Folks, there really is no such thing as a free lunch.  But I have to admit I love discounts, coupons, and sales.  If I feel as though I'm getting something extra I am that much happier with my acquisition.  I wouldn't have nearly as many great books in my library if I hadn't had a coupon or got them at the used bookstore at a great price.  How does that apply to writing, you ask?  It means giving your reader more than they expect.  More twists, surprises, mystery, things that will keep them reading.

I got a call from a friend last night who said, "It's all your fault if I don't get anything done."  I had given her one of my Advanced Review Copies of Feisty Family Values to read and she said she was having trouble putting it down.  That's the kind of news we want to hear from our readers. 

When you go back to edit your story do you look at what can be done to make the character more layered?  How can you make the plot more unpredictible?  Where should the tension be increased or the plot thickened?  These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself in every chapter.  Is there a surprise?  Readers like surprises.  But I personally don't like loose ends when I read.  Make sure things are resolved enough for the reader to be satisfied with the result.  Give them more than they paid for...give them a GREAT read instead of just a good one. 

Good luck on the writing journey.

BD

For those of you that haven't heard about it NANOWRIMO stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's November.  I don't know how many years it's been going on, but I've never thought I could devote the time to it that it deserves. I was wrong.  Since the beginning of November I have been able to write 10,000 words.  Not quite what the program encourages (in other words I won't meet the 50K they enourage you to write), but I only need about 20K more words to finish my novel.  How cool is that? 

I'm excited that I've been able to make time for it and it's proven to me that you can do it and hold down a full time job, a part time job, and still get the laundry done.  The house is a mess, but my spouse isn't complaining so why should I?  It's only for a month.  What it also proves to me is that there is no excuse to not find time to write, even 15 minutes a day.

An interesting thing happened to me the other day while I was writing.  My husband came in and asked me if I was done writing for the day.  I looked at the clock and an hour had passed, it was bed time.  "I thought you were going to take a shower," I said.  "I did, that's what all that water running was all about," he said.  Hmmm. I never heard it and it's in the next room.  Being totally into the story and hearing the voices of your characters can blot everything out, even the sounds of running water. 

So, no more excuses for me or for you.  Make time to write.  It's well worth it.

Enjoy the journey,

BD

What are your writing goals?  To be published in the local newspaper?  To write for a national magazine?  To have your novel in bookstores?  To write your memoir?  To finish a story that has been in the back of your mind for years? 

All of us needs goals.  The first couple of years I wrote seriously, my goal was to submit something every month.  I submitted short stories and poetry to contests, literary magazines, local publications and small publishers.  I learned a lot about meeting guidelines, deadlines, and editing.  I learned the value of researching a market before submitting and how to take a critique.  The contests were probably the most beneficial because many of them offered critiques and since my writing wasn't cash prize quality yet - it meant a lot to get feedback.  And poetry, well, let's just say that I'm a little verbose for poetry.

I started a couple of novels early on, then the third one hit a spark and grew into Feisty Family Values (the novel that's coming out in February 2010).  To help pay for my book habit I started writing freelance, too, and made enough to allow me to attend a few conferences and writers workshops and learn more about the craft.  Then I approached the local magazine market and found a home.  They taught me to write tight, directed articles and still let my writers voice shine through.  And my interview skills have vastly improved. 

In the mean time I've been working on the sequel to Feisty called Patchwork Family.  National Novel Writing Month is inspiring me to make time for writing every day, so it's progressing nicely.  The first draft should be finished by the end of November.  Woo hoo. 

The point of all this rambling is to show you how I reached my goal of publication. It took a lot of steps to get there and I'm still learning and growing in my writing.  Decide what your goal will be and work toward it.  But be realistic with your goal, because writing, researching and publication take time.  They also take dedication and a amount of luck.  Just don't give up and enjoy the ride.

BD

Now there is a loaded question.  I'm thinking the answer is "it depends."  Like everything in this world you need to do your homework before trusting a source.  Whether you are in an online critique group or one that meets face-to-face it's nice to know who you are dealing with. 

Even critique groups that are sponsored by a writers organization can have it's share of stinkers.  I've been in an online group and in a couple of in person groups and they both have their advantages and disadvantages.  Generally a good group will have "rules" to critique by.  

One of the rules I espire to includes pointing out the things in the story that work and don't JUST dwell on what doesn't.  If you've ever had one of the latter you know why it's so important - writing is very personal and criticism needs to be constructive - not destructive.  I've nearly been reduced to tears, so I know how it feels to have your work torn apart.

We writers need a thick skin, but the really beneficial critique is one that motivates you.  If you suspect that one of your critique group doesn't fully support that plan, then take their advice with care.  I find that if several people feel that something works well I don't change it. But if there are questions or concerns about an aspect of the story that multiple people - well, then it definitely should be reviewed.  Trust your gut. If it sounds right, change it. If it sounds wonky, then thank them for their input - but ultimately it is your work. 

I've learned from most all of the critiques I've gotten, even if it is that I don't always agree. Everyone's critique is filtered through experience and emotion and while the former is very valuable, the latter is very unpredictible.

Enjoy the writing journey.  -BD

I believe I have mentioned this before but the muse often visits me in my Dark Chocolate Dove Promise.  They have a little message inside and sometimes the message really hits home.  Especially the one that says "why not have another."  The one today is worth sharing and hit's my writer's heart square in the center.

"Do not look back and ask why, look forward and ask, why not?" 

Most writers get stuck in the why's now and again, after a rejection for sure. But the thing about writing is, you have to practice perserverance.  If this editor didn't like your story idea, the next one might, so try again.  If this editor said the characters were flat or the story not believeable, then take an objective look at your work and see if there's some truth to what they have said.

One of the characters in my book (Feisty Family Values) is a mature woman in her late 50's and she shares her grandmother's wisdom with one of the teenagers in the book.  She says something like:  "don't look back, we're not going that way."  So, it's sort of the same thing.  Keep going forward toward the goal that you want to achieve.  Whatever that goal is, will only be achieveable if you keep trying.

Good luck on the journey, writing buddies. It is a rollercoaster ride, to be sure.
BD

I always forget for sure, but I think the left side of the brain is the logical side, and the right is the creative side. Growing up I was way far to the right and stayed that way until I went to work full time.  All of a sudden I was using the analytical functions on a daily basis and it became easier and easier.  I was great at thinking outside of the box, but thinking inside the box was working okay, too. 

I took one of those online quizzes that determines which side of the brain you most hail from and I was surprised to find that I was just to the right of center.  Who knew?  That was a hand full of years ago, and the day job isn't any less challenging to the left, but when I'm not working the right goes into overtime. 

I write and read, crochet and draw.  It's almost like it's saying "let me out of here, will ya?"  I do my most creative cooking after a long day of analysis.  My spouse hates it - because it doesn't always work.  But I keep trying and sometimes it does.  It's like writing stories, the first draft is seldom as good as the 3rd or 5th or 10th.  You have to keep practicing to get better. Scary thought...physicians practice medicine. 

Write on my friends and enjoy,

BD

You never know when your muse will drop a hint your way.  Mine often comes in the form of a Dove Dark Chocolate Promise with a message inside.  I got a really good one this week:  Keep believing in yourself and your special dreams.  Good one, eh?  I think so.

So what is your dream?  Many of us share the dream of being a writer, but not all of us have the same goal in mind.  One of my friends writes poetry for her family for Christmas every year.  Another wants to put her memoirs down on paper for the family to have and share with the next generations.  Some enjoy writing for writing sake either through journaling or stories.  I write magazine articles for money and enjoyment, mostly about interesting people and organizations.  I also write plays because I love the theater.  I write children's stories for my grandsons.  And I write novels which I hope to publish. 

Publishing is not always the goal of a writer.  A writer writes whatever is in their heart that needs to be written.  Many writers will self-publish to feel the book in their hand and have something to distribute to family and friends or sell, as the case may be.  Many writers now have an opportunity to publish on-line.  I dream of having books in print.  Hard back, paper back, it doesn't matter.  And that dream will come true in February.  I can't wait to hold in in my hand. I hope you'll read it.

BD 

I wrote an article for the October Active Aging publication about Seniors and Social Networking.  The statistics are surprising, the largest growth group for Facebook use is age 55-65.  And currently the oldest blogger is 104 and living in Great Britain. Her predecessors were 109 and 108 but passed away in January and last summer respectively.   I had the pleasure of interviewing several seniors who are active on Facebook, Twitter and avid bloggers.  There’s a lot to be learned on the web, not the least of which is meeting new and interesting people.

In the October edition of Womens Focus I had the privelege of interviewing Besty Redler a 3-year cancer survivor who had a posse of friends that supported her during her battle.  She and her posse are an inspiration.  It’s the little things that matter, a card, a note, a flower, a meal – just letting someone who is ill know they are being thought of make all the difference.  And when a mother finds herself scolding her child for leaving a mess, well, you know she’s getting better and that’s a good thing.

Look for both publications October 1st.

BD

That IS the question, isn't it?  How do we new writers who have no novel publishing history get our novels represented?  I'm not sure, since I don't have an agent.

I've heard that there are lots of ways to get an agent.  Meet with them at conferences.  Submit queries to them based on your completed work.  Approach those that represent authors that also write in your genre. 

But none of those actually tell you "how."  I did my homework, I researched dozens of agents.  I checked to see if they were members of AAR or at least espoused to follow the guidelines. I looked for established agents in my genre of women's fiction, as well as reviewed and queried new agents who I hoped would be "hungry."  No one was biting. No one was sufficiently enthused about my work to represent it.  Bummer. There must be something else I need....Luck perhaps?

Being the tenacious writer that I am I decided to go another route. I approached small independent publishing houses that did not require an agent.  After querying a handful I found a winner in Five Star Publishing: Expressions.  The book comes out in February and I will be marketing/promoting and doing the public relations myself.  I got a small advance that I will use for that promotion plan.

So what's the next step? For me, I'm writing the sequel to Feisty Family Values, which is called Patchwork Family.  I hope to have the first draft done this year.  What does all this mean with regard to an agent?  I'm hoping (eternally optimistic) that I will do such a good job promoting and selling my book that when I approach an agent at the next conference or via query I will get their attention.  Will it work? I haven't a clue.  Have I answered the question of how to get an agent?  Nope. I don't have that answer - YET, but I'm willing to keep working toward that goal. 

Best luck on the journey, writing friends,
BD

Every writer needs space: to think, to explore, to express, to witness the story that grows in the imagination only a writer can see.  We describe what we hear, what we see, what the characters feel and experience.  There might be little bits of our own feelings, our own experiences in the story, but we're just the story tellers.  Even if the story is our story, we need space to tell it. 

My writers space has morphed and it sometimes feels as though it's no longer mine.  So, when I feel like that I go to the bookstore and lose myself in the white noise.  The jumble of voices and coffee machines enhance the experience, and it helps me focus. 

You have to figure out what works for your writing experience.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just whatever you need to get in touch with your muse.  If a t-v tray and a chair works, use it.  If a laptop under a tree works for you, then so be it.  It may be that you'll have to change spaces now and then, like I do.  Try out different places in your home, the library, or bookstore.  But the main thing to do is - Enjoy the journey.

BD