Leigh Talbert Moore's Blog, page 21

New Schedule and a BIG Congratulations!

First, a big, huge congratulations to my awesome bleep, critter, birthday twin, and fab writer-friend Tami Hart Johnson, who is officially a national bestselling author!!!
Bestselling author
I'm just bursting over here, so you can imagine how she feels. Here, go check her out (link).

And grab your copy of her debut cozy mystery The Azalea Assault (link)! (The cover and link are also in my sidebar -->)

As for my New Schedule, starting Wed., June 20, I'm moving my weekly post mid-week to take part in a very awesome blogging event called The Kindness Project.

I'll do my first post next week. (I'm late, I know, but I just found out last night, and I need to see how it's done!)

For now, here's what it is, and feel free to join me now or in July:

Too often kindness is relegated to a random act performed only when we’re feeling good. But an even greater kindness (to ourselves and others) occurs when we reach out even when we aren't feeling entirely whole. 

It’s not easy, and no one is perfect. But we’ve decided it’s not impossible to brighten the world one smile, one kind word, one blog post at a time. To that end, a few of us writers have established The Kindness Project, starting with a series of inspirational posts. We post the second Wednesday of every month.

Want to join us? Grab our button and spread a little kindness.

In the meantime, check out our other cool participants listed below, and I'll see you back here Wednesday! Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

The Kindness ProjectSophia Chang                         Sara LarsonErica Chapman                      Matthew MacNishJessica Corra                         Sara McClungElizabeth Davis                      Leigh MooreChrista Desir                          Tracey NeithercottSarah Fine                              Katharine OwenClaire Hennessy                     Elizabeth PooleElana Johnson                        Lola SharpAmie Kaufman                        Michele ShawLiza Kane                                Meagan Spooner                     Alina Klein                               Carolina Valdez Miller

Throwing Socks at the Ceiling Fan

Before I was an editor, before I worked in any form of news, before I had a master's degree, before I had any credentials other than a bachelor's degree and a post-baccalaureate certification, I taught tenth-grade English.

I think every college graduate should be required to teach one year, or at least student teach one semester at a public school.

There'd be a lot less debate about funding public schools or how hard our teachers work or even how different kids are today from how they were "back then."

sourceSo I taught tenth grade English, and at the end of that year, my students had to take the writing portion of the LEAP exam, Louisiana's standardized testing required for graduation.

Needless to say we focused on writing heavily, and needless to say many of them were extremely nervous about being required to write on a random topic in order to graduate. Or to write. Period.

Our mantra was "writing is a craft," and I explained that meant it was something you got better at the more you did it. I'd have them write something almost every day, pass it to a neighbor for "grading," and then go back and correct it before turning it in to me for the final grade.

It was a primitive version of critique partners, and I didn't even know it.

When I started writing books, I didn't know what I wanted to write. I'd get ideas for stories that I liked, or I'd get a character in my head, and I'd chase him or her wherever s/he led, whether it was back in time or outer space or just around the block.

My first book wasn't very polished, but I think my latest shows the mantra works. You do improve with practice, getting feedback, learning from mistakes.

When he was in high school, my older brother liked lying on his bed, taking off the socks he was wearing, and then throwing them at the ceiling fan while it was spinning.

Sometimes I'd lie on the bed beside him and watch, and we'd laugh about how far they flew or dodge the falling dust bunnies, depending on how long it'd been.

sourceMy writing path feels that way at times. Five completed MSs later, and I still don't know which genre I prefer to write or which my readers prefer.

I'm not sure it matters as long as I just keep doing it, learning from my mistakes, improving.

I can't seem to find my point today, I'm sorry. If you've made it this far, I guess it's just keep swimming. And if you're throwing socks at the ceiling fan, remember to dodge the dust bunnies. (Yes?)

Oh, and every one of my students passed the writing portion of the LEAP. I was so proud of them. Still am.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Blogs & Pinterest & Zombies

I just read another post about how blogging isn't what it was a year ago. Many of this writer's friends are no longer posting, and s/he laments, "Blogging is dead."

My daughter recently got an iPod Touch. It comes with the same iMessage app the iPhone has. First, she could only text me. Now she has two friends she can text. One million text messages later...

zombie scanner appSeriously, she texts constantly. Occasionally they also jump on Facetime and talk, but then they're right back to texting.

The good news is, I've got an easy thing to ground when she misbehaves or doesn't do her homework. My point is I expect this behavior to level out once the novelty is gone. 

Maybe that's a faulty analogy. Regardless, I'm not so ready to declare blogging dead. It's like any other social media--it works for some people, it doesn't for others.

Blogging moves slower, it requires brains, and Blogger often makes users emit weird noises... Much like a zombie.

Personally, I find Twitter bewildering. It's like I'm posting my random thoughts in the hopes one of my friends might be online at that moment to catch me and reply.

I've been admonished for this Luddite approach: Some other tweeter might respond, and I could make a new friend!

*nom nom nom*But I'm kind of suspicious that way, and I'm not the type of person who chats with strangers about randomness. (Hmm... wait.)

My husband and I have lived in four different states and have friends all over the world. We use Facebook to keep up with everybody, share pictures, make jokes, remember when, share music, share movies, etc.

(Attention investors: I've never used it to buy or sell anything.)

I've always loved art and fashion and looking at photography in magazines. I also like finding unique items to buy and wear (or to dream of buying and wearing).

Me on PinterestPinterest is the absolute most amazing outlet for my love, and every pin's a link to where you can find the item!

I don't use it to sell anything, but I have used it to buy stuff. (Attention investors: This one's sheer marketing genius.)

Goodreads I use when I remember to. Tumblr is simply baffling...

This silly little blog has done amazing things for me. I've had to cut back on posting, but...  (If you can recite my story, please skip to the "resume.")

I started this blog reluctantly, not expecting anything from it. I didn't know what to write about, and I didn't know a single other person with a blog.

Gradually, I met other blogging writers. We shared our writing mistakes, problems, fears, discoveries, ideas, successes, etc. Now we have a pretty tight circle of writer-friends, and I know of at least two who've sailed up the Amazon charts using blog tours.

For me, blogging has provided critique partners, feedback on short writing samples, actual writer friends, an agent. 

When I launched my editing business last year, blogger friends sent me clients, became clients, posted about it, told me where I could advertise. Now I have a steady stream of business. ( Resume. )

Wait. That did all happen a year or more ago! Maybe they're right! It is dead, and I'm hanging out with... (insert shocking music) Zombies!!!

I think it's more as a good blogging friend (M. Pax, link) said last week on another good friend's blog (link): You've got to find the social media outlet that suits your personality. Then you've got to interact with others using it.

Then she said, "Muuhhh... brains... nom nom nom..."

What do you guys think? Am I missing it? How do you view the social media outlets? Why are you still blogging--or are you quitting? Any good brain recipes?

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Kids & Writing by Dr. Q

First, let me say a heartfelt Thank You to all the men and women in uniform who've given their lives to keep us safe and free. Have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday.

And since this blog is also about being a mom, I'm super excited to welcome great bloggy friend Dr. Susan Quinn (link) who has a brand new book out (see below) and is guest posting on how to get your kids writing.

A great potential summer activity!

So without further ado~

Ten Ways To Get Kids To Writeby Susan Kaye Quinn

Getting my kids to write was slightly less painful than delivering them into the world, but a lot more frustrating. Because it goes on for years and years and years ...

When I tell people that my 13 year old son Dark Omen wrote a novel and is now working on the sequel, they give me this knowing look, like, Well, of course! What did you expect? You're a writer!

If they only knew.

None of my boys (ages 8, 11, 13) enjoyed writing when they were younger (in the case of 8 year old Mighty Mite, we're still in that nooooooo stage of the writing experience). But I'm a patient mom (er, sometimes), and in the spirit of my Twelve Tips for Reluctant Readers post, I've pulled together  Ten Ways to Get Kids to Write:

When the boys were little, we had a mini-easel that was chalk on one side and marker on the other. It spread chalk dust like crazy and we were always having to clean it, but having writing materials easily available (Way #1) meant we could stop and draw letters or cats (lots of cats) at any time.

Later, when they were in school, there was lots of writing time during the year, but during breaks and summer, I stapled together pages of writing paper with a construction paper "cover." This "book" was theirs to decorate, but they had to write a sentence (or paragraph or page, depending on the age) in it every morning, setting a regular time for writing (Way #2) - interestingly, Dark Omen still does most of his writing in the morning.

Sometimes I gave writing themes (Way #3), like Christmas lights or going to the pool, but mostly I let them write whatever they wanted (Way #4), even if it was only "I hate writing." (They thought this was the height of funny.)

When they were older and could write longer passages, I enlisted the help of writing workbooks (Way #5) - get the good ones, they're worth it - with worksheets on grammar as well as narrative writing. To mix it up a little, I also gave them assignments (Way #6): write a letter (from a list of our relatives), write a poem, write a song, write a recipe.

Here it helped to have a variety of writing supplies (Way #7), from index cards to fancy stationary. The most inspiring writing materials were consistently any notebook or writing material of an odd shape or texture or origin (Way #8), whether tiny spiral bound notebooks or giant sized, cardboard-latched binders.

My boys even spent one hilarious night writing secret notes on the backs of fortune cookie slips.

As long as they were writing, I was happy.

Note: most of the time I was not happy because they were not writing. I tried to give them a journal (Way #9) - not a diary - but that was met with scorn.

My final Way is not really a technique, but an attitude: cultivate patience and don't give up (Way #10).

Kids all develop at their own rates and it may take time (a lot of time, years worth of time) before they reach the milestones you want. But just like reading, writing is an essential skill that will wither if not actively encouraged.

Now, I have to pull Dark Omen away from his spiral notebook that he relentlessly fills with words and characters and stories. I have to tell him to eat breakfast before writing, to make sure it gets in him before he has to run to the bus and Junior High. And if I had told my younger-parent-self  that my oldest son would some day be a novelist, I would have had a good laugh.

And I probably needed it, too.

If that's not enough ideas to keep you from tearing out your hair, Imagination Soup has ten more writing activities for kids.

May the Odds be Always in Your Favor.*

*Getting kids to write isn't quite as brutal as the Hunger Games, but somehow the analogy seems apt.

What ways have worked for you?

~~*~~


Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2)
$2.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble (ebook and print)

When you control minds,
only your heart can be used against you.
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, which is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Weird, maybe. Lucky, definitely.

Writers are weird. I've even heard them called crazy, and maybe that's fair.

I'd argue we're working in one of the few fields where you can put more of yourself into your work than you ever thought possible, demonstrate more dedication than you ever believed you had, believe in yourself more than you've ever done in your life, and still not find success.

At least not right away.

I recently heard award-winning author Margaret McMullan (link) speak. She said something that struck me, and I think you might like it. Here it go (roughly):

"Conflict is something we avoid in life, but we collect as writers. You might be having the worst year of your life. Use it."

I noted that first because it's true. But also because life as a writer is so emotionally challenging. I guess that means we have lots of material from which to draw. (?) For example...

SourceMaybe you're writing your first novel. You've got a full-time job, a family, responsibilities, but you get up every night for months until that book is done.

You do everything right. You find beta readers and critique partners, you revise and polish, you write a great query. And every agent passes.

Maybe you get a Revise & Resubmit request from a Dream Agent. With a nauseous stomach and trembling hands, you hunker down and make the requested revisions. You get feedback from your betas/critters, you get it all bright and shiny and polished and ready to go back. And Dream Agent passes.

Or maybe you land Dream Agent. S/he is so in love with your book, s/he's raving about iPad apps and movie deals. You have visions of your baby going to auction and publishers fighting over you, waving incredible advances and sales projections. You send it out and spend six sleepless weeks (or months) waiting to hear something. And every editor passes.

Maybe you get a major deal. You're given a huge advance, much of which depends on your ability to move a certain number of copies. Maybe a fellow writer reads your book. S/he has written something in the same genre (or not) and is bitter or jealous because you got a major deal and s/he was rejected.

This writer crafts a scathing, unfair review and posts it on Goodreads declaring your book garbage and gets all his/her friends to give it the thumbs up so it's the first thing potential buyers see when they look up your title.

Or maybe your book's picked up by a small publisher. It has a fantastic launch and is selling well on all the online outlets. You do all your promotional materials, bookmarks, etc., then you get an email saying small publisher is going out of business. In 24 hours, your baby will disappear from the stores. You're facing weeks to get it back online, losing buyers and possibly even momentum.

What do you do?

I guess McMullan would say "Use it." It's good advice, but in the moment, it's not always super encouraging to think, "This could be my bestselling novel one day."

Back when I was querying, I used to joke about hiding under my desk. That's one option.

Another is to shoot an email to Tami, Carolyn, Matt, Jessica, Susan, DL, Tracy, Sheri, Janet, Katie, Stina, Theresa, Lydia, Sarah, Jen, Anne, Jeannie, Anita, Lisa Anne, Elle, PK, Michael, RaShelle, Shannon, Me...

I had to stop naming names because of space requirements. The point is we've all been there. The examples above are all real, and yet somehow we've all made it through these times and made it to better places. Or heck, we've made it.

We're so lucky to have this group. I know I say that a lot, but I feel so lucky to have you. I've yet to meet another set of writers in real life that compares to this blogging community.

So yes, maybe I'm weird, but I know that if I'm losing it, all I have to do is reach out and help is just an email away. I hope you feel the same about me.

And while we're reaching, check out Elle Strauss's brand new book! I haven't read it yet, but it sounds supercute. Here's the cover and jacket blurb:

Adeline doesn't feel she belongs in her own time, but can bad boys from the past be trusted?

Adeline Savoy had hoped that the move west from Cambridge to Hollywood with her single dad would mean they’d finally bond like a real family, but all she got was a father too busy with his new female friends and his passion for acting to really see her.

Instead she finds herself getting attached to Faye, the divorcee hair dresser she befriends when she travels back in time to 1955. Faye has a hottie, James Dean-esque, bad-boy brother who has Adeline’s heart all aflutter, but bad boys from the past can be dangerous. Is it possible that Adeline really does belong in her own time and that maybe the right boy lives as close as next door?

LIKE CLOCKWORK is available now at Amazon (link) and Smashwords (link).

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3