Friday, July 25, 2008
20
I received my 20th acceptance of the year earlier today, for a confession I mailed off on the 6th.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Beginnings
The Short Mystery Fiction Society is discussing the "rules" of opening scenes. Among the "rules"--some of which are cribbed from Elmore Leonard--is "don't open with a description of the weather." There's debate on how valid these rules really are, with members pointing to this story or that as prime examples of great stories that begin with a description of the weather or that break other "rules."
I suspect the dilemma isn't the "rules." Here's what I posted:
I doubt that taking a few sentences to set up the atmosphere of a story is frowned on in today's market. I think what's frowned on is wasting multiple paragraphs describing weather that is unimportant, or a character's actions upon rising from bed, or background details that delay the start of the story.
There's a big difference between:
At 1:22 a.m., almost four hours into a thunderstorm that rumbled up the mountain and enveloped the lodge without warning, we lost power. At 1:23 a.m. someone pressed the muzzle of a .357 between the innkeeper's eyes and squeezed the trigger. None of the other guests recognized the sound, but I did. I woke immediately.
and
We all stood at the window and watched the storm race up the mountain. The lightning flashed across the evening sky like wayward fireworks and soon rain drops fat as marbles rattled the windows. The dark clouds made the night seem even darker and cast an ominous feeling of dread over all of the lodge's guests. I'd been in worse storms, I suppose, but this one was something more. It felt bigger, somehow, because the lodge was surrounded by pine forest and the nearest neighbor was ten miles down the mountain. The other guests slowly peeled away from the window. Some went to bed, others went to sit by the fireplace. By midnight, though, everyone else had turned in. I decided I might as well join them. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed into the new pajamas my wife had given me just before we'd left home. Then I slipped into bed beside her and watched the storm until I finally fell asleep sometime later.
A familiar sound woke me and it wasn't thunder. It was a gunshot, a gunshot that must have sounded just like thunder to the lodge's other guests....blah, blah, blah.
Both examples begin with weather, but the first example makes the weather a vital part of the scene. The second example makes the weather more of a space filler that delays the start of the story.
I suspect the dilemma isn't the "rules." Here's what I posted:
I doubt that taking a few sentences to set up the atmosphere of a story is frowned on in today's market. I think what's frowned on is wasting multiple paragraphs describing weather that is unimportant, or a character's actions upon rising from bed, or background details that delay the start of the story.
There's a big difference between:
At 1:22 a.m., almost four hours into a thunderstorm that rumbled up the mountain and enveloped the lodge without warning, we lost power. At 1:23 a.m. someone pressed the muzzle of a .357 between the innkeeper's eyes and squeezed the trigger. None of the other guests recognized the sound, but I did. I woke immediately.
and
We all stood at the window and watched the storm race up the mountain. The lightning flashed across the evening sky like wayward fireworks and soon rain drops fat as marbles rattled the windows. The dark clouds made the night seem even darker and cast an ominous feeling of dread over all of the lodge's guests. I'd been in worse storms, I suppose, but this one was something more. It felt bigger, somehow, because the lodge was surrounded by pine forest and the nearest neighbor was ten miles down the mountain. The other guests slowly peeled away from the window. Some went to bed, others went to sit by the fireplace. By midnight, though, everyone else had turned in. I decided I might as well join them. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed into the new pajamas my wife had given me just before we'd left home. Then I slipped into bed beside her and watched the storm until I finally fell asleep sometime later.
A familiar sound woke me and it wasn't thunder. It was a gunshot, a gunshot that must have sounded just like thunder to the lodge's other guests....blah, blah, blah.
Both examples begin with weather, but the first example makes the weather a vital part of the scene. The second example makes the weather more of a space filler that delays the start of the story.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Writing Dialog
"Dialog is difficult to write," I said.
"Why?" An attractive young writer, eager to learn the secrets of my success, sat across from me. This wasn't the first time we'd met to discuss writing.
"Because it must be realistic without being real."
"I don't understand."
"Well, um, I'm not sure I can explain it, but--let's see--real people, like, they stop and start and, um, they st-stutter and talk in run-on sentences. Or incomplete sentences. And they don't always think before they, um, open their mouths and stuff. You know?"
"That was bad."
"Wasn't it, though?" I said. "I hear people talking like that every day."
She leaned forward. "So how do you make dialog realistic without being real?"
I considered for a moment before continuing. "Take out the fluff. Don't start sentences with 'well.' Eliminate the 'um's and 'er's. Eliminate throwaway bits such as 'by the way.'"
"That sounds easy enough, but that can't be it. There must be more."
I reached across the table and patted her hand. She didn't pull away. "There's much more, but perhaps we should order a drink before continuing. You game?"
After she said she was, I called the waiter over, ordered a pair of frozen margaritas, and watched him walk away. Then I continued. "That was a good example."
She appeared bewildered. "Of what?"
"Of knowing when to write dialog and when not to."
"I still don't understand."
"I could have written, 'I called the waiter over. He introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Bob. I'll be serving you today." "Hi, Bob," I said. "What will you have?" he asked. "Two frozen margaritas," I told him. "Is that all?" "Yes, Bob, that's all," I said. Then I watched him walk away before I continued.'"
"That wouldn't have advanced the plot at all, would it?"
I smiled. She was beginning to understand. I said, "Not at all."
"Anything else?"
"Avoid long blocks of 'dialog' where a single character does all the talking. Once a character has said more than three consecutive sentences, you're in danger of writing a monolog or a soliloquy. Even worse is when each of your characters speaks in long, uninterrupted blocks. That creates alternating monologues."
"That was four sentences."
"You could have interrupted me and broken it up a bit."
"No," she said. She licked salt off the rim of her glass. "I like listening to you."
I liked what her tongue was doing but I couldn't allow myself to be distracted. I had much more to teach her.
"The info dump should also be avoided," I told her, "especially in dialog."
"What's an info dump?"
"An info dump is when the author needs or wants to convey information to the reader and chooses to do it in a block of text rather than parceling it out in bits and pieces as the story progresses." I took a sip from my margarita and realized she'd already finished half of hers. "It's especially bad when one character tells the other character something they both already know."
"Give me an example."
"As you know, we're sitting in the bar of Bonita's, a place you once described as your favorite Mexican restaurant. Bonita's was opened in 1910 and is still owned and operated by the same family. It started as a hole-in the-wall and has grown significantly since then. What makes Bonita's unique is that the founding family--the Fitzpatricks--are Irish. It's the best place in town to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo."
I saw a twinkle in the young writer's eye. Maybe it was my charm. Maybe it was just the alcohol. "I did know all that. So why did you tell it to me?"
"Info dump."
"Will it be important later in the story?"
"I doubt it."
She caught the waiter's attention and ordered two more frozen margaritas. I had barely finished my first one when he arrived with the fresh margaritas.
"What else?" she asked.
"Avoid blathering."
"What's blathering?"
"When one character asks a question that can be answered simply, but the second character uses it as a jumping off point to ramble on and on."
"For example?"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Jo," she said. "I was named after my uncle Joe, but my parents dropped the 'e' to make my name feminine. My uncle Joe was a cool guy. He taught me to hunt and fish. Well, my uncle Joe and my Dad did. They took to me to Clauson's farm every summer. The Clausons were my mother's cousins. My mother never went out there with us. She liked to stay home. She said she enjoyed having a little time to herself. She--" The young writer stopped and looked at me. She had beautiful blue eyes. "I'm blathering, aren't I?"
I smiled and repeated something she'd said earlier. "I like listening to you."
This time she reached across the table for my hand and our fingers entwined. Then she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and looked deep into my eyes.
I cleared my throat. "Of course, most of these rules can be broken if the story warrants it. Sometimes you need a character who stutters or one who blathers. But just one."
She stroked my palm with the tip of one finger. "What else?"
"Always have a good line to exit the scene."
Jo lowered her voice. "And what do you have?"
I already knew her answer, but I asked because it was the best way to end the scene. "Would you like to go to my place and see my manuscripts?"
"Why?" An attractive young writer, eager to learn the secrets of my success, sat across from me. This wasn't the first time we'd met to discuss writing.
"Because it must be realistic without being real."
"I don't understand."
"Well, um, I'm not sure I can explain it, but--let's see--real people, like, they stop and start and, um, they st-stutter and talk in run-on sentences. Or incomplete sentences. And they don't always think before they, um, open their mouths and stuff. You know?"
"That was bad."
"Wasn't it, though?" I said. "I hear people talking like that every day."
She leaned forward. "So how do you make dialog realistic without being real?"
I considered for a moment before continuing. "Take out the fluff. Don't start sentences with 'well.' Eliminate the 'um's and 'er's. Eliminate throwaway bits such as 'by the way.'"
"That sounds easy enough, but that can't be it. There must be more."
I reached across the table and patted her hand. She didn't pull away. "There's much more, but perhaps we should order a drink before continuing. You game?"
After she said she was, I called the waiter over, ordered a pair of frozen margaritas, and watched him walk away. Then I continued. "That was a good example."
She appeared bewildered. "Of what?"
"Of knowing when to write dialog and when not to."
"I still don't understand."
"I could have written, 'I called the waiter over. He introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Bob. I'll be serving you today." "Hi, Bob," I said. "What will you have?" he asked. "Two frozen margaritas," I told him. "Is that all?" "Yes, Bob, that's all," I said. Then I watched him walk away before I continued.'"
"That wouldn't have advanced the plot at all, would it?"
I smiled. She was beginning to understand. I said, "Not at all."
"Anything else?"
"Avoid long blocks of 'dialog' where a single character does all the talking. Once a character has said more than three consecutive sentences, you're in danger of writing a monolog or a soliloquy. Even worse is when each of your characters speaks in long, uninterrupted blocks. That creates alternating monologues."
"That was four sentences."
"You could have interrupted me and broken it up a bit."
"No," she said. She licked salt off the rim of her glass. "I like listening to you."
I liked what her tongue was doing but I couldn't allow myself to be distracted. I had much more to teach her.
"The info dump should also be avoided," I told her, "especially in dialog."
"What's an info dump?"
"An info dump is when the author needs or wants to convey information to the reader and chooses to do it in a block of text rather than parceling it out in bits and pieces as the story progresses." I took a sip from my margarita and realized she'd already finished half of hers. "It's especially bad when one character tells the other character something they both already know."
"Give me an example."
"As you know, we're sitting in the bar of Bonita's, a place you once described as your favorite Mexican restaurant. Bonita's was opened in 1910 and is still owned and operated by the same family. It started as a hole-in the-wall and has grown significantly since then. What makes Bonita's unique is that the founding family--the Fitzpatricks--are Irish. It's the best place in town to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo."
I saw a twinkle in the young writer's eye. Maybe it was my charm. Maybe it was just the alcohol. "I did know all that. So why did you tell it to me?"
"Info dump."
"Will it be important later in the story?"
"I doubt it."
She caught the waiter's attention and ordered two more frozen margaritas. I had barely finished my first one when he arrived with the fresh margaritas.
"What else?" she asked.
"Avoid blathering."
"What's blathering?"
"When one character asks a question that can be answered simply, but the second character uses it as a jumping off point to ramble on and on."
"For example?"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Jo," she said. "I was named after my uncle Joe, but my parents dropped the 'e' to make my name feminine. My uncle Joe was a cool guy. He taught me to hunt and fish. Well, my uncle Joe and my Dad did. They took to me to Clauson's farm every summer. The Clausons were my mother's cousins. My mother never went out there with us. She liked to stay home. She said she enjoyed having a little time to herself. She--" The young writer stopped and looked at me. She had beautiful blue eyes. "I'm blathering, aren't I?"
I smiled and repeated something she'd said earlier. "I like listening to you."
This time she reached across the table for my hand and our fingers entwined. Then she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and looked deep into my eyes.
I cleared my throat. "Of course, most of these rules can be broken if the story warrants it. Sometimes you need a character who stutters or one who blathers. But just one."
She stroked my palm with the tip of one finger. "What else?"
"Always have a good line to exit the scene."
Jo lowered her voice. "And what do you have?"
I already knew her answer, but I asked because it was the best way to end the scene. "Would you like to go to my place and see my manuscripts?"
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's the visual image...
I stepped on a landmime yesterday. I saw him explode but I didn't hear a sound.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
To market, to market
I didn't feel particularly creative this weekend, but creativity is only part of what it takes to be a writer. Instead of writing, I spent a good part of the weekend pulling manuscripts from the drawer and matching them to potential markets. Ultimately, I found places to send 12 unpublished short stories and two previously published essays.
Alas, I ran out of weekend before I ran out of manuscripts. I still have about half a file drawer filled with manuscripts that are between submissions. (And doesn't "between submissions" sound a great deal more appealing than "unsold"?)
Alas, I ran out of weekend before I ran out of manuscripts. I still have about half a file drawer filled with manuscripts that are between submissions. (And doesn't "between submissions" sound a great deal more appealing than "unsold"?)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Five years of fiction
I have reached a milestone that I think few other writers--especially writers too young to have written for the pulps--have achieved: I have had one or more pieces of short fiction published every month for 60 consecutive months.
That's five years of fiction.
Dare I hope for six?
That's five years of fiction.
Dare I hope for six?
POV
On the Short Mystery Fiction Society Yahoo group, Victor J. Banis posted the following link:
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/PDF/ForceOfNature_Sampler.pdf
This is a link to a large file (which may take a long time to download if your Internet connection is dial-up), but beginning on page 54 is one of the best--if the not the best--article on Point-of-View that I've ever read.
Written by Suzanne Brockmann, who I know nothing about other than the information that's included in the file, this article will benefit writers no matter what their skill level.
Read it. You'll learn a lot.
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/PDF/ForceOfNature_Sampler.pdf
This is a link to a large file (which may take a long time to download if your Internet connection is dial-up), but beginning on page 54 is one of the best--if the not the best--article on Point-of-View that I've ever read.
Written by Suzanne Brockmann, who I know nothing about other than the information that's included in the file, this article will benefit writers no matter what their skill level.
Read it. You'll learn a lot.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
19
My essay for the textbook was accepted today, making it my 19th acceptance of the year.
I need a slew of acceptances to meet my one-acceptance-a-week goal and I don't see that happening. On the other hand, maybe it's time to stop setting my goals based on quantity.
I need a slew of acceptances to meet my one-acceptance-a-week goal and I don't see that happening. On the other hand, maybe it's time to stop setting my goals based on quantity.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Textbook contribution
Several months ago I was asked to contribute to a textbook on writing genre fiction. I finally--finally!--finished my contribution this evening and e-mailed it to the editors. I hope it meets their needs.
Nice melons...
Recent news reports indicate that watermelons contain the same key ingredients as Viagra and require no prescription. There's only one problem: Have you ever tried to swallow a watermelon?
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Does our writing reveal our prejudices?
The current presidential race reminds me of something I heard many years ago during a lecture given by a man who examines slave narratives in an attempt to determine authenticity. Before I reveal what I learned, let me point out what fired up this train of thought:
Barack Obama is frequently referred to as "a black man with a white mother." It is equally true that he is "a white man with a black father," yet he's never referred to in this manner. What does it say about us--or, more specifically, about the media--that Obama's degree of "blackness" is worthy of comment?
What the lecturer revealed about his research is this (and I'm over-simplifying): You can often determine an author's race by how he describes people. As writers, we tend to spend more effort describing those who are not like us.
I saw it in my own work and, once I realized I was doing it, have tried to avoid it.
Barack Obama is frequently referred to as "a black man with a white mother." It is equally true that he is "a white man with a black father," yet he's never referred to in this manner. What does it say about us--or, more specifically, about the media--that Obama's degree of "blackness" is worthy of comment?
What the lecturer revealed about his research is this (and I'm over-simplifying): You can often determine an author's race by how he describes people. As writers, we tend to spend more effort describing those who are not like us.
I saw it in my own work and, once I realized I was doing it, have tried to avoid it.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
What high gas prices force me to do
I've exhausted my supply of unread novels from Hard Case Crime and, rather than rushing out to buy more, I'm working my way through a stack of unread books that I've acquired from sources unknown.
I'm currently 90 pages into New York Times Bestselling Author Wendy Corsi Staub's Kiss Her Goodbye, a 412-page novel of "suspense." It isn't working for me because here's what each scene seems like: filler, filler, filler, ominous foreshadowing of something to come, scene break.
There should be something I can learn from reading Staub's work--after all, she's more "successful" than I am--but I'm having trouble figuring out what it is.
I'm currently 90 pages into New York Times Bestselling Author Wendy Corsi Staub's Kiss Her Goodbye, a 412-page novel of "suspense." It isn't working for me because here's what each scene seems like: filler, filler, filler, ominous foreshadowing of something to come, scene break.
There should be something I can learn from reading Staub's work--after all, she's more "successful" than I am--but I'm having trouble figuring out what it is.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Milk, anyone?
A short story is like an Oreo. There's cookie at one end and cookie at the other end, but if there's no cream filling in the middle it won't hold together.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Writing tip of the day: Exclamation points
Avoid exclamation points! Exclamation points are like strokes in a golf game: the higher the number of exclamation points, the worse the writing. Not! Everybody! Exclaims! Every! Time! They! Speak!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
A death in the family
My inkjet printer died yesterday, just as I was preparing to print the first piece of fiction I've completed in more than a month. Today I shopped for and purchased a replacement.
Printers have become disposable commodities, made cheaply and lasting only a few years. The printer I selected--an Epson Stylus CX8400--was on sale for $79.99. (The store next door to where I purchased had the same printer on sale for $102.99. Go figure.)
The box containing the printer also contained four ink cartridges, which sell individually for $17.99. Therefore I paid $71.96 for the ink and $8.03 for the printer. So where do you think the manufacturer makes its money?
I'm tempted to purchase another $8.03 printer to keep on hand as a backup. Even if I never need it, I'll certainly use the ink that is packed in the same box.
Printers have become disposable commodities, made cheaply and lasting only a few years. The printer I selected--an Epson Stylus CX8400--was on sale for $79.99. (The store next door to where I purchased had the same printer on sale for $102.99. Go figure.)
The box containing the printer also contained four ink cartridges, which sell individually for $17.99. Therefore I paid $71.96 for the ink and $8.03 for the printer. So where do you think the manufacturer makes its money?
I'm tempted to purchase another $8.03 printer to keep on hand as a backup. Even if I never need it, I'll certainly use the ink that is packed in the same box.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Writing tip of the day: Chronology
Write the events within each scene in chronological order. Think of the string of events in each scene as if they were letters in the alphabet. You wouldn’t normally recite the alphabet out of order, would you? For example, don’t write, “I went to Bob’s house, but first I changed clothes. We watched television after we fixed drinks.” Reading those four sentences is like reciting the alphabet B-A-D-C. Instead, write, “I changed clothes and went to Bob’s house. After we fixed drinks, we watched television.”
Use flashbacks sparingly and intentionally. If you write a flashback, make it clear through your transition that the scene takes place at a time before the beginning of your story. Write the events that happen during the flashback scene in chronological order (see above). Make it clear through your transition when the flashback has ended.
Use flashbacks sparingly and intentionally. If you write a flashback, make it clear through your transition that the scene takes place at a time before the beginning of your story. Write the events that happen during the flashback scene in chronological order (see above). Make it clear through your transition when the flashback has ended.
Friday, June 20, 2008
I can't get no satisfaction...or can I?
A month ago I described my increasing dissatisfaction with my writing and my need for time away from the keyboard. Unfortunately, a vacation was out of the question.
Instead, a series of events that may be evidence of the hand of God or may just be amazing coincidence, have me feeling better about my writing and about my career choice. Some of these are personal and beyond the boundaries of this blog, but three things stand out:
1. Some promotional material I wrote and designed for a campaign I created has proven highly effective. This reminds me that the often mundane advertising and public relations material I write has the potential to inspire to action, something my fiction rarely does (or rarely does to my knowledge).
2. I began leading an on-line workshop for confession writers. This has forced me to think about how and why I write and to attempt to convey that information to other writers. I'm unsure how the other writers feel about my approach, but I'm certainly gaining insight into writing tricks and techniques that I've been doing for so long that I had forgotten they were tricks and techniques.
3. I have not completed a single piece of fiction in more than a month. I've been writing fiction, and every piece I've touched is longer than my usual work. Longer is not necessarily better, but it allows me more space to explore characterization and setting, and it allows me to build more intricate plots or to add more or better sub-plots.
Am I now satisfied with my writing? No. But I'm much less dissatisfied.
Instead, a series of events that may be evidence of the hand of God or may just be amazing coincidence, have me feeling better about my writing and about my career choice. Some of these are personal and beyond the boundaries of this blog, but three things stand out:
1. Some promotional material I wrote and designed for a campaign I created has proven highly effective. This reminds me that the often mundane advertising and public relations material I write has the potential to inspire to action, something my fiction rarely does (or rarely does to my knowledge).
2. I began leading an on-line workshop for confession writers. This has forced me to think about how and why I write and to attempt to convey that information to other writers. I'm unsure how the other writers feel about my approach, but I'm certainly gaining insight into writing tricks and techniques that I've been doing for so long that I had forgotten they were tricks and techniques.
3. I have not completed a single piece of fiction in more than a month. I've been writing fiction, and every piece I've touched is longer than my usual work. Longer is not necessarily better, but it allows me more space to explore characterization and setting, and it allows me to build more intricate plots or to add more or better sub-plots.
Am I now satisfied with my writing? No. But I'm much less dissatisfied.
On this I continue to harp
Always, always, always, put your name and your contact information on your manuscripts.
A manuscript scheduled for publication in one of the periodicals I edit had become separated from its cover letter, if there ever was a cover letter, between the time the manuscript was scheduled for publication and the time it actually entered production. I spent a good bit of time Wednesday attempting to track down the author. Only some creative use of Google led me to the person I think is the author, and a brief letter went into the mail because I could not find any Web site or e-mail address for her.
If I guessed wrong, or if the author doesn't respond promptly, this sale may be lost.
Why do so many writers fail to include this information on their manuscripts? Why do they set themselves up for failure? Why do I continue to beat my head against this brick wall when other writers' failures only make my submissions appear even more professional by comparison?
A manuscript scheduled for publication in one of the periodicals I edit had become separated from its cover letter, if there ever was a cover letter, between the time the manuscript was scheduled for publication and the time it actually entered production. I spent a good bit of time Wednesday attempting to track down the author. Only some creative use of Google led me to the person I think is the author, and a brief letter went into the mail because I could not find any Web site or e-mail address for her.
If I guessed wrong, or if the author doesn't respond promptly, this sale may be lost.
Why do so many writers fail to include this information on their manuscripts? Why do they set themselves up for failure? Why do I continue to beat my head against this brick wall when other writers' failures only make my submissions appear even more professional by comparison?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Will it go 'round in circles?
I received my Economic Stimulus check yesterday. It neither stimulated me, nor significantly changed my economic situation. I immediately paid my second quarter estimated taxes, which are due Monday. So what the government gave, the government received in return.
I guess I should be grateful that the ES check added enough to my checking account that I didn't have to raid my savings account to pay my estimated taxes.
But really, $600? Is that likely to have a significant impact on many people?
I guess I should be grateful that the ES check added enough to my checking account that I didn't have to raid my savings account to pay my estimated taxes.
But really, $600? Is that likely to have a significant impact on many people?
Friday, June 06, 2008
Priceless
The price of gas: Up.
The price of food: Up.
What publishers pay for short stories: Still the same.
The price of food: Up.
What publishers pay for short stories: Still the same.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Career reboot?
During the past several months I have grown increasingly dissatisfied with my writing. I'm not sure why. I'm not "blocked," the finished manuscripts are as good as, and occasionally better than, they've always been, and I continue to sell most of what I write. I'm not good at introspection and self-analysis, so, despite repeated attempts to define my dissatisfaction and the possible causes for it, I come up blank.
Even so, I have pondered the idea of a career reboot. (It seems to have worked for the Batman movie franchise.) I've considered turning the computer off for a couple of months and spending my time doing something--anything--other than writing.
Would I return to the keyboard refreshed? Or would I have done nothing more than lose two months of productive writing time?
Alas, a careful examination of my bank balance suggests that a lengthy break from the keyboard might be counter-productive. I've grown accustomed to three hots and a cot and have no desire to become a starving artist.
Maybe all I really need is a vacation. That's something you don't often get when you're self-employed.
Even so, I have pondered the idea of a career reboot. (It seems to have worked for the Batman movie franchise.) I've considered turning the computer off for a couple of months and spending my time doing something--anything--other than writing.
Would I return to the keyboard refreshed? Or would I have done nothing more than lose two months of productive writing time?
Alas, a careful examination of my bank balance suggests that a lengthy break from the keyboard might be counter-productive. I've grown accustomed to three hots and a cot and have no desire to become a starving artist.
Maybe all I really need is a vacation. That's something you don't often get when you're self-employed.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Inside joke
The cover of John Lange's Zero Cool (Hard Case Crime) features a picture of a woman on a beach towel who has placed the book she was reading on the sand beside her. The book? John Lange's Grave Descend (also from Hard Case Crime).
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Two thoughts unrelated to writing
Yesterday I filled my gas tank and instantly doubled the value of my car.
Hillary Clinton has compared herself to Rocky Balboa, the white boxer who didn't know the meaning of the word "quit." Apparently she didn't see the first movie. Rocky lost to a smooth-talking black man.
Hillary Clinton has compared herself to Rocky Balboa, the white boxer who didn't know the meaning of the word "quit." Apparently she didn't see the first movie. Rocky lost to a smooth-talking black man.
Deals with the Devil
For five years and one month I've been a full-time freelance writer/editor. Today I'm a...what?
After much discussion, I've leased my soul to the devil. Effective today I'm a part-time employee of one of my key clients. There were numerous reasons for this change in our relationship, but the upshot, for me, is a modest increase in gross income and a significant decrease in self-employment tax.
I'll still be freelancing 30-40 hours each week, so I'm still a full-time freelancer. But now I have a part-time job.
So it goes.
After much discussion, I've leased my soul to the devil. Effective today I'm a part-time employee of one of my key clients. There were numerous reasons for this change in our relationship, but the upshot, for me, is a modest increase in gross income and a significant decrease in self-employment tax.
I'll still be freelancing 30-40 hours each week, so I'm still a full-time freelancer. But now I have a part-time job.
So it goes.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Published...sort of
My story "The Great Little Train Robbery," a bit of crime fiction suitable for the entire family, is now available in audio format for $.88 from Sniplits at http://www.sniplits.com/storiesforauthor.jsp?a=70.
14, 15, 16, 17
My 14th acceptance of the year came as a surprise when I received an e-mail from an editor asking if it was OK to make minor alterations to three of my stories so that they became interrelated and could be published as a trio next week. Two of the stories had been accepted and paid for a while back, but the third is one I submitted earlier this month and for which I had not yet received an acceptance.
Of course, I agreed to the changes.
And by return e-mail learned that the editor was accepting three more of my stories.
Of course, I agreed to the changes.
And by return e-mail learned that the editor was accepting three more of my stories.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Published, 13
Today's mail brought welcome news, news that felt even more welcome because of last Friday's manuscript massacre: I received a contributor copy of the May True Love containing my story "Up Close & Personal" and I received a contract from True Love (my 13th acceptance of the year) for a story tentatively scheduled for the July issue.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ouch
Perhaps I was starting to get cocky and whatever deity controls the karmic balance of the universe decided to bitch-slap me back to reality, but today's mail brought an unexpected mountain of bad news. I received four rejections.
It's been a long, long time since I received four rejections in a single day. In fact, I haven't even received four rejections in the same month since May of last year when I received five.
If ever there was a day made for crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head, this is the day.
But hiding from the rejections piled on my desk doesn't make me a better writer, nor will it make me more successful. What will make me a better, more successful writer is a close examination of the stories. Why were they rejected? Is there a problem with the stories, or did I submit them to inappropriate markets?
Maybe I'll seek the answers to those questions tomorrow, after I crawl out from under the covers.
It's been a long, long time since I received four rejections in a single day. In fact, I haven't even received four rejections in the same month since May of last year when I received five.
If ever there was a day made for crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head, this is the day.
But hiding from the rejections piled on my desk doesn't make me a better writer, nor will it make me more successful. What will make me a better, more successful writer is a close examination of the stories. Why were they rejected? Is there a problem with the stories, or did I submit them to inappropriate markets?
Maybe I'll seek the answers to those questions tomorrow, after I crawl out from under the covers.
Monday, April 14, 2008
And the significance is...
Several years ago the local Barnes & Noble had a selection of how-to-write titles that pretty much filled three shelving units (a shelving unit being approximately six shelves tall by approximately four feet wide). Over the years the shelf space devoted to how-to-write titles has slowly diminished. Today, for the first time, only a single unit contained how-to-write titles. The other two units that once held how-to-write titles was filled with dictionaries.
I'm certain this is significant in some way. I just can't figure out what the significance is.
I'm certain this is significant in some way. I just can't figure out what the significance is.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Success is in the volume
The promotional blurb for Confessions: How To Write & Sell True Stories (Toad Hall Press, 2001), claims "Lorraine Henderson now earns a five-figure income from writing--all from writing short stories needed by the many confessions magazines that are published every month."
At an average of 3-cents/word it would take 333,333+ words/year to earn a minimal five figure ($10,000) income from writing confessions. That sounds like a lot of words, but is only 947 words each day, 365 days a year.
I type about 50-words/minute, so I should be able to produce 947 words with 19 minutes of effort.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Now imagine generating story ideas and plots for one to two stories each week. How long does that take? If I devote 30 minutes a day to generating story ideas and plots, 19 minutes to writing, and 11 minutes to revision and proofreading, I'm only working one hour a day writing confessions and am left with seven hours a day for other writing.
If it were this easy, we'd all be doing it. And if we all did it, we'd inundate the editors with more submissions than they could possibly publish and, thus, increase our rejection rates.
Still, 947 words a day doesn't sound that difficult does it?
Ready, set, go...
At an average of 3-cents/word it would take 333,333+ words/year to earn a minimal five figure ($10,000) income from writing confessions. That sounds like a lot of words, but is only 947 words each day, 365 days a year.
I type about 50-words/minute, so I should be able to produce 947 words with 19 minutes of effort.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Now imagine generating story ideas and plots for one to two stories each week. How long does that take? If I devote 30 minutes a day to generating story ideas and plots, 19 minutes to writing, and 11 minutes to revision and proofreading, I'm only working one hour a day writing confessions and am left with seven hours a day for other writing.
If it were this easy, we'd all be doing it. And if we all did it, we'd inundate the editors with more submissions than they could possibly publish and, thus, increase our rejection rates.
Still, 947 words a day doesn't sound that difficult does it?
Ready, set, go...
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Hell week
If I didn't enjoy what I do, this would have qualified as Hell week. I had--and met--editing/production deadlines for a weekly newsletter, a monthly newsletter, a monthly newspaper, and a bi-monthly magazine. Additionally, I wrote a new 3,700-word short story and finished work on a 5,700-word short story that I started several weeks ago. I did manage to squeeze in a little personal time, but I am worn out.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Fifth anniversary
Today is my fifth anniversary as a full-time freelance writer/editor.
Here's what I've learned:
There's no overtime pay. And there's plenty of overtime.
Health insurance and self-employment tax take a huge bite out of my bottom line.
Budgeting is a challenge when income is erratic.
Developing good relationships with key clients is instrumental in achieving success.
Success is self-defined. But ability to pay the bills is a key component of it.
Happiness like this makes all the challenges seem inconsequential.
Here's what I've learned:
There's no overtime pay. And there's plenty of overtime.
Health insurance and self-employment tax take a huge bite out of my bottom line.
Budgeting is a challenge when income is erratic.
Developing good relationships with key clients is instrumental in achieving success.
Success is self-defined. But ability to pay the bills is a key component of it.
Happiness like this makes all the challenges seem inconsequential.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The crabby editor is back
Much of my time the past few weeks has been occupied with copyediting, and I've kept a list of recurring errors and things that bugged me in the copy I've been editing. In no particular order:
The improper use of "insure" in place of "ensure."
The improper use of "draught" in place of "drought."
The improper use of "like" in place of "such as" or "for example." "Like" doesn't mean what many writers seem to think it means.
The improper use of "since" in place of "because." "Since" refers to a passage of time while "because" refers to a cause-and-effect relationship.
The use of phrases such as "be sure and" and "try and" when "be sure to" and "try to" would be more accurate.
The abuse of "etc." to end lists. This is a clear sign that the author hasn't completed his thought.
The improper use of "insure" in place of "ensure."
The improper use of "draught" in place of "drought."
The improper use of "like" in place of "such as" or "for example." "Like" doesn't mean what many writers seem to think it means.
The improper use of "since" in place of "because." "Since" refers to a passage of time while "because" refers to a cause-and-effect relationship.
The use of phrases such as "be sure and" and "try and" when "be sure to" and "try to" would be more accurate.
The abuse of "etc." to end lists. This is a clear sign that the author hasn't completed his thought.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Now available on e-bay
Now available on e-bay is a copy of the second issue of Expanse, a science fiction magazine containing one of my short stories. The story--"In the Still of the Night"--is actually a cross-genre piece, about a murder that takes place in the far future.
I've seen other magazines containing my work on e-bay. One of these days I might even see something I don't have and will bid on it.
I've seen other magazines containing my work on e-bay. One of these days I might even see something I don't have and will bid on it.
Monday, March 24, 2008
57 in a row
I have now had one or more pieces of short fiction published each month* for 57 consecutive months, but I thought the streak was about to be broken. Many of the publications that regularly publish my fiction work two or more months in advance, so I can look at my contracts and know what will be published during the next few months.
I had nothing scheduled for March.
So I was surprised this morning. In my e-mail was a note from the editor of a weekly publication, letting me know that my story** was in this week's issue.
I made it. By a squeaker.
I submitted the story at the tail-end of February, it was accepted three days later, and was, apparently, immediately scheduled for publication. I can only guess that the publication had an editorial hole to fill. Regardless of why I squeaked into print in March, I'll take it.
It keeps my streak alive.
___
*I count publications by cover date (magazines) or release date (anthologies).
**Before you ask: This one's published under one of my pseudonyms. And, no, I won't tell you what the title is or what my pseudonym is.
I had nothing scheduled for March.
So I was surprised this morning. In my e-mail was a note from the editor of a weekly publication, letting me know that my story** was in this week's issue.
I made it. By a squeaker.
I submitted the story at the tail-end of February, it was accepted three days later, and was, apparently, immediately scheduled for publication. I can only guess that the publication had an editorial hole to fill. Regardless of why I squeaked into print in March, I'll take it.
It keeps my streak alive.
___
*I count publications by cover date (magazines) or release date (anthologies).
**Before you ask: This one's published under one of my pseudonyms. And, no, I won't tell you what the title is or what my pseudonym is.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
CONfession
Many genres of fiction have ardent fans who hold conventions celebrating their favorite genre. It may be possible to attend a different science fiction convention every weekend of the year, and the number of mystery conventions isn't far behind. There are also conventions for fantasy, horror, and romance.
Maybe it's time to celebrate confessions.
I propose CONfession, where confession readers can learn all about the genre from the writers and editors who sin, suffer, and repent for the enjoyment of their readers.
Of course, none of the writers will be allowed to wear name badges because we are, and must remain, anonymous.
Imagine the panel discussions we could have:
"Sleeping with the Neighbor's Spouse: Honest, Honey, It was Just Research!"
and
"Contracting a Fatal Disease: Tragedy or Tax-Deductible Expense?"
Of course, during the annual banquet, we would present the Connies--awards for the best confessions of the year.
Ah, well, maybe I should stop day-dreaming and get back to writing...
Maybe it's time to celebrate confessions.
I propose CONfession, where confession readers can learn all about the genre from the writers and editors who sin, suffer, and repent for the enjoyment of their readers.
Of course, none of the writers will be allowed to wear name badges because we are, and must remain, anonymous.
Imagine the panel discussions we could have:
"Sleeping with the Neighbor's Spouse: Honest, Honey, It was Just Research!"
and
"Contracting a Fatal Disease: Tragedy or Tax-Deductible Expense?"
Of course, during the annual banquet, we would present the Connies--awards for the best confessions of the year.
Ah, well, maybe I should stop day-dreaming and get back to writing...
Fourth!
Mystery writer Ernest Brown gave me a heads up about this earlier in the month, but I waited to post anything until I'd seen it for myself.
"Snowbird," a private eye story Tom Sweeney and I co-authored, captured fourth place in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's 2007 Readers Award competition.
I'm not sure how close we came to actually winning, but first place was a tie, second place was only one point shy of first and third place was only one point shy of second. So, lacking any evidence to the contrary, I'd like to believe our story was a close fourth.
"Snowbird," a private eye story Tom Sweeney and I co-authored, captured fourth place in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's 2007 Readers Award competition.
I'm not sure how close we came to actually winning, but first place was a tie, second place was only one point shy of first and third place was only one point shy of second. So, lacking any evidence to the contrary, I'd like to believe our story was a close fourth.
The forgotten vowel
I have discovered that people who are approximately five years or more younger than I am weren't taught all of the vowels, and that even people my age and older don't always remember the missing vowel.
The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y and w.
W?
W is to vowels what Roebuck used to be to Sears & Roebuck or what Western used to be to Country & Western. It's a forgotten member of the team, important once, but kicked to the curb over time.
My uncle (my stepfather's brother) used to win bar bets because he knew what may be the only word in the English language that uses w as a vowel: crwth. (A crwth is a musical instrument.)
On behalf of vowel lovers everywhere I say: Teach W!
But maybe we should tell children that the vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y and on extremely rare occasion w.
The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y and w.
W?
W is to vowels what Roebuck used to be to Sears & Roebuck or what Western used to be to Country & Western. It's a forgotten member of the team, important once, but kicked to the curb over time.
My uncle (my stepfather's brother) used to win bar bets because he knew what may be the only word in the English language that uses w as a vowel: crwth. (A crwth is a musical instrument.)
On behalf of vowel lovers everywhere I say: Teach W!
But maybe we should tell children that the vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y and on extremely rare occasion w.
Friday, March 21, 2008
My legacy
Mystery writer Rob Lopresti discusses the words and whatnot that he overuses and how he makes a final check of his manuscript before sending off to an editor in his blog post at http://criminalbrief.com/?p=462.
"Next come the weak words that usually add nothing to a sentence, such as very and just. After having been edited by Michael Bracken I added got to the suspect list. Michael hates got with a passion and while I don’t feel that strongly about it, I agree it needs to be considered carefully."
Apparently, my intense hatred of "got" is going to be my lasting legacy as an editor.
"Next come the weak words that usually add nothing to a sentence, such as very and just. After having been edited by Michael Bracken I added got to the suspect list. Michael hates got with a passion and while I don’t feel that strongly about it, I agree it needs to be considered carefully."
Apparently, my intense hatred of "got" is going to be my lasting legacy as an editor.
11
This morning's e-mail brought word from an anthology editor in England that I have another acceptance--my 11th of the year. If I'm counting weeks correcting, this is the end of the 11th week, which means I'm still on track for my goal of one sale per week.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Cats and desks
Cats do not respect a messy desk and I, unfortunately, have two cats and a desk that, despite my best efforts, is never neat. Today my desk became "the place where cats vomit," and I've been picking through the, um, residue trying to determine the value of the affected paper. A few things were obviously trash, and a few things are no longer recognizable, and a few, well, let's just say they're drying out.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The IRS is not my friend
I received my completed tax forms back from my accountant today and am reminded, once again, that the IRS is not my friend. Self-employment tax, combined with the health insurance costs, make it difficult to freelance successfully.
On the other hand, the most significant way to reduce my self-employment taxes is to invest in my business. Legitimate expenses--purchasing office equipment, for example, or attending seminars and workshops--reduces my taxable profit.
But what do I need that I don't currently have? Or, what should I do that I'm not currently doing?
On the other hand, the most significant way to reduce my self-employment taxes is to invest in my business. Legitimate expenses--purchasing office equipment, for example, or attending seminars and workshops--reduces my taxable profit.
But what do I need that I don't currently have? Or, what should I do that I'm not currently doing?
Overused phrases
I'm certain most writers have favorite phrases and word combinations that they use without thinking. I had one of mine slap me in the face last night when I was editing a story that I had written for a market to which I've never submitted.
In a five-sentence block of text I used the phrase "and then" three times. Then I searched the entire 5,100-word story and found it several more times. I revised every occurrence but two and now find myself wondering if I overuse "and then" in everything I write, or just this one story?
In a five-sentence block of text I used the phrase "and then" three times. Then I searched the entire 5,100-word story and found it several more times. I revised every occurrence but two and now find myself wondering if I overuse "and then" in everything I write, or just this one story?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
But is it a "novel"?
I just read the obituary of a writer, and it mentions his first "fiction novel." I've seen this redundant construction multiple times lately, implying that a novel can be something other than fiction. The American Heritage Dictionary, as good a source as any, defines "novel" as "a fictional prose narrative of considerable length" and that's the definition I've always understood to be the prevailing one.
On the other hand, a number of memoirs have recently been revealed as fiction, thus splitting that genre into "non-fiction memoir" and "fiction memoir."
Except that there's already a word for a "fiction memoir."
It's called a novel.
On the other hand, a number of memoirs have recently been revealed as fiction, thus splitting that genre into "non-fiction memoir" and "fiction memoir."
Except that there's already a word for a "fiction memoir."
It's called a novel.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Safe sex
I'm reading a romance novel and, while I applaud the author's and the publisher's efforts to encourage safe sex, suspect someone wasn't thinking clearly.
The protagonist and her new lover are taking a road trip and three times he's pulled a condom from his wallet. There's no indication whatsoever that he replaces the used condom with a fresh one each time. Carrying three--or more, I haven't finished reading the book yet--condoms in a wallet leads to problems neither considered nor explained away:
1) A wallet containing three or more condoms--presuming it also contains the usual wallet items, such as credit cards, cash, and etc.--would be quite bulky and uncomfortable for a man to carry in his pocket.
2) A condom carried in a wallet will become ineffective. The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia recommends: "Do not carry condoms in your wallet for long periods of time. Replace them every once in a while. Friction from opening and closing your wallet, and from walking (if you carry your wallet in your pocket) can lead to tiny holes in the condom."
Sometimes, it's the little things that trip up writers.
The protagonist and her new lover are taking a road trip and three times he's pulled a condom from his wallet. There's no indication whatsoever that he replaces the used condom with a fresh one each time. Carrying three--or more, I haven't finished reading the book yet--condoms in a wallet leads to problems neither considered nor explained away:
1) A wallet containing three or more condoms--presuming it also contains the usual wallet items, such as credit cards, cash, and etc.--would be quite bulky and uncomfortable for a man to carry in his pocket.
2) A condom carried in a wallet will become ineffective. The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia recommends: "Do not carry condoms in your wallet for long periods of time. Replace them every once in a while. Friction from opening and closing your wallet, and from walking (if you carry your wallet in your pocket) can lead to tiny holes in the condom."
Sometimes, it's the little things that trip up writers.
Workshop successful
"Writing and Selling Confessions," a workshop I led this weekend, appears to have been a success. Fifteen participants spent three hours learning the fundamentals of writing and selling confessions. I spoke for about half an hour, made the participants work for about two hours, and spent the last half an hour answering questions about material I had covered and some material I hadn't covered.
I don't know how many of the participants will actually attempt to write confessions, but a fair number of the participants demonstrated strong potential to become successful confession writers.
Most of the participants were members of the host organization--Brazos Writers--and I strongly encourage writers who live in or near Bryan/College Station, Texas, to attend Brazos Writer meetings and seriously consider joining the organization.
I don't know how many of the participants will actually attempt to write confessions, but a fair number of the participants demonstrated strong potential to become successful confession writers.
Most of the participants were members of the host organization--Brazos Writers--and I strongly encourage writers who live in or near Bryan/College Station, Texas, to attend Brazos Writer meetings and seriously consider joining the organization.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Published x4
My stories "Paying It Forward" and "In Love With The Easter Bunny" appear in the April True Story and my stories "Easter Romance" and "Love Or Money" appear in the April True Romance.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Waiting for the repairman
Tuesday proved to be one of those days when good and bad sit on each end of a karmic teeter-totter and it's impossible to predict which one weighs more.
I spent the entire day at home waiting for a refrigerator repairman who was scheduled to arrive "between eight and five." So, I rose at 6:30 (an hour early for me) to ensure that I didn't get caught in the shower when he arrived, and I then spent much of the day writing. (Of course, the repairman didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m.)
By the time I finally went to bed Tuesday evening, I had written two short stories--a 3,700-word story that I wrote from scratch and a 3,200-word story that I completed from 400 pre-existing words (a sentence describing the story and most of a key scene that takes place late in the story).
If both stories sell to the magazine I sent them to, I will earn almost enough to pay for the refrigerator repair and the day will have been a financial wash but a creative high.
I spent the entire day at home waiting for a refrigerator repairman who was scheduled to arrive "between eight and five." So, I rose at 6:30 (an hour early for me) to ensure that I didn't get caught in the shower when he arrived, and I then spent much of the day writing. (Of course, the repairman didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m.)
By the time I finally went to bed Tuesday evening, I had written two short stories--a 3,700-word story that I wrote from scratch and a 3,200-word story that I completed from 400 pre-existing words (a sentence describing the story and most of a key scene that takes place late in the story).
If both stories sell to the magazine I sent them to, I will earn almost enough to pay for the refrigerator repair and the day will have been a financial wash but a creative high.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
The best laid plans
A few weeks ago I set aside an entire weekend to write, and it went well. I tried to do the same again this weekend. I had no personal, social, or professional obligations and thought I could lock myself in as I had done before.
Unfortunately, Saturday turned out to be a clusterf*ck (there's one of those asterisks!). So many things blew up in my face--none of them writing-related--that the entire day reminded me that reality always trumps imagination. I wrote so little on Saturday that I might as well have written nothing at all, and many of the things that blew up in my face that day are lingering into the early part of the week.
On the other hand, Friday evening I added about 1,000 words to a new short story and today I wrote a 4,800-word draft of a story for a new market that requires a 5,000-word minimum. I'm going to let the story sit for a few days before revising it. Adding a few hundred words to meet the minimum word requirement shouldn't be a problem, but revising the story to match the "style" of other work the publisher has released might be more difficult. If I can do it, it'll take my writing career to another level. If I can't, well, I might be able to revise the story for one of my regular markets.
Unfortunately, Saturday turned out to be a clusterf*ck (there's one of those asterisks!). So many things blew up in my face--none of them writing-related--that the entire day reminded me that reality always trumps imagination. I wrote so little on Saturday that I might as well have written nothing at all, and many of the things that blew up in my face that day are lingering into the early part of the week.
On the other hand, Friday evening I added about 1,000 words to a new short story and today I wrote a 4,800-word draft of a story for a new market that requires a 5,000-word minimum. I'm going to let the story sit for a few days before revising it. Adding a few hundred words to meet the minimum word requirement shouldn't be a problem, but revising the story to match the "style" of other work the publisher has released might be more difficult. If I can do it, it'll take my writing career to another level. If I can't, well, I might be able to revise the story for one of my regular markets.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The asterisk is my friend
When I'm writing and I can't think of the right word or correct phrase, I insert three asterisks and keep going:
Or, if I'm uncertain how to write a scene, I'll enclose notes about the scene within three asterisks:
After I've completed a draft, I use the search function to find each occurrence of three consecutive asterisks. Then I insert the correct word or write the missing scene.
She turned the corner and came face-to-face with the ***. Startled, she dropped her coffee cup. It shattered on the hardwood floor, splattering hot coffee and shards of fine china against her ankles.
Or, if I'm uncertain how to write a scene, I'll enclose notes about the scene within three asterisks:
Betty stood at the front window and watched her fiance approach the house. She had news for him, news too important to tell him over the phone, and she'd been waiting nearly an hour for his arrival.
***Betty tells Bob she totaled his car.***
After she told him about the accident, Betty collapsed into Bob's arms. Bob absentmindedly patted the back of his ex-fiancee's head, thinking about his car. His car? A completely restored 1957 Chevrolet Nomad is not a car. It's a treasure. Betty could be replaced, but his car? Never.
After I've completed a draft, I use the search function to find each occurrence of three consecutive asterisks. Then I insert the correct word or write the missing scene.
Friday, February 29, 2008
I should have said
There are times in our lives when we experience events for which we're not quite prepared. An hour, a day, or a week later we have that smack-the-head moment when we think, "What I should have said was--"
That's the nice thing about being a writer. Even though we can't go back in time and rewrite reality, we certainly can recreate that moment in our fiction and make ourselves--um, er--make our protagonist say the things we should have said. We can cut our antagonist to the bone, prevent our lover from walking out the door, or get that promotion.
That's the nice thing about being a writer. Even though we can't go back in time and rewrite reality, we certainly can recreate that moment in our fiction and make ourselves--um, er--make our protagonist say the things we should have said. We can cut our antagonist to the bone, prevent our lover from walking out the door, or get that promotion.
Monday, February 25, 2008
From first submission to sale
Among the many things new writers want to know is how long it takes/how many submissions it takes to sell a short story. While there is no clear answer to that question, here's some info on my first 10 sales of the year.
In no particular order:
Story 1--first and only submission 12/23/7
Story 2--first and only submission 11/28/7
Story 3--first and only submission 1/10/8
Story 4--first and only submission 1/20/08
Story 5--first submission 4/17/4, two submissions
Story 6--first submission 4/2/3, four submissions
Story 7--first submission 11/2/3, two submissions
Story 8--first submission 2/27/00, seven submissions
Story 9--first submission 1/31/91, 23 submissions
Story 10--first submission 6/6/5, three submissions
Six stories sold to the first or second editor to see them. That's good.
Two sold to the third or fourth editor to see them. That's not bad.
One sold to the seventh editor to see it. That's dedicated marketing.
One story sold to the twenty-third editor to see it, 17 years after the first editor rejected it. That's just masochistic. How much rejection can one poor writer take before he gives up on a story?
In no particular order:
Story 1--first and only submission 12/23/7
Story 2--first and only submission 11/28/7
Story 3--first and only submission 1/10/8
Story 4--first and only submission 1/20/08
Story 5--first submission 4/17/4, two submissions
Story 6--first submission 4/2/3, four submissions
Story 7--first submission 11/2/3, two submissions
Story 8--first submission 2/27/00, seven submissions
Story 9--first submission 1/31/91, 23 submissions
Story 10--first submission 6/6/5, three submissions
Six stories sold to the first or second editor to see them. That's good.
Two sold to the third or fourth editor to see them. That's not bad.
One sold to the seventh editor to see it. That's dedicated marketing.
One story sold to the twenty-third editor to see it, 17 years after the first editor rejected it. That's just masochistic. How much rejection can one poor writer take before he gives up on a story?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Novel filler
During the past few days I've pushed the current novel up to 185 manuscript pages, but I stopped work on it last night to work on a short story, and I may stick with short stories and other projects for the next few days.
Why?
I felt like I was writing filler and not substantially adding to the work-in-progress. This was brought home to me by a page or so of dialog in a novel I'm reading that is little more than:
"You did it."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
It's written a little better than that, of course, and there's some description mixed in with the dialog, but it truly is filler material. The author is spinning her wheels and going nowhere. In a good short story, that same page-plus of bad dialog might be reduced to and summarized in a sentence or two:
After he accused her of stealing the money, she denied it. They argued for fifteen minutes, but came to no resolution.
(Note: I'm not advocating replacing dialog with summary, but I am advocating replacing bad dialog with good summary.)
Why?
I felt like I was writing filler and not substantially adding to the work-in-progress. This was brought home to me by a page or so of dialog in a novel I'm reading that is little more than:
"You did it."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
It's written a little better than that, of course, and there's some description mixed in with the dialog, but it truly is filler material. The author is spinning her wheels and going nowhere. In a good short story, that same page-plus of bad dialog might be reduced to and summarized in a sentence or two:
After he accused her of stealing the money, she denied it. They argued for fifteen minutes, but came to no resolution.
(Note: I'm not advocating replacing dialog with summary, but I am advocating replacing bad dialog with good summary.)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Creativity breeds
I woke up this morning long before the alarm clock rang and wrote the opening page and some notes for a new novel. I basically know what needs to happen in the first several scenes, and I basically know how the story needs to end.
While being flush with ideas is beneficial in the long run, it's sometimes frustrating as well. I seem to generate the most ideas when I'm least able to use them. Because creativity breeds, the more creative I am, the more ideas I generate. Then I get frustrated because I don't have time to use all the ideas and write all the stories I want to write.
I guess it's better than having no ideas at all.
While being flush with ideas is beneficial in the long run, it's sometimes frustrating as well. I seem to generate the most ideas when I'm least able to use them. Because creativity breeds, the more creative I am, the more ideas I generate. Then I get frustrated because I don't have time to use all the ideas and write all the stories I want to write.
I guess it's better than having no ideas at all.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
To novel or not to novel, that is the question
I am not a novelist. I am a short story writer. I feel lucky that the four short novels I've written have been published (two to good reviews), and, after placing more than 800 short stories since the beginning of my writing career, I feel confident that any short story I write has a strong likelihood of seeing publication.
But I also realize that short story writers, no matter how prolific, are often viewed as the red-headed step-children among creative writers. Novelists are the anointed ones.
I often wrestle with the realization that truly advancing my writing career will require me to write another novel. Or two. Or more.
But taking the time to write a novel means not writing short stories. So I must give up immediate income to work on a project that may or may not ever see publication and may or may not ever generate income. Despite occasional attempts to write another novel, I inevitably set aside whatever I'm working on and go for immediate gratification. After all, if I don't pay the bills I soon won't be writing anything.
Earlier this week, after e-mail discussions with a couple of fellow writers about projects we never finished or never sold, I decided to reassess one of my novels-in-progress.
In early 2006 I wrote 113 pages of a novel. I stopped work on it because a sudden influx of assignments kept me busy for the following several months.
Thursday and Friday I reread the manuscript and found that the first 100 or so pages held up well and that the last dozen pages were partial scenes, snippets of dialog, and notes on what was still to be written.
Because I am caught up on all of my assigned work, and because I had no social or family engagements scheduled for this weekend, I gave myself a challenge: Could I lock myself in and add at least 30 pages to the manuscript?
Apparently I could. I now have 169 pages--an increase of 56 pages in two days of non-stop writing. I haven't gone back to reread the new material, but my initial impression is that I've written a few great sentences, a line or two of snappy dialog, a couple of compelling scenes, and a whole lot of other stuff.
The first 148 pages are pretty much written straight through. The rest of the pages, as before, are partial scenes, snippets of dialog, and notes on what is still to be written. I now know how the novel ends and have notes on how to wrap up the primary plot and most of the sub-plots.
But I also have to face tomorrow, when I will once again find myself dealing with clients and assigned work that will fill much of my time for the coming weeks. I also have social and family obligations in the next few weeks that will further interfere with progress on this novel. I don't know when I will be able to devote more attention to this project.
What have I learned or what can I infer from this weekend?
1. If I devote three more weekends to this novel, and if I have the same level of productivity during each of those weekends, I will have a complete draft of a new novel.
2. If I do this again I will ensure that my kitchen is appropriately stocked with healthy food. I found myself drinking too much Mountain Dew and eating too much junk food (much of it left over from Super Bowl Sunday).
3. Music selection is important. For whatever reason, I found myself writing more while Matchbox 20 was blasting through the CD player than when Alanis Morissette was playing. The Moody Blues, Marilyn Manson, Deep Blue Something, and a compilation album containing rock'n'roll hits that feature cowbells all proved to be good background music, but not quite as effective as Matchbox 20.
4. When I wasn't writing, eating, or walking the dogs, I read. I alternated between a variety of magazines and a novel from the same genre as the one I'm writing. Reading in the same genre helped me maintain the voice I was striving for while reading the other publications kept me from becoming too insular.
5. I didn't answer the phone and I only responded to a couple of e-mails. I used the Internet to research things I needed for the novel and restrained myself as much as possible from surfing. Limiting distractions was clearly beneficial.
That's it. That's what I learned.
Now I need to find out what happened in the world while I was locked in.
But I also realize that short story writers, no matter how prolific, are often viewed as the red-headed step-children among creative writers. Novelists are the anointed ones.
I often wrestle with the realization that truly advancing my writing career will require me to write another novel. Or two. Or more.
But taking the time to write a novel means not writing short stories. So I must give up immediate income to work on a project that may or may not ever see publication and may or may not ever generate income. Despite occasional attempts to write another novel, I inevitably set aside whatever I'm working on and go for immediate gratification. After all, if I don't pay the bills I soon won't be writing anything.
Earlier this week, after e-mail discussions with a couple of fellow writers about projects we never finished or never sold, I decided to reassess one of my novels-in-progress.
In early 2006 I wrote 113 pages of a novel. I stopped work on it because a sudden influx of assignments kept me busy for the following several months.
Thursday and Friday I reread the manuscript and found that the first 100 or so pages held up well and that the last dozen pages were partial scenes, snippets of dialog, and notes on what was still to be written.
Because I am caught up on all of my assigned work, and because I had no social or family engagements scheduled for this weekend, I gave myself a challenge: Could I lock myself in and add at least 30 pages to the manuscript?
Apparently I could. I now have 169 pages--an increase of 56 pages in two days of non-stop writing. I haven't gone back to reread the new material, but my initial impression is that I've written a few great sentences, a line or two of snappy dialog, a couple of compelling scenes, and a whole lot of other stuff.
The first 148 pages are pretty much written straight through. The rest of the pages, as before, are partial scenes, snippets of dialog, and notes on what is still to be written. I now know how the novel ends and have notes on how to wrap up the primary plot and most of the sub-plots.
But I also have to face tomorrow, when I will once again find myself dealing with clients and assigned work that will fill much of my time for the coming weeks. I also have social and family obligations in the next few weeks that will further interfere with progress on this novel. I don't know when I will be able to devote more attention to this project.
What have I learned or what can I infer from this weekend?
1. If I devote three more weekends to this novel, and if I have the same level of productivity during each of those weekends, I will have a complete draft of a new novel.
2. If I do this again I will ensure that my kitchen is appropriately stocked with healthy food. I found myself drinking too much Mountain Dew and eating too much junk food (much of it left over from Super Bowl Sunday).
3. Music selection is important. For whatever reason, I found myself writing more while Matchbox 20 was blasting through the CD player than when Alanis Morissette was playing. The Moody Blues, Marilyn Manson, Deep Blue Something, and a compilation album containing rock'n'roll hits that feature cowbells all proved to be good background music, but not quite as effective as Matchbox 20.
4. When I wasn't writing, eating, or walking the dogs, I read. I alternated between a variety of magazines and a novel from the same genre as the one I'm writing. Reading in the same genre helped me maintain the voice I was striving for while reading the other publications kept me from becoming too insular.
5. I didn't answer the phone and I only responded to a couple of e-mails. I used the Internet to research things I needed for the novel and restrained myself as much as possible from surfing. Limiting distractions was clearly beneficial.
That's it. That's what I learned.
Now I need to find out what happened in the world while I was locked in.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Writing and Selling Confessions
Brazos Writers Workshop
March 8, 2008
Brazos Writers Workshop
Saturday, March 8, 2008 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: College Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas
Tuition: $25 for Brazos Writers members, $30 for non-members
Check in, registration and continental breakfast at 8:30. Snacks throughout the morning.
Writing and Selling Confessions
Confession magazines publish hundreds of short stories each year and editors are hungry for new talent. Published in True Story, True Confessions, True Romance, and similar periodicals, confessions represent an ideal genre for beginning short story writers to break into publication and for experienced writers to expand their sales.
Michael Bracken, author of more than 150 confessions, will provide an overview of the genre at the Brazos Writers workshop scheduled for March 8 in College Station. He will describe what makes confessions unique and will lead workshop participants
through the steps necessary to generate appropriate story ideas, develop ideas into believable plots, draft genre-appropriate scenes, and, finally, prepare manuscripts ready for submission to confession editors. Many of the techniques described in the workshop can be applied to writing in other genres.
“Writing and Selling Confessions” is a hands-on workshop and participants should come prepared to actively participate in the process. For more information on the workshop or Brazos Writers, go to www.brazoswriters.org.
-------------------------------------------------
Please print:
Name __________________________________________________________
Street __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip____________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________
Email Address ___________________________________________________
Brazos Writers Member $25 ____________________
Non-member $30____________________
Join Brazos Writers $24____________________
Total____________________
Please return this form to Fidel Fernandez, treasurer, with your check.
Or mail to: Brazos Writers, PO. Box 4025, Bryan, TX 77805-4025
Registration will be taken at the door as well.
March 8, 2008
Brazos Writers Workshop
Saturday, March 8, 2008 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: College Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas
Tuition: $25 for Brazos Writers members, $30 for non-members
Check in, registration and continental breakfast at 8:30. Snacks throughout the morning.
Writing and Selling Confessions
Confession magazines publish hundreds of short stories each year and editors are hungry for new talent. Published in True Story, True Confessions, True Romance, and similar periodicals, confessions represent an ideal genre for beginning short story writers to break into publication and for experienced writers to expand their sales.
Michael Bracken, author of more than 150 confessions, will provide an overview of the genre at the Brazos Writers workshop scheduled for March 8 in College Station. He will describe what makes confessions unique and will lead workshop participants
through the steps necessary to generate appropriate story ideas, develop ideas into believable plots, draft genre-appropriate scenes, and, finally, prepare manuscripts ready for submission to confession editors. Many of the techniques described in the workshop can be applied to writing in other genres.
“Writing and Selling Confessions” is a hands-on workshop and participants should come prepared to actively participate in the process. For more information on the workshop or Brazos Writers, go to www.brazoswriters.org.
-------------------------------------------------
Please print:
Name __________________________________________________________
Street __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip____________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________
Email Address ___________________________________________________
Brazos Writers Member $25 ____________________
Non-member $30____________________
Join Brazos Writers $24____________________
Total____________________
Please return this form to Fidel Fernandez, treasurer, with your check.
Or mail to: Brazos Writers, PO. Box 4025, Bryan, TX 77805-4025
Registration will be taken at the door as well.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
5
Yesterday I received my 5th acceptance of the year, so I'm only one acceptance behind my goal of one acceptance a week.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Anthologies dead
Earlier this week I learned that Wildside Press has decided not to publish my anthologies City Crimes, Country Crimes; Fedora 4; and Sex, Lies, and Private Eyes.
I just finished e-mailing the contributors to those anthologies, letting them know the bad news.
It wasn't fun.
I just finished e-mailing the contributors to those anthologies, letting them know the bad news.
It wasn't fun.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Textbook on Writing
I was recently asked to contribute to a college textbook on writing, and I've spent more time on it this past week than I have on writing new fiction. Before I begin writing my section of the textbook, though, I'm trying to complete two tasks:
1) Provide a 75-word bio. This is tough. By cutting a little bit each day I've gotten my bio under 400 words. Only 325 more words to cut.
2) Answer seven questions about myself/my writing that the editors can combine with the responses from other contributors to create call-outs and/or sidebars. The editors have asked some thought-provoking questions, and I've been answering one question each evening as my last project before bed. Reflecting on why I do what I do and how I reached this point in my writing career has involved some unexpected and intense self-discovery. Kudos to the editors for challenging me like this.
1) Provide a 75-word bio. This is tough. By cutting a little bit each day I've gotten my bio under 400 words. Only 325 more words to cut.
2) Answer seven questions about myself/my writing that the editors can combine with the responses from other contributors to create call-outs and/or sidebars. The editors have asked some thought-provoking questions, and I've been answering one question each evening as my last project before bed. Reflecting on why I do what I do and how I reached this point in my writing career has involved some unexpected and intense self-discovery. Kudos to the editors for challenging me like this.
4
I received my fourth acceptance of the year today, this one for another Easter-themed confession story.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Understanding rights
I'm constantly amazed at how few writers--especially beginning writers--comprehend copyright. Earlier today I posted the following simplified explanation as part of a discussion about anthology rights among members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society:
A "work-for-hire" situation means that the author NEVER owned any rights to the created work. All rights belong to the employer. For example, if you are employed by XYZ Corporation and part of your job is to write the company newsletter, the company owns what you wrote.
If you are an independent contractor and XYZ Corporation hires you to write their newsletter you may, or may not, enter into a work-for-hire agreement. If you do, the company owns what you wrote.
In an "all rights" situation, the author owns what she created and chooses, for whatever reason to sell ALL of those rights to another entity. Once the author has sold all rights to something, the new owner of those rights may use them in any way he sees fit without ever consulting the creator.
In many cases, writers sell or lease certain rights to another party. For example, the author might grant another party First North American Serial Rights. In other words, she grants a publishing company the right to be the "first" to publish a particular work in "North America" (that's Canada and the U.S.) in a "serial" publication (that's a usually magazine, but may also be a newspaper). Note that author retains a plethora of other rights, ranging from "second" N.A. rights (the right to reprint in North America), to "first," "second" and subsequent rights in other countries (Brazil, Australia, Japan, etc.) or regions (South
America, Europe, etc.) or languages (Chinese, French, Spanish, etc.) or formats (anthology, electronic, TV, radio, etc.).
Note that nothing in the quoted post mentions what rights are being transferred from the writer to the anthology editor or publisher. To presume that the examples are "work-for- hire" seems a bit extreme given the lack of information provided, and given the wide variety of rights exchanges that may, in fact, happen between a writer and an anthology editor or publisher.
A "work-for-hire" situation means that the author NEVER owned any rights to the created work. All rights belong to the employer. For example, if you are employed by XYZ Corporation and part of your job is to write the company newsletter, the company owns what you wrote.
If you are an independent contractor and XYZ Corporation hires you to write their newsletter you may, or may not, enter into a work-for-hire agreement. If you do, the company owns what you wrote.
In an "all rights" situation, the author owns what she created and chooses, for whatever reason to sell ALL of those rights to another entity. Once the author has sold all rights to something, the new owner of those rights may use them in any way he sees fit without ever consulting the creator.
In many cases, writers sell or lease certain rights to another party. For example, the author might grant another party First North American Serial Rights. In other words, she grants a publishing company the right to be the "first" to publish a particular work in "North America" (that's Canada and the U.S.) in a "serial" publication (that's a usually magazine, but may also be a newspaper). Note that author retains a plethora of other rights, ranging from "second" N.A. rights (the right to reprint in North America), to "first," "second" and subsequent rights in other countries (Brazil, Australia, Japan, etc.) or regions (South
America, Europe, etc.) or languages (Chinese, French, Spanish, etc.) or formats (anthology, electronic, TV, radio, etc.).
Note that nothing in the quoted post mentions what rights are being transferred from the writer to the anthology editor or publisher. To presume that the examples are "work-for- hire" seems a bit extreme given the lack of information provided, and given the wide variety of rights exchanges that may, in fact, happen between a writer and an anthology editor or publisher.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
First steps
I posted this in the comments section of Dennis G. Jerz's blog (http://jerz.setonhill.edu/weblog/) yesterday:
"I suspect one of the hardest things to teach beginning and early career writers is the difference between the 'art' of writing and the 'business' of publishing. I learned long ago--and much to my own dismay--that I was never going to be an 'artist' that other writers hold up as an example of literary brilliance, but I could be a 'businessman' who produces clean copy, meets deadlines, and works well with others. If I do all that on a consistent basis, my primary 'audience'--editors--will ensure that my work is seen by a broader audience."
Jerz teaches "Intro to Literary Study," "a course [...] designed to introduce students to the writerly and scholarly virtues (critical thinking, self-motivation, the writing process) they'll need to develop as English majors and as college students," at Seton Hill, so my comments took the conversation a few steps beyond the intent of his original blog post.
Even so, learning these things are important steps in the development of a writer, and steps that all of us who teach new writers--whether we teach in a formal classroom setting as Jerz does or in informal workshop settings as I do--need to keep in mind.
Good writing begins with clear thinking, or a strong ability and willingness to revise what muddled thinking has created until it becomes clear.
Good writing comes from self-motivation. For many people, writing is a chore that is assigned by others (a theme assigned by a teacher, a term paper assigned by a professor, a report assigned by a supervisor) and it is accomplished in the least amount of time with the least amount of effort. Writers, though, even when working on assigned material, find ways to self-motivate because the writing itself is what provides them with joy.
Good writing comes from established processes. While a million monkeys with a million typewriters working for a million days might accidentally create a work of sheer genius, it is more likely that a single writer who has mastered the processes of writing will do so. While we don't all use the same methods, we all have a process for generating ideas, a process for outlining our ideas, and a process for transforming our outlines into articles, essays, short stories, or novels.
As important as they are and as hard as they are to take, learning these things are only the first steps for someone whose ultimate goal is to become a professional writer.
And these steps cannot be skipped.
"I suspect one of the hardest things to teach beginning and early career writers is the difference between the 'art' of writing and the 'business' of publishing. I learned long ago--and much to my own dismay--that I was never going to be an 'artist' that other writers hold up as an example of literary brilliance, but I could be a 'businessman' who produces clean copy, meets deadlines, and works well with others. If I do all that on a consistent basis, my primary 'audience'--editors--will ensure that my work is seen by a broader audience."
Jerz teaches "Intro to Literary Study," "a course [...] designed to introduce students to the writerly and scholarly virtues (critical thinking, self-motivation, the writing process) they'll need to develop as English majors and as college students," at Seton Hill, so my comments took the conversation a few steps beyond the intent of his original blog post.
Even so, learning these things are important steps in the development of a writer, and steps that all of us who teach new writers--whether we teach in a formal classroom setting as Jerz does or in informal workshop settings as I do--need to keep in mind.
Good writing begins with clear thinking, or a strong ability and willingness to revise what muddled thinking has created until it becomes clear.
Good writing comes from self-motivation. For many people, writing is a chore that is assigned by others (a theme assigned by a teacher, a term paper assigned by a professor, a report assigned by a supervisor) and it is accomplished in the least amount of time with the least amount of effort. Writers, though, even when working on assigned material, find ways to self-motivate because the writing itself is what provides them with joy.
Good writing comes from established processes. While a million monkeys with a million typewriters working for a million days might accidentally create a work of sheer genius, it is more likely that a single writer who has mastered the processes of writing will do so. While we don't all use the same methods, we all have a process for generating ideas, a process for outlining our ideas, and a process for transforming our outlines into articles, essays, short stories, or novels.
As important as they are and as hard as they are to take, learning these things are only the first steps for someone whose ultimate goal is to become a professional writer.
And these steps cannot be skipped.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Recycled
MysteryNet continues to recycle stories, and one I sold them back in 1999--"Peas in a Pod"--recently reappeared as the January "Twist." It holds up pretty good.
Read "Peas in a Pod" at http://www.MysteryNet.com/twist/twist282/
Read "Peas in a Pod" at http://www.MysteryNet.com/twist/twist282/
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Keynote Kudos
Seton Hill University is seeking a keynote speaker for this year's Writing Popular Fiction conference in Greensburg, PA.
The call for potential speakers includes this note: "Last year, Michael Bracken was the speaker and they absolutely LOVED him!"
If you're looking for a good conference to attend, try Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction conference. If you're looking for a good speaker for your conference, well, you know who Seton Hill would recommend...
The call for potential speakers includes this note: "Last year, Michael Bracken was the speaker and they absolutely LOVED him!"
If you're looking for a good conference to attend, try Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction conference. If you're looking for a good speaker for your conference, well, you know who Seton Hill would recommend...
2 & 3
My second and third acceptances of the year arrived in the same envelope today. One of the acceptances is for the story I wrote last Thursday.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Published
My story "Perfect Stranger" appears in the February True Love, which should be on newsstands now.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Leading workshop?
I am tentatively scheduled to lead "Writing and Selling Confessions," a 2-3 hour workshop, in Bryan/College Station, Texas, on Saturday, March 8. As soon as all the details are confirmed, I'll post more information.
Monday, January 14, 2008
1
I received my first acceptance of the year today. Since this is the 14th, it means I'm already a week behind schedule. I should have had two acceptances by now!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Rejections are good
I just received my first rejection of the year, and I see it as a good sign.
Early in a writing career, a rejection can mean most anything from "it wasn't right for us" to "your work sucks; quit writing and get a paper route."
But later in a career, a rejection is just as likely to mean "you tried something different and it didn't quite work" or "you're submitting beyond your skill level." And both of these are things we should be doing. We should be trying new things--different genres, different POVs, etc.--and we should be submitting to publications beyond our current level of accomplishment.
If we're consistently placing work with non-paying publications, we should be submitting regularly to the penny-a-word markets. If we've broken into the penny-a-word markets, we should be submitting to the nickel-a-word markets, then the dime-a-word markets, then the half-dollar-a-word markets, then the dollar-a-word markets. We should never be complacent with our status.
Me? I'd tried both at once--a story with a type of protagonist I don't usually write about submitted to a publication that represents the top-end of its genre. And my story was rejected.
In this case, the rejection is a good thing.
Even so, a sale would have been better.
Early in a writing career, a rejection can mean most anything from "it wasn't right for us" to "your work sucks; quit writing and get a paper route."
But later in a career, a rejection is just as likely to mean "you tried something different and it didn't quite work" or "you're submitting beyond your skill level." And both of these are things we should be doing. We should be trying new things--different genres, different POVs, etc.--and we should be submitting to publications beyond our current level of accomplishment.
If we're consistently placing work with non-paying publications, we should be submitting regularly to the penny-a-word markets. If we've broken into the penny-a-word markets, we should be submitting to the nickel-a-word markets, then the dime-a-word markets, then the half-dollar-a-word markets, then the dollar-a-word markets. We should never be complacent with our status.
Me? I'd tried both at once--a story with a type of protagonist I don't usually write about submitted to a publication that represents the top-end of its genre. And my story was rejected.
In this case, the rejection is a good thing.
Even so, a sale would have been better.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The four-hour story
At 6:05 this evening I received a call for submissions that an editor sent to her regular contributors. She did not have any Easter or spring-themed stories and needs some for her April issue. And she needs them tomorrow.
At 10:17 this evening, I e-mailed a brand-new 2,300 word story to that editor. Deducting the time I spent on a personal phone call, it looks like I wrote the story from start to finish in four hours.
If the editor buys the story and pays the usual rates, I'll receive 3-cents/word. Not so good on a per-word basis. On the other hand, it works out to $17.25/hour, which isn't bad for an evening that I might have otherwise spent watching reruns.
And if she doesn't buy the story, the time spent was still better utilized than watching reruns.
At 10:17 this evening, I e-mailed a brand-new 2,300 word story to that editor. Deducting the time I spent on a personal phone call, it looks like I wrote the story from start to finish in four hours.
If the editor buys the story and pays the usual rates, I'll receive 3-cents/word. Not so good on a per-word basis. On the other hand, it works out to $17.25/hour, which isn't bad for an evening that I might have otherwise spent watching reruns.
And if she doesn't buy the story, the time spent was still better utilized than watching reruns.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Today I'm a crabby editor
New writers often ask questions about how to format manuscripts, and established writers and editors provide a variety of opinions about the "right" way and the "wrong" way to do it. I happen to prefer the format established post-typewriter/pre-personal computer, but I realize time, technology, and training changes everything.
I'm no Luddite. I worked for a large book and periodical publisher that was accepting electronic manuscripts back in the 1980s before Macintoshes existed and when electronic manuscripts arrived on 8" Wang disks that truly were floppy! I worked with and taught GenCode, a precursor to today's generic mark-up languages (HTML, SGML, etc.)., and today I write, edit, and design printed and electronic publications using a variety of word processing and page layout programs on both Macintoshes and Windows-based PCs.
So allow me a moment to play crabby editor while I bitch about a few of the most common mistakes I see writers make when preparing electronic manuscripts, and my complaints have nothing to do with font or typesize.
1. PUT YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON THE MANUSCRIPT. Manuscripts submitted via E-mail often get separated from their E-mail cover letters. Manuscripts submitted as hardcopy often get separated from their cover letters. Almost every day I have my hands on manuscripts that have no byline and no author contact information. What happens? If the manuscripts are not suitable, they go into the trash. If the manuscripts might be made suitable with revision, they go into a pile waiting for the day someone has the time to figure out where they came from, but usually go in the trash anyhow. If the manuscripts are truly exceptional, someone will try to track down the author, and may or may not be successful.
My advice: Put your name, address, phone number(s), FAX number, and E-mail address on the first page of every manuscript you submit.
2. SUBMIT CLEAN ELECTRONIC FILES. Many writers are capable of producing manuscripts that look nice when printed, but their electronic files are filled with trash coding and inconsistent coding, coding that an editor has to strip out and clean up before importing your files into a page layout program.
Examples of trash coding and inconsistent coding:
Extra spacebands in the middle of sentences
Extra spacebands at the end of paragraphs
Inconsistent paragraph indenting (using your program's formatting capabilities to automatically indent some paragraphs, using the tab key to indent some paragraphs, and hitting the spaceband multiple times to indent other paragraphs)
Using inch marks for quote marks and foot marks for single quote marks and apostrophes; or, worse, using them Inconsistently throughout a manuscript
Using en-dashes where em-dashes belong
Putting spaces around some dashes but not around others
Hitting the return key multiple times to move material from one page to another
I could go on, but I won't.
My advice: Before you submit your next manuscript, turn on invisibles so that you can see the coding you've inserted into your manuscript, and then clean it up. And if you don't know what's best, then, at the very least, be consistent.
3. NUMBER YOUR PAGES. Better still: Put your name and the title of your article or story on every page with the page number.
Doing these three things won't help you sell bad work, but doing these things will help make your editors happy when you do submit something publishable.
I'm no Luddite. I worked for a large book and periodical publisher that was accepting electronic manuscripts back in the 1980s before Macintoshes existed and when electronic manuscripts arrived on 8" Wang disks that truly were floppy! I worked with and taught GenCode, a precursor to today's generic mark-up languages (HTML, SGML, etc.)., and today I write, edit, and design printed and electronic publications using a variety of word processing and page layout programs on both Macintoshes and Windows-based PCs.
So allow me a moment to play crabby editor while I bitch about a few of the most common mistakes I see writers make when preparing electronic manuscripts, and my complaints have nothing to do with font or typesize.
1. PUT YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON THE MANUSCRIPT. Manuscripts submitted via E-mail often get separated from their E-mail cover letters. Manuscripts submitted as hardcopy often get separated from their cover letters. Almost every day I have my hands on manuscripts that have no byline and no author contact information. What happens? If the manuscripts are not suitable, they go into the trash. If the manuscripts might be made suitable with revision, they go into a pile waiting for the day someone has the time to figure out where they came from, but usually go in the trash anyhow. If the manuscripts are truly exceptional, someone will try to track down the author, and may or may not be successful.
My advice: Put your name, address, phone number(s), FAX number, and E-mail address on the first page of every manuscript you submit.
2. SUBMIT CLEAN ELECTRONIC FILES. Many writers are capable of producing manuscripts that look nice when printed, but their electronic files are filled with trash coding and inconsistent coding, coding that an editor has to strip out and clean up before importing your files into a page layout program.
Examples of trash coding and inconsistent coding:
Extra spacebands in the middle of sentences
Extra spacebands at the end of paragraphs
Inconsistent paragraph indenting (using your program's formatting capabilities to automatically indent some paragraphs, using the tab key to indent some paragraphs, and hitting the spaceband multiple times to indent other paragraphs)
Using inch marks for quote marks and foot marks for single quote marks and apostrophes; or, worse, using them Inconsistently throughout a manuscript
Using en-dashes where em-dashes belong
Putting spaces around some dashes but not around others
Hitting the return key multiple times to move material from one page to another
I could go on, but I won't.
My advice: Before you submit your next manuscript, turn on invisibles so that you can see the coding you've inserted into your manuscript, and then clean it up. And if you don't know what's best, then, at the very least, be consistent.
3. NUMBER YOUR PAGES. Better still: Put your name and the title of your article or story on every page with the page number.
Doing these three things won't help you sell bad work, but doing these things will help make your editors happy when you do submit something publishable.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
2007 in review
2007 is history. So, how'd I do?
38 acceptances. 15 rejections and/or non-acceptances. (Non-acceptances include lost ms., non-responses, etc.) This is my worst year since 2001, when I had only 21 acceptances, and it clearly falls short of my goal of one acceptance per week.
On the other hand, my total gross income from freelancing increased 1.38% over the previous year.
Income from
Advertising & Public Relations: up 9.05%
Consulting: down 100%
Editing: up 5.06%
Fiction (not novels): down 31%
Non-fiction (not books): down 15.38%
Royalties (from all books): down 40.59%
Seminars/Teaching: up significantly from $0 the previous year
Of course, percentages don't tell the entire story.
Advertising & Public Relations generated the largest dollar increase, while Editing generated the second largest dollar increase.
Editing generated the largest revenue stream, while Advertising & Public Relations generated the second largest revenue stream.
The majority of my Advertising & Public Relations revenue is generated by a single client. The majority of my Editing revenue is generated by two clients representing three publications.
I sold non-fiction to five publications produced by three publishers. One of the five publications ceased publication during 2007.
I sold fiction to 13 publications produced by seven publishers. One of the 13 publications ceased publication during 2007.
Key concerns:
The bulk of my freelance income comes from three sources. While I think all of my clients are satisfied with my work and we intend to continue our relationships, I wish I had more diversity in my client base.
One of my three key clients has discussed the possibility of putting me on the payroll as a part-time employee rather than continuing the current freelance arrangement. There are advantages and disadvantages to this change and our discussion continues.
I divorced in March of 2007 and was able to continue medical and dental insurance through COBRA. By law, I can continue coverage for 36 months following divorce, but medical/dental insurance now represents my second largest monthly expense (my house payment remains the largest monthly expense). What will I do when my COBRA benefits expire?
That's 2007 in review.
So, how'd I do?
38 acceptances. 15 rejections and/or non-acceptances. (Non-acceptances include lost ms., non-responses, etc.) This is my worst year since 2001, when I had only 21 acceptances, and it clearly falls short of my goal of one acceptance per week.
On the other hand, my total gross income from freelancing increased 1.38% over the previous year.
Income from
Advertising & Public Relations: up 9.05%
Consulting: down 100%
Editing: up 5.06%
Fiction (not novels): down 31%
Non-fiction (not books): down 15.38%
Royalties (from all books): down 40.59%
Seminars/Teaching: up significantly from $0 the previous year
Of course, percentages don't tell the entire story.
Advertising & Public Relations generated the largest dollar increase, while Editing generated the second largest dollar increase.
Editing generated the largest revenue stream, while Advertising & Public Relations generated the second largest revenue stream.
The majority of my Advertising & Public Relations revenue is generated by a single client. The majority of my Editing revenue is generated by two clients representing three publications.
I sold non-fiction to five publications produced by three publishers. One of the five publications ceased publication during 2007.
I sold fiction to 13 publications produced by seven publishers. One of the 13 publications ceased publication during 2007.
Key concerns:
The bulk of my freelance income comes from three sources. While I think all of my clients are satisfied with my work and we intend to continue our relationships, I wish I had more diversity in my client base.
One of my three key clients has discussed the possibility of putting me on the payroll as a part-time employee rather than continuing the current freelance arrangement. There are advantages and disadvantages to this change and our discussion continues.
I divorced in March of 2007 and was able to continue medical and dental insurance through COBRA. By law, I can continue coverage for 36 months following divorce, but medical/dental insurance now represents my second largest monthly expense (my house payment remains the largest monthly expense). What will I do when my COBRA benefits expire?
That's 2007 in review.
So, how'd I do?
Friday, January 04, 2008
When high productivity is an excuse for low productivity
I always have several dozen works in progress. When I tire of one, or hit a wall or any kind, I stop working on that project and start working on another. I can always write something.
The upside of this method of writing is that I do not experience writer's block (and don't believe it exists, but I've said that too many times already).
The downside is that I can work hard, produce several thousand usable words, and still have no complete manuscripts to show for my effort.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I finished and submitted five new short stories. Since Christmas I've written many more words than I wrote in the weeks prior to Christmas, but I've completed no new manuscripts. I've written a sentence on this story, a paragraph on that story, a few pages on this other story, and have touched at least three dozen stories in the process.
So, even though I've been highly productive in terms of word counts and page counts, I've been quite unproductive in terms of completed manuscripts.
So it goes.
The upside of this method of writing is that I do not experience writer's block (and don't believe it exists, but I've said that too many times already).
The downside is that I can work hard, produce several thousand usable words, and still have no complete manuscripts to show for my effort.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I finished and submitted five new short stories. Since Christmas I've written many more words than I wrote in the weeks prior to Christmas, but I've completed no new manuscripts. I've written a sentence on this story, a paragraph on that story, a few pages on this other story, and have touched at least three dozen stories in the process.
So, even though I've been highly productive in terms of word counts and page counts, I've been quite unproductive in terms of completed manuscripts.
So it goes.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
The fortune in my cookie
I ate Chinese food for dinner and the fortune in my cookie told me that "Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness."
I found the fortune apt because I just completed my fourth calendar year as a full-time freelance writer/editor and in a few months--April 1, actually--I will complete my fifth year as a full-time freelancer.
Nearly five years spent doing what I like and liking what I do isn't a bad run. That's 10 percent of my life (or about 16 percent of my adult life), a stretch of time that few people I know can claim to have spent doing what they like and liking what they do.
Now if I can ever get my personal life in the same condition as my professional life, I'll be swimming in gravy.
I found the fortune apt because I just completed my fourth calendar year as a full-time freelance writer/editor and in a few months--April 1, actually--I will complete my fifth year as a full-time freelancer.
Nearly five years spent doing what I like and liking what I do isn't a bad run. That's 10 percent of my life (or about 16 percent of my adult life), a stretch of time that few people I know can claim to have spent doing what they like and liking what they do.
Now if I can ever get my personal life in the same condition as my professional life, I'll be swimming in gravy.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Grab the reader by the throat
One of the best pieces of writing advice I ever received was to grab the reader by the throat at the beginning of a story and not let go until the end. Over the years I've found a few ways to accomplish this, but I never thought about how many different tricks and techniques writers have at their disposal for writing opening lines and opening scenes.
Les Edgerton has. In Hooked (Writer's Digest Books, 2007), Edgerton describes many different ways writers can effectively "hook" a reader with a strong opening line and/or opening scene. He provides examples of effective story hooks from a variety of genres, and explains why he believes they are effective.
While I don't agree with everything Edgerton says--for example, he doesn't think highly of stories that begin with dialog and I've sold a great many stories that begin with dialog--he did make me aware of a few techniques I haven't used.
I finished reading Hooked a few days ago and I've already written two opening scenes based on what I learned. If I finish and sell even one of the two stories, Hooked will pay for itself many times over.
Les Edgerton has. In Hooked (Writer's Digest Books, 2007), Edgerton describes many different ways writers can effectively "hook" a reader with a strong opening line and/or opening scene. He provides examples of effective story hooks from a variety of genres, and explains why he believes they are effective.
While I don't agree with everything Edgerton says--for example, he doesn't think highly of stories that begin with dialog and I've sold a great many stories that begin with dialog--he did make me aware of a few techniques I haven't used.
I finished reading Hooked a few days ago and I've already written two opening scenes based on what I learned. If I finish and sell even one of the two stories, Hooked will pay for itself many times over.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Productivity is up
I've been writing more since Thanksgiving than I had during much of the year, and four new short stories are going in the mail the next time I leave the house.
Including these four, I've completed and submitted five new stories since Thanksgiving. I've also started numerous new stories and have made progress--sometimes significant progress--on a number of other stories in various stages of completion.
Why the sudden flood of work? I'm not certain, but I did spend Thanksgiving away from home, away from my office, away from my computer, and away from writing in any form. I think I came back refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Including these four, I've completed and submitted five new stories since Thanksgiving. I've also started numerous new stories and have made progress--sometimes significant progress--on a number of other stories in various stages of completion.
Why the sudden flood of work? I'm not certain, but I did spend Thanksgiving away from home, away from my office, away from my computer, and away from writing in any form. I think I came back refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Why I support the writers' strike
While I should support my brother and sister writers in their effort to receive fair compensation for their work in television and movies, I don't. I support the strike for a purely selfish reason.
As my favorite television programs run out of new episodes and are replaced by reruns and bad reality TV, I find myself spending more time writing. The longer the strike lasts, the more I write. The more I write, the more I earn.
So, strike on brothers and sisters. At least this writer is benefitting from your struggle.
As my favorite television programs run out of new episodes and are replaced by reruns and bad reality TV, I find myself spending more time writing. The longer the strike lasts, the more I write. The more I write, the more I earn.
So, strike on brothers and sisters. At least this writer is benefitting from your struggle.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Published
My story "The Philandering Private Eye" appears in the January issue of True Confessions. Although published in a confession magazine, this story is straight-up crime fiction. And the title isn't mine; there's no private eye in the story.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
First publication in 2008
My story "In Love With Mr. Coffee" appears in the January True Story, making it my first publication of 2008. I have two other stories scheduled for January publication, so I might start the year with a trio of publications.
"In Love With Mr. Coffee" was originally slated for the December 2005 issue, but was bumped. I've had stories bumped before--many times, actually--but I don't think I've ever had one bumped 25 months!
"In Love With Mr. Coffee" was originally slated for the December 2005 issue, but was bumped. I've had stories bumped before--many times, actually--but I don't think I've ever had one bumped 25 months!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Published
My story "If I Was A Rich Girl" was published in the October issue of True Love.
(I would have posted this sooner, but True Love no longer appears on local newsstands and my contributor copy just arrived in the mail.
(I would have posted this sooner, but True Love no longer appears on local newsstands and my contributor copy just arrived in the mail.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
38
I was away from home for Thanksgiving and returned home to find a contract for a confession, my 38th acceptance of the year.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Published
My story "All I Want For Christmas Is Mr. Right!" appears in the December issue of True Love.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Character Match
Following my divorce earlier this year, I joined Match.com, an Internet dating site. While I've met some nice women and have had some interesting dates, I don't plan to share details from my dating adventures.
On the other hand, I do want to share a tip for those of you who struggle with character creation and development: Join Match.com and start reading member profiles.
Sure, you'll find basic info--height, body type, hair color, eye color, and so on--but the best material is contained in the paragraphs of self-desciption each member writes. That's where you learn characterization.
Pick one, any one, and read it closely. Is the author's profile brief and to the point, or does it run for multiple paragraphs? Does the author describe herself, or does she describe her "perfect" match? Does the author write in complete, grammatically correct sentences, or are words misspelled and punctuation applied randomly? Does the author reveal something about past hurts (you may be surprised by the number of women seeking an "honest" man), or about future goals? What's the tone--serious, funny, or sad? What does the author say and what else is implied?
You may not discover the love of your life on Match.com, but you can certainly find enough characters to populate your fiction.
If you're an unmarried writer struggling with characterization in your short stories and novels, try Match.com.
But if you're a married writer, no amount of fast-talking will make your spouse believe that you joined Match.com for "research." And if you can't convince your spouse, you might need to use that membership for more than just research...
On the other hand, I do want to share a tip for those of you who struggle with character creation and development: Join Match.com and start reading member profiles.
Sure, you'll find basic info--height, body type, hair color, eye color, and so on--but the best material is contained in the paragraphs of self-desciption each member writes. That's where you learn characterization.
Pick one, any one, and read it closely. Is the author's profile brief and to the point, or does it run for multiple paragraphs? Does the author describe herself, or does she describe her "perfect" match? Does the author write in complete, grammatically correct sentences, or are words misspelled and punctuation applied randomly? Does the author reveal something about past hurts (you may be surprised by the number of women seeking an "honest" man), or about future goals? What's the tone--serious, funny, or sad? What does the author say and what else is implied?
You may not discover the love of your life on Match.com, but you can certainly find enough characters to populate your fiction.
If you're an unmarried writer struggling with characterization in your short stories and novels, try Match.com.
But if you're a married writer, no amount of fast-talking will make your spouse believe that you joined Match.com for "research." And if you can't convince your spouse, you might need to use that membership for more than just research...
Saturday, November 03, 2007
I write like a girl
Fellow confession writer Roberta Beach Jacobson posted a link to The Gender Genie (http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php), a program that will examine a piece of writing and determine if it had a male or a female author.
For fun, I tested three confessions and the program thought they were written by a female. That's good, I thought, because they're supposed to be!
Then I tested two hardboiled pieces of crime fiction--violent, sexual, as masculine as I get. The program thought they were also written by a female.
Maybe my crime fiction isn't as hardboiled as I thought it was. Maybe I should become a florist...
For fun, I tested three confessions and the program thought they were written by a female. That's good, I thought, because they're supposed to be!
Then I tested two hardboiled pieces of crime fiction--violent, sexual, as masculine as I get. The program thought they were also written by a female.
Maybe my crime fiction isn't as hardboiled as I thought it was. Maybe I should become a florist...
Friday, November 02, 2007
37 / 1,100
I received a contract in today's mail, my 37th acceptance of the year, which puts me behind my goal of one acceptance each week. I'm 37 acceptances for 44 weeks, well behind the blistering pace I set in the previous five years (63 acceptances in 2002, 55 in 2003, 75 in 2004, 57 in 2005, and 66 in 2006).
On the other hand, if my records are accurate, this is my 1,100th acceptance.
On the other hand, if my records are accurate, this is my 1,100th acceptance.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Published, again and other good news
My story "Rescued By a Mountain Man" appears in the Winter issue of True Experience.
In another bit of good news, I returned home today to find a message on my answering machine from a woman I had interviewed. She was calling to say good things about the article I had written. My ego puffed up an appropriate amount.
In another bit of good news, I returned home today to find a message on my answering machine from a woman I had interviewed. She was calling to say good things about the article I had written. My ego puffed up an appropriate amount.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Why it pays to watch Mel Brooks movies
After Marcel Marceau died, Entertainment Weekly (Monitor, October 5, 2007) stated that the famous mime "entertained audiences around the world for over 60 years without ever uttering a word." As a fan of Mel Brooks movies, I knew this was incorrect, and I dashed off an e-mail to the EW editors.
I don't know how many other readers spotted the error, but the October 26 EW carries the following "clarification":
"While Marcel Marceau never uttered a word during his 60-year stage career, the mime famously said the word 'non' in Mel Brooks' 'Silent Movie' (Monitor)."
I don't know how many other readers spotted the error, but the October 26 EW carries the following "clarification":
"While Marcel Marceau never uttered a word during his 60-year stage career, the mime famously said the word 'non' in Mel Brooks' 'Silent Movie' (Monitor)."
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Published, again
My article "From Small Ideas, Big Projects Grow: Victoria Educational Gardens" appears in the November/December issue of Texas Gardener, which should hit newsstands soon.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
"Snowbird" opening on-line
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine has posted the opening of "Snowbird," the private eye story I co-authored with Tom Sweeney, on their Web site: http://www.themysteryplace.com/eqmm/excerpts/excerpt2.shtml.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
36
I received my 36th acceptance of the year today, a confession with the sure-to-be-changed title of "Sugar Tits."
Private eye story published
"Snowbird," a private eye story I co-authored with Tom Sweeney, appears in the December issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Quoted
I recently received a photocopy of part of the March, 2007, Byline. Rhonda Peters quoted me in her article "I Confess: My True Romance Was Not A True Story," an article about writing confessions.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)