Jane Friedman's Blog: Jane Friedman, page 233

Make Your NaNoWriMo Experience Count (4 Excellent Posts)

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I'll be upfront. I've never participated in NaNoWriMo (and
have no desire to), but I've observed many writers go through the process.



I know it can help writers put aside perfectionism, procrastination, and inhibitions
about writing.



That is: It motivates a lot of people to SIT and WRITE.



One might tend to think: Well, this is a good thing.



Sometimes, I'm not so sure.



When unskilled or unpracticed writers attempt NaNoWriMo,
they inevitably end up with a lot of material they can't use.



Sometimes they don't realize they can't (or shouldn't) use it. Sometimes they even
think they ought to submit it. (That's actually the least of MY concerns, though it
does concern some agents on the receiving end.)




My concern is that NaNoWriMo could be immensely productive, for any level of writer,
if approached with a bit of preparation.



Technically, such a thing might be called an outline.



But I call it laying the foundations for success.

What's going to happen in the story?


What does the character want?


What will the turning points be?

Right now, I'm working on a project for Writer's Digest, a 128-page
bookazine (a special newsstand-only "book") that focuses on how to produce a novel
draft in 30 days.




It is possible, but I'd argue you won't get anything meaningful out
of it unless you have an idea of what you want to accomplish.



Otherwise, you're just writing to write. Maybe that's OK.



But I'd like you to have something at the end of November you can build on.



Here are a few excellent posts that will help you prepare for the NaNoWriMo challenge
in a meaningful way.

5
Things You Absolutely Must Know About Your NaNo Novel Before You Start Writing




5
Resources to Help You Plan Your NaNoWriMo Novel




Let's
Talk About Goals




Three
Popular Plot & Structure Methods

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Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 10/15/10)

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I watch Twitter, so you don't have to. Visit each Sunday for the week's best Tweets.
If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the Comments. Want to know about the best stuff
I read each week? Click
here to subscribe to my shared items.




Quick plug for upcoming Writer's
Digest online classes:




How
to Write Your Life Story or Memoir (October 21) by Linda Joy Meyers. Includes
a critique, plus a digital download of a how-to book on memoir.







Best of Best

For Agents, Timing is Everything, by Richard
Curtis


@jafurtado



The Psychological Principle Behind Marketing Success
In a Networked World


@copyblogger

Getting Published, Agents/Editors

10 typical questions from writers (that
are really just fear in disguise)

@elizabethscraig



How To Be A NY Times Best-Selling Author [podcast]


@thecreativepenn




This Query Sucks (or how to fail and still succeed)


@Writeitsideways



In case you ever have to fire your agent - here's how


@RachelleGardner



How To Get Your Short Stories Published And Even Get
Paid


@BubbleCow

Craft & Technique

Great post from @p2p_editor about the
importance of [character] goals as NaNoWriMo gets closer




Excellent tips--> Newbie writers: Watch out for
these big writing no-no's by @Georgia_McBride

@inkyelbows




The Only "How to Write" Lesson You'll Ever Need


@KMWeiland



The WriteRunner offers pros & cons of three popular
plot structure methods in prep for NaNoWriMo

@inkyelbows



5 Resources To Help You Plan Your NaNoWriMo Novel


@Writeitsideways




Why I do the one-sentence pitch before I ever write the novel


@laurapauling




Is your book really finished?


@dirtywhitecandy



Stop your lazy Googling--here's some hardcore book
researching advice from novelist Greg Rucka

@GalleyCat



Organize
your writing, J.K. Rowling style


@40kBooks

Publishing News & Trends

What do writers make at different publishers?
"Show Me the Money" survey


@elizabethscraig



How Many Copies Do Novels Sell?


@BubbleCow



Who controls the ebook business?


[and what's the sales volume so far?]

@40kBooks



Futurist @nickbilton sees the destiny of media: storytelling [Q&A]


@gadgetlab



Big publishers and small publishers are both right
pursuing different strategies. They have different strengths.


@MikeShatzkin

Marketing, Platform Building, Self-Promotion

Author, Jody Hedlund: Are Book Signings
Worth the Time & Effort?


@Writeitsideways



4 ways to know if your book is ready for a book tour 
(and how to plan one)


@Weegee

Self-Publishing and E-Publishing

Can Writers Do On Their Own What the
Big Six Publishers Can't?


@HuffPostBooks



Got an ebook? Should you use Smashwords? thought-provoking
post @bob_mayer


@dirtywhitecandy

Social Media & Twitter

Self-Publishers and the Social Media Divide.
Which side are you on?


@JFbookman



Twitter Crushing Facebook's Click-Through Rate: Report

[most important for authors here: understand how
and where online content spreads]

@debbiestier

Online Tools & Resources

Becoming
A Fiction Writer » Writing websites and newsletters
I can't live without


@thewritermama



5 Free Online Writing Courses for Freelancers


@elizabethscraig

The
Writing Life

10
Truths About the Modern Music Business


[wisdom here for writers, too]

@largeheartedboy



How to email a busy person (like an agent): six tips
for effective emails


@elizabethscraig



Oregon Is For Writers: Should We Make It Our New State
Slogan?


@thewritermama

Looking for more?




Want to know about the best stuff I read each week?


Click here to subscribe
to my shared items.




Follow me on Twitter (@JaneFriedman)







List of Tweeps most
often included in weekly Best Tweets for Writers (always under development)



Follow Writer's Digest editors on Twitter: @writersdigest @brianklems @robertleebrewer @jessicastrawser @chucksambuchino @chadseibert @vanessa_lw @psexton1 @kellymesserly




Become a fan at the Writer's Digest Facebook
page (nearly 10K fans)

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Meet Me at the 2011 Writer's Digest Conference

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Mark your calendars! In January, I'll be speaking at the Writer's
Digest Conference, joining a stellar line-up of publishing professionals and successful
authors.



The conference has many different features/facets, including:



The now infamous Pitch
Slam, with more than 50 agents ready to meet you and hear your pitch



A keynote address
from Richard Nash, an award-winning publisher and respected advocate for writers

A presentation from me (on
your publishing options), plus I'll moderate a panel on publishing
digital




An
intensive bootcamp on freelancing


Whether you prefer to focus on craft & technique (Hallie Ephron, James Scott Bell
and other fabulous authors will be there), or you need to focus on marketing and platform
building, this conference is ready to help writers at any stage of their career.



I hope to see you there.



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3 Critical Steps After Rejection

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Just released from Writer's Digest, Writer's
Digest University is part market guide, part boot camp, offering keys to getting
your work published.



I am honored to have written the introduction to this book, which
you can read in full here.




In the intro, I share 3 steps you should take after receiving a rejection—since it's
what you do AFTER that counts. (For more on why you might be getting rejected, read
this post from me.)



1. Keep submitting AND keep writing.


Persistence is essential. Keep sending your work out. But most importantly, you should
keep writing.




Once you finish a manuscript, the first thing you should do is start work on another
project. Why? Because it helps create distance and perspective from the project you
just finished—which will inevitably need to be refined and approached with a more
critical eye once you begin to market it.



Don't neglect this step! You need to be able to evaluate your work from a sales perspective,
and with as little emotional attachment as possible. This often only comes with time,
or with the assistance of a good editor or critique partner.



2. Develop relationships and connections with people who
can help you.


More progress than you might think will depend on the willingness of others to help
you and advise you. One of the most effective ways to develop relationships is to
attend conferences and meet other writers, as well as editors and agents.



One of the most difficult aspects of getting published is querying cold. But once
you've established a relationship with an editor or agent, then it's no longer a cold
contact, but a person who may be compelled to pay attention because you made a good
impression on them. Or, if you develop good connections with published authors, they
can offer hard-won advice, even referrals to agents, if they believe in your work.




3. Don't get bitter.


I meet many writers who ask, often at a moment of frustration and desperation, "Read
my writing and tell me if I should keep trying."



I empathize if you're looking for some reason to continue in the face of rejection.
It's tough to continue doing something when you receive no recognition or encouragement
for it.



Strive for an attitude and approach that's defined by:



Seeking feedback from people you trust or respect



Loving the writing process



Taking advantage of every possible growth opportunity

Being in control of your own destiny (not waiting to be discovered)

You'll experience frustrations, and sometimes disagree with the feedback or direction
you receive along the way. But take note of everything, take away what is useful and
suitable for your core mission, and ignore the rest.



--



In addition to receiving a 1-year sub to WritersMarket.com as
part of this book, Writer's
Digest University also features a DVD with recordings of four popular WD webinars:




How Do I Get My Book Published? (delivered by me)



How to Land a Literary Agent (delivered by Chuck
Sambuchino)



How Writers Can Succeed in the Future of Digital Publishing (delivered by me)



Freelance Basics (delivered by Chuck
Sambuchino)



It's a high-value package. I encourage you to check it out.



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Fake It 'Til You Make It

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Interviews with successful authors never get old.



The Paris Review interviews (the celebrated interview series with writers) have remained
popular since they launched in the 1950s. (Go
read them all for free online.)



Why do these interviews fascinate us?




Partly, I hope for a glimpse of the genius that produced the work we marvel at.



And I'd say aspiring writers want to know: What's the secret to their success? What
are they doing, or trying, that I am not?



Of course, the more and more you read such interviews, the more you realize that nearly
every writer has a unique way of working that doesn't replicate well. Or, that is
to say: We each have to find our own path.



Sometimes I wonder if such interviews can have a damaging effect (especially when
they focus on the path to success), because so many writers read them in aspirational
mode. I wish I were that good. I wish I were that lucky. I wish I had that idea.




I wish, I wish, I wish.



Sometimes life hits us with situations where we're forced to fake our way through
it. We have no other choice than to pretend we're getting along, to pretend we know
what we're doing. We may be a hit with a loss (bereavement, heartbreak), or we may
be hit with a blessing (new job, new parent).



Either way, life doesn't stop. We have no choice but to move forward.



If we get stuck wishing things were different, or hoping to be other than who we are,
we're not acting or moving toward what we want. We're sitting on our ass.



If we want to be different, we have to first (at least) believe OR pretend that we
are, until we make it. We have to emulate or do all those things that we believe or
think someone would do if they weren't faking it.



And, one day, we're no longer faking it.



You've probably heard the Muhammad Ali quote:

"To be a great champion, you must believe you
are the best. If you're not, pretend you are."

That kind of energy and enthusiasm is the best benefit you can bless
yourself with. And there's brain science to back this up. Suzanne Vaira Workman offered
this thought on my Facebook page:

It's a neuro-plasticity thing. The more brain cells
and motor function dedicated to a manifestation, the greater the subconscious and
conscious acquisition of accompanying data, stimulating more dendrite growth connecting
those brain cells and logarithmically multiplying that knowledge/understanding (much
like compound interest hyperbola), making real what began as only desire.

Or, more colloquially, here's Loudon Wainwright ("The Swimming Song"):

This summer I went swimming, this summer I might
have drowned. But I held my breath and I kicked my feet and I moved my arms around.

It's okay to pretend. We all do, at one point or another. Sooner or later,
you won't be pretending.



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Fake It 'Til You Make It (The Secret?)

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Interviews with successful authors never get old.



The Paris Review interviews (the celebrated interview series with writers) have remained
popular since they launched in the 1950s. (Go
read them all for free online.)



Why do these interviews fascinate us?




Partly, I hope for a glimpse of the genius that produced the work we marvel at.



And I'd say aspiring writers want to know: What's the secret to their success? What
are they doing, or trying, that I am not?



Of course, the more and more you read such interviews, the more you realize that nearly
every writer has a unique way of working that doesn't replicate well. Or, that is
to say: We each have to find our own path.



Sometimes I wonder if such interviews can have a damaging effect (especially when
they focus on the path to success), because so many writers read them in aspirational
mode. I wish I were that good. I wish I were that lucky. I wish I had that idea.




I wish, I wish, I wish.



Sometimes life hits us with situations where we're forced to fake our way through
it. We have no other choice than to pretend we're getting along, to pretend we know
what we're doing. We may be a hit with a loss (bereavement, heartbreak), or we may
be hit with a blessing (new job, new parent).



Either way, life doesn't stop. We have no choice but to move forward.



If we get stuck wishing things were different, or hoping to be other than who we are,
we're not acting or moving toward what we want. We're sitting on our ass.



If we want to be different, we have to first (at least) believe OR pretend that we
are, until we make it. We have to emulate or do all those things that we believe or
think someone would do if they weren't faking it.



And, one day, we're no longer faking it.



You've probably heard the Muhammad Ali quote:

"To be a great champion, you must believe you
are the best. If you're not, pretend you are."

That kind of energy and enthusiasm is the best benefit you can bless
yourself with. And there's brain science to back this up. Suzanne Vaira Workman offered
this thought on my Facebook page:

It's a neuro-plasticity thing. The more brain cells
and motor function dedicated to a manifestation, the greater the subconscious and
conscious acquisition of accompanying data, stimulating more dendrite growth connecting
those brain cells and logarithmically multiplying that knowledge/understanding (much
like compound interest hyperbola), making real what began as only desire.

Or, more colloquially, here's Loudon Wainwright ("The Swimming Song"):

This summer I went swimming, this summer I might
have drowned. But I held my breath and I kicked my feet and I moved my arms around.

It's okay to pretend. We all do, at one point or another. Sooner or later,
you won't be pretending.



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The Future of Publishing: You Get to Decide

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The topic of my talk at the Y-City Writers Conference (this
past weekend) was "The Future of Publishing."



While I talked a bit about tech and gadgetry, what I really focused on was how much
power writers now have in deciding what their future is.



Meaning: Now, more than at any other time in history, there are more opportunities
and possibilities to write, share, and publish a story—and interact with an audience.



Are you passionate about the print experience of books? You can totally ignore digital
editions, and live up the physical. These
authors have done that successfully.




Are you tightly knit into a region or place that would treasure your stories? You
can write and publish successfully, building on strong community ties. Read
this author's story.




Are you after the traditional publishing experience—the professional partnerships
of an agent, editor, and publisher? You can still have that, too. Maybe it's not easier
than before, but the option isn't going away. It will still be there if you want it. Here's
an example of one author who decided she DID want it. (And
here's another example.)



If you go back 20 or 30 years, you were extremely limited in your options. There was
often only one way, and it meant pleasing a gatekeeper.



Now, you get to decide. What kind of experience do you want? What kind of experience
are you willing to work for? Perhaps, if anything, there are too many options—creating
paralysis. Writers don't know which path is best.



Evaluate your personal strengths. Evaluate the nature of your work and how it is best
presented. Evaluate what your audience wants. Find
that sweet spot to know how to move ahead.




Finally, don't forget: "With great power comes great
responsibility."




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Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 10/8/10)

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I watch Twitter, so you don't have to. Visit each Sunday for the week's best Tweets.
If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the Comments. Want to know about the best stuff
I read each week? Click
here to subscribe to my shared items.




Quick plug for upcoming Writer's
Digest online classes:




How
to Write Your Life Story or Memoir (October 21) by Linda Joy Meyers. Includes
a critique, plus a digital download of a how-to book on memoir.







Best of Best

Choosing An Editor For Your Work


@mikecane



Douglas Rushkoff on Upstart Publishing, Staying Human
in a Digital World


@dbschlosser



Self-Help and Memoir: Do's and Don'ts to Save Your
Book


@GreenleafBookGr



You Aren't J.A. Konrath: Top advice from a top-selling
Kindle author. And actually very positive.


@nickdaws

Getting Published, Agents/Editors

In today's "closed-to-queries" climate,
how can writers get agents? A few tips

@JodyHedlund




How to pick an agent if you write for multiple audiences


@Kid_Lit



The declining popularity of children's picture
books


@victoriastrauss

Craft & Technique

Write characters, not "Mary Sues"


@AdviceToWriters



Outstanding interview with independent editor Ramona
DeFelice Long. Hitting the wall at 100 pages?


@dbschlosser



Do you need a villain-style antagonist? What if you
don't have one?

@Kid_Lit

Publishing News & Trends

"He who controls IP wins: Macmillan Starts
Film/TV Division"


@glecharles



The e-reader incompetence checklist (for discerning
consumers, editors, publishers and designers)

@craigmod



Smart piece by @brainpicker showing why Malcolm Gladwell
is flat out wrong [about social media]

@nickbilton

Marketing, Platform Building, Self-Promotion

Publicity expert shows self-published
authors how to use Google Alerts & Help a Reporter Out


@GalleyCat

Self-Publishing and E-Publishing

A look at Barnes & Noble's
new PubIt [self-pub] service (plus a small caution)

@victoriastrauss

Blogging
& Websites

3
Reasons to Start Blogging Before a Book Contract


@JodyHedlund




To Blog or Not To Blog: Authors Online


@inkyelbows



5 Blog Naming Basics


@nickdaws

Online Tools & Resources

Research
Links for Writers


@AdviceToWriters


[For the love of god, someone
help the site owner change the colors on this page design.]

Looking for more?




Want to know about the best stuff I read each week?


Click here to subscribe
to my shared items.




Follow me on Twitter (@JaneFriedman)







List of Tweeps most
often included in weekly Best Tweets for Writers (always under development)



Follow Writer's Digest editors on Twitter: @writersdigest @brianklems @robertleebrewer @jessicastrawser @chucksambuchino @chadseibert @vanessa_lw @psexton1 @kellymesserly




Become a fan at the Writer's Digest Facebook
page (8,500+ fans)

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7 Lessons for Delivering a Powerful Message

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I attended TEDxCincy today. (I'm a huge fan
of TED in general.)




It was a professionally produced event, with an impressive roster of accomplished
people invited to speak.




But sometimes the most accomplished people are not the best speakers, meaning too
many messages today were not as effective as they could've been.



And so, my greatest takeaway from TEDxCincy has
become a valuable lesson in how to deliver a more powerful, memorable message. While
these principles came out of hearing people speak, I believe they apply across many
mediums.



1. Focus on sharing your vision, not emphasizing the root problem.


I heard one speaker say that the purpose of his speech was "to torment you [with this
problem] as it torments me." He focused relentlessly on the severity of a problem,
or why everyone needed to take the problem seriously.




There is a time and place for wake-up calls, but the most effective presentations
usually offer a vision, or an inspiring solution to a vexing problem.



People want to hear positive, life-affirming things. They want optimism, hope, belief.
They want the art of possibility.




Give people an idea or dream of how life COULD be, if only we took action, or changed
a behavior. Rally people around a common vision.




2. Use stories to inspire and support your message.


I enjoy a revealing or startling statistic like anyone else, but a laundry list of
statistics, without full context or stories, becomes meaningless and boring. You persuade
people and change their behavior by appealing to their heart, not their head.



3. Go after ONE idea, not the laundry list.


It's tempting to throw every possibility out there. But a laundry list of solutions
or opportunities isn't memorable.




Repetition and reinforcement of an idea is critical, and this can't happen if the
topic gets changed every couple minutes. A big idea needs to be carefully framed and
grounded, then expanded upon. Commentary can't seem random; the audience needs a through-line,
needs to feel like the message is building, gaining momentum, going somewhere.



(I wonder: Maybe people are jumping around so often because they don't trust any single
idea to be powerful enough to carry a talk?)



4. Make it easy to spread your message.


People can get so close to their subject matter (or their passion) that they lack
the distance to convey an understandable message about it. It's the classic forest-for-the-trees
problem.



Jargon or specialized terms have no place of any kind in a general-interest message,
and the most inspiring speakers are the ones who can make their point compelling to
anyone, and sharable by anyone.




Stay out of the weeds, focus on the compelling takeaway idea you want people to be
discussing long after you've left the stage. (How does each part of what you say reinforce
that ONE idea?)



5. Enthusiasm and energy matter—A LOT.


You can tell when people are bored by (or unsure of) what they're saying. Their whole
delivery and attitude changes to that of someone going through the motions, just trying
to get to the end. It could be they've lost conviction or interest in what they're
saying—or maybe they're just emptying out the purse of every intriguing idea they've
ever had but haven't really considered, so let's rush through it! Deadly!



6. Don't let the visuals override you, or become the higher entertainment.


The speaker should always be the focus, and the visuals should support, illustrate
or amplify a point the speaker is making. There shouldn't be so many slides that none
are worth showing for more than a few seconds, and there shouldn't be any slides that
give a different message than what the speaker is delivering. And of course visuals
should not distract. Reinforcement is the name of the game.



7. Give your audience an immediate answer to "So what?"


Every time we give our time to someone else, we immediately look for the reason we're
granting that time. Why does this matter? How is this relevant? How will this help
me live better, do good, change the world, shift my thinking, modify my outlook?



In part, this means: Don't tell your personal story to a general audience unless it's
highly unusual. No one wants to hear about you, though certainly tell about vulnerabilities
and mistakes; offer symbolic stories that teach. But always tie it back—tie it back
to the vision, to the universal. Make it about something bigger than yourself.




--



What have I missed? Where am I wrong?

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5 Articles You Should've Read Over the Summer

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I share many publishing-related articles via Facebook and Twitter (and
through Best
Tweets), but I know many of you aren't involved in those networks.



So, I'd like to highlight 5 articles that I think every writer should have read over
the summer.



Where
Will Bookstores Be 5 Years From Now? by the always insightful Mike Shatzkin.
Why you should read it: To better understand the challenges now facing the publishing
community and what the future looks like.

After 15 Years of Practice … by Derek
Sivers. Why you should read it: To understand the importance of practice, patience,
persistence.

Barnes
& Noble Review: Clay Shirky interview. I've mentioned this before, but
it's worth mentioning again. It's critical to understanding the dynamics now at play
in all of media/publishing.

The
Line Between Book and Internet Will Disappear by Hugh McGuire. Why you should
read it: To stretch your thinking and ideas about what a "book" is.

4
Ways Not to Reek of Desperation by Mitch Joel. Why you should read it: To
learn how to empower yourself without waiting for someone else to approve/validate
your work.

And a bonus for anyone interested in self-publishing:



The
Ditchwalk Print-on-Demand Roadmap by Mark Barrett. One of the best articles
I've seen that explains how to choose a print-on-demand service if you're self-publishing.



If you found this list useful, then you may want to subscribe
to my shared items on Google Reader.

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