Fictional Perspectives

The Silver Snitch

2006-05-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

News Flash!!!!!

The Silver Snitch Harry Potter fanfiction archive is back online and better than ever!

http://www.thesilversnitchtoo.net/

Publisher Directories - Worldwide Listings

2005-12-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

Australia:

Australian Publishers Association - http://www.publishers.asn.au/index.cfm?doc_id=221

Europe:

Federation of European Publishers - http://www.fep-fee.be/eframprinc.htm

Canada:

Canadian Publishers' Council - http://www.pubcouncil.ca/CPC_members.htm
Association Nationale des Editeurs de Livres (ANEL) - http://www.anel.org/
Association of Canadian Publishers - http://www.publishers.ca/membership-search.htm

South Africa:

Publishers Association of South Africa - http://publishsa.co.za/publishers.htm

United States:

Association of American Publishers (PDF list document download) - http://www.publishers.org/member/imprints.cfm
Literary Marketplace (Free Registration gives physical address of Publisher and nothing more, except for Small Presses information, which gives free user full access.) - https://secure.infotoday.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp

All Others:

International Publishers Association - http://www.ipa-uie.org/

Guide to Grammar and Writing

2005-12-02T13:13:00.000-05:00

Super Resource!

If you want to find out the difference between a phrase and a clause, or how to avoid a dangling modifier, Guide to Grammar and Writing is the place to go. It includes some great interactive tests and quizzes, all with instant feedback. There is also a free 'Ask Grammar' service for any questions you may have on grammar, punctuation, etc.

The Guide to Grammar and Writing is sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation, a nonprofit 501 c-3 organization that supports scholarships, faculty development, and curriculum innovation.

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Tips for Writing While Your Children are at Home.

2005-12-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

As a parent, writing from the home office can sometimes be difficult, especially during your children's summer vacation from school. The need to supervise and care for your children often conflicts with your job...writing.

Depending upon the ages and number of children present, summer vacation can effectively cut in half the time available for writing. And, the time you are left with becomes a precious commodity that demands stricter focus and work habits.

Here are some tips for working from the home office while children are present. Be sure to leave a comment with your ideas and suggestions.

Sometimes, children just want attention. Sometimes, children really need your attention. Discuss situations with them and come to an agreement about the things that do and do not warrant interrupting your work time.
Buy your child a stop-watch and set the timer. Unless it is an emergency, your child has to wait until the timer goes off to enter your office.
Post a work schedule outside the office door with visiting hours listed. Then, make snacks before work and invite your children to bring the snacks into the office during those visiting hours to eat with you and spend some time talking.
Enroll your children into summer activity programs.
Plan special parent/child activities as a reward for the child not interrupting your work hours.
Coordinate with other parents in the neighborhood to trade off days where all the children play at one house or the other for a few hours, giving the other parents time to run errands, clean house or work child-free.

What are your tips or suggestions? Leave a comment.

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Using the Elements of Figurative Language in Writing

2005-12-02T03:20:00.000-05:00

Figurative Language uses words in fresh, new ways to appeal to the imagination. Similes, metaphors, extended metaphors, hyperbole, and personification are all elements of figurative language.

Using figurative language in your writing enables you to describe people, places, and things while creating memorable images that stay in your readers' minds long after they have finished reading your words. Let's examine each element of figurative language.

Simile

A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Here are some examples from Shakespeare:

"How like the winter hath my absence been"
"So are you to my thoughts as food to life"

Metaphor and Extended Metaphor

Metaphor - a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. Here are some examples from Shakespeare:

"All the world's a stage"
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun"

Extended Metaphor - a metaphor that is extended through a stanza or entire poem, often by multiple comparisons of unlike objects or ideas.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect. Here are some examples:

I could sleep for a year.
This book weighs a ton.

Personification

A figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form. Here is an example from Shakespeare:

"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she."

As you can see from the examples above, figurative language can add depth, power, and/or lyrical beauty to your writing. Judicious use of these elements will spark a reader's imagination and help improve the quality of your prose.

Cheers,

klynn

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"Creative Writing" Search Results at Amazon

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Rejection Letters Aren't All Bad

2005-12-02T02:13:00.000-05:00

by Charlotte Dillon

They Didn't Give Up

Okay, you've gotten a rejection letter from an agent or editor. It feels awful! Maybe it was your first. Maybe it was number sixteen. Whichever it was, don't despair, you're standing in really good company, so don't give up. These authors didn't.

If you are a romance writer, and maybe even if you aren't, you've probably read -- or at least watched -- Margaret Mitchell's story, Gone with the Wind. Over 20 publishing houses tuned that little story down before it sold.

Who hasn't heard of John Grisham in this day and age. Did you know that the fist manuscript he wrote, A Time to Kill, was rejected 45 times before it was accepted?

Famous western novelist Louis L'Amour has sold countless books over the years. Many of his stories have been made into movies, like The Quick and the Dead -- the old one, not the newer version. His stories earned him over 300 rejections before he ever sold a book.

Mary Higgins Clark is well known by mystery fans all over the world. She kept wiring and sending out her novels, even after 40 rejections rolled in.

If you have children, you've probably spent at least a few hours with a Dr. Seuss book in hand. He was the proud owner of nearly 30 rejections, and that was just from one story.

Aren't you glad they filed those rejections away, and then kept on trying?

Rejection Letters Have Some Good Points

Getting a rejection from a publishing house -- or agent -- might leave you feeling depressed, sad, angry, and more. That's okay, let yourself sink into the biggest pity party known to man. Eat a ton of chocolate, watch a sad love story and cry your eyes out, sit around in your PJ's until noon, but don't spend too much time on that party. You have things to do, another publishing house to research, a new agent to check out, and that manuscript to get back in the mail. There is also that new story you should be working on.

Believe it or not, there are some good things you should remember about rejection. What good things? Let me list a few. Oh, and let me add congratulation on that rejection letter. You should be proud!

That rejection letter means you are a REAL writer.
You completed a manuscript. A whole story.
You wrote both a query letter and a synopsis; something that can be harder than writing an entire novel.
When you were done, you looked through guidelines and found a publishing house that printed your kind of story, or an agent who accepted the genre you write in..
With dreams overflowing, you addressed that envelope and mailed your baby into the cold, hard world.
You used up more patience than you even knew you possessed, watching that mail box and waiting to hear something, anything...probably for months.
When you got that rejection, you didn't give up, or you wouldn't be here reading this.

The Steps on the Rejection Ladder

When you at last get brave enough to send out your manuscript, the rejection letter you might get could be the standard form letter. When I sent my first MS off about ten years ago, I thought it was filled with great writing! Now looking back, I know it was awful! It did get me my first rejection letter though.

Dear Author,

Thank you for thinking of DreamOn publishing, but at this time we feel your story does not fit our needs. Best of luck placing your work elsewhere.

The Editors

Notice I'm an author, but they don't use my name, nor do they mention the title of my MS, the real reason it was rejected -- it sucked dirt -- or even list an editor by name. Oh well. I kept writing, joined RWA and went to some meetings, started learning what I was doing wrong, did a little rewrite, and sent that baby out again.

Next rejection, please, one step up.

Dear Ms. Dillon,

Thank you for thinking of GettingBetter publishing, but at this time your story, Love at Last, does not fit our needs. Best of luck placing it with another house.

Assistant Editor,
April Noname

Lots of work later, I made it to the top step of the rejection letter. Ah the glory of it all. :-) Hopefully, sites like mine will help you skip at least the first kinds of rejection letters.

Dear Ms. Dillon,

I enjoyed reading Love Again, and find you have an impressive writing style, but I'm sorry to inform you that we can not accept your story at this time. Although you have strong characterization skills, and a powerful use of description, too much narrative slows your overall pace throughout the story. If you have any other manuscripts available, I would be happy to consider them.

All the best,

Senior Editor,
Pattie Loveme

~

Charlotte Dillon ~ www.charlottedillon.com

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Reference, Facts, News ... Free and Family-friendly Resources

2005-12-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

Writers of all types and in all industries can benefit from bookmarking this site: Reference, Facts, News ... Free and Family-friendly Resources.

Refdesk.com is a comprehensive resource for research, and it's reach is massive. The site truly is your "Virtual Reference Desk."

Here is the site's Vision Statement:

Refdesk aims to index, review, and publish quality, credible information-based Web sites and to assist readers in navigating and extracting needed data from these sites. Since 1995, Refdesk free and family friendly.

Be sure to visit the Introduction And Tour Of Refdesk page to learn about the service and maximize your experience at the site.

My hat is off to this amazing site and indispensable resource.

Other Resources-

Original Fiction and Fan Fiction Archive - Writing Resources: http://kendralynn.com

Are you a writer? Want to get paid? Advertise your skills and accomplishments, network, and gain exposure: http://www.directmatches.us

Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters - Writing A Screenplay Using Structure

2005-12-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of structure.

Inexperienced screenwriters may believe that structure inhibits creativity, but experienced writers know that following a template helps them to problem identify, generate ideas, select good ideas and develop them to reach that all important words-on-paper first draft – structure is not a hindrance but an enhancer of creative output.

If doubts about structure still exist, then they are soon eliminated – when screenplays are presented to decision makers for evaluation, writers soon learn that structure becomes an important part of the evaluation process.

A writer, through an individual and tortuous process of trial and error, may develop templates, or he or she may use one of the classic templates such as the Hero’s Journey. But a writer will rarely admit to the use of templates (it reduces the perception of originality) or he or she may be only mildly aware that they are following a process.

The Classic Hero’s Journey story structure template contains 106 sequences and more than 30 in the final act alone. It is an evolution of Campbells’ original model, containing only 17,18 or 19 sequences, depending on who the interpreter is.

There is a theory that there are only five jokes in the world. Similarly there is a theory that there is only one story in the world. An analyses of nearly all the stories produced by Hollywood bears this out from a certain perspective and the Hero’s Journey would be this universal template.

But from the one universal template are derived many descendants, and one of those is the NO WAY BUT DOWN story structure. In it, the anti-hero heads for self-destruction as a result of his own misdeeds and the betrayal of a shape shifter, allies and goddess et al. It is more exploratory of the darker side of human nature and behaviour and there are no happy endings…but it still makes for a fascinating story.

The Classic Hero’s Journey and the No Way But Down story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

About the Author: Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

HGSE Style Guide

2005-12-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

From the Harvard Graduate School of Education:

HGSE Style Guide

This resource, produced by the HGSE Communications Office, covers major points of style. While the items featured are designed to help you as you compose text online, a comprehensive resource like the Chicago Manual of Style remains the ultimate arbiter in questions of style and format. Additionally, a reference for online style like the Yale University C/AIM Web Style Guide can also be very helpful in supplementing this resource.

The White Goat & The Importance of Proofreading Your Work

2005-12-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

I find it interesting how an experience that happened 26 years ago at the tender age of seven can still affect me to this day. It is a bittersweet memory from 3rd grade that both spurs me to greater effort and recalls feelings of complete humiliation.

We can all recall pivotal points in our lives. Hindsight is 20/20, after all. These pivotal points may be experiences or revelations that fine-tune our focus, change our goals, or alter our perceptions.

The earliest pivotal point that I can remember in my life just so happens to involve a white goat, an aggravated teacher, and a classroom of laughing students. Oh, and let's not forget the humiliation, because that was the true catalyst behind my mantra today - proofread, proofread, proofread.

Huh? What does all this have to do with proofreading?

My third grade teacher gave the class a simple assignment. We were to write a short story, and she would pick a few to read to the entire class.

Everyone was excited! Backs straightened with confidence all around me. Each student was sure his or her story would be the one chosen, including myself. What an honor it would be!

Little did I know that my story would be singled out as an example of poor writing. The only consolation afterwards was that the teacher wouldn't tell the class which student wrote each story she read.

With trembling fingers and visions of my classmates patting me on the back for my creative talent, I handed in my story. Mine was sure to be chosen! After all, it was full of drama, action, and terror. Who wouldn't love my story about an eerie white ghost chasing a poor, frightened family through their big, creepy house?

Wait a minute. The story was about a ghost, right?

Unfortunately, I had written the word "goat" instead of "ghost" all through my story.

Can you imagine my pride when the teacher began reading my story to the class? Now imagine my shock and crushing shame when I realized my mistake. Of course, I felt even worse when the teacher glanced up at me, eyebrows knitted in disapproval, each time she came to the word "goat" in the story.

I can still remember the boy sitting next to me snickering and saying, "Goat? Who'd be afraid of a stupid goat? That's so dumb."

I learned a valuable lesson that day, though I didn't realize it at the time. No matter what you write - a note, a sales letter, a novel, or anything in between - proofread, proofread, proofread!

Proofreading your own work will help you avoid the great "white goat" fiasco, but smaller mistakes are almost sure to slip by. After proofing several times, pass your work along to a trusted friend or associate. The extra set of eyes may pick up on anything you missed.

In my case, the humiliation I experienced 26 years ago proved to be a powerful learning experience. However, I wouldn't wish it for someone else.

So, take to heart the lesson I learned. Always remember the white goat and the importance of proofreading your work.

~
Copyright 2005 - Karen K. Campbell - All Rights Reserved

About the Author: Karen Campbell is a Copywriter and National Trainer for DirectMatches Business Network with over 11 years experience in marketing, sales and coaching. Visit DirectMatches at http://www.directmatches.us She also administers a fiction archive at http://www.kendralynn.com and the Fictional Perspectives Writer's Resources Blog at http://kendralynn.blogspot.com

Online Handbook of Rhetorical Devices

2005-12-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

Robert A. Harris provides an online Handbook of Rhetorical Devices at http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm.

This online version contains definitions and examples of sixty traditional rhetorical devices, all of which can still be useful today to improve the effectiveness, clarity, and enjoyment of your writing. Be sure to take the self test to check your knowledge and retention level of the information provided.

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Punctuation Made Simple

2005-12-01T01:29:00.000-05:00

Unsure about punctuating your prose? Get started here...

Punctuation Made Simple is a website from Gary A. Olson and hosted by The College of Arts & Sciences at Illinois State University. See below for an excerpt from the Introduction page.

In “Punctuation Made Simple,” we discuss several of the most useful punctuation marks that you will use as a communicator. Instead of listing many rules, as a grammar book does, we discuss these various marks in general so that you can get a sense of how to use them in your own prose. Of course, every communicator should own and use a grammar handbook as a reference tool. You will still want to refer to such a book when you come upon a particularly difficult punctuation problem. Here, however, we are most concerned with helping you develop a feel for the way punctuation works.

On the Road

2005-08-24T11:22:00.000-05:00

I am on the road, taking care of business and missing home. Check back soon for more updates or browse through the archives.

Till then...

Karen

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Last Words

2005-07-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

Visit this interesting resource to find:

Last Words of Real People
Last Words of Fictional Characters
Famous Epitaphs
Famous Wills and Obituaries
Famous Last Stands
Famous Farewells

Click here to visit!

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Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters – Good Ideas For Stories

2005-07-12T07:44:00.000-05:00

The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea generation and then the use of structure to extrapolate that idea into a coherent story.

Sources of Good Ideas

a) Ideas that push cultural boundaries work well. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, The Defiant Ones, On the Watefront and so on were all controversial in their time and still very watchable movies.

b) Ideas that tug at the emotions and arouse passions. Imagine the worst thing you would want to happen to you. What are you most embarrassing moments? What causes the most pain?

c) Cathartic events. Protagonists engage in conflict and challenge but the final act is always cathartic.

d) Aspirational and self-actualising events. Make the audience move toward their ideal selves.

e) Fantasy and escapism. Take the audience to a new place, we're tired of this world today.

f) Humour. What are the funniest, most ridiculous, most hypocritical, incongruous, bizarre, irrational moments of life.

g) Education and morality. Teach them something or show them how we should be.

h) Special people. Take us into the world of people we fear or admire. Show us the lives of people who have travelled to places we dare not or cannot go.

i) Romance and love. How sweet it is when we can get it.

j) Different people. Show us how different people live. Compare and contrast.

k) The power of the group. Show us how we are more intelligent, able and greater together than alone.

l) Ambition. Is it pleasure or poison. Does it fulfill or corrupt.

m) Friendship. How real are our friendships. Do we know who our real friends are. What happens when they betray us.

n) Intellectual cross pollination - search the media, information sources...

o) Simply choose a story and write a screenplay. Good ideas will come to you during the project - make sure you capture them.

Structural Templates

a) The classic template is the HERO’S JOURNEY, consisting of 106 sequences with more than 30 in the final act.

The Hero’s journey can be reformed in an infinite number of ways:

b) The THREE KINGS, where the three rivals battle it out.

c) The LONE WOLF, where the Hero succeeds without he aid of allies, the Goddess or the Shape Shifter.

d) NO WAY BUT DOWN, where an anti-hero falls from grace and does not recover.

These topics are further discussed and Story Structure Templates and other Managing Creativity and Innovation products are available at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

About the Author: Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

Source: www.isnare.com

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2005-07-11T13:51:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to order from Amazon to get Release Date Delivery! Order today and get the sixth Harry Potter book this Saturday, July 16th! (Applies to orders using Standard, Two-day, or One-day shipping. Orders using the free Super Saver shipping will arrive after July 16.)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I can't wait!!!

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How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter

2005-07-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

by Brian Konradt

Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus' book, "Secrets of Film Writing" is one of the best. An exceptional screenwriter with five produced screenplays, Lazarus developed this book for beginning writers enrolled in his classes at UCLA.

This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in "Secrets of Film Writing" and provides examples of screenwriters who succeeded with Tom Lazarus' guidelines.

ORGANIZATION IS KEY
Master organization and you're closer to producing a stellar screenplay, not a mediocre one. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Does the screenplay have a clear beginning, middle and end?
2) Does the story drift aimlessly or does it make its point successfully?

These may seem like basic questions, yet many screenwriters grapple with organizational problems.

Lazarus addresses this issue in his book; he recommends writers use one of four organizational methods to ensure their screenplays flow smoothly: outlines, treatments, index cards, and scene lists. All four of these tools are equally effective. Writers need to be discreet to decide which organizational crutch best suits their needs.

In writing the screenplay for the Hollywood feature film "Stigmata," Lazarus chose to use a scene list for organizational support since he already had specific ideas about the chronology and action details of his story. To writers who have difficult organizing and prefer a different method, Lazarus says, "Go for it, because no one is going to see it. It's a process. There is no wrong way."

MAKE IT INTERESTING
Writing is a process. Great screenwriters take creative risks. Without an interesting story, even the most organized screenplay will be unmarketable. The goal should never be to copy another writer's style; instead exercise your own imagination and experiment with different ways to spark your story.

When Warner Brothers hired Tim McCanlies to adapt Ted Hughes' famous English novel "The Iron Man" for the screen, he struggled with whether he should remain true to Hughes' vision or develop a new story based loosely on the original book's events. McCanlies chose to do something risky and wildly creative; he Americanized "The Iron Man" by setting the story in the 1950s during the Cold War terror and renamed it "The Iron Giant." His calculated risk proved worthwhile. American audiences related to the film and appreciated its examination of an unusual time in their nation's history. Also, English audiences embraced "The Iron Giant" despite its variation from the original English text and awarded it the 2000 BAFTA Award for best feature film.

There is a valuable lesson for aspiring writers in McCanlies' success: when you risk nothing, you gain nothing. McCanlies, Lazarus, and other successful screenwriters embroil themselves in chances, write creatively, experiment with different ideas, and raise their characters' stakes.

SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT LIKE A PRO
Once you have written an interesting, well-organized screenplay you need to submit your script neatly and according to studio standards. Lazarus warns his UCLA students about several technical errors in script presentation that annoy studio readers. Follow these guidelines:

1) A feature length screenplay should be longer than 95 pages and shorter than 125 pages when you submit it for studio consideration.

2) Don't include a synopsis or character biographies with your script as it gives studio readers an excuse not to review the whole screenplay.

3) Don't put scene numbers on your script until it is sold. This is a rule of the game; readers find scene numbers distracting and use them as an excuse to dub a screenplay "amateur" and unworthy of further consideration.

4) Studio readers prefer to receive scripts bound with circular metal brads. Using folders and binders hog office space and interns may discard scripts unintentionally during spring cleaning.

5) Finally, use one of the many screenwriting programs to help format your script, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft or Script Wizard. You can find discounted deals at MasterFreelancer.com (http://www.MasterFreelancer.com), StoryScribe.com (http://www.StoryScribe.com), and Wizards4Word.com (http://www.wizards4word.com).

Make sure you proofread your script several times before submitting a script for Hollywood review. Busy studio readers will not peruse screenplays riddled with basic errors like confusing "it's" with "its" and using "are" when you mean "our." Use a program like Style Writer (found at http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com) to remedy such embarrassing grammar mistakes. When you're ready to submit your script, grab a Hollywood Creative Directory (found at http://www.storyscribe.com/mgbooks.html) to find markets for your script.

THINK SUCCESS AND BE A SUCCESS
Remember to take risks with plot and character development, and follow studio standards for script submissions. Studying resources like "Secrets of Film Writing" by Tom Lazarus, "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by Denny Martin Flinn, "Crafty Screenwriting" by Alex Epstein, and "Alternative Scriptwriting" by Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush can be helpful for aspiring writers. Developing strong writing skills takes time, a willingness to learn, and perseverance. Writers who constantly improve their skills and experiment with new ideas will succeed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Konradt is a freelance writer and founder of FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site to help writers master the business and creative sides of freelance writing; he also is founder of BookCatcher.com (http://www.bookcatcher.com), a free website to help authors promote their books.

(C) 2005 Brian Konradt

History: India & South Asia

2005-07-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

India

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html

South and Southeast Asia

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/southasia/cuvl/

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Internet East Asian History Sourcebook

2005-07-09T07:11:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html

Comprehensive resource that includes cultural, political, and religious history for the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese societies.

See Also:

History of China Chronology & History of Japan Chronology

http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/China/China.html

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Ancient / Classical History

2005-07-09T00:06:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://ancienthistory.tqn.com/education/ancienthistory/mlibrary.htm

A comprehensive listing from About.com.

See Also:

Ancient History

http://www.snowcrest.net/jmike/ancient.html

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History of the United Kingdom

2005-07-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://library.byu.edu/~rdh/eurodocs/uk.html

Includes history from antiquity through present day, along with legal and governmental documents.

See Also:

English Civil War Publications

http://www.lukehistory.com/resources/ecwpubs.html

Encyclopaedia of British History: 1500-1980

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/industry.html

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American Memory from the Library of Congress

2005-07-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/amhome.html

Review from History Matters (www.history.com):

This expansive archive of American history and culture features photographs, prints, motion pictures, manuscripts, printed books, pamphlets, maps, and sound recordings going back to roughly 1490. Currently this site includes more than seven million digital items from more than 100 collections on subjects ranging from African-American political pamphlets to California folk music, from baseball to the Civil War. Most topical sites include special presentations introducing particular depositories or providing historical context for archival materials. Visitors can search collections separately or all at once by keyword and type of source (photos and prints, documents, films, sound recordings, or maps).

Native American History

2005-07-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/indices/NAhistory.html

Includes oral history, regional information, timelines, photographic archives and more.

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Internet African History Sourcebook

2005-07-06T18:23:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/africa/africasbook.html

Quoted from the site:

Africa is both the most clearly defined of continents - in its geography - and the hardest to pin down in historical terms. Human beings originated in Africa and, as a result, there is more diversity of human types and societies than anywhere else. It is not possible, in any non-ideological way, to claim any one of these peoples or societies as more essentially "African" than others; nor is it possible to exclude a given society as "not really African".

On this site historical sources on the history of human societies in the continent of Africa are presented, when available, without making prejudgements about what is "African".

The Victorian Era

2005-07-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

The Victorian Web
http://www.victorianweb.org/

Comprehensive resource for information about the Victorian Era - political and social history, gender matters, philisophy, religion, science, technology, theater and popular entertainment, economics, and more!

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New Zealand History

2005-07-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/index.html

NZHistory.net.nz aims to be the first port of call when searching for information on New Zealand history. Content of NZHistory.net.nz is co-ordinated by a small team from the History Group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Wellington, New Zealand.

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Australian History Resources

2005-07-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.austudies.org/info/docs.html

The University of Sydney Library history guide recognized this page as "the premier site for Australian history".

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Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest

2005-07-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

Tom Howard Books is sponsoring its third annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest. Deadline September 30. First prize is $1,000. A total of $2,000 in prizes will be awarded. Winning entries will be published.

The reading fee is $5 for every 25 lines you submit. There are no limits on style, theme, number of lines or number of poems you may submit. Your entry should be your own original work. For more information, visit the contest Web site:

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest

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Virtual Library -- Aboriginal Studies

2005-07-05T00:45:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html

Includes links for Aboriginal history, languages, art, culture and more. This site is maintained in conjunction with the Center For World Indigenous Studies' (CWIS) Indigenous Studies WWW Virtual Library -- which contains links to General Indigenous Studies Resources, as well as resources Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Central & South America, Europe, and the Pacific.

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Virtual Library -- Medieval Europe

2005-07-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

Historical Writers' Resources Week

Historical reference resource:

http://www.msu.edu/~georgem1/history/medieval.htm

A virtual gateway to Medieval Europe maintained by The Michigan State University Graduate Student Medieval and Renaissance Consortium, under the sponsorship of ORB, for The World Wide Web Virtual Library History Section.

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Historical Reference Resources

2005-07-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

Over the next week, I'll be scouring the internet for sites that provide information and/or research gateways that would be of interest to historical writers. So be sure to check back daily, or even twice daily, to see what I've found.

Welcome to "Historical Writers' Resources Week".

Cheers,

Karen

~

Happy 4th of July & Happy Canada Day

2005-07-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend! We'll all visit again on Tuesday, July 5th.

Cheers,

K. Campbell

~

Independence Day - 4th of July

Background

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

And although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4 1777. By the early 1800s the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America's birthday. And although fireworks have been banned in most places because of their danger, most towns and cities usually have big firework displays for all to see and enjoy.

Canada Day

Background

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty's loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1st.

The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

On October 27, 1982, July 1st which was known as "Dominion Day" became "Canada Day". Since 1985, Canada Day Committees are established in each province and territory to plan, organize and coordinate the Canada Day celebrations locally.

HOW TO FATTEN YOUR PRESS KIT

2005-06-30T04:00:00.000-05:00

by Lorna Tedder

I sat in the front row of a seminar called something like "How to Create a Jam-up Good Press Kit" and drooled over the examples on the speaker's table. Each kit contained a current press release, a 5x7 black-and-white photo, a cover flat, and a couple of dozen select clippings from newspapers and magazines from all over the country.

"Make sure you put everything that's ever been written about your writing into your press kit," the speaker informed us. "Whether it's a review of your last book, an announcement of an award, a booksigning, an interview--put it in there! When you have a stack of clippings, then you can pick and choose the best ones to convey the image you want."

I glanced around the room. The other attendees, all multi-published authors, were nodding.

Slinking down in my chair, I raised my hand. "My first book comes out next summer. What about me? I don't have any clippings."

The speaker smiled indulgently. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll have a fatter press kit for your NEXT book."

Arghhhhh!

Mama always said, "If you want something done, you better do it yourself."

She was right. I can't depend on the press to show up at my front door, clamoring to interview me, Little Miss First Time Author. I can't even guarantee they'll print a two-paragraph press > release that I hand-carry to the newspaper office across town. So I've launched a campaign that, I think, will work for other first timers as well as multi-published authors who already have lots of fodder for their press kits.

1. First, become a group. Most authors find it relatively easy to promote other authors' work (like re-arranging shelves in bookstores to give a favorite author a face-out position at eye-level) but find it really hard to say, "Hey, look at this fabulous book I wrote! Buy it! Heck, buy a dozen and given them away as Christmas gifts!" It's so much easier and less embarrassing when a group sponsors you.

You also get better coverage and more credibility than when you're acting alone. Unless you tell them, the press won't know if your group represents three authors or five hundred.

How do you find a group? Maybe you already have one. Your group could be your local RWA chapter, your critique group, or a circle of writers with similar interests. You could be geographically close, or you could meet on-line on a computer bulletin board every night.

Give your group a professional-sounding title if you don't already have a good name. If it's a new group, elect officers and establish your goals for the group. Extra benefits of a group include the social interaction, critiques, support at booksignings, and shoulders to cry on.

Elect someone in your group to send out press releases on EVERYTHING. It's even better if your press release mentions kudos for several local authors because this will help establish the group as a professional, credible organization. Be sure to use quality letterhead and be consistent with your point of contact, > address, and style.

2. Write, write, write! And not just your book. Write articles on plotting techniques, time-saving tips, where to get ideas, the best software to use, market news, research guides, or even tearjerker essays. Then get them published. Granted, it may take longer and be harder to publish an article in a more mainstream publication like Writers' Digest, but there are dozens of other opportunities.

Check your current Writers' Market for names and addresses of periodicals interested in hearing writers' tips and techniques and send for sample copies and tip sheets.

Write the Romance Writers' Report (RWR) for guidelines and needs. If you're an RWA member, send a fabulous column to your chapter newsletter or any of the other chapters, including the Outreach Chapter. You get the benefit of the publicity, and you collect yet one more clipping for your press kit.

3. Get advance reviews. If you wait until your review is actually published, it may be too late to include in the press kit for that book (although a fabulous review could certainly improve your press kit for your next book).

Send manuscripts or galleys to Romantic Times, Rendezvous, Affaire de Coeur, and Heartland Critiques. If you write romantic suspense, send your book to The Talisman and Gothic Journal. If it's a historical, it might be suitable for The Medieval Chronicles. These are just a few of the potential reviewers. Keep your eyes open for other publications. Ask published authors where they got their best reviews.

Once you get an advance review, print it up and include it in your press kit or cull some of the better phrases for quotes. You'll also be able to use the reviews for advertising, too--and if you're fast enough, maybe even for your book cover.

Let the reviewers know you need an advance quote and send your material early so they'll have plenty of time. I had two great quotes eight months before my book's publication date!

4. Make yourself a household word with press releases.

Anything and everything counts!

Were you a finalist in a writing contest? Then you're an award- winning author. Write it up!

Did your book make the Waldenbooks or B. Dalton bestseller lists? Write it up!

Are you scheduled to attend (or better yet--speak at) a national or regional conference? Write it up!

Has the local Rotary Club asked you to give a speech on "So You've Always Wanted To Be a Published Author"? Write it up! Nothing is too small. And if it is, maybe the paper is having a slow news day and will print it anyway.

And remember to include a photo. Nothing will draw the eye to your meager paragraphs of praise like a picture will. You don't have to look glamourous, but the photo should be...charitable. If you wouldn't want it on your driver's liscense, don't send it to the papers.

5. And the most important for last: self-interviews.

You can either "interview" yourself or have a member of your group do it for you and then send it to the newspaper as a special contribution from your group. These are the only interviews you'll ever be able to control, say exactly what you want readers and booksellers to hear, give personal background information that makes you look like a saint (or sinner, if you want), and portray the image you want to cultivate for the Public You.

Now here's the problem: if you send such an interview to a large newspaper, they'll probably ignore it or rewrite it. At best, they'll use it as background for their own interview.

To get in print, concentrate on newspapers who'll be tickled pink to get a free, well-written, thought-provoking story. These are usually small papers, published once or twice a week. Generally, their writing staffs are small or part-time. Amid the school news and recipes, they've got space to be filled--and have you got a story to fill it !

Pick newspapers or small regional magazines whose readers will have an interest in you beyond their choice of literature. If you were born in the town, went to school there, worked there, married the local bad boy, or did anything that will connect you to the area, consider that town's newspaper a candidate for a fascinating interview written with them in mind.

Slant the interview toward something unique about you and that location. Here are examples of feature articles my group sent to papers in five small towns to announce that I'd sold my first book (new articles went out a week before A MAN CALLED REGRET hits the stores):

Newspaper A was the hardest. My hometown paper. Almost guaranteed to make the front page though. Since it was my hometown for twenty-something years, I used the old "local girl makes good" slant. Then, since I'd used a lot of local Southern history in the setting, I talked about that local history, how it fit in the book, and how much research it required. I included how I had a fighter pilot friend fly me over my hometown in a 4-seater Cessna so I could get the opening scene just right and how I talked to several pilots to make the crash as realistic as possible.

Newspaper B was the county paper I wrote for during my senior year of high school. Mostly I did school news type columns, but I was sixteen and had my picture in the paper every week. When I graduated from high school, the editor gave me a dictionary/thesaurus set. In that interview, I mentioned how I have every kind of fancy dictionary you can imagine, yet I still use that reference set--even though I've had to tape the covers to keep them from falling off from overuse.

Two local gourmet kitchens produce mayhaw jelly--the same as Trudy and Regret make in that oh-so-hot kitchen scene--and since the berry is native to that county, I discussed the role of the mayhaw berry in the book.

Newspaper C is the official organ of the county where I went to high school. Since many of my classmates' parents still live in the area, I talked about my high school dreams and how, after my first class reunion, I reclaimed my dream of writing when my old chums told me they had been looking for my name in bookstores for ten years. I also stressed the difficulties of finding time to write while juggling a full-time job, two babies, and a husband.

Newspaper D is published in the county where I went to a controversial private school between the third and eighth grades. I opened the interview with my memories of that school, where I first started writing, and how writing was my salvation during a difficult adolescence that knew no sense of belonging.

Newspaper E is in the town where I earned my undergraduate degree. I asked the same question I was repeatedly asked there ten years ago--"So whatcha gonna do with that there English degree if you ain't gonna teach?" My answer was tutor learning disabled students, edit newsletters, write public relations brochures, negotiate contracts for the Department of Defense--and finally, become a published author.

I sent five larger, regional newspapers a three-paragraph press release and a picture--just the basics plus a few words to tie me to that community. In one case I'd worked on special projects at a well-known local company. In another city, I'd earned a master's degree from a local college. I used those tidbits in the headlines, too. ("Local Graduate....) So now I have my own set of clippings for my first press kit--and enough clippings that I can be choosy. The interviews say exactly what I want them to say and what I want future interviewers to know about me, and not a single one of them asks that tacky question about where I get my inspiration for sex scenes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 1995 by Lorna Tedder

[Note from Spilled Candy: some of the periodicals mentioned in the above article are no longer published, but the point remains: find related markets for article-writing and reviews, even if they're small publications which tend to be hungry for news.]

Dr. Lorna Tedder is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her writing and marketing expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her non-fiction guides for writers include BOOK PROMOTION FOR THE SHAMELESS, BOOK PROMOTION SAVVY, and RECLAIMING THE MAGIC: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS. All three books are available at www.SpilledCandy.com.

WHAT IS FICTIONAL DREAM?

2005-06-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

How does an author create one? For what purpose does an author create one?

by Vicki Hinze

What is the fictional dream? How does an author create one? For what purpose does an author create one? The fictional dream is the means by which an author transports a reader from reading words on a page into the pages of the story. It is the combination of craft techniques implemented specifically to capture the reader's interest in, and empathy for the characters; those tools which, effectively incorporated, facilitate the reader becoming an active participant in the story events.

Vivid Imagery
Sensory Perception
Author Distance
Universal Identification
Deep Characterization

While each of the above tools is strong and effective at creating the fictional dream, the most potent writing contains a combination of tools. If an author can paint a specific picture in a reader's mind, then the reader can imagine themselves in that scene and in the depicted situation.

The incorporation of sensory input--things the character (thus the reader) sees, smells, hears, touches, and tastes, reinforces the reader's mental image and draws that reader into the story at a deeper level.

Create author distance, by avoiding intrusion and filtering, by not insinuating the author between the character and the story events, and the reader experiences the story firsthand.

Use a story event that creates a universal reaction.

For example: outrage at a child being abused (versus outrage at an injustice which is generic and non-specific), depict the character's emotional response to that injustice through thoughts and actions, and the reader becomes involved. That involvement is often referred to as reader empathy. And an empathetic reader lives the fictional dream.

Let's look at each of these tools. To create vivid imagery, use specific, concrete details. Don't use tree, use oak. Don't write book, write the title of a specific book--one that conveys the tone and mood of the character at that moment. Select specific details that create and convey the emotional impact you, the writer, want conveyed.

An example from Upon a Mystic Tide: Sitting in her old, red rocker, Miss Hattie turned on the big, antique radio behind her. Big band era music drifted through the kitchen, and she softly hummed along with it. Her head bowed, she studied the embroidery in her lap. She was sewing the Seascape Inn logo onto a new batch of crisp, white napkins. Yellow thread. Was the color significant to women of her age?

In this example, the specific and concrete details are:
Sight: the red rocker, the big, antique radio, embroidering napkins with yellow thread
Sound: the big band music, humming

Incorporating these details into the work has created a vivid image of Miss Hattie, sewing, humming, rocking. Obviously, she isn't stressed, so, by the type details selected, mood is created, tone is set. Sensory perception includes sight and sound, as well.

By letting the second character, the viewpoint character observing Miss Hattie, think direct thoughts, without intruding, without filtering those thoughts through the author, the remaining tools have been lightly incorporated as well. The reader glimpses inside the mind of the view point character, unobstructed by the author's presence. The text is working hard, accomplishing more than one task.

Remember, vivid imagery requires specific and concrete details. Don't write tree. Write oak. Don't write emotion. Write fear or sorrow, guilt or shame. Don't write dog. Write Doberman, or Yorkie. Don't write chair. Write rocker. Write cinematically. Vivid images that create pictures in the reader's mind.

Think of the novel page as a blank canvas. Only what the author chooses to disclose will be painted on that canvas. The more specific the detail painted, the more vivid the image on the canvas--and in the reader's mind. Writers tend to lean heavily on visual images. Visual images are crucial, but all-inclusive.

The other senses should not be neglected. They too are important. Actually, they're vital. Smell is particularly powerful.

In the above scene from Upon a Mystic Tide with Miss Hattie, there are references to the scents of sea spray, of blueberry muffins, of peonies. (Note that all are soothing images, which further the emotional mood and tone of the scene.) Home-baked bread.

What do the characters hear? A grandfather clock's steady ticks, the fridge motor's soft whir. The ice-maker plopping cubes into the bin. Birds chirping. Soft, homey--comforting sounds.

If your character is standing on the shore, does he feel the sea spray gather on his skin? Does it chill? Raise gooseflesh?

If your character is mellow, does he look out upon the sun-spangled sea, lulled by the smooth roll of the waves? Does your character rub a nubby quilt when uneasy? Do pungent fragrances make his nostrils sting?

In the above references, the mood of the scene, the mood of the character, is portrayed by the images selected and the character's sensory perception. Tactile perceptions add texture. Feel the grate of sandpaper, the smooth finish on a beloved antique, the needle punching into fabric and the silken thread pulling through it. Ever had your mouth water at a particular smell? A memory evoked by the sound of a song? Ever taste a cherry tart and remember the first one you ate?

These sensory perceptions breathe life into human beings. Characters emulate human beings. Therefore, to breathe life into characters, the writer should include the character's sensory perceptions.

We've all heard the saying, "Author, keep out!" We've also heard, "Show, don't tell." In the case of author distance, both are apt. There are times when it's advantageous to the story to create distance between the story event and character and that character's reaction to the story event.

But on the whole, whenever an author intrudes, that author places her/himself between the reader and the character. This distance pushes the reader away, reminds her she's reading and not living the story event. Reader empathy is greatly diminished, if not lost, and the powerful impact the story and characters had on the reader is gone. The novel dictates the best means for portraying the story. Each scene within the novel is weighted and its value must be judged. Pivotal, key scenes are ones wherein the writer loses far too much by intruding, or by filtering the events through the writer before allowing the reader to experience them. Background information, on the other hand, should be given quickly, efficiently and in small doses. Dribbled into the scene, a few sentences at a time, background information can be fed to the reader on a need-to-know basis.

Ask yourself: Does the reader need to know this information now for what is occurring at this point, in this scene, to make sense? If the answer is yes, include the information. If, no, cut it and reinsert it in the scene and at the point where the reader does need to know it.

Remember, background information is stagnant, passive. It brings the story momentum (pace) to a dead halt, prohibits the plot from any advance, and leaves the characters dangling in suspended animation. A reader patiently wades through this only because she feels the matter is of import or it wouldn't be there. So be sure it is important, give the info to the reader, then get back on with the story.

In addition to telling intrusions, the author can intrude in seemingly unoffensive ways. One of them is filtering. Note the following two sentences: Example 1: He thought she had the temperament of a squealing pig. Example 2: She had the temperament of a squealing pig.

In Example 1, you the author are telling the reader what the male character thought. You're filtering his thoughts, through you, and then passing them along to the reader. You're telling the reader.

In Example 2, without the filter, he thought, the reader is planted inside the character's mind and is hearing his though direct. You, the writer, have effectively created author distance. You are not intruding. You are not on-scene. And the bond between the reader and the character has not been violated. An effective tool used to create and maintain the fictional dream is universal identification. Meaning, generally, that via plot, the author strikes a familiar theme, or chord, in the reader: one he or she can identify with.

More often than not, the most effective universal chords are emotional ones. Who among us has not experienced grief, or loss, or embarrassment, or guilt? For example: an angry character commits a murder. Do you, the author, hope to strike a familiar chord on the event, the murder, or on the motivation for murder, the anger? If you are a skilled craftsman, you could do either.

But more craftsmen will opt for the motivation because it is universal. Many of us have not murdered. All of us have been angry. We all are able to identify with anger. Through it, we establish reader identification, and tap into a universal emotion. Those two inclusions force the reader to become an active participant in the story. And an active participant is one living the fictional dream.

Frequently authors get overly zealous at telling readers the color of a character's hair and fail to realize that this topical tidbit isn't nearly so interesting as the fact that the character bleached her hair at sixteen and it all fell out. She had to wear a wig and baseball caps for six months, and she missed her junior prom!

Which interests you more? Which gives you more insight into a well-rounded individual with a history? Which tidbit makes this character more real to you?

Before you attempt to impart a character to a reader, get to know the character. Sit down and chat. Interview the character. Know what the character loves and hates, her hopes and desires, her fears. Know her goals and her happiest moment, her most humiliating experience. Know her as well or better than you know yourself.

Make no mistake, this is a time-consuming task. But once you start writing about this character, you'll find it time well-spent. You, the writer will not have to stop and ask how this character will react to this particular situation. You'll know. And all of the little things you found out in the interview/chat will drive the plot and make this character three-dimensional. Real. We are shaped by our experiences, our background, our exposure to the world.

So, too, are our characters. In fact, it's wise to stop thinking of them as characters and to start thinking of them as people. People who are rich in their diversity, their unique individuality. What about them interests you, the writer? If the character fascinates you, then that character is apt to fascinate a reader. Don't be satisfied telling us the color of her hair. Let us know what she thinks and yearns for, what she feels, why she feels as she does.

You'll learn far more about a character than you impart in a novel, but you will have steely insight into what drives that individual and you'll depict her as a well-rounded individual; one with whom the reader can establish common bonds and cheer on. Incorporate these tools in your work. Combine them for maximum benefit to your story. And permit your readers to live the fictional dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1996 by Vicki Hinze.

Dr. Vicki Hinze is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her latest non-fiction book is ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL, from Spilled Candy Books for Writers. This 589-page ebook covers everything you need to know about the craft of writing, the publishing business, and the secrets to getting published. ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL is available at www.SpilledCandy.com as a download or disk.

UNPUBLISHED LEGACIES:

2005-06-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

The importance of writing. Written just before the author sold her first book

by Lorna Tedder

A few nights before my second child was born, I woke from a screaming nightmare. I'd been sleeping in the recliner downstairs, so I didn't even have the comfort of my husband's arms, and at that moment, I felt more alone--more mortal--than ever before.

In my dream, I had learned that I was dying. My mother, now in her sixties and not in the best of health, vowed to keep my memory alive for as long as she lived, but I knew that my two-year-old would soon forget me and that the baby I carried would never know me. Waking, I stumbled to my toddler's bed, gazing at her with the lovelorn somberness of new motherhood and hugging the overdue child inside me until my tears ran down my cheeks and into the collar of my nightgown.

Throughout the next few days and long nights, I couldn't get the dream out of my mind. I knew I could blame it on hormones, but the question kept nagging me: if I died today, how would my children ever know me? I found my answer just as the contractions were coming five minutes apart.

The doctor had told me to keep busy until I was ready to go to Labor and Delivery. The contractions were too distracting to write, so I started reading through my unpublished manuscripts--five of them, all in various stages of submission to different publishing houses.

That's when I realized that I held in my hands the most precious legacy I can pass on to my children.

I'll admit I'm a hard person to get to know and probably as hard for those closest to me to understand as I am to a stranger meeting me for the first time. But the greatest key to discovering what goes on in my heart and mind and the rest of me I keep locked so tightly away, is in the ardently spun stories I've committed to paper.

My stories are about strength and weakness, love and yearning, and most of all about passion. If they're looking for my values, my children will find heroines who believe in self-sufficiency and hard work, heroines who draw on the inner strength they don't know they have, and heroines who are wealthy in their family, their roots, and their land. They'll see that I'm attracted to a man's eyes and the way he coos to his baby girl. They'll read about heroes who aren't infallible and sometimes aren't redeemable until the story's end but are always a little dangerous and a little mysterious. In my secondary characters, they'll meet my mother, bits and pieces of people I've known or heard about, and shadows from their childhood as well as my own.

In my manuscripts, they'll discover what I've learned of love--that it's always surprising, sometimes illogical and ill-timed, but never to be regretted. They'll realize, through my portrayal of fathers with daughters and mothers with children, just how much my husband and I enjoyed them when they were little. Finally, they'll unmask the passion of a mother who never said much and never seemed to get too excited about anything.

No inheritance--neither money nor land--will ever be as worthy to be passed on to her children as a mother's soul transformed into words. My stories, so precariously immortal, have the power to outlive me, whether published and displayed in bookstores for a mere thirty days or never published at all. One day my children and their children after them and generations I may never know will hopefully read my words and have an understanding of who I am now, of what is important to me, and of the dreams I carry in my head and the love I carry in my heart. I can't say it doesn't matter if those manuscripts are never published. It does matter--but my legacy matters more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 1992 by Lorna Tedder

[written a few months before the author sold her first novel]

Dr. Lorna Tedder is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her writing and marketing expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her non-fiction guides for writers include BOOK PROMOTION FOR THE SHAMELESS, BOOK PROMOTION SAVVY, and RECLAIMING THE MAGIC: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS. All three books are available at www.SpilledCandy.com.

TRICKY RASCALS TO WRITE!

2005-06-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

Creating believable villains worthy of being opponents to your protagonists

by Vicki Hinze

Villains are tricky rascals.

As an author, your job requires you walk a fine line. You must make your villains credible, logical, believable and understandable, but not likeable. You want your villains to be real, three-dimensional people. You want the reader to understand what they're doing, why they're doing it, why they believe their actions are just and rational but you don't want the reader to become so empathetic with the villain that he/she loses empathy with the hero/heroine and starts cheering for the villain.

As I said, this requires the author to walk a fine line, and all too often we fall to using stereotype, cardboard "bad" guys who have no redeeming qualities. This makes them one-dimensional, lowers their emotional impact, and it also lowers the reader's esteem for the hero and or heroine who will eventually best this villain.

The reason is that a totally evil villain is less a threat, less evil, less frightening than one who is strong. Totally evil equates to totally weak, because there are only surface motivators driving the villain. But if you build the villain's character by giving him logical, well-motivated, reasons for doing the evil he does, in the way he does it, then you've elevated the villain to a worthy evil--one that respects the villain's character, the hero and heroine's characters, and you've played fair with the reader, thus earned his or her respect.

To be most effective, a villain does the wrong things, but in his mind, he's doing the right things for the right reasons. Remember, no one sees themselves as a bad person, nor a foolish one--not even a villain. To him, his actions are just. His reasons are valid .

You, the author must play fair and depict the villain honestly. If you're in his Point of View (POV), then you must see him as he sees himself. In his eyes, he is intelligent. He is a worthy adversary to the hero and heroine, capable of inflicting the evil he chooses, capable of winning the battle against the hero and heroine.

Now, if you, the author, depict him this way to the readers--both from his own POV and from others'--because the villain is intelligent, a worthy adversary, capable of inflicting this evil, and capable of winning the battle, the outcome of who will win is uncertain. That uncertainty creates suspense. And when a character who is not fighting twisted logic and faulty perception, recognizes how twisted the villain is, how dangerous those qualities make him, that doubles suspense.

These elements combine and make for a good, exciting, edge-of-your-chair, page-turning read. When you create your villains, ask yourself this question: How hard is it for a hero/heroine to battle and best a wimp? The stronger your villain, the stronger your hero/heroine.

Besting a wimp isn't much of a victory. But a worthy adversary, well, that says a great deal about your hero and heroine, doesn't it?

If your villain is smart, sharp, and darn good at what he's doing, then to best him, your heroine/hero must be smarter, sharper, and better than darn good at what they're doing.

When they best the villain, they've accomplished something worthy. And, you the writer, rather than lowering the value of your hero and heroine, have upped everyone's value and strength, which means these elevated characters are capable of carrying the weight of a much more intensive story. You've also increased your authorial options. Your characters, being capable of more, are able to give more to the story. Your plot isn't bound by the limitations of its' characters but freed by their abilities.

So, as Robert Newton Peck says, "Give your Black Bart a daisy." Or give your villain redeeming qualities. Make him good. Make him darn good. Because that makes the heroine and hero better and permits you to make the story stronger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1996 by Vicki Hinze.

Dr. Vicki Hinze is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her latest non-fiction book is ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL, from Spilled Candy Books for Writers. This 589-page ebook covers everything you need to know about the craft of writing, the publishing business, and the secrets to getting published. ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL is available at www.SpilledCandy.com as a download or disk.

Virginia Brendemuehl Prize for Poetry

2005-06-25T08:06:00.000-05:00

The 2005 Virginia Brendemuehl Prize

First Place: $1000 plus publication in Rock & Sling
Finalists: Publication in Rock & Sling.
Contest Deadline: July 15, 2005 postmark

Entry fee is $10 for three poems. Poems will be judged based on literary quality and in consideration of our vision statement. Preferred maximum length is 60 lines.

Click here to read full contest guidelines.

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Writer's Digest Short Story Competition

2005-06-25T07:47:00.000-05:00

WD Popular Fiction Awards

Send in your entry to the brand new WD Popular Fiction Awards! We want your best fiction in five categories: Romance, Mystery/Crime Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense and Horror. The Grand-Prize Winner will receive $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member. All winners will receive promotion in Writer's Digest magazine.

Deadline: 11/1/2005

Click here for guidelines and an entry form.

A Guide for Using Quotation Marks

2005-06-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

The Capital Community College Foundation has posted an online guide for using quotation marks.

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/quotation.htm

This comprehensive guide includes usage rules for quotations with other punctuation marks, along with examples and explanations of the difference between U.S. and British styles.

The quotation marks page is part of the main Guide to Grammar and Writing website referenced here at Fictional Perspectives in an earlier post.

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Authors Compensation Survey

2005-06-22T05:37:00.000-05:00

RealRates.com is conducting an Authors Compensation Survey. This survey is designed to give writing professionals more information about what their peers are earning for different types of work at different levels of experience.

If you have been paid for publishing a book, e-book, magazine article, or web page content in the past five years they would like to hear from you.

Take the survey... http://www.realrates.com/authors/

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Superstitions - An Unusual Trivia Collection

2005-06-20T02:20:00.000-05:00

Visit Corsinet.com to research unusual, unique, and uncommon facts about a diversity of subjects:

Superstitions
Old Wives Tales
Folklore
Bizarre Beliefs
Taboos
Omens
Lucky & Unlucky Things

Here are some examples:

To cure a cough: take a hair from the coughing person's head, put it between two slices of buttered bread, feed it to a dog, and say, "Eat well you hound, may you be sick and I be sound."
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
Rosemary planted by the doorstep will keep witches away.

Great resource! Visit today!

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Google Library: Peril for Publishers?

2005-06-17T22:40:00.000-05:00

From InternetNews.com:

Google is digitizing entire university libraries. Book publishers haven't decided if the Google Library Project means exposure to new readers or copyright infringement on a massive scale. It's a question the Supreme Court may have to decide.

In October, the search goliath announced Google Print, a program that lets publishers work with Google to digitize books to which they hold the rights in order to make them available for search. Google promises publishers they can earn money when searchers click on contextual ads that appear alongside the book pages.

But book publishers were taken aback when they heard about Google Library, a project that had been under way since 2002 with the University of Michigan. Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University and the New York Public Library also are in the process of letting Google scan parts or all of their collections.

Google broke the news in December, the same day print.google.com officially went live. The Library Project was positioned as an extension of Google Print, but some publishers saw it as more of a collision with it.

Read the full article...

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The Further Adventures of "A Very Parfit Knight"

2005-06-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

For those who enjoyed the adventures of Sir Gawain and The Geek in "A Very Parfit Knight," be sure to read "Sir Gawain and the Dragon."

In "Sir Gawain and the Dragon," the steadfast, loyal program, Sir Gawain, once again, saves the day and protects the job of genius programmer, The Geek, from corporate terrorists.

Both stories are by a fabulous, emerging Author, Clive Allen, and can be found at Kendralynn.com or Clive's blog, Gone Away.

~

Keeping Track of Your At-Home Business Expenses

2005-06-15T11:21:00.000-05:00

by: Jan Kovarik

If you are new to working at home, then you might not be aware that you can legally deduct many types of valid business expenses, such as paper supplies or the second phone line you install for your business, on your self-employment income tax return (and thereby reduce your taxable self-employment income). This article concerns only general expenses and will not deal with how to determine and deduct expenses that relate to your in-home office space or depreciable office furnishings/equipment. That is a conversation for another day (and by someone better versed in the IRS rules!).

First, let me congratulate you on the fact that you are working at home! Whether it is part-time, full-time, or just a little something you do on the side for extra money, working at home and being your own boss is the lifelong dream of many people. Be proud that you have achieved what so many do not.

Second, let me be very clear that this article is written on the assumption that you report your self-employment income---all your income---and that you pay the self-employment taxes that are due on that income. This article is also based on tracking and recording legitimate business expenses. Even if you have very modest income and are using your kitchen table a few nights a week as your office space, there are still legitimate business expenses that you can use to help reduce your self-employment taxable income. The purpose of this article is not to help you find ways to pad your deductions or to dodge paying your taxes.

Last, this article is aimed at those who are either new to working at home or who need a simple explanation of a subject that may seem twisted and tangled. Business expenses and tax deductions don’t need to be scary monsters that live with the dust bunnies beneath the box spring of your bed. You don’t even need a complicated method of data storage in order to track your expenses and have quick and easy numbers ready when it comes time to file your taxes. In fact, you don’t really need much more than a notepad and a nice box. Of course, if you live for spreadsheets and bar graphs, you can get as high-tech as you like. Personally, I have a very simple Excel spreadsheet and four large file folders (one for each quarter of the year).

OK, let’s get started.

It is important to know what qualifies as a “business expense.” Well, that’s simple. A business expense is money that you pay out of your pocket in order to maintain your at-home business. An easy example would be a business phone line. If you had a second phone line installed as your business line, then you can legally deduct 100% of the cost of that phone line as a business expense. You can also deduct the cost of equipment, installation, and hook-up (for the tax year during which you installed the line). Business expenses do not have to be related to office equipment or furniture, or even the actual work that you do. Legitimate business expenses also include office supplies like computer paper, ink cartridges, pens, notepads, paperclips---literally anything that you buy specifically for conducting your business.

I use this rule of thumb: If I wouldn’t have purchased it otherwise, then it is a business expense.

Now, I do understand that at some time during your life, you would probably have some reason to pick up a package of paperclips or buy a couple of ink pens. What I’m talking about are the things that you find that you use regularly in the course of your business. As an example, I have two clients for whom I must send back-up CDs containing files of work that I transmit to them via email. This means that I regularly purchase CDs. Since we have a second computer (that my husband fiercely regards as “his”), it could be argued that we might have purchased the CDs any way. However, since I routinely buy CDs in large quantity, the cost of those disks is a business expense. We have a small supply of blank CDs for our personal use that is separate from my business supplies.

Once again, my thumb-rule applies: If you buy it specifically for business use and you use it during the course of doing business, then it is a business expense.

Depending on the type of at-home business you have, you may be well beyond the “paperclips and pens” type of expenses. If you have an in-home office (used specifically for your business and nothing else), and you have expensive business equipment (let’s say a high-tech copier that can handle blueprints), then your need to track business expenses and the manner in which you are going to report these on your self-employment income tax forms is a little bit more complicated and may even require having an accountant. This article does not address that situation.

At the time of this article, the IRS allows business expense deductions up to $2,500.00 without requiring you to itemize your expenses into pre-set categories. That is, you can simply report a lump sum of $1,879.32 without having to explain it. The IRS “trusts” you. If your business expenses exceed $2,500.00, then you must file a “long form” and categorize your expenses as specified by the IRS. Although it is relatively easy, it does mean that you have to track your business expenses a little more closely. So, for the moment, let’s just concentrate on getting you accustomed to following a few simple steps to track your business expenses.

#1---Always pay separately for your business expense items, regardless of whether by cash, check, debit card, or credit card, and save the receipt. If you are able (and are disciplined enough), then get a credit card with a reasonable credit limit and use it exclusively for business purposes. When the statement comes in each month, staple your saved receipts to the statement and pay off the balance (unless you are temporarily “floating” the purchase of an expensive item). The goal here is to learn the habit of paying separately for anything you purchase for business purposes and to save the receipt.

#2---Designate a file folder, storage box, or some other specific place in which to accumulate your receipts. I find it easy to have four “pocket-type” file folders (the kind with the fold-over flap and elastic bands at the bottom). These folders are labeled for the four quarters of the calendar year (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec). During the quarter, I just toss my receipts in the proper folder. If the receipt is not self-explanatory (or does not print out a description of the item), then I make a short note to myself (“presentation folder for Flamingo Publishing proposal”) on the receipt.

#3---At the end of the quarter, organize your receipts (I put mine in date order), and record the dollar amounts. Calculate your total quarterly business expenses. (Please note here that if by the end of the second quarter [June 30th] you have accumulated more than $1,125.00, then it is likely that you will exceed the $2,500.00 limit for non-itemized deduction purposes. If that is the case, you will need to track your expenses by the categories that are pre-set by the IRS so that you can show total amounts in each category.)

#4---At the end of the year, and after you have calculated your expenses for the 4th quarter, add the four quarters to determine your net business expenses. Voila! You have just tracked your business expense for the entire year!

Eventually, you will need this dollar amount in order to calculate your net taxable income from self-employment. If you are not planning on filing your taxes early in January, then bundle up the receipts and save the printout (or penciled-in figure) of your total business expenses. You should establish another file folder/box/storage area for this information and whatever other self-employment forms you are accumulating for Filing Day.

Tracking your business expenses doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. Make the system suit your style---and just remember: Pay for the item(s) separately and keep the receipt!

About The Author:

Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jan’s services; http://work-at-home.janktheproofer.com for work at home articles and free printables; and for work at home moms, visit Jan’s sister site http://work-at-home.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home T-shirts and other fun products.

© Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.

jkproof@bellsouth.net

Children's Book Writing Contest

2005-06-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Woman's Day/Scholastic Book Clubs' "I Want to Be a Children's Book Writer" Contest

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked on or before September 30, 2005.

Do you dream of writing a children's picture book and having it published? Your dream could come true if you enter the Woman's Day/Scholastic Book Clubs' "I Want to Be a Children's Book Writer" Contest 2005.

The grand-prize winner's manuscript will be illustrated, published and distributed by Scholastic Book Clubs, the nation's largest school book club. The grand-prize winner will also receive a set of five autographed hardcover picture books from Scholastic.

Ten runners-up will receive a set of five autographed hardcover picture books from Scholastic and their entries may be featured on womansday.com and scholastic.com

Click here for Entry instructions and rules.

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How To Organize for Tax Time

2005-06-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

By Sheri’ McConnell

The words “simple” and “tax time” have probably never been uttered in the same sentence. Well, not until now at least. The key to a stress free tax season is being organized all year-round. Trying to organize a week before or, God forbid, the night before April 15th is setting yourself up for failure.

Why You Should Organize for Tax Time

Organizing for tax time helps you avoid misplacing important receipts and documents. Your stress level will be lower because you won’t be rushing around at the last minute trying to get to the tax preparer and/or post office. Being organized for tax time also helps you save money because you are more likely to keep track of deductions if you have a system and you won’t be charged a higher fee for having your tax preparer go through your piles of receipts.

How and What To Organize for Tax Time

The only way to organize any object is to assign a home to it. Designate a filing cabinet or storage bin made to hold hanging folders for your year-round paper storage. Create folders for receipts, credit card and bank statements, etc. You will make a folder for anything you spend money on and need to keep track of for tax purposes. Have a filing schedule. I usually take one day a month to pay the monthly bills for my three businesses and to do all my filing. During the month, I put all my documents into one of two places until my filing day. This keeps everything organized with very little effort. I have one folder designated for current bills to be paid and then a lateral shelving unit that I stick everything else in for all three businesses and for my personal documents. No matter what, no less than once a month, I file everything from the shelving unit into my filing cabinet in the appropriate folder.

Now, where do we file our papers? Each year, you should designate a large accordion envelope or section of your filing cabinet to your tax papers. Some of the tax papers you will be filing will include your W2s, 1099s, mortgage interest statements, bank interest statements, real estate tax statements, investments statements, and receipts for charitable donations. Most of the papers/receipts you will file will fall into the following categories: salary, real estate, medical, childcare, and investments.

How Long Should I Keep My Financial Records

First of all, make it a habit to throw away as much as you can that you don’t need to keep like the envelopes that come with your statements, your ATM slips after they have been recorded in your check register, credit-card slips (don’t forget to shred them if they show your credit card number), utility, phone, and cable bills after you have paid them.

Now, on to the documents you should hang on to. Hang on to all monthly statements of financial accounts (bank, investment, etc.) one year until you reconcile them with the year-end statements. Hang on to federal and state income tax returns and related receipts and statements for at least three years. One investment company recommends keeping all tax returns and related information for six years if there is a possibility you may have under-reported your income by 25% or more. When it comes to business equipment or home improvements, you keep those records as long as you have the item (printer, house, etc.).

Simple Tax Time

Everyone has a different financial situation and these tips are offered as guidelines to simplify tax time. Being organized at tax time and year-round should allow you to lead a calmer life and to have greater control of something that you can and should plan for. I hope a few of these tips helped and that you have a stress-free tax season as we head into the next year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheri' McConnell (www.SheriMcConnell.net) is the President and Founder of the National Association of Women Writers (www.NAWW.org) and the InfoMarket Network (www.InfoMarketNetwork.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Sheri' lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their three children-ages 10, 9, and 5. Contact her at naww@onebox.com or her toll free number at 866-821-5829.

Overcoming the Fear of Writing a Synopsis

2005-06-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

by Vicki M. Taylor

If you noticed, I didn’t entitle this article “Overcoming YOUR Fear of Writing a Synopsis.” I don’t think you own the fear anymore than I do or any other writer. We all share a common emotion, one that can be summed up in one word: Formidable.

What is it about this particular piece of writing that brings out more moans and groans from writers than a roomful of sixth graders getting a surprise math test?

What is a Synopsis?

Look at the word. Synopsis. Say it with me. “Sin-op-sissss.” Even the sound of the word emanates dread.

What is a synopsis? Webster’s defines it as “a shortened statement or outline, as of a narrative. Abstract.”

Nothing sounds particularly evil in that definition. Let’s look at it a little closer – “shortened statement or outline.” Hey, look at that. “outline.” Now there is a little word we’re all familiar with. Does “outline” make you cringe as much as “synopsis?” What about “shortened statement?” Not me. Probably not you, either.

Start with a Simple Sentence

Let’s start with the shortened statement. I’ll use the popular children’s story, Lady and the Tramp to help demonstrate my points.

What is our story about?

“Lady and the Tramp is a story about dogs.”

True, but the portrayal is dry and uninteresting. Would you want to just read a story about dogs? What makes this dog story different? Let’s see if we can add some more information to better describe the story.

“Lady and the Tramp is about two dogs from different sides of the track.”

Good. Now we know that there are two main characters. And, we know that these two characters are different in some way. Let’s see if we can do a little bit better.

“Lady and the Tramp tells the adventures of an upper-class, well bred cocker spaniel and a roguish mutt from the wrong side of the tracks.”

Okay. Now we have some description and a hint at a story. We know that these two distinctly different characters are going to have at least one adventure.

Describe Your Story in 25 Words or Less

So, now we need to think about our audience. The synopsis generally goes to an editor, agent, or publisher. So, we must capture their attention. Give them something to grab onto and not let go. This is where you can really get creative and meet the “describe your story in 25 words or less” challenge.

“Lady and the Tramp is filled with exciting adventures of Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel and Tramp, a roguish mutt from across the tracks.”

Whew! There it is – 25 words – exactly. We’ve just written a strong hook for the opening of our synopsis.

Every synopsis should start out with a statement that describes your story in approximately 25 words. However, don’t be a stickler about trying to hit the “magic” number. There isn’t really a magic number. But, keeping your description to approximately 25 words helps to focus your writing on the key elements of your story.

Key Elements – Not That Difficult to Identify

Speaking of key elements, those are what we now need to identify so that we can create our synopsis.

Wait, wait. Stop groaning. I promise we’ll go slowly. Okay?

I think I’ve read every article and book written on creating a synopsis and even though every writer has their own formula for creating the “perfect synopsis,” I admit that authors agree on one thing – You need to practice. So, my suggestion is that you do what I’ve done here. You find some simple stories and practice creating the synopsis for them. Once you’re able to pick out the key elements easily, you’re ready to create a synopsis for your own story.

So, back to our story, Lady and the Tramp.

First Element - Structure

The basic structure of the synopsis should be a complete summary of your story from beginning to end, written in present tense. Simple, right? So far. Let’s see how that helps us with our story.

“Lady and the Tramp is filled with exciting adventures of Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel and Tramp, a roguish mutt from across the tracks.

Lady’s owners love her but ignore her when their baby arrives. The owners leave her with a cat-loving aunt who locks Lady out of the house.

Lady runs away and straight into a street-wise mutt named Tramp who shows her how good he has it being free from owners.

Lady is caught by the dog catcher and spends time in the pound learning some of Tramp’s secrets. Hurt and jealous, Lady is returned home and exiled to the doghouse once again.

Lady discovers a rat making its way into the house and is helpless to defend her home. Tramp helps her by getting into the house and killing the rat. However, he’s accused of attacking the baby and is placed in the dog catcher’s wagon to be taken to the pound.

Lady’s owners return home just in time to see how Lady has been treated and have Lady show them the dead rat.”

More Key Elements – Setting, Main Characters, Conflict

Not bad for a first draft. We’re missing a few items that would make the story more dramatic and compelling for the editor, but those can be added easily. First, we should make sure that we’ve established the setting for the story and identified our main characters.

We’ll have to identify real conflict between these characters and their motivations. Then, we’ll have to show the resolution of the conflict. It isn’t as important to name every character in the synopsis, but you must name your main characters.

Final Key Elements – Tell Your Ending

Finally, we must make sure that we’ve wrapped up our story and told our ending. Yes, that’s what I said, we tell our ending in the synopsis. You must never, ever tease editors and leave them guessing about the ending of story.

As a side note for romance writers: If your story is a romance, make sure you always establish the love relationship between the two main characters by showing how they met and why they’re fighting against their attraction.

With that advice, let’s see how our synopsis shapes up after adding these key elements.

“Lady and the Tramp is an early twentieth century story filled with exciting adventures of Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel and Tramp, a roguish mutt from across the tracks in New England.

Lady’s owners lavish attention on her until a new baby arrives that takes all their attention. Ignoring Lady’s needs, they go away on a trip leaving her and the baby with a callous aunt and her two Siamese cats that wreak havoc. Lady, wrongly accused of the mischievous cats’ pranks, ends up in the backyard doghouse and eventually fitted for a muzzle.

Fearful, Lady runs away and straight into a street-wise mutt named Tramp who shows her how good he has it being free from owners. He treats her to a night on the town, complete with a romantic Italian dinner from his favorite restaurant.

Unfortunately, even though he protects Lady from a vicious dog attack, Tramp can’t protect her from the dog catcher. Lady spends time in the pound learning some of Tramp’s secrets from his other wayward, albeit, intimate acquaintances. Hurt and jealous, Lady returns home and is once again exiled to the doghouse.

Lady’s other neighborhood dog-friends advise her to forget this scoundrel and chivalrously offer to take care of her.

Tramp returns, hoping to change Lady’s mind about him. She rejects his advances and sends him on his way.

Moments later she’s alarmed that an ugly rat enters the house, but can’t do anything about it because she’s chained. Tramp comes to the rescue by finding a way into the house and killing the rat before it can harm the baby.

However, the heartless aunt accuses Tramp of attacking the baby and calls the dog catcher, who places him in the wagon to be taken to the pound.

Lady’s owners return home just in time to see how Lady has been treated and have Lady show them the dead rat. Lady’s friends run to stop the dog catcher’s wagon and everyone is reunited after a thrilling chase scene.

When the commotion settles, Tramp chooses the family life and abandons his drifting ways to stay with Lady and her owners.”

And, there you have it. Your synopsis. Was that so painful?

This synopsis is rather short when compared to the longer books you desire to write. Don’t let that intimidate you. The concept is still the same.

Final Advice

Editors have specific requirements when it comes to the length of your synopsis. Unfortunately, just like snowflakes, no two editors are the same. One editor requires a ten-page synopsis while another may only want two pages.

My advice to you is that you follow the requirements of the editor and make sure you include enough information in your synopsis to tell your story but not so much to slow it down. Focus on the story’s development from beginning to end and make sure you emphasize the resolution of the conflict and/or romance.

If you’re having trouble writing your synopsis, don’t beat yourself up about it. Go back to your story. Have you developed the plot completely? Do you understand your characters and their motivation? Is your conflict believable and resolvable? If you can’t answer those questions, the problem isn’t with your synopsis. If you don’t understand your story how do you expect an editor to?

Good luck and remember to practice, practice, practice.

Lady and the Tramp is owned by © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

© copyright 2001 Vicki M. Taylor All rights reserved.

About The Author:

Award winning author, Vicki M. Taylor writes dramatic stories with strong women as her main characters. Her most recently published novel, NOT WITHOUT ANNA, won 2nd place in the 2003 Florida Writers’ Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards and was published in January 2004.

A prolific writer of both novel length and short stories, she brings her characters to life in the real world. Her memberships include the National Association of Women Writers, Short Fiction Mystery Society, and many more. She has had hundreds of articles published in electronic and print publications. She is one of the founders and past President of the Florida Writers Association, Inc. She conducts regular writing workshops and speaks to local writing groups.

To find out more about Vicki and her writing, visit her website at http://www.vickimtaylor.com.

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ShawGuides, Inc. | Writers Conferences & Workshops

2005-06-06T12:08:00.000-05:00

Connect with other writers and improve your craft. Visit ShawGuides, Inc. | Writers Conferences & Workshops.

ShawGuides, Inc. is a free, online directory with worldwide listings. Check out this great resource for an event near you!

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The 3 R's of Good Poetry

2005-06-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

Kaelen Myril has posted an excellent, instructional article about poetry. For those who are just beginning to those who simply enjoy reading poetry, "The 3 R's of Good Poetry" provides a great primer for properly Reading, wRiting, and Reviewing.

In her article, Kaelen covers such topics as:

Poetic Meter (Iambic, Trochaic, Anapestic, and Dactylic)
Forms (Free Verse, Rhymes, Blank Verse, Couplets, Tercet, Terza Rima, Ballad Stanza, Heroic Quatrains, Nonce Quatrains)
Finding Inspiration
Guidelines for Reviewing

I'm sure we all would thoroughly agree with this quote from Kaelen Myril:

Remember, like anything else, poetry is an art form that is always changing. These traditional forms will stay the same, but new techniques and traditions are being added every day. Poetry really is one place where you are limited only by your imagination.

Keep writing and I hope to see you in print!

Click here to view "The 3 R's of Good Poetry".

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The Baltimore Review's 2005 Poetry Competition

2005-06-03T11:41:00.000-05:00

DEADLINE: JULY 1, 2005

Prizes:

First Place: $300 + publication in The Baltimore Review
Second Place: $150
Third Place: $50

Judges:

To Be Announced

Rules:

Submit up to 4 poems per entry fee. Poems must be original and unpublished elsewhere. All styles and forms are accepted. All essays submitted to the contest will also be considered for publication in The Baltimore Review. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but alert us if your poems have been accepted elsewhere; entry fees are not refundable. Send SASE for a list of winners. Submissions should be postmarked by July 1st, 2005.

Click here for full contest information.

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MIRA Books - Table For Five Contest

2005-06-03T11:32:00.000-05:00

DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2005

To celebrate the April publication of her new book, "TABLE FOR FIVE," New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs and MIRA Books are inviting one lucky reader to dinner and a long weekend near Susan's home in the Pacific Northwest.

The winner of the "MIRA BOOKS TABLE FOR FIVE CONTEST" will have the chance to spend a long weekend in Seattle with time for sightseeing in the beautiful city and for lunch on scenic Bainbridge Island where Susan has her home.

The prize package includes airfare for two from a major gateway to Seattle, two nights' accommodation at a selected hotel, transfers in Seattle and sightseeing in the surrounding area. Vacation packages with a maximum prize value of $2,500 will be booked through a MIRA-approved travel agent.

To win, entrants should tell Susan -- in 100 words or less -- about their favorite or most memorable teacher and explain the effect he/she had on their lives.

To receive official rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

"MIRA Books Table for Five Contest Rules"
c/o Truth Be Told Public Relations
88 Lexington Avenue, #14D
New York, NY 10016

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Moment Magazine - 2005 Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest

2005-06-03T11:28:00.000-05:00

2005 Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest

Deadline: Submissions must be postmarked by July 15th, 2005

Moment Magazine is now accepting submissions for the 2005 Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest. Moment will award three prizes to outstanding works of unpublished short fiction with Jewish content.

First Prize - $1000
Second Prize - $500
Third Prize - $250
Plus publication in Moment for the top three stories!

Click here for full contest information.

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Using PR to Market Your Book - How to Write a Press Release

2005-06-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

Book News and Book Marketing Articles from Publishers Newswire posted an in-depth article written by Staff Writer, Christopher Laird Simmons, entitled "Using PR to Market Your Book - How to Write a Press Release."

In his article, Mr. Simmons details formatting guidelines and placing appropriate content, along with providing an example Press Release to illustrate.

"Using PR to Market Your Book - How to Write a Press Release" is a valuable resource and highly recommended reading for authors.

Christopher Simmons is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), as well as ASCAP and the National Writers Union, and has written for over a dozen national magazines covering technology, imaging, and entertainment. He is an award winning art director, photographer, musician, and has composed theme music for two cable TV programs. He is the founder of Neotrope®, a brand identity and marketing firm, as well as Send2Press™ Newswire (www.send2press.com).

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Questions About Copyright?

2005-06-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

Visit the U.S. Copyright Office. You will find information about the following items and more:

Copyright Basics
Current Fees
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Register Literary Works
Copyright Law
Current Legislation

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Five Secrets of Winning Book Proposals

2005-05-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

by: Melissa A Rosati

Working in the publishing industry comes with a high expectation, especially from complete strangers. After the causal ‘hello’ progresses to ‘what do you do,’ and my answer is ‘I am a publisher,’ the words, like fairy dust, work magic; and in the eyes of my conversation partner, I’m transformed into a glamorous Advice Goddess—would I mind reading this stranger’s book proposal?

Cornered in frozen foods at the grocery, black-tie events or at the bus stop, I’ve been ‘pitched’ as we say in the business, with such book proposals as: A Cat’s Tale of Christmas; Old Testament Aphrodisiacs; Break Out (after being committed to a mental institution by jealous relatives, the story of one man’s quest for revenge); and Suck it and See: A Guide to Tropical Fruits.

Admittedly, I chose to share with you the more colorful examples. My point being that the purpose of a proposal pitch is not to motivate the publisher to love the idea as much as you do. That’s the misconception. The publisher is listening for signals that you understand the process of transforming a book concept into a business plan. It’s not just about your passion for the topic: it’s how well you filter your passion through the publisher’s prism of marketing and distribution. That’s the difference between a contract and a polite rejection letter.

Let’s take a look at five typical questions that an agent or a publisher will ask in their submission guidelines.

Question #1: Please provide the title that best captures and conveys the essence of your book and briefly explain why you chose it.

What the publisher is really thinking:

Will the book buyer for Barnes & Noble recognize the section to shelve the book by its title alone?
Is the title’s message succinct and snappy so the publisher’s sales representative will remember it easily?
How does the rest of proposal support what the title says?

Question #2: Briefly describe the primary audience for your book and how they will benefit from reading it.

What the publisher is really thinking:

The book cannot be all things to all people. Do you demonstrate focus?
Are you confident about who the customer is and the primary (most appropriate) category where the book should be placed in the bookstore?
Do you provide three distinct benefits that relate to the book’s core premise?

Question #3: List competing books that you are aware of on this topic and explain how your book differs.

What the publisher is really thinking:

How do you demonstrate that your premise is solid in relation to existing books?
Will the publisher’s sales representatives understand where your book fits among five other books in the same category?
Do you contradict what the book is or is not elsewhere in the proposal?

Question #4: What are your expectations for the project?

What the publisher is really thinking:

Do you sound like you expect to make a million dollars and plan to retire on your royalty earnings?
Is your goal to raise the level of topic discussion and to advance your profile as a thought leader?
How realistic are you about the work involved to write the book from start to finish?

Question #5: Describe your qualifications for writing this book and include your latest curriculum vitae or other relevant factors.

What the publisher is really thinking:

Several proposals are discussed during a publisher’s editorial board meeting. Why say ‘yes’ to yours?
What is your media platform? How are you going to be an asset in marketing and promoting the book?
What’s your track record?

If you are now thinking about you book concept as a business plan, bravo! This is the foundation for a solid beginning; and, I encourage you to continue forward. High-quality books written by people who are committed to excellence (in any sphere of living) are in short supply. Adopt the publisher’s perspective—how will it sell and to whom—and you will not only become a published author. You will make a difference in the world.

About The Author

Melissa A. Rosati is a co-active coach, whose clients are writers, authors and creative artists. Prior to her coaching career, she was the Director, Editorial & Production for McGraw-Hill International (UK). She now resides in New York City. Her forthcoming book, The Essential Publisher’s Handbook shows readers how to publish profitably. Register for a complimentary subscription to her newsletter, The Essential Publisher at http://www.melissarosati.com.

© 2005 Melissa A. Rosati. All rights reserved.

melissa@melissarosati.com

This article found at ArticleCity.com - Free articles for reprint.

A First Time Author's Publicity Kit Material Tips

2005-05-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

by Laura Hickey

If you're a new author that has been requested to send publicist materials, you may feel left in the dark on what to send. Here's a list of the usual items.

1. Author Bio
This is no place for modesty. You're competing with many other authors out there and need to show how your hot and worth it. Remember to include your accomplishments and give a little background information. Often readers want to know about the author's interests..

2. A photo
This is optional, but if you want to get your face out there, this could help. Keep in mind that not every editor will use your photo.

3. Interviews
Any newspaper/magazine clippings may be include if it's related to you and your writing, awards an accomplishments. Clippings about your personal life may bore the editor requesting your materials.

4. Reviews
If you have any reviews for your latest release, have them printed on clear 8.5 X 11 paper and include them in your kit.

5. Promotional Items
It may also be requested that you send any promotional items. Examples would be: Posters, pens with your web address, buttons, bookmarks,etc...

As time goes on, you'll expand your PR kit. A great idea is to have a press kit right on your website to save editors time and money. You may want to have all your current materials in one easy to download PDF file. Each time you have something new to add update the file.

About the Author: Laura Hickey is an up and coming author. Her works include Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids and a co-writer position for the TV pilot, Officially Lush. You can read more free articles by Ms. Hickey on her homepage:

http://www.laurahickey.com

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com

Memorial Day Essays, Speeches, Poems, Prayers and Song Lyrics

2005-05-30T07:51:00.000-05:00

A link for Memorial Day -

Memorial Day Essays, Speeches, Poems, Prayers and Song Lyrics

From Writer's Market - Australian Book Publishers

2005-05-27T23:01:00.000-05:00

WritersMarket.com lists more than 40 Australian book publishers. Here are three:

Allen & Unwin, Ltd., publishes 220 titles a year. Established in 1976, Allen & Unwin publishes fiction and nonfiction titles. Submit a cover letter with a 1-page synopsis and the first 60 pages of the manuscript. Recent titles include Ultra Marathon Man, by Dean Karnazes, and Divided Kingdom, by Rupert Thomson.

The Federation Press publishes 40-50 titles a year—all nonfiction. Submit a proposal package, including an outline, author bio, rationale, subject category, competitive advantage, and intended market. Recent titles include Changing Policing Theories, by Charles Edwards, and Environment and Sustainability Policy, by Stephen Dovers.

Wakefield Press publishes 20 titles a year—both fiction and nonfiction. Submit a cover letter, 1-page synopsis, author bio, 1-page outline of projected readership, or submit the complete manuscript. Guidelines can be found online. Recent titles include All That Glitters, by Raymond Chandler, and Innocent Murder, by Steve J. Spears.

You can view complete, updated listings for more than 1,400 publishers by subscribing to WritersMarket.com ($29.99 US/year).

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Note: This is not an endorsement for Writer's Market membership subscriptions. This post is provided for informational purposes only and can be found via the free Market Update from WritersMarket.com.
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About F&W Publications

2005-05-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Do you want to share your expertise with budding authors?

F&W Publications owns Writer's Digest Books, publishing instructional and reference books for writers.

( Writer's Digest Books submission guidelines)

The Company also publishes Writer's Digest Magazine, along with more than 20 newsstand-only publications covering a variety of specific genres and topics crucial to today's writers. In addition, F&W Publications offers educational programs, conferences and competitions and maintains free and pay-based web sites.

(Magazine and Web Properties submission guidelines)

Submissions Editor
Writer's Digest
4700 E. Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
513.531.2690 phone

wdsubmissions@fwpubs.com

Original Fiction & Fanfiction @ Kendralynn.com

2005-05-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

Take a break and check out the great short stories at Kendralynn.com! There's lots of Original Fiction and Fanfiction to read. Be sure to take a look at the Past Features page for a list of all the stories that have been spotlighted in the past.

Remember to click on the Author's email link and let them know you enjoyed their work! Positive feedback is always appreciated, along with friendly constructive criticism.

http://kendralynn.com

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Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion.

2005-05-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

Want to write a story based on legends and folklore? Start your research here...

Encyclopedia Mythica

From the website:

The award-winning internet encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and religion. Here you will find everything from A-gskw to Zveda Vechanyaya, with plenty in between.

The mythology section is divided to six geographical regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Each region has many clearly defined subdivisions that will ease your search.

The Folklore section contains general folklore, Arthurian legends, Greek heroic legend, and fascinating folktales from many lands.

In addition, we feature special interest areas to enhance and refine your research. A Bestiary, legendary heroes, an image gallery, and genealogical tables of various pantheons and prominent houses.

The encyclopedia will serve the serious researcher, the student, and the casual reader with equal success.

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Finding a Book Publisher

2005-05-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

By Jenna Glatzer

Recently, a few writer-friends on the Absolute Write message boards and I were lamenting the fact that many inexperienced writers get tricked into believing that vanity presses and borderline-vanity presses are traditional publishers. We were talking about the numbers, mostly—how did so many new writers even find these publishers?

It all became shockingly clear: search engines.

We found that new writers often type phrases like “book publisher,” “find a publisher,” “book publishing,” or “novel publishers” into search engines like Google. And what comes up when you do that? Vanity presses all over the first page, with enticing messages like “Publish fast! We want your book!” Many writers don't dig much deeper than that. They find those first few publishers, submit their manuscripts, and take the first "acceptance letter" that comes their way.

See, vanity and fringe presses caught on a lot faster than I did. They figured out what new writers were searching for and they optimized their web pages to make sure that when a writer typed in keywords like “book publisher” or “novel publisher,” their pages would come up first.

Now, I love the Internet. It’s a fabulous tool. But search engines are not the best spot to start your research when you’re a new writer in search of a book publishing contract. They’ll take you to the last-resort places first.

If you’re truly serious about building a career as an author, whether you plan to write novels or nonfiction books, you won’t skimp on the research. Aside from the time you spend actually writing the book, researching your publishing options may be your most valuable effort in the publication process. If you put your heart, your labor, your discipline into this manuscript, doesn’t it deserve the best home you can find for it?

Choosing a publisher is no simple task, and it’s not a decision that should be based on impatience. Yes, the easy way out is to find one of these “we’ll accept anything” publishers, turn in your manuscript, and have your book in your hands in a matter of just a couple of months (maybe even weeks). Unfortunately, it’s the easy way out only until you actually try to sell the darn thing—then it’s about the hardest road you could possibly have taken.

The next simplest way to find a publisher is in the Writer’s Market. I look forward to its publication every year; it helps to keep me up-to-date about thousands of markets for my work. You can search through it in hardcopy or online, and it has a genre index at the back so you can flip to book publishers that match your genre quickly. However, it shouldn’t be your only tool.

You may choose to look for an agent first, or you may choose to go it alone. Agents typically take a 15 percent commission from sale money; legitimate agents do not charge anything up-front. A good agent can help you get read faster, can help you get read in places that are typically closed to unsolicited submissions, and can help you negotiate the best possible deal.

That said, I’ve made more than half of my book deals on my own. I tend to be more proactive about my career than an agent ever could be, and I’m not afraid to negotiate. It’s all a matter of figuring out what works best for you.

If you choose to fly solo, there really are better ways of finding a publisher than doing random searches or reading books of guidelines. Here are my best tips:

1. Read Publishers Lunch (www.publisherslunch.com), which gives a run-down of book deals. It tells you which publishers are buying which types of books, and usually includes the name of the editor who acquired the book and the agent who made the deal.

2. Read Publishers Weekly (www.publishersweekly.com). It’s expensive, but you can probably find it at your local library. This will keep you up-to-date on industry happenings, trends, who’s buying what, and staff changes.

3. Read books! This may be the most obvious, yet most overlooked suggestion. The best way to target your submissions is to find books in your genre or on similar topics at a bookstore or library, then copy down the name of the publisher. Check the acknowledgments section, too, to see if the author mentioned the editor or agent. Then you can hop onto Google and type in the publishers’ name. More often than not, on any publishers’ site, you’ll find a link to submission guidelines. Barring that, there should be a mailing address or e-mail address at the very least. You can cross-reference information with Writer’s Market once you’ve found publishers that interest you, too.

4. Ask around. Let’s say you found a book in your genre that you enjoyed, but you’ve never heard of the publisher. There’s no harm in looking up the author, then sending off a polite e-mail to ask if he or she is having a positive experience with that publisher.

5. Search Amazon. Look up books you’ve read or heard of in your genre or category. Amazon lists the book publisher in each book’s entry. Then look up the publisher in a search engine or guidebook.

Assuming you want to earn a living from your writing, it’s important that your book reaches a large audience. That means it needs adequate distribution. Unfortunately, most print-on-demand publishers can’t achieve decent bookstore distribution because of a number of bookstore-unfriendly policies (no returns allowed, lower-than-average discounts to bookstores, lack of a bar code or price on the back of the book, etc.), not to mention the overall poor quality of vanity-published books due to a lack of editing and lack of editorial standards. This is not the crowd you want to be in if you plan to be a professional writer.

Above all else, you must be patient. There’s much more to book publishing than I could ever share in a short article; luckily, there are plenty of professional authors who are more than willing to share their expertise with you. Don’t rush your manuscript out until you feel secure that you understand the way the industry works. A few good clues: Do you know what a distributor does versus a wholesaler? Do you know which trade magazines’ reviews are important? Do you know why it’s preferable to get royalties on list price instead of net? Do you know why it’s important to have an “out of print” clause and what it should look like?

There’s nothing wrong with not knowing the answers. Everyone starts someplace. The only wrong thing is rushing into the publishing industry before you get those answers. The more naïve you are about the process, the easier it is for unscrupulous people to get hold of you.

A traditional publisher will never pressure you to buy your own books, to pay for editing or cover art or even your own copyright. They’ll cover the expenses. You’ll be expected to pitch in with publicity efforts, but it won’t all fall on your shoulders. With vanity and fringe presses, these standards aren’t there. Those companies make money from authors instead of from readers.

I know the road can seem long and difficult. Most authors receive many rejection letters before that first acceptance letter. But it’s a worthwhile wait. In a case like this, your first “instinct” may not be the best one. The kinds of publishers you probably want to deal with are not the ones who are screaming, “Click here! We’ll publish your book!” They’re the ones who are busy actually selling books instead of concentrating their efforts on luring in new writers.

Keep working at it until you find the right solution. Take as much care in finding a book publisher as you would a marriage partner; get to know the publisher before you commit, and understand what you’re getting into. When you begin walking into bookstores and seeing readers picking up your book, you’ll thank yourself that you took the time to get it right.

Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of www.AbsoluteWrite.com and the author of many books, including Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, which comes with a free editors' cheat sheet at www.jennaglatzer.com. Her latest book, Fear is No Longer My Reality, which she co-wrote with Jamie Blyth of The Bachelorette, is hot off the press.

Fear is No Longer My Reality
by Jamie Blyth, Jenna Glatzer

Other Books by Jenna Glatzer

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Is it a Novel, Novella, Short Story, or Something Else?

2005-05-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

The information below was pulled from several different online resources. You'll notice some discrepencies in the numbers, but this will give you a general idea about word count and what to call your finished product.

Novel:

Word count runs 40,000 words or more.

Novella:

Word count runs between 17,500 and 39,999 words.

Novelette:

Word count runs between 7,500 and 17,499 words.

Short Story:

On average, a short story tends to run between 2,000 and 7,499 words.

Short, Short Story:

Word count usually runs between 1000 and 1,500 words.

Micro-Mini or Flash Fiction:

Word count runs between 250 and 1000 words, but often at 500 words or less.

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What 'Point of View' to write?

2005-05-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

Point of view, or POV, is the position from which a story is told. Below are the three types of POV you will encounter most often.

First-Person POV:

The narrator is one of the characters in the novel and explains the events through his or her own eyes, using the pronouns I and me.

Third-Person Omniscient POV:

The narrator is not a character in the novel. Instead, the narrator looks through the eyes of all the characters and is "all-knowing." Pronouns used are he, she, and they.

Third-Person Limited POV:

The narrator tells the story through the eyes of only one character, using the pronouns he, she, and they.

The advice generally found is for a newbie writer to stick with the Third-Person POV in the beginning, since it is the easiest point of view to master.

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Librarians' Index to the Internet - lii.org

2005-05-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

Librarians' Index to the Internet is packed full of links to a wide range of different subject matter and makes it possible to track down little know research material.

The LII Mission Statement:

The mission of Librarians' Index to the Internet is to provide a well-organized point of access for reliable, trustworthy, librarian-selected Internet resources, serving California, the nation, and the world.

Librarians' Index to the Internet (LII) offers two services: a searchable, browsable collection of over 16,000 high-quality Websites, and a weekly newsletter, available by email or RSS, of high-quality Websites related to current events, holidays, and popular and important issues.

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Awesome Endings

2005-05-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

by Lea Schizas

Bungee jumping, sky diving, secret mission, Indy 500: how do these events compare to the art of fiction writing? Each one brings to its ‘doer’ an element of anticipation, exhilaration, unfamiliarity, and adventure. A pure adrenaline rush. And as a writer of fiction, this is the plateau you want your reader to experience.

Straying from the anticipated ending to a twist makes for good reading, pleasing the editor, and upping your chance of getting accepted. But be wary. Your twist should conform along the lines of the story you have crafted thus far. Not an easy task to accomplish, but plausible.

For example: fifteen-year-old John stole the answers to his exam from his teacher’s desk. Throughout the storyline, John has been portrayed as a ‘bully’ but every so often the writer has offered either flashbacks or little inconspicuous hints into John’s childhood. The reader assumes that John will either get away with it, or get caught and suspended. The author has gripped the reader into continuing the book to see where this will end up. Here comes the twist.

Because of these rare flashback insights, we’ve seen another side to John that, although subtle, it’s still there. So when John ends up placing the answers back with no one being the wiser, the reader is stunned, surprised, but content with this twist ending because it has been subliminally build into the plot.

If the writer’s portrayal of John had been exclusively ‘bullish’, mean-spirited, unfriendly throughout then the reader’s reaction would have been stunned, surprised and obviously, left cheated with an ending that holds no basis with the rest of the storyline.

This is called character reversal, when the character reacts different than what the reader expected. And to pull it off, you must have planted subtle seeds along the way.

Does this affect your plot down the line? In certain circumstances, yes. For example:

Bruce is a studious clean-cut senior high school student. He’s portrayed as the ‘geek’ for most of the story, not a main character at all. Then the writer decides to spruce things up and throws a dare at Bruce. Bruce accepts. He takes his friend’s ID and goes to a ‘Rave’. Big mistake, but a twist for the reader. The ‘Rave’ is raided, Bruce ends up in jail because his friend is wanted by the police and he’s holding the fake id. He escapes and now tries to clear his name that somehow has crept into the police files. A sedate YA high school book has now turned into a suspense novel all because of a character reversal.

When writing up your character(s) sketch, try to include opposite reactions, as well. By doing this, you can easily plot foreshadowing more convincingly ahead of the game.

Remember that fiction is often, if not all the time, crafted out of real people, real situations or real events. So think of a ‘real’ person and envision his reaction to several possible finales to a ‘dilemma’. Then start crafting the ending with one of these ‘reactions’ while dropping subtle hints to a totally different ending than what your reader is expecting. Try to use this character reversal for a completely out of this world ‘awesome ending.’

Make sure your story propels forward, making your reader want to turn the page. Bungee jump them out of a plane into a secret path that will drive them to the finish line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About The Author:

Lea is Editor in Chief and co-founder of two Writer's Digest 101 Best Writing Sites of 2005: Apollo's Lyre, http://www.apolloslyre.com and The MuseItUp Club, http://museitupclub.tripod.com. Her YA Fantasy novel,THE ROCK OF REALM, is now available for purchase, http://rockofrealmnovel.tripod.com.

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Writer Beware

2005-05-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

From the Writer Beware web site:

Writer Beware is the public face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's Committee on Writing Scams. Like many genre-focused professional writers' groups, SFWA is concerned not just with issues that affect professional authors, but with the problems and pitfalls that face aspiring writers. The Committee on Writing Scams, and the Writer Beware website, founded in 1998, reflect that concern.

Although SFWA is a US-based organization of science fiction and fantasy writers, the Committee's efforts aren't limited by country or genre. We've designed the Writer Beware website so it can be used by any writer, regardless of subject, style, genre, or nationality.

London Slang - A Dictionary & Guide

2005-05-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

London Slang is a website that provides an entertaining and somewhat educational look at unique (and not so unique) forms of 'Brit-Speak' for those of us "across the pond".

You'll be surprised at the number of slang terms that are shared between the U.S. and G.B. You'll be even more surprised at the number of words and phrases that are largely unknown to us as Americans.

A great many of the dictionary entries could be considered unique to youthful, trend-setting Londoners, especially the entries found in the 'Just Heard' section. Although the site does specify that most of the terms are collected from contributors within London itself, you will find many terms that are commonly used throughout Great Britain in general.

London Slang is not a site for those who are obsessed with being politically correct or for those who may have moral objections to off-color subjects, as you will find a liberal mix of raunchy entries within the mundane. However, the site is a fabulous example of the entertaining, and often under-rated, wit of the British.

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WRITING FOR CHILDREN WORKSHOP: FAQs on writing books for children

2005-05-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

WRITING FOR CHILDREN WORKSHOP: FAQs on writing books for children is an interesting resource I recently surfed across.

This is the link summary provided at the site:

Answers to questions new writers frequently ask on writing for children: on how to get started, agents, illustrators, submissions, correct manuscript form, cover letters, query letters, multiple submissions and rejection letters.

Feel free to share your Children's Writing resource links in the comments section.

Chicken Soup for the Soul does that? Really?!

2005-05-04T11:51:00.000-05:00

Everyone has heard of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books, right? The books were on the New York Times best-seller list continuously from 1994 - 1998. In 1999, the CSS series was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records for MOST books on the New York Times best-seller list at ONE TIME.

I guess one would have to be pretty detached from current events news over the past ten or so years to have missed the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series. The CSS series has 57 titles and over 80 million copies in print in over 32 languages, for goodness sakes.

The creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Their bios on the CSS website reflect decades of experience coaching self-esteem, empowerment, and many other life skills to help others achieve their dreams around the world. Both gentlemen have truly dedicated their entire careers to helping others, both personally and professionally.

So what's next? What more can Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen possibly do to help others enrich the quality of their lives?

I recently spoke with an associate, Marianne, who is a fan of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® book series, and she directed me to her website that shows exactly what these gentlemen have in store.

I was surprised at first. But, after a bit of thought, this endeavor is really the next logical step for two people that have consistently focused on helping others find all the missing puzzle pieces for a positive, successful life.

What is this next step?

Chicken Soup for the Soul® Supplements.

In explanation for this latest endeavor, here is what Jack and Mark had to say:

"Many people have asked us why we decided to take Chicken Soup for the Soul® into nutritional supplements. Frankly, it came about as part of our own personal pursuit of a healthier longer life and some secrets we learned along the way."

Jack and Mark found New Health Systems, LLC, an emerging organization in the nutritional supplement marketplace, and identified them as having the same heart-level commitment to enriching individuals' lives as the group at Chicken Soup for the Soul®.

The 'About Us' page further explains the business relationship Jack and Mark have developed with New Health Systems, LLC:

New Health Systems, LLC, under their exclusive licensing agreement with Chicken Soup for the Soul®, has identified and is developing an unprecedented product line of nutritional supplements that can have a lasting impact on the quality of your life. Each product must pass a detailed performance assessment as well as a stringent quality control process before receiving the Chicken Soup Supplements™ "Best-of-the-Best" nameplate.

It is our goal to improve the health and enhance the lives of all who seek it though our discoveries.

This seems to be an impressive step towards providing a total mind, body and spirit solution for positive enhancement from the Chicken Soup for the Soul® organization. I know that I will be giving the products a try. I'll be sure to let you and Marianne know my thoughts as soon as I do.

Visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul® Supplements website to learn more.

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THE SLOT: A Spot for Copy Editors

2005-04-30T01:40:00.000-05:00

THE SLOT: A Spot for Copy Editors

Bill Walsh, a self described curmudgeon and a copy chief at The Washington Post, gives writers a wry and witty ride through the minutiae of his noble profession. An excellent resource to help us all become aware of the effect our style and choices have on the landscape of the printed word.

The quote above is from Ink, and I must agree! You are sure to spend lots of time reading his Sharp Points, learning, while chuckling under your breath. Also, don't forget to visit his blog.

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Searchable Directory of Independent Writers & Artists

2005-04-29T18:31:00.000-05:00

I ran across Published.com, a searchable directory of Independent Writers & Artists, and added this blog to its listings. So, I wanted to share this resource with those of you who are writers or artists with sites of your own.

Go check it out and add your listing, too!

OurTimeLines.com - Keep Your Story's Historical Context Accurate

2005-04-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

OurTimeLines.com is a great, free-to-use tool for creating a timeline for your character.

From the year 1000 A.D. through present day, you can map major news, technical events, disasters and world leaders within the life of anyone, fictional or non-fictional! You can also add events to create a customized timeline for your character, creating a helpful frame of reference for your story-line. Just enter a time frame from five to 140 years and your personal additions on the form. Within seconds, your timeline is created! Be sure to select the option for a printable version for a hard copy you can refer back to over and over!

The site is offered as a free service that exists through the generosity of donations.

Give OurTimeLines.com a try today! Have fun, create your timeline, and go write!

Blogging On The Road

2005-04-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you know that I am currently visiting my family. I live in West Virginia near Charleston, the state capital. The area is beautiful and very interesting, an eclectic mixture of buildings from the century past mixed with current industry and architecture. All of this is nestled in the Kanawha Valley amidst towering, lushly forested mountains. There seems to always be something around every corner and curve in the road worth slowing down for a closer look.

However, I grew up in Upper East Tennessee, right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and that is where my heart will always be. It is hard to express how happy I am to be back for a visit. Whether I am walking along in Historic Downtown Jonesborough (stopping in at the old-fashioned Ice-Cream Parlor, of course) or popping over to the Hyperlink Cafe in Johnson City (where I am at this very moment!), this area is truly the best mix of old an new. To top it off, the Johnson City/Jonesborough area has everything that a big city, like Atlanta, has to offer while retaining the "ye olde-tyme" charm of country living, with acres upon acres of farm-land within only a 10 or 15 minute radius of the hustle-N'-bustle!

Wide-open countryside, fresh air, and a relaxed style of living along with the convenience of a progressive "big city" makes this area unique - the best of both worlds! No matter where our careers may take us in this world, Upper East Tennessee is where my husband and I will end up. I just hope we don't have to wait until retirement to make that happen.

Watch for more writing articles and resources in a few days when I arrive home in West Virginia. Until then, I hope you enjoyed these thoughts about my childhood home.

Cheers!

Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Your Writing

2005-04-19T13:30:00.001-05:00

from the Creative Perspectives Newsletter

So, you have that first draft completed. Congratulations! Some new writers have a difficult time getting that far. Why? The urge to revise, edit, and proofread while involved in the initial creative process is hard to resist. Most beginners haven't yet accepted that their first draft shouldn't be perfect. Instead, they try to do
everything as they go along and dampen that creative spark, loosing interest in the project before it is completed.

So, the first lesson is to move ahead and put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and worry about the polish later. Whether you plan your story meticulously before writing or work out your ideas as you go along, just get to it! Don't expect or try for perfection the first go 'round.

However, the second lesson is to make sure you HAVE put a high-gloss spit shine on your work before it leaves the nest, stretching its wings for the first time out in the big, bad world. To do this, you must Revise, Edit, and Proofread.

REVISING

Revising is the process of changing what you need to better satisfy your purpose and audience. You will examine words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall flow of the work in its entirety. Walk away from the draft and come back a day or two later before beginning. Also, endeavor to look at your writing critically, just as a stranger would.

When you revise, you do four things:

1) Cut material.

Unnecessary sentences or paragraphs that slow the pace of your story to a crawl or are irrelevant fillers should fall to the knife. For example, two escaped convicts being chased by hounds probably wouldn't have a conversation about the dogs they owned as children while hiding in a tree.

2) Replace material.

We all tend to gloss over material we aren't sure about, giving a generic surface description. Replace this with sentences or paragraphs that add clarity and depth.

3) Add material.

Watch for sudden jumps from scene to scene and add transitional words, phrases, or even paragraphs. Be sure there is enough description to add atmosphere to a scene. For example, the expression on a woman's face, the color and fullness of her lips, and the texture and movement of her mouth all add to the written description of a kiss.

4) Rearrange what's already there.

You will find that, as you revise, rearranging sentences and paragraphs will be necessary to ensure the flow, pace, and clarity of your material. Don't be surprised if the finished product is radically different from the original draft.

EDITING

When editing, you are making changes to ensure your writing is grammatically correct. You will check for mistakes in grammar, usage, and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization). We, as the writer, tend to see what we know should be in our manuscript instead of what is actually there. So, go over your manuscript again and again.

Following is a checklist to use while editing:

Sentences

___ 1. Fragments
___ 2. Run-ons

Spelling

___ 1. Missing letters
___ 2. Extra letters
___ 3. Transposed letters
___ 4. Incorrect plurals
___ 5. Errors in homonyms (such as, their/there/they're)

Usage

___ 1. Errors in pronouns (such as, who/whom)
___ 2. Problems with subject - verb agreement
___ 3. Lack of clarity
___ 4. Wrong verb tense
___ 5. Double negatives
___ 6. Dangling and misplaced modifiers
___ 7. Unnecessary words
___ 8. Misused adjectives and adverbs
___ 9. Incorrect voice (active vs. passive voice)
___ 10. Lack of parallel structure

Parallel structure example:

Correct - Cotton is comfortable and washable.
Incorrect - Cotton is comfortable and one can wash it.

Punctuation

___ 1. Missing commas
___ 2. Missing quotation marks in dialogue
___ 3. Misused semicolons and colons
___ 4. Missing or misused apostrophes

Capitalization

___ 1. Proper nouns and adjectives not capitalized
___ 2. Errors in titles

PROOFREADING

Proofreading is the final step. Consider it the garnish, the added touch before presentation. Once again, you will be examining spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage. However, this time you will be slowing down, disassociating yourself from the story-line and looking at each individual letter and word.

If you are proofreading your own work, this task is especially hard to do. Remember, as the writer, we tend to see what should be there instead of what actually is. And, disassociating ourselves from our own writing is a daunting task.

Ideally, find someone else to proofread your manuscript. Make sure they can be critical and honest with you. Bribe them if necessary.

If you are stuck doing it on your own, try proofreading backwards. Start from the last page and work your way back to the beginning. This will help you disassociate yourself.

Revising, editing, and proofreading are critical to the success of your finished product. Do NOT skip these important steps of the process!

Happy Writing,

K. Campbell
klynn(at)kendralynn(dot)com

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (free ebook)

2005-04-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

Well, the time is ripe for a VACATION. With a twinkle in my eye, three clicks of my heels, and a firm grip on the few measley dollars I've saved, my little 4-cylinder coach shall take me away. Who could resist a fun filled week of hugs, food, and arguments with their extended family? Not me! So, off I go.

I shall leave you with a free eBook to occupy your time. Download The Jungle Book (459kb) by Rudyard Kipling and enjoy!

Cheers!

New Original Fiction in the Spotlight @ Kendralynn.com

2005-04-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

Kendralynn.com is proud to archive the short stories listed below by Clive Allen. Witty and light-hearted while knocking you down with a feather pillow instead of a sledgehammer with insightful prose sure to appeal to readers of all interests.

---

Do programmers talk to their creations? Can lines of code become sentient? What kind of adventures would a program named Sir Gawain get into? Find out the answers to these questions and more while reading A Very Parfit Knight, the first installment of a (hopefully) long-running, imagination tweaking series. Geeks and lay-people alike are sure to enjoy!

When was the last time you enjoyed a Parable containing a positive message? Be sure to read and share with your children A Tale of Two Tailors, a thought-provoking, original Fairy Tale.

New Fanfiction in the Spotlight @ Kendralynn.com

2005-04-14T01:15:00.000-05:00

Fanfiction @ Kendralynn.com has some great new additions!

If you like reading fan fiction about Highlander, Remus Lupin, or Andromeda, then visit Kendralynn.com's Fanfiction Spotlight today!

About CyberJournalist.net - News and commentary about online journalism.

2005-04-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

From CyberJournalist.net:

CyberJournalist.net is a news and resource site that focuses on how the Internet, convergence and new technologies are changing the media.

The site offers tips, news and commentary about online journalism, digital storytelling, converged news operations and using the Internet as a reporting tool.

CyberJournalist.net highlights examples of online journalism with the aim of recognizing those who do great work and helping those who don't. The site also explores how technology is affecting journalism, with an emphasis on how the Internet can help all journalists better do their jobs.

Visit today for the latest Headlines, Tips & Tools, Online Media Jobs, Resources, and more!

http://www.cyberjournalist.net/

Using the Elements of Figurative Language in Writing

2005-04-11T12:13:00.000-05:00

In the current issue of the Creative Perspectives Newsletter:

Using the Elements of Figurative Language in Writing

Subscribe to Creative Perspectives for free and access the archives for more great articles!

A Writer's Journey - Giving Your Character A Name

2005-04-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Author: Tressa Strong

Welcome Writer to "A Writer's Journey"

As you all know, to us writers our characters become much like children to us. Therefore, they should be deserving of a worthy name. A name that reflects their personality, background, etc.

When selecting your character's name, there are several things that you should consider first:

Five Agencies Representing Memoirs

2005-04-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

From WritersMarket.com -

While autobiographies cover an entire life, memoirs cover specific sections of a life. Here are five updated listings for agencies that handle memoirs:

Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., represents 500 clients. This agency responds to submissions in 2 months. They prefer an initial query by traditional mail or fax. This agency sold 200 titles in the last year.

John Hawkins & Associates, Inc., represents over 100 clients. This agency responds in 1 month to queries via e-mail or by post. Established in 1893, this agency obtains most new clients through recommendations from others.

Hornfischer Literary Management, Inc., represents 45 clients. This agency responds in 6-8 weeks to queries via e-mail or by post. Established in 2001, this agency obtains most new clients through referrals from clients, reading books and magazines, and pursuing ideas with New York editors.

JCA Literary Agency represents 100 clients. This agency responds in 2 weeks to queries and 10 weeks to manuscripts (through traditional mail only). Established in 1978, this agency obtains most new clients through recommendations from others, submissions, and writers’ conferences.

Manus & Associates Literary Agency, Inc., represents 75 clients. This agency responds to submissions in 3 months. Established in 1985, this agency obtains most new clients through recommendations from others, submissions, and writers’ conferences.

WritersDigest.com Self-Published Competition

2005-04-06T18:13:00.000-05:00

Self-Published Authors can enter the 13th Annual Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards.

Deadline: Monday, May 02, 2005

Win $3,000 in cash! Gain international exposure for your book! Catch the attention of prospective editors and publishers!

Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, part-time freelancer, or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!

Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/self_published.asp for more information.

Writing Contests @ Writing.com

2005-04-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

Writing.com is a great place to meet and mingle with other writers. Membership is free and an online portfolio is provided to display your work. Writing.com is also a helpful place for receiving constructive feedback on screenplays, novels, short stories, poetry, and much more!

Writing contests abound within the community and are one of the best ways to ensure you get thorough, in-depth criticism for your work. Prizes include graphical Merit Badges, Ribbons, Trophies, and Community Gift Points.

There are so many benefits to joining Writing.com that I can't list them all here! So, go get your free membership and dive in or read more about the community first. Either way, you will be happy you did!

Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Your Manuscript

2005-04-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

The current issue of Creative Perspectives talks about Revising, Editing, and Proofreading your manuscript. These steps are critical to the success of your finished product and are explained in-depth.

Make sure you put a high-gloss spit shine on your work before it leaves the nest, stretching its wings for the first time out in the big, bad world. To do this, you must Revise, Edit, and Proofread!

Advice on Novel Writing - Free, In-Depth Resource

2005-04-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

Advice on Novel Writing is a free, newbie's writing resource provided by published Author, Crawford Kilian.

Although posted in 1992, this in-depth advice still holds a lot of relevance for today's beginners. Following are some of the topics discussed:

Elements of a Successful Story
Manuscript Format
Plotting
Symbolism
Narrative Voice
Constructing a Scene
Show and Tell: Which is better?
Characters
Dialogue
Writing a Query Letter
...and More!

Grab a drink and settle in for a good read!

Legal Articles for Writers and Publishers

2005-04-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

Articles for Writers and Publishers is a website by California Attorney, Ivan Hoffman.

Article Topics Include:

Foreign Rights
Contracts
Distribution
Copyrights
Fair Use Under the Copyright Law
Misc.

Following is the site's disclaimer:

This web site and these articles are not legal advice and are not intended as legal advice. This web site and these articles are intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This web site and these articles are not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This web site and these articles are based on United States law. You should consult with an attorney familiar with the issues and the laws of your country. This web site and these articles do not create any attorney client relationship between you and Ivan Hoffman. This web site and the articles contained on this web site are not solicitations.

Here is my disclaimer:

The link to http://www.ivanhoffman.com/helpful.html provided by me is done for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement for or affiliation with Ivan Hoffman or any content found on his website.

Social Networking - Where's the comraderie?

2005-03-31T20:34:00.000-05:00

Cup your hands around your mouth and shout to the world, "Hey everyone! I'm over here! I have something to say, something to contribute to this dog and pony show called life!"

That is essentially what we are doing when we blog, join an online community, or build a personal website. I truly believe that everyone, no matter age or station in life, has something worthwhile to share with the world-at-large.

That's why DirectMatches Social and Business Networking has become a particular love of mine. I have met so many great people there and have had a really good time. I've even landed a few freelance writing jobs through my networking within the community!

The positive interaction between members, groovy site features, and loads of comraderie within the community are outstanding. However, where are the writers? How about the artists? Musicians?

Where are you guys and gals?

Sure, there are a few out of thousands of members. But where are all you folks who live and breathe this stuff?

Did you know that you can display a link to your website or blog on your profile for free? Or, that you can post an audio clip, video, and photos for free? How about the huge text description you can write about yourself, your art form, or freelance business?

Stick with me here...

I am a huge supporter of people who feed their artistic/entrepreneurial flame. I love to post well written short stories on my website, kendralynn.com, to give aspiring writers that extra bit of exposure. I'll even post an associated piece of artwork with the short story if they have one.

One does not have to be just a writer for me to be a raving fan, bowing before the throne of their creative genius! Writers, artists, musicians, and even programmers (geek groupie alert!) impress the heck out of me and a whole lot of people I know.

That's why I want all of you to go put your free profile into the DirectMatches Social Networking community now! We fans/groupies need a central location to find you so we can keep up with the things you share on the internet!

And if you want to join in with the community activity going on around you...

Contact others through the safe, double-blind email system. No need to reveal more information about yourself than you want until you are comfortable with the person you are corresponding with. Burn up the chat rooms, message boards, and web-based instant messaging system with your thoughts and aspirations. Share your knowledge and experience with others.

You creative types need to throw us a bone! There is a new frontier to conquer - and that is the social networking arena!

Grammar Slammer -- English Grammar Resource

2005-03-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

Grammar Slammer -- English Grammar Resource is the help file that goes beyond a grammar checker. Use it as you would any help file.

Here is a list of some of the sections it contains:

Style and Usage

Capitalizing

Abbreviations

Punctuation

Letter Writing

Common Mistakes and Choices

This is a link to the free online version. Enjoy and happy writing!

Other Resources -

Kendralynn.com - Original Fiction & Fanfiction Archive - Writing Resources
Innovative Business & Social Networking - Free Signup
Creative Perspectives Newsletter

Narrative and cognition in Beowulf

2005-03-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

by David Herman, Becky Childs

This essay explores ways in which narrative functions as a "cognitive artifact," i.e., something used by humans for the purpose of supporting or enabling cognition. The essay grows out of our ongoing attempt to blend insights from several fields, including narrative theory, discourse analysis, cognitive science, anthropology, and literary studies. Synthesizing ideas developed in these disciplines, and using Beowulf as our tutor-text, we argue that stories provide crucial representational tools facilitating humans' efforts to organize multiple knowledge domains, each with its attendant sets of beliefs and procedures. (1) Relevant domains include not only those associated with social cognition, the mode of thinking that both enables and is shaped by social experience (see Fiske and Taylor), but also a variety of problem-solving activities extending beyond those connected with social life. More specifically, our essay uses Beowulf to show how stories afford resources for thinking in five broad problem domains, to be characterized below.

Simmering and Swooping: Creative steps before writing.

2005-03-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

by Andrea O'Connor

Every serious writer has experienced periods when the creative flow abruptly halts. No ideas come forth or, at least, none that seem worth expressing and confidence plunges. An initial reluctance to sit down at the desk or word processor and write quickly develops into something akin to aversion. The wall between writer and words grows higher and thicker. It seems as if there is no hope for salvaging the situation. The run of words has ended.

The usual advice to writers caught in this downward spiral is to write through the block, and this works, usually. The discipline of putting pen to paper-or fingers to keyboard-somehow puts a crack in the wall, which eventually tumbles down as the writer moves more and more confidently into the writing. All is well; the crisis has passed.

However, writers experience other sensations related to their work. One such sensation is "simmering"; the other is "swooping." They are both essential steps in preparing for the creative task of writing. See if these are familiar to you.

Read More...

How to encourage your kids to write.

2005-03-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

by Dave Marks

When I was teaching senior writing in a public high school, I wanted my students to do well so much that I marked everything I could find that needed improvement in every one of their papers. I even did this in red ink. Then I talked to each student and explained all the things they needed to learn for the next paper. When I think of those years I have to cringe with shame. What an awful thing I did to all those kids! It's surprising that any of them continued to do the papers I assigned.

This article asks you to look at how you're evaluating your children's writing and ask yourself the question, "What am I doing to my kids?"

Read More...

Dave Marks is the author of the popular, award-winning homeschool writing program, Writing Strands. His interest in writing results both from an extensive education in the teaching of literature and writing and a long teaching career. He taught at the junior high, high school, and college levels for 30 years.

On the Ergonomics of Character Development

2005-03-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

by William Alan Rieser

Once you have names and descriptions for the heroes, villains and incidentals that populate your story, you realize that in order to achieve nuances, humanistic effects and interpretive insights it becomes necessary to flesh them out so that the reader can make certain identifications. Does one go about this systematically or randomly? If you are a formula writer and intend to repeat both venue and genre based upon successful prior efforts, then perhaps a system is not altogether the worst way to proceed. You might begin with certain stock questions that you know require answers within your tale. He is intelligent, so why does he err so often? She is aloof and non-committal, so why is she politically motivated? These are basically designed to show, not tell, why that particular clock ticks. The random developer prefers to do this within or near the more active moments, to keep behavioral reasons close in the mind of the reader rather than rely upon memory.

It is also useful to put your plot to work so that it enhances the character without your having to waste excessive narrative. Flashbacks and visions are common devices for bringing out unsuspected traits that you wish instilled. Interaction between individuals is probably the most lively and informative method of reaching specific meaning and if you can handle it with tight, memorable dialogue, it will assist you in gaining that illusory edge on the flow of ideas that all of us cherish. Another technique that aids a developer is the deliberate creation of curiosities that force characters and readers equally to respond, a real challenge if you've never done it and a rewarding one.

Then there are the various psychological questions pertaining to you. If you answer these truthfully, you've got a good chance to create something fresh that the reader will enjoy. Are you seeing this fellow as an extension of yourself or what you wish you were? Does this man represent the antithesis of what you believe? Is she so nondescript, that more words are moot or foolish? Are you trying to write about people that you thoroughly understand or are you guessing? Most importantly, will the reader emote as intended? Does he truly hate the son-of-a-bitch for his surliness or love her for her raw compassion? Finally, have you adequately conveyed all that is necessary to avoid confusion?

Granted, these little tips are obvious now that I've stated them. But it took me a long time to incorporate them well because tale telling is not entirely natural, considering how many weaknesses we all possess. Use them to make your prose clear and your dramas vivid. Good luck to all of you.

© 2001 William Alan Rieser

William Alan Rieser is the author of the Kaska Trilogy and The Zusalem Chronicles. Visit his website at http://rieserbooks.homestead.com/rieserbooks.html

Alice In Wonderland - Free eBook

2005-03-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

Our gift to you -

Download for free the eBook and read Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Compliments of Creative Perspectives and Kendralynn.com.

Featured Fanfiction @ Kendralynn.com

2005-03-21T11:41:00.000-05:00

Have you read the Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton? Do you enjoy fan fiction based upon that series?

Then go to Fanfiction @ Kendralynn.com to read Dark Desires or Petite Morte and get your fanfic fix! (Note: Truncated version of Petite Morte at Kendralynn.com - Extended version at Writing.com)

Both short stories are about a hot romance between Anita Blake and Edward, a sexy, stone-cold assasin.

Or, if you prefer reading about an original character living, fighting, and loving in the Anita Blake universe, then check out The Mara Series.

Grab a cup of coffee and visit Fanfiction @ Kendralynn.com now!

Other Resources -

Alternate Blog URL - http://www.writing.com/authors/kendralynn1972/blog

Network with others who share your interests. Advertise yourself or your website. http://www.directmatches.us

Creative Perspectives Newsletter - Writing Articles, Resources. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativePerspectives/

About Writing.Com - The online community for readers and writers.

2005-03-17T15:38:00.000-05:00

Overview

Writing.Com is the premiere online community for readers and writers of all ages and interests. Whether you are a casual reader searching for a good story or an enthusiastic writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your masterpieces, Writing.Com is the website for you!

Free memberships are available to anyone who wishes to join. Each registered membership includes an online portfolio, numerous creative user tools, email services and the chance to meet and bond with fresh creative minds!

For The Authors

We encourage our members to showcase their talent by providing the necessary tools and support. Each member is supplied with a free online portfolio in which to store literary items. Adding items to portfolios is made simple through the use of online creation utilities. Authors are also provided with an easy-to-remember public portfolio URL, which can be handed out to publishers, friends and family!

Each Writing.Com Author contributes a great deal in his or her own way, whether by adding ideas into another's interactive story or enlightening our visitors with their own creative tales. We strive to recognize and promote those individuals with outstanding portfolios and positive interaction; these members are Preferred Authors and Writing.Com Moderators. If you have a question or need a helping hand, these members are a great place to start!

Writers of all skill levels are able to get a feel for their own style and how readers truly react to it. With the Writing.Com rating system, authors no longer have to rely on friends and family alone for encouragement and criticism. After reading an item, registered members have the ability to rate and review any rateable item; thereby, giving the author a completely unbiased opinion. If a writer would like to simply showcase an item without receiving feedback, that is also an option.

The constant exposure to opinion and constructive criticism can increase the quality of an Author’s writing on a daily basis. Authors will also find that reading and reviewing other members' items may further their own writing with new ideas, writing styles and topics. The flow of creative ideas within the community is both beneficial and inspiring!

Writing.Com also provides many advertising and exposure opportunities for Authors within the site itself using genres, item listings and the Sponsored Item section.

For The Readers

Where there are great Authors, there are great items to read! The enjoyment to be had by the Writing.Com reader is limitless on this site. The scope and breadth of the creativity posted here is truly phenomenal.

Writing.Com has thousands of wonderful short stories, poems, novels, articles and essays ranging from fiction to non-fiction, romantic to horror. Readers will also enjoy taking part in madlibs, word searches and interactive stories! Our readers offer great encouragement to the Authors by providing honest and constructive feedback when rating and reviewing their rateable items. And be sure to delve further into any Author's portfolio to find any of his or her unrateable items on showcase.

And besides the obvious enjoyment that reading provides, there is the added benefit of expanding one's own literary skills. As time goes on, readers may feel so inspired by the creative environment and community support that they actually create their own items and become Writing.Com Authors!

For The Educators

Writing.Com is a great resource for education professionals. Our Group item makes it easy and efficient to gather students in an online classroom! Teachers may set up Groups for each of the classes he or she teaches. Set up one group for Period One: English and another for Period Six: Writing 101. Teachers then enter the students into a Group using the Writing.Com username of each.

A few of the benefits for teachers and students are:

... bulletins to announce new assignments to the Group. If a student misses class, he or she has easy access 24/7 to classroom assignments and updates.

... message forums to discuss topics within the Group. This is a centralized area where Group members may respond to a topic or bring up their own.

... group email to send updates or new assignments quickly. Leaders have the ability to get emails out quickly and efficiently with one click of the mouse.

... consistency within student work. If each group member (student) posts his or her work on Writing.Com within his or her portfolio, checking and reviewing the work is made easy! Students (group members) use WritingML to post assignments and teachers use the review text box at the bottom to give feedback.

About The Business

Writing.Com is owned and operated by 21x20 Media, Inc. Founded in September 2000, this wonderful, creative community has grown to be the largest and leading online writing web site today! Each day hundreds of new members join in the fun and thousands of our current members welcome them with open arms.

Writing.Com Staff is readily available and monitoring the website almost 24/7. We interact with our members as much as possible and answer questions in a very timely manner.

All Writing.Com software is proprietary and written in-house. This allows us to provide customized features and cutting-edge activities such as interactive stories, survey forms, groups, madlibs, and user polls. The future holds nothing but creativity, inspiration and support.

We take pride in our efforts to encourage readers and writers to exercise their minds online. Writing.Com fuels creativity and ideas by providing an active and imaginative environment.

Explore your creativity... become a Writing.Com member today!

Revising made easy: Three steps.

2005-03-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

Revising made easy: Three steps.
by Nicole Murphy

When you’re writing, it’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of producing the work. It’s also easy to believe that what you’ve produced is wonderful and send it out straight away. But few of us produce perfect copy first time, every time. We need to revise and edit out work.

Yes, I can see you cringing. You’ve just spent hours doing the work, you don’t want to spend hours revising it. But it doesn’t have to take hours. Go over these three things and you will ensure you send out quality work.

1). Answer the question posed by the work. Fiction or non-fiction, every piece you write is asking a question. It could be who done it, in the case of a murder mystery or how can you edit work quickly, as in this article. But if you don’t answer the question, your reader is going to hate you and no publisher will touch you. So skim read the piece, identifying the question asked at the beginning and make sure you answer it by the end.

2). Is every part of the piece necessary? During your research on cooking for a diabetic, you come across interesting information on the latest medication for diabetes. You’ve put it into the article, but now you have to ask, is it necessary? Of course, the answer is no. The same must be asked of the totally brilliant fiction paragraph you wrote, describing your heroine’s rose garden. Fabulous prose, undoubtedly but necessary? Read each section and ask yourself, can I take this out without ruining the meaning of the piece? Answer the question honestly.

3). Check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Ergh, I hear you say. But there isn’t an editor in the world who will love your piece with bad spelling and you want the editor to love your piece. Run your computer spell check over the piece, then print it out and sit down to read it. The spell check won’t pick up things like homonyms. Read the piece aloud, and listen to where you need to take breaths. That’s a good pointer to where punctuation should be. And if the grammar is wrong, you’ll hear it because the sentence will seem clumsy or not make sense.

Do these three things and you’ll jump to the head of the pack.

-- Nicole R Murphy is a writer and copyeditor, who runs a copyediting and critiquing business at http://www.yourbestwork.com. She hopes this article will help you put her out of business!

Other Resources-

Original Fiction and Fan Fiction Archive - Writing Resources: http://kendralynn.com

Are you a writer? Want to get paid? Advertise your skills and accomplishments, network, and gain exposure: http://www.directmatches.us

The Secret Structure Of Direct Mail Sales Letters

2005-03-10T02:01:00.000-05:00

In copywriting, the structure of the sales letter is the key to producing powerful, results grabbing material. You are about to discover the "secret" structure or formula that successful copywriters, those who make six figures per year, use to write hard-hitting sales letters that make a lot of money for the companies they work with as well as for themselves. Read on to learn how you can apply this secret to your copy and set yourself on the path to duplicating the same success for yourself!

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MIT OpenCourseWare

2005-03-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

MIT has provided a comprehensive resource for self-learners worldwide. The service and materials are freely given for private use. Yet another reason to respect this fine Institute of Higher Learning.

From their website:

MIT OpenCourseWare - a free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. OCW supports MIT's mission to advance knowledge and education, and serve the world in the 21st century. It is true to MIT's values of excellence, innovation, and leadership.

MIT OCW:

Is a publication of MIT course materials
Does not require any registration
Is not a degree-granting or certificate-granting activity
Does not provide access to MIT faculty

MIT OCW is a large-scale, Web-based electronic publishing initiative funded jointly by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and MIT.

MIT OCW's goals are to:

Provide free, searchable, access to MIT's course materials for educators, students, and self-learners around the world.
Extend the reach and impact of MIT OCW and the "opencourseware" concept.

MIT OCW would not be possible without the support and generosity of the MIT faculty who choose to share their research, pedagogy, and knowledge to benefit others. We expect MIT OCW to reach a steady - though never static - state by 2008. Between now and then, we will publish the materials from virtually all of MIT's undergraduate and graduate courses.

We will be continually evaluating the Access, Use, and Impact of MIT OCW over the course of the next five years. With 900 courses published as of September 2004, we are still in a learning stage of this MIT initiative and we will benefit enormously from your feedback, as we strive to make MIT OCW as rich and useful as possible for our users.

A Writer's Rant and The Practical Application Of Stealth Teaching

2005-03-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

We've been hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Blind-sided with a practical lesson within the entertainment we were offered!

As a Writer and an avid reader, I prefer to spend time surfing the internet and reading the works of others over watching an hour or two of mind numbing sitcoms on television. To me, reading is the best form of entertainment, because it engages the brain on many levels while recharging the creative battery.

Imagine my wild-eyed glee when finding a humorous post full of biting wit with an absolutely unexpected twist at the end. Gasp! The entire time I was reading and chuckling behind my hand, I was learning a practical, useful lesson! And, I had no idea what was happening until the end.

"Welcome to Stealth Teaching 101, kiddies! Your instructor today is Metro. Please point your browsers to metRo cReaTive sTudios and prepare to laugh your way to knowledge."

Many Thanks to Metro from Kendralynn.com
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