at the Queensbury Hotel, Glens Falls, NY, Sun., Nov. 7. Photo by Billy Neary.

Chronicle Book Fair

2010-11-07T20:10:00.002-05:00

The Glens Falls Writers Group had a banner day at the The Chronicle's Autumn Leaves Book Fair today. Kay, Billy, and I manned the table throughout the day, Zack had an impressive launch for his first book with Ari Publishing, and we recruited several potential members. We also had several current and former members stop by for support, among them Lee Merrett, Joe Peck, Sandy Buxton, Brian Farenell, Michelle Galo, Montana Tracy, and Katie Kuhn.

For the big news, Zack found great response for his new YA novel for girls, Half Moon Falls, and was delighted by the continued interest in his first YA novel, Frostie the Deadman. He also, from all accounts, knocked it out of the park during his presentation on how to market your work to the public.

At least three people expressed serious interest in joining our group, while two other writers questioned me on joining a splinter group, the Saratoga Children's & Young Adult Writers Group. Throughout the day we attended other presentations and workshops, and networked with other authors and writers groups, including the Joy of Writing and Eastern NY SCBWI.

Honestly, I consider this one of our best Chronicle Book Fairs yet, anchored by the successful launch of Half Moon Falls and Ari Publishing.

Self-published book makes history

2010-11-07T08:59:00.005-05:00

I not sure who reads French but unfortunately I couldn't find this story anywhere in English. France 24 has an interesting story on a literary first. "L'homme qui arrêta d'écrire" (The Man Who Stopped Writing) by Marc-Edouard Nabe became the first self-published book to be named a finalist for a major literary prize. It was nominated for the Prix Renaudot, the second most prestigious literary in French-language writing.

Writing press review

2010-11-05T07:25:00.004-04:00

In the wake of the discussion at yesterday's meeting about character, a Glimmer Train essay talks about the topic.

The above essay also touches on the advantages and disadvantages of first person vs third person narration, as does this piece from Writers Digest (which also throws second person into the mix).

WD also had a few other good articles on:

-obstacles to writing productivity;

-obstacles to an effective plot;

-being an effective fiction writer and

-tips for finishing your novel.

Additionally, Gigaom explores e-books from an author's point of view.

First Thursday Preview

2010-11-03T20:38:00.002-04:00

Our First Thursday meeting brings four critiques and some big group business. We’ll be looking at short stories from Bill, Billy, and Sandy , and a chapter from Zack’s ongoing sci-fi thriller, The Dead Machine.

We’ll also be discussing the group’s role at The Chronicle Book Fair this coming Sunday. Let us know if there are any seminars, readings, etc., you would like to attend or think are worthwhile for others to attend. They will be listed in this Thursday’s Chronicle.

If time allows, we’ll also have a discussion on the business or craft of writing. No firm topic has been selected, but possibilities abound. And don’t forget: if there’s a topic you’d like covered (as Crystal did with Outlining), please let Kay know. If you'd like to see something in the blog, let me know.

And don’t forget – we’ll be meeting in the small room (rather than the Holden Room) for the foreseeable future.

Thanks! See some of you tomorrow.

Details: 7-9pm , upstairs in the Crandall Library, Glens Falls , with optional social afterward.

Outlining a Story

2010-10-18T21:09:00.005-04:00

There is no definitive way to outline a story, but there are certainly guidelines. First of all, be aware that outlines do not need to be for the story as a whole, though that helps. One can draw up outlines for novels, chapters, scenes, short stories, and works of non-fiction ranging from the history of the Roman Empire to 400-word feature articles about a boy and his dog.

The Three Types of Story Outline:

Plot
Character
Situation

We're going to start with the last two first, since they both ultimately lead to the first, and most common outline, Plot.

Character. You have a character stuck in your head who fascinates you. War hero. Runaway. Teacher. Drug Dealer. Whatever it may be, you can't escape this character. She is fully developed, ready for the page. But where is she? Start putting your character into No. 2, Situation, and see what develops.
Situation. You picture a dramatic situation, something you've always wanted to write about, but that's all you have -- that one scene, that one snippet. Ask yourself questions: What happens next? What led them here? If one scene seems right for you character, keep ing. Develop other scenes, then Connect the dots. Soon you'll have No. 3 Plot.
Plot. Most writers start with some version of plot, a story they want to tell, but don't know how to structure it. It can be daunting, but the following tips might help:

Tips for Developing Plot Outline

Find Your Beginning. Decide where you want your story to start. Once you start writing, it may change, but you need a beginning. Pick the spot that feels write for you, then develop the next scene, and the next. Keep the story -- and your outline -- moving forward.
Plot Points. List important events where your plot take a turn, usually the end of every chapter, but perhaps elsewhere as well. Structure so that they make sense, usually chronologically, but whatever works best for your story.
Major Events. Jot down major events you see happening in the story, then fill in the events/plot points leading up to them, connecting scene to scene. Follow the course dictated by your major events in the beginning, middle, and end.
Timeline. Develop a timeline, a literal A leads to B leads to C. Your story will develop, and soon you'll recognize plot points and major events.
Know Your Ending. If you know where your story must end, then you can outline your story toward that conclusion. Sometimes your ending will be the result of plotting; sometimes plotting the result of your ending.

One word of advice: Don't be married to your plot. Let it change if it must. Your writing, descriptions, characters, and plot points may dictate change. Let your outline be as fluid as your words. Some stories may require stricter outlines, plot points that must be hit, but in the end, story determines plot, not the other way around. Let your outline be your guide, not your dogma.

Third Thursday Review

2010-09-19T23:25:00.002-04:00

Members are starting to return as the weather gets colder, though we still aren't operating at full strength. Still, our Third Thursday meeting was spirited and informative. With only two manuscripts to critique (from Zack and Kay), we spent nearly an hour delving into other aspects of the writing business.

Writing Tips from Diana Gabaldon. Kay reviewed some of what she learned at DragonCon from author Diana Gabaldon (The Outlander series). I don't have good notes on this, so Kay may want to present them in-depth here at a later date.
I discussed news I received a literary agent recently, which led to a look at the way agents sign clients and how to write a good query letter.
Kay has asked that anyone submitting work for the November publishing for the Chronicle book fair do so by the end of the month.
Crystal requested that we cover ways to create a proper story outline, so I will do so in a future blog post and possibly discuss it deeper at a future meeting.

Next meeting we have three submissions: one from Zack, one from Sandy (submitted through email) and one from Gino, making his first submission to the group.

The next meeting is October 7th at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

Third Thursday Preview

2010-09-15T19:19:00.002-04:00

It's that time again, time for our Third Thursday meeting and difficult downtown parking. We only have two pieces to critique, a murder-mystery from Kay and a sci-fi thriller from Zack. This means we'll have to fill up much of the time discussing tricks of the trade and the trade itself. I have no idea what the primary topic will be, so the floor is open. If you have ideas, please bring them.

I will take up some of your time discussing a new development in my writing career. Big news, if not yet a big breakthrough. But think big, anyway.

Also, don't forget, tomorrow is the deadline to present Kay with your submissions for our November publication. Please email her a copy of what you would like included.

See many of you tomorrow night.

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterward.

Building Backstory Naturally

2010-09-13T00:20:00.003-04:00

"Hey, Bob, remember that time we went bass fishing and you lost your leg in that horrible fishing lure accident?"
"I'm just glad you were there, Jim, to jump in and retrieve it as it sank to the bottom. Who knew you could hold your breath for three minutes?"

OK, the above scenario is a bit of stretch, but unfortunately not by much. I've seen lines like, "Do you remember that time you got shot?" Yes, of course. The person got shot! Same with the above "example." A reader should know, needs to know, certain facts. but the author should be able to find ways to introduce backstory without being ham handed or clumsy.

Bob limped into the room on crutches, having lost his leg bass fishing years ago. His lure got caught in the boat's motor and pulled him forcefully toward it, severing his left leg just above the knee.

Jim dove into the lake to save his daughter. He struggled for air, turned purple, fought for five more seconds. He hadn't held his breath this long since recovering Bob's leg from the bottom of the lake.

Incorporating facts into action, not just exposition or dialogue, is a great way to present backstory. But make sure it fits. Make sure it doesn't take away from the scene. The last thing you want is for your reader to say, "That's nice, now get on with it!"

Don't introduce backstory too soon or too late. Your reader can forget certain information, or they might say, "Thanks, but I could have used that 30 pages ago. That explains Bob's fear of ordering sea bass in a restaurant." Backstory, like comedy, is all in the timing.

Don't introduce it all at once, unless it's in a scene. Can you reveal pertinent information by fully re-creating the time and place in your story? Do we have to know about Bob's horrible accident in the past tense, or can you create a full-fledged scene for us in the here and now? Describe Bob's accident, the pain, the stupidity, and Jim's valiant efforts to dive in and retrieve it like a Labrador. The information will stick with your reader longer, make more sense, be full of tension, action, and drama, and add rather than detract from your story.

Consider all the ways to introduce backstory and find the one that works best. Even if that means rewriting whole passages. When the time comes, reread your piece and see if your attempts at keeping the reader up-to-date and informed are awkward and heavy-handed. If they are, find a way around it, or you might lose your reader long before they learn why they need to know all that information in the first place.

Read more about it here: http://fictiongroupie.blogspot.com/2010/09/that-sneaky-backstory.html

First Thursday Review

2010-09-03T08:42:00.002-04:00

Another good meeting of the GFWG last night, if sadly in Kay's absence. While she was having fun in Atlanta, we were hard at work in Glens Falls.

We opened with a conversation about book marketing, anchored by a great presentation from Zack. We discussed traditional and new media marketing in-depth. Instead of 30 minutes, it lasted 45, and we still didn't get to everything. Must be why entire books are written on the subject.

We critiqued pieces from Billy, Zack, Amanda and me. Mine was a surprise because I didn't realize I had submitted, and Amanda was shortchanged a bit because most people did not have copies of her story following email difficulties.

Next month we'll be reviewing work from Zack and Amanda.

Zack also announced that he will be selling Frostie the Deadman at the Chronicle Book Fair, and we reminded members to have any work they want included in our publication ready by next meeting.

That's it. Thanks to everyone who attended. Our next meeting is September 16th at 7pm. See you then!

First Thursday Preview

2010-09-01T21:00:00.002-04:00

Our First Thursday September meeting comes pre-Labor Day during a heat wave. Kay might just be roasting in Atlanta this week.

We'll be critiquing selections from Zack, Billy, and Amanda. Kay's piece will be reviewed at our Third Thursday meeting in two weeks. Our topic for the evening will be, care of Zack, book marketing, which has changed sharply in the digital age. Bring your ideas, from the traditional to the avant garde. In essence, the more novel the better.

We'll have other news and a reminder to submit any work you want placed in our upcoming Chronicle Book Fair publication at the next meeting.

See many of you Thursday night!

Details: 7-9pm, Sept. 2, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterward.

Writing Tips From Elmore Leonard

2010-08-25T22:37:00.001-04:00

Received this in an email from Gotham Writers' Workshop: 10 writing tips from crime writer Elmore Leonard (Glitz, Get Shorty). They first appeared in The New York Times, Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points, and Especially Hoptedoodle.

1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two
or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10.Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

You have to decide for yourself what works for you, but there's some very good advice here. It's terse, pithy, and to the point. But then what else would you expect from Elmore Leonard?

Glens Falls CYA

2010-08-24T15:46:00.005-04:00

There's been talk of the Glens Falls Children's & Young Adult Writers Group reforming. This group, much like its parent group, welcomes writers of all levels, with one caveat -- they must only submit books for children. We will consider picture books, mid-grade, and young adult.

The format will remain the same, that is, taking works home to critique them. How often and where we meet is up in the air and will be determined by members' needs. This group will benefit from at least two writers experienced in children's literature, notably picture books and YA.

Anyone interested in joining the GFCYA or getting more information should email me at johnthobriggs@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Third Thursday Review

2010-08-22T01:49:00.004-04:00

Our Third Thursday gathering was a built larger than our First Thursday two weeks ago. Kay once again took the reins and I took my proper seat to her left. We critiqued Zack's latest addition to The Dead Machine and Kay's short-story turned likely novel (as yet untitled). One sci-fi, one murder-mystery, and a lot of action on the pages in-between. We also welcomed two newe members (and our first husband-and-wife team in quite awhile), Leslie and Web.

Our topic for the night was book promotion, largely an outgrowth of Zack's time promoting Frostie the Deadman. Insights into that will appear in an upcoming post, but Zack did send along this comprehensive link. Primarily, we talked about book signings and other events, but also how to find a hook that allows you to use alternative venues for promotion. One key, as Sandy pointed out, is NEVER be afraid to mention you have a book for sale, and ALWAYS be ready to discuss it. Have an answer to the question, "So what's your book about?" and make sure you have a quick, catchy, answer.

Next meeting we'll be critiquing work from novel entries from Zack and Billy, and a picture book piece from me.

Next Meeting: Thursday, September 2nd, 7-pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls.

See you there!

Third Thursday Preview

2010-08-18T19:15:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow's meeting will see the return of Kay and critiques of her murder-mystery Massachusetts Heat Wave, Zack's The Dead Machine, and Amanda's Questionable Morality. It's going to be a meeting filled with a look at the novel, as opposed to the short story.

Our topic is as yet undecided, but something regarding the group's interest in longer works may be good. Bring your questions or suggestions to fill up our first half hour.

See you there!

Details: August 19th, 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, with optional social afterwards.

Overcoming Story Block

2010-08-17T08:30:00.005-04:00

When most people think of the frustrated writer pulling out hair and pacing the floor, they think "Writer's Block." But there's a subtle form of that I call Story Block, when words will come but are adrift, off-course, off-kilter, adding nothing to the story of any consequence.

How does a writer regain direction?

Zack offered the idea of simly writing through it, of letting the story go where it will and returning to judiciously edit later, to precisely cut those parts that are distracting and disturbing. Other suggestions include:

Review your outline. Find a moment where the story has gone awry. This doesn't mean destroy what you've written while pledging fealty to your outline. Maybe your outline is the problem. If you eventually decide that, no, the outline is fine, then rewrite or remove what you've written.
Reread your story. Problems don't usually begin where you're struggling. They often begin 30 pages before you've written yourself into a corner. Begin rewriting from where the problem begins.
Review your characters. Do they still fit? Have their personalities changed? Are they unfamiliar to you? If you like where they've gone, let the story change to fit them. If not, consider their new roles and places in your story.
Write an entirely unrelated scene. Take your characters and create a scene not found in your outline or story. Something entirely new. Perhaps you may find that it fits your story. If not, it may give you new direction or insight into your characters and still push your story forward. If nothing else, you get to have fun with these people you've created and taken a fresh approach to your novel.
Find the next plot point. A plot point is that moment when your story takes an unexpected or significant turn. Tell yourself you're going to write until you make it to the next plot point. Don't worry about the story as a whole. Focus on this one small section. Write this way until you feel you're making progress.
Skip ahead. Write a scene you expect to occur in just a few pages or the start of the next chapter. See if you can link where you are now to that not-too distant point.
Write your ending. If you know your ending, write it out. This doesn't mean in great detail, and don't worry about getting every word right. After all, it's only a first draft. But writing your ending can give you hope and direction and remind you why you're writing. It gives you a defined literary and personal goal.
Ask questions. Question everything: Your characters' motivations. A scene's tension. Obstacles to overcome. Setting. Dialogue. Ask questions of your characters and plot -- and then adding those answers to your story. Soon you'll find the stumbling block(s) slowing or stopping your story.

Just remember, Writer's Block and Story Block are different, but still complements of the other. The best advice of all is to just keep writing. Something will come to you. Something will push you on and make sense of your story in the end.

If you have any tips for overcoming story block, add them to the comments section. We'd love to hear them.

First Thursday Review

2010-08-10T19:27:00.002-04:00

We had a small but productive group last Thursday as I took the helm for the first time in a long time while Kay visited relatives in Reno. Billy opened the meeting with more questions about writers conferences, i.e., how to pick one that's right for you. This led to a discussion on genre conferences vs. broader conferences, the art of networking, receiving critiques, and cost of attendance.

From there, we moved to critiques, reviewing three novels: Billy's contribution to his The Voyage of the (Unpronounceable), Amanda's Questionable Morality, and Zack's The Dead Machine. A large part of the conversation focused on structure, making a story smooth by removing exposition and redundant scenes. We also covered rules about e-submissions and putting your name on your work. Don't make me bring back my third grade teacher!

The meeting ended with a conversation on the night's topic: overcoming story block. Not writer's block (where words fail to come), but story block, where a story gets lost, bogged down, stopped. Zack suggested simply writing through it and cleaning it up with editing. Additional suggestions included reviewing your outline, rereading your work to see where it went off-track, focusing on the next plot point, creating additional scenes, and experimenting with characters.

Next meeting we'll delve deeper into Amanda's and Zack's novels, and a new contribution from Kay (submitted in late July). See some of you there.

Details: August 19th, 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls.

First Thursday Preview

2010-08-04T19:51:00.002-04:00

Our usual meeting structure stays in place as Kay takes a much-deserved break to visit family in Reno. We'll open with a discussion on the business. Our topic is overcoming a dead end in a story, or finding new ways to push a story forward. We'll also have a piece of odd writing news from me, review a couple of basic rules, and remind members about our needs for the GFWG publication.

We'll finish by critiquing works from Billy, Zack, and Amanda. Kay's piece will wait until our Third Thursday meeting on the 19th.

Details: Thursday, August 5th, 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterwards.

See you there!

Showing, Not Telling

2010-08-02T20:36:00.005-04:00

It's an age-old adage in the writing world: show, don't tell. But how does a writer go about this? There are basic guidelines to follow and tricks to use regardless of genre.

Create action. It's easy to write, "The cook chased us down the street after we skipped out on the check," but it's much more effective to describe the diversion created to "skip out." Did your characters bolt out the door or slip away slyly before being discovered? Did the waitress yell? Did the cook brandish a knife or a shish kabob skewer? Did he threaten to make them tomorrow's lunch? Did they escape in a taxi, a delivery truck, or by hiding in another restaurant? Action creates full scenes, and in so doing, shows the reader what is happening.
Use active verbs. Avoid forms of be, have, etc. Not "We were racing down the street to avoid capture "As we raced down the street two steps ahead of our captors, we flipped boxes and barrels behind us to slow their pursuit."
Describe emotions. Not "I felt sad" or "upset" or "dispirited," etc., "but tears streaked my dirty cheeks" or "my throat tightened like a miser's fist," etc. Readers can figure out the emotion based on description and context.
Develop dialogue. Good banter, when used properly, almost always shows rather than tells, but be careful. Long monologues or discussions about things two characters already know falls into the "telling category."
Avoid flashbacks. Flashbacks are usually just exposition. Don't tell us what happened in the past, particularly in third-person, detail-oriented tracts that distract from current action. Let us know what happened in the past by exploring its effect on the present. If describing the summer two characters met, reveal it slowly, not by discussing it or telling the story to a third person, but by injecting moments and developing consequences from previous actions. Not as easy as a simple flashback, but far more rewarding.
Proper foreshadowing. Tease us with details that make us want to keep reading. Mention a character two shadows before we meet him. Create mystery and interest. This way, the reader will know something about said character when he finally makes an entrance, preventing you from having to "tell" us nearly as much.
Lead a reader. Don't simply put a scene in a reader's lap. Don't write, "We had lunch in an Italian restaurant," but rather "We entered Giuseppe's for a late-afternoon lunch, aware that heavy, manicott-stuffed shells would likely be our dinner, too." Even place names, etc., set the stage for a reader without being heavy-handed. We expect different atmospheres from restaurants named Francesca's, Don Giovanni's or Frank's Pizzeria.

Much of Showing, Not Telling comes down to trusting your reader to be able to fill in the pieces, to understand basic emotions and thoughts, and to put themselves in the story, to empathize with your characters. Think Agatha Christie when it comes to showing: the classic murder-mystery plot where the detective doesn't just tell us who the killer is, but shows us. Reveals details easily missed and creates dramatic tension. Showing is a great way to intrigue your reader, to draw her to the next page.

Remember this: showing is the best way of telling!

The E-book Battle With A-holes

2010-07-30T08:55:00.001-04:00

According to one Huffington Post writer, the battle between superagent Andrew Wylie and Random House is a battle between a**holes, and that Wylie's attacks are necessary to keep publishers in line. Here's the basis for this looming battle of publishing giants:

Big publishers claim they own the eb00k rights for all books published before 1994 since no publisher mentioned ebooks in their contracts before that. Their claim is they don't have to pay authors for those sales, which, of course, are largely literary classics or bestsellers. The Wylie Agency has decided to launch its own publishing company, Odyssey Editions (for ebooks only), to prevent Random House (and others) from getting their hands on them. Random House has said it will no longer do business with Wylie (who represents Salman Rushdie and Philip Roth, as well as the estates of John Updike and Norman Mailer). Wylie also plans to give its authors a bigger percentage of the profit, which the big houses have limited to 25%. This battle will likely end in court.

A lot of anger is being expressed in the blogosphere on this issue, about writers getting screwed by big business interested in the bottom line, etc. A lot of altruism seems to be suddenly emerging in the world of ebooks, as if writers weren't getting screwed before. Here are some random thoughts:

Random House is screwing authors. Electronic rights that covered audio books should be applied here.
Wylie is benefiting from Random House and other publishers' work. He's only publishing ebooks, but his company is benefiting from their copy editing and initial marketing. He's pushing a polished product rather than having to invest in polishing it himself. He's not really risking losing money on the unknown. He may have once upon a time, but not now, not repeatedly.
Amazon is thrilled to be entering this deal with Wylie because their ebook business is exploding. Of course, Amazon fought long and hard to keep ebook prices down and Random House was one of the companies that convinced them to raise prices so that they, and their authors, could make more. Amazon was keeping ebook prices below paperback prices. Amazon can be a**holes, too.
People are screaming that authors are getting screwed by big publishers, but some of them sided with Amazon on the price of ebooks, going so far as to give all ebooks priced above $9.99 a one-star review and then refusing to buy them. Readers can be a**holes, too.
Authors get 25% of the wholesale price of ebooks (only 10-15% of hardcover books), but still make an average of 75 cents less for an ebook sale. The one big advantage is that ebooks stay on the shelf longer, if being harder to find.
Publishers face lower costs with ebooks, but it's not as simple as some writers have suggested: it's not just format, upload, and sell. Publishers face copyediting, marketing, artwork, and tech-support issues, though storage and shipping are off the table. Writers who don't recognize this are being a**holes, too.

Ebooks are about to overturn, and perhaps even overwhelm, the publishing industry. There will be a long list of books to slog through, nothing leaping off a shelf to grab your attention. Writers Wylie represents will likely benefit, new writers will struggle as always to find an audience, (though without book signings to help), and publishers will look for new ways to promote their best works.

In short, authors will still make less money, because publishing is peppered with a**holes. But it turns out the publishing body as a whole needs all the pieces to together nicely: Wylie, Random House, Amazon, readers, and writers, if it is to function properly. I hope this gets worked out, civilly and in short order: RH pays for past work, Wylie recognizes what publishers have done for him and his clients, Amazon offers fair prices, readers pay fair prices, and writers stay prolific and inventive without being underpaid. Otherwise, ebooks won't be a new Gutenberg press spreading literature to the masses but a regurgitation of literary classics at bargain-basement prices -- and that comes out all wrong.

I know people like simple good guys and bad guys, for morality tales as black and white as the written page, but that's a boring story. Characters come in shades of gray. And that includes assholes. To grant less is to create underdeveloped characters. Any basic writer knows that, and I hope the people writing about and following this story see that, too.

To read more on this, visit Publishers Weekly.

Evaluating Your Conference Critique

2010-07-29T08:44:00.003-04:00

We ended our last meeting with a 15-minute or so discussion on attending writers conferences: how to pick one that's right for you, what to look for, how to network, how to view the critiques you receive, etc.

Well, I had planned at some point, time permitting, to cover that in-depth at another meeting and here in the blog, but Putnam author Cynthea Lieu has done a better job than I ever could. While written to help children's and young adult authors, her post has relevance to all writers. It doesn't delve into some of what we discussed, but does a wonderful job explaining how to handle the suggestions of editors, agents, or other writers who critique your work at writers conferences.

Making the Most of Your Conference Critique

Sure, It's Kafkaesque, But Which One?

2010-07-22T17:17:00.002-04:00

Seems a stack of Kafka's unpublished works is caught in a legal battle between the granddaughters of the one-time rightful owner and an Israeli museum. Lots of newspapers have called the struggle Kafkaesque, citing his more famous works The Penal Colony, The Trial, and The Judgment. I think it's right out of his really esoteric parable Before the Law, about how greed and power have greater access to the law and the poor struggle and whither before it. We'll see, I guess.

Check out the article here.

Writing press review

2010-07-20T17:10:00.002-04:00

Some links to articles and essays that may be of interest to writers (and readers)...

-The NPR program On the Media recently ran a show primarily devoted to reading and the future of the publishing industry;

-Writers Digest blog offered tips for success in YA writing;

-The UK Guardian ran the response of the head of Chicago's public library system to a report by the local Fox TV affiliate questioning whether libraries are still necessary;

-The Guardian also reported on the Society of Authors claim that digital publishing deals are 'not remotely fair' which makes it not good news for writers that...

-... Amazon.com has announced that it now sells more e-books than hardcovers;

-As Kay announced, the Adirondack Center for Writing is doing a unique public writing project in which everyone is invited to participate. For more info, go to the Adirondack Summer Shorts website.

Composition 101 From Vassar

2010-07-20T08:56:00.002-04:00

On WAMC this morning, Dr. Amitava Kumar of Vassar Collge presented the outline of his composition class for incoming freshmen. Some very good advice for those struggling to expand beyond the basic skills of good writing.

Listen here.

Writing Good Dialogue

2010-07-19T14:41:00.005-04:00

Tips for writing good, compelling dialogue:

Listen to people talk. If your character is from a particular region, copy that. Has a particular job? Copy that. Based on a real person? Listen to her. Similar to someone you know? Listen to him.

Match dialogue to characters. Match dialogue by age, gender, occupation, education, time period, and anything else that makes them distinct. This will help you create an original voice for the character and make them believable to your reader. Write what you want them to say, then go back and tweak it. This might require research, but will be well worth it.

Don't be afraid of the vernacular. Formal English all but disappeared with 19th century literature. It has its place, but can easily be out of place. Use contractions, slang, idioms, phrases, and if necessary, curse words.

Show emotion in dialogue. Avoid explaining emotions in narration if you can show it in dialogue. This makes it more powerful, and is often how people detect or recognize someone's feelings.

Use action words and present tense when appropriate. Don't force the issue, but skipping forms of "to be" makes dialogue more powerful.

No appellations. Writers have characters address each other so the reader knows who's speaking, i.e., "Is that so, Bob?" It's a lazy habit. Develop other ways, including an original character's voice and actions while speaking, to let people know who's talking. People rarely address each other by name during a conversation.

Avoid dialects. Don't confuse this with numbers 1 and 2. Common phrases like "y'all" for Southerners and "yous" for Brooklynites are fine, but writing entire dialogue in that manner can seem strained. The reader needs to know what a character is saying, and too many imitations can prove distracting. Replace common words with "dem," "dese" "dose" and "boids" and see if you can understand your character.

Avoid monologues. People rarely speak in paragraphs let alone pages. Others interrupt, even in the course of telling a story. Have characters speak in short sentences. Dialogue is interactive, not individual.

Don't use big words when small words will do. People don't speak in essays, unless, of course, your is extremely educated, a boor, or a pedant. Even then, don't overdo it. Even academics save their most egregious sophistry for published periodicals.

Don't be afraid to let characters get distracted. Individuals don't always focus on the matter at hand. Let their minds wander; let them go off-track. Don't overdo it, and use only when appropriate, but this trick can make dialogue more interesting and real.

Add tension. Dialogue is a great way to add tension to a scene, whether overt or covert.

Develop a catch phrase. Sometimes cheesy and easily overdone, it can be effective in telling a reader who is speaking. Just be careful. It does not have to be overly original. Perhaps a character says, "Cool," or "Groovy," or "As the crow flies." You get the idea.

Don't explain things that should be familiar to the characters. This is little more than verbal exposition and is as bad as narrative exposition. If a character starts a sentence "Remember that time we..." very little will follow because they both remember the story. Don't explain events to people who were there. This is often done for the reader's edification, but will always seem awkward.

Watch rhymes, alliteration, and other devices. Sometimes people speak this way, but rarely. Rather, the author injects it in the course of writing.

Can you act our your dialogue? Try acting your dialogue as it if were a play. Does it seem natural? Record it and play it back. Does it sound like two people talking, or two people reading Emily Bronte?

Third Thursday Review

2010-07-16T15:09:00.005-04:00

We had a very productive meeting last night. We opened and closed with discussions on writing and managed all our critiques in between.

We discussed how to write good dialogue. My notes on that will be posted in an upcoming blog.
We reviewed works by Bill, Billy, Crystal, and Zack. One poem, one satire, one fantasy, one sci-fi. We even used some of our opening discussion during this portion of the meeting.
Kay discussed our upcoming publication for The Chronicle Book Fair. It will be scaled back in scope, submissions are still limited to 10 pages, and may be from anytime in the last five years, but they must have been workshopped by the group at some point.
We finished up by discussing how to pick the right writers conference for you. I will also turn this impromptu topic into a future post.

All in all, I was impressed with last night's results. Let's keep up the good work! See you in three weeks...

Next meeting: August 5th, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls

Third Thursday Preview

2010-07-15T08:36:00.003-04:00

It's Third Thursday time again, when downtown Glens Falls gets a spritely commercial and artistic bump. Inside Crandall Library, the GFWG will be critiquing Zack's growing sci-fi thriller, a poem from Billy, Jerri Lynn's memoir, and revamped mythologies from Crystal and Bill.

Our discussion on the art of writing will focus on a true art: writing good dialogue. Not as easy as it sounds. Ask any screenwriter.

See many of you tonight.

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterwards.

First Thursday Review

2010-07-07T14:46:00.002-04:00

Sorry this is late, but computer problems rule the roost at the moment.

Our First Thursday meeting saw a good turnout for summer month, and saw us welcome two new members, Amanda and Gino. We critiqued works from Zack, Bill, Sandy, and me, following a discussion on the writer's trick of Showing, Not Telling.

So how does a writer show, not tell? Kay read three sample paragraphs of poor to decent writing in which the writer relayed information rather than revealed it. The group then made suggestions on how the paragraphs in question could be improved. Suggestions included more action, active verbs, dialogue, present tense, setting up full-fledged scenes, adding emotions, proper foreshadowing, and avoiding flashbacks. Following these basic guidelines can help writers avoid telling their readers (or listeners) regardless of genre. Showing can be done not only in novels, but short stories, plays, screeplays, kidlit, and even, on occasion, poetry.

Next meeting we'll review work from Zack, Bill, Jerri Lynn, and Crystal, and our topic will likely be How to Write Good Dialogue. Hope to see you there!

Details: July 15, 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls

First Thursday Preview

2010-06-30T19:17:00.002-04:00

The first Thursday on the first day of the month deserves a perfect preview, but I will opt for one that is just pithy. We have several manuscripts to critique, including picture books from Sandy & me, a poem from Billy, a short from Bill, Jerri Lynn's retitled memoir, and Zack's novel, The Dead Machine, which, as it turns out, is not dead after all.

Our topic is "Showing, Not Telling," avoiding that seemingly intrinsic but not intractable habit writers have of telling the reader what is happening or foreshadowing the action poorly. Remember: excite, don't explain. Or extrapulation, not exposition.

We will also present tips for writing good dialogue.

Summer meetings don't mean a sparse agenda. Hope to see all of you there as we head into the holiday weekend!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterward.

Writing press review

2010-06-22T16:41:00.008-04:00

Some links to articles and essays that may be of interest to writers (and readers)...

-8 Basic Writing Blunders (WritersDigest.com)

-Three Things Debut Authors Should Know When Signing With an Agent as well as 5 Lies Unpublished Writers Tell Themselves and Truths that can Get Them Published (Guide to Literary Agents Editor's Blog)

-50 best blogs for teen readers (OnlineDegrees.net)

-Top 10 Blogs for Freelance Writers (Word Count)

-The Blurbing Game (GayleForman.com)

Third Thursday Review

2010-06-18T18:48:00.002-04:00

A better turn out than our First Thursday meeting, as we saw returns from recently absent members Jerri Lynn, Ann Marie, Crystal, and Bill. There wasn't much in the way of business news, except to discuss my attendance of the Mid-Hudson Valley Writers Conference and some of my recent interactions with Scholastic Books.

We then jumped right to the critiques, beginning with our holdovers from Jerri Lynn and Bill, then into my Leaping Lemmings, Zack's The Dead Machine, Kay's Open House, Closed Casket, and Billy's unpronounceable title. We covered children's books and tense crime drama, light humor and the seedy underbelly of New Orleans, anthropomorphism and metaphoric zoomorphism. It's delightful to see us cover such a wide variety of topics, skills, and genres. K and I are both familiar with genre-specific groups (for me, children; Kay, murder-mystery), that are great at getting your manuscript reviewed by peers familiar with that genre, but the GFWG has always had a different purpose: to give writers regardless of genre, skill, or background, a chance to get better. Last night that was on display.

Next month is no different. We'll review a poem by Billy, sci fi by Zack, memoir from Jerri Lynn, a reworked short from Bill, and picture books from Sandy and me. Plus we have a discussion topic ready to go: the art of showing, not telling. Which ties in to what Jerri Lynn called a Johnism, as stated at last night's meeting: "A lady may not kiss and tell, but an author does."

Let's all keep that in mind as we prepare for the July 1st meeting. See you then!

Next meeting: July 1, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls.

Third Thursday Preview

2010-06-17T11:10:00.002-04:00

Another gathering -- Big? Small? We don't know yet -- of the GFWG. We'll be critiquing Zack's thriller, Kay's murder mystery, and Billy's gritty creative non-fiction. We also have Bill's short and Jerri Lynn's memoir held over from last month. And finally, we'll get to my picture book.

We'll also have a discussion on writing news, news from me, a recap of the Mid-Hudson Writer's Conference, and a quirky tidbit regarding this blog.

Hoping last meeting was an aberration as we head into summer. It's the last meeting of spring -- let's make it a good one!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterward.

Addressing an Editor's Concerns

2010-06-15T19:47:00.003-04:00

When an author receives a critique from members of a writers group, ours or any other, he has choices to make: what to keep in, what to take out. What to move, what to leave. Suggestions flow in as the author works toward final draft.

But what to do when an editor from a major publishing house has suggestions? The author faces the same decisions, but from a professional with the end goal of acquisition and publication. Such is the case with a recent submission I made to HarperCollins' imprint Balzer+Bray. Now I am mired in the middle of rewrites based on the editor's suggestions. Keep in mind that the editor loves certain parts of the story and is willing to read a resubmission.

As it applies to this particular story:

Editor said parts read more like a short story than a picture book. She's right. She suggested I work up a dummy, which I had done once before, but this time I gave it much greater detail, complete with sketches and separate pages and pieces I could rearrange. I trimmed nearly 100 words from the story, or roughly 20%, including my favorite phrase. In removing all those words, however, I discovered I could put in two more jokes that don't disrupt the flow of the story. Pulling out all those words makes it read much more like a picture book than before.
She thought the ending was too didactic, or preachy. She may have a point here, though no one else has said that. Removed the one most egregious line, but discovered that that ruined the rhythm of the final joke. Not sure what to do here, so the line, at least for now, remains.
She was worried about the main character's species. (Hey, it's a picture book!) Couldn't find a way around this until I sat down and just started making a list of animals that might work. After several false starts for which I could not conceive an ending, I finally hit on one animal that unfortunately requires a complete rewrite, but that doesn't change the story's basic formula. The jokes remain very much the same, but unlike the original story, it becomes a parody of classic fairy tales and pop culture. Fortunately the structure that the B+B editor liked is intact.

I am making choices here between art and commerce, publishing and personal preference. Working with a good editor should open your eyes to new possibilities, new considerations, new directions. That has happened here, and I've managed to address some of her concerns, make the story stronger, and still keep my original vision in place. Even if I have to rewrite it from top to bottom to meet point number three.

So that's where things stand now as I push toward publication. It is not as dire as it may sound because I see the possibility -- the very real possibility -- of publishing this story.

Preparing for a Writers Conference

2010-06-11T19:12:00.002-04:00

As I gear up for the SCBWI Conference in Poughkeepsie tomorrow, I thought I'd reflect on the steps I take before any conference. Most seem logical and straightforward, a few perhaps unusual.

Read the Conference material. Seems obvious, but too often I see people making hasty notes in the morning, not knowing which seminar to attend, not knowing which editor, agent, or author to meet. Place your schedule on a single sheet of paper and keep it readily accessible.
Research the presenters, particularly editors and agents. Know what type of work they represent. Know their tastes within a given genre. Know their authors. Try to read at least one book from a client. Not always possible, but try. Also take these notes to the conference so you can refresh your memory before meeting them.
Visit their business websites, but also see if you can find interviews with them. Do they have a blog? Discover something about them beyond the working world. One of the writers at this weekend's conference was a TV critic for TV Guide, while I was a TV critic for TVData. We will talk television, likely my introduction when I approach her. One agent has a delightful Twitter feed that I find very funny. I will tell her that. Fortunately, I mean it. Always mean it. Insincerity can sink you. If you know something about them, you can target your approach. I've used hometowns, sports interests, mutual friends, college majors and other topics to start conversations. Also include this in your take-along notes.
Find a picture, if possible. Sure it might be out of date or out of focus, and there will be general introductions at the conference, but it will help you know who to approach without reading a nametag resting on her chest.
If you have specific questions regarding a seminar topic or for that agent in a one-on-one, write them down ahead of time. That way you won't forget.
Bring extra copies of your work. Rare that you get the opportunity to show one let alone several, but it does happen. I separate them according to editor or agent, using a yellow scrawled-upon Post-It to find it quickly. If there's time, I bring the correct stack to the top of my attache before meeting said agent.

Good first impressions are important, memorable ones difficult to make. These agents and editors see too many aspirants at too many conferences to remember everyone, but bad impressions last all the way back to the office. Yes, you want your work to stand on its own, as if a sight-unseen submission, but it can be difficult to separate author from manuscript.

Hope these help anyone attending a conference in the future. It's research. Be diligent. Preparation is a sign of professionalism. Agents and editors think so, too.

First Thursday Review

2010-06-08T00:08:00.003-04:00

It was a small gathering this past Thursday, with only six in attendance. We had only two pieces to critique (Zack's The Dead Machine, which his fans inside and outside the group will be happy to hear he has picked up again, and David's history of Hermit Mountain), giving us a lot of time to discuss the business of writing. This largely focused on submitting and her ugly stepsister, rejection.

This began with me reading highlights of a rejection letter from Balzer+Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins. Essentially, it's a one-percenter, a term derived from your likelihood of receiving it. Publishers claim they accept one-half of one percent of all submissions, though agency submissions might increase that number slightly. That said, here's the breakdown:

Publishers reject 90% of all submissions with a form letter.
The remaining 10% receive a personal rejection, a general summation of what the editor liked and didn't like.
Of that 10%, 90% will still say, "Thanks, but not thanks," and good luck placing it elsewhere.
The remaining 10%, or one percent of all submissions, get the following: "Rework this and resubmit it." That's what I got from B+B.

So with that encouragement (all my struggles with this will be the subject of a future post), the floor was opened to questions on submitting to publishers, what various rejections mean, etc. I handled most of the questions, but Zack was a great help in discussing how Frostie the Deadman found a publisher. (Zack won a YA contest.)

All in all, it was nice to touch on this aspect of the business, keeping in mind that the purpose of all this writing is to publish it somewhere. We often focus on improving writing (yes, absolutely necessary), but it's good to remember the larger publishing world outside friends, family, and fellow writers.

Next time, we'll review selections from Billy, Zack, and Kay, as well as the picture book rejected by B+B, in the draft that they saw. It has already undergone revisions in the hope of seeing it on the shelves some day. Or better yet, in the hands of a child reading it!

First Thursday Preview

2010-06-02T19:44:00.002-04:00

We'll see how attendance is at tomorrow night's first meeting after the "unofficial start of summer." I have faith in this group. Our production has remained strong since doubling our schedule and nearly doubling our workload in January. I am sure the diehards and the drifters will be out in full force tomorrow night and throughout the summer.

We'll be reviewing Zack's lively The Dead Machine. If you didn't receive it via email in May, check your email again since he resent it. We'll also be critiquing Jerri Lynn's memoire, Bill's much shorter memoir, and possibly David's bio short. We'll also find some topic on the business of writing to fill up the first half hour, including my recent experience with HarperCollins imprint, Balzer+Bray.

Short, sweet, and to the point. Rather like a critique should be. See all of you Thursday!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library, Glens Falls, with optional social afterward.

Investment in Your Art

2010-05-29T15:48:00.008-04:00

Zack mentioned recently watching the documentary It Might Get Loud. I watched it last night and even if you don't know anything about Jimmy Page, The Edge or Jack White, you can draw some great conclusions about art and artists from watching this movie.

It's clear to me that those three musicians are masters at their art because they will never stop learning, absorbing and innovating. Music Always Comes First. And none of them rest on their achievements.

It makes me realize with sheepish shame that no matter how much I profess to love writing, it's not--at this moment--paramount to my existence. I put other things before my book--including writing this missive. While I've moved some priorities around in the last year, there are more that could be nudged aside, reduced or eliminated to make that much more time for my book.

I'm not saying that all you need to do is live and breathe your art and you'll get accolades and financial rewards. A lot of that involves the fancy of those in acquisitions and the whims the public. But if my art isn't top of my priorities, I shouldn't be surprised when I don't make progress. Level of commitment will be reflected in the level of progress toward getting better in our craft.

The more you do anything, and the more frequently you do it, the better you get. True, we can't all be Shakespeare, but we can all take our particular gifts and take them to the highest pinnacle we are meant to attain. Sales or praise don't reflect this. Only you know if you could be doing more or aiming higher.

If you've ever followed Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you know this mantra, directed toward the source of all creativity: You take care of the quality, I'll take care of the quantity. Quantity of time and effort we put into our creative efforts is, really, all we can control.

A Novel Dilemma

2010-05-27T21:39:00.002-04:00

Can one seed spawn a forest?

I am faced with a dilemma that affects every writer at some point: when does a story end? Without going into great detail, I developed a story around a central hook, began to see the two main characters, could hear the one's voice as clearly as Watson did Bell, and all seemed right with the world. Well, the story anyway. Of course, I hadn't started writing it yet, but I plotted and outlined, looking for an ending, unsure which way the story should go.

It didn't matter. The story decided for me.

Those two characters spawned a third, their opposition, the protagonist in most ways. A B story took shape, less defined than the first, but more compelling, optimistic and driven. It gave the story and this new character purpose--Unlike the other two, suddenly reduced to comic foils, observers, participants in a sinister world.

How exactly did my little short story grow to novel length without my permission? I don't want that. I generally prefer the short-story format. I feel I work best in it, getting my philosophical points across, snippets of life and character melded into one neat package. This story, this lengthy tale of tens of thousands of words, is denying me that privilege. That joy.

But isn't that the purpose of the novel? To be unwieldy and cumbersome before finally taking shape? Before coming to the neat final draft reader and writer should both enjoy?

Of course, I still don't have an ending. That in itself is unusual for me, where endings leap out long before the middle.

I miss my short story and wish I could put the genie back in the bottle, or perhaps to keep our earlier metaphor going, to trim the hedgerow to topiary garden. That is long gone; the weeds are sprouting, the acorn planted. I guess all that's left now is to enjoy the forest for the trees, hoping not to get lost along the way.

But damn! That dilemma remains...

Third Thursday Review

2010-05-22T21:21:00.003-04:00

We reviewed three of the four manuscripts in front of us. Unfortunately, David was unable to attend, although we discussed the locations and historicity of his piece in absentia. Several members of the group wanted to visit Hermits Mountain and learn more about the subjects in question. We critiqued works from Zack, Sandy, and Jerri Lynn, paying special attention to the night's topic: creating characters.

Characterization:

The goal is to make characters real. Even in fantasy and mythical stories of legerdemain and imagination, characters must be real and identifiable to the reader. They don't have to like them, but they have to understand them. Tips in developing full-fledged characters:

Study people you know. Base characters on them. What can you capture? What stands out? What fits your story? Observe the way they speak, move, dress. All of it creates believable characters. Of course, don't be afraid to create an amalgamation of people. Pick and choose personality aspects. Find what works for you, the story, and the character in question.
Create a character sheet or bio. A popular technique for novelists and screenwriters. Make a list of characteristics, from physical appearance to likes, dislikes, family members, education, and career, but include personality types: happy and sad are vague, but ambitious, greedy, miserly, philanthropic, gregarious, etc., are not. If he's angry, then angry with what? If phobic, by what? Include details until you know this person inside and out. Keep it in list form or write it up as a two or three page (or more) bio. Your bio sheet can be comprised of snippets and slugs, but it must present a complete character.
Let characters develop or control them? Some characters simply take on a life of their own, developing characteristics and goals you did not imagine. You can either explore it with them or curtail it. A tough call, with no right answer. Do what works for the story. Generally, you'll want to develop this new trait. There's a reason your creative side thinks it's a good addition to the story.
Historical fiction and memoir. Two sides of the same coin. Unless writing alternative history, Napoleon can't win the Battle of Waterloo, but you can describe his emotions on the battlefield and his feelings regarding his loss, imprisonment, the French people, Josephine, and his Corsican home. Do your research; don't stretch the bonds of plausability. If writing about the common man of history, don't inject the impossible into a character's personality, knowing what he couldn't know or doing what he could never do.
For memoir, main characters have to stay true to the story, but minor characters, cab drivers and waitstaff, can be dressed up and made interesting.

A word on implausability. Only dichotemies are interesting. An atheist priest hiding his beliefs from the Spanish Inquisition is unlikely, but compelling and not impossible. A poor Southern farmer helping a runaway slave because his religious conviction tells him to is unlikely, but compelling. A woman on a long stretch of country road picking up a young male hitchhiker is unlikely, but compelling. Examples abound. Just make sure their actions are in keeping with the character you have created. Whatever character needs to be believable is motivation. Maybe creating a compelling character is motivatin enough to write, and motivation enough to keep the reader coming back to your story.

Third Thursday Preview

2010-05-20T00:39:00.003-04:00

Time to gear up once again for our final meeting of the month and our last before the unofficial kickoff of summer. Hopefully as the weather gets warmer attendance will stay hot. This time of year tends to see a precipitous drop off, but given our production over the past few months, which has remained strong despite doubling our meeting schedule, I'm sure we can avoid the summer slowdown.

With the pitch over, we'll be reviewing works from Zack, Sandy, and David, and re-reviewing a piece from Jerry Lynn. One novel, one comedic short, one local history, and one memoir. We do love our variety!

No idea what's on the docket businesswise, which will be up to Kay. Could be a surprise to the rest of us, however.

And sorry I haven't been keeping up with the posts, everyone. I've been buys with plenty of other projects. I will try to do better in the coming weeks and months.

See many of you Thursday night!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room at Crandall Library. Optional social afterwards.

First Thursday Review

2010-05-08T01:44:00.002-04:00

We kicked off a warm May Day meeting with two lengthy, though not very heated discussions on e-submissions and meeting biweekly instead of once monthly. It was decided that people can email submissions but must bring 4 paper copies for those who prefer doing it the old-fashioned way. We will also continue meeting twice a month, a surprisingly popular notion given some recent grumblings.

We also reviewed pieces by Montana, whose allergies had her at death's door, Zack, Bill, David, and Kay, plus Ann Marie's return from four weeks ago.

Brian and I also discussed our separate experiences with the Hudson Children's Book Festival.

All in all, I found the meeting to be a rather pleasant mix of business and critiquing.

When we meet in two weeks (by popular consent!), we'll review pieces from Zack, David, Sandy and Jerri Lynn. See you on the 20th!

First Thursday Preview

2010-05-04T21:44:00.004-04:00

A five-Thursday April means we haven't met for an unusual three weeks. I hope everyone remained productive during their extra week.

We'll be reviewing an essay from David, a short from Bill, and a rare piece of prose from Montana. We'll also critique Kay's return to Bradford Falls and Chapter ??? from Zack's sci-fi, Oedipal-embracing, death novel.

Brian and I will likely discuss the Hudson Children's Book Festival for its business rather than literary merit. Then we'll dive into the big topic of the the past three weeks, the elephant in the room: the value of e-submitting. It's become popular and certainly piqued the interest of more than a few members. What does it mean for us, and where does it mean we're heading?

Should be fun, tense, potentially heated and the sort of business-driven discussion I'm thrilled we're undertaking. See you tomorrow night!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room at Crandall Library, with optional social afterwards.

Meeting Your Heroes

2010-05-03T20:36:00.004-04:00

I've been reflecting throughout the day on something the late George Plimpton (Paper Lion, The Paris Review) once said, "Meet your heroes; you won't be disappointed." I've met all my heroes extant save one, and he turned 91 today. Now, I had a chance to meet him a decade ago, but passed on the opportunity. What would I have said to a man who met Martin Luther King, battled Joe McCarthy, and been on the right side of more issues than I can coherently discuss?

I regret not taking advantage of that opportunity, vowing never to let such a moment slip through my fingers again. Which is a roundabout way of getting to the point and tying it to writing -- Brian and I attended the Hudson Children's Book Festival this past weekend, he to explore YA, and me picture books. I'll let him write up his experience, but as for me, I was determined to speak with Nick Bruel, author of Bad Kitty and a host of sequels.

Bad Kitty influenced me when I first turned to picture books. It's an alphabet book that's funny and smart and works for children and their overread alphabet-book parents. It contains adult concepts and phrases but the working is so fluid, flippant, and quick that kids go along for the ride. What crazy thing will Kitty do next?

I told him how Bad Kitty shaped my approach to a picture book I was writing at the time. It didn't change the story so much as gave me the courage to keep the occasional adult phrase or concept present. To not fret so much. To recognize the connection between pacing and content. Nick and I briefly talked about picture books, the business, publishers, and so on. We discussed the structure of Bad Kitty, and how another book of his, Bob and Otto, came to be.

At one point, he asked me what my book was about, that is, how it related to Bad Kitty. I told him as if I was pitching it to a publisher. He stopped for a moment, his mind working, and then he said, "That's really clever. Very clever." He then talked about the art of getting an agent, about his process, and how I need to get one, too. The book is, as he noted, "different."

I thought about what he said later that afternoon, and then thought George Plimpton was right. "Meet your heroes. You won't be disappointed."

Later that day, I met up with an agent, Wendy Schmalz, I've met before. She doesn't handle new picture book writers, which is too bad, because I think she'd be great to work with. But the synchronicity of Nick telling me to get an agent five minutes before I bumped into Wendy made me all that more determined to keep working until I find one. I've been approaching publishers who accept unsolicited mss, but now I shall be approaching them and agents. I have always been determined to see these books see the light of day, but now have a different strategy for doing so.

Which means it's time to stop tapping on these keys and start knocking on some doors. Thanks for the kind and sincere words, Nick. Now Bad Kitty has encouraged me twice.

Critiquing in Review

2010-05-02T21:21:00.002-04:00

For anyone who missed the last meeting, lost Kay's handout, or is just stopping by our site, I'd like to give a quick overview of editing, at least as it works for the GFWG.

Be Honest. If a piece, a passage, or a word works for you, say so. If it doesn't say that, too. Platitudes may be nice, but they make for poor prose.
Be Specific. State why it works or doesn't work. This is powerful is better than This is nice, but is worse than This is powerful because we sense the main character's angst.
Be Helpful. It's okay to mark up a work extensively, but don't destroy it. Try to give the writer suggestions or direction.
Be Accepting. Don't convince the writer to write the story you would have written. Work within their framework regarding plot, character, genre, etc.

Specific things to look for when critiquing:

Beginning, middle, and end. Difficult with a novel submitted in segments, but do what you can to look for a story arc, and remember that even scenes and chapters need some sense of completion and fullness.
Authentic Language. Not just for the author's voice, but for characters and the piece as a whole. Is it in keeping with the genre and tone? Hard-boiled detective novels aren't literary in tone. Jane Austen didn't write like Mickey Spillane!
Tension/Conflict. Is it present? Is it tense enough? Is it resolved too quickly?
Anything unnatural? Is there anything out of place? Does anything jump out at you? Is there anything that pulls you out of the story?
Flow. Does it flow properly? Are the words jaunty or uneven? Not just author's voice, but word choice, sentence structure, segues, etc.
Details. Is it too detailed? Are you getting bogged down in minutiae? Is it not detailed enough? Are you wondering how we got to point C without points A & B? Don't be afraid to let the reader fill in details, but give him something with which to work!

In Group

Focus on the big picture. No need need to mention grammar, misspellings and the like. Mark them on the paper but focus on more pressing matters at the meeting.
Discuss the work. Don't digress into guesswork, author motivation, what might have been meant, and philosophical implications. Focus on the project at hand. Some broad topics might be open to discussion, with expressions like existensial, gloomy, pervasive and the like OK, but stay on topic. No guessing, especially with the work (and the author) in front of us!

Well, so much for brief, but I hope this covers everything (and maybe a bit more) from Kay's sheet. Thanks for your input everyone!

Very Short Story

2010-04-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

Not exactly a post on editing, but rather an example of extreme editing. I've been joking that my new goal is to write a story in 140 characters or less. Well, here's someone who's actually done it -- repeatedly. His name is Sean Hill, and in the spirit of Twitter, here's a shortened link to his page:

http://bit.ly/176TC0

For the rest of us, it's www.twitter.com/veryshortstory

Some really good, dark, humor in his pieces...

Ink-saving type face and other articles and events

2010-04-18T19:33:00.012-04:00

Dave Fiske passed along this article on which fonts use the most and least ink. A good read for those looking to save ink and money.

Writer's Digest (WD) blog ponders the age-old question of "How Do You Make Time to Write?".

The Book Page explores Facebook for Authors: Public vs. Private.

Katie shared a link to WD's interview with Sue Grafton.

Kay Hafner passed along info on some upcoming events (click on any for more details)

-The Adirondack Center for Writing's Memoir Workshop (On May 5)

-Annual WD contests(Deadline May 14)

-2010 The Writer short story contest (Deadline May 31)

Kay also passed along a few blogs she found interesting:
-Jane Espenson
-The Write Soul
-MFA Confidential

Third Thursday Preview

2010-04-14T18:37:00.004-04:00

This Thursday marks the GFWG's 12th anniversary. No idea what Kay has planned, but I'm pushing for cake. It's quite a milestone in a small community like Glens Falls, something even the larger and artistic Saratoga can't maintain. We should be proud of ourselves. We should also be proud that our production remains very strong three months after reformatting our submission policy. I had trouble keeping up with all the reading. There's likely to be a flood of red ink to make government accountants jealous.

We'll be reviewing the latest chapter admissions from Zack, Katie, and Billy, shorts from Bill and Ann Marie, a reworked memoir from Jerri Lynn, new essays from Sandy, and a YA start from Brian.

Kay will be leading our discussion on critiquing basics following recaps of the Empire State Book Festival and the Jon Katz seminar. We'll also see how Zack's email experiment went during its trial run.

We'll be back in the big room, since we need the space to hold all our paperwork. Hope to see you all there for a full meeting. It might not wrap until halfway through our social!

Details: 7-9pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library

Empire State Book Festival

2010-04-11T20:38:00.003-04:00

Kay and I made the trek to Albany for the first Empire State Book Festival. A full-day event, stretching from 10am-5:30pm, the festival offered seminars for aspiring and professional writers, plus the chance to buy books, and meet and greet authors and publishers.

Gregory Maguire gave a solid and entertaining opening address, and then Kay and I were off to our various conferences, she focusing on murder-mystery, me on children's books. Without going into steep detail, we both reached the same conclusion on our own -- these seminars were for early-stage writers, those just dabbling in the written word and in need of direction. Which is not to say I wasn't impressed by individual presenters, and even ran into a few friends and friends of friends who were on various panels. I was particularly impressed by the way in which Kyra Teis of Star Bright Books controlled a room full of, well, rambunctious children eager to be entertained. Which is an example of what I generally walked away with at this conference -- no real knowledge or insight into the publishing world, but maybe a pointer or two, a reference source here or there, a chance to study not the process of writing but the process of presenting.

I am sure the professional side of the festival helped many writers find direction, even answered a few of their questions. It's just that Kay and I have been at this game for awhile, and had either experienced, read, or heard much of the advice elsewhere. There was also a political element to all of it -- that is the way in which authors failed to answer questions directly but rather related it to their books. I'm all for moving product and have been guilty of this trick on occasion, but it was often obvious what was happening.

Still, with all that said, I made a contact at one of the houses, an opportunity to submit, which I will be doing later this week. Hey, I understand how to push my product, too!

Evolving Theories on Writing

2010-04-07T18:31:00.002-04:00

Evolution might seem like a strictly scientific theory, but if scientists are right, then we have evolved to love fiction. Yes, you read that right. Storytelling is a part of us, an essential ingredient to being human. After all, no other species wants to deal with anything other than reality.

On the surface, it would seem humans have nothing to gain from spinning a few yarns, but the same could be said of stargazing or deep-sea diving. We're curious by nature, interesting in good and moving stories.

With all that waxing poetic aside, studies show that certain elements of prose hold our attention. Keep these things in mind when you're writing your masterwork:

Readers have trouble following more than three emotional states simultaneously. Four is difficult, five nearly impossible. On the flip side, two is generally considered boring, although as any writer will tell you, tension between characters can really move a story along. Still, people respond most positively to three characters in a scene, each with their own motives and emotions.
Readers like when characters misinterpret another character's intentions or statements. They like enjoy watching characters misread signals while they themselves are in the know. This form of literary voyeurism or knowledgeable oneupsmanship might explain omniscient narrators or the desire for first-person narrators to say, "If I only knew then what I know now..."
Readers like a point of view that presents the author's omniscience through a character's viewpoint. That is, when we, the readers, are inside a character's head but in a scene controlled by the author. Similar to Number Two in many ways. Jane Austen introduced this approach, but others have certainly mastered it.
Readers like morality in their tales, even altruism. One character must have moral certitude, or the story must contain an ending that justifies his moral struggles. Think of it as immorality meets the immovable object.

Good points to subtly present in an outline before committing them to the written page. Solid writing will always engage a reader, but so, apparently, will certain tricks that evoke a visceral reaction at a very deep, biological level.

P.S. As regards point Number One--scientists also believe that people can naturally count to four. Even many animals can keep track of four objects, and yet, intelligent, well-read individuals can't keep track of our emotions at the same time. In other words, maybe reading and writing really is harder than math and science. (I have included this postscript to make Kay feel better about her math skills...)

The iPad and self-publishers

2010-04-04T09:06:00.002-04:00

Last week, I pointed out an article from The Atlantic which wondered why (traditional) publishers thought the new iPad would save publishing. Yesterday, NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday ran a segment (here) exploring how Apple's new device could help self-publishers.

First Thursday Review

2010-04-02T23:37:00.002-04:00

A packed house, made more cramped by the tiny Crandall Room, covered topics and manuscripts as diverse as our membership.

In reverse order:

We critiqued works from Zack (sci-fi novel), Jerri Lynn (memoir), Sandy (dramatic non-fiction), and Cynthia (memoir essay).

We launched Zack's email experiment in which he will forward copies of his latest chapter of The Dead Machine to members. Those making general comments on his ms ("I like the ending," "this character seems flat," "great dialogue," etc.) can make them on a separate sheet of paper. Those suggesting substantial changes can print out a copy and return it to Zack all marked up.

We changed next meeting's topic from More Common Editing Mistakes to Critiquing Basics. Kay will have suggestions from her research, but if you have been in other groups or have experienced other approaches, please contribute.

And now the best for last, a recap of our opening discussion on overcoming a writer's fears.

Among those listed:

Research is more fun than writing. It's great learning new things, and the writing suffers.
Digging deep -- hiding emotions and unscrupulous behavior from ourselves.
Revealing too much -- hiding emotions and unscrupulous behavior from others
Can't commit -- the work seems overwhelming, a novel too daunting to undertake.
Pre-conceived notions -- approaching the writing with a particular viewpoint draped in the author's personality -- don't want to be too negative, too positive, etc.
Afraid to Cut -- being too committed to what we've written, not improving the text, letting the story getting bogged down in details and tangents
I'm not a writer.

Maybe that last one says it all, the six above contributing to the 7th below. But overcoming those fears can lead to a correction of that final conclusion -- from "I'm not a writer" to "I can do this" to "I must do this" to "I'm a writer." Hopefully putting these fears on the table will clear them from our psyches. A clean mind leads to a cluttered page.

Well, I hope!

See you in two weeks in our regular digs.

Will the iPad save publishing?

2010-04-02T09:05:00.004-04:00

This piece from The Atlantic wonders "Why Do Publishers Think the iPad Will Save Media? It dovetails nicely with some of John's recent observations.

First Thursday Preview

2010-03-31T21:02:00.003-04:00

You don't get much more First Thursday than the first of the month. We have a full agenda this time, including discussion topics and business news.

We'll be reviewing pieces from Sandy, Cynthia, Jerri Lynn and Zack, and Joe's piece from our last get-together, if he's able to attend. A reminder that Brian will not be coming, so if you haven't read his work yet, you've gained a two-week reprieve.

Of course, Brian was to moderate our topic on overcoming an author's fears -- that is, the fear of leaving oneself fully and completely on the page. We will hold the discussion anyway, either in open forum or with a new moderator, so please bring your thoughts, and more importantly, your feelings, on the subject.

Remember, we'll be meeting in Crandall, the small room next to Holden. Other details: 7-9pm, Crandall Library, with optional social afterwards to really explore those author fears.

Interview With Zackary Richards, Part II

2010-03-30T19:56:00.004-04:00

This is part two of my interview with novelist Zackary Richards...

What been your greatest reward as a writer? Fan letters from kids telling me how much they loved Frostie.

Greatest frustration? Receiving rejection letters that state the number of submissions they receive is so large they are unable to consider any new work at this time.

Which of your works are you most excited about? Right now I’m really excited about the Noon series. Even though I’m halfway into the second book, I have several ideas for the third and a spin off featuring a gunslinger in Greenwich Village.

Are you shopping your work to agents, small publishers, big houses? I’m contacting anybody willing to look at it. Unfortunately, the market is saturated and getting noticed is harder than ever.

Any advice to those who have trouble sitting down to write? Writing a book is like eating an elephant. At first it appears impossible yet, if you eat a bit of it each day, every day, it eventually gets done.

What has been the biggest benefit of joining the GFWG? The honest and fair critiques I received over the years from its members, Kay Hafner’s steady leadership and John Briggs' udicious editing which has greatly helped me improve my craft.

Zackary Richards is the author of the young adult novel Frostie the Deadman (Amazon; Ba rnes & Noble) Born in the Bronx, he started writing at age 10, discovered the guitar at 14, and became a professional musician in the vibrant Greenwich Village scene of the 1970s.He is currently shopping the YA novel Half Moon Falls and the adult science fiction work Noon. He lives in Lake George. Visit him at ZackaryRichards.com.

Interview With Zackary Richards, Part I

2010-03-27T21:56:00.005-04:00

This is the first in an ongoing series of interviews with GFWG members, some published, others looking to break in. We start with veteran member Zackary Richards.

Zackary Richards is the author of the young adult novel Frostie the Deadman (Amazon; Barnes & Noble) Born in the Bronx, he started writing at age 10, discovered the guitar at 14, and became a professional musician in the vibrant Greenwich Village scene of the 1970s.He is currently shopping the YA novel Half Moon Falls and the adult science fiction work Noon. He lives in Lake George. Visit him at ZackaryRichards.com.

How long have you been a member of the GFWG? 8 years.

How long were you writing before that? I started writing in 1993.

What is your primary interest as a writer? To communicate my ideas in a fashion that people find interesting and entertaining, but most importantly that they feel it was worth the time and the money they invested.

What or who influences your writing? Do you feel like your Bronx background bleeds through? My writing style is heavily influenced by Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain and Stephen King, because he never ceases to amaze me. As for my Bronx background, I’m sure some of it comes through, especially in the dialogue. Like they say, you can take the boy out of the Bronx but you can’t take the Bronx out of the boy.

What inspired Frostie the Deadman? My daughters built a snowman behind our house, but I was working in Albany. I left in the dark and got home in the dark and wasn’t able to see it until the weekend. By then it had melted and became this frightening, twisted gargoyle. The girls were disappointed but I started the book the next day.

How did you come to be with Nicholas K. Burns Publishing? Frostie won the Writers Voice award for YA Fiction and was being considered by Scholastic for publication. They turned it down because they weren’t interested in a stand alone (a book that cannot be turned into a series). The same day I received the rejection, Burns Publishing announced they were expanding into the YA market and were looking for manuscripts. I sent in Frostie and they loved it.

Walk us through the experience. How long before they agreed to publish you and the contract was signed? Nicholas Burns called me personally and said he was very enthusiastic about Frostie and wanted it for his new YA line. He sent me the contracts and after a few changes my lawyer insisted on, we had an agreement. After that they would send me the galleys with the corrections and changes they wanted and in two months we had a finished product. Nicholas personally oversaw the cover artwork, and I was very pleased with the results.

How long before your book was on the shelves? About five months after I signed the contracts (interviewer's note: this is extremely fast. The average is 18 months-2 years).

How many cities did you hit in your book tour? How many stores? Burns Publishing set it up and I hit just about every major city in New York except New York City itself. And about thirty five stores. I had a great time.

Give us your favorite story/anecdote from the tour? In Utica, a boy came up to me after the signing and said what he liked best about the book was that he felt he knew Josh and Winks (the central characters). He said they talked and acted like he did, and he wished they were real so he could hang out with them.

How did you come to be involved with SUNY Press? Strangely, through my performances as a singer/ songwriter. I was playing a club in Glens Falls and this older couple came up to me after the show, bought my CD, told me they loved my music and asked when my next CD was coming out. I explained I had stopped songwriting to focus on trying the get Half Moon Falls published. When I told them it was a YA novel they told me their son was a Lit professor at SUNY Albany and might like to see it. I called, we talked and he asked me to send it in.

You're very prolific. How often do you write? What is your writing schedule? I write every day, or at least try to. Still, I’ll throw out eight pages for every ten I write.

How long does it take you to finish a novel? My novels usually run about 600 pages. From start to finish about 18 months. (interviewer's note: YA Frostie was 222 pages).

We're going to leave you on this call to write more. Part II of this interview will be posted Tuesday, March 30th.

Accepting Editing Advice

2010-03-25T20:38:00.004-04:00

A writer once told me, after I edited her piece, "You're absolutely write in everything you said, but that's not the story I want to tell." She and I were at a loggerhead--I was trying to make her piece commercially viable, she was invested in the story as it was. In the end, it was moot: the story was never finished and became neither art nor product.

But she exercised an author's fundamental right--deciding what revisions feel right. This goes far beyond what your high-school English teacher offered. No one can argue against correcting misspelled words or bad grammar (unless writing in the vernacular), but what of potential improvements to pacing? Character development? Readability? Structure? Big changes that require huge revisions.

Focus on the two types of editing: Line Editing and Developmental Editing.

Line Editing. Just that: editing a manuscript line by line, focusing on minutiae, from misplaced commas to factual errors, accidental changes and scene development. It's a thorough going-over, a beating of sorts, of a manuscript.
Developmental Editing: The big picture: story arc, character interaction, chapter placement, even philosophical import.

Make sure any critique you receive improves the story you want to tell, both in what you're saying and how you're saying it. Maybe the piece becomes a work of art, maybe it becomes commercial trip, and maybe, with a good editor and a good author's eye, it becomes commercial art.

5 Common Editing Mistakes

2010-03-21T21:46:00.003-04:00

Wordiness. Jack and Jill went up the hill, not Jack and Jill went up the side of the hill. It’s a half-cup, not, it’s half of a cup. Formality of speech/dialogue. Avoid stilted phrases. Can you act your dialogue? Have someone else speak it, or record it and play it back. Avoid being reflexive. Galahad had the strength of ten because his heart was pure, not Galahad had the strength of ten men, but that was because he had a pure heart. Make it flow from word to word, sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph
Use Active Verbs. Avoid Had/Have, Would/Should. We had gone through tough times should be We went through tough times. Or, We had survived the Depression, so this would be easy should be We survived the Depression; this was easy. Passive phrases often replace emotions. She would have stayed up all night tells us nothing of its importance. It leaves it to the reader to empathize. She wanted to stay up all night. Or needed. Or was driven. Go through your story and circle active verbs, then underline the passive. Which do you use more? Can you change your passive verbs? Should Jack and Jill went up the hill be Jack and Jill sped up the hill?
Seemed. The sky seemed a brilliant blue. He seemed to limp. Be assertive/definite/paint a picture for your reader. The sky was a brilliant blue. He limped. Only OK in first-person narrative, but even then be careful. There are substitutions. He seemed pensive could be I knew him well enough to know his pensive look. Replace every seem, seems, or seemed and see how it looks.
Repetitiveness. Same words and concepts get used over and over. Find synonyms, respect your reader. If something is extremely important, devote more time to it when it is introduced and then refer to it. Or, if it gains importance, build upon it every it's mentioned. Find and important word and count how many times you use it in a story, chapter, page. Don't use a thesaurus unless it's absolutely necessary. Too often it will sound like you're using a thesaurus.
Logical inconsistencies. He fell out of the tree, which broke his arm. We know what you mean--the fall broke his arm, but it could just as easily mean that the tree broke his arm. He broke his arm when he fell out of the tree.

Don’t be afraid to cut anything. Don’t be afraid to move anything. I have cut some of my favorite lines out work because they didn't fit. Sometimes they get moved, occasionally they pop up in other work. Think, I’m a writer, I can come up with other good lines.

Find sentences and words that leap out at you, that strike you as particularly good. Find your favorite word or phrase. Why does it work for you? Should you do more of that? Can you do more of that?

Good luck with those second drafts!

Writing an Author's Bio

2010-03-19T22:04:00.002-04:00

If anyone wants ideas or suggestions for submitting an author's bio, here are some pointers:

Draft three or four sentences in third person, focusing on your writing credits, interests, and accomplishments.
Use a broad stroke if need be. If you're new to writing, add what genres interest you, what you're working on now, literary influences, etc.
A picture is optional, but always a nice touch
Links to anything you've published, if available. This includes amazon, bn, or any other website selling your work
A link to your website, facebook page, or any other site where readers can follow/contact you.

Some of this may be putting the cart before the horse, so use your discretion. Make yourself sound as interesting as you do in your work.

Thanks! Brian looks forward to receiving all your bios in bulk...

Third Thursday Review

2010-03-19T19:48:00.002-04:00

It was a fun, business-oriented meeting last night that saw two new members sit in and a third return after a seven-year absence. All the details for those not in attendance or needing a refresher:

We welcomed Crystal, who works in fantasy and mystery, and Bill, who writes children's books. We also welcomed back David Friske, who, well, who's been away awhile...

Before we got to the critiques:

Brian put in a request for bio information to put on this blog (I'll have more on this today or tomorrow).
I conducted a quick primer on common editing mistakes (the full body of which will be posted here in the next few days should you want a copy).

We finished by critiquing novel selections from Zack and Billy, plus Montana's resubmitted poem. We also worked over memoir slices from Sandy and Cynthia, who finally returned after a long illness (welcome back, Cynthia!).

Next meeting, when we'll be just down the hall, we'll be reviewing fiction from Brian and Zack, plus the ongoing memoirs of Sandy, Cynthia, and Jerri Lynn. Brian will moderate a discussion on overcoming writing fears (related to his recent post) and Alison will tell us what she learned from the Jon Katz seminar at LARAC.

The group will also be experimenting with a new submission format to help offset the costs incurred by our novelists. Zack will submit his April 1 chapter through email. General comments can be forwarded to the author (i.e., "I liked it," "Great ending!" etc.), while more in-depth edits can be printed out and scrawled upon. Other writers will continue to submit hard copies. Just a reminder: PLEASE BRING 12 COPIES from now on as the GFWG is growing in leaps and bounds.

Should make next meeting in the small room a bit cramped. Maybe a sweat box. Good thing we like each other...

Well, looking forward to getting to know some of you better. See you then!

Third Thursday Preview

2010-03-17T20:29:00.002-04:00

Time for our second meeting this month come. We'll be reviewing novel slices from Zack and Billy, and a resubmitted poem from Montana. This reflects a recent change in GFWG policy in which we'll let authors resubmit if substantial changes have been made. Finally we'll get to see how writers reshape pieces, how they change, what advice they choose to use. Rounding out the critiques are previously submitted memoirs selections from Sandy and Joe.

I'm scheduled to do a presentation of the 5 Most Common Editing Mistakes the Group Makes. For those who don't make the group, that will be posted here shortly after the meeting.

We may also see a new member or two who contacted the group and the possible return of David Fiske, a member of the group some seven years ago who now has the chance to come back.

Hopefully our production remains strong after a small slowdown at the last meeting. I'm sure we can do it. The weather's only been nice for a few days!

Details: Thursday, March 18, 7-9pm, in the Holden Room at Crandall Library. See you there!

"Always start your story with action"

2010-03-16T22:25:00.002-04:00

"Always start your story with action" is oft-given advice. Jane Friedman at Writers Digest blog thinks you should tread carefully in this regard.

Good Writing Means Not Holding Back

2010-03-10T08:58:00.004-05:00

Writer's Digest blog has a good piece entitled "Transforming fear and breaking through the writing wall." It explains how good writing is less about "bells and whistles" and more about taking risks and leaving your emotional comfort zone. It can be read by clicking here.

A Tidbit on Ebooks

2010-03-08T20:22:00.003-05:00

Not sure why this subject continues to fascinate me, but I think it goes beyond money. We're watching a new economy unfold, that's true, a new way in which people commit their resources, but... it's ebooks are representative of a new way of viewing that economy. Walmart reductionism in microcosm, a change in technology taking over another art form. But with all that said, here's something I came across in passing:

Ebooks represent 3-4% of a publisher's total sales.
Authors get 25% of the sale price. Publishers, to their credit, give them 10-15% more of the profit than with traditional books because the retail price is so much lower. Even so, the Bottom Line: Authors make 70 cents less per book, after the increase. (All those accusing authors of being greedy should take note.)
Despite lower prices and increased author's percentages, Publishers make roughly $1.00 more per book. However, that is only because advertising, marketing, tech support, etc., are paid for by the hard copies. If that money were taken from ebook sales, publishers would make far less.

Another interesting fact -- a Princeton University study found that students who used e-readers retain less information than those using traditional textbooks. Guess you can't highlight a Kindle. No idea how that information will affect the textbook trade, which has been slow to embrace the new technology anyway.

Of course, ebooks are harder to share, swap, or borrow, meaning additional purchases could put more money in an author's pocket. For now, though, it's a losing proposition for authors. So, welcome, writers, to the world of musicians and filmmakers, who have suffered for years under advances in file swapping, illegal downloads, and electronic transfers. Frank Zappa said "Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." Or maybe making something for nothing. Of course, I think there's a good chance this won't be as rough a road for authors as for other artists, but even smooth roads go uphill sometimes.

First Thursday Review

2010-03-07T04:20:00.003-05:00

A somewhat small gather this meeting, as Sandy and Joe had previous engagements, and illness claimed a few others, but neither rain, nor snow, nor 2/3 membership slows us down... We covered a great deal of business early on, though we skipped the individual writer updates. Kay gave a brief overview of Author's Voice (see two previous posts -- more to come), and we discussed the effectiveness of the critique changes so far and whether an author can submit a piece after its been critiqued (yes). Among Kay's proposals are brief presentations from members of various writer-related topics and the business itself.

We reviewed the submissions from Zack, Billy, Alison, Montana, and Michelle, and paid a surprising amount of attention to formatting and appearance. Two novels, two poems, and one personal essay. Still good variety.

Alison also picked up homework. She will be attending the Jon Katz workshop at LARAC and will be reporting back to us when she returns.

Next month, we'll be reviewing pieces from Zack (novel), Billy (novel), and Montana (poem). Throw in previous subs from Joe and Sandy and we'll have enough to fill up the hour. Still, for the first meeting since we switched from monthly to biweekly, production has dropped. We'll have to keep an eye on this.

See some of you in two weeks!

First Thursday Preview

2010-03-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

It's First Thursday time, which means, unlike Third Thursday time, there will be parking in Glens Falls. Which is good. We have a lot to get to at this meeting.

We'll be reviewing the next novel selections from Zack and Billy, a brief bio from Alison, and poems from Montana and Michelle. And just a reminder -- the pieces from Sandy and Joe are not due until the 18th.

The GFWG will be going through another format moderation, this time no introductions and no out loud reading, save poetry. I'm happy about the first, not sure about the second. Briefer than usual introductions will be saved for meetings with new members. Instead of the 12-year-old go-round, we'll be discussing the business of writing. Not our writing, but the actual business side, from tips to trends, motivation to markets. Kay has brought up discussing my recent posts on Author's Voice and seeking volunteers to present other writing topics. There may also be a review of a conference critique I received from Cartwheel/Scholastic editor Rotem Moscovich (thank you Rotem!). Given that we only have five critiques this biweek, we should have time to cover everything.

Oh, and we had someone else express interest in the group, as well, a children's book author. Don't know if that mean pic books, chapter, YA, etc., but it would be nice to have her on board. I could use the company!

See you all there!

Details: 7-8:55pm, Holden Room, Crandall Library.

Author's Voice, Part II

2010-03-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

There are many techniques to developing voice. The first two are essentially different sides of the same coin, 1A and 1B: Syntax and Diction.

Syntax runs the gamut of language, from the vernacular to the formal, Twain to Austen. It's rare that any author uses highly stylized, formal English. Even in period pieces, where antiquated terms and phrases might be used, a certain informality in tone that makes the piece far more readable. Complete slang, or perhaps more accurately, a complete copy of everyday speech, also makes a piece more readable. After all, a story needs some sense of direction and flow -- life and language meander a bit too much to be copied to the printed page.

The question facing the author, of course, is what end of the spectrum to approach?

Certain authors use essentially the style time and again. It's their style; it's representative of their comfort zone. They may experiment a bit early in their writing efforts, but once locked in, stay locked in. They generally expect to write the same book over and over again. Sue Grafton can't make X look much different than A because that's the formula and voice she's established, and to stray will leave her readers disappointed. Even experimental authors may be trapped by a certain syntax their readers expect.

Generally, however, the story -- and wants the author wants to say with it -- is best for determining syntax, and that's true even within genres. A traditional whodunit murder mystery cannot contain the gritty street language of the hard-boiled detective novel. Let the story determine syntax.

Diction, or 1B, involves word choice. How fancy or simple should the words be? How big, small, descriptive, plain, and so on? Diction flows from syntax. Carefully read and re-read. Does diction -- and beyond that, punctuation -- fit the syntax. The story? Its purpose. Diction, with its complement in punctuation, will give syntax shape after syntax gives it life. It will shape the narrator's voice, dialogue, character impressions, pacing, and so much more. Keep these two tied together. Diction should nestle inside syntax or they ball fall apart.

What the self-published can learn from the big boys

2010-02-28T23:27:00.003-05:00

The Author Enablers blog has a good piece on what self-published authors can learn from big publishers. Click here to read more.

Klash With Kindle Update

2010-02-22T22:21:00.004-05:00

No big post here--just a note that Hachette (formerly Time Warner Books) has sided with MacMillan and HarperCollins against Amazon and its $9.99 price for ebooks. People may bail, and people may rail, but if the price goes up everywhere except among the indies, people will pay $14.99 or abandon books altogether. Satellite radio is failing but cable TV took off. E-books, whether Kindle or iPad, but figure out what they're offering, what makes them unique, other than the price (given the price of the e-readers!), that makes people want to buy them. Could they go like videos -- unreleased chapters? An earlier draft? Backstory? Added character biographies? Most authors would scream at this. There's a reason such things get cut from novels, but added to videos--novels are meant to be complete, movies rarely. And I bet the "making of" would be really boring...

Well, welcome to the good fight Hachette. Hope this all works out for everyone, especially the authors and their readers.

Critiquing the Critique Process

2010-02-21T10:55:00.009-05:00

This last meeting we shifted the critiques into a new (old) format where the author doesn't say anything in the critique unless being asked a direct question. (Even that should be kept to a minimum, really; try to phrase your questions into statements.) Also, I experimented with going around the table in order, rather in a random "jump right in" way. Sorry for the confusion, but I was checking to see how it would work.

Let me know, as we go on with these changes and tweaks, how you think it's working out.

It can feel awkward as a writer to not be an active participant in the discussion. Particularly when you've been used to it. Think of it this way: What's being said isn't aimed at you, it's about your writing. The writing that's on the page, via your mind. Your spoken words have nothing to do with it. Listen. Take Notes. Process what's being said. Later on, after reading the written critiques, you can find a way to translate what's been suggested to the page. Take what you can work with, set aside what you can't. The writer is always the final arbiter. But first you have to be open and listen to what's being said. It's a privilege, really, to be given a glimpse into the inner workings of a reader's mind. That's what you joined a critique-based group for. Get the most mileage from it.

The up side of going around the entire room is that everyone is heard, which gets harder in a larger group. The down side is that by the time it gets to you, many of the same comments have been heard. That's why I was changing directions. Also, predictable can become boring. So unless it distracts/detracts from the process, I'll continue to sometimes go left, sometimes go right. If I'm feeling mischievous or chaotic I may start randomly across the room. Or I may purposely first ask to hear from a person or people who may have more experience with a certain type of writing.

It's great to see the Group continually change and evolve. Hard to believe that in April we'll celebrate 12 years in existence. Maybe we should do something special for the 3rd Thursday. Send any suggestions my way.

See you all on 3/4.

Third Thursday Review

2010-02-18T23:53:00.005-05:00

Another spirited meeting for the GFWG, perhaps more so after it was over than during, but nonetheless productive and informative. We went back to the one-at-a-time format to keep the critiques from becoming a free-for-all, and the editors did very well in not responding out of turn. All in all, controlled and detailed with plenty of constructive criticism to go around. A few of us even got to dip into our backgrounds, especially with Sandy's piece on the value of local farming, where Ann Marie, Kay and I put on our journalism caps, Michelle presented the finer points of the persuasive essay, and Brian expounded on editorial writing.

Kay also presented the findings of the pre-meeting regarding our upcoming publication. In short, pieces for publication must be submitted to the group by the first meeting in July, critiqued by the second meeting, and revisions handed in in one month later. We also went over plans banded about over a year ago in expanding this blog. Look for upcoming features on our members, complete with pictures, audio, and the like.

Next meeting we'll be critiquing poems from Montana and Michelle, novel selections from Zack, and Billy, and a short essay(?) from Alison.

See you all in two weeks, and thanks for critiquing my pieces. We should be proud of our production!

Third Thursday Preview

2010-02-17T19:35:00.003-05:00

It's Third Thursday time again, as we continue to put our 2010 experiment to the test. We'll be busy at this meeting, covering two pieces from Sandy (one a comedic sci-fi piece and the other a persuasive essay on the farmer's role), a book start from Bill, a book continuation from Zack, a total of six poems from Michelle and Montana, and three flash fiction pieces from me. We also get our first glimpse from new member Jerri Lynn, who takes us through paradise lost.

We also might get to welcome yet another new member, Mary, a Spanish teacher from Argyle. Between Brian's fluent French and Mary's command of Spanish, well, I'm not learning another language to stay in the group. Still, I hope Mary makes the trek, joining our other teachers, Michelle and Allison.

A reminder that there will is an early meeting a 6pm in the Holden Room for anyone interested in helping with our forthcoming publication. It's the first full meeting on the subject, so bring your thinking caps. Anyway in which you can help, any talents you may have, will be greatly appreciated.

For all others, see you at the regular time, 7pm, upstairs in the Holden Room, at Crandall Library.

Let's keep writing!

The Kindle Clash Continues

2010-02-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

And the ground forces of Kindle nation, Amazon warriors, I suppose, are wasting no time going straight for the jugular now that MacMillan and HarperCollins have expressed interest in raising e-book prices from $9.99 to $14.99, still roughly half what a new hardcover costs. Their tactics include boycotts, one-star ratings and email (and in some cases, NASTY email) campaigns against authors and publishers.

It's a two-part argument -- yes, e-books are cheaper to produce, but these readers don't seem to consider that books still have costs associated with them beyond paper, ink, transportation and storage. In short order, we have the author payments, agent's fees, editors' salaries, marketing, salesman, creating the book, and IT guys for support, etc. Cheaper overall, but not as much as e-book readers believe. And of course, author payments don't change -- they still get 10% of the wholesale book cost -- in other words, these readers, who have been attacking the authors as greedy, want them to make 1/3 the amount of money for the same amount of work. I doubt many of them will go into work Monday and tell the boss, "I'll give you a 40-hour week, but could I do it for a 1/3 of the pay? Oh, and I'll pay my own benefits, and could you throw 15% to my references as an agent's fee?" Anything less makes them hypocrites.

If Kindle means that authors are going to sell more books because the price is a penny under ten bucks, than it's a great deal. But it doesn't, and this Yahoo! approach to e-books, this Walmart approach to commercialization, isn't helping authors.

If iPad and Kindle, backed by all the publishers, agree to a price hike, then die-hard readers will have to follow. I just wonder how many casualties -- readers and authors alike -- there will be along the way. Some readers will find other entertainment avenues, and others will search for old books, cheap books, used books (yes, you can buy e-books used), and titles from small publishers, etc., who have yet to knuckle under the pressure.

Hey, maybe we can return to the days of the dime-store novel, which sucked as literature but kept the masses entertained. Even those people understood you had to pay just a wee bit more for Henry James and Stephen Crane. I just can't figure out why the authors -- like Jay Leno -- have become the bad guys in a battle happening three levels over their heads...

Author's Voice, Part I

2010-02-08T20:37:00.002-05:00

Finally getting around to a request Kay made a month-and-a-half ago -- a discussion on author's voice. There's no way to condense this into one post, so, in a GFWG first, I'm going to explore this topic over the next month, interspersed with posts of general interest to our group. Thanks for the extra work, Kay!

Most everyone knows what voice is, or at least they recognize it when they read it. It's that style that makes an author's approach and writing unique. But it's so much more than that. Yes, some author's maintain the same consistent voice throughout their works. Their readers know what to expect, and they deliver. Or, in some cases, they're incapable of doing more.

Others let the story dictate their approach. What they want to say determines voice, rather than voice determining what they have to say. There are similarities between The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, but could Twain have really used the same voice to tell both stories? Huck's vernacular made it far more powerful and insightful than Tom's tale of all-American boyhood. Now, setting those two aside, what of The Prince and the Pauper or The Gilded Age? Work, genre, message, etc., as much as author preference and ability, play a role in shaping voice.

Age and experience (particularly, it seems, tragedy) shape voice, too. Writers of 40 look back on their work of a generation ago and see how it has changed. Matured, perhaps, like a two-pack-a-day smoker. Generally, and with few exceptions (though they exist -- Rumi, anyone? Not to mention Shakespeare) voice grows thicker and coarser over time.

Well, now that we've seen some of what goes into shaping voice, what are its individual parts, and how can they be used to reflect the author's ideas?

Next post.

First Thursday Recap

2010-02-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

Last night's meeting was a little more low key than the previous two, and perhaps as a result, a bit more productive. The quick rundown:

Kay announced the project for the GFWG this year -- a publication to debut at The Chronicle Book Fair in November! We last published a collection of our work in 2005, so as Kay said, "It's time." Basic rule is that a piece an author wants published must be workshopped through the GFWG in 2010 to be eligible, but everything else is wide open. We could get some big help in putting it all together form Sandy, who works at the CCE (the Cornell Coopertive Extension. Yes, I had to ask, too). Should look very professional. The as-yet-to-be-formed committee will meet at 6pm, or an hour before the next meeting, on Feb. 18
We reinstituted an old rule (and one I've been pushing for almost since my return last Nov.) -- authors don't get to talk during their critique. The work must stand on its own. Plenty of other groups use this rule, and if we allowed time for author rebuttal, we're going to have to add another hour to the meeting. And when I say rule, I mean more of a guideline because it's really hard to tstick to.
Instead of bringing 10 copies, writers will now need to make 12 to account for swelling membership.

Now, on to the critiques. We got further into Zack's always twisted world, continuing with The Dead Machine. Interesting how diverse interpretations and impressions are of his work. Michelle continues to challenge the nonpoets, but hopefully gets some added insight from our two new poets (Alison and the long-lost Montana (welcome back!)). We gave Katie suggestions on how to expand her short story Avalanche! while helping Billy reconcile shifts in his Electra short. We laughed along with Sandy's continued family adventures, and welcomed back Jim, who finally received feedback on his intriguingly titled Godot Strikes Back. Jim gets bonus points for quoting one of my contentions that "all work is autobiographical" during the meeting.

Another interesting, fast-paced gathering. See you in two weeks when we critique works from Billy, Michelle, Zack, Sandy (2), Montana, Cynthia, me, and a first submission from Jerri Lynn. Our production remains strong.

First Thursday Preview

2010-02-03T19:20:00.002-05:00

It's a day before meeting time, with a temporary new meeting place and some fresh business to discuss. Prior to the critiques, Kay will be discussing big GFWG business planned for this fall, I may be explaining an expansion to this blog, and Katie will be telling us about submitting to a writing contest. We'll also be critiquing pieces from Sandy, Zack, Michelle, and Katie, and hopefully Jim and Billy, both of whom had to miss our last get-together. Cynthia, who just introduced a major change in perspective to her memoir, will be unfortunately absent as she heads to Connecticut to visit her granddaughter. Some things just have to come first.

I think the group will be excited by Kay's idea. You can tell the group is full of energy, popping again, as we once more expand our efforts with a refreshing energy. More meetings, more diversity, more projects. One month in and 2010 is shaping up quite nicely.

Take Note: We will be meeting in the Crandall Room at 7pm rather than the Holden Room.
Holden should be empty after 7:30 if we need the bigger space to accommodate everyone. Otherwise, see you all at Crandall Library tomorrow night.

A Win for the... Big Guys?

2010-02-01T23:52:00.005-05:00

I'm no legal scholar, and I'm not sure how I feel about this settlement. My gut tells me to root for the publisher, but my head, like much of the publishing world, is not so sure.

Amazon conceded to MacMillan's demand that it charge more for e-books on Kindle. Amazon has been charging a flat fee of $9.99 per book, with the publisher's getting half that. That's way less than the make for new books on shelves, but both Amazon and MacMillan have less overhead. Amazon kept the price low to sell more Kindles; MacMillan figures if people are willing to spend $25 for a new hardcover, they'll drop $12 or $15 for an e-book.

In a nutshell, Amazon blinked. They pulled MacMillan's books from Kindle, but one of the advantages to being one of the six biggest publishers in the world is that people start asking for your books. Amazon again made them available, with the new prices to go into effect March 1.

If you think the rest of the publishing world is jumping for joy at the prospect of earning an extra dollar or five per book, think again. Although they cut the same deal MacMillan cut with Amazon over at Mac and its iPad, they're not so sure this is a good deal for them. Like the music world suddenly enslaved by 99-cent iTunes, they think readers will eventually balk at the high prices and demand a flat $9.99 from everybody. Many of them think that MacMillan's short-term win is a long-term loss. A Pyrrhic victory perhaps.

The upside is that maybe they sell more books at $9.99 than they would at $29.99, even with the $259 Kindle price. Don't know. At some point, people are going to have to realize that things cost money. A book takes several years to write, publish, market, etc. and a $5-dollar cut to a publisher and 75 cents to an author isn't going to work. Amazon is consciously taking money out of their pockets to sell its big-ticket item. Now, if by miracle of miracles, Kindle helps authors sell a few thousand more books and reduces overhead (publishing costs, storage, etc.), and gives books a longer shelf life than they enjoy the hardcover world, more money could be made by all. But that's a lot of books to move when publishers are alreday complaining of a public that doesn't read (more on this in a future post). Will they be enticed by cost or are they generally lost forever to other opportunities, flash-in-the-pan fiction, and repetitive, unoriginal genres?

In the end, I somehow suspect it's the authors first , and then the publishers, who will get the short end of the Kindle-ing. But for now, congratulations MacMillan, on getting Amazon to bend, even if you did it for yourselves and not the authors. They will benefit, for a little while anyway, by your actions.

***Addendum*** Feb. 2nd -- Rupert Murdoch, who owns HarperCollins, also one of the big six, has criticized Amazon's $9.99 deal and wants to renegotiate. He wants to model a new agreement after their iPad contract. If HC goes the way of MacMillan, expect the rest to follow in short order. Now we know which way the publishing world is going, which is at least potentially good for authors.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a ms sitting with Balzer+Bray, an imprint of HC.

The Death of J.D. Salinger

2010-01-28T20:38:00.002-05:00

J.D. Salinger died Wednesday of natural causes at the age of 91. I'm not going to explore the work of this legendary author and recluse, this eccentric, if not crazy, genius. Plenty of websites and blogs and media outlets will do that for us, pasting bits of his work in between long scrawls on his oddities.

Rather, I will use this as a chance to motivate others to do one thing -- write.

People make excuses about not writing. Life does get in the way, and yet somehow, even before his seclusion, life did not get in Salinger's way. He had to write.

According to the Associated Press:

As a teenager, Salinger hid under his covers with a flashlight so he could write
During World War II, he carried a typewriter with him so he could write hunkered in foxholes
He has written 15 novels since "Catcher in the Rye." He wrote them even though he never intended to publish them.
He hated writers and writing schools.

What these four bulletpoints have in common is that Salinger had to write. The stories had to come out of him, not for the reading public, not for the bottom line, but for J.D. Salinger.

There's a lesson in that for all our members and other aspiring writers, even if you never publish. Write the story. We are not likely to create another Holden Caulfield, but we will create something significant to ourselves.

Salinger saw the importance in that. Write the story.

Third Thursday Recap

2010-01-23T00:13:00.004-05:00

Another round of spirited critiques, if somewhat less heated than that of two weeks ago. Kay did a nice job clearing up creative nonfiction, and I did a nice job not blacking out both before and after the meeting. We actually finished 15 minutes early, and gave no one short shrift. We welcomed two new members to the group -- Jerri and the aforementioned Alison (previous post). The latter has put us on notice for grammar abuse/misuse. Another editor with a sharp red pen is a blessing!

Over the years, we've had members with interesting lives. I mean, really, how many writers groups can boast of a twice-convicted bank robber? There have been two times when this group was really clicking, running on all cylinders, and it was when we had interesting people on board. We've once again entered such a period. We got to hear about Katie's foray into punk music, Zack's time playing at CBGB's, Cynthia's cross-Canada tour with crazy relatives, and Sandy's tradition of turkey for Thanksgiving breakfast with her crazy relatives. And that's only scratching the surface within their lives, not to mention what other members have done or accomplished. Is it any wonder the writing has gone up several notches? So have the members.

As for total submissions, yes, it's a bit lighter than it was when we met monthly, but still not bad. Next meeting we'll review mss from Katie (short story), Michelle (poem), Sandy and Cynthia (memoir), and Zack (novel). A diverse selection from a diverse group.

Third Thursday Time -- The Experiment Continues...

2010-01-20T21:19:00.003-05:00

The GFWG's bi-weekly experiment gets its first test this Thursday:

Can we be as prolific as we have been at the past two monthly meetings?
How did people feel about having only two weeks, rather than four, to read all the submissions?

I don't think the extra reading is much of a burden. I can't imagine anyone reads the mss four weeks out and then sits around waiting for the next meeting. Even those who cram a few days out (me!) will just have to do it twice as often.

The two-week writing deadline is far more challenging. The real measure will be among the novelists. While they are likely to contribute every two weeks, will they submit that many more pages every month, or submit fewer pages to be covered at each meeting? Of course, the short story writers, poets, etc., should take up the challenge to submit more often, even if, unlike the novelists, they submit entire works.

Can't wait to find out. Of course, this Thursday is only step one. The big question is how will it play out over the months? I think we're up to it.

We'll be reviewing chapter selections from Zack, Katie, and Kay; a poem from Michelle; a section from Cynthia's memoir, and a family short from Sandy. We may also have a new member in attendance, an English teacher who emailed Brian. An English teacher would be a nice addition to the GFWG, so I hope she can make it. But, hey, no pressure (Alison!).

If you're interested in attending, please come to the Holden Room, Crandall Library, Thursday, 7-9pm, with optional social afterwards.

Jumping Genres

2010-01-18T22:59:00.002-05:00

While reading's Kay's piece for this week's go round it occurred to me that half the group's long-term members regularly jump genres. We've experimented with other fields, played around until comfortable. No two members have done so more than Kay and I, begging the question -- Are we not yet comfortable, or are we too comfortable?

Zack and Jim write for adults and young adults, but generally stick with science fiction. Sandy generally focuses on short memoir, often with a humorous bent, but has stretched her pen to include a one-act play and other pieces. Even Joe, though always sticking to memoir, writes both serious reflections and humorous reminisces. Kay, though, has written essays, short stories, humorous pieces, murder mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and I'm sure I'm missing something...

As for me, well, when asked what I write, I always reply, "Whatever pops into my head." I've covered religious fiction, short stories, political satire, sketches, stand-up, poetry, non-fiction, journalism, and picture books. I even have a YA idea bouncing around in my head.

So, Kay, are we abundantly creative or entirely unfocused? Can we be both? Neither? Can one be the former and the other the latter? How does the writer's mind continually conceive new ideas, new projects, new approaches?

I have long argued that all work is autobiographical, even copy writing and journalism. Why did the author take that approach? That angle? Why focus on that aspect of a story or product? Perhaps a better phrase is all work is psychologically revealing, but it doesn't have the ring, the tone, of autobiographical. I can spot "me" in every work. Where it came from, what I'm saying, what scene, place, or person I'm re-creating. Even those that border on fantasy -- I know what I'm trying to say. My change in genre is brought about by what I want to say. And by having to say it, whether to adults, children, or more commonly, myself. I don't know exactly how the finished product will read, but I can't wait to type that final period. And then go back and change it all. I think, for me, it's a matter of being comfortable with myself and with experimentation, but rarely, if ever, the execution.

There is, of course, the other approach -- being too comfortable. Experimenting because you know the group will accept what you have done. Finding support for every effort, regardless of how the critiques come back. There is generally no reason to experiment when happy, but comfortable? Yes, sometimes all the more so. There is a psychological freedom in being comfortable, whether actors and authors like to admit it.

Before this becomes its own novel, author's jump genres for all sorts of reasons: boredom, excitement, inspiration, age, wisdom, drive, dissatisfaction, tragedy, rejection, revulsion.

Why have some of you jumped genres?

Writing the Wave

2010-01-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

It was one of those surprising moments, entirely unexpected, that the believers among us see as kismet, divine intervention or a sign. And while I hold such ideas to be the sign of poor writing, I took the hint anyway.

Outside the Holden Room where the GFWG meets is the writer's resource section. Absolutely appropriate, if entirely accidental. Sandy and I were talking before the meeting last Thursday, waiting for two nonmembers to clear out, when I looked up and saw the book mentioned in the title of this post, Writing the Wave. It was written by Elizabeth Ayres, a poet under whom I studied at NYU a few years ago. It's a book full of writing tips and exercises, from which I managed to land several short stories. One of those, a writing exercise turned Aesop fable, has been written up twice, once for adults and once for children and was just submitted to Dial Books (And no, I don't take it as a sign. I had decided to send it to Dial two months ago. Now, if Dial miraculously agrees to publish it, I'll rethink this, briefly, as a sign...)

Sandy checked out the book, and I'm eager to see if she found it helpful. Did it provide her with the same inspiration it did me? I hope so.

As for kismet, well, I had been thinking about Writing the Wave a lot over the past few weeks, thinking I should pull out my copy to redo some of the exercises. An experiment, a chance to work the writing muscle, to see what I come up with now that I didn't come up with then. Weird that there it was, eye level, saying take me down and use me again. I have some time coming up in between writers groups. I think I'll sit down with Ms. Ayres once more and write the wave.

But not because I believe in signs or anything. It was simply the plan all along...

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

First Thursday Recap

2010-01-09T14:20:00.002-05:00

If last night's meeting is any indication, we may not just have to meet every two weeks, but for three hours a night. We had no problem going the distance, and could have gone into overtime, given all the material -- and the depth of the material -- in front of us. The highlight of that was a spirited exchange between Zack and Michelle over the main character in Ann Marie's piece. They could still be discussing it for all I know. Good stuff.

We critiqued every submission, (except Jim's, who was not in attendance) although Kay and Sandy didn't get to read theirs aloud. Too bad, especially for Sandy, who reads her pieces with such verve and emotion. Still, she took the time constraints like a trouper.

If we stay this productive, and God I hope we do, we may have to bring certain rules about author participation, rules that were once standard for our group and exist in many others -- that is, no introductory explanations from writers, and writers do not speak during the critiques unless specifically asked a question. Worth considering, if it keeps us on schedule.

Particularly since the next meeting will be another busy one. We have submissions from Cynthia, Kay, Michelle, Bill, Sandy, Zack, and Katie. Keep Reading!

If you wish to join us, the next meeting is: Thu., January 21, 7pm, in the Holden Room at Crandall Library.

Off With a Bang

2010-01-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

What a great meeting last night! Enthusiasm. Energy. Encouragement. Couldn't ask for a better start to 2010 and our new twice a month meeting plan.

That's it. Just wanted to weigh in while the glow was still on.

The First Thursday Experiment Begins

2010-01-06T20:52:00.002-05:00

I'm excited about this coming Thursday's meeting for two reasons:

It's the beginning of our every two week experiment.
We have a lot of manuscripts to cover.

In reverse order: we don't have the variety of work to review this month, but there's much more of it. If our group can stay this productive throughout the spring I will be impressed (and will have to learn to read faster). We have short stories from Kay and Ann Marie, poetry from Michelle, and a reworked bio short from Sandy. We also have novel starts from Zack, Jim, and Katie, meaning that, if they continue these stories, we'll have assignments to read for quite some time. For the rest of the year, I should think.

Reading Sandy's piece made me realize how little we see of work once it's been critiqued. It's happened on occasions with novels. I've seen Zack's books once they've gone through the submit-and-crit process, and those of two former members, but never the short stuff. It gets read, often rewritten, and then is wiped from memory. In reading her story, you get to see what gets accepted, what works or doesn't work, and how to review a piece that's been reshaped. It's a difference process. It doesn't mean you have less to say. In fact, it could mean more as the piece stands on its own but is still wobbly. More of the author's intent becomes clear, and gives the editor that much with which to work. I see it when rewriting my own work, but was pleased to encounter it in someone else's next draft.

Now on to Point 1--the two-week experiment. I hope this works. I'm sure for awhile it will. It means a chance for novelists to move faster and for others to write more, to meet deadlines, to keep pace. Quality work should take time, but the meetings are about ensuring quality, turning black-inked copies into off-white diamonds. OK, very off-white. OK, milky sometimes. But then editing is the same as cutting at diamonds, until only the best, sharpest, most radiant facets are left. Meeting every two weeks rather than once a month is a chance to do that.

I'm looking forward to it!

Meeting Place & Time: Holden Room, upstairs at Crandall Library, from 7-9pm, First and Third Thursdays of the Month.