Amateur Writers — Who, us?

Every morning, I read publications for writers before I come here. This morning, I read an article in The Writer about writer’s block that advised writers not to share unfinished work with their writers group, proclaiming that sharing such work would simply lead to “the blind leading the blind.”

Whoa. On behalf of my writers group and writers groups everywhere, I felt affronted. Now, the author of the article happens to be a professional story analyst–someone who gets paid to critique authors’ work. Methinks she had a tad bit of personal interest in writers not finding good writing groups. I also get paid to critique other people’s work, but I wouldn’t wish lack of a writers’ group on anyone. In fact, after my move, I’m going to make my best efforts to return here once a month so I can continue working with my group. Here’s why:

Although the writers in my group may not be professional editors, they are readers who are experienced in my genre. Not only that, but they bring something to the table most casual readers don’t: an understanding of what goes on “behind the scenes” when writing. That means that they don’t passively read; they read with an eye to how you crafted the story, and how they could envision it differently. And no matter what anyone tells you, agents, editors, and “story analysts” are really just glorified readers. If you want to improve your writing, having readers is the first step.

Unfortunately, most fledgling authors don’t have a ton of readers. This can make it all-too-easy to get mired in self-doubt or self-aggrandizement. It can also reduce any sense of accountability.  A writers’ group expects you to have written something new before the next meeting. It gives you feedback when you feel totally stuck. It can give you the motivation to go on, knowing that somebody out there wants to see what happens next. It can also give you a new way to envision your story, making you more likely to rewrite or refocus and less likely to abandon your work.

If someone were simply to listen in on our writers’ group to try to glean some pearls of writing wisdom, they’d likely leave frustrated and confused. One moment, we’re telling a writer that she’s said too much, telling the readers “what we already know.” The next minute, we’re pressing her to include MORE details or to make the connection between events more explicit. There isn’t a single writing rule that applies all the time (i.e.: always give lots of details; always be subtle; always be explicit). It’s all about context — and the only way to truly get the context is to be a reader.

Now, there is something to be said for not letting your writers group dictate your life (or your story). I think the bit of (misguided) advice about not showing your work to “amateurs” may be rooted in a belief that “amateurs” will give bad advice and steer you wrong. But as a writer, it’s YOUR job to work through the feedback and decide what will steer you right, what will steer you wrong. Sure, you might get feedback with which you disagree (consider it carefully anyway), and you might decide to ignore it. That’s both your perogative, and your duty: you must stay true to the story you’re telling. Ultimately, you’re NOT selling your story to your writers group, and therefore, you have no obligation to make the changes they suggest. You can disregard the advice that isn’t helpful — just as I’ve blithely disregarded this crazy bit of advice about not sharing work with a writers group.

My Life’s Change of Setting

It looks like the move I hinted at in my earlier entry is a go. The decision to go forward with it has everything to do with my desire to be a writer.

I’ve always considered myself a “serious” writer because I’ve always found a way to integrate writing into my life. But in the last couple years, I’ve begun making decisions specifically with the goal of writing in mind. I decided to transition to doing freelance work full-time so that I’d have more control over my schedule, and thus, more flexibility to write. The transition has been successful for the most part, but I’m still not writing as much as I’d like to. Money gets in the way.

Although I’m making approximately the same amount as a freelancer as I made as a full-time employee, my rent keeps going up. Higher rent means more time spent doing paid labor. More time spent in paid labor means less time for writing.

It’s no secret that being a writer isn’t exactly a lucrative career, and if I was ever in it for the money, I’d have gotten out long ago. I wish I was above needing money, but I’ve gotten used to having things like food and shelter in my life. For almost a year, I’ve been striving to find a way to make “more money in less time.” Since that hasn’t come through, I’m moving on to Plan B: cut the expenses.

My move will cut the expenses in a big way. What I’ll spend in rent for my last two months in my current location will be enough to pay my rent for half a year in my next one. I’m lucky to be a person who knows what I want: I want to write. Knowing that, I owe it to myself to make decisions accordingly. When I told my best friend I was considering this move, she said, “Is a change of scenery really such a big deal, if it lets you be more true to your calling?”

I like to write with Lake Superior out my window. But as far as scenery changes go, a garden, trees, and cornfields aren’t bad, either. When I was twelve, I had a dream of someday writing on the shores of Lake Superior. I’ve got that dream covered. Now it’s time to explore my (somewhat more ridiculous, but present nonetheless) dream of writing in the middle of nowhere. After all, one can get a lot of writing done when there’s absolutely nothing else to do.

If you can’t be the best, why not be the worst?

A friend recently sent me the winning entry of this year’s Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest. The contest calls for literary parodies and gives an award for the most poorly written opener to a (possibly non-existant) novel. The contest is in memory of the author who penned the immortal words, “It was a dark and stormy night.” So, without further ado, the winning gem:

“Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin‘ off Nantucket Sound from the nor’ east and the dogs are howlin‘ for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the “Ellie May,” a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin‘ and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.”

David McKenzie
Federal Way, WA

Procrastination – Pros and Cons

If there’s one thing writers love even more than writing, it might be procrastinating. I like to think of myself as someone who has fairly good time management skills, but I’ve gotten in touch with my inner procrastinator since going freelance. I used to always get my work out of the way before I’d play, so that I wouldn’t have the work “hanging over my head” while I was having fun. But as a freelancer, I can always be doing more work, so that feeling of work hanging over my head never really goes away. Thus, I’ve learned to procrastinate.

I’ve had two recent experiences with procrastination that have taught me a bit about when it’s not beneficial — and when it is.

1. Elance. Once in a while, a project on Elance will arouse my interest, and I’ll add it to my “Watch List.” After adding it to my “Watch List,” I go to my handy-dandy Google calendar and plug in the due date for proposals, giving myself a reminder that goes off ten hours before the due date. Several times, I’ve gone to submit my proposal after I get my reminder, only to find that the project has already been closed for bidding. So most recently, I set my reminder for several DAYS ahead of the closing date . . . and still found it closed for bidding when I showed up. I’m not sure if there’s some sort of weird glitch in Elance’s internal calendar, or whether some folks pull their listings early. What I DO know is that I’m sick of missing the opportunity to bid on projects I want, and so, when I see a project I’m interested in in the future, I’m going to submit a proposal for it within 24 hours, no ifs, ands, or buts.
2. My living situation. I’ve been thinking about moving to someplace that has lower rent for a while now, but it’s been a hard decision because I really like my current residence. Although several people have been pressuring me to make a decision, I’ve procrastinated making any kind of commitment because nothing felt totally “right.” Yesterday, I learned about a living situation that would be almost ideal for me — an opportunity I wouldn’t have been available for if I’d committed to something else earlier. Nothing is finalized, so I’m not going to say more — except that I’m not going to procrastinate in following up with this opportunity.

So, the lesson? DON’T procrastinate moving on something you really want, even if it does seem like you have “plenty of time.” DO procrastinate when you feel unsure about committing to something; your procrastination just might be your heart’s way of telling you something better will come along.

And procrastinating the work you have to do is probably never a great idea, so I’ll stop doing that now.

Are you nauseous?

I’m not nauseous, but I am a bit headachy and sneezy. But that’s not what I came here to blog about.

I’m working on a manuscript that takes place within he healthcare field, and I got a little suspicious about whether the word “nauseated” was being used correctly. So I learned the difference between nauseous and nauseated once and for all!

1. Nauseous – is a feeling. “I’m nauseous.”

2. Nauseated – is something that someone or something does to you: “Those pickles nauseate me.”

As for me? I’m glad my cold isn’t making me feel nauseous. I’m also glad the cold doesn’t nauseate me. (How’s that for redundancy?)

And, by the way, it’s a LONG manuscript, so no more blogging from me today.

ETA: Heh, never mind, a commenter and the dictionary set me straight on this one. My next post will be about credible sources. From a more official source (the Merriam-Webster Dictionary):

Main Entry:

nau·seous

Pronunciation:

\ˈnȯ-shəs, ˈnȯ-zē-əs\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1612

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating 2 : affected with nausea or disgust

— nau·seous·ly adverb

— nau·seous·ness noun

usage Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous in sense 1 is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous in sense 2.

Subscribe to my Blog!

Thanks to a query I received yesterday, I’ve added a button for subscribing to my feed in a reader to my blog. I would love it if interested parties would subscribe to make sure it’s working. WordPress doesn’t make adding this button super easy, which is why I hadn’t done it earlier. Luckily, Feedburner was much better at providing the info I needed. Now that it’s running, I want to make sure it’s running correctly.

On a related note, I recently added all my blogs to bloglines, which I’ve been very happy with as a reader.

Writing for the Web

Over the weekend, I talked to a friend who was stressed out about some web content she was writing. Since most of the writing I do for a “real audience” these days is web writing, I thought I might pass on some of what I’ve learned to her–and to you.

1. Think short. This is probably the most important thing to remember when writing web copy. Most people don’t have the time or the inclination to scroll down a LONG document or to page through many screens to read. They’re reading quickly before they go to work, or between projects at their desks, or on a cell phone screen in the airport. If you can’t keep what you’ve written below 600 words–and even if you can–consider breaking your piece up into subheads, with each section reading about 150 words apiece.
2. Web users don’t read; they scan. Understanding how readers use the web is crucial to web writing. Most folks online have found your writing by entering keywords into a search engine; they’re looking for that one bit of information that applies to them. If it’s buried in a treatise, they’re likely to get frustrated and go someplace else.
3. Search is key. I’m not yet the expert on SEO (search engine optimization) that I’d like to be, but I do know that a lot rides on whether your writing contains words or phrases people are searching. As such, you can throw out that old “print” rule of varying things up by using synonyms, unique phrasing, and SAT-words. Instead, use the words people are likely to be searching–and sneak them in more than once.
4. Be conversational and clear. Folks aren’t looking for the latest literary masterpiece when they’re reading online. They’re looking for interesting, quick information. They’re also coming from diverse educational and occupational backgrounds. That old rule about writing to a “sixth-grade reading level,” definitely applies to the web.
5. Be direct. In other words, avoid passive sentence construction. Passive sentences generally add length to your work, and they make the writing lethargic. The New Moon editors’ manual said passive sentences were like, “sentences that lay around in their pajamas and refuse to do any actual work.” You can think of your readers in the same way; while you don’t want lazy sentences, accept that you’ll have lazy readers. Make your writing do all the work so they don’t have to.

Routine, Writing, Productivity, and Accountability

Other writers may be successful by following their whims, but for me, routine is the secret to productivity. That means that when nothing disrupts my routine, I can get a lot accomplished. Unfortunately, it also means that disruptions to my routine (travel or illness, for example), can leave me trying to jump back on the routine-wagon for weeks. But I’ve recently re-established my routine. It goes something like this.

1. Wake up at 7 a.m. (no exceptions).
2. Read writerly publications from 7 – 7:30 a.m.
3. Blog
4. Write until 8:45 a.m. (work on my novel, attempt a short story, prepare material for submission or submit. Stipulation: this is not a time for paid writing–although if someone will pay me for it down the line, so much the better. Paid writing falls under “work.”)
5. Shower.
6. Begin paid work at 9 a.m.
7. Turn off computer at 9 p.m. (I NEVER do this one, as many friends who have received late-night emails from me can attest.)

So, why am I writing this on my blog for all the world to see? It’s not because the Internet is oh-so-interested in the details of my mornings.  No, it’s because accountability is the secret of success. It’s easy to come up with grand schemes and plans. It’s harder to put those plans into effect, especially if they only exist in your own mind. Get them into someone else’s mind–pronto.

Waking up in the morning is probably the hardest part of my day, but I’m so much more productive if I get an early start. I shared the necessity of an early start with a visiting friend, compelling him “not to let me” go back to sleep after the alarm had gone of. He didn’t. When I was finishing my most recent novel, I must have told my writers group three or four times that “Next month I’ll be sending the end.” Once I’d said that, it increased my accountability to finish the dang thing. I went several months without finishing it when I predicted that I would–and each time, I sent my most recent work through a little shame-faced.

Tell someone you’re writing a novel so that they’ll ask you from time to time, “How’s that novel coming?” Share your goal of being published so that you’ll have to face the agonizing question, “So, have you been published yet?” Tell these things to your most nagging friends, or the ones you least like to disappoint, or even the ones that make you feel a little inferior. I’m not a fan of shame in most of my life — but a little shame can go a long way when it comes to meeting your writing goals.*

* But nobody’s perfect. When you don’t follow through on something, forgive yourself (and the person who asked you about it), resolve to do better in the future, and move on.

Put Those Poems to Good Use

I just entered three of my poems from National Poetry Writing Month into WEbook’s poetry contest. WEbook calls themselves the “American Idol” of creative writing. Essentially, it’s a vast web community of writers and readers who write, upload, read, and critique the user-generated content on the site. From time to time, WEbook publishes the projects that receive the best reviews.

I signed up for my WEbook account months ago, but I’ve only started poking around there recently.  Submissions for the poetry project opened on June 15 and will close on August 1, when the voting will begin. That means I submitted my poems relatively early — yet, they still were plopped at the end of a LONG line (23 pages) of already-submitted poetry. My hunch is that the earlier you submit, the better, because there are going to be LOTS of poems to peruse, and probably many voters who won’t keep reading till the end. But there’s still plenty of time for you to throw your own poetry into the ring!

Even if the poetry contest isn’t your thing, WEbook seems like a useful place to get diverse feedback on your work, which could be especially helpful for writers without writers groups. It also seems like a place that could swallow you up and take hours of your precious writing or working time . . . which is why I’ve resisted the urge to go there often. But it may be just what the doctor ordered for anyone with a boring sit-at-the-computer-jobs that allow for daily, web-surfing.

Success is Contagious

I feel a bit sheepish showing my face here for the first time this week on a Thursday, but I live in an area where summer is fleeting, and therefore, precious. I’m taking opportunities to camp and travel when I can, which means I spend almost all my non-travel time doing paid work. But I think swimming in waterfalls and reconnecting with family over all the old junk in the house can definitely be put to future use in writing.

But, enough about me. I want to give a shout-out to friend, writing buddy, and fellow freelance-writer Jenny Rae Armstrong in this post. Just last week, I received the copy of Plain Truth magazine featuring her article. She writes about what she learned from her successful sale in this post. Long ago — before I actually had my writers group — I thought I’d be jealous if writing buddies published before, more often than, or more successfully than me. The exact opposite turned out to be true. I found when skipping straight to Jenny’s article that it’s almost as exciting to see a friend’s name in print as it is to see your own. And since various members of our group seem to have publishing success around the same time, we’ve confirmed that it must be contagious. Luckily, we have a meeting tomorrow night, so I can soak up the contagion while it’s still nice and fresh. I just hope the incubation period is short!