Rebecca Klempner's Blog, page 33
November 1, 2012
How can you offer someone advice without taking it yourself?
I was corresponding with a client last night who is–among other things–considering publishing an ebook to distribute among clients and potential clients. I was telling her I thought it was a great idea, how it can be done with relatively little expense, yadda yadda yadda.
And then I thought to myself, “Hey! Why don’t you take your own advice?”
Not only might it generate business, but it’ll give me experience using the tools available on CreateSpace (or Lulu, or whichever service I go with) that...
October 30, 2012
Give yourself credit for the effort, not your success
Soooo…to make long story short, I did not spend my morning writing or editing today. Instead, I attended a workshop by Esther Simon, a well-known professional organizer. It ended up being a little bit of a wake up call. My revelation came in the middle of a discussion about how you spend your time should reflect your goals and values.
Am I really doing what I need to do to sell my next book?
Yes, if you believe in G-d, you should cast your burdens on Him/Her/Genderless Surpreme Being. The agent...
Putting in some effort
Soooo…to make long story short, I did not spend my morning writing or editing today. Instead, I attended a workshop by Esther Simon, a well-known professional organizer. It ended up being a little bit of a wake up call. My revelation came in the middle of a discussion about how you spend your time should reflect your goals and values.
Am I really doing what I need to do to sell my next book?
Yes, if you believe in G-d, you should cast your burdens on Him/Her/Genderless Surpreme Being. The agent...
October 29, 2012
Modern-day Moshels
To those unfamiliar with the term, a “moshel” is the Hebrew term for a parable, a story told with the intent to illustrate a lesson (usually a moral or theological one). I equate moshels with the soda your mom would offer you as a chaser after taking whatever foul-tasting medicine the doctor had prescribed you. It makes it easier to get the lesson down, and you might even look forward to the next dose.
Moshels–particularly those of the Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and the Ben Ish C...
October 25, 2012
I hit a double!
Let’s see if we can bat Mrs. Klempner into home plate!
For the first time, I’ve had two stories published in one week. For some writers, this is nothing, but for me, it’s a real accomplishment. The first story appears in the October 22nd Binah BeTween; the second, in the October 24th Binyan. I just turned in another piece to Binyan yesterday. G-d willing, you’ll find it in print in about a month.
Establishing myself as a career writer as opposed to a hobbyist is a big struggle, and sometimes I...
October 24, 2012
What is Jewish writing?
What do you think?
Tablet Magazine asks this week, “What is Jewish fiction? What makes a Jewish writer?“
This isn’t a new question. A year or so ago, there was this outstanding post on Jeremy Rosen’s blog, considering the same questions, and there are other essays on the subject published elsewhere.
Recently, the online magazine, Tablet, began to publish short fiction. The second story it selected, by young author Justin Taylor, begged the question. The characters weren’t Jewish, but more import...
October 22, 2012
Nachas from friends
A couple months ago, I published about being farginen–taking pleasure in other people’s success. So today, I’m going to share reviews of two of my friends’ new books:
I’ve known Judy Gruen for at least a decade, and she’s as funny in print as she is in person, which is saying a lot. Her articles on Aish.com and in magazines are not only funny, but touch the experiences of women everywhere, which is one of the reasons her writing is so effective. Readers can’t help but identify with Judy.
Judy’s...
October 19, 2012
What we can learn about writing from kids
We now—joyfully—have 2 1/2 literate kids in our household. (The 1/2 is only 5. Cut her some slack.) One of the interesting things in my life lately is watching them become writers, as well. I think we adults can learn a thing or two from their learning curve.
1) Kids enjoy writing about what they like.However, one of the things that makes them better writers is writing about things outside their comfort zone. It’s a lot easier to get my 10 year old to write about cars or maps, but his writing...
October 18, 2012
Wavering
NaNoWriMo isNational Novel Writing Month, running for the month of November each year.By November 30th, participants hope to finish writing a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel.Some peopletry to fly solo, but most participants sign up on theofficial website. The website offers guidance about pacing, tracks your progress, and provides support. NaNoWriMo has resulted in some book sales for participants, but many others say it taught them discipline, skills and persistence that helped th...
October 15, 2012
A Friendly Newsletter for Special Kids
A couple of months ago, I discovered an ad in HaModia for a newsletter called “Chevras Chaverim.” It’s a little magazine for Jewish kids with special needs. We’ve received the first two issues, one before Rosh HaShanah, one before Sukkot. Each newsletter contains several “departments,” tailored to the needs of kids with social skills problems, sensory processing disorder, and the like. The organizer loves feedback, and wants kids to submit things for publication. The subscription is free for...
