The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript

Back to School Special:  My how-to book on writing, The Essential Guide for New Writers, From Idea to Finished Manuscript is now on super sale!  Instead of $10.95, I've dropped the price to $5.95 plus FREE US shipping and handling, but only if you order direct from my website, http://www.valeriestorey.com/.

 I wrote the book primarily for my workshops when a student asked if I had a book of my own to go with the course.  It was at the end of one of my summer sessions, a hot Georgia night with a thunderstorm on the horizon.  I was a little surprised by the question because I always provide workshop participants with loads of notes and photocopied handouts, as well as a thorough bibliography of other writers' how-to books.  But there was something about the idea that intrigued me.  Thinking on my feet, I found myself saying:  "No book yet, but there will be.  Soon."  A few months later I went on to write and publish the book, and have used it in hundreds of workshops.  One chapter, "Creative Conflict," even went on to be sold and reprinted in a textbook on video production.

The Essential Guide for New Writers is a book close to my heart.  In many ways it could also be subtitled, "Notes to Me About Writing" and it's chock-full of everything I consider important to make your writing dreams come true, e.g., streamlined plot and characterization techniques; end-of-chapter writing exercises;  easy synopsis and query letters tricks.  

The Essential Guide for New Writers is a book for all writers, no matter your level of expertise.  If you're just starting out, the book will help you get past those first-draft jitters and well on your way to having a finished, polished manuscript that's submission-ready.  And if you're a writer with a few years of sales and experience behind you, there's nothing like sitting down with "beginner's mind" to refresh and charge up your creative batteries.  As I like to tell my students, every time you start a new piece of writing, you're a new writer.  The day you think you know it all could very well be the day you need to change careers.

Tip of the Day:  Get your copy now while the sale lasts.  Remember, this offer is only available through my website, http://www.valeriestorey.com/ and nowhere else.  Happy writing!

Guest Blogging--and Why I Love Social Media

Hi, Everyone!  Guess what?  Today I'm a guest blogger at Charissa Weaks, A Day in the Life of An Aspiring Writer.  Sending a big thank you to Charissa for her lovely welcome and for providing us all with a great site to read and follow.  I met Charissa through Twitter and I can't say enough about how happy that makes me.

Although it hasn't even been two years yet, I can't believe there was a time when I wasn't Tweeting, or blogging, or chatting to my friends at JacketFlap.  And I'm always happy to meet more!  Which brings me to the question many of my non-Tweeting, non-blogging writer friends ask me:  How do you manage to find the time?  The answer is that I don't find the time, I make it.  Social media is important to me because:

• I am a writer and I love to share what I've learned or am learning about writing.  My blog and my website valeriestorey.com are all about passing on information--for free.  When I was starting out as a young writer, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by some great and well-known authors, now sadly no longer with us.  I like to think I am helping to keep their legacy alive by passing on what they taught me.  I enjoy talking writing, and I'll gladly talk to whoever wants to listen! 
• Social media is a lot of fun.  It's entertaining.  I enjoy reading other people's blogs, especially the ones that are "mini literary journals."  I try to add to the mix with my own efforts, e.g., things such as the collages that I put at the top of my posts.
• Social media has been very educational for me.  I've learned so much, especially through Twitter.  Every day I come across some amazing treasure trove of information, from tips on marketing and and writing, to collage techniques and the latest theories on Iron Age burial mounds.  I love the buzz coming from creative and thoughtful people and I love being part of that conversation. 
• And, finally, I do, ahem, have books to sell.  I've sold a number of books through my contacts and various sites and I'm very, very grateful to those book buyers.

That said, it's really time for me to finish this post and get back to work on the WIP so I can have a new book to sell!  Have a great day, friends, and be sure to go visit Charissa and see what's happening at her site.

Tip of the Day:  The key to making social media work for you is to schedule the times of day or night you'll sign in.  For instance, you might want to "reward" yourself with 10-15 minutes of Twitter for every five pages you write or revise; or perhaps you could give up watching 30 minutes of television to visit some blogs instead. 

Keeping it Clean--The Writer's Guide to Housework

Housework.  The word alone is one of the best cures for writer's block I've ever known.  Just the thought of pulling out the vacuum cleaner can sometimes be enough to send me scurrying back to the WIP:  "Got to finish this chapter first and then we attack those dust bunnies..."

The big problem, however, is that I can't stand chaos.  I can't work in a cluttered environment, and unfortunately I don't live in a fairy tale world where the windows magically wash themselves and the broom sings Broadway show tunes.  It's a dirty world and somebody's got to clean it--usually me.

To solve the dilemma I've come up with some fairly easy solutions that I hope can help you, too, the next time you're torn between giving up the chores or neglecting the manuscript:

-  My biggest and best discovery in the whole world ever is microfiber cleaning cloths.  I love them, adore them!  I keep a huge stock of them in my linen cupboard and am always buying more.  The best and cheapest way to purchase them is to get the ones from the automotive aisle at any discount store.  For some bizarre and discriminatory reason "kitchen" cloths are priced several times higher than those packaged for the garage.  The automotive cloths are the exact same thing and they're also sold in convenient bulk packs.  Wherever you buy them, though, I think they are a miracle of modern science.  They clean everything--I mean everything--with a minimum of detergents and other chemicals, sometimes none at all, and they leave surfaces streak-free.  The best compliment I've ever received was right after I bought my first package.  A visiting friend walked through the front door and said, "Wow, it looks like you have two maids.  Everything sparkles!"  Yes, indeedy. 

-  I've become so obsessed with these cloths that I usually have a damp one with me at all times, even in my office, ready for that "wipe down/clean up" break that I can accomplish in a few seconds flat. 

-  Having my cloths ready means I can always pick up after myself in a hurry, encouraging me to rarely let a mess accumulate.  For instance, I wipe down the shower and sink every morning (takes all of 1 minute), or dust my desk "while I'm thinking."  Some other little tricks that help me get through the mess are things like having plenty of waste baskets close by (throw that junk mail out the minute you get it!), and using satin padded hangers that make me want to hang up my clothes because it just looks so nice.

-  I am also a dedicated minimalist--with the exception of my microfiber cloth collection, that is.  I limit my possessions which means little to no clutter.  My entire wardrobe could fit in a good-sized (well, okay, large-sized) suitcase, my books in just a few boxes.  My new policy is I have to give away one book for every one I buy.  If I'm not reading, wearing, or using an item, out it goes to the thrift store, friends, or trash.

-  Lastly, I "reward" myself with housework.  For instance, if I write for an hour, I can then vacuum, or dust, or do the dishes.  That way I can stop thinking about chores while I'm trying to work on a new scene or chapter.  My rule is I always have to write first--then I can take a break and clean whatever my heart desires.  Writing between laundry and dryer loads is a great way to practice "timed writing," too.

-  The benefit to all of these simple tasks is that my house and office are usually at a level that requires only a minimum of time and effort to maintain.  And that means I have a lot more time available to write and pursue my other creative interests.  Just call me "Eloise"!

Tip of the Day:  Keeping a damp microfiber cloth in a plastic bag in my car or purse has been a true lifesaver more times than I can count.  Whether I've used it to clean up from art classes when I've managed to get more paint on me than the paper, or needed to wipe sandwich mayo from my hands before putting a manuscript submission together at the post office, microfiber has become this writer's best friend.

12 Good Reasons to Keep Image Files

Thank you for all the kind comments on my studio space.  I enjoy hearing from everyone and it's been a pleasure to keep you updated.  Now that I've finally moved into my studio, however, it's time to get to work.  Thank goodness for my "image files."  Without them I'm afraid I would still be sitting around admiring my shiny new tables and art supplies, so overwhelmed by ownership I could easily succumb to a bad case of "artist's block."

Image files are not something I keep on the computer.  Instead these are my actual files of magazine cut-outs that I have safely stowed away in a wooden filing cabinet.  For easy access, the files are divided into 6 distinct categories:  People, Places, Animals, Things, Background Colors, and Artistic/Creative Inspirations. 

Each category is stored in a plastic see-through, sealable folder and labeled accordingly.  For instance, "People" is a collection of Old Master's reproduction postcards, magazine portraits of the famous or infamous, advertising photographs with unknown models, candid shots of family and friends, and hundreds of photos I clipped from magazines just because they were interesting to me.  The poses range from the formal to the absurd to the surreal. 

My "Animals" folder is full of baby wolves, dinosaurs, flying cats, as well as some very strange pictures of birds wearing evening dresses.  "Places" includes scenes of the desert, a Hollywood mansion, a Gothic cathedral, and the interior of Hearst Castle.  "Things," my general catch-all folder, is filled with stuff I love:  big bright gemstones, unusual pottery, floral dresses, Egyptian artifacts…  It's often the folder I use and fill most quickly. 

"Background Colors" is my term for those amazing photo shoots you find in high-end glossies:  giant roses covering a double-page spread, wallpaper samples, a fold-out insert of sparkling water.  I call them "backgrounds" mainly because that's what I use them for, backgrounds to my collages or as the idea for a watercolor background wash.

My final file, "Artistic Inspiration," is another favorite.  In it I keep photos of paintings, sculptures, furniture or clothing designs that encourage me to experiment with, or adapt (and yes, copy!) the ideas for my own work.  All of these files together are great sources of pleasure and usefulness to me, especially on the proverbial rainy day, or when I just need a quick boost to get the writing/art wagon rolling.  Some other reasons for keeping my files are:


1.  I immediately have the basis for assembling a “visual novel draft" whenever I want to storyboard characters and scenes before I start writing.

2.  Writer’s groups:  I always have something to bring as a prompt for the times we write together or need a between-meeting writing assignment.

3.  At home I am never without an instant writing/art prompt--no excuses!

4.  I'm always ready to make a collage at the drop of a hat (not that I own that many hats to drop).

5.  Same for painting or drawing at any time.  I can also easily put a photo or two in my purse or sketchbook for when I'm on the go.

6.  Dreaming:  I love to just look through the various pictures and place them in strange combinations whenever I'm feeling stuck or too tired to start a serious project.  It's a creative way to use time I might otherwise feel I've wasted.

7.  You can quickly make a prompt journal or sketchbook as a special gift for a writer or artist friend.  Simply paste in a small picture at the top or corner of each page, decorate the cover, and tie with a nice ribbon.

8.  Create your own inspiration cards.  Paste single pictures or mini-collages onto any size of cut card stock.  Write an accompanying affirmation on the other side.  Next time you need some encouragement, shuffle, pick a card, contemplate, and create.

9.  Sudden, unexpected invitations to teach a workshop "tomorrow night."  It happens, and I've never said, "No, thanks."  Having my image files ready means I can produce an "instant talk" without obsessing about the limited time to prepare.  I've used my images in numerous workshops on a wide variety of subjects, from finding your muse to researching a children's book.

10.  Same with school visits; my image files have been great aids for engaging and helping kids to write.

11.  Pictures you like can become the templates for your book covers, either when you need to make one yourself, or when you want to convey your ideas to a professional designer.

12.  Help out a fellow creative.  You just never know when someone might ask you for an image of a person, place, animal, or thing.  It sounds weird, but there have been dozens of occasions when someone has said something to me, like, “I need a picture of a goldfish…”  Hey, presto, I've got it!

Tip of the Day:  Start your image files now.   If you don't have a magazine subscription or an extensive collection of past issues, ask friends to help out--you'll be amazed how glad they are to clear their cupboards and shelves.  Other good places to find magazines are at your library or thrift store.

My New Studio--and Why Writing is a Lot Like Building

Welcome! Clay table on view....

This side is for watercolor and art journaling....

Snazzy window and miniature rose bush we saved from destruction...

And ta-dah! Doors closed, artist at work. Excuse the state of the lawn--will be replanted ASAP at the same time the river stones are smoothed out and "beautified" with pots, plants, etc.

So there's my little studio, finished at last.  Other than a desperate need for some landscaping repairs, I'm thoroughly pleased and can't wait to begin a "real project" this weekend using up my clay scraps.  Over the next few weeks I'll be figuring out what kind of extra shelving, cork boards, and storage I need, but for now it's everything I wanted and I couldn't be happier.

During the construction process I kept thinking of a much bigger job my husband and I took on many years ago while living in Georgia--we built our entire house, and it wasn't easy, I can tell you.  Putting up the studio was a mini-version of that same experience, and every nail, wall board, and coat of paint brought it all back with a vengeance.  At the same time, I was constantly reminded of the similarities building had with writing.  For instance,

1.  Materials List.  Write it down, make it happen.  Somewhere back in my list of goals to achieve I wrote:  "I have my own studio space."  Writing down your goals is important.  Make lists of stories, books, essays you want to write and then take the mindset that they are already written.  You'll be amazed how your productivity increases and your pages build up.

2.  Blueprints.  In the beginning of any construction project, things look great on paper, but once the foundations are laid--everything seems so tiny; it's impossible to believe there will ever be enough room.  It's the same when we're working with that first idea for a piece.  We start off with a bang and then once we start writing, we ask ourselves, "Is this enough??"

3.  Framing.  But once the walls go up, that space is downright palatial.  Same with writing.  Once you get your characters, goals, and plot points in place, you can often end up with too much going on!  Rarely is an idea "too small."

4.  Speed Writing.  It's amazing how quickly the framing can go:  from zero to, "Wow!  That really looks like a house!"  It's a lot like when you get all that great outlining, character bios, and research finished and realize you are very close to creating a real manuscript.

5.  Work Stoppages.  It rains.  The plumber is sick.  The bulldozer breaks.  That tile you wanted is out of stock.  Your query letter is rejected--twenty times.

6.  Perseverance.   The wiring, the sheetrock, the plumbing--horrible, tedious, messy jobs, but you can do it.  Eyes on the prize.

7.  Finishing details.  For a house it's all about switch plates, bathroom hardware, and crown molding.  In your writing it's the difference between "lackluster, boring, and dull" or including specific, unique, and personal detail that makes your story and characters shine. 

8.  Clean-up Crew.  Usually my job (yuk).  The hours I have spent picking up squashed Coke cans, bent nails, torn plastic sheeting, wood off cuts, and broken shingles easily compete with the time I've spent editing my work.  'Nuff said.

9.  Move in day.  Hurray!  You're finished--a complete house; a complete manuscript.  And then as you walk around admiring those lovely countertops and door handles, you start getting ideas for “improvement.”  Don’t.  Just don’t.  Enjoy and use your space for a while before you start plotting any twists and turns.  Better still, wait to put those ideas into a new story, or at least wait until you have the guidance of a professional--e.g. your editor.

10.  Housewarming Party.  I still have a houseplant someone gave me for my very first house--one I didn't build, but by the time I'd remodelled every room it seemed as though I had.  I remember the fun and excitement of getting the house ready to show to my friends for the initial reveal--the same energy you want to put into your cover and query letters.  Make it pretty--at least while you're on stage!

Tip of the Day:  Virginia Woolf was right:  we all need a room of our own.  If you don't have one today, design your perfect space and imagine yourself already inside.  If you can dream it, you can have it.  Now start drawing that blueprint...

Art Journal Class, My Favorite Tips

What I did this summer:  took an art journal class!  Starting in early June until just a couple of weeks ago I spent 3 hours every Tuesday night at a local continuing education center learning how to make my art journal both pretty and practical. 

During each 3-hour session, we covered a wide variety of activities and prompts.  We had long writing sessions, very active studio projects, and quite a lot of literary inspiration taken from authors all the way from Tim O'Brien to Grace Paley.  The following list comprises my favorite techniques gleaned from the class that I thought were easy, effective, and something you might like to try too.

1.  Write an illustrated letter.  Write it to yourself, your best friend, someone you haven't seen in a long time, or may never see again.  In class we wrote about an experience from the past, but the technique can be used for any topic at all.  To illustrate our letters, we wrote on tissue paper then traced small images from books of clip art.  I placed my illustrations randomly across the pages.  We then folded our letters and put them in envelopes we decorated and glued into our journals like Nick Bantock did in  Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence.

2.  Choose an object that has a special memory for you, then write about it, followed by a drawing.  For this exercise I chose a seashell that reminded me of one I used to play with at my grandmother's house when I was little.  First I wrote out the memory, then I did a quick sketch in class.  Later at home I finished the drawing, giving it more detail.  It's an image I am now going to use more frequently throughout the rest of the journal, almost as a motif or symbol of some kind.  Tip:  Working with a special object like this could be a good way to find your "logo" or "brand" as a writer or artist.

3.  Make a map.  Playful, imaginative, or absolutely accurate, map making is a great way to stimulate your creativity.  The choices are infinite; for instance you could make a map of your backyard, your life history, your goals, or where you went on your last vacation.  In class we took our cues from old, heavily illustrated maps filled with sea nymphs, countries and territories that no longer exist, and artwork that deserved to be framed.  Using collage, rubber stamps, and colored pencils I made maps of fictional places I am currently writing about; two of them for my next book, Overtaken.

4.  Illustrate your daily writing exercise.  For this project we wrote a story in class using my favorite technique--magazine cut-outs of people.  I wrote a story set in Barcelona (a place I've never seen, but oh, do I want to go there) and then painted 3 small watercolors to go with it.  Rather than painting directly onto my journal pages, I cut down watercolor paper to fit and then simply glued the sheets in.

5.   Make a family tree.  This exercise was so much fun I'm still working on it.  There are many ways you can approach this, from drawing a literal tree, or any other design you like that allows room for listing family members, to going online to find all kinds of formal templates if you want a more traditional look.  In class we made family trees of our real families, but I've since taken it further by making trees for my fictional families.  I've added collage and rubber stamping to the pages to add more life and detail to both approaches.

6.  Mandalas.  Mandalas are essentially illustrated, meditative circles used for focus and spiritual contemplation.  Making your own is both very relaxing and very self-expressive.  In class we used pre-printed templates as guides that we then painted with watercolor, but you can use any medium:  colored pencil, oil pastel, even crayon.  An excellent book on the subject is: Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, 10th Anniversary Edition with a New CD of Meditations and Exercises by Judith Cornell.

7.  "Old Master Drawings".  This technique was perhaps the simplest, but in many ways my favorite.  Using sepia, indigo, terracotta, and white colored pencils we proceeded to make simple but beautiful sketches of driftwood on Kraft and Canson papers that we then glued into our journals.  Whatever subject you choose to sketch, the combination of materials gives your journal a very "finished" old-world look I find utterly charming. 

8.  Illuminated Letters.  I love ancient, hand-lettered manuscripts complete with gold leaf, intricate calligraphy, and of course those amazing illustrated letters that begin each new page or chapter.  For this exercise we again used templates from books of clip art, but rather than just color them in, we traced the letters onto plastic vellum and other nice quality papers.  I personally loved the vellum and want to buy more of it; colored pencil just glided over the surface like velvet, making it hard to stop drawing.  When cut out, the letters can be glued into your journal to add a magnificent touch of luxury and color to your next piece of writing.

9.  Letter to the Future.  Ah, where do we go from here?  Where do you want to be in two years, six months, next week?  Tell someone special and seal it with a kiss.  I wrote a letter to my muse and we have a date to check out the contents in November at the start of Nanowrimo.  Just like Tip #1, we put the letters in decorated envelopes and glued them into our journals.

Tip of the Day:  Even if you haven't held a paintbrush since kindergarten, don't be afraid to try art journaling.  Sometimes the most important things we have to say are best said without words.  The beauty of the art journal is you can have both:  stories, thoughts, images, favorite recipes, family photos.  Anything and everything goes.  Best of all--there are no rules, just the invitation to show up at the page and have fun.

Finding Poetry, Part II

My last post promised to share some excerpts from my found poetry pages "next week."  Next week has turned into this week, thanks to an overly hectic work schedule and a much-needed, short vacation up to Taos, New Mexico.  Despite having lived in New Mexico for exactly seven years this summer, I had never been to Taos before so I was thrilled to finally get there.  Everything--from galleries to shopping to scenery-- was even better than I imagined it would be, and I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in that part of the country.   

Before I start though, I just want to mention a quick side trip.  On our last day I particularly wanted to see the Mabel Dodge Lujan house not just for its lovely Pueblo-style architecture but also for its many D.H. Lawrence associations.  My husband was a good sport driving me up and down a few wrong roads until we finally found the place, listening all the while to me raving about "D.H. this and D.H. that..."  Even as we parked and stepped out onto the crushed gravel walkway leading to the main house I was still talking about D.H. and Frieda, rather loudly, too, and when we opened the door:  a poetry class was in full swing.  Ooops.  I think they were having some kind of "silent session," very quiet, very Zen, very un-D.H. Lawrence.  I apologized for interrupting (all the while wishing they could have put up a sign...) and settled instead for a walk through the grounds before deciding to head back to Albuquerque. 

Halfway through our walk my husband said something about T.E. Lawrence--like, when exactly had he been to Taos.  It was one of those surreal moments when you realize you've been so wrapped up in your own little world you haven't given a single thought to whether or not you're being understood.  Here I was thinking of fierce literary arguments and thrown plates, and my husband had been thinking of sand dunes, the first World War, and Lawrence of the Pueblo.  And that to me is what found poetry is all about: taking fresh meaning from unexpected sources.  So in that wonderful spirit of chaos, here we go, starting with:

1.  Music poetry.  Several years ago I kept a journal solely on music and sound.  I wanted to write only poetry, essays, and short stories on the theme of music.  Using my X-acto knife to cut through magazine columns I found:

A harmony of

        wind trails

                   your spirit.

Softly open to

  the song of

      how old you are and

         travel happy.

Another small piece reads:

In the mirror

  I learned

    music making.

Deafening, whomping

drowning out the song.

Burnt sacrifice.

No miracles, but

  some kind of knowledge.

In a third piece I went to my word pool of cut out words and phrases all relating to music and sound that I kept in a basket.  Taking them out at random I came up with:

Conversations with

Dancing goats

   Learning to fly

They fall to earth.

They are surrounded by

operas in the dark

Voices and visions,

hushed tones.

Animals as normal people

No more ox tongue performance

The first call

It just screams.

Makes you think.

2.  In my last post I mentioned how I like to concentrate on the theme of food and using food magazines as my resources.  Here is an example where I used food magazines to find words and phrases as I did in the sample above.  Because I spread the cut out words across a larger journal page, I've included slashes to represent where I joined phrases on the same line:

I remember/the robust tanginess

of chilling buttermilk

cooking barefoot,/when I was young,/in search of

miraculous/baskets/bowls, and

a paper heart.

Pruning roses/freighted with winter

encumbrances

snowflakes and hearts --

a place where/chaos is/luxury,

maybe even peace.

How do you discover/other worlds

secluded/doorways

the secret

glimpses of the past?

Lately, I have begun to suffer

from a nineteenth-century/serenity

a permanent

daydreaming.

Good things emerge,

connected by design.

3.  Lastly, here is a small example, again using my X-acto knife, that I think sums up my feelings of what it's like to work with found poetry:

The secret

life of

writing

grace.

Less than a

game,

a spirited quest.

Tip of the Day:  Try making your own found poetry.  Don't worry about making sense--just make yourself happy.  That's all creativity should be about anyway.  Have fun--and if you'd like to share your work, please let me know!  I'd be more than happy to put up a link to your own blog in my next and future posts.

Lost and Found; Finding Poetry, Part I

Before I begin I want to thank two people and dedicate this post to a third; I want to thank the poet Denise Brennan Watson for introducing me to "found poetry" and I want to send a sincere thank you to Diane Solis at Creativity As a Way of Life for suggesting that I write a post about it.  Lastly I want to dedicate today's post to Chris Al-Aswad, who tragically left us at the age of 31.  I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading his poetry and essays.

As I mentioned above, I first discovered found poetry in a week-long workshop taught by Denise Brennan Watson at the summer conference of the International Women's Writing Guild.  Denise's book, The Undertow of Hunger, a collection of food poetry, had just been published.  In her class Denise continued with her theme of food and cooking; each day we experimented with different ways to use food and its related associations as poetry prompts.  The idea of "found poetry" was discussed from the start.  Denise suggested that cookbooks and food magazines were brilliant places to find "hidden tidbits" of writing that went way beyond recipes.  This was because in order to sell food, it must be presented to readers as more than something that tastes good.  The words used to describe food are often sensuous, multi-layered, and evocative of childhood and our most cherished occasions and memories.  To demonstrate her point, Denise had brought to the conference an entire suitcase of food magazines she generously shared with us to cut, slice, and dice our way into finding the poetry inside.  Right away I was hooked, totally addicted; my writing and my life changed from that week forward and I haven't been the same since.  Seriously!  Until Denise's class I never knew what treasures could be found between the lines of an innocent article on say, how to bake a raspberry tart or melt chocolate for a fondue.

Denise's workshop was exactly ten years ago this summer.  Over those years I have worked hard to develop her ideas and use them in ways that are uniquely my own in my pottery, art journaling, and collage.  One small project I have on the side is I am writing an entire "found novel" from scraps culled solely from food magazines.  Here are some of the things I have learned to help you find and create your own poetry:

• Anything and everything can be turned into found poetry.  What you are looking for are snippets of meaning when lines of prose are taken out of context and removed from their original source.  For instance, during that same IWWG conference in 2000, I went to an evening performance where the poet Judi Beach recited lines from a menu--verbatim--as poetry.  I will never look at apple pie the same way again.
• If you use magazines to find your cut-out words and lines, it's a good idea to stick to a single type of magazine for coherency, theme, and word association.  I still love using food magazines, but you can express yourself best when you use magazines that express your personal interests, e.g.,  tennis, finance, history, sewing, fine art...  The list of subject-specific magazines is endless. 
• It can also help to become adventurous and jump into a magazine world you would normally avoid:  Motorcycle Rider when you'd rather be reading Elle and vice versa.
• Besides the straight-out text of a magazine article, I find headlines, advertisements, and the table of contents to be full of good lines just waiting to be grabbed and turned into poetry.
• Other sources besides magazines can include:  overheard conversations, Twitter, Facebook, old letters and greeting cards.  The key is to never simply repeat what you find, but to completely reassemble the seemingly ordinary into the extraordinary.
• Old manuscript drafts can be a wonderful source of material.  Never throw away a piece until you've taken all the good lines out for future use.
• A method I have yet to try but is certainly on my list of future goals is to dismantle/alter/change an entire book--one of course that is in the public domain and no longer known.  Used bookstores are full of obscure and forgotten books just waiting for you to give them new life.  The poet Mary Ruefle did this with great success in her book, A Little White Shadow which started life as an obscure Victorian novel of the same title.  Ruefle's technique for finding the poetry in this text is what's called "erasure."  Ruefle used white-out to delete all the words and lines surrounding the lines she wanted to keep and use.
• While white-out, felt pens, and tape are all good ways to block out your chosen text, I prefer using an X-acto blade to cut out the lines I want.  I love seeing how far I can cut my way down the page, often finishing with a multi-lined fragment that could easily pass as haiku or a tiny verse all on its own.
• Much of the charm of found poetry is in the arrangement of the words on the page.  While the cut-out lines can sometimes look like those poison-pen letters in an Agatha Christie novel:  "beWARe the KnIfe wAitS 4 U" they can also look fresh and original when positioned neatly on a piece of art paper or your sketchbook/art journal.  Any artwork you can add to the piece for embellishment is a great plus, too.
• I like to paste my smaller pieces onto unlined index cards for both future reference and as a way to present them as a "mini book" on their own.

Judson Jerome in The Poet's Handbook defines poetry as "metrical writing."  That's it!  However, he does go on to say that there is a tug-of-war within the poet as one chooses, picks, polishes, and twists words into a form:  "Prose lies flat on the page.  Poetry (good poetry, that is) stands up off it, rounded like a piece of sculpture because of its imposed form."  To me, found poetry is all about the choosing and twisting and making a new form from what is otherwise a flat piece of prose.  Next week I'll share some of my found poems and offer you more ideas for creating your own.

Tip of the Day:  Start looking; start cutting--gather up your magazines, phone books, old manuscripts.  Don't be afraid to put your own stamp on the mundane and turn it into a piece of startling imagination.

Readers' Discussion Guides--Make Your Own

A few years ago I joined a romance book club because I wanted to study the genre and also because it gave me an opportunity to discover new writers.  The club has since widened its range to include memoirs, the classics, and even the occasional mystery.  What we do prefer though are books that end well and happily, and yes, have an emphasis on a romantic relationship.  For that reason alone we still like to call ourselves the Romance Book Club, but ever since we moved our meeting place to a local Borders Books & Music, the store insists upon calling us the Ravioli Book Club.  Sure enough, once a month a large sign reserves a prime table in the cafe for us:  'RAVIOLI BOOK CLUB."  There doesn't seem to be any way to change the sign or the name, and by now I think we actually enjoy the surreal distinction of being the strangest book club in the store.

Similar to the way the club name "just happened" it also became my job somehow to find, print, and bring to our meetings the publishers' reading discussion guides for each of our monthly choices.  I love these guides.    They're very simple to find--I just Google 'em.  Not every book has one, but I wish they did.  Not only do they liven up our meetings, but they help me to think more analytically and deeply about what I'm reading, which always carries over to what I'm writing.  Which then made me think, I need my own reading guides too!

Several weeks ago I started work on two guides:  one for my Egyptian mystery for middle-grade readers, The Great Scarab Scam and one for my young adult novel, Better Than Perfect. 

Over the weekend I finalized them so you can read or print a PDF copy of each here:  Better than Perfect and The Great Scarab Scam.

While I was writing the guides, I thought that just like making book trailers before you publish, writing up your discussion questions as you work through your drafts could also help strengthen your writing.  Here are some of the points I considered:

• When designing your questions, try to avoid anything that can be answered with a plain "Yes" or "No" without more qualification.
• It's also important to remember there is never any "right answer" to a question, especially when writing a guide for children or young adult readers.
• Characters are usually the most important part of your story.  Search for questions that encourage readers to explore why they could identify (or not) with your characters, for instance through profession, family issues, or personal challenges.
• A good plot should present your characters with troubling choices.  Characters don't always act rationally or sanely when faced with a crisis.  Think of questions (and reasons) that revolve around why this is so for your own book.
• Evaluating characters' choices can lead to "what would you do?" types of questions.
• A good ending should leave the reader wanting more.  Create questions or topics that let readers imagine future scenes or alternative endings.
• What does the book remind you of?  Encourage discussion of other writers and genres that point back to your book.
• How do you want readers to possibly describe the overall mood, tone, or theme or the book?
• Is your theme universal or could it only be true for one part of the world?  Think of questions that explore the locale of your book as well as any unusual bits of information you use to make your story unique.
• What have your characters learned?  Or left undiscovered?
• What would you like your readers to have learned?
• Is the story believable--or not?  (If not, this could be a good time to fix it!) 

Not every guide you create needs to include all of these points, but they are certainly something to keep in mind while brainstorming both your manuscript and your questions.

Tip of the Day:  Search out reading guides for some of your favorite titles and start by answering the questions in your journal.  You might even want take this a step further by discussing the questions with your writing group if you don't already belong to a book club.  It's easier to write your own guide once you know the kind of questions you like to discuss, and which ones you find frustrating and pointless (not that rare of an occurrence, I'm sorry to say!).  And have fun:  discussion guides are meant to enhance the love of reading--readers should never feel they're defending a thesis or trying to pass an exam.

Am Editing

My three favorite Twitter hashtags are:  #amreading, #amwriting, and #amediting.  Whenever I see one of those I always stop to read the tweet.  #Amreading alerts me to great new titles; #amwriting inspires me to write those extra pages, and #amediting reminds me to take the work seriously.

For the past few weeks I've been doing my best to stay in #amediting mode.  It hasn't been easy.  I readily confess to loving first drafts:  the thrill of new characters; speed writing; first thoughts/"best" thoughts (or so they seem!).  Sometimes editing feels too much like doing my homework when I'd rather be eating dessert.

But this week there's been a shift; around Tuesday I found myself starting to enjoy the process of preparing a manuscript for print.  It may have had something to do with passing the "100 page" mark at last.  As it stands now, my manuscript is 429 double-spaced pages, printed in New Courier 12 font (easiest to read, I think).  I figure that if I stay on track editing a minimum of 14 pages a day I'll be finished by August 1.

I waited a year to start this final edit and I'm glad I did.  Enough time has passed to almost convince me someone else wrote the book--a wonderful advantage when it comes to slashing sentences, cutting excess description, and doing my best to wordsmith my way to a clearly-told story.  Often I'll come to a passage and I won't even remember writing it, allowing me to be utterly ruthless.

One of the reasons for my reluctance to start this particular edit was my fear that concentrating on editing would somehow lead to me forgetting how to write.  Absurd, I know!  But I was worried that skimping on my daily freewriting would be like an athlete not staying in shape, or a dancer lounging in front of the television instead of showing up in the rehearsal room.  How wrong I was.  Writing IS rewriting.  Sticking to an editing plan and schedule is where the real magic happens.

Now instead of groaning at the thought of my daily editing quota, I look forward to each 30-minute session (after 30 minutes I begin to read, not critique).  I have my manuscript neatly tucked into a new, large binder that accompanies me most of the day and night.  I don't like to let it out of my sight and it's always ready to work on whenever I have a free moment.  Believe it or not, it's a great way to spend the summer!

Tip(s) of the Day:  I have two:  1) The longer you leave a manuscript between edits the better your editorial eye will be.  Don't rush to edit.  And 2) If you write every day--even just a few minutes between editing sessions--you will build a body of work, which means that you will be able to leave off editing your manuscripts for a year or longer.  That way you will never run out of manuscripts to polish, submit, and, sell.

Get Set With a Goals Jar

The last few weeks have been ridiculous:  unexpected snafus at my day job; summer storms creating big leafy messes and lots of extra yard work; my car needing new tires and other minor maintenance issues…the days just seem to slide by.  Every hour there seems to be yet another new crop of  "things to do" that need my stretched-to-breaking-point attention, including my blog posts (sorry for the recent lapse in posting).

To stay on track with my "main goals" for the year, I try to commit to three daily and essential tasks during the work week: the edits for my new book, Overtaken; attending to my day job (got to pay the bills somehow!); and write/draw/create something new every day—even if it’s just 500 words from a writing prompt.  But sometimes it’s difficult to concentrate when my brain is buzzing with, “gotta re-do the website,” “gotta sew up that couch cushion,” “gotta get a stock of padded mailers.” The annoying part of all this buzz-buzz-buzz is I’m never quite sure just which extra project needs to be the center of my universe and which one I can put on the back burner.  Worse yet is when I go to start one of these extra tasks, I immediately think of yet another thing I’m “supposed” to be doing.  Scattered doesn’t even begin to describe it. 

Sunday night I decided to take control with a trick I learned from the Land of Enchantment Romance Authors:  the Goals Jar. The idea is to write down a goal to accomplish between meetings, put it in a jar with a dollar, and at the next meeting all the people who have accomplished their goals participate in a drawing that rewards the winner with half of the cash (the other half going to LERA for fun things like speakers, etc.).  While I was a member, I was pretty good at winning, often coming home with a nice little stash.  But it's been over a year since I've had the time to attend a meeting and I don't have quite the same incentive to stick to minor goals here at home.  What I do have though is a pottery jar with a wide cork lid sitting on my desk.  I love this jar—it’s from Mexico and decorated with pictures from Mexican lottery tickets and tarot cards. Depending on how I place it, I can have a new picture facing me any time I want.

Remembering the same procedure from the LERA meetings, I wrote down a list of the things I need to do (somewhat appalled at the extent of said list) and then cut it into strips.  I then folded the strips into tiny squares, placed them in the jar, shook it up, and pulled out my first one: “Make picture for blog header.” Yay! I can do that.  (It's now at the top of the page here.  What do you think?)

Instead of putting a dollar into the jar for each of my goals, I rewarded myself by putting $20 into the jar for completing the task.  I get to spend it and all the other twenties I'm anticipating when the task-strips are all gone.  At the same time I'm also going to pretend each task-strip I remove is the ONLY extra task I need to do until it is finished.  I'm not allowed to even think about the other chores waiting in the jar.  Or the money.  Well, it's hard not to think about the money, but you know what I mean!  

Tip of the Day:  Start your goals jar. You might want to make it yourself.  I have a friend who glues collage scenes on old jam jars and they're beautiful.  Add inspiring quotes or pictures of things you want to help keep yourself motivated.

Make Your Book Trailer Today--Even Before You Write Your Book

It’s been a whole two weeks since I released my book trailer for Better Than Perfect and I have to say it’s been a blast. Thank you so much to everyone who’s viewed and commented. Besides appearing on Youtube.com, the trailer is now also on JacketFlap.com, Blazingtrailers.com, and thenybookjournal.com.
Producing the trailer has definitely opened a brand new world for me, one I’ve enjoyed so much than I’m now making trailers for three more of my existing books, with more trailers lined up for next year based on my current WIPs. Sites I want to thank in particular include:  The Savvy Book Marketer for “how-to” info, Dreamstime.com for their great image library, and Musicbakery.com for not only providing an excellent selection of music, but also for being so ultra-helpful when I had trouble downloading the piece I chose (my fault entirely).

I waited a long time to make my trailer, mainly because I was worried I could never master Windows Movie Maker and I thought I’d be wasting my time trying to learn. Now I’m so enthused about the whole process that I think it’s a waste of time to not start on your trailer as soon as possible—maybe even before you write your book. Here’s why:

-  Editors are always telling us to “show, don’t tell.” Making a trailer is about the best way I can think of to “show” your story with a minimum of images and words. Having those images/words clear in your mind will keep your plot—and your pitch—on track.

-  Making multiple trailers will keep your creativity flowing. For final production purposes you want to keep your “real” trailer under two minutes in length; but there’s no law that says you can’t make draft trailers just for fun and for as long as you want them to be. Create a new trailer draft for every chapter or important scene you write.

-  While I was looking for pictures of my characters, I often found collections of other, unrelated pictures using the same models. To really know your characters and their body language, try creating individual trailers showing just your story people in a variety of poses. 

- Your music choices can become “theme songs” for your books, giving you a unique way to express your theme when both writing and/or discussing your books. 

- While you’re writing your drafts, you can use your trailer(s) to design and build your synopsis: simply write your outline image by image and the whole thing will be finished before you know it.

-  Same thing for your query letter paragraphs. Ask yourself what “feeling” you want to convey to an editor or agent. Having the right pictures and music in your mind can help you describe that feeling.

-  Making your trailer before you start submitting or selling your book means you can begin your marketing before your book is on the shelves. Having something readers can actually see—and become excited about—can create an instant buzz.

-  Digital publications and e-book readers are creating a reading revolution. I have a strong suspicion it’s going to become commonplace for all books to be illustrated with videos and other graphics—and you don’t want to be left behind. Even if your trailer is eventually professionally produced by your publishing company, having a ready-made example of the direction you want can hasten the way to a successful production.

Tip of the day: Regardless of whether you know how to use Movie Maker or any other program, start your image library before you do anything else. Brainstorm a list of pictures you think could illustrate your story, e.g., images of your characters, settings, and scenes, as well as a list of emotions: "confused," "angry," "excited." Then visit a site such as Dreamstime.com and start digging.

Added tip: While you’re searching, be open to happy accidents; key words tagging the photos can lead you to search areas you might not have considered but which turn out to be absolutely perfect—better than perfect! (Sorry—couldn’t resist that one!) Don’t forget to bookmark or save links to your favorite images; you don't want to lose what might turn out to be your very best shots.

My First Book Trailer!

Ta-dah! It's here at last, my first book trailer featuring my Young Adult novel, Better Than Perfect. Set in New Zealand, the story follows a crucial turning point in the lives of two young women, Elizabeth Haddon and her cousin, Ravenna St. James.  

Making the trailer was an absolute blast, something I've been working on in every spare minute I could find both day and night. It was also, I have to admit, much more fun than writing the book. (Uh-oh, don't tell my writing clients/students...) Of course there were some difficult moments too, for instance when I could not, could not figure out how to get my text onto the still photos and wanted to smash my computer screen with a shoe, a hammer, anything handy. But perseverance paid off and now I think I've got Windows Movie Maker pretty well figured out--and I love it. In fact, I'm so excited by book trailers and the fun of creating them that I'm making three more. 

My original intention for this post was to share some of the things I had learned along the way, but I think I will have to make that a post for next week; all this excitement has worn me out. So for now, I'd just like to invite you to enjoy my first foray into the world of video production. Thanks for watching! 

Tip of the Day: There are many, many places where you can watch book trailers. A good place to start is at Jacketflap.com where you can see a wide variety of videos on the JF home page. As you watch, start thinking about making your own book trailer(s). You don't have to have a published manuscript to begin producing. In fact, next week I'm going to discuss how and why a trailer could actually help you tighten and complete your current WIP. Don't forget the popcorn!