Social Media Carnage

How do we keep all the social media from devouring us - and all our time?

Daunting, Difficult, and…and....  Dastardly !

Especially as writers we Try to find time to keep on writing.   [Or like Some of us - work on getting back to it.]

We are told we Have to establish a social ‘identity’ and …. Blah, blah, on and on.   Most of us are familiar with the rest of that refrain.   [if not, comment below, and I'll fill it in for you]

What is never quite clear is how we are supposed to integrate it / shove it / shoe-horn it into our probably already over-crowded time-pressed lives.

Not whining.  Really.  I’m well aware I am Very blessed, and don’t have it as difficult as some.  But that also does not mean my life is dripping roses skipping down a bucolic lane to a mansion.  Totally efficient and spotlessly clean of course.   With clean, and folded, laundry.    [Hey, I can still dream.  Course I might add a cook to that dream also....]

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we expect.   Or maybe, like, Ever turn out way we expect.   So we get creative and write our happy endings.  Right?   

Okay, so we don’t have our happy endings. Yet.  We can still hope and dream.  And see what we can work on in the meantime.

Which means working out the Social Media kinks in our time lines / lives.

I came across this, that might help a little.  

20 Tips to Tame the Wild Social Media Beast

Has some interesting tips that you might find useful.

Even as Writing Helps they can be useful -

# 1    Don’t expect to be Perfect.        Enough said.   Even as Writing Advice.   Keep Working toward it, but don't expect it.  Especially on your first draft.    ...maybe even your second one.

And some of the others are worth mentioning --- and applying to a Writing Life as good Writing Advice.

Take care of yourself.    

Know your audience.

Prioritize what Really matters.    Or my add to it - what really matters to You.

Realize you can’t do everything at once.   

Like Writing and Social Media and Everything else.

Yeah, you’ve heard / seen about all the studies about multi-tasking, right?   Myth.   We - None of us are very good at multi-tasking.  No matter What we think.   And according to what I saw recently those that believe they Are really Good, are the worst.

But since I'm not going to convince you with that on this post, on to next advice point ....

And most of all, take #19 to heart.      Connect With Like Minds

James River Writers in Richmond, Virginia gives a great opportunity with its programs for writers in the area.   From the Writing Show - Tomorrow Night, Thursday, January 31^st - and each month through August on the last Thursday of the month.   To Writers Wednesday the 2^nd Wednesday of Each and Every month, where everyone casually mingles and shares ideas and commiserations on such things as this.   And the Conference in October.     Not to mention several things along the way, so keep check on the JRW website for more ways to Connect with Like Minds!

There are other interesting links and info’ on the post so feel free to go check it out….. It Would be nice if you came back here and shared what caught your eye.  That I might need to take a second, or third, look at.

And since I still have ‘reality’ of laundry to take care of and the rest of it, I have to go and attack it right now.  Before it attacks me.

And if I am not at the Writing Show tomorrow night send a search party.    Bring chocolate.

James River Writers Conference Session

I’m back.  For a few minutes.  Then I must rush off again.

This is a new year for everyone, including for James River Writers non-profit organization.  After celebrating 10 years at the Conference last October, change is in the air.   Oh wait, that was snow, then sleet then …70 degree weather. Really.  For couple of days.  Or hours.     [Is wind chill really 38 degrees, can that even be at 70+ degrees, or is the weather even messing with the Weather Channel too much?]       JRWs changes will last longer.

James River Writers very popular Writing Shows starts up again on this Thursday evening, January 31.  So hope to see you there!

Author Twitter Chats have already started back up - don’t miss them.

Writers Wednesday get togethers are going strong.  Second Wednesday of every month, check the locations to see if we’re near you.  But come anyway, no matter where.  Always fun.

And of course the Conference in October.

To keep up with everything going on be sure to sign up for the JRW newsletter, and check the website often.

Since this is a new year - okay so I’m still trying to clean up last year.   I don’t believe I’m the Only one still doing that.  I realized in all the hectic whirl that became my life last year I didn’t post notes and links, to one of my sessions from the Conference.

I do apologize for not getting to it before.  Since it was a Great session.   *Grin*

So here it is -

JRW Conference Part 4

Sunday, Oct. 20, 2012

Point of View
Erin Blakemore
Eleanor Brown
Allan Wolf

Explore issues of person, narrative voice, form, tone, and tense while discussing the narrators who carry your story.

Notes :

Overall -  Tell the story you have. that you need to tell, the way you need to tell it.  According to how many points of views you need, even if it's 24, or 48, or first person plural.

Erin Blakemore      

How she had to find it within herself to answer the question of who was she to write this book.

Eleanor Brown   

This is her actual query letter sent to get her agent.  With her agent’s comments.

"My query letter is actually here:

That’s what I used to find my agent!" 

And her agent she got from this query letter gives her comments there also.

Evidently 101 queries, or several more, is the charm, she said she queried hundreds.   So DON’T give up!

Allan Wolf 

RT @KPMadonia: @AllanWolf100   wish I had taken myself serious earlier.   Surround yourself with positive people.  Find & trust your voice    #JRWC12

There were Lots of Great things / info’ tweeted at the Conference at #JRWC12

And I’m sure there will be more things this year - including Author Twitter Chats. 

Tune in on Twitter      #JRWC13

So stay tuned - to JRW - and here!

Whistling through an empty house?

Wow.  Seems a bit odd being here after such a long absence.

Perhaps I have been seeing too much Downton Abbey but I feel like this is an empty house I should quietly enter, remove my hat, and stare around at the dust covers and drifting leaves being blown in the door behind me.

Sigh.

I have been meaning to do better, to visit here more often.  I have Thought about it.  But other things have pulled me away, doing other things.

I could make promises to be here posting more often and have witty scintillating things to say, but then that would sound more like a feckless secret lover flitting off to more exciting things and people.  

……Hmmm, Well, since I feel like I’m alone here most of the time anyway, and this is sort of one of my less talked about ‘secret’ things, might not be that far off I guess.

But no time to linger for now.  I must be off again.   My cup of tea is ready to sip and I must flit on to other things to do.

Bye for now.

*Kiss Kiss*

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!