Rochester Writers Association

Hello all.  I have been among the missing because life got busy!  However, picked this up from Miss Snark's First Victim.  Dragon Moon Press has an open submission period between now and December 31st for novels fitting their genres.  They usually are a referral only publisher.  I am not familiar with them personally, but thought it might be a good opportunity for any of you into fantasy etc. and having a finished work just waiting.  (I do!)

Good luck. 

I've run across an inexpensive way of self publishing: Createspace.com by Amazon.com. From what I've seen so far, it is VERY inexpensive to publish with them. The cost is dependent upon the size of your book. Your only expense is for a proof copy (could be as little as $2.15, plus postage). They assign an ISBN and place it for sale on Amazon.com. You receive a royalty on sales from their site and can purchase as many copies of your book at low cost (again, as little as $2.15, plus postage). You get to design the cover from their templates, or upload your own. They do no editorial/formatting work. You upload you camer-ready PDF file.

Thoughts???

It happens to the best of us. You're happy, enthralled with the genius of your ingenuity, and writing as fast as possible. The ideas are flowing like the Mississippi during the rainy season. Then out of nowhere, WHAM! All the beavers in America decide to dam your creativity. You shake your head to clear your mind, unsure of what just happened.

And then you stare numbly at your computer screen. Your mind freaks out as you realize that the villainous writer's block has struck. That thought leaves you debating whether or not you should whack your head into the keyboard. Or maybe you feel like the ink in your pen has dried, there's lead missing in your mechanical pencil or the lead in your normal pencil is so brittle nothing happens but breaking as you try to write and your fifty miles from the nearest office supply store.

What's a writer to do? The only thing we can. Crawl into a ball, roll around on the floor, and then moan, groan and whine to anyone who will listen. Down fifty cups of coffee, blame your sister, mother, brother, father, best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, and/or children and then get over it.

GET OVER IT?!?! You would at this point scream at me for not sympathizing. But, I can't. The only thing that can cure writer's block is to WRITE.

Before you ask, no I haven't lost my mind. But, I have learned (strictly through trial and error) that you have to FORCE the creativity. Find writing prompts. Literally type "writing prompts" into your search engine and just wait to be bombarded as the results fly in. Then pick one that doesn't want to make you hurl obscenities at the author (i.e. What did you do for summer vacation?) and pound out the words. If that doesn't work, flip through a magazine, newspaper, old book and write down any words that "jump out" at you and merge them until you can write a sentence. If that doesn't work, just write over and over and over again "I do not know what to write." or "This is stupid, why do I ever listen to Susan." and you could even try, "I will write today." The point is, you are telling your spoiled, always gets its way, 2 year old mind who is boss. It says you can't write, you say you can. Let's see who wins.

After a few hours, days, or even weeks you will BREAK out of the trap of writer's block. You will be able to stand on your desk chair, recliner, kitchen chair, or even coffee table and give out a massive war cry as you pound the writer's block to the ground. Showing that you have taken over the world and you are no longer afraid of the blank page, the empty screen or the pen with dried out ink!

Victoria Strauss (agent and blogger) offers a blog on independent publishing as an arm of a regular publisher house.  You can find it at http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2009/10/thomas-nelson-adds-self-publishing.html.

Strauss' blog Writer Beware provides a heads up for writers who can easily be scammed if they don't check their publishers or agents carefully.  In this case she is bringing our attention to a relatively new independent publishing service offered by a well known Christian publisher Thomas Nelson.  The info is relevant to more that that firm, however.

Expecting to monetize rejected manuscripts publishers are starting to offer independent imprints on books with a promise to monitor the best sellers under that imprint as possible titles to take commercial when/if they succeed.  The article about this possibility which Strauss cites is from the Wall Street Journal.  Several people in the publishing industry expect this to be a new trend as print publishing struggles with the electronic competition and the high costs of their business as traditionally conducted.

The other point she makes is to remind us that many of  the indie imprints are  designed, printed, and distributed by Author Solutions including AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, and WordClay. Author Solutions then has a corner on the indie market.  What looks like competing indie brands is not.

People in the traditional publishing houses and agent firms are highly critical of Author Solutions and warn against self publishing in general.    Some like Nathan Bransford are starting to admit the electronic media and the entrance of Amazon into the fray changes the playing field enough so self publishing may get another look from reputable artists.  In the music world, independent studios have allowed bands to produce distribute and market their own works quite well.  There is no superior sniff of disapproval that goes with the territory in music as there has been in fiction publishing. 

For me, the jury is still out.  I've read 3 books published independently by friends or acquaintences in the last month or so.  Sadly, I have to agree with the agent (can't remember which one) who said the books published independently have to be, because they aren't very good.   Would the authors have done a better job with more advice and editing?  I suspect so.  They are creative and well educated people.  One was an English teacher, which proves that one can know and teach the structure of good writing, but creating a convincing plot with appropriate rise fall and climax is another thing entirely!

Has anyone had experience with Amazon.com's self-publishing site, createspace.com? Looks interesting.

It is highly important that every writer has their own space. It can be as simple as a t.v. table faced away from the t.v. to as elaborate ensemble that is feng-shui accurate. The defining aspect that all writing spaces must share is what the writer gains from it. Peace and a work space. 

I believe that the best possible space would have items that inspire and calm. Some examples would be, if you are working on a poem that is centered around nature (besides taking a walk in the woods) you could have nature scene photos/images on the wall above your work area. Images of nature can be both inspiring and calming.

Currently, I have an old desk, reminds me of high school biology. In front of the desk on the wall is a little plaque that reminds me to believe in my dreams. To the left, on the wall is a calendar with a degree hanging over it. On the desk itself, are little figurines that remind me of my current work.

In fact, right now, there is a statue of Ganesha, miniature island statues, and a sunken ship. All of which tie into what I am currently working on.

The most important part of the space is that it has given my mind an area that it has associated with writing. It is the one place that when I sit down to write I don't become distracted. A cup of coffee, pen and paper and I'm on my way. If you haven't created your space yet, I highly recommend it.

Writing Exercises:  Complication versus Situation: novel excerpt focusing on a complication (during a situation the control is taken away from the character, i.e. an outside force entering the situation.)

from my work in progess--Your feed back is welcome!  D

Warraine’s drawbridge stretched between the castle and the bailey. The portcullis lay open in welcome as our advance force pounded into the yard their blood running hot. Tradesmen and peasants scattered to their workshops, sensing the angry mood which curled around them like a dragon waiting to strike as our knights dispersed to take the guards at sword point. Seeing Sir William’s banners, Warraine’s men at arms had thought this was a visit not a chevauche. That saved their lives, but handed the Castle straight to us. If they were my guards, I’d have them flayed for dereliction. I felt Ivo’s derisive laugh well up inside. The fools! Sir William’s Guard of which we were a part clattered across the bridge and collected in the courtyard below the tower inside the second palisade.

“Warraine de Lancaster! Brother! Come and greet your betters who have ridden in and taken your bailey without a stroke or arrow. Attend me, knave and hear your fate!”

Sir William, astride his grey charger, bellowed in a mighty voice. The horse danced below the tower. Even Warraine could not pretend he had not heard. The Keep doors in the great tower opened and three guards preceded their lord, swords drawn and faces grim. Warraine swaggered out alone behind them confident and hateful. He spat on the flat threshold before he spoke with an oily unpleasant tone.

“You wished to see me, dear brother? I would not have thought it likely you would trouble so many of your vassals to pay your respects in Tibbay.”

Before William could respond another man appeared behind Sir Warraine—Lord Ranulf de Glanville, Justiciar of the King and holder of the Castle Lancaster which both Warraine and his brother coveted. His eyes looked black with rage and his face ruddy.

“Sir William. An unexpected pleasure, I am sure.” He surveyed the yard and battlement. “Tell your men to stand down, in the name of the King. Select six men to attend you and proceed inside with me. You have my surety of safety. There will be no war this day. I seek agreement between you at the command of Henry II. Include a man to keep account for your records as Warraine has for his. Come. There is no point in delaying what must be done.” The Justiciar turned on his heel and returned to the Hall. His blue cape swirled behind him, showing a fine fur lining. Warraine laughed without amusement.

“Your face, dear brother, speaks heart to heart with mine. It seems we both are trapped by a King who is more fox than man. It is almost worth this argument with the Crown to see you humbled. Don’t keep De Glanville waiting. He doesn’t like it.” Warraine left followed by his men-at-arms. From places unseen the Justiciar’s Guards emerged behind the Tibbay wards, their blue surcoats flapping in the wind revealed Glanville’s Crest. His archers stood on the palisade cat walks of both Keep and bailey their bows drawn on us. Every eye watched Sir William who sheathed his sword and signaled we do likewise. Astride his horse, back straight and hand clenched about his sword hilt, he spoke with dark, calculated fury.

“Sir Galeran, Sir Pierre, Sir Ralph de Talibois, Sir Alec, Sir Meldred, Sir Justin de Pennington I have need of you.”

I bought a self published e-book on agents Agent: De-Mystified Lifting the Veil on the Secret Wolrd of Literary Agents by Authoress, writer of the blog Miss Snark's First Victim (www.misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com ). Through this I found www.agentquery.com complete with search and drop downs to assist us in identifying agents appropriate for our work if we are following a traditional publish path. I found both of these resources helpful.

When Dylan inherited Lester?s ministerial title, several reprobate parishioners vanished.

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Ah! An English Country House murder mystery coulb be lurking in this one! Is there a place we can share our writing samples from the exercises?? Or would people rather keep them private?? I am always amused by the results I get.? Hope you are too.

Because so many of us love to write stories, I'd like to share an article I posted recently on Helium:

Fiction writing: The importance of creating multidimensional characters

Stories are not about plots or places. They are about people. Your readers don't actually care about that spooky old house on the hill until you put the mysterious Mrs. Fillibuster on the front porch every evening precisely at seven pm. The writer's development of memorable characters is crucial to the success of every story an author tells.What eventually happens to those characters is secondary.

As writers, we've heard that most great stories are about "ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances." There's one more critical element to that observation: our readers MUST care about those 'ordinary people, or they won't bother reading to the final page. We can argue the merits of various plot devices all day long, but a stellar plot can be destroyed by poorly-drawn protagonists. On the other hand, a spectacular character can shoulder a shallow plot with aplomb.

How can you make your readers care about your characters?

Blood and conflicts:

One common prescription is to "make your characters bleed." This need not be taken literally. There are many ways your characters can shed blood metaphorically. However, it's worth noting how often successful authors place their protagonists in serious jeopardy, physically or emotionally. This directive is often also stated as, "good stories =characters + conflict," for those who like equations.

Don't confuse individual conflict with overall plot. Many conflicts are internal, as in: "man, that guy is really conflicted!" Recurring examples include characters who suffer alcoholism, fear of aging; or were spurned by love, smothered by momma, abused by daddy, ignored by a lover, unappreciated by the boss, dismissed by society, motivated by greed or lust, and many more. A popular "conflicted" character in many murder mysteries is the sociopathic antagonist -- a "bad guy" who feels no conflicts overtly: no guilt, no moral quandaries, no remorse.

Each of us, as readers, finds ourselves able to identify with characters who experience emotional difficulties that are familiar from our own lives.

A pound of flesh:

The other critical key is to "lift your characters off the page." Two-dimensional characters are for comic strips, not for powerful stories. You may have heard this described as 'fleshing out' your characters. Inexperienced writers often try to provide detailed descriptions of each person introduced in a tale. We've all seen something like this:

"She was a tall, willowy blond, wearing a skin-tight satin sheath. Under a broad forehead, her green eyes dominated a regal nose, over pouting plum-colored lips..." You get the drift.

Better writers dribble out details about appearance on a need-to-know basis...

Read the rest of this article, as it appears on Helium.com.