I agree with Hanif Kureishi – creative writing courses are a waste of time | Books | theguardian.com.
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I agree with Hanif Kureishi – creative writing courses are a waste of time
The novelist and professor Hanif Kureishi has voiced criticism of creative writing courses – and having been on one, I find it hard to disagree. Share your experiences below…
Filed under Writing Tip Wednesday
WHEN TO SAY WHEN: HOW MUCH EDITING IS ENOUGH?
by BRUCE HALE
http://www.brucehalewritingtips.com/
One of the most common questions I hear from writing students is “How do I know when to stop editing and revising my story?” Or in other words, “when do I say when?”
I ran into this same problem when making ahi stir-fry yesterday. I seared the fish awhile, then made a guess and tossed in the vegetables. (Wolfgang Puck I’m not.)
I wondered how long to let the whole mess fry. Would I overcook the fish or undercook the veggies? Finally, a gut feeling said, “Whoops, the fish might be too well-done.” Turned out that feeling was right.
With a meal, it’s too late (unless you’ve got a hungry dog handy). Overcooked isn’t curable. But with a story, provided you’ve saved your earlier drafts, over-edited isn’t irreversible.
So when do you stop cooking your story?
I believe this decision comes from a gut feeling – a blend of experience and intuition.
ONE AND DONE?
Kids do one draft and believe they’re done. But experience has taught us adult writers the importance of rewriting. Of course, the danger is that we can tend to over-think, over-edit, and try to make our story perfect.
Big news: Your story doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact it will never be perfect, because story writing isn’t like math. There isn’t one absolute, right answer.
In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that attachment to perfection is the enemy of art. In trying to get it “perfect”, we inhibit ourselves from freely expressing, and we can kill what’s alive in our
work.
So when you edit, don’t aim for “perfect.” Shoot for “as good as I can make it right now.” Your gut will guide you.
If you’re feeling too close to the story, have a trusted writing partner read it and comment. Then, if you’re still not sure, ask yourself some questions:
— Have I solicited feedback from readers I trust?
— Have I incorporated suggested changes that felt right to me?
— Am I afraid of the response this story will receive, and am I just delaying sending it out?
— Is this story as good as I can make it right now?
If you answered “yes” to all those questions, you’ve got your answer.
Enough is enough. Trust your gut. Send that manuscript out before you overcook it. (After all, Rover won’t eat an overdone story.)
___________
Bruce Hale
About Bruce…
Bruce Hale began his career as a writer while living in Tokyo, and continued it when he moved to Hawaii in 1983. Before entering the world of children’s books, he worked as a magazine editor, surveyor, corporate lackey, gardener, actor, and deejay.
Bruce has written and illustrated over 25 books for kids. His Underwhere series includes Prince of Underwhere and Pirates of Underwhere. His Chet Gecko Mysteries series includes: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Big Nap, The Malted Falcon, Hiss Me Deadly, and others. More at http://www.brucehale.com/
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday
Most Amazon bestselling authors aren’t making minimum wage
By Charlie Jane Anders
Yesterday we posted a chart from Hugh Howey’s new report on author earnings, showing indie and self-published authors pulling ahead of people published by the “big five” in terms of total unit sales. Now here’s another chart from an e-book publishing expert who’s calling some of Howey’s conclusions into question.
Chart:
E-book sales. Source: Hugh Howey
Writing in Digital Book World, Dana Beth Weinberg points out that there are a number of questions about Howey’s data, even beyond the potential flaws that you’d already noticed. For one thing, Howey isn’t representing all self-published and indie authors — just the top 1.5 percent, or the cream of the crop. There are also some questionable assumptions in Howey’s methodology, writes Weinberg, and some statistical problems.
But leaving that stuff aside, even if you accept Howey’s data and his conclusions, it’s not clear that most of his indie/self-published authors are doing better than people published by the big mainstream publishers, argues Weinberg. What is clear, though, is that the people who are doing best, on Amazon e-book sales, are those published by Amazon’s own publishing imprints.
The really depressing thing? Weinberg estimates that most of the authors in the survey, whether self-published or published by a New York publishing house, are not making minimum wage:
Sales figures:
A different look at e-book sales.
Full article at: http://io9.com/most-amazon-bestselling-authors-arent-making-minimum-w-1522482723
Source material at:
The Report, by Hugh Howey, Feb. 12, 2014
Full article at: http://authorearnings.com/the-report/
The Principal of Digital Abundance — thoughts on author earnings, by Damien G. Walter, Feb. 12, 2014
Full article at: http://damiengwalter.com/2014/02/12/the-principle-of-digital-abundance-thoughts-on-author-earnings/
Note: This post suggested by Research Assistant Ashlie
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday
Dos and Don’ts for the Last 10,000 Words of Your Story
By James V. Smith Jr.
DON’T INTRODUCE ANY NEW CHARACTERS OR SUBPLOTS.
Don’t introduce anything new. Any appearances within the last fifty pages should have been foreshadowed earlier, even if mysteriously. What this means: If you bring in a new character this late, your audience will feel cheated, as if you’ve been holding back important information for a cheap surprise. They want clues throughout the novel so that way, even if they couldn’t solve it early, they can look back and say “Oh yeah, now that makes sense.”
DON’T DESCRIBE, MUSE, EXPLAIN, OR PHILOSOPHIZE.
In other words, keep the author out of the story, and don’t let it drag. By this point in the story, setup is done, complication is wrapping up, and resolution should be entirely uncluttered so you and the reader can make an unimpeded dash to the finish line. Keep description to a minimum, action and conflict to the max.
What this means: No long details about the setting or sudden dishing about backstory. This is what your story is all about. Your protagonist has sacrificed and made wrong turns to get to this moment. Make these pages as face-paced as possible.
DO CREATE THAT SENSE OF OH, WOW!
Once or twice on every page, if possible, more frequently.
What this means: Stories that play out “Then this happened. Then this happened. Then this happened.” in the final moments aren’t memorable. It’s better to put in an “But unexpectedly …” as the final chapters close up your story, especially if it ties up moments you’ve foreshadowed earlier in your novel.
DO ENMESH YOUR READER DEEPLY IN THE OUTCOME OF YOUR STORY.
Make her unable to put down your novel to go to bed, to work, or even to the bathroom until she sees how it turns out.
What this means: Like in sports, the most captivating part is the final minutes or innings of a close game. You can’t take your eyes off of it because you not only want to know the outcome, you feel like you need to know the outcome—and you need to know it immediately. Think of your ending in those terms.
To learn more, go to: http://www.writersdigest.com/how-to-improve-your-writing-skills-the-last-10000-words?et_mid=656501&rid=239626420
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday
By Kathi Appelt
I have been a writer my whole life long, beginning with writing on walls as a toddler to writing professionally as an adult. In that life-long career, I have written articles, picture books, non-fiction, poetry, essays, short stories, a memoir, and even a song or two.
But for years and years the novel was a form that absolutely eluded me.
NOVEL PROBLEMS
For a long time, I told myself that I didn’t need to write a novel. After all, I had plenty of published work to stand on, and I had plenty of ideas for new works.
But I was kidding myself, because in my heart of hearts, it was a novel that I wanted to write. So, I took courses, I bought how-to books, I went to workshops. I did all of the required groundwork. Why couldn’t I crack this genre?
In the meantime, I had drawer after drawer, boxes stacked upon boxes, of half-finished novels that were just that: half-finished.
It seemed like I could create wonderful characters, interesting landscapes, and great, colorful details. My characters, despite their goals, just didn’t seem to make much progress. I’d get about half way through and then my story would lose steam and whimper into oblivion.
It wasn’t until I took an on-line course with master teacher Dennis Foley that I realized that the essential element missing from my work was tension.
GETTING TENSE
Now, plots are plots. I knew how to create plots. They involve a character who is moving toward a goal. And as Dennis so aptly puts it: “a goal is nothing more than whatever your character is trying to achieve, overcome or acquire.” Easy peasy.
Yeah, right!
How could it be that I could have a character, in search of a goal, with all of the other elements in place, but still come up short?
As it turns out, in order for a reader to care about your story, the stakes have to be raised. You can have a character overcome incredible odds and obstacles, but if there’s nothing at stake, then there’s no reason to pull for that same character.
Let’s consider an example. Say we have a great guy named Phillip who is a cross-country racer and whose goal is to win the regional track meet. We’ll put Phillip at the starting line and pull the trigger on the starting pistol. Kapow! Off he goes.
If we use a basic plot, with three obstacles of increasing difficulty, we can first have Phillip develop an annoying blister on his heel. But because Phillip is tough, he runs through the pain. Next, it starts to snow. Now Phillip is having trouble seeing the track because of the snow, and his blister is getting worse, so the odds against his winning are increasing. Finally, he stumbles and turns his ankle. The entire pack is well ahead of him and Phillip is trailing badly.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
We’ll leave it there. Whether Phillip wins or not doesn’t really matter. But what is missing from this story is the why of it. Why is it so important that Phillip win this race?
You see, there’s nothing wrong with this plot, nothing wrong with the obstacles, nothing wrong with the character. But we have no idea what the stakes are and why it matters so much to Phillip to win that race. Is a college scholarship at stake? Is he racing to prove something to his family, something
about honor, about perseverance, about stamina? Is he racing to win enough money to buy medicine for his little daughter?
What will be irrevocably lost if he doesn’t win? Why is it so important to Phillip?
And that’s the key word – important. The stakes have to be so important to the main character that if they don’t achieve, acquire or overcome their goal, we the reader will care. If not, then it’s just a race.
Winning or losing doesn’t matter unless the stakes are high.
Raise ’em, honey. Otherwise, nobody will care.
___
Kathi Appelt
Filed under Writing Tip Wednesday
By Peggy Eddleman
Note: There is also a giveaway you can be eligible for if you go to the link above and post a comment.
Tip #1: If you can get a pitch session with an agent/editor, do it!
Agents get tons of queries every single day, and a good 90% of them come from people who haven’t worked very hard to perfect their craft. Agents know that if you go to conferences, you’re likely in the 10% who have. If you go to a conference and pitch, you’re likely a top 10% writer who has a book close to being worthy of representation. It also gives both of you a chance to meet each other, and that’s invaluable.
Tip #2: If you don’t register in time to schedule a pitch session, get on a waiting list.
Pitch sessions fill up quickly. People get nervous, though, or don’t get their book ready in time, so they cancel often. They shouldn’t, but they do, and this is good for anyone who is on the waiting list.
Tip #3: Figure out what you want to cover during your pitch session.
Don’t memorize a script, but do memorize the points you want to cover. Then you can talk like a normal person about it. And definitely practice talking like a normal person about it to everyone who will listen. The more comfortable you feel when talking about your book, the better your pitch session will go.
Tip #4: Go with other questions in mind.
I speed-talked my way through my first pitch session, because when I’m nervous I don’t ramble– I leave things out. So my pitch was done in less than 30 seconds. After asking me a few questions, the agent requested my full. Then she said, “Do you have any questions for me?” I hadn’t thought about questions for her! I sat there, feeling awkward, said, “Um…. Nope?” then shook her hand and left, with seven minutes of our meeting unused.
Don’t do what I did! Use that time to ask about their agenting style. Ask about the industry. Ask about the process. Ask about craft. Ask questions about your plot. Ask about anything writing related. Chat. See how your personalities mesh. Just don’t leave seven minutes early. You paid for that time– use it.
Tips 5, 6, and 7 available at http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/7-tips-for-pitching-to-an-agent-or-editor-at-a-conference?et_mid=658011&rid=239626420
Filed under Writing Tip Wednesday
The 16 Habits of Exuberant Human Beings, by Kate Bratskeir.
Sample of article:
Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, theorizes that while 60 percent of happiness is determined by our genetics and environment, the remaining 40 percent is up to us.
In his 2004 Ted Talk, Seligman describes three different kinds of happy lives: The pleasant life, in which you fill your life with as many pleasures as you can, the life of engagement, where you find a life in your work, parenting, love and leisure and the meaningful life, which “consists of knowing what your highest strengths are, and using them to belong to and in the service of something larger than you are.”
After exploring what accounts for ultimate satisfaction, Seligman says he was surprised. The pursuit of pleasure, research determined, has hardly any contribution to a lasting fulfillment. Instead, pleasure is “the whipped cream and the cherry” that adds a certain sweetness to satisfactory lives founded by the simultaneous pursuit of meaning and engagement.
****
While not directly a writing tip, a more positive frame of mind might just help with writing, especially when few others seem interested in what you are doing.
Filed under Writing Tip Wednesday
Interview: Joe R. Lansdale : Under the Moons of Mars.
Sample of interview…
Interview: Joe R. Lansdale
How did you first come to discover the Barsoom books by Edgar Rice Burroughs?
Actually, as a child when TV was beginning to look for things to fill the air waves, every Saturday they showed Tarzan movies, or Bomba movies, or Flash Gordon, or Buck Rogers, or a combination there of. The Tarzan movies got me interested in the name Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials got me interested in S.F. adventures, so when I was eleven, and came across a Princess of Mars, and a little later Tarzan of the apes, I was hooked through the gills. I had always wanted to be a writer, seemingly from birth, but when I found Edgar Rice Burroughs, I knew I had to be.
What do you find appealing about the characters and milieu?
It was so different from my life, and at that age I pretty much felt the stories were real. The first person narrative of so many of the John Carter tales was what worked for me, more than the Tarzan novels, or any of the series that were not first person. The framing device of Burroughs receiving the story was another one of the things that pulled me in. I think from that moment on my favorite form of storytelling, and writing, was first person. When I look at the thirty novels I’ve written, most of them are in first person, and I think Burroughs influenced that. I write things, normally, very different from what Burroughs wrote, but he is still my sentimental favorite, and the narrative drive he had in his stories has stayed with me to this day. Oh, and add to the fact that John Carter was a Southerner, could live forever, and could go to Mars by just spreading is arms wide was way cool. I did that, you know, as I’m sure a lot of young boys did back then. Spread my arms hoping, just hoping, those stories, were as I suspicioned then, true. Now I realize if I had been swept across that vast void to Mars, I’d have been killed in moments by most anything I encountered. Dang it.
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Filed under Writers on writing, Writing Tip Wednesday
Amazon best-selling books of 2013: what they tell us about America..
Sad or maybe not so sad thing is, except for The Great Gatsby, I don’t have nor have I read any of these other books, and not sure I want to.
Filed under book list
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