Pamela Rafael Berkman, Author

Bringing this Blog to a Close for Now, but Keep Writing!

2005-08-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

As you may have guessed from my abysmal updating record since the spring (perhaps even last winter), my other commitments are really encroaching on this blog. Once I updated daily, sometimes twice, like a good blogger! I'd rather not go out in a haze of "Sorry I haven't posted for three months" posts (which I may have been doing in any case!) So, for now, I accept reality, work on my other projects, and say a fond farewell.

Meanwhile, please do peruse my earlier posts and archives; there's some advice there for beginning writers on things like finding agents, getting published, carving out time, and making sure you're not scammed. And I want you all to keep plugging. Good luck to my friend Cathy, who's taking two weeks of vacation, not to gamble it away in Vegas, but to spend a chunk of time writing. And I leave you with this thought of Cory Doctorow's:

"People today spend as much time as they can possibly drag themselves away from the real world to sit in front of the screen reading text, and I would argue that the text they are reading, the thing they are treating like a book, is a book."

So think on that, start a blog, and write a novel. Email me if I can answer any questions. And good luck!

Very Short Story Contest at Glimmer Train

2005-07-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Close to my heart, as I love short short fiction, and it's a reputable outlet and a reasonable reading fee. Hey, in the time it takes to post to your blog, you could have a short short story to send in. Here's the info, or go to their site:

Competition: Glimmer Train's Summer Very Short Fiction Award.

Eligibility: Open to all themes, all subjects, all writers, published and
unpublished. Your original, unpublished story must not exceed 2,000 words.

First-place winner receives $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories,
and 20 copies of the issue in which it is published. Second- and
third-place winners receive $500/$300, respectively, and acknowledgement
in that issue.

To submit your story, go to our site, Glimmer Train Press Online Submissions,
log in, and click on VERY SHORT STORY AWARD. Reading fee (payable by visa
or mc) is $10 per story.

Entries will be accepted through July 31st. Winners will be called by
November 1st. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that
date. Please let your email provider (ISP) know that you want emails from
glimmertrainpress.com and glimmertrain.com so we can reach you.

From the Renaissance Park Hotel, Very Posh

2005-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Are We There Yet? Yes, We Are.

2005-03-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Me on the deck of our new home! (Thanks, Murphy, for taking this!)

Live from the I-5

2005-03-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

A Really Great Writer's Web Site at, of All Places. BBC News

2005-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

This site is so much fun! It has mini-courses on all kinds of writing: radio plays, fiction, horror, everything, each with some good useful links; online community, message boards; humorous, earnest encouragement; places to post your work and get workshop comments; advice on publication; et al. Go to BBC - Get Writing - Homepage and poke around. They even have a BBC - Get Writing - Screen Saver, with drawings based on classic books and a way to make reminders about starting and finishing writing projects pop up on screen. I could spend all day on it.

National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo

2005-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Re: the book I mentioned in my last audblog, below. I love these guys. They've been mentioned in other blogs, too, including Neil Gaiman's. Their philosophy is that you take a month to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. It doesn't matter if it's bad. You can fix it later. But it helps you get past all the self-doubt and perfectionism and have fun. I can't possibly do justice the charm and humor, and all-out usefulness, with which they approach this, so go to National Novel Writing Month. They do it in November, in an on-line community, but you can do it anytime. I may do it myself, just for fun. It could be very freeing!

Greetings from Starbucks - and No Plot, No Problem

2005-03-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

I'm Ba-a-a-a-a-a-ck!

2005-03-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Will spare you the gory details, but doing better now, and hope to begin updating as regularly as I did before my break. Busy-ness abounds, as my husband and I are moving back to the Bay Area, due to a confluence of job situations, housing opportunities, and good old-fashioned homesickness. But you know how it is, sometimes the busier you are the more you can get done, so I'm looking forward to writing and blogging again with a vengeance.

Meanwhile, here are three articles by agent Richard Curtis that are must-reads for anyone seeking to understand the nature of the publishing world today:

Backspace - The Writer's Place -1

Backspace - The Writer's Place -2

Backspace - The Writer's Place - 3

I got these links off Publishers Marketplace yesterday. They are the best snapshots of the reality of the publishing business today, explanation of how it got that way, and vision of the future that I have seen. Remember, I've worked in publishing for almost twenty years as well as being a hard-working writer, so I see this from both sides. These articles will really help you understand where agents and editors are coming from.

And through it all - don't forget - it seems that there are a lot of obstacles, but that doesn't mean you can't overcome them, especially if you think creatively and with an eye toward the future.

See you (virtually) tomorrow!

Quick Break From the Break - Write a Novel in a Month!

2004-10-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm still a bit off, but took a break from my break because this one is so good - saw it plugged on Neil Gaiman's site and investigated - it's National Novel Writing Month. Very fun, the idea is to get you to finish a novel in a month, just bust on through and do it. Who knew that November is national Novel Writing Month? Check it out. I may even do it, for fun.

Will Be Taking a Short Break from Blogging Due to a Bit of Bad Health, But My Tea's Still On!

2004-10-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hi - I've been letting this blog in the month of October because I have a minor but annoying health thing going on. It may still be a couple of weeks before I'm back to regular blogging, but I'll be back with a vengeance then, so please bear with me!

Meanwhile I will still be attending my "literary tea" on Saturday, October 16 at 11 am at the Borders in Montclair, CA (5055 S Montclair Plaza Lane, in a big mall, 909-625-0424). All are welcome to stop by, say hi, and discuss my books over complimentary refreshments. The more the merrier! I'm looking forward to seeing some of you then.

Publishers, Columnists, and Bloggers Argue Blogging; Seems a Tempest in a Teapot to Me

2004-09-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Marketplace, links to Book Babes's look at "literary blogs" (although PM mentions they aren't sure where she got her list of "book blogs, since a lot of them, well, aren't"):

Poynter Online - Blogging for Books

and LA literary blogger Mark Sarva's response:

Publishers Marketplace: Obiter Dicta (A Supplement to The Elegant Variation)

Apparently the AP (this is also from Publishers Marketplace) has a piece today on authors who blog, including one of my favorites, Neil Gaiman, and quotes Farrar, Strauss and Giroux publisher Jonathan Galassi as saying, "Maybe we're behind the times. I just think there are too many words out there already. I hope our writers will be spending their time writing their books, not their blogs."

The link they give, however, is unfortunately dead, but if it is resurrected or merely revealed as incorrect I'll put it up.

I don’t know – I just look at Neil Gaiman's blog because he seems like a nice guy, he once helped me find out via email about the writer of a 1969 book I really wanted to find, and I want to see if he's ever coming to LA so I can go see him. Seems pretty harmless to me.

Thanks to Everyone Who Came Saturday!

2004-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

That was a fun one - such good questions! I love it when folks are engaged. Anyway, if you didn't make it to that one, drop in at the tea at the Borders in Montclair, CA on Saturday, October 16 at 11 a.m. It will concentrate more on Shakespeare and Her Infinite Variety, and I've been asked for suggestions of "tie-in" foods. Hmm . . cakes and ale?

I told everyone at Borders Saturday what I tell you all here - a little regular writing (in my case, an hour a day) is what gets the job done!

Gig Today, Saturday, Sept. 25, at Borders

2004-09-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder - I'll be talking and reading at Borders in Pasadena, 475 S. Lake Ave., 626-304-9773, today at 4:00 p.m. Will probably read from The Falling Nun and talk about both my books. Stop on by and say hi, I'd love to see you!

Alexander McCall Smith - a Successful Writer Tells How He Became One, in the Scotsman

2004-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Very humble and encouraging, in two parts:

Scotsman.com News - Features - How I became a writer

Scotsman.com News - Alexander McCall Smith - My life has been turned upside-down, and I owe it all to Mma Ramotswe

Tip: Writing, Like Exercise, Is Cumulative

2004-09-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Writing really is quite analogous to cardio - you know how they say you don't have to do all your exercise in one big chunk? That what counts is the little bits that add up throughout the day? Like taking the stairs, a five-minute walk after and before lunch, etc. Well, writing is like that, too.

I know it can be hard to find a big chunk of time to write. But if you can squeeze in even a couple of ten-minute sessions every day or so, you will be amazed at what you can get done. Hey, you can write a paragraph in ten minutes, right? Well, try that twice a day. At then end of the week you'll have ten to fourteen paragraphs - two to three pages. And the end of a few weeks, you'll have a short story or chapter draft.

Yes, sometimes we need some time to "psych" ourselves into writing - but you can do some of that mental work as you get ready for your ten (or five!) minute session - like while you're paying your bills or signing the kids' permission slips or making dinner. And the more you do this, the more easily you will find that you slip into that writing mode. It will go quicker each time.

The thing about this is that you can almost always kick-start yourself into doing it. A two-hour session with a big goal can be intimidating. Saying, "Just ten minutes, one paragraph," doesn't frighten us. I've done this, especially the last few weeks when I was a bit sick, to good results. And you sometimes you even find you've managed to do a bit more than you planned (but remember, you don't have to).

It's like when you don't want to lift weights but don't feel like it and you fool yourself into it by saying, "Okay, just my biceps." And then you do your triceps and delts too. And before you know it, you've got a routine done, and some solid work to show.

So good luck!

Not finding anything particularly juicy, insightful, or amusing to post among publishing gossip just now, but then I've been a bit out of it - I'll keep looking!

Sorry for the Long Gap, Was Feeling Poorly

2004-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

But better now. However, I have some not-good news - someone is spoofing my email. I'm taking it up with Yahoo, but may have to change my email address. If so, I'll need to stop posting it on this blog, as that is probably where the address was harvested from. So sorry! One piece of scum ruining things for everyone. I read a comment in Wired magazine positing that on the Internet we'll all acting like we're still at Woodstock when in truth it's time to get the hell out of Altamont. Ah, well. If I need to abandon the email address I'll enable comments on most posts so at least there can still be some communication.

Meanwhile, if you've received spam that looks like it's from me and tracked me to this blog, my sincere apologies, it's not me, and I'm trying to get it sorted out.

And hey, the new Writer's Market books are all out and inhabiting end caps at Barnes and Noble, so pick yours up!

An Insightful DVD

2004-09-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

I saw a movie recently on DVD that I recommend to any aspiring creative person, not just writers. It's Comedian, starring Jerry Seinfeld and directed by Christian Charles. It's a documentary about Seinfeld's post-Seinfeld-show efforts to go back to stand-up comedy, and it's amazing in the vulnerability it shows, not just of Seinfeld but of the other phenomenally successful comedians who are his friends - Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Gary Shandling, and on and on. If you ever thought that "real" or "successful" artists didn't have crippling insecurities, nerves, and blocks, just like the rest of us, this will show you different, but in a kind and gentle way - they get through it.

Also note Jerry's epiphany about spending time working on writing - he saw some construction workers going back to work after lunch, and he realized that if they could go back to that job after lunch when they didn't really feel like it, then he could damn well go back to writing after lunch.

But anyway, see the whole thing - you'll feel energized.

My Literary Tea Is Open to All, NOT a Private Event!

2004-08-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Borders tells me my literary tea on Saturday, October 16 in Montclair is most emphatically not a private event. Anyone who would like to come and meet me and discuss my books over complimentary refreshments is welcome. The more the merrier! So come on over. See you there.

A Couple of Gigs

2004-08-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

And the autumnal book season begins, at least for me . . . I'll be doing an event (reading and talk, about both my short story collections) on Saturday, September 25th at 4 pm at the Borders in Pasadena (475 S. Lake Ave., 626-304-9773, and whaddya know, also a wi-fi hotspot) and doing a literary tea, centered more on my Shakespeare book, on Saturday, October 16th at 11 am at the Borders in Montclair (5055 S Montclair Plaza Lane, in a big mall, 909-625-0424). I believe the tea is a private event, but if you're interested, call the store - I don't think it would be difficult to ask to attend.

If you're in Southern California, stop by and say hi!

And Another One About How It Ain't Over Until the Fat Lady Sings

2004-08-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

From Publishers Marketplace Email Newsletter, Publishers Lunch Deluxe:

Story Writer From 60s Finally Sees Second Collection Published

Julian Mazor's second short story collection FRIEND OF MANKIND was published recently by Paul Dry Books in Philadelphia - only 36 years after "his first, heralded collection, WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE," the Inquirer writes.

Mazor says that by the late 60s his style of story writing fell out of favor in the politically charged environment. "I became more and more unknown," he comments. "Times changed."

The Inquirer says that "FRIEND OF MANKIND picks up where Mazor's previous collection left off, displaying his craft and sensitivity as an observer of place and human behavior. These are stories that reward slow, careful reading."

Here's the Inquirer piece: Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/11/2004 | Writer who honed craft, not his profile, is back

A Nice Success Story for Us Writers Over 21

2004-08-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Take heart if things are taking you longer than you want them to. The New York Times Magazine ran a story August 1 about Susanna Clarke, author of the forthcoming Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. This book has more buzz on it than a hive of bumblebees, is being published by Bloomsbury (Harry Potter's British publisher), and is widely being called "Harry Potter for adults." It is, as you can imagine, expected to do extremely well, Da Vinci code/Harry Potter well.

Susanna Clarke is in her mid-forties, and it took her ten years to write the book, mostly in the mornings before going to her job as a cookbook editor. Her own story is full of simple, step-by-step, one-thing-leading-to-another tales of meeting the right person, which led to her meeting the next right person, which led to her doing the next right thing, etc. And, of course, of her working hard to make her writing the best it could be.

And she's got lots of gray hair! I feel positively inspired by her myself.

I May Soon Be Teaching Teenagers

2004-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Am exploring the possibility of a once-a-week creative writing workshop, probably six to eight weeks, for teens, here in the LA area - will post details when I have them. Could be very fun. I've taught teens before, at Newcomer High School in San Francisco on a volunteer writing teacher program called Project ThinkWrite, and liked it a lot. So much energy, so many ideas . . . wish me luck!

Tip: A Note on Networking

2004-07-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Networking doesn't come naturally to many of us; it seems to connote creepy good ol' boy circles or even creepier elite secret societies, or at the very least give us a slimy feeling. We wonder if we're turning into some stereotypical 1950s used car salesman when we approach someone we don't know that well, asking for a contact or favor. But here's the thing: it's not that bad and it can be learned.

Does networking help you get published? Well, honestly, yes, I think it can, a bit. All the networking in the world won't help you publish something that has serious flaws, and most really good work eventually finds a home, whether its author is a good networker or not. But I do find that networking can help you open the door a little sooner than you might otherwise be able to, and that's worth something. Sometimes dropping a name will, indeed, be cause for an editor or agent to take your manuscript out of the slush pile. Sometimes another author, or an agent or editor or teacher, can recommend someone who might be interested in your work, even if they're not. And remember, you can and should return these favors later on, either to those who gave them to you or to newer writers.

Here's an important thing that I think helps: remember that every contact you make when networking does not immediately have to lead to a specific result. You don't always have to just give someone a manuscript to network. Just practice getting to know people in the industry. Don't think of meeting someone in the business as your one and only opportunity to approach them. Go to author readings, and if the line's not too long (often, if it's a midlist author, it's not) say hello, explain that you enjoy their work. If it doesn't feel invasive, ask for an email address or way to hear when they are next in town. Heck, if there's really nothing going on there and you're not too shy, take them out for a drink. If you go to writer's conventions, meet the editors and agents. Talk about the clients and writers they work with whom you admire, to show you did your homework. Ask for advice about how best to proceed in your career, how to describe your work to show its marketability. See if anyone wants to have lunch so you can ask them what publishing houses are premiere in your field or genre. Or to talk about the Lakers. Whatever.

As with anyone else, some of these people you won't click with, and some you will. Keep up with the ones you click with. Note when they are next in town. If you have contact info for them, let them know about your progress, telling them, for example, if you get a story published somewhere, or win an award, or stage a reading, or have an open mic success. Send nice thank-you notes if they help you with something.

Obviously nobody likes to be deluged. But with the same restraint and good manners you would show to any other work colleague, you can make helpful contacts, some of which can result in (honestly!) actual friendship.

Most editors, authors, and agents are actually pretty nice people, who are happy when writers succeed.

Just practice.

Howard Capeci, My Former Student, Is Published!

2004-07-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

And I'm so proud. His story The Onset of Winter is up on the literary fiction website Vortical Magazine, and it's beautiful. Head on over!

And may you all be published!

Blogosphere Fun

2004-07-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Check out Whitney Pastorek's Blogging Off in the July/August Utne Reader(teased as "How Blogging Ruined My Life" on the cover). It's reprinted from an article in The Village Voice. Unfortunately you can't read the article online without subscribing, but it should be available at newsstands (and it's short, you can just stand there and read it). Very funny account of the Lure of the Blog.

Tip: It's Okay to Take a Break Sometimes

2004-07-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

I often read exhortations that someone must write a certain number of hours every day, or write every day, to be a "real" writer. As you know if you're a reader of this blog, I do a fair share of telling people that the way to becoming a published writer is a regular, moderate writing schedule - and I firmly believe that to be true.

However, once of my best teachers, Thaisa Frank, once told the class I was in that sometimes writers are "silent for a while." And that's true, too. Sometimes you just have to fill the well, cogitate, let things simmer - and not just your plot or characters.

If you're exhausted, if the words just aren't coming, take a break. I find it works best to do it consciously, so you don't feel guilty about how you "should" be writing. And it also helps to set an end time for it, so you know you'll get back in the habit. Just say to yourself, "I choose to take a week [two weeks, month] off of writing to recharge my batteries. I'll start again [insert day]." And relax. Then, when it's time, start again.

Tip: A Word About Writers' Conferences

2004-07-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

You've seen my guarded cautions about contests - some are reputable and perfectly fine, but you want to guard against scams and rackets. Some pals of mine have been going to writer's conferences lately, and it makes me feel that these cautions bear repeating about conferences, too.

It may be that you just want to go to a conference to workshop a story, novel, or poem, and that's fine. Many people, however, go to meet agents and editors. Here's what I would advise: check out the writer's conference you are applying or going to. See how many actual agents and/or editors will really be attending. Find out what your access to them is - do you actually get some one-on-one or small group time with them, will they merely be speakers? If there is a panel, how many questions will they be taking? Many conferences advertise the agents and editors who will attend. Check them out on the Web or on Publishers Marketplace. Do they sell/buy in the field you are writing in? (One thing I will say is that LOTS of agents seem to go to the yearly writer's conference in Maui - well, wouldn't you?)

Even if you are only going for workshops, check those out too. How big will they be? What is the prevailing "tone"? (Take no prisoners, encouraging, bloodfest?) Will they include some sort of moderator or guide, such as a published writer or writing teacher?

Some writer's conferences sound very alluring because they take place in lovely, exotic locales - and some of those may be great. But ask these questions first, and don't be seduced. You want to go to a conference that will really do you some good.

Good luck, always!

2004-07-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thought this might be fun - me (goodness I've gotten blond down here in SoCal!) and filmmaker husband (he doesn't usually look that serious) at the wedding of his videographer pal Mike on Sunday. Weddings among filmmakers - more cords, wires, sound equipment and cameras than you can imagine!

High on Nob Hill

2004-07-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well! Blogging from the comfort of the spare futon of my writing pal Dorothy Hearst's (no relation to Patty, William Randolph, etc. unless she wants restaurant reservations) Nob Hill apartment, where I am staying for our self-made writer's retreat - which can be a really helpful thing if you can swing it and can find the right person. Sometimes being with someone else makes you sit and write, sometimes it makes you gossip about Viggo Mortenson. But if you find someone who makes you do the former, remember it, and hang out with them a lot.

I'm very excited because I've managed to complete two short stories in the last week, which is pretty unusual, even with my "the secret to writing is butt in chair" philosophy. They're surreal, almost fantasy; a Green Man encounter and a girl who works in a magic, and rather repressive, library. More on their progress as it comes. And of course almost every day I spend a little time on the Milky Way story, because hey, that's how you finish novels.

Everybody out there getting in their little bit if regular writing? Good. Keep it up.

And Off to the Wilds of San Francisco

2004-07-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Off to the Bay Area tomorrow for a week-long writer's retreat with a friend - looking forward to posting lots of audblogs. Plan to finish the rough draft of A Night in the Milky Way. Wish me luck!

Tip: It's Okay If You Don't Know How Your Story Ends Yet

2004-07-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

Some writers gravitate naturally toward detailed outlines and lots of planning. Some don't. I'm one of the ones who doesn't. I often hear new writers say they don't want to begin writing down their novel or story because they "don't know how it ends yet." But here's the deal: often, the end will come to you while you are writing. Sometimes all kinds of things surprise you while you are writing. If you don't know the end yet, that's perfectly all right. Start writing and 99 percent of the time it will come to you. Really.

Ah, Contests

2004-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Contests seem to spur a bit of debate in emails I get about this blog. They do so elsewhere, too. From today's Publishers Lunch:

"The story about the cancellation of the Zoo Press fiction contest began with a blogger in April, moved to Poets & Writers Magazine recently, and is now back in blogs all over, including Maud Newton's, and you can follow the thread from there."

And here's the blog they're referring to: Maud Newton: Blog. (Actually even this one post on Maud's blog has a lot of links interesting to a new writer.)

So contests . . . sometimes useful, sometimes . . . sometimes something else.

I will say that while winning a contest or two can help, what's really important is to keep writing and keep submitting your stuff. There's no substitute for that.

More Milky Way

2004-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, now that's shameful - I'm surfing around, working, scribbling, and otherwise taking care of business, and I look at Blogger and see I haven't blogged since the 17th. There goes work, getting in the way of life again.

Here's a little more Milky Way. My hero Kevin's wandered out of the cold into a Lutheran church basement supper and just look what ensues:

But the invitation to sit down was enough for Kevin. And in a minute some of the churchgoers, who really did all seem to look a bit like people Kevin had seen around Crystal Lake but weren't, moved over on the long benches to make room for the pair, and the talking and laughing began again, and the dishes were passed, and soon Kevin and Jan had plates full of roast pork and potatoes and dried-apple crumble in front of them. Kevin felt warmth and the expectation of food flooding his body with relief. He determined to mind his manners and not devour his meal in one gulp like one of those voracious McAllister louts, and picked up his fork.

But before he got a bite in his mouth there was a ruckus at the bottom of the stairs. Miss Fortune's and Miss Demeanour's voices got quite sharp, and a big man, a very big man, bigger than Kevin had ever seen, burst into the church supper. Kevin thought at first he was in a giant costume for some kind of Christmas show. The man wore a great green overcoat and heavy green boots. Kevin had never in his life seen boots dyed bright emerald green like that. He and Jan were separated in the bustle and movement that followed as diners made way for the giant, who strode to the middle of the room and stood there among the long tables, looking around with his green eyes twinkling like bottle glass, and boomed out,

"Who's up to a Christmas challenge, then?"

And when there was no answer, he cried out again. "Anyone? Anyone at all? Don't tell me there are no takers!"

"I'll answer that call," said a man a little to Kevin's right, startling him. The man was slight and lean and long-fingered, with ginger hair and a mustache, rather like Kevin imagined Mr. Arthur would have looked when he was younger, if he had ever stopped to think about it.

But Kevin was thinking of the flash of red cloth he thought he had seen just a moment before, in the back of the church basement.

"No . . . I will," said Kevin, stepping forward.

Now, Kevin didn't know what Lucy would be doing out at a Lutheran church basement supper so late on Christmas Eve. Maybe Mr. Arthur was there, too, and he didn't see him. But Kevin knew that red hood. He hadn't forgotten how Lucy looked at him after he dove to sweep the wandering George out of the way of the dun cow's kick. He would have liked to see that look again.

"I'll do it," he said again. He didn't particularly like the amusement that showed in the big man's green eyes, but he looked into them all the same. "What's the challenge?" he asked, at the same time realizing that maybe he ought to have asked that before.

And a New Project: In the Milky Way (from Deep in Burbank)

2004-06-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tip: Don't Make a Big Deal Out of If

2004-06-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Now this is a touchy one. Writing is what you love. Maybe getting published is your dream. Either way, writing is very important to you, and in that sense, of course it's a big deal.

But I'm remembering Natalie Goldberg's words in Writing Down the Bones, when she tells you to get an office. She says to just get a room. "Don't make a big deal out of it." And I think that's important.

I see so many new and emerging writers who believe they can only write under perfect circumstances, in a pristine, carefully arranged environment. The perfect desk, the perfect room, the perfect view in front of them. Sometimes only when they have a specific amount of free time. They end up having to spend more time arranging that environment than writing. (Kind of like a relationship, you know? Those ones where there's more analysis than content?)

Of course, you should have the tools and sound level you need. But do try to relax. When you make your writing space so sacrosanct, it gets very high stakes. That makes you tense. Tension makes it hard to be creative.

So relax. Whip out a story. Spend a reasonable amount of time revising. Pop it off in the mail, not too attached to the outcome. Meantime, do another one. Or work on another chapter of your novel on the bus. Throw in some variety. Pitch an article to a local paper. Play with a one-person show idea. Pitch a radio story. Just get out there. Relax. Like you're dating, absent the serial monogamy. This is supposed to be fun!

Another useful site

2004-06-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a site called shortshort.com, and found instead collectedstories: the story on short stories. It appears to have absorbed shortshort.com. But it publishes short stories, has a linked list of short story contest deadlines and calls for manuscripts, a way to submit online (no fee - I will never direct you to an outlet that charges a fee for you to submit your work except for flawlessly reputable contests charging minimal ones), and other useful things. Check it out and see if it's helpful.

Another Glimmer Train Contest

2004-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's easy to enter if you are so inclined, just check out the site, you can do it all online. This is a reputable contest and magazine. Here's their spiel:

Competition: Glimmer Train's Very Short Fiction Award.

Eligibility: Open to all themes, all subjects, all writers, published and
unpublished. Your original, unpublished story must not exceed 2,000 words.

First-place winner receives $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories,
and 20 copies of the issue in which it is published. Second- and
third-place winners receive $500/$300, respectively, and acknowledgement
in that issue.

To submit your story, go to our site, www.glimmertrainpress.com, log in,
and click on VERY SHORT STORY AWARD. Reading fee (payable by visa or mc)
is $10 per story.

Entries will be accepted through July 31st. Winners will be called by
November 1st. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that
date.

We are eager to read more of your work!

Writer Adam Langer Is Touring, Go See Him!

2004-06-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Adam Langer, a very nice guy, former editor of Book Magazine, who was kind enough to name me an "emerging author" and was actually in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Chicago with my sister about twenty years ago (what are the odds?) is touring with his debut novel, Crossing California.

He's at:

Monday, June 14
Pasadena, CA
7:00 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd.

where I'm going to go see him, and for my Northern California friends, he's at:

Saturday, June 12
Corte Madera, CA
7:00 PM
Book Passage
51 Talma Vista Blvd.

He's also all over Chicago and the Midwest, so keep a lookout if you're from there. Authors always feel great to see a reasonable crowd at a reading! (As all of you writers will find when it's your turn.) His book has gotten great reviews. I quote Publishers Weekly:

"In Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood in 1979, California Avenue divides the prosperous west side from the struggling east. Langer's brilliant debut uses that divide as a metaphor for the changes that occur in the lives of three neighborhood families: the Rovners, the Wasserstroms and the Wills."

Head over and say hi.

2004-05-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist Blogger's new free photo posting function, Bloggerbot - this is me, with (ahem) slightly darker hair than I have now.

More Sequel to The Suspicious Room: The Goth Twins

2004-05-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Links and Links

2004-05-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Silly me! I just realized yesterday that when I switched templates, the new one had no space for links; I made a place in the sidebar, reconstructed, and voila, they're back, although at the left instead of the right. As you can see my excerpts and such are now pulled into their own section. Meanwhile, in browsing about, I found the following article: How to be a writer. Not sure who the sponsoring group is, but I did like it, and think it has some basic, sound information about how to get started and a general plan to follow. Let me know what you think, should you be so inclined. You can comment below or, now that my email link is back up, you can email me.

Blogs and Book Contracts

2004-05-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thought you all might like this, excerpted from today's Publisher's Lunch (the free part of the ever-useful Publishers Marketplace - you can sign up for it anytime). Love their wicked wit regarding all those critics and pundits. And note that Blogger talked about Salam Pax on its home page ages ago, and Publishers Marketplace is well aware of him, but the New Yorker seems curiously in the dark.

And take from this article this useful lesson - if your way of doing a page a day is to blog, go for it!

The Latest Trends in Trend Pieces

For a different take on the trend-piece-as-personality-piece hybrid (usually it's one or the other), this week's New Yorker looks at bloggers who become authors. Or actually it's a future trend; "Suddenly, books by bloggers will be a trend, a cultural phenomenon," when "Two years from now-give or take-Elizabeth Spiers, the founding editor of the gossip Web sites Gawker and The Kicker, will publish her first novel."

At least they know how the paper of record works. "You will probably read about it in the Sunday Times." But they can't resist declaring that it's really all due to one person: "When that happens the person to thank-or blame-will be Kate Lee, who is currently a twenty-seven-year-old assistant at International Creative Management."

As befits such a venerable traditional publication, they must deliver a facile swipe along the way: "Lee does not so much read as prospect, sifting through sloppy thinking, bad grammar, and blind self-indulgence for moments of actual good writing." The other bloggers the enterprising Lee represents are the writers behind Hit & Run, The Black Table, Dong Resin, Zulkey, Low Culture, Lindsayism.

What this proud publication is blinded to (or at least misses in their overstatement), amidst their impeccable grammar and dandy sentence structure, is that plenty of other bloggers have struck book deals (among them Baghdad blogger Salam Pax, the UK's notorious Belle de Jour, the Julia/Julia Project, Cantonese columnist Mu Zimei, the eponymous Real Live Preacher).

Miller column
Style piece
New Yorker

A Word of Encouragement: Even Shakespeare Had a Day Job

2004-05-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of the time new writers are convinced they won't be able to write unless they somehow become independently wealthy overnight and can quit their day jobs. Untrue!

Shakespeare (according to our best information) worked in his glovemaker father's shop before spending his early twenties as a schoolteacher, and throughout most of his career supplemented his writing income by acting. He invested in his theater company and also made some extremely sound real estate investments. He did not leave his livelihood to the capricious market. And when the playhouses were closed for two years because of the plague, he tried another avenue - that's why we have the sonnets. Guy de Maupassant spent much of his adult life as a civil servant, writing all the time.

The point: NOT that can't ever expect to make your income purely through writing if you want to. That's a goal you can work on and which is certainly achievable. But if you haven't achieved it yet it doesn't make you any less of a "real" writer. You are in extremely good company!

And doing much better this week with the writer's block, thank you. A couple of days off and some focus on one project - the sequel to The Suspicious Room - seems to have done the trick. I set out to do my at-least-one-page this morning and came up with two.

Keep writing! A little at a time is all it takes - really.

Who'd Have Thought? A Touch of Writer's Block

2004-05-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Which almost never hits me anymore, since I try to hold myself to all my exhortations . . . but really, three mornings in a row, I've had a very hard time. Hmm. Possibly because I have three ideas and am trying to work on them all in turn? Not letting me live enough in the world of any of them? Hmm, can you say "expectations of myself too unrealistic?" That'll teach me.

Now, let's see, what would I tell one of you to do? I would say, rest up, have yourself some fun for a couple of days. You've probably written yourself out, spent all your aesthetic energy without replenishing it. Give yourself a small, sensual treat to get things going again (doesn't even have to cost much, or indeed anything - an hour on the couch listening to your favorite music, a great hot bath, kicking back and watching the game on TV guilt-free, a really good pastry). Then, after a day or two, focus, one project at a time, and make yourself write just a half hour or so.

Yeah. That ought to do it. Physician (or wordsmith?) heal thyself.

How's everybody else doing? How are all you writers coming along?

Apropos of Writing in Front of the TV

2004-05-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Raelynn Hillhouse, soon-to-debut thriller author whose book is creating a lot of buzz, says on her Publishers Marketplace blog:

"I hate being apart from the action. Peace just doesn't work for me. Give me three big dogs swirling around and some Star Trek reruns I'll automatically force myself into my most productive concentration."

So you might want to add three big dogs to the equation.

Tip: If You Can, Write While You Watch TV! (I Swear)

2004-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know this one sounds weird. And I want to preface it by saying that not everyone can do this, and that is fine. If you are the kind of person who likes or needs complete silence when you write, who likes the library or your own quiet den or bedroom, then that's what you need. Don't force yourself into this suggestion. But if you're the kind of person who likes music on when you write, who likes to be out at a cafe to hear the bustle, who used to do your homework on front of the tube, see if this works for you.

The point of this is not that you should turn on the TV if you are already happily writing away. The point is to try to pleasantly utilize the time that you spend collapsed and exhausted in front of Seinfeld reruns when you get in from work (who? me? collapsed in front of Seinfeld reruns?), or just bored and channel surfing.

Keep your notebook or laptop or whatever by the couch. When you are vegging out in front of the TV, reach for said notebook or laptop or whatever. Start writing, working on whatever you want. It's okay if you stare at it vacantly a lot and just put down a few sentences every now and then. It's okay if you don't follow what's on the TV and it fades into the background (hey, they'll rerun it in summer, even if it's not already a rerun). You may find that when you stand up, you haven't only just watched an hour and a half of TV, but you've also written a page. (And it's okay if it wasn't your best page - you can revise it later.)

I do particularly well in front of That Seventies Show reruns and, for some reason, the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, the one with Colin Firth. Go figure.

Just see if it works.

From the Mountains of Marin

2004-05-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

While I'm Away . . . and a Tip: Don't Go Back to the Top of the Page You're Writing

2004-05-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

As always, don't forget the mantra: write a little bit, and write more or less every day - an hour every day, a half hour every day, forty minutes every weekday, fifteen minutes a day, one hour every weekend day, two hours two or three days a week, whatever you have worked out. Even three hours in a chunk once a week is good, if that is all your schedule allows and it's not too big of a chunk of time for you to stick with. Hey, even one hour once a week will yield results. The important thing is that it be a little bit at a time, achievable, and inviolable.

And by the way: a friend (hi!) mentioned that she sometimes writes a page and then goes back to the top to perfect it. And then goes back to the top again. And again. My tip is: stop that. You can make and make it perfect later. The point is to go with the momentum, keep moving. So no more going back to the top of the page!

And don't forget to tell me what you think of the new template (or anything else that's on your mind). You can comment at the bottom of the post immediately below this one.

Have a great weekend!

Change in Template

2004-05-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

I got all excited with Blogger's new features and changed my template to something called "Scribe," because it seems so very writerly. Let me know how you like it! (Click on the newly enabled comments link below, then post a comment.) And off to Northern California again this weekend, to go to the dentist and watch my nephew graduate from Berkeley. We're very proud. Then I may lay low down here for a while, writing the sequel to The Suspicious Room and (I hope) sipping margaritas.

Another Glimmer Train Contest

2004-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Glimmer Train has another one going on. Deadline is July 15. Below is their spiel:

Competition: Glimmer Train's Summer Fiction Open.

Eligibility: Open to all writers, all themes, subjects, and lengths.
Your entries must be your own, original, entirely unpublished stories.
Multiple entries are okay, but, please, no simultaneous submissions.

First-place winner receives $2,000, publication in Glimmer Train
Stories, and 20 copies of the issue in which it is published. Second-
and third-place winners receive $1,000/$600, respectively, and
acknowledgement in that issue.

To submit your stories, go to our site, www.glimmertrainpress.com, log
in, and click on FICTION OPEN. Reading fee (payable by visa or mc) is
$15 per story.

Entries will be accepted through July 15th. Winners will be called by
October 15th. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that
date.

We are eager to read more of your work!

Now, remember - you don't have to enter contests if you don't want to. There are many other ways to get your work recognized. (And see my post on January 9 this year for what to watch out for and how to keep from being scammed.) But this is a reputable, reasonably priced one, so if you are into them, what the heck? Look over your work, send something in, or finish what you have (you can write a good, even great, short story by July 15 if you work a little each day), and send it on in. It's good practice.

Deep in Berkeley

2004-05-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

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And I'm Off Again

2004-04-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Back to San Francisco, this time for publishing work instead of mini writer retreat. If enough of my posts were like this I'd sound quite jet-set. I'm doing well with the sequel to The Suspicious Room, trying for about a blog's worth a day and also playing with something fantastical with the working title In the Milky Way. More on the milk reference to come.

While I'm gone, write a little every day, or every other day, or every weekend, or whatever your schedule is. Hey, you could have a draft of a chapter or a short story by the time I come back!

From Kate Long: Enjoy It!

2004-04-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

Author Kate Long (The Bad Mother's Handbook, which has hit the UK like gangbusters and is due here in the United States soon) was kind enough to email after I mentioned her long road to success (see the March and April archives). From Kate:

You're spot on in your observation; it certainly wasn't overnight success, but on the other hand, I write every day that I can because I enjoy it. It hardly seems like work, even when I'm revising.

And

I never set out to write a best-seller. I just wrote the novel I wanted to read.

You ever notice that when you grimly set out to write something, it's not as good as the stuff you wrote for fun? See, that's the thing - writing is supposed to be fun! Or else why are we doing it? We could just become stock brokers. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

So, every day, a bit of writing fun. That's the spirit!

Onward!

Sequel to The Suspicious Room, an Aublog Reading

2004-04-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

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And I'm Off

2004-04-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Back to the Bay Area again for the rest of the week, going on a mini-writer retreat with a friend (we'll be at Espresso Roma pretty much all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Also seeing friends for a belated 40th birthday bash. (I still don't know how the forty thing happened. I'm sure I was eighteen just yesterday.) Will try to audblog - maybe an installment of the sequel to The Suspicious Room, which I'm working on, having finished the first one.

Write on!

New Flash Fiction: Palaces

2004-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I promised.

Palaces

When Amelia was eight, she lay awake in bed every night thinking about being a princess. In her thoughts she was rich and had a horse and servants and a name for her country and a castle. In the castle was a swimming pool and an entire video arcade and a playroom full of toys. But of course as she got older she grew out of that.

When she was twelve going on thirteen, her parents moved from the city to the suburbs so that she could go to a better junior high. They bought a townhouse in the only condo complex in town. It was red brick and had a dishwasher and a garbage disposal, which they had never had in their apartment in the city, two blocks from the park where Amelia learned to ride her bike.

She didn’t realize until she got to school the first day that her bike was different than everyone else's. Theirs had more gears than hers. On the second day she rode with her jacket over the handlebars so no one could tell.

On Halloween that year Amelia headed off to her new friend Debbie's Halloween party. She hadn't been over to anyone's house yet, so this was the first time. She was dressed as Princess Leia, with bagels on the side of her head. She thought it was pretty funny, and so did her parents. Outside, the jack-o-lanterns that the other people who lived in the townhouses had put out flickered in the darkening twilight against the trees and the grass and all the other landscaping around the complex. It was beautiful, and there was a dishwasher in the townhouse so they didn’t have to wash dishes, and Amelia felt like a princess.

Debbie had a pool. Amelia knew that ahead of time, but she didn't know about the playroom upstairs. Or the rec room by the pool where the party was. "Mom, the gardeners are still there, aren't they finished yet?" yelled Debbie soon after Amelia and a lot of other people got there, because it was unseasonably warm and they were going to have a barbecue. The maid had set up a table of popcorn and miniature Hershey bars. And there, against one wall, was a video arcade. Just like Amelia used to dream about.

She swallowed and turned away.

Amelia left early, riding her bike furiously. She wanted to cry but she didn't. She sat at her front door and put her face in her hands and saw the townhouses for what they were, the places where everybody's maid and all the newly divorced dads lived.

She pulled herself together and went inside. And her face was, and remained forever, just a little more ambitious, and a little less pleasant.

Two Excellent Sites

2004-04-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to link to these for a while, and no time like the present. I really love these sites and want them to succeed, and there's nothing like word of mouth for that.

First, Magnatune: try before you buy MP3 music.. As they say, they are a record label, but they are not evil! Read the founder's story, Why I created Magnatune Records. That will also link you to the infamous Courtney Love article in Salon which explains that record labels' alleged concerns about artists getting ripped off through file swapping are bogus, because the record labels themselves do such a good job of that that there's nothing left for the artists to lose when it comes to college kids sharing music. Magnatune's way is completely legal, you have a choice of how much to pay for an album, with options about types of files (more than one type is fine). And the artists actually get some real money.

And besides that, they have really excellent music, a lot more cutting edge and interesting than a lot of the other services.

And second - imagine that Amazon is a really, really good used bookstore, like Moe's in Berkeley. You're probably a bit bookish, or you wouldn't be reading my blog, so you will love this one. Head over to Alibris - Used, New and Out-Of-Print Books, Music and Movies. All the convenience of Amazon, all of the serendipity of used book store. They also link to rare book auctions, an interest of mine, but then, I'm a hopeless nerd who thinks an evening settling down with a thirty-year-old edited collection of critical essays on the Medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a good time.

I'll put these over on my links section at the right, too. And it's been a while since I posted some flash fiction - will put some up tomorrow, cross my heart.

When in Espresso Roma

2004-04-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

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Live from the I-5

2004-04-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

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More Persistence and Hard Work Encouragement

2004-04-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

See this San Francisco Chronicle piece on the author of the book Ella Enchanted, They told her she had no talent. Here's another real grown-up who worked for ten years for her success, with nary a publication. May it counteract the last story you heard about someone half your age who got a gigantic advance for their first effort. (And remember, even those stories are often hyped beyond any relation to the real story.)

Whoa, I haven't blogged for a week! Bad of me. Will do better. Have been finishing up usable draft of The Suspicious Room - which as you may remember premiered as a couple of audblogs here. Yup, there's about 78,000 words to it now. How does one do that? One starts typing. The secret to writing is butt in chair.

Here's an idea: start a blog. Type in a new page from your novel or project every weekday. End of year you've got a rough draft.

Blog on.

Ah, Book Signings

2004-04-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend having a birthday and recuperating from a Friday night book signing. Signing was fun, an event in honor of the Renaissance Faire which is opening in Southern California (hence my Her Infinite Variety: Stories of Shakespeare and the Women He Loved was quite apropos). There were Shakespearean Sonnet contests (entrants being local high school kids, really great), Shakespearean look-alike contests, Faire people wandering about dressed like wenches and pirates and Scotsmen. My fellow author Judith Merkle Riley put me to shame - she was dressed in an elaborate green velvet period piece that made her look like Catherine Parr. Me, I had my nice blue slacks. Maybe next year.

I'm very, very grateful to have a book signing to go to, but as many of you will learn if you keep writing, they can be draining. For me, it's something about the timing of them. Readings and signings are always scheduled for the exact hour when you want to put your feet up for a little while and veg out to a That Seventies Show rerun. (Umm, not that I ever do that, right? Oh, no, I'm productive every single minute of the day. Ahem.)

Anyway, write a bit today. Write a bit tomorrow. And the next day. And you will soon find out for yourself!

Live from Starbuck's on April Fool's Day

2004-04-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

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And an Encouraging Note on the Food for Thought Post Below

2004-03-31T11:51:00.000-08:00

From today's Publisher's Marketplace "Publisher's Lunch":

"The Guardian adds more on the UK's new fiction bestseller Kate Long, author of THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK. They note that, 'Her success has been portrayed as "northern lass hits literary jackpot overnight," but that ignores the fact that she has been writing for 10 years - short stories and an unpublished novel.' Her second book SKY MESSAGES is already written."

See? Every time you hear that someone had lottery-like overnight success, and feel terrible about it, if you dig into the reality, you'll find that they have been working hard too. A little writing every day for ten years. That's what wins the race.

Some Food for Thought

2004-03-31T10:18:00.000-08:00

Interesting (well, interesting to me) tidbit from the 3/29 Publisher's Marketplace "Publisher's Lunch" daily email:

"Kate Long's The Bad Mother's Handbook has lived up to expectations after being sold to Picador for a "substantial" six-figures by Peter Straus at Rogers, Coleridge & White. After three weeks the novel has gone to the top of UK bestseller lists, and is still gaining strength. According to the Telegraph, the publisher now has four books under contract. The mother of two tells the newspaper, 'I can't believe what's happened - it's amazing. I'm just a table scribbler, really. I wrote most of it in eight weeks, between 7.30 and 9 at night, depending on whether there was anything good on the telly. And then I spent a year revising it.'"

I know, I know. There is a certain hype level to this little soundbyte. But that doesn't negate the kernel of good advice in it. Write a little every day. It will get you much farther being hard on yourself because you can't write for hours and hours at a stretch when you have a job, kids, etc.

I sometimes think that folks who don't start out with a serious, yearning need to be writers with a capital W often have a better attitude toward it than the rest of us, because they aren't so tense about it. The stakes don't feel so high to them. This allows them to loosen up, which is good for creativity, and for making progress in your work.

This is not to say there's anything wrong with you because you haven't managed to get a six-figure advance on a novel you wrote in a year and eight weeks at your kitchen table! There is not! The point of this little anecdote is to inspire you, not make you feel crappy about yourself. The point is do relax, and just do a little bit of writing when you can, regularly. It really, really helps.

A Glimmer Train Contest Deadline Approaches, Should You Be Interested

2004-03-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

Don't forget, March 31 is the deadline for Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers - which I can't enter anymore, but you probably can! Go to Glimmer Train Press Online Submissions and follow the directions to submit. As I've mentioned before, I like submitting online to Glimmer Train because they make it so easy. It's a reputable, excellent literary mag.

Here's their spiel about the contest:

Competition: Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers.

Eligibility: Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any
publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries must be entirely
unpublished.) Open to all themes, all subjects. Stories should not exceed
8,000 words.

First-place winner receives $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories,
and 20 copies of the issue in which it is published. Second- and
third-place winners receive $500/$300, respectively, and acknowledgement
in that issue.

To submit your story, go to our site, www.glimmertrainpress.com , log in,
and click on SHORT STORY AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS. Reading fee (payable by
visa or mc) is $12 per story.

Entries will be accepted through March 31st. Winners will be called by
July 1st. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that date.

And a Reminder About My Little April 2 Gig

2004-03-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

Don't forget I'll be signing at the Borders annual pre-Renaissance Faire event and Shakespeare Sonnet Contest on Friday, April 2, at 7:00 pm, at the Montclair Borders Books and Music (in Pasadena), 5055 S Montclair Plaza Lane, (909) 625-0424. Judith Merkle Riley will be there, too. Stop by and say hello!

Another Writing Tip: Show Things Through Dialog

2004-03-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

To file away with the previous tip about showing things with senses other than sight (I would call these "craft" tips but there's so much emphasis on "craft" in the writing world nowadays it makes me crazy!): try to show a few things with dialog. The effect of showing nothing through dialog is sometimes a certain sense of distance from the characters, as though you (and your reader) are watching them through a window. The effect of showing something through dialog is often to bring the reader through that window, so to speak. Look over your work and see if there are one or two things that you have stated as a narrator (first or third person, whatever) and see if you can find a way to put the information into the mouth of a character. This works best with smaller chunks of info (although they may have big emotional importance); that is, you don't want that end-of-bad-movie effect where the entire plot is explained by one character at the end. But even if that's what you get when you first try this experiment, don't worry - you can cut it back later. The important thing is to relax and try.

Like showing things with senses other than sight, even a few instances of this technique in a piece can make it richer and more attention-grabbing.

Good luck!

Hmm . . . haven't put new flash fiction on here in a while . . . will have to write some tonight! (And why don't you try writing one page of what you're currently working on tonight? Just one!)

Tip and Inspiration: No One Can Stop You From Writing

2004-03-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

Writing is fairly unique among the arts in that you don't need a lot of equipment or supplies. Of course a computer is nice, but honestly, a pen or pencil and sheet of paper will do the job. Painters need expensive paint and canvas, sculptors need materials, musicians need instruments. Filmmakers need thousands of dollars worth of equipment. But your writing can be just as good if it is in a dollar and fifty cent notebook as it is on a three thousand dollar computer.

Actors sometimes have to wait for the people who audition them to give them a part - or they can't play it. Ditto dancers. You don't have to wait for anyone's permission. You're allowed to write whatever you want, whenever you want.

So remember that. Even if you are discouraged, even if you are trying to get published and it's not going anywhere just now, you are already a writer. No one can stop you from writing. Ever.

Tip: Using Senses Other than Sight in Your Writing

2004-03-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

This seems like a little thing but it is really effective. You know how you always hear, "Show, don't tell," as basic advice to beginning writers? (Actually I think that one's a bit of an oversimplification, but I won't go into that now.) Well, look at the work you have read where sensual details have really resonated with you, work that has really left a sense of itself with you, and I'll bet you anything that the writer didn't just "show" through visual details but also through sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of tactile touch.

It's visual cues that most often show up in writing (and it's true we humans do get a gigantic proportion of our information through our eyes.) So it's all the more unusual, and striking, when something is communicated to the reader in the form, not of what was seen, but of what was heard, smelled, tasted, or touched. Think about how a smell will immediately take you back to a place or incident from your childhood.

Try it. If you substitute another sense than sight in even a few places, I promise your writing will be richer, and will grab more of the reader's attention.

For an example of this taken to the extreme, see Patrick Suskind's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. (That's the Amazon link, you can read the reviews there if you're interested.) This is the story of an eighteenth-century French murderer told, very effectively, entirely through the sense of smell. And not all of those smells are pleasant. Far from it. (Warning - not for the weak of stomach.)

Just got back from an hour with The Suspicious Room at the local Starbucks, have to go to work (at the day job at the publishing house) now. Write on!

I'm Signing at Borders in Montclair in SoCal in Early April

2004-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Come and say hi, don't be shy, I'd love to meet some fellow bloggers and blog readers! I'll be signing at the Borders annual pre-Renaissance Faire event and Shakespeare Sonnet Contest (now doesn't that sound fun?), which is scheduled for Friday, April 2, at 7:00 pm, at the Montclair Borders Books and Music, 5055 S Montclair Plaza Lane, (909) 625-0424. Also at the event will be author Judith Merkle Riley (Master of All Desires, The Oracle Glass, The Serpent Garden and more), and possibly my pal the talented and lovely Robin Maxwell (The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, The Wild Irish and more). There should be copies of both my books, Her Infinite Variety: Stories of Shakespeare and the Women He Loved and The Falling Nun there.

Tip: A Writing Minimum That Works for Me

2004-03-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's hard for all of us to find time to write. But it can also be a trap to think that you need a huge chunk of time for writing, and that you can't get anything done if you don't have that. You can spend your whole life waiting to suddenly become independently wealthy so that you have "time to write."

If you've been reading this blog you know about my philosophy of doing a little at a time, according to what fits into your schedule. Here's something in particular that works for me:

Every day, write for one hour, and finish one page.

Now doesn't that sound manageable?

You can write one page in one hour. Sure you can.

A couple of caveats:

1. It can truly be a terrible page. That's okay. You can fix it later.
2. You can put in placeholders if you need to check a fact or decide on a name or something like that later.
3. If you are dry on one section of your project, you can skip ahead and write a page that you are energized about.

I am an "organic" writer, that is, I see where my writing takes me and work without an outline, at least at first, so I just write one page after another. If you work with an outline, you can still use this method: just write one page of your outline, or a one-page chapter outline for each chapter to being with. Then begin writing the body of the work.

This doesn't sound like much, but think about it. In 250 days, a little over 8 months, you can have the rough draft of a standard-length novel. Take almost 4 months to revise and pull together query letters and a synopsis. That means you could have a quite workable manuscript of a novel (or short story collection, or narrative nonfiction, or whatever) in one year. Many professional writers take one year to finish a novel. If you're a screenwriter, you only need 90 to 150 pages, so hey, you're done even sooner.

Add to this that sometimes you will find that you have written more than one page in your one-hour time page - a page and a half, two pages! Good for you, get yourself an extra latte.

Try it, see if it works for you, and keep writing!

Tip Recap: Getting Individual Short Stories Published

2004-03-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

As promised:

Everything I Know About Getting Short Stories Published

First, as with agents (scroll down two posts to see the recap about those) get yourself a copy of the 2004 Writer's Market or 2004 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. They are available on Amazon, most bookstores (in the reference section), and Writer's Digest. These contain the most complete lists currently available of places to which to send your work.

Also check the "Call for Manuscripts" in Poets and Writers, either at the back of the magazine or online at Poets & Writers, Inc.

Second, don’t sweat the simultaneous submission thing, and practice a don’t ask, don’t tell policy about it. I've heard that The North American Review in particular can get very nasty if they find out you've sent simultaneous submissions (like they might not ever take on anything of your again) but you know what? Tough. You could never get anything done if you send one-by-one. And the chances of getting two simultaneous offers, and having someone find out, are slim.

Don’t try to subscribe to every zine or literary review you want to submit to, although they recommend it. You never could. Subscribe only to ones that really resonate with you. Other than that, look over the listings, try to find out what you can about them online or at the bookstore, and using that info, do your best to winnow them down into groups of about ten. Send your story (or query, according to the guidelines listed) to the first ten. If it comes back, send to the next ten. Send another story to the first ten. Practice detachment and just keep it going.

One way to decide which places might be on your first priority "send to" list: If an author you resonate with, or whose work you think yours resembles, has published a book of short stories, go to the book store and look at the copyright page. Often at least some of these stories have already been published in literary reviews, and sometimes these are reasonably accessible reviews, that is, not just The New Yorker or Esquire. Write down the names of the magazines and reviews where the stories were published. Look online or in Writer's Market for their addresses and submission procedures. When you send them your submission, mention in your query letter that you are influenced by the work of said author and that you were so pleased to see that the magazine published that author's work.

It doesn't hurt to drop names of writers you've studied with, either. Use the same kind of format with this that I recommend for query letters to agents (again, scroll down two posts).

If you are also thinking one step beyond and trying to get together a collection of short stories for publishing together, it helps if there is some kind of unifying theme or if they are linked in some way. Just a marketing reality to keep in mind.

And as with agents, take heart if it takes some time - or lots of time - to get your short stories published. These places are literally swamped with submissions, and you are competing not only with those manuscripts, but also with published authors whose agents and publicists are also working on getting their stuff into these venues. (How unfair! I know.)
None of this means, however, that this is an impossible task. It is not.

Hang in there.

Hmm, Borders Into Self-Publishing?

2004-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

It's all over some blogs and there's a mention on Publisher's Marketplace - Borders self-publishing services. Here's the quote from The International Herald Tribune article (IHT: New do-it-yourself chapter for authors):

Since September, the second-largest U.S. bookseller, Borders Group, has quietly been conducting an experiment in six Philadelphia-area stores, not as a retailer but as a publisher.

"It's easy to publish your own book!" the "Borders Personal Publishing" leaflets proclaim. Pay $4.99. Take home a kit. Send in your manuscript and $199. A month or so later, presto! Ten paperback copies of your novel, memoir or cookbook arrive.

Fork over $499, and you can get the upscale "Professional Publication" option. Your book will not only receive an International Standard Book Number, publishing's equivalent of club membership, but it will also be made available on Borders.com and the Philadelphia store will make space for five copies.

Struck me as something y'all might be interested in (for publishing is changing, and I believe that while it's not quite there yet, self-publishing will become a more integral part of the industry). But no one (including me) seems to be able to find any info on it on Borders sites. If you know any details, email me (link over at the right). I'll put any info I find out up here.

Coming tomorrow: another tip recap, this one on everything I know about getting individual short stories published.

Tip Recap: Everything I Know About Getting an Agent

2004-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked me in the last few days about how to get an agent, and although all this info is sprinkled among the archives of this blog, I thought it would be a good time to cut-and-paste and tweak and draw it all together. (When I get a chance I might put this on Geocities and put a link to it over on the right - I'm a little swamped just now.) Anyway, here is:

Everything I Know About Getting an Agent

Get the Lists of Agents to Send Your Work to, and Send It

Get the book the 2004 Writer's Market or 2004 Novel and
Short Story Writer's Market (editions for the next year are typically out
in August). These both have listings of literary agents. They are available on
Amazon, most bookstores (in the reference section), and www.writersdigest.com.

The best book I've found on what agents really do, what to expect
from them, how the agent/client relationship actually works, how to assess an
agent's quality, how to tell if they are reputable or scamsters, etc., is Literary
Agents: A Writer's Guide by Debbie Mayer. It's a little older than some of
the stuff out there, so you might need to get it used, which you can do on
Amazon (here's the direct link: Amazon.com:
Books: Literary Agents: A Writer's Guide) or A Libris (here's that link: Alibris - Used, New and
Hard-to-find Books, Music and Movies).The book also has some agent listings
in the back.

These books also talk about what the query letter should look
like, etc. One agency, Jabberwocky, states that they will look at absolutely
nothing but a query, but in actual practice no one else minds if you send a
sample of up to fifteen pages (but not more).

I did a mass mailing to all the agents I could. I did NOT mention
that I was sending simultaneous submissions. The odds of that coming back to
bite you are very, very low, and they each keep the proposals so long that
you'd never get anything done if you really waited for each one to get back to
you in turn. And if you TELL them it's simultaneous, they tend to give them
less consideration. So don’t tell anyone I said this, but I say "don’t ask,
don’t tell" should prevail re: mass mailings and simultaneous submissions.

Do not be discouraged if it takes a while or you get a lot of
rejections. (I had 92 rejections, mostly from agents, a couple from small
publishers, for my first book.)

Tricks

A good trick is to zero in on a few known writers whose work you
feel yours resembles. Go to the bookstore and look at the Acknowledgments
pages of their books. Often, writers will thank their agents here. Write
down what you find. You can usually find the addresses of these agents and
agencies online or in Writer's Market.

Because these agents have had success (that is, sales) with these writers, they
are more likely to take on similar writing to represent -- also, it's a sign
that they simply like that type of writing. And, when you write your query
letter to the agent in question, you can mention that your work is influenced
by, or similar to, that of the writer in question. Agents find this flattering.

Drop names. Not in a crass way, but mention in your query
letters the names of published writers you may have taken a class, workshop, or
seminar with, along with the names of their work. (Like this: I’ve studied with
John Famousauthor [Literary Novel] and Jane Prizewinner [Big Bestseller].) If
you have any friendships or good connections with published writers, mention that you
think you could get endorsements from them. (Like this: I believe John
Famousauthor would be happy to blurb my work.) Nothing terrible will happen if
that doesn’t work out. Keep it true, don’t lie, but if you have some names, use
them.

Beware

You should NOT pay a "reading fee" to any literary agent. Period. Reputable literary agents do not charge fees to read uthors' work. They read it and they either take it on or they don't. If they don't, just keep sending out.

Misc.

In general, just stay involved, network as best you can according to your nature, and try to keep visible. Stage readings, get involved at book fairs or other book events, introduce yourself politely to authors at events, see if they wouldn't mind you emailing them for advice. It all helps.

Check on Publishers Marketplace. Even getting the free newsletter helps, but if you spring for the $15 per month membership, you can see all the deals made, what agent sold what to who, which agents represent which authors, search a lot of contact info, and get a lot of useful information.

I have never been to a writer's conference, although some people recommend making contacts with agents that way. The books I mention above talk about that in more detail. (I will say that the one writer's conference all agents seem to attend is the one in Maui!)

GOOD LUCK!

Tip: In Actual Practice, Anyone You Send Work to Will Read Fifteen Pages

2004-02-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

You know how agents, publishing houses, and editors often tell you to send a query letter only? And then you're all worried, because even if you write a kick-ass query letter, how can they possibly evaluate your work or your writing on the basis of a one-to-two page letter? Well, an agent who was visiting a class I was in long ago told us all, "In actual practice, anyone will read fifteen pages," and I have found that to be true. There is one agency, Jabberwocky, that goes on and on in its listings about how it only wants a query letter, any queries with accompanying manuscripts will be thrown away unread, etc. Well, that's fine for them. Maybe you don't want to be working with them anyway! But for sending work to anyone else, don't sweat it. You can feel safe sending a query letter plus fifteen pages. It won't put anyone off. Of course, always send a SASE for their reply, and if you need the fifteen pages back, send adequate postage for that. If you don't (and most of us don't in this computer age), just tell them in the query letter that there is no need to return the sample. (But still toss in a SASE for their reply no matter what.)

As always, good luck!

I'm Writing as Fast as I Can . . .

2004-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

My little fingers are sore (really!). My agent is interested in seeing a partial manuscript for The Suspicious Room, which, as you all know, is basically less than one step removed from a rough draft, even if there are more than 50,000 words for it now. (Writing is typing. That's how you make novels grow. That's how I got that many words on the page.) But boy, does what I have need to be cleaned up and made presentable. And I told her I'd do it ten days! Can we all say, "overly optimistic"? But I was excited. So that's what I'm up to. Hope to have more news soon. Also I'm beginning to plan teaching gigs for this year - will post plans for that when final! How do you all like the idea of "Flash Fiction Boot Camp"? I think that could a fun class.

And We're Back

2004-02-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

I tried to Audblog from Connecticut, but I think I didn't "press 1 to post," hence no cheerful message appeared here. But it was fun - and cold! Mehran got the most questions of any of the directors in his group at the Director's View Film Festival, and there was an excellent turnout. Also we spent some time with our friends Philip Herter (a terrific writer, writes for both Mexican and U.S. publications) and his brilliant architect wife, Judy Choi, in Manhattan. Which was also cold. Philip and Mehran smoked cigars and made crepes. I played with Philip and Judy's adorable two-year-old, Emmanuelle. (They've heard all the jokes on that one already.) But little Emmanuelle had a cold, sniff, sniff, cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze, wipe, wipe, which I seem to have picked up. So, with sore throat, I am signing off.

Except not before I tell you that I have now finished The Subtle Knife, the second volume in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, and man is this guy a walking ad for using the imagination. This is one of those sets of books classified as young adult but terrific for everyone. Makes me want to read his inspiration, Paradise Lost.

And for Tomorrow . . .

2004-02-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

My favorite quote in the world.

"Hail Bishop Valentine, whose day this is;
All the air is thy diocese."

-- John Donne, on hearing that two of his friends had just been married on Valentine's Day

For Today, New Flash Fiction: Friday the 13th

2004-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Friday the 13th

Sebastian's friend Tigris the belly dancer was a pagan, which surprised him because he thought only lesbians were pagans.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Anyway, he had never met a pagan until he came to UC Berkeley from Rodeo. After Intro to Psych Tigris told him that Friday the 13th was actually a lucky day.

"Because there are thirteen lunar cycles in the year, and Friday is named after Frietag, the Germanic goddess of love," she said. "It was the Christians who spread all that stuff about Friday and 13 being unlucky."

"I thought it was because Christ died on a Friday," said Sebastian.

"Well, exactly," said Tigris, with a swish of her ankle-length skirt and a jingle-jangle of her jeweled bracelet. "Why are you trying to carry both those pumpkins?" They were for an experiment in Microbiology. Sebastian didn't want to go into it. "Here, I'll take one."

She walked him to class, jangling. "So it's your lucky day," she told him.

"Right," he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He liked her black hair.

She caught him looking, sighed, and handed him the pumpkin.

"Dude," she said, and he could feel her breath on his face, "It really is time to get lucky."

"Okay," he said blankly.

She sighed again and jingled away. He was in the middle of a pumpkin before he realized what she meant and ran out of class after her.

Dishy, Trashy Publishing World Gossip

2004-02-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't usually propagate gossip (oh, who am I kidding?), but this was just too juicy to pass up: Why Naughty Nannies Got Badly Spanked At Random House. It's about Random House's cancellation of the second book by The Nanny Diaries authors. It's almost unheard of for a publishing house to pass or cancel on a second book when a first one was as hugely successful as The Nanny Diaries. But it's interesting in that it's a snapshot of what's up with the publishing industry now - how some houses are trying to keep a limit on some of the selective giant advances and overblown expectations that have been part of getting it into the trouble it's in in the first place. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, although in the short term it may mean that authors should expect less money. And what's the moral of the story? Something along the line of "Someone who is nice to you but not nice to the waiter [or the editor, or the publicist, or the editorial assistant, or the agent's secretary] is not a nice person." I still believe that behaving professionally and courteously to everybody will serve you well in the end. In writing and publishing, as in most industries, everybody talks to everybody, and everybody finds out everything. (Hey, look what we all just found out.)

Going to Be in the NYC or Stamford, CT Area?

2004-02-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Then come on over to the screening of my husband's award-winning short, The Hundredth Monkey, at The Director's View Film Festival on this coming Sunday, Feb. 15! It's paired with three other shorts between 20 and 30 minutes long on a sort of general sci-fi Matrix-ey mind-exploration theme. The program starts at 7:45 at

Norwalk Community College
188 Richards Avenue
Norwalk, CT

We'll try to find a good bar afterward . . . any suggestions?

Tip: You Can Spend Money on Your Tools, It's Okay

2004-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Artists of all kinds think of spending money on the tools they need to practice their craft, and what's more, make it fun and pleasant and easier to practice their craft, as self-indulgence. It's the last thing on the budget list. But you know what? You can't make art without the right tools. So stop that now!

Of course some things, like a laptop for a writer or a new instrument for a musician, can be a major investment. But they should still be a priority. When you get yourself things like this, as well as the supporting tools that go with them (for writers, maybe a copy of Writer's Market, or the fee for class that you think might be helpful, or whatever) you are letting yourself know that you are "really" a writer, and I promise you that your work will respond in kind.

Even little things make a difference. You are allowed to surround yourself with a pleasant atmosphere when you write, whatever that might mean to you. Now, I'm not sure I support what's behind those writers who say things like, "When I write, I must have the shell I found on the beach with my aunt in 1963 before me. I need a cup of tea, peppermint, not chamomile, and white curtains. Baroque, not Renaissance, music must be playing at a volume not louder than . . ." I think that's often our subconscious getting us to procrastinate. Natalie Goldberg says it pays to be flexible and she's right.

But, sometimes a few objects make the difference between writing being fun and a chore. If you write longhand, get yourself some pens you like. You don't have to make a big deal out of it, just get them. If you really want to mocha instead of the tall drip (whoever thought the world would be full of people ordering "tall drips?") while you write at the cafe, hey, get one. If you want a fancy blank notebook with gold leather stamping, get one. (I personally have a new pink Macskin for my old reliable G3 that I just love. I will love it even more when I have put sequins on it - but that's me.)

The message is: get yourself what you need. Do not feel guilty.

Oh, and by the way, Glimmer Train's got a contest deadline coming up, Short Story for New Writers. I can't enter because it's for writer's whose work has not been published in anything with a circulation of over 5,000, but maybe you can. If you want!

Tip: To MFA or Not to MFA?

2004-02-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes. This is one that many new writers lose sleep over. MFAs can cost a lot of money and time. But do they really teach you anything? It depends on who you ask.

Here's my opinion: It really doesn't matter if you get an MFA or not. There are other factors that influence your success as a writer much more. Many very successful writers have MFAs. Many do not. It's a matter of figuring out what is personally right for you.

I am very happy to have my MFA, and I had a good experience getting it. I went to a low-residency program (becoming more and more popular now, these programs allow you to keep your job and your life and only be on campus limited times during the year) at Warren Wilson College. I went to the program because I wanted to make sure I had deadlines that forced me to write. I also met some wonderful fellow-writers who have been wonderfully supportive, and made some good contacts with successful fiction writers. Some people complain of heirarchy and cliques in MFA programs (i.e. who gets to sit at Tobias Wolff's table?) but there was little if any of that at Warren Wilson.

Some people talk about a particular kind of literary writing, what one friend of mine called the "fly-fishing-with-my-alcoholic-father story," being the only kind encouraged at MFA programs. I did not find that at Warren Wilson but have heard that complaint leveled at other programs. You might want to see what writers came out of various programs to see what you think.

Now then, would it make you stand out to an agent or editor to say in your query letter that you graduated from Iowa? Well, yes, it probably would. But if they don't think there is a market for your work, they won't take it on, no matter where you went, and if they do think there is a market for it, they will, no matter whether you have an MFA or not, or where you got it. There are many other things - publication in literary reviews, acquaintances with name authors who might blurb your work, to say nothing of the actual quality of your work, that will also make you stand out to a potential agent or editor. And there are ways to get these things without getting an MFA - networking, goint to readings, writer's groups, writer's conferences, to name just a few.

So, the bottom line is, what do you want? If you want deadlines, continual feedback, and a community of writers, and you have the time and money, you may want to investigate MFA programs and see if one is right for you. (Extension programs at universities, like UCLA and Berkeley, can offer similar advantages and be lighter on the wallet and time commitment.) If you have the discipline thing down and prefer to work in a more solitary way, maybe it's not for you. But I can honestly say that in my experience whether or not you have an MFA really makes very little difference to agents and editors. So you should do what feels right to you.

More Suspicious Room

2004-02-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

Well, now this is just shameful! I haven't blogged since Thursday. I've been rather frazzled. My work computer - the one for the publishing house I work for, a PC, of course - died Friday and it's been rather preoccupying fixing it. We have truly terrific IT folks but the hard drive was kaput, so there's restoration of data, etc., etc. But hey, a week without a little computer anxiety is like a . . . like a . . . vacation?

Anyway, below is another Suspicious Room audblog. This one is close to the end. What, oh what, has happened to Aunt Rose, potion maker extraordinaire?

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Tip: Finish Things

2004-01-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

Seems like a no-brainer, right? You would be amazed, astounded, at the number of new and emerging writers who do not finish what they start. Yet finishing your projects is what separates the pros from the hobbyists (not that there's anything wrong with being a hobbyist - it's just that I want this blog to be helpful to people whose dream is to get published). Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and The Wolves in the Walls, among many other books, talks about this in his blog, too, in his FAQ.

Many of us begin, say, a novel, or a screenplay, get a third through it, go back, tinker with the first part, read it over, tinker with it again, repeat. Then we get what seems to be a better idea and abandon the project altogether. Stop that! Slow and steady wins the race, guys. It's hard to keep momentum when the first flush of a creative idea is over and you're dealing with the day-to-day writing, a few pages a day, every day. I know. I really do know. But do it anyway. Push yourself through. If you know you have to write a chapter in which someone gets from New York to Paris, and you're uninspired, write it. Just write it. I don't care if it's crappy and unpoetic and has nothing but short, declarative sentences: "She got on the plane. She went to Paris." You can fix it later! Or skip ahead to another part and fill that one in later. Just finish the whole thing. Then you can start another one.

It is finished plays, novels, and screenplays that get consideration for beginners. Even if you are already published, unless you already have a very successful track record, or a big name, or an idea that's so clearly commercially viable houses are bidding all over the place for it, in fiction you still often have to finish the whole novel or story collection before a publishing house will buy it. In nonfiction that's less true, but you still typically have to finish your first project.

And beyond all this, there's amazing psychological benefit to finishing something. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, legitimacy, achievement, and confidence. You build a portfolio of work. When you don't finish your projects, they hang over your head, eating away at your self-esteem. When you finish them, if someone says, "I can't take this one on, but I love your style, do you have anything else?" you can say, "Why, yes. Yes, I do."

This is one of the reasons I teach flash fiction - because people can finish it fairly easily. Then you get all these psychological benefits, and can move on to longer things, if you wish.

But whatever you write, try to finish it! Your writing life will change for the better, I promise.

A Fantasy Trilogy in Haiku

2004-01-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

I was moving right along on my Flash Fiction Fantasy Trilogy in Three Paragraphs, in fact had done two and half of them, but suddenly wanted even more brevity, so I decided to try it in Haiku.

I. The Quest
Approaching manhood,
orphan is told by fairy
he must seek a sword.

II. The Sword
Villain with horns is
defeated, but wait, there is
yet more. A princess.

III. The King
Crushes usurper;
fights with, then marries princess.
Takes his rightful place.

Epilogue
Movie rights; X-box
games aplenty. We all await
the action figures.

Don't get me wrong - I love fantasy trilogies!

Bragging Rights: Husband Won a Film Fest Prize!

2004-01-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Can't help myself - my husband, filmmaker Mehran Saky, found out this morning that he won the Jury Award for Editing for his short, The Hundredth Monkey, at the Philadelphia Film Festival. Does this mean I'm married to an award-winning filmmaker? I think it does!

Back in Glendale now, more tips and new fiction to come! I'm going to try for a flash fiction fantasy trilogy . . .

Off to Northern California

2004-01-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

I'm off for a long weekend in Marin and Berkeley - will try to do an audblog or two from there. Write on!

More Suspicious Room

2004-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

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From Deep in Glendale

2004-01-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

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New Flash Fiction: "Forgetting Sagittarius"

2004-01-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Took a break from The Suspicious Room last night and popped this out instead. Based on a true story!

Forgetting Sagittarius

It was only an entry-level job at the major metro paper The Times, but Josephine was glad to have it. Seven years she had worked in Chico and Visalia to get up to this level. Her most important duty was checking the Entertainment Datebook and the daily crossword and horoscopes before they went to press at three in the morning.

She thought everything was there. She counted twelve entries. Twelve signs in the zodiac, right? She pressed the button to send it to composition. She didn’t know there was a special entry for If Today Is Your Birthday.

The calls started at 6 a.m. By the time Josephine got in at noon her boss had a list of people for her to call about the missing Sagittarius Horoscope for Today. Other papers were complaining, too. The Times syndicated its horoscopes in one hundred and eighteen cities.

"Get on it," said Josephine's boss, a wizened woman who smoked cigars. "Now. The first lady’s birthday is December 3 and she is hopping mad. Get on the phone and read Sagittarius to the White House press secretary. Now. Now. Now."

The sun had set, though, before the missing persons reports started to come in. Little by little, in every town and hamlet in America, people born between November 22 and December 21 weren't showing up at home, school, work. One by one, they were disappearing. Come to think of it, the First Lady hadn't been seen for hours.

Omaria, who wrote the horoscopes, sighed and said she had foreseen that something like this would happen today.

"What sign are you, dear?" she said to Josephine.

"Scorpio," answered Josephine. "November 21."

"Oh, no, dear!" said Omaria, looking concerned behind her beads and turban. "That's not Scorpio. That's on the cusp. You could go either way. In fact, dear, you seem more like a Sagittarius to me."

"Oh, no, I'm a Scorpio," Josephine opened her mouth to say, but before she finished half the sentence she found she couldn’t speak. Her tongue seemed to dissolve like chocolate in her mouth. She looked down but she couldn’t see her fingers. As Omaria calmly looked on, Josphine’s arms, then her legs, then the rest of her, slowly faded away, headed for whatever place the First Lady and the other Sagittarians had gone.

Tip: Do Not Be Scammed

2004-01-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

One of you intrepid readers mentioned via email a reluctance to give any money to anybody for anything to do with reading or publishing a writer's work, including contests. Well, this is a healthy instinct. There are many scammers out there preying on writers who just want to realize their dream of getting published. Now, there is a difference between a reputable contest charging a nominal fee to cover administrative costs and prize money, and a scammer. But be careful. Here are some rules of thumb:

1. Never pay an agent or publisher any money to read and/or publish your work. Ever. Reputable agents do not charge reading fees. Reputable publishers do not extract money from their authors. EVER. If you want to self-publish, more power to you, and you can do it at a fraction of the cost that "scam" publishers demand. (I'll post something about that someday soon.)

2. The running rate for contest entry fees is currently about $5 to $15 for a poem or short short story, $10 to $20 for a short story, $20 to $35 for a novel. If anyone wants any more than that, do not enter. (And you don't have to enter contests if you don't want to. They can be good for your resume but many very successful writers have never entered or won a contest.)

3. Prizes for contests should include publication in a reputable magazine or by a reputable publisher without any more investment on the writer's side. A new scam is for a "contest" a writer has entered to send a letter saying the writer's work "almost" made it, and if the writer coughs up, the work can be included in some other publication.

4. Contests, agents, and publishers in Poets and Writers and Writer's Market publications are usually safe. If you encounter any problems with them, tell Poets and Writers or Writer's Market immediately. They will want to know.

Poets and Writers has an excellent article on this at Poets & Writers, Inc. - Basic Info for Writers. Click "How Do I Avoid Scams?"

Here are two good sites where scammers are reported (these are taken from the Poets and Writers article): The Worst Poetry Contests of the on-line poetry contests and Writer Beware--Index Page.

Be careful out there. Remember, you are a good writer. You are worthy of professional, scam-free treatment.

Write on.

Comments Are Back

2004-01-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

Goodness, I was surprised that some folks objected via email to the comments function going away. I thought that with a few exceptions y'all weren't into them. Maybe more of you want to read them than write them? That's cool. Anyway, they're back at the bottom of each post, my apologies to those who didn't like them being gone, and please feel free to use them to talk back at me, give me feedback on the writing samples I put up here, ask for advice, or whatever else you would like to do. And if you want to contact me more privately, my email is over there in the links at the right. Blog on. Write on. Just on.

Steve Jobs, What Are You Thinking?

2004-01-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, a bit of a non sequitor, but as a Mac fan whose writing career has been supported and nurtured by Apple products (I'll never forget finishing my first writing contract on an old, dependable Apple II because my brand-new fancy shmancy Sony Vaio had died - I'll never buy PC again) I just have to ask Steve Jobs, what's up with the lame mini Ipod announcement at Macworld yesterday? Four gig for $249? Why would I buy that when for $299 I can get a normal Ipod with fifteen gigs of storage? Even if mini Ipods are littler (but not that much littler) and come in pink. Silly, silly Steve. Knock a hundred bucks off the price, just for starters. Then maybe we'll buy some of them.

Thanks, I feel better now.

My Hair: A Prose Poem

2004-01-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Fun little prose poem I did warming up this morning. Interpretive reading on audblog directly below.

My Hair

When my hair was brown, I kissed Tommy on the white rocks by the lake. It was my first beer.

When my hair was blond because I wanted him to love me, I kissed Mark on the pavement outside the University Theater, and later in his room.

When my hair was short and black and gold like a leopard’s pelt because I was getting over Mark, I kissed Angelo in the garden in Mexico.

That was fun.

Now my hair is brown again with tasteful highlights, and I kiss my husband.

When my hair is silver, I will kiss whoever I have a mind to, and no one will tell me any different.

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Oh, What the Heck, Write for More Than Two Hours If You Want

2004-01-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me I should not have said flat-out (in the New Year's Resolutions post) that you shouldn't try for more than two hours of writing at a stretch or you would burn out. It's just that often new writers get very over-ambitious, and set up unrealistic writing schedules that leave them discouraged. I have since been reminded that some people - not many, but some - can in fact write all day if they've a mind to. So you be the judge. It it really doesn't exhaust you, or if the only time you have to write regularly is nine to noon Sunday, or whatever, go ahead and write for a long time. Just stay realistic with what YOU can do. And remember, even fifteen minutes five times a week, or three hours once a week, is a whole, whole lot better than no writing at all.

Keep it up!

Tip: One Page at a Time

2004-01-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

See, I was way too tired to write last night after I'd promised myself I would. So I stared at some TechTV reruns for a while. And then I said, "One page. You can do one page." And I did. And I felt much better.

Even when you think you're too tired or don't have enough time or are drained or whatever, write one page. Three paragraphs. You can do it. Really. And you will feel so much better. Remember, writing is fun. Writing is a birthday party. That's why you do it. It's not some Calvinist duty, you like it!

In fact, go write a page right now.

One hundred ninety-nine more of those and you've got a book. It's that simple.

More Suspicious Room

2004-01-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

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A Couple of Deadlines Coming Up - Why Not Submit?

2004-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry the resolutions below weren't up until January 2, but I was felled by a nasty cold. Still am, in fact. Shortly going downstairs for a cup of tea by the fire.

Meanwhile, remember that the deadlines for Glimmer Train's Very Short Fiction Award and Fiction Open are coming up: January 11 for the Fiction Open, January 31 for the Very Short Fiction Award. What the heck, make this part of your New Year's resolutions! Go to their site, Glimmer Train, click on Online Submissions and set up your account (very easy) and follow the instructions to submit. You pay your contest fee with a credit card. Easy as pie. You must have something kicking around to submit, or something you could pull together. Five minutes from now, you can have entered a fiction contest. You never know, sometimes the stuff you just send out there without sweating over it too much is your best work, and gets you the most attention. Go for it.