Hammer and Chisel by Linda S. Glaz

  Yes, it had to start somewhere.

   Hammer and chisel, reed pens and papyrus, quills on parchment, pens on paper, typewriters, word processors, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and I-phones.

   We have come a long way.

   And the message is the same. An individual has a story to tell. And so he must.

   Still and all, what prompted the first man or woman to make up a story and tell it?

   Storytelling has certainly evolved. Early man passed along family and societal information via stories. Some spoken, some written. But at one point, an imaginative person took a simple idea and wove a tale. That might have been the first release of voices in the head.

   The next natural step was jotting down ideas and sharing them.

I laugh when I think of the first story I wrote for a class on an old typewriter. Then, one needed carbon paper if they wanted to keep a copy. And sending off to an editor meant copy after copy after messy purple copy.

   We’ve come a very long way and all for one reason: to tell our stories.

   Whether we chiseled them out of rock or made copies on our printers, we have stories to share. Ideas in notebooks in the middle of the night. Quick summaries on a computer. A scribbled note at a stop light.

   The stories must be told. Whether or not a writer uses a keyboard or a pen and legal pad, or whether or not the story is ever published, if a person is called, they must write.

   So chisel, or type, or share with a friend, but do tell your story.

Does Christmas Bring You Joy? by Linda Glaz

Ribbons, bows, packages, and lights. Stars, snowflakes, and downtown Santas. That’s right; we’re in the Christmas season. And I love it. I admit to being a Cmasaholic! Of the absolute worst kind. I love it. I smile more, laugh more. I’m simply happier at Christmas time.

But writing scenarios tend to slow down this time of year. Way down.

And when I do hear from an editor, it’s generally a big no. Not always, but for the most part. Needless to say, I don’t care for negative outcomes to invade my Christmas cheer.

Still, I have to keep working, have to keep getting the word out on fabulous clients or my newest release. It isn’t easy. I want to be able to call a client and give them the best Christmas present ever. A contract! Or to read my sales numbers and find them through the roof.

So what’s a girl to do?

I guess it’s time to remember the actual reason for the season. Jesus. Time to reflect on His birth and the actual reason for the smiles, ornaments, and pine trees.

Time not to worry about books and contracts. Not check my email every five minutes in case an offer comes in. It’s time to remember why I smile more, laugh more, and feel happier than I have a right to be.

How about you? 

Does Christmas bring you joy for all the right reasons?

Penalty! Interference or the Impeding of a Writer by Diana Flegal

We have already established through previous blog posts of mine, that I am an avid football fan. Of the Pittsburgh Steelers in particularly. (Please do not hold that against me, I am a nice and courteous opponent.)

In Sunday’s game this week, we had a 15 yard penalty called against us. I became frustrated. The penalty was impediment. Seriously? The receiver caught the ball. Sheesh.

But, I must be reasonable. The last two years the NFL has implemented new penalties in the hope of protecting players from injury. Apparently this is one of them.

Here is how it reads in the 2015 NFL Rulebook:

Rule 10   Opportunity to Catch a Kick, Fair Catch

Section 1 Opportunity to Catch a Kick / Interference

During  a  scrimmage  kick that  crosses  the  line  of  scrimmage,  or  during  a  free  kick (punt),  members  of the kicking team are prohibited from interfering with any receiver making an attempt to catch the airborne kick,  or  from  obstructing  or  hindering  his  path  to  the airborne  kick,  and  regardless  of  whether  any  signal was given.

Item 1:   Contact with Receiver.

It is interference if a player of the kicking team contacts the receiver, or causes a passive player of either team to contact the receiver, before or simultaneous to his touching the ball.

Item 2:   Right of Way.

A receiver who is moving toward a kicked ball that is in flight has the right of way. If opponents obstruct his path to the ball, or cause a passive player of either team to obstruct his path, it  is  interference,  even  if  there  is  no  contact,  or  if  he  catches  the  ball  in  spite  of  the interference,  and regardless of whether any signal was given.

We (The Steelers) were guilty of Item 2. Which got me to thinking about my clients, and writers in general. (Of course it did- that is all I think about. #ineedalife)

What impedes or obstructs the path of a writer?

Is it direct contact: a rejection from the literary agent you submitted to, a face to face meeting with an editor that results in- nothing, or criticism from a crtique? Or is it indirect interference; self sabotage, poor health, or growing weary that blocks us, even though we might have gainded some success?

Learning any craft is strenuous and takes time. When we grow impatient, we will not ‘receive’ the rewards of our hard work. We will fail to reach our goals (cross the goal line), and fail to score a win.

Take some time to examine what is impeding your success and keeping you from reaching your goals. The New Year is around the corner, and as writers and literary agents, we can reassess our game plan.

  

Marketing Yourself by Linda S. Glaz

      What are you doing to market yourself?

      It has become a job every bit as much as writing. And where and when do we find the time? Many writers have day jobs. We’ve all heard the old adage, don’t quit your day job, and that’s true in many instances. But now we have added another nearly full-time job to the mix, and that is we have had to become our own publicists.

      I laugh when I think of those authors who are bringing down multi-million dollar deals. Their thank yous tend to include wonderful words for their publicists. But that’s above most of our pay grades, so we struggle to find the extra five minutes in the day in order to market.

      We can’t attend any function for writers without the discussion of platform coming up. I find that right after a conference, folks are talking about little else.

      Here’s the thing: find what YOU are good at. Be it one media or a dozen. Pick the things you are best at, and go after that thing or things. You should spend a few minutes of your professional time each day working at those activities. For one writer who is super efficient that might be fifteen minutes a day. For others who are just dipping their toes in the water, it might be half an hour a day. But spend some time each day getting the word out about yourself and your books.

      Is it going to make a difference? Yes. Editors are more and more looking into prospective authors by checking their presence. In your search engine, type in the name of a writer who is working diligently, even if only a few minutes a day, and you will see the name pop up all over the net. Does that mean only FB, Twitter, and a website? Not necessarily. You might be an author who reads for enjoyment (hopefully), and who decides to write reviews for those books. There are numerous sites where you can put your talents to work. How about magazine articles? I was recently at a conference where a magazine editor told me he’s practically begging for short stories and short non-fiction submissions. How about volunteering some time for a small publisher to proof read or one with graphic experience to help with cover designs, back cover copy? These are all activities for which there is a need.

      You visit bookstores to make friends that you might work with later once you have a release. All kinds of benefits of getting to know your local booksellers. 

      You can market yourself on your terms with the time that you have. Pass on romance reality show, and write a romance review. Write some tidbits during the half-time of your favorite football team’s game. You can do short reviews and smart blogs during commercials of any show, just discipline yourself to do it.

      There you have it. Marketing 101.

      You don’t need to be a PR genius, you just have to try.