Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 104

One Stop for Writers Turns 3: Grab Your 50% Membership Code!

Has it really been 3 years since One Stop for Writers first opened its doors? Yes!

Coming from the land of books, it was a big leap for us to enter the world of custom tools & resource design with Lee Powell of Scrivener. But together we’ve helped thousands of writers dig deeper into their characters and stories and watched as many have gone on to produce some of their very best work to date. Not only is this unbelievably rewarding, it confirms we made the right decision three years ago.

Each year One Stop for Writers has grown as we add more of our unique description databases and new, powerful tools to make storytelling easier. Our goal is twofold: build stronger writers & provide the resources they need so they spend less time staring at the screen and more time actually writing.

[image error]Many of you have tried One Stop for Writers, and some of you have been with us since the very beginning. We’re so honored! To say thank you, we have a 50% off coupon code that can be applied to any plan, new or existing. Act fast, though–this code expires on October 12th!

How new users activate this code:

Register at One Stop for Writers
Click on the link that comes in your confirmation email. Then sign in and go to the My Subscription page.
Enter the code THREEYEARS in the box provided and follow the instructions to activate it.
Attach a credit card to your account and then choose your plan. A 50% discount will show up on your first invoice. (Regular prices apply after.) If you have any questions, just reach out!

Something BIG Is Coming…

One of our largest developments to date is nearing the finish line: a Character Building Tool (CBT) that will revolutionize how writers can build their story’s cast. Whether you are a pantser or a plotter, we think you’ll like what we’ve created and if you’d like insider details on what this tool will look like and when we’ll request beta users, just sign up to the One Stop for Writers newsletter. I’ll be putting out an update about the CBT in a day or two and you’ll get the first look at what’s coming!

Thank you all so much for supporting the work that Becca, Lee, Abhishek, and I are doing. If there’s ever anything we can do to improve your One Stop for Writers experience, let us know. Happy writing, all!

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On The Quest for Knowledge, Writers Must Show Courage

[image error]When we step onto the writing path, we know there will be a lot to learn. We see the mountain ahead and sure, it’s intimidating. But hey, we’re head over heels for story, in love with the author’s dream, and we want that future to be ours. So we adjust our pack, yank out some beef jerky to gnaw on, and start the climb.

What we don’t realize until we’re in the thick of it is that there is no end to our education. In fact when we crest the mountain, instead of being handed a certificate, trophy, or even a celebratory cheesecake from someone shouting, “You did it! You’re finally good enough!” we see another mountain waiting. And another after that. A range of them, actually.

At this point, one of three things tends to happen…

Some writers quit, deciding what’s ahead is too daunting and will take too much. They move on to other things, forgoing this dream.

Others choose to stay at that first summit. Their writing plateaus. The knowledge they have acquired might be enough to achieve their individual publishing goals depending on what those are. Or it may not.

The third group (after a mental tug-of-war that may include chocolate bingeing, ugly crying, alcohol, and various other grief stage coping mechanisms) decide to keep going.

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Sure, they see the way ahead won’t be easy but they’ve realized something: a big part of the joy of writing is the learning itself.

They look back and remember who they were at the start of the journey and who they are now. They see how the layers of hard-won knowledge have stretched them, challenged their ideas of what is possible, and pushed them to be the very best version of themselves.

[image error]Do you remember your first summit? I do.

I felt proud of what I’d learned. Terrified at the mountain range ahead as I knew enough to grasp just how much I didn’t yet know. And, as is true for so many of us, doubt was there, too–doubt that I could ever learn enough about writing craft to succeed.

But I wanted that knowledge. I craved it. So screw doubt. I decided to focus on the journey, not the goal, and become a Learner of Craft. (Many of you have done this same thing, adopting the Learner’s mindset, and that’s why you’re here, reading this post!)

One of the best parts of opening myself to learning are the writing epiphanies that come along: those missing cogs of knowledge that slide into place and it…all…suddenly…CLICKS. My eyes go wide and bright because holy batman, that one small lesson just transformed how I see story!

Many of these moments can be credited back to specific sources so I thought I’d share a few in hopes that you might find new helpful resources as well.

[image error] [image error]1) This book and this video series. Thank you universe for helping me find Michael Hauge, because through him I began to grasp inner conflict, character arc, and most importantly, realize the influence an emotional wound has on the human psyche and how we can use it in fiction. (If it weren’t for Michael sparking our interest in this whole area of story, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus might never have been written.)

[image error]2) Katie Weiland. She has incredible insight into writing craft, has an amazing site, writes great books and is one of the best human beings I know.  There are too many aha moments to count here, so just trust me and go find her online to fill your knowledge well.

[image error]3) When story structure baffled me, I found Save The Cat. Between that and Screenplays that Sell, my knowledge took another big leap forward.

Hurray for Beat Sheets!

[image error]4) I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention several other books that helped me very early on: Description (Monica Wood), Self-Editing For Fiction Writers (Renni Brown & Dave King), and Writing the Breakout Novel (Don Maass).

[image error](Through our work on the blog and our books, Becca and I have a gained a bit of a reputation for being experts in description, particularly “show and tell.” So, how ironic is it that what drew me to wanting to understand them at depth was the fact that I was terrible at both? Thank goodness for Description as it started the ball rolling.)

[image error]The Breakout Novel book taught me about tension (hmm, kind of important–who knew?) and Self-Editing gave me the basics of editing when I really disliked that end of things, showing me the beauty behind the process of working something until its true essence could shine through.

[image error]5) The Critique Circle. This online critique site endured some of my early work (sorry, CC members) and I learned valuable lessons on giving feedback with diplomacy, accepting feedback with grace, and divorcing emotion from the process so I could take what was given and improve. Great site–go visit. It’s free to join, and guess what? That’s where Becca and I met!

For me, this love of learning turned into a love of teaching.

I travel the world to teach and absolutely love writing our signature Thesaurus books and helping writers in that way. A few years ago Becca and I embarked on another journey with Lee Powell of Scrivener, creating a new site, One Stop for Writers. We are doing such innovative things there and are getting close to launching a tool that will transform how writers build characters. I can’t wait.

[image error]Resources To Check Out

Becca and I also try to give back as much as we can so we urge you to check out these free resources to broaden your knowledge. First, the Writers Helping Writers Tools Page. There’s a mother-lode of downloadables here that will help you in many areas of writing craft and beyond. Second, visit this massive page of Tip Sheets and Checklists at One Stop for Writers. You don’t have to be a member to get these so head over, save them to your computer, and share them with others on social media if you like. And guess what? If you do want to check out One Stop for Writers, there’s a free 1-month code at the bottom of that page so you can give the site a test drive on us.

[image error]Finally, we know about a few other great free offers right now. Gabriela Pereira of DIY MFA (great site–go visit) has a free video series AND is offering a free master class TODAY. If you sign up there will be a recording, so even if you can’t attend in person, the recording can be accessed later for a limited time.

Gabriela was one of our writing coaches here at WHW and is a good friend. And so you know, the two links above are affiliate links, meaning that should you decide down the road to take any courses through DIY MFA, you are also helping Becca and I keep our lights on (so thank you if that is the case). We are careful who we partner with because we only want to bring you top quality education, which is why we are working with Gabriela–she’s amazing.

If you want to see Gabriela in action, check out her TEDx Talk or listen to her DIY MFA Radio Show. (Here’s the episode where Becca, Gabriela, and I nerd out about writing.)

Now I want to turn this over to you. What people, books, or websites helped your writing skills leap forward? Let me know in the comments!

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Capturing Complex Emotion: A Writer’s Superpower

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Our brain is driven by emotion. We may like to think we’re rational beings, applying the rules of logic calmly and sensibly to those little and not-so-little decisions, but our every thought, our whole perspective is colored by emotion. What this means is, that as a writer, you need to convey not just what happens (the action) in your story, but also how this affects your protagonist and how they feel about the events (the reaction). Why? Because that is what your reader is going to connect with. Without emotion, it will be neutral, boring…put down and the remote picked up.

Which seems straightforward…. except emotions aren’t that simple. During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Ekman suggested there are six basic emotions that are universally experienced in all human cultures: happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger. And in some ways he was right. These six emotions are actually recognized across the globe, across a multitude of cultures, and are even expressed by babies who are blind.

But… (there’s always a but), so many emotions are far more complex and heterogeneous to be fitted neatly into six (or even sixty) categories. Where does humility rest? Where do you slot nostalgia? And what about dolce far niente, the pleasure of doing nothing; or the feeling of ilinx, the excitement of wanton destruction (like throwing a pile of loose papers out the window or deliberately smashing a delicate china cup), or even pronoia, the strange creeping feeling that everyone is out to help you? Emotions can be intense feelings directed at someone or something, they can be a state that is mild (such as annoyed or content), or they can be not directed at anything in particular (as in anxiety or depression). Just as primary colors combine to create rainbows and kaleidoscopes, primary emotions blend to form the full spectrum of emotional experience.

To start with, each separate emotion appears in a variety of forms with great differences between them. There are many types of love or anger or hope. Then there’s emotion’s great sensitivity to personal and contextual circumstances. How a person attributes or understands a certain context will influence what emotion is elicited. Fifty dollars won through good luck could elicit surprise; fifty dollars earned by hard work may elicit pride; and fifty dollars received from a friend when experiencing cheesecake-withdrawal is likely to beget gratitude.

Great writers, the writer we all want to be, understand this complexity and capture it.

How?

They realize the goldmine of emotions is in the detail.

[image error]Parents are adept in capturing this. If a mother or father had to describe how Alex feels when told they are moving interstate; they’ll notice the long blink, the shifting of weight, the glance at the teddy sitting on the chair on the other side of the room. What’s more, they can tell you what each of those details mean. They notice the subtleties and nuances of their children because they are invested in noticing. They care. And they pay attention.

And we can use that framework too. No two hugs are the same. No drive to work is identical to the last. No handshake can be replicated exactly. Details are interesting, intriguing, and loaded with emotion. They take the big stuff like fear or love, and tease them out into their levels and layers, where they contrast and where they combine, how they heal and how they hurt.

Consider the manuscript you’re writing right now and ask yourself any of the following:

How do you differentiate between the shades of emotion your character is feeling? If they’re scared, how do you convey the depth, the magnitude, the subtleties of that experience?
How does your character’s unique perspective create their particular flavor of emotion? How is it different to how you experience it?
What are three novel features of the current situation that your character may be experiencing? What is unfamiliar even if what they are doing is familiar? Notice with open-minded interest and incorporate that into your description.
And lastly, consider a major turning point in your story. It could be the call to action or the dark night of the soul, or anywhere in between. Brainstorm a list of emotions that scenario could raise in your protagonist. List two or three emotions. Then list a few more. Try to come up with several. Now spend a little time considering their impact and sensations and then crafting them into the scene.

[image error] What are your thoughts? How do you capture emotion’s complexity? How do authors you admire achieve it?

And, PSSSST, readers! Tamar has a new book releasing soon that everyone might want to check out. Hook Your Readers will release on October 13th, and you can read about (and preorder!) it HERE.

[image error]Tamar Sloan is a freelance editor, consultant and the author of PsychWriter – a fun, informative hub of information on character development, the science of story and how to engage readers.

Tamar is also an award-winning author of young adult romance, creating stories about finding life and love beyond our comfort zones. You can checkout Tamar’s books on her author website.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

 

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Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Babysitter

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

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Occupation: Babysitter

Overview: A babysitter will watch over children while their parents are away from the home, ensuring the children are safe, cared for, and that they follow the rules of the household. Children may be awake or asleep during the time the babysitter is in the home, which will dictate what sort of activities a sitter will engage in. Typically a sitter will play with the kids while they are awake (playing games, watching movies, taking the kids to a local park, etc.) as well as prepare easy meals, read stories, and get the children ready for bedtime. Occasionally they may be asked to perform a few menial chores (washing the dinner dishes or straightening up a playroom after the children go to bed). Babysitting is typically done by responsible teenagers or those of college age to supplement other income such as an allowance or a part time job.

Necessary Training: This type of work can be done without any training or certification, although there are programs available that teach youth their responsibilities when babysitting and to guide them in a series of possible situations to help them problem-solve and know what to do in emergencies. Many parents insist their sitter does have a babysitting course under their belt and be a specific minimum age to mind their children. Most provinces or states will also have a legal age for babysitting (or at least provide guidelines for when a child can be left without parental supervision, which may also have a limitation on the span of evening hours alone). Typically parents will interview a potential babysitter and get a feel for who they are, their experience, their attitude toward kids, and whether they have completed a babysitting course or have any first aid training before hiring. Depending on location and availability, some parents may struggle to find a sitter and so may need to offer greater financial incentives to obtain someone to watch over their kids, or they may engage a retired neighbor into child-minding.

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: basic first aid, charm, empathy, enhanced hearing, enhanced sense of smell, gaining the trust of others, haggling, making people laugh, reading people, swift-footedness, throwing one’s voice

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Adaptable, adventurous, affectionate, alert, calm, charming, confident, creative, diplomatic, easygoing, friendly, imaginative, independent, mature, nurturing, obedient, observant, persuasive, playful, responsible, spontaneous, spunky, tolerant, whimsical, wise

NEGATIVE: controlling, know-it-all, paranoid

Sources of Friction: kids who don’t respect the babysitter’s rules or authority, kids with parents who are lax with discipline and so act spoiled, demanding and entitled, discovering something disturbing (such as signs of abuse, illegal activities, or drug use within the home), learning a family secret through something a child says, house guests who show up unannounced, trying to reach a parent in an emergency but being unable to, one of the children growing violent, kids sneaking out or trying to run away, kids trying to do something dangerous such as starting a fire with matches or playing with a kitchen knife, parents who don’t come home when they say they will (disrupting the babysitter’s schedule), parents who underpay, the babysitter’s friends who show up unannounced and expect to hang out (without securing a parent’s okay first), parents who demand a list of chores are completed upon return, parents who have grounded the kids from certain activities that will make the time pass easier (No TV, no computer time, not allowed to play outside in the yard, etc.), an emergency (an injury, a power outage, a lost child, a break-in, etc.)

People They Might Interact With: parents, older siblings of the kids one is babysitting, neighbors, police

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Esteem and Recognition: a character who is in a different financial situation than those one is babysitting may struggle with feelings of inferiority or shame when comparing what one’s family has to what another family’s has, especially if the babysitter is close in age to one of the children in the house)
Love and Belonging: A character who lacks strong family connections (perhaps a turbulent home life) may struggle being around a family that contains tight, loving bonds, as being exposed to a nurturing close family only increases the contrast to what is missing in one’s own family
Safety and Security: If the family the character is babysitting for lives in an area where the home may be targeted (either because it is in a high crime neighborhood or the wealth of the neighborhood attracts a criminal element) they may be in danger if someone attempts a break-in or home invasion

Common Work-Related Settings: backyard, basement, child’s bedroom, kitchen, living room, nursery, patio deck, playground, run-down apartment, teenager’s bedroom

Twisting the Fictional Stereotype: In fiction and film, babysitters are often female, but this is a job either sex might be drawn to in order to make some extra income, so if you have a male character needing a bit of extra funds, consider this job for something fresh.

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

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Can Writers Get an MFA Experience Without the Expense of College?

[image error]In many ways, writers are lucky. Our community has many knowledgeable people to help us learn and grow so we can turn our writing into a sustainable career. One of the most generous and innovative people Becca and I know is Gabriela Pereira: an author, TEDx Speaker, past Resident Writing Coach here at Writers Helping Writers, and the creator of DIYMFA.

I asked Gabriela to swing by today and explain the DIYMFA concept because it truly is a great alternative to a MFA degree if college is out of reach right now due to the high cost and time commitment. So if you’ve been looking for a powerful path forward, please read on.

I remember the exact moment when DIY MFA started. I was sitting in graduation (for my traditional MFA, no less) when I had a crazy idea: What if you could DIY your MFA?

[image error]Like most writers who have “crazy ideas,” I needed to run home and write about it, immediately. At the time I had a small personal blog with a total of twelve followers (one of whom was my mother) so when I decided to write a blog post that crazy idea I’d had at graduation, I expected the post would simply evaporate into the ether, never to be heard from again.

But it didn’t.

When I woke up the next morning, I found dozens of comments on my blog and emails flooding my inbox. Apparently, my crazy idea had hit a nerve.

When I first dreamed up DIY MFA, my goal was to give writers a framework so they could recreate the traditional MFA experience without going back to school. It turns out that it’s fairly easy to DIY your MFA, if you follow a few simple steps.

1. Improve your process, not just your writing.

Most MFA programs focus on the workshop model: you write something, get feedback from peers and a teacher, then fix it. The problem is this approach assumes you are already good at getting words on the page. But what if the first draft—the raw material—is the problem? Aside from giving you a deadline, workshops don’t do much to help write those words in the first place.

This is where iteration is so important. Instead of just improving your craft why not work on improving your process as well? Just as tech startups beta-test a piece of software and adjust it as they get feedback from users, so too can you hone and improve your writing process.

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Treat each writing session as a mini-experiment. Track of how long you wrote, and how many words you produced and also note other environmental variables, such as where you were and what time of day. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns and you’ll see when and where you do your best writing. This way you can work on both the quality of what you write, and the quality of your writing process.

2. Read in a way that serves your writing.

Most writers are readers first, but how do you read without taking time away from your writing? This is where the DIY MFA approach to reading comes into play. When you read with purpose, you’re doing double-duty because you’re still reading but you’re doing it in a way that fuels your writing.

This begins with choosing the right books.

There are four main categories of books that support your writing. I call these the Four C’s and they are: competitive books (i.e. comps), contextual books, contemporary books, and the classics.

Competitive books are ones that most directly “compete” with your current project. You want to be aware of these comps as you write your book, and they’ll also come in handy when you pitch to agents or build your platform later on. Contextual books include anything that informs or lends context to your work-in-progress. This includes books you read for research, as well as books with similar themes to your own.

Contemporary books help you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s current in your genre or niche and classics give you a window into which books have staying power. Keep in mind that “classic” doesn’t necessarily mean old, and you can view a relatively recent book as a classic if it sheds a new light on that genre or niche.

[image error]3. Build a circle of trust.

Writing is a lonely business. We often spend more times talking to imaginary characters in our heads than we do interacting with real people. Yet if we’re going to survive and thrive as writers, we need to assemble what I like to call a “Circle of Trust.” This is a support network of real humans who help us grow as writers. Websites like Writers Helping Writers are a great place to find potential members for your circle of trust.

As you create your support network, make sure you have at least one person who fulfills each of the following four categories. These essential categories are: critique, accountability, support, and advice. While some people will overlap with more than one category, it is rare to find one person who will fulfill all four.

[image error]The beauty of a writer’s education is that it’s a lifelong journey. I interview writers on the DIY MFA podcast are well-established mega-bestsellers and they still strive to improve their craft and challenge themselves. As writers, there is always room for us to learn and grow.

This is why I’ve created this (free!) video series to help writers like you put the DIY MFA framework into action.
Now I’d like to know:
Which of these techniques are you excited to put into action first? Let me know in the comments!

The post Can Writers Get an MFA Experience Without the Expense of College? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Meet Our Newest Resident Writing Coaches!

[image error]We’re heading into our third year of the Resident Writing Coach program, can you believe it? Writers Helping Writers is honored to host some of the best teachers of writing craft out there, bringing you a variety of voices and insight from all over the world.

This year we have a few new coaches joining us, but first we would like to say a giant thank you to Sara Letourneau, Gabriela Pereira, and Jennie Nash for all the generous knowledge they have passed on this last year. We wish you well!

It’s always exciting to reveal our line up of coaches each year. First let me share what new experts will be joining us this year:

[image error]Victoria Mixon has been a professional writer and editor for over thirty years. She is the author of the Art & Craft of Writing series, including Art & Craft of Writing Fiction: First Writer’s Manual and Art & Craft of Writing Stories: Second Writer’s Manual. She is listed in the Who’s Who of America and has taught fiction for Writer’s Digest and the San Francisco Writers Conference.

Through her free ebook, Art & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers, you can join her email list and get your free copy of Art & Craft of Writing: Favorite Advice for Writers. She works as an independent editor through her blog and can be found on Twitter at @VictoriaMixon.

[image error]Meg LaTorre is a writer, AuthorTuber/BookTuber, developmental book editor, and former literary agent with a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism. On Meg’s YouTube channel, iWriterly, she geeks out on all things books—from the concept to the bookshelves (and everything in between). Meg also launched Query Hack, a query critique platform where writers can submit their manuscript queries or Twitter pitches for free feedback.

She has written for publications such as Writer’s Digest and SavvyAuthors on topics related to writing and publishing and can be found teaching online classes throughout the year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running after her toddler, competitive sports, and sleeping. To learn more about Meg, visit her website, follow her on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, sign up for her monthly newsletter, and subscribe to iWriterly.

[image error]Chris Winkle is the founder and editor-in-chief of Mythcreants, an online magazine dedicated to fantasy and science fiction storytelling. Mythcreants exists to give speculative fiction writers advice that inspires them, to be a safe space for critical discussions of popular media, and to break down stories to see how they tick. Between writing almost weekly blog posts, being a host on the podcast, giving out free advice, and editing fiction and non-fiction, Chris is very busy!

When Chris manages to escape from chronic workaholism, she likes to drink tea, wear fun hats, pet kitties, and crush her enemies at the game table.

So, are you excited? I’m excited! These three brilliant ladies will fit right in with our returning writing masterminds:

[image error]Lisa Cron is the author of Wired for Story and Story Genius. Her video tutorial Writing Fundamentals: The Craft of Story can be found at Lynda.com, and her TEDx talk, Wired for Story, opened Furman University’s 2014 TEDx conference, Stories: The Common Thread of Our Humanity.

Lisa has worked in publishing at W.W. Norton, as an agent at the Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency, as a producer on shows for Showtime and Court TV, and as a story consultant for Warner Brothers and the William Morris Agency. Since 2006, she’s been an instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, and she is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts MFA program in Visual Narrative in New York City.

In her work as a private story coach, Lisa helps writers of all ilk wrangle the story they’re telling onto the page. For a library of her free myth-busting writing tips, and information on how to work with her one-on-one, you can find her at: wiredforstory.com. Find out more about Lisa here.

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Sacha Black is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, 13 Steps To Evil – How To Craft A Superbad Villain. Her blog for writers, www.sachablack.co.uk, is home to regular writing, marketing and publishing advice sprinkled with dark humour and the occasional bad word. In addition to craft books, she writes YA fantasy, and her first series, Keepers, is due out in November 2017.

Sacha is also the founder of the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, a yearly international event for bloggers, writers and authors. Find out more about Sacha here.

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Tamar Sloan really struggled writing this bio because she hasn’t decided whether she’s primarily a psychologist who loves writing, or a writer with a lifelong fascination of human behaviour. Somehow she got lucky enough to do both.

Tamar is a freelance editor, consultant and the author of PsychWriter – a fun, informative hub of information on character development, the science of story and how to engage readers. Tamar is also an award-winning author of young adult romance, creating stories about finding life and love beyond our comfort zones. You can checkout Tamar’s books on her author website and find out more about her here.

[image error]James Scott Bell is a winner of the International Thriller Writers Award and author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure. Among his numerous thrillers are Romeo’s Rules, Romeo’s Way, Romeo’s Hammer, Try Dying, and Don’t Leave Me. In addition to his traditional novels, Jim has self-published in a variety of genres. He served as the fiction columnist for Writer’s Digest magazine and has written highly popular craft books including: Just Write, Write Your Novel From the Middle, Super Structure, The Art of War for Writers and Conflict & Suspense.

Read more about Jim here and Follow Jim on twitter: @jamesscottbell.

[image error]Jami Gold, after muttering writing advice in tongues, decided to become a writer and put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fueled by chocolate, she shares writing tools, presents workshops, and offers insights on her blog about the craft, business, and life of writing. Jami is the winner of the 2015 National Readers’ Choice Award in Paranormal Romance for the novel Ironclad Devotion in her Mythos Legacy series.

Read more about Jami here.

[image error]September C. Fawkes can scare people with her enthusiasm for writing and reading. She works as an assistant to a New York Times bestselling author and writing instructor, a job that includes editing manuscripts of both published and unpublished writers. She has published poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction articles, and her writing tips have appeared in classrooms, conferences, and on Grammar Girl. She holds an English degree, has served as the managing editor of The Southern Quill literary journal, and had the pleasure of writing her thesis on the worldwide appeal of Harry Potter.

Read more about September here.

We are looking forward to another incredible year of Resident Writing Coach posts. Is there a topic you’d like to see covered? Just leave us a comment below!

Happy writing,

Angela & Becca

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Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Pilot

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

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Occupation: Pilot

Overview: There are many kinds of pilots, but only a few can be paid for their services—meaning your character would need to be an airline pilot, a commercial pilot, or a pilot in the military. As the name suggests, airline pilots fly commercial airliners. Commercial pilots may work for a private company or own their own business transporting passengers and cargo, running rescue missions, or doing aerial photography. Military pilots obviously fly within the military; they may be career pilots or could be fulfilling a tour of duty as a means of gaining flight training and experience. Pilots in the military often have no trouble  transitioning to a civilian pilot’s career once their time is up.

Airline pilots don’t tend to have the typical 9-to-5 work schedule; instead they work a series of days followed by a number of days off. A commercial pilot’s workweek may be more regulated, depending on what they’re doing. The former must be 23 years old while the latter can begin working earlier, at 18.

Necessary Training: Pilots will need a certification that consists of a combination of ground school (any training done on the ground) and flight training. Training can take place at a flight school, through a collegiate program, or with a private instructor. A medical certificate is also required (first class for aviation pilots, second class for commercial pilots).

Beyond certification, most commercial jobs require that a pilot have a certain number of flight hours under their belt. Many times, their flight training doesn’t provide the required hours; in this case, pilots will need to gain flying experience before applying with their desired company.

Military training is obviously a different animal, with varying requirements depending on the country and branch of service involved.

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: Exceptional memory, mechanically inclined, multitasking, predicting the weather

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Adaptable, adventurous, alert, confident, cooperative, decisive, disciplined, focused,meticulous, responsible, studious

NEGATIVE: Perfectionist

Sources of Friction: working with a difficult or lazy co-pilot, flying a plane with mechanical difficulties, flying in difficult weather, having to conduct an emergency landing, romantic entanglements with members of the flight crew, failing a drug test, a terrorist or hijacking situation, missing an important event (a child’s birthday party, a vital marital counseling session) due to a delayed flight, having to take less-desired flights due to other pilots having seniority, being stationed in a place where one doesn’t want to live, medical issues that threaten one’s career as a pilot, difficulties at home that make it difficult to be gone for long stretches (a serious medical diagnosis, a spouse’s promotion that require them to travel too, etc.)

People They Might Interact With: co-pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, airport personnel, union officials, passengers, hotel personnel

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Self-Actualization: A pilot who is unable to obtain his desired certification may be stuck doing jobs that are unsatisfying. This could also happen if the pilot’s personal circumstances required him to take a job with more flexibility and traditional hours.
Love and Belonging: This need could be impacted if the pilot’s work hours and time away from home become a problem.
Safety and Security: Despite the best training and experience, flying is still a dangerous endeavor. If a pilot encounters a life-threatening situation, it may haunt them, hindering their flying attempts in the future.

Common Work-Related Settings: Airplane, airport, hotel room, military base, military helicopter

Twisting the Fictional Stereotype:

Gender-wise, pilots are largely male, so making yours female can provide a seldom-seen twist.
Pilots are typically portrayed as either highly adventurous adrenaline junkies or straight-laced, by-the-book types. When you’re building your pilot’s personality, consider uncommon traits that aren’t usually associated with this career, such as flirtatious, sentimental, philosophical, sleazy, verbose, or morbid.

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

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Five Ways to Prepare for an Encore Career as a Writer

[image error]It’s a daunting proposition…nearing retirement and trying to make the call if we’re ready to jump into a new career as a writer, especially knowing the tremendous work ahead to become a powerful storyteller. And yet, many courageous people do just this.

Author Barbara Stark-Nemon is one of them and has some great advice on how to make the transition. Read on!

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I already thought I was the luckiest person in the working world.  I had a thirty-year career as a teacher and speech and language therapist, and believed I’d made a real contribution to the students I worked with.  The gratitude I feel for being able to write those sentences now extends to my second career as a writer and author which has brought immense satisfaction and creative energy into my life.  For those of you wishing or preparing to make a transition to an encore career writing, I can offer five strategies that I believe helped me make that change successfully.

1. Plan Ahead. Four years before I wanted to switch to writing full time, I prepared by researching and making adjustments in these areas. Look at your…

Retirement: Maximize contributions to any retirement program. This might include increasing work hours, changing deductions, increasing contributions to a 401k, or buying other types of retirement credits or investments dedicated to future income.
Family Finances: Know what you will need to contribute, both in salary and benefits, after the switch to a primary career as a writer.
Future Work Opportunities: If full retirement is not possible, explore whether reduced or flexible work hours, or a job that would be more writing related are options.

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2. Create a Transition. I knew I couldn’t work full time, participate in my family life and summon the focus to write a novel—lots of people can do this, but I couldn’t! I did work toward my writing career while still teaching full time. These are transitional activities to consider:

Research/Reading: My first novel was European WWII historical fiction, so I read every historical novel I could find in that genre. Other essential research activities include travel to important settings, searching in archives for letters and relevant documents, interviewing people and gathering factual information.
Improve craft: I attended a week-long writing conference as a retirement gift to myself. It was the best way to launch writing my first book. Here are two lists  of top-rated writer’s conferences in North America if you’d like to find one yourself: ONE & TWO
A transitional work opportunity: It can be hard to move from one career to another abruptly. I was fortunate to teach a small English class two days a week in the school year following my retirement. I was writing, and my students were writing.  I began to feel more like a writer. What writing-related options might be available to you as you move toward writing full time?

3. Find others who share your interest. The change of identity that goes with career change can be unsettling, and joining others in moving toward a new “brand” is a positive way to cope. I joined a critique group, which has been critical to my developing sense of myself as a writer and editor, and has certainly made my books better.  I also got involved in She Writes, an online writing community where other writers share their experiences, and expertise. This cooperative, collaborative community has continued to provide invaluable support and helpful resources for all the myriad tasks and skills that are required to publish a book.

There are many other such sites including those suggested at The Write Life’s list of 100 best websites for writers.

 4. Keep your expectations reasonable. It takes time to learn new skills, time to adjust from a former schedule, and most importantly, time to figure out who you want to be in your new role as a writer. Do you have one book in you or five? Will you add teaching or editing to your work writing your own books? I retired thinking it would take at most a year to write my first book.  It took four.  I focused on writing the best manuscript I could.  I taught myself about book editing, worked over my manuscript several times— and then hired a professional.  It took another two years to educate myself about the business side of bringing a book to publication, publicizing, and marketing.

5. Before you seek to publish, research. Consulting the many resources, such as those available at the websites listed above (including this very wonderful website and the books available here!) will save time, money and heartache in the publishing process. Understand the paths to publication (Brooke Warner’s Greenlight Your Book has a great discussion of publication and marketing issues.) Be systematic and organized in your approach. (Yes, I did learn how to use a spreadsheet!)

[image error] People often ask me if I regret not having started my writing career earlier. 

I have no regrets. This time in my life provides the space, the time to educate myself, and the perspective to write. I’ve loved rising to the challenge, despite the steep learning curve.  This brings me to my bonus piece of advice: Keep front and center why you wanted to be a writer in the first place.

Follow the joy—you deserve it!

BARBARA STARK-NEMON is the author of the award-winning first novel, Even in Darkness. She lives, writes, cycles, swims, does fiber art, and gardens in Ann Arbor and Northport, Michigan. Find her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and her Website.

[image error]Hard Cider: Abbie Rose Stone believes she has navigated the shoals of her long marriage and complicated family and is eager to realize her dream of producing hard apple cider along the Michigan lakeshore she loves—but when a lovely young stranger exposes a long-held secret, Abbie’s plans, loyalties, and definition of family are severely tested.

Add this book to my Goodreads

Check out reviews on Amazon

The post Five Ways to Prepare for an Encore Career as a Writer appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Critiques 4 U

[image error]You guys! The apples are ripe! My family and I did our annual apple picking thing yesterday. The kids were less enthusiastic than I was. Sure, they don’t want to pick the apples, but they’re happy to snarf down the muffins, applesauce, pie, crumble, and whatever else I can find to cram fruit into. Reminds me of a certain children’s story…

On the other hand, I know y’all are always enthusiastic about our monthly critique contest, so let’s do that.

CRITIQUES 4 U!

If you’re working on a first page (in any genre except erotica) and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I’ll be able to contact you if your first page is chosen. Just please know that if I’m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you’ll have to forfeit your win.

Two caveats:

    Please be sure your first page is ready to go so I can critique it before next month’s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won’t be able to get it to me right away, let me ask that you plan on entering the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.

    I’d like to be able to use portions of winning submissions as illustrations in an upcoming presentation I’m creating on first pages. By entering the Critiques 4 U contest, you’ll be granting permission for me to use small writing samples only (no author names or book titles).

Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback. Best of luck!

 

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Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Small Business Owner

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

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Occupation: Small Business Owner

Overview: A character who is a small business owner may choose a number of structures (Sole Proprietorship, C Corp or S Corp, Limited Liability Company, etc.) and concentrate in any number of areas. Businesses are product or service-focused, and may target individual consumers (a convenience store, a bakery, a mechanic’s shop, a pottery studio, a fast food franchise, etc.) or corporations (a safety training company servicing oil companies, an art supplier, a canning company, etc.), or both.

Small business owners wear many hats and need to excel at managing all aspects of the business, or be able to afford qualified help (outsourcing to other companies or hiring employees). Aside from ensuring the highest standards of the product or service the company specializes in, the owner must concentrate on business development, customer retention (through excellent service, quality products, and competitive pricing), be able to navigate market changes, gain financing, understand and navigate any legal aspects (securing sensitive information appropriately, obtain insurance, keep certificates, licenses, and permits up-to-date, adhere to any codes and regulations in one’s industry, ensure employees have required training, and pay one’s taxes to name a few). They also need to pay bills, do payroll and other accounting tasks, manage their cash flow, understand their assets, investments, and make decisions on reinvestment (things like buying new equipment, hiring more employees, moving to a better location, updating one’s branding or doing a website overhaul). Owners also concentrate on building good relationships with suppliers and other local businesses, they need to be proficient at marketing (and maintain a website and social media presence), and create and follow a business plan. Over the long term, owners must master scaling up to grow, and if they are struggling, scale down as needed to stay afloat.

Small business owners, although time- and cash-stretched, often give back to the community through personal involvement, sponsorship of events, charitable donations, or a mix of these.

Necessary Training: Training will vary depending on the type of business, the expertise needed, and the appropriate certifications one may need to operate. Generally speaking, having a background in business management, marketing, and/or accounting will greatly help a small business owner better understand how to run a business successfully, and navigate the many challenges that come with market fluctuation, and changes to regulations that can affect one’s operations. Another beneficial background to have is past experience in the area of one’s business. Working for someone else (perhaps as an apprentice) and understand the business from the inside will help one start and manage a company successfully, or even having managerial experience (payroll duties, scheduling, balancing books, ordering, shipping, etc.) at a different sort of business will give one a leg up when it comes to administrative duties.

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: A knack for languages, a knack for making money, charm, empathy, ESP (clairvoyance), exceptional memory, gaining the trust of others, haggling, hospitality, making people laugh, mechanically inclined,  multitasking, promotion, reading people, repurposing, strategic thinking, writing

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Adaptable, ambitious, analytical, bold, calm, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, decisive, diplomatic, disciplined, efficient, focused, friendly, funny, honest, honorable, hospitable, humble, idealistic, imaginative, independent, industrious, intelligent, loyal, meticulous, observant, optimistic, organized, passionate, patient, persistent, persuasive, proactive, professional, protective, resourceful, responsible, sensible, simple, supportive, talented, thrifty, wise

NEGATIVE: controlling, obsessive, perfectionist, stubborn, workaholic

Sources of Friction: changes in the market (or new regulations, higher transport costs, escalating taxes, or other factors that make it more expensive to do business), high maintenance employees, money going missing from the till, money being skimmed (by the accountant, a business partner, a spouse who has access etc.), robberies, an expensive insurance claim (after a fire, vandalism, theft, sewers backing up, an electrical issue, etc.), being “shaken down” by local thugs demanding protection payments, new competition entering the marketplace, enemies in a position of power using their influence or power to make life miserable (in order to push one out of the market, force a business deal to go through, kill a business deal, ruin a reputation, etc.), having difficulty paying bills and employees, skirting bankruptcy, a divorce that requires one to sell the company, harassment complaints from employees against someone in the company, never being able to take time off work, problems at home due to long hours and work stress, being asked to contribute by the community when one can barely stay afloat or one has no time, a sudden injury or illness that takes one out of commission, problems obtaining product (due to strikes at a factory, a distributor going out of business, etc.)

People They Might Interact With: customers, accountants, delivery drivers, reporters, other business owners, inspectors, product reps, employees, bank employees, couriers, non-profit representatives or community organizers looking for corporate sponsorship, candidates dropping off resumes or coming in for interviews, tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, construction workers)

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Self-Actualization: Being a small business owner may not be one’s first choice, especially in the case of a family-run business. A character working out of duty may feel they are giving up a dream or a chance to take their life in a new direction in favor of keeping with tradition.


Esteem and Recognition: A character who fails to see the level of growth they always dreamed of when they first started the business may start to feel that they don’t have what it takes, resulting in lower self-worth.
Love and Belonging: Long hours and situations where often the business comes first can easily create rocky relationships, both in one’s marriage and with one’s children.


Safety and Security: Having a business in a high crime area of a city can increase the chance of robberies and break-ins, endangering the character and the people who work there.

Common Work-Related Settings: airplane, airport, alley,  bank, basement, big city street, boardroom, break room, coffeehouse, custodial supply room, elevator, office cubicle, parking garage, parking lot, small town street, taxi, trade show

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

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