Old Dogs and New Tricks by Terry Burns

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks . . . but they have to be easy tricks.

I got a proposal that was aimed at a market I wasn't familiar with, new adult fiction.

I try to keep up, but that was a new term for me. Apparently it is for 18-25 year old readers.

Linda Glaz pointed me in the right direction to a couple of websites with more information. I do handle middle reader and young adult but this seems to be aimed at those who don't want to read young adult but more in tune with younger adult readers than the usual adult fare. The setting is likely to be a college campus or young people who haven't left their home town yet but who are stretching their wings. It seems to focus on young love but maybe in ways that I am not comfortable representing.

I do work in both the Christian market AND the mainstream market but I don't park my convictions at the door in order to reach to secular markets. Material I attach my name to doesn't have to contain Christian content but it has to at least be family friendly.

That begs the question, "Is there new adult fiction that meets that criteria?" And if there is, is there a market for it? A USA Today article quotes an author as saying "New Adult novels are appropriate for readers 17 and older because of the language, the mature themes, and there is more detail in the sex scenes." More detail? That means more graphic?

I've only gotten one submission that specifically defined itself as 'new adult fiction' but perhaps I have seen more that might have flown under that label. I haven't heard the editors that I'm working with asking for it, but maybe that is because I haven't asked them about it, or haven't tried them with a submission styled that way. Who knows?

In another post Kristin Hoffman says "New Adult fiction is, ‘…about transition. The transformation from child to adult doesn’t happen overnight—just ask anyone who is or has been (or is a parent to) a teenager. But the transition from teen to adult doesn’t happen overnight either. There’s a period of time where adulthood feels like a new pair of shoes. The expectations of independence and self-sufficiency are still new, still being broken in. New Adults are the people who have just begun to walk in those shoes; New Adult fiction is about their blisters and aches."

I didn't take the one I was presented with but I'm remaining open to it to see if this developing genre is for me. I do know old dog tricks for this dog don't include profanity or explicit sex scenes, but learning to walk in new shoes? I could get behind that.

A Day Off to Write by Andy Scheer

If your employer granted you a day off—eight full hours—to work on your writing project, what could you accomplish?

Can't happen? What about yesterday? You say you had plans for Memorial Day. Then what about the next federal holiday.

As I write this, it's not quite noon. Besides catching up on emails and writing this, I've created a 500-word draft for a magazine piece due Saturday. After lunch I plan to dig into some reference material for a project I've been putting off. And now I have twenty free minutes to write this.

I came to the keyboard this morning with a fair idea of what I would write. I awoke this past Saturday at 4:00 a.m., my mind filled with ideas for the magazine piece. Fifteen minutes later, after recording my ideas, I tried to get back to sleep. But I kept thinking about what I'd post here on May 28. So I trudged to my office with another scrap of paper and logged some ideas.

My writing usually comes in three phases: stewing, jotting ideas, and keyboarding. All are essential, even if I have the luxury of eight straight hours.

This points me to the strategy I learned from Dr. Dennis Henley: If you want time to write, make it. He suggests setting aside two hours for writing each weeknight—four TV sitcoms or two dramas worth of time. At the end of a month, you'll have put in a full 40 hours of writing. At the end of a year, 480 hours or one dozen 40-hour workweeks—three months worth.

Today I might not invest the full afternoon in writing. I've also been putting off a few handyman projects. But while I accomplish those, I can still be planning my time at the keyboard.

From Great to Amazing by Linda S. Glaz

            The contract’s signed, the advance has been paid, and the entire writing process has only begun.

Only begun???

That’s right. Edits and suggestions to strengthen the work are happening as you make your way to the bank.

I recently had the pleasure of seeing a client’s work unfold as the author and editor worked through the editing process.

This was a story that I believe will be a killer, rockin’ novel. Nothing like it. So what did it need? Nothing that I could see. But was I ever wrong.

As I received the edits along with the author from the editor, per the author’s request, I was astounded at the things the editor found, the rewrites my author made, and in the end, the amazing novel that resulted. Nothing major, the author is a primo writer, but with just a bit here and there, the novel is emerging as that killer, rockin’ piece that we all knew was there—just hiding a tad.

And I’ve been allowed the blessing of watching it all unfold.

I’m thinking most of us believe selling our work is the end of a long journey, but I can tell you, it IS just the beginning.

We shouldn’t be satisfied with a great novel when amazing is just around the corner if we have the blessing of working with an outstanding editor.

Only begun? Yessiree! The sale is just the start of a great relationship…

The Conference Trail by Terry Burns

I can almost hear Willie Nelson singing "On the Road Again."

It's the time of year when we work a lot of conferences. For me, quite a number of years ago I went to a conference as a writer trying to decide how to use my faith in my writing. I took a test as part of the process designed to tell what my spiritual gifts are. They turned out to be writing, music, and the gift of encouragement. I work as an agent and particularly go to as many conferences as I can trying to use that gift of encouragement.

I'm also there to connect with writers and to find good projects that I can help get to market. And to make connections with editors that I can interface with to help make that happen. I work for my clients, but initially it is almost like I work for the editors. I work to try and find out what they are looking for then try to help them find it. I'm like a marriage broker, I find something an editor is looking for, I find a writer that has it, then I arrange an introduction. Sort of like Barbara Streisand did in "Yentl."

People ask me if I make money going to conferences and working. There have been a few that I have actually ended up in the black, but most of the time when expenses are paid I end up breaking even at best and some cost money . . . some a significant amount of money. I try not to do that too much.

I don't like to fly to conferences. Not that I mind flying, but I genuinely hate airports and the mess they have become. When possible I drive it, far less stress, and the trip itself can be nice particularly when Saundra goes with me. We have changed to a small class B van RV for a road car. It's small so it doesn't get bad gas mileage and it can save a couple of hotel stays on the road which offsets extra gas cost. It provides a nice break and thanks to technology I can still be online while on the road getting my work done while Saundra drives. It's like an office on wheels. At least we'll be back to doing that when she gets her cast off (she fell and broke her arm).

I really believe if a writer is serious about their writing they need to try to get to a conference or two each year to network with agents, editors, and other writers. That's a primary place where things can be learned to improve their writing skills and to start learning to increase their visibility necessary for book sales. If you are doing that perhaps we will meet out on the road.

I'll be the guy in the big hat.

Expand Your Thinking and Imagination by Diana L. Flegal

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent.” – Dave Barry

For me, that is what a writer does. They show me what is inside the tent and under the surface of the water. Whether it is the characters of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt in Anne Perry's Victorian adventure fiction or Max Lucado speaking to me of living in my sweet spot in his book Cure for the Common Life.

Gifted authors expand our thinking and our imaginations.

Here are some one and two sentence teases as examples in titles I recently read and old favorites that grabbed me or made me LOL:

Christy award winning author Ann Tatlock's most recent release, Sweet Mercy:

"I missed her too, and yet, that life seemed far away and like the torn edges of an early morning dream."

Doug Varrieur's book, Fat to Skinny Fast and Easy opens with his relatable personal story:

"After the tape measure and the calculations were complete, this was the day Mr. Joubert announced to Mom that I was a special needs person. My only question was, "What was I going to get for a prize?" I didn't have to wait long for my reward; it arrived in the form of a pair of HUSKY jeans. Special jeans for special people..."

CS Lakin's prose in her title The Crystal Scepter is another:

"The troll with the hat laughed so hard that Perth felt waves of sour wind blow against his face. ..The other trolls joined in, and soon, in their merriment, they were guffawing and rolling in the dirt like rumphogs."

In Seizing Your Divine Moment: Dare to Live a Life of Adventure by Erwin McManus:

"If everything else remains uncertain, be clear on this point: there is a calling on your life."

Brennan Manning in Ruthless Trust:

"That is the way it is with trust. Over the years, it ripens into confidence."

M. Esther Lovejoy inspires me in her title, The Sweet Side of Suffering:

"It is our needs that draw us to the all-sufficient One and allow us to experience first hand the sweetness of His personal and loving care."

Cake by Joyce Magnin is a new favorite I recommend often:

 "The chickens, especially Dottie, went wild. Even the chickens that normally stayed in the coop most of the time came out for spaghetti and meatballs. They pecked and slurped up the spaghetti strands so fast that Eggberry kicked a meatball, and it rolled toward Slowpoke who just took her time and casually pecked at it."


Thank you for allowing me to share a few of my favorite authors with you here. I pray this summer you find many exciting books to read that will expand your imagination and your thinking.

Have a great day,
Diana

Take a Break by Andy Scheer

Sometimes the best technique when you’re stuck in a writing project is to step away from the keyboard.

I spent much of last month performing a heavy edit on a large nonfiction project destined for self-publishing. The content was deep and theological — often supporting positions I didn’t. Worse, the writer was not a polished communicator.

Most days I found I could track the writing for only a half-hour before I stopped being able to disentangle his prose.

So I applied the strategy I’ve learned with jigsaw puzzles. When I can no longer make sense of a particular part, I get up, stretch, and switch to another side of the table.

Not all of that works with a writing project. If you’re stuck in chapter 7, it’s hard to skip to 17. But it sure helps to get up, stretch, and allow your mind to attend briefly to something else.

One of my techniques involves music. Not only do I play instrumentals to help me concentrate, I play it in a format that forces me to get up often.

While the LP in LP records stands for long-playing, they usually provide no more than 25 minutes on a side. Perfect timing for getting up, walking to the record player, and flipping to side two or putting the album away and deciding which to listen to next.

A minute or two later I’m back at the keyboard — and the solution to the next sentence seems obvious.

Don’t have a turntable? Then keep a cup of your favorite hot beverage next to your screen and force fluids. You’ll have to get up often, and the ideas will also flow.

Timeline for Book Launch Campaigns by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

So much goes into launching a book whether it is your first or one of many. Most likely, you'll know the release date a year in advance. Some smaller publishers may give you six to nine months notice. This will give you plenty of time to save and plan for your book launch as you continue writing the next book and revising macro and copy edits on soon-to-be-released book. 

If you receive an advance, my advice is to keep your day job or let your spouse keep supporting you, and plan to use a good portion of it, perhaps all of it, on your promotion efforts. You can write the next great American or European classic, but if no one knows about it--your book will remain one of the world's best kept secrets. Therefore, the best thing you can do for your writing career is to invest in it--wisely.

Below is a general timeline to help you plan for your upcoming book launch. This is only meant as a guideline, not something set in stone. Feel free to modify it as circumstances vary from author to author, publisher to publisher, and depending on genre and other ideas you may have. 

6-9 Months

~ Create Marketing Plan for your book launch

~ Hopefully, you already have a website/blog, but if not, buy your domain. Set up your site or hire someone to develop it for you. 

~ Set up your social media sites and link them all to your website/blog. If you already have these sites set up, be sure to update them, check their links, upload your book cover as soon as it's available.

~ Create an online Media Kit. This is a place that will have a page for your bio, photo, book covers and purchasing info, sample chapter, video book trailer, a way to contact you, a calendar with your upcoming schedule and events, and blog tour info. Even if you don't have the info for these pages yet, create the pages and set them up so you can add info as it's available.

4-5 Months

~ Schedule book tours. You can either do this yourself or hire a company to do this for you. If you have the funds, I recommend more than one book tour. Determine ahead of time how many books you plan to give away for review and/or as giveways on blogs. Be sure to schedule a combination of reviews, interviews, and guest posts so readers aren't bombarded with the same info if they follow multiple blogs on your tour.

~ Determine if you will host a contest campaign with multiple giveaways beyond mere books. You need to know where you will host it, who will help, goals, and target audience.

~ If you need to provide books and giveaway items, try to purchase a few each week. Don't wait and try to buy everything all at once. Sometimes bulk isn't the best answer--especially if you're on a tight budget. A little at a time is more affordable when you don't have bulk cash. When I buy things this way, it helps my buy out of my paycheck rather than my book money, allowing me to save it for lean months or or big item purchases. 

~ Put out a call for Influencers who will read the book and post reviews on their blogs, Amazon, B&N, and other online locations.

2-3 Months

~ Set up book signings. Check local schedules for events and festivals that might be taking place where you can bring your books. Piggy-back on their promotion of the event and utilize a location where people will already be gathering. For example, since I write Scottish historicals, a great venue for me has been the highland games held throughout the country. 

~ Start posting a few status updates regarding your book launch and what you're working on to start building excitement and anticipation on your social media sites. 

~ Start designing and ordering bookmarks, business cards, postcards, magnets, and the promotion items you plan to purchase.

~ Determine budget and schedule for any paid ads. 

~ Set up Google alerts for you author name and the title of your new book.
~ Once your book is listed on Amazon, set up an author section on Amazon Central. If you need additional information on what this is and how it will benefit you, I wrote a previous post on it here. 

1 Month

~ Fill out questions for blog interviews and return as many as possible. Submit guests posts where possible. 

~ Write press release, including first book launch party dates and times and begin submitting it to local and online media.

~ Post scheduled events on local media calendars, including public community calendars at libraries, chamber of commerce, etc.

~ Send out personal invites to people for book launch party and online blog tours.

2-3 Weeks

~ If you have a regular newsletter, send out a new one or a special announcement regarding your book release and launch party event.

~ Start posting teasers for reviews with links on blog and social media.
~ Continue answering blog interview questions and guest posts. 

~ Send out a reminder to Influencers.

1 Week

~ Post blog tour info with links on blog and social media.

~ Begin book launch contest and/or blog tour.

Book Release Day

~ Reminder announcement on website/blog and every social media channel with a link where to purchase.

~ First blog tour stop with link and keep up each day until blog tour is over.

If you have additional questions post them in the comment section below. If you need assistance with your upcoming book launch, visit us at Upon the Rock Publicist!

Message from the moun tains by Terry Burns

Okay, there was a little more snow in this picture than there is this year but I'm writing from the Christian Writing Conference in Estes Park CO. It is just beautiful here.

I'm seeing a lot of 0ld friends, some clients, and some new writers bringing their projecgts to me holding them out with hope in their eyes, I hope that I am offering encouragement, maybe useful information that will make their baby stronger and more publishable and actually for a few will possibly be able to take them on and achieve publication.

I'm talking to conflicted writers who hear others talk about their "calling" and take pressure from them when I talk about the fact that not all writers have such a call and it is ok. We can write for the Lord as an offering too and if it is well done it is no less acceptable to him. It's just a different way of writing it.

I've talked to writers who are just starting and are deluged with information that they find more confusing than helpful. I've explained that little information in writing books is useful, little information from conferences is useful UNTIL YOU START TRYING TO WRITE. The best way to learn to write is to do it. Until the writer is trying they don't know the questions to ask or the information that they need.

In addition, a writing conference has all levels of writers in attendence, from beginners to well published writers and there is content here for all of them. A new writer has to learn to filter, to see how to discern when they are hearing something they need now and something they will not need for a while and when they do reach the point where they need it they will understand it.

All of this has already gone on and is going on and it is just a couple of hours into the first day. I taught an early bird class and have a couple of others to present, a panel to moderate, and my dance card on one-on-one appointments is nearly full.

It's going to b e a great conference.

It's Not Really Paranoia if ... by Diana Flegal

It's not really paranoia if they really are out to get you!
Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear.
Have you as a writer ever found yourself in the grip of anxiety or fear?
I encourage you to push through it- because:

Being slightly paranoid is like being slightly pregnant- it tends to get worse
Molly Ivins

What if's plague the inspired creative temperaments.

What if I can not support myself, my family...

What if I do not find a place amongst my peers?

What if I can not follow this first book with one equal to or better than the first?

What if I never get published? (the worst)

Sometimes our fears seem to be realized as everyone in our writers group receives a contract from a traditional publisher except us. Should I look into self-publication?

LORD!! What is it you are doing. You've given me the unction to write- I have something to say, I have dotted all of my i's and crossed all of my t's, yet here I am - sidelined. Unpublished.

Do not faint or lose heart. God would have not brought you this far if he did not have a divine plan. Wilderness experiences are a part in the journey of every key player. We do not like the wilderness, and thankfully it is not where God intends to leave us. But there are things to be learned there.

When you find yourself in a dry barren place, fall to your knees and then reach out to others. Now is the time to take the focus off of yourself and place it onto others in your writing community circle.
Congratulate those receiving contracts, winning contests and receiving accolades.  Brag on those presently in the limelight.  After all, God is due the Glory He deserves. Seek opportunities to befriend the 'newbie'. Introduce them to others with influence. Take some time to scroll down your FB page and pray for those asking for prayer or struggling. There are so many standing in the need of prayer and in need of a genuine word of compassion. Read other author blogs and take the time to comment. Look over your bookcase and note the books you have read that touched your life. Write an Amazon review of those books. It is a great help to authors. Even if you read the book years ago. Write the note.

And pray for your agent (if you have one). Agents face a huge challenge today. Many editors change desks as publishers change priorities in focus and it is a scramble to keep up with the changes and establish relationships in this shifting industry climate.

Galatians 6:10 As we have opportunity, do good to all men/women, especially to those of the household of faith. :-)

Continue to write.

When I take time to invest in others- I receive fresh passion for what it is God has called me to. I believe you will receive fresh ideas and inspiration as well.


Have a great day. Carry on.
Diana











Read more fun quotes at http://www.brainyquote.com/

Don't Rush It by Andy Scheer

With the deadline approaching, I drew a blank. More troubling, I didn't know why.

For the past year as a columnist for the magazine, I've been able to count on a topic occurring in time.

But Monday, three days before the deadline, my mental cupboard was still bare. And other commitments for the next two days would keep me away from the keyboard. So I threw myself on the mercy of the editor and asked for a week's extension.

No problem, she said.

Even with the deadline pressure relieved, nothing came to mind. I told myself I'd write it the next Saturday, and I turned my mind to other projects.

Thursday the topic arrived in my email in-box—twice. Two distinct news items converged to illustrate a development of interest to the column's readers. I knew what I'd write about on Saturday.

But I forgot to tell my subconscious. About 2 a.m. Friday I awoke, my brain racing with ideas for how I'd develop the article. If I wanted to get back to sleep, I had to record those thoughts. I took a sheet from a page-a-day calendar into the bathroom, turned on the light, and filled a page.

Saturday morning the notes on the back of the Dilbert page still made sense, and the column's text fell into place.

Next time the ideas don't come, maybe I'll trust that I simply need to wait.

Days Long Gone by Linda S. Glaz

So, the days are long gone when you sit down, write a novel, send it off, and wait a short time for someone to begin the bid on your novel, after which the publisher throws their entire workforce behind it to get the novel in every store still standing.

Today, you face a long wait just to find the right agent. But that’s another blog.

Once you’ve received a contract from a publisher, your job is only beginning. You, not the publisher in most instances, will have to find a way for your work to be seen, reviewed, considered by buyers.

We hear more and more about a writer’s platform. What does that mean, and what are you doing to develop one before you are contracted?

Ask yourself these questions:

Have you developed an online presence? A website, blog, facebook following, twitter?

Are you taking the opportunity to speak with writers’ groups, become part of critique groups—locally and online? Are you attending conferences where you can network with other writers, editors, agents? Have you looked into doing articles for your local paper. There are numerous opportunities now with internet news, both locally and nationally.

There are many sites online which are looking for reviewers. I know a few publishers who are always on the lookout for proofreaders. This gig is golden as you learn what to look for in another individual’s manuscript.

Do you take advantage of online classes? Organizations? ACFW,  Faithwriters, RWA are all information rich organizations that offer classes as part of their presence. They all have contests, some on a monthly basis that sharpen your skills. And once your presence is established here, you have the potential for dozens more readers as your book is released.

If you writer historical, do you belong to local historical groups? Fantasy fanatic? Are you working with fantasy groups near home?

You can’t pass on any possible opportunities to have your name known so that when your novel is contracted, you will have already established a fan base.

The days of the publisher doing all the work for you might be gone, but you have numerous ways that you can market yourself.

Use social media for more than taking up your valuable time; let it go to work for you.

I hate my job by Terry Burns

Actually that's not true, I just said that to get your attention.

But it's not entirely false either.

Most of the time I really like working as a literary agent and have helped a goodly number of authors in getting their writing careers off and running. But I often have to devote big blocks of time to working down the submissions in my inbox and that means turning a lot of people down. I hate that, and it kinda depresses me to have to do it.

Oh, I know in advance it has to be done, I get hundreds of them and I couldn't handle that many if I had a dozen people on staff helping me. Not to mention the fact that that's far too many to submit to publishers, they don't have the capacity to do that many books either. But knowing it has to be done and having to do it are two different things.

I am too aware that what I have to evaluate in a short period of time someone may have taken a year or longer to write. It's their baby, and no parent wants to see their baby get turned down. I'm one of the few agents that came from the writing side rather than the publishing side, I've had my babies turned down . . . turned down a lot actually. Maybe that makes me too sensitive to the feelings of the authors sending to me.

Sometimes it gives me the blues.

The best cure for the blues is getting somebody a contract or seeing a clients' new book come out. Or maybe in a situation where I got to help Carrie Stuart Parks hold her baby out to publishers and saw six of them show immediate interest resulting in an auction situation where she got a nice three book deal. That can cure a lot of the blues.

But today I'm working submission, stepping on dreams, and not feeling good about it. I'm sifting through the pile looking at a lot of good books but looking for that jewel that rises above all the other good books. The one I just HAVE to try and help get to market. I have the blues.

If you are one of the wonderful editors that I get to work with to help get these jewels to market, and you just happen to be reading this, today would be a really good day to let me know you want to make an offer to one of my clients . . . how about it?

The Turtle on a Fence Post by Diana Flegal

 “Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.”  Alex Haley

 Alex Haley kept a picture of a turtle on a fence post in his office to remind him he didn't get where he was without some help.

The winners of the Golden Scroll were announced this week as well as the finalists in the ACFW Genesis contest.  Many of the authors on these lists received help along the way at some juncture in their journey.

Let's give a shout out today to those that have been an encouragement and a help. It might be a teacher, a presenter at a writers conference or your mother or dad, great aunt or cousin.  We didn't get where we are by ourselves.

My mentor, boss and friend Joyce Hart's dedication and stick-to-itiveness has inspired me to stay at my desk and continue to do what I can for my authors.  It means a lot to me to know that Joyce and her husband support me in prayer as well as having advised me along the way in my agenting journey. Thank you Joyce!

Who is it that has been a help to you?

Happy Wednesday all,
Diana

More Lyrical Phrases by Andy Scheer

If you want to write powerfully but don't feel up to poetry, draw your inspiration from some well-crafted lyrics.

Last week I wrote how the opening line of W. C. Handy's “St. Louis Blues” made me wish that more writers would craft evocative phrases. But such figures of speech aren't limited to those who sing the blues. Even cowboys can be powerful wordsmiths.

A few years back I heard a concert by music historians Mark Gardner and Rex Rideout of songs that genuine cowboys would have sung in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Among the most memorable was a 1911 song by James Grafton Rogers called “The Santa Fe Trail.”

The singer is searching for a girl he glimpsed on a wagon train. Specifically:

A tow-headed gal on a pony,

A-janglin' for old Santa Fe.

Need more specifics?

I seen her ride down the arroyos,

Way back in the Arkansas sand,
With a smile like an acre of sunflowers ...

And how she did ride:

She straddled the pinto so airy,
And rode like she carried the mail ...

And those eyes:

And her eyes near set fire to the prairie,
'Long side of the Santa Fe Trail.

I hope he found her. But I wish he had written more.

When We Learn From Others by Linda S. Glaz

You know…what started out as what I thought was a good idea to help a bunch of folks getting ready for conference, turned into a lesson for me.

I have ALWAYS hated writing pitches, just ask Terry. No, on second thought, don’t remind him (as if he doesn’t know). So when I offered a contest to look at a few first chapters, I started the blog with writing and rewriting pitches so that the best ten would be the ones I’d look at further. And the fun blog turned into a mini-workshop on writing 25-30 words pitches, and lo and behold, I think I understand pitches better myself.

The more we worked them and broke them into the barest essence, the more it all clicked in the pint-sized brain of mine of what was working well and what wasn’t. The more I looked to help, the more the important information stood out and the innocuous information took second stage.

VOILA! The helper became the student and I’m proud to say was able to offer a hand to a few other folks. What a glorious moment to find that 2+2 really does make 4. And understanding more fully how to get to 4 was an aha-moment.

It’s funny how the we learn from others. Sometimes in choosing to assist another person, you are the one who reaps the rewards. Now, 153 comments and suggestions later, a bunch of us have reduced our pitches to their purist essence.

When you get the opportunity to have fun with a topic and help out a fellow writer, take it, you might find that you, not the other person, will walk away that much more equipped to face the writing industry!