1

Introducing Broomeshtick

19 August 2010

While Write for Your Life has been Write for Your Life since Write for Your Life began, I’ve meddled and muddled along with my personal site for some time.

Partly to learn about WordPress and other platforms and partly because the traffic was always low enough to experiment, it never had a permanent home.

Until now.

Introducing Broomeshtick

In this episode I officially launch broomeshtick.com, what I’m calling an online museum for writers, plus things I’ve made and done. That means it features links, images and information for writers interspersed with updates on my own writing.

I’ve been posting to Broomeshtick regularly for the last couple of months and there’s some great stuff on there already.

While Write for Your Life provides lengthy articles and in-depth chit-chat about writing, Broomeshtick is my own personal commentary on the publishing industry and what it means to be a writer.

And things are going well. People are subscribing in numbers and the traffic is pretty good. So, I urge you, head over to Broomeshtick now and either subscribe to the RSS feed or pop it in your bookmarks.

I like to think it’s the sort of place you can stop by and hang out every couple of days, just to see what’s going on.

Websites for writers is for sale!

After more than a year of showcasing the great and good of online resources for writers, I’ve decided to sell my other website, Websites for writers.

The reason is simple. I want to devote more time to my own writing and to expanding Write for Your Life, with its upcoming (and mildly exciting) membership scheme.

I’m biased, of course, but I actually think that Websites for writers is a great opportunity for someone. The site’s received more than 180,000 page views and, as I explain in the video clip, was receiving hundreds of visits a day before I slowed up with the posting.

That’s a reasonable amount of traffic that you can probably put to much better use than I have. If you want to make a few pounds or dollars, you probably can with a bit of hard work and intuition.

I’m not looking (and don’t expect) to make a fortune, so if you think you might be interested in purchasing the site, watch the clip and feel free to get in touch.

Technostuff

I’m still looking for a quick, cheap and viable solution for providing transcripts to these videos. If you have any ideas, or if you’d like to volunteer to transcribe an episode, do get in touch. So yes, transcript on its way.

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35

Open your writing mind with the morning papers

12 August 2010

Guest post by Helia Phoenix

Earlier this year, I started reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

The strapline for the book is “a course in discovering and recovering your creative self”, and it’s one of the best creative guides I’ve ever read (if you’re inclined to, you can buy copies of The Artist’s Way from Amazon for under a fiver – check for used copies, lots are in great condition).

I’d like to share one of the tools recommended by the book: the morning pages.

What are morning pages?

Morning pages (according to The Artist’s Way) are three pages of stream of consciousness writing that you do every morning. The intention is to clear your mind of all the annoying claptrap that buzzes around, getting in the way of your creativity.

The idea is to get it down on paper as a way of removing it from your mind. Here’s an example of the sort of rubbish that reverberates around my head on a daily basis, if it’s not shooed off with the morning pages.

Ooo! I need to: change the date the mortgage comes out/book my car to fix the bit that’s rusting off at the bottom/order more dog food/call mum/book time off for my birthday/pay in that cheque/do my accounts/book a haircut. Etc etc.

Though Cameron calls it the morning pages, it’s a practice that’s recommended in many other creativity guides, some that predate The Artist’s Way.

I did a Creative Writing Masters a few years ago and several tutors on the course recommended stream-of-consciousness journaling for at least an hour every morning before engaging in other creative work.

We need to get one thing clear though: the morning pages aren’t about journaling. Journaling implies creating a narrative, making sense of occurrences by putting them into words and threading them in words across the page.

Morning pages are intended to be jibberish. They jump from one thing to another like the random thoughts they are.

I’ve had days when I’ve been unable to think of anything to write, and just repeated the, phrase ‘I need to finish three pages / I need to finish three pages,’ until something else struck for me to write.

Morning pages include as much bitching and whining about anything and everything that you can muster. They are a useful way for you to exorcise any worries or problems before you embark on your journey through the day.

What about doing the morning pages in real life?

I’ve been doing the pages since January. It would be amazing to have the luxury of time to get up, sit around, sip a fresh ground coffee and let my consciousness fall on the page first thing in the morning, but unfortunately, I can’t function that way.

I prefer to stay in bed until the last possible second before I have to drag myself up and to work, so sometimes they get done at 8am, but sometimes at 11am, sometimes at 2pm, sometimes when I get home from work, and occasionally, just before I go to bed.

I’ve found it’s definitely better to do them in the morning if you’re planning to spend a day doing something creative, like focusing on your own creative writing.

And of course, it’s not practically possible to write them everyday. I got tonsillitis in March and was in bed for a week.

Obviously, during that time and for the recovery period, the pages weren’t top priority. I stopped doing them for about six weeks while I just concentrated on getting better.

The result? I got better – but was very, very crabby. Things got on top of me. I wanted to write, but had no ideas, no drive. For weeks. I started writing the pages again and things have been much better.

So be warned: once you start writing them, you might not be able to stop.

What if I can’t be bothered?

Athletes practice and exercise everyday. Runners might not run full marathons all the time, but they’ll certainly do stretches to prepare for those big events.

As a writer, your writing muscles need exercise too – and the more you write, the easier it will be to write good stuff – and the quicker those ‘a-ha’ moments will come.

The pages are like your stretching exercises. You may feel inspired to write them some days, and completely repulsed by writing them on other days.

Cameron says that the key is to keep writing, especially at those times when you feel least like it.

What can I expect to happen?

I can’t speak for everyone. I can only tell you what the pages have meant for me (through reading The Artist’s Way, my experience is fairly typical of the vast majority of people who work with morning pages).

I’ve emptied out my closet. I’ve overhauled my house and thrown away boxes and boxes of crap that was clogging up my closets that I don’t need anymore.

I’ve re-evaluated relationships. I’ve signed up for a sewing class and a carpentry class. I’ve made changes in my life over things that were bothering me that I got sick of whining about everyday in my pages.

Oh, sorry, you probably were more interested in what creative writing type stuff has happened.

How about this…

I’ve signed up to a literary agent. I’ve stopped working in the evenings and over weekends and started watching films and listening to music instead.

I set up a community art collective in Cardiff and we’re running a digital storytelling project collecting stories of people who live here. I’ve written a sketch for a kooky romantic comedy that’s probably going to end up as young adult fiction.

Not bad for a few months’ worth of writing jibberish, no?

Jennifer Blanchard wrote an interesting post on what she achieved during her two week experiment with the morning pages. I’m not sure I achieved as much as she did in two weeks, but it’s a great example of how the pages can motivate you to make changes.
Definitely worth a read.

Do I really have to write, longhand, in a notebook?

The Artist’s Way was first published in the 80s, when the core tools for a writer were notebook and pen (and occasionally typewriter), so she doesn’t tackle the issues raised by technology for the morning pages.

Personally I prefer pen and paper – something about the action of writing seems to encourage better stuff to come out than when I’m typing. But most of us can type faster than we can write longhand.

Plus there’s the added benefit of security with using online journaling resources – handy if you live in a house with nosey kids/spouses/housemates.

Online journals are also easier for most of us to access nearly all of the time. If I forget to take my notebook somewhere, chances are I won’t do my pages. I hate writing them on scrap bits of paper and then sticking them in later – it just doesn’t work for me.

If you work a desk job that means being attached to a computer for most of the day, why not dedicate the first 15 minutes of that day to clearing your mind?

If typing fits more with your daily schedule, then consider one of the following (free!) online resources. If you Google you’ll find there are many more, but the following have been recommended to me by users, which is why I’m recommending them to you.

Penzu

A friend of mine recently started private online journalling in Penzu, and she absolutely swears by it. Penzu is a personal journal and online diary resource.

There’s a great page called Why Journal?, which lists the many (many!) benefits of keeping a diary or journal. If that doesn’t convince you to get started, I don’t know what will!

750 words

This website was created specifically in response to the morning pages from The Artist’s Way. It’s a secure website (no public publishing like a blog). You log in and aim to type 750 words per day (given that the average page holds 250 words, so three pages = 750 words).

The nifty thing about this website is the stats – you can see how many words you’ve written to date. A month’s worth of morning pages at this rate will give you 22,500 words.

That’s a lot of words! Suddenly achieving 50,000 words in a month for projects like NaNoWriMo doesn’t seem quite so intimidating, does it?

In conclusion then…

I’ve been working with and really getting a lot out of the morning pages since I started writing them. Do any of you write morning pages? Do you find them helpful for your writing, or for life generally?

If you don’t write morning pages but are a little intrigued, then consider this challenge.

Try them out, just for two weeks (like Jennifer Blanchard did). Set aside 15 minutes every morning to write stream of consciousness (try not to be late for work).

Two weeks isn’t a massive commitment. I’d be interested to hear your results/changes/achievements.

Image: fhashemi

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21

Critiquing etiquette: six ways to provide gracious feedback

5 August 2010

Guest post by Jodi Cleghorn

“Receiving feedback is difficult. But giving feedback with grace is even more so.”
Casing Compliments | Bobulate via Broomeshtick

To grow and evolve as a writer you must offer your work to others for critique and editing. It’s one of those terrible truths you come to terms with, sooner or later. The thing about feedback though, it is reciprocal – like a rubber ball it will come bouncing back to you.

Why?

Quid pro quo. If you invite someone to invest time and effort in your work, at some point they will expect the same from you.

While writers will begrudgingly accept the need for un-biased opinion, most writers feel incredibly uncomfortable being the one giving that opinion. It’s like taking the uncomfortable feeling of sharing your work and turning it up to 11.

It’s not that you’re stingy, or don’t want to help. It’s to do with that feeling in your gut which warns you away from scary things. And let’s not beat around the bush – giving feedback is terrifying.

What could possibly go wrong?

What if you accidentally say something hurtful? Or you derail someone’s creativity or confidence with a misunderstood comment? What if they stop writing because of what you said? Or what you said was wrong!

It’s much easier to play safe and say nothing.

I can empathise. As an editor, and a writer, I have a foot in both camps, and I always find it far more difficult (and stressful) to provide rather than receive feedback. This is despite hangover sensitivities to critique after a bad experience as a young writer.

Agreeing to provide feedback is one of the best things you can do to improve your writing skills. Plus, being asked implies the writer trusts you to help them take their story from good to fantastic.

The good news is, you can provide feedback which is tough, gracious, thought-provoking and, dare I say, compassionate and constructive.

Here’s a six-part guide to critiquing etiquette.

1. It is only one person’s opinion

Always frame (and remember) your feedback is only your opinion – that’s all it is. And, it’s also just one person’s opinion. Others may have different thoughts or suggestions – including the author!

I have a codicil at the bottom of my feedback emails which states: please accept/reject/alter or ignore anything here as it is your work and this is my take on it.

2. Dialogue between two people

What people often forget about feedback is it’s a dialogue, not a monologue. Always offer to discuss your comments or suggestions with the writer.

Remember though, it is not gracious and far from professional, to be defensive about your feedback. It’s OK if they disagree with you. It is the writer’s work after all and they do get the final say.

Some of the most fulfilling editorial relationships I’ve had with writers have come about due to a lack of consensus. Disagreement opens the channels for discussion, and stories thrive in such hothouse environments.

If possible have these conversations live. You can ask questions and get new insights into a story when a writer talks about it in real-time.

3. Stick to Specifics

Useful feedback focuses on specifics. Always choose specific examples to illustrate your point/comment and give specific suggestions on how the writer may make changes. Be honest. Feedback, given constructively is more likely than you realise to give a writer an ‘a-ha!’ moment, even if it initially feels like a slap in the face.

Useless feedback is broad-sweeping statements or generalisation. It slaps the writer in the face and that’s it. Steer clear of these at all costs. For one, it gives a writer nothing to work with. It is also gives ample fodder for a writer to fill in the details (and they’re never positive, these fillers).

Most importantly, never critique or make comment on the author (this is why you should always stick to specifics). It is only, and will always only be about the work at hand.

For example, I was told by a writer-in-resident when I was 18 that my writing was naïve and I should go and live in the real world.
He mentioned nothing about problematic writing mechanics or narrative flaws in the piece I submitted.

I filled in the gaps with shame, believing I’d had the audacity to think I could write. I didn’t show my work to another soul for almost a decade!

4. Be Positive

Always, always, always lead off with something positive. Even the worst piece of writing has something good about it – it might be a brilliant idea which has been poorly executed on the page. Again – be specific!

5. Time is of the Essence

Be mindful of the turn around. Don’t leave people hanging for weeks waiting. The general assumption is, if people don’t get back to you in good time the your work stinks and whoever you gave it to is struggling to find the right words to tell you that.

Give yourself a deadline to return the feedback – or even better, get the writer to provide you with one. If you can’t in good faith provide feedback in that timeframe, don’t agree to take the piece.

6. Work from the brief

Ask the writer for a brief. This will assist you in doing your job. In this they should tell you:

  • what kind of feedback they’re looking for
  • what draft version they are sending
  • where they are considering sending it (especially important if for a competition)
  • the word count
  • the due date for submission and the date feedback is required.

Stick to the brief. If they’re asking for general comments don’t return a file with massive tracked changed edits. If the writer won’t or can’t provide you with a brief, don’t do the critique for them.

Start small. Check your ego in at the door. Be truthful. Offer creative alternatives. And know, the more you provide feedback, the less excruciating it will become.

Image: Christmas w/a K

Share your thoughts

So what’s your take on it? Do you provide gracious feedback or are you a sorry-I-haven’t-got-round-to-it type? Can you add to Jodi’s list of tips? Let us know in the comments below.

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13

Zen and the art of not writing

28 July 2010

Guest post by Beth Morey

Does this situation sound familiar?

You wake at an indefinably early hour to sneak in some quality time with your manuscript. You brew the coffee, clear the inbox and gag that pesky inner editor. You apply the seat of your pajama pants to the seat of your desk chair. You insert 99% of the perspiration, as recommended, fingers poised over the keyboard – yet the pages only fill with drivel, or worse, remain lifeless and empty.

After 30, 60, or more dedicated minutes which feel less like writing and more like the medieval art of dentistry, you save your progress with a sigh and trudge to the bathroom for a shower.

An inconvenient truth

You’re halfway through your daily lather when it hits – the plot twist which, you realise, your entire novel is hinging on, or the exquisite article lead that you just spent the last hour trying to suss out.

You throw back the shower curtain and, snatching a towel to retain some shred of modesty, rocket toward the nearest scrap of paper and pencil. Frantically you press words into the paper’s safekeeping, water dripping from your barely toweled body onto the paper.

Breathless and shivering, you feel victorious. You are a writer, and you have created something worth finishing and – hopefully – worth reading.

It’s good to plan, but…

This type of scene plays out in my life more than I care to admit. I’m not complaining, though. As a writer, these flashes of insight are exhilarating. I just wish they occurred at more convenient and regularly scheduled times.

There is great value in sitting down before a blank computer screen or stack of paper and squeezing words into being one clenching syllable at a time. A regular writing routine is an excellent tool, as are world-building, outlining, and other brainstorming techniques.

Every writer needs to slog through some form of resistance eventually. Writing is not easy, we all know, and not for armchair authors whose literary dreams are more transient than, say, Lindsey Lohan’s hair color.

However, there is also something to be said for not writing, for choosing to step away from the page. Whether it’s because the words just aren’t working, the dog needs to be walked or the pile of dirty dishes accumulating in the kitchen has reached critical mass (ie there are no spoons left).

Life away from the act of writing happens. It has to.

I’ve found that those occasions when I’m explicitly not writing are often more helpful and productive than when I am.

Finding the ‘Ah-ha’ moments

One of the basic how-to tips doled out to beginner writers is to carry a notebook everywhere in the event that inspiration strikes. I do – at least, I try to. I’m still perfecting my proficiency with this trick of the writing trade.

I mean, there are only so many places a notebook can go (remember the shower?). But I try, and it’s paid off.

Some of my best “ah ha!” moments have come when I’m doing something that does not require my brain’s full engagement. Maybe it’s my subconscious mulling my story’s problems over, or maybe it’s the gods of writing sending me a freebie.

Regardless of the why, these zen moments pay off on the page. In addition to bath time, I hit the inspiration zone when I’m hiking with my dogs, driving (especially long distances), washing the dishes or working out. I wonder what my fellow gym-goers think is going on when I scrawl on my open notebook in the midst of a sweaty elliptical session.

Letting it happen

Not that I would care (much) if I learned that their opinions are less than flattering, because I am a writer. I haven’t bled for my craft – yet – but I am dedicated to improving my work, to telling my stories, to all the lonely yet wonderful joys of the writing life.

So sometimes I simply don’t write. I let the zen flow of not-writing trickle words and worlds into my imagination for when I return to the page, refreshed.

Image: brunkfordbraun

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19

How I use a mind map to build stories

22 July 2010

Guest post by Paul Donovan Campos

A mind map is a means to visually represent ideas and their relationship to one another. It’s a brainstorming tool frequently used in education, the business world, and the entertainment industry – often in collaborative projects.

In principle it’s meant to more accurately represent mental associations than an outline can. Fiction writing is less frequently collaborative. But a mind map template can become an effective composition tool.

In my experience, outlining stories can be a big help, but writing an outline often frustrates my efforts to develop a story from scratch. They’re too linear for my associative thought process, end up full of gaps and feel less natural than a mind map.

Since a mind map is not linear, blank spaces are not only forgivable, they become compelling reasons to think more about the story you’re developing. Here’s a guide to how a mind map can be used as a composition tool.

Starting out

I start with general ideas and get more and more specific as my story develops. I have a template layout containing four elements that every story will involve. Whenever I open a fresh mind map, this is what goes up first:

I label these nodes like this because when I have an idea it involves at least one of these story elements. I can focus on what I have then start adding my story’s specifics as they occur to me. It means I don’t struggle through outline points that aren’t ready to be fleshed out yet.

Introducing and expanding ideas

Let’s take a specific example. Say a story occurred to me based on an argument between a stepson and his nosy stepfather.

I’ve got a single complete scene in which the stepfather asks the stepson’s friends about his girlfriend. Sensing there’s more to the story, I can use the template above to develop it.

I fill in all the elements of the scene that I know. In this instance, I’ve got my main players, their characteristics and the gist of the scene.


With this material on screen, some questions naturally arise.

How do we know the stepfather’s a liar and not just concerned? He should have someone to talk to.

How does the son demonstrate his narcissism? He should also have someone to confide in.

Now I’ve got two new characters and will need two new scenes. I should create two new nodes subordinate to ‘Plot’ and elaborate on the son’s character subordinate to the ‘pouty, narcissistic’ node.


Every node can be joined by siblings (like the two additional ‘Plot’ nodes) or beget infants (like the supporting details about the son’s narcissism). The beauty of a mind map is that it can continue expanding whenever a new element occurs to you.

The advantage of the layout I introduced in my first step is that it leaves open space on the other side of the mind map to fill in more details.

Crossing the map

I left ‘Setting’ and ‘Timeline’ blank on the opposite end of the map. Now that I have additional ‘Plot’ and ‘Character’ elements, they will help fill in those blanks.

Questions that will help develop ‘Setting’:

Where did the son’s encounter with his ‘friends’ take place? The yard.

Where did the stepfather’s conversation with his lackey take place? His study.

Questions that will help develop ‘Timeline’:

What happened before the scene I have? The son’s father died.

In what order do these events take place in the story? The step-father will talk to his lackey, the friends will quiz the son, the son will talk to his best friend.

What will I choose not to show? The stepfather asking the son’s friends to find out about the girlfriend.

Now I know where and when my three scenes take place. I like to use arrows to reinforce particularly important connections. I’ll insert an arrow using the colour of the region that inspired the thought, so I can keep track of where my ideas came from.

For instance, the son’s attitude towards his duplicitous friends influenced my decision to describe the yard in which that scene is set as ‘lifeless’. Since that description occurred to me as a result of what I wrote in the ‘Characters’ node, I used a red arrow.

You can see a fully expanded version of the mind map here.

Using the mind map, I’ve developed a lot of material from a single scene. I think using arrows is important because it reminds me that each node can lead someplace else. That this is an organic process and space that’s undeveloped is asking for attention.

My goal when using a mind map is to fill empty space as soon as possible. Images, links, symbols, and even sound files can be inserted into a map’s nodes to help you along.

Here’s an example of a short story that became the basis for the NaNoWriMo I finished last year – it displays the full screen of my completed mind map.

The column on the right gives me the options to easily insert pictures from Google Images and links to Google Maps into my “Setting” node. I referred to those pictures when I wrote the scenes that took place there. They were helpful references when I needed inspiration.

I use MindMeister (which offers limited free use and has a nice tutorial). You can also find a good list of alternatives on Wikipedia.

I hope this has been a helpful demonstration. But it’s just one example of how a mind map can be used when developing a story. There are so many other possibilities and you are only limited only by your imagination.

Share your thoughts

So how do you plan and structure your stories? Would you consider using a mind map like Paulo? Are you worried about what software to use? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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25

Do you need university qualifications to be a good writer?

19 July 2010

Watch this video with captions
Download the transcript (.RTF 44.9KB)

Postgraduate writing courses have become hugely popular in the last 15 years and more and more English degrees feature creative writing as part of their syllabus.

These days it’s quite common to hear that an author’s first novel or debut poetry collection was created during their time on some university course or other. The idea of writers studying the writing process has gradually gained acceptance. There are fewer critics and those that persist seem to have a fading voice.

In this episode

Personally, I’m all for university writing qualifications. Well, not the qualifications so much, but the creative environment that the courses provide and the unique opportunities they present to us pen-twiddlers.

I suggest that writing courses give you:

  • a fantastic writing environment
  • advice from experienced, widely-published authors
  • a better understanding of the literary canon.

Further reading

Here’s a few articles on writing courses that you might find interesting. Also, a couple of books. The first I’ve read and highly recommend, the other a collection of essays put together by one of my old undergraduate tutors.

Technostuff

If you’re reading this via an RSS reader or email and can’t view the video, you can head to the full post here on Write for Your Life or watch the clip on Vimeo.

Share your thoughts

So what do you think? Have you considered taking a writing qualification or do you think they’re a waste of time? Have you got one already? Tell us your opinion in the comments section below.

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13

A beginner’s guide to writing for the web

14 July 2010

Guest post by Rob Mills

One of the privileges of being a writer is the opportunity to share stories with, evoke emotions in, and connect to other people.

With more traditional storytelling platforms such as books, authors are not present when their audience is reading their work. Indeed they can still get feedback but the relationship is a more impersonal one.

When writing for the web, this gap is bridged somewhat. You can reach a wider and more diverse audience who can instantly give feedback on your work through comments on blog posts, forum posts, book reviews, user-generated content and social media.

This is a great advantage to using the web as your platform to share stories. Yet each medium brings with it constraints and challenges, and the web is no different.

Less time to engage

With traditional media, writers are afforded the luxury of being able to introduce characters, create settings, and build the story one chapter at a time.

On the web there is no such luxury. Typically, people want information fast (although this is not always the case) and studies tell us that users scan the page rather than digest each and every word.

That means that we have to be more selective about what we write on the web: every word counts. And yet writing less is usually harder than writing reams.

This is perfectly illustrated in the following quote from Blaise Pascal.

“I would like to have written a shorter letter but didn’t have the time.”

The key here is to know your story. What information is essential for your users for them to achieve the task that they’ve come to your website for? Once you know this, you can focus on communicating without too much fluff and unnecessary copy.

If you do feel that several paragraphs are necessary, make sure you segment your copy with headings to make it easier for readers to absorb.

Calls to action are also helpful. A button that says, ‘Register here’ is a standard web convention and there is little need to explain in sentences about registering. Lead users to a page where you have a new quota of words to share with them.

Tone of voice

There is an often quoted statistic that non-verbal cues make up 93% of what we communicate. Whether valid or not, the thinking behind that number is important. We don’t communicate through words alone, but through cues, imagery and our tone of voice.

We may lose the in-person interaction on the web, but that doesn’t mean we can’t convey a tone of voice through our copy. Some websites adopt a formal tone of voice and others more informal and chatty.

To decide what tone of voice is most appropriate for your website, you need to fully understand who it’s aimed at.

If you’re writing for a group of corporate stakeholders, chances are you need to write copy with a more formal approach. A website for a band would be better suited to a more jargon free, informal tone of voice.

Another way to find your tone is to read other websites. What do you like? What don’t you like? Can someone else’s tone of voice inspire what you’re doing on your own project?

Ultimately, it’s about knowing your story and the audience you’re writing it for. Only then will you be able to successfully write copy that communicates in the right tone of voice.

A picture paints a thousand words

Icons and images can sometimes communicate what it would take many words to say. They need to be used carefully and with consideration, especially cultural variants, but icons and imagery can quickly lead users through your site. Keep copy to a minimum and support your story.

Reaching the masses

This is a big plus for writing on the web. You have a potential worldwide audience at your fingertips. Cracking.

On the other hand, this means you are trying to communicate with many cultures and as language, colours and pictures have varying cultural significances, there’s a risk you will offend some people.

You won’t be able to appeal to all though, so you need to hone in on the key audience and write with them in mind. Perhaps there will be localised versions of the website where copy can be amended to suit, but in the first instance write for your core audience.

Bringing it all together

The most important thing is to always write with your audience in mind. Keep it simple, complement your words with calls to action, icons, colours and pictures and ensure that across all of this there is a consistent and appropriate tone of voice.

Above all though, and this applies to all platforms, be passionate about what you write. If you are then you are already half way there.

Share your thoughts

What’s your experience of writing for the web? Does it come natural or do you find you have to adjust what you do? Tell us what you think in the comments section of this post.

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10

Introducing the all-new Write for Your Life!

14 July 2010

So here it is, the redesigned, reorganised Write for Your Life!

First of all, if you’re reading this in an RSS reader or email, you should pop on over to the site. It’s very pretty and we have monsters. Lots of monsters!

You can also watch this short(ish) video, where I talk about the redesign and some of the exciting plans I have in store for the site, including a unique membership scheme and a series of online conferences.

Toot toot! Told you it was exciting.

So, what do you reckon?

Write for Your Life has been very lucky to gain a delightful readership (that’s you!) and your feedback is very important and much appreciated.

Please make yourself at home, take a good look around and get in touch if you see anything that seems out of place. Any whoops of delight or general comments can go in the comments section below, of course.

And feel free to spread the word using our new Retweet and Like buttons!

Thank you!

Of course, I’d like to say that I was entirely behind this lovely new look, but it would be extremely naughty of me. A huge thank you must go to Matt Pearce, the man behind the monsters, and Craig Shaw, who has worked tirelessly to build the site and cater to my every whim.

Cheers chaps. You’ve done a wonderful job.

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8

Preparing to relaunch Write for Your Life

3 June 2010

As you may or may not know, I’m exceptionally busy with my own writing at the moment, both personal scribbling and of course, proper work. But fear not, the mist will soon be clearing and my attention will return to Write for Your Life in earnest.

I recorded this quick video to tell you a bit more about what’s coming up with the relaunch and to ask for contributors and volunteers. Watch the video for more information, but essentially I’m looking for delightful folk to:

If you think you’d like to contribute to Write for Your Life in any of these ways, please get in touch by emailing iain@writeforyourlife.net and we’ll get the ball rolling. We’re not in a position to pay you, but you will be rewarded instead with much acclaim and links back to your own website.

So that’s it for now. I hope the video explains what’s taking place at Write for Your Life towers at the moment and I hope it whets your appetite for the site relaunch.

I’ve learned a thing or two myself through recording this clip: that I need both a haircut and, more pressingly, some sleep.

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32

A writer’s guide to feedback and writing groups

14 May 2010

Guest post by Elizabeth Markham

For most of us who write, the desire to share our stories with the world (and maybe even get paid for it) means we can’t write in isolation – we need feedback.

There are many ways to get feedback, including through editors and manuscript assessors (for a fee), and sometimes even through the comments that may come with a rejection. But this feedback comes quite late in the drafting process.

So how do you get feedback on a work in progress? I recommend joining a writing group – sometimes called critiquing group.

What writing groups offer

While here I’m going to focus on feedback, the benefits of a writing group go beyond that. They offer a chance to socialise with other writers, discuss experiences and read a range of stories you might not otherwise read. But feedback…

If you’ve ever received ‘it was good’ as the sole comment on your work, then you know that not all feedback is helpful.

The advantage of having other writers reading your work is they are usually avid readers too (so know what they like). They should also have a better understanding of story and craft than non-writers.

With luck, the writers in your writing group will have had some practice giving feedback. Through giving feedback yourself, you should also find you learn to be more analytical when reading your own work, which can quickly lead to cleaner first drafts!

Opinions

The thing to remember about receiving and giving feedback is that you’re dealing with opinions. Like getting an opinion on anything in life, you need to find people whose opinion you trust and respect.

But if you ask for their advice, you can’t get angry with them for what they say. And just because it hurts your feelings doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen! Whatever that person disliked about your story, there’s a good chance other readers will too – and one of those readers might be an editor deciding whether to publish it.

When giving feedback, don’t forget to praise what made you smile as well as what made you frown, and always talk about the writing, not the writer. You might think it’s just common sense, but always use respectful language.

Good writing groups and bad

First the bad. If a group contains too many inexperienced writers, you may still essentially get feedback like: ‘It was good’. A group can also have members with an agenda – from wanting contributors for their pet project to hating a particular genre.

Sometimes, writing groups will have writers who fancy themselves as experts and will drone on, often without providing much useful feedback. Groups can suffer from a belief that tearing people’s work into itty-bitty pieces is the same as giving constructive criticism. It’s not.

What about good groups? A good group will usually be organised, with a regular meeting date and a few rules to keep the critiquing moving along in an orderly manner. I have to say that a good group will also usually have at least half its members older than 25 (less partying and more robust egos).

These days there are also a lot of online critiquing forums and groups. These have the advantage of always having people available to critique, and you certainly get diverse readers, but it can be harder to convey meaning through text alone, and there’s not always the social aspect. It might, though, be perfect for you!

Pick and choose

People often form groups after meeting in a workshop or course. It might develop into a fantastic group. Or not. They might be wonderful people to socialise with but not so good on the feedback. You might even feel you learn a lot at the beginning, but then reach a point where it’s not working for you.

You need to be willing to leave, or join a second group (time permitting). And if you’re getting feedback from readers, editors or agents that says your craft needs work (grammar, pacing, etc), then it might be time to look for a new group that can help you with that.

Starting a writing group yourself

Some suggestions:

  • Each person should have a few minutes to deliver their comments (it controls the ramblers).
  • The author shouldn’t speak during the comments, but can have a ‘right of reply’ at the end (avoids defensive or argumentative comments).
  • Pick a regular meeting day and stick to it (everyone knows when it is and can organise to be there).

It’s also worth talking to potential members to check that they’re a good fit for your group before letting them join. Other things to consider include how often you meet, whether you have a submission schedule or people just submit when they want, and whether you meet in a hired room or someone’s house.

These are all matters of taste and convenience, but work them out in advance. All groups need at least one organiser (and you may get stuck in that role), but a good group is always a community, not a possession.

Personal experience

It took me three groups to find a good one, and I’ve been privileged to belong to an excellent group for the past six years. In that time I’ve learnt a lot about the technical aspects of writing and about the publishing industry, and gained valuable insight into how readers read stories. Looking back I can see the growth in my work.

A final word

Possibly the best thing about a writing group is the practice it gives you in tucking your ego in your back pocket and accepting that the story you are so proud of needs to change. Not an easy thing for any writer, but this is exactly what editors and agents will expect you to do with grace. Which is not to say you should always yield.

You’ll also learn how to stand-up for what you think definitely shouldn’t change.

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5

#3: Reading at and setting up a spoken word event

28 April 2010

Listen to or download the podcast
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes
Transcript coming soon (promise!)

In this episode

I’ve talked before on Write for Your Life about how important I think it is to perform your writing. There are loads of benefits that can genuinely make a difference to your work.

Me and a group of colleagues, including co-host Manuela Boyle and Justine Gaubert from the wonderful Silent Sheffield, set up a spoken word night called Words Aloud in 2006. In part one of this podcast we talk about our experience of performing at and setting up a spoken word night. If you’ve considered doing either of those things, you should find our chit-chat pretty useful.

In part two I talk (via Skype, hence the change in audio quality!) to Donna Sørensen from the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin. After years of relative neglect, a group of volunteers have got the centre up and running wonderfully again, despite missing out on arts funding. Their story is an important one in these times of financial woe. Check out their blog too.

Finally, in part three, I’m back with Manuela to offer our thoughts on a post over at Peter Shallard’s website, called 7 Pshycological Tips for Getting in the Writing Zone. We get a little silly.

Technostuff

The volume levels are a little up and down during my interview with Donna and on the odd occasion me and Manuela get excited and move either towards or away from the microphone. We are learning as we go, so do bear with us.

Also, at the start of part two, I refer to having just listened to the end of part two. I meant part one. I’m a podnit.

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14

The key to selling your book is the cover letter

23 April 2010

Guest post by Gary Smailes

We are all looking for the secret to securing a book deal! I am pretty sure that there is no one winning formula, though I am convinced that without a killer cover letter you are doomed to failure.

I am sure you know that each year thousands of books are rejected by publishers and agents.

But did you know that many of these are perfectly good books that never get a chance because their query letter, synopsis and extract are not presented in the best way possible?

How it happened for me

In 2001 I wanted to be a writer. I was working for author Terry Deary (of Horrible Histories fame), as a researcher, at the time. I showed him some of my work and he encouraged me to get it published.

However, a bucket full of rejection letters later I was disillusioned and ready to give up. I went back to Terry and asked him what was the key to his success?

It turns out there was no secret, just hard work and (here it comes) a great book proposal.

Today I have an agent, have had book series published by three (soon to be four) separate publishers. I have ten books in print, four books for publication this year with Franklin Watts and a handful of proposals currently sitting on my agent’s desk.

So what was the secret?

Well, Terry Deary was right – a great book proposal goes a very long way to kick starting a writing career. As a result, I became obsessed with decoding the book proposal, both fiction and non-fiction.

Over the years I talked to literally hundreds of writers, publishers and agents about what makes a great book pitch. The result was a set of rules that can be applied to write a winning book proposal.

The Four Paragraph Approach

In this post I want to let you into the secret of writing a great cover letter – I call it… The Four Paragraph Approach.

Paragraph 1

The opening paragraph is split into two sections. The first is the elevator pitch, which consists of a couple of lines that capture the essence of the book.

This is a concise and targeted summary of the book in just a couple of sentences.

You can’t choose who you fall in love with and that’s especially true with football teams. (The Bromley Boys, Dave Roberts)

Belle de Jour is the nom de plume of a high-class call girl working in London. This is her story. (Belle de Jour, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl)

Grosvenor HouseDeep in the City something had been woken, something so old and so ordinary that people had been walking past it for centuries without giving it a second look…(Stone Heart, Charlie Fletcher)

The second part of the opening paragraph is a brief summary containing a few sentences that describe your book in a bit more detail. Include a VERY brief outline of your narrative and the main characters.

At this stage you are simply showing the agent/publisher the type of book you have written and giving them a chance to see if it will fit into their current list.

Paragraph 2

The aim of this paragraph is to present your book as a viable product. Remember that you are trying to sell your book as a tool from which publishers/agents can make a bit of cash.

You need to include:

  • the book’s genre
  • the book’s word count
  • an indication of the market with one or two representative titles
  • notes of any images, illustrations or unusual requirements
  • an indication of if the book is written and if not when it will be
    finished.

The representative titles are important and should not be missed. The best way to decide on these is to think what readers of your book may also read. The examples will give the publisher/agent a good indication whether your book is the kind of product they can publish/sell.

It may also be advisable to include statistics of potential markets where possible. If you have access to specialist figures then these certainly should be included.

However, do not include figures that are either educated guesses or approximations UNLESS they are specific to your book and something the publisher/agent will not be able to find themselves.

Paragraph 3

This is a loose outline of your book’s plot – just remember to keep it brief. Do include the key characters, the problem they face and the point of conflict. But do not expand this to a full blown synopsis. Short and sweet is the key.

Paragraph 4

This is about you as a writer. In the modern world of internet driven marketing the writer is increasingly becoming an important part of the process.

Include a brief biography, containing any relevant information such as previously published titles. I would also suggest you add information regarding your web presence.

I absolutely want to know about you. I love pithy bios because it tells me a bit about the person behind the words. I don’t care if you’re the president of your dart club unless your book is about darts.
Behler Publications

The key to remember is that the query letter is just a taste of your book. At this stage it is all about finding the correct agent/publisher and making sure that your book fits their list.

If the agent/publisher has no experience of selling the genre in which your book falls, then any potential partnership is doomed to failure.

Before we move on it is important to mention that the following information MUST be included in the query letter: your name, your address, any website details, your email address and your home and mobile numbers.

Beyond one page

It is a common myth that book proposals should be one page query letter and one page synopsis. It can be okay to write an extended query letter (in some circumstances).

Here’s a list of topics that might be included:

Marketing ideas

If you have a strong web presence, or if you have a solid vision for the marketing and promotion of your book then this can be included.

However, simply saying ‘I will do ten book signings’ is not the kind of thing that will get anyone excited.

This said making it clear to the publisher/agent that you firstly, understand that marketing is part of the writer’s job, and secondly that you as a writer are prepared to get your hands dirty is always a positive.

This is also where you should include any unique media contacts you may possess.

A book series

Another situation that may lead to an expanded book proposal is if you are pitching for a series of books.

In this case it may be appropriate for you to include a one page synopsis for each title, plus an expanded description of your series in the query letter.

This is especially true for non-fiction works that are more likely to NOT be written at point of proposal.

Share your thoughts

Does this article match your expectations of what it takes to get a book deal? Do you have an alternative tale to tell? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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21

#2: Copywriting versus creative writing

11 April 2010

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Part one sees us talk about the terrible tussle faced by those writers who try to combine a copywriting career with literary ambition. The two of us agree, then disagree, and then I go through a little unintended writerly therapy. Everything turns out fine in the end.

In part two (18:53) we talk about a couple of posts from other blogs. We reveal our worst writing distractions to follow up on 7 Writing Distractions I’m Kissing Goodbye, which featured on Fuel Your Writing (which I shamefully refer to as Fuel My Writing – sorry!) and was written by Suzannah from Write it Sideways.

We then talk about whether writers should blog every day, following Bubblecow’s assertion that we definitely should.

Finally, in part three (28:40) I talk about the future of Write for Your Life and how you can contribute, either to the podcast or by writing a guest article.

We want your feedback!

This is our first real foray into the world of podcasting, so your feedback is very important. If you think this episode is great, tell us why. If you think that there’s a problem or you have a suggestion, we want to hear about those too!

The aim is to both provide and prompt useful discussion, so please feel free to use the comment area below this post to let us know your thoughts.

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1

Who wants to write for Write for Your Life?

31 March 2010

monster2.jpg

If you’re a regular reader of Write for Your Life or if you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that an update to the site has been on its way for a while. Well that update is almost upon us.

I’m not going to put an exact time on it, because I know how these things can have their unexpected twists and turns (like most good narratives), but if you pop back in two or three weeks time things might look a little different around these parts.

While the visual change will be dramatic – and very beautiful in an illustrated monster kind of a way – there’s a bit more to it than that.

Tell me more, tell me more!

In many ways, Write for Your Life will carry on as it always has. We won’t be posting every day of the week or unless we’ve got something we think you ought to read. Or see. Or listen to.

And if those clues aren’t enough, the following bulleted list should give you an idea of what you’ll find on the all-new Write for Your Life:

  • awesome articles that offer practical advice and insightful opinions on writing
  • a regular podcast featuring writing chat, fab features and, hopefully, your contributions
  • video tutorials to help you get more from your writing software and web applications.

Though we may stray from those three areas occasionally, they will be the main focus of the site. I want to make sure that the content on Write for Your Life is good quality, well written and fun to read/listen to/watch.

And I’d very much like it if you were to help me.

Write for Write for Your Life

While I’ve concentrated on my novel over the last few months, I’ve had some great guest authors on hand to keep the content coming at Write for Your Life. It’s been great to hear other voices with different experience and knowledge.

As the site evolves (see above!), I’d like to keep those voices coming. I’ll provide more detail on a dedicated page when Write for Your Life relaunches, but I’m essentially looking for articles that offer one of two things (or both of course):

  • practical, tangible advice that writers can take away and act on
  • thoughtful, insightful opinions on or approaches to writing based on real experience.

What I don’t want is yet another list of ways to overcome writer’s block (it’s a myth, by the way). Also, please avoid news-based articles. Proper sites, like The Guardian, have got all that stuff covered pretty well.

Anyway, if you think that you might be sitting on something (ouch!) that fits the bill, feel free to get in touch with your idea.

Isn’t it time you started selling stuff?

Well, thanks for asking, you’re probably right. My Post-it note guide to planning and writing a novel is still in the pipeline, but I’m currently using it to, well, plan and write a novel.

Apart from some early dabbling, Write for Your Life hasn’t had adverts plastered all over the place, and that’s not going to change. We are, however, on the look out for someone or some company to sponsor our podcast and video tutorials. Basically to help cover the cost of hosting and equipment.

Again, I’ll talk more about this when we relaunch, but my rule is that it has to be a site or product that I’d happily recommend myself. If you think you might be interested, please do get in touch now and we’ll have a chit chat about it.

Finally, we’re planning to launch our very own script reading service, offering professional, informed feedback on your manuscript. Once again, more information at a later date.

Is that it?

Well yes, I think so. Apart from to point you towards one last preview of the upcoming redesign and to ask you to share your thoughts on all of the above in the comments section below.

I’d also like to offer a cyber-high-five to everyone who has left a comment before or sent a message of support for Write for Your Life via email.

We’re not one of the big hitters and we’re not out to make a fortune from blogging (see above!). We don’t even tell you when a new post is coming.

But despite that, Write for Your Life has grown to almost 750 subscribers and that makes me pleased as punch.

Much love and rhubarb. Thank you.

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8

How to speed up your writing with AutoCorrect

23 March 2010

The act of writing, as in the physical process of getting your work on to the screen, can be a tiresome business at times.

Thankfully, there are plenty of really rather helpful writing software packages available to help you make things as painless as possible.

These tailored writing programmes are fairly newfangled though, and I suspect that most of us still use more traditional word processors, like good old Microsoft Word.

And that’s fine, because they have some rather nifty features too, like the quite awesome AutoCorrect.

What is AutoCorrect?

I’ve included the official definition below, but basically, you know how when you type and you get the odd character back to front, then something happens and it magically rectifies itself?

Well, that’s AutoCorrect. Here’s the definition:

Its principal purpose is to correct common spelling or typing errors, saving time for the user. It is also used to automatically format text or insert special characters by recognising particular character usage, saving the user from having to use more tedious functions.

What does AutoCorrect do for writers?

AutoCorrect is great because it contains all those pre-defined misspellings and typos, tracks what you’re doing and puts them right for you.

What’s even more smashing is that you can add to this pre-defined list. This is great for writers, because it allows you to create shortcuts for all those made-up words that you use again and again.

You know, like your novel’s pesky characters and settings. Or that unwieldy technical term that pops all the time on your blog.

Give us an example

In practice, it means that you can replace words with shortcuts. One of the examples I use in the tutorial is ‘Papua New Guinea’, which is fine to write in full once or twice, but if that’s where your book is set, you’ll soon get fed up.

Using AutoCorrect, you cn create the shortcode ‘png’. This means that whenever you type ‘png’ and press space (or full stop etc) from then on, Word knows to replace the shortcode with the full term, Papua New Guinea.

Watch the tutorial and you’ll see how much quicker you can write otherwise time-consuming and awkward sentences.

Is this just a Microsoft Word thing?

Absolutely not! I don’t claim to know every word processing package out there, but I believe the AutoCorrect function is built into most of them. Even if it goes by a different name.

It’s definitely there in the free OpenOffice package and from this thread in the Apple forums, it seems you can also use AutoCorrect with Pages on a Mac.

And finally

So there you go – a very simple and often overlooked way to make your writing process more efficient.

Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below, particularly if you have any extra AutoCorrect tips or ideas that you want to share!

I’d also like to know what you think to these tutorials (check out the one on using Document Map too if you need more evidence). Write for Your Life is evolving and your input, dear readers, is very valuable and much appreciated!

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18

Copywriters: ghosts of their writing selves?

25 February 2010

Guest post by Manuela Boyle

I write five days out of seven. Some weeks maybe more. Original prose no less; raw materials plucked from different vocabulary sets and arranged into a new word order.

But here’s my dark secret: I write for other people. What am I talking about? It’s not a poetry collection or a longed-for first novel that keeps me out of trouble most of the time: I’m a copywriter. Better out than in, folks.

I’ve been copywriting at a wonderful design agency for five years now and am in a position I’ve dreamed of since I was a wee thing, when I’d make my own miniature books like the Brontes did: writing for my living.

I have an open-plan desk of my own and more than £500 a year, a portfolio I’m proud of and but still one question haunts me: can I be a copywriter and my own woman? Can I write on demand and to deadlines all week then switch pens (well ok, PC to Mac) and craft a magnus opus in my spare time?

Of course, what we’re talking about here is the age-old creative’s dilemma: art won’t pay the bills, but it’ll keep your soul nourished and your practice keen.

Trust me, I’m a writer

And there are lots of us writers who make their living doing the thing they love; and yet as a result, don’t make their living in the way they’d really love.

Make no mistake, there are as many sorts of wordsmiths as there are doctors: witty folk are columnists, pedants are copy-editors, sparky types ad copywriters and nerds manual-writers …hang on a minute, maybe that last category expired in the seventies.

What I’m trying to say is that the writing skillset is like France: much bigger than you thought when you get there, and that if you’ve got talent, then hell, make like Simon Cowell and put it to work.

But let’s pause and think about the writer’s gentle soul awhile. Some of the copywriters I know have literary or non-fiction ambitions; others quite simply, don’t.

Some are lazy when it comes to that magnus opus, some think they’ll eventually get round to it, and others know their own creative practice is good for them, like greens are, but don’t want to participate.

A handful – and here’s the type that impresses me most – do both. They write copy in the day, and create worlds of their own by night.

The editor of this very blog falls into the latter category, dear reader, and he has my utmost respect for it (he’ll try and edit this sentence out, but I’ll exercise my creative temperament if he does).

Poetry please

Here comes the second confession: like a schoolgirl, I need pressure and deadlines to motivate me. I need the teacher to say ‘Hand your essay in tomorrow and no dog excuses’ to put pen to paper.

Does that make me a bad writer? I don’t think so, but it probably explains why I chose poetry over other creative writing forms when I first began to write.

I don’t know about you, but I like quick fixes, I like an immediate sense of completion, I like to see the end in sight. We’ve all done the clean the house/clear your desk trick to get an instant reward whenever something bigger and harder is looming.

Of course the poets among you will rightly cry: ‘poetry’s no walk in the park’ and you’d be right, but then my ill-assorted olla podrida of poems from the past 15 years ain’t going to win the TS Eliot in a hurry.

Peaking early

I did have a glimpse of What-Could-Be aged 19, when I came runner-up in a national poetry competition, got to meet Mr Roger McGough and record my poem for Radio 4.

Years later, when I with anxious heart sent a bundle of precious poems to my old tutor and esteemed poet himself David Constantine, and got told to work harder, I kind of put down my pen there and then.

Lucky for me, a group of us writers from work (including your goodly editor) set up a spoken word night in Sheffield, Words Aloud, which ran successfully for two years, a broad church that saw a crazy radio spectrum of writers bare their battered souls in a darkened room to like-minded ears.

Suddenly I had regular reason to write again, and I wasn’t the only one. But soon life got in the way, and I resorted to reading other people’s work and not my own. The ‘bad writer’ cloud reappeared again.

Spring clean

It lifted just in time for spring last year when I decided to enter the Harper’s Bazaar short story competition and produced a short story I was happy with.

That time of year’s come around again, and as sure as the crocuses are coming up, I’m stockpiling my tools and readying myself to knuckle down to it once again.

So where does that leave our copywriter conundrum, readers? The premise that what’s good for the wallet ain’t so good for the soul?

I sure know I need to eat my greens more often to dispel that damned cloud, but what about you? Is writing for someone else effectively ghost-writing or can it shape your practice and make you a better writer?

Or do you need to lock yourself in that garret and eat beans from a tin to hit the creative jackpot?

Order, order! Your comments please.

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21

Should writers help other writers? Why the heck not?!

4 February 2010

Some writers wonder why other writers feel the need to help each other out when the going gets tough. I say they need to lighten up a bit, get stuck in and reap the benefits of working with and learning from other people who are on the same journey.

Before I crack on, it’s worth pointing out that this post is a slightly adjusted transcript of a short audio clip I previously posted on AudioBoo, which you can listen to via the embedded player above.

The plan for the upcoming and very exciting update to Write for Your Life is to include more audio and video material. But I’m aware of the problems that might lead to for people who are partially sighted or hard of hearing.

I used this clip to see how long it would take me to transcribe and adapt the recording (30 minutes, since you’re asking). And then I thought I might as well post it. So here you go…

Back to the beginning

Should writers help other writers? I’ve sometimes heard (or rather seen) the question asked amongst the online writing community, and I’ve heard it said by people in ‘real’ life too.

Personally, I’m not really sure what harm can come from helping other writers. In fact, I’m not really sure what harm  can come from helping other people in general.

And here’s why.

You scratch mine

I believe that what goes around tends to come around. If you’re prepared to do another writer a favour, whether it’s for someone that you know from your local writing group or someone who comments on your blog, and whether they’ve asked you to read their short story for them or have a look at their latest blog article, you should consider doing it.

Because one day, you might have to ask someone for a similar favour yourself.

It might be you that wants your blog article commented upon, or your short story read. Writing is not the solitary pursuit it’s often made out to be. Especially not these days, what with the internet making it so darn easy to have a good cyber-chinwag.

Frankly, us writers would do well to forge as many meaningful relationships with other writers as we can. Sometimes that means helping each other out.

Of course, if it’s a huge favour, like ‘Please will you edit my novel for me,’ then that’s something that you might have to consider slightly differently. But for smaller tasks, I don’t see the problem with helping out as much as you can.

Help yourself

It will also help you learn more about your own work. If you just concentrate on your writing and your little writing world, your work can become slightly stale and you may be missing out on potential new ideas by helping or collaborating with other writers.

It’s surprising how often a quick favour for someone else can in turn help you learn and improve as well.

But remember…

My one caveat of course, is that you must make sure you have the required time available to help another writer. Above all, you have to put your own writing first.

If you end up in a situation where you’re behind with deadlines or your sacrificing any element of your own work, then that’s the time that you simply have to say no.

But in general, I say yes, writers should definitely help other writers. Aside from all the benefits, I can’t see how there can possibly be too much wrong with the notion.

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29

The five rules of getting a book deal

19 January 2010

Guest post by Jean Hannah Edelstein

Before we start, some quick disclaimers: I used to work in publishing, and I keep up to date on the industry for my blogging purposes (and personal interest), and I do a little critiquing of new writing on an ad-hoc basis (and have introduced a handful of writers to their now-agents). But I’m not, of course, the absolute last word on the topic. OK? OK.

Rule one: write something extraordinary

Yes, I know that you think your book is good, but it has to be REALLY good – by which I mean well-written and original and something that makes people want to turn the page.

When I worked for a literary agency, we read dozens of submissions every week, and the vast majority of them were terrible – not just OK, or mediocre, but really astonishingly awful. Before you start submitting your work, get several objective opinions on it. By ‘objective,’ I mean not from your friends or your mum.

The good news is that thanks to the flourishing communities of writers on the web, it should be easy for you to find someone who is interested in the kind of writing you are doing, who doesn’t know you, but who is someone whose opinion you will respect – and whose criticism you will take on board to make your writing better, rather than a reason to shout, ‘you don’t understand me!’ and sulk. Websites for writers is a great portal for key writing sites.

And yes, you might be inclined to argue that there are lots of books being published that are not extraordinary. That is true. But producing something mediocre is still not going to increase your chances of getting a book published.

Rule two: research the business of publishing

Yes, you should research your book, but you also need to research the business of publishing. Which literary agents are most interested in your kind of writing? What books have been published that are similar to yours, with which your book will compete? Who published them? How were they published? What market are they aimed at?

Some aspiring writers think that they should just submit their work to everyone under the sun, until someone bites, but that’s a waste of your time (and theirs) – you want to identify the people who may be genuinely interested in your project and target them carefully.

Trade websites are a good place to start – if you’re in the UK, The Bookseller and Booktrade.info and BookBrunch are the must-reads. And, of course, book blogs – Nathan Bransford, Bookslut, the Guardian books blog and Book Ninja are my top four go-tos, but there are many more as well, particularly for specific genres.

Check Twitter for directories of publishing professionals, too, and start following them. You’ll learn a lot.

Rule three: network

There’s often a lot of complaint on writing blogs about how people who get books commissioned have ‘connections’ in the world of publishing, but how many other industries would you expect to crack in to without having some contact with the people who are already in?

This doesn’t mean that you have to get a job in publishing (though it undoubtedly helps – I would certainly not have published a book at this stage if I hadn’t worked in publishing) but it does mean that you should look for ways to engage with publishing professionals to learn from them about the industry, about what they are interested in publishing, etc.

Again, thanks to the internet, this doesn’t mean you have to live in London or New York – but you need to get stuck in to the dialogues about publishing that are flourishing online. Yes, this wasn’t necessary ten years ago, but book publishing is not as old-fashioned as it seems: it does move with the times, and writers have to as well.

Email people and ask them for advice. Sure, some will never write back, but many will be happy to give it.

Rule four: get an agent

There’s been a lot of debate recently about the usefulness of agents in a digital world, but I think that’s because most people don’t understand what an agent’s real job is. I didn’t either, when I started in an agency – I imagined I would drink coffee, read manuscripts, wear tweed and occasionally shout things like, ‘I’ve discovered the next Philip Roth!’

In fact, the bulk of the agent’s work happens after the book has been sold – negotiating the contract, making sure that money flows through to the writer, negotiating sub-rights deals, arguing with editors when they try to make writers do things that they don’t want to do, administering a hell of a lot of paperwork.

You’re a writer; you don’t want to spend time handling complex contractual issues when you could be writing. Get. An. Agent.

How to get an agent? You’ve already done your research and your networking, so contact the people who you think will be interested in your book, and contact them according to the instructions that they set out on their website – if they don’t have those instructions, they’re not a very good agent (or agency) and you don’t want them representing you.

But if you ignore the instructions – sending the whole book when they ask for a synopsis, or sending an email when they ask for a hard copy – they’ll ignore you or reject you outright, not because they are jerks, but because they work very hard and need submissions to fit into whatever system they have for dealing with them.

They don’t have time to take out to deal with someone’s alternative approach not because they are jerks, but because they are working so hard for the authors they’re already representing. That’s good, because you want an agent who works hard for his or her authors.

There’s no need to load up your submission with bells and whistles: your work should speak for itself, and if you feel the need to write things in your submissions letters like, ‘my book starts off slow, but becomes interesting on page 74’ you’re not ready to submit; if you feel the need to attach sexy photos of yourself to the submission (more common than you’d think), you’re not ready to submit.

An agent won’t take on a project that he or she can’t sell to a publisher, so it’s your job, in submitting, to help the agent see how your book is sellable.

Rule five: be patient and manage your expectations

Publishing is a slow, slow business. Decisions aren’t made quickly; everyone experiences a lot of rejection; sometimes people write fantastic books that aren’t right for the market at the time (because, yes, the market does matter, annoying as it is) and their books prove to be unsellable.

Even if you do get a book deal, it is unlikely to be for the kind of money that will mean you can retire to the French Riviera with your typewriter – these days, most advances are very small indeed (mine included, which is why I have a secret, unglamorous copywriting job).

There are few things more satisfying than holding a book in your hands that you wrote yourself, but it is unlikely to set you up for life.

This article first appeared on Jean’s personal blog and was written in response to Rachel Hill’s question to several published authors on how to get a book deal.

Share your thoughts

If you didn’t find that post by Jean Hannah Edelstein extremely interesting and useful then there must be something wrong with you. But what’s your take on the process of getting a book deal? Is there anything you can add? Maybe you disagree with something? Let us know in the comments section!

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http://www.jeanhannahedelstein.com/
11

Why AudioBoo is a terrific tool for writers

8 January 2010

AudioBoo has been referred to as an audio version of Twitter. I’d say it’s got quite a long way to go in that regard, but it’s certainly a handy little tool for publishing actual words and sounds with barely any effort at all.

Much like Twitter, I first used AudioBoo not long after it launched and thought, ‘Nah, can’t see it catching on.’ It was only after seeing/listening to someone else use the service well that I changed my mind to, ‘Hmm, that’s got some potential.’

So in this post I’m going to give you a short explanation about what AudioBoo is, get you thinking about how you can use it as a writer and invite you to listen to what I’ve done with it so far.

What is AudioBoo?

AudioBoo’s homepage describes itself as ‘the iPhone audio blogging app’, which is true, but also a little misleading because you don’t need an iPhone to use it. Not any more, anyway.

Not just for iPhone users

The service started out as a way for iPhone users to record short messages through their handset and upload them direct to their AudioBoo page. But it’s no longer quite so exclusive.

Late last year, the AudioBoo team added the ability to record direct through your browser or even upload an existing audio file. So basically, anyone can now use AudioBoo. All you need is some sort of microphone and, well, a computer.

Finding your voice

Much like Twitter, you have your own AudioBoo profile where your ‘boos’ appear in chronological order. The AudioBoo site has an ‘all boos’ stream as well as pages for ‘featured’ and ‘popular’ boos.

When you record and upload your audio file, you can include your location, a feature that fits with the original mobile ethos of AudioBoo. This isn’t essential, but could have it’s uses for writers, like if you were posting from a literary festival or working as a journalist on location.

Say Boo to your friends!

Of course, as is the fashion these days, you can choose to follow other people using AudioBoo and in turn, you can gain followers of your own.

AudioBoo also makes it easy to integrate the other personas that form your online life. You can adjust the settings so that when you post a boo, it automatically posts messages on Twitter and Facebook to let people know.

Same goes for Tumblr, which could be useful if you followed my previous advice to use the ever-growing microblogging platform as an online scrapbook.

Boo on your blog

Finally, you can also post your latest boos on your blog and style them how you want. I think this is quite a handy feature and something I’m looking to incorporate into the upcoming redesign of Write for Your Life.

In a nutshell

I’ve given you a lot of bits and pieces to think about there. Essentially, AudioBoo is a mobile and web service that allows you to record short audio clips and publish them direct to your own dedicated AudioBoo page.

It’s a fledgling service that’s a little rough around the edges, but the creators promise some exciting updates. Even in it’s current state, I can think of plenty of ways that we writers can use AudioBoo to progress and accompany our work.

How can writers use AudioBoo?

Now, I’ve had a quick search of and general peekaboo at the AudioBoo community and to tell you the truth, I can’t see many writers using it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be doing one or more of the following.

Publish your work

It seems obvious I suppose, but AudioBoo offers a simple, inexpensive way for you to get your writing out there, whether it’s poetry, short scripts or non-fiction. All you need to do is record and upload. AudioBoo does the rest.

Supplement your existing blog or website

This is how I think I’m going to use AudioBoo in the long run. I only post here a few times a month, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have marvellous writerly thoughts on a regular basis (honest!). AudioBoo gives me a way of producing quick, easy to digest advice with little fuss.

Create audio notes for any writing project

I prefer a notepad and pen, but I know a lot of writers who carry a dictaphone and like to voice their thoughts and ideas for later use. AudioBoo is as convenient and searchable place as any to store those sparks of inspiration.

Express your personality

The written word is a wonderful thing and it’s certainly possible to convey your personality accurately through your writing, but it isn’t easy. With AudioBoo, you can offer your readers a glimpse of the real you. Or whatever bits of you you’re happy to reveal. So to speak.

Podcast on the cheap

Plenty of bloggers also podcast and a lot of authors are starting to serialise their work in podcast form. However, it can be an expensive business to get that professional sound and really, it’s the content that matters most, isn’t it? AudioBoo is great because it let’s you connect with your readers/listeners almost instantly.

Listen to me, listen to me!

I recorded my first few boos just before Christmas and found them quite good fun to do. You can listen to them via the audio players in the sidebar here or you can go over to my AudioBoo page and have a scout round there.

My boo titled ‘Should writers help other writers? Why the heck not?!’ even got featured on the AudioBoo featured list, which I think means it was officially brillopads. Well, I was excited anyway, especially considering I recorded it in the kitchen while I was waiting for the kettle to boil.

Here it is:

I’m going to use AudioBoo more often in the coming months and publish regular titbits, including stuff you might find useful and maybe some updates about my own writing. I think you should give it a try too. Just make sure you come back and let us know how you get on.

Follow me and subscribe

Of course, you’re more than welcome to follow me on Twitter, if that’s your kind of thing. And if you like what you’ve seen so far on Write for Your Life, why not subscribe for free updates?

Iain looks to the left holla

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