Thursday, April 30, 2009
April 2009 archive
May 1st (tomorrow, for the calendar challenged), The Wild Rose Press will be giving away free ebooks each hour to celebrate their third anniversary.
All you need to do to be entered is leave a comment or two on their blog, found at: http://www.behindthegardengate.blogspot.com/. They’ll also be choosing a grand prize winner at the end of the day, so be sure to stop over and leave a comment.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
4/30 WIP Tip
Summary is a crucial skill for every author. Imagine you’re pitching to the agent of your dreams. Summarize your story into three or fewer sentences.
C’mon. You’ve written upwards of 65,000 words. Three sentences is a breeze…or is it? Having trouble or proud of your skills? Post it below to share!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wild Rose Press Call for Submissions
Just received this & thought some of you might be interested 
If you have questions, contact Lori (her info is in the last paragraph)
Happy Writing!
Beth
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Crimson Rose has a submission call for “Men in Uniform.” We would like to fill our “store” with some brand new stories showcasing your favorite man in uniform, any length is great!
Whether you have written suspense before or want to try writing this venue for the first time, we welcome your submission. This can be any uniform you find an intriguing story wrapped around. There are firemen, policemen, paramedics, military, doctors, and sports figures. There could also be sanitation workers, astronauts, pest control folks, humane society workers—the list is endless. Can women be in uniform? Absolutely, but the man needs be in uniform, too. They can be from the same line of work or a different one. A police woman meets a humane society worker. The options are just too many to think about.
If you have any questions, you can email Lori Graham at lori@thewildrosepress.com.
(Want more info on the Wild Rose Press’ submission process? Visit: http://www.thewildrosepress.com & click on “Submissions” in the left column)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
4/29 WIP Tip
WIP
We’d love to hear your questions. Post it below! (and I’m working on an agent-related article, if you’re really interested. Hope to have it posted by the weekend.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
4/28 WIP Tip
I’ve been meaning to start a new type of post here at the WIP blog for some time and I think today’s the day
Each weekday, I’ll (try my best…no guarantees, no money back!) post one single writing tip. I’m hoping you like a wild grab-bag and range of tips. Everything from creativity to publishing to editors & agents, social media, the writing business and marketing…anything is fair game.
Today I’m still thinking of Bea Arthur’s passing and how sad the world will be without her. Here’s a creative WIP Tip for today:
Choose the most serious character in your WIP and write a scene where they tell or play a joke on another character in your story. Show your character’s internal sense of humor through their delivery.
I would absolutely LOVE to have you post examples of your results here if you like, but I know we’re all protective of our babies (words). You can bet I’ll give feedback…so give it a shot! Good writing takes time, so post whenever you finish…tomorrow, next week, next month…
Check back tomorrow for your next WIP tip to help your writing!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Bea Arthur: None Better
Golden Girls
Today’s post isn’t a typical writing-related offering but a short note of acknowledgement and appreciation for one of my comedic heroines, Bea Arthur.
Aside from the fact that she passed away on my birthday, I always felt a special kinship with the tallest and biggest Golden Girl. No one–not even my current favorite comedienne Kathy Griffin–could touch Bea and her brand of absolutely perfect, deadly serious humor delivery. A dry wit we’re going to miss.
I do know she was quite a talented actress outside of the Golden Girls, but that was the extent of my Bea Arthur involvement. All in the Family was a bit before my time (and not all that entertaining) and Maude was as well. However, I’ll never hear her name and not associate her with Dorothy Zbornak. In fact, when I mentioned to the kid that Bea Arthur had passed away, he asked, “Who’s that?” I replied, “Dorothy.” Just one name and he knew instantly. (We watch a lot of good, old-fashioned 80s tv in my house…lol). Now that’s a tribute. A male high school junior who knew her character by first name…
When my friend Joanna and I traveled to Chicago one summer years ago to hang out with our friend Deb for a week, we got into a Golden Girl rut. Watched it every night. More than once, we all fought over who would get which role when we all entered the rest home together. Deb wanted to be Dorothy, Jo was/is Sophia and I, as the witty younger one, was titled Blanche. (We never did find a Rose. Maybe that was Elle…). I liked being the young one, but secretly I wanted to be Dorothy. Smart, sassy, worldly, didn’t put up with anyone’s BS and a big girl role model. What a total gem.
Bea deserved every accolade she received–and more. If dry wit is ever a part of your writing, you’d be wise to watch and learn, friends. You’ll never find another better.
Do you have a favorite Golden Girl episode or Bea Arthur line? We’d love to hear…
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
How To Keep Writing On Vacation
Being out of the routine of our daily lives, whether on vacation, in a new locale or just having a day off work, can lead to wonderfully creative surges. When the confined and monotonous shifts to being open and limitless, our brains often stretch and inhale with new life.
But sometimes this change, however minor, can be paralyzing. Instead of having our routine to fall back on, our common, repeated actions to soothe us and move our bodies in a hazy cloud of unawareness while our minds engage, we grow fearful with the notion that we’re all alone and adrift in a sea of maybe, sorta, kinda, without the reassurance of repeated knowledge to support us.
These are the times in which we grow creatively the most but can potentially lose the momentum that has brought us to this point in our writing careers. If you find yourself in a new situation–and excited by the potential–but wasting time procrastination because you don’t know where to begin, try a few of these to get yourself in the writing groove:
1. Give yourself permission to decompress, refresh and observe.
A few days away from writing might be just what you need, but with the constant pressure to keep on cranking out the words, you’ll soon find yourself at odds with and possibly angry at yourself. Treat yourself with the same care you extend to others who might be adjusting to a new venue, lifestyle or schedule. Observe your writing thoughts, your creative mind. Are you upset because you’re not writing? Because what you’re writing isn’t what you think you should be writing? Maybe you’re not writing enough or with your usual level of intensity. Give yourself permission to be a little less perfect, a little more forgiving of your process in this time of limbo rather than beating yourself up.
2. Pick your most favorite element of your previous routine and start there.
For writers, routine is so much a part of our process, our ability to create that without those small, mindless activities we begin our writing with, like pouring a cup of coffee, lighting a candle, walking the dog, stretching or turning on the iPod, we never give our subconscious mind the trigger that we are approaching our creative time with intent. On my recent trip to Las Vegas, I was worried about being able to transition my early morning hours into productive writing sessions. Upon reflection, I discovered that having a cup of coffee was my trigger to tell my brain to start moving. As soon as I woke and dressed, I went down to the casino coffee shop and ordered something hot and steamy. By the time I found my way to the indoor park (amazingly empty at 5am Vegas time!) and a bench, my mind was chomping at the bit to get cracking on the laptop.
3. Vary Your Routine
Vacation and time away from home screws up everyone’s internal clocks and natural rhythms. On vacations away from home, I often wake earlier than I would were I at home. As a result, I wind up being ready for bed earlier than normal. For me, that early waking time is quiet time without kids, phones, email or distractions. Some friends get up later and use the fact that they’re on vacation to stay up later than normal. If you’re with kids, try to customize your schedule to take advantage of the ebb and flow of theirs. If there aren’t any kids, take some time to notice your energy levels throughout the day. Just because your novelist friends don’t write from noon to five every day doesn’t mean you can’t if that‘s when you feel most creative (and your kids are napping or off with family).
4. Start Something New
You’re on vacation, after all. The other elements of your life are currently on hold or in a state of flux, so it stands to reason your writing will be as well. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try writing in public instead of sequestered in your creative cave. Or you’d like to give longhand a shot. Do something new, shake up your routine and see if there’s any validity in trying things another way. Unless you’re on a dead strict editorial deadline, use this time to play with writing and add a new element. You’ll never know how much you might grow if you don’t give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, back home will be back to the grindstone. Writing should always be a passionate activity, not a punishment full of drudgery. One small tweak can be the key to kicking your career in the behind.
How do you manage to keep writing while on vacation or when your schedule gets screwy? We’d love your insight!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Off and Running!
It’s official…I’m off to Vegas for a week of relaxing, catching up with family and attending a writing conference. I just discovered that my hotel doesn’t have wifi (really?!) but I’ll be sure to share all the good stuff once I get a chance or when I get home.
In the meantime…keep writing….
Beth
Friday, April 10, 2009
Writer’s Guidelines: HCI Ultimate Series Books
Guidelines must be in the air. My inbox is jumping with all the new submission requests from editors and publishers. And in the spirit of creative collaboration, I’m sharing them with you.
The two newest are from the popular HCI Ultimate Series. Right now, they’re seeking submissions for two particular titles:
The Ultimate Runner (deadline: June 15th) will feature full-color photography and true stories from beginning runners to Ironman veterans, celebrating what’s good (finishing, beating your best time, the wind at your back), bad (morning runs in 32-degree weather, blisters at mile 2, no batteries in your iPod), and funny (what’s not to laugh about?) about running.
The Ultimate Bird Lover (deadline: June 15th) will feature photos capturing the beauty of our feathered friends and true stories from beginning birders to those who have loved birds for years, celebrating what’s good, challenging, and downright funny about these angels with wings.
Particulars and publication details can be found on the HCI website Pending Deadlines page.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Free Screenwriting Workshops at The Great American PitchFest
Visit Storylink.com for more info!
Are you a screenwriter? Are you anywhere near Burbank, CA? Busy on June 13th?
Ok, no more 20 questions. But if you answered ‘yes’ to the first two questions and no to the last, hop on over to Storylink.com and sign up for the free screenwriters workshops at the Great American PitchFest (also free) at the Marriott Burbank Hotel & Convention Center.
Too bad I’ll be in California next week and not in June!
All the details are here: Screenwriting Workshops courtesy of StoryLink and The Writers Store at The Great American PitchFest
It's pretty simple, really. I'm a writer who loves writing about writing, and sharing all the tricks of the trade with other writers. And when I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. I have a hunch you know what I mean :)