Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Plagiarism is good!
How many half-baked stories do you have? Instead of allowing them to go to waste, rotting away on your desktop, chop them up and use them for parts! Maybe you wrote a scene that had excellent dialogue. Well, rearrange it, switch out the names, and make it fit your new story. Why not? I do this all the time. I rarely let something I’ve written go to waste. I strongly believe in reusing, rehashing, rewriting, reviving, and rearranging old material. Remember, it’s old material to you but brand new to your readers.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
CALL ME! (815) 642-9687 Let’s write a book together!
Writing takes an enormous amount of discipline and focus. Oddly enough, I could use improvement in both of these areas. Thankfully, I’m not bad as I used to be.
I just finished writing a manuscript and I’m ready to start another! Due to my ‘scatterbrained-ness,’ I have to start immediately or I’ll be distracted by something else. I need your help. I have too many ideas for my next book. It would be so much easier if you guys helped me! CALL ME! Tell me what I should write! I don’t want very detailed ideas—just the basics. For example:
Character: A truck driver
Setting: small Midwest town
Plot: A truck driver will stop at nothing to prove his innocence in a murder case.
At the end of this month, I’ll post the top ideas I receive. You guys can decide which one I should use. Okay?
*Remember* I want a challenge. Be as outrageous and imaginative as you want! I will be posting my progress and even including video footage, so keep checking back. (What better way to see how to finish your book than to watch a scatterbrained writer do it?)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
What's the worse thing you've written?
I recently read a short story I wrote in elementary school. Back then, I thought it was excellent. Now I can't help but laugh. It was horrible! If I were to rewrite it today, it would be so much better. When you're in a writing funk or experiencing writer's block, try this:
Find your worse piece of writing (if you haven't trashed it). If you did trash it, find someone else’s work. Now think of ways you could improve it. What would you change? What sentences would you rearrange? What would you delete? Try rewriting a paragraph or two. This might get your creativity flowing with your current work.
Find your worse piece of writing (if you haven't trashed it). If you did trash it, find someone else’s work. Now think of ways you could improve it. What would you change? What sentences would you rearrange? What would you delete? Try rewriting a paragraph or two. This might get your creativity flowing with your current work.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Advice for Aspiring Writers
One of my myspace buddies, sent this to me. I thought some of my readers would find it helpful. I also took the liberty of including my advice:
Michael T. Owens: Write. Edit. Edit. Rewrite.
Laurie Halse Anderson: Read everything you can get your hands on. Be kind to your English teachers --- they know more than you realize (the good ones). Please don’t be one of those people who just talk about being a writer... BE a writer. Write something! And never give up --- never, never, never, never.
Martyn Bedford: My advice to aspiring writers is to write as much as you can as regularly as you can --- every day, ideally. Don’t wait for the mood or the muse to strike, just write. Write because you want to write rather than because you want to be a writer. Be original or don’t bother.
Elizabeth Berg: Trust yourself above anyone else. Writer for yourself first, then worry about what to do with it. Don’t try to imitate anyone else --- instead, cultivate your own unique voice. And if you’re really interested in learning what I know and I believe about writing, take a look at a book I wrote called Escaping Into The Open: The Art of Writing True. It’s available in paperback, and it’s for anyone who wants to write for any reason. It has everything I know and believe about the craft, and a bunch of exercises, too. (Also, a bunch of recipes, which are really good. A woman came to a reading the other night and told me how much she liked that book. Then she showed me the stains she got on the page when she made the recipe for chocolate cake. It was good, she said. And it is.)
Maeve Binchy: I would advise anyone to write as they speak, and on the subjects that they know about.
Judy Blume: Don’t let anybody discourage you!
Christopher Bohjalian: Read lots and write often. And, truly, savor the process of writing. I had amassed over 250 rejections before I sold my first short story (to Cosmopolitan) when I was 24, so it’s important to enjoy those moments when you are, literally, crafting sentences.
Terry Brooks: Don’t quit the day job! I gave a talk at Maui this year on ten things every writer should know: Read. Read. Read. Outline. Outline. Outline. Write. Write.Write. Repeat. That’s it!
Christopher Buckley: Write. But seriously --- 1) get some reporting experience early on. There is no better training. 2) Read Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. 3) As my writing professor, the great William Zinsser, used to tell us, "Be grateful for every word you can cut."
Ana Castillo: Write, write, write! Read, read, read! Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Share it with a few people you trust, who can give feedback you’ll respect. Send it out. Don’t be afraid of rejection. Everyone gets rejected and will be rejected throughout their lives at one time or another. Do it because you must, because you want to, need to, couldn’t live with yourself otherwise. If you do it for the fame and glory, you may fall hard on your face.
Carol Higgins Clark: Keep writing. Join a writer’s group or writing class. If you have something that you can send out, try to get an agent. Go to the library and look up in Literary Market Place the list of agents, and send out letters to agents. The most important thing is to keep writing.
Michael Connelly: Write everyday, even if only for a few minutes. To even accomplish a few minutes of writing you have to think about the story and the characters. Writing everyday keeps them fresh in your mind. When they are in your mind you are constantly working the story. A lot of writing takes place away from the computer or the pad and pencil. This little trick keeps that creative process going.
Liza Dalby: Write about what obsesses you.
Dianne Day: My advice is to write what you most like to read. And read, read, read. Then write, write, write. Be realistic: this is not a glamorous business. It’s damn hard work, that you do alone, in the absence of anything like immediate feedback; when and if you do get feedback you have to wait a long, long time for it. I shudder to think how long you have to wait for the money! If delay of gratification is not your thing, you’ll probably be unable to tolerate the realities of this sometimes-brutal business. There is only one good reason to have, and to stay with, the impossible dream of being a published writer: If once you’ve written that first book, whether it sold or not, whether it got you an agent or not, you feel you can’t live without writing another. Which becomes another and another and another...because your life seems empty when you don’t have plots and characters in your head...and eventually they have to be emptied out of your head onto the page or else you’ll explode. At least, that’s the way it is for me.
Jeffery Deaver: There are only two rules I’d give to aspiring writers: one, write what you enjoy reading and, two, never, ever, ever give up; rejection is a speed bump, not a brick wall.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: I’m not sure I would presume to give advice, but here are some things I tell myself: If writing is important to you, you must be prepared to work hard at it, and simplify your life so that you can give your art the time and energy it requires. Read widely, practice for long hours. Like a potter, you must be willing to throw away misshaped pieces. You must be willing to take risks, try new forms, grow with each thing you write. You must try to tell the truth as best you are able.
Andre Dubus III: Don’t outline your stories. DO NOT outline your stories. I know some writers do this, but I think the writing process asks us to surrender to the mysteries of the unknown. Nowhere in our culture is this taught. You have to trust your gut, trust your characters to take a story where it’s going to go; and, more often than not, it does that. That’s my two cents.
Elizabeth Evans: Read the best books and write as often as you possibly can. And be respectful of your work. Give it your best shot.
Carolina Garcia-Aguilera: Don’t give up. It’s not a hobby. You can’t be a weekend dabbler. You have to commit. If you can, take a few months off from your job. Writing is not a part-time occupation. And remember that publishing a book is not just writing --- you have to promote the book, read the contracts. I didn’t know anything about publishing when I began. I still can’t believe I’ve published books. You know how writers say they don’t really feel like a writer until they see someone on an airplane reading their book. Well, that happened to me recently at the gym. The woman on the bicycle next to me was reading one of my books. I asked her if she liked it. She said yes. And I decided to tell her I was the author.
Olivia Goldsmith: Write every day. Find the hours that suit you. Sit there until something comes. Don’t judge what you write that day --- you can do that tomorrow. And if nothing comes, you can edit what you did before. One more thing....your agent does NOT know more than you do, and neither does your editor. I listen to advice, but I don’t always follow it.
Barbara Gowdy: Read everything, especially the classics and poetry. Eavesdrop on real conversations. Don’t watch too much TV, nobody talks like TV people do. Don’t ever be too attached to anything you’ve written; you are the vehicle for the word, not it’s creator. Write what you’re obsessed by.
Beth Gutcheon: My advice to aspiring writers is, of course, read. But more important, and maybe less obvious (though I’ve already said it once) is, if you aren’t constitutionally suited to being alone for really long stretches, and can’t handle the fairly tricky part of the job description which reads paychecks and reality checks may only arrive every three years, it may not be for you. How does any writer know if she’s good or merely deranged? It’s not a small problem.
Barbara Hambly: Don’t be afraid to rewrite. Have someone whose judgment you trust read your work, and ask them if it worked for them, and if not, why not? Finish what you start, if not every time, at least most of the time. Tell a story about people --- don’t spend all your time setting up a world or a history or a setting.
Colin Harrison: Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have to write, don’t bother. Do something else. Really. If you do have to write, don’t give up --- ever. Be defiant in the face of rejection and disinterest, yet be humble about the craft. It takes time. Study the masters, learn technique and structure. You only live and write once. In the words of Willy Loman, "the woods are burning."
Jim Harrison: The only advice I can give to aspiring writers is don’t do it unless you’re willing to give your whole life to it. Red wine and garlic also helps.
Kathryn Harrison: Revise.
Mo Hayder: The usual advice: write, write, write. And, when you’ve done that, write some more. Don’t give up. If you’re unclear about where to pitch your voice, whether you’re steering the right course between the obtuse and the condescending, then imagine yourself as the reader. You have to write for yourself --- if you start indulging in writing for a market you’re lost.
Alice Hoffman: No one knows how to write a novel until it’s been written.
Craig Holden: Become a long distance runner. Read a thousand short stories and poems, and hundreds of novels. Write every day. Marry some money, but not too much.
Susan Isaacs: Avoid writing classes. You have one thing as a writer: that’s your own voice. If you go into a class, the first thing they’ll tell you to do is write in the style of a famous writer. Immediately, you’re being taught to mimic. You’re not doing the one thing you have to do which is tell yourself a story, listen to the sound of your own voice. You’re writing to please the teacher instead of yourself. What comes out of those classes is generic New Yorker short stories, few of them good enough to be in the New Yorker. Did Austen get a Master’s? Did Dostoevsky have a writing workshop? There’s nothing wrong with these 2-day courses where you can get a few pointers on getting published and finding an agent, but no one can teach you how to write. All they can do is make a good writer so self-conscious, she gets into an artistic knot who can’t get untied.
Wayne Johnson: Try, as much as possible, to pour your life into those things you love.
Molly Jong-Fast: I think the advice that helped me most was just that you have to write and read, and not take no for an answer.
Faye Kellerman: To aspiring writers, I say, "Write, write, write" as well as "read, read, read." Not just fiction, but nonfiction as well. You can never get enough information . . . so many stories out there. I just wish I had enough time.
Matthew Kneale: Just write. Don’t worry about seeming clever. If you can find a subject that means something to you, and you can make it mean something to the rest of the world, you’re made. But be sure enough happens.
Billie Letts: Keep writing. Go to writer’s conferences. You never know whom you will meet at these conferences, and they are the best way to get to know agents and publishers. And read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, more than once. And believe in yourself.
Lois Lowry: I always tell aspiring writers that reading is the best way, maybe the only way, to learn to write well.
Greg Mitchell: If you’re going to write a book about managing in Little League make sure you draft a few kids who are real characters, in every sense of the word. And, as Casey Stengel said, you got to get someone to play catcher --- or you’ll get a lot of wild pitches. Finally, keep a diary, every year, in case you get lucky.
Reggie Nadelson: Aspiring writers? Enjoy it. And rewrite it. And read a lot. It’s the only way to learn the trade --- for my money, it’s probably more useful to read non-genre books, novels, biographies; but if you read too many mysteries, you’ll start copying and lose your own voice.
John J. Nance: Well, first, please forgive the "wannabe" reference above if you’re a serious student of the craft. If your heart demands that you write regardless of economics, then write what you want. But, if your financial interests also demand that you seek remuneration for your efforts, then learn the basic business realities of writing today. It’s a far different business than just fifteen years ago, and one that demands different things of you in return for financial success. There may be a few critics and university professors out there searching for the great American novel, but no mainstream publishing houses have any rational mechanism to discover such a beast, let alone publish and promote it (in the absence of a movie deal with Robert Redford or someone in Hollywood to wag the dog and promote the book from the movie). What the reading public demands is entertainment, and it is the writer’s responsibility to give great value on that level as well as incorporating those elements which are important to the writer and his or her muse, all of which must be economically viable to a targeted market. It sounds depressing, but the good news is the publishing world is always looking for the next overnight success that took fifteen years to happen. Do your homework, pay your dues, and never give up. (Also, remember the three basic rules: Get an agent, Get an agent, and Get an agent). And, once you’re published, never forget for a second who’s paying your salary and making you a hit: Your reader --- your customer. Be faithful to your readers, give them an ever improving product with the respect and appreciation they deserve, and they’ll stick with you.
Joe Queenan: Do not write anything until you are 30 as you will have absolutely nothing to say. Spend all your time reading the great writers. You can catch up on the writing part of things later, and there will always be plenty of money. At least that has been my experience.
Nora Roberts: Write first what you would read for pleasure. If it doesn’t entertain you, it’s unlikely it’ll entertain anyone.
John Saul: My advice for aspiring writers is to write, write some more and when you’re done, write some more. Just don’t keep beating on the same dead horse, rewriting the same story until all the life has gone out of it. Don’t be afraid to throw away projects that are not working and start new ones. Make sure your story idea can be communicated in one easy (non-run-on) sentence. When you are done with a project contact legitimate agents any way you can. Many bona fide writers conferences offer an unpublished and unknown author a chance to pitch their ideas and their writings to agents and editors.
Anita Shreve: Don’t quit --- ever.
Sonya Sones: Start writing right now! The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Read great writers. And read about how to write. There are some excellent books out there on how to write, including one by my teacher called "Poem-making." And if you can find some other kids who are serious about writing, form a critique group --- get together on a regular basis to read, discuss each others work and share constructive criticism. That’s what I’ve done for years and it’s really helped.
Suzanne Fisher Staples: Learn to recognize and act on your gifts. Even if it seems to be something small --- like the precise word you’re looking for --- be grateful and value it. Work hard at what you love.
Amy Tan: Know why you want to write, why it’s necessary. No one can tell you what those reasons are. But if you want to write only to be published then you will likely get discouraged and quit before that happens. An ambition for fame is not enough. The reason you write should be substantial enough that you would continue to write no matter what. I would also advise young writers to continue reading prolifically. Know the difference between good writing and bad. Be willing to revise. Go to readings by other writers and stay inspired. Don’t ask them how much money they got as an advance. Ask them what they value in writing.
Joanna Trollope: Patience, persistence and train your powers of observation. You can’t be too old to be a writer, but you can definitely be too young!
Alan Watt: Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.
Donald E. Westlake: Sorry; I have no space left for advice. Just do it.
Simone Zelitch: Read. It’s as simple as that. The more you read, the more you will have a sense of the books you like. Then, write them. Make friends with other writers and serious readers, and ask them what they read. Then read it. Let yourself be influenced, and let yourself grow out of each influence. One good way to develop your own style is to keep a journal. I’ve been keeping one for 25 years. By looking at my style there, I could often tell what I was reading, but slowly I began to write in a way that was completely my own and that, without a doubt, sharpened my public writing --- my fiction. If you keep reading and writing and make contact with other writers, you will have both a vocation and an audience. Publication is another story; it’s a crap-shoot. Persistence pays off, but don’t sweat it too much. A writer is not someone who publishes; she’s someone who writes. Keep writing.
Laura Zigman: The best advice an aspiring writer can receive is this: keep writing. No matter how daunting, impossible, or difficult and painful it seems, keep doing it. It’s worth it.
Michael T. Owens: Write. Edit. Edit. Rewrite.
Laurie Halse Anderson: Read everything you can get your hands on. Be kind to your English teachers --- they know more than you realize (the good ones). Please don’t be one of those people who just talk about being a writer... BE a writer. Write something! And never give up --- never, never, never, never.
Martyn Bedford: My advice to aspiring writers is to write as much as you can as regularly as you can --- every day, ideally. Don’t wait for the mood or the muse to strike, just write. Write because you want to write rather than because you want to be a writer. Be original or don’t bother.
Elizabeth Berg: Trust yourself above anyone else. Writer for yourself first, then worry about what to do with it. Don’t try to imitate anyone else --- instead, cultivate your own unique voice. And if you’re really interested in learning what I know and I believe about writing, take a look at a book I wrote called Escaping Into The Open: The Art of Writing True. It’s available in paperback, and it’s for anyone who wants to write for any reason. It has everything I know and believe about the craft, and a bunch of exercises, too. (Also, a bunch of recipes, which are really good. A woman came to a reading the other night and told me how much she liked that book. Then she showed me the stains she got on the page when she made the recipe for chocolate cake. It was good, she said. And it is.)
Maeve Binchy: I would advise anyone to write as they speak, and on the subjects that they know about.
Judy Blume: Don’t let anybody discourage you!
Christopher Bohjalian: Read lots and write often. And, truly, savor the process of writing. I had amassed over 250 rejections before I sold my first short story (to Cosmopolitan) when I was 24, so it’s important to enjoy those moments when you are, literally, crafting sentences.
Terry Brooks: Don’t quit the day job! I gave a talk at Maui this year on ten things every writer should know: Read. Read. Read. Outline. Outline. Outline. Write. Write.Write. Repeat. That’s it!
Christopher Buckley: Write. But seriously --- 1) get some reporting experience early on. There is no better training. 2) Read Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. 3) As my writing professor, the great William Zinsser, used to tell us, "Be grateful for every word you can cut."
Ana Castillo: Write, write, write! Read, read, read! Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Share it with a few people you trust, who can give feedback you’ll respect. Send it out. Don’t be afraid of rejection. Everyone gets rejected and will be rejected throughout their lives at one time or another. Do it because you must, because you want to, need to, couldn’t live with yourself otherwise. If you do it for the fame and glory, you may fall hard on your face.
Carol Higgins Clark: Keep writing. Join a writer’s group or writing class. If you have something that you can send out, try to get an agent. Go to the library and look up in Literary Market Place the list of agents, and send out letters to agents. The most important thing is to keep writing.
Michael Connelly: Write everyday, even if only for a few minutes. To even accomplish a few minutes of writing you have to think about the story and the characters. Writing everyday keeps them fresh in your mind. When they are in your mind you are constantly working the story. A lot of writing takes place away from the computer or the pad and pencil. This little trick keeps that creative process going.
Liza Dalby: Write about what obsesses you.
Dianne Day: My advice is to write what you most like to read. And read, read, read. Then write, write, write. Be realistic: this is not a glamorous business. It’s damn hard work, that you do alone, in the absence of anything like immediate feedback; when and if you do get feedback you have to wait a long, long time for it. I shudder to think how long you have to wait for the money! If delay of gratification is not your thing, you’ll probably be unable to tolerate the realities of this sometimes-brutal business. There is only one good reason to have, and to stay with, the impossible dream of being a published writer: If once you’ve written that first book, whether it sold or not, whether it got you an agent or not, you feel you can’t live without writing another. Which becomes another and another and another...because your life seems empty when you don’t have plots and characters in your head...and eventually they have to be emptied out of your head onto the page or else you’ll explode. At least, that’s the way it is for me.
Jeffery Deaver: There are only two rules I’d give to aspiring writers: one, write what you enjoy reading and, two, never, ever, ever give up; rejection is a speed bump, not a brick wall.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: I’m not sure I would presume to give advice, but here are some things I tell myself: If writing is important to you, you must be prepared to work hard at it, and simplify your life so that you can give your art the time and energy it requires. Read widely, practice for long hours. Like a potter, you must be willing to throw away misshaped pieces. You must be willing to take risks, try new forms, grow with each thing you write. You must try to tell the truth as best you are able.
Andre Dubus III: Don’t outline your stories. DO NOT outline your stories. I know some writers do this, but I think the writing process asks us to surrender to the mysteries of the unknown. Nowhere in our culture is this taught. You have to trust your gut, trust your characters to take a story where it’s going to go; and, more often than not, it does that. That’s my two cents.
Elizabeth Evans: Read the best books and write as often as you possibly can. And be respectful of your work. Give it your best shot.
Carolina Garcia-Aguilera: Don’t give up. It’s not a hobby. You can’t be a weekend dabbler. You have to commit. If you can, take a few months off from your job. Writing is not a part-time occupation. And remember that publishing a book is not just writing --- you have to promote the book, read the contracts. I didn’t know anything about publishing when I began. I still can’t believe I’ve published books. You know how writers say they don’t really feel like a writer until they see someone on an airplane reading their book. Well, that happened to me recently at the gym. The woman on the bicycle next to me was reading one of my books. I asked her if she liked it. She said yes. And I decided to tell her I was the author.
Olivia Goldsmith: Write every day. Find the hours that suit you. Sit there until something comes. Don’t judge what you write that day --- you can do that tomorrow. And if nothing comes, you can edit what you did before. One more thing....your agent does NOT know more than you do, and neither does your editor. I listen to advice, but I don’t always follow it.
Barbara Gowdy: Read everything, especially the classics and poetry. Eavesdrop on real conversations. Don’t watch too much TV, nobody talks like TV people do. Don’t ever be too attached to anything you’ve written; you are the vehicle for the word, not it’s creator. Write what you’re obsessed by.
Beth Gutcheon: My advice to aspiring writers is, of course, read. But more important, and maybe less obvious (though I’ve already said it once) is, if you aren’t constitutionally suited to being alone for really long stretches, and can’t handle the fairly tricky part of the job description which reads paychecks and reality checks may only arrive every three years, it may not be for you. How does any writer know if she’s good or merely deranged? It’s not a small problem.
Barbara Hambly: Don’t be afraid to rewrite. Have someone whose judgment you trust read your work, and ask them if it worked for them, and if not, why not? Finish what you start, if not every time, at least most of the time. Tell a story about people --- don’t spend all your time setting up a world or a history or a setting.
Colin Harrison: Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have to write, don’t bother. Do something else. Really. If you do have to write, don’t give up --- ever. Be defiant in the face of rejection and disinterest, yet be humble about the craft. It takes time. Study the masters, learn technique and structure. You only live and write once. In the words of Willy Loman, "the woods are burning."
Jim Harrison: The only advice I can give to aspiring writers is don’t do it unless you’re willing to give your whole life to it. Red wine and garlic also helps.
Kathryn Harrison: Revise.
Mo Hayder: The usual advice: write, write, write. And, when you’ve done that, write some more. Don’t give up. If you’re unclear about where to pitch your voice, whether you’re steering the right course between the obtuse and the condescending, then imagine yourself as the reader. You have to write for yourself --- if you start indulging in writing for a market you’re lost.
Alice Hoffman: No one knows how to write a novel until it’s been written.
Craig Holden: Become a long distance runner. Read a thousand short stories and poems, and hundreds of novels. Write every day. Marry some money, but not too much.
Susan Isaacs: Avoid writing classes. You have one thing as a writer: that’s your own voice. If you go into a class, the first thing they’ll tell you to do is write in the style of a famous writer. Immediately, you’re being taught to mimic. You’re not doing the one thing you have to do which is tell yourself a story, listen to the sound of your own voice. You’re writing to please the teacher instead of yourself. What comes out of those classes is generic New Yorker short stories, few of them good enough to be in the New Yorker. Did Austen get a Master’s? Did Dostoevsky have a writing workshop? There’s nothing wrong with these 2-day courses where you can get a few pointers on getting published and finding an agent, but no one can teach you how to write. All they can do is make a good writer so self-conscious, she gets into an artistic knot who can’t get untied.
Wayne Johnson: Try, as much as possible, to pour your life into those things you love.
Molly Jong-Fast: I think the advice that helped me most was just that you have to write and read, and not take no for an answer.
Faye Kellerman: To aspiring writers, I say, "Write, write, write" as well as "read, read, read." Not just fiction, but nonfiction as well. You can never get enough information . . . so many stories out there. I just wish I had enough time.
Matthew Kneale: Just write. Don’t worry about seeming clever. If you can find a subject that means something to you, and you can make it mean something to the rest of the world, you’re made. But be sure enough happens.
Billie Letts: Keep writing. Go to writer’s conferences. You never know whom you will meet at these conferences, and they are the best way to get to know agents and publishers. And read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, more than once. And believe in yourself.
Lois Lowry: I always tell aspiring writers that reading is the best way, maybe the only way, to learn to write well.
Greg Mitchell: If you’re going to write a book about managing in Little League make sure you draft a few kids who are real characters, in every sense of the word. And, as Casey Stengel said, you got to get someone to play catcher --- or you’ll get a lot of wild pitches. Finally, keep a diary, every year, in case you get lucky.
Reggie Nadelson: Aspiring writers? Enjoy it. And rewrite it. And read a lot. It’s the only way to learn the trade --- for my money, it’s probably more useful to read non-genre books, novels, biographies; but if you read too many mysteries, you’ll start copying and lose your own voice.
John J. Nance: Well, first, please forgive the "wannabe" reference above if you’re a serious student of the craft. If your heart demands that you write regardless of economics, then write what you want. But, if your financial interests also demand that you seek remuneration for your efforts, then learn the basic business realities of writing today. It’s a far different business than just fifteen years ago, and one that demands different things of you in return for financial success. There may be a few critics and university professors out there searching for the great American novel, but no mainstream publishing houses have any rational mechanism to discover such a beast, let alone publish and promote it (in the absence of a movie deal with Robert Redford or someone in Hollywood to wag the dog and promote the book from the movie). What the reading public demands is entertainment, and it is the writer’s responsibility to give great value on that level as well as incorporating those elements which are important to the writer and his or her muse, all of which must be economically viable to a targeted market. It sounds depressing, but the good news is the publishing world is always looking for the next overnight success that took fifteen years to happen. Do your homework, pay your dues, and never give up. (Also, remember the three basic rules: Get an agent, Get an agent, and Get an agent). And, once you’re published, never forget for a second who’s paying your salary and making you a hit: Your reader --- your customer. Be faithful to your readers, give them an ever improving product with the respect and appreciation they deserve, and they’ll stick with you.
Joe Queenan: Do not write anything until you are 30 as you will have absolutely nothing to say. Spend all your time reading the great writers. You can catch up on the writing part of things later, and there will always be plenty of money. At least that has been my experience.
Nora Roberts: Write first what you would read for pleasure. If it doesn’t entertain you, it’s unlikely it’ll entertain anyone.
John Saul: My advice for aspiring writers is to write, write some more and when you’re done, write some more. Just don’t keep beating on the same dead horse, rewriting the same story until all the life has gone out of it. Don’t be afraid to throw away projects that are not working and start new ones. Make sure your story idea can be communicated in one easy (non-run-on) sentence. When you are done with a project contact legitimate agents any way you can. Many bona fide writers conferences offer an unpublished and unknown author a chance to pitch their ideas and their writings to agents and editors.
Anita Shreve: Don’t quit --- ever.
Sonya Sones: Start writing right now! The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Read great writers. And read about how to write. There are some excellent books out there on how to write, including one by my teacher called "Poem-making." And if you can find some other kids who are serious about writing, form a critique group --- get together on a regular basis to read, discuss each others work and share constructive criticism. That’s what I’ve done for years and it’s really helped.
Suzanne Fisher Staples: Learn to recognize and act on your gifts. Even if it seems to be something small --- like the precise word you’re looking for --- be grateful and value it. Work hard at what you love.
Amy Tan: Know why you want to write, why it’s necessary. No one can tell you what those reasons are. But if you want to write only to be published then you will likely get discouraged and quit before that happens. An ambition for fame is not enough. The reason you write should be substantial enough that you would continue to write no matter what. I would also advise young writers to continue reading prolifically. Know the difference between good writing and bad. Be willing to revise. Go to readings by other writers and stay inspired. Don’t ask them how much money they got as an advance. Ask them what they value in writing.
Joanna Trollope: Patience, persistence and train your powers of observation. You can’t be too old to be a writer, but you can definitely be too young!
Alan Watt: Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.
Donald E. Westlake: Sorry; I have no space left for advice. Just do it.
Simone Zelitch: Read. It’s as simple as that. The more you read, the more you will have a sense of the books you like. Then, write them. Make friends with other writers and serious readers, and ask them what they read. Then read it. Let yourself be influenced, and let yourself grow out of each influence. One good way to develop your own style is to keep a journal. I’ve been keeping one for 25 years. By looking at my style there, I could often tell what I was reading, but slowly I began to write in a way that was completely my own and that, without a doubt, sharpened my public writing --- my fiction. If you keep reading and writing and make contact with other writers, you will have both a vocation and an audience. Publication is another story; it’s a crap-shoot. Persistence pays off, but don’t sweat it too much. A writer is not someone who publishes; she’s someone who writes. Keep writing.
Laura Zigman: The best advice an aspiring writer can receive is this: keep writing. No matter how daunting, impossible, or difficult and painful it seems, keep doing it. It’s worth it.
New York subway worker in Hollywood's fast lane
I saw this article on Yahoo:
A subway tollbooth worker is rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's finest after writing a prize-winning script.
A New York City tollbooth worker in desperate need of a car wrote a crime thriller script titled "Brooklyn's Finest" last year. Now he finds himself rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's finest, including Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and director Antoine Fuqua.
Living in Brooklyn, Michael Martin had just totaled his car in an accident. While in physical therapy, he entered a screenwriting competition, hoping to win the prize money for his new set of wheels.
"I had never written a screenplay before," said Martin, who had studied film in college. "I thought, 'How hard can it be?' I was more like, 'If I win this, I can get a new car."'
His screenplay came in second but eventually ended up in a far better place: the doorstep of Warner Bros.-based producer who had been looking for a writer with an authentic and gritty voice to write a sequel to the 1991 gangbanger saga "New Jack City," which was in development at Warner Premiere, the studio's direct-to-DVD division. Impressed by "Finest," Mary Viola set out find the writer, who then had no agent.
Martin had moved out to L.A., staying at a downtown hotel, and hooked up with management representatives. He enjoyed a brief stint writing for Showtime's "Sleeper Cell," but homesickness overwhelmed him. He returned to New York and wound up back at the Transit Authority.
Meanwhile, in the hands of Viola, "Finest" became red hot, quickly attracting top talent. Gere and Cheadle are now polishing their badges to star in the ensemble police thriller, which Fuqua will direct for indie financier Millennium Films. Hawke is also coming on board to star, a move that will reteam him with Fuqua, who directed him to an Oscar nomination in "Training Day." Ellen Barkin is also booking a part.
The script almost brought Mel Gibson out of acting seclusion. He took a string of meetings, but things ultimately didn't work out.
The story, a sort of "Crash" meets "Training Day," is a dramatic ensemble with three intertwining story lines involving Brooklyn cops. "I worked for a bus company that got indicted by the Feds because of Mob connections," Martin said. "I could not have written 'Brooklyn's Finest' without that experience."
The movie is prepping for a May shoot in Brooklyn, in the very locations that inspired Martin to write the script. "Things are moving very fast right now. It's something I've been waiting a long time for," Martin said.
Fuqua's last movie was 2007's "Shooter," while Gere was last seen in Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There." Cheadle was in theaters last year with "Ocean's Thirteen" and "Talk To Me."
Martin, a new dad, was recently promoted to construction flagger within the Transit Authority, working inside the subway system. He is writing "New Jack City 2," often during his breaks in the subway tunnels.
He drives a new car.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
A subway tollbooth worker is rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's finest after writing a prize-winning script.
A New York City tollbooth worker in desperate need of a car wrote a crime thriller script titled "Brooklyn's Finest" last year. Now he finds himself rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's finest, including Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and director Antoine Fuqua.
Living in Brooklyn, Michael Martin had just totaled his car in an accident. While in physical therapy, he entered a screenwriting competition, hoping to win the prize money for his new set of wheels.
"I had never written a screenplay before," said Martin, who had studied film in college. "I thought, 'How hard can it be?' I was more like, 'If I win this, I can get a new car."'
His screenplay came in second but eventually ended up in a far better place: the doorstep of Warner Bros.-based producer who had been looking for a writer with an authentic and gritty voice to write a sequel to the 1991 gangbanger saga "New Jack City," which was in development at Warner Premiere, the studio's direct-to-DVD division. Impressed by "Finest," Mary Viola set out find the writer, who then had no agent.
Martin had moved out to L.A., staying at a downtown hotel, and hooked up with management representatives. He enjoyed a brief stint writing for Showtime's "Sleeper Cell," but homesickness overwhelmed him. He returned to New York and wound up back at the Transit Authority.
Meanwhile, in the hands of Viola, "Finest" became red hot, quickly attracting top talent. Gere and Cheadle are now polishing their badges to star in the ensemble police thriller, which Fuqua will direct for indie financier Millennium Films. Hawke is also coming on board to star, a move that will reteam him with Fuqua, who directed him to an Oscar nomination in "Training Day." Ellen Barkin is also booking a part.
The script almost brought Mel Gibson out of acting seclusion. He took a string of meetings, but things ultimately didn't work out.
The story, a sort of "Crash" meets "Training Day," is a dramatic ensemble with three intertwining story lines involving Brooklyn cops. "I worked for a bus company that got indicted by the Feds because of Mob connections," Martin said. "I could not have written 'Brooklyn's Finest' without that experience."
The movie is prepping for a May shoot in Brooklyn, in the very locations that inspired Martin to write the script. "Things are moving very fast right now. It's something I've been waiting a long time for," Martin said.
Fuqua's last movie was 2007's "Shooter," while Gere was last seen in Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There." Cheadle was in theaters last year with "Ocean's Thirteen" and "Talk To Me."
Martin, a new dad, was recently promoted to construction flagger within the Transit Authority, working inside the subway system. He is writing "New Jack City 2," often during his breaks in the subway tunnels.
He drives a new car.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
What a great story! You never know how your life will change after you finish your work. BUT...you'll never know unless you finish your work!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Finish Your Novel: Hypnotize Yourself
With the help of accredited hypnotists, neurosurgeons, and psychiatric professionals, I've developed this self-help video for scatterbrained writers. Watching this video will help you attain your writing goals by hypnotizing yourself. Yes, that's correct. You will hypnotize yourself into finishing your novel.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Having Trouble Writing Your Book? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions
Do you have commitment issues?
Writing a book takes a great deal of commitment and discipline. Unfortunately, commitment and discipline are problem areas for us scatterbrained writers. I know you’re such a busy person and so many other things demand your time and attention. I’m sure writing your book isn’t as high on your list as raising your children, paying bills or dealing with everyday life. However, I promise once you finish your book, your life will change. Your confidence will soar because you’ll know that you actually can finish something! You prove to yourself and others that you can have the discipline to see a project from beginning to end. Although I’m a writer, I can’t find the words to describe the feeling of finishing! But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Break the no commitment cycle of starting a project, becoming frustrated or uninterested, and starting another project…becoming bored and starting another...and repeat. Stop sowing your wild writing oats by creating bastard story after bastard story. It’s time to commit.
Are you emotionally available?
You have to be in love with you story or at least like it a lot! I mean, you’re gonna be spending lots of time with it, right? It’s easier to emotionally connect with your writing if your personal life is stable. If you’re living a drama-filled lifestyle, you may want to wait until things stabilize before venturing into writing your book. Sure, it’s possible to write in the midst of chaos—some of your best writing might happen during this time—but there’s a big difference between writing and finishing! Writing a book isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Put yourself in a position to succeed. The moral here: eliminate as much drama and stress as possible before you start writing.
Can you handle solitude? Some people don’t like being alone. If you’re one of those people, you might have some difficulty at first, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome. Writing is a lonely task. It’s you and your computer or you and your notepad together for extended amounts of time. You must temporarily neglect your family, friends, and other responsibilities during the time you set aside for writing. Later on I’ll discuss ways to get your writing done without isolating your family and friends.
Is It Hard to Write a Book?
YES!
I don’t lie or sugarcoat the truth. Writing a book is extremely tough for a scatterbrain. Heck, writing a book is tough for just about anyone. It requires extreme focus and commitment. To achieve writing success, you must discipline yourself, trick yourself, and sometimes force yourself to complete the task. Some days you’ll want to throw your laptop across the room, bang your head against the wall or maybe both! No matter how tough it seems, keep going, keep writing! I can’t begin to count how many times I had an idea of where I wanted a story to go, but I had no idea how to get there.At the beginning, I was flowing, staying in the groove, and feeling good. When I started to reach the middle of the book, the meat, I felt like the worse writer ever. I’d go back to read my work and utter those famous words: “This sucks!” Spending large amounts of time alone staring at a computer or a notepad can get to you. It can take a toll mentally. You may start to see things in a distorted manner. I don’t mean literally, but metaphorically speaking. The same chapter that I thought was a complete piece of crap yesterday, may read much better three days from now. When writing your novel, your mind gets so saturated with your story that you become numb to your work. A good way to avoid this is to take short breaks. It’s perfectly okay to set your story aside for a few days and come back to it. The only problem is that with being a scatterbrain, other things may distract you. Before you know it, weeks, days or maybe weeks pass and now you’re feverishly working on three new projects! So, be careful!
I don’t lie or sugarcoat the truth. Writing a book is extremely tough for a scatterbrain. Heck, writing a book is tough for just about anyone. It requires extreme focus and commitment. To achieve writing success, you must discipline yourself, trick yourself, and sometimes force yourself to complete the task. Some days you’ll want to throw your laptop across the room, bang your head against the wall or maybe both! No matter how tough it seems, keep going, keep writing! I can’t begin to count how many times I had an idea of where I wanted a story to go, but I had no idea how to get there.At the beginning, I was flowing, staying in the groove, and feeling good. When I started to reach the middle of the book, the meat, I felt like the worse writer ever. I’d go back to read my work and utter those famous words: “This sucks!” Spending large amounts of time alone staring at a computer or a notepad can get to you. It can take a toll mentally. You may start to see things in a distorted manner. I don’t mean literally, but metaphorically speaking. The same chapter that I thought was a complete piece of crap yesterday, may read much better three days from now. When writing your novel, your mind gets so saturated with your story that you become numb to your work. A good way to avoid this is to take short breaks. It’s perfectly okay to set your story aside for a few days and come back to it. The only problem is that with being a scatterbrain, other things may distract you. Before you know it, weeks, days or maybe weeks pass and now you’re feverishly working on three new projects! So, be careful!
More Tips for Beating Writer's Block
3. Print your work. This sounds simple enough. Similar to changing fonts and spacing, printing your work gives a new perspective. It also helps you see things you may have overlooked. Many times I’ve printed my work and took it with me to a completely different location to read it. With a pen in hand, I jotted down notes as new ideas came to me.
4. Read aloud and record it. Hearing your story read aloud brings it to life. It also lets you know if your story flows naturally. This technique is great if you’re experiencing writer’s block with your dialog. If you aren’t able to record yourself, have someone else read the scene to you.
5. Take a break. This tip seems easy enough. If writer’s block becomes a problem, take 5-10 minutes to get a snack, read the newspaper, or go for a walk. This will revive your mind before you jump back into your work.
4. Read aloud and record it. Hearing your story read aloud brings it to life. It also lets you know if your story flows naturally. This technique is great if you’re experiencing writer’s block with your dialog. If you aren’t able to record yourself, have someone else read the scene to you.
5. Take a break. This tip seems easy enough. If writer’s block becomes a problem, take 5-10 minutes to get a snack, read the newspaper, or go for a walk. This will revive your mind before you jump back into your work.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
My Tips For Beating Writer's Block
I use many different techniques to overcome writer’s block. Some of them are pretty basic while others may seem unorthodox. But hey, you gotta use what works for you, right? So, without further delay, here are some of my methods:
1. Change fonts and spacing. After reading your draft for the millionth time, you’ve become so familiar with it that things can slip through the cracks. Artists sometimes turn their paintings or sketches upside down to get a different perspective on their work. A similar technique can be applied when writing. Obviously, flipping your work upside down would make it hard to read. Instead, try changing the fonts and spacing. For example, if you’re using Times New Roman with double spacing, switch to Arial, single-spaced when you proofread. Content-wise everything is the same, but visually things have changed. Your eyes aren’t as familiar with the new format and you’ll find errors you’ve overlooked. You may even think of ideas to make your work better. Once the editing is complete, switch back to the original font and spacing.
2. Skip around with scenes. Writing in chronological order makes sense, but to the scatterbrained writer or a writer experiencing writer's block, this can be torture. Who says you have to write in order? Many writers know how they want their story to begin and end. But what about the middle? For me, the middle is the hardest. How do you keep readers interested enough to make it to the end? While you’re writing the middle of your masterpiece, it seems like it takes forever to get to the last few chapters. I’ll let you in on one of my secrets. I always write the ending before the middle is complete. I do this for two reasons. One: In my mind, I know the ending is done. It makes writing the rest of the story less challenging. Two: The ending always comes easy to me.
**I have many more tips for beating writer’s block. Keep checking back.
1. Change fonts and spacing. After reading your draft for the millionth time, you’ve become so familiar with it that things can slip through the cracks. Artists sometimes turn their paintings or sketches upside down to get a different perspective on their work. A similar technique can be applied when writing. Obviously, flipping your work upside down would make it hard to read. Instead, try changing the fonts and spacing. For example, if you’re using Times New Roman with double spacing, switch to Arial, single-spaced when you proofread. Content-wise everything is the same, but visually things have changed. Your eyes aren’t as familiar with the new format and you’ll find errors you’ve overlooked. You may even think of ideas to make your work better. Once the editing is complete, switch back to the original font and spacing.
2. Skip around with scenes. Writing in chronological order makes sense, but to the scatterbrained writer or a writer experiencing writer's block, this can be torture. Who says you have to write in order? Many writers know how they want their story to begin and end. But what about the middle? For me, the middle is the hardest. How do you keep readers interested enough to make it to the end? While you’re writing the middle of your masterpiece, it seems like it takes forever to get to the last few chapters. I’ll let you in on one of my secrets. I always write the ending before the middle is complete. I do this for two reasons. One: In my mind, I know the ending is done. It makes writing the rest of the story less challenging. Two: The ending always comes easy to me.
**I have many more tips for beating writer’s block. Keep checking back.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Writer's Procrastination Disorder
ATTENTION! **News Alert**
Top medical experts have discovered two new epidemics sweeping the land: WPD and SAI, more commonly known as Writer’s Procrastination Disorder and Short Attention Issues. Okay, I obviously made these up, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably suffering from these ailments. Answer yes or no to the following questions:
Do you have difficulty staying focused when you write?
Do you start a project and never finish?
Do you frequently suffer from writer’s block?
Are you easily distracted when you write?
Do you make excuses for not finishing your book?
Answering ‘yes’ to any of the above questions confirms your writing ‘scatterbrain-ness’. Don’t fret, I will do my best to help you overcome WPD and SAI.
The other day, a woman said to me: “I start writing and then another idea pops in my head. I can’t focus. After a while, I get bored.”
I fully understood her predicament. I had the same problem when I started writing, hence my self-given moniker, “Scatterbrained writer.” I was low in the patience, focus, and discipline departments. I used many excuses for not being able to finish. Let’s start with excuse #1, writer’s block.
Is writer’s block real or is it just an excuse for procrastinating? I say it’s a mixture of both. There’s an old saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Well, writing a book is the same way. The journey of writing a book or short story begins with one word. However, journeys have obstacles. Writer’s block is an obstacle you can conquer!
**Stay tuned. Soon I will be discussing strategies I use to beat writer’s block!
Top medical experts have discovered two new epidemics sweeping the land: WPD and SAI, more commonly known as Writer’s Procrastination Disorder and Short Attention Issues. Okay, I obviously made these up, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably suffering from these ailments. Answer yes or no to the following questions:
Do you have difficulty staying focused when you write?
Do you start a project and never finish?
Do you frequently suffer from writer’s block?
Are you easily distracted when you write?
Do you make excuses for not finishing your book?
Answering ‘yes’ to any of the above questions confirms your writing ‘scatterbrain-ness’. Don’t fret, I will do my best to help you overcome WPD and SAI.
The other day, a woman said to me: “I start writing and then another idea pops in my head. I can’t focus. After a while, I get bored.”
I fully understood her predicament. I had the same problem when I started writing, hence my self-given moniker, “Scatterbrained writer.” I was low in the patience, focus, and discipline departments. I used many excuses for not being able to finish. Let’s start with excuse #1, writer’s block.
Is writer’s block real or is it just an excuse for procrastinating? I say it’s a mixture of both. There’s an old saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Well, writing a book is the same way. The journey of writing a book or short story begins with one word. However, journeys have obstacles. Writer’s block is an obstacle you can conquer!
**Stay tuned. Soon I will be discussing strategies I use to beat writer’s block!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Introduction
Hello, my name is Michael T. Owens, and I'm a scatterbrained writer (but not as bad as I used to be!). Do you have an unfinished novel, short story, poem, or script collecting dust? How about the idea you started working on but quit in the middle. Are you having a hard time staying focused? You are in the right place if you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions. Although I’m not fully cured of my scatterbrained ways, I have achieved some writing success. I became more productive once I learned how to keep my scatterbrained tendencies in check. I now have several novels, short stories, magazine articles, and screenplays to my credit. Keep checking this site for updates. I will be sharing strategies, advice, and personal experiences that hopefully will help you finish your masterpiece.
Michael T. Owens
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