Writers Unbound

Today’s Tuesday Tip for novel writers is to read this article and also to subscribe to the New York Times’ book page, as it’s really valuable.

The article talks about purposeful brand placement in your novel. For example, does your teenage male character only wear Adidas? Is your heroine a Marlboros smoker? Where is the line between description and over-selling in the hopes of sponsorship?

One thing that really got me about this practice is that…once again…it’s being aimed at children. HarperCollins Children’s Books is releasing MacKenzie Blue, a book aimed at girls aged eight to twelve. The main character, MacKenzie,  ”loves Converse,” among other product placements. Surprise, surprise, the “author” is a marketing exec.

Ugh. I am so sick of advertisers attempting to covertly brainwash my kids.

Great article…be sure to check it out.

And, moving on to the amusement file, freelance writers will want to take a look at this hilarious posting on craigslist. I guarantee you’ll feel like shouting BRAVO!

Another bravo for writers comes in the form of the proper use of the semi-colon on the number 5 train in NYC. Apparently the marketing writer paid attention in English class. Bravo to him, the usage is one I often have to research/remind myself. (Bad freelance writer!) 

Happy Tuesday- now go back to your writing!

I know I know: I write about freelancing way too much. Let’s veer away from that for a bit, shall we?

On Monday, my 7 year old had the day off school, so it was just her and I here at home, which she doesn’t get a whole lot of. I was helping her fill out her iPOD with song selections from the the video library on cable TV. I was happy with her tastes in music: J. Lo, (Latina) and Ingrid Michaelson (talented writer) among others. (Although I’m a little dismayed with her crush on Justin Timberlake- but, hey, she’s 7, she can’t be perfect. Yet)

I was also pleased that she wanted to read the captions during the videos. Sometimes the words just pop, you know, and you can tell the songwriter is also a poet. People like Tori Amos come to mind here. I was happy to introduce my little to-be writer to the concept.

I was reminded of this one teacher I had in high school who actually got my younger brother interested in poetry by exploring Pearl Jam lyrics (yes it was the 90s).

Another place I’ve found some inspiration lately is from my photo albums. My WIP is set mostly in Mexico, and it helps to access the photos and get me into the right frame of mind.

I’ve mentioned my WIP before, and that it’s set in Mexico, partially, and that I wrote it in Mexico. I’ve talked about this before. I’ve really got to make it come to fruition, so that I don’t reread this post someday and want to kick myself.

I’ve really got to get rid of the IP part of my WIP.

Hi Readers & Writers,

Short n sweet today because I got stuck in the Big Apple this week for longer than I intended, and my work is inexcusably behind. So some quick tips from my New York City trip:

• When you meet other writers, authors and editors, pick their brains. It’s amazing to me how many people use different resources. On the net, almost every writer I run into knows most or some of the same sites and resources I use. However, when I met my colleagues in NYC, we all got some new perspectives.
• People watching on the subway is excellent practice in characterization.

I got the Thursday Thirteen idea from my fellow 451 blogger “JM” at the Book Stacks and Write Anyway… or perhaps Thursday Thirteen is a common blogging thing… I don’t know for sure! Either way, on to my Thursday Thirteen!

Thirteen Writing Prompts For a First Person POV

1. You live one house down from railroad tracks, and…
2. Your a MySpace addict, even though you’re 46.
3. You meet the man of your dreams and find out he’s 15 years younger than you.
4. Every night you write a novel in your head, and every morning you’ve forgotten everything about it.
5. You go to Atlanta for a writing conference, and discover such freedom from your responsibilities that you…
6. Your family pet slowly turns from black to white over the course of one week, and…
7. You meet your childhood best friend on a listserv. You’re delighted, but she doesn’t remember you.
8. You’re running late. You decide to take your children to school in your pajamas. Surely you’ll have no reason to get out of the car, right?
9. You’re 39 with a happy family and two children. You find out you are quite accidentally pregnant. You…
10. With a sudden windfall of cash, you finally get that facelift you’ve always wanted. You’re astounded when your friends react by . . .
11. You realize you’re neighbor has been spying on you. You decide to get them back by. . .
12. You’re daughter develops a special bond with an elderly neighbor. One day she passes on, and. . .
13. Your son decides to join the military upon graduation. You’re a pacifist…

Novelists, how many times have you hesitated in selecting the next word, the next turn of phrase? Don’t worry- this is a good thing!

Portions of my work in progress take place in Mexico, and although the English language has three times the vocabulary as the Spanish language, I’ve found that some of the character’s sentiments simply cannot be expressed in English. I’ve counted on the surrounding dialogue and context to clue in my non-Spanish speaking readers, and my reading group has been receptive so far.

A reading group is, of course, one of the best ways to deal with word selection. Having a trusted group of individuals to give feedback is tantamount. If you’re too shy or simply lacking in time, try out a virtual writing group! 

Another option when dealing with word selection is to read major works by famous authors for clues. This would be a very academic undertaking, but the results are worth the effort.

For example, I would recommend Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw for word selection hints. In this book, the main character (the Governess) is constantly concerned with her word selection when telling her ghostly tale. In fact, the story has been said to be a story about reading and interpretation of prose. Of course, this is an aspect of the novel I would have missed if I had not studied it (hard) years ago as an undergrad, so be sure to not only read the book, but also some critical essays on the book for hints like this.

Is word selection as important as characterization or plot in your novel? I think so. I strive for a whole package in what I write and what I read. What’s your opinion?

word selection, novels, fiction writing

My novel is …crazy. It really is. It has the first chapter. And of course, that first chapter is near perfection. Then it has this medium sized middle. The problem is, the middle is allll out of order. And then I just wrote the end!

Now, I’m sure you can tell by the general subject matter of WritersUnbound that I tend to know the freelancing side of things better. Sigh. ‘Tis true. I work for a regional publication, and I freelance mostly as a biz-tech writer. So, these things I know. However, how do you learn something more? By doing it, of course!

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t need some direction in the midst of this rough draft. Here are the sources I turn to when things get all crazy. Like this morning.

• How To Write Your Novel in 100 Days: Ok, don’t write it off because of the average title. This is not an average article, course or post. This is pure inspiration. Written from the POV of a Peace Corps worker reaching out to other Corps volunteers with a tale to tell, this is as simple as three paragraphs a day to read with one short TO DO. It really works. If you are really serious about writing your novel, you must at least read the story about Sinclair Lewis on the front page. 
• About.com Guide To Fiction Writing. Yes, I work at About.com, and yes, that’s how I found this page- but this is not a personal plug! This page and the writer have some excellent tips and ideas, in addition to a great forum.
• How To Write Your Novel and Still Have Time For Sex. Really, do I need to say more? You know you’re going to click on this!

Happy “novelling”!

novels, write your book, goals

WELCOME BACK and Happy New Year! I am well rested and ready to offer you the best blogging year I’ve got in me. Let’s get to work! Ok, I’ll admit that the “top 5 genres” is subjective, but whether you’re a freelancer, biz-tech writer, blogger, novelist, or poet I’ve got something for you today!

Freelancers: Now is the time to find out the editorial schedule of your targeted magazine for the following year! Editorial calendars basically tell you what topics the magazine has planned for the year. Many will also indicate the amount of lead time needed for each issue. You can then tailor your pitch to fit their needs. So, how exactly do you find the editorial calendar? 

The easiest way is to subscribe to a service such as CyberAlert or MediaCalendars. Designed and aimed at PR professionals, these subscription-based services offer a searchable database of thousands of publication’s editorial calendars. Of course, I said it’s the easiestway- it’s not necessarily the cheapest. For example, a subscription for CyberAlert costs $499.

Don’t want to invest $500? I don’t blame you. Another way to find editorial calendars is the old fashioned way- search their website. If you can’t find the info on the writers page, be sure to check the advertising page.

Biztech Writers: Tired of trolling the same old places for jobs? Yes, it sure is convenient, but how about creating your own list of weekly job board bookmarks to check? Advantages include:

• Job searching on your own schedule
• That whole “early bird gets the worm” adage means that your resume and email are in front of the hiring manager’s eyes before he is buried under an avalanche of queries.
• Keeping your bookmarks up to date means that you’ll build a series of multiple leads that are tailored to your preferred job boards. 

Ready to go? Start building your list by checking out my list of 20 Links to Find Your Next Job. (Full disclosure: this link is to my guide site at About.com.)

Continue building your list by bookmarking every job board you happen upon. Soon you’ll have a huge list (like me! 85 and counting!) 

Poets: Do I ever have a great resource for you! Check out this listing of over 25 poetry contests with deadlines coming up soon. (Hurry, some require submission as soon as January 15- how’s that for motivation?)

Novelists: I’d never wish writer’s block on anyone- the frustration level is outright horrific. However, if you suffer from this infliction, there’s a multitude of resources out there. Here’s one of my faves.

Bloggers: How do you get great blogging jobs? Have a great blog! Aren’t bloggers lucky in that we don’t have the chicken and the egg issue that freelancers have? (How do I get clips, no one will hire me without clips!) Just about any literate individual with an internet connection can start a blog.

Now, that doesn’t mean it will be great, or that it will get traffic. Luckily, I can help you with one of those. Submitting your blog to directories is one way to increase the flow. Here’s a couple to try out:

• RSSFeedSubmission.com keeps a huge list of directories.
• Search Engine Watch offers these step by step tips on blog submission.
• Give Best Web Directories a try.

Thanks for reading!

writing tips, writing resources, freelance, poets, poetry, blogs, novels, business writer

I spent a massive portion of last week running the Scholastic Book Fair at my child’s school. Overall I think I spent upwards of 30 hours between prep, marketing, set up, working at it, and tearing it down.

So, on top of that, I figured I’d give Scholastic a little extra boost (as if the sweat of my labor wasn’t enough) and feature them in a market profile:

Scholastic Inc.

 Imprints/Divisions: Scholastic Press, Scholastic Library Publishing, Grolier, Children’s Press, Franklin Watts, Grolier Online.

Accepting:  Agented queries on children’s (up to middle grades) fiction and non fiction. (Also accepting non-agented queries on professional books only).

Offers: Variable advance, royalties on retail price.

Not currently interested in: fairy tales, retellings, board books or series fictions.

Best of luck! 

(Oh, and  by the way, my weekend wasn’t ALL work. I did get to see Love in the Time of Cholera, the movie based on Gaby Garcia Marquez’s novel. I loved it! Two thumbs up!)

scholastic, gabriel garcia marquez, love in the time of cholera

Directly before the passing of acclaimed novelist and journalist Norman Mailer, I happened upon an article about him in Playboy’s current magazine. (I won’t say WHERE I happened upon this, but needless to say, it wasn’t at the library or anything!)

Anyway, it’s honestly a really prolific article/interview and I’m glad I got to read it. Mailer’s death wasn’t entirely surprising, according to the blogosphere, but it’s still a blow for writers and readers everywhere.

Meanwhile, I am anticipating the movie release of my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE BOOK of ALL TIME by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Love in the Time of Cholera, due out this weekend.

I’ve heard that fans of the book will be a wee bit disappointed by the movie, but I’m just happy to relive one of my favorite stories of all time, good movie or bad. I have been looking forward to it for quite a while.

If I can pattern my fiction writing after one novelist, it would be Marquez. He captures setting like no one else. In fact, I haven’t read Cholera in almost two years.

The last time I read it was in the summer of 2005, while in the mountains of Mexico, and while I cannot even begin to tell you much about the characters, I could probably describe the town/setting in intricate detail. It’s his ability to capture place as a writer that has always pulled at me. If only I could do the same. It’s really place, not people, who seem to inspire my own writing.

How about you? What is it that inspires/inspired your novel?

Will you be seeing Cholera with me this weekend?

Any thoughts on Mailer’s passing?

Norman Mailer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gabo, Love in the Time of Cholera

Publisher’s Weekly reported that Harper Lee will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Honor on Monday for her literary contribution To Kill a Mockingbird.

NaNoWriMo is definitely well under way. Their website is backed up like crazy The forums are also hopping.

Hollywood Writers Strike latest is available at WritersWrite.

NPR interviews a writer who writes about a ghostwriter who writes about a man who may or may not be Tony Blair. Huh?

JK Rowling sues a small Michigan publisher over intellectual property rights. She also finished her first book after the Harry series. What a busy week!

You can now read Gone With the Wind from Rhett’s perspective.

MySpace gets into the book business.

Slate Magazine is having a special fiction week for our reading pleasure.