Start, Stop, and Continue in 2016 by Diana Flegal

Happy 2016!








In his last message of 2015, my Pastor challenged us to ask ourselves these three questions in preparing for the New Year.

What do I want to start?

What should I stop?

And, what should I continue doing?

As a writer beginning this New Year, I challenge you to ask yourself the same three questions. Here are a few suggestions to consider under the various categories.

START TO:

• meet with a writers/ critique group once a month- even if it has to be online
• journal or write daily morning pages (Google ‘morning pages, Julia Cameron’)
• wake early to grab writing time before daily tasks and commitments claim your day
• write and post a weekly blog / seek guest blogging opportunities
• submit your finished work to literary agents or magazines
• build an Instagram, twitter, or Pinterest account after researching how to utilize them
• invest this year in your dream- a small investment might be the purchase of a writing resource book- a larger one- to register for a writers conference  

STOP:

• making excuses for your writing passion to family and friends
• ignoring the advice of the experts advising you to make changes to your manuscript (especially if you have heard the same thing from several professionals)
• editing- there is a time to stop, say enough, and submit your work
• using weed words that clutter up your story- examples are: ‘just’, ‘always’, ‘really’, that, and ‘as if’

CONTINUE:

• to hone your writing skills by attending a writers conference
• build your social media platforms
• to blog (once you have begun, letting a blog go stagnant is not a good thing)
• build online friendships with other writers
• to post book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for books you enjoyed

Please feel free to share your ideas my suggestions brought to mind. Stay inspired and write on.

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Diana Flegal

I recently completed reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It provoked in me a strong emotional response. It wrecked me. I went back to the story – reread the ending, then the opening. Set it aside, then picked it back up.  I Googled: Is The Life of Pi fiction or nonfiction?

Apparently I am not the only one to ask the question. Several sites discuss this, Goodreads included.

The author hooks the reader with an ‘authors note’. Fiction presented as truth. Martel has been quoted as stating: ‘Anything is believable if you give it the guise of reality’. After reading the fantastical tale, I couldn’t say convincingly it was a work of fiction. Though I reasoned it was, my heart was convinced otherwise.

Friends and I went opening night to see the new Star Wars movie. We saw it in 3D. Highly enjoyable entertainment, though far easier to distinguish as fiction. While I was emotionally impacted, it did not affect me the same as The Life of Pi.

The awakening of The Force happened in a galaxy far, far away. I don’t hang with Wookie’s, or own a hover craft. Pi’s adventure began in a country I can locate on a map. I know people who have visited there. I am familiar with life on the ocean, and know what life aboard a ship is like. I could identify the animals mentioned in the story.  

Four days later I still feel sorrow and outrage when I think of the things Pi suffered. Yet it was fiction. Masterfully written fiction. Word pictures so vivid, I tasted salt and grew thirsty.

Writer, strive for that kind of mastery. Practice, rewrite, read, then write some more. Don’t be in a hurry to be published. Learn the craft. Hone your skills.   

  

  

   

Writing Advice According to Dr. Seuss Compiled and Arranged by Diana Flegal

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Whenever things go a bit sour in a job I'm doing, I always tell myself, 'You can do better than this.'

Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.

From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dr_seuss.html#XlXofa17mdO5MkuE.99

Open to Editorial Suggestions by Diana Flegal

When I place a submission on an editors desk I usually mention, 'this author is open to editorial suggestions and is easy to work with'.


In today's stingy market there is little room for the prima donna. From its original usage in opera, the term prime donne has spread in contemporary usage to refer to anyone behaving in a demanding or temperamental fashion or has an inflated view of herself. Authors that are high maintenance are most often not going to get that second chance.


Being open to changing a plot sequence or even your POV is key to finding a publishing home. In nonfiction it might mean a thorough rewrite.


Several clients I now represent are authors I met at a conference who took the suggested advice from critiques and myself, made changes and proved they knew how to write as well as take suggestions. Any agent will work overtime for such an author.


Professionals across the board repeatedly mention the benefit of critique groups. An objective critique group is an excellent first opportunity for an author to sharpen their prose and basic skills.


 The words you want associated with you and your professional persona are:


easy to work with


open to suggestions


determined


approachable


perceptive


If you are willing to learn from those that cross your path, and persevere, you will gain respect and most likely that publishing opportunity you long for.

Cliches and Overused Phrases by Diana Flegal

In preparation of a workshop on self editing for the 2014 conference season, I got to thinking of the cliché.


Webster defines a cliché as:

cli·ché

noun \klē-ˈshā, ˈklē-ˌ, kli-ˈ\

: a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting

: something that is so commonly used in books, stories, etc., that it is no longer effective

 

When we see multiple cliché's in a submission, it tells me either the writer is a novice or being a lazy writer. Even a well published author slips an occasional cliché into their story, thinking it works, but I suggest cliché's are to be avoided at all costs.

 

It was a dark and stormy night, he was weak as a new born kitten, high as a kite, straight as an arrow, fat as a cow.

 

When writing your first draft- allow the cliché and write on. When you come back for your rewrite, take the time to find a more creative way to express what your trying to say.

 

One of my favorite lines from The Help; is how the author, Kathryn Stockett, describes Mae Mobley's mothers thin legs. "they looked like she done growed 'em last week". How much better is that than saying she had string-bean thin legs.

 

Authors might want to consider these cliché's as well:

• a speech filled with clichés about “finding your way” and “keeping the faith”
• The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.

What are a few cliché's you recall? Have you run across any cliché's recently in a blog or book you have recently read that caused you to moan? Please share them with us if you can without hurting or exposing the source.

Don't Shoot the Messenger by Diana Flegal

It is difficult to hear that the manuscript you labored over and birthed has been rejected. Or to meet with your critique partners only to see their red ink bleeding all over the pages of your best efforts.

But the worst thing you can do is shoot the messenger.

This past weekend I had the privilege of teaching at a Mini-Fiction Workshop at the Anderson Library, Anderson, SC. organized by Elva Cobb Martin.

One of the workshops I delivered was First Lines, First Pages. Authors brought the first pages of their work in progress. (WIP). We read them and let the authors know if we would read on, and if not- we made suggestions that might better 'hook' their reader.

I reminded them that the author of THE HELP, Kathryn Stockett, had faced rejection 61 times before her title was accepted and published. That is a lot of rejection and yet Kathryn did not quit. And I am glad she did not. Her literary voice is one I am thankful to know.

Yesterday was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg address. In reading Matthew Pinsker's article, I smiled to learn that Lincoln wrote several drafts of his speech. So many that they can not be absolutely sure which version was the one read so long ago. After his speech, many requests were made for copies. Each one was originally penned by hand by President Lincoln, known for rewrites and self editing.

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved."

Ralph Waldo Emerson from the Quotationspage.com

I'm sure Kathryn Stockett's first page in her published book, was not at all the same as the first page she began with. She took the suggestions and rejections to heart, made the needed and necessary improvements, and ended up with a bestseller.

 

 

 

So rather than let your words slip down the drain, or blame others for your rejections; revise, rewrite and retry.
 

When you wear the flower of impatience in your heart instead of the flower of acceptance with joy, you will always find your enemies get an advantage over you."
Hannah Hurnard wrote in Hinds Feet in High Places- spoken to much afraid as she battled her enemies discouragement and despair.

Never give up on your dreams. With every journey round the mountain, you will find hinds feet growing until you will leap over every obstacle with ease.

 

 

 

 

 

Pictorial Sources of Inspiration for Writers and Bloggers by Diana Flegal

In preparation for last weeks blog, I took a walk around the grounds of my apartment complex looking for an appropriate squeaky wheel photo. I snapped many photos of architectural hardscapes instead of the usual fall foliage. The storm drain, a danger sign and even a wall. The images inspired various topics I could share here, on this blog, and in my writing workshops. Author Susan Heim Call's newest blog post was inspired when she boarded a plane on her way to a conference this summer. It is titled; Your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device and other tips to equip you for life's little or big emergencies.     I often schedule artist dates on my day off. I browse the local antique malls, scour thrift stores,  visit craft supply stores or take a hike. All inspired by Julia Cameron's book, The Artists Way. It unleashes my creativity. This colorful, rusty hydrant entertained me with a dozen questions. How long ago had it been placed there. Had it ever supplied water to quench a fire at the assisted living center, whose yard it graced? Were the first responders young or weary warriors? Is it still in service? Does that square tightened down shank hold back a gushing geyser? Where would they take the residents to wait out such an event? The rose garden or the front yard? How often do they have a fire drill? I pray they are ready and practiced, in the event of any emergency. When I spied this sewer cap, I marveled that the manufacturer had taken the time to actually design it. A decorative touch for such a functional object. Was he or she a frustrated artist forced to join the family business because it was often said "What are you, crazy? You can't make a living painting pretty pictures"! Inspiration can be found anywhere. Keep your eyes open.

The Squeaky Wheel by Diana Flegal

Before I sign on a client, I do my best to cover in detail the expectations I have of my authors and what they can expect of me. I have gotten more specific as I've learned the need to be.

One of the things I now ask of my clients is that they keep in touch with me. It is too easy for an author who is quiet to slip between the cracks and fall off my radar. The squeaky wheel does get the grease … or my attention. I appreciate an author who is proactive. If someone begins to abuse this, I kindly provide a realistic boundary that works for us both.

In Necessary Endings, Henry Cloud addresses the need for ongoing measurements, stressing that when we stop to measure time, we can find that months have passed instead of what we thought were weeks. He believes this  loss is partially related to the digital culture we live in, where lickety-split actions are taken online. “There is an APP for that” is commonly heard, providing shortcuts that speed up our lives. Much of our jobs are handled from smart phones where we multitask: juggling Facebook and Twitter posts while answering work e-mail. And as we juggle, time passes.

Monitoring our daily activity is key. For agents and authors alike.

Many authors sandwich their writing in between work and parenting. If your agent or publisher asks for something from you, it is your responsibility to place that task on your “to-do list.” When I ask an author for something, I am handing it over and removing it from my list. I then move on to another. The author must then stay on top of that.   

Many agents manage 50+ clients. It falls to the author to be proactive and communicate with his or her agent.

My authors regularly “check in” with me by e-mail, phone, and text, telling me where they are in regard to their marketing, social media, WIPs (works in progress), proposal tweaks, or new story or book ideas.

I suggest you err on the side of bothering your agent than not. They will advise you if you abuse their time. That’s better than slipping between the cracks.

No Discipline Seems Pleasant by Andy Scheer

My friend has every right to rest on her laurels. She's served as an editor at top magazines. She's written countless articles and had at least a dozen books published. And she speaks with great results at conferences around the country.

After decades specializing in nonfiction, she's decided to expand into fiction. I can see why. She's a gifted communicator with a colorful past. An inveterate encourager, she's always urged others to follow their dreams.

Now she's taking her own advice in pursuing the skills of a novelist. I know of at least two stories she's developing.

But she's not simply writing, she's also placing herself in the vulnerable position of letting experts critique her work.

This past week when Jerry B. Jenkins conducted a “Thick-Skinned Fiction Clinic” webinar, my friend was among the first to send her novel's first page for anonymous critiquing.

Jerry covered her page with red ink. He liked the story, but showed numerous ways she could plunge readers more quickly into the tale.

Just what my friend needed. “I thumped my forehead over the many mistakes I made,” she said. “But I do appreciate his help.”

With her attitude, I know she'll apply what she learned – and keep on learning. I look forward to her final version.

A Time to Recuperate by Andy Scheer

This past week I've not done much writing.

A viral infection has sapped my energy. I've stayed close to home and done what tasks I can. I've taken a lot of naps, watched playoff baseball, and finished reading a long novel.

I've chosen to set aside two assignments. The deadlines are still a few weeks off. I've already assembled the framework for what I expect write. I know that if I force myself to attempt those projects, I won't be able to give them my best work.

One of those projects involves a week's worth of devotions. I suspect there's a lesson from this season of waiting and weakness that I can apply – if not in this project, then sometime ahead.

I don't yet appreciate being forced to wait, but I'm trusting that perspective will come.

Five Top Tools of the Writing Trade by Diana Flegal

A friend of mine was drinking coffee from this mug when I told her I just had to get a picture of it.

Friends of mine would tell you I ought to have one of my own :-)

I thought today I would list a few favorite tools I recommend to aid writers and see what you all had to say about them. If you had tried them or what is helpful to you and your writing. Maybe you have a better idea.



I sit at my desk most days perched on a big blue exercise ball or balance ball. I got this idea from friend and author Loree Lough and bought mine at K-Mart. I even took 'Big Blue' with me to a local writers conference and sat on it while I taught.I think it helps with posture and core strengthening and since I sit at my computer all day- anything that will help is good. Be sure to inflate your ball with the right amount of air to ensure the correct working height.  And refill it when needed.


Then recently, a client of mine, Jeanette Levellie purchased a standing desk. Have you seen these things? Jeanette blogged about her new acquisition and  claims it is saving her time. ?? Stop by and check it out.


Another cool writers tool is the lap desk. Mine has a wooden top with an attached bean bag underbelly. It sits comfortably across my lap and supports my laptop, allowing me to work from my couch when I tire of sitting at my desk. It helps me talk myself into doing a little more work before calling it a day.



By far though, one of the coolest writer tools would have to be Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. You talk- it types. A friend of mine got a new Mac Air. He discovered it had this feature (Dragon Dictate) built right into it and demonstrated it for me. Wow. That ALMOST convinced me to become a Mac owner. Nah... I prefer a computer that is compatible with the rest of the world. (Please Mac owners- no letters or snarky comments. I understand. I own a Honda. :-)

And finally- ambient coffee shop noise has been shown to increase productivity and creativity. Personally, I have found it conducive to caffeine overload. When I listen to the coffee shop noise, I do seem to be more creative- but then like Pavlov's dog, I must have more coffee, then I am creative and then I must have more coffee...and here I sit writing my blog at 1:22 am. Hmm. But I am feeling very creative :-)



What writer tool have you found that is helpful or time-saving for you? I would like to know. Please share.
And happy over the hump day to you!

Diana

“keep those cards and letter’s coming folks” by Jim Hart

I’m a song writer and the other day I received a very nice rejection letter from a record label. And it actually excited me. Admittedly, a recording contract would have been a more preferable scenario, but I did realized two important things:  1) I actually made public something creative in which I spent a great deal of energy and 2) someone on the other end actually acknowledged my efforts – even though the songs that I sent would ‘not be a good fit for us right now’. It’s like that classic break-up line: “it’s not you, it’s me”.  As if somehow that softens the blow.

So was it a waste of time and resources to send out a demo package, only to have it turned down? Not really. Now I know who not to send more demos to (at least for a year or two).  Of greater significance is the fact that I have now taken myself out of the “ someday I’m gonna” column and put myself in the “at least I tried” column.  And maybe the next column for me will be the “next best thing since sliced bread and the Beatles” column.

In fact, I really need to find some other labels to pester (it’s too bad stalking is not recognized as a good career move). So now I’m a bit more energized and my hopes are once again elevated to a completely un-realistic state – because I believe in my craft, and in a world dominated by Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift, this “50-something” guy is ready to take over!

Songs, books – they are much the same (one of them just has a few more words). They both present a good story in an engaging manner. A story that hopefully people will want to immerse themselves in over and over again. A story that may take years to get into the hands of the consumer. Sigh.

So, all you writers of fiction and non-fiction – get busy. Prepare your best proposal and get it out there. Move yourself straight to the “I did it” column and prepare yourself for any outcome.  And start working on your signature for all the book signings coming your way, just in case.

And as the old time radio preachers would say: “keep those cards and letters coming folks!”

Jim Hart

God Knows by Diana L. Flegal

In Haiti I learned an expression- Bon Dieu Konae. God Knows.

God knows.

He knows what your heart hides from others. Where it is broken, wounded and hopeful.

He knows of your longing for ...about your desire to write well. Well enough to earn the respect of your peers and a publisher.

Yet sometimes life is like sweeping a dirt floor.  (got this phrase from a blog I like written by Katy Glymph)

Yet, God is aware and keeping track of our lives. He knows our circumstances are hard and He plans days of Joy for us as well.

I think when you live in a place like Haiti where untimely death is a daily occurrence, it sharpens your priorities. Appreciation for each day and thankfulness for each blessing albeit how small is genuine and fresh.

In the evening, my Haitian neighbors sat around and talked after the wee ones were tucked into bed and just enjoyed the night air and one another. They did not ask a lot of God, content with what they had. And it wasn't much.

People ask me why I still talk about retiring to Haiti. It is the simple life that draws me. A loaf of bread, a bowl of red beans and rice, an occasional fish, thick coffee and friends sitting out under the moonlight.

When you are wondering if your published day will come, I can't say. But I can tell you: Bon Dieu Konae.

Be encouraged.

Just a Click Away by Diana L. Flegal

I have a cookbook collection but most days I now google my recipes. That way I can copy them to a file. So much easier.

When my son and I are in a debate about this or that- we sometimes sit side by side searching online for an article that backs up our side. Or we cut and paste our arguments and share them via FB private message.

Search engines have changed my life and I know the lives of writers.

There is not anything it seems that is not online. But I caution you to check more than one source for your historical research or current event. Spin doctors are hard at work to change your mind. And companies pay marketers big bucks to convince us that a piece of plastic that can provide us hardboiled eggs without the shell is the newest 'must have'.

Just today I found out:

100 years ago on this day is the hottest day on record.

There is a new app called Time Hop that can show you what you did last year this day.

I can look at photos of what happened on this day 5 or 10 years ago.

Perhaps one of these can offer you a writing prompt or a scene in your story.

Have a great day!

Specific Words by Andy Scheer

An hour after I edited an article by novelist Brandilyn Collins about using what she called “compression,” my lunchtime reading brought me an example of its effectiveness.

Collins advocated not merely writing that was lean, but writing built around words that evoke specific images and carry strong connotations.

Rather than have a character sit in a chair, Collins says, show the character's attitude by having her slouch or perch. The right verb eliminates the need for a sentence telling about the character's attitude.

Time for lunch. I opened to page 181 of William Dietrich's light historical adventure The Barbed Crown. As mortar between two scenes leading up to Napoleon’s coronation as emperor, Dietrich supplied this bit of exposition of a Paris street scene:

Commoners buzzed like an agitated hive. People sensed that history had turned a page and something glorious and terrible was about to be commemorated. They would tell their neighbors, in the momentous years to come, that they’d witnessed the beginning. Hawkers sold coffee and rolls. Enterprising merchants nearby charged two francs to use their privies. The most tireless prostitutes assembled, at nine in the morning, under paper Chinese lanterns strung along an arcade, to advertise their wares. Farmers from the countryside gawked.

Nouns

Considering Collins's advices about compression, I dissected that paragraph. Take a look at Dietrich's use of nouns.

Commoners buzzed like an agitated hive. People sensed that history had turned a page and something glorious and terrible was about to be commemorated. They would tell their neighbors, in the momentous years to come, that they’d witnessed the beginning. Hawkers sold coffee and rolls. Enterprising merchants nearby charged two francs to use their privies. The most tireless prostitutes assembled, at nine in the morning, under paper Chinese lanterns strung along an arcade, to advertise their wares. Farmers from the countryside gawked.

Verbs

Now look at his verbs.

Commoners buzzed like an agitated hive. People sensed that history had turned a page and something glorious and terrible was about to be commemorated. They would tell their neighbors, in the momentous years to come, that they’d witnessed the beginning. Hawkers sold coffee and rolls. Enterprising merchants nearby charged two francs to use their privies. The most tireless prostitutes assembled, at nine in the morning, under paper Chinese lanterns strung along an arcade, to advertise their wares. Farmers from the countryside gawked.

Phrases

Finally, his phrases.

Commoners buzzed like an agitated hive. People sensed that history had turned a page and something glorious and terrible was about to be commemorated. They would tell their neighbors, in the momentous years to come, that they’d witnessed the beginning. Hawkers sold coffee and rolls. Enterprising merchants nearby charged two francs to use their privies. The most tireless prostitutes assembled, at nine in the morning, under paper Chinese lanterns strung along an arcade, to advertise their wares. Farmers from the countryside gawked.

All this in a paragraph of exposition. No wonder he's had readers follow the adventures of Ethan Gage through six hardcover releases.