6 Resources for Writers During the Era of Social Distancing

From the Smithsonian

There's no doubt about it.  We are writers living in "interesting" times.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that when my first activity was cancelled last week, I did a little dance.  

Not that social distancing is working out as expected.  So far it means that my extroverts are clingy and crabby because they don't get to go anywhere. Me? I’m wondering where the social distance is.  It doesn’t help that I’ve got a huge Friday deadline.

But we might as well take advantage of being stuck at home.  If you are reading this, I’m going to assume that you’ve got online access. 

Free Books on Social Justice  

For the next two weeks, ten Haymarket e-books are available for free.  If you are interested in social justice, the books range from Ecosocialism by Michael Lowy to Disposable Domestics by Grace Chang.  You can see the whole list here.   

Classic Titles

Prefer a classic like Chaucer or Chekov or Chomsky?  Check out this list of 800 free ebooks at Open Culture. 

12 Museums with Virtual Tours.  Travel and Leisure has a post about video museum tours online.  Possibilities include the Guggenheim in NYC, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.  Check out the full list here.  

Even More Museums.

MCN or the Museum Computer Network has a fantastic list of online resources.  Me? I’m looking forward to poking through the virtual Smithsonian and NASA.

MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) Learning. 

If you want to take a writing class, look here on WOW.  But if you want to learn about International Women’s Health and Human Rights, Understanding the Brain, or Science and Cooking, check out this 54 course list at Business Insider.  

More MOOCs.

Coursera is my go-to location for MOOCs.  I’ve taken classes on Egyptology, Ancient Rome, Astrobiology and evolution.  Check out the full list here.  

Critter Cams.

Maybe you don’t want to think that hard and you just want to gaze a pandas or whales. Travel and Leisure comes through once again with a post on zoos with live camera feeds. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to meet this deadline.  I found a class I have to take and there are museums and books and animals that need my attention.

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 25 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her blog, One Writer's Journey.  Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults. The next session begins  May 4th, 2020. 

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3 comments books, cams, classes, MOOC, museums, online resources, Sue Bradford Edwards

Summer Reading

Ever seen a grown woman squeal with delight when she learned her new public library has a summer program for adults? I can assure you that the librarians at my public library have.

I thought I’d make a plug for public libraries, given that it’s the summer, and there is nothing finer than sitting on the beach and reading a great book (under an umbrella for those who are sun-shy, of course). I make this plug not only because libraries support authors – like ourselves – and promote reading to people of all ages, but also because they are essential to an author’s success.

I always cringe when I hear writers say they have no time for reading. As writers, it is essential that we read! Even if you only read books in the genre in which you write, there is so much to learn. To start, they reflect the trends of your intended audience. Remember that year-long teenage vampire craze? Authors who jumped on the vampire train often found themselves published, because teenagers couldn’t get enough. Perhaps it’s the opposite - maybe you’re someone who wants to be completely original. By reading books in your genre, you know what major trends to avoid.

Books in “your” genre serve as much-needed comparison titles. Use them when pitching your books to literary agents or publishers. I’ve attended two writers’ conferences, and agents often asked for titles which are like my own. Comparison titles help agents get a sense of your book, but they are also evidence that you immerse yourself in the literary world.

Reading books helps you better craft your own writing – either through inspiration or by finding mistakes you want to avoid. I’m always interested to find which point of view an author chose to use, or to explore the unique settings they create. The quality of their writing inspires me to move forward with my own. By contrast, there are times, say, where I don’t connect well with a character. I use those experiences to figure out why and avoid those same mistakes in my work.

Although we naturally gravitate towards our favorite genre, I do suggest branching out. I’m the first to admit my initial reluctance to pick up anything that’s not YA, but I’ve read enough incredible books to take chances on other genres as well.

If it’s been a while since you’ve read a book, why not mosey over to your local library? We work hard to perfect our own writing, but we shouldn’t neglect the writing of others. What better place to find those treasures than the public library? And if you’re lucky, they might have an adult summer reading program. Six more books and a Chick-fil-A ice cream cone is mine.


Bethany Masone Harar is an author, teacher, and blogger, who does her best to turn reluctant readers into voracious, book-reading nerds. Check out her blog here.

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4 comments author, books, comparison titles, crafting text, Harar, libraries, library, reading, summer reading, writing

Hidden Gems: Quotations Author's Use

There are different types of readers in this world. There are those who get the book and skip right to the first chapter, ignoring everything else. There are those who take their time to read the author's bio on the back flap, and who take in the intricacies of the front cover, before diving in to the story.

And then, there are people like me.

Books fascinate me. Not only by the content (which, undoubtedly, is the most important part), but also by how they smell. How they feel. The covers and the pages and the dedications. One of my favorite parts, however, is the quotations authors use after their dedication pages, and before their first chapters.

The quotations span all genres, time periods, and cultures. Some are from presidents. Others from poets. I’ve seen snippets of Shakespeare, Martin Luther King, and Robert Frost.

To me, each quotation is as much a part of the book as the characters and the setting. These quotations offer a glimpse into the heart of the story. The quotation is a clue – a small puzzle piece – which tantalizes me to unlock its meaning.

I read these quotations before anything else, and then revisit them once I’ve finished the book. This simple act is as delightful as opening an unexpected gift. They provide a deeper connection to the author’s purpose. It’s as if the author and I share an inside joke or a secret story to which others are not privy. The quotations connect us beyond the story and remind me that the themes in my favorite books transcend time.

I have my favorites, of course.

Stephen King’s Needful Things:
“I have heard of may going astray even in the village streets, when the darkness was so thick you could cut it with a knife, as the saying is . . .
                         – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing:
In this decayed hole among the mountains
In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
Over the tumbled graves, about the chapel
There is the empty chapel, only the wind’s home.
It has no windows, and the door swings,
Dry bones can harm no one.
Only a cock stood on the rooftree
Co co rico, co co rico
In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust
Bringing rain

Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves
Waited for rain, while the black clouds
Gathered far distant, over Himavant.
The jungle crouched, humped in silence.
Then spoke the thunder.
                          -T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling:
Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.
                           -William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude

And, lastly.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese:
And because I love this life
I know I shall love death as well.
The child cries out when
From the right breast the mother
Takes it away, in the very next moment
To find in the left one
It’s consolation.
                         -Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali


If you have never noticed these quotations before, try reading them first next time. I promise they will not disappoint.

Bethany Masone Harar is an author, teacher, and blogger, who does her best to turn reluctant readers into voracious, book-reading nerds. Check out her blog here.

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1 comment Abraham Verghese, Authors, books, dedications, famous quotes, Harar, hidden gems, J.K. Rowling, quotations, Stephen King, Tommy Wallach, writing

What's in a Name?

My school had the pleasure of hosting the lovely and talented Nina LaCour, author of We are Okay, a few weeks ago, and she answered several questions about publishing her books. Her stories brought back memories of my own publishing experiences.

After signing my first book contract with a publishing company, I could not wait to work with an editor. I had grand expectations, and had romanticized the idea so well (as much as anyone can romanticize the editing process) that I believed the experience would be, well, completely different from what it was.

When I received the first email from my editor, I was giddy. I clicked it open and started reading her comments. She wanted to start with plot problems which, as any writer knows, are inevitable. A character’s eyes changed color. Another character left the scene two pages ago, but was suddenly present again. These were mostly little changes, which polished out the story.

Then, my eyes dropped to the next line. The editor hated my main character’s name.

I blinked, convinced there was an error. I read her words again. I hadn’t misread. The editor thought my main character’s name didn’t fit - that it was too strange. She couldn’t force me to change it, but it was her strong suggestion that I find something more suitable.

How could this be?

If you are anything like me, you become very attached to your characters. We name them as lovingly as we name our actual human (or fur) babies. We develop our characters for months, or even years, so to suggest changing their name is abhorrent.

But there it was. I faced a tough decision.

Despite initial my misgivings, I explored other names. I developed a list of possibilities and tried them out. If a name worked in print, I took the next step and dared to say it aloud. I tested a few names on friends. Still, a voice nagged at me. I loved the original name I had chosen, and it hurt to know that someone else hated it.

Back then – before my publishing experience – I believed that I, alone, knew what was best for my novel. I had heard horror stories of authors who gave up what they loved the most about their books just to see their work bound in hardcover. Our books are our own, but once we sign a contract, we must make concessions. I have yet to speak to an author who did not change something they loved about their book at the publisher’s request. The publishing process has to be a give and take, but what emerges is a polished, publish-worthy book of which we can be proud.

Despite my hesitations and sadness, I did eventually change my main character’s name, and it was the right move. We write for ourselves, yes, but we also write for our audience. Both are equally important. If we can find a name which we love and which makes our audience happy, then we have succeeded.

I even ended up liking the new name better than the original one.







Bethany Masone Harar is an author, teacher, and blogger, who does her best to turn reluctant readers into voracious, book-reading nerds. Check out her blog here.

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4 comments Bethany Masone Harar, books, character names, editing, names, Nina LaCour, novels, protagonist, Publishing, shakespeare, We are Okay, writing projects

4 Tips for Holding a Contest On Your Blog

I am currently holding a contest on my new blog. I don't have a new book out, which is often a reason writers hold contests on their blog; but I want to draw people to my blog to sign up for email posts or my newsletter and to make them aware that I have a new URL on the web. I decided one easy way to do this was with a contest.

Tip #1: Choose Your Contest, Making it Fun and Easy:
One of the subjects I want to write about in the next year is sayings and memes used for inspiration in our daily lives. So I decided my contest would focus on these sayings. The best and easiest way for people to enter the contest is to write their own sayings in the comments. Besides it being interactive and maybe fun to read everyone's comments, I could also use some of these for ideas for more blog posts.

Tip #2: Use Rafflecopter:
To run the contest, I decided to use a Rafflecopter form, so people can easily enter the contest and be encouraged to sign up for emailed posts or my newsletter, to follow my Facebook author page, to tweet about my contest, and more. If you want to check out how I set up my contest or enter it yourself, you can visit my website at the link here. I chose the tasks added to the Rafflecopter form based on these goals: I want to build a platform, an audience, a brand--and so I'm happy if someone likes my Facebook page to enter the contest--because I caught this reader in the one place he or she is comfortable in.

Tip #3: Offer Prizes to Fit Your Intended Audience: 
Since my goal for the contest is to direct attention to my new project and build an audience, I'm offering a variety of prizes (cost about $25 in total) that will appeal to many different types of people--male and female--old and young. That $25 is part of my marketing budget, and something that every writer has to be willing to have. You really do have to spend money to make money. My prizes are not only books. I think books are fine to giveaway, but blogs and social media are inundated with book giveaways, and Amazon is full of free book offers. So for this particular project, I decided to give away a gift card to Starbucks or Amazon, a free 10-page edit, one of my books (I would love to gain a new reader or two also), R-E-A-D magnets, and a journal.

Tip #4: Advertise Your Contest--People Will Not JUST Find It:
Advertising the contest is probably the most important part of this. Yes, I should follow tips 1 through 3: I have to set up an easy, fun contest; draw attention to my blog; offer prizes, and get people to sign up for things...BUT if I don't let people know it's going on, no one will enter it. I am currently building my audience, so I have to find these people somewhere. I posted about the contest on my personal Facebook page, and I tweeted about it. I plan to boost a Facebook author page post, and I put a screenshot of my blog on Instagram. Of course, this spin-off article on The Muffin is an advertisement for it. I will also create my monthly newsletter, which will highlight the contest, the new blog, and some of my recent posts. Creating the contest or the new content will not be enough to get attention--I have to market/advertise.

I love hosting contests; it's fun to interact with people. It's great to give out prizes, and it's nice to have new people involved in my creative life. To sum up if you are thinking of holding a contest, it's extremely important to think of your goal for the contest and what type of prizes will attract the same people who will like your content. Then put your plan into action and watch the contest unfold.

Share with us in the comments a successful contest you've had to market some type of writing or project, or any questions you might have about my contests.

Margo L Dill is a teacher, writer, children's author and editor, living in St. Louis, MO. She has a blogging website at http://www.margoldill.com and an editing website at http://www.editor-911,com. 
She teaches the novel writing workshop each month in the WOW! online classroom. 

Trophy photo above by Brad K. on Flickr.com

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3 comments blogging contest, books, build an audience, marketing

Friday Speak Out: Reading….Or Writing?

by Priscilla Whitley

The past winter weather in the Northeast wasn’t a place one wanted to venture into very often. The wind, the ice, the oh so low temperatures certainly didn’t cry out for a leisurely walk. And a walk is my place to ruminate over a piece I may be working on. Instead I turned to some books on writing when I found myself trapped indoors, uninspired, the snow mounting up on my deck.

One does have to be careful in choosing when and how much to read about writing for it’s certainly easier than trying to stumble through a first draft. And that’s the debate. With all the books written about writing should one be reading or should one be writing?

I’ve always encouraged those in my Workshop to read what they want to write. But choose carefully. If you’re looking to craft a YA novel, pick the Caldecott winners. For that fast paced mystery novel you know you can create, read the best the genre has to offer. Read and note how an author has crafted their piece. But there are also the times one is stuck or overwhelmed by what others have been able to write. How did they do that? Doubts, we all have them, creep in. It’s then we may need some guidance….let’s call it a private class room lecture. That’s where books on writing may be the inspiration one needs.

It isn’t about good luck no matter how many stars we wish upon. To be reminded, or even to understand for the first time, the importance of technique, tone, the use of images, the mighty attention to details, can bring a piece to another level. Is the beginning weak or the ending blah? Does the dialogue move the story and is the arch strong enough? To read of different ways to look at one’s writing may begin a thought process not previously considered.

But how to take the thoughts, the ideas and write the words, the sentences, the paragraphs? We see it in our mind but will the reader understand? Those questions can make us all doubters. Reading how others face their uncertainties can be like a weekend therapy session with other writers. One’s dog, with all his love, can’t relate to the rapid tapping of a pencil on the desk as potential agony sets in over whether the writing is good enough. But other’s, so many others, know what this is like. With all the formula’s, the outlines, the little tricks other authors have devised, reading of the ways they choose to cope can sometimes be enough to get back to the actual writing. And with joy.

It’s not I recommend one spend all their time surrounded by books on writing. But there are occasions when one needs to step back and reach for some companionship through the creative process. Now that the weather allows the sun to fill the room it’s time for me to put their advice to good use.

* * *

Priscilla Whitley has been a writer most of her life. She attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism as well as Fordham University where she majored in Creative Writing. She has been an on-going contributing feature writer for Hersam/Acorn Press. Her work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls with a current piece, Barn Tales, in Weston Magazine Group http://issuu.com/westonmagazinegroup/docs/tribeca_issue50/26 . Her memoir, August on the Porch, placed first in the Westport CT Arts Center Memoir Contest. As facilitator of the Candlewood Writer’s Group, Priscilla runs workshops for writer’s in Fairfield County Connecticut. Her website is http://priscillawhitley.wordpress.com.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Leave a Comment books, craft of writing books, Finding Inspiration, Friday Speak Out, Priscilla Whitley, reading, writing books

Back from the Book

Stack of research used for my forthcoming book
on gluten-free eating. Photo credit: E. Humphrey

I'm so glad to be here again. See the pile to the left? That's just one of many piles of research I collected when I set out to write the book I recently finished.

I promise you, this pile is neat and tidy compared to what it was when it was accompanied by a huge stack of books for my research.

Earlier this year I received word that I would be given the great opportunity to write an Idiot's Guide. Once the contract was signed and my outline was turned in, it was time to get writing.

I had to drop out of sight...hiding from family, friends, and even some fun. That was the time I had to eat and breathe the book.

I kept my head down and turned in my draft and am now in the author review stage. The book is scheduled for a January 2014 release.

Each writing project that I've done has differed from the last. But this project touches on so many elements that WOW! Women on Writing delves into daily. I figured for my next few entries I would share some of what I learned along the way about:

• Auditioning for the part of the writer...and believing in yourself
• Deadlines! 
• Staying focused and getting the work done
• ...And other tips and tricks for writing

There is so much I want to share, but I don't know where to begin, well, except for: I'm happy to be back writing at The Muffin with its fantastic community of writers and readers. 

So, do you have any questions for me about this process? I will do my best to address them in my next post.

Elizabeth King Humphrey writes and edits in Wilmington, North Carolina. Now that the kids are back in school she's looking forward to some quiet writing time. (Or longer naps!)

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8 comments becoming published, books, deadlines, Elizabeth King Humphrey, non-fiction

Friday Speak Out!: When Reading Changed My Life, Guest Post by Vicki Batman

When Reading Changed My Life

by Vicki Batman

What day, you ask. D-day? Anniversary? Birth of children? The day I sold my first story?

Way back in eighth grade, my English teacher had given us the assignment to read a book and present an oral review.

At those words, my insides had twisted into a hard knot. I was terribly shy and hated speaking in front of a large group. (Fortunately, I grew out of this.)

And it had to be a book of an adult level. That stumped me because I hadn't a clue about leaping to adult level.

I was fortunate to get the Scholastic newsletter. I'd poured over its pages, looking for an affordable and likeable book. I'd settled on one about a family with twelve kids, set in a time before me--Cheaper by the Dozen.

The book was a fast read and I was enthralled with the family antics. So happily, I'd prepared my report and managed to squeak through my presentation. To my horror, the teacher reprimanded me in front of the class: "You are capable of reading a higher level book than that."

Floored, I'd sunk into my chair and prayed someone would throw dirt over me. When recovered, I asked my classmate, who'd received praise for her book, what was the name of the one she'd discussed? What she told me changed my reading for life.

Rebecca. Aah, you say. That one, the one by Daphne du Maurier.

Yep. Here's the clincher: I'd never heard of it. But what I decided was if my friend could read it, so could I.

I don't remember much about what I'd thought when reading Rebecca for the first time. What I do remember is how it impacted me. And if this book was this cool, others were too, and I wanted to read them all.

That's when everything changed. I discovered Mary Stewart, Agatha Christie, Emilie Loring, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney. At Half Price Books, I picked up a tome about mystery authors with the premise being if you liked one particular author, you might want to try this one. That worked for me.

Through the various recommendations I found Dick Francis. I thought who is this guy and why would he be recommended a couple of times?

So I read his short bio and decided to give him a try. I went to my nearest Half Price store and bought several. I devoured them like chocolate. And bought more.

When I told my hubby about my fascination with these books, he asked me "why?" That's when I finally admitted, "I wish I could write like him."

It took me twenty years to try. And now, look at what I've done. Squee.

So even though I thought unmentionable things about my eighth grade English teacher at that time, she did me a very big favor.

Rebecca.

Is there one particular book which changed your life? I bet there is.

* * *

Vicki Batman has had eighteen short stories published in the last two years. Man Theory and Other Stories will soon be available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Find Vicki at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com OR at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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9 comments books, Friday Speak Out, good reads, reading, Vicki Batman

All the Treats of the Season

We know the drill.
The holidays hit with the end of the year closely following and our pace changes. It's crazed as we bounce from festivity to festivity.
But for me, oddly, the end of the year brings more slow-down time than at other times of year. Oddly, the most crazed time of year is also the time when my husband and I can have some DEAR time(Drop-Everything-And-Read). The phrase comes from my daughter's school, but apparently it is a concept that is growing throughout the country.
From my perspective, I often select a book that I can read without reviewing. It's a selection that I want to savor, similar to having a favorite holiday dessert or some traditional egg nog. It may be a book that I am looking to find inspiration for my writing. It could be a book my mother sent me last Christmas. Perhaps it is something I picked up during the rare afternoon I was able to browse a bookstore without my children running around me in circles.
My husband and I make it a priority to snuggle up with a good book and take some down time, enjoying a book we've maybe put off too long to read. A restorative time, we enjoy instituting some quiet time and hunkering down. Sometimes it carries over to our kids (the ones who are old enough to read) and we find the quiet time is becoming a special and welcome holiday tradition.
No need for dressing up. No going out or making anything. (Best of all, no work!) Just find a book.
We tend to ignore the "Best of 2010" lists and, instead, find ourselves tucking into books we've been dying to read because each holiday season we know we have the time to actually finish the book.
Best wishes to you and yours!
What kind of books do you put off to savor on a vacation or during the holidays? What must-read books would you recommend to a friend--from 2010 or another year?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living along the relatively balmy Carolina coast.

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3 comments books, Elizabeth King Humphrey

It's time for some exercises!

While interviewing an author recently, she mentioned she had enjoyed Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott so much that she tries to read it each year. That sounded like a wonderful suggestion so, I went to work to find my copy of Lamott's book. Along the way, I found a couple interesting writing books I thought I'd recommend:
One of my favorite books for fiction writing prompts is "What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers" by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. Published in 1990, they released a revised edition in 2009. I like the book mainly because it was one of my first fiction writing exercise books, which I then recommended to my writing students. I've continued to enjoy it because of the approach of the authors as they lead the reader through 83 different exercises ranging from beginnings to mechanics to plot. The book sets out the objective of the exercise and uses examples from either a published writer or from a student. If you are a beginning or an advanced writer, there are element that will keep you busy. Often these exercises seem to serve the author who is writing a story.
Another book that I've started relying on when I feel the need for a fiction exercise is "The 3 A.M. Epiphany" by Brian Kiteley (2005). In Kitely's introduction, he explains that when he uses exercises in his workshops "to derange student stories, find new possibilities, and foster strangeness, irregularity, and non-linearity as much as to encourage revision and cleaning up after yourself." Kitely's 201 exercises guide his students and readers to have a better understanding of why you're writing what you are writing. These exercises--or pairing them up--can be used in the service of a story or not.
Sometimes doing an exercise without having a goal in mind is the best way to release your creativity.

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and creativity coach, who is still looking for her copy of Bird-by-Bird. Besides contributing to AOL's ParentDish, she blogs at The Write Elizabeth, delving into creativity in everyday places.

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1 comment books, Elizabeth King Humphrey, fiction, writing exercise