down the writer's path

Hours away from NaNoWriMo. Are you ready?

Okay all you professed committed writers, have you signed up for the National Novel Writing month-long contest? Have you done your finger exercises to get that fast-tapping keyboard action? Have you got an idea? Okay, have you got a first sentence?

There's a strong Houston contingent, and they're having get-togethers. They've even broken down into regions. Mark, there's a Clear Lake group forming.

I had to do a bit of trolling through my mind and files to find the novel for the contest. I finally latched on to what I think is my best shot to get done this month and act as the base for the Donald Maas workshops I'll be attending (more on that later). I found a crime novel idea from about ten years ago. I found the notes the other night, and after thinking about it for a day or so I went through the synopsis and developed a quick list of 50 potential scenes. I then did a bit of character work and it all felt right, so WHIRLPOOL it is.

So, let's get a move-on. Sign up. We're hours away from the opening shot. If you read this after midnight, don't worry. You can sign up any time during the early weeks of November. You just have to write like crazy but it can-and has--been done.

'Tis the contest season....

Well, for those of you balking at the November Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) contest beginning in just four days, perhaps the Writer's Digest 5th Annual Short Story Competition is more to your liking. With a $3,000 first place prize and a goal of a completed short story of 1,500 words, there are a lot of reasons to consider entering. The deadline is Wednesday, December 1, 2004. (See the October 21, 2004 entry for my thoughts on NaNoWriMo.)

Writers Digest has been offering contests for many years. At one time they only had one annual contest with several categories. I remember submitting my first short story, Rosebud, to the competition and then having to wait for about six months to learn the results. When I received the October issue that contained the names of the top 100 writers, I quickly flipped to the contest's pages. That year the contest had more than 3,000 entries, and I was absolutely thrilled to see my name on that page. First short story, first contest. You just never know.

Writer's Digest 5th Annual Short Short Story Competition
www.writersdigest.com/contests
All manuscripts must be in English, original, unpublished and 1,500 words or less. There is a $12 entrance fee. All entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2004.

Prizes:
1st -- $3,000
2nd -- $1,500
3rd -- $500
4th to 10th -- $100
11th to 25th -- $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books

Be sure and check the web page to read the complete rules and entry forms. When it comes to contest rules, my best advice is: don't deviate. Follow them exactly as written.

Local blog blooms and takes on the Houston Chronicle's flu shot shortage reporting

Houstonians might want to check out Kevin Whited's latest efforts in blogdom at BlogHouston. Kevin, recently of ChronicallyBiased.com fame, also has the Publiustx blog. I'm a big fan of Kevin's blogging efforts, and his latest is definitely staking a claim in one of blogdom's fastest-growing territories. These blogs, often consisting of more than one blogger, focus on the state or local level and not only function as a form of media watch, but also position themselves as an alternative to the traditional local print media with their coverage extending to the culture and the people. BlogHouston's Anne Lineham tackled the flu shot shortage reporting at the Houston Chronicle.

Enjoy.

Are you ready to write that novel? Join NaNoWriMo.

Most writers know it’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that just about everyone thinks they could write a book if they just had the time. We know this because it’s almost the first sentence we hear when someone finds out we’re writers. Time. It takes time to write a novel—or does it? There are many stories of authors locking themselves in a motel room or a wilderness cabin in order to complete a novel. Hemingway wrote a novel in a matter of days, Alexandre Dumas won a bet after writing a novel in 66 hours. For a litany of writers who’ve taken the challenge of dashing off a novel in a matter of days, click on Brian Forté’s Between Borders. You’ll discover the history of the classic Three-Day Novel Contest that is still going strong despite a varied history.

Somehow or another I came across the Three Day Novel Contest in the mid-90s and decided, with a few other brave writer friends, to accept the challenge. Granted, none of us put the finishing touches on the Great American Novel, but most of us actually did finish a rough—really rough—first draft. In fact, when I spoke to Chris Rogers a few years later, she said that she did continue to work on the novel and sold the manuscript several years later.

Why would anyone want to hole up in a room and write a first draft in a white-hot heat? Producing copy is one major reward. No, it’s not perfect prose. Yes, it will require a lot of work and you may end up throwing out half the material you composed; but the resulting feelings of accomplishment and the concrete evidence of printed pages stacked neatly on the desk at the end of the contest are well worth the effort. But perhaps the best reason is that your psyche undergoes a paradigm shift. No longer will you sit around day after day bemoaning the fact that you can’t write, that writer’s block has squeezed your production to a mere trickle and your writing life has come to a complete stop. Instead you will have embraced, even internalized, the can-do spirit.

Most writers, when left to their own devices, will piddle their days away and barely get a paragraph written. But give them a deadline, give them a reason to write, and the fingers fly across the keyboard. But maybe three days sounds a tad too extreme. That’s okay, because the 2004 contest has come and gone. (The contest runs over Labor Day Weekend.) But another opportunity is just around the corner. November is NaNoWriMo time.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an annual event where thousands of writers begin writing a 175 page (50,000 words) novel on November 1st and finish by the stroke of midnight on November 30th. Don’t let the wordcount scare you. If you figure 250 words per page (double-spaced), then four pages equal a 1,000 words. Write four pages a day and you’ll wind up with 30,000 words. Work a little longer on the weekends to pick up the additional 20,000 (5,000 words/20 pages per weekend) and you’re home free. (Hey, it’s a plan.)

The NaNoWriMo has grown over the years and had 25,000 participating writers last year. The contest has expanded to such an extent that the organizers have set up a great website where you can sign up to participate and become a part of the larger community with forums, regional gatherings—yes, there is a Houston contingent—and even genre groups. Participants are urged to make friends and share their daily experiences but it’s not mandatory. A resourceful annual participant has even created a nifty program that anyone can download for free to chart their daily progress and see visible expressions of their progress in pie charts and daily analysis of where they stand in relation to their goal. The website is full of tips, how-tos, and past experiences.

So, the question now is whether you’re up to the challenge. Will you finally write the first draft of that novel you know is deep inside you by signing up for this year’s National Novel Writing Month? Go ahead and spend some time reading the history and FAQs on the website. They’re anything but dry and humorless. Then be brave. Sign up. Be one of the projected 40,000 writers around the world tickling their keyboard and teasing their novel into being.

Let me know. I’ll be there, too.

Oh, are you wondering what happened to my 3-day novel? It's still alive and growing.

MJ Rose gives the backstory on Backstory

Have you ever wondered where authors get their ideas? Well, that is pretty much the most-asked question a writer receives and MJ Rose has now come to the rescue with her new blog called Backstory. In the first edition, Katherine Neville shares the inspiration for her novel "The Eight," and I have to tell you she draws from a well-used well. Many a writer has used his or her skills to vent the urge to kill. Be sure and bookmark this one.

And when you've finished, click over to Buzz, Balls & Hype, MJ's highly informative blog on marketing in the world of publishing. With 175,000 books published every year, writers find themselves doing a lot more than sitting behind a computer screen and tapping the keyboard ad nauseum.

Enjoy!

Narrative Magazine offers a new twist on an old form

Last year I ran across an online literary magazine called Narrative Magazine that operates with a fresh twist. While some of the traditional literary magazines make a portion of their issues available online at no cost, Narrative makes all its contents, including archived pieces, free and available online. This is a great opportunity for readers who enjoy reading quality fiction and nonfiction by well-known writers such as Rick Bass and Joyce Carol Oates and by emerging new writers. Even more interesting for writers is that they pay their contributors $350 on publication. Even better, they will consider unsolicited, multiple-submitted manuscripts. The magazine also offers an annual $4,000 prize for the best work published during the year by a new writer. (Last year’s winner, Axis of Happiness by Min Jin Lee, is available to read online.) The editors also have admirable goals:

Central to our goal was the conviction that Narrative should be offered for free, with all its contents, both front-run and archived pieces, readily available. We have furthered this aim by establishing the magazine as a nonprofit publication, and we are currently working to build support that will allow Narrative to increase its payments to contributors; to collaborate with schools, libraries, and other institutions to encourage reading and literacy; and to establish internships and opportunities for students and young graduates interested in literature. Many of our friends who are writers, and other friends who are not writers but who love good writing, have given generously of their work, time, and support. As a result we are moving forward with plans to expand the magazine’s reach and to deepen its offerings to readers.

Now for the twist: the magazine charges a $20 reading fee for each unsolicited manuscript submitted--except during the two month open submission period in February and March when reading fees are waived. Monies collected go to the contributor’s payments and the annual prize. Before you print out your latest masterpiece, take the time to log on and review Narrative’s submission guidelines—online submissions are the rule except during open submission time—and make sure you’ve read through several issues so you send the most suitable manuscript. If you don’t have a manuscript handy or even plan to submit one, you might check out the new Readers’ Narrative section. You may have something to add to the conversation.

Even though the writer pays a reading fee, I think this is an interesting and positive approach. The aim is to increase readership and that’s happening on a global level. The fee keeps down the temptation to toss a lot of manuscripts their way in hopes of one sticking to the proverbial wall and makes the writer focus on presenting the best work and not just any work. It’s good to see an emphasis on finding new voices. The fact that a hefty annual prize is awarded makes the opportunity even more challenging and the fee can be equated to that of most contest entry fees—except here there is an opportunity to enter and not pay a fee at all.

If you are inclined to write the type of material that Narrative Magazine publishes, the issues not only provide a free source of published material to read and enjoy but to review and critique. Let the magazine become a source of inspiration. Set a goal to produce a work to submit during the upcoming open submission period during February and March. If you decide to take up the challenge, be sure and let me know.

If you enjoy the magazine, tell others.

What to do when life gets in the way

In every writer’s life there are times when “life” gets in the way. These are moments when crisis intervenes, family obligations take priority, and writing production takes a back seat. For writers on deadline this produces heightened stress. For writers who practice their craft daily, tension is heightened. For writers lost in their own worlds of fancy, turmoil increases.

What to do?

We do the best we can. At times the writing will suffer, the production will falter, and commitment will fail. But that doesn’t mean the writer is absent. In fact, the writer is even more present--to the world. The senses are heightened; we have switched from output to input. In the midst of whirling emotions, we remain at work noticing the increased fragility of those around us, the protracted dialogues, and the freshness of an old, familiar setting. Some call it grist for the mill. Others merely name it fodder.

Over the weekend I sifted through the past week of living. It’s difficult to watch your parents age. Feel the paradigm shift. Become the parent when once you were the child. Because I am a writer, my natural inclination is to seek out the experiences of others through reading, so I reached for the latest issue of The Belleview Review, a journal that publishes works that invoke life’s experiences with illness, health and healing. And of course, the writer in me responded by composing lines, invoking images, and searching for words, those tools that help me articulate my thoughts and feelings. For it’s in the writing where I find solace, where I come to terms with life, where I begin again to be who and what I am.

Apologies

My apologies for not having any posts this week. I've had a family emergency and have not had computer access. I hope to be back posting in a matter of days but it will depend on how well my father does once he's out of the hospital. Please check back.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes on the signing. --vikk

Signatures: The John Hancock Dilemma

For those of you who think writing the book is the main work of a writer, think again. The true labor occurs when the book hits the stands some nine months to two years later. For the past several weeks writing copy for postcard mailers, press releases, and all the other sorts of marketing material needed to get a book launched has been my main priority. With my first signing for Divided Loyalties scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, Lawrence Block’s “Signature Collection” essay in the Village Voice earlier this year captured my attention.

With a booksigning, comes “the” signature. You would think that would be the easiest task to accomplish, I mean how hard is it? When my coauthor and I did our first round of signing for the travel book, Exploring Houston with Children, a few years ago, the subject of signatures came up. If you’re lucky and suddenly have several people mob your table, each clutching your book and clamoring for your signature, having a quick signature ready becomes a real asset. Many authors add a line or two that adds to the signature and my co-author spent some time coming up with hers. I, on the other hand, had developed a quick and easy signature that is quickly drawn and added a couple of words that expanded on the title. The result is that I would sign 3-4 books in the time it took her to sign one. By the next signing she had modified her signature. You would be surprised at the wear and tear on the hand that does the writing.

Signatures are interesting. During my time as an events coordinator for Borders Books, I stood by many authors and watched how they signed books. Ray Bradbury had a quick scrawl but occasionally he would sketch a cat onto the page for the lucky book buyer. President Carter worked a signing like an automated machine. He had developed what was essentially an initial stroke lengthened to include the rest of his name and he signed the books faster than his fans could keep up. They would still be standing in front of him not realizing their book had been signed and pushed toward the end of the table for pickup. President Carter signed hundreds of books in the hour or so allotted for his signing. Illustrators for children’s book often add a quick drawing to their signature. If a writer has a story appearing in an anthology, he or she is often asked to sign under their name on the first page of their story.

You can tell if the person standing in front of you is a collector because they only want your signature and do not want you to personalize the book with their name. For them it’s just the author’s signature, nothing else. For those who do want you to personalize the book, names yield another cautionary sign to the writer. You cannot assume you know how to spell anyone’s name. Many “big” authors do not personalize the signatures. It adds extra writing to the process and leads to the hand tiring even sooner. (We should all have that problem.)

New writers at conferences, especially mystery cons where fans and book collectors congregate, are often asked to sign their books with the signature-only phrase. The collectors are playing the book trade’s version of the stock market. Sometimes, when an author garners a well-spring of attention, they may suddenly find themselves without a copy of their first book and learn the price of a signed copy is up into the hundreds. This happened to a mystery author I met in the elevator during a mystery con. She had just learned the collector's price of her book and realized she did not own one copy of her book. So, perhaps a smart writer would be one who keeps a few copies of their first book on hand in hopes that their name will increase in value and allow them to reap a few pennies more to the royalties they’ve received.

If you're interested in learning more about the fine art of book collecting, you might want to read John Dunning's mystery novel Booked to Die or Nicolas Brisbane's nonfiction work, A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books . So, if you happen to be in the Sugar Land/Stafford area of Houston tomorrow afternoon, why not stop by Borders Books--The Fountains (281.240.6666) at 2:00 pm and help me practice my signature techniques?