|
mary rosenblum
|
Hello, all!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the
red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon
in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I thought we could talk about
writing resolutions today...since most people make them and often they are
really self defeating.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But they sure can be good,
too, if you set yourself a resolution that you can actually fulfill!
|
|
margieh
|
Nice job on the anthology, Mary!
Nice job everyone!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yes, I was VERY impressed with
the quality of the submissions. Sure made my job tough! But that's a good
thing!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
For those of you who might not
know about this...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
the first LR Christmas
Anthology is posted in Writing Craft: 2004 Christmas Anthology.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And do read the introduction.
It explains the selection process I used...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
with is very much the way any
editor selects content for a theme anthology or a magazine issue.
|
|
christopher dale
|
What about a Valentine's
Contest? Same rules??? ;-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Chris, if you can figure out
how to give me three more working hours a day I'll happily do a Valentine
conetest, lol...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
this was on my own time and
took the place of a short story that would otherwise be out to an editor by
now.
|
|
bengalrose
|
Darn! I missed it. Oh
well...there's always next year.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'll probably do one next
year. I think it's too good a learning experience to pass up, to be honest.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
What is valuable, I think, in
this anthology was that I coulud make the selection process
transparent...more or less...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
because I know that when I
started out, I had no clue that the editorial process...at least in terms
of selection...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
was anything other than 'good
enough, not good enough'...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and that's just where the
process begins. Content DOES matter.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I had several strong examples
of various types of story and I only had ten slots, so I had to choose
between them.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I had to decide which of the
three similar stories suited what I wanted to do with the anthology...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and this is why you really
really really need to understand that a rejection is not a statement about
the quality of your story or query...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You don't know exactly what
the editor has in mind...no guidelines are THAT specific...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and you don't know what the
editor has on his/her desk.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ideally, I would have posted
all the stories and given my reasons for selection or not, but the number
of unpaid hours that come right out of my writing time was overwhelming...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I simply couldn't do it that
way.
|
|
roe
|
when you say content are you
referring to idea or actual writing?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Both, roe.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The idea is sort of the
'gross' level of content...does the idea fit the theme I have in mind for
this issue/anthology.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The way the idea is handled is
the 'refined' level of content..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
for example, I had three or
four
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Christmas ghost stories, at
least four family Christmas stories, and a couple of Christmas cat
stories...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
they were all similar ideas.
The question was...which version handled the idea in the strongest fashion
for what I wanted.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Editing is a creative
process...which I never appreciated until I did it a few times, LOL.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
At least in terms of
collections or magazine issues.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Book editing is a different
type of work.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the
red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon
in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
paja
|
Mary, the intro you gave each
story will help us define the kinds of writing we do.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, it won't define the type
of writing you DO, but it will help you identify what I mean by 'type' of
story...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
None of you will ALWAYS write
that type of story...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But once you understand better
what an editor really does and how an editor makes choices...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it can help make those
rejections less monumental!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can begin to realize that
a no thanks just means your story didn't fit, not that it wasn't good
enough...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and another editor putting
together another issue or another anthology might think quite differently.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Too many writers file very
good stories for eternity because they got a rejection or two. Too bad.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
So what are
|
|
wolf122
|
You mentioned your valuable
writing time--how many articles does an author have to write to 'break
even' financially, and how does that affect the amount of time you write
daily/weekly?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Wolf, my writing time is
valuable because it's scarce! I intentionally keep it that way. Keeps me
appreciative...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but LR students, the website,
and my acreage...which feeds me...limit the number of hours I can spend
writing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If I wasn't teaching LR
students and running this workshop, I'd be putting in about 20 hours per
week doing nonfiction work.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Or writing romance or
something else that I could sell lots of.
|
|
pook
|
Mary, what makes you determine
whether a story is publishable or not?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Craft, pook...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
'publishable' is a very
subjective thing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
One editor's publishable is
another editors' marginal...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
if you read a lot you've
surely seen the variation in quality of the prose.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
BUT...what an editor looks for
in 'publishable' is can a wide variety of readers...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
see what the author shows, get
the story, not get confused, and not have to work hard to wade through bad
grammar.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But let's talk about
resolutions!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The good ones and the ones you
might want to rethink!
|
|
ducky
|
Ducky's main resolution: Sell
something I wrote. Anything, doesn't matter what. Just sell something.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ducky you get the gold star
for the most common resolution out there! :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And one of the most dangerous!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You have very little control
over the 'selling' part.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Unless you start your own
magazine and buy your own work!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Selling will happen when you
reach a certain level of craft...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but it is entirely dependant
on what you write as to how quickly you break that 'sell' barrier.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you want to write
mainstream fiction, you will take much longer to sell because that is a
small market...for short fiction at least...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and very crowded with pros.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you want to write craft
articles for the craft magazines, yeah, you'll probably sell this year.
|
|
christopher dale
|
for those of use who didn't make
it (Or even did) and want to send it to some publiucation, when would be a
good time (Being a Chritmas theme and all)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Oh, by all means send your
Christmas shorts out soon...I'd say not yet, but in the spring, so that you
have time to try several markets. They're short shorts, so editors often
have room for them even late in the production, but by September...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
most of the Christmas issues
of mags will be filled.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
So Ducky, if you really want
to SELL this year...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
take a look at what is out
there...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and assess your own
experience, and target nonfiction magazines where you can offer an article
backed by experience.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Read a couple of issues of the
magazine and decide what the editor is looking for and then query with an
offer for that.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Don't aim for a feature...not
when you're a novice and unpublished.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Look over the 'departments'
and see if you can write a small piece for one of those...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it's a great way to break in
and begin to sell to that mag.
|
|
speckledorf
|
So it is better so say I'll
submit a certain amount in a certain time frame?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's much safer, speck.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can DO that.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You cannot guarantee that
you'll sell this year...why set yourself up?
|
|
roe
|
My resolution is to write, write
, write. that i know I can keep
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yep!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The only writing resolution
I've made in the last many years is to write every day...at least one
sentence.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I keep it.
|
|
tkat_2
|
I'd like to get PAID for what I
publish :)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Then you need to target
publications that not only pay, but need something you can provide.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It is much harder to sell what
you choose to write than to sell something you write for an obvious need!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That is how my friend Deborah
Wood, who has a weekly column for The Oregonian and makes her entire living
freelancing..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
did it. She looked over the
market for what was NOT being done and pitched that to editors.
|
|
writelegends
|
My resolution: Finish something
and get it submitted
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That is a GREAT resolution,
writel!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That is the stumbling block
for so many writers!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Finishing...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Submitting.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Hint: If you don't do one or
the other guess what? You NEVER get rejected....think about that. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Here's a resolution for
you...did anyone do this one? I have!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Get at least one rejection
slip this year.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Easy huh? Not if you're not
sending stuff out.... ahem
|
|
paja
|
a Paja resolution is to find a
way to STOP being overwhelmed by marketing lists and the electronic piles
of guidelines.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good one, paja...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
those can sure be demons to
face.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Try reading them objectively
instead of as huge hurdles to leap, or potential rejections of YOU. .
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's how most of us perceive
them at first, I think. I sure did!
|
|
christopher dale
|
My Resolution - Write more -
learn more craft - write more - get rid of ToBes - write more - spell
check... Uh, did I mention WRITE MORE???
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You're spell checker is fine,
Chris. Heheh. You just need to READ it after you spell check it....
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good resolutions, especially
the Write More part.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the
red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon
in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
birdonawire
|
Mary, what exactly is a clip?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Bird, a clip is simply a
published piece.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They're called
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
clips because if you are
writing for nonfiction, you simply copy the magazine article you've
published, clip it out and send it so the editor can read it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But in fiction, you can
mention that you had a story published in this or that mag...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and if you have LOTS of clips,
you might send one or two that are most like what you are querying about
and mention your others.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
No editor wants a huge box
full of cut up magazine pages! LOL
|
|
realityczech
|
I decided to keep my resolutions
small and achievable. "Write at least one sentence every day."
(Because I know that the hardest part for me is simply sitting down to
write at all, and because I know that once I do, I almost NEVER stop at
just one sentence!).
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Gee, reality, that sounds
familiar! :-) Actually, what that does for you is twofold...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
first you keep a sort of
continuity going...even if you only write that sentence, you THINK about
that project.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And secondly...you succeed at
a writing goal EVERY day...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
believe me, in this business
of self doubt that is priceless!
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
My main writing resolution is to
get an article or story in the mail every week. I created a writing
calendar to break up writing projects into parts to accomplish this goal. I
also have a back log of articles and stories I'm sitting on to tweak and
get in the mail. I figure if a journalist can write two stories a day for
publication, I should be able to krutz out a story a week.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That could be a dangerous
goal, smiling, but it sounds as if you're tackling it in a very organized
manner.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And if you want to eventually
be a full time freelancer, this is exactly what you are going to do. So
good for you!
|
|
writelegends
|
Where do you store your
"one sentence's" Mary?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
On the last line of whatever
project I'm working on, writel... :-) Or if it's a story idea, as a
separate file.
|
|
dbamarsha
|
So if you have a certain medical
condition and want to write about it, will you still need to incorporate
professional backing?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Depends on what you are
offering, marsha.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you write a personal
narrative about your struggles with MS, or a diabetic child, you don't need
a pro to back you up...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you are sharing your
experiences with others.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you want to talk about the
disease then yes, you will.
|
|
christopher dale
|
I KNOW this has been
aslked before, but... When we query, do we wend our "resume" with
it, or wait until asked?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Send it Chris, but only the
part that applies to THIS article.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you are querying about
writing a computer piece for a computer mag...you need to let the editor
know why YOU should write this...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and you cite your experience.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But don't include things like
where you got your BA for example...
|
|
t green
|
my resolution is to learn all i
can about marketing B/4 i start submitting again
|
|
t green
|
oh, and one more (besides the
marketing one) ... keep a record of my dreams (since i dream in vivid
shades of absurdity)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I keep trying to do the dream
thing, but when I'm writing...and when am I NOT...I don't remember ANY
dreams.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But don't put off writing
forever, t...it doesn't take that much to learn about marketing!
|
|
wyrde
|
Is it better to write within
something like a christmas theme, which is seasonal, or more general work
that can be published any time of the year
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Wyrde, there are a variety of
ways to approach writing.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
For fiction, you can simply
write a story and then find the market...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
OR...if you are very familiar
with a particular fiction market and have a sense of what that editor likes
to publish...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you can write intentionally
for that editor.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
In nonfiction you really need
to start with the market and pitch to that market rather than write first
and then look for a market...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
although if something really
moves you, go ahead and write it first.
|
|
paja
|
I'm not like Roe. I have trouble
writing just because I think I want to.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A good resolution there might
be that 'fifteen minutes a day no matter what' resolution.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Even if you just write down,
'I hate this stupid resolution and I dont' know why I'm sitting here...'
for fifteen minutes! :-)
|
|
t green
|
oh heavens, mary... i'm still
submitting! just trying to better target my market / audience b/4 i submit
to that particular market... that's what i mean!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Oh, good! :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the
red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon
in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
Another writing resolution I
have is to continue with morning pages--journal at least three pages a day
and finish a spiral notebook a month.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
As long as that doesn't take
away from your writing for others time, smiling.
|
|
mbvoelker
|
Identify and research a
potential market each month.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Excellent goal, mb.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Taht's a good one for all
novice writers, actually.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The more you learn how to
analyze markets or identify an editor's preference in fiction...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
the more successful you'll be
at selling.
|
|
bengalrose
|
To ALWAYS have at least one
writing project going at all times...no dead time :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's a resolution EVERY
aspiring writer shoul have!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
At LEAST one!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good one, bengal!
|
|
geezer
|
My resolution is to take the
novel writing course. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, I'm doing my best to
accomodate you geezer...just finishing part Six out of Nine today!
|
|
wyrde
|
expects to have very little
trouble finishing things once he's gotten around to dealing with his
procrastination
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Ah procrastination...now
theres a common problem!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Sometimes that 'fifteen
minutes at THIS time of day' habit really helps.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's like taking that morning
shower, or doing one of those other daily rituals we get used to...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
you don't even think 'should I
take my shower'? Should I do this or that...you just DO it...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Find a place to carve out that
ten or fifteen minutes and make it a habit.
|
|
gskearney
|
Anyone can write and publish
their own family newsletter, and if you include letters from other family
members you get editing experience as well. I've learned a lot from mine,
and believe me family member won't hesitate to tell you about your
mistakes.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's a marvelous
suggestions, gary.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's good practice for anyone
who wants to write...it's much easier to learn by fixing other peoples'
problems than to learn by fixing your own!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And in this day of email, far
less expensive and time consuming.
|
|
speckledorf
|
I got my one rejection already
this year...will have to set my goal for something higher:-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's right, speck. :-) You
started out right though...stuff is out and more is going out.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the
red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon
in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
paja
|
I get confused by all the
variables and don't actually know where my stories might fit.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Some of that is solved by
reading, paja..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
all guidelines sound alike.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Alas, it does involve money,
but it's really worth buying sample copies and reading them, then making
notes to yourself about what you find in that magazine...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
especially in fiction.
|
|
realityczech
|
Here's a resolution: Hold my
submission packets at least 24 hours before mailing them out. I can't tell
you how many mistakes (or better ways to say something) I've found 2
seconds after I've dropped my packet in the mail!!!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yeah, a brief cooling off
period helps those homonyms stand out! But realize that we ALL think of all
the zits the instant we drop that ms in the mail or hit 'send'...
|
|
writermom
|
why would submitting one thing a
week be a dangerous goal
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, writer, what if you're a
working single mom, dealing with housework, laundry, school, doctor visits,
shopping, not to mention a 40 hour work week?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Maybe you simply CAN'T do it
this week. There really aren't enough hours, not even for sleep.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can really end up feeling
'I've failed' and then putting off writing because it makes you feel so
bad.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Failure is a HUGE issue in
writing...it is probably the biggest demon we have to fight...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
so don't set yourself up to
fail.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's why realistic goals are
very important.
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
My writing goal isn't so far
fetched since I've already published 9 articles and am on assignment to do
another. I just finished my LR course. My diploma just came in the mail. I
had a great instructor! Kris Franklin
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Congrats, Smiling! You're
doing fine, and as I said, you are approaching your goal in a very
organized manner.
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
The reason submitting one piece
a week is okay for me is because I write full time and I'm an empty nester.
I have a notebook full of rejection letters. I'm just going to continue to
work on getting my work out there. I love the daily process. If something
comes up and I only get two articles in the mail in a month, that's okay.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And there you go...for YOU
it's a reasonable goal and one you're approaching in a logical manner.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
For that working single parent
it would be a disaster.
|
|
realityczech
|
Many FREE issues of magazines at
your local library. Ours even lets us check out back issues.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's an excellent place to
start, reality. Our library also has a large magazine section, but do some
of your market research at the big box bookstores with a large magazine
section...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
AND...do some online with
Google.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Some niche magazines have too
small a readership to make it into the bookstores and they tend to be the
mags most hungry for new writers...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
the pay is awful, but they ARE
clips and you DO get paid.
|
|
rslas
|
I am having trouble getting to
the Forum. Please help
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
well, I thing rslas has given
up, but if he/she shows up again, would someone sugget that question to
Frank at the 'help desk' would be a good idea? :-) THanks.
|
|
realityczech
|
Can't we just tack a paragraph
regarding our expertise on the particular topic into our cover or query
letter, rather than sending a whole resume?
|
|
birdonawire
|
What do you include in your
writer's resume?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's what I do, reality,
unless it's my first time to sub and the editor specifically asks for a
resume in the guidelines...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Then I include it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
As to what to mention...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it depends on what the article
is about in nonfiction.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
if I'm querying about an
article on dog training, I'll mention all my experience as a dog trainer,
what classes I teach, what titles my dogs have won, and I'll mention that
I'm a published writer and list some of the nonfiction and top fiction
publications.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If I'm pitching an article on
writing for say Writers Digest, I'll focus on my track record as a
published author...list my awards, my sales, and my work for LR.
|
|
christopher dale
|
My hardest thing is ideas. I
only need a starting point to see a story, but seeing the starting point is
uaully hard for me. I need to hear a story, see a moive, read a book, have
a dream, have a conversation... Well you get the picture. :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There's nothing wrong with
getting your starting point from other things you have read, movies, what
have you.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The more you tell stories, the
better you get at finding your own starting points.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about resolutions today. If you're new here, remember that you need
to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word bubble' next to the red
question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question icon in
order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! You can
also type /ask in front of your question to reach me.
|
|
roe
|
I don't always write because I
want to LOL sometimes I write because I HAVE to. like in the middle of the
night
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'm laughing. Been THERE
lately. Even my dogs are getting tired of the light on at 3 AM!
|
|
paja
|
is it really ok to research just
one market a month? I maybe could do that w/o overwhelm.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Sure, paja.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Look, folks, this is not a
race.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is no 'cut off date' for
succeeding or failing!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Realize that you will be
writing for the rest of your lives...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
your stories/ideas won't
evaporate at the next New Year!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If you can only write a
hundred words a day, that's half a novel in a year...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And the way you work today is
not set in stone...you don't have to do it that way forever.
|
|
chatty lady
|
I have been investigating the
Flash Fictioin markets they
|
|
chatty lady
|
interest ne, is that still good
writing veneu?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Yes it is, chatty.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's a strong market right
now, doesn't pay much, but some of the short short markets are well
respected.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It's a publication and you can
write a LOT of short shorts. Good chance to try a lot of styles, types of
stuff and see what works.
|
|
writermom
|
Mary if I've finished the basics
course at ICL but am interested in continuing aty Longridge what steps do I
have to take
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Just call student services or
email them from this website...they'll help you, don't worry.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I love former ICL students!
They already know the basics!
|
|
bengalrose
|
Mary, I just got back from a
Christmas time trip to the city of Avalon on the California island of Santa
Catalina. I have started a travel logue, but I've never written one before.
What are some good publications I could review for travel logue?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Go to the library or
bookstore, bengal, and start reading travel mags...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
each one has a different
style, slant, focus.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Find the ones that will suit
your travelogue the best and query those editors. Do it now, not AFTER you
write the piece.
|
|
mbvoelker
|
Marketing is my weak point
(along with procrastination), so I'm targeting my resolution to dealing
with said weak point.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's the way to go about it
mb!
|
|
realityczech
|
Maybe we SHOULD hook our writing
goals to our other SHOULDS: May NOT eat until I've written at least one
paragraph.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That can work, reality. :-)
|
|
writelegends
|
Does one have to be published to
become an editor?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There's no test or license to
edit writel...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
many editors never were
published or rarely were published..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
some people like to edit, not
to write.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The best editor I ever worked
with, Jim Turner of Arkham House, never wrote at all.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But he LOVED good writing and
good stories and worked really hard to publish the best fiction in the best
form...
|
|
wyrde
|
A friend of mine told me about
browsing a bookstore, and seeing a book on how not to procrastinate and
thought it might be a good book to have. He decided to come back and get it
later, then realized what he had just done...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'm laughining, wyrde!
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
If you never give up, you will
never fail.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's a good one, smiling.
Here's another...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Whether you think you can or
think you can't...you're right.
|
|
wyrde
|
what is flash fiction?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Wyrde, that's another term for
'short short'...usually under 1500 words, and different publications have
different top limits.
|
|
diamond2007
|
do you find for a resolution
regarding to write every day it's good to include a length or amount of
time spent writting each day? and what is better an amount of time or a
length?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Whatever works for you,
diamond. You can say a paragraph or fifteen minutes or what have you.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That paragraph might take five
minutes or two hours...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
so be realistic...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and if you say fifteen
minutes, that means fifteen minutes of writing, not staring at the screen.
:-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Fine tune the rules to suit
YOUR needs.
|
|
chatty lady
|
Bruce Holland said I was good at
it and its fun too.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good, so do it, chatty! :-)
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There are a lot of markets. I
think it was Michael Arnzen who mentioned some good short short markets
during our last interview...the links are in the transcript.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Just google 'flash fiction'
and see what you get.
|
|
chatty lady
|
I am, got alot of markets from
the forum you had earlier.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Good.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Take an honest look at your
own weaknesses...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and find the resolution that
addresses that weakness but in a such a way that you can succeed.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Again, the biggest demon we
face is that sense of failure.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I know more than one talented
writer who quit because of that particular shoulder vulture..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and it's a very debilitating
one believe me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There are so many ways to feel
that you're a failure in this biz...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
mainly because the standards
of success can be so false...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
that it is a VERY bad idea to
set yourself up for failure. You'll have to deal with out outside
pressures...don't add to them!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But honestly addresssing your
own weakness is a good way to get beyond the wannabe stage.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
To be honest, handling
rejection slips was the hardest thing for me to overcome.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I grew up in an exceedingly
perfectionistic environment...extremely so...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and anything less than perfect
was total failure. Well, there IS NO PERFECT in writing...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
boy did I choose the wrong
career for that upbringing! Whew!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And I really had to force
myself to send work out and stare those rejections in the face.
|
|
realityczech
|
Oh my gosh...are you the voice
in my head???!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Welcome to the club, reality.
I think it's practically a universal in this business!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That demon still flutters
around, but I know enough about how things work to smack it down at this
point.
|
|
smilingsunflower
|
I get endless ideas and am
interested in too many things. My main weakness is finishing all the
writing projects I start or resubmitting. That's why my goal is to get
things in the mail. Does that address my weakness in a way that works?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That does indeed, smiling, and
it seems that you are able to see yourself clearly in terms of what your
strengths and weaknesses are...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I really have had to limit
myself in projects...I usually work on three or four...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
but I have made myself put
more than that on hold until I finish one of the ones in progress...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
or it could end up as ten or
twelve and all in progress!
|
|
chatty lady
|
Sending out work I feel like a
balloon full of air, then the
|
|
chatty lady
|
rejection and the air squeels
out if the balloon, splat!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
yeah, me, too, and all us
other writers, too, chatty.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That's why you want to keep
finishing and sending off...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You want to have more 'full of
air' moments than deflated moments!
|
|
realityczech
|
So why is it that all us
perfectionist-fear-of-failure types gravitate to this field?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
We all wish we knew, reality.
Masochism?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But realistically, that drive
to get better better better...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
is what takes you over the
line from aspiring to pro, reality...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
those who want to write 'good
enough' and nothing more generally don't succeed beyond maybe a single
random sale or so.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
those who are always looking,
evaluating, ...'how did he do that'? 'How did she make me see this so
clearly'...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
get better and better.
|
|
sweett
|
Good point, Mary. That's exactly
how I feel. But, I will stick to the one sentence a day resolution.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I know you made this comment
way earlier, sweett, but you one sentence a day resolution is a good one.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Even if it's one am and you
have to get up at six am, take that few minutes to scribble a new sentence
at the end of your work in progress.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
That tiny success in the face
of pressure to do otherwise is much more important than you might think.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, this has been a fun
Oregon Hour.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And I want to thank all of
your for stories that really made my job as anthology editor tough!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'll do another anthology next
year, and announce it as an anthology
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and we'll do this again.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The quality of the submissions
was WAY better than the average slush pile, believe me.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Thanks for coming, all, and
have a great first week of a new year!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Here's an idea for you..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it just occurred to me..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Right now, write yourself a
letter...where you think your writing is, what you hope will happen in the
coming year...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
what you'd like to improve...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
seal it, and put it away.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Open it next New Year's day.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
have a good week all!
|