THINGS TO PONDER

WRITERS! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ernest Hemingway, ghost and writer, here:

Have you ever watched some comedian go around a joke you knew, 

telling it with heart but not quite hitting the mark?

In my mortal life, I was many things, good, bad, and profane.  

But through it all, I was a writer.

I see many of Roland's friends work so hard to hit the mark but not quite making it.  

In my travels, I had to apply for my passport. 

There were stated, mandatory things I had to do.  

Just wanting to travel was not enough.

You want to write?

Good for you.  But know that there is a passport to travel as a writer.  

And mandatory requirements to obtain it.

No excuses, no urgency of desire, no amount of wasted effort will replace them.


1.) COMPETE AGAINST YOURSELF

Talent is over-rated.  It is practice that will make or break you.  

Have talent with the piano?  Stop practicing and watch those with far less talent over-take you.

Same with writing.

In your electronic community, it is tempting to turn on your devises and see what your acquaintances are doing with their dreams.

Stop it.

Someone, somewhere, is publishing something new and wonderful. 

The writers achieving success are hard working. 

Being the most talented writer doesn’t necessarily translate into publishing success, 

which really comes from methodical and consistent work rather than raw talent.


2.)  RESTRAINT

If you are a writer, there is an incessant drive to get your novel published and out there for the reader to read.

In this new age of Do-It-Yourself Publishing, you can whip up your inept first draft and hurl it out there.

RESTRAINT!

Polish your work until you cannot possibly conceive of doing it better.

HAVE A TOUGHER SKIN THAN ME.  

I turned my back on Fitzgerald because of his attempts at helping me to write a better draft to A Farewell to Arms.


3.) PLUG OUT OF THAT DAMN PHONE!

As I wander among those who are still men, 

I see nothing but furrowed brows bent over those silly phones of yours.

And when I peek in to see how Roland's writer friends are progressing with their work, 

they are looking at nothing but one funny kitten video after another 

or prattling about nothing on their electronic party line called Facebook!

STOP IT!

4.) BE YOUR OWN MOMMY

Stop waiting for someone to tell you when to write. 

There comes a point in your life where no one is going to tell you 

what you should read, 

what you should write, 

and moreover, no one is going to point this out for you.

Carve out your own time to write and cling to it like a hungry leech.


5.)  TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

For your mistakes ...

If someone points out something they feel is wrong in your manuscript, look hard at it.  

If there is merit to the criticism, do something about it.

DO NOT do as I did Fitzgerald with his helpful attempts and tell them to "Kiss my Ass!"


For your novel ...

It does not write itself.  

You write it word by word  crafted with effort from the stem of your brain to the numb ends of your fingertips.

Your novel is the product of the effort and imagination and originality you put into it.  

Make it the best of which you are capable.


6.) RESEARCH

By living ...

Your writing will only be as true and your perceptions of life are valid.  

They become more valid with each bruise, each wound, each loss you endure.  

Go on out there and live ...

 and 

OBSERVE THE WORLD AROUND YOU.


By looking in the right places ...

You people are so blessed.  

This electronic world you live in allows you to find facts, images, and sounds of the entire world.

Your setting is flat only because you have not done the proper searching.  

You literally have a new Library of Alexandria at your fingertips.

USE IT!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING STILL SITTING THERE?

WRITE!

FRIENDS and YOUR BOOKS

Wonder why you give your book to your friend, 

 and he or she never gets back to you 

or gives your non-feedback?

Look at it from their side:

Aren’t novels all about pleasure? 

And so the deeper the friendship the harder you may find it to begin your friend’s book—

the potential for disappointment enhanced by each heightening degree of affection. 

That stifled inner voice makes another declaration: “I’ll prove how much I like you by never reading your book.”


Then, there are the words of Jesus:

 "Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown."


When those who know you read your book, they do not read your prose; 

they see the person whom they believe they know.

They also "hear" your voice when they read the dialogue.


Who believes their friend Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt?  

They find it hard to reconcile their image of you to the drama inside your novel.

It comes off unrealistic to them even if to a stranger it would be riveting.


That leads us to critique partners:

Sometimes the longer they know you, the less helpful their advice becomes.

They no longer see your prose as it is but as it was.  

You are no longer a stranger to whom they can be objective.


Finding the right critique partner is as hard as finding the right spouse. 

 And look at the divorce rates these days.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS 

AND YOUR BOOKS?

WORD OF MOUTH_HOW TO SOW THE SEEDS

"Now is not the time to think about what you do not have.
It is the time to think of what to do with what you do have."
- Ernest Hemingway


It can be a lonely trek across the desert trying to get noticed in a market over-saturated with Indie Books,

many well-written, most not even close to well-written.

I've come across several blog posts who darted about the topic of WORD OF MOUTH 

but never actually telling you how to grasp that elusive will of the wist. 

I will not be coy ... that is just cruel.

You can have a great book, but if people don’t know about it then it does no good.  

You know it is important to keep track of what people are saying about you and your brand online and off,

 but how do you insert yourself in the conversations? 

Google Search for your own name and keep it current 

so you will be alerted each time your name is mentioned is one good way.


1.) TARGET THE HIGH PROFILE INFLUENCERS

Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube has them.  

Look at the ones who speak on the topic or subjects about which you write. 

Don't be a stalker or obnoxious. 

 Just email, tweet, FB, or comment on their YouTube site, asking politely for a look-see at what you are writing.

You don't even have to further bother them.  Just give the link to your author's  or book page on Amazon and hope they will read or listen to the free sample.


2.) BUILD A PERSONAL BOND IN VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

Talk about the hurts in their lives. Develop friendships with like minds ... and not all authors either.

We have to break out of the author ghetto, if our books are ever to gain high sales.


3.) STRIVE TO BE A THOUGHT LEADER

Don't just contact Social Influences.  Strive to become one yourself.  Think beneath the surface of what is going on in your world.

{Have you noticed how many in the music field have died at the age of 67 this week?  

Four so far to my count. What is up with that?  

What happened in common in all four of their lives?  Look for a pattern. Talk about it.}

Dare to be controversial ... but own up to it.  Believe what you write.  

George Carlin did in an amusing way and attracted a huge following.

Writing misleading prose to sound outrageous but, at heart, is not  ...

that is just being coy.  

It may actually work, but I would rather not choose that path.

Which leads me into my next thought:


4.) STRIVE TO BE HONEST

If readers see you being manipulative, they will be turned off.  

There goes your WORD OF MOUTH heading off in the wrong direction.

"Throwing up your skirt" gets lots of attention at the beginning, 

but the impact lessens the more it is done.

There has to be merit and worth to our words EVERY TIME we post or write a novel.  

It takes a long time to build up trust ...

BUT ONLY ONE MISSTEP to lose it perhaps forever.


5.) READ YOUR COMMENTS AND EMAILS

And RESPOND!  

How would you feel about a bank giving you a rave incentive for joining them, 

but put you on hold repeatedly for 30 minutes when you had a problem?

IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW MANY YOU REACH ...

   IT IS ABOUT HOW YOUR FEW READERS FEEL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BOOKS.

You would know they were not interested in YOU but only in THEIR GROWTH.


6.) CREATE A READER'S GUIDE AT THE END OF YOUR BOOK

Use your book’s description to let people know that your book contains a helpful discussion guide at the end.

I am doing that myself at the end of my THE NOT-SO-INNOCENTS ABROAD coming out soon in paperback.

Were General Sherman, General Grant, and President Lincoln war criminals?

{Look it up on Google.}


Did Lincoln participate in Ethnic Cleansing? 


What president ordered the greatest Mass Execution in our history?


What President started the first world war? 


(It was George Washington by the way, in case you were wondering.  Look up the French and Indian War on Google.)


What was the original 13th Amendment that Lincoln endorsed in his first inaugural address?

Is it possible to lift a Transatlantic Steamer in the air by dirigible?


How many inventions did Thomas Edison steal?  

Was Edison guilty of ordering the murders of a father and son? 

 Are Time and Space absolutes or only constructs of our minds?


7.) CREATE BOOKMARKS

Old school, but still effective. 

Include an image of your book cover, your hook or log-line,

 as well as your website and contact info. 

If you think your audience will understand and use a QR code, include one on your bookmark

I HOPE THIS HELPS IN SOME SMALL WAY 

WHEN LIFE INSISTS ON HAVING ITS WAY

"Maybe the wolf is in love with the moon.

And each month, he howls for the love

he will never be able to touch."

-Samuel McCord

In the past two days, I have worked 24 hours ...

And as you might expect, there has been precious LITTLE time for me to write on my latest dream.

HAS LIFE EVER GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF YOUR DREAMS?

“That's what happens to dreams, life gets in the way.”    ― Jodi Picoult, Handle With Care

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

As a young man, Arnold decided to get up 30 minutes earlier than he wanted and to study for an entire year a subject he wanted to know better.

I decided to do that as well.  It works for me even in this harsh, time-draining job of mine.  I get up 15 minutes early and stay up 15 minutes later to get in a little writing.

Sometimes life insists on her way, and I let her ... for a day or two.  But then, I fall back into the pattern again.



A young man was told by his physician that because of his neuro-muscular disease, he would only be 70% all his days.  


He grew depressed.  He sat channel surfing and came upon Arnold in PREDATOR.

He thought to himself:

"70% of Arnold?  Why not?"

  
And so began his long, grueling days of physical training. 


 He now looks like a lean tiger and moves more graceful than before the diagnosis.

There is a path if we but look for it.

We bloggers are better writers for we know we are not alone.



 All of this is too general?

How can we write when there is so much pressing in on us?

1. Pinpoint Underlying Issues.

 

If you've always wanted to write and aren't doing it, invest some thought in figuring out the source of your writer's block. 

Is it a fear of failure, a longstanding tendency to procrastinate, or something as simple as a lack of writing space?

Find the flaw -- then, map out a plan to deal with it.

 

2. Just Say "No."

 

Time is limited, and for most people, the demands on their time are unlimited. 

Once you've determined what you want to say yes to, the ability to say no becomes an important muscle to build.

While your writing time should not be the most important thing in your life, 

it should give way only for the more important things in your life.

3. Schedule Time to Write.

 

It's not glamorous or exciting to adhere to a schedule, but it really does help. 

If you work full-time, it may actually be easier to establish a regular time each day in which to write.

Get up early and write before you leave the house, 


take a notepad with you to lunch, or stop off at a coffee shop on your way home.

 4. Resist the Impulse to Overdo It.

If you're the kind of person who tends to throw yourself into a new project only to burn out after a week or two,

consider giving yourself stop times for writing.

 

5. Know That It Won't Always Be Easy.

You may be more tired at the end of the day.

Some social obligations might get pushed aside.

Your family might have to pitch in.

Decide what you're willing to sacrifice for a few hours a week dedicated to writing.

Most of us have obligations we can't avoid, but if you're determined, you can manage both.

At the same time, 

be content with whatever you can realistically give to your writing. 

Even an hour a day adds up over time.

What do you do when life presses in on you?

How do you cope with

lack of time's

strangle-hold on your

writing?

HOW TO WRITE A GREAT FIRST CHAPTER!

We all know how important first impressions are ...

Well, first chapters are our first impressions with readers, editors, and agents.

Take the LOOK INSIDE feature to your book on its Amazon page.  The prospective buyer will probably give you 30 seconds ...

which is the first paragraph at the most.  

If it teases them to read the whole first chapter, then that chapter better be Oscar Worthy.


1.) TENSE AREN'T YOU?

First person, past tense tends to draw the reader into the mind of your character, 

but write in the tense in which you think your novel's action in your head.  

It will feel most natural to you and in the end, to the reader.



2.) IN THE BEGINNING ...

The first chapter must ensnare the reader.  

I still remember that iconic scene in ROGUE NATION with Rebecca Fergeson in the opera house high back-stage ...

arching her long leg in the slit skirt to rest her elbow of the arm holding the rifle to kill Tom Cruise.

Scenes teasing sex and action always rivet.

But the first scene of that movie was Tom Cruise hanging on for his life on a plane's wing as it took off, yelling for Simon Pegg to open that damn door!

Start where your story hits the ground running.


3.) BOND.  JAMES BOND

Introduce a strong character right away.  "My name is Ishmael."

When designing your Chapter One, establish your characters’ situation(s). 

What do they know at the beginning? 


 What will they learn going forward? 


What does their world mean to them?



4.) IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT

As with movie monsters, less is more with a novel's setting right at the beginning.

Your reader will fill in the blanks for you if you but deftly sketch in a few striking details.

"It was the sort of alley where a wino would hole up in to die." 


5.) THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Despite what I wrote above, details are important.  

But you must be laser-accurate with as few of them as you can manage.

The plastic restraints hurt.  But they did not hurt as much as that scalpel would.  It hovered over his right eye.

His nose wrinkled at the whisky on the breath of the surgeon as she slurred, "I know you are wondering why I am doing this to you."


6.) MAKE YOUR 1ST CHAPTER A MINI-ME

It’s no accident that many great novels have first chapters 

that were excerpted in magazines, where they essentially stood as short stories.

 Every chapter should have its own plot, none more important than Chapter One.

 Focus on action.

 Be decisive. 

A good way to do that is to make a character take decisive action.

The first chapter should have an arc and closure 

that promises more of the same or that the victory was really a hollow one unrealized by the protagonist.

Here's wishing you a best-seller that will make you rich and famous! 

 

HOW TO KEEP ON WITH YOUR NOVEL

HAS IT ALL CAUGHT UP WITH YOU?

You're in good company:

Mark Twain

 

Mark Twain's brilliant authorship of American classics such as Huckleberry Finn 


might have had its roots in his tendency to depression. 


But this famous depressed writer also lived with a lot of family drama 


that could have contributed to his stress
 and depression. 

Depression's role with creative writing will also be a function of the individual writers,


 their personal history, their circumstances, and the nature of their depressions.

Stephen King

 

Stephen King, a modern master of suspense and terror, has quite a body of work to his name. 


Yet his fame and talent didn't forestall the devastating effects of the drugs and alcohol 


he allegedly had been using to cope with ongoing unhappiness.

Substance abuse and alcohol use 


often play roles as people struggling with depression attempt to self-medicate. 


During those years, this famous depressed writer also produced some of his best-known works, such as The Shining, Pet Cematary, and Carrie.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were known for their glamorous and tumultuous lifestyle, 


full of wild parties, travel, and larger-than-life characters. 

The Great Gatsby remains his best-known work, 


but other novels such as The Beautiful and the Damned detail a lot of the same ground. 


Their glittering life had a dark side, punctuated by alcoholism and depression for both of them, 


and their legacy includes being famous depressed writers. 

HOW DO YOU KEEP ON WRITING DESPITE FEAR, DOUBT, & SELF-CRITICISM?

1.) ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF YOU'RE WEREN'T AFRAID OR DOUBTFUL.

The mere act of doing usually makes the fear recede in just a few minutes.” 


Pretend, just for a moment, that rejection or failure isn’t the end of life as you know it.

2.) STOP INDULGING YOUR FEARS, DISCOURAGEMENTS, REJECTIONS, & DASHED DREAMS.

Much as we’re driven to write, we feel we must be in the mood – 


as if the clouds should part, the sun should shine and every possible interruption should be silenced

.

None of that matters. Write anyway. 

Don’t think about how you feel or if it’s a perfect time to write 

or that you have a thousand other things to do. 

Write anyway. 

You have nothing to share and nothing to sell if there are no words on the page.

3.) REMEMBER THAT REJECTION ISN'T NECESSARILY ABOUT YOUR WRITING. 

You have to be totally dedicated to your writing. 


Forget about rejections – they’re a mandatory part of any career. 

A writer writes. 

If you feel you’ll keep writing even if you never get published, then you’re a real writer.

The markets want they want.  


Tastes will change.  You will grow as a writer if you do not give up.

4.) SEE PAST YOUR EXCUSES TO YOUR REAL FEARS

Writers need to look at their fears directly.


 Recognize them for what they are, 


and be honest with yourself about why you’re not moving forward with your writing goals.

This can be difficult because we give excuses rather than facing our fears.

5.) SET SMALL GOALS

Long-term goals are great for inspiration, but keep a list of small, attainable goals, too, 


and allow yourself to feel proud when you achieve them. 

Reward yourself for finishing a chapter or short story. 

Recognize that sending a few query letters to agents takes time, thought, and effort, 


and don’t discount the success.