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Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Theme Reveal: Inspiration

3/21/2014

I’ve decided to join the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, which means posting 26 times throughout the month using the letters of the alphabet as a guide. (On April 1st, A is for …. and so on.)

My blogging theme for the month of April is Inspiration.

I’ll tackle sources of inspiration for writers and other creative-type people throughout the month. If you want to generate some ideas for my posts, let me know in the comments what inspires you.

Friday Five: 5 Marketing Books for Writers

3/14/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

Marketing a book is different from marketing toys, pharmaceuticals, or cars. But of course there are books about how to market books! Here are five that may help.

ISBN 9781582975542

Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform
By Christina Katz

Excerpt from description: "Before you can land a book deal--before you can even attract the interest of agents and editors--you need to be visible. How do you become visible? You develop a platform, or a way of reaching your readers. Everybody can develop a platform, and this book shows you how to do it while you're still writing."

I think "platform" can be a tricky concept for novelists, but I love the idea that there are things writers can be doing *today*, even without a book deal.

ISBN: 9780985861117

What To Do Before Your Book Launch
By M.J. Rose; Randy Susan Meyers

Description: "What To Do Before Your Book Launch is a guide for authors, covering everything from working with your publisher, to reading in public, to help for publicity and marketing, to using (and misusing) social media, to how to dress for your author photo…and far more, including cautionary tales, worksheets, timelines and etiquette tips."

Sometimes marketing is overwhelming. And sometimes even books about marketing can be overwhelming. Not this one! This guide is helpful and succinct. It contains useful lists and a great sample timeline of activities.

Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author
By Patricia Fry

Excerpt from description: "A well-organized collection of the most successful low- and no-cost ideas for promoting a book."

This book is geared more toward self-published writers but offers information that would be useful to the traditionally published as well.

ISBN: 9781599634210

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer's Guide to Marketing & Publicity
By Rob Eager

Excerpt from description: "You've written a book, but if it doesn't sell, what's the point? In 'Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, marketing expert Rob Eagar explains how to use the best promotional methods available to get your book noticed and drive sales."

Chapter 14 is dedicated to fiction writers and this book contains an interesting section explaining Amazon rankings.

ISBN 9781618220271

Everyday Book Marketing: Promotion Ideas to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life
By Midge Raymond

Excerpt from description: "Book publication is just the beginning... Everyday Book Marketing is for the published author who is not only a writer but who also may have another career, a family, and any number of other obligations that require fitting book promotion into a budget where both hours and dollars may be hard to find. This book will guide you on the journey from Writer to Marketing Pro, offering essential marketing tools along the way-including such book promotion basics as how to schedule a book tour and how to make the most of social media to how to keep the buzz going long after your launch date."

I just finished this book recently. It's divided into useful sections that each end with ideas on how to break the big steps into manageable ones. The end of the book contains some interesting interviews with authors and experts.

Do you know of other book marketing resources? Please let me know in the comments.

Teen Tuesday: Teens Writing for Teens

3/4/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

Get writing!

For this week's Teen Tuesday, check out Teens Writing for Teens. The site includes practical information, like formatting the query letter, writing a synopsis, and preparing your manuscript. It also features inspirational advice about getting started and a suggested reading list. Although the blog and facebook account are no longer maintained, the website contains some timeless help for teens who write.

Do you know of any websites that help teenage writers? Let me know in the comments and I'll consider them for a future Teen Tuesday profile.

Friday Five: Five Resources from the NY SCBWI Conference

2/28/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

The NY SCBWI Conference was an amazing source of inspiration, information, and writing ideas. I have to admit that when I boarded the train to return home, I was a little sad to leave behind the conference magic.

Looking through my notes, I found several resources that were mentioned during the conference, so I thought I'd share them with you for this week's Friday Five.

Mentioned by Kate Messner during her keynote, "The Spectacular Power of Failure"

ISBN13: 9780399166259

Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Winby Ryan Babineaux, John Krumboltz

Excerpt from the book description: "Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz, psychologists, career counselors, and creators of the popular Stanford University course 'Fail Fast, Fail Often,' have come to a compelling conclusion: happy and successful people tend to spend less time planning and more time acting. They get out into the world, try new things, and make mistakes, and in doing so, they benefit from unexpected experiences and opportunities."

Recommended by Emma Dryden in her "A Few Good Resources" handout for the plot intensive

ISBN13: 9781440525889

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master by Martha Alderson

Excerpt from the book description: "When it comes to writing bestsellers, it's all about the plot. Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time."

Martha Alderson also has a corresponding blog, Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers.

Recommended by Jane Friedman during her "Building an Author or Illustrator Platform" session: this video from Simon Sinek, "Start With Why"

Mentioned during Jill Santopolo's session "The Fundamentals of Plot"

ISBN13: 9780691017846

The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Excerpt from the book description: "Best-selling exploration of world myth and the individual soul's development that has changed millions of lives and was the focus of the recent Bill Moyers special on PBS. In this book Campbell reveals the basis of the monomyth theory which deeply influences the mythologic and folkloric studies."

Another interesting book mentioned by Kate Messner during her "The Spectacular Power of Failure" speech

ISBN13: 9780961454739

Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles, Ted Orland

Excerpt from the book description: "Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way."

Kate also has a blog post about the conference weekend which contains numerous other resource links from her speech. It's not quite as good as being there, but it's a start.

Let me know in the comments if you have anything to add from the conference.

Teen Tuesday: Teen Writing Conference

2/25/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

A writing conference for teens only!

When:
Where:
Who:
More info:

June 21, 2014
Weber State University, Ogden, Utah
Writers 13-19
www.teenwritersconference.org

Image by JJPacre (Flickr)

"We specify so strongly that we are for teens because we find that teen writers are in such a unique position. They are in school and have, obviously, already determined their excitement to write. We therefore try to put them on a path toward taking advantage of the opportunities unique to them," says Josi Kilpack, President of Teen Writers Inc, the non-profit that sponsors the conference. "We focus on craft, voice, and how to prepare for a future in publishing. We also run a contest open to all attendees where they can get professional feedback and cash prizes. It really is an opportunity for them to explore their passions in a way that best prepares them for their futures."

In its sixth year, the conference limits attendance to 150 teens. Visit Teen Writers Conference for more information.

Friday Five: 5 Books to Improve Your Writing

2/7/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

Last Friday's post was about books for writing inspiration. This week's post is about the craft and editing aspect of writing (although, admittedly, some of the books do overlap). Here are five favorites:

ISBN13: 9780684857435

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

Excerpt from official description: “Editors always tell novice writers that the first few pages of a manuscript are crucial in the publishing process -- and it's true. If an editor or agent (or reader) loses interest after a page or two, you've lost him or her completely, even if the middle of your novel is brilliant and the ending phenomenal. Noah Lukeman, an agent in Manhattan, has taken this advice and created a book that examines just what this means…”

Despite the book title, Lukeman’s advice often applies to the whole manuscript, not just the opening.

ISBN13: 9780205313426

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White

Excerpt from official description: “This classic reference is a must-have for any student or writer. In this brief handbook, Strunk identifies the principal requirements of proper American English style and concentrates on the most often violated rules of composition. Authoritative and engagingly written, this is simply the greatest book of its kind.”

This old stand-by makes it easy to look up problematic word usage, like lie vs. lay.

ISBN13: 9781599635767

Writing Irresistible KidLit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole

Excerpt from official description: “Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career.”

This recent book (published in 2012) provides great advice for children’s writers and provides many examples from contemporary fiction.

Cover of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

ISBN13: 9780060545697

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne, Dave King

"A superb tutorial for anyone wanting to learn from pros how to polish fiction writing with panache." -- Library Journal

My copy has lots of highlighting. (And I’m using the passive voice here on purpose!)

ISBN13: 0035313109423

Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish by James Scott Bell

Excerpt from official description: “How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more.”

I particularly liked chapter eleven about revision, since I spend a lot of my time on that part of the process.

Please let me know about your favorite craft and editing books in the comments. And if you'd like 5 more writing tidbits, check out my blog post about setting that was featured earlier this week at UncommonYA.

Teen Tuesday: Interview with the Claremont Review

2/4/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

This week's Teen Tuesday features an interview with Jody Carrow, Editor-in-Chief of the Claremont Review, an international magazine for young writers based in Canada. The Claremont Review is a paying market ($10.00 per magazine page and one complimentary copy). They publish "first-class poetry, short stories and short plays by young adult writers, aged 13-19, from anywhere in the English speaking world."

How does the Claremont Review differ from other teen literary magazines?

The Claremont Review differs from other teen literary magazines in a few ways: first, the magazine has a long (22 years) and credible history as a literary publication; second, its emphasis remains on the craft of writing and maintains a high standard of literary excellence; 3rd, I think the Review does not editorialize for content (except hate literature of any kind) -- it truly is an open forum for teens to explore the issues and topics that matter to them. If a piece of work holds its own literary merit, we run it, no matter what.

The Claremont Review has been publishing teen writers for over twenty years. How would you characterize current submissions? Are there any trends in teen writing that you’ve noticed?

I can’t speak for all of the past 22 years since I just came on board a little over a year ago, but I would say after reading some back issues that there seems to be a rising interest in dystopian genre fiction. I know there has been an explosion of this type of literature available to teens and I think this is what many youth are reading in their spare time. Although we do not accept this type of fiction, what is encouraging about the submissions of this nature that we have read is that many of them are written very, very well. By that I mean strong, complex characters, plots that are character driven rather than action driven, and some excellent prose. Genre fiction is often discounted for being the “easy” way of becoming a writer because it is largely exempt from the high literary standards we impose on other styles of writing, but some of the teens we have read may one day prove that maxim to be passé compose simply by virtue of their talent merging with their chosen form.

In poetry, there is a disturbing trend towards not punctuating -- AT ALL. There are poems that work without punctuation because the author has carefully crafted each line to flow into the next, so I am not saying a poem can’t be done this way, but more and more we are seeing poems where the punctuation is just left out. We wonder if this has to do with the rise in texting and other forms of electronic shorthand combined with fewer and fewer teachers spending the time on this component of writing. Whatever the reason, when we read poems that are unpunctuated for NO APPARENT REASON, we get mad. Occasionally if the poem is really good, we will work with the writer to punctuate it, but otherwise, to the rejection pile it goes.

Besides the submission guidelines provided online, could you provide more information about what type of creative work appeals to you? (Just to confirm, all work is submitted through regular mail?)

The type of creative work we are looking for and celebrate when we get, is fresh, nuanced, and unique. In other words, we are all humans more or less living out the same types of experiences --birth, death, love, loss, relationships, identity, etc -- but when a writer can expertly spin their story around these common experiences in a way that only could be told by that particular writer, we get really excited. Powerful, confident and new voices in literature. We have all day for writers of that calibre. Writers who take chances. And yes, all our submissions come through the mail.

What is the most common mistake or flaw that you see in submissions?

The most common errors people make when submitting to us is not including a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). If you care for feedback, then you must include it! Similarly, if you want your formal acceptance letter mailed to you, we won’t do it without one! Another common error is not responding to us in time with the requisite items and missing getting published.

Will you be running another annual contest? Can you provide any specific tips for teens who want to enter?

We will definitely be running our annual contest, and plan to forever! Our tips would be to have someone who loves you (but not so much that they just tell you everything you write is brilliant -- sorry, Moms and Dads out there) to proofread your submission before you send it in. Also, read, read, read as much short fiction and poetry you can get your hands on AND read past issues of our magazine to get a sense of the magazine’s aesthetic.

What advice would you offer teen writers?

Use a pen name if you must, but let the page be your place to filter the world you live in. Don’t hide and don’t give up, no matter how many rejection letters may come. Don’t let people tell you what to think -- tell them what you think." --Jody Carrow, Editor-in-Chief, the Claremont Review

My advice for teen writers is: YES! Sit down and get your voice, your perspective on the world, your beating heart on the page and see where you can go with it. Believe in the magic of the stories/poems only you can write and don’t hesitate to put them out into the world. Use a pen name if you must, but let the page be your place to filter the world you live in. Don’t hide and don’t give up, no matter how many rejection letters may come. Don’t let people tell you what to think -- tell them what you think. Writing is such a powerful way to be heard. So, keep writing. And, keep sending that writing to us.

Thank you, Jody. To learn more about the Claremont Review, visit their website, which includes advice from authors and helpful tips on getting published. Submission guidelines for writing and the visual arts are available online.

Friday Five: 5 Writing Books to Get You Unstuck

1/31/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

If you're feeling creatively stagnant, here are five inspiring books that might help.

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True
by Elizabeth Berg

ISBN13: 9780060929299

Excerpt from official description: “With wit and honesty, Elizabeth Berg provides numerous exercises that will unleash individual creativity and access and utilize all of the senses. Most important, she tells how to fire passion -- emotion -- into writing itself....”

Berg follows each of her helpful essays with homework assignments.

I'd Rather Be Writing
by Marcia Golub

ISBN13: 9780898799002

Excerpt from official description: “Blending encouragement and humor with solid advice, this guide shows writers how to gain more satisfaction from the writing craft.”

Golub’s book may not be as well-known as some of the others, but her combination of humor and practicality (“try this” exercises) are effective when you’re not feeling motivated.

The Artist's Way
by Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan

ISBN13: 9781585421466

Excerpt from official description: “The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life.”

This book provides a twelve week program with exercises each week meant to unleash your creativity.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

ISBN13: 9781590303160

Excerpt from official description: “For more than twenty years Natalie Goldberg has been challenging and cheering on writers with her books and workshops. In her groundbreaking first book, she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way.”

A classic book of writing advice broken into short essays.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott

ISBN13: 9780385480017

Excerpt from official description: “From faith, love, and grace to pain, jealousy, and fear, Lamott insists that you keep your eyes open, and then shows you how to survive. And always, from the life of the artist she turns to the art of life.”

I'm a huge fan of all of Lamott's nonfiction writing. She provides meaningful insights into self-doubt and how to get the writing done.

What books inspire you? Mention them in the comments.

Teen Tuesday: Interview with Canvas Literary Journal

1/28/2014

by Yvonne Ventresca

This week's Teen Tuesday features an interview with Ana, a member of the Canvas Lit Board. Canvas is a quarterly literary journal run by and for teens. It began in May 2013 as a spin-off from a writing summer camp so that teenagers could continue to be creative all year long. Canvas is open to writers who are 13-18 years old.

How many teens are involved in running Canvas? What would you say is the common thread that ties the Canvas volunteers together?

Currently, there are 8 teenagers on the Canvas Board. When we met for our first meeting, it was a little awkward. Most of us didn’t know each other; we all went into that meeting completely blind about who else was going to be there. But it really didn’t take long for us to get over that. We all love writing--it’s what brought us together, it’s what kept us together. Our dedication to sharing the work we’re sent, to let the truly amazing pieces we’ve seen be read by others--it’s what has kept Canvas going.

What’s been the biggest challenge in creating a literary magazine?

The biggest challenge we’ve had so far (other than choosing a name, which probably took a month) is getting the word out about Canvas. We want the pieces we feature to be seen, because they deserve it. Our hard work, the included writers’ work--it all deserves to be read and making that happen is harder then it seems. We’ve gotten more into the public eye since we’ve started because of social media and the internet. Our Social Media Team and Contest Directors have worked really hard for Canvas to be as known as it is now (since the New Year, our submissions have increased by 400 percent!) but we definitely struggled with submissions in the past.

The submission guidelines are available online, but could you provide some more information about what type of creative work appeals to you?

We’re open to all kinds of writing. Poetry, short stories, essays, non-fiction, plays, dialogues--we want it all. We definitely don’t want submitters to feel as if they have to censor their writing, because reading it is like listening to muffled music. A piece’s language, topic, characters--make them unique, make them special, make them matter. We want your writing, not what someone else thinks your writing should be. Send us a little fragment of your mind, embodied by words.

We definitely don’t want submitters to feel as if they have to censor their writing, because reading it is like listening to muffled music."
-- Ana from Canvas Lit Board

What is the most common mistake or flaw that you see in submissions so far?

A lot of the mistakes we see are simple things that are easy to fix. When we see that, we send the writer an e-mail asking for him or her to edit it and re-submit. Often, it’s an uncompleted ending or a weak beginning. Sometimes there are holes in a story, an awkward stanza in a poem. Sometimes, people don’t take advantage of the amount of words they’re allowed to use in a piece. We send back our suggestions and thoughts for pieces that have potential and that we really to want to see re-submitted.

You recently added a forum component to the Canvas website. Could you explain its purpose?

Canvas was started as a way for teens to share their writing abilities and to encourage them to develop it. We wanted to make a community of writers, joined together to spread their work and to see that of others. The forum is another way for that community to grow. People can ask questions, give feedback, and offer advice on it. And we want them to. Anything that anyone wants to share can go on the forum.

Thank you, Ana! Visit Canvas and be sure to stop by their new forum. Canvas writing guidelines and art submission guidelines are available online.

Friday Five: 5 Noteworthy Blogs You Might Not Be Reading Yet

1/10/2014

By Yvonne Ventresca

I've gathered together an eclectic group of five blogs that you might not be reading, but if you're a writer, you should be. :) Here they are, in no particular ranking:

Sparring Mind

I recently discovered the Sparring Mind blog by Gregory Ciotti. It’s a well-researched behavioral psychology blog and the posts definitely apply to writers. I linked to his productivity video in last week’s blog, and for other interesting information, check out The Science of Building Good Habits and How to Make Them Stick.

Book of Kells

Kelli Russell Agodon is a poet, not a children’s writer, but she blogs at the Book of Kells with such honesty about the creative process that her posts definitely cross genres. I love her “Confession Tuesdays,” which are brave and inspiring.

Positively Peggy

As creative people, it helps when someone knowledgeable explains social media concepts. This one blog post at Peg Fitzpatrick’s blog made me a follower: 8 Smart Tips to Maximize Your Blog Content. There's just so much for writers to know and only so much time to learn it!

The Art of Not Getting Published

Susan Brody is witty! I dare you to read her blog post about Mars and not smile. She mixes humor, interviews, book reviews, and personal news. Check out The Art of Not Getting Published so her humor doesn’t go to waste.

Writing and Illustrating

Kathy Temean has a dedicated following since her days as the SCBWI NJ regional advisor, but just in case you are unfamiliar with her blog, she posts *every single day* about children’s publishing. She provides a variety of industry information (such as what a new agent is looking for), arranges monthly online first page critiques, and features children’s illustrators each Saturday. Kathy has always been devoted to providing opportunities for children’s writers and illustrators, and she uses her blog as a vehicle to help others.

With thousands of blogs out there, I know there are other good ones. Let me know your favorites in the comments.

<<Previous

Forward>>

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Theme Reveal: Inspiration

Friday Five: 5 Marketing Books for Writers

Teen Tuesday: Teens Writing for Teens

Friday Five: Five Resources from the NY SCBWI Conference

Mentioned by Kate Messner during her keynote, "The Spectacular Power of Failure"

Recommended by Emma Dryden in her "A Few Good Resources" handout for the plot intensive

Recommended by Jane Friedman during her "Building an Author or Illustrator Platform" session: this video from Simon Sinek, "Start With Why"

Mentioned during Jill Santopolo's session "The Fundamentals of Plot"

Another interesting book mentioned by Kate Messner during her "The Spectacular Power of Failure" speech

Teen Tuesday: Teen Writing Conference

A writing conference for teens only!

Friday Five: 5 Books to Improve Your Writing

Teen Tuesday: Interview with the Claremont Review

Friday Five: 5 Writing Books to Get You Unstuck

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True
by Elizabeth Berg

I'd Rather Be Writing
by Marcia Golub

The Artist's Way
by Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott

Teen Tuesday: Interview with Canvas Literary Journal

Friday Five: 5 Noteworthy Blogs You Might Not Be Reading Yet

Sparring Mind

Book of Kells

Positively Peggy

The Art of Not Getting Published

Writing and Illustrating

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Mentioned by Kate Messner during her keynote, "The Spectacular Power of Failure"

Recommended by Emma Dryden in her "A Few Good Resources" handout for the plot intensive

Recommended by Jane Friedman during her "Building an Author or Illustrator Platform" session: this video from Simon Sinek, "Start With Why"

Mentioned during Jill Santopolo's session "The Fundamentals of Plot"

Another interesting book mentioned by Kate Messner during her "The Spectacular Power of Failure" speech

A writing conference for teens only!

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg

I'd Rather Be Writing by Marcia Golub

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Lifeby Anne Lamott

Get new blog posts by email:

Newsletter: Sign me up!

Archives

Categories

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True
by Elizabeth Berg

I'd Rather Be Writing
by Marcia Golub

The Artist's Way
by Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott