|
mary rosenblum
|
Good morning all!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Welcome to our Tuesday Forum.
:-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
We're in the midst of a string
of Pacific storms, so if I vanished, a tree took out the power lines, but
we'll hope not!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I wanted to talk about fitting
writing into your life because that is one of the biggest hurdles noice
writers and Long Ridge students face.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
'Not writing' is, I suspect,
the biggest reason aspiring writers don't publish.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
THere are a LOT of reasons for
not writing, but the underlying common denominator seems to be 'no time'.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Two major problems afflict
most aspiring writers...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
a lack of support by spouse
and/or family...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
or guilt. You put the writing
last.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
snickers try using /ask in
front of your question in your regular send bar, rather than the ask a
question bar.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can ask a longer question
that way.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Nearly everybody comes to
writing with an already full plate...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you have family, a job,
household chores, a spouse...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and an established routine
that is probably not brimming over with large blocks of empty time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Routines are VERY hard to
break.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But that can work FOR you,
too.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Since once you establish a
writing 'routine' it is also hard to break.
|
|
trainer
|
Do you typically suggest a time
for beginners? I know the old, when its convenient, but is it really ever
that way starting out?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When it's convenient is not
the best choice for you when you're starting out.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Remember that you're not
getting much positive feedback, in all likelihood...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you get rejection slips or no
answer to your query letters . Nobody much seems to want to read what you
write...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
[It's /ask Pam]
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and it's discouraging.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Believe me, I've BEEN there!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
So it's very easy...easier
every day...to find that most times are not convenient...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but you'll get around to it
one of these days.
|
|
kungfumama
|
Isn't part of the problem that
spouses/family don't understand how much time it takes?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Absolutely.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And very few non writers
understand how it works.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is where a frank
conversation with your partner is a good idea.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Because for awhile you are
going to spend a lot of time and not make a dime...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but you won't make that dime
without spending the time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You cannot say, 'well I'll
write but only if I get paid'.
|
|
sol
|
And especially non READER, non
writers!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, I'm not sure readers
know any better than non-writers, sol! :-) BUT...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
if you have a partner who sees
value in writing only in terms of money...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
pitch it this way...Yes, there
is money in it, but you have to make yourself visible to editors and learn
the craft first...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
IT's like apprenticing to a
plumber.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You'll make good money later,
but not when you can't even install a faucett.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
jyinxy
|
i find i do really good getting
started on a project but if it is longer than a short story i have trouble
following through on my thoughts - i get blocked. how do you work through
this?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You might want to try roughing
out your story first, jyinx. Figure out where your story is going...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and where the high points will
fall. You'll still have plenty to create as you work on that draft so
that...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you won't be bored. And then
realize that you don't write ONLY when you feel like it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I have LOTS of days when I
groan as I open up the current chapter...I'm just not in the mood.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Mood is not part of
professional writing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You kick the muse in the butt
and it may not be fun, but it gets done.
|
|
jyinxy
|
i have been entering writing
contests here and there attempting to get some name recgonization and maybe
even place and make a few bucks. My husband dosen't quite this is, he says
i will lose all rights to the piece if i place. is this true?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You won't lose ALL rights,
jyin, or you should not. But if you win a contest and yoaur piece is
published...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you will lose first rights,
which are the most valuable.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Contest wins do not give you
name recognition.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Editor could care less.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You are better off sending
that work out to editors.
|
|
acook
|
I have days where I don't want
to work on my current project but usually have something else I can work on
to get the juices flowing
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's the way I usually work,
acook. I have...let's see...three major projects in progress right now.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But there are times when
something is on deadline and I can't switch.
|
|
sol
|
Thank you. That may help quite a
bit. My husband is a carpenter . . .
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ah, there you go, sol!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Many people think that writing
ability is something you were born with...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but it's a craft, like
carpentry.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You learn to be good before
anyone pays you carpenters' wages!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And part of the 'break in
process' is that editors need to see your name on their desks.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They may not buy this piece,
but if your name keeps showing up, they know you're serious.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That gives you an edge.
|
|
classy1064
|
i get so lost in my story that
some days i only get a couple of pages written, it that bad?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Gosh, not at all, classy!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Quantity is not important.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A paragraph is a good day's
work if you're happy with it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And don't forget the rest of
the process...revision, plotting, character development.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Much of this you can do with a
few notes and a lot of brainpower, but it is STILL writing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
So is reasearch.
|
|
janecj333
|
I was reading a short story in
Cicada, a kids magazine, and found that it was by a writer well known in
the 1920's-1940's. It was so extraordinary in quality that it far surpassed
the drivel that accompanied it in the magazine's pages, all contemporary work.
I have to admit that my writing is formless and void when I am pressured to
write to be 'professional'. Sometimes, when I am writing with passion,
however, it can be much, much better in quality.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
So you're submitting this?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I hope? Assume?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Writing what you want should
come first.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you don't, you probably
won't do a good job.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Even pros don't do as well
when they are writing 'to the market' as opposed to what they love.
|
|
snickers_mom
|
Trying to write in 15-20 blocks
doesn't work. By the time I
|
|
trainer
|
your views on snidbit writing? a
moment here, a moment there versus blocks of writing time? other then the
amount you get written in one setting.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
sorry, snickers, I didn't get
the rest of your question....
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But you have to do what works
for you.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
One way to make short blocks
of time work...and that's all that many people have...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
is to do some of the 'prep
work' ahead of time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Think about what you will be
working on.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If it's fiction, visualize the
scene, think about the dialogue, what's going on in the characters' heads.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If nonfiction, think about the
organization of the piece, what anecdotes you might use to illustrate it...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
so that when you sit down,
you're ready to go.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Another good idea is to quit
before the scene is finished....you'll be able to jump right in when you
come back.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
paminnapa
|
It takes time, When I first
started writing husband thought it was a passing phase. When he saw how
serious I am, he stepped up and helps me out more around the house. Hes
glad I found something that makes me happy. He will listen to me ramble now
about a story with an open ear instead of a shrugged shoulder. They come
around eventually
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOu have a good partner, Pam.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It is true that not all are
like that, but if you're treating the writing as a professional and talk about...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
the realities of money and
contracts rather than a pie in the sky sort of 'I might write a best
seller'...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it can often help.
|
|
dfitz
|
I used to think I would have
more time once I retired. Now that I am retired, I have less time than I
did when I worked full time. So, time is not really the issue. I think the
biggest issue, at least for me, is creating and maintaining a burning
desire.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Everybody has a certain amount
of creative drive, dfitz.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you don't have to pay the
rent with your writing, you lack that powerful motivator! :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is nothing wrong with
writing as a pleasant hobby.
|
|
gwanny
|
My New Year Resolution...to get
up every morning and behave as though I were going out to work. Shower
dress coffee. I told myslef I will write until 2, a couple hours left
before hubby gets home. Then run thru the house and give it a quick once
over...so far, so good
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
THat's a very good way of
doing it, gwanny.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The key here is that sense of
'professional'.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
All too often, we disrespect
our own efforts.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The writing becomes something
to do when everything else is finished for the day.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That is NEVER for me!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And for many people.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Instead, look over your day
and ask yourself what you can trade for writing time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
TV?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A half hour of sleep?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That nap after lunch?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Your lunch break at work?
|
|
curseofthe44
|
I don't want to sound whiney,
but my problem is this: My husband supports my writing and wants me to
pursue it. However, he works nights and I work days. I handle everything
because of this situation, which only cuts into my writing time. When he is
off work, he wants us to spend time together instead of locked away in
separate rooms. Any suggestions for finding writing time?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
ah, this is always a big
hurdge, curse.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
For many women, all household
chores fall on their shoulders, even if both partners work.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Time to sit down and make
trades.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
What can he do so that you
spend some time together?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A few household chores while
you write and then you do stuff?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Rarely can you fit writing
into your life without letting something else OUT of your life.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
ebc, use /ask in your regular
send bar.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can ask a longer question
that way.
|
|
sol
|
Yep. And giving something up is
where the guilt can come in sometimes.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
No kidding, sol.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And it will cost you the
friends who can't accept it when you say, 'sorry, I have to finish this
chapter today'.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
sol
|
You know, Mary, as much as I
know all this, it DEFINITELY helps to be remined. Thank you.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
We all need to be reminded...
I remind myself frequently. LOL
|
|
ebc
|
Is it ethical to submit columns
I have written for our churc
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ebc, I think I have the sense
of your question.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you have no contract with
your church, then you have assigned them no rights and yes, you can...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
submit columns you have
written to other publishers, BUT you need to tell the publisher...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
that the column has been
previously published in that newsletter. The publisher will pay you for '
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
second or reprint rights (same
thing).
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Most of the articles I publish
on the LR website have already been published.
|
|
sol
|
That's what scares me. The
deadlines.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, sol, you really do have
to learn your own writing pace.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
How long does it take you do
finish a project?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Once you know that usually it
takes you six weeks for a story...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
or a year for a novel, you can
make sure you don't run afoul of deadlines.
|
|
jackie7777
|
I find that I do a lot of
thinking and then when I do actually sit and write - I can produce a pretty
good piece. I feel a bit guilty though. I feel I should be writing
everytime I get an idea in my head.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Everybody does at first, jackie.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I spend VERY little time
actually hitting keys when I write.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Most of my writing takes place
in my head and emerges as scribbled notes.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's writing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Hitting keys is only recording
it.
|
|
paminnapa
|
what do you do if you submit to
a place like chicken soup that doesnt really have a deadline and can hold
peices for a year or so without publishing, then you find a market that may
take your work now but also take up to a year to use.....True story..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOu decide which market is
likely to buy more of your stuff over the long haul, pam.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you ask for the chicken
soup piece back, the editor may remember you with disfavor. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you think you'll sell more
to that series, don't ask for it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If the other market is the
better prospect, DO ask for it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can always withdraw a
piece.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But it does tick off the
editor.
|
|
sol
|
How I'd love to get a couple of
pages done in one sitting . . . !
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Hey, if you're getting
ANYTHING done regularly, you're a success sol.
|
|
sol
|
Like, I'm thinking of getting
into article writing, but lack confidence in my ability.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Just do it. None of us really
have confidence in our ablities.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You just do it anyway.
|
|
classy1064
|
oh i don't i am constantly
revising my work, some days i spend more time on researching something than
actualy writing a word i always feel guilty about it
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Don't feel guilty, classy,
unless you're using research to avoid writing. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You may get several pieces or
stories from one batch of research.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Most of the time, research
suggests new stories to me. :-)
|
|
akeats
|
I have always done my writing
completely from imagination,
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can. :-) Just imagine the
real world details right.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
akeats
|
I wait till the idea comes to
me...and finding planning
|
|
akeats
|
hinders me....what can I do to
help this?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Akeats, if this is how it
works for you, go for it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is no 'wrong' way to
work.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Certainly I work differently
now than I did when I was starting out.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The way I worked then worked
for me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The way I work now works for
me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The way I work ten years from
now will work for me, too.
|
|
gwanny
|
It's working Mary, but there is
that nagging guilt...that I should be doing something more productive LOL
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Gwanny's talking about her
'going to work' writing time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Beware of that 'productive'
issue.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Hang on...
|
|
curseofthe44
|
How do you put out so much work
(so that editors see your name a lot) with very little time to write?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Curse's question applies here,
too.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A lot of newbie writers feel
that they need to get a new piece done and out the door every day or
week...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but remember...editors see a
thousand ms or queries a month or more.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They don't remember 99% of
'em.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you write two memorable
pieces in a year...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
believe me, you are well on
your way to selling regularly.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And editors will mention you
to other editors.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They DO do that you know.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It is not the number of words
you produce.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ten thousand mediocre words
will not help you much.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
One thousand VERY GOOD words
will.
|
|
privateye3
|
Are a lot of stories, less than
2000 words, publishable?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Privateeye, this is the flash
fiction market, or short short market.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's really expanding and some
of the markets pay.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you check on the website in
New Market Updates, you'll find some Flash Fiction market listings.
|
|
jyinxy
|
i am asked by people what my
genere is? how does one even figure that out?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, genre is a marketing
lable and the boundaries blurr.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But if you were buying this in
a bookstore, where would you likely find it?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
What book that you've read
recently does it remind you of?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
What genre is that book?
|
|
privateye3
|
Is being published in a loacl
news paper, Make you Published
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Of course. Even a letter to
the editor counts. Mention it in your next cover or query letter. It's a
clip.
|
|
info
|
so like in the group home
example I gave last Friday night, if I were to research group homes, how
teens talk and act, that sort of thing, I am still writing by virtue of
getting the correct info in order to get the right words on the page.
Correct or not?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Of course. It's part of
creating the story, info.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Writing time is not just the
time spent hitting keys in front of your monitor.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I spent about an hour last
night at 2 AM working on my fantasy novel...creating a new character.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Scribbled a few
semi-decipherable notes to myself that I'll put into my character file
today.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's an hour of writing
time, folks.
|
|
pook
|
i WANT TO WRITE A KID'S BOOK ON
PLAYIGN SCRABBLE. iS THERE A RESTRICTION? LIKE PATENT?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Scrabble is surely a patented
trademark, pook.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But considering the number of
'how to play' books out there, I doubt you'll have trouble.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I would consult a publishing
attorney though...you may need permission to use the trademark.
|
|
kungfumama
|
another helpful thing is to
invest in a laptop computer. I often take mine with me, like on camping
expeditions, so that I keep the words flowing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It is very helpful. I use mine
a lot at cons and used to bring it with me whenever I had to drive my kids
somewhere...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
sat through a lot of baseball
practice with a laptop on my lap! Or a notebook.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is a cheaper
alternative...the alphasmart word processer.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOu'll find a review of it
with links to their sales site in Surviving and Thriving: Reviews, as I
recall.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And you know what? A pencil
and paper works just fine and is the cheapest.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's what I mostly use
unless I'm near a power source.
|
|
t green
|
I bought an alphasmart... it's
FANTASTIC! light, portable, easy to use...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There you go.
|
|
curseofthe44
|
What is a good (noticeable)
amount of stories to write and submit per month or year?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Try for one good one. Any more
than that is gravy, curse. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Editors don't want
quantity....quantity they have in spades! They want QUALITY.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
As soon as you finish that
good one and send it out, start on the next.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You'll find out how many you
write in a year, curse.
|
|
trainer
|
for myself when dear hubby is on
nights (our computer is in the bedroom) I write with pen and paper in the
other parts of the house or on the laptop while he is sleeping, then
transfer it to the computer after he leaves or is off doing something.
works two fold really.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And when you transfer it from
paper to computer, you're really revising as you transfer.
|
|
kater
|
if you send one out and it comes
back with a rejection, should you try sending it out again?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Of course, kater.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I sell all my stories, but I
often get a rejection from the first place I submit. That editor...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
didn't want it or had one like
it. So I send it somewhere else.
|
|
privateye3
|
"Gypsy Tail Wind" is a
great read. How long to write it?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Thanks Private. :-) That one
only took about a week to write the first draft...I revised it a couple of
times...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I had that plot pretty solidly
from the get-go so it went smoothly.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Too me about 6 months to write
the YA novelette I had on deadline last year...had troubles with it and it
took me forever to figure out what the prioblem was.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It just depends.
|
|
andi
|
like you sent out before or make
revisions?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Without revisions, andi.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is no 'standard' for
stories...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
if you get there, ALL editors
will like it and buy it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
IF you revise after Editor A
rejects, maybe you'll take out the parts that Editor B will love...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and because they're not there,
Editor B rejects it!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When you are satisfied with
your story, believe in it.
|
|
janecj333
|
In the midst of very intense
writing, no chores get done at my house for weeks at a time. :) You know,
you only live once.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yeah, when I'm really into
something or on deadline, lots of things get put aside until later.
|
|
paminnapa
|
it helps to if you also keep
writing material everywhere....I have a notebook in every room with a
pencil near by, and in the car. Never know if your in line at a starbucks,
that 10 minutes can be a good outline.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
No kidding...I have stuff
scattered all over.
|
|
jyinxy
|
sometimes when i get ready to
submit a piece i get so nervous that i can't sleep. i feel very vunerable
when someone reads what i write - is this a normal reaction? i know it
sounds idiotic.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Of course it's normal, jyinx.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Everybody feels that way and
you never really STOP feeling that way, you just know it's part of
writing...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and get used to it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
trainer
|
what works best for you as a
writer Mary? any little secrets (tried and true) to share?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, when I started, I really
did have regular writing time, trainer...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
after my kids went to bed. (They
were about 5 and 8 when I started writing full time)...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and I wrote every night or
worked on a story, no matter what.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I am more flexible now, but
that's after many years of learning what worked for me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I write every day, but
sometimes for a very short time, sometimes for most of the day...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
just depends on what I'm
working on...and how many LR students I have. :-)
|
|
ladybug
|
Mary, joining a writer's group
saves time with editing.
|
|
ladybug
|
When 8 or more people are
critiquing your work...Wow!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It really does. Just
remember...you are not writing FOR them!
|
|
t green
|
Mary, do they pay less for
second rights than they would for first rights? If so, how much less?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yes, t, a lot less.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Might be about 10% in
nonfiction. Maybe more.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
IT's a larger percentage in
fiction, but maybe 20 - 25%
|
|
trainer
|
how do you keep track of the
snidbits of information that come to you mary?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I write them on scraps of
whatever paper is handy, trainer...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and try to corral them into a
couple of places...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When I sit down at the
computer, I go over 'em.
|
|
kungfumama
|
then you get the flip scenario
... you have a scene or revision that grips you by the throat until you do
sit down and write it out ...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I love that one.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I spent all of one night
writing a 4000 words magic realism piece in one sitting.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
in my bed with the laptop.
|
|
janecj333
|
Mary, is it just me who has
noticed this, or are the excellent novels that took first-time authors
years to write invariably followed by a second novel that is a weak copy,
and then they often fade away into obscurity, dropped by their publisher?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That isn't true for all new
writers...often the next book is stronger as the person learns the craft
and gains confidence..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but for the person who took
ten years to craft novel one, it may be very difficult to turn in novel two
a year or so later...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and that is what the publisher
will want.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Some of that comes from not
really knowing what your own working limits are.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It may TAKE you ten years to
write a novel.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Or you may have written the
one novel you really needed to write.
|
|
janecj333
|
Mary, I get very mixed feelings
to learn that a published author sells 'all their stories'
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Why? I don't send out the ones
that aren't good, jane. I didn't say I sold all the story I WRITE, I sell
all the stories I send out.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I write plenty that never
work! LOL
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
To be honest, I have some
stories in inventory I could almost certainly sell...for my name if nothing
more.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But I have no interest in
having mediocre prose out there with my name on it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about fitting writing into your life. If you're new here, remember
that you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next
to the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a
question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach
me! You can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send
bar to reach me.
|
|
kungfumama
|
I think one thing we all need to
remind ourselves is that writing isn't simply typing. It's the research,
the what if spins, the characterizations, the plotting ...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Exactly.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And the revisions!
|
|
kungfumama
|
so, is attending this forum
considered writing time ;-) ?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good question, kung! I'd say
it is, if you are asking questions and/or making use of the information you
get here to write better.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I considered going to conferences
writing time.
|
|
sol
|
Yes, the many-years-thing. I
have on my 'writing board' my Writing Visions . . .
|
|
sol
|
and I am reminding myself
through visuals and words that I am . . .
|
|
sol
|
a bamboo tree. It takes five
years for it to start growing. In the meantime . . .
|
|
sol
|
it is developing an amazing root
system to handle its incredible spurt!
|
|
sol
|
Two and a half feet a day!
Ninety feet in six weeks!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Sol, that is a very good
analogy.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you plant any fruit tree,
you don't expect apples or pears that very year.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You have to grow the tree so
it can produce fruit. Nice!
|
|
andi
|
at the laundry mat I did
revisions for my story and today i made revisions at the doctors office
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good for you, Andi! That's how
I work, too.
|
|
dfitz
|
When you say one or two are you
talking short stories, novels, or articles?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Any of the above, dfitz...what
I mean by that, is try for one good piece. When you finish it, start the
next...but don't feel..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
that you need to churn out
quantity.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You need to focus on quality
and if that takes you three years to do, that's how long it takes you.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If it takes you six weeks,
that's how long it takes you.
|
|
pook
|
skills and strategies combined
with how the way you play reflect your personality.
|
|
pook
|
would I query first?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is about the Scrabble how
to. Pook, I would visit a bookstore and look at the 'how to' books on
various games.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Look for books that describe
strategies for trademarked games like Scrabble or Monopoly rather than...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
for a game form such as poker
or chess. See who published that book.
|
|
paminnapa
|
brew bob asks....Is it better to
send an entire draft of a novel or test the response first with a summary
of the story line?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Glad you got your question in,
Brew. Actually the submission guidelines for every publisher will tell you
exactly how to submit your novel.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Some want the full ms, others
want a particular length of synopsis with chapters, still others want a
query or want agented material only.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You send 'em what they ask
for.
|
|
jyinxy
|
how often should we hear from
our instructors. i find the hurry up and wait game to be tedious.
|
|
jyinxy
|
i have heard about literary
agents - are they a good idea?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, jyin, if you're sending
by snail mail, your instructor has a week to work on your assignment, but
you have to add mailing time...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
to that instructor, back to LR
and to you. Emailing your assignment is faster. But hey, hurry up and wait
is the name of the game in prose.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You'll be waiting weeks or
months for responses to submissions.
|
|
kungfumama
|
so is it fair to say, the main
thing is to do something ... character sheets, plotting, researching ...
that moves your work along every day?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yes, Kung.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Keep the momentum going.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When you have NOTHING going
on, it's often hard to get started again.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But if you're working on a
project, thinking about it, the momentum maintains.
|
|
janecj333
|
For me, thinking about the story
I'm working on is the best motivator to finish it. If I put my wip in the
back of my mind, constantly pushing it away, I lose my connection with it.
I try to dig up character traits while I'm in the shower, when laying down
to sleep at night. If it's an obsession, then to write it is a relief.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Obsession is the right way to
put it, Jane. :-) If we weren't obsessed would we do this to ourselves? LOL
|
|
massite
|
if you write an arthicle and
have pictures should you send them with the article
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Massite, if you are querying
the editor, you can offer to include the photos with the article. If the
editor asks for the article, she'll tell you..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
whether to send the photos or
not.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you're sending in the
entire piece, you can include the photos...always send copies!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Of course you'll either query
or submit the entire article depending on the writers...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
guideline for that particular
publication.
|
|
andi
|
is it expensive going to
conferences. Is there ways to find out what went on at the conferences if
you can't get to one?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
andi it's expensive to a
greater or lesser degree. Big cons with a lot of big name pros and NY
editors will probably cost over 100 for a membership.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you have to travel and stay
in a hotel there, you have those expenses.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When I was a VERY broke
starting writer, a single parent mom with very marginal income...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I really got the art of 'doing
it on the cheap' down! :-) Share that hotel room with three other people.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Most conferences provide a
hospitality suite. You can live on crackers and chips and fruit for three
days if you have to.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Find the cheap airfares.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The main reason to go to a
conference is to network.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You meet writers, you meet
editors, you ask them what they want and what they don't want.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They remember you later, when
they see your name on a ms.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You ask pro writers who their
agents are, are they happy with them, will they take new people.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Oh...reminds me..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I didn't answer your agent
question Jyinx.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOu only need an agent if you
are going to submit to a house that does not accept unagents ms...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
or if you are signing a book
deal with a major publisher.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Then you DO need an agent.
|
|
curseofthe44
|
I recently invested in StoryBase
software for "blocked" times. Even though it takes time to input
the info, I hope that it will help. Do you have any input as to this
software? Or will I be wasting more time that I don't have?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I don't know anything about it
curse, but I am always wary of any 'template' for fiction.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's not a matter of being
'just like everybody else'.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You want your story to be
unique. But if it helps you when you are blocked, then it's certainly
working for you...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and I doubt it will seriously
hurt you. Just go beyond the template.
|
|
mudhen
|
off topic, but how would you
approach using a pen name
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Use a pen name if you do not
want people to know who you are.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Or if you write in multiple
genres and the readers from one genre (Christian Fiction) would be
HORRIFIED to find out that you wrote, say, Erotica.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I use Freeman in mystery to
let readers know that it's not SF, but it's a VERY open secret that Freeman
and Rosenblum are one and the same. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
About as open as I can make
it!
|
|
kater
|
whats Erotica?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
One step short of pornography,
kater...a more romanticized version where the characters matter, but VERY
sexual.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Sort of literary porn, I guess
you could call it.
|
|
mudhen
|
do you tell the editor in cover
ltr or wait till piece accep
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You don't tell the editor at
all, mudhen. Just write 'by M. Y. Penname' under the title.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOur real name goes in the
upper left hand corner. They have to write YOU the check after all.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If it's not your real name on
the by line, the editor assumes it's your pen name.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, this has been a busy
Oregon hour!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
One thing to keep in mind...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
that while the breakin period
is tough on the ego...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
writing is for life. Build
some habits that will stick with you...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You're pacing yourself for the
next 20 years, right?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Do join me tomorrow for our
casual chat..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
same time and place.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
We just get together to chat
about whatever and questions are always welcome.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Thanks for coming, all, and
I'll post this in the usual place.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Writing Craft: Forum
Transcripts.
|