Dealing with the First Editor

One of the biggest deterrents to creative writing is the presence of your internal editor. She—or he—loves to interfere with your thought process by pointing out mistakes, typos, missing commas, or errors in your thought process.

"But," you say, "surely this is important? I don't want to produce inferior work."

No, you don't. But the time for editing will come later, once you've finished writing the article or chapter. If you stop to listen to all the suggested corrections of your internal editor, your work will lack creativity and flow and may never get finished.

Sometimes it can be as simple as playing music or wearing headphones. Other times you need to be far more drastic. Acknowledge the presence of your inner editor, then deal with her/him.

Cecil Murphey, in his Writer to Writer blog, is polite when he deals with his inner editor. He admits that he talks aloud. “Be patient," he says. "Let me get on with this. When I finish, I’ll let you rip it apart.”

Karen Swim at Words for Hire banishes her inner critic by "physically kicking her out of the room and locking the door. I have found that acknowledging her presence and ordering her to leave is as effective as it would be on a “real” person. She is only allowed back in when I have written the first draft, and then and only then she gets to have her say."

For me, I admit it all depends on how persistent she is. Sometimes I can be firm. "Go away! I'm busy writing!" And no, I'm not polite like Cec. Other times I do what every parent knows you shouldn't do, and say, "Oh for goodness sake here!" and give in to her.

What about you? How do you deal with this nuisance who tries to correct you as you write? Please share with us by adding a comment below.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives in South Africa with her husband Rob, a hyperactive budgie called Sparky, and an ever expanding family of tropical fish. Hundreds of her inspirational and life-enrichment articles have been published internationally. She is contributing author to nine books to date and her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer  is available now for pre-order at  Amazon.com or at Barnes & Noble (B&N.com). You can contact Shirley through her writing website, her Rise and Soar site for encouraging those on the cancer journey, or follow her on Twitter.   

Ethics in writing

Whether writers are writing nonfiction or fiction, they owe it to their readers to double check facts, as well as checking for any errors in consistency, punctuation, grammar, spelling, and typos.

Unless writers are giving their work away free of charge, most readers are spending their money for a product; the writer has an ethical responsibility to their reader. Writers need an EDITOR to make sure that their book is as error free as possible.

This is the reason that self-published books have a less than stellar rating. Reviewers are talking about how bad self-pubs are, also the internet. It is true that anyone can write, but not everyone is a writer. Readers hold writers to a standard ingrained by traditional publishers where they edited, and proofread as part of the publishing process.

Writers should hold themselves to this standard. Some indie authors feel there should be no rules. Whether there are or aren’t any rules is not the point, the point is that authors ethically owe their readers work that is the best in can be, edited, and proofread before the reader receives a copy.

If writers have blogs, delve into social media sites, have a web site, in all instances, they shouldn’t use internet shortcut language, they should be practicing their language and writing skills at all times.

Some authors may disagree, but there must be some basic level of ethics in all writers, that make them strive to turn out the best product for the reader. A product that has been fact checked, edited, and proofread by someone other than the author.

Why someone other than the author, simple, the author is too close to the project to be truly objective when it comes to the blue pencil.

Robert Medak

Writer, Blogger, Editor, Reviewer

http://www.authorsden.com/robertmedak

MId Year Evaluation

It is almost the middle of 2012 and a time for evaluation of goals, both writing and personal. I do this between mid May and mid June so that July through December can hopefully be productive rather then dwindling into nothingness. Maybe the teacher in me picks this time of year because the school year is coming to a close and summer presents a time for renewal and the formation of a new attitude for fall. Here is how I re-evaluate and make goals for the remainder of the year.

I look at what has worked and what has not to move my writing career forward. For me, I have finished a big project and have only a few smaller gigs to make the monthly paycheck so I need to look for new writing gigs. This means at least three times a week I will look at job boards or send out queries.

I have books to promote, a new picture book to be released in August 2012, and a some ideas for magazines  that I want to query. Keeping a calendar of holidays, magazines and their editors,  topics that need a fresh twist, and marketing ideas is a good way to make the remainder of the year productive. I pick a day a week to look at this list and make my goals for the next week to include tackling something on this list.

I have social media sites to visit. How much an author does with social media is a personal choice but making sure activities on those sites includes moving your writing career forward is a must. I will weed out those areas that are not for writing and add the ones that will help my writing for the rest of 2012. It is a business decision and works to help promote a niche and platform.

I look at what conferences are around and what free or low cost workshops are available and decide which ones I can attend. Currently there are three that I am either attending or will attend online. This is an important step in honing writing skills and keeping current. Conferences and networking, taking workshops and joining critique groups are an important way to learn more about the craft of writing and to get to know other authors, publishers, or editors.

Finally, I weed out some of the groups that are not helping me to move forward. This is the most difficult part of my mid year evaluation but it also must be based on the business of writing. What groups are helping you grow as a writer and which are simply another form of socializing that takes you away from the writing? Stick with the ones where you are still learning and step back for a few months from the ones that keep you away from your writing goals.

Evaluation is never easy and neither is making the decisions it takes to succeed. The important thing is to take positive actions so you can become the author you know you can be. Just remember to make friends along the way and enjoy the process.

10,000 Hours

The guacamole was amazing. So was the atmosphere. Somewhere off in another part of the restaurant a Mariachi band played music.

We had just ordered dinner when the musicians found their way to our table. I couldn't help but notice one young man, a guitarist, who seemed to find my dinner companion irresistible. She giggled a bit and blushed. Moving closer to me, she mentioned that he looked familiar.

Only when the song was finished did he approach us. "Hello," he said to my friend. "I do not know if you recognize me . . . "

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. She introduced him to me. A friend from school. Someone she hadn't seen since forever. "What are you doing now?" she asked.

His answer, "I'm getting in my 10,000 hours."

She was baffled. I smiled. "Good for you," I acknowledged.

Ten thousand hours is all you need to become an expert at any skill. His 10,000 hours were going to make him an expert musician. His practice, persistence and passion would set him apart.

Artists, athletes, musicians and yes, writers, all benefit from 10,000 hours rules. Putting in time helps to hone your skills.

Practice: Sit down every day and write something even if it's only a bit of dialog.

Persistence: Write when it is difficult, when the muse is elusive and the right words do not seem to come.

Passion. Having passion for writing is what makes the practice and persistence doable. Without passion the writing becomes work instead of a pleasure.

Commit to becoming an expert today and finish your 10,000 hours.  

_____________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and Young Adult Science Fiction. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with her coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.  

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

Her novels are available in electronic format here, or print format here. 

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

“Writing Down Goals and Objectives Can Keep You Focused,” by Mayra Calvani

I have kids, a husband, pets, a house, and many errands to run on a weekly basis. So how do I find the time to write? Well, first of all, I don’t find it. I make it. You know why? Because if you wait for the perfect time to write, it’ll never come: there never is a perfect time to write.

One method that has worked for me is to, first of all, 1) be clear about my goals and objectives and 2) write down my goals and objectives each day before I start working. I learned this powerful trick from Suzanne Lieurance, founder of The Working Writer’s Club.

After my kids are off to school and my hubby off to work, I go to my office with Amigo, my adorable golden retriever, and I sit down at the computer. Before I start working, however, I open my spiral notebook and write my schedule for the day. I use Google calendar for all my weekly and monthly goals and objectives, but I also like to keep this spiral notebook for my daily schedule. There is something extremely powerful about writing your goals and objectives each day before you sit down to write.

First, I write my 3 major yearly goals at the top of the page. Then I write down the objectives that I can take today in order to bring me closer to those 3 major goals. My goals are usually very broad, and my objectives very specific.

For example, if one of my 3 major goals is “to establish myself as an author,” then one of my objectives is:

9:00-11:00 AM – work on my novel.

Unless something unexpected comes up, I’ll usually keep this objective from Monday to Friday month after month until I have a complete manuscript that is ready to be submitted. If, for whatever reason, I can’t write that morning, I’ll try to allocate those two hours in the afternoon or at night—though not often, as my mind is fresher in the mornings.

A typical writing day will include one objective for each major goal, for a total of 3 objectives. Each objective must be related to its goal. If it isn’t, then I discard it. This is extremely helpful to help keep you focused and prevent ‘bright shiny objects’ to stir you away from what’s really important.

Of course I already know what my goals and objectives are, but the secret lies in writingthem down each day before I start working. This really helps keep me focused and productive. I love to tick items off as I complete them, so at the end of the day I usually feel like I’ve really accomplish something and that all my projects are progressing and getting somewhere. I started using this system this January and the results have been excellent.

If you’re feeling unfocused, unproductive and unmotivated, I encourage you to try this method!

About the Author:  Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications such as The Writer,Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, andBloomsbury Review, among many others. A reviewer for over a decade, she now offers online reviewing workshops. When she’s not writing, reading, editing or reviewing, she enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com, join her mailing list, and automatically receive the free ebooks, Reviewers Talk about Their Craft and the first lesson from my Slippery Art of Book Reviewing Workshop.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/mcalvani

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayra-Calvanis-Fan-Page/162383023775888

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/272703.Mayra_Calvani

A Smartphone: The Latest Addition to this Author’s Toolbox

When I first became serious about becoming a children’s book writer, there were many items I picked up along the way to help me learn the craft and to get organized.  Among the first of these items were various books with words like “Dummies” and “Complete Idiot” in their titles.  Along the way, I also added a dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar guides.  All of these items helped me avoid making the obvious mistakes that would make an editor groan and reach for a form rejection letter.  Doing my homework and using the right tools definitely made a difference. 

Now that I am published, my focus has shifted to learning how to promote myself.  Because let’s face it…what good is spending all the time and effort involved in creating a book and seeing it to publication, if nobody knows that you have written it?  To aid me in this endeavor, I have found a new “high tech” ally, my Smartphone.

In addition to my writing, I also have a full time day job and a family.  My free time is definitely in short supply.  This is where my Smartphone has become my time-management savior.  I commute every day by train into New York City for my day job.  I used to spend this time reading the newspaper or staring out the window.  Now the train has become my mobile office.  I answer emails, check social media sites, do research for my next book, or even write blog posts.  In short, I’ve been able to squeeze another productive hour out of my day that I didn’t have before.

I have apps on my phone for all my email and social media sites.  I have shortcuts on it to my online critique groups.  I have a word processing app to proof my work and make quick revisions.  And of course, I have downloaded a few games to play because I need to have some fun.  I do try to apply discipline to this new found hour of productivity though.  It’s just as easy to waste time on a smart phone as it is on a computer. 

So if you happen to be traveling into New York City on a commuter train and you see me intensely focused on my Smartphone screen, you may be seeing my creative process at work as I proofread my latest manuscript.  Then again, there’s always the chance that I’ll just be playing Spider Solitaire.

Kevin McNamee is a writer and poet living in Yonkers, NY.   He is the author of seven children’s picture books.  Kevin’s poetry has been published in the collection, An Eyeball in My Garden: And Other Spine-Tingling Poems. 

To find out more about Kevin, please visit his website at www.kevinmcnamee.com or his blog at www.kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com.  

Engage in Social Networking the Twitter Way by Donna McDine

Engage in Social Networking the Twitter Way

By Donna McDine

To be an effective social networker/marketer setting up your profile is the first step, but it goes far beyond the setup. The saying from the Field of Dreams movie… “Build it and they will come” will not work in this instance. You must continually develop online relationships and share relevant information from your expertise. Like your website and blog, social networking is a constant work-in-progress. Don’t let your shoulders sag, engagement does not need to take you endless hours every day.

Today I will focus on….

How to strengthen your Twitter participation:

To be an effective member of the Twitter community you need to tweet on a consistent basis. Note tweets are limited to 140 characters including spaces and the URL you are directing the reader to. Your tweets can be just about anything. Such as, your latest book, your newsletter, book reviews, author interviews, and information you find interesting to the freelance writing career, etc. My rule of thumb is to tweet at least 4-5 times per day, Monday thru Friday. I give myself off the weekends for good behavior.

Use www.tinyurl.com to shorten the length of the URL you are providing in your tweet, so you save valuable characters for your message.

Don’t just tweet about yourself. Avoid the “it’s all about me attitude”, become a master communicator with tweeting a combination of your own tweets with those of colleagues.

Take out ten to fifteen minutes per day and visit Twitter and retweet (RT) posts of interest for those you are following. You’ll be amazed how appreciative tweeters are for RT. It is a terrific way to broaden the contact base for all those participating.

Scheduling Your Tweets Ahead of Time: Save valuable time and plan your tweets ahead of time (at least weekly). Create your tweets in Word and double check the character length by highlighting your tweet, clicking Review in the toolbar and to the right of Translate on the far left click the ABC/123 symbol. A pop-up screen will appear providing full statistics and make note of the Characters (with spaces) number. To set-up and schedule your tweets, I recommend www.dynamictweets.com. Once you register an account you will be able to schedule a one-time tweet or tweets you’d like to repeat throughout a specific timeframe. The template/site is simple to use. 

Tweeting Lingo and What It Means for Your Tweeting Experience:

# - hashtag – by searching for a keyword with the # (hashtag) before it will pull you up a list of the latest tweets regarding the topic. This is a great way to get in specific conversations and tweeter parties.

@ - symbol before username – by searching for a particular username the results provides their tweets and mentions by fellow tweeters.

Direct Messages – by clicking on the “head” image the pull down menu will appear. Click on direct messages, here you will find a listing of all messages sent to you by fellow tweeters.

For more lingo details visit: https://support.twitter.com/articles/166337-the-twitter-glossary

Remember, tackle your social networking campaign with baby steps every day for each step will develop into a quantum leap.

If you require further guidance or have additional questions, please free to contact me at donna@donnamcdine.com. As a PR Publicist I offer an array of services and FREE articles to help you FREE up your valuable writing time, visit www.authorprservices.com for details.

Thank you for joining me today, it’s been a pleasure.

Bio: I am an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions,  Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books ~ The Golden Pathway.

I have three more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, and A Sandy Grave. I write, moms and am the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids, Publicist for the Working Writer’s Club, and owner of Author PR Services from my home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY.