I'm trying to write a summary of my middle grade novel to send to an agent. I believe it's harder than writing the entire book. I know I have to give a general idea of what the book is about and not to go into the minute details, but everything seems important to me!! So I thought I'd use my blog today to get my thoughts in order.
All right, I know I have to have a hook in the first few sentences that will make the agent want to read more.
Then I have to run through the most important parts of the book: the most dramatic, the funniest, the ones that inspire the most emotion and get them in some order.
I also know that I must tell how the book ends--no leaving the agent hanging. Also mustn't forget to mention how long the book is and the audience it targets.
Now that I think of it it's not much different from when I was pitching my nonfiction books.
There, just writing that down has helped me. It's time to get busy doing, not thinking about doing!
If I like my book (and I do) I need to keep in mind that my summary is meant to make others think they might like it too. I need to do it justice.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
permission to read
Went to lunch today with two friends--it was so nice to be with adults. Not that I don't love my grandson whom I care for five days a week--I do more than I can ever say. BUT, there's a lot to be said for conversations that don't include dinosaurs, Thomas the Train, and garbage trucks.
We talked about books we have read and I was surprised to find that my friends feel just as guilty as I about taking the time to read during the day. There's so much that needs to be done, not just around the house, but volunteering, keeping up with friends and neighbors, cooking, exercising, and on and on and on.
Do I really need an excuse to just sit and pick up a good book? I'm a writer and if I don't read, how can I write? How can I learn how to make my writing more interesting, more pulled together, more realistic if I don't study other writers by reading their work?
So, I hereby give permission to myself and to anyone who's reading this to read whenever and wherever they like. No apologies or excuses necessary.
We talked about books we have read and I was surprised to find that my friends feel just as guilty as I about taking the time to read during the day. There's so much that needs to be done, not just around the house, but volunteering, keeping up with friends and neighbors, cooking, exercising, and on and on and on.
Do I really need an excuse to just sit and pick up a good book? I'm a writer and if I don't read, how can I write? How can I learn how to make my writing more interesting, more pulled together, more realistic if I don't study other writers by reading their work?
So, I hereby give permission to myself and to anyone who's reading this to read whenever and wherever they like. No apologies or excuses necessary.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
the good, the bad, and the ugly
Went to the Botanic Gardens today to see the butterfly pavilion. So many butterflies of all colors. Took a handout on how to grow a garden that would attract butterflies and I thought that would be a great idea until I read that you needed to make sure the larvae had enough to eat. I just wanted butterflies--not the caterpillars or the chrysalis.
Like life, I guess. Wouldn't it be nice to have all the beautiful parts and none of the ugly? And writing too. If we write only about the surface things and don't dive into the parts of our lives/ feelings/soul that aren't as nice we get meaningless prose that anyone can write. But, it's hard because writing exposes so much about us and if we write about the ugly, it's like running through the neighborhood naked. Do I really want to expose myself? Do I really want to write?
Maybe that's why I do well at nonfiction- just the facts, ma'am. But fiction is another story--my characters have to be real people with all their warts out there for all to see, and in order for me to know about those warts, they have to be my warts too.
Like life, I guess. Wouldn't it be nice to have all the beautiful parts and none of the ugly? And writing too. If we write only about the surface things and don't dive into the parts of our lives/ feelings/soul that aren't as nice we get meaningless prose that anyone can write. But, it's hard because writing exposes so much about us and if we write about the ugly, it's like running through the neighborhood naked. Do I really want to expose myself? Do I really want to write?
Maybe that's why I do well at nonfiction- just the facts, ma'am. But fiction is another story--my characters have to be real people with all their warts out there for all to see, and in order for me to know about those warts, they have to be my warts too.
Friday, July 25, 2008
creativity
What a time my grandson Josh and I had today. A friend had sent me an e-mail of hands painted to resemble a zebra, a bird, a peacock, soccer players, a piano player, and other animals and people. Josh, of course, wanted to try painting his hands. Me too, for that matter! So we mixed confectioners sugar icing of different colors and made our hands look first like black and white striped zebras and then with dabs of green, blue, white, and red, our hands were beautiful peacocks. Best of all, we were able to lick our hands clean.
Creativity--how clever of the person who made up the wonderful images for us to copy. Just looking at plain old hands in a different light. Makes me think that when I write it would be helpful to look at a same-old, same old situation from a different angle or from another person's point of view and maybe see something that I've never seen before.
For example, how would a very neat housekeeper have looked at our mess of icing that ended up all over the dining room and, as I discovered later, the living room as well? How would an artist? Or a person who has never has a loving relationship with a parent or grandparent?
Creativity--how clever of the person who made up the wonderful images for us to copy. Just looking at plain old hands in a different light. Makes me think that when I write it would be helpful to look at a same-old, same old situation from a different angle or from another person's point of view and maybe see something that I've never seen before.
For example, how would a very neat housekeeper have looked at our mess of icing that ended up all over the dining room and, as I discovered later, the living room as well? How would an artist? Or a person who has never has a loving relationship with a parent or grandparent?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
critique groups
I've come to the conclusion that my critique group is what keeps me writing day after day. Whenever I keep procrastinating by playing just one more game of solitaire, I remember that group day is coming and I should have something to share, so it's back to the computer.
Critique groups can be very good or very bad. The one I'm in now is good--I get constructive criticism and it's given to me kindly! I've been in groups where the participants didn't get along all that well and tended to be a bit more blunt than they needed to be.
I try to keep to the same rules I used as a teacher during parent-teacher conferences- always say something nice first, then say what could be made better and how I think it could be changed to make it more readable and I always offer it as an opinion that may or may not be right. That's how I want to be treated and the golden rule applies here. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Applies to life in general, not just critique groups.
I also like to tell others what I have learned from them. One person in our group is great at making all her characters sound different from one another so you would always know who is talking even if she didn't mention their names. I've gone back over my novel and realized that a few of my characters sound exactly alike so I'm in the process of individualizing the way they speak. A man will be a little more blunt, an elderly lady will use words like my dear girl and heavens, and so on, making them just a little bit different from each other.
Critique groups can be very good or very bad. The one I'm in now is good--I get constructive criticism and it's given to me kindly! I've been in groups where the participants didn't get along all that well and tended to be a bit more blunt than they needed to be.
I try to keep to the same rules I used as a teacher during parent-teacher conferences- always say something nice first, then say what could be made better and how I think it could be changed to make it more readable and I always offer it as an opinion that may or may not be right. That's how I want to be treated and the golden rule applies here. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Applies to life in general, not just critique groups.
I also like to tell others what I have learned from them. One person in our group is great at making all her characters sound different from one another so you would always know who is talking even if she didn't mention their names. I've gone back over my novel and realized that a few of my characters sound exactly alike so I'm in the process of individualizing the way they speak. A man will be a little more blunt, an elderly lady will use words like my dear girl and heavens, and so on, making them just a little bit different from each other.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
ideas are the beginning
I'm having a lot of fun writing my middle grade novel. It's a lot different from what I usually write which is nonfiction. Nonfiction is getting the facts straight and yes, writing them creatively, but not quite as much fun as making up characters and seeing where they will lead you. So far, I have only earned real money from my nonfiction writing, but I've had a great time with my novel and, who knows, maybe someday someone will pay to read that too!
I also like essay writing which I do get a chance to do when I write for Posh, NM, a local magazine. I sometimes write the introduction article and that's fun too and can be very creative. I put in facts, but I get to be a little silly and, I hope the readers think, humorous.
All writing is creative because you have start with an idea. My nephew wrote a terrific book about sunflowers- Now where did he get the idea to write about sunflowers?? Same way we get an idea for a piece of fiction. Something someone says or does stirs our curiosity and away we go.
The first book I ever had published was about math magic tricks. I saw a man performing magic with numbers and I just had to learn how he did it. Then I started making up math magic trick and just had to get them down on paper. Idea led to book led to publication.
The trick is not to let our ideas get away from us. I keep a pad and pencil by my bed because it seems nighttime is when I get my best ideas. If they aren't written, they will fly away. Of course, I've let a lot of ideas slip by me because I can't read my writing in the morning. So, if I think it's truly an awesome idea, I put the light on to write it down instead of scribbling in the dark.
I also like essay writing which I do get a chance to do when I write for Posh, NM, a local magazine. I sometimes write the introduction article and that's fun too and can be very creative. I put in facts, but I get to be a little silly and, I hope the readers think, humorous.
All writing is creative because you have start with an idea. My nephew wrote a terrific book about sunflowers- Now where did he get the idea to write about sunflowers?? Same way we get an idea for a piece of fiction. Something someone says or does stirs our curiosity and away we go.
The first book I ever had published was about math magic tricks. I saw a man performing magic with numbers and I just had to learn how he did it. Then I started making up math magic trick and just had to get them down on paper. Idea led to book led to publication.
The trick is not to let our ideas get away from us. I keep a pad and pencil by my bed because it seems nighttime is when I get my best ideas. If they aren't written, they will fly away. Of course, I've let a lot of ideas slip by me because I can't read my writing in the morning. So, if I think it's truly an awesome idea, I put the light on to write it down instead of scribbling in the dark.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Tying up the Loose Ends
Today I have to work on fitting a piece of information into the beginning of my middle grade novel. Because smoke alarms play an important part in one of the final chapters, I have to mention them sometime sooner in the book so the reader will suspect that the alarm will go off before it does. And if the reader doesn't even know the smoke alarms are there, how can he ? It's just part of tying all the ends together.
I guess that's why reading for content is different from editing. My grammar etc. is fine, but I'm finding little loose ends here and there. Even tho the book makes sense to me, I have to make sure it makes sense to the reader, giving just enough information and not too much. Readers like to make their own judgments so you can't tell them what to think. For instance in this case I will mention smoke alarms in a passing way. When the main character starts to do something that might set the alarms off, uhoh---the reader can guess what will happen. At least I hope so.
I guess that's why reading for content is different from editing. My grammar etc. is fine, but I'm finding little loose ends here and there. Even tho the book makes sense to me, I have to make sure it makes sense to the reader, giving just enough information and not too much. Readers like to make their own judgments so you can't tell them what to think. For instance in this case I will mention smoke alarms in a passing way. When the main character starts to do something that might set the alarms off, uhoh---the reader can guess what will happen. At least I hope so.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
How time flies
I just wrote a long blog on how much time has passed since I wrote anything on my blog and I posted it on the wrong site!!! Guess I'm not so smart on how to do this blogging yet!Suffice it to say, the time slipped by before I knew it and that goes for all my writing. I have to make up my mind to sit at the computer everyday for at least an hour. This free writing really helps to get me moving so perhaps before I begin working on my books, I will blog. Once the fingers start flying over the keyboards, they are ready for anything my mind will give them.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The waiting game
Had a busy day today-took care of my 4 year old grandson which is always a tiring but oh so very enjoyable treat.
Still, as tired as I am tonight, I did some work on my middle grade novel, The Stranger in My House. Except for a few changes and additions, I believe I am finished with it. Although, as any writer knows, you can always change, add, and delete, ad infinitum. The work is never good enough, but you have to know when to call a halt to rewriting.
I started this particular novel over 10 years ago and it placed third in a contest. Then I just dropped it and began writing nonfiction. One day, a friend who had read the manuscript asked me what I was doing with it. I answered, "Nothing!" Her question got me thinking though and I pulled it out of oblivion and began reworking it.
It's amazing how much I have learned about writing since I first wrote the story. I'm really glad I put it away for so long. It will be much better for the time it spent in the back of my mind. I hope I've learned a lesson from that. It's always best to sit on your writing before returning to it. (Not for ten years !!!) But a week or two may give you a different perspective and help with rewriting.
Still, as tired as I am tonight, I did some work on my middle grade novel, The Stranger in My House. Except for a few changes and additions, I believe I am finished with it. Although, as any writer knows, you can always change, add, and delete, ad infinitum. The work is never good enough, but you have to know when to call a halt to rewriting.
I started this particular novel over 10 years ago and it placed third in a contest. Then I just dropped it and began writing nonfiction. One day, a friend who had read the manuscript asked me what I was doing with it. I answered, "Nothing!" Her question got me thinking though and I pulled it out of oblivion and began reworking it.
It's amazing how much I have learned about writing since I first wrote the story. I'm really glad I put it away for so long. It will be much better for the time it spent in the back of my mind. I hope I've learned a lesson from that. It's always best to sit on your writing before returning to it. (Not for ten years !!!) But a week or two may give you a different perspective and help with rewriting.
Monday, July 7, 2008
constructive criticism
It seems to be working. Free writing on this blog, just saying whatever comes to my mind, has spurred me to begin working again. Hurray!
Met with my critique group this evening and got some good constructive criticism. It is a good group. They always say positive things before honing in on what could be changed for the better. Sometimes, in groups like this, people are afraid to say what they think because they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It's a talent to be able to put criticism positively. It's also a talent to accept criticism because it isn't always easy to hear that words that have come pouring out of you are not quite right.
But, if I never share my work with anyone else, I'll never get different viewpoints. Not that I have to take every suggestion, but others can spot stuff I may be too close to my work to see. That's true whether it's my writing or when I'm making big life decisions. It's always good to get a different opinion.
Met with my critique group this evening and got some good constructive criticism. It is a good group. They always say positive things before honing in on what could be changed for the better. Sometimes, in groups like this, people are afraid to say what they think because they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It's a talent to be able to put criticism positively. It's also a talent to accept criticism because it isn't always easy to hear that words that have come pouring out of you are not quite right.
But, if I never share my work with anyone else, I'll never get different viewpoints. Not that I have to take every suggestion, but others can spot stuff I may be too close to my work to see. That's true whether it's my writing or when I'm making big life decisions. It's always good to get a different opinion.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Overcoming Apathy
My second day blogging and, not only am I struggling to get my thoughts together for this message, I'm also trying to get motivated to get back to work on my actual writing. Writing is like anything else in life--you need some get up and go to get started, even if it's just to clean the bathroom or make yet another boring dinner.
I'm at the point in my first novel where the writing is getting tighter and tighter and so it gets harder to fine-tune. I thought it would get easier, but my inner critic keeps telling me there is more work to be done.
I've tried all the suggestions on getting past apathy (otherwise known as writer's block)--rewards (orange candies are my favorite), free-writing on any topic, asking a friend to critique, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera as the King of Siam once said to Anna, but some days nothing works.
At a writers' conference I attended, a speaker gave each of the attendees a button. "That's to remind you," she said, "to get your butt on the chair and write no matter what."
So I think I will take her advice and do just that. (Actually free-writing this blog has gotten my brain and fingers working again!! I may just be ready to get down to business!)
I'm at the point in my first novel where the writing is getting tighter and tighter and so it gets harder to fine-tune. I thought it would get easier, but my inner critic keeps telling me there is more work to be done.
I've tried all the suggestions on getting past apathy (otherwise known as writer's block)--rewards (orange candies are my favorite), free-writing on any topic, asking a friend to critique, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera as the King of Siam once said to Anna, but some days nothing works.
At a writers' conference I attended, a speaker gave each of the attendees a button. "That's to remind you," she said, "to get your butt on the chair and write no matter what."
So I think I will take her advice and do just that. (Actually free-writing this blog has gotten my brain and fingers working again!! I may just be ready to get down to business!)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A Beginner
Well, here I am blogging!!! I sit at the computer wondering what to say; for a writer, I am curiously at a loss for words!
This is another step I'm taking into the world of technology and I feel a) proud of myself for trying something new; b) a little nervous about sending my thoughts out to the world. (After all, most of my writing so far has been facts, facts, and more facts put together creatively, I think, but facts none the less. So this type of writing is new to me.); and c) energized. Hopefully, no matter how old I get I will never lose the feelings of anticipation and excitement.
So let's see where this leads us. I had originally wanted to blog to share what I have learned from my writing successes and failures with others in the writing field. That's what I will do, but not today! Today I congratulate myself for taking this first step and becoming a BLOGGER!!!!!!
This is another step I'm taking into the world of technology and I feel a) proud of myself for trying something new; b) a little nervous about sending my thoughts out to the world. (After all, most of my writing so far has been facts, facts, and more facts put together creatively, I think, but facts none the less. So this type of writing is new to me.); and c) energized. Hopefully, no matter how old I get I will never lose the feelings of anticipation and excitement.
So let's see where this leads us. I had originally wanted to blog to share what I have learned from my writing successes and failures with others in the writing field. That's what I will do, but not today! Today I congratulate myself for taking this first step and becoming a BLOGGER!!!!!!
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