Being a Writer

This Week's Writing Prompt Challenge

 

Image by elvis santana 

 

This week's writing prompt challenge, due Sunday, June 27th, 2010

 

A priest is attacked for being a pedophile. He is innocent of the crime but guilty of something far worse.

 

Don't forget to enter. Remember...when you're finished writing your story based on this writing prompt, post it to your blog and then come back to this page and leave a comment along with a link to your story so that others can appreciate your talents and perhaps offer you some constructive criticism.

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy writing.

All writer's prompts come from The Writer's Book of Matches.

A Shortcut to Improved Writing Skills

 

Image by FOTOCROMO 

 

Are you someone who feels that becoming a great writer takes years of training and experience? Do you think that there is no shortcut to greatness--or even to written competency? Well, think again.

Copywriter and journalist Simon Townley believes that there is, indeed, a shortcut to developing your writing skills and/or assuming a particular writing style--it’s called imitation.

Imitating Great Writing--Word for Word

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is also (according to Townley) the way to strengthen your writing skills.

Townley suggests that you take a piece of text that you admire--this can come from some text by your favorite author, from a piece of prose that has struck your fancy, or from a piece of advertising copy--and write it out by hand, word for word, on a piece of paper. Then write it out by hand again. And again. Keep writing the text until, says Townley, “it seems like it’s part of you.”

Though this seems absurdly robotic and much too easy, Townley says that this is a shortcut to improved writing skills that really works. But why and how can imitating--copying, actually-- another’s written text make you a better writer?

Well, Townley says,

“It’s great way…to learn the rhetorical tricks and techniques used by master writers, or to get a feel for how they express their ideas using a unique voice. This technique won’t necessarily give you full conscious awareness of the writing techniques being used in the original. But you will learn the lessons on a deeper level."

Makes sense to me. I’m so intrigued by Townley’s suggestion that I plan to try it myself and see if it really works. Have you ever tried this or a similar shortcut to improved writing skills and what were the results?

 

Killing off the Protagonist

You’ve (probably) done it. I have done it. Sooner or later, every fiction writer does it--kills off their protagonist, that is.

But experts consider this to be a big fiction writing sin. The reason that these nameless, faceless experts condemn protagonist-cide (my term) is that such a plot twist is too easy. You must make your protagonist struggle through to the bitter end, they say, and that bitter end must not include the protagonists own death.

But why?  In real life, people die all the time. Some are murdered. Some die in accidents. Some commit suicide. Why can’t I allow my protagonist to suffer a similar fate?  

How I Leaned the Rule about Killing a Protagonist

I leaned this rule against protagonist-cide the hard way. (Actually, I already knew the rule, but I think that I was just testing the waters--and my classmate’s patience.)

In response to a flash fiction assignment in my college creative writing class, I wrote a story about a woman who suffered from bipolar disorder. Due to her mental illness, her formerly upscale suburban life had begun to unravel. One night, she went to a motel room for a one night stand with a sleazy salesman. Disgusted at herself and her life, she shot herself with the gun that she had begun carrying in her purse for that purpose.

My professor and classmates read this story and viciously (I felt) attacked me for writing such an ending. I was hurt because I felt that I had made a perfectly reasonable, artistic decision in bringing my story to such a climax.

But this is what really bothers me…

If I had been a famous author, killing off my protagonist would have probably brought me critical acclaim. They would have praised me for my creative genius. My story would have been required reading in all creative writing classes--okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit with this one.

Anyway…

Have you ever killed off your protagonist? How do you feel about authors who kill off their protagonists? Do you believe that only famous authors should be given the creative license to commit protagonist-cide?

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Writing Prompt Challenge

Image by Fran Gambín

 

This week's writing prompt challenge, due Sunday June 20th, 2010 is:

During his third night out of town, a traveling businessman discovers a voodoo doll in his hotel room.

Don't forget to enter. Remember...when you're finished writing your story based on this writing prompt, post it to your blog and then come back to this page and leave a comment along with a link to your story so that others can appreciate your talents and perhaps offer you some constructive criticism.

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy writing.

All writer's prompts come from The Writer's Book of Matches.

This Week's Writing Prompt Challenge

This week's writing prompt challenge, due Sunday June 13, 2010 is:

Start your story with this quote:

“He’s the cutest little boy. Makes it that much sadder, doesn’t it?”

Don't forget to enter. Remember...when you're finished writing your story based on this writing prompt, post it to your blog and then come back to this page and leave a comment along with a link to your story so that others can appreciate your talents and perhaps offer you some constructive criticism.

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy writing.

All writer's prompts come from The Writer's Book of Matches.

The Right Way to Handle Criticism of your Writing

 

I bet you decided to read this post because you have trouble handling criticism of your writing and you thought that I could help you. Well, sorry to disappoint you. The truth is, I really don’t know how to handle such criticism myself.  

Like most writers, I am a very sensitive soul. As such, I tend to feel that any criticism of me--in my writing or in any other aspect on my life--is a direct attack on my worth as a person. I really don’t understand the concept of how criticism isn’t personal. If you’re talking to me or about me, it’s personal.

Especially if you are discussing any of my fiction.

Since I was a little girl, I have wanted to write short stories and novels. But fiction writing doesn’t come as easily to me as does my nonfiction writing projects. I struggle with the setting, dialogue, character development--just about every aspect of every piece of fiction that I write. Perhaps because of this struggle, I particularly do not handle criticism of my fictional creations very well.

Case in point…

Creative Writing Class

When I was in college, I took a creative writing class. During the semester, we had to write two short stories. After writing them, we had to email our stories to our classmates for their critiques. As if that wasn’t hard enough on my fragile writer’s ego, we had round table discussions where our stories were read out loud and each student--one by one--would verbally critique our work.

I had panic attacks every week. It was awful. Up to that point, I had never read anything about the right way to handle criticism of your writing--nor did I care to learn. I’m ashamed to admit this, but though I had a few more opportunities to take creative writing classes from that professor, I refused to sign up. I regret my cowardice now, because I missed an opportunity to really develop my fiction writing skills.

…or maybe not.

After making several changes to my short story--changes suggested by the group critique and by the professor--I entered it in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition…and won nothing. But a couple of years earlier, long before I took this or any other fiction writing class, I entered one of my short stories into this same contest and won an Honorable Mention.

Go figure.

Any Suggestions for me?

Since I have no words of wisdom on the right way to handle criticism of your writing, I was hoping that you might like to contribute some of your own tips to this post. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.

 

Missed Entry Deadline for Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

 

 

 

The entry deadline for the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition has come--and gone--and despite my best intentions, I only managed to submit one manuscript to this contest.

For some reason, I could not concentrate on editing the five or six other manuscripts that I wanted to submit this time. But I did manage to edit a short story (a noir fiction piece) that I had written in college about a year ago.

This story, called Trouble, was the first and only short story that I had ever written in first person and I was pleasantly surprised at the results of my efforts (if I do say so myself). I think that a  noir story, by the way, works best when written in first person. When writing this story, I was surprised at how quickly I adapted the narrative style of noir fiction--think of the hard boiled detective novels of The Big Sleep or Mike Hammer. (Though I am not, in any way, comparing my little story to these classics).

Anyway, I hope that the Writer’s Digest likes my short story and that I win--at the very least--an honorable mention in this contest. We’ll see.

Do you have similar problems in getting your manuscripts ready for contest entries? If so, what do you think causes such procrastination?

This Week's Writing Prompt Challenge

Image by jason conlon

This week's writing prompt challenge, due Sunday June 6th is:

A woman buys a gun for home defense, but two days later she can’t find it

 

Don't forget to enter. Remember...when you're finished writing your story based on this writing prompt, post it to your blog and then come back to this page and leave a comment along with a link to your story so that others can appreciate your talents and perhaps offer you some constructive criticism.

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy writing.

Need a Manuscript Submission Tracking Tool?

How do you keep track of all of your manuscript submissions that are floating around out there? (I must admit that this is not a problem for me yet, but I plan to start a major manuscript submission project soon). Do you ever get confused in your submission maze? If so, do you think that a submission tracking tool would be useful?

Well, I just found one that I may try. It’s called Sonar Submission Tracking Tool and it’s FREE.

Here's a blurb from he home page of Sonar 3:

Sonar is a manuscript submission tracking program, and I wrote it because I was going nuts keeping track of short story submissions. This program tells me which market has each story, whether a story has been sold or rejected and which stories are gathering dust instead of earning their keep. If you decide to use it, you will be able to view a list of all your stories and then filter them in various ways (e.g. only show stories which are available to send out). You can add markets, stories and submissions and best of all it's completely free!

 (Yes, I know that the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market has a manuscript submission tracking feature, but there is a charge to use their service. I like the word free better, at least in the beginning).

So what do you think? Would you try it?

Five Reasons Why YOU Should Attend a Writing Conference

 

Image by  Penny Gumulja

Have you been thinking about attending a writer’s conference but don’t think that you can afford the expense? Think again. A growing number of writers, editors, and publishers say that you can’t afford not to attend one of these professional literary gatherings. In fact, there are at least five reasons why you should attend a writer’s conference, say experts.

1. Networking.  A writer’s conference is the one place that a writer can rub shoulders freely with other professionals in the writing field--professionals that can help your career. Editors, publishers, and agents regularly attend such writing conference hoping to find the next top author for their publishing houses. Many writing conferences, in fact, offer their author attendees a chance to pitch their story ideas directly to editors and agents. How great is that? Being able to network with representative of Random House, Doubleday, Bantam and other top publishers is probably the main reason why you should attend a writing conference.

 

2. Meeting other Writers. Similar to networking with top industry representative, is meeting fellow writers just like you. Not only does it feel oh so good to be surrounded by other writers, but many of these writers can offer you specific suggestions on, for instance, how to prop up the sagging middle of your novel or how to handle repeated rejections from your most queries magazine editor. They’ve been there too…remember?

 

3. Becoming a Better Writer.  Most writing conferences offer a series of genre-specific and general workshops to help you to hone your writer’s craft. Moreover, a number of esteemed authors are regular lecturers at such workshops, allowing you to see the craft from their perspectives and even ask to them questions! If nothing else, you should attend a writing conference specifically to attend these skill building, career enhancing workshops.

 

4. Giving you Motivation. Let’s face it…writing is a lonely profession. It is easy to lose motivation when you’re just staring at the blinking cursor on your computer screen and talking to yourself. But when you attend a writing conference and are surrounded by others in the field where you want to one day make a big mark--well, it’s hard not to get excited. Getting bit by the writing bug is a major reason why you should attend a writer’s conference.

 

5. Tax Deductible. Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that you can deduct the expenses that you incurred in attending a writing conference from your taxes. (This includes air fare or other transportation, lodging, and registration fee for the conference). Check with your tax advisor on the details of what you can deduct regarding your attendance at a writer’s conference.

That being said, I must say that I have never attended a writing conference. Have you ever attended a writing conference and was your experience a positive or a negative one? What does your experience say about the benefits (or lack thereof) of attending a writing conference? Would you go again? Why or why not?