Football and Writing

It's football season, and I for one am really glad. I like football. I have teams that I root for, and teams I'd just as soon shoot...well, maybe not really. Still...

Okay, so what's the scoop here? Why I am using football and writing in the same sentence? 'Cause they're so similar! Really. To be a professional athlete, whether it's football or another sport, requires dedication, time and hard work. It also means you do a lot of preliminary stuff before you get to journey's end: the regular season game, or the story or nonfiction piece you're working on.

Football players work out...hard. They lift weights, they spend time in the gym strengthening the muscles they need for the task at hand. They run wind sprints, they practice receiving the ball, kicking and working on footwork with the tires.

So do writers work out...just as hard. We read about the right way to use plot, point of view, conflict, and so forth. And we practice what we read. We let our writer friends help us see what we're doing right and what needs work.

And, hopefully, the end result for both the professional athlete and the writer, is a slam dunk score, i.e. finished, polished novel.

What about you? What are the preparations and practices do you utilize to create and polish your piece of writing? I look forward to hearing about it.

Mediwrite - Using Meditation in Your Writing by Mayra Calvani

Here's an interesting article from author, Mayra Calvani.

Okay, so the word doesn’t exist. I just made it up trying to come up with an interesting title after listening last night to a meditation audio tape specifically for writers.

Even though meditation is so “in” these days, I was surprised to see one aimed specially at us writers.

Lying down with my eyes closed, I listened with both scepticism and an innocent sense of wonder (I’m a sucker for anything that promises creativity and inspiration!)
The music was the typical, soothing “meditation” music which supposedly can slow down and equalize brain waves. Yes, music can modify brain waves. During ordinary consciousness, our brains work on beta waves, vibrating from 14 to 20 hertz. However, during periods of high creativity, meditation and sleep our brains work on delta waves, vibrating from .5 to 3 hertz. The slower the brainwaves, the more happier and serene we feel. Soothing music like some Baroque and New Age can actually shift consciousness by lowering our beta waves to the alpha range, from 8 to 13 hertz, thus creating a sense of lightness and well-being.

Along with the music, the lady speaker had a calm, peaceful, eerily soporific voice (no wonder it says on the tape: Do Not Use While Driving An Automobile) that seemed to “elongate” my sense of space and time.

The tape uses visualization (picture yourself as a successful writer, the ideas flowing easily), affirmations (I am a writer) and the power of intention (I wish to write and will write) to create a feeling of self power, unleash and enhance creativity and induce manifestation. Readers of Deepak Chopra should be familiar with these methods. Combining these are the ideas that we must “listen” and that we’re a “channel” for “something” that wants or needs to get written. Indeed. I must admit it was an interesting—and calming!—ride.

This tape would be especially helpful for aspiring writers who are afraid to take that first step, as well as established writers who suffer from writer’s block or would like to enhance their creativity. For those of you who are interested, the name of the tape is Becoming a Writer: Manifesting Your Writing, by Sanaya and Orin, LuminEssence Productions.

Mayra Calvani is an author and book reviewer. Visit her website at http://www.mayracalvani.com

Meet Memoir Author Dick Drechsler

Katie: I’m pleased to interview today memoir author Dick Drechsler. Dick has written a compelling, personal account of his struggle with neck and throat cancer. He regains limited use of his throat. Not willing to postpone his lifelong dream to cruise throughout the world aboard his sailboat, he sets out on a voyage of adventure and discovery sailing from Mexico to Alaska.

Dick, tell us a little more about your book, Manning Up in Alaska. Why did you decide to chronicle this part of your life?

Dick: So many things in life, Katie, happen by accident, and this is no exception. During the summer of 2007 my story of surviving cancer, losing the ability to eat any food, and deciding to cruise the world, caught the attention of the publisher of Latitude 38, a well-respected West Coast sailing magazine. The month after he published an article about me, my blog, www.voyagesoflastresort.www, received over 50,000 hits and the realization that I was inspiring others provided the impetus for me to form the Sail Through Cancer Foundation. Subsequently, I had a number of people tell me I should write a book about my story, but since my wife, Sharon, is a writer by trade, I always imagined she’d be the one to write a book, not me.

But during the winter of 2008 I was snowbound in the Pacific Northwest aboard our sailboat, Last Resort, and not being one to be caged, I had to funnel my creative juices somewhere. I actually set out to make a coffee-table book to showcase some of the spectacular scenery I’d captured during our Alaskan adventure. Thinking I’d write a short preface about my 50-year sailing history, I started writing what was to be a couple of pages. Before I knew it, I had 50 pages and, at that point, realized I had enough material to write a book. That’s how it happened.

Katie: Have you written other memoirs of different parts of your life? Why or why not? Are you planning to write more?

Dick: Manning Up In Alaska is my first book. About 25 years ago a couple of friends of mine, Hollywood screenwriters, took some interest in my early family history and tried to make a go of a movie proposal. It lost momentum during the writer’s strike in the early Eighties and never went anywhere. But now, Sharon and I have decided to collaborate and turn it into a novel, which we’ve started writing.

Katie: What was the most difficult part of writing this memoir?

Dick: I learned something about writing a book. By the time you get to the fifth chapter, you forget everything you wrote in the first chapter. I found that the only way I was able to write was to find a big block of time so I could reread everything I’d written so far to remember all the threads I’d started and get back into the same frame of mind. I found the easiest time to do that was late at night, after Sharon went to bed. So from around 11 p.m. until sunrise, every night for a month in December, 2008, I wrote the book.

Katie: As a result of this part of your life, you started a foundation called The Sail through Cancer Foundation. Tell us more about this foundation, why you started it, how it operates, and your vision for it in the future.

Dick: As I mentioned, the publisher of Latitude 38 wrote an article about me in the August, 2007 issue. After that, I began to get hundreds of emails from fellow-cancer survivors and others, telling me how inspirational my story was to them. You know, it’s hard to see yourself as providing inspiration to others, because it’s just your own story, and everyone has a story. But I began to realize that my story really was resonating and seemed to be helping thousands of others. I believe to this day that I am living a borrowed life, as I was only given four-to-six months to live when my cancer was first diagnosed. Thinking that I should be able to do more to help others I envisioned the foundation. The primary mission of the Sail Through Cancer Foundation is to provide cancer survivors, especially children, a brief retreat on the water aboard a volunteered yacht in what we call our “Armada of Hope.” In addition, we are advocating a Six-Point Call for Presidential Action to reform the national response to cancer. I recently presented this plan at the Newsmaker series of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. That launched a grass-roots effort to bring this plan to the attention of the President and the nation. You can read the entire plan on the foundation’s website, www.SailThroughCancer.org.

Katie: This book is traditionally published. Do you have an agent, or were you able to contract with a publishing house personally?

Dick: When I first finished the manuscript, I had no idea what to do with it. I contacted a friend of mine who’s a lawyer in New York and he recommended several agents. At the time, the economy was in freefall and, while I received positive feedback from all of them, the genre was out of their normal representation and they didn’t feel that they would have success with the book. So I struck out on my own and sent query letters to three publishers. I didn’t want it to be “type-cast” as a nautical book, because the book really has three distinct themes, survival, adventure and inspiration. Since it does revolve around a sea tale, however, it seemed the path of least resistance would be to approach publishers of nautical works. The third publisher who received the query expressed interest. He later said “Every once in a while a book comes along that you just can’t put down. Occasionally, you’ll come across one that also inspires you.” Little Harbor Publishing, Inc. subsequently published the book.

Katie: If you plan on writing future books, will you take the same publishing path? Why or why not?

Dick: I’ve already had several agents contact me about a second book and I believe I will hire an agent for my next work. A large publisher has resources available to an author that a small publisher simply can’t provide. But whether you self-publish, work with a small publisher, as I did, or go with one of the large, ‘mainstream’ publishers, the reality today is that much of the success is predicated on the author’s own efforts.

Katie: How difficult was it to edit your memoir? Did you have editorial suggestions from your publisher?

Dick: Funny you ask. While I wrote the original manuscript in one month, it took almost three months to finish the book, as it went through two complete edits. Before I released it to the publisher, I had a friend of mine, Gary Garfield, who is a doctor of education, review and edit the book. After that, the publisher edited the book, so I went through two complete edits and substantial rewrites before the book went to press. I think the editing process was far more difficult than the initial writing.

Katie: How much self-promotion have you had to do with your book? What worked best for you? What worked least?

Dick: I’m still learning about how to promote the book. Lucky for me, my wife is in the public relations business, although in a totally different field. We’ve been learning together and have had some degree of success in creating visibility for the book. What works best is when I can personally appear in front of groups and tell my story. Other than the National Press Club appearance, we haven’t yet had much luck generating radio and television interviews, but that will be the next major effort. If people hear my story, they seem to want to buy my book, so we have to expand my personal exposure.

Katie: What three pieces of advice would you give to someone who wants to write a memoir?

Dick: First, don’t be compulsive. I was very excited to get the book to press and publicized and we have had some false starts as a result. Second, don’t give up and keep a positive attitude. The publishing business is changing rapidly, providing new challenges, but also new opportunities for authors. I didn’t seriously consider self-publishing my book, but having learned a lot about this possibility since writing it, I believe self-publishing is a viable option for many authors. Lastly, have fun. During my career, I really abhorred public speaking, but since I’m passionate about the work of the Sail Through Cancer Foundation and the inspiration I believe my book can provide to anyone facing a life-threatening challenge, I love speaking to groups about it, especially groups of cancer patients and survivors.

Katie: Thanks, Dick, for being my guest on my blog today. You can order Dick’s book from the www.ManningUpInAlaska.com website, which has links to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and West Marine, which all carry the book. Dick can be reached personally at rdrechsler@vacationdevelopment.com.

Lacking Motivation?

Although I don't know the exact number of writers--or even an approximation--from personal experience I can tell you that sometimes I lack motivation to work on my current project.

I know that lots of writers will tell you that they "have" to write. Many fill their "extra" time with writing and writing related activities. To be honest, that concept is foreign to me. I write because I love it, because it's a wonderful way to create, but I've never seen it as something I "have" to do. Perhaps it is because I don't work outside the home, so that I am in the rather envious position of being able to write most any time I want. Thus, I haven't experienced the pressure of not having the time to write.

During the last several months, I've gotten myself involved in more writing related activities. I have this blog, I have joined a lot of social networking groups, I've guest blogged, and am looking at joining a couple of somewhat local writer's groups. I also have several books in various stages of completion.

To me, just doing these things can cause me to overload, and rather than rising to the occasion, I start to shut down, and even the easiest of tasks becomes monumental. Any motivation I had to write or create or work on my social networking falls to the wayside.

What is one to do? Many folks suggest taking a break from writing the current piece, and working on something else, something different. Perhaps another book, perhaps some editing, and so forth. I've done that, and still found myself coming up short.

So what I've done is learned to schedule things, to become more organized. Each thing in its place, so to speak. To keep ahead of the ball. Like with my blog, which involves posting ahead of time, and scheduling the post to be released on a certain day. I also work on writing things that don't have even a hint of a deadline. I go and clean the kitchen! I take time off to read. To visit with a friend.

What it all boils down to is taking time to renew and refresh--for me that means spending time away from writing. I get involved in some school activity that my daughter is involved in. I get involved in some physical activity; don't underestimate the power of those endorphins!

It may take a couple hours, a day or two. Perhaps a week or a month. But be sure to take the time to get away, to detox, until you know within yourself that you're ready to tackle all those things that you love and that make life worthwhile.

5 Steps to Organization & Writing

Ever since I signed the contract for my upcoming release, Guardian, I have been on a whirlwind tour of marketing and promotion. It seemed like my personal time, and my time to work on my next novel was thrown to the wind.

Now, let me tell you that 4RV Publishing, my publisher, has some great people. And, although I bear the brunt of the marketing and promotion, I've been able to ask questions of some of the fine folks there, and gotten good advice. My marketing and promotional plans are marching forward. I've tweeted, Facebook'd, Flapjacketed beyond my heart's content.

However, what about my writing? When do I have time to write? I believe that organization is the key. Some folks groan at the very thought of organization, others of us are organization demons, and most fall somewhere in between.

Step One: Making a schedule. One great idea to schedule in time to write, is exactly that: a schedule. Know what your day is going to bring, and lay it out in a nice, neat and concise schedule. You know: 9:00 to 10:00 emails, 11:00 to 11:30 social networking, 11:30 to 12:30 work on promotional and marketing information. Afternoon: Write 1500 words on new novel, or edit chapters 1 and 2 of new novel.

Of course, this schedule can vary. You may, for example, prefer to do your writing before doing anything else writing-related.

Step Two. Piles and Schedules. I have found that if I make a simple pile of the things I want to get to during the day, I get more done. In my pile for today, I have articles that I want to glean the links from, I have a couple of file folders that need labels, I have an article on RSS feeds, because I need to add that to my blog, and so forth.

Frankly, I use both piles and schedules. I have a small pad of lined paper that I wrote miscellaneous information on: links I want to pursue, a post I want to follow up on, people I want to contact, and so forth.

Step Three: Use a crate. I have a small crate for the top of my desk that keeps my most used file. In the first hanging folder, I keep files entitled: "My Blog - Interviewee Calendar;" "My Blog - Interviewee Questions;" "My Blog - Possible Interviewees."

In my second section of the crate, I keep the following files: "Blog - Possible Articles;" "Blog - Articles Used - January 2009." And so forth. By doing this, my pile is greatly reduced and I have the information I need clearly labeled and kept in one area.

Step Four: Keep track of your tasks on the computer. Now, I'm aware that Outlook 2007 can keep track of those for me. But I always feel better if I have a hard copy of things in my hot little hands. After I've waded through my pile, and read my notes, I'm ready to write.

Step Five: Get your Muse going. Forget about your schedule, the emails waiting for you, the files that need labels! If you have piles on your desk, create a specific place for them. I like to put any unfinished business on a table behind me. That way I'm not seeing it all the time. Out of sight, out of mind.

Pull out something you've been working on, reread the last chapter and go from there. I would suggest you avoid editing, at least at first, - it's too much like a task that you've listed. Be creative! Use writing tips and write about anything. Just something to get in the flow of things. Then work on your creative writing.

Do these simple five steps (in any order - whatever works best for you), and see if your days aren't more productive. Mine sure are.

Three Easy Steps to Finding a Good Critique Group

We've talked about whether you want to join a critique group or not, but if you decide you want to, what is the next step to take?

The biggest, most obvious, step to take is to google "writers critique groups." You get a whole bunch of really good links that can open the world of critiquing to you. Harold Underdown's site is a great place to start. He has all sorts of information about critique groups.

For those who are interested in a serious critique group for writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror, click here. Writing World has a lot of informational postings about critique groups and how to join one. If you are wanting a critique group that is group oriented, i.e. Christian writers, be sure and google that specifically.

A second step might be to check out yahoo groups by going to yahoo and typing in your search criteria. That is also the same for the ever-more-popular ning groups. The Muse It Up Club, a series of yahoo groups, is hosted by Lea Schizas, and has a variety of groups from picture books to nonfiction to horror. Contact her at Lea Schizas, museitupeditor at yahoo dot ca

Most of these are online critique groups. Take this third step if you're wanting a face-to-face critique groups. You still have a lot of options, but may have to search more for them. For example, SCBWI has critique groups listed, and show which ones are filled, and which ones are looking for more members. Be sure that when you google for SCBWI that you include your state in the search so that you'll pull up information for your area.

Sisters in Crime groups are scattered throughout the United States, and you can find a local one by googling their name, or going to their website here.

If you're really at a loss of where to look for an area group, contact your local library or bookstore. Often times writers groups will meet at those locations. Your local newspaper may also have a critique group meeting listed in their calendar or events section.

If you cannot find a face-to-face group, you may want to consider starting a group. Check my site on Monday for a blog about how to start your own face-to-face critique group.

Child author, Christopher Welch

BOOK: Christopher Bullfrog Catcher

AUTHOR: Christopher Welch

PUBLISHER: Saga Books

ISBN-13: 978-1894936460

ISBN-10: 1894936469

READING LEVEL: Ages 9-12

RATING: 5 Stars out of 5 Stars

REVIEWED BY: Katie Hines

“Christopher Bullfrog Catcher” is, on the surface, a story about bullfrog hunting. Christopher, age 10, decides that he wants to write a story, with his mother’s help. The story begins with “Once upon a time...” A fairly standard opening for a young person’s book.

Christopher lays out, clearly and succinctly, how he decides to write about catching bullfrogs. With his dad’s help, he goes outside, and tries to catch a frog. Finally, after several months have passed, Christopher catches a bullfrog himself. He is then able to write in his book the various steps it takes to catch a bullfrog and how to do it without injuring the frog. If a frog is injured, it is treated. He also returns frogs to their natural habitat.

He also lists the four stages of a frog’s growth. He closes the book with the statement that bullfrog hunting is not easy at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is easy.

One of the things that makes this book remarkable is some of the special challenges Christopher faces: ADD, Dysgraphia, Working Memory Deficit and Executive Function Deficit.

On a base level, Christopher should not have been able to write this book, never mind write it as cleanly and clearly as he did. However, he did not let his learning differences hinder him, but rather rose to the challenge and overcame.

He wants to become either a veterinarian or a naturalist.

Christopher's book can be ordered from his publisher and Amazon.

More computer woes

I said before that I was having head-banging-against-the-wall computer problems. Those were fixed!

However, TODAY, I'm having more of them. I installed a new driver for a printer, and began having problems galore. I had missing files (which never were found, as far as I know), the internet was screwed up on all the browsers I tried, and since I couldn't get on my computer, I couldn't search the internet to find the answers.

That's really a misnomer. I can open the browser, and my cursor actually shows up. BUT, once I try to type something in the search box, it won't allow it. Then the screen fades--not totally away--and I have to ctrl alt del to close the window. I tried restarting the computer. I took the battery out. I restarted again. Same problem.

I actually restored the system (twice) to an earlier point. Same problem. Then it came up with a window that told me a file wasn't found, and the research we did on my husband's computer seemed to indicate the computer was acting as though I had a black market copy of files I was trying to download. Ha! I have a nice little product key for everything.

Right now, it is working, and I've got my fingers crossed. Since the computer seemed to indicate that I had a missing file, I thought I would go ahead and restart the driver download, and it did okay...to a point. Then it told me that my contact manager server was running and to shut it down before the computer would continue to download the software. Huh?

I managed to complete all the steps, but at the end of it all, never could reach the point on my computer that the window told me to get to.

I don't even know if this post will come through. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, it is because nothing is working, and that I somehow squeaked this post out.

Now the reason I post this is not to merely complain, but to show that in the process of working on our books, our marketing and promotion, and the other things we're involved in, stuff happens, and we get sidetracked until we can figure out the solution. Obviously, computer problems are the worst because they are so universally tied in with our writing.

Monday after 3:00, I guess, I will head back to Best Buy (where I got this gem of a computer) and see if they can't help me figure things out...hopefully, without too much of a pinch to my pocketbook.

I hope your Sunday was better than mine!

Writing & Marketing Humor

Writing humor is often perceived as being difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. It is not that you write something that is fall on the floor funny, but it is that you take a fresh perspective on old things. For example, I wrote "Red Hot Scooter Mama" (available here) after going to the grocery store and encountering little demon kids from alien planets with non-existent parents. The article begins with a bow to the width of my feet. I could have just said, my feet are really wide, and because of that I have to ride a scooter around the grocery store.

But that wouldn't have been near as effective as, "Some woman are blessed with slender feet. Not me. Mine are as wide as the Mississippi, and have never sported an arch as lovely and delicate as the one in St. Louis." Immediately, you get a visual image with a spot of humor about my feet. But, by gosh and by golly, who even CARES about my feet? Yet, this article garnered more hits and comments than most of my other posts. Not only that, but it was taken off the blog and posted about on the different groups as a lively conversation ensued.

All about feet and little bratty kids!

The point is, humorous writing can be about anything. You may be thinking, I'm not Erma Bombeck. Exactly. You're who you are, and you write humor with your own bent.

Is there even a market for humor? The answer is a resounding "yes!" For about a year, I wrote a humor column for our local newspaper. If you're willing to write for free, most of the smaller newspapers are open to publishing humor written by local authors. You can post your humor on your blog, or personal website. Additionally, your humor column can grace almost any others website. Google "humor columns" and you'll see where others have marketed their humor.

Some people are under the impression that to be humorous, you have to be a Jay Leno or David Letterman. No, you don't have to tell jokes, you don't have to write cartoons. All you have to do is write about something that is humorous from your point of view. Perhaps about a trip where you lost one of your kids? How about the family cat that got caught in the tree? Or a baby who is just beginning to walk? Humor can be about anything! And once published, you'll find that a lot of people are interested in that spot of humor, too.

So dispel the myth that you cannot write humor. If you find something funny, chances are someone else will find it funny, too.

How to make your blog relevant

I'm trying, during the month of January, to post every day on my blog. I come up against an immediate challenge: what is so doggone important that I have to take time out of my day (and yours if you're following me) to write about?

Certainly, my life is pretty basic: lots of computer work, following other people's blogs, hopefully doing some writing (I know, I know...everyday, right?), and trying to keep on top of the interviews I'm going to be doing on my blog.

So, are you with me in wondering what to post? There's the basics: I went to the doctor; my kids came for a visit, etc. Yawn.

How about something relevant, and sizzlin', something that sparks a bit in your reader's soul that says, "Yeah, I've been there, too." What is relevant? What strikes that chord? I believe we're all a part of the big life experience. And sharing a part of our soul, reaching into our own depths, we find that common thread that binds us all together. And that's what we write about, that is what gives depth and meaning to our blogs.