To live out loud. That’s why I joined a writing group. I was filling pages of journals with my wanderings. A flyer came in the mail. It announced a writing group starting in a writer’s home forty miles away from mine—that’s forty freeway miles on Tuesday mornings in Los Angeles rush hour traffic.
I went once and never left. What do I have to show for it? Two published award-winning novels, several award-winning short stories, and lots of pages filled with memories, travel, family, aspirations, disappointments…a full life on paper. A life and an imagination lived out loud.
Why join a writing group? Consider these five pluses.
1—You are taken seriously as a writer once a week. My family sees me as wife, mom, and sister…the list goes on. My writing group sees me, first and foremost, as a writer. If I record my challenges on paper—in journal, memoir or fiction form—my struggles are taken seriously too. I am assured of a fair hearing based on my skills as a writer.
2—You learn what works and what doesn’t. I may think I’ve written the great American paragraph. My writing group may agree—or not. Whatever their verdict, I use their critique to make myself a better writer. 3—You may get valuable advice on publishing. To be honest, my writing group focuses on getting better at the craft of writing rather than on publishing. But members always are willing—and able—to help me on my path toward putting my work out into the world. I’ve received aid on every aspect of publishing, from drafting a query letter to getting an agent, to the pros and cons of self-publishing. In a group of writers, someone is bound to have the answer.
4—You get critique and support. Face it. You have to be willing to listen to some criticism if you want to grow as a writer. Your writing group will give you honest feedback, positive as well as negative. Because the feedback is given in an atmosphere of trust, critique is easier to accept. And then, you can choose to take their suggestions or not. You are in charge.
5—You have unlimited time to learn. When you sign up for a class, you have a semester. When the class ends, you decide ‘Do I sign up again?’ Will I learn something new a second time around? A writing group continues for as long as the leader wants to lead. People join or drop out, exposing you to diverse points of view. You learn and keep learning.
My writing group has given me the opportunity to live out loud. My wish: You’ll find a group that lets you live out loud too.
* * *
Barbara Crane’s most recent novel, When Water Was Everywhere, won a Beverly Hills Book Award. She happily lives in Long Beach, CA with her husband, close to family and friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Would you like to participate inFriday "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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I recently learned something about myself: when my house is filled with moving boxes, I ignore my desire to write and give in to a deeper, more animalistic urge to nest. As a result, my laptop sat, unattended, for more than ten days.
My fervent unpacking didn’t stop writing ideas from popping into my head, however, and I realized I needed some way to satisfy both cravings at the same time. I tried jotting down random thoughts on sticky notes. I tried writing down ideas in my journal. But each time, the boxes won out, and many of my great ideas were packed away (pardon my pun).
Then, I came up with a solution: I could record my thoughts and ideas while I unpacked. At first the notion seemed strange – almost anti-writing. The more I thought about it, however, the more it seemed like a good idea. We listen to books on tape, which is considered reading. So why not dictate a chapter out-loud and call it writing?
When it comes to dictation, past memories cast a dark cloud on the method. I recall my first job as a paralegal, dutifully transcribing the letters and memos of my micro-managing boss, developing a true distaste of the dictating practice.
But the more I dictate to myself as a writer, the more I like it.
I recorded an entire chapter into my phone as I unpacked a few days ago. The chapter wasn’t perfect. Not even close. But it was more than I had accomplished in the previous ten days and, with a little revision, it has potential.
Dictation helped me break the writing silence. It was an effective, temporary solution when I had no choice but to multi-task. If you find yourself in situations where you can’t be in front of a computer, give it a try. Dictation could be especially helpful for those of us who work and have long commutes. Instead of cursing the car in front of you, make the commute valuable “writing” time. Soothing a baby to sleep? Dictate a story as you jostle and sway.
Just because we’re writers doesn’t mean we don’t have other jobs and responsibilities. If we want to make writing a priority, we have to work at it, stick with it, and move (😊) forward.
Have any other writing solutions when you’re stuck performing mindless tasks? I’d love to hear them!
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.
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
― Mark Twain, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain
Did you ever try to find the right word, only to to circle around it for a while, look up its synonyms, and synonyms of the synonyms to make your sentence perfect? I have. And if you are reading this, you probably have as well.
Words are difficult. They have multiple meanings and sometimes don't create the exact mood or flow you want in your writing. Or, the meaning you wish to convey is not the meaning others perceive. This infuriating process can drive us crazy, and may explain why some writers go mad.
To help alleviate the problem, consider giving your work a rest. Put it away for a while, and revisit it after letting it simmer on the shelf (or in the computer file). Reading our words after a resting period allows us the space to read them again as if they were new. This process may help us identify sentences that don't flow, or find words that don't fit. A little time also can help us spot unnecessary words or a confusing word order.
When reading the work after a rest, ask yourself if the words you've chosen make the sentence smooth and creamy, or rough and itchy? Here's an example:
First version - Mrs. Longberger's night clothes puffed out behind her as she walked briskly down the hall. (Not terrible, but a little rough and itchy.)
Second version - Mrs. Longberger's dressing gown billowed behind her as she traversed the long hallway. (Smooth and creamy. The words are softer.)
Are traversed and walked synomyms? I thought so, but wasn't positive, so I looked them up. According to the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary (online) traverse means to move or travel through an area. Close enough. There are other meanings, but I decided that this word conveys the correct mood.
Every word is important, and giving yourself a little time and space to read your work again may improve your writing.
Mary
Mary Horner is the author of Strengthen Your Nonfiction Writing, and teaches communications at St. Louis and St. Charles Community Colleges.
Linda is a Human Resources/Organizational Development professional who worked in predominately male industries for the last 30 years as a manager and trainer. She married young and then, as a single mother, went back to school at night for a BS Degree while raising three sons and traveling for business. “Lost and Found” is a story she pulled out and brushed off from a cache of several stories she wrote for a Creative Writing course.
After retiring, she was determined to write an historical novel with strong women protagonists and wrote and self-published A Most Unlikely Spy, a World War II novella. The book centers on an American Woman who was house sitting in Honolulu in December 1941. After watching bombs detonate all around her and seeing so many deaths, she volunteered to stay and serve as a code breaker at Station HYPO near Pearl Harbor. After her comrade was murdered, she tracked the lineage of the primary suspect and located his estranged mother at an internment camp in California. The two form an unlikely bond when they begin to track the killer that links them, knowing that he might find them first. The book was extensively researched and included many actual events and characters interwoven throughout and was subsequently re-written and expanded into a full novel, yet unpublished.
She’s currently writing a second historical novel based on an actual group of American women during World War I called the Hello Girls who volunteered to serve as telephone operators on the front lines of France.
WOW: Congratulations on being a runner up in our Summer 2016 Flash Fiction competition with your great submission Lost and Found! You're a real go-getter. I'm exhausted just reading your bio - you've accomplished so much. What is the key to balancing all the demands on your time (and finding time to enter flash fiction competitions)?
LINDA: You know, at the time that I was doing most of that, it didn’t seem that intense but on looking back, I wonder how I did it, too! Now as a part-time consultant working from home, I feel like I have all the time in the world. Everything’s relative, I suppose. I do want to share with you that in 2014 I attained a goal that has been part of my life for decades: I wrote and self-published an historical novella entitled, A Most Unlikely Spy. My story revolves around two strong women, One Japanese (Arisu/Alice) and one American (Eddy), who, during World War II, form an unlikely bond as they track down a Japanese spy. The events depicted in the book are all true; the interactions with my fictional characters are entirely made up! I have a website that is, for now, a weak link in my efforts to market and it can be found at richstories.net. I have wonderful photographs of women during both WWI and WWII, many of which pertain to my stories, but I haven’t been able to keep it updated.
WOW: You must have a great routine to help keep you on track. What is your writing routine? Do you have a particular time of day, length of time, location, etc...that you feel helps you stay productive?
LINDA: My writing routine at the time of writing my novella was to arise very early (3am) or stay up through the night and write before I did anything else or anything else distracted me. After publishing the E-book-kindle edition and softback book through Amazon’s CreateSpace, I received positive reviews from the readers that were included at the site of my book but what I didn’t realize was how much an author must do to get the word out! I will do things differently if I decide to self-publish my next book, The Hello Girls-a Novel, a story based on an actual group of courageous women who trained as telephone operators during WWI and volunteered to be sent to the front lines in France when the U.S entered the war.
WOW: Your definition of early and mine are totally different. I’m in awe of your drive and dedication. Truly. I may just need to take some of your advice to keep me accountable. Speaking of accountability, how do you feel about writer’s groups for example as a way to help authors improve their craft or remain accountable?
LINDA: Any manuscript can be improved with solid feedback. I retired to a remote area in Nevada and although I joined a writer’s group out of Las Vegas, the commute of 160 miles round trip makes it difficult to attend. I’m now using “readers” that I work with through the internet and receive good feedback from them.
WOW: That’s an excellent solution for such a lengthy commute. Thank goodness for the internet! I loved your flash fiction submission “Lost and Found” – where can readers find out more about that story and the characters?
LINDA: My flash fiction story "Lost and Found" came from my imagination. However, when I was a girl, my mother was often bedridden, and I took over care of our home during those times. I left home as soon as I turned 18, and it is likely, I think, that the story came from some emotions I was still dealing with as an adult. Maybe this is sharing too much!
WOW:Is there such a thing as sharing too much? I work with a lot of memoirists – can you tell?
I’m glad you brought up your family. That leads me into our last question: Who has been most influential in your writing career and why?
LINDA: The “who” in your question “who has been most influential in your writing career,” is really a “what.” I have been a voracious reader since I can remember and after reading a book, I wanted to write a book like it. I read many historical novels as a young girl, which I continue to read, but I also read many other genres. I spend as much time reading as I do writing, including the research that I do for my books. Reading has been most influential in my desire to write.
WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Linda! Congratulations again and best wishes to you all your future projects!
Before I wrote this post, I moseyed through a dozen posts here at The Muffin, but just the tag lines and links of all the bloggers. See, I wanted to write about the importance of promotion, how writers should take advantage of marketing opportunities. And then bam! It suddenly smacked me upside the head. I did not have any witty words of promotion following my own posts!
For cryin’ out loud, I thought, writer, promote thyself. But that directive was immediately followed by an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. Followed by a couple of equally uncomfortable thoughts:
But I don’t like to brag about myself.
And really, I don’t have anything special to say about myself.
Besides, nobody likes a writer who goes on and on and on about herself.
Maybe you, like me, struggle with promoting yourself and your writing, even when you have perfectly good opportunities to do so. Why is it so hard for us to market?
Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, I think it’s growing up with family and teachers who applauded success but only up to a point. A hearty “Congratulations!” was fine. A nice certificate was good. Possibly a small—very small—piece in a local paper if a scholarship was given or an athlete won an award. But there were no status updates about achievements plastered across social media, no huge celebratory parties, no group texts, alerting every contact in the cell phone.
Boasting of achievements just wasn’t allowed; humility was drummed into my head. And I’m pretty sure that’s why I squirm now, talking about myself. Even though I know it’s an important part of the writing business. So how to combat this natural reticence at promotion for me, and perhaps you, too?
First, accept that times have changed. It’s okay to promote your writer achievements; most people expect you to promote. And by people, I mean publishers, editors, or agents. They want to make money, and to make money, readers have to know about the writers and their work. Because let's face it. There are an awful lot of writers now!
Second, promote wisely. It’s still not okay to go on and on and on about yourself. If your Twitter feed is nothing but promotion about your latest book, you will drive readers away instead of attracting them. Everything in moderation is still a good rule.
Third, your writer friends can be your best allies with promotion. Share interviews on blogs, do group book signings, exchange reviews. Reciprocity is always a good idea (and more fun, too)!
And finally, believe in yourself. I’ll bet you’re the first to congratulate a friend, give ‘em a push or a bit of encouragement. Isn’t it time that you did the same for yourself?
So, I’m taking my own advice today. Even though I’ve got this huge knot in the pit of my stomach. It gets easier, right?
(How about you? Do you struggle with promoting yourself? How do you deal with it? And tell me the truth, y’all. Is this Muffin bio any good?)
Cathy C. Hall is a kidlit author and humor writer. If you’re a friend or family, or even if you’ve just waved to her in the grocery store, you’ll end up in something she writes. So better go see if you’re in her latest here.
A commercial for McDonald's claims they're striving to be the best first job for people by offering college scholarships and high school completion assistance to their employees. That made me remember my first job, which was the neighborhood Dairy Queen... and I thought of all the lessons I learned there.
1. Mistakes can be a good thing. If we made the wrong kind of sundae, the owner/boss encouraged us to put the mistake in the walk-in freezer... and we could eat it later. Of course, I caught on quickly. I'd deliberately make a hot fudge sundae when they really wanted a strawberry one. "Oh, I'm sooo sorry. Just a minute and I'll make you another one," as I scurried to put away my treat--to be eaten later on.
Perhaps you've veered off into another genre while wading through a WIP?
Going off-track might inspire a new project. Maybe you accidentally
deleted part of a piece? Having to rewrite it might give it a freshness it otherwise wouldn't have.
photo by pexels.com
2. Sometimes people are wrong. When I got the job (I was 15) my parents were sure I'd get tired of chocolate since I was going to be surrounded by it. I was (and still am) a serious chocoholic. And Mom and Dad were wrong. When things were slow, I'd take a spoonful of nut topping and dip it into the hot fudge warmer... and gobble it up. Making milkshakes and concretes and sundaes did nothing to make my chocolate addiction dissipate. Working a full shift meant we got a free lunch, and lunch at this DQ meant a burger or hot dog, fries (covered in Cheez Whiz), a drink (which to me meant a malt, because you drink a malt, right?) and dessert (a sundae).
Is it any wonder I now have food issues?
So you send off a manuscript or an article or a story to an editor or a publisher
and they don't like it. They might be the wrong person/house for your work.
Send it off, over and over again, until you find the right one.
3. Keep trying. I never could get the signature Dairy Queen curlicue down. I made thousands and thousands of sundaes and cones, would let up on the handle of the ice cream server as I twirled the cup or cone... and it didn't ever look like it was supposed to.
Your book isn't published? There's a magazine/anthology you keep submitting to,
but you haven't made it yet? Keep trying. Don't give up. I thought I'd never get published
in a romance anthology, yet after some rejections (one was even a projectile rejection--quite ugly), I finally succeeded.
What about your first job? What did you learn from it, and how can you connect your lesson to the craft of writing? Chocolate-coated minds want to know...
Since working at Dairy Queen, Sioux has had many jobs including a (literal) pill factory and a position selling pre-arranged funerals--her favorite job by far is teaching. She's currently working on a middle-grades historical fiction manuscript. If you'd like to read more, go to her blog.
Have you ever read a book you didn't like? How do you write a negative review? DO you write a negative review?
This is truly something I struggle with. I have many close friends who are authors and I've seen first hand the labors of love they went through to bring those little bundles of paper into the world! I couldn't tell them their book was awful anymore than I could tell them their baby was ugly. This leaves me in a rough spot when it comes to reviews. I want people to take me seriously as a reader and reviewer, but I am also a peacemaker by nature and would never intentionally hurt someone's feelings.
I'm hoping some of you can relate with the scenario I just described. I went on a mission scouring the internet for guidance on writing negative reviews. I couldn't find a single article I agreed 100% with. In the spirit of "take what works and leave the rest", I've compiled my own little list. Maybe this list will help me AND YOU in the future.
1) Try to find the positive. Finding the positive in a book doesn't mean you need to give it 5 stars, it just means there HAS to be something in that book that made it worth your time. For example: The characters were believable, I love the way the author described the scenery, I felt inspired to do _______ after reader the section about __________.
2) If you are going to say something negative, have some facts to stand behind it. You can hardly say "this was the most poorly written book I have ever seen" without explaining yourself. Instead of generalizing the entire book as being poorly written, talk about the specifics. Try saying "I didn't feel connected to the characters and I wish there had been more back story" or "the author went into so much detail that I was bored and couldn't stay interested" or "it was a little slow paced for my liking"
3) Don't be afraid to be brief. If you didn't like much more than the cover and a quite used at the beginning of chapter 5, that's okay. Just write a brief review about what you DID like, follow up with a comment about what didn't work for you (in a nice way of course), and then give the book the appropriate number of stars. I've also seen reviewers use language similar to: "this book really didn't speak to me, but I could see how someone in a similar situation would find it inspirational. I'm glad I read this because it gave me a new perspective". See what I did there? That's much more gentle and yet it's honest.
4) Don't beat a dead horse. If you truly can't find anything good to say, then maybe you just don't need to leave a review. Pass this particular book on and give someone else a chance to love it. Leaving a lengthy negative review isn't helpful for the author and doesn't make you look great either. Don't be the lady at the dinner party who spreads gossip about everyone else. None of us really like her and we know that when she is done talking to us, she will be talking about us. Don't be that girl. My daddy would tell me "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" and that's still some pretty sound advice.
So...
Before I had kids, I was with a girlfriend and we were standing in line at the grocery store. We peeked into a woman's basket and saw a baby in a car seat. The baby could best be described as having "a face only a mother could love" and I remember smiling politely and saying that the baby was adorable. My friend suddenly became super interested in the gum choices. Later, she asked how I could lie like that. I said "well, she had really pretty eyes and long eyelashes"...so this just goes to show that I haven't changed much. I struggle with saying things that may be hurtful.
How about you? How do you tell someone something they may not want to hear? How do you give feedback when it may come across as criticism? What do you do when you've agreed to review a book and you can't give it a very nice review?
Level with me dear reader. Do you agree with my bullet points above? Do you have your own ideas? Please share them - help me become a better reader!
I appreciate your thoughts and comments - you're awesome (and PS - I bet your baby is adorable too!)
Hugs,
~Crystal
Crystal is a secretary and musician at her church, babywearing cloth diapering mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 9, Andre 8, Breccan 3, and Delphine 1), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.
You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff at: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ When she's not doing that, she's baking bread and cookies for her friends and neighbors. She says "the coffee is always hot and you're always welcome here!"
In October 2016, after finishing a string of documentaries on cults, I imagined a world of Trump TV.
I don’t know how much credit should go to the documentaries– I have always had a weird fascination with cults and insulated lifestyles. Maybe it was the huge uptick in the political commentary I’d been watching. The ideas kept coming, wondering what shows a President Trump would air; even what movies would marathon late into the night.
I told myself “no.” I felt that I shouldn’t be bothering with short pieces when I had a novel draft to complete. Humor writing was unrelated, a fluke, a distraction. My writing to-do lists loomed over my desk. Satire was something I should remain on the consuming end of. Besides, it wasn’t like a one-page satire piece was going to change my life financially.
When your budget is “can I really afford a topping on my pizza” tight, it is hard not to judge writing projects by their earning potential. After much internal debate, I allowed myself to open a new, blank document and write whatever came to mind. What appeared on the page looked oddly similar to the humorous articles I enjoyed finding on my social media feed. Strange, I thought to myself. Maybe there was something to this.
After a nerve-wracking research and submission process, crossing my fingers that the relevancy of a potential President Trump wouldn’t become irrelevant before November, I sent what I hoped was a satirical piece out to several magazines. Coming from the literary journal world, I was used to six-month waits and really didn’t know what to expect. A humor magazine wrote me back in less than 24 hours, and my first public attempt to be funny in writing was out for the world to see. I was hooked.
Since then, I’ve written several more political-satire pieces, most of which have been placed at humor magazines. I haven’t had the luck of getting into a paying humor market yet, but then again, I’ve been paid exactly nothing for my literary pursuits, so the least I can do is give this new genre a few more years to net a profit.
While focusing on a long-term project has its own rewards, I think there is something to listening to those moments of energetic “what ifs” in our writing. By giving a “distraction” a chance, I found a way to channel my political frustrations, and a whole new genre to explore. While I am very much a newbie in the satire-writing world, the whole process has pushed me to become more deliberate and efficient in my humor writing endeavors. Plus, I love making people laugh!
I would encourage everyone to not be too dismissive when a new writing idea comes along at a less-than-convenient time. Who knows, you might find a whole new area of writing to enjoy!
* * *
Jackie Sizemore is a freelance writer and independent educator. At her company, Point of View Consulting, she provides coaching on individual grants, graduate school applications, and creative writing feedback. Read more of her writing at jackie-sizemore.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Would you like to participate inFriday "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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My friend Joe Kopp took the photo to your right. It's beautiful, huh? Here's what he said with the photo post on Facebook,"I've found a passion in photography. Bob Ross said, 'Look around. Look at what we have. Beauty is everywhere—you only have to look to see it.'" And Joe plans to post one photo of his every day in February to share a small moment of joy, peace, or awe with his friends and family.
I didn't have a topic for my blog day yet when I saw this pop up in my newsfeed; and this photo was so beautiful, I told him: "I'm going to use your photo as some kind of inspiration for my blog post on WOW! this week"
But really, it is not his photo that inspired me today, it is his words.
As writers, we have the power to share a small moment of joy, peace, or awe with our connections every day, week, or month of the year--whether it's through a Facebook status, a tweet or a blog post--you are in control of the message you're putting out in the world. And currently, with all the negativity floating around, that really is a very powerful and precious gift we've been given.
The wonderful thing about being a writer today is that you don't have to wait to get your book published or for a magazine to accept your piece to have readers. We have readers at our fingertips within seconds of "publishing" our words. How are we choosing to use these outlets to share our writing talent? Are we providing moments of joy, peace, or awe?
Whenever I write posts like these, I always feel the need to say that I'm not perfect at the action I'm trying to convince you to take or consider--and here I am saying it again with this post. I don't always think about my message before I post. Although in the middle of writing this post, I'm also literally realizing the great opportunity we have every single day to touch the lives of people with our words; a lot of the time these are people we know, love, and care about. From this day on, I plan to take these opportunities more seriously, and I will add something to Joe's list of small moments.
I want to add inspiration. I hope my words can inspire people to improve their lives, to do something kind that day, or to create words of their own. Joe's words and photo did inspire me! I want to do the same.
May you see, read, or write something today that brings you a small moment of joy, peace, awe, or inspiration.
Margo L. Dill is an author, editor, blogger, and teacher, living in St. Louis, MO. You can find out more about her at http://www.margoldill.com. Her next WOW! online class, Writing a Novel with a Writing Coach, starts tomorrow, Feb. 3. Check that out here. Beach photo: 2008 near Seaside Florida by Joe Kopp (http://www.joekoppart.com)
I recently watched Sisonke Msimang’s TED talk on the powers and limitations of story. As writers, we often talk about how stories have power. You’ve heard it. Kids who read fiction have higher levels of empathy than kids who don’t.
But limitations? That not something we discuss. Msimang made some powerful points.
Strength 1. Stories bring people together. At a certain level they create solidarity. Limitation 1. This solidarity is usually an illusion. When you read about someone overcoming poverty or escaping her abuser, you have that fuzzy feel-good moment. Ahhhh, she made it. But unless you do something with this feeling, it’s too elusive to be solidarity.
Strength 2. Stories make us care about people we like. Sounds a lot like Strength #1, doesn’t it? The difference becomes clear in the limitation.
Limitation 2. We are less likely to care about someone who isn’t likeable. That’s why anti-heroes and unreliable narrators are hard to pull off. It is incredibly difficult to bridge the gap between readers and angry, outspoken narrators. This is a huge problem because, as Msimang points out, it is often the story that makes us squirm that we most need to hear.
Strength 3. Stories help us connect at the personal level, but …
Limitation 3. It is remarkably hard for people to see the connection between the personal woe and the societal problem.
Clearly, Msimang was talking to us as readers and her message was clear. Don’t think reading is enough. Don’t shy away from ugly stories. Think about the larger causes of individual hardships.
There are several things that we can take away from this as writers. First of all, we have to be willing to tell the hard stories and help our readers make uncomfortable connections. It is easy to say that poor children fail because they go to bad schools. In Hillbilly Elegy, author J.D. Vance makes it clear that a tumultuous home life kept him from getting all that he could out of school. I can only imagine how hard this memoir was to write because it is certainly hard to hear.
Secondly we must challenge our readers. Children’s writers talk about takeaways and calls to action. We need to write powerful stories that will stick in the readers mind. We need to give them an ear worm that is going to stick with them and remind them that there is something they MUST do. That something is the call to action, the step that we challenge our readers to take.
As writers, we have the power to create worlds and change lives. To activate this power, we need to tell moving stories and dare our readers to step up and act.
--SueBE
To find out more about Sue Bradford Edwards writing, visit her blog, One Writer's Journey.
Rose’s Bio: Rose Kleidon considers herself fortunate to be a citizen of both today and yesterday. She invites others to travel through history with her, seeing amazing connections with earlier generations and with the great diversity of humanity. Professor Emeritus of the University of Akron, Kleidon taught English, Speech, Technical Writing and Advertising Copywriting. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Historical Writers of America and will be a presenter at the 2017 Unicorn Writers’ Conference. The author of two textbooks, her debut novel is with an agent, and the sequel is in process, books that can be previewed at www.rosekleidon.com. Kleidon is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois; she did additional academic work at Illinois State University, Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University. She is a businesswoman, the founder of three companies, as well as a mother, grandmother, genealogist, sailor, gardener (the designer of an historically accurate herb garden for the Western Reserve Historical Society), an award-winning baker, and a fiber artist.
If you haven't done so already, check out Rose's award-winning story "Last Man Out" and then return here for a chat with the author.
WOW: Congratulations on placing in WOW’s Summer 2016 Flash Fiction Contest! What was the inspiration for your short story, or what prompted you to write it?
Rose: I like to package history lessons inside stories. In this case, I wanted readers to realize how often pre-industrial cities went up in flames, and that when they did, there was little or no help coming. You had better be prepared to save yourself, even if that meant putting yourself on the line.
WOW: Excellent. That puts a lot at stake in a very short space. I understand that you’ve written a novel, too. What can you tell us about your debut novel?
Rose: 1836: Into a Land Too Fabulous traces a family's long, dangerous immigration from Prussia to America at a time when the journey was made by sailing ship and took months. The novel is based on the true story of my great-great-grandparents' immigration, for which I have several remarkable private documents.
WOW: That must have been an amazing experience to uncover those documents and piece together their story! What do you enjoy the most and/or the least about writing?
Rose: Discovery! When I research thoroughly and imagine deeply, I can begin to grasp a different time and place and live another life. Those moments of insight are worth a great deal to me. I am speaking at a writer's conference in a few months where I will try to explain how I do this.
WOW: Excellent. Good luck at the conference! What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it?
Rose: I just re-read War and Peace, which I chose because the historical figure on whom my main character is based survived Napoleon's disastrous Moscow campaign, and no one tells the story of that invasion better than Tolstoy. Besides, I need excellent writers to keep inspiring me.
WOW: Re-reading a novel of that scale and scope takes dedication. I’m impressed! If you could give other creative writers one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
Rose: Everything depends on the quality of the sentence. Everything.
WOW: Thank you. Anything else you’d like to add?
Rose: It's nice to be recognized, but, like dancing or playing the piano, writing is its own reward.
WOW: Thank you for your thoughtful responses. Congratulations again, and happy writing!
Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, who keeps a blog of journal entries, memoir snippets, interviews, training logs, and profiles of writers and competitive female athletes.
Wave Rider: A Poetic Journey From Abuse to Wholeness is a poetic reflection of author Rebecca Fitton’s long journey to heal from sexual abuse, abandonment, and neglect, building a new world based on wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. Her journey has taken a lifetime. To use the metaphor of waves, sometimes the undertow nearly drowned her—but she survived. Now her beautiful and profound book offers inspiration to others who have also suffered greatly from abuse.
Praise for Wave Rider:
"Rebecca’s journey, delightfully presented through her sacred poetry, resonates with an archetypal journey shared by many. The intimacy of her sharing and beautifully aligned prose guides us into a state of consciousness where peace can be found. Her book is a delicious delving into the sacredness of individuation." —Melissa Pickett
"It is said that the longest journey begins with the first step. Truthfully, something precedes the first step: saying “yes” to the journey. In her book of poems, Rebecca invites us into her journey—one that says a resounding “yes” to life and an emphatic “no” to abuse. Her voice found through poetry, Rebecca speaks with courage, determination, and delight. My life-journey is the richer after reading her poems." —Paul Chitwood, L.M.T.
"I have been reading Rebecca’s poetry for a few years now. Her choice of words in describing deep emotions, life’s challenges, and pivotal awareness-evoking experiences creates for me a rich and expansive tapestry of multidimensional memories, feelings, and a desire to explore further within myself issues and life mysteries raised by her poetry." —Emily M. Smith
Paperback: 72 Pages
Genre: Spiritual Memoir / Poetry
Publisher: Terra Nova Books (February 1, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1938288742
ISBN-13: 978-1938288746
Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Wave Rider, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes Sunday, February 5th at 11:59 PM EST. We will announce the winner the next day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
About the Author:
Rebecca Pott Fitton explored different places and professional work. She grew up in Delaware and went to college in upstate New York. After graduating from Keuka College, she earned an M.A. in international relations at the University of Delaware. Then she headed to Michigan for careers in urban planning and health-care administration and an MBA from the University of Detroit. She continued working in health care in Ohio and retired as president of CareView Home Health in Middletown, Ohio. Retirement can be a busy time. Fitton brought her business acumen to service on five nonprofit boards. After her husband, Richard, died, she realized that the time had come to remake herself. As the lyrics of the song go, “I’d built a life wrapped so tight it was strangling me.” Freedom was a spirit call from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
WOW: Thank you so much for sharing your life with us Rebecca. Wave Rider is absolutely beautiful. What prompted you to share your story with the world?
Rebecca: A shift of visual perspective prompted me to write my first poem. I was at a New Moon Retreat on a friend’s property located in the foothills south of Santa Fe. The vistas are spectacular from that site. As part of each gathering, we spent time out on the land individually and silently. That day in July 2009, I looked closely at a juniper tree that was immediately in front of me rather than gazing into the distance. Then I wrote the poem “Crones” and read it to the gathering of women when we returned. The poem compared junipers to crones. They were amazed, and so was I. The next month at the gathering, I wrote “Coming to Santa Fe.” My writing had begun.
WOW: Sounds like your friends and the retreats were very influential, but please tell us more about what and who influenced you and in what ways.
Rebecca: My spiritual journey was influenced by the writing of women including Jean Shinoda Bolan, Lauren Artress, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Barbara Ann Brennan, Starhawk and many others. As a writer Jean Shinoda Bolan had the most influence because she is a Jungian psychiatrist, and I was on a healing journey. She also wrote a lot of books.
Women’s circles also influenced my journey. In the 1980s I was a member of Unitarian Universalist congregations. The Church supported women’s spirituality through a curriculum, and we added our unique strengths and perspectives. We read and discussed books about goddesses, created rituals for solstices and equinoxes, and spoke our truths in services we presented to the congregations. These experiences were rites of passage.
My healers, whom I identify in the ‘Acknowledgements and Gratitude’ section of Wave Rider, were my primary influence. I knew that I needed serious professional help, and I was fortunate enough to enlist competent, empathetic professionals. My poem “Teacher” reflects how I feel about them. They set me free to be me.
WOW:I was excited to learn about a song that was written just for you. Tell us how you felt when you first heard Santa Fe Winds.
Rebecca: I was absolutely thrilled to receive “Santa Fe Winds” from my cousins. My cousin John has ‘had my back’ for most of my adult life, and here he was again with his wife Lois. I was amazed how perfect the lyrics were for me because they had not yet visited Santa Fe. I always cherish gifts made from the heart. This time, it was a gift of music; and I am so honored to have been the recipient.
WOW:You are certainly brave. A book, a song, truly unstoppable! Sometimes choosing a publisher can be daunting, but even that didn’t stop you. Tell us though, how did you go about choosing a publisher?
Rebecca: I choose new resources through existing resources. I had begun chatting with friends about publishing and asked for their opinions. Here in Santa Fe we like to shop locally. One friend suggested that I consider Terra Nova Books. She knew the publisher and was confident in his honesty, integrity and professionalism. Scott and I met for coffee and conversation. He was forthright and encouraging. One of his suggestions was to contact Artotems, a marketing firm. After more coffee and conversation, I decided to submit my formal proposal to Terra Nova Books which they accepted immediately.
WOW:Your story just gets better and better. You’ve got so much to share. What advice or words of wisdom would you give others who are looking at publishing their story?
Rebecca: The only advice I have to offer is do not self-publish because you do not have access to distribution channels. Many bookstores will not carry self-published books. Because I like face-to-face conversations (I am so old fashioned), having my publisher in the same city works for me.
WOW:What’s next for you?
Rebecca: Whatever the universe brings. I continue to write poetry and am having fun.
WOW:Thank you so much for choosing WOW! We appreciate your time and honesty. This is sure to be an inspirational tour!
Feb 1 @ Choices with Madeline Sharples
Madeline Sharples reviews Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton. Stop by Madeline's blog, Choices, and find out more about this poetic journey from abuse to wholeness. http://madelinesharples.com/
Feb 2 @ Bring on Lemons with Crystal Otto
Crystal J. Casavant-Otto shares her review after reading the poetic journey of Rebecca Fitton in Wave Rider. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Feb 3 @ Sioux’s Page
Sioux reviews Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton. Stop at Sioux's Page to learn more about Rebecca and this touching and poetic journey from abuse to wholeness. http://siouxspage.blogspot.com/
Feb 6 @ Bring on Lemons with Penny Harrison
Wisconsin business owner and avid reader Penny Harrison shares her thoughts and feelings about the poetic journey of Rebecca Fitton. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Feb 8 @ Bring on Lemons with Michelle DelPonte
Michelle DelPonte shares her review of Rebecca Fitton's Wave Rider today at Bring on Lemons. Don't miss this exciting blog stop and book giveaway. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Feb 9 @ Writer’s Pay it Forward with MC Simon
MC Simon reviews Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton for readers at Writers Pay it Forward. Don't miss this honest review of this touching and poetic journey. http://writerspayitforward.com/
Feb 10 @ Book Santa Fe with Tange Dudet
Avid reader and book enthusiast Tange Dudet shares her thoughts and feelings after reading the touching and poetic journey of Rebecca Fitton as she went from a life of abuse to wholeness. http://www.booksantafe.info/
Feb 13 @ Bring on Lemons with Cindi Ashbeck
Cindi Ashbeck shares her thoughts and feelings after reading the moving story Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Feb 14 @ Bring on Lemons with Tara Forst
Wisconsin mom, foster mom, wife, babywearing enthusiast, and business owner Tara Forst reads and review Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Feb 15 @ The Constant Story with David W. Berner
Author and radio personality David W Berner reviews Rebecca Fitton’s book Wave Rider and shares his thoughts with readers at The Constant Story. http://davidwberner.blogspot.com/
*****BOOK GIVEAWAY*****
Enter to win a copy of Wave Rider by Rebecca Fitton! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget next Monday, February 6th.
I guess I’m a little old school, but I remember the days of having to put together a portfolio of my work to take to job interviews and meetings with potential clients. This zippered binder would contain samples of my work, such as press releases, newspaper and magazine articles, and more. As I was still holding on that notion until very recently, my home office became more and more cluttered. I would keep copies of magazines I had articles in. I edited a local parenting magazine for three years and kept copies of each issue, because they contained themes I helped developed and article and interviews I wrote to support those themes. I kept copies of trade magazines because I knew I would one day go back to those articles with agents seeking work, or search for a list of resources I marked as useful for querying for work.
The clutter gave me a nice reality check this past week. After living in our house for thirteen years, we’ve finally decided to move to the other side of town to shorten the commute for the kids and me. I know all about how we need to clear the house of all excess items, paint, replace carpet, and stage the home so buyers can imagine themselves in it. I also know that most potential buyers probably aren’t writers, and won’t appreciate the baskets of magazines I had in the office and overflowing from my bookshelves. I took a deep breath and got to work. Here are a few things I told myself to get motivated:
1. You don’t have to have a print copy of every article you’ve ever written to get a job or wow a potential client. I have a website and blog, and although it’s under construction right now, I do have links to my work there. I can also use LinkedIn and social media to spotlight specific work samples.
2. I can find agents looking for my type of writing without having to keep backlogs of trade magazines collecting dust in a pile. As Sue Bradford Edwards wrote yesterday, agents utilize Twitter to seek out manuscripts. Other magazines and websites feature interviews with new agents, and Writer’s Market is also another resource (and can be checked out of your local library, so you don’t have to run out and buy a new edition every year.)
3. There’s probably no need to hold on to notes for an article you wrote five years ago. If the notes don’t contain any information you didn’t use for the piece, and are simply sitting in a manila folder in a desk drawer, chuck it. I did the same thing when cleaning out my closet. If I hadn’t worn it in a year, it got donated. If notes hadn't been looked at in a year, I recycled them. 4. Keep a few physical copies of magazines for reference, but recycle wisely. I did keep a few issues of the parenting magazine so I could show people examples of how I helped organize the content in the future if necessary. I also kept a few copies of magazines where I had a cover story featured. I didn’t get ride of everything, but I feel I did reasonably declutter my workspace.
My home office is tidier than it has been in years, and I feel more comfortable going in there to work now. I had to tell myself I’ve been writing professionally for almost twenty years, and there’s no way I could possibly keep everything. Up next, boxing up all the books. That could turn into a whole other blog post. How do you keep your writing space tidy? Do you struggle with keeping physical copies of your work, magazines, and other resources? How do you keep track of clips for your portfolio?
Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who is still trying to give her website a new look and organize her online portfolio. It’s under construction at FinishedPages.com.
#MSWL stands for “Manuscript Wish List” and it is a hashtag that agents and editors use when they are looking for manuscripts. It is the Twitter version of the website Manuscript Wish List. Editors and agents post their profiles and their manuscripts wants on this site so that writers can research the best recipients for their work.
Visit the site and you can look up the profile of the agent who is going to be speaking at an upcoming writer’s conference. Or maybe it is an agent you just saw featured in an article or mentioned in an author’s dedication. Regardless, visit the site and check the profile for Jim McCarthy to learn that he wants fantasy, science fiction, and memoir as well as “fantasy or sci-fi in non-Western settings.” Agents and editors both use these profiles to indicate what general areas they want (fantasy and science fiction) as well as specifics (non-western settings). Favorite books and movies also give you some clue as to their general taste and since they write the profiles themselves you get a feel for personality as well.
If you have a specific kind of manuscript, say a science picture book, you can go to the genre/name search tab, select, “agent,” “picture book” and “science” and come up with eight possible agents to research. You can also use this tab to look an agent or editor up by name.
In truth, I use the site more often than I look up the hashtag on Twitter although that too is a great way to gather names for my agent wish list. Just sign into Twitter and search “#MSWL.” Unfortunately, you are going to have to scan past writers looking for agents and editors. What can I say? Some people are just super special like that.
But there will also be a host of posts from agents and editors. Some will be very specific like this from a Harlequin editor.
Agents mention favorite tv shows and movies. They post news stories and photographs. Anything that makes them sit up and take notice is liable to be posted.
Other times they use the hashtag to put out a general call or just to remind people that they are currently reading slush. Some of these posts get specific, but others like this one from agent Jaida Temperly simply direct you to their profile.
Some days you’ll find a lot of new tweets. Other days, not so many. The best days are official #MSWL days which always have something of a Sotheby’s feel. Call after call comes in and you know that writers with the right manuscripts are getting their work ready to go.
The next Manuscript Wish List Day is February 8th so you have just over a week to polish your work. When the big day comes, sign in to Twitter. Maybe you’ll find the perfect agent for your romantic nonwestern fantasy!
--SueBE
To find out more about Sue Bradford Edwards writing, visit her blog, One Writer's Journey.
WOW is a Bookshop affiliate and Amazon Associate. We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Affiliate earnings support women writers.
