Jane Friedman's Blog: Jane Friedman, page 214

Free E-Book on Building Readership by Cory Doctorow

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Portrait by Jonathan Worth




My most popular post (so far) this year, 5
Free E-Books Every Writer Needs, could've benefited from one more addition:

The
Problem Isn't Piracy, The Problem Is Obscurity by Cory Doctorow

This e-book gathers some of Doctorow's best essays and rants on why authors
should give their work away, stop sweating copyright, and focus on building a community
of readers.



I've long been a fan of Doctorow. Even if you don't agree with everything he says,
he's essential reading for all forward-thinking authors.



Click
here to download.




Also, if you didn't know, Writer's Digest magazine from September
2009 features an interview with Doctorow—he's even on the cover! Go
check it out.


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The Persistent and Damaging Myth About Introverts and Marketing

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Cartoon from Toothpaste
for Dinner




I'm getting frustrated with people who say they're bad at marketing & promotion because
they're introverts.



Maybe this argument was more valid before new technologies came along—when marketing
and promotion involved more "getting out there," networking at events and stores,
or making phone calls. (God
knows I hate phone calls and would be a terrible marketer if that's what marketing
was all about.)



But looking at how things work TODAY, introverts should be over the moon at how lucky
we are to live in an age when we can effectively market and promote by:



staying at home

using whatever tools suit our communication style best (e-mail, IM, Skype, Twitter,
Facebook, etc.)

crafting and controlling messages to our own satisfaction

limiting interaction when needed

I've self-identified as an introvert since I was a child, and test as an introvert
on the Myers-Briggs. I
love this time-honored article about caring for the introverts in your life, and
I know the horror of being told to "think faster." Some people just don't understand—it
takes time to fully process what's being said, sort through knee-jerk reactions, thoughts,
and feelings, then carefully and thoughtfully formulate a response.



But these tendencies of introverts …



bad at small talk (but not necessarily shy)

preference for small group conversation

avoidance of huge social gatherings—or being drained by them



… these tendencies don't significantly impact our ability to be effective at online
marketing and promotion. In fact, when you consider that "the
only thing a true introvert dislikes more than talking about himself is repeating
himself," you have the makings of a superlative online marketer! These days, there's
far too much BAD marketing and self-promotion (that amounts to talking, in a very
uninteresting way, about oneself), and not enough GOOD marketing and self-promotion,
which is about serving an audience.



Knowing your audience, reaching your audience, and engaging effectively with your
audience is more about listening, understanding, curiosity, and good communication
skills—not "extroversion" or "introversion."



So, my fellow introverts, you'll need to find a better excuse to explain why you're
bad at marketing and promotion!

--



Side note: Today only, 50% of Writer's Digest (and F+W Media) online store
profits are donated to Mississippi Delta Relief. Click
here to visit the WritersDigestShop.com and shop for books, magazines, and classes
that will support a great cause.





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When Mom Was My Age (#33)

Ginny Sue Gohmann & daughter Johanna Gohmann

"When Mom Was My Age" is an interview series between daughters and mothers. New interviews appear every Monday. If you would like to participate, contact Jane.

The following interview is with Ginny Sue Gohmann, reflecting on her life at age 35, interviewed by daughter Johanna Gohmann.



Where did you live?

Where we live now. I lived in Indiana, on Silver Hills. I had your sister and two older brothers, and you and Marty. And Ted was just baby. So there was a lot of kid stuff around, obviously. The house was filled lots of shoes and books and toys…it was very colorful, and I liked it. There was lots of baby stuff sitting around. High chairs, diapers … stuff like that. But it was always neat and clean.

What was a typical day like?

I got up at 6:30 and got the kids up for school. I ironed everyone's school uniforms, fixed breakfast, and then took care of the baby. I got him up, and got everyone off to school then dressed him and fed him and took care of him. Then I cleaned house, and my mother usually walked over.  The two of us would go and pick the kids up from school. And then I fixed dinner. I would clean up the kitchen while my husband gave the kids a bath. And then I passed out. Ready to do it again the next day.

What did you worry about the most?

I worried about something happening to one of you … the kids being sick or something happening. Lynne Anne had died … my oldest daughter had passed away at 5 years old. And I was just … I think that was my greatest concern, trying to keep you guys safe and healthy. Just taking care of you guys.

What did you think the future held for you?

I was always very content. I didn't think much about the future. I had just had another baby, so I was very happy. I loved having the kids and I loved taking care of them. I was very contented doing that. My life was very full and very active. I was very busy at your school. I sewed costumes and I cooked and I was just very happy with the children. I did not look ahead and think, "Oh yes, I'm going to have three more boys." I did not think that. But I was very happy. I've always been very happy with the kids. Their life made my life overflow too, because we had science fairs and book reports and things that had to be done. I was very busy, but it was a fun busy. I had a very good time. I did not dream into the future.

How do you look back on that age now?

This is going to sound silly, but it doesn't seem any different than it is now. No, I don't have a house full of little children, but I look at some of my children and I think about how old they are, and then think, "How can they be that age, because I think I'm that age!" I think I'm still 35. I don't look back at that time and think that was then, a long time ago, and this is where I am now. It doesn't seem like that was 30 years ago and I was somebody else. I feel like I'm still the same person. Hopefully smarter and hopefully wiser. Thankfully I still have my health … though my brain sort of goes around the corner every now and then. But I don't feel any different. Every now and then I have a few aches and pains, but I had a few aches and pains then, too. When I was pregnant with my last child I couldn't even move. So I'm probably healthier now than I was then. I don't see that as a long ago time. It's just like, this is now. Things are changing, but this is now.

Does it seem strange to you that I'm now 35?

That's the only conundrum. It does feel very strange, and I have a hard time remembering that you're 35. And that Moosie is 34, and that Donnie's 37, and that Ted's 32, and Gretchen's 40 … because I think I'm that age. And I don't know how we're all going to get to be the same age at once. I still think of all of you as very young people. Which you are. But I think I'm right there with you. Which sounds kind of squirrelly I guess. But yes, I think of you as being a young girl. But then I think, "Oh, wait, she's 35 years old!" And I realize you are a grown adult. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. That you are all grown people. Which helps me not tell you what to do all the time. And now I have to remind you guys that I'm a grown person. Because now you're beginning to tell me what to do. And I don't pay any more attention to you than you all did to me.

Thanks very much for doing this, Mom.

You're welcome, honey. Oh, and I wanted to tell you, I was watching "Everyone Loves Raymond" last night. Because he now makes me laugh out loud. And I have one episode I want to tell you about when you get here. It's about a turkey. So ask me.

From Johanna

By the time my mother was my age she was in the midst of raising six children—four sons and two daughters. She would go on to have two more sons, and I would grow up in a loud, hectic, hilarious home of six boys and two girls. I don't currently have any children of my own, and I cannot quite imagine where one summons the energy and enthusiasm required to care for so many little people. I try to get my head around how my mom not only did it, but did it with such love and passion, and the mind boggles. When I think about the fact that she had also suffered the horrible tragedy of losing a child, but still managed to press on with her life with such joy and optimism and courage, I am filled with a special kind of awe. When I was child, she was an endless well of energy and laughter, and she is much the same today. The strength of her spirit is a tremendous inspiration to me. And I can't wait to hear what happened with Raymond and that turkey.

 

4 Ways to Make the Most of a Critique Group

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Today's guest post is from writer Susan Cushman, a monthly regular here at NO RULES. Read
her personal blog, learn about the 2011
Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop, and follow her on Facebook or Twitter. Cartoon
used with permission from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at Inkygirl.com.




--



"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain
a thought without accepting it." (Aristotle)

"I was confused by your use of third person, omniscient. Wouldn't it
work better in first person?"




"Why did you write this in present tense? I think past tense is a safer way to
go."




"This piece really starts on page fifteen. I would ditch the first fourteen pages."

If these comments sound familiar, you're probably part of a critique group, or participated
in at least one workshop. It can feel a bit like childbirth, with a room full of people
watching and giving advice while you push.




Or, if you know how to hold onto yourself (it's your baby, after all), you can take
the advice that works for you and leave the rest, like they say in 12-step meetings.
(One reason advocates of AA and Al-Anon say it works is because "there are no rules.")



My first manuscript critique workshop was in 2008, at the Yoknapatawpha Summer Writers
Workshop in Oxford, Mississippi. The MFA faculty-led critique process was an eye-opener.
The critique leader gave each of the 16 participants an opportunity to "set up" his
writing sample for the group—explaining if it was a complete short story or essay,
or part of a larger work, for example—and then he would let the other students give
feedback first.




After about fifteen minutes, he would give his own advice. During this time, the person
whose work was being critiqued would remain silent and take notes on the comments
being offered. At the end, the writer would respond, asking questions for clarity,
but trying not to defend the work. After all, the purpose wasn't to prove that his
writing was perfect, but to learn from the feedback. This process is called workshopping.



Five of us at that workshop decided to form a writing critique group, using the methods
we had learned. That group remained active for about three years, and while we don't
meet regularly now, we stay in touch and continue to encourage one another. Three
years and six workshops later, I remain a fan of the workshop process, but I've also
learned a few important lessons along the way.



1. Sometimes it's hard to hold onto yourself in the face
of greatness.


One summer I participated in the late, great Barry Hannah's "Wednesday Workshops on
the Square" in Oxford. I have a great deal of respect for Barry's work, and for him
as a person. But our writing styles are very different, and there were times when
I had to work hard to remember that it's OK to disagree with someone who is famous
and successful. Of course I gleaned much benefit from his feedback, and I'll always
hold onto my writing samples that have his red-inked comments on them, but at the
end of the day, it's my work.



A well-known author who led a creative nonfiction workshop a couple years ago felt
strongly that the main character in my essay wasn't believable. "She's just too good.
People aren't like this. You need to show her human side." A couple of the other students
in the workshop agreed with him.




I spent the next year considering those words and revising the essay, before I finally
realized that the essay was true to its main character—a dear friend whom I nursed
during her dying days—and I wasn't going to change that. I began sending it out for
publication. After three or four rejections, I wasn't discouraged. Last month the
essay was published in a new literary journal, with my friend's character intact.
All it took was for the right editor to embrace the work.



2. Be discerning.


This self-awareness is especially helpful when other students at workshops are offering
their (sometimes) less informed advice.

"Have you thought about killing off Uncle Jack instead of Aunt Sally?"

Keep in mind the source of each comment during the workshop and weigh
the feedback accordingly. When critiquers have work that is already published, I always
listen more attentively to the criticism.




But don't sell your fellow students short, because even beginning writers are sometimes
the best first readers of your work. Remember that everyone at the workshop is also
trying to improve his own writing. It takes discernment and selective hearing to take
the best and leave the rest.



3. Learn to handle conflicting advice.


Another difficult situation arises when two faculty members offer opposite advice,
which happened to me at a workshop last year. I was trying to achieve a stream-of-consciousness
style, using parentheses to set apart interior monologue throughout my novel-in-progress,
an approach Michael Cunningham used successfully in The Hours. One of the faculty
members for the workshop liked the approach, and encouraged me to use the parenthetical
phrases more selectively, and to make each one really exceptional—the way a writer
might treat metaphors in his work. The other leader didn't like my use of the parentheses
at all, saying that they distracted the reader from the story. The students in the
workshop were split in their opinions on this issue. So I returned home, read over
all my notes, re-read samples of published works that I consider models for my work,
and decided which advice to hold onto and which to leave behind.



Students were also conflicted over how graphic I should be in scenes where I describe
sexual abuse that happens to the protagonist when she's a young girl.

"We need more specifics in this scene—show us what happened, don't
just tell us."




"No, we get it from the implications. Leave something for the reader's imagination."

Both of those are good comments. Again, it was up to me to take the
best and leave the rest.



4. Cultivate humility.


My next bit of advice might sound contradictory to my encouragement to hold onto yourself,
but I think it's also important to cultivate a degree of humility when your work is
being critiqued. There's no need to defend or explain. At almost every workshop I
attend, there's at least one person who reacts strongly to his fellow participants
or faculty's criticism. Sometimes it goes like this:

"I was confused about the plot line here, on page 8. What's the time
frame? Is this action happening in the past or the present?"




"Oh, you'll understand that later. It all becomes clear in chapter six."

So, is it okay for the reader to be confused for six chapters? I don't
think so. The writer could have benefited from the reader's questions if he hadn't
been so concerned about explaining himself. It's hard not to be defensive, but humility
is helpful in this setting.



If you're nervous about attending your first manuscript critique workshop, or cautious
about joining a writing group, I hope these thoughts are helpful. I'd love to hear
about your experiences in critique workshops or groups—please leave a comment and
join the conversation!



There are lots of great workshops and conferences around the country, but I'll close
by mentioning two:

The Yoknapatawpha
Summer Writers Workshop, June 10-12, Oxford, Mississippi (which might be full,
but sometimes people drop out)




The 2011 Memphis Creative Nonfiction
Workshop, September 23-25, Memphis, Tennessee (registration is open, with 10 of
20 spaces still available.)

[image error]Looking
for more help with critique groups? Check out WD's own Writing
& Critique Group Survival Guide.

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Don't Treat Conflict As Monolithic

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In the most recent edition of the Glimmer Train
bulletin, I loved this article by Cary Groner on conflict. Here's a small snippet:

I've been surprised, when reading books about fiction
writing, that such short shrift is often given to the decisions writers make about
conflict and its levels. We hear a lot about voice, point of view, characterization,
place, structure, theme, and other issues; but when conflict is discussed, it's rarely
treated as particularly complex. You'll read, almost as an afterthought: 'Of course,
your story must have conflict,' as if it appears in unvarying form in every narrative.
But conflict is no more monolithic than love is; and in the same way that love arrives
in multifarious forms in both life and literature, so does conflict.

Read more of this
excellent article over at the Glimmer Train site!



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When Is Lying in Memoir Acceptable? 3 Key Issues

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Today's guest post is from Tracy Seeley,
author of My
Ruby Slippers. Visit her site, or find
out more about her book.




--



They crop up like weeds in the literary garden, those memoirs that lie. James Frey
invented some details of his life and wildly exaggerated others. Greg Mortenson and
his co-writer turned two events that happened a year apart into a single, dramatic
episode. They also claimed Mortenson had been imprisoned by the Taliban, which others
claim never happened.



Then there are entirely fake memoirs—lies from beginning to the end. The international
best-selling memoir Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, for example, told
a riveting tale of the author's escape from the Warsaw ghetto to safety among a pack
of wolves. It would have made a great novel; none of it was true.




When memoir falsehoods come to light, readers feel betrayed. They expect the truth,
and they should. When a memoirist writes, "This happened to me," readers should be
able to trust that it did. Lying about what happened violates that trust. It's that
simple. 




It's also more complicated. Unlike news articles, another fact-based genre (we hope),
memoirs give us more than the facts. As memoir writers, we're crafting a literary
work. We're also relying on memory and our own interpretation of events. All three
factors make truth in memoir a complex business.



Still, I often hear claims that dismiss outright falsehoods in memoir as trivial.
They don't really matter, these people say, for one of the following reasons:



In a sense, all writing is fiction. Writers aim to tell a great story, and by altering
facts, they're only making it better.  

Memory is always inaccurate, so memoir is never true.   

It might not be factually true, but it's emotionally true.  

All three claims are right, up to a point. But when it comes to lying in memoir, they're
also wrong. Here's where they're right and where they're not.





Claim One

A Literary Work Is Always Fiction






Why It's True

Real life is always messier than literature. It doesn't have a tidy, narrative
arc, other people are more complicated or unknowable than we depict them on the page,
and many things that happen aren't worth telling or don't add to the point of our
tale. 




Like fiction writers, we craft memoir through selecting, organizing, structuring and
shaping bits and pieces from a giant pile of options. We create a meaningful through-line
based on our own interpretation of events, and promote our own point of view. We create
accurate but not verbatim dialogue. Some memoirists even create composite characters,
change names or locations, or compress multiple incidents into one—all to create a
more compelling story (and sometimes to protect others' privacy or avoid getting sued). 




In this sense, memoir does "fictionalize" life. 




Why It's Not


This claim confuses two kinds of invention: literary invention, and the invention
of facts.



Let's go back to that big pile of options we get to pick from while writing. 
That pile should contain only things that really happened and details that pass the
fact test.  I was never captured by the Taliban—so that claim doesn't go in my
pile.



In other words, inventing a story from raw data is not the same as inventing the data.
 



And when we've significantly altered things—like compressing timelines or creating
composite characters, we have an obligation to let readers know.  If Mortenson
had offered a disclaimer about compressing events, he would have landed in a smaller
puddle of hot water.





Claim Two

Memory Can't Be Trusted, So Memoir Is Never True






Why It's True


Memory works in mysterious ways. It deletes key details, shuffles timelines, rearranges
or fudges the facts. It can dim or grow bolder with time.  




Different people may recall the same event in wildly different ways.  How often
have you been right in the middle of telling a great story at the dinner table, only
to have a friend or sibling pipe up in protest, "That's not how it happened!" or "That's
not what I said!"  



Memory doesn't store an exact replica of experience. It interprets and fabulates.
Sometimes it even steals from other people's stories.  My sister and I quarreled
once over which of us had experienced a particular event.  We still don't know
who it really happened to.  (I can't even remember what it was).



So a genre that relies on memory is going to tell some whoppers. And so of course,
our story will be skewed by the way that memory works. But faulty memory is not the
same as lying.   



Why It's Not


We don't know when memory is making things up. Unless we're pathological liars, we
know when we consciously choose to add falsehoods to our story.   We know
when we're making memories up.



So as memoirists, we should accurately recount the story as we remember it, even if
memory itself may be wrong. 






Claim Three

But It's Emotionally True, So Who Really Cares?





Why It's True


When her tale of escaping from the Warsaw ghetto and living among wolves was exposed
as a lie, writer Misha Defonseca admitted she'd made it all up, but then defended
herself: "The story is mine. It is not actually reality, but my reality." Her fable
embodied her emotional experience of the war and so it felt true. James Frey offered
a similar defense: his exaggerations and lies created an emotionally, if not literally,
true story.



Why It's Not


Fact and emotional truth are not mutually exclusive. A skillful artist can write an
emotionally true story from verifiable fact.



In fact, that's the beauty and reward of writing nonfiction. The real life we experience
and remember gives us more than enough rich material for telling emotionally true
and factually accurate stories.



Final Thoughts


Memoirists enter into an agreement with readers: I will tell you an emotionally true
story in a skillful way. I will make it worth your while. And while my memory is imperfect,
I haven't invented memories. I haven't invented facts. If I compress timelines, combine
characters or conflate events, I will tell you. The other people in my book would
tell the story differently; this is my own, true version.



--





[image error]Tracy
Seeley will be on a 10-week book tour this summer throughout the west, and would love
to meet readers at events. Find her schedule
at her website, and follow
her journey at her blog.

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Best Tweets + Upcoming Events

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Best Tweets is going on an early summer break due to upcoming conference travel and
holiday travel—plus I'm wrapping up the academic year at University of Cincinnati.
Look for its return in mid-July.



Here are some excellent upcoming events where I'm teaching:



6
Key Components of an Online Author Platform (online class this Thursday, June
2). If you'd like a preview, click
here.




Arkansas Writers Conference in
Little Rock (June 3-4): I'll be giving the keynote talk.





Writers' League of Texas in
Austin (June 10-12): I'll be giving the keynote talk, plus taking appointments.



Midwest Writers Workshop in Muncie, Ind.,
(July 28-30): I'm offering several workshops focused on new media/tech.



Willamette Writers Conference in
Portland, Ore. (August 5-7): I'm offering several workshops, plus taking appointments.

Stay up-to-date on my conference travel
and speaking engagements here.


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Do You Have a Marketing Support Network?

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This month at Writer Unboxed, I discuss one of the invisible aspects of your platform
that directly impacts your success: Your relationships.

Click
here to read "A Critical Marketing Secret: Don't Go It Alone."

I can confirm, after launching my e-book last month (The
Future of Publishing), that I couldn't have spread the word to half as many people
without the support of many people in the writing community. Two key supporters were
(are!) Christina Katz and Porter
Anderson.



So, you need trusted relationships to amplify your efforts. Go
read more.

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5 Free E-Books Every Writer Needs

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The following resources have been mentioned on this blog, in various forms, since
2008. Now I'm rounding them up in 1 place.

1. 70
Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes by Bob Mayer. A fabulous resource from
an experienced novelist.




2. 279 Days to Overnight
Success by Chris Guillebeau. If you dream of being a full-time writer, this
is the e-book for you! About 11,000 words of fabulous advice.



3. How to Write a Great Query Letter by
literary agent Noah Lukeman. Lukeman is the author of several fabulous how-to books,
including The First Five Pages. This free one on queries will not disappoint.



4. What
Publishers Want: An Author's Guide by Greenleaf Book Group. The good people
at Greenleaf have made this brief guide available to beginning writers who are just
getting into the writing and publishing game.



4. Smashwords Book Marketing Guide:
How to Market Any Book for Free. This gem just came out this past month. An
excellent starting resource.

Do you have any favorite e-book resources I've missed? Let me know in
the comments!

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6 Key Components of an Online Author Platform

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Next week, on June 2, I'll
be teaching a live, online class on building your author platform. To help make
"platform" more understandable and approachable as a topic, I've boiled it down into
6 key components. Here they are, briefly.

VISIBLE




Your website (your hub, or Grand Central Station)

Your social media activity or update stream

Your content





INVISIBLE




Your relationships or network

Your influence and authority

Your actual reach

It's impossible to have an effective visible online platform without also working
on what's invisible. And that's why I think so many authors come to me and complain
that their efforts aren't working. It's because the invisible components are weak,
growing, or being ignored.



My
class will also address the following:



5 key channels of social media engagement (e-mail, community sites, blogs, comments,
multimedia), how to use them, and how to prioritize them

What meaningful interaction looks like on social media

The 4 key stages of online engagement, and why it's important to take them one stage
at a time (no skipping to the fourth stage!)

How to develop a Facebook and Twitter strategy that works for you, which might mean
not using them at all

How to use analytics to better focus your efforts and figure out what's working and
what's wasting your time

Fortunately, I discuss all of these topics frequently on this blog. If
you can't take the class (and/or afford the $79 registration fee), then here are
some of the my best posts where I discuss online platform.



The
Hardest Part About Developing Platform (Who Are You Anyway?)




The
4 Stages of Marketing and Promotion




When
or Why Social Media Fails to Sell Books




No.
1 Component of an Effective Online Marketing Strategy




Giving
Stuff Away Is Not a Strategy




Audience
Development: Critical to Every Writer's Future




Should You Blog?
And If So, What Are Best Practices?




Figuring Out
Your Facebook Strategy: 3 Tips




Using
Facebook to Amplify Your Reach (and Not Annoy People)






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