I recently downloaded some software that is supposed to help you write. It has sections for scenes, chapters, characters, settings and so on. It was easy to install and looked easy to use. HA!
Actually, it's probably just me. I'm the world's most technologically challenged person. It took me three days just to figure out how to operate my computer camera. This software was just as bad, except I don't have three days to figure it out.
I'm working on an historical novel about pre-Civil War days...the Underground Railroad. I thought I had my story line all figured out, so I set about writing the first few chapters. Sounded good to me. Sounded good to my critique group, except for a few things they pointed out. So it's good, right? Another HA!
My ICL instructor pointed out several things that were so obvious it was pitiful...things I should obviously have seen for myself. So now I have to go back, regroup, and basically start all over again. I wanted the software program to help me do this: something where I could paste what I had already written in somewhere...preferably in a screen I could see while I was writing something else. Then I could change, add, delete or whatever, but not have to write every single word over again. Well, this softward doesn't do that...or, if it does, I can't figure it out.
So now I'm back to square one, and Word. Talk about frustration! Oh, I know I can do two screens at once in Word, but so far it still isn't working right. I need to have what I've already written on one side, the new stuff I'm writing on the other side. Word can do that...so I'm told...but I still have to figure it out. Husband is no help, he's more challenged than I am. I may have to get my grandson to come over and show me how to do this. You would never in a million years know that I've been using a computer for at least 15 years, would you?
I've decided to start doing some book reviews. I'm reading the neatest book...The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly. It's a middle grade novel and I'm anxious to finish it so I can review it. "Calpurnia"...isn't that the neatest name? Did you know that Julius Caesar's wife was named "Calpurnia?"
Stay tuned for the review. So far it's a great book.
If you've ever used a writer's program software, and been successful with it, let me know!
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Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
This and That
Happy Easter every one! Hope you are all having a good day, enjoying friends and family, and the ever-present ham dinner. Did you ever wonder why 'ham' is almost pre-determined to be THE meat for Easter dinner? It seems so prosaic to have the same thing every single year. But guess what, in my family "prosaic" is the name of the game. One year I had roast lamb for Easter, and I've never heard the end of it. Oh yes, we're having ham this year, only not today. With the family's medical professions all over the place, Sundays don't seem to be a day we can all get together, so this Friday evening is our...ham...Easter dinner. sigh...
I just began reading Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel. Yes, I know, I'm probably years behind everyone else else, but nobody ever said I was the first one out of the gate. Anyway, it seems to be a great book. Of course, my ICL instructor may not think so when she gets my latest assignment. I had hardly finished reading the second chapter when I got this "wonderful" what if idea. You know how we're always supposed to ask what if such and such a thing happened? Well, this particular what if will throw the entire first part of my novel out...given that my instructor likes it. Oh...what if she doesn't but I do? Umm...I just thought of it, so I'm not really that invested in it...it would mean a HUGE rewrite...but...in the long run, it might make the novel better. But I guess I'll just wait until I get the assignment back and see what she says.
Last night we watched The Blind Side. What a great movie! No sex, no violence, no profanity, no horror, no vampires, no werewolves, no outlandish fantasy. Oh my gosh! How did Hollywood goof up and actually make a movie that didn't have at least one, and preferably all, of those elements in it? It will probably be at least another 10 years or so before they make that mistake again! What made is so great, though, was that someone thought enough of this boy to write his story and then try to get a movie made of it. That's what made it totally AWESOME.
I just began reading Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel. Yes, I know, I'm probably years behind everyone else else, but nobody ever said I was the first one out of the gate. Anyway, it seems to be a great book. Of course, my ICL instructor may not think so when she gets my latest assignment. I had hardly finished reading the second chapter when I got this "wonderful" what if idea. You know how we're always supposed to ask what if such and such a thing happened? Well, this particular what if will throw the entire first part of my novel out...given that my instructor likes it. Oh...what if she doesn't but I do? Umm...I just thought of it, so I'm not really that invested in it...it would mean a HUGE rewrite...but...in the long run, it might make the novel better. But I guess I'll just wait until I get the assignment back and see what she says.
Last night we watched The Blind Side. What a great movie! No sex, no violence, no profanity, no horror, no vampires, no werewolves, no outlandish fantasy. Oh my gosh! How did Hollywood goof up and actually make a movie that didn't have at least one, and preferably all, of those elements in it? It will probably be at least another 10 years or so before they make that mistake again! What made is so great, though, was that someone thought enough of this boy to write his story and then try to get a movie made of it. That's what made it totally AWESOME.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Originality: Trends and Plots...continuted
For awhile there, I was afraid I was going to lost this blog. I had been hijacked! ! Yep, my pretty crystal clock, a Blogger gadget, was the culprit, so after many hours of frustration, I finally got it and the other gadgets deleted. Wish it were not so, I really liked that clock !
Anyway, today we're going to talk about plots and originality. We all know that people have been making up stories ever since they learned how to communicate, and even more so once they developed written communication. So...has every plot that is conceivable been written? Well...yeah, probably. I once had a Creative Writing professor tell us that there were only 7 plots in existence. That may be true, but did you know that there are a lot of people who have 7 different plots that they believe to be the only ones in existence? So, let's take a look at some of them:
William Foster Harris, in his Basic Patterns of Plot, written in 1959 lists these:
Then there are another 7 which were proposed by Christopher Booker in The Seven Basic Plots, published in 2005:
Let's go about this from a different point of view. Remember what we are taught in writing classes, whether it's ICL, online classes, college classes, or whatever...we are taught that every plot has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. What does that mean for our characters, especially our main character?
1) Our MC has to want something very, very badly.
2) If she (or he) doesn't get what she wants, there are going to be consequences of some kind for her.
3) So she goes about trying all sorts of different things to attempt to get what she wants or reach her goal, and
4) in doing so, all sorts of things happen to hinder or prevent her from attaining what she wants.
5) Finally, though, there is some kind of resolution, wherein she either gets what she has been striving for, or...she doesn't and some of those consequences come true.
Now, don't these things happen in every single story you write, or you read? It doesn't matter if the basic plot is a murder mystery, a contemporary novel, a novel about vampires, a fantasy about an orphan boy and a school of magic, an historical novel about the Civil War, or anything in between. The above 5 elements are what make up the beginning, the middle, and the end of your story.
And that, in turn, is your plot, right ?
So where does originality come in? In your characters: their behaviors, emotions, actions and reactions, dialogue, background, motivation, and so on; in your settings: modern day, historical era, fantasy world, etc; in your location: city streets, country/Western town, jungle, alien planet, suburbia, etc.
The basic plot of every story ever written or ever to be written is always going to be basically the same...or perhaps one of seven...but YOU are what makes it original...your voice, your characters, your scenes, your dialogue, your narrative description, your motivations, your "supporting cast," and everything else about the story that makes it YOURS. That is your originality.
Writing is a journey. It starts, it continues, it ends. It is up to you to make it a journey all will want to take.
Think about it. Let me know.
Anyway, today we're going to talk about plots and originality. We all know that people have been making up stories ever since they learned how to communicate, and even more so once they developed written communication. So...has every plot that is conceivable been written? Well...yeah, probably. I once had a Creative Writing professor tell us that there were only 7 plots in existence. That may be true, but did you know that there are a lot of people who have 7 different plots that they believe to be the only ones in existence? So, let's take a look at some of them:
William Foster Harris, in his Basic Patterns of Plot, written in 1959 lists these:
- [wo]man vs. nature
- [wo]man vs. man
- [wo]man vs. the environment
- [wo]man vs. machines/technology
- [wo]man vs. the supernatural
- [wo]man vs. self
- [wo]man vs. God/religion
Then there are another 7 which were proposed by Christopher Booker in The Seven Basic Plots, published in 2005:
- Overcoming the monster
- Rags to riches
- The quest
- Voyage and return
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Rebirth
Let's go about this from a different point of view. Remember what we are taught in writing classes, whether it's ICL, online classes, college classes, or whatever...we are taught that every plot has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. What does that mean for our characters, especially our main character?
1) Our MC has to want something very, very badly.
2) If she (or he) doesn't get what she wants, there are going to be consequences of some kind for her.
3) So she goes about trying all sorts of different things to attempt to get what she wants or reach her goal, and
4) in doing so, all sorts of things happen to hinder or prevent her from attaining what she wants.
5) Finally, though, there is some kind of resolution, wherein she either gets what she has been striving for, or...she doesn't and some of those consequences come true.
Now, don't these things happen in every single story you write, or you read? It doesn't matter if the basic plot is a murder mystery, a contemporary novel, a novel about vampires, a fantasy about an orphan boy and a school of magic, an historical novel about the Civil War, or anything in between. The above 5 elements are what make up the beginning, the middle, and the end of your story.
And that, in turn, is your plot, right ?
So where does originality come in? In your characters: their behaviors, emotions, actions and reactions, dialogue, background, motivation, and so on; in your settings: modern day, historical era, fantasy world, etc; in your location: city streets, country/Western town, jungle, alien planet, suburbia, etc.
The basic plot of every story ever written or ever to be written is always going to be basically the same...or perhaps one of seven...but YOU are what makes it original...your voice, your characters, your scenes, your dialogue, your narrative description, your motivations, your "supporting cast," and everything else about the story that makes it YOURS. That is your originality.
Writing is a journey. It starts, it continues, it ends. It is up to you to make it a journey all will want to take.
Think about it. Let me know.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Originality: Trends and Plots
Let's talk some about originality in our writing. One of the writers on the SCBWI boards said recently that she didn't think there was any originality left in writing any more. That everything that could be done had been done, and all that was left was to follow the newest trend.
Think about that for a minute. Right now the "trend" seems to be about vampires...The Vampire Diaries, The Vampire Academy, and of course, the Twilight series, which seemed to start it all. But before that, it was fantasy...look at what Harry Potter and the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini did for the world of writing.
Do you want to follow a trend, or start one? The problem with following trends is that by the time you've written the book, had it accepted and published, whatever trend your book is like may no longer be popular, and indeed, may have been totally forgotten. Restarting that particular trend is problematical, at best.
So how about starting a new trend? How do you do that? How do you know what kids are going to want to read in two or three years, depending upon how long it takes to get your book written and published? The answer to that is, most definitely, we don't know what kids will want to read. We're not even sure what they want to read now, are we? So predicting future interests is merely a waste of time.
Fantasy will always be valued by kids. Many kids today, especially teens, use fantasy as a way to escape what's happening to them in the real world: bullying, drugs, self-abuse...the list goes on. But there are so many different kinds of fantasy: the world of magic, per Harry Potter; dragons like Eragon; the child heroes like Percy Jackson; and the list goes on.
How do you decide on what kind of "trend" you want to start, and then how do you impart originality to that trend? Paranormal books will probably always be popular, so if you're "in" to that sort of thing, this might be a good trend to look into. All you need is a different idea. After all, if vampires can go to high school, couldn't ghosts do the same thing? Or, how about taking an historical era and writing a paranormal story about that? The Civil War should be a good stomping ground to write about ghosts...or how about the Victorian era? I've lived in an old Victorian house that held a ghost...I was too young at the time to write about it, but it would make a good backdrop for a story now.
All you really need is a good plot...but that's a topic for tomorrow. So for now, I guess the idea is...don't follow a trend, start one!
Think about it. Let me know.
Think about that for a minute. Right now the "trend" seems to be about vampires...The Vampire Diaries, The Vampire Academy, and of course, the Twilight series, which seemed to start it all. But before that, it was fantasy...look at what Harry Potter and the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini did for the world of writing.
Do you want to follow a trend, or start one? The problem with following trends is that by the time you've written the book, had it accepted and published, whatever trend your book is like may no longer be popular, and indeed, may have been totally forgotten. Restarting that particular trend is problematical, at best.
So how about starting a new trend? How do you do that? How do you know what kids are going to want to read in two or three years, depending upon how long it takes to get your book written and published? The answer to that is, most definitely, we don't know what kids will want to read. We're not even sure what they want to read now, are we? So predicting future interests is merely a waste of time.
Fantasy will always be valued by kids. Many kids today, especially teens, use fantasy as a way to escape what's happening to them in the real world: bullying, drugs, self-abuse...the list goes on. But there are so many different kinds of fantasy: the world of magic, per Harry Potter; dragons like Eragon; the child heroes like Percy Jackson; and the list goes on.
How do you decide on what kind of "trend" you want to start, and then how do you impart originality to that trend? Paranormal books will probably always be popular, so if you're "in" to that sort of thing, this might be a good trend to look into. All you need is a different idea. After all, if vampires can go to high school, couldn't ghosts do the same thing? Or, how about taking an historical era and writing a paranormal story about that? The Civil War should be a good stomping ground to write about ghosts...or how about the Victorian era? I've lived in an old Victorian house that held a ghost...I was too young at the time to write about it, but it would make a good backdrop for a story now.
All you really need is a good plot...but that's a topic for tomorrow. So for now, I guess the idea is...don't follow a trend, start one!
Think about it. Let me know.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A New Look
I said I was going for a new look, so here it is. Still not perfect, but I guess it will do for now. Or...will it?
Is that what you say when you've revised and revised and revised until your face is the color of this page? And then do you say...It's still not perfect but I guess it will do for now? That usually means...it will do for sending out to see if I get a bite from an editor, and then revise what she wants me to. Is that the best way to go?
I'm also a professional artist, and I can't count the number of times I've told my private students...Leave It! Quit fussing with it, it is fine the way it is, any more futzing around and you are going to muddy the picture. Do those words apply for writers? We edit, revise, rewrite and edit some more. Rewrite some more. When do we get to say...my manuscript is as perfect and polished as it can be, any more messing around and I'm going to muddy the works.
My last ICL instructor told me when I finished the course that with a very few exceptions, my manuscript was ready to send out. I "polished" those exceptions the way he suggested. Then I 'polished' a few more places. Then I rewrote a little bit of dialogue here and there. Then I added a scene I'd been thinking about. Then I changed the ending...not much, just a little. It reads better now. I think.
So if all this futzing around has been so good, and the polish is bright enough to blind, WHY haven't I sent the manuscript out?
When is "good enought" really, truly, good enough? I guess that's a question I, for one, am not going to have an answer to until I actually start sending it out. Then I figure there are about three options: behind door # 1 is acceptance with a minimum of revisions; behind door #2 is acceptance...maybe...with a LOT of revisions; and then there is door # 3...rejection.
But you know what? I won't ever know which door I have opened until I start sending the manuscript out.
How about you? Have you opened one of those doors yet? Let me know.
Is that what you say when you've revised and revised and revised until your face is the color of this page? And then do you say...It's still not perfect but I guess it will do for now? That usually means...it will do for sending out to see if I get a bite from an editor, and then revise what she wants me to. Is that the best way to go?
I'm also a professional artist, and I can't count the number of times I've told my private students...Leave It! Quit fussing with it, it is fine the way it is, any more futzing around and you are going to muddy the picture. Do those words apply for writers? We edit, revise, rewrite and edit some more. Rewrite some more. When do we get to say...my manuscript is as perfect and polished as it can be, any more messing around and I'm going to muddy the works.
My last ICL instructor told me when I finished the course that with a very few exceptions, my manuscript was ready to send out. I "polished" those exceptions the way he suggested. Then I 'polished' a few more places. Then I rewrote a little bit of dialogue here and there. Then I added a scene I'd been thinking about. Then I changed the ending...not much, just a little. It reads better now. I think.
So if all this futzing around has been so good, and the polish is bright enough to blind, WHY haven't I sent the manuscript out?
When is "good enought" really, truly, good enough? I guess that's a question I, for one, am not going to have an answer to until I actually start sending it out. Then I figure there are about three options: behind door # 1 is acceptance with a minimum of revisions; behind door #2 is acceptance...maybe...with a LOT of revisions; and then there is door # 3...rejection.
But you know what? I won't ever know which door I have opened until I start sending the manuscript out.
How about you? Have you opened one of those doors yet? Let me know.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Venting!
"They" say that you can write anything on your blog that isn't illegal, immoral or...fattening(?). So today I'm going to vent.
A friend of mine ( cyber friend) was crushed recently when she tried to join an online critique group. Both of mine are full, otherwise she'd be with me. So the women in this group are all SCBWI members, which...supposedly...means they are all good writers, honest, friendly and supportive. Uh huh.
To join this group, my friend, as well as others who were seeking a group, had to send a short personal bio and a "sample of writing." I should have warned her. When a group says it wants a "writing sample", that usually means one of two things: either they are ALL published and don't want anyone who isn't, OR none of them are published and they don't want someone who is because that person would "show them up."
My friend is published in national children's magazines. She was published before I was. She is an excellent writer, has no desire to write books, wants to continue writing fiction and non-fiction for magazines. She was turned down. The reason? She "wasn't polished enough" for the group. The interesting thing is that NO ONE in that group is published. Yet a published writer was not "polished" enough for them. No...they just didn't want someone who writes better than they do.
WHY does any critique group ask for a writing sample? Don't you belong to a group to better what writing skills you already have? Isn't the whole idea of a critique group based on each person helping every other person to learn more and become more "polished?"
I hear a lot of groups are asking for writing samples. How insulting to the person who is turned down because they "aren't polished enough" or they aren't published or haven't been writing long enough...or what ever other LAME excuse the group can come up with.
It really upsets me. Critique groups are supposed to be made up of supportive people who want to help other writers get to the point where they can reasonably expect to be published. Instead, I'm hearing more and more about groups that are harshly critical, become personally offensive, and do nothing to support or help each other. These are the people who have no business being in critique groups at all.
I started an online critique group three years ago. None of the women who joined knew each other...we are scattered all over the US and one is in So. Africa. We started with 6, lost one, got a new one, lost her, and the rest of us ( 5) have been together for the whole three years. I was published, no one else was, now 2 of the others are published. We're friends, not just critique partners. That's what a critique group is supposed to be all about.
How many of you have had bad experiences with critique groups? How many good experiences?
Think about it. Let me know.
A friend of mine ( cyber friend) was crushed recently when she tried to join an online critique group. Both of mine are full, otherwise she'd be with me. So the women in this group are all SCBWI members, which...supposedly...means they are all good writers, honest, friendly and supportive. Uh huh.
To join this group, my friend, as well as others who were seeking a group, had to send a short personal bio and a "sample of writing." I should have warned her. When a group says it wants a "writing sample", that usually means one of two things: either they are ALL published and don't want anyone who isn't, OR none of them are published and they don't want someone who is because that person would "show them up."
My friend is published in national children's magazines. She was published before I was. She is an excellent writer, has no desire to write books, wants to continue writing fiction and non-fiction for magazines. She was turned down. The reason? She "wasn't polished enough" for the group. The interesting thing is that NO ONE in that group is published. Yet a published writer was not "polished" enough for them. No...they just didn't want someone who writes better than they do.
WHY does any critique group ask for a writing sample? Don't you belong to a group to better what writing skills you already have? Isn't the whole idea of a critique group based on each person helping every other person to learn more and become more "polished?"
I hear a lot of groups are asking for writing samples. How insulting to the person who is turned down because they "aren't polished enough" or they aren't published or haven't been writing long enough...or what ever other LAME excuse the group can come up with.
It really upsets me. Critique groups are supposed to be made up of supportive people who want to help other writers get to the point where they can reasonably expect to be published. Instead, I'm hearing more and more about groups that are harshly critical, become personally offensive, and do nothing to support or help each other. These are the people who have no business being in critique groups at all.
I started an online critique group three years ago. None of the women who joined knew each other...we are scattered all over the US and one is in So. Africa. We started with 6, lost one, got a new one, lost her, and the rest of us ( 5) have been together for the whole three years. I was published, no one else was, now 2 of the others are published. We're friends, not just critique partners. That's what a critique group is supposed to be all about.
How many of you have had bad experiences with critique groups? How many good experiences?
Think about it. Let me know.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday's This and That
First of all, I'm getting tired of this page. I'm going to have to redo my blog to make it more interesting.
It's been difficult to find time to write the last week or so. Life in general is catching up to me. Right now I'm behind in assignments, haven't sent out a query in almost 3 months, I'm still polishing my first novel, even though my husband says "Leave it and start querying!", and my historical novel is not going well. Even after 2 years of research. So what else can go wrong, you ask? Well, just found out yesterday that I have to have some serious shoulder surgery at the end of April, so that will keep me out of circulation ( to say nothing of writing ) for about 4 weeks.
One of the problems I've had lately is not being able to come up with something interesting to write about. So last night ( Monday is a lousy TV night) I asked my husband for some help, and we brainstormed some ideas. Now all I have to do is actually write about them...
1. Talk about something in the news that you like, dislike, or agree or disagree with. For instance, what about this season's American Idol? How do you feel about Ellen DeGeneris as the new judge? are you unhappy or happy about Simon Cowell leaving the show after this year? what do you think about the contestants this year? If you've got an opinion, so do others.
2. Tell a story about yourself...or maybe your spouse. Five days before Christmas, my husband had an accident at home and was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks, and is now in a walker for another 2. Oh boy! This has led to all kinds of interesting...and not so interesting...complications. I could also write about my new dental bridge...I hate dentists with a passion, and the fact that mine was young and handsome did not detract from the fact that I hate dentists with a passion! Still...it was a different kind of experience !
3. Share something about your writing journey. Or if you just happen to be an editor or an agent reading this ( I should be so lucky), tell about some of the events along the way that made you into an editor or agent...or "just" a writer.
4. Teach. Maybe that isn't the right word. But what have you learned from writing courses, conferences, books, conversations with other writers/editors/agents that you can share? We never know all there is to know about this profession we're in.
5. Tell a story. Especially if it is humorous. I have a post about an incident in a Mexican restaurant in Canada, where I had taken my 16 year old daughters on vacation. Pretty funny. Do you have pets? Do they do strange/loving/funny things? I have a Blue& Gold Macaw who loves to scare people by screaming "Help! Help!" when a stranger first comes to the house...I should write about him, right?
6. Do an interview with another writer or, better yet, an agent, editor or publisher. What golden tidbits of information can they give your readers? ( I should do this myself.)
7. Have a contest or give links to other contests. There are many on the Internet and most people don't even know about them, so spend some time doing research, and then post what you find. OR...make up a contest of your own. Just be sure you give away a GOOD prize or no one will enter.
8. Stir up a conversation about a book. Read any good ones lately? If you have, probably others have, too. Give your opinion, what you liked or didn't like, ask 3 or 4 specific questions about that book and ask for comments as answers to those questions. OR...give some examples of what you look for in a book, whether it is a children's book of the genre you write, or an adult book, and then ask for others' comments and what they look for.
9. Be more universal...talk about problems that everyone is facing today. The bad economy, global warming, the loss of wildlife habitats, the drowning of polar bears. Everyone is concerned about these things ( or should be ), and it's a good way to generate a lot of comments.
10. Be FUNNY! I know, I know, sometimes that is hard to do. I have a very dry sense of humor, so it's not easy for me to "be funny." But you can probably do that! Maybe you've heard a really good joke or just watched a humorous video like on You Tube, or even read something funny in the newspaper. Share it! People love to laugh, and personally, I wish I had much more of an ability to make them laugh than I do.
I hope this has given you some ideas about what to blog, and you will use them effectively.
Think about it. Let me know.
It's been difficult to find time to write the last week or so. Life in general is catching up to me. Right now I'm behind in assignments, haven't sent out a query in almost 3 months, I'm still polishing my first novel, even though my husband says "Leave it and start querying!", and my historical novel is not going well. Even after 2 years of research. So what else can go wrong, you ask? Well, just found out yesterday that I have to have some serious shoulder surgery at the end of April, so that will keep me out of circulation ( to say nothing of writing ) for about 4 weeks.
One of the problems I've had lately is not being able to come up with something interesting to write about. So last night ( Monday is a lousy TV night) I asked my husband for some help, and we brainstormed some ideas. Now all I have to do is actually write about them...
1. Talk about something in the news that you like, dislike, or agree or disagree with. For instance, what about this season's American Idol? How do you feel about Ellen DeGeneris as the new judge? are you unhappy or happy about Simon Cowell leaving the show after this year? what do you think about the contestants this year? If you've got an opinion, so do others.
2. Tell a story about yourself...or maybe your spouse. Five days before Christmas, my husband had an accident at home and was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks, and is now in a walker for another 2. Oh boy! This has led to all kinds of interesting...and not so interesting...complications. I could also write about my new dental bridge...I hate dentists with a passion, and the fact that mine was young and handsome did not detract from the fact that I hate dentists with a passion! Still...it was a different kind of experience !
3. Share something about your writing journey. Or if you just happen to be an editor or an agent reading this ( I should be so lucky), tell about some of the events along the way that made you into an editor or agent...or "just" a writer.
4. Teach. Maybe that isn't the right word. But what have you learned from writing courses, conferences, books, conversations with other writers/editors/agents that you can share? We never know all there is to know about this profession we're in.
5. Tell a story. Especially if it is humorous. I have a post about an incident in a Mexican restaurant in Canada, where I had taken my 16 year old daughters on vacation. Pretty funny. Do you have pets? Do they do strange/loving/funny things? I have a Blue& Gold Macaw who loves to scare people by screaming "Help! Help!" when a stranger first comes to the house...I should write about him, right?
6. Do an interview with another writer or, better yet, an agent, editor or publisher. What golden tidbits of information can they give your readers? ( I should do this myself.)
7. Have a contest or give links to other contests. There are many on the Internet and most people don't even know about them, so spend some time doing research, and then post what you find. OR...make up a contest of your own. Just be sure you give away a GOOD prize or no one will enter.
8. Stir up a conversation about a book. Read any good ones lately? If you have, probably others have, too. Give your opinion, what you liked or didn't like, ask 3 or 4 specific questions about that book and ask for comments as answers to those questions. OR...give some examples of what you look for in a book, whether it is a children's book of the genre you write, or an adult book, and then ask for others' comments and what they look for.
9. Be more universal...talk about problems that everyone is facing today. The bad economy, global warming, the loss of wildlife habitats, the drowning of polar bears. Everyone is concerned about these things ( or should be ), and it's a good way to generate a lot of comments.
10. Be FUNNY! I know, I know, sometimes that is hard to do. I have a very dry sense of humor, so it's not easy for me to "be funny." But you can probably do that! Maybe you've heard a really good joke or just watched a humorous video like on You Tube, or even read something funny in the newspaper. Share it! People love to laugh, and personally, I wish I had much more of an ability to make them laugh than I do.
I hope this has given you some ideas about what to blog, and you will use them effectively.
Think about it. Let me know.
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