James River Writers Conference Part 3

Okay, so I could be all coy and all and say I was teasing you along with this stretched out posting of notes from the James River Writers Conference.

But it really isn’t that.  It’s just … ‘life’ …and all that entails, from bad storms called Sandy, which Thankfully we did okay with, to everyday things of shopping, cooking, cleaning up, and all the laundry wearing and cleaning…. And yes, it is too cold to go …  well, never mind.

The James River Writers Conference had great information.  There was a great session on World Building.

Yes, I know there was, I had the honor of moderating it.  And there was Really Terrific information given out.   And generously allowed to be put on the James River Writers site, which hopefully will be there soon, but I’ve copied it below as well.   Here, I’ve added some of my notes.

One of things I realized as I was reading all the books and writings of the writers on the panel, which were non-fiction and fantasy writers, was that I hang around with a lot of fantasy writers.

Since I thought of World Building as a fantasy genre element.  In the research I did for the panel, I realized that Every story has world building elements.   As writers, we must bring a reader into whatever world we are writing about, fiction, no matter what genre, and non-fiction, no matter what kind.

I came across one blog where the writer posited that historical writers were some of the greatest world builders around.   

Having met Lucia Robson last year when she was at the James River Writers Conference, and read her historical fiction books, based on real people, I can understand that thought.

For my notes on my session last year with Lucia and other writers, see my blog post here, 

And here.

Check out Lucia’s site, Books, and Audio and Video clips here.

In studying and researching World Building I saw the long list of questions from Patricia C. Wrede mentioned many, many times.   Including, by both Lana and Malinda.  [See their sites / blogs.]            

It does have some great questions to think about.  

A Lot of great questions to ask yourself.  

  A Long list.   

        Good but long.     

             Read these instead.   It’s easier.    Then you can get back to your NaNoWriMo.   

Saturday - Oct. 20, 2012

Concurrent Sessions — 3:45 to 4:45 PM

World Building Idea Lab
Christina Lewis Halpern
Lana Krumwiede
Malinda Lo
Shawna Christos, moderator
This discussion of big-picture world building includes prompts to spark a story or enrich the world you’re writing. Great for fiction and nonfiction writers alike.

See sites and information below.     How they wrote.     Suggestions of how to World Build.  

Things to think about as you Build your World.

As well as things you might not want to do as you World Build.

From Questions to ask yourself as you begin to World Build.    

          Micro World Building.   Macro World Building.  

                Examples.  Internal World Building.      Applying to All Writers and Writing.

Not as good as being at the Conference Session, but definitely good to help you remember the wonderful speakers and their great information.

But there's a lot of Terrific information on the author's links so dig around and enjoy!

Christina Lewis Halpern

My memoir was certainly a case of internal world building. Here are some prompts for internal and cultural world building:

- Put yourself into the mind of your character. What is she seeing and how does she feel about what she's seeing?

- People like to think of themselves as rational, but really they are motivated by the push and pull of their emotions. Figure out what your character's motivation and then fit that emotion into the world you've created. For instance, if your character is ambitious and status-obsessed can you have them describe and analyze each person they see according to your world's hierarchy?

- Can you allow the world you are creating to unfold naturally via your characters' experiences and point of view?  

While my memoir is based on the real world, I felt that I was describing experiences that might be alien to many of my readers. So I used my emotions to ground people in my reality. I was concerned that people would not buy into my concept, which is that being the daughter of a very successful man is not necessarily easy. So I used my emotions to make my situation relatable. This worked for many people, though not all.

Lana Krumwiede

First, think of an imaginary technological development. Don't stop with the first thing that comes to your mind. Think of different areas: medical, communications, transportation, etc. Make a long list before choosing the one that looks interesting.

Answer the following questions about this new technology: 

- For what purpose what the technology invented?

- Who developed it?

- Who opposes it?

Now, look for the conflict the technology will create:

- Think of at least three uses for this technology other than the intended one.

- Think of at least three professions this technology will create or alter.

- Think of at least three ways this technology could be abused.

Now, find a character that has something at stake:

- Create three characters who have a lot to gain from this technology.

- Create three characters who have a lot to lose from this technology.

One of the things I discovered is that there is "macro" world building (politics, economy, culture, traditions of a large society) and there is "micro" world building (traditions, divisions of labor, religious practices, etc, of this particular family)

When I was developing the story idea for Freakling, I kept a notebook with all my research notes about the world I was creating. It has things like maps, floor plans, photos of landscapes and clothing, the rules of psi, a timeline of prior events. I had to keep that all straight, somehow. 

Malinda Lo 

1. Ask yourself these questions about the magic system in your novel, if you're writing a fantasy:

Who has it (the magic)?

What does it do?

How do you make it happen?

How is the user affected?

How is the world affected?

How are magic users grouped and perceived?

2. Do people in your fictional world celebrate birthdays? How would they celebrate a birthday?

3. Ask yourself these questions about the power structure in your world:

Who is powerful in your world?

Who is weak?

Who wants to be powerful?

4. What is your main character's favorite place to be?

5. What kind of food would the people in your world eat on a special occasion?

And be sure to check out Malinda's link above for :

OCT 8, 2012

Five Foundations of World-building

See I told you -  Good Stuff.

And as Always, for more great Conference notes check out Twitter #JRWC12 

James River Conference Part 2

I am thankful, from the looks of Twitter-sphere anyway, that so many of our great speakers that were here recently at the James River Writers Conference are safe and sound.

Here are some more notes from the Conference.

For more great tips, notes, and such, go to Twitter and look for #jrwc12

Also check out Denise’s great blog posts of her notes - especially hers on the Website session.

Insight Into Your Site: Website 101
Erin Blakemore
Colleen Lindsay
Anna Sproul
Maya Payne Smart, moderator
Who needs a website and when? What should be included? Do you need book trailers and bells and whistles? Panelists will critique attendees’ websites, if desired, suggesting ways to improve content and navigation.

To think about -   What drives people to websites -   Concentrate on something to offer the world …think branding

Neil Gaiman - regularly visits his site, creates changes, and blogs regularly.  Doesn’t leave it static.

Tess Gerritson started with email list putting out creepy biological fact of the day.  

Chuck Wendig  TerribleMinds.com  his website  got him noticed / published.

Your website should be -  Simple    Consistent     and have Clear way to contact author

Absolutely present on a writer’s website:  

 All need an editor to make sure no typos or anything

Has a Professional image                          Good writing

Some professional head shots         

Have your Blog live on home page  

Make sure your site is Not static          Constantly refreshing content

If an active on Fb or Twitter presence but only if active   

Put a button for Fb  and / or Twitter button

Make sure have Contact info     

Place for comments on your website

These were mentioned as really wanted to see on author’s site -   

 high res  AND  low res pics,    Both B & W, and Color   

a short bio     and a more in depth longer bio.    

Downloadable press kit     

Front page dynamic    

Your Twitter acct.   But it should not take the place of your blog site.

Update your blog at least once a week.

Erin has blog tour / map of NY … pods casts, can listen to, etc…    Erin’s clean Blog   She paid $35 for a Wordpress Template

She has Buy Book button on each page

Trust the Gatekeepers
Molly Jaffa
Brad Parks
David Henry Sterry
Valley Haggard, moderator
Hear the benefits of working with an agent and learn secrets that will move your work out of the slush pile.

David talked about the Art of the Follow Up   Do follow up with agents - Very politely and recognizing they are people too. 

Molly takes digital submissions only.   Wait 6 wks or more to Follow up.   Gets 150 queries a wk. Maybe takes 2 new clients a year.

Yes, do multiple queries.  Agents expect it.  No need to say.    Agents at her place specialize in diff. Genres.

Know the market value of your book

Setting and managing expectation.

Places to look at on Line — Rachelle Gardner,      Absolute Write Cooler

Everyone wants that feeling of falling in love

Agents want to fall in love with your characters.

Make your Query Letter - query pitch   nothing like she has ever seen before 

Molly looks at way author has presented themselves on Twitter etc….

Googles their names … she cyber stalks people, and checks them out before offers to represent.  Makes sure they aren’t crazy-pants

With looking at brand new agent, look at the agency they’re with.

Molly recommends look for / get established shop

Brad Parks shared his personal experiences with agents.

His first agent had been an agent at a big publishing house.   But after getting really bad offer for his 3^rd and 4^th book - after his first two had done really well, he started asking around and no one had heard of his agent.

And that was why he was getting the awful offer.       So he fired the agent and got a new one.  

It was emphasized the importance of getting a Good agent.

When an agent negotiates for you, the publishing houses also keeps in mind the other clientele that agent handles.

The way it was put, your agent goes in with their whole clientele list sitting on their shoulder when they are negotiating for you / your book.

Have to know what your goals are.    Know what you want.

If getting form rejections all the time, you are doing something wrong.   Figure it out and change.

If start getting some better comments / not form rejections, getting better.

You should have the feeling that you have the best agent in the world.

With smaller agencies have to ask harder questions.

Sign up for Publishers Marketplace when ready to start querying process.

—— Mentioned in another session Not to use the printed ‘find an agent’ books, since they are usually old and out-dated by time come out.

Do Your Research

James River Writers Conference 2012 - Part 1

The James River Writers Conferences keep helping writers to write better, write new ways, get published, find people to friend, and a Whole lot more.  

This past weekend, Oct. 19, 20, and 21, was no different.

Filled with great sessions - and writers.   I was privileged to moderate a couple so I Know that’s for sure!

For 10 years now, JRW has been helping writers find each other, their supports, and sometimes even themselves as writers.

And pretty much all done by volunteers.   As they are trying to write, and write themselves into getting published.   

Considered by a lot of speakers that have attended as the best run conference in the U.S., all the supporters and volunteers of James River Writers deserve pats on the backs.   [And agents and publishing contracts.    Just sayin’ ….while putting it out there to the universe.]

First Pages Critique, that always reminds us that agents are human too, and have likes and dislikes.  It’s important to research agents we are sending our queries to, making sure we pick the right agent who carries the kind of writing we do.  Or that they are at least interested in it.  

But that just because one said no, doesn’t mean that the next will.  Or the next, or the next.  [For more on that see my notes on Eleanor Brown, author extraordinaire of highly acclaimed book ‘The Weird Sisters’ … well, as soon as get those notes up.  With ’Sandy’ storm preparedness, funerals, laundry, and all, this blog post writing thing is going very s-l-o-w.]

This year James River Writers also joined with the Library of Virginia for the Literary Luncheon on Saturday with Tom Robbins.  Where writers who write and test one line at a time were validated and found a soul mate.

I still have Tom Robbins printout of his advice for writers from the very first James River Writers Conference 10 years ago.  And vividly remember one of the stories he told.  His story telling skills are certainly phenomenal.  I understand we must change and grow, but I do miss the opening address he wrote especially for the James River Writers Conference that year, and used to be read at the beginning of each new conference.  It had such vivid imagery and language it reminded me what it was to be a great writer, and what we as writers want to aspire to.    Thanks Tom Robbins for the memory.

There were a lot of sessions I wanted to listen to this year, since there’s only one of me I had to make some very difficult choices.  GAH!  It was difficult!

Most of the time I ended up in a session because I had run into a friend or great writer and as we were talking I would end up walking with them to their choice.  

Hey it worked, I ended up in some great sessions that way.  

Like, The Savvy Professional, with a panel of Really smart savvy women.  Arielle Eckstut, Colleen Lindsay, Nancy Redd, Julia Schoerke, moderated by Rebecca Joines Schinsky.

Arielle Eckstut is part of The Book Doctors team, so check out their site, and their book, for all kinds of great tips and things to consider, and work on.

I will post a disclaimer now and say these are my notes, so this is my filter, however abbreviated.

For some other great notes on sessions check out Denise’s blog posts of sessions she attended at the Conference.  Different than mine.  Just so you know.  We all have different perspectives as writers and listeners.

This tidbit might have been worth the session :

2 Tweets is the length of the Perfect pitch

Think about topic of your book and how it relates to news happening now.

Talking about your book in a concise and interesting way.

Platform = something you are passionate about

Make booksellers your allies — from your local independents to the Barnes and Nobles around the corner..

Be best self in Every situation

Be / have a Great personality  and be Very kind of Everyone

Being very appreciative of the people who got you there. 

For all social situations - social networking - Be part of the community, be part of the conversation.

Make sure have Website optimized - to get good person to build your site get referrals from people familiar with working with authors.   Ask Writers you know, that are well known - who they use and trust.

One panelist recommended Chuck Wendig  and his  Terrible Minds Comm. 

Talking to potential agents - or anyone with power to get you one, should be about Expressing your Passion, Not Pitching your passion.

Local platform - Local interest     Big platform - niche area

Know your Category, that your book will fit into at a bookstore.   Read in That category.   Read well in that category.

Track the history and what is selling in it now.

See what’s on the shelf there.   And see What’s the Rising Stars there.

What is your distribution…. Ebooks sell better than self-published

Instead of spending money on self-publishing, spend it on self-promotion

5-1 ratio of doing for others vs. Having / asking others to do for you.  5 of you do, to 1 of you asking of others

One panelist believes you should do a writing group in and around what you are writing.  

[My personal note to this is - maybe. I go along with the advice of having mixed friends.  Sure seems that publishers are looking for writing that’s going to appeal to a wide range of groups and readers…. So..how you going to get that if you have a very narrow group?   Just my thought.]

When you can’t do anything more to your manuscript - it’s done.

 One of the panelists believes Conferences purpose is Networking

And that’s what I had from this panel.  Plus it’s time to put in another load of laundry and check preparedness supplies.

Will get up rest of notes from JRW Conference 2012 as soon as I can.  Well, as I transcribe them from my scribbled on papers.

But you can go to Twitter and look at #jrwc12 and get tweet quotes and writing tips, notes,  from all kinds of writers that were at the Conference.  And even the Twitter Chats with some of the writers and speakers at the Conference this year.

Help for Us All

No, I’m still not really here.    I am really working Hard on getting prepared for the James River Writers Conference this weekend - October 19, 20, 21

But part of that is participating in, or at least reading [what can I say, doesn’t everyone spaz out thus missing things sometimes?], the Wonderful, James River Writers Author Chats on Twitter!  #JRWC12    #jrwc12

They are Really good!  Great info’!

But Twitter links can lead to other wonderful things as well — which, beware, can be a seducer of time away from writing.  Be warned.

Found this great tidbit - from a site I’ve mentioned before, that my husband, who has newly taken up writing, in self-defense, really likes :

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight.

One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.

………..go here for rest…….

And how can you Not read this :

The Path To 10K In Sales: Strategy, Luck & Mistakes

And for those facing NaNoWriMo - or the prospect, Looming, of it next month - this might help you :

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012

How to Write a Novel in a Month

James Scott Bell

@jamesscottbell

Next month is the annual writing frenzy known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. It’s not without its critics, and my blogmates and I have covered this action before.  

I extol the virtues of NaNoWriMo. The novel I wrote in November of 2010 was one I had under contract. It became, after editing of course, THE YEAR OF EATING DANGEROUSLY.

There are similar stories. Hugh Howey wrote his novella WOOL during that same NaNo year. The dang thing has sold in the hundreds of thousands as an ebook, and got optioned by Ridley Scott.

That’s a lightning strikes once or twice kind of thing, and most writers are not going to have that kind of out-of-the-gate success, but that’s almost beside the NaNo point. The point is to get you to get your story down, fast and furious (I wish that term hadn’t been purloined by political culture), and unleash the writer within. It’s to give you a sense of the value of finishing an entire novel (even though it will need massive editing).

As the great Robert B. Parker said, “A writer’s job is to produce.” NaNo is one month of pure production.

Here are ten tips to help you get the most out of it this year:

Not mine - I’ve truly been a pant-ser … well, pretty much with all my writing.  But I might try some of these.  

Sometime.

 so go here for the rest of this. 

But there’s that white rabbit again with his watch, saying I must get back to prep. for the James River Writers Conference this weekend!

Join us there!

Run by Flinging

I’m not really here.  I really am too busy to be even flinging words here.  But I hate seeing the empty wasteland that has overtaken this.  Not even tumbleweeds….and,  well, all the rest of the stuff that take over wastelands.  Not zombies.  Hopefully not Zombies.  Although saw a Great play read through other night - Shakespeare Richard III - Zombie Cut.

But no time for that now.  Must get back to work on all the things crying out around me.   In case you’re wondering, yes, that’s me crying in the middle.

I stumbled across this by accident - and for any of you writers out there discouraged,    Hopefully this will help you a little.   It’s a Part Two .. And I haven’t had a chance to track down and read Part One, but do take a look at Part Two.  Hopefully it will help a little.  I know I have certainly had my discouragements.  Hopefully we can help each other.  Come back and comment.  Join in with other writers.  NaNoWriMo is starting soon.  The James River Writers Conference is Really Soon!   Next Weekend, October 19, 20, 21. And….oops, time’s up I see the white rabbit with his watch.  Gotta Run.

Why Writers Disappear (Part Two)

Writers disappear because they get discouraged.

It’s really easy to discourage a writer. Writers are a fascinating mix of insecurity and ego. The ego comes in believing that they have something to say, something that the world needs or wants to hear. The insecurity comes from everything else.

…..see rest Here …..

Look Look, She Said

Okay, so Not really.

Well, I’m Hoping you’ll stay and read.

I hate being out here by myself with the wind whistling around forlornly.

It seems I was tagged in a blog post to do this :

I didn’t realize I was tagged in said post until a friend told me she had her new blog up.  So of course I dutifully dropped everything I was doing, including answering email from her, and trotted over to check it out.

No, she wasn’t the one that tagged me.   But you Should check her blog out anyway, for her intriguing snippet!     Then you can join me in badger…. Er, Encouraging, yes, that’s the right word, her to Finish this story so we can read it!   Quickly!

So, seeing her mentioning our other friend’s blog - and realizing I’m behind, not only on updating my blog here, I’m also behind in looking at other’s blogs.   Hey, at least it’s equal opportunity.   Or something like that.

I go over to other friend’s blog to read her entry.    She might need to be badger…. Er, Encouraged, also to finish the story quickly so we can read it soon!     But There is where I found my name listed for the Tag.

ACK!      

As can be shown by the blank spaces on this blog I’ve been doing other things.   I was working on writing for awhile.   But the stacks of books were getting in the way.  So having talked my wonderful husband into another bookcase, I quickly moved to fill it up.   Well, after it origami folded and I had to unload all the books I’d stuck up there at 2 a.m. night before.  [When books are on the line I can move quick!]      But he raided the garage drawers and took what braces and brackets and stuff he had and fixed it.    My hero!    And after he’d worked all day And played golf! It was a cheap bookcase but it seems to be doing the job.  So far anyway.  [I moved quickly again.]

Now if it would only progress my writing.

Oh, and Look!   I’m outta time for this.   So will have to do another post.     Or something.

Stay tuned…..

Happenings This Week

Okay, sooooo.  Obviously it’s been busy around here.  Well, in my non-blogging life.  I see the wind whistling through the empty spaces here.

Sorry about that.  I do have really good intentions.  I even have some really good ideas stuffed in a file here to blog about.  Sometimes it just seems life careens its way in front of me.  Throws itself down in front of me sometimes.

Okay, so yeah, I have been writing also.  Yes, I have been stepping out on this blog.  I have been working on some new short stories.  And I have been getting an itch to drag out an old novel I wrote a few years ago to have another go at it.

Why is it that stories do things like that to us?

Or is that like asking why there are always clothes to wash and dust bunnies to eradicate?

Or like why our internet provider can’t stop all the dropping / outage that’s been going on with our internet services for over two weeks now.

For as much as they charge and all their hype and promises in their tv ads and how bad their service Really is.

So blame them at least in part for this empty blog!   And for the calls that aren’t answered because going with their hype and putting the phone service into their hands as well.    Yeah, so not conducive to writing a ‘nice’ blog post, about a lot of things.

And if service comes back again this will be posted.  Hopefully in time for you to see it, and take note of all the happenings this week in Richmond, Virginia.

Well I haven’t been looking at what’s happening around the town, just what’s happening in the writing town around James River Writers.   Which of course if you are a writer, aspiring writer, or do any thinking about writing you should be a part of.

Coming up tomorrow - Wednesday, July 25 - [or today depending on when you read this!] join in a Twitter Chat with one of the Conference speakers that’s going to be at the Conference in October!

Starting at noon EDT Wednesday July 25 on Twitter
#JRWC12
@JamesRvrWriter  and everyone else that joins in will be twitter chatting with 
@eleanorwrites   author of the book The Weird Sisters   

And Then Thursday - July 26 - the JRW Writing Show -

• I Tweet, Therefore I Am: Building a Platform and Finding Your Voice

Tune in to the JRW website for all the happenings and for more info’ …

Such as signing up for the Conference in October now — check out what you get if you sign up Before July 31^st.

Are Writers Conferences Really Worth It?

And for All Writers?

Even for Writers that, for whatever their reasons, have self-published….???

Interesting that I should stumble across this blog post 

After James River Writers Twitter Chat other day with Cherise Fisher, @ScribesWindow on Twitter

One of the great people going to be at James River Writers Conference in October!

If you missed the Tweet Chat… well, you missed it.  Live, anyway.  You can look it up by looking at : 

#JRWC12

Cherise Fisher, @ScribesWindow

@JamesRvrWriters

#JRWC12

Check it all out on Twitter.    A lot of us breeze in and out there, and hang out sometimes.  When we aren't hanging in person at JRW things such as Writers Wednesday [this coming Wednesday!], Writing Show, etc….

It had some great information so you might want to do that.  

Not to mention you might want to get on the James River Writer website and email list, and twitter list, so you can be there for the next Tweet Chat!

And all the other great info’ that’s shared.  

And yes, I came across this blog post I’m talking about — okay, so going to talk about!    I’m getting there, give me some time here! — from Twitter as well.   So a Thanks shout out to :

Wendy A.M. Prosser ‏@WendyAMProsser

Writers' Conferences–Valuable for an Indie Author? http://dld.bz/b8eDS via @GoblinWriter #selfpub

Retweeted by Richard Stephenson

The blog post questions, and gives answers, to the question of does Writers Conferences benefit Indie Authors?    

Or to those of us still coming up to the book on these things, writers who chose to self publish their work instead of going main stream traditional publishing route.

There are some interesting points in there that you might not have considered.  No matter what path to publication you choose.

There were some I hadn’t quite thought of, and I’ve been going to the James River Writers Conference since the beginning - 10 years ago this year!!  So this year’s Conference is Extra Special!!   Just saying.

I’m such an eclectic reader, and thus, writer, that I didn’t even think about how others view - as the blog post puts it, cross-pollination — and how that can give you much needed different views and insights into your own writing, no matter what genre you are writing.

I already knew that.

But now you can too.

[You might even pick up some hanging around here with me.]

There are a Lot of great reasons to attend conferences.  

But with everyone watching money more carefully these days, especially those of us that are writers still working to get published, looking at which conferences give the biggest worth for the money is often an individual personal thing.  But a needed consideration for the pocketbook.

No matter which Conference you can manage to attend it’s only ever wasted money if you allow it to be.

So the workshops, panels, speakers, didn’t turn out as helpful as you thought they would be.   You still learned something.  Yes, you did.   You learned what Not to do.   And possibly how much you’ve grown in your knowledge of writing already.  [So Use it Wisely, grasshopper.]

The greatest benefit of attending Conferences - and all Writerly things such as JRW offers, Writers Wednesday [This coming Wednesday, by the way!], and Writing Show at the end of the month - the biggest benefit you will come away with from a Conference is the meeting of, even if you start out shy and are only rubbing elbows with, other writers.  Some will be already successful in their careers, where you want to be, right?   There will be some where you are — no matter where in the process you are.

And Everyone has been in the same place - okay, at least similar place - of where you are, no matter where you are.    We can learn from each other.   A lot.   A little.  Could be that one nugget of wisdom or help you need to get you to where you need, or want, to go.

So save your money and take a chance on going to a Conference.  

It’ll be worth it - especially if you smile and stick out your hand.   There’ll be a lot of others around that understand the nervousness.

And even some that will stick out their hand as well.

If you are, or want to be, in the Richmond, Virginia area in October, join a bunch of great people, writers and readers and all, at James River Writers Conference.   This is the 10^th year so it will be even more … well, more.    

Come and find out for yourself.  ::Grin:::

Survive and Thrive As Writers

I like to read.   Okay, so I Love to read.    EVERY writer Must be a Reader.   Everybody says so!

I haven’t figured out how to make it a paying job though.

Not that I’ve made writing a paying job so far either.   But that’s a whole different tangent.  For now anyway.

It’s so much easier to read than write.

Just like it’s so much easier to spend time reading other writers’ blogs than writing on my own.   WAY much easier.   Huh.

But you should be glad!   Since it gives me lots of fodder for posting here.   ….when I get around to actually posting it….. Instead of just reading it, and copying it….and pondering it all myself….   

So for your pondering self  —  I give you a link to a great list I discovered on another blog :

16 Tips on How to Survive and Thrive as a Writer

There are some really good thoughts here.    Some aren’t exactly new of course, but they are put in a different enough way that you should go at least look at it.

Which is what we are doing as writers, letting our own voice tell our stories.  No matter how similar or how often told, we are different, so our voices of how we tell will be.

Interesting thoughts, and I agree with the list where it talks about believing in yourself and not depending on others for that belief and all.  But writing is lonely enough to do, and while yes, we have to believe in and depend on ourselves for that belief, it can really help to have a group of friends, especially writers who will understand, to reach out to when we are feeling a bit….’delicate.’       We all have those moments.  I’m sure we do.    Don’t you?     I don’t think I’ve ever met a writer, no matter how successful they are, or were, in their career, that didn’t at some time have a bit of insecurity and doubt.

So it helps to have some kind of support somewhere.   Yeah, I agree that we really have to depend mainly on ourselves, and not let other’s unbelief become a detriment holding us back…. But it does make the lonely hours spent writing a bit easier when you know that at least sometimes, you can reach out and there will be others reaching back.

Besides sometimes our biggest fighter, pro and con, is our own selves.  We beat ourselves up so much is there any reason for anyone else to join in?    (Yes, I have my own bruises.   No, you can’t see.)

There are fellow writers out there that will offer you words of encouragement.

If you need to find some of those people, check out James River Writers in Richmond, Virginia.

In fact, there just so happens to be a Writing Show tomorrow, Thursday, night.  Where there will gathering all kinds of writers to hear, and talk about, how to get published.

And the second Wednesday of Every Month, JRW has a casual meet up that you can come and, well, meet up with other writers!      Just remember to cut some of us some slack, some of us are used to spending time alone with characters.  So real conversations can be a little different for us.

Do go check out the List and see what you take away to help you Survive and Thrive as a Writer.

And come back and give me your thoughts on it.

Getting Published and Interesting Info'

How You Can Get Published

What everyone wants to know, right?

Well, since I seem to hang out with a bunch of writers a lot, that’s what’s underlying our hard work.  I won’t mention what hard work it is complaining, and whining, about what hard work writing is.   Ahem :::clears throat:::

And since not all of you come to Writers Wednesday, James River Writers casual get together once a month, guess I’ll just have to post it here.

Oh, some of the solutions - not the whining.   Although I won’t promise that I’m above whining either.  [Since you aren’t close enough to slap me here. :::Sticks tongue out::::]

Okay, on to being a grown up now.  Mostly.

For those in the Richmond, Virginia area, James River Writers just so happens to be talking about this very thing on This Thursday night, June 28.

Many Paths to Publication: What Avenue is Right for You?

For those outside of the Richmond, VA, area, you can check this out —

Indie Author News ‏@IndieAuthorNews

5 MUST READ Blogs for Indie Authors ► http://ow.ly/9z5Wf ◄ on #writing, #amwriting, #selfpub, and #indie book sales.Read more!

I already introduced you all to one of the Great blogs that is listed here earlier in some of my blog posts so you know there’s some great info’ here.   Right?   :::Grin::::

So even if you are here in the Richmond area, and even if you are going to the JRW Writing Show, you should still check out the list of those great blogs.   I mean, especially since we already agree at least one of them is Great.