Writers: Are You Ready to Blog?

 Every week, I'm asked at least once, "Do I really need to blog?" I've touched on this before, but the subject of writers needing to have current blogs is tomorrow evening's topic in the platform-building class. And the answer, it still seems, is "yes."
Writing Tip for Today: I'm hearing some buzz that blogging may be on its way out. Might be true, but for now, I'll defend my opinion that blogs--for writers who want to be authors--are still vital:

• Readers Need a Destination. Whether you are more active on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, I think readers need a destination where they can interact with you the author. A place that feels warm, inviting and safe. You can provide these things with a blog or a website. Make it as unique as you possibly can, but keep the colors soft and the backgrounds not too busy.
• Interactive Is the New Book Signing. For decades authors mostly met readers across the table at book events. Today's readers want more--and a blog is a good place to start. They want to feel as if they're in some kind of club. They want new content regularly or they'll grow tired of your blog. You can tweet all day and that's great, but readers want to know you. They long to interact with you. Many authors give their direct contact info on their sites, host podcasts or Skype book club meetings, and even snail mail thank-you cards to new readers.
• Learn Blogging for the Next Big Thing. If you plunge ahead into blogging, you'll be less intimidated by the next big techie thing that captures readers' attentions. Write your own blog, sure, but also keep up with trends and do visit other successful blogs. Try this: Google up to 3 key words that describe your book and see which blogs pop up at the top of the list. Visit those sites and note what seems good/not so good about each.

Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers

GRAVE MERCY by ROBIN LAFEVERS

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2012 Young Adult

Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers whisks you to 15th century Brittany with bold action and deep emotion. Ismae may be the child of god of death, but she has very human needs. I loved the strong writing, attention to detail and intimacy of this novel. Interestingly, the adult writing students to whom I read the first two pages aloud were aghast that this novel is meant for a young adult audience. But as with The Hunger Games, today's YA readers demand both realism and well-crafted stories. Lafevers delivers in a powerful way.
Contact the author at www.robinlafevers.com

To Link or Not to Link?

I read with great interest a blog post by former literary agent Nathan Bransford, wherein he pointed out the Top Five Social Media Blunders you shouldn't make. One of these blunders was about linking your Twitter and Facebook posts.
Writing Tip for Today: I've been teaching writers to link these accounts to combat the "social media will be a time-suck" complaint. Bransford says this isn't a good thing. While the rest of his "blunders," (don't spam, don't be a jerk, etc) seem right on, this link deal has me rethinking my position.

• If You Link. If you decide to link your Twitter and Facebook (or you already have), I really don't think it's the end of the world. I use my FB, Twitter and other sites as a way to increase my blog's range. So each new post gets distributed via Networked Blogs. I don't think this could be bad, unless you either never change your message or you write your posts in such a way that SCREAMS, "I don't care about you, I just want you to buy something."
• Personal Relationships Matter. Nobody wants to be dunned to buy or feel like they are only a customer. Social media is all about connecting with your audience, not beating it over the head. Be friendly, genuine and once you've established a relationship, I've found that books sell themselves.
• Get a Dashboard. Writers working to build platform can save time by signing up for a dashboard. TweetDeck is free and computer-based. Hootsuite can be free but for a small fee you can link more networks. Plus, Hootsuite is cloud-based, meaning all your stuff is on the web. Netvibe is another dashboard. You can post, blog or tweet from one place, without a bunch of sign-in screens. Maybe this is the best way to avoid a social media blunder in the first place. But please: Don't spam and don't be a jerk.

Writer Conspiracy Theories

A writing organization of published authors recently received a rude awakening when a writer seeking admission was told she/he did not qualify. The org sent this writer a standard "sorry but your writing credits don't meet our criteria," only to have a concerned party issue a flaming screed. In it, this person accused the traditional publishers of an ongoing exclusion club, wherein self-pubbed authors were denied entrance. The organization's president replied very intelligently. But what's going on?
Writing Tip for Today: Everywhere I teach writing, there is always someone who is convinced their pet writing conspiracy theory is true. The editors/agents/traditionally published authors are actively seeking to discredit self-published work. It's a closed system. You have to "know" someone in order to get a publishing house to publish your work. And on and on. What's the real scoop?

• Good Writing Rises. With very few exceptions, the really great writing finds its way into people's hands. While we all lament that readers don't always know the difference between a great story and great prose, the truth is that readers will almost always prefer a great story over a poor story written brilliantly.
• Writing Ain't Fair. Neither is life. There are fortuitous events in writing as in any other area. When you complain that you can't get an agent to bite, consider that this is how the agent earns her living. She gets paid to intuit what kinds of books will sell.
• Where's The Gold Standard? Any author organization which still regards traditionally published work as the standard realizes that self-publishing is catching up. But maybe it isn't there yet. The advantage that traditional pubbed authors have is the number of gatekeepers (agents, editors and other readers) the traditionally pubbed must pass. With self-publishing (so far) there is not a standard of quality. I have heard about a bunch of ebook romance writers getting together to vet each other's work, but this is still pretty rare. Not to mention that writers rating each other is a bit like foxes trying to assure the chickens they aren't going to steal anything.

Trying Out Your Writing Voice

In my last post, we talked about developing a writing voice--that elusive quality nearly every writer is desperate to find. Here are some other things to consider:

Writing Tip for Today: The writer's voice may sound elusive but there are identifiable elements to this most exotic of skills. According to Les Edgerton's book, Finding Your Voice, these elements are: tone, vocabulary, imagery and rhythm. What can writers do to make sure their voices are always present on the page?

• Be YOU! As Edgerton points out, there's only room in this world for one Faulkner. If you try to imitate another writer's style a)to sell what's a hot trend b) emulate a great author because your college writing professor raved about that author or c) because you don't trust your own unique voice, you'll probably get nowhere fast. As the famous rejection quote goes: "Dear Sir: Your material is both original and good. Unfortunately, the stuff that's good isn't original, and the stuff that's original isn't good." Your voice is the only one on earth just like you--and if you are true to that voice, you'll go farther faster.
• If Your Reader Is Very Different From You, There's a Problem. You are your first reader. You write what interests you--no--what excites and ignites your passion. If you're writing in a genre you seldom if ever read, how are you going to translate that enthusiasm? You may succeed, but I doubt if your true voice will be very evident.
• Remember to Rock Your World. When you write, stop for a moment and try to see the world as your character sees it. Get down to his level, with concrete sensory detail. Now, envision that character's passion. Pull out all stops and write the emotion you feel through that character. On revision, you may need to pare back depending on the part of the story, but it's a lot easier to tone down than to pump up. With the specific world of your character and that character's passion, you can train your voice to bleed through to every page.

Your Writing Voice

I've been seeing a lot of articles and blog posts on voice. As in, how to find yours, develop your own recognizable style. Most of these posts talk about writing lots and lots as the most sure-fire method to finding your voice. So true!

Writing Tip for Today: Here are some other considerations:

• Follow the Rules, but Don't Let Them Drown You. When writers attempt to master skills, their unique voices are often beaten out of them. By paying such careful attention to rules, you risk sounding just like everyone else. Some rules, such as the ones in Strunk & White's Elements of Style, deserve our attention. Others, like not ever using sentence fragments might be broken for a good reason.
• No Smoking Materials. Your unique voice loses impact the more you use generic or abstract terms. While you might be sensitive about saying "cigarette" twice in the same sentence, a reader will be more apt to follow a character who gets MORE specific (say, using a brand name or "smoke" in place of cigarette) than one who uses stilted or impersonal terms. "He lit his smoking materials and leaned back in his seating apparatus." Sounds terrible! Not that any of you smoke these days, but you get the idea.
• Know Your Reader. I once had a fabulous writer tell me that for every book he writes, he makes a mental panel of 12 jurists--people he'd like more than any others to read and enjoy his work. He constantly refers to this panel, weighing his writing against these judges. If you are very certain of your audience, you know what your readers love, what turns them off, what makes them beg for more. If you are passionate about your writing, this will lead to your voice.

Next: More Tips on Developing Your Writer's Voice.

Are All Writers Crazy?

Some of my new students this term are asking, "Has the publishing world gone crazy?" Their mouths hang open or they shake their heads as I describe the changes happening all over the industry. I tell them it's changing fast and to hang onto their literary hats. Crazy? That depends on whom you ask.
Writing Tip for Today: Especially in the self-pub realm, things ARE changing and changing rapidly. As I try to keep students informed, I'm most aware that many writers feel more empowered than they ever have. I have a sneaking feeling, though, that this new-found power will in most cases sputter if authors aren't paying very close attention. My thoughts:

• A Crowded Field. EVERYone is writing these days. Even if it's becoming easier to publish (via one of the models such as CreateSpace or Lulu), it's no easier to actually sell what you publish. In fact, marketing expert Randy Ingermanson points out that as the market gets flooded with substandard fare, readers may have an even harder time finding your gem of a book. He stresses the value of knowing exactly who your reader is.
• Your Power, Your Deal. If authors are empowered they are also responsible--for everything. Although self-publishers offer "marketing packages," every author must do the work it takes to build an audience. That''s a lot of sitting-on-your-buns-smiling-at-lookers at the county fair. Know what you're getting yourself into, and be prepared to spend as much as you can for the biggest reach you can gain.
• Good Writing Rises. I think there will always be a demand for good writing. With the self-publishing glut, readers may figure out ways to rebel against bad content. And big publisher players such as the Big Six aren't going down without a fight. So, although the publishing world is changing fast, most writers who are excellent wordcrafters and who have compelling stories to tell will find ways to connect, whether they publish traditionally or not. Never stop learning and honing your craft--even if it appears that the publishing world is passing you by. Whether you go crazy is entirely up to you.

Get More From Your Blog

A writing student asked if I'd post about blogging--as in attracting more readers/followers. While I'm hearing that author blogs are on the wane, (I know--just when you'd finally got yours up and running) social media is still the darling of promotion. Since I link my blog to Facebook and other sites, I still hope and pray someone reads these posts and isn't convinced that this blog is a dinosaur.
Writing Tip for Today: So what are some things you can do to grow your following and get people to buzz your blog?

• Short, short, short. Keep your posts brief. If you compose in Word, try to limit a day's post to 250 words. Today's hurried reader needs nice little chunks, not lengthy tomes.
• Link. Learn to link your blog strategically to where your readers hang. If it's not Facebook or Twitter, maybe it's an online group of sci-fi readers. Go to a high traffic site and ask if you can place a widget on their page that links to your blog. They may say no, but if you don't ask you'll never be sure. Start with the most popular and work your way down.
• Content Counts. What are you posting? If your posts are limited to your own work or some kind of rant, it may be more difficult to grow your blog. Be sure you are giving the reader something to walk away with. Do book reviews on bestsellers or hold interviews with authors. Hold a contest now and then, and give away a prize related to your subject.* Caveat: you should call it a giveaway, not a contest. Whatever you blog, make sure it's as fresh and original as you can make it. Buzz happens when you stand out from the crowd.

Flexing Your Manuscripts

I heard an interesting term this past week. Flexing. A colleague, Cristina Katz, offers webinars and courses on platform and increasing your audience. Her book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, has been very successful, and I admire her accomplishments.
Writing Tip for Today: So what is FLEXING? And how can you use it?

• Versatility. For me, flexing in writing mostly means utilizing a single hard-won document (lots and lots of revision involved!) to create important tools such as synopses, queries and pitches. Start with a standard 500 word synopsis. Then, use your synopsis to lift out the crucial info and craft a query, a blurb, a short summary and/or a pitch. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by learning to get the 25 word essence of a book into the lead of a synopsis. If you already have the 25 word version nailed, it's simpler to expand than it is to reduce.
• Other Flexes. Other ways to use a flexible document included writing a nonfiction essay or article and "flexing" it to fit the guidelines of different publications. In Christian writing markets, we've been doing this for decades, writing articles that we first market to one denomination, and then changing details to market to other distinct and non-overlapping markets. In marketing the same basic story more than once to competing markets, you'll need to substantially change your lead in order to market first rights. Otherwise it's a reprint.
• Versatility vs. Branding. If you're primarily writing fiction, writing and selling nonfiction helps build a writing resume. Some writers get confused, though. As one asked, "How can I build my brand if I'm versatile? By using your time wisely (i.e., using a single document to craft several tools for your book) you can still concentrate on the market you're trying to reach. Think about the reader. What are her main interests? Identify these interests and concentrate on writing to that reader. Happy Flexing!

Creating a Writing Schedule

New classes, same subjects: I love my job! As a way of getting students to begin thinking of themselves as "pro writers," I ask them to reorganize their attitudes as well as their desks. What's a reasonable writing schedule?
Writing Tip for Today: Your writing schedule will depend on the "season" of your life. Whether you have a day job, a gaggle of children to care for or you're working on a college degree, these endeavors obviously drain a lot of your time. And published writers have deadlines to meet, meaning they're crazy-busy at times. Yet it IS possible to create a writing schedule and stick to it. Here are a few thoughts on writing schedules at all stages of your writing journey:

• Be Reasonable. Like a lot of New Year's resolutions, sticking to a writing schedule might be more difficult if you aren't realistic. Lose 50 lbs in two weeks? Unlikely. Similarly, you don't want to set yourself up for failure by giving yourself extreme writing schedules that are too rigorous to keep. Begin with a look at your present schedule. See if there are any 15 minute to one hour blocks in your day which aren't crowded. If this isn't doable, get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. I know of a woman who wrote and published books despite her busy schedule as a pediatrician and mother to seven children. Yes, she got up at 4AM, but she really wanted to write.
• Be Passionate. Like the pediatrician, you'll be more apt to stick to your writing schedule if you are passionate about writing. That novel you've been telling your friends about for ten years won't write itself. And really, if you're talking but none of the words make it to a page, it's technically not writing.
• Be Flexible. You may get sick, the kids may be underfoot during School Break, your day job or school workload may suddenly balloon. On most days, treat the schedule seriously and get your BIC (Butt In Chair). Yet, as you make your writing schedule, understand there WILL be times when you can't keep your appointment with your keyboard. Grab a yellow pad or laptop and head for the park, pool or rec center. Write while you sit in waiting rooms, sneak in a few words if you're a passenger and not the driver on a lengthy car trip. If the challenge is too steep, let the schedule go for now and read a good book. HAPPY Writing, and HAPPY EASTER/Passover to all my writing friends!

Best Face Forward: Author Photos

A lot of authors (including me!) have an author photo they really like. Who cares if it's ten years old? The point is to get a photo that's appealing.
Writing Tip for Today: The reason we need a good author pic is simple: readers want to connect. It's easier to connect with a pleasant face than without. Here's what to look for in an author photo:

• Go Pro if You Can. While a hi-res amateur photo might suffice, I think it's a better idea to shell out a few bucks for a professional shoot. Most art departments will accept a 300dpi, and with a pro you are assured of clarity and focus. I actually was able to swap editing with a photographer who did fabulous work. Be sure to make your shoot appointment well in advance--wedding season or holidays fill up quickly for studios and freelance photographers.
• Keep Your Hands Down! This is only my opinion, but I'm distracted by a person's hands in the pic. Hands around the face make it harder to see the face. Plus, they look disembodied in a head shot. Just my two cents.
• To Smile or Not to Smile. Only you can know which is right for you. I think most authors look more approachable with some sort of smile. But if you're in a rock band, of course you want to look artsy, so smiles are out. Ragged tee-shirts are in.
• Background Art. If you have an outdoors pic, be sure it doesn't create a busyness, taking away from your face. Assuming you don't have two heads, you want your face the focal point. Maybe a neutral drape background instead.
• Remember School Pictures? Ugh--so do I! But the advice to wear a collared shirt or jacket, to stay away from bold horizontal stripes and funny head wear is still valid. You want to look engaging--connect-able--not like Lady Gaga. Plunging necklines, fussy jewelry (includes long dangly earrings) or a wrinkled Hawaiian shirt say volumes about you--and usually not in a good way. Now, say cheese.

Take Off Your Writer'sTraining Wheels

I've been reading through fiction entries in a national writing contest I've been asked to help judge. Although the judge's guidelines tell me most entries will be "average," I got one that has clearly broken free of the pack. The scene writing is clean, the dialogue well-written, the conflict evident. Only one major thing (in my little opinion) needs to be addressed.

Writing Tip for Today: After a writer masters the basics of scene, sequel (narrative), dialogue, characterization and the rest, the next logical step is developing your unique voice and the elusive quality that packs emotion into every line. In order to do this, I think a writer needs to remove the training wheels. Here are some thoughts on treating your writing as if you are just taking your first real two-wheeler ride:

• Loosen Up. More than anything, I wanted to sit next to this contest entrant and whisper, "Loosen up. In places, you're trying too hard ." I could practically see this writer trying SO hard to get everything right that she/he wrote the life out of it in spots. A mentor of mine used to call it overwriting, where I would write something good (usually sensory/emotional) and then explain it or otherwise ruin it. Beware the show, now tell-in-case-they-don't-get-it problem.
• Commit to Crap. If you can allow yourself to write in a big, messy way when you draft, you may uncover that freshness, that voice we all covet. Revise intentionally, but draft (create) with the self-control off. It takes practice to be able to sit down and write something awful. But this is where discovery happens, where art happens. Learn to write crap.
• Go for the Guts. The way you pull your distinctive voice onto the page is by digging deep. You won't be able to evoke a made-up character's deepest emotions if you refuse to feel your own. I recommend journaling if you have a hard time letting your emotions show. But really, we read fiction for emotion, not info. The more you write honest, true emotion, the better your fiction will be.